Other views: Democrats’ inquiry is ‘ baseless, unconstitutional’

White House counsel Pat Cipollone:

“President Donald Trump and his administration reject your baseless, unconstitutional efforts to overturn the democratic process. ... In order to fulfill his duties to the American people, the Constitution, the executive branch and all future occupants of the office of the presidency, President Trump and his administration cannot participate in your ... inquiry.”

The Wall Street Journal:

“A president and Congress controlled by opposing parties fight over documents all the time. We don’t recall Democrats fretting when President Bill Clinton made executive- privilege claims that were more sweeping than President Richard Nixon’s during Watergate. The media that now profess horror at Trump raised not a whit of concern when Attorney General Eric Holder denied documents to Congress and was held in contempt.”

Paul Kane, The Washington Post:

“Normally, a president in such peril would simply turn this fight into a battle between him and Congress — something Trump has been doing — and usually that sets a path to victory because Congress is such a reviled institution. ... But there are some early signs that Democrats might be able to weather this storm, or at least that congressional Republicans could come out of this situation in much worse shape. ... Democrats, in some ways, are now taking President Lincoln’s 1858 words to heart, not merely as observers of public sentiment but forcefully engaged in trying to shape voters’ minds. ... ‘ Consequently he who molds public sentiment, goes deeper than he who enacts statutes or pronounces decisions,’ Lincoln wrote. ‘ He makes statutes and decisions possible or impossible.’ ”