If Barr or anyone in the DOJ releases the 6(e) materials, then they would be breaking federal laws on how to handle grand jury materials.
The full Mueller report with only 6(e) redactions is under lock and key in congress, available to the top democrats including Nadler. Sure, its structured in such a way such that if Nadler does his usual thing and selectively edits and leaks the other redacted contents, he would be discovered quickly, but the least Nadler could do is to go read that version and try to control his urge to leak for a while longer.
If Nadler is asking for a wider release in such a way that leakers would not be traceable, then he could do that after he at least goes there to read that secret version first. Reading it would reveal if there is any basis to a wider release push.
But the whole thing is political opera and the Dems is trying everything they can to hold up the curtains, keep their audience seated, as the fat lady is clearing her throat to begin the finale of the Mueller Russiagate Opera.
Sorry guys, try something new and original. I hear the NYT has released ta returns! Maybe there's better luck with that. Just let the far lady sing her heart out and be done with this.
3
hmmm. first it was the Mueller report that was merely a continuation of the illegal counter-intelligence investigation with a public face. not a single US person charged with any crime having to do with Russia. everyone involved knew Trump was innocent and yet was set-up by treasonous bureaucrats by the weaponization of law and security agencies to cover-up the illicit activities of the Obama admin during the 2016 election. anyone read the 99 page opinion by the lead FISA court judge Collyer about the FBI's lack of candor?
But the longer the media - deep state complex keeps this front and center for Americans people are going to get to the bottom of this and it will be on the side of the Trump administration. but by all means continue.
1
"Democrats were enraged...."
Yeah, sure. They lost the 2016 election and have been blindly obsessed with reversing its outcome (they may just want to wait until Nov. 2020 to do so).
Back in the real world, Trump's approval is greater than that for Obama at the equivalent time point, with unprecedented economic gains at all levels of society.
So yes, Trump will be removed from office by the force of law---the 22nd amendment--on Jan. 20, 2025.
1
Shouldn't executive privilege have the same exception as attorney/client privilege; it's void when the principals are conspiring to commit a crime?
43
Move on? To what? Infrastructure legislation without regulatory restrictions? A new health care bill without prior condition protection? A trade agreement allowing even more China manufacturing? A war with Iran that is, in effect, defending Saudi interests? Offshore drilling, Alaska refuge drilling, that will be tied up in court for years?
Meanwhile, parts of the Midwest are under water from breached dirt levees, the stock market is once again in high gambling mode, wildfire season out here in the West is starting- and money to fight fires, rebuild levees....
Move on to - raising more money for re-election? Where are the handful of senators that will finally say- with this president in office, we can never move on?
10
McConnell suggesting stronger leadership by Obama is a travesty and betrayal of this country. When Obama became aware of Russian meddling, rather than come out publicly on the issue directly, which McConnell would have blasted as attempting to influence the vote in favor of Clinton and against Trump, Obama asked both houses of Congress to issue a joint statement on the issue. The House was willing - but McConnell vetoed it in the Senate and it did not happen.
The case is closed, as McConnell says, and the Mueller report shows that Russia meddled in the election. And it was McConnell who, at that time, chose politics over his country by refusing to allow the Senate to join in the resolution. A good political move, perhaps. A disaster for this country, in hindsight, for sure. McConnell should be ashamed of that history.
9
What may I ask are the ”continuing duties and obligations to the president” that Mr McGahn have which Trump’s lawyer writes? Hmmm
5
Hold off on impeachment until after the elections. When Trump loses because he has no victim card to play, as well as no infrastructure to highlight and no surplus funds, impeach the lame duck. And hope that various other jurisdictions follow suit after he is out of office.
"Executive privilege " : this is so funny. How can the power manipulate the law by giving it a name of pseudo or meta legal appearance. It is where you see that this is an uneducated nation.
That trick would not be possible anywhere else .
1
Outrage and disgust. This circus just continues to escalate. I am feeling the same pit in my stomach as the day Trump was elected. As someone who studied politics in college, it astounds me that Trump’s base still defends him
as well as the majority of Republicans. Tossing aside partisan leanings, are we not AMERICANS first and foremost? Are we not worried about the future precedent-even if they want to excuse the present? Where is the anger and disgust from his OWN party? Where is the outrage that the one you put in the WH is corrupt, dishonest, embarrassing, egotistical, and oh yeah, defies ANY attempt to “check” his behavior? Trump makes Nixon look like a puppy! Why isn’t it enough as AMERICANS, that we demand integrity, no matter the party? Trump is transforming the executive office in ways never imagined...and he looks more and more like the tyrant dictator. Party loyalty or not, that is a dangerous game. Be careful Republicans with how much you really want to “take one for the team”. Are you ready to acquiesce and continue allowing a President’s powers to remain unchecked? Not only does what goes around comes around, but you’ll have your own children & grandchildren living under this “brave new world” you created.
7
This is (almost) unprecedented! How are we to rely on Constitutional checks and balances if the US Department of Justice sees itself as the Trump Department of Justice. It's now gotten really scary!
43
GOP vs USA <=> Confederacy vs USA.
Easy to understand formula to summarize what is actually happening.
Part of this battle goes all the way back to the nascent resist movement that began on both sides of the political spectrum during the primaries.
The Mueller report is complete. Ideally those items useful for the public to recognize disinformation leading into 2020 will be public to improve the level of discernment by the public of information during the 2020 campaigns. Items specifically related to intelligence gathering should stay secret to improve our ability to retaliate against perpetrators.
For DJT, this is just another fight along the continuum of efforts to unseat him.
Recall that there are specific statutes regarding the current Special counsel. The information requested by the house includes material that AG Barr may not freely release without court order. Rather than the AG asking the court to intervene, the AG is forcing congress to do so. They do not want to for political reasons, but that is where this is headed. Nadler's comments right now as I type this indicate a willingness to consider this approach - Rendering the vote we just witnessed mere Kabuki Theater.
Mc Gahn's testimony dangles the tantalizing prospect of witness tampering, which brings breathless whispers of Watergate.
This fight will be strung along to build up heat and pressure until the IG report is released. At that moment, I would expect a large scale declassification of all things Russia and all things surveillance. That flood will claim many unable to get out of the way.
1
The Truth and Checks and Balances are the two conceptual obstacles created to make the US Law forclosed .
It is the philosophy of capitalism : no law and self regulation .
They call it Freedom. Enjoy !
1
The focus should not be on Trump (or primarily so); the focus should be on McConnell.
McConnell’s personal mandate for himself and Republicans (regardless of whether or not either is actually still Republican) is what needs to be questioned more visibly. McConnell has been and is willing to sacrifice Republicans (and the country) to hold power. He will say and do anything to reign over the Senate.
McConnell has betrayed Republicans. Focus on that - and hopefully Kentuckians will finally vote this thing out of office to Republicans’ and our country’s sorely needed benefit.
11
The Congressional Branch, Wow! you know for years we thought that Congress was here to protect the people. It's amazing to me that instead of protecting us from harm and injustice they're only concern is to keep their party's together. How could you tell the children to have respect for the laws when we as adults don't follow them. Let the true be told so we can start healing as a Country.... please.
1
The Constitution does not give Congress oversight power over the executive branch. Oversight is an “implied” rather than an enumerated power. If the founders had foreseen that oversight would one days be ruled an implied power, it would have set limits on it, the founders never recognized the existence or implied powers. After all, Article X states: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
In Watkins v. United States (1957), the Supreme Court that held that the power of Congress to conduct investigations is not unlimited. The New York Times commented: "The Supreme Court has placed fundamental restrictions on a Congressional investigatory power that in recent years has been asserted as all but limitless.”
The House of Representatives push to resorted the collusion investigation is clearly a partisan reaction to Democrat’s disappoint oner the Mueller report findings. f the House committees push the issue, the Supreme Court may set more narrow boundaries on congressional oversight or do away with it altogether.
8
@William Case
A well reasoned and solid explanation of the principles and laws governing this.
But 'This' is not serious, it's an opera with non-serious actors unwilling to let the Fat Lady sing her last part, so your enlightened an factually spot on thesis will be lost on those people screaming incomprehensibly.
The only way to deal with non-serious people is to mock them mercilessly. At least we get some entertainment out all of these jokers.
2
This whole mess has two main threads - one theological and one factual. On the factual side, we need to know the methods and strategy employed by foreign actors to sow discord, pit groups of Americans against one another and although less likely given the data actually impact vote tallies. Some of this should be public in the arenas that involve the public so we can prepare ourselves to be discerning going into 2020. Some will need to stay secret to preserve the methods we might use to retaliate against foreign powers who may try this again. Another part of the factual side is to figure out if what may have started out as legitimate inquiry subsequently went off the rails to unseat an elected President who many in power - both republican and democrat - thought would never be elected.
On the theological side we have the strident voices aghast at President Trump's personal attributes - The theology of political decorum if you will. The rage from the political establishment on the right and left was palpable during the primaries, and in essence the "Resist" movement had its seeds planted well before election night. There developed this sense of moral high ground by DJT opponents that "any means necessary" were acceptable to 1. Prevent his election, 2. Immobilize his administration 3. Drive down public opinion to the point that he might resign in disgust or impeachment became a politically viable option.
For DJT, ever the happy warrior, the battle is Joined.
3
@Todd Stultz
It's silly because without doing anything, the way these two tribes in america is at war is making Putin ecstatic every hour eveery day. He doesn't need to do anything. The American idiots are already doing it to themselves.
Trump continues to trump, with his INSTANT threats and humor.
Democrats tend to ramble on and on, and they are forgotten.
I suggest that Democrats need to learn to push back, INSTANTLY.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In British Parliament they jeer, and bang on the table, in protest.
Democrats might try using Trump's OK sign in funny ways.
They might use his OK sign, with both hands at the same time.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They might use some nonsensical terms to trump Trump.
OK, OK!
BLAH, BLAH!
I say, timing is everything to trump Trump.
----------------------------------------------------
Our 19th century crisis was the Confederacy vs. the USA. Our 21st century crisis is the GOP vs. the USA.
Each case presents a study in the nation's vulnerability to a tidal surge in the worst elements of human nature, the delusions they produce and the swindles thus enabled.
72
@Kirk Bready,
The 21st century is also the one where our nation affectionately embraced white supremacists while encouraging men to murder our children while at school. It's like shooting little ducklings in a pond (don't forget churches too!) Soon, trump will tell us that flame throwers and grenades are necessary tools for defending yourself against asylum seekers and liberals. Then, when unbalanced men start torching libraries with kids trapped inside, it will be liberals who made it happen, by scaring good patriots with threats of a grenade ban. Sigh.
No regulation of war weapons, but total ban on birth control. Yep, it's America.
4
@Kirk Bready
Really, and here I am looking at the house dems thinking of an Opera when the Fat Lady is preparing to sing her heart out while the house dems make all sorts of meaningless noises about decency, oversight, contempt,
There is a report that sits under lock and key somewhere in congress that Nadler has not even bothered to read.
I say, come on, let the Fat Lady sing so we can all go home and get ready for the next Opera. This one is well past done.
We can read in this text and in the comments the confusion of the US constitutional law and the confusion in the mind of Americans . How many double negations ? How to not to ?
The anglican law is so emberlificoted in its own writing as if it were words of God that once a problem arises where the perverts
take advantage of the duplicity, they don't know what to do.
The law is supposed to answer. But it doesn't . That law is a metonymy of power . It was written for that .It does not have a metaphoric intentionality.
So , men cannot act. They are owned by the Law. And by those who know how to manipulate it.
Americans might have created a problem bigger than they are even able to imagine.
This coming from the same man who pressured Obama into releasing his long-form birth certificate to dispel the lie that President Obama was "foreign born".
Trump is a racist bigot lying fraudster. And the GOP is standing behind him. That's some legacy, McConnell.
11
@Norman
Obama used Executive Privilege to protect Eric Holder from Congressional demands for information on Fast and Furious.
Did you insult him for doing that?
5
Threats??? Good lord.
There must be some really crazy huge awful criminality they are hoping to get away with.
Someone, please, anyone, please, we beg you: DON’T let this cheap, sleazy piece of garbage squander our beautiful republic.
6
I say vote Barr in contempt. Thereby putting into play the judicial process that’s required, a time in our history to make calls on the powers of the Imperial Presidency vs. whatever may or may not be the implied powers of oversight in the US Congress.
Let’s also not forget the practical issue at hand, whether the American public should be allowed to see all of the Mueller Report. I suspect if Barr prevails and the Report stays hidden from all view, this is far from the end of the scrutiny over Trump. In fact, it may lead to focus and suspicion on Trump, maybe for decades.
4
The Justice Dept.'s policy of not indicting a sitting President is a decision by the head of that Dept. (the Attorney General) that is unconstitutional. That policy is nothing more than the Dept. director stating that he/she will not perform his/her duty of enforcing the laws of the U.S.. This places that Dept. director above the law which, in a country of laws, no one can be. It violates the constitutionally imposed duty on the Article II branch to enforce the laws made by the Article I branch of government.
2
“With an exhaustive investigation complete, would the country finally unify to confront the real challenges before us?” Mr. McConnell asked. “Or would we remain consumed by unhinged partisanship, and keep dividing ourselves to the point that Putin and his agents need only stand on the sidelines and watch as their job is done for them?”
He must wake up and look in the mirror every morning to find inspiration for lines like "consumed by unhinged partisanship."
Where is this "stronger leadership" of which he speaks which was so lacking from the Obama Administration?
Cover-up the act of hiding wrong going— trump is worse than Nixon and Cheney—he will through Anyone under the bus to survive regardless of damage to the country. Putin and China are laughing their heads off
1
The Russian scheme was to throw our election process into chaos and they succeed with the help of our biased media.
Our biased media bought everything hook line and sinker not caring if the wild conspiracy was accurate or not.....the Russians expected those actions and are very happy with the media and dem party response.
2
@John It will be both hilarious and sad if the Steele Dossier that was swallowed hook, line, and sinker turns out to be just another piece of the Russian disinformation campaign with an assist to US and British "intelligence". the rebuttal will be "But DJT is a racist, sexist, bigot, misogynist, xenophobic, homophobe who is an existential threat to the Universe as we know it !"
1
Get on with it, stop talking about making a possible decision in the future. All this political meandering is draining on We, The People. Do not leak 3-4 days in advance that you might be voting on contempt or obstruction - just do it. What you accomplish by posturing is give the other side time to develop defensive propaganda.
4
You almost get the feeling that they are trying to hide something.
5
I’m positive the founding fathers would be furious over the republican actions. And frankly it’s un American. The republicans are off the rails and if allowed will drive this nation over the cliff. The people are the only one who can stop this crazy train. Vote the liars cheaters and corrupt rotten to the core bums out. And punish the republicans until they get their party back from the lunatic asylum.
7
It should be pretty clear to everyone right now that Mitch McConnell is the greatest enemy The United States of America has ever faced. His goal appears to be to literally destroy democracy.
9
The con is up, Donald. While your adoring 35% base of support, including Republican Senators and House members, continue to swear allegiance to their clown prince, the other 65% of us are in awe of your corruption, bigotry, ignorance, and unbridled incompetence. To think that a six times bankrupted con artist is in charge of trade policy with China or the EU, or with negotiating nuclear treaties and climate agreements, or with formulating a fair, humane, egalitarian immigration policy is truly frightening. The gig is up. The cat is out of the bag. You and your Senators can obstruct, delay, and deny, but the evidence of your criminal behavior and misconduct during the last three years will soon be public. It may take weeks, or months, but you and your family will be branded for what you are, and all of your lawyers, cabinet appointees, advisors, and Conressional supporters will be stained for the rest of their lives. This government needs to start over with a mandate for truth and service, concepts that are totally foreign to you and your Republican Party. We all look forward to watching you leave Washington in handcuffs, still screaming “fake news”, “ Russian hoax”, and “No Collusion, No Obstruction”.
5
The GOP enablers in the Senate including Emperor McConnell should fear the day Republican voters wake up to the fact that it's the congressmen they support who are overlooking them and their needs with their blind support of this amoral President. AG Barr is the perfect example of this obnoxious administration and deserves to be held in contempt for his poor impersonation of Roy Cohn who didn't bother pretending to be a respected lawyer with integrity.
5
@Andy Humm I am so glad you mentioned this interview with Lawrence Tribe. He has absolutely convinced me that impeachment should go forward very soon. Such a brilliant legal mind, Mr. Tribe was passionate and moving in his concern for our democracy. I hope the Democratic House was listening!
2
Perhaps Trump's legal woes presented themselves as a tantalizing legal battle to solve on behalf of the client - ripe for the picking by some supremely deft attorney. They proved too tempting for Barr to pass up, but I wonder if now that he is AG, Barr fully realizes what he got himself into?? Oh wait - he's not Trump's attorney, rather, he is supposed to represent the United States...!
Chairman Nadler, please, full steam ahead! Continue on your path to what is right! We are with you!
5
Mitch McConnell's statement yesterday before the Senate that blames President Obama for 'emboldening Russia' is a back handed admission that indeed Russia did invade our election. Rather than blaming President Obama, Mitch McConnell should use the powers of the Senate to stop Russian meddling, something he has failed to do as he support's Trump's continued denial of that meddling. Will Republicans actually do something for this country rather than the endless lies and obfuscations of their hero and obstructionist Donald Trump? We need our elections protected and if Mitch McConnell is unwilling to do it he has sold out the American people.
2
First, the response of the Justice Department is, almost, laughable. We weren't going to give you this information, and now that you are asserting your legal rights to it, we really aren't going to give it to you. It's so ridiculous it is infuriating to see anyone take it seriously.
The assertion of executive privilege is similarly ridiculous. That privilege, an invention of the courts, was designed to protect the president's ability to consult with his cabinet about affairs of state. Here, Trump never participated in this investigation except for a few written answers, and, if you believe the Justice Department, he was not consulted about the investigation or the information it gathered until the finish of that investigation. Trump didn't even know what information McGahn provided. There really is no privilege to be waived. Unless, of course, the Republican Supreme Court can think of some way to distort and rewrite the law. I hope no Republicans are elected in 2020, it seems to be our only hope.
4
Case closed, Mr. McConnell?
This is the same senator who in Feb. 1998 – four years and $30 million into of the investigation into President Bill Clinton -- said of Kenneth Starr's probe: “Our nation is indeed at a crossroads. Will we pursue the search for truth or will we dodge, weave and evade the truth? I am of course referring to the investigation into serious allegations of illegal conduct by the president of the United States — that the president has engaged in a persistent pattern and practice of obstruction of justice. The allegations are grave, the investigation is legitimate and ascertaining the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the unqualified, unevasive truth is absolutely critical.”
Time for the House to reexamine funding for the AG's office.
1
The refusal and allegation of "unreasonable" only prove the demands for them are perfectly reasonable.
1
Now, let me see if I've got this straight:
The Justice Department is threatening to withhold the material that Barr is being cited for contempt for withholding?
So they're threatening to do what they are already doing? Can something be withheld twice?
Why is Mueller still an employee of the justice dept.? This whole mess is s direct result of his two year investigation. Why doesn't he resign from the justice dept and testify before the House? This should clear everything up one way or another. Did Trump break the law or not? Did he commit impeachable offenses, yes or no? If Mueller has all this impeccable integrity then he should resign and testify before Congress.
2
Well, the president claims to be the most transparent president ever!
Yes, he is.
I can see right through him.
1
When the president of the United States refuses to comply with the rule of law, instructs his subordinates to lie and obstruct, has private talks with hostile foreign leaders whom he loves and defends, attacks law enforcement and legislators for doing their job, uses the presidency as a cash machine, has stacked the courts with lackeys, has an attorney general and parts of the Justice Department acting as his personal criminal defense team, while pushing a domestic and international agenda of war, environmental destruction, genocide and financial scams, you have a constitutional crisis.
It's well past time time for all the Dems, any patriotic Republicans (are there any?), and the media to unite as was done in Nixon's last days and do whatever it takes to impeach, indict or force resignation of the worst white-collar criminal ever to hold the presidency.
1
A threatened contempt vote? I ignore subpoenas, and your response is to threaten to have a vote on whether or not to officially say I did what I did? I'm shakin' in my boots.
2
How is this NOT obstruction of justice - right out in the open!
2
Every tenth comment on NYT political pieces references Mitch McConnell’s (failed) undertaking to make Obama a one-term President. However, every single Democratic member of a Congress is dedicated to making Trump a one term President. Why are these situations different? Indeed, shouldn’t every member of Congress always want a President of the other party to be a one term President (since a member of one party will without exception favor a President of his own party)?
4
Contempt for the DOJ and impeachment for DT. This corrupt government is the enemy of the people.
Congress needs to go after these obstructionists hammer and tong. Throw the sink at them. Wring them out. Throw the book at them. Do it now - a stitch in time saves nine.
Privilege yes, executive no.
Julian Assange, we need your help NOW. Can you get us a copy of the Mueller report? If the president can ask Russia's help in getting info on the Democrats, I can ask you to get us the Mueller report. And while you're at it, we want Trump's tax returns.
Lunacy and show boating from the Left on full display. It just makes me wonder why facts are ignored and emotions are the driving force.
The messiah (Mueller) conducted 22 months of investigation and handed the the end result to the messenger (Barr) who delivered everything that he could legally do to all of us Now we have the loons in Congress calling for the illegal release of the messiah’s report in an unredacted form or face Conteot charges. It is laughable and sad. The theatrics is getting old and doing damage to our great country.
3
If McGahn is held in contempt of Congress the Bar Assn. should revoke his law license. Same for Barr, but that's probably wishful thinking.
This Trump gang is really sickening.
"I'm not gunna, I'm not gunna, I'm not GUNNA! And you can't make me!"
This is the point where the policemen pull their guns, or more personally, I would have been backhanded for my smart mouth. Beliefs about physical punishment not withstanding, I knew it meant business.
"Sic semper evello mortem tyrannis" Impeachment then incitement & conviction will do.
Contempt for the DOJ and impeachment for DT. This corrupt government is the enemy of the people.
Obama claimed Executive Privilege to shield Eric Holder from providing information to Congress on Fast and Furious.
Any problem with that?
3
Individual One is thrilled! People talk about him night and day! His chintzy plan of chaos and division is working! While Magas lose their farms and factory jobs, while they lose their health insurance and try to pay the bills, Lazy Don charges them 1.34 million a weekend to play golf and brag. While the WH dismantles the administrative state and Individual One openly ponders a lifetime term as president, McConnell and private time wife reap millions from foreign governments and other schemes. Why McGahn is willing to surrender his reputation to a thug is a sad tribute to the uncontrollable corruption that is our country, now named Trump, Inc. It is astonishing that anyone would be dim enough to think that Individual One cares about any of it as he indulges himself in the People's money.
1
Every single person in the Trump administration who has broken the law by refusing to comply with Congressional subpoenas should be punished — fined or jailed, or both. This is what happens to every other citizen who defies the law. Why should one be treated with kid gloves just because he or she works, or once worked, for the government?
Nowhere in the Constitution does it say that people get a pass on obeying the law because they are members of the executive branch (or any other branch, for that matter).
I am fed up with this blatant attempt on the part of the don to prevent us from learning the truth. If it turns out he’s totally innocent, so be it, but how can he insist this while directing his minions to break the law on his behalf?
2
In light of the intransigence of the Trump Administration on producing witnesses and documents for Congressional committees, it becomes more important than ever for Mueller to resign as an employee of the Justice Department and to agree to testify before the House Judiciary Committee. Mueller needs to set the record straight on the import and meaning of his findings and conclusions about Trump, particularly on obstruction of justice. How can he let the distortions and misrepresentations of AG Barr remain without direct response and clarification by him?
The Trump Administration is now threatening to assert executive privilege despite the prior waiver by Trump. While Trump tries to muzzle witnesses, Mueller needs to demonstrate his independence and credibility. It is time for the quiet man to speak.
3
"Beyond the messaging, the divergence could shape what Democrats are able to do to further hold Mr. Trump to account for Mr. Mueller’s findings on Russian election interference..."
Why would the Dems hold Trump to account for Russian election interference that happened under Obama, Comey, Lynch, Clapper, Brennan, and Rice?
Dems need to focus on 2020. As I see it, Trump will win reelection if Dems go down the path of playing out their highly disruptive grudge match with Trump. Independents, like me, want the Dems to develop and advocate centrist policies and show us how they can help the middle class. We're not interested in the toxic politics. Nor are we interested in slandering a man like Barr. Come on Dems... shake-off all that you hate about Trump and show us some high-level national leadership.
2
The federal courts now will determine if the Constitutional power vested in the Legislative, Executive and Judicial branches are still co-equal or not. Trump and AG Barr show by their actions that they do not believe in co-equal branches. The cost of Trump's presidency has just begun for our country. This is no longer a political fight between Republicans and Democrats, it is a fight for an intrinsic stability of our system of government. How happy Mr. Putin must be that Trump is weakening the U.S. internally and externally and Mr. Putin does not have to even move one Russian tank.
