Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Sure, tRump should fire Mueller, pardon everybody involved with Russia ... if he's guilty
Despite continually arguing his innocence, Trump has continued to act like he hears the ticking of the Tell-Tale Heart.
<snip>
So let’s assume Trump did something very bad that Mueller might uncover in the course of his investigation. That Very Bad Thing could be collusion or it could be some disastrously shady business deal. In that case, trying to quash the whole inquiry by firing Mueller or pardoning everybody in sight, might be a smart Hail Mary play.
It would certainly ignite a media firestorm and fuel calls for Trump’s impeachment for abuse of power (especially if he tried to pardon himself). Democrats going into the 2018 race would be jubilant for the gift. And, if they took back the House they would surely pick up where Mueller left off, using newly acquired subpoena power to make working in the White House a living Hell.
Again, if he’s guilty, it might be worth the risk. But why go through all that if he did nothing wrong?
Writing in The Wall Street Journal, lawyers David B. Rivkin Jr. and Lee A. Casey make a high-minded case that pardoning everyone will put the question of collusion in Congress’ lap, where the founders would have preferred it. As an argument for constitutional civics, it makes some sense. But as a matter of pure politics it’s terrible advice.
More sound advice would be for the president simply to ignore the investigation and refrain from acting like he’s scared of what it might uncover. If he followed that advice from the outset he’d be in a better place, and Robert Mueller would still be enjoying retirement. That is, unless he’s got something to hide. - USA Today
<snip>
So let’s assume Trump did something very bad that Mueller might uncover in the course of his investigation. That Very Bad Thing could be collusion or it could be some disastrously shady business deal. In that case, trying to quash the whole inquiry by firing Mueller or pardoning everybody in sight, might be a smart Hail Mary play.
It would certainly ignite a media firestorm and fuel calls for Trump’s impeachment for abuse of power (especially if he tried to pardon himself). Democrats going into the 2018 race would be jubilant for the gift. And, if they took back the House they would surely pick up where Mueller left off, using newly acquired subpoena power to make working in the White House a living Hell.
Again, if he’s guilty, it might be worth the risk. But why go through all that if he did nothing wrong?
Writing in The Wall Street Journal, lawyers David B. Rivkin Jr. and Lee A. Casey make a high-minded case that pardoning everyone will put the question of collusion in Congress’ lap, where the founders would have preferred it. As an argument for constitutional civics, it makes some sense. But as a matter of pure politics it’s terrible advice.
More sound advice would be for the president simply to ignore the investigation and refrain from acting like he’s scared of what it might uncover. If he followed that advice from the outset he’d be in a better place, and Robert Mueller would still be enjoying retirement. That is, unless he’s got something to hide. - USA Today