Well, it’s done. Mr. Mueller says he has closed his investigation, the report has been written and delivered to William Barr, the US Attorney General for review. Today and tomorrow he will be briefing ranking Senators and House members. How much of the report will ultimately be released for public consumption is unknown, but that has not stopped the petitions from activist groups or the public calls for complete disclosure by politicians.
I actually felt a bit relieved yesterday, but my hopes are not high. You see, there’s this little man that lives in my gut who has been whispering to me for months, “What if there’s no there there?” What if the report lands with a thud? It very well could. If Mueller has demonstrated anything it is that he is not a sensationalist.
It is commonly believed that the report will focus on allegations that the Russian government interfered with the 2016 election with the intent of assisting a Trump victory, and that Trump and or members of his “crew” assisted or participated with those efforts.
Here’s my prediction: the report will find that the Russian government actively interfered with the 2016 election, but it will not find sufficient interaction with Trump or anyone associated with his campaign to file an indictment. And if that is what it does say, we should all breathe a sigh of relief. I mean, wouldn’t that be good news? Isn’t that the way our system is supposed to work? If that’s the case, then the House will move forward with its investigations. I mean, there’s plenty of stuff out there to hang an impeachment on, right? The Mueller investigation is just one aspect.
And, seriously, if as a country we are going to try to impeach a president shouldn’t our guns be loaded with silver bullets? No half-baked coup attempts, no flimsy evidence.
Here’s the other part: There will be no Articles of Impeachment filed before the 2020 elections unless, as Speaker Pelosi said, “Impeachment is so divisive to the country that unless there’s something so compelling and overwhelming and bipartisan, I don’t think we should go down that path, because it divides the country. And he’s just not worth it.”
Remember that Richard Nixon was not convinced to resign until he was into his second term and facing overwhelming, compelling evidence and bipartisan support for his impeachment.
Oh, and finally: Trump will be elected for a second term. Just remember, you read it here first. He will use the Mueller investigation to rally his supporters into a frenzy and they will flock to the polls like never before.
What about resignation? You see, Trump has no incentive to resign from office. Once he resigns, he could very well be facing an indictment cannon. Currently, he is protected from criminal prosecution by that pesky Department of Justice memorandum that protects the president from such prosecutions while he is in office. So don’t look for that to happen. His best game plan is to remain in office long enough for the statutes of limitations to run on any outstanding indictments.
A pretty gloomy outlook, I know, but the little man in my gut has a fairly solid track record for being right. I hope I am wrong, but in the short term, our best hope is to retain the House and take back the Senate. At least that way, progressives can stem the tide of ultra-conservative jurists being appointed to the federal judiciary, and weed out some of the crime bosses the president has loaded his cabinet with.
In case you were wondering . . .