3
If I sit on the House judicial committee, do I have the the authority and required clearances to see anything in that report or the supporting documents to that report? There is a serious disconnect here, if you interpret oversight to include access to information that serves the purpose of oversight. So much for improving transparency in our government. This is why people get exasperated with our govt.
1
What duties and obligations does Don McGahn have to Trump? Maybe there are presidential pardons dangling for any federal crime he may commit. In vetting our presidential candidates, we should look not only at their policy positions, but also their willingness to govern within the confines of the law. Their behavior during the campaign provides evidence of their proclivities in this regard.
The House must now continue to pursue the information it is seeking through all legal means. If House leaders were to back down, that would convey a message that the information wasn't really very important. I wish Congress had stood up to William Barr this way in 1989.
8
How is it that the Department of JUSTICE is wholly-owned by the GOP? Or the NRA, or whatever shadowy right-wing money men are behind the scenes?
Everything the GOP and Trump are doing to our government is the complete and total opposite of what it is intended to do. I would like my reality back now.
It seems it will take massive mobilization of those of us who love our country to get the attention of our elected officials; who were elected to serve ALL the people.
9
How sad that it has come this: it is time to vote out every Republican and have an appropriate reaction to the incipient fascism represented by that party. A Democratic sweep, followed by wise actions in Congress and by a Democratic president starting in 2021, are essential correctives to the unspeakably disastrous direction in which Trump and his henchmen have driven this country and the world. Some of the Broke Billionaire's damage will be lasting, like the packing of the courts, but if we truly care about our country yet don't fight trumpism with every cell in our bodies, in every election and public forum, we have no chance of bringing it back to at least a semblance of the land that we love. It's do or die time; to quote that great philosopher, Yoda, "There is no try, there is only do."
9
Right, forget about all this and let the voters speak in 2020, assuming that none of those electronic voting machines gets hacked in swing states.
5
Under Trump's instigation, the Attorney General and the Justice department are behaving as if they exist independent of the US constitutional system of checks and balances and have no accountability to the Congress even if the latter is constitutionally mandated to exercise oversight powers over the executive, specially when the executive under Trump has turned wayward and reckless.
4
Congress has been consistently ceding power to the presidency for decades and the current president has been usurping the power of Congress at every opportunity. Trump's levying of tariffs on China without the approval of Congress is a salient example of unconstitutional usurpation of power. Now the president has announce that he intends to make a mockery of Congress by systematically and lawlessly ignoring the subpoenas and contempt citations issued by Congress in accordance with the authority and responsibility assigned to Congress by the Constitution and by statute and judicial precedent.
This is a watershed moment for the fundamental structure of American government whose essence is the mechanism of checks and balances made possible by the independent constitutional powers of three separate and coequal branches of government.
Consequently, the House must now show decisively that it is not a toothless paper tiger, by issuing a contempt citation to Attorney General Barr and sending the Sergeant at Arms to arrest and detain Mr. Barr until he yields to the supremacy of the United States Constitution by obeying the subpoenas of Congress.
5
OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE, pure and simple.This is Trump's DOJ ()which should be OUR DOJ) threatening US if we seek the truth about their obstruction.
How bizarre and intolerable. I hope the Democratic Congress follows through for all of us. Republicans have just as much to lose by obstructing the truth as everyone else. Supporting this would be tantamount to treason and is in direct contradition to Barr's (and Trump's) oath of office.
5
It looks like one-party rule--the White House and the Senate ignore the will of the people as represented by popular vote, that is, elections by what passes for representative democracy in the US (the house). They do not forward legislation passed by the representatives and ignore the decisions of the courts. Hmmm, kind of reminds me of communism during the cold war. My how the times have changed.
1
Sorry to be slow on the uptake, but I don’t get it. The Justice Department will ask for Executive privilege to conceal information they already are concealing?
4
"'This is, of course, not how executive privilege works,' Mr. Nadler said."
I agree. Although my reasoning is much more simple. Similar to Jeff Sessions' testimony, the threat of executive privilege is not executive privilege. The White House knew when the contempt vote was taking place. They had the opportunity to prepare a formal declaration of privilege before negotiations broke down.
Barr showed up to class without his homework. Saying the homework might come doesn't pass muster. Barr failed. Congress should hold the contempt vote and move on. As stated, the claim to privilege is most likely void anyway.
5
This is why impeachment proceedings are necessary. The argument to the courts should be that Congress must have this information to execute their constitutional right to consider impeachment.
6
My unsettling fear is that Trump is orchestrating his con-of-cons, a blindingly obvious set-up, goading the Democrats into an impeachment battle with provocative, faux holier-than-thou, legally questionable defiance. He wants a fight. He loves a fight. He needs all the diversions he can get and impeachment will be the mother of all diversions. He will be able to bellow louder than ever before - it will be ceaseless and deafening - and Mitch and The Gang will be right there with him. Impeachment is a dead end - for the Democrats in 2020. Elizabeth Warren and other Democrats urging impeachment based on constitutional necessity need to wake up. Vote Trump out. He'll get his well deserved comeuppance - god willing, a trip to Otisville - when he becomes a civilian on 2021.
4
Let's see; do I have this right? The "Justice" Department is threatening to withhold material from Congress that it is already withholding in any case?
2
Remarkable. The Justice Department has now officially become a political wing of the ruling regime.
12
I am a Democratic, but I have no respect for the weakness displayed by the Democratic Party in Congress, when it comes to Donald Trump. We need a third party!
1
@The Truth
Great idea. Please do.
1
For Mitch McConnell to say, "Would the country finally unify to confront the real challenges before us? Or would we remain consumed by unhinged partisanship, and keep dividing ourselves to the point that Putin and his agents need only stand on the sidelines and watch as their job is done for them?” is brazen hypocrisy. He should look in the mirror. Motivated by extreme partisanship he refused to do his Constitutional duty to fill the Supreme Court seat when Obama nominated Merrick Garland and his partisanship prevents him from doing his Constitutional duty of holding Trump to account. And the great extent of his actions to try to protect the country from Russian meddling was to comment, "Russia is not our friend." Wow, such "strong leadership"! Clearly Putin and his agents need not give McConnell instructions on how to divide the country; he does their work happily of his own volition.
We are full-on Orwellian now. War Is Peace. Freedom Is Slavery. Ignorance Is Strength. Those seem like contradictions but Trump and the Republicans in Congress have made them true: We are perpetually at war and yet the average citizen has no engagement in the war and it feels the same as peace. We perpetually claim to be free and yet our freedoms have been and continue to be stolen daily; the so-called free working people struggle to make ends meet, enslaved by the oligarchs. And Trump is living proof that ignorance is strength.
"1984" does not end well.
13
@Dystopia, no, all of this is still just an attempt to steal freedoms and democracy. They have not yet succeeded! There is no strength in ignorance! And Trump is proof only that if a lawless despot follows his most base desires for power, having not an ounce of decency, that others will, shamelessly, follow him down. And there they will remain.
Very well stated, indeed.
The Republicans need to consider the simple fact that there will be a day when the full, unredacted Mueller report is made available to the public. When that happens, the Republicans are going to be seen as the folks who "hid the ball" in order to keep a criminal in office, and that many of them deliberately committed additional crimes of obstruction in trying to hide the dirt.
Thereafter, there will be payback, and it will be long-lasting.
The Republican Party is digging its own grave.
4
I hope you are right. I fear you are not. Actions like the citizen census question are GOP strategies to undermine large, productive states like California; undermine Democratic power; and thwart the wishes of the American people who overwhelmingly espouse left of center views and values. It's a game the GOP wins by cheating, it makes loss for the most of us.
1
Barr's request that the "committee hold the subpoena in abeyance" is a polite way of saying, "please help me to help the president to obstruct justice."
7
It’s time for the US Supreme Court to step in.
I am tired of this entire party flipping off the American public. It started in earnest when McConnell focused on making sure President Obama limited to one term. That didn't work, but nothing since that day has said this party or its ilk have anything but contempt for the rule of law and lawful governance.
Take them on, Democrats. Protect the Constitution and your own place as a co-equal. Go to court, censure, subpoena and use all means possible to fight them all the way PAST the 2020 election.
If this continued open air, laugh in our faces, violation of law and obstruction of justice, aided and abetted by DOJ, the WH, the POtuS, Treasury, IRS and appallingly by Barr, is allowed to go unchallenged, the Dems will join in the participation of demise of this nation.
5
Meanwhile the House Judiciary Committee has been unable to work on its legislation to help the young immigrants known as Dreamers. Democratic Judiciary Committee member Jamie Raskin “blamed the delay in part on the panel’s focus on special counsel Robert Mueller’s report.”
So much for walking and chewing gum at the same time.
1
Once this issue gets into the courts, it will take years to resolve. By then President Trump will be well into his 2nd term. This pseudo-Impeachment by the Democrats is working to his benefit.
5
The electorate has moved on. Except a handful of people in New York, San Francisco and LA. electorate people are tired of this story and what it reminds us about whats happened to their country. These voters can be won over by actually focusing (or at least giving speeches) about the issues people care about. Rep. Nadler must love the limelight but Democratic leaders need to show the country they're the adults in the room.
3
Under a 1993 Supreme Court decision, they ruled that impeachment was a political issue of which they could not interfere. Impeachment also gives them more power to obtain info trump is refusing to supply.
Not sure why our more than timid Dems are unable to stand up to the obstructionist trump and repub party. We are in a serious constitutional crisis and it’s time to do something about it.
Who likes cowardly politicians?
5
If Congress would do their duty and impeach Trump, then a lot of evidence and testimony under oath would be brought to light. Light, evidence, and testimony under oath are the greatest weapon we have against the complete and utter corruption of the current GOP.
5
All it would take is four Republican Senators to declare they are now Independents to end McConnell's rule.
Are there four US Republican Senators with that kind of courage?
8
@JD Ripper
Once again, we are all left to wonder exactly what the Republican Senators are afraid of. Who has kompromat on them? McConnell? Trump? Russia? In the future, will anyone be able to write a Profiles In Courage about today's political era? Who will stand up for what is right?
The Democrats seem perfectly justified in holding Barr in contempt but it's hard to take it seriously as anything more than political gamesmanship unless they are willing to enforce the contempt citation by physically detaining Barr until he agrees to comply with a Congressional directive.
Barr is not the President and should not be granted the level of independence and immunity of the President. His appointment is subject to approval by the Senate and as such carries a subordinate role to Congress.
The interference with the exercise of Congressional authority by the President should be seen for what is actually is -- an unconstitutional act which should expose the President to impeachment. Presidential interference in the legitimate authority of Congress is treason.
I don't know what the actual mechanism of Congressional detention of Barr would look like -- surely it would be messy, and could boil down to an actual physical confrontation between the Sergeant at Arms and capitol security and DoJ security.
6
The U.S. House needs police and war powers that supersede an out of control Executive Branch.
1
The article's headline is atrocious. The Justice Department is responding to a threat, not making a threat.
5
@William Case
Is claiming Executive Privilege a threat?
1
Requesting documentation as part if its constitutional oversight duty is not a threat. It is part of fulfilling an obligation to the American people. There is an equivalent obligation on the part of the Justice Department to release the documents.
7
@William Case sorry Congress is asking for information to conduct oversight into an administration run amuck. I say Congress who holds the purse strings, be a little slow in funding the DOJ, lets see who blinks first. They won't do that, but they could. If Barr hadn't bee acing as "individual one's" personal attorney we might not even be at these crossroads. Every thing we should know about "individual one" will slowly trickle out, like the NYT story about 10 years of tax returns, and in only two years were income taxes paid. Is that what "individual one" does want us to know now, and where has the money been coming from, no US banks will loan the family in money. So many people behind the scene's every day looking into "individual one's" life past and current. the clock is ticking.
1
“In the coming days, I expect that Congress will have no choice but to confront the behavior of this lawless administration. The committee will also take a hard look at the officials who are enabling this cover up.”
Yes, Nadler should go after the enablers. We know there are plenty in the administration that know the president is a dangerous fool and think they can remain in their positions while "controlling" him. These are the people who need reminding that aiding and abetting is a crime. But let's not forget that a principal enabler is Mitch McConnell. Will Nadler have the stones to impeach him, too?
8
Hold McGahn in contempt and send a referral to the New York Bar Association to start disbarment proceedings.
11
Michael Cohen is in jail for lying to Congress. He's been disbarred.
William Barr should be held in contempt for ignoring a subpoena. He should be disbarred.
Don McGahn, should he not appear before Congress, should also be disbarred.
Even Bill Clinton, who lied under oath and was impeached in the House but saved in the Senate, lost his law license for several years.
The President is not above the law and neither are these lawyers.
19
The House has little choice but to hold both Barr & McGahn in contempt. If they take no action, then Congress, both now and in the future, loses its status as a co-equal body of power and the ability to conduct oversight in the manner established by the constitution. It's hard to believe that Republicans would be so shortsighted to cede this power to the Executive Branch as if they might not have need of it down the road. They have certainly used it in the past, most notably with AG Eric Holder, the first AG ever to be held in contempt, over Operation Fast & Furious. The Republicans then were steadfast in their power to obtain documents & testimony & didn't hesitate to vote Holder in contempt when they were not satisfied. Now they are, apparently, willing to weaken that power and allow the executive branch to assess the correctness of congressional oversight & ignore subpoenas as its discretion.
10
And the purpose of the democrats continuing their investigation is what exactly. Any one that Reads the Muller report knows trump did not collude but welcomes the Russian help. They know trump likely engaged in obstruction but since he is president there is no indictment. And to be fair Clinton likely would have been indicted if she were not a nominee for president. So it goes both ways. Trump supporters don't care about the muller report they only read no collusion and no obstruction. So the question is now what happens in 2020. The muller report will be forgotten in the election. The issues are health care and climate change. And the people will vote on those issues. So just concentrate on getting trump voted out of office.
2
@Vincentpapa Clinton hasn't been a nominee for 2 years now, and she was never President, so where is the indictment? Its funny you think the Mueller report will be lost in the 2020 election, it won't be.
Why can't anyone who has received subpoenas be held in contempt of Congress, if they ignore the subpoena Especially the White House, whoever they are, that is instructing employees of the American Taxpayer to not honor the subpoena?
Any other American who was served a subpoena by the Congress would be held in contempt and thrown in jail. It is about time that anyone serving and getting paid by the American taxpayer show up and do their job.
5
Nadler has to know this is going nowhere for him and the Dems. He’s been around long enough to know better. After all, AG Barr has provided far more than what is required by making the Mueller report public and furthermore allowing key Congressional members to see the redacted portions. And Nadler knows that the DOJ can’t divulge grand jury testimony, even to Congress, unless in furtherance of an Impeachment action, which Congress has no stomach to pursue.
Thus this grandstanding is all about appeasing the hard core Democrat party base. And it will to end badly for the Dems.
5
I would like to see Democrat’s deal with every issue by applying the strategies Republicans have used so consistently to thwart any Democratic initiatives. We just need to look to the Clinton and Obama Year’s to learn how to do it.
2
No one Liberal complained when Obama spent $2M to legally seal his past, including his academic and travel records from the voters.
5
@Dr. John
I read your comment that "Obama spent $2M to legally seal his past, including his academic and travel records from the voters," and I went to the internet to verify your claim.
It. Is. Not. True.
It is easy to make a claim in this Comment Section. It isn't hard to check that claim, either.
@Dr. John - Name your source.
and no conservatives complained when House Republicans spent nearly $8 million on seven Benghazi investigations, or $60 million for the Whitewater investigation, not did they complain about AG Holder being held in contempt over Fast& Furious.
McConnell hasn’t received enough “credit” for his obstructionism. Republicans aren’t dumb, they are hypocritical. They know Trump should be impeached, that he is covering up. Just look at yesterday’s New York Times article on his taxes. We’ll know more soon once New York State turns over Trump’s tax returns. Instead of defending the constitution, Republicans are protecting their own immediate interests, i.e., their campaign war chests at the expense of setting precedents that will undermine our democracy. Trump could be paving the way to a fascist future.
5
Don McGahn is a private citizen. If he fails to comply with a subpoena he is in contempt.
Even if still a White House attorney he would be in contempt
Nixon tried this stunt with "Executive Privilege" claims to try to hide the evidence of his Watergate crimes.
It did not work
His Attorney General went to prison. So did his lawyers.
7
President Trump issued orders that, if carried out, might be construed as obstruction of justice had they been carried out. But each time he relented each time when aides advised him the actions would be construed as obstruction of justice. The McGhan episode in an example/
Robert Mueller’s appointment as special counsel raised eyebrows because fired FBI Director James Comey had been Mueller deputy when Mueller was FBI Director. Shortly after Mueller’s appointment, it also was revealed Mueller’s law firm had filed a lawsuit against the Trump organization.
Trump told McGahn to call Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and tell him that “Mueller has conflicts and can’t be special council.” (In his written testimony, Trump told Mueller that his intent was not to order Rosenstein to fire Mueller but to cause Rosenstein to consider replacing Muller due to conflicts of interest.)
When McGahn refused to make the call, Trump could have have picked up the phone and called Rosensrtein himself, but he didn’t.
Trump changed his mind.
Deciding not to ask Rosenstein to replace Mueller due to conflicts off interest cannot be construed as obstruction of justice. And as the Attorney General Barr pointed out, firing Mueller for perceived conflicts of interest would not have been obstruction of justice. Muller would have been replaced with a new special counsel.
1
Separation of powers is a lousy idea. When, as in a parliamentary democracy, the executive is contained within the legislature and executive and legislative powers are fused, the executive cannot act independently of the legislature. The check on the executive is always the next election as the entire government can be kept or thrown out in one fell swoop.
In most places other than the US, presidential democracies have devolved into dictatorships. We have been lucky to avoid that fate for two centuries, but I'm afraid our luck has run out. Separation of powers serves mostly to separate the Congress from its powers and allow them to accrue to the President instead. There's been a slow evolution toward an imperial President and an impotent Congress for decades. That evolution is now accelerating. Our bicameral Congress (another bad idea) exacerbates the problem, as Congress is too often too divided to effectively assert its prerogatives. And our way of nominating judges has made the Courts compliant toward the wishes of the President's party and we cannot rely on their independence anymore.
The only hope for American democracy, I'm afraid, is a new Constitution. But the Constitution makes amendment far too difficult, so that won't happen until the democracy completely collapses and the people are forced to submit to the dictator or rebel. Mark my words: America is headed toward authoritarianism, maybe followed by rebellion, and after rebellion, who knows?
6
So much for exoneration. What is in the report must be absolutely devastating to Trump and his minions. This latest threat shows the administration's utter contempt for the rule of law and every principle that we were founded on. The "coup" that Trump and his minions rail about is actually being done, right now, by them. They don't deserve to be in office, at least in this country. Congress must not give in.
8
Somehow, laws don't exist in this country of laws. I feel like I am having an existential breakdown. My whole sense of well being in this country comes from laws and a constitution I can count on. Two self-regulated businesses, law and real estate, have developed a mutually beneficial, symbiotic relationship that is destroying communities- the very fabric of the U.S. Realtors steal and attorneys provide the muscle to shut complainers down. The one thing I am grateful for with this new administration is the clarity he is providing us on how corruption manifests and that our leaders are corrupt bullies. How to get out of this mess? LAWS, respect for LAWS, and a fair application of LAWS. Nor more self regulation, maybe no more realtors.
3
Trump’s motivation is obvious. Trump is trying to hide something unfavorable to him.
And Barr is helping him. Barr’s motivation is not so obvious. I hope that it is not to protect some fanciful notion of the President as King.
This controversy is not Republican vs. Democrat. It is Autocrat vs Rule of Law and Transparency.
5
Mueller should make his report public and protect himself under federal whistleblower laws.
4
Over 700 former Republican and Democrat US prosecutors have so far signed a letter containing the following statement:
“Each of us believes that the conduct of President Trump described in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report would, in the case of any other person not covered by the Office of Legal Counsel policy against indicting a sitting president, result in multiple felony charges for obstruction of justice.” That is all we need to know about the decision of Barr and Rosenstein to absolve Donald Trump and their efforts to hide the evidence of his crimes.
The former prosecutors also stated that “these are not matters of close professional judgment.” And they said: "to look at these facts and say that a prosecutor could not probably sustain a conviction for obstruction of justice — the standard set out in Principles of Federal Prosecution — runs counter to logic and our experience.”
The American people will not stand for further corrupt obstruction by Trump and his cabal. If impeachment proceedings are necessary to obtain the information that congress requires to do its duty, then do it now, before Trump starts a war for the purpose of distraction.
3
The only way to change this obstruction is to have a landslide election in 2020 to remove trump. We fear he won’t leave peacefully so it must be a landslide opposing him. His lapdogs in the Senate will protect him to the end as they prove malfeasance towards the oath they all took to protect and serve. No matter how much the Dems attempt to move on with any legislation, Mitch just flat out refuses to allow the legislation process to move forward, so we have a lame duck session for the next two years. We might as well use these next two years educating the public on all the trump crimes and all the presidents men who are circling the wagons with lies and obstruction. Trump craves the power and attention and wants to be king for life, we must put him and his men where they belong, in cells! America was not ready for this and who would have ever expected someone like trump to step into office and destroy the federal government from within. We must become more diligent and write legislation to prevent anything like this from happening again. The far right planners behind this have destroyed our system for generations to come!
1
So we have an executive branch that believes that it is above the law.
This means we have a constitutional crisis and now more then ever Americans have to ask themselves are you loyal to the nation or one man?
The answer had better be the nation!
1
Mr. Nadler and his Dem colleagues have no interest in the DOJ complying with the law, which restricts it from divulging grand jury testimony. AG Barr has been more than forthcoming in providing vastly more of the Mueller report, than what he was required to Congress. Dems are going to loose badly on this!
5
Bad things happen to people who break the laws and spit on our Constitution.
Unless you are Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan, or Donald Trump.
1
So Pelosi frets that Trump's actions will "harden his base?" Are you kidding me? I will refrain from making any jokes about the degree of hardness that is already characteristic of that group, or speculating on their state of arousal. And who is McConnell to declare "case closed?" Trump is playing a game of chicken and betting that Democrats are scared to impeach him. Call his bluff! This situation is way too serious to wring your hands and engage in schoolyard taunts. And for those who admonish the Republicans to consider the judgment of history, forget it! They don't care in the least.
2
I know it comes down to “it’s my party so I will protect it from POTUS down”, but the hypocrisy of these Republicans... is breathtaking. Imagine if any of this abuse of power was done by Obama, they would be apoplectic. It’s actually sickening to witness such a betrayal of the American people, your Constitution & your founding Fathers. What the Republicans are being; enablers of abuse to the future wellbeing of all that Americans hold dearest.
As a sidebar he will disregard all evidence of Climate Change, to lumber future generations with the devastating consequences of our inaction.
1
So now it’s the Dept of Injustice. And the Dishonorable William Barr.
Anyone who defies Congress’ subpoenas should be arrested. Send federal marshals to their doors and handcuff them and drag them to jail. Let the Supreme Court show us if it is still for truth, justice and the American way.
This is a travesty. Anyone who obstructs justice as trump so clearly did (700 former federal prosecutors can’t be wrong) and still does, and how Barr, McConnell, graham and pretty much every republican continue to do, are stains on our democratic republic. Stains should be eradicated. This insanity has to end.
2
There is no going back to business as usual for the Democrats. This is the most corrupt White House I have witnessed in my lifetime and I watched the Watergate hearings. Attorney General William Barr, a man who was appointed to his position to uphold the laws of this country, has decided that he (Himself) is above the law. This cannot fly! He and anyone else who refuses to comply with the laws of our land, should be arrested and made to sit in a jail cell for a while. Mr. Barr can contact his personal attorney from his cell and have them sue whom ever on his behalf. That is his right.
6
Being a fighter is part of Trump's image and one of his strong points in the public opinion. So the more noise the Democrats make the more he will love it as they are highlighting one of his strengths.
The best strategy for the Democrats is to pick your fights and to keep things low key. It is better to draw the attention of the public to other issues, like plans for expanding Obamacare.
1
Here’s where we are. The rural areas of this country are a opioid , meth wasteland. The urban areas are just as bad with drug addiction and cell phone addiction. We are now in a dictatorship, but no one seems to care because of all of the above.
The Democrats need to gain control of the military and surround the White House. Like any other banana republic, this is the only way to remove a tyrannical dictator. Trump has rigged the system and it no longer works. Yes, I believe we are down to that option , and may have to employ it after the 2020 election.
8
Best way to solve this and other issues of national importance: vote Trump and the GOP out of office.
9
Just impeach Barr now.
Show some political spine Dems, and stop living a political
life of self deception by ignoring your Constitutional duties
and start impeachment hearings for Barr and Trump.
Trump is absolutely in fear of being impeached as it is a failure and recorded in history as being impeached, and Trump has no say in what happens in the House.
Ignore the Senate - but expose the Republicans as Russian lovers and Putin's Manchurian Candidates, who are living a life without freedom of thought or freedom of the will.
Putin is living in the minds of the GOP/Republicans.
Dems go for impeachment - and live a political life of authenticity and freedom to choose to uphold the Constitution.
