Rachel Maddow Explains The Terrifying Maneuver Trump Could Use To Kill The Russia Investigation

While the Senate has delayed its vacation in hopes of finally passing a repeal of the Affordable Care Act, Rachel Maddow explained on Monday that when they do finally go into recess, it could spell trouble for the special counsel investigation into the Russia scandal.

As Maddow said, the Senate going into recess could give Trump the opportunity to oust Attorney General Jeff Sessions and quash the Russia investigation once and for all.

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Maddow explained:

The shortest, easiest, most direct, most unstoppable way that President Trump could get rid of Jeff Sessions in order to replace him with somebody else who could fire Bob Mueller … is for him to wait until the Senate is in recess and then fire Jeff Sessions and make a recess appointment of a new one. Make a recess appointment of a replacement attorney general and that would allow that person to serve as attorney general without Senate confirmation until, I think, 2019 – plenty of time to kill off the Bob Mueller investigation, in any case. 

As Trump’s public rhetoric toward Sessions continues to get increasingly negative, it appears the president is doing his best to push the current attorney general toward the exit door.

If Trump is successful in doing so and is able to choose a replacement who will do his bidding, we could see a situation unfold in which Trump’s new attorney general fires Special Counsel Robert Mueller – and the Russia investigation, for all intents and purposes, would be doomed.

As Maddow also noted on Monday, one way to avoid this scenario would be for Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to keep the Senate from technically going into recess like he did during President Obama’s time in the White House.

But in an age when Republicans have completely sold out to this dangerous president, it’s hard to imagine they will suddenly find their spines now.

If this frightening scenario does end up playing out, it’s highly likely that Republicans would just roll over and let it happen.

Sean Colarossi

Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.