This morning, President Trump took to Twitter and ranted about how he has the power to pardon himself for any of the wrongdoing that Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation might accuse him of once their tireless work finally comes to an end.
As has been stated by numerous legal scholars, I have the absolute right to PARDON myself, but why would I do that when I have done nothing wrong? In the meantime, the never ending Witch Hunt, led by 13 very Angry and Conflicted Democrats (& others) continues into the mid-terms!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 4, 2018
The president’s declaration is as much an admission of guilt as it is a warning shot across the bow of American democracy – indeed, Mr. Trump, why even bring it up at all if you’re innocent?
Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts laid down the law with his retort, reminding him of a critical Department of Justice legal counsel from the Nixon era which declared that the President cannot pardon himself while poking fun at the President for his humiliatingly poor attention span:
No, you don’t.
“Under the fundamental rule that no one may be a judge in his own case, the President cannot pardon himself,” – DOJ Office of Legal Counsel, 4 days before Nixon resigned. I know you have attention span problems, but it’s the first sentence: https://t.co/bJj9i7BkSI https://t.co/IyH3lyehHU
— Ed Markey (@SenMarkey) June 4, 2018
He was joined by a host of other prominent and deeply concerned Democrats who took to Twitter to respond to the President’s latest salvo – some with snark and others with facts.
All the tweeting in the world will not change the fact that the President is not above the law. https://t.co/pydZvWRl7u
— Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (@SenatorShaheen) June 4, 2018
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) — the next potential House Judiciary chairman — on Trump's pardon tweet: "President Trump is wrong." pic.twitter.com/dj7JCdWUHM
— Shane Goldmacher (@ShaneGoldmacher) June 4, 2018
Mr. President – you are 0 for 2 on the Constitution this morning. https://t.co/VMkzfaJdpI
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) June 4, 2018
The Special Counsel investigation has secured guilty pleas or indicted 19 individuals and three companies. Three former Trump aides have already pled guilty. https://t.co/fkGWOoYDon
— Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) June 4, 2018
While these messages are sure to have little effect on the President and his lawyers’ pernicious plans, it’s important that the public understands that nobody, not even President Trump, is above the law – and that we’re not going to be laying down and allowing him to run roughshod over our Constitution without a fight.
