Trey Gowdy thinks Trump should still be worried about the Russia investigation


Special Counsel Robert Mueller reportedly reassured President Trump's attorneys that Trump is not a criminal target of the Russia investigation, but Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) doesn't think the president should relax just yet.
Gowdy appeared on Fox & Friends on Wednesday morning and gave his perspective on the latest news out of Mueller's probe, which is investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and whether any members of the Trump campaign colluded to aid the interference. Gowdy, who was an attorney before he was elected to Congress, was perplexed that Mueller would tell attorneys about Trump's status in the investigation, but warned that things could change in an instant.
"You generally don't tell people that 'you're not under investigation' because you don't know what the next witness is going to say," said Gowdy. He suggested that the disclosure that Trump was merely a "subject" of the probe, not a "target," only came because of the fraught political environment.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"So if you were his attorney you wouldn't have a sigh of relief?" asked host Brian Kilmeade.
"Heavens no," exclaimed Gowdy. "I will have a sigh of relief when the investigation is over. And even then, maybe not."
The South Carolina representative was previously the head of the House's investigation into the 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya, which sought to determine whether the Obama administration — and in particular Hillary Clinton, then the secretary of state — had acted improperly in the wake of the attack. He announced earlier this year that he would not seek re-election this fall. Watch him discuss the Russia investigation below. Summer Meza
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.
-
Sodium batteries could make electric flight viable
Under the Radar Low-cost fuel cell has higher energy density and produces chemical by-product that could absorb CO2 from the atmosphere
-
Flying into danger
Feature America's air traffic control system is in crisis. Can it be fixed?
-
Pocket change: The demise of the penny
Feature The penny is being phased out as the Treasury plans to halt production by 2026
-
White House tackles fake citations in MAHA report
speed read A federal government public health report spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was rife with false citations
-
Judge blocks push to bar Harvard foreign students
speed read Judge Allison Burroughs sided with Harvard against the Trump administration's attempt to block the admittance of international students
-
Trump's trade war whipsawed by court rulings
Speed Read A series of court rulings over Trump's tariffs renders the future of US trade policy uncertain
-
Elon Musk departs Trump administration
speed read The former DOGE head says he is ending his government work to spend more time on his companies
-
Trump taps ex-personal lawyer for appeals court
speed read The president has nominated Emil Bove, his former criminal defense lawyer, to be a federal judge
-
US trade court nullifies Trump's biggest tariffs
speed read The US Court of International Trade says Trump exceeded his authority in imposing global tariffs
-
Trump pauses all new foreign student visas
speed read The State Department has stopped scheduling interviews with those seeking student visas in preparation for scrutiny of applicants' social media
-
Trump pardons Virginia sheriff convicted of bribery
speed read Former sheriff Scott Jenkins was sentenced to 10 years in prison on federal bribery and fraud charges