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Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff is getting tons of praise for his 'precise' Mueller questioning
July 24, 2019 -
Mueller said he didn't indict Trump because of DOJ policy — and then took it back
July 24, 2019 -
Republicans and Democrats are both already trying to fundraise off the Mueller hearing
July 24, 2019 -
GOP Rep. Ken Buck just delivered Democrats the Mueller soundbite they wanted
July 24, 2019 -
GOP Rep. John Ratcliffe's intense Mueller questioning may have been an audition for President Trump
July 24, 2019
House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) seemed to be a good choice to end the Mueller testimony.
Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller spoke to the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees on Wednesday about his probe into Russian election interference and President Trump's investigation, but largely avoided answering questions from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. BUt with his opening statement, questioning, and closing words, Schiff provided a rare exception.
In a tweet, Washington Post White House Bureau Chief Philip Rucker kept his praise simple, outlining what Schiff's "precise questioning" of Mueller revealed.
Under precise questioning from Schiff, Mueller confirms many facts Trump has denied:
-Russia’s sweeping interference to help Trump
-Trump campaign welcomed the assistance
-Trump sought to make money in Russia (Moscow tower)
-Investigation was not a witch hunt and not a hoax— Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) July 24, 2019
Dan Rather went a bit further, tweeting during a mid-point break in the hearing that Democrats should "be talking about ceding all [their] time to Schiff in the next round of questioning." And Tom Nichols, a self-proclaimed "ex-GOP" Harvard professor, suggested that under different circumstances, Trump might already be out the door.
Schiff’s five minutes and Mueller’s answers would have been enough for Republicans to impeach and convict any other president before sundown today.
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) July 24, 2019
After all this commentary, Schiff went on to elicit several more concise answers from Mueller during his closing statement. Watch Schiff's first round of questioning below. Kathryn Krawczyk
Here’s what Mueller said:
➡️ Russia interfered in our election to help Trump.
➡️ Russians made numerous contacts with the campaign.
➡️ Campaign welcomed their help.
➡️ No one reported these contacts or interference to FBI.
➡️ They lied to cover it up. pic.twitter.com/ePAjUkfMlo— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) July 24, 2019
Democrats' biggest win from Wednesday morning was gone by Wednesday afternoon.
During his testimony in front of the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, Special Counsel Robert Mueller answered a question from Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) that appeared to be exactly what Democrats were looking for. Yet in a later hearing for the House Intelligence Committee, Mueller brought up his earlier comments — and completely took them back.
Earlier on Wednesday, Lieu referenced how during his probe of Russian election interference and possible obstruction of justice by President Trump, Mueller was beholden to an Office of Legal Counsel policy that states a sitting president cannot be charged with a federal crime. "You did not indict Donald Trump is because of OLC opinion that you cannot indict a sitting president, correct?" Lieu asked. Mueller responded with a "yes."
Yet after a lunch break, Mueller said that he'd like to make a "correction to my testimony this morning." He quoted Lieu's question, and then said Lieu's phrasing was "not the correct way to say it." Watch his whole reversal below. Kathryn Krawczyk
Mueller: “I want to go back to one thing that was said this morning by Mr. Lieu, who said, ‘you didn’t charge the president because of the OLC opinion.’ That is not the correct way to say it." https://t.co/Bk6IKkx97y #MuellerHearings pic.twitter.com/DQ0M5QAR4v
— Dan Linden (@DanLinden) July 24, 2019
Republicans and Democrats want the same thing from the Mueller hearing: Money.
On Wednesday, former Special Counsel Robert Mueller testified to the House Judiciary Committee about his report on Russian election interference and possible obstruction of justice by President Trump. Democrats largely saw Mueller's report as damning, while Republicans often considered it exonerating. And while Mueller has said that his report did not affirm Trump's innocence, Trump still reaffirmed his "no collusion" talking point in a text blast and email to supporters sent during the hearing — and asked them for a donation.
