Giuliani downplays possibility of Trump invoking executive privilege

Rudy Giuliani in an interview with Politico downplayed the possibility that President Trump would use executive privilege to block special counsel Robert Mueller from testifying to Congress.

“I think I’d have to hear the words ‘We’re invoking executive privilege’ to know they’ve come to that conclusion,” Giuliani told Politico. 

He added that he did not speak directly with Trump on the matter. 

{mosads}Giuliani’s remarks were in the context of a piece that said that White House advisers were taken by surprise by Trump’s tweet, with officials saying it should not be taken as an official warning that executive privilege will be used.

Trump tweeted on Sunday that Mueller should not testify and again asserted his innocence, saying there had been no conspiracy and no obstruction of justice. 

Democrats are clamoring to hear from Mueller, who in a letter sent to Attorney General William Barr objected to the way Barr had characterized the conclusions of his report on his 22-month probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. 

A Mueller hearing would be high theater on Capitol Hill, setting up the possibility that the special counsel could contradict statements by Barr. 

Barr last week testified that he spoke to Mueller about his letter and characterized the special counsel’s criticisms as being aimed at the media. But Mueller’s letter to Barr did not mention the media.

Barr has said he does not object to Mueller testifying, though Trump’s statement would appear to put him in a difficult spot.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) previously said that Mueller should testify before the panel. Multiple news outlets reported last week that Democrats on the committee were in direct talks with Mueller about whether he would testify.