Michael Wolff's new book says Mueller was ready to indict Trump. Mueller's office says that’s not true.


Michael Wolff is at it again.
The author of Fire and Fury, a tell-all about the Trump White House which gathered quite a bit of its material from former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon, is releasing a sequel of sorts next week titled Siege: Trump Under Fire, which is sure to stir up trouble in Washington. But people are already questioning and, in some cases, outright denying its legitimacy.
The book's most striking detail, The Guardian reports, is the apparent revelation of a draft memo written by Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team in the wake of their investigation into 2016 Russian election interference. In the memo, Mueller reportedly drew up a three-count obstruction of justice indictment against President Trump before reconsidering. Mueller has said his office did not have the authority to indict a sitting president. If true, Trump would have been charged with corruptly influencing, obstructing, or impeding a pending proceeding before a department or agency of the United States, witness tampering, and retaliating against a witness.
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.
A spokesman for Mueller has already denied the report, telling The Guardian that the documents described "do not exist." Others are skeptical, as well.
Even if the memo did exist, Mueller never followed through on the indictments, so the outcome ultimately remains the same either way. Read more at The Guardian.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
Should you downsize for retirement? Here's what to consider.
The Explainer Moving to a smaller place may seem easier, but there are also some real benefits to staying put
-
What to do if you want to move but don't want to give up your low mortgage rate
the explainer 30-year mortgage rates are currently averaging 7% — and homeowners who secured rates closer to 3% during the pandemic are reluctant to sell their homes
-
Crossword: September 1, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
-
RFK Jr. names new CDC head as staff revolt
Speed Read Kennedy installed his deputy, Jim O'Neill, as acting CDC director
-
DC prosecutors lose bid to indict sandwich thrower
Speed Read Prosecutors sought to charge Sean Dunn with assaulting a federal officer
-
White House fires new CDC head amid agency exodus
Speed Read CDC Director Susan Monarez was ousted after butting heads with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over vaccines
-
DOGE put Social Security data at risk, official says
Speed Read DOGE workers made the personal information of hundreds of millions of Americans vulnerable to identity theft
-
Court rejects Trump suit against Maryland US judges
Speed Read Judge Thomas Cullen, a Trump appointee, said the executive branch had no authority to sue the judges
-
Trump expands National Guard role in policing
Speed Read The president wants the Guard to take on a larger role in domestic law enforcement
-
Trump says he's firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Speed Read The move is likely part of Trump's push to get the central bank to cut interest rates
-
Abrego released from jail, faces Uganda deportation
Speed Read The wrongly deported Kilmar Abrego García is expected to be detained at an ICE check-in and deported to Uganda