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After Mueller
The Mueller Report is now in, and, while we should obviously want to see as much of the actual report and underlying evidence as possible, a few things are pretty clear.
First, the "Russia collusion" narrative is dead. As annoying as it was to hear President Trump intone "no collusion" endlessly, he was right. I say this as one who has never hid my dislike for many aspects of the Trump presidency. There clearly was, Trump's equivocation notwithstanding, a concerted Russian campaign to influence the 2016 election to favor Donald Trump. But Mueller made clear that neither Trump nor anyone associated with his campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian efforts. I would note that I have previously written that I was skeptical of the collusion narrative since it implied a level of competence and planning that the Trump administration has not demonstrated anywhere else. Essentially a campaign that was run by amateurs, and was unfamiliar with everything from campaign finance law to Russian intelligence tactics, made a number of questionable decisions, but ultimately did nothing criminal.
Second, it is also clear that Democrats and the media got way to far out over their skis on this one. How many times did we see Adam Schiff and others on TV telling us that they had seen clear evidence of collusion, predicting Trump's immediate impeachment or even his arrest. Breathless conspiracy theories were advanced on a near daily basis. They now find themselves in the unenviable position of the boy who cried wolf. They continue their mistake if they give in to further conspiracy theories or refuse to accept the report's conclusion. Democrats should take a deep breath…and keep Schiff far away from the TV cameras.
Trump supporters, on the other hand, are entitled to a victory lap or two. They were right, and a lot of Trump's opponents were wrong. But they should be careful about getting too carried away. The report is much less clear on the question of obstruction of justice, specifically noting that the investigation "does not exonerate" the president. That doesn't mean that there was obstruction, but it does mean that some of Trump's conduct was less than scrupulously honest.
Moreover, the Mueller investigation also makes it clear that Trump surrounded himself with a rogue's gallery of knaves, scoundrels and liars. That should tell us a great deal about the man who once told us he "only hires the best people." And, lest we forget, there are still ongoing investigations of Trump's inaugural committee, business relationships, and payoffs to mistresses. It remains tawdry at best and potentially criminal at worst.
Judging from my social media feeds, it seems unlikely that either Trump opponents or supporters will be taking my advice. Still, there is some hope that this chapter will eventually draw to a close and we can return to debating public policy. There are still important issues facing this country. Maybe we can stop talking about collusion and start talking about them.
By mtannercato in Trump on March 25, 2019 .
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Frederick B. McKenzie says:
After a 22 month/$25m investigation by the most respected, seasoned and aggressive prosecutors our nation has (as opined by both political parties) which has largely crippled both the administration and the media, it is time America coalesce behind OUR duly elected President and administration, for the good of our nation. It would be totally appropriate for AG Barr to subpoena Congressman Adam Schiff & Jerry Nadler and require they reveal any and all information they claim to have of Presidential 'High Crimes and Misdemeanors'. If neither of these seasoned Prosecutors/Congressmen can produce valid evidence…they should be 'Prosecuted/Censored' by Congress. In-turn President Trump should immediately pardon and vacate all convictions resulting from an overly zealous investigators trying to pressure victims to bear false witness to the President of crimes. Anything less would serve as a failure to preserve our Republic.
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