For well over a year, Donald Trump has pushed his assertion on the American people that the investigation into the alleged collusion between the Trump 2016 presidential campaign and Russian government operatives is just a “witch hunt.”
Now, he thinks he can convince Special Counsel Robert Mueller of the same thing, according to The New York Times.
‘Mr. Trump has told advisers he is eager to meet with investigators to clear himself of wrongdoing, the people said. In effect, he believes he can convince the investigators for the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, of his belief that their own inquiry is a “witch hunt.”’
President Trump reportedly has been pushing for an interview with Robert Mueller because "he believes he can convince the investigators … of his belief that their own inquiry is a 'witch hunt.'" https://t.co/4diV9SMCSm
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) August 3, 2018
Trump has repeatedly told his attorneys, as well as the public, that he wants to sit down for interviews with Mueller and his investigative team. Not doing so makes him look even more guilty than he already does, but Trump also has a terrible habit of lying with every breath, so the thought of him sitting for an interview with any investigator makes his lawyers understandably nervous.
The specific areas of focus should make Trump and his attorneys more than a little nervous, and those who know Mueller say that he will explore all options to get the president to answer his questions.
‘Mr. Mueller remains interested in key areas Mr. Trump’s lawyers worry will prove problematic for him, particularly whether he obstructed justice when he fired James B. Comey as the F.B.I. director. Mr. Comey has testified the president pressured him to drop an investigation into his first national security adviser, Michael T. Flynn.
‘Legal experts and law enforcement officials who have worked with Mr. Mueller have said that they believe he would pursue all available avenues to get Mr. Trump to answer questions about his conduct and try to determine his intent. Mr. Trump’s lawyers, however, remain unconvinced that Mr. Mueller would risk losing a subpoena fight in court.’
POTUS: When I slam my AG and call the Mueller probe a "witch hunt" it's my First Amendment right to express my opinion
Also POTUS: High-ranking former officials who express their opinion criticizing me are politicizing agencies and should be stripped of security clearances
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— Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) August 1, 2018
Even Trump’s tweets have come under fire in the probe, and his tweet on Wednesday was one of the more damning. Trump has repeatedly attempted to coerce public opinion against government officials who do not do everything he wants them to in order to end the investigation. On Wednesday, the target was Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Claiming that Trump’s tweet telling his AG what he “should” do to Mueller *immediately* was just an expression of opinion, as though Trump were a powerless talking head, is totally absurd. That it wasn’t a formal order doesn’t mean it was just an opinion.https://t.co/4wAEx1rqv6
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) August 1, 2018
No matter how much Trump tries to resist it, the investigation is continuing and eventually, he will be held accountable for his actions. We can only hope that it’s sooner rather than later.
Featured image via Flikr by Gage Skidmore under a Creative Commons license
