As the saying goes "when you strike at the king make sure to kill him". A wounded, vindicated, Mr Trump is not a prospect to relish.

1. 25/03/2019, 6+23 PMRobert Mueller is the God that failed Democrats | Financial Times
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Robert Mueller is the God that
failed Democrats
Enormous faith was invested in Mr Muellerʼs report as a magic bullet to solve the Trump problem © AP
Spare a thought for Robert Mueller. He wrapped up an exhaustive
investigation within two years of being asked to do so — easily beating his
predecessors. Moreover, he stuck resolutely to his brief. Unlike Kenneth
Starr, who expanded his probe into the Clintons’ failed real estate deal in
Arkansas to include sex in the White House with an intern, Mr Mueller
avoided fishing expeditions. He ran an operation with zero leaks. By any
measure he embodied integrity and diligence in a town sorely deficient in
both. Yet he managed to disappoint both wings of US politics.
Donald Trump repeatedly accused him of conducting a corrupt “witch
hunt” for partisan motives. Mr Trump will presumably now switch to
lauding Mr Mueller for his impartiality.
Liberals, on the other hand, are like a child who has discovered Santa Claus

2. 25/03/2019, 6+23 PMRobert Mueller is the God that failed Democrats | Financial Times
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does not exist. Enormous faith was invested in Mr Mueller’s report as a
magic bullet to solve the Trump problem. By the same token, an outsized
role was conferred on Vladimir Putin as the evil genius who robbed Hillary
Clinton of the presidency. There were large dollops of evidence supporting
both views.
Mr Mueller is indeed “America’s straightest arrow”. The fact that he could
not prove conspiracy with Russia does not mean it did not exist. Courtesy
of the special counsel, there is more than enough prima facie evidence to
pursue many investigations into the Trump Organization’s business
dealings. Likewise, Mr Mueller proved the Russians interfered in the 2016
election — as they have tried to do in other democracies. That threat still
exists. Mr Trump publicly requested Russia’s help and Russia obliged. It
could happen again. Washington has done almost nothing to strengthen its
electoral infrastructure since 2016.
Yet Democrats are now saddled with two big problems. The first will be the
backlash. Never mind that Mr Mueller’s report did not “exonerate” Mr
Trump. That word will now go viral. It is likely the full Mueller report will
contain damaging revelations about Mr Trump’s misconduct. So far we
only have the word of William Barr, the attorney-general, who was
appointed by Mr Trump with his own security in mind. But no amount of
circumstantial evidence will overshadow the report’s key finding. It was
said that Mr Mueller’s appointment was the worst day