Trump Is Trying To Block Current And Former WH Officials From Testifying On The Mueller Report

Donald Trump’s post-Mueller report desperation became even more obvious on Tuesday as the White House is reportedly planning to block Don McGahn’s expected testimony before the House Judiciary Committee.

According to The Washington Post, “The White House plans to fight a subpoena issued by the House Judiciary Committee for former White House counsel Donald McGahn to testify, according to people familiar with the matter, setting up another showdown in the aftermath of the special counsel report.”

McGahn isn’t the only current or former aide the White House plans to block from testifying. The report adds that there are other officials the administration wants to keep from providing testimony related to the Mueller report.

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The Trump administration also plans to oppose other requests from House committees for the testimony of current and former aides about actions in the White House described in special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s report, according to two people familiar with internal thinking who, like others interviewed for this story, spoke of the plans on the condition of anonymity.

White House lawyers plan to tell attorneys for administration witnesses called by the House that they will be asserting executive privilege over their testimony, officials said.

Such a move will intensify a power struggle between the Trump administration and congressional Democrats, potentially setting up a protracted court battle.

Trump knows McGahn can do even more political damage

It’s obvious why Donald Trump doesn’t want Don McGahn in front of the House Judiciary Committee. After all, the information McGahn gave the special counsel was a central component of the Mueller report, particularly as it relates to obstruction of justice.

McGahn, who was mentioned over 150 times in the report, told special counsel investigators about Trump’s efforts to obstruct the investigation, including an episode in which the president pressured him to fire Mueller.

Ultimately, the Mueller report has shredded Trump’s argument that there was no collusion and no obstruction. In fact, there was collusion – even if it didn’t rise to the level of a crime – and there were multiple examples of obstruction.

What Robert Mueller intended was for his report to be used by Congress as a roadmap to continue gathering facts and hold this president accountable if necessary. The House Judiciary Committee’s decision to bring in current and former administration officials like Don McGahn is part of that process.

Luckily, as Rachel Maddow pointed out this week, what Congress is investigating is up to Congress to decide. Trump might be able to slow the process down, but he won’t be able to stop it.

And all the while, he looks guiltier than ever.

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Sean Colarossi

Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.