OPINION: Mueller report carries implications beyond ‘no collusion’

headshot_Alex Cala

Ever since it began in May 2017, the Special Counsel’s investigation was touted by Democrats as the deus ex machina that would cure us all of a Trump presidency, proving the existence of collusion, obstruction of justice and other impeachable offenses.

While this sounded very possible at the time, the reality is a lot more disappointing.

The Mueller report, released Thursday to the public in a redacted form, explicitly states that Trump and no one on his campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016 election cycle.

This finding represents the extinguishing of a fire long fanned by prominent Democrats such as Adam Schiff, Jerry Nadler, Maxine Waters and media outlets such as CNN, all of whom touted unprovable evidence of collusion during the investigation despite not actually being part of the Special Counsel.

In this aspect, the Mueller report is an undisputed victory for President Trump and his allies.

Not only does it play into their narrative in regards to the unhinged left, but it also allows them to  reiterate their focus on the issues in comparison to the anti-Trump hysteria that’s very prevalent in the Democratic Party.

However, the aspects of the report dealing with whether Trump committed obstruction of justice are where things get a lot juicier, but not for the reasons you’d think.

Yes, none of Trump’s actions outlined in the report necessarily qualify for obstruction of justice. However, they paint the picture of a man whose obsession with this investigation caused him to exert control over the proceedings in any possible manner.

These attempts at control included Trump’s numerous requests for Mueller to be removed, brazenly firing James Comey in May 2017, as well as some of his world-famous Twitter tirades.

Again, while these actions may not qualify for obstruction, they only further reiterate that Trump does not possess the requisite moral character to be president.

Instead of barely acknowledging the investigation and being coy as presidents under investigation should be, Trump made it a point to emphasize in his spiteful Twitter rants and rallies, harnessing the uncertainty for political gain.

Instead of letting Mueller do his job, Trump attempted to fire him, unable to tolerate the ego bruise the investigation represented.

Most troublingly, Trump’s actions and words regarding the investigation often conveyed an underlying sense of guilt and anger, completely betraying the innocent man he sought to portray himself as.

This echoes Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton, two presidents whose behavior amid scandal were signs of their character, immoral behavior and penchant for controversy.

Even without any criminal prosecutions, these findings are very important, and in spite of what Fox News, right-wing pundits or even Trump himself may imply when they discredit the Mueller report, it may push the president further into the abyss of low approval ratings and the cloud of dishonesty which has dominated his presidency thus far.

However, all eyes are on 2020, and if voters do not harness the sense of uneasiness and disgust many felt after reading the Mueller report, it will all be for naught. I can only hope that for our country’s sake, that is not the case.

Alex Cala is a columnist. Contact him at [email protected].