While many Americans were learning about former special counsel Robert Mueller’s appearances before Congress on Wednesday when they could get a break from work, the staff of the White House was riveted for the proceedings from the beginning.
But by the time the day was half-over, any unease that might have been in the air at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. had turned into “euphoria,” Politico reported. That description of the White House mood came from a “Trump ally,” the report said.
Whatever kind of momentum Democrats had hoped to gain from Mueller’s appearance didn’t seem to be materializing.
The real dig took place at halftime in the Wednesday show — between Mueller’s morning appearance before the House Judiciary Committee and his afternoon testimony to the House Intelligence Committee chaired by Rep. Adam Schiff of California.
President Donald Trump himself tweeted sarcastic gratitude to his political opponents for a promised spectacle that turned out largely to be a dud.
“I would like to thank the Democrats for holding this morning’s hearing,” Trump wrote. “Now, after 3 hours, Robert Mueller has to subject himself to #ShiftySchiff – an Embarrassment to our Country!”
White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham issued a statement that her predecessor in the post, Sarah Sanders, would have been proud of.
“The last three hours have been an epic embarrassment for the Democrats,” she wrote. “Expect more of the same in the second half.”
Midway through the day, there was plenty of reason for the White House to be cautiously optimistic. Mueller didn’t provide any fireworks for the Judiciary Committee that would get impeachment tongues rolling.
In fact, Republican questioning struck at the heart of the special counsel’s investigation and his report.
Do you think Mueller’s testimony was good for the White House?
There were some very good reasons that Fox News veteran political correspondent Chris Wallace called the day a “disaster” for the Democrats.
Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina, a vocal Republican supporter of Trump who is not a member of the Judiciary Committee but followed Wednesday’s action closely, was pleased.
“The expectations set by Democrats didn’t come close to delivering … I’m certainly very pleased,” he told Politico. “It’s obviously a good day for the president. It’s hopefully a good day for America.”
I BELIEVE the American people are sick and tired of having to be dragged through this fiasco of attempting to pile a ton of crap on the Donald –Time consuming and another loss for the liberal’s party.
Are you kidding? Mueller specifically provided acts that were obstruction of justice. And also said specifically the president was not exonerated – and that he can be prosecuted for obstruction as soon as he leaves office. He specifically pointed out lie after lie from the president, but I guess that doesn’t matter because the president has always said complete exoneration, no collusion. I think Muellers testimony proves exactly that the president was and is guilty. As for the “jokers” that are the president’s council – they too have proved exactly what they are – liars and butt lickers.
Pleas publish this instead of the follow the leader posts. America is getting closer to a dictatorship with presidential privilege each day, and the lickers keep on a licking.
I am happy for Trump. He was vindicated. I am sorry for Mueller. He was a corrupt prosecutor who knowingly and deliberately sent innocent men to prison by suppressing exonerating evidence, mishandled other investigations and was an “associate” of Whitey Bulger, but what I saw yesterday was a pitiful desperate grasp of a failing democrat party dragging out for display an old man obviously suffering from some form of dementia. What he did was prove that he was the figurehead for a corrupt effort by desperate Clinton supporters to vilify an innocent man, Donald J. Trump. I mean really, he did not know what Fusion GPS was? He did not recognize some of the names of those he accused of crimes?
You people are crazy. Mueller brought incontrovertible evidence that the Russsians made huge attempts to sway the election for Trump. Read the report! He did not exonerate Trump. He was fair-minded and thought that he could not charge a sitting president. It was up to Congress to do what was right.
Just because Mueller is not a show-man, does not mean that what is in his report is wrong. This is crazy. Television is deforming our politics. I am also surprised and disappointed (although I shouldn’t be) at the Republicans. They were always the ones to charge at the Russian menace. Now that he helped elected their man, the Russians are OK.