Trump still behaves like his rules are more important than our laws. We need to clarify things for him.
15
Whatever information he has, Mr. Mueller, like any seasoned prosecutor, does not ask questions unless he already knows the answers.
--------------------------
So, you admit that the purpose of interviewing the president is to lay the perjury trap and charge him with LYING (and, so, obstructing justice)? The purpose of the investigation is to find answers to your unanswered questions, not to check whether the interviewee's answer is consistent with the answer YOU SEEK TO GET.
#FIRE_MUELLER
2
I give special weight to the NY Times editorials. With so many flaky people now invading the op ed pages, its comforting to know that someone out there has been in dialogue and is sorting out the wheat from the chaff.
Like a bad child in the back of a classroom, Trump takes up too much time and energy, diverting us from the real work of running this country, healing the planet, and giving people a chance to use their skills and abilities. He's a fake, a cheat and a liar, and it's time to call him to account, not on all of his spurious claims, but for subverting the public interest and not playing by the rules. People like him are so used to sliding the pea that they never expect to be called on the basics. Hopefully Robert Mueller has built an impregnable wall from which to call him out.
8
We are now approximately where we were, in 1973. I believe this presidency is effectively nearly over, the Korea and Iran "deals" notwithstanding. There is a cancer on it, that will devour it, no matter how many of the president's men attempt to stop that from happening.
Just a little longer now . . .
8
I'd like to know how certain you are that these are the questions that Mueller sent over to the Trumpp team. Admittedly, I have not read the article regarding their release, but it seems to me anyone with an intimate knowledge of this matter could have come up with these questions.
From what I see there have been very few leaks from the Mueller team. This is as it should be. Mueller appears to honor the rules surrounding Grand Jury investigations, and Trumpp is known for leaking information to the press whenever he thinks it's to advantage.
3
Mr. Mueller not only knows the answers to these questions; he knows what will be found in all of the documents and electronic communication devices seized from Michael Cohen. Donald Trump has many secrets that will be exposed, some of which one could reasonably assume are illegal, others; simply disgusting unethical.
In the end, no matter the specific findings of the various investigations swirling around Mr. Trump; his behaviors, tweets and bullying will, for a majority of Americans, condemn his presidency to illegitimate and ruinous to the values of this nation.
That is the toothpaste Mr. Trump will never be able to put back in the tube. It will remain a historical fact that future generations of Trumps will not be able to erase and Americans should never forget.
4
Much as I dislike Trump and think he is an abomination impersonating a president, I am far angrier at Congress. Trump has never made it a secret that he is out only for himself...alone. (The National Enquirer has a piece that surely had Trump's blessing trashing Micheal Cohen....that's how Trump expresses his own "loyalty.")
But Congress is composed of men who profess their first loyalty to the nation, they are educated, in many cases lawyers themselves. (I know, they are fighting for their jobs and there's a reason "politicly correct" is a slur.) They generally were honest about their view of Trump's unfitness for the job of president prior to his election. Now they are the epitome of craven self-interested dishonesty.
As for Gen. Kelly being the only bulwark against Trump's destructiveness, sorry: you swore an oath of allegiance to the nation, not to Trump. This goes for McMaster, Cohn and Tillerson. They are as craven and against this nation as much as Trump. If these men who KNOW the unfitness of this president spoke honestly to the nation and to Congress....we would regain our belief in the core democracy of this nation.
What we have now is a party that stands for self-enrichment and lies....and they still think they are fooling us.
7
Where is Lindsay Graham, John McCain, and... dare I ask, Paul Ryan? There's only a minority of sensibility in the Republican controlled Congress, who are only mildly tolerated but mostly ignored. Paul Ryan is sick of towing the lies, and so he's bailing out. He's one of the most unpatriotic men, right next to career-minded McConnell. Ryan knew who Trump was and couldn't stomach him, but was eventually pressured to capitulate. And now, he can't take it any longer. If he has even the slightest sense of patriotism, he'd use these last days as Speaker of the House to call out the charade that's going on. Trump is a megalomaniac menace to our country, who denigrates any source of truth that clashes with his view of reality. And he has a secret cabal of Republicans (word for you, Devin Nunes) that is capitulating and complicit with keeping this charade presidency going. They need to be called out on this atrocity against our democracy and stopped, before it's too late.
4
Trump apparently has adopted former Secretary of Defense, Don Rumsfeld’s validation of buffoonery, which consists of known unknowns and a generous helping of unknown unknowns. The trouble for Trump is Mueller knows already what he knows.
Trump’s answers to these questions aren’t going to help Trump, because even if Trump pleads the fifth, the evidence itself is sufficient to put an end to Trump’s presidency. Trump likes a big show when he's at the center of it all, and something tells me his impeachment trial will shatter ratings--bigly.
2
Once the American left successfully hounded Nixon from office, a precedent was set. Every President since has been attacked by his opponents on grounds ranging from serious to ridiculous, mostly ridiculous. This “collusion” business is no different. All that will be accomplished is the continued degradation of the office and the weakening of the country. Eventually, no thoughtful person will even consider running for President.
How long does this charade last. The office of the presidency is not 'reality TV'.
2
Rosenstein is basically saying he will not be overseen by any elected official, not the President, not Congress. When MacArther got to that position, Truman fired him. It sounds like there needs to be some firing among the deep state, the unelected bureaucrats, so that they can learn again the levers of power are in the US to be exercised by those elected by the people.
Rosenstein says he will not be extorted. Actually, the elected presidency is being extorted. No President in the future will dare go against the establishment if Mueller, Rosenstein, and the rest are successful.
1
Don't forget that the questions printed in the NYT were made by Trump's team, not Mueller. His questions will be more difficult to answer.
5
Mr. Trump's tweets stated there was no collusion, but: "What there is is [sic] Negotiations going on with North Korea over Nuclear War..."
Freudian slip?
Thank you for speaking up so clearly - and so politely.
Americans generally are expected to answer basic questions, involving their activities, when asked by concerned law enforcement officers and DOJ officials.
This is a cornerstone of Democracy.Just because Mr. Trump can only get lawyers with peculiar names like Ty or Emmet, lawyers who do not have a great deal of respect within the legal world.
This does not mean that "b" rated white supremist congressmen, or Mr. Trump can fire additional Attorney Generals at his whim.
Such disregard for the law would cause an armed uprising that our Founding fathers described in the 2nd Amendment in the Bill of Rights.
2
What worries me most is POTUS recognizing no rule of 'law' but his own...I didn't realize until his presidency how intransigent this position could be in the face of actual facts. So what happens when most realize the emperor wears no clothes, but powerful and some fanatic 'subjects' keep protecting the ruse?
4
May 2, 2018
The Muller investigation's narrative is as much the examination of how the elite political class will proceed and with understanding liable connectives to the election dynamics both internally and externally. New laws surely will be considered and welcomed indeed for honoring our candidates' modus operandi keeping purity for governing.
jja Manhattan, N,Y,
2
The question of “rationality,” legal as well as philosophical, is of which rules to follow to determine which rules to follow to determine which rules to follow and on and on—until we arrive at irrationality.
Please, am I wrong the to interpret the Editorial's Board article as to be responding to Mueller's questions to Trump? While in another article we are being told that the leaked 49 questions are from Trump's lawyers' anticipated questions of Mueller's evidence? Please, get your stories straight, or if I am mistaken, then write your opinions and articles more clearly to disallow for such an easy misinterpretation. I understand these 49 leaked question to be written by Trump's lawyers. Leaked by Trump's team, veiled as leaked by Mueller's team. Am I wrong? Why not write a headline: "Trump's team leaks questions, but says Mueller's team did it." Pretty easy for us to understand.
6
This would be 2016, yes? "...it’s worth noting that as far back as August 2017, CNN reported that American intelligence services had intercepted communications among suspected Russian operatives discussing conversations they claimed to have had with Mr. Manafort, in which he requested their help in damaging Hillary Clinton’s election prospects."
4
Not soon enough! Can't we stop this so-called president before he pulls the U.S. out of the Iran deal? How can we contain the damage he is doing until the law finally calls him to account?
4
I am quite certain that Trump's answers to all of Mueller's questions would be based only on his own views of his personal opinion of the "facts".
2
Here's an unpleasant scenario. Trump agrees to do as President Clinton did and do the interview on closed circuit TV from the Oval office, but not under oath and with an attorney present.
That way, he need not take refuge in the 5th Amendment and can just respond "I'm not going to answer that question," and then blather on about something else for ten or fifteen minutes until Mueller gets disgusted and calls a halt to the proceedings.
If there's a way to weasel, Trump will find it. That's what he is.
6
With all due respect I humbly think that Ronald Dworkin would agree with yours truly that the rule of law exists to avoid personas like the Clintons to elude the same. So, if this E. Board is worried about Trump´s disregard for institutions and the rule of law, I´d ask that first the Clintons and their friends in crime be prosecuted. If prosecuted and if they in effect go to prison, like any other US citizen. then and only then and with evidence of crimes commited by 45th then and only then woud it be fair to have him impeached. But if some skip jail, with a free card, then no other citizen should be submitted to this circus. Let 45th govern in peace to ·MAGA and prosecute the real criminals.
2
Another Trumpian apologist. You're saying you want the Mueller investigation to ignore possible crimes committed in the last election and instead focus their energies on the Clintons and their friends for no other reason than 'they seem totally evil'? In your bizarro world, the rule of law only applies to people you dislike; how convenient!
1
"We welcome your on-topic commentary, criticism and expertise."
Perhaps I will be moderated out of this discussion because what I'm about to say may seem to be off-topic but I'm going to say it anyway. To me it is not off topic; to me, it is right on and the issues investigated in the Mueller inquiry are off-topic. Yes, it seems undeniable that Trump and his cronies have colluded with Russia in smearing Hillary and in efforts to win the election. Yes, Trump is a serial liar and a businessman who has cheated many out of thousands, perhaps millions of dollars. He has committed sexual assaults on probably more women than we know about. Given this record and his conversations with Comey, Flynn, Manafort and others, It is highly unlikely that he has not obstructed justice. I realize that these assertions are all probably true and that they are serious.
However, to me what he has done that should lead to impeachment are his support and intensification of policies that presidents before him have initiated and supported: the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the support of Israeli occupation of and violence against Palestinians and their land, the selling of billions of dollars of military materials to regimes that commit war crimes against vast numbers of peoples, the failure to address the situation in Puerto Rico, the support of the Saudi-led coalition attacking Yemen that have led to famine and yet the bombing continues. The horrors of separating immigrant families....etc.
8
An interview would interfere with the President's busy schedule of governing and playing golf and visiting Mar-A-Lago.
The President not having to explain his thinking is a Constitutional right that has just been made up.
Trump will probably not remember the answers because he has the greatest memory ever.
Trump would be trapped by an interview because innocent people lie intentionally all the time.
All the plainly documented ties to Russia, the apparent conspiring with an enemy state, and illicit financial transactions, do not show means or motive. There has not been one shred of evidence produced--not even the guilty pleas and indictments and hundreds of things of public record.
If Trump, his associates, and other Republican members of government and media are found guilty of anything not called "Collusion", then this investigation is a witch hunt. They are innocent if they only committed treason, obstruction of justice, lying under oath, money laundering, campaign finance fraud, etc.
2
It all boils down to this....at the end of the day...from another great Donald, the great philosopher DJ Rumsfeld.
"as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don't know we don't know."
7
"I DON'T RECALL..."
Will likely be the answer to many of these, and unless there is hard evidence contradicting his ability to recall through previous statements or actions, Mr. Trump will not be indictable simply by faking a bad memory.
However if he intentionally lies, and that intention to deceive is
shown to be undeniable through the use of existing testimony, eavesdropping, and past statements, Donald Trump will never know another day of peace in his life.
6
This article should be required reading for every member of the Congress and Senate. One sentence stands out in particular: “No prior president so openly assaulted the rule of law or undermined the integrity of the law enforcement community.”
But why? Did the President know that members of his campaign conspired against the United States as some of the questions infer? Was the President part of the conspiracy? Is he obstructing justice to cover up that conspiracy?
This Congress or the next will likely have to vote on articles of impeachment. Will members stand for the rule of law, or the opposite, like the Republican leaders of the House Intelligence Committee?
8
Excellent illustration by Jasjyot Singh Hans. Actually, perfect.
10
What is of grave concern to me is that the Republicans in congress should pursue justice as well - but they apparently do not! Unless they do, could the investigation and hard work be worthless? Here's hoping the results of the investigation bear fruit and justice prevails.
3
"Hey Bobby. Can I call you Bobby? I feel like we could be friends. Do you like golf Bobby? You know what? I seriously don't remember. There was a lot going on back then. People coming, people going, I seriously couldn't keep track on all the names. We were doing like 5-6 rallies per week, all over the place, that's a lot! Not like Hillary, she was taking naps all the time. Did you see her in NYC that time Bobby? She didn't look well at all. Anyway the rallies were fantastic! Wonderful people. Huge crowds! Big time. I talked to so many people, I really don't remember who said what. Know what? Come down to Mar-A-Lago, we'll have some lunch and play some golf, we'll talk about it then. My people will take care of all the particulars".
Mueller is no match for The Trumpster
6
But....the Law is! The law and constitution will be his downfall, watch.
The most spot -on written impersonation of Trump, yet!
Quick! Somebody contact Rich Little!
Perfect analysis. FTW.
Hey NYT please address (again or further) the issue of Trump dangling pardon before the likes of Manafort and Flynn in order to keep them quiet. How does Mueller get around that level of subterfuge?
2
I believe we will never know what Robert Mueller knows. It makes me think of that Donald Rumsfeld statement about what we know we know and what we don't know we know and that there are unknowns we know about as well as unknowns we don't know about etc. etc. etc. Oh, the tangled web we weave.
2
Obstruction of justice is certainly a crime, but ultimately, we will have to rely upon the Supreme Court to determine exactly how that would apply to a President, who, by definition, oversees the investigators. And there is no Supreme Court guidance on this, and there may never be. But I would offer that the Court will treat lightly in this area. In particular, I suspect that, if it finds that obstruction is possible, it will likely limit it to instances where there is either document destruction following subpoena, or probable cause to suspect the President directly of an underlying crime. But broadening obstruction to instances where the President attempts to limit investigations into others, or to limit investigations in search of a crime is highly unlikely.
1
It's Spring 1974 and the walls are slowly, surely closing in on Richard Nixon.
Who resigned that August.
The tape of him planning to obstruct justice from June 1972… smoking gun.
Ahhhh, Springtime again!
But, here's today's smoking gun.
It's Trump's own stupidly, self-incriminating comment to the world in his Lester Holt interview.
He said he fired Comey because this "Russia thing" is a fake.
Well, if you're being investigated for something that didn't happen, that is fake, that you didn't do, then, why are you so concerned with the investigator that you need to fire him?
Only a guilty person fears an investigation.
That gun sure does smoke!
August.
17
What Mr. Trump fears most is not a charge of obstruction of justice. This Congress is likely to look the other way over the same charge that nailed Mssrs Nixon and Clinton. Of greater interest here is the underlying reason for Mr. Trump’s brazen efforts to obstruct justice in the first place. Who would commit obstruction, a felony unto itself, without a greater crime to hide?
The diagnosis will be the disease - not the symptoms.
Mr. Trump has become a broken record with his “no collusion, no collusion” drumbeat. Why isn’t he now putting less to no effort defending himself against the more obvious obstruction charges.
Mueller’s additions of top international tax, banking and electronic media experts suggest the investigation is looking beyond obstruction. Current indictments reveal Mueller’s interest in money laundering, bank and wire fraud, tax evasion and perjury while witness tampering and bribery (presidential pardons and secret pay-offs) woulf be considered additional forms of obstruction and felonies unto themselves.
A RICO conviction of any citizen not deemed “above the law” automatically doubles their prison time,” but Mr. Trump’s fate will be decided in Congress and not in a courtroom. The question then will be, how many proven criminal acts will this Congress of miscreants and enablers be willing to forgive and forget?
12
OH PLEASE, please, please, please, please, please, please, make the nightmare end. Please
10
Watergate took two years....wait patiently indictments will come.
Muller knows that Trump/Russia collusion is false, so he is trying to get Trump on something else. The witch hunt continues.
3
Why should we listen to someone so informed that he cannot even correctly spell the name of the man while pretending to know what he knows?
1
The drawing atop the article by Jasjyot Singh Hans speaks volumes.
2
The removal of this person residing in the WH cannot come soon enough. The country is living through a national nightmare every single day.
There is a crime organization in charge of this country and is highly enabled by the GOP leadership and most rank and file as well.
Money and corruption rule all thought and action of this WH and the GOP Congress.
However his removal occurs, this whole episode will indeed be the most sordid and disgusting in American history.
This presidency has wrought extreme damage to this country and we will continue to see the ill effects for years to come.
Thank you Robert Mueller. You are a true patriot.
You are in the fight of your life and the life of this country as we have known it.
Your success will be the success of this country proving that no one is above the law.
15
God and the DOJ will hold you accountable, Mr Trump, for your myriad of lies and desecration of the Constitution.
6
I hope Trump goes down big time. But let's hope Mr. Meuller has more arrows in his quill than the questions published in the NYT on Monday.
At this moment, Trump's lawyers are no doubt working feverishly on debunking those inquiries. And we must remember that truth will not necessarily be a component of their responses.
It's troubling to think that Russian interference--which might just as likely have been carried out by Democrats--is the backbone of Meuller's case. Where are the racketeering, money laundering, and other RICO crimes that might finally bring an end to our current national disfunction?
2
Here They go again. The Editors burst forth into pontification about the Rule of Law. How ironic. The Editors have no trouble thumbing their collective noses at those laws that their wisdom deems unjust. Like those parts of the US Constitution that The Editors find inconvenient - the Electoral College, parts of the First Amendment (which on any given day should be suspended for those who espouse opposed opinions and beliefs) and the Second Amendment. And, any number of federal statutes...Jurinalistically, The Editors are frothing at the mouth at the prospect of Trump being subjected to a Star Chamber Inquisition that could find Ghandi, Mother Theresa and even a common liberal guilty of the most heinous of crimes. As the Editors point out, prosecutors prosecute. Plenty of innocent people have swung from the gallows as prosecutors pursued Truth and Justice. But, Trump is the enemy, and his troubles would be a financial bonanza for The Times and employment for even more jurinalists. Win-Win in mid-Manhattan. Sad, Times
7
If the Mueller team is proceeding with the "diligence and caution" of a "seasoned prosecutor", why would they allow the NYT to publish questions intended for someone suspected of committing a crime?
2
The Administration leaked the questions, not Mueller's team. A first grader can see that.
Mr. Mueller has wisely tipped his hand with respect to SOME of the questions to be posed to Mr. Trump. This increases the emotional pressure Mr. Trump has to bear up under. It appears that Mr. Trump is increasingly limited in the legitimacy of any kind of response that he makes to this investigation. Fact: there are more Liberals than Conservatives in America. Mr. Mueller's move towards greater transparency in this investigation, to the extent it is prudent and legally appropriate, is just plain smart.
The editorial is right: “Mr. Mueller, like any seasoned prosecutor, does not ask questions unless he already knows the answers.”
The most important of -- “the most surprising of all,” as the editorial calls it -- the 49 questions put to Mr. Trump is whether he was aware of the efforts made by his campaign, specifically by his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, to seek Russia’s help in winning the 2016 election.
Being a pathological liar, Mr. Trump is going to deny any awareness. If the Mueller team can produce evidence to the contrary, the case is closed. The next logical step is impeachment, unless Mr. Trump saves him the embarrassment by resigning.
It is so reassuring that, “Without saying a word publicly, Mr. Mueller and his team of experienced investigators are showing America how a government premised on the rule of law is supposed to function. The process may seem slow, but that is out of diligence and caution.”
Can we hope that the Trump administration's days are numbered?
3
I have one more question: have you no shame ?
2
The Washington Post reports, or suggests, the questions were leaked by Trump’s people as part of their ongoing efforts to discredit the inquiry—like anything Trump doesn’t like—and dismiss the notion he must bow to anyone, like a monarch or dictator would.
Standing on his little mountain of 33% of Americans and Fox News, he will never waver. He’ll head out to his staged rallies and turn the 2018 elections into his fight, and return to (a new plot line in ‘The Apprentice President’?) the candidate surrounded by doubters, who alone will triumph. Rather than America, it’s Trump ‘first,’ always.
6
the guy in the white house appears to be completely unaware of the meaning of obstruction of justice.
to be short - impeding an FBI investigation can be obstruction of justice whether or not the investigation uncovers a crime or a perpetrator.
so firing the FBI director, who was personally overseeing an investigation, has to AT LEAST be questioned thoroughly.
2
Mr. Mueller should treat President Trump exactly as he would any other U.S. citizen. In this case, if the President refuses to voluntarily answer these questions, then he should be subpoenaed to testify before a Grand Jury. If the answers might incriminate Mr. Trump, he has his Fifth Amendment right to not answer.
Of course, President Trump's lawyers will ask the Supreme Court to give him special treatment, which will include not testifying as all other Americans would be required to do.
The nation has wasted enough time on this mess. Mr. Mueller seems ready to take his next actions. It is time for the Supreme Court to decide if the President, alone of all Americans, is above the law. And it is time to bring this matter to a close either by absolving the President of any guilt with an explanation of why, indictment or impeachment. Time for this reality show to close.
3
All of Trump's obstructions of justice are easily explained as a massive and relentless cover up. Of course "no collusion" sounds better than "no coverup". But the forest is there for all to see.
4
Robert S. Mueller, III knows that Donald J. Trump, Sr. can have him fired along with Rod Rosenstein and Jeff Sessions then pardoning Trump's family and friends.
1
Congress won't allow it. And the investigation would continue.
"Federal investigators don’t like being lied to." What about the rest of us? I hate being lied to - especially every single day by someone I am paying a salary to through my taxes.
"... just how aberrant this White House has been." Just wait, it's about to become Abhorrent!
"... the embarrassing obfuscations of the Republican leaders of the House Intelligence Committee" seems more like obstruction of justice and obstruction of the US Constitution than obfuscation.
Given that the choice of a nobody - Manafort - who came out of the extreme "right field" to run trump's campaign, would anybody be surprised if Manafort's pitch to trump was he could get Russian help as he got in Ukraine?
If I were Mueller, I'd ask trump "What's the deal between you and Putin?"
6
Bottom line here: NYT and its majority Neo-Marxist readers still can't deal with the fact that Hillary lost and the constitution won.
This deep-swamp sideshow has nothing to do with Trump or the Russians or Mueller's inability to find anything worth impeachment.
In fact, if he had spent as much time and diligence investigating Comey, Lynch, and Obama between January 2016 and November 2016, all three would be serving time in Leavenworth for both collusion and conspiracy on "the matter".
The visceral hatred of Trump by readers, staff, and Opinion Kingdom can only be explained by the fact that Trump put a dead stop to Obama's cultural Marxist parade.
Fortunately, for the citizens the world wags on.
6
Any evidence to back up such a claims ... ?
How do you define "Neo-Marxist", to start with?
And how can you talk about Mueller's "inability to find anything worth impeachment" when he's still at the stage of investigating rather than concluding ... ?
As to "Comey, Lynch and Obama" in 2016: what exactly to you blame them of? You believe something criminal happened here? If yes, what, more precisely, and where's the evidence?
Finally, you seem to be unaware that in a democracy, people have different political opinions and that as a consequence, one may strongly oppose the politics that Trump stands for, as well as the way he's conducting himself as president, without feeling any "visceral hatred" for him as a person, remember?
Or do you really believe that most Americans adore the idea of gutting Medicare and Medicaid and tripling the deficit, all while passing no comprehensive immigration reform bill even what such a bill is more urgent than ever, today?
Finally, as to "Obama's cultural Marxist parade": any concrete example of such a hypothesis?
Thanking you in advance (no irony).
11
Neo-Marxist--not enough space here, but your average Obama-Hillary voting NYT reader, Pelosi-Harris for Lenin's Bay Area.
Although the Obama cultural Marxist parade was eight years long--open borders driven--it was essentially top-down multicultural uber alles reinforced by public education and university Maoist reeducation camps--destruction of Western European intellectual tradition, while being replaced with safe-spaces to protect from unacceptable thoughts (think Berkeley masked "free-speech" street-thugs) that challenged the "accepted" notions of the collective, e.g., the daily narrative, i.e., propaganda, coming out of New York City's mass-media central.
Thank you for your kind thoughts (and I am being ironic--in case you might miss the obvious).
@ Alice's Restaurant (second comment)
Well ... at least you had the kindness to reply, so thanks for your kindness anyhow (no irony).
"Open borders": you seem to ignore the fact that Obama strongly increased border security, and deported more illegal aliens than Bush did?
Are you also not aware of the fact that Trump just refused to sign a comprehensive immigration reform bill into law, even though it contains tons of dollars for border security, his own DACA proposal, and FULL funding for his wall ... ?
"Destruction of Western European intellectual tradition": any concrete example?
As to the rest of your paragraph-long sentence: I have to admit that I don't understand a word of it.
So if the Supreme Court has given American corporations the rights of a citizen I think we should be able to flip that and consider the USA to be a publicly owned corporation. We are shareholders and we have a Board of Directors and C-Level executives.
Just curious; does anyone know of a publicly owned company where its CEO and Chairman of the Board can go to "work" and spend hours watching television, tweet disgraceful, deranged messages out to the shareholders, have a public disclosure of tawdry sexual affairs including serial adultery, make misogynistic, racist and sexist remarks and still golf one in five days, and not have the shareholder revolt and expect the Board of Directors fire them?
It's time for Trump to go. His sycophant Pence won't hold up under the pressure either. He can plead ignorance to Trump's criminal past (money laundering) I suppose, but in pleading ignorance to what happened when he was a VP candidate he will either be lying or simply inept.
There's more than one character with their back to us and the gavel suspended overhead. Let's see though how the BOD (Congress) deal with their responsibilities here. We may have to take it to their home districts and demand their ouster as well... The smell of the swamp is blowing out into the country fueled by a new flatulence from indigestible half-truths.
8
Between the Two-Party System, their Corporate Structure and Pay-To-Play requirements have turned both of our political parties in Office into R.I.C.O. type corrupt organizations as well as placing a serious Monopoly on WHO gets to actually 'run' in either Party. We saw that painfully graphically with the way the Clintonistas derailed Bernie Sanders illegally by electoral fraud during the Primaries as well as the stacked deck of Party Primary Delegates away from Sanders.
Something to remember also, is that the DNC got the info dossier on Trump After it had already been compiled and paid for by Repubs. Since they decided,, for some odd reason, not to use the info to keep Trump out of the office he is obviously not qualified for. The fact that the information seeped through Russian hands before resting in the Clinton Camp is something to note.
While the Dems actions were not flattering, the Repubs refusing to reign in Trump smacks of them knowing that their own power base and Office depended on the Russian Meme Factories as much as American Oligarchic spending and so are in line for the same criminal charges as Trump is, thus they back him, grimly and not very happily, seeing his penchant for random self-incrimination via tweets that seem to splash oddly on everyone around him.
1
The indictment of Michael Cohen was checkmate. All Trump can do now is rage and bluff and bluster and perhaps tear up the board by firing senior Justice Department officials, issuing pardons and provoking a backlash that will (hopefully) include mass protest and likely lead to impeachment. His only other option would be to cop a deal and resign but the former is many more times likely than the latter.
1
forthcoming indictment that is.
1
Here's the formula to take down the President. 1. Make accusation of a phony crime (collusion). 2. Appoint a special prosecutor along with staff (zealots from the opposition party[Democrats]). 3.Subpoena Trump associates, and make up a list of questions for Trump with the intent of catching our President in an inconsistency. 4. Call it obstruction of justice. 6. Recommend impeachment. A process "crime" is created by unelected lawyers to try and bring down the greatest President of our lifetime. Its politicized law enforcement. Unacceptable.
