We still believe in justice, that's the reason I support Mueller investigation with great results why, for a reason many people are in jail today and more will be till this great Nation get back in track once again.
3
As the Editorial Board of USA Today wrote, ". . . President Trump’s continuing attacks on the Justice Department, the FBI and the office of special counsel Robert Mueller — which have been conducting an essential inquiry into Russian interference in America's democracy — constitute an assault on the rule of law.
"Just as Trump's constant "fake news" attacks against the media are an effort to deflect negative press, his "witch hunt" drumbeat is an attempt to discredit the Mueller investigation in case its findings are embarrassing (or worse).
"Trump’s most recent invective is a charge that a politically motivated FBI spied on his 2016 campaign. The "spygate" charge, based on the FBI’s reported use of a retired professor to approach three Trump campaign aides with suspected Russian connections, is as unfounded as his previous outbursts. The use of such informants is common practice in Justice Department criminal probes.
"More important, Trump's "I hereby demand" tweet that this tactic be investigated is an abuse of his office. A president should never order his Justice Department whom or what to investigate. If a president can politicize law enforcement as a defensive move by demeaning law enforcement officials, he could do so on the offense by using it to go after rivals.
"In fact, Trump is already doing a little of both, attacking those who are trying to uncover the truth and insisting that his senior law enforcement appointees become part of the attack. . . . "
4
A thoughtful, well-written article.
I believe we are already in a constitutional crisis of Trump's own doing. And Trump has continued to erode the foundations of American democracy by his unfounded, unwarranted and unsupported attacks on our institutions. First, by claiming that our elections are "rigged" (as an excuse in case Trump lost), by attacking the media and calling it the "fake media", by showing contempt for the truth and the office of president, by accusations against our intelligence community, Justice Dept. and FBI - similar to Joseph MCarthy's accusations and attacks on the State Dept and witchhunts against Communists in the 50s, calling the loyalties of many Americans into question (and enabled by Trump mentor and friend Roy Cohn).
No person is above the law, not even the President of the United States. If Trump broke the law, either before or after he became president, then justice must prevail and he must be held accountable for his actions.
3
Given that Trump appointed Mueller, indirectly through his deputy Rosenstein, and may at any time fire Mueller, it would be impossible for Mueller to indict or otherwise press charges against his effective boss.
If Trump can fire Mueller, obviously he can exercise the lesser power of vacating any indictment or report.
1
If Mueller sends a report to this Congress and it does nothing, can the new Congress (in January 2019--the one we elect this November) take action? Note that Trump is also manipulating the stock market. This has to be a crime.
1
Mr. Trump would do well to realize that his business and brand would be hurt by any of these paths. A shrewd person would protect his family's wealth by resigning, sooner not later. Nixon lost almost his entire base of support by not resigning soon enough. Ivanka, take note of the risk to your fashion line, encourage resignation.
This analysis neglects another possibility. Mueller can develop enough evidence of improper financial dealings, tax evasion and money laundering to support financial forfeiture actions that would bankrupt Trump and his family. Trump would then be offered the alternative of resigning, with a subsequent pardon by Pence.
3
Here's what happens: Nothing. No impeachment, no indictment. Probably Cohen gets a few weeks of house arrest, and some other minor players will be inconvenienced. Big deal. So please start focusing on the candidates who have a better plan for America. Nothing will rid us of Trump except enough people voting for a better candidate in 2020 that the electoral college and the supreme court don't dare give it to Trump anyways.
1
Cohen is done...the only way he gets out of a lengthy sentence is to roll over on Trump and take a plea...You see what happened to his associate...multiply that by 10 unless Cohen rolls...Trump will get indicted and tried after he leaves office...he will serve out his term and face the music later...this will appease all parties...Trump serves his term...his party will save face by him not getting impeached...and opposition will will use his disgrace to get Democratic President elected...Trump rides off with tons of money but is disgraced and will delusionally proclaim he was framed...idiot supporters will believe him
2
Mueller has been fiddling around from day one wasting a fortune in tax payers money. He should retire immediately.
4
Sure that is exactly what is happening...a man who has spent his whole life successfully prosecuting injustice, a pretty close to Sterling reputation is just sitting around for over a year doing nothing, putting his reputation and career on the line before thw whole world...OK, let's go with that...that report is going to be about 10,000 pages...stop your nonsense...
3
That's how democracy works!
"What's even more troubling is this degenerate convinced ... millions to cast their precious vote for an imbecile."
The fundamental premise of democracy is that no one person is capable of knowing what's best for society -- not a king, not a Pope, nobody -- and so everyone, even imbeciles, gets to have a say. It's inevitable that the losing side will be disappointed, and that some of them will even call the winner an "imbecile" (and that's not a characterization I'd dispute, when it comes to Trump). But consider the alternative, which was Hillary Clinton, whose claim to fame was that she'd long been married (sort of) to a former President of the United States.
Voters were insulted, and they responded by electing Trump. He may or may not be an "imbecile," but he did win. Maybe the Democrats should have thought about this BEFORE the election, and nominated someone else.
5
Dear MTC:
No, we Dems nominated an excellent candidate. Three million more thought so. The Founders insertion of the Electoral College was done because they feared rightly so the people were too stupid and not to be trusted and might elect someone who was a genuine nut job, which we finally did. Back in those days of old, the EC was vastly different, composed of individual delegates independents, not party officials. Since then, the EC has long outlived its usefulness. But we being an all too flawed electorate have failed right this wrong, something hich should have been done eons ago.
And so we are stuck with Trumpy, not because the people wanted him more than Hillary. They didn't reject Hillary, just the opposite. They voted in droves for Hillary, despite not "trusting" her because she was the far better person for the job. Add the fact that half of all eligible voters can't be bothered, well, you've got a recipe which eventually concocted up this witch's brew, a demagogic nincompoop as president.
If you would, if you could, MTC, please spare US you're wrong-headed interpretations. They're quite embarrassing, old sport. Why not read them before hitting "send". Better we think you a fool than have it confirmed in writing. Instead, remember this weekend all who have died in needless wars around the globe.
DD
Manhattan
8
Been there, done that. Didn't work.
"[Democrats should] Focus on policy and not all this daily diatribe that just feeds Trump's base."
There's a novel thought! Come up with some policies -- and candidates to explain them -- that appeal to voters. Don't just run some mediocre retread who rants "Vote for me! I'm not Trump!"
3
It's going to be interesting to see how this investigation ends for Democrats as well.
3
Unless the impossible occurs, and Mueller completely exonerates Trumpy, the bully in the Oval Office china shop will stammer and roar to the rafters, stating unequivocally that all institutions and those who head them who dare criticize Trumpy are all part of some massive conspiracy, all designed to "get him" kicked out of office because he's doing such a tremendous, fantastic job for the American people.
Haven't most Americans figured Trumpy out by now. The guy's a nut job of the first order, a delusional, deranged, troubled individual whose behavior borders on an extreme case of psychosis. That is the pure clean truth, gang.
What's even more troubling is this degenerate convinced, which is what a confidence man does, millions to cast their precious vote for an imbecile. The question historians will pose long after this crisis has passed about these times is: who was worse, the instigator of such division in the country, Trumpy, or the millions of deplorably ignoramuses who willingly voted for him?
Such a question was asked of Germans in the 30's and 40's, a population who, by the by, had it a lot worse than Americans today. How could such an educated, industrious nation become completely enthralled with a deranged demagogue.
Arrogant Americans, who profess their belief in American Exceptionalism, claim "it couldn't happen here". Really? I think anyone who still believes that tripe is as delusional as the clodhopper who occupies the Oval Office.
DD
Manhattan
5
The entire Russian hacking allegation is based on the DC Leaks publication of some DNC emails. The Crowdstrike/ICA Report barely mention the Wikileaks publications, other than to confuse the reader into seeing a connection. It appears that members of Trump’s campaign were eager to get copies of the missing 33,000 emails, but did not succeed and Trump wasn’t involved. We know that Clinton used an unsecured private email, so Russia, China, Israel, a 400 pound hacker, etc probably have them. Did Russia use bots and trolls to influence our opinions? Probably, but David Brock received over $40 million from Clinton donors to be used for bots and trolls to influence republicans to pick Trump in the primaries (pied piper strategy) and to smear Bernie Sanders. So where’s his indictment? We know the Clinton campaign cheated Bernie in the primaries and paid for the unverified dossier that was used to illegally obtain FISA warrants. Where’s the ACLU? None of this looks good for the Democrats. If Mueller comes up with something benign and not related to Russian Trump collusion to change the outcome of the election, the Democrats are ruined and they deserve it. Trump’s base is angry and energized. The Democrats will stay home.
2
You were doing somewhat well until the end...everything up to David Brock...everything after that is nonsense...try again...
1
We would like it to end with him in jail. At least that is what "everybody is saying."
2
Keep It Simple Stupid-KISS
Get Real America and stop complicating things with analysis.
Trump is surrounded by fraudsters, and he has led a fraudulent life.Mannafort, Gates, Papadopolas, Flynn, Cohen, etc. The list goes on.
Innumerable contacts with Russia,
There must be evidence of lots of wrongdoing, either indictable of impeachable.
I, among many others have lost confidence in America's ability to manage its own affairs. In Science and business America is the world leader. Inn gov't it is the world's biggest disappointment. It is acting like a 3rd world banana republic. Please wake up.
4
...and maybe the sky will fall......
After reading this article, the whole special investigation is a waste of time: you can’t indict and you can’t successfully impeach.
Focus on policy and not all this daily diatribe that just feeds Trump's base.
2
Our country is in a very difficult position as if Mr M doesn't come up with charges, we will have a disaster on our hands. And if you ask me, doesn't seem like Mr M has a case. The other side has had enough time to coverup their tracks and lie about everything.
Think about the abortion rights being taken away, Daca, the Wall, Dreamers, Travel Ban.
Our only way out is to start a grounds up grass root campaign like Obama did - again. We are in deep trouble. Our children will suffer. We will suffer.
NY Times - while I appreciate you keeping this story alive on your cover page, we are beginning to lose interest.
That is exactly what Trump and Company are trying to do...stall out the clock...finish his term, take his ill gotten gain off the table and face the music later, hoping his long lived ability to skirt justice will get him out of trouble hoping to suffer a few scratches such as probation and fines...
Trump has committed obstruction of justice on live tv in front of the whole nation. He continues to do so via fox n frauds, via twitter calling for investigations of the investigators, demanding any information on him that is being investigated, firing and outing law enforcement who won't go along with his law breaking and lying to the American people on a daily basis. There is no way Mueller cannot charge him obstruction of justice without being disbarred and setting this nation on fire. Whether there are other crimes, and it looks very likely, is something we will all know in due time.
3
I would be interested in the reporters' thoughts about Mueller's considerations of timing in initiating the processes outlined in the article. By Sept. 1 as promised by Guiliani? After the mid-terms?
The September date was for the Obstruction portion if Trump was willing to submit to meeting the special counsel...
Naturally Trump wants it to continue. If the NYT were a newspaper, it would have reported on the steady rise in Trump's popularity. In realclearpolitics, 43.7% job approval, and the generic Congressional preference from double digits at the beginning of the year 3 points now. There was been no summit or acceleration of GDP growth, but they are coming.
The public is simply fed up and bored with this constant flow of negative nothing news. Hillary's approvals are at historic lows, and the NYT is nothing but a Hillary shill. The Democrats are saying we have peace and prosperity, we have nothing to offer, but give us a majority so that we can investigate and obstruct more.
There may indeed be a wave coming.
1
Funny that after all the various flow charts and possibilities the NYT left out the most probable option of all.
Trump will be vindicated by the exposure of the Democrat and deep state conspiracy to undermine our democracy.
Forgot that one in all your pretty graphics.
3
But it’s hard to argue with the fact that Trump is a liar and a con.
3
The only Deep State is between the ears of idiots willing to buy into that nonsense...please, just stop...
3
Veteran CBS journalist Lesley Stahl told a story about President Donald Trump that likely surprised few of her media colleagues at the Deadline Club Awards Dinner in New York on Monday evening.
According to Stahl, Trump told her that he continually “discredits” and “demeans” the press for a very specific reason: to sow uncertainty about the media so that “no one will believe” negative stories about him.
The “60 Minutes” reporter recalled what happened when she and her boss met with the then president-elect at Trump Tower after he eked out a surprise win in late 2016. Trump eventually started bashing the press in front of them.
“I said, ‘You know, that is getting tired. Why are you doing this? You’re doing it over and over. It’s boring and it’s time to end that,’” Stahl recounted in a talk with Judy Woodruff of “PBS Newshour” at the Deadline Club event, which honors excellence in journalism.
“And he said, ‘You know why I do it? I do it to discredit you all and demean you all so that when you write negative stories about me, no one will believe you,’” she continued. (Watch the video above.)
Stahl emphasized her amazement: “He said that.”
2
The myriad of ways the NYT finds to keep this non-story alive is simply amazing. Flowcharts! Perhaps one should go back to the Starr investigation of Bill Clinton and read the "Paper of Record" at that time. Criticisms of Starr were common in these pages. Now, when anyone criticizes Mueller, they are labelled traitorous. No hypocrisy here.
1
Why is Rudy's "Mueller said that...." claim taken as fact? Has it been corroborated?
2
Was it ever denied?
1
Why waste out time with this nonsense. It is purely speculation.
3
I have absolutely no doubt that the president is a traitor and a criminal. He is a Russian puppet and a money launderer. As a matter of fact it appears as though every single person in Trump's circle is either shady or a crook.
With that being said I have no expectations about him being held accountable by the enabling GOP. Our vote in the midterms and in 2020 will have to be the solution. In my 45 years of voting, there have never been such important elections. Our democracy is in the balance.
3
Why waste time speculating on various possible outcomes without knowledge of the facts?
2
What does it say about America that the President of the USA is Infinitely more likely to be removed from office by assassination than be voted out of office by the Senate following indictment?
That the gun is mightier than the pen?
2
30 year Naval Intelligence veteran Malcolm Nance got off a good line tonight on "The Eleventh Hour." Speaking of Trump v. Mueller, Nance said "This is like when the Penguin becomes Mayor of Gotham...but Mueller is Batman!"
3
Great article. It provides relative clarity about how things work. Thank-you. I don't have the time or resources to find this stuff out on my own.
As stated by a NYT commentator:
"He could be entirely innocent of soliciting or welcoming Russian help and he’d still be a proudly offensive, gleefully divisive, woefully unprepared plutocrat with no moral compass beyond his own aggrandizement."
Ah, it is worth paying professional writers for that stuff.
However, if he is not innocent, nothing should stand in the way of holding him to account. Nixon rogered the country and got off with a little embarassment. He lived his life out in luxury, while every-day thieves went to jail. Is that justice? If it turns out the law allows the president to be a criminal, change it.
2
The NY Times has been my paper my whole life but during this most trying time in our democracy, she repeatedly indulges in false equivalency, gives lies a foothold in discourse and speculates to the detriment of FACTS.
The following is a statement based on Rudolph Giuliani's recent remarks regarding the Special Counsel and which have been reputiated by Guiliani himself.
"An indictment is one possibility that has grown increasingly unlikely. The office of the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, has told the president's lawyers that it plans to abide by the Justice Department’s view that sitting presidents cannot be indicted no matter what the evidence shows."
I urge the NY Times, my paper, to act with integrity, to report FACT BASED news and not speculation and to withdraw, publicly, support for reporting found to be false, fabricated or journalistically unsound. In short, don't make a lie the basis for speculative articles on outcomes reporters have no way of knowing.
1
The Trump family and all associated with him throughout the decades have managed to commit criminal acts over and over again throughout the decades. This large group of white collar criminals have established twisted secretive far reaching relationships with scores and scores of singular individuals and organizations and elected officials, with each and everyone of these humans connected in some way or means to and established end, the end our democratic state.
But what they grossly underestimate is this: you can only bury so many bodies throughout your criminal enterprises, the stench at some point blows back into their worlds of white collar criminals, and then the reckoning begins, to the bone, mopping the floor with these law breaking monsters.
1
I think it is almost impossible to impeach the President considering the
procedure involved.As far as I know Mr Climton was not impeached.He was impeached by the Senate but the House had shot down the proposal.As the Constitution suggests a President can be impeached for treason, any kind of crime or misdemeanor.If one analyses this,Mr Trump can't be held guilty of treason.Even if it is proved that Russia was involved,it is difficult to prove his direct involvement.As for the crime, the same will have to be proved.The term misdemeanor is very wide and which action is considered misdemeanor will have to be proved.In a free society like the U.S. if the President had some relationship with a woman when he was not the President can it be used as demeanor?
You don’t understand the procedure. Impeachment is a purely political process. Try to visualize articles of impeachment as a sort of political indictment prepared and approved by the House and submitted to the Senate. It is there, in the Senate, that the trial takes place. It has happened twice in our history, Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, both of whom were acquitted. Because it is a purely political process, the likelihood of a POTUS ever being tossed out of office via impeachment is slim indeed...
I am a legal immigrant. I'm watching this entire process with fascination (and anxiety). I'm having a hard time understanding why a President under investigation does not have curtailed powers - that is, why does a President under investigation retain the power to fire people from the DoJ, mess with the investigation, etc.? Why are there no rules that say that when the president is under investigation the DoJ takes orders from the Congress and is not bound to obey the president? Sure he is innocent until proven guilty. But why should that mean he has regular powers over DoJ? Why is there such little protection to safeguard the country's institutions that are charged with potentially exposing a rogue president? As a person from a foreign culture this seems really strange to me.
4
It appears any decision by Mr. Mueller that is adverse to Trump could simply be squashed by Mr. Rosenstein. And even if Mr. Rosenstein allows any action to proceed it can then be squashed by the inaction of Congress. Unfortunately, it seems to me that Trump will somehow come out of this virtually unscathed.
This analysis is an interesting intellectual exercise, but our experience with the players tells us the outcome. Mueller's report goes to Congress and they do nothing. And Trump always holds in reserve the claim that he can pardon himself, which the Supremes would never touch as a case. So, Trump completes his presidency and our democracy moves further toward authoritarianism.
As long as the Republicans hold a majority in Congress any findings of the Special Council of criminal activity will be ignored and further denigrated by David Nunes and the sycophant enablers in Congress.
The groundwork to discredit the agencies of the Justice Department have been hard at work spreading mistrust of the DOJ and the FBI.Unless we can unseat a significant number of the GOP by voting in November, any hope for bringing this administration to task is beyond hope.
1
Thank you for this. It's helpful to see it all laid out. (Also depressing. The outcome of "Trump remains in office" appears way too likely.) It comforts me to know that Mueller and his smart team are working through all these same scenarios. I believe Mueller will do what he thinks is best for his country. I think he also knows Trump is a dark person and that following "conventional" paths may not be sufficient.
I don't understand the notion that you can't indict a sitting president. Trump said he could shoot somebody on Fifth Ave and not lose any voters. Could he shoot someone and not be indicted? I don't know when the Justice Dept came up with their "rule" but they need to rethink it now that we're electing people like Trump.
1
It seems the narrative being put out by Republican think tanks is that the President is beyond the reach of the law. Much like one would expect of a monarch or king. This, we should hope, will backfire with resounding results. How long it takes to end this "pickle" is anyone's guess.
If a report falls in Congress, does it make a sound?
We have had a year and a half plus of Trump's bloviating and breathless, hair on fire, this just in, braking news media coverage of the latest Tweet or lie or whatever one calls what is happening.
Just imagine if nothing comes of all this, as I suspect will be the case as it relates solely to Trump (others clearly had their fingers in the cookie jar). The current 'gang leader who couldn't shoot straight' will be even more uncontrollable. The master of media manipulation just may be around for more than 4 years.
Disclaimer - as an independent, I did not like either candidate in 2016; neither passed the smell test.
Of course I did and dind't want to read this article. The last thing I want to hear is that there has been terrible wrongdoing but there is nothing we can do about it. The sounds too much like the end of our democracy.
The president's lawyers tell us that Mr. Mueller believes he cannot indict no matter how serious the crime. Why in the world should we believe them after all of their lies?
We have never had a president who is this corrupt. We have never had a president who more likely than not committed treason. In that light, it is helpful to be aware of the precedents but those precedents should not be the only possibilities.
47
Democracy is almost dead in the United States. Russian oligarchs just helped us get there quicker.
Trump (along with congress) is systematically destroying the institutions that hold vigil over our freedom and liberty. The press also gets blame for their crass monetization of our electoral process.
It's the citizens who have utterly failed their duties and that is why Trump can do what he does with his lies.
Elections are no longer legitimate. Money is drowning out messages. The masses are focused on social media.
No turning back. It's too late for anyone or anything to save us from ourselves.
31
Establishment fantasy land. Impeachment would expose every dubious witness to cross examination by private counsel; in public and on TV. It be fun to see Brennan taking question from top tier lawyers though. Maybe they don't want to rep Trump now, but in front of 100M viewers the calculation changes. Then there's Trump's pesky Republican approval rating. Robert Mueller isn't going to make it all better. Democrats will have to win an election.
15
Which branch of our divided limited power constitutional republic were Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller, III and Deputy U.S. Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein elected/selected to lead?
How wiil the Mueller investigation into Trump play out for Vladimir Putin?
2
"Trump" is the rash you get after you get drunk and consort with a lady of the evening to make America great again, and now you have to explain that to the wife. Dr. Mueller please make it go away!
16
My God, this is painful. Such palaver. Your condescending headlines and mansplaining reporter video is really too much. Speculation made to look like news, by wrapping it in an agenda.
Next you will tell us Hillary has a 90% chance of winning the election. Again. Honestly, after the last few years, what makes anyone in media think they are experts on anything?
15
The fact that Clinton lost doesn't mean that she didn't have a 90% chance of winning (regardless of whether the estimate was correct). What it means is that the 10% chance of losing is what happened. Just like when it rains when they said there is a 10% chance of raining. It can still rain as unlikely as it is.
28
Look
As a result of jabs by Barack Obama at a correspondence dinner,
Trump coupled his racism to his mental illness
and put himself into the public arena.
As a result of his coven's Russophilia
As a result of his deep financial engagement with Russian oligarchs
As a result of his money laundering (see the Florida mansion as an example),
His entire life history is now under the microscope.
Consider it a psychotic over reach.
Mueller has the tax returns and banking records.
He should be able to jail the entire coven:
Dear Leader Donnie
Uday and Kusay Trump
For the political corruption
Ivanka's trade marks
ZTE exoneration in return for backing for an Indonesian Trump project
etc etc etc
The only outcome for the Great Showman is impeachment, indictment, and imprisonment.
43
Based on this article, it seems plausible that Trump could be an unindicted co-conspirator in obstruction of justice and collusion charges in which his three favorite children and son-in-law are indicted co-conspirators. Faced with the four of them being tried and jailed, perhaps Trump will resign to get plea deals for them. Or perhaps not, as it seems Trump is always just out for himself.
30
Mr. Mueller must kick traitor Republican Donald Trump and lock Trump up.
13
Speculation masquerading as news.
14
"...if Mr. Mueller finds wrongdoing, Mr. Trump could be indicted after he leaves office"
That is laughable - even Nixon wasn't indicted after left office.
9
Above all, vote him out. Then, if the evidence justifies it, put him in prison like any other criminal. Please do not let any other smoke screen confuse you.
21
I had a dream that the entire Mueller investigation is a Potemkin village con and that Mueller, Trump and Putin are working together to scam the American people in an effort to take over the World.
3
Totally agree with you.
1
We either remove Trump from office now (or as soon as legally possible), or we'll see him on trial in The Hague twenty, thirty years from now. Take your pick, America.
10
ENOUGH! Enough already with the speculation. Find some patience to wait for Director Mueller to finish his investigation. Can't the NY Times report on other items in the interim? We will learn the facts in due time.
11
Deceptive behavior is a basic attribute of a criminal. Most around the Pretend King Trump have this behavior when writing any piece of legislation and in implementing any directive. No President have ever been removed from office, well there is always a first time. We need to send a message to the pirates who thought they can override the rule of law, our laws that we have voted for in every state, and overrule our rights, the rights given to us by our Constitution. This is not about who gets thrown out this is about us.
Do we have what it takes to ensure our rights are never infringed on by corrupt officials or are we the fat, dumb and happy Americans the rest of the world believes we have become? We are at a fork in the road, not really but the GOP and others keep saying we are, we need to decide who we are. Sooner rather than later, otherwise we will leave our young to fight Wars for profit, to deal with increased health care problems due to pollution and alone to fight the consequences of climate change. The Pretend King Trump has become the symbol of all that is wrong with Corporate America and with a segment of the population that resists change. For our children's sake, we need to crush this idea that the power resides with the 1% and they alone drive our future.
8
Trump's big plan is to sabotage the Mueller probe in real time - fatally weakening it in the public imagination so that whatever the findings they will be deemed corrupt. Guiliani told us this is the plan in plain English about five days ago. I have no idea why reporters like Michael Schmidt are acting like they are so knowledgeable about things that are being discussed openly. Trump isn't going to fire Mueller. Mueller is more useful to him as a tormentor so Trump can proclaim his innocence, that ends the moment he fires him. But Trump simply wants to *brand* Mueller, Wray and Rosenstein as a three-headed Deep State Hydra of liars. That's it. That's his play. Why? Because Mueller likely has actual evidence of Trump's money laundering, bribery, tax evasion, and criminal conspiracy *already*, in addition to obstruction evidence we've seen right in front of our faces. This isn't hard to figure out. But if you stare at a blank wall long enough, like DC/NY pundit reporters do, I suppose you'll see Christ on the Cross.
6
I am really disappointed. Your reporter says Mueller will likely reach one of two conclusions:
"1. Trump broke the law." or "2. No wrongdoing found."
He then lays out very informatively what happens if Mueller reaches conclusion #1.
But then he doesn't describe what happens if Mueller reaches conclusion #2.
What the hell happens then?! Jeez!
5
This debate has been raging for some time. Now it is crystal clear that the current Republican-controlled Congress is more ready to impeach Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein than Donald Trump despite his blatant "obstruction of justice" and now "abuse of power" by his "demand" that classifies information concerning the investigation into him be revealed to his Congressional co-conspirators, and the further potential of conspiracy (aka "collusion" with Russia) rising to the level of treason, Mr. Mueller's options seem limited to indicting Mr. Trump. We have reached the sad point where our Constitution of "separation of powers" with the Legislative branch acting as a "check and balance" against the Executive branch has failed. And with that failure, there remains only the Judicial branch to rescue our Republic from autocracy in order to preserve our democracy. Mr. Mueller must "indict the president" if we're to save our republic.
6
A common refrain by some here is that "there's no collusion". Of course, that's what they've been trained to say. Perhaps what they mean is that the Trump campaign, which oozes with mutual attempts to collude with the Russian effort (e.g. the infamous meeting in Trump Tower and multiple other meetings), is too inept to effectively pull it off. So, until we and they hear from Mueller (as opposed to Fox), how about they get an "A" at least for efforts to collude?
6
Trump would not be in the White House as he lost by 3 million votes,
it was this ancient and not democratic aspect of American democracy called the Electoral College.
How can Hillary Clinton win the popular vote by 3 million and yet not win?
This is not democracy but a covert system to subvert the will of the people.
It's good to hear the new and progressive Democrats speaking out against the Electoral College, and saying that they will pass a law to abolish it.
That would be the true democracy of the vote as every vote counts in a true democracy.
10
The United States is a constitutional republic not an Athenian style democracy. As such, it requires that the POTUS be elected by the Electors of each state who are expected to vote as requested by the majority of their state’s voters. The only way that could by changed is by amending the Constitution, something not likely to happen....
Trump is supported by Republican members of Congress and their voters. Until there is a frank and fact- based discussion, on why roughly half the country is okay with him staying put, nothing is going to change. I request the Media to take the lead
4
Actually, I'm really tired of endless speculation on the outcome of the Mueller investigation. Can we please talk about something else? How about some of the other scandals? The president of the US paid off a porn star, lied about it and totally gets away with it. Scott Pruitt is one of the most corrupt government officials ever. I could go on but if I'd start, I wouldn't be able to finish before tomorrow morning and I have work to do.
Let us have the patience to wait for what Mueller says and then we can talk about it. The speculation really is pointless.
8
donald has been a despicable creature in my opinion way back to the Apprentice series, displaying that narcissistic demeanor. That repulsive personality only expanded like a hotair balloon as president.
In spite of personal opinions, I am quite comfortable trusting Robert Mueller's investigation in whatever is forthcoming. The lack of any insight or leakage coming from this investigation indicates the tight control and trust Mr. Mueller has in the people he's associated with to reach a conclusion on the future of this president. Let the chips fall where they may.
5
Add one box to the diagram beneath "Removed from Office", as provided in Article I, Section 3.7 of the Constitution: Disqualification to hold any U.S. office. If pending removal were assured, would Trump resign to avoid disqualification? or stay pugnaciously to the bitter end?
2
What the anti-Trumpers don't get is that this whole farce of an investigation is over. The attempts to reverse the election results by corrupting law enforcement failed miserably. They threw everything they had at Trump and he prevailed. He won. Bigly. It is now time for Trump to get justice. That means payback time. The Democrat chances in the mid-terms are looking worse every day. The economy is on fire. The Obama legacy of imposing big government on everyone and everything has been almost completely dismantled. That is what winning looks like in the age of Trump. Tired of winning yet? There is a whole lot more to come in the next six and a half years of the Trump presidency. Maybe next time- that would be 2024- the Democrats will run someone who actually has a chance of winning.
5
The Stormy Daniels sounds like bribery and colluding with Russia to influence a U.S. election is probably treason, so that's 2 out of the 3 things named right there. Maybe Mr. Mueller has found evidence of other high crimes too.
1
You might also do yourself a favor by reading your own newspaper's coverage of the main indictment, in its issue of March 2, 1974. Nobody on the Planet Earth believed that among those "known and unknown persons" referred to in the indictment included the President of the United States. I was a mere college senior and could figure that out and nobody thoguht otherwise. (Yes, some people thought the indictment was not based on sufficient evidence, but, ummmm, they were wrong.)
3
If the evidence is there, Mueller should indict and let the chips fall where they may. It would be interesting to see how far Justices Thomas, Alito and Gorsuch will go to protect the President.
2
If anything more comes up about the spying operation, Trump is going to fire everyone.
The public will support him and want him to get to the bottom of it.
3
LOL - looks to me like the only indictments in this case are going to be against Comey, Clapper, Brennan, Obama, et al. I can guarantee you there will be no impeachment because so far we have seen no evidence of anything except illegal actions by the Trump administration. Too bad the left's handmaidens in the press don't cover the REAL story.
8
The American people had a right to know about this investigation before the 2016 election. Comey should spoken about both the Clinton and Trump investigations, or neither of them. If this report is hidden until after the 2018 elections, we will be further down the rabbit-hole of oligarchs assuming power over our system of self-government. Like Roman emperors, they will keep the public appearance of representative self-rule, but without sharing any real power. Why do our intelligence agencies protect us from physical attacks by foreign terrorists, but not from the takeover of our elections by foreign oligarchs in collaboration with our own domestic oligarchs?
149
Good question. Just look at the Carter Page caper. Hobnobbing with Russians who were later kicked out of the States. Going to Moscow and giving talks critical of U.S. Foreign Policy. Had a lot of clout the "coffee boy" that Trump proudly introduced at a campaign meeting as his "energy expert." Sat close to Jefferson Beauregard Sessions, he did. MAGA?
1
So, there are no institutional check and balances as we were told over and over again in endless US History classes. Instead, America is essentially a collection of individuals with no obligation but to their own interests and power base.
What is going to happen when trump declares himself Emperor and it turns out that EVERYONE in government is either already compromised or lost in endless speculation and doesn't notice?
3
Unfortunately Europe appears to be heading in the same populist, non-cohesive direction. Today Italy formed its populist government, and it is getting closer to Putin, as other European countries have already headed in the same direction.
What is happening here is serious, and our country is descending into chaos. We cannot allow our current government which has been corrupted by Trump et al, to succeed.
Trump announced last night, he is planning a new tax cut to be voted upon before the mid-terms. That will only increase the addition of the recent additional $1.5 trillion deficit. Who do you think will pay the bill. It won't be the swamp. It will be the rest of us!
Regardless of party, anyone who desires a fair life, regardless of party label, needs to stand up now, or accept the consequences. Mueller must proceed and succeed with his findings, whatever they may be. And we, the people, regardless of party affiliation must support him and vote!
6
Who can take any of this seriously? IF Mueller finds any evidence of wrongdoing??!!??
They have had enough thoroughly documented evidence on Trump's criminality to put him away for multiple life sentences, were he any other citizen.
Talk about a clumsy whitewash.
9
An investigation into the Republican mafia is being run by a ranking member of the Republican mafia, aided and abetted by Trump business partner and Russian mobster Felix Sater.
Some "investigation."
4
In 2015, Trump’s “Taj Mahal casino was fined $10 million – the highest penalty ever leveled by the feds against a casino – and admitted to having ‘willfully violated’ anti-money laundering regulations for years.’”
STOP asking ludicrous questions about IF Trump is guilty of anything. He's a leading mob figure, has been for years, the FBI knows it and everyone who has been paying attention knows it.
20
Death To All That Is Good, Decent, Honest and Just About America
TRUMP-GOP 2018
Vote on November 6 2018....in record numbers.
59
There are a group of very elderly, very devout ladies in my town. They pray together. Some of them are praying that God calls Donald, and all his enablers, to a final reckoning. It is their spiritual answer to the dilemma of being confronted by evil men, knowing there is no one solution that will deliver us from them entirely, and turning the problem over to a deity in whom they have faith.
