Clinton lost, get over it. The Russian "interference" is pure nonsense. They did not hack any voting machines. I just summed up Mueller's report for you in 3 sentences.
31
I'm personally grateful for Russia's interference in our elections. After interfering in so many elections around the world, the chickens have come home to roost. If it stings, Americans, then now we know how Mexicans, Guatemalans, Hondurans, Salvadorans, Nicaraguans, Panamanians, Dominican Republicans, Haitians, Cubans, Bolivians, Chileans, Argentinians, Venezuelans, Brasilians, Colombians, Peruvians, Angolans, Nigerians, South Africans, Ethiopians, Somalians, Libyans, Egyptians, Tunisians, the Congolese, Palestinians, Israelis, Greeks, Turks, Iraqis, Syrians, Iranians, Yemenis, Afghans, Pakistanis, Vietnamese, Indonesians, etc., feel.
136
Anyone who supports Donald Trump is either a fool, or a traitor. I see no evidence that the fools outnumber the traitors.
234
Sickening.
75
There are a lot of reasonable contributions here, but it is also a “safe place” for highly biased irrational wing-nuts, members of the New John Birch Society. You might be a member if:
1. You thought Mueller was a hero but now think he is a scoundrel because you didn’t get what you wanted.
2. You think the Mueller report showed clear obstruction of justice without at least recognizing that the legal theory for that is debatable and that reasonable people may disagree.
3. You think Mitch McConnell and/Barr should go to prison for treason.
4. You think all Republicans take orders from Donald Trump.
5. You think AOC makes good sense.
6. You still think that facts show that there was collusion by the Trump campaign with the Russians.
7. You think Donald Trump is a Russian mole.
8. You think Fox News should be shut down by the FCC.
9. You think everyone who supports Trump is a racist or traitor.
10. You think wearing a MAGA hat is a hate crime.
39
There's a Yiddish expression:
"Steal a brick, you're in trouble.
Steal a wall, they'll pay you double."
A good student in school, a great kid commits a bad act and we are stunned.
A long time trouble maker in school, with many problems and transgressions commits yet another bad act and we don't bat an eye.
It's expected.
Trump has been a transgressor his entire life. From discrimination in housing to shady taxes to bankruptcy to starting a phony University(!) to cheating on his wives including Melania with a porn actress just months after his son was born.
And, now Mueller tells us conclusively that Russia committed crimes on Trump's behalf and Trump accepted that help.
And not a word about regret or safeguarding out elections.
Trump steals walls.
He's the bad student.
We barely take note.
It's so ingrained in us, so expected, so everyday…
We hardly react anymore.
Pick one transgression and harp on it mercilessly. One thing the public can grasp.
I recommend his criminally fraudulent University or his wife cheating. Those are relatable.
Hammer. Hammer. Hammer.
Or else we are just numb to it.
95
I have come to the conclusion that my intelligent, college-educated, older generation friends that still turn a blind eye to Trump and his Administration, are simply scared to speak up.
58
Had I read the Mueller report, and as a non-lawyer,I would likely have failed to recognize the legal significance of many of these events. I appreciate the explanations here, and I wish that more of the report could be explained as clearly for those of us not versed in the law.
And now a question: Why does my expensive subscription for home delivery of the NYT only entitle me to "3 disturbing episodes from Mueller," while on line you offer 4? I'm feeling rather ripped off at the moment.
20
Trump's ties to Russia go back several years. Propublica's Trump Inc. podcast has been doing good work following this convoluted money trail. The essence of the connection seems to be the possible use of Trump properties by wealthy but unscrupulous Russians for the purpose of money laundering.
It is disturbing to think a foreign government worked by subterfuge to influence our 2016 election. Congress won't pass legislation to safeguard our 2020 elections, because Mitch won't allow the Senate to vote. I can only guess he wants Russia's help, too.
Facebook and Twitter instill no confidence, as they continue to allow false narratives to spread on their platforms. Congress has little understanding of how their platforms work, and no clue how to regulate them.
Since SCOTUS cleared multinational corporations to pump money into political ads, can foreign governments be barred from doing the same, especially for places like China, or Russia, where there may not be much daylight between their corporations and their governments? I'm not sure SCOTUS fully thought that through, or if they are okay with foreign influence in our elections.
The sad take away from all of this is the strident erosion of our democracy. Foreign influence in a national election, big data gerrymandering, voter suppression laws, outdated voting machines, disinformation on social media, and a Senate majority whip watches this mayhem with a smile.
69
What needs to be reported, over and over, is that Russia interfered with our election in favor of Trump. Furthermore, Trump has avoided taking any action against Russia.
As usual, Trump tried to turn into a me-they situation, that everyone was out to get him.
48
Someone in the Justice Department has actually read and perused the Mueller Report. Because that explains the redactions. If the redacted version can be so damning then why is Congress not demanding the un-redacted version with all it's might? It could stop the atrocity to our constitution committed by this President and his Justice Department. It could obliterate the necessity for a long, legal mumbo-jumbo and make this President a one term President.
31
I'm currently still reading Part One and the Russian shenanigans don't escape me at all.
It is my impression that the Russians were in it to get the sanctions lifted and they surmised Trump was their best bet. And he was, in the final analysis.
Trump and his minions worked with the Russians, to that there seems no doubt to me. The question is why Trump et al thought this was a good idea. Follow the money may answer that question.
66
If this is the epitome constitutional democracy where the top 2% are screwing the rest of us and somehow a mafia style con man tv personality can dismantle the presidency toward a tyranny then it’s time for a new and different form of government. Because this clearly is showing signs of collapse.
32
I have not read the Mueller report because I did not have to read it. I have been paying attention and the public words and deeds of Individual One and his cronies have clearly established their intent to conspire with a hostile foreign power to interfere in the US 2016 election and obstruction of justice.
However, Speaker Pelosi's strategy is to convince the majority of voting Americans to turn this traitorous oaf out of office and prosecute him.
Start the televised hearings now on the contents of Mueller's report. Offer a clear argument that a good economy alone is not the end-all and be-all of our nation. And offer sensible national policies aimed at the middle. Register new voters and push them to the polls next year.
Once the ship is righted, we can discuss the details of solutions to our many challenges.
44
Trump’s response to anything that does put him in the most glorious light is to say it does anyway—against all evidence to the contrary. His enablers are now all operating from that same playbook, giving lie to truth—often to truths easily proven with Trump’s own words or even audio or video, which they all then declare as manufactured by the “evil” Democrats. And he has his very own TV network to amplify those lies to those who never hear the truth, many of whom would not believe it if they did.
Once upon a time I believed truth, justice and the American way would conquer all. But when the bully pulpit, its enablers and amplifiers can conquer truth itself, justice cannot prevail.
30
No question. This conduct is not acceptable.
28
There's nothing in this piece that we (Times and Post readers) haven't known for months, possibly years. The thing is, how do we get this to the people whose news source is Fox?
39
Just as reading the Cliffs Notes "Macbeth" does not replace reading Shakespeare, Ms. Jurecic's piece is helpful, but does not replace reading the report. Mueller wrote in cautious but clear English. If you haven't read the report, you should do so. It is all of a cloth.
It takes an educated electorate to promote Constitutional freedom. Trump and Fox News don't want an educated electorate. They want sheep to believe a 30-second cideo.
49
To date one Republican in Congress has publicly stated he supports impeachment of the "current occupant".
Are there any more Republicans in Congress with a conscience, integrity, allegiance to country, who will join this lone patriot?
Can the current Republican controlled Senate still claim to be "the world's greatest deliberative body"?
27
Impeachment in the House and conviction in the Senate overturn elections, and the problem as it relates to Trump is that his collusion with the Russians was common knowledge, his ignorance of governance won him votes, and his mendacity and ugly character traits were overlooked by his supporters. How can Congress convict the man of "high crimes and misdemeanors" when those are what got him elected? Trump claimed to have avoided taxes, not evaded them, because he knew how to work the system in his favor, and he promised to work the system in favor of working families. He broke his promise, but that's not a crime. He said he "never settled" in court when, in fact, he settled often but always claimed "no wrongdoing." He said he went up to the line but didn't cross it. A successful impeachment has to show that Trump crossed a line that can't be crossed. Nancy Pelosi knows this well. If the impeachment shows only that Trump's behavior is "troubling," a majority of Americans will shrug it off: "We knew that already." I know from Mueller's report that Trump obstructed justice and I have known for a long time that he is a flimflam man, but is that only because it's what I want to know?
15
“Questions remain, but the most important question is whether this conduct should be acceptable.”
Maybe this is just a poorly written ending to an otherwise reasonable piece, but by any standard the conduct is plainly NOT acceptable to anyone who is not morally and ethically corrupt.
20
the report isn't that hard to read and everybody should read it.
31
Trump warned us but we didn't listen. "I can obstruct justice all day on Fifth Avenue and I wouldn't lose a single vote". They will say he only attempted to obstruct but didn't succeed but then why is it that the investigation ended just days after Barr was made AG? Did Barr tell Mueller to wrap it up? Why so many loose ends and "Ongoing Matters"?
18
If this behavior does not constitute an impeachable offense, nothing will.
27
your article and Mueller's report would both benefit from some simple cicles-and-arrows diagrams. words alone are often not the best communication tools.
3
Grab the book and take it to a coffee shop. Everyone will notice - like a TV saga just jumped into their living room. And they will ask you your opinion, as if they hadn't heard any opinions about The Report.
I say "Oh, this is so action packed. You should read it. Here look at the Table of Contents." and I hand a ten page handout including the very adequate Table of Contents that Mueller provided. And they look at it and their eyes widen.
It's great. I can be political without being partisan - even though I am absolutely partisan - anti-Republican. Shove the Mueller Report in their faces. Oh, I live in a Trumpian small town - your situation may be different.
20
This highlights the need for impeachment hearings, labeled as such. Too many of the public have no idea of what really went on. I have driven across our country over 16 times and found many areas where the only tv news is Fox. This means a large number of citizens have been shielded from the realities of The Mueller findings and have actually been lied to about them. The Trump administration thrives on an ignorant electorate.
25
Interesting four episodes which “are unfavorable to the President”. Presumably, you will be writing about four that are favorable in the next issue.
6
The fact that President Elect Hillary Clinton is not serving, is itself evidence of "collusion". Mueller is just providing 400 pages of details of what we already knew. That was that Donald Trump stole the election with the knowing help of Russia.
Trump's violations continue daily. For instance, his attempt to hold his meeting with Ireland's leaders at his golf club was a clear violation of the Emoluments Clause. Thank goodness the Irish balked on that silly idea.
Impeachment is the remedy specified in the constitution. Every day he continues to serve is a new violation. Bring it on!
17
The author should start off by being honest and simply saying "I hate Trump and regardless of the fact that after 2 years of near a 40 million dollar investigation by a pack of other Trump haters that weren't able to charge Trump with anything, I still hate even more and want him behind bars and I will never be satisfied". Get over it, your girl lost, he won and is going to win again. Start looking for a home in Canada.
13
@Steve, Nancy’s “behind bars” can be the rallying cry for the caravan as it heads north. Hopefully Canada won’t hit us with tariffs to try and stop our mass exodus.
7
People wake up. The con man, his corrupt family and his swamp needs to be in prison for their involvement in the atrocious crime to win the election.
19
Ms Jurecic left out one of the most damning sentences in the report, which refutes Mueller's conclusion that there was no coordination between the campaign and the Russian government. After discussing the fact that Manafort repeatedly shared internal polling data with the Russians, the report states: "The investigation did not establish that Manafort otherwise coordinated with the Russian government on its election-interference efforts." Vol I, p. 131. This sentence admits that the sharing of internal polling data by Manafort, chairman of the campaign, constituted coordination with the Russian government on its election interference efforts.
Coupling that with the discussion at p. 148 should leave no doubt about the depth of the level of coordination by the campaign and the Russian government: "Manafort briefed Kilimnik on the state of the Trump Campaign and Manafort’s plan to win the election.930 That briefing encompassed the Campaign’s messaging and its internal polling data. According to Gates, it also included discussion of “battleground” states, which Manafort identified as Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota"
If this does not prove active, repeated coordination between the campaign and the Russian government to guide and assist its efforts in interfering in the election, I don't know what does.
I rest my case.
16
My sister lives in Texas and if asked, I doubt that she could tell me who Robert Mueller is, much less what his report says. Trump is winning so far because most people have tuned out what happens in Washington. Fox News is brilliant, evil success and is slowly but surely destroying our democracy by spreading untrue and radical information - it has worked.
The only way is to counter this is with a dramatic, telegenic response. Mueller MUST testify. Every television channel in the country must televise the hearing. We must blanket the media universe with the truth so that even Fox News is powerless to stop it. Mueller must put aside his distaste for the limelight and put the salvation of the country we know and love first.
28
Well, obviously the Russians simply had a passionate interest in polling data from Pennsylvania and Michigan. I mean, who wouldn't? It couldn't possibly be that they needed the polling data so they'd know which voting machines to hack to give Trump exactly the 80,000 votes he needed in exactly the places he needed them to win.
Remind me again why no one's looking into this?
27
Many of the comments herein are aimed at why Republicans or conservatives have been misled by "right wing media" into believing that there is nothing in the Mueller report upon which to base impleachment proceedings. This NYT opinion piece makes it seem like it impeachment should be a slam dunk. Perhaps the question to be asked is actually: If all this is actually so simple if you read the report, then what is Nancy Pelosi waiting for?
8
@math365
I agree that is certainly the right question. The answer is likely that her big money donors really like the tax cut they got and Leonard Leo, Barr and other Federalist Society members and those from whom they take their marching orders in among the defacto oligarchs of the world, like having someone who will rubber stamp whatever they put in front of him. If you think the old school "establishment Democratic machine" isn't as corrupt as the Tea Party Republicans in terms of their reciprocity to big money, then you don't know the truth.
4
What Donald Trump and Nancy Pelosi do is not exactly my gauge for moral/smart conduct.
4
Or ..... like me she’s worried that such a move might embolden Trump and his supporters in a manner that gets him re-elected.
10
This is what happens when many caucasian women either did not vote or voted for Trumpy. It's not Trumpy, it's the people who support him. It's not Trumpy, it those who didn't vote for Secretary Clinton. It's the media that is making seeing a financial windfall with Trumpy. The editorial board obviously oversaw the incorrect headline in the Times indicating that Clinton was under federal investigation. That headline, among all those on other media outlets, contributed to the current debacle. So it's not Trumpy, it's the media that should get the blame. And associated punishment. But, good luck with that.
3
@Cynical
It wasn't the NYT, or the rest of the media, or even the Russians who dragged a private server in Clinton's basement.
They didn't destroy her emails or her devices while those devices were part of a criminal investigation. They didn't put her emails on Anthony Weiner's laptop, either.
Maybe it's time to admit that the woman who wanted to be President since 1993 has repeatedly shot herself in the foot and behaved in an "unacceptable" manner, as Jurecic puts it.
10
The most disturbing thing is that most congresspeople on both sides of the aisle have not themselves read the report fully and secondly that for those few who have, that it isn't incredibly evident to them that our nation, our democracy, our values, and our institutions are under extreme threat. Equally disturbing is the fact that Congress seems more concerned with the political calculus than what the Constitution, and moral and defense imperative calls upon "leadership" to do and that is to act, decisively and strongly to follow-through with exceptional and clear as day evidence that Mueller has brought.
Oh yeah, it just so happens that the impeachment inquiry will put the congressional Republicans on trial as well. Their wishy-washy, sell-out, talk out of both sides of your mouth, hypocrisy will become increasingly evident as one fact after another is brought into sharp focus over an extended impeachment inquiry and the even longer process of the impeachment itself. So, while it is utterly secondary to the moral obligation for Congress to fulfill its oath to the Consitution and We The People to begin the inquiry, it is also the best political calculus.
If there is a delay, it is because the "establishment" wants to keep a puppet in place to ensure all those giant tax cuts (and the heist that was) for the richest people ever on Earth, and which they never needed less, continues under their clown puppet.
14
this is going to sound far fetched..... but after what we have been going through? maybe not too far fetched.
Reagan opened the door to all of this with his "the government the enemy" mantra. a foreign power might take note of the effect this was having on our government and politics and see the opening. it is certain Putin did, and he drove a truck through it.
17
@coale johnson
Coale, Reagan represented the desire of the defacto oligarchs (the extremely rich) in the United States, to roll back all the advancement in social justice, democracy and the rights of women, citizens of Color, and they ruthlessly deployed an extremely well-designed plan to employ hybrid fascists tactics, found the right media oligarch to set up shot with the largest propaganda broadcast system in the world and want to return America to the lack of ethical, moral and social justice standards it had in the mid 1800s.
They have no moral or ethical conscious and are reptilian in their coldness towards their fellow humans, other species, the global environment and are driven solely by the fear that motivates their ugly greed in my opinion.
15
I like Nancy Pelosi who is a brilliant politician but in the case of impeachment she's got the right idea (educate the public) but going about it the wrong way. Without a formally announced impeachment proceeding much of the public (and some of the press, i. e. Fox News) will not pay close attention. He plan is like a "Save the date" email or a "stay tuned, don't turn that dial" announcement. Most of us will get distracted. But if they start impeachment proceedings, the whole world will tune in. And as what happened in Nixon's case, public opinion will change and demand that Trump be convicted.
I'm a trial lawyer and seen what happens when live witnesses, sworn to tell the truth, testify to first hand knowledge of the facts. The power of such testimony played over and over on the media will sway public opinion.
Nancy, please do the right thing. We cannot afford to keep this ignorant, bloviated, misagonistic, prevaricator in the White House one more day than necessary. Also, stop worrying about the Senate. In the face overwhelming evidence of obstruction (and other crimes) the public will make them vote to convict. If not, many of them will be voted out of office.
20
@Dick
I fully concur. Please read my comments in the comment two up from yours.
5
this is going to sound far fetched..... but after what we have been going through? maybe not too far fetched.
Reagan opened the door to all of this with his "the government is the enemy" mantra. a foreign power might take note of the effect this was having on our government and politics and see the opening. it is certain Putin did, and he drove a truck through it.
1
Thank you Quinta Jurecic for this excellent contribution. As Jurecic implies Mueller's report lacks sharpness and clarity, typical of the "legalesse language" that haunts our judicial and political system. All the Mueller report had to do was add one straight forward, clearly written summary for public consumption with the following points:
1. If Trump were not president , he would definitely be charged with 12 counts of obstruction of justice. He is the only person (of over 330 million Americans) who could be considered "above the law".
2. The Trump campaign colluded with and clearly encouraged Russian intervention in the 2016 election for his benefit. The proof: every meeting and every attempted contact by the Russians (or any foreign government) with ANY campaign official should have been reported immediately (within 24 hours) to the FBI.
3. During the entire period of the campaign and his presidency Trump lied to the media and the public about his knowledge and involvement in his personal Russian financial interests (Trump tower plus many other well documented financial ties).
Robert Mueller is highly respected and rightly so..... however he does suffer from chronic "fuzzy writing" taught in law schools everywhere. Just read one of your "contracts" sometime........
12
The blind faith millions of Americans have to a totally immoral and personally bankrupt President is so obscene that the rest of the world truly wonders if Americans have lost any sense of integrity. It reminds historians of the blind faith the Germans placed in another megalomaniac.
The disrespect Trump has shown just to Canada, your closest and most reliable ally has caused me to boycott US products, travelling to the States in spite of a important American family, and increasing resentment to Americans visiting our country.
While these reactions may seem unreasonable, the blind irresponsibility of American supporters of Trump demonstrate a level of ignorance that staggers the mind of any rational person. Trump is a truly dangerous, reckless and incompetent leader and America will pay the price for it's ignorance.
22
@robbiecanuck5
It's because beginning with Reagan, the defacto robber barons of America began a long-range plan to slow and then reverse the gains of women, people of color, of economic and social justice and democracy, all of which they fear will undermine their long term control and power advantage. These are not people who have the slightest sense of the meaning or value of a commonwealth, of a common good, or anything resembling humanity. They live strictly for self-interest and they have been implementing a plan to hold back the evolving conscious awareness of unity among people. They are using very old, tried and true methods of divide and conquer, blaming the immigrants and or any other boogie man for the very problems that these defacto oligarchs have created in our society and born of unprecedented wealth and income disparity and the stranglehold of usury, which they have used for ages as a control mechanism.
They have carried out their plans ruthlessly and it isn't only the Republicans who have fallen prey to their corruption and influence but plenty in the old school establishment Democratic party machine.
7
If and when Trump goes to jail where will they house him? Any ideas?
5
Yes, these details are very disturbing. So is the rest of Trump's and his team's malfeasance Muller detailed in his report. What's truly disturbing, though, is that no one is going to do a darn thing about them.
9
@Seldoc
And so it seems. The fact is that big money decides what does or doesn't get done in Washington and that will be true until the corrupting influence of money is removed from our political system.
For that to happen we need people like Elizabeth Warren and AOC in the halls of Congress and people like Bennet and Moulton in the White House. I like a Warren / Bennet ticket personally.
7
Out of all this mess, the thing that I find most disturbing is Congress refusing to do anything to protect the rule of law, and the Constitution’s balance of power. I don’t see any self sacrifice by members of Congress to protect our country, and Constitution anymore, just shockingly old, selfish men looking out for themselves. Traitors, pure and simple.
13
It just seems like almost every player in this show from Trump to Barr, Mueller to Rosentein, Tillerson to Nielsen, Bannon to Priebus (just pick a name) reminds one of Mack Sennett's Key Stone Cops.
3
Over-riding is that the Trump campaign, and Trump himself, sought to cheat and break the campaign finance laws to win an election. This included inviting a foreign adversary to assist in this, a serious crime in itself akin to Treason or actually Treason if Trump was working as a Russian agent as a result of his previous business dealings with the Russians. This alone means the results of the election should not stand, a very serious indictable crime having occurred calling for a Trump's ouster and a new election. Wholesale violation of election laws is a very serious crime.
A detail we don't know, or don't yet know, is how the Russians used the polling data information Manafort turned over to them. For instance, was it the basis of who to attack, i.e. which Americans were susceptible to influence, in their facebook and twitter buys. The resounding election victories expected for Ms Clinton did not occur, because many of those who were expected to vote for her did not show up to vote. How much of this can be attributed to Russian influence by design, based on the Manafort data?
With this there is also the very real possibility of fraud in the vote counting, because not all States have audit-able back-up paper ballots, something that would be very easy to fix by law. That the Republican are against this speaks to their intention to cheat in future elections.
8
Mueller decided he didn't want to be the one to bring down Trump. Having been a career FBI agent, he obviously could see what had happened between Trump and the Russians. And he knew Trump was obstructing his investigation. Strangely, his reaction was like witnessing a fire and writing a letter to the fire department to report it. His timidness is going to cost him, and rightfully so, because now Trump will try to make Mueller the villain. I've read parts of his report. It's an easy and interesting read, much like a crime novel. But most Americans don't read much beyond Tweets and headlines. Mueller should gladly step up without subpoena and testify about this, for the good of the country, and to save his own reputation, which is beginning to be in doubt.
12
Sharing classified information. Witness tampering. Ordering and Participation in High Crimes and Misdemeanors. Violating the oath of office. Violating the Constitution.
14
@oyvey
What classified information? Polling data???
3
@KBronson
No.
He met with Russians at the White House and gave away classified information. This is easily verifiable, as he admitted it and felt he had done nothing wrong.
10
The people, conservatives included, want some real justice. We want jail time for crooks like Hillary and Trump. We want someone who will actually start putting these leaders in prison for their crimes and deter others from being such criminals. Otherwise, what's the point of paying taxes to a country that just rips off its citizens, allows the elite to flout the law and break all the rules and doesn't actually do anything to help its own citizens? This country has totally lost its way and doesn't stand for anything but the corrupt politicians and rich folks that run it. Donald trump needs to be locked up or we need to stop pretending that there is any rule of law here.
8
@CR Hare One of those people is not like the other. But what's false equivalency to a moral relativist?
9
Anyone who follows the news even remotely already knows these things. The big question is, why won’t Pelosi act?!?!
9
In terms of finding evil under every rock, this opinion would make Rachel Maddow proud.
4
Again, 1000Federal judges vs John Doe.
5
Pete, my father in law, enlisted and landed at Sword beach on the third day of the invasion. In enlisting and accepting an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States, an oath made in deference to his own physical safety, he never balked. He did not ask if the invasion were likely to be successful, if the German's had reserve forces that could reverse the outcome of his service, or if the propaganda arm of the Nazi regime was so overwhelming that the truth would never come out. Nope, he just went.
On this occasion of remembrance, all House members should reflect on the service of Grandpa Pete and their own duty to that same document, written so long ago, that has given us this great nation.
Don't follow the money, anyone's Twitter feed, or Shawn or Rachel or Nancy or Donald. Follow the Constitution.
12
The most painful "damning" and troubling (and scary) "episode" that the Pelosi-Nadler's crew face and will face is their inability to find a candidate that will actually challenge Trump in kind.
Even Buttigieg and Harris armed with their Mandarin deep-swamp support and old standbys, Gramsci and Marcuse rhetoric and dogma, won't get them where they want to go, i.e., the White House, which is why Trump must be successfully impeached--but no passion in the polis for it even with all the bring-along Sovietized mass-media propaganda and Pelosi on Late Night hawking same will this happen … so far.
But Lenin's Bay Area Google, FB et al. are preparing their means of support to push impeachment and "occupying" the White House 2020 forward--if it's conservative--it's "hate-ism" and needs to be banned.
Orwell never considered these fellows--They are Big Brother and right now they've thrown in with the Cultural Marxist stomping. Not a good thing, by any measure, for all of the citizens--a slavish commodity.
2
There was no FBI, NSA, or Justice Dept examination of the DNC servers. They all just quoted Clinton campaign contractor and Putin antagonist org Crowdstrike.
4
Michael Moore needs to do a short documentary on the Mueller Report and explain it to the masses. America has a stupid people problem.
19
Excellent idea. I will write him today. The ultimate would be to have it run on FOX which will clearly never happen. A short run in movie theatres would have some impact.
5
The masses do not watch Moore’s movies. He only preaches to the choir in a tiresome, extremely lopsided way.
4
I've read the entire report and have concluded that Part 1, on "collusion" (or whatever you want to call it), has been way underplayed. It's clear that Russians and Trumpians, of both the business and political variety, officially and unofficially, authorized and not authorized, were all over each other, all the time. The evidence on obstruction may be more indictable, but the "collusion" is no less damning, and should not be given short shrift.
12
Given both the loose criteria for impeachment in the Constitution and the unlikelihood of a Senate conviction, the primary purpose of the Mueller report should be to allow people to let the politicians know what they think of such behavior in 2020.
If the voters find his actions unacceptable, they will vote for someone else. It is up to the opponents to make certain that the voters are exposed to the criticisms contained in the report so that they have the facts in hand when they vote.
If they want to ensure that the supporters of the president get these facts, however, they must be willing to venture into the mouth of the beast and appear on media they do not like and are not liked by. Refusing to appear on Fox News, while perhaps a moral stand, is not politically wise.
7
Here are 2 details in the Mueller Report you need to focus on:
No Collusion.
No Obstruction.
It was nothing but an illegal sham. A witch hunt. Group insanity.
9
Except Mueller clearly stated they could not exonerate the President on obstruction. Try again.
7
@ George Orwell — “While this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.”
Funny how that sentence always seems to get overlooked, isn’t it?
9
😆
3
INO, the only way to get Trump is to get him on tax evasion the way they got Al Capone. Trump made sure there is no paper trail He was taught by masters.
6
@Eddie Lew
The absence of a paper trail does not mean that he couldn't be charged for tax evasion.
If he owes the government billions (or millions, even) over decades, do you not think that NY state or the IRS would have done something about it by now? They're already prosecuting people found in the Panama papers.
Doesn't "tax evasion" go against the narrative that he's secretly a poor person and incompetent businessman?
He has no friends in NY state upper echelons and never really did.
Perhaps it's time to admit that chasing after hallucinations in a futile effort to de-legitimize an election.
Maybe it's time to realize that this group think is starting to sound like a support group for anorexics, where people encourage each other to starve to death.
2
I have no way of knowing if Trump hasn’t been investigated much less prosecuted for tax-related crimes but the fact that he has not been, amidst his lack of friends among NY politicians is of little value. Real estate interests donate heavily to Dems in NY so exposing Trumps antics would illuminate their donors as well.
1
It takes the entire republican party to protect our mob-boss president from himself, and it isn't working. Congress won't do anything - they are too busy soliciting money for campaign financing - aka millions for tax-free retirement funds.
7
Trump was elected because enough voters were completely fed up with Congress and the government, and felt that he could be sufficiently independent to make that happen. His voters knew what he was; a creep of very quesionable character. They voted for him in spite of this which is, in many ways, a terrible indictment of how poor our government is viewed by the population.
That said, the findings reported here of the Mueller investigation is important to cover. Many of those who support him, however, will shake this off too and wonder what all the fuss is about. Trump has, however, through his incompetence, angered a substantial number of those on the fence who voted for him last time. My hope is that they see the fallicy in their reasoning and vote him out in 2020.
11
"His voters knew what he was; a creep of very quesionable character. They voted for him in spite of this which is, in many ways, a terrible indictment of how poor our government is viewed by the population."
I beg to differ. I think Our ignorance of goverment, law and civics are manifested in Trump. And in Our media driven world, people fell for Trumps Apprentice smoke and mirrors persona.
9
Sorry, but I’m with Howard: Trump is a middle finger to the establishment. People know what the laws and standards are, and they’ve seen Congress and the Courts flaunt them for the last thirty years, lining their pockets, helping the rich, moving from elected office to lobbyist with impunity. So, Trump, who is unwittingly pulling back the curtain on how Washington really operates, and not incidentally showing us the folly of allowing the Dems and GOP their extra-Constitutional consolidation of power.
1
And the Russian spin machines got Trump over the finish line albeit landing on his face or butt, however you see it.
4
A decent man in indecent times.; almost naive in believing the report would be handed to congress by the rogue but predictable Barr. The country deserves to hear and understand all that is contained in his sincere efforts, and an inquiry into the possible impeachment would allow that to happen.
5
Robert Mueller might be the last honest man left in Washington.
8
It's clear from the Report that Mueller could not bring a criminal conspiracy charge, but it comes close and is cooperation and collusion plus obstruction. Trump is what he is a corrupt, unprincipled excuse for a human being. Force Barr, Mueller, Rosenstein the whole lot to testify publicly and get all documentation to nail the grotesque monstrosity in the WH. Why does anyone work for him? by all accounts everyone who does detests him and has contempt. I wish the Dems would move on this!! Mueller is a private citizen now.
7
The most disturbing detail that practically everyone missed is that Mueller is a Republican and as such he is owned by Trump. Mueller's report goes through the motions (I read it), nothing more. Mueller struggled between living up to his reputation and fulfilling his duty as a Republican to serve his master. That is the reason Mueller scurried away from the scene quietly, his tail between his legs, never to be heard again.
