(CNN) Donald Trump's legal team is trying to narrow the scope of the President's potential interview with special counsel Robert Mueller to questions on Russia-related matters that occurred before Trump's election, multiple sources familiar with the matter told CNN. Their goal is to move past a standoff that threatens to drag out Mueller's investigation, and appears to be part of a larger strategy to negotiate with the special counsel through the media. "We said we wanted the questions limited to Russian collusion," one of the sources with knowledge of the President's legal strategy tells CNN. And even within the pre-presidency category, Trump's lawyers want to narrow what questions the prosecutors can ask. The focus on Trump's conduct prior to assuming the presidency also would exclude questions about the firing of then-FBI Director James Comey and possible obstruction of justice.

Source: CNN May 22, 2018 21:56 UTC