Donald Trump’s attorneys reveal that they know he’s hosed in the Trump-Russia scandal
It’s still difficult to parse whether Donald Trump’s handpicked attorneys in the Trump-Russia scandal are telling him falsehoods he wants to hear so they can keep the paychecks coming, or earnestly trying to keep him calm so Robert Mueller can methodically dissect him for the good of the nation, or so flustered by a demented client that they have no idea what to do. Today they tipped off that they have no cards left to play on their client’s behalf, and that they know he’s hosed.
Several weeks ago, Robert Mueller requested an interview with Donald Trump about his obstruction of justice. In these kinds of multilayer kingpin-style investigations, this was a sign that Mueller has essentially completed his obstruction investigation and built his criminal case; the interview is something of a formality at the end. Of course Mueller’s other investigations into Trump’s criminal wrongdoing, on things like money laundering and conspiring against the United States, will still go on for quite some time. Trump’s lawyers have had a hard time figuring out how to play this.
If Trump does the interview, based on how he usually handles things, he’ll either proudly confess everything in an attempt at convincing Mueller it wasn’t actually illegal, or he’ll be caught committing the felony of lying to a federal investigator – or perhaps both. Trump’s lawyers know this, and so they initially offered to have Trump answer questions in writing, so they could control his answers. That was never going to fly. Now they have a new and frankly weird offer.
Donald Trump’s lawyers are offering to let him testify in person, if Robert Mueller agrees to end the investigation within sixty days, according to CNBC (link). Mueller won’t take this deal, because he doesn’t need Trump’s testimony to nail him. But this makes clear that Trump’s lawyers are so desperate to appease Trump’s demand that the investigation be finished soon, they’re willing to throw him to the wolves in the process. They must know Trump is hosed either way. Their next desperate offer will likely be even more ridiculous.
