Kelly called Prez ‘idiot,’ officials say
THE BRUNT of what special counsel Robert Mueller plans to grill President Trump on — should he agree to an interview — is how he treated former FBI Director James Comey before and after his infamous firing.
Mueller’s far-reaching inquiry could determine whether Trump tried to obstruct justice in sacking Comey or whether his presidential campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016 election, according to a list of more than 40 questions obtained by The New York Times on Monday.
Mueller provided the questions to Trump’s legal team in advance of a proposed meeting, the paper reported.
Should Trump meet with Mueller, he could expect to explain why he dined with Comey on Jan. 27, 2017, and what was said, although the fired G-man has already shared his version of events in unclassified memos.
“Regarding the decision to fire Mr. Comey: When was it made? Why? Who played a role,” one question reads.
Most of the questions would ask Trump to elaborate on prior public statements, such as what he meant when he told NBC News anchor Lester Holt he fired Comey because of the brewing Russia probe.
Or what Trump really meant when he tweeted that Comey “better hope that there are no ‘tapes’ of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press.” Mueller’s interrogation would also quiz Trump on Michael Flynn’s activities during the presidential transition when he had several secret phone calls with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak about lifting sanctions. The questions also address Flynn’s brief White House stint as the national security adviser to Trump, and how former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates tried to warn the Trump administration that he might have been compromised. Trump fired Flynn in February 2017 after he lied to Vice President Pence about his sanction talks with the Russian government.
“After the resignations, what efforts were made to reach out to Mr. Flynn about seeking immunity or possible pardon?” another question reads.
Mueller would like to know how much Trump knew about the campaign’s alleged role in Russian election meddling, which he has repeatedly blasted as a “witch hunt.”
The questions primarily target increasingly public episodes that have unfolded in the White House, only to surface in news reports.
Mueller’s team has suggested Trump is not considered a criminal target.
The President has expressed interest in meeting with the independent prosecutor in an attempt to end the lengthy investigation once and for all. WHITE HOUSE chief of staff John Kelly called President Trump an “idiot,” while questioning his intelligence on policy issues during a meeting, it was reported Monday.
Kelly, in fact, has referred to the President as an “idiot” multiple times in private, four officials told NBC News.
In one meeting with other White House officials about the border wall and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, Kelly blurted out the insult, NBC reported.
“He doesn’t even understand what DACA is. He’s an idiot,” Kelly, 67, said, according to two officials who were present in that meeting. “We’ve got to save him from himself.”
Kelly fired back against the report, saying he has a “strong relationship” with Trump.
“I spend more time with the President than anyone else, and we have an incredibly candid and strong relationship,” the retired Marine Corps general said. “He always knows where I stand, and he and I both know this story is total BS.
CNN also reported that Kelly said Trump was “becoming unhinged” during a national security meeting in March that included Defense Secretary James Mattis.
Trump tweeted on Monday night: “The Fake News is going crazy making up false stories and using only unnamed sources (who don’t exist).
“They are totally unhinged,” he added.