Summary: President Trump said he would be willing to give testimony to Robert Mueller under oath.
President Donald Trump is known for his ability to surprise, and on Wednesday, he shocked the left and right when he said that he wanted to testify to special counsel Robert “Bob” Mueller and do it under oath.
The president’s offer came after it was revealed that Mueller had requested an interview with the President as part of his probe into Russia’s role in the 2016 presidential election. On Wednesday, Trump appeared in front of reporters, according to CNN, and he surprised those in the room with his willingness to give testimony.
“I am looking forward to it, actually,” Trump said. “Here is the story: There has been no collusion whatsoever. There is no obstruction whatsoever.”
A month ago, Trump said he didn’t see the point of being interviewed because there was “no collusion.” His newfound willingness to give testimony seems to show that he has taken a turn. It is unclear if his announcement was one created by his team of lawyers or if Trump was speaking off the cuff.
One of Trump’s attorneys, Ty Cobb, spoke to the New York Times after Trump made his comments, and Cobb clarified that Trump is willing to meet with Mueller and will have his counsel present. Cobb later told CBS News that he hoped Mueller would act professionally and not use the moment as a “perjury trap.”
According to the Washington Post, Mueller wants to ask Trump why he fired national security advisor Michael Flynn and FBI director James Comey. Investigators are also interested in whether Trump influenced Attorney General Jeff Sessions before he resigned from the case.
Sources told Bloomberg News that Mueller is wrapping up on his investigation as to whether or not Trump obstructed justice in this case. Trump has vehemently denied obstruction, and his lawyers said that it was his constitutional right to fire whomever he pleased. However, other parts of the case could be ongoing for months.
So far, Mueller has issued indictments for Flynn, Paul Manafort, Rick Gates, and George Papadopoulos. Flynn and Papadopoulos pled guilty to the charges of lying to the FBI.
Mueller has reportedly already interviewed Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, National Security Agency Director Michael Rogers, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, former FBI Director James Comey, and CIA Director Mike Pompeo as part of his probe.
The White House has been cooperating with Mueller’s investigation. According to Bloomberg News, “The White House has turned over 20,000 pages of documents, including more than 5,000 pages related to Flynn and almost 7,800 pages on Comey, according to the memo. It says the Trump campaign turned over 1.4 million pages.”
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