Trump puts law enforcement at risk

Donald Trump’s strategy on the special counsel probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election has been clear for months. His approach, supported by his allies in congress, is to weaken and discredit the agencies responsible for the probe and attack the individuals who lead them.

These tactics are unlikely to protect Trump politically should the investigation discover improper behaviour by his campaign or his administration. They will, on the other hand, play well with his base. But their most important effect will be lasting damage to institutions that keep Americans safe.

The ugliness of the Trump approach is on vivid display. After days of hype, the White House allowed the release of a memorandum compiled by the chairman of the house intelligence committee, Devin Nunes, which implies bias on the part of the Federal Bureau of Investigation against Trump and the Republican party in compiling the so-called “Steele dossier”.

The president, in a series of tweets, represented the memo as vindication of his campaign and a damning condemnation of US law enforcement, although it is far from clear that this is so, and the special counsel investigation did not begin with the Steele dossier. There would be a Russia investigation if there had been no Steele dossier and it would look almost identical to the one under way.

Trump appears to be laying the groundwork for firing deputy attorney-general Rod Rosenstein or Robert Mueller, who is leading the Russia investigation, or both. Neither those two men, nor any other law enforcement officials, should save Trump trouble by resigning. This would only support the legitimacy of his attacks.

When and if Trump does wield the knife, it will be time for Republicans in congress, most of whom have either passively or actively supported the attacks, to make clear which side they are on: that of the president, or of law enforcement. London, February 4