But White House lawyers try to walk back Trump’s statement


Developments on Day 371 of the Trump Administration:

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Trump: “I Will Do It Under Oath”

Donald Trump repeats that he will answer questions from the team of Special Counsel Robert Mueller in the Trump-Russia investigation.

Trump insisted at a press appearance on Wednesday, “I am looking forward to it, actually….I would do it. I would do it under oath, yeah.”

Reports circulated earlier this month that Mueller is close to requesting Trump’s oral deposition. They surged on Tuesday after it was revealed that the Special Counsel’s team has now questioned Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who met Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak on several occasions in 2016 but later denied the contacts, and former FBI Director James Comey, fired in May 2017 by Trump in a failed attempt to curb the inquiry.

See TrumpWatch, Day 369: Sessions Questioned in Russia Inquiry; Trump Next?

Sources say that Mueller is focusing on possible obstruction of justice by Trump, over both Comey’s dismissal and over the White House departure of National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty in December to lying to the FBI over his conversations with Kislyak.

Trump insisted yesterday, “Here is the story: There has been no collusion whatsoever. There is no obstruction whatsoever.”

Last June Trump said he was “100%” ready to speak with Mueller, the former long-time FBI Director recently appointed as Special Counsel after Comey’s removal.

But Trump left himself a way out of his latest commitment with a reference to the views of his attorneys: “I would love to do it. You know, again, I have to say, subject to my lawyers and all of that, but I would love to do it.”

White House lawyer Ty Cobb quickly tried to walk back Trump’s statement, saying the President had spoken “hurriedly” and only intended to say he was “willing” to meet with Mueller if that can be arranged: “He’s ready to meet with them, but he’ll be guided by the advice of his personal counsel.”

Trump’s attorneys and staff are reportedly concerned that Trump, prone to misstatements, could be subject to a perjury investigation if he makes false statements to the Special Counsel.

Legal analysts and journalists discuss the pitfalls of Trump, given his history with depositions, giving testimony:

Trump: I Don’t Recall Quizzing McCabe

On a related matter, Trump said he did not recall questioning Andrew McCabe, the Deputy Director of the FBI, during a job interview in May 2017 about how he voted in the 2016 presidential election.

“I don’t think so; no, I don’t think I did,” Trump said.

White House officials conceded on Tuesday that Trump did ask the question.

The exchange could be significant to Mueller’s investigation of possible obstruction of justice. It came just after Comey’s firing with McCabe taking over the director’s role on an interim basis.

Trump tried to shrug off the matter: “I don’t know what’s the big deal with that….I don’t remember asking him the question. I think it’s also a very unimportant question.”

In recent weeks some GOP legislators and Trump have encouraged the departure of McCabe from the FBI, insisting that he is compromised because of his wife Jill’s campaign for state office in Virginia in 2016.

The FBI has said that the campaign is unrelated to McCabe’s position, including the inquiry into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private server for e-mails.

Earlier this week it was reported that Attorney General Jeff Sessions pressed FBI Director Christopher Wray to fire McCabe. The effort was blunted when Wray threatened to resign, and White House counsel Don McGahn said McCabe was not worth the loss of the Director.

At the end of yesterday’s appearance, Trump showed concern over McCabe, saying, “The wife got $500 from Terry [former Governor Terry McAuliffe, an ally of Hillary Clinton]. Terry is Hillary.”