Amazing that Brooks continues to be published in a journalistic medium. Once again, purveying fatuous, "balanced," we're-all-in-this-together swill, taking the opinion of a partisan hack A.G. on faith as some kind of final rendition of fact-based justice. Brooks voice-of-sweet-reason charade continues to normalize the politics that enable a planet-wrecking, racist, pettily vengeful, authoritarian carnie ringmaster and his clown-car of morally deficient friends and relatives run roughshod over truth, democracy, national comity, well....pretty much everything of value. Clearly, Trump was supported in his misbegotten election bid by an inimical foreign power whose help he embraced if didn't solicit, and whose bidding he may as well be doing, given the wrecking ball he's gleefully, with moronic momentum, smashing into alliances and institutions, while kissing every depraved strongman he invites to dinner full on the lips on the first date. To trumpet (as it were) this woefully premature faux-"exoneration" by yet another hand-picked party hack who prejudged him innocent based on evidence he's hopes the rest of us never get to see, well...I don't know if "we" have all made fools of ourselves, as Brooks sserts, but the columnist emphatically has. As far as "awful corruption," please do come back when you've actually read the Muller report--somehow, the people will assert their right to see it--and then take a long hot shower to see if you can wash off the stench.
444
Brooks:
Everyone (including YOU) should hold their horses until the Mueller report is made public ... ALL of it.
252
I am amazed that you think the media covering Trump and Russia was out of balance and biased. Do you remember all the lies by the president and his men regarding Russia and 2016 election?
You agree with Trump that all of this was Fake News?
Mueller,s judgement was narrow and limited and does not erase all the events of the last 2 years.
At least you should have waited for the full report before the self righteousness displayed in your column
239
"What about the rest of Us" you ask Mr Freidman? Well, many of us knew that the notion that Trump was a "Manchurian candidate" (an essay that shared the front page with your essays Mr. Friedman) was absurd and not worthy of consideration. Some of the "rest of us" includes men like Noam Chomsky (persona non grate to the NYTimes) who has said all along that the Russian Meddling scandal is "A Joke". And may I paraphrase Professor Chomsky one more time; Israel is the real meddler in the US elections. Consider the annual AIPAC meeting that includes very nearly ALL members of congress. Too bad NAACP doesn't get so much attention from congress.
22
Sadly, I think you got this one wrong, Mr. Brooks.
92
I think Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, and Fox News needs to apologize to Robert Mueller and the FBI.
147
Imagine if Janet Reno squashed Ken Starr's report and issued her own summary. Dont be smug, Brooks. This is not over.
219
Donald Trump is a loathsome, self-serving, bigoted braggart who loves to pick on other people, including dead war heroes. His "charitable" foundation was shut down because it was being used as a personal slush fund. He tried to negotiate a tower in Moscow while running for President and lied about it to the American people. He believes an enemy foreign power over his own intelligence agencies. He spends much of his time golfing and tweeting. The list of repulsive conduct goes on and on and we've all seen it.
During the course of the investigation Mueller and his team found numerous financial irregularities that are now under investigation in other jurisdictions and I do not believe this story is over, not by a long shot.
Perhaps he did not knowingly collude with Russia, but he is still manifestly unfit to be the President of the United States.
150
Sorry, David. This is not worthy of you. Or maybe it is ... you've always been great at locating the Unarguable Middle. The poison Trump has injected into the American body politic is infinitely more corrosive, more lethal, than Nixon's Plumbers at Watergate. Democrats are not "destroying their foes all at once through scandal," as you write. The scandal lies with this obese, self-infatuated, fraudulent President whose sins & harms blatantly devalue his office, whose obeisance to Putin (and to Kim Jung Un) still demand explication, whose loss to Hillary in 2016 remains infinitely more troubling than Gore v. Bush Florida 2000.
97
This piece will not age well David. You have drunk the kool aid of Bob Barr that there's nothing to see here when in fact noone who isn't a Trump toady has seen Muellar's report. What has been established beyond a doubt is that the Russian's intefered with the election, something that Person 1 has never and will never admit. Whatever the Mueller Report really shows Trump has given top secret Intel to the Russians, leaves no record or has a diplomatic or security service when he talks to Putin, and believes Putin regarding Russian inteference over the US intelligence services. Besides the fifteen other financial/sexual/ ethical scandals that he is presently being investigate for, with regrd to collusion with Russia, I don't need the Mueller Report, just at TV set. No one owes this corrupt buffoon an apology.
148
As an example of the corrosion in DC you list “Iran-contra, Whitewater, Valerie Plame, Benghazi, Solyndra, swift-boating” as corrosive investigations. When looking at these what stands out is that only one of those investigations or smear campaigns was initiated by Democrats. Would it therefore be fair to say that the Republicans are the party of corrosion. Add to that thought the support from the Republican propaganda arm Fox News and you have not just one bad apple rotting the system, but a whole barrel.
93
Oh please. We all know what Trump did was reprehensible. How can you try to excuse it?
69
"Republicans and the Sean Hannity-style Trumpians might also approach this moment with an attitude of humility and honest self-examination."
And pigs might also fly. Really, Brother Brooks? Really?
Trump, like the obese orange scorpion that he is, will not resist the urge to sting the frog. Temporary vindication will not be sufficient, in his vile and twisted mind. You can see it coming already. Slam suits, FCC license challenges, phony investigations of his enemies in the deep state. More Munich style rallies as he ramble/raves to the adoring crowd and incites them to attack the enemies of the people. Now begins a concerted effort to privatize all social programs, the roads and water systems, and the army.
Give this bargain basement banana Republican an inch, and he'll take miles of freedom. The pathetically deluded follower proposing him for dictator is the harbinger. McCain would have gently retrieved the microphone and told her to grow up. Trump will preen in the mirror and opine to himself that his hair looks marvelous.
Time to start to be very afraid.
77
I just hate this headline. Why are we fools? We are only trying to follow the law, to ask our elected officials to do the same, and to interpret the big picture using little bits of sanitized information.
I think we would be fools if we swept it all away, out of sight, and tried to move on before the dust settles.
C'mon, David.
88
What part of "does not exonerate him" don't you understand, Mr. Brooks? Trump knowingly accepted illegal, covert help from a rival state. And tried to hide it. Remember when Trump infamously claimed it was a "300 lb. guy in his basement", when he knew fully well it was Putin's henchmen. Remember when Trump infamously drafted a lie to explain the Trump Tower meetings as about adoption of Russian children? And we still do not know why he blindly capitulates to Putin. No, Mr. Brooks, at a minimum Trump knew about the illegal help and helped to cover it up. IT may be short of co-conspiract, but this is a crime known as "aiding and abetting." No apologies are needed. You need to apologize for your sanctimony and for insulting the intelligence of your readers.
108
We still need an answer as to why Trump appears to be working for Putin. It is reasonable that Russia didn't need the Trump campaign's help because everyone on the team was an idiot. But why Helsinki, why the Ukraine plank in the Republican platform, why secret meetings between Trump and Putin, why never a harsh word towards Russia, why an eagerness to remove sanctions? WHY? We need to investigate everything until someone can explain WHY!
56
Without elaborating, Brooks got it backwards again.
47
Mr. Brooks.
Have you read the Mueller report? NO.
Have you asked Mr. Trump to apologize for asking Russia to release Secretary Clinton's emails? NO.
Have you asked Mr. Trump to apologize for trashing John McCain? NO.
Have you asked Mr. Trump to apologize for calling Democrats traitors? NO.
Have you asked the GOP to apologize for unrelenting attacks on the First Amendment? No.
Have you asked the NRA to apologize for fostering a gun culture that is causing almost daily mass shootings? NO.
Time to retire, Mr. Brooks. Or just shut up.
118
Mr. Brooks must have written this before the following sub-headline appeared on the NYT homepage:
"Mr. Trump denounced adversaries, calling them “treasonous” people who are guilty of “evil deeds” and saying they should be investigated themselves."
Let Mr. Trump, proven so innocent, as you say, be the first one to stop the scandal mongering.
51
David,
You owe me an apology for writing this opinion piece.
The reality here is that it is not ok to have a corrupt liar run this country. That bit of "infrastructure" has to go. Russia affecting our politics IS an issue.
I guess you don't think so.
Shame on you!
Do not minimize the issues!
72
The New GOP is all about the Cliff's Notes. Cheaters are Smart, Good Students are Losers, and the only way to get ahead is with a small loan from Dad. It's a good thing those chickens never come home to roost.
27
A fool? Speak for yourself, Mr Brooks.
What “We” have been reading for some time is what Dawsey and Demijian emphasize in this morning’s Washington Post, “There’s a long way to go.”
The morally bankrupt resident of the White House is a documented pathologic liar. Despite denials, his financial connections to Russia have been thoroughly documented. Suspected collusion was one of suspected offenses but “Collusion is not a crime”. It may well be that Muller stopped short because the president cannot be indicted. At this time.
Before I put on a dunce’s cap as you suggest, Mr Brooks, let us watch and see. “There’s a long way to go.”
49
David, no we don't owe Trump an apology. If anything, he owes the U.S. an apology for being a belligerent, narcissistic con man who praises and stands by nefarious dictators, for not denouncing the acts of white supremacists, for handing a tax cut to billionaires, for pulling a stunt like declaring a stupid border wall a national emergency, for standing at rally's where children are present and using language no leader of this country should use and so much more. He deserved the investigation as he brought it on himself. He's making fools of us, not the other way around.
34
I read all these comments and wonder if they’re all ironic or if maybe nobody has read the article.
8
Wrong. We haven't made fools of ourselves. Trump has made fools of many Americans and the entire Republican Party. But some of us still believe our lying eyes.
15
Brooks writes that "Watergate injected poison into our body politic," which strikes me as somewhat "loufoque," since if you asked folks then and moreso now what the Watergate imbroglio was all about, and why we had all those hearings, while making for great entertainment were all about, what SPECIFICIALLY RN had done wrong that justified the threat of impeachment--in French "la mise en accusation,"few people then and even fewer now could tell you.A third rate burglary gone awry hatched by Liddy, a prosecutor from Hudson County whom the local city fathers could not wait to get rid of, conspired with anti Castro Cubans to lay their hands on info in the Dem. Party h.q. involving them in JFK's KILLING were caught, and RN was not even aware of what had gone down. How many folks then and today recall names like Mark Felt or Judge John Sirica? Watergate was "peu de chose,"and supposed to inspire, motivated journos to seek the TRUTH. Just the opposite happened.It'S 99.9 PERCENT biased opinion and "la foule," loves it!Brooks's writing is quite sophisticated, but cannot say the same for the published comments!
1
45 will never hear an apology from me.
He in no way deserves any apology from anyone for anything. Whatever he has done regarding Russia aside, he has not the first qualifying attribute necessary to his position. Many people, including myself, have pointed out his obvious incompetence for any governing office. He is not only an embarrassment to this country but a serious danger to it as well as the planet itself.
Mueller’s time spent is so far worthless.
Apology indeed!!!!!!
15
Why does this column sound a little sanctimonious, and like a lecture? You participated in all the speculation yourself. And the full report has not been released. I’m going to keep following it, I think Trump is a criminal. I’m not going to drop my guard.
20
We make fools of ourselves, Mr. Brooks, when we speak too soon about what we do not know. To NOT investigate and instead let fear and intimidation from authority stop the press and the people from doing their job of questioning what doesn't seem right or make sense is being foolish. We needed to question WMDs rather than fear being called anti-patriotic because looking back across hundred of thousands of dead civilians, thousands of dead US soldiers and the horror of ISIS is what truly makes us fools -- and worse.
The investigative journalism that grew at of Watergate, is not something to reign in when an incompetent narcissist is destroying democracy and our place in the world without check from the grown ups in the room . It is something that ALWAYS should be actively challenging power, especially run away power of the Trump royal family. Unless you have received the Mueller report in full, I think YOU have made a fool of yourself, again.
21
Trump WAS obstructing justice in trying to obscure a crime. However the public was under the impression it was Russian collusion.
In fact, Trump knew that ANY investigation into his life would eventually lead to his business where enormous problems exist for him as there are decades of filed documents and many banks and other businesses.
As Hercule Poirot would have said "Ma Foi, what an imbecile I have been! We have all been watching the wrong crime!"
13
Who is "We"?
Conservatives do not do their jobs, spread lies and misinformation and blame liberals. Conservatives make up rubbish about people, put words in their mouths, then castigate them for the nonsense Conservatives made up.
This "We" stuff is simply more Conservative projection, because history shows they never take responsibility for anything. It is obviously all the liberals' fault.
14
Comey made fools of all of us.
Him and his cohorts took steps to interfere with our democracy, both campaigns. They brought down the FBI in the eyes of every American.
3
Please read the LawFare analysis and correct your reporting: https://www.lawfareblog.com/what-make-bill-barrs-letter?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axiosam&stream=top Mueller appears to have created a substantial record of the president’s troubling interactions with law enforcement . No one has said no collusion. Rather Mueller did not find evidence of conspiracy to the rigorous standards of the criminal law. Thus, the issue in the Mueller report was whether conduct could meet the rigorous standard of a criminal prosecution, NOT whether there was no evidence. As the LawFare analysis said ”The special counsel’s office did not believe that it could reasonably prove in court that any Trump campaign member or affiliate committed a crime in assisting the Russian government with its efforts. …after as thorough an investigation as the United States government is capable of conducting, prosecutors couldn’t find any actual agreement—“tacit or express”— It doesn’t means one cannot conclude, based on the factual record, that people behaved recklessly, unpatriotically or stupidly. ….“ “It would be consistent with a report that describes conduct that falls short of the criminal standard by the barest of technicalities.” The report sets out evidence on both sides of the question and leaves unresolved what the Special Counsel views as ‘difficult issues’ of law and fact concerning whether the President’s actions and intent could be viewed as obstruction.”
22
Pardon me, but nothing reported this weekend changes the fact that Trump is a despicable, corrupt human being who, in no way, should be representing the United States of America, let alone lead it. I’ll never be embarrassed for hoping for the most expeditious end to this divisive, demeaning presidency.
18
It was Trump who made fools of Americans first. They elected him after his ranting of hatred and anger, didn't they?
16
And YES... Donlad Trump is a traitor. He has spent the last two years doing everything he can to undermine every good thing the U.S. is supposed to stand for, and has made us a pariah and laughing stock in the world. NO apologies neccessary... Thank you
Mr. Brooks.
16
The Democrats such as Adam Schiff were so certain that President Trump was guilty of Russian collusion that he was willing to jeopardize his reputation by spewing this falsehood over and over again. I really wonder if he truly believed this or was just repeating this to damage President Trump which failed. He owes President Trump a sincere apology which of course will never come. He should do the right thing and resign which he will never do. He only made himself look like a fool.
5
“Scandalmongering?”
Brooks wags his finger at us all because we are incensed and outraged about our country being destroyed from the inside.
17
When the coward Trump apologizes for sending someone else to Vietnam in his stead; when he apologizes to all of America's POWs - for being captured, apparently, instead of dying; when he apologizes to the American people for the daily lies and insults he hurls at average Americans, Gold Star families, and longstanding Allies; when he informs us of his private tête-à-têtes and why he kowtows to Putin; when he allows the country to see his tax returns; when he condemns the murders of white supremacists, perhaps then someone might think of an apology, though I doubt it. Good grief! Get a grip, Mr. Brooks.
20
Now we get back to the core issue: we have a president who is corrupt, mentally ill, and autocratic, enabled by one of the major parties.
20
"Republicans and the Sean Hannity-style Trumpians might also approach this moment with an attitude of humility and honest self-examination."
Ha! What a card you are, Brooks!
14
Oh.... Brooks.....
Son, you have let me down!
In that statement of both siderism where you point out examples requiring apologies?
1) Trump's twitter
2) ctrl + F
3) "Treason" or "Traitor"
4) more than every utterance, verbal or written/tapped/transcribed by any Democratic politician out of Over 9000
So if you're going to point out that there has been hyperbole requiring apologies, how many apologies at this point are required FROM Trump?
If all of the journalists, pundits, and politicians added up their apologies, would they equal the amount of apologies that need to be given out by Trump?
You are currently talking about Democratic politicians giving out apologies.
Trump is also a politician. Republicans in Congress are also politicians.
Haven't heard very many apologies come from them on any subject. Big or small.
A simple example might be all those claims of treason by Trump or his allies. Another might be lock her up. Another might be threats to California. Or Other lies or outrageous exaggerations that demand apologies.
We're not going anywhere until the liar in Chief, the insulter and chief, the exaggerator and chief begins by providing even one single apology to anyone
If there is a ledger of apologies, Trump is still in the red by a lot
You cannot claim that we need apologies for a man whose entire political strategy is attacking his opponents with insults and lies
16
So you’ve read the Mueller report then, David?
16
What we are, how we view the world and how we react to external inputs depend on our genetics, our experiences and the facts as we know them. To fully embrace this view of self, some may need re-programming, to redirect the genetic tendency of "I am right and only morons can see things differently".
The goal is to reach a place where respect for different views is the currency of debate, which will enable the correcting of those who are wrong about some basic facts and have ourselves corrected when we are wrong as well.
And if the disagreement is not about facts, then the currency of respecting divergent views should still hold sway.
If Trump is innocent of misconduct, why all of the lies? Enquiring minds want to know.
833
Thankyou. Enough of TV media. They should present news and no opinion. Opinion should be a seperate show. Then I could watch something like Discovery. The Times does it. Way not the rest of media.
3
I think Mr. Brooks is a very fine writer with a first class intellect,
and also a very good newspaper man.
Interesting and provocative ideas here, but I don't really think
Mr. Brooks truly believes everything he writes.
3
It took this editorial two paragraphs to go flying right off the rails. “Republicans and the Sean Hannity-style Trumpians might also approach this moment with an attitude of humility and honest self-examination.”
Honestly, what parallel universe are you living in?
Before the media gets fitted for their hairshirts and starts the self-flagellation that certain pundits and editorial writers are calling for, maybe we should see the full un-edited report made public.
8
The entire Trump administration is awash in a sea of lies. They are actively trying to destroy our government. They are as corrupt as the day is long. And Donald Trump was not shy in his efforts at obstruction, even if they didn’t meet a legal standard for prosecution, and even if Mr Barr chooses to unilaterally excuse his disgusting behavior. So, no David Brooks. No apologies for recognizing that we have a narcissist and a conscienceless pathological liar in the White House.
11
Have you read the report David?
7
Mueller "an honest broker"?
Nyet.
Stooge. Proves that he is human- and able to be intimidated
by POTUS and his lackeys. Good for him. No one needs all the
intimidation he has faced with POTUS- still the most powerful position todo il mondo.
time for him to hide.
we shall move on to many others who are targeting don con and family. Others will get them- lock them up.
1
Trump colluded with Russia when he asked Russia to find Hillary`s emails and the next day the DNC computer was hacked.
He colluded with Russia when he stood next to Putin in Helsinki and said he believed Putin when he said he did not meddle in the US elections in spite of the fact the head of US Intelligence Dan Coats said they they did.
Trump not only colluded with Russia he is also a Russian asset.
Mueller report has no credibility because he never interviewed Trump unlike Bill Clinton who was interviewed by Ken Starr. This is because Trump`s lawyers believe he is not capable of telling the truth and he would be convicted of perjury.
Trump is the worst and most corrupt president in US history and our greatest threat to our national security. He must be removed from office at once.
10
Trump openly sided with Putin against US intelligence services.
12
Sorry, David. I understand your gentle nature and delicate condition as a Republican in the Trump era, but this is just wrong.
Donald is the most incompetent president, the most venal and vulgar man, the iconoclast of the Republic and of the Republicans, late a party of principle.
The fat lady isn't singing just yet. Donald and his entire operation are corrupt. If he didn't conspire with the Russians, it's only because he didn't expect to win.
16
First) there may not be collusion in the legal definition, but there was still flagrant cooperation with a foreign adversary. Perhaps cooperation that falls short of outright conspiracy is not illegal, but it is highly unethical, amoral, and anti-American. Shall it now become the norm to cooperate with foreign powers and permit them to influence our elections?
Second) let's not lose sight of how Donald has behaved. Donald goaded the media constantly with Tweet-rages about "witch hunts". Mueller was a "witch hunt"for 2 years but now, suddenly, Trump accepts his verdict. I fault the media for reporting on tweets. Just stop talking about hos tweets.
Third) Brennan does NOT owe Donald any apology at all, what's so ever. Brooks has taken Brennan's remarks out of context. Those remarks were stated after Donald publicly took Putin's word about i intelligence matters and publicly refuted the CIA and intelligence community. Brennan is right to say ajd stand firmly by his words.
Fourth) Donald has been interfering with Meuller's inquiry for years. Firing Comey because of the investigation, dangling pardons. Donald is NOT exonerated. He is the most dangerous president in American history.
Fifth) Donald is under investigation on numerous other charges in NY State including financial fraud and money laundering. We are justified in continuing to bring these matters up. He is in violation of the emoluments clause of the US Constitution.
This is the tip of the iceberg.
12
Once again just like his campaign all eyes have been focused on Trump, all the tax payer dollars, all the time, all the leaks and all those lies could have been for naught if Trump would have just told the truth from the beginning. Now he’s seething lashing out at the ACA because in his eyes it’s a demo bill and majority demo users and by scrapping it Trump gets even, this after a month of closing down the government. Also on another note Trump only traveled to 11 states when he campaigned over and over again so not all flyover Midwest America supports trump
4
Well, fools of republicans, apparently. If your really believe your own words, Brooks.
Comey is a republican
Rosenstein is a republican
Mueller is a republican
Barr is a hand-picked, hand maiden hired to shut it down. And a republican.
So you are really going to ask and democrat, no less Rob Reiner, apologize? Seriously?
Democrats did not control Congress when Mueller was charged to carry out his investigation.
NONE of this is on democrats. This is 100% a republican created scandal.
The fact that Barr is no shutting is down as he was hired byt he criminal-in-chief to do, STINKS to high heaven.
The lesson to all: Become president, then you can do ANYTHING. The lesson we are learning from "trump": Americans are stupid and can be easily conned. Let's HOPE he doesn't push this past the foundations of our republic, elections and our constitution. But thanks to republicans, there is 100% no guarantee of that any longer. At least for now, republicans insist we accept criminality unquestioned as legitimate governance. And that STINKS.
9
The part everyone is missing from the anti- Trumpers to the Trump acolytes: 1. Trump vindicated...Putin wins 2. Trump indicted...Putin wins 3. Our Trust in our institutions shaken...Putin wins 4. Trump trashes a war hero in McCain...Putin wins 5. Trump cozies up to dictators from Putin to Kim...Putin wins. 5. Trump goes after real or perceived enemies...Putin wins 6. Trump goes after the media...Putin wins. 7.Lindsey Graham steps over his John McCain's body to be Trump's loyal attack dog...Putin wins 8. Trump supports blind themselves in supporting a criminally inept buffon...Putin wins 9. The GOP become a doormat for Trump...Putin wins. 10. Trump decide to run for reelection in 2020 and wins...Putin wins
6
Yeah, David. Like Trump never said anything false or mean about anybody else. Get a life! Trump is a gutter-monger and nothing more. He doesn't have a reflective bone in his body. Why should all the rest of us play by the rules when he clearly won't?
8
“And what about the rest of us? What about all the hours we spent speculating about the Mueller report, fantasizing about the Trump ruin or watching and reading speculation about these things?”
So happy I didn’t spend ten minutes of the past two years reading about this claptrap. That the current occupant of the White House is a big, loud-mouthed orange orangutan bothers me not at all. Hey, the previous occupant was a smooth-talking beard for Lloyd Blankfein. Whatever. Nothing I can do about it but keep going to work and making my house payments.
1
Amazing that you managed to write this article without mentioning Hillary Clinton’s emails, which is a favorite subject of so called conservatives everywhere, and probably had more to do with the outcome of the 2016 election than tanyrhing The Russians (tm) did.