8
So, the Justice Department has become partisan (republican) too? How corrupt van it become...without losing all trust of the people in it's democratic institutions? Highly unethical and very dangerous.
5
Unfortunately, the Democrats are choosing to continue to divide the country and try to impede the duly elected President from performing his duties. This has been the plan since the election. The 2016 election is over and the people have spoken. The Democrats lost, what they envisioned as a "slam dunk" election. Dragging this charade out to the 2020 election is their plan. Constant and deliberate harassment of the president. They all should be ashamed of themselves. Move on. Its over. Donald Trump is the President. Let him lead. The economy is fantastic, our security and position in the world is at a high. Instead of focusing on trying to derail the gains we have made, embrace what President trump has accomplished. The democrats will look at lot better if they did.
4
Somebody has to oppose the autocratic tendencies of an obviously unfit president. Trump refuses to protect our country because it makes his election look suspect( which it is). The democrats would love to have another choice, but they don't. Trump committed impeachable offenses. The democrats may look bad, but at least they won't be responsible for the destruction of our democracy. The republicans are responsible for that.
1
The Dems aren't about justice. The Mueller report is proof of that. They are just mad because Mueller didn't recommend any charges of criminal conduct.
Now they are just on another fishing expedition. I saw invoke whatever you want and make them fight it out in the courts. House reps only get two years, so this could be over in 2020.
7
Whatever the public may feel, this is a major Constitutional crisis where the Executive branch is attempting, to use one of the favorite words, a "coup" by denying the Legislative branch its oversight rights. In other words, it's another step closer to authoritarian rule if it goes unchallenged. According to experts in this area, there are only two actions Congress can take. First, they can request an expedited review by the Supreme Court. Second, they can begin the process of impeachment that would require that all documents be released and all witnesses be allowed to testify. The latter approach is easier since it avoids the legal barriers that the Trump administration will inevitably put in the way hoping to stall the process until the November 2020 election. Congress must fulfill its Constitutional responsibilities with the Democratic House moving forward with articles of impeachment. But, instead of presenting them to the Senate where Mitch McConnell and his Trumpublicans have made it clear that it's time to "move on," they should take them directly to the American people to vote on in November 2020. we may all be exhausted from what I call PTSD, Persistent Trump Stress Disorder, but when our democracy is on the line, it's our patriotic duty to defend it.
7
To the House of Representative;, States investigating certain politicians alleged irregular financial dealings,; States mulling ballot requirements such as mandatory tax release; witnesses such as Mueller, Don McGahn, and other White House employees with material information relating to Congress’ investigations. Act now while democracy is still ticking. The Executive Branch including Trump, Barr, Mnuchin, cannot stonewall apparently damaging information forever. Act now.
4
The fight between Executive and legislative branches goes back to our Founding. The very first POTUS, Mr. Washington threatened to withhold information from the Congress.
Th. Jefferson and his fights with Chief Justice Marshall are one too many.
The Executive privilege has been recognized by the Congress and the courts as necessary to a functioning of the Executive branch.
If every one could see raw advice, the POTUS gets from his aides, employees - they may not offer their best advice. By law, it is the POTUS who communicates with Congress.
So, this assertion of executive privilege goes a long way including the most current and that of previous administration much admired on these pages.
The only reason Nixon had to release the tapes - first because he did not burn them, height of stupidity. But second, it was demanded as part of impeachment hearings.
So, Mr. Nadler is not conducting impeachment and tells others it's an oversight. But no one truly believes in. This is an investigation of an investigation. Folks should remember Benghazi when the shoe was on other foot.
So, it's hardly an oversight of not executive department.
And this investigation was not set by Congress but by the executive branch itself. The AG is under no requirement even to release the report.
With our separation of powers - Congress is way out on a limb in getting these documents and aides to testify.
1
The GOP selected DoJ threatens to conspire with Trump-Pence to obstruct the Democratic leadership in the House from performing their constitutional duty of presidential oversight.
Even Nixon was more ethical and was unwilling to entirely subvert the constitution.
We are now entering a phase of self destruction normally reserved for the final days of a dictatorship in a Central or South American nation. . .a nation we'd call 'a banana republic'.
5
We are now approaching an all out political civil war, with our Constitution and the rule of law being challenged by Republicans who have realized that our system of checks and balances works only when all stakeholders accept it as the underpinning of our constitutional system. We are literally a few steps away from the loss of our democratic republic. How appropriate that a son of the old Confederacy, Mitch McConnell, is a key architect of this across the board stonewalling, all with the goal of a hegemony of power and the downfall of the rule of law. One can only hope that the courts continue to uphold their oaths to protect the Constitution and the rule of law by rejecting this wholesale attack on our system. Otherwise, we are lost.
8
Trump and the GOP is afraid of the truth. It can't be waved away by calling it fake truth. It is there. Always has been. They have been living in a weird childish world of "We can't hear you" when it comes to truth.
The truth will out. Deep down some of them know this. They are stalling for time. Trump may not know this. He seems too deep into his self-centered solipsistic world--into which he has drawn a significant percentage of us. We need to help the truth out, the sooner the better.
6
We the People paid for the Mueller report. We the People own it and deserve to see it. Period.
9
They should go to Barr's office and drag him handcuffed back to the House floor. That should be the case in every subpoena they issue if the persons are a no show.
19
If America is no longer a nation of laws and of equal justice for all, then the millions of American soldiers who gave their lives for this country have died in vain.
22
If Mitch McConnell doesn't want to do his job anymore, he should do us all a favor and go home.
21
I think McConnell should leave America. He doesn't belong here anymore.
The main focus here -- is to keep focused !!!
Focus on this -- over and over -- until he snaps.
If the Mueller report is truly the exoneration that Trump claims it is, why doesn’t he want to let Mueller talk about it?
Don't let Trump continue to get away with lies that distract us from the con-game he has been playing his whole life: control the media, control the stories, keep pushing the smoke and mirrors game, use spineless amoral people as a shield to counter-attack and suppress the truth.
All-time low-life comment by Mitch McConnell: "case closed."
Keep focused: Donald Trump will not get away with his con-game.
18
I love the part where McConnell accuses the democrats of "unhinged partisanship", presumably delivered with a straight face.
13
Congress has no choice but to hold them in Contempt of Congress. This is now about protecting the Constitution.
The criminals in the White House and Justice seem to be saying that the obstruction will only stop when Democrats in the House stop trying to do their job and let the criminals go.
Why this is not already with the Supreme Court is a mystery. Otherwise, we don’t even have a functioning government. Republicans have given us is lawlessness.
11
My God, how did we come to such a pass?
Government is split down the middle and is not functioning, the people are NOT being served and the rule of law has been abandoned in pursuit of personal and political issue.
We are past the point of reconciliation, hatred and misoygny, bigotry and violence abound.
I want to know why we as a people have to live in daily fear of having more of our rights abrogated by a group of petty, pathetic bullies led by an incompetent fool.
I want to be respected by this country as a citizen once again, with full rights and protections returned to me as guaranteed by the Constitution.
I want to see the full report .
I want subpoenas respected and enforced.
I want my rights as a citizen returned to me now.
16
Trump and republicans are taunting democrats, note how it's not the President and Senate, to consider the longer game and stop fighting the inevitable.
I have a question for all republicans: et tu, Brute?
There is an even longer game, the history books. This will all eventually be released, hashed and re-hashed no doubt not unlike Watergate and the Kennedy murder.
By every standard, history will be harsh on republicans. Maybe it is they who need to consider the longer game.
11
@no one special Harsh on Republicans? No, what will be remembered is that Dems did nothing except obsess over collusion.
3
And that Reps did nothing do bring obstructionists to justice !
From the moment on election night November 2016 when I cried, and I found my husband lying on the bed hiding, with tears streaming down his face (not something I have seen often), things have gotten progressively worse. Now that Trump has installed complete toadies in all the important places, I fear the worst.
Now is the time for Mueller to forego "protocols", to perform civil disobedience, which will be the greatest act of patriotism.
15
Mr McConnell, which is more "Unhinged Partisanship", investigating a President who wants to keep the American people from finding out the truth about him, or defying the constitution by holding up a SCOTUS nomination until a more conservative President is elected?
14
THE ASSUMPTIONS OF THE GOPpers is that the power of the Executive to invoke presidential privilege was NOT intended to hide evidence of criminal activities. In fact, it is highly doubtful that Trump is using "executive privilege" to obstruct justice. Gee, that sounds familiar! Trump is nothing if not the greatest agent of obstruction of justice in US history. I curse the GOPpers for permitting him to be a presidential candidate. They have tainted the party of Lincoln by encouraging and supporting the use of executive privilege to prevent evidence of wrongdoing from being used as evidence to prosecute Trump. So, start lower down. Start by copying what Nixon had to do: Charge Ivanka and Jared with occupying their jobs in violation of the nepotism laws and prohibiting adequate security checks. Then go after Pence. Get those 3 to resign and the way is cleared for President Nancy Pelosi to fill in the power vacuum. As to McConnell's contention that the Democrats have made the US more vulnerable to Russian intrusion into our democracy, it's Trump who spent an hour schmoozing with his bromance buddy for an hour about the uselessness of Mueller's report. Trump is handing control of the US to Putin on a silver platter. If that's not engaging in high crimes and treason, I don't know what is. And McConnell has placed himself in the position where he could well be charged as an accessory to the crime. Can the US survive the cancer in Trump and the GOPpers? Or is it too late?
9
The Justice Department and the Attorney General of the United States are supposed to owe their ethical obligation of fealty and loyalty to the American people and their Constitution.
Donald Trump has his personal lawyers led by Rudy Giuliani. Donald Trump has his Presidential lawyer in the White House Counsel.
Bill Barr is the hired help of the American people. Barr must answer to the elected members of the House of Representatives. If not then disbarment proceedings should be initated in the jurisdictions where his bar membership exists.
Avoiding even the appearance of impropriety is the fundamental ethical obligation of the legal profession. Barr has been the essence of impropriety and conflict of interests.
11
The battles during Watergate were just as tiresome as these current fights, but is it not ironic that the Executive Branch is threatening to withhold information that is the reason for the contempt of Congress charge? This sort of threat kind of a slam dunk of twice as guilty. It is like saying, “I will not comply times 2.”
As a young adult, I watched Watergate unfolding in Congress and the response by the White House. The defensive, “snitty”, White House “legal” arguments at that time accumulated to convince me of the corrupt intent of President Nixon of having something to hide. There was no respect for Congress, no respect for the rule of law, no respect for the American people, no respect for Oaths of Office, and no respect for the Constitution. The GOP elected officials all rallied around Nixon, not around the values and ideas that made us a country, until the evidence could not be denied with a straight face. They, at least, demonstrated some shame in the end. They did not totally reject foundational values upon which our country is based, unlike elected Republicans have done today. Shame on them.
7
The law must apply to all, fairly and equally. During his testimony AG Barr’s contortions with facts and the truth were painfully clear. Congress must charge him with contempt.
5
Obstruction of justice seems to be the trait du jour in this era. I sure hope that there are enough prison spaces for "all the president's folks", Don, and Mitch too.
4
The Republicans have made it clear that they will support the blatant lawlessness of Trump no matter what. It is up to House Democrats to use their Constitutional powers of executive office oversight. They must not fail to show that no man is above the law. It is an urgent matter critical to the survival of our democracy.
12
Impeach
America is not a dictatorship, no matter what Trump, McConnell and Fox News would have us believe.
19
The Trump administration doesn’t believe in transparency or in the constitution and its concept of checks and balances with Congressional oversight.
It is obvious that they have a lot to hide including criminal obstruction of justice, Russian collusion, and Trump’s likely sordid finances. They are afraid of the truth. Why does anybody still support this corrupt and abysmal man and his incompetent administration? They never tell the truth and violate all norms of the proper role of Presidential leadership
in a properly functioning democracy.
3
Trump has two strategies:
Prevent from testifying anyone other yhan those in his pocket, e.g., Barr.
Rely on Gorsuch, Kavanagh, et al to rule for him on everything (tax returns, mueller, McGahn testimony, etc.), no matter how outrageous. Cant wait until they rule against him.
1
Pelosi is right. Taking the bait on impeachment serves the president’s political needs. Just reveal the facts. They will speak for themselves if they ever see the light of day!
The Democrats need to develop a political strategy to brand the Republicans who support the president as outliers of democratic and constitutional principles. We are fast becoming a “banana republic.”
9
I believe sincerely that Trump will cause civil unrest in the streets if not an all out civil war. He is a deeply mentally ill autocrat. And he has led the Republican Party down the path of treasonous disregard for the constitution and the rule of law.
12
It is really harmful to the USA and its citizens to compare the behavior of this President to prior presidents. No prior president has refused to show their tax return, refused to place their businesses into a blind trust, met with a foreign leader with absolutely no one to verify the subject or intent of the talks, pursued the foreign policy of Russia to benefit Russia over foreign policy that benefits the USA and its allies. Neither has any prior president lied about pursuing business in a foreign country (Russia) while campaigning for the office of the President of the United States.
Every prior President in modern times has shown their tax returns to prove they had no conflict of interest between themselves and their oath of office. This President is willing to burn down all Democratic institutions and obstruct justice to thwart the ability to prove his innocence. He hides with the aid of Mitch McConnell and Attorney General Barr.
I know the difference between political mischief and a President with a well documented history of decades of lying and subverting the law for power, riches, and fame. This is the only President who has refused to provide tax documents to clear their name. All prior Presidents have done so. There is no equivalency here to any prior administration. The closest equivalent is President Nixon.
10
Mr McGahn had been a savvy lawyer throughout. He knew well this presidency will come to an end and that law could come after him even years later.
And he is still denying?
This may be the worst mistake of his life, a contempt proceedings from Congress would destroy a career.
Watching republicans stay silent for so long but then follow it up by McConnell’s utterly brazen speech... how much further down on this slippery slope are they going to go?
I guess a Republican chasm is far darker and deeper than one can imagine.
The slope keeps on becoming steeper!
10
The right of every American to know what they need to know to govern our country is being violated.
13
The DOJ suggesting the executive who's cited as committing several felonies while in office invoke executive privilege to cover up those crimes seems like a constitutional crisis to me!
9
Trump is still confused on why Robert Muller didn’t have to sign one of his non disclosure agreements.
7
Trump's people are like the ancient video meme: all you base belong to us.
But if I have learned one thing in this life, it is that that video in-joke, no matter how funny, is fortunately not how things actually work out, ever.
For great justice!
No obstruction, no collusion.
But they still won't get over it, and NO ONE is surprised.
I hate Trump for his failures on immigration, but I'll probably vote for him again out of spite at this rate.
1
@Mike H. But Mike, if there is nothing then why don't they just comply with the Democrats subpoenas? Why withhold it all. That alone makes me very distrusting of the current administration. Why on earth would you choose to vote for people that operate that way. What a waste of time on their part. Barr for example could turn up to that questioning session and simply repeat what you are saying, that there is nothing to see. It would cost him nothing. Instead the administration is acting in such a counterproductive, nasty and well frankly 'obstructive' way. Just on principle alone, why on earth would you vote that back in? It's no way to run a government. Is what the Democrats are doing really so awful. They smell a rat. The Mueller report is far from conclusive and they want to make sure they explore it fully. Of they are partisan but that's how governments are supposed to work. Why is it such a vote loser for you that they won't let it go. Why do you care so much?
4
@Mike H. -- Trump is Corrupt. Please allow this to sink in. Thank you.
Watching the Justice Department become an obedient lapdog to our Putin picked plutocrat president is becoming unpalatable. Its about time for Mueller to break with protocol, just once, to even the score a bit from those 2 funky elections where Justice stepped in helped Republicans one way or another. Truth needs a champion right now - whether its Mueller or McGahn - and everyone knows it. Let it ring.
8
The “Justice” department, also known as Trump’s retainer, is making suggestions to trump how to avoid compliance to the Democratic House demands. Wow, that’s a new one.
So now he’s got an AG in his pocket and an entire department.
9
Democrats losing again--a daily existence.
3
@Jonathan, the tide is about to turn. At its low point the financial world of trump is about to crumble and take his presidency with him. If you were an investor in trump properties, you would finally realize the Ponzi scheme you helped keep afloat.
A billion dollar loss. How could you possibly get your money out? Oh yeah, and none of the money is his, of course.
4
They can't release what they can't release ...
Nadler knows he went too far .....
Again -- my fear is what's going to happen when the GOP is back in power?
An earlier headline made this confrontation sound like a family squabble between Trump and Democrats, again with both sides depicted as equal and justified.
Please stop.
The Times has as much if not more at stake as Trump already has you tagged as the "enemy of the people" and next he'll use his newly weaponized Justice Department to harass The Times and its use of leaked information against Trump.
Your ex-Wall Street Journal editorial writer now Op-ed columnist, Bret Stephens, is making the case that outrage-fatigue has set in and Democrats should just follow the lead of Senate Republicans and ignore Trump's Constitutional demolition derby.
So much for conservatives and the rule of law when it comes to Trump. After all he is making government smaller by leaving numerous agencies treading water in the absence of appointed leaders or in the hands of saboteurs and incompetents like Betsy DeVos, who's apparently clueless as to what the Department of Education does besides award huge federal contracts to private companies. Conservatives don't get to embrace the sin and not the sinner.
This feels like a fork in the road. If a president can act beyond the law with impunity, can treat Congressional oversight as a joke, demean the Constitution and degrade language until it's meaningless, we're headed into very dangerous waters.
"Objectivity" in service of tyranny is a grave betrayal of the First Amendment. Wrong doesn't have two sides.
12
The only one showing some guts is Senator Warren. Stand up to this crook in the Oval. How can he be above the law when he cheated with foreign aid to win the Electoral College?
So tired of weak responses. Impeach on principle. Now.
10
Mitch, it's not over until We the People say it's over.
8
Any records in McGhan's possession could still be given to Congress regardless of Trump's whining, and he could testify if he chooses to.
2
Trump isn’t going to turn over the unredacted report. This threat is an attempt to get some mileage over something he intends to do any way. Dems should not cave. They need to push forward and ignore Trump.
5
To have a “cover up” you need a crime Mr. Nadler. Mueller, Barr and Rosenstein found no crime was committed.
1
@Stephen Gianelli
That is completely false, that no crime was committed.
If trump is innocent why is he working so hard to withhold information?
5
If Barr refuses to turn over the unredacted report, hold him in inherent contempt and send the House Sergeant-at-Arms to arrest him and hold him in the House jail.
3
Yes, it's exhausting. If a writer of political fiction was trying to describe a cover-up, she or he wouldn't dare to use the facts in front of us today regarding Trump, McConnell, Barr, McGahn, etc. as inspiration, because readers wouldn't believe these creeps could get away with it. Why are these men so fearful of written records and sworn testimony?
6
haha. Letitia james AG of ny state is one step closer to getting his state returns. you can build the fed return from that. liked to see how much foreign money he has gotten.
4
This is a about transparency - not sticking our heads in the sand., People need all the information in order to make decisions. Why all the defensiveness from the Republicans? They "doth protest too much." The incredible idea that minds are made up and knowledge that might bring illusion to truth should be suppressed. They will need to be pushed on their path to freedom from illusions.
3
This will all become a major test of McConnell's court packing scheme. Will the judiciary branch act like judges, or will it act like an arm of the Republican Party? I have no reason to believe that the latter won't be the case.
4
I saw this on a tv program today and I think it fits the news. " WHERE LAW ENDS, TYRANNY BEGINS" It was at the top of a Courtroom outside on the building. How true. Our Constitution and Law mean nothing at all anymore to these so-called "lawmakers" How sad for this country and all of its Citizens!
7
We have to take our country back. I suggest that those of us who were going to march if Mueller were fired dust off our walking shoes. This is our country. We have a right to see the report. There's nothing in it about national security. That's just a screen. There's nothing in there that can't be appropriately released. The investigation was halted by the president's new fixer. We American citizens deserve better.
4
The materials are either privileged or they're not. I don't think the President can reassert executive privilege iver materials for which he already waived it.
3
And meanwhile, Pompeo and Bolton are moving towards war with Iran. Such a war would show the world that we are truly the bad guys, cannot be trusted and are a destabilizing force in the world.
The Mueller report as well as Trump' tax returns obviously contain information that would weaken Trump. That information needs to come out before we go to war.
McConnell is the linchpin in all of this but he is a failure as majority leader and is as morally compromised as Trump.
By whatever means necessary, legal or illegal, the Mueller report, Trump's federal tax returns to the present (kudos to the Times for revealing information in Trump's 1985 - 1994 taxes) his business dealings in Russia and his financial dealings with Deutsche Bank and Capitol One all need to come out.
Furthermore, I would suggest that interviews with all those people hurt by Trump in doing business with him are compiled and revealed. Maybe the 40 percent who support him should be shown the lives of Americans who resemble themselves in interactions with Trump.
I suspect that most people could care less about the skirmishes between the Democrats and Trump. It’s nothing but politics as usual. The Democrats are overreaching with their investigatory demands, and Trump is going to far in refusing any investigation. But what else is new? The Republicans did the same thing to Obama. Ultimately, it will be up to voters to decide this issue.
They are not hidden portions. They are redacted portions. Twelve members of the house democrats are allowed to read the “hidden portions”. The only reason they don’t is because it will be too hard to leak this to the press. Safety in numbers if hundreds can be pointed at.
Can the press please be the press again? We never get the full story anymore.
3
One has to ask why the Trump Administration is so terrified of Congress and the public seeing what evidence Mueller gathered...
10
So Barr is now resorting to making threats if he is held in contempt? Isn't that a classic example of contempt of congress and obstruction of an investigation? If so, shouldn't he be a target of a criminal investigation with an eye toward indictment, prosecution, and imprisonment?
17
Nothing but threats from our two year old (mental age) President. He can either go with the flow or just go. If Congress is afraid to fight for our Constitution I bet there are millions of Americans who will stand up and be counted to do their bit to put things right. Like the ancient Romans we will never suffer a King. Neither will we put up with a tyrant for very long. Time to choose the path ahead.
10
Donald Trump is a lifelong tax cheat and con man who would be living under a bridge had he not inherited his father's wealth.
16
If the House of Representatives does not hold the Trump administration accountable for the constitutional crisis it is promoting by continuing to stonewall all subpoenas for materials and testimony needed to conduct their oversight of the executive branch then our democracy will no longer exist as it has been known since the founding of our nation.
Whether the house members vote to impose censure, fines or incarceration on those who refuse to allow them to do their constitutionally-mandated job is less important than the fact that they do not allow this stonewalling to go unchecked. Ours is a nation built on the rule of law and when that law is broken, there must be consequences.
This is a defining moment in our history and we must act with courage and determination. We must stand up to the individual in the White House who seems to believe he controls our destiny. He does not!
14
It's now time to go into the streets to support the right of Congress to conduct oversight, to support the separation of powers, to support the Constitution itself.
13
Professor Laurence Tribe, who wrote a book late last year on impeachment that counseled caution, just said on MSNBC in light of the latest Trump outrages, "There is a point when caution becomes cowardice and a point when cowardice becomes betrayal--betrayal of the constitution... Political calculation is such a profound sell-out.... The American people will blame the Democrats if they don't get to the truth. If the Democrats don't find out to whom Donald Trump is truly loyal, they will be blamed. Where does all the money come from that funds his lavish lifestyle?... We have a compromised President."
Impeach.
28
The Administration seems committed to stepping outside the bounds of what is allowable in our political system, consistently and with little regard to consequences. These consequences need to be made plain to them, sooner rather than later. There is little to be gained and much to be lost in attempting to wait this out. Have courage--the majority of the country will support you.
10
Congress found AG Holder in contempt over a subpoena on 2012. Its was not resolved in the courts until 2018.
This is all simply table pounding. Noise that Americans tuned out with advent of Mueller’s no collusion finding.
3
Brinksmanship is not serving anyone, anywhere. Whatever happened to conciliation, compromise and collaboration?
2
Tip O’Neal died.
6
Ummm, with 500+ former prosecutors having signed a letter saying that if Trump weren't president he could be indicted for multiple felonies on obstruction of justice, no wonder Trump is desperate to stop McGahn and Mueller from testifying. Trump is running as fast as he can, but the truth in the Mueller report is catching up with him.
30
Things are getting bad for Trump, so they are ginning up a war. Americans need to keep our eyes open.
#1 priority right now should be to get the truth out to the American people.
24
@Bamagirl
How many service members and their families, often from economically depressed areas, voted for Trump, and are now being held hostage to his erratic behavior? Trump's pals, Bibi Netenyahu, Mr. Bone Saw, and gnomish casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, are prodding him to war with Iran, a tragic miscalculation. Whose children will die in such a debacle? Jared? Ivanka? No, the children of those people who Trump suckered and probably many more here as Iran unleashes the cyberwar on our infrastructure it's been preparing for years. Now it will be our turn to experience "shock and awe".
2
It's advisable to distinguish between two different subpoena battles:
1. Trump's battle with the House Ways and Means committee over his tax returns. (As I read IRC Section 6103, Trump is destined to lose that battle, and should focus narrowly on t 6103's requirement that the House committee view his tax returns in "closed executive session," whatever that means.
