"This revelation shows us just how close we were, and still are, to a true constitutional crisis that could threaten our democracy," argued Noah Bookbinder of Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility in Washington. (Photo: Alex Wong)
Jan 26, 2018
For months, President Donald Trump has fervently denied every suggestion that he has considered firing special counsel Robert Mueller, but a new report on Thursday revealed that Trump hasn't merely pondered firing Mueller--he actually ordered the termination last June, only to back down after chief White House lawyer Donald McGahn threatened to quit rather than comply.
"This revelation shows us just how close we were, and still are, to a true constitutional crisis that could threaten our democracy."
--Noah Bookbinder, CREW
According to the New York Times, Trump first told McGahn over the summer to ask the Justice Department--headed by Trump appointee and loyalist Attorney General Jeff Sessions--to dismiss Mueller "amid the first wave of news media reports" suggesting that the special counsel is compiling a possible obstruction of justice case against the president.
Trump reportedly suggested that Mueller should be fired over "conflicts of interest that disqualified him from overseeing the investigation," the Times notes, including an alleged "dispute" in 2011 that caused Mueller to cancel his membership at Trump's Virginia golf club. (McGahn didn't buy Trump's case.)
While multiple outlets confirmed the Times' original scoop on the president's order, Trump on Friday denied it publicly.
Ethics experts and activists who have warned for months that Trump is getting closer to firing Mueller--particularly as he begins to probe Trump's sprawling business empire--seized upon Thursday's report as further proof of "just how close we were, and still are, to a true constitutional crisis."
\u201c2/6 A president firing the person tasked with investigating him -- particularly a prosecutor with impeccable bipartisan credentials, vast law enforcement experience, & quick success on this investigation -- would look alarmingly like a step toward authoritarianism.\u201d— Noah Bookbinder (@Noah Bookbinder) 1516935943
\u201c6/6 But more to the point, this revelation shows us just how close we were, and still are, to a true constitutional crisis that could threaten our democracy. We must be clear that firing Mueller is a corrupt & catastrophic step that our country will not tolerate.\u201d— Noah Bookbinder (@Noah Bookbinder) 1516935943
Former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti argued in response to the Times report that Trump's order to fire Mueller will greatly bolster any obstruction of justice case against the president.
"The fact that Trump came up with his own excuses to fire Mueller suggests that he knew that firing Mueller in order to end the Russia investigation was unlawful but he wanted to fire him anyway," Mariotti wrote on Twitter late Thursday. "That's really powerful evidence for Mueller."
\u201c12/ Even more importantly, Trump tried to fire Mueller *after* he knew he was under investigation for obstructing justice and heard a lot of legal analysis and commentary discussing the potential illegality of his actions.\u201d— Renato Mariotti (@Renato Mariotti) 1516932625
\u201c15/ Altogether, this is strong evidence that greatly helps Mueller\u2019s case against Trump. Some have speculated that McGahn leaked this story. If he did, why? Could he be trying to curry favor with Mueller? Presumably Mueller knows the facts underlying this story already.\u201d— Renato Mariotti (@Renato Mariotti) 1516933028
As Common Dreams has reported, activist groups have planned a mass, nationwide protest in the case that Trump succeeds in firing Mueller.
Ben Wikler, Washington director of MoveOn.org--one of the many groups that has participated in planning the mobilization--reiterated the importance of taking to the streets if the special counsel is ousted.
\u201cReminder: If Trump actually follows through with his plan and fires Mueller, we take to the streets. Find the nearest protest in advance and join 183,000 people who've pre-RSVP'd right here: https://t.co/ILB6eE4oGH\u201d— Ben Wikler (@Ben Wikler) 1516936480
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
For months, President Donald Trump has fervently denied every suggestion that he has considered firing special counsel Robert Mueller, but a new report on Thursday revealed that Trump hasn't merely pondered firing Mueller--he actually ordered the termination last June, only to back down after chief White House lawyer Donald McGahn threatened to quit rather than comply.
"This revelation shows us just how close we were, and still are, to a true constitutional crisis that could threaten our democracy."
--Noah Bookbinder, CREW
According to the New York Times, Trump first told McGahn over the summer to ask the Justice Department--headed by Trump appointee and loyalist Attorney General Jeff Sessions--to dismiss Mueller "amid the first wave of news media reports" suggesting that the special counsel is compiling a possible obstruction of justice case against the president.
Trump reportedly suggested that Mueller should be fired over "conflicts of interest that disqualified him from overseeing the investigation," the Times notes, including an alleged "dispute" in 2011 that caused Mueller to cancel his membership at Trump's Virginia golf club. (McGahn didn't buy Trump's case.)
While multiple outlets confirmed the Times' original scoop on the president's order, Trump on Friday denied it publicly.
Ethics experts and activists who have warned for months that Trump is getting closer to firing Mueller--particularly as he begins to probe Trump's sprawling business empire--seized upon Thursday's report as further proof of "just how close we were, and still are, to a true constitutional crisis."
