Blumenthal: Mueller has to have ‘face-to-face interview’ with Trump

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) on Monday said he believes there “has to be” a face-to-face interview between President TrumpDonald John TrumpHouse Democrat slams Donald Trump Jr. for ‘serious case of amnesia’ after testimony Skier Lindsey Vonn: I don’t want to represent Trump at Olympics Poll: 4 in 10 Republicans think senior Trump advisers had improper dealings with Russia MORE and special counsel Robert MuellerRobert Swan MuellerSasse: US should applaud choice of Mueller to lead Russia probe MORE as the latter continues his investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

“Unquestionably there has to be that kind of face-to-face interview. The timing is important because the special counsel needs to have as many facts and as much evidence before he has that face-to-face interview with the president of the United States,” Blumenthal said on CNN’s “New Day.” 

NBC News reported Monday that Trump’s legal team is discussing options for a potential interview between the president and the special counsel.

Blumenthal, who is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he expects there will be more indictments and convictions in Mueller’s investigation into collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. 

“I think that the evidence accumulating against individuals within the White House, within the administration, the mounting evidence of obstruction of justice that’s public, and we have no idea all of what is available to the special counsel,” Blumenthal said when asked why he believes there will be more indictments.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is one of multiple congressional committees conducting separate ongoing investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

Mueller’s investigation has thus far led to two indictments and two guilty pleas. 

Former Trump campaign chairman Paul ManafortPaul John ManafortJudge warns Manafort not to discuss case with media Manafort involved in drafting op-ed defending his Ukrainian work: court papers Trump went off on Manafort for suggesting he should not appear on Sunday shows: report MORE and his former associate, Richard Gates, were indicted last year on money laundering and tax fraud charges.

Former Trump National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and former policy adviser George PapadopoulosGeorge Demetrios PapadopoulosMueller team questions how much Trump knew on Russia contacts: report Papadopoulos lied to FBI out of loyalty to Trump: report White House was not aware Clovis testified before grand jury: report MORE both pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. 

Trump has repeatedly downplayed Mueller’s investigation, calling it a “witch hunt,” and claiming there is no evidence of collusion.

Several Republican lawmakers have in recent weeks questioned the integrity of Mueller’s investigation, pointing to anti-Trump text messages sent by a former member of Mueller’s team.