We agnostics and atheists don't have that option. We want Mueller to find the thread that ties up the dirty money, the unpaid taxes, the murdered Russian dissenters, the porn star, the stolen emails, the lies, the Putin/Trump bromance, the sale of our nation to the highest bidders (corporate/international/criminal) at the Trump Family Auction of America.
12
If they were devout, they would not be judging, because that is the responsibility of God. They would be praying for God's will to be done, rather than for their partisan objectives to be met.
God always answers prayers. Sometimes the answer is "no."
How anyone can concern themselves with the possibility of Trump corruption while ignoring the documented corruption of the Clinton Crime Family is a mystery.
3
Looks to me like all these end with the possibility that Trump stays in office, so the chances of removing him are slim to none. Get over it and vote, vote, vote!!
6
The most likely scenario by far is no wrong doing by Trump, no collusion. Then we get to the real reason for this witch hunt, a cover up over FBI and Obama administration abuses of power
10
If any of this lands in the hands of Congress then we all know that nothing will happen as long as the Senate and House remain Republican. And despite wishful optimism about Democrats regaining control of Congress in the Fall, the truth is, that's a long shot at best. And on top of that, people are getting bored with the story. But there is hope on the horizon. We have a self-destructive narcissist in the White House who will probably find a way to bring himself down all by himself.
4
your source for the view that the President cannot be indicted is Giuliani. DOJ has taken convicting positions over the years and, in any event, Mueller could, in accordance with the current OLC Opinion, request permission to indict anyway. I suspect that the President cannot be forced to trial on an indictment whole serving in office, but I do not understand why a grand jury could not charge him
4
The power of justice will bring sanity back to American politics,
as the Republicans hide under their conspiracy of silence.
America is about laws and not these Republicans who will disappear
into the dust bin of history. Who will remember who they were,
but Trump will be in every history book and will become a name of shame for America.
Mueller's report is just the beginning of the process to put into law certain types of behavior and actions, and eradicate the so called "norms" which
are broken and misused.
The indictment of a president should be written into law and not the DOJ making up opinions about what can and can't be done when a
president has gone rogue.
5
How can a president who has committed treason, was a co-conspirator, defrauded the country of tax payer monies, and lies continuously still be president? This goes against our entire legal system, based on no one is above the law. The Constitution does not support this, especially if the very reason he is president is because he committed treason and is a co-conspirator, and continues to lie 5-7 times a day. The Vice President who had knowledge of these crimes should not ascend to the presidency either, as he knew of the concerns of Michael Flynn, as he presided over the transition team, and Elijah Cummings from Oversight, documented it. That would leave the Speaker of the House, which will not be Paul Ryan, as next in line.
3
How? Your complicit congress, that's how.
2
Gee - most of those scenarios look like they would take 5-6 years to finish - I'm guessing that the American people will become more and more enthusiastic about impeaching Trump as the years pass just like they did with Clinton. Oh wait just the opposite happened.
4
Nowhere does this say how this ends in a way that many people—who have knowledge of either Trump or the government—say that it will end: Trump resigns.
2
Editors, could you please clarify:
The article states that a majority of House members--presumably 50% plus one, or 218--must vote to impeach for the process to move forward. Is this correct?
In order to secure a conviction in the Senate, however, the article says that 2/3 of the 'senators present' must vote to convict.
Assuming that a senate quorum of at least 51 is achieved, does that mean only a 2/3 majority of those actually present is required to convict the President? For example, the votes of 63 senators with only 94 present? The votes of 35 senators when only 51 are present?
1
"The office of the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, has told the president's lawyers that it plans to abide by the Justice Department’s view that sitting presidents cannot be indicted no matter what the evidence shows."
Can the NYT PLEASE stop including this information in its reporting as if it's fact? The original article referenced was already deeply irresponsible: the only source we have for the declaration that Mueller has told Trump's lawyers is Rudy Giuliani, a man whose relationship with the truth is about as solid as Trump's. (And, in fact, the original article includes the note that "A spokesman for the special counsel declined to offer clarity about the assertions of Mr. Giuliani," which almost certainly means Giuliani was lying.) He has every reason to have invented this report as a form of gaslighting. If Mueller now indicts, all Giuliani et al. need to do is to point back to the report--that he himself planted--saying that Mueller had refused to indict, which throws further confusion and distrust into the process. It's fairly appalling that the NYT was so willing to accept Giuliani at face value, and even more appalling that the paper continues to reinforce it in articles like this discussing possible outcomes.
6
So basically Trump is staying in power. Even if, at best, a democratic House impeaches him, the Senate never will. This is a very sad reality that we (liberals) all need to absorb so that we can figure out how to best fight the destruction of this country that Trump and his cronies are undertaking
3
I do not think there is, or there will be, enough evidence to indict the president. From what we know so far, he could be a non-indictable co-conspirator, involved with foreign governments in breaching the US election laws.
The facts, as we know them, do not neatly fit into any of the scenarios listed here. From a recent NYT article (Trump Jr. and Other Aides Met With Gulf Emissary Offering Help to Win Election), we have learned that:
1. Two foreign governments (Saudi Arabia & Emirates) have paid millions of dollars to an Israeli firm to create thousands social media accounts to actively influence the US voters' perceptions of the two candidates;
2. The firm is closely tied to some organs of Israeli government and its actions may have been supported at the highest level;
3. As a diversionary tactic, the firm has hired Russian speaking programmers and hackers via intermediaries to set up sites and hack the DNC database;
4. Accepting the above, the firm becomes the only plausible source for the information received by the Wikileaks;
5. Several individuals central to the Trump campaign were aware of the firm's undertakings and were regularly travelling to other countries to receive information and coordinate activities.
Given the fact that Israel is a close US ally and Mr. Netanyahu has many ardent supporters in Congress in both parties, chances are that the whole story will be quietly dropped, before or after Mr. Rosenstein send Mueller's report to Congress.
3
It appears preposterous to me that the Framers of the Constitution intended to give a President the ability to pardon himself (as suggested as a possibility in this story).
Preposterous.
Nearly every scholar that I've heard on this subject argues that a strong majority of the Framers (apart from Hamilton) preferred a weaker Executive, not a stronger one - and if everyone hadn't know from the start that Washington, the indispensable man, would be the first President, we likely would had a far weaker executive.
A President cannot feasibly pardon himself - thus making himself immune from prosecution after impeachment and removal.
7
"A President cannot feasibly pardon himself"
Not yet, at least.
And may not come to that as "Trump" may succeed in thwarting the rule of law. He's really close to accomplishing that. To him it's a choice of 1) jail 2) dictatorship for life. Which do you seriously think this megalomaniacal sociopath is going to choose?
4
"No president has been removed from office by the Senate through the impeachment process."
No president has ever broken as many laws either. I can think of no one better than Donald Trump to be the first.
38
Can you mention one law that he has broken.
3
The "Nixon Option" has historic precedence and should be considered by the special prosecutor as a path of least resistance to have the matter reviewed and acted upon by Congress.
I would also hope that Mr. Mueller would not delay his conclusion of the investigation, unless there is serious material charges that need to be further investigated. If the investigation wraps-up in September, GOP dominated Congress will bury the report to avoid mid-terms. If the House and Senate control flips to the Democrats, watch for GOP members to try and setup a screen or impediment to Mueller's report, lead by President Trump's twitter and campaign-style rhetorical slams that paint him as the victim of Democratic collusion and infiltration in his campaign.
Whatever happens before the end of this year on Russiagate, Obstruction of Justice and the mid-term election results, I believe that American voters will have crossed a chasm between opposing forces and the next stage of this awful affair will be the prusuit of reconciliation and review of the executive branch constitutional duties and accountabilities in light of recent history.
In the end, America will rally around compromise of constitutional reforms that will improve governance and redeem the credibility of the presidency. The downside is that Mr. Trump may refuse to cooperate and if impeachment is not probable, two more years of his early morning self-serving twitter broadcasts will need to be answered with "screaming silence".
1
Here's a novel thought:
"I think beating Trump in the next Presidential election in 2020 is the only way to get him out of office."
An election, you say? How pedestrian is that?
7
In all Mueller's digging will he finally find key evidence Trump build his 1st sandcastle as a child without ANY contractors or union help?
5
Most likely not. But, there's a strong likelihood that the Mueller investigation will find evidence of numerous criminal acts, from money laundering to illegal payments to criminal elements.
5
This is all great work but purely hypothetical. First, we need to see evidence of collusion. Over a year into the investigation, with many leaks of any tidbit that can be used against the President, to create an atmosphere of questions, we haven't seen anything close to what is needed to bring down the President.
Speaking of constitutional crisis, this whole process is tainted by the emotional and unsupported investigation into the President, and should be focused on the Russians.
7
"... we haven't seen anything close to what is needed to bring down the President."
Of course not. We haven't seen any of the evidence that Mueller has collected, much to the dismay of Trump and his advisors. That is because Mueller has run an air tight, leak proof investigation. No one can have any idea if Mueller has discovered what is or might be necessary to "bring down the president."
2
Don't overlook the fact that the Ken Starr investigation started with looking into a failed company that lost $40,000 and ended up on illicit sex.
2
The House will do nothing and the Senate will follow even if Trump's bribery and treason co-activities are part of Mueller's findings. So I see him staying in the White House. But if Mueller's findings become public and Trump's followers do not think is "fake news" Trump will not have a second term. At the end of the day, we are witnessing a fight amongst Republicans.
4
So instead of reporting the news, the NYT plays a game of "what if?" What your headline should really be is, "this is how we hope this plays out." Embarrassing.
9
This 'story' was leaked to the New York Times skillful writers as a way of giving Mueller a soft landing. No evidence of collusion or crimes by the Trump campaign.
4
President Trump never broke the law. Mueller is part of the fix to oust a duly elected POTUS. Everything Mueller touches is tainted; from the beginning. We are witnessing the greatest scandal to ever occur in this country. President Trump will be vindicated and, the entire slime ball Justice/FBI liberal hacks will be jailed. Mueller along.
7
Well, Mueller is a life-long Republican, an ex-Marine war hero, a Federal official with a sterling record for high personal integrity and was praised effusively by Republicans upon his appointment as Special Counsel. Compare this with a man who is not only a chickenhawk, but someone who has track record of shady business dealings with shady characters and who is a proven notorious serial liar. I'll go with the Republican war hero on this one.
4
Mueller has only had one year. Do you think that Ken Starr should have stopped after a year when investigating Clinton? Now that Trump's lawyer, Cohen's, partner has agreed to a plea deal, do you still think that there is nothing there? Would you be so quick if it was a democrat in the white house? We should wait and see what Mueller turns up. Where there is smoke, and there is plenty in the form of Trump people entering plea deals, there just may be some fire.
3
Somebody knows somethin'.
3
Not if, but when Robert Mueller has compiled enough evidence to charge Trump with breaking law(s), it won't be difficult at all for Mueller to calculate how best to proceed. To begin with (how to begin is crucial to any strategy), Mueller has merely to look Trump in the eyes and tell him to "Stand down!"
No one else has had the guts to tell Trump this to his face -- not his Republican loyalists; not the other wimpy, morally challenged Republicans in his administration, cabinet, and congress; and not even Democrats. When Mueller finally has the chance to force the president to kneel, it will be a splendid display of courage, and a splendid day for America.
4
This ignores another politically based outcome: word reaches Mueller and Congress that if Mueller does not ultimately report that the President did nothing wrong or out of the ordinary or "whatever he did merits neither indictment nor impeachment," indictments may be handed up (or unsealed) of Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Loretta Lynch, James Comey and others, possibly even of President Obama if there is any evidence, however tenuous, of his knowledge of or involvement. If there is strong evidence that Trump or members of his team committed a crime of a kind or degree that is much greater than those allegedly committed by the others, Mueller and Congress will justifiably want to proceed, but if it is a stretch or requires a novel definition of a criminal statute or if the evidence is in the nature of "A met with B and location C on date D, so they must have discussed E" (like the Lynch-Clinton meeting on the tarmac), it will all just go away.
1
A culture of corruption is coming to an end as November 2018
gets closer.
The vote is the most powerful aspect of a democracy, that is why
tyrants abolish the vote and democracy.
7
Mueller may not succeed, but the American people can stop Trump from destroying our institutions and country by helping the Democrats win in 2018 and 2020.
6
I'm still hoping for the long shot that Trump and his entire family gets indicted, and that his house of cards falls down. These people have committed crimes; obstruction of justice, money-laundering, conspiracy to commit election fraud.
Trump has achieved nothing during his tenure aside from destroying Democracy. He's an uneducated clown and a conman, and if Karma is real, the sinkhole on his lawn might swallow him up.
7
Trump is a symptom. It no longer matters if he gets pushed out or not, if he lands in jail or not. Another infantile ignoramus will arrive on the next bus in a few minutes.
Due to decades of scaling back investment in education, infrastructure, and scientific research, America's population has passed the critical threshold of stupidity. Observe the OECD PISA stats: http://www.businessinsider.com/pisa-worldwide-ranking-of-math-science-re...
We are not even in the top 20 (China is, and graduates far more STEM students). America is living on its past, eating its own seed corn as it were. We are in serious trouble because 60 million people are beyond gullible to 'leaders' such as trump, or the numerous temple money changer evangelical 'pastors' such as Osteen.
9
“I hereby demand, and will do so officially tomorrow, that the Department of Justice look into whether or not the FBI/DOJ infiltrated or surveilled the Trump Campaign for Political Purposes ....”
--- Donald J. Trump
--- O.K. by me.
And I hereby demand that the Justice Department investigate you for:
wholesale lying to the American people,
failing to pay your rightfully-owed taxes,
repeated gross violations of the Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution,
being infatuated with Vladimir Putin,
causing the appointments of the most unprincipled and ignorant group of cabinet officers and senior officials ever assembled in the history of the U.S.,
repeated violations of the Mann Act,
groping women,
endless wasting of taxpayer money on trips to Mar-A-Lago,
turning the U.S. into the laughingstock of the civilized world by your misspelled, mispunctuated and wholly ridiculous tweets,
conspiring with Michael Cohen to deprive American voters from receiving information rightfully due them concerning hush money payments designed to protect your dubious reputation,
sullying the reputation of brave and patriotic FBI and CIA officials and Frederick Douglass,
constantly wearing a black overcoat and neckties that are six inches too long,
tossing paper towels in the direction of residents of Puerto Rico while they were attempting to recover from a hurricane,
being the father of Donald Trump, Jr,,
etc., etc., etc.
and may G-d have mercy on your soul.
7
One thing I didn't notice is wait for him to leave office in January 2021 and then throw him in jail along with the rest of the Trump Criminal Organization.
"Complicating matters, the Justice Department has long taken the position that the Constitution does not permit indicting or prosecuting presidents who are in office. Other scholars disagree, arguing it would be constitutional to indict a president so long as any trial is delayed until after he or she has left office. Mr. Mueller’s team has told the president's lawyers that it plans to abide by the Justice Department’s view."
NYT: The last line of the foregoing paragraph is incorrect. It was Rudy Giuliani who said that Mueller's team has told the president's lawyers that it plans to abide by the Justice Department’s view. Until you receive independent third party confirmation from Special Prosecutor Mueller or an authorized member of his team, please do not fall for FAKE news!!!
6
How much pressure would it take to influence Trump to resign like Nixon? Unlikely but worth examining. Regardless of whether Trump broke the law, or not, the country is broken under his "leadership."
3
All this is mere speculation. Is this the "news" that's fit to print?
4
You should be happy, Southern, as it points out the likely outcome is Trump gets away with his crimes.
2
Michael Schmidt has to admit upon reflection that he has received far more responsiveness from president Trump than from the Special Prosecutor, and as such he has systemically been prejudiced in favor of Trump while having the luxury of acting smugly self-satisfied and superior as an 'objective' reporter. Trump is correct when he say he puts money in the pocket of the Times and Schmidt by 'giving them stories.' And fluff pieces of lightweight analysis like this are but additional examples of gratuitous free support given to the most corrupt and traitorous president or politician of any stripe in our nation's history. Truly a disgrace for the Times, and Trump is only too happy to give the Times the false security of excoriating their 'fake media coverage' which has in fact been comparatively favorable to the president, who should be called out as a baldfaced liar nearly every time he exhales a semi-articulate thought.
Mueller, on the other hand, has been professional, and methodical in building the case against Trump as a criminal, traitor and racketeer. The latest flipping of Gene Friedman, Michael Cohen's partner in the taxi-limo license racket is but the most recent example. Trump is being bracketed into a very well constructed criminal corruption case, that he can't pardon and pay his way out of. He will soon have the ugliest and most visible option of trying to obstruct the investigation by the most blatant and provable route. Trump is doomed.
6
Lock him up. Lock him up. Lock him up.
7
"An indictment is one possibility that has grown increasingly unlikely."
Once again, the NY Times reporters give great credibility to the right wing propaganda. The REPUBLICANS desperately want Americans to believe that an indictment is unlikely so the panting NY Times reporters repeat their talking points as if it is fact.
When it came to Hillary's e-mails -- where no crime had been committed -- the NY Times reporters also repeated right wing propaganda about how corrupt and criminal the use of a private server were (ignoring that Colin Powell did the same thing) and repeating the right wing speculation that the FBI and DOJ did not indict her only because they were rabidly pro-Hillary.
Trump got elected because of this kind of truly lousy reporting by NY Times reporters desperate to keep their right wing sources happy and prove how 'fair and balanced" their coverage is by giving real Republican crimes the benefit of the doubt they refused to do when it was NOT a crime by a Democrat. (Case in point -- the NY Times ignoring that Trump's administration is using private cell phones and non-government private e-mail accounts as a non-issue -- ironic since the NY Times spent the entire campaign implying Hilary must be guilty of a crime for that.)
This is how democracy dies. The NY Times is part of the system that brought corrupt Trump to power. Stop it before it is too late.
8
When will Hillary Clinton and Debbie Wasserman Schultz be charged with rigging the primary election against Bernie Sanders? They defrauded the primary voters. They also defrauded the states out of the financial resources that go into supporting a primary election. Are any states attorney generals reading this article? Will you pass up the opportunity and the responsibility to see justice done?
3
This article spells out exactly the manner in which this democracy will end. The best possible outcome for Democrats is that they take the House in 2018 and vote to impeach. The Senate, however, will not vote to remove Trump from office.
Welcome to Trump's America -- one in which ignorance is celebrated, one in which racism is revered, one in which xenophobia is worshiped. This is the country we live in now.
There is no going back. Trump will have the wind at his back in 2020. And in the unlikely event he loses that election, he will simply declare the results "fake" and that the election has been "rigged". He will then stay in office until such time as he chooses to leave, and then, he will appoint his successor. Our "Congress" will then become what other parliamentary bodies become in totalitarian states -- rubber stamps.
Anyone who seriously believes America may return to what it was before Trump's election is incredibly naive. Welcome to fascism. This is what it is. This is what it looks like. A strong man with absolute power. A man who threatens the press. A man who forces "his" Justice Department to start bogus investigations. A man who demonizes minorities. A man who says the KKK and neo-Nazis are some very fine people. A man who says he should "close this country up".
All of this has already happened. If we are to ever regain our democracy, we need to understand that those of us who stay here will be paying dearly to do so -- with our blood, with our lives.
9
A man who says: "He's now president for life. President for life. No, he's great. And look, he was able to do that. I think it's great. Maybe we'll have to give that a shot some day."
3
One year and NO evidence---give it up children and stop the tantrum...
9
Tons of evidence. Guilty pleas, in facts. Lots to come! Enjoy!
3
It took three years for Nixon and he isn’t nearly the crook that this one is.
3
Several involved have pled guilty. Don't imagine they would have done so were there no evidence.
As for tantrums, seems the guy at the center pitches a fit routinely.
3
I would hope, that Trump's supporters will come to their senses with Trump's danger to institutional Democracy. However, I am almost convinced that nothing will happen. This President is Teflon Don. I have never seen so flawed a political candidate be so successful in securing support. Nothing will happen! We may have a 2nd term of Trump also. He is scarily untouchable.
4
There is no investigation of collusion and the NYT should say so explicitly. Stop letting El Trumpo dictate what you print.
Let's recall that the appointment of the Special Counsel came after the election when it became clear how extensive Russian efforts at interference in the election had been and that the FBI had been investigating El Trumpo for Russian connections since July 2017 along with so many of his appointed staff to include our sitting Attorney General having been caught lying about their own meetings with Russians. It was seen by many as highly suspect that Comey who was so vociferous about the email case and twice made unnecessary public declarations it was clear were meant to harm HRC and her campaign for the presidency. It was after all that came out that the firing of Comey by El Trumpo because he would not let Flynn off the hook for his Russian connections that the appointment of the Special Counsel was triggered.
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/appointment-special-counsel
https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/967231/download
https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/28/part-600
https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/28/600.4
1
A cynical commenter assures us:
"Whatever the findings, president Trump will remain in the office."
I disagree.
If I see evidence of collusion, I'll support impeachment in a heartbeat, and I think most other Americans will too and Trump will be impeached quickly.
We're just getting tired of reading speculations about what Mueller will find. Trump can't be impeached based on speculations.
10
As with Nixon, the coverup and obstruction are inescapably obvious. Trump is engaging in classic conman and Rovian tactics of obfuscation, deflection, victimization and preemptive accusations on issues on which he is culpable: engaging in espionage, collusion and dirty tricks.
The FBI seems to have investigated Trump's campaign for suspicious contacts with shady Russians out of national security concerns, so Trump accuses it of spying on his campaign for political purposes. (In Trump's extranational oligarchical mindset - a phenomenon corroding democracy worldwide - there is only the political and financial, no legitimate national security that need be respected.)
And the Bureau, mindful of not affecting the election, kept its investigation as private as possible, utilizing a discreet and oblique inquiry rather than calling in formal interviews - so Trump points to that as spying on his campaign, and adds deflective chaff by accusing the investigators of colluding with Clinton.
Who's the purveyor of fake news? Unfortunately, it's an effective tactic that is difficult to refute. More critically, it plays well with venal and corrupt GOP politicians whose power and contributor ricebowls are tied to their loyalty to Trump, and with a cynical popular base that is easily manipulated and fearmongered.
Both our political parties are killing the American Experiment, but the GOP is standing at the top of the podium in the corruption sweepstakes.
5
Vote ! get the GOP who are complicit with all of his m,any crimes out of power. They care nothing for America, Americans, the planet, our health, our children, our image in the world. They care for one thing- money and their reelection! How do you believe in God and vote for this evil?
7
Just take whatever course is necessary to permanently wipe that obnoxious smirk off his face. More the better if it coincided with him being put away for, say, a couple four-year terms.
7
Mueller is close to publishing his report and Trump knows that he has all the facts and he fears what will happen - that is why Trump is in an anxiety panic.
7
Again, read the article. "Mueller is close to publishing his report" does NOT mean it becomes public. It could just be filed away. Likely, in fact.
2
Can we just get this hysterical whining drama queen out of the WH already. This guy has been nothing but a disgrace and distraction every day of the week. When he spins lies and conspiracy theories and nonsense out of thin air, it's not any different than what we see commonplace in mental institutions. Why is it acceptable for this deranged man to continue with his crazy talk? I've seen mentally disturbed people that can, with medications function and be productive. This guy either hears voices or stays up all night thinking of new conspiracy nonsense which he then tweets about. Even if he writes his own doctor's note that he is sane, this is loco stuff and we should call it what it is.
6
This corrupt President and his cabinet and GOP Congress make Nixon look like a Puritan (almost), and certainly no comparison with Bill Clinton who had a "skirt problem" (as my Mother used to say) but basically a decent and intelligent man.
6
the oath of office says:
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
http://americanhistory.si.edu/presidency/1b2.html
what appears to be missing in this entire discussion is how THIS president is performing under this oath. If there's a lawyer that can look the American people directly and say with a straight face that this president is upholding his duties under this oath, that lawyer should follow Shaespeare's advice (to us about lawyers).
In the meantime, why isn't every single media outlet asking tjhis questio n with every action this man takes? It's clear to me that we are all falling down, and that the grounds for getting rid of this man from office AND his ignorant enablers in Congress are all as sound as can be.
What is stopping you fourth estate? Ask the question each and every time of each and every clown that opens their mouth defending this man.
Do America a favor, and ask already! The Constitution is at stake, and it;s time for a full court press.
7
I despise Trump and his entire rotting administration. I dearly hope he is not impeached, because Pence is worse. Flip the House and Senate and then vote Trump out in 2020.
9
If, then...
If, then...
If, then...
If, then...
If, then...
About sums it up.
4
With the current make-up of Congress, it is clear that the left branch ending in "Trump stays in office" is virtually guaranteed in every scenario...
...whence the critical importance of a strong showing by the Democrats in November. Get out and vote, thinking Americans! (The Trump supporters are welcome to stay home.)
5
Wake me up when it's over.
2
"Of all the questions hanging over the special counsel investigation, one stands out: How will President Trump fare in the end?"
Everyone -- Trump included -- seems to conclude that it cannot end legally well for Trump (and friends). Hence, the scenario here is incomplete. It does not outline possible responses to the "Saturday night massacre" to which Trump in panic will likely resort. I'm making the assumption that Mueller's entourage are making plans for that eventuality. What are the options? The Mueller results must be protected and mostly revealed.
5
Welcome to liberal fantasy land folks, and another ny times opinion piece posing as real news.
Here's what's going to happen:
On collusion: Nothing. There was no collusion and collusion ain't a crime. But under the title collusion for dummies -- you have to have some evidence that this occurred. Oops, there is none.
On obstruction: Nothing. Trump is the head of the exec branch and everyone who works within the exec branch serves at his pleasure.
On anything else the left is so desperately hoping for: Let's say that Mueller, lacking anything else, comes up with Tax evasion back in 1985 or something. First that would be way outside of his charter as no one could make the case that it had anything to do with Russia or the 2016 election and would so obviously be an attempt to bring down a duly elected president that no one would stand for it -- except for progs who don't care about anything except getting their way. I know the left hopes for something exotic like laundering money for the Russians or the mob, but do you really believe that's going to happen? Nope. Because except in the fevered imaginations of the left, Trump has never been accused of committing felonies.
What is more likely? That someone, maybe Mueller (but unlikely because of his obvious bias) is that sooner or later we'll find out about the real corruption in the 2016 election and that may likely lead to HRC, Obama, Comey and others. Voila. There you have it.
47
"Liberal fantasy" and "witch hunt" were also popular with GOP during Watergate investigation. But when the case was made, they had to accept reality. Will today's GOP do that or will they continue to protect the traitor?
4
You do realize that simply taking the Trump Tower meeting under the pretext of the Russian government providing damaging information about Hillary Clinton is a violation of US election law, correct?
https://www.fec.gov/updates/foreign-nationals/
This is just one of several crimes that were committed by the Trump campaign, and that is a fact. Whether or not you choose to disregard it is irrelevant.
7
Oh sure, it's all going to be wrapped up in a pretty package with a nice ribbon. Fantasy.
Collusion isn't a crime but *conspiracy* is.
If there was any 2016 election corruption then tell us why HRC isn't the president. It's because Trump is the one who conspired with Russians to cheat and steal the election.
4
Can we cool it with the "uber-rich donor class" talk for just a minute or two? Citizens United or no Citizens United, Clinton outspent Trump by a large margin in the 2016 election campaign, and most top donors gave exclusively to Democratic candidates. These are not "opinions." They're cold, hard "facts." I was pleased to see that spending millions upon millions of dollars on attack ads doesn't always pay off, but let's stop pretending -- for just a minute or two -- that those "millions upon millions of dollars" are spent only by Republicans. Democrats spend "millions upon millions of dollars" too, and Hillary Clinton had a lot of money left over on Election Day.
7
Hillary Clinton not only supported new Democratic candidates, she also formed a fund to financially underwrite liberal "resistance" groups.
You can Google it.
3
The Whitehouse dweller did not have to outspend the Dems. The Russians (and it is now coming to light that maybe others as well) did the spending for them.
2
"No president has been removed from office by the Senate through the impeachment process."
And Trump will not be the first.
Every moment that democrats spend on this nonsense is a moment wasted. Concentrate on the mid-terms and on finding the candidate who has an actual chance of defeating Trump in 2020.
It is not going to be as easy as many think.
9
This is going to come down to the rule of law in America (and its institutions, its law enforcement professionals, its role as an imperfect but crucial foundation for this country) and a man who would do anything to save his own skin. Whether the Mueller investigation finds evidence about Russian collusion or other illegal actions, the ultimate outcome will be determined by a decision by those who want to clear away the smoke and support the bedrock principles of this country, and those whose allegiance is to themselves and political power at the expense of the country.
10
Having outed and trashed a valuable intelligence resource, Nunes, Gowdy, Grassley, Graham and others are preparing to meet with DOJ officials to get their story straight and to plot their next moves, based on what Putin tells them must be done to protect the overthrow.
7
Unless there is a smoking gun Mueller knows of that we don't, I feel nothing will happen from this beyond the indictments he already has.
I just hope the public gets to know what is in the report so that we know the truth whether there is anything actionable in it or not. Even if the report finds that there were laws broken and Congress ignores it, at least we will know and can vote according to our individual consciences. If the report finds no wrong doing Trump gets to say I told you so from the steps of the his Washington hotel officially free of being a source of any emoluments. Matter of fact if there is no finding or no action Trump will feel free to do pretty much anything he likes.
2
Marie - Why would "feel" nothing more will happen? Intuition? What basis?
I thought feeling was self explanatory but based on what we've seen so far of the Republican Congress and the Trump controlled Department of Justice my intuition is that we won't see them taking any action regardless of the contents of the report. If if contains wrongdoing it will be dismissed as fake claims of those desperate to undo the election.
1
I think that Mueller knows a whole lot more than we do!
2
I really like the flow chart--nice and simple to quickly get the information. I love long articles that have serious reporting behind them but sometimes I just want the facts and I want them fast.
Takeaway message: it's almost impossible that Trump will get indicted or impeached.
2
Everything seems to be centered on the President. But the real fireworks could come into play if Don Jr. is indicted, or Roger Stone, or Jared. Impeachment could come not as result of Trump being charged with anything by Mueller, but by outrage generated by pardons and other heavy handed tactics while Trump is in autocratic panic mode.
8
I don't hold out much hope for impeachment, and as time goes by it becomes less desirable to me. Even if he were impeached, I can envision a scenario in which Trump is found guilty and ousted, but says "I won't go!" This deeply polarized nation could be looking at civil war! The best we can realistically hope for is a "Blue Tsumami" in November in which the GOP loses control of the House and possibly the Senate. Stall any legislative agenda and slow-walk all appointments. And for God's sake, let's get to the truth about whether or not the Russians stole the 2016 election!
3
I have mixed feeling about impeaching Trump. On the merits, he totally deserves to be impeached 100% because of his illegal and corrupt actions (collusion, being bribed, emoluments Clause violations etc.), but I think there are downsides to impeachment. One is that it will probably fail because I don't think there will be 67 Senators who will vote to convict Trump in an impeachment proceeding, and even if he IS convicted, Trump has the hutzpah to simply pardon himself, causing a Constitutional crisis. Secondly, impeaching Trump will rile up his base supporters to an absolute frenzy, who will turn out to vote for him in droves in 2018, if it happened this year, or in 2020, if it happens after November. Some extreme hard core Trump voters have even threatened violent protests, if he is impeached, according to social media posts on Facebook, conservative websites and blogs etc. Unfortunately, I think beating Trump in the next Presidential election in 2020 is the only way to get him out of office. We all know by now that a Republican majority in Congress, that controls both the House and the Senate, will do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING against Trump. They will ALWAYS put their Party first, ahead of the country, even if it means destroying our democracy, and the Unites States itself.
5
Thanks for the lucid video & graphics!
1
Mr. Rosenstein chose Mr. Mueller as the best person to lead this investigation & Rosenstein will do what Mueller recommends.
It Trump has committed crimes - & the likely crimes include treason, obstruction of justice and conspiring with the Russian government - to say nothing of money laundering & other state crimes in New York - it's up to Congress to present a bill of impeachment & the Senate to hold hearings.
With lackey Paul Ryan in control of the House and people Nunes running around, this seems unlikely.
If as many believe, the crimes of Donald Trump are grave enough, perhaps a committee of elders could, like Barry Goldwater did with Nixon, go to the White House and tell Trump he must resign for the good of the country. Past presidents Carter, Bush 41 and Bush 43, Clinton and Obama could be in this group, possibly buttressed by great 'statesmen' like James Baker, Condoleeza Rice and Colin Powell, as well as retired SCOTUS jurists like Sandra Day O'Conner and David Souter - all to impress upon Trump that the United States is a nation founded on the rule of law & that given his alleged crimes, Trump must resign for the good of the country.
The problem here is the extensive evidence that Trump's only real concern is himself and nothing else. This indicates that an appeal to patriotism & the good of the country would fall on deaf ears. It then remains to be seen how much damage Trump will inflict on our country if determined to remain in office. Probably a lot...
5
If they remove trump from office we'll be stuck with pence.
pence is a passive aggressive well spoken individual who will continue the destruction of natural resources, national park lands and the rights of all who do not look, speak, or pray like him.
pence is the more dangerous then trump because he has the "appearance" of dignity, honesty, ethics and well meaning intentions for our country but only if you look like him, pray like him and speak like him.
For women and all minority people, their rights over their lives, bodies, and dignity will be removed.
