President Donald Trump says he has the 'absolute right' to pardon himself
President Donald Trump on Monday said that he has an "absolute right" to pardon himself in the Russia collusion investigation, led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Trump made the statement a day after one of his lawyers, Rudy Giuliani, mentioned the prospect, reports state.
The president, in a tweet on Monday, said that "numerous legal scholars" have pointed that the president holds the constitutional authority to a self-pardon. “But why would I do that when I have done nothing wrong?" he added.
"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 tweeted.
Trump also railed against Mueller's appointment as a special counsel, saying that it was unconstitutional and that he had done "nothing wrong".
Mueller is investigating Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential elections and possible collusion of the Trump campaign with the Russians in an effort to influence a Trump win.
Trump tweeted: "The appointment of the Special Counsel is totally UNCONSTITUTIONAL! Despite that, we play the game because I, unlike the Democrats, have done nothing wrong!"
Trump's lawyer, Giuliani, on Sunday had said that the option of Trump pardoning himself was off the table as that could lead to the Republican's impeachment. However, he added that the president could pardon himself if he wanted to.
Giuliani, while talking to ABC's 'This Week' had said: "He has no intention of pardoning himself, but he probably — not to say he can’t."
This is the first time that Trump has mentioned the prospect of pardoning himself. The Republican, however, had tweeted last year saying that "all agree the US President has the complete power to pardon."
Trump's legal team, in January this year, had suggested the option of self-pardon while sending a 20-page letter to Mueller, stating that the Republican president "could if he wished, terminate the inquiry, or even exercise his power to pardon if he so desired.”
Trump's tweet also sparked an online debate among social media users who argued whether he would be incriminating himself by using the option of a self-pardon.