For months, President Trump’s lawyers and special counsel Robert S. Mueller III have danced around whether the president will agree to be interviewed by prosecutors. It appears that dance may finally be coming to an end.
The New York Times reported on Tuesday that Mueller may agree to accept written answers from the president on at least some topics. But written answers are a very poor substitute for a face-to-face interview, so why would Mueller agree?
It has been clear for some time that Trump was unlikely to agree to a voluntary interview. Despite the president’s repeated protestations that he wants to talk to Mueller, his lawyers have consistently advised against it. In addition to possibly implicating himself in criminal activity, there’s a high likelihood Trump would lie about something and expose himself to false-statement or perjury charges. Just this week, excerpts released from Bob Woodward’s forthcoming book “Fear: Trump in the White House ” revealed how, back in January, Trump attorney John Dowd conducted a mock interview with the president seeking to persuade him that speaking to Mueller was a bad idea. Trump reportedly failed the faux showdown miserably.
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