Referred by Robert Mueller, the FBI raided the office and hotel room of one of Trump’s chief lawyers, Michael Cohen, last monday morning. They seized business records, emails and documents that dealt with a variety of topics.
They sought information regarding payment to two women, Karen McDougal and Stephanie Clifford, better known as Stormy Daniels, two women who claim they had affairs with the president.
The warrant also demanded emails and documents from the campaign trail to see if Cohen had been involved in silencing unsavory stories Trump feared would arise. The warrant also demanded anything related to the access Hollywood Tape, in which Trump made numerous vulgar comments regarding women.
Trump responded viciously to the raid. He accused the Justice department of going on a “witch hunt” and called the raid an “attack on our country in a true sense.” Trump later tweeted that “Attorney client privilege is dead!”
Trump’s response to the raid was exactly the response his advisors had hoped to avoid. His attacks on Mueller and the FBI came across to many as the words of the guilty, as stated by former white House ethics counsel Norman Eisen. “The President’s words were more befitting a mob don when the feds are closing in. Given MIchael Cohen’s role in Trump’s past, perhaps they are.”
Trump continued to add to the political drama with a threat to fire lead counsel Mueller. Despite the pleas of many leading republican officials Trump again mentioned the possibility of firing him after the raid.
Republican leader Paul Ryan, when asked about such a possibility, attempted to diffuse the situation. “I don’t think he’s going to fire Mueller. I think that would be a huge mistake. First of all, I don’t think he should be fired… and I don’t think they’re really contemplating this.”
Should Trump go through with his word to fire Mueller, a political firestorm would inevitably ensue, a firestorm Trump’s presidency might not survive.
However, as Trump’s anger cools and he begins to listen to his adviser around him, such action becomes less likely. Instead, the president has responded thus far with legal action alone. Trump’s lawyers argued in court on Sunday against the FBI search in an attempt to block materials the FBI had gathered in the raid.
While the raid may appear have yielded little of value, Trump’s harsh reaction calls into question the seemingly innocuous nature of the documents found. As the investigation continues, Trumps further reactions could prove pivotal in the fate of the inquiry.
