Newt Gingrich is a well-known Republican and supporter of Donald Trump. Recently, news outlets have quoted Gingrich as saying a president is incapable of obstructing justice. Gingrich believes that Trump was completely within his rights and authority to fire FBI Director James Comey. Gingrich is promoting a new book and made the following comments to the National Press Club. “The president of the United States, as chief executive officer, is within his rights to fire the FBI director.”
These comments created a Twitter backlash since Gingrich also voted to impeach Bill Clinton on charges of an obstruction of justice. Gingrich also attacked Robert Mueller, the special council, for having stacked his investigating team with what Gingrich believes to be opponents of Trump. Gingrich claims that Robert Mueller is surrounding himself with people that are dead set on conducting a witch hunt against the president.
Jeff Sessions, the Attorney General, recused himself from having anything to do with investigations as to whether anyone on Trump’s team colluded with Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Rod Rosenstein steeped up as the acting Attorney General and appointed Rob Mueller to head up the investigation as special counsel. News reports state that Mueller’s probe has now expanded to cover if Trump’s firing of Comey was an obstruction of justice.
Gingrich has offered advice to everyone at the White House that this investigation is serious and is not like real estate law. Criminal law is at play. Gingrich sends a warning that people in the White House are targets, and that Mueller’s team is coming after them to put them in prison. Gingrich also warns that people in the White House need to listen to what their lawyers have to say. “This is not a game.”
It appears that as Mueller’s investigation widens some people at the White House are taking his advice. However, not every rank and file member is privy to the high-powered attorneys the Administration’s top players have access to.