The highly anticipated Robert Mueller Testimony before 2 separate House Committees occurred on Wednesday. So, did it move the needle and the country toward or against Donald Trump?
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During the almost 8 hour Mueller testimony, the former special counsel cleared up several vague portions of his investigation and laid out some rather interesting facts. Let’s take an in-depth look at how, if at all, this changes things for Donald Trump.
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WHAT THE MUELLER TESTIMONY DIDN’T DO
First things first: if anyone was hoping or expecting Robert Mueller to appear before the committees and tell them pointedly that Donald Trump is a crook who should be impeached, they set themselves up for disappointment. Robert Mueller didn’t do that, nor was he supposed to. The Mueller Testimony was always meant to be a fact-finding mission and an opportunity for congressional leaders to build a case by questioning Mueller about various portions of his 400+ page report. There was never going to be a suspense-filled movie moment for an independent investigator like Mueller to stare into the camera and say, “He’s Guilty!” That was never Mueller’s job to do and he was well aware of it.
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WHAT THE MUELLER TESTIMONY DID DO
Let’s cut right to the chase. Despite Donald Trump’s claims to the contrary, what Robert Mueller did do was make it clear on Wednesday that Trump is not now and was NEVER exonerated, that the Russian attack on the 2016 election was NOT a hoax, and that the 2-year investigation into Trump and his campaign was NEVER a witch hunt.
Mueller also answered some very direct questions from congressional committee members with some very direct answers.
“The president told the White House staff secretary, Rob Porter, to try to pressure [Don] McGahn to make a false denial. Is that correct?” Democratic Rep. Karen Bass of California asked Mr. Mueller.
“That’s correct,” he replied.
“So it’s fair to say the President tried to protect himself by asking staff to falsify records relevant to an ongoing investigation?” Democratic Rep. Cedric Richmond of Louisiana pressed.
“I would say that’s generally a summary,” Mueller replied.
“The President’s attempt to get McGahn to create a false written record were related to Mr. Trump’s concerns about your obstruction of justice inquiry, correct?” Mr. Richmond continued.
“I believe that to be true,” Mr. Mueller said.
So, in just that exchange alone, the Mueller testimony laid out a clear-cut case of obstruction of justice by Donald Trump with factual evidence to back it up. However, Mr. Mueller does not have the authority to indict or impeach Trump — or to even recommend it. That is the job of Congress and they now have a huge chunk of information to use against ‘The Donald’ in whatever way they see fit.
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THE TRUMP RESPONSE
Almost like clockwork, Donald Trump appeared before the media after the Mueller testimony and predictably attempted to turn the days’ lemons into lemonade.
“This has been a very bad thing for our country,” Trump told reporters shortly after Mueller concluded his testimony. He also declared the hearing an “embarrassment and waste of time” for the American people.
“The performance was obviously not very good. He had a lot of problems,” Trump continued. “This was a devastating day for Democrats.”
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THE DEMOCRATIC RESPONSE
Flanked by committee chairmen Adam Schiff, Jerry Nadler, and Elijah Cummings, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke to the media and gave a slight indication of where her party may be heading with these hearings.
“We didn’t expect to hear from Robert Redford; we expected to hear from Robert Mueller.” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D), Judiciary Committee
She acknowledged that although many Democrats are anxious to launch impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump, it is important and even critical to construct an air-tight case first before treading down that road. The underlying message appeared to be a call for patience as the House continues to try and force testimonies from Don McGahn and other Trump associates The White House has blocked from making an appearance.
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In conclusion, the Mueller testimony was never going to be a “gotcha” day against Donald Trump. Robert Mueller was never going to tell Congress to impeach Donald Trump. Donald Trump was never going to do anything but spin the day into a win for Donald Trump. However, if a successful impeachment of Trump is indeed on the horizon, Wednesday’s hearing turned out to be a very important piece of the puzzle the Democrats are carefully constructing.
Now, let’s be clear. Even IF the Democratically-controlled House of Representatives were to win impeachment against Donald Trump, the Senate must also vote in favor of the proposal in order for it to be adopted. Additionally, even IF both houses of Congress were to vote to impeach Trump, impeachment does not mean automatic removal from office (former President Bill Clinton was impeached following the Monica Lewinsky scandal, but still remained in office). Further, even IF Trump is impeached and removed from office (or steps down), President Mike Pence would become our new reality.
So, the theme of the day is to trust in Nancy Pelosi. She is not rushing to judgment or racing to launch an impeachment case she knows she can’t win (yet). If anything, she appears deeply focused on building the strongest case she can construct while simultaneously getting Trump AND Pence out of the White House via the 2020 election process.
Very good summary DJ (bordering on *great* summary) but you being the kind of man you are IMO your post is much too kind to Mueller. But I’ll get to him in my follow-up.
I only caught a few minutes of his testimony (here and there) in real time yesterday. However, I’ve watched several extended highlights of it.
In short-I think you’ve broken it all down beautifully and (more importantly)…accurately based on The Facts.
You asked: “So, did it move the needle and the country toward or against Donald Trump?”
Hmm. Maybe marginally Against Trump…but just marginally. No big shift in either direction.