BREAKING: The Questions Mueller Wants to Ask the President About Obstruction Are Now Public nytimes.com/2018/04/30/us/…
2/ Clearly Mueller suspects acts of Obstruction we don't know about:
Q: What did you think and do in reaction to the news that the special counsel was speaking to Mr. Rogers, Mr. Pompeo and Mr. Coats?
We know Trump instinctively witness-tampers if he knows someone is a witness.
Q: What did you think and do in reaction to the news that the special counsel was speaking to Mr. Rogers, Mr. Pompeo and Mr. Coats?
We know Trump instinctively witness-tampers if he knows someone is a witness.
3/ Q: When did you become aware of the Trump Tower meeting?
This is my favorite question—as the chances Trump will commit a crime by lying in his answer are 100%. I'm serious—Trump definitely lied about when he learned of this meeting, but he can't now come clean. It's too late.
This is my favorite question—as the chances Trump will commit a crime by lying in his answer are 100%. I'm serious—Trump definitely lied about when he learned of this meeting, but he can't now come clean. It's too late.
4/ Q: What discussions did you have during the campaign regarding any meeting with Mr. Putin? Did you discuss it with others?
This question is far more complicated than it seems, and once again the chance Trump will (indeed must) lie in his response—committing a felony—is 100%.
This question is far more complicated than it seems, and once again the chance Trump will (indeed must) lie in his response—committing a felony—is 100%.
5/ Q: What discussions did you have during the campaign regarding Russian sanctions?
With Flynn cooperating and Sessions likely to cooperate, this question is impossible for Trump to answer truthfully. He had *many* inappropriate, possibly illegal conversations about sanctions.
With Flynn cooperating and Sessions likely to cooperate, this question is impossible for Trump to answer truthfully. He had *many* inappropriate, possibly illegal conversations about sanctions.
6/ Q: What involvement did you have concerning platform changes regarding arming Ukraine?
Whether Trump can answer this honestly (i.e. whether he'll be caught lying) depends on (a) what Gates has told Mueller as part of his plea deal, and (b) if J.D. Gordon lied/lies to Mueller.
Whether Trump can answer this honestly (i.e. whether he'll be caught lying) depends on (a) what Gates has told Mueller as part of his plea deal, and (b) if J.D. Gordon lied/lies to Mueller.
7/ Q: What knowledge did you have of any outreach by your campaign to Russia about potential assistance to the campaign?
Another certain felony here for Making False Statements—as there were so many contacts Trump undoubtedly knew of that this question is a series of huge traps.
Another certain felony here for Making False Statements—as there were so many contacts Trump undoubtedly knew of that this question is a series of huge traps.
8/ Q: What did you know during the transition about an attempt to establish backchannel communication to Russia, and Kushner’s efforts?
This one's good because Trump's lawyers don't know how illegal—or not—Mueller thinks Jared's actions were, so they don't know if Trump can lie.
This one's good because Trump's lawyers don't know how illegal—or not—Mueller thinks Jared's actions were, so they don't know if Trump can lie.
9/ Q: What do you know about a 2017 meeting in Seychelles involving Erik Prince?
Trump will lie in answering this. No choice—he has to.
Q: What do you know about a Ukrainian peace proposal provided to Mr. Cohen in 2017?
Trump will lie in answering this. No choice—he has to.
Trump will lie in answering this. No choice—he has to.
Q: What do you know about a Ukrainian peace proposal provided to Mr. Cohen in 2017?
Trump will lie in answering this. No choice—he has to.
10/ What's clear from these questions is that Trump's lawyers MUST stop him from giving ANY interview to Bob Mueller. And indeed I believe they will.
No defense attorney in America would allow a client to answer these questions when it's SO CLEAR that the client will—*must*—lie.
No defense attorney in America would allow a client to answer these questions when it's SO CLEAR that the client will—*must*—lie.
PS/ Trump has one chance: if, pre-June 2015, he made clear to his first campaign capo—Kushner—that neither he nor anyone who'd later become a campaign boss (Flynn, Manafort, Gates, Sessions) should ever speak to him about Russia. But that didn't happen—so he'll be caught in lies.
