The investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election has largely wrapped up, and even though it did not exonerate President Donald Trump, he and his allies seem convinced not only that it has, but that the whole investigation was illegitimate and the people who carried it out are part of a so-called "Deep State" that is going to be put behind bars any day now.
A new analysis by Politico published on Tuesday walks through how Trump and many of his allies, including Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton, and right-wing ex-prosecutor Joe DiGenova, are expecting a number of people, like former FBI Director James Comey and fired federal agent Peter Strzok, will be found guilty of criminal acts after internal investigations conducted by Inspector General Michael Horowitz and U.S. Attorney John Durham. Trump has even called it "treason."
Other experts, however, say that is extremely unlikely.
"What I think is going to happen is nobody is going to be charged with any criminal activity," said former assistant U.S. attorney, Jon Sale, a friend of Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani. He believes Horowitz and Durham will urge reforms in how the FBI investigates presidential candidates, but will not find any crimes occurred.
Even some subjects of the investigation, like former Trump campaign aide Carter Page, have downplayed the possibility. "I'm only primarily concerned about getting to the truth," said Page. "In the grand scheme of things, having a clean historical record of what actually happened in that dark period of recent history is infinitely more important."
Another Trump ally, Michael Caputo, said he is prepared for this outcome, adding, "I know at any moment the establishment could thwart this entire thing."