Anderson Cooper: Are Our Institutions ‘Strong Enough’ to ‘Resist’ Trump’s Attacks?
On Monday night, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper expressed some concern over President Donald Trump‘s recent attacks against Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
The president took to Twitter earlier in the day and blasted the DOJ over criminal charges made against GOP congressmen Chris Collins and Duncan Hunter leading up to the 2018 midterms.
Two long running, Obama era, investigations of two very popular Republican Congressmen were brought to a well publicized charge, just ahead of the Mid-Terms, by the Jeff Sessions Justice Department. Two easy wins now in doubt because there is not enough time. Good job Jeff……
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 3, 2018
….The Democrats, none of whom voted for Jeff Sessions, must love him now. Same thing with Lyin’ James Comey. The Dems all hated him, wanted him out, thought he was disgusting – UNTIL I FIRED HIM! Immediately he became a wonderful man, a saint like figure in fact. Really sick!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 3, 2018
CNN commentator and former GOP congressman Charlie Dent responded to the tweets by listing all the Democrats the DOJ prosecuted under President Barack Obama and that “these investigations are based on the facts and the evidence.” He compared Trump’s actions to what takes place in “autocratic governments and banana republics.”
Former Obama WH Ethics Czar Norman Eisen echoed Dent’s sentiment, saying that having law enforcement targeting political opponents is “the most powerful domestic weapon” authoritarians have.
“Democracy is more powerful than this autocracy,” Eisen said to Cooper. “And it’s coming for Donald Trump so he’s pushing back.”
“You really believe that though? That the institutions are stronger than- or strong enough to resist this kind of thing from the president of the United States?” Cooper asked.
“I do, Anderson,” Eisen responded. “In every case, sooner or later, every dog gets its day. And sooner or later, democracy is more powerful including because the rule of law.”
Cooper then turned back to Dent and asked if he had the “same kind of confidence in the institutions” as Eisen does, noting there’s been “very little reaction” from congressional Republicans. Dent said he does “have confidence,” but admitted the institutions are “taking a beating.”
Watch the clip above, via CNN.
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