Special Counsel Robert Mueller must prove he has obtained evidence that President Trump has committed a crime before the president will agree to an interview for the Russian election meddling probe, the president's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani told The New York Times in a report published Friday.

"If they can come to us and show us the basis and that it's legitimate and that they have uncovered something, we can go from there and assess their objectivity," Giuliani said. He indicated it is increasingly unlikely, though not impossible, Trump will volunteer to be interviewed. Mueller's office, which could attempt to subpoena Trump to compel an interview, declined to comment on the subject.

Giuliani also said the president's lawyers have asked the special counsel to explain the source of his authority to investigate Trump for obstruction of justice given the probe's primary focus on Russia. As the Times notes, Mueller's appointment "authorized him to investigate possible links between Moscow's interference and Trump associates, as well as any matters that arose from the inquiry."

Read more here at The Week on why, innocent or guilty, Trump's attorneys are likely serving their client well by suppressing his urge to talk. Bonnie Kristian