Any Mueller trials will employ a litany of contradiction

On Wednesday, as Republicans were clamoring to make public a secret document they think will undercut the investigation into Russian meddling, President Trump made clear his desire: Release the memo.

  WaPo

I am almost positive I read somewhere days ago that he had already said the same, but when I tried to find that a few days back, I couldn't. At any rate, the White House officials weighing in on the deal are saying it would be “extraordinarily reckless” to release the memo. If Trump really does believe it should be released - and who the hell knows what Trump really believes? Certainly not himself - then no one has impressed upon him the fact that if they release it, they won't be able to use it as a scare tactic.

Nevertheless, White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly relayed the president’s view to Attorney General Jeff Sessions — although the decision to release the document ultimately lies with Congress.

So, what's Jeff Sessions supposed to do about it?

Trump “is inclined to have that released just because it will shed light,” said a senior administration official who was speaking on the condition of anonymity to recount private conversations. “Apparently all the rumors are that it will shed light, it will help the investigators come to a conclusion.”

"The investigators" - and I assume we're talking about the Congressional investigators - have long ago reached their conclusions. The Congressional investigators, because they are headed by Republicans, will clear Trump of any wrongdoing.

Trump, appearing frustrated and at times angry, has complained to confidants and aides in recent weeks that he does not understand why he cannot simply give orders to “my guys” at what he sometimes calls the “Trump Justice Department,” two people familiar with the president’s comments said.

He truly believes the president owns the DOJ.

Trump recently revived his complaints that Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein was not properly supervising Mueller’s probe, and suggested that he should fire Rosenstein — a highly controversial action against the person officially overseeing the special counsel’s investigation, an adviser who speaks frequently with Trump said.

The president also made clear in recent days that he hopes that new questions facing the investigation allow him or his associates to make changes at the Justice Department, two people familiar with Trump’s comments said.

Thus, the attacks on FBI agents.

The president has told close advisers that the memo is starting to make people realize how the FBI and the Mueller probe are biased against him, and that it could provide him with grounds for either firing or forcing Rosenstein to leave, according to one person familiar with his remarks. He has privately derided Rosenstein as “the Democrat from Baltimore.” Rosenstein is not a Democrat.

Anybody who doesn't give Trump his way is a Democrat in his mind. But all his rantings about firing them is just more fodder for an obstruction of justice charge. Apparently, that is not getting through to him.

[A] common thread ties many of the incidents together: a president accustomed to functioning as the executive of a private family business who does not seem to understand that his subordinates have sworn an oath to the Constitution rather than to him.

[...]

Indeed, Trump has shown a repeated pattern of attempting to regain control of the Russia investigation and deploy the Justice Department for his own protection and personal gain.

Which makes me wonder again what Pompeo might be doing with the lapse in care passing the budget that reversed the government shutdown allowing the CIA to move money without Congressional approval.  I'd bet giving Trump his own secret, private intel team and enforcers, with Pompeo and Eric Prince in charge.

Allies of the president said that his demands for absolute loyalty are not unreasonable — and not indicative of any attempts to obstruct justice. “Of course the president ought to be able to expect loyalty,” said Newt Gingrich, an unofficial Trump adviser. “He is the chosen president of the United States by the American people, and he is the chief executive. If they’re not loyal to him, who the hell are they supposed to be loyal to?”

The Constitution and the people, Newt. Ever heard of that?

If you need a recap of all the ways Trump has been providing obstruction of justice fodder for Mueller, it's laid out in this Post article.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

UPDATE: