There's more to Trump's 'fair' prediction on Mueller probe than meets the eye

Trump raises questions on how he'll act if Mueller doesn't end his probe soon
"I hope that he's going to be fair," Trump told The New York Times
(CNN) President Donald Trump's latest interview with The New York Times is a many layered exercise of political positioning, calculated ambiguity and veiled menace.

On the face of it, the President appears to undercut a holiday season campaign by Hill Republicans and the pro-Trump media to discredit Robert Mueller's probe by saying he believes the special counsel will be "fair" to him.

Yet Trump raises implicit questions about how he will act if Mueller does not soon end his investigation and clear him. Other comments in the interview are already prompting new concerns about the President's perception of his own powers of jurisdiction over the Mueller inquiry and the Justice Department itself.

Trump also used the session to direct a stinging new critique toward Jeff Sessions, revealing the President's still boiling fury with the attorney general, which will provoke new speculation about how long the former Alabama senator will survive in his job.

The interview, conducted Thursday during Trump's stay at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, offers a fascinating glimpse into the President's mind and mood as the Russia investigation hangs over his administration despite a strong end-of-year streak that saw the passage of the most sweeping tax reform law in 30 years.

He stayed true to his recent strategy of not criticizing Mueller personally, though many of his supporters among Republicans on Capitol Hill and in the pro-Trump media are waging an escalating campaign against the special counsel and arguing that his subordinates are biased against Trump.

"I hope that he's going to be fair. I think that he's going to be fair. ... There's been no collusion. But I think he's going to be fair," Trump said.

The President's comments could be seen as an above-the-board attempt to ensure that Mueller's capacity to finish his investigation is not compromised. Or perhaps his motivation is to set up a good guy/bad guy scenario as his allies continue to attack the special counsel.