Legal pressures surrounding US president could rise

Significance

This follows Trump taking to social media on April 21 to say that the investigations into his lawyer, Michael Cohen, were a “Witch Hunt”, a phrase he also often uses to describe Mueller’s Russia probe. Trump and his White House face various legal cases at present which risk becoming expansive and undermining the running of the executive branch. Some of the controversies affect Trump personally, others as president. Both could prove an unwelcome synergy for the country: what affects Trump affects the presidency.

Impacts

• The scope and complexity of the probes facing Trump’s administration are sufficient to avoid denting Trump’s core voter base.
• Trump’s conservative judicial appointments could conceivably be sympathetic to the administration if cases go to court.
• If Democrats win the House of Representatives, Trump’s administration would likely face more conduct-related probes.