President Donald Trump won the White House by defying conventional wisdom and following his instincts. His success and support make it unlikely he'll change his approach or behavior. But history shows the folly of Trump's overt attempts to bully special prosecutor Robert Mueller, the ex-FBI director appointed to oversee a probe into Russia's attempts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. The terms of Mueller's appointment specify that he can look at other matters that "may arise directly from the investigation."
It remains to be seen whether Trump will order Mueller to be fired. If that happened, it would have parallels with events involving another president who faced impeachment: Richard Nixon.
What became known as the "Saturday Night Massacre" quickly eroded Nixon's support among elected Republicans. Barry M. Goldwater of Arizona, the GOP's 1964 presidential nominee, said Nixon's credibility "has reached an all-time low from which he may not be able to recover." Nixon didn't recover.
If Trump fires Mueller, he will also have reached an all-time low from which he may not be able to recover. That should make him reflect. Will it?
Editorial on 07/26/2017