Trump vows to resist Democratic probes; 'We're fighting all the subpoenas'

[webfact]

Trump vows to resist Democratic probes; 'We're fighting all the subpoenas'

By Mark Hosenball and Susan Heavey

 

U.S. President Donald Trump reacts as he speaks at the Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride event after the release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., April 18, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump vowed on Wednesday to resist every subpoena from congressional Democrats investigating his administration, promising an all-out legal war and drawing complaints of unprecedented obstruction from Democrats.

 

Trump ordered officials not to comply with legal requests from Democrats in the House of Representatives who are conducting multiple investigations of his administration, with topics including Trump's tax returns, White House security clearances and the probe of Russian interference in U.S. politics.

 

Trump filed a lawsuit earlier this week to prevent material from being turned over to lawmakers, and on Wednesday the Justice Department rebuffed a House committee's request for an interview with an official involved in the administration’s decision to put a citizenship question on the 2020 census.

 

The department said John Gore, a deputy assistant attorney general in the Civil Rights Division, would not participate in a deposition scheduled for Thursday if he could not have a Justice Department lawyer at his side. The committee had offered to allow a lawyer to sit in a different room.

 

"We're fighting all the subpoenas," Trump told reporters at the White House.

 

Trump also promised to fight all the way to the Supreme Court against any effort by congressional Democrats to impeach him, even though the U.S. Constitution gives Congress complete authority over the impeachment process.

 

Under the Constitution, Congress is a co-equal branch of government alongside the executive branch and the judiciary.

 

But Trump has increasingly accused Democrats of conducting the Russia investigation for purely political purposes ahead of the 2020 election. He has stepped up those accusations since the release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on his probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

 

Democrats remain divided on whether to proceed with Trump's impeachment after the Russia inquiry. Trump defiantly proclaimed on Twitter that the investigation "didn't lay a glove on me."

 

"If the partisan Dems ever tried to Impeach, I would first head to the U.S. Supreme Court," the Republican president, who is seeking re-election next year, said on Twitter without offering details about what legal action he envisioned.

 

Representative Elijah Cummings, chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, said Trump and Attorney General William Barr were now openly ordering federal employees to ignore congressional subpoenas, even without any assertion of legal privilege.

 

"This is a massive, unprecedented and growing pattern of obstruction," Cummings said in a statement, warning Republicans in the administration that they could become ensnared in the legal fight if they follow White House instructions to resist.

 

'THINK VERY CAREFULLY'

"These employees and their personal attorneys should think very carefully about their own legal interests rather than being swept up in the obstruction schemes of the Trump administration," Cummings said.

 

He said the committee would gather to hear Gore's deposition on Thursday and suggested he "should be well aware of his constitutional, legal and ethical obligations to comply with a duly authorized subpoena from Congress.

 

Mueller's findings, released in a redacted report last week, detailed how Trump tried often to impede the inquiry but stopped short of concluding he had committed the crime of obstruction of justice. The report said Congress could address whether the president violated the law.

 

Mueller separately found insufficient evidence that Trump's campaign engaged in a criminal conspiracy with Russia in the 2016 presidential race.

 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic leaders have remained cautious over launching impeachment proceedings against Trump ahead of the 2020 election, although they have left the door open to such action. Others in the party's more liberal wing have demanded impeachment proceedings.

 

But Democrats have vowed to move ahead full steam with their investigations of Trump, which could produce more evidence that could be used in an impeachment proceeding.

 

The Constitution empowers Congress to remove a president from office for "treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanours." The House is given the power to impeach a president - bring formal charges - and the Senate then convenes a trial, with the senators as jurors, with a two-thirds vote needed to convict a president and remove him from office.

 

The Constitution gives no role to the Supreme Court in impeachment, though it does assign the chief justice the task of presiding over the Senate trial. Conservative John Roberts currently serves as chief justice.

 

That would not preclude Trump from proceeding with litigation to tie up the issue in the courts, despite Supreme Court precedent upholding congressional impeachment power. In 1993, the nation's top court ruled 9-0 in a case involving an impeached U.S. judge that the judiciary has no role in the impeachment process.

 

Laurence Tribe, a constitutional law professor at Harvard who has been critical of Trump, said the U.S. founding fathers had considered but ultimately scrapped the idea of allowing the Supreme Court to have any role in the impeachment process.

 

"Not even a SCOTUS filled with Trump appointees would get in the way of the House or Senate," Tribe said in a series of tweets on Wednesday.

 

Some congressional Republicans have urged the country to move forward after the Mueller report, while a few, including Senator Mitt Romney, have condemned Trump's actions. Some conservatives outside of Congress have urged congressional action in the wake of Mueller's report.

 

(Reporting by Susan Heavey, Steve Holland, Roberta Rampton and Makini Brice, Writing by John Whitesides, Editing by Andrea Ricci and Alistair Bell)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-04-25

[Tug]

That’s all Donald knows how to do it’s been his play book for years when contractors want to get payed he ties it up in court to starve them out instead of paying 

[Puchaiyank]

Just throw in the towel Don...

 

An erie silence would replace the daily Trump bashing...how refreshing...

[Thainesss]

41 minutes ago, webfact said:

But Democrats have vowed to move ahead full steam with their investigations of Trump, which could produce more evidence that could be used in an impeachment proceeding.

 

Tell ya what, if the Democrats think that they are going to win elections and be able to do any kind of legislating outside executive power and privilege after pulling these kinds of stunts against their political rivals, they are highly mistaken, and should to expect same treatment in return. 

[Jingthing]

He's acting like a dictator now. Unchartered territory. 

 

Quote

President Trump, constitutional menace

 

President Trump has embarked on a strategy of stonewalling, defiance and constitutional nihilism. With stunts such as blocking former White House counsel Donald McGahn’s testimony, he has announced that Congress is not entitled to hear from witnesses relevant to the already substantial mound of evidence of obstruction of justice nor get tax returns that the law says “shall” be turned over to Congress.

“Defying congressional subpoenas as a strategy — especially without even a colorable legal argument, and Trump has none that I can see — is surely yet another act of obstruction,” says constitutional scholar Laurence Tribe.

 

Headline and first THREE sentences only included. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/04/24/trump-constitutional-ignoramus-menace/

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, Thainesss said:

 

Tell ya what, if the Democrats think that they are going to win elections and be able to do any kind of legislating outside executive power and privilege after pulling these kinds of stunts against their political rivals, they are highly mistaken, and should to expect same treatment in return. 

Stunts? Carrying out their duty to do oversight? 

[Thainesss]

Just now, Jingthing said:

Stunts? Carrying out their duty to do oversight? 

 

I think you'll find that if the left wins the presidency (Big IF) that Republicans will need to carry out their duty to do oversight as well. 

 

I can think of quite a few Lefty politicians with questionable ethics that need a little oversight. 

[Jingthing]

Just now, Thainesss said:

 

I think you'll find that if the left wins the presidency (Big IF) that Republicans will need to carry out their duty to do oversight as well. 

 

I can think of quite a few Lefty politicians with questionable ethics that need a little oversight. 

Let's deal with the most criminally corrupt president in history first before indulging in idle threats and diversionary whataboutism. 

[Tug]

10 minutes ago, Thainesss said:

 

Tell ya what, if the Democrats think that they are going to win elections and be able to do any kind of legislating outside executive power and privilege after pulling these kinds of stunts against their political rivals, they are highly mistaken, and should to expect same treatment in return. 

Ahhh you rember Obama don’t you?faced a bit of opposition if I recall and he dident attack allies suck up to dictators or attack children and saved us from another Great Depression 

[Thainesss]

1 minute ago, Tug said:

Ahhh you rember Obama don’t you?faced a bit of opposition if I recall and he dident attack allies suck up to dictators or attack children and saved us from another Great Depression 

 

Yes, Im well aware that you guys believe Obama to be amazing. 

[Puchaiyank]

14 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Let's deal with the most criminally corrupt president in history first before indulging in idle threats and diversionary whataboutism. 

You are referring to Presidential want-to-be Hillary I presume...????

[Tug]

1 minute ago, Thainesss said:

 

Yes, Im well aware that you guys believe Obama to be amazing. 

