Donald Trump ‘very easily’ answers Robert Mueller’s Russia collusion questions
- President’s responses, yet to be submitted, represent his first official comment to prosecutors probing alleged collusion during 2016 election campaign
US President Donald Trump said on Friday he had “very easily” answered written questions from special counsel Robert Mueller, though he speculated that the questions had been “tricked up” to try to catch him in a lie. He said he had not submitted his answers to investigators yet.
“You have to always be careful when you answer questions with people that probably have bad intentions,” Trump told reporters in his latest swipe at the probe into alleged 2016 election interference and possible ties between Moscow and the president’s campaign.
Trump did not say when he would turn over the answers to Mueller, but his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, said it could happen next week. The special counsel has signalled a willingness to accept written answers on matters related to allegations of collusion with Russia. But Giuliani said repeatedly the president would not answer Mueller’s questions on possible obstruction of justice.
During months of back-and-forth negotiations with the special counsel office, Trump’s lawyers advised the president against sitting down for an interview.