Beg your pardon: GOP senator advises Trump to find a new lawyer

Donald Trump’s lawyer apparently advised the president he could pardon himself — now, a Republican is telling him to find a new lawyer.

“If I were president of the United States and I had a lawyer that told me I could pardon myself, I think I would hire a new lawyer,” Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, told CNN on Monday.

Trump’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, said on ABC's “This Week” on Sunday that Trump could “probably” pardon himself and get out of the entire Russia investigation into meddling in the 2016 elections.

“He has no intention of pardoning himself,” Giuliani added. “I think the political ramifications of that would be tough. Pardoning other people is one thing; pardoning yourself is another. Other presidents have pardoned people in circumstances like this, both in their administration and sometimes the next president even of a different party will come along and pardon.”

On Monday morning, Trump echoed Giuliani’s statement saying he could pardon himself, but won’t because he hasn’t done anything wrong.

“As has been stated by numerous legal scholars, I have the absolute right to PARDON myself, but why would I do that when I have done nothing wrong? In the meantime, the never ending Witch Hunt, led by 13 very Angry and Conflicted Democrats (& others) continues into the mid-terms!” Trump wrote in a tweet.

He then tweeted that Robert Mueller's investigation was “UNCONSTITUTIONAL,” reiterating that he was only playing along because he has “done nothing wrong.”

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders reiterated Trump and Giuliani’s statement on Monday, saying he hasn’t done anything wrong and therefore wouldn’t need a pardon.

Experts have debated whether the president actually can pardon himself. But if he attempts to, or even attempts to pardon close allies who are in the throes of the Russia investigation, some Democrats have said those pardons would be grounds for impeachment.

Giuliani agreed there. He told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that Trump “pardoning himself would be unthinkable and probably lead to immediate impeachment.”

Cover image: Getty