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1. Trump is going to spin the Mueller Report as a) proof that he’s innocent, b) evidence of no collusion & most importantly c) that any investigation in the House is an unjustified witch hunt. He’ll do this literally no matter what the report says.
2. Trump will claim anything short of an indictment of him is proof that he’s innocent. This isn’t true & is particularly ridiculous in light of DOJ policy against indicting a sitting President.
3. Prosecutors don’t indict unless they believe they have evidence, that will be admissible in court, & establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. It’s a high bar. Good prosecutors don’t indict people because they suspect they’re guilty, they do it based on the evidence.
4. But, if a President could be indicted, there’s a likelihood Trump would be indicted for obstruction and for campaign finance fraud, based just on what we see publicly, which is undoubtedly not all of what prosecutors have. Same for some of the people around him.
5. Impeachment is different. It can be based on conduct that may not meet the technical definition of a specific crime but which Congress believes is unacceptable for a President. Conduct like trying to get your attorney general to end an investigation into you and your business.
6. Mueller appears to have stayed carefully within his lane, sending cases that strayed from his core mission to US attorneys & DOJ divisions. These career prosecutors will work their investigations to a conclusion, even after Mueller closes shop.
The information we saw when Cohen pleaded guilty led me to believe there was significant evidence against members of Trump’s inner circle. And that’s before we learned prosecutors were looking at the inauguration & bank, etc fraud involving Trump’s properties & the organization.
There are also hints of intrigue with foreign companies beyond Russia. We still don’t know why General Flynn got a deal from Mueller that requires him to serve no prison time. There are a lot of loose ends. Prosecutors don’t like loose ends.
So, when Trump spins the Mueller Report-no matter what it says-as a win for him, be a critical observer. Read it for yourself if Trump’s WH & DOJ make it available (consider carefully what it means if they conceal it) Listen for claims of innocence that are contrary to fact.
Trump will use the Mueller Report to delegitimize any investigation in Congress, just like he attacked DOJ & the FBI, although led by his appointees, to delegitimize Mueller’s investigation. People need to consider facts & use logic, rather than succumb to a huckster’s pitch.
