Trump's testimony to Mueller reportedly contains a glaring hedge


While answering questions from Special Counsel Robert Mueller, it looks like President Trump made use of some very strategic language to protect himself.
A new report from CNN sheds light on two of the answers Trump has provided Mueller, who is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election. Trump reportedly says in writing that he did not speak with political consultant Roger Stone about WikiLeaks, nor did he know ahead of time about his son's 2016 Trump Tower meeting with a Russian lawyer who said she had damaging information about Hillary Clinton.
The answers come with an important caveat, though, as the president reportedly "made clear he was answering to the best of his recollection." Legal experts told CNN that this caveat is "standard procedure as a way to try to shield a client should their recollections be challenged." Trump has said he has "one of the great memories of all time," per Business Insider.
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.
Text messages and emails have suggested that Stone may have had prior knowledge of WikiLeaks' plan to release emails that Russians hacked from the Democratic National Committee, so of interest to Mueller is whether Trump was also aware; Stone says he never discussed Wikileaks with Trump, and that's also what Trump is claiming.
Meanwhile, another key question is whether Trump was aware ahead of time that his son, Donald Trump Jr., planned to meet with a Russian lawyer to obtain dirt about Clinton. The president claims he didn't know that this meeting was going to take place, and he has now officially made this claim in his statements to Mueller — statements which, despite his hedging, CNN notes, "could be subject to criminal charges if false."
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
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Book reviews: ‘Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America’ and ‘How to End a Story: Collected Diaries, 1978–1998’
Feature A political ‘witch hunt’ and Helen Garner’s journal entries
By The Week US Published
-
The backlash against ChatGPT's Studio Ghibli filter
The Explainer The studio's charming style has become part of a nebulous social media trend
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Why are student loan borrowers falling behind on payments?
Today's Big Question Delinquencies surge as the Trump administration upends the program
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
WHCA rejects White House press seating grab
Speed Read The White House Correspondents' Association objected to the Trump administration's bid to control where journalists sit during press briefings
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump sends more migrants to El Salvador jail
Speed Read Another 17 Venezuelan alleged gang members have been deported to a notorious prison
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump 'not joking' about unconstitutional 3rd term
Speed Read The president seems to be serious about seeking a third term in 2028
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The JFK files: the truth at last?
In The Spotlight More than 64,000 previously classified documents relating the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy have been released by the Trump administration
By The Week Staff Published
-
Supreme Court upholds 'ghost gun' restrictions
Speed Read Ghost guns can be regulated like other firearms
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump sets 25% tariffs on auto imports
Speed Read The White House says the move will increase domestic manufacturing. But the steep import taxes could also harm the US auto industry.
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump allies urge White House to admit chat blunder
Speed Read Even pro-Trump figures are criticizing The White House's handling of the Signal scandal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Waltz takes blame for texts amid calls for Hegseth ouster
Speed Read Democrats are calling for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and national security adviser Michael Waltz to step down
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published