Thread by @tburages

After Mueller's testimony, this country will no doubt launch a debate about whether Trump committed obstruction crimes as POTUS.

Expect an onslaught of twitter trolls proclaiming Trump's innocence. But no worries! I've got you covered. 👇 /1

These images refute pretty much every argument you will hear.

You can use them without crediting me.

(I tweeted them earlier as a CYOA thread, but doing it again as a linear thread to make them easier to find.) 👇 /2

Donald Trump engaged in criminal behavior. If you or I or any other American engaged in these acts, we would be arrested and charged with felonies. /3

If Obstruction of Justice charges were dependent on substantial evidence of an underlying crime, it would incentivize targets to corruptly affect an investigation with impunity - as long as they are successful in their obstruction. /4

Mueller noted in his report that although they did not find "sufficient" evidence to "establish a conspiracy," they did discover evidence of things Trump might have wanted to hide. /5

Mueller states in his report that one thing Trump might have wanted to hide was this Trump Tower Moscow deal - for which negotiations continued until at least mid-2016.

And about which Trump and his aides publicly and repeatedly lied for more than a year. /6

"But the President can fire anyone he wants!!" Right?

WRONG!

The notion that a President can "fire anyone he wants" is not supported by U.S. law, regulation, or precedent. It is simply untrue. /7

"But what about Hillary?!! Didn't she send emails? And Strozk and Page sent TEXTS and stuff!"

The obstruction crimes that Trump has committed have nothing to do with them. We should all want our President to respect our laws.

Also, you're using a Kremlin diversion strategy. /8

"But he didn't do anything wrong! Name the statute!"

Fine. Let's start with 18 USC 1503. /9

If anyone else did this, they'd be headed for the slammer.

18 U.S. Code § 1503:

"Whoever corruptly endeavors to influence, obstruct, or impede, the due administration of justice, shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than 10 years, a fine under this title, or both."

Here's another violation of the same code.

The President ordered White House Counsel Don McGahn to falsify evidence and threatened to fire him if he did not comply.

Witness tampering is ILLEGAL. Doesn't matter WHO does it.

18 U.S. Code § 1512: "Whoever knowingly corruptly persuades another person, or attempts to do so with intent to influence, delay, or prevent the testimony of any person in an official proceeding ..."

At a minimum Sekulow should be charged with violating 18 U.S. Code § 1505 in suborning Cohen's congressional testimony.

Trump too, if there was proof he was involved.

"But Mueller is DEEP STATE! He had CONFLICTS!"

Just stop. Even Steve Bannon is laughing at you.

"His team were all Democrats and BIG Hillary donors!"

You know, for being such BIG supporters, most of them appear to have been pretty darned stingy that last few years.

"It DOESN'T MATTER! The investigation was TAINTED because of Bruce Ohr Steele Dodgy DOSSIER FISA ABUSE!!!!"

The report states that the FBI CI investigation into certain individuals in the Trump campaign was begun months before FBI CI even received the Steele dossier.

"But the FBI spied on the Trump campaign! And that was wrong and even treasonous!"

Try a thought experiment 💭 🎞️

"But surely if Trump committed crimes, Mueller would have charged him. Why didn't he?"

Read the report for yourself.

/end