Fox News' Napolitano skewers Trump: His obstruction's "unlawful, defenseless and condemnable"

[My Name is Url]

MATTHEW ROZSA, SALON
APRIL 25, 2019 4:22PM (UTC)

Judge Andrew Napolitano, the senior judicial analyst for Fox News and anchor of "Liberty File" on Fox Nation, wrote an editorial on Thursday arguing that President Donald Trump has indeed obstructed justice.

"When former FBI Director James Comey informed [special counsel Robert] Mueller that he believed Trump fired him because he had declined Trump's order to shut down the investigation of Trump's campaign and of his former national security advisor, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, Mueller began to investigate whether the president had unlawfully attempted to obstruct those investigations," Napolitano writes in the piece.

Now, Napolitano argues, the American people understand "why Trump was so anxious for the FBI to leave Flynn alone." He points out that Flynn "pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about whether he discussed sanctions in a telephone call with then-Russian ambassador to the United States Sergey Kislyak, before Trump became president. Such a communication could have been unlawful if it interfered with American foreign policy." Although Trump fired Flynn after the revelation of that communication became public, Napolitano points out that Flynn discussed lifting those sanctions with Kislyak because Trump asked him to do so.

Napolitano then makes it clear that he believes impeachment is a reasonable option because "the Constitution prescribes treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors as the sole bases for impeachment. We know that obstruction of justice constitutes an impeachable offense under the 'high crimes and misdemeanors' rubric because both presidents in the modern era who were subject to impeachment proceedings — Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton — were charged with obstructing justice."

https://www.salon.com/2019/04/25/fox-news-judge-napolitano-skewers-trump-his-obstructions-unlawful-defenseless-and-condemnable/

The next paragraph nails Trump to the Obstruction Tree, basically saying what I've been saying for over a week now.

[stonecutter357]

1. K&R

[mr_lebowski]

2. I always give Napolitano his due around here, cause dude does play it straight ...

Kinda surprised Fox keeps him around, but they have, and that's one thing they've done somewhat right.

Judge N. knows his stuff, and he doesn't play politics (at least not very often).

I had a feeling once he let his feelings be known, he'd say exactly this.

[Faux pas]

3. Kicketty Kickin'

[colsohlibgal]

4. Great But......

The Judge, Shep Smith, they’ll often buck Trump TV. But....they are a plus for Trump TV as well. They can point to them and say they are “fair and balanced”, when at least 90% of the time they are taking leave of reality by slurping Orange Twitler and railing against the pinko commie socialist Democrats.

[Nitram]

6. Nevertheless, it is conservative blasphemy to suggest that Trump has committed impeachable offenses.

If the Fox audience hears this some conservatives will start to consider supporting impeachment.

[Nitram]

5. This is how impeachment gets real momentum and moves public opinion.