President Trump on Friday chastised Democrats for seeking testimony from special counsel Robert Mueller, suggesting his report should be the final word on Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible obstruction of justice.
“I don’t know why the Radical Left Democrats want Bob Mueller to testify when he just issued a 40 Million Dollar Report that states, loud & clear & for all to hear, No Collusion and No Obstruction (how do you Obstruct a NO crime?) Dems are just looking for trouble and a Do-Over!” Trump tweeted.
{mosads}Trump has repeatedly accused Democrats of seeking a “do-over” by carrying out investigations into his administration, campaign and businesses. Some of those probes are focused on information detailed in Mueller’s report.
The report did not establish that the Trump campaign conspired with the Russian government. Mueller neither exonerated nor implicated the president on obstruction of justice, leaving it up to Congress to further investigate the matter.
The House Judiciary Committee has been working to bring Mueller in to testify on his findings. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) said Thursday night that Mueller wants to testify privately, suggesting the special counsel is concerned his appearance would become a political spectacle.
The chairman noted that Mueller’s private testimony would still come with a transcript that would be publicly made available.
“He envisions himself, correctly, as a man of great rectitude and apolitical and he doesn’t want to participate in anything that he might regard as a political spectacle,” Nadler said.
No final deal has been reached for Mueller to appear before the committee.
Meanwhile, Trump on Thursday night ordered U.S. intelligence officials to cooperate with Attorney General William Barr‘s investigation into “surveillance activities” directed at the president’s 2016 campaign. He also gave Barr “full and complete authority” to declassify information related to the investigation.