A Wash

Yesterday's seven hours of testimony by Robert Mueller before two congressional committees ended up being anti-climactic and something of a wash. The Special Counsel didn't really offer anything new. He certainly didn't help Donald Trump's case but he didn't really inflict any new damage.

The Boston Globe provided a good overview of highlights (link here) after the two hearings were concluded.

The most important moments were:

--Mueller once again reiterated that his report did not exonerate Trump.

--Mueller stated that Trump could be charged with a crime once he leaves office.

--Mueller said Trump could be charged with obstruction of justice but that he made no final determination on that point.

--Mueller denounced Trump and his son's celebration and promotion of WikiLeaks for publicizing stolen emails during the campaign.

--Mueller said that Trump was not truthful in his written responses to the Special Counsel's questions.

The bottom line is that Trump's critics had their beliefs reinforced by the hearings, but any action on impeachment still seems remote for now. The clearest way to remove Donald Trump from office will likely be via the ballot box on November 3, 2020, which is little more than fifteen months away.