This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2019/mar/29/trump-news-today-latest-live-updates-democrats-mueller-report-economy
The article has changed 22 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Mueller report: Democrats head for clash with Barr over release – live | Mueller report: Democrats head for clash with Barr over release – live |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Tempers are certainly rising in the Democratic camp on Capitol Hill over the absence from their desks of the Mueller report and speculation now turns to exactly what AG Barr will issue next. | |
| Barr has made it clear to leading Dems that he won’t be releasing the full report by their demanded deadline, April 2, but with exasperation and anxiety in the air, will next week bring anything else from the DoJ? | |
| Barr has been going through the report amid Democratic concerns that what has been made public so far was tilted in Trump’s favor, the Associated Press writes this morning. | |
| It’s unclear whether whatever Barr might release next will be Mueller’s own words or another summary. House judiciary committee chairman Jerry Nadler offered to join Barr to seek a judge’s approval to unseal grand jury testimony, an aide told the AP. | |
| Barr has said he’ll provide Congress with at least a partial version in April and told Nadler he would agree to testify before his committee. | |
| Democrats complain that Barr overstepped by making the determination, with deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein, that Trump did not obstruct the investigation. | |
| As the tension ramps up between the Democrats and Barr, let’s agree that Friday is always a good day for intrigue. | |
| A question - well, there are so many questions about the Mueller report, its process and full findings - but one question piques the curiosity this morning: Why didn’t Robert Mueller subpoena Trump to give an interview to the investigation team? | |
| It was a question for months, whether Trump would talk face-to-face to Mueller and his prosecutors, which the president was resisting and the prospect of which obviously made his inner circle’s knees tremble, given Trump’s penchant for dissembling and contradicting himself moment to moment. | |
| He never did and, fascinatingly, Mueller never ordered him to. This headline in the Washington Post today certainly draws the eye: “A Mueller mystery: How Trump dodged a special counsel interview — and a subpoena fight”. | |
| The story says that a year ago, Mueller warned Trump’s lawyers that if the president didn’t sit down voluntarily for an interview, he could face a subpoena. | |
| He never explicitly, directly threatened to subpoena the president, apparently, but continued to pursue a sit-down between Trump and Mueller’s corps of federal investigators for the rest of 2018, without issuing one, while Trump’s lawyers successfully averted the interview and Mueller accepted written answers to questions instead. | |
| No not Donald Trump and Joe Biden, though we’ll come to that later. Trump, 72, and Jerry Nadler, 71. | No not Donald Trump and Joe Biden, though we’ll come to that later. Trump, 72, and Jerry Nadler, 71. |
| New York contemporaries who’ve been at loggerheads before on their home turf, Nadler is going to be an important needle in Trump’s side as the Democrat battles furiously with AG Bill Barr to get the full report by Robert Mueller passed to Congress. | New York contemporaries who’ve been at loggerheads before on their home turf, Nadler is going to be an important needle in Trump’s side as the Democrat battles furiously with AG Bill Barr to get the full report by Robert Mueller passed to Congress. |
| As chairman of the House of Representatives judiciary committee, Nadler is one of the most powerful voices on the Hill demanding the Mueller report - by Tuesday. | As chairman of the House of Representatives judiciary committee, Nadler is one of the most powerful voices on the Hill demanding the Mueller report - by Tuesday. |
| After a phone call with Barr two days ago, Nadler told reporters: “I asked whether he could commit that the full report and un-redacted full report with the underlying documents and evidence will be provided to Congress and to the American people, and he wouldn’t commit to that.” | After a phone call with Barr two days ago, Nadler told reporters: “I asked whether he could commit that the full report and un-redacted full report with the underlying documents and evidence will be provided to Congress and to the American people, and he wouldn’t commit to that.” |
| Democrat staffers on Capitol Hill have been filling in some of the gaps about the interactions, NBC writes. | Democrat staffers on Capitol Hill have been filling in some of the gaps about the interactions, NBC writes. |
| Apparently, Barr acknowledged making a mistake by speaking extensively with the chairman of the Senate judiciary committee, Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, Trump’s GOP nemesis-turned best pal/golfing buddy/lapdog, over dinner before speaking to Nadler. | Apparently, Barr acknowledged making a mistake by speaking extensively with the chairman of the Senate judiciary committee, Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, Trump’s GOP nemesis-turned best pal/golfing buddy/lapdog, over dinner before speaking to Nadler. |
| The Dems think there’s actually no reason Trump couldn’t be charged with obstructing the investigation, even if Mueller found no underlying crime was committed. | The Dems think there’s actually no reason Trump couldn’t be charged with obstructing the investigation, even if Mueller found no underlying crime was committed. |
| Since taking the committee chairmanship in January, Nadler (like House Speaker and steady-hand-skipper Nancy Pelosi) have warned Dems to keep cool heads and not rush to impeach Trump. But he’s not going to let the Mueller report stay under wraps if he can possibly help it. | Since taking the committee chairmanship in January, Nadler (like House Speaker and steady-hand-skipper Nancy Pelosi) have warned Dems to keep cool heads and not rush to impeach Trump. But he’s not going to let the Mueller report stay under wraps if he can possibly help it. |
| My DC colleague Lauren Gambino reminded us then that: “Long before Trump came to Washington, he and Nadler sparred over a real estate venture proposed by Trump that Nadler forcefully opposed.” | My DC colleague Lauren Gambino reminded us then that: “Long before Trump came to Washington, he and Nadler sparred over a real estate venture proposed by Trump that Nadler forcefully opposed.” |
