Tuesday 6 February 2018

Can the US president be above the law?

This could be the shortest blog ever. For the answer to the question in the heading is simply "NO". How can the president of a western democratic country be immune from the law? If he or she was above the law, it would make a mockery of democracy. So Donald Trump, whether he has violated the rule of law or not, he has to be judged based on all the relevant facts. He can't just fire Robert Mueller, the special counsel, and expect to carry on as normal as if nothing has happened. Whether or not he has obstructed justice in the Russia collusion inquiry, it's a matter for the Justice Department and Congress, not the White House. Richard Nixon literally broke the law by sending in his "plumbers" to burgle the Watergate offices of the Democratic party. He had to go, either by resignation, the method he chose, or by impeachment. It's possible that Mueller will come to the realisation that there's no evidence to be laid against Trump. But if he does find something that needs to be examined for potential prosecution by the Justice Department, then Trump must be like any other American citizen under the law, and of course must be assumed to be innoent unless proven guilty. The constitution does not exempt the sitting president from prosecution nor absolve him of any crime. No president can be above the law, and Trump will have to face whatever is coming his way.

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