Trump wants to talk to Mueller despite lawyer concerns

www.msn.com...

President Donald Trump's lawyers have aimed to hit the brakes on a potential sit-down with Robert Mueller, but Trump remains eager to speak with the special counsel, according to his allies.

One person familiar with Trump's thinking said -- in addition to believing he is entirely innocent -- part of what's fueling the President's willingness to participate is his belief that he has experience with lawsuits and testifying under oath from his time in the real estate business.
"He thinks he can work this," this person said. "He doesn't realize how high the stakes are."

Once you're there, there's no turning back, this person said. "You can't get up and walk away. It's not that easy."

"He's basically saying that I'm wide open as a book. I've done absolutely nothing wrong and I'm willing to say so under oath," former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci told CNN's Jake Tapper Tuesday. "So again, I still think that that is on the table."

Convinced in his own innocence, according to this article Trump wishes to speak with Mueller despite his lawyers advice. I am unsure if he realizes how big of a mistake this is, given the seemingly very weak case against him.

Regardless, if this report is accurate I truly applaud the President's transparency. I still believe this is a huge mistake.

a reply to: JBurns

I can already hear President Trump's statement to Mueller:

"You've got this far and now you're fired. In a few days you'll be going to jail along with all the rest of your co-conspirators!!"

If one were to believe in the entire QAnon Trump/Mueller narrative, he has nothing to worry about and all of this represents brilliant political theater.

But if all of that is bunk, well... Trump may be headed down Slick Willy's biggest mistake.

I guess we have to wait to see which reality proves more true.

a reply to: JBurns

Trust trump. His instincts have bested everyone so far.

Think about it, trump has set his PR up perfectly. Mueller can't recommend charges (for impeachment) on anything other than russian collusion at this point (anything else would be a PR nightmare for the mueller team and deep state). Trump knows he didn't collude with russia.

Most importantly, he's the president of the united states. Not talking to investigators is great advice 99.9999999% of the time, but when you're the president, you're the exception.

He can’t be as bad as slick Willy

Can y’all imagine if trump said this to mueller??
Libs would call on the arrest of everyone from trump to his supporters...



-Chris

a reply to: Christosterone

I hope he talks to mueller and says exactly this at the first opportunity. Then release the tapes.

originally posted by: Deplorable
a reply to: JBurns

I can already hear President Trump's statement to Mueller:

"You've got this far and now you're fired. In a few days you'll be going to jail along with all the rest of your co-conspirators!!"

I think they'll meet, hug and then Mueller will brief Trump on what dirt has been found within Obama's Admin. After that, the 13,000 sealed indictments begin to be served, and Manafort/Flynn/Papadopoulos are pardoned.

originally posted by: JBurns

Trump wishes to speak with Mueller despite his lawyers advice.

Trump has been through something like 4,000 lawsuits.

I'm sure he's more qualified than all his lawyers on what to do and say.

Besides, he's probably itching to ask Mueller the most important question,

"Are you with me, Mueller?"

He has to decide whether to fire Mueller, and he'd want to meet privately and ask him that first.

It doesn't matter what Mueller wants to ask Trump, or what he does ask Trump. And it doesn't matter what Trump says to Mueller, at all.

People keep "predicting" the demise of Trump, and Donald keeps astonishing them.

Donald didn't become president by "accident."

originally posted by: AMPTAH

originally posted by: JBurns

Trump wishes to speak with Mueller despite his lawyers advice.

Trump has been through something like 4,000 lawsuits.

I'm sure he's more qualified than all his lawyers on what to do and say.

Besides, he's probably itching to ask Mueller the most important question,

"Are you with me, Mueller?"

He has to decide whether to fire Mueller, and he'd want to meet privately and ask him that first.

It doesn't matter what Mueller wants to ask Trump, or what he does ask Trump. And it doesn't matter what Trump says to Mueller, at all.

People keep "predicting" the demise of Trump, and Donald keeps astonishing them.

Donald didn't become president by "accident."

Agreed, and you are absolutely correct. I just can't help but shake something I heard from a detective a long time ago. Not trying to aid criminals with information in any way shape or form, but if they followed that sound legal advice there would be far fewer people sitting in prison.

You (and others) are right about Trump though. I do trust him and his judgment. And despite the media's harsh and unfair depiction of him (even seizing on words used by dictator Kim Jongun) I know he is indeed a genius in his own right

I just hope he is ready for the fact that anything he says can and will be used against him in criminal proceedings. I believe fully he is innocent of all allegations against him, yet am concerned because something as minor as lying about where you went out for dinner last weekend is enough to get slapped with a felony charge

I am absolutely not suggesting the President would lie. But unfortunately even misspeaking or misremembering is enough to meet that threshold for lying to federal investigators. It is a dangerous game, but all in all I agree that Trump has this

a reply to: JBurns

..." given the seemingly very weak case against him."


Exactly what Case is that ? No Charges , No Indictment , No Evidence , No Witnesses , No Reason to Talk to the President about ANYTHING..........

a reply to: Zanti Misfit


That is the one

Much better phrasing than mine

You won't get any argument from me. I think he should decline the interview and invoke his 5th amendment rights at any potential grand jury summons. Those protections exist from a reason, to protect you (me, our neighbors, our coworkers and even the President) from exactly the type of abuse we believe is occurring against the President.

