The ‘I’ word

In the days after two of President Donald Trump’s former insiders admitted to or were found guilty of felonies, the president’s detractors in the media rushed to declare him guilty by association and speculated on a possible impeachment. But Democrats in Congress are taking a more measured approach and counting on special counsel Robert Mueller to pave a smoother path for them to oust Trump.

“It may well be the case that the only reason Trump hasn’t been indicted is that he’s president, the leader of the free world,” tweeted David French, a conservative columnist and vocal Trump critic. Jonathan Allen, an NBC News political reporter, wrote, “There hasn’t been a darker moment for a president—or for the presidency—since Richard Nixon resigned on the verge of impeachment in 1974.”

On Tuesday, a jury found Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign chairman, guilty on eight counts of tax and bank fraud. Meanwhile, Trump’s former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, pleaded guilty to eight felony counts and claimed the president directed hush money payments to two of his alleged mistresses with the intent of influencing the 2016 presidential election. Cohen’s lawyer, Lanny Davis, tweeted: “If those payments were a crime for Michael Cohen, then why wouldn’t they be a crime for Donald Trump?”

Despite the media frenzy accusing the president of being a criminal, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called impeachment “not a priority” for Democrats. She said party leaders instead want to ensure Mueller can work unimpeded on the investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 election.

If Trump were to fire Mueller or his boss, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, congressional Democrats said they were ready to deploy an emergency contingency plan, NBC reported. They would demand floor votes on a prepared bill that would retroactively protect Mueller and his documents, though they would need Republican support. Democratic groups have also organized 933 protest rallies to ignite across the country if Trump fires Mueller.

Another threat to Mueller’s investigation reemerged Thursday when Trump said in an interview that Attorney General Jeff Sessions “never took control of the Justice Department and it’s a sort of an incredible thing.” Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation and handed oversight of it to Rosenstein, a move Trump has questioned repeatedly.

The president’s jabs at Sessions revived rumors that he wants to fire the attorney general, and Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., leaders on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said that might not be such a bad idea—after the midterm congressional elections.

“The president’s entitled to an attorney general he has faith in, somebody that’s qualified for the job, and I think there will come a time, sooner rather than later, where it will be time to have a new face and a fresh voice at the Department of Justice,” Graham told reporters Thursday. Getting rid of Sessions could give Trump more control over the Russia probe. But Sessions stood his ground Thursday, saying in a statement, “While I am attorney general, the actions of the Department of Justice will not be improperly influenced by political considerations.”

Political pundit Scott Jennings predicted this week’s news will cause voters to double down along partisan lines. Democrats hoping to secure a majority in Congress may shy away from talk of impeachment during midterms, particularly in districts where they need to sway Republican voters. Instead, Democrats may rally behind the word “scandal” by rolling out heavy-hitting ads or proposals like Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s recent anti-corruption bill. The Democrat from Massachusetts’ proposal would require presidential and vice presidential candidates to disclose eight years’ worth of tax returns, among other measures.

For now, Trump’s office protects him from indictment, though not impeachment. And Democrats will need a blue wave come November should they want to turn impeachment threats into action.

The president himself reacted to the possibility Thursday with a warning in an interview that aired on Fox & Friends: “You know, I guess it says something like high crimes and all—I don’t know how you can impeach somebody who has done a great job. If I ever got impeached, I think the market would crash, I think everybody would be very poor.”

Media blackout

New York congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez faced backlash after banning the news media from two town hall meetings on Aug. 8 and Aug. 12. A self-proclaimed democratic-socialist, Ocasio-Cortez defeated incumbent Democrat Rep. Joe Crowley in a June primary and is the favored candidate to win the district in November.

The town hall meetings were otherwise open to the public. Washington Post reporter Seung Min Kim remarked that Ocasio-Cortez could be “in for a rough time on Capitol Hill—where reporters roam freely at all hours of the day and night—if this is her attitude toward the press,” adding, “Don’t make it a public event and then ban the press.”

Ocasio-Cortez’s response did little to placate critics: “Our community is 50 percent immigrant. Folks are victims of [domestic violence], trafficking, + have personal medical issues. This town hall was designed for residents to feel safe discussing sensitive issues in a threatening political time.” She later called the press-free town hall a “non-story,” adding that future events would be open to media.

“This is alarming whether its happening on the right or the left,” New York Times reporter Jose Del Real said, comparing Ocasio-Cortez’s actions to then-candidate Donald Trump’s banning some news outlets from events during his presidential campaign. —H.P.

Other people’s money

U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., and his wife, Margaret, pleaded not guilty Thursday in San Diego to charges they illegally used his campaign account for personal expenses. The couple is accused of using more than $250,000 in campaign funds for purchases that included video games and family trips to Italy and Hawaii. A grand jury indictment alleges the Hunters led a lavish lifestyle off of political donations while overdrawing their personal bank account more than 1,100 times in seven years. Hunter’s attorney, Gregory A. Vega, says the charges stem from politically motivated pressure to tarnish Hunter before the general election.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., called the charges “deeply serious” and said Hunter would be removed from his committee assignments pending resolution of the case. Hunter finished first by a 30-point margin in a June primary and established himself as the favorite to hold onto California’s strongly Republican 50th Congressional District in San Diego and Riverside counties, where his father held the seat for many years. The California secretary of state office said there is no process in the elections code for Hunter to remove his name from the ballot, and there can be no write-in candidates for the November election. —L.L.