4
It is obviously acceptable to the NYT and it's followers...When will the sore losing stop?
1
Is this what they are "reporting" on Fox?
3
Uh ... "inconsistency"?
That's not what these questions are all about.
If Trump has been consistent in refusing any obstruction of Justice or collusion with Russia, he has nothing to be afraid of, any serious investigation cannot but prove that that has been the case.
If he did try to obstruct justice though, Congress should start an impeachment procedure, as has been the case for other presidents in the past too, because that's how the Constitution works, remember?
And you seem to have forgotten too that in the end, it's "we the people" who decide whether he'll be impeached or not, as only Congress can impeach him and we elect Congress, remember?
If the result of the Mueller investigation would be that Trump gave answers contradicted by proven facts (because THAT's what those questions are designed for, not mere inconsistencies), then he will have lied under oath. And then it will be up to you and me to vote for a Congress that rejects presidents who lie under oath, or a Congress that from now on will accept such behavior. And in THAT way, impeachment is indeed "politicized law enforcement". The very fact of having an investigation is NOT, of course.
Finally, Obama cut Bush's deficit by 2/3 and Trump already doubled it again. How can you call that "the greatest President of our lifetime" ... ?
5
"I did it my way" was once a celebration of independence for a man pursuing a life of love and self expression that captured for a generation an ideal for a man moved by passion. Today, we have a tawdry example of a sexual predator belittling women and the vulnerable he disdains and exploits doing it his way for his benefit no matter what he inflicts on all around him and the larger world that yearns for American leadership. Trump is a criminal and a traitor so self centered that he is willing to use the services of another country willing and capable of infiltrating our electoral processes to gain the White House as though a trophy. Without principles or competence or compassion or any serious grasp of the function and purpose of governance Trump uses the office of the presidency for his self enhancement. He is a plague that will destroy our Nation and its successes in combating racism and socioeconomic stratification and inequality. He serves himself and really none of us. Mueller with his team with Rosenstein's support may achieve what neither political party can do, free our Nation from a traitor.
3
This has very little to do with the fact that millions of Americans find Donald Trump to be an obnoxious , ignorant and generally detestable human being. The fact that he lies daily in public , berates and insults his own cabinet, cheats on his wife, and breaks with the norms of what the office of the president has always stood for is NOT illegal.
The issue with Robert Mueller has everything to do with obstructing justice and with it , a disregard for the rule of law. For all of those who back Donald Trump with an evangelical vigor: KNOW YOUR HISTORY , get an education. Study what happened to Richard Nixon in the 70s and then you will understand why Robert Mueller's probe is not a 'witchhunt' ... it is an attempt to save rule of law and with it,our democracy. What we need here is a collaboration of intelligent people in this country ,regardless of whether they are Republicans or Democrats to collectively understand what is truly the matter at hand.
7
If Bernie Sanders had won we'd have similar resistance from the swamp. I continue to wonder why the deepstate doesn't go directly after his business. By design no one can do real estate at the levels he has internationally without breaking laws at least technically. Surely there are also tax violations. Maybe those systems are too delicate to use for a soft coup. Certainly the news media and federal law enforcement have taken considerable losses in trust.
2
Of course you can do real estate internationally without breaking laws.
And during his entire life, Trump has been attacked in court because of the way he was doing business, remember?
So all these things HAVE already been done.
We even KNEW that they had been done (and that many times in the past he lost in court, and had to pay for it) long before the election took place. A majority of electoral college votes went to him anyhow, that's why today he's president.
And as it has been done already, there's no reason for the DOJ to do all these investigations all over again. There have been court rulings already, and Trump isn't contesting them, so those are closed cases.
What is happening today is that Russia is hacking our (and other Western countries') elections on the one hand, and that Trump campaign staffers worked for the Russian government and Trump is trying to fire all those trying to investigate any potential link on the other hand. So THAT's why Trump's Sec. of Justice recused himself and defends the idea that an independent counsel is necessary here, you see?
Sessions was Trump's first official supporter, and remains one of his most ardent supporters. If his own department would be a "deep state" trying to undermine Trump, as some pro-Trump media claim, why would he have allowed an independent investigation in the first place ... ?
1
Maybe if Trump said Jared and his son made a huge mistake.
Maybe if Trump admitted that hiring Manafort, Gates, Flynn and Papadopoulos was a huge mistake. Maybe if Trump said he is furious with Putin for meddling in our elections.
What does Trump expect us to suspect?
5
Bandleader, strike up "Jail to the Chief!"
4
Carol Leonnig, reporting in The Washington Post writes that "the list of questions" was generated by Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow, not Mueller's team. Your reporting implies Mueller's team wrote the questions and supplied them to Trump's lawyers- highly unusual.
Please clarify.
2
"What Robert Mueller knows"
That's why Trump wants to review the materials from Cohen's office in order to find out what the investigators know. Trump can lie has pomp off Mueller has no evidence to contradict him and prove perjury.
1
There appears to be more comments from Trump supporters on this opinion piece than I've ever seen before. Does that mean that more Trump supporters are reading the NYT than ever before, or is this is a concerted effort by Trump and his newest attorney to attempt to control the narrative by leaking the questions and then presenting a defense in the court of public opinion? In other words, I suspect we have a few trolls among us today!
12
A litigator never asks a question that he does not already know the answer to.
These 49 are evidently designed to give The Donald ample opportunity to either hang himself, or to come clean.
We all know that coming clean will not happen.
I can imagine barricades being erected in the WH as The Donald desperately clings to his title as the World's most important man.
I, for one, am getting tired of winning.
2
All I really care about is whether there is enough to send Trump to jail. If nothing else, Trump belongs in jail for the rape of American ideals. And Pence, and Ryan, and McConnell, and Pruitt, DeVos, Trump, Jr., Kushner. Even Kelly Ann Conway and Sarah Huckabee have colluded to keep this human train wreck president.
Mueller and lots of us know you can't teach an adult like Trump to understand or respect the need for moral responsibility and laws in a society when that person never developed a conscience and spent his work and love life manipulating and ripping off all kinds of people to serve his own voracious needs.
In watching Trump, he appears to functions at the lowest level of moral reasoning, typical of very young children. The very lowest level (ages 2-3) is purely egocentric. Good is what is good for me and what I want; the other side of it is just don't get caught.
Also, some psychologists interested in moral development maintain that the moral emotions (guilt, shame, true feelings about right and wrong), which are grounded in empathy, are as or more important in moral development than mere moral reasoning.
Trump appears to be incapable of mature moral reasoning, is sadly lacking in empathy, & has no real inner sense of moral goodness or obligation.
So Trump is a lost cause when it comes to morality, ethics, and laws, and as president, he is a terrible role model for our children and society.
And this is our problem, because, like a cult leader, Trump has managed to cultivate a slavishly loyal group of followers in the GOP, right-wing media, and in society.
Mueller knows what is doing is reinforcing our near-desperate need for respect for laws, truth rather than lies, and justice &
accountability in our society.
Will it work? I say all bets are off
1
I do not understand why we are focusing so intently on the questions and not so much on who leaked them. Given the focus of most news and opinion responses to the questions, I had assumed that they came from Mueller. P. P. Trump is certainly behaving as if Mueller faxed the list to a reporter for the NY Times. However, it is looking as if the questions were provided indirectly by Trump's legal team to a third party who made them available to a reporter. Why the failing NY Times and not his buddies at Fox & Friends, Inc?
Seriously, I think that someone is falling into an analysis trap. Where is Mueller going? What does this reveal behind the iron curtain of Mueller's secret legal strategy and tactics?
Tell me this, why would Trump's legal team, or someone associated with it, leak this to the press, especially the failing NY Times and not the cheerleaders at Fox & Friends?
2
Here's why it's interesting for Trump's legal team to leak these questions: they allow Fox News and Trump to create a narrative that makes his supporters believe that he's innocent no matter what the outcome of the interview with Mueller.
Remember that his legal team didn't want him to talk to Mueller in the first place, as they were afraid that he would answer in such a way that it would justify impeachment. But as Mueller replied that he had the legal power to subpoena Trump, his legal team is now trying out a new strategy to shield him from no matter what that Mueller may find.
Makes sense, no?
As to the "failing NYT": as soon as you'll spend 2 minutes fact-checking that claim, you'll see that the opposite is true ... ;-)
And it's precisely because this president is so blatantly lying about so many issues that the majority in this country doesn't trust him, you see?
2
It can never be "soon enough." We have lived through chaos, obfuscation, downright lying, damaging, hurtful policies, and on and on. Don't know how much longer we can do this. Mr. Mueller is indeed a national hero and is doing a phenomenal job, but at least some of us want this to be over, and sooner, rather than later.
1
This story has morphed from hacking Clinton's emails and paranoid delusions of Russian bots to wildly overstating the legal jeopardy that Trump faces in the Russian interference case. What seems more clear is FBI misbehavior to make sure that Hillary Clinton was not indicted and the "never Trump" bias behind the Mueller investigation.
5
And by extension and more importantly, what the U.S. intelligence services know and continue to learn. Trump, as the subject of an investigation and soon quite possibly a target, is no longer privy to what they are discovering. Foreign intelligence and potential U.S. criminal activity are in two entirely separate bins when collected and processed by the intel community. Only Justice (the FBI) and the Special Counsel have insight into this. This dichotomy is mandated by law and statute and exists in part because of the sensitivities involved over US entities who may be criminally exposed and caught up in foreign intelligence collection. Trump may think think he bullied the intel community into submission (why else has this thread been dark for some time?) but far from it.
2
now we need to start seeing this play out somewhere other than on the news networks and the media. We need to see this start playing out in court so that the country and the world can move on. My concern continues to be that trump will find someway to contravene this whole chaotic affair by orchestrating some calamitous event that diverts attention away from him. Please Mueller, pick up the pace!
1
Trump has his own special take on the law and breaking it. He and his father were found guilty of denying housing to minorities. Nobody went to jail. Over 50 times Trump has been involved in lawsuits and various legal problems that ended up in court. Most of the time when he was sued, and even when found guilty, the penalty for him was payment to the other party. No jail time was ever served. Trump played the system perfectly so as to avoid any real repercussions in his day to day existence. He thinks he is playing the same game he played all those times in the past where he could buy his way out of any wrongdoing and or criminal activity. It's looking this time as if the game has changed and he can't buy his way out anymore. If charges are brought forth against him in New York, and he is found guilty, his run of avoiding jail time might finally be up.
2
“Mr. Mueller knows a great deal more than he’s letting on — and he hasn’t even gotten to the follow-ups yet.” We also know prosecutors only ask the questions they already know the answers. This is something his attorneys know but the fellow is incapable of grasping. His goose has been cooking for a year now but he cannot understand why.
Impersonating an American president on tv ain't the same as being one. This is an American tragedy!
3
Hey, Trump will simply follow Sessions’ lead here, and have a failure of memory or a mistaken recollection. Trump isn’t gonna day: “Yeah, Manafort told me he was meeting with the Russians to help their propaganda hit home.’ When confronted he’ll say: Gee, I don’t recall’ or “Gee, that’s not how I remember it”
Trump’s downfall will be only when he rambles off into anecdote and delusion, and then only to the extent he shines a light upon some heretofore unknown event or connection for further investigation.
3
Trump should just stand quietly at the stake and allow himself to be burned before all the eyes of the bloodthirsty local mob demanding spiritual purification and sacred retribution. To the many eyes of all the lowly heathen masses surrounding those well dressed in the town square, the spectacle speaks for itself.
2
It is uniformly reported that the questions published by the Times are "Mueller's" questions. But the list came from the notes of someone on Trump's team and the relationship to what Mueller actually said is not established. Notes can be incomplete, inaccurate, and impressionistic.
3
Yes. The questions seem to be elaborations, evidently prepared by Jay Sekulow, on *lines of questioning* suggested by Mueller's team to Trump's lawyers.
It is quite unlikely that a prosecutor would share a long list of specific questions s/he wants to ask a subject, in advance of an interview, and Mueller probably has not done so.
It would be good if the press in general, and especially the Times, could get this straight.
2
Don't be so trite. Lawyers generally don't ask questions they don't know the answers to during trial. In an investigation they ask many questions they don't know the answers to. That's why it's called an investigation.
Funny how trump says it's disgusting the questions got leaked. It's apparently his ex-lawyer who leaked them. We have yet to have a leak about the Mueller investigation coming from his team. He's a professional.
4
Jay Sekulow wrote the questions. How can it be that the New York Times does not know this and NBC does?
Yesterday afternoon NBC reported that Jay Sekulow wrote the questions after an interview with Mueller last March. Mueller's team revealed its areas of interest and Sekulow derived the questions from the interview.
6
Great editorial by the Editorial Board. I can just imagine researchers 100 years from now reading it. Hopefully our democracy will survive and not be hijacked by Trump's malcontents and Fox News.
Yes, Mr. Mueller's questioning Trump sounds a little like the great actor Louis Stone in the "Andy Hardy" series questioning Mickey Rooney's Andy on what did he know and when did he know it, trying to sort out Andy's hilarious obfuscation.
Trump is not hilarious; our democracy hangs in the balance.
6
More pertinent: what do we know about Mueller? His history is checkered, to say the least. And that not only relates to his prosecutorial record, but his dereliction as FBI director in the Uranium One boondoggle. But the leftist media has placed a halo around his head. They have placed all their marbles in his basket: Get Trump for us, they say. But Mueller is a dud. He will do his utmost to prolong his illegal investigation, presumably up to the mid-term elections, and if the results disfavor the Democrats, beyond to 2020. But in the end his "investigation" will be one big fizzle. That is what scares the bejesus of his enablers. As it should.
6
>>> ". . .the leftist media. . ."
The increasing prevalence of this term, in comments from the Right over the past few years, is revelatory of the deep ignorance of the world's political spectrum on the part of Americans.
There is *no* mainstream "leftist" media in the U.S. Not even close. And the idea that the Times is leftist is so utterly silly that it's hard to read or hear the accusation without laughing.
5
The extent to which Trump and the Republican Congress obfuscate the rule of law is the extent to which their supporters, the Republican voters have lost their minds. Why are they not already in uproar? Fox News? I would say Fox News is the biggest threat to the security and democracy of this country.
4
I find it interesting to note that even the New York Times is not immune to Trump trolls. They're quite easy to pick out due to their idiotic posts that generally don't make sense. I have to believe that the Times staff recognizes them also. At least they are allowed only one or two posts per article.
9
Of course, there were "underlying crimes." Five people have pled guilty to various crimes, most former advisers to the Trump election campaign.
7
I would not want to be questioned by Mueller's team about what I ate for lunch yesterday.
6
The illustration for this story reminds me of a Beatles tune but with slightly different words...Bang Bang Mr. Mueller's gavel came down upon his head, Bang Bang Mr. Mueller's gavel made sure he was....
3
There is no escape. The documents and other evidence collected by Mueller and his team will not disappear, even if Trump goes nuts and tries to fire the entire Justice Department and FBI. The Southern District, courtesy of Mueller's strategic genius, now has enough to indict Trump or fuel impeachment proceedings.
While there are a few ignorant, treasonous sycophants, like Devin Nunes, most Republicans are privately disgusted by Trump. While the silence or political complicity is sickening, most Senators or Representatives are sane, relatively rational men and women. They know Trump is unfit and horrifying and will turn as soon as the political cover is adequate to cover their own rears.
The clock is ticking . . .
4
Every commenter has a point to make. My two cents: I do not like the direction the administration is taking with regard to most things. With that being said on the Mueller investigation , we don't know what we don't know. Patience and time will provide the answers. As far as the Dems go forget the investigation focus on why you have been losing dozens of seats get a message that resonates with America, forget what Wall St wants, get back to what Main St wants and this could all go a long way regardless of what Mueller may have or not have. Keep your eye on the prize.
20
Kelly was right. Tillerson was right. Priebus was right. Cohn was right. Trump's attorneys, past and present, know that he is an unhinged moron and idiot who tweets himself deeper into legal liability every time he picks up a phone. It is obvious that one of Trump's attorneys leaked the questions, knowing that Trump sometimes pays more attention to the media than his own legal advisers, who do not want him talking to Mueller. And it is just as obvious that Mueller can subpoena the president if he refuses to answer his questions. So let's get on with it and get this buffoon out of the White House before he finishes destroying our country.
11
"Bang, bang, Maxwell's silver hammer came down on his head..." That silver hammer is a gavel.
3
Wrong on who leaked what!
Trump leaked these questions deliberately to enable a fresh lie that it was Mueller's staff who did the leaking. We shouldn't wonder where this "leak" came from; it's all part of this administration's effort to crawl out from under the gavel of justice.
6
I have nightmarish visions of Fox News inciting their viewers to some sort of foaming-mouthed mob, hell-bent on destruction--in turn inciting Republicans in Congress to demand the shutdown of the investigation. Why do I see Trump merely thumbing his nose at the subpoena and walking away unscathed?! This is a dangerous time and I never thought my country would come to this.
8
"Federal investigators don’t like being lied to, and Mr. Trump has a marked tendency to say things that aren’t true." The Times can't bring itself to say "Trump has a marked tendency to lie." Journalistically, they'd argue, we don't know if he is consciously lying. A man is publicly caught literally thousands of times saying things that are demonstrable lies and he can't be called a liar? That's not journalism, it's pussyfooting.
11
As Sarah Palin said, "Stop pussyfooting around!"
1
Terrific op-art atop this opinion piece. Suitable for future book covers.
5
Questions......Is Mueller doing anything constructive? NO. Is Mueller working in collusion with Bush Bureaucrat Appointees? YES. What authority does Rosenstein have to issue search warrants without Judicial review? NONE. Can the President fire any Executive Branch appointee, regardless of who previously appointed that individual to a position that reports to the Office of the US PResident? YES. Can the Senate really enact a law intended to be applied Ex Post Facto(in violation of the US Constitution) without the PResident's signature? NO, dont be foolish. Have you found anything beyond rumors and lies and assumptions that would require a serious impeachment proceeding? NO...........Have you packed up your personal belongings and left the office yet? I'll get to working on that right now, Mr. President.
6
Did Manafort, Kushner, Trump Jr. meet with a Russian agent? Yes. Did Trump take money from Russian oligarchs? Yes. Did Kushner attempt to set up back channels to circumvent US Intelligence? Yes? Did Trump ask for Comey’s loyalty like some mob boss? Yes. Did Trump get all palsy-walsy with Kislyak a day after firing Comey? Yes. Do you get your news from anywhere but Sean Hannity? No!
2
Thank you, Bruce.....you've helped prove my point.....Nothing in your comment is based on factual evidence that involves a "high crime or misdemeanor".....you are simply allowing entrenched Political Forces to manipulate you and for no practical benefit to yourself. NO...I dont watch Sean Hannity.....and when I accidently have to listen to that weasel...unlike you...I am capable of listening and then applying independent judgement based on my own experience....I dont mindlessly follow Media Propaganda.
There is a cancer growing on the nation. It is melanoma foxitis.
5
No prior president has so openly denigrated the rule of law and law enforcement, which is no less stupid than kicking a Grizzly nursing three cubs. Trump will never willingly answer these Mueller questions, no matter how many times he lies that he wants to do so. Never as in never ever, unless the Times starts writing that 45 shouldn't do it, that he's not smart enough. Then he might.
3
Trump's lawyers are in for a big surprise because their client has such a difficult time with the truth and alternative facts. He's probably telling them that the Russia thing is all made up, just like he's telling everyone else. Meanwhile, the Mueller investigation is a freight train racing down the track, headed straight for them with an abundance of evidence to confirm that his campaign was in cahoots with the Russians to undermine your democracy. Hey Donald, what do you think about being charged with treason?
4
I remain confused about the motive by someone in the White House to release these questions. I presume the release did not come from someone on Team Mueller.
Trump calls the release a "disgraceful" "'leak'", putting "leak" inside quote marks as though this leak is different from other leaks. Why the quote marks, unless Trump knows this release is not a true leak.
Is the purpose of the leak to discredit Mueller? Or, is this something Trump really did not want released?
Most significant, as a reader commented / observed when this report first came out, Mueller doesn't pose questions about Trump finances and sources of capital: Mueller isn't crossing the "red line" Trump threw down about his personal business finances. That is most news worthy of all.
6
Trump's lawyer said he released them - Sekelow.
The Times' lead-in says: 'now we know why Trump's lawyer didn't want him talking to Mueller.'
Actually, we always knew. For the same reason no lawyer in history has wanted his client talking to an adversarial inquisitor. Whether it eventually becomes necessary for Trump to talk, time will tell.
But if I were his lawyers, yesterday's batch of questions, seen as a frame to the case, would reassure me mightily. No surprises. No ominous new directions. Just the stuff that has been mashed up in the media and to which plausible explanations exist that our clients' enemies won't accept but can't refute, and which his friends will embrace.
As is so often the case with these inquiries, an expensive nothing burger.
5
What would it take to convince you of Trump campaign ties to Russia. There is so much evidence of senior Trump campaign officials colluding with the Russians, right in plain sight in the public domain. Start with the meeting at Trump Tower with Manafort, Kushner, Don Jr and a Russian attorney with direct ties to Putin. There’s Michael Cohen’s failed Trump Tower deal on Moscow. Manafort s long history of Pro-Russian work in Ukraine. Roger Stone’s advance notice of the WikiLeaks email dump. The well-documented Russian Facebook Bot Farm working in Trump’s favor. Trump’s constant fawning over Putin. Or Trump himself saying “Russia if you’re listening....”
1
I would expect a far more reasoned, less histrionic editorial from The Times. Perhaps this is why there often isn’t a comment section.
I don’t think those are Mueller's questions. He’s got to be too smart to come up with those. The answer to many is presidential privilege and authority. An answer to a number more is none of your business. And a question or two from Trump’s side could be 1) who’s asking? You know I’m the president, right? And 2) tell me why you’re asking that question. I know what I did or didn’t do and I want to know why you’re asking what you are. I have no interested in being tripped up and snagged in a process charge. I do have a lot of things on my mind. Did I mention I was president?
6
Since when is the president above the law? No one has the right to not answer questions posed by law enforcement unless 1. they don't have a lawyer present and they ask for one and 2. they take the fifth. If trump agrees to answer questions or is subpoened to answer them, he can argue all he wants, but he will have to answer or he could be held in contempt. That's the rule of law.
2
The Manafort question looks like a smoking gun to me. It implies that Manafort has already admitted to seeking Russian interference in our election. The question is, was Manafort acting on orders from Trump, or was he going rogue? That's the linchpin.
Mueller undoubtedly has damning evidence at this point, along with confessions. My concern is, what if Trump refuses Mueller's interview? What happens then? It would seem we would then be in a Constitutional crisis at that point. Given the utter obsequiousness of Congressional Republicans, I find that deeply worrying.
4
Robert Mueller knows how and when to keep quiet. So do all the capable lawyers, the investigators, working with him. Let’s assume they respect Mueller and one another.
Compare that to the motley, filthy crowd that gathers around Trump: the pigs at the trough, the foxes in the hen house, the snakes in the barn, the cocks on the walk. Money launderers, traitors, wife abusers, mobsters, venal relatives, experienced racists, guys who sink their snouts in buckets of slops tossed to them by dictators and oil company executives. And leakers. Lots and lots of leakers.
Trump and his menagerie have dodged the consequences of their scams and greed for so many years it’s hard to believe Justice may be waiting behind the barn.
But perhaps, at last, She is. She isn’t conventionally pretty. Has a long, furrowed face. In fact, she resembles Robert Mueller.
And when she finally smiles ... watch out.
11
I so hope you're right.
Little doubt fake 45 was engaged with the Russians. His idiot sons told us that several years back...."we don't need banks we have the Russians." Then one of the imbecile spawn meets with a Russian spy trying to derail the 2016 election. Donnie Jr. doesn't go to the bathroom without fake 45 telling him he can much less meeting with spies.
11
Trump and his legal team have known since early March what Mueller most likely knows about a possible conspiracy between the Trump campaign and administration and Russia. His legal team knows that he cannot sit down under oath and testify without incriminating himself--and probably committing perjury. So, what to do? What to do? Write some questions and leak them to the New York Times from someone who is not on the Trump legal team. Then use the leaked questions to convince the base that Mueller has overstepped his mark in the investigation. In other words, use those damning questions to try to get the investigation stopped and get our GOP friends in the House to start various impeachment proceedings against all the top DOJ staff including Rosenstein. Problem solved. Trump continues his reign of chaos, dishonesty, and corruption for at least eight years.
4
The NYT lobbies, politics, begs , yearns and pleads for the impeachment and downfall of PRESIDENT TRUMP. You revel in this, you bleed it, it is your raison d'être. You are the consummate liberal, unbalanced and unfair media/periodical in the USA. Your biased stance sacrifices any integrity to which you may aspire.
6
So that’s how they win so many Pulitzer Prizes. How many Pulitzers has Fox News won?
1
Mueller is a corrupt fraud. See Boston. See Anthrax. See Uranium One for starters. He was in league with Brennan and Clapperdestroying the career of FBI agents who didn’t tow the administration line on the Muslim Brotherhood. Now he’s attempting to criminalize Article 2 of the Constitution. Corrupt, malicious and a danger to the Republic.
7
It seems that Trump cannot comprehend that there are actually incorruptible people in the world. Everyone has his price, everyone in Trump's world can be bribed, charmed, or threatened into submission.
In Trump's world such a person as Mueller doesn't exist. So of course he wants a chance to talk to Mueller, find his weak spot, and flip him as he's flipped so many people in the past.
He probably believes he can con Mueller into putting out a statement saying Trump is the most honest, upright person in the history of the world.
I'm really really looking forward to seeing what actually happens.
5
The fact that Donald Trump occupies the presidency debases our country every day he remains in office.
Incredibly, that's not the worst of it.
The fact that the republican political party and its elected officials genuflect to Donald Trump and lie to defend him in order to remain in good standing with his "base" is cowardice of the first magnitude. Look only at how Ted Cruz debases himself in his praise of Trump after Trump's treatment of Cruz and Cruz's family during the republican clown car primary.
Even that's not the worst of it.
The worst of it is that millions of Americans don't care if Trump consorted with the Russians, defrauded business partners, threw supporters under the bus, lies about everything and is unfit for any leadership office. These millions are the "good Germans" of the 1930s and the brownshirt wannabes of the 1930s come to life in our century.
At some point there will come a reckoning. Not just for Trump, but for all of us.
The reckoning will be the values confrontation between Trumpistas and the rest of us. It begins with the 2018 midterms and progresses in the 2020 presidential elections.
Vote.
12
There are underlying offenses. Crimes have been committed. People have been charged, with expectation of more to come. Trump's obstruction of justice needn't be to cover up a crime he personally committed. Nixon did not personally break into the Watergate. He did not personally authorize that break-in nor have advance knowledge of that criminal act supportive of his campaign. On public record, Trump is clearly intent upon ending inquiry into criminal acts supportive of his election, the exposure of which he has made clear he feels challenge the legitimacy of his Presidency. That is more than enough. The only question is how deep the rabbit hole goes, how thoroughly Russian interference was tied into the Trump campaign and how extensively Trump's words and deeds behind the scenes substantiate an intent to obstruct he has already manifested in public.
9
I am so despondent and ashamed of my country, one of my only hopes is that Mueller really knows what an evil snake Trump is. ....Please God, let Mueller be wise enough to crucify this snake.
5
I'm so tired of this reality show we call politics and honestly I'm beginning to wonder if Robert Mueller really exists and is the solution to this travesty of an administration.
I can't help remembering the character Emmanuel Goldstein the fictional character in Orwell's Nineteen Eighty Four who was most probably a fabrication of the "Ministry of Truth". He was presented to the populace as the underground leader who would free the masses from this dystopian society.
Is Mueller our Goldstein, designed to quiet down the population and offer some hope. When you think about it, this is not so crazy after all. Certainly no crazier than a day of Trump tweets.
1
As John Kelly puts it so elegantly, Trump is an idiot -- a few points higher than a Tillerson moron -- but even Trump must have some comprehension of the hole he is in, and digging deeper every day.
6
What a charade. We know from daily "real" news that all of Mueller's questions are premised on factual reality. There is no question that Manafort was in repeated contact with foreign powers; there is no question that Trump sought to obstruct justice.
We also know that whatever Mueller's conclusions, the ~35% of Americans who are under the spell of Fox News won't care one whit. None of the Hitler youth ever sought to question the orders of their master.
The ONLY way to end this nonsense is to win the mid-terms, and impeach this criminal. This has GOT to end.
4
Trump is a stupid, lying, arrogant, fool, he won the Republican primary because the GOP slate of candidates was huge and divided the establishment vote (19 candidates, the most in a century). With a normal spread, Trump would've been out by New Hampshire, South Carolina at the latest.
But the Republican party was a mess, fighting within its ranks, no clear leader, so all the arrogant punks like Rubio and Cruz, and the got-nothing-better-to-dos, all thought that it might be their shot. The arrogance of that crowd was astounding, then they hung on, and on, and on, paving the way for the imbecile in cheap fake tan and a complex weave wig.
Then he ran against Hillary who went through the EXACT opposite problem in her primary fight, no fight at all. Her victory was fait accompli, and thus as late as November she still COULD NOT answer the emails question well, and her inability to do simple math allowed her to once again get taken down by a team that managed to grasp the math of the election better than her pathetic team could (and boy were they pathetic).
What buffoon doesn't bother to mention the largest single demographic? What kind of fool doesn't read the polling data and spend time in Michigan and Wisconsin? An arrogant and lazy one.
It was a perfect storm, and now we've got the disastrous results.
It will be a generation before America recovers from Trump. The longer he's in office the greater the chance that something catastrophically bad will happen.
4
There's biased, agenda biased opinion, and there's having been there.
Anyone who's been there knows very well that prosecutors, especially federal ones, are a sicko/deranged combo of the driven careerist and institutional mafioso. They are hell bent on a prearranged agenda and blind to facts that work against them as long as their budget holds out. While this works out great for you if they are after someone you hate (as does this editorial board) it works like gamma radiation exposure if they are after YOU. There is ZERO direct correlation between prosecution and justice, it's practically all happenstance because a prosecutor will attack whatever is put in front of it like a rabid dog. If my fellow liberals do not buy this, I suggest they explain the wrongly convicted on death row.
The most progressive liberal lawyer in America would advise the president to say nothing that may be twisted by humankind's most tortured professional mind mind (next to actual torturers); the prosecutor. No I don't like Trump. Yes I have been convicted of a crime I did not commit, and also know at least one person who served federal time for a crime he did not commit.
If Trump speaks to Mueller, notwithstanding the brilliant way the plays the press like marionettes, he's stupid.
4
Once again there is no there there. This is a mere fishing expedition and whatever answer President Trump gives about his legal right to fire incompetents will be interpreted by this page as a boldfaced lie. Never before has a president been treated so disrespectfully. Undermining the presidential voted of 63m Americans is not the way to win any forthcoming elections. Hiding and destroying emails and hard drives appeared to be a much bigger obstruction of justice and this page seemed to have no problems with it.
5
"Never before has a president been treated so disrespectfully. "
I guess you missed the entire previous presidency. No obstruction, however unprecedented, was neglected and no racist trope, no matter how vile was disavowed...
10
Does HE leave the White House in handcuffs OR a strait jacket ???
Wagers ???
3
Why did the NYT publish these leaked quuestions? Who leaked them and why? I want to see this investigation completed with integrity. It has become a circus.
3
While this editorial statement is clear and understandable; the underlying question of why the Times chose to print these leaked questions is not answered nor addressed. Yes I believe that justice is doing it’s job. However, with journalism under constant attack, do you not see that you undermine journalistic integrity by printing these questions? Did you consider imply informing Mueller that they were leaked and maybe even offer help to discover the source of the leak thereby keeping the integrity of the investigation intact and your paper as well. You could have printed that it had been leaked..that the Times is above stooping to printing an unethically leaked document. You could have addressed the gross unfairness of Trump’s legal team getting these questions ahead of time etc without actually printing the document. I am NOT a fan of Trump, but I am seriously disappointed in the Times. Better choices could have been made. It undermines my personal faith in the judgement of the editorial board.
1
Apparently they were leaked by trump's own lawyer - which explains why many of them seem so simplistic.
I want to simply say this: The New York Times should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize even though maybe it has to go to a person. Why do I say this? Because this newspaper has done such an outstanding job of covering the horrors of the Trump administration.
2
Yes, that arc of history is long and does bend toward justice. And Rosenstein is protecting his behind by telling Republicans some stupid thing about the justice department not being extorted. Isn't the justice department the very thing that Trump himself denounces? What a farce is Trump and anybody who gets near him. Please, be gone a.s.a.p.!
2
"Our boy can become president, and we can engineer it." That is the quote from Sater, which he followed with how he could get Putin on it.
Come on, man. The NYT needs a translator plug-in for Trump supporters that replaces "Trump" with "Clinton" or "Obama" so they can fully comprehend all of this.
1
.... and he even falsified his medical records. Just think of DJT correcting the altimeter of his plane while flying over the Rockies. ("We are not flying that low...")
.... about his "doctor": unethical to the core. How do we know when Trump lies? When he opens his mouth!
... if would finally erump!
1
Trump is a liar- that’s well established. Trump is corrupt and a thief- witness his business activities over the past 30 years. Facing Mueller, even if this clown “..is , like, really smart..” would be enjoyable to watch. One only hopes...
2
This investigation needs to go away. These questions are stupid on their face and at legal odds with the Presidential prerogatives in the Constitution. Mr P don't even bother to fiddle around with this Mr M guy - he is not our friend and he is not doing what we want. Don't go down that road of having to explain everything in detail as the questions seem to dictate. Your time is too important, your office is too important, this country is too important to enter a minefield just to placate these losers. You can pardon guys like Comey; sometimes it's too bad you can't do the inverse. Sessions is weak and/or stupid - deal with it.
3
The president is not above the law.
1
What does Mueller know?
He knows he is in on the scam and the co-conspirators are lining up to sing like canaries to save their own hides.
He knows he is the head of a sham investigation designed as political trickery by inept plotters.
He knows time is running out.
Mueller is a disgraceful old man who is desperately trying to be relevant again. He should be fired and prosecuted. He is an enemy of democracy and an international embarrassment. I wish him only the worst.
4
Never has the adage “Liars need good memories” been so appropriate. We’ve all probably been caught by this in our lives. Everyone lies at some point. Trump has simply raised the bar, way high.
If he isn’t concerned about talking with Mueller, he’s too stupid to be president - of anything.
2
Being a pathological liar, the President would be an idiot to interview with Mueller. He has little to gain and everything to lose. Surely as a business man he understands the risk well outweighs the reward.
1
Everything Trump, and his lawyers are doing shout out GUILTY. Its ridiculous....
1
Trump knows what he has done about women but he really has know idea about what he has done as President. My opinion is that his naive attitude has got him into more trouble rather than his his intentional actions. Example...Gen. Flynn.....can’t you go a little easy on him. Donald Junior.........Tell them it was about adoptions. And on and on. I believe in all honesty he thinks what he has done is not unlawful. Why ? Because he did not collude with the Russians. Paul Manafort may have but Trump did not and except for dirt on Hillary which he probably thought was fair game there was no collusion. He may be smart but he really does not know or did not know at the time how the law works and being a jerk he interfeared with justice. He can you impeach a naive man who had know idea what he was doing . There were probably more reasons than none to get rid of Comey but he opens his mouth and says this or that but he probably just did not like the man. There is such abiquity to his actions I do not think he even knows why he says what he say. My point is if you can not catch him with his hand in the cookie jar leave him alone. Why? Because if you are going to impeach a President raise the bar on what he did. Why? Because this kind of stuff can go on forever.
1
NYT is doubling down on a dubious premise: "Mueller's list of questions."
Washington Post reported last night that Mueller outlined topics and "Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow compiled a list of 49 questions that the team believed the president would be asked..."
Leaks that become WH sources are not coming from Mueller; they're coming from Team Trump.
Don't you wonder why? Your reporters should, and so should you before publishing an editorial that fuels Trump's sinister narrative (i.e., "Mueller's questions show he is overreaching").
The plan was for the WH to leak the questions to Fox, making seem like Mueller did the leaking. However, the NYT managed to scoop this first, thwarting Fox/Trump from accusing Mueller directly. Notice how Trump's tweets only call the leak shameful?
Peter, how do you know that Mueller has "nothing. Zero."? Did he share something with you personally that the rest of us don't know about?
3
I feel that Mueller's questions do not address 45's previous business dealings, which may be at the center of all this Russian mess. Also, I wish someone would look into Russian money passed on as campaign contributions through the NRA.
And then, there's the Giuliani thing, bragging about an October surprise. Where does he fit in in all this?
It is so difficult to be patient in these trying times!
2
No collusion. Fake News. Trump haters are destroying this country. Trump saving the country and deserves a Nobel unlike phony Obama.
4
Will Trump not be a sitting duck if he talks with Mueller? Having no idea about truth will kill him. I hope the end is in sight.
1
Slow news day? Please, write a column when Trump's actually spoken with Mueller. In the meanwhile, it's all speculation which insults the dignity of this paper's journalism. Is this the news or Sports Center?
2
"Don’t forget that both presidents who have faced impeachment proceedings in the past few decades, Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton, were accused of obstructing justice."
In addition, lets not forget that Clinton's underlying conduct in the Lewinsky affair was not criminal. And I do recall Republicans arguing strenuously that that distinction was not relevant.
8
Nice piece but you got one thing wrong. Your statement about seasoned prosecutors not asking questions they don't know the answers to applies in front of juries where there are consequences if the witness gives an answer you didn't expect. During an investigation, as Mr. Mueller is here, prosecutors always ask questions they don't know the answers to - that's how they gather information.
4
Robert Mueller knows that Trump is a crook.
Trump knows that Trump is a crook.
But can Mueller prove it, hard and fast? That is the question.
4
When it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it's a duck.
And Trump sure is doing a lot of "ducking"
3
The whole Mueller investigation is proof of what a sick liberal tyranny we live under. The liberals, in both parties, Democrats and Republicans, can not stand the fact that American people voted them out of office at all levels of government. They have been denying the election and trying to claw back and keep the President from governing using every unethical means at their disposal, liberal judges, grossly disproportionate influence in the press and electronic media, Hollywood, and higher education. Openly disobeying the laws of the nation with sanctuary cities, refusing to co-operate in the investigation of illegals voting, liberal judges trying to usurp authority and make decision that are not theirs to make. The universities trying to brainwash our children into liberalism by enforcing political correctness and denying free speech and encouraging violence (ANTIFA) against speakers who disagree with liberalism. Hollywood with it's sick, disgusting "comedy" targeting the President, and it's sick culture of exploiting women by moguls protected by their friends and cronies. Liberalism is a sick tyranny that is destroying our nation. President Trump is trying to drain the swamp and confront liberalism and that is the only reason why Mueller is misusing the law to try to stop him.
5
Why do you comment on the NYT web page if you don't read the paper?
5
I am not a lawyer nor am I a member of law enforcement, but Trump is sure ACTING guilty. Why is that? If he truly is innocent and has nothing to hide, why is he not immediately divulging everything he knows to the Special Council and putting this whole mess behind him? I see this guilty mobster pleading the fifth.
3
Trump does not believe that he is above the law. Trump believes that he IS the law. He does not view himself as President, but as King--elected by "the common people," perhaps, but protected by the Divine Right of Kings. He will speak with Mueller because his ego tells him 1) Mueller has nothing on him, 2) he is smarter than Mueller and can dance rings around him, and 3) if Mueller does have something on him, then he can shut down the investigation and walk away untouched. Trump sails on a sea of narcissism and refuses to listen to his own lawyers, who are quite wisely advising him to shut the hell up. I hope that karma will finally catch up with Trump, but I'm not holding my breath. #NotMyPresident #RESIST #ImpeachTrumpNOW
11
While nobody can predict history, it is looking more and more like old tricky Dick Nixon back in the day ie sooner or later they will nail this ego maniac demagogue on any number of crimes.
5
I can’t wait until Trump testifies. Australia watched the White House reception tonight on SBS for the brave crew and Southwest pilot who landed their disabled plane and Trump couldn’t be bothered to haul himself out of his seat, stand up, and shake their hands. The man is a disgrace.
6
I found this comment by two former secret service agents (CIA & NSA) McGovern & Binney: "Mueller does not need to send his team off on a “broad quest” with “open-ended” queries on an “exhaustive array of subjects.” If there were any tangible evidence of Trump campaign-Russia collusion, Mueller would almost certainly have known where to look and, in today’s world of blanket surveillance, would have found it by now. It beggars belief that he would have failed, in the course of his year-old investigation, to use all the levers at his disposal — the levers Edward Snowden called “turnkey tyranny” — to “get the goods” on Trump."
So as a non-spy I am puzzled and wonder what is going on though I have no doubt that Trump is a vile person who is doing irreparable harm to the US & the world.
3
It seems to me that the premiss of this editorial is flawed. The Washington Post reports that the questions themselves were drawn up by the Trump legal team based on a much broader discussion of the areas of a possible interview. This seems to make much more sense than a list that came from the Mueller team. It also comports with the NY Times description that the source was not the Trump legal team - the source seems likely Dowd who is no longer on the Trump legal team.
If so, the editors are falling into a trap laid by the Trump team by spreading the belief that the Mueller team is trying to entrap Trump.
Hope to see an update from the editors addressing this question.
3
"Obtained by the New York Times" doesn't cut it. How can we assess the authenticity of the questions and the motives of whoever leaked them without knowing how you got them? Your smug refusal to say anything about where the questions came from does a disservice to your readers, the integrity of the process, and the rule of law.
4
one hopes that the NYT Editorial Board is in possession of a voluminous supply of white linen napkins, for there will be much egg to wipe off its collective face when the 18 month Niagara of innuendo, supposition and conjecture re Trump's electoral genius eventually dries up and the focus returns to Ms. Clinton's electoral ineptitude... while pretending to be the defender of The Law, the Board is forgetting one of its fundamental principles: we are innocent until proven guilty
7
Back to Clinton? Is that all you've got?
4
You can't make this stuff up. A man who has played footloose with the law his entire life decides to pursue the Pearl and is now fining out what it costs. I predict a different ending from Steinbeck's: this time the Pearl will be doing the tossing.
3
Will any of this matter if the GOP keeps the House and Senate, and over 80% of GOP voters still support him? While it's apparent that many if not most GOP voters get their "news" from Fox News, and thus are mainly basing their opinions on lies, I still don't see why so many have lied to themselves. Is it all for guns, gays, abortion, and "those brown people"? The first step toward fascism is "post-truth".
3
"Whether or not Mr. Trump decides to talk to [Mueller], the rest of us will know, too, soon enough."
And if Trump refuses to talk to Mueller, Mueller can subpoena Trump.
Only Congress can impeach a sitting president but there is nothing in the Constitution that prevents a sitting president from being subpoenaed.
Maurice F. Baggiano, Member of the Bar of the U.S. Supreme Court
3
You keep asking this question. How about we start with 17 of our nation's intelligence agencies affirming that Russia interfered in the 2016 election in support of Trump and his refusal to acknowledge their findings, let alone investigate and find a way to prevent it from happening again?
2
Trump knows that he has three things on his side: 1) the adulation of millions of voters; 2) the obeisance of the feckless Republicans in Congress who will always put party above country; 3)the support of most of the billionaire class (e.g the Kochs, Murdochs, Mercers), some of whom back him for ideological reasons, others for their own cynical ends. Trump can count on the first two groups, but not so much the third group. If his leaky ship shows signs of sinking, the oligarchs will run from him like rats. Until then, he'll dig in.
1
OK, but so far he's done a good job sabotaging the presumption of innocence and showing his disregard for the rule of law.
I hate all the lies! I hope they quickly get to a conclusion for the coubtry’s sake this madness has gone on way to long! What Trump is capable of keeps me awake at night! He runs the Whitehouse like a mob boss, and not even a good one at that!
3
Mueller already knows the answers to all those questions, and Trump is a compulsive liar......What could go wrong?
3
I hope Mueller crushes Trump and, with the necessary evidence, I am confident that he can do it. But it is too early to heap praise on him. His credentials are great but he is supervising dozens of FBI agents and prosecutors we don’t know. Some could be sexual abusers, some could be racists and so on. Some may have lied during the investigation and some may be downright incompetent. Some, like the esteemed team that prosecuted Senator Stevens, may have mishandled the evidence. And some may have coerced confessions.
One member of the team is all it takes to screw the case up. And if that happens Mueller wil not get a free ride. The appropriate comment is that the investigation appears to be going forward well. That’s all we know. In any undertaking, they don’t hand out medals until the end.
1
The president should talk to Mueller if he and his lawyers get the deal that Clinton and her lawyers received. He should tweet this to Mueller. America's justice should not discriminate against the President.
1
I am not surised that the White House leaked Mueller’s questions. First, Trump is a psychopath, who firmly believes he can do as he wishes with impunity,so the questions are irrelevant. Second, he has a history of leaking information about himself because he loves the thrill of the attention. Third, even when his conduct is damaging to himself, Trump cannot stop leaking. Why? Because psychopaths are limited to one MO. (See my first point). So when they finally get caught, we are stunned by how far they have gone. Mueller knows how deeply Trump has dug the hole he is in, but as a psychopath, Trump will dig even deeper in the belief that he is untouchable.
3
Godspeed, Mr. Mueller
3
He summoned too many other devils. One day el Diablo whisperer might wake up to realize Special Counsel are his best lawyers — against the worst devils.
Mueller, of course, knows the answer to every one of the questions on his list.
Trump's problem is, he is constitutionally incapable of telling serial truths, especially when these "truths" are, in fact, admissions that he has flouted the laws of our country. And the bigger problem is, if he lies and says he "doesn't know" he is in even deeper and hotter water.
1
"Sometimes, the best way to convince someone he is wrong is to let him have his way." ~ Red O'Donnell
2
The Times is being played and so are we. First of all, these questions did not come from Mueller. They were Jay Sekulow's notes. He tripled the issues Mueller raised, not questions, so that Trump could complain to his base about it. How to do that? Leak it to the Times. So we have a fake list of questions imagined by Sekulow, published by the Times with no sourcing despite the fact that it is clearly from Trump for his base and their fervor. I think we are and were entitled to more than this kind of reporting.
2
Keep digging NYT. When things get difficult Don the Con has a history of giving up. He will resign before the truth comes out. Thank you for protecting our Democracy.
2
The problem for President Trump is his trouble with the truth. He also has put himself in the position of having too many people representing or claiming they represent him. There is no doubt that Mr. Mueller has been provided with information that he would like clarified by the President. One would also assume that Mr. Mueller’s team has sworn affidavits, signed by the persons providing information that may be damning of the President. At this point, I do not believe that Mr. Trump will have an epiphany and now be truthful. It would appear he is in too deep.
1
The New York Times editorial board and Miller,s FBI team are applying a flagrant double standard in the way they handle Trump and the way they handled Hilary. Although in Hilary‘s case, there was a clear crime in violation of federal regulations. FBI granted Hillary an interview which was not under oath and was not even transcribed and was contacted by one of the stainchest just supporter of the FBI, Peter Strozk, and in the presence of an army of Hillary’s lawyers, who, by the way, was also a lawyer which Trump is not. In the case of President Trump there is no crime, just the desire to find one, and he’s asked to conduct an interview under oath, with the hope and calculation to catch him with the smallest error. New York Times where is your fairness? I don’t recall you beating the drums for Hillary to be interviewed under oath. It looked like the fix was in then to help her get away with murder and the fix is on again to frame Trumpwith murder at all costs.
3
There was no clear crime in violation of federal law. Had there been, no amount of Clinton loyalty in the FBI (presuming ad arguendum there actually is any) could have prevented prosecution.
In fact, maintaining a private email server was legal, had been approved by several people, was not uncommon, and remains legal today. Even the deletions were never shown to have occurred after the data were requested. Your allegation that the FBI went easy on her is just puffery.
The entire kerfuffle was ridiculous. If you knew anything about email, you'd know there's no such thing as private email. The information is not encrypted, and travels through any number of unsecured intermediate servers. The idea that she mishandled secret memoranda by email is, really, absurd. Anything secret arriving in her inbox was already mishandled, ipso facto, regardless of who manages the server.
1
Between the FBI and Mueller investigations have gone on for about 2 years and so far zero evidence of collusion between Trump and Russia which was the stated goal of Mueller's investigation - There is no reason to obstruct justice if no underlying crime was committed - This appears to have become an exercise in finding something/anything to damage the Trump administration and the New York Times is promoting this effort
3
Zero evidence? Just for one, Manafort is under indictment and lied more than once about meeting with Russians and working for Ukraine. How many different Russian entanglements have already come to light, despite repeated protestations from the president and his enablers?
It's recently become known that Trump's team knew explicitly that the Russians were offering to, and later did, provided "dirt" on Hillary Clinton. It now seems they coordinated leaking that information with the campaign.
More than zero, I'd say. Wanna bet there's more to come? Stay tuned.
3
I quote: "...Mr. Trump has a marked tendency to say things that aren’t true." It's okay, New York Times, you can say he lies all the time.
2
What more do we really need to push Trump into the junk heap of history?
Is he morally bankrupt? YES! Here are some highlights to underscore the point: he maligned a POW (John McCain) by saying he wasn’t a hero (NB: DJT’s “Vietnam” was avoiding STDs), he verbally assaulted a Gold Star family, he poked fun at a disabled reporter, he suggested that his political opponent be “locked up” and denied Secret Service protection on the campaign trail, he promoted violence at many of his campaign rallies against opposers and the free press, etc.
Is he guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors? His own behavior of drawing redlines and constantly speaking out about his own Justice Dept. scream of his guilt. Who would say, “Michael Cohen will flip” as Trump has stated, if he didn’t worry about what crimes would be revealed? Who would publicly and privately muse about firing Sessions, Rosenstein, and Mueller if he weren’t trying to bury the truth and obstruct justice? Trump said, “Only the mob pleads the Fifth.” Seems apropos to the president.
All of the facts point to a man rife with guilt, and this time, thanks to patriots like Mr. Mueller (a Republican), Trump will not get away with “shooting someone on Fifth Ave.” and walking away scot-free. There could be no stronger affirmation of the validity of our system of government if Trump and all his treasonous cohorts (namely, Bannon, Don, Jr., Jarvanka, Stone, Nunes, and those already charged) are prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
3
I'm sorry, but the EB (and Mueller) has lost all sense. How many questions Mueller plans to ask are related to illegal conduct by Trump. ZERO.
How many questions are framed by what did you think or feel? A bunch. How many are -- why did you do this, what did you mean by, why did you tweet this? What is the reason for your continued criticism of Comey and McCabe? Really? That's related to what re Russian collusion or obstruction of justice?
The Times and Mueller as to remember that all of the members of the executive branch serve at the pleasure of the president. He can fire anyone he wants. Or retain them. He can disagree with those who report to him and try to change their mind on a decision they make (i.e. Sessions). He has a handful of general questions about Russia but they are broad and not germane to whether there was collusion. They are about as germane as do you like Russian salad dressing.
Clearly Mueller has no case for collusion or obstruction of justice. His only play if he wants to bring down Trump is to try to catch him contradicting himself in either answering the questions -- or giving an answer that contradicts he might have said publicly or tweeted.
A third grader who reads the paper could come up with a better set of questions. And despite the Times insistence that Trump asked Russia to find more Clinton e-mails, that isn't true. He asked them to release what they had. Everyone assumed Russia had HRC's e'mails in 2016.
2
More proof that trump is really just a coward. His bluster about being the best of everything possible falls away when we realize he's afraid of sitting face to face with someone who is actually intelligent and impeccably honest. Trump is a punk, and I'd so very much love to be in the room when Mueller questions him. It will be Donnie's downfall.
2
Liberals are putting all their faith in Mueller. What if --in the end-- he punks out or actually doesn't have the "smoking gun"? Then Trump will run really riot . . .
I'd feel a lot better if there were a Plan B here.
3
There's no dobt that Robert Mueller is onto something, and even though some of his questions were recently revealed -- no body is exactly sure what it is.
The only thing for sure is that it's got Donald Trump very nervous, which is hardly surprising given that this is a president who has had no problem using this office to his own advantage, and the includes the means he either knowingly or unknowingly employed to get there.
And because Mr. Trump also has great difficulty in telling the truth, any questions that he might answer under oath have the potential of undoing him in one way or the other.
Any way you look at it, some interesting times lie before us... And him.
1
Talk about a total reach. They don't even use the word "collusion" anymore nowhere to be found in this editorial. This is a perjury trap plain and simple now. If he had evidence he would have gone after all these guys already. In two years we will be able to vote him out. But enough is enough. Lets pin the blame to the person who is responsible for all this.....Hillary Clinton.
3
It's only a perjury trap if he lies.
This is why I read the NYT!
1
Mueller, let’s not forget, is an investigator, not a prosecutor nor an FBI agent any longer with powers of arrest. And President Trump has no reason to cooperate with a political investigation that may be motivated by political malice. His best defense against Mueller is to investigate Mueller’s questions, as well as Mueller’s staff and Mueller. And you know full well Mueller’s tainted career in Boston’s corrupt legal system of the 1980s, the civil service system corrupted by James “Whitey” Bulger and former FBI agent James Connolly. He was always too comfortable with it. He was no advocate for Constitutional rights or civil rights.
Your Board does not have all the foreign and Russian intelligence information that President Trump has before his disposal, some of which one imagines could justify his actions under a reasonable interpretation of his actions under a Section 1505 of Title 18 investigation. Unlike you, or Special Counsel Mueller, President Trump may exercise his extraordinary powers as President for national security. And Paul Manafort, for example, if he were acting as a special intelligence agent for the President, after the President was sworn into office, might have a good defense against prosecution, under Section 1505.
Mueller could benefit from reading more of Lincoln’s Presidency and contemporary obstruction questions regarding his and his successors (Presidents Andrew Johnson and Ulysses Grant).
2
It would be a great service to the nation if the New York Times would not take it upon itself to try to talk Donald Trump from giving testimony to the Special Counsel.
For the past 24 hours the paper seems to want to yell at Trump, "IT'S A TRAP!"
That's really not helping. It's not a trap. It's our one chance at justice.
1
Please give the sketch artist an award, a bonus and an extra week off for this particular art deal.
1
Mueller is fishing. Dershowitz is right. The questions are open ended and a "perjury trap".. Trump should either not answer or provide written answers with a team of lawyers. Mueller is obviously looking for a self incriminating utterance, that he can go "AHA". Trump should tell Mueller he will get back to him as soon as he has reviewed with his lawyers. He should not sit down with these hacks and help give them the credibility they have squandered. Let Mueller swing in the wind.
3
This situation is ridiculous. We need a leader. Trump has no idea how to lead and instead he does one of five things; He plays his games with the media, he makes uninformed policy statements, he backtracks on those statements, he goes to stupid rallies for his base or he golfs.
It’s not acceptable.
As citizens of this great country we deserve more from our government than what the President and the Republican Congress are offering.
