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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Representative Zoe Lofgren is now questioning the witnesses.
Mr Dean once again notes that Mr McGahn represents the office of the president, not Donald Trump.
Ms Vance says that the "entire set of facts is very troubling", regarding Mr Trump's repeated efforts to remove Mr Mueller early in the investigation.
Ms McQuade says there are "things other than the crime that the investigator is looking at" that could motivate a president to try and end an investigation. She notes that Bill Clinton did so as well, in order to hide an extramarital affair.
Mr Dean says there have been a "number of well done articles" that draw the connection between Trump campaign connections with Russia, and the idea of collusion.
Mr Dean also corrected a Congressman about when Nixon went to China.
Mr Dean says Mr McGahn was aware that firing the special counsel could "provoke an equivalent to the Nixon Saturday night massacre", when asked about the president calling Mr McGahn to ask him to get rid of Mr Mueller.
Noting that the president repeatedly asked Don McGahn to facilitate Robert Mueller's firing, the US attorneys say the incidents show that Mr Trump could be prosecuted for obstruction.
Ms Vance: "This conduct to me seems to have all the elements prosecutors would need to have to successfully prosecute obstruction of justice.:
Ms McQuade agreed, noting that Mr Mueller's conflict of interests Mr Trump had noted were perhaps not very serious.
Mr Dean is now recounting the so-called Saturday Night Massacre, in which Nixon asked several individuals to fire the special counsel investigating him — leading to several resignations.
The point of the Saturday Night Massacre recap: Mr Trump repeatedly asked his own staff to facilitate the firing of Mr Mueller, too. Those he asked, however, did not listen to Mr Trump's orders.
Mr Dean says that his first reaction after reading the Mueller report was that Mr McGahn acted like he took the "high road" when asked to get Mr Mueller fired.
Ms Vance says there would have been "an enormous risk" of legal response if Mr McGahn had carried through with the firing of Mr Mueller.
Mr Dean says the requests are not normal for the White House.
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