Donald Trump’s lawyers want him to reject a request by special counsel Robert Mueller for a sit-down interview—a move that could prompt a subpoena and, potentially, a Supreme Court battle over the Russia probe, the New York Times reports.
According to the Times, Trump’s lawyers John Dowd and Jay Sekulow want the president to “rebuff an interview request” from Mueller, citing concerns over his proclivity towards making false statements, as well as his hair of “contradicting himself.” That advice is at odds with Trump’s public and private claims he’s willing to testify to Mueller.
As the Times reports, White House lawyer Ty Cobb is one of the few people lobbying for the president to sit down with Mueller, arguing the president should cooperate with Mueller’s investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia and possible obstruction of justice on the part of the president. Dowd and Sekulow, meanwhile, remain unconvinced that Mueller has the appropriate authority to probe “some of the matters he is investigating.”
Last month, Trump told reporters he’s “looking forward” to speaking with Mueller.
