Happy Trump

The ink isn't dry on the Barr Summary, which gives Trump a lukewarm pass on conspiracy & obstruction of justice, and he's already claiming "total exoneration", despite the Barr Summary indicating that the evidence does not exonerate him. I've already given my opinion on the summary and what it does and does not say, but let's take a look at Trump's reaction in the last day or so:

But first, a look back. Over the last two years Trump has done everything but fire Mueller himself and dissolve his team of investigators, even though he had the legal right (but perhaps not the political will) to do so. If he was so convinced that there was nothing to find, why expend so much energy attacking the credibility of Mueller and his team, calling them 13 (or 19, the number changed) Angry Democrats, conflicted, a witch hunt? He regularly misrepresented the basis for the investigation and openly questioned its legality. Either he knew that there was something to find, or he genuinely believed that it was a partisan coup attempt, despite all of the principals being Republicans.

But the Barr Summary comes out, and assuming that the Mueller Report doesn't contradict it, Trump should be elated that at least one investigation has concluded. Although it's difficult to reconcile his insistence that this was an illegal witch hunt, run by conflicted angry Democrats intent on taking him down and his celebration of its conclusions. So now its conclusions are legitimate? What is disturbing is Trump's and his spokespersons' remarks that those who initiated the investigation are guilty of treason and will be "looked into" (investigated?). One spokesperson said that the penalty for treason is the death penalty". It's not, but that's a pretty chilling thing to say. There's also new promises to investigate Hillary Clinton (sigh...again?) and President Obama (what for?), a Banana Republic maneuver that he first hinted at during the campaign debates. Since when is investigating a President for suspected or alleged crimes, especially with so many red flags and circumstantial evidence, treason? Since when is it appropriate to retaliate against ones political opponents as he suggests he will do?

Also today, it became known that the Trump 2020 campaign sent letters to multiple television stations formally complaining about them allowing politicians coming on and making "false & outlandish claims" and asking that they not allow anyone on the air who accuses Trump of...anything. The irony and lack of self-awareness inherent in that request made me laugh, but then the attempted attack on the First Amendment made me angry.

This is what we're dealing with now - a newly emboldened Trump, believing a cloud over his presidency to have blown away, he can partake more brazenly his autocratic tendencies.