Mueller's team revealed that Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen had disclosed potentially damning preelection links between Russian interests and the Trump campaign and organization, and that Cohen had lied to Congress about Trump's "Moscow Project." And New York federal prosecutors essentially accused the president of directing Cohen's criminal campaign violations for his involvement in paying off women who claimed to have had affairs with him.
In June 2017, amid a flurry of new "Witch hunt" tweets aimed at Rosenstein and Mueller, Trump reportedly ordered White House counsel Don McGahn to have Mueller fired.
The following month Trump complained publicly about what he called Mueller's conflicts of interest and out-of-control investigation and refused to rule out firing him.
Trump exaggerated only a bit when he claimed last year an "Absolute right to do what I want to do with the Justice Department." And he wasn't far off in August when he said of the Mueller investigation: "I could run it if I want."
Trump can still disrupt Mueller's efforts with his power to pardon and fire.
These things can only happen if Trump and his cronies are willing to accept the political costs that they have avoided to date-costs that are much higher now than when Mueller began his investigation last May. Even if Trump decides to absorb these costs, it is too late to contain Mueller.
The truth about what happened between Russia and the Trump campaign in the 2016 election will come out.
https://www.weeklystandard.com/jack-goldsmith/a-crisis-that-hasnt-happened
In June 2017, amid a flurry of new "Witch hunt" tweets aimed at Rosenstein and Mueller, Trump reportedly ordered White House counsel Don McGahn to have Mueller fired.
The following month Trump complained publicly about what he called Mueller's conflicts of interest and out-of-control investigation and refused to rule out firing him.
Trump exaggerated only a bit when he claimed last year an "Absolute right to do what I want to do with the Justice Department." And he wasn't far off in August when he said of the Mueller investigation: "I could run it if I want."
Trump can still disrupt Mueller's efforts with his power to pardon and fire.
These things can only happen if Trump and his cronies are willing to accept the political costs that they have avoided to date-costs that are much higher now than when Mueller began his investigation last May. Even if Trump decides to absorb these costs, it is too late to contain Mueller.
The truth about what happened between Russia and the Trump campaign in the 2016 election will come out.
https://www.weeklystandard.com/jack-goldsmith/a-crisis-that-hasnt-happened
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