Trump news: White House 'is in fast competition' with Nixon administration on obstruction, Watergate accuser says
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Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump is facing a renewed onslaught from House Democrats, who will begin picking over the Mueller report‘s obstruction of justice evidence on Monday as the party continues to weigh up launching impeachment proceedings against the president.
The House will stage a vote on whether to hold attorney general William Barr and ex-White House adviser Don McGahn in contempt of Congress on Tuesday after the pair ignored congressional subpoenas. Meanwhile, the House Intelligence Committee will review the ramifications of 2016 Russian election hacking for national security on Wednesday.
With those actions in mind, the House Judiciary Committee heard from former Watergate witness John Dean, and former US attorneys, who repeatedly told Congress that they believe that Mr Trump had attempted to obstruct justice. If he were anyone other than the president, they said, he would have been charged with the crime.
Mr Dean, during his prepared remarks, said that the Mueller report is very similar to a "Watergate Road Map", meaning it could help the panel as it investigates Mr Trump for obstruction or collusion.
He continued to say that Mr McGahn, should he not testify before Congress, would be perpetuating a "cover up" for the president.
"I sincerely hope that Mr McGahn will voluntarily appear and testify," he said. "His silence is perpetuating an ongoing cover-up, and while his testimony will create a few political enemies, based on almost 50 years of experience I can assure him he will make far more real friends."
Mr Trump had blasted Mr Dean, and Republicans on the committee likewise questioned why he should be trusted to give testimony, since he had pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice related to the Watergate scandal in the 1970s.
The president has also threatened China with further tariffs during a phone interview with CNBC, saying the Asian nation will ultimately make a deal “because they have to”, while also warning the tech giants of Silicon Valley he could take action against them over the “discrimination” he believes he and other prominent conservatives have been subjected to.
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Mr Dean notes the last time he was before this committee was July 11, 1974.
"Clearly I am not here today as a fact witness."
Mr Dean says he accepted the invitation to provide historical analysis and context for the Mueller report in front of him.
Me Dean: "the Mueller report is to Donald Trump what the so called Watergate road map ... was to Richard Nixon."
"Special counsel Mueller has provided this committee with a road map," Mr Dean said.
Mr Dean says that the Mueller report offers "powerful" legal analysis, and said that Mr Trump "dangled" the very powerful pardon power as a tool to protect himself against the Mueller investigation.
Mr Dean says that, similarly, Richard Nixon also considered using pardon power.
Mr Dean says he spoke about pardons with Nixon, and that Nixon was aware that "it would be wrong" if he granted pardons.
Mr Dean notes that he, too, was a potential recipient of a pardon from Nixon to keep him from "breaking rank".
He recounts a moment with Nixon in which the former president realized he made a mistake by discussing "clemency" — and that Mr Dean said it was, and was likely obstruction of justice.
"I certainly hope Don McGahn is a key witness before this committee," Mr Dean said of a fellow White House counsel.
He notes that Mr McGahn's "client" is the "office of the president".
Joyce White Vance, a former US attorney from Alabama, is now speaking.
She says that there are three elements prosecutors need to prove Mr Trump obstructed justice beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
Ms Vance says that she would "have confidence" bringing a case against Donald Trump, if he were not protected by policy against bringing a legal challenge against a sitting president.
Ms Vance: "Based on my experience... I support the conclusion that more than 1,000 of my former colleagues came to and that I cosigned in a public statement last month saying that if anyone other that the president of the United States committed this conduct he would be indicted for multiple acts of obstruction of justice."
"If you or I committed this same conduct, we would have been charged by now."
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