I’m sorry, but this is just bull right out of the gate, starting with the fact Ghouliani said it. You might recall he was gonna wrap this whole shebang up in about the same period of time, back when he arrived on the scene, ready to dazzle the nation with his brilliant legal knowledge and people skills.
Yeah, try not to gag at that idea. But it’s important to remember where all of these things start, as the bullshit tornado tends to obscure reality.
Trump has never had any intention of sitting down with Mueller’s team. The rest is just razzle dazzle tap-dancing.
They won’t let him be interviewed or answer in writing.
Trump can’t speak 3 words without lying, and Trump can’t provide written answers without incriminating himself if he tells the truth or perjuring himself if he doesn’t.
Yep, No suspense here. Everybody knows the chickenshit won’t.
It’s a sad commentary on the evolution of the Executive, in terms of what has become “Yes, there is one person above the law, and that person is the President”. In a just world these damned headlines would be “The President’s legal team plots how to respond to the inevitable subpoena from the Special Counsel”.
Or “How will Donald Trump fare when providing compelled testimony before a Federal grand jury?”
Why in the hell does Trump even have the option of negotiating the terms of what he provides Mueller, and the format and setting in which he’ll do it? Is a President subject to the law, or not?
Subpoena his ass and make the corrupt bastard take the fifth if he doesn’t like the terms.
Title of article should be “Giuliani Uses Horse Teeth to Jibber Nonsensically, Again.”
Did Rudy strangle Emmett Flood? Is there any evidence that Flood is representing Trump?
If the Manafort trial has Trump in a frenzy, as is reported, an OSC interview is out of the question.
Not that it was likely in the first place.
This is getting very interesting. Mueller has ratcheted the pressure by formally requesting a limited interview, forcing Trump to answer yes or no to even that. The pressure has two elements: first, the obvious one that Trump must put up or shut up, when neither option is good; second, the unstated element that Mueller would only make the formal request if he felt confident that he has his ducks in a row. The investigation is a concentric, mop-up prosecution of a mob operation, working from the periphery to the center. If and when any and all interviews are ultimately refused by Giuliani except on the most anodyne written inquiries possible, and Mueller goes to court to force the issue, anticipate that Mueller will ask and receive authorization to put questions on all topics of interest.
Note that Giuliani is now insisting that questions related to obstruction will not be answered–whereas previously the insistence had been on no questions relating to Russia. This is obviously nonsense. Trump’s only option now is to play for time–string this out as long as possible and turn it into a campaign issue for November. Mueller could of course defer any action on this front till after November–but that would be risky, since to initiate court proceedings compelling Trump testimony would strengthen his hand and make any termination of his appointment seem directly responsive to the investigation of the president. My guess is that Mueller will go to court before November but will not seek to interview Trump until after the midterms, to avoid interfering with the political process.
Somewhat lacking in the razzle and dazzle departments.
Didn’t Rudy say this exact same thing a couple of months ago?
In other “breaking news”: Beagle’s puss-filled, inner-ear abscess resembles Donald Trump.
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So, in 10 days, they will announce the text of the tweet they have decided upon for saying “no way.” (Mueller won’t let us ask the questions as well as give the answers, so the interview would be totally rigged against us.)
In ten days there could be at least ten more things for Mueller to investigate.
In 10 days, Trump will also release all the information his investigators “could not believe what they are finding” about Obama’s birth certificate; give his “very, very interesting” “major speech” on the Clintons; and reveal all the details and proof about Melania’s coming to America in a special press conference.
Amazing…Trump is controlling and in charge of his own criminal investigation. Mueller and the FBI Republicans are afraid of Trump. Get on with it…subpoena Trump and let the truth set America free. Trump must be under oath when testifying…subpoena him to appear before the Grand Jury and under oath without his baby sitter attorneys. What is Trump afraid of? Answer: the truth
Yah sure…10 days. Just like he said he’d release his taxes…and they are still in hiding.
“We don’t want questioning on obstruction.”
Why not?
Trump will do some sort of interview. In his feeble mind and tenuous grasp of the law the interview will serve as not some event in a long time line in the investigation, but as the summary event, the one that means Mueller is now done, and it’s obvious to everyone the Special Counsel should be wound down and terminated. He’s answered Mueller’s questions, he should be trusted he’s told the truth, he didn’t collude, and that’s that, we’re all done here. Pack up your office Bob, you have nothing left to do.
That’ll be his take on doing an interview.
Mark it.
I know that you know the answer to that question, but for those who might not, the magic phrase is “perjury trap.” That is the name the Trump team gives to question they cannot answer merely by saying the truth, which is what a normal person in a normal situation might do. (The truth could get them into trouble and the lie would be perjury.)
Trump will demand his responses be immune from perjury exposure. His legal team will want it accepted his answers may suffer from poor recall, confusion about times, dates, persons present, statements made, etc. It will be implicit that of course much or all of his replies can be construed or proven as non-responsive or lies, but it can’t be helped, that’s just who Donald Trump is, and special considerations must be extended. As in, there is no such thing as a Trump lie.
Delay, delay, delay until we get into the 60-90 day period prior to the election, in which no public investigative action is heavily discouraged (Comey notwithstanding).