President Donald Trump on Monday fired off an attack on Attorney General Jeff Sessions in a tweet, complaining about recent criminal indictments of Republican members of Congress ahead of the November midterm elections.
Trump accused the "Jeff Sessions Justice Department" of bringing "well-publicized charges" against Representatives Chris Collins (R-NY) and Duncan Hunter (R-CA), who were indicted last month on charges of insider trading and misusing campaign funds, respectively.
Trump lamented that the charges filed against Collins and Hunter, both of whom were early supporters of Trump's presidential campaign, could hurt the G.O.P.'s chances of maintaining control of Congress. Collins and Hunter both come from deep-red districts which under normal circumstances should be "easy wins" by Republicans.
"Good job Jeff," Trump jabbed at Sessions.
Several prominent Republicans blasted Trump for suggesting that the rule of law should be subject to political expediency.
Congressman Justin Amash (R-CO) tweeted that politics should never be placed "above the rule of law."
Ben Sasse of Nebraska told Trump in a statement that the United States is not a "banana republic with a two-tiered system of justice — one for the majority party and one for the minority party."
"These two men have been charged with crimes because of evidence, not because of who the president was when the investigations began," Sasse continued, acknowledging that investigations into Collins and Hunter began under President Barack Obama. "Instead of commenting on ongoing investigations and prosecutions, the job of the president of the United States is to defend the Constitution and protect the impartial administration of justice."
Arizona's retiring Senator Jeff Flake (R) said Trump should be "committed to defending and upholding the constitution," not using the Justice Department to "settle political scores."
The president tweeted again roughly 15 minutes later, this time whining about the response to his firing of FBI Director James Comey last year.
Comey's dismissal led to Sessions appointing Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who has been continuing Comey's investigation into the Trump campaign's ties to Russia and whether Trump obstructed justice in firing Comey. Mueller has reportedly been rummaging through Trump's tweets to find evidence of criminal intent.
On Tuesday, Fox News host Judge Andrew Napolitano warned that Trump's Labor Day tweets could be used by Mueller to "prove corrupt intent in an obstruction of justice charge."
Napolitano said there is "evidence of a serious crime here," adding:
There can’t be two standards: One for members of Congress — Republican members of Congress — and one for others. It is the duty of the Justice Department to prosecute crimes when they find them and to bring indictments when a grand jury has decided there’s enough evidence there.
Napolitano said that Trump's tweets demonstrate the president's intent to obstruct justice.
"When the president says these things — basically, ‘I want to you use Justice Department to help the Republican Party’ — that is fodder for the cannon of Bob Mueller," the judge said.
Twitter users also tore into Trump and his supporters for their disregard for the American systems of justice.
"You voted for a public servant, not a king," one person wrote.
Others reminded the president that Collins and Hunter both clearly violated the law and that upholding the law is part of Trump's duty as president.
Maybe Trump's lackeys should stop breaking the law? Hmm.
Trump's tweets are part of the public record according to the Presidential Records Act - which means anything Trump says on Twitter carries the same weight as any other statement he makes.
What happened to the "law and order candidate?"
The Justice Department exists to uphold the law, not to protect Trump or do his bidding.
You are not the law, Mr. President.
