Last week, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., suggested that President Donald Trump's constant conversations with former FBI Director James Comey were excusable because he's "new to this." The senior Republican senator from Maine, Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee investigating possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, also explained that "he just does not fully understand or appreciate the boundaries."
Now, another Republican is using the same rhetoric about political inexperience to excuse Trump's possible obstruction of justice. After all, is it obstruction if you don't know you're actually obstructing?
"We have a president that’s not from the political class," noted Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., when asked by NPR whether he welcomed Trump's investigation at the hands of special prosecutor Robert Mueller. "The learning of the discipline use of language and what certain words mean in our context. If you’re not from this world, you may not have developed that discipline."
Apparently, Americans are to believe that the man who knows things better than anyone else just doesn't know what obstruction of justice is.
Schweikert suggested it was possible that Trump's actions — like, let's say asking his FBI director to pledge loyalty to him — could turn out to be "absolutely innocent." Schweikert said there were "layers of conspiracy theories and things that might or might not have happened" when it comes to the president meeting in private with his FBI director, talking about the Russia investigation, and asking Comey if he could "let this go."
Unfortunately for Schweikert and the other Republicans desperately defending Trump, ignorance of the law is no excuse for obstruction of justice. Americans overwhelming believe Comey and disbelieve Trump.
With Wednesday's revelation that Trump may be under investigation for obstruction of justice, it's understandable that Schweikert would like the whole thing to just end.
"There’s so much noise and information and misinformation and misunderstanding," he said, "we’re almost at that stage where just look at it, let’s get through this, and let us get back to government."
That would be a good idea for the GOP, wouldn't it?
Trump is no toddler. Republicans should stop covering up for him.
Here's the audio, via CNN's KFile:
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