According to Business Insider and The Wall Street Journal, President Trump's legal team is testing out a new argument against having him sit down for an in-person interview with Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
While maintaining that all options for a Trump-Mueller interview remain on the table, one of Trump's lawyers has claimed that a face-to-face interview would set a bad precedent for future investigations.
"It would be a travesty to waste [Trump's] time and to set a precedent which would cripple a future president," the unnamed lawyer told The Wall Street Journal on Sunday.
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The lawyer said Mueller "has all of the notes and memos of the thoughts and actions of this president on all subjects he requested in real time without reservation or qualification, including testimony from his most intimate staff and eight lawyers from the White House Counsel's Office."
"Any question for the president is answered in these materials and testimony," the lawyer continued.
Instead of a full in-person interview, Trump's team has also floated written responses to interviewers' questions, along with partial face-to-face responses.
However, The New York Times reported three weeks ago that Trump's lawyers simply do not trust him not to lie, and that appears to be the foundation for all attempts to prevent Mueller from conducting a comprehensive interview.
But Trump's team does have reason to be worried about a face-to-face interview — judging from past depositions he has been involved in over the years, Trump is a gregarious witness who doesn't shy away from boasting, fiercely defending his record, and stretching the truth to make himself look good, according to the Associated Press. In an interview with Mueller's team, such qualities could lead Trump to inadvertently open the door for perjury.
Read More: Trump's legal team has a baffling new argument for why he shouldn't speak with Mueller (Business Insider)