Tweeting yourself into more trouble

The President has been venting on Twitter again. Like most every day. But this round could be seriously self-incriminating.

Trump now admits he tried to block the FBI’s investigation of Michael Flynn knowing he had lied to the FBI — further evidence of Trump’s obstruction of justice. https://t.co/DxlEjbMdQz

— John Dean (@JohnWDean) December 2, 2017

I... I think Trump just confessed to a felony on Twitter? https://t.co/qBpPBS4HrM

— Noah Shachtman (@NoahShachtman) December 2, 2017

*ahem*

June 6, 2017: Trump's tweets should be taken as official statements, the White House says https://t.co/gJ95MiTZI7

— Caroline O. (@RVAwonk) December 2, 2017

NEW: Trump's tweet about knowing Flynn lied to the FBI "adds to the evidence that Trump was attempting to obstruct or impede the investigation of a crime," ex-federal prosecutor tells me.https://t.co/m2AR2lwR0A

— Spencer Ackerman (@attackerman) December 2, 2017

Kristine Phillips and Aaron Blake report (Trump on Michael Flynn’s guilty plea: It’s a ‘shame’ because he had ‘nothing to hide’ Washington Post 12/02/2017):

Trump's tweet indicates he knew that Flynn lied to the FBI when he fired him, but that wasn't reported by The Washington Post until three days after his dismissal. At the time, Trump cited only that Flynn had misled Vice President Pence.

Trump’s lawyer John Dowd drafted the president’s tweet, according to two people familiar with the twitter message. Its authorship could reduce how significantly it communicates anything about when the president knew that Flynn had lied to the FBI, but also raises questions about the public relations strategy of the president's chief lawyer.

Ian Millhiser notes:

Just so we’re clear, a vetted statement drafted by counsel that admits to a crime is MUCH MORE INCRIMINATING than a tweet tossed off by a suspect with a well-known reputation for saying things that aren’t true.

— Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser) December 3, 2017

Brent Griffiths reports on the latest round in Trump doubles down on Flynn defense, draws scrutiny with FBI tweet Politico 12/02/2017:

Legal experts quickly pointed out Trump could have just publicly admitted he knew Flynn had lied to the FBI when the president approached then-FBI Director James Comey and asked him to drop the investigation into his national security adviser several days after Flynn's Jan. 24 interview, which could then indicate an attempt to obstruct justice had taken place.

Flynn's Friday plea includes an admission that he lied to FBI agents about conversations with then-Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak about U.S. sanctions against Russia and about a pending United Nation Security Council vote targeting Israeli settlements.

Later Saturday evening, Trump doubled down on his defense of Flynn, saying that his former national security adviser's life was "ruined," but that former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton escaped any punishment for "lies."

So General Flynn lies to the FBI and his life is destroyed, while Crooked Hillary Clinton, on that now famous FBI holiday “interrogation” with no swearing in and no recording, lies many times...and nothing happens to her? Rigged system, or just a double standard?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 3, 2017

Many people in our Country are asking what the “Justice” Department is going to do about the fact that totally Crooked Hillary, AFTER receiving a subpoena from the United States Congress, deleted and “acid washed” 33,000 Emails? No justice!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 3, 2017