2. Barr's battle with Nadler over the Mueller report.
Frankly, I can't imagine how Barr could lose that one. He's already offered to give Congress a copy of the Mueller report with only "grand jury" redactions (thus eliminating 82% of the redactions), and (even though Mueller reportedly agrees with him on those redactions) I suspect he'd eliminate even the "grand jury" redactions if a court were to tell him it's OK for him to ignore the federal law that allegedly prohibits disclosure of "grand jury" information. Maybe Barr really wants Congress not to see that "grand jury" information but, frankly, I doubt that Barr cares one way or the other about that. If some court tells him it's OK to give that information to Nadler's committee, I suspect Barr would do so in a heartbeat.
There's an easy way for Nadler to find out: Find out whether Barr feels the way I suspect he feels, and then jointly ask some court to say it's OK. This "tempest in a teapot" will come to a quick end.
1
The House should avail itself of the statute that denies compensation for those federal employees who impede a
congressional investigation. Elijah Cumings has used this tool in his efforts to get the Interior dept employees to comply with his oversight requests. Let's not waste time.
Hold their salaries, hold them in contempt, levy fines, and move the process into a friendly civil court ASAP. The only way to deal with this type of lawlessness is to use any and all legal means to get compliance. No more Mr. Nice Guys. Remember Merrick Garland.
23
The House has the mechanism, precedent, and power to imprison those found in contempt. Given the current president’s contempt for the rule of law, it is well within their perogative to throw Barr, McGahn, and any others who think they are above the law because the enabler in chief says so to become acquainted with a maximum security lockdown until they decide that the rule of law overrules the rule of Trump. While impeachment is a toothless threat, having Barr, McGahn, Kline, etc. spend the next 18 months (at least) looking out from the wrong side of jail bars would help restore the balance of power.
11
Although McGann gave Mueller a lot of information, just remember that McGann is no saint. He boosted the nomination of conservative federal judges and did Trump's bidding. So don't think of him as a "good guy."
12
The Mueller investigation was the sunlight and transparency into Trump. The democrats don’t want justice (they already got that with the Mueller report), they just want Trump out.
3
How is it possible that McGahn now views Trump "as akin to a client he used to work for?" I thought his former job was to represent the Office of the Presidency as presented in the Constitution? I thought this was also his own understanding of his duties, which is why he refused to lie for Mr. Trump or to fire Mueller as Trump told him to do. Trump even called him twice at his home to check on whether or not this was being done. Now it appears that Mr. McGahn has shifted his loyalty from defending the Office of President from being abused by Trump to being Trump's lawyer. He has downgraded his patriotism, his act of courage and himself. For what?
10
" The Justice Department threatened late Tuesday to ask President Trump to invoke executive privilege over the hidden portions of Robert S. Mueller III’s report and all of the evidence behind it if Democrats proceeded Wednesday with a vote to hold Attorney General William P. Barr in contempt of Congress."
Is that the same as asking Trump to obstruct?
5
Where in the Constitution is the provision giving Congress the power of “oversight” of the Executive Branch? Or over individual citizens?
Can’t find it.
3
Although it is not specifically called out in the constitution, oversight is implied in Congress’s array of enumerated powers (see Articlel I section 8, Article II sections 2 and 4). Several legislative statutes explicitly establish broad oversight: The Legislative Reorganization Acts of 1946 and 1970, the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, and Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 are just several examples.
Also, the Supreme Court has validated Congress's investigative power in several rulings (1927, 1957, and 1959).
4
Trump has told so many blatant lies in public on record that they alone are excellent grounds for impeachment. His countless lies make him unfit for office, so impeach him for lying.
9
Funny you should bring that up, that’s what the Republicans and Newt, (oh how the name fits) impeached Clinton for lying, about sex between consenting adults.......not for Whitewater, which is why they impaneled Ken Star, and when he found nothing there, the republicans expanded Starr’s mandate, and they kept expanding it, even saying that their friend Vince Foster didn’t kill himself, oh nooo, Newt, ever the conspiracy theorist, (that’s a must when your a Republican you chase ghosts and theories) opined that the Clintons had him killed to keep their secrets. Nothing could have been further from the truth, unless your a republican, again, ignoring facts or the truth is a must do, if you’re a republican.
4
The one benefit of this latest travesty: the Whitehouse is not even attempting to hide behind any fabricated legal "principle."
2
Nancy Pelosi says she can't possibly accept a second term for President Trump. I think she could start by accepting the first one. It might make the transition easier.
3
We know that Russia meddled in the election of 2016 according to the Mueller report.
We also know that Donald Trump committed obstruction of justice in a variety of instances in the last two years and five months of his administration.
Why in God's name would anybody accept the outright legitimacy of this president when everything about him is founded on lies deception and corruption?
It's time to put Republican versus Democrat battles aside. Donald Trump has put an end to the Republican Party as we have known it- it no longer exists. This is all about truth versus lies , it is all about respecting the Constitution and the rule of law versus defying it.
There are plenty of Republicans with an education, and a knowledge of history, who know that this is no longer about partisan politics, it is about the future of our democracy.
14
The Republican Party will never put Trump to one side, they don’t view him as a constitutional crisis, but they would if Trump were Obama....
2
Trump is sure acting like a guilty, corrupt, con man, making sure his lies and corruption are not exposed.
18
Don't think they'll get much traction on this. How can they allow him to talk to the Mueller investigation and now claim privilege on the same information to Congress... Besides he's a private citizen now and a pretty good lawyer by all accounts. He knows what privileged communication is if anybody does.
5
Those who refuse to comply with a Congressional subpoena should be taken into custody and held until they agree to testify or provide the documents aht the Congress has requested. They will get the message when they see their colleagues behind bars.
8
Technically she could send the sergeant of arms over and get him, they could also lock him the committee room with the committee until he does. But it’s much more fun to lock him up, lock him up.
1
Nancy Pelosi drives me crazy. Unless she can very quickly produce SOMETHING which shows she is seriously moving against Trump the mob leader, she should bring impeachment hearings to the House.
6
Obstructing justice to cover up obstruction of justice might not be Trump's shrewdest move at this point. So carry on big guy, carry on.
21
This is about fighting, and showing fight to your base. Not about substance. Not about governing. Both parties don't care about country, just party. All about winning. USA be damned.
So much sanctimony, so much righteousness.
Try governing.
1
A commenter on this thread asked why the Trump administration's behavior is not sedition. Sedition is conduct or speech inciting people to rebel against the government or legal authority. That is not what his administration is doing.
Now if this commenter was suggesting Trump's 2020 presidential campaign is going to be one long act of sedition, that I can totally agree with.
8
Dems---drag this into court---better yet, impeach Trump!
The blind obsession with nailing the President will only ensure his re-election in 18 months.
Thank you in advance.
4
Don the Con! No wonder Donald doesn’t want the American people to view his tax documents. Simply put, He’s a Fraud! You’ve been duped Trumpeters and are an easy mark. The Donald has lost the benefit of the doubt. Let the hearings commence immediately to get the full story out to the people. What else is the President hiding?
Good work New York Times,
Congratulations!
11
Aside for national security reasons (very serious), we really don't need the Mueller report any more. Why?
Because Trump is committing acts of obstruction for us all to see on a daily basis now, by preventing Congress from doing its Constitutional duty.
17
Don McGahn gave 30 hours of his time and information to Robert Mueller and his team, so it is a mystery why he would not testify before Congress and continue in the process of holding Trump accountable. If he does the right thing and testifies, his honorable place in history of refusing to countenance criminality in the president will be assured. McGahn can live with a clear conscience for the rest of his life instead of knowing that he aided and abetted a criminal and perhaps paying his own price for doing so. Congressional Republicans play partisan games in their complicity stop Donald Trump before he reshapes the Executive branch of the government to reflect his dictatorial intentions, and to destroy the coequality of the three branches of government.
6
The House MUST impeach Trump, who is obstructing justice at every turn. If they refuse to do so for fear of losing in the next election, than this country that we call a democracy should be set aside as dead. There really is nowhere to turn for old lefties like me.
8
Speaker Pelosi is playing the GOP like a fiddle.
She knows the truth is slowly seeping out. Every day more bad news and Mueller testifies next week.
She knows DJT wants to paint himself the victim of a witch hunt. She won’t impeach.
She knows the GOP cannot turn its back on DJT now. They are in too deep!
She knows that DJT is an anchor tied to their necks- an anchor that will take them right to the bottom of the swamp.
The Speaker is playing the waiting game and it is driving DJT nuts. You can see it!
19
Once again we see a person cowering in a position of feigning loyalty to Trump, while Trump undermines them and hangs them out to dry in order to save his own skin.
Why does anybody in this government do what he says?
He's crazy, immoral, and corrupt. Doing the right thing, if done by everybody, would shut Trump down in a heartbeat.
Why, oh why, is everybody scared to the bone of Trump? An investigation into that might yield some interesting, and unsavory, morsels of information.
17
As Gail Collins and Bret Stephens write in their column today, yes, the American public is beyond weary of this drama. That is true - we are. They also suggest that Dems focus more energy on governing and legislating. To that I say, why? Every piece of legislation the Dems have passed since January is still sitting on McConnell's desk as he won't bring anything to the floor for a Senate vote. Our government is not functioning because the White House and Senate will not let it function. So, any actions the Dems take they do with my full support. This daily ignoring of subpoenas is outright obstruction in the public's eye. This is putting party over country. It is time to end this freak show.
759
@Patrick
You reminded me of a job I had years back. Everybody was buried under projects; except me. I had one ugly stepsister project and my boss wouldn’t give me more.
I went home to my more world savvy boyfriend and complained. He very accurately pointed out my boss was setting me up to be fired.
So, McConnell makes it look likeCongress isn’t accomplishing anything by preventing Congress from accomplishing anything. Just one more way McConnell seizes power by obstruction on all counts.
BTW, I didn’t get fired, but my boss did. Sometimes, even when there’s an imbalance of power, people still find a way.
105
@Patrick the government is functioning just fine thanks to McConnell. He has prevented all the junk legislations from the House from ever becoming reality. Good Job!!!
12
@Qcell What junk laws are you talking about?
57
"They could still choose to initiate contempt of Congress proceedings against Mr. McGahn, a stinging punishment for a lawyer working in private practice that could shape how he proceeds in the fight over documents."
All of Trump's pawns and lackeys need to charged with contempt of Congress. If this (or a subsequent) administration is allowed to stonewall Congressional investigations, it's the end of Checks and Balances. Before it's all over, we may find the Supreme Court is as compromised as the White House, Senate, and DOJ.
Eventually we'll get through this, but we're going to need some legislation or Constitutional Amendments to ensure it doesn't happen again.
290
The new letter from a host of former federal prosecutors of both parties concludes that there is a clear case for obstruction of justice against President Trump based on volume 2 of Mueller's report. At least some Republicans, therefore, are willing to stand up for the rule of law, even if the Republicans in Congress are not. No wonder Trump is so opposed to handing over any information about anything to Congress. We still have the 14 or so investigations that mostly grew out of Mueller's investigation. Some of these other Republicans need to think a little more about the merits of stonewalling to protect Trump from the consequences of his own actions.
36
@chris87654
We need the Republicans to become Americans again. The Plutocracy at work, where the most important question is: "Is the market up today?" I remember laughing at the Occupy Wall Street crowd. Perhaps they were prescient.
3
The president of the United States is an employee of “We, the People,” not Koch Industries or ALEC or Vladimir Putin. Whatever papers that Donald McGahn had belongs to the American people. Congress, as our elected representatives, has every right to examine his documents.
If the president is as innocent as his frantic claims attest, he should have no qualms about surrendering them to responsible members of the House or Senate. The president, for all his protestations, is digging in, much as Richard Nixon did years ago, as the birds of ill omen flew lower and lower over the Oval Office until he was overwhelmed by the weight of evidence against him.
744
@Red Sox, ‘04, ‘07, ‘13, ‘18: The US House and Senate are the most incompetent board of directors of any global corporation.
18
@Red Sox, ‘04, ‘07, ‘13, ‘18-- overwhelmed by the impending impeachment hearings, to be clear
7
@Red Sox, ‘04, ‘07, ‘13, ‘18
Solid comment, as usual.
The testimony of James McCord and John W. Dean, III also aided in the overwhelming weight of testimony against Nixon.
32
When the party asserting privilege to prevent production of documents and witnesses has publicly addressed the subject matter of the documents and testimony, the privilege has been waived. The moment Trump began shouting that the investigation is a hoax, that the investigation resulted in ‘total exoneration,’ that McGahn’s prior responses to the Mueller team’s questions got it all wrong — he opened the door. You cannot disclose what you want to disclose and later yell ‘privilege’ as to the rest of it. Any first year law student can tell you that.
When the party asserting privilege to prevent production of documents and witnesses seeks to prevent production of documents and testimony because they likely contain evidence of unethical or criminal conduct, the ‘crime/fraud exception’ to the privilege likely applies. Yet again, we’re talking first year law student stuff here.
As over 400 attorneys have said, whether they be Republican, Democrat or somewhere in-between: if Trump were not currently President, the evidence from the Mueller investigation disclosed thus far (and much more may still be hidden from view, thanks to Mr. Barr and the White House puppeteers pulling his strings) — would usually result in his indictment.
Mr. Trump may be right: he may be able to shoot someone in broad daylight on Fifth Avenue and not lose a single vote from the members of his right wing cult. But he can still be convicted and go to jail for the rest of his life for firing the gun.
301
@chambolle You can also find thousands of lawyers who will claim that every US president of the last few decades should be behind bars in The Hague for killing thousands of people through the wars they started.
The rule of law is a station that was left long ago.
1
Perhaps a collective breakdown of mental fatigue is the plan. Then at the hour of our greatest despair the ultimate strike against our democracy will be waged by this administration and the GOP against us!
21
Somehow, I get a feeling this constitutional crisis is going to end up with Barr, Mnuchin, and Trump barricaded in the White House taking potshots at the US Marshalls, with Trump snarling, "You'll never take me alive, coppers!"
41
Now is the time for all good men (and women) to come to the aid of their country. Remember that saying? I see Comey and Democrats. No Republicans, and they know he is unfit. They know. Cowards and opportunists, no patriots.
84
@MissPatooty: My mother-in-law's motherwho was Swedisfh) called mty brother-in=law 'Sweet Patooty'. I've always wondered about that.
Abour our Fearless Leader, not so much. You've got him right.
1
First they claimed a unitary executive; then they began purging and as far as possible, disregarding the courts ( and nominees to it by the other party), and now they defy the Congress's powers and obligations. This administration is headed by a buffoon with dreams of one-man national rule, fascist tendencies, and a disregard for the oath of office he took to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution. f the House doesn't move to impeach, for short-term political reasons, even knowing the likely outcome in the Senate, they have abrogated their responsibility and contributed to the fall of the Republic.
25
The real scandal here is the left’s hypocrisy. Trump is using the courts to fight subpoenas from a House committee. Imagine that, going before a judge, filing public documents, and making public arguments before a magistrate asking him to decide whether the he should be legally compelled to provide evidence to the House of Representatives. In other words, Trump is following a perfectly legal process, as he has every right to do.
If he were Hillary Clinton he would just destroy all the documents the House had subpoenaed. When she did that, all the Democrats and the New York Times applauded her.
5
@Chuck French what you are saying is false: "Trump is using the courts to fight subpoenas from a House committee." No, he isn't. He knows he'd lose in court if he sought to quash the subpoena, so he is instructing people to defy them instead. He is instructing them to commit the crime of contempt of Congress.
20
If the president were, or, is...'innocent' of a wide variety of alleged crimes / frauds, etc., his tax data and Mr. McGann's / other's, (previous employees of this administration), testimony will surely display / support said innocence! If, not, likewise...
I'm sure!
So...why is the Braggart_President sayin', "...OK', to release testimony / data / subpoenas on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 'N, "...Nyet!!", to any/all such items, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, etc.??
1
Obviously Trump the Reality Star President is totally afraid of the dooming and fast approaching reality. The Republicans have totally been trumped by a man who only cares about his own ego. History will reveal his idiotic and self protected moves only continually supported by Mitch McConnell and the cast of other hypnotized supplicants. Sad as at one time the Republicans referred to themselves as the Grand Old Party. I guess Morality and Ethics no longer count to the GOP. The truth always has a way of being outed. Personally, I hope all Americans awake before taking any more of the kool-aid being distributed by this band of self involved idiots who support this immoral unethical President. America has always been a beacon of hope. Please God do
Not let those who claim to care manipulate through service to you. America’s democracy will shine brightly again.
3
It's kinda nostalgic to unpack all those terms from the Nixon era:
"What did the president know, and when did he know it?"
"Stonewall"
"Burn bag and deep six this, Liddy."
"If the president does it, it's not illegal."
And my all time favorite from Ron Ziegler. . "Modified, limited hangout." Which meant I guess, salt in a bit of truth among all the lies so he could say, "That wasn't a complete lie!"
"Shall I send out for some former POWs, Mr. President, that might cheer you up. . . oh no..I think that was Doonesbury
2
Mitch McConnell is a traitor to his country.
20
The fool in the White House is too stupid to realize that he is only building the obstruction of justice case every time he, well, obstructs justice.
11
How does "executive privilege" apply when the information is already been made public. Additionally, it is my understanding that privilege does not apply to criminal conduct. The House is definitely investigating criminal conduct. So Trump pays off a porn star so he can get elected, and, with Russian help that he was aware of and did not report to the FBI, gets elected even though he lost the popular vote by 3 million. Now that he is president he can't be prosecuted because there is a Justice Department rule that won't prosecute a sitting president. So, congress is supposed to handle that but Trump won't let anyone testify. Talk about gaming the system. You can't have it both ways . . . . for an office you cheated to get in the first place!!!!
9
Trump tries to act tough, but something in those records terrifies him. The tough guy is a big, quaking child.
7
Can't McGahn just speak his mind, testify, whatever he wants? Didn't he get the boot (vs. walking away)?
Does or should that even matter?
I'm with Michael Che on 'SNL' re the Dems. To paraphrase: 'Enough with the polite asking, there has to be a bootleg copy of the full Mueller report floating around.'
Whistleblower? Leaker? Anyone?
Consider this a citizen SOS ...Help Us!
5
Russia, if you are listening, please release trumps tax returns.
7
Trump supporters (why there are any left bewilders me) sound like nothing better than a gangster's lawyer in their defense of him. Is this the way Al Capone's mobsters sounded?
6
Muller must have made copies, show us the copies.
6
Mr. McGahn is just about to lose his career. The House should move to hold him in Contempt, then make a criminal referral to the Justice Department, and file a complaint to have him disbarred.
Mr. McGahn is being loyal to a so-called president who has publicly accused him of lying to the FBI, and has now put his entire career in jeopardy.
Once this is in motion, Jones Day will have to either fire or suspend him, because they can't have an attorney working for them, who ignores lawful subpoenas. They just can't.
He's got a very stark choice in front of him. Follow American Law, or go broke and under the bus for a pathologically lying crook.
9
There is a line from Nixon to Trump that passes through the criminal behavior of Iran-Contra. The Republican Party is the party of dirty tricks and violation of law at the highest levels, all leading to an attempt to overturn our democracy and make it a dictatorship that rules on behalf of a handful of wealthy right-wing oligarchs.
8
McGahn's claiming trump "akin to a client" is patently false. McGahn's role was as counsel to the White House, to our government -- and NOT to the personhood of trump.
Congress must rapidly initiate and sentence these criminals on Contempt charges, begin putting them in jail, AND debarring them (from practicing law).
11
Madame Speaker,
Ball's in your court.
6
Trump's ignoring the Constitution is in my opinion treason. He has now thrown down the gauntlet and is willing to chance a trial by combat rather than by a jury of his peers. Hope the Congressional Champion makes quick work of him. May God Defend the Right.
4
It turns out that the biggest fakery has been the presidency itself. Always covering up and showing contempt for the American people by not being honest with the Congress who were just recently elected to put a check on President Fakery.
The fake presidents taxes from 1985 to 1994 show a billion dollars in losses. A billion dollars in todays terms would be much more. He ran on being rich and a good businessman who would use his supposed skill to redeem America.
How did he recover from that if American banks will not lend to him? That question is for you Mitch McConell.
Case open Mitch. And America... you don't need subpoenas if you love your country enough to read the Mueller report. It is riddled with criminal behaviour. To put it simply HE IS A CROOK. Sorry about the capitals. God bless America. God sent you the report. Read it.
7
Finally Trump pushes back, after 2-plus years of allowing Dems and the media to spin the collusion narrative unimpeded. Frustrate these people, Mr. President... and unleash Barr on the spies.
2
McGahn is walking a dangerous line. His attorney says: "Where coequal branches of government are making contradictory demands on Mr. McGahn concerning the same set of documents, the appropriate response for Mr. McGahn is to maintain the status quo unless and until the committee and the executive branch can reach an accommodation.”
The problem with this reasoning is that Congress has the power to investigate the Executive branch and issue subpoenas, but the Executive Branch has no power to quash subpoenas. He is siding with the White House's baseless claims by declining to testify until things are worked out between the body with the legal authority to compel him to testify and the body with no power to block his testimony. If the Trump administration wanted to give McGahn a legal reason not to testify, it would seek a court order quashing the subpoena. It hasn't done that because the administration's lawyers know that they'd lose in court.
McGahn will probably not go to jail, but he is a fool to commit the crime of contempt of Congress in loyalty to a completely disloyal president.
232
@DCP123. Isn’t that the real problem here. People like Trump and his gang never go to jail. They break the law with impunity. The House Dems should do everything they can to change this terrible state of affairs.
22
@Justice Holmes, not "never." Cases in point: Cohen, Manafort. The "dam" is cracking.
2
@DCP123.
Personally, I think (or at least I'd like to hope) that Mueller and McGahn will testify openly and honestly. I believe (hope) their current arm waving, protesting, legal wrangling, and procrastination is so that in the face of contempt charges (or AFTER contempt charges), they can claim "I had no choice but to testify honestly under threat of perjury and/or jail" and undercut any future arguments from Trump, Barr, etc. when this ends up at the Supreme Court which is where this is obviously going. They both know they have to testify; neither one is going to jail. Not to protect Trump.
2
From the Washington Post: "Pompeo makes sudden, unscheduled visit to Baghdad amid tensions with Iran"
How much you want to bet PINO and company are going to try to start a war to distract from the home fires and to get Americans behind them?
6
It's time for the U.S. Supreme Court to take off their catcher's mask and walk up to the pitcher's mound and leave Donald Trump clumsily fanning his bat. Trumps antics have devolved from starring in a government tragic comedy to an on stage melt-down of a screaming 6 year old.
2
I hope to God we taxpayers aren’t paying the Donald’s legal fees.
3
There are 2 ways around this mess and it is up to the American people to do something about it. Oh sorry I forgot the Supreme Court whose loyalty to Trump is likely to be more important than a clinical enforcement of the law.
1) Read the Mueller report- it is really inculpatory. Individual1, the un-indicted co-conspirator is a felon and hundreds of prosecutors have signed a letter saying the report shows undeniable evidence of obstruction of justice. It is up to every citizen to read the report.
2)Expel the GOP from the Senate in the next election. It is the only way to find out the truth. Trumps ;lackeys are finding new ways to stop Americans finding out the truth.
You can read the report.
6
For the Democrats who are still clinging to fantasy or just haven't quiet figured this out yet- here's what, in general, has happened. Government officials collude among themselves and do all kinds of creative activities to remain in office or at least keep someone from their party in office. Sure they try not to break the law but the goal is to stay in office. It's called 'addiction to power". In this case President Obama had his people watch and investigate Trump (probably all the Republican candidates initially) in an effort to secure the presidency for another Democrat who just happened to be Hilary. This would have worked out well for them (Democrats, FBI and CIA) had she won. She didn't win and it all fell apart. They got caught with "their pants down" so to speak .
1
Oh, right. The FBI et al blow up the Clinton campaign a week before the election, while at the same time saying not a word about all the members of the Trump campaign meeting with shady Russians. Yet these mostly Republicans, including Comey, actually wanted Hillary to win.
Takes some very convoluted and delusional logic to believe that.
6
Why didn’t Obama do anything with the information the FBI had on Russia and their close connections to the Trump campaign before the election? Seems that would have been the time to reveal this.
1
@Martini Obama did. Your question is more appropriately directed to Mitch McConnell. He refused to issue a bipartisan statement warning the public of the Russian interference and threatened to accuse Obama of a partisan attempt to influence the election if he did so without McConnell's sign on.
Obstruction. In plain sight. Let's call it the audacity plan. It work for the barker showman.
3
It's a good thing Trump won! Can you imagine what might happen if the losing side refused to accept the results of a presidential election?
1
The longer the Trump team stonewalls, the more guilty they appear to be. Blocking Don McGahn and the documents is a losing move. It's all in the Mueller report and now it should be on television. Just think of the ratings. Trump could become the first POTUS to be impeached in the 21st century.
6
I was initially against impeachment . Now I say , we need to act soon. Trump deserves a mark of impeachment on his name in the history books.