Why? Because pence is controlled by organized religion, right wing groups, christian evangelicals and others that voted with their hate for trump.
4
Pence is a creep but if he had nothing to do with conspiracy to collude with the Russians, he's better than Trump. No excuse to let a traitor stay in the White House. I'm amazed people don't get that.
If the President commits a crime of the highest order like treason and/or a financial fraud or any felony, he cannot be convicted or if indicted or convicted he has the power to pardon himself!
I am not a lawyer or a ' constitutionalist '. However, what I am gleaning from from this report, there seems to be only one option because Special Counsel, Robert Mueller has already indicated only through the Deputy Attorney General, Rod Rosenstein. Like Jawroski through a grand jury process the information of Trump's or his close coterie's wrongdoing with evidence is made public and reaches Congress or the House Judiciary Committee. The only hope is Rod Rosenstein approves it. I have no expectation from this Congress to do the right thing for Americans. Nor do I expect any justice from this highly partisan Supreme Court who will convolute the truth in legalese. Going public is the best option and now. Waiting for a change in Congress in November will be too late. Trump would have fired everyone involved in the investigation by then. A small time criminal for possessing marijuana is convicted and incarcerated for a decade while the ultimate crime of treason by a President is pardoned by himself. Ah, where's Justice?
3
Apart from slavery, our treatment of Native Americans, the Great Depression, 9/11 and our wars, he is the worst thing that has ever happened to this country.
I’d like to think that the worst of him is already over, but I see no actual signs of it.
14
Thanks. This clarification of procedures and issues is very helpful.
But, clarity stops at the constitution's edge. The issue is political, not legal. If the Republicans don't back a recall this president will serve out his term.
I am not an apologist for Trump (far from it) but I recognize the appointment of a Special Prosecutor is not the typical way to deal with an unpopular President. I still consider the appointment and behavior of Kenneth Starr to have been an abomination. He said he was looking for a real estate deal gone bad and found a blue dress. Obviously he didn't care what he found as long as it led to a recall.
If the Mueller investigation leads to anything other than solid evidence of felonious behavior by D Trump, Mueller's investigation runs the risk of becoming just as jaundiced as Starr's. This article points out that Mueller must run his evidence through the justice dept. Without an authoritative Republican voice and irrefutable evidence of a crime to support whatever "report" Mueller submits, this Special Prosecutor is going nowhere.
The Republicans in congress have already proven they are feckless. Mueller's findings must be so clear and simple in their proof of crime that the stumblebum congress knock each other down in order to be the first "courageous" leader to denounce Trump.
1
All this grows sadder and sadder. I still don't fully understand how the Republican Party sank so low and that there is not one Republican in Congress that truly stands up for the People. I'm glad my parents are dead, as they would be horrified to see what has happened to the party they supported. they so believed in the goodness of America.
5
Why not ignore all this, wait until the complete findings are in, and then let the lawyers for both sides do what they are trained to do based on the legal facts?
All this kind of story does is prejudice and inflame the citizenry.
It's rather like discussing what kind of plays or strokes might/will occur during a football game or golf match. A useless exercise.
3
Probably not, but ...
"Trump will never take responsibility."
The big question at the moment is: "Responsibility for what?" We hired Mueller to figure out the answer to that question, but so far he hasn't told us. Many commenters speculate that he will, and maybe he will, but he hasn't yet. Maybe he has evidence and hasn't told us for strategic reasons, or maybe he hasn't found any evidence. Who knows? All we know is that he hasn't told us anything yet.
Some commenters argue that Trump Jr.'s meeting at Trump Tower with some Russian lawyer is proof of collusion, even if nothing more is found. Not so. I'd feel otherwise if Trump Jr. had said something like this to the Russians at that meeting: "Look, we want Hillary to lose, and you want Hillary to lose. So how about we work together to bring that about?"
That would be collusion, but I've never heard that anything remotely approaching that ever occurred. Maybe it did, and we just haven't heard about it, but we certainly haven't heard about it.
Just because Trump learned (if he did) that the Russian government also wanted Hillary to lose doesn't mean that Trump was obliged to stop trying to cause Hillary to lose. Trump was free to do whatever he could to beat Hillary, just as she was free to do whatever she could to beat Trump, as long as neither one of them colluded with the Russian government to accomplish that objective. That didn't change just because the Russian government preferred one candidate over the other.
1
The biggest problem with using impeachment as a political tool, which seems to be the case here, is that it almost certainly invites revenge and payback by the other side, leading to a never-ending cycle of impeachment fever with every future Presidential election.
4
That's the way it works. It is a blood sport. Politics is about rewarding your friends and visiting terrible destruction upon your enemies. In a democracy it's all done with a smile and a thin veneer of civility, morality and decorum. And, you work to protect yourself against your inevitable loss.
"We already know that Russia expended a great amount of resources to aid Trump's campaign."
I've heard that, but so what? Is Trump responsible for what Russia did, or is he responsible only if he colluded with the Russian government? Remember that word -- collusion?
"We also know that there was, at the very least, shared information between those Russians and members of Trump's inner circle."
We do? I guess I missed that, and I'll bet many others did too. Can you fill us in? And, while you're at it, can you tell us exactly why Trump, or Clinton or anyone else, was not free to use whatever information he or she could get from any source, provided that he or she didn't collude with the Russian government or any other foreign government?
We'll all be waiting with bated breath.
3
I must have missed it, but shouldn't one of the possible outcomes be that there was never any collusion and the whole investigation was designed to deligitimize his presidency, keep him from getting anything done, and hurt the GOP in the midterm elections?
3
Perhaps the logic tree should consider how high the high crime is. For example, if it is treason, then Mueller must do whatever it takes to ensure Trump is removed from office.
2
Trump got into the august Oval Office by lies and deceit. Now, that he is in the office, he is enriching himself and his family and in the process, he is deliberately destroying our institutions.
Therefore, since it is evident that he only cares about himself, his family, and very close friends to the detriment of the American people and the interests of the United States overseas, it is time for the patriotic Americans to defeat him and Pence in 2020, and the lawmakers who constantly support him despite Trump's umpteen transgressions in 2018 and 2020.
2
What about the obstruction of justice issue? Would that be covered under all of this or would it be separate? What if he is found guilty of crimes in the New York/Cohen case? How does this relate to the Mueller investigation?
1
To those who've written that Mitch McConnell would not be willing to impeach Trump and remove him from office - think again. Mitch McConnell is a mean, stubborn old man whose foremost concern is his own survival. McConnell will be able to read the writing on the wall if there's evidence Trump has committed crimes & he sees that most of the country wants Donald Trump removed from office. McConnell will support impeachment regardless of what the GOP right wants. Mitch McConnell is not about to be forced from office or become powerless to protect the likes of Donald J. Trump. McConnell is a deeply immoral, selfish man but when push comes to shove, he'll try to protect the 'integrity' of the Senate because that's where his power lies. He's been in the Senate since 1985 and is not about to throw his career and power away to protect Trump.
1
---Thank you for a great, informative outline of a complex, somewhat mysterious process.
3
Rosenstein surely won't still be Deputy AG when Mueller finally finishes -- or Mueller himself might have been replaced by a less partisan counsel. Or even more likely, President Trump will end this charade and replace Sessions and Rosenstein. The next AG would then dismiss Mueller and end the witch hunt.
1
And just why would you call this a "charade"? -- Or, maybe the importance of this investigation escapes you way over there in Sweden.
2
There seems to be a difference of opinion on the proper label for the human being planted by the FBI in the Trump campaign. Trump calls him a "spy," while the NYT and others call him a "confidential informant" and Jim Comey calls him "Confidential Human Source" (caps are Comey's). There's also a difference of opinion on the reason he was planted; Trump says it was to spy on his campaign while the FBI insists he was just trying to figure out what the Russians were up to.
But there doesn't seem to be ANY disagreement about the fact that this human being -- whatever his label -- was indeed planted in the Trump campaign by the FBI. As for why he was planted, I'd be curious to know what he reported to his superiors. I presume we'll never be told that, as it's confidential, but I'm curious nonetheless. I wonder whether he reported anything that did NOT have to do with what the Russians were up to.
I'm also curious to know why Mueller -- who's presumably heard everything this human being reported to his superiors -- isn't telling us that Trump was colluding with the Russian government to swing the election away from Hillary Clinton. If there was collusion, presumably this human being learned about it.
We should all just unquestioningly believe the FBI when they say they only did it to protect Trump.
Obviously the various investigations are putting more and more pressure on the guilty parties including Trump. Mueller and Rosensteing must overcome the mounting anarchy and tyranny of Trump and his cohorts in the GOP as they tear down the rule of law. I just heard the guru of the GOP, Rush Limbaugh referring to the nonexistent "Spygate" as the biggest scandal ever. We are slowing approaching the point where even clear and irrefutable evidence of collusion will be disregarded based on the "OJ defense" of nullification.
Trump and the GOP have done irreparable harm to the FBI and th eJustice Department.The comparisons to other fascist governments gets more similar with every passing day.Our Constittion is
being disregarded for the sake of Trump's ego and inability to accept legal consequences for his actions.
2
My feelings and notions about what Trump has done to our country and system of government make many of my comments irrelevant to whether he will be impeached or indicted. At this point I believe nothing will be done to this guy and he will be with us for at least 2 and a half years more perhaps longer unless our electorate decides they want some dignity to return to our highest office.
Doing nothing to condemn his outrageous perhaps illegal behavior which includes condoning Russians interfering in our election and using our system to siphon our wealth into his personal company will denigrate our process to the point that our democracy will become meaningless. But this seems not to be indictable or impeachable offenses under our republican controlled system so who the heck cares beyond commenters in the NYT.
1
This is an excellent bit of visual explanation, but I would like more details about options other than indictment, which is the least likely outcome. (I think our usually short attention span gets a waiver for this subject)
1
I find myself becoming more cynical and despondent as the days roll by. This cretin, Trump, is going to get off the hook. Absent hard evidence, this Congress of corrupts will never, ever vote to impeach. Look at the track records of the GOP members of the House. Then, look,at Trump’s . He will have his acolytes offering all kinds of pork, aka, bribes to members of the House. And, most will take the bribes.
This Nation, our form of government, and, perhaps, our society are at the tipping point.
25
Let the investigation continue until it's complete. Release the findings in the prescribed manner. The information will be made known. Most likely there'll be evidence of various shades of criminal activity. trumpty remains in office until 2020 but the November election will shackle the GOP and trumpty, who will get voted out in 2020, is then brought up on criminal charges related to money laundering and rape. If we want to regain our democracy where the words "with liberty and justice for all" actually mean something, where the rule of law means precisely that, then the focus must be registering people to vote and then making sure their vote is cast and counted. trumpty's base will not be swayed but there's millions who were on the fence, and millions of others who must participate and then we'll get the government we truly deserve. Do your part and either run a registration drive in your local area or help fund organizations that are doing that work now. Rock the Vote, Head Count and many others. Be proactive and we won't get fooled again.
13
Recent upheavals to our economic ecosystem, including the suspension of trade deals, international distrust of our country, and the end of protections such as Dodd-Frank, suggest that we may be on the precipice of a major collapse that will make 2008 look like a minor earthquake. Weimar Republic 2.0 is here, and by November we may be buried too deep to vote ourselves out of this mess.
"How the Mueller Investigation Could Play Out" -- none of the above. By the time it ends, it may be irrelevant. That's what I worry about.
10
It's obvious the House Judiciary is complicit with the President and is unreliable and likely to be purely political. The rule-of-law is constantly under attack by Trump, his team and the GOP. The continuous and obvious obstruction of justice means, Trump can get away with shooting someone on 5th Avenue.
16
Whatever the findings, president Trump will remain
in the office. Democrats won't have 2/3rd votes in
the senate and Republicans will stick with the president.
However, the findings of some culpability will damage
Trump in 2020. Even if Trump is removed in an
unlikely scenario, Mike Pence will be a poor replacement.
9
On way to stop Trump's abuse of power is that those Americans who care about this country and the well-being of the American people should vote in droves in November 2018 and let the Democrats regain the House and the Senate. Also, they should vote in droves in November 2020 in order to defeat him and Pence.
1
This is all vain conjecture and nothing more than putting the cart before the horse, when most Americans who are watching this all closely are more interested in the list of activities associated with this president before, during, and after his campaign.
And no doubt, that list will be a very long one indeed.
6
So much depends on the integrity of Congress. With the GOP in control (and the GOP leadership complicit in undermining the Mueller investigation), it is doubtful that Donald Trump will be held accountable.
7
How would the legal process play out differently if Mueller is unable to prove outright collusion but does find ample evidence of a crime such as money laundering? As far as what could be definitively proven, this seems the most likely outcome. To whit:
We already know that Russia expended a great amount of resources to aid Trump's campaign. We also know that there was, at the very least, shared information between those Russians and members of Trump's inner circle. What that information was and what was agreed to, however, seems very difficult to prove unless all such conversations - both in person and phone - were somehow recorded. Thus concretely proving the existence of a quid-pro-quo agreement directly between Trump/Putin to the effect of "Russia will do X in exchange for Trump doing Y, or else Z will happen" seems very unlikely. Yet such a formal agreement would not have to exist for the arrangement simply to be understood and for both sides to act accordingly. If Trump was a conduit for Russian money laundering or profited criminally from under-the-table-deals like Rosneft (crimes that COULD potentially be proven by untangling the trail of $), then as far as Russia is concerned he's already compromised! Likewise, Trump would be fully aware of the dirt Putin has on him and understand the expectation that he act accordingly. So what happens if an unambiguous 'agreement to collude' charge cannot be proven but other criminality related to Trump's business can?
6
To say "we already know that Russia (pretty broad entity) expended great amounts of resources" is like saying we know that Clinton expended great amounts of resources. Also - Much like investigation is similar to spying- it's the context and you are mixing issues that don't mix.
The truth is coming out, albeit slowly. Once Nunez and Grassley get the documents related to the FBI and CIA illegally obtaining a FISA warrant and spying on the Trump's campaign and his associates, and then lying about it and covering it up, there will be a lot of people lawyering up. This is going to end with Brennan, Clapper, Comey, McCabe and other senior members of the Obama administration being convicted of crimes. The only collusion with Russia was with Hillary and the Clinton Foundation and with the DNC fixing the 2016 primary for Hillary.
6
Even the Trump administration acknowledges that the Russians were trying to help the Trump campaign. Not Hillary.
1
Bravo Robert, was searching for one comment like this in this sea of haters
We know what Mueller investigation means for the president. It is a nuisance and a distraction from concentrating on what he was elected to do. Mueller is giving Trump an excuse if he is unable to achieve all that he promised especially since the Mueller investigation has dragged on for over a year and there is no evidence of collusion with Russia or effective influence of Russia on the 2016 presidential election. If Mueller does not wrap up the long drawn investigation in the near future, it will leave him vulnerable to criticism that he is wasting time and resources and come out with indictments unrelated to his primary task.
3
We have learned that trump enjoys seeking revenge against those he feels have wronged him, either in the press or through his businesses.
He LOVES the nuisance....and he creates it for others.
He has boasted about loving and creating chaos.
Your whining about "distraction from concentrating" is not supported by trumps words or actions.
2
I’m looking forward to he SDNY carrying out justice. It seems the complicit Congress doesn’t care that the country crashes.
12
Basically, in all scenarios, Trump gets off the hook because no Republican is going to take up the report, let alone follow through, or ever allow an impeachment proceeding to occur.
4
No not sure conjecture is really helpful at this point. Maybe what should be pounded home is trump with the blatant biased aid of corrupted, immoral republicans like Nunez is doing all they can to bring down this investigation at all costs. We are standing by as the only administration in lifetimes flaunts a cascade of laws that would put anyone else in jail as opposed to being a president!
7
This is incredibly sad and immensely frightening to see from outside of America.
Trump appears to be successfully undermining the values of justice, liberty, and even democracy itself so he can manipulate Americans and the Justice system against each other in the most destructive way possible.
Never, since the Republic itself was formed has America appeared so weak and vulnerable to collapses as now. At this point, will America remain a true democracy is valid question the world is asking.
Trump with a cast of willing and self-serving characters; Putin, members of the Republican Party, and with the support of Right Wing extremist media...which can only be described as intentionally manipulative and deceitful propaganda, has in an incredibly short period of time seriously damaged the very foundation and values of what makes America the greatest nation on earth.
The American Constitution is one of the most important and meaningful documents every created by humanity. It's values and truths are pivotal and critical for creating and sustaining democracy and freedom, not just in America but everywhere in the world...and now, before our eye's America is tearing it apart for the enrichment of a narcissistic pathological liar and his racist/extremist base.
America we are your friends, we care for you all. Please show us you care as much about yourselves, your children, and each other. It is time to defend America, from the enemy from within. Time is running out quickly.
28
Thank you, my Canadian friend, for your comment and for your caring.
1
Why did we let this get so far? Trump's campaign was all about molesting and groping women, kangaroo courts attacking his opponents, asking Russia to invade our electoral process, maligning our war heroes and disabled, playing to our worst natures of bigotry and verified lies upon lies including an attack on his predecessor as a non citizen. Impeachments? Indictments? He should be drummed out of the human race if he hasn't already done it to himself.
6
As one commenter points out:
"Ah, but Mueller has scores of indictments and guilty pleas."
Indeed he does, though most of his indictments are against Russians. Probably more important, Papadopoulos and Flynn agreed to "cooperate" with Mueller many months ago, and yet we've heard nothing that's come of those "cooperation" deals. I know, I know -- any day now, and "Stay tuned!" and all that. But I'd expected SOMETHING to come from the Papadopoulos and Flynn "cooperation" deals by now.
One wonders why nothing has been revealed so far. There are three possibilities:
1. Mueller's people just haven't bothered to talk to Papadopoulos and Flynn yet. I think we can rule this one out.
2. Mueller's people have talked to Papadopoulos and Flynn, who've incriminated Trump, but Mueller has decided not to inform us yet.
3. 2. Mueller's people have talked to Papadopoulos and Flynn, who've not incriminated Trump, and Mueller has decided not to inform us yet.
I am impressed. Finally, a Media source has gotten it right. This is the precise legal process involved in Impeachment/Removal of a sitting USA President. Congrats to the NYT for providing the public with an objective, truthful rendition of the judicial process involved.
5
I appreciate the flow chart. It would have been helpful if the authors had here and in like pieces provided hyperlinks to the authority they cite to help the reader sort out whether and why there is discretion at each step of the decision tree and what the actor is required to consider. There is some "could" and some "has to" language in the article which no doubt corresponds to some may or shall language in the source. Great reporting.
2
So they're saying that a president who murdered his wife couldn't be indicted?
The notion that a sitting president cannot be indicted is absurd, and has no basis in the Constitution.
32
I trust Mueller to get to the truth. I trust Trump to do everything in his power to frustrate Mueller's attempt at same. Trump will never take responsibility.
19
So, if they all "roll" and plead guilty and get basically a slap on the wrist, they're protected because of double jeopardy. Trump gets a nemesis for his base to galvanize around, the Dems get a paper tiger distraction and all the baddies get commuted sentences. I see what you're doing here...
People accept the long, slow turning of the legal system as long as they believe that justice will be served in the end, but by as your flowchart shows, there are very good odds that while Trump may be found by evidence to be guilty, he will still remain in office. This would be a victory for Trump, but a crushing loss for justice and our system of laws. And when people stop believing in laws, they turn to solutions outside the law, which are not usually peaceful ones.
America is fast heading towards a cataclysm, and Putin is gleeful.
13
The worst thing for an European is to look at the drain of any moral. Money orientation and the permanent hiding of the truth are apparently the game of the new "elites" of America. It hurts.
7
If there were traitors running Congress right now we'd be rid of this president already. This isn't complicated. The corporate overlords that run our government approve of Trump. If they didn't he'd be out already. Not to mention the relish with which otherwise talented journalists treat each new transgression like the latest episode of a mini-series. The story is no longer what Trump did or didn't do. The story is what others are failing to do about it and they way they are assisting him. Instead of this "choose your own adventure" game, how about a daily article about that?
7
Of course I meant "weren't traitors."
1
'President'* trump calls the reports of there having been an informant to the FBI in his 'presidential' campaign "a disgrace".
For once he is right: it is (yet another) huge disgrace -- for him: the FBI only bothers with confidential informants if there is strong reason to suspect foul play of a large magnitude.
If they had an informant in his campaign it was for a very good reason -- the reason being that they had a strong suspicion that treason on the United States was afoot (which turned out to be the case).
"Foul play" is one of trumps middle names, so no surprise there. Really just foul in general and all around.
14
They had a person who has helped them before talk to members of El Trumpo's campaign in friendly conversation at places they would have been anyway. There was no one put onto his campaign staff by the FBI. It amounts to two or three conversations with people whom the FBI was investigating for suspicious Russian connections. One of whom had previously been investigated in 2011ish for his Russian interactions who gave a very anti American speech in Moscow.
2
I am praying for indictment and removal from office. Based on what we've learned so far it's unimaginable to me that Trump has not committed serious crimes before taking and while in office.
I think there will be a revolt in this country if nothing is done to stop this madman and his criminal family, friends and administration.
13
Kathrine, I doubt the citizens of Texas, outside of Austin, will revolt if Trump is NOT indicted, over-the-top statements only hurt Democrats and their credibility.
From the minute Trump won the election, Democrats couldn't believe anyone was dumb enough to vote for him over her... "there must of been a crime committed!"
Democrats are doing themselves a disservice: Trump won, stop focusing on the past and worry about the future. Democrats should be taking this investigation energy and figuring out why they lost states they should of won in 2016. If Trump is vindicated, which there is a good chance he will be, then Democrats are going to have a hard fight to win in 2020 - after all, Trump can blame Democrats for wasting time/energy/the fake news...
You live in Texas, you should know that not everyone thinks like you, so while this "Trump is a criminal" mindset plays well in NYC, LA, Austin, it doesn't help Democrats in Iowa or Wisconsin. Last time I checked, NY, CA, MA are all solid blue so Democrats should be focusing on what the people of non-solid red states want and not giving "red meat" to their base.
1
What those decision trees tell me is that we are stuck with Trump until the next election, and that he is unlikely to face punishment no matter how many crimes that Mueller may find he has committed. Unfortunately the framers of the Constitution made a fatal assumption when designing our system of governance, namely that Congress would not be co-conspirators with a criminal President. Clearly that is the situation in which we find ourselves today.
10
To me the over arching question is why did so many republican politicians and Trump campaign staffers think it was acceptable to strategize over the election with representatives of a hostile foreign power? Even if Trump was unknowingly manipulated by Putin, the others on his campaign and in congress knew they were colluding. I agree with others commenting here that there should be more aggressive coverage of the fallout from all the steps his administration is taking. My survival tactic is not to read Trump's tweets, mute his voice on TV and not read anything from Guiliani, Nunes or any other members of the pro-Trump cabal.
5
As a non-attorney, I found this very interesting and informative.
And depressing. Rosenstein, who is subject to replacement on a whim, and congress, most of whom seem to love the smell where they're hovering, don't offer us much hope if the president has engaged in criminal acts, as seems to be the case.
2
The real action is not in D.C., but in NYC. When Cohen's homes and office were raided clean of tons of damaging evidence Trump's fate was sealed. Mueller's gift to the nation was to transfer that evidence over to the New York Southern District Court for prosecution on an entirely separate set of legal wheels beyond Trump's ability to control. The icy cool professionalism of Justice Kimba Wood will not be intimidated by Donald's hysterical tweeting.
Trump faces a far more ominous threat than mere impeachment in D.C. - he faces conviction of RICO laws in New York City where they don't play games with prosecution: money laundering, tax evasion (5 year sentence) bank fraud (30 year sentence) securities fraud (25 year sentence) and the list goes on and on.
7
"...sitting presidents cannot be indicted no matter what the evidence shows."
So you missed one possibility. Trump shoots Mueller on 5th Avenue, does not lose any of his voters and is re-elected in 2020, thus postponing indictment for another 4 years.
7
I have troubling understanding why establishment Democrats are not indignantly and vociferously calling for impeachment hearings to be initiated against Donald Trump. I guess this is just another example of the party establishment being out of touch with the much more progressive and combative rank and file.
1
Getting Mr. Mueller's findings to Congress should be seen as a way to inform the public and I hope that public opinion would have practical force after that. Certainly with the Republicans in control of Congress we can't expect that body, left to itself, to do anything - even if Mr. Mueller's report shows unequivocally that Trump has broken the law. In the meantime, that same force of public opinion should be brought to bear on forestalling the outrageous possibility that Trump could derail the process by replacing Mr. Rosenstein with a lackey.
With all of that in mind, the importance of this November's elections is highlighted starkly. If Americans succeed in restoring honor and justice this November then, after the new Congressional term starts, we've got our bulwark against tyranny. Otherwise, we don't.
1
If there was ever an effective argument to get out the Democratic vote for the midterm elections in the Fall, this flowchart is it. Too many of the scenarios presented depend on a responsible and patriotic Congress doing the right thing. Does anyone believe this current cast of Republican characters cowering before the dark lord Trump has the integrity or ethical stature to remove such a corrupt President? The uber-rich donor class makes the decisions for this collection of elected tools, from the leadership on down. As long as Trump continues to transfer more and more wealth to the wealthy, the donors could care less about who Trump pays off or the wars he forces upon us. As they already know, even war is good for business. Another painful byproduct of the Trump era is what his overwhelming lack of honorable conduct is teaching young people all over this country and the world. One need only look at Trump's dishonest children to get a vision of a deplorable legacy, an anomaly which must never be repeated.
353
well said.
1
Thank you New York Times, for providing this. The way things are going, this scorecard provides the possible scenarios, once the Mr. Mueller is allowed to complete his investigation. This, is providing that Trump or Congress doe snot try to short circuit the investigation, or Congress tries to discredit the FBI by Trump's ordered investigation of the investigation.
I expect, providing Mr. Mueller is allowed to finish the investigation, that a Grand Jury will eventually get involved, and that Congress will have to act on impeachment. Whatever the case, both political parties, their leadership, Congress, our lack of oversight on campaign funding, national data security and Trump will become politically charged items of debate. The American people should expect exposes` that go far deeper than what happened with Nixon and Clinton. This could be very ugly.
And, as for the mid-term elections, both parties need to stay away from any aspect of this, as this subject will be toxic to any candidate, or party, that tries to leverage this to their advantage. Why? Voters, right now, have almost no trust in both political parties, and their leadership. Nor do they trust anyone in Congress.
Finally, if Congress ignores this, or does not act, they do so at their own peril.
6
None of this will happen, and if any of it does, DJT will remain an active President. Our only hope is that this investigation will be so hurtful to him that he loses the 2020 election to any Democrat that can use it to his/her advantage. I am hoping it's a Sanders/Warren (or reversed) ticket.
4
The New York Times needed to consult legal experts to create this flow chart? The writers have outlined a basic government textbook here, with a few details about history and hints at modern politics.
Practically, if Mueller cannot indict Trump, which appears the case for any number of reasons, the only entity that can act is Congress. If the GOP controls the House, nothing will happen. Even if Mueller produced something analogous with the "tapes" from the Watergate era, 35-40% of Americans would allege some conspiracy by the "Deep State", effectively tainting the process. If the Democrats win the House in November and are brave/stupid enough to impeach Trump, that 35-40% will make it effectively impossible to get a conviction the Senate. Trump knows this. That is why he plays to his "base" so often, much to the chagrin of everyone else.
The only recourse against someone like Trump is a Congress and citizenry who are interested in doing what is right and being able to agree what that means. We are so divided that I fear that is not possible. That polarization is what created the possibility of a President Trump, and now that we have him, quite predictably, we do not have the means to restrain him. This illustrates the fragility of democracy: it is not rules but an ethic based on trust and acceptance of the legitimacy of those with whom you disagree. Once that trust is gone, you are, unfortunately, chasing shadows in your attempt to recreate it.
229
I think the NYT was just trying to educate citizens to the process. It's not that they didn't know the textbook outline. Most Americans don't know anything about the functioning of government, as is evident from the current situation facing this nation. Americans for the most part vote frivolously with little understanding of the impact of their vote. And then there are the Americans that don't even bother to vote upwards at times to 65% of voters sitting out an election. They blame. They scream. But they never prepare themselves to be intelligent enough citizens to even be allowed to vote.
3
The New York Times consulted legal experts in order to verify facts and have a legitimate source for the information.
If only the Trump administration would do the same.
3
I cannot believe this. The President of the United States has a ridiculous amount of power. Even if he is found to be a complete crook, he cannot be removed from office and is free to complete his term.
If Mueller is planning to go forth with a Russia interfered in the election in Trump's behave they have no case. Conversely if Mueller had pursued the actual corruption that Trump was participating in which had no bearing on the election but on his policies when he became president, such as moving the Israeli capital to Jerusalem and Saudi and other Gulf leaders efforts to bribe Trump, there is a real compelling case. Russians could very well have tried to get at the Trump campaign. But the Mueller mandate to look into Russian gov't interference in the campaign has got nowhere and so Trump should have no fear about that.
1
Sorry, but this is simply not true. How can you at all imply that a year-long investigation that has yielded 22 indictments and 6 guilty pleas so far has "got nowhere"? If you're going the Trump 'unwittingly' surrounds himself with criminals who pay off bribes for him 'without his knowledge' / his sons meet with foreign spies 'just to tell them no and don't tell Trump himself the meeting took place' route, can you at least wait until the investigation concludes before asserting his innocence? Because judging by the way things unfolded thus far, there is a LOT left for the public to learn.
2
It has been confirmed that the Russians interfered on his behalf.
Next you have no idea what Mueller is doing beyond the legal filings he has made which are public record.
Mueller has convicted 4 people so far of crimes mainly having to do with lying under questioning which indicates that there is something to lie about. There are also a number of foreign nationals charged whom he has not yet been able to arrest.
El Trumpo is very obviously TERRIFIED about the investigation hence his near constant histrionics which demonstrate his consciousness of guilt. It's the bribes El Trumpo is worried about being found out. He's not smart enough and has been corrupt for so long his treasonous actions seem to him to be something normal like all of his other crimes. I do not think it has actually hit home to him that he can be executed for these crimes against The United States of America.
2
and yet no man has acted as if he were so guilty.....of anything and everything. Because he is.
1
This presumes that the law (Mueller) takes its due course, whatever that may be.
However, these are not normal times. Any attempt to predict what may happen where Trump is involved is an exercise in futility.
I'm pinning my hopes on Mr. Avenatti exposing information so damaging that it topples this administration.
I'm also pinning my hopes on the midterm elections, because the current Congress will sit on its hands, unless there is an actual revolt by the people, should some truly damaging info come to light before November.
19
revolt in the streets shut the economy down shut the govt down
send a message like was done in 1968..we are NOT taking this anymore.
1
I'm surprised that you read the New York Times and come to these conclusions.
They sound more like Fox News.
Stef,
I apologize for the above response post.
It was in reply to another writer, not you.
I believe in my country, for all its faults- we are a collection of human beings after all, so my bar is set reasonably low.
I don't really care so much how congress or Mueller handles this, the real test of my country is how my fellow citizens do.
Whatever Mueller's findings, there will be many people adamantly standing on opposite sides of what to do about Trump, but if the majority sends a clear message of rejection of this Republican president and his Republican congress this November, my faith will by nourished.
There is already more than enough evidence to indict all these traitors to the America I love. Vote them out of office.
34
Refresh my memory, please. Isn't this the same D. Trump who claimed millions of illegal votes were cast for his opponent in the 2016 election and established an investigation into same? Is he not also the same D. Trump who flatly stated that B. Obama had tapped his phones during the campaign and portended the apocalypse? If so, please tell me why this absurd and self-serving narrative should be given any more credence.
9
The facts so far made public show that Mr. Trump has been bribed and committed actions that al least approach treason. He is a danger to the United States and everything it stands for, but the Republican party is so complicit that an impeachment is unlikely, and a conviction impossible. The troglodyte cabal is so influential that elections this year and in 2020 may be exercises in futility,
The United states we knew is gone.
12
I never thought it would come to this, but it must be said. If the Report is turned over to Rosenstein with a "no indictment recommended" on it, it must be turned into BOTH the Majority and Ranking Members of the Intelligence and Judiciary Committees. Yesterday, the White House' actually tried to make some pathetic excuse as to why Democrats aren't being invited to see the FBI's evidence for launching the Russia investigation in the first place.
Such blatant attempts to conceal and obstruct the obstruction of justice and subversion of our country's election process simply cannot be extended to Mueller's findings.
13
Whatever Mueller does, he should do it soon. The longer this goes on, the less the impact will be. Some have suggested that Mueller will pull a giant rabbit out of his hat. Maybe so -- but the reaction of many people [not readers of the NY Times] will be "Oh, look. There's a very big rabbit. So what? Who cares?"
Time is on Trump's side.
5
voye 11/6/18 send the message Vote
1
Maybe I have too much confidence in Mueller, but I am hoping that, assuming he finds clear evidence of wrongdoing, he will manage to apply so much pressure on Trump that Trump will ultimately resign, for example, in exchange for no prosecution after he leaves office, or no indictments against Ivanka, Don Jr., etc.
7
Mueller report, Mid-term election, impeachment, and finally indictment. Did I miss something? Oh yes, incarceration.
8
The question comes down to, will the Democrats hold congress after the midterms? Because this congress refuses to protect our democracy.