2
Because Trump obstructed , it looked like collusion. Also Trump having done all of Putins bidding, it looked like collusion or even worse he is compromised by Russia due to business dealings etc. At least Democrats are trying to get at the truth and try to tell the truth. Republicans just lie. Trump is corrupt and Brooks knows it. So who is the fool.
9
"We've all just made fools of ourselves": speak for yourself, Mr. Brooks, you just did it again.
10
Have you read the report Mr Brooks that you know this? I will defer my self flagellation until I have had that opportunity
5
Get over yourself Mr. Brooks. Trump’s repeated coddling of, and secret meetings with, the leader of the criminal regime that helped elect him is treasonous whether or not he and his team of crooks and losers ever succeeded in their attempts to help him help. There have been lies and coverups about Russian contacts from the start.
9
Mr. Brooks. You are now full bore participating in propaganda. None of us have seen the evidence and if Mitch McConnell has his way none of us ever will. Based on what we already know there's no doubt members of the president's team had numerous and so far unexplained contact with the Russians. There is no doubt this president and his family and friends are mobsters.
The only scandal at the moment is the behavior of the Republican party and journalists like you that enable them. You should be ashamed of yourself.
12
Trump can be a traitor without evidence of "collusion". What if he simply is trying to ingratiate himself with Putin by attacking our allies and subverting our rule of law. That's traitorous behavior. Why do you think Putin looks so amused when he's been with Trump? The only thing the Mueller report said was there was no collusion in the 2016 election. Trump the psychopathic liar deserves no apologies.
9
The only way we've made fools of ourselves is, first, by electing a scoundrel like Trump to the Presidency and, second, by not figuring out how to rid ourselves of him yet. I'm not apologizing for calling Trump what he clearly is regardless of whatever Mueller's investigation "did not establish": a scoundrel and a traitor to all that is valuable about America. I'm not such a fool to apologize for calling a sociopath what he is: a sociopath.
7
Why should anyone apologize to Trump? Has he apologized to Obama for doubting his citizenship, for demanding to see his college transcripts, for accusing him of wiretapping his office? And how about those people who accused HRC of running a child porno ring out of a Washington pizzeria, including Michael Flynn and his son? What we do know is that Trump has threatened his alma maters with lawsuits if they disclose his grades! That he wanted the Central Park Five executed even after they were exonerated by DNA evidence. All of a sudden its "poor picked on Donald!"
10
David, You may disbelieve the analytical capabilities of readers but if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, swims like a duck one can draw a reasonable conclusion that it's a duck.
11
Apologize? Fools? Come on, Brooks, trump was not canonized. People who lie so often are really difficult to believe if and when they tell the truth.
7
The pseudo-conservative, anti-Trump, Brooks pointing out the obvious.
If he wrote about this garbage and questioned the lack of ethics and integrity in the media and Dem politicians 2 years ago, maybe more people who read only the NYTs and watch MSNBC would be aware of what millions of Americans knew were obvious falsehoods promulgated against Trump.
2
The ONLY people making fools of themselves are those who would support and apologize for this incompetent and dangerous excuse for a president and the president himself. Truth and history are not on their side and there will be a reckoning. That there are still supposed moderate conservatives defending the actions of this administration is tragic. The idea that critics of this administration should apologize given the actions of the president and his administration is absolutely repulsive and sickening. God help us.
8
I do not recall Brooks sharing similar thoughts when the person being attached, never indicted, never charged was Hillary Clinton. We're all hypocrites
4
Oh Mr. Brooks! You so desire to say the right thing.
BUT--
--you know. And I know. And we ALL know: there has never been a president like Mr. Donald J. Trump.
There has never been a president that invited--INVITED, sir!--the government of a hostile power to lay its hands on, then publish the private communications of his opponent.
There has never been a president that jokingly disparaged the head of our FBI in the presence of that hostile power's ambassador.
Oh Mr. Brooks--I could go on and on. You know this stuff--The New York times knows it better than I do. The long litany of improprieties--GROSS improprieties!--stuff that okay! didn't QUITE make the grade as "collusion"--
--but oh sir! it came pretty darn close. It came within a whisker of being downright collusion.
And Mr. Trump's openly--OPENLY, sir!--setting aside, discounting the reports of--what was the figure?--SEVEN U.S. intelligence agencies--
--because Mr. Putin looked him straight in the eye and denied any Russian interference in the 2016 election.
No, Mr. Brooks. These gentlemen who (you gravely assure us) owe Mr. Trump an unqualified apology.
No sir. They owe him no such thing.
Watergate, Mr. Brooks? That was forty five years ago.
The ongoing scandal that was--that is--that continues to be the Trump administration--
--that scandal goes on and on.
The dear only knows when we'll be done with THAT scandal.
I'm not holding my breath.
Are you?
12
No. We haven't.
4
No collusion! I haven't felt this relieved by an "exoneration" since O.J. was cleared of murder.
11
"Made fools of ourselves?" The only fool here is you, David, for accepting Barr's 4-pg partisan statement summarizing a 2-year investigation at face value.
You have not read the Mueller report. Neither has any member of the public. We don't know the context or what he actually said. All we know is what Barr wants us to believe as he tries to control the narrative.
If you want apologies, you might start with apologizing for your naive and uninformed column. Then continue with an apology to Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and the rest of us who are sick to death of this ignorant, corrupt administration that is destroying our country.
12
Wow! Tsk Tsk Nytimes! Where are your fact checkers:
I thought this quote referred to Helsinki and not collusion claim:
“I called [Trump’s] behavior treasonous, which is to betray one’s trust and aid and abet the enemy, and I stand very much by that claim.” — John Brennan, former C.I.A. director.
And, I am not claiming that he did, but if Trump spent the entire time in Helsinki talking about Trump Hotel Moscow and ways to enrich himself -- would not only outside Mueller's mandate but also something that body in the U.S. other than legislature would have the right to do anything about.
Moving on, just because Mueller team concluded there was not enough evidence that Trump and his campaign did not collude with a foreign adversary to win the election (which is a great thing, but also something we just assume with any other politician) doesn't mean he is a choir boy. I normally do not see such fallacies in your thinking but this piece frankly makes a fool of you.
5
Let's make a deal. I'll stop calling Trump a traitor when Trump tells his rabble to stop calling for the imprisonment of Hillary Clinton.
7
Trump loves himself a good strong man. He had meetings with Putin and we don't know what was discussed. He encouraged Russia to hack Clinton's emails. He stated he fired Comey over that Russia thing. He talks about being able to get away with shooting people if he chose to do so. He profits personally off the presidency. He lies and pays off porn stars. He can't articulate a thought or use words over two syllables. He is shredding our constitution and making a mockery of the UD in the eyes of the world. I think most of us believe he would have colluded if he and his kids weren't so inept. We believe he tried and failed. And we believe he -obstructed justice. And if there were nothing damining in the report, it would have been released by now.
6
This is a prefect example of meta news.
Overwhelming majority of commentators did not actually bother to read even the 4 pages written by Barr. Just like they won't bother reading the report - if it is ever released.
They rely in their media outlets to inform of them of the meaning of those 4 pages.
This is particularly true of Trumper who are, let's face it, are not exactly readers and never really have been, I mean look at El Presidente - he doesn't read and look at how far he has gotten, right?
If I was to take an average American from 10 years ago and let him/her read the 4 page summary and tell them it was written about our President and all that went on around him. How do you think they would have reacted? - That's right "Vote the bum out!!!".
What a difference 10 years make.
2
In plain sight, many Americans will never forget nor forgive.
The day after firing Mr. Comey, Mr. Trump hosted Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, in the Oval Office, along with the Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergey I. Kislyak.
“I just fired the head of the F.B.I. He was crazy, a real nut job.”
He's not an American. He is not on our side. He is on his side.
11
You are out of your cotton picking mind. Democrats did not invent scandal. It follows republicans from Nixon to Iran Contra to Bush v Gore to weapons of mass destruction to the whole stinking corrupt mess that surrounds Trump and the rest of congressional republicans with gerrymandered elections and voter suppressed elections. This is on your party. If there are any apologies due, they are due in the other direction. Who apologized to Mr. Obama for the years of race-baiting. Who apologized to Hillary Clinton for years of unfounded investigations from Whitewater to Bengazi. And who will apologize for the daily insult of having to live with a President as morally bankrupt as Donald Trump? You really need to sit down and think before you start pressing the keys on your computer to write a column this misbegotten.
8
Besides apologies to President Donald J. Trump from the publisher of the New York Times, apologies to Trump are in order from Stephen Colbert, the Women on The View, and CBS Morning News anchors.
O Mr Brooks, there’s been a lot of great investigation? People should apologize? There should be a sabbatical? You’ve seen the Mueller report? O you haven’t! Well then, once again you’ve made a fool of yourself. But we are all pretty familiar with that. It’s really time for you to take that sabbatical, a long one!
4
Mr. Brooks sounds like the investigation into Trump is over. It is not. The entire world is aware that Trump is a criminal -- his lies and corrupt behavior are public.
6
We made fools of ourselves when Trump was elected by a minority through the electoral college. We make fools of ourselves when the Republicans enable an unfit president's worst instincts. The appointment of the special counsel was a responsible act under unprecedented circumstances involving a hostile foreign power and an unconventional president. Before looking like fools again, let's see the full report.
6
Please Mr. Brooks, get off your high horse. The report hasn’t even been published yet. We don’t know what’s in it. We do know that Trump was not exonerated from obstructing justice. Let the report be published in full and comment on it once you’ve read it. What you’ve written here is just air-filled and unimportant.
6
Hate of Trump prevented most commentators to see that Trump was too intelligent to get caught.
71
Everything written in this article is totally wrong. For a good description of what was really written in Barr's summary - and what was not written - see the detailed and informed analysis by Seth Abramson: https://threader.app/thread/1110266463506567168
7
How about waiting until we get to read the report, David? Can we at least agree on that? I know absence of complete information does not stop pundits from punditing, but couldn’t you find something else to meet your deadline?
13
Show me the full report. Until then, you’re just more noise.
13
So you have read this report?
8
Anyone in a position of authority who consistently favors a hostile foreign power over his own country is a traitor. This column about "[bad] people on both sides" diminishes my respect for Brooks.
12
I will write a more detailed retort to your silly column today, currently I am searching for your similar article about the republicans ENDLESSLY investigating Benghazi merely to damage HRC when and if she became president - https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/09/kevin-mccarthy-steps-into-a-faux-outrage/408253/
And once they thought she was going to win had already planned impeachment proceedings as soon as her term began. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/10/21/a-gop-congressman-wants-to-pre-impeach-hillary-clinton-he-should-do-some-research-first/?utm_term=.dbdc572c263d
Trump and his family ARE involved in criminality
https://www.newyorker.com/news/swamp-chronicles/is-fraud-part-of-the-trump-organizations-business-model
these are not "made up' stories about the opposing party
But while you get me your link to that column I will write the actual response to this one.......
9
“Politics since Watergate has been defined by a long string of scandals and pseudo-scandals — Iran-contra, Whitewater, Valerie Plame, Benghazi, Solyndra, swift-boating. “
There is a difference between the scandals and the pseudo-scandals beside the fact that the real scandals should be investigated. From Brooks' list:
Iran-contra – real
Whitewater – pseudo-scandal
Plame – real
Benghazi - pseudo-scandal
Solydra - pseudo-scandal
Swift boating - pseudo-scandal
Hmmmm... who were the investigators in each?
Let's hold judgment on the present scandal until the facts are in.
4
David Brooks is smart enough to know that Trump is the biggest crook ever to serve in the presidency, that Mueller's report specifically does not exonerate Trump of obstruction, and that Barr was hired precisely to provide the kind of whitewash that he has in fact provided. But instead of making these points, your columnist indulges in the kind of pious, anodyne both-sidesism that blurred the obvious differences in the 2016 election and helped give us Trump in the first place. Shame!
4
David, you said months ago on CBS's "Face The Nation" you didn't see collision, so why didn't your bosses at the NYT listen to you? So now the question is will the NYT once again, like it did in its shocked days after the 2016 election, come out with another apology for blowing yet another Trump story. What you guys in the press are doing with your cheerleading and championing of the left is destroying not just your credibility, but our democracy. We need a free, open, aggressive and objective press, not the idiocy we see nightly on CNN, MSNBC, FOX, etc, and read in the NYT and WAPO. Time for a reset.
You did. I did not.
1
Watergate was child's play compared to what will be gradually
be revealed and prosecuted--- against all the parties who know who they are --in the coming months ... Humility...... hardly....
truth and justice..... to the max.....
2
If you only stick to the narrow legal focus on everything you will find very little crime in the world.....but lots of amorality and immorality. If you can sleep with that you might be an enabler.
2
I’m waiting for your apology Mr. Brooks. Maybe you can presume to apologize for the news media as a whole which did (and still does) such a poor job of reporting on Trump and continually rebroadcasts his lies and slander under the guise of “objectivity.” Maybe you can explain why the media spent untold hours babbling about Clinton’s emails. Maybe you can also explain why you and the news media as a whole (though with some notable exceptions) still don’t focus on the bigger story, that being Russia’s past and ongoing assaults on democracy in the U.S., Great Britain, and other countries. How holier-than-thou you are Mr. Brooks.
5
When Trump bragged about grabbing women by their 'genitals' it seems most decent people were appalled by him.
When he said he could shoot someone and get away with it, most decent people were appalled by him.
When he used (and continues to use) his presidency to make money for his private businesses, most decent people are appalled by it.
When he praises dictators and shuns our allies, most decent people are appalled by him.
When he puts five year olds in cages, most decent people are appalled by him.
Collusion or not, he's a horrible rotten unethical narcissist who must go.
8
And when can people like John McCain’s family expect an apology from Mr. Trump?
7
Wait! Until we see the report, it’s still my understanding Trump called Director Comey a “real nut job”, laughed at having fired the FBI Director, and brazenly released classified Israeli intel - all while hosting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ambassador Sergey Kislyak in the Oval Office!! Unless Mueller says none of these things happened, it was not premature or unwise of me to already think of my president as dangerously braggadocios AND capable of committing a vile betrayal of our country.
8
I don't know how much thought you gave to your list of "scandals", Mr. Brooks, but look at it again. Iran-Contra was the proven trading of arms to Iran for the sole purpose (since Iran was our sworn enemy) of funding an off-the-books financing of what turned out to be fascist death squads in Nicaragua. Valerie Plame was a CIA agent outed by the Bush administration to punish her husband for exposing the lies about Iraq's uranium purchases. Swift-boating is now a word synonymous with vile and false propaganda. In your tradition of fair&balanced, you cite Solyndra(not worth debunking!), Fox's made up Benghazi, and Whitewater, a TRUE witch-hunt that Ken Starr somehow prolonged long enough to stumble on to Monica. Exposing of ACTUAL scandals will always be important, and bringing down the politicians who ignore the Constituion to achieve their often nefarious ends will always be necessary. I suspect that the only reason Trump didn't "collude" with the Russians is that Putin is too smart for that. Why collude with a fool when you can take your case directly to the idiots who can be fooled?
9
Nixon should never have resigned. Can anyone say what he did that was so terrible? No, because it was nothing. But the Washington Post and the networks were all run by Democrats ( just like today) and they convinced normal Americans that Nixon was a criminal. The difference of course is that normal Americans don’t trust the MSN anymore (for good reason).
And what happened after Nixon resigned? In 1974, the Democrat-run Congress cut off funding to South Vietnam and the ARVN, because they were peeved that Nixon actually ended the Vietnam War with honor. In 1975, the ARVN was overrun by Hanoi because they ran out of ammo and hundreds of thousands of South Vietnamese died.
There is blood on the Democrats’ hands that has never been accounted for.
There
So you have read the report in full? Please supply full sentence/paragraph quotes to back up your “refutations.” Go back in the Times’s archive to find where Bill Barr quashed the Walsh investigation while Poppy Bush pardoned Reagan’s criminals. Then write an essay explaining why Republican presidents seem to be tied up in this kind of activity. Then prepare one to excuse Trump’s inevitable pardons of his gang of crooks and traitors.
5
Listening to Rachel Maddow right now.
Wow! some delusional person she is......Does the echo-bubble envelope her 24-7?
If the readers here want to be objective, read Glen Greenwald of the Snowden fame.
2
No, David, Repubicans made fools of the rest of us. Like you, David, another fool for Trump, not only the most corrupt president in American history but the most businessman, a man who would gyp the government (and therefore us) out of millions of dollars. That he would refuse to condemn the Saudi Arabian prince because - wait for it - he would lose them staying at his hotels and yes, the list goes on and on and on and on.
3
I’m so upset by this whole situation and by Brooks’ column that I have no words to say that the NYT would print. What is happening to us?
6
Please! The Dems, their MSM media, and the Leftist pundits are too arrogant and self-centered to spend a moment in self-criticism. If anything, they will just use their own perfidy as grist for their latest conspiracy columns.
The Dems own their two years of hysteria, lock, stock and barrel.
And, sadly, they won't pay for it. Unless . . . they continue to "investigate" Russiagate (and accuse, without evidence and in the teeth of the Mueller Report). Then they will lose in 2020. And you know they won't be able to keep from doing what they do best.
1
You're a little out in front of yourself here, Mr Brooks. The GOP gaslight factory is cranking up production and adding a third shift. I'm disappointed in you.
9
David you first along with your conservative friends, Hillary was innocent.
7
You are completely wrong in so many ways. First, Watergate did not introduce this poison into our system, Nixon did. Iran-Contra was not adequately resolved basically because Oliver North had a better head of hair than his opponent. And on and on.
Donald Trump asked "where is his Roy Cohn" and Billy Barr raised both hands enthusiastically and said "here I am". Now he is doing precisely what he was appointed to do. The only surprise is the utter crudity of this kabuki play.
Your readers should re-read Barr's audition screed and stop wasting their time reading your column. Our country's free elections and Constitutional foundations are cracking and you are seeing moral equivalency where it does not exist.
8
Oh my, you guys are too funny. You all pretend that you can have it both ways where mueller is 100% perfect man for the job and will uncover the truth about trump, but now he Is either incompetent at his job and willing to let AG misrepresent the summary of the last 2 years of his work....
A bunch of partisan journalists and TV personalities and their unqualified viewers cracking the case that the highesranking officials in our law enforcement dpt with unlimited access and resources were unsuccessful in doing. Fantasizing about the day Schiff and dems perp walk a handcuffed and defeated trump out of White House and exclusive CNN live coverage plays on the tv of the few hundred thousand viewers still watching watching them... too funny.
So much of the lefts reaction to the report had been predicted long ago. So much of the reactions are bc of the dishonest coverage and false narratives pushed by mainstream media...
1
Oh David, everything is clearer and true seen through the trusty retrospectoscope.
3
My guess is that President Trump knew all along he had nothing to worry about collusion. He focused on it repeatedly, laying a trap with windbag protests and Maddow et al foolishly jumped right into it. Most of these commentators here always state how stupid they think President Trump is. Whatever his other failings as a person and President, I do not think stupidity is one. He does understand greedy, avaricious, self-important and publicity seeking players. They were his environment for 40 years. Those people now include most of the big time media players fighting for spots in a rapidly changing world. He threw them a lure that seemed easy way to make serious money. They doubled down at every opportunity to back off. They only have themselves to blame.
2
Huh? The Democrats owe Trump a public apology for calling him a traitor? May I ask what has prevented you from ever saying that Trump owed a public apology to all the people he has called treasonous? Like, say, a couple of hours ago?
7
David Brooks is right on. Ever since Mueller delivered his report to Barr, the cable news networks have been engaging in non-stop analysis, almost all of which is speculation –– interspersed with the line "But we need to see the full report" repeated over and over and over again.
It doesn't have to be this way. Here is an excerpt from the Broadcast Log of BMM, my imagined cable news network:
Friday 5:00 pm ET:
“Robert Mueller has delivered his report to the Attorney General. Robert Barr says that he will provide Congress with a summary of Mueller’s principal conclusions possibly by this weekend. When he does, BMM will have a two-hour special. Please check our schedule regularly.”
Sunday 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm ET:
“Attorney General Robert Barr has provided Congress with a four-page summary of Mueller’s principal conclusions. Over the next two hours, we will provide details and analysis….”
… “There are a lot of unanswered questions. Hopefully, the answers will be in the full report when it is provided to Congress and the public. We will provide full coverage at that time."
“Stay with BMM.”
"Meanwhile, in other news..."
1
Mr. Barr started this and Mr Barr can stop it.
2
You defined CNN with this sentence. “But the flow of information is not fast enough to keep up with 24/7 programming, so you get this toxic deluge of raw speculation.” CNN = “Constant negative news”
1
The GOP is always the scandal and David, your a GOP'er. They have ruined the country and your opinions have helped them achieve their Machiavellian goals. Our country is doomed by people like you.
2
"It's clear. . . . ?" Nothing is clear yet. You're making the same media mistake you're naming, and not for the first time.
6
Do you honestly believe that some Lowell hack got all the Clinton emails and just started publishing them?
No way... whatever happened it was a major effort to elect that clown and put him in the White House...
Sooner or later the missing link will be found and it wi;; point to a Trump!
2
David Brooks courteously avoids mention of his fellow NY Times Op-Ed columnists, who made statements in print that likewise demand some humility. Since I don't need to worry about alienating those columnists, let me add the quotes that David Brooks omitted:
"There’s no longer any serious question that there was cooperation between Trump’s campaign and Russia."
-- Michelle Goldberg, November 27 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/27/opinion/trump-patriot-russia.html
"Simply put, Trump is a traitor and may well be treasonous."
-- Charles Blow, July 15 2018, in his Op-Ed titled "Trump, Treasonous Traitor"
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/15/opinion/trump-russia-investigation-putin.html
Finally, let's review the Mueller report, as quoted in the Barr letter:
-- "The investigation did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities."
One would think that Goldberg and Blow would apologize for misstatements of fact and false accusations against the President of the United States.
Rather, in their most recent Op-Eds, Goldberg and Blow both assured their readers that the Mueller report changes nothing, that Trump is still guilty of...something.
Here's hoping for less biased Op-Eds in the future.
2
Seriously? So having Russians in the Oval with only Tass, his firing of Comey then admitting to Lester Holt he did it because of the "Russian thing," private meetings with Putin with no note takers, and dissing our own intelligence agencies over the word of an dictator--you're fine with that? Apologize? Really? You know, I'd take Nixon any day.
4
Everyone should apologize to Trump...right after Trump apologizes to Clinton for all the vile accusations he made against her, that were never proven out, not one of them.
You don't get it, Mr. Brooks. Trump is a sociopath. He sees apology the same way a lion sees a limping antelope. When has Trump EVER ONCE apologized for any of the thousands of horrible accusations he's made?
5
Oh, the NY Times wasn't on the speculation bandwagon? Hypocrisy. All of you media clowns gave Trump a free ride during the campaign. His antics helped to sell media. The real collusion was with Trump and the media.
2
Maybe it’s time to investigate Bob Mueller. Seriously...
Forget the Mueller report for a momemt, where would the nation be if Obama was filmed laughing with the Russian on firing an FBI director? Trump is a traitor.
7
Your righteousness is off target and harmful. Only a fool would think Trump has honest actions and intent on Russia. We have seen Trump, his nepotism children Mitch McConnell publicly reveal this as they abuse our laws and norms repeatedly with no consequences. For 2 years zero oversightby Congress.
2
Bravo! Hunger. Opioids. Guns. Education. China. Let’s focus on what matters, not the nonsense manufactured by our inept and corrupt political-media machine. Wake up America. They distract to hide their incompetence, as they pad their wallets. So obvious. Basta!
Huh?? Who owes the apology???
A different David, David Frum (https://twitter.com/davidfrum), has a far more succinct and intelligent take on this:
1. A truck of TVs is hijacked.
2. Your son meets with the hijackers.
3. Your campaign manager shares route information with them.
4. You are recorded on video saying, "I love truck hijacking."
5. The TVs are in your house.
Happy No Collusion Day.