8
What in the world is he trying so desperately to cover up? Is the exposure of that secret so devastating that it's worth a constitutional crisis?
It has to be Putin.
7
I am so tired of people debating "But didn't he already waive executive privilege?" and similar legal matters.
TRUMP DOESN'T CARE WHAT THE LAW IS!
Don't people understand that yet?
8
Trump would suffer not an instant of uncertainty, let alone anguish, choosing between what's best for him and what's best for our nation. He never would consider the question at all.
9
If McGahn was truly "principled" he would have provided his materials to Congress by now, and he would have volunteered to testify before the House without restriction. If Mueller was truly "principled" he would have done the same. They each want to pretend that they are acting honorably and responsibly, while allowing Trump to claim "complete exoneration" and play out the clock by forcing every issue into the courts.
It's pretty clear that Trump and his Republican party enablers don't respect democratic processes or the rule of law. House Democrats should refuse to fund any program supported by the the Republican party until Trump and company stop stonewalling.
6
Isn't not turning over documents and telling people not testify/speak with law enforcement obstruction of justice? Asking for a friend.
7
Page 9 of the Mueller report: ..."the investigation established that several individuals affiliated with the trump campaign lied to the Office, and to Congress, about their interactions with Russian-affiliated individuals and related matters. Those lies materially impaired the investigation of Russian election interference."
So obstruction has (so far) succeeded in hiding the truth.
McConnell says "Its over". NO, it is NOT over. That's MORE obstruction. We need to get to the bottom of it, punish the guilty, fix what's broken.
Every patriot regardless of party should be critically concerned with the facts of how the Russians subverted our election. With help from inside.
8
Elizabeth Warren said it all today on the Senate Floor. We are ready to follow her and get this impeachment train under way.
Nancy is following the American rule of law so that when we storm the White House with the constitution and real lawyers Mr. Trump will be leaving via the back door.
Such corruption in plain sight with this administration. There is no end . We need to look long and hard at ourselves in the mirror and acknowledge that we all created the scenario that created Mr. Trump by not paying attention to words and taking our civil liberties for granted. We should use this madness of the last two years as a learning experience and never let this happen in America again.
8
Trump allowed the special counsel to interview and get the documents. The try itself has been held to not meet the "waiver".
But later, the report was turned over to Barr. Barr asked Trump if he wanted to exercise his "executive privilege". Trump, according to Barr, had no objections to the release of the Mueller report about McGahn. Here the courts might say that the waiver should not be lightly waived. But after the report was published and released to the public as redacted, the waiver is complete and it is difficult see a different result. Furthermore, "Rudy" saw fit to call McGahn a liar on TV after the report was public. This as Trump's lawyer, is another waiver.
6
Impeachment proceedings should proceed. The house can wait until the votes are there in the senate to call for the vote.
10
Gee whiz! Add this to news to the comments from mcconnell and graham - “case closed” - and I guess that’s it.
I guess the citizens of this country aren’t entitled to anything else. Take barr’s word for it. He even stated that he didn’t review the related evidence.
I doubt that neither mcconnell nor graham has read the special counsel’s report or they couldn’t possibly have come to that conclusion.
The country is being run by a simple street gang. Not MS-13 but US-50.
We’re no better than any of the countries the president is constantly screaming about and maybe worse. The USA is a lawless state.
At some point, the populace will rise up against these tyrants. By impeachment or election it’s coming. I fear that it could come to more.
59
If Don McGahn had an ounce of integrity he'd comply with the Congressional subpoena.
Donald Trump ordered McGahn to obstruct justice. He should be willing to let the American people know about the criminal acts their president is engaging in.
History has forgiven John Dean and he's now looked at as a hero. If McGahn doesn't expose Trump for the criminal that he is, history won't be as kind to him.
63
@L
You are right about Dean who did act with integrity in the end. The first GOP quisling to show a bit of spine and blow the whistle will be on cable TV getting paid ad infinitum, Remember when Obama voted against invading Iraq when few others had the guts to do it? What happened? He got elected.
3
@L - If any of these toadies had an ounce of integrity, they wouldn't have anything to do with Donald J. Trump.
4
@L. Dean is a hero to whom? He’s more like a self-serving weasel.
The Donald is so-o-o-o-o desperate.
16
When does McConnell's complicity with the cover-up become obstruction?
40
years ago?
4
Trump’s got a weak hand. His only option is to delay. That’s his strategy. And Pelosi is playing right into his hands.
Arrest Barr and Mnuchin NOW! Impeach Trump now!!
19
Delay and distract. His military threats against Iran and Venezuela aren't coincidental
1
@Kurt
Weak hands, small hands, roaming hands, hands that cling to Putin's hands and hands that he moves like a well trained con man's hands.
3
Liars and cheaters 'R Us (supported by wealth/power and their handpicked courts and authorities) have discovered if they just stick to their guns, nobody can do much of anything. Most people are too busy to sort out who's sticking to the law and who isn't, especially given State TV program Fox is sole-source for too many people. Don't want to know, can't be bothered, apathy will be the death of us.
Making America stupid, small, mean, and dishonest.
Facts matter, and the planet doesn't care. Winter is coming ...
10
So this is where we are at: A traitor Presidency backed by a party of traitors and one propaganda channel. Our country is over. The new fascists will celebrate while their revelers look on in support knowing they have “owned” the Dems. Meanwhile the suporters will be pick pocketed into modern slavery and watching FOX and their rich anchors explain why all will be well. It’s OK. It was inevitable. The country is doomed.
15
@Tedsams
You forgot the Supreme Court. Stacked by a criminal.
3
@Tedsams That is the ostensible trajectory. Your pessimism is not unwarranted. It may turn out just as you say. American character may determine American destiny. And yet . . . (deep breath here). . . there is that slender hope for democracy offered by a pessimist American President in an age much darker than our own: You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.
3
Why did the NYT decide to refer to the letter by former Federal prosecutors stating their conviction that Trump could be prosecuted for obstruction as a hyperlink in this article versus run it as a standalone with some legal analysis? I expect I am not the only subscriber wondering about this.
5
Subpoena his college transcripts, while you're at it.
9
@J Pasquariello
And the medical records some thug muscled from that long haired doctor he once had.
2
So this is where we are at: A traitor Presidency backed by a party of traitors and one propaganda channel. Our country is over. The new fascists will celebrate while their revelers look on in support knowing they have “owned” the Dems. Meanwhile the suporters will be pick pocketed into modern slavery and watching FOX and their rich anchors explain why all will be well. It’s OK. It was inevitable. The country is doomed.
3
@Tedsams, Nah totally wrong. Fox isn't their only propaganda channel. There's Sinclair Broadcasting and more out there.
3
OK, President Trump will invoke Executive Privilege to halt questioning of "his" attorney by Congress. I can almost see that.
What I don't understand is why the Attorney General--when available for questioning--functions as a mere extension of the President. Does Barr understand the differences between the Attorney General's role and the President's personal attorney's role?
18
@michael
But the case is closed. Mitch said so. In fact the case has been well and truly barred.
3
@Bob Guthrie
Barred? No pun intended, I'm sure.
1
@rella
Intended rella. It was irresistible.
Like all right wingers in history, republicans will ardently support an authoritarian form of government.
They will use the power of the government to suppress dissenting views and to promote conformity to the party line.
Be warned, these people are clearly broadcasting their intent.
22
Good luck with that claim of executive privilege. It is probably rather more narrow than Donald Trump expects.
9
Steve Cortes, former Trump Campaign Advisor, said on CNN's Anderson 360 that "there was an attempted coup." He's absolutely right.
A coup d'etat is defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary as "a sudden decisive exercise of force in politics."
In fact, there wasn't an "attempted" coup - there WAS a coup. It started with McConnell's unlawful refusal to allow the Senate to vote on Obama's Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland followed by Trump and his Quislings, including the Republican Party, accepting the assistance of a foreign enemy and now obstructing one branch of government's constitutional right of oversight.
Two thirds of our government have fallen into hands that seek a one-party Authoritarian state.
The Democratically lead House of Representatives and Senate Minority must implement all measures, including impeachment, to remove Trump from office. Even if Republicans vote against impeachment, let them own the destruction they have wrought on our Democracy.
29
Force the Democrats to impeach Trump. That is the goal here. Have them burn their political capital just to have the Senate snub them. They should start the investigation into impeachment but drag their heels like a Hastert-Snail is presiding. By all means, let the Republicans roll into 2020 with the Trump albatross. They'll lose up and down the ballot with the top of the ballot being the change that might just save our Republic.
17
@Lie Cheat'n Steal Sounds like a plan since the election is only 18 months away.
2
You have to remember the genetic stock from which McConnell and most of his Republican Senatorial colleagues come from, and of course Trump as well...Vietnam draft dodgers and military service avoiders during times of war (McConnell got a coveted Vietnam-avoiding spot in the Army reserves, kind of like Bush 43's USAF situation, but was medically discharged after two months.) The offspring of these Senators and Presidents have followed the same path, providing further proof of this deleterious gene pool. Point being, don't expect them to protect the Constitution, or our country, or to do the right thing. They don't have the right-stuff.
26
@Cowboy Marine well said. Thank you
2
@Cowboy Marine, "deleterious gene pool" What a great phrase, take a bow sir.
2
I can guarantee that this will not end until Trump is out of office, and believe me his legal troubles will only be beginning.
17
@Chico I can't wait. I've learned to like revenge.
2
The Mueller report didn't have the outcome the democrats wanted so now they seek to investigate the report itself and do it all over again, thereby assuring that Trump is reelected.
2
Clearly you didn’t take the time to read the report. It isn’t just Democrat’s who are upset by Barr’s lawyerly interpretation, it’s the Special Counsel himself, who is a Republican. If Trump were so confident in his innocence he wouldn’t be putting up so many barriers.
5
@Richard No Richard, the report had plenty to oust this guy from office. What's standing in the way is Barr and the Republican senate who refuse to see the true colors of trump. Power at any cost is their mantra.
4
I gather they would like to at least see the report.
4
If the Democrats let the president defy the rule of law then history will show, at least in one instance, that the checks and balances of the constitution did not work.
8
Since Trump has already waived privilege over McGahn's testimony and documents, can he do it now? Isn't it either privileged or not?
4
A person without wrongdoing would be eager to show their financial records as proof of their innocence. This should be obvious to everyone. #blinders
13
When Congress and the President clash like this, the Court decides. That is what Marbury v. Madison was about, back at the beginning of the country. It is fundamental.
So let's get going to the Court. Sooner the better.
6
And still Trump's approval rating ticks up. It's now about the highest it's been since he took office. Many Americans like him because to them he looks as if he's sticking it to the Chinese, the Muslims, uppity women and their rights, and "delivering" on the economy (an economy built on anxiety and struggle for the masses and tax breaks for the uber-wealthy, not to mention a $22 trillion dollar debt--and counting. )
4
@Emile
Not True. his approval rating has gone down recently.
1
First rule of truly not getting it: The coverup is almost always worse than the crime.
However, in this case it really is possible that the grandiose fealty Trump always seeks is lacking in the facts of all these documents.
His ego simply can't stand the truth and he does not care a whit about our constitution and system of laws, nor about our checks and balances.
He is a rogue and thuggish criminal.
10
The thought that he might be one off, kind of aberration of nature sounds pretty naive to me.
How can we be sure with all the division and eroding standards, that we can return to normality and some semblance of order at no time.
How can we hope that another charlatan is not in waiting as we speak.
There's a slow boiling frogs reference...
You put a frog into a pot of boiling water, and it jumps right out. But if you put it in a pot of nice comfortable water and then turn on the heat, the frog will complacently let himself be boiled.
You put a frog into a pot of boiling water, and it jumps right out.
That it's an easy way to warn about the slow erosion of liberties or any other slow threats you might anticipate..
Many citizens of this land are already feeling pretty comfortable with this disreputable gang in a WH, and this is very ghastly and bleak.
4
Executive privilege, where have I heard that before? Oh yes, Nixon tried to use executive privilege to hide the Watergate tapes. It is time for impeachment proceedings to begin.
10
McGahn looks plenty scared these days - in his photos at least. He knows his testimony is important and should be heard by all of us. But, he also hides -- albeit uncomfortably -- behind the self-serving fake-privilege provided by Trump who brazenly uses McGahn and others as human shields to protect him from the exposure that could end his presidency. McGahn also knows that Trump will trash him as soon as he's no longer useful -- as we've seen him do publicly with so many others. So, McGahn has a big decision to make: Be Trump's fool and tool, or not. The House Congressional Committees have two choices -- kowtow to Trump like their Senate colleagues, or vigorously carry out their oversight duties and responsibilities using EVERY tool at their disposal. The stonewalling, bullying and obfuscation by Trump, who thinks he's a king, must stop NOW. In my opinion, there is only one way to handle a bully -- kick him in the [ahem] nether regions in public for maximum worldwide humiliation.
Mueller also has a big decision to make. Trump is trying to make a dog's breakfast out of The Mueller Report -- dismiss it, demean it, degrade it, and ultimately erase it from public memory. Mueller MUST stand up for his work, testify and do it now. I've heard that Mueller operates by the book, but he's also a Marine and that does NOT include kowtowing to the whims of a cheap, trashy, guttersnipe who cares ONLY about saving his own hide -- especially if he is the president.
4
What we are seeing from Trump and his administration, is an assault on independent institutions, the separation of powers and the rule of law. Sound familiar? Look at Germany in the 1930's and the parallels become frighting based on what is happening to our democratic state.
10
Elected officials currently serving the public need to do their job NOW.
I'm tired of them using the 2020 election to justify doing nothing.
The time is always right to do the right thing. Currently, democrats look like total wimps who are just looking to take control of the presidency. Follow the policies we have in place for these behaviors. They are not permitted to dismiss their duty because there is an election coming up.
5
Any offer by Lyin' Billy Barr or Treasury Secretary Munchkin should be summarily rejected as merely a delaying tactic.
Their boss, His Imperial Highness Trump has decreed that no subpoena will be honored or complied with.
Trust their boss. While it might be necessary to go through the dance of attempt reconciliation, HIH Trump has made it clear this is a fruitless futile effort.
3
Seriously wondering what in the world is going on with the US’ three branches of government and the checks and balances built in to that structure. All of it seems to be for nought under dictator Trump. Worst of all, the majority of US citizens appears to not be very bothered to see their constitution being eroded by this megalomaniac. Truly astounding.
3
@C M A lot of us are VERY bothered. The government is dysfunctional. The Republicans are standing by Trump no matter what he does. They are defying subpoenas. They are breaking laws. I want to hear Mueller asked, under testimony, in public, "If the Justice Department didn't have this current "policy" that a sitting president cannot be indicted, would you have indicted him as a result of your investigation?" Yes or No. That's what I want to hear. And it's high time that we get rid of "policies." Make Laws. Clear laws. No interpretations. You are breaking a law or not. And that includes ALL Americans. President included.
2
@C M
We gave up educating our children with No Child Left Behind, which replaced critical thinking with teaching to the test. I don’t know when we stopping teaching civics class, but doing so was a terrible idea.
C M,
Actually the majority of us are extremely bothered by what's happening with this tyrant and his Republican collaborators.
The people who support Trump watch Rupert Murdoch's Fox News Propaganda Network.
Is he still a citizen of Australia? Maybe someone down under can pressure him to knock it off.
2
Executive privilege turned cudgel!
1
"Ms. Pelosi said she is pushing her caucus not to take up the debate, but to continue to try to line up the facts and build support among American voters."
Yes, facts! Facts are important. In this day and age the American people could use facts.
Facts will give the Democratic party a fighting chance at winning in 2020. The American people are reasonable and will respond.
Harping on the real or imagined shortcomings of Mr. Trump is a prescription for a Trump victory in 2020.
14
So if trump is able to delay until he is running again in 2020 what will his campaign slogan be? American will be Great Again after I tear up the Constitution? Vote for me because I'll never Leave? Trump/Putin/Pence 2020?
It doesn't really matter though because he's not going to win and he's also not going to leave. He's watching his pal Erdogan right now very closely to see how you reset an election and of course he's always got Putin's advice to fall back on. If that happens it's pretty much curtains for the planet.
36
@Jenifer
This is the sort of hyperbole that turns off most people of average intelligence.
If the Democrats want to win in 2020, they'd be better off dropping references to the vile Mr. Trump and focusing on what *really* matters to American voters.
Or does the Democratic party even *know* what matters to American voters?
3
@Jenifer
At the moment Jennifer, he is actually floating the idea by retweeting Falwell, of an entitlement to an extra 2 years on the basis that he was investigated for 2 years.
It is alarming to think that there are people who agre
Mitch Mc is saying case closed time to move on.
Actually case open, read the report and promote a catchy Dem slogan. Perhaps
PRESIDENT FOR LIFE IS A BAD THING-NOT A GOOD THING.
6
@Frank J Haydn
Thanks Frank. When I need advice from a Republican about what "really" matters to voters I'll let you know. I sent my representatives to Congress to provide oversight and we're getting a presidential cover-up instead. That MATTERS to voters Frank.
4
How does Trump avoid leaks on his taxes? Or his private chats with Putin? My gut says the answer would end his presidency and his real estate business.
33
@Gary
Your gut is preoccupied with information that most people outside of NY, Washington DC and California do not care about. I'm am ultra conservative democrat and I do not care.
1
@Gary
He does not avoid them. There are plenty of honorable civil servants throughout the USG who, although they may despise Mr. Trump, do their job by respecting the confidentiality demanded by their official duties.
2
You have a hostile House of Representatives who have pronounce that Trump is likely guilty of multiple crimes and will likely interpret any information gained in that slant and then wants to use that to remove him from office.
Yet the House actually expect Trump to cooperate??!! Someone needs a reality check. Anyone with half a brain would know not to cooperate with this kind of investigation and to resist as much as possible..
Furthermore, for the Executive Branch to contest the Legislative Branch would not be obstruction of justice. This would be the constant struggle to define the bounds of power of both branches. Likely will be settled by the Supreme Court.
6
@Qcell
Southern District of NY already has him as an unindicted co-conspirator in a felony campaign spending violation.
Done to keep Stormy and McDougal from confirming his little hands.
Real crime.
Impeachable offense.
2
@Qcell, Yes. Congress is authorized and required to exercise oversight of the Executive Branch, investigate its actions and determine whether to remove a president from office and the House does expect the White House to comply with the law and allow its investigations to go forward unobstructed.
The House and the Senate have the power to charge (impeach) and convict the president, removing him from office. They can do the same with federal judges. The president has no similar power over the Legislative or judicial branches. In this very real way, the branches are not equal Congress sits over and in judgment of the other two branches.
The Democratic leadership has no interest in impeaching Trump, but if he defies the Constitution long enough, they'll have no choice.
1
@Qcell
All Trump is doing is convincing people that what he is hiding is very damaging to him.
1
It's time to call the Speaker and request that inquiries preparatory to impeachment begin. I'm sure that the Judiciary Committee will be able to provide the correct framework. (202) 225-4965.
17
Will no one make it stop?
18
@Karen Lee
What, the Democrats' incessant harping about how evil Trump is? I wish.
1
@Karen Lee I agree. Impeachment and the 2020 election should do it.
1
Democrats: Keep up the "incessant harping of how evil Trump is."
I have been liberated.
Trump has convinced me.
Two plus two equal five.
9
@New World
Yes, nothing is real; everything is possible.
The gop is playing by the oligarchy rule book.
2
Someday the Republican party will be labelled what they are, an enemy of the people. Worse than any communist threat. What will their children and grandchildren think of them? More important how will history see them: contemptuous, cowardly, spineless. Wow, what a legacy.
35
@DavidJ - When does GOP complicity become obstruction? McConnell should be prosecuted.
4
@Moonwood While the claims of executive privilege from investigation by the Legislative branch are clearly nonsense, McConnell's actions as a Senator are almost certainly subject to a legislative privilege. The only body that can judge his actions is the one he heads. The Senate can expel any of its members on a 2/3 vote.
The Trump strategy is to collude and obstruct. The Trump administration is composed of the most corrupt cabal of manipulative self indulgers in US history. From top to bottom, there is not one honest, patriotic person in the White House or the Cabinet. Not one.
25
@Joe Miksis
You left out the Senate.
3
Informal poll: Is Trump behaving more like a president or a gangster on the run?
20
@Jim Steinberg
Interesting observation. I predict that in the final 6 months prior to the election, Trump is going to be the epitome of reason, bipartisanship and collegiality. We all are so accustomed to his outrageous behavior that when he does make the switch, he will pull in millions of undecided voters.
2
@Jim Steinberg - more like an autocrat in the making--in the Mussolini style. He is joined by the rubber stamp Republicans in Congress. Hail dear leader Trump!
1
@Frank J Haydn Nah. Can't happen. He is not capable.
This is how autocracies operate.
23
Democrats are the party of double standards. Where were the calls for transparency during the IRS scandal? And why was Hillary Clinton allowed to destroy government emails? How did the FBI obtain FISA warrants based on that dossier paid for by Hillary?
Transparency, my foot. This is a coup attempt.
5
@SCPro
Uhm, if it were a coup would not the Impeachment proceedings have begun already? If it were a coup would not have Mueller recommended indictments? If it were a coup would hundreds of District Attorneys written that after reading the report they think it more than meets the requirements of indictments?
9
@SCPro
The coup attempt is coming from the other side. Open your eyes.
@SCPro
Yes! And area 51 and the vampires in the Pacific NW and hidden schools of magic! What about them?!?
2
The innocent will not seek to muzzle the witnesses.
The unbearable stench of guilt has now become even more,....overwhelming.
21
Trump learned his repugnant behavior at the knee of his father, was mentored by the soulless Roy Cohn, received financial fine-tuning from Kenneth Leventhal/Stan Ross, cover from Cohen and Giuliani, artifice from his family advisers, absorbed the spineless political elected and appointed sycophants that cling to him believing he will protect them, and rolls on. At some point he is destined to come to the edge of his own cliff. The result will likely have the magnitude of an atomic explosion.
20
"You can not un-ring a bell."
3
McGahn can turn both keys on the Trump-RNC doomsday machine, and Rudolph tries to fix it with a hammer. Classic Giuliani.
9
New York State will take care of this mob before Congress.
23
jack,
Their efforts give new meaning to the "I ♡NY" ad campaign from years ago.
3
This defiance is a tactic Trump perfected, and is typical, of the practice of New York real estate moguls. Regulations, ordinances and sometimes criminal laws that pose perceived economic roadblocks or costs to the developer’s business plan are ignored; the consequence (if caught and legal action ensues) will be a negotiated fine written off as a cost of doing business. THe most horrific example was the explosive demolition without permits of a midtown single room occupancy hotel just before a moratorium on termination of such use was to go into effect. Kushner paid a minimal fine of about $250,000 for falsely stating the existence of rent regulated apartments in buildings he sought to renovate and impose rent increases.
Trump, Barr and his henchmen know their defying not only Congress, but codified law and the Constitution. But they also know that the only price they will have to pay is compliance with a final order of the Supreme Court, if any when the Trump Court rules against them.
Our Democracy is based on rule of law, not of men. But it only works effectively if individuals respect and abide by our laws. Trump sees the law as an impediment to achieving his goals, not as a constraint on his behavior. Democrats must challenge him with impeachment if necessary. Unchallenged, our Democracy will,go the way of some building code that Trump considers an inconvenience.
355
@Asher Fried
Chilling. Your comment explains a lot.
You should write an op-Ed.
36
@Asher Fried
And Trump's psychological issues are -- like the motivations that drive him -- so patently obvious as to be uninteresting.
6
@Asher Fried well said
17
I certainly would like Trump’s tax returns for the last six years made public. I would also like made public, the tax returns of all who have served or who now serve in Congress. Why would any of them object? They all are innocent of any wrongdoing or tax avoidance schemes.
15
@Richard Winchester
Bingo! You've explained why Trump's taxes will NEVER be released.
1
"Mr. McGahn believes that there is little he can do without either the permission of the president, whom he views as akin to a client he was working for, or a court order to cooperate, a person close to Mr. McGahn said."
Mr. Trump was not Mr. McGahn's client - the office of the President was. He worked for the citizens of the United States.
Congress people are our duly elected representatives. So there should be no legal, reasonable "competition" between the claims of Mr. Trump and Congress.
26
Will the checks and balances of the three branches outlined in the constitution be able to withstand the constant attacks from America’s dictatorial president? I suppose this is the test to see if the American constitution is all its cracked up to be. Are republicans OK with this? Is the American public OK with this? I am surprised there aren’t more people demonstrating in the streets re: the assaults on democracy. Does a strong economy and higher employment outweigh outrage about presidential abuse(s) of power?
11
@Liz McDougall,
Are republicans OK with this? - Yes, as long as, it is not a Democratic President.
Is the American public OK with this? - Yes, voters knew Trump was a corrupt person before he was elected.
Remember when the "Access Tapes" came out. Voters were stating "we are not electing a teacher, we are electing a president."
His base supports him because he is assaulting (blowing up) our democracy.
@Chas
Why call these witnesses? Why McGahn? Why Mueller? Why others in the report?
