Trump has reportedly 'stewed for days' about not wanting Mueller to testify
President Trump seems to really not want Special Counsel Robert Mueller to testify before Congress, and he's reportedly fixated on how much news coverage the hearing would receive.
Following Attorney General William Barr's congressional testimony last week, Trump "stewed for days" about the media coverage that Mueller would get if he testified, especially considering he believes the special counsel has been "unfairly lionized" by the press over the past two years, The Associated Press reports.
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.
Trump tweeted over the weekend that Mueller "should not testify," a reversal from his previous statements that he would be fine with Mueller testifying. It was unclear whether this meant Trump would try to exert executive privilege to block Mueller's testimony, although Politico reports Trump's tweet could be "more bluster than a live-wire legal showdown," citing informal advisers who say Trump was "not signaling anything."
The New York Times' Maggie Haberman says Trump "wasn't simply popping off" on Twitter, though, because he'd privately "expressed desire to keep Mueller from testifying in days before the tweets."
Barr, for what it's worth, has not changed his view that Mueller should be allowed to testify in light of Trump's tweet, ABC News reports. This testimony could come in just over a week, as Democrats have agreed with Mueller on a tentative date of May 15.
-
Did Alex Pretti’s killing open a GOP rift on guns?Talking Points Second Amendment groups push back on the White House narrative
-
The 8 best hospital dramas of all timethe week recommends From wartime period pieces to of-the-moment procedurals, audiences never tire of watching doctors and nurses do their lifesaving thing
-
‘Implementing strengthened provisions help advance aviation safety’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Fed holds rates steady, bucking Trump pressureSpeed Read The Federal Reserve voted to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged
-
Judge slams ICE violations amid growing backlashSpeed Read ‘ICE is not a law unto itself,’ said a federal judge after the agency violated at least 96 court orders
-
Rep. Ilhan Omar attacked with unknown liquidSpeed Read This ‘small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work’
-
Democrats pledge Noem impeachment if not firedSpeed Read Trump is publicly defending the Homeland Security secretary
-
The billionaires’ wealth tax: a catastrophe for California?Talking Point Peter Thiel and Larry Page preparing to change state residency
-
Hegseth moves to demote Sen. Kelly over videospeed read Retired Navy fighter pilot Mark Kelly appeared in a video reminding military service members that they can ‘refuse illegal orders’
-
Trump says US ‘in charge’ of Venezuela after Maduro grabSpeed Read The American president claims the US will ‘run’ Venezuela for an unspecified amount of time, contradicting a statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio
-
Bari Weiss’ ‘60 Minutes’ scandal is about more than one reportIN THE SPOTLIGHT By blocking an approved segment on a controversial prison holding US deportees in El Salvador, the editor-in-chief of CBS News has become the main story