7
Completely wrong assessment. The fact that a man with no moral compass is leader of the free world is one big scandal. He aided and abetted an enemy--that is in plain sight. Mueller and his "report" were never needed for that. How we ended up here is a bigger issue--but half of the public is rightfully responding to a mentally unfit president who embraces dictators, pays porn stars, cages children. demonizes people, obsesses over the tiniest slight--the list goes on and on without end. Why would anyone of sound mind not hope and dream and pray that Mueller's investigation would bring such a president down. That is a wholesome wish to an unwholesome presidency. Mueller failed the American people in punting to Barr--and he had to know what Barr would do. It was an act of grave cowardliness on the part of Mueller.
1
indeed, we have been made to look foolish. the election of trump was the first instance of foolishness, but it has been compounded on a daily basis by his stupidity, crudeness, and avarice. so now here comes barr, having auditioned for his job with a 'memo' outlining the reasons why he will quash the results of mueller's report. and we are fools yet again for having considered that barr would act in good faith. no more. trump's occupation of the presidency is illegitimate, and putin is the puppetmaster. IMPEACHMENT NOW!
2
I’m grateful for comedy. Stephen Colbert’s take on Barr’s “result” summary is thousands of times more intelligent than David Brooks’ treatment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_7wPf9geSM&feature=share
Apologies owed? Talk about jumping the gun!
9
Brooks' has jumped the gun by writing about those who have been proven wrong by coming to opinions before the facts. Yet we have not seen the facts in the report. For anyone following this story, there are so many unanswered questions starting with the recent conviction of Manafort for conspiring with Russians while leading the Trump campaign. Did Trump not know what his campaign was doing?
At this point, I am holding off judgement until the report is released. Still the most damning fact is Trump's behavior - he acted like a guilty party for the past 2 years and created most of the controversy with his Tweets; and he is continuing that behavior by mischaracterizing the Barr letter. Why do that if you are not guilty?
7
As a political candidate for the highest office in our country, Mr Trump exhorted a major foreign adversary to release damning information to undermine his opponent. He is now entrusted to invoke measures that would countermand future threats to our voting systems by foreign powers, the very same ones that provided some advantage to him.
His invitation to Russia to mingle in our politics, the fact that he was at that time having dealings regarding a potential multibillion dollar business deal in Moscow, and that his son in law as we speak uses private communication modality to negotiate deals with the Saudis, the latter individual using his diplomatic clearances to give his brother access to venture capital deals with Saudis, all pretty much suggest to me that there is plenty of there there, and that the fact that Mr Muller was unable to come up with hard enough evidence to prove active collusion, assuming that is indeed the case, since we have yet to see the full report, does not in any way detract from the points made the individuals you quoted. We have corruption to the very core with this administration. We haven't seen the half of it.
8
Barr's letter is no different than Frank Nitti writing a letter for Al Capone.
6
Trump could calm a stormy sea, walk across it to feed the multitude with a few loaves, turn water in to wine and still be viewed as Mephistopheles by the NYT readership. Literally.
2
That does it , David. Last column of yours I will read.
6
Brooks has done it again. He is one of the rare contributors to NY Times that brings sanity back to the present ugly partisanship that is fast destroying this country...
2
“It ain’t over till it’s over!”
3
Did anyone in the media apologize to the poor students from Kentucky who were mercilessly publicly lynched for wearing a MAGA hat?
It is the media, more than anyone else, that is responsible for the pitiful current state of public discourse.
1
We've? Sorry but make the media, the democrats, Adam Schiff, etc. are your "We've"!!!
How does the media let Schiff say the things he does. Never offers facts or proof but just goes on saying there's proof. He's been saying it for 2 yrs. And he runs a house committee, oh please. Or how about the lying senator from Ct.
I don't know if you Mr Brooks belong in the "We've" above, but certainly your colleagues do.
Sorry you can't have it both ways.
1
Once again Brooks. Watergate was just and important but ... ?
1
You wrote, "Owe Trump an apology." Laughable. He was bred to evade the laws and system of justice he believes isn't meant for him. Let me apologize for Trump. I am sorry our president is an incompetent, mentally unfit human being who continues to drag our country into the sewer he called home.
9
The intelligence community and our allies have the intelligence on Trump working with Russia. There was collusion, conspiracy against the United States and Treason committed by Trump. Lots of arrest and indictments of Trump cronies during this Mueller investigation. Wake up Dave, there is also an active Republican Cover Up in the DOJ and with GOP congressional leaders. They are all involved with the Russian conspiracy either directly or indirectly. With so much to lose the Republicans put their number one henchman up to bat to lie and obfuscate to save their party and protect their members from criminal charges. You haven't seen the full report nor the reports from the intelligence community. Recommend you put a sock in it. No one needs anymore of your propaganda talking points for the GOP
4
This was all the fault of Trump and his associates. They lied over and over about everything related to Russian interference,
Trump should be the one apologizing, to Manafort and Cohen. After that he can apologize to Clinton and Obama for peddling lies and conspiracies. The President is a con artist and liar and David Brooks quotes a film director.
8
I'm waiting now for Trump's novel to be published --- "If I did It."
4
Nice try, David.
The leftists are throwing a tantrum. Best advice is to stay clear.
1
Brooks is ever the Covert now Overt Trump apologist. We need Woodward/Bernstein not Brooks/Douthat.
9
“It’s clear that many Democrats made grievous accusations against the president that are not supported by the evidence.”
Clear to whom, based on what?
Brooks — unless he’s read the report, which would be news — bases his “not supported” conclusion on the summary of the conclusion Barr gave to congress. He’s relying on the AG’s interpretation, knowing full well Barr took a dim view of the very premise of the investigation.
Brooks fancies himself as a smart conservative, not taken in by the passions of the moment. But he utterly fails today. In pretending to (or, maybe, just attempting to) see the wisdom of the center, he actually buys the premature rightwing triumphalism that Trump is exonerated and the report found no wrongdoing.
Oops.
Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. It may well be the Mueller report is more damning than the Barr summary. It may well be that the evidence is both insufficient to prosecute — a high bar — while also in no way exculpatory.
This for sure: the Mueller report does nothing to allay concern about Trump’s public Russia alliance, be it sanction relief, Syria, Iran, North Korea, private meetings with Putin, the Moscow tower, or “Russia, if you’re listening”.
6
News Media? There’s no news media anymore. Clear out your headgear guy. It’s all political spin. It jumped the shark a loooong time ago. There’s no coming back from this.
1
Were you waiting for this moment? Did you have this column already prepared? How about NO apologies until we read what Mueller actually wrote: not just a 4 page synopsis by Barr who clearly had preconceived ideas which he declared in his 19 page memo which was nothing more than an application for the job of AG.
7
Trump says people are treasonous and evil. He personifies those terms. so he should know.
8
Accusations against the president? Do you mean like, "he's Kenyan?" Or that he "wants to take our guns away?" Like those?
12
No one—no one—owes Donald J. Trump a public apology. What kind of mindless gall is this?
The man who famously never apologizes for anything, including groping women, insulting Gold Star families, calling an entire nation criminals and drug dealers, losing track of children taken from their families and placed in cages, sowing division the likes of which we haven’t seen since the Civil War, paying hush money to porn stars, mocking the disabled, and palling around with dictators is owed an apology?
Never.
Never.
Never.
9
In the category of "Nobody could have foreseen..."(Condoleza Rice), keep your "we alls" and "rest of us" to yourself, sir.
4
Once again, David Brooks jumps back into the republican fold when it suits him...
12
Here, hear!
And, Mr. Brooks, you have just hopped on to the current bandwagon.
3
David, this column is beneath you and it's disappointing. You often speak as a moral philosopher and now you write as just another political hack. Just because there wasn't enough evidence (high standard of proof for criminal activity here) to move toward the impeachment of Trump, it does not mean that he is innocent of criminal activity. You know this.
7
Has David Brooks become just another in a long line of ethically- and morally-challenged Trump sycophants.
So all the blind men, with David joining them, have decided that the leg of the elephant must be a tree trunk. That's just dandy, but consider that there may be more to the huge creature in front of you than one leg.
6
Mr. Brooks, the foolishness is jumping to conclusions without complete evidence, something you have just engaged in with the scolding tone of today's column.
5
Yes I agree, you the media did make a fool of yourself. Don't be surprised if your stock will keep on sinking.
1
Apologize to Trump? OMG! Are you serious? He should apologize to us. Whether it qualifies as “collusion “ in the Mueller legal definition, Trump and his lackeys sought and welcomed any and all help from the Russians. Full stop. Get a grip.
7
In perspective, investigations are underway for Trump-related tax fraud, campaign fraud, pay-for-play, pay-offs to silence porn actresses, money laundering, insurance fraud, etc. and Democrats are dishearten that a foreign conspiracy wasn’t added to the list while Republicans are thrilled the current investigations are only for possible felonies and misdemeanors instead of death-by-hanging-treason. This is wrong on so many levels.
1
Conservative think tank mouthpiece Brooks makes a fool of himself nearly every time he opens his mouth.
But hey, his overdone baloney and pretzel logic gets attention and any press is good press to losers, right?
Apologize to a person who has demonized John McCain while claiming his bone spurs? And who then goes to Vietnam to exclaim love for Kim Jong-un, where McCain was tortured?
David, for shame. Seriously, how dare you.
7
The Democrats badly miscalculated and lost the 2016 election. With a demonstration of spectacular stupidity they doubled down and are now well on their way to losing in 2020. As for the media, no one will believe anything written or spoken against Trump now. He has a free pass.
1
Here we go again...
David Brooks acting like the Republican he is.
Never mind that we have not seen the depth and breath of the
report. Never mind that we have not examined the facts.
According to Brooks all we need to do now is apologize.
For two plus years we have seen, and painfully lived through, the indecency of the Trump presidency.
Mr. Brooks, you cannot pull the wool over the eyes of the American Public. We know who Trump is.
And despite your latest indignation, you, Mr. Barr and your ilk know the emperor has no new clothes.
4
A smart guy like Brooks being taken in like this is very disappointing. To believe Barr is to believe trump! We the people must see this report in its entirety. Trump is a graceless pig and I will never apologize to a trump supporter today or any other day.
5
As a Democrat, I have been called a "stupid loser", a "threat to America", told I hate Jews and Israel (I am Jewish), only a few of Mr. Trump's vicious personal statements, and now Mr. Brooks tells me that I am supposed to feel some humility. I used to respect you, Mr. Brooks. Not any more. Too bad, good writer, but apparently the same moral fiber that calls me names while having no clue who I am.
7
Correct: Watergate has tainted politics. Republicans have searched for a Watergate to even the score and Democrats want to relive the glory days. In between are a lot of people trying to cover for either stupid or corrupt behavior.
Incorrect: We have much to learn regarding the Russia meddling in our politics. Mueller may have found no criminal conduct, but too much has happened that is publicly known not to believe we have a lot of people associated with Trump who are very stupid or corrupt. Before we consider this settled we need to understand the basis of Mueller's findings. I for one am tired of the stupid and corrupt.
3
Who tricked the Hillary Clinton emails with Wikipedia ?
The Russians ? No ?
Americans are soo flimsy. One says so and they believe everything.
It is like if there was a road panel saying road work here turn left.
Or right. Everybody turns right.
Americans are sheep.
It's too early to call off the dogs, David. Reading the report is essential. There was good cause to do this investigation. Note the indictments and many meetings with Russian agents by Trump's campaign. And Trump's own words were damning. A jury would probably split on both obstruction and collusion. How about consorting with the enemy? Is that still treason? - Scott
5
The scandalmonger-in-chief has no intention of observing your proposed "national sabbath".
2
When has Trump apolized? Ever? Any sign of weakness brings attack. Your advice is suicidal.
2
Mr. Brooks, please watch Joe Scarborough's opening on Morning Joe today, Tuesday, 26 March 2019.
1
Way to go, David.
Hook, line and sinker.
1
Apologize to the liar who accused President Obama of being
a Kenyan and of personally tapping his phone? To the draft
dodger who continues to insult war hero John McCain after his death? To the cheerleader who praises the cruelest
dictators on earth, including the one who successfully attacked our democracy?
Trump's ultimate destination will freeze over before my apology is forthcoming.
5
IT WAS A WITCH HUNT, hello?
"Since Watergate launched this Age of Investigation, government has become much more transparent" Dear sir, it's just the opposite, but you are not a "real" hard working line journalist. Perhaps we should forgive your ignorance. Just about the time any matter of even the slightest political import crosses the table of concern, the "government" from local to federal goes into "executive session" literally and figuratively closing the book on further public understanding of the matter that was on the table. This is what El Trumpollini refers to as the "deep state" because he's as ignorant as Mr. Brooks.
2
9 May 2017, day after Comey firing, Trump told Russian officials: I just fired the head of the F.B.I. He was crazy, a real nut job. I faced great pressure because of Russia. That’s taken off. I’m not under investigation.
Apologies? How about a new presidential crying towel? The old one wore-out after 10 months spent getting WRITTEN answers to Mueller and the recused AG out of the way.
29 Jan 2018, Letter to Mueller from Counsel to the President (Dowd and Sekulow): Reading the entire interview (with Lestor Holt, 11 May 2017), the fair reading of the President’s remarks demonstrates that the President:
1. Fired Mr. Comey for incompetence;
2. Knew.. the firing.. would not terminate (investigation);
3. Demonstrated.. he was not concerned about the continuation..; and
4. Made it clear that he was willing, even expecting, to let the investigation take more time..
4 Sep 2018, Time: But Dowd warned Trump against testifying in unusually colorful language, telling him in late March (2018), “Don’t testify. It’s either that or an orange jumpsuit,” according to the book. When Trump replied that he would be a good witness, Dowd replied, “I’m afraid I just can’t help you,” and resigned the next day, book ('Fear' by Bob Woodward) says.
7 Nov 2018, Jefferson B. Sessions III: At your request, I am submitting my resignation.
28 Nov 2018, ABC News: Trump submitted his answers to special counsel Mueller last week after months of negotiating over how the questions would be handled.
1
There May not have been a smoking gun, but there was plenty of smoke. Trump asked Russia to find his opponents emails then release them. Trump held nazi style rallies and chanted lock her up. His son took a meeting with a Russian national in hope the Russians had the dirt on the democrats candidate. The russia probe proved that trump is well versed in shady deals and shady dealers. It also showed that trump the bully and liar would do anything for power. If this is the best this country can come up with in a president, then this country has really gone beyond the pale in terms of legitimacy and honor. Trump the school yard bully as commander in chief? Really? Your silk purse David Brooks is not very desirable. The majority of hardworking honest taxpayers wish for his defeat in the next election. I for one, as a taxpayer, believe that my taxes paid for the mueller investigation. I want to see it. I feel I have a right to see it.
3
It's unbelievable to pontificate about apologies when we don't even know what the ENTIRE report actually says.
In an editorial titled "We've all just made fools of Ourselves- Again" Mr Brooks makes himself the fool AGAIN!
5
Step off David Brooks. While you're out there looking for the threads that weave this nation's tapestry - make sure to weed out the weak minded such as yourself. The current occupant of the White House is no more a patriot than a ham sandwich with bone spurs. Had we voters the luxury of NOT choosing between the Manchurian candidate and the wife who knew too much we wouldn't be contemplating our Soviet overlords. We're in this fix on a count a dough-ray-me. Citizens United in bed with the 24-7 lame-stream media. Perhaps big pharma has a morning after pill to restore or delusions of democracy.
2
David, how about a self righteous newspaper column? We do not know that there is no evidence yet because we have not seen the report. I do not believe the attorney general.
3
@KCF
"Served in the US intelligence community for nearly 25 years"
Interesting.
Based on your piercing, deep analysis you present as an example, no wonder the "US intelligence community" completely failed at identifying and preventing the 9/11 terrorist attack.
1
"It’s clear that many Democrats made grievous accusations against the president that are not supported by the evidence."
Oh, Pshaw. The accusations are not grievous or exaggerated and are well supported by Trump and his cohort's actions.. Didn't Trump ask Putin to deliver hacked emails to hurt Hillary and help Trump? Did this not happen?
Didn't Trump admit he fired Comey to obstruct a perfectly intelligent and motivated counter-intelligence operation?
Didn't Trump invite the core of Russian intelligence---with no American Reporters in attendance, to brag about firing Comey?
Did not Page and Poppadoc and Manafort and Gates and others work closely with Russians for various criminal purpose? Or convene a meeting to receive dirt on Hillary that Don Jr. said he would love? No Russian blood money laundering? No evidence of that?
What a stupid column, David. I like many of yours but this one is just obtuse and willfully dense.
No apologies. The ones who owe gigantic apologies are Trump and his Cultists.
5
The fool here is you. Nobody has even seen the Mueller report except for the office of the Attorney General, who pushed for the job on the basis of an elaborate and ridiculous manifesto on the invulnerability of the President to investigation, let alone indictment. Whatever is in the Mueller report, it proves that at best Trump was the corrupt, witless stooge in subversion of American political institutions by agents of Vladimir Putin. Given the narrow, legally-circumscribed mission of Mueller, and given the weasel words "Russian officials" in the no-conspiracy conclusion of Barr (not Mueller, so far as we know), all questions of treason, corruption, collusion and unfitness for office are still open, just as they were before Barr's letter. This feeble-minded, amoral capitulation to cues from the White House is disgraceful. Don't use "we" in a screed like this.
3
David Brooks hasn't even read the report and already he's doling out prescriptions for penance, to this side and that? What supposed reporter or columnist writers an article and tells his or her editor "Yeah, print it. . . " without having done the research or reviewed the relevant material in question? A lazy reporter who writes from his gut rather than from an informed place after all the relevant material has been evaluated. And David Brooks is lazy. His default position is simply to excuse away the worst behavior on the Republican side and to act like his opinion is the sensible middle ground, when in fact it is really just a pose because he doesn't know what he's talking about. It's not fake news but rather shabby, lazy writing, with no second source other than his own ego.
2
David Brooks will always be a Republican Stooge.
He wishes the Body Politic to show some values?
How about an honest broker in the White House or the Senate?
Iran-Contra was a Pseudo-Scandal? REAGAN SOLD TOW MISSLES TO IRAN! ILLEGALLY! Why was Casper Weinberger pardoned? 14 Reagan administration officials indicted!
Oh I forgot--you enjoy your Republicans lying to Congress.
Perhaps you should stop excusing the criminal acts of Republican Administrations.
6
If Trump didn't collude with the Russians and put his personal interests above those of the country, then Bill Clinton really didn't have sex with Monica Lewinsky. Some things are obvious and wrong, even if they can't lead to prosecution. Democrats have nothing to apologize about. Trump is a crook, a liar and a cheat, as his own long-time friends have said, and is a disgrace for his country and the world. Is Trump smarter than the US legal system? That's the question which should really concern Brooks.
3
Shame on you, David. Shame. Where do i begin? Mueller probably found collusion but not conspiracy. The National Security advisor lied on Russia. So did AG Sessions. There are more than 20 indictments. Trump did obstruct justice...what Barr says is risable. He penned the excuse for Jr.'s meeting w/ Russian agents to use stolen IP. Papadopolous. Manafort. "I love it." Trump Moscow. Unexplained perjury. Need I go on?
The only real well-respected journalist who's a fool, sadly, is you.
3
Trump is owed an apology! Are you serious? An apology to the man who attacks a dead man causing such grief to his family. An apology to a man who bragged about sexually assaulting women? An apology to a man who belittled a handicapped person? Sadly I could go on and on and on.
Regardless of what the entire report says, which we all need to see, it does not diminish the fact that Trump is a liar, a con man and totally unfit for office.
An apology to this excuse for a human? Surely you jest.
5
The evidence does not support a criminal conspiracy or treason. Collusion with the Russians has happened in plain sight and the evidence continues to show its face on a frequent basis. Donald Trump is a bad man and the worst [and most divisive] leader in our nation's history. Those who continue to make excuses and blindly follow this ogre are contributing to the moral and political decline of our country. Legally this is not a crime but the behavior of this administration is a crying shame!!
2
All? Sorry, this falls in the collective laps of the left. The Democrats and the liberal media; they own it. PERIOD! The notion of "we all own it" is asinine.
1
David Brooks has it backwards. He (and Robert Mueller) owe US the apology.
2
Russians, Russians everywhere. Lies cascading over lies. Hacking and trolling and sharing. Nothing to see here.
3
The old saw "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence," might apply here.
Fat chance that TrumpTV (Fox) will stop spiking the ball and "apologize" .... c'mon David!
Little premature.
2
I had a hard time getting past Trump needing an apology. Sorry, David. Trump is a traitor. He stood in front of the American public and asked Russia to hack email. He also told Americans that he trusts Putin more than our own intelligence. He may fall into these statements out of stupidity rather than calculated malice, but that doesn’t matter. He is a traitor. Those of us who think he should be in handcuffs have nothing to apologize for.
3
Where is Hillary’s and Obama’s apology? Never gonna happen.
3
the sad fact is, lots of newspapers sold, lots of cable news show ratings spiked and in the meanwhile our little old american dream well it slipped through our clenched fists.
1
Apologizing for thinking Trump was a traitor when the truth was - and remains - that his only faults are those of an adulterer, racist, liar, glutton, demagogue, bully, egotist, and willful ignoramous -- is like apologizing for saying someone is a murderer because the victim of his attempted crime somehow managed to survive.
2
“Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing”
- Donald J. Trump
Oh David get real....the attorney general protected his boss. Period!
3
National Sabbath?? Not supported by the evidence? I'm sorry but this is total nonsense. Donald Trump is a traitor, pure and simple. Regardless of what he Mueller investigation found, Donald Trump asked the Russians to hack into Hillary Clinton's emails, sent his son and a bunch of flunkies to meet with the Russians to discuss how to collude prior to the election, fired the FBI director and gloated about it with the Russians in the oval office, obstructed justice any way he could, dangled pardons to accomplices who got caught, sided with Nazis, met with Putin with no one present, the list goes on and on. Trump is a traitor, unfit for the job, and should be impeached and jailed. I suppose that just because Mueller could not reach a conclusion and Barr declared him innocent we should forget both our sense of duty and morality. Absolute rubbish. Trump is a criminal, and no whitewashing from his henchmen is going to make us believe otherwise.
3
Apologize for using our eyes to see from one face? And to not bear the two faces of Brooks?
2
Hey David-
Your bias is showing.
Iran-Contra was a real scandal.
The outing of Valerie Plaime was a real scandal.
Whitewater and Benghazi were witch hunts.
Attempting to conspire with a foreign power to win an election is a scandal; even if it is your team Dave.
Both-sideism is a real thing and you are constantly providing the American public with proof.
4
Donald Trump owed an apology? Sure, just as soon as he apologizes for his racist enthusiasm for birtherism against Barrack Obama.
1
Who needs a judge when we got a jury? Who needs a jury when we got a rope?
1
No mention of Hillary David??? Lock her up??? The media covering nothing but her e mails during campaign all of which were innocuous? Trump still not admitting she was exonerated like he said he is. And Benghazi??
3
No one should apologize to Trump. He has lied constantly and consistently about every aspect of his life. The only reason there is no direct evidence that he colluded with the Russians is because he was too stupid to follow through. Lots of other idiots in his orbit tried to turn this presidency into their piggy bank and now they are paying the price. Trump will pay for his crimes. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but it will catch up with him. Criminals always slip up eventually.
2
This should be required reading.
https://taibbi.substack.com/p/russiagate-is-wmd-times-a-million
There should be resignations by the score at the Times. But of course there will won't be any. Just doubling down.
Anyone who put in the slightest effort to step off the Times WP reservation could see this was a sham from the start.
https://consortiumnews.com/2019/03/25/a-prediction-3-days-before-the-2016-election-on-how-the-democrats-would-use-russia-gate-to-try-to-depose-trump/
and now...
https://consortiumnews.com/2019/03/25/trump-is-going-to-thank-msnbc-until-november-2020/
Now we see the premature celebrations of the "useful idiots" among us.
Do they really believe that the Kremlin is so inept that they cannot disguise a link between them and a foreign stooge?
Wait and see, wait and see.
1
Thank you.
