In an interview on ABC, host George Stephanopoulos, President Donald Trump said that the U.S. Constitution allowed him to do “whatever” he wanted regarding the Department of Justice’s special counsel probe led former FBI Director Robert Mueller.
When asked if he ordered his White House counsel Don McGahn to fire Mueller, Trump said, “Number one, I was never going to fire Mueller. I never suggested firing Mueller.”
Stephanopoulos said, “That’s not what he says.”
Trump shot back, “I don’t care what he says. It doesn’t matter.”
Stephanopoulos asked, “Why would Don McGahn lie under oath?”
Trump said, “Because he wanted to make himself look like a good lawyer. Or he believed it because I would constantly tell anyone who would listen including you, including the media that Robert Mueller was conflicted.”
He added, “Look, Article II, I would be allowed to fire Robert Mueller. Assuming I did all of the things, I said I want to fire him. Number one, I didn’t. He wasn’t fired. Number one, very importantly but more importantly, Article II allows me to do whatever I want. Article II would allow me to fire him. I wasn’t going to fire him. You know why — because I watched Richard Nixon firing everybody and that didn’t work out too well.”
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