‘Devastating’: Internet reacts as Mueller blows a massive hole in GOP’s ‘no obstruction’ claims
Special counsel Robert Mueller delivered his first public remarks about his investigation of President Donald Trump’s campaign ties to Russia — and he clearly cast doubt on the president’s “no collusion” defense.
Mueller announced that he was closing his office and resigning, and said his “largely public” report must be allowed to speak for itself.
But he made clear his office never considered charging the president because Department of Justice regulations would not allow that, but he also made clear evidence showed Trump obstructed justice during the investigation.
ha, in the end, he fired himself, owned
— Asawin Suebsaeng (@swin24) May 29, 2019
Shorter Robert Mueller: None of you people can read, so I have to recite a quick summary.
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) May 29, 2019
Shorter Mueller: That was an impeachment referral, damnit, now act on it.
— emptywheel (@emptywheel) May 29, 2019
That’s Mueller code for ‘Read the fricking report people, like Justin Amash did!’ https://t.co/U9BWbYiQw9
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) May 29, 2019
Devastating.
Mueller just clearly declared that he didn’t bring obstruction charges *not* because the evidence didn’t point that way, but because of DOJ policy, and because there are other processes for holding a president accountable for misconduct.
Over to you, Democrats.
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) May 29, 2019
Mueller is saying: We could have cleared Trump and we didn’t. We couldn’t charge Trump, so we didn’t. We couldn’t say he was guilty since we couldn’t charge him. (But geez, Congress, how much do I have to spell this out for you?)
— Dan Froomkin (@froomkin) May 29, 2019
This is about as close as one could imagine to Robert Mueller laying out the case for opening an impeachment inquiry — says he couldn’t exonerate the president, was barred from charging the president, and that the Constitution provides the remedy.
— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) May 29, 2019
Bob Mueller just said as blatantly as Bob Mueller will ever say that the president probably did a crime. https://t.co/NsMKQQNjXI
— Anand Giridharadas (@AnandWrites) May 29, 2019
dems said wait for mueller and then had no plan
— Atrios (@Atrios) May 29, 2019
I don’t think Mueller can make this any clearer: Congress, do your job.
— Karoli (@Karoli) May 29, 2019
This REALLY doesn’t sound like “total exoneration.”
— Kevin Necessary (@knecessary) May 29, 2019
This is, at the most basic level, a shot at Barr
— Sam Stein (@samstein) May 29, 2019
Hot take: Mueller is giving the statement he wanted Barr to give when the report was released.
— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) May 29, 2019
Mueller is now making the basic point that keeps getting lost:
The investigation was, first and foremost, an accounting of a foreign attack on our political system. Conspiracy was a separate question.
An accounting of *this* is what Trump tried to derail.
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) May 29, 2019
Mueller’s continued insistence that it was simply not possible to charge a broader conspiracy is total bullshit. Far weaker conspiracy indictments get handed up and taken to trial every day in federal courts.
— bmaz (@bmaz) May 29, 2019
This is some kind of catch 22 nightmare: cheated & conspired to become president…can’t be indicated b/c he’s president…won’t be impeached b/c it’s a political hot potato. God help us.
— Jenny (@LittleRed409) May 29, 2019
Essentially, Mueller is saying, “Impeach the motherfucker.”
— The Rude Pundit (@rudepundit) May 29, 2019
Robert Mueller: “When a subject of an investigation obstructs that investigation, or lies to investigators, it strikes at the core of the government’s effort to find the truth and hold wrongdoers accountable.” pic.twitter.com/7ZoxzB8Nwr
— Bobby Lewis (@revrrlewis) May 29, 2019
— Gregory Korte (@gregorykorte) May 29, 2019
2020 Election
REVEALED: Far-right extremists are circulating plans to lock down Arizona streets if Trump is re-elected
On Saturday, The Arizona Republic reported that far-right paramilitary groups are circulating plans to lock down neighborhoods in the Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan area in the event that President Donald Trump is re-elected, supposedly to police left-wing protesters.
"In Arizona, the head of the Prescott-area chapter of the Oath Keepers group, which recruits military and law enforcement officers, has warned residents to be prepared to protect their neighborhoods from feared extreme left-wing protesters who would be upset should President Donald Trump be re-elected," reported Richard Ruelas. "Part of that the pro-Trump group'splan involved closing streets and assigning monitors to control access, according to a planning document shared with The Republic."
2020 Election
America’s crimes against humanity aren’t on the ballot this year — but they should be
The 2020 presidential election is a life-and-death decision for thousands of people vulnerable to COVID-19, for a globe under the assault from the climate crisis, and for the future of American democracy. And yet for all the urgency, the political campaign still suffers under the weight and stench of bullshit.
This article first appeared in Salon.
Philosopher Harry Frankfurt warns in his bestselling pamphlet "On Bullshit" that "bullshit" is more injurious than the blatant lie. One reason among many is that bullshit blurs the line between reality and fiction, offering a manipulative incorporation of truth to strengthen its own capacity to persuade. Absolute falsity, in contrast, is obvious to anyone with minimal awareness of the facts. When the Trump administration recently declared that one of its grand achievements was "ending the pandemic," most people laughed in disbelief. This is a lie fit for consumption only from inhabitants of a collective similar to the Rev. Jim Jones' notorious People's Temple settlement in Guyana.
2020 Election
Conservatives are hopping mad that their clumsy Hunter Biden smear is a flop
Welcome to another edition of What Fresh Hell?, Raw Story’s roundup of news items that might have become controversies under another regime, but got buried – or were at least under-appreciated – due to the daily firehose of political pratfalls, unhinged tweet storms and other sundry embarrassments coming out of the current White House.
In 2016, Steve Bannon did an amazing job rolling out the Clinton Foundation nontroversy. He gave The New York Times and CNN early access to Peter Schweizer's book, Clinton Cash, and the outlets gave it mainstream credibility. Later, when the Uranium One story was thoroughly debunked, it didn't matter. The foundation remained under a pall of fuzzy suspicions.
‘Very tired’ president shocks with short speech: ‘I’ve never seen Trump look less interested’
Win or lose — Trump is about to unleash hell
Lincoln Project escalates billboard battle with Ivanka and Jared — using signs on boats and trucks
Mail is backed up in critical Florida U.S. Postal Service district: report
Noam Chomsky just declared Trump the ‘worst criminal in human history’
REVEALED: Far-right extremists are circulating plans to lock down Arizona streets if Trump is re-elected
America’s crimes against humanity aren’t on the ballot this year — but they should be
Conservatives are hopping mad that their clumsy Hunter Biden smear is a flop
GOP insiders give Pence little chance of ever being president after four years spent defending Trump: report
Propagandist Rasmussen goes full wing-nut on its Twitter account
WATCH: Texas Trump supporters surround and harass Biden campaign bus headed to Austin rally
‘Donald Trump is going to be crushed on Tuesday’: Republican campaign consultant
Trump’s 2016 ‘contract’ for America demolished by CNN host as a collection of failed promises
NY AG serves notice to Trump on MSNBC she’s coming after him and his family after the election
