President Trump's team of lawyers and aides plan to come out swinging Thursday as the Mueller report is released to lawmakers after 11am. Conversations between the White House and Justice Department have helped craft Trump's initial defense strategy, expected to include TV appearances by personal lawyers Jay Sekulow and Rudy Giuliani, reports Politico. Thursday's action kicks off with Attorney General William Barr's 9:30am press conference. One big question is what Trump himself will do. He suggested on Wednesday that he might hold a press conference of his own, but it's also possible he might lie low, strategically.
The idea would be "to give the appearance of a president consumed by the demands of his office," Politico reports, adding that Bill Clinton did much the same at pivotal moments in the Starr investigation—"a historical example Trump's lawyers have studied closely." Trump and the first lady are hosting an event for the Wounded Warrior Project's Soldier Ride in the morning, per the Hill, and Trump meets with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo later before heading to Mar-a-Lago. At least that's the plan. Politico notes Trump could go off script, particularly if the report indicates current and former aides attacked Trump or his family members during interviews with Mueller's team. The testimony of former top attorney Don McGahn is of particular concern, per the Washington Examiner. (More Mueller report stories.)
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