{"id":41887,"date":"2026-08-12T23:47:29","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T18:47:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=41887"},"modified":"2026-08-12T23:47:29","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T18:47:29","slug":"he-knows-accountability-is-coming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=41887","title":{"rendered":"\u2018He Knows Accountability Is Coming\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n\r\n<br><div id=\"article-content\">\n            \n\n\n\n\n<p>Top congressional Democrats on Tuesday pushed back on a new memo from the Justice Department\u2019s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) arguing that President Donald Trump can assert executive privilege over communications with advisors even if they do not work at the White House or within the government at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cExecutive privilege can apply to presidential communications with private advisers so long as the communications relate to official presidential decisionmaking, involve or reflect communications with the President or his direct advisers, and are confidential,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/olc\/media\/1457271\/dl\" target=\"_blank\">the OLC opinion<\/a>, published on Monday, reads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<!-- \/wp:post-content -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>During the first Trump administration and into the Biden administration, Trump and his lawyers <a href=\"https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/dc\/census-trump-executive-privilege-oversight\" target=\"_blank\">pushed<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/news\/executive-privilege-whack-a-mole-biden-rejects-trumps-claim-again\" target=\"_blank\">expand<\/a> the concept of executive privilege beyond all recognition, asserting it over anything and everything they could, in many cases successfully stonewalling investigators. But the OLC opinion applying the concept to not just administration officials and aides, but private individuals who meet with the president takes Trump\u2019s push to a whole new level.\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The memo was widely interpreted as preparation for a world in which Republicans have lost control of one or both chambers of Congress, allowing Democrats to launch probes into two years of White House misconduct. In response to the memo, Democrats criticized the Trump DOJ for attempting to cover up the president\u2019s corruption.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cDonald Trump is scared. He knows accountability is coming. He\u2019s using his newly installed Attorney General\/personal lawyer, Todd Blanche, to cover up his communications with private advisers and special interest cronies,\u201d Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SenSchumer\/status\/2087195952884892003\" target=\"_blank\">social media post<\/a> on Tuesday. \u201cThese are the actions of someone with something to hide.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Schumer underscored that the Trump DOJ\u2019s attempt to hide the communications between Trump and advisors is a sign that the administration is worried about the flood of oversight and congressional investigations that will likely come if Democrats manage to take control of one or both chambers after the 2026 midterms.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cIt shows he is petrified of the questions a Democratic Congress will demand answers to. We will not let Trump escape the accountability he deserves,\u201d Schumer said.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The memo appears to have been written in response to a request from Trump\u2019s counsel to determine whether Trump could assert executive privilege \u201cto protect communications between himself and private advisers,\u201d T. Elliot Gaiser, the assistant attorney general for the OLC, wrote in the memo:\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u00a0You have asked whether the President may assert executive privilege to protect communications between himself and private advisers. You did not indicate a specific adviser or subject matter, but specified that you were primarily concerned with the presidential communications component of executive privilege. Consistent with the nature of the privilege itself, we assumed your inquiry to be \u201climited to communications \u2018in performance of [a President\u2019s] responsibilities,\u2019 \u2018of his office,\u2019 and made \u2018in the process of shaping policies and making decisions.\u2019\u201d \u2026 Based on that assumption, we advised that executive privilege would presumptively extend to such communications. We now memorialize the basis of that advice.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/blockquote>\n<!-- \/wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Trump has been known to seek advice from a variety of allies outside the White House \u2014 including congressional lawmakers as well as personal friends and business acquaintances.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cRestricting executive privilege to purely intragovernmental communications would foreclose the President from relying on an array of important sources that he may find necessary to the effective discharge of his responsibilities of office,\u201d the opinion reads. \u201cSuch an outcome not only would impair the President\u2019s Article II functions, but ultimately would harm the public itself.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, also raised concerns about the memo.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cThe Office of Legal Counsel used to have sufficient independence from the president to give sound legal advice to the executive branch. Under Trump, it is an office that merely tells the president what he wants to hear,\u201d Schiff said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SenAdamSchiff\/status\/2087234086309933546?s=20\" target=\"_blank\">social media post<\/a> Tuesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cThis latest opinion should be seen as a partisan measure to insulate the president and his corrupt activities from Congressional subpoenas when the majority flips,\u201d Schiff added.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Democrats from the lower chamber also voiced their disdain for the OLC memo.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cThe most transparent administration in history is making the most absurd arguments to suppress the most damning information about its unprecedented corruption and lawlessness,\u201d House Judiciary Democrats said in a statement.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cThis Mafia State Code of Silence has nothing to do with the American Constitution and it won\u2019t stop Judiciary Dems from investigating this Administration\u2019s rank corruption and using Congress\u2019s powers to ensure disgorgement, restitution and justice for the rampant plunder of our government,\u201d they added, hinting to possible investigations that may come if Democrats take control of the House.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:html -->\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The most transparent administration in history is making the most absurd arguments to suppress the most damning information about its unprecedented corruption and lawlessness.<\/p><p>In a ridiculous new memo, Trump\u2019s lawyers argue they can impose a total gag order on ANYONE who EVER\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/QMop6Vx4OJ\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/t.co\/QMop6Vx4OJ<\/a><\/p>\u2014 House Judiciary Dems (@HouseJudiciary) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/HouseJudiciary\/status\/2087327658568773770?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\">August 11, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote> \n<!-- \/wp:html -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cThe President is trying to shield himself &amp; his cronies from accountability,\u201d Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/crow.house.gov\/post\/3mstpvo7jvs2v\" target=\"_blank\">social media post<\/a>. \u201cHe knows what they\u2019re doing is unpopular, harmful, &amp; corrupt. It won\u2019t work. Accountability is coming.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->          <\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n    window.fbAsyncInit = function() {\n      FB.init({\n        appId: \"101800829865996\",\n        xfbml: true,\n        version: ' v2.6'\n      });\n      window.fbAsyncInit.__didInit = true;\n    };\n    (function(d, s, id) {\n      var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];\n      if (d.getElementById(id)) {\n        return;\n      }\n      js = d.createElement(s);\n      js.id = id;\n      js.src = \"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\";\n      fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);\n    }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));\n  <\/script>\r\n<br><script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Top congressional Democrats on Tuesday pushed back on a new memo from the Justice Department\u2019s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) arguing that President Donald Trump can assert executive privilege over communications with advisors even if they do not work at the White House or within the government at all. \u201cExecutive privilege can apply to presidential&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":41888,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2222466262.jpg?w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-political-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=41887"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41887\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/41888"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=41887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=41887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=41887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}