Robert Mueller May Be Treading on Thin Ice

Ron Sachs/CNP via ZUMA

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National Review’s Rich Lowry writes today that “if Jared or Don Jr. made the same mistake as Michael Flynn and didn’t tell the truth to FBI agents,” Trump would most likely pardon them. Then he says this:

But if Mueller starts going after Trump’s finances, it’s hard to see any solution from Trump’s perspective other than firing Mueller — and that would be an enormously consequential act that would probably rock his presidency to its foundations. The latest news, by the way, is that Mueller has subpoenaed Deutsche bank records.

I don’t want to read too much into what might just be careless wording, but I’m struck by the lack of the word if. Lowry doesn’t say “if Trump has engaged in illegal financial actions,” he merely assumes that if Mueller starts investigating Trump’s finances, the jig is up.

As it happens, I’d make the same assumption. I doubt very much that Trump could stand up to even some modest digging into his finances. But is that assumption now more or less universal, even among conservatives?

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BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

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