Obstruction of Justice?

Wikipedia

Some presidential defenders argue that it is really, really hard to prove intent.

That you have to be a mindreader.

As though nobody ever had or ever could convince a jury, beyond reasonable doubt, that officials or others had intended to impede, obstruct, stop, or hinder an investigation, and took steps to do so.

As though it was not perfectly clear that a number of people in and around the White House, up to and including President Nixon, had done exactly that.

As though anyone in the country could possibly doubt the intentions of President Trump in connection with the Russiagate investigations, or his motives in firing Comey and ordering the White House Counsel Don McGahn to fire Mueller.

As for me, I lost my faith in the integrity of the classe politique when that boob Ford pardoned Nixon.

President Trump ordered the firing last June of Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel overseeing the Russia investigation, according to four people told of the matter, but ultimately backed down after the White House counsel threatened to resign rather than carry out the directive.

The West Wing confrontation marks the first time Mr. Trump is known to have tried to fire the special counsel. 

Mr. Mueller learned about the episode in recent months as his investigators interviewed current and former senior White House officials in his inquiry into whether the president obstructed justice.

Amid the first wave of news media reports that Mr. Mueller was examining a possible obstruction case, the president began to argue that Mr. Mueller had three conflicts of interest that disqualified him from overseeing the investigation, two of the people said.

First, he claimed that a dispute years ago over fees at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Va., had prompted Mr. Mueller, the F.B.I. director at the time, to resign his membership. 

The president also said Mr. Mueller could not be impartial because he had most recently worked for the law firm that previously represented the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. 

Finally, the president said, Mr. Mueller had been interviewed to return as the F.B.I. director the day before he was appointed special counsel in May.

After receiving the president’s order to fire Mr. Mueller, the White House counsel, Donald F. McGahn II, refused to ask the Justice Department to dismiss the special counsel, saying he would quit instead, the people said. 

They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they did not want to be identified discussing a continuing investigation.

Trump denies he called for Mueller's firing

But who would believe him at this late date?