With Special Counsel Robert Mueller now drawing ever closer to the Oval Office, President Donald Trump is looking for a way to subvert and short-circuit the Russia investigation. Will he fire Mueller? Or might he begin pardoning everyone who has pled guilty and is now cooperating with Mueller’s team?
On his way to visit the FBI Friday morning, Trump was asked if he might indeed pardon former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who entered a guilty plea on a count of lying to federal authorities earlier this month. His response sounds like he’s open to the idea:
“I don’t want to talk about pardons for Michael Flynn yet. We’ll see what happens. Let’s see.”
The problem for Trump is that in the two weeks since Flynn entered his plea, he may well have already told Mueller everything he needs to know in order to charge Trump and other members of the administration. A pardon cannot erase that evidence.
Trump was also asked when he first knew that Flynn had indeed lied to the FBI. To that, Trump remarked:
“You know the answer. How many times has that question been asked?”
It may have been asked, but it hasn’t yet been asked of Trump while he’s under oath and subject to perjury charges.
The irony of Trump’s visit to the FBI cannot be overstated. He repeatedly says the agency is in shambles and cannot be trusted. He even took cheap shots at federal agents before he boarded Marine One, commenting:
“I can say this, when you look at what’s going on with the FBI and with the Justice Department, people are very, very angry.”
What people is he referring to? The subjects of the Russia probe and his political allies in Congress? If Trump has nothing to hide, why does he continually try to undermine the very agencies investigating crimes against this country?
Featured Image Via Wikimedia/Public Domain.
