The power to confer impunity on the guilty
Be brazen and you can get away with it.
For Trump, the very public nature of his efforts to corrupt law enforcement is a key feature of those efforts, not a byproduct of them that he pathologically can’t control.
If he does it publicly, it’s no longer corruption, it’s policy.
Barr is getting restive because Trump keeps tweeting about DoJ matters even though Barr gave him a very strong hint that he should quit it.
But Trump “has told those around him he is not going to stop tweeting about the Justice Department,” the Post report continues. According to officials, “Trump considers highlighting what he sees as misconduct at the FBI and Justice Department as a good political message.”
Of course “what he sees as misconduct”=conduct inconvenient to him. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a good political message from his point of view. (Define “good”…)
There you have it: Trump can simply claim law enforcement is guilty of misconduct when it isn’t — corrupting our discourse with disinformation — which in turn justifies whatever corrupt efforts to manipulate law enforcement he sees fit to attempt.
And the only downside is the complete destruction of the DoJ and everyone’s trust in it. It’s a no-brainer.
Trump’s insight has been that unabashedly attacking and obstructing law enforcement in plain view makes it seem less shady, reverse-reinforcing his original claim that efforts to ferret out the wrongdoing he does want concealed are illegitimate.
Trump just pardoned a string of white-collar criminals and political allies, claiming they were unfairly prosecuted by the “same people” who investigated him. This reportedly came not after a serious procedural vetting of their prosecutions, but after recommendations from friends, celebrities and campaign donors.
The elite, in short. Trump professes to hate the elite but he loves his own elite.
Trump didn’t hide this. Here again the public and unabashed declaration of the power to confer impunity on the guilty — to declare the guilty innocent simply because they were investigated for wrongdoing just as he was, meaning he is one of them — is the whole point of it.
And we’re stuck with it.
I disagree on both counts. Barr is not “getting restive,” he’s putting on a public show of being restive. It’s about as meaningful as when Susan Collins professes to be troubled or concerned or whatever empty sentiment she’s feigning this week.
Nor did Barr give Trump any hint — there’s no point in hinting with Trump even if Barr wanted to. Trump’s in on the game; Barr’s statements are with permission, I would bet.
Fair enough. That was my summary of what Sargent said, but yes.
Mind you, a third possibility is that Barr is laying the groundwork for saying he quit when Trump pushes him out.
It’s a contest to see whether Trump can demand something of Barr that even Barr can’t stomach doing. Then he’ll quit/be fired. This is essentially an evolutionary process in which Trump is creating a batch of disgust-resistant of advisers and cabinet officers. Then he’ll see if he can get them to breed.
lolsob
@3, who is going to be the female side of that? The can’t all breed with Conway can they? Maybe some of them will just have to identify as women. That’ll work right?
Well, Rob, there’s always Ivanka – and the other daughter, who’s name I always forget. Tiffany?