3
Trump wants to be interviewed by Mueller because he thinks he can outsmart Mueller and win the cat and mouse game. We have seen it before with criminals who like to take on a prosecutor so that they can proclaim afterward, "I was too clever for that guy", or other braggadocio. The reality is that most criminals do not get away with their crime. Trump's ego is preventing him from seeing that Mueller has a trap set, a very big rat trap, and no matter how quick Trump thinks he is, that trap is going to snap. Can't wait to hear that snap.
2
The person currently sullying the white house is a mobster for all practical purposes. Mobsters break the law with impunity, counting on their muscle and intimidation to keep them immune. And they tend to go down when you finally can get them before the law.
Congressional republicans don't have many options at this point but to stop Mueller. And there is nothing in their recent past to indicate there is anything that is beneath them.
Whatever is necessary to erase Donald Trump from the presidency, bring it on.
It is agony to think this buffoon holds the same office as Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, George Washington.
Robert Mueller has served this country on so many levels. He has earned the respect and trust of the American people. Wishing him the best on this seems like a very minute piece of what he is doing to once again serve this country.
No matter what the outcome, Robert Mueller will go down in history as one of the most respected Americans of our time.
You better hope that Mueller knows something about President Pence, too.
3
Well, if Mueller already knows the answers to the questions he wants to ask, there is no point in Trump answering them. It can only incriminate himself either by confessing to doing something that Mueller thinks is a crime or by denying doing something that Mueller thinks he has done and has the evidence to prove it and thereby commit a crime, even if the something is not itself a crime. Clearly, Trump should refuse to talk to him, and take the Fifth if necessary and thereby show every American how it should handle the FBI if it comes calling. Because Congress has made it a crime for an American to falsely deny doing something, whether it is a crime or not, it is simply not safe to talk to the FBI, or Congress either for that matter, even if one doesn't believe one has done anything wrong and no one who thinks he is a target of an FBI investigation unless and until Congress changes the dumb law.
2
Leaking questions (40 of them) to this paper; all sounds very strange. Will Obama and Hillary be indicted for knowing about the dossier and warrant? We will see; Mueller is republican in name only. As he is getting paid quite handsomely, I would suspect he would come up with something and nothing has shown up so far.
2
If we're ever free of this most grotesque chapter in our history that is Donald Trump, another special counsel should start the business of investigating the obstruction of justice and corruption in the House and Senate. The crooks are so emboldened these days they feel free to commit their crimes in the open.
And before we rebuild our infrastructure we should take on the task of educating the willfully ignorant that support and vote for these conmen.
2
As MSNBC reported on this it appears that the “questions” were actually created by the Trump team in response to Mueller investigators telling them what areas of inquiry they were planning to pursue.
Apparently it was not the Mueller team that generated the questions at all, which leads to the logical conclusion that the questions were “leaked” not by the Mueller team (which has been tight as a drum for months) but by someone connected to the Trump team who had access to them. This leads one to the natural conclusion that the “leak” was intentional and allowed DT to complain once again about how unfair everyone is to him, especially Mueller’s investigators. Nice. Follow that red herring, guys, and ignore the “areas of concern.”
1
When will we get our first shred of evidence to support the "collusion" conspiracy theory and the "money laundering" conspiracy theory and the "witness tampering" conspiracy theory and the "Carter Page" conspiracy theory and the "obstruction of justice" conspiracy theory and the "Roger Stone" conspiracy theory and the "conspiracy" conspiracy theory and the "Russians funded the NRA!" conspiracy theory?
2
5 indictments so far and 3 guilty pleas.
You can bet your bottom dollar trump will skate. For now. The Mueller report will be buried under a blizzard of spin.
2
Asking the President what he was thinking, at various times, is absolutely silly.
3
Dear Editorial Board: Obviously, the NYT cannot reveal its sources for the origin of these questions purportedly from the Special Counsel, but, as it seems more likely that the source of this "leak" is not from the Special Counsel team, but actually is from the president's team, there are very serious questions and concerns about what that means for the overall Special Counsel investigation, and therefore for the rule of law and country's future. More serious in some ways than the questions themselves. If leaked from the president's team, it shows arguably (more of) an extra-legal and totally bad-faithed, if not (another) illegal effort, by the president at a very minimum to avoid responsibility and justice, and to potentially cause even further damage to the rule of law, beyond already possible obstructions of justice and/or conspiracy etc by Trump and/or his campaign officials with the Russian government in the 2016 election, etc etc. On the other hand, attacking the Special Counsel investigation in this manner is extremely very risky, and, aside from emboldening the SC investigation even more, this may only make it easier for the election of more Democrats to the House and Senate and, as a result, impeachment and removal of the president. So, please, more journalism on what the source of this leak (and other leaks related to the SC investigation) means to the investigation is necessary, is it not?
Gratefully,
Nathan
Let's hear from experts about how a pathological liar typically responds while under oath and if the prosecution has the ability to discern the truth in this scenario, considering that the witness has always been a liar.
1
What does Robert Mueller know about President Trump's by hook or by crook machinations to become our 45th President? Will Mueller's investigation see the light of day, or will it be quashed by some unknown means? Trump constantly vows -- after his demented pronunciamentos -- "we will see!". The only true thing he has ever said. And so we shall.
1
No matter how much Trump has lied or how many felonies he has committed, his republican cronies and hard core addicts will continue to save him
You investigate a crime. You don't investigate people. This investigation is a sham and needs to end.
1
What a nightmare for our country! We are deeply divided by fringe issues; we have a president who is reckless, willing to weaken the rule of law, and whose character should embarrass us all; and a big chunk of fellow citizens support even his crimes. If we pay attention we have to listen to his pitch everyday and I for one am sick of the "Trump Show". I feel like I have been transported in time to medieval times and a bad king and powerful priests run my life as a serf. Truth? no! power to the powerful and the Church tells me to suffer it so I can go to "heaven". When will this nightmare end? Do we have to go to the streets to save ourselves? Russia wins? God help us.
Either way Trump is trapped. If he lies, Mueller, will know by the sheer preponderance of other testimony. If he tells the truth, his goose is cooked. The rest, as they say, is history.
Correct me if I'm wrong:
Republicans control the field, they fight dirty, they lie, they misdirect, they bury their opposition in mud, they obstruct, collude, & dog whistle, they always close ranks, & it generally works like a charm.
The Republican base knows full well about the lies & double-standards, & it won them control of the country & the courts, forever.
If there was collusion or obstruction, they're for it, whatever works in their holy-war against Liberalism.
There is no organized opposition, the Democratic party is shattered, justifiably enraged but utterly aimless. All they have is the hope that Trump gets caught lying.
But Trump always lies, by today's headline, 3000 lies in 466 days! The consequences? Crickets.
What would have toppled any other president & obliterated any Democrat, is sport for Trump.
Nothing touches Trump, he's bulletproof.
Generally I'm wrong about most things, but I suspect Trump will lie like crazy under oath, everybody will know it, the commentary will erupt hysterically, & Nothing will happen. Nada.
Trump will vaporize the limits just to see how many liberal heads he can explode, how many cheers he can get from his base, & far his con can carry him.
A deposition won't save the Democrats.
3
An article in this morning's Washington Post appears to suggest that the list of questions the Times obtained may have been written by Trump's attorney Jay Sekulow in an attempt to anticipate what Mueller is likely to ask. With the vague anonymous sourcing of the provenance of the list in the original NYT article, however, it is difficult to be sure where they came from. Does anyone know for sure?
Who could want Donald Trump as president of the United States? Vladimir Putin. There was no other American candidate with visibility ("The Apprentice") and totally lacking scruples and dignity. Trump was vulnerable to manipulation through the dirty money he had laundered for years from Russian oligarchs and mafiosi. His impulses and lawless sexual appetites were well-known. Trump understood nothing of international relations, but was ready to sabotage America's allies and disrupt trade. Trump despised laws and justice, and was only too eager to divide the country with appeals to racists, right-wing extremists, and anti-minority zealots. He could be expected to divide and weaken the United States and tie up the country for years in factional disputes. He has done so. Aided by a cast of Russian agents - Manafort, Papadopoulos, Flynn - and an inept and greedy family (Don Jr., Jared Kushner),fawning on Putin, dragging his feet on sanctions, Trump has shown that if he is not a Russian stooge, he might as well be one. Underlying offense? It's for Mueller and his team to decide, but Trump has not acted like an innocent man unafraid of the law.
Tax returns?
1
Just how many people have ever been convicted of violating 18 USC 1505? You're shooting blanks if you depend on that particular section.
1
Mr. Mueller and his staff do know something. And within the next 6 to 12 months he will conclude his investigation and we all will know what he has found out. And then the NYT's editors, columnists, reporters, and commenters will be able to stop speculating on the basis of minimal evidence about what he knows.
1
Mr. Trump is a reality tv personality
who is playing his "role" of president
on the world stage. He is unscripted.
He doesn't comprehend what he is
doing despite his cleverness in
knowing his twitter audience numbers
outrank subscriptions to serious journalism.
One can only imagine in horror
as to how he can consistently and honestly
answer the questions without perjuring
himself. How will
he get out of it? Stonewall?
Executive privilege? Take the 5th?
Fire Mueller? We can count on
Congress to do nothing. How will
the American people react? The big
problem is that too many people
are amused by this show which
can (will) have ugly consequences.
While dealing with this, the world
stage of Russia, Korea, Iran presents
serious problems. We barely even
acknowledge other world events.
In a talk last night, a prominent author
mused that Trump would have to strike
a plea bargain and resign. It is a brave
man who tries to predict the future.
134
Adele....thanks for your fine post. Two points that you made resonate with me.
The likelihood that, almost no matter what, this Congress will do nothing.
Then, there’s the problem that too many people in this Country are “amused” by this spectacle. It’s almost as though they’re watching one of Trump’s productions or some other “reality” drivel.
27
he will eventually take the 5th
2
I'm no longer sure we can count on Congress to do nothing. The have definitely begun doing something. The problem is that something is not good for our democracy. Trump is in a corner. If he refuses the interview, he gets subpoenaed. If he fights the subpoena, he'll likely lose. If he fires Mueller or Rosenstein, Congress will likely mutiny.
That however doesn't mean the Republican Congress won't move to shield the President on his behalf. We've already seen this multiple times. First, there was the Nunes memo. Then, we have the propaganda paper from the House intelligence committee. Finally, there's McConnell refusing to consider bipartisan House legislation designed to protect Mueller. The picture is bleak already.
9
Why Don't they look through Trumps taxes? His lies would become pretty apparent from that...multiple "donations" to the Russians?
What does Robert Mueller know? How about the answers to all those questions.
I told you, he acts like a mob guy even done to his "break-in" tactics at his doctor's office.
The editorial board is quite adept at making broad assumptions so I should have a right to make one as well: Muller is intent on entrapping Trump regardless of his guilt or innocence. Once again and just like the NYT it’s all about political philosophy and nothing more.
2
By now, even the most leftist, anti-Trump person knows that this entire Mueller investigation was a built on a fraud perpetrated by Team Obama. If they don’t realize this, they are willfully ignorant.
There is a direct nexus between Rosenstein, Mueller, Comey, McCabe, Clapper, et al. Mueller leaks, but we never see any leaks about the real Russian investigation: Between Russia and the DNC and Team Clinton.
These alleged 49 questions, leaked by Mueller, are mostly nonsense. Open ended, “how did you feel” questions, largely irrelevant and none of anyone’s business. They mostly violate the separation of powers and the president’s Article II powers.
3
If Donald Trump does indeed sit before Mr. Mueller, I hope he has an opportunity to tell him about his big win over Crooked Hillary. I’ll bet he’s never heard that one before.
1
Follow the money Mr Mueller, I'm certain that will lead to a treasure trove of Russian blackmail on Trump.
Taking the 5th on 5th Avenue. Perfect.
Prophecy fulfilled.
1
Please, please, please - one request.
When Mueller sits down to talk with Trump, can we watch a live broadcast on global television?
Please.
Trump is semi-literate and barely articulate, so watching him deal with a professional interrogator would be close to approaching the divine in reckoning.
Sigh.
Please . . . You're FIRED!!!
If you haven’t been in a grand jury with a target, let me tell you how it works. It’s not necessarily a straight forward question and answer session and it certainly won’t be with Trump. It will be a contest between Trump and Mueller to control the proceedings. There is no requirement that Trump answer any question directly. So think back to the debates and Trump could go that route haling insults and ducking questions. Until Mueller is willing to give up, that may be all he gets. Or more likely Trump will answer the questions he wants and duck the hard ones. Trump got all the way to the top with these tactics. In a war of words, as opposed to a Q&A, Trump is darn hard to control.
You may think there’s a rule against this. But there isn’t. Trump has the right to say nothing at all, so he has the right to talk nonsens and it’s not obstruction. The only thing he can’t do is perjure himself.
1
What special council Mueller knows is what we all know.
Donald Trump colluded with Russians, then he tried to obstruct justice over and over again. Before that he laundered money stolen from Russian and Ukrainian people. He lies about everything from the tiny tiny things to the biggest and greatest things, it is all lies.
To have to go through this dance with this colossal criminal is obstruction of justice itself. The Republicans just want their way whether it’s the stealing of the Supreme Court judge or stealing of the presidency they do not care about law and order or democracy or anything like that. They have taken us down a road that goes nowhere good. The fact that anyone supports them at all is the most astonishing thing that America cannot never except if we are to keep from plunging into the worst kind of fascism imaginable.
2
How is it that so many in this nation are willing to believe the flimsy lies of this administration ? Have we lost our ability to reason and assess ? More disturbing, why are so many ardently supportive of a man who is unqualified to be president, has made countless racist and hurtful comments and appears detached from anyone except his so called 'base' ?
Trump continually reminds me of the fake artist Walter Keane, as depicted by actor Christoph Waltz in the movie "Big Eyes." Having constructed for himself a wholly fabricated, fraudulent life and reputation as a real artist, using an outsized personality to simply lie about everything all the time, when he is eventually hauled into court he is intellectually, even physically incapable of answering truthfully, so deluded is he in the fictional character he created for himself.
We should be prepared for this outcome with Trump. No amount of proof will change who he is or how he will continue to attack reality.
1
Prediction: The tabloid celebrity and reality TV star Donald Trump will be President of the United States.
Crazy, right?
1
Comey has said investigators have more information than is public. Therefore, I believe Mueller is playing this iso as to get the most number of bodies (traitors/international players) behind bars.
Republicans should support this effort. In America, traitors are not welcome.
IQ45 has managed to skate thru his whole adult life lying and attempting to intimidate others with absolutely no consequences. Is it any wonder he thinks he's above the law? Fortunately, this country has career law enforcement people who put the law and Constitution before anyone, including our man-baby president. The wheels of justice often turn slowly, but they do turn, and hopefully, they will crush IQ45.
Latest update as of MSNBC this evening: In March, Mueller's team spoke to Trump's lawyers and provided topics he was interested in discussing with Trump. With that information, Trump's lawyer Jay Sekulow created 49 questions grouped into those topics. Mueller did not write those questions.
Keep in mind this piece is only opinion, speculation based on a perspective held by Estbalishment elites, not the people. Thank You.
3
Please define an "Elite"
Is that someone is educated and well informed? Guess I'm guilty as charged!
2
Beware: Republicans control all three branches of the Federal government and most of the state legislatures. The only sure way to fumigate this pestilence is via massive turnout in several elections to come, in the face of continued Russian subversion and 40% blind support for the GOP.
"What Robert Mueller knows ..."
And we all know he knows it. But keep in mind Trump's supporters don't care, and will support him anyway, even reelect him. This roller coaster ride to dictatorship (and the alt right's dream of a white supremacist state) isn't over and the outcome still totally unknown.
Yesterday I played golf and was sent out with a couple of gentleman who were strangers to one another. All was very cordial until late in the round one of the golfers started talking about the Justice Department's investigation into Russian interference in the election and possible collusion by Trump's team. A sample of the comments: "The only collusion was between Russia and the D.N.C." "The Justice Department investigators are all corrupt -- they're all Democratic donors." And regarding Trump, "It's amazing despite the constant attacks how much he has managed to accomplish."
No matter what Mr. Mueller turns up, no-matter who gets indicted, the die-hard Trump supporter will believe that it will be the result of a Justice Department-hatched plot against their dear, beloved leader.
We owe this sad situation to Fox News and other "news" outlets of its ilk. Getting your news from these organizations is like being in Germany of the 1930's and getting your news exclusively from Joseph Goebbels.
1
America might have to just face the facts that Putin has won. He has proven that 40% of America does not really care about democracy or law and order. Is just a con game to them. And the winners are just as crooked and treacherous as he is. He’s laughing at us while much of the world cries. Robert Mueller is finding out what Hillary Clinton has know for years. There is a great right wing conspiracy and it has won over much of America.
Democracy has failed us and law and order is at stake.
The great American dream maybe dead.
1
Given this emphasis on words used by a sitting member of the administration did Lynch obstruct justice when she said to refer to HRC Email as a “matter”? How about Obama when he said time and again HRC was innocent.
1
Article II, section 4 of the Constitution of the United States states that, “The President...shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”
The crime of betraying one’s country or attempting to overthrow its government is treason. Trump has done both by protecting the Kremlin and its attack on American democracy, and by his attempt to destroy Americans’ confidence in the Justice Department and in the media.
Trump is Russia’s walking and tweeting nuclear arsenal undermining the foundation of our republic.
Robert Mueller must subpoena Trump if Trump doesn’t come forward to answer the Special Prosecutor’s questions. If he refuses to do so, he should be removed from office in his contempt for the law and in his contempt towards the American people. No citizen of this country is above the law.
We have allowed his tyrannous behavior to continue unabated. Now, we demand answers.
Who leaked the questions, and Mister Trump, what are you hiding?
1
Question number 50:
Would you be willing to come with us or do we have to perp walk you?
1
So now, according to the editorial board, even questions amount to an indictment.
Please stop trying to get ahead of Mueller.
The truth is no president has ever been indicted or impeached and it won’t start with Trump. He’s immune from indictment and there aren’t enough votes to impeach.
But that’s not the point is it? What is? To sling enough mud at Trump so he loses in 2020, and the GOP loses seats in 2018.
“We’ll see.”
3
You might want to check your facts, if facts are of any interest to you.
Actually Clinton was impeached and Nixon was ran out of town as the ink was drying on his articles of impeachment. And they didn't have multiple people in their administrations both indicted or guilty of federal crimes.
And I shudder to say to say that both Clinton and Nixon pale in comparison with Trump's corrupt, lying behavior.
Yes Trump can be impeached.
Sorry that the NYT covering this disgraceful situation all created by Trump himself makes you uncomfortable. I think your going to be getting a lot more uncomfortable in the very near future.
3
Nowhere does the editorial assume an indictment. BTW, two presidents have been impeached. A third was an unindicted co-conspirator who resigned under threat of certain impeachment and conviction. Whether a prez can be indicted is open q. That he can be subpoenaed for grand jury testimony is clear. What is your boy afraid of? I thought he was looking forward to sitting down with our G-Man. Shouldn't be so tuff for an Ivy guy who claims his genius at every turn -- especially considering he got the questions in advance.
Well crimes like money laundering before be elected can be indicted. And since that would be at the state level.
No pardon by Pence for Mr Trump
1
The lead personal lawyer for the leader of this country resigned because the was afraid his client - the President of the United States - would lie under oath.
That Mr. Dowd was afraid his client would lie, indicates he knew there was something for him to lie about.
Words cannot adequately express how bizarre it feels knowing this is all really happening, and we're hanging our hopes on a special counsel that could be fired on a whim by the person under investigation.
That is INSANITY.
1
I can't imagine how Republicans would react if all the events by and around Trump would happen to a Democrat President.
My only guess is they would be a lot of sudden spontaneous self combustion in Congress and on Fox News.
Imagine the savings with just a few catapults for 14 July fireworks.
2
Per federal investigators don’t like being lied to, McCabe lied numerous times to feds, see FBI IG report, and no charges have been brought against him.
Or, is it selective on who they do not like lying to them.
Based on this selectiveness, Martha Stewart deserves a pardon and an apology.
2
In my opinion, Mueller is following the play book for an investigation of organized crime. The table is set. It is time the main course.
Encouraged by House Republicans and a surprising number of acolytes in the Senate, Trump's bluster and braggadocio will likely become more shrill with each passing tweet. The world will soon see our updated edition of the Bully Pulpit at full throttle and it's not going to be very pleasant. It's hard to imagine this gang going away quietly via the 25th Amendment of our sacred document they mock by the hour. Threats of impeachment against the Deputy Attorney General are the early rumbling of counter attack with more on the way. It was the grit and raw courage of news reporters and publishers who were able to bring the felonies of Watergate before the public and Congress, whether it wanted to or not, was ready to discard Richard Nixon. Federal judges showed little mercy on Nixon's criminals, passing down harsh sentences which had the effect of prompting more confession and cooperation with prosecutors. Watergate pales in comparison with the underlying drama of this treason, something Ian Fleming and John Le Carre could hardly imagine.
The problem Mueller has is that he has to establish criminal intent. Trump is capable of believing that he had no criminal intent even if he knows he committed a crime.
1
I had a part-time job once. I KNEW a lot about stuff even then. But I was let go because I didn't get the right things DONE. Results matter.
Mueller also has the best job there may be in the gov't - blow through unaudited money and find bad guys. HOWEVER, he has ONLY found a couple of minor process crimes. These are nothing.
Mueller and his team of question-marks have failed to find anything. How do they explain what they have gotten done over the past year to professional friends or colleagues?
2
Thank you Mr. Mueller for taking your time and doing it right!
1
We are going to stay divided on the question of Trump's campaign and the motivation for Russia to have interfered with out elections. Those who feel Trump has no concern over law and consequences, will continue to believe the entire campaign and election corrupt. And those who feel that Trump is the champion of the outsider will continue to believe that the insiders are out to get him.
Truth is not really necessary.
Me? I want to know what Mueller has discovered, and I want Congress to openly consider it and debate it.
But more than anything, I want Americans to put down whatever they are doing, and get out there and vote. Why are we letting Yeat's be right? "The best lack all conviction and the worst are full of passionate intensity."
There is an additional reason Mr. Dowd may have stepped down as Mr. Trump’s lawyer: one of Mr. Mueller’s questions queries who was involved in the dangling of pardons to Michael Flynn. If Dowd contacted Flynn on Trump’s behalf and discussed pardons this would constitute obstruction of justice. So perhaps Trump’s habit of blowing off the advice of his attorneys was cited as a cover for Dowd’s possible exposure.
Trump actually believes there is a way out ... an anchor chain he can scuttle down. But you see, he is not only guilty of a mountain of crimes but truly believes, being a genius and all that, he is beyond the reach of the law because his zombies will rise up and overthrow the country if the government 'picks on their president.'
It's really very simple: Trump is not in touch with reality on reality's terms. Instead he is self-infatuated with the title of 'President' and the illusion of his invincibility. But it didn't work for Nixon ... he was a criminal, too, and mighty smart and slippery as well ... but he could not outswim the sharks any more than Trump can. So they are going to eat him a little chunk at a time ... and the world will rejoice !!
1
This reminds me of the Clinton era, when cagey Bill knew the American people were more interested in how he was doing his job than the tabloid sensationalism of his enemies,
1
When will people like you stop equating the impeachment of Clinton to the ongoing investigation of the current president? Clinton was impeached for lying about a sex act. The current president will be (yes, will be) impeached for colluding with the Russian government to interfere with our elections. I'm sure that even you can see the difference between these situations. If not, here's a primer. One involves adultery, which isn't a crime and the other is treason, which is. But of course now we are witnessing the double standard used by the religious right (republicans) to continue to crucify a previous president while the current president openly admits his infidelities, his misogyny and his mafia type decades of crime. My apologies to the mafia for equating them to the train wreck that occupies the white house!
1
The constant drumbeat of "We hate Trump", while the Democrats do not even have a platform, is music to the ears of Republicans.
Or perhaps you would like to tell us what Democrats stand for.
1
With the revelation of these questions, it's crystal clear that Robert Mueller, not General Kelly, is the one person who can save us from Trump.
1
Mueller reminds me of Nolan Ryan. The plain brown wrapper questions seem easy enough. They give lots of room for Trump to feel relaxed and elaborate ...almost an invitation to have a conversation. The fact that Mueller let the Trump legal team have the questions beforehand shows a facade of kindness and respect that Trump will undoubtedly mistake as weakness.
There stands Nolan Ryan on the mound. Slow and methodical in movement, quiet Southern drawl draped over his shoulders, detached and unconcerned, a smooth and effortless wind-up motion .......... and then a 100 mph fastball gets launched right at your jaw.
2
Everyone has figured out by now that the Trump campaign never colluded with Russia to effect the vote for POTUS.
Everyone also knows that these questions represent classic perjury trap questions. Everyone also knows the entire "collusion" investigation is designed to trap Trump for the sole purpose of unseating him and nothing else. Very sad and frightening when our democracy is at stake and the very nature of our republic hangs in the balance.
Intelligence services are intended to serve at the direction of the president but instead have gone rogue and are attempting a coup. WOW!
33
I love how Trump and his defenders always say "Everyone knows there is no collusion" (or words to that effect). This, as usual for Trumpsters, is just plain false. Here is the fact: You can not make something true just by repeating it over and over and over again. Just how stupid do you think we are?
172
"Everyone knows" = "I believe." Not the same thing.
139
If Trump is innocent, then he would not be perjuring himself because he would not be lying. Why are you so worried?
140
Even Delusional Donald must surely realize the jig is up. The only question is whether the Republicans in Congress will be complicit in shielding him from impeachment and removal from office. The Republicans, formerly the party of law and order, have demonstrated a shocking willingness to allow this "President" to get away with anything and everything.
1
The whole truth and nothing but the truth. That is what Robert Mueller knows and we will be glad to share the truth soon. The day of reckoning is upon us. Justice will be served.
1
Alan Dershowitz's friendship with Trump, his non-"advisory" role of profession counsel to the President (his response to being questioned as being one of Trump's lawyers recently), and his habit of always being on the media putting out spin leads me to think Dershowitz is the leaker of these questions. Makes better sense than Dowd or Giuliani as even tonight Dershowitz made ridiculous arguments on what a lawyer may or may not ask a witness before a grand jury. Dershowitz likes (not loves) playing this out for Trump, for what reason I don't know. There's nothing really in it for him. Books have a limited shelf life.
1
Trump lives in a strange, delusional world in which he reigns supreme and can decide what the 'facts' are as he goes along. But this isn't Wonderland and Robert Mueller is no confused little Alice.
".... the House Intelligence Committee, who last week absolved Mr. Trump and his campaign of any wrongdoing in a 250-page report that reads more like a work of fantasy than a government investigation."
This made me think of Trump's "medical reports" by his two physicians, but since it was more than a few paragraphs there's no chance he dictated it himself, much less read it. Mr. Mueller needs to weed out the accomplices as well as the key players.
2
All true and very interesting. However, the scary part of this reality is what Mr. T decides to do when the family indictments start to fall. If you've ever had a relationship with a narcissist you'll already know the answer.
1
Trump will do nothing one way or the other. Muller is smartly fearful that the SCOUS might make a ruling exempting POTUS from jeopardy while serving. So, he wants to thread the needle and get a report to Congress and let the fur fly or not.
Mueller is missing one critical point. Trump said he fired Comey over the Rusher thing, not the Russia thing. If you think that's insane wait till trump starts using it as a defense.
1
The Russian meddling in the 2016 election has given Americans a taste of their own medicine since the USA has been meddling in other countries’ politics for decades. The CIA-backed regime change in Kiev especially angered Putin and this was his revenge. Trump had no idea of what was happening.
1
Tucker Carlson had an interesting segment on some of these questions, specifically the ones about Trump's criticism of Comey and Sessions:
"Tucker Carlson: Mr. Mueller, Since When Is Criticizing FBI Officials A Crime?"
