President Trump’s lawyers are considering whether he should agree to an interview with special counsel Robert Mueller in the midst of the Justice Department’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, a senior White House official told Politico.
His lawyers believe an interview would help Mueller complete his investigation, which has cast a cloud over the Trump administration, according the Thursday report.
If the special counsel doesn’t ask to interview the president by Thanksgiving, Trump’s lawyers may approach Mueller with the offer, the official told the news outlet.
{mosads}The official indicated that the White House does not need to fear a meeting with Mueller, a former FBI chief and seasoned prosecutor.
“Whatever happens with regard to whether or not, or how, the special counsel might want to interview the president, there’s no reason to expect that would be combative,” the official said.
Mueller’s investigative team has taken a broad approach to the probe. It has requested documents related to a controversial 2016 meeting between Donald Trump Jr. and a Russian lawyer who promised compromising information on then-Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton as well as the president’s decision to fire FBI Director James Comey.
Mueller and several congressional committees are looking into Russian meddling in the election and whether the Kremlin worked with the Trump campaign to help sway the outcome.