Mueller and the Red Line

Just days after Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee declared no evidence of collusion between the Trump Campaign and Russia, news broke that Robert Mueller’s investigation has subpoenaed the Trump Organization for documents relating to Russia. The HIC conclusion has, of course, been roundly criticized as partisan and presumptive and Mueller’s subpoena suggests that there is a lot more still to learn about who knew what and when.

Especially significant is that Mueller’s subpoena “ordered the Trump Organization to hand over all records related to Russia and other topics he is investigating” [emphasis added]. As Mueller’s investigation gets closer to Trump and his finances the “red line” that Trump alluded to in his July interview with the New York Times looms large.

SCHMIDT: Last thing, if Mueller was looking at your finances and your family finances, unrelated to Russia — is that a red line?

HABERMAN: Would that be a breach of what his actual charge is?

TRUMP: I would say yeah. I would say yes…

SCHMIDT: But if he was outside that lane, would that mean he’d have to go?

TRUMP: No, I think that’s a violation. Look, this is about Russia…

HABERMAN: Would you fire Mueller if he went outside of certain parameters of what his charge is? [crosstalk]

SCHMIDT: What would you do?

[crosstalk]

TRUMP: I can’t, I can’t answer that question because I don’t think it’s going to happen.

Firing Mueller

Trump’s loathing for Robert Mueller isn’t even a secret. The President has even tried to fire Mueller on at least one occasion. Even the National Review admits that he looks guilty as hell. Trump is obsessed with the investigation, doggedly opposed to it, and prone to fits of temper when things don’t go his way.

And things are not going his way.

There are at least two bills stalled out in Congress — H.R 3771 and S. 1741 — which are intended to protect the Mueller investigation from a Trumpertantrum, but without pressure from the public, neither has much of a future. The problem is that firing Mueller would, at best, do irreparable damage to the Presidency and, at worst, trigger a constitutional crisis.

Resist!

While it would be great if Congress got its act together, in the meantime, We the People are all that’s there to pick up the slack. If Mueller is fired, public demonstrations are the best way to force Congress to act, so much so that it’s worth doing the planning in advance. Text MUELLER to 50409 or any of Resistbot’s other endpoints (see below) and the ‘bot will send you details on the protest nearest you.

Tell Congress What You Think

Signed up? Great. Now it’s time to write your Senators and Representatives. Ultimately only Congress has the power to hold the President accountable to his duties to the nation. You can tell Congress what you think about Russia, the Mueller investigation, or any other issue by texting RESIST to 50409. Or, if SMS isn’t your style, you can contact your government by talking to Resistbot on Facebook Messenger, Telegram, or Twitter.