Mueller Turns The Screws On The West Wing (TWEETS)



In the last 72 hours, we’ve gotten a number of very loud and very clear suggestions that Robert Mueller’s investigation into the Russian effort to hack the presidential election is getting very close to Donald Trump.

On Monday, we learned that Mueller’s investigators have been putting major heat on former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort. They not only got a no-knock warrant to raid Manafort’s house in August, but have already told Manafort that he is about to be indicted. We also learned that Mueller has information gleaned from two separate Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act probes into Manafort. That information includes intercepts that suggest Manafort may have asked Russian operatives to meddle in the election.

Under the circumstances, even Fox News’ Andrew Napolitano was forced to admit that Mueller is breathing down Trump’s neck. If there was any doubt this was the case, it was put to rest on Wednesday afternoon. The New York Times reports that Mueller is taking a long, hard look at some of Trump’s actions since taking office.

According to White House officials, Mueller’s office is seeking information on 13 topics. Four of them relate to Trump’s original national security adviser, Michael Flynn. For those who don’t recall, Flynn claimed that he was merely exchanging holiday greetings with Kislyak, but they were actually discussing the 11th-hour economic sanctions the Obama administration slapped on Moscow. That deceit resulted in Flynn being forced to resign less than a month after Trump was sworn in.

Mueller wants the White House to turn over all internal communications related to an interview Flynn had with the FBI about those calls. He also wants any documents related to how the White House responded to concerns that Flynn could potentially be blackmailed by the Kremlin.


Three of the requests relate to the firing of FBI Director James Comey. Mueller wants to know about the decision-making process that led to Comey’s ouster, as well as details about any meetings between Trump and Comey. He also wants details about a meeting Trump held with Kislyak and Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov at which Trump said Comey’s firing relieved “great pressure” on him.

Remember, folks, Mueller already has the memos Comey wrote about his interactions with Trump–including meetings at which Trump demanded a pledge of loyalty and pushed Comey to back off the investigation into Flynn. A good prosecutor never asks a question when he doesn’t already know the answer.

Mueller is also delving into the White House’s response to reports that First Son Donald Trump Jr. set up a meeting at Trump Tower with a Russian lawyer in hopes of getting Kremlin-flavored “opposition research” about Hillary Clinton. The White House initially claimed the meeting was about adoptions–a line dictated by Trump himself. Mueller wants details of any correspondence drafted on Air Force One regarding this initial response, as well as all White House documents regarding the meeting.

Trump has dropped ominous hints that he could fire Mueller if he steps out of line. This story can only be described as a very loud warning not to even think about it. Admittedly, firing Mueller would have been a suicidal move on Trump’s part, given Mueller’s sterling reputation on both sides of the aisle. But now? That would be just plain crazy.

Business Insider’s Natasha Bertrand thinks this investigation is going in the same direction. She told MSNBC’s Chris Matthews that Mueller appears to be spoon-feeding evidence of impeachable acts to Congress.

Harvard Law professor Laurence Tribe is of the same mind.

This story went live just before 3 pm Eastern. As I write this on Wednesday night, we have yet to see any angry tweets from Trump about “the failing New York Times.” Perhaps he knows what a number of his own staffers know–it would be a wasted effort. One staffer told The Washington Post that this investigation has progressed to the point that it will “run to completion even if they fire Mueller.”


Perhaps Trump knows something else. The last time a special investigator requested this much detail about a president’s official acts, it didn’t end so well for that president.

(featured image courtesy Obama White House, part of public domain)

Darrell is a 30-something graduate of the University of North Carolina who considers himself a journalist of the old school. An attempt to turn him into a member of the religious right in college only succeeded in turning him into the religious right's worst nightmare--a charismatic Christian who is an unapologetic liberal. His desire to stand up for those who have been scared into silence only increased when he survived an abusive three-year marriage. You may know him on Daily Kos as Christian Dem in NC. Follow him on Twitter @DarrellLucus or connect with him on Facebook. Click here to buy Darrell a Mello Yello.