As Attorney General Bill Barr revealed during his Thursday morning press conference, special counsel Robert Mueller scrutinized 10 episodes to find possible evidence of President Donald Trump’s obstruction of justice.
While Mueller concluded that he did not have enough to charge Trump with obstruction charges, he added the caveat that the President was not exonerated.
Here are the situations he investigated:
1) Trump’s conduct concerning Michael Flynn and James Comey
In this section, Mueller delves into Trump’s famous “loyalty” conversation with former FBI Director James Comey, followed shortly by his comment about hoping Comey would “see your way clear” to letting former National Security Adviser Flynn go. It also hits Trump’s request of Deputy National Security Adviser K.T. McFarland to draft a memo stating that Trump did not tell Flynn to discuss sanctions with the Russians.
2) Trump’s reaction to the Russia investigation
Mueller scrutinizes Trump’s anger over then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ recusal, Trump’s reaching out to intelligence agencies to push them to dispel the notion that the Russia meddling and his campaign were linked and his multiple attempts to contact Comey about the investigation.
3) Trump’s firing of Comey and the events leading up to it
This episode centers on Trump’s decision to fire Comey even before the Department of Justice made its recommendation that he should be removed on the basis of his handling of the Clinton email probe. It also contains details of Trump’s subsequent public statements confirming that he got rid of Comey due to the pressure from the Russia investigation.
4) Trump’s reaction to the appointment of the special counsel and subsequent efforts to have him removed
Mueller investigates Trump’s response to the initial news of the special counsel’s appointment, specifically his immediate reaction that it was “the end of his presidency,” as well as his attempt to direct former White House council Don McGahn to terminate Mueller.
5) Trump’s efforts to curtail the special counsel’s investigation
This section contains details about Trump’s souring on Sessions and his push to first, get Sessions to publicly characterize the investigation as unfair, and later, to try to curtail the special counsel’s scope.
6) Trump’s efforts to prevent the public disclosure of emails about the June 9, 2016 Trump Tower meeting between Russians and senior campaign officials
This episode involves Trump trying to suppress emails about the infamous Trump Tower meeting and editing a press statement for Donald Trump Jr. to remove a potentially damaging line about the 2016 campaign.
7) Trump’s efforts to get Sessions to reverse his recusal and take over the special counsel’s investigation
This point focuses on Trump’s multiple attempts to get Sessions to reverse his recusal and take charge of the special counsel’s investigation, including the detail that Trump told him he’d be a “hero” if he did. Sessions, of course, refused.
8) Trump unsuccessfully pressures McGahn to deny that he tried to fire Mueller
Mueller delves into Trump’s many attempts to push McGahn to lie in response to media reports that he had directed McGahn to fire Mueller. McGahn also refused.
9) Trump’s behavior toward Flynn, Paul Manafort and a redacted person
The section centers on Trump’s personal attorneys making clear to Flynn’s team after he started working with the government that Trump felt very fondly towards Flynn and would appreciate a “heads up” on any information that would prove damaging to the President. It also contains details about Trump’s public fawning over his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort when it became clear he did not flip on him. The third person in this section is redacted.
10) Trump’s abruptly changing behavior toward Michael Cohen
Here, Mueller investigates Trump’s shift in opinion of his former fixer Michael Cohen from praise, while he was lying on Trump’s behalf about the Trump Tower Moscow project, to fury when Cohen started cooperating with the government.
As a bonus, Mueller also mentions a few episodes that involve Trump’s campaign aides as well as the President himself, like when they sought information on any potential future WikiLeaks dumps. He also touches on Trump’s muddying of the timeline for Trump Tower Moscow and the President’s voiced concerns that the Russia meddling would make his election appear illegitimate.
This is even worse than I would have expected from a redacted report.
And while I thoroughly disdained the apotheosis of Mueller, I have to admit: he knew what he was up against and managed to keep it all together, namely including a basic road map of what Congress should do. If he declined to prosecute because of a DOJ guideline, it obstruction was in plain view to render that his decision unnecessary
Good for him.
Maybe I’m looking through rose-colored glasses on a rainy spring morning, but I feel an impeachment proceeding in the offing. Nancy was simply playing the cards she had - and now a new hand has been dealt.
Because your election IS illegitimate, you corrupt, adulterous, thieving, traitorous, popular-vote losing, tax-defrauding, child-peeping, criminal creep.
Obstruction of Justice 101 at Episode1!
Absence Trump interview with Mueller, Trump has already said his intent
= “This Russian thing” was what Trump was thinking when he fired Comey
Just because it was admitted on TV does NOT mean that Obstruction of Justice Intent was not established!
And just because acts to obstruct justice was covertly done does not mean to say it is not obstruction of justice!
No, it’s not just you. I’m about as negative as person as one gets (ask my various psychiatrists) and I just cannot shake this good feeling that finally the beginning of the end has arrived.