Behind The Scenes, Dems Ready Protests And Legislation In Case Trump Ends Mueller Probe

speaks during the Women's March "Power to the Polls" voter registration tour launch at Sam Boyd Stadium on January 21, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Demonstrators across the nation gathered over the weekend, one year after the historic Women's March on Washington, D.C., to protest President Donald Trump's administration and to raise awareness for women's issues.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JANUARY 21: (L-R) Women's March Co-Chairwomen Bob Bland, Carmen Perez, Linda Sarsour and Tamika D. Mallory speak during the Women's March "Power to the Polls" voter registration tour launch at Sam Bo... LAS VEGAS, NV - JANUARY 21: (L-R) Women's March Co-Chairwomen Bob Bland, Carmen Perez, Linda Sarsour and Tamika D. Mallory speak during the Women's March "Power to the Polls" voter registration tour launch at Sam Boyd Stadium on January 21, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Demonstrators across the nation gathered over the weekend, one year after the historic Women's March on Washington, D.C., to protest President Donald Trump's administration and to raise awareness for women's issues. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Democrats are ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice should President Donald Trump make a decisive move to end Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe, according to a Wednesday NBC report.

The national mobilization would be triggered by Trump firing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein or pardoning witnesses in the investigation.

Contingency actions include protecting Mueller’s documents from destruction and team from disbanding, Democrats in both chambers of Congress immediately demanding legislation to retroactively protect Mueller’s work and hundreds of rallies drawing hundreds of thousands of people breaking out across the country.

Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) told NBC that Democratic lawmakers have quietly been collecting a list of sympathetic Republicans who would come to their aide if Trump crossed the Rubicon.

Plans have reportedly also been made in the case of a Saturday Night Massacre-type situation, where Trump has to go through multiple officials before he lands on one willing to fire Mueller. In another Watergate parallel, Democrats plan to hold obstruction of justice hearings and appoint a special investigatory committee if Mueller is fired.

These plans, though prepped for months as Trump’s threatening of the probe has vacillated from intense to mild, are taking on immediacy now as the noose of criminality tightens around Trump’s associates.

On Tuesday, after former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen entered a guilty plea and former campaign chairman Paul Manafort was indicted, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer intoned: “He better not talk about pardons for Michael Cohen and Paul Manafort, tonight or any time in the future.”

Per NBC, Democrats have also revisited their plans in recent days due to Trump’s apparent glee when he stripped former CIA Director John Brennan of his security clearance, worrying that Trump is feeling emboldened to punish officials he feels are out of line.

Latest News

Notable Replies

  1. If Trump ends the Mueller probe, we need an immediate and sustained national strike. Period.

  2. Dear Dems:

    Just let me know where and when.

    • me
  3. Bring. It. On.

    That dirty traitor won’t get away with it. I’ll use vacation time or walk the hell out of work. And if they try for a coup it’s going to get ugly.

  4. Avatar for quickq quickq says:

    not just Dems?
    the Prosecutors’ statement (Robert Khuzami, taking no questions) yesterday,
    outside the Federal Courthouse, after the Cohen intake,
    need to see the tape again, but surrounded by police with a variety of badges:
    Marshals, DHS, and others- repeating We are a nation of law.

  5. Write to your congressional representatives to protect the investigation. Inquire when will House and Senate investigations begin? Vote them out of office if they do not protect us from the tyrant.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

1 more reply

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for sedonaz Avatar for oscarhomolka Avatar for originalbob Avatar for drtv Avatar for quickq Avatar for thisisourcountry

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: