When the Washington Post reported yesterday that 71-year-old President Donald Trump was being investigated by Department of Justice Special Counsel Robert Mueller for obstruction of justice, the media went wild. Appointed Special Counsel by Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein May 17, the DOJ hoped to quell the pitchfork-and-torch mentality sweeping Capitol Hill. Firing former FBI Director James Comey May 9, Trump created the hue-and-cry for his head, watching the Washington press corps go for the jugular after Trump accused the media establishment of “fake news.” When Trump beat 69-year-old former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton Nov. 8, 2016, it was a stunning rebuke of the broadcast and print media establishment, all of whom had endorsed Hillary for president. Trump routinely condemned the media for “fake news” during the campaign.
No one in the mainstream press reported the reasons itemized in detail May 10 by Rosenstein for Comey’s termination. While Rosenstein clearly stated that Comey usurped the Department of Justice in the Hillary email investigation, the media only blamed Trump for obstructing Comey’s investigation into alleged ties to the Kremlin. Trump’s alleged ties to the Kremlin were part of Hillary Campaign Chairman John D. Podesta’s attempt to discredit Trump before the election. Hillary called Trump a “Russian puppet” Oct. 19, 2016 in the last presidential debate. That narrative persists today with the Post announcing that Trump’s under investigation for obstruction of justice. When Comey accused Trump of lying about why he was fired before the Senate Intelligence Committee June 8, it only added to more media speculation about Trump investigated for obstruction of justice.
When you consider that Comey ordered Federal Intelligence Surveillance Court warrants against Trump campaign officials last July, it’s no surprise that Mueller would investigate Trump for obstruction. Having found no evidence in nearly a year of Trump’s alleged collusion with the Kremlin, there’s nothing left to investigate other that more wild speculation about obstruction. Comey told the Intel Committee that Trump tried to dissuade him from continuing to investigate of former National Security Advisor Lt. Gen. Michale Trump. Media reports ignore Trump’s admission that he said to Comey “he hoped he’d end the investigation into Flynn.” Now that the Post reports Mueller’s looking into obstruction of justice, it should come as no surprise, since that’s all left of the investigation. Trump responded to the Post’s report, tweeting that the FBI’s engaged in a witch-hunt.
Since taking over the FBI’s investigation May 17, Mueller knows the clock is ticking. Comey couldn’t find any evidence in a year-long investigation of Trump’s collusion with Kremlin. Mueller doesn’t have a blank check to keep the Trump investigation open indefinitely. “You are witnessing the single greatest WITCH-HUNT in American political history—led by some very bad and conflicted people!” Trump tweeted yesterday. Trump’s tweet fueled more defamatory speculation that the president was ready to fire Mueller, prompting more adverse publicity. “It would be a disaster,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). “There’s no reason to fire Mueller. What’s he done to be fired?” asked Graham, again, without any facts, fueling more wild speculation over nothing. Trump has no intent of firing Mueller, knowing the former FBI Director isn’t likely for find anything.
Mueller doesn’t have the same luxury as Comey, building his case against Trump with Hillary’s paid opposition research by former MI6 agent Christopher Steele. While there’s nothing corroborated in Steele’s report, Comey used it as probable cause to investigate Trump campaign officials. Mueller has no choice now but to rely on verified facts related to Trump’s alleged ties to the Kremlin. Investigating Trump for obstruction involves weighing Comey’s testimony and that of former National Security Director Mike Rogers, National Intelligence Director Dan Coasts and Deputy National Security Director Richard Legett, all of whom have opinions about what Trump tried to do in the Russian investigation. While the media’s all excited about the prospects of obstruction, Mueller will be forced to evaluate the best evidence, none pointing to a credible obstruction of justice case.
Mueller actually has an easy job of evaluating evidence, not wading through today’s yellow journalism that uses any rumor, innuendo or gossip to indict Trump in the court of public opinion. Trump doesn’t need to worry about Mueller, who, unlike Comey, won’t use paid Hillary opposition research or fake Russian intelligence report that showed that former Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch reached a deal with former President Bill Clinton to end the Hillary email investigation. Comey ended the Hillary email investigation July 5, 2016 to spare him embarrassment over using a fake Russian intel report. Democrats and the mainstream press want to rescue Comey for only one purpose: to discredit Trump. When you consider Comey used fake Hillary and Russian intel to investigate Trump or end the Hillary email investigation, there was plenty of grounds for his termination.
