Swalwell: If Trump Pardons Manafort, That’s Witness Tampering and Obstruction of Justice

STEPHANOPOULOS: Congressman, the president apparently has discussed with his staff the possibility of pardoning Paul Manafort in public. He’s praised Paul Manafort. Is that opening him up, the president, to the charge of tampering with a witness?

SWALWELL: Yes, also obstructing justice. And George, the more he does this, the more it gets us I think lines of investigation if (ph) we are in the majority. But the president is not a private citizen, and I respect the role defense attorneys play, he’s the president of the United States.

And a lying president, an obstructing president, a corrupted president is a weak president, and the American people deserve to have a strong president.

DERSHOWITZ: I agree with that, but remember that President Bush pardoned Casper Weinberger on the eve of his trial and that did not amount to an obstruction of justice. So let’s not change the law to target a particular individual, much as so many people would love to see the law apply to him equally.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Professor Dershowitz, Congressman Swalwell, thank you both very much.

SWALWELL: My pleasure.