Trump needs to realize at this point this is all NOT about him. It is about preserving our system of government which is in jeopardy. So, if he doesn't soon just "fall on his sword" and resign this could get progressively worse over time.
He is the wrong type of personality to preserve our government over his ego. This is the real problem now. And this is a problem not only for the U.S. but for all mankind because he still has the nuclear codes and appears to be going more "MAD" every day.
begin quote from:
Special counsel: What you need to know
Special counsel to lead Russia investigation 02:14
(CNN)The US Justice Department has appointed a special counsel
to lead the federal investigation into Russian interference in the 2016
election, including potential collusion between President Donald
Trump's campaign associates and Russian officials.
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein assigned former FBI director Robert Mueller to the post Wednesday, taking a significant step reserved for extraordinary circumstances.
Here's what you need to know.
What is a special counsel?
A
special counsel is a lawyer appointed to lead an independent
investigation and, if necessary, to prosecute anyone suspected of
crimes.
A
special counsel is typically appointed when the usual investigative
bodies under the Justice Department, such as the FBI, have a conflict of
interest in carrying out a probe.
The
law states more broadly that the Attorney General (or acting Attorney
General, as in this case) can appoint a special counsel under "extraordinary circumstances" or when in it is in the public interest to do so.
The
special counsel must come from outside the government, the idea being
that he or she should have the greatest possible level of impartiality
and be removed from the usual chain of command.
The law says that the counsel should be a lawyer with a reputation for integrity and impartial decision-making,
The
special counsel answers to the Attorney General. But in this case
Mueller will answer to Rosenstein, as Attorney General Jeff Sessions has
already recused himself from any Russia-related investigations.
Sessions
recused himself after it emerged that he had failed at his Senate
confirmation hearing to disclose two pre-election meetings with Russia's
ambassador to Washington.
Why now?
Mueller's
appointment aims to quell the wave of criticism that Trump and his
administration have faced since Trump fired FBI Director James Comey
last week in the middle of the FBI's intensifying investigation into
contacts between the Trump campaign and Russian officials.
Trump: There was no collusion 01:11
Deputy
Attorney General Rosenstein -- who has not publicly commented on why he
or the Justice Department made the decision to appoint Mueller -- has
been drawn into controversy surrounding the Russian investigation.
Administration
officials repeatedly said that the decision to fire Comey was based on
Rosenstein's advice, which was detailed in a memo -- but Rosenstein has
said he is unhappy that the White House tried to pin Comey's removal on
him.
Opposition figures from the
Democratic Party have long called for a special counsel. But so have
several members of Trump's own Republican Party, like Senator John
McCain, as the issue has dominated Trump's first months in office and
has made it impossible for the Republicans to focus on their domestic
agenda.
Can Mueller prosecute Trump?
If
Mueller finds incriminating evidence against anyone, he can seek
indictments. But it is less clear if he can do this in Trump's case --
presidents hold a certain amount of legal immunity. Mueller could choose
to seek the impeachment of President Trump, but that would require
Republicans in Congress to turn on their leader.
Two
presidents have been impeached, but neither Bill Clinton in the 1990s
nor Andrew Johnson in the 1860s was convicted. Richard Nixon resigned
before he could be impeached.
Can Mueller be fired?
Yes,
but only by the Attorney General, or acting Attorney General. So unlike
in "special prosecutor" cases in the past, Trump cannot fire Mueller.
Is a special counsel and special prosecutor the same thing?
Almost,
but there are some key differences. When people were calling for a
special prosecutor in this case, they used the term interchangeably with
special counsel.
But
the former is an expired term. In the past, a special prosecutor was
typically appointed by the president, but following the Watergate
scandal that brought down President Richard Nixon, the rules changed to
remove this direct power from the president.
After
several changes in the law, the role of special prosecutor was
eventually scrapped, and a new law in 1999 created the role of special
counsel. This role can only be appointed by an Attorney General, or an
acting Attorney General.
A special counsel must also be a lawyer, where in the past, some special prosecutors had other professional backgrounds.
What do we know about Robert Mueller?
Mueller, 72, is widely seen as a non-political and meticulous investigator who
is respected on both sides of the political aisle in Washington. He was
nominated as FBI director under Republican President George W. Bush but
stayed on for most of Democratic President Barack Obama's term.
He
was Comey's predecessor and served as the second-longest FBI director
in history, only behind iconic and controversial director J. Edgar
Hoover.
Mueller saw the bureau
through a time of tremendous change following the 9/11 attacks. His
tenure saw the rise of al Qaeda as a threat, the vast expansion of US
surveillance capabilities and an increase in the threat from home-grown
terrorism.
Mueller is also no
stranger to high-profile cases. In 2015, he conducted an inquiry into
the NFL's handling of a video of former running back Ray Rice punching
his then-fiancée. And last year, Mueller was asked by the consulting
firm Booz Allen Hamilton to conduct a security review after a contractor
was arrested for allegedly stealing national security secrets.
How many Russia investigations are there now?
Three -- or five, depending on how you break it down.
In Congress, both the House and Senate are conducting investigations, and the Justice Department is holding its own.
In
Rosenstein's letter, he made clear that Mueller was taking on the
Justice Department's investigation that had been until now led by the
FBI. So that's three.
But the House
and Senate both have two committees each working on the probe. They
include a House Intelligence Committee, the House Oversight Committee,
the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee
Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism. So with the Justice Department,
that makes five.
Mueller's
appointment essentially strips power from the FBI from leading the
federal investigation, although FBI members could continue to play a
major role in the probe. Mueller will have wider scope than the FBI,
however, and can openly investigate members of the White House.
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