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2018/05/01/tucker_carlson_mr_mue...
2
In an ideal world, Mueller would present evidence of impeachable crimes to Congress, then Trump would resign as Nixon did. Then Mike Pence, being the allegedly righteous man he is, would not pardon Trump and then Trump would be convicted and spend life in prison. Alas, I see none of this happening.
Growing up, Benedict Arnold was a name that was widely assigned to anyone who was seen as traitorous. If indicted for collusion and obstruction, Trump will easily eclipse Arnold in infamy. As someone who has made his fortune on his name alone, the Trump name and brand will be mud (if it's not already). It makes one wonder what dirt the Russians have on him for Trump to risk so much in trying to protect that name and his fragile ego. I hope that it all comes to light before the November mid-terms and we get a House and Senate that will act on Mueller's findings rather than trying to cover it up.
1
Unfair: What did you know about [anything] two and a half years ago?
Fair: What did you read or hear about [anything] two and a half years ago?
The second version gives the responding witness the clear option of describing an uncertain memory of the facts and does not equate information about the subject with belief that the information is true or reliable.
Unfair: What was your reaction to [anything] eighteen months ago or that day?
Fair: What, if anything, did you say or do after [anything]?
The first version seems to call for internal feelings that may not have been acted on while the second question allows a witness to answer “Nothing” without providing a narrative explanation as to why. The second version also focuses on the timeframe without also assuming a cause and effect.
Unfair: How was the decision made to [anything]?
Fair: What factors supported or opposed the decision that was made?
A listing of factors will quickly provide a description of the scope of issues, persons and facts involved without asking for an impossible narrative regarding the decision maker’s mental operations.
Unfair: What was your opinion of [anyone] at a particular time.
Fair: In your position and role as [be specific] what, if any, opinion had you formed of [anyone] at the time.
The second version of the question does not conflate the varied roles we have in politics, religion, government, family, etc. and does not assume that an opinion or judgment had been clearly formed at the time.
2
This editorial assumes that the leaked and published questions are authentic questions from the Mueller Team. In fact, the Mueller Team has not identified or confirmed them as so, and the leaked questions come from the Trump lawyers it is rumored.
So, these are supposed "Mueller" questions that are only presumed to be what Mueller might ask and/or know. Some or all of these questions could be false or "massaged", and also, what if the Trump leaking lawyers only leaked some of the questions, meaning this is not even a complete and/or accurate list?
Could it just be that these are merely fake questions created and leaked by the Trump Team as an overall strategy? Again, the Mueller Team has not confirmed these are in fact their questions.
1
Trump is going to fire Mr. Mueller. He has to. His crimes are so numerous and great that he must stop and bury the investigation. He simply has no other choice. And he knows it.
1
There is an old legal saying that one should never talk to the police. If I were Trump (God forbid), I would take the Fifth.
1
"Was Mr. Trump aware of any efforts by his campaign, and specifically by his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, to seek Russia’s help in winning the 2016 election?"
Mueller knows the answer, so Trump better take the 5th, or it's all over but the crying.
1
Many people regretted the publishing of “the 49 questions” by The New York Times, knowing that Donald Trump would use the occasion to sidetrack the public discussion by whining about “leakers” and a “witch hunt.”
They forgot or did not know that Mr. Trump’s counsel had been provided with the questions several weeks ago.
Even having a chance to read and study the exam questions in advance, Donald Trump cannot benefit much. He is either incapable by reason of his intellectual limitations from following his attorneys’ coaching or unwilling by reason of his ego to stick to the script.
The overriding problem – the gorilla in the room – is that Donald Trump cannot answer most of the 49 questions without incriminating himself. He did illegal things, and he now knows that his misconduct will quickly become evident.
1
I am truly amazed that the investigation of Russian influence peddling is going ON & ON into eternity.
Is there no time bar to an investigation or will it pan out as an pall of empty gloom into the entire term of Trump Presidency,casting doubts where exist none.
A reverse defamation suit needs to be filed for the inordinate delay in winding up the “investigation”
Sirs,What’s the game plan of Robert Mueller.
Any idea.Ain’t figuring out his plans as yet.
1
Muller is fishing and looking for a possible Martha Stewart conviction. Muller has nothing or the President would already be indicted. The President should tell Muller he has thirty days to file charges or leave since Muller is no more than a contract employee and Trump is an elected President of these United States and does not have time or does not have to legally cater to Mullers whims.
1
Since when does Trump have the "choice" to decline an interview in a criminal investigation? Pretty sure his ninth string legal team can't come up with an argument.
1
Watch as Republicans circle the wagons and let Trump get away with it. Why? Because Trump is more popular than the Republican brand with GOP voters. It will happen by continuing to allow the undermining of the Justice department while propping a dictator.
1
You say "…career public servants in law enforcement continue to do their jobs, investigating crimes and pursuing justice." Wrong! In the case of the Trump investigations, they're going after people, not investigating crimes.
A bunch of powerful people are after Trump, in part because he is such an odious character, and in part because they're very disappointed that he got to be president. They're building a case against him. Working people should take no joy in this, even though Trump is obviously their virulent enemy.
To see why that's not good for working people, take a hypothetical example: Suppose some powerful people set out to destroy the Red-for-Ed movement, and they proceeded to build criminal and civil cases against key figures in the movement. Wouldn't the Times defend them by pointing out that the legal system should identify, investigate and prosecute crimes, not people? And that such crimes must be real crimes that have actually been committed, not some malicious fantasy? Is not this hypothetical example analogous to the current situation with Trump?
3
We are witnesses to history unfolding before us as Trump and his enabling cohorts are being buried under their cascade of lies, deceit, illegal conduct and treasonous acts. Those of us who are old enough have seen this before in 1973-1974 during the Nixon Watergate impeachment hearings that finally ended when Nixon resigned as a disgraced President.
The Mueller investigation is doing a methodical job of collecting evidence and he and his team have acted honorably despite all of the noise, lies, and accusations that Trump and his enablers throw out each day in their pathetic attempts to discredit and derail the Mueller investigation.
The honorable thing would be for Trump to resign now before he inflicts even more damage on our democratic institutions and to the standing of the Office of the President, but sadly that is not how Trump operates.
I predict that Trump will not resign unless forced out of office by impeachment from the House and conviction from the Senate.
Therefore it is up to us the voters to rid our nation of the Trump plague and elect anyone other than Trump in 2020!
3
Trump claims no crime has been committed. Then it should be very simple. He should just sit down with the investigators and explain to them why no crime was committed. Not sure why his lawyers are prevaricating on this point. They are hopeless.
1
A verbal veracity tool such as a Statement Validity Assessment (SVA) may be useful during the interview.
The Delusional Validity Assessment (DVA) is a forgone conclusion.
When has Trump ever passed up a chance to talk about himself? If it happens, this would be a first.
1
Once a person decides that having nothing to hide is an aspiration worth achieving behaving in a way that makes it possible is to the benefit of everyone. Honesty and trust are so much simpler than lying and betrayal. Justice demands that craven manipulators pay for the harm that ensues from their amoral behavior. If not now, when? Our politics are broken, the only things holding our benighted country together are written laws and the people with enough integrity to enforce them. The 2008 economic crisis left many wondering if the justice system is not also bought off by the forces who see democracy as a toy to be played with. Now is the chance to show them that no one, not even the president is above the law.
2
Tragically, even if Mr. Mueller presents incontrovertible proof of high crimes and misdemeanors committed by Mr. Trump, this Republican congress will continue to defend him and impugn the messenger.
1
It is heartening to recognize the rule of law in our society against the continued displacement of its presence in the Trump administration. I like the word criminal when attributing this bending of the Constitution to fit the President’s vulgar twisting of responsible government. It is maddening that we are not able to disarm this dissolute libertine of his ability to continue in his ways of destruction here and now.
1
Trump, the genius, is in check and is soon to be mated by our Mr. Mueller. And yes, it couldn't have been done without Russia's role in this mess. Sadly, even Trump's contempt for the American people as shown by his cabinet appointments, his disrespect for the separation of powers, and his pubescent tantrums to distract us from his refusal to disclose his tax returns, weren't enough. Trump parades like a man who has much to hide and Mueller and the American people know that.
2
If Trump were anywhere near innocent of the charges these questions reference (and were drawn up and released by Trump's attorneys according to various news sources, which I believe), he would be acting much differently. Of course he would have to have the mental and emotional capacity to act more rationally. If he were innocent I would expect him to do everything in his power to protect our electoral system from further disruptions, to strengthen voting rights and support the rule of law in every instance. He can't or won't do any of that because he supports those who would subvert our democracy. Why else would he stand by and do nothing?
Instead we get a constant twittered stream of consciousness about any weird thing that comes into his head and must endure stories from his seemingly endless supply of prostitutes (now called mistresses - give me a break). And he has no shame. I can't fathom how anyone can support him much less shake his hand - don't you know where it's been?
1
I don't want written answers from Trump.
I don't want polished responses written by his lawyers that Trump will barely glance at ( will the answers be on 6 pt illustrated (stick figures?) note-cards?) before he signs off on them.
I want answers straight from Trump's mouth, on record, videotaped to avoid any "fake news".
I want to hear Trump's own words. His own thoughts. His own actions.
Trump's lawyers and staff keep telling us his words don't matter, his tweets don't matter - it's what's in Trump's heart that matters.
Then show me that.
Let Trump prove he's honest and trustworthy.
Let Trump show he puts the good of America before himself.
Let Trump explain the many contacts with Russians, and why he hid them and denied them.
I think Trump's heart is smaller and blacker than Dick Cheney's.
I have faith in Robert Mueller, Rod Rosenstein and the DOJ.
The rule of law matters. Trump is not above the law. POTUS is not a get out of jail free card.
What I don't have faith in is the GOP.
Ryan, McConnell and the rest broke their Oaths of Office a long time ago.
They look the other way and allow Trump to continue.
Vote Democratic on November 6th.
1
It's staggering amazing that there are so many sycophants and enablers of Trump in the GOP Congress, in some parts of the administration, in a tiny corner of the media, large number of evangelicals and members of the alt-right giving Trump support and doing his bidding. Come Nov we will defeat this army of fear mongers and corrupt rationalisers. Two forces will defeat Trump and his acolytes: the Constitutional government and the American people.
1
Talk to Mueller, Mr. President. You have the best words. You're a very stable genius who will eat him alive. You have a perfect memory, an impeccable record of integrity and candor. You have nothing to fear. Get in there and show Mueller you're the boss. You'll be doing a great service to Americans.
1
it is very tricky business to be questioned by federal agents. If you are not disciplined like Trump, you could easily find yourself in trouble by how you answer and not because of the substance of your answer. Any legal team would be very cautious about having their client do so. Just ask Andy McCabe. He does not seem like a guilty person to me but now he is in all kinds of trouble by how he answered.
I have questions for the Times crowd. In a global world or a world without borders to which you all aspire, does the distinction of foreign vs domestic influence on elections disappear? Should we expect more of this and not less as the world becomes one and is it illegal? I just really wonder if any of this is a crime. And finally, the truth is a funny thing, we all aspire to tell it but in the age of spin it often does not look familiar when it is played back to us.
1
What's finally likely to end this nightmare is when the special counsel lays out the evidence he has not only against the president, but against Don Jr., Jared and possibly even Ivanka.
Faced with family members in severe legal jeopardy and the threat of exposing all the organization's dirty financial dealings and connections with Russia, Donald Trump ought to be offered a plea of nolo contendere, just like Spiro Agnew, in return for going back to Manhattan swiftly and leaving us alone.
If for no one else, he should accept the deal for the sake of his grandchildren. Does he really want any of them to have to visit a parent in prison?
Enough of this travesty. Too much damage has been done to the country already.
233
Even if Trump were to resign (Please! But probably just wishful thinking) we're still left with his cheering, mindless base of supporters like those in Michigan the other day who don't see through any of his performances. Above all, there's still a large segment of the working class people in America who support the Republican Party because these people feel overlooked by the Democrats or whatever they now call themselves as a party.
It will be interesting to see if the momentum to elect Democrats over Republicans can be carried to the voting booths. Without this shift to regain control of the Senate and possibly the House, we're left with Trump and his gang of sycophantic Republicans who seek to make America a one party ruled nation run by a despot named Don the Con Trump.
7
Ivanka? Somehow, I do not see the handbag designer in chief being implicated - she is entitled and clueless, but not mendacious like J and J(Jared and Junior).
2
Yes, this is a likely outcome. But it can't, and shouldn't end there. Trump must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of NY law to dismantle his preposterous crime syndicate. He needs to lose every penny of his ill-gotten gains and be forced to live out his remaining years at a nursing home paid for by Medicaid.
13
Trump’s strategy (both electoral and governing) depends on his refusal to accept that there is any such thing as a demonstrable fact. Law enforcement is a fact-gathering exercise. This is not a game he can play or win. At some point, in a moment of pique, he will throw the pieces in the air and push the board off the table. For him, a tantrum. For the rest of us, a constitutional crisis.
5
Whatever information he has, Mr. Mueller, like any seasoned prosecutor, does not ask questions unless he already knows the answers.
That may be true in the courtroom but not true during the investigation. Though it is likely Mueller knows the truth about some if not many of the questions and will know when the president is lying.
The only problem is the collaborators in Congress will still do nothing which will truly be the tipping point on the ultimate decline of the USA and everything this country once stood for.
4
I suspect Trump does not care about Mueller because he is convinced that no Republican Congress will impeach him. Even if Mueller goes after him in State Court, the charges cannot be brought while he is a sitting President. And once he's out of office, it will be moot.
1
Anyone who has wandered over to Wikipedia and looked at Special Counsel Mueller's biography will understand how fortunate the United States and the American people are to have him conducting this investigation. He, as well as Mr. Rosenstein, have done honor to their positions and professions and are all that separates us from lethal assaults on the foundations of our system of government. It is no small matter to investigate the myriad of possible crimes that may have culminated in collusion with a rival foreign power to fix a presidential election. And whatever the outcome, we all now should know that the Republic's system of justice is in safe, expert and honorable hands with Robert Mueller.
8
Mueller's process has never seemed slow to me, regardless of all the conservative whining about how it is going on too long and should be shut down. Similarly those who say the investigation is exceeding its parameters.
The Republican complainers would do well to remember that Ken Starr's investigation into Bill Clinton went here, there, and everywhere, and lasted more than four years.
11
This is exactly what I was thinking: "Whatever information he has, Mr. Mueller, like any seasoned prosecutor, does not ask questions unless he already knows the answers."
The fact is that as a nation we are most certainly beginning the perp walk that befell both Nixon and Clinton. And the stakes are equally as large for all of us in that while a large portion of the electorate is in favor of truth, a near equally large portion is wishing this would all go away. These inquisitions have historically divided the nation and I just don't see Trump die-hard supporters believing truth, justice and the American way.
I for one no we are gearing up for a great deal of "national pain", not to say that we aren't already experiencing national pain already. But more is coming if those that hope for impeachment get their wish.
My wish is that the 2018 mid-terms flip Congress which deserves a spanking for cuddling up to Trump in the way they have while abandoning the American people.
But I pray that a "blue" Congress takes its time to try and hang a president that has the support of so many of our fellow country-persons. I would prefer that Trump be removed from office by an electoral defeat. That to me would be more Democratic.
8
Bravo. Besides, who wants to make Pence, who can't be alone with women, an incumbent, I.e. with an electoral head start.
Trump's base has stated repeatedly that they are all in, no matter what, so this is unlikely to sway anyone who is not already swayed. What this investigation has done, however, is show clearly who the real villains are, and they without fail have the letter 'R' next to their names. Remember this in November.
21
The sub-questions here are multiple. What is Sessions' role in the investigation once Mueller files his reports? Who in the GOP will stand up for the rule of law? Are there any honorable men or women left in the GOP to ensure Mueller's findings are aired appropriately? We will soon test more of our Founding Fathers' Constitution when we see if a president could possibly be above the law. If that happens, I fear for what we have lost.
Like many here, I have full faith in Mueller and his team of dedicated public servants. I do not, however, share the same faith in our members of Congress and definitely not in trump's cabinet. We the people will have to decide what is right.
12
Have listened to endless pundits, lawyers, personalities and prosecutors parse this issue in the last 24 hours. Despite Trump's love affair with Fox, his attorneys could map out their strategy very well by watching the more erudite mainstream media. While the attention given to each detail that explains the minutiae of the Muller investigation in trying to guess the outcome, the focus on all things Trump takes all the oxygen out of the room and leaves little to keep alive the upcoming elections. Would that voters could be as educated on the candidates and platforms of the candidates who represent the possible redemption of our Republic as we are on the peccadillos of the president and the side affects of his hair-growth meds.
5
"It may unnerve Mr. Trump, who has spent his life skirting the law and avoiding full accountability..."
Note that trump had a lot of help from government officials to avoid responsibility. He didn't do that alone.
8
What the United States is currently facing with Mueller and team is the concept of a society of 'Lawyers".
While highly trained and educated lawyers have penetrated every facet of life in this country. Whether qualified or not for specific industries and or tasks, lawyers are involved. While most likely educationally above the masses, they hardly are morally or ethically equal to most. They have been trained to argue both sides of the same law. Most important lawyers are extremely good at arguing the law not whether the law or the construction of the law is moral or relies on the decency and integrity with those given the gift of arguing.
The same lawyers criticize the abuse of federal law, they themselves have participated in that abuse and then attempt to hold others to a standard that they themselves have violated or not achieved.
Most recently we have had a lawyer who has prosecuted people very effectively and efficiently for some 20-25 years as a lawyer. The person is so full of himself as a prosecutor he has convinced others and himself that he actually believes he has the management skills to run a massive organization after never running anything except a small group of lawyers. Management of people and large organizations successfully is a set of skills that is rare and usually doesn't come from arguing anything. While the background may give someone a good jump on acquiring skills it in no way qualifies an individual to run a major organization.
2
What he actually "knows" is probably almost nothing. If he "knew" something that was a crime he would go to the grand jury or send it to the house for action. He is fishing with a lot of chum and a large net, not investigating Russian interference in an election or "collusion" in doing that. He needs to get his assignment done and report, then retire.
5
trumps lawyers do not want him to talk to the Special Counsel for 2 reasons:
He is guilty of many crimes
He lies all the time, and therefore would commit more crimes while incriminating himself
It is that simple.
It is essentially the same reason why House Intelligence Committee refused to subpoena any of the relevant documents for trump Russia and spoke to none of the indicted co conspirators, and closed the "investigation." Even in the absence of those things there was already a growing body of evidence that trump conspired with Russia, and was involved in a variety of other criminal activities.
Republicans might want to look back at Watergate and draw some lessons. The longer they stonewall, the longer they obstruct justice for the criminals leading their party (Pence is also involved in trump Russia) the worse it will be for them in the end
Country over party. It is that simple.
30
I can only hope that Pence goes too because, frankly, I find him even more frightening.
2
Much has been written about how Trump wants to sit for an interview with Mueller. And how his lawyers continue to tell him that is a bad idea. I say we shouldn't question his self-professed possession of one of the best minds ever. Prepare him with fulsome answers to all of these questions and more. Then send him in.
If his past actions are any indication of how he will then respond, he will do exactly what he has done at his campaign rallies. He'll throw away those answers and just spew to his heart's content. He'll provide answers to questions that Mueller's team hadn't even contemplated asking.
And, frankly speaking, Mueller should play to Trump's ego and promise that if he testifies, the session will be televised. Dangle the prospect that Trump's ratings will go through the roof. Make him an offer he can't refuse.
32
Best comment of the day! And I can’t wait to watch,
"No prior president so openly assaulted the rule of law or undermined the integrity of the law enforcement community."
Making such a statement without supporting evidence is inappropriate.
It was the Obama Administration that so deeply flouted the rule of law and normal sensibilities and expectations.
The voting Democratic public did not expect the DNC, in collusion with Hillary Clinton, to subvert the primary system and prevent Bernie Sanders from being able to compete.
Hillary and Bill Clinton with their blatant "pay to play" scheme tainted the worlds view of America and our political system as graft was raised to a new high and done so openly.
And Obama term ended on a sour note with the DOJ and FBI caught colluding with the Russians and the DNC to create a fake dossier so the courts could be subverted to allow spying on the Trump campaign.
I fail to see or know of any "undermining the integrity of the law enforcement community" that has been undertaking by the Trump Administration.
Indeed, Trump is working to clear out the miscreants and criminals of the previous administration that inhabited the highest ranks of the FBI and DOJ and brought shame to their august organizations.
9
“Making such a statement without supporting evidence is inappropriate.”
And then you go on to make five such statements without supporting evidence. Great job!
“Making such a statement with supporting evidence is inappropriate”
Then what follows is a succession of statements straight out of Fox News and consorts without supporting evidence...
Ah the irony...
Who needs virtual reality googles when they already live in their own made-up world?
Save the farms: thank you, well said. The hypocracy of the NYT, Comey, et al, are stunning!
1
Trump is well advised not to answer the questions as Mueller is abusing Orwellian distortions in the US legal system to frame Trump.
Laws about "lying to the FBI" and "obstruction of justice" are meant to catch innocent people. Human memory is faulty and almost everyone will make mistakes answering 40 elaborate questions. And predictably most mistakes will be in one's favor.
Not to mention that these are leading questions. A question like why Trump fired Comey cannot be answered. Trump had enough of that guy. But today he will remember one reason and tomorrow a different one. Any psychologist can explain that the real decision making happens unconsciously. "Reasons" are post facto explanations.
9
No, laws about obstruction of justice are meant to keep people from, say, firing people who are investigating them for possible misdeeds, such as the firing of James Comey, or asking Jeff Sessions to protect him from a criminal investigation. Please have a little grasp of facts and US law before saying these laws have no purpose other than to entrap. Besides, misstating events or forgetting details is one thing, wildly oscillation on facts and making stuff up out of self-preservation (as Trump is proven to do) is wholly other.
28
No boss ever has just one reason for firing someone. The reasons pile up over time until, finally, the straw breaks the camel’s back. Comey gave Trump many reasons to fire him.
The only thing Orwellian about the situation is Trump's propensity for lying and then declaring his lies as the new "truth", along with his efforts to discredit any source of actual facts. Trump has no conception at all of the separation of powers and thinks that all branches of government should be doing his bidding. It would actually be quite fitting for him to be charged with obstruction of justice, although I don't think he is capable of understanding the concept.
The president should answer these questions if he wants to put the matter to rest once and for all. I hope that even his supporters demand that he does. If he cannot be trusted not to perjure himself, he should not be president. The stakes could not be higher.
21
Robert Mueller knows “a great deal more than he’s letting on.” He doesn’t reveal his hand, not yet, because he is conducting this investigation painstakingly. Trump and his lackeys in Congress want to close it, saying Mueller so far has not disclosed any public evidence to prove his guilt. They can fool his supporters with their narrative, but not the wider public.
That Mueller, a seasoned law-enforcement officer respected across party lines, set up a team made up of over a dozen highly experienced professionals, the who’s who of the legal world, to help him, shows that Trump's campagin smells fishy. Aware of the extraordinary historic importance of this investigation, he is absolutely determined to find out what happened to the 2016 election – he also owes it to the public. In a country governed by the rule of law, even a president comes under investigation, if there’s evidence of any wrongdoing.
29
From his silence, and the great thoroughness and quality of the indictments already released, Mueller seems to be doing an absolutely stellar job of researching and fully digesting the facts before going off with vague accusations. It must be an absolutely crackerjack legal team. What good lawyer wouldn't volunteer to play a role in saving American democracy from its worst enemy in living memory?
42
"Whatever information he has, Mr. Mueller, like any seasoned prosecutor, does not ask questions unless he already knows the answers..."
That statement encapsulates the real significance of the questions that Mueller would like to ask Trump, who should thus dread an encounter with the special prosecutor as much as his legal team understandably does. The questions suggest that Mueller already has enough to make a case for obstruction of justice, which he will issue a report on first, while he continues to dot the i's and cross the t's to make a case for collusion that is likely to have Manafort and Gates at the center. It could be all over if Mueller can flip Manafort..
14
Yesterday as a high school teacher I gave a marking period exam. Before handing out the tests, I asked students to consider this thought experiment: I asked them to imagine what would be their family's reaction if they said later on that night: "To make sure I got a good grade on the test, I looked on other students' tests to get the answers I didn't know." I had to add that some families might think that a good idea: to get "ahead" at all costs. But then I added that society generally sees things differently. Seeing Republican support for Trump in spite of all that has been revealed, I'm not so sure of that any more.
32
Well said! It's especially satisfying to see these rational observations plainly laid out accompanied by a priceless cartoon. Captures my sentiments precisely and thank you also for extracting the questions list. Truly a teachable moment, even for the reluctant untreachables.
11
Trump has spent his whole life in the world of inherited wealth we're the rules are always different for those lucky few. Mueller and his team got where they are by intelligence, hard work and dedication to the rule of law, Trump is no match for them.
No real lawyer wants to be anywhere near Trump and his impending train wreck. If he refuses to answers the questions it is a tacit admission of guilt to 60% of the country. If he sits down he will be guilty of perjury by the second question. The vast majority of the questions are not questions per say because they already know the answers from others. And of course these are just openers, the follow ups will bring a Trump to a place he has never been before. I only hope when Rudy convinces Trump to refuse Mueller, they issue a grand jury subpoena.
This is to important to the country and the foundation upon which it stands, that nobody is above the law to let this slide.
27
Simply two incidents- firing James Comey and asking Jeff Sessions to close down the Russia investigation- are enough to prove Trump's interference in the law enforcement function, meaning effectively obstruction of justice. It will really be a tough choice for Trump to face Robert Mueller and his team of investigators as he is hardly known for abiding faith in the law and justice.
24
Except Trump is well within his rights and limits of his Power to ask "his" justice department who work for him and the executive branch to set priorities of where and what to look at.
1
Except where it involves him, his family and friends, or his election team.
That's called a conflict of interest.
Suppose Trump has committed some crime.
He knows a GOP controlled Congress will not vote to impeach.
The GOP has made a corrupt bargain with Trump.
Trump will support tax cuts for the rich and slash spending on social programs and gut environmental and financial regulations and in exchange the GOP controlled Congress will take no action against Trump.
The Dems must retake both Houses of Congress in 2018.
Vote!!!
A simple majority in the House is sufficient to impeach but 67 Sente votes are required to convict.
A large Dem victory in 2018 would be a strong motivation to get GOP senators to vote to convict.
31
Suppose?
This is a case where rumors and constant innuendo of crimes committed serve up an intrigue of possible infractions, more than anything that is actually there, or the information would have been disclosed some months ago.
5
Joe, it takes months to thoroughly and objectively investigate a crime, especially when the people involved know that they broke the law and are willing to lie about it. Nevertheless, the truth will prevail; your continued patience is appreciated.
Short attention span, eh? This is real life, not a 50 minutes plus commercials episode of Law and Order.
Right, and that’s why half the people involved have begged for immunity. I’m sure they’ve got aaaaabsolutely nothing to offer up in exchange for that, right?
Mr. Mueller knows a great deal more than he’s letting on?
What the public already knows is significant. We know there was both treason and conspiracy, according to the everyday sense of those words.
The Trump administration has failed to impose sanctions and removed sanctions. Russia interfered in our election on Trump's behalf. Mr. Trump has refused to protect the nation from ongoing and future Russian interference. Apparently he hopes they will interfere on his behalf again.
Thank you, Mr. Mueller and your team of professionals. You are exemplary public servants. Should the White House and House Republicans ever stop attacking the investigation, they could learn a great deal from you.
"Was Mr. Trump aware of any efforts by his campaign, and specifically by his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, to seek Russia’s help in winning the 2016 election?"
This question from the leaked set was news to me, and would seem to dramatically raise the level of the wrongdoing by the Trump team.
And I am reading here for the first time that American intelligence overheard Russian operatives telling one another that Mr. Manafort had asked for Russian help in damaging Sec. Clinton’s election prospects.
There is so much wrongdoing or likely wrongdoing that I can't keep up with it!
44
Robert: re AI overhearing alleged Russian operatives overhearing manafort’s asking for help in damaging Clinton...how different is that from Clinton paying for the Steele dossier to damage Trump?
1
Thank you for your reply, Pvbeachbum.
The Trump campaign activities look like a conspiracy. In other words, there was a quid pro quo. Mr. Trump would, among other things, remove sanctions and change policy, in exchange for Russia, among other things, providing help to his campaign. It also looks like Russia is blackmailing him.
Doesn't Trump's troubling behavior toward Russia worry you, too? He has done nothing to stop ongoing and future Russian interference in our democratic elections. He has just removed the stricter sanctions that his own administration promised.
Pvbeachbum wrote:
"Robert: re AI overhearing alleged Russian operatives overhearing manafort’s asking for help in damaging Clinton...how different is that from Clinton paying for the Steele dossier to damage Trump?"
Democracy is a construct that requires the constant vigilance, care and implication of the citizen, it cannot be taken for granted.
Observing American Democracy as an expat reminds me of a nursery rime of my childhood :
"Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall;
All the king's horses and all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again."
Mid-term elections will not provide the band aid to hold what is left of this democracy in one piece, a new mindset is required.
12
It is often said that prosecutors only ask questions if we know the answers. But there is reason to believe that that does not apply here. In an ordinary case where the target testifies, the prosecutor is concerned that he will go off point and confuse the grand jury. By knowing the answers to the questions, the prosecutor can reel him in. Moreover, the prosecutor interviews the target last and already is pretty certain that a crime occurred -- otherwise, why bother with the case. So the prosecutor is playing defense against the target -- just don't harm my case.
Based on the foregoing, it is clear that in an ordinary case, the target's testimony is unwelcome. The case has already been proven and the target is generally trying to muck it up. This case is different.
Mueller seems to very much want Trump to testify. Based on that, I assume he has NOT made his case. If he had, he wouldn't want or need Trump at all. I think a lot of people have underestimated the challenge facing Mueller. To prove that Trump conspired with the Russians Mueller needs to know what they said to each other, and the Russians aren't talking. That pretty much leaves Trump, so that Mr. Mueller pretty much is stuck interviewing him if he can. And note that a good number of his questions relate to conversations between Trump and the Russians.
Remember that Clinton testified. I suspect Mueller thinks Trump should be too proud to take the Fifth. And he should be. We'll see if he is.
4
this editorial is spot on except for one thing: apparently, the president plans to take on the entire Justice Department by not only refusing the voluntary interview, but also a subpoena that Mr. Mueller hinted is coming next.
Donald Trump's most notable personality trait is defiance.
whenever I hear this man ranting, as if he alone gets to pick what laws he'll obey, what courts he'll follow, and what judicial rulings apply to him, I marvel at his arrogance.
Donald Trump is acting like a king who has total control of his kingdom. "My justice department." "My generals" (soon we'll be down to one)
"My red lines."
I'm tired of hearing the phrase, "the president doesn't understand....."
He understands, alright. If he ignores the subpoena that every prior investigated president grudgingly followed, he's declaring he's above the law and above the courts.
And if the whole mess ends up in the Supreme Court? and if SCOTUS rules according to party lines, not constitutional ones?
The reckoning is coming. Democracy is founded on the rule of law.
No exceptions, even for a president who screams Witch hunt" when Mueller's evidence is as tall as an iceberg we can't yet fully see.
71
Under the Constitution, Trump has the perfect right to claim the Fifth and that does not put him above the law. Moreover, it should be a good thing for Democrats if he takes that route. Anyone who claims the Fifth is saying that the prosecutor's questions might incriminate him. If you and others understood that, you would understand that a President who is worried he'll be prosecuted for criminal activity is not a fit candidate for re-election.
13
It's really too bad that it has become a common thing to say that 'pleading the fifth seems like you are guilty" similar to how everyone now repeats that the second amendment gives individuals a god-given right to own guns - it does not, that is merely one crazy mans interpretation of complex sentence structure of the 2nd amendment. Anyway, to get back to taking the fifth, I believe it is fundamental to our laws that you can take the fifth with NO IMPLIED GUILT. End of story. Like understanding what the 2nd amendment says, we must as a cuture understand the plea - it is essential to the presumption of innocence that entire legal system is set up around.
1
Oh, by the way:
A sitting U.S. President can not be indicted in any criminal court. The Supreme Court waxed loud and long on that one back when Dems were the majority.
The continued insistance by Mr. Mueller (and, by extention, this paper) to provide fodder for theories and odd speculation about President Trump and his non-exsistent collusion with Russia belies a very large issue. With no time frame within which to pursue his "investigation," anything can happen. Now the prospect of an interview seems to loom, even though absolutely no crime has been reasonably put forth. (And let it finally be known: Mother Theresa could be easily manipulated into lying by federal prosecutors.) Mueller should at least provide the same conditions that were provided to Mrs. Clinton for her FBI interview. She wasn't put under oath. She was interviewed for only three hours. Co-workers could be designted as lawyers and could sit in with her (to keep the story straight). Or is the standard of justice in our country no longer the same for all? Mueller should put up or shut up! After that, with the given powers invested in the President, Mr. Trump should send him packing, and the prdictable outrage by this paper and its blind followers will mean nothing of any significance.
11
@Len: Sir, you insult the constitution with this rant. Does Robert Mueller report to you? how can you say no crime has been committed when you haven't seen the evidence?
this isn't political theater or a reality show. Real laws have been broken and real people associated with this president, who thumbs his nose at our judicial framework, have been indicticted under real judicial statutes.
I'm sure you have no problem assessing Hillary Clinton's "guilt" for things not deemed a crime but youre already giving Donald Trump a free pass.
Are only Democrats subject to the laws of the United States?
What do you know that Mueller doesn't?
You claim this paper and its "blind" readers are full of it. Len, there are none so blind who will not see.
take a look in the mirror--if you can see it.
136
I agree. Mueller is a prosecutor in search of a crime. He cannot fail to deliver. Some of those questions are ominous, especially the ones asking about Trump's criticism of officials, indicating an out-of-control prosecutor who has seriously overstepped his authority in search of that crime.
It's long overdue for the Justice Department to be reined in. Its members (ex., Comey and McCabe) have openly lied without prosecution. Try that and see what happens. You'd be prosecuted with the full weight of Justice and wind up with a sentence.
3
Wow! Talk about looking in the mirror. Have you taken the time to read what you wrote? One presumes innocents and you mock by presuming guilt. Exactly what justice do you have in mind?
You are both little people with little thoughts.
No one knows what happened- if anything at all happened. The work of the special council is not wholly public information.
For what it is worth, this entire situation is a nightmare. Maybe it is a waste of time and maybe not.
If it is a waste of time then I wonder who will have to pay for the hatred that is displayed on both sides of the issue.
I agree with you. I think a lot of rational people agree with you.
But we are in uncharted waters, where facts are countered with alt-facts, and the lonely clown insults rivals openly on Twitter. And that's just the fluffy stuff.
I'm not so sure Mueller and Justice Department will be enough if so many Republicans have cast their lots and appear to be fighting for the lonely clown.
One thing is certain: this will polarize our country beyond anything in recent years.
13
Obama and Hillary are the real polarizers. With them what was once up is now down and what was left is now profit.
Given what was done to Scooter Libby, no rational person would ever want to be deposed by a special prosecutor (which by the way is further evidence of Trump's irrationality). This editorial champions the idea that "process crimes" are legitimate, and up to a point they are. However, they are very susceptible to abuse. A prosecutor determined to "catch" a target in a process crime will be able to do so, no matter how innocent the target is of any underlying crime or how much he or she acts in good faith. All the prosecutor needs to do, as shown in the Libby case, is find any discrepancy in testimony, regardless of how innocuous or guileless the discrepancy is, and then find a jury willing to convict--say a jury in overwhelmingly Democratic District of Columbia trying a Republican political figure.
If Mueller can show that Trump was a party to a conspiracy with the Russians in the hacking of the DNC or other crimes, I will whole-heartedly support his impeachment, removal and imprisonment. This is the heart of Mueller's mandate, so he should prove it or admit there is no case. Don't try to impeach and remove a president for a crime your investigation created. The word treason has literally been bandied about on the opinion pages of the Times. Don't cry treason and then fall back on a perjury trap. If you can't prove Trump conspired, then vote him out in 2020, but don't create a constitutional crisis because you are sore at losing an election.
11
First, crimes are created by criminals, not by prosecutors. Second, Mueller’s mandate is to investigate any wrongdoing related to Russia’s interference; it is not targeted to impeach Trump (though that could happen). Third, it is difficult to prove anything when criminals intentionally lie and hide evidence, which is why the standard in criminal law is beyond a reasonable doubt. We may not be so lucky to ever recover secret recordings alá Richard Nixon or another “smoking gun”, but that does not mean that reasonable people can’t use their powers of inference to determine the truth about whether Trump’s campaign conspired with Russia to defraud American voters. Your patience and objectivity are greatly appreciated.
Most people don't realize how Justice will find a crime if it wants to. They're only too happy to have an overzealous prosecutor go after Trump -- because it's Trump. Real justice flies out the window.
Enough of this back and forth over whether Donald Trump will answer any of these fair-minded questions and under what conditions. Robert Mueller should slap him with a subpoena and force him to answer these questions--and any follow-ups--under oath, or be found in contempt of court.
36
There is no way Trump should answer any questions from the Special Prosecutor. His lawyers will so advise.This is one time he better listen to his lawyers.
5
If Trump is so sure that there was "no collusion," then he must know the facts beyond any doubt that there was no collusion. Therefore, what is Trump afraid of and why is he dragging his feet when requested to answer these 49 questions?
If he is sure that there is no collusion, then he has nothing to hide and ought to jump at the chance to exonerate himself. Also, if Trump is such a good deal maker, then surely he can handle this Q&A session with little effort.
24
He also called himself "stable genius". if he or anyone in his orbits have not committed any crime then he should not be afraid of this investigation. He can ask his boss, Mr. Putin for help.
I think that Trump believes that Congress will not impeach for obstruction of justice, or minimally will not convict. I think the Trump supporters would have a weaker case against impeachment if there was evidence that Trump was willing to use in-kind contributions of Russia. (We have seen that the Steele Dossier info also comes from Russia.) Congress must weigh the totality of crimes and misdemeanors in considering impeachment, a political decision. Trump's violation of the norms insuring independent justice dept, denigrating institutions such as FBI and free press, his unwillingness to answer to voters (via press conference), threats and insults, his inexperience, incompetence, and now confirmed inability to deal with the office. It is an agonizing decision to roll back the decision of the voters, and we will obsess about this. But the evidence of harm is too great, and the longer we wait, the more harm.
14
You mean rolling back the decision of the Electoral College. The voters favored Hillary by 3 million.
It is amazing that so much dishonesty can be contained in one human being. It is beyond imagining that Trump could answer a single one of these questions.
27
Not just one human being but one elected to the highest office. Was there fraud in the counting of the votes itself ? Or that when you pull a lever for Clinton it came out as Trump ?
Just a reminder - when Martha Stewart went to jail, the charges against her were obstructing justice & lying to investigators. Based on these initial questions, this won't turn out well for Mr. Trump.
15
Trump can follow the lead of Jeff Sessions and Scott Pruitt testifying under oath: "can't recall" and "don't know" have certainly served them well. Even though Sessions and Pruitt were clearly lying with those answers, it's likely that Trump lives in such a fictionalized "reality" that he couldn't play it back without a "handler" prompting him from prepared scripts.
13
Well except that Trump has repeatedly said in the past that he has a great memory.
It really doesn't matter what Mueller knows. What matters is what everyone knows about Donald Trump, to wit: that he cannot control his need to respond to serious questions with a self-serving narrative which may have little relation to known facts.
His interview would be the easiest of pickings for the prosecutors and his lawyers' worst nightmare.
Peter Kelly
Palominas, Arizona
20
Whilst the NYT is not the only paper to have published those questions and we still do not know where the leak came from, I still find it disappointing that the paper chose to publish those questions in the midst of a live investigation. I cannot see the public interest in this and it is a decision that could in my view have consequences for the investigation in a climate where the Trump administration is desperate to derail the investigation. This editorial makes no mention of the rationale behind its decision, despite the fact that many of its readers have expressed similar concerns over the publication of these questions.
2
Juvenile questions to be asking a sitting president. When they start asking "what were you thinking?" Then one knows they have gone too far. A yes or no is fine but Mueller cannot examine the person, Trumps mind.
No legal person I have seen or heard thinks Trump should talk to Mueller. They have nothing after 18 months and now have gone off the track.
The president can appeal all the way to the Supreme Court and he should.
7
Mens Rea. Intent is an element of just about every crime, so any prosecutor —special or not — needs to get a sense of what a person involved in a possible criminal action was thinking.
Trump isn’t being treated any more harshly by investigators than previous administrations have. The way Mueller is pursuing the case is in line with what I’ve watched most good prosecutors do from my vantage point on the defense side. Th
5
Question: "What was your opinion of Mr. Comey during the transition?"
When they start asking questions like this, they're moving into dangerous territory. They're now entering the realm of thought police.
Not a lawyer, are you.
Godspeed Mr Mueller, Sir. My profound gratitude to you and your team of true patriot professionals. Indeed our Democracy hangs in the balance.
47
Why are these questions being characterized as "leaked?" As I see it, if there is any call for secrecy it is removed once handed over by Mueller's prosecutors to attorneys for Trump, their opponents.
11
All the world is a stage with this being played out and this play is facing a timely finale that must come in November.
Mr Mueller now has had a big awakening of the fact that the GOP leadership is totally complicit so it would be impossible to get a just verdict at this time, not even if videos were produced of Trump saying to Putin, "I'm your guy, if you get me in." That was the covert message in Trump's statement that he could get away with murder on 5th Avenue.
Please do NOT sell the handlers behind Trump short, they are very adept at controlling the scenario and adapt practically instantaneously to new trials, they have to be, Trump steps into a new landmine each time he opens his mouth or tweet.
Give Mueller until a Blue November with Justice Kennedy still in office and this play will come to its rightful end, the fat man will sing.
25
We can give Trump 2 options if he doesn't voluntarily testify. When the House flips, he'll be impeached and test whether the Senate makes him testify. Or, we can ask Trump to answer in front of Judge Judy for some great reality tv.
16
A bigger question: How much longer can this corporate plutocracy--where a small number of people control most of the country's wealth while the vast majority of us live in poverty, or on the verge of poverty--survive? How much longer can Congress, corporate elites, and the MSM billionaire media play these pretend "honor role" games, where holders of power take different names (Democrat, Republican, "Independent?!") but behave in the same way, hoarding money and creating an economy that only serves them? Does it matter what Mueller does if Pence takes office, if the same Congress is in office, if Democrats take office but behave as rank corporatists, as they have for 30+ years? I despise Trump and vacuous hole that he is and symbolizes, but who am I supposed to root for? Trump's doctor? Stormy Daniels? Whoever else the infotainment cesspool trots out to convince me that Trump should not occupy executive office? (My god, who did not know that thirty years ago!) Please. Trump is there because the country's elites know they can get what they want from him (tax cuts, deregulation, jingoistic chest thumping); nothing more. We are living in a fully post-modern, materialist era, and it is not pretty.
67
Most important comment on these pages. We are no longer the United States of America, we are the United Corporations of America. The coup to destroy the government for the benefit of the wealthy and corporations started 5 to 6 decades ago (read Dark Money by Jane Mayer) and is now complete.
The day James Comey was fired I subscribed to the digital Times, Washington Post, and New Yorker. I wanted to read Mr. Trump’s decline inch by glorious column inch. So naive! I feel 100 years older now. I would bet the ranch Mr. Mueller won’t get answers from DJT—who will either plead the Fifth or rant an endless filibuster. And continue this cycle of gaslighting and erosion. Congress won’t hold him accountable, and too many voters will stay bamboozled or commodified. I’m shaken by the heartless sum total.
95
Please have this interview play live on TV. I don’t know what the law says about all that, but they have to make that happen.
He’ll lose the presidency, but Trump will be very proud to win the highest ratings of any news broadcast.
It’s a win-win.
54
He knows that he has to get Trump impeached or indicted. That is his mission THE COUNTRY BE DAMNED.
5
Yes, and those Russian indictments were like a sop. Mueller has to produce. Period.
Hmmm...is that not what the Republicans did to President Clinton? Even Ken Starr regrets his actions. In contrast Trump has shown himself to be an enemy of the State and should be tried for high treason for plotting against the country with the Russians. A real Putin Puppet indeed!
The country is damned if the President gets away with obstructing justice. You need to ask yourself, if Trump is guilty, are you willing to accept that? Or are you simply a partisan, not an American?
If the President can't answer these simple questions, you're loyalty to him is treason.
The elephant in the room is the 72% of Republicans who, after all this, still support Trump, and apparently don't care about the rule of law. Even if we get rid of Trump, there are still tens of millions of deplorable people in our nation. I don't know how we will recover from them.
183
We recover by always voting in every single election--not just November 2018 or 2020, but all of them, always.
6
We won't recover. They are a cancer on the body politic.
3
So Trump's apologists think that Trump's lies and obfuscations are just part of the 'process', that anything he does or says does not need to be legal and according to our laws. Slander which Trump does often is against the law when proven, and Trump has done it so often to 'friend' and foe alike that it almost loses its meaning. But trying to manipulate an investigation because you think you can get away with it is a different kettle of fish. This is far beyond any sense of 'process' in our elections and if we let Trump off with a slap of wrist it will signal that our country is no longer one of law and order, but one where the law has no meaning.
Trump and his supporters cry a lot about illegal immigrants and putting Hillary Clinton in jail with no proof of anything. If these things are illegal then you must abide by our legal system for any law to apply. You can't have it both ways. Ether you chuck out law completely and accept chaos, you try through legal means to change them, but honor them enough to abide by their consequences and this goes for everyone including Donald Trump. If Trump thinks he is so innocent he must answer Robert Mueller's questions. He can not set himself up above the law without facing the consequences.
42
I'm willing to bet the bank that Trump will lie with ease before Mueller or a Grand Jury. For the malignant narcissist--the defining trait of his crusade of destruction"lying" is something he doesn't even think he's doing because he has no sense or empathy or remorse, and sees no problem with fabricating facts to fit his beliefs--just like his right-wing, Christian fundangelical base. When Trump swears an oath of truth on a bible, it will be the ultimate slap in the face to his belief-based party.
20
It's all a game of getting rid of a constitutionally elected president.
It's a travesty of democracy, after we heard from both Obama and Hillary in 2016 that we should accept whoever was elected.
As for Trump he was a favorite of the media until he decided to run as a republican.
Any republican is now marked for destruction as soon as he wins the oval office.
12
Where did you find these talking points? smartest talking points ever, real genius! Could you provide link? WH site, maybe?
The country will not tolerate an indictments of the president for ubstruction of justice if there is no underlying crime of collusion. It will be clearly an attempted coup of a legitimacy elected president.
10
Inside the bubble, Trump needs to be impeached and they don't care how it gets done. Outside it, this is, indeed, a misguided hunt for a crime, and Mueller appears to be desperately seeking one.
There is no such crime as "collusion." Collusion is immoral, but not illegal. However, the crime to which you allude is called "criminal conspiracy." And, yes, obstruction of justice. The law will decide if there are grounds for such indictments, not you. And if there is evidence to prove the crime(s), there will be nothing that you can do about it. Certainly, you can incite a revolution, but it will not end well for those who try to prop up a cabal of criminals and traitors by reveling in violence and malice, as trump has long encouraged his supporters to do. trump is a thug and a Fascist, and he is being aided by an equally thuggish and Fascist congress. The only attempted coup (and it has been middling successful, as they have been able to institute some cruel, corrupt and immoral policies, but those can be reversed) has been by trump and the GOP...and if they came by any of it relying on criminal or treasonous behaviors, woe be unto them.
2
In your banana republic, perhaps.
1
I hope M. Mueller will Please hurry up and subpoena trump soon. Not sure how much more of this we can take. He’s exhausting America, and alienating the rest of the world. Let’s finish this up and, hopefully, indict him for his crimes. We have to start repairing our country ASAP — because the only thing trump has been successful doing is destroying and dismantling it.
42
The questions show nothing about what Mueller knows==only that he knows nothing. He wants to ask Trump about everything he has ever done in hopes he will find out something. Indeed, the questions are not really questions, but each is an area in which dozens of detailed questions would be asked.
Mueller figures that if he asks hundreds of questions, Trump or anyone is likely to say something that he is wrong. Indeed. he will ask embarrassing questions about his private and business life in which Trump will be hurt politically if he answers frankly and prosecuted if not.
I assume this was leaked by the Trump camp and that they are taking advantage of the massive gift that Wolf gave them. All but the true believers will think she was hired because the press is just as partisan and biased as she is. These questions show the same about Mueller, and the press coverage will be assumed as unfair as Wolf.
Of course, Trump should not waste his time preparing for them and answering. He was hired to make this a safer world. Despite everything the press said, Korea worked out well. Now he needs to continue to clean up the mess left him in the Middle East. This is his duty, not this continuing silly attempt to show Hillary was not responsible for her defeat.
5
Jerry, Mueller knows plenty! Some people are already under indictment, and others have been threatened with indictment, and are cooperating with Mueller in order to avoid more serious legal prosecution. A man like Muller will never ask a question to which he does not know the answer. So, you can be sure that if Mueller wants to speak to trump...he knows PLENTY! You are right, though, about trump not wasting his time in preparing for Mueller. That would be like a sapling preparing to withstand a hurricane. As far as making "this a safer world," trump is doing anything but! He is alienating all of our allies, and inciting our enemies. Korea worked out well????? NOTHING has been worked out yet! Kim Jong Un is playing with trump, like a cat plays with a mouse.
2
"We don’t know exactly what is leading Mr. Mueller to want to ask this question of Mr. Trump, but it’s worth noting that as far back as August 2017, CNN reported that American intelligence services had intercepted communications among suspected Russian operatives discussing conversations they claimed to have had with Mr. Manafort, in which he requested their help in damaging Hillary Clinton’s election prospects. Mr. Mueller has already secured an indictment of Mr. Manafort on federal charges, including money laundering, tax fraud and making false statements, and has extracted a guilty plea from Mr. Manafort’s top aide, Rick Gates, on related charges. Mr. Manafort is fighting the charges while Mr. Gates is now cooperating with investigators."
Even if President Donald Trump criticizes CNN now. Like everyone else he criticizes now. CNN and Jake Tapper in interviews during the campaign for 2016 U.S. President did not help any with Hillary Clinton's campaign and more helpful in getting Donald Trump elected.
How did CNN do with interviews with other candidates before and after Trump and Clinton were nominated by their party? During the Convention and I watched both it was more of a lynching mom against Clinton by the Republican Convention and even within her party because of Bernie Sanders. And if Clinton would have won even now because of the President he still attacks Clinton. Trump is taking the law into his own hands. Not a witch hunt at all. Unless he fires Mueller.
1
"Mr. Trump has a marked tendency to say things that aren’t true." - Is simply saying, "Mr. Trump has a marked tendency to lie." not accurate?
16
No, it's not accurate, even within the distorted, predetermined, reductionist framework you propose. Lying requires conscious intent; "not true" can be read, reasonably, to mean simply inaccurate or incorrect. And people say things all the time that are incorrect, without lying.
4
Why do the President's lawyers insist he not speak to Mueller? If they maintain that position, a subpoena has already been (reportedly) threatened. Why would the subpoena be an improvement over voluntarily speaking to Mueller? If a lawyer on Trump's team knows Trump has lied, doesn't that lawyer need to come forward and say his client lied? Isn't there an disbarrable offense to suborn perjury? Or do they take the risk and not come forward, or try to convince a judge that Trump tells conflicting stories, so there's no way to know what's true?
8
Interesting, Debra...about suborning perjury. I believe that most defense lawyers ALWAYS suborn perjury in defense of their guilty clients. I am pretty sure that is what they do...thousands of them would have to be disbarred! Yes, everyone is entitled to a defense, but I detest lawyers who represent guilty-as-sin clients, and lie for them. A job I could never do.
2
Or, they could just say that Trump is senile and cannot tell fact from fiction and does not complete a whole sentence without contradicting himself. Liar in Chief!
Sandy, he is definitely a liar, but if he is senile on top of that, he should certainly not be in ANY position where he affects the lives of Americans and/or the fate of this nation! We KNOW he should not be doing anything like this ANYWAY...but senility would be the icing on the cake. Reagan, too, was senile throughout part of his presidency, and congress knew and allowed it. For money and power these people will allow anything...they will do anything...they will hide ANYTHING, no matter the consequences to this nation, and to the American people.
1
Even if President Donald Trump criticizes CNN now. Like everyone else he criticizes now. CNN and Jake Tapper in interviews during the campaign for 2016 U.S. President did not help any with Hillary Clinton's campaign and more helpful in getting Donald Trump elected. How did CNN do with interviews with other candidates before and after Trump and Clinton were nominated by their party? During the Convention and I watched both it was more of a lynching mom against Clinton by the Republican Convention and even within her party because of Bernie Sanders. And if Clinton would have won even now because of the President he still attacks Clinton. Trump is taking the law into his own hands. Not a witch hunt at all. Unless he fires Mueller.
3
I feel very confident in Mr. Mueller's work. He is prodding along with out grandstanding. He is direct and has his ducks in a row. I al most feel for the dear leader. He is facing someone who is not his usual run of the mill lawyer. Mueller is a professional and we should keep this in mind. I wish him well. We are behind him, every step of the way.
16
These are the questions that were disclosed to Trump’s lawyers; what about the ones which were not? Mueller has been taking evidence on financial aspects of Trump’s businesses, does the lack of questions on these suggest he already has the answers?
10
Gerard...I think Mueller knows the answers to ALL the questions. That is his job. He is not your run of the mill attorney; he is the best of the best. He is the crème de la crème of investigators and prosecutors.
2
We are of course assuming Trump wasn't lying about his willingness to meet with Mueller in the first place. Dowd's resignation is about the only thing lending credence to the legitimacy of that statement. Trump has a marked tendency to say things that are not true. I would say Mueller's questions are interesting but largely irrelevant. We don't know if Mueller will ever get to ask them.
The court has established the power to force a sitting president to testify. However, the power has never been challenged. If Trump refuses an interview, Mueller issues a subpoena. If Trump challenges the subpoena, the decision is left to the courts. Most experts feel the subpoena would ultimately be upheld but the time delay changes the political dynamic.
Without the threat of congressional reprisal, Trump will act the victim and whine about unfair treatment. Even if the subpoena is enforced, he'll likely plead the Fifth on most subjects of interest but still claim innocence publicly. This is Trump we're talking about.
The best way to get him in front of Mueller on objective terms is a good Democratic showing in November. If Republicans eek out a victory, the Mueller investigation is essentially toast. We need Congress to do their jobs. Otherwise, Mueller can't do his. The question is how these issues play out in the next few months.
35
Andy, well, this PRESENT congress will not do its job...Talking about indictments and impeachments, this entire congress should be indicted and impeached for deliberately and maliciously going against what is beneficial for the nation, and for the citizens WHOM THEY WERE ELECTED TO SERVE! But, instead, they are being rewarded for their duplicity and malfeasance, day after day, after day. What have we come to?!
15
Elon Minkoff: Lets be clear its not this Congress, its the Republicans which control Congress that not only won't do their job but are obstructing justice as well.
