Trump schedules rally on the same day of Muller testimony to Congress

The rally could provide an opportunity for Mr Trump to distract from Mr Mueller's testimony

(REUTERS)

Donald Trump has scheduled a campaign rally on the same day that former special counsel Robert Mueller will testify to congress about his investigation into Russia's election interference and obstruction of justice.

The Trump campaign announced on Tuesday evening that he would return to the key battleground state of North Carolina on 17 July - effectively delivering counter-programming to Mr Mueller's testimony before the House Intelligence and Judiciary Committees.

Because the campaign rally will happen in the early evening during primetime television, should networks carry Mr Trump's speech, it will provide him an opportunity to distract from Mr Mueller's earlier testimony and give him the opportunity to have the last word.

Michael Glassner, chief operating officer of the Trump campaign, announced in a statement that the president's appearance at the event in North Carolina would be an opportunity to reiterate " the successes of the Trump presidency."

"North Carolina has one of the hottest economies in the nation," the statement said, and that is directly attributable to the pro-growth policies of this administration," Mr Glassner said Mr Trump would also speak of the military.

Mr Trump carried the state - that has one of the largest populations of active-duty and reserve military personnel in the country - by four percentage points against Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.

The testimony of Mr Mueller has long been sought by House Democrats since the release of his report three months' ago, and the back-to-back hearing are anticipated to be the most closely watched spectacles of the Trump presidency.

House Democrats believe Mr Mueller's appearance will likely have the ability to re-shape the political landscape in Washington and around his re-election campaign, as well as a possible impeachment inquiry for obstruction of justice.

Mr Trump seemed to be agitated over the potential far-reaching ramifications of Mr Mueller’s testimony to the House committees on Tuesday evening. “Robert Mueller is being asked to testify yet again,” he complained in a tweet.

“He said he could only stick to the Report, & that is what he would and must do. After so much testimony & total transparency, this Witch Hunt must now end. No more Do Overs. No Collusion, No Obstruction. The Great Hoax is dead!”

Mr Trump’s re-election campaign rally is scheduled to be held at a venue on the campus of East Carolina University that has an 8,000-seat capacity for basketball. The team’s website describes the arena as “cozy.”