Now if you ask why do Democrats defend Mueller as a man of "integrity", that necessitates a more elaborate explanation. In a nutshell, the Democrats willingly deprive themselves of seeing what goes on because, ultimately, Mueller's subservience to a rising dictatorship involves the entire nation - what Trump says about Americans is too shameful for many to accept.
3
@Richard Monckton. I disagree
1
I disagree. He was chosen because no one could impune his charcter. On the so called 'right' or 'left' they all highly regard Mueller as a man of integrity and valor. If Mueller wanted to serve the GOP and Trump he would have deep-sixed all of the rancid ugly details of Trump's treasonous acts. We wouldn't have over 400 pages of shame. And Mueller would NOT have stated he could NOT clear Trump of malfeasance.
6
At first I thought Mueller was neutral, and even respectable. Now, I'm not so sure. It is surely possible that Barr and Mueller coordinated this whole charade to put the best spin on the Trump crimes - They have been friends for decades. Mueller presents the facts, makes no conclusions, and stand by silent when Barr lies to American people. Mueller seemingly maintains credibility because he himself does not lie or spin - But, he has let Barr do the dirty work. That in and of itself is enough to questions Mueller's role in this cover up.
8
@S B My thoughts exactly.
3
William Barr came to bury Mueller, not to praise him. But Barr says he was ambitious, And Barr is an honorable man.
The evil that men do lives after them
Yup.
9
The Trump Tower meeting was a classic espionage sting to see how far in the gutter Trump was willing to wallow. The Russians had no intention of delivering dirt on Clinton because they didn't know if the Trump team would turn them in, and they didn't. Russia knew they had their man, and we'd be fools to get in bed with turncoats like Trump.
5
Another stain on the fabric of our nation.
6
It's amazing that Republicans went after President Bill Clinton for having sex with an intern while in office. Yet now they support President Trump who has actually damaged America. Please explain.
17
None of these "things" amounts to a hill of beans. A joke told in a political rally, some desires that were never acted upon (they easily could have been) and plans to perhaps take advantage of something that someone does without your input are nothing. The report should be final and if the house sees impeachable evidence they don't need any hearings, just vote. Do it very soon so we can perhaps get on with their real jobs.
3
@vulcanalex, you need to give the polls time to tap out which direction she and her colleagues should go, they certainly can’t see it for themselves when they use rule of law as a blindfold.
1
Is the author suggesting that Deripaska may have been passing info from Manafort to someone Russian on behalf of Trump?
My-oh-my! I can see why Mueller would have wanted to steer away from that.
day after day, week after week, Timesmen/women nail Trump. Then nothing happens. It must be the hammer’s fault.
2
May I ask once again, why isn’t the NYTimes serializing the Mueller report daily in the paper? By now we would be 2/3rds of the way through it. Front page, bottom left - commuters - people don’t have time to sit down and read 440 pages - Print it in smaller chunks so more people WILL read it. What are you waiting for?
6
@Jan Whitener. Serializing? You can buy it at a bookstore. Both the WP and DOJ have published it.
Everybody at "Lawfare" is Brookings Institution national security former execs and employees. They hold a curious role and are quite invested supporting the status quo. That is, they have bias.
3
The Mueller report flagged Kilimnik’s delivery of a peace plan to the Trump campaign for settling the two-year-old Crimea conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
“Kilimnik requested the meeting to deliver in person a peace plan for Ukraine that Manafort acknowledged to the Special Counsel’s Office was a ‘backdoor’ way for Russia to control part of eastern Ukraine,” the Mueller report stated.
But State emails showed Kilimnik first delivered a version of his peace plan in May 2016 to the Obama administration during a visit to Washington.
https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/447394-key-figure-that-mueller-report-linked-to-russia-was-a-state-department
2
This is one of the most important documents any of us, as US citizens, will ever read. I should think that all of us, as citizens and regardless of party affiliation, have an obligation to familiarize ourselves with its contents. Apparently, Mr. Mueller thought so too, though perhaps he has come to realize that he overestimated the capability and interest of a significant part of the population.
Even apart from efforts by AG Barr and Fox News to provide distorted summaries of the book, readership has undoubtedly been suppressed by unhelpful comments by many TV commentators about how difficult the book is because of its "dense legalize" and so on. Not so. Those who take the trouble to look will discover that it is written in clear, understandable prose. If it seems complicated, that is because the events it describes are complicated.
Mr. Muller has discharged his responsibility admirably and has performed a great service for our nation. To those who haven't yet looked at his report, I would make a suggestion. Download or buy a copy (I downloaded it as soon as it became available), and then read the introduction and executive summary of Vol. I, and the introduction, executive summary, and conclusion of Vol. II. Altogether, that material comes to less than twenty pages and it will give you a clear, basic idea of what the report says. Moreover, if you read that much, I guarantee you will want to read more. As a citizen, you owe it to yourself.
6
A free audiobook of Lin Manuel Miranda and the cast of Hamilton reading the Mueller report would go a long ways towards getting people to take the time to learn the facts of the investigation. I'm not joking.
11
The Mueller report is not that hard to read. Start with volume 2. The redactions in volume 1 get a bit aggravating.
6
This is hardly "hidden". What it is is overwhelmed by lies and wilfull ignorance, and unfair unbalanced Fox / /Sinclair / Kochtopus / Mercer / Barr / etc. etc. reporting.
Just like toxic for-profit real-world waste, crossovers in the information toxic waste world abound. I've just been hearing about the "doctor" who poisoned North Carolina citizens by claiming coal ash wasn't poisonous, and it now forcing women to be violated by unnecessary doctor probes in Missouri.
And, of course, that is one of the many states with Democratic elected officials who are being silenced by Republican hijinks and cheating to prevent the true majority from having a voice.
6
We need to have the (open) investigation now.
Given the circumstantial evidence, I suspect Trump has been involved in money laundering. He's definitely trying to hide things in his finances. And it's possible he's been selling influence.
Given the sleaziness of character that we can see in the open, including shameless collusion with the Russians and obstructions of justice, the creep has no morals to stop him and he clearly thinks he's above the law.
We need to bring all this to light, and then see if every one of the Republicans can shame themselves by voting against impeachment.
Much harder to do if he's been laundering money for years.
7
I would like to see Trump impeached but I will settle for seeing him lose the election along with many of his co-conspirators in the Republican Party. In the meantime let us all study the Mueller Report. Let's make it required reading in public schools and universities. Let's offer Mueller Report Certificates.
Mueller University anyone?
6
"...And he describes a president eager to shut down an investigation into his own abusive conduct. This is far from, as the president put it, “no collusion, no obstruction.”"
Actually, this assertion is is incorrect. If there was either collusion or obstruction, then Mr. Mueller would have made that clear. He did not. Case closed.
4
Mueller made crystal clear that there was obstruction. Read the report.
9
Impeach.
It's not going to remove him, given the spineless, craven loyalty to him exhibited by senate Republicans, but it has to be done if Congress is to retain it's power as a check on the executive branch.
Cancer patients know that even if you are unsuccessful, you still have to treat the disease. The other option is death. And Trump is, if anything, a cancer on our democracy.
And if Trump is the cancer, then Fox News is the asbestos so much of our country is breathing on a daily basis.
14
And yet, pelosi minimizes real crimes to a toothless, demogogic chant of "lock him up." Let's move on, work on an agenda that has not a snowball's chance in trump's eternal home of ever being passed because the trump party is intent on one party rule. Her dawdling and game playing is enshrining corruption and anti-democracy.
4
I'm reading the Mueller report and as a result feel nothing but blind rage towards congressional Republicans (McConnell, Graham, to name just two) who now cannot deny that they continue to enable a sitting president who is clearly guilty of criminal abuse of power many times over. Shame on Republicans for trading their sacred oaths of office for cheap political opportunism. If the country descends into a future of Trump-ish authoritarianism, it will be this moment of craven inaction by the Republican leadership that may well prove to be the tipping point of no return.
13
There is no point in Pelosi delaying commencement of the process to impeach trump. Plenty of evidence demanding action is already in the public domain, and starting the investigation will uncover more, due to the increased power the process itself holds. Not that public opinion should weigh in her considerations, but the cult of the dumb following trump will never be convinced anyway. Facts and evidence have no bearing on them.
Because national security and the very basis of democracy are at risk, it is imperative they congress acts. Indeed, congress' role - clearly articulated in the Constitution - obligates it to protect the nation from this criminal enterprise masquerading as an administration.
5
The House of Representative MUST begin hearings. NOW! I do not care a whit what the procedural basis is for said hearings (investigation, impeachment), but w/o televised hearings, the public will never be brought along. Forget the case of the Clinton Impeachment. Look at the Watergate Hearings. At the start, the public cared not at all about that break-in; by the end, Nixon was gone-even before the House voted.
Even if the Hearings constitute an empty chair with a subpoenaed witness refusing to be present, read the charge, read the subpoena, read the section of the Mueller report or evidence that prompted the subpoena. Just televise it.
If the Republicans were in control, a Democratic President would have been Impeached by the House and tried and convicted in the Senate months ago. The Republicans spent 8 years looking for something they could nail Obama on and found nothing.
The time to act is now. The time for dithering is over. For those Americans who doubt that we are moving towards a dictatorship, think about this: without Russian interference in 2016, Dumbo Donnie would not have won the. He knows it. He is terrified. It is not in his interest to buck Vlad. I do not want to live in a country governed by Vladimir Putin. Do You?
Call you Congressman and Senators and tell them this.
10
Get the full, unredacted version and make it public. We paid for it. It's ours, all ours.
6
The most terrifying thing is that even all indications are clear - yet US GOP and voter base seem not to care. Post-factual times!
The end of democracy.
6
And yet, the democratic congressional leaders aren't convinced the pollical calculus is right for impeachment.
Seems like Trump's belief that he could shoot someone and get away with it, may be true.
Impeachment inquiry is part of putting up the "good fight", win or lose you have to move forward.
The Media is partially responsible for Barr spinning the Mueller report prior to its release.
Even the NYT had a commentator (Brett Stevens?) who's opening remark of "no collusion; no obstruction" on a debate segment echoed the lies that were being perpetuated by the WH.
The Media needs to be more vigilante with its coverage of Trump and the people around him - It should be obvious that they are going to lie and not tell the whole story.
6
How is sharing internal polling data so the Russians can more effectively target their social media propaganda in favor of Trump not collusion?!
4
Even if this report had been restructured in a "Mueller Report for Dummies" format, I doubt any more people would be reading it. Regardless of how difficult, complex and complicated the original text is, I think every American should read what was discovered and found. Ignorance is no way to live, especially in these times.
4
Fox is a radical far right propaganda network, not an actual news network, and their viewers eat it all up......end result they actually believe that Trump & CO are innocent and doing a great job....this is what happens after the GOP has spent years destroying our schools and lowering the bar of education that many seem to think is OK....keep people poor over worked and ignorant.....not really the America Dream. Sadly many people don't/can't read while many who are paid by taxpayers to represent their best interests can't be bothered to read the MR even though it is their job to do so. Start reading and spread the news. This criminal administration must be stopped and face the consequences of their actions.....yes prison is appropriate, I agree w/ Nancy Pelosi and that includes all of the cohorts, and don't forget Mitch & Elaine too.
3
"4 Disturbing Details You May Have Missed in the Mueller Report
Some troubling-to-outright-damning episodes have been lost in the noise around its release. "
"Questions remain, but the most important question is whether this conduct should be acceptable."
The one and only answer to that question is: It is NEVER acceptable for any president or his staff, or his friends outside our government to allow interference in, engage with, collude with or in any other manner work with the Russians, their "friends" or any other foreign government.
It is our elections of leaders for our government and no one else is allowed. Trump and his group are complicit with the Russians. And that also means Mr. Putin, who runs Russia as if he were a dictator, which actually is his situation as the head of Russia.
Have no fear, because Nancy Pelosi wants Trump in prison.
She does not explain how or why or when, but she wants him in prison.
She also wants him to self impeach in between cover-ups.
There you go...nothing to worry about...because Nancy is on the job and, after all, why hold something real like an impeachment inquiry when you can just rouse your supporters with cheers like "Lock Him Up!"
Either way, Nancy has everything covered.
Feel better now?
I'm retired, so I actually have the free time needed to read the 400 page Muller report, which I'm doing a few pages every day--with an orange highlighter. It's fascinating, disturbing and packed with damning information--but it's a dense document (including its pages and pages of footnotes) which most Americans with full time jobs (or multiple gig jobs); babies, children or teenagers to care for; bills to pay; laundry to do; groceries to shop for, doctors and dentists to see; dinner to prepare, etc. will never have the time to read. Any PR expert will tell you that it's nuts to expect to influence the opinions of average, hardworking citizens by expecting them to read a 400 page book. The American people need to hear the key conclusions from this report explained in digestible sound bites. Muller must testify, even if this means simply being asked by Congress to read out loud and before the cameras, key passages from this voluminous and carefully researched document.
8
At least one bill, the Secure Elections Act, had to be pulled from the floor before a vote because Mitch McConnell refuses to support any legislation before 2020 that could significantly protect our elections from further and continued foreign attacks.
Why? Is it really to protect the fragile hurt feelings of Donald, sensitive to suggestions his presidency is not legitimate? Is it to protect his wife’s family business and her continued dismantling of US Maritime ability? Is it to distract from public scrutiny the questionable “investment” to the tune of $200 million dollars from Russian Oligarch Oleg Deripaska that a Kentucky mill recently received?
Yes, we need to see Donald “locked up.” But Democrats need to take back the Senate too, and excise McConnell from his iron throne.
4
Jared immediately tried to set up a back channel to Russia during the campaign. Why would you need a back channel if you didn't plan to use Russian help to win the election etc?
Mueller needs to be subpoenaed to testify so the American people can hear exactly what he has to say.
5
imagine I somehow got into a Trump rally and was seated behind the president and donned my "Trump Undermines R Democracy" red baseball cap (on camera!). Then attempts by security were made to remove me and I resisted. I broke no laws, so why am I not entitled to vigorously resist arrest? Sound familiar? I doubt Trump would see it that way...
1
Hopefully, Mr. Nadler won't read this article. His 'threatening to take action' calendar, is already booked well into next year.
1
Well, it's all very interesting, but in the end, what will it do? All of this was obvious to anyone who paid attention. During the campaign, I noticed thousands of obviously Russia troll messages on Yahoo news stories. It was an ongoing joke, and many called them out as FSB. A conservative friend on FB, trying to persuade me of the rightfulness of his cause, sent a video to me purporting to be Democratic Party voter corruption; there was a Russian flag in the corner of the room being videoed. My point is we knew the Russians launched the most sophisticated, information operations campaign against us in human history. It was obvious to me during the campaign that Trump knew of it, and that he was rabidly pro-Russian. The "Russia if you're listening" comment made that clear. As soon as he said that, he was unfit for office. I've read all the insider books on the White House, and they terrifyingly all describe the same situation. This is all interesting, but as someone once told me, "information is only useful if you do something with it." It is up to the American people to do something with it; vote.
4
Manafort's internal polling data would have been very useful to target the IRA's social media efforts. Has anyone looked into changes in the types of Twitter and Facebook accounts released or polled how many people's minds were changed by them? Can it be possible that Trump would not have won except for Russia's help?
4
If Mueller had delivered his report in a 3-minute YouTube video, things might be different. But a 448-page report? The public needs an abridged version in some form that they can easily digest.
Elizabeth Warren summed it up neatly in her Fort Wayne town hall:
1. Russia interfered in our election to help Trump get elected.
2. Trump and his campaign welcomed this help.
3. Once investigations began, Trump went to great lengths to obstruct them at every turn. This obstruction continues to this day.
10
This should be the first in a NYT series that highlights the key points in the Mueller Report. Since most people will not read the 400+ pages nor listen to 19 hours on Audible, news outlets must make the facts known with or without the House moving to impeachment proceedings. Isn't that the purpose of reporting? Create awareness of facts for the masses.
5
Trump was elected with help from Putin. And exactly why would Putin want to help Trump get elected? That is the question and further, Trump might not have been elected if it haden't been for Russia. We the people have been had.
2
I've just finished Mueller's report. It took me a long time to get through it and, admittedly (probably because I'm not a lawyer), I didn't understand all the legal ramifications and discussions.
But I did understand enough to know, contrary to trump's continuing denials, that it's very, very damming to trump, his campaign, and his administration. He is absolutely NOT exonerated, nor innocent. If the results were not "collusion," (which I think they were, actually, but that's not really the legal term) it was only because the campaign actors were not very good at the illegalities they were attempting. There is no doubt that the campaign - and trump himself - wanted and sought that foreign help to win.
And the obstruction of justice is obvious to anyone taking the time to go through the report. Totally obvious. trump obstructed justice again and again and again and still continues to do so. (And this is a crime even if they didn't succeed in the ways they had hoped - and that is based on obvious law even I know.)
trump does not belong in the White House.
12
I confess to not having read the report. I have begun, but I trust and know the seriousness of and integrity of Robert Mueller the title might as well be, 'Guilty!'. And Madam Pelosi is right in my opinion - line up all the ducks for jail. So be it. If the the GOP will continue their dereliction of duty to the Constitution and endangered the future of their and Our children, Our shared values, shared institutions, shared laws and norms - start with Trump. And strip them all of power and peace as they have done to Americans and the world.
4
I downloaded the Mueller Report from the Justice Department website directly to iBooks on my ipad, and my husband is listening to it on Spotify during his commute. He’s ahead of me, but I get the benefit of being able to read the footnotes. This report is fascinating and easy to read! I’ve tried to start a sort of “book club” on facebook to encourage people to read it, and I did get three or four. That’s not bad, really. I don’t want my future grandchildren, who will no doubt be learning about this in high school, to ask me if I read it, and for my answer to be that I didn’t because I was too busy watching Game of Thrones (for example).
6
I don't think this country can withstand not impeaching this president. If this behavior is not stopped, it will continue and get worse. We're losing our grip. The House must press forward quickly, and bear down on those who resist the rule of law. That is what happens in America, or so I thought.
By the way, you've misstated the context when Trump called on Russia to find Hillary's "missing" emails. According to your newspaper of the day, it was at a news conference, not a campaign rally. The distinction is important because it limits the "just a joke" defense.
7
I think the country could very easily survive if there is an impeachment. But the entire idea of democracy and constitutional power will die if we allow this unchecked behavior to continue. Trump is clearly unfit and needs to be removed.
4
There is no question in my mind if this is acceptable. If the majority of people in this country thinks it is then we will no longer be the same. An ideal will have been lost.
4
The Speaker keeps saying, rightfully, that there will never be enough Republican Senators to convict the President.
And I believe that is America's achilles heel, not the lack of support for impeachment by the American public.
The question that needs to be asked, and answered is, if all 47 Democratic Senators would convict, which 16 Republican Senators would join them?
I can't name one.
5
As Ms, Jurecic points out, Mueller tells a complicated story of Russian election interference “from which the Trump campaign was eager to benefit.”
I found it interesting that in Mueller’s carefully crafted public statement, he said WikiLeaks releases were designed to damage “a candidate” and to influence “an election.” Not that it was Clinton being damaged or the 2016 presidential campaign being influenced. In his eagerness to be nonpartisan, Trump once again benefited.
But it’s Mueller’s primary conclusion which I find most disturbing. “I will close by reiterating the central allegation of our indictments, that there were multiple systemic efforts to interfere in our election. And that allegation deserves the attention of every American.”
So while Trump and his administration continue to spin the PR campaign of exoneration and no collusion, our nation remains vulnerable to attacks by hostile entities and our democratic systems continue to suffer. That to me is the biggest crime here.
10
Perhaps the most overlooked evidence and motive for Trump and Co’s misdeeds is not in the Mueller report at all but in the SDNY. Reporting in this paper and other media revealed the motive was all about finances, or lack thereof, of Trump. It was reported that a disproportionate share of the talented team that was put together by Mueller specialized in white collar crime prosecution. Trump himself has said that he thought Mueller looked at his tax records; where did all that evidence go? Was Mueller called off, take himself off, or did he farm it out? Remember all the lying about Trump Tower Moscow? I do not see how there could be a complete investigation without the financial component. It speaks to motive and ongoing corruption.
8
Ugh, as someone who....is...still...reading...the Mueller Report, slowly and steadily, I appreciate anyone being able to sift through the mountain of information and pull out important tidbits for us. Thank you. This might sound pitiful, but I read between 20 and 50 pages a day. That's all I can take. One of my country neighbors, dismissing my patriotic effort, told me I was wasting my time, and that it is all made up "because Mueller doesn't like Trump." He also told me, perhaps confusing the president's former TV show with the Whitehouse, that "Trump is shaking things up, and now people have to work hard and do their job or get fired." Ugh. I guess I'm missing out on the reference, since I never felt the slightest desire to watch Apprentice, nor have I watched the other well known alternative reality show, Fox News. So it comes down to living with the fact that when I go to the voting booth, my well informed opinions are reduced to being just an alternative point of view to this fellow's uninformed and inaccurate view. Ugh. I am still hoping that our system of democracy saves us, and that enough people are paying attention to reality, but some people's gullibility and indifference to deeply moral issues astounds and saddens me.
21
@Mary Pernal Yr "Ugh-worthy" neighbor makes one good point. Trump IS "shaking things up." Most of what he's doing has been done by previous presidents, but has been covered up, while Trump does it right in the open. Maybe this spells the end of democracy in the US, but I'm betting the reaction will strengthen our republican (l.c.) institutions.
The imperial presidency, which developed after WWII under the pretext of opposing global communism, was first pointed out by Arthur Schlesinger in his book about JFK's presidency. A democracy is hard to govern with the constant shifts of opinion by an uninformed and uninterested electorate. Congresspeople, hamstrung by the need constantly to be raising money for re-election, gladly relinquished their power to their party's leader, the incumbent president. Only when Congress has been controlled by the opposition, as it was during Nixon's second term, has it been an effective check on presidential power. This was also the case for six of Obama's eight years in office, and boy, did we liberals bellyache. Oh, what he could have accomplished, if only he'd had a Democratic Congress. Remember Merritt Garland? We're still griping about that!
3
I agree with your view and am frustrated with the inability to convince any tRump supporters/defenders/enablers!
3
Mary, I share your “ughs”! The more of us that actually read the report, the more we can credibly intervene in ridiculous discussions. I go to sleep with Robert Mueller - literally, I read the report in bed and start to snooze after 10-15 minutes, but I am highlighting those passages I find particularly damning. The next time I get into a twitter argument with one of these brainwashing victims - and they invariably tweet: well did you read the report? - I can say, yes I did; go to page xx for more on that particular issue. This article mentions a few of the intriguing ones. Keep the faith!
3
I saw everything I needed to support impeachment on TV. I didn't need Muellers report, but it's nice to see my suspicions all confirmed, as horrifying as that seems in hindsight.
Of course, my TV's are not tuned to Fox Newz. If it were, I'd not know Trump ain't exactly great.
I saw two studies that showed FOX viewers were LESS informed than people who watch NO news at all. There's actually a term for it - 'The Fox News Effect'.
12
I wish the Mueller report pulled out crucial bullet points for those who are not able or interested in reading it. I've read it, and although I feel it is the duty of every American to read, it doesn't fit into our culture of 60 second memes and zero attention span.
2
In "Threat," McCabe notes that Mueller views testifying before Congress as "toxic," "radioactive," and to be "avoided" to protect the Bureau from politics.
Regrettably, James Comey trusted Congress and the American public.
No doubt either Clinton could summarize this report in terms we could all understand.
1
The point about Manafort's sharing of polling data with the Russians is key to unlocking Russia's role in helping deliver the election to Trump. Remember that three states -- Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania -- supported Trump by a margin of 80,000 votes and handed Trump an electoral college victory, even if he lost the popular vote.
Manafort deleted messages that would reveal the detail of the polling data and has clammed up in anticipation of a pardon. But his deputy, Rick Gates, is still talking and after he is sentenced should be called to testify before Congress.
Also, there should be a deep dive into social media data to determine what groups in these states could have been swayed by Russian disinformation. Correlations with precinct by precinct voting patterns might be revealing.
If we want to really understand how Russians swayed this election, and there is little doubt that they did, there is a lot more that could be done.
6
I may be the only person to have these thoughts but what goes around comes around. All this fuss about Russia interfering in our election seems to leave out much of American foreign policy over the last 100 years. What the Russians did is mild in comparison to the past efforts of this country as taken to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. The C.I.A. Has interfered in numerous elections, helped to overthrow elected governments. Our military has displaced governments that we were displeased with. We apply economic sanctions to countries we disagree with. We must not ignore Russian interference but then we also have to look at our past history.
7
@Vincent
Here is a good overview of the highlights.
https://consortiumnews.com/2019/05/23/election-meddling-follies-1945-2019/
1
This is what happens when many people cannot read long, complex texts, despite the fact that long, complex texts make out the foundation of our society.
5
"Questions remain, but the most important question is whether this conduct should be acceptable."
I believe the most important question isn't a matter of acceptable conduct but rather tolerated, approved, and supported conduct which was allowed and continues to be allowed to go without any consequences.
At the time, the Nixon era was the worst thing this county ever witnessed. But in comparison, that was small spuds because in all actuality, only a "handful" of individuals were involved. It was contained within a small, "elite" few.
This scenario is bleeding uncontrollably. An agreed partnership with a foreign country who has proven to not be a U.S. alley has and continues to transpire and yet numerous examples and situations have occurred in which Mr. Mueller could not "fully explain", leaving more gapping holes in a report than there are in a block of Swiss Cheese.
This isn't just about the guy who resides at Pennsylvania Avenue but his entire inner circle and those who continue to either defend him out of fear or disturbing loyalty. He claims to be an American but seems to rely and need the help and dirty work of Russia to succeed in whatever his plans are.
What scares me is with Nixon, at least, members of his own party realized what had occurred and took real action with teeth in it.
In this situation, no Republican except that lone wolf in Michigan believes the President did anything wrong. Never have cards been stacked so high against the truth. WHY?
17
@Marge Keller
Maybe because what you adamantly believe to be true actually isn't so, like Mark Twain said?
Matters of indictment and the conduct that leads to that are legal matters. What's "acceptable" or "presidential" doesn't factor into any of that.
Being a boor is not a crime, no matter how much you wish it to be.
As ardents supporters of Clinton will tell you, technically she didn't break the law. There's nary a mention of "acceptable conduct" or "intent" when it comes to evaluating her actions, because that would be smearing her without cause, now wouldn't it?
Well, technically Trump didn't break the law either. That's the bar set forth by decades of questionable conduct by public officials.
4
@Viv
I appreciate your perspective. But I find myself needing to respectfully disagree with your assessment,"technically Trump didn't break the law either." That is merely Barr's interpretation. There should never be more questions than answers in a report like this.
But hopefully, we can agree to disagree, based on whatever point of view we are coming from.
Thanks very much for sharing a differing opinion. I try and not be totally blinded on any one issue. Too many unknowns.
5
@Marge Keller
Had you read the report, you'd know it wasn't Barr's "interpretation".
The only thing Mueller was decisive on is that there was no evidence cooperation from ANY US citizen to cooperate with Russian efforts.
You can twist that by saying that just because Mueller didn't find sufficient evidence doesn't mean that it's not out there. Sorry, but that's not how it works.
That is exactly the same reasoning reasoning used by the Clinton obsessed - to great effect I might add as evidence has come up repeatedly in the most unlikely places (see Rose law firm billing records found years later, her emails on Anthony Weiner's laptop, etc.)
It's no the job of a prosecutor to keep chasing leads he knows are bogus just to satisfy the torch-bearing villagers out for blood.
The unfortunate truth is that people are never going to accept that Trump didn't break the law. (Same applies to Clinton). If they held that belief before the investigation started, they still hold it now more than ever.
"It's obvious that he's guilty!" is the mantra, in defiance of all the facts presented. Well, if it's that obvious, maybe y'all should have applied to be on Mueller's team to prove it.
1
I think the video clip that most of us have seen, of the brief interview with a woman who attended Justin Amash's town hall, sums up the reality we're facing.
“I was surprised to hear there was anything negative in the Mueller report at all about President Trump. I hadn’t heard that before, I’ve mainly listened to conservative news and I hadn’t heard anything negative about that report and President Trump has been exonerated.”
The success of Fox News and Donald Trump himself is entirely dependent on ignorance. Unfortunately both entities are experts in the Orwellian craft of reality substitution. Ignorance is Strength...if you're the one controlling it.
I'm not sure NYT articles nor MSNBC coverage are making a dent where it needs to be made. Nixon's overall favorability rating was relatively high before public Congressional hearings were held, they then fell to the low 20's when people heard for themselves the unfiltered facts. Sometimes it's the venue that's most effective.
Democrats, please begin Impeachment hearings before it's too late.
3363
@Mr. Bantree
Impeachment hearings proving multiple instances of obstruction would directly affect Trump's chances of winning the 2020 election. And, even though Republican senators probably wouldn't vote to convict, their brazen allegiance to someone so obviously guilty might still be a godsend. It might be the only way that enough of them would lose their Senate races to flip the Senate. That is something this country desperately needs, perhaps even more than getting rid of Trump.
528
@Mr. Bantree I'm not at all sure that impeachment hearings would clear things up with the uninformed. After listening to previous hearings with the likes of Reps. Gowdy, Jordan, Meadows and the other Freedom Causus members, I believe they have great abilities to cloud and twist the truth, especially for those hoping they can. A great majority of these folks don't value the truth, they just want to be on the winning side.
206
@Mr. Bantree PBS has been running an excellent deep-dive series on the Mueller report.
But...nearly 63 million voted for Trump. Polling suggests they are not likely to be swayed in any way by the Mueller report findings. For them, the character and ethics issue has been settled and isn't important anyway.
Trump said he could shoot people on 5th Avenue and not lose votes. He was right.
130
I am going to, in disgust, throw away my "it's Mueller Time!" t-shirt. It is hard to believe this guy was both a war hero and a prosecutor. On Wall Street, we push to "close the deal," otherwise it's just conversation. The same goes for Mueller, with his snowflake-delicate sense of propriety. Rather than save our democracy, he lets Trump avoid testifying; rather than throw the book at Manafort (aka The MIssing Link), he refuses to retry some charges. He understands what Russia did (and is doing), but where is the war hero now? He could appear before Congress, give his solemn testimony -- and actually rock the country with an honest opinion. Not his lawyer's delicate soft shoe, but his honest, in-his-gut opinion. He's been insulted by Trump and Barr, out-maneuvered by Lapdog Barr, and he just wants to fade away like someone with a social anxiety disorder. The country needed a hero, and there's none to be found. Just a reticent old man who did his job, kinda, and wants to go back to gardening.
9
@Andy...
