Good Monday morning.
Here’s what is on the President’s agenda today:
- The President receives his intelligence briefing
- President Trump has lunch with the Vice President and the Secretary of Defense
- The President meets with Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum
- President Trump and First Lady Melania host Gold Star Families Memorial Day Reception
Trump letter to Mueller leaked
On Saturday, a letter from Trump campaign lawyers to witch-hunter Robert Mueller appeared in The New York Times. Highly-skilled forensic journalists pounced into action. Basically, the letter outlines the limits of the special counsel regarding the office of the presidency. The letter was sent back in January by John Dowd, a lawyer who is no longer on the Trump legal team. Politico explains:
“In a brash assertion of presidential power, the 20-page letter — sent to the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, and obtained by The New York Times — contends that the president cannot illegally obstruct any aspect of the investigation into Russia’s election meddling because the Constitution empowers him to, ‘if he wished, terminate the inquiry, or even exercise his power to pardon.’ Mr. Trump’s lawyers fear that if he answers questions, either voluntarily or in front of a grand jury, he risks exposing himself to accusations of lying to investigators, a potential crime or impeachable offense.
Of course the President is worried he will be accused of lying to investigators. The witch-hunters are the ones who decide if he’s lying. It’s a trap. Besides, it’s not clear why the special counsel needs to interview the president. Do they need information from him that no one else was able to provide? He can just submit his answers in writing. But it doesn’t look like that’s what they want. They want to go fishing.
Giuliani hits the Sunday circuit
The political celebrity class was giddy after the Trump letter was revealed, war-gaming themselves into a tizzy about hypothetical scenarios like Trump pardoning himself. But for what crime? Remember, there’s no crime at the foundation of the Mueller probe. It’s a counter-intelligence investigation, albeit one just investigating domestic folk who happened to have been involved with the Trump presidential campaign.
When Stephanopoulos asked if the president has the power to pardon himself, Giuliani said he “probably does.”
“He has no intention of pardoning himself,” said Giuliani, a former New York City mayor who is Trump’s lead attorney in negotiating an end to Mueller’s ongoing investigation. But it is a “really interesting constitutional argument: ‘Can the president pardon himself?'”
Giuliani added, “I think the political ramifications of that would be tough. Pardoning other people is one thing. Pardoning yourself is another. Other presidents have pardoned people in circumstances like this, both in their administration and sometimes the next president even of a different party will come along and pardon.”
Rudy also said that the legal team is leaning toward not having the president testify.
“Jay [Sekulow] and I want to keep an open mind. We’re leaning toward not [doing an interview],” Giuliani said on ABC’s “This Week.”
“But look, if they can convince us that it will be brief, it will be to the point, there were five or six points they have to clarify, and with that we can get this long nightmare for the American public over,” he added.
Related:
Bill Clinton says impeachment process over Russia probe would be underway if Democrat were in office
Trump Questions Why Comey, FBI Never Alerted His Campaign About Manafort Investigation
Experts split on whether Trump can pardon himself
Preet Bharara says Trump pardoning himself would be ‘almost self-executing impeachment’
Other morsels:
Portland sees bloody fighting as Antifa activists storm Patriot Prayer rally
Cops look for links after 4th fatal shooting near Phoenix
What to Know About the Bizarre Murder of the JonBenét Ramsey Expert Psychiatrist
Melania to skip summits with President Trump
Melania Trump expected to attend Gold Star event at White House
California votes to expand Medicaid to illegal aliens
House generic ballot a toss-up: poll
Dick’s Sporting Good’s pro-gun-control policies are hurting business — and the future remains bleak
YouTube Restricts ‘Offensive’ Fast Food Review
Bill Clinton: Obama Got Favorable Media Coverage Because He Is Black
Jimmy Fallon surprises Parkland students at graduation: “Don’t let anything stop you”
Police: 100s of snakes, mice in sexual abuse suspect’s home
The FBI calls Chinese spies in the US a ‘whole of society threat’
Dallas woman says she killed husband because he beat the cat
And that’s all I’ve got, now go beat back the angry mob!
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