I always appreciate transparency but his resolute innocence should be all the more reason to force them to at least meet some kind of an evidentiary standard. Loose associations with people who may or may not have done such and such just isn't good enough in my eyes. This is the President of the United States, potentially subjecting themselves to legal ramifications over one misstep in dealing with questions engineered to elicit affirmative statements of guilt.

Good.

a reply to: Sillyolme

It is good for transparency, but bad for Constitutional protections.

Those protections exist to provide a check against "witch hunts" and other types of political abuse.

Despite the fact Trump is convinced of his innocence, I still say he should let Mueller do the exoneration by failing to produce evidence to recommend impeachment and then indictment. You should never try to exonerate yourself by talking with investigators against your attorney's advice.

Even if he says all the right things to Mueller, the investigation will not cease immediately. Mueller is wanting this interview because he likely had no other evidence (given the way he's acting, his case is sh##) and wants to obtain some kind of evidence from Trump. Obviously we're never required to incriminate ourselves or do the prosecuting for the government.

If Trump refuses to talk, he definitely walks.


If he agrees to talk, he's still innocent but may end falling for the perjury trap (telling Mueller the sky is aqua blue and not sky blue, etc).

Nobody including a POTUS should ever believe they can talk their way out of criminal charges or allegations. Any allegations you CAN actually talk your way out of were never strong enough to threaten you in the first place. So there is still zero reason to cooperate.

a reply to: Zanti Misfit

To be fair, Clinton wasn't actually guilty of anything until he lied under oath.

originally posted by: JBurns
If Trump refuses to talk, he definitely walks.
If he agrees to talk, he's still innocent but may end falling for the perjury trap (telling Mueller the sky is aqua blue and not sky blue, etc).
Nobody including a POTUS should ever believe they can talk their way out of criminal charges or allegations. Any allegations you CAN actually talk your way out of were never strong enough to threaten you in the first place. So there is still zero reason to cooperate.

So why is it that Trump's fans are so eager for him not to take the opportunity to explain himself under oath?. It seems the preservation of their Cheeto Messiah is more important than getting to the truth. Sounds a mite treasonous to me.

a reply to: JohnnyCanuck


Because he's already explained himself. Many times. Denying all guilt.

All he would do is deny all guilt to Mueller, while also unnecessarily exposing himself to felony charges if he misspeaks one word, time, date, unrelated detail. It is a huge gamble that will do nothing to end the investigation any earlier.

It will end when Mueller has exhausted all avenues of investigation, when he has to determine whether he has enough evidence to recommend impeachment to congress.

Given the partisan nature of the investigation, and the ridiculous amount of corruption still being revealed surrounding the whole matter, it would take an extremely high standard of proof for the GOP congress to seriously consider impeachment and then conviction. Given the public knowledge of Mueller's investigation, I can say his action's aren't those of an investigator with an actual case.

He is probing and manevuering because he has nothing on Trump (much like the FBI concluded after their first investigation. You know, the first time he was investigated for this and no evidence was found. Since this is now the second investigation.) He needs Trump to agree to an interview/not plead the 5th in order to attempt to ellicit a false statement or set a perjury trap.

Constitutional protections, like the 4th and especially 5th amendment, exist to protect us from the exact government abuse political witch-hunt occuring against Trump. Those protections exist and establish a sort of litmus test for investigations and especially prosecutions, and prevent a purly political investigation from gaining traction. It shifts the burden of proof entirely on the accuser, ensuring they must collect and present true evidence and prove your guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. That mere suspicions cannot be used to entrap you, and force you into self-incriminating or making statements/engaging in a course of action not in your best interest/not in the best interest of justice.

These are bedrock princples of our justice system. Without them, it has no legitimacy. Without legitimacy, we cease to exist as a Republic in any meaningful way and become an totalitarian autocracy.

No it's not a mistake.

This is what the president SHOULD do. This is the example we need set right now.

a reply to: JBurns

The "eagerness" to sit down with Mueller is just a show Trump is putting forward. Truth be told if and when he does sit down with Mueller he will be flanked by several attorney's and they will all be giving recommendations on how to answer, when to answer and when not to answer.

To be honest I would laugh my arse off is he pleads the fif like Dave Chappelle.

a reply to: JBurns
Trump's minions don't wish to see him interviewed under oath, in case he screws up. What's wrong with that picture? And didn't The Donald already present his opinion of those who 'take the 5th'?' "If you are not guilty of a crime, what do you need immunity for?" Trump said at a campaign rally in Florida in September. "The mob takes the Fifth Amendment," Trump said at a campaign event in Iowa later that month. "If you're innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment? Link"
Are you saying that you know better than the President, or just don't trust him to speak for himself?

originally posted by: carewemust

originally posted by: Deplorable
a reply to: JBurns

I can already hear President Trump's statement to Mueller:

"You've got this far and now you're fired. In a few days you'll be going to jail along with all the rest of your co-conspirators!!"

I think they'll meet, hug and then Mueller will brief Trump on what dirt has been found within Obama's Admin. After that, the 13,000 sealed indictments begin to be served, and Manafort/Flynn/Papadopoulos are pardoned.

OMG!!!

Look a Unicorn, or are those ducks??

You should write fantasy.

I thought, according to you, half of those sealed indictments were already served?

Remember, Trump has them in Guantanamo , or in the White House basement, it they have ankle monitors hidden with compression boots, or they are hiding in International waters.....

Wow, I got dizzy just repeating that nonsense.

Ok, again, what's going to happen, a big hug, and then........?

MTUBY