As Artie Johnson used to say, "very very interesting".
The Trump legal team sent a confidential letter to Mueller in January laying out reasons as to why Trump does not need to testify regarding obstruction of justice. Reason? He is in charge of the Justice Department and thus by definition, he could not be charged with obstruction. The other point being made is that there was no collusion, take our word for it. Let's see if these arguments work and hope not. Good news is that the NYT got a copy of this very confidential letter and promptly published it or the Trump team leaked it since the Dotard has feebly complained about it.
Quote:
It is our understanding that the reason behind the request for the interview is to allow the Special Counsel’s office to complete its report. After reviewing the list of topics you presented, it is abundantly clear to the undersigned that all of the answers to your inquiries are contained in the exhibits and testimony that have already been voluntarily provided to you by the White House and witnesses, all of which clearly show that there was no collusion with Russia, and that no FBI investigation was or even could have been obstructed.
It remains our position that the President’s actions here, by virtue of his position as the chief law enforcement officer, could neither constitutionally nor legally constitute obstruction because that would amount to him obstructing himself, and that he could, if he wished, terminate the inquiry, or even exercise his power to pardon if he so desired.1Nevertheless, the President’s strong desire for transparency indicated the need to obtain an honest and complete factual report from the Special Counsel, which would sustain and even benefit the Office of the President and the national interest throughout his time in office. Thus, full cooperation was in order, and was in fact provided by all relevant parties.
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And now this morning Gui is claiming that Trump has the power to pardon himself. Looks like they are covering all angles smoke screens. The letter:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...documents.html