The stench emanating from the various White Houses in DC, Florida, and NJ would choke a donkey. Yet Brooks and his ilk wear their virtual gas masks with aplomb and shrug off the obvious horrors surrounding the gang of miscreants around Trump, whether family members, cabinet members, or spineless Congressional GOPers. While Bannon hops around Europe spreading the seeds of dictatorship, and China cozies up to Italy and France, Trump and his gang call decent Americans traitors and evil. While Trump underpins a corrupt Israeli prime minister, he tears apart any hope of peace in the Middle East. Who needed a report from Mueller to know that the Trump swamp stinks?
4
Calling the President a traitor is just politics, just locker room talk, not to be taken literally. Geez, don't be so uptight.
4
Hey, David - Welcome to the Kleptocratic Kakistocracy.
Hey, David - It's legal.
Hey David - Get on Board. " 2020: Don the Con for Prez"
1
"Maybe it’s time to step back from the scandalmongering and assess who we are right now."
A nation in the hands of a dictator wannabe and the relentlessly power-mad right- wing? With not only contempt for the law, but also a revenge urge right our of Jacobean drama?
"It’s clear that many Democrats made grievous accusations against the president that are not supported by the evidence."
And HOW is that "clear" to you? Or to anyone who has not read the Mueller Report? Oh right, you just KNOW this? Or believe anything that Barr (a Trump-appointed henchman) says? How about facts and ALL the evidence?
Honestly, Dave, this is nothing more than a faux-intellectualized piece of attack journalism in the service of Trump. No better than some Sarah Sanders palavering!
Sorry to say, but with each piece, your credibility falls more. And your truly disindigenous mouthpiece service to the far-right becomes yet more apparent. Appalling!
3
The fact that there is no hard evidence linking Trump to Russian interference in the 2016 election doesn’t negate the fact that he’s Putin’s useful idiot ( and possibly Kim Jong il’s as well).
2
Report. No report. There is a cancer in the White House and a stain on this nation's soul. What more do you need to know, David?
3
Trump is a pathological liar surround by grifters and the unqualified. This may not bother his supporters but it sure bothers me.
5
Regarding your headline, speak for yourself.
2
No, Trump endure a greater level of attack because of his hateful and utterly stupid policies. Pundits recognize that nearly half of the nation support these policies. They are desperate to find some other means of attack that may penetrate the minds of his base.
2
Mr. Brooks, perhaps you'd be interested in filling Jeanine Pirro's time slot at Fox News.
4
The USA is not a democracy, no one needs to pay an apology to Trump; a narcissist, noted racist, divider, a man who creates irrevocable turmoil and hatred worldwide needs to be jailed. Trump has not played by the rules of democratic engagement, he is lawbreaker, and has openly exhibited treasonous actions, right in front of our faces.
We need not seek approval, or acknowledgment of what we already know, by journalists, statesmen/women, we have only to trust our own pedestrian eyes, ears, and recorded history of events in which this president has openly colluded, collaborated, and benefited by Putin's fascist imprimatur. Trump openly flaunts lies in our faces daily. The president of the United States has too much power, and the corrupt collaborators in his party, who are supposed to engage a contrarian check on his power are flush with total corruption, they operate in lock step with whatever hatred, stupidity, or rabid incitement of violence, that spews from his mouth.
Welcome to the digital age of corruption, Trump its' master in residence. Mueller's lack of commensurately effective engagement has left the country temporarily bankrupt. A sitting president can be tried for criminal activities, Mueller simply chose to operate as an acquiescent choir boy, now Trump and his cronies are empowered to infest the body politic with more of their terminal virus of hatred.
We are on the verge of becoming ameriKKKa. Please wake up, the revolution is actually being televised.
1
Outrageous. Owe the racist-in-chief an apology for bilking the citizenry and for undermining the rule of law and obstructing justice, and for not defending us when we care attacked? Never. As for Me. Brooks, no respect. Shame on you.
5
Politics, thy name ain't humility! (Sorry for the grammar faux pas.)
"We’ve All Just Made Fools of Ourselves — Again"
I guess you are refering to anybody believing the Barr synopis.....
2
Mr. Mueller’s report has yet to be released, so it remains unknown whether it includes damning new details that question the actions of Mr. Trump or his associates, even if they do not represent a crime.
besides that report release, all we're hearing / reading is empty noise which further divides the country.
IF all these politiciasns REALLY cared about the country, let alone about justice, they'd demand, in unison, the unequivoval release of the Mueller report. the Bill Barrs' 4-page letter sumarising 22 months of investigation and expecting us to swallow as the ultimate " result of the MUeller report " is a total joke. and an insult to the intelligence of the American people.
2
comforting article.
1
Excellent
1
The Russian asset in the White House will be convicted.
7
Who is "we"?
7
SO -- Trump got to you, too!!!
8
I’m curious to hear about how Iran-Contra was a pseudo-scandal. After I brush my teeth and get in my jammies will you tell it to me?❤️
4
It's a;; the fault of Richard Nixon.
Got it.
LOL.
1
This is the reason a stopped my New York Times subscription. Democrats and the media have nothing to be ashamed of. Trump did collude with Russia. It’s just a matter of degree.
7
David Brooks, you are the biggest fool of all if you believe William Barr's summary of what's in the Mueller report.
16
If only your fellow columnists at the NYT would read this. Especially Blow, Krugman and Goldberg.
2
Some of my criticism has been scolding while others have expressed my long held beliefs in benefit of the doubt. My damning comments were predicated on actual facts,and my affirmation of Trump's potential innocence were based on others. I was always inconclusive........just as Mueller was.
Getting past that, we are left with the simplest of reasonings;
"If it walks like a Duck, and quacks like a Duck, it must be a Duck".
That is the bottom line that drives us all.
2
David Brooks once again joins trump & co. in their public poll dancing dressed in the flimsiest false equivalencies and alternative facts...
No one really expected evidence of a RICO type organized conspiracy closely coordinated by trump and the Russians. What we have is a cornucopia of wrongful, hurtful-to-democracy actions that were orchestrated by Russians and facilitated by trump and his minions. There is already an abundance of indictments and convictions to establish Russian intervention. When trump derides security agency findings and media, fires Comey, hires party hacks, lies, winks at wrongdoing and holds out the promise of pardons he is committing acts that in other times were instrumental in bringing down Nixon and Clinton.
Two years lost to trump when we should have been hardening or election and social media infrastructure...
Clearly trump is guilty of hiring and orchestrating wrong-doing. 'No crime no obstruction' is a thoroughly specious argument. His obstruction was aimed at minimizing the harm to himself, family and minions, America be damned. OBSTRUCTION is what his antics are called.
Barr poses a huge threat to America and its institutions with his incredulous claim that presidential intent is always ok because it is presidential. He cannot be allowed to withhold the report and background information.
And yet another question is whether Brooks has lost all sense of right and wrong. But don't bother asking the poll dancers...
6
If David Brooks is writing about the importance of facts and the dangers of rumors, it is hard to argue with him.
If, however, David Brooks is urging that journalists, politicians and everyday Americans are not allowed to notice that our President lies repeatedly about everything from health care reform to the value of trade wars to the uselessness of our traditional allies; that he attacks anyone who criticizes him; that he even attacks the press as the “enemy of the people; that he shows a bias against Muslims, people of color and anyone fleeing cruel regimes and seeking asylum in America; that he refuses to denounce white supremacists who urge violence against blacks, Muslims and Jews; that he praises cruel autocrats round the world; that he gladly separated small children – probably forever – from their parents to prove a point about immigration; that he repeatedly rejected the conclusions of our military and intelligence communities and accepted the posturing benevolence of hostile leaders like Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin, then what Mr. Brooks is writing is worthless.
If, on top of everything else, David Brooks is criticizing Americans who refuse to accept as truth the vindication line being sold by a veteran salesman of right-wing partisanship like Attorney General William Barr, to whom the need for an imperial presidency (when a Republican is in office) is always first on his agenda, then this column is less than worthless.
12
This is the most ridiculous response to the Mueller report (still publicly hidden) that I have seen. The only one who has made a fool of himself is Mr. Brooks – again. Does he not understand the difference between criminal activity that must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt and heinous behavior that meets other standards of proof or is just plain immoral and, yes, treasonous?
Has he been watching through rose colored glasses for the past two years as the president has publicly invited MORE Russian interference in our elections, lied relentlessly about his Russian contacts and those of his family and staff, stood next to Putin and taken his word over that of our own intelligence agencies, time and again taken policy steps that favor Russian interests?
Has he not noticed the 200 charges, 37 indictments, and numerous trials and convictions that have come out of the Mueller investigation? Does he not care about the assault on, desecration of, and attempted dismantling of our democratic institutions?
Honestly, Mr. Brooks. You owe NY Times readers an apology for your leap to righteousness with no basis in evidence whatever.
19
For brevity, I'll just refer to:
1) the President's behavior in Helsinki,
2) his handing over of intensely secret intelligence to Russians who were allowed into the oval office, and
3) his call to Putin to hack domestic political opponents.
3 examples, among dozens, in which the President acted as a traitor. Nobody owes Trump an apology in this regard.
The idea that "both sides" of the media are equally rabid, and are trafficking in conspiracy is complete nonsense. One side is occasionally driven to hysterics out of sheer frustration to get at the truth.
The other side is a propaganda machine, motivated by fear mongering, hate, bigotry and the worst tropes US history offers, and blatantly lies to leverage these messages. There is absolutely no equality here.
At the edges of the fringe, it's not possible to "persuade" these people, nor is it one's moral obligation to do so. At these edges truth is truth, lies are lies, and there is right and wrong. The moral and ethical thing to do is to tell the truth, even if it makes conflict averse people uncomfortable.
13
Trump’s policies will kill us all. Who cares about his scandals? The real problem is that he is walking us into nuclear warfare. My biggest fear is that he would learn that he has a terminal disease while he is still in office- he would take us all out with him. That is my real fear.
3
Not supported by the “evidence”? Interesting claim, since nobody has seen the evidence other than a trump stooge.
9
Just like Watergate, without a 'smoking gun', the politics would not allow a conclusion of conspiracy with the Russians.
2
Really? Did we all just leave our wives of many years and children for our assistants?
3
Let's actually read the Mueller report first.
7
I'm sorry, David. What about the endless yammerings about Obama's place of birth, racially tinged comments and alleged Muslim leanings? Was there an apology after that? Also, commentators are working off the Barr summary. Not the Mueller Report text itself. If there is nothing damaging in the Mueller Report, then Sen. Graham should have no objections to its public release.
8
How about the awful corruption of David Brooks, who has made excuse after excuse, trying to pretend his conservative movement cronies have not been and continue to be, dedicated to making economic slaves of all but a very few of us? For years you tried to make the case that there were actual ideas and political philosophies behind climate denial and all sorts of trash that leave the status quo in place for women and minorities. And have made our country a sad place for many of us trying to get by. You continue to be blinded by your own privileged position.
7
David is right.
We should all apologize to Donald Trump. Bill Burr is also a patriot. I guess we were all wrong and totally crazy to suggest those meetings with the Russians were suspect. Everyone in Trump’s orbit lying to the FBI was not weird at all. If collusion/conspiracy occurred it would have been very easy to prove, so obviously it didn’t happen. Case closed. We were wrong.
Also, apologies to OJ Simpson, Michael Jackson, Robert Durst, etc. There was no collusion, the glove didn’t fit, MJ just liked sleepovers, Jinx Guy dismembered bodies but didn’t kill anyone. So much fake news.
12
No, Mr. Brooks, the mentioned do not owe Trump an apology. No American owes him an apology because he is unworthy. Let's get this straight. It is an undeniable fact that Russia interfered with our most sacred of responsibilities, voting for a president of these not so-united states. It is a fact that Trump is a blatant liar, a misogynist, a racist, a bigot, a corrupt business man. It is a fact that he defies the universal moral code by separating families, putting them in cages, and losing refugee children who cross our southern borders. We Democrats have been humbled and impugned enough. We have been thrown under the bus, having our womanly rights threatened, decent health care becoming less accessible, our ethnicity, our race, our sexual identity, our non-Christian religion judged harshly. Don't get me started on climate change....I am from the growing inferno called California. Trump owes US an apology. Mitch, Lindsey, and their devious colleagues owe US an apology. We have very capable moral compasses. We do not need to be told how to behave. Please respect us.
4
This kind of thing from David Brooks is mind-boggling.
I guess it needs spelling out in Trumpian all-caps: WE HAVEN'T SEEN THE MUELLER REPORT YET!
How on earth can Brooks and his many other sanctimonious brethren in the pundit trade tsk-tsk us for jumping to unwarranted conclusions? We are talking about a multi-year investigation that has led to numerous indictments and convictions OF PEOPLE IN TRUMP'S INNER CIRCLE! Sorry, but I am NOT prepared to let a mere 4-page summary of a sweeping, complex investigation -- and written by a man, Barr, who is on the record as indicating he thought the entire Mueller probe was illegitimate from the get-go -- be the absolute, final word on this subject of supreme importance to the continued functioning of our republic.
We know almost nothing about Mueller's findings except: (A) there are no further indictments, and (B), the Attorney General has *interpreted* the findings as to say that Trump did not in a narrowly legalistic sense collude with Russia.
Anyone willing to take Barr's 4-page book report as the last word on this crucial matter is as credulous as the marks Trump the con-man has built his entire career on duping. I guess we can now add David Brooks to that sad category.
6
Leave it to David Brooks to call the behavior of those who correctly called the witch hunt a witch hunt the equivalent of those who conducted the witch hunt.
From the headline, I (incorrectly) thought he was going to offer a mea culpa. But I forgot - being a democrat means never having to say you're sorry
Bottom Line: Defeat Trump in 2020. He's still a Con and a Crook that is undeserving of the presidency.
6
Whether or not the actions of Trump and his minions constituted crimes, the fact remains that these folks were offered "dirt" by people connected to the Russian government on Hillary Clinton during the campaign and didn't go right to the FBI to report this unlawful offer. Instead they met with the Russians to see what they could get. This was unpatriotic, immoral and unethical.
6
I'm a Democrat and I'm happy to be done with the Mueller report because now we can focus on the real (and difficult) reasons that make Trump unfit for office: his bigotry, his racism, his white nationalism and his misogyny. This is the national conversation we need to start having: now.
4
Oh come on David.
No one owes Trump an apology. All the Mueller report proves (I guess since neither you nor anyone else outside Barr and Rosenstein has read it) is that though a whole lot of murky skulduggery definitely occurred, there was a lack of sufficient evidence pointing conclusively to "collusion," however legally defined. It's clear however that the President and his minions were more than happy to get there hands dirty to win the election.
We needed the investigation, and it was perfectly right for people to be deeply suspicious (and continue to be so) about the President's connections to Russia, even if there is no smoking gun that Mueller could find.
The only person who owes us an apology is the President himself whose character is limned by the people he associates with--a bunch of low life chiselers, bagmen, and mobster wannabes as far as I can see.
Trump lies at every opportunity and works relentlessly to destroy every democratic institution of our republic. He worked tirelessly to discredit the very investigation that exonerated him from the very beginning, lending the distinct impression that he had and continues to have lots to hide.
It's not his accusers you should pillory, but this self destructive, aspiring dictator wannabe who wants to drag the entire country down into his cesspool of deceit and moral turpitude.
5
"It’s clear that people like Beto O’Rourke and John Brennan owe Donald Trump a public apology. "
Nobody owes Trump a public apology. Why is McConnell so determined to keep the full Mueller report from being read by Congress?
"... it also does not exonerate him.” Barr writes a four page report after 48 hours that covers 2 years of an in-depth investigation. Barr predetermined what he would say last year when he wrote a memo calling Mueller’s obstruction investigation “grossly irresponsible” and “fatally misconceived.”
The SDNY is investigating Trump and that nobody, including himself, can pardon him from those crimes.
Trump brings this disturbance upon himself. He is a
pathological liar.
Release the full Mueller report. Why is there so much resistance to seeing the full report if there is 'nothing to hide'?
5
David, David, David—this is a classic of the journalistic self-own.
We have not seen the report, 22 months in the making, Mueller produced, but based on, what, the Barr letter?—you're acting as if it doesn't leave tons of serious questions hanging, questions that affect national security. You're acting as if the finding on collusion, a finding that the evidence did not rise to the standard of beyond a reasonable doubt, is what the president is falsely claiming: total exoneration.
Also, a problem with your argument: on the one hand, you say that the media's obsession with Trump / Russia has poisoned...something. Then you say, correctly, that voters aren't interested. Which means all that media speculation about T/R hasn't caught voters' fancy. While there are a few in congress still thinking of impeachment, Pelosi's refocusing of her troops on a positive agenda for 2020 matches what I'm hearing from legislators.
Meanwhile, there are actions that do not meet the standards of proof as criminal that are still vile, corrupt, scandalous. Are you saying the press doesn't have a duty to pursue the best available version of the truth in such matters? That as long as it's not actually a crime, it's fine?
C'mon, David, you're a moralist, right? Oversight is an Article 1 responsibility and duty, right?
Or are your standards dissolving in both-sidesism, whataboutism?
7
David, I disagree.
A few facts that only few will dispute:
The President is an awful person.
He is self-centered, a liar and a cheat.
He has no heart.
He tears down the hard work of others: the ACA, the Iran Treaty, NATO - but creates nothing new.
He does not care to compromise - even though we want him to.
He did commit crimes: The Southern District of NY has named him as an unindicted co-conspirator breaking campaign finance laws. He DID seek to obstruct investigation into this conduct.
He disavows anyone who he does not think is "on his side" -
including millions who voted against him.
He makes promises that he knows [or should know] he cannot possibly achieve: Israeli-Palestinian peace; re-opening of shuttered plants to name a few.
He is vengeful.
He takes credit for the achievements of others: the 10-year economic growth; Ryan's dubious tax plan
He is obsessed with his own appearance and what others say about him.
David, you have missed the point: the Mueller investigation was not pivotal for me or for many others. We already know that we have a terrible child as President.
We want him out.
We do not want to see him, hear him, or have him remain in any kind of power. I don't much care if he goes to jail. I just want him gone.
You are right: this is about our lives, our jobs our families.
It is about student loans, prescription drug prices, crumbling infrastructure, the defunding of and disrespect for science.
You are so off base, that it takes my breath away.
5
David, I really love you, and I, too, hate the partisan poison but I had to stop right here:
"It’s clear that many Democrats made grievous accusations against the president that are not supported by the evidence."
Evidence.
Show me, a righteous American citizen birthed in New York City, the full Mueller report (they didn't even tell the public how many pages the thing is!) instead of a partisan summary by a Trump team player and if all the accusations and suspicions are still unsupported…
I'll eat the report.
With a nice Chianti.
Let these guys stonewall on release of the report and watch them hang themselves.
What will you write then?
4
No, we haven't *all* made fools of ourselves. Quite a few of us, on the left mind you, saw this charade as the neo-McCarthyist fear mongering exercise that it plainly was all along. And you know what else? It wasn't hard. Here's how we did it: 1) looked at the evidence on offer; 2) saw how weak it was. Magic, right? I mean who knew critical thinking could ever come in handy? They ought to teach it in journalism schools.
Excuse me but not all of us have been made fools.. many have been saying all along that the narrative just didn't make sense.
It is far worse than journalists and commentators making fools of themselves -- again. It is the stubborn, circle the wagons arrogance of embedded corporate media which repeatedly refuses and mocks all information that contradicts a chosen narrative -- usually with an agenda at its root. This was true in the run-up and justification of every war and continues with the demonizing of Russia and Venezuela. It is reflected as well in unanimous antipathy toward those who challenge corporate dominance like "social democrats" and in the collective repression of legitimate critical alternative journalism and criticism of Israel.
1
Just imagine that the republicans would have said if it was Obama.
Do you remember the nonstop investigations of both Clintons that aimed to simply strip them of power?
And now we have a hateful, deceitful, divisive man doing his best to destroy the American ideals that made our country great. He, alone, is responsible for the chaos that surrounds him. And now he will unleash his venom on all who challenged him. And you, David, are hurrying to cover your tracks. As will many others in your party. No decent men left.
3
I'm surprised by this column. I learned the meaning of treason in grade-school history, and it had nothing to do with the violation of any sub-section of any statute of any criminal code. Can you imagine how Trump's pro-Russia, anti-NATO public statements would have been greeted in Reagan's day, during the Cold War? It could be argued that we're in a Hot War with Russia presently - a cyberwar that, if escalated with the means already developed, could be as devastating to our infrastructure and economy as any nuclear attack . Russia ATTACKED us. We lob warning shots in return. And Trump gives AID AND COMFORT to the enemy. Maybe David Brooks regrets any "foolish" thoughts he may have had, but I don't. Trump is a traitor to this country. How the party of Reagan doesn't see it is beyond me.
5
Every time I read a Brooks column I come away thinking how insipid it was. Mr. Brooks, even with his dislike for our moronic president still finds time in his Republican mindset to blame both Democrats and Republicans for the many ills affecting our country. As a Democrat, I struggle to find one redeeming virtue in the Republican party of 'reward the rich at the expense of everyone else'. Their party of 'win at all costs', disregarding morals, ethics, humanity, and the truth has made America into a third world cesspool. When the popular vote, by a large margin loses we can no longer refer to our country as a Democracy.
1
Trump and the Republican party can't really expect apologies. And I suppose neither can the Democrats. Good manners -whatever those are now - haven't really been at the fore for the last 20 years. The country has become Murder Inc. and somehow, this country has become too greedy and destructive worldwide to really expect Emily Post to somehow make a bunch of Mafiosi look civilized. Trump's the perfect egomaniacal president for a country of paranoid, gun-toting yahoos that are utterly enslaved to consumer culture. He's the perfect reflection of them
How little it has been noted that the Secretary of State has made it plain than this country will not cooperate with the International Court of Justice in spite of the fact that this country has refered cases to that court.
There is one justice for this country and another for those weaker and smaller. How can anyone who actually thinks about that accept that as the actions of an honest or honorable country or one that is worthy of respect?
Donald J. Trump is a slippery man. He is always accused and almost never convicted. This is because he has others do his dirty work. He understands deniability probably better than anyone we have ever experienced. He inspires loyalty in his cohorts but why is difficult to understand. He abandons them to bear the consequences of the underhanded tasks he signals them to take on for him. Despite the evidence we have of what happens to his hapless lieutenants he maintains an army of loyal souls who continue to do his bidding. Incomprehensible and frightening. Small wonder that Mueller was unable to get through this man's cluster of protectors and defenders to connect Trump to anything. He's an escape artist.
2
Jumping the gun like everyone else, huh? This was about one main focus, that Russia was engaged in hacking the last presidential election. I have seen nothing that says that that was not rue. All else pales by comparison as you and the other media and politicians speculate about what might be in the actual report by Muller. Will all of you ever learn! Tsk Tsk.
It’s the media that’s most at fault. You expect politicians and talking heads to commit hyperbole. But the media paid for lies from people like John Brennan. He is on salary at CNN. Or MSNBC. Did anyone ever question the source of his info? Or why he might be so vitriolic and angry? No, they simply let him and even encouraged him to froth at the mouth.
Let’s see: Trump and his associates had more than 100 contacts with Russians during the 2016 campaign and the transition, according to The NY Times. They lied about most of them well into the Trump presidency and only admitted to the truth when presented with irrefutable evidence. An investigation was launched—by Republican appointees—that lasted two years at a cost of some $25 million. During the investigation, President Trump displayed great deference to Vladimir Putin, even publicly taking Putin’s word over that of his intelligence agencies.
And it’s Democrats and the media who owe Donald Trump an apology, not the other way around.
Right.
2
Mr. Brooks.
Mr. Trump has made his bed. He wil now find he will be made to sleep in it.
It's not as if Trump is smelling like a rose here.
This investigation has made clear that this president lives in a world of thugs and thieves--and his own history has shown that he's one of them.
He can't even take a "win" gracefully---there is no high road for this petty and vindictive man-child. And he has taken many others down that dirty road with him. Only he has not been caught. Yet.
3
Mueller could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the President of the United States is a Russian agent? Talk about setting a low bar.
