I CAN PARDON MYSELF, TRUMP DECLARES.

Insists he has ‘absolute right’ to pardon self

WASHINGTON •Inanescalated attack on those investigating him, Donald Trump has insisted he has an “absolute right” to pardon himself and called the special counsel leading the Russia inquiry “totally unconstitutional.”

The U.S. president suggested he would not use the power because he had “done nothing wrong,” but the declaration will be seen as a shot across the bow of those looking into obstruction-ofjustice claims.

Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s lawyer, went a step further by saying even if the president shot James Comey, the former FBI director he fired, he could not be prosecuted. The attempts to play up Trump’s constitutional power come as Robert Mueller, the special counsel, looks into whether the president obstructed justice by trying to influence the Russia investigation.

A memo from Trump’s legal team, leaked to The New York Times, showed they were arguing that it is impossible for the president to obstruct justice as he is America’s chief law enforcement officer, and therefore would be obstructing himself.

In the 20-page memo, sent to Mueller’s office in January, the president’s legal team said the president cannot, by definition, illegally obstruct any part of the Russia probe because the Constitution gives him the power to end it in the first place.

Trump tweeted Monday: “As has been stated by numerous legal scholars, I have the absolute right to pardon myself, but why would I do that when I have done nothing wrong?

“In the meantime, the never-ending Witch Hunt, led by 13 very Angry and conflicted Democrats (and others) continues into the mid-terms!”

Trump later said: “The appointment of the Special Councel [sic] is totally unconstitutional! Despite that, we play the game because I, unlike the Democrats, have done nothing wrong!” Over the weekend, Giuliani said that, while Trump could face impeachment, he could not be indicted or subpoenaed.

He told the Huffington Post: “I don’t know how you can indict while he’s in office. No matter what it is.” Giuliani went on: “If he shot James Comey, he’d be impeached the next day. Impeach him, and then you can do whatever you want to do to him.”

Adam Schiff, the Democratic congressman from California, tweeted: “Nixon asked the Department of Justice if he could pardon himself.

“They said no, as no one may be the judge in their own case. He resigned three days later.”