At the risk of stating the obvious, the July 2019 US Politics Thread is horse-sh*t

Weak sauce, he should defend his own team

agreed. I get the idea—that he feels the question is undeserving and refuses to dignify it. But "I take your question" isn't gonna play as a soundbite or do anything to beat back these conflict of interests accusations

then again *nothing* he could say wld discourage any of these ppl, Trump will be back with "total exoneration" in 30 mins

honestly why does anyone care about this hearing

I’m feeling nostalgic for Michael Cohen’s snark

I do don't think Mueller read the report

otm

he said that no one person reviewed the entire thing, right?

honestly why does anyone care about this hearing

It's a handy way for me to categorize the various Republicans: who's loudest? who's most sanctimonious?

I would have thought that Mueller would want to make sure the contents of his report were clarified. Otherwise what was the point of the 2 year investigation. Seems like the outcome people feared as worst case scenario.
Or is this going to get any more worthwhile.

Seems pretty frustrating so far.

If I thought the Dems will start hearings I'd have more confidence in this tweet:

This format is awful, but Democrats are directly laying out the details of Mueller's findings on obstruction, while the Republicans are waaaaay off in the weeds asking about a flurry of peripheral matters.

— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) July 24, 2019

That last exchange--appearances are everything--did not go well.

between Mueller and whom?

Jordan? The guy who was so annoying in the Cohen hearings. I know it's what the tweet above calls a peripheral matter, but there's a chance that this whole hearing will be reduced to how Mueller comes across, and I don't think he came across very well there.

Just remembered that Trump isn't watching today. (Insert appropriate images, YouTube clips, GIFs, etc.) Was curious as to what--or how--he was tweeting.

"It has been reported that Robert Mueller is saying.."

Rep @CedricRichmond: 'it's fair to say that the president tried to protect himself by asking staff to falsify evidence relevant to an ongoing investigation?'
Mueller: 'I would say that's generally a summary'

— Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) July 24, 2019

jesus Bob's Big Boy grew up to be an asshole

Any event which might finally induce that massive Trumpian coronary we've all been dreaming of

I don't get this. Outrage (or its simulation) is his natural state.

It was NEVER agreed that Robert Mueller could use one of his many Democrat Never Trumper lawyers to sit next to him and help him with his answers. This was specifically NOT agreed to, and I would NEVER have agreed to it. The Greatest Witch Hunt in U.S. history, by far!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 24, 2019

the fuck does Trump have to agree to that?

Why didn’t Robert Mueller & his band of 18 Angry Democrats spend any time investigating Crooked Hillary Clinton, Lyin’ & Leakin’ James Comey, Lisa Page and her Psycho lover, Peter S, Andy McCabe, the beautiful Ohr family, Fusion GPS, and many more, including HIMSELF & Andrew W?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 24, 2019

comey: lyin' and leakin' live at budokan (1984)

I've Got My Own Witch Hunt To Do

lol

If you had the words "correct," "refer," or "what?" in the Mueller drinking game, you've probably already passed out and the rest of us left watching are envious of your unconsciousness...

— Jeffrey St. Clair (@JSCCounterPunch) July 24, 2019

Mueller just like the rest of us: had to be reminded who Corey Lewandowski is.

lol PK

The failure of democrats to consider whether Mueller was a dynamic speaker and whether his performance in a publicly-televised hearing might help or hinder their case is...just so adorably, endearingly dem, knowhutimean?

i guess it'd be easier to respond to that if i understood what their case was

I agree with the CNN Panel: the Democrats would have been wise to shut everything down after Nadler's opening series of questions. They were right to the point: they clearly refuted (not necessary for anyone with a brain, but on the record right from Mueller) that Trump was not exonerated. There's a real chance that all the stories and coverage of everything after that will be about Mueller's camera-readiness (or however you want to put that).

(Theoretically wise--obviously that wasn't possible.)

The Squad isn't part of this?

I assume at least part of the point of this was to shift public opinion one way or the other, but I think it's possible that not a single person in the country feels any differently about Trump's actions this morning than they did when they went to sleep last night.

idk Mueller's statement that the only reason Trump wasn't charged was because he was President seems like a big deal, as is the assertation that he could be charged after he's out of office

"Trump could be arrested the moment he steps out of office" seems like something Dems could run on

yeah I was in the other room when I heard that exchange and thought, "Whoa, okay."

also the "he wasn't completely exonerated" bit

The Steele Dossier is as mysterious to me as the Penske file...I heard somebody on TV yesterday say that if the Republicans pushed Mueller too hard on the Steele Dossier, he'd push back. Doesn't look that way--he just won't talk about it.

honestly Twitter is unbearable nothing is ever going to come of this

Twitter, more like Shitter

@dan i read that baffler article. i'm always happy to read recommendations but plz only send me stuff that hasn't already been written a thousand times on jezebel, splinter, twitter, ilx, etc i mean good for former ilxor pareene to make money copy/pasting the most banal CW lib shitposts but if i wanted to read impotent raging against the right i'd bookmark one of the dozens of ilx threads we have for that purpose.

The chryon on CNN (first time I've watched this channel since 1982): "Mueller: Trump not exonerated."

my rep Debbie Mucarsel-Powell at the mike now

Why can't Mueller bring himself to utter the word "impeachment"? He's not recommending it by acknowledging it exists.

doesn't want the soundbite, I imagine.

Maybe it'll make him poof out of existence like Mr. Mxyzptlk.

If only these people had some influence over what gets covered.

NYT colleagues reax to Mueller:@adamgoldmanNYT:
So far, this hearing is not revealing new ground...By tomorrow it could be forgotten in this frenetic news cycle.@maggieNYT:
Adam, I think you’re being generous with “by tomorrow.”

— Trip Gabriel (@tripgabriel) July 24, 2019

is Kamala going to get to ask any questions cuz that's really the only thing that may yield anything of interest imo

wrong house dude

she's in the Senate, remember

Haberman has been predictably awful.

I'm barely paying attention to this, so wasn't sure what chamber was going when