Ken Starr: Mueller 'Should Look At' Whether Trump Lied

Ken Starr, the ex-independent counsel who investigated Bill Clinton, said Russia probe special counsel Robert Mueller "should look at" whether President Donald Trump lied about wanting to fire him.

In an interview Sunday on ABC News' "This Week," Starr referred to a New York Times report that stated Trump wanted to fire the special counsel last year. The president denied the report.

Starr's investigative report on then-President Clinton cited his public denial of having sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky as the basis for one of the 11 grounds for impeachment, host Martha Raddatz noted.

"I think lying to the American people is a serious issue that has to be explored," Starr said. "I take lying to the American people very, very seriously. So absolutely... I think that is something that Bob Mueller should look at."

Yet Starr emphasized Trump does have the power to fire Mueller.

"He can ask for Mueller to be fired for any reason," Starr said. "The president's power is extremely broad, as long as he's not engaged in discrimination or accepting bribes."

Starr said the president is "very open" about his feelings on Mueller, and his attitude of "'I don't like this guy'…. I don't see that as corrupt, I just don't."

"We just have a Trump Tower set of ethics here, and that is what we're seeing in the president," he said. "I hope that he will control that more in the remaining years of his term. But I think we're seeing … business tactics. I just don't see the corruption. He's so transparent. He tells everyone, 'Look, I want to get rid of this guy.'"

• Ken Starr: Mueller 'Needs to Look the President in the Eye'
• Chris Wallace: White House Trying to 'Undercut the Credibility' of Russia Probe