Friday, Oct. 18, 2019 | 2 a.m.
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President Donald Trump doesn’t think he’s accountable to anyone. In court, his lawyers argue that only Congress — not prosecutors — can hold the president accountable to the rule of law. But when Congress tried to do just that, the White House Counsel sent a letter to congressional leaders calling their efforts “illegitimate.”
He can’t have it both ways. In America, the law applies equally to everyone — even the president. That’s why we have a written Constitution with checks and balances instead of a king. For the law to apply equally to everyone, everyone must be answerable to someone else for upholding the law.
Constitutional scholars can debate what roles Congress and prosecutors should play in preventing the executive branch from breaking the law. But no one seriously argues that the president is above all oversight and accountability. Not only does the Constitution never say that, but it was written precisely to keep government power in check.
Republicans need to decide: Are they on team Trump or team Constitution?
The writer is a practicing attorney and legal adviser to Republicans for the Rule of Law.
