President Trump’s attorney Rudy Giuliani confirmed Trump will not respond to obstruction of justice questions from special counsel Robert Mueller in a personal interview nor in writing.
“That’s a no-go. That is not going to happen,” Giuliani told the Associated Press, according to the Chicago Tribune. “There will be no questions at all on obstruction,” he added.
The news ends months of speculation about whether the president would agree to take questions about obstruction from federal prosecutors either in person or in writing.
As recent as this week, Trump’s lawyers said the president would agree to take questions in writing, but they wanted assurances that there would not be any follow up questions.
“We aren’t going to let them spring it on us,” Giuliani said.
Federal prosecutors wanted Trump to answer questions about firing ex-FBI director James Comey to block the probe into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
Prosecutors also wanted to interrogate the president about his constant attacks on Mueller and Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Twitter.com and during his campaign rallies.
Giuliani’s declaration sends a clear signal to Mueller’s team that the president will not participate in possible entrapment by the feds nor hand senators the ammo they need to impeach him.
Giuliani said President Trump has the power to hire and fire his appointees and he does not have to explain his decisions to the special prosecutor.
Democrats were swift to rebuke Trump.
Adam Schiff, the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, called for federal prosecutors to subpoena Trump and force him to answer questions.
Schiff tweeted on Thursday:
“Trump’s legal team never had any intention of allowing him to be interviewed, knowing he is incapable of telling the truth, It’s past time to subpoena the President. No one is above the law.”
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