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Mueller Report Live Updates: Barr Delivers Vigorous Defense of Trump Mueller Report Live Updates: Barr Vigorously Defends Trump
(32 minutes later)
Attorney General William P. Barr offered a strong defense of President Trump in advance of releasing the report of Mr. Mueller, saying that investigators “found no collusion” with Russia and taking it upon himself to clear the president of obstruction of justice. Attorney General William P. Barr offered a strong defense of President Trump before releasing Mr. Mueller’s report, saying that investigators “found no evidence” that any member of the Trump campaign conspired with Russia in its effort to interfere in the 2016 presidential election.
Mr. Barr said during a news conference that he gave Mr. Trump’s lawyers advance access this week to Mr. Mueller’s report before it was to be sent to Congress and made public. Mr. Trump’s lawyers did not ask for any redactions. Mr. Barr said during a news conference that he gave Mr. Trump’s lawyers access to Mr. Mueller’s report “earlier this week,” before it was to be sent to Congress and made public. Mr. Trump’s lawyers did not ask for any redactions.
Summarizing the report before it was made public, Mr. Barr said Mr. Mueller “found no evidence” that any member of the Trump campaign conspired with Russia in its effort to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. “The special counsel found no collusion by any Americans,” Mr. Barr said. Investigators examined 10 episodes in which the president may have obstructed justice but the attorney general said he concluded they did not add up to a crime.
He also defended his decision to clear the president on obstruction of justice even though Mr. Mueller said he was neither charging nor exonerating Mr. Trump on the matter. Even if the Trump campaign colluded with WikiLeaks, that was not a crime, Mr. Barr said.
The Justice Department will send the redacted report to Congress at 11 a.m. on Thursday and will post it on the department’s website. Mr. Trump did not even wait for the report to begin responding aggressively, lashing out with a barrage of tweets denouncing the investigation.
Mr. Trump did not even wait for the report to be released to begin responding aggressively, lashing out with a barrage of tweets denouncing the investigation. He posted a takeoff of “Game of Thrones” on Twitter that said “For the Haters and Radical Left Democrats: Game Over.”
In his news conference on Thursday morning, Mr. Barr at times sounded like a defense lawyer, making no criticism of the president and instead offering an understanding interpretation of actions that Mr. Trump’s critics have said amounted to obstruction of justice.In his news conference on Thursday morning, Mr. Barr at times sounded like a defense lawyer, making no criticism of the president and instead offering an understanding interpretation of actions that Mr. Trump’s critics have said amounted to obstruction of justice.
[Read Mr. Barr’s full prepared remarks.]
In addressing obstruction, Mr. Barr said the president had no corrupt intent and was understandably “frustrated and angered by his sincere belief that the investigation was undermining his presidency, propelled by his political opponents and fueled by illegal leaks.”In addressing obstruction, Mr. Barr said the president had no corrupt intent and was understandably “frustrated and angered by his sincere belief that the investigation was undermining his presidency, propelled by his political opponents and fueled by illegal leaks.”
Mr. Barr said the White House made no claims of executive privilege over any information in the report and none of the redactions were made at the request of the White House, but he did give the president’s lawyers the opportunity to read the report in advance. Mr. Barr said the White House made no claims of executive privilege over any information in the report and none of the redactions were made at the request of the White House.
“Earlier this week, the president’s personal counsel requested and were given the opportunity to read a final version of the redacted report before it was publicly released,” Mr. Barr said. “The president’s personal lawyers were not permitted to make, and did not request, any redactions.”“Earlier this week, the president’s personal counsel requested and were given the opportunity to read a final version of the redacted report before it was publicly released,” Mr. Barr said. “The president’s personal lawyers were not permitted to make, and did not request, any redactions.”
Democrats, including the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, harshly criticized Mr. Barr for holding a news conference before releasing the report. At the news conference, Mr. Barr made sure to include Rod J. Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, who first appointed Mr. Mueller.Democrats, including the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, harshly criticized Mr. Barr for holding a news conference before releasing the report. At the news conference, Mr. Barr made sure to include Rod J. Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, who first appointed Mr. Mueller.
Mr. Barr said that investigators examined 10 episodes in which the president may have obstructed justice. We know that among the incidents that Mr. Mueller examined was a June 2017 effort by Mr. Trump to have his White House counsel, Donald F. McGahn II, fire Mr. Mueller. Mr. Barr said investigators examined 10 episodes in which the president may have obstructed justice. Among the incidents that Mr. Mueller examined was a June 2017 effort by Mr. Trump to have his White House counsel, Donald F. McGahn II, fire Mr. Mueller.
Mr. Barr said he would not stand in the way of Mr. Mueller testifying on Capitol Hill about his findings. “I have not objection to Bob Mueller testifying,” Mr. Barr said. “After carefully reviewing the facts and legal theories outlined in the report, and in consultation with the Office of Legal Counsel and other department lawyers, the deputy attorney general and I concluded that the evidence developed by the special counsel is not sufficient to establish that the president committed an obstruction of justice offense,” Mr. Barr said.
Mr. Barr provided an important qualifier to the determination that President Trump and the Trump campaign did not engage in illegal collusion — not with the Russian government that stole the Democratic emails, but with WikiLeaks, which published them. Mr. Barr would not explain why Mr. Mueller did not reach that conclusion, saying he would let the report speak for itself. The attorney general said that he “disagreed with some of the special counsel’s legal theories” regarding obstruction but even accepting them found no basis for a criminal charge.
Mr. Barr said he would not stand in the way of Mr. Mueller testifying on Capitol Hill about his findings. “I have no objection to Bob Mueller testifying,” Mr. Barr said.