3
David Brooks apparently wants everyone to let our country slide into a dictatorship. I think Barr calculated that it’s better to block the report and take the heat rather than let the report through.
1
Sorry, but this is not "Scandal Politics", but rather Naked Corruption and worse. Sean Hannity and Trump are already on the band wagon for "Treason Trials" for those who know that Trump and his Republican Enablers are the real Traitors.
Attorney General Barr had already revealed in a March 24th to the House Judiciary Committee that he will not give them the complete Mueller Report due to "on-going Investigations". Expect the Mueller Report in 3019.
Anyway, Barr will be too busy with prosecuting for Treason, Democrats and Reporters for his Masters, Putin and Trump.
And expect the 2020 Election to be thrown to Trump because Putin would not have it any other way.
There is a Coup, and Trump is the Ring Master.
Not Scandal, at all. Pure Fascism, it is and always was and will br.
1
We did not make fools of ourselves. We followed the script for removing a noxious President. The DP claims lack of interest in the deposing of Trump. Not so fast. This is an elected official who lies, cheats and generally ignores the established protocols of his job. Everything is oriented toward what is best for Trump. There is not an afterthought about what is best for the Nation.
1
This whole mess would not be complete without the sanctimonious scolding of David Brooks who somehow has appointed himself the moral shepherd of the US.
The whole Trump nightmare continues - now with new vigor. It doesn't change a thing. This awful man is still a mendacious con-man. No matter what.
3
Whoa there David...you're writing as if AG Barr's short letter has completely exonerated the President, which is did not (Despite Trump's claims). Secondly, we don't need Mueller's report to know that Trump is a lying, self-serving, corrupt, misogynistic racist: he underscores that impression almost every day. Just because Mueller declined to indict, just because Mueller didn't have enough evidence of obstruction (and we still don't know that since we haven't seen the report), doesn't mean he's completely innocent. The people who should be apologizing are Trump - to the country for what he's doing to us, and the Republicans for allowing him to get away with it. Stop blaming both sides and creating false equivalencies.
I have thought of Brooks as the one and only sane Republican we ever see in the media. This column reduces that number from one to zero.
1
Mr. Brooks,
Does Trump apologize for his lies and ill treatment of others? How easily you look past his behavior or even condone it and then expect others to apologize. Double standard?????
1
I like to refer to the current approach to politics as "I can see your underpants". And I mean that in the most Grade 4-like way (I may betray my age by assuming that such things shock 9 and 10-year-olds anymore).
Since the late 1970s - and not simply because of Watergate - we have become a more adolocentric culture. That is, what is important to teens and young adults has become important to all. And nobody finds scandal and social competitiveness more important than teens. They are, after all, what fuels social media.
It would be nice if we began to approach pubic policy discourse as grown-ups, again. And it would be equally nice if the parties and leaders did as well. Being ostensibly "led" by someone who chooses to label anyone he disagrees with or dislikes (generally the same thing) with a demeaning nickname does not help.
"...It’s clear that people like Beto O’Rourke and John Brennan owe Donald Trump a public apology. If you call someone a traitor and it turns out you lacked the evidence for that charge, then the only decent thing to do is apologize."
You didn't mention that Lawrence O'Donnell has repeatedly called trump a liar. It's as if O'Donnell is goading trump to sue him for slander. If trump isn't a traitor, or a liar, he has the option of suing for libel and slander. However, trump knows that the burden of proof then switches to the accuser. He has to prove with a preponderance of evidence that he isn't what he has been accused of. And that, seems to be an unsurmountable task for him.
1
Since Day One of his presidency, Trump has fomented, with great alacrity, a new civil war in America. He relishes pitting one group against another, wither it’s the wealthy against the struggling working class, or the privileged White American against immigrants or people of color. It’s an ugly way to run a country, particularly one that was built on equality and “E Plurebus Unum.” Now, after he was allegedly given a pass by a crony (Barr), we’re supposed to acquiesce and accept these findings and embrace Trump? Hardly. He asked for anarchy, and Americans who care about democracy aren’t about to let him get away with his nefarious brand of horrid leadership.
2
"If you call someone a traitor and it turns out you lacked the evidence for that charge, then the only decent thing to do is apologize."
Absolutely, so it's a good there's plenty of evidence of Trump being a traitor:
-- "Russia, if you're listening..."
--'I have President Putin. He just said it’s not Russia. I will say this. I don’t see any reason why it would be."
I could go on all day, right? But the fact is, David Brooks wouldn't know evidence if it smacked him across the face. Clearly.
1
Did the Feds ever have to offer the South a public apology after the lenient and humane surrender terms Grant offered Lee backfired once Lincoln was assassinated and the KKK restored our nation's original sin to the level whence "The Lost Cause" clearly became the way forward -- especially given the rampant corruption of the subsequent Grant presidency, Mr Brooks?
Lincoln once said: "If slavery's not wrong, I don't want to be right." Therefore, w/o reparations, that there are still KKK-sympathizing federal leaders very much in charge, any order whence more-perfect-union formation can MOVE FORWARD must never satiate Lincoln's preference not to be right. Otherwise, our Gettysburg dead shan't be spared from having "died in vain" instead and our of/by&fors may just as well "perish from the earth."
If Trump's not wrong, I don't wanna be right. Literally!
1
The last thing I need in my busy, fraught-with-responsibility day is to get a lecture from David Books. He reminds me of the song in the musical "Gypsy": You Gotta Get A Gimmick. To me, that song explains David Brooks' career: someone who has found a profitable niche by pretending to be the voice of the opposition to the liberal media which ironically feeds him and pays his bills.
Whether anyone owes anyone an apology, and whether the Russian collusion was a hoax or not, it does not take away from the fact that donald trump is the head of a criminal enterprise who has been given the powers of the presidency so he can continue his life of crime with no interjection from the law. No amount of exoneration from a Russian collusion is going to reverse the truth and the fact that donald trump's election is illegitimate and it only shows the deep corruption and the hideous flaws in the American political system. The election of donald trump is nothing more than a political suicide and/or an grotesque act of political terrorism. That is what Beto and Brennan and the rest of them should be saying.
In the meantime David Brooks has been given a chance to use the Mueller report to act sanctimonious and have another day another dollar (or several thousand). David Brooks is an apologist for the worst among us and he should apologize! RIGHT NOW!
1
Scandals, bogus or real, didn't begin with Richard Nixon.
1
Why apologize, President Trump never did. Do as he has done. After all he is the president and presumably the moral compass of the country.
Let it be a free for all, dogs eat dogs world.
He is not, not, not exonerated.
5
As far as I understand there was not enough evidence to PROVE a criminal conspiracy. That does not mean there was NO evidence of wrong-doing. There certainly is a great deal of evidence of contacts that should have been brought to the attention of law enforcement by the Trump crew. The fact that they embraced it instead of reporting it was certainly worth investigating. The question still remains, WHY the LIES ? There is nothing treasonous about asking the question. I don't think I should be content with "Hooray, he's not a felon, he's just a liar."
1
What is funny is the I am sure that Mr. Brooks was cheering on Ken Starr's investigation of President Clinton
1
Maybe Mr. Brooks has made a fool of himself (he says he has), but I don't think I've made a fool of myself. The uncertainty of whether Trump is guilty of collusion does not cancel out the certainty of so many things he is clearly guilty of: the lying, the incompetence, the fraud, the self-dealing corruption, the sexual assaults, the bribery of sex workers, the racism, the narcissism. I am daily challenged to explain to my grandson how it is that we have such a wretched human being as president of the country.
2
David Please,,,Our President lies all the time all the time, he only respect dictators and its very clear that he wants to Govern as dictatorial as possible....
We need to see the actual M.Report in all its findings and have real transparency. Our country stands at the crossroads,,,vote
vote vote that is if your voting rights are not revoked.
2
It's a little arch, although not unexpected here, to dismiss complaint of corruption, incompetence, and malignant, rapine venality as a "self-righteous TV show." Let those who haven't felt the lash of his vicious, phony Christians wait their turn. They will justify any harm to this Earth, as the will of their white male gunslinging God, and they've placed their advocate in power. What TV show is this?
2
David Brooks' is doing exactly what he is criticizing others of doing, which is jumping to conclusions before all the facts are in.
3
This hits exactly the wrong note, by blaming the media and ourselves. Trump is to blame. So what if they couldn't nail him for conspiracy ? Doesn't taking a meeting with Russians to get "dirt", firing Comey, and openly encouraging Russian to hack enough to deeply alarm all of us ? For goodness sake, the FBI opened up a case on Trump - was that "foolish" ? And what about the blatant enabling of Trump and the complete vacuum of Republicans standing up for our democracy ? The fact is, the media, and the Democrats, are the only sentinels we have left to protect our country.
2
This climate of distrust, and division was an entire creation of Trump and his enablers. It started the moment he filed for his candidacy as President. His contempt of what is true, lack of character, despicable selfishness and pathological dishonesty, has divided rather than united us. Release the entire report to the public!!!
1
Given the extraordinary number of contacts the Trump team had with Russia and the extraordinary number of lies they all told about those contacts, and given that almost every major foreign policy decision by this administration is to Putin's benefit, and given Trump's business deals with Russia, and given his daily attempts to derail the investigation, did you want everyone to just ignore the whole thing? What a ludicrous perspective.
3
I have never been so angry nor so disappointed as I am right now. I was raised in a very middle class Irish Catholic family by a mother and father who understood the value of moral behavior, and taught me and my siblings very clearly what was right and what was wrong. I was taught to walk through life with open eyes and a compassionate heart. Those eyes and heart are gravely disillusioned.
Donald Trump is a horrible human being. He is selfish, mean-spirited, ignorant, dishonest, vindictive, and completely lacking in empathy. His entire life has been, and continues to be, a fraud. He has stolen, extorted, and intimidated his way to his current position in life. He is a soulless individual.
I count myself a Democrat, because my parents taught me that me that human life is enriched by sharing and helping others. When David Brooks says that Democrats should apologize to Donald Trump, I feel as if he is saying that to me. I feel offended by that inference.
Donald Trump has never known for one moment in his life the spiritual lift that helping someone else can bring to one's life. It is clear that Donald Trump did not spend his childhood in the sphere of parents like my Mom and Dad. That is to his detriment. If he had, perhaps he would have some inkling how atrocious his life has really been.
Mr. Brooks - the only apology that needs to be made should be from Donald Trump to all the world, for so sullying the grand office he holds and the values of being an American.
8
Tell you what, Mr. Brooks. Those who went on and on about Trump and collusion should apologize as soon as Trump apologizes for his myriad of lies and his assault on John McCain. I won't hold my breath.
2
" If you call someone a traitor and it turns out you lacked the evidence for that charge, then the only decent thing to do is apologize."
Trump accuses people of being "treasonous" all the time and I haven't heard him offer an apology ( for this and other insults) yet.
3
David Brooks is the most intellectually dishonest personification of the false narrative that for all things, "both sides are to blame."
We do not have to accept his softly and subtly delivered narrative that both sides are to blame. Only one party has given us income inequality, two wars, an out-of-control deficit, xenophobia, racism, and the incomprehensible defense of an unhinged, dangerous and lawless president.
1
Sure, blame the scandals on the investigators and reporters.
Not the president who can't tell you what he had for breakfast without lying.
2
I have been looking in the mirror, trying to figure what is wrong with me. I'm beginning to like Trump, well more than his detractors, anyhow. They throw grenades that just turn out to be marshmallows.
Trump is a CHARACTER. He should have his own comic book.
1
Now... my little blog does not have the prestige or the influence of this paper or any other mainstream media "outlet" ... but if y'all made fools of yourselves it is because you don't ask simple, basic questions like: what do you mean by "meddle" ? Or "collude" to do what? Words are used not to signify a meaning but simply -- in Orwellian fashion -- to trigger a reaction. I pointed this out two years ago to no avail. As a consequence, we have been treated to such outraged absurdities as waxing indignity over the fact that Trump tried to "influence" an election. Uh... isn't that what candidates normally try to do? Punditocracy? Nah. Blabocracy is more like it.
Here is what is supported by the evidence: Trump is amoral, has no conscience, and cares for nothing other than himself. What difference does it really make whether he "colluded" with the Russians? He's been "exonerated?" Hardly. Day by day he diminishes America.
Unless the NYT, WSJ, and WAPO have been lying to us for over two years now, collusion is a very small part of the crimes Trump is guilty of.
2
First, I would ask Sarah Sanders: when will Mr. Trump apologize to Meuller, Rosenstein, Sessions, and Comey (all republicans whom I would not vote for, but deserving of respect and decency), Barak Obama, Hillary Clinton, John McCain's family, the Kahn family, Joe Biden, Maxine Waters, journalists, and countless others whom he has publicly denigrated and disparaged? Until such time, he does not deserve an apology from anyone.
Mr. Trump is responsible for the investigation with his reckless and narcissistic behavior when fired Comey. The subsequent investigation was led by republican appointees. He is the one who has been consistently lying every single day. When will democrats and the media ask him why he lied about the Trump Tower meeting? His own lawyers realized that he is a pathological liar.
I'm not a psychiatrist, but I almost feel pity for him because his cruel, vindictive and bullying behavior demonstrate that he must have never felt truly loved by his parents, family and others in his life.
2
Right on (as usual)!
David, you are basing your conclusions on hearsay.
2
Mr. Brooks, have you no shame? When I saw the title of this column I thought, finally the press is going to own their complicity. I thought that after the second time that for two years the press and their selected experts confidently and self-promotionally mis-lead readers and viewers to self-proclaimed conclusions" 'Donald Trump can't be elected,' Donald Trump is absolutely guilty of x,y,and z. Read the number of NY Times news articles that totally strayed from the story they were "reporting" to reiterate all of the Trump infractions to date. Listen to CNN talking heads' righteous indignation and watch them replay year old stories over and over. And you ask Sean Hannity to apologize. You are all the same, a bunch of rabble rousing self-promoters. You are not responsible journalists, you are media stars. It is not the politicians, they are pawns in the media game to get attention. If we want to save our republic, we might have to start by holding our press to higher standards of integrity, because the media is the mover, not the politicians.
1
Time to purge the pundits and go back to morning and evening news vs. the 24/7 deluge. Everything is “breaking news” which is redundant. Trump remains unfit to be President. There are plenty of other ways to make the case.
1
Brooks,
You are making a fool of yourself with this column, with the breathless cries of mea-culpas and the profound soul-searching. You are sadly blinded by Trump's propaganda and by two sentence fragments carefully curated (i.e. cherry-picked) by William Barr in his quest to protect Trump at any cost.
One of these sentence fragments begins with:
"the investigation did not establish... coordination..."
Now, read this sentence fragment again. Is it the same to say that you did not establish that something is so, and to say that you established something is NOT so? This is the first point.
The second point has to do with the meaning of "establish." This is prosecutorial language for "being able to prove" beyond a reasonable doubt. Now, for Mr. Mueller, who is incredibly exacting, "establish" might mean 85%.
If, in the full report, it becomes clear that Mr. Mueller was able to find a tremendous amount of circumstantial evidence, and unexplained patterns of odd and suspicious practices too bizarre to be coincidences, if it becomes clear that he found evidence at perhaps 65%, or 75% certainty, would you still write this column again? Are you OK with 70% - or 51% - of certainty the president may have sold out his country?
Even more to the point, you are so blinded by William Barr's textual tricks to somehow forget about the apparent fact that Trump clearly committed prosecutable obstruction of justice and was saved only by the intervention of his political appointees.
3
We have witnessed a con scam during which Trump and his cohorts invited serious interference from Russian interlopers in the 2016 U.S. election.
We are fools if we follow your advice and accept crimes against the nation with head-bowing shame because the investigation of collusion does not meet the level of criminal determination under the high bar set by the Justice Department. Trump will continue to cheat and scam. Our duty now is to be more diligent in watching this demagogue.
He is corrupting the system.
2
Unlike Mr. Blow, Mr. Brooks and Mr. Manjoo have seen the light. This 2 year political info-mercial has come to an end, in sensible minds. Mr. Brooks hedges his bet, by saying Republicans should not have bad-mouthed the Mueller investigation and Mr. Mueller. But, if it looks like a witch hunt and sounds like a witch hunt, well, it's a witch hunt.
Moderate members of the 2020 club want to move on quickly and get to what most Americans want, fixing all the Trump has wrought. The more radical leftists want to investigate Mueller and the report, to extract all of the "evidence" Mueller failed to use. Yeah, go for it.
Here is a summary of what we know so far. Trump won the 2016 election. Every single declaration about his fitness to serve, has been way-laid. No one has yet, to square the circle of how Trump(the loser) managed to best Hillary. When the Electoral college is labeled the culprit, no one asks, how did Clinton and Obama win twice. They both beat the EC, gerrymandering and voter suppression.
1 year, 7 months and some days till 2020. Yeah, go for it.
"Richard Nixon’s downfall was just and important, but it opened up the mouthwatering possibility that you don’t need to do the hard work of persuading people to join your side... As a result, public trust in institutions has plummeted. The scandal culture hasn’t ultimately helped one party over the other. It’s just spread a corrosive cynicism that has disabled government altogether.
Come on, Mr. Brooks. You are equating a system of checks and balances, as well as a culture of accountability and public service with a "scandal culture"!?!?! Shame on you. It is an American expectation that the institutions of government hold NO ONE above the law, especially when there have been numerous indictments and convictions of members of the Trump administration. With all due to respect, you sound attenuated to a higher tolerance of false equivalence since Mr. Mueller's report is still undisclosed.
2
Show us the Mueller Report in full exposure, quit trying to placate Americans as some gullible Trump Gump, we all know he’s in Putin’s back and front pocket, he’s Putin’s golden watch; now watch this pompous criminal come undone with full aggression and demand retribution from everyone like some daunted dictator. The Republicans have bankrupted America between the cunning Bush and Trump Tax Breaks for the 1%, now they want to adjust their theft by destroying our Healthcare, SS, and Pensions, America better make an amends quickly, and get this coup out of our government, politics, and our lives STAT!
2
Your rush to judgment is as ill-timed and wrong as a cable TV pundit. Time to hang it up, David. President Birther is as corrupt as the day is long.
3
A brief note to the Holier Than Thou:
In the literal sense of day being day
And night being night
Two wrongs never make a right!
Still, the juxtaposition brings
The hypocrisy in sanctimony
To light!
Accepting the Barr report, written by a man on the job, what a month, is like foregoing surgery on the word of a doctor who never examined you.
Redact it only as much as the law requires and release it. Just a week ago the Prez was fine with that. And since he’s been “exonerated”, why shouldn’t the public see it.
2
I know this may have been said already, but, I'll say it anyway. Where is President Obama's apology for the entire Birther movement that Trump created? Where is the apology to the Central Park Five? The McCain family? The handicap reporter? Trump doesn't apologize to anyone. Did you write an article about how he should apologize?
2
Too little, too late.
The competent and talented Russian "hackers" had no need to conspire with The Gang That Can't Shoot Straight" AKA the inept, incompetent Trump gang.
Secretly they managed to get 77,000 voters in 3 states to turn the Electoral College to their candidate. They probably used a favorite tool of the Flynn boys, dad and son, the false propaganda stories on the dark and cloudy web (we Internet pedestrians still hadn't tuned in on that stuff).
Still jaw-dropping - steal the presidency from Secretary Clinton who had nearly three million more votes! Wish I could be around to read the history texts in 50 years on this brazen and brilliant robbery. Jesse James - eat your heart out.
1
Where was your mea culpa after what happened to Hillary Clinton? Trump is still president and she's still not.
2
Perhaps you missed the part where he wasn't exonerated. And it's certain that you didn't notice that the summery of a two year investigation was only 4 pages long.
The left isn't perfect but we owe the orange stain nothing. Especially humility (ha!) or anything resembling an apology. The occupant of the White House is an enemy of America. As is the entire GOP.
3
Jumping to foregone conclusions about the "nothing burger" Mueller probe, taking Barr's 4 page verdict as a fair assessment of the 2000 +page report seems a bit pre mature, doesn't it? Maybe we should be able to actually see the report if it gives the president a clean bill of health, why not make it public? Has David Brooks read it?
7
Oh please David, this nation has been drowning itself in scandal since its formation.
What is different is tech and the 24 hour news cycle, in addition to the kinds of media we use to get our information.
That and how primary media choices are now controlled by a select few companies who need some kind of scandal (real or imagined) so they can charge higher advertising rates based on viewership.
As for humility David, perhaps that has to begin in the Oval Office.
After all, if not for the unending lies of Donald Trump, we can never know where the truth begins and all his falsehoods end.
So he told the truth once.
Does this excuse all the other lies?
Trump was the primary driver behind this scandal and one should never forget that.
Next, the Mueller report has not been released yet and here we are, once again, rushing to judgment.
So let's drop everything, sit in a circle, apologize for all our excesses and existence, then sing America The Beautiful off key. That, hot yoga and a date on Tinder will solve everything.
On a personal level, I will never forgive the incompetence of Democratic Leadership for not challenging the results of this election.
That was the real issue!
If one accepts that Russia interfered, then we will never know how that interference effected the outcome.
We just assume it did not, in the very same way Fox viewers concluded that Trump is the second coming of Jesus.
The real war has just begun David and Trump is out for blood.
2
I'm sorry, but if an adversarial foreign power offers you dirt on your electoral opponent and you DON'T call the FBI, but instead reply, "If it's what I think it is, I love it," what do you call that other than collusion?
We're looking for too much out of the Mueller report. He was answering the question of whether there was enough evidence for an indictment not the one with the answer as plain as the nose on your face.
Having eyes, do you still not see? Having ears, do you still not hear? Do you still not understand?
7
This was a thougtful and and important investigation. And let's remember it was the Trump administration's own justice system that initiated this - i.e Rosenstein. What if we had not done it - consider the speculation and doubt that would have arisen from that choice. It's easy for a commentator to say afer the fact that we made fools of ourselves. But I find that a bit presumptuos at best.
The basic end fact is that Trump fired his attorney general who had recused himself, and installed a new attorney general who had specificially articulated a position in favor of the President. So that alone is very troubling, among many other things that we learned about in the course of this investigation.
2
Dozens of indictments, multiple top officials going to prison, virtually everyone in the trump circle lying - specifically about Russia. What Mueller found was that he does not have a prosecutor's case to bring charges - not that Trump is innocent or did not do despicable things. What we know - is he got away with it, not that he didn't do anything wrong. Perhaps we know that he did not coordinate the attacks with Russia -- pretty narrow definition of doing the right thing
4
While Brooks is right that we should be talking policy and not criminality I find a great deal more fault on the GOP side then on the Democratic side.It is a GOP president that lies to us each and every day. It is the GOP that refused to do anything except obstruct when Obama was president. It is the GOP that is putting children in cages. It is the GOP that is trying to take away healthcare for the poor. The list is long.
5
David Brooks is embarrassing us all. To say that because as good an investigation as was possible exonerates Trump and that we owe him an apology is plane wrong. We would never be able to find a recording of behind the scenes conversations between Trump and Putin even though he had such conversations and denied them until outed by reliable witnesses. All criminals may not be found guilty but they still performed criminal acts.
2
The Barr Report has been submitted to our elected representatives. The Mueller Report has not.
Brooks should ask a journalism student how write as a journalist- he’s apparently forgotten. Maybe he got through school reading Cliff notes - the rest of us relied on gaining knowledge by reading the text book.
1
another rush to conclusion before investigations have been completed.
the investigations into Trump were about law-breaking not political attacks by Democrats.
The DoJ is chock full of Republicans who started a counter-intelligence investigation that is still not complete, though Mueller's work is finished.
Shame on Brooks and every other person who has pivoted to the interpretation this was just bad faith by Democrats.
Remember, Trump and every one of his bunch lied about ties to Russians. Dozens of people lied, some times under oath.
Why would they lie? Why will Trump still not criticize Putin or sanction him?
2
Let us read the report. I don’t trust Trump’s hand-picked AG.
3
And we're supposed to "forgive" the birther conspiracy and the Hillary email conspiracy, the latter an elementary cog on the propaganda machine forever oiling the base?
