Bizarre, Criminal law, Media, Politics

Mueller and The Stages Of Grieving

The release of the summary of findings by the Special Counsel has left much of the country in stunned silence.  For two years, millions of voters have kept hope alive that the term of Donald Trump would be cut short by a type of avenging angel in Robert Mueller.  They are now left with a reality that is still difficult to process: Donald Trump is likely to finish his term as President of the United States. There I said it.

Cable programs that have spent years airing assurance of criminal prosecutions seemed at a loss for words. Indeed, it is difficult to process.  Matthews are going through what is a familiar process. It is called the stage of grieving.  Psychiatrist Elizabeth Kübler-Ross famously laid out the stages of denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Judging from the responses on Sunday night, we are still a fair distance from acceptance. 

Denial

For much of the last two years, many voters have been in open denial.  Denial is easy when it is a collective effort.  Voters quickly tuned into channels that reaffirmed their greatest hopes for prosecution or impeachment. This echo-chamber audience buoyed the ratings of MSNBC and CNN where viewers were assured by legal analysts that the evidence against Trump was overwhelming and that Mueller to set things right.  As Kübler-Ross explained, people will often start by cling to a false and preferable reality. 

That took an effort on collusion. From the outset, the entire theory of collusion was a bit wacky.  For months, legal analysts spoke of collusion like it was a defined crime.  It took months to get commentators to acknowledge that there is no such offense in the criminal code. The notion was that the Russian would collude with Trump or his family or aides to hack computer systems and then arrange for the leaking of the information through Wikileaks.  One has to have a tad more respect for Russian intelligence to believe that they would place themselves at risk by colluding with Trump or Trump Jr. or a circus clown like Roger Stone.  Why would they put themselves one tweet away from utter destruction?  In the same vein, it made no sense to schedule a meeting in Trump Tower with half the world’s media downstairs to hold one of your secret meetings. Add to that the fact that they did not know who was going to be at the meeting and did not actually turn over the promise evidence of criminal conduct by Hillary Clinton.

Many people still seemed stuck on denial.  On Friday, it was revealed that the Special Counsel had decided that he would not bring down any additional indictments. Some of us stated that this clearly indicated that Mueller had rejected the allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians.  Nevertheless, on Sunday morning, House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff was still claiming that there was ample existence of collusion even if no one seemed committed a single criminal act of collusion.  Even before the summary was released, Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) declared that “very little credence” should be put in what Barr is saying.  Others like MSNBC host Joy-Ann Reid and panelist Eli Mystal noted that Barr’s approach to the summary “feels like the seeds of a cover-up are here.” As for Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff, he has doubled down on both obstruction and collusion.

Anger

Many people however are past denial and moving quickly to anger. MSNBC Chris Matthews exclaimed “How can they let Trump off the hook?”  Over the last year, such anger has increased as filing after filing failed to mention collusion and even stated that no Trump campaign member knowingly dealt with the hackers or trolls in Russia.  Despite these lengthy “speaking” indictments, anger simply augmented the denial.  For those of us pointing out the absence of key elements and evidence, we were denounced as Trump supporters even through our columns generally denounced Trump for his conduct.  Either you were all-in on the guarantee of criminal prosecutions or you were a Russian boot-licking troll for Trump.  This anger rose to a crescendo when key figures from Michael Flynn to Paul Manafort were charged with things far removed from any collusion-related crime.

Nevertheless, there was considerable advantage in keeping this anger alive.  Democrats ran on the expectation that they would seek impeachment after the midterm elections.  Media virtually banished all other news to cover legal analysts explaining how new disclosures would easily satisfy the standard for prosecution or impeachment. 

Bargaining

As 2018 turned into 2019, the bargaining stage began.  Voters began to accept that Trump might not be charged but he would at least be impeached.  Mueller was now portrayed not as a prosecutor but investigator who would give the goods to Congress for a swift and satisfying impeachment.  After all, many Democrats rallied voters on the pledge of impeachment and Democratic leadership continued to insist that Trump was committing impeachable offense. As I wrote before the midterm elections, impeachment was always a cynical ploy for power.  Democratic leadership had no interest in impeaching Trump and no intention to do so.  Why bring about a Pence Administration in which he could unite the country just before the 2020 election?  They want a wounded but living Trump in the White House not because it is necessarily good for the country but it is manifestly good for them. 

With the release of the summary, many have shifted to the argument that, if collusion is a dry well, surely there can be relief in collateral crimes being investigated in New York and various congressional committees. Indeed, a recent poll showed support for impeachment of Trump falling, even among Democrats.  Instead, many critics will be satisfied with further investigation even if they do not likely mean impeachment or prosecution.

Depression

As soon as the midterm elections were over, the Democratic leadership revealed the greatest bait-and-switch in history. Pelosi announced that impeachment was no part of their “agenda.”  The members who were howling before the election about impeachable offenses now insisted that it would make no sense since the Republican Senate would not go along.  That was depressing enough, but then people had to read this chilling line: “[T]he investigation did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.” That was followed by a finding by the Attorney General and the Deputy Attorney General that there was insufficient evidence of obstruction for a criminal case.  In other words, your Trump condition is terminal.

Acceptance

We are now at the final stage were people begin to accept the inevitability of the final result.  With Mueller not finding collusion or serious criminal acts, the two years of misleading and overhyped theories of criminality have come crashing down.  Democrats can walk away with their added seats and the media can walk away with the added ratings, but voters are left with the painful reality to cope alone. 

Of course, if prosecution or impeachment is unlikely, for many there is little to live for.  Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross was not particularly helpful on bedside manner. She assured patients that such death is “neither frightening nor painful, but a peaceful cessation of the functioning of the body.” However, rest assured, there will be no cessation of the function of one body.  The House committees will continue to investigate and suggest that they could yet impeach . . . all the way up to the 2020 election.

439 thoughts on “Mueller and The Stages Of Grieving”

  1. Barr also pledged to release the report, in as complete a form as is legally and practically possible, in reasonably rapid fashion. The president seems to support (or, at least, not to oppose) release as well. In writing his summary, then, the AG presumably was operating under the assumption that the report would be released — and that the public and the media would compare his summary with the final document. Barr is a savvy guy with a well-earned reputation for being scrupulous. Why would he misrepresent Mueller’s report in this situation?
    https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/03/robert-mueller-report-said-to-exceed-300-pages-so-what/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NR%20Daily%20Monday%20through%20Friday%202019-03-28&utm_term=NRDaily-Smart

    1. OLLY, Barr was brought in for exactly what he did, put off the heat, If you don’t believe, than read the Iran Contra report and what he did for Bush 41. Barr is by far a Political lawyer to muddy the waters. WHY is Barr delaying the release of the report. It took him less than 48 hours to release a “summary”. Now, it takes time right? You and others would NEVER accept the same slow-roll from Democrats, on the same issues.

      2. A couple of reasons given for the DOJ review of the report are A. The need to prevent a release of information that might impede other ongoing investigations, and B. the nebulous policy areas involved in revealing the results of an investigation when there’s no conclusion from that investigation that criminal activity occurred.
        I saw most of the testimony last summer from FBI Director Wray and DOJ IG Horowitz.
        The areas mentioned above where brought up in statements by and questioning of both Wray and Horowitz.
        And they were brought up in a number of different contexts by both Democrats and Republicans.
        One example discussed was Comey’s press conference reviewing his decision about the Hillary email issue.
        I think it was at this hearing that the point was made that, absent criminal charges or conclusions of criminal behavior, FBI policy has typically been not to expound on the fact that there are no criminal charges.
        In other words, aside from the fact thst it’s inappropriate for the FBI….it’s Director…to make and announce the decision on prosecution, it’s even more inappropriate to go into great detail about issues like “extreme carelessness”.
        You either bring charges or you don’t, but you don’t stand out there editorializing if you don’t conclude that there was criminal action at the end of an investigation.
        The question of the validity of Comey’s decision is a separate issue; but the point brought up was that Comey violated a long-term FBI policy ( or at least practice) of not going beyond an announcement that there was no conclusion that there were criminal charges.
        Given Comey’s multiple blunders of putting himself and the FBI front and center ( especially in the midst of the final months of a presidential campaign), neither Wray nor Horowitz were anxious to talk about subsequent investigations that had resulted in no criminal charges.
        The uniqueness of this Special Counsel investigation probably makes it essentially that the DOJ lean toward full disclosure to the degree possible.
        In looking back at the issues discussed in the Wray/Horowitz Senate hearings ( and in other forums), my guess is that there’s been similar discussion involveing similar issues related to the Mueller report.
        I can think of some examples of some thorny issues, but this comment is already too long.

        1. The comment about the Wray-Horowitz hearing was in response to Fishwing’s “why the delay” comment in releasing the Mueller report.
          And I fully understand the extreme frustration of nearly a week’s delay so far in releasing the report, although “patience” was repeatedly advised during the prior 2 1/2 of screwing around with these investigations.

          1. That’s the left. Each day begins anew. The past is another country and borders are closed.

            1. You’re an intelligent poster. Why the self serving and untrue stereo typing of others?

        2. Every thing you relay is accurate as far as FBI and DOJ policy go. In my amateur opinion, but as a long time voter, I still thought it appropriate, given an election of great importance, that the reasons for the decision’ve given, along with his critical comments about Clinton’s actions. I agree that Comey was too self important, a characteristic underlined by his October surprise, but his good faith is not in question and never was prior to 2016

  2. Atty. Gen. Barr in his summary was trying to prepare the public (the left) for the bitterest pill to swallow when the Mueller Report comes out: that the Trump organization actually REBUFFED the many attempts of the Russians to cozy up. When the details of these deflections come out, they will totally demolish the left’s fantasy narrative. We can expect a great deal of denial and anger.

    We’re also starting to see detailed indictments of the activist-journalists who were either duped or voluntarily joined in the infowarfare campaign to sell the narrative. Matt Taibbi is naming names and organizations. We need a cleansing of the political media of these activists. Audience abandonment of CNN and MSNBC is in full swing — this is how a strong 1st Amendment country purges our media of fraudsters and infowarriors.

    1. pbinca said, “the Trump organization actually REBUFFED the many attempts of the Russians to cozy up.”

      Let’s hear all about that. Every last detail of Trump’s people turning the Russians away empty-handed. When did they turn the Russians away? Where were they eating lunch when they turned the Russians away? Who picked up the check when they turned the Russians away? How many times did Trump’s people have to tell the Russians to go away and stop bothering Mr. Trump? Why couldn’t the Russians take a hint? Were the Trump people being too nice about it? Did any of these clueless Russians work for the Russian government? Did they talk about sanctions relief? Did they talk about real-estate? Did they talk about Hillary’s emails?

    2. Trump has had his best day vis a vis the Mueller investigation with Barr’s report. He got to take his victory lap. The deplorables not only feel vindicated, they want revenge. So does the Dotard. Some dipshit Congressman from Texas actually went after Adam Schiff, demanding his resignation. Congressman Schiff gave one of the most memorable and inspiring political speeches ever yesterday in response to the assumption that Trump was vindicated and that Congressman Schiff was wrong. Yes, I know. Faux News didn’t carry Schiff’s response, so you don’t know what I’m talking about. Congressman Schiff went over all of the proven evidence of ties between Trump and his campaign with Russia, and all of the lies that were told. The most-recent poll shows that most Americans do not believe that Trump was vindicated, and they want to see the full Mueller report.

      Now, flush from what he believes is “victory” the Dotard is going to take away health care for 20 million+ Americans because Obamacare makes Obama look good. He has nothing with which to replace it, and the overwhelming majority of Americans want to keep Obamacare. Things can only go downhill from here for the Dotard. Republicans will fight like hell to delay the report, and Barr will fight like hell to claim all sorts of privileges, confidentiality, etc., to block as much of it as possible from disclosure. It took Republicans 48 hours to release the full Special Prosecutor’s report, including exhibits, when Bill Clinton was investigated. Let’s see how long Republicans can put off releasing the full Mueller report. They’re probably hoping it will take at least 2 years. It’s likely that some court will get involved.

        1. Go ahead on and try to get Trump re-elected while suppressing the Mueller report. Every time Trump says “No collusion, no obstruction” on the campaign trail, people will ask, “Why can’t we read the Mueller report in its entirety?” Trump will answer, “Putin won’t let me release the Mueller report to the American people.” And that will be the only true statement that Trump will make during the 2020 campaign. (Enjoy!)

          1. “Go ahead” and try to campaign on the Russian Collusion theme right up until election day in 2020.
            Maybe layer on a much-hyped, 11th Hour press conference by Gloria Alredd, her daughter Lisa Bloom, or other political hacks.
            I think when you have such a winning strategy, proved valid by the results of the 2016 election, stick with it.

        1. The Special Counsel is assisting us in this process, Barr said.

          Damn that traitorous Mueller anyway.

        2. That dastardly AG Barr didn’t specify what year, did he?

          Oh wait, he did say it would be appropriate for me to testify publicly on behalf of the Department shortly after the Special Counsel’s report is made public. He added that he is available to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 1, 2019, and before the House Judiciary Committee on May 2, 2019.

          Alright, I’m going to go with that.

        3. https://youtu.be/grD_IINiH9c
          Olly,
          Those disappointed with the likely conclusions of the Mueller report can be expected to show that they can accept that disappointment with the same stoicism and grace that they took the upset win of Trump.

