Trump ‘looking forward’ to under-oath meeting with Mueller – report
President Donald Trump has signaled that he will speak under oath to Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Trump told reporters Wednesday from the doorway of his chief of staff John Kelly’s office, according to the Associated Press.
“I would do it under oath,” Trump added, according to Reuters.
There was just one condition, however, according to the New York Times, which reported that Trump said he would speak to Mueller under oath after asking if his 2016 opponent, Hillary Clinton, had spoken to the FBI under oath during her interview while under investigation for the mishandling of classified materials kept on her private email server.
Trump added that, depending on his lawyers, the interview might take place within “two or three weeks.”
Trump made the remarks during an impromptu presser, as he prepares to depart to Davos, Switzerland, where he will address the World Economic Forum.
Trump has always denied any collusion between his campaign and Russia, calling the allegation a “hoax.” However, his statements regarding whether he would answer questions from the Special Counsel under oath have been less clear, until Wednesday.
Trump has also rebutted the Russia collusion charges by pointing to Clinton, saying that she and her campaign could be investigated for roughly the same charge. The president referenced both the Uranium One deal and that Clinton funded the infamous Trump-Russia dossier, which purportedly relied on Russian sources talking to ex-British spy Christopher Steele, the dossier’s author.
READ MORE: Sessions questioned by Mueller in Russia investigation
Mueller’s investigation has reportedly turned toward possible charges of obstruction of justice, away from the initial Russia collusion mandate. Trump rejected the notion on Wednesday.
“Oh well, did he fight back?” Trump said, according to AP. “You fight back, oh, it’s obstruction.”
In an audio clip released by NBC, Trump is heard saying, “There’s no obstruction, whatsoever.”
“I do worry,” he added. “When I look at all of the things that you people don’t report about.”
Trump then referenced the FBI losing five months of text messages between FBI agent Peter Strzok and lawyer Lisa Page, who texted each other anti-Trump messages, including having an “insurance policy” should he win the presidency in 2016. The FBI has claimed a technical glitch affected thousands of FBI cell phones, causing the massive loss of data. Trump tweeted on Tuesday: “Where are the 50,000 important text messages between FBI lovers Lisa Page and Peter Strzok? Blaming Samsung!”