Maybe a public apology, better a long-winded, obsequious expression of regret by Donald Trump that he deliberately wronged our former president and unjustly condemned his rival for the presidency. Couple times a week might do.
Democrats can then transition to substance and fight to win 2020 by taking up a plethora of issues -- it should be easy. Until then it's this hole-burning stuff that shortens one's life a few seconds a day.
3
David, you should know that your partisan, immoral, opportunistic, bad faith, Trump cult blinders are working just fine. Wanted to say something. In case you were concerned.
If Mr. Barr's memo is to be trusted, Mr. Mueller could not find sufficient evidence of a concrete agreement between Trump and Russia, and could not find sufficient evidence that Trump knowingly conspired with Russia. Mueller believed there were compelling arguments on both sides of the obstruction question.
Trump fired his FBI head and his attorney general because they would not protect him. He appointed an AG who was sure to exonerate him. Mueller would have known that Mr. Barr would do that. Was that Mueller's intention, or, for instance, did he mean to leave the decision to Congress?
The president has still done nothing to protect us from ongoing and future Russian interference in our democratic elections. Please take a minute and consider that one fact.
Based on that kind of public data, Americans--sane, skeptical and thoughtful Americas of all political persuasions--have concluded that Mr. Trump has behaved and continues to behave treasonously, in the everyday sense of that word.
Trump has advanced every one of Mr. Putin's aims. He has done irreparable damage to our democracy, and is horribly dividing our nation with his lies, demonization (racism, misogyny, anti-Semitism), and fear.
4
Whoa, Mr Brooks! The Dems don't or shouldn't need to apologize for anything at this point. First, the facts are not yet out and secondly, and more importantly, there's been collusion and conspiracy in plain site and if the Trump Tower meeting doesn't spell that out then people are blind. The GOP are far worse than any of the things you accuse the Dems of and NEVER apologize for anything they do or say. There's a huge difference between how the Democrats conduct themselves the Republicans but I'm amazed how so many don't plainly see this.
1
Unethical behavior is often legal. Illegal behavior is often ignored or not prosecuted. What has become acceptable is so wretched. Rejoice because the president is not being locked up? I think not!
3
When a political campaign is approached by a foreign adversary with an offer of illegally-obtained "dirt" and fails to notify the FBI, it's shameful. When the candidate then asks the foreign adversary to commit MORE crimes, it's outrageous. When the candidate then attacks the FBI and other intelligence agencies for reporting what the candidate knows to be true--that the foreign adversary is interfering in the election--and uses the fruits of those crimes to hypocritically bludgeon his opposition, it's a scandal. When that candidate pursues a lucrative business opportunity in the foreign capital, while communicating willingness to remove sanctions, and repeatedly lies to the voters about doing so, that's traitorous in my book. Donald Trump put his personal interests ahead of the country's. No apologies from Democrats required.
2
"It’s clear that people like Beto O’Rourke and John Brennan owe Donald Trump a public apology. If you call someone a traitor and it turns out you lacked the evidence for that charge, then the only decent thing to do is apologize." -Well said
for sure. still waiting. I hope they show good character and actually do apologize
2
Politics is indeed about our lives. Part of our lives in a democracy is making sure our votes count, and that we are led by people with our best interests at heart. The shameful Republican actions of the past ten years, and Trump's obvious web of interests with Russia - I remind you of that photo op in the White House with only official Russian photographers present - do not give me any solace.
2
The view that the country (or the democrats) should be embarrassed by the results of the Mueller investigations is only one of hindsight. It occurred, and was applauded for some very good reasons:
-Trump and his family have seemed to act with a high degree of self-interest and a lack of transparency, going back to his refusal to release his taxes.
-There was a meeting with a Russian with the promise of digging for dirt.
-Trump surrounded himself from the beginning with corrupt friends, and has declared that he feels sorry for "good guys" like Manafort. He has acted from the beginning like what is has been his whole life: a corrupt NYC real estate mafioso.
-Trump seems to give Putin a pass on his policies, and had meetings without any oversight.
The Mueller investigation should not be regretted, and the country needs to investigate other aspects of Trump and his venal family.
Mueller indicted 34 people, five have been found guilty, that list will grow, and many of those indictments and pleas were Russia-related. Mueller has shown what a criminal enterprise Trump runs and what dirty relationships he has to Russia--to say or imply he's been exonerated is ridiculous.
Compare that to Benghazi, which took longer, cost more, and resulted in zero indictments. This is false equivalence.
4
Speak for yourself, Mr. False Equivalencer. I have not made a fool of myself.
Nobody can say anything about the Mueller conclusions until given an opportunity to read them. Instead, just go with the demand that they be read. Surely, you can agree with that without basically arguing that keeping them secret and wanting them open are equal opinions.
I wish Dems would catch on. The Great American Middle Class was built with PROGRESSIVE TAXES.
NOW all the taxes in America, all states and federal are REGRESSIVE.
The Republicans with Donald Trump pulled it off AGAIN !
THEY CUT TAXES ON THE WEALTHY - AGAIN ! Raising the the national debt by $1.5 T to do it !
Besides carbon dioxide poisoning of the planet, we should only be talking about the problem of the wealthy in America - and the traitorous Christians who routinely genuflect to them and help to further impoverish the poor.
1
David Brooks, the phenomena of Social Media and Journalism has intersected more often than not. If substance was the motivating factor in any election, the current resident in the White House would have not been elected. The problem is not the lack of evidence of Russian collusion, the problem is the failure of Trump supporters to recognize that Trump is out only for himself and his family. If this means consorting with Russians and Dictators, so be it. If we don't recognize the big failings of the man as a narcissistic, egoistic maniac, then we deserve Democracy's demise.
Why the Republicans, the FOX TV, the right radio talk shows and the pundits are so happy finding that the president can not be indicted ( not innocent) . Is that not supposed to be? Was Russia involved in 2016 election to help Trump? Why so many Trump campaign staffs and associates are indicted or found guilty? I trust Mueller and his investigation. But there so many unanswered questions? Why Flynn, Manafort, Rick Gates, Roger Stone, Papadopollous and so many Trump campaign officials have to go to jail ? Why so many Russians ere indicted? Why Maria Butyna , the lawyer is going to jail? What was the Trump Tower meeting with Don Jr Jared Kushner and the Russian lawyer? Why Comey was fired? FBI, CIA , DNI and other intelligence institutions have concluded that Russia was involved to help Trump. May be it will be hard or impossible to prove the guilt beyond reasonable doubt. I am shocked to see the celebration by GOP and the right wing media that Trump is exonerated .It is American tragedy!
1
Trump is manifestly a malignancy on the nation. The numerous indictments and guilty verdicts, just so far, offer all the proof we need to judge him and his administration of hacks and incompetents. The Russians really did interfere in our elections and continue to do so. Yet Trump strands in Helsinki dismissing the intelligence community proof because Putin "strongly, powerfully" denied it. Mueller may not be willing or able to show a direct coordination of Trump with the Russians but the full report, along with the exposure of Trumps tax records will point a blinking arrow at who owns him and which interests he really serves. Time to do your job Congress.
3
The law is supposed to investigate when they suspect that a crime has occurred. The Trump team had enough contacts with Russians to raise that suspicion, so they investigated. Because it was a sitting president, it required a special prosecutor instead of a local DA working with police detectives.
In a college class on law and the press I learned that you can be guilty of libel or slander if you say that someone committed a criminal act when they didn't. If someone is under investigation, you can say so, and you can speculate as to their guilt or innocence, but you can't safely state conclusions.
Those people who said that he was a traitor broke those rules, and now they have egg on their faces. Someone running for public office should know better.
He might be a cheat, a serial liar, and a skunk, but apparently the investigation did not find enough evidence to prosecute him for treason.
We'll know more when they release the full report.
1
The president is still under Putin's thumb, wittingly or unwittingly, because he will want to build Trump Tower Moscow two or six years from now when he leaves office. Do you think Trump will stand up to the Russian dictator for the foreseeable future? Get real!
1
I am positive that Republicans on Capitol Hill would have accepted a short summary written by AG Janet Reno of Starr's findings regarding Bill Clinton.
I have a few architecturally significant bridges to sell you as well.
1
Some good points here, as you would expect from David Brooks, but my overall view is that this column is premature. Doubt if he has seen the full report, even if portions leaked. What Trump did in Helsinki alone makes him a traitor in my book, and that happened in front of a world audience.
David is right with Fox News on this. No need to see the report. We've been given the Barr Report not the Mueller Report. Can you see the difference David? No? Take off the ruby red glasses then.
Barr is the 3rd Attorney General in 2 years. That alone should give you pause David. But no. Let's just carry on like trump is the best president ever who has never done anything wrong and the corruption is in the rest of us. Yep. That makes sense.
Perhaps if people seeking public office did so for the purpose of service rather than self-promotion we would have less fodder with which to "fool ourselves."
If public office were not a career goal, people would be less inclined to be selfish while serving.
Given the Mueller report (why did Russia intervene in our election to support Trump ?), Trump University, Trump Airlines,
Trump 's Moscow Tower deal, Trump Foundation, Stormy Daniels, Access Hollywood.... The fact that Trump has surrounded himself for 50 years with con-men, criminals and fixers. He will not release his tax returns for obvious reasons. The list goes on and on...........Yes, 50 years of the lowest moral, ethical, financial and human standards one can hardly imagine. David Brooks and the 40% of the population that support Trump please answer this question:
"Is this man fit for the office he holds ?" If your answer is yes, you are also part of the obscene problem infesting our once great country.
This column, like so many others today and going forward, is just the start of the insufferable "I told you so" cry that will be the centerpiece to the 2020 campaign the administration and so many others. I'm logging off now.
Maybe it’s time to step back from the scandalmongering and assess who we are right now.
Well, one thing we are is a country that has been at war for 93% of our history, 222 out of 239 years of our history.
That is really who we are. And greed and disdain is the measure of the USA.
One can wonder, but one need not, as to why we have so many enemies: the answer is in plain sight. We are a country that ripped the land away from the previous owners (who viewed land as something that could be owned, but only collectively) and brought other people over here in chains to work that land without pay. Slavery and genocide are America's birthright and until we pay the price for that, we'll keep saying what we've already said many times before: "I'm good with where my country is, maybe a little tweak around the edges and we're good to go."
Most of that tweaking around the edges is the work of the oligarchs who founded and continue to run the country. David Brooks is one of their apologists.
Not all of us are fools, some of us are crying out in the wilderness, for which we are thought to be fools. History will show who's a fool.
1
Yes David, perhaps we do owe the Donald an apology.
An apology for possibly being the worst president and accomplished liar in the entire body politic. Clearly the report needs to be published in it's entirety. It's very interesting that your opinion girds on the edge of even more confusion. It would be easy to just accept Mr. Barr's explanation and move on to Trump's next hysterical tweet or his love of the insult. Is it so easy for the media to just keep going? I imagine it's very difficult to keep a 24 hour news cycle going when the only thing you have to talk about is a crazy man child and a media who's appetite has become insatiable for the next scandal. Again the report needs to be published in it's entirety before even you can voice a educated opinion
1
Howls of "total exoneration" coming from the WH corridors. Comes to mind Richard Nixon's infamous "I am not a crook", except poor Nixon didn't have Fox News to re-cook the narrative for him. That said, Trump last week lambasting a deceased military man who bravely served his country, tells you all you need to know about him. Trump can never be 'exonerated' from his low character.
1
Brooks is writing as if the Mueller investigation found NOTHING on trump and his staff....simply not true. Brooks is buying into the tripe that the Mueller report is completely exonerating. It does not. Brooks newly found kumbaya attitude towards politics has evolved since 2016 when he had to realize that his demonizing articles about Clinton facilitated a trump victory. Yet, has Brooks ever apologized to the American people? Has Brooks ever apologized for his early 2016 Clinton article that asked "Why dont we like Hillary?". His answer to his question was " we don't know what she does for fun. ". REALLY, that was his answer. Brooks also called Clinton a workaholic and a policy wonk, making both descriptions pejorative. Did Brooks ask the same questions regarding Sanders? Nope. Brooks, like many of the conservative media, repetitively misrepresented Clinton, and still act as if they have no culpability in trumps election. Even within the past several days, pundits have put blame on Democrats for selecting an "unlikable" candidate in Clinton, when these same writers created Clinton's "unlikeability". I was hoping the hyperbolic media would have learned from their mistakes of 2016....as Brooks demonstrates, no learning took place.
1
Oh my David, are you arguing for us to follow the example of fair play and humility such as the one set forth by our President and the Republican Party? You take the proverbial cake.
2
I gather from your opinion here that you seem to think it ok what Trump admitted to last year in Helsinki, to wit, Putin denial was acceptable, the opinion of US intelligence agencies was mistaken. May not be treason by evidence but certainly leaves a bad taste in the mouth when a standing president aligns with a foreign dictator against his own people. Now, who owes who an apology?
1
Mr. Brooks. Could you in the future add some dates to these quotes to put things in better perspective.
1
I think the American public needs to see the evidence gathered from two years of investigation.
Personally, while I'm no Trump fan, I'm not unhappy that he apparently did not "collude" with Russia.
I'll hold off on any apology recommendations until the evidence is available.
As for Trump's insistence he's cleared by the Barr letter - his statements are not known for their accuracy, so let him babble all he wants - it makes about as much difference as his constant disparaging of Mueller during the investigation.
9
Unless I've missed something, no one except Trump people have seen the Mueller report. We are all reacting to Barr's report of the report. If the Mueller report truly exonerates Trump, why haven't we seen it yet? The longer it takes to give the report to congress the worse we know it is for Trump.
7
Nothing about this collusion/obstruction story is even close to being finished and nothing we have
seen so far supports the president's claim of no
collusion/obstruction.If someone is owed an
apology,perhaps it's the American people who have endured the unprincipled behavior of this man for the last two years.
9
“Straight reporters are doing good, hard work. But the flow of information is not fast enough to keep up with 24/7 programming, so you get this toxic deluge of raw speculation.”
I think these are a great couple of sentences. They call us to a bit more patience and discernment.
Also, even when one side gets a “win” it isn’t really a win. In this kind of environment no one really wins. Now on to the next scandal!
4
If I am to understand the second paragraph correctly, it is "clear" that a political appointee has summarized a document of indeterminate length and that summary alone serves as the conclusive document in this saga. I think even David Brooks would agree that the indefinite nature of the Attorney General's summary would require a pause in the rush to judgment. His piece actually argues for that self reflection pause, but by writing the inflammatory introduction, he is feeding the rush to judgment he so abhors in the body of the piece. The president is specifically not cleared of wrongdoing, nor are his critics on the left vindicated in their sentiments. For the time being, we have only a politicized summary (written by a political appointee of the accused) to believe... perhaps we wait and measure our response until that appropriate time arrives, with the reveal of the actual underlying facts.
11
Hold up. Let's see the report first. Why are so many journalists assuming Barr's letter carries the weight we'd see on a non-Trump timeline? Really? This administration has gone lower and lower at every turn, but now they're being forthright? The only thing that articles like this tell me, is that our media is even more naive than we thought -- and their scandal-mongering naivety is what started this mess. The media should apologize.
7
There was no collusion. And that much was obvious regardless of your opinion of the President. It was obvious regardless of the misdeeds of unethical people who inevitably attach themselves to powerful people on both side of the aisle (Had the "other side" been indicted, doubtless their sycophants and mosquitos, and quite possible leaders, would have been brought down as well). But the Center was very small, I looked around and could count the number of us in it.
2
And yet, he doesn't give Nancy Pelosi the credit she deserves for saying, repeatedly, "Let's wait and see". All the while continuing to work with Republicans and this administration.
She was a star.
11
Mr. Brooks is ironically guilty of the same sins he accuses others of. He has not read the report and yet he makes definitive statements. Mueller was charged with looking for crimes. We may yet find out things that are "awful, but lawful"
Let's all wait till we know what we are talking about.
12
I can't believe that David Brooks is so quick to "rush to judgement". His column "We All, Again, Just Made Fools of Ourselves" is disappointing to me and I have respected his opinions, generally, in the past. Until we all have access to the entire Mueller Report, we need to temper our response and not assume that President Trump's Attorney General has summarized the Report in an unbiased manner. Perhaps, David Brooks intends to have us reflect on the downturn in political theatrics that seems to be prevalent since Watergate. True, this is unfortunate, but we need to remain vigilant to the foibles of human nature (unfortunately). We can hope that this "lesson" will ultimately result in a better future for our country.
9
Disappointing to read such ridiculous nonsense in this paper
11
I understood that the Mueller Report wasn't the vehicle that would ensnare Trump, mainly because Mueller never had access to Trump personally. The Southern District of New York will have the freedom do what needs to be done to Trump and associates. No apologizing until it's modeled from the Bully-in-Chief. That's the only trickle-down theory that would have an impact on the current culture and let a lot of oxygen out of the balloon. Something like the following would be helpful.
Bill Clinton
"I know that my public comments and my silence about this matter gave a false impression. I misled people, including even my wife. I deeply regret that."
Richard Nixon
"Well, when I said: 'I just hope I haven't let you down,' that said it all. I had: I let down my friends, I let down the country, I let down our system of government and the dreams of all those young people that ought to get into government but will think it is all too corrupt and the rest. Most of all I let down an opportunity I would
have had for two and a half more years to proceed on great projects and programs for building a lasting peace."
6
I get the impression you feel the insufferable “civility” you displayed these past two years is exonerated along with the president. Not for me. Just because Mueller could not or would not find the stake to drive through the vampire’s heart does not erase the fact we still have a monster in the Oval Office.
Collusion or no collusion, obstruction or no obstruction, crimes or no crimes be damned. We have a sitting president who tweeted out threats of violence to 61% of the American people who do not support him. Tell me Mr. Brooks, where is the civility in that?
10
This was not Scandal, Season 2. It was not a TV show. Americans watched as Trump concocted a bold LIE to cover up Don Jr.'s participation in the Trump Tower meeting. What were we to make of that? Looking for answers to this and other such questions was appropriate. Trying to figure out what to do about Russian hacking and social media manipulation was appropriate.
Trying to figure out via a special prosecutor investigation why so many people in the Trump campaign were lying was appropriate.
Mr. Barr delivered on his promise to Trump. As AG, he has stepped in to hide the bulk of the report and declare the POTUS innocent. We knew he would do that when his 19 page "job application" told Trump that that is exactly what he would do.
Perhaps people on both sides became swept up into the Mueller speculation and hysteria. Certainly, Trump was tweeting his little fingers stiff with conspiracy theories and insults.
Perhaps Trump should apologize to Mr. Mueller?
9
Boy is Brooks right about what the American voting public wants--government that works and addresses their everyday lives. Anyone who wants to defeat forty-five has to focus on how much his policies are designed to hurt actual people: health care, consumer rights, climate change, reproductive rights.
We need to pivot to these issues, and now.
6
So. "We’ve All Just Made Fools of Ourselves — Again"
What about those of us who knew from the beginning Trump didn't collude with the Russians?
Are we too included in "Maybe it’s time to step back from the scandalmongering and assess who we are right now."?
We know who we are. We're good and decent and fair.
Maybe, David, instead of "declaring a national sabbath" you should seek some of us out and ask us, in humility and good faith, how we knew.
It really wasn't all that hard.
1
Sounds like Mr. Brooks had the good fortune to review the entire Mueller report, not just the Barr "report" that the rest of us were limited to.
I've been reading Brooks' columns for years and even when I strongly disagree he gives me something to think about with his well informed, well reasoned persuasive arguments.
But this one, with its incredible and uncharacteristic naïveté leaves me speechless. Is he really joining the spike-the-football crowd claiming total exoneration? Is he ignoring the littered trail of felons who were trump's capos and henchmen? Is he totally ignoring the obstruction in plain sight over the last two years? And the endless attacks of Mueller and his team (whom he now labels as "honorable")? Did he miss the excellent OpEd in his own paper yesterday about the incredible and unprecedented errors in the Barr letter?
Mr. Brooks, every one of the quotes you cite at the beginning are no less true they they were at the time of their utterance. Was this a "phoned in" column?
7
Until you have a more educated populace, which is unlikely and on the contrary is a trend going the other way due to the dominance of technology over everything else in life, you will have an untrustworthy media, relying on sensationalism to keep people's interest. Years ago, the kind of journalism that the National Enquirer specialized in and which was scorned by "respectable" news outlets was the exception, not the rule, but nowadays The Enquirer serves as a role model. Consider the flaccidity of most of the comments published, and the lack of depth of even someEB members who write an occasional op ed themselves. Everyone is following, or seems to be, the party line of identity politics which is why Congresswoman Omar gets a pass from her Dem. Party colleagues on her anti semitic tropes, and why AOC, whose opportunism I admire--do it while you're young and have a pretty smile--can get away with turning down challenges to debate her ideas by calling the challenger a heckler!Why r those students demonstrating for p.c. causes on campus, shutting down free speech and not in their dorm rooms perfecting their understanding of Greek and Latin in order to better understand the roots of Western civilization?But BROOKS is a good writer and always look forward to his columns.
1
In the article at hand, "We've all made fools of ourselves - again" I am surprised by David Brooks' take on the Mueller report. Let's separate some of the points.
With regard to remarks from political adversaries such as Beto O'Rourke, I would say that has nothing to do with anything. That is just perfectly normal political banter by today's standards. The comments by Adam Schiff and John Brennan need to be taken much more seriously. They both know much more about real security threats than any of us ever will.
"Maybe it's time to step back from the scandalmongering and assess who we are right now." I don't know who Mr. Brooks means by "we", but I believe that I am typical of many citizens that have not inflated the importance of the Mueller investigation as it relates to the many dire issues having to do with President Donald Trump. Overall the investigation was vital and hugely important. The conclusions about Trump are overshadowing the much more important information about Russia interfering with our democracy. Mueller's investigation has shown us that the Russians penetrated deeply into our society, and made contacts within our government. That there is not sufficient evidence to begin criminal proceedings against the President himself is quite beside the point.
I'll agree with Brooks, but only so far. Yes, a lot of politicians and journalists have distorted the report's true meaning. Those folks do look foolish.
5
So, it's pretty much of a recognized fact, worldwide, that there was a concerted effort by Russia interfering in the 2016 election and that Trump was the beneficiary of those Russian efforts.
Even Trump has not refuted that point, even though he has attempted to question the accuracy, integrity and facts presented by the US intelligence and counter-intelligence organizations in order to raise questions about their expert conclusions. To make the facts raised questionable any experienced despot first has to de-legitimize the tellers of the facts. The Despot 101 procedures would be to file or hound-out the truth tellers thus making the problem (facts) go away.
How are theses actions not, in fact, colluding? I suppose that if there was any similar conclusion that Hilary was the recipient of Russia's efforts,"election invalidation" would have been the first words out of Trump's mouth (via Twitter, of course) and heavily supported be "the base" and the republicans in the government.
What is one to do?
4
Forgive me Mr. Brooks, but given the level of the President's supine behavior towards Putin and the ubiquity of contacts between members of his team don't you think we should wait to see the full text of the report before we don hair shirts and start flagellating ourselves? It seems Mueller could not prove a case in a court of law with a president dangling pardons in front of witnesses. It hardly seems absurd to question the word of the Attorney General, a man who seems to have been purposely recruited for his success in sweeping scandal under the carpet. Lets see the actual findings.
4
I understand why people may be upset with opinion writers. But why oh why would people be upset with straight news reporters? It’s their JOB to report on stories that are important. Can you imagine how corrupt the world would be if reporters only reported on things that could be proven beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law? I shudder at that thought.
4
Calm down and do not include me in the we you describe.
Commercial media is in the business of sellng eyeballs or ears- that would include Comcast's MSNBC and the New York Times- and that definitely guides what goes "on air". Even the "enhanced underwriting" of the PBS NewsHour is a form of advertising.
