What did Donald Trump do today?

He notified the press that anyone asking the White House questions about the Russia investigation would be referred to his personal lawyer.

Asked at today's press briefing about former FBI Director James Comey's upcoming testimony, Sean Spicer said that "going forward, all questions on these matters will be referred to outside counsel Marc Kasowitz." While Spicer did not elaborate on the reason for the change, it is solid legal advice: volunteering information can only aid the Russia investigations and increase the exposure to criminal charges or impeachment faced by Trump and his associates.

Kasowitz was hired last week as the president's newest private lawyer and, unlike his predecessor Michael Cohen, is not personally under investigation in connection with Trump's many mysterious ties to the Putin regime. 

Trump himself may not have gotten the memo: he started off the day in typical fashion, tweeting out a summary of the cable news program he'd just watched about former advisor Carter Page and his testimony before the House committee investigating Trump.

How is this a bad thing?

• It's hard to take a lot of comfort in the excellent legal advice a president is receiving to help him stave off indictments.