The Daily 202: Trump surprises his lawyers and alarms his friends by saying he will talk with Mueller
President Trump told reporters on Jan. 24 that he is “looking forward” to speaking to special counsel Robert S. Mueller III.
THE BIG IDEA: President Trump announced last night that he is “looking forward” to speaking with special counsel Robert Mueller's team, that he “absolutely” would do so under oath and that an interview could happen in the next two or three weeks. “I would love to do it, and I would like to do it as soon as possible,” the president said.
-- In the room where it happened: “The comments came during an impromptu meeting in the West Wing, where reporters were gathered to speak with senior officials for a background briefing about immigration,” Josh Dawsey, David Nakamura and Devlin Barrett report. “Trump walked into the meeting unannounced and began talking. The president later told reporters to quote him on the record. Trump’s remarks took White House officials by surprise and came as his lawyers were negotiating with Mueller’s team on a potential interview. The president’s lawyers have repeatedly encouraged him not to post tweets or make comments about the investigation without their knowledge, saying such comments could damage him.”
-- The president’s proclamation reflects his preternatural self-confidence that he can talk his way out of any pickle. He insists he’s done nothing wrong, and he recognizes the bad optics of refusing to cooperate. Perhaps he thinks he can publicly convey support for transparency, even as he privately drags his feet, puts up roadblocks and makes demands that Mueller won’t agree to.
A conventional politician would be boxed in by this kind of proclamation, but Trump has long demonstrated a Houdini-like willingness to wiggle out of commitments. We’ve still never seen those tax returns, for example, which he promised he’d put out during the campaign and then backtracked on after the election.
But this Russia investigation is different than previous quagmires Trump has found himself bogged down by. If he drags his feet now, more Americans could conclude that he’s worried and/or trying to hide something.
Ty Cobb left private practice to come help President Trump deal with the Russia investigation at the White House. (Jerry Cleveland/The Denver Post/AP)
