By throwing a tantrum and blowing up the negotiations over an interview, Trump has given Mueller the ability to finish his obstruction of justice investigation earlier than scheduled.
NBC News reported, “Prior to Monday’s raid, Mueller’s team had been aiming to finalize a report on its findings on whether the president has tried to obstruct justice in the Russia investigation in the coming months, as early as May or as late as July, three sources said. That timeline hinged in part on reaching a decision on a presidential interview, these people said. One person familiar with the investigation described a decision on an interview as one of the last steps Mueller was seeking to take before closing his investigation into obstruction. Now, according to two sources, Mueller’s team may be able to close the obstruction probe more quickly as they will not need to prepare for the interview or follow up on what the president says.”
Mueller may already have everything he needs on obstruction of justice.
MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace described what a Mueller interview would look like for Trump:
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Nicolle Wallace details what a Mueller interview would look like for Trump. https://t.co/1CEl8pQl8O pic.twitter.com/YH5eyivqfW
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) April 12, 2018
Trump’s tantrum over the Michael Cohen raid helps Mueller
If Trump were smart, he would be trying to slow down the special counsel investigation. He would be using negotiations over the interview process to drag the obstruction of justice investigation out until after the midterms. The fact that Trump is mad has opened the door for Mueller to finish the obstruction of justice investigation sooner because he doesn’t need Trump’s testimony.
Robert Mueller has binders full of evidence against Trump. The interview, if Trump were capable of telling the truth, would be beneficial to the president, because it would allow him to get his defense on the record. Since the Mueller report will be the basis for any impeachment proceedings in Congress, it would help Trump’s cause if he was interviewed.
The interview doesn’t sound likely to change whether or not Mueller finds that he obstructed justice, but by speeding up the timeline, Trump could be hastening his own demise.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
