More witnesses expected as potential Trump indictment looms

 The grand

jury here in Washington

is investigating

2020 election interference

just wrapped up its work for the day.

We're learning

the panel is expected to hear

from more key witnesses

Even as anticipation is clearly building

about a potential indictment

of Donald Trump.

CNN senior justice correspondent

Evan Perez is working the story for us.

Evans here in The Situation Room.

Tell us first of all.

First of all, about the key

witnesses that were called once again

and more witnesses

presumably could be called again. Right.

There are more witnesses Wolf.

We know of at least a former attorney

who is expected to come in.

Witnesses are being called

and asked for for more evidence

that the special counsel

is still gathering

as part of this investigation.

We know witnesses

at least for another few weeks ahead.

Beyond beyond beyond this week, where,

of course,

the former president

received his target letter

that tells us

that the special counsel is continuing

to do their investigation.

It is quite possible

that they may bring an indictment

against the former president

and continue to do the investigation

against other people who are accused

of being part of the effort

to overturn the election.

We know that the former president

is preparing for that possibility.

He's adding a new member

to his legal team.

Again, another indication that he knows

this is coming and all of this will,

you know,

as we were at the courthouse today,

we saw

Will Russell, one of his close aides.

He was there in

the administration,

was with the former president

on January six.

And he continues to work

with the former president.

He's been before the grand jury before.

It is his third time.

And we know,

at least

from some of the goings on today,

that there was the issue

of executive privilege

that came up during the questioning

by prosecutors before the grand jury.

Again, the grand jury wrapped up today.

We know of no indictment

that has been handed handed up yet,

but that could come in the next few days.

We shall see

obviously all bracing for that.

Stay with us.

Evan, I want to also want to bring in

more of our legal and political experts.

George Conway, Trump

got this target letter

as we all know earlier in the week,

but investigators want to hear it.

We just heard from more witnesses,

including including

Bernie Kerik,

who worked closely with Rudy Giuliani

What does that tell you?

Well, I don't think it

necessarily tells us that

there won't be

an indictment of Donald Trump soon.

We just don't know.

We don't know exactly what

what the special counsel is doing.

I think the fact that we have heard

from Trump and I assume that's accurate,

that there

it has been a target

letter issued to him tells us that

we shouldn't have to

we won't be waiting that long for

Trump to be indicted.

That said,

it doesn't mean that

the special counsel

has to stop investigating.

In fact,

that it makes sense

for the special counsel

to keep looking for evidence,

even if he thinks that

he's got enough already.

You pointed out, George,

that Mark Meadows has been quiet

despite his legal exposure in this case.

Do you think he's actually cooperating

with the special counsel?

Again, there's no way of knowing,

but it is passing strange

that I think a two years ago

he was leading the charge for Trump.

20, 24.

He showed up in Bedminster and he was

he was he's playing king of the roost.

And and obviously he was he

he had these people doing his book then.

But as we've seen in the

in the other investigation.

But he's been very quiet ever since.

And you have to wonder why that is.

He hasn't

put in as many appearances

as you might have expected him

to at various Trump Trump events.

And he's been very, very quiet,

not not staying out of the media.

Now could be just lawyers

giving him advice to say there's

nothing good

that can happen if you go on the air.

But you have to think there's something.

This is a man

who likes

the limelight, likes being

the center, wanted a bit like being

the chief of staff.

He's been awfully quiet.

And that's the subject

of a lot of speculation in the people

among people around the former president.

They want to know

exactly what he's saying

and the fact that they don't know.

Leads a lot to speculation.

You know, I will say

Meadows, his own legal team

says the only thing they'll say is

he told the truth

because he's had to testify.

And of course, he's played

a big role in a lot of this. Right.

I mean, it's his book

that was,

of course,

being being research

and where this recording emerged from.

So he's a huge part of this case.

And, you know, as George points out,

we don't know much about what he said.

He's also a firsthand witness

he is

the man who is in the room

making appointments,

you know, bringing people,

putting some of the pressure

on those state officials. Absolutely.

You know,

he was the White House

chief of staff during all of this.

Correct.

That was going on.

So he potentially

has a lot of information

about the mindset.

But give us here,

this is a sprawling investigation

and it's continuing

and continuing and continuing.

So to

the point that Evan was making about it

continuing, several of very senior

former Justice Department officials

have told me

that we should expect an indictment

and then we should expect

the investigation to go on.

After that, one said to me,

they can walk and chew gum at what

when we look at this,

just think about we've

we've seen dozens of witnesses.

We've seen Meadows Rudy,

former Vice President

Pence, family members,

Secret Service officials,

a campaign officials, White House

inner circle.

So it has been extensive.

But what's interesting is

we have not heard about

any other target letters.

There may be some,

but it could be

one source said to me

that the special counsel

wants to move very quickly.

And so he may be proceeding

with a rather narrow

first indictment against Donald Trump.

You know, just on the political side,

however, Trump's 2024 Republican rivals,

presidential wannabes,

if you will,

how are they reacting to this

sprawling investigation?

Well, look, things

are essentially frozen in place here.

I mean, he's a candidate for president.

He's leading the way in every sense

that, you know,

his rivals have been walking

a very fine line.

We have heard a little more nuanced,

not criticism,

you know,

some raising questions about this.

Florida Governor

Ron DeSantis said today

nobody is above the law.

But then went

on to say in the next breath,

as they always do,

this is not as black and white

as a bank robber.

It would be, for example.

So everyone now

a most of the Republican candidates,

with the exception of Chris

Christie and Asa Hutchinson,

are saying that the Justice Department

has been weaponized.

They're using this as a way

to galvanize Republican support

but the bottom line is

this race

is frozen in place

and that helps Donald Trump

for now at least.

But I do think talking to a variety

of Republicans, that

this indictment

may be viewed in a different way

because of the substance of it.

January 6th, it's much more

sort of

in our public

mind and consciousness

than the classified documents

and the album brand case in Manhattan,

which is sort of

seems a long time ago,

January six this year is seared in our

our minds.

Yeah, it certainly is.

You know,

Georgia Republicans

many of them, including Trump's

many of Trump's 20, 24 rivals, including

Ron DeSantis,

they argue

that Trump couldn't get a fair trial

here in Washington, D.C.

What do you think?

What do you

I think he can get a perfectly fair

trial anywhere.

I think his problem is the evidence.

He got a fair

trial in New York

in the Jean Carroll case, where

there was a fellow who was on the jury

who listened to a right wing podcast

and he joined the rest of the jurors

and in returning a verdict of $5 million

for Jean Carroll, within two or 3 hours

of me

of the jury being sent away into the

into the deliberations room.

And I just don't think that there's any

you know,

there are going to be people there

who are going to be

you know,

they'll have different political views,

obviously, that the District of Columbia

is a good venue for for the prosecution.

But these are going to be very smart,

very intelligent

and very fair minded people

if the judge does

the voir dire correctly. Yeah.

All right. Guys, thank you very much.