On Fox News on Tuesday, contributor Judge Andrew Napolitano spoke with Neil Cavuto about the fate of Robert Mueller’s investigation and that of recently arrested and indicted Trump confidante Roger Stone. The whole thing could go past the next election, said the Judge, depending on who cooperates and who doesn’t.

At the same approximate time Napolitano was on Your World with Neil Cavuto, acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker told reporters in a press briefing that he believes the Special Counsel’s investigation is “close to being completed,” a wrinkle about which Napolitano was not aware during his appearance in the clip above.

Napolitano was sharing with Cavuto the insights he had from his own interview of Stone for his Fox Nation program, and said that Stone could be intending to play hardball. After some back and forth about the arrest and the possibility of a gag order, Cavuto asked what happens next: “So let me ask you, if this were to go to trial, I know I’m leaping ahead here, when would it go to trial?”

“Well he said it’s going to go to trial,” said Napolitano, meaning that Stone is stating he will not take a plea as several other indicted officials have during the investigation. “I think that statement might have been intended for the president’s consumption– It would go to trial about a year from now. A year from now, when the country will be caught up in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary. And nearly three years after Bob Mueller was appointed.”

“So Mueller has guaranteed himself and his team another year in office,” he said, “because by all the things that have to –”

Cavuto asked in dismay. “So Mueller could––we would not have a report out of Mueller by then?”

“I doubt it,” said Napolitano.

“Wow,” Cavuto said.

“I doubt we’re going to get a report from Mueller until the people he’s indicted, and needs to try, have been tried,” Napolitano explained. “Why? Because a lot of information comes out in cross examination at trial which you don’t always anticipate, and Mueller and his team are going to want to have the benefit of that information.”

“So you’re saying this is going to continue right through the next presidential cycle,’ said Cavuto, “something that dealt with the last presidential cycle?”

“If Roger Stone plays the hardball that he told me he would play, and he seems determined to do that, the answer to your question is yes,” said Napolitano.

Watch the clip above, courtesy of Fox News Channel.

[Featured image via screengrab]

—

Follow Caleb Howe (@CalebHowe) on Twitter

from Mediaite http://bit.ly/2RY6Tpx