25
Ooops - Correction to Submission:
There is no one more highly regarded on both sides of the Congressional aisle than Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller, III. Not only is he highly capable of meticulous "lawyering" as the former head of the FBI but he will speak truth to Trump's "perceived" power like no other. And Trump knows it.
13
Thank you Don for empowering the democrats at all levels of government.
see you in November
9
Mueller is trying his absolute hardest to collect and verify but so far there is no direct evidence against Trump to impeach. Lots of circumstantial evidence regarding his underlings, but no voice recording of Trump. No email of Trump. Then Trump says "I dont recall" to any questions if it gets to that point. Trump has little to worry about sadly.
Trump is a nightmare but we are stuck with him for 3 years.
8
Ayup. And if the press wants to be helpful to this nation they'll start focusing positively on the opposition. Every day. For once get the Democrat platform and position in the forefront. They're like a constant funnel for all of this poisonous ephemera.
140
Mueller probably has the evidence and facts that is why he is indicting
people and people are pleading guilty - the vast amount of evidence against Trump is hidden from view - this is the correct process.
When Mueller writes his report which is due soon, then all will be revealed
and the people of America will have the chance to take firm but just action.
14
I'm interested-- how do you know these facts?
13
This is a well-done piece of careful investigation and rational thought, all based on how our government at present is constituted and functioning. However, already there is an overstepping of the branches of government, with the president demanding material from the justice department and also with some Republicans in the House sharing any information they get in their roles as congressmen with the president, who is being investigated. This man is making a mockery of our democracy and we just aren't prepared to anticipate this.
48
Jill, President Trump's supporters are making demands on the FBI and DOJ because there is evidence that a Spy/Informant was used to contact Trump's Campaign. President Trump is surprisingly exercising the most constrained response he could now use.
Your source for your flat assertion in 2nd paragraph that Pres.Trump will not be indicted is Rudy Giuliani. Is he really a reliable narrator at this point? Later in article you introduce possibility he could be indicted, but only after impeachment and removal--is that based on any phrase in the text of the Constitution? Not that I read.
17
Correct - K. Swain - This is a highly flawed piece of analysis in relying on the most self-serving unverified inventions attributed to the most unreliable liar in Trump's circle outside of Trump himself. Giuliani was highly overrated even early in his career when he was abusing his authority to leak his way into indictments against the mob. In his twilight decline Giuliani is an embarrassment to the whole legal profession.
2
The hysterics who think that Trump's loud mouth is going to cause the downfall of our constitutional system must believe the system quite fragile. It's not. The Democrats will (unfortunately) win the mid-terms and take the House, and a year from now those same hysterics will be claiming that democracy and the separation of powers have been restored. A lot of this morbid fascination with Mueller is based on nothing more the denial that not everyone thinks like they do and that they lost the last election because they ran an atrocious, out of touch candidate.
4
When the government and the GOP control all branches of government, the corruption will continue. The obvious obstruction of justice on a daily basis does indicate he is guilty as he does protest too much. Despite Mueller, the willingness of the GOP and conservatives to see the rule of law be abused by Trump is a low for the republic.
1
what happened to the WHISTLEBLOWER option?
7
What is this? Fake news? The Office of the Special Counsel did not, as this analysis claims, tell the president's lawyers that Trump could not or would not be indicted, no matter what the evidence against him, while still in office. Guiliani, in classic blowhard mode, simply decided to assert that he had been told that and the Special Counsel's office pointedly did not confirm it.
This may not matter, because what seems to be becoming obvious is that the crimes being unearthed go far wider and deeper than collusion with Russia. Collusion with Saudi Arabia and U.A.E. and Israeli social media manipulators may be involved. Financial fraud is being discovered. Mueller may not get to the bottom of it all until after Trump is defeated in 2020.
55
I thought the Mueller team did just say that there is no basis for anything Giuliani has been claiming he was told about the investigation this week.
2
It sure reads like a 'payoff' piece looking to manipulate another self-serving interview out of the Traitor -n Cheat.
2
Let's not forget that the GOP has known about Russia-Trump connections for two years now....
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/05/republicans-say-secret-talk-abou...
18
The GOP is concerned with power and money, so they will accept
anything that feeds their greed and selfishness.
Trump is the manifestation of deep Republican beliefs and prejudices,
that is the reason why they are silent about what Trump says and does.
Trump is putting into action Republican ideology which is to keep
America divided, and manufacture fear and hatred.
Mueller's report will shake the foundations of the culture of corruption,
and will make America a better place than where it is now.
2
Our government framework is flawed if the branch of government handling the investigation reports to the same branch head being investigated which in this case if the president. The decision to indict a sitting president should not be made by a department under the president's control. This needs to change!
19
This is why you have the Special Counsel Appointment statute.
2
Or why we used to, anyway. The type of independent special counsels that you're thinking of, and existed from the aftermath of Watergate to the end of the 90s, don't exist anymore; the law was not renewed when it expired.
1
There should be a legal way to separate the Justice Dept. from the Cabinet and Presidential influence. JFK's appointment of his brother as Attorney General set a very bad example of who not to appoint.
Too much of this is dependent upon politics. When Nixon was forced to resign both parties were involved. Now the party that is in charge, the same one that saw its man in the White House resign in 1974, is far less concerned with the state of the union, the integrity of its members, and most Americans. They are interested in power, money, and satisfying their rich donors. They undermined a sitting president when he was negotiating a deal with another country by writing, signing, and sending a letter to that country stating that the president was making a meaningless deal. Each one of the signers should have been brought up on charges of treason. Most of these same people are in the senate now and those in the House agreed with them.
Unfortunately for most of us, Trump was lawfully elected. Unfortunately we have a party in charge of both houses and a majority of the country that has no interest in seeing Trump impeached. If it were Hillary Clinton they'd be rabid about it. Trump could drop a nuclear bomb on Pyongyang and the GOP would put him up for sainthood. He could sign a law repealing our civil rights and they'd cheer because the only ones who deserve rights in their view are people who agree with them.
The GOP has strayed a long way from being the party of Abraham Lincoln.
15
For the rule of law to be equal to all no one is above the law,
and Trump must be indicted - there are no legal reasons why he should not be indicted only a DOJ memo which is not the law of the land.
To do nothing would send a message to other types of criminal behavor
that degrades and destroys democracy.
The Republicans don't want to have the rule of law, so Mueller must
be the one shining light that fights against tyranny and protect
American democracy.
426
I happen to agree with you. The President of the United States is indictable. However, there's a catch: The indictment is un-actionable until the president is no longer a sitting president. Only Congress has the authority to remove a sitting president from office prematurely. This is incredibly hard to accomplish. Has never been accomplished. The DOJ is aware of the difficulty. Therefore, out of respect for the authority of Congress, the DOJ issued instruction not to indict a sitting president. In return, the president and Congress are supposedly respecting the independence of the DOJ and thereby the intelligence community in general. Clearly this is not the case. That is why the United States government is currently at loggerheads.
The only successful precedent to counteract this impasse is the Nixon compromise. Jaworski’s co-conspiracy approach demonstrated his ability to indict the president without actually indicting him. Nixon ultimately resigned in order to avoid impeachment knowing he was effectively indicted. However, I'm sure there was a prearranged agreement between all parties where Ford was allowed to pardon Nixon in exchange for his resignation. The only problem here though is Congress today is different. Our checks on Congress appear to be failing. Devin Nunes, among others, demonstrates as much.
Is there anyway to hold Congress, particularly the Senate, accountable on a bipartisan basis? That's the crisis of Trump administration.
2
Plus, this article cites the inability to indict a sitting president as being in our Constitution -- which says nothing about indicting for criminal behavior. It does say a president can be impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors. It does not say a president is above the law.
1
Indicted for what exactly? What was the crime? Be specific.
Great article. I’d like to see more from this group on the intricacies of how our government works.
11
Donald Trump is a corrupt, immoral, incompetent person who would destroy our nation in order to protect himself.
Robert Mueller and Congress need to prevent that from happening. While Mueller seems to be doing his job, the GOP-led Congress appears unwilling to protect our nation.
302
hopefully, at the rate recent elections are going, there WON'T BE A GOP by November to stop legislative action to undue all that HUMP has done and to get of president kudzu.
1
I truly hope that, if the Ds retake Congress, that they act aggressively toward their fellow members who have been part of the obstruction and disinformation campaigns that have been unleashed since Mr. Mueller began his work. What can be done about Nunes, et al and their (I believe) treasonous acts to subvert justice? Surely the only solution is not to rely on his constituents to vote him out? Those folks don't necessarily have the best interests of the entire country in mind when they vote in a worthless representative and put him in Congress ~ How can we get rid of these really bad apples? Absent a Mueller indictment?
1
You still don't get it. There will be no "Mueller Miracle." First, Trump has been operating in the shadows of the law for over 35 years. No one has brought him down. I would love to see the boy get his comeuppance. Just once. History suggests otherwise.
Second, even if Mueller finds evidence (not just a smoking gun), that Trump has committed some extreme violation of the law, do you really think there will ever be enough republican senators to vote to remove him from office? To do so would be to commit political suicide.
He will be President until 2020. 2024 if the democrats nominate another republican-lite dud of a candidate.
3
I may have missed it, but I didn't see any mention of any report being made public and available for any citizen to read; this Congress will obviously, based on recent behavior, suppress any report it receives.
Does all information important to being an informed citizen have to be leaked these days? Will there have to be a Trump equivalent of the Pentagon Papers?
35
It is mentioned in the "Nixon" option. It states that Mueller could ask a grand-jury to make the information in the report public or disclose it to Congress.
1
We are not talking about the preacher's pregnant daughter leaving town. It's not an issue of providing enough proof of guilt to justify impeachment. It's not a question of indictment of a sitting president. It's a question of how legitimate our democracy will be from now on. Will the next corrupt mayor, governor, congress-member, or white-collar criminal make the argument that they are "to busy" to be indicted.
The fake argument that a sitting president cannot be indicted is spurious or a contrived argument. History reveals a famous general being removed during a war, ----- so why not the commander in chief during a time of peace? This may be oversimplification or maybe with the foggy pollutants or propaganda we see things far to complicated then necessary.
"Truman in a dark suit and tie and light hat shakes hands with MacArthur, in uniform wearing a shirt but no tie and his rumpled peaked cap. General of the Army MacArthur shakes hands with President Truman at the Wake Island Conference. On 11 April 1951, U.S. President Harry S. Truman relieved General of the Army Douglas MacArthur of his commands after MacArthur made public statements which contradicted the administration's policies. MacArthur was a popular hero of World War II who was then the commander of United Nations forces fighting in the Korean War . . ."
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_Truman%27s_relief_of_General_D...
9
If Mueller can't/won't indict Trump and the Congress can't remove him from office, then what's left?
Game over.
9
Remember remember to vote in November
The Russian Treason and plot;
I know of no reason why Russian Treason
Should ever be forgot.
(with thanks to wayne crocket)
6
Elections in 6 months to determine 2019 control of Congress. Don't boo, vote.
6
The vote. That's all it's ever been in this mess. If Republicans keep consolidating their power enough to rig the vote with impunity, which is no idle speculation, THEN it's game over. Because there'll be no watchdogs in power anywhere, not even the public.
2
If Trump is allowed to pardon himself, our democratic experiment will end. As Ben Franklin said, "it's a republic, if you can keep it."
69
As I went through the options, I kept returning to "Congress." It pains me to say this but if the evidence against President Donald Trump plays out and he is obviously in violation of either civil or criminal law--or both--the Republican Congress will not order out bills of impeachment from the House Judiciary Committee, nor will the Senate vote to convict him. The evidence could be overwhelmingly and not in the least exculpatory--but neither House Speaker (whether Paul Ryan, Kevin McCarthy, Stephen Scalise, e.g.) would publish articles of impeachment for a full vote in the House, nor, under those unliekly circumstances, would Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell urge a vote for conviction by a two-thirds majority. Republicans on Capitol Hill do not want this president removed from office for any reason. That he is a clear and present danger to the Republic--from both without and, more sinister, from within, does not bring to bear upon them (or their official duties and obligations under the United States Constitution) the gravity of the issue at hand. Republicans, we know without thinking, value party and ideology before the good of the country.
Now all that I have said above may go by the wayside if Democrats re-take the Senate and wrest a majority in the House.
The wild card is the president. If he feels threatened by imminent impeachment, he will fire Rod Rosenstein to frustrate any proceeding on The Hill. Or he may pardon himself.
But Republicans are the danger.
123
Well said.
1
Spot on. The press really needs to start bearing down on this.
1
Get out and vote blue/Dem. The future of America may very well depend on the Democrats to save us!
2
I trust Mr. Mueller will find the truth. It will be there sitting on a table in front of him. He will wrestle with the politics of his decision. Not Democrat vs Republican, but which approach moves us closer to justice, without harming the nation. On more than one occasion he will wrestle with the side effects of pursuing the law.
There are other possibilities not mentioned in the article. People Mr. Trump cares about may be vulnerable and watching them go to court, get tried and possibly convicted may prompt a deal.
I don't see Mr. Trump going to jail but I do see some of his underlings staying at a federal retreat someplace working on their books.
20
isn't there a law about criminal NOT profiting from their books?
2
Thanks for the exploration of this. But I'm puzzled as to why the article repeatedly presents Giuliani's claim that Mueller won't seek an indictment as fact. Mueller hasn't corroborated it - at least according to the article you linked to as substantiation. Why is the NYT treating Giuliani's claim as fact?
108
Is this how our great country dies. Mr. Trump appears to be capable of manipulating the narrative transferring his own corruption onto the shoulders of our intelligence community & far too many appear happy to believe his narrative even in the face of this tangled web of deceit and secrecy. Far too many of us believed that Congress would take their oath of office seriously and would provide a protection to the Constitution and country but we see only complicity Republicans scrambling to undermine the very institutions they professed such faith in under different administrations. Do done have the courage to speak truth to this man & hold him accountable?
596
You could always march around in pink hats.
5
RS - Don't dismiss the people wearing those hats, quite a few of them are running for office and many more of them are voting and they aren't voting for Republicans.
6
But all that matters to Trump and Guiliani is the court of public opinion. It's all about the narrative.
CBS “60 Minutes” reporter Lesley Stahl:
“You know, that is getting tired. Why are you doing this? You’re doing it over and over. It’s boring and it’s time to end that,”.
President-elect Trump:
“You know why I do it? I do it to discredit you all and demean you all so that when you write negative stories about me, no one will believe you,”.
3
I vote for truth, justice and the american way, not the trumpian way.
7
This is a very terrifying time for America...
I say we just rip off the bandaid, show the world all the damning evidence Mueller has on these traitors and co-conspirators and face this "Constitutional Crisis" head on.
9
So much speculation filling pages of reporting and informed guesswork. The Trump Phenomenon is truly a global soap opera. No matter how ethical and thorough Muller's report (and let's hope it's reported after such grand ado),
many will claim with the Trump camp that it's bogus unless it gives Donald J. Trump and his cult a clean bill of heath (as his ethically-challenged physicians did for him).
The well of integrity has been poisoned by corruption and propagandized suspicion, thanks in large measure to the Internet's convenient opportunism for fakery and lies. Donald J. Trump and Putin's Russia are not the only meddlers to muddy the waters of national politics.
Doug Giebel, Big Sandy, Montana
7
In order for our nation to survive Trump and those who have broken laws or have violated the public trust need to be held accountable. Based on what we know so far it’s clear that our government has been impacted by Russia and potentially other countries. Trump at the very least has been silent about Russia’s involvement and apparently he and some of those close to him helped Russia to corrupt our system.
7
Thanks to the NYT for the flowchart assuming everything goes by the law, probably wishful thinking with this president who relishes breaking the back of the system on a daily basis. What happens if Trump fires Rosenstein and/or Mueller, and where does all the evidence go? Into a locked drawer in Jeff Sessions' office?
7
Your flow chart illustrates that the fate of this investigation rests in the hands of Rod Rosenstein, the Deputy AG. However, what if Trump replaces him with some servile flunky who is beholden to Trump and not the American people? None of the diagrammed outcomes give me any comfort if that is the case.
9
Please add this question to the list:
If sitting presidents can't be indicted, does that mean prosecutors must also wait to see if they run and are elected for a second term? Or does the safe harbor only apply to the term they are presently serving?
7
"The office of the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, has told the president's lawyers that it plans to abide by the Justice Department’s view that sitting presidents cannot be indicted no matter what the evidence shows."
Why does the Times continue to site Giuliani's statements as fact when he has repeatedly contradicted himself and Trump and Mueller's team won't comment?
While I think the press' role has never been more important, I can't understand why papers of record like the Times continue to allow themselves to be played as a mouthpiece of the administration in the name of impartiality. Facts are not biased and the fact is that we don't know whether Mueller will choose to indict.
