What Will It Take To Stop The Tweets?
Yesterday a leak from Robert Mueller’s “collusion” investigation indicated the Mueller and his “non partisan” investigatory team are now looking at President Donald Trump’s tweets. The motivation is, of course, to support the contention that Trump tried to obstruct justice in the Michael Flynn investigation and in the firing of former FBI Director James Comey.
This is very disheartening because, even though I believe that firing the corrupt, partisan and criminal Comey was a very GOOD thing for America, Trump’s tweets about it DO provide ammunition for Mueller to use against him. And, the most frustrating thing about this is that those tweets were completely UNNECESSARY. Trump already had a signed letter from Rod Rosenstein recommending Comey’s dismissal. All that President Trump had to do is to cite that letter as reason enough for terminating Comey, and that would have been the end of it. Unfortunately, Trump chose to tweet that he “was going to fire him (Comey) ANYWAY”! Although I suspect that this ill considered tweet was simply macho posturing, it could, never-the-less, come back to haunt him.
In a strange recent legal trend, district courts seem to be focusing on the putative “motivation” behind actions of the executive branch to determine the constitutionality, or lack thereof, of those actions, rather than on the actions themselves. Motivation in this type of a situation SHOULDN’T, of course, matter, as the executive orders speak for themselves. None-the-less, it appears that activist judges are using this strategy, with mixed results, to “push back” against the President’s agenda. And they are doing this despite the fact that determining an individual’s “motivation” in a situation like this is hardly straightforward and is likely to be quite SUBJECTIVE and quite dependent of the JUDGE’S MOTIVATION! Taking his inspiration from some of the district court proceedings, however, it looks like Mueller will try to use Mr. Trump’s tweets in a similar strategy to argue that he was trying to obstruct justice.
Which brings me to a position that, I think, all but the most ardent Trump supporters now hold, either openly or in private, that Mr. Trump must STOP TWEETING IMMEDIATELY, and should also arrange to have the majority of his press communications go through a “filter” such as the excellent Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Mr. Trump’s tweets and ill considered press briefings, do NOTHING to help him or advance his cause, and do EVERYTHING to energize and weaponize his adversaries. And, despite a VERY successful first term in office (along MANY parameters), these tweets may reduce his chances for reelection.
Now, I think that it is probably fair to admit that Trump’s core supporters are NOT dissuaded by his tweets and candid remarks. They will support him no mater WHAT he tweets and what he says “shooting from the hip”. They will support him unconditionally because they know that his agenda of reforms is vital to our nation’s future. The way a Wall Street Journal writer put it, quoting something that his own son said in reference to President Trump: “I disagree with everything he says, but agree with everything he does”. Trump’s core supporters will support him REGARDLESS of what he tweets or says.
HOWEVER, independents, now the single largest American voting block, may not be as loyal. And, independents will be crucial to Trump’s reelection for the simple reason that there aren’t enough core supporters for Mr. Trump to win reelection. If the Democrats can fool the independents again (with clever rhetoric and massive media support), Trump will become a one term president, and that would be a trajedy for our fair land.
Which is why it is ESSENTIAL that Mr. Trump NOT give the left ammunition with ill considered tweets and “off the cuff” remarks. WHAT WILL IT TAKE to get him to stop? Mueller’s investigation? Impeachment? Loss of a second term? I HOPE that we don’t have to find out.