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| Democrats vow to investigate Trump in wake of Mueller report | Democrats vow to investigate Trump in wake of Mueller report |
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| Democrats in Congress vowed to continue investigating Donald Trump after a report by special counsel Robert Mueller revealed striking new details about the president’s effort to thwart a federal inquiry he believed threatened his presidency. | Democrats in Congress vowed to continue investigating Donald Trump after a report by special counsel Robert Mueller revealed striking new details about the president’s effort to thwart a federal inquiry he believed threatened his presidency. |
| On Friday morning, the House judiciary chairman, Jerry Nadler, said he expects to issue a subpoena within a few hours for Mueller’s full unredacted report on Russian interference in the 2016 US election and the Trump campaign. | On Friday morning, the House judiciary chairman, Jerry Nadler, said he expects to issue a subpoena within a few hours for Mueller’s full unredacted report on Russian interference in the 2016 US election and the Trump campaign. |
| 'No new information': Russia shrugs off Mueller report | 'No new information': Russia shrugs off Mueller report |
| The New York Democrat told Good Morning America he is preparing a subpoena not only for Mueller’s complete report, but also for the underlying documents, including grand jury evidence “to make informed decisions” on what happens next. | The New York Democrat told Good Morning America he is preparing a subpoena not only for Mueller’s complete report, but also for the underlying documents, including grand jury evidence “to make informed decisions” on what happens next. |
| Shortly after a redacted version of the exhaustive report was released to the public on Thursday, Nadler said it outlined “disturbing evidence that President Trump engaged in obstruction of justice” and the “responsibility now falls to Congress to hold the president accountable for his actions.” | |
| The 448-page summary of Mueller’s nearly two-year investigation concluded without reaching a verdict on whether the president illegally obstructed justice. But the report catalogues nearly a dozen instances in which Trump attempts to stop the investigation, narrow its scope or influence witnesses involved in the inquiry. Mueller cited legal constraints which prevent the justice department from charging a sitting president with obstruction of justice – and suggested a final say on the matter may lie with Congress. | |
| In a letter to colleagues, Democratic House speaker Nancy Pelosi cited the passage and declared: “Congress will not be silent.” | In a letter to colleagues, Democratic House speaker Nancy Pelosi cited the passage and declared: “Congress will not be silent.” |
| Republicans viscerally disagreed with the assessment that Congress should pick up where Mueller left off. | Republicans viscerally disagreed with the assessment that Congress should pick up where Mueller left off. |
| “Democrats want to keep searching for imaginary evidence that supports their claims, but it is simply not there,” said House minority leader Kevin McCarthy. “It is time to move on.” | “Democrats want to keep searching for imaginary evidence that supports their claims, but it is simply not there,” said House minority leader Kevin McCarthy. “It is time to move on.” |
| But far from turning the page on the investigation, Democrats are opening a new, bitterly partisan chapter. Facing them now is an issue that has already sharply divided the party along ideological and generation lines: impeachment. | But far from turning the page on the investigation, Democrats are opening a new, bitterly partisan chapter. Facing them now is an issue that has already sharply divided the party along ideological and generation lines: impeachment. |
| Democratic leaders see more risk than reward in initiating an impeachment inquiry, especially after Mueller said he found “insufficient evidence” to conclude that Trump conspired with Russia to influence the outcome of the 2016 election. Without that support, Republicans are unlikely to break with the president, as they did with Richard Nixon after Watergate. | Democratic leaders see more risk than reward in initiating an impeachment inquiry, especially after Mueller said he found “insufficient evidence” to conclude that Trump conspired with Russia to influence the outcome of the 2016 election. Without that support, Republicans are unlikely to break with the president, as they did with Richard Nixon after Watergate. |
| “Unless [there’s] a bipartisan conclusion, an impeachment would be doomed to failure,” the House intelligence committee chairman, Adam Schiff, said on CNN. “I continue to think that a failed impeachment is not in the national interest.” | “Unless [there’s] a bipartisan conclusion, an impeachment would be doomed to failure,” the House intelligence committee chairman, Adam Schiff, said on CNN. “I continue to think that a failed impeachment is not in the national interest.” |
| A partisan endeavor could risk repeating what Democrats widely view as a historic overreach by Republicans, when they pursued impeachment against Bill Clinton in the late 1990s. Democrats fear that a divisive and unpopular impeachment battle would galvanize Trump’s supporters – as it did for Clinton 21 years ago - and would swamp the party’s policy agenda that they believe is crucial to unseating Trump in the 2020 election and holding onto their majority in the House of Representatives. | A partisan endeavor could risk repeating what Democrats widely view as a historic overreach by Republicans, when they pursued impeachment against Bill Clinton in the late 1990s. Democrats fear that a divisive and unpopular impeachment battle would galvanize Trump’s supporters – as it did for Clinton 21 years ago - and would swamp the party’s policy agenda that they believe is crucial to unseating Trump in the 2020 election and holding onto their majority in the House of Representatives. |
| Still, if the House did move forward with articles of impeachment, every Senate Democrat and 20 Senate Republicans would have to vote to remove Trump from office – an unlikely scenario at this stage. | Still, if the House did move forward with articles of impeachment, every Senate Democrat and 20 Senate Republicans would have to vote to remove Trump from office – an unlikely scenario at this stage. |
