Mueller probe no 'witch hunt'

Donald Trump's US attorney general nominee Bill Barr pledged Tuesday to protect the investigation into possible election collusion with Russia and rejected the president's characterisation of the probe as a "witch hunt."

Asked in a Senate confirmation hearing whether he would obey an order from Trump to fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who leads the Russia probe, Barr replied: "Assuming there was no good cause... I would not carry out that instruction."

Barr said he was a longtime friend of Mueller and said it was "unimaginable" that the prosecutor would do anything in the investigation that would justify reeling it in or shutting it down.

He said he had no reason to rein in or defund Mueller's probe, both of which Trump has called for as part of his campaign against what he labels "rigged" and "illegal."

"I don't believe Mr Mueller would be involved in a witch hunt," Barr said.

Barr was testifying on the first of two days of hearings on his nomination by Trump to lead the Justice Department.

The 68-year-old was previously attorney general from 1991-1993 and then spent 25 years as a corporate lawyer, most of it advising telecommunications giant Verizon.

He also maintained close links to the Republican mainstream and has been a major donor to the party.

The hearing focused on whether Trump recruited Barr to replace Jeff Sessions, who was fired in November, in order to help the White House inhibit the Mueller investigation.

He was interviewed once last year as a possible personal lawyer for the president.