president donald trump personal lawyer legal arguments defense president tweet former u.s. national security advisor michael flynn greet skepticism legal experts seek explain trump tweet saturday lawyer john dowd tell reuters sunday write bollix president tweet trump say fire michael flynn lie fbi mislead u.s. vice president mike pence observers say tweet show trump know flynn commit crime seek obstruct justice among action fire fbi director jam comey dowd deny trump know flynn lie fbi raise new question also provide account january meet former act u.s. attorney general sally yates warn white house counsel mcgahn flynn security risk lie conversations former russian ambassador sergey kislyak accord dowd yates tell mcgahn flynn say thing fbi pence yates convey flynn face criminal prosecution dowd say mcgahn report conversation trump manner may conclude lie department justice power charge dowd say first time president know fact guy lie charge several lawyers say regardless whether yates explicitly say flynn lie fbi white house counsel see possibility communicate president every day act attorney general come white house sort message say alex white former federal prosecutor teach harvard law school obvious mcgahn flynn probably lie fbi whether yates say not michael gerhardt law professor university north carolina call dowd argument stretch say might bite credibility idea mcgahn might wait clarity inform president flynn criminal liability neither yates mcgahn could reach comment monday dowd also decline request comment monday yates testimony may senate committee say decline answer mcgahn ask flynn fbi interview appear conflict dowd account accord person familiar matter yates never say flynn tell fbi agents thing tell pence dowd say stand version events flynn plead guilty last friday charge lie fbi bring special counsel robert mueller lead probe allege russian interference 2016 election possible obstruction justice trump administration russia deny meddle 2016 u.s. election trump deny collusion take place russia election campaign dowd also argue sunday trump could commit crime obstruction justice chief law enforcement officer u.s. former prosecutor robert ray say merit argument trump could obstruct justice fire comey power several lawyers take issue dowd comment note president richard nixon face impeachment obstruction justice prior resignation watergate scandal patently absurd argument say andrew wright former white house lawyer president barack obama president chief executive sit top org chart take care see law follow trump lawyer 's account tweet raise question president know