Don’t know about that but he did inherit a mess got a good team together and saved this country from a very dangerous financial situation he faced intrenched racisism he handeled the office with dignity and no scandals and left the country better than when he started he and his family have my admiration and respect

[Chomper Higgot]

37 minutes ago, Thainesss said:

 

I think you'll find that if the left wins the presidency (Big IF) that Republicans will need to carry out their duty to do oversight as well. 

 

I can think of quite a few Lefty politicians with questionable ethics that need a little oversight. 

That would’ve refreshing, the Republicans in both houses seem to have forgotten their Constitutional duty in this and so many other respects.

[Chomper Higgot]

30 minutes ago, Thainesss said:

 

Yes, Im well aware that you guys believe Obama to be amazing. 

Well he was.

 

And his inaugural crowd was multiple times larger than that of Trump! 

[quandow]

49 minutes ago, Thainesss said:

 

I think you'll find that if the left wins the presidency (Big IF) that Republicans will need to carry out their duty to do oversight as well. 

 

I can think of quite a few Lefty politicians with questionable ethics that need a little oversight. 

I think that might be a GOOD thing all the way around. This is NOT a zero sum game - "Obama did it so why can't Trump?" - and if criminal activity has been perpetrated, NAIL them! Trump is acting like a banana republic dictator and if he's not taken to task, then the US is no longer under the rule of law.

 

And . . . what's he afraid of?

[quandow]

42 minutes ago, Thainesss said:

 

Yes, Im well aware that you guys believe Obama to be amazing. 

Not all of us. Obama was crooked as a dog's hind leg. He was just intelligent enough, educated enough, charming enough to pull off HIS crimes.

[Thainesss]

Just now, quandow said:

I think that might be a GOOD thing all the way around. This is NOT a zero sum game - "Obama did it so why can't Trump?" - and if criminal activity has been perpetrated, NAIL them! Trump is acting like a banana republic dictator and if he's not taken to task, then the US is no longer under the rule of law.

 

And . . . what's he afraid of?

 

Funny that its not a zero sum game when its the Democrats doing the political revenge.

 

And anyone that thinks any of whats going on right now is anything more than politics and revenge is very naive or willfully partisan. 

[Tug]

18 minutes ago, Thainesss said:

 

Funny that its not a zero sum game when its the Democrats doing the political revenge.

 

And anyone that thinks any of whats going on right now is anything more than politics and revenge is very naive or willfully partisan. 

In your opinion rite now Donalds instructions to his staffers to ignore subpoenas looks like obstruction to me but I’m just a simple laymen 

[quandow]

20 minutes ago, Thainesss said:

 

Funny that its not a zero sum game when its the Democrats doing the political revenge.

 

And anyone that thinks any of whats going on right now is anything more than politics and revenge is very naive or willfully partisan. 

No and no. You're STILL trying to apply the "They did it so why can't I?" argument, and we see through that. Trump broke the law, and is STILL continuing to do so by demonstrating his willful disobedience of lawful subpoenas, and this will bring him down. Nixon tried the same thing, and we all know how THAT turned out.

[quandow]

1 minute ago, Tug said:

In your opinion rite now Donalds instructions to his staffers to ignore subpoenas looks like obstruction to me but I’m just a simple laymen 

I'm not a simple layman but I play one on TV and we ALL see this is obstruction, plain and simple. These are the acts of a guilty man who is desperately trying to hide his crimes. Have you noticed that all but the most despicably loyal Republicans (Lindsey and Mitch) are strangely quiet? AND - look up what those two had to say about the Clinton impeachment and put Trump's name in instead. What's good for the goose SHOULD be good for the gander.

[LawrenceN]

4 hours ago, Thainesss said:

 

I think you'll find that if the left wins the presidency (Big IF) that Republicans will need to carry out their duty to do oversight as well. 

 

I can think of quite a few Lefty politicians with questionable ethics that need a little oversight. 

Benghazi!

[Becker]

4 hours ago, quandow said:

Not all of us. Obama was crooked as a dog's hind leg. He was just intelligent enough, educated enough, charming enough to pull off HIS crimes.

I'm sure you can provide proof for this?

