Trump: "I AM the law"

[T]he most important passage [of the recently leaked Trump lawyers' memo to Mueller] is its sweeping assertion of presidential authority.

“The President not only has unfettered statutory and Constitutional authority to terminate the FBI Director, he also has Constitutional authority to direct the Justice Department to open or close an investigation, and, of course, the power to pardon any person before, during, or after an investigation and/or conviction,” they write, “Put simply, the Constitution leaves no question that the President has exclusive authority over the ultimate conduct and disposition of all criminal investigations and over those executive branch officials responsible for conducting those investigations.”

They did indeed put it simply. The implications of this authority are breathtaking. Trump, in their view, has unlimited control to open or close any federal investigation.

  NYMag

I wonder why they stopped at federal investigations. Some of these crooks are going to end up getting tried in state courts. How's he supposed to get them out of those?

Trump has been angrily tweeting demands that the investigation into him and his allies be halted, and that the Department of Justice instead open investigations into his political enemies.

Now that's scary. That's some Stalinesque shit there.

These tweets have been treated as the ravings of a blowhard who just happens to occupy the most powerful position in the world, yet is somehow merely blowing off steam.

And that's how you end up with pure Stalin.

Trump cannot obstruct justice, according to his official legal stance, because justice is whatever Trump says it is. Before this is over, either Trump’s sweeping claim will survive, or the rule of law will, but not both.

I'm not feeling optimistic, given the Congress we have.

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