Robert Mueller’s next big move
Actor Jeffrey Wright recently summed it up this way: “How quiet is Bob Mueller? Note to the youth: NEVER pick a fight with someone quiet as this dude.” He’s right. Mueller has arrested four of Donald Trump’s campaign advisers, and gotten two of them to cut plea deals against Trump, all without publicly speaking a single word. He’s spoken through his actions, systematically carving up Trump far more quickly than analysts initially predicted, while Trump verbally whines. So what is Mueller about to do next? There’s quite a lot in play.
We still don’t know what specific evidence Michael Flynn coughed up in exchange for his rather lenient plea deal. But we do know that he wouldn’t have gotten such a deal unless his evidence was enough to take down a bigger fish such as Donald Trump Jr, Jared Kushner, or Donald Trump himself. Mueller’s goal is to keep flipping these people and working up the chain until he has Trump nailed. So his next move is either against Trump, or one step away from Trump. Recent developments suggest it’s the former.
Several major media outlets have reported that Mueller has asked to interview Trump within the next couple weeks. That would mean he has already finished up with everyone under Trump, and already has what he needs to take on Trump directly. Have the people directly under Trump already secretly cut their own deals? Is Mueller waiting to arrest them right after his interview with Trump concludes? We don’t know, but neither does Trump, and that’s the point. There’s more.
Mike Pence’s people keep signaling in the media that he wants to speak with Robert Mueller. Is Pence trying to cut a deal while he still can? Steve Bannon is now using the media to signal the same. Bannon also hired the same attorney being used by Reince Priebus, who is all but certainly already a cooperating witness. By definition, this means Bannon intends to fully cooperate as well. With time running out for everyone implicated in this scandal, people are lining up outside Mueller’s door to beg for get out of jail free passes. We’re getting closer.
