The Impact of the Mueller Report on the 2020 Election
Is it Good or Bad for Democrats?
By Lexi George
The Progressive Teen Staff Writer
IS THE DELAYED RELEASE OF THE MUELLER REPORT A GOOD THING FOR DEMOCRATS? Before answering this question, we must review the purpose and findings of the report.
The much-awaited Mueller Report was released to the public on April 18th, 2019. This investigation, headed by Robert Mueller, was conducted to gauge if impeachable crimes were committed by Donald Trump and the Trump Campaign during the 2016 election his current presidency. This report focused on the crimes of collusion and obstruction of justice, under which various investigations were conducted addressing rumors of leaked democratic emails during the 2016 election, Donald Trump Jr. working with Russia, and questioning actions such as abruptly firing Michael Flinn, National Security Advisor. The final document was a lengthy four hundred pages, covering multiple investigations and addressing multiple allegations.
The report, once shared with the public and Congress, explained what was found, and what was not found. There was no evidence of conspiracy or coordination with the Russian government, which came as the biggest shock to many Democrats. For obstruction of justice, there was, according to Attorney General William Barr, not enough evidence found to impeach Trump. There was “not enough evidence,” which goes to imply some evidence found, indicating Trump may have obstructed justice in some form. Fox News is known for analyzing news stories through a conservative lens, but analyst Andrew Napolitano expressed how the Mueller Report proves Trump can be impeached. This sentiment carries weight considering its source, as a Fox analyst, would not generally be expected to assess impeachability of the current president.
So where does this lead us? Overall, the biggest win for Democrats would be solid proof of cooperation between the Trump Administration and Russia. Despite this loss, there is still good that came from the report. The fact that there is some evidence of obstruction indicates that President Trump did in a way jeopardize American democracy. This knowledge, especially if highlighted and further expanded on, might make Trump’s supporters question his actions, and the more questions left unanswered, the less likely they are of re-electing him president in 2020.
Additionally, Trump was never formally interviewed or questioned during the making of the report. His legal team retaliated against the notion quickly after he was asked. Trump himself was never once taken under oath for testimony either, only emphasizing the simple question: Why are Trump and his lawyers so adamant about avoiding interview under oath? In many cases, it raises suspicion as to why the president cannot take an hour out of his time to give the answers citizens have been wondering. Having answers “straight out of the horse’s mouth” clearly will not help him, or else his legal team would have gotten him in front of a camera instantly. By avoiding the issue, it leads Americans to believe Trump was up to something and may be engaged in a cover-up.
Perhaps the biggest advantage to Democrats is that the whole report has not yet been made public. There is still more to be released from the Mueller Report, including court records and various interviews with members of the Trump Administration. When these reach the public, more light can be shed on how Trump obstructed justice and his possibly impeachable actions. But until then, more Democrats will be analyzing what information they have and how they can expand upon it for impeachment.
In the end, the Mueller Report may have the ability to aid Democrats in the 2020 election through raised suspicion, evidence of obstruction, and Trump’s continuous refusal to answer questions.
