Donald Trump in The New York Times 2010s

On Principles & Values: Mueller: Presidents may not be indicted for obstruction

Lieu said, "I'd like to ask you the reason, again, that you did not indict Donald Trump is because of the O.L.C. opinion stating that you cannot indict a sitting president, correct?" he asked, referring to the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel.

"That is correct," Mueller said. That assertion directly contradicted the report itself and Mueller's statement in May describing it, in which he said that he and his team had decided not to decide whether to charge the president because of the O.L.C. opinions.

By afternoon, Mueller walked back the inconsistency, saying that Lieu had incorrectly described his decision. "What I wanted to clarify is the fact that we did not make any determination with regard to culpability in any way," Mueller said.

On Technology: 2016: cheered on WikiLeaks releasing Hillary's stolen emails

Representative Mike Quigley, Democrat of Illinois, questioned Mueller on Mr. Trump's response to WikiLeaks. Mr. Mueller did not mince words: "It's problematic -- is an understatement, in terms of what it displays in terms of giving some hope or some boost to what is and should be illegal activity," Mr. Mueller responded.

On Abortion: End medical research that uses tissue from aborted fetuses

The move goes a long way toward fulfilling a top goal of anti-abortion groups that have lobbied hard for it. But scientists say the tissue is crucial for studies that benefit millions of patients.

"Promoting the dignity of human life from conception to natural death is one of the very top priorities of President Trump's administration," the department said in a statement. It added that about 200 research projects involving fetal tissue and conducted at universities with N.I.H. grants would be allowed to continue until their funding expires, but that ethics advisory boards would review and recommend whether to fund future individual projects involving aborted fetal tissue.

On Energy & Oil: Revive the coal industry; end efforts to curb carbon

Trump made clear that the United States had no intention of meeting the commitments that his predecessor had made to curb planet-warming carbon dioxide pollution, turning denials of climate change into national policy. Trump directed the Environmental Protection Agency to start the complex and lengthy legal process of withdrawing and rewriting the Obama-era Clean Power Plan, which would have closed hundreds of coal-fired power plants, frozen construction of new plants and replaced them with vast new wind and solar farms.

"C'mon, fellas. You know what this is? You know what this says?" Trump said to the miners. "You're going back to work."

On Foreign Policy: Supports construction of Israeli settlements in West Bank

Trump amplified his position by posting the statement on Facebook and Twitter as well: "The resolution being considered at the United Nations Security Council regarding Israel should be vetoed." His words closely echoed the positions expressed by Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has treated the impending UN vote as a crisis, posting on his own Twitter account a message urging Obama to veto what he called the "anti-Israel" resolution. Egypt, who drafted the resolution, withdrew it afterwards.

On Drugs: Brother died of alcoholism; so Donald never touched alcohol

In a telephone interview last week, Mr. Trump said he had learned by watching his brother how bad choices could drag down even those who seemed destined to rise. Seeing his brother suffering led him to avoid ever trying alcohol or cigarettes, he said.

In the upwardly mobile Trump family, Donald was the second and favorite son. Freddy was the disappointment, who lacked the killer instinct and drifted so far from his father's ambitions that his children were largely cut out of the patriarch's will.

Asked whether Freddy's experience in the family business, which friends described as miserable, contributed to the drinking that ultimately killed him, Mr. Trump said: "I hope not. I hope not."