Donald Trump Said ‘Highly Conflicted’ Robert Mueller Shouldn’t Testify To Congress About Russia Investigation
President Donald Trump said Monday that Robert Mueller shouldn’t testify to Congress about the investigation into the president’s involvement in alleged obstruction of justice with links to Russia.
Trump has doubled down on his attacks on the former FBI director days before he is set to face questions about his 22-month investigation and his decision not to recommend obstruction charges against the President, according to Politico.
This will be the first time Mueller will answer questions about the probe.
After the release of the report, Mueller said that he couldn’t clear Trump on obstruction due to guidelines from the Justice Department that say a sitting president can’t be indicted.
“If we had had confidence that the President clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so,” Mueller said. “We did not, however, make a determination as to whether the President did commit a crime.”
Mueller’s report found that those in Trump’s campaign knew of the benefits of Russia’s actions to influence the election, but did not step over the legal line.
In two tweets on Monday, Trump accused the former special counsel of being “highly conflicted” and of being on a “Witch Hunt.”
Highly conflicted Robert Mueller should not be given another bite at the apple. In the end it will be bad for him and the phony Democrats in Congress who have done nothing but waste time on this ridiculous Witch Hunt. Result of the Mueller Report, NO COLLUSION, NO OBSTRUCTION!…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 22, 2019
In a statement preparing for the upcoming testimony, Democratic House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler on Sunday said there was “very substantial evidence” Trump is guilty of “high crimes and misdemeanors,” according to CNN.
Ahead of Mueller hearing, Nadler says there is "substantial evidence" Trump committed high crimes and misdemeanors https://t.co/hLEcKr8Ufx
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) July 21, 2019
“This is a president who has violated the law six ways from Sunday,” said Nadler. “We have to present – or let Mueller present – those facts to the American people… because the administration must be held accountable and no president can be above the law.”
Democrats have been divided on pursuing an impeachment inquiry. Mueller’s testimony is expected to be a catalyst for unity on impeachment proceedings.
Trump has announced that he will not watch Mueller’s testimony.
Republican lawmakers are expected to question Mueller about alleged bias on his team against the President. Former FBI agent Peter Strzok was discovered to have been exchanging texts containing anti-Trump sentiments between lawyer Lisa Page during a probe into former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton’s emails. The texts were discovered by the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General.
In 2017 Mueller removed Strzok from the Russia probe after he learned of the allegedly biased texts.
….But the questions should be asked, why were all of Clinton’s people given immunity, and why were the text messages of Peter S and his lover, Lisa Page, deleted and destroyed right after they left Mueller, and after we requested them(this is Illegal)?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 22, 2019
Mueller has said he does not intend to reveal anything more on the subject than what he detailed in his report.
