May 8, 2018

The Wall Street Journal reports today that Trump's team had a four-hour practice session for a possible interview with Bob Mueller.

"Mr. Trump's lawyers were only able to walk him through two questions given the frequent interruptions on national security matters, along with Mr. Trump's loquaciousness. One person said -- interesting to know who might have said this Wall Street Journal, this little bit of color, John, because in a four-hour practice session, we would like to know when that was and how much tweeting was happening during that four-hour," Alisyn Camerota said.

"Only two questions. In other words, look, the way you interpret this, there's so much national security stuff happening the president can't possibly prepare for this kind of sit-down."

"The president has pressing responsibilities for national security. It's tough to make that time," John Avlon said. "On the other hand, presidents have done it in the past. That particular tidbit is delicious. Seems like an outtake from within the loop. There's the absurdity and believability of high office two questions in four hours.

"You think that Donald Trump spent four hours going over something he's not sure he wants to do?" Cuomo said.

"With regular breaks for presumably tweeting, as well as national security. Here is the point, first of all, he is totally loquacious, he is not focused. Two questions derail him for large periods of time? Sure," Avlon said.

"When you have a client, they can say he wants to testify all he wants because that's what he says to the press, clearly he doesn't," Cuomo said. "If he wanted to, he would have already said, let's get it on and figure out when. But why would you prep for something now that you are not anywhere near close to agreeing to do?

"Well, it could possibly be for them to explain to the president through the practice session just what he is getting himself into so that they can help him make a final decision," Michael Zeldin said. "I'm not so sure that he's actually made a final decision. He has an instinct saying 'I can talk my way through an interview with Mueller.' These practice sessions inform him whether that's true or not. That's smart for them to practice with him and say, what do you think? Should be doing down the line in our final decision?"

"That makes more sense. It's not a let's prepare, let's prepare to prepare or not," Cuomo said.

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