Mueller says Russian election interference has been 'underplayed'

(Image credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

published 24 July 2019

Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller testified before Congress on Wednesday that Russian interference in the 2016 presidential was "absolutely" not a hoax, as President Trump has argued in the past. That's not surprising — Mueller's report on his office's investigation into the matter was clear about the severity of the interference.

But what came after added a jolt to the hearing. After affirming to Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) that the interference was legitimate, Mueller said, unprompted, that the interference aspect of the investigation has been "underplayed."

He said that it could cause "long term damage" to the United States and that "we need to move quickly to address" the matter.

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For some, the moment served as a breakthrough for the Democrats and Mueller after hours of what's been considered a lackluster performance since the House Judiciary Committee's questioning earlier in the day. Tim O'Donnell

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.