Trump’s own 2020 campaign (in conjunction with the Republican National Committee) is now up with a Mueller-themed fundraising ask. https://t.co/TztxtIwuSA pic.twitter.com/H49oZG2Dax
— Dave Levinthal (@davelevinthal) July 24, 2019
But it wasn't just Trump, or even just Republicans, who tried to capitalize on the Mueller hearing. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee also sent out a "Mueller report survey" that inevitably asked readers for a donation after already taking their time.
One thing’s for certain today: political committees on both the left and right are going to try and make a boatload of cash off the Mueller hearing. pic.twitter.com/AVviA0TV9s
— Dave Levinthal (@davelevinthal) July 24, 2019
All of these email blasts came before Mueller had even finished his judiciary testimony on Wednesday — and he still had another hearing left to go. Kathryn Krawczyk
Democrats may have finally turned the Mueller hearing in their favor.
Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller testified before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, with Democrats publicly hoping his hearing would "give life" to his report on Russian election interference and possible obstruction of justice by President Trump. Yet analysts largely considered Mueller's stuttering, audio-compromised hearing a dud — at least until Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) did Democrats' work for them.
While Mueller investigated Trump for obstruction of justice, he was beholden to an Office of Legal Counsel policy that states a sitting president cannot be charged with a federal crime. Buck acknowledged that policy on Wednesday, and then went on to ask Mueller a critical question: "Could you charge the president with a crime after he left office?" "Yes," Mueller responded. "You could charge the President of the United States with obstruction of justice after he left office?" Buck then asked, and Mueller responded "yes" again.
Rep. Ken Buck: "Could you charge the president with a crime after he left office?"
Robert Mueller: "Yes"
Buck: "You could charge the President of the United States with obstruction of justice after he left office?"
Mueller: "Yes" https://t.co/jFAp2RJoaI #MuellerHearings pic.twitter.com/rG1psVL0ib— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) July 24, 2019
As national security lawyer and commentator Bradley Moss put it in a tweet, Buck's questioning "gave the Democrats the clip they want." Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) then took that line of questioning a step further, asking Mueller if the reason "that you did not indict Donald Trump is because of OLC opinion that you cannot indict a sitting president, correct?" "That is correct," Mueller answered again. Kathryn Krawczyk
Rep. Lieu: "The reason again that you did not indict Donald Trump is because of the OLC opinion stating that you cannot indict a sitting President, correct?"
Mueller: "That is correct."#MuellerHearing pic.twitter.com/MdSJ0rFIYt— Josh Campbell (@joshscampbell) July 24, 2019
Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) might have some career ambitions on his mind.
Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller testified for the House on Wednesday, largely deferring questions from both parties back to his report on Russian interference in the 2016 election. That deference lead Ratcliffe to go on a rant against Mueller, intensely asking him to name a time when an "investigated person was not exonerated because their innocence was not conclusively determined."
Ratcliffe's questioning pertained to the second half of Mueller's report, which outlined several instances where President Trump may have tried to obstruct Mueller's probe but did not recommend that Trump be charged with obstruction of justice. Mueller has repeatedly said that his report did not exonerate Trump of obstruction, prompting Ratcliffe to speak for much of his allotted time on why he thought Mueller was wrong.
Rep. John Ratcliffe asks if Mueller can cite an example besides Trump where the DOJ "determined that an investigated person was not exonerated because their innocence was not conclusively determined"
Mueller: I cannot, but this is a unique situation https://t.co/pjOwNhYtbJ pic.twitter.com/ekNGyhgV3O— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 24, 2019
While other members of the House Judiciary Committee are known for their grandstanding questioning during hearings, Ratcliffe isn't one of them. But as Politico's Natasha Bertrand pointed out during the hearing, Ratcliffe "is among the names being floated for Director of National intelligence. A recent Axios report indicated Trump is "eager" to fire current director Dan Coats, suggesting Ratcliffe is trying to get on Trump's good side. Kathryn Krawczyk