Democrats want Don McGahn to testify to Congress

Key Democrats are calling for Don McGahn to testify before Congress after revelations in the Mueller report show the former White House counsel’s refusal to follow through on Oval Office orders may have saved President Trump from potential obstruction of justice charges.

Reps. Jerrold Nadler and Elijah Cummings said Sunday that interviewing Mr. McGahn needs to be a part of a series of investigations they plan to launch into the president’s finances, firings and other behaviors detailed in the Mueller report.

“We have to hear from [special counsel Robert] Mueller. We have to hear from other people, like Don McGahn, whom we’re going to call,” Mr. Nadler said on “Meet the Press.” “We have to get the entire report, including the redacted material, so we can evaluate it, and so the American people can know what was going on.”

Mr. McGahn told investigators he threatened to quit his position at the White House after the president asked him to fire Mr. Mueller in June 2017.

“I feel pretty good about McGahn,” Mr. Cummings said on “Face the Nation.” “Because McGahn stood up to this president, and … there are a lot of McGahns out there, and we need more of them to stand up.”

White House officials brushed Mr. McGahn’s claims.

Counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway said the president’s exchange with Mr. McGahn did not constitute obstruction in any way.

“Don McGhan stayed on the job for 18 months after that which I think is very telling,” she said. “If the president wanted to fire Bob Mueller he would have.”

“I believe that Don McGahn is an honorable attorney who stayed on the job 18 months after this alleged incident took place and that, if he were being asked to obstruct justice or violate the Constitution or commit a crime — help to commit a crime by the president of the United States, he wouldn’t have stayed,” she added.

Former New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer, denied that Mr. McGahn “saved” Mr. Trump and accused Mr. McGahn of giving three different versions of that story to the special counsel.

“I’m telling you he’s confused,” Mr. Giuliani said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “We don’t know which one McGahn is sticking by.”