A Constitutional Crisis Is on the Way

[babylonsister]

A Constitutional Crisis Is on the Way
Paul Waldman
December 11, 2017
Would Trump fire Robert Mueller? You bet he would.


Remarkably, we are almost a year into Donald Trump's term as president of the United States and we haven't yet had a full-blown constitutional crisis. But it may be on its way.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation is circling the Oval Office, and the closer he gets, the more agitated President Trump and his defenders become. In response, they've begun an all-out assault on Mueller, one that could well result in Trump firing him. It's more than obvious that Trump wants to do so; the only question is how long the relatively sane people around him who appreciate the consequences of such a move can hold him back.

They surely know that Trump firing Mueller would not only be a political disaster for him but would plunge the government into its most serious crisis in decades, with a president moving to shut down an investigation into his own wrongdoing. In order to do it, Trump would have to create his own version of Richard Nixon's Saturday Night Massacre, in which he moved to fire Archibald Cox, who was investigating the Watergate scandal.

Since Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation, the only one with the authority to fire Mueller is Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who has made clear he understands that he is only allowed to fire Mueller for cause, not simply because the president doesn't like being investigated. So Trump would probably have to fire Rosenstein, then order the next person in line to fire Mueller, and if she didn't, he could keep firing people on down the line (there's a good explanation of all that here).

It would be an incredibly dramatic crisis, one that would almost certainly involve many of Trump's closest aides begging him to stop before he created ample justification for impeachment. Until now they've succeeded in restraining him. How long can they keep it up?

more...

http://prospect.org/article/constitutional-crisis-on-way

[TBA]

1. There will be no crisis if the Republicans just sweep it under the rug.

So he fires Mueller. I bet the R's do nothing. Not jack shit.

My .02.

[Irish_Dem]

3. Yes, they will just say, "nothing to see here folks, just move on."

And everyone, for the "good of the country" will just look the other way.

Just like the illegal Iraqi War and deliberate crashing of the economy by Bush.

[Johnny2X2X]

2. One came and went

The writers and pundits are so late to the game they might as well be historians. We had a crisis, Trump and his buddies used propaganda to distract us from it and they consolidated their power.

Anything that isn't an obituary to American Democracy is simply reporting that the Titanic has sunk.

People have no idea how bad this country is right now, we lost, fascists now control and run our country. Roy Moore will win tonight because of propaganda and/or fascist control of the elections.

[kentuck]

4. In my opinion, Democrats should not wait until it happens...

They should be making allies with a few sensible Republicans to preserve the Special Counsel and be ready to put in another person, or re-appoint Mueller as an Independent Counsel, unable to be fired by Pig Trump.

It is very possible that this is the direction we are headed, as far as a constitutional crisis is concerned.

There is no doubt but that Trump will do anything to protect himself.

[Qutzupalotl]

5. Rosensteins replacement would have to be willing to take

an obstruction charge for the team in order to fire Mueller. Possible, but unlikely.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

6. Talk about riots in the streets.......

And marches, protests, Republicans will be afraid to be seen in public forums with constituents as to why they are not holding Donald Trump to account. Voters are not going to put up with that.

[bluestarone]

11. I hope every word

you spoke HAPPENS if the need comes

[jalan48]

7. I agree and it fits with Trump's actions up to this point.

[kairos12]

8. I agree. I just think the Reich Wing will look

the other way. The stealing of a SCOTUS last year showed their true colors. All past norms and laws are gone.

[kentuck]

9. A few Democrats should join Corker, Flake, Collins, and whatever other Republicans they can find...

..and hold a special news conference to warn Trump that they would not tolerate such an action and they have the votes to continue the investigation.

[RandomAccess]

10. TBH, a Constitutional Crisis

has been on the calendar since Trump's "election," if not before, such as when Russia got involved deeply and effectively enough to create his Presidency.