\u201c2/6 A president firing the person tasked with investigating him -- particularly a prosecutor with impeccable bipartisan credentials, vast law enforcement experience, & quick success on this investigation -- would look alarmingly like a step toward authoritarianism.\u201d— Noah Bookbinder (@Noah Bookbinder) 1516935943
\u201c6/6 But more to the point, this revelation shows us just how close we were, and still are, to a true constitutional crisis that could threaten our democracy. We must be clear that firing Mueller is a corrupt & catastrophic step that our country will not tolerate.\u201d— Noah Bookbinder (@Noah Bookbinder) 1516935943
Former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti argued in response to the Times report that Trump's order to fire Mueller will greatly bolster any obstruction of justice case against the president.
"The fact that Trump came up with his own excuses to fire Mueller suggests that he knew that firing Mueller in order to end the Russia investigation was unlawful but he wanted to fire him anyway," Mariotti wrote on Twitter late Thursday. "That's really powerful evidence for Mueller."
\u201c12/ Even more importantly, Trump tried to fire Mueller *after* he knew he was under investigation for obstructing justice and heard a lot of legal analysis and commentary discussing the potential illegality of his actions.\u201d— Renato Mariotti (@Renato Mariotti) 1516932625
\u201c15/ Altogether, this is strong evidence that greatly helps Mueller\u2019s case against Trump. Some have speculated that McGahn leaked this story. If he did, why? Could he be trying to curry favor with Mueller? Presumably Mueller knows the facts underlying this story already.\u201d— Renato Mariotti (@Renato Mariotti) 1516933028
As Common Dreams has reported, activist groups have planned a mass, nationwide protest in the case that Trump succeeds in firing Mueller.
Ben Wikler, Washington director of MoveOn.org--one of the many groups that has participated in planning the mobilization--reiterated the importance of taking to the streets if the special counsel is ousted.
\u201cReminder: If Trump actually follows through with his plan and fires Mueller, we take to the streets. Find the nearest protest in advance and join 183,000 people who've pre-RSVP'd right here: https://t.co/ILB6eE4oGH\u201d— Ben Wikler (@Ben Wikler) 1516936480
For months, President Donald Trump has fervently denied every suggestion that he has considered firing special counsel Robert Mueller, but a new report on Thursday revealed that Trump hasn't merely pondered firing Mueller--he actually ordered the termination last June, only to back down after chief White House lawyer Donald McGahn threatened to quit rather than comply.
"This revelation shows us just how close we were, and still are, to a true constitutional crisis that could threaten our democracy."
--Noah Bookbinder, CREW
According to the New York Times, Trump first told McGahn over the summer to ask the Justice Department--headed by Trump appointee and loyalist Attorney General Jeff Sessions--to dismiss Mueller "amid the first wave of news media reports" suggesting that the special counsel is compiling a possible obstruction of justice case against the president.
Trump reportedly suggested that Mueller should be fired over "conflicts of interest that disqualified him from overseeing the investigation," the Times notes, including an alleged "dispute" in 2011 that caused Mueller to cancel his membership at Trump's Virginia golf club. (McGahn didn't buy Trump's case.)
While multiple outlets confirmed the Times' original scoop on the president's order, Trump on Friday denied it publicly.
Ethics experts and activists who have warned for months that Trump is getting closer to firing Mueller--particularly as he begins to probe Trump's sprawling business empire--seized upon Thursday's report as further proof of "just how close we were, and still are, to a true constitutional crisis."
\u201c2/6 A president firing the person tasked with investigating him -- particularly a prosecutor with impeccable bipartisan credentials, vast law enforcement experience, & quick success on this investigation -- would look alarmingly like a step toward authoritarianism.\u201d— Noah Bookbinder (@Noah Bookbinder) 1516935943
\u201c6/6 But more to the point, this revelation shows us just how close we were, and still are, to a true constitutional crisis that could threaten our democracy. We must be clear that firing Mueller is a corrupt & catastrophic step that our country will not tolerate.\u201d— Noah Bookbinder (@Noah Bookbinder) 1516935943
Former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti argued in response to the Times report that Trump's order to fire Mueller will greatly bolster any obstruction of justice case against the president.
"The fact that Trump came up with his own excuses to fire Mueller suggests that he knew that firing Mueller in order to end the Russia investigation was unlawful but he wanted to fire him anyway," Mariotti wrote on Twitter late Thursday. "That's really powerful evidence for Mueller."
\u201c12/ Even more importantly, Trump tried to fire Mueller *after* he knew he was under investigation for obstructing justice and heard a lot of legal analysis and commentary discussing the potential illegality of his actions.\u201d— Renato Mariotti (@Renato Mariotti) 1516932625
\u201c15/ Altogether, this is strong evidence that greatly helps Mueller\u2019s case against Trump. Some have speculated that McGahn leaked this story. If he did, why? Could he be trying to curry favor with Mueller? Presumably Mueller knows the facts underlying this story already.\u201d— Renato Mariotti (@Renato Mariotti) 1516933028
As Common Dreams has reported, activist groups have planned a mass, nationwide protest in the case that Trump succeeds in firing Mueller.
Ben Wikler, Washington director of MoveOn.org--one of the many groups that has participated in planning the mobilization--reiterated the importance of taking to the streets if the special counsel is ousted.
\u201cReminder: If Trump actually follows through with his plan and fires Mueller, we take to the streets. Find the nearest protest in advance and join 183,000 people who've pre-RSVP'd right here: https://t.co/ILB6eE4oGH\u201d— Ben Wikler (@Ben Wikler) 1516936480
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.