For the Record: It is illegal for the President to ask if he is under investigation

[grantcart]

There is a very precise protocol for interactions between the President, his office and the Justice Department and the FBI.

No one in the White House is legally permitted to enquire about whether they are the subject of a case, except for the head of the White House Counsel.

Trump just admitted that he violated that protocol 3 times.

I know that it is a little bit like charging the getaway car from a bank robbery with going through a red light but still when they show him over and over saying he asked, and when he included it in Comey's firing, he is demonstrating an ignorance of the legal fire walls that they have put up to keep the President from committing obstruction of justice.

It also shows that no one in the West Wing understands it or they are afraid to explain it to him. Preibus has already been caught violating the regulation.

[FiveGoodMen]

1. Laws mean nothing whatsoever

unless they are enforced.

[PsychoBabble]

2. Clueless.

Link to tweet

Comey wasn't my fave person. I think he did some bad things. I don't think he is evil.

FIRING him was an entirely different matter. Process. Democracy. Rule of Law. Their inability to see beyond some simplistic argument that doesn't even apply says a lot. Maybe their voters are that stupid. We aren't.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

4. +1

Says it all

[nycbos]

8. What Obama or Clinton would have done is wait for the IG investigation to be completed.

Then they would have given him a face saving way to resign. Much more dignified.

They are smart enough to know the optics of firing him before would have been terrible.

[lostnfound]

3. Wait! There's evidently an untapped market for a new book: "Being President for Dummies"!

[Proud Liberal Dem]

5. I wonder

if this experience with Trump will cause more Americans to reconsider their supposed distaste for "professional politicians"? I don't know what it would have been like with Clinton as POTUS but I think that it would be difficult- if not impossible- for even the most myopic person out there to concede that we wouldn't be dealing with all of these crazy things that we've been subjected to daily from Trump and his (mis-)Administration. We could have had an Administration that was fully staffed with competent individuals running the country, promoting progressive policies, and working to solve complex problems with reasonable solutions but, no, we had to give the job of POTUS to a "successful businessman" who wasn't really all that successful nor smart but just was good at being able to avoid accountability for everything he did to take advantage.

[LiberalArkie]

9. It has mine. No wealthy business people for me ever. I don't care which party

[thesquanderer]

6. Violating a protocol is not the same as violating a law.

I'll agree with you that engaging in such communications would be a bad idea. However, I'm not sure it is illegal.

[zentrum]

7. It also means they

...feel safe. The Dems are in the minority and the Repugs have taken all the branches.

[elmac]

10. In a fascist state

only non fascists must obey laws.

[Honeycombe8]

11. I find that hard to believe. ANSWERING would be illegal. But asking? Not sure about that. nt