Sarah Sanders Explains What Executive Privilege Isn’t

President Trump today refused to turn over the full, unredacted version of the Mueller report to Congress. In return, House Democrats have threatened to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt. Sarah Sanders lashed back, saying Democrats were horrible people etc. etc. Then she added this:

Faced with Chairman Nadler’s blatant abuse of power, and at the Attorney General’s request, the President has no other option than to make a protective assertion of executive privilege.

IANAL, but I’m pretty sure that’s not how executive privilege works. It applies to (some) conversations between the president and his senior advisors, and it’s intended to allow the president to consult freely and receive candid advice.

It is not intended to be used as retribution against a political opponent you don’t like.

In any case, all this does is make Democrats really curious about what’s behind those redactions. It must be smokin’ hot.

Speaking of which, I’m writing this at lunch in Galax, Virginia. I had the Texas brisket sandwich with smokin’ hot BBQ sauce. In just a few minutes I’ll leave Virginia and enter North Carolina.

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PLEASE—BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please do your part and help us reach our $150,000 membership goal by May 31.

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