Robert Mueller’s eight- to nine-minute statement Wednesday morning at the DOJ was designed for one thing only: to avoid having to answer one key question in his testimony. When did you know there was no collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia?
If the answer, as many, including Andrew C. McCarthy, are indicating, is somewhere in Fall 2017, what in the Sam Hill was Mueller doing putting the country through two years of prolonged agony? It’s not likely he did all this to prop up CNN’s faltering ratings.
Was it, just by chance, to induce obstruction from one Donald J. Trump who — like a relatively normal person but with a shorter fuse than most, justifiable in this case — would react like a stuck pig to being falsely charged for so long? That would have been essentially entrapment.
Further, Mueller’s hiding behind the canard that he could not charge a sitting president on obstruction makes a mockery of his initial assertion that there was no collusion. Most of us can’t have it both ways. But I guess Mueller can. Or has. I leave it to Jerrold Nadler to explain that to us.
Most importantly, Mueller’s short speech (without questions) exists against the background of the investigation into the predicate for his entire investigation. If that comes out the way it is likely to, Muller will look like a fool or worse. Don’t think he doesn’t realize that. He and Barr may have been friends once, but I suspect that’s over.
Mueller — and/or his minions — will undoubtedly say looking into this was not in his job description. But it’s impossible to believe in all the long years of “investigation” they did not come up against this. Omitting this absolutely essential information from his report is an omission for which the word “glaring” is an understatement.
Nevertheless, in the world of unintended consequences, this latest brouhaha could well be a net positive for Trump, since it will encourage Democratic hotheads to go for impeachment. Then as the various investigations unroll, it will blow back in their faces.
LAST WORD: Mueller looked very nervous as he made his short speech. He should have been.
Roger L. Simon — co-founder and CEO emeritus of PJ Media — is an author and screenwriter. His new novel is coming soon.
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