Trump Slams ‘New York Times’ Report On Don McGahn Cooperating With Mueller: ‘I Have Nothing To Hide’
On August 18, citing a dozen current and former White House officials briefed on the matter, the New York Times reported on White House Counsel and Assistant to the President Don McGahn cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller.
According to the NYT, McGahn has cooperated extensively with Mueller, sitting down for at least three voluntary interviews that totaled 30 hours. McGahn reportedly provided investigators examining whether Trump obstructed justice with insider information.
McGahn has, therefore, gone from President Trump’s top lawyer to a key witness in Mueller’s obstruction probe. Historian Michael Beschloss drew parallels between McGahan Richard Nixon’s White House counsel, John Dean, who secretly provided investigators with insider information during the Watergate investigation.
“This sure has echoes of Richard Nixon’s White House counsel, John Dean, who in 1973 feared that Nixon was setting him up as a fall guy for Watergate and secretly gave investigators crucial help while still in his job.”
McGahan reportedly informed Mueller on Trump’s growing impatience with the Russia probe, the firing of FBI Director James Comey, and attempts to fire Mueller by putting a loyalist in charge. Armed with McGahan’s information, Robert Mueller is trying to interview other close confidants of Donald Trump, according to the NYT.
According to the POTUS, however, none of this is true. In a series of tweets, The Hill reported, Trump described the “failing” New York Times‘ piece as “fake,” added that he has “nothing to hide,” calling Mueller’s probe a “witch hunt,” which has “ruined many lives over nothing.”
The failing @nytimes wrote a Fake piece today implying that because White House Councel Don McGahn was giving hours of testimony to the Special Councel, he must be a John Dean type “RAT.” But I allowed him and all others to testify – I didn’t have to. I have nothing to hide……
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 19, 2018
….and have demanded transparency so that this Rigged and Disgusting Witch Hunt can come to a close. So many lives have been ruined over nothing – McCarthyism at its WORST! Yet Mueller & his gang of Dems refuse to look at the real crimes on the other side – Media is even worse!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 19, 2018
In another tweet, posted shortly after the NYT criticism, the POTUS wrote that there has been “no collusion” and “no obstruction,” adding that Mueller should focus on the Democrats instead, “crooked” Hillary Clinton in particular.
No Collusion and No Obstruction, except by Crooked Hillary and the Democrats. All of the resignations and corruption, yet heavily conflicted Bob Mueller refuses to even look in that direction. What about the Brennan, Comey, McCabe, Strzok lies to Congress, or Crooked’s Emails!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 19, 2018
As The Hill noted, Mueller’s probe has resulted in the indictment of dozens of Russian nationals, but the Trump administration continues to dismiss it as a “witch hunt.”
But, according to a CNN analysis, President Trump may actually be doing Robert Mueller’s job for him. As the Inquisitr recently reported, CNN‘s Jake Tapper observed that – by revoking former CIA director John Brennan’s security clearance and creating a list of other current and former government officials he’d like to strip of clearances – Trump is connecting the dots for Robert Mueller.
While Trump may or may not be unintentionally aiding Robert Mueller, some of the president’s closest confidants are turning their backs on him, according to the NYT. If McGahan is indeed cooperating with Mueller, he may have given him “the keys to the kingdom,” according to Solomon L. Wisenberg, who was a deputy independent counsel in the Whitewater investigation.
