NIXONIAN: Even Some Right Wingers Are Aghast At Trump’s “Insane” Blackmail Threat Against Comey

Ben Shapiro writes at the Daily Signal:

First, it’s not smart to blackmail a fellow who is scheduled to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee next week. Comey obviously had few limits on what he was willing to say publicly before Trump blackmailed him; now he’ll be even more loose with his tongue.

Second, revealing that there may be “tapes” of Comey means that those tapes are now subject to subpoena. Even an amateur history student would realize that this is precisely how Nixon went down: a member of the White House staff revealed the presence of a taping system, at which point special prosecutor Archibald Cox asked for a subpoena; Nixon refused to turn over the tapes, and then ordered the Saturday Night Massacre when Cox kept demanding them and the Attorney General refused to fire him.

Third, the president relies on the good counsel of professional advisors. Which professional advisors would be willing to speak honestly with him if they thought they were being taped, and that Trump would later use that tape against them?

Fourth, Trump has said repeatedly that he believes Trump Tower was bugged by the Obama administration during the last election cycle. Now he’s saying he might have bugged Comey in some fashion. This is insane.

James Comey better hope that there are no “tapes” of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 12, 2017