      3. Adam Schiff has also given hundreds of “memorable and inspiring” 🤗😄😂 TV interviews.

  4. This comment is ON TOPIC. There are only 35 Red Wolves left in NC. That is the entire species. They are not being protected. The government under the Trumpster too them off a protected species list.
    When Trump is gone so be it. He has offspring. When the Red Wolves are gone the world will be at a loss.
    Stop focusing on some nitwits in government and take care of Red Wolves.

  5. Step by step instructions for Turley’s spin cycle rinses and spit routine:

    Step 1) Assert that Mueller had to prove that Trump personally hacked Hillary.

    Step 2) Assert that Mueller failed to prove that Trump personally hacked Hillary.

    Step 3) Assert that anyone whosoever believed that Mueller was going to prove that Trump personally hacked Hillary is a crazy person.

    Step 4) Systematically suppress any and all evidence of anything that Trump did other than personally hack Hillary.

    Step 5) Do your level best to perform you post-touchdown end-zone boogie-woogie spike-the-ball dance.

    Step 6) Wake up the next morning and come to the realization that Mueller has sowed the entire playing field with Dragon’s Teeth that are bound to push up out of the turf well before The Iowa Caucuses (Feb. 3rd, 2020) or the New Hampshire Primary (Feb 11th, 2020).

    Step 7) ?????

  6. Angry? People are angry that Trump did not collude with Russia and will not be impeached?

    Perhaps they should feel:

    shame
    guilt
    resolve to research more in the future
    an intense desire to make amends to all the family, friends, and strangers they attacked for being Republicans

    Do the right thing. Hug the conservative you insulted, Left America, and admit you were wrong. Then move forward with a more tolerant, neighborly attitude.

    1. America needs to not only accept the final result of the Mueller investigation, but also what it means. They were wrong, and they’ve treated people very badly as a result of it.

      Let’s do better moving forward, America!

      1. I’m sorry, beeotch: but where is the Mueller investigation’s final result? WHERE? Being a gullible Faux news disciple, you actually seem to believe that Barr’s summary is an accurate, complete rendition of the final result. It is not.

        You are actually quoting the fat puxxxygrabber who claims people were “treated…very badly.” You are very, very dumb. Query: are you bleached, too? Just asking. I think I know.

        1. The final result is right in front of you. Paul Manafort’s tax returns, a half dozen people plead to misleading law enforcement (courtesy the FBI which never records interviews), and a couple dozen indictments of Russian security officials and internet trolls that Mueller will never have to argue in court.

          Nouvelle cuisine. Bon appetit, fatso.

    2. You first, starting with the damage he’s done on the federal budget, promised health care, balance of trade, promised infrastructure, trying to get Iran building nukes again, destroying the environment, appointing corrupt millionaire buddies, damaging our alliances with fellow democracies, buddying up to murdering tyrants and lowering respect for the US around the world while retreating from leadership, and being a d..k in the WH.

      2. Indeed, Anon. Trump is a one-man wrecking crew. Rarely does we hear of Trump doing anything even remotely positive.

        Then Turley wonders why liberals are slow to accept the Barr Summary.

        1. Rarely does we hear of Trump doing anything even remotely positive.

          Echo, meet chamber.

          There are clues in your statement that would lead a reasonable person to question why. #1 is how do you define positive? #2 where haven’t you looked? And depending on #1 will go a long way towards #2.

          1. “rarely does we hear” is as good as the Bushism, “is our children learning”.

        2. Peter it must be hard living with no eyes or ears and a brain that can only send vitriol out of a hyper extended mouth.

        3. P Hill – you rarely hear of anything positive perhaps because you watch the mainstream media, which appears to have made it their mission to become the Democrat Propaganda Machine to unseat Trump.

          Black unemployment is at historic lows. The economy is doing well. Trump approval rating is high, even higher than Obama’s. Gillibrand herself benefitted from Trump’s tax reforms.

          Remember when the world thought that Trump just could not compare with Macron, Theresa May, and Trudeau? Trump’s doing well in the polls while the latter trio is embattled, and May is getting forced out. Trump is doing far better than I expected, not knowing much about him.

          https://www.investors.com/politics/editorials/tax-reform-2-0-middle-class-growth/

          “As we’ve mentioned more than once, these tax cuts aren’t a “giveaway to the rich” or “fat cats.” In fact, a new analysis from Congress’ Joint Economic Committee (JEC) shows that the benefits of making the cuts permanent would mostly go to low- and middle-income earners.“

          If you want to know what a wrecking crew looks like, there’s Democrat California:

          1. Repeated gas taxes making our fuel cost the most in the nation
          2. Repeated exorbitant vehicle registration fees
          3. A law that makes heavy duty trucks older than 2010 unable to be registered in CA. Out of state trucks need to get a 3 day pass. This seized assets from the middle class without compensation, junking their vehicles. It destroyed the market for used vehicles. A new one costs over $100,000 dollars, just for a medium duty truck. This increases the cost of shipping everything single good and service in CA, raising the cost that everyone pays on everything
          4. Road Diets for Vision Zero. People don’t take mass transit in CA. We are not NYC or London. It takes hours to travel a relatively short distance, because there are too many destinations. So Democrats came up with road diets. They chose high traffic arteries, and then they shut down a lane in order to purposely grind traffic to a halt. It was ostensibly to stop traffic collisions. If you are going half a mile an hour, you can’t get into a fatal collision. This had the opposite effect. Exhausted people desperate to get home sped through residential areas and got into accidents. Fire and ambulance had trouble getting to people who needed help. The measure has resulted in misery and death.
          5. More and more and more taxes. The latest is a drinking water tax.
          6. Capping wells on farmers while allowing water hog pot to grow
          7. Encouraging homelessness by disallowing police officers to make vagrants go to shelters or move on. Now we have camps of mentally ill and drug addicted homeless living in dry riverbeds, dumping trash and dirty needles to be washed to the sea in ephemeral streams. (Do NOT walk barefoot on any beach by an outlet!!!) There have been fires. The Democrat policy on homeless has caused blight, hurt businesses, caused fires that burned down properties, dumped trash and infectious human waste into the ocean, gotten innocent people sick with hepatitis and other illnesses, spread bed bugs (body lice) and head lice, and turned some parts of San Francisco and LA into dystopia. When they leaf blow some parts of LA, I can actually smell feces. The homeless poop is part of LA dirt now.
          8. CA is consistently listed by business magazines as the most hostile state to business in the nation. The taxpayers keep leaving, while the non taxpayers keep coming for the benefits. You are penalized for being successful. Even Bill Maher said on camera that the rich pay the freigh in CA. You are rewarded for not being successful. The entire state hangs by the thread of Silicon Valley and Hollywood, and the later are outsourcing and moving operations to lower cost states. Tic Toc.
          9. Sanctuary state. They protect even convicted violent felons (rapists and murderers) from being deported. No matter the crime, you will be protected from ICE. They attract criminals to these cities to prey upon citizens and legal residents.
          10. They keep wasting money on non essentials. They levy one tax and fee after another to fix our potholed roads, and then instead of fixing the potholed roads, they spend the money elsewhere. Like clockwork, every year, something shows up on the ballot to fix our potholed roads (or our schools). Our roads should be paved with the best asphalt money can buy right now, with really pretty native landscaping. Instead, we still have some of the worst roads in the nation.
          11. Congestion pricing. They are going to pass a law where you have to pay a fee to enter congested areas during rush hour. You will have to pay $4 to travel, again, in an effort to force people into mass transit. That’s what happens when the government run things. They force you to buy or use a product or service that you don’t want, and that the market would never support. Another hit to the poor and middle class!

