Donald Trump thinks that his Attorney General, William Barr, has cleared him of all charges of collusion from special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. It doesn’t matter that Barr is serving as Trump’s personal lawyer instead of serving the people of the United States — Trump has claimed victory, and almost immediately started gloating.
He also has renewed his war on the anti-Trump media, according to a new report in Axios. And he is seeking vengeance, demanding that his critics be punished.
Trump still claims (despite Mueller’s large number of indictments, guilty pleas and convictions) that the Mueller probe was a witch hunt and a waste of taxpayer money.
So now Trump wants to punish people he perceives are his enemies because they objectively reported on the nearly two-year Mueller investigation.
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Trump called for an investigation of his critics and cast himself as a victim within an hour of learning Mueller’s findings.
“Aides say Trump plans to … call for organizations to fire members of the media and former government officials who he believes made false accusations about him,†the Washington Post reported.
Barr’s summary letter says that Mueller did not find evidence that anyone in the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government. Barr also says that Mueller wrote that he did not conclude Trump committed a crime, but he made clear his findings did not exonerate Trump of any crimes either.
Trump supporters are now claiming that Barr’s letter on the Mueller report represents a huge political win for the president. It is certain that Trump will now use the summary of Mueller’s findings to cast doubt on Democratic investigations in the House.
So of course Trump and his allies are now calling for investigations of the investigators. And they are ready to attack anyone in the media who they think is not properly supportive.
For example:
- Don Jr., the president’s eldest son, tweeted: “How this farce started and snowballed … into one the greatest hoaxes ever perpetrated on the America should be discovered. Those responsible should be held accountable.”
- Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, said: “The public deserves to see the interviews, documents, and intelligence that ‘justified’ this investigation in the first place.”
- And Rudy Giuliani said on Fox News: “There has to be a full and complete investigation, with at least as much enthusiasm as this one, to figure out where did this charge emanate, who started it, and who paid for it.”
Trump is Acting Like an Autocratic Dictator
We have previously reported that Fox News operates similarly to state-run media in countries that have no freedom of the press, such as Russia.
It is one thing for Donald Trump to attack the media, and to try to destroy their credibility. It is another thing to demand that his media critics be punished.
The aftermath of William Barr’s biased letter, which supposedly summarized the Mueller investigation, proves that Donald Trump continues to be a major threat to democracy in America. His attacks on the media prove that he is a threat to the freedoms that we hold most dear.
Every day that Donald Trump remains in office the threat to America increases.
There are many people and organizations who have the power to limit Donald Trump’s influence and power. We have a system of checks and balances in this country that is designed to do just that.
It is now more important than ever that Democrats in the House of Representatives step forward to challenge Donald Trump and his autocratic ways.
It is also more important than ever that the FBI and U.S. intelligence agencies come forward with the facts of their investigations so that the truth can come out. And when they do that, the power of Donald Trump will disappear, along with all of his lies.
I am a lifelong Democrat with a passion for social justice and progressive issues. I have degrees in writing, economics and law from the University of Iowa.
