Trump claims 'unrevealed conflicts' by Mueller staffers; Giuliani says Trump could refuse to testify
President Donald Trump/Shutterstock.com.
President Donald Trump and his lawyer Rudy Giuliani took an aggressive stance on special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe on Sunday and Monday.
On Sunday, Giuliani told This Week with George Stephanopoulos on ABC that Trump doesn’t have to comply with any subpoena and, “We can assert the same privileges other presidents have.” The Washington Post, ABC News and the New York Times have coverage of his remarks.
When asked whether he is confident that Trump won’t invoke the Fifth Amendment, Giuliani replied, “How can I be confident in that?”
Giuliani added: “They don’t have a case on collusion, they don’t have obstruction. I’m going to walk him into a prosecution for perjury?”
Trump told reporters on Friday that there is “nothing I want to do more” than speak to the special counsel’s legal team, but “I have to find that we’re going to be treated fairly.”
On Monday, Trump tweeted that “the Russia witch hunt is rapidly losing credibility.” There is no collusion, he said, nor is there any obstruction of justice “for a made up, phony crime. There is no O, it’s called fighting back.” USA Today, Politico and the Washington Post have coverage.
Trump also assailed “the 13 Angry Democrats in charge of the Russian Witch Hunt” while praising the “court system in place that actually protects people from injustice … and just wait till the courts get to see your unrevealed conflicts of interest!”
Trump was buoyed by comments Friday by U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III of the Eastern District of Virginia, who said the prosecution of Paul Manafort was aimed at getting Trump’s former campaign manager “to sing.” The Post had coverage.
“You don’t really care about Mr. Manafort’s [alleged] bank fraud,” Ellis said. “You really care about getting information Mr. Manafort can give you that would reflect on Mr. Trump and lead to his prosecution or impeachment.”
The Russia Witch Hunt is rapidly losing credibility. House Intelligence Committee found No Collusion, Coordination or anything else with Russia. So now the Probe says OK, what else is there? How about Obstruction for a made up, phony crime.There is no O, it’s called Fighting Back
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2018
The 13 Angry Democrats in charge of the Russian Witch Hunt are starting to find out that there is a Court System in place that actually protects people from injustice…and just wait ‘till the Courts get to see your unrevealed Conflicts of Interest!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2018