          The list just goes on and on, but this oeuvre is too long already. I live in CA. I know what it feels like to live with the wrecking crew to prosperity in charge.

          1. Clearly Karen doesn’t read or watch any mainstream media which is why she constantly pumps true believer falsehoods.

            Most of those blacks got jobs under Obama, who by the way had more jobs added to the economy in his last 2 years then Trump did in his 1st 2 years. Of course jobs have been regularly added to the economy since 2010 under Obama’s watch and the economy has been growing that long as well after the 2008 crash. Trump pumped the economy up with hot checks our grandkids will be paying off and the Fed just downgragded GDP growth for the 4th Q of 2018 to 2.2%. Big whoop for all that red ink.

            Trump is not doing well in the polls unless you follow Rasmussen. You know the guy who only polls on land lines to be sure he gets gramps and nana while they’re home. More than half the people in the US said they would not vote for trump in the next election.

            “Fifty-three percent of voters say they will “definitely will not” cast their ballot for Trump if he is the Republican Party’s nominee, according to a new poll by Quinnipiac University.

            About 30 percent of those surveyed said they “definitely will” vote for the president in his re-election bid, and about 13 percent said they’ll “consider” voting for him. Of those who are definitely supporting Trump, 77 percent identify as Republican, 21 percent identify as independent, and 1 one percent are Democrats….”

            https://www.newsweek.com/more-half-americans-wont-vote-donald-trump-2020-election-1378165

            Good times.

            1. Take note that Anon provides no numbers or understanding of what he is talking about. New job numbers as stated by Anon have debateable value except to those that like to repeat junk.

              The real unemployment rate is measured by the U 6.

              Obama .4
              Trump 1.5

              More than 3 times as fast under Trump even thought unemployement should fall slower not faster.

              2016 9.9 9.7 9.8 9.7 9.7 9.6 9.7 9.7 9.7 9.5 2016 Obama
              2017 9.4 9.2 8.9 8.6 8.4 8.6 8.6 8.6 8.3 7.9 2017 Trump

              We heard how badly Trump was going to lose and how he would be removed from the Presidency because of collusion. How much more junk do we have to listen to from Anon.

      3. Trump’s first concern was the security of the United states something the left doesn’t seem to value. Yes, the compromise tax bill provided the money for the military. Security requires a growing economy especially with all the debt created by Obama. Trump got us that growing economy along with jobs and other things, but the compromise made necessary by Democrats increased the debt. Trump could not do healthcare because Congress had to repeal Obamacare. The Democrats plus 2 or three Republicans including one hero destroyed that. But Trump got rid of the mandate and did a bunch of other things and now it seems Obamacare is on the verge of being toppled. Infrastructure is a strange one but Democrats who support infrastucture are so rabid that we might not be able to reach an accord even on that. Iran was violating the agreement. They wouldn’t even let inspectors in to the one place that was investigated. The Iranians supplied their own investigators not realizing our technology could validate that the agreement was broken by Iran. Trump has done the right thing and at least he sides with America instead of America’s enemies.

        1. Pretty amazing willful display of ignorance of current events.

          So, we raised defense spending – we already accounted for 1/3 of total world expenses on defense – for an administration promising to curtail our involvement in international affairs.

          There was no compromise on the tax bill. We gave those simpletons Ivanka and Jared millions in tax cuts that your grandkids will be making up the difference on.

          The economy was already growing and more jobs were created in Obama’s last 2 years than in Trump’s 1st 2.

          The debt “created” by Obama got us out of the worst recession since 1929. Recessions feature less tax receipts and automatic spending on things like unemployment. Trumps debt is making Ivanka and Jared very happy. That twit was on TV the next day celebrating.

          It’s “repeal and replace”. Only somebody stupid enough to want to pay for what their leader promised would be free and paid for by the Mexicans believe the GOP and Trump have the “replace” plan figured out. Maybe in 9 more years.

          The mandate was struck down by the SC several years ago, though Trump who’s main goal is trolling Obama, has continued to try and weaken the ACA which is more popular than ever. Bring it on Fatso.

          No infrastructure bill has been proposed by Fatso. Hey, he’s the big deal maker! “it’s so easy”. F..k you dummy.

          Iran was in compliance with the deal as verified by the IAEA which is on site now, and by both Israeli and US intelligence. The investigators are not Iranian you fool.

          Trump sides with Russia and NK.

          1. Anon, you are a waste of time as you repeat the same things over and over again never stepping forward when additional information is added. We can take unemployment and the U 6. Traditionally as unemployment gets closer to full employment the reduction in unemployment falls dramatically.

            Obama .4
            Trump 1.2

            More than 3 times as fast under Trump even thought unemployement should fall slower not faster.

            We can go through more of the metrics but you have no knowledge of economics even though you do your own taxes. Most everything you say is wrong or a distorted talking point from the left. I will take one item at a time only after you respond with fact and logic.

            2016 9.9 9.7 9.8 9.7 9.7 9.6 9.7 9.7 9.7 9.5 2016 Obama
            2017 9.4 9.2 8.9 8.6 8.4 8.6 8.6 8.6 8.3 7.9 2017 Trump

    3. OK. Karen, Honey. Have YOU seen the Mueller report? Do you know what EVIDENCE heavily and unethically conflicted Barr claims did not rise to CRIMINAL collusion? No to both. You have no idea what EVIDENCE Mueller found. Is it a mere coincidence that Donny, Jr. met with Russians to obtain illegally-hacked e-mails, that Trump’s campaign had so many meetings with Russians, that Trump lied about continuing negotiations with Russians with ties to Putin, that he defers to Putin? You and Turley keep acting like there is some finality here on the issue of Trump and his collusion and obstruction of justice. There is not.

      Do the right thing? Stop writing stupid things you think are true because you heard them on Faux News. Stop trying to take a fake victory lap for a nonexistent exoneration that has not happened. Also, stop trying to claim that Trump is a conservative. He is a megalomaniac narcissist who has no agenda other than self-aggrandizement. Conservatives are for fiscal responsibility and balanced budgets. We have an historically large deficit that is growing by historic numbers every single day. We have a growing trade deficit, due to tariffs. You don’t know what the hell you are talking about.

      1. He isn’t any more ‘conflicted’ than any other Attorney-General, Natacha. The FBI scammers and Mueller have had 32 months to generate a conviction wherein the plea agreement incorporates an admission to a conspiracy with Russian officials or Trump. The only indictments to date have been show indictments of Russian officials that neither Mueller nor any successor prosecutor will have to prove. There have been no plea agreements admitting to any such conspiracy and there have been no convictions at trial.

        But you’re just sure there’s a treasure trove of dirt in the Mueller report. Because stupid.

        1. The Mover Of Goal Posts said, “a conviction wherein the plea agreement incorporates an admission to a conspiracy with Russian officials . . .”

          Actually, Mueller has produced evidence of Russian affiliated individuals making multiple offers of assistance to the Trump campaign. We know this because Barr said so in his summary of the Mueller report. Barr then said that Mueller said the investigation did not establish a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the Russian government in its election interference activities. That does not mean that Mueller did not establish a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russian affiliated individuals to assist the Trump campaign. Nor does that mean that the assistance to the Trump campaign had nothing to do with the Russian government in its election interference activities. It only means that the Russian affiliated individuals were not members of the Russian government.

        2. Name ONE AG who campaigned for the position (after the previous AG was fired for being ethical) by sending an unsolicited memo to Justice criticizing the validity of an ongoing investigation and opining that the subject of the investigation–that is–the person he wants to give him the job–cannot be prosecuted while in office? Barr’s refusal to recuse himself is a violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct. His duty is to the American people and the Constitution, not Trump. He will fight like hell to keep the American public from learning the truth.

          Watch Congressman Schiff’s speech yesterday in response to that clueless loser from Texas who demanded his resignation. He sets forth all of the known, proven contacts between Trump and his campaign and Russia, plus all of the lying about this by Trump and his cronies. THEN tell me that it was wrong to investigate this.

          1. Barr’s refusal to recuse himself is a violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct.

            He has no conflict of interest. Which you’d know if you weren’t a pretend-lawyer.

          3. He will fight like hell to keep the American public from learning the truth.

            Too late. The United States Department of Education beat him to it. You are the poster child of that outcome.

          4. “Some people think it’s OK ” for the Hillary Campaign and the DNC to search for, pay for, and accept Russian dirt on a political opponent.
            Then conceal their role in it.
            Schiff The Sanctimonious sonehow that little detail his “memorable and inspiring” comments yesterday.

              1. It took a full year to discover who paid Perkins-Coie to pay Fusion GPS to pay Orbis/Steele to get Russian dirt on Trump. See Maggie Hagerman’s quote…..she is a New York Times reporter, no fan of Trump.” They lied with sanctimony for a year” about their role in this.
                The use of all of the intermediaries was designed to make it difficult to trace their role in this

          5. Name one… Name one….President who appointed his own brother as Attorney General.
            Name one….name one …President who invoked Executive Privilege to cover his AG’s ass.
            Name one ….. Name ONE ….Attorney General found in Contempt of Congress.
            You wanna play the “name one” game, OK, let’s play it, you nitwit.

          6. I find Rep. Schiff and Natacha/Anonymous to be equally “memorable and inspiring”, especially when they try to claim the moral high ground.

            1. Add that to a long list of things that anon “doesn’t see” and doesn’t understand.

  7. “Let us pray that peace be now restored to the world and that God will preserve it always. These proceedings are closed.”

    – General Douglas MacArthur, September 2, 1945

  8. Keep a good thought about something “out there” that will turn up, and swallow up, Trump.
    I said the other day that “Hope springs eternal”, and I’ve noted several times before the strong need for some to believe in a certain desired outcome.

  9. Mueller’s conclusions expose disgrace of Obama’s spy chiefs
    By Post Editorial Board
    Of all the reputations in tatters now that Robert Mueller has exploded the Russian-collusion fantasy, Obama-era spy chiefs John Brennan and James Clapper stand out.

    For the past two years, the men prominently insisted not only that President Trump had teamed up with Russian President Vladimir Putin to steal the 2016 election but that Trump was Putin’s pawn.

    “I don’t know if I received bad information, but I think I suspected there was more than there actually was”: That was Brennan’s pathetic response to Mueller’s findings — after years when he regularly traded on his status as former CIA director to defame Trump.

    “When the full extent of your venality, moral turpitude and political corruption becomes known, you will take your rightful place as a disgraced demagogue in the dustbin of history,” he tweeted at the president. Russia “may have something” on Trump, he told the world. Now he thinks he suspected he didn’t know as much as he’d thought?

    Former Director of National Intelligence Clapper has yet to express even that much regret for his pointed comments, such as that ex-KGB officer Putin “knows how to handle an asset.”

    These two weren’t average citizens: They spoke with the authority of having headed federal intel operations. Brennan even cited his training as an “intelligence professional” as the basis for his views.

    By milking that status for brutal hits on Trump, they not only misled and divided the country, they damaged the credibility of the US intel community.

    Of course, they were crossing the line while in office, running interference for President Barack Obama’s disastrous Iran deal and other policies.

    But America’s top spooks are supposed to steer clear of politics completely once they leave office. By ignoring that rule (as well as basic honesty) for purely partisan ends, Clapper and Brennan violated their duty — despicably.

  10. The Left are riding themselves into oblivion

    https://www.wsj.com/articles/who-watches-the-hate-watchers-11553726030

    Who Watches the ‘Hate’ Watchers?
    The Southern Poverty Law Center’s recent turmoil is a sad irony.

    The SPLC then hired Tina Tchen, a former chief of staff for Michelle Obama, to conduct what the board chairman called a “top-to-bottom external review of our workplace culture and our past practices and policies.” Then last Friday the SPLC’s president, Richard Cohen, stepped down “to give the organization the best chance to heal.”

    News reports detail a staff revolt. In a letter to management, employees complained that “allegations of mistreatment, sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and racism threaten the moral authority of this organization.” Women reportedly claimed inappropriate remarks and touching by Mr. Dees, though he denies this.

    It’s another sad turn for a once-noble cause. Mr. Dees, 82, started the SPLC in 1971 and made its name by suing Ku Klux Klan groups into oblivion. But the SPLC’s definition of “hate” expanded as it turned into a left-wing fundraising racket.

    Last month it breathlessly reported that, thanks to Donald Trump, “the number of hate groups operating across America rose to a record high—1,020.” But they include, for example, the Alliance Defending Freedom. That nonprofit won a Supreme Court case last year on behalf of Jack Phillips, a Colorado baker who didn’t want to make a cake for a gay wedding.