You missed the point of the Special Counsel and its role as a prosecutor...
Mueller, as a private citizen, is entitled to an opinion. But as a prosecutor, he is entitled only to that which HE CAN PROVE.
It's not a delicate, lawyerly "soft shoe". It is a requirement of the Fourth and Fifth Amendment that an accused is "innocent until proven guilty" and that the accused has the right to confront his accuser.
If Mueller is unwilling or unable to guarantee rights to which an accused is entitled, it is the obligation of the prosecutor to remain silent.
And I am sure, sir, that you would DEMAND THOSE PROTECTIONS were you ever to be investigated for alleged criminal activity.
3
@The Owl - the breathtaking discrepancy between Barr's and Mueller's summary of the report, and Mueller's discreetly - even meekly - worded protest letter needs to be addressed by Mueller in public testimony. Please explain how that is in conflict with Mueller's constitutional obligations as a prosecutor.
1
@The Owl
It's precisely because Mueller has failed on that front that I do want him to testify.
As a seasoned prosecutor, he knew very well ho to vet his team. He failed at that, when at least 3 people were fired or demoted.
As a seasoned prosecutor, he knew that you don't use double negatives or exonerate the person being investigated. He did it anyway.
Perhaps it's time that the public knew Mueller as well as they know Comey, so they can be duly disappointed in both.
1
The conumdrum is:
Was 2016 election campaign interference an arrangement between Trump and Putin, mediated by third parties, to bring down the free world?
or ...
Did Putin, acting alone, think Trump would turn out to be so stupid, incompetent and undiciplined that the free world would be undermined from within.
If we are waiting for proof that one is true and the other false, we will be waiting forever. Both are true.
5
Finally! We need much more of this type of media reporting. Hammer the facts. They don’t lie!
4
Does any of this surprise anyone? Careful reading of the news over the past three years and knowing of Trump's history of lying and bullying makes it clear the man would go to any lengths to foster his agenda. He has been a crook and always will be.
8
The real story is the bottomline, which Progressives are desperate to hide: Mueller, formerly the patron saint of the Resistance, clearly concluded that there was no collusion with Russia. This article, and others like it, are a waste of everyone's time.
5
You are incorrect.
He reported many instances of collusion.
But he made crystal clear his bar was much higher: criminal conspiracy, which requires evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that the parties involved had a mutual agreement made with intent to engage in criminal conduct toward a common goal.
He cited witness perjury, refusals to testify and destruction of evidence as among the reasons he couldn’t prove the case.
And get real: at the level of criminal dictators like Putin and aspiring Putins like Trump, understandings require little more than a wink and nod: you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.
From Trump’s years in Russia and hobnobbing with Putin oligarchs, Putin certainly knew the self-dealing, self-obsessed Trump we see in plain sight can be played. He’s right. Trump has kissed Putin’s ring at every turn and, knowingly or not, is fulfilling Putin’s divide and conquer strategy to weaken America. Trump’s and his propaganda machines’ disinformation campaigns and attacks on the Constitutional system are straight out of the Putin playbook.
Mueller found clear evidence of Trump’s criminal obstruction of justice but concluded the Constitution’s remedy is impeachment not the criminal justice system; solely on that basis, he concluded it would be unfair to level a criminal charge. Barr’s gross misrepresentations of Mueller’s position, delays in releasing the actual report, and unilateral decision to declare no obstruction can’t change the facts.
2
If this is such a stark revelation, why hasn't Jerry Nadler and Adam Schiff been all over this? Perhaps because they're the remnants at the bottom of the barrel and are being used to make a colossal nothing burger?
4
I'm a reader-----I read at least 100 books per year, mostly history and literature. I got the Washington Post "Mueller Report" from the library the other day, paged through the 8 point type, and gasped at the almost 700 pages of it and thought, 'no way am I going to read this'. If I, as an avid reader, am daunted by the typescript and length, how much will you bet that someone who reads no books per year will delve into it? The country desperately needs to have Mueller testify to the public.
6
@Lucy S. — The report itself, two volumes, is 444 pages. The rest of the book is appendices of legal filings and other documents that serve to provide deeper context and background information to supplement the report. I read some, but not all, and feel I have a good understanding of the conclusions Mueller’s team made. Don’t let the report’s size deter you from reading it.
Mueller has said that he will add nothing more if he is compelled to testify.
1
@Lucy S...
Had you downloaded the PDF version, you wouldn't have had to read through 700 pages of 8-point type produced by the Washington Post to monetize the release of a free-to-all public document.
Seems to me that you are just another of the sheep that the MSN delights in herding around, ma'am.
Where are they taking you today?
3
Barr won. You lost.
3
That Barr and his co-conspirators redacted the most damning information is self-evident.
We need a Deep Throat, and we need them right. now.
5
What garbage this article is. In the very first paragraph when describing the Rick Gates issue, there is no mention at all of Russian involvement in the release of Wikileaks documents, but in the following "commentary" paragraph by this author, he inserts this hypothesis which is not even mentioned by Mueller as fact. AND he imagines what the redactions are covering up. This article is a very good example of how we are being manipulated.
8
Tell FOX...not us.
2
I finished reading the report and one thing came through loud and clear - Trump was very well trained by his father and Roy Cohn to leave as few records and fingerprints on things as possible, The problem for Meuller and the Democrats is that there is no "smoking gun" for most of the damning allegations - it's hearsay by other parties close to Trump, and his personal lawyer was protected by "privilege". Without proof there can be no crimes, and Trump knows this in his marrow
1
Investigate, impeach, incarcerate.
3
I want to see trump on trial for treason.
7
We need Avenatti!
@s.whether Avenatti is an idiot!
2
@s.whether — No, we don’t.
3
Mueller is a career Republican. He took a dive in presenting this report and in refusing to testify. He did his job, which was to defend the long-time interests of his party.
1
Trump's hardcore base get's it's information from Fox news and Trump's twitter account. Filtered through the likes of Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham, The Mueller Report , must sound like a Kennedy Assassination conspiracy theory did to the rest of us. So, forget the facts. The only way forward is a full blown House Impeachment Inquiry. Witnesses can be compelled to appear and either answer questions of take the 5th. Mueller's testimony, now more imperative than ever, will clarify his thinking as relates to Trump's attempts to obstruct and where he succeeded and failed. Maybe in the face of overwhelming evidence, presented methodically, clearly and succinctly, will his hardcore base of support begin to understand the depths of Trump's abuses of power, attempts to obstruct legitimate inquiry into his behavior and his lack of fitness for the office he holds. Speaker Pelosi should be very strategic with the timing of the inquiry. That's her call. But, it needs to happen.
4
Since most of us are too busy or too lazy to read the full report we expect the press and Congress to do the reading and reporting for us. Since the press has the power to frame an issue and make it heard, we, the people, urge you to continue to dissect and share the more salient points of it with bold headlines like this one that scream about the corruption taking place at the direction of this administration. And to do so in such a way that the Dems have no choice but to start impeachment proceedings and the Republicans have less opportunity to ignore it.
They are banking on time to erase the urgency of this matter in the public’s eye. Please don’t let this fall into the category of Old News. Keep chipping and hammering away until all of the brutal truths in the report are fully exposed and the voting public realizes it cannot be ignored. Maybe then they’ll choose the right candidate to lead this country in 2020. We can only hope.
4
1) First, a word about what happened right here. Mueller et al show that even in the current hyperpartisan atmosphere, there are still people who see their primary responsibility as being to the people and good governance. Have yet to see anyone claim Mueller was in any way unfair, delusional or above all partisan, at least not after the report was released. Also, I don't think Mr. Sessions gets enough credit for his decision to recuse, given the pressures the Mueller report indicate he was under. Sessions can be faulted for being naive enough to think that Trump should be president, but he did his job honestly and protected the investigation.
2) This article correctly points out the times that Mueller couldn't prove a connection, but didn't disprove it either, e.g. Manafort/Kilimnik/Russian intelligence targeting swing state voters on Facebook. Still, this looked like a Manafort solo operation. On Wikileaks, Trump was never shown to have coordinated the hacking, but once he/campaign knew about it they seemed to be trying to orchestrate its use. Perhaps more to come here in Stone proceedings.
3) This investigation was triggered in part by Trump's fraudulent claims in 2016 that Russian interference in the election didn't occur. Mueller wasn't just investigating Trump, he was investigating the Russians, also. If the interference is not investigated, it will happen again, to Trump's benefit. This is the collusion in plain sight that is rarely discussed.
4
@ACA...
Care to comment on Kilimnik being long-time intelligence asset of the US Department of State providing the Obama administration with information on the Ukrainians?
Given what we already know, there's no reason not to believe that the Obama administration was playing Manafort as a patsy.
2
Thank you for this article. I’m reading the report, and it’s every bit as disturbing as you say - and, as you point out, it leaves some tantalizing questions unanswered because witnesses didn’t cooperate or couldn’t be brought to the US or documents were missing. Those questions need to be investigated further; and the report, Russian interference in our politics, and Trump’s past and ongoing attempts to obstruct inquiries into his campaign’s role should he front and center in the 2020 presidential race. Whatever conclusions voters may come to about Trump’s fitness after learning what the report really says, no one should be left believing it didn’t implicate him in serious misconduct.
13
@Linda and Michael
I urge you both to read it the way it is supposed to be read...for what it says, not for what you THINK it says.
2
My Congressman used stolen DNC data from Guccifer in his campaign and though it was reported nothing was ever done. His campaign staff even asked for more data. So it can’t be much of a crime.
5
Crime it is. Unethical low-down dirty-dealing in the swamp..
1
@Richard in the moral relativistic world of anti-democracy "republicans," crimes are only committed by their opponents.
1
So if Manafort and Gates gave polling data to a person with ties to Russian intelligence, the next question is what, if anything, did the Russians do with that data. Did they change their strategy or tactics in large electoral college states? Did the Facebook feeds change? Without answers to these and other questions, the Mueller Report gets an Incomplete.
1
from news reports it appeared that yes they did change their strategies a bit, and targeted different geographic areas, and expanded their efforts in others
7
Yes, yes and yes. Putin's interference with Trump's aquiescence and greed will forever mark his presidency as illegitimate and stolen by a grifter, a con man and an all around despicable human being. If there is a history, it will be replete with analysis, tomes, documentaries, prose and songs about Trump - the malignant narcissist pathologcal liar who stole the ring of power and endangered the world.
1
Trump recently signed an EO that amends the protocol for US government background checks: EO #13467. The new order transfers the responsibility of NBIB (an autonomous agency for conducting security clearances) to a new division within Department of Defense which reports to Trump every 180 days.
The Secretary of Defense has the authority to conduct security, suitability, and credentialing background investigations for DOD personnel and requires the Secretary, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, to provide for a phased transition to the DOD of the conduct of such investigations conducted by the National Background Investigations Bureau (NBIB).
Pursuant to sections 113 and 191 of title 10, United States Code, the Secretary of Defense shall rename the Defense Security Service (DSS) as the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA).
The DCSA shall:
serve as the primary entity for conducting effective, efficient, and secure background investigations for the Federal Government for determining whether covered individuals are or continue to be eligible for access to classified information or eligible to hold a sensitive position.
The Secretary of Defense shall: (A) no later than June 24, 2019, and every 180 days thereafter until the transfer is complete, provide a report to the President.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-transferring-responsibility-background-investigations-department-defense/
3
Why hasn't the NYTimes published this opinion piece weeks ago? More important, have the "4 disturbing details" appeared as a news item in the NYTimes? It's flawed and irresponsible news coverage. And Jurecic should've cited the exact page numbers of the quotes to allow everyone to find them.
4
@Debra. The page numbers are there. And the report is online and bookstores. Read it yourself before you challenge anothers’ reading. If you, and other naysayers, are not concerned that it is ok for Americans to give polling data to foreign agents during an election, then what exactly would you define as wrong?
4
@Val
How about something that's actually illegal, like destroying evidence under criminal investigation?
Manafort isn't sitting in jail because he sold polling data to the Russians. It wasn't part of his indictment and not even the judge mentioned it in his sentencing.
@Debra
Citing page numbers would undermine Jurecic's misleading arguments. This is what you get when you let a 20-something with no legal background or job experience edit a law blog.
1
I read the report. Mueller gave Congress a clear roadmap to impeachment proceedings, as well as made a case for a reevaluation of the legal standard that a sitting president cannot be indicted, if facts can show an intent to obstruct justice. There is enough reasonable doubt about what Trump knew and when he knew it — and what he then did with that knowledge — to justify ongoing investigations.
It was never the mandate of the Special Counsel to recommend action one way or another, but to find facts. To that end, the report speaks for itself. For the sake of the Republic, we cannot let Trump continue to labor under the delusion that he is above the law.
(To those who are still reading the report: Pay close attention to the facts as laid out in Volume II, and Trump’s written answers to the SC’s inquiries in the following appendix. Then, you tell me what needs to be done.)
7
@MDB
The mandate of the special counsel was indeed to recommend actions. Rosenstein made that very clear in the public letter mandate you can read here - https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3726408-Rosenstein-letter-appointing-Mueller-special.html
Congress has oversight capacity over DOJ. It is NOT in the special counsel's mandate (or DOJ mandate) to provide "roadmaps" to Congress. Congress does their own investigations. They don't piggyback upon those done by the DOJ.
@viv —
Mueller’s team investigated, found all knowable facts, and reported them. The report gives enough probable cause for Congress to now take up the mantle and determine whether an impeachment inquiry should be opened. The “roadmap” is there for everyone to see. People wanted Mueller to state frankly that the president committed a crime. That was never going to happen.
"Details you may nave missed..." LOL. Like ANYONE has or will read this boring tome.
1
@ej cullen: I read it, and I was far from bored, maybe because I care about the integrity of the electoral process, as well as the future of this country. Your attitude is exactly what some in the administration, GOP, and extreme right-wing media are counting on.
6
@ej cullen model "graduate" of trump university.
2
I'm up to Page 111 of the Mueller Report, and while I'll admit that it isn't the lightest read, relying on media's interpretation is to be at the mercy of the media's potential biases. A lot of what is in there was reported by legitimate news outlets, and the report is as much a repository of what had been uncovered by investigative reporters.
Other, less reputable outlets that have been neither investigating nor reporting have used the fact that most people just aren't going to read the report for themselves are using that knowledge gap to push their agenda - and sadly the agenda of those the Mueller report exposes.
5
Impeach Now.
9
We are lazy and ignorant citizens and have proven that we wish to continue to remain that way. I wonder how many visits to the web page of the Mueller Report have actually happened..I suspect I would be profoundly depressed if I actually knew that number.
Ignorance is NOT bliss. But, I suspect it is less important to most than we care to admit.
Putin was brilliant in identifying our weakness and continues to exploit it with success. We have allowed the internet and cable news to become our "brain". And, we shall pay a long term price for how our Democracy is damaged by that choice.
7
If this is the best the left has in their effort to impeach Trump they are doomed to failure and are embarrassing themselves. 63 million people voted for Donald Trump and the effort by the left to nullify these votes continues two and a half years after the election. I have what is apparently a novel idea for the Trump haters. If your ideas are so good and he is so bad why not concentrate on beating him in the electoral college and unlike 2016 actually winning the 2020 election . With the country prospering economically and the country at peace your prospects are not good
4
@Harry. Yea, the country is super peaceful. Its being torn apart, in fact.
2
I wish you were joking. If this pretty clear evidence of criminal obstruction and conspiracy is the best the left has? Any argument "on the merits" should also include Trump's personal criminal behavior. Now let's see those tax returns!
2
@ben In New York City probably every person you come in contact with believes the same nonsense you do This is not the norm in our country. I and countless others are quite serious There is no evidence of Trump doing anything that even approaches the standard of criminality or high crimes and misdemeanors required for impeachment. Go ahead with impeachment and the left will fall flat on its face and only increase support for Trump
One longs to pull out the mythical time machine and transport George Washington to the present to ask a single question: "Is it okay for a President to obstruct justice because, well, because he's the President?" I can't say I obviously know what he would say, but boy would I like to see his face when asked.
4
Yes, disturbing. However, dirty tricks are no surprise in politics, from either side. Do we really believe that if Wiki Leaks had released Trump's tax returns that the Dems would not have used them? Sure they would have. To do otherwise would have been political malpractice... and no Democrat or the MSM would have felt it an issue. Actually, I find the actions of the Clinton campaign even more disturbing, and I am no Trump fan. They were playing hardcore dirty politics to the max. Destroying subpoenaed emails, backstabbing Bernie, hiring foreign spies to collect disinformation on Trump... from RUSSIANS! Where is the outrage?
4
Ah, the false equivalence argument.
1
Mr. Mueller's sworn televised testimony could boil down to the essence of his 440 page report...That would be a great service to the nation.
3
Mueller brought a book to a Twitter fight.
759
Absolute best and insightful comment. Sums up what's wrong with the public's consumption (and digestion) of news in this first quarter of the 21st century. @Christopher foley
42
@Christopher foley EXACTLY.
14
@Christopher foley
Let's see, the first lady nude photos on line, the president said he could shoot someone and the people would still vote for him. Children are kept in cages, the education dept. is destroyed by a group of money changing plutocrats, we are constantly, fearfully, reminded war might be the next step, this is ridiculous, unconscionable.
And..we are told to read a good book.
We don't need a book.
You, Mueller must tell us what you found out about a financially, morally, corrupt, group of people that have America hypnotized and how this could happen in a Democracy.
I no more believe you are playing by the rules that prohibit you to speak to us, than I believe that we are still living in a Democracy.
I fear that corruption has tainted this whole investigation.
If this was happening in France, no one would be sitting in their homes watching TV, they would be in the streets.
54
Thank you for this specific, helpful summary of parts of the report that justify a subpoena for Mueller. I actually appreciate that Mueller just did his job and is not answering questions off the cuff or tweeting. He should still he subpoenaed to clarify the questions Ms. Jurecic raised in an investigation to see if impeachment is the only way forward. Impeachment will not lead to conviction. If he's not convicted he will say he's been "exonerated". Impeachment is a strategy and a game for Trump. It's only value is in an exhaustive public hearing, which Nancy Pelosi is correct will be spun to the ignorant-oppressed as the martyrdom of DR. The News in the United States now is anti- and pro-Trump-speak. Fox-Murdoch is literally a branch of the administration just like the Russian, Chinese, or Korean state owned news. Trump is a brilliant salesman and a terrible president. He's selling the office of President of the United States; he's completely for sale from any angle. Integrity, sacrifice for country, belief in anything beyond himself is for suckers in his world. It just goes to show that the emphasis on standardized testing in public schools has not taught many Americans rhetoric, critical thinking, basic math or basic information or skills about government or their rights as free people or their duty to others who are less free. Perhaps key parts of the Mueller Report can be tweeted in response to any Fox or White House tweet. Or never mind his sheep. Vote Democratic!
2
If collusion means working with Russians to obtain something that damages a political opponent, then we know who did that did that without twenty-two months of investigation. It was Clinton and the DNC. They paid Steele to contact some Russians spies he knew to dig up dirt about Trump. There was also NSA who paid some Russians for information including dirt against Trump. After paying them $100 thousand dollars on a million dollar promises, they realized the information was bogus and cancelled the rest of the money. Trump statement was campaign rhetoric. These were known facts. What we eventually found out was the number 30 thousand missing emails was just a fraction of the actual 300 thousand found later. What Mueller did was change the purpose of the investigation from finding out if Trump colluded to find anything, he could to stop Trump. Stopping Trump was what one of his pals promised they would do in emails to a girlfriend. What did the Russians release? They found the DNC was committed to Clinton being the nominee and specifically to stop Sanders surge in primary wins. Mueller could have saved a lot of time if he had asked Obama, Obama said she lost to Trump for the same reason she lost to him. She ran a soulless campaign. As far at as interference with Mueller goes, he was given free access to the White House staff and documents. Trump didn’t fire Mueller or accept Rosenstein's offer to resign. What Trump did do was call the investigation a witch hunt. A lot agree.
2
Trump obstructed justice. That is abundantly clear. He also had the GRU helping him. The Democrats were engaged in opposition research, and the FBI was investigating what quite probably looks like conspiracy with a hostile foreign power. A couple of the agents involved, who were acquainted with the evidence, didn't like Trump.
2
@ben What did he obstruct? How about Comey? He was fired because of what he would not release to the public. Specifically that he found no collusion. It was not for something he was going to release. But Comey may not have had enough time. He was busy composing secrete memos he planned to leak to the NYT. There was also the book he was going to promote. Mr. Mueller was mad because Trump called his investigation names like witch hunt and said they were hopelessly biased. Two NY cops could have found out if Trump colluded in two months at least and probably closer to two weeks. Mueller probably did as well but not finding any evidence, spent the next 20 months trying to dig up something, anything to stop Trump. Mueller doesn't like criticism, and commands only praise or watch out.
I sure hope the DNC has read the report, has detailed every shortcoming and is prepared to unleash the truth as 2020 approaches.
No, no, no. All those contacts the Trump campaign had with Russia were merely to discuss Borscht recipes and vodka pairings. Everybody knows that.
5
So please tell me again what the Russians did that swung the 2016 election in Trump’s favor? Released Hillary’s emails? And you believe that changed the minds of voters in swing states? It sure didn’t change anybody’s mind in New York or California. Perhaps someone has evidence of the Russians manipulating ballot boxes? No? Then again, please tell me how they affected the outcome of the election, seeing the Hillary spent far more in advertising than her opponent. Does the word “hoax” come readily to mind?
3
@Joe Gagen
Read the report Joe.
1
If you actually read the report the blatant criminality is clear. That's the reason I don't understand the attacks on Mueller. But the Senate will not convict the president. They will continue to smother the public with deceit.
So how do you wipe that smirk from McConnell's face?
6
From the comments, it appears most NYT's readers thirstily anticipated a Christmas present from Mueller, but, instead of the Daisy air rifle they expected, they found a pair of socks. Mueller couldn't indict the president, but nothing stopped him from drawing conclusions as to crimes being commited, or indicting others. As for obstruction of justice, who besides Mueller was in a better position to know whether or not Trump obstructed his two-year investigation? As Special Counsel, his obligation was to decide those issues. And he punted.
What an American Tragedy. I am an average American and I read the entire 400 plus pages of The Mueller Report the day it was made available. Yes it was dry and very legalize but after the wait I personally wanted to know every detail. I consumed it in 4 hours with a few breaks. I came away knowing this president needs to be impeached. We have a serious Constitutional Crisis under this administration. We know Trump is a crook and a con. Thats not even a question. I guess the real question is " Can our Constitution with its checks and balances, the rule of law actually survive intact from the reign of IQ45? "
7
This information needs to be broadcasted by the Democrats better for the “impeach him for what?” crowd.
No more softball. Jail all who refuse to appear, or the Democrats will be judged cowardly failures, and the country will be over. read history. It's that simple.
5
"4 Disturbing Details You Might Have Missed in the Mueller Report"
Really?? How could anyone who actually read the report miss these points? Each section had headings and sub-headings alerting the reader to these details.
1
4 Disturbing Details That Should Have Appeared In The Mueller Report, But Didn't:
--- His Multiple Violations Of The Mann Act.
--- His Bone Spur X-Rays.
--- His Prenuptial Agreements.
--- A Report Of His Visits To The Dressing Rooms Of Teenage Beauty Contestants.
1
Congress should use the Mueller report as a roadmap to question Obama about why he didn’t stop the Russians from meddling in our election.
1
You’re not asking me if Trumps conduct is acceptable,
However I’ll tell you,IT IS NOT!!!
I can see no reason for extensive investigative bodies, the FBI,
The congress and its committees, all able to look at what’s been done and still slow walking the obvious.This devious,debauched,
Person in our White House is guilty of the most corrupt
Activities in the history of our Democracy, and still no one in
Authority begins an “inquiry “ leading to impeachment.
Even if the Senate refuses to act for fear of losing its power,
Let those who still have the honesty to tell the truth ,and the power to expose the corruption do it.Or we have no
Government to save from the criminal acts of a corrupt
Racist, ignorant, despot.
6
We are waiting, Madam Speaker.
2
This article and most of the comments are simply ludicrous. There is no evidence that Trump or his team cooperated or conspired with Russia. And yet the left natters on about impeachment. Ok, there are enough silly dems in congress that articles might pass, but it will be nothing but a circus starring puffed up dems trying to sound intelligent and knowledgeable, but at the end of the day all they'll be able to prove is they don't like Trump and they are very unhappy that he won in 2016 and will really be unhappy if he wins again in 2020. What a waste of our time that will be. As much as a waste as this article.
And should the House pass articles of impeachment do you know how long it will take the senate to find Trump not guilty? A nanosecond or maybe two. Oh, they may take a few minutes first to laugh at the audacity and stupidity of the dems -- and of course then they will have to get ready to attend Trump's second inauguration as I figure the dems will first try to win in 2020 and when that fails will go for impeachment. Good luck.
1
If the major cause of the failure of most people to know what the Mueller Report is all about is because it is over 400 pages of difficult reading, then why haven't Mueller's own summary and that of some his investigators been released? Congress has been requesting/demanding less redacted versions and testimony from various involved persons but I haven't heard a word about Mueller's own written summary of his two year investigation. Congress and the News Media - Please Wake Up!!
Aiding and abetting the Russian attack on our election?
Guilty!
Obstructing the investigation?
Guilty!
Lock him up!!!
4
The Russians had nothing to lose, and Trump knew just how to skirt the edge of the law as he’s done his whole life. Putin’s crew had the big goal of disruption, anything more was too much to expect. (Remember, Trump was expected to lose anyway). And there needed to be no quid pro quo, just a wink and a nod and no explicit trail of concrete proof. “We’re going to do this for you, you see it right? You’re not so stupid as to not know what we might want, right? We’ll get back to you later on what we want. This recording will self-destruct in 15 seconds”
2
Right, "troubling-to-outright-damning episodes" that never met the criteria for indictment.
So what was Mueller expected to do--Pelosi-Nadler's work for him, fraud?
If the "episodes" are so "damning", Trump won't be re-elected--the "damning" problem the DNC Politburo can't deal with without removing Trump from office. So sad.
1
Imagine for a moment that this was the summary read by Barr in advance of the Mueller report’s release. Democratic institutions would be reinforced; a shared truth would be re-established and America’s political divisions would be lessened; Republican members of Congress would be provided with the political cover they secretly desire to speak out against the Trump cabal; the un-indicted co-conspirator known as Individual 1 would for the first time in his life face a threat that has daddy couldn’t bail him out of. We would begin to see our way back from our collective national nightmare. Now keep imagining...
2
Trump makes Nixon look like a choir boy.
8
mitch mcconnell is, essentially and clearly, a willful Russian operative. amd has yet to be called out by fellow members of the GOP, with the possible exception of since 'retired' jeff flake.... it's treason.
8
Repeat comment re "Lowering The Barr," 6/2/2019:
"I spent 30+ years in engineering R&D. Data acquisition and analysis. Mueller's report is not "easy reading," but it is a good report. It's the lawyer-eze that gets in the way - precedence, etc. Rules, mandated format. But, the information is there. Congress, could, theoretically, take the ball and run at this juncture. And, I had no trouble with Mueller's conclusions. To me, the 2016 election is flatly null and void. The Russian interference was an outrage. The Russians are master propagandists with a powerful tool-set. The Americans fell for it hook, line and sinker. Sleep walking. Read the first 50 pages." People have become button-pushers. Cannot read in-depth material. Live in a world of superficial dazzle-ment, fog. Indoctrinated. The Press is little better. Gossip, outrage, rant oriented. "All the news that is fit to print?" Not so much. So it goes.
2
There appears to be a link between Trump - Assange - Roger Stone. Our little fascist Nigel Farage may have brought a message to Assange following his lunch with Trump around the time of the inauguration. It is rumoured it may have been a memory stick. Farage was photographed on the steps of the Equador Embassy as his first stop on returning to London, following photos of him at lunch with Trump in the States.
What could the message be 'Keep quiet and we'll get you out of there???' who knows???
It's a very dangly loose end.
3
Just as I predicted. The adherents new messianic religion of Muellerism have now reached the stage of "deciphering" their Holy Text and they will find exactly what they want to find.
That's how religious zealots work.
Sociologists will study this phenomenon for decades to come.
https://emcphd.wordpress.com
1
Our President is a con artist, and an embarrassment to our country. It's a shame so many of us were scammed by this charlatan, and may I add, a bad one to boot. He is the most dangerous hucksters in our history. He needs to be impeached, and do some prison time. We should all be ashamed.
4
REPUBLICANS obstruct Elections.
Putin-Trump win again!
3
LOL. Ms Jurecic. It's over - stick a fork in this one. It is all done. We are all looking to 2020.
You forgot the 5th; nobody cares.
Russian have been meddling in other countries politics at least since the late 18th c. by helping to elect a Polish king (monarchy was not hereditary there). Stanislaw August Poniatowski was one of her lovers. The partition of Poland between the three neighbor powers followed. In the 20th century they helped elect Hitler by instructing the German communist party to fight socialists rathe then oppose the nazis. Then they helped Franco to win the Spanish civil war by similar tactics and narrowly failed to influence the (complicated) French politics just before WWII. Now they caused Trump to be elected here.
A book about full scope of Russian doing mischief would be three volumes 500 pages each.
The Hillary Clinton emails referred to are the ones from her home computer--not the DNC emails-- but your report suggests they are.
2
No one cares, least of all, the Congress.
The story as established by Mueller needs to be simplified in order to be widely understood: Trump was elected with considerable Russian assistance, which he and his campaign team openly welcomed. This is much more damaging than many imagine. Remember, no active cooperation was needed on the Trump side. They mostly sat back and enjoyed the rewards.
Beyond that, there is one point that needs to be hammered home. Barr's contention that Mueller found no underlying crime is completely false, a blatant misrepresentation.
4
I still have to wonder why we have not seen the unredacted report from Barr's office? Are we so lax that this 60% version is enough to satisfy our desire for the truth? Congress has a right and a duty to read the entire Mueller report - without redaction.
We elected people to protect our interests - it appears that the interests of the Trump override any interest in the safety of the American democracy.
6
The thing not to miss: Mueller found and indicted no one for the crimes to be investigated in the charging.
We heard endlessly how they would all go to jail -- and it was endless. Nope -- nothing.
This is more of the the same -- trying to read between the lines in a hope that we will affect public opinion ...
Obstructing is not clearcut -- read the report.
1
That’s the thing... we can’t read the report in order to place everything into a clearer context or make a determination. What is clear is there was unhanded, foul play by the campaign whether unlawful or not. I’m sure in due time more facts will come out and we’ll see that the investigation wasn’t a witch hunt at all.
3
"Questions remain, but the most important question is whether this conduct should be acceptable."
I suppose that depends on your definition of "acceptable". For an honest citizen, it is clearly not acceptable. For a person willing to break the law if they can get away with it, it is acceptable. It got him the presidency. He probably won't be impeached, and if he is, it's highly unlikely he'll be convicted and removed.
Mission accomplished!
2
Just about everyone who takes Mueller's findings seriously is blaming President Trump.
This is a big mistake, for it lets us, the people, off the hook.
Yes, what said findings say about Trump is important. But the more pressing question is: What do they say about us, as a nation, or, if you prefer, about us, the people?
Whether we like it or not, we own this presidency. Not only because we elected him (indirectly, through the electoral college), but also because he represents us, stands for us--internationally, domestically, and historically.
What does it say about US that our leader is a serial liar? What does it say about US that our leader courted Russian assistance while running for office? What does it say about US that he has done nothing to protect against further foreign intervention in OUR elections? What does it say about US that our leader disses all legal efforts to hold him and his administration to account?
What does it say abut US that ethical leadership is no longer OUR priority?
What does it say about US that our leader has done squat--and continues to do squat--about climate change?
Like it or or not, we own our government--either that, or it owns US. Which is it?
5
The problem remains that there was no actual crime. Several legal experts have said that Mueller could have "identified" specific crimes, but he didn't. Moreover, Mueller's professional opinions -- that is, after all, all they are -- have now been widely challenged. He left many issues open to interpretation. Well, they have now been interpreted and found to be questionable.
There is also the affront to Americans' sensibility of fairness. There is no such standard as guilty because not proven innocent. Americans reject this notion for good reason. It's anathema to them.
1
1000 Federal judges vs. ALL with their heads buried in the sand...
1
The problem remains that there was no actual crime. Several legal experts have said that Mueller could have "identified" specific crimes, but he didn't. Moreover, Mueller's professional opinions -- that is, after all, all they are -- have now been widely challenged. He left many issues open to interpretation. Well, they have now been interpreted and found to be questionable.
There is also the affront to Americans' sensibility. There is no such standard as guilty because not proven innocent. Americans reject this notion for good reason. It's anathema to everything they know how our justice system works.
3
And what about page 10 of book I of the report: who took the Fifth Amendment and regarding which questions? Whose emails were deleted or used "applications that feature encryption or that do not provide for long-term retention of data or communications records " so that "the Office was not able to corroborate witness statements...or fully question witnesses". This is why the House needs to see the full, unredacted report and/or to question Mueller and his team. There remain a of unanswered questions about the Russian "collusion" question.
9
Despite clear evidence of obstruction of justice the report will not see the light of day in a broad public airing unless impeachment hearings are held. Unfortunately, we know that the Senate will not impeach or for that matter that the Chief Justice will tolerate penetrating inquiry and cross examination in an impeachment trial. That means that Pelosi's strategy is solid. Hold hearings to reveal the violations committed by Trump and his cohorts to preserve evidence and testimony for House hearings after Trump loses the 2020 election. If he does not win then begin impeachment hearings. The goal should be to hold him and his cohorts to account with jail time and fines, not just a show of Congressional oversight that will lead to an obvious decision by the Republican Senate.
4
@Andrew
Sorry for the typo. Of course, I meant to say "If he does win then begin impeachment hearings."
1
Speak up, Democrats, loudly and clearly. Defend your country!
6
Note the NYT article detailing Mitch McConnell’s blockade of all legislation designed to protect our elections from further foreign interference. He may be Traitor 1.
15
I'd like to know why one man, Mitch McConnell, from a small state with a 46% voter turnout, wields enough power to define the present and future of this country, including blatant obstructive acts like denying a legitimate Supreme Court nominee a hearing. McConnell knows exactly what is in the report and he just doesn't care. He is the indecent standard bearer for a broken system of checks and balances.
15
I am very much looking forward to the public hearing scheduled on Monday, June 10, by the House Judiciary Committee. Witnesses will include John Dean (Watergate) and several ex federal prosecutors and legal experts. It looks like the witnesses are going to nail Trump to the wall on obstruction of justice, based on their review of the evidence contained in the Mueller report. Cable news and the networks will give the hearing extensive coverage, thus many more Americans will hear about the details of Trump's criminal acts. Hopefully, it won't be too long after Monday's hearing that Bob Mueller himself testifies publicly before the same Judiciary Committee. Impeachment or no impeachment, Trump is learning in real time the meaning of that old saying that 'there's no rest for the wicked.'
3
Is the reporting on the Mueller Report effective? No. Consider the reporting as legalese against twitter taunts. There are lots of calls for the public to read the book, which is easier said than done. Okay, I am reading the book but, after a quick read, can I describe the President’s obstructive conduct in a quick, concise manner? No. If someone robs a bank, I know what that is. What is obstruct justice? Robert Mueller brought a thesis to a twitter war in the Mueller Report. How is the public to be educated for the upcoming impeachment? In the 4th obstruction of justice, Trump directed the White House Counsel McGahn in two phone calls to remove Special Counsel Mueller. He involved White House Counsel McGahn, his Chief of Staff Priebus, Advisor Bannon, Governor Christie, and subsequently Lewandowski, using his official office to look for ways to remove Mueller due to conflicts.Robert Mueller. His attempt to remove Mueller was not a one-off attempt, but relentless preoccupation to obstruct justice. The Mueller Report provides lots of data points. Simply reading the section was not sufficient. I outlined this chapter to develop a comprehension, not something that most readers will do with reading the Mueller Report. Why hasn’t the media provided analysis? Why does the media keep reporting that Trump is accused of obstructing justice as if it is simplistic act like robbing a bank,when his efforts were extensive and criminal and unpresidential.
11
It is extremely unfortunate that Mueller spoke and wrote in convoluted, double-negative language. Wish he had spoken more like an ex-Marine.
Knowing who he was dealing with, Mueller should have bent his rigid rules a bit and said exactly what he thought in plain, clear and unequivocal language. Trump's most recent disparagement of Mueller may yet give him the reason, and backbone to appear before Congress and call a spade a spade.
11
We all know that trump will not be impeached because of Mitch McConnell's Senate. However, impeachment hearings need to be initiated soon and broadcast on TV for all to see and hear. This administration and republicans who support it are doing tremendous damage to our country and we need to make the FOX watchers understand the truth.
9
@GSK
Mitch McConnell cannot prevent the impeachment proceedings. The Chief Justice will preside. The worst that can happen is that trump will not be convicted given the present makeup of the republican majority. There isn't one decent and ethical member of the majority. Furthermore they are all under the spell of this deceitful and ethically challenged president.
What would it take to have a fair campaign? Such a simple question that is so hard to implement whether due to gerrymandering, collusion or the hundreds of other questions that effect the citizens voting power
7
The Mueller report reveals that President Trump gave Corey Lewandowsk and Don McGahn instructions that, if carried out, might have been construed as obstruction. Trump told Lewandowsk to tell Attorney General Jeff Sessions to limit the Mueller investigation to stopping future election meddling. He told McGahn to call Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and tell him that Robert Muller could not be special counsel because of conflicts of interest.
However, when his aides refused to comply, Trump ultimately dropped the matter. He did not pick up the phone and call Sessions and Rosenstein himself. One could argue that his aides prevented Trump from committing obstruction, but this means Trump did not commit obstruction. Besides, both Lewandowsk and McGahn told Mueller that they did not believe Trump’s intent was to obstruct justice. Trump’s intent most likely was to limit the damage that rumors and innuendos were doing to his administration, not to cover up a conspiracy, which seems not to have existed.
5
The obstructive act does not need to succeed.
For a person to be convicted of obstructing justice, that person must not only have the specific intent to obstruct the proceeding, but that person must know (1) that a proceeding was actually pending at the time; [Trump obviously knew this] and (2) there must be a connection between the endeavor to obstruct justice and the proceeding, and the person must have knowledge of this connection. [Trump knew this too.]
1
@William Case
What you fail to realize is, regardless of what you call it, trump and his campaign collaborated with the Russians in the 2016 elections.
1
@Alix Hoquet
President Nixon knew his aides has orchestrated the Watergate break-in and instructed then to cover up the crime by lying to federal investigators. With the noose tightening around his neck, Nixon ordered the attorney general to fire Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox. When the attorney general refused to comply, Nixon accepted his resignation and order the the deputy attorney general to fire Cow. When the deputy attorney general refused to comply, Nixon accepted his resignation and ordered the solicitor general—the third highest-raking Justice Department official—to fire Cox. The instructor general complied. That was obstruction.
When his aides decline to rely Trump’s instructions to the attorney general and deputy attorney general, Trump dropped the matter. Since the Mueller investigation found no profit that unlawful collusion or conspiracy occurred, it is far from clear that Trump’s intent was to obstruct justice. His intent appears to have been to stop the false speculation, rumors and innuendo that was undermining his administration. The Mueller report says that Trump became concerned about Mueller’s appointment as special counsel after reading news stories about Mueller’s conflicts of interest. Muller’s appointment raised eyebrows. Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein appointed Mueller to to investigate the firing of FBI Director James Comey, who had been Mueller’s deputy when Mueller was FBI director.
The tragedy of public response to the Mueller report is unsurprising, and far from accidental. It is ludicrous to expect the average American who makes her election decisions based upon 30 second political commercials, and gets his news from TV headlines to carefully read and digest the 440 page document.
Regarding the report, those headlines were provided by AG Barr, and however slanted and erroneous those where, it was all Americans heard from either the Special Counsel or the Justice Department for the next month. By the time more details were released, the average American had formulated his or her opinion and moved on to other issues
The strategy was brilliantly planned and executed by Barr and nuances like those raised in this op-ed will do nothing to change the perception of the masses.
801
@D. Ben Moshe
The reason that the Barr strategy worked is that the "liberal" media took his statements at face value instead of with journalistic skepticism.
The media should not be taking anything the government says at face value, but to just believe Trump appointees as if the Trump administration doesn't lie all day every day, was journalistic malpractice on the part of a majority of outlets and pundits.
If the media was actually "liberal," it would not just act like a spokesman for any administration, not the Bush administration selling a war based on lies, or especially a trump administration where everything is based on lies.
They keep asking Democrats about impeachment and using party politics as the basis of their analysis, instead of the Constitution.
Republican Trump appointed a Republican Asst. Attorney General who appointed a Republican investigator who documented numerous crimes.
Republicans should be asked why they are not impeaching a president who keeps attacking the Constitution.
"Liberal" media should not need Mueller to tell them about the blatant High Crimes that Trump commits in public, like calling for violence against political protesters and the press. The Constitution was created to prevent exactly that, but supposedly liberal media treats it like entertainment rather than High Crimes threatening our Republic.
If the media refuses to make people understand what the Trump administration actually did and is doing, then the We who understand must.
59
@D. Ben Moshe
So he obstructed Justice on a crime he did not commit.?
He asked Russia tongue in cheek to find HRC’s 30,000 emails because of the incompetence of the FBI! Don Jr attends a meeting he thinks will provide dirt on HRC, but there was no dirt. Mueller could have indicted Jr. But did not. You have no idea what Jr. Would have done with Dirt if there was any. He could gone to FBI or mot.
Congress is discussing make a law about this, but so far there is no law about meeting with a Russian that lied? Do I need to go on? It is all a witch hunt perpetrated by Comey and his Sleaze bags at the FBI. Wait till the real truth comes. You will be running to the hills!
5
Yet, we still must talk about the “nuances,” which don’t really seem like nuances to me. It’s critical that we don’t let the WH get away with distortions this great.
28
It is simply amazing now days how two people can read the same words and reach opposite conclusions as to its meaning. When I read these words I have very little doubt that Donald Trump directed his campaign aides to work with Russian contacts in order to affect the results of the 2016 election. To paraphrase Robert Mueller, if I had confidence that this is not conspiracy, I would have said that.
5
Robert Mueller's vanity really got the best of him. His job was to investigate and report to the public. Instead, he investigated and (essentially) reported to elites, assuming that the public would sit down and parse his every word. He underestimated the contempt that Trump, Fox News, Republicans and Mitch McConnell have for democracy and the rule of law. He must see his error now--why not speak plainly and talk about what he found?
4
Subpoena Mueller and have him testify. The press will dutifully report what he says. Even if he has to read verbatim from his own report it will mean that some people will be hearing it for the first time. Get all of this into the bright light of day. Stop the prevarications. Mueller is a private citizen. Being the obedient good soldier, he will not defy a subpoena. So what if he doesn’t want to testify. Too bad. Call him in and grill him. The sooner the better.
1722
@East End I have a friend who says what you are you saying, although she admits she hasn't read the report. She's a very good lawyer. I asked her to come up with 10 questions the Democrats could ask Mueller that would reveal anything that isn't in the report. I'm still waiting for her answer. So I ask this out of curiosity and not to be contentious: what do you think the Democrats could ask Mueller that would make any difference?
Also, Mueller has a pretty boring voice. The Audible format of the report was free and is very well narrated. It is 19 hours long. What makes you think people who won't listen to it on Audible would listen to Mueller for 19 hours?
(For the record, I support impeachment.)
28
@East End
He will mainly read from his report probably but, that’s ok, it’ll be quite worthwhile.
31
@East End
I'm not sure democrats want their narratives disrupted by the probing questions of republicans. First, Mueller will be questioned about his failure to charge. It is widely believed that he would have if he could have; however, he has told Barr, in front of witnesses, that this wasn't the case.
Second, there is the question of the "predicates" for opening the investigation into Trump. The Inspector General report will be issued soon. This will be followed by a Justice Department investigation, which has been held in abeyance pending the IG investigation's conclusion.
Spying on a presidential candidate is not something that most Americans will tolerate. Calling it something else isn't fooling anyone. It's a very serious charge.
9
Impeachment arising from clear evidence of obstruction is clearly warranted. This is not a Democrat v. Republican issue. It is a Constitutional issue. Abuse of power of the worst kind. If not remedied by the only remaining remedy ... the "I" word, we as a nation are in big trouble not only from this president but potentially future presidents of like mind. If he can get away with this, there is no telling how bad it could get. No wonder he's stonewalling.
1809
@barcoderanch Unfortunately it is very much a Democrat vs. Republican issue, since the Republicans are only concerned about maintaining power, and care not a whit about the USA.
577
@barcoderanch
not all future presidents. ONLY Democratic presidents. Republican presidents get a pass because they can do no wrong.
67
@barcoderanch I'm sorry to report that you folks, as a nation, are already in big trouble. We, as human beings worldwide, are in big trouble. But yes, anything but impeachment is an abrogation of responsability.
34
Sleeping through a loud thunderstorm does not mean that one is prone to deny that it happened. More likely, the blissful slumberer is delighted that his or her sleep was not disturbed, but doesn't deny that the storm happened.
Why, then, when evidence presented in the Mueller Report all but indicts a sitting president for obstruction of justice and facilitating election tampering by a foreign power, do so many of his supporters deny that such things happened?
It is not simply because they slept through it, though they might have. It is more likely because they have failed to open their eyes and ears, and even their brains, to the facts. They are the very same people who would deny the falling of a tree in a forest if there was nobody there to hear it.
In the case of, or more to the point, against Trump, they may simply not want to admit that they have been wrong in supporting him, lest they have to reckon with their own inadequacies and shortcomings. Perhaps, in the end, it is too embarrassing for them to admit their own mistakes.
436
@Quoth The Raven
Bravo. Double bravo.
21
@Quoth The Raven Your take is about the most generous view one can have of their conduct. I think that, for many of them, the truth is far more damning. They ignore it because they don't care about the rule of law or the survival of liberal democracy. They are fine with authoritarian government as long as their tribe wields the power. American democracy will probably survive the Trump administration, but I don't know how our society can heal with the knowledge that 30-40% of our fellow citizens have no problem selling the country to a hostile foreign power if it means that their tribe obtains power.
70
Trump is the U.S. Chernobyl. It is our moment when we must stop fearing what the truth may reveal and, instead, must acknowledge the effects of the lies. See the HBO 5-part series Chernobyl. See the poison of Doublespeak and its effects on generations. Lastly, hit Fox News daily, hourly, with doses of truth and let that be our leaded protection.
30
I bought the report for the express reason of reading the Presidents written answers to Mueller's questions..That part alone is absolutely shocking to me. The Prez sounds like a mafia don - he remembers absolutely nothing about anything and doesn't answer a single question,: every single question gets the "I do not recall" stamp - every single one!!
9
Mr Mueller's report was submitted to Barr sometime late March 20199. Redacted report publicly released in mid? late? april 2019.
Today, June 7, 2019 this is published?
I do not question the lateness of NYT articles.
What I seriously question is the lack of governance from out Congress.
Even assuming (wrongly, I hope) that Congress had no way of having the redacted report available to each and every member 2 months ago .... not one member of congress has digested it yet?
Beyond hopeless and disgusting. Vote them ALL out next time around, since none of them, from the president on down seem interested in serving our nation and the ideals it has stood for.
Am I the only one who wonders how you could write up a thorough report on investigation of Russian interference in election and ties to Trump campaign and never once mention Cambridge Analytica?
6
@Jay Huber
I'm always shocked that Obama, under whose watch the interference actually occurred, is never mentioned.
2
For those who have been paying attention this is old news. We know all this. Is it acceptable? Only if you are a Republican. I find it absolutely impossible to believe that a wide segment of top Republican operatives did not know what was going on with Trump folks and Russia. Where was Pence? Where was Mitch McConnell? There was too much at stake for Mitch and company to lose this election. Far far far too much. What did Fox News operative know? Much is illegal and all is unethical and immoral. That is the definition of the Republican. Of course from McConnell’s and all his white Christian nationalist followers standpoint, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are the greatest threat to American. And so reaching out to Russia for help was a natural—white Christian nationalist solidarity.
6
trump did want to coordinate with the Russians .. He was eager to do so ...That was and is obvious to any rational person.. He didnt actually do it because Russia was to clever to trust those dunces in trumps campaign.
1
Russia was also seemingly more knowledgeable of running afoul of the law and be careful not to do so.
1
Blah blah. Smoking gun. Dead body.
Wake up. The Senate GOP will NEVER remove Trump.
ALL OF THIS is about installing right-wing judges-for-life. The corrupt GOP needs Trump for that. Trump could nuke NYC and McConnell wouldn’t even blink.
3
Trump packaged the message ‘Russia, if you are listening....’ as a campaign slogan. In fact it is a message to Russia. By that time he knows that his campaign is actively collaborating with Russians. I am not sure Trump is aware of campaign laws, he is just trying to get dirt on Clinton to win the election. He goes by his instincts and does not think about the laws, because he knows lawyers can tie up these cases in courts for decades. His lawyers are like parasites happy to entertain his wishes. If we can vote him out, Nancy Pelosi wish may come truethat Trump may end up in jail.
I can summarize it even further.
Besides what the reporter said and the myriad of alleged other crimes on the state level here is my takeaway.
Trump wanted to conspire with the Russians and be a traitor but his staff stopped him. Mueller opinion was that because of this he could not bring a charge. I am sure other lawyers would disagree.
Mueller all but said Trump was guilty of obstruction of Justice on at least 10 occasions.
Other than being an alleged traitor, serial obstructor of Justice, breaking of the emolument clause, alleged guilty of countless state crimes of tax evasion, fraud etc., bigot, rabble rouser, admitted sexual predator, philanderer, pathological liar, ego maniac demagogue Trump is a good president and we should support him.
5
Why hasn't Lewandowski been called to testify yet, he was not an employee so there is no executuve privilege
It is not crime to take advantage of scandals that ensnare political rivals. The Sanders campaign as well as the Trump campaign took advantage of the Wikileaks exposé, which revealed the DNC was stacking the deck against Bernie Sanders to ensure Hillary won the Democratic nomination.
We now Know Wikileaks’ motive was to help Sanders, not Trump. The Mueller report says Wikileaks founder Julian Assange referred to Hillary Clinton as “a bright, well-connected, sadistic sociopath.” WikiLeaks thought Trump had little chance of being elected president, but it thought Sanders had a shot at taking the Democratic nomination away from Hillary.
According to the Mueller report, Julian Assange WikiLeaks told Guccifer 2.0, “if you have anything hillary related we want it in the next two (sic) weeks because the DNC [Democratic National Convention] is approaching and she will solidify bernie supporters behind her.” When Guccifer 2.0 replied “ok . . . I see,” WikiLeaks explained, “we think trump has only a 25% chance of winning against Hillary . . . so conflict between bernie and Hillary is interesting.”
Roger Stone was not a “Trump affiliate” in June 2016 when WikiLeaks began publishing Democratic National Committee email. The term “affiliate” means a person officially attached to a larger group.” Stone was detached from the Trump campaign on August 8, 2015.
3
Due to a brain quirk, I am a slow reader. But, by reading 10 pages per day, I plan to be done in a month and a half. Slow. But, done before most of the fastest readers in the country.
So when is the movie coming out?
Dear NYT:
1. It was not only Trump "keeping a close eye on Russia-linked hacking and leaking efforts and expecting to benefit from them." Every political reporter also had their eye open, and hoped to get the jump on competitors.
Is it somehow illegal for Trump to exploit the release of these emails in a political campaign, while it is noble for The Times to exploit their release for reporting on the same campaign? The First Amendment covers both.
2. If it was somehow illegal for Trump to satirically call out to Russia to find Clinton's missing emails, why wasn't it illegal for Clinton to destroy these same emails under subpoena?
And doesn't Trump have as much right to ask a political operative to locate these spoliated emails as Clinton had to hire GPS Fusion an Steele to dig up Russian dirt on him?
3. Why is Lawfare repeating one of the bigger falsehoods in the Mueller report -- that Kilimnick was a Russian spy-- when there is no evidence supporting this claim, or that the polling went to Putin? Indeed, Mueller has callously concealed strong evidence that Kilimnick was a US asset, who spied on Russia for us!
4. Obstruction? Trump could have fired Mueller whenever he wanted to do so. He did not. In fact, Trump provided greater access to his aides and documents than any president has ever done before. No obstruction.
Hating Trump is no excuse such shoddy analysis. It is time for Times' writers -- and readers -- to get a grip on their derangement syndrome.
5
It seems the Democratic "Machine" was anxiously anticipating the Mueller Report. It would be the "end all". Unfortunately, they did not get the damning evidence they suggested was coming.
Being an Independent, my question is: just how of the American peoples time and money are they willing to spend to get it the way they want?
Is it not time for both parties to work on policy?
It seems the only losers in this battle are the electorate.
After millions of dollars and several years, please, move on!
4
@bsb There are over 100 bills in the senate right now. McConnel will not bring any of them to the floor for debate. This includes the very first bill sent to the Senate designed to protect our elections.
3
Trump was played in Putin's campaign to damage Hillary Clinton. In the meanwhile, Manafort and company was feeding data to the Russian troll army for a flanking maneuver across the Rust Belt states.
For his reward Trump gets to strut around the planet, with his vapid and rapacious gang, making meaningless assertions that degrade the stature and dignity of the US .
2
More fake news.
The author leaves out that Mueller twisted the facts to support his narrative. The author leaves out that Mueller know there was no Trump-Russia collusion a few months on, so he allowed this to continue even through the 2018 mid-terms, which had an effect on the election.
The author leaves out that one of Mueller's big witnesses had had child pornographers on his computer yet didn’t arrest him (he was arrested this week).
There are so many holes and half truths. I’d like to see this dirty cop Mueller and his corrupt lap dog Weismann testify.
4
While abroad, trump disparages Mueller and his team whom trump knows will remain silent and not particpate in a fray.
As reported a couple of weeks ago, "President Trump has granted Attorney General William P. Barr “full and complete authority” to declassify government secrets, issuing a memorandum [ordering] U.S. intelligence agencies to cooperate promptly with Barr’s audit of the investigation into Russia’s election interference in 2016" (WaPo).
trump ignores subpoena & court orders but insists his departments "cooperate promptly with Barr’s audit" whose sole purpose is to vilify a legitimate investigation into illegitimate contacts between trump's campaign staff and Russian government/associates.
Barr, in keeping with his 4-page memo 'technique,' will cast just enough doubt to sway some of the electorate's confidence in our institutions. Anything to relect trump.
This is one of the steps from Nat. Geo. the "Making of a Dictator." Other steps:
--creating a common enemy within our population;
--declaring a national emergency while fomenting fear at borders saying it’s to protect everyone;
--claiming the press the enemy of the people;
--increasing military budgets and personnel;
--claiming the “opposition” is attempting a coup (Barr’s assignment to validate the claim);
--vilify, interrogate, falsely charge them with treason and imprison career government employees of ‘the opposition;’
--declaring voting systems illegitimate
Let's hope it doesn't get to this.
2
This is a concoction of innuendo, fiction and partisan bile. Ms Jurecic cannot citr one hard fact to support her conclusions. If nany of this were inidicative of anything subrosa, Mueller would have said so. How an organization titled "Lawfare" can traffic in such nonsnse is beyond the pale.
2
conspiracy with the russians began with the laundering of their money...via real estate, via NRA, via off shore accounts...once there was enough to fund a campaign more was assured as putin's hate for hillary is a known factor in his determination to make DJT the new king. the russian kgb (gru) was actively hacking anything election related they could get their dirty fingers into. the firing of comey was the first obstruction committed by DJT..but far from the last. this criminal president does deserve jail and i hope pelosi can get some serious investigation to reveal the dirt, unlike the pretend stuff going on when the house was held hostage by republicans like tattletale nunes and benghazi bulldog gowdy...and others.
2
Not one member of the Trump campaign was indicted.. Manafort was charged with financial crimes. You look and look at the Mueller report and start seeing things. Let it go...it's over. The 2020 election will judge Trump.
1
‘Tis quite the blessing for Mr. Trump that he does not read.
Nancy Pelosi is right. Trump belongs in prison.
2
I understand that Mueller doesn't want to throw Barr under the bus or otherwise bring dishonor to the AG's office, but it's too late for that. Subpoena him. We're not looking for a hero, we just want someone to tell the truth about our criminal president and his criminal republican administration.
3
It seems much of the press, and most of the Democrats in Congress, need a refresher on Occam's Razor:
“'plurality should not be posited without necessity.' The principle gives precedence to simplicity: of two competing theories, the simpler explanation of an entity is to be preferred."
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Occams-razor
http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/OCCAMRAZ.html
Stop complicating things.
Trump is a lawless crook.
Trump serves his own interests and the interests of those who heap adoration (the fuel of a pathological narcissist) on him.
2
With the help of Fox News, William Barr and the republicans in Congress, Donald Trump has committed the perfect crime. God help us.
2
We thought Mueller was engaged in a full court press to reveal the clear conspiracy between the Trump Family Crime Syndicate and Putin and his klepto oligarch gang, only to find out that there was no forensic accounting of the trail that emanated from the Alfa Bank pinging of Trump Tower to the Bank of Cypress to the Seychelles to the NRA, to the NYCity cigar bar. There was in fact an apparent unwillingness to connect any of the dots, a glaring failure to speak to many of the key players at the scenes of the crime or challenge their perjury and/or refusal to answer Congressional inquiries, and a more than curious response of shrugged shoulders when stonewalled by deleted or encrypted data or an inability to determine the “motive” for plainly conspiratorial acts. Guess this is how rich white dude crimes get investigated. Pathetic.
3
If we didn’t know already, there’s a reason that historian Christopher Browning calls Addison Mitchell McConnell, Jr., “the gravedigger of democracy.” Perhaps the sharpest description was by Tim Egan in today’s Times: a “hollowed-out husk of a human bring.” Good-bye, USA. Rest in peace.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/6/6/1863084/-Russia-s-social-media-campaign-was-far-larger-and-vastly-more-effective-than-previously-reported
1
I am strongly in favor of tying this cheap egomaniac up in every way possible and throwing the kitchen sink at him for the next two years.
Congressional investigations, massive street protests, unpaid taxes, unpaid parking tickets dating back ten years, conniving with Putin, violations of the Mann Act, interfering with female airplane passengers and teenage beauty contest contestants, selling cheap neckties made in China for exorbitant prices, consorting with porn stars, I don’t care what it is, just let’s do it.
We need -- above all else -- to keep him busy and totally preoccupied with investigations, subpoenas, detailed press accounts of his shady businesses, TV appearances by his former wives and girlfriends that he'll be so busy responding to these attacks that he'll have no time left over to do any more serious damage to the country.
The very worst thing that could happen to this country now is him actually governing it.
6
Whether “this conduct is acceptable” is no way to end this column. A rhetorical question undermines what is otherwise a solid and damning series of observations.
2
Did anyone from Mueller’s office ever try to speak with Julian Assange regarding Wiki Leaks role in Trump’s efforts to coordinate with Russia?
The main point in all these articles the Times writes about Mueller is that in America, people don't have to prove they are innocent. The government has to prove they are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Apparently Mueller never learned that in law school any more than the editors did in journalism school.
2
that conduct is acceptable to Republicans
1
Isn't is splendid on how much our President has made sure that those Russiki's cant interfere in the next elections?
1
I will worry about the " obstruction " of a non-crime when the Times begins to publish opinion pieces on the origins of the Steele dossier, the spying of President Donald Trump and his campaign by the CIA and FBI and the planting of operatives on foreign soil to try and entrap low-level campaign aides like Papadopoulos.
2
We've missed many details, since we haven't SEEN the Mueller report yet, only the cheating Republicans (and that is their strong suit, as they are also seething racists.)
1
Oh my. Missed? Are you serious? NO ONE IS MISSING IT.
Stop with the "collusion" stuff. CONSPIRACY.
I dunno. This is so utterly naive. Was this meant to be published the day after Mueller released his heavily redacted report? Otherwise I don't get it.
2
"...I want to see him in prison." – Nancy Pelosi on Trump.
Me too, that's were he deserves to be!
1
The photo in the Oval Office - taken by a Russian journalist because Americans weren't allowed - of a grinning Trump telling Kislyak and Lavrov that he'd gotten rid of Comey was all I needed.
4
Putin has installed a puppet in the presidency of the United States, by manipulating 63,000,000 desperate people to vote for an actor.
4
Bad leaders can and will destroy a country's future, you only need to consider the fate of Venuzela under Nicolas Maduro, or Zimbabwe under Robert Mugabe, or dare I say it, America under Donald Trump.
America, you have what you need to impeach this disastrous President. What are you waiting for? It is time to act.
2
I read the whole report. It took me about a month and it was a slug. I thought it mostly resembled a long drawn out and dry spy novel. Especially part one. But it was ESSENTIAL and a necessary document for the public to understand. The first volume also had a lot redacted and was difficult sometimes to fully understand the context. Anyone that believes Trump is exonerated has not read the report. It is crystal clear what his intentions were and those intentions were premeditated and clearly thought out. It is now up to Congress to lay the case out before the American public so that all citizens understand the truth and evidence behind Trump’s behaviors.
6
It has been pointed out numerous times that the problem in clarifying this report is that the majority of Americans do not read. They rely on TV or radio, esp. Fox and Sinclair, for their knowledge as this quote from an Amash town hall clearly points out;
“I was surprised to hear there was anything negative in the Mueller report at all about President Trump. I hadn’t heard that before, I’ve mainly listened to conservative news and I hadn’t heard anything negative about that report and President Trump has been exonerated.” She plans on reading the report.
Trump lost the popular vote by a substantial three million votes. His base will vote for him again, just as diehard democrats will vote a straight democratic ticket. As Trump only rallies his base in those states he won, the democrats have to win over independents.
And the country should not be shocked that this will be the dirtiest campaign they have ever seen. Lies, photo - shopped videos, repetitive trumped up fake news accusations will set new lows [if that is possible] all the while costing the country its allies respect and renown. So much for making America great.
6
"Questions remain, but the most important question is whether this conduct should be acceptable."
That should not be a question! It's not!
3
No no collusion, no no obstruction.
2
No one in red America will read this article. We need to HEAR Mueller SAY these things, in response to congressional questioning. That may be the only way to sway Republican opinion. Probably won't help, but it's our only hope.
6
There is much in Mueller's report that we have seen that suggests Manafort shared poing data with the Russians so that they could better target their Clinton bashing efforts and help push Trump into the presidency. There may be much more in the redacted sections of the report that we have not seen. Barr painted over the obstruction efforts of Trump as "frustration" because he "knew" he was not complicit and Mueller did not "prove" collusion. But obstruction does not require proof of guilt on the collusion investigation.
The release of the unredacted report or an analysis of Russian Facebook activity in those swing states Manafort highlighted in the polling data may shift the conclusions on both issues.
4
So Robert Mueller has published a scathing report that very few have read, yet nearly everyone has an opinion on its contents. This appears to be a 21st-Century malady of epidemic proportions: supposedly intelligent people registering opinions on a topic with taking the time to read about it Attorney General Barr either has not or did not read the entire report. We have no evidence that Senators McConnell, Graham, or Cornyn have personally read any or all of the report, and President Trump shouts about "no collusion/ no obstruction" without having read a word. (OK, maybe he looked at the title page.) As of May 31, of the 92 members of Congress who serve on various investigative committees relevant to Mueller's report, 61 claim to have read the whole thing. This includes 12 Democratic senators, Angus King, and three Republican senators--hardly a ringing endorsement for the "worlds's greatest deliberative body." If Robert Mueller is asked a question about his report in a House or Senate hearing, and the questioner has not read the report, I hope Mr. Mueller declines to answer. After all, reading is fundamental to thinking. (May 31 congressional survey from Washington Post--paywall.)
8
@jhand
As I just posted, we need Mueller's own written summary of the two year investigation.
1
The 2020 presidential election combined with the question of impeachment has 4 possible outcomes.
1. Don't impeach Trump - and he loses
2. Don't impeach Trump - and he wins
3. Impeach Trump - and he loses
4. Impeach Trump - and he wins.
Of these 4 possible outcomes #2 is the worst for Democrats, and they should avoid it by all means. But it seems that Democrats are headed towards that most undesirable outcome because of their analysis paralysis approach to the question of impeachment.
Nancy Pelosi and her cohorts are overthinking this and placing too much reliance on Donald Trump losing in 2020. We only have a choice of two parties; plus Trump has the benefit of incumbency. So there is more than 50/50 chance that Trump wins again. It is imperative that Democrats begin impeachment immediately.
6
That Mueller found insufficient evidence of conspiracy may reflect the success of obstruction efforts by Trump that Mueller did not uncover. Mueller noted at least ten unsuccessful efforts at obstruction by Trump. However, successful efforts such as persuading people not to be “rats” or to lie could easily be undiscovered without testimony or a paper trail. This is another weakness in Mueller’s report. Who refused to talk? Whose testimony was not believable but not provably false? And last, why were so many people at the top not called to testify?
5
In these comments and others I have seen many lawyers argue that cases brought to court such as these Quinta Jurecic describes would not be admissible as serious or that the evidence would not obtain a conviction. This is legalese of the most idiotic variety. Will we, as a democratic nation and thus dependent on elections to express the will of the people, the sovereign power, accept the fact that a candidate for president (or senate or house) willingly uses information from a hostile foreign power to interfere in our elections? Now the cry from Republicans will go up, but Hillary did it too. If that campaign did or did not, it is beside the point of the question. Besides that argument is typical of nursery age children. This is a case for adjudication by the Congress.
5
Trump is an affront to justice. And the US justice system is a rabbit hole warren. The Cheshire Cat will eat your case if it would prove anything.
2
Mueller gets an F for his report.
Any high school junior writing an essay for English class has been taught to state facts and then draw conclusions.
In his effort to be “fair” and legally pure Mueller failed at what he was told to do. No collusion because no conclusions.
We’re long past the time to undo the damage that Barr and Trump’s tweets and Fox News has done. It’s all there. Dredging it up again in boring, tedious congressional hearings will result in constant tweets and Fox accusing the liberals of persecuting the poor President. The base will cheer at pep rallies.
Impeachment will result in exoneration by the Senate.
Face it folks. Mueller’s purity costs us all dearly.
Vote.
6
Regarding impeachment, which this article clearly supports the need for, i would recommend using the Mueller report—as this article does, as PBS News Hour has done, and surely others have—and hold hearings highlighting was is there.....rather than trying to get people to testify who Trump will make sure don't. The evidence is already there!! The challenge is making it accessible to the public.
4
Mueller's job is done. Now it is Pelosi who has to do her job. Being so cautious is letting Trump get away with criminal conduct. She said it. It is a cover-up. What is she doing about it? Who is playing who?
6
Let me echo Hillary Clinton's sentiments that Trump belongs in prison, and certainly not in our White House. He never really earned the privilege to occupy the Oval Office. He does what he usually does when he wants something that he hasn't earned: He steals it.
As soon as it was discovered that Russia interfered in our election in order to plant Trump in our White House, that election should have been NULLIFIED then and there. You don't reward cheaters. He never won it fair and square. He did what he usually does when he wants something -- he steals it and claims it as his own.
I am convinced that the Trump presidency will go down as the most corrupt, vile, and regrettable period in U.S. recorded history. So much of our valuable time has been wasted on this pathetic excuse for a human being.
11
How could there be obstruction when there was no collusion? How come Hillary and the DNC are totally missing from the “collusion” debate, of paying for and using the Steele Dossier to destroy Trump and his campaign? And who signed the FISA warrant? You can’t indict one (Trump) without indicting the other (HillAry). Fortunately, for both, the MSM and deep state continue to protect the democrats and Clinton, in particular.
2
In what fantasy world are choosing to live? Trump is a crook, he does not hide it, and we need to read 400 pages to get it? Trump is wining handily because we are trying to rationalize with a ridiculous degree what is emotionally obvious.
And the Russian cannot believe it. Mueller should have buried Trump. He chose not to.
1
Such a "great" and "sophisticated" "jurist" as Ms. Jurecic surely knows the following :
"Maybe" , "Possibly" , "Might" , "sought to “ , “keeping a close eye” , “ expecting to benefit” , “may have been” , “may have been” , “just wasn’t successful.”, are NOT conclusive legal arguments !
She should go to court presenting such arguments to a judge and hear him laugh aloud at how inept she is !!
But the worst part of it is her total oblivion of the fact that one (even a much hated American president as is clearly the case with her for President ELECTED Trump) is, guess what Ms. superior "jurist" , INNOCENT until proven guilty.
2
So, we know that Russia helped t-Rump win the election and will likely assist him again in 2020. What are we going to do about t-Rumps collusion with Russia? There are so many other things but this one stands out and is almost underlined by Mr. Mueller. Barr has gone to the dark side so what do we do?
1
The only way out of this horrible mess is impeachment and removal from office of this man.
4
Ignorance is trump’s best friend. His supporters do not want facts. They simply want someone who knows as much as they do. And the republicans in Congress just want to play Nero while America dies. Robert Mueller must appear before any and every committee that needs his testimony. He should be appearing on every news show to drill into our consciousness how guilty trump is. Twitter should have banned trump a long time ago. trump deserves no respect and the office of the President is in darkness until he is removed from office. Reporters should show no deference when speaking with anyone in the trump side show, including the headliner freak.
1
Robert Mueller,
This is certainly an academy award performance.
Let's see, the first lady nude photos on line, the president said he could shoot someone and the people would still vote for him. Children are kept in cages, the education dept. is destroyed by a group of money changing plutocrats, we are constantly, fearfully, reminded war might be the next step, this is ridiculous, unconscionable.
And..we are told to read a good book.
We don't need a book.
You, Mueller must tell us what you found out about a financially, morally, corrupt, group of people that have America hypnotized and how this could happen in a Democracy.
I no more believe you are playing by the rules that prohibit you to speak to us, than I believe that we are still living in a Democracy.
I fear that corruption has tainted this whole investigation.
If this was happening in France, no one would be sitting in their homes watching TV, they would be in the streets.
4
No question here. This cannot be considered acceptable.
The Gates - Manafort - Kilimnik - Deripaska, sharing of “internal polling data” on “battleground states” for Manafort's financial gain, especially the in-person meeting of the first three in New York where they all leave the building via different exits, has so far been the loudest smoking gun that we know of so far.
"Yet Mr. Mueller “could not reliably determine Manafort’s purpose” in sharing the data with Mr. Kilimnik."
Is there any possible positive spin for "Manafort’s purpose” that could be a credible defense? While I understand clearly defining motive on the Trump campaign side is legally important, my lingering question is on the Russian side. Did Deripaska want the data just to target social media mischief, or with that much invested in this enterprise, is it not reasonable to suspect actual election tabulation manipulation?
Given that “The F.B.I.....believes that this operation enabled the G.R.U. to gain access to the network of at least one Florida county government,” should we at least have a wider, deeper, and more public investigation of this meddling?
3
Clinton was impeached because he lied about having a sexual relationship with Monica Lewinsky. Let's please not forget that as we continue to hem and haw over whether Trump's treasonous activities are impeachable or not.
4
Welcome to New America. Everything and everyone is for sale.
1
"The longer one spends with the report, the more disturbing a document it is, despite the initial fuzziness of some of Mr. Mueller’s conclusions.
The American people have been handed a series of smoking guns, and yet they yawn and look away.
I've been struck by the same major issues Ms. Jurecic defines here, particularly Mueller's limited ability to connect the dots on conspiracy hitting a stone wall of deliberate deletions and use of incrypted phone apps.
The other is the sharing of polling data to work off Manafort's debt. I find that "little detail" damning and want to know why Gates and Manafort were so desperate to have Putin learn that those 3 states held the keys to Trump's victory.
Just because Mueller couldn't prove conspiracy doesn't mean it didn't happen. It reminds me of his conclusion on obstruction that while he couldn't indict, he couldn't exonerate either.
The Mueller Report contains enough chargeable offenses to send the whole campaign team off to jail. But Democrats are timid, the president is reinventing truth, and we're throwing away our freedom, charge by charge.
4
Honestly, why are we overthinking this? Let’s summarize: lock him up, lock him up, lock him up . . .
2
The word "impeachment" is a dirty, filthy, disgusting word, according to trump. So apparently he has a grasp of why it is being applied to his behavior.
1
And even more. Mr. Kilimnik, that Mueller report linked to Russia, was a U.S. State Department intel source. Hundreds of pages of government documents - which special counsel Robert Mueller possessed since 2018 - describe Kilimnik as a “sensitive” intelligence source for the U.S. State Department who informed on Ukrainian and Russian matters. Why Mueller’s team omitted that part of the Kilimnik narrative from its report and related court filings is not known.
https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/447394-key-figure-that-mueller-report-linked-to-russia-was-a-state-department
The intricate details in that 440+ page report sure deserved more focus than Barr’s soundbite about exoneration...
1
As stunning and numbing as Trump has been on the nation, the Republicans who collude and obstruct with him are just as culpable. To be mute about Russian involvement with an American election will someday seem like a Kafka-esque event, as the Mueller Report recorded a blow-by-blow, and millions let it blow right by them.
2
Sorry, but I can save a lot of people a lot of time:
intelligent.educated Americans for the most part know that Trump is a lifelong criminal in various capacities from his days denying blacks access to renting Trump properties in Queens to his blatant racism in calling for the death penalty against children in the Central Park jogger case to his fictitious university. Ignorant and mostly uneducated Americans don't care and don't read. Whatever they see on FOX and hear on wingnut radio is all they need. Plus, knowing they have a man in power who despises educated, thinking people is their revenge. I'm a little reductive her, but not by much.
2
I find this article very disturbing on two points. The first is that Mr. Mueller is unwilling to straighten out somewhat ambiguous language and just outright say what he believes. The second and I believe more damning is that the House is basically waiting for Mr. Mueller to tell them to impeach Trump. It seems like both Mueller and the House are pointing at each other to make the first move.
This report shows that there was outright coordination with the Russian government to influence our election and a blatant cover up by Trump. So having said that what is the House waiting for?
Speaker Pelosi now says she wants to see Trump in prison well so do I and many others, but when?
In 2021 after he loses the election? What if he doesn't lose then 2026?
I doubt very seriously that there will be any desire to imprison a president after he serves his term or terms. Now is the time to impeach before the momentum is lost to history.
1
Thank you for this clarifying Article!!!!
1
These are four particularly damning points but there are so many other intersections between the Russians and Trump campaign officials, over 150 different contacts in all, including important ones that may not have been pursued by the Mueller team, such as the flagged Deutsche Bank transactions involving Trump and Don Jr that were buried internally.
It is not clear to any of us or the judge why Flynn should get any break on his sentencing, as he was deeply implicated in attempting to profit from sanctions relief that was contrary to the interests of the US, as the Senate confirmed in a 98-0 vote.
Hopefully, someone will write a book like "All The President's Men" with a compelling and readable narrative of Trump's journey to the White House, to be published right after the GOP Convention.
1
What about suborning perjury? This was used against Bill Clinton, but in the case of Trump, it actually happened.
1
Nixon must be turning cartwheels in his grave non-stop for the last 2 years. At least he had the decency to cover-up the Watergate fiasco, everything Trump is doing is out in the open and still there doesn't seem to be a great deal of angst or passion to send him packing. I saw that clip of him looking into the cameras and literally pleading with Russia to find Hillary's emails. I saw one of his hate rally's when he was reading wiki-leak documents and telling his hate-mongering crowd how much he loves wiki-leaks. How does someone willing to prostitute himself to such a degree qualify for a security clearance, much less be allowed to hold office?
2
Mueller appears out of sync with today's world: people want to hear the story, not read it. Maybe if his summaries were released?
1
When you find some criminal acts you can make your point, disturbing doesn't cut it. Otherwise just another in the long, long, list of Trump bashing opinions.
1
We knew about Trump calling on the Russians to disseminate Clinton's emails.
We knew about The "access Hollywood" tapes
We knew about Trump"s shady business dealings.
We elected him.
A nsstion gets the government it deserves.
1
Get the audio and video out - people will react differently.
1
Here are four more:
Mueller says he could not find evidence to exonerate Trump, and that if he had, he would have put it in the report. Why say it?
Trump was not indicted because it would not have been fair to smear him since he cannot defend himself all the while smearing him with the report and statement.
The investigation lasted 2 years and the results came after the midterm elections.
Mueller could not indict Trump because of a DOJ memo, so why the investigation then? If because they wanted to preserve testimonies and look for co-conspirators, why didn’t they say that before, and if no co-conspirators were found why still go public with this kind of report and statement?
A fifth one is currently under investigation: why the investigation?
If the NYT is not anti-Trump, why no in-depth discussion of these extremely serious issues that have been raised, sadly only in crazy mainstream Fox News. Intelligent, educated, non partisan people that read this newspaper await (I'm sure many do not believe these people exist). If it has, I would greatly appreciate someone provide me the link, any link.
If Fox News controls the minds of people, what about the NYT, WP, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, and others I don’t dare mention? What is more dangerous to democracy, a media in war with the president, or a conspiracy regarding Facebook accounts?
1
What or where is the smoking gun? All this is maybe interesting, but not a direct enough hit to a collusion charge. Why not? To my way of thinking, because of the perpetual obstruction from the White House and it’s confederates & comrades.
Thanks Quinta!
Any mention of one particular side producing more of the inspiration for the new Jonas Brothers song “(I’m a) Sucker (for you)”?
The July 27th trump calls for Russia to find Mrs Clinton email in a speech. During that interlude he stared for a split second at someone in the audience to confirm his direction to Russia who was he staring at? If you find that person he will lead you to Russia
1
I despise all who continue to support this crook. And that includes some old friends. I have nothing in common with them.
When Trump said, “Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,” he wasn’t “referring to Clinton emails reportedly stored on a personal server” as the author alleges. He was referring—in jest—to the 30,000 State Department email that had mysteriously disappeared from Hillary’s private home server, which had been subpoenaed. We now know that Clinton’s computer technician erased the missing emails.
The Muller report flatly states: “Throughout 2016, the Trump Campaign expressed interest in Hillary Clinton’s private email server and whether approximately 30,000 emails from that server had in fact been permanently destroyed, as reported by the media. Several individuals associated with the Campaign were contacted in 2016 about various efforts to obtain the missing Clinton emails and other stolen material in support of the Trump Campaign. Some of these contacts were met with skepticism, and nothing came of them; others were pursued to some degree. The investigation did not find evidence that the Trump Campaign recovered any such Clinton emails, or that these contacts were part of a coordinated effort between Russia and the Trump Campaign.”
Source: Volume 1, Page 61.
2
@William Case
That was one of the president's funniest lines. That people believe it is the cause of Russian hacking has always been an absurdity. It is a viewpoint held only by Trump's most ardent critics.
1
@William Case
You make an assumption and state your opinion of Trump's motives in paragraph one that you cannot support. Nice lawyer trick, but but it won't hold up under cross examination. Beware of becoming like Scott Wolas, your old friend, who lost his soul to greed, like Trump. Being an apologist for Trump likewise does you no credit.
@Nobody
As I pointed out, the Mueller report flatly states: “The investigation did not find evidence that the Trump Campaign recovered any such Clinton emails, or that these contacts were part of a coordinated effort between Russia and the Trump Campaign.”
Volume I, Page 61
Caveat: I have disdain for our political process so my comments reflect no bias.
First of all. Politics is a full contact process. If every candidate is religiously fact checked they would be found wanting. flipping, avoiding etc. After all the end goal is to be elected. Other wise you wasted your time.
I have a technical background in the private sector. One tenant that you learn is ALL Emails are the property of the company you work for. ALL OF THEM. It is considered the height of inexperience and naiveté to write anything in an email that you wouldn’t want read by people you didn’t intend to read it. So yes the Democratic party was hacked. I read some of them which later were confirmed as true and written by the person who sent them. My first thought was REALLY!. REALLY!. Do you not understand the internet? Do you not appreciate that what you wrote is simply data,,,?? The lack of sophistication was equal to social media. Its like the writers thought they were at Starbucks over a cup of coffee having a chat.
What I dislike about media is bias. You piece simply explains what you believe. Yes its an opinion piece. But I read the first few paragraphs (I also have read the Mueller report cover to cover) and stopped. Your opening told me all I needed to know.
Fact is....I don’t care at all whether or not the Trump campaign sought to use hacked (but true) emails as weapons. That’s the system we created as a country. It lacks integrity...
1
Quint
You are better than this. This is such a reach.
1
Fate of America rests in a 400+ page report. Oh, the irony!
I can tell you who has read the report and has gleaned all necessary lessons for 2020 — Putin and his operatives, down to the foot soldiers who carry out the infiltration.
He is beyond guilty, just what are we waiting for??
1
I think the report is shocking. The trouble is people aren’t reading it. I suspect that if you asked most Americans what the IRA is w respect to the report, they would say “the Irish Republican Army?” But the Internet Research Agency in St Petersburg? Who knew? Admittedly, the redactions are annoying and interfere w continuity. But if you consider yourself a patriotic American, you should just brace yourself and read the thing. Then you might get a clue as to the Alice-in-Wonderland reality we’re currently suffering through. And you may well wonder why the House didn’t start impeachment hearings long ago.
2
Mueller called us all out on this. We are a lazy, disgraceful lot and if we become an oligarchy or dictatorship, we have only ourselves to blame.
After the 2008 recession, many farms were bought up by foreign companies. I’m shocked the farmers don’t see that. But I’m not surprised they stand behind him.
After the tariffs hit Americans with aluminum tariffs, Mitch McConnell, Trump and former Sen Vitter (R-LA) handed the same Oleg Derispaka you mention here an aluminum factory in Kentucky. Shocking? Yes. Surprising? Nope! Mitch gets himself a taste, Vitter’s wife gets a federal judgeship and the American companies and citizens paid a hefty tax. That’s people who like a nice cold soda or beer from a can. All those coolers getting filled right now have come with a premimium. But if you’re a Russian who helped Trump get elected or a Senator who has done more destruction to our democracy than any figure in history, you get a nice deal.
Maybeordinary American shouldn’t have to read the Mueller report but they better make darn sure the people (their reps and Senators) they pay to do just that have read it and can explain it.
And I’d say that goes double for media. Why is Barr even there? Has that been looked into? What about this McConnell-Derispaka deal?
And there are many reasons to despise Lyndsey Graham but when he smirked and stated he hadn’t read the Mueller report, the Capitol police should have cuffed him right there for dereliction of duty.
1
I get the country a nation of Bible-thumping local school boards educates.
Even for reasonable people who didn't have a luxury to seat and digest the full report, it should be perfectly clear that we dealing with criminal mafia of Goodfellas variety.
Basically everyone in his close entourage is a criminal who doesn't care about the rule of law. They got this job for one reason
only, to enrich themselves and bring the country to a total collapse.
Yes, we dealing with anomaly that is surpasses anything that we encounter in the past of this country.
At least during Nixon Watergate scandal republicans weren't acting as cult, following like zombies their criminal boss to the edge of the cliff.
To make it short, if Congress doesn't act immediately to enforce the multitude of subpoena, that being stonewalled and dismissed, if they don't bring civil action and courts against all this mafia cartel, they will never again be equal branch of the government as we descending to the pit of lawlessness.
1
The problem with the NYT comments section in general concerning Trump and his Dysfunctional Chaotic Administration..is that we are for the most part leaving comments to each other that do not change the minds of Trump's supporters. It's almost as though we who find fault and take issue with this President are talking to ourselves. You would think that Trump asking on National TV for Russia's help finding Clinton's emails would have raised alarm. Who as Americans would think we would see photos of Trump laughing in the White House with the Russians while explaining his firing of Comey ? As they say...What is wrong with this picture? From The Corner of The Oval is a book written by a former Whitehouse stenographer who describes the chaos of the Trump Administration..of course no one is keeping track anymore because Trump doesn't want a record kept. After all the chaos confusion indictments and convictions.how can there be any support for Trump? Why is there a Fox Nation? How are Mr Barr and the GOP able to distort the facts so easily and manipulate the American Public so easily? Trump support is simply UNAMERICAN! His behavior does not represent who we are as a Americans...or at least most of us...I hope..am I right?? If I'm wrong...we are in a heap of trouble as a Nation !!
1
@Dave
It is you who ignore the voices of Trump supporters. They are here. Try not to dismiss and/or attack them. You might learn something.
1
The antonym of Collusion is Honesty. Any questions? Now, collusion has many synonyms (456) -- just some of them are: conspiracy, intrigue, deceit, complicity, connivance, secret understanding.
Obstruction - synonyms = bar (almost Barr, but not quite - certainly ironic), block, cramp, crimp, deterrent, encumbrance, fetter, handicap, hindrance, impediment,interference,manacle,shackles,block. There are many others.
Everyone should have a Thesaurus. Hard copy on top of your desk. Or, voila - on line via Merriam Webster and many others. Give it a try.
1
"Questions remain, but the most important question is whether this conduct should be acceptable."
Ms. Jurecic regrettably pulls her punch right here at the end. From what possible point of view does the conduct she highlights count as "acceptable"? Of course it's not acceptable. Trump is a deeply corrupt President, unfit for office. Ms. Jurecic's piece makes precisely that point, until she falters at the end.
I think that's a conclusion that most fair-minded observers, such as Ms Jurecic, have reached. It takes a certain amount of courage to say it unfalteringly, given the hurricane of abuse one can expect from the Republican party and its now very substantial propaganda machine.
Dean Baquet, the Times's Executive Editor, in his remark that the Times uses the term lie in reference to Trump's remarks "judiciously," for fear of being seen as "taking political sides," makes it clear that the Times will not be courageous or unfaltering in its coverage of this topic. We need independent commentators such as Quinta Jurecic to hold to the courage of their convictions.
Trump, Fox News, Giuliani, and Barr are still winning the public relations battle over the Mueller Report. Although the written report, even in redacted version, portrays a damning picture, as the article states, Mueller spoke too little and too late and allowed others plenty of time to shape the narrative falsely to imply that Trump was innocent of wrong-doing. We live in a visual word and only televised Congressional hearings, with testimony by Mueller and others, stand a chance of reversing the narrative and creating the groundswell of public opinion necessary to impeach or otherwise defeat Trump.
Even for reasonable people who didn't have a luxury to seat and digest the full report, it should be perfectly clear that we dealing with criminal mafia of Goodfellas variety.
Basically everyone in his close entourage is a criminal who doesn't care about the rule of law. They got this job for one reason
only, to enrich themselves and bring the country to a total collapse.
Yes, we dealing with anomaly that is surpasses anything in the past of this country.
At least during Nixon Watergate scandal republicans weren't acting as cult, following like zombies their criminal boss to the edge of the cliff.
To make it short, if Congress doesn't act immediately to enforce the multitude of subpoena, that being stonewalled and dismissed, if they don't bring civil action and courts against all this mafia cartel, they will never again be equal branch of the government as we descending to the pit of lawlessness.
1
It happened. Get over it. What are we, as citizens going to do about it?
Why are we calling it the Mueller report? It doesn't look like Mueller wrote anything in it at all.
He is too smart to know one cannot prove a negative, to state that if there was no obstruction he would say so.
Will Horowitz do any better? Or will the same forces that got to Mueller, get to him as well?
It doesn’t matter, because Republicans will happily work with foreign dictators to ensure the American people are denied self government
1
Paul Manafort did not commit a crime by sharing Trump campaign polling data with Konstantin Kilimnik, the manager of his Kiev office. Sharing polling data with foreign nationals isn’t a crime. This is why Manafort was not charged with sharing polling data with Kilimnik. However, Special Counsel Robert Mueller persuaded a a federal judge that Manafort had broken his plea bargain agreement by not informing the Special Counsel Office about it.
The Mueller report states: “The [Special Counsel’s] Office did not identify evidence of a connection between Manafort’s sharing polling data and Russia’s interference in the election, which had already been reported by U.S. media outlets at the time of the August 2 meeting. The investigation did not establish that Manafort otherwise coordinated with the Russian government on its election-interference efforts.”
Volume I, Page 130
1
@William Case
Sharing polling data with foreign nationals isn’t a crime.
*****
Most of the alleged crimes identified by those demanding impeachment aren't actual crimes. They have no idea how weak a legal challenge would be.
1
Does it even matter? Mueller is a "Good Republican" who did his duty to party, certainly not to country no matter what he says.
Bottom line is you are witnessing the uselessness of elected Democrats as they get played and laughed at, by their Republican overlords.
1
Not only is Trump's conduct and that of his spear carriers unacceptable so is this heavily redacted "report".
I do not for one minute believe that ALL these redactions are to protect an "ongoing matter". The Table of Contents is REDACTED!
These redactions are, as likely as not, what was known during the Nixon era as "coverups" -- pure and simple.
Someday they will look back at this period, at all of us, and marvel in incredulity that we did not send the man immediately to jail, then impeach him, for all that he did right under our self-aware (at this point) noses. Were we THAT stupid a people? (Don't answer that).
John~
American Net'Zen
1
These are not disturbing details. They are the same weak, inflated claims that people have been making for years now. That nobody has even been able to bring a meaningful charge on, despite so much scrutiny from so many directions.
What is weird to me is the seemingly complete lack of awareness about the entire story, and how slippery the analysis has to be to maintain some sort of picture of conspiracy. The piece repeats Mueller's flimsy, dubious claim that Kilimnik is "assessed to have ties to Russian intelligence", which we know now is an even more ridiculous claim than ever - he has documented ties to our own foreign policy elements. The notion that Mueller ignored this is what is damning here, the idea he never even mentioned it is one of many inexplicable parts of his report.
Wool is being pulled over many, many eyes with this endless campaign to destroy Trump by any means.
1
Democrats are reading the Mueller report like it’s the Talmud now. Going over and over the text, teasing out what you feel reflects the Truth as you believe it.
1
@Jon
Spot on. Is it possible they don't know that it's just a viewpoint and not an actual verdict?
1
How could anyone have missed it because the msm has been blathering about this for 2 years. The problem is that politics is ugly. Clinton hires a British spy to garner dirt from same Russians on Trump. Neither was illegal but par for the course in politics. What the Trump team did is what they all would have done and that is why people don’t buy this narrative. Trump hated what the investigation was doing to his Presidency and that isn’t the nefarious motive you need for obstruction on any of the claims. Just beat him in the election next year and stop with this it hurts our republic far worse. Trump does and says enough stupid things to stop his re-election if Democrats just don’t do something stupid
1
Ms. Jurecic is the first person I've read who notes that Mueller did, in fact, show that Trump broke a law involving the Russians. It's called incitement. He incited them to illegally hack Hillary Clinton’s emails. This law has clear boundaries and requirements. The report shows Trump’s behavior meets them.
As for conspiracy, the report emphasized that evidence isn’t something that just appears. It has to exist. And it has to be exposed. People need to reveal it. That's what makes obstruction important. What's being obstructed? Evidence.
Incitement: Trump publicly told Russia to hack Clinton's server. Within 5 hours they tried to. Most of what follows is redacted by the AG. The courts set clear guidelines. If I have a public platform say people should kill cops, that's not incitement. There has to be a motive, the need imminent, the outcome likely. If I say a specific gang, which supports me, which I know has guns, which is capable of killing, should kill a specific cop, that's incitement.
Trump wanted hacked info for his immediate campaign, he wanted to tarnish Clinton, he knew the Russians could deliver. His request was incitement.
Federal sentencing guidelines for incitement: half the actual crime. Hacking gets 10, inciting it gets five. Statute of limitations, 5 years. More detail: https://bit.ly/2WYuNTg
I am a lawyer with a specialization in data analytics. Manafort sharing polling data with Deripaska via Kilimnik is exactly what would need to happen for Russia to know how to target its social media propaganda. This is the connection between Trump’s campaign and the ads bought on Facebook. I’d bet my bar license on it.
Mueller (pronounced “muller”) did a lot of just that — mulling over the facts and circumstances of this complicated and very troubling election and presidency. What happened and why? Who did what and why?
And that is good — up to a point.
But the House has a separate, Constitutional Mandate— to investigate and, where warranted, impeach any federal official outside Congress for treason, bribery or high crimes and misdemeanors.
They did not need to even wait for the Mueller Report. We all heard Trump say “Russia, if you’re listening...” and we heard him say he fired Comey over Russia. Committing Collusion and Obstruction as if Trump were back on TV on “America’s Dumbest Criminals.” How often do people confess to felonies on TV, including live TV — and yes, Russia was listening along with the informed populace?
The Constitution makes no mention of Special Counsels. Time to act.
The hearings themselves if properly conducted will be riveting as the pattern of criminality and abuse of power is detailed.
Plus Impeachment gives the House more weight to enforce its will in enforcing the acquisition of evidence and witnesses to conduct effective hearings. Lastly hire top interrogators to follow lines of inquiry to their conclusion—no scattershot random questions from showboating members for the camera.
This article by Quinta Jurecic from a 12-page portion of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report illustrates that Donald Trump conspired to use Russian interference on his behalf in the 2016 campaign to achieve the biggest effect in discrediting Hillary Clinton.
Ms. Jurecic also shows from the mere 12-page sampling that, once elected, President Trump actively conspired with others to obstruct justice.
Unfortunately, the article also shows how unnecessarily deferential Robert Mueller was to the Department of Justice protocols, how obtuse his writing style could be and – most importantly -- how he left his job unfinished.
The partisan shadow of Attorney General William Barr looms over the premature closing of the Mueller office.
The nation deserved better, and Congress needs to take aggressive action to get the truth to the American people.
This article points out nothing the press didn’t report live during the election.
1
Thank-you for the condensation of the Mueller Report. I've read about 200 pages so far. Debbie Jones
It's really too bad that we, as regular Americans, and even members of congress are obviously too stupid and have too short of an attention span to actually read or understand the report. God help us all.
You can all go back to watching The Bachelor now.
It appears that the Mueller Report in its redacted version which is available to all U.S. citizens contains enough damning information about trump's campaign and obstruction. Why can't the Democrats run with the version of the report they have access to? Why can't Tom Speyer run ads with particularly "disturbing" details?
I didn't read the entire report, but I do remember seeing that Mr. Mueller said they were not able to reach conclusions about obstruction, as a number of witnesses refused to be interviewed (trump being one) and that relevant correspondence had been deleted. Run ads with that information on major networks, target popular shows that Fox viewers watch. His supporters may not read, but we know they watch television, don't we?
And Oleg Deripaska’s $200 million investment in Kentucky was a nice windfall for Mitch too.
1
The entire report is damning, and Congress needs to get Mueller to speak. People don't/won't read his report; they don't have the time. If Mueller does the book report, the public will take it seriously.
The lesson that the Democrats in Congress never seem to learn is this: Trump, his stooges — Barr, Sarah Sanders, Kellyanne, Ben Carson, Wilber Ross, Betsy DeVos, Eric Prince — twisted family members — Ivanka, Jared, Don Jr. and Eric — and Fox News have absolutely no compunction about lying, tossing out norms, ignoring subpoenas, and fabricating an alternative reality. They lie, smile, and move on to the next outlandish lie. Meanwhile the Dems, Special Counsel and even journalists keep playing nice — and Trump and team run circles around them.
While I understand the need/desire to play by the rules, it’s time to put away the softball. We’re looking at you, Nancy Pelosi.
Start an impeachment inquiry. NOW. Hold Barr, Ross, McGahn, Hicks, and Donaldson in contempt. NOW. Stop threatening to hold them in contempt and just do it. NOW. Trump along with his gaggle of grifters are obstructing Congress’s investigation in front of our eyes. Stop the gaslighting. NOW.
Let's make it easier, and you don't need to read 440 pages for this one:
Mueller said in his 8 minutes of fame that DOJ rules prohibited him from not only indicted the president but from saying if he should be be indicted.
Barr was on CBS news in his fleece jacket soon after saying that was not so; Mueller COULD have said if he thought Trump should be indicted, but not indict him, per DOJ rules.
Yet at his confirmation hearing Barr said Mueller could NOT say if the president committed a crime because he could not indict the president, per DOJ rules.
Barr needs to be called before the House to explain why he lied under oath based on his statement in the CBS interview.
Let it be known ahead of time he will be impeached if he does not show up this time to determine if he lied under oath.
I think it time for some of those who have read, or are now reading the report to look also at this Russian Military Doctrine - from the pen and mind of the Chief of the Russian General Staff, Valery Gerasimov. It predates 2016. One link below is to his biography, the other two to to the Doctrine (one simplified, one from our own Army War College. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valery_Gerasimov, https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/Military-Review/English-Edition-Archives/Jan-Feb-2019/Gerasimov-Future/ https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/Military-Review/English-Edition-Archives/Jan-Feb-2019/Gerasimov-Future/
Trump's incompetence is exceeded only by is criminality.
1
Bad news; Good news. Bad: trump got the white house. Good: clinton did not.
Reading can be excruciatingly hard and time consuming! BUT, it is the ONLY thing that we can do IF we want the truth. That said, in a world that is going more to video that can be "sound-bited" so easily to appear the opposite to what really happened, as the "Drunk Nancy Pelosi" video that Zuckerberg's Facebook will not remove, clearly shows. For pure greed, Zuckerberg still holds that line.
Reading the full version is the ONLY way to know the truth about what Mr. Mueller and his team wrote.
I repeat; READING the un-edited, un-redacted full document is our ONLY way to the truth on what was written/documented by Mr. Mueller and I do hope that some schools, colleges and universities will agree to doing a public PDF on the full document so that it can be easily read and understood by any of the literate masses.
I do propose and HOPE that Harvard, Yale and Stanford Law Schools will cooperate to create an e-publication that becomes freely available online to all the public. If anyone reads this comment and agree, do send copies to those and any other school that wants to know the truth. I seek to JOIN & invite you to form teams to create PDFs with links to all connections, TO CONNECT THE DOTS, if you will. It is too much for single individuals, IT TOOK MUELLER'S TEAM OF EXPERTS 2 YEARS TO PUT IT TOGETHER! We regular people can’t be expected to do that.
We must read and fully understand this document.
Thank you
"Questions remain, but the most important question is whether this conduct should be acceptable."
I apologize if it appears I am playing the semantics game, but I believe the most important question isn't a matter of acceptable conduct but rather tolerated, approved, and supported conduct which was allowed and continues to be allowed to go without any consequences.
I used to think the Nixon era was the worst I had ever witnessed. But in comparison, that was small spuds because in all actuality, only a "handful" of individuals were involved. It was contained within a small, "elite" few.
This scenario seems to be bleeding uncontrollably of an agreed partnership with a foreign country who has proven to not be a US alley, and yet numerous examples and situations have occurred in which Mr. Mueller could not "fully explain" but leave more gapping holes than in a block of Swiss Cheese.
This isn't just about the guy who resides on Pennsylvania Avenue but his entire inner circle and those who continue to either defend him out of fear or disturbing loyalty. He claims to be an American but seems to rely and need the help and dirty work of Russia to do whatever he is doing.
What scares me is with Nixon, at least members of his own party realized what had occurred and took real action with teeth in it.
But with this situation, no Republican except that lone wolf in Michigan believes the President did anything wrong. Never have cards been stacked so high against the truth.
1
"Mr. Gates likewise told the special counsel that Mr. Manafort believed sharing the polling data with Mr. Kilimnik, who passed it to a Russian oligarch, Oleg Deripaska, would help resolve a financial dispute "
More likely data was used to confirm the the messaging and targeting of the Russian campaign was working or needed to be adjusted to improve effectiveness. It's like adjusting your gun sight in order to hit the target.
When things turn out not to be how a person has hoped, they often second guess the result. Like at a ballgame when the umpire makes a call and some fans don't like it and others do. Same here and like a ballgame, there are no re-do's. Anyone can argue against the umpires call. It's called motivational reasoning. But there are no re-do's of the Mueller report. Game over!
1
Your analogy is out of date. Umpire calls are routinely challenged and reviewed. Evidence is carefully reexamined, and calls are frequently overturned. Because, presumably, all anybody wants is to get it right. Right ?
But Mueller did get the call right, and that’s why impeachment is the only course forward.
1
@Terrapin Yes, you may be right about challenges to a ball game's umpire decision. But no, there are no challenges to the Mueller report under our system. There are no re-do's and no appointments of new Special Counsel in hopes that the result may be different. It is what it is.
Impeachment is not a review or a challenge to the Mueller report. It is a wholly different route that has a wholly different remedy. No criminal indictment or referral. Just removal if the Senate votes to do so. But as you and I both know, the likelihood of that scenario is zero. Game over!
1
This summary along with other noted facts in Mueller’s report demands the Congress and specifically the House Judiciary Committee move on with inquiries at deliberate speed. All of the posturing is abdicating The Article One branch’s responsibility. Nixon was popular too until the facts came out. Forget politics, do your job before it’s too late.
2
I have read many parts of the report. I have also read the Barr interview with CBS and Jonathan Turley's interpretation of Mueller's report. I would suggest those who are wedded to the report expand their own reading to include the views of those who have challenged Mueller's approach.
Mueller's is but one viewpoint. It is not gospel, nor is it final. Barr is the boss, and his opinion is the one that will prevail.
3
@AACNY So the "truth" is governed by the AG and his willingness to simply lie? Quite a concession on your part.
1
@AACNY, respectable opinions are based on verifiable facts. Specifically, which statements of fact in the Mueller report do you think are false? Specifically which statements of fact do you think do not support the conclusions ("opinions") that Mueller arrived at? Truth, reality, fact is not a matter of "opinion."
2
@Rena
They are not "lying". They are disputing. You really do need to differentiate between the two. Calling those who disagree "liars" diminishes the significance of the term. It has become meaningless.
1
Nancy Pelosi is holding off impeachment because there’s a good chance that Trump wins 2020. The Mueller investigation helped obstruct his first term and impeachment will try to obstruct his second. Rather than governing, the Democrats have moved into the insurance business.
3
@Chris, your theory has occurred to me too. If second-term impeachment is Pelosi's strategy, it's an unconscionable mistake. The Constitution includes an impeachment process to lessen the time that the people suffer the oppression of a corrupt executive. We the people will not forgive subordinating the integrity of our democracy to a political strategy. Justice too long delayed is justice denied. Dems will lose voters if Pelosi dawdles past 2019.
1
@Chris: Gimme a break. As long as Taiwan Agent Number One is Senate Majority Leader, his conference will hold the line, because they all took the money.
1
This column reinforces the fact that even if the House does not start an impeachment inquiry, it needs to have televised hearings with witnesses from the Report testifying under oath to what they told Mueller. If this does not happen, Trump gets a pass on the type of behavior that the report details. Too many Americans--probably close to half--get their information from Fox--which has cleared Trump of any wrongdoing on a daily basis. If the House does not do its job, then this is the message that at least half of America will take to the polls in 2020. Trump may very well get elected again. I hope Speaker Pelosi has a strategy other than a landslide victory in the 2020 elections.
2
Unfortunately Mr. Jurecic's "disturbing detail" offers nothing new.
First of all, the 30,000 missing Clinton email refered to were not from the campaign. They were from her private server which was illegally used while she was Secretary of State. The FBI declined to recommend prosecution even though she clearly violated the statute. But Director Comey decided that there was no evidence of intent to deceive.
Normally this decision is made by a Deputy AG, not the FBI. We've never understood why DOJ procedure was circumvented in that case and for some reason the media seems uninterested in that fact.
Secondly, Sec. Clinton's tenure just happened to coincide with substantial gifts to the Clinton Foundation from some nations that were negotiating with the US on diplomatic matters. So those missing emails would have insured the public that there was no effort at influencing US policy by making those gifts.
Then there's the Steele memo. Trump was obviously looking to Russia for dirt on Clinton. But the Clinton campaign was doing the same through their own Russian channels. Neither effort produced anything.
If this was a GRU effort to "destabilize our election" why didn't one or both of these efforts yield any serious information?
Then there's the DNC alleged hack but no discussion of why the FBI never conducted their own forensics report?
If this is being presented as a "crime of the century" there are very obvious loose ends that need answers.
3
@Drspock
The most important investigation underway is into the origins of the Trump investigation. There are safeguards against spying on Americans. For good reason. What's striking is how uncurious the media is. Should we assume their lack of interest is a sign of guilt? Were they complicit in promoting a false narrative that may now be found to have been criminal?
Democrats like Nadler are still promoting the idea that there's something hidden in the Mueller report. As if the fully un-redacted report will finally be the nail in Trump's coffin. My own view is that they are stringing along their pro-impeachment base. Talking about impeachment seems to be the new substitute for it.
1
I have not read the full report, but I've certainly been reading the news about it. Fact is, a lot of people don't even do that, Reading has been replaced with highly biased news and short twitter messages. Here is an idea: Extract key passages of the Mueller report and fire them off as Twitter messages. Just a thought.
1
It's hard to give Democratic leadership a pass for going AWOL on their Constitutional duty to impeach this President for his high crimes and misdemeanors. Perhaps they really perceive themselves to be impotent in the face of his political atrocities. Trump is making good on his prediction that he could shoot someone on 5th Ave. in NYC and not affect his political standing. Impeachment is a political process and as long as he maintains his current demagogic control of his voter base, no Republican Senator will deviate from their fealty to his rule for fear of losing to their wrath in the next election cycle. The rhetoric of the current Republican leadership in preparation for the 2020. election cycle is disturbingly in line with KGB rhetoric in East Germany during the Cold War. One wonders just how deep the Russian penetration of American political leadership has gone. Meanwhile, only Democratic leadership stands in the gap with the future. of the republic at stake. Let's hope they find the courage to act soon.
6
The stuff that will unseat Trump and ultimately could send him to jail is mostly confined to Volume II. Mostly.
But Volume I contains the scariest stuff for those who don't like seeing their country attacked by Russia. My jaw dropped to my chest early in the reading of Vol. I and never moved back up. Russia's Internet Research Agency - with the knowledge of the Trump campaign - did a job on America and that job should infuriate every single American.
Do not skip Vol. I
Yes collusion. Yes obstruction.
11
There's never been any doubt in my mind that regardless of Mueller's report and/or almost anything that he concluded, Trump is a man who would stoop to any low to achieve whatever he wanted to achieve. That, I think besides the fact that some people only watch Fox and don't read much, speaks to the fact that Trump hasn't been impeached. Yet. The two Russians who met w/Trump in the White House, the photographs taken so we know by Russian press, and all that has come to pass--37 or so in prison--what more do we need? I respect Pelosi's judgment to wait before pulling the trigger on impeachment, yet become increasingly impatient before we create more havoc as with Mexico, Canada--friends--and others, Iran and N. Koread, China, places where Trump INc. know not enuf about "diplomacy." Or the economy. Or healthcare. Or voters rights. And so forth.
4
Unfortunately we get the country that we deserve. Americans and our system of electing presidents via the electoral college installed a self centered businessman to lead our country. With all of the shenanigans that corrode our democracy since he became our current president if he is re-elected then isn’t it obvious that Americans don’t cherish our democracy? A terrifying thought and possible frightening reality.
4
@Mike: This freaked-out country is afraid of the wrath of the dead if it changes anything.
After reading all of this and parts of the Mueller report, I can’t help but ask “So what?” So what if Manafort sent polling data to a Russian oligarch? So what if Jared wanted to read Hillary’s emails? So what if Trump wanted to limit Mueller’s investigation? Nothing illegal here. Maybe the oligarch was looking forward to possible investments in the US and wanted to figure in the likely turn in the stock market if Trump beat Hillary. Hillary’s deleted emails? Everyone wanted to read them! It that doesn’t mean that they hacked them. Limiting the investigation? Trump lived through the Ken Starr investigation. You know, the one that never ended. Of course he wanted to limit it. The fact is that most of the readers here just hate Trump (hope to) see illegality in anything and everything he does.
5
@DB: I believe the 30,000 emails Trump referred to were deleted under FBI supervision because they pertained to personal scheduling matters.
1
@DB
Russia was never a big issue for the rest of the country. This is why when democrats went home to campaign for the midterms Russia was rarely mentioned. This is an issue only for the most vehement anti-Trump sector of the Democratic base. It's considered an "inside the beltway" issue. Certainly the media is profiting off it.
There were so many irregularities in Hillary's investigation. Democratic voters gave her a pass. They should not be surprised when the same is done for Trump.
@DB
Just one of your points: "So what if Manafort sent polling data to a Russian oligarch?" Possible investments in the US? Are you serious? Do you believe the moon is part of Mars too?
1
The polling data that Manafort and Gates secretly sent to Oleg Deripaska, and then Vladimir Putin, was the most egregious collusion by the Trump campaign. It all ties back to Steve Bannon who with Robert Mercer funded Cambridge Analytica, and John Bolton, who was the first user of the Cambridge Analytica data in 2014, when he ran a super PAC to successfully help Republicans get elected. The Cambridge Analytica data clearly worked well so its likely that Bolton then worked behind the scenes to help Trump too. And that’s where we come to Paul Manafort and the Russians. The Russians would have needed the Cambridge Analytica data to focus the style and content of messaging, in the various Key states. Kelly Anne Conway is a pollster by trade and that’s how she got into the campaign. If she conducted polls in key states and determined links between psychographics and voting intentions, they could then link that data with the Cambridge Analytica data on Facebook psychographics. This would enable the Russians to send targeted messages to Facebook users and on other platforms. It is all THIS data, (which Mueller calls “polling data”) that Manafort sent to the Russians, and it’s this data that is the clearest proof of collusion. It’s my belief that there is absolutely NO coincidence that John Bolton and Kelly Anne Conway are both now firmly in plum position with Trump.
12
Just read Trump's testimony in Appendix C, p.8-18.He says : I do not recall and I have no recollection,I do not recall and I have no recollection,I do not recall and I have no recollection,I do not recall and I have no recollection.
Nothing more telling than this.
8
@JD
He learned all of this from Hillary.
1
I am reading the Mueller Report, which, as you wrote, is dense and requires close reading. As I read it, I mark questionable passages that reflect some type of conspiracy or untruth. No one, even Barr, could have read it in a matter of hours and made pronouncements about it.
I wish that I were back in a graduate school seminar where a group of us could debate syntax, semantics, context, and motive.
6
Perhaps people who have no idea of Trump's criminality because they will not read the Mueller Report and only listen to Fox misdirections and deceptions will want to tune into a Congressional hearing with Mueller. The Senate will do nothing to support the truth to the American people.
Trump's attempt to keep people who have been subpoened from appearing before Congressional committees is made with the knowledge that keeping followers ignorant of the facts from public scrutiny is in Don the Con's interest.
7
Trump proves how imperial the presidency can be, thanks in part to DoJ policy of the Executive Branch itself, which protects authoritarian tendencies against prosecution, as if the pyramidal Executive Branch has mere potted plants serving it (including the V.P., Mr. Vanilla). It's a pyramidal self-definition of the Executive Branch that suggests that there would be harm to prosecute a president.
The Founders were explicitly trying to avoid a monarchy, but who would know now?
Maybe a sadder dimension is that Congress is afraid to impeach because it would hurt their own re-electoral prospects—because too many voters are frivolous pushovers for Trump whinning? Oh, poor bully is being bullied?
The imperial branch of government proves that ignoring subpoenas has no downside, because the wheels of justice turn so slowly that 2020 will be long gone before anyone is fined (or jailed).
A mobster type of business enterprise has hijacked the presidency with impunity, and there are no “sticks and stones” to stop it.
Authoritarians around the globe look at the U.S. and gloat, feeling free to belittle “democracy,” because it’s so much fake politics, just like them.
6
Everyone who has a brain cell working understands what trump represents. A blatant affront to civility and good government. Yet what is disturbing is those among our nation who feel that this is a devils bargain that is necessary and worthwhile. The voters in Iowa love this man child. Same with Nebraska and Wyoming. Trump has been lying cheating and obstructing his whole life. Now his infantile psyche has achieved the ultimate dopamine rush. Impeachment is not a good idea this close to the 2020 election cycle. What would be a good idea is for democrats to get their messaging and strategy together and address those persons in states that were mentioned. Yes. Do something about illegal immigration. Do something other than regulate regulate regulate. Move towards the center. It is why Bill Clinton was successful. He knew how and when to pivot. And what it takes to win.
2
An ongoing issue with the entire public discussion around SC Mueller's report is the failure of the vast majority of people to clearly understand the difference between "collusion" (secret cooperation or deceitful agreement in order to deceive others, although not necessarily illegal, as a conspiracy) and "conspiracy" (a secret plan by a group to do something unlawful or harmful). This failure has been aided by the failure of both the Democrats and the media to continually establish this difference until it is understood by all.
"Collusion," as is pointed out in this Opinion piece, has no legal definition; that fact is why SC Mueller deferred his investigation into one exploring the existence of a "conspiracy," which DOES have such legal (or actually, illegal) standing. The SC found inadequate evidence to establish a formal, legal conspiracy between the Trump campaign, but plenty of evidence establishing collusion.
Trump and his minions have succeeded in muddling the waters around his and the campaign's actions by taking a finding of no conspiracy and equating that with a finding of no collusion. The actual statement should be "plenty of collusion, plenty of obstruction" As my English teachers used to say, "Words matter."
11
@Jack
If "collusion" isn't an actual legal term, why did democrats use it for 2 straight years? To now claim that the term is somehow irrelevant is just nonsense.
1
The other day, I went to Walmart and bought a copy of the report for 11 bucks. After reading 100 pages, I quit reading. I'll try again on Monday. It was very difficult with numerous footnotes and comments. The redactions, in more than a few instances, take up a whole page or more. The print size is very small. I'm struggling with it. It would have helped if I was more in tune with legalese jibberish. Maybe a good citizen can translate it into English. The next two years will be spent interpreting it by the public, or at least up until election day. My advice is to make a copy of the early pages which identify the Russian organizations and what they have done. You will need to keep a copy handy so you can identify who's who as you go along. I hope the next 350 or so pages are more interesting and informative. So far, I can't agree with the president's claim of exoneration.
6
@mikeyh I got mine free online by just googling "Mueller Report." Having an electronic version means I can adjust the type size to suit my vision. But it's still tough going, even with an advanced degree in English.
@mikeyh
"Playing footsie with the Russians" pretty much covers it!
@mikeyh: Lawyers are paid to bury the truth in so much gibberish that nobody can find it.
Benefit of Doubt! That’s how Trump and his inner circle works. People with “Truth Glasses” have no trouble seeing a foul during a game between two rival sports teams. But Alas, let’s just say YOUR TEAM commits a REAL OBVIOUS FOUL. How many times are WE willing to say, or even believe, it wasn’t a real foul, and shouldn’t have been called?
I believe that if neutral referees were presented with the evidence from the Mueller Report, Donald Trump would already be impeached.
Anyone watching Donald Trump during his visit to Omaha Beach this past week is confronted with a real Quagmire. On the surface, without any of his tweets or Fox interviews, he truly looked and spoke like The President of The United States!
Folks. That’s what a good actor does! It says nothing about his character or intentions. Donald Trump should get the Academy Award for his performance. This is why he actually could win in 2020. Real Americans just don’t realize they’re watching theatre. For the rest of us “non theatre” observers, we’re willing to throw Joe Biden, the one person who could actually beat Trump under the bus because he changed his mind about the Hyde report? This is why Republicans win!
5
“could not reliably determine Manafort’s purpose” in sharing the data with Mr. Kilimnik.
Well, if the Russians placed targeted ads on Facebook and the targeting was aligned with the polling data, then Congress should conclude that there was a conspiracy.
11
Wow. I was a director on the analytics team for the 2012 Obama Campaign. Polling data are some of the most expensive and highly-held secrets of a campaign.
With polling data, you can target precisely the people and areas for persuasive campaign efforts. The Russian help may well have made the difference in MI, PA, and WI "battleground states" that delivered the Presidency to Trump.
Data is power...the election was hacked.
25
And the Russians still have the polling data.
2
Judging from the comments of many Congressional Democrats this week, they seem on the cusp of grasping that they need to explain this report to the country, much like the Rodino and Ervin committees exposed and explained Richard Nixon's obstruction of justice in 1973 and 1974. Why it has taken so long for them to understand this is beyond me. How— or do they— teach about Watergate to history and political science students in college today?
2
I didn't miss any of this. It is clear that Trump is not only guilty of obstructing justice but also seeking, welcoming, coordinating and cooperating with Russian sabotage of our election. The House Judiciary Committee should have begun impeachment investigations as soon as Mueller released his report and the longer Pelosi dithers and delays the weaker the Dems appear. Mueller, McGahn, Barr, Mnuchin, Ross, Bannon, Priebus, Hope Hicks, Donaldson and every other member of the Trump administration, past and present, should have been subpoenaed and those who ignore the summons should now be sitting in jail.
10
@Christy: The system is in denial of Trump's guilt because to do so is an admission that it is broken and fraudulent itself.
2
@Steve Bolger, the GOP is also in denial because having its president in the Oval Office is essential to holding onto power: he is nominating scores of far-right judges; dismantling worker, consumer, and environmental protections; directing Department of Justice to scuttle voter rights, etc.
As the voting demographics change, having an aggressive executive is essential to keeping the control they crave and doing maximal damage to the democratic systems ASAP.
2
That Trump is so far unscathed is a combination of privilege and the wealth-dominated political power structure.
Otherwise, the colossal lack of patriotism in colluding with a foreign power to win an election would have sunk him by now.
6
@midwesterner: Trump is backed by Mitch McConnell who is backed by Taiwan to keep his conference well fed on political donations.
3
where is Anonymous when you need them? someone out there , some super-hacker or hackers, must have the ability to get the original un-redacted report and post it all over the place. The truth will out.
2
We can read and re-read those same passages a thousand times and still not see the collusion you want us to see because it just isn't there. Mueller was clear enough: there was insufficient evidence to charge any American with criminal conspiracy with Russia related to the 2016 election. It is not illegal to call for the release of information, cheer the release of information, or benefit from the release of information. It is not illegal to call for improved relations with Russia. It is not illegal to shake hands with the Russian ambassador at a reception. It is not illegal to have business deals with Russia. It is arguably not illegal to have Russian oligarchs donate over $100 million to the Clinton Foundation. Bottom line: there was no evidence of any explicit pro quo conspiracy between Trump and Russia or any overt bad acts needed to make a conspiracy charge stick.
3
There may be no smoking gun, but there is enough circumstantial evidence to warrant a trial. It should be up to a jury of his piers to determine guilt. Only problem is he has proven no five year old has the attention span to listen to the evidence.
@Caleb Mars: The legal standard is "beyond reasonable doubt". The word "reasonable " doesn't even apply to Trump.
@Caleb Mars
Mr. Mars,
I believe you misread it then misheard Mr. Mueller’s words, spoken to correct the aforementioned misreading due to the AG’s misdirection. I’ll admit it is a legal nuance, but in this case it is everything. He said he would not levy any charges because it is the DOJ’s policy not to charge sitting presidents. He didn’t say there wasn’t enough to charge literally any other person in the US, just not the sitting president because they don’t charge ANY sitting president. You see, the US Constitution (an informative read) leaves charging a sitting president with a crime to the US House of Representatives (aka impeachment) and his trial to the Senate. So there’s no point to DOJ submitting charges that the federal courts can do nothing with. Hence the policy. It’s no secret, tricky legal technicality, it’s right there in the Constitution for anyone to read.
And as to your “and what about Clintons” deflect, what you and the president don’t seem to understand is that in the judicial system and in just normal reality, one person’s misdeeds or crimes are neither mitigated nor absolved by someone else’s, so whatever the Clintons did or didn’t do is absolutely immaterial to all of this forever and ever, amen.
Have a nice day.
5
We already know this. At least those of us who read and watch more than just “conservative news” outlets.
I read recently, “The United States has the highest rate of functional illiteracy in the Western world, even though we have the most libraries.”
I am currently reading the Mueller report, unlike most of Congress. Let’s cut to the chase: Mueller must testify in public, and the impeachment inquiry must begin now. It will take at least a year to conclude it, if Watergate is a benchmark. And this is a bigger coverup than Watergate.
Meanwhile president “Broke-ahontas” can do much damage.
Ms. Pelosi, we can have impeachment AND jail.
6
The problem the Democrats face in pursuing an impeachment was caused by AG Barr's early released memo that painted Trump as an innocent target. That is all most people remember, and the message that was hammered home by Fox. That is why the Democrats want to have hearings ... to spread the word that Trump is Guilty. Then the table is set for impeachment. Oh, and lets not forget that Trump is un-indicted co-conspirator #1. That alone is impeachable.
Plus, Mueller was not allowed to look into Trump's finances. If Trump is financially entangled, or laundering money for Russia then Mueller was not allowed to find it. What conspiracy investigation doesn't follow the money? This was a setup to stop Mueller from finding something, or so I am convinced.
3
A) Trump wanted to benefit from information Russians had and were releasing to public, B) Ms.Clinton send a foreign ex spy to buy secret information from Russians for a purpose of benefiting from it. If A) is a collusion B is what?
2
There is one other thing, that has been missed.
The fourteen other Investigations that have spun off of the Mueller Investigation (two of which the public already knows about) are ALL under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Justice.
And who is the head of the U.S. Department of Justice?
William Barr.
The redacted documents, and all of the other Investigations, will never ever see the light of day.
5
I was hoping this story would address a point I found disturbing in Part 1 of the report, (I believe on page 10) which is the report’s acknowledgement that witnesses lied, deleted evidence and had used communication methods that permanently destroyed records. The report states that the conclusion of Part 1 could be changed pending further revelations as a result of those witnesses actions. The only public person I’ve heard reference this statement in the report has been my congressman, Jerry Nadler. Let’s hope he stays on this!
4
@Dale Line
Are you sure you’re not referencing Hillary’s destruction of computers, hard drives and 33,000+ emails?
1
It turned out just as I predicted in the beginning. Mueller would stall for two years to get everybody adjusted to the "normality" of Trump, and produce a report so turgid nobody would read it anyway. The guy is a military lawyer. Their job is to contain legal trouble to lower ranks.
3
The report is now gathering dust. There’s nothing new to be learned here aside from the fact that Trump opponents just can’t let it go.
2
I simply don't understand why trump's criminal behavior is being tolerated.
3
@dmfeil
For the same reasons Bill Clinton, who sexually assaulted several women, and Hillary Clinton, who went after his assault victims and recently broke several laws in her sloppy hanging of secure information and then destroying evidence, received a pass.
Support for the Clintons -- Hillary's very recently -- demonstrates that Americans will tolerate great misbehavior when their own party is delivering. Morality is not the most important factor in their own candidates. It is becomes monumental, however, when judging the opposing party's candidate.
Those on their high horses don't seem to realize that they have forfeited their credibility.
The most disturbing part of the Mueller report is what is not in it. He mentions both Mifsud and Steel early but fails to interview either one. For that matter Glenn Simpson who plead the fifth is also not interviewed.
