President Trump made a stunning claim during a new excerpt of his interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos that aired Friday: He thinks former White House counsel Don McGahn may have lied under oath.
“The story on that very simply, No. 1, I was never going to fire Mueller. I never suggested firing Mueller,” Trump told Stephanopoulos in the clip that aired Friday. Stephanopoulos pushed back, arguing that McGahn told investigators that Trump had told him to get rid of special counsel Robert Mueller.
“I don’t care what [McGahn] says, it doesn’t matter,” Trump said.
“Why would [McGahn] lie under oath?” Stephanopoulos asked.
“Because he wanted to make himself look like a good lawyer, or, or, or, he believed it because I would constantly tell anyone who would listen, including you, including the media that Robert Mueller was conflicted, Robert Mueller had a total conflict of interest,” Trump said.
“And has to go?” Stephanopoulos asked.
“I never said– I didn’t say that,” Trump shot back.
Trump’s apparent belief that McGahn lied to Mueller is a serious accusation, especially given the specificity of Trump’s repeated and urgent requests to McGahn to oust Mueller outlined in the special counsel’s report.