    Warnings about a tidal wave of “hate” are what keep funds flowing into “Poverty Palace,” as some SPLC workers have called its headquarters. Its endowment is now $470 million. Donors should take this moment, if they haven’t already, to find a better cause.

  11. I said the other day on this blog that Trump supporters thinking they won running a 100 meter hurdle race and getting over the first hurdle, is not winning the race, there is more hurdles for sure to be coming.

      1. Any ..day…Now. seems to be a variation of the “what is that ticking sound” also known as “Tick Tock Tinnitus”.
        I haven’t seen indications that the ‘ol Tick-Tock Tinnitus syndrome is as prevelant in recent weeks.

    2. Of course there will be more hurdles!!! Why would Democrats stop now?! This is like a soap opera, where they go through all the normal plot lines until they are left with switched at birth, demonic possession, and various comas.

      Let’s see, we’ve already run through Trump is an anti-semite, racist, Neo Nazi, KKK, hates the poor, hates all immigrants, puts kids in cages (from photos from the Obama admin) because he hates kids too, doesn’t pay his taxes (despite numerous audits), has heart disease, has dementia, has narcissism, has any other mental illness, is stupid, is a Russian agent…Hmmm, all these failed miserably. Luckily, Democrat voters have instant amnesia, and are trained to gaslight conservatives who keep calling them on false accusations!

      So what’s left? Trump is suffering from demonic possession rather than the Russians! Oh, and he’s really his own evil cousin, having been switched at birth with the real Trump, who is an ardent Democratic activist currently working for Antifa on tearing down Israel…

      That’s just what’s in the pipeline next week. Stay tuned for a sneak peak on next season’s plot lines, which will premier after a short hiatus of a month while the writers take a short sabbatical to regroup.

      2. Excerpted from the article linked above:

        The precise number of federal investigations around the country that have grown out of the special counsel’s work remains unknown because such inquiries are conducted in secret. But the special counsel’s office farmed out strands of its inquiry to at least three other United States attorneys’ offices, including in Brooklyn, the District of Columbia and the Eastern District of Virginia.

  12. TURLEY EXPECTS READERS TO ACCEPT BARR SUMMARY

    BUT TRUMP HAS EXTENSIVE HISTORY OF DECEPTIVE DEALINGS

    When Donald Trump wanted to make a good impression — on a lender, a business partner, or a journalist — he sometimes sent them official-looking documents called “Statements of Financial Condition.”

    These documents sometimes ran up to 20 pages. They were full of numbers, laying out Trump’s properties, debts and multibillion-dollar net worth.

    But, for someone trying to get a true picture of Trump’s net worth, the documents were deeply flawed. Some simply omitted properties that carried big debts. Some assets were overvalued. And some key numbers were wrong.

    The statements are at the center of at least two of the inquiries that continue to follow Trump, unaffected by the end of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation. On Wednesday, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform said it had requested 10 years of these statements from Trump’s accounting firm, Mazars USA.

    And earlier this month, the New York state Department of Financial Services subpoenaed records from Trump’s longtime insurer, Aon. A person familiar with that subpoena, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe an ongoing investigation, said “a key component” was questions about whether Trump had given Aon these documents in an effort to lower his insurance premiums.

    Both inquiries stemmed from testimony last month by Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen, who told Congress that Trump had used these statements to inflate his wealth — and then sent them to his lenders and his insurers.

    “Mr. Trump is a cheat,” Cohen said, in describing what the statements showed.

    Cohen told Congress that statements were given to Deutsche Bank, as Trump sought a loan to buy the NFL’s Buffalo Bills. Since then, Deutsche Bank and another Trump lender have also received subpoenas, from the New York State attorney general.

    The statements may additionally draw the interest of the House Financial Services Committee, which is scrutinizing Deutsche. A committee spokesman declined to comment.

    The White House declined to comment for this report.

    The Trump Organization also declined to comment about the statements or answer questions about specific errors the statements contained. Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, the president’s sons who are running his business, noted on social media that Cohen has provided false testimony about other topics.

    Since the 1980s, Trump has defined himself by his wealth, but he has often avoided providing proof to back up his boasts or provided documents that inflated the real values. As president, Trump has declined to release his tax returns, unlike every president since Jimmy Carter.

    Trump is far from the first real estate developer to inflate his projects or wealth. But there are laws against defrauding insurers and lenders with false information. Financial and legal experts said it’s unclear at this point whether Trump will face any legal consequences. They said it depends on whether Trump intended to mislead or whether the misstatements caused anyone to give him a financial benefit.

    Edited from: “How Donald Trump Inflated His Net Worth To Lenders And Investors”

    Today’s WASHINGTON POST

    1. LINK TO WA PO STORY ABOVE

      Article is richly illustrated with assorted graphs and numerous examples of Trump’s deceptive dealings.

          1. Anonymous,
            Several years ago, I actually bought a Mad magazine I happened to see in a convenience store.
            Had not seen one in decades, and was somewhat surprised it was still in print.
            But it seemed to be a mere shell of itself compared to it’s heyday a couple a generations ago.

            1. Tom, we agree! I probably read every MAD from the early 60’s to early 70’s. The art was incredibly rich. I can still remember the names of those MAD artists: Jack Rickard, George Woodbridge, Mort Drucker, Dave and Angelo. To little kids, MAD was more interesting than Sally, Dick and Jane.

    2. “TURLEY EXPECTS READERS TO ACCEPT BARR SUMMARY”

      PETER LIES AGAIN
      Trump has stated that he wants the Mueller report released along with the FISA warrants.

    3. I thought that the summary came from Barr and Rosenstein….I didn’t know that Trump himself was involved writnig the summary.

      1. To authorship of the Mueller summary was in response to the HHHNN flash connecting the summary with a history of deceptive Trump dealings.
        It would seem from that news flash that Trump is deceptive enough to write the summary, then con Barr and Rosenstein into signing it.😃😄😂

      2. Yes Tom, but Peter likes to exaggerate and lie. That is why he conveniently avoids mentioning the summary also came from Rosenstein not a friend to Trump.

        Why do you suppose Peter always leaves out important details and frequently uses opinion as fact.

        If I had the time I would love to post what all these mindless people have said throughout the blog. They have been proven mostly wrong but are still at it.

  14. Has anybody else here noticed the typical shill inconsistencies??? Like when BEFORE the Mueller Report, any rumor of a rumor was enough to send them off on bizarre tangents about how Trump was going down, and TREASON!, and “OH, we got him now!” Then the report says, “Nope, there was no collusion.” and now the shills want everybody to withhold celebrating and wait for a 300 pager report to come out, so we can be sure.

    Funny how they never wanted to wait for the report before. Like all shills, everything they say is just pure partisan bullsh*t, designed to portray whatever their latest talking points are. No truth, honesty, or integrity in any of them. Joseph Goebbels would be sooo proud of them!

