The ranking member of the House committee investigating Russia, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), put an end to Trump’s dreams of firing special counsel Robert Mueller by letting the President know that if he fires Mueller, Congress will reappoint him.
After the news broke that Trump is seriously considering terminating the special counsel, Schiff tweeted:
If President fired Bob Mueller, Congress would immediately re-establish independent counsel and appoint Bob Mueller. Don't waste our time.
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) June 12, 2017
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Terminating Robert Mueller would be the dumbest move that Trump could make, so of course, this president is considering it. If Trump fires Mueller, the Russia scandal will blow up and get even bigger overnight. Trump would unleash a mushroom cloud of scandal that would consume all of DC if he tried to get rid of the special counsel.
Trump can’t fire his way out of the Russia scandal. The fact that Trump is seriously considering firing Mueller makes him look guilty of obstruction of justice.
This playbook didn’t work for Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal, and it isn’t going to work for Donald Trump.
Rep. Schiff’s warning was a reminder that a president doesn’t have unlimited executive power, and if Trump crosses the line by terminating the special counsel, Congress will be there to smack him down.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
