President Trump, be good to your word, sit down with Robert S. Mueller and answer his questions. According to the New York Times, your lawyers are urging you to refuse a meeting, but your initial instinct was the right one. Follow it.

“I’m looking forward to it, actually,” you told reporters Jan. 24 when asked about meeting with the special counsel.

You’ve repeatedly said there was no collusion between your campaign and Russian agents who sought to influence the 2016 presidential election by planting false news on social media and releasing stolen internal Democratic emails that undercut support for your Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton.

You’ve also maintained that you have not sought to obstruct investigations into Russian meddling or into wrongdoing by members of the administration.

You can explain why those reports that you planned to fire Mueller last June, and only backed off when White House counsel Donald F. McGahn II refused to pursue your instructions, had nothing to do with attempting to obstruct justice.

And you can clarify why firing then-FBI Director James Comey after he refused to end the investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn was not obstruction.

There is speculation that your lawyers want you to avoid Mueller because he and his team of prosecutors could lead you into a perjury trap. But to avoid perjury, all you have to do is tell the truth, Mr. President. We’re sure you can do it if you really try.

You’ve said you want this Russian nonsense wrapped up as quickly as possible. But if you refuse to answer Mueller’s questions, this thing will go on for many months. Mueller will issue a subpoena. Your lawyers will seek to quash it. It will drag through the courts. All the while, the news media and the American public will speculate about what you’re hiding.

Ultimately the Supreme Court, because in this country no one is above the law, will enforce the subpoena and order you to sit down with Mueller.

In the meantime, Republicans running for the Senate, or Congress, or most any office, will face their own difficult questions. Their choices will be to dodge, to toss you under the bus and say you should be answering Mueller’s questions, or try to defend the indefensible by arguing you are above the law. Any answer will hurt their election prospects.

So, for their sake, if not ours, answer the questions.

The Day editorial board meets with political, business and community leaders to formulate editorial viewpoints. It is composed of President and Publisher Timothy Dwyer, Executive Editor Izaskun E. Larraneta, Owen Poole, copy editor, and Lisa McGinley, retired deputy managing editor. The board operates independently from The Day newsroom.