That is something that has to be fully litigated through the judicial system - one which the GOP has been stacking in its favor a lot as of late. And in any case, if congress decides to shut down the investigation, there’s not much else that can be done at that point. It sounds crazy, but Trump could fire anyone in the government he doesn’t like and for virtually any reason. It’s up to congress to stop him. I don’t see congress doing that unless it is a democratic controlled congress, and even then, it would be a battle royale between the executive and legislative branches.
We’ve entered the authoritarian age in American political history. I don’t think it ends with Trump, either. In fact, he might not be authoritarian enough for the real fascists in the party.
I assume the left wing accolades for Mueller will continue even if he ultimately wraps up the inquiry with a few minor or unrelated charges and concludes that there’s no credible evidence of actual collusion.
But-but-but, I heard on Fox News that the leak that there would be indictments on Monday was a criminal act! From the hysteria, possibly a crime more serious than anything Mueller is charging!
Former US Attorney Chris Christy tut-tutted about it as well on CNN (but stopped short of calling it criminal (and I’m certain nothing ever leaked out of his operation)).
Well, in Jared’s defense, I tried helping my professional painter father-in-law paint my daughter’s bedroom once, and he essentially called me an idiot too. Advice to the youngsters: Don’t work for your father-in-law.
I have a family member who is very close but not quite Very Important People in this administration (he’s a policy guy . . .it’s a long story) and he has to surrender his cell phone every time he walks in the building.
The CBS TV show “Madam Secretary” is about a fictional State Department, and they show them putting their cell phones in mini lockers as soon as they step off the elevator.
Very good point. I help my FIL quite a bit and routinely feel like an incompetent boob. I mean, I am an incompetent boob but the level skyrockets around him.
I’m not so sure that Jared would keep his mouth shut. As others have mentioned, he doesn’t give the impression of being a ‘good soldier.’ If there are problems in the marriage, he might have no loyalty to the Trump family at all.
And he knows a lot. He may not remember all he knows–no intellectual giant, he–but careful questioning could unearth a great deal of information damaging to Donnie.
Fascinating to read this thread and thanks to all for your insight and analysis. This side of the pond we have it pretty well reported but the nuances and implications of each move are not so well laid out.
Anyhow, a few questions. clearly this game has a way to run but it is mentioned in an off-hand way that Trump could get rid of Mueller should this get a little too close to home. Now I wonder, can he really do that? can he* practically* do that? what would be the implications of doing so? What would happen to the investigation and the charges were someone else to pick up the reins?
One throwaway observation of my own, I watched Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight” at the weekend. A claustrophobic setting rife with lying, cheating, paranoia and mistrust. Double-crossing and self-serving malevolence. A film for our times I think.
And finally, I have to give huge round of applause to OttoDaFe for the phrase “Cheeto-faced shitgibbon”, that is high quality indeed.
I did not know that but I’m familiar with his work and it is indeed a beautiful phrase. Still, I’m sure David himself will be delighted to see it used so perfectly in this thread. For me, he is President Shitgibbon from here on in.
The President is theoretically entitled to fire a special prosecutor for cause. The political reality, though, is that it would ignite a shit-storm of controversy, even to the extent of stirring the Republicans in Congress to wake up and pay attention, and could lead to the start of impeachment proceedings. (The precedent cited is when Nixon did something similar in 1973, called the Saturday Night Massacre. He ordered his Attorney General to fire the Watergate special prosecutor. The AG resigned instead, as did his assistant. The next guy up did the dirty deed…but Nixon’s presidency was doomed from that point.)