Out here in flyover country, away from the beltway courtesans and the chattering class in Manhattan, we want to know the news- the real news. The Trump/GOP tax cut was and is far more important than anything being reported on regarding the Russians and the grifters surrounding Trump. Trump's cabinet that is systemically rolling back carefully negotiated and hard fought for environmental rules is far more important than Guccifer 2.0. Trump's national security team is doing far greater harm to our alliances and the general peace of our planet than any enemy could do.
Washington D.C. is a cesspool and has been for quite some time. All that power and money attracts grifters and would be grifters like a flame draws a moth. Administrations come and go, yet we see the same hangers on like Eliot Abrams and John Bolton- both of which should probably be banished from the government for life.
Democracy is not being well served by "journalists" more interested in the horse race of 2020 or the intrigues of the Mueller investigation than the dumpster fire of ongoing misgovernance in Washington.
4
There still appears to be ample evidence already fully revealed to the public of collision between Putin and the Trump campaign,
in the common sense meaning of collusion.
Cooperation between Trump operatives and the Russians to throw the American election.
Yes, indeed there is substantial evidence of this.
Perhaps not a criminal conspiracy that could convince a jury beyond a reasonable doubt to send a sitting American President to jail.
David Brooks needs to take a deep breath on this.
6
You forgot to include Mr. Trump's own quotes in here. I care very little for what a presidential candidate, a former CIA director, and a FILM DIRECTOR (seriously?) say.
I care greatly for what the President of the United States of America says.
Here's from Mr. Trumps twitter account four hours ago:
"The Mainstream media is under fire and being scorned all over the World [sic] as being corrupt and FAKE [sic]. For two years they pushed the Russian Collusion Delusion when they always knew there was No Collusion [sic for both]. They truly are the Enemy of the People [sic for both] and the Real Opposition Party! [sic for all]"
That is our President, America! That is the man in charge of the Executive Branch of the United States! In charge of enacting the laws of our country, including the 1st Amendment that guarantees freedom of press!
The Mueller Report is complete at this point. Mr. Trump's insanity and lack of cohesive leadership abilities remain. We have made fools of ourselves - by allowing Mr. Trump to rain this ridiculous rhetoric down on us, for all the world to see, with little to no recourse.
6
David, didn’t John Brennan make his statement about Trump’s treasonous behavior after Trump stood next to Putin at a public event and declared that he believed Putin over his own intelligence services? Mueller wasn’t investigating that bizarre behavior. He was investigating the election. There is still ample evidence that Trump is a Russian asset, witting or not.
8
Mr. Brooks, as always, insists that nothing came out of the Mueller investigation.
He bases his opinion akin to the ones of Trump and his sycophants in Congress on a synopsis of just 4 pages by A.G. Barr's picked form gazillion pages of the Mueller report.
Barr got his job by writing an 18 page unsolicited 'memo', which was a really clever way of a job-application.
Barr should have recused himself from the Mueller report and leaving it up to Deputy A.G.Mr. Rosenstein, one who was unfortunately involved in the firing of Mr. Comey, but is a more steadfast protector of the the law in general.
2
I don't often venture into the comments to a NY Times opinion piece, but after reading a few dozen I am reminded that bigoted, close-minded thinking exists as much on the left as it is stereotypically depicted to exist on the right. One of the reasons we are in such a divided state as a nation.
The writer gave us a good example of being able to see from a different perspective than what might be more expedient given his stated political leanings. Casting proverbial pearls...
Thank you. You gave it a try.
1
Wait a minute: Americans will only make fools of ourselves if we do not demand and obtain release of Mueller's report.
I, for one, don't trust any columnist, pundit, politician or political operative to tell me what to think about this because I am a citizen, taxpayer, and - shocker - a literate, critical thinker.
Let all who care enough, read it, discuss, think on it and decide for ourselves.
Until then, no one apologizes for investigating the guy who encouraged Russia to hack/release Clinton's emails and goes on to meet privately with Putin, then sounds like a compromised lackey afterwards. Okay?
Cuz "collusion" is a particular legal term and requires a high bar to indict on.
Trump is not "exonerated" from any or all other bad acts by this report (we do know that.)
Barr is a pro Trump partisan.
And Graham clearly remains afraid of what's contained in those pages.
Mueller and his team comported themselves professionally and honorably, from all appearances, so let's see what they found. And judge for ourselves.
1
Let’s face it, Trump scored huge on this one with help from Blitzer, Maddow, NYT, et al. During the 2016 election runup they promoted him for ratings share, and have continued with endless “Breaking News” updates and editorials. Clearly, Trump has been a best friend to print and broadcast journalism.
To keep the frenzy alive now we must churn over disclosure of full report findings—another blind alley not likely to reveal much. Mueller signaled that several weeks ago when he tipped off the White House that Trump was essentially in the clear on the collusion charges.
It’s over and we’ve all been had...time to move on.
1
Either Trump was lying when he believed Putin's denial of election interference over his own intelligence services in Helsinki, but if not, then Mueller is also lying in this report claiming the Russians interfered in our elections.
So do we now need to disband our intelligence apparatus and use Putin as our source, or is this what Judge Judy calls a situation that what looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like one, is really a duck, meaning: if something does not makes sense, it cannot be believed.
This seems to apply to both Mueller's conclusions and Trump himself.
David,
Have you read the Mueller report? If not, I suggest you withhold all the judgement you’re making in this column. You’re as guilty as those you accuse.
1
The 24/7/365 news media needs news. If it has real news, it reports it. Maybe. If the media doesn't have news, or lacks news it wants to report or that is too expensive to research, they speculate about what the news might be. And every person on the planet has an opinion, just as they have various body parts. The media doesn't bring them onto a panel to say "I don't know", or "I'm waiting until we know more". They bring them in, pull their string, and let them bloviate to fill the time slot.
1
“[T]he scandal is much smaller than it appeared”—this is Brooks’ absurd assertion just hours after a Trump-appointed AG suspectly cleared him of obstruction of justice, before any of us have read a single word from Mueller’s report.
The scandal, in fact, seemingly grows every day — with new investigations metastasizing into Trump’s business, his so-called “charity,” his campaign, and his presidency, with no fewer than 12 investigations in multiple state and federal jurisdictions.
This mendacity and criminality isn’t a figment of our imagination. It’s not only real, but it’s beyond the pale, and Brook’s navel-gazing isn’t going prompt me or any other rational American from thinking otherwise.
One need only read the comments to this article to assess whether both parties are equally responsible for the scandal mongering that has become the centerpiece of American political life. They are not. Kavanaugh, Russia-collusion, fake "hate" crimes like Smollett, Micheal Avanatti - it goes on and on.
Democrats have debased our political, economic, legal and cultural institutions with nonsense designed only to seize power. Even now, they continue their misdeeds in lieu of governing. There is nothing comparable on the Republican side.
The day of reckoning is coming for Obama, Hilary, Comey, Brennan, Clapper, McCabe, Strock, et. al. See you at the courthouse.
Trump is a blessed mess. He was blessed when his father gave him the equivalent of $400 million, when he survived multiple bankruptcies, when he hijacked the Republican Party to wrest the nomination for president, and when he conspired to steal the election. There might not be collusion (according to the ‘Barr Report’), but plenty of skilled legal scholars believe there was, and is. And corruption? We remain in the dark, thanks to McConnell, who just blocked release of the full report. Perhaps Mr. Mueller should just send his report to Congress and to the major media. What will Trump do, fire him? America is being held hostage by an infantile criminal, and it will be hard to just turn the other cheek and let it go. Trump excoriated Hillary Clinton throughout his wretched campaign, and no one held him accountable. Hopefully the SDNY will ultimately deliver justice to the Trump crime family. We deserve to know just how corrupt he and his cohort are.
1
Whatever messes Trump makes of - well, everything - in the next 20 months before the election, he won't be able to blame it on the Democrats. To quote the Weird Sisters in Shakespeare's MacBeth:
Thou knowest that security
Is mortals' chiefest enemy
See you in 2020, Trump.
It was Trump's own actions that caused there to be a special counsel in the first place. If this report truly vindicates the President it would be made fully public, not summarized by a political appointee. If Trump told me the sky was blue, I'd go outside and check.
O'Rourke, Schiff, Brennan...these are not fools. On the other hand, trusting the word of a Trump cabinet member without employing the least amount of skepticism is a foolish thing indeed. This government, led by the incompetent, is a leaky thing indeed. It won't be long before it all comes out. I look forward to Brook's own apology.
What America truly needs is a national lesson in critical thinking.
Did this guy miss when Trump was before the podium asking Russia to hack HRC?
Democrats need to stop apologizing and fight for the full report.
1
"We’ve All Just Made Fools of Ourselves — Again"
'We've' -- who is the "We" who have made fools of ourselves? There is a sturdy group of people who knew Trump was a fraud - about everything in his financial and personal history. He was and is a "huckster" and pardon my old-fashioned American dialect. What I don't like is how you go to champion Trump and then have a turn of thought to "blame" the US voters for having landed Trump in the White House. Pretty much almost half of US voters believe the 2016 Election was a fraud. Clinton far exceeded Trump in the popular vote and I could list several ways the Republcian Parties in several states engaged in - let us say- voter fraudsterism. David Brooks - I am done with you.
We paid for the report and we want to read the entire thing. Release the report.
Of course Trump colluded. He did it in public. Mueller could not find any direct evidence linking Trump to the dealings of Manafort, Stone, and the Russia meeting. Either Mueller is not be very bright, or Trump hid his tracks well.
I think the most foolish in this column is Mr. Brooks.
Since he hasn't seen the Mueller report, he doesn't know what's in it.
As such, it is premature to criticize others for conclusions that he doesn't know aren't there.
Barr played word games; all we know is that he, in consultation with a single Department of Justice lawyer, Rod Rosenstein, who has a conflict of interest (he is responsible for creating the pretext to fire Comey), that there wasn't enough to move forward with an indictment.
So strange that Barr took less than 48 hours to read and consider the entire Mueller report. Then churn out a few paragraphs containing only shards of sentences from the report reaffirming what he wrote almost two years ago.
Two years ago, he wrote a 19-page single-spaced memorandum, apparently on his own time and dime, telling the DoJ that the President could not be indicted.
It would have been nice if Barr had given the report the same time and attention that he gave his own opinion.
1
Unfortunately, with Fox news, CNN & MSNBC blaring into millions and millions of households on almost a 24/7 basis it will be near impossible to eradicate our society of " scandal politics" and accompanying culture. Corporate media's bread and butter is " scandal politics". This will not change. SAD!
The investigation was necessary.
The news media turned it into a panic, and in the process signed the death warrant for Journalism.
1
If there's nothing to be ashamed about let's see the Mueller Report (Nunes says "burn it"!! Really? Why?)
Just like the mystery taxes....if it's no big deal,release them.
I'm pretty sure I've read many opinion pieces on every possible outcome. So maybe it should say some of us instead of all. Is it everything goes for 2020 now? Hacking, meetings, data exchanges, secure back channels etc is all ok? The mistake was the republicans not calling for impeachment the day Trump said "I believe Putin"
I agree. It's over. Let it go and drop it from public discourse. We don't want to impeach him and we don't need more congressional investigations. Lead the way. There was not an issue with Benghazi or Hillary's emails. No more drama please. Select a great candidate who is younger and has good ideas and can lead us to a kinder gentler way of governing. Someone who won't tweet hatred on an hourly basis. A grown up.
2
I think I might agree with you, if the report was released. But because the decision about what information we get to see comes from a Trump appointee, who also was the sole person to make the decision about his culpability in the charge of obstruction, there is a huge credibility issue, and we can't accept the information as is. The release of this report has been bungled, making a clean resolution of the issue all but impossible.
3
Beautifully written, and spot on. As the old saying goes, "When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail."
1
It's amazing to me how Trump and the Republicans can play offense and defense so aggressively... simultaneously! How can Trump possibly be the aggrieved victim and the tough guy all at the same time? How he can lie constantly yet accuse others of lying. How does that even work?
Democrats need to figure that out.
6
You really can't write this column with any authority based on Barr's summary of Mueller's report.
Why would Barr be any different than any of the rest of the people willing to, let's say, stretch the truth on behalf of Trump, especially given the strong signals he sent when he was campaigning for the job of Attorney General?
10
@Jason Gohlke
Because if Barr did that Robert Mueller would immediately call a press conference and expose him.
There's a crime show on television called "48 Hours" --
A so-called "Reality Show" - it follows homicide detectives from various cities around the country as they investigate actual homicides - while speaking to witnesses and interviewing suspects --
They spend time reporting about the victims, their tragic and often-violent deaths - along with the pain and suffering it brings to their families --
Many times we see the suspects apprehended, arrested and led out of the interview room in handcuffs on their way to be booked for murder -- and we think that justice has been served as this criminal is being sent to jail --
However --
The show has a disclaimer - which is shown both at the beginning of every episode - something to the effect of --
"All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. - Frequently, charges are reduced or often dismissed in many of these cases" --
I wonder if that disclaimer also appears on the front and back pages of Mueller's report...
2
I wholeheartedly agree that the main focus of the Democrats' campaigns to defeat Trump should be on policy not personality as they successfully did in the midterms. That should be impervious to whatever comes of all of the investigations. Pelosi has been right to avoid talk of impeachment. The ballot box is the best place to settle our political disagreements. Yet I also disagree with his contention that investigations into Trump and his associates is a unsound, based on extreme responses to Watergate. No president is above the law and Trump has possibly violated numerous statues on the state, federal, and constitutional levels. He has not been exonerated and many are jumping to conclusions based only on Barr's reading and brief summary of the report. Everyone should breathe while also staying focused on both Trump's corruption and positive policy proposals of Warren and others.
2
I'm no Trump fan, but I'm relieved Robert Mueller uncovered no direct collusion with Russia during the 2016 election. I want to believe there are still some common standards of decency precious to all of us. While we compete as a nation to reach new levels of incivility amongst ourselves, trolls-for-hire overseas are laughing at us. The ridicule they heap on us is bearable, but the long-term sickness they infect us with is not. Is war the only event that can galvanize our citizenry?
3
I agree. I do not like Trump or anything about his administration. I am sad that this won't be his undoing, but relieved that he did not collude with Russia. The report should be released for transparency, but, assuming Barr is accurate in his summary, it is time to move on.
3
I have said it before, and I'll say it again... Trump may be a crook, he may not be as dignified as we want a President to be, he may be a Twitter nut that harasses people that rub him the wrong way, but I doubt that he had the foresight, skill, smarts or determination to conspire with the Russians for his advantage. His very nature is transactional, he never plans anything. The Muller report confirmed that. Why will Trump argue to not release it? Trump will try to hide how chaotic and uncoordinated his campaign and his first several months on the presidency were, that's why. This is a guy who wants to appear in charge and the report will probably show how chaotic things were. That's all.
3
Pretty quick to jump on the complete exoneration bandwagon there, David. All we have so far is a 4 page summary by Individual 1's handpicked AG and a maddeningly, vaguely worded quote from Mueller himself. The information released so far could easily be characterized as spin - without more information, we'll never know - and it's much too soon to make blanket declarations of any sort.
6
I'm fine with showing a bit of humility, but I really don't understand the Mueller conclusions yet. Didn't he convict several people from Trump's inner circle of lying about their contacts with Russia? I know that's not direct evidence of collusion, but why did they lie about these contacts then? Why is it that Don Jr. wasn't charged concerning that Trump Tower meeting? I'd like to understand that decision too. There were many, many reasons why this investigation had to take place. I hate that some are now calling it a waste of time.
1139
@Brandon
Not. One. Single. American. Was was convicted of anything associated with Russia.
19
@Brandon
That says it, Brandon. Stay tuned :-)
20
Please do not go along with the republican spin by a corrupt Chief of Justice. We need to make the report public. And then, we need to consider the fact that legal proof does not mean lack of evidence.
2
" . . . grievous accusations that are not supported by evidence"??? Even if Donald Trump did not directly go to Vladimir Putin and say, "hey Vlad, throw the election for me," there is plenty enough evidence that many if not most of his operatives did approach the Russians, met with them, made deals with them. And he certainly did nothing to stop them.
Have you read the full report, David? To call accusations of treason "grievous"against this president suggests that those who made these accusations had absolutely no basis upon which to accuse him. There was--and is--plenty of evidence to at least strongly suggest that he colluded with Russia. It was a reasonable assessment that has nothing to do with "scandalmongering" or the media or any of the other bugaboos you mention here. Attacking this president's venal behavior is no "wonderful game." It's a response warranted by unprecedented, anomalous and well-documented bad behavior by someone dedicated to destroying our democracy. There is no precedent for this president, no analogy to his scandalous shenanigans. I'm shocked that you make his "innocence" the basis for an attack on those who've pointed out the obvious--that his behavior has been and continues to be an affront to the Constitution.
Even if not one single person associated with his campaign had spoken with Russian operatives, this president has done more than enough damage to this country to warrant the accusation that he is an enemy of the people.
4
Should we also apologize to Al Capone who was never convicted of selling bootleg alcohol? Americans know Trump is guilty of conspiring with Russians to win the 2016 election. Barr may try to prevent the Mueller report from being available to the public, but Trump, his campaign and his family worked with Russians to get him into power.
4
David mentions Iran-contra, Whitewater, Valerie Plame, Benghazi, Solyndra, swift-boating. I would like to point out that Iran-Contra and the Valery Plame affair were real scandals of Republican administrations. The others were politically motivated witch hunts manufactured by Republicans, and none of them held up upon full examination.
4
David writes his column before he sees the actual report. So he’s also caught up in a mad rush to final judgement. As a citizen and taxpayer, as part of a government of, by and for the people, as a military vet, I say to David and everyone else: deep breath, slowly exhale, demand the full report, with supporting evidence and also ask why Mueller never questioned Trump himself.
5
What Mr Brooks (and all other Americans) must realize is that the Many who are against Trump are so, not because we "hate" him, but because this Unfit president is ripping the nation's political, social (and also, arguably, economic) foundations apart.
This isn't a Democrat or Republican argument. This is a national argument. And the verdict (2 years ago) is that Trump is Bad for America.
End of discussion.
9
Speak for yourself, Mr. Brooks.
As someone on the left, I looked upon the Mueller investigation with some skepticism that it would turn up something incriminating of the president. Remember, the investigation was about Russian meddling, which necessitated the special prosecutor because the president fired Comey in the fishiest of ways.
The report appears to show what we knew all along: a wide-ranging meddling operation and numerous overtures to the Trump campaign. Crucially, these overtures were not immediately rebuffed and reported. The Russians seem to have known that the Trump campaign was chock full of grifters and incompetent fools who wouldn't know to resist overtures, much less to report them properly.
Extremely poor judgment can land regular people in prison, but in our system, the higher you go the more flagrantly you can err in judgment and still keep climbing the ladder.
If the media turned the Mueller report into a sensational scandal, that's on them. Regular people could look and see a steady parade of revelations, indictments, and guilty pleas over connected issues. And we could also see the rank incompetence and bad faith of the Trump campaign and administration.
More than anything, it's shown how people who believe themselves above the law will react furiously when threatened with actual accountability of the sort regular folks face in their lives.
1373
@MW
Are you saying that you expected this outcome? Would you have bet your own money that Mueller wouldn't come up with anything of substance... because there WASN'T anything of substance? It was WAY overblown, essentially a hoax, like WMD. We see it now - but who saw it last week? Maybe we shouldn't just say it, 'well, that's on them' without trying to learn from it so it doesn't happen again.
4
@MW, It’s clear that people like Beto O’Rourke and John Brennan owe Donald Trump a public apology. If you call someone a traitor and it turns out you lacked the evidence for that charge, then the only decent thing to do is apologize.
Two years of intense investigation, and no evidence of conspiring with Russia. Many armchair quarterbacks see something from afar as "Fishy", or listen to media and get outraged.
let's check our emotions and biases, and try to accept reality.
We were hoodwinked by the outrage-inducing media.
and the whole thing started with a dossier paid for by the Clinton Machine. That is the real scandal.
17
David, if someone lies to you, multiple times per day, day after day, who is at fault for not believing that person? If that someone has a long history of operating on the fringe of legality, should anyone take for granted that he is not capable of mounting an illegal scheme to "win" the White House? If the man at the top hires as his closest advisors people with ties with Russia, and whose illegal activities result in their being convicted of crimes, is it wise to look the other way when evidence seems to point to the man at the top also being involved in criminal activity involving Russia? The answer to all three of these questions is "no"!
Don't blame those who supported the Mueller investigation of Trump's campaign and hoped that a clear line could be drawn between him or his underlings and the Russians, because that would be the "easy answer" as to how that hostile nation infiltrated our election process. The apparent fact that there is no clear line doesn't put the matter to rest. It simply poses more questions.
We're still not convinced that somehow, the dishonest real estate developer who once impersonated his own (non-existent) publicist, is completely innocent of having conspired with Russia to help him "win". It defies logic, and ignores evidence to the contrary. We know that he lied about having business with Russia. Why? And we know that Trump obstructed justice - he told us so in the NBC interview.
Show us the Mueller report, in toto.
7
This article complains about jumping to judgment. It reads as if the author and all of us have read the Mueller report and are now in a position to reflect on how it comports with our biases and expectations.
Looking forward to reading the Mueller report. Not jumping to conclusions til then.
7
“For two years they’ve been spreading the libel that there are no honest brokers in Washington. It’s all a deep-state conspiracy, a swamp. They should apologize for peddling the sort of deep cynicism that undermines our country’s institutions.”
Why should they apologize? The republicans have depended on feeding lies and conspiracies to their voters for years. Apologizing is not an option.
4
As so many others have noted in their responses it seems premature that apologies are offered to Trump. Even though I am a progressive I have always appreciated the opinions written by Mr. Brooks. As I fully realize two wrongs don’t make a right the hypocrisy of those calling for apologies to Trump are disheartening to say the least. Trump has made so many disparaging remarks about people over the course of just the last two years it defies belief. I am really tired of the double standard used here. Trump has never shown any compunction for the lies he has uttered about others and I won’t be holding my breath until he does.
3
Mr. Brooks is right. If we despise someone so much that we want to see the worst of that person, that we see gray as black and white as gray, then indeed we need to take a step back and reevaluate -- that perhaps we were wrong. Perhaps we can now take a little comfort that our country is not in utter ruins -- that our elected President (!) is not a puppet of the largest authoritarian communist regime in the world. That said, it requires humility -- a traits that seems to be long lost in our me-first society.
2
It's awfully convenient how so many conservatives' views on White House scandal have "evolved" over the last 20 years. Ken Starr was determined to take down Bill Clinton over his Oval Office philandering with Monica Lewinsky, but now he says it would be a bad idea for Trump to be impeached, or to send special prosecutors out on "fishing missions." Same for Starr's protege, Brett Kavanaugh. And now David Brooks, who seemed all but convinced in 1998 that Clinton's moral failings would bring about the death of Western civilization, is here to tell us the real damage to our national psyche is being perpetrated not by Trump's scandals, but by Democrats' overreactions to them.
Isn't this always the case? Republicans condemned criticism of GWB as if it were downright treasonous, but Donald Trump's racist birtherism toward Obama was just free speech. They were appalled by budget deficits right up until Obama left office, now apparently deficits are a small price to pay for massive tax cuts for the wealthy. Brooks likes to portray himself as an antidote to hypocrisy in our body politic, but he's just as often a symptom as he is the cure.
3
I'd still bet on Beto's qualified assertion: “You have a president who, in my opinion, beyond a shadow of a doubt, sought to, however ham-handedly, collude with the Russian government, a foreign power, to undermine and influence our elections.”
I think "however ham-handedly" captures the essence of team Trump's attempt to shoot straight. It also captures the imaginative leap-of-faith required to state "Imaginative pundits take a few dots of information and connect them to vast if speculative constellations of guilt."
Do prudent pundits like Brooks actually read the report before apportioning apologies. Perhaps it's premature to rely on William Barr's short tweet-like summary for the essence of Muller's investigation (see Neal K. Katyal, "The Many Problems With the Barr Letter" — NYTimes, 3/24/2019).
