Trump legal team counters Mueller's offer on possible interview, Giuliani says
Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani said Wednesday that the president's legal team has responded to special counsel Robert Mueller with a counter-offer for proposed terms of a possible presidential interview. Giuliani, who made the remarks on fellow Trump attorney Jay Sekulow's radio show, didn't say what the proposed terms are.
But in the past, the president's legal team has pushed to limit the number of questions about obstruction and answer as much as possible in writing. This is not a final answer on whether Mr. Trump will do an interview. The negotiations have been ongoing for months, as the president's legal team enters this new counter offer.
Mueller responded to a previous letter sent by the Trump legal team last week, according to Giuliani.
Giuliani said what happens moving forward is the president's decision.
"It's his decision on how far he wants to go in giving up certain prerogatives," Giuliani said. "It's his decision as to what the balance is going to be. If he weren't the president, you and I know that this would be an easy decision -- he just wouldn't testify. People who are even subjects of investigations, we know he is not the target, they almost never testify and prosecutors have to make the decision without ever hearing from them which is why, it would not be so unusual for Mueller to make this decision without hearing from the president."
Giuliani said he wants this decision completed by Sept. 1, although he hasn't held to all the deadlines he has set in the past.
Mr. Trump has said he would like to sit down with Mueller, telling "CBS Evening News" anchor Jeff Glor last month that he's always wanted that.
"My lawyers are working on that," Mr. Trump said. "I've always wanted to do an interview, because, look, there's been no collusion. There's been no talk of Russia."
In June, Giuliani told CBS News' "Face the Nation" that he has advised the president against sitting down with Mueller, "but the president wants to do it."
