Fox Analyst Napolitano Slams Trump Obstruction As ‘Criminal’ And ‘Immoral’

Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Fox News analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano on Wednesday night bashed President Donald Trump’s attempted obstruction outlined in the Mueller report, and said that Attorney General Bill Barr was “wrong” to determine Trump didn’t obstruct justice.

In a written column and video posted online, Napolitano outlined special counsel Robert Mueller’s findings on the numerous attempts Trump made to impede the investigation into Russian interference, which Napolitano called a “serious allegation of criminal activity.”

“If [Trump] had ordered his aides to violate federal law to save a human life or to preserve human freedom, he would at least have a moral defense to his behavior,” the judge said in the video. “But ordering them to break federal law to save him from the consequences of his own behavior? That is immoral, that is criminal, that is defenseless, and that is condemnable.”

In his column, Napolitano also criticized Barr’s “narrow” view of obstruction as being “at odds with the statute itself.”

“On obstruction, Barr is wrong,” he wrote, refuting the attorney general’s assertion that the President didn’t obstruct justice because Mueller didn’t find evidence that he colluded with the Russia government.

“The essence of obstruction is deception or diversion — to prevent the government from finding the truth,” Napolitano argued.

Watch Napolitano’s video below:

Latest News

Notable Replies

  1. Whoa-ho, dude - better have your Kevlar topcoat handy.

  2. Fake news! Liberal judge!

  3. I would like to see conservative constitutional advocates like Napalitano and Conway more formally in on the fight to get WH compliance with Congressional subpoenas. Do you hear me Democrats? Can it hurt?

  4. I guess this is the reverse of Lindsey Graham’s toadying, although I also guess that Napolitano isn’t planning to run for office.

    But where has his head been these past years when he’s been flacking for Trump and the Republicans?

  5. In 1918, the Germans were fighting.

    Then, suddenly, they weren’t

    Trump’s removal may well go like that. Thing is…With Trump following the Roy Cohn Playbook…you just never know just how much his life has devolved to riveting terror.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

47 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for mondfledermaus Avatar for clemmers Avatar for cervantes Avatar for christianhankel Avatar for clearwater Avatar for gr Avatar for shystr Avatar for ignoreland Avatar for fiftygigs Avatar for anon216902 Avatar for edgarant Avatar for 1american Avatar for jacksonhts Avatar for noonm Avatar for michaelryerson Avatar for corncaucus2008 Avatar for pike_bishop Avatar for euglena4056 Avatar for pinkie Avatar for paul_lukasiak Avatar for autumnwinds Avatar for emiliano4 Avatar for scabbysanta

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: