David Axelrod and Claire McCaskill aren't thrilled with the Mueller testimony: 'This is very, very painful'
Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller has concluded his first of two congressional hearings on Wednesday, and so far, a few prominent Democrats aren't thrilled with how things are going.
As Mueller wrapped up his testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, David Axelrod, former senior adviser to President Obama, described the hearing as "very, very painful." In a follow-up tweet, he clarified that he still believes Mueller's report is "damning" but wrote that the former special counsel "clearly was struggling today." Earlier, Axelrod had tweeted that Mueller "does not appear as sharp" as he used to be.
Former Democratic senator Claire McCaskill wasn't happy with the testimony, either, saying on MSNBC that "today he was a witness, and he frankly wasn't a really good witness." McCaskill complained that Mueller declining to answer so many questions allowed Republicans to get "more and more outrageous" with their questioning, and so "the Democrats have to be disappointed that he didn't more vigorously defend his process and the team."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Brutal assessments along those lines dominated cable news during the break between hearings, with Jeremy Bash, former Department of Defense and Central Intelligence Agency chief of staff under President Obama, saying that Mueller "sucked the life out of the report," panning Mueller as "boring," "evasive," and saying he "seemed lost." Legal scholar Laurence Tribe agreed that Mueller "sucked the life out of" the report, while NBC's Chuck Todd echoed a similar statement from Fox News' Chris Wallace by saying that while Democrats "got what they wanted" on substance, "on optics, this was a disaster."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Ukraine hints at end to 'hot war' with Russia in 2025
Talking Points Could the new year see an end to the worst European violence of the 21st Century?
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
What does the FDIC do?
In the Spotlight Deposit insurance builds confidence in the banking system
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
2024: The year of conspiracy theories
IN THE SPOTLIGHT Global strife and domestic electoral tensions made this year a bonanza for outlandish worldviews and self-justifying explanations
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published