Bernstein: GOP ‘Committing Itself to the Suppression of the Rule of Law’ ‘Undermining’ National Security

On Thursday’s broadcast of CNN’s “AC360,” journalist and author Carl Bernstein argued Republicans have committed to suppression the rule of law and legitimate investigation of the president.

Bernstein said, “[T]his is a really dangerous moment in our history, when one of the two major political parties is committing itself to the suppression of the rule of law and legitimate investigation, particularly into the president of the United States. If we cannot have the principle that the president of the United States can be investigated like every other citizen, as happened in Watergate, and that precedent was established and confirmed by the Supreme Court, if we can’t have that kind of unfettered investigation, such as Mueller is trying to do, we are as good as a banana republic. And the Republican Party is aiding and abetting the suppression of the rule of law. And why Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan can’t get up and say to their members, look, let Mueller’s investigation go forward, quit this grandstanding. Let’s find out what happened. If there are problems with the investigators, there’s plenty of Congressional oversight to look at that after the fact.”

He added, “[T]he investigation needs to go forward in the interest of the national security of the United States. And these Republicans are undermining the national security of the United States when they attack our institutions in this unjustified way.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett