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| Here's the Chain Reaction Trump Could Set Off by Trying to Fire Mueller |
| 2017-07-21 |
| President Donald Trump’s interview with the New York Times on Wednesday has stirred speculation he may consider firing Special Counsel Robert Mueller for investigating Trump’s business dealings as part of the Russia probe. But Trump can’t fire Mueller directly, according to the law that authorizes Mueller’s probe. If he tried, he could set off a chain-reaction that would throw the Justice Department into upheaval. Only the person acting as attorney general, currently Rod Rosenstein on matters related to the probe, can fire Mueller, and he’s said he won’t do it without "good cause." So Trump would first have to purge the upper ranks of the Justice Department until he finds someone willing to follow his orders and dismiss the special counsel. He’d almost certainly begin by dismissing Rosenstein, whose political loyalties Trump questioned in the Times interview on Wednesday in which he also warned Mueller against broadening his investigation. Such a scenario would parallel President Richard Nixon’s 1973 "Saturday Night Massacre," when Nixon forced out the top two officials in the Justice Department in order to oust the Watergate special counsel. "I don’t think that’s politically survivable, and it’s not clear how much collateral damage he has to do to in order to put himself into a position to have somebody fire Mueller," said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat from Rhode Island. More at the site. |
| Posted by:JohnQC |
| #8 Ditto at #7. Beltway solicitors will relish the feeding. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2017-07-21 18:29 |
| #7 Trump should actually double down and initiate the appointment of more Special Counsels to investigate Lynch, Clinton, Comey, Obama, Holder, Koskinen etc. for Fast and Furious, IRSgate, EmailGate, potential obstruction of justice, collusion with Iran&Russia ... All of these cases involve allegations of systematic misconduct committed by groups entrenched within executive bureaucracies, so the appointment of an independent unbiased investigator would be warranted and necessary. Sunlight is the best disinfectant. No one could reasonably object to more transparency. Also all secret stipulations of the Iran deal should be declassified and published. |
| Posted by: Elmerert Hupens2660 2017-07-21 18:05 |
| #6 A back order at the toilet mint factory and smelly bathrooms fuck it! |
| Posted by: Crinegum Ulaigum2776 2017-07-21 16:54 |
| #5 Better idea. A petition, signed by citizens, refusing to accept the findings - whatever they may be -- of the flawed and partisan Mueller probe. |
| Posted by: Iblis 2017-07-21 15:00 |
| #4 I think Congress could step in and "supervise" the probe. |
| Posted by: Iblis 2017-07-21 13:36 |
| #3 He can't find anything, so he is going fishing and filling the staff with Obumble and Crooked Hillary supporters. Fuck him and let the fireworks begin! |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2017-07-21 11:29 |
| #2 If Mueller is gambling the nation on the idea he can go on fishing expeditions to bring down the constitutionally elected President, then the man has to go. Let the fireworks begin. Senators conspired to bring down Caesar too. All perished in the aftermath. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2017-07-21 11:09 |
| #1 a chain-reaction that would throw the Justice Department into upheaval Like that's a bad thing? |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2017-07-21 10:48 |