| The House majority leader, Steny Hoyer, told CNN that impeachment was “not worthwhile” with a presidential election 18 months away. Nadler said that impeachment hearings were “one possibility” but that it was “too early” to discuss it. | The House majority leader, Steny Hoyer, told CNN that impeachment was “not worthwhile” with a presidential election 18 months away. Nadler said that impeachment hearings were “one possibility” but that it was “too early” to discuss it. |
| “We will have to go follow the evidence where it leads,” he said. “And I don’t know exactly where it will lead.” | “We will have to go follow the evidence where it leads,” he said. “And I don’t know exactly where it will lead.” |
| But in a sign that the issue is far from settled, New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of the most vocal and high-profile members of Congress, said she would sign on to an impeachment proposal offered by her fellow freshman Rashida Tlaib of Michigan. | But in a sign that the issue is far from settled, New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of the most vocal and high-profile members of Congress, said she would sign on to an impeachment proposal offered by her fellow freshman Rashida Tlaib of Michigan. |
| “While I understand the political reality of the Senate + election considerations, upon reading this DoJ report, which explicitly names Congress in determining obstruction, I cannot see a reason for us to abdicate from our constitutionally mandated responsibility to investigate,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote in a series of tweets explaining her decision. | “While I understand the political reality of the Senate + election considerations, upon reading this DoJ report, which explicitly names Congress in determining obstruction, I cannot see a reason for us to abdicate from our constitutionally mandated responsibility to investigate,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote in a series of tweets explaining her decision. |
| Though there are few signs Democrats are preparing to move forward with impeachment, the report did open several potential avenues for congressional inquiry that are all but certain to consume Washington for at least the next several months. | Though there are few signs Democrats are preparing to move forward with impeachment, the report did open several potential avenues for congressional inquiry that are all but certain to consume Washington for at least the next several months. |
| Mueller report: the key unanswered questions | Mueller report: the key unanswered questions |
| Nadler said he will issue a subpoena to compel the attorney general, William Barr, to release the full, un-redacted version of the report and the underlying evidence, and called on Mueller to testify before Congress “as soon as possible”. | Nadler said he will issue a subpoena to compel the attorney general, William Barr, to release the full, un-redacted version of the report and the underlying evidence, and called on Mueller to testify before Congress “as soon as possible”. |
| Barr said he was required by law to redact certain pieces of information, including evidence collected as part of a grand jury investigation. He has offered to meet with a select group of congressional leaders from both parties to review a less redacted version of the report. | Barr said he was required by law to redact certain pieces of information, including evidence collected as part of a grand jury investigation. He has offered to meet with a select group of congressional leaders from both parties to review a less redacted version of the report. |
| Still, Democrats have excoriated Barr for his handling of the release of the Mueller report, accusing him of “deliberately” distorting its findings to protect Trump. | Still, Democrats have excoriated Barr for his handling of the release of the Mueller report, accusing him of “deliberately” distorting its findings to protect Trump. |
| Ahead of the public release of the report, Barr held a press conference to assert that Trump’s actions did not meet the legal threshold for obstruction of justice. He repeatedly invoked Trump’s own language – including “no collusion” – to defend him. His performance led some Democrats to call for his resignation. | Ahead of the public release of the report, Barr held a press conference to assert that Trump’s actions did not meet the legal threshold for obstruction of justice. He repeatedly invoked Trump’s own language – including “no collusion” – to defend him. His performance led some Democrats to call for his resignation. |
| “OUR Attorney General acts as Trump’s defense attorney. He can’t represent both. Barr must resign,” California congressman and 2020 presidential candidate Eric Swalwell tweeted. | “OUR Attorney General acts as Trump’s defense attorney. He can’t represent both. Barr must resign,” California congressman and 2020 presidential candidate Eric Swalwell tweeted. |
| “Special Counsel Mueller’s report paints a disturbing picture of a president who has been weaving a web of deceit, lies and improper behavior and acting as if the law doesn’t apply to him,” Pelosi and Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, said in a joint statement. | “Special Counsel Mueller’s report paints a disturbing picture of a president who has been weaving a web of deceit, lies and improper behavior and acting as if the law doesn’t apply to him,” Pelosi and Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, said in a joint statement. |
| “But if you hadn’t read the report and listened only to Mr Barr, you wouldn’t have known any of that because Mr Barr has been so misleading.” | “But if you hadn’t read the report and listened only to Mr Barr, you wouldn’t have known any of that because Mr Barr has been so misleading.” |
| Trump-Russia investigation | Trump-Russia investigation |
| Democrats | Democrats |
| US Congress | US Congress |
| Donald Trump | Donald Trump |
| William Barr | William Barr |
| US politics | US politics |
| Robert Mueller | Robert Mueller |
| news | news |
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