,
21 tweets,
8 min read
Read on Twitter
So the real story emerges: Barr/Rosenstein wouldn’t let Mueller indict Trump b/c of the OLC memo. Barr then told Mueller, since you can’t indict, you can no longer investigate. #impeachtrump
Barr/RR felt comfortable that btwn the OLC memo & OSC regs that he could fire Mueller w/Trump/GOP backing and survive a court challenge. #impeachtrump
On top of this, @SpeakerPelosi foolishly negotiated against herself, voicing that she was not inclined to impeach based on her own flawed political analysis that impeachment w/out removal was a conundrum that she couldn’t spend capital on. #impeachtrump
This move by @SpeakerPelosi shortly after the explosive Cohen hearing emboldened Trump & Barr. #impeachtrump
With no help coming from the @HouseDemocrats, Mueller was stuck. His goal was to preserve and memorialize his work product and get it to Congress. He couldn’t let Barr see it for fear of tampering. #impeachtrump
So Mueller agreed to shut it down, but then locked Barr/RR out and made the report as expansive & readable a review of his investigation as possible. #impeachtrump
He also farmed our all the key cases and listed them in the exhibits as a way to inform Congress and keep Barr’s hands off of them. #impeachtrump
Barr was shocked when he saw the report. He wanted a short bullet list which would say ‘decline to prosecute’. He didn’t want detailed summaries which aired the collusion/obstruction. #impeachtrump
Mueller surprised Barr/Trump/RR by providing an impeachment referral w/out calling it that. Mueller correctly read the OSC regs as allowing him to cover everything in the mandate authorized by Rosenstein. #impeachtrump
Barr/RR had huddled for weeks on how to whitewash the report and now had to take the risk of misleading the public, which they did. #impeachtrump
However, when the WAPO leaks from the OSC came out and Mueller’s letter, Barr/RR blinked. RR always bends to that which threatens him the most. They hurriedly released the report and provided redactions though more limited than they had hoped. #impeachtrump
Mueller, therefore, succeeded in getting the bulk of his report out and starting a real discussion on impeachment. The obstacle is now convincing @SpeakerPelosi, who remains a stumbling block. #impeachtrump
Now in deeper trouble, Trump/Barr have focused on stonewalling @HouseDemocrats. That has had the effect of turning Democratic voters in favor of impeachment. 5 of the top 6 Dem candidates are pro-impeachment to varying degrees. #ImpeachTrump
@GOP is fronting like impeachment would be good for them. They’re bluffing and playing on traditional Dem skittishness for doing anything that is not self executing and requires investment of political capital. The GOP is scared to death of impeachment. That’s why they stall.
But something happened along the way. Trump/Barr lost Rosenstein. Either they cut him out of overconfidence or he didn’t want to be a part of it any longer. W/out RR, Barr was clueless and was gutted like a fish in a Senate hearing led by Graham!
Rosenstein is likely the source of the Mueller letter. He provided the whole thing and that focused the Dems in a way that leadership has been trying to tamp down for the past 2 months. Now Pelosi/Schumer are saying ‘yay team!’ when both have been MIA.
Rosenstein dropped that bomb on Barr, and the GOP took a big blow b/c more of the opposition party led by front runner Biden, Warren and Harris are embracing impeachment like they’re literally playing with House money.
@SpeakerPelosi, up to this point has viewed the Mueller Report as a s**t sandwich. She and Schiff wanted SDNY or Mueller to indict Trump or name him an unindicted co-conspirator. They don’t want to deal with the politics of impeachment without removal.
They are overthinking it. Biden, Harris and Warren collectively have it right. Impeachment is good politics for Dems and destroys the GOP. #ImpeachTrump
Mueller did us no favors by declining to indict the Trump cmpgn entity or Donald Trump Jr. He made a mistake. His hand would’ve been greatly strengthened had he done so. #ImpeachTrump
That said, we’re now at a point where the Dems have it within their power to hold Trump accountable by opening a formal impeachment inquiry. When that happens, power and leverage will shift to the Dems & the Republic. #impeachtrump
