Trump says he won't interfere in Robert Mueller's final Russia report
/ CBS News
President Trump says that he'll leave any decisions regarding Special Counsel Robert Mueller's final report on the Russia investigation to the Department of Justice. Mr. Trump said he's "chosen to stay out of it" when asked if he would "sign off" on Mueller's findings.
In a wide-ranging interview with The Daily Caller on Wednesday, Mr. Trump suggested that he "could've taken a much difference stance" on the highly-anticipated release of Mueller's report.
"I could've gotten involved in this, I could've terminated everything. I could've ended everything. I've chosen to stay out of it. But I had the right to, as you know, I had the right, if I wanted to, to end everything. I could've just said, 'that's enough.' Many people thought that's what I should do," the president said.
As Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker told CBS News' Paula Reid this week that the Mueller investigation was "close to being completed", Mr. Trump said he never spoke to Whitaker about that. He added later that after almost two years, the probe "certainly should be" finished.
Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 campaign and any possible links to the Trump campaign began in May 2017, shortly after Mr. Trump abruptly fired FBI Director James Comey. His investigators have handed down indictments against multiple Trump associates including former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and most recently Trump confidant Roger Stone.
Despite claiming he would stay out of the investigation, Mr. Trump has repeatedly lashed out over Mueller's probe, frequently comparing it to a "witch hunt" and a "total disgrace."
CBS News' Stefan Becket contributed to this report.
First published on January 31, 2019
© 2019 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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