NBC: Talks Between Trump Lawyers and Mueller Collapse, POTUS Interview Unlikely

Former director of the FBI Robert Mueller talks to students in the security studies and political science program at Anderson University in Anderson, Ind. on Wednesday, March 8, 2017. Mueller lead the FBI from September 2001 to September 2013. (AP photo/The Herald Bulletin, Don Knight)
Former director of the FBI Robert Mueller talks to students in the security studies and political science program at Anderson University in Anderson, Ind. on Wednesday, March 8, 2017. Mueller lead the FBI from Septem... Former director of the FBI Robert Mueller talks to students in the security studies and political science program at Anderson University in Anderson, Ind. on Wednesday, March 8, 2017. Mueller lead the FBI from September 2001 to September 2013. (AP photo/The Herald Bulletin, Don Knight) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

The raid on President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer earlier this week “significantly complicated” negotiations between Trump’s legal team and special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigators over a potential presidential interview, NBC News reported Thursday evening.

According to several people familiar with the matter who spoke with NBC, both sides are moving forward with the presumption that a Trump interview will likely not take place. Trump’s lawyers and Mueller’s team were reportedly zeroing in on the final details of a potential interview, including negotiating the length of the discussion. One source told NBC that the President’s legal team was talking about hiring someone new to help prepare Trump for an interview.

Now that the interview is likely off, Mueller’s obstruction of justice case may close more quickly than expected because the special counsel’s team won’t need to prepare for the interview or follow up on what Trump would have said during it, NBC reported.

White House lawyer Ty Cobb told NBC Thursday that it was “untrue” that the interview will likely not happen.

Trump has repeatedly publicly claimed he would enthusiastically sit for an interview with Mueller, but he has been increasingly irked by the probe. His frustration increased this week after the FBI raided Michael Cohen’s home, hotel and office. While the raid was executed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, the FBI agents received the warrants after receiving a referral from Mueller.

The FBI reportedly seized documents related to payments made just before the 2016 election to two women — Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal — who allege they had affairs with Trump.

Read the full NBC report here.

Latest Livewire
58
Show Comments

Notable Replies

  1. I think it is extremely credulous to buy into the idea that Trump was ever going to be interviewed by Mueller. He was just looking for a pretext to officially get out of it.

  2. Put it on Pay-per-View. Dotard would jump on that in a heartbeat…

  3. Shorter version
    Trump listens to Faux Takes advice
    Still does not realize he is too stupid to face Mueller .
    Besides that pleading the 5th in the Grand Jury will be easier
    AMIRITE?

  4. Subtext: Mueller now has everything he needs without having to interview the perp.

  5. But this opens trump up to a relentless line of questioning from the press, doesn’t it? Every single day, day after day, they’ll ask “Didn’t you say multiple times you were eager to talk with Mueller? Why don’t you want to go over there and clear things up with him?”

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

52 more replies

Participants

Avatar for pluckyinky Avatar for cmmtchll Avatar for matthew1961 Avatar for ajileye Avatar for smiley Avatar for imkmu3 Avatar for clemmers Avatar for randyabraham Avatar for dont Avatar for sniffit Avatar for thebigragu Avatar for sickneffintired Avatar for clearwater Avatar for phillydave Avatar for emjayay Avatar for reggid Avatar for established_1781 Avatar for crooks Avatar for massie Avatar for somethinghappened Avatar for rumpole Avatar for dannydorko Avatar for grack Avatar for centralasiaexpat

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: