Litman: The House subpoena may not force Trump to testify about Jan. 6, but it’s not an empty gesture. It’s part of a calculated strategy to discredit Robert Mueller, and it may, in time, become a major element in the Russia investigation.
With all his talk about “no collusion” or “no obstruction” in the Russia investigation, Trump seems to have forgotten that his own behavior is central to his defense.
When he ordered the launch of the FBI probe into the Clinton Foundation and the Steele dossier, it was a matter of great concern to him. Just this past spring, when special counsel Robert Mueller was about to release a summary of his findings, it came to Trump’s attention that Mueller might have exonerated him.
And while the president was not directly involved in the FISA warrants that allowed the FBI to spy on Carter Page, he likely played a role in the president’s decision to declassify an unverified Steele dossier report last summer.
In short, Mueller’s investigation has found no crime and found the president to be not guilty, but the Democrats have a different story.
And the evidence on Mueller’s side is overwhelming. The evidence on his side is overwhelming.
Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and former national security adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to making false statements in the investigation.
His former personal attorney Michael Cohen testified in the ongoing trial in which former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and former adviser Michael Flynn are cooperating.
The president tweeted at one point that Mueller was exonerated but now says that he is simply being treated unfairly.
That’s not how you treat someone with a history of lying to cover up crimes.
As a recent Axios piece noted, there’s more evidence than we’ve seen so far about a “back channel” between Trump and the Russians.
But that’s not all. This evidence of collusion is only one part of the picture, and it may not be the most important part.
The House Judiciary Committee may issue a subpoena for Trump’s testimony about the Russia investigation, but that subpoena is probably just a gesture. (The Senate Judiciary Committee has yet to hear its subpoena for Trump’s testimony