It was not a good day for the pro-Trump impeachment Democrats. There was no re-ignition of that fire aimed at booting the president solely based on the fact that he won the 2016 election. Ex-Special Counsel Robert Mueller had a double-header of hearings before the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees. He refused to answer close to 200 questions, even those within his purview. He totally avoided any question on the Trump dossier compiled by ex-MI6 spook Christopher Steele, which set off this whole Russian collusion myth. That document was funded by the Clinton campaign after they contracted the research firm Fusion GPS. This group then hired Steele. The irony is that the Mueller report nuked the Trump dossier, which was already largely unverified. Mueller claimed to not be familiar with the firm, which is just too good to be true. You didn’t know? Who are you kidding, man?
NBC News: Mueller refused to answer 198 questions https://t.co/oatljD20Qe
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) July 24, 2019
Often times, Mueller appeared frail, aloof, and unable to hear. He asked congressional Democrats and Republicans to repeat their questions multiple times and the answers he did offer really didn’t highlight much or add anything that what we already know. If anything, it appears the Mueller didn’t read or write his report. And some of the explanations, were, well trash. They didn’t make sense. Here’s Jerry Dunleavy and Caitlin Yilek of The Washington Examiner dissecting Rep. Brad Wenstrup’s (R-OH) question concerning whether the Trump campaign was involved in stealing Hillary campaign emails:
Rep. Brad Wenstrup, a Republican from Ohio, asked Mueller whether it was “accurate to say that your investigation found no evidence that members of the Trump campaign were involved in the theft or publication of Clinton campaign-related emails?”
Mueller first paused and then asked Wenstrup to repeat the question, which the congressman did.
Mueller paused again, and then answered, “I don’t know, uh, uh, well — ”
Wenstrup got specific, quoting from Mueller's report. “On page five, it says your report ‘did not establish that any members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.’ So therefore it would be inaccurate, based on this, to describe that finding as open to doubt, that finding being that the Trump campaign was involved in the theft or publication of the Clinton campaign emails," he said
“Are you following that, sir?” Wenstrup asked.
“I do believe I am following it,” Mueller replied. “But it is, um, that portion of that matter does not fall within our jurisdiction, or fall within our investigation.”
But this statement from Mueller seems to contradict the very basis for his appointment as special counsel, since he was specifically selected to investigate Russian election interference efforts — which, in his own report, he concludes involved the Russian intelligence’s hacking of Democratic emails and their provision of those emails to Wikileaks to publish — and to what extent, if any, the Trump campaign was involved in those efforts.
CNN's Jeffrey Toobin: Donald Trump is winning right now. pic.twitter.com/3lnOs9sc1c
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) July 24, 2019
Die-hard liberals like Michael Moore reacted more intensely. He had an ‘I told you so’ moment, telling those pundits who said to put faith in Mueller to “STFU.” I think you can fill in the blanks there. Laurence Tribe, a liberal lawyer, even admitted that today’s hearings were a disaster for Democrats. CNN’s Jeffrey Toobin, the network’s legal analyst, also conceded that Trump won the day. Who knew Wednesdays could be so good.
C’mon, fellow Americans! Trump can be beaten. Just because he outwitted the DNC once- & is in the process of trying to do it again- doesn’t mean squat if we, the majority, rise up, get active & inspire a nation to make America the America we want it to be. We know how to do this!
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) July 24, 2019
Trump must be gloating in ecstasy. Not because of the failure that is Robert Mueller — his Report is still a damning document of crimes by Trump—but because Trump understands the power of the visual, and he understands that the Dems aren’t street fighters and that’s why he’ll win
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) July 24, 2019
A frail old man, unable to remember things, stumbling, refusing to answer basic questions...I said it in 2017 and Mueller confirmed it today — All you pundits and moderates and lame Dems who told the public to put their faith in the esteemed Robert Mueller — just STFU from now on
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) July 24, 2019
Much as I hate to say it, this morning’s hearing was a disaster. Far from breathing life into his damning report, the tired Robert Mueller sucked the life out of it. The effort to save democracy and the rule of law from this lawless president has been set back, not advanced.
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) July 24, 2019
Even Michael Moore agrees that the Dems and Mueller blew it! https://t.co/ZFPb50vi4v
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 24, 2019