After Mueller Warns of Subpoena, Trump Fires Back Calling Probe 'A Setup & Trap'
President Donald Trump took aim at the Russia investigation again on Wednesday, describing it as a “setup & trap” following the revelation that special counsel Robert Mueller threatened to subpoena Trump to appear before a grand jury if he refused to be interviewed by investigators.
“There was no Collusion (it is a Hoax) and there is no Obstruction of Justice (that is a setup & trap). What there is is Negotiations going on with North Korea over Nuclear War, Negotiations going on with China over Trade Deficits, Negotiations on NAFTA, and much more. Witch Hunt!” Trump tweeted.
There was no Collusion (it is a Hoax) and there is no Obstruction of Justice (that is a setup & trap). What there is is Negotiations going on with North Korea over Nuclear War, Negotiations going on with China over Trade Deficits, Negotiations on NAFTA, and much more. Witch Hunt!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 2, 2018
Trump’s former lead attorney, John Dowd, confirmed to The Associated Press on Tuesday that Mueller talked about the option of compelling the president to testify.
The Washington Post reported that Mueller’s suggestion of a subpoena at the March 5 meeting drew a sharp retort from Dowd.
“This isn’t some game,” Dowd said, according to two sources. “You are screwing with the work of the president of the United States.”
Renowned attorney Alan Dershowitz told CNN and The Post it would be not be wise for Trump to agree to an interview by the special counsel, arguing — as the president did — that it would be a legal trap.
Alan Dershowitz says Mueller's list of questions for President Trump are "designed to let him ramble and talk and I suspect that's the strategy of the special counsel, because they know that may be President Trump's weakness" https://t.co/w1P7AxHAOS pic.twitter.com/f3qZLltwDj
— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) May 1, 2018
“The strategy is to throw him softballs so that he will go on and on with his answers,” he said. “Instead of sharp questions designed to elicit yes or no, they make him feel very comfortable and let him ramble.”
Dershowitz contended that prosecutors could catch Trump in a misstatement.
Fox News, The New York Times and other media outlets obtained a list of questions that Trump’s legal team believes the special counsel would ask of the president, based on conversations they had with Mueller’s investigators.
Most of them appear directed at the issue of obstruction of justice, with many focusing on Trump’s dealings with former FBI Director James Comey. Trump’s interactions with former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn is another frequently addressed topic.
Flynn plead guilty in December to one count of lying the federal investigators and agreed to cooperate fully with the Russia probe.
Other questions focused on discussions may have had about terminating the special counsel’s investigation.
A few of the queries have to do with contacts members of the Trump team had or may have had with Russians during the campaign and transition.
Trump tweeted on Tuesday, “So disgraceful that the questions concerning the Russian Witch Hunt were ‘leaked’ to the media. No questions on Collusion.”
So disgraceful that the questions concerning the Russian Witch Hunt were “leaked” to the media. No questions on Collusion. Oh, I see…you have a made up, phony crime, Collusion, that never existed, and an investigation begun with illegally leaked classified information. Nice!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 1, 2018
He continued, “Oh, I see…you have a made up, phony crime, Collusion, that never existed, and an investigation begun with illegally leaked classified information. Nice!”
Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh said on his program on Tuesday that Trump should agree to meet with Mueller’s investigators under one condition: that he receive the same treatment as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton did during her interview with the FBI in July 2016 concerning her unsecured, unauthorized email server.
Clinton’s interview was not recorded and not under oath, and her attorneys were present while it was being conducted.
Rush Limbaugh: The only way Trump should sit down for the interview with Mueller is if he gets the same treatment Hillary Clinton got pic.twitter.com/flslVtSDBE
— FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) May 2, 2018
“If Trump could secure the same identical circumstances that were granted to Hillary Clinton, then why not sit down and answer the questions,” said Limbaugh. “But of course I speak facetiously because everybody knows that Donald Trump is not going to get the Hillary Clinton treatment, which was extended by James Comey. “
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