[Kasane]

This guy Trump is a menace to the Constitution of US. Lets see how many of his minions get hauled to jail for refusing congressional subpoenas.

[billd766]

4 hours ago, quandow said:

Not all of us. Obama was crooked as a dog's hind leg. He was just intelligent enough, educated enough, charming enough to pull off HIS crimes.

Naturally you have all the evidence to hand and are ready to spill the beans to us all?

[jcsmith]

4 hours ago, quandow said:

Not all of us. Obama was crooked as a dog's hind leg. He was just intelligent enough, educated enough, charming enough to pull off HIS crimes.

Really? So why don't you educate us on how he was crooked. What exactly were his crimes?

This is an example of Whataboutism at it's worst.

[Kasane]

Just now, jcsmith said:

Really? So why don't you educate us on how he was crooked.

According to the right wingers Obama was crooked because he did NOT turn out to be a  birther (Trump racist card), racist, socialist, communist, Stalinist, fascist, Nazi, Pol Potist, foreigner and every other name the right could find in its vocabulary.

Right wing Senior citizens were panicked by accusations that Obama’s attempt to bring about near universal heath coverage as a threat to their own — government-run — Medicare program. 

They are mostly uneducated, gullible, and easy prey to the slick con men in their midst.

[Baerboxer]

5 hours ago, Thainesss said:

 

Tell ya what, if the Democrats think that they are going to win elections and be able to do any kind of legislating outside executive power and privilege after pulling these kinds of stunts against their political rivals, they are highly mistaken, and should to expect same treatment in return. 

 

I saw on a news site earlier that 3 Republican politicians are calling for the Clinton email case to be re-opened.

They say the decision not to prosecute her, to declare her very careless rather than negligent, was politically influenced. They also question that the lead investigator was clearly politically biased against Trump.

 

A former Secret Service agent has also revealed some interesting comments about the Clintons in a book.

 

Time to open the pop corn.

[Baerboxer]

4 hours ago, quandow said:

I'm not a simple layman but I play one on TV and we ALL see this is obstruction, plain and simple. These are the acts of a guilty man who is desperately trying to hide his crimes. Have you noticed that all but the most despicably loyal Republicans (Lindsey and Mitch) are strangely quiet? AND - look up what those two had to say about the Clinton impeachment and put Trump's name in instead. What's good for the goose SHOULD be good for the gander.

 

Indeed it should. 

 

So Clinton should have her case re-opened, the clearly politically biased FBI chief investigator should be investigated, the odd tarmac runway meeting between Bill and the then AG should be questioned as should the decision, IIRC by the FBI not AG, not to prosecute based on calling her very careless rather than grossly negligent. And all those hidden emails? What did they show about Benghazi?

 

Neither would appear to be fit to be POTUS.

[Jingthing]

"trump" is wrong about this just as he is wrong (or grossly ignorant about) on most things. Decent Americans that haven't been hopelessly infected with "trump" fandom of all political stripes need to step up now at this dark time in U.S. history and hold this criminally corrupt should-have-never-been-president to account! He thinks he is above all laws. The people need to prove him wrong or the long term consequences to American democracy will be too terrible to imagine. 

 

Quote

 

Sorry, Mr. President. Congress has every right to investigate you.

 

“THERE IS no reason to go any further, and especially in Congress,” President Trump told Post reporters Tuesday, explaining why he was preparing to stonewall congressional requests for administration documents and testimony, possibly by invoking executive privilege. “We’re fighting all the subpoenas,” Trump said on Wednesday. “These aren’t like impartial people.”

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/sorry-mr-president-congress-has-every-right-to-investigate-you/2019/04/24/ae869e9a-66cc-11e9-a1b6-b29b90efa879_story.html

 

[welovesundaysatspace]

Crooked Donnie is scared. 

 

Quote

Tell ya what, if the Democrats think that they are going to win elections and be able to do any kind of legislating outside executive power and privilege after pulling these kinds of stunts against their political rivals, they are highly mistaken, and should to expect same treatment in return. 

They would first have to find someone as corrupt, criminal, lying and incompetent as the crooked Don. Pretty much impossible; he set the bar high.