By Erick Erickson

He asked the FBI Director to stop the investigation into Mike Flynn. He jeopardized the independence of the FBI by pushing the FBI to declare the President was not under investigation. But despite the hysteria from the left, this does not appear to be obstruction of justice. It just appears to be the President abusing his power largely out of ignorance.

More and more it is striking that President Trump simply does not understand the parameters of his job. He is the Chief Executive Officer. There are some agencies that are quasi-independent agencies. Making demands of those in charge of such agencies, particularly on the law enforcement side, is not something the President should do. It is clear he simply does not know.

Compounding the problem, the President seems to pride himself on his ignorance. He has taken at face value that people rejected politics as usual and politicians as usual. He has doubled down on that and refuses to learn the boundaries and parameters of his job.

The level of partisanship in the country is so high you would be hard pressed to find a Democrat who thinks there has not been obstruction of justice. But you will be hard pressed to find a Republican who thinks Trump did anything wrong

In reality, just as Loretta Lynch should have never met with Bill Clinton, Donald Trump should have never had a private meeting with James Comey to ask him about winding down the Flynn investigation. There was no order to do so and no obstruction of justice.

But how long before there is? With a political party willing to turn a blind eye to the President’s vices and wave away everything he does that he should not, how long before the President and those around him really are emboldened to go far?

The President is not supposed to be king. He is not above the law. Congress is a co-equal branch of government. The Republicans there need to make sure the President knows there are boundaries, there are parameters, and if he does not learn them he needs to turn over the office to someone who will.

If your goal is to stop the left, all Trump is doing is both emboldening them and driving independent voters to them. Soon he will be a catalyst for a leftwing resurgence if Republicans do not sort this out themselves.