Attorneys for President Trump have advised him against sitting down for an interview with Special Counsel Robert Mueller, four people briefed on the matter told The New York Times.
Trump has publicly declared that he is open to speaking with Mueller, who is investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and whether Trump obstructed justice, but his lawyers fear he will make false statements, which could lead to Trump being charged with lying to investigators, the Times reports. They have reason to worry, the Times notes: During a deposition for a libel case Trump brought against journalist Tim O'Brien, he admitted while under oath he had previously lied about various subjects; Trump lost this suit.
While attorneys John Dowd and Jay Sekulow want Trump to avoid an interview, lawyer Ty Cobb thinks Trump should cooperate and has been dealing with Mueller in trying to set up an interview. Dowd and Sekulow both think that should Trump refuse the interview, Mueller would hesitate to subpoena him, the Times reports. If there is a subpoena for Trump to testify in front of a grand jury, it could go all the way to the Supreme Court. Trump is expected to make his decision on testifying under oath in the next few weeks.