Special counsel Robert Mueller is looking to Donald Trump’s Twitter account for potential evidence of obstruction of his investigation, the New York Times reported Thursday. According to three anonymous sources, Mueller is examining tweets by the U.S. president regarding Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the former FBI director James Comey.
Both men are witnesses in Mueller’s investigation; if Trump was privately pressuring them about the investigation, his actions could amount to obstruction by “both intimidating witnesses and pressuring senior law enforcement officials to tamp down the inquiry,” the Times reports.
Earlier this year, the Times released a list of questions Mueller wants to ask Trump. Questions center around former national security advisor Michael Flynn, Comey, Sessions, and campaign coordination with Russia. Some questions refer to specific tweets, such as “What was the purpose of your May 12, 2017, tweet?” This specific post came after news of the president’s private dinner with Comey. On this day, Trump tweeted, “James Comey better hope that there are no “tapes” of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!”
According to the Times, the president’s lawyers argue that none of Trump’s actions amount to obstruction. They say his actions, including the firing of Comey, fall under his presidential jurisdiction. Mueller may, however, be constructing a broader picture to illustrate the president’s attempt at obstruction, including several actions and Twitter posts as evidence.