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Mueller Team Has ‘Gone Absolutely Nuts,’ Trump Says, Resuming Attacks on Russia Inquiry Mueller Team Has ‘Gone Absolutely Nuts,’ Trump Says, Resuming Attacks on Russia Inquiry
(about 2 hours later)
WASHINGTON — President Trump on Thursday blasted the special counsel team, calling it a “disgrace” to the country in an early Twitter post and renewed previous attacks on the investigation, calling it, “A TOTAL WITCH HUNT LIKE NO OTHER IN AMERICAN HISTORY! WASHINGTON — Fresh off three days of private meetings with his personal lawyers, President Trump renewed his attacks on Thursday on the special counsel investigation, calling it “A TOTAL WITCH HUNT LIKE NO OTHER IN AMERICAN HISTORY!
The fresh barrage comes after Mr. Trump spent the last three days meeting with his personal legal team, crafting answers to written questions from the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III. The barrage, launched on Twitter, ended a period of relative quiet by the president about the investigation, which has ensnared some of his former aides.
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In recent days, Mr. Trump had been relatively quiet about the investigation. He returned Sunday from a trip to Paris to face criticism for his decision to skip a solemn visit to an American cemetery in France, part of events to mark 100 years since the end of World War I.In recent days, Mr. Trump had been relatively quiet about the investigation. He returned Sunday from a trip to Paris to face criticism for his decision to skip a solemn visit to an American cemetery in France, part of events to mark 100 years since the end of World War I.
When he returned to Washington, Mr. Trump stepped into closed-door sessions with his personal lawyers and worked on drafting written answers to questions from the Mueller team, which is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election and any possible ties to the Trump campaign. The president’s legal team and aides have pleaded with him for months to avoid writing Twitter posts about Mr. Mueller. But by Thursday morning, the president returned to attacking the inquiry and Mr. Mueller. When he got back to Washington, Mr. Trump stepped into private sessions with his personal lawyers, people close to the legal team said. They were drafting answers to questions from the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, whose team is investigating possible links between Trump associates and Russia’s election interference and whether Mr. Trump has obstructed the inquiry itself.
Though Mr. Trump briefly restrained himself from publicly attacking Mr. Mueller, the president had complained privately about what he believes to be Mr. Mueller’s conflicts of interest, even as the Justice Department reviewed the accusations and found no issues. But it was unclear what may have motivated Mr. Trump’s messages on Thursday morning.
Mr. Trump’s lawyers believe that the special counsel investigation is winding down, and they finally agreed to answer written questions after months of back-and-forth with the Mueller team. Mr. Mueller has been asking to interview the president for nearly a year, and Mr. Trump’s team has delayed responding. Mr. Trump’s former personal lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, was spotted by an ABC News crew on Monday en route to see Mr. Mueller’s team. Mr. Cohen has pleaded guilty to a string of crimes, and said under oath that his client ordered him to make hush payments to an adult-film actress claiming in 2016 that she had had an affair with Mr. Trump.
Mr. Mueller wants to ask the president questions about whether there was any obstruction of justice during the course of the investigation, which began late in the Obama administration. Mr. Mueller wants to ask the president about any possible coordination with Russia during the election campaign, as well. Several of Mr. Trump’s former aides have struck deals with the special counsel team in exchange for their cooperation in the investigation. This week, Jerome Corsi, a friend of Roger J. Stone Jr., a longtime informal adviser to the president, announced that he expected to be charged with lying to federal investigators after two months of cooperation with the special counsel team.
Mr. Trump’s lawyers had been prepared to send responses to questions from Mr. Mueller by the middle of this week, but so far they have not. Mr. Mueller had agreed in September to allow Mr. Trump to respond to questions about ties between his campaign and Russia in writing and put off the issue of whether Mr. Trump would have to answer ones about whether he obstructed justice. The president’s legal team and aides have pleaded with him for months to avoid writing Twitter posts about Mr. Mueller. The president has long complained privately about what he believes to be Mr. Mueller’s conflicts of interest, despite the Justice Department’s review and conclusion last year that Mr. Mueller had none.
Mr. Trump’s lawyers have long been concerned that the president would make a false statement in an interview with Mr. Mueller’s investigators, which could be a felony. In June 2017, Mr. Trump told the White House counsel to take steps to remove Mr. Mueller because of the perceived conflicts. Mr. Trump cited a dispute with Mr. Mueller several years ago about golf fees at a Trump golf club in Virginia where Mr. Mueller was a member; Mr. Mueller’s interview with Mr. Trump the day before he was appointed special counsel to return to his old job as F.B.I. director; and Mr. Mueller’s work for a law firm that previously represented Mr. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. The White House counsel refused, and the president dropped the issue.
As the president has launched new attacks on Mr. Mueller, critics are arguing that the official Mr. Trump placed in the top slot of the Justice Department has his own conflicts of interest. Last week, Mr. Trump fired the attorney general, Jeff Sessions, and replaced him with a loyalist, Matthew G. Whitaker, who has been publicly critical of the Mueller inquiry. Mr. Mueller has sought to ask the president about any possible coordination with Russia during the campaign and whether he intended to obstruct the investigation.
Mr. Mueller has negotiated over a possible presidential interview for nearly a year. After months of back-and-forth, Mr. Mueller’s team agreed to accept answers in writing about possible conspiracy with Russia. On obstruction matters, investigators acknowledged that issues of executive privilege could complicate the prospect of an interview, but they did not abandon pursuit of it.
The president’s lawyers are said to believe that the special counsel investigation is winding down, though Mr. Mueller’s team has given no public indication about its timeline.
The president’s lawyers have long been concerned that the president would make a false statement in an interview with Mr. Mueller’s investigators. Lying to federal investigators is a felony that could carry up to five years in prison.
As the president has renewed his offensive on Mr. Mueller and what the president sees as his conflicts of interest, critics of his administration are arguing that Mr. Trump’s recent appointment to lead the Justice Department and oversee the Russia investigation has conflicts of interest of his own.
When Mr. Trump fired Attorney General Jeff Sessions last week, he named a loyalist, Matthew G. Whitaker, to replace him in an acting capacity. Mr. Whitaker has been publicly critical of the Mueller inquiry.