Trump wants to meet with Mueller despite lawyers' warnings
President Trump still wants to sit down with special counsel Robert Mueller — despite his lawyers urging him not to accept an interview, according to a report Wednesday.
One person familiar with the President's thinking told CNN that Trump wants to talk with Mueller because he believes he is completely innocent.
Trump also believes his history of handling lawsuits will help him get through the complex process.
Mueller is running the wide-ranging probe into Russian election interference and is looking at the possibility that Trump associates coordinated with the Kremlin.
He is also examining whether the President attempted to obstruct justice by interfering with the federal investigation.
“He thinks he can work this,” a source told CNN. “He doesn't realize how high the stakes are.”
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Mueller has yet to formally ask for a sitdown with the commander-in-chief, but a request is expected in the coming weeks, according to multiple reports.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing and has said publicly he welcomes the idea of meeting with Mueller.
Last month, he told reporters that there’s been “no collusion whatsoever” and said he “would love to” talk to Mueller under oath.
He also defended his multi-pronged attacks on the investigation, including his firing of FBI director James Comey as merely “fighting back.”
But his lawyers are against the idea of putting the President into a room with experienced prosecutors.
Trump’s attorneys are afraid the President, who has a penchant for hyperbole and a history of contradicting himself, could be charged with lying to investigators, according to the New York Times.
They are arguing for a partial, written exchange instead and attempting to find other ways to avoid an in-person interview without stonewalling the investigation.
A refusal to cooperate with the special counsel could trigger a heated Supreme Court battle.
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