Veteran journalist Carl Bernstein of Watergate reporting fame told CNN’s Brian Stelter on Monday that President Donald Trump is trying to prevent special counsel Robert Mueller from releasing a report so that the American people can’t think for themselves about alleged corruption and dalliances with foreign powers.
Bernstein began by saying the threat of uncharted authoritarianism through the attempted burial of Mueller’s investigation represents a litmus test for the rule of law.
“The perilous moment for our country right now [is] the question of whether lies, authoritarianism, and the character of the president of the United States are going to take us to an authoritarian place where we have never been, in which he will bury a duly constituted and legal investigation that will determine whether or not the president is above the rule of law,” he told Stelter.
Bernstein said that the reason Trump wants to “bury” and “undermine” Mueller’s investigation is that he already knows Mueller has the ability to make the American people judge Trump negatively.
“He knows that Mueller has the ability and the facts to reveal him, Donald Trump, in a really terrible light, whether it’s criminal behavior or not,” he added. “Trump does not want this story to be told, that’s the bottom line.”
“[A Mueller report means] the American people will be able to judge what happened with Donald Trump and foreign powers and corruption as well. And that is what Donald Trump is trying to prevent,” he continued.
Bernstein went on to suggest “a lot Fox viewers, perhaps,” realize a “false narrative” is being told.
[Image via CNN screengrab]