Former special counsel Robert Mueller reaffirmed Wednesday that his two-year investigation into Russia’s meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election did not totally “exonerate” President Trump, contrary to the commander-in-chief’s own frequent claim.
“The finding indicates that the president was not as exculpated for the acts that he allegedly committed,” Mueller told members of Congress. “It is not what the report said.”
No Collusion, No Obstruction, Complete and Total EXONERATION. KEEP AMERICA GREAT!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 24, 2019
For the last time, Republicans and Trump supporters: Stop repeating the president’s bogus “total exoneration” line. It just is not true.
Mueller’s confirmation of his report’s findings came during a line of questioning Wednesday from House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y.
“Director Mueller, the president has repeatedly claimed that your report found there was no obstruction and that it completely and totally exonerated him. But that is not what your report said, is it?” the congressman added.
Mueller responded, “Correct, that is not what the report said.”
The congressman also pressed Mueller to say whether his investigation found that there was “no obstruction” from the White House concerning the special counsel’s efforts to investigate Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
“No,” Mueller stated flatly.
As far as the former special counsel’s conclusions regarding whether the president had committed an “obstruction of justice” offense are concerned, Mueller said specifically:
“So the report did not conclude that he did not commit obstruction of justice? Is that correct?” asked Nadler.
“That is correct,” responded Mueller.
“And what about total exoneration? Did you actually totally exonerate the president?”
“No,” said Mueller.
Nadler pressed, “Now, in fact your report expressly states it does not exonerate the president?”
Mueller responded again: “It does.”
This is important. Mueller confirming his investigation does not exonerate Trump is not exactly news, but hearing the former special counsel say it out loud sends a devastating, definitive blow to the Trump supporters and acolytes who claim otherwise. Same goes for Mueller’s remarks on the Office of Legal Counsel opinion and the investigation’s findings regarding “obstruction of justice” offenses.
One can argue that the report’s eventual findings, as well as Attorney General William Barr’s four-page summary of it, are about as close to an exoneration as the Trump White House could have hoped for from the Justice Department. But that does not change that the report’s findings simply do not totally “exonerate” the president. Mueller still found a great deal of sleazy and illegal behavior from Trump campaign officials, associates, and hangers-on.
And the lack of recommended charges? Mueller made it explicit that this decision was grounded in the guidelines from the Office of Legal Counsel that a sitting president cannot be indicted.
“You would not indict,” Mueller said, “and you would not indict because under the OLC opinion, excuse me, a sitting president cannot be indicted, it would be unconstitutional.”
That means the lack of recommended charges was not grounded in a lack of probable cause, it was grounded in Trump being president. Regardless of what you think about Trump’s actions, it is simply not true that Mueller “exonerated” Trump or found that there was no obstruction.
