How 3 reporters put words into DT's mouth, and have been daring him to act on them ever since.
On July 19, 2017, three NY Times reporters got DT to say Mueller would be crossing a “red line” if he investigated DT’s finances – and ever since then, reporters everywhere have been prodding DT to say that Mueller has crossed the line.
The first time a reporter asked about the “four corners,” DT said, “I don’t know.”
The second time a reporter asked about a “line beyond which" there would be “a need to dismiss” Mueller, DT didn’t answer the question.
The third time a reporter asked if Mueller’s investigating finances would be a “red line” and finally DT said, “yes.” But when asked if he would fire Mueller for going outside his charges, DT said he couldn’t answer because he didn’t think it would happen.
It seems as if the reporters WANTED DT to set up a red line. Now that Mueller is investigating his company, if DT doesn't fire him, they are going to say that he's backed down.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/19/us/politics/trump-interview-transcript.html
SCHMIDT: What do you understand to be the four corners of what Mueller [Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel in the Russia investigation] can look at, if he steps—— [crosstalk]
TRUMP: I don’t know. Nobody has contacted me about anything.
SNIP
BAKER: What would cause you — what would be the line beyond which if Mueller went, you would say, “That’s too far, we would need to dismiss him”?
TRUMP: Look, there are so many conflicts that everybody has. Then Rosenstein becomes extremely angry because of Comey’s Wednesday press conference, where he said that he would do the same thing he did a year ago with Hillary Clinton, and Rosenstein became extremely angry at that because, as a prosecutor, he knows that Comey did the wrong thing. Totally wrong thing. And he gives me a letter, O.K., he gives me a letter about Comey. And by the way, that was a tough letter, O.K. Now, perhaps I would have fired Comey anyway, and it certainly didn’t hurt to have the letter, O.K. But he gives me a very strong letter, and now he’s involved in the case. Well, that’s a conflict of interest. Do you know how many conflicts of interests there are? But then, then Comey also says that he did something in order to get the special prose— special counsel. He leaked. The reason he leaked. So, he illegally leaked.
SNIP
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. By the way, I would say, I don’t — I don’t — I mean, it’s possible there’s a condo or something, so, you know, I sell a lot of condo units, and somebody from Russia buys a condo, who knows? I don’t make money from Russia. In fact, I put out a letter saying that I don’t make — from one of the most highly respected law firms, accounting firms. I don’t have buildings in Russia. They said I own buildings in Russia. I don’t. They said I made money from Russia. I don’t. It’s not my thing. I don’t, I don’t do that. Over the years, I’ve looked at maybe doing a deal in Russia, but I never did one. Other than I held the Miss Universe pageant there eight, nine years [crosstalk].
SCHMIDT: But if he was outside that lane, would that mean he’d have to go?
[crosstalk]
HABERMAN: Would you consider——
TRUMP: No, I think that’s a violation. Look, this is about Russia. So I think if he wants to go, my finances are extremely good, my company is an unbelievably successful company. And actually, when I do my filings, peoples say, “Man.” People have no idea how successful this is. It’s a great company. But I don’t even think about the company anymore. I think about this. ’Cause one thing, when you do this, companies seem very trivial. O.K.? I really mean that. They seem very trivial. But I have no income from Russia. I don’t do business with Russia. The gentleman that you mentioned, with his son, two nice people. But basically, they brought the Miss Universe pageant to Russia to open up, you know, one of their jobs. Perhaps the convention center where it was held. It was a nice evening, and I left. I left, you know, I left Moscow. It wasn’t Moscow, it was outside of Moscow.
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.
= new reply since forum marked as read
Nixon sealed his doom when he fired the independent prosecutor. He limped along for another 10 months, but he'd created what was regarded as a constitutional crisis- 'Is the president the one person who is above the law?"
This was even more complicated because literally ten days earlier, the vice president had resigned and pled guilty to unrelated bribery charges, so the nation was without a VP, and it just seemed like everyone in the administration was corrupt (which was true of the White House contingent, at least).
One of the young assistants to Cox (the prosecutor) said that Nixon neglected to actually shut down the investigation (apparently assuming it would just end). But the young assistants kept going into the office and making copies of everything, and Nixon was forced by Congress and public opinion to appoint another prosecutor who then was able to walk right into an ongoing prosecution.
The special counsel is different than the prosecutor was back then (not as broad a mandate, I think), but one thing will hold to be the same, I think. When you fire the man investigating you, everyone assumes you're guilty.
Now Nixon -- who had just been re-elected by a huge landslide-- had broader if shallower support than Trump- no one worshipped Nixon, that's for sure. But he very rapidly lost what support he had after that. I don't know if that will happen to Trump, because his minions are so irrational. But I think one lesson is to keep saying, "An innocent man doesn't fire the prosecutor. Trump wouldn't have done that if he weren't guilty."
He's obviously scared about Mueller looking into his business affairs, and that is actually where indictments could claim his family and the stalwarts like Cohen. And there are so many possible crimes-- money laundering for international criminals? Bribing other governments? Dealing with banks under sanction? Taking bribes from oligarchs? Those would be separate and in addition to all the Russia/Putin election crimes.
Anyway, I don't want Mueller fired! But I'm sure that he's prepared his staff for that and they have all sorts of strategies. And it would take a stupid or guilty man (or both) to do what doomed Nixon. As bad as Nixon was, and as bad as Watergate was, this is worse. Trump is worse. If he fires Mueller, it's all going to come out, and perhaps even the craven GOPers will start protesting.
I hope Mueller goes more quickly now, as his time might be limited. Plus I would love to see 10 indictments a week for a few months. 