The fundamental question isn't really about collusion, it is about why Putin wanted Trump to win. It is unfortunate that the media went off the deep end in the hunt for red collusion. Nonetheless, the red herrings are still aplenty -- why lie about contacts with the Russian agents during the campaign? Why fire Comey? Why attack Mueller?
Clearly, the Russians wanted an 'understanding' to allow adoptions once again.... recognize the seizure of Crimea; drop the sanctions: this would require informal contact. Other things Putin wanted he could count on Trump doing without any collusion or compromat - disrupting the Western Alliance, trashing the Pacific trade deal, leaving the Middle East and handing it over to Russian influence, and deepening our own internal divides while also paralyzing our government and bankrupting our country. Trump, the high lord of chaos, only needed to win and the Putin's agents could facilitate that -- No Collusion Necessary.
3
Adam Schiff’s statement still is quite clear.
I’m trying to wrap my mind around how an inconclusive hunt for hidden collusion negates the open stuff.
David, you are one of my favorite reads of reason. As a Seattle liberal, I have and do always appreciate your analysis and perspective as a kid listening to you on PBS. I want to agree with your analysis here. I can’t.
And it’s because of the lack of any humility in the GOP. Trump was not exonerated yet his first words are complete exoneration. This is an article that needs Fox News viewers to take a step back. It’s fight fight fight push push push.
The only decent thing for Trump to do was not lie immediately about what was said. David, tell me who is decent in the GOP.
I’ve said this before and I say it again - the right decided there was a culture war and that it should begin an all out attack on liberal ideals. The arrogance was to believe that the pro compromise and conflict averse left voters were even fighting a war. Bully a kid for enough years, and that kid is fully prepared - even to extremes that shouldn’t occur - to ensure the next fight is won and over.
Now the pace is accelerating. Trumps presidency is consolidating far more liberal beliefs and true believers than the right has seen for 50 years.
Welcome to your culture war.
A blue wave with building height and momentum crashes against the shore ... not touches lightly. And it is a creation of the rights own making.
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The partisan intellectual Pollyanna strikes again. Just because there was no collusion found, doesn't mean that the investigation wasn't warranted. It doesn't mean the actions of the president to interfere with the investigation were appropriate. It doesn't mean that others can't form opinions based on these very public actions that the president is, in their opinion, treasonous, or guilty of collusion/obstruction.
It doesn't mean that he isn't guilty of corruption, self-dealing and unethical behavior (some of which is currently investigated). You seem to be absolving him of all of this behavior, while chastising democrats for over-reacting to the billowing plumes of smoke that emanate from this administration. As such you are playing into the narrative of Trump as a victim. A victim not of his own unethical and toxic behavior, but of overzealous, unfair partisanship.
Here's the problem with all that. We haven't seen the report! All we've gotten is a letter written by a political partisan-who publicly condemned aspects of the investigation prior to his appointment-"summarizing" its findings. Concluding within 48 hours that there was no obstruction, despite the fact that Mueller couldn't conclusively do so in two years of investigation. A report that when released (eventually), will most likely by highly redacted, and made as anodyne as possible to further play into the narrative of an innocent trump.
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Not so fast. A mere three days following Trump's being summoned to meet with the late President Bush's family William Barr was nominated by Trump for the position of Attorney General. Oh, to have been a fly on the wall for that!
1
From a 4 Page summary you make a Judgement that trump has not Colluded? As Grouch Marx said "Do You Believe Me or Your Eyes" Mr. Brooks I believe my Eyes and my Common sense. When a Man Stands up during the Campaign and shouts "Russia if You Have the Emails Send them to Me" and like Magic they are Delivered. Need I add more.
Sir wait until the Report is Made Public then make a Judgement.
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I think before the President, other Republicans and perhaps you begin a victory lap, the entire report needs to be understood and Mueller needs to see Congress.
And even after that O'Rourke, Schiff, Brennan and Reiner have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to apologize for. There are facts out there to strongly support their statements. Anyone with an inkling of how the justice system works knows that absence of an indictment does not necessarily mean no crime was committed.
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Who really thought The Mueller Report was going to be bullet proof? There is one thing we have learned from the last 2 years and the report---it's about character. This president has surrounded himself with criminals (what is it up to 34 indicted with some in jail) and the sleaziest---always has. Every New Yorker knows this. He has coated himself in Teflon while others take the fall for him. It is time to move on. Get down to business and vote him out.
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Nobody owes anybody an apology. There was no determination made in the Muller Report regarding collusion or obstruction of justice. Muller just punted the ball. I am more convinced than ever that Muller, the FBI, the Justice Department and Congress are flawed and perhaps compromised. Regardless, it is now and always has been up to the American voters to look inwards and determine whether this is an America we are proud of. Voters now need to protect and defend the constitution of the United States and defend our democracy against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
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This is an embarrassing column. There is no dispute that the Russian government interfered with the 2016 on behalf of Trump. Trump welcomed and encouraged this support in plain sight and anyone who hasn't been asleep for the last three years knows that. Many of his advisors were in contact with the Russians. Mueller wasn't able to find the smoking gun that would legally prove collusion but its obvious these advisors know there is one and we're scared he would find it. Why else did they relentlessly lie about it? The Mueller report doubtless documents all this in embarrassing detail, which is why Trump and the GOP will fight as hard as possible to prevent us seeing something that apparently exonerates everyone.
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Enough already. It's time for both sides to move on from Russia gate fatigue.
The only way to defeat Trump now is at the ballot box.
2
Not to go all Glen Greenwald here, but I always thought the intense media focus - and the endless, breathless speculation - was a mistake. The narrative created by the media, especially cable news, hoodwinked a lot of people - I'm sure I'm not the only one whose Facebook feed has been full of people over the past couple of years who were absolutely certain that the result of the Mueller investigation would be Trump being marched out of the White House in handcuffs.
Rachel Maddow was a particularly egregious shill for Trump/Russia conspiracy theories. In fact, MSNBC ought to be ashamed of itself for being the main peddler of such hysteria. Meanwhile the brazen corruption, hackery and incompetence of the Trump administration took a backseat to the Russia story because...well, the Russia story was much sexier. That's what it comes down to, no?
Though there were certainly Democratic officials who played the same game, the Dems as a whole should be fine. They made the wise choice of focusing on bread-and-butter issues (healthcare, wages) during the mid-term elections. Not a lot of Russia talk. And it paid off! I imagine we'll see more of that in 2020
4
Why are Democrats asked to be civil over and over again, when clearly the problem is we were too civil to begin with? Trump lies to us EVERY SINGLE DAY. And he certainly never attempted to be transparent about the Mueller report (where is it, if it truly exonerates him?), nor did he try to stop the Russians from meddling with our Democracy.
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The question arises: if they was not collusion, why did so Trump associates lie.
George Papadopoulos did not lie to cover up a crime. He lied about his lawful but unsuccessful efforts to set up meeting a meeting between Putin and Trump because he thought it might be used to incriminate Trump. During an interview shortly after his conviction, he said “I found myself pinned between the Department of Justice and the sitting president and having probing questions that I thought might incriminate the sitting president.”
Michael Cohen did not lie to Congress about the Trump Tower Moscow project to cover up a crime. He lied because he knew Hillary Clinton would use the project to attack Trump in campaign speeches and in candidate debates.
No one knows why Roger Stone allegedly lied about his WikiLeaks contacts, since the contact were not illegal. It might be because his contacts might were fictional. Julian Assange say he never had a telephone conversation with Stone.
Papadopoulos served 10-day of a 14-day sentence. Coen got two year for r lying to Congress plus making a excessive campaign violation, but will be allowed to serve the two months concurrently with his five year sentence on unrelated charges,
The lies don't rank very high ink the annals of crime.
Let’s apologize to Hillary first! That may have actually been the greatest witch hunt in political history, who knows? If I remember correctly that one didn’t have any indictments or anyone going to prison at the end. Here, we still don’t have all the facts, and investigations of wrongdoing have been farmed out to the states. Are you really sure it is time for the apologies to start yet? Too much news swirling around us doesn’t mean there isn’t a great deal of corruption, wrongdoing or lies in there.
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Funny Mr. Brooks. I don’t recall you complaining about Kevin McCarthy and Trey Gowdy weaponizing their committee chairmanships to use that platform to undermine if future candidates legitimacy. A person, by that time, had left government service and was a private citizen. I don’t recall you complaining about the dollar spent or the media coverage. I don’t recall you complaining that the number one story on Hillary was her emails, which as it turned out it was deemed by the Justice Department to be a non-issue.
The double standard clearly lives. But what is most revolting is the hypocrisy associated with those who cloak themselves in it In a pathetic effort to seem high minded.
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Very premature. You want apologies? Wait until we can assess the evidence in context. And let's hold off on apologies when it comes to obstruction of justice when non-obstruction was the single-handed conclusion of one highly biased individual. I will gladly let this go after being able to see for myself what was learned in two years of intensive investigation.
2
"Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing."
“Most politicians would have gone to a meeting like the one Don jr attended in order to get info on an opponent. That’s politics!”
The president said, “I don’t see any reason why it would be" Russia that meddled in the 2016 presidential elections.
Need Trump have said anymore Mr. Brooks? Who is the fool?
4
Mueller, never being able to indict a sitting President anyway, has also been unable to find "legal" justification to criminally pursue the conspiracy case against Trump et al. Obstruction of Justice with Barr at the DOJ helm was never an issue, though a blind man could see the obstruction from afar.
That is a far cry from having found no evidence of a collusive nature between the campaign and the Russians. The report, and the substantive evidentiary underpinnings of the report, are needed to draw a more nuanced conclusion... if we ever see it.
It appears that the Republican Representatives and Senators, more fearful of Trump than desirous of Justice, will leave it to the voters in 2020 to rescue American democracy.
Yes, tempered speech is in short supply. The problem ought be laid directly at the feet of this President who is the unabashed Inciter in Chief. Doubling down on his lies, he has the temerity to bash those who expose his untruths, while threaten those who attempt oversight. The Founding Fathers must be spinning in their graves, wondering what they might have done to prevent this outrage.
David, cerebral as always... but totally missing the point!
Comity will not return until Trump is out of office
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Much more than “making fools of oursselves,” there is a mutual hatred in the viscera of the nation that I have not seen over the last sixty years, and it does not abate but metastasises. I fear we have reached a point where anything, literally anything, could happen. On top of everything else, out of egoistic blindness, we have, for our own purposes, gratuitously demonised and attacked the one country which, like us, has the nuclear power to extinguish human life on this planet and all for money and the salivating greed for personal political power.
Just vote. That is our collective power. We will throw all of them out in the end. People power is what it will take.
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Maybe it’s a western thing, I don’t know, but I quickly tire of you telling me how to think.
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I find it curious that Mr. Brooks does not point a finger directly at himself, he is not free from speculation that has proven false.
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Democrats should apologize right after Republicans apologize for suggesting President Obama wasn't an American.
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David.
It was a witch hunt.
There was never any reason for it to have been started in the first place.
Hannity was right.
1
Iran-Contra: An actual scandal followed by a legitimate investigation into an actual crime that resulted in felony conviction and a republican led executive branch held accountable.
Whitewater, Valerie Plame, Benghazi, Solyndra, swift-boating: pseudo-scandals manufactured by the right against democratic candidates and office-holders.
One thing is not like the other.
2
So you think, Mr. Brooks, there should be no investigation of wrongdoing? You think all scandals are the same? Watergate, Iran-Contra, Valerie Plame, and swift-boating were actual scandals; people were convicted and went to jail or, in some cases, should have. The fake scandals seem all to be instigated by Republicans: Benghazi, Solyndra, etc. How do you explain that?
Yes, there is a lot of rumor mongering and a need to fill TV time. But we are a species that traffics in narrative and gossip. And presidential scandals are nothing new. Thomas Jefferson, who favored the French, accused George Washington of treason for giving the British favored nation status. Nearly every administration has had its share of venality and backroom dealing.
I would rather wade through speculation in pursuit of transparency and truth than have press silence and curtains drawn around malfeasance.
3
A foreign adversary attacked our election system. The president did nothing to defend us from the same but rather coddled the attackers. That's not a matter of an investigative conclusion but known fact.
5
The only people who have seen the evidence are Bill Barr and Rod Rosenstein. Even Barr's "exoneration" memo specifically says that while it can't be proved that the president violated the law ... the evidence doesn't exonerate him either.
No one owes that man anything. And his tab to the world and the American people gets larger by the day.
3
Your accusations, while not entirely without merit, are a bit harsh, Mr. Brooks.
No doubt that a steady diet of and appetite for political scandal mongering has increased to gluttonous proportions in our society, but confusing what you feel are excesses in that respect for total irresponsibility is wide of the mark.
It should not be forgotten that Russian actors actually did interfere with our election, and Robert Mueller's team did uncover criminal wrongdoing by a veritable plethora of Trump acolytes, supporters and staffers.
Contrary to your assertion, Mr. Brooks, we haven't made fools of ourselves, but we certainly would have had we failed to let the Mueller investigation run its course.
1
Trump et al clearly have a bizarre and worrisome relationship with Putin, and are also propping up the Israeli PM. Maybe this is just a strategy to freak out Democrats so they waste their air time on this stuff instead of more mundane but obvious errors by the administration, or maybe there is something even more problematic going on.
Most analogies that compare Trump to previous presidents are deeply flawed because Trump has little in common with most of them. Trump does not share their goals, experience or ethics, and accusations directed at him are not easily dismissed as partisan exaggeration even if it has become the default Republican strategy to pretend that they are.
Ignoring corruption is how Trump got elected in the first place.
1
It is hard to replay Trump's words, "Russia, if you're listening..." from 2016 and think we're dealing with an innocent man. Or worse, Trump's words about Putin's "very strong" denials about interference in our election in contradiction to every conclusion by US law enforcement. He is the head of our government, and swore an oath to uphold and protect it. Criminal? Treasonous? If not, then criminally and treasonously incompetent.
2
Firing Comey over Flynn
One-on-one meetings with Putin in midst of our discovery of Russian election interference
Constant, obvious lying
Constant denigration other officials and citizens
These are only a few reasons why there was - and is - good reason
to suspect that this president was capable of that which he has been accused.
Only when this man shows he is capable of apologizing himself, will he deserve an apology from others.
1
Again, Brooks, you choose to confuse the issue. Many, as you point out, stated overtly they have no doubt the "president" colluded with Russia. Granted, their views / opinions were not grounded in absolute and incontrovertible facts. However, no one has ever said it would be provable and equally important, the absence of provable guilt does not always prove innocence.
Mueller - a man of integrity - did the job he was asked to do. From his work came a better understanding of the absolute underhanded nature of this "president" and the company he kept - something which has been part of his base nature from his birth. So, Mr . Brooks I do not feel foolish in my belief this "president" is essentially a Russian apparatchik. And honestly, I never believed that Mueller would find a "smoking gun" that would take trump down - trump has evaded the law all of his life. What those of us hoped for was an open record that demonstrated just how unfit trump is to fulfil the duties of a president. But most likely the report will never be released (at least not for many years or decades).
And, until the full report is analyzed by someone not appointed by trump, none of us will know the true details.
What's amazing is that a "president" and his cronies who will resist the release of this report, will continue to say the "president" is exonerated. If that's the case, then why not just release the report? I think we all know the answer to that one.
1
Just about every commenter here is proving exactly why WE DONT release the details of such investigations. You all want the details released for what purpose? To drag Trumps name through the mud again, right? Youre thinking there could be salacious details that were part of this investigation that, if released, could still maim him, correct?
Well, thats exactly why we DONT release such reports.
How would you like it of YOU were falsely accused of a crime, thoroughly investigated, cleared, but then having the details of this investigation known to every one of your future employers? Wouldnt be fair, would it? If that were the case, then anyone's reputation could be sullied on a mere accusation. No proof or evidence necessary. Wouldn't make for a fair world, would it? Put yourself in the same position, then perhaps you'd reconsider this feigned cry for transparency. Its exactly why it isnt done.
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@Sports Medicine
Sure, but I'm not the President of the United States of America and I do not hold the nuclear codes. Like all Presidents and elected officials before him, Trump must be held to a higher standard.
215
@Sports Medicine - point of contention - 45 was not cleared by the Mueller report at all as Mueller left it to the AG and Congress for any indictments, hearings, etc. that may be forthcoming. Secondly I support the release of the report - at least to Congress - because if their is no wrongdoing then the details will not be damaging. Finally if I was accused of a crime and stood trial, the details would be released through investigators testifying so if it was fair that the details of my crime were released then I think the details of the Mueller investigation are fair game for public release as well.
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@Sports Medicine
But we DO release such reports -- Watergate, Bill Clinton, etc -- and Trump has NOT been cleared. I am not concerned about Trump's future employers. I am concerned about what he has done to this country, who he is actually working for, and how American policy has been affected by his self-interest. We are not dragging Trump's name through the mud; he has wallowed in it himself in plain sight. We deserve to know exactly how deep.
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Round and round we go, jumping to conclusions without having all the facts. Let us all read the full Mueller report first. Plain as day, Mr. Brooks, you continue to play into the narrative of spin to control.
2
I don't feel as comfortable with this outcome as David Brooks does. That the investigation didn't attain the high level of proof required to establish conspiracy does not erase the strange, pro-Russia behavior that pervaded the Trump campaign. It's still accurate to assume that Trump's a crook.
2
David, this column is disingenuous. Is that on purpose, or are you hoping to get back in the good graces of your Republican brethren? You can misquote out of context all you want, but that doesn't change the fact that multiple members of Trump's campaign and administration lied under oath about their Russian contacts, Trump and his family have lied in public about these things, and Trump tried to put his finger on the scale of an investigation in ways no other President ever has. Russia meddled, and this President STILL, as of a few months ago, cannot unequivocally state that out loud for SOME unknown reason. If it wasn't conspiracy, why do Trump and his team lie so much about those contacts and business dealings with Russia? Those are the actions that led to the Special Council and the American public still deserve to know it. Your latest column is calling for nothing more than a turn to state-sponsored journalism, which is a shame to read in a paper as integral to our democracy as the Times.
2
“you lacked the evidence for that charge, then the only decent thing to do is apologize.”
For once, I agree with Mr. Brooks. I hear President Obama is waiting for the myriad public apologies owed to him from R’s.
Crickets.
2
The simple adage of "let she (or he) who is without sin, cast the first stone," and there was no one left to do so as they all carefully considered themselves before hurling judgement against someone else might be a good place to start. Against this is the devouring beast of 24/7 news programming that can never be sated. It wasn't always like this. We had local broadcast news at 6 & 11, 7:00-7:30 for national news. Plus newspapers and news magazines. That was enough. If we can wean ourselves off this addiction, we might just let the responsible journalists get to the real truth of the issues, and not have to hang on to every mental speculation that all the media noise creates. Silence and patience are virtues long forgotten but which we are in sore need of.
1
This column is another attempt by David to extricate himself from 40 years in the wilderness/desert. Reasonable people tuned out Trump and the media a long time ago--checking back in occasionally to see if Mueller had submitted his report--or whether Kavanaugh and his accuser were being accorded due process...Waiting for the facts, avoiding the hysteria and going about our quotidian lives is, was (40 years ago) the only honorable way to live.
The conservatives seem to conflate "innocent" and "not guilty" quite easily, when it suits their agenda.
Just because you weren't caught doesn't mean you did the right thing.
We've now allowed the liars and crooks to be emboldened. Prepare for more of the same, but this time it'll be more blatant and out in the open.
When are we going to expect more from our elected officials?
3
Were President Trump to be a Russian agent -- an idea that his unprecedentedly weird 100% private chats with Vladimir Putin suggest -- he nonetheless remains safe from being uncovered, as he invariably acts exactly like an agent run by Putin would.
I never thought the Muller investigation was as important as the all over Russian influence on the election. Russia got what it wanted, collusion or not, chaos and disruption. Trump is supplying both to a marvelous degree. His, and his appointees, serial incompetence is breathtaking. Russia should be proud however they managed it.
1
Well, David, one of us has certainly just made a fool of himself. To hear you carry on, one would think that we actually knew what was in the Mueller report, that multiple people in the Trump administration and campaign had not already been caught lying about ties to Russia, and that a lack of further indictments somehow equates with there having been no more misbehavior discovered. None of this is true.
2
Remember: Robert Mueller could not exonerate Trump of obstruction.
1
Sorry David, we couldn’t hear you over the roar of Republican apologies for their endless investigations of both Bill and Hillary, which yielded far less than Mueller’s investigation of Trump and were based on far weaker evidence. They’re outraged that Democrats would dare mount an investigation of a Republican — that’s their game — so much so that they’re now ready to start yet another “witch hunt” for, who knows what.
No doubt the media overplayed their zeal to make the scandal as big as possible, but let’s not pretend that this investigation was invalid just because it didn’t uncover brazen evidence of Trump collusion. Sadly, Democrats probably will start apologizing, it’s what they do, which will only fan the flames of Republican hypocrisy.
"It’s clear that many Democrats made grievous accusations against the president that are not supported by the evidence."
You hack, you have not seen the evidence, except that which is already in plain sight. And that ALONE is enough to convince anyone bound to reality that this president has obstructed justice, and his campaign colluded with Russia! What does it take to convince you - a broadcast interview on national TV in which the president admits to firing the FBI Director because of an ongoing investigation? A campaign manager sharing internal polling data with known Russian operatives? Emails from Trump's son to a known Russian operative in which agreements are made to deliver dirt on political opponents? I mean, perhaps if we had such flagrant even an utter fool might be convinced.
1
This is a turning point for our nation.
We must, as citizens, reflect on what we have just endured.
We witnessed a remarkable display of corruption and lack of ethics, the likes of which this country has never seen.
We watched as Democrats, in control of the organs of power, ensured that their hand picked candidate for President was not subject to the same legal scrutiny that ordinary citizens would be.
We watched as that hand picked candidate cheated her way through the primary, boxing out Bernie and ensuring the people really had no choice.
We watched as that crooked handpicked candidate applied her remarkable skills and conniving to cheating against Trump in the Genral election.
The conniving handpicked candidate purchased Russian disinformation and fed it in to corrupt allies in our intelligence agencies and the media to begin spying on her opposition, rig an election and initiate the coup attempt once Trump shockingly won.
Trump won even though the hand picked candidate was giving him the Bernie treatment on steroids.
The people that perpetrated these crimes must be brought to justice to ensure this kind of out of control subornation of our democracy never happens again.
1
Your transparent attempt to exonerate Trump is unconvincing. Mueller may not have found evidence of collusion, but Trump is as innocent as OJ was back in the day. Of course, we should accept the outcome of the Mueller investigation, but to ask that anyone apologize to Trump is ludicrous. What Democrats need to do is to continue to mobilize and vote him out of office.
2
Jumping to conclusions, David? Have you read the report? No, you haven't. Indeed, Dems have to focus on the issues, but Trump was NOT exonerated.
3
What a shabby and shallow analysis. I am saddened to see that Mr Brooks seems so willing to accept a few pages from Trump’s AG-of-the-week and move on. I have grown to look forward to Mr Brooks’ opinion pieces over the years. They are far more nuanced and thoughtful than what he produced a decade ago. This piece seems to have been written with very little thought or interest behind it.
We know that AG Barr was selected after agreeing in public that no president could be indicted. Lord only knows what was agreed to in private. To take his shallow commentary on such an in depth report at face value is an insult to our intelligence. To suggest that anyone owes an apology to Donald and his grifters is laughable.
The question of obstruction of justice was left unanswered by Mr Mueller, or so we are told. I will wait for either the release of the full report or the testimony of Mr Mueller before Congress. Anything less is yet another step down the road towards the death of our democracy.
4
This is the single most clueless column I've read in half a century of following politics. The powers owe Trump an apology? This guy was dragging John McCain's memory through the dirt, umm, two days ago. A dozen Trump aides committed crimes, but he's completely clean? Does that seem at all logical, knowing our leader as we do? How about the scenario that Mueller, a lifelong Republican, realized you can't charge a sitting president, so let it go. Whatever you think, the idea that Trump is an angel and concerned Americans should do penance is patently absurd.
5