The 10 Events You Need To Know To Understand The Almost
President Trump 's reported order last summer to fire Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller is all about obstruction of justice â whether it happened  and whether it could be proved.
 Trump  ordered White House counsel Don McGahn to fire Mueller in June  as The New York Times reported on Thursday. McGahn refused  and threatened to quit.  Trump  backed off.
Speaking to reporters Friday at the World Economic Forum in Davos  Switzerland   Trump  dismissed the report. "Fake news. Fake news " the president said in brief remarks as he entered the conference hall. "Typical New York Times. Fake stories."
And prior to leaving for Davos  the president had told reporters he was willing to talk to Mueller's investigators under oath.  Trump  said  he  was "looking forward to it." At the time  the president also said  "There's been no collusion whatsoever. There's no obstruction whatsoever."
Still  because of the events of the past year  "it now appears likely that Mueller will conclude that  Trump  obstructed justice " wrote former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti on Friday. Here's the chain of events that led to now:
Four days later  and after a second meeting between McGahn and Yates  Trump fires Yates. The reason given by the White House is her decision to instruct Justice Department attorneys not to defend his immigration restrictions. But subsequent events raise the question about whether Yates' dismissal also was connected to the unwelcome visit she paid to McGahn.
Either way  McGahn told  Trump  that Flynn had probably provided an inaccurate portrayal of events to FBI investigators  according to  Trump  lawyer John Dowd.
3. Comey says  Trump  asks for loyalty;  Trump  fires Flynn
On Jan. 27   President Trump  arranges a dinner with then-FBI Director James Comey  where  according to Comey's testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee   the president  says: "I need loyalty  I expect loyalty."
Comey said he felt like the dinner was an effort on the part of  the president  to have him ask for his job and "create some sort of patronage relationship."
 Trump  has denied asking Comey for a loyalty pledge.
Meanwhile  the spin cycle continues to churn about Flynn's discussions with Kislyak  accounts of which were leaked to the Washington Post. About two weeks later  on Feb. 13   Trump  fires Flynn.
The very next day  according to Comey  he visited the Oval Office for a meeting with  Trump  and advisers. Afterward   the president  cleared the room of everyone except him and the FBI director.
"I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go  to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go " Comey says  Trump  said.
 Trump  has continually denied that he ever asked Comey to stop investigating Flynn.
4.  Trump  pressures Sessions to "safeguard" him
[TGT]  's reported order last summer to fire Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller is all about obstruction of justice â whether it happened  and whether it could be proved.
  [TGT] ordered White House counsel Don McGahn to fire Mueller in June  as The New York Times reported on Thursday. McGahn refused  and threatened to quit.   [TGT]   backed off.
Speaking to reporters Friday at the World Economic Forum in Davos  Switzerland    [TGT]   dismissed the report. "Fake news. Fake news " the president said in brief remarks as he entered the conference hall. "Typical New York Times. Fake stories."
And prior to leaving for Davos  the president had told reporters he was willing to talk to Mueller's investigators under oath.   [TGT] said   [TGT]   was "looking forward to it." At the time  the president also said  "There's been no collusion whatsoever. There's no obstruction whatsoever."
Still  because of the events of the past year  "it now appears likely that Mueller will conclude that   [TGT] obstructed justice " wrote former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti on Friday. Here's the chain of events that led to now:
Four days later  and after a second meeting between McGahn and Yates  Trump fires Yates. The reason given by the White House is her decision to instruct Justice Department attorneys not to defend his immigration restrictions. But subsequent events raise the question about whether Yates' dismissal also was connected to the unwelcome visit she paid to McGahn.
Either way  McGahn told   [TGT] that Flynn had probably provided an inaccurate portrayal of events to FBI investigators  according to  [TGT] lawyer John Dowd.
3. Comey says   [TGT] asks for loyalty;   [TGT] fires Flynn
On Jan. 27   President Trump  arranges a dinner with then-FBI Director James Comey  where  according to Comey's testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee   the president  says: "I need loyalty  I expect loyalty."
Comey said he felt like the dinner was an effort on the part of  the president  to have him ask for his job and "create some sort of patronage relationship. [TGT] 
has denied asking Comey for a loyalty pledge.
Meanwhile  the spin cycle continues to churn about Flynn's discussions with Kislyak  accounts of which were leaked to the Washington Post. About two weeks later  on Feb. 13    [TGT]   fires Flynn.
The very next day  according to Comey  he visited the Oval Office for a meeting with   [TGT]   and advisers. Afterward   the president  cleared the room of everyone except him and the FBI director.
"I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go  to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go " Comey says   [TGT] said.
  [TGT] has continually denied that he ever asked Comey to stop investigating Flynn.
4.   [TGT]   pressures Sessions to "safeguard" him