Overall the report was an epic waste of tax dollars
2
This is not rocket science.
If you carefully read the report and use common sense you’ll find Trump knew about the Russian interference in advance and worked behind the scenes with Roger Stone and Wikileaks to smear Clinton.
Meanwhile, Manafort was running a separate operation to make nice with his Russian overloads.
We learned that Trump colluded with Russians and other foreign persons to influence the election in his favor, then tried to cover it up.
For the good of the republic the Democrats need to impeach him now. Expose him for the traitor he is and make the Republicans publicly defend him for the whole world to see.
6
Of course the campaign of Benedict Donald benefitted from their active enlistment of Russia’s considerable cyber warfare capabilities, and as the EC was tipped in his favor by only 80,000 votes, across 3 states they quite likely were the difference. We’re now in the same place as during Lance Armstrong’s string of Tour de France victories, deny, deny, and 10 years later coming clean, “why do you think they call them performance-enhancing drugs”? The tRump campaign sought and received benefit from Russia, denied and hid their contacts, but it didn’t help.... right.
3
@Xiamenbill
Excellent point. Phony Facebook and other social media accounts were set up by Russia, putting out misinformation favoring Trump and hurting Clinton. It is estimated that these accounts, through being forwarded to others by those viewing them, reached anywhere from 29 Million to 126 Million people. And Trump won (through the Electoral College) by 80,000 votes. I'm not a mathematician, but it seems that if 1 in 300 or so of those who received those phony posts were influenced by them, that would account for the margin of victory for Trump.
So why not start impeachment hearings? I am growing tired of the Democratic leaderships ambiguity towards the obvious. If I where the in leadership I would start the impeachment hearings after the summer recess. I would conduct the hearings using the Mueller report as a yellow brick road, just follow it. Everything needs to be spelled out in order to see the full picture. By starting after summer recess all the bad deeds can be highlighted in the campaign. When debates come along trump will have to answer to them. What better way to point out all that has happened than to watch the news every night about the hearings that have happened that day. The idea is to inform the people of all the bad he has committed. This way you do not need a conviction, just let the American people see for them selves what he has done or tried to do. Let the sun shine through this report. Stop being afraid and show some conviction in your ability to lead.
2
While I have no evidence to support this claim all that has been reported makes me suspect that Barr shut down the Mueller investigation before the work was complete. Why so many loose ends?
So? You don't have to read the report (which I am slogging through) to learn any of these things, they have been widely reported since the report was published.
The real shock is that nothing will come of them.
2
The overriding fact is that without an original crime it's not going to be possible to convict Trump of anything in a court of law. For example, wanting to kill someone is not a crime. Therefore wanting help from the Russians or wanting to obstruct an investigation is not a crime. It's a political decision that Americans have to make on whether or not they want to accept this behavior, in the voting booth.
All that Democrats are doing is proving Trumps assertion that they want him out by hook or by crook, and that the investigation was nothing more than that.
2
@Ishmael Mauthausen
There are many misguided democrats who believe the impeachment case against Trump is a legal slam-dunk. They have ignored all respected and well-argued legal opinions to the contrary. One wonders whether they even realize that there is, in fact, a valid legal challenge to their dream of impeachment.
@Ishmael Mauthausen
"Wanting to kill someone is not a crime, therefore wanting help from the Russians is not a crime? "
"wanting to obstruct an investigation is not a crime."
Seriously?! Actions, not desires, can be considered crimes if they violate laws. Attempting to obstruct an investigation into a suspected crime by lying under oath to the FBI or Congress is most certainly a crime. That is one of the reasons that Paul Manafort is in prison, and why Michael Cohen is in prison, and other Trump associates have pled guilty. Your comment is as phony as the Russian Facebook posts.
Whether they call it an "Impeachment Hearing" or simply, as Donny Deutsch has suggested, "The Trump Criminal Investigation", House Democrats have to expose Trump's illegal activities to Americans who are either too busy or too lazy to read the Mueller Report.
The Watergate hearings back in the early 70's had an enormous influence on people's opinion about Nixon's guilt. Hearing John Dean, HR Halderman, John Ehrlichman, Alexander Butterfield & others testify before the Senate committee was crucial to changing public opinion about Nixon. I know it changed mine.
House Democrats - do the right thing. Call witnesses to testify, & expose Donald Trump's criminal activities.
2
The hearings were a revelation to this of us who listened to them during that summer of Watergate. And it convinced many of Nixon’s supporters of the need to impeach Nixon and, ultimately, led to his resignation.
We need similar TELEVISED hearings to show the people of this country the extent of the Trump criminality. Only then will the support for impeachment be found or, at the very least, will support for his reelection fade along with the economy.
1
When I was in school we learned about "Checks and Balances".
Where are they? The Constitution is one of the world's great documents of governance and humanism yet profiteering through propaganda and ultra-nationalism has lessened this country's greatness. Trump is guilty of treasonous acts by collaborating with the Saudis, Russia, Weapons manufacturers and self serving politicians. His support by Congress is transparent power brokering over true National interest and international diplomacy.
1
@rixax
Good point regarding the profit motive in weapons sales. I also wonder if anyone is looking at potential manipulation of the stock market by constantly threatening to levy tariffs against other countries, and then often backing off. The stock market has responded like a yoyo. Since Trump did not divest himself of his financial interests after election, it is fair to question whether he has profited in the stock market through his knowledge of whether he truly intended to levy these tariffs, or not.
2
The only reason the thimblerigger on the riverboat aMErica is successful at all is due to the gullibility or obsequiousness of his duped base. Everyday the spin machine as trumpeted on tweets takes truth and converts it to well-crafted cover. It's all image, like his substance-free visit to appear in photos with the Queen. With a base fixated on ignorance we're in big trouble.
1
It is horrifying that Trump and his minions have been gotten away with this level of corruption in every form, including financial conflicts of interest and an open checkbook for family to vacation whatever wherever they want well they cut back on things like school lunch programs. Start by holding Barr in contempt and keep going. I personally think Trump should be prevented from running for another term at the very least.
2
Wow I can’t believe so many intelligent people are recommending the impeachment of President Trump. It is so obviously a dead end at this point.
Reading these points it is clear to me why Mueller did not find Trump guilty, it seems that he is able to work in mafia-like fashion and not get his hands dirty, so yes, it would be difficult to prove that Trump did any wrongdoing, the only proof is found in with the people surrounding him.
Dems should concentrate on creating a successful presidential campaign in 2020 and the media (yes I feel this is media driven...) should stop goading the Dems into impeachment.
1
@AnnMarie
Ann Marie: Trump's hands are filthy. He ordered Comey fired. He ordered Sessions to rein in the Muellar investigation. He ordered McGahn to make false statements, and to refuse to testify when subpoenaed. Read the Muellar Report. He has committed multiple felonies, and the only reason he is not being charged is that the DOJ has a rule that a sitting President cannot be charged with a crime. The only avenue in our system to hold a President accountable for criminal conduct is impeachment. It is obvious that Fox News did not inform you of this.
1
This USA has, over time, destroyed many other countries including Iraq and Vietnam. This destruction was based on lies, told many, many times and at the highest levels. No one has been held to account. The lesser Bush, Cheney, LBJ, Nixon and Capo Kissinger, et al. They should have been tried, for war crimes, in the Hague. So maybe what goes around, finally comes around. Americans, ever so cavalier about the wanton destruction of others, now gets to watch the chickens come home to roost. Who knew it would be so easy to trash our so dearly held belief in ourselves and our system of government?
1
Mueller lost control of the narrative when he he failed to bring an indictment. Then he failed to clearly direct Congress to indict. Ken Starr indicted Clinton on far less serious infractions that posed no actual threat to the Republic. The failure at this point is Mueller’s abdication of any responsibility and lack of courage to do the right thing. Without a clear, forthright telling of the facts, there is no truth. Without the truth, Trump and his sycophantic grift machine will remain in control of the narrative. Because they know that if you tell a lie enough times, people will believe it.
1
Meanwhile, in a parallel universe ...
South Carolina secessionists, in league with a foreign power, declare their secession from the Union.
President James Pelosi in response declares that South Carolina does not have the power to do so.
But he also says he has no power to stop them.
In that parallel universe, the United States of America no longer exists.
Does it in this one?
There should be no question as to whether these activities by Trump and his minions are "acceptable," regardless of whether they are criminal. No one who cares about the stability of our democracy can consider them acceptable, so the real question is only about the appropriate remedies. Despite what Trump's de facto protector, AG Barr, says about the unfettered power of an imperial president, no president should be above the law while in office or not, and impeachment is the Constitution's declared remedy for behavior that consists of any "high crimes and misdemeanors" that Congress determines are unacceptable for a president to engage in.
One of the articles of impeachment prepared by Congress against Nixon focused on obstruction of justice. Clinton was impeached for a minor offense of personal conduct compounded by obstruction as determined a highly partisan gang of Rs in Congress. (Chief hypocrite Lindsey Graham said then that they must restore honor and integrity to the nation's highest office. How quaint and duplicitous that standard seems today, when Graham and other Trump apologists find nothing Trump does so degrading to the office that it merits even a rebuke.) Neither president came close to amassing the number and severity of offenses committed by Trump.
Despite his crude and noxious demagoguery, Trump has managed to normalize corruption and every form of unfit behavior that in the past would have doomed a president. When will we demand this stop?
3
Still wondering how Cohen goes to prison for following trump’s orders.
If the act is illegal, the order is illegal.
6
In addition to the revealing details noted in this scrutiny of the Mueller Report, I find an interesting and overlooked detail in Mr. Mueller’s address on May 26, that, to my knowledge, has not been discussed. The last sentence of the fifth paragraph of his address begins: “When the subject of an investigation . . .” moves to obstruct, etc. That sentence, if it began with “If the subject . .. ” would convey, to me, a totally different meaning. The word “When” was chosen for a clear reason — to convey, I believe, that action is deemed necessary. His choice of words was deliberate, I am sure.
1
We know that the Mueller report will never convince Trump's base that he should leave office. They love him. They love his anger and bigotry. They see in him their own sputtering insecurity. He lashes out like they wish they could.
So what does a thinking, caring person do with this Mueller information and the sad fact that millions don't care if Trump breaks the law? What do we do?
Declare that the report shows the candidate and his campaign attempted to collude with Russia and that the President attempted to shut down the investigation. Nut shell the Mueller report. Post it for the record. Then stop.
The we find a new leader that will get out the vote. All the Mueller discussion that happens between now and November 3, 2020 will just be noise. It is intellectually frustrating and legally wrong. But we must play the long game. If Congress attempts impeachment, it will just detract from the messages we should be sending to the public that we CAN influence.
There is a core of Americans that have tuned out and are numb to all of this. But they will listen to a candidate who provides real solutions to their specific problems. Warren, Harris, Buttigieg and yes, good old Joe are putting forth proposals that can help rebuild the middle class and help save the planet. Give a listen. Give them some money. Focus on getting people to vote.
I'm am tired of discussing the villain. I am ready for a hero.
Aren't you?
2
I have often written to encourage people to read the report before commenting. Robert De Niro wrote an OpEd that the Times published stating people did it have enough time to read the report. I did not think of it before, but I guess he was really referring to our members of Congress. Lame and shameful.
Your framing of the issues is excellent. I have repeatedly asked two things. Why does Pelosi not move forward with impeachment or say it will not happen and focus on other issues. And, where is the focus from the media and government on making sure Russian, Chinese, Iranian, or any other government can not interfere in our elections.
1
This president is squelching a very real security problem because of his ego. Our election of 2020 is in jeopardy. This man is purposely ignoring addressing the nation regarding steps taken and to be taken; paper ballots in every state and every precinct? What has he done or said to address our security breech? Or - - is he banking on Russian interference again to help him? Wouldn't put it past him.
http://election.result.pk/
3
It is hard work concluding that there was no collusion, no conspiracy, no obstruction.
Attorney General Bob Barr is the hardest working individual in Washington, D.C.
4
Donald Trump’s legitimacy as POTUS is questionable at best. He won a rigged election by the thinnest or margins. Why isn’t the press spending more time on this important fact?
4
If you surround yourself with enough dubious lawyers, who have no problem with witness tempering, openly lying to american people aka... Mr.Dowd, Mr. Sekulow, Mr. Giuliani only then you can avoid prison sentence, which proves once again that we don't have equal justice system in this country, and this allows rich criminal to run free to the detriment of rule of law and the Constitution.
To say it's miserable, unsustainable state of affair would be a gross understatement.
Even for reasonable people who didn't have a luxury to seat and digest the full report, it should be perfectly clear that we dealing with criminal mafia of Goodfellas variety.
Basically everyone in his close entourage is a criminal who doesn't care about the rule of law. They got this job for one reason
only, to enrich themselves and bring the country to a total collapse.
Yes, we dealing with anomaly that is surpasses anything that we encounter in the past.
At least during Nixon Watergate scandal republicans weren't acting as cult, following like zombies their criminal boss to the edge of the cliff.
To make it short, if Congress doesn't act immediately to enforce the multitude of subpoena, that being stonewalled and dismissed, if they don't bring civil action and courts against all this mafia cartel, they will never again be equal branch of the government as we descending to the pit of lawlessness.
3
If the conclusions reached by the Mueller leave so many depressed because it had not fully condemned and convicted trump in one fell swoop, then that becomes the problem for congress to resolve, where it always lie. Add to that the disgruntled voter over it's results, then we share in that problem by making sure that we turn out in full force at the polls Nov. 2020 and VOTE. Please leave me the joy of having the opportunity to vote against this vile person.
1
Even if every single implication and allegation in Mueller's report were proved beyond a reasonable doubt, Trump's fan base would not care in the least. The bigger problem is that Republicans in Congress also do not care in the least.
Nothing matters more than their continued rule - and collusion, obstruction, and corruption are perfectly acceptable so long as they advance the conservative agenda. This is, after all, a party that's already comfortable with gerrymandering, voter suppression, and a profitable corporate system of nationally-broadcast lies and propaganda.
Unfortunately for the nation, nobody embodies the GOP's "party over country" principles more thoroughly than Mitch McConnell. He's been handed an historic opportunity to display principled statesmanship and courage, but what history will record is his pathetic, pernicious capitulation.
2
Regardless of which of the cost estimates for the special counsel’s report is correct, it was my money, taxpayer money, that funded it.
That makes it required reading.
One of the more amazing takeaways is the ineptitude of trump, his family, and his associates. Forget collusion. They conspired! But they were too failure-prone to complete the act.
Nonetheless, once there is a conspiracy, the law has been violated regardless of whether the objective was reached.
The criminal actions continue and the toothless contempt citations that are pending won’t stop it.
Let’s go Congress! If you could tile up enough voters to gain control of the House, you should be able to do the same to either back impeachment or vote these clowns out of office. Either way works for me.
Who knows? Maybe starting impeachment proceedings in 2020 won’t allow enough time to bring the charges to a vote in the senate, but it should be long enough to expose the criminal acts to the voting public.
2
Given President Trump's nationwide low popularity rating, he knows he needs (and he hopes for) continued Russian interference on his behalf in the 2020 election.
Russia, are you listening?
Doug Giebel, Big Sandy, Montana
1
@Doug Giebel
Is there any chance most of your neighbors are ready to dump Trump in 2020 and would having Bullock on the ticket help?
Mr. Mueller is such an angry political player -
- out to defend the Washington, D.C. culture -
- that he came out for a few minutes to completely disagree with what he had said to AG Barr earlier - multiple times - and to give political hate-trainers a line they could use for ammunition.
Mueller will always refuse to appear before Confgress because he could be verbally dissected and fileted in about five minutes by honest men like Jim Jordan or Trey Goudy.
The crimes are clear. The basis for impeachment is clear. The disloyalty to the American electoral process is shocking. But we have a major political “party” that is nothing but an organized criminal enterprise modeled on, and cooperating with, the Russian Petro-Mafia. Its singular goal - remain in power. Half of the country is blind or complicit. The other half, unable to mount a coordinated muscular response. The Republic is in danger.
1
This is a man who has no allegiance to anything , including the country of which he is the president of. In what way, shape, or form is how he stood by knowing the Russians were giving him stolen information considered being a patriotic American? It is far from that. On the other hand ,it is willfully participating in an adversarial country’s will to elect him by any means possible including illegal means of hacking into private emails.
I very much worry about the legitimacy of the 2020 election. What will the Russians do next ? What if our intelligence agencies uncover that they begin to learn fiddle with our voting machines ? Another traitor to our country , Mitch McConnell, refuses to bring the bill on to the Senate floor which provides protections for our election system including requiring states to have paper ballot backups .
If Trump wins fair and square, OK then we except it. What if it isn’t fair and square? What do we do then?
2
If the Watergate burglars who attempted to steal Democratic Party documents had been found to be Russian military intelligence officers, trying to aid the Nixon presidential election efforts. Nixon would have been imprisoned. Collusion or no collusion, conspiracy or no conspiracy, obstruction or no obstruction.
The only way that the Democrats could remove Trump from office would if he blatantly defies a Supreme court ruling regarding documents or allowing testimony. That could cause some Republican senators to actually call for Trump's removal.
Whatever evidence and proof of criminal acts that Mueller could have come up with, it is certain that such evidence and proof could not be as powerful an indication of wrongdoing as the evidence in the public record that Bret Kavanaugh was lying in the senate hearings relating to his confirmation as a Supreme Court Justice.
Once Ford’s account included three people she said were there AND his calendar had them all at Tim Gaudette’s house on July 1, 1982, AND Ford’s description of the interior of Gaudette’s house in Rockville, MD exactly matches that of the actual house, which still exists: the only way that Kavanaugh was not lying is either: Ford somehow obtained access to his 1982 diary/calendar, or Ford has a time machine or Ford stalked Kavanaugh in 1982 and planned for this if he was nominated to the Supreme Court..."
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4216597
Trump campiagn staff and Russian intelligence collaborated to gain control of the government of the United States. Trump interfered with the investigation. That's what I get out of reading the Mueller report. Democrats, lets go.
2
Trump commits impeachable offenses daily. Telling people to not use AT &T. Siding with our adversary over our national security agencies. Blocking any information and ignoring congresses inquiries and subpoenas.
It is imperative that the House begins impeachment proceedings. The Republicans would have done it long ago if it was a Democratic President.
The population is numb to all his abuses and lawlessness and it will only get worse.
4
Why are everyone all the time using the word "collusion". This was a conspiracy. The internet makes everyone follow one idea - word, even, like collusion. Probably there was no collusion(whatever that means, in context), but there certainly was conspiracy under US law. If you can't under this SCOTUS and parliament make criminal law work usable towards the President himself, you certainly can to his wiseguys: Don Jr., Kushner, Eric (probably, since the US still convicts the not-so-well-placed-when-God-delivered-the brain), Ivanka, Melania, everyone he's fired, etc, etc.
No, there was no "collusion", but there was intent, motive, and conspiracy. All three if serious enough...punishment to follow.
Crazy as he is, the President in an interview in England, told in a tv show that his service to the country today more than makes up his no-show in Viet Nam.
So, he should be tried by a court marshal, not a civil court.
I am looking forward to "The apprehended apprentice: Celebrity version". reality show. The Don will certainly win that one.
"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark".
Hamlet (1.4), Marcellus to Horatio.
Transpose Denmark for USA and you create a pretty accurate statement of this country under Trump.
And nothing is done.
2
I was disappointed in this column: It didn't even begin to scratch the surface of the very disturbing behavior by Trump outlined by Mueller. (Yes, I read the report.)
Throughout the report, Mueller gives Trump every benefit of the doubt, as a prosecutor might when determining whether or not he or she could make a charge stick in court.
So okay, that's fine for one charge. or two. But ten or twelve such examples? At some point you stop giving the guy the benefit of the doubt and say, "hey, this guy is a crook!"
And there are in fact a few cases where Mueller admits he CANNOT give Trump that benefit.
Plus, there is so much redacted that is obviously pertinent to potential criminal activity. Congress MUST see the full report!
One thing about impeachment is that the normal rules of criminal prosecution do not apply. The Constitution did not provide guidance as to what constitutes a "misdemeanor." We know the historical meaning of the term is not the same as the "misdemeanors" we have in modern law.
That's why Mueller left it up to Congress. The House needs to do it's job. I've already made up my mind. Read the report!
So trump calls Mueller "a fool" in front of the cemetery where are WW2 veterans are buried. trump is the same man who dodged the draft by getting a doctor who rented space in one of Fred trump's buildings, to say he had "bone spurs". Meanwhile, the "fool" Mueller was leading a platoon of United States Marines in Viet Nam. Mueller received a Purple Heart for his wounds and a Bronze Star for his actions in combat. So I ask the readers, "Who is the fool"?
3
The SC completed his "report." He found no cause of action sufficient to indict and survive adversarial proceedings (even if he did induct, that is merely a charge). Moreover, the basis for the investigation is under investigation for fraud. This report and "indictment" otherwise sounds fancy and scary and authoritative but merely means accuse. It does not suspend due process. The President is not going to be impeached anyway (which is also merely an effective motion) and even if the DNC is reckless enough to try, they will fail in process and of course ultimately in procedure as it will die in Senate. This is all just so much pre-election positioning (as the DNC has no candidate that can beat the President, and won't be able to nominate one who can) in order to get the base worked up. Pelosi is otherwise in Stage 3 Alzheimers; Biden is in pre-dementia; the Radical Left is a splinter media creation, and the middle, where actual Americans are, is a massive empty space political black hole that the Democrats are terrified of. Regards.
1
Trump is no longer a mystery; Congress is the mystery now. Do they read?
2
Why isn't Jerry Nadler or Adam Schiff demanding Mueller to testify to their committees?
1
The Russians influenced our election. Either move to impeach or not. When will both parties work to make sure that doesn’t happen again?
It is sad to see my fellow Republicans more focused on protecting one person at expense of the entire country and its institutions. Maybe after the Chinese elect a Democrat they will get “religion” and grow spines.
It's more than disturbing. How outrageous that Barr was allowed to literally hi-jack Mr. Mueller's report. If he wants to be the personal lackey to the person in the White House, fine, but then step down as AG. We the people demand more than a Reader's Digest version of this very important report.
We have the facts. Trump deserves impeachment more than any president before him. But Democrats are biting their nails and putting their fingers up in the wind and counting on an election despite what happened in 2016 and the fact that the US President has done nothing to prevent Russia's helping him again in 2020 and launching another attack on our democracy. In fact, I think it's safe to say that Trump is colluding with Russia via doing nothing to punish for 2016 and prevent a second go-round in 2020. Trump clearly wants Russia's help again (which, frankly, is an admission by him the he feels he would not have won without it). Yet ,as usual, Democrats are pathetic on the messaging. McConnell would no doubt be focusing on the politics of impeaching a president who obstructed justice 12 times, etc., but Republicans as a group, both laypeople, pols, and FOX, would be screaming daily about the president being a traitor for defending Putin and Putin's attack on our democracy while attacking our FBI and trying to jail agents for having investigated the Russian crimes and attack. I literally never hear Democrats talk about that. Republicans are roosters, running around screaming loudly and menacing anyone who comes near. Democrats are baby chicks running in circles peeping. Republicans: Spine enough to make sure their base remains ignorant and propagandized; Democrats: Not even enough spine to let facts work for them.
How many times during the 2016 campaign did we see Trump say (among other endorsements of their activities), “We love WikiLeaks!” Now, his usefulness at an end, Julian Assange is just one more flattened victim thrown under the Trump bus.
Propaganda is a powerful tool in the politics of deception. It is particularly onerous when the parties that engage deceit believe their own lies. The Mueller report is an indictment of lies perpetrated by Trump and by affiliates of Trump. That makes it devilishly difficult to figure out what the game of AG Barr, a supposedly honest lawman, is in attempting to protect Trump and his pack of deceivers.
1
Good lord! Asking foreign agents associated with a regime we were at war with to draw up dirt? A regime that has hundreds of nuclear missiles pointed at our major cities? Really? That’s defensible? Please spare me the conservative trumpian bubble details. This gang conspired to defraud American voters of the winning president with a country that has and can destroy us with the flip of a switch.
Fire this apprentice. Now!
2
Total exoneration! Any other president would have been impeached by now in any other time period. Any other citizen charged criminally. What great leadership we have now.
1
A few have read the book. We need a lot more to see the movie.
1
If I want to read dense literary text, I can read Proust or Dostoyevsky or even Joyce.
If I want to read revelatory but extremely difficult science, I can try quantum mechanics or quantum gravity papers from Nobelists.
There is nothing like Hegel and Heidegger if I want to test my intellect and patience in philosophy.
But, to understand what is wrong with the American constitution and our current dysfunctional leadership, I should be forced to read 400+ pages prose written by a uninspired writer.
It should be very simple to state truth related to what happened with the 2016 presidential election.
Call Mueller to testify. Full stop.
Yes, he needs to be in jail .....with many family members and complicit campaign and admin staff.
All it takes is the ability to read the report to know this is true.
I always appreciate Quinta's insight into the Mueller Report. If you're not familiar with her work, I recommend letting Google know so its algorithm is aware of your preference for good editorial.
1
Someone asked "Why did Putin prefer Trump to Clinton?" I don't think it takes any investigation because the following facts are well known:
I believe Mr. Putin HATED Hillary Clinton, which was probably the main reason that he preferred Trump. Also, Putin knew that Trump had done business in Russia in the past, was money-laundering for members of the Russian Mafia (virtually synonymous with the Russian government) for decades, was interested in doing business in Russia again (Trump Tower Moscow was still under negotiation), and Putin knew that Trump was corruptible. He may also have had some "kompromat" on Trump which would allow Putin to blackmail Trump, threatening him and controlling him (as we see Putin has been doing!) Putin also knew, on the other hand, that Hillary had called him out on Russian human rights abuses (killing journalists, etc.) and would continue to do that again. He knew that, unlike Trump, Hillary was a loyal American, and would never become his puppet as Trump clearly is to this very day. She criticized Putin's last election saying it was rigged (accusing Putin of fraud). And Putin basically just hated her -- just as he obviously hated President Obama.
I don't think any investigation is needed on this.
Better to investigate Trumps criminal behaviors -- many alleged crimes are being investigated now already. I hope they uncover such doozies that even Republicans in the Senate will have to vote to remove him from office!
1
These conclusions need to be edited to a third-grade level, bound in a nice, shiny cover with the title "The Truth About Trump" and put in every 7-11 and grocery store checkout line in the Midwest.
"Mr. Mueller makes clear that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 election with the goal of supporting Mr. Trump." In fact, this has been known since long before Mr. Mueller's report: https://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/documents/national/read-the-declassified-report-on-russian-interference-in-the-us-election/2433/
What I still don't understand is why our national response to this fact is limited to "oh well, let's try to avoid that next time." I'd be very interested to know, has there ever been a more illegitimate presidency than the current one? And how illegitimate does a presidency have to be for the Constitution not to countenance it and the country not to swallow it?
1
Yawn. If there is no evidence of Russians pulling voting levers (or illegal aliens for that matter), none of this matters. In the electronic world we live in, it is impossible to keep non citizens and the countries they are from, from impacting our elections in some way. Remember all the DACA kids and other persons illegally here and how engaged they were in the 2016 election? So, if they don’t pull a lever, there is little we can do.
Part of this started with a witch hunt for dirt on Hillary Clinton.
Trump's frantically looked for dirt. The GOP endlessly investigating the Hillary Clinton email controversy... Really largely a nothing burger. Especially, because...
Where was the Secret Service, the NSA... when Clinton and every person in the higher echelons of government were each hired and "officially onboard" then?
At that time who was in charge of IT for the top people? What was the protocol for any staff?
That lack of a tech security assigned person was a mistake in top-level agency security protocol apparently.
That was the error and I hardly believe that Hillary Clinton was the only high-level person similarly unsituated.
One of the very first persons you will meet when you start a new job is the IT guy. She will be your best friend when every computer access and software update is required and needs to be implemented. Passwords. Impermeable security over devices, Linked accounts. Virus software. etc. etc.
She will be your guardian angel. That essential (NSA/SS/HLS?), government role was apparently missing when the Clinton email server needed to be secured and locked down.
I am assuming that each member of all three branches has a security protocol set in place now. I hope it's all locked down and every person has a dedicated IT support person to help in a flash.
(I know there are rumors of Jared and Ivanka and several others using back channels, like WhatsApp, but that's another issue).
How is the American public supposed to learn about trump and Putin misdeeds if all they see and hear is Fox News? Pelosi is making a HUGE mistake by not listening to Nader and others.
At some later date, I believe, we will know Trump was an illegitimately elected president. What then do we do with all his judge appointments, including Brett, I like beer, Kavanaugh?
1
@PRRH
Use them to remind us of our collective complicity..
Mueller and his staff might be good at writing to adhere to legal requirements, but they are terrible at writing plain-English prose that is easily understood by the nation's non-lawyers.
1
Trump demonstrates every single day that he is totally unfit to be president. Who needs the report?
2
The most disturbing part of the investigation for me is that Mr M states that he could not would not make a recommendation for prosecution because of Justice Dept Policy that says no prosecution for sitting POTUS.
Then the Pres is above the law and no human being in the US is above the law.
One Repub rep in congress sees the need to prosecute. His conclusion has been published.
NYT reporters should ask for the key elements of his study that led to that conclusion. Maybe others could see the light and get on board.
1
If I want to read dense literary text, I can read Proust or Dostoyevsky or even Joyce.
If I want to read revelatory but extremely difficult science, I can try quantum mechanics or quantum gravity papers from Nobelists.
There is nothing like Hegel and Heidegger if I want to test my intellect and patience in philosophy.
But, to understand what is wrong with the American constitution and our current dysfunctional leadership, I should not be forced to read 400+ pages prose written by a uninspired writer.
It should be very simple to state truth related to what happened with the 2016 presidential election.
Call Mueller to testify. Full stop.
Other disturbing details in the Mueller report: 1) the report refers to Joseph Mifsud as a Russian agent, when in fact he was a Western intelligence asset who spoke at the State Department on a panel with Jim Himes in early 2017, 2) the report selectively omits exculpatory words in a call between John Dowd and Flynn's lawyer (why? did they run out of paper for 10 key words?), and 3) the report refers to Konstantin Kilimnik as a Russian agent, when he had been a long serving source for the State Department. Given the increasing number of inaccuracies, misrepresentations and sins of omission in the report, it is clear Mueller was in it for the witch hunt and not the truth. Mueller should testify under oath and be made to answer for this.
The details have not been "missed." They have been rendered irrelevant by a Senate that doesn't care; a White House that lies; a voting public that believes everything they hear on FOX and Facebook; and a Court system unlikely to uphold democracy.
If facts are like those metaphorical falling trees in the woods, which never make a sound because no one is around to hear it, then what is the use of reading the facts in the Mueller report?
Those of us interested in facts, in truth, in eliminating the corruption in this White House, are simply dismissed as partisan whiners, reduced to quivering uselessness by supercilious quoting of FOX "Elections have consequences."
