We begin today’s roundup with Michelle Goldberg at The New York Times and her analysis of Donald Trump’s “high-tech dirty tricksters”:
Cambridge Analytica, the shadowy data firm that helped elect Donald Trump, specializes in “psychographic” profiling, which it sells as a sophisticated way to digitally manipulate huge numbers of people on behalf of its clients. But apparently, when you’re trying to win a campaign, prostitutes, bribes and spies work pretty well too. [...] Cambridge Analytica shared office space with Trump’s San Antonio-based digital operation, and took substantial credit for its success. “We are thrilled that our revolutionary approach to data-driven communications played such an integral part in President-elect Donald Trump’s extraordinary win,” Nix said in a Nov. 9, 2016, news release.
Jay Willis at GQ dives into some scenarios if Trump decides to fire Mueller:
What if Trump doesn't want to bother with "legal obligations"? What if he just orders Rosenstein to do it?
A fair question, given the president's previously-professed views on the ability of the justice system to limit what he can do. As argued by former solicitor general Seth Waxman, if Mueller is terminated without any explanation, he (or his subordinates) might try suing under the Administrative Procedures Act, which allows courts to prevent agencies (like DOJ) from taking action (like removing the special counsel) that is, among other things, "arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with law." Since the law delineates the circumstances in which Mueller can be removed, Waxman argues, it affords a remedy in the event that those rules are broken, too.
Trump, meanwhile, is shaking up his legal team:
Joe diGenova, a TV pundit and former U.S. attorney who was a longtime antagonist of Bill and Hillary Clinton, is the latest addition to the sprawling array of lawyers assembled to represent Trump on two main fronts: in the probe of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and in the case of an adult film star who claims an adulterous affair.
The hiring caught many of his advisers by surprise, prompting fears that Trump is preparing for bigger changes to his legal team — including possible departures — as he goes on the offensive in the primary legal challenges facing him.
The New York Times calls out Republicans for allowing and often encouraging Trump’s attacks on the FBI:
Cynical as ever, Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, has said nothing in the face of the president’s degrading tweets and renewed attacks on the Mueller investigation. The House speaker, Paul Ryan, sent a spokeswoman out to issue a milquetoast defense of the special counsel. By keeping mum as Mr. Trump marauds across American democracy, they are forcing the targets of his attacks to defend themselves and also abetting Mr. Trump’s assault on the credibility of the F.B.I. and the Justice Department. [...]
Republicans should be pushing back on Mr. Trump now in part to keep him from firing Mr. Mueller, a move that could strain our institutions past their breaking point.
Dana Milbank highlights one of the worst Trump cabinet officials, Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke:
The Interior Department is Zinke’s plaything. He toyed with disbanding 200 federal advisory boards (most members of the national parks advisory board resigned, saying Zinke sidelined them), but he created a new one — a group of big-game trophy hunters to advise him on big-game trophies. To run the national parks, Zinke tapped an official who improperly helped Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder remove 130 trees to improve his estate’s river views. Now Zinke’s talking about $70 entrance fees at national parks, because freeloaders — the elderly, the disabled, veterans and “fourth-graders” — pay discounted fees.
And on a final note, here’s Eugene Robinson’s analysis of the latest round of chaos:
It’s not your imagination. Donald Trump’s occupancy of the White House is every bit as insane, corrupt and dangerous as you might fear. [...]
If Trump does try to fire Mueller, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) should get much of the blame. They have given Trump no reason to believe they will ever stand up to him.
Fortunately, the Constitution gives ultimate power to you and me. With every outrageous, shocking and depressing week, the November election becomes more important. The Trump presidency will keep going from bad to worse, and it is our responsibility to use our votes to make it stop.