Because most Americans have NOT read the actual Mueller Report.
Most Americans have no true understanding of the actual facts in the case of the Russian attack against us and the conduct of this President.
In hearing these witnesses, live, with the actual facts, first hand, with follow up questions, AS CONGRESS IS SUPPOSED TO DO IN OVERSIGHT, we will have a more thorough and complete understanding of what has happened.
From there, we can tell our Representatives how we want to be represented.
As a citizen, I want Congress to in effect, depose these witnesses so we know what happened. We then know appropriate actions to protect our elections and next steps if the President has committed crimes.
If the Report provided “total and complete exoneration” why is the President and Administration blocking and keeping info from us?
22
The story will soon change to, “Not exonerated, but the charges are minor” and then “Major charges, but so what?”
1
@DM
Donald knows that most people haven't read the report, in fact, he's counting on it. He also knows the power of television and that terrifies him. Simply seeing McGahn repeat under oath what's in the report would be devastating and he know it.
1
Executive privilege will probably not apply in this case. McGahn has already discussed the issues and they have been made public during the investigation by Mueller. The Congress is continuing what was begun with that investigation and are entitled to examine the evidence and McGahn, in that context. Had Executive privilege been requested before, then that might be different. At this point the only reasonable explanation for the White House to exert Executive Privilege is to interfere with a legitimate matter of concern to the Congress which the President wishes to block for no reason related to the Executive Branch's purposes.
9
Trump is free, however unwisely and futile, to try and claim executive privilege. However SCOTUS rulings going back to Nixon and Clinton do not bode well for him. In part those cases show the limits on executive privilege, such as when Clinton was overridden after he allowed a private lawyer to see contested documents but later claimed the privilege, as we see benign replayed here. The only problem is the time all of this takes, and that is no doubt part of Trump’s strategy, hoping to run out the clock.
9
Trump talks directly to his constituents.
So far, Democrats talk to lawyers, each other, and the press. Democrats ask nothing of all the people who don’t support Trump and who worry about what he is doing to the country.
Until Democrats start regularly filling the stadiums and the streets with people focused on what the man is doing to the constitution, our country, and our reputation he will prevail. Please, countrymen, get off your hands, turnout, speak out and start staring this man down. Don’t count on the candidates. They’re too focused on their self interest. Don’t think you can wait until 2020’s—it’s too far away. We may be too far gone.
7
@Jack matiia Unfortunately, our two top reps (Pelosi & Schumer) come off like out of touch power brokers still too beholden to corporate interests. They are not great communicators that are able to fire up the electorate or provide anything but slight incremental change.
1
If Robert Mueller is subpoenaed by congress to testify, and the justice department forbids it, will Mueller resign and testify as a private citizen?
6
@Lawrence
According to Neal Katyal, who drafted the special counsel regulations, he is free to do that. It's a fail-safe option in the event the AG attempts to interfere with the disclosure of the report.
We have to decide if we are a nation of laws.
12
Hold McGahn in contempt of congress- now. As point man for Trump's obstruction , he must be held accountable.
4
Mr. Trump's defiance of the "majority" got him elected in 2016.
That same defiance is going to get him re-elected because Americans (excluding most of those those who post comments here) care less about the details of a fight than about the perceived victim of "injustice." Even if he is Mr. Trump.
5
“Publicity is justly commended as a remedy for social and industrial diseases. Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman.”
—Justice Louis D. Brandeis
The Congress will ultimately shine some light on these shenanigans. In the end, Barr’s, Mnuchin’s, McConnell’s, and Trump’s positions will prove to be untenable and the house of cards will topple.
7
This appears Trump's next move toward authoritarian rule. This is how it happens. Incrementally.
8
Democrats need to add a significant focus on what measures the Trump Administration is doing to prevent foreign interference for the 2020 election. Trump's actions here are nothing short of "dereliction of duty" to protect us from cyber attack. Trump needs to be exposed as not protecting the country and violating his constitution oath. Collusion/conspiracy while things were unfolding in 2016 is one thing. Refusing to exercise leadership in preventing an encore Russian "attack" in 2020 is clearly dereliction of duty and not fulfilling Trump's constitutional responsibility. The Mueller report was clear about the Russian attack in 2016.
That would be one way of "moving on". The House should start public hearings on this. Would McConnell and the GOP ignore this in the Senate?
3
I grew up in a house where the word Nixon was synonymous with abuse of power. However, Nixon's deceit pales in comparison to this president's. Nixon never would have been so brazen to use his position to indicate to potential informants that loyalty would earn them a pardon. Nor would he have ever argued that he is allowed to fire anyone at any time even if he had a corrupt intent. Finally, even with his fierce competitiveness, if a foreign adversary had ever offered him dirt on his opponent, he would have hung up the phone and called the FBI.
5
@Glenn Gould
"Nixon never would have been so brazen to use his position to indicate to potential informants that loyalty would earn them a pardon."
Actually, he did. Chuck Colson.
(I'd research the other ones, but I'm busy enjoying your recordings.)
1
@ImagineMoments I play folk guitar. I was once introduced in a club and someone yelled out "Do the Goldberg Variations!" Isn't that what Mr. and Mrs. Goldberg do in the privacy of their bedroom?
1
Don't that have attorney/client privilege in DC where what is said between an attorney and a client stays between the attorney and the client?
1
@MIKEinNYC
Your implied analogy with the more typical attorney-client situation is flawed, for at least two reasons:
(a) McGahn was a government employee, not Trump's personal lawyer.
(b) No objection was made to McGahn talking to Mueller. Executive privilege is not like a faucet that can be turned on and off.
1
As with most things Trump, this is a race to the bottom. If he wins, he will establish precedent for a future Democratic president to refuse to comply with requests from a Republican legislative branch. Part of me loves that; it would obviate the spectacle of Secretary Clinton and Benghazi. A larger part of me hates and mourns the destruction of the founders' carefully balanced machinery of checks and balance.
All things considered, I think we are better off with legislative oversight, regardless of party. Let the people decide when partisan fervor outweighs common sense. That means that this Congress must resist this President. If the Republicans fail to do so, they are de facto destroying a vital part of the Constitution.
3
Why is this continuing to go on. As a Democrat I'm annoyed and feel enough is enough. The Mueller Report cleared him. The American people will put an end to this at the voting booth.
2
Did you read it? I did. It certainly does NOT clear him.
1
@Julia Clearly, you're not a Democrat. The Mueller Report outlines felony obstruction of justice multiple times. Nice try.
1
Trump is acting like a desperate guilty man. In doing so he is OBSTRUCTING JUSTICE and must be prosecuted for this.
4
A way must be found to keep Trump from hiding the New York Tax returns.
They will be ready for release first.
If the State agrees to release them to Congress he will attempt to litigate the matter.
3
There are legitimate constitutional issues concerning the separations of power, but let us not forget that would be dictators often use legitimate issues to gain power and then use those same issues to stay in power.
The Federalist Papers warned us about despots like Trump, but perhaps what they failed to do was provide and adequate remedy to the problem. Perhaps our founders did not foresee well enough a political party such as today's Republican Party that would chose their power so much more then principle and the preservation of our democracy.
Whether its their endless assault on voter rights and protecting a despot from accountability, the Republican Party has show its true colors; the colors of cowardice, shame, bigotry; and dictatorship.
6
Republicans wants the case closed without closing the case. By repeating the words like ‘ case closed’ or ‘ no Collusion ‘ doesn’t mean either case is closed or no collusion. The Republicans are simply trying to silence the voices of justice. I would like to see if any justice is left in the Supreme Court before 2020 elections. Then people can send their verdict of what kind of constitutional government they want. The constitution is bedrock and doesn’t change with change of judges. The interpretation of the constitution depends on how corrupt the judges are. I hope everything will unravel before 2020 elections.
3
This seems like a Catch 22. Trump refuses to provide witnesses for Americans to see the truth , then claims victim if the House moves to impeachment because Trump keep obstructing .
Mueller dropped the ball . He could have said that Trump DID meet the requirements for Obstruction of Justice , his behavior does meet that standard and if not for the DOJ policy of not indicting a president , that Trump WOULD have been indicted. Over four hundred prosecutors found that Trump DID commit Obstruction. So I feel that ALL of this falls on Mueller . I blame him for making the report so vague .
The question is did Mueller write the report that way on his own volition or was he interfered with by Rosenstein or others? If it was written with no outside pressure or interference then I blame Mueller . If not , then we are really in trouble .
5
This quote from the article puts the whole matter to rest: "...Mr. Trump long ago lost the authority to withhold the material in question since he allowed Mr. McGahn to share it with his own private lawyer and discuss it at length with the Mr. Mueller. Much of it is also referenced publicly in the special counsel’s 448-page report."
Too late to invooke executive privilege now. It's a moot point.
5
Well, along with Barr we now have other attorneys that protect the grifter while collecting pay from the taxpayer.
Perhaps we should just eliminate the Attorney General and the White House counsel and let Trump be his own counsel...
Save time, money and eliminates the need for Congress to perform oversight.
Trump waived Executive Privilege when he allowed his staff people to talk to Mueller. Is it Mulvaney giving this advice?
2
It becomes more evident by the day (by the hour) that Donald Trump know exactly nothing about how the US Constitution and our branches of government work. And that alone should scare everyone -- in the US and beyond. What is also becoming more and more evident is that Trump has so many things to hide. If he didn't, then why the desperate stonewalling? And the GOP knows it -- witness the pathetic attempt of Mitch McConnell to try to put an end to any investigations resulting from the Mueller report -- trying to push Russia's activities on the Obama Administration (PATHETIC is too kind a word). The true enemies of the State are the Trump Administration and its GOP enablers [I'm looking straight at you, Senator McConnell -- and your friend Senator Graham].
4
Isn't this the definition of obstruction of justice? It is time for the republicans in the Senate to face up to the fact that they are supporting someone who has gone way off the deep end. Mitch McConnell is no better. They are motivated by personal greed and nothing else as far as I can tell. Sad. Elect a cartoon character and you get cartoon behaviour.
1
I googled Cippolone, he also has reprsented that paragon of virtue Laura Ingraham.
His area of expertise at the law firm where he worked before succeeding Mr. McGahn as Trump's attorney was defamation counselling and litigation on behalf of public figures and major media organizations.
He's also stated that he's a devout catholic. So I have to wonder, how he can work for Trump considering that the Pope condemned Trump's southern border separation policies. Since when do devout catholics defy the pope?
Perhaps it's just that Trump's advisors are as unethical and hypocritical as Trump is.
2
@Jbugko
The canard that Catholics blindly follow the pope in matters of civil governance was used against JFK. Only a latter-day Rip Van Winkle would seriously suggest such a thing today.
1
The elephant in the room for Republicans is that Trump is thumbing his nose at the rule of law. But he’s doing it to bait the Democrats into impeachment proceedings where he believes it would be a clear lane to re election. So the Republicans sit back, look the other way, and enjoy their tax cuts and conservative federal judges.
4
If this is not obstruction of justice, I am super curious to know what is.
2
Now we find out that Trump has a preexisting medical condition not covered by Obamacare: he makes other people sick.
6
Pelosi won’t do anything because she is afraid of alienating Trump voters. She ought to be afraid of alienating me, her base, normal sane people who respect the rule of law.
Why vote for democrats if they just sit on their hands and let the GOP destroy our democracy? Seriously, why vote for Pelosi?
7
Pelosi-You already have the majority of the country backing impeachment. No need to wait and see to build up support.
Clinton won the election by close to 3 million votes. She won by a majority of Americans. I'm sure after 2 years of Trump the dictator the majority of Americans now think he is great.
Impeach now-get it done now.
3
Obstructing the released of the evidence of obstruction = obstruction of justice squared. Jail to the Chief.
5
Remember back when we operated under the rule of law in our country? Man, those were the days.
2
One word: obstruction.
3
Just more proof that:
1. Trump is illegally obstructing justice.
2. He has something to hide. This is not the behavior of an innocent man.
2
The congress was elected very recently to put a check on the Imposter masquerading as a leader- I am talking about un-indicted individual 1 whose partner has just been jailed for a crime that Number 45 ordered him to do.
The American people just elected congress. Trump is still obstructing justice and is flagrantly showing contempt for the American people
Respect for Putin
Contempt of the American people
4
The big guns have been aligning in case nobody's paying attention:
Trump, McConnell, Barr, McGahn, Mnuchin , McCarthy, every single Republican Rep & Senator ... just waiting for the next traitor to stand up and become the next obstructionist to the rule of law. It shouldn't be too long and perhaps this time it will come in the form of a judicial rebuke to Congress over its subpoena power. What we thought was impossible just a few years ago is now the norm.
6
I agree with Sen. Elizabeth Warren; at least start impeachment proceedings and if you don’t find grounds for obstruction of justice then so be it, but at least check the executive branch. Congress has and obligation to do its job.
39
The House Democrats pass legislation most of us favor. McConnell sits on it and it goes nowhere.
The House Democrats seek to expose the facts of the President's behavior and to properly understand what the Mueller report tells us. The White House stonewalls.
The House Democrats are told to impeach Trump, knowing that McConnell and friends don't really care what the evidence says and will support Trump and the Senate will not convict.
But there is one thing the GOP cannot - at least not yet - stop. Come 2020, I'm voting Blue - no matter who. Everyone who agrees needs to get out and vote. If this Republican Party is not completely crushed at the polls, this will happen again.
75
The White House is refusing all requests from Congressional committees. Trump is doing so in defiance, not of the Democratic leadership, but in defiance of the Constitution and the rule of law. Republicans who support his blanket refusals to cooperate with House committees need to think about where his actions lead our nation.
86
@Patrick Stevens
Republicans don’t care about the country.
It’s about looting the country.
The Republic Party is a business.
They make the rich and themselves richer.
What happens to the country means nothing to them.
Just ask Mitch McConnell.
5
The time for cooperation with these partisan hacks is over. Good for Trump. The Democrats had nothing, have nothing now and will not have anything tomorrow. Yeah, they'll try for contempt, and they'll try for impeachment. But seriously, is anyone actually afraid of these people?
7
@Bill, avoidance of substantive matters is the hallmark of impotence.
31
Trump certainly seems to be! @Bill
33
@Bill
Hold on
You think trump should be allowed to commit felony obstruction of justice in office? Are you even American?
101
Meanwhile Senate Republicans and Trump want to "move on," yet return to investigating Clinton and her campaign.
I'll save them some time: On page 33 of volume 1, the Special Counsel states that it found no connections between the Clinton Campaign and the Russian Internet Research Agency, but two different forms of connection between the IRA and the Trump Campaign.
88
Democrats should not make the same mistake Robert Mueller made by not indicting a sitting President because of DOJ policy.
Impeachment proceedings should begin now! Just because because the Republicans in the Senate won't remove Trump from office doesn't mean Democrats shouldn't impeach. It's not the destination that's important, it's everything in-between. All the corruption and treasonous activities that will be exposed to the American people. We have a country to save FIRST, without that, Medicare for all, Education, gun control etc. etc. will be obsolete.
41
Lay out the argument for impeachment, before jumping all in. Present the case!
I loathe this president and his actions as such—
BUT— be careful what you want and how it’s done and perceived.
Make the case clearly, and something Senate Republicans will be forced to vote on. Present the case!
2020, people!
Don’t be pound foolish with a case the public views as just penny-wise.
3
I don't think Mr. McGahn is going to buy into the bizarre drivel originating with the mad king and his court jesters.
If anyone recalls what happened during Watergate, Nixon was backed by his party members in both the House and the Senate. But eventually, even Lindsey Graham will be compelled to demand Trump's resignation. (Someone send Graham and McConnell each a box of tissues, make sure they're the ones with the lotion on them because they'll both be weeping more than John Boehner ever did.)
Trump has left a trail of crazy bread-crumbs that are 10X worse than Nixon's.
Mr. McGahn is aware of this. Mueller is aware of this. Anyone with eyes and ears is aware of this.
Who can't distinguish executive privilege from the privilege of a Corrupt Mad King? Trump and his admirers, who still haven't even figured out that the suits he wears to his rallies were made in his overseas sweatshops and not in America.
We the people are significantly higher in numbers than Trump's screaming fan club. We proved it not only with the popular vote in the 2016 election but by our newly elected congress. Anyone with a brain knows what's coming.
Trump should resign, but he doesn't know what's coming. Who's at all surprised.
37
The question continues to be - what is he trying to hide? Obviously something very big.
22
Trump is forcing impeachment. He is repeating Nixon’s mistakes. The DP may have no choice to achieve Pelosi’s goal of a thorough investigation of Trump.
10
Can they do this? Can they really do this? Here I was thinking the United States is a country of law and order.
What I find most chilling is Mitch McConnell and the Republicans in Congress, and the many conservative pundits as seen in various conservative websites still supporting Trump and giving him approval to violate our long cherished tradition of rules and norms, if not out right laws.
What is happening here is the destruction of the United States of America. Not ISIS, not bombs, not even white nationalists. Here, tearing our laws and constitution off, piece by piece, OURSELVES.
34
The similarities between this scandal and Watergate are so striking now that I'm experiencing a conscious sense of deja vu.
The cover-up has become a serious crime and, simultaneously, is becoming evidence to support the underlying suspicion of wrongdoing.
What's past is prologue.
11
What’s left of the GOP and DT have no understanding of history. The only difference between ‘73/74 and now is that the GOP and Nixon had more grey matter then our current batch.
Ms. Pelosi is the obstructionist politician for impeaching him. Democratic congress should raise up and stop Nancy Pelosi. Dont worry about 2 years from now - worry about getting away now, with crime under Pelosi's watch. Dems will not win in 2020 anyway.
1
Put them all under oath. Pleading the 5th would be refreshing at this point.
10
45's refusal to disclose his tax returns and allow access to other collections of notes is absolutely 'obstruction of justice'.
Thumbs down.
19
The U.S. Constitution is handing the Democrats in Congress the ball on the one-inch line of the goal, 1st and 10. And yet these folks seem so timid and afraid of their shadows that they may punt instead of scoring the easy TD of at least initiating impeachment proceedings. Apparently our country must now wait until January 2021 and hope that its next King is a patriot, and without mental illness, to save us.
12
The president is clearly guilty of obstruction otherwise why would he care?
8
@Anthony, to quote ‘lil DJ Trump’s current spouse, “I don’t care, do you?”
So sad to have ‘lil DJ Trump as president. He’s clearly incompetent.
1
Mueller’s intent was clearly that Congress needed to use his report as a road-map for impeachment.
Mueller specifically held back a recommendation for indictment, and instead advised that, because the defendant was the President, the proper pathway for justice was impeachment proceedings by Congress.
Now, Trump is saying “no do-overs,” and McConnel is saying, “case closed” — but that is not what Mueller said at all.
It is only half-time; you can’t call the game over at half-time.
Nope.
14
McGahn is no hero here. He is an astute, but political and self dealing, lawyer intent only on preserving his own career. He will do what’s necessary and only what’s necessary to that purpose. We should remember that McGahn was a principal actor in packing the court system with extreme right wing judges, many of whom are rated unqualified by the ABA, in concert with the Senate Majority Leader and Trump. He will play both ends against the middle here which will work in Trump’s favor. There’s no evidence that there’s a patriotic bone in his body. His motivations, like Trump’s, are entirely transactional.
21
As each day progresses.....as every news cycle ends and begins ....with every attempt of this President to refute Congress, defile the constitution, and obfuscate the rule of law, it becomes evident this charlatan is clearly guilty, presently and in the past, of obstruction of justice. Any lawyer, law student, and judiciary knows this! The problem is whether our Congress and Senate will exercise their constitutional responsibilities. If they don't, a new precedent will be set, allowing for the possible corruption of future holders of the presidency.
7
@mrken57
They will have to say: Joey, Joey, Joey you keep your hands to yourself now! And don't give me that "smelling hair" stuff.
I'm with Nancy Pelosi on this. Get more facts and then talk about impeachment. Don't play into Trump's hands.
9
The GOP is so desperate for all this stuff to go away, but information wants to be free. The demands and pressure for information won't go away at least until everything has been released. And it will all eventually be released. Someone with power to release it will, or it will be leaked in dribs and drabs. The fact that Republican honchos want everyone else to move on should be great motivation to keep going.
7
I hope at the Presidential debate “handsy” Joe Biden hugs Trump and smells his hair. For that moment alone I don’t think we should initiate impeachment proceedings. That and the fact that it will solidify Trump’s base.
2
Trump, true to mafia-style, seems adamant in hiding his tax returns from public view. Doesn't he know that some more light in his dealings and wheeling would only confirm our suspicions, that he is a crook?
5
Let's not forget, not that he can be excused for his lies, deceit, obstruction and other crimes, but Trump is severely mentally ill, and in some respects less of a danger to our country than the treasonous McConnell. If McConnell and the Republicans still control the Senate in 2021, any newly elected Democratic President will be prevented from working for the good of the country and the majority of Americans. Fifty years from now the textbooks will have replaced pictures of Benedict Arnold with McConnell's.
13
I have been against impeachment but think this may be necessary. The actions of this would-be autocrat thumbing his nose at a co-equal branch make it as good a time as any to tamp down ever-growing Executive hubris.
Nor should Congress let the dissembling AG off the hook. First, send the House Sergeant of Arms of the House of Representatives with six federal marshals to arrest Barr at 4 a.m. for failure to appear before the House. While he is cooling his heals, draw up Articles of Impeachment for perjury and evasive testimony before the Senate.
Next, get the request for DJT’s tax records and Tres Secy Menuchin’s refusal to cough em up before SCOTUS asap. Have Marshals at the standby to arrest the Secretary of the Treasury if there is further resistance.
After the necessary house cleaning, let’s hope Congress comes to its senses about foreign adventurism, police actions, and the quaint notion that it is Congress which declares wars. Utterly shameful how both Chambers have ceded this power, beginning with Truman. Restore this Constitutionally mandated duty back to the Congress.
Also on the docket...please investigate GOP packing the Courts. Any federal judge who has received ABA Unqualified rating should be impeached.
15
Agree with many of the comments but with a different take. President Trump has very effectively used the outrage over everything from his behavioral traits to denying HRC her rightful place on the throne much in the way a judo expert uses an opponent's own momentum against them. Think back at the many times a statement or a Tweet has been off base if taken literally, but not so off base in concept. Example: The Obama administration is "Bugging me" -- The Left went collectively nuts. For the trouble of all the outrage from the pundits and the Left leaning donor class, McConnell had political cover to drop the hammer and Justice Gorsuch was confirmed. This pattern is repeated over and over.
No one can predict the future, but if past is prologue, the fight over prohibited release of certain material under the current special counsel regulations and visions of McGahn's testimony dangling the tantalizing prospect of witness tampering allegations against the President will continue. This fight will be strung along until the release of the IG report. If you are a Machiavellian tactician, this is now the perfect point to immediately declassify everything Russia and everything surveillance.
Certainly there will be properly predicated surveillance identified. There will almost certainly also be evidence of premeditated abuse of our national security assets. The whipsaw in place of the hoped for silver bullet to bring down DJT will be more crushing than election night.
How has this happened so quickly, with so much outright corruption and criminality bombarding us day after horrific day? Who can save this country? Not the Rs. Not the trump cult followers. Perhaps the Democrats. Maybe Mueller. But it had better be a given that 2020 will see enough of us who love America - and what it stands for - and we will vote against trump so overwhelmingly that there can be no doubt of our intentions.This debacle has raged on too long already.
13
Pelosi must defend the “Rule of Law” we need a Joan of Arc now
4
Anyone else ready to redefine activism in this age?
So sick of hearing about the ballot box "solution." Remember the grueling wait for the midterms? All anybody could talk about was the "blue wave" that would surely serve to stifle the dictatorial idiocy that oozes from the Blowhard-in-Chief. If only it were that easy. Sorry folks, but it no longer is.
Look at us now...while we wait. And he escapes.
6
Trump blocking everything speaks more than any document read by Congress or anyone else. At this point anyone with a brain knows what’s in those documents and what Trump doesn’t want anyone to see. But I love he’s being shown to block everything and anyone. Because to me he looks guiltiest doing this than if he said...”sure...talk to anyone. Show everything.”If the American people really care they can show their outrage in the next election. Until then have a glass of wine and let the shit show roll on.
1
Subpoena, hold in contempt, then impeach Bar.
Subpoena, hold in contempt, then impeach Mnuchin.
Subpoena, hold in contempt, then impeach Cipollone.
Subpoena, hold in contempt, then impeach...
...who's next?
8
Consistent with how Trump has lived his life, he treats all others as if they work for him and are subject to his dictates, whims and version(s) of events. Malleable does not even begin to articulate the level of manipulation to which those in his orbit are subject.
The GOP acquiescence to Trump continues to confound. Each and every one who refuses to stand for the rule of law needs to be subject to scrutiny -- party over country has got to stop.
This appears to be an inevitable path to the supreme court.
16
Yes, the Trump Supreme Court.
Nixon then Trump, how is it the GOP seems to select leaders that have little or no intention of following the US Constitution or the laws implementing that document, which they swore to uphold? More than a 2/3 majority of the US population does believe in upholding the US Constitution, and 'the Donald' is going to find that out big time.
34
@Paul I really hate reminding you that following the Constitution means "following the Constitution". Donald Trump is a criminal who also happens to be POTUS. Our constitution protects the discrete powers of the POTUS for reasons that are (way) above all statutory law, as it also does for the Legislative and Judiciary Branches. You cannot claim superiority of one branch over another without referring specifically to the constitutional provision that enables it. The POTUS is the POTUS, and the Congress is the Congress. It really needs to be that way, regardless of the piggishness of the inhabitants of the White House or the Legislature.
1
For those of us who remember- history repeats itself- Watergate redux. This time it's written notes. So -will Mc
Gahn follow in the footsteps of Dean? For the sake of integrity , ethics and the country will he step up and disclose whether there is a "cancer on the presidency" or not? It seems the word "integrity " has become meaningless in this administration and in the Republican majority - standing ovations for a President whose hallmark is incivility, abuse and playing to the fears of of people.
26
@Avram Comparing this (no underlying crime) to Watergate is like comparing the Littleton Little League team to the NY Yankees.
2
Erica, this is significantly worse than watergate. I suggest you read the report. It is quite sobering.
2
I have called all of my rep's as well as NP offices to tell them I am not going to give any money to any Democrat's/Independent's elections until I see impeachment proceedings in process. They must stop playing this waiting game based on political calculations. DT's actions are beyond any political calculation. He, his AG, his administration and the Republican party have chosen to erode our Democracy to the point that it is now unrecognizable. No more waiting for an election. He will try to steal that. He already has once. The citizens of this country cannot tolerate inaction by those with the power to do something. If they do not impeach, they will risk everything and be just as responsible for his attack on our country by not doing their constitutional duty. IMPEACH NOW!.
23
@JDH I agree...start the impeachment hearings now!!!
Of course..impeachment doesn't mean anything if the House blows their wad on the impeachment only to have the Senate say no to the conviction.
You do know you have to present actual evidence, yes?
Even with Bill Clinton's clear perjury and proof of obstruction...they couldn't convict him the Senate.
You want those 60 moderate D's who just got elected last fall to have to vote for impeachment....so they can all be booted out of the House next fall..?
Seems almost like you're recommending harikari.
I'm all for it.
2
It doesn’t matter if the House votes to impeach because a two-thirds majority is required to remove the president from office. If you think the Senate is going to go for that, I have a bridge to sell you...
Anyway, if you truly want to oppose Trump, the best way to do it is not by abandoning your support for his opposition.
2
Erica, you would do well to read the Nixon coverage by this great paper. In addition, I suggest you also read the coverage during 1975 up to the November 1976 election. We saw quite well then as will be now that the GOP has been and will be falling on their swords.
1
I am slowly getting through the Mueller report; Page 149 of the report: "Putin has won"….that is stomach turning. McGahn gets ton have his day in court.
20
Have McGahn testify without the documents. Get what we can from his best memory and during his testimony he will refer to numerous documents that will offer reasonable justification for more subpoenas. Don't delay his testimony because of a Trump strategy, don't give Trump a way out, and use his testimony to turn up the heat.
24
Pelosi needs to stop poll watching and start standing up for our democracy. We are in a constitutional crisis and the whole world is watching...
21
I've been making this same point for a lo time:
Statement by former federal Prosecutors:
"Each of us believes that the conduct of President Trump described in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report would, in the case of any other person not covered by the Office of Legal Counsel policy against indicting a sitting President, result in multiple felony charges for obstruction of justice."
https://medium.com/@dojalumni/statement-by-former-federal-prosecutors-8ab7691c2aa1
21
@Bill Wolfe Now over 700 have signed this statement.
"White House Signals Fight Over McGahn’s Records With Congress
Donald F. McGahn II, who is cited more than any other witness in the Mueller report, was obligated to turn documents over to investigators on Tuesday."
Noted.
Now, this would be actual news: "'lil DJ Trump opts to not fight, nor to get himself all angry, about anything".
That would also be amusing.
4
Will Congress reiterate to McGahn that he is expected to appear on schedule? Or will Congress go down this legal rabbit hole Trump is more than happy to go down?
Why would Congress feel any need to get into court fights? The 1821 Supreme Court case Anderson v Dunn affirmed Congressional power to arrest. Why is Congress playing games with Mnuchin and Barr?
16
More Obstruction!
11
I don't get it. McGahn doesn't work for Donald. Why can't he do what he wants? Same for mueller.
13
What AG Barr presented to congress was what is called the "unitary theory of executive authority." While everyone has heard of the checks and balances, our constitution implies this concept of co-equal authority without clearly stating it in the text.
Based on this theory Trump has the authority to refuse congressional subpoena's, refuse to allow executive staff to testify and to shut down any DOJ investigation that the president decides is "unfounded."
It's ironic that Barr caught most of the Senate Committee off guard when he took this position since he's been an advocate of these views for years.
This struggle is about to get serious as Trump, in the guise of a unitary or some might say an imperial president digs in his heels over this congressional investigation and in effect says "make me."
Many conservative jurists have agreed with Barr, as long as a GOP was in the white house. So this is by no means a clear case.
But fair jurists should see the big picture and realize that this is about much larger issues than the Trump investigation. And the legal outcome could shape constitutional law for decades.
The Democrats are in for a real fight. Let's hope they are up for it
13
@Drspock - I have never met a Democrat who could swing worth a darn. They roll over quicker than a Westminster show dog but not much bite or fight in them.
Since January 21, 2017 there has been a Women's March, a March for Science. a Tax March, a March for our Lives, and more.
Where is the MAGA march? The "March Against Gifting Autocrats?"
Until people unite and march, we are putting way too much on the shoulders of too few. Yes, the Democrats in the House have power, and they should wield it. But without a demonstrable show of support from the citizens who voted them into office, they will keep playing it safe -- not wanting to look like they are ahead of public opinion. Well, I'm a member of the public. I have an opinion. And if a march was organized, I would sure as [unprintable word] be there. Would you?
5
And yes, I meant "Grifting" not "Gifting".
2
@kls - No, my marching days are over. They do little good. If you want to have an impact organize a boycott against the donor to the politicians who stand in the way. That will make things happen faster. But marching through the streets shouting, "hey hey, ho ho, blah blah blah has got to go!" will do nothing.
How is it that any President would be deemed above the law? How is it that NOBODY ever stops this animal?
28
@Sarah its because Democrats are "playing by the rules" as the rules have been played in the past. They need to do some creative re-interpretation and start taking real actions. Their policy of standing back and watching Trump act badly is having the effect of having us all get used to this behavior. Time for some serious actions such as starting impeachment proceedings. NOW
3
@Sarah
To call Trump 'an animal' would be an upgrade and insult to animals. He is below verbal description.
Trump will continue his antics for the next 20 months, dragging the republicans with him, avoiding real legislation. He does not care about the repubs, or the country; his sole objective is re election, in the belief that as president he is immune from the law.
In January 2021 Trump will be a private citizen and confront the multiple charges against him. He's made a lot of money while president, as have his children, so he will be able to hire a lot of lawyers.
It won't help.
4
What is utterly disheartening to me is that Trump’s approval rating is now the highest it’s been of his presidency.
What is wrong with the American people?
Shame on every last person that still supports this corrupt presidency.
31
@Raydeohed, too bad those people have no shame. I know, I talk with them every day. Trump's supporters are either white supremacist racists, wealthy tax evaders, or too stupid to separate the real Trump from his fake TV character. Most are combinations of the above and they hate how the USA has evolved into a more egalitarian, inclusive society. They see only what they have lost (utter domination) and not what we all have gained. They do not care what is moral or right. They only see winning and losing and they are mostly winning now. I am having trouble seeing how I can ever respect them if I ever did. However I have no issues with what to do next. Dracaris.
2
@Raydeohed. Ignorance, lack of ethical compass and lack of backbone. These folks believe Trump will protect them not realizing they are mere ballast in a ship sure to go down.
Here's a messaging idea for the Democrats:
Take America Back
15
@Mary how about Dracaris.
2
@Mary
Hmmm
TAB is a diet Cola and not a good one.
Okay, I still drink TAB so I disagree on that part, not entirely sure what you meant otherwise.
We are governed by a Republican criminal cartel composed of our President, the Senate, and 5 Supremes (two unqualified and unjustly confirmed).
Human decency, the rule of law, and democracy aren't considerations for these thieving liars.
17
There is only one way out of this mess! It's to boycott bourbon and all things related to Kentucky until they vote McConnell out! #boycottbourbon
10
we must impeach NOW before john master-of-war bolton and big mike pompeo declare martial law. time is of the essence before they can provoke their "wag the dog" diversionary war in persia in the straits of hormuz.
7
If the Democrats in Congress do not have the gumption to do something about all this mess, then they are certainly on my list to vote out of office.
He is truly disgusting, but we know what we have in Trump. If the Dems are going to weasel around and do nothing, they are nothing more than sycophants to voters.
All hat and no cattle.
Will somebody please do something?
4
Fight for a while, then Impeach. This President is a lying, reprobate felon. Shame on those who do nothing.
13
The United states of America is crumbling into fascistic, authoritarian, Republican-led chaos.
20
Democrats: you're all in on this one, or should be.
Good, go ahead and assert executive privilege. Take it to court. Keep it all in the news every day till 2020. I'm all for that.
Play hardball. The other side sure is; no one but the Georgetown cocktail circuit types is at all worried about playing hardball back. If you back down, Trump wins, again, and doubly: you'll prove yourselves the kind of weak cowards he and his merry band of neofascists constantly paint you as.
Take it to the hoop. If you win, they'll whine and moan and cry. Who cares?
Oh, right: Joe Biden cares. Ninety percent of the GOP supports a neofascist clown disaster. You won't unconvince any of them. Go large, go left-populist, and go after some of that 100,000,000 who didn't bother to vote in 2016. You know, as opposed to the 42 people left in the country who are on the fence about Trump and Trumpism.
Biden launches with a commercial about Charlottesville...and then spends his time talking about how most of the people who support the guy who thought many of the people on the fascist side were good people are themselves good people. How are both things true, Joe?
3
What happens if McGahn defies the president and tesifies anyway or if the Supreme Court rules against Trump and he defies them?
7
@Jw
Research about SCOTUS's powers to enforce their decisions. You will learn that they have none.
SCOTUS must rely upon the Justice Department and the president to enforce their rulings. In other words, Trump and Barr.
Think we've found a flaw in the Constitution?
3
Democrats show some strength and resolve. Don't be so stupid. Just do your job. Quit trying to work things out. SHOW SOME STRENGTH! The reason that I dislike my party is because they are all talk and no action!!!!
9
The cover-up continues...
7
For two years, given Trump's unethical/irrational behavior on endless public display, we believed the Mueller Report would surely implicate him in multiple crimes.
Of course, it has.
Yet rather than the Report serving as a catalyst for immediately impeaching Trump, Mueller -- the moment he released his legal masterpiece -- Weakened it by reminding the republic that sitting presidents can't be indicted. (Two steps forward, Bob, a big step step back.)
Meanwhile, many hundreds of respected lawyers throughout the U.S. have this week proclaimed -- in a collective [public] condemnation of Trump, that were he Anybody Other Than the deplorable president, he'd have been charged with a handful of felonies by now.
THE TIME HAS COME to hold Trump accountable for his [alleged] felonies. Sure, finish the McGahn hearing. Sure, hold a Mueller hearing. Sure, subpoena Barr. Sure, have the FBI furnish more evidence. And sure, we'll wait, too, for Southern District of New York prosecutors to weigh in.
But ladies and gentlemen, please, please stop working AT A SNAIL'S PACE. Get on with it. IMPEACH TRUMP.
*** It's time to condemn Trump and save the Union ***
12
Democrats: you're all in on this one, or should be.
Good, go ahead and assert executive privilege. Take it to court. Keep it all in the news every day till 2020. I'm all for that.
Play hardball. The other side sure is; no one but the Georgetown cocktail circuit types is at all worried about playing hardball back. If you back down, Trump wins, again, and doubly: you'll prove yourselves the kind of weak cowards he and his merry band of neofascists constantly paint you as.
Take it to the hoop. If you win, they'll whine and moan and cry. Who cares?
Oh, right: Joe Biden cares. Ninety percent of the GOP supports a neofascist clown disaster. You won't unconvince any of them. Go large, go left-populist, and go after some of that 100,000,000 who didn't bother to vote in 2016. You know, as opposed to the 42 people left in the country who are on the fence about Trump and Trumpism.
For the love of god, stop triangulating! The dude launches with a commercial about Charlottesville...and then spends his time talking about how most of the people who support the guy who thought many of the people on the Nazi side were good people are themselves good people. How are both things true, Joe?
Support Sanders.
1
@Doug Tarnopol
Like Barney Frank said, Sanders is a showboat.
You do realize he may not have voted for the Iraq War but he sure voted for increased defense spending every tinme it came up because VErmont has a weapons manufacturing factility there (unfortunately; however Sanders didn't seem to mind -he knows where his bread really gets buttered, even if you don't.)
My understanding was that once these records were given for Mueller and all to evaluate and testimony was done any executive privilege was lost. The idea that "they had an understanding" is not relevant.
14
Pelosi is correct that Trump is taunting and goading; his reactions to the investigations and threats runs so counter to what we usually see that it is especially hard to gauge where pushing impeachment will get the Democrats.
It helps to keep remind ourselves that he has no no sense of guilt or shame, and no concern about damage done to others or the country. He has, never, never, accepting responsibility for anything in his life that failed.
But anyway, McGahn - if he does end up appearing on time, without legal obstacles, will, it seems, tell the truth. And that may terrify Trump because it will put his behind the scenes operations on display.
39
Obstruction over obstruction. Trump gets away with it. Each time. There are laws for all Americans. The same laws do not apply to the Trumps. Ask Barr or Mnuchin or most of the GOP leadership.
He probably will not leave office, even if he loses re-election. And will get away with it because the country lost its spine.
25
@Aurace Rengifo If he loses in the November 2020 election and refuses to abdicate power and leave the scene gracefully, at that point we won't have a Constitutional crises to deal with. What we'll have then is a treasonous usurpation of the Presidency by a controlled Russian asset, and a military solution to fix it. I wonder how many of donald's Secret Service protectors will want to hang on with this filthy "president" and face the tanks and artillery ? Could look a little dicey for donald.
This is just more obstruction of justice by Trump.
Pelosi needs to stop focusing on Trump's base and consider her own base.
She must be guided not by politics but by the legal and Constitutional duties she is obligated and sworn to uphold: IMPEACH!
42
The Democratic leadership knows full well that impeachment proceedings at this moment would be futile because Trump would never be convicted by the complicit Republican Senate. It would all be for naught.
The best bet is to get hold of the financials, the only real chance at obtaining incontestible evidence. To do this they will need to lay out careful and painstaking groundwork before these seemingly clear-cut legal requests land in the Supreme Court, mostly likely at the feet of John Roberts. At that point, one hopes that Roberts will look carefully at his legacy before coming down on the wrong side of history.
23
Right now, Roberts' concern about his legacy is probably the only reins we have to keep the Supreme Court honest and Trump accountable.
8
@Ray Barrett, the single thread of John Roberts’ legacy is all that’s holding Old Glory together? Betsy Ross deserves a better tailor than that to save her creation. That’s what happens when all our garments are now made in China.
2
Trump and the GOP are trying to destroy our democratic system of checks and balances.
We can't let them succeed. House Democrats must begin the impeachment process. Robert Mueller was very clear in his report that this president has committed high crimes and misdmeanors.
No more talk. It's time to act.
13
We'll eventually hear from McGahn and Mueller. Democrats need to keep doing what they need to so we reach this point. Impeachment likely follows after these must watch events. Allow the drumbeat of Trump's crimes to erode people's interest in supporting this president.
16
Trump is really scared now. I hope the Democrats keep the pressure on.
21
@Areader
I wholeheartedly disagree. Trump is never scared. He always gets away with this @:&;$:&. Why, I cannot fathom. Nice to read Pelosi calling it like it is, though.
1
The Republic is getting lawyered to death and Trump is enabling a form of judicial tyranny. The Judicial Branch is no more relevant than the other two.
This is dangerous for the Republic because the tyrant will not abide by a lower court order. The Supreme Court ought to refuse to hear Trump appeals.
“Nothing in the Constitution has given them [the federal judges] a right to decide for the Executive, more than to the Executive to decide for them. . . . The opinion which gives to the judges the right to decide what laws are constitutional and what not, not only for themselves, in their own sphere of action, but for the Legislature and Executive also in their spheres, would make the Judiciary a despotic branch." - Thomas Jefferson 1804
8
Why should the President assist House Dems in their petty persecutions?
The Mueller report is out. You can read it. It’s on the DOJ website.
It was offered to several members of Congress in a lightly redacted form.
None of the Democrats read the report! Don’t you think the “crack investigators” in the House ought to start with that?
Dems were stunned that the Mueller report “failed to deliver” what they were hoping for, so instead of moving on to a) governing our country and b) campaigning for 2020, they decided on a strategy of endless investigations into everything.
As a Republican, I’m sick of it. If I were a Democrat, I’d be upset, too, because this behavior is going to re-elect Trump.
America has moved in. Time for Dems to do the same.
2
@MR What's really sad is that you believe that. You obviously have lost all affection for democracy and this country. Too bad.
8
@MR If I were Republican, most likely my response to Trump's behaviors would be similar to what a number of Republicans have done: resign from this corrupt group and join the opposition. As I am not, it continues to astonish me that so many people in this country are prepared to throw away centuries of established precedent and lawfulness to anoint a liar and cheat with powers reserved for kings. America has not moved on: we are in the throes of a subversion of our nation. And you think that's just fine.
12
@MR, You obviously haven't read the report, or Mueller's letter to Bar, or the letter from the nearly 400 federal prosecutors saying anyone but a President would be indicted based on the evidence in the report.
Maybe your part of America has moved on, but the majority of us -- who voted against Trump -- want Trump to submit to the rule of law or be forcably removed.
10
Mr. Trump said the White House would challenge all Congressional subpoenas. Translation: Trump is in full panic mode. Nixon redux.
21
ENOUGH. Either we are a democracy or we are not. Plain and simple.
20
If any former Democratic President would have lied as much as Trump or tried to obfuscate and bewilder this country's constituents, obstruct justice and fight not only one subpoena but all of them, Congressional Republicans would have immediately called for impeachment especially if they had a majority in either chamber. Now Congressional Republicans obfuscate their responsibility in order to protect an unfit Republican President hence, if Trump succeeds in destroying this democratic Republic, Congressional Republicans will be known as co-conspiritors. It is just unbelievable that Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham and their ilk as well as AG Barr still defend Trump and his ilk. Who will speak out for the majority of Americans who voice their concern and many claiming "this is NOT my President" and who will stand up for the Constitution and stop this madness, who???
12
The big question is whether Speaker Pelosi will allow the left wing of her party to sabotage another election.
6
@AACNY Sabotage? Last I looked, Pelosi's crowd won big in the midterms.
4
Pelosi has it all wrong when it comes to Trump taunting. He's not taunting because he has already completed impeachable offenses. The House must honor their oath and start impeachment hearings. Until the Dems actually do something, they are equally complicit for not doing anything about the President and the crimes detailed in the Mueller Report. The Dems are trying to run out the clock just as much as Trump.
4
When will the American public wake up? This is not how innocent people act.
16
There is no Republican counterpart to Mr. Nadler. The ranking member of the out of power party is not equal - as this term would suggest- to the chairman of the committee in Congress.
5
What right - never mind POWER - does Trump have to block McGann from testifying? He can make suggestions, but can’t block McGann from appearing on Capital hill. His threats are toothless vs. Congress, which can have McGann jailed.
6
There is one person other than those whose names have been front and center for months, who could possibly break this impasse and do his nation a world of good:
Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III.
He's been deeply involved in the machinations of this administration from the beginning of trump's campaign. He knows much more than he told when testifying under oath to Congress regarding contacts with Russians and the reason for them.
He had enough honor and respect for the rule of law to recuse himself from supervision of the ensuing investigations, or at least enough fear of legal repercussions to come, had he not.
The belittling, withering, scathing criticism and humiliation he received from trump for doing so, has like many others so maligned, been cruel and some would argue, well deserved for facilitating such corruption and lawlessness extending possibly to treason.
Mr. Sessions, it's not often someone has a one time opportunity to redeem themselves for willfully conspiring with those who would seek to destroy our nation, built on the notion that no one is above the law.
You could be that person. Please, this American begs you. In possibly saving all of us, you can save yourself.
13
Understanding that we are at the NY Times, after reading 30 or so of these comments I don't see anything close to a match for the polls showing a high percentage of Americans who don't want to impeach.
Nor do I see what used to appear in comments every so often - a list of Trump's many accomplishments while in office from one of our conservative patriots. Here, I'll start one:
Flying to North Korea several times to accomplish nothing.
Giving NAFTA a new name that nobody uses because nothing else was changed.
Costing us billions with his government shutdown, which accomplished nothing.
Granted, these are some of the greatest non-accomplishments of any American president, or probably any leader anywhere in history.
Yuge.
5
@Skeexix Trump DIDN'T fly to N. Korea several times and accomplish nothing. He flew to Singapore, at huge expense to the American taxpayer. While there, he metaphorically bowed before the fat rocket boy and prostrated himself on the ground to be urinated on (note the similarities to his trip to the "miss universe" ... thing ....in Moscow). Trump successfully and adroitly sold America out to a little two-bit murderer and butcher who rides herd on his third world country by killing and starving his subjects.
And by the way, don't forget that donald "fell in love" with fat rocket boy in Singapore while the two of the swished and pranced around the hotel pool.
All THIS and you say donald has accomplished NOTHING ? You should be ashamed.
@Iman Onymous
I stand corrected.
Hold them all in contempt.. to go against congress's requests is absolutely contemptible... the people elected our representatives (even if trump and the repubs don't like it) The real truth must come out into public view, the people will be the deciding factor regardless what the bias senate does or doesn't do. I don't want to wait till election 2020 to get those criminals out of our government but... they're certainly trying to stall till then.
9
Over 450 former federal prosecutors have signed a statement on May 6 in effect that the Mueller's report has sufficient evidences to make several felony indictments against Trump for Obstruction of Justice if he is not a sitting president.
Trump has succeeded so far in normalizing:
1. Lies, 10,000.00 plus
2. Indecency.
3. Dishonesty.
4. Disgrace.
5. Corruption.
6. Adultery.
7. Unpatriotic.
8. Apathy.
9. Collusion.
10. Obstruction of justice. He is continuing to do so in open attempt to normalize it by disobeying all the subpoenas issued by the House of Representative, impeding WH lawyer Don McGahn to testify and stop releasing the subpoena documents. Trump tweeted, " Robert Mueller should not testify in public. " several days ago.
I wish the House of Representative starts to initiate Impeachment proceeding, vote your conscience in 2020.
12
@SK, huh.
So, by "normalizing", do you mean to say that 'lil DJ Trump has just ranted, again and again?
Because that isn't normal.
2
@SK I like your list of donald's infractions, but "Treason" should have been in the #1 spot. What else would one call a controlled Russian asset in the White House ?
Is McGahn still a White House employee? Is McGahn still a government employee? Or is Trump trying to silence private citizen McGahn?
Once again, all this covfefe is making me wonder just what it is that Trump is so desperate to hide? What is it that Trump is afraid of having revealed?
Trump sure doesn't -behave- like he's 'innocent' and "completely exonerated".
7
What is all this? If the White House is completely stonewalling Congress on any information to do with the 2016 elections, they're wayyy too afraid. They allowed Comey to relive his 2016 firing (which is a possible obstruction of justice charge) in front of the whole country and they didn't stop Mueller until the disclosure of his report; they now appear largely vindicated. The WH could request further congressional testimony be closed-door. And final Mueller report redactions are Congress-only. They've already won the final round, so why should they care? To leave Congress alone during oversight and scream about the unjustness of it is only good for them electorally.
So they genuinely do think that more information about Trump's taxes, the Mueller report, and the other cases against Trump would wind up in impeachment. Perhaps even jail. Certainly electoral loss in 2020 because this information is bad enough to anger even some of Trump's followers.
They know they only just barely skated away with the current version of the Mueller report.
Wow.
2
Over 450 former federal prosecutors have signed a statement on May 6 in effect that the Mueller's report has sufficient evidences to make several felony indictments against Trump for Obstruction of Justice if he is not a sitting president.
Trump has succeeded so far in normalizing:
1. Lies, 10,000.00 plus
2. Indecency.
3. Dishonesty.
4. Disgrace.
5. Corruption.
6. Adultery.
7. Unpatriotic.
8. Apathy.
9. Collusion.
10. Obstruction of justice. He is continuing to do so in open attempt to normalize it by disobeying all the subpoenas issued by the House of Representative, impeding WH lawyer Don McGahn to testify and stop releasing the subpoena documents. Trump tweeted, " Robert Mueller should not testify in public. " several days ago.
I wish the House of Representative starts to initiate Impeachment proceeding, vote your conscience in 2020.
4
Each time a member of the administration -- including McGahn -- Congress should hold them in contempt and let the process proceed. Does the sergeant at arms arrest Mnuchin, Barr, McGahn and an other refusnik? Is there a court proceeding that needs to be instituted? Is there a way to expedite it. Enough. Lock them up, and impose maximum fines. Each and every one of them. The only thing these people will understand is actual consequences, to their liberty and their finances. Not bloviating about co-equal branches of government. And forget the compromises. They view that as weakness and try to exploit it. Enough.
6
Integrity? Courage?
Is there such a thing anymore?
3
I am NOT tired of the continuing investigations. If anything I am angrier and more alarmed than ever. If the president is as innocent as his enablers claim why does he continue to act like a gulity man, and why do the enablers contine in their campaign to surpress the release of information?
Our very foundation as a country based on the rule of law is beginning to crack. If the Democratic Party in Congress cannot stand up to this blatant obstruction of justice then the Constitution is dead. The situation requires the courage to do what is right no matter the political consequences. Fight. Stand your ground. Put this illegitmate president and his politcal henchmen on notice that this kind of criminal behavior cannot and will not be tolerated. Better to go down with a bang than a whimper.
9
“The White House records remain legally protected from disclosure under longstanding constitutional principle, because they implicate significant executive branch confidentiality interests and executive privilege.”
As they relate to the PRESIDENCY or to the MAN (sic) WHO WOULD BE PRESIDENT?
3
Oversight is the job of Elected officials ... Obstruction of that purpose is the job of selected officials . And that explains maga !
2
If this is all a "Witch Hunt" and there's nothing to see, and no collusion, why would Donald Trump care about the information contained in Don McGahn's documents?
Usually if a person has nothing to hide, he would want all available information to come to light.
I, for one, am tired of the gaslighting by the unfit grifter sitting in the White House.
5
“The White House records remain legally protected . . . because they implicate significant executive branch confidentiality interests and executive privilege.”
Well, when you put it like that, how can anyone NOT wonder what he is hiding and why.
5
It seems to me that in the WH they do not read history books. Have they ever heard of a moment in USA political history a scandal named Watergate/Nixon and its outcome? Wow!!
3
Obstructing justice to hide obstructing justice.
Trump never did learn when to fold em.
6
One simple sentence sums it all up. Abuse of power by a sitting President. Proceed accordingly.
9
Based on the Mueller report, the underlying charge that the Trump campaign illegally conspired with the Russians to influence the elections did not occur.
Therefore, given this conclusion, it is reasonable that Trump, during the investigation, feared false charges would result from false allegations.
These facts cloud the 'intent' generally required to obstruct justice.
It strikes me that there are still untold stories from the 2016 election, including political surveillance, hidden email communications and a bizarre meeting on a tarmac.
As additional facts become known, it will be very interesting to observe whether the general standards proposed in this echo chamber of comments will apply to the other actors of 2016.
5
@Avi
We'll never know unless "The Night Tweeter", Putin's man, and his cohorts, comply with Congressional subpoenas.
1
@Avi Bill Clinton meeting with a fellow Democrat on a tarmac isn’t exactly John le Carré. That smacks of a false equivalence with the Trump campaign LYING about the content of their meeting(s) with Russian nationals. Face it; Donald Trump is a sketchy crook. You can contort/distort it all you want to but in the end that *fact* still remains.
What you are witnessing isn’t an “echo chamber” but rather the deliberations and discussions of members of the electorate that possess “critical thinking skills.”
7
@Avi
Hello
I think an innocent man would have sat down to interview
Not tell a civilian to make the attorney general un-recuse himself
Not worry so much about false charges that he would commit felony obstruction
Almost 700 justice department professionals agree the OLC memo tied Mueller’s hands
Your comment reads like it was written by Jared Kushner himself
4
Trump is now obstructing the investigation into the obstruction of justice, also known as obstruction raised to the second power.
39
Can't the EPA step in and DO something? There has to be some kind of regulation on the books to curtail the pollution that this administration's side hustle - smoking gun factory - is generating...
5
This is now seriously and dangerously out of control.
This action will threaten the foundation of this country, the rule of law and the Constitution.
If clearcut violations of the law can be proven to have occurred and a reasonable case for prosecution can be made, then legal action must be instituted.
This is not negotiable .
16
@dog lover I agree that we are in a constitutional crisis. But we are watching it play out in pieces. The fact that SDNY has not yet indicted Trump (or his farrow) at this moment doesn't change that. Nor does the apparently endless waffling of a Democrat House of Representatives. Fasten your seatbelt. The bumpiness has only just begun.
3
Well, well, well. Per Wikipedia, there's good news and bad news:
"Under a 1924 federal tax law, 26 U.S. Code § 6103, Congress may request copies of anyone's tax returns. The treasury secretary is legally obliged to provide the tax returns, and there is no apparent legal mechanism to deny Congress's request. "
That was the good news. Now for the bad:
"The request will be vetted by Michael J. Desmond, Chief Counsel of the IRS and Assistant General Counsel in the Department of the Treasury. Desmond was appointed to the IRS position by Trump. Desmond served as a tax advisor to the Trump Organization and also worked alongside two other longtime tax advisors to the Trump Organization. According to the New York Times, on February 5, 2019, Trump asked Mitch McConnell to speed up the confirmation of Desmond, reportedly indicating Desmond was a higher priority than nominating William Barr for Attorney General."
Even more obscene than Trump's contempt for the law is the way McConnell continues to enable him on a daily basis.
28
We are not in a constitutional crisis. However, Congress is now not doing it's job which is to run the country efficiently and effectively. Instead, we have the public relations circus of trying to bring Trump down. He can't be brought down until the senate turns Democratic. Even then impeachment is very unlikely in these circumstances. Meanwhile our bridges are crumbling, we are destroying our environment, our educational system is a shambolic mess, and we have a looming crisis in medicare and social security. Wake up and stop bothering with Trump.
4
@Ross Salinger "He can't be brought down until the senate turns Democratic."
I do not like this suggestion but need to point out that it is untrue. The state legislatures have in their power the authority to have a constitutional amendment and change the founding documents to throw out these people.
The likelihood of that happening in any constructive way is low, and the probability of it going off the tracks is high. It's a dreadful idea.
The statement, that there is nothing to do but wait, is not a valid point.
1
"Unchecked obstruction of justice puts our whole system of justice at risk. "
Conclusion of the letter from six hundred former federal prosecutors.
16
Unfortunately, Trump has already won .... he and the Republicans will work together to make sure that the facts of his criminality stay hidden, and that the American voters remain uninformed.
6
Sooner or later there will be big leaks. Trump can't jail people for speaking. At least not yet.
2
The president and his "attorney general" are now openly breaking the law and demanding Congress give up all of its remaining powers. They are aided and abetted by Mitch McConnell who has kept the legislative branch shut down for 10 years. The Brett Kavanaugh wing of the Supreme Court comprises 3, Gorsuch and Thomas are hard right. A Constitutional crisis is in progress, and an attempt to permanently alter the government.
Instead of joining the fight from every city and town, the Democratic "base" is more interested in the gender, race, ethnic pedigree of its spokespeople than what they say, and is eating their own and strategerizing, not putting up a fight.
What part of this government of the people, by the people and for the people" is going to perish from this earth if this isn't stopped don't people understand? We need information. We don't need young reporters who don't remember previous investigations blabbing about how long the courts take or pretending that no president or senate majority leader has ever successfully prevented the facts from coming out by obstructing justice.
During Constitutional crises in the past, the whole run up the courts took a week or two. Has obstruction of justice ever succeeded in the face of congressional or special counsel investigations? Ask Lawrence Walsh or Patrick Fitzgerald. Better yet, show us that Torture Report McConnell obstructed successfully in the Senate.
We are poorly served when the press has no sense of history.
2
We are now about to learn the extent of our first dictator's power. He has once again pushed well past the limits of the Executive office. It will be up to the Supreme Court to tell us whether we still have three co-equal branches of government, or not. There is no dispute that McGahn was supposed to be the attorney for the White House, not the attorney for Trump personally.
But it appears that Trump has five votes to rubber stamp any decision he makes. So far, the Supreme Court has been sickeningly deferential to Trump. Consider the "Muslim ban" which the Court permitted with literally no factual evidence to support Trump's claim that it was needed for our nation's safety. This sounds like a dictatorship to me.
This Administration has not appointed one person who believes they are acting on behalf of all of us. Rather, McGahn, Barr and Mnuchin have demonstrated that their sole function is to hide evidence of Trump's criminal conduct. These men have shown as much by the continuing stream of lies they have made, some under oath.
The fact is, if he is able to hide McGahn's records, tax records, or Mr. Mueller's testimony, Trump's power will be absolute. He will know that he answers for nothing and to no one. He will know that his actions are only limited by his imagination and the laws of physics.
Providing this information is about much more than the documents or testimony themselves. It is a test to determine whether or not Trump's dictatorship is complete.
10
Go to the courts. Do it ASAP. It's the only thing that forced Nixon to respond to congress. Do it before they run out the clock.
11
The fact that so many former Federal Prosecutors, regardless of party affiliation, said that Trump obstructed justice gives me hope that I'm still living in a democracy - despite the crooked Trump and the Trump Party - formerly the Republican Party.
14
Since Trump doesn't think the law or the Constitution applies to him, and McGhan and Mueller are willing to testify, I say why should they follow any rules or restrictions which Trump tries to impose?
9
Nancy Pelosi, whom I genuinely feel is a solid left of center moderate, cannot continue to say that Donald Trump is obstructing justice everyday as a statement of fact and then as supposed leader of the House not bring articles of impeachment. That is a disappointing failure of leadership. Either say that the investigation is continuing and based upon future findings we will make such determination, or if you state categorically that you know and have proof of what you are saying conclusively than not to act sets the entire Democratic Party adrift.
6
Now that political discourse can occur only in soundbytes and tweets, here is the one message for democrats to repeat:
WHAT IS HE HIDING?
6
I don't know about anyone else but the steps being taken by Trump and his team to block the release of various documents and the testimony of numerous people say one thing to me: Guilty.
10
The Democrats can't get anywhere with impeachment unless the country is behind them. Witness Mr. Clinton's experience. So, how do we let them know we're behind them? If you haven't written to your representatives, do so now. If you haven't joined Swing Left and/or Indivisible, do so now. If you haven't donated to voter-protection efforts (ACLU, etc.), do it now. This is YOUR nation too. What do you want it to look like when this is over?
5
@Emma Ess
Democrats didn't campaign on Russia during the midterms because it wasn't important to their constituents. Do you really believe impeaching the president over Russia will be any more popular?
The obsession with pursuing Trump is justified by all kinds of "we are nation of laws" and morality arguments, but in the end, it's an obsession and an unhealthy one.
How much are we paying Congress members?
NYT’s can you do a story on the break down Congress, salary, benefits, life time medical insurance?
Life time pension? What else. Do they get more money for tenure? Why do they want to stay long term?
This seems ridiculous to pay them all full time salaries, when it clearly isn’t ,for the little they do , let’s really make the American taxpayer, voter even more disgusted. Please do this for the Americans people.
4
@Independent voter Sorry, but unless and until you appreciate that it's one space AFTER the comma, your opinion doesn't matter.
Is the United States still in the 18th century, with the King fighting against an unacceptable encroachment by Parliament of his Divine rights ?
6
It will take a hero to defy Trump's bullying tactics. It appears Mr. McGahn is not that hero.
5
I am feeling defeated about the state of our government and country. Trump, his lawyers, his administration, McConnell and Republican senators are supporting his clear obstruction of justice. The Democrats are not screaming about this abuse of power, threatening impeachment, and Nancy Pelosi says she is "pushing her caucus not to take up the debate, but to continue to try to line up the facts and build support among American voters." These are not normal times. Democrats cannot afford to "line up the facts." The facts are clear. The US is now governed by a corrupt president, administration, and Republican-controlled Senate, all of whom have demonstrated disregard and disrespect for the Constitution upon which our country was founded.
7
Trump and his gang are playing out the clock knowing full well that the Democrats will wait until it's too late to take meaningful action. Subpoenas are followed by court hearings when not obeyed. But such court hearings can take months to years for a verdict. By then, the 2020 election will be over. We are still holding off on issuing some subpoenas. Threats will not work on the likes of Trump. He is too hard headed and antagonistic to allow anyone to tell him how it's going to be. He hates the idea that the House has oversight control over him and his gang just like he hated not having control over the Justice Department. He has now got Justice. Will he take over control of the House?
2
Why on earth should McGahn risk jail (for contempt) to protect Trump? Particularly considering McGahn did more than anyone to stop Trump from illegal actions Trump wanted, it's absurd to expect him to pay for Trump's misdeeds, as Cohen is now doing.
7
The fix is in. The president, the White House and the Republicans refuse to participate in American democracy. And, you know, what?, there's nothing the average American can do about it.
5
Congress, please hold this man accountable. He is unfit to hold the that office. Impeach.
10
The sheer audacity of this administration is absolutely bewildering. Pick and choose which requests from Congress they will comply with and which they won’t. And the Republican Party simply rubber stamps their okay with it either way.
Our entire system of government has been substituted with complete chaos, recklessness and lawlessness. The Democrats need to make a list and work their way down - impeach who you have to impeach and hold in contempt who you have to hold in contempt.
The gloves are off. This is a fight we can’t lose.
8
If the taxpayers paid his salary, he needs to listen to the request, he is not Trump's private attorney. Executive privilege is limited because he already testified to Mueller.
6
There is a reason for MvGahn to testify, and it is to refute what Barr and Trump have said. At this point, it is not legally appropriate to invoke executive privilege, as it was already waived when McGahn spoke with Mueller's team. McGahn is legally obligated to appear before Congress and produce the requested documents. He is a private citizen, and there is basis for Trump to prevent his testimony. I believe his testimony is critical to changing the minds of many who inappropriately believe Trump did nothing wrong. Hearing it from the source is more effective than hearing a summary from the other side of the aisle.
3
My suspicion? For Trump, the material he is trying to conceal is beside the point. Resisting oversight is the main thing.
I bet most of the conduct he is trying to cover up--the sleazy tax returns, the one-degree of separation approach to giving illegal orders--falls just shy of the strict standards we have for prosecution. It's the Russia findings all over again. It may look bad, but it is ambiguous enough to confound the law.
There are risks and rewards to this approach. The obvious risk is that this all adds up to obstruction of justice. The reward is that even if the courts step in and demand disclosure, the material that gets released could be ambiguous enough for both sides to claim vindication--leaving us all right where we started. Imagine Trump's smug face as he piously says "See? The nasty Dems wanted my tax returns so badly, but there's nothing illegal in them."
It's helpful to think of this as a Coen Bros. movie like The Big Lebowski or Burn After Reading. There's a lot of sound and fury, confusion, bad faith, and incompetence, but the center of this series of mysteries is effectively empty. The key piece of hard evidence that will prove definitively that Trump is a crook is a McGuffin.
Personally, I'm all for impeaching for obstruction of justice. Trump's crimes are too ambiguous, his methods too post-modern, for Dems to wait for a smoking gun.
2
So I wonder what the "original intent" crowd thinks of this administration's assertion of executive power and its disdain for the role of Congress?
The sad reality of our elected officials is that everything involving governance of this country under the rule of law is secondary to maintaining the party's hold on power.
Certainly, the framework of the governments are different. But really, how different is this political behavior from that of China's political bosses?
4
NYT's start a petition here that you can send to McConnell, Trump and gang letting them know we need to see the paper trail , taxes and have witnesses testify right now. Congress this is not the time to quit, these people seem guilty as charged, they shouldn't be allowed to get away with this.
2
@Missy
Whatever the merits of such activism, it is hardly the proper role of the Times, or any other legitimate media institution, to initiate it.
@rella Why not, the newspapers endorse candidates all the time. The churches who are tax exempt take that a step further and tell worshipers how to vote. And the president is breaking the law in every way possible and getting away with it.
Trump is so guilty. His supporters so don't care. And there are virtually no honourable Republicans left. So where does the US go from here?
I can assure you, it's nowhere good.
5
To those who keep asking: What's Trump afraid of?: Impeachment, indictment, imprisonment.
To those who keep saying "move on": As soon as we the people get the full story and then all appropriate justice.
6
It appears that President Trump doesn't understand the meaning of "transparent". Perhaps he thinks it applies only to others and not himself. As is mentioned here many times, why is he so fearful?
I have to think it is something tied to Vladamir Putin and the Russians, possibly money laundering. Since the Republicans in the Senate want to shut down further investigation, are they complicit too? Many have accepted money from the NRA, a known pipeline for laundering Russian money.
As a commenter said, it will take only one person, who is willing to listen to their inner "Jimminy Cricket" to start things rolling. It won't be a pretty sight.
3
So unless Donald Trump rolls over like a subservient puppy dog he's obstructing justice? Seems fishy.
This is setting a dangerous precedent for all future presidents. The contralateral party will absolutely "find" something "worth" investigating "until" that president is "removed" from office.
1
@Johnny See Johnny, there are things called LAWS, and they govern this situation. The House is enforcing the laws, the President is seeking to thwart their valid enforcement.
The only dangerous precedent being set is Trump's refusal to discharge his obligations as President and respect the rule of law.
1
Maybe Trump shouldn’t be a criminal.
1
We are now about to learn the extent of our first dictator's power. He has once again pushed well past the limits of the Executive office. It will be up to the Supreme Court to tell us whether we still have three co-equal branches of government, or not. There is no dispute that McGahn was supposed to be the attorney for the White House, not the attorney for Trump personally.
But it appears that Trump has five votes to rubber stamp any decision he makes. So far, the Supreme Court has been sickeningly deferential to Trump. Consider the "Muslim ban" which the Court permitted with literally no factual evidence to support Trump's claim that it was needed for our nation's safety. This sounds like a dictatorship to me.
This Administration has not appointed one person who believes they are acting on behalf of all of us. Rather, McGahn, Barr and Mnuchin have demonstrated that their sole function is to hide evidence of Trump's criminal conduct. These men have shown as much by the continuing stream of lies they have made, some under oath.
The fact is, if he is able to hide McGahn's records, Trump's tax records, or Mr. Mueller's testimony, Trump's power will be absolute. He will know that he answers for nothing and to no one. He will know that his actions are only limited by his imagination and the laws of physics.
Providing this information is about much more than the documents or testimony themselves. It is a test to determine whether or not Trump's dictatorship is complete.
522
@Nicholas Rush
He has the power to Pardon...wrong person to hold that. Everyone who acts on his behalf will be pardoned as he exits.
18
@Nicholas Rush
We know all this Nick, and we have for some time. What, if anything, are were going to do about it, besides whine and complain.
I think need to start putting our efforts into filling stadiums with people who will get off their hands, speak out, and PERSONALLY stare this man down—
18
@Nicholas Rush
We know all this , Nick, and we have for some time now. Are we going to try to do something about it or are we just going to sit on our hands, whine, and complain?
I’m no longer willing to leave resistance up to Democratic politicians and hoping for the best.
I think we need to start filling big stadiums with people willing to collectively stare Trump down. That he understands.
12
Meanwhile, where is the Democrat messaging that may resonate with voters who may not pay a lot of attention to what's going on?
"Witch hunt"?
How about "cover up"?!
I feel that Democrats always lose the war on messaging.
33
@kathyb
Democrats were screaming coverup before Barr had even read the report. Crying, "Wolf!", is not a winning strategy, especially when it's been cried for two long years.
@kathyb
Remember Trump did not get the majority of the popular vote. There are plenty of folks out the that get the message.
I have been surprised how many right to life folks sold out to
Trump.
@kathyb 100% agreed. The Republican news/propaganda machine is huge, effective, coordinated, and has a less educated, pliable audience.
Democrats have (relatively speaking) a less coordinated news/propaganda machine.
Both parties have their topics in which they show 'group think', but generally I trust Democrats to show more independent thought and analysis than Republicans (this last comment based on personal experience and conjecture only)
As obvious as the nose on my face: Trump is guilty, guilty, guilty.
24
@Mary he may look guilty.
Some form of due process must be served, however. Therefore Congressional subpoenas must be enforced in order to enable evidence-based oversight by Congress. I am not sure whether Trump's tax returns really contain anything that will do serious harm to him (politically or otherwise), but clearly team Trump is employing a dual strategy of delaying, deferring and deflecting with investigators, while controlling messaging with their base.
Democrats are sorely lacking in terms of unified, meaningful messaging, and are taking too long to enforce certain actions...
1
In denying the House Judiciary Committee Request, the White House cites “long standing constitutional tradition...” Did they really say that??
If so, The White House Mess is much more than a cafeteria these days!!!
6
Trump and his acolytes are using phony arguments to undermine the constitution. By not adhering to traditional norms and rules they may get a temporary leg up on those who go by the book. In the end they will fail because most Americans don't buy their lies which get more strident by the day.
8
Keep fighting the good fight President Trump! They had ample time for investigation, and Mueller declined to recommend any charges (that's on him), time to be president without all of the witch hunts! Too much harassment, all for show!
3
@Don Q
Mueller was restricted to addressing potential criminal liability. Congress has legitimate concerns (e.g., potential conflicts of interest) that go beyond criminal law.
3
The democrats learned their tactcs from Republicans. I suspect they missed a few classes on obstructing democracy when Senator McConnell was teaching during Obama’s tenure.
Shame on you! It pains me to say that to a fellow American.
@Don Q Obviously you didn't read Mueller's report (or didn't understand what you were reading if you did). The bottom line - Mueller couldn't get the goods on Trump's conspiracy with the Russians due to multiple incidents of obstruction of justice. Although there's plenty of evidence of obstruction, he chose not to recommend charges because charges can't be brought on a sitting president and it would be unfair to accuse him without him having an opportunity to address those charges in court.
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So our president is obstructing justice into his obstruction of justice?
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If he was "exhonerated", why is he afraid of the full report and the data that "exhonerated" him? If his taxes are "clean", why is he so afraid of showing them? This is the behaviour of a inherently guilty man.
Stonewall, obfuscate, lie, deny, attack. It's the Roy Cohn playbook, Trump learned his lessons well from that criminally abhorrent mentor.
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We must impeach, or the rule of law has no meaning.
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Given that some of Mr. McGahn's documents have already been disclosed to the Special Counsel and cited extensively, it seems that the cat is out of the bag so to speak. To claim executive privilege now sounds hollow and desperate.
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Cite McGahn for contempt. File complaints with DC and VA Bar associations for both him and Barr, the charge is obstruction of justice. No more fooling around with these thugs.
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@Peter It is at least possible that McGahn would cooperate, if left to his own devices.
Wealthy, white Republicans know that to maintain their power they must adopt ridiculous, unseemly, and legally treacherous positions to keep their base fired up. They will embrace Trump's inhumane immigration and border security practices, untenable trade practices that reek havoc on global markets, endorse limits on a woman's right to have an abortion, limits on voting rights, and food stamp limits, and cuts to the Affordable Care Act all in an effort to keep the angry mob angry, even if they don't understand that many of these practices have been endorsed as inhumane and non nonsensical over the years by Republicans.
At the end of the day, when Trump is gone and cooler heads prevail, and there is a democrat in the White house they'll flop right back into line with common sense and reason. For many it will be too late and they'll be tossed out of office like yesterday's garbage.
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Trump sure hasn't divested his business interests - even when it comes to THIS nonsense of his.
The evidence of fraud will come out.
The State tax returns will report a certain income and will be disclosed. The banks he obtained loans from will see the discrepency and counter sue him for fraud since his financial statements will be different from the tax returns.
Case closed.
Go directly to jail, you creep. Take Barr with you for perjury.
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Don McGahn obstructed the FEC for his entire term there. I think he is getting just desserts. And I believe he will be forced to testify.
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Well Trump can't be president forever. There will be a prison cell waiting for him when it's all over and he can be indicted.
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Enough of this circus. Impeach already!
Note to Dems: It couldn’t make the country more divisive than it already is
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I wonder if Trumpty Dumpty knows what "painting oneself into a corner" means.
I hope he does, because his is getting littler and littler by the day.
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As I recall, the uber-crook Nixon put up essentially the same sort of perverse, dishonorable, lying, gutless defense of his crimes then as Trump is doing now. Nixon denied, prevaricated, stonewalled, lied, threatened, obstructed and perjured himself from about the Fall of 1972 until August 1974. In the end, reason and justice showed him for what he was to even his most loyal apologists : a vile, loathsome little misanthropic runt of a man. A gutter-criminal who, born with the same psycho-pathological tendencies but under different social circumstances would have made his way through life with a stiletto and a cudgel, slithering from place-to-place through sewers to spring out and prey upon the weak, unsuspecting and defenseless.
We (American citizens) made one big mistake with Nixon that I hope we won't repeat with the malignancy we currently find in the White House. We didn't DEMAND that Nixon finish out his days in a small, bare, dark cell in a prison. Trump deserves that. And Trump should serve his time in the general population. Where he'll be free to mix and mingle with his own kind, and the crowd of recently-convicted underlings he's surrounded himself with his whole life.
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