cnn exclusive reporting tonight. the trump legal team, engaging in direct communication with the department of justice about the january 6th criminal investigation. the news comes after we learn the justice department is getting ready for a court battle, which officials might try to keep the conversations with the former president out of reach of investigators. join me now with kim whaley, a visiting professor of law at american university, and the author of the upcoming book how to think like a lawyer, as well as cnn s senior political and terrorism analyst, philip mudd. good evening, one and all. thanks so much. kim, let s begin with you. okay. let s start with your reaction to this new report, first of all. don, i m not really that surprised. i think mayor garland has made clear, in speeches, that he s going to follow the backs of the law, as far as they take them, regardless of who is involved. and he is sort of nodded, potentially, to donald trump, and the january 6t
visiting professor of law at american university, and the author of the upcoming book how to think like a lawyer, as well as cnn s senior political and terrorism analyst, philip mudd. good evening, one and all. thanks so much. kim, let s begin with you. okay. let s start with your reaction to this new report, first of all. don, i m not really that surprised. i think mayor garland has made clear, in speeches, that he s going to follow the backs of the law, as far as they take them, regardless of who is involved. and he is sort of nodded, potentially, to donald trump, and the january 6th committee hearings in a very small segment of the evidence to knock it out of the park, in terms of donald trump s involvement in what has already been elected as and people think convicted for serious federal crimes. so, the fact that his lawyers are talking to doj is not a big surprise. i m expecting indictments, frankly, and the idea that this is about executive privileges,