1
Yes, Terri, absolutely!
Even if Trump is not impeached because of Republican stonewall support in the Senate, he is still likely to be taken away in handcuffs only minutes after his successor takes the oath of office and then be tried and convicted on a wide array of RICO violations (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act).
Mueller and the possibility of impeachment is far less dangerous to Trump's personal welfare than the threat of the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York which is in possession of Michael Cohen's entire communications during the past twenty years or more.
With 'mere' impeachment Trump could be removed from office whereupon he could simply fly home to luxurious Mar-a-Lago. But with convictions on RICO charges Trump's new residence would be a prison cell.
79
Mr. Baker; yours are the best words I have heard in a week.
The source of these questions is as important as the questions are. Who benefits from their publication? How do we know they are real? The focus on obstruction provides Trump and his allies with the opportunity to attack Mueller.
11
You hit the nail on the head with this editorial.
It is the rule of law, the process of law, that makes this country possible. That makes it a beacon for people who are the victims of their own governments chaos and illegality.
Mueller and his team are doing exactly what they were charged to do. What they find, and when, and how, is not up to us.
There is no predetermined outcome--nor should there be one. Otherwise our system is as corrupt as the ones people flee.
36
This is an excellent question, Ed, but I am not sure how it benefits the president to have it known that his people are leaking. Maybe it was a "red flag" raised by a concerned former lawyer.
4
I’m going to agree with an earlier comment which stated that the ego of this person who calls himself the president is so large that he will agree to be questioned by the Mueller team. I hope that he does.
25
Some around the president like Manafort have been indicted and seem to be involved in very serious matters including the possibility of conspiracy against the United States, federal election law violations, possible tax fraud, money laundering, and obstruction of justice. Yes, the Special Counsel has many substantial questions to ask the president about. What did the president know and when did he know it seem like very important questions to have answered. Why was there good reason for a judge to allow the raid on the president's personal lawyer's office. So many crucial questions to answer. What Mueller is investigating becomes more significant and consequential every single day.
37
Re; the breaking news from the Washington Post about Mueller informing Trump's lawyers that he might subpoena Trump....
Mueller implied that the question of whether the President can be subpoenaed would be resolved in the Supreme Court if necessary. I hope this is the path that goes forward because if Trump has demonstrated anything it is that we the people need to have the power to put a President in jail if his or her crimes so warrant.
43
Dowd quit Trump not only because Trump chose to ignore his advice but he also knows what all trial lawyers know; never ask a question that you don’t already know the answer to.
Mueller knows the answer to all 49 questions and knows those answers from multiple sources. Mueller also knows the answers to a great many more questions than these.
If Ch... uh excuse me, if Trump didn’t answer with absolute truth he would be exposed as the liar he is. Or worse he could be exposed a someone who wouldn’t recognize the truth if it bit him in the kiester (to borrow a phrase from the gipper).
18
For some reason, I feel a hankering for Cheetos snack. Don't know why.
Looking into Trumps future, there is a subpoena with his name on it.
19
Why can't a sitting president be indicted if there is ample evidence of criminal involvement. All that's necessary is, "Just do it," and see what happens.
9
David, I feel that if the crimes are serious enough that a president should be treated just like any other serious criminal would be treated. What is this nonsense that a sitting president can get away with crimes, and not be indicted?! If it were only that he grabbed a candy bar off the shelf at the convenience store because he was half-starved, and he "forgot" to pay for it, that would be one thing, but we are talking about grievous crimes here: Obstruction of justice, criminal conspiracy, possible treason, money laundering, racketeering, coercion, harassment (in his sexual predation cases)...I don't care if he is a sitting President, the last of the Mohicans, Brad Pitt, or the reincarnation of General De Gaulle! If he is guilty of serious crimes, he should pay for his guilt...and he should be prosecuted under the full extent of the law, just like any other criminal. What he is doing to this country is a crime of epic proportions that millions of us will never forget nor forgive.
1
Brilliant cartoon with this article!
32
Giuliani knows Trump will never admit the truth to him or other Trump lawyers. Giuliani has to either stay or resign like Dowd to avoid suborning perjury. If Trump refuses to answer even to the public Giuliani leaves to avoid further tarnishing his own reputation, if that's even possible anymore.
20
Robert Mueller probably knows more than what public know. Let it come out. So far we do not see any collusion or crime. Firing Comey is a crime, let Mueller explain why. Talking to Russians is a crime, let Mueller explain it. Getting dirt from Russians is a crime, let Mueller explain why. But we do not want to see any manufactured crime and do not want to live in a dictatorship of prosecutors. So far what we know is that Comey and deep state conspired to save Hillary while doing everything to harm Trump.
5
I'm going to disagree with you on the "deep state" but as to a "dictatorship of prosecutors" you may be onto something that will resonate with the American people. I do not want the President, this or any other, to be taken down by being trapped by a clever FBI lawyer, into committing a "process crime". The FBI loves process crimes, especially with high profile cases. A process crime is fairly easy to commit, and so a good lawyer will recommend that you simply refrain from communicating. Good advice! I wonder if this whole Mueller thing is tantamount to a coup-by-prosecutor, "process prosecution" being the means employed by those wishing to remove Trump from office.
4
Yes it was the double undercover deep deep deep state. They’re the cause of all DJTs troubles.
1
I have a bridge to sell you...
1
Although Trump may seem buffoonish on some level, do not lose sight of the basic fact that the man has ascended to the US Presidency. He is an absolute master of demogogary and misinformation, and has built a near-majority base of support that does not believe anything the New York Times writes. Trump's support comprises a coalition of ignoramuses (who get their information from Hannity and TrumpTV) and cynical corporatists (who only care about amassing wealth). He has said - out loud - that he could shoot someone in the middle of 5th Avenue and not lose a voter. This is ABSOLUTELY TRUE. Even if Mueller comes with incontrovertible evidence of a crime, Trump's GOP will never allow him to be removed. We are in deep, deep trouble, people.
162
Putting aside your contempt for his supporters, it is true that we don't believe anything political that the Times writes. It is a cesspool of arrogance, condescension and distortion. And I'm only a sometime supporter of Trump.
The Times long ago left behind reporting the news and became transparently didactic. It attempts to shape the news, and popular attitudes, every single day. Guess that happens when you've joined The Resistance.
We ARE in 'deep, deep trouble'. The only remedy is to have such a huge tsunami BLUE WAVE in November that they cannot suppress enough votes to win. (If we last until November - and it's always in the back of my mind that we won't). We must kick every Republican OUT of power and try to get off this authoritarian, corrupt, banana republic path that Trump is leading us down. We must find the road to democracy and part ways with the despicable Mr. Trump.
7
Vive la résistance!
The Russia investigation has clearly now reached Donald Trump. Robert Mueller should demand that Mr. Trump sit for an interview or be served with a subpoena to appear before a grand jury. The battle is a political one between the Special Counsel who believes in the "rule of law" and Mr. Trump who believes and acts as if he's the ruler of the law. We are on a path to a major confrontation that may turn into a Constitutional crisis. In the end, our democracy requires even a President to obey the law. We can only hope that the courts and our Constitution will meet the challenge that the President and his Republican allies in Congress have tossed aside.
28
Hear, hear, Paul Wortman!
2
These questions are now part of public discussion and sooner or later Corrupt Donnie will have to answer them. They will follow him from now until he answers them or leaves the public sphere. These questions must be keep in the discussion and asked of all republicans.
Using his avoidance of releasing his taxes isn't a good example. They will be released. Many have commented about how these questions don't address his financial dealings with the Russians. My assumption is this is what was handed off to the Southern District Federal Attorney. My bet is the taxes will be released.
10
As my late father, a Midwest farmer, would have said, It looks like Mueller's got him where the wool is tight.
25
Every person reading this doesn't need to read it.
Trump is supported by a Republican Congress that is not doing its job to act as a check and balance.
Trump is supported by a 30% base of loudmouths who don't care if America gets destroyed because they like the idea that 70%of us are worried about nuclear war, the constitution, the environment and the rule of law in the hands of the capering con man they've asked to goad and gall that foolish 70% who have the audacity to live in cities, educate their children, know fact from fiction and not demand constant access to rapid-fire weapons.
No more politeness. No more reasonable exchanges. We should all be Michelle Wolf, now. Call liars liars and criminals criminals, and if you have friends or family or co-workers who support Trump, confront them about it now and don't let up until they change their minds and look at the facts - not the opinions, the incontrovertible facts that Trump is hurting this country with his mere presence. And if they don't come around to the facts, fine; you don't need people that obstinate, toxic and undeservedly smug in your lives.
I don't dislike Trump because I'm a Democrat: I dislike him because he is AN INCOMPETENT CRIMINAL, and he's taking a nation, an economy and a leading light in the world down with him.
Quit playing nice; they don't.
579
You go, sister ! I agree wholeheartedly!!
46
Agreed. BUT. Sadly, those 30% will dismiss your sound and principled position as mere bias and elitism.
I will be condemned for this, but lack of education is a serious problem in the US ( and parts of Canada) and it does seem that Republicans want to keep those outside the upper middle classes, as incapable of critical thought as possible- if a person has no complex reasoning ability, rational arguments will not persuade them- making them perfect and reliable Republican voters.
22
You are 100 percent correct. Thank you for your bracing clarity of thought.
14
Okay so Mr. Mueller knows all the answers to these questions, and Trump - if he ever speaks to these questions - will start obfuscation - to - outright lying right away. And half of all voting Americans will never believe Mueller, and find someone to lynch to prove their point. Imagine Charlottesville in every red county; uniformed militias on the street with big guns.
But what happens after the Kristallnacht?
Where is the third bounce of this TNT laden bowling ball in a fragile democracy with the foundational institutions being rapidly wrecked. And then fourth and fifth bounces?
Because it will eventually hit the something key, and trigger a rather large mess, and produce a fairly long term problem (as say, did the civil war - if not in the exact same proportion).
Would America have won if Trump is no longer president, but one half hates the other half for ever, trust and faith in the country and its institutions is all but ashes, everything we don't like is now 'fake news,' and the city-country divide starts to get ugly?
If this investigation gets stale, I know who loses in the long run. We all do.
24
Kalidan: The most important thing is the saving of our democracy, and that justice is served. Do we leave an imbecile, a criminal, a Fascist, a racist, a misogynist, a money launderer, a pathological liar as our president because we are AFRAID to serve justice because people are not going to like each other if a president who is found to be a criminal is prosecuted? That is insane! This investigation is not going to get "stale." Rather, it will come to completion and fruition, and those who are guilty of crimes against our nation, if they are, will have to pay the piper, so to speak. Would Germany and the greater world have been better off if Hitler and the Nazis had been allowed to continue on their merry way, instead of being brought down, and then brought to justice? Should we have worried that the Nazis and the regular people wouldn't like each other or have faith and trust in the country and its' institutions all but ashes????? NO! NO, NO, NO. Justice MUST prevail. We do not leave criminals in power to continue destroying, harming, and disenfranchising, because we are AFRAID of some other consequence. No good can come of allowing evil, greed, hate, and corruption to flourish. There is a saying: "All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." That is what trump and his complicit congress are counting on. And we are not going to give them what they want.
3
Regarding obstruction: the two co-chairs of the 9/11 Commission published an op-ed in the Times charging the G.W. Bush administration with obstructing their efforts to discover the facts about 9/11.
Will there ever be an independent investigation of how 19 hijackers armed with boxcutters defeated the mightiest military armed with the most advanced and expensive weapons the world has ever known?
20
Oh, come on. There have been many investigations over17 years, bur many remain classified.
If you are interested, start sending FOIA requests, and prepare for a 5-10 year battle.
I suggest contacting the Reporters’ Committee for Freedom of the Press for some useful information on how to go about doing it.
Try to find lawyers with similar interests willing to work pr bono if you don’t have the cash to file suit the day after the FOIA deadline for release passes on requests sent every agency from the NTSB on up. If you’re calling across state lines, record every call - the single-party-consent rule applies. Since you’re one of the parties, tape away.
You MAY need lawyers prepared to go to the Supreme Court to have sections of assorted ‘anti-terror’ acts declared ( good luck) unconstitutional, fir exempting Homeland (spit) Security agencies from releasing data.
Go to the Canadian agencies that were blamed by GWB for “allowing terrorists in to the US” - though US Immigration/border guards are the ones who open ir close those gates, Justin Trudeau may be willing to provide files.
When you finally get pages with all but 1 word blacked out, you’ll need another appeal. I wis you well.
I wish the intelligence agencies would release reports on how many.African residents were arrested or disappeared when George W blew the cover of US spy Valarie Plame Wilson because her husband would not lie and claim he saw chemical/ biological weapons in Iraq before Bush leveled that nation.
1
Shame on the NY Times for the original story on “Mueller’s questions.” We now know (1) that the questions were written by Trump’s lawyer Jay Sekulow; (2) that they were his words summarizing the topics that Mueller told Trump’s lawyer would be likely topics for an interview and, despite the Times’ claim that they were not “leaked” by members of Trump’s legal team, that (3) they did come from Trump’s camp, if not his lawyers.
As a result of the poor reporting, Trump has been able to blame Mueller for leaking, and they now have the possibility of offering written answers to “Mueller’s questions” and claiming that since they have now answered all of Mueller’s questions, there is no need to the investigation to continue or for Trump to answer under oath.
NY Times, you’ve been played – your report was incomplete, misleading, and a disservice to your readers!
16
Joe, it is apparent from the many grammatical errors in the "questions" that they were leaked by someone in trump's camp. If it was indeed Jay Sekulow...WOW...it is amazing that one can get through college and law school with such a poor command of the English language! This whole thing with the leak of the questions is just another trump scam. Geez, I am SO tired of all trump's and his legion of imbecile's dirty tricks! And even if trump does not answer "under oath" if he perjures himself, he is still in BIG, HUGE, BEAUTIFUL trouble.
3
There are already many people in the Trump campaign and Trump White House who are under indictment, and some who have pled guilty to committing crimes.
The notion that obstruction of justice is not a crime in and of itself is of course just another lie by Trump and his propagandists. However even if it were true and you needed to see underlying crimes, there are plenty of crimes underlying the obstruction. Once you get to pleading guilty and being sentenced, it's pretty hard to claim that no crime was involved.
16
With the exception of one question leaked to the Times (which confirmed it was not Trump’s team that leaked), Muller’s investigation has nothing to do with purported “collusion,” and is now focused on the Administration’s (mostly Trump’s) inept response to it. Be forewarned: despite the Editorial Board’s well-written and persuasive editorial, and bastions of Trump-haters in NYC and LA who eat it up, at least half of America sees this for what it is.
5
"... at least half of America sees this for what it is."
And perhaps, Delane, you can explain to us what that is? What at least half of America "SEES" for what it is! Because trump and the GOP are so obvious in their corruption, their racism, their misogyny, their entitlement, their elitism, their arrogance, their cruelty, their lies, and their greedy thieving ways, that if you cannot see it...it is deplorable. Their malice and rot swirls around them like an unbearable stench. It was indeed trump's team that leaked, as the Mueller team has a more precise (to be kind) command of the English language. You are right in saying that Mueller's investigation has nothing to do with "purported collusion" because "collusion" is not a crime. However, criminal conspiracy, obstruction of justice, treason, money laundering, and racketeering are ALL serious crimes.
2
Yes.
And any person old enough to have ever watched a single season of Perry Mason also knows that a good prosecutor doesn't ask a question unless he already knows the answer.
Clearly the Donald didn't get enough quality TV time as a kid.
Pity.
11
PKP, and the Donald certainly would not have watched Perry Mason, who was such a noble character! (And you needed some kind of a moral compass and an intellectual curiosity to enjoy Perry Mason.) Anyway, the Donald was out, riding his bike with another neighborhood kid...They used to go riding around looking for other weaker kids to beat up. This was reported in a book about trump's life, for which the author interviewed many people who were in trump's life...including many adults who had been young schoolmates of his.
4
In past week or so Trump has already started setting the stage for disrupting the already chaotic administration. His gangster style threats, undermining the American traditions, and intimidating the unsuspecting public, is unlikely to yield any reprieve for himself. However, he fails to see that Mueller is not a push over and will not allow our constitution to be violated by a man who has never read the one himself. So, in his won words "lock him up."
6
These all seem like the softball questions. I'd love to see the real questions that Mueller has (and won't leak) that he plans to ask Trump.
11
Ultimately this is the test of Republicans to end their own party's "obstruction of justice". It appears tax cuts, God and guns are all they stand for anymore. As long as they are bound to their darkest instincts a wanna-be dictator, as in Trump, will dictate their fate. How humiliatingly it must be for Romney, Bush, and the whole gang that's prospered mightily in their game, to wake up to the fact that their loyalists are Russian fifth columnists. Naked in their ideology of nothingness, exposed by a simple crook with a gang of nobodies, going nowhere, with nothing to say. Sweet, sour and bitter.
34
Trump saying that he'll sit down with Mueller is like waiting for him to release his tax returns.
Not holding my breath!
41
"Mr. Meller, like any seasoned prosecutor, doesn't ask questions unless he already knows the answers".
That is the crux of the matter, and that very crux will hopefully end the presidency of the most vulgar, lying, corrupt, mentally unstable, uneducated nit-wit ever to have occupied the Oval Office in the history of this country.
57
This informative editorial fails to note one of the most damaging consequences of the statements by POTUS and his representatives. to the student in USA and elsewhere. Thousands of elementary and high-school students will learn the false lesson that lies are unimportant and have no adverse results. Parents will have to explain to their children that this Presidents words are not reliable and the reason "why the emperor wears no clothes"
24
Robert,
Something like a previous generation of students learned from a previous occupant of the White House that “Sexual Relations” can have a very narrow definition?
To paraphrase Groucho regarding Trump's current predicament: "I was sworn in by a judge, I should have asked for jury."
5
Great graphic.
14
Reading this stream of editorializing along with most of the associated commentary lionizing Mr. Mueller makes me wonder if we're not all being excessively credulous. Mr. Mueller is two things: a politician and a lawyer. Both make it more likely than not that he's a conventional thinker prone to snivellry.
It might be wise for sober-minded people to tamp-down on their expectations for Mr. Mueller's investigation. It's highly unlikely that the President is going to get indicted - at least while he's in office. Maybe his relatives, but then the prosecution will drag on forever while the W.H. dumpster fire burns on.
I appreciate the NYT's paean to the "rule of law" and their confidence that 'justice is coming, Mr. President.' But it may be a bit delusional. I think it is far more likely that what started out as a disaster is becoming catastrophe and will only end up a global tragedy.
8
Mr Mueller is most certainly not a politician
15
how wrong can you be!
FBI Directors, former or current, are not politicians. They may have a political leaning, but they are as neutral as possible in their official capacity.
Disaster, then catastrophe, and possible global tragedy perfectly describes the current occupant of the WH
10
Not sure why you use the dismissive "this stream of editorializing." It's an editorial. Editorializing is what it's supposed to do.
13
Trump will not answer questions from Mueller.
He can't, because he probably does not remember.
Perhaps Mueller's questions will indeed shrink Trump''s invincible image, down to size.
4
To compel Trump’s interview with Mueller, tell the president that their entire meeting will be televised live on Sunday night, prime time, with Sean Hannity hosting and special guest Kanye West. “Just think of the ratings, sir, biggest audience in cable TV history, believe me!”
34
everything so far by mueller strongly suggests an investigation searching for a crime or process crimes or possible financial crimes unrelated to the proper scope of the investigation.
trump has nothing to lose legally so he can go into an interview and say whatever he wants including lies about everything.
he has the awesome power and privilege of the presidency for protection.
he can protect his family and friends who've become ensnared someway by the prosecution.
he appears to have enough support among his base with attendant pressure on politicians in key house and senate seats to withstand any impeachment attempt.
3
Donald Trump tweets on release of questions: “Disgraceful [but there are] no questions on collusion.”
In fact, more than a dozen of the questions relate directly to collusion. No wonder Trump’s lawyers want him to keep as far away from Mueller as possible.
19
The important question is who leaked this list and why. It didn’t come from Mueller, so it must have come from Trump’s side.
Why did they want this list out? So they can argue Mueller has gone too far? So their allies can start to think of reasons why the answers are acceptable?
I continue to believe it would be best if everything dropped at once instead of dripping.
6
Bill Bennett just said they possibly leaked it T team so they can tell public we answered these questions in writing so what else do you want from me. Sounds plausible to me his public support will agree witch hunt !
6
hmmm ... Dowd received the questions, or made notes of them.
He resigned, rather than be implicated in his client's perjury, should his client ignore Dowd's advice, and sit down for that (hopefully) interview.
Enter new legal mind ... still need a leaker's name?
13
Trump has become entangled in his own web of lies and deceit. It would defy the natural moral law if things were otherwise. This man whose entire make-up and adult life is consumed by exploitation and downright corruption has not learned, nor will he ever learn, that no one is above the law of the land.
There is no doubt that through methodical, time consuming, grueling investigations, Mueller already has the puzzle complete. It is for us to find out the facts of which we already suspect. If Trump is indeed questioned, it will be his final unraveling. His life-time of lies will vaporize in the face of an expert, Mr. Mueller.
14
Trump will probably just lie to Mueller too. Why would he suddenly change? Mueller will need concrete evidence that Trump did whatever he did, independent of whether Trump admits it or not. But I suppose, if Trump comes clean, and asks for America’s forgiveness, he might avoid prison.
2
Mr. Trump does not understand that "the rule of law", in layman's term, means that the president is not above the law, otherwise the rest of us would become his subjects.
Under the U.S. Constitution, people are the sovereign, not the president, and not the Congress.
Trump lives in his false reality, and he will go down living in that made-up reality.
27
A few Trump supporters are tired of the investigation. The rest of us are tired of Trump.
86
I hope the Muller investigation is successful. Yet, it is Congress that has to impeach.
Our best bet is that all good americans that respect one another regardless of race, physical ability, that respects POWs, fallen soldiers, women and, more than anything, our democracy and our constitution, go to vote.
That will clear the House of representatives that are there to win their next term, or ... worse.
6
"Skirting the law and avoiding responsibility" via lawsuits, lies, payouts, and the National Enquirer, what a sad joke of a president, and if he sits with Mueller, his hubris is off the charts.
Manafort must be holding out for a Trump pardon; would rather do his time in a state prison.......bunk beds.
3
If Trump truly finds it "disgraceful" that Mueller's questions were leaked, perhaps he should have instructed Giuliani not to leak them?
285
When everyone is lying, there is no way to coordinate the message. Everyone has to create their own narrative, which equals lies. No matter how smart the group is, and that's not the case here.
3
"I'm shocked, shocked to see leaking going on in this place..." --- DT
4
"...a 250-page report that reads more like a work of fantasy than a government investigation...
Why don't you just come out and describe it as written by a disrespected current US Congressperson...
As it turns out, Nunes's biggest miscue was to work for his constituents instead of someone like PQG - their pay is much better...
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/05/01/secret-donors-helped-finance-...
(fantasy footnote on page 113)
"...report doesn’t list the donors. But Jones told the FBI that the Penn Quarter Group was being funded by seven to 10 wealthy donors, primarily in New York and California, who provided approximately $50 million to the firm...
2
The leakage did not come from Mueller's office but from somebody in Trump's inner circle. Somebody conveniently left the questions near the water cooler or directed someone to look in a trashcan before shredding. It turned out to be a great intentional or unintentional gambit by Mueller's team somehow knowing that leakage like this could happen. This is endgame and Trump will not need to take the fifth as he predictably upends the chessboard to cause himself endless grief.
9
I'm sure that either Trump's silence, or his answers (if at all honest), or the damage has done proves that he was a wise investment for Putin to destroy the West--an even better investment than the UKIP and Nigel Farage.
What's abundantly clear is that the GOP--and especially its oxymoronic "conservatives"--are collaborating in Trump's treason. Just witness the CPAC farce, whose speakers included Farage and a Le Pen.
Collabos of a feather flock together--and can thus be snared more easily.
20
The maxim that prosecutors (and other attorneys) don't ask questions unless they already know the answers applies only at trial. An attorney who doesn't ask a question unless he knows the answer beforehand during the investigation or pre-trial phase of a case probably is committing malpractice.
9
The list of miscreants within the Trump orbit taken down by the Meuller probe is longer than a drugstore receipt. I am brimming with anticipation for the day when Don Jr., J. Kush and The Big D himself are added to that list. Our next Commander-in-chief should award Mr. Meuller the Presidential Medal of Freedom for saving the republic.
52
Trump is already in jail he just doesn't realize it yet.
16
"No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar." - Abraham Lincoln
If this interview evers happens on live TV, the possibilities are too rich to contemplate. I imagine a Greek chorous moaning in real time with every lie.
69
Bill Clinton was impeached for his misleading statements used to cover up his relations with an office aide.
Richard Nixon resigned rather than face impeachment for the Watergate break-in after two years of detailed investigations that the Republicans worked tirelessly to impede.
Mueller knows Trump colluded with the Russians through his myriad of associates with very strong links to the Russians. Trump will almost certainly commit perjury if he faces Mueller. His attorney Dowd knew that when he resigned. Nevertheless, a Trump refusal to face Mueller is an open confession of his collusion.
The Republicans tried to crucify Hillary Clinton for breaking email server rules that her predecessors ignored. However, we can expect the Republican Congress to impede justice in every way possible in order to continue the charade of the Trump occupancy of the Oval Office. Trump is their cover story while they sack the economy for their wealthy owners.
No true American can continue to support Trump or his hypocritical Republican enablers. Mr. Mueller we are counting on you
2165
Much as I dislike Trump I can’t say that the information presented so far makes me think he colluded with the Russians. It looks much more like the Russians trying to draw him in through intermediaries.
Obstruction of justice is another matter entirely. Trump can’t conceive of not using presidential power for personal game.
41
The emails from Don Jr are pretty much a smoking gun for collusion especially after months of denials and attempts to hide the purpose of the meeting.
1
Living "safely" in Canada I'm beginning to think the only way to fix the American love affair with the right is to let the Republicans under Trump run the country over the cliff. No evidence of degrading damage to the country's values and potential seems able to get through to base or the leadership in their belief that the US is an endless source of wealth to steal. A kind of magical realm where every mistake goes un-studied for the simple convenience of using it again and again.
257
I am a low income American living around other low income Americans. I regularly see people make mistakes and get prosecuted for violations of the law, and the investigation and trial is in the open, for all to see.
But this investigation is startling in that it involves a hugely wealthy family with all the money in the world, and they are being held, apparently, to the same standards as the poorest of the poor.
Take notice, Mr. Putin, for one day Russia may in fact have more than a pretend democracy with pretend courts. The rule of law is more important than any man, or woman, and I cherish the thought that America might show the world just how justice is done.
Hugh Massengill
245
@ Hugh - that is a refreshing take on the situation.
25
I hope that this will embolden the trust in the justice system again which is fundamental for any functional democracy. The current President is trying hard to convert the DOJ into a partisan “attack and defense” machinery and that is simply wrong. We need to be sure that everyone is treated the same way - regardless who you are, where you from or how wealthy you are.
22
Just perfect, Hugh.
5
The public persona of the President is very, very different from the one that has to abide by actually truth under oath. ( where he is being sued )
The public persona is one of boisterous claims and train and of thought that contradicts himself within the same sentence time after time.
The private persona ( on tape ) is one that is subdued (knowing he cannot lie on a whim ) and measured of: '' I don't recall'', whereas he cannot bully his way out of it.
As soon as the President is under oath then it is game over.
18
The opinion piece says:
Mueller has already secured an indictment of Mr. Manafort on federal charges, including money laundering, tax fraud and making false statements, and has extracted a guilty plea from Mr. Manafort’s top aide, Rick Gates, on related charges. Mr. Manafort is fighting the charges while Mr. Gates is now cooperating with investigators.