| In his book The America We Deserve, Trump later described Nadler as “one of the most egregious hacks in contemporary politics”. | In his book The America We Deserve, Trump later described Nadler as “one of the most egregious hacks in contemporary politics”. |
| Leading Democrats are heading for a major clash with attorney general William Barr next week if there is no sign of the full report by special counsel Robert Mueller being handed over to Congress. | Leading Democrats are heading for a major clash with attorney general William Barr next week if there is no sign of the full report by special counsel Robert Mueller being handed over to Congress. |
| Mueller was appointed by the Department of Justice to act as an independent prosecutor, above the fray, in May 2017, after Donald Trump fired James Comey, the head of the FBI. Mueller took on the investigation into whether the president or his 2016 election campaign colluded with the Russian government or its operatives to defeat Hillary Clinton. And whether the president obstructed justice in the aftermath. | Mueller was appointed by the Department of Justice to act as an independent prosecutor, above the fray, in May 2017, after Donald Trump fired James Comey, the head of the FBI. Mueller took on the investigation into whether the president or his 2016 election campaign colluded with the Russian government or its operatives to defeat Hillary Clinton. And whether the president obstructed justice in the aftermath. |
| All lawmakers and the public have had sight of since Mueller delivered his report to the DoJ last Friday just after 5PM is a four-page summary written by AG Barr and given to Congress on last Sunday afternoon. | All lawmakers and the public have had sight of since Mueller delivered his report to the DoJ last Friday just after 5PM is a four-page summary written by AG Barr and given to Congress on last Sunday afternoon. |
| Barr said that after reading the report he could reveal there was no finding of collusion and, following Mueller’s decision not to make a decision on obstruction, that he reckoned there had been no crime of obstruction committed. | Barr said that after reading the report he could reveal there was no finding of collusion and, following Mueller’s decision not to make a decision on obstruction, that he reckoned there had been no crime of obstruction committed. |
| He did note, however, that Mueller said Trump was not exonerated on the issue of obstruction. | He did note, however, that Mueller said Trump was not exonerated on the issue of obstruction. |
| Democrats on the Hill have demanded to see the full report by April 2. But Barr has been sending increasingly strong signals this week that he is in no hurry to hand over the report and there is no guarantee that they will get the full report, without redactions, or the evidence underlying the findings. | Democrats on the Hill have demanded to see the full report by April 2. But Barr has been sending increasingly strong signals this week that he is in no hurry to hand over the report and there is no guarantee that they will get the full report, without redactions, or the evidence underlying the findings. |
| It’s all setting up a major confrontation next week if the Justice Department doesn’t send the full Mueller report to Congress by Tuesday, NBC writes, as six committee chairmen have demanded. | It’s all setting up a major confrontation next week if the Justice Department doesn’t send the full Mueller report to Congress by Tuesday, NBC writes, as six committee chairmen have demanded. |
| The next step, House Democratic staffers told journalists, would be a subpoena. “We’ll have more to say on April 3,” one said. | The next step, House Democratic staffers told journalists, would be a subpoena. “We’ll have more to say on April 3,” one said. |
| By all means grab coffee and donuts, it’s Friday after all, but the politics swamp never stops bubbling so stay with us for all the live news today. | By all means grab coffee and donuts, it’s Friday after all, but the politics swamp never stops bubbling so stay with us for all the live news today. |
| Fresh from his first post-Mueller report rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, last night, which featured gloating, calls for vengeance and truth-stretching, Donald Trump heads to Florida. Not straight to Mar-a-Lago, he’s going to Lake Okeechobee first to witness environmental problems that threaten the freshwater wonder and the Everglades to the south. | Fresh from his first post-Mueller report rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, last night, which featured gloating, calls for vengeance and truth-stretching, Donald Trump heads to Florida. Not straight to Mar-a-Lago, he’s going to Lake Okeechobee first to witness environmental problems that threaten the freshwater wonder and the Everglades to the south. |
| Democrats on the Hill are revving up to ramming speed in the direction of the attorney general, William Barr, as the clash over when and whether Congress will ever see the full Robert Mueller report on the special counsel’s Trump-Russia investigation becomes ever more fierce. There are increasing worries that Barr is going to shield much of the report from congressional/public eyes. | Democrats on the Hill are revving up to ramming speed in the direction of the attorney general, William Barr, as the clash over when and whether Congress will ever see the full Robert Mueller report on the special counsel’s Trump-Russia investigation becomes ever more fierce. There are increasing worries that Barr is going to shield much of the report from congressional/public eyes. |
| The economy is humming and that bodes well for the Republicans in 2020, but there are signs that it’s too soon to dream of a campaign victory around that. The US commerce department has revised downwards its estimates for economic growth in the fourth quarter. That paired with the brake on interest rate rises means observers need to carry their folding umbrellas with them, as well as their sunnies. | The economy is humming and that bodes well for the Republicans in 2020, but there are signs that it’s too soon to dream of a campaign victory around that. The US commerce department has revised downwards its estimates for economic growth in the fourth quarter. That paired with the brake on interest rate rises means observers need to carry their folding umbrellas with them, as well as their sunnies. |