    Squeeky Fromm
    Girl Reporter

      1. It isn’t necessarily partisanship that is bad – it is partisanship uber alles. To the point where you hold inconsistent beliefs and engage in delusions. By all means, be a Democrat if that lights your bulb, but when you find yourself lying, deceiving, manipulating, shilling, and engaging in all manner of illogical thinking, then you got a problem. And a whole bunch of Democrats and shills here have that problem.

        Squeeky Fromm
        Girl Reporter

        1. And this comes from Squeeky, who has to cut bigger eye holes in her hood to see.

          1. Fishtail, what a stupid comment. The KKK was mostly Democrats. Slave owners were almost all Democrats. Civil Rights reform was Republican.

            Virtue signalling makes you feel better about yourself and based on your performance on the blog I understand why.

    2. “Has anybody else here noticed the typical shill inconsistencies??? ”

      How can anyone miss the Shills inconsistencies and lies? He proves himself to be a liar everytime evidence is brought forth and he runs away.

  16. MUELLER REPORT MORE THAN 300 PAGES

    TRUMP’S A.G. IN NO HURRY TO LET CONGRESS SEE

    Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s report on Russia’s interference in the 2016 election spans more than 300 pages, a Justice Department official said Thursday, adding to Democrats’ concerns that the attorney general’s four-page summary leaves significant questions about President Trump’s conduct.

    Attorney General William P. Barr confirmed the report’s length during a Wednesday phone call with Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. During that conversation, Barr said the Justice Department would miss House Democrats’ April 2 deadline to provide Congress with Mueller’s complete findings, nor would Barr commit to making public an unredacted copy of the report and the evidence that informed it, Nadler said.

    Any delay would be unacceptable, Nadler added, raising the prospect lawmakers will issue a subpoena for Mueller’s full report.

    Barr’s summary of Mueller’s report indicates the special counsel did not establish a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia to sway the 2016 election. It offers no conclusion on whether the president sought to obstruct justice during the Russia probe.

    Trump and his Republican allies in Congress have interpreted Barr’s summary as full vindication of the president.

    House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) attacked Republican critics on his committee after they signed a letter asking him to resign. (Reuters)
    The report’s length, first reported by the New York Times, sheds some light on why it is expected to be several weeks still before Justice Department officials provide the report to Congress. Democrats have complained that Barr’s summary was too pithy to adequately address the special counsel’s full findings, insisting they must see the full report, and the underlying materials that informed it, before anyone should conclude that Mueller’s findings acquit Trump of serious wrongdoing.

    Edited from: “Mueller’s Report Is More Than 300 Pages, Attorney General Tells Top Democrat”

    From today’s WASHINGTON POST

    1. Washington Putz? Seriously?
      You read that pile of chips owned by that wife cheating, greedy capitalist, violator of labor rights of overseas slave wage earners, Jeff Bezos?

      1. Estovir, what a nerd you are! Just an arch-conservative loser having use the handles of other commentators because your own name wore out early on.

    2. So let me get this straight. Democrats were perfectly content with Mueller’s open-ended investigation; but they are beside themselves now that it has closed. What has changed (or not)? AG Barr’s summary certainly hasn’t changed Mueller’s report. So what has changed?

      Hope, that’s what’s changed. It’s an odd and disgusting hope. The sort of hope that makes rational people do and believe irrational things solely on the hope their tribe wins and the other tribe is wiped off the map. The hope that this President and anyone connected to him has violated the law. Not hope that a President will succeed on anything, but hope that this President will fail bigly on anything enough that this President will get his own walk of shame long before he completes his first term. That kind of hope is not an America-loving hope. That kind of hope is what our worst enemies have for this country.

    3. I think the Mueller report also relates to at least a million different papers, data points, notes, etc. One has to be an idiot to think it can be vetted quickly.

      That is why Rosenstein provided a summary to all those that supported his efforts to take the President down. He knew vetting would take time and since he also knows the President was not involved in collusion or obstruction he doesn’t want to sink his reputation any further. Had Rosenstein not released a summary those on the left would be asking for a summary.

      1. Many seem to be taking the Barr-Rosenstein summary in the same spirit and with the same grace that they took (and are taking) Hillary’s 2016 defeat.
        That must be a coincidence.

      2. Barr’s summary is the centerfold. Don’t bother too much with the rest, it’s a waste of time

        1. All that need be recorded is that Trump was innocent of Russian collusion and a lot of higher up intelligence and DOJ officials along with a lot of Democratic politicians sold the nation a bunch of goods causing great harm to the US benefitting our enemies along with making the world less safer. What is surprising is how gullible many on the left are and how they can’t accept defeat or recognize when their leaders were wrong.

  17. Which “facts” are presented to America? The real facts or the “fake” facts. The first “epic” was the patently false Warren Report condemning Lee Harvey Oswald as the assassin of JFK when he was, in reality, the “patsy” in the conspiracy perpetrated by the CIA, FBI, Mob, Texas Oilmen et al. Now America is force-fed the Mueller Report which was born in a complete dearth of probable cause for a crime and, therefore, illegitimate from its outset, as it follows one of Mueller’s greatest revelations, his declaration before Congress of the existence of non-existent WMD in Iraq.

    You have to give the “deep state” credit for its ability to persist, retain control of the stage and direct this latest production, the national farce-cum-tragedy of phantom “Russian Collusion.”
    _________________________________________

    “We’ll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false.”

    – William Casey, CIA Director
    _______________________

  18. Turley: you really do have no shame whatsoever. The “anti-Trump, libs, Dems, MSM are going through Elisabeth Kubler Ross’s stages of grieving because they didn’t win” line is a dish of smarmy slop that has been served on Faux News for more than 2 years now. And now, you chime in. OK, Jon Turley: how can anyone be going through the stages of grieving over a the findings of a report no one has seen? Barr’s “summary” creates more questions than it answers, and given the fact that he campaigned for the AG job by reassuring Trump that he believes the Mueller investigation is wrong, and because he refused to recuse, Barr does not have much credibility. Are you all going to be going through the stages of grieving after the full report is finally obtained and proves what everyone knows, which is that Trump and his campaign did coordinate with Russian oligarchs tied to Putin to “win the victory”, that he did fire Comey and Sessions to obstruct justice, and that Barr spun the facts to give Trump an opportunity for a victory lap until he’s forced to turn over the full report?

  19. “Either Trump is a compromised foreign agent, or he isn’t. If he isn’t, news outlets once again swallowed a massive disinformation campaign, only this error is many orders of magnitude more stupid than any in the recent past, WMD included. Honest reporters like ABC’s Terry Moran understand: Mueller coming back empty-handed on collusion means a “reckoning for the media.”

    https://taibbi.substack.com

    1. More from Rolling Stone columnist, Matt Taibbi

      “The Iraq war faceplant damaged the reputation of the press. Russiagate just destroyed it”

      Nobody wants to hear this, but news that Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller is headed home without issuing new charges is a death-blow for the reputation of the American news media.