They sure as heck do. Sometimes they destroy nations.
1
I, for one, did not "miss" these, or other crimes and/or misdeeds by Trump and his minions. And if I as a private citizen was aware of these things, how can Nancy Pelosi not be? What, in fact, is she waiting for?
At the least, we have a criminal sitting in the White House, at the worst, he may be a Russian installed puppet, beholden to their interests, not ours. It's critical, and of national security interest for us to resolve these questions before Trump can do even more harm than he's done already.
Stop the political calculus Nancy! Impeach now!
1
Apparently new world order has turned America into a Nation of men / crooks, not laws.
Mueller should have leaked the report to the press.
This is what happens when you bring a straight arrow to a gunfight.
The Mueller report is a fraud. I just read that a what they claim was a key Russian agent that communicated with Flynn is actually a US State Department asset. The phone call tape to Flynn by White House counsel was edited to misrepresent what was said, The Justice Department IG report and the other investigations will destroy the credibility of this whole investigation.
Get a grip!
We are being invaded along our southern border.
In Texas, we are losing our sovereignty due to the federal government's refusal to enforce existing immigration laws.
Until that problem is solved, I don't care about any aspect of the Mueller Report.
You've described important events very clearly. Thank you.
Forget all the collusion/obstruction legal wordplay. Everyone heard Trump ask the Russians to help him get elected.
“Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing”
“Within approximately five hours” of Mr. Trump’s remarks, according to the Mueller report, Russian military intelligence began a cyberattack against “Clinton’s personal office.”
Are we that unconnected that we don't care that a foreign government -- any foreign government, let alone Russia -- gets to choose our president?
How more pathetic can our democracy become? I am disgusted by the lack of concern from a large portion of our citizens. Are they that easily fooled? Or do they just not care?
If they don't care then why vote? Apparently they want to flush the whole country down the toilet. That's where we're going. Congratulations!
2
Yes, why Mueller did not write out a conclusion is a mystery. But on the other hand if you believe trump did not know the subject matter of a meeting that took place two floors below him between the Russians and his relatives I have a bridge in Brooklyn to Sell you. The full word newspaper had an article in it about computer messages coming from Putin‘s banker in Russia to a server in Israel which were forwarded to a server in trumps NYC headquarters. As far as I can say this was not noted in the mueller report.
This is clearly the evidence the American people need to be aware of and soon. Thanks NYT. Let’s get on with the inquiries immediately Nancy. The people are smarter than you give them credit for.
The calls for impeachment have reached their “sell by” date. Give it up. Not to mention that Democrats don’t have the votes in the House to impeach.
This is all disturbing.
One simple question:
There seems to be universal acceptance that the Russians had somehow gotten and or received Mrs Clinton's emails. Does that mean that the Russians hacked the Clinton server to steal the emails or was the server not hacked and someone handed the emails to the Russians?
I hope Michael Moore or someone like him is adapting the Mueller report into a script. We need a "swift boat" wing of the party. Don't change any of the report, just put it into the form of a script and adapt it for a movie. Stream it where ever possible. If you just read the summary of this report it's instructive and alarming. Most people won't read any of it, which is understandable as the article points out ,400+ pages of legal reporting. We certainly know how glued to screens people are.
6
Mueller obviously didn’t think anyone would actually read his report.
Except, people have been reading it quite thoroughly.
Mueller’s report is a fiction.
Mueller and team have doctored transcripts to make statements by Trump team members appear sinister.
Mueller has described a US State Department source as a Russian agent.
Mueller describes as sinister a report given to Trump’s team when the same report had been given to Obama months earlier.
It is all a moot point.
With the information about to be unleashed, and the impending arrests, Mueller and his report will not be heard from again.
1
@Ken
This is the most frightening response to the Mueller report I have ever seen. Up is down, White is black.
When one chooses their own reality we are doomed.
2
@Ken
And you have proof of all these charges, right? Or, are you following the Russia-Trump disinformation campaign model of throwing multiple lies out there to distract and confuse people?
1
The most important question is not "whether this conduct should be acceptable." The most important question is whether an government official, sworn to faithfully execute the laws and defend the Constitution, should be held accountable for such conduct.
Despite the very partisan opinions of Barr and the very partisan machinations of McConnell, no person, including the President, should be above or beyond the law.
5
We are reading the report out loud as a group of 6 people. We are routinely astonished by the contents. It helps to be able to compare notes with others and to clarify what we’re reading. Spoiler alert. Trump did it.
15
Somehow, legislative steps must be taken to remove from the DOJ control of the Congress' Sergeant of Arms' enforcement powers; so that House subpoenas shall come not merely under fake and laughable threat of incarceration ("Did you bring your handcuffs?") but under real threat of same.
4
To start with the most disturbing details of the Mueller report are the ones Congress still haven't seen.
There must be a reason why Attorney General William Barr saw it fit to not only heavily redact its contents, but completely overlook the summaries of the investigation team's findings.
Granted, Special Counsel Robert Mueller's very brief appearance didn't answer a lot of questions the public might have still had but, he did supply a very succinct road map into the workings of the Trump campaign and Trump's multiple efforts to derail the investigation -- leaving the rest up to other investigative parties to take the ball and run with it.
But hat's mainly because his hands were tied.
As an employee of the Justice Department, Mueller knew from the start that even with all the incontrovertible evidence in the world, he would never be able to charge a sitting president with committing a federal crime.
And somewhere along the line Donald Trump realized this too.
Which is why he went from feeling his presidency was threatened, to crowing incessantly about his being "exonerated".
Except that he wasn't.
11
Thank you Ms. Jurecic for writing this article. I am a decent reader but I find reading the Mueller report to be a slog. The redactions add to the difficulty. I have followed the story of Russian interference carefully but I was shocked to learn of the enormity and success of the Russian effort to penetrate social media to the point the Donald Trump Jr. and Kellyanne Conway (unwittingly) retweeted Tweets that traced to Russians.
There should be a public education campaign to educate people on how to question information presented on social media. Unfortunately the president won't be leading that campaign since he won't even admit the Russians were trying to help his campaign since that apparently hurts his feelings.
I was also surprised that Trump respond to all the written questions Mueller presented to him. He has not been pressed for answers to those questions and he should be.
A few succinct summary points of the report need to be repeated often so the public understand that Russians interfered deeply and thoroughly in our election process and that Trump did things that were obstructive to Mueller's work to protect our democracy. Barr needs to be held accountable as well as he is one big liar.
8
Manafort gave the Russians polling data concerning several battleground states while the Russians were planning to hack the 2016 elections. Why would the Russians need such information for anything other than their hacking plan? Howard Baker's famous question becomes important. What did the president know and when did he know it? Manafort was acting on behalf of Trump. Did Manafort conspire with the Russians without the knowledge of his principal, Trump? Important question.
7
Additionally, few seem to have emphasized the report's statement that they were unable to obtain important information in their investigation of a "wider conspiracy". Information was withheld under 5th Amendment claims, deleted, 'forgotten' or disappeared by a host of bad actors in the Trump family and campaign.
So Mr. Mueller moves on. There appear to be numerous avenues for pursuing justice in other courts thanks to the meticulous work of his team.
6
How is these two things any different?
1. "if the term means working behind the scenes with Russian actors to obtain hacked information damaging to Mrs. Clinton, then this section of the report describes just that — collusion that took place at Mr. Trump’s request. It just wasn’t successful."
2. When the FBI sets up a sting to entrap would be terrorists, and gives them fake explosives, they then build a case on the suspects willingness to engage in terrorism.
Why will the FBI prosecute incompetent miscreants in one case, not no the other?
3
“ ... the most important question is whether this conduct should be acceptable.” Er, how about, “No”.
4
It continues to be clear that the House must impeach, not because of politics, but because it is the right thing to do. Violations of our constitution should never get a pass. Pelosi understandably is reticent. But now is not the time for Dems to be political. Now is the time for Dems to save our democracy. Or go down fighting.
16
Fortunately Jerald Nadler has been on this like a hawk from the beginning.
On the release of the Mueller report, Elizabeth Warren immediately saw and stated the truth of the situation: that given the evidence at hand, as a constitutional matter Congress is obliged to move toward impeachment. To fail to do so is to fail to uphold the Constitution and our democracy.
How could it be clearer? If this isn't cause for impeachment, what is? As for debates over the likely pragmatic outcome of moving to impeach, those are immaterial. The Constitution is a document of principles and it means nothing if we do not uphold it.
15
Here's what I don't understand. Trump's campaign manager shares data with a man he was told was a spy; his son has a meeting with another Russian spy (being hopelessly naive is not a defense); he asked his security advisor, SECURITY ADVISOR, to get the deleted emails which he did, ultimately, through Russian hackers; etc. Why is this not conspiracy?
And, more importantly, if we don't prosecute the man at the top now, why won't campaigns do these kind of things in the future? Just listen to the howls when one of the Democrats conspires with the Iranians in the ways listed above. Or, and Republicans hear this well, if Trump loses Putin's support, and Putin decides to go with the Dems next time, the Dems have no constraints on them on doing the exact same things. And remember, Republicans, the Russians are still perfecting their techniques.
6
agreed looks like conspiracy to me too
The Russians used the internal polling data to help craft their social media sabotage strategy. What other purpose could it serve? That's hard to prove only because Mueller wasn't free to interrogate Russians.
And speaking of Russians, what of the dozen or so who were named in Mueller's indictment involving Gucifer 2.0? We can assume they'll never be prosecuted, but it's also safe to assume they weren't operating in a Russian-made vacuum. The dots are simply too hard to connect legally because the Russians are masters of their trade.
Russia's foul play will continue and become more sophisticated. Ten years from now the events of 2016 could be the primary finding of any postmortem exam into what ever became of the United States.
8
Tom Steyers impassioned pleas for impeachment would be more effective if he used his spots to explain the Mueller report to an American public which has neither the time or inclination to do so themselves. Vital information needs to be broadly shared.
25
The Mueller report is literally a nuclear fireball, a massive conflagration emanating from the now exploded nucleus of the weapon of mass destruction we call Trump.
To date this out of control force has destroyed everything good the United States of America used to represent, and lays bare the new reality that our nation is failing to mount any real offensive to limit, let alone end, the spreading soon to be irreparable damage.
The eyes of the world are fixated on us, unable to countenance the magnitude of how in just over two short years, everything about the anchor the United States of America represented has been shredded, causing long accepted reasonable stability to drift away.
With the exception of a few lonely voices, crying out from the darkness, that is sure to follow the aftermath of this fearsome Trump conflagration, it is clear that whatever solution should be implemented, simply will not be.
History wiil not be kind to those who sat on their hands while America imploded.
19
@Mel Farrell: You are right. While it should not be surprising that the 30-35% original Trump base ignores and denies the findings of the Muellar Report, Scientific Reports on Global Climate Change, inconvenient economic data (e.g. the 90 Million plus people considered "out of the work force," meaning they are not working or looking for work having given up finding work they have the skills for, or they are disabled, or not able to work due to opioid addiction. No, what is really surprising is that we, as a nation, seem to accept a view of reality which includes "no collusion, no obstruction," no Global Climate Change, just "a change in the weather," and "record low unemployment." One doesn't need to look far to find the truths which give lie to these views; in fact, if we don't watch where we are going, we might trip on it. Yet, many allow these views to go unchallenged. Lies unchallenged, become accepted as truth.
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The Democrat's current strategy has clearly failed. Time is the GOP's friend -and the GOP knows it. Impeachment hearings? Yes, by all means, and long overdue. Impeachment itself? Only if the situation changes so there is some expectation of conviction in the Senate. Today's Republican leadership is a master of The Dark Arts of propaganda and disinformation. In comparison, the Democrats are like eager young Scouts working for a merit badge. The Democrats repeatedly fail to appreciate how many well meaning people sincerely oppose any impeachment process because they truly believe that Mueller's report completely and totally exonerates Trump and his campaign. For those whose very identitiy is bundled up with being a Republican (my parents for example), the notion that the GOP might be deliberately misleading them is an "unknown unknown". It's not even on the radar... But, seeing we'll run hearings on TV, and seeing even a few respected republicans ask real questions and push for real answers? That might just start to chip away at the substantial wall of disinformation that has been built.
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@Mr Jones: You describe how "many well meaning people sincerely oppose any impeachment process because they truly believe that Mueller's report completely and totally exonerates Trump and his campaign." You include your parents in this group. I would ask, respectfully, how many of these people, including your parents, have taken the time to read the Muellar Report, given the importance of these findings to our country? I believe that the answer is 0. Denying anything that is not consistent with what one chooses to believe is also a choice. I would not use the term "well meaning" to describe those who choose to ignore truth and choose to believe lies.
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@Mr Jones
Your comment is the most cogent reason so far to begin impeachment hearings ASAP.
It brings to mind the true-believing church members in my extended family who have taken years to accept the idea that not all of their pious leaders tell the truth even half the time, despite decades of mounting evidence from every part of the globe (and every kind of religious practice). Similarly, it will likely be at least a generation before Republicans and Conservatives comprehend the malevolent assault on freedom, reason, and democracy now being perpetrated by Trump, his sycophants, and Fox.
All the more reason to start the process of truth-telling now, before there isn't even one credible witness left in Washington who remembers what morality & decency require of a true American citizen.
And Mueller, et al, need to be the first to testify! - then let Americans judge for themselves whether he is a person of honor and integrity or a mere witch-hunter & political hack when GOP and Democratic Congress members cross-examine him in the light of day during unedited live broadcasts of investigative hearings.
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@Michael Banks First off, yes, I have read it. The whole shebang -footnotes too. But, here's the thing... I gather that very few others have done the same. As for the solid republicans who are my parents and their friends, it's not for lack of expensive wallpaper. These folks all have college degrees (many from the top places), many have graduate degrees, and is there is more than a sprinkling of MDs and JDs. It's also not for lack of trying. They subscribe to (and evidently read) publications like Foreign Affairs and the Wall Street Journal (yes, I know, Rupert Murdoch...). No, for them, the issue is that they ***do not have to read it***. William Barr, whom they esteem greatly from his previous service under Bush senior (probably the last president they really liked), has already given them a good summary. They read Barr's summary quickly and moved on because it pretty much confirmed what they already knew... There are a lot of public figures, whom they trust, telling them that it's all OK. What they need to see, more than anything else, is Mueller testifying under oath and answering as fully as he can (rather than dodging) pointed questions. Mueller seems to have thought that his job was to exonerate Trump or not (since he believed he could not indict him). In the end, he was unable to exonerate Trump of either "collusion" (because he didn't look for that) or obstruction. Somehow, this needs to come out.
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Had I, as a private citizen, done any of what this article describes Trump doing, I'd be serving time. Odd that we have two standards of justice... one for us mere insignificant mortals, and another for those who hold power over us.
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Yes we missed these details because we did not read the Mueller report. Or the report into whether Elvis is alive. Or the report into whether the moon landing was faked.
You see we have common sense and rational judgement and knew the whole Russia Collusion Affair was the Farce of the Century from day one.
How? Wisdom, factual assessment and clear thinking.
2500 subpoenas, 500 witnesses, 40 FBI agents and 2 years by a top investigator and NO CHARGES AGAINST TRUMP.
Yet, the deranged cling cling cling...that is not enough for them.
No wonder Trump won with opponents like that.
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@J of course you know that charges against Trump, a sitting President, cannot be brought by the FBI. Mueller has made that clear several times. Right now the only body that can charge the President is the House of Representatives. So, trying to shout out all caps that Trump is innocent because Mueller didn’t charge him is simply not true.
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Mueller clearly explained why charges were not brought - and the role of Congress to do so, aka impeachment.
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@J. "2500 subpoenas, 500 witnesses, 40 FBI agents and 2 years by a top investigator and NO CHARGES AGAINST TRUMP"
You forgot to mention that 34 individuals and 3 companies were indicted or pled guilty during the investigation. Several people close to Trump, including members of his administration and his campaign, pled guilty to lying to the FBI about Russian contacts, or were convicted. Also, as M points out below, you forgot to mention that a longstanding DOJ policy does not allow criminal charges to be brought against a sitting President. It is despicable dishonesty to proclaim that there were "NO CHARGES AGAINST TRUMP." Finally, you obviously have not read the Muellar Report, and never will.
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/2/20/17031772/mueller-indictments-grand-jury
It's clear to me from reading this piece, the person Congress should be hearing from is Rick Gates. Why hasn't HE been called to testify??
12
What I find most disappointing, is that despite the evidence one can provide, that many repubs deny their accuracy...repeatedly. It is a shame that such a misinformation bureau as Fox exists and is allowed to preach their misinformation, but then again, even this media outlet, which many of us trust, along with the WaPost, does their level best to undermine Bernie Sanders, instead of being fair and accurate.
I believe in freedom of expression, but with it comes a responsibility for accuracy and not a desire to mislead.
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I presume that Congressional Chair Pelosi has read the entire report. And that is what is most bothersome about her position ," Let's wait and see until all the facts are in from the courts." How disappointing. Placing her money on winning the 2020 Election instead of doing the complete job that she is charged with makes her as suspect as Trump and his Allies. Why would you not pursue Impeachment, when nearly 1,000 Prosecutors have concluded definitively that there are multiple incidences of OBSTRUCTION. Being afraid of not doing the complete job that you have been chartered to do puts her in the same church if not the same pew with Trump and his Cohorts. I watched the Nixon Impeachment proceedings with keen interest. Many if not all of the Republicans did not support the procedure. Then their tune changed as the facts came out; Public Opinion is a powerful tool. And the longer Pelosi waits to pull the trigger, the less likely that the American people will care and that is the Republican Strategy in its most simple form.
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@anthony ciccarelli: It's too late now. There will be no impeachment and, I fear, Trump will 'somehow' win again (and yes, it will take cheating to do it but I put nothing past Trump and the Republicans).
I read the Report the first weekend it came out. Trump is guilty....very, very guilty. And yet, nothing has happened because we have no leadership. Pelosi has her fears and I respect them, but I also feel like no one at all is protecting us from this man who is a criminal and unfit for the office of the presidency.
13
How about Facebook, Instagram, and the other social media platforms put up sections of the Mueller Report every day so that the sites billion users can have the educational opportunity to groupthink, analyze, explain, and comment on the report's findings.
The public needs small swallows of this medicine to cure the disease of political ignorance in order to restore health to our sick democracy.
Forget Congress. We need to cure ourselves.
5
Despite all the details, Robert Mueller’s report still leaves important questions about the Trump-Russia matter unanswered.
From Donald Trump jr and his brother Eric, we learn about the huge influx of Russian money into their business empire. The Mueller investigation reportedly obtained important Trump financial documents that might shed light on these transactions.
Whatever insight Mueller had gained, has apparently been held secret. Mueller, too, seems to treat Trump’s finances as a personal matter that is of no public interest. He must have seen the Russia probe as a criminal inquiry, not a national-security investigation.
After all of Mueller’s hard work, the American people remain as unsure as ever about who Trump serves, their country or Russia, and why he doesn’t want Congress to know the contents of his meetings with Putin in the last two years.
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@J. von Hettlingen
Muellar's Report contains sections which are redacted, due to being Grand Jury testimony/evidence which he is not allowed to disclose, or evidence which is the subject of ongoing investigations. Trump's personal and Business finances would fall into this category. Muellar was not trying to hide this information from us. He was not allowed to disclose it.
1
The Special Counsel’s Report explains the laws (and the OLC opinion memo under which the Special Counsel operated), details the evidence, explains the analyses of the evidence relative to the laws, and explains conclusions. Those who are interested in the national security of this country in the hands of corrupt individuals should give it a read.
The evidence in Volume I of the Report may not have found criminal conspiracy but it did show an unusually large number of contacts between individuals associated with the Trump Campaign and Russians. These individuals, and many on the Presidential Transition Team, lied about these contacts, cited poor recollection, could not explain disappearing electronic communications during specific time frames, a Campaign that initially encouraged contacts with Russians until press coverage showed that working with a foreign adversary was not advantageous, and many more intentional misrepresentations that suggest there was something to hide or someone to protect. This may have been pure individual greed and self-promotion of many individuals. From Volume I and Volume II of the Report, though, it was clear many individuals were corrupt and not at all interested in the security of this country or their Oaths of Office, but in purposeful obstruction.
11
Bob Mueller did the nation a dis-service by failing to clearly articulate any conclusions.
Whether one believes Trump committed an impeachable offense, simply played "fast and loose" with the nation's laws, or did nothing untoward at all, this report does not provide a conclusive response.
The Dems need to move beyond the Congressional hearings on this matter and demonstrate a clear, coherent message of how electing Dems will support the nation and its citizens. Simply being against Trump is not going to win any elections in the 5 or 6 states that will determine who the next POTUS is.
10
I read a different document than what I've been hearing interpreted by 'fake news,' politicians, and administration officials. Mueller himself was closest, just completely opaque like most of his team's report. It makes me wonder with him whether anyone with analytic abilities beyond law school didacticism has actually read it.
What I read is a procedural explanation of the steps they went through and the ways they were stymied (not obstructed, oh no!) by the antics of Trump and his surrogates from documenting Russian conspiracies with Trump's campaign and administration. Throughout the report Muller complains that they were unsuccessful because they used the St. Peter standard: give 'em the fullest benefit the doubt. They sure didn't use Comey's Hillary standard.
A primary procedural trap they laid for themselves, for example, was their requirement that there be more than two uncontested sources or documents to substantiate any fact. Where the blank are you going to find even two of those in this environment? Even if you do, where will you find another fact meeting that criteria to build a sentence, let alone a case?
So, the report's conclusion was that they could not answer the questions they were asked because they had tied themselves in knots with their process, probably as dictated by their DOJ masters.
Congress will need to get their best non-lawyer analysts to actually read this thing and help keep hearings out of the legalistic morass Muller created.
14
I would have found Secretary Clinton’s hacked emails to be fascinating insights into a warped and craven politician.
However they could be released, the nation deserves to know why a senior government official sought to conceal her work by putting her work not just on Google or Yahoo email services but a private server. I cannot think of more than 2-3 people I have ever known who have taken that step, and I work in IT.
Clinton’s motives are as troubling as Trump’s lies. I voted for neither of them.
6
I have known many people who have or have had private email servers, for a spectrum of reasons. I had one myself at one time. This is more common than you are aware, even though you are in IT.
2
Perhaps you’re unaware of the private server Jared and Ivanka use. The notion that Clinton’s penchant for secrecy is somehow a match for the rampant criminality and corruption extant in this Administration is truly a wonder. Recall that Clinton has been investigated for almost a continuous 30 years, and contrast that with the Mueller Report. On the one hand, zero instances of criminal behavior, and on the other, a pattern so disturbing that 800 Federal prosecutors have signed on to a declaration that says Trump, were he a private citizen, would certainly be indicted and prosecuted for his crimes.
But sure, her emails. Good Lord.
4
I know, it was too dreadful choices, and yet both have a blind following.
1
Robert Muller was appointed by Rod Rosenstein because his previous investigations and legal theories were well known to members in the DOJ, as were his Republican Party loyalties.
James Comey was a similar faithful Republican with Republican biased beliefs.
Mr. Muller is not above testifying under oath before Congress.
His reluctance is shared by millions of Americans who do not have the time to serve on a jury when asked. Mr. Muller and Mr. Barr both need to testify under oath before Congress and the American people, or the Russian military will be free to invalidate future elections.
8
Trump's allies in the Senate undoubtedly have the entire unredacted Mueller report and are working PR offense and legal defense on his behalf. The appropriate House committees also must see the entire report. The public needs Mueller's open testimony so that the high points can be hammered home. It must be made obvious that Trump is not being hounded baselessly.
7
Trump's lack of concern about the Russian involvement in the elections should be enough to condemn him. Gerrymandering etc. notwithstanding, if we don't have honest elections, we have nothing.
23
The sharing of polling data with the Russians by Gates and Manafort was clearly collusion (sustained cooperation) though not clearly conspiracy (knowing collaboration). How much Manafort "intended" to help the Russian interference effort (not just help himself) may be unclear, as is the use to which the data was put, but the evidence is not "insufficient" in this instance if you are looking at collusion.
5
Obviously none of the behaviors are “acceptable”; however, that does not mean that Mueller found any level of “collusion” that rose to the level of a chargeable federal crime. Although there is abundant questionable behavior. For this reason it is clear that he would prefer that this issue be addressed by Congress; i.e., possible impeachment or censure.
With regard to “obstruction of justice” he is far more clear and direct in his report. Mueller states that progressing with charges of criminal obstruction will interfere with POTUS’ ability to govern at the current point in time. However contested the legitimacy of Trump’s election may be, for the moment he is the President. Mueller is very clear that he believes that criminal charges in these matters will best be pursued after Trump’s term in office is over, whether it is in 2020, or 2024.
Therefore, he states that the record and evidence have been protected and will be preserved. Mueller also states that if the investigation had believed there were no criminal acts with regard to “obstruction” the report would have said so. There is no such statement, ergo, the assertion, that there was no criminal obstruction of justice, is not what the investigation concluded. Stated more succinctly, my reading of the report, shows that the conclusion was there was criminal obstruction of justice. It is my belief that it likely is still ongoing. I hope someone is watching what’s going on and retaining a record.
30
@John Gelland It should also be noted quite a lot that Mueller couldn't reach a conclusion about collusion because critical documents were either encrypted or had mysteriously disappeared.
28
@John Gelland There was not only criminal obstruction of justice, but there is a good chance someone will find evidence of criminal conspiracy, as Mueller couldn't establish enough evidence, but that does NOT mean it's not out there.
21
@John Gelland: Collusion is as common as daylight. It is so ubiquitous it is invisible. That's why it is legal. People with common interests coordinate without speaking.
2
The GOP and DNC both think that impeachment will help the president. They are wrong, they are using Clinton’s inquiry as a benchmark, but that’s not the right one. Incumbent parties around the world tarnished by corruption scandals have paid dearly for their misdemeanors. The PP in Spain, the PT in Brazil and Likud in Israel have lost their power forever. Voters do punish parties and candidates who they perceive as corrupt.
Highly paid political consultants are underestimating how much voters get disgusted by corrupt candidates. They would never look to fellow democracies and use them as a benchmark, so if they show look at Trump’s campaign as a reference. He positioned himself as a new type of politician against the corruption in Washington and his message resonated to many people. Impeachment is not only the right thing to do. It is also the political strategy for the DNC in 2020. They shouldn’t be afraid, the public will punish the GOP when they stop believing them.
3
Reading between the lines, jumping to conclusions, and making assumptions do not build an impeachment case. This is why the Democrats would rather talk about it, instead of actually doing it.
5
@David Godinez No need to read between the lines. Just read the lines that are there. There's so much evidence of wrongdoing it makes one's head spin.
And then ask yourself: What if this report had been written about the behavior of Obama and his administration? Obama detractors were complaining about the color of his suits.
Perhaps HBO needs to begin working on "Trump"- the miniseries. It might the only way the general public is able to grasp what's in the Mueller report. Of course the usual disclaimers will have to be made at the opening of each episode to protect against the inevitable lawsuit threats.
18
Marion, good idea, but they should skip the disclaimers. Trump's lawsuit threats are empty.
Plus, if he wants to sue for defamation, that will lead to discovery, massive disclosures, and keep the proposed HBO special's highlights on TV for months!
13
@Marsha Pembroke: On second thoughts, I think you're right, Marsha.
As many have stated, Impeachment investigations will help to educate the public, but not the Senate.
Given the circumstances, when is the "best time" to educate the public? Not 18 months before the election - maybe 4-8 months?
As NP is reported to have stated this week - I don't want him impeached, I want him in prison. DJT better be worried.
8
@exhausted by it all Depend on Nancy. She is a gem and is damned sharp. Meanwhile, the faucet keep dripping and Trumputin squirms like a snake. Chinese Water Torture and death by a thousand cuts will continue. Couldn't happen to a more deserving venal individual.
I have read the Mueller report, and while I have no formal legal training, it is clear to me President Trump obstructed justice on multiple occasions. Enough standing on the sidelines while every constitutional tenet is set on fire. I can’t help but think about the great line from author John A. Shedd, “A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are built for.” It is time for Ms. Pelosi to set sail on the HMS Impeachment.
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@luluchill
I hope that would be the USS Impeachment - collusion with the armed forces of the United Kingdom, even though it is a major ally, does not seem a wise strategy in this instance!
20
@luluchill. She’s in a submarine, hoping to undermine Trump during his storms, but the storms will not end, given that intentionally created by Trump. Pretty soon that submarine’s going to run out of air.
9
@luluchill Warming up for the cruise now. Provisioning underway.
17
The obstruction of investigation, the violations of Emoluments Clause and abuses of power are all ongoing and being done in plain sight. If this is not adequate grounds for impeachment nothing is and we may as well admit we are no longer a nation of laws, guided by a Constitution that so many have died to protect. This is what Trump and GOP legacy may well be. Elections have consequences and now elections may never be legitimate again.
24
@Concerned MD: It made me sick to my stomach to see Trump at Normandy - and doubly so when I saw his FOX (Laura Ingraham) interview, with Trump sitting in front of rows of white crosses, spewing vitriol at anyone and everyone - all his enemies. And saying he was holding up the ceremony by doing the interview (he said that on camera) and then Laura The Liar later saying that was 'fake news'! It truly is becoming 1984 Orwellian.
How are we to survive such terrible, degrading nonsense?
1
I have read about 45 pages of the Mueller report. My goal is to keep going. It's not easy to read because of how stunning the facts are. Indeed I find it a painful read. In particular the blatant Russian involvement is beyond disconcerting. And I can't believe that Zuckerberg had the chutzpah to claim Facebook wasn't instrumental in the outcome.
My hope is that high schools and colleges nationwide will have classes that focus on reading the report as it appears to be an opportunity to teach students about the complexity of the election.
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@A
I'd be happy if high schools just taught civics classes. Then students would realize political participation on all levels is critical.
636
@A
If you think Mueller's report on Russian involvement is disconcerting, you should try reading Seth Abramson's book "Proof of Collusion." It details the Trump family's involvement with Russia going back to the '80s. Although I haven't finished reading the book, I am convinced that the Trumps knew about, and aided, the Russians' attempts to steer the election.
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@A
Civics and history are given short shrift thanks to the Republican idea of testing math and language. This forces a huge emphasis on those subjects to the detriment of civics and history, which is fine with those who want an ignorant public and the ability to rewrite history.
156
Trump, in his wildest dreams, never expected to be elected president. His behavior before that was an effort to monetize the campaign, currying favor with deep-pocketed friends who would finance his next business disaster. He never worried about the consequences because he never expected to be elected.
17
This is some scary stuff- and way beyond Nixon in the possible list of impeachable offenses. The only difference is that Nixon was smarter and more obviously prone to overt dirty tricks and trump is good at hiding things like Don he is.
5