As President Trump wrapped up a successful overseas trip and prepared to deliver his first State of the Union address, an investigation into allegations that his campaign colluded with Russians heated up and threatened to eclipse his eventful week.
Trump’s departure from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Friday came amid news that he attempted to remove special counsel Robert Mueller last year. The revelation that only White House counsel Don McGahn’s threatened resignation stopped Trump from following through on the firing touched off waves of speculation that the president could face scrutiny for obstruction of justice.
The president also confirmed this week that he will likely sit down with Mueller’s team for an interview in the coming weeks, signaling a major milestone in the months-long investigation. Attorney General Jeff Sessions submitted for an interview with investigators last week, the Justice Department confirmed on Tuesday, in what some observers interpreted as an indication that the probe is reaching a peak.
And the White House fended off additional reports that the president asked FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe who he voted for in the election and even attempted to fire McCabe, a move Trump reportedly abandoned after FBI Director Christopher Wray threatened to resign over the proposed removal.
The renewed focus on the Russia investigation, which has repeatedly overshadowed elements of Trump’s agenda since Mueller’s appointment in May, distracted from the rollout on Thursday of the White House’s framework for an immigration bill.
Russia-related headlines also crowded out coverage of Trump’s major economic speech in Davos and the series of bilateral meetings he conducted with key world leaders, including British Prime Minister Theresa May and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The heightened attention to Mueller’s investigation could even cast a shadow over the run-up to Trump’s first State of the Union address on Tuesday.
However, the historic speech could provide Trump with an opportunity to turn the page on a week of controversy and refocus the conversation on his policy agenda. His address last year to a joint session of Congress earned him bipartisan accolades and boosted confidence in his administration at a time when his young presidency was still causing uncertainty around the country.
But Trump’s upcoming interview with Mueller has some of his allies nervous that the president’s greatest Russia-related challenges lie ahead.
“I understand the president’s confidence in that he knows that there was no Russian collusion and that he has done nothing wrong — however, Muller‘s focus is no longer on Russia,” longtime Trump ally Roger Stone told the Washington Examiner. “Having come up empty-handed, [Mueller] now clearly hopes to box the president into some misstatement that he can frame as perjury or obstruction of justice.”
Stone recommended Trump’s legal team seek to satisfy Mueller’s inquiry by submitting written answers to written questions, rather than brave an unpredictable in-person interview.
Trump told reporters this week that he is “looking forward” to sitting down with Mueller and that he would be willing to submit to an interview under oath, subject to the advice of his legal team.
The president’s interview with Mueller — which Trump said could take place within two to three weeks — could come as his administration seeks to shepherd an immigration compromise through a divided Congress.
White House aides began to roll out a proposal on Thursday that would provide a pathway to citizenship for 1.8 million young, undocumented immigrants and request $25 billion in funding for a border wall. Democrats met Trump’s plan with fierce criticism, setting the administration up for a potentially contentious battle over immigration.
The White House has said it will release its legislative framework for an immigration deal on Monday.
