Exclusive: Trump lawyer claims the "President cannot obstruct justice"

[workinclasszero]

Exclusive: Trump lawyer claims the "President cannot obstruct justice"
Mike Allen, Axios 4 hrs ago

John Dowd, President Trump's outside lawyer, outlined to me a new and highly controversial defense/theory in the Russia probe: A president cannot be guilty of obstruction of justice.

The "President cannot obstruct justice because he is the chief law enforcement officer under [the Constitution's Article II] and has every right to express his view of any case," Dowd claims.

Dowd says he drafted this weekend's Trump tweet that many thought strengthened the case for obstruction: The tweet suggested Trump knew Flynn had lied to the FBI when he was fired, raising new questions about the later firing of FBI Director James Comey.

Dowd: "The tweet did not admit obstruction. That is an ignorant and arrogant assertion."
Why it matters: Trump's legal team is clearly setting the stage to say the president cannot be charged with any of the core crimes discussed in the Russia probe: collusion and obstruction. Presumably, you wouldn't preemptively make these arguments unless you felt there was a chance charges are coming.

https://www.axios.com/exclusive-trump-lawyer-claims-the-president-cannot-obstruct-justice-2514742663.html

[Eyeball_Kid]

1. Oh. The president is above the law because he's the chief law enforcer.

Fantastic.

This goes without saying that Dowd will likely lose his law license over his covering up for Trumpy's indictable tweet. Dowd is blowing smoke up his own ass. Yes, he's quite the rhetorical contortionist.

GOP consultant Rick Wilson produced a film that will be released next month. It's roughly titled, "Everything Trump Touches Dies." In this case, what will die is Dowd's license to practice law.

[workinclasszero]

5. Funny the republicans never claimed the President was above the law when Obama, Clinton, Carter,

LBJ, Kennedy, Truman, FDR............was President.

[PJMcK]

2. Will Trump fire Dowd?

From what I've been reading, Dowd's attempt to cover for Trump's incriminating tweet has put Dowd in legal jeopardy and he may be suspended or even disbarred.

Because of the ham-fisted handling of the revealing tweet, Trump is now in even more trouble. Dowd's not a very good lawyer.

[Yonnie3]

3. Oh, the irony. It burns.

Dowd: "... That is an ignorant and arrogant assertion."

[workinclasszero]

6. IKR?

[Kablooie]

4. Sounds kind of like a Hail Mary play.

Already. Before any charges have been filed.

[smirkymonkey]

7. This guy is just making shit up as he goes along.

Where did he go to law school? Trump University?

[Gothmog]

8. Nixon has been reincarnated

[workinclasszero]

10. Hail to the thief pt 2

[Denzil_DC]

9. They're tying themselves in knots, but brace for accusations that "Obama did it too".

That's been a drumbeat to that tune for quite a while, such as:

"Obama guilty of obstruction of justice, not Loretta Lynch?" - http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/5469259275001/?#sp=show-clips

"7 Times The Obama Administration Obstructed Justice" - http://www.dailywire.com/news/17482/7-times-obama-administration-obstructed-justice-ben-shapiro

"Next up: a special counsel to probe Team Obama’s obstruction of justice" - https://nypost.com/2017/06/20/next-up-a-special-counsel-to-probe-team-obamas-obstruction-of-justice/

That grunting and squeaking you can hear is the goalposts being hurriedly shifted.

[workinclasszero]

11. Well if they got a case (LOL) BRING IT rethugs!

Mueller has a case against the beast in the white house, and he is gonna bring it SOON!