Fox News
Fox News anchor Chris Wallace interviewing Jay Sekulow.
Fox News anchor Chris Wallace grilled an attorney for President Donald Trump over the Russia investigation and the president's seeming acknowledgement that he was under investigation for potential obstruction of justice by firing former FBI Director James Comey.In a heated interview on "Fox News Sunday," Trump attorney Jay Sekulow insisted - as he did on the other Sunday political talk shows - that the president was not under criminal investigation, despite reporting from The Washington Post and the president's own tweet that suggested he was a target of the investigation.
The interview became lively when Sekulow seemed to contradict himself, suggesting that Trump was under investigation after firing Comey on the recommendations of the attorney general and deputy attorney general.
"He takes the action that they also, by the way, recommended. And now he's being investigated by the Department of Justice," Sekulow said. "So he's being investigated for taking the action the attorney general and deputy attorney general recommended him to take by the agency that recommended the determination."
"You've now said that he's being investigated," Wallace said.
"No, Chris. Let me be crystal clear so you completely understand: We have not received nor are we aware of any investigation of the president of the United States," Sekulow replied.
"Sir, you've just said two times that he's being investigated," Wallace said.
"I just gave you the legal theory of how the constitution works," Sekulow said. "If in fact it's correct that the president is being investigated, he's being investigated for taking an action that an agency told him to take. That is protected under the constitution."
When Wallace said Sekulow did not appear to know whether Trump is under investigation for obstruction of justice, Sekulow sarcastically suggested that he had not been informed that special prosecutor Robert Mueller was investigating the president.
"You're right, Chris, I can't read the mind of the special prosecutor, but I have not been notified, no one has been notified that he is," Sekulow said.
After the Fox News anchor pressed Sekulow over whether Trump was going to fire deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein and Mueller, Sekulow attempted to end the line of questioning.
"Here's what you're trying to do, Chris," Sekulow said.
"Now you're reading minds again," Wallace said.
"No, Chris, I deal with fact and law," Sekulow said. "You're asking me to read people's minds."
"Well then, don't tell me what I'm trying to do, because you don't know what I'm trying to do," Wallace replied. "Actually, what I'm trying to get is a straight answer out of you."
Sekulow appeared on several political talk shows on Sunday to argue that contrary to the president's tweet, the Trump team did not know if the president was under investigation by Mueller.