10
How about this decision tree:
1. No evidence of wrong-doing that rises to level of indictability...At which point the NYT clams up on that topic and begins an endless tirade on Trump's poor taste in neckties and Cabinet officials
2. Anything other than #1 - at which point the NYT begins to leak like a sieve with half its mesh torn out, and demands individual interviews with every Jill Stein voter to determine whether they actually would have voted for Hillary except for the fake news being spread about Stein's fake candidacy by social media…
Further, they’d strongly endorse Marco Rubio’s proposed legislation to protect Colin Kaepernick’s job…
http://www.tmz.com/2018/05/21/marco-rubio-colin-kaepernick-nfl-trump/
“…But if we're just talking football ... there aren't 63 better quarterbacks in the world…
Building on this reasonable-for-a-Republican logic, the NYT would begin petitioning to displace GOP US Senate incumbents with Democrat candidates who lost in their home-state US Senate election but got more votes than the flyover-country winners ever did…
3
Did any of the precedents involve co-conspirators that were family members?
6
What would be the point of an investigation if Trump is not held accountable? I fail to see how Donald Trump's associates can be indicted and he is allowed to go free. Congress has a responsibility to see to it that the Constitution is not mocked and trampled on by the likes of the Trump administration. As far as I know there is no diplomatic immunity for a sitting president. Something has to be done or our republic is doomed.
11
When the Mueller report is released to the public I predict that the findings will be so overwhelming, so damning, that the Democrats and the GOP will unite and impeach/imprison Donald J. Trump.
10
gop will circle the wagons and defend him until the last of our democracy disappears down the drain.
6
How responsible is the President for the actions and decisions of his son and/or everyone else in the campaign? It is already clear that some of those people have had more than a chance dealing with a foreign government. The entire nation saw Trump exclaim, “Russia if you’re listening . . .” with the clear intention of asking for their help. He is constantly trashing and calling into question the integrity of those who are doing their job, as well as the people who actively oppose or question him. Is he not responsible for his language? Is he not responsible for his working to undermine (not to “expose”) the workings of the agencies of the Cabinet to carry out the law? And isn’t that part of his oath of office? When does this cat get to be responsible either legally or politically for the destruction of law and order and for the litter he leaves behind in places like the State Department? When will the silent acquiescence in his Party to his destruction of our rule of law come front and center? The only thing needed for evil to succeed is for good men to remain silent. Trump may be ignorant, but that alone does not make him innocent or less responsible.
10
Considering the various legal possibilities that might play out is essential, but perhaps the greater question is what will the nation do if the worst suspicions about Trump prove true? This is hardly a remote hypothesis as people have already begun to take positions on the matter. The fact that the Times is running this story shows how close we are to such a moment of reckoning. But a sharply different position is being taken by Trump's allies who want to protect him at all costs, even if it means the end of democracy in America. It would be comforting to believe that the case against Trump will be decided solely on its factual and legal merits. But like the election that put him in office, his legal case is likely to carry the stench of corruption.
10
Bob-- no, this story shows the complete lack of journalistic standards in the times. This isn't a news piece. It's opinion. It's speculation, It's what if. It's not hard news and if you think it is you easily fall for fake news.
I hope Mr Mueller has the stomach to say Trump needs to go. As for the morally bankrupt GOP the only thing that seems to bother them is our great Democratic victories like in Pa. The GOP agenda is warped and they are only for the rich and corporations. Sure they gave workers a tax break but a month later raised the gas taxes to pay for it. How is that working for everyone.
21
Nothing will happen to Trump. He has the unconditional support of the vast majority of Republicans and they will do whatever they have to, including lying and breaking laws like he does, to keep him in office. He showed them that you don't have to be a law abiding truth telling honest and decent and considerate human being in order to succeed in the United States so they are all going to follow his example. There's something about his looking arrogantly down his nose while he pompously spews his proclamations that they just love. Isn't it wonderful what greed and a love of money and power can do for you if you're willing to screw to the wall your fellow citizens? And by the way, there won't be an immigration problem too much longer as those who thought they might want to come to this country realize they're probably just changing one dictator for another.
64
My concern is they will do anything they have to including their cherished 2nd Amendment solution.
3
plus, the lead investigator is a Republican. There's that little detail. But don't worry--he's a GOOD Republican.
Sure. And Bigfoot was in my yard last week.
1
Can you guys just stop with all of this conjecturing and just let the investigation proceed? I mean, by all means report on the news of the investigation as its released but the amount of time on 'what ifs' is insane. Its frustrating that this is on the front page of the paper and not the fact that my health insurance premium is projected to increase 14% next year, it now costs $3.10 to fill up my gas tank (there goes that tax cut), and more and more businesses (Harley Davidson latest) are reneging on their promised investments in the American worker. Sheesh.
63
There's only a very limited amount of conjecture in the piece; you must not have read it very throughly. It's a fairly simple, diagrammatic explanation of what could ensue, given the system we have in place.
2
I'll be happy to let the investigation proceed, provided that the most powerful man on the planet and the Republican-led Congress stop trying to interfere with and undermine it at every turn. (Maybe, instead, they could spend more of their time solving some of the problems you're complaining about.) Deal?
5
You mean, no more rehash of today's analysis tomorrow? And tomorrow night the author comes on MSNBC to rehash it again? Because, as it is now this gives me, conservatively, 50 or 60 opportunities to listen to the same thing each month, multiplied by 5 if you count each member of a CNN expert panel.
You're advocating that we all just get on with our lives and wait for Mueller to finish his investigation?
And I thought I was exhausted after the last 16 months. I could feel my hair turning gray as I scrolled down the screen.
10
If there is evidence of a crime, that would make him a "bad hombre" and he should thus pay for his crimes.
(Throw him under the jail and let him tweet from there)
My hope is that for America is that if, irrespective of what evidence is found, we are able to move forward, and to the right things to support all Americans - our survival depends on it.
8
Very few Americans feel the President is above the law. If he shoots someone on Fifth Avenue (the usual example), he should be prosecuted for murder just like anyone else. No need to impeach him first.
But Presidents are also subject to impeachment for minor misdeeds (aka "misdemeanors") that usually go unpunished when one of us commits them. I have no problem with that, and I acknowledge it can be hard to draw the line at times. (For example, what if the President doesn't shoot someone on Fifth Avenue, but lets his parking meter expire -- should he be prosecuted, or impeached first and then prosecuted?). But if that line can be fairly drawn, the President should be impeached first, and THEN indicted.
Keep in mind that all of this is hypothetical at this point. Nobody has produced any evidence of any crime, period. Maybe Mueller will; maybe he won't. As Trump might say, "We'll see what happens." But Mueller hasn't yet; nor has anyone else -- not murder, not letting a parking meter expire, not colluding with the Russian government to steal the election from Hillary Clinton, nada. Many people have long speculated about what Mueller might find, and now we've shifted to speculating about what will happen if he finds evidence that earlier speculators have speculated he'll find. At this point, it's all speculation.
8
Ah, but Mueller has scores of indictments and guilty pleas. Connecting the dots should and will lead to the baddest hombre of all - the coman in the white house who directed and orchestrated every move, including the meeting Jr. had with the Russians. There is so much smoke here, we can only surmise that there is plenty of fire.
5
There are reports now that FBI agents want to get subpoena'd by Congress to spill the dirt on the spying operation which would put the whole basis of Mueller's investigation into jeopardy. Basically, the more the Democrats have tried to get Trump on this, the more the dirty laundry is coming out.
In whatever way this plays out, it all hinges on Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller's findings and his recommendations. If there is illegal wrong doing in whatever form that takes, the lynch pin will be Mr. Rosenstein's call. The occupant in the Oval Office is fully aware of this and will do whatever it takes to remove him and put someone in who will be the gatekeeper for any further legal proceedings.
The problem is that everyone knows this is exactly what will happen because Trump is already squirming and attempting to take pot shots at Mr. Rosenstein.
Ultimately, Democracy and the rule of law will prevail. In the meantime - hang in there - because it is going to be a bumpy summer ride!
11
"Ultimately, Democracy and the rule of law will prevail."
Talk about a faith based judgement. But it will be a bumpy ride.
1
Forget Russia, better for this country to give its sitting president one massive persecution process for the next three years and possibly beyond and live with the consequences of that. It's a judgement that we will have to make for ourselves and fine if we feel that's what we deserve. That's really the only legitimate kind of judgement there is anyway because nobody can claim injustice and be taken seriously.
1
Option 3: "***the president could say he was pardoning himself, most likely prompting a Supreme Court fight."
The President is prohibited from using the Pardon Power to obstruct justice or to further the obstruction of justice. The Constitution says so.
The President's authority is defined and limited by the Constitution, not by the President. The Constitution does not grant the the President the authority to exercise a constitutional power to nullify a constitutional duty. If it did, the President would be above the Constitution, not subject to it. The Constitution and the Laws of the United States are the Supreme Law of the Land (Const. Art. VI), not the President.
The Constitution bestows upon the President the Pardon Power (Art. II, Sec. 2). It also imposes upon the President a duty to "take Care to execute faithfully the Laws" (Art. II, Sec. 3). The President cannot exercise his Pardon Power to nullify his duty to faithfully execute the Laws of the United States. Obstructing justice is, by its nature, a perversion of our laws. If the President pardons himself for committing this crime, he breaches his duty to faithfully execute our laws and, in doing so, he acts ultra vires, that is, without lawful authority. His actions are null and void ab initio.
Maurice F. Baggiano, legal author, Member of the Bar of the U.S. Supreme Court
235
Maurice, your legal analysis is spot on and correct, but let's be honest here. The reality is the Trump does NOT follow conventional, political or legal norms. If convicted by the Senate in impeachment proceedings, I would bet that he would absolutely attempt to pardon himself, causing a Constitutional crisis, and then leave it up to the Supreme Court to decide the outcome. Given the 5-4 conservative majority, I'm not confident that that they would rule against Trump.
8
The flow chart assumes an engaged and ethical Congress. The GOP Congress has tried to impede or stop the investigation from day one. Even if there are photographs and tapes of Trump/Jared/Ivanka taking bribes or paying people to derail the investigation, the GOP Congress will simply deny the validity of the evidence and move on---unless a Blue Wave drowns them all.
324
No it does not. Each scenario ends with a "lawmakers could ignore it' option. Very clearly republicans in power WILL ignore it. And attack the people and institutions that try to interfere with "Trumps's" ascendance to permanent power.
Ask any Russian how this plays out.
3
With all these possibilities about how the Mueller investigation will play out, the one certainty is that this Congress will NEVER vote for articles of impeachment, not for this president. The president is protected by his office but any proof of high crimes or misdemeanors will not matter to Congressional Republicans. If the president were caught red-handed with his hand in a Russian till or cleaning dirty drug and mob money Devin Nunes would look the other way and hold Mueller and Rosenstein in contempt of Congress for what they found. Nunes would deem such a finding as treason, not the other way around. These Republicans don’t want justice. When all is said and done, the verdict will be [the president] Remains in Office. The GOP will never remove him.
140
I understand that the process of removing a criminal President can't be taken lightly, but seeing this step-by-step layout of the process, it seems almost impossible. We provide great cover for corrupt Presidents.
152
The people of America have the power to remove Trump and the vote is the ultimate power in the land, that is why the Republicans try many devious
tactics to stop and prevent people from voting.
America is not a monarchy, it's a type of democracy, and democracy means the rule of the people for the people and by the people, this central value
is the power to eradicate corruption from politics, and new laws must be put in place to eradicate dark money controlling the political system.
10
The voting process is still under fire. Trump got his pay to play votes in 2016. States need to take a seriously hard look at their election systems and administration -- especially in WI, PA, and MI.
5
We did it with Nixon, almost. But the result was his ouster.
Difference being, back then republicans had not yet completely sold their souls to the devil.
But yes, if we do survive this intact as the "US of A" under our constitution we must effect serious changes in the powers of the presidency and the ability to root out a corrupt/criminal president. We are being taught how important that is. Republicans will only get on board with changes if there is a democrat in the white house (and would probably revoke those changes the minute a republican again becomes president in their world of 'heads I win tails you lose').
Sadly, we make not survive this.
5
Well laid out. Me thinks you may be relying too heavily on what Rudy claims Mueller told him.
14
Yes, the article presents it as a fact that Mueller said it -- no quantification at all. I dismiss all assertions as coming from Mueller, unless they have a quote from Mueller directly. There aren't any.
2
As I said in another comment, Trump is going for the OJ defense. Create a false story that sidesteps the real charges. For OJ it was a leather glove that'd shrunk from a couple years in a box. For Trump it is the phantasmagoric collusion charge. Just like Johnny Cochran's illogical chant, "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit!" A substantial part of the public and all of Trump's enabling politicos will let him skate in the face of a whole court room of facts.
10
From your lips to God's ears.
"Mr. Mueller could seek the president’s indictment. If he believes he has enough evidence to charge Mr. Trump with a crime in federal court ...If the Senate votes to convict the president, he would be removed from office ..."
10
Thanks, very clear and concise article.
9
"The office of the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, has told the president's lawyers that it plans to abide by the Justice Department’s view that sitting presidents cannot be indicted no matter what the evidence shows."
Is the NY Times relying on the word of Rudy Giuliani for this statement ? I don't find him to be a reliable source when it comes to the Trump investigation, and ESPECIALLY when he represents something told to him from Robert Mueller's office.
47
Dem cognitive dissonance is at a fever pitch:
1) Trump is interfering with an investigation into him, by looking into spies in his campaign. But Clapper says they weren't looking at Trump, it was a counter-intelligence campaign looking at Russian activity. So Trump isn't interfering into an investigation into himself. By the way - as of a couple weeks ago he was STILL not a target of the "investigation".
2) How dare Trump make unfounded accusations about spying in his campaign? Well Democrat accusations of collusion are still "unfounded" 2-years later. CNN precedes every Trump tweet with unproven/unfounded, while touting Russian collusion that Adam Schiff still hasn't turned info over on - despite claims he had it a year ago!
3) Why are "Trumpists" focused on peripheral characters like Halper, Steele, FusionGPS and Mifsud? Did Papadopoulos and Page somehow become "central" characters? They were the purported genesis of this.
4) Devin Nunes is a bad guy, aligned with Trump! And Adam Schiff is aligned with? Not the truth - the guy said he had evidence of collusion a year ago. Where is it?
5) How dare Trump admin take a hardline with the DoJ! Meanwhile Democrats attack Jeff Sessions and DoJ for reducing civil rights. Is the DOj unassailable - clearly not.
6) Trump can't look into the genesis of the investigations (which Clapper says wasn't into Trump), because revelations may undermine the investigations. That's the whole point.
1
Read today's Frank Bruni!
5
Obviously we'll have to wait to see what the conclusions are and what the evidence shows. However, based on what is known by the indictments already handed down, and the stories in the media with their sleazy cast of international and domestic characters, the charges could be very big. We are in uncharted territory here. While Nixon and Clinton were both charged with obstruction of justice, it seems highly probable that individuals in Trump's orbit, if not Trump himself, may have committed treason. If this is so, the thought of Trump remaining in office is inexcusable.
24
With yesterday's request by Trump for the Justice Dept. to investigate a spy in his campaign for political purposes, doesn't the Justice Dept. require evidence that it might have happened. Is someone making a claim on Fox and Friends enough evidence to launch an investigation?
34
Yes, because it came form Hannity, Tramps closest advisor
3
Congressional committees are looking into that a spy/informant was sent in without probable cause. To do this, a warrant and sign-off from the Attorney General is required. So far, it seems there has been no approval given or warrant sought meaning the genesis of this Russian investigation is 'illegal'. This IMO was the 'Insurance' policy Strozk was talking about.
1
The wrecking ball that is Trump's criminal enterprise abetted by a complicit GOP is doing serious damage to the institutions of our republic. We need to be patient while the rule of law plays out, and hope that that damage can be repaired before the whole structure collapses. In the interim, we should be in the streets, shouting our opposition to what is happening and demonstrating our commitment to putting an end to it.
94
Yes. Thank you. Let's get to the TRUTH please. Can't wait to hopefully hear the FULL report from Mueller!
1
Our democracy is over if Donald Trump is guilty of a crime or crimes and is not held accountable. If we become a nation of men instead of a nation of laws, and if we abandon truth, we are nothing. Just imagine this great experiment ending because of the actions of a man like Donald J.Trump.
640
Considering the entire Mueller probe is a bunch of nonsense...all we've learned is Obama admin spied on Trump campaign...in ways worse than Watergate. The left should be punished...severely for their actions...Obama, Lynch, Clapper, Brennan, Comey, Clinton...they all belong in a federal prison. They DISGUST me...LIES LIES LIES. You probably believe Loretta and Bill were discussing the grandchildren for 45 minutes on a tarmac. I rest my case.
1
You said it all!!!
1
So, Tom you're good with Russia interfering in our electoral process and the likelihood that was aided ad abetted by the Trump campaign?
And you're ok with the "pay-to-play" conflicts of interest involving Qatar bailing out Jared's albatross property on Fifth Avenue?
28