Politics

President Trump celebrates conclusion of Mueller probe

Armed with his Attorney General's summary of a lengthy report by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into Russian interference in the 2016 elections, President Donald Trump was up early on Monday morning celebrating the findings of that probe, joining GOP lawmakers in Congress in declaring that his campaign had been cleared of any questions of wrongdoing.

"The Special Counsel did not find that the Trump Campaign, or anyone associated with it, conspired or coordinated with the Russian Government in these efforts, despite multiple offers from Russian-affiliated individuals to assist the Trump Campaign," the President tweeted early on Monday, quoting from a letter sent Sunday by Attorney General William Barr to Congress.

The four page letter from Barr - summarizing the findings of the Mueller investigation - found no conspiracy existed between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election, even as Russian intelligence hacked Democratic Party emails, and 'despite multiple. offers from Russian-affiliated individuals to assist the Trump campaign.'

"But as noted above, the Special Counsel did not find that the Trump campaign, or anyone associated with it, conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in these efforts," the letter from Barr noted.

In Congress, Republican lawmakers gleefully joined the President in heralding the findings, trying their best to undercut any ongoing efforts by Democrats to further dig into the details of the Mueller report - which the Attorney General said he would strive to make as much public as possible in the weeks and months ahead.

"There was NO collusion between Russia and President Donald Trump or his campaign," said Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK).

"Facts trump the liberal circus, every time," said Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA).

"Democrats in Congress should follow his lead and allow the President to govern as he was elected by the American people to do," said Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL). "After two years the case is closed."

As for Democrats, they quickly dug into the details of the Barr letter and focused on getting the details of the Mueller report made public, zeroing in on Barr's description that Mueller had made no conclusions about whether President Trump had obstructed during the Russia investigation.

"The Special Counsel states that 'while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him,'" Barr quoted the Mueller findings.

"There must be full transparency in what Special Counsel Mueller uncovered to not exonerate the President from wrongdoing," said Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), the head of the House Judiciary Committee, who vowed to press for more documents and hearings about the Mueller investigation.

"Questions remain related to evidence of obstruction of the investigation into Russian election interference," said Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL).

The findings - as related by the Attorney General on Sunday - clearly made any chance of impeachment proceedings against the President in Congress much less of a possibility, both easing the political pressure on Mr. Trump, and at the same time giving him a public boost which his campaign quickly jumped on for supporters.

The President was already scheduled to take his message on the road for a campaign rally on Thursday in Michigan.