The Guilty Playbook

Stormy Daniels and polygraph.jpg

If I were Trump and I knew that I was innocent, I would let the Mueller investigation finish and absolve me, and I would instruct my Cabinet, my White House organization, the Republican Party, and my family in no uncertain terms to do cooperate fully, keep their mouths shut, and do NOTHING to interfere with that investigation, because I would know that the only way to screw up my future absolution would be some kind of cover-up activity like Nixon engaged in.

If, however, I were Donald Trump and I knew I that I was guilty, I would:

* Not waste time making the case that I am innocent
* Constantly call the investigation a "witch hunt"
* Try to fire the people who are investigating me
* Tell my recused attorney general to un-recuse himself and regain control of the investigation
* Publicly shame the government officials who support the investigation in order to get them to resign
* Attack and smear any politician or government employee who supports the investigation
* Ensure that GOP Congressional leaders don't allow a vote on bills designed to protect the special counsel
* Work relentlessly to undermine the public's faith in the investigation and reduce the potential backlash from a Saturday Night Massacre Trump-style soften by:
  **Smearing the investigation as a partisan effort
  ** Smearing the Department of Justice as a partisan, anti-Trump department
  ** Smearing the FBI as a partisan, anti-Trump organization
  ** Smearing the intelligence community and their unanimous finding that Russia interfered with the 2016 election
* Politicize the Republican-led House Intelligence Committee by conspiring with its chairman to:
  ** Promote false theories that point to the Democrats
  ** Cut short its own investigation and quickly issue a premature committee finding that I was innocent
  ** Smear the DOJ and the FBI as corrupt agencies
  ** Demand classified or secret information from the assistant attorney general who is directing the special counsel to justify a contempt of Congress charge against him
* Use Congressional Republicans, Fox News and my lawyers to spread the smears and the bogus alternative conspiracy theories
* Refuse all requests to sit for a deposition with the special counsel
* Issue a flurry of pardons to send a message my co-conspirators that I will save their asses
* Hire a prominent lawyer with experience with impeachment
* Claim that much of the information requested by the investigation is covered by attorney-client privilege
* Personally review and if necessary dictate official White House statements about the investigation
* Convince the public that completely unconstitutional or abnormal practices are completely legal by:
  ** Making the case that under the Constitution I cannot be indicted
  ** Making the case that under the Constitution I can pardon myself
  ** Issuing a flurry of pardons to demonstrate that it is not at all unusual for Presidents to issue pardons that are politically motivated