Mueller did not find Trump or his campaign conspired with Russia, also did not exonerate him on obstruction
Russia,Mueller Report,Robert Mueller,William Barr,White House,Politics
Special counsel Robert Mueller did not find Donald Trump's campaign or associates conspired with Russia, Attorney General William Barr said Sunday.
Mueller's investigation of whether the President committed obstruction of justice did not conclude the President committed a crime, but it also "does not exonerate him," Barr quoted from Mueller's report.
After nearly two years of being under the cloud of the Russia investigation, Trump's presidency is no longer directly under threat from the special counsel probe as the White House turns toward the 2020 campaign, although he still faces the specter of more legal and congressional action from the other investigations that remain ongoing.
Trump and his allies charged that Mueller's report fully vindicated the President, while Democrats were already raising questions about Barr making the decision on obstruction, a signal that the fight and the fallout from Mueller's investigation is far from over.
Mueller did not make the decision himself on whether to prosecute the President on obstruction. Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein made the determination the evidence was "not sufficient" to support prosecution.
The President went beyond the conclusions of Barr's letter, saying Sunday the findings were a "complete and total exoneration."
"No Collusion, No Obstruction, Complete and Total EXONERATION. KEEP AMERICA GREAT!" Trump tweeted.
"It was just announced there was no collusion with Russia ... there was no collusion with Russia, there was no obstruction, none whatsoever," Trump said to reporters before flying back to Washington from West Palm Beach, Florida. "It was a complete and total exoneration. It's a shame our country had to go through this. To be honest, it's a shame your President had to go through this."
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