WASHINGTON (AP) — The president has been privately fretting over his eldest son's legal exposure in the special counsel's investigation. But Donald Trump Jr. isn't letting any scrutiny slow him down.

Speculation about whether Trump Jr. could be caught in the special counsel's crosshairs has risen recently, but he remains beloved on the right. He is crisscrossing the country on campaign trips, penning op-eds in support of favored candidates and showcasing a high-profile new relationship with former Fox News host Kim Guilfoyle.

The strategy appears to mirror President Donald Trump's combative defiance toward special counsel's Robert Mueller's investigation. And the enthusiastic reception Trump Jr. is receiving in many Republican strongholds suggests that base voters are rallying around the president's criticism of the probe — perhaps even fired up by the fight.