Mr. Barr provided an important qualifier to the determination that Mr. Trump and the Trump campaign did not engage in illegal collusion — not with the Russian government that stole the Democratic emails, but with WikiLeaks, which published them.
“The special counsel also investigated whether any member or affiliate of the Trump campaign encouraged or otherwise played a role in these dissemination efforts,” he said. “Under applicable law, publication of these types of materials would not be criminal unless the publisher also participated in the underlying hacking conspiracy. Here too, the special counsel’s report did not find that any person associated with the Trump campaign illegally participated in the dissemination of the materials.”“The special counsel also investigated whether any member or affiliate of the Trump campaign encouraged or otherwise played a role in these dissemination efforts,” he said. “Under applicable law, publication of these types of materials would not be criminal unless the publisher also participated in the underlying hacking conspiracy. Here too, the special counsel’s report did not find that any person associated with the Trump campaign illegally participated in the dissemination of the materials.”
In other words, since WikiLeaks did not participate in Russia’s underlying hacking of the emails, its actions were no crime. Thus, any Trump campaign collusion with WikiLeaks could not be an illegal conspiracy.In other words, since WikiLeaks did not participate in Russia’s underlying hacking of the emails, its actions were no crime. Thus, any Trump campaign collusion with WikiLeaks could not be an illegal conspiracy.
The special counsel’s report was expected to describe a series of actions that Mr. Trump or his team took that could be interpreted as impeding the Russia investigation, even though Mr. Mueller did not come to a definitive conclusion about whether they add up to a crime of obstruction.
Many of the actions were taken publicly or have been reported before, including the president’s decision to fire James B. Comey, then the F.B.I. director, who was leading the investigation into Russia’s interference and possible links to the Trump campaign. But Mr. Barr’s letter suggested that the report would cite other actions not previously disclosed.
Mr. Trump’s defenders have said a president cannot be accused of a crime for exercising the powers granted to him under the Constitution, while his critics have argued that otherwise legal actions can still be construed as obstruction if they are motivated by corrupt intent. While Mr. Mueller evidently opted not to make a decision, Mr. Barr did, telling Congress that he and Rod J. Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, agreed that Mr. Trump committed no obstruction offense.
Mr. Mueller has already established — through indictments of Russian individuals and organizations he linked to the Kremlin — that Russia sought to intervene in the 2016 election on Mr. Trump’s behalf.
But even if Mr. Mueller established no illegal conspiracy by the Trump campaign, the report might offer additional information on contacts that might not rise to the level of a crime in his view. Previous court filings and public reports have already documented that Mr. Trump and at least 17 campaign officials and advisers had more than 100 contacts with Russian nationals and WikiLeaks, or their intermediaries, before his inauguration.
Mr. Mueller’s report will be examined to see if he offers any further insight into what was going on behind the scenes or any additional details on the proposed Trump Tower that Mr. Trump and his associates were secretly negotiating to build in Moscow through much of the 2016 election year.
Mr. Trump tweeted a dramatic photo resembling a “Game of Thrones” poster that depicted him staring into a cloud, saying “No Collusion. No Obstruction. For the haters and radical left Democrats: Game Over.”Mr. Trump tweeted a dramatic photo resembling a “Game of Thrones” poster that depicted him staring into a cloud, saying “No Collusion. No Obstruction. For the haters and radical left Democrats: Game Over.”
The tweet was the latest of a barrage that the president posted starting early Thursday morning, long before the report was released. He has an event with wounded warriors at 10:30 a.m. where he will likely speak with reporters.The tweet was the latest of a barrage that the president posted starting early Thursday morning, long before the report was released. He has an event with wounded warriors at 10:30 a.m. where he will likely speak with reporters.
The report may for the first time provide Mr. Trump’s official responses to Mr. Mueller’s specific questions, which have remained secret since he responded in writing in November. With his lawyers worried that he would make a false statement and expose himself to criminal charges, the president refused to be interviewed in person, and Mr. Mueller did not try to force the issue with a subpoena.The report may for the first time provide Mr. Trump’s official responses to Mr. Mueller’s specific questions, which have remained secret since he responded in writing in November. With his lawyers worried that he would make a false statement and expose himself to criminal charges, the president refused to be interviewed in person, and Mr. Mueller did not try to force the issue with a subpoena.
By drafting the answers in writing in consultation with his legal team, Mr. Trump may have sidestepped what his lawyers feared would be a “perjury trap.”By drafting the answers in writing in consultation with his legal team, Mr. Trump may have sidestepped what his lawyers feared would be a “perjury trap.”
Democrats quickly assailed Mr. Barr for trying to frame the results of the report before lawmakers or the public had a chance to read it for themselves.
“It is clear Congress and the American people must hear from Special Counsel Robert Mueller in person to better understand his findings,” Mr. Nadler said on Twitter. “We are now requesting Mueller to appear before @HouseJudiciary as soon as possible.”
Senator Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut, said Mr. Barr’s performance demonstrated fealty to Mr. Trump. “Attorney General Barr is supposed to be the nation’s top impartial lawyer, not a White House spokesman,” he said. “His press conference was just an attempt to spin a report nobody has read yet, and that’s really disappointing.”
Democratic presidential candidates quickly pounced on Mr. Barr as well. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, in a tweet, labeled the attorney general’s remarks as “spin.” Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts said it was “ a disgrace to see an Attorney General acting as if he’s the personal attorney and publicist for the president of the United States.” Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York called Mr. Barr’s news conference “a complete farce and an embarrassing display of propaganda on behalf of President Trump.”
Katie Benner, Michael S. Schmidt, Eileen Sullivan, Michael Tackett and Noah Weiland contributed reporting.Katie Benner, Michael S. Schmidt, Eileen Sullivan, Michael Tackett and Noah Weiland contributed reporting.