“Nothing there.” “A witch hunt.” “No collusion.” “Fake news.”

If President Donald Trump really believed these words, he would be working with both hands to help Special Counsel Robert Mueller successfully conclude his investigation into alleged entanglements between Trump and Russia.

How it would clear the air and free Trump from disabling suspicions if the Mueller investigations could declare without hesitation that Trump had laundered no money for Russian oligarchs while in his real estate business, had accepted no help from Russian interests in his campaign against Hillary Clinton and owes no money to Russian entities that could corrupt our nation’s dealings with Moscow.

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Instead, Trump works to thwart Mueller’s investigations at every turn; he castigates his attorney general for recusing himself from Russian investigations rather than protecting him in the matter, dismisses FBI Director James Comey because of the “Russian thing,” and almost fires Mueller, stopped only by a threat to resign by his White House counsel.

Not only does he not seem to believe his own words, but Trump also shows every sign of a man who is hiding something. We, the public, have a right to know what that might be, and we have an equal right to assurances that Mueller’s investigations will go on as planned.