Can An Illegitimate President Commit Obstruction Of Justice And Pardon Himself?....

[global1]

I think Mueller should push back on Trump's lawyers letter that says he can do anything and get away with it if he's president and Mueller should start claiming that Trump is an illegitimate president.

[onenote]

1. Not going to happen.

Mueller would never, nor should he ever, suggest Trump is an illegitimate president. That is not the role of a prosecutor, particularly one who has not brought any charges that would go to the legitimacy of Trump's presidency and not something Mueller, who undoubtedly understands our Constitutional system better than those who think Trump's presidency could somehow be declared illegitimate, would do.

[global1]

2. Then Who Could?....

Trump and his team of lawyers need to be put on the defensive. So far they've been taking the tact that 'the best defense is a good offense'. Now the other side needs to get on the offensive.

[PJMcK]

4. Patience, global1

The professionalism that Robert Mueller has demonstrated in his investigation is starkly contrasted by the buffoonish and mendacious behavior of Trump and his defenders.

So far, Mr. Mueller has secured pleas and filed indictments of many people and organizations. You know there's going to be much more before he's finished.

The key thing to remember is that Mr. Mueller is required to report to Acting Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. He is not supposed to report to the media. Since Trump really has no idea what the Special Counsel is doing, all Trump can do is swing wildly hoping to land a punch. Not to strain the analogy but Mr. Mueller isn't even in the ring.

Ultimately, Trump and his lawyers are on defense. They know they have huge problems and their only weapon is screaming at the media. Meanwhile, the gears of justice grind onward.

Each day, I hope for a new set of indictments from Mr. Mueller. I comfort myself with the knowledge that if he's still digging, he hasn't finished and that means more heads on pikes.

[unblock]

3. he's not illegitimate in the legal sense. in every other sense, sure.

in any event, if a president were to self-pardon, even if the surpeme court upheld that he had the power to do that, i would consider that inherently an act of obstruction of justice.

he could then issue another pardon for that act of obstruction of justice, but then that act would be another act of obstruction of justice.

he could keep pardoning himself but the last pardon would always remain, unless a subsequent president pardoned him.


but in reality, there's no such thing as a self-pardon. there's zero way the framers intended to hand the president such a ridiculous power of tyranny.