Current and former White House aides are seeing the writing on the wall with special counsel Robert Mueller's latest moves -- and are worried about how Donald Trump is reacting.
Vanity Fair's Gabe Sherman wrote that after Trump tweeted praise for Roger Stone's lack of cooperation with Mueller, a former West Wing aide he spoke to was surprised at the president's brazenness.
"Wow," the official said, "that’s actually obstruction of justice."
Another former White House official said people inside the Trump administration are "freaking out" at the growing consensus suggesting Mueller's investigation is closing in.
Meanwhile, Sherman wrote, Trump and his advisers are "beginning to think about whether Mike Pence should be running again," a source briefed on a strategy meeting about the topic said.
The vice president "doesn’t detract from" Trump's coalition, the source told Vanity Fair, "but he doesn’t add anything either."
In spite of increasing anxieties in the White House, people close to Trump were "mostly relieved" by his stoic performance following the death of former President George H.W. Bush.
"Look at how he’s been," a former West Wing aide said. "It’s presidential."