My thought is that by charging Manafort, in two separate indictments that do not speak directly to the issue of whether Manafort conspired with the Russians to interfere in the 2016 election, Mueller has accomplished two things:
1. Under the indictments, Mueller can (and has) request(ed) that Manafort be prevented from fleeing the US;
and
2. Mueller can continue to work on putting together his case against Manafort, and others, related to a conspiracy with the Russians to interfere in the 2016 election, without having to disclose to a court anything that he has found as evidence.
If Mueller has evidence that implicated Donald Trump, asking Trump questions about such a conspiracy (or about the June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower with Ms. Veselnitskaya, which is also listed in the questions) puts Trump in a "no win" situation. Trump would either have to make admissions (i.e., answer truthfully) or would have to lie to avoid making such admissions. In either case, Trump's goose would be cooked. His answers would just be "icing on the cake." They mey be superfluous.
46
If we're all really part of a computer program, then Trump is malware.
37
Trump's rants, bluster and bravado would wilt if he ever was faced with an actual interview - unless he is innocent (very unlikely) and/or daft he should never agree to an interview as he would be child's play for Mr. Mueller. But to what end, he can't be indicted and he will pardon the motley crew of miscreants who swim along side of him in the swamp - so where does this all end up - continued chaos and Trump whipping his base into a feeding frenzy as he castigates the press, the FBI, Rosenstein and eventually Mueller. And meanwhile the business of governing the Country falls by the wayside. Time for this scurrilous incompetent to resign and save us all from continued lies, deceit and destruction.
20
Republicans know they have a useful idiot in the WH. He is nothing more than a gullible rubberstamp, like some incompetent dauphin easily manipulated. They also know, he is fomenting a useful and zealous electoral base for future use. They will protect him from serious institutional disgrace for those reasons alone.
This is an entirely corrupt situation. Thus the question is twofold, can the rule of law win over Trump, and can it defeat the very real interests of one one of our major political parties that it does not?
19
The only thing disgraceful is Trump's presidency. He's made a mockery of it by his aberrant behavior, refusal to listen to the intelligence community, making racial and xenophobic comments, acting as he and his cohorts are above the law. He's a man-child. His machinations of the past are catching up with him. Lawsuits,intimidation and bankruptcies gave him a false sense of entitlement. Mueller symbolizes what is best about America-honesty, intelligence, determination, military service, and strict adherence to the principles of the Constitution. Trump has none of these qualities. It's a win win for Mueller. Trump is a third rate minor league player.
849
But his deregulation and tax cuts will end up causing an economic boom, which isn't a bad thing.
4
The tax cuts have proven to be a boon only for the very rich. Economic boom? Where? Kudlow is a fraudster, not an economist. Recession is more likely. Gas prices are going up
4
Just compare market returns for the first 15 months of Obama against Trump’s first 15 months. Trumps pales pretty much in comparison. Standard and Poor in February 1st 2017 was 2329 on May 1st it was 2654 up or about 14% return not bad, but on February 1st 2009 it was 805 on May 1st it was 1125 or up about 40%. Trump was handed an economy that was moving along pretty well. Obama was handed an economy that was hemorrhaging 600,000 jobs a month (January 2009) while Trump was handed an economy that was gaining 227,000 a month (January 2009). Everything is relative, but I’d take Obama and the democrats over anything Trump and the republicans have done
5
We can only hope that Mr. Trump agrees to meet with Mr. Mueller. That might actually bring some sanity to Mr. Trump’s tenure in the White House because (a) he would not have Fox News or Sarah Sanders or Kellyanne Conway to “interpret” for him, and (b) he would not be allowed to blow off questions as he so often does with the “fake news” press corps. As a lawyer, I would definitely advise Mr. Trump to not meet with Mr. Mueller, but I’m guessing that ego is so enormous that he won’t be able to resist. The guy has been just that foolish many times before, and there is nothing in his behavior since he became president to think he has gotten smarter.
722
I think the New York Times should stop warning Trump about his upcoming conversation with Mr. Mueller, and especially, please stop describing details of the questions Mr. Mueller will ask. Mr. Trump has already agreed to this, and of course, he feels confident about his performance, and that he doesn't need any assistance, or preparation for the meeting. Don't help him!
14
Huge Grizzly, I agree with everything that you say, but I think that trump has been well advised against sitting down with Mueller...and I think he is afraid to do so, because he KNOWS that he is a compulsive liar, and he will not be able to control himself. Unless he has convinced himself that every lie he tells is the truth...This is, of course, a possibility, and it must be some kind of mental illness, should it be so. While it is true that his ego is enormous, and he thinks that he is smarter than everyone else...I think that the fear of God has grabbed him...you know, grabbed him, ahem.
8
The questions were orally given to the Trump defense team, who wrote then in a nice neat list. It was that list that was given to the NY Times, so they already have the questions.
“People have got to know whether or not their president is a crook.”
Well most people know that the current president is as crooked as a corkscrew; but about 30% not only don’t care but seem to regard it as a personal accomplishment.
273
I am more interested in the questions not on the list.
17
Kudos to your illustrator. That is a brilliant depiction of the great orange menace.
Is it available in poster size?
351
Mr. Trump is going to learn the same lesson John Gotti was forced to learn: criminals need to stick to the shadows... keep a low profile... and for God’s sake, don’t DARE the Fibbies to come after you!
: ) L
65
I would be leery about reading too much into the Mueller's questions. It's like trying to read tea leaves. We make inferences and connections that may or may not have any relation to what's really going on.
10
That’s funny. Illegal immigration is also a “process crime”.
10
Why is the NY times leaking the questions that Mr. Mueller wants to ask the POTUS? Why is there all this speculation and whom does it help?
It either appears that those who want an impeachment of Trump are eager to give the game away to a witness or subject of the investigation known to be casual with the truth; or more likely the NY Times Ed Board prefers Trump over Pence in the White House since he is feckless and less determined than his VP, plus is good for the media business.
2
J.Seravalli: Trump had these questions since March just before Trump's attorney Dowd resigned. Funny, just after Trump's new attorney Guilianna comes on these questions are leaked. It wasn't Mueller or his team that leaked them.
You all seem bent on birthing another type of hate crime - a type where the prosecutorial team irrevocably hates the subject of their investigation...
Is this all proxy payback for Nixon's proxy payback for Clinton's proxy payback for both Goldwater's and McCarthy's utter indifference to winning...
Would appreciate Mueller adding it to his list of questions since that'd mean he'd - axiomatically - already know the answer...
3
Well hell, who in their right mind would not hate Trump?
Still the prosecutorial team is the A team and would
do a fair job no matter what. It may be hard for
a Trump liker to understand rule of law and the
pesky ole constitution and ratty checks and
balances, but gee sometimes they do work. Color
Trump surprised! "Who Knew" Sometimes you
get caught
19
Asked and answered...
Donald Trump, it would appear, is on his way to being the second unindicted co-conspirator President in the history of the Republic.
Stay tuned for massive diversionary strategies from this particular wannabe Emperor Jones.
45
If Trump were an honest, ethical, organized, rational person there'd be no problem with these questions. But then again he wouldn't be here if he was that person.
Trump is toast; I hope his family is as well. Bring on the cuffs and the prison stripes. They've sullied our government and us, debased our democracy and profiteered for too long already.
Lock them up.
283
And....they refuse to do ANYTHING to prevent another hack by Russia in 2018 and 2020. When you cannot admit the facts of the previous election manipulation you can do nothing to protect the election system. Why is this not front cover news daily?
5
A third party candidate could "throw the election to the House"? Don't you mean the supreme court where Gorsuch and pals could hand it to the Republican candidate, aka Trump?
9
" What EVERYONE NOT TRUMP Knows ". There, fixed it for you.
10
Bravo to the Times for pursuing truth in the era of lies. Beginning with the southern strategy of Atwater-Nixon, we've had over 40 years of lying, dirty tricks and obstruction galore from the Republicans, and various secret plans that are scandals when revealed. Other than the ancient lies that skin color, poverty, and homosexuality are shameful, the most constant lie is the trickle down theory. Just today Paul Krugman debunked it again. Now we have the party of Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt so transformed that the House puts out a fiction and declares it reality. We have right wing media broadcasting lies daily and claiming it's credible information. We have a man who has lied all his life, so ignorant that he ignored all financial advice and went bankrupt 4X, so convinced is he of his own genius without ever reading a book or learning anything about the world except about self promotion and hustling, which he is skilled at to be sure.
Without papers like the Times, and honest men like Mueller, Rosenstein,and women like Sally Yates, we would be totally in the grip of a grifter party.
Voters elect Republicans. They believe dishonest rhetoric over their behavior and enacted policies. Clinton lied too, about a reckless sex drive. The Dems are no prize, but in general they are proud of their ideas so need to lie. You don't win elections by telling voters that corporations & the rich should own the nation and the hell with the masses. So you lie!
27
I wish they would just meet. Subpoena him. All this speculation and innuendo is like a trailer for a movie plot. It is good for writers and opinion pieces, but offers little reassurance to the general public. We are always wondering, what will he tweet next. What will he do next. Where will this take our nation.
It is ridiculous.
If this were a movie plot, I can only imagine in my head the movie The Shining. We are all Shelley Duvall going to a strange place with a man we have known forever and thinking, he is weird but how bad can it be? There are checks and balances. But no there is not. It is BAD. Then we see what is being written on that typewritter ( or in reality, that iPhone and Twitter) and realize, there is a big problem here. Now we are like Shelley Duvall hiding behind the door will a big ax coming through and a crazy voice saying, Here's Donny.
Really it is that bad.
32
I loved the movie! Great analogy. Would Mueller be Danny?
1
Trump will not speak with Mr. Mueller under any circumstances. Even someone as mentally unstable as Trump has an understanding of the harm that would come to him if he does. And he won't testify, because his base doesn't want him to.
Understand that Mr. Mueller's questions are not really questions. Instead, they are statements of proof supporting the legal claims his team has developed against Trump. For each of these 49 questions posed, we may be certain that Mr. Mueller already has evidence (documentary and testimony) more than sufficient to recommend impeachment, without Trump's testimony.
While Mr. Mueller's team may attempt to compel Trump to testify (as President Clinton was required to do some twenty years ago), this Supreme Court, with at least five very sympathetic votes for Trump, would probably quash a subpoena.
But even if this Supreme Court shields Trump from testifying, this will certainly not be the end of Mr. Mueller's investigation. I have no doubt that there is a surfeit of evidence Mr. Mueller's team has already collected, supporting obstruction of justice, election law violations, and money laundering, at the very least.
I also expect that Mr. Mueller's team has taken painstaking efforts to compile more than sufficient evidence of Trump's criminal conduct, and has moved forward very deliberately, so that Congress will have no sane reason for refusing to go forward with impeachment. But refuse they will, quite simply out of their fear of Trump voters.
148
Agree. Trump will not answer any questions and his lawyers will continue to float lies to discredit Mueller and the FBI. However, there are loads of players out there we may not have heard from, especially the Russian ones. Trump is now so easy to blackmail. And when the price is too high for Trump to pay, a Russian will provide the leaked information that is needed to absolutely indict Trump on any number of felonies.
25
"... this Supreme Court, with at least five very sympathetic votes for Trump, would probably quash a subpoena."
And on that day, should it happen, the public's trust in the Supreme Court, already damaged, will cease to exist. Given the precedent set in compelling Bill Clinton to testify, it will be seen as just as partisan a decision as 2000's Bush v Gore.
6
You may be right that Trump will never sit down for a formal interview - maybe Muller released the questions so that he can get Trump's answers via Twitter? Trump won't be able to stop himself; bwhahahahahahaha
2
If Trump's lawyers though that he was innocent, they would have no qualms about him answering Mueller's questions. If Trump were innocent, he would welcome Mueller's investigation and questions as a way to clear his name. If Trump behaves as if he is guilty, that's because he probably is.
91
Probably?
13
If Trump were innocent he wouldn't have tried to halt the investigation by firing Comey. This is all happening because Trump is most likely up to this conspiracy up to his neck.
2
I'm beginning to think that Trump's definition of 'collusion' is that he sat down with Putin and signed a contract. Anything less - all the many, many contacts and lies about those contacts - eh, so what? Just business as usual to Trump.
Nobody would fault Donald J. Trump right now if he resigned and conceded the election to the popular vote winner. It would be refreshing. The pesky issues a president has to deal with daily are "complicated", and nobody knew that.
We would like and admire Trump if he did.
10
If Trump would resign he would not be turning over the job to thenpopular vote winner. The Constitution provides hat the VP, Mike Pence would become president, and then there is a whole list of people to follow him in case he is indicted or impeached. None of the people on that list is. Ames Clinton. She lost. Get over it.
5
Even if Pence were to agree to pardon Trump and his children for any federal charges, the NY AG is lying in wait. Trump will never leave the office of his own volition, even though he’s prolonging the inevitable.
36
Quit bringing up the old trope about the popular vote winner. No republican will campaign in California or New York now because they know they have no chance of wining those electoral votes. Not to mention the number of people who don't vote because they know who is going to win their particular state.
3
At trial, certainly, a prosecutor would generally not ask a question to which he or she does not already know the answer. But these are questions Mueller wants to ask during the investigation - he could of course ask a question to which he does not know the answer. He could then see if the President'a story matches up with other people, with the documents, and with any wiretap. He could also be trying to pin Trump down to one particular story without knowing which one Trump will choose (e.g., did the money to payoff Stormy come from you or your campaign or did you stiff Cohen when he paid the money). He could also be bluffing -- pretending he has something and seeing if the President will crack. That, of course, is why Trump will never answer Mueller's questions until a court orders him to - he does have a lot to hide here and the answers cannot help him.
349
Excellent post. Lawyers and judges are usually reasonably good at game theory, and game theory suggests that asking only what you know is an inferior strategy.
If you know the answer so often that people will tell you the truth every time, why not mix in a few questions that you plausibly know the answer to but do not?
20
Mueller's an investigator as well as a prosecutor and Investigators ask questions all the time when they don't know the answers. Hey Nixon, did you know they were planning that break in?
5
Trump will never, ever voluntarily sit before a sworn deposition. But if he gets boxed in, he will scream, shout, insult everyone in sight and then ....... plead the 5th ... because the questions were '...so, so unfair.' Trump belongs in a maximum security prison ... he wreaks with guilt!!
Trump will lie through his teeth, even under oath. Will Mueller catch him on it? Since Mueller's report goes to Congress, which gets to decide whether or not (or how much) is made public, I'm betting it will not see the light of day. So, no we won't know. It will die on the vine while Trump and his cabal continue to claim that it was all a witch hunt.
11
Buck up. In a matter like this, the ugly truth can't be suppressed. Shocking, scandalous leaks are sure to occur. This is Washington we're talking about. Get the DVD of All the President's Men and watch it. Nixon was much smarter than Trump, and he was caught and disgraced. Trump is nastier than Nixon was, too, and he has no loyalty to anyone. He has been so gratuitously cruel to so many people who worked for him it will be a bloodbath when the onslaught finally begins and they turn on him en masse.
1
One of the most fundamental lessons absorbed by any person wanting to become a commissioned or non-commissioned officer and leader in the United States military is: "I am solely responsible for all things that happen or fail to happen on my watch." You have to make it a part of your DNA or you will never live up to your constitutional responsibilities (full-stop).
What does that have to do with the question before the house? Trump and his piglets run-about like cartoon characters squealing "No collusion, no collusion!" But the facts tell a different story; Manafort was clearly asking for help from the Russians damaging the Clinton Campaign. Manafort was hired to lead the campaign apparatus of the Trump Campaign.
Mr. Trumpty may do his best Jeff Sessions imitation of "I don' rightly recall..." or he may (and probably will) blatantly lie.
But the fact of the matter is the moment he sought to be a candidate for the presidency, the campaign in its entirety was his watch. Why would the American people hold a nineteen year old E-5 to the standard of "Solely responsible for all things that happen or fail to happen on my watch...and let a creature like DJT take a mulligan?
224
Trump believes he is entitled to take all the mulligans he wants.
31
But he has the best memory - how can he turn around and claim there is anything that he can't recall
19
Brilliant. But I'm sure treacherous treasonous Trump has his own little bag of tricks, and it doesn't involve the rule of law or upholding the Constitution or protecting the American people from a foreign power or anything even vaguely heroic. It is all about him, after all. Never mind the country.
The timing on the release of the findings will be key. If Congress and its gutless leaders continuing to let Trump run rampant, the big Blue Wave this fall will show them the door. But until then, I shudder to think how this will all play out in the months preceding the fall election. The balance of power needs to return to the US Capitol to make sure the dictator doesn't destroy us all.
625
I'm actually hoping the conclusion and findings won't happen till after November so we have democrats in power. There is a blue wave coming whether this investigation wraps up before midterms or not. I don't wish this to be handled in a partisan manner but I trust the democrats will obey and allow the rule of law to proceed. The republicans, especially the obstructive and overtly partisan Nunes, have shown they can't be trusted to put country and law over party.
59
All you people who are counting on a Blue Wave in November may be unpleasantly surprised to discover just how much gerrymandering and voter suppression (supported by the SCOTUS) will undermine the possibility of correction and redemption.
The nation will need more than 50% of eligible voters to turn out for a real shift in the Congress. I will not be holding my breath.
10
That 'obstructive and overtly partisan Nunes.....'. You know who should be stopping Nunes? Paul Ryan. Paul Ryan has done many bad things in his hypocritical Congressional life, but allowing Nunes to run amok is high up there for me.
Surely, the accompanying illustration is an accurate representation of the inside of Trump's head.
20
Perjury is a felony but that won’t bother the president or give him pause about lying to Robert Mueller. Remember, this president thinks he is above the law, as did Richard Nixon. Unlike Nixon, this president has a firewall of Republican apologists who are more interested in impeaching Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein than seeing justice prevail. GOP lawmakers have an idea of what’s under the rock of presidential misdeeds but have no interest in exploring what might be collusion, to say nothing of treason, with the knowledge and encouragement of staffers.
When we pray, God already knows what we want before we ask Him. We cannot deceive or mislead Him when we petition Him. Mueller, after carefully sifting through all the evidence and testimony, already has the answers to the questions he will ask the president. The president needs only to know that is the truth that will set him free.
19
I suspect Trump is pretty convinced that the truth will land him in prison; therefore, it would be his very last resort - as it were.
21
Very good!
committing perjury didn't end Clinton's presidency. Why should it end Trump's?
1
Trump has behaved like a fascist dictator since his first days in office, cheered on by people who think the rule of law is about who has the biggest guns. He's supported by people who think due process is for snowflakes.
The Republican Party has created this and will continue to trot out these candidates who have no relationship to truth, decency, or sanity. They also need to be held accountable for the disgrace of the Trump presidency.
319
What I fear now, more than ever, Editorial Board, is the abrupt, panicked dismissal of Robert Mueller’s office. In “Jaws,” the Robert Shaw character said he was more scared for his life when the rescue planes appeared on the horizon. That’s how I feel. Why, you ask?
It should be obvious. Special Counsel Mueller is armed with briefcase full of knowledge and evidence. As Henry Petersen said in the (Spiro) Agnew fraud and bribery scandal when they closed in on Richard Nixon’s vice-president (1973), “we’ve got the facts; we’ve got them cold.”
Of course, no one knows precisely what the Mueller team has unearthed but it’s not nickel-and-dime stuff. The president has incriminated himself—in the public’s mind if not yet in a courtroom—with his ill-advised silly tweets and other reported (and recorded) announcements on this Russia matter. See his foolish, crowing admission to MSNBC’s Lester Holt for one; and his candid admission to a Russians-only audience in the Oval Office that he “got rid” of FBI Director James Comey and dismissed him as “a nut job.”
It should be remembered that a right-wing Congress, consisting of Republicans, are on the mat for their president. They have cast lots for him and they cannot back out now. Should Donald Trump be haled before the bar of justice, it won’t be in the Senate unless a political sea change in November delivers a Democratic majority. But even then, an impeachment process cannot be seen as a partisan endeavor.
We need Mr. Mueller’s proofs.
883
If they fire him, mueller can let it rip, no? Is there anything to,prevent him from spilling all the beans?
32
@Sharon -- "let it rip" and "beans" is the lethal combination that makes this administration so odious...great post!!
I’m praying that Mr. Mueller is hedging his bet by also sending to the state level what can be prosecuted there. And aoverseas anything that can lead to RICO/other investigations. Our country’s very soul and the rule of law is at stake.
43
Martha Stewart, after all, was convicted and served time for obstruction of justice and lying to investigators.
Interviewing Trump will be a field day for Mueller and his team. The man is so used to trumpeting his know-nothing opinions, and having underlings who would never dare to contradict him, that he won't make it through the first hour without lies.
I am still very unsure that they will link him directly to the Russians, but very sure that he will lie like a rug - - and as they get close to his deep business interests and ties to large amounts of dirty money - - he will completely lose his cool.
Or his healthiness will have a medical emergency that will belie his Dr.'s excellent rating, but get him out of Mueller's clutches a while.
Or he'll plead the 5th. And then???
74
Even if Trump wanted to tell the truth (which of course he doesn't), he lacks the mental capacity to discuss anything in clear detail. In fact, he lacks the words to do so. The man cannot form a coherent thought or sentence. He's like a random thought generator on some illegal stimulant boosted by a delusional ego. And it's going to be fascinating how this unfolds. And I've developed a huge intellectual crush on Mueller. He is such the right man for this job.
456
Trump acts tough and loves, loves, loves to talk about the "Rule of Law" but when it comes down to talking with Mueller he will not do it. He can't do it. Why? He is not innocent. Evidence to date, even Trump's own words, and reason suggest STRONGLY that Trump is guilty of crimes.
47
Trump will not answer those questions. Ever.
17
Let’s not forget the server in Trump Tower that was mysteriously communicating with a Russian bank before the election. I hope Mr. Mueller has that on his mind, too. Or rather, I hope he has the server itself. If he doesn’t, he should.
173
I don't know about the server, but according to Avenetti in a CNN interview, the FBI has about 16 cell phones owned by Cohen that contain thousands, if not millions, of transmittals over a fifteen-year period. All of it in FBI hands. They may go back even further. How many calls were to or from Trump?
36
There was a server. It was reported during the campaign. I remember reading it and being totally astonished that that story never got 'legs'.
And there may be more. A linguistic analysis of the text of the questions (sloppy wording and poor grammar) made by another news service led the analyst to the view that the text was not produced by Mueller’s team but was a summary made by someone associated with the White House, to whom it may have been communicated orally.
In any case, hold on to your hat, folks. Those of us who are old enough to remember the Nixon years may be getting a sense of deja vu.
151
felix, it's already deja view all over again for me.
How well I remember Senator Sam Ervin and the seemingly endless testimony of John Dean.
"I Am Not A Crook, No Collusion" Trump had better check the photo of Nixon getting on Marine One in August of 1974. That will be him soon enough. Both of those Republican presidents have been a disgrace to the American people.
8
Jay Sekulow wrote the questions. How can it be that the New York Times does not know this and NBC does? Yesterday afternoon NBC reported that Jay Sekulow wrote the questions after an interview with Mueller last March. Mueller's team revealed its areas of interest and Sekulow derived the questions from the interview.
2
Obstruction of justice is a crime but try convincing the typical Trump voter that obstruction was serious enough to derail the presidency that they voted for. I am a Stein voter and I am feeling like Trump isn't getting a fair shot at implementing his immigration and economic agenda. Fast forward two years and this problem for Dems grows without something more than obstruction.
3
You say "Obstruction of justice is a crime but..." Cut "but' and put a period after crime.
44
I still struggle to understand exactly what continues Trump's agenda besides insulting his political rivals and being soft on Putin.
'Agenda' is a flattering term for a mish-mash of contradictory and impulse driven statements that his supporters interpret to mean whatever they want. To the extent that some agenda has been set by Republicans in his administration, it's pretty clear Trump understands very little of it.
35
His immigration and economic "policies" that he rage tweets at 2am and is making up as he goes along can be summed up as thus. Make America white again. Vilify foreigners, insult allies. Use innocent children as cruel political pawns while pretending that DACA was some radical new idea when in truth EVERY REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT understood that we don't punish innocent children. Even Reagan understood that. His economic policies? That's easy double down HARD on failed trickle down economic policies transferring the largest amount of wealth from the most to the fewest. Don't worry about paying for tax cuts. Leave a massive pile of debt behind. Tell the rubes the country is flat broke so we'll just have to yank those safety nets. Don't worry the cuts will be timed to just after his terms so the rubes can enjoy the few extra bucks in their paychecks. Look how shiny.
Seriously Jill Stein?
23
Mueller is meticulous in his methods.
He knew all along that Flynn and Manafort are the low-hanging fruit here. He is plucking his way up to the top.
Mueller also knows that Trump has a new cover story for each day of the week. No wonder Trump's counsel can't bear to have him answer questions directly. The man incriminates himself whenever he runs his mouth or his Twitter account.
Trump's overconfidence is no match for Mueller's competence.
1179
@NM -- the president is a prisoner of his own tweets. What was once amusing to his base and a novel way of disseminating "news" has become his own trap. Mueller, as Captain Ahab, has sighted the president, the rogue Moby Dick, and has his harpoons ready. Great work last weekend dear friend...a trifecta on Sunday with Dowd and an editorial and this post as well. You're on fire! Keep it up!
58
The people scrambling are the feckless Republicans who have their own closet full of sahdy secrets. They want to do everything in their power to keep a lid on things less their own treasonous behavior comes to light.
41
The last sentence sums it up. Overconfidence - more aptly arrogance and pomposity - verses confidence. I'm sure Trumps core supporters are in a total lather over this, but has the noose tightens, Trump knows no other defense. He won't be able to brow beat and out loud mouth Mueller like he did the zoo that comprised his primary competitors. It will be fun to watch a logical and methodical man in Mueller back this total imbecile into a corner with no way to escape.
19
On the issue of obstruction of justice in the absence of an underlying crime, while it may be criminal I would suggest that it is not impeachable, or at least not under these circumstances. With both Nixon and Clinton, the underlying crimes/circumstances were apparent, as was their personal involvement. That is not the case with Trump, or at least not based on any publicly available information that I have seen, and the potentially "obstructive" actions that Trump has taken are, at least arguably, well within his purview and authority as president. So, if all Mueller can come up with is obstruction, he's wasting the country's time and money. Move on!
7
Well, to that I say due process. Wait for the investigation to be complete. Because it is worth a lot of the country's time and money to know if our electoral process has been infiltrated and corrupted. Even if there is a small chance. I would think people of every political persuasion would want to get to the bottom of this.
186
I doubt that's all he'll come up with.
39
"it is worth a lot of the country's time and money to know if our electoral process has been infiltrated and corrupted"
I am just guessing that you didn't say this about voter fraud. How about supporting voter ID laws if you are so concerned about the integrity of the election? In my opinion, neither the 2nd year of the Muller investigation nor the voter ID laws is worthy of the time and money.
Oh I'm looking forward to reading what Mueller has found out. A lot of us are.
110
We may never see it. He may only give it to Congress. If the R's retain power...we may never see it.
1
Perhaps “The Forty Nine Questions” will be a sequel to Hitchcock’s “The Thirty Nine Steps.” Of course, the “very stable genius” will play the role of Mr. Memory.
Of course. More probably, this will turn into a new version of “The Sopranos.”
48
It already has. I'm surprised Trump and his team of lackeys over at the House haven't ordered a hit on certain people.
14
Or, perhaps, a prequel to "28 Days": the length of time remaining in this embarrassment to the world standing of our nation.
1
My take, Mr Graubard - a remake of "The Apprentice" where the doofus gets the message - YOU'RE FIRED
1