Present: Reaping the Whirlwind

What a day in antipresidentland.  Eric Levitz:

 Rex Tillerson was one of the worst secretaries of State in American history – and his firing might be the worst development of the Trump presidency thus far.

Levitz's analysis is that the firing of Tillerson  presages a final withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal (Tillerson supported it), and throwing the North Korea situation into chaos.  Tillerson is replaced by Pompeo, an anti-Muslim bigot.

Pompeo comes directly from heading the CIA, and is replaced there by the architect of a notorious torture camp in Thailand.

Jonathan Chait notes that Tillerson was fired after he agreed with the UK's PM that Russia is responsible for unleashing a nerve agent in a London restaurant, resulting in murder.

Undersecretary of State Goldstein said Tillerson had been blindsided by the firing, contrary to the White House account.  He was promptly fired as well.

Another aide gone: CNN:President Donald Trump's longtime personal aide John McEntee was fired because he is currently under investigation by the Department of Homeland Security for serious financial crimes, a source familiar with his firing told CNN.  Later in the day, McEntee got a job with the reelect the antipresident campaign.

The antipresident was in California on Tuesday to tour scattered mockups of his fake wall.  Meanwhile the CA spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement resigned, because Jeff Sessions and his Justice Dept. were forcing him to lie.

The firing of Tillerson soaks up the headlines, on a day when Republicans anticipate the possibility--perhaps the likelihood--of losing a high profile congressional special election in western Pennsylvania.

Meanwhile, the real reason for this post: On Slate, here is the best summary I've read for what the law says about a campaign consorting with a foreign power in an election, and specifically the criminal charges members of the antipresident's team--and the antipresident himself--may face.