Nearly 75-year-old Special Counsel Robert Mueller testified today before the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees, hoping to make a solid case for impeaching 73-year-old President Donald Trump. Instead, the public saw a tottering old man groping for the right words, largely sticking to his script of his March 22 448-page Special Counsel Final Report. Democrats in both committees did their utmost to use Mueller to bolster their case for impeachment when, in fact, all they did was expose a less-than-sharp old man with a shaky voice having difficulty hearing, but, more importantly, referring to his own report. Committee members were treated to the reality that Mueller was nothing more than a titular head of the Special Counsel office, obviously not involved in the research-and-writing of the report. Mueller evaded any question he found confounding or bewildering.
Republicans on both committees remained focused on the so-called “Steele dossier,” referring to opposition research firm FusionGPS’s file against President Donald Trump, paid for by the campaign of former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Democratic National Committee [DNC]. While refusing to answer questions about the “Steele dossier,” referring to 56-year-old former MI6 agent Christopher Steele, a FBI contractor who assembled the document, Mueller gave largely rote answers. What was striking at the hearing was the way Democrats placated Mueller, thanking him profusely for his long, distinguished service, hoping he’d throw them a bone to confirm their theory that Trump obstructed justice or, even worse, actually conspired with Russia to win the election. Democrats didn’t like when Mueller’s March 22 Final Report said not one in the Trump campaign conspired with Russia
Mueller had an easy time with Democrats who looked for any confirmation of their 2020 campaign narrative that Trump colluded with Russia and obstructed justice. One exchange with Judiciary Committee member Rep.Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) spoke volumes. Lieu asked Mueller whether the reason he didn’t indict Trump was because it was against Department of Justice policy to charge a sitting president. Lieu got Mueller to say yes, he didn’t indict Trump because it’s against Justice Department policy. Then, in a dramatic reversal in the afternoon Intelligence Committee session, Mueller admitted that his statement was not factual. He acknowledged, as he wrote in his Final Report, that he had insufficient information to charge, or recommend charging, Trump with a crime. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) has boasted for months he had proof of Trump Russian collusion.
Schiff, in his closing remarks, no longer talked about proof of Trump’s collusion only whether it was ethical for a businessman, like Trump, to consider making money off the Russians with his proposed Trump Tower project. “You had two years to investigate,” said Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fl.), “Not once did you deem it worth to investigate how an ‘unverified’ document that was paid for by a political opponent was used to obtain a warrant to spy on the opposition political campaign. Did you do any investigation into that?” asked Steube. “I do not accept your characterization of what occurred,” Mueller said, giving the predigested pat answer, not giving the question too much thought. Mueller refused to talk about the origins of the Special Counsel investigation, going way back to an FBI counter-intelligence investigation into Trump adviser Carter page in early 2016.
Mueller wanted no part of Republicans questioning him on what probable cause the FBI or his office used to start an investigation into the Trump campaign. Democrats during the six hours of testimony steered Mueller to anything that suggested Trump obstructed justice. But Mueller reneged on his statement to Lieu, correcting the record that there was insufficient evidence to charge Trump with obstruction. Yet Democrats persisted during both hearings on old Democrat talking points about Trump’s alleged collusion and obstruction of justice. “I am unable to address questions about the opening of the FBI’s Russia investigation, which appeared before my appointment or matter related to the so-called Steele dossier. These matters are subject of ongoing review by the department [DOJ],” Mueller said. Mueller refused to answer whether he interviewed Christopher Steele.
Only the most partisan Democrats can possibly think they scored points today against Trump. For Americans tuning in to the testimony, they heard a lot about the phony nature of the investigation built off Hillary’s campaign research against Trump. “When did you become aware that the unverified Steele dossier was included in the FISA application to spy on Carter Page?” Steube asked Mueller. “I’m not going to speak to that,” Mueller responded. Democrats treated Mueller like he was their star witness in a criminal trial against Trump, trying, but failing, to get him to admit Trump conspired with Russia and obstructed justice. Several Democrats on Judiciary and Intelligence Committee want to impeach trump, almost on any grounds. Mueller made it clear to Democrats on both committees that he had nothing new to report or add to his 448-page March 22 Final Report.
