Two guests on MSNBC defended President Trump’s call to investigate the Department of Justice under questioning from MSNBC host Katy Tur Monday.
WATCH:
Tur asked guests Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz and former U.S. attorney Guy Lewis about whether it’s a good idea for the president to order an investigation into the DOJ.
Dershowitz said Trump has the authority to determine whether or not he can start an investigation into the DOJ.
The Harvard professor emeritus also said it’s risky for Trump “to meet with the prosecutor. The prosecutor works for you, but on the other hand the prosecutor is also working against you.”
“It’s the president’s prerogative to decide what gets investigated, what doesn’t. He’s the head of the unitary executive branch.” Dershowitz said.
“There’s a long tradition of the White House staying out of Justice Department investigations, but every president since Jefferson has broached that wall and has told the Justice Department who to prosecute, what to investigate,” he continued.
Tur then turned to Lewis, who simply said he agreed with Dershowitz.
“The president does have that prerogative,” Lewis said. “He is the head of the executive branch, and … albeit independent, the Justice Department is a subset of the executive branch.”
“If some of these things did happen, it’s going to come out,” Lewis said of FBI interview reports. “I think the professor’s right.”
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