      As has long been rumored, the former FBI chief’s independent probe will result in multiple indictments and convictions, but no “presidency-wrecking” conspiracy charges, or anything that would meet the layman’s definition of “collusion” with Russia.

      With the caveat that even this news might somehow turn out to be botched, the key detail in the many stories about the end of the Mueller investigation was best expressed by the New York Times:

      A senior Justice Department official said that Mr. Mueller would not recommend new indictments.

      Attorney General William Barr sent a letter to congress summarizing Mueller’s conclusions. The money line quoted the Mueller report:

      [T]he investigation did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.

      Over the weekend, the Times tried to soften the emotional blow for the millions of Americans trained in these years to place hopes for the overturn of the Trump presidency in Mueller. As with most press coverage, there was little pretense that the Mueller probe was supposed to be a neutral fact-finding mission, as apposed to religious allegory, with Mueller cast as the hero sent to slay the monster.

      The Special Prosecutor literally became a religious figure during the last few years, with votive candles sold in his image and Saturday Night Live cast members singing “All I Want for Christmas is You” to him featuring the rhymey line: “Mueller please come through, because the only option is a coup.”

      The Times story today tried to preserve Santa Mueller’s reputation, noting Trump’s Attorney General William Barr’s reaction was an “endorsement” of the fineness of Mueller’s work:

      In an apparent endorsement of an investigation that Mr. Trump has relentlessly attacked as a “witch hunt,” Mr. Barr said Justice Department officials never had to intervene to keep Mr. Mueller from taking an inappropriate or unwarranted step.

      Mueller, in other words, never stepped out of the bounds of his job description. But could the same be said for the news media?

      For those anxious to keep the dream alive, the Times published its usual graphic of Trump-Russia “contacts,” inviting readers to keep making connections. But in a separate piece by Peter Baker, the paper noted the Mueller news had dire consequences for the press:

      It will be a reckoning for President Trump, to be sure, but also for Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel, for Congress, for Democrats, for Republicans, for the news media and, yes, for the system as a whole…

      This is a damning page one admission by the Times. Despite the connect-the-dots graphic in its other story, and despite the astonishing, emotion-laden editorial the paper also ran suggesting “We don’t need to read the Mueller report” because we know Trump is guilty, Baker at least began the work of preparing Times readers for a hard question: “Have journalists connected too many dots that do not really add up?”

      The paper was signaling it understood there would now be questions about whether or not news outlets like itself made galactic errors by betting heavily on a new, politicized approach, trying to be true to “history’s judgment” on top of the hard-enough job of just being true. Worse, in a brutal irony everyone should have seen coming, the press has now handed Trump the mother of campaign issues heading into 2020.

      Nothing Trump is accused of from now on by the press will be believed by huge chunks of the population, a group that (perhaps thanks to this story) is now larger than his original base. As Baker notes, a full 50.3% of respondents in a poll conducted this month said they agree with Trump the Mueller probe is a “witch hunt.”

      Stories have been coming out for some time now hinting Mueller’s final report might leave audiences “disappointed,” as if a President not being a foreign spy could somehow be bad news.

      Openly using such language has, all along, been an indictment. Imagine how tone-deaf you’d have to be to not realize it makes you look bad, when news does not match audience expectations you raised. To be unaware of this is mind-boggling, the journalistic equivalent of walking outside without pants.

      There will be people protesting: the Mueller report doesn’t prove anything! What about the 37 indictments? The convictions? The Trump tower revelations? The lies! The meeting with Don, Jr.? The financial matters! There’s an ongoing grand jury investigation, and possible sealed indictments, and the House will still investigate, and…

      Stop. Just stop. Any journalist who goes there is making it worse.

      For years, every pundit and Democratic pol in Washington hyped every new Russia headline like the Watergate break-in. Now, even Nancy Pelosi has said impeachment is out, unless something “so compelling and overwhelming and bipartisan” against Trump is uncovered it would be worth their political trouble to prosecute.

      The biggest thing this affair has uncovered so far is Donald Trump paying off a porn star. That’s a hell of a long way from what this business was supposedly about at the beginning, and shame on any reporter who tries to pretend this isn’t so.

      The story hyped from the start was espionage: a secret relationship between the Trump campaign and Russian spooks who’d helped him win the election.

      The betrayal narrative was not reported as metaphor. It was not “Trump likes the Russians so much, he might as well be a spy for them.” It was literal spying, treason, and election-fixing – crimes so severe, former NSA employee John Schindler told reporters, Trump “will die in jail.”

      In the early months of this scandal, the New York Times said Trump’s campaign had “repeated contacts” with Russian intelligence; the Wall Street Journal told us our spy agencies were withholding intelligence from the new President out of fear he was compromised; news leaked out our spy chiefs had even told other countries like Israel not to share their intel with us, because the Russians might have “leverages of pressure” on Trump.

      CNN told us Trump officials had been in “constant contact” with “Russians known to U.S. intelligence,” and the former director of the CIA, who’d helped kick-start the investigation that led to Mueller’s probe, said the President was guilty of “high crimes and misdemeanors,” committing acts “nothing short of treasonous.”

      Hillary Clinton insisted Russians “could not have known how to weaponize” political ads unless they’d been “guided” by Americans. Asked if she meant Trump, she said, “It’s pretty hard not to.” Harry Reid similarly said he had “no doubt” that the Trump campaign was “in on the deal” to help Russians with the leak.

      None of this has been walked back. To be clear, if Trump were being blackmailed by Russian agencies like the FSB or the GRU, if he had any kind of relationship with Russian intelligence, that would soar over the “overwhelming and bipartisan” standard, and Nancy Pelosi would be damning torpedoes for impeachment right now.

      There was never real gray area here. Either Trump is a compromised foreign agent, or he isn’t. If he isn’t, news outlets once again swallowed a massive disinformation campaign, only this error is many orders of magnitude more stupid than any in the recent past, WMD included. Honest reporters like ABC’s Terry Moran understand: Mueller coming back empty-handed on collusion means a “reckoning for the media.”

      Of course, there won’t be such a reckoning. (There never is). But there should be. We broke every written and unwritten rule in pursuit of this story, starting with the prohibition on reporting things we can’t confirm.

  20. Professor Turley, did Laura Ingraham plagiarize your work on reaction to the Mueller Report or did you plagiarize the work of Laura Ingraham?

    1. Let’s see….hmmmm……looks like George is still in the denial stage…..

      1. Laura Ingraham presented “Mueller and The Stages Of Grieving” on her show last night. Professor Turley presented the same thing shortly thereafter. Coincidence, I presume.

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