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If a picture is worth a thousand words, a Robert Mueller statement is worth a 448-page report.
For the first time in his more than two years as special counsel, Mueller has spoken publicly about his investigation.
In addition to his announcement that his office is officially shutting down and he is returning to private life, Mr Mueller essentially gave a bullet-point guide to the results of his investigation.
Here are some key takeaways from his eight minutes in front of the nation.
America was under attack
Mueller began and ended his statement with a clear message to the nation. During the 2016 elections, America was under “concerted attack” by a foreign power.
Although he was careful to note that the indictments against Russian actors who attempted to influence the presidential election were “allegations” until proven in court, he described what he said were “sophisticated cyber techniques” to hack the computers and networks in an effort to damage Democrat Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.
He also noted the Russian social media efforts to sow discord in the US political process.
“That allegation deserves the attention of every American,” Mueller said in the last full sentence of his appearance.
There have been efforts in Congress to pass new legislation protecting the US electoral system, but at least so far those attempts have been stymied by Republicans.
Mr Trump himself has repeatedly called into question whether Russia was behind the cyber-attacks of 2016, and his aides – like presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner – have dismissed the allegations as “a couple of Facebook ads”.
Mueller clearly wants the public to know that, after two years of investigation, he takes the threat much more seriously.
‘Insufficient evidence’ is not exoneration
The central thrust of Mueller’s investigation was whether there was any criminal conspiracy – “collusion”, as it has become commonly known – between Russian cyber-attacks and members of the Trump campaign.
While the Mueller report presented evidence of multiple contacts between members of then-candidate Trump’s circle and Russian nationals, it made no criminal referrals. Mueller restated this on Wednesday.
“There was insufficient evidence to charge a broader conspiracy,” the now former special counsel said – and left it at that.
A finding of “insufficient evidence” isn’t exactly the “total exoneration” that Mr Trump claimed shortly after his attorney general released a four-page summary of Mueller’s report in March. And in his first response to the Mueller statement, the president appeared much less definitive in his defence.
“There was insufficient evidence and therefore, in our Country, a person is innocent,” Mr Trump tweeted. “The case is closed!”
The president will eventually get his bluster back, but at least for the moment the special counsel’s appearance seemed to catch him a bit on his heels.
‘Charging the president’ not on table
Mueller has drawn considerable criticism for essential punting on the question of whether the president criminally obstructed the Russia investigation.
In his initial four-page summary of the report, Attorney General Barr was vague about why Mueller refused to make an obstruction determination.
Barr, however, was crystal clear that he – and, as a result, the justice department – did not view the president as having committed a criminal offence, regardless of what department guidance may say about the constitutionality of indicting a presidential.
On Wednesday, Mueller explained – as he did in his report – that he disagreed. He believed his hands were tied. Justice department lawyers had determined that the president could not be indicted and that the special counsel office – as part of the Department of Justice – is bound by that ruling.
“Charging the president with a crime was therefore not an option we could consider,” Mueller said in one of the more dramatic moments of his eight-minute appearance.
He emphasised, however, that if Mr Trump was clearly innocent, his report would have said so. It didn’t.
For the president’s critics, this silence speaks volumes. Mueller noting this again from the podium only drove the point home.
More to come
What rare Mueller statement really meant
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