Trump eager to talk with Mueller
WASHINGTON >> President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he is “looking forward” to testifying before Special Counsel Robert Mueller and that he would speak under oath.
“I would love to do it, and I would like to do it as soon as possible,” Trump said at the White House. “I would do it under oath, absolutely.”
The president suggested he was being investigated for obstruction of justice as part of the Russia investigation because he was “fighting back” and again reiterated there was “no collusion” between his campaign
and Moscow.
“Oh well, did he fight back?” Trump said, “You fight back, oh, it’s obstruction.”
Mueller’s team has told Trump’s lawyers they want to question the president about the firing of national security adviser Mike Flynn and FBI Director James Comey. They also have asked witnesses in recent weeks about Trump’s attempts to oust Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
The president suggested the interview could take place in the next two or three weeks but said he continued to consult with his lawyers. The president has previously criticized the wide-ranging investigation into his administration, calling it a “hoax” and a “witch hunt.”
Trump also said he didn’t recall asking acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe who he voted for in an Oval Office discussion earlier this year, as The Washington Post reported Wednesday night. The conversation left former and current FBI officials concerned because they believed it was inappropriate for the president to ask a civil servant about his political leanings.
McCabe replaced Comey as head of the FBI until Christoper Wray was confirmed for the job in August.
“I don’t think I did,” he said. “I don’t know what’s the big deal with that. I would ask you who you voted for . ... I don’t remember asking him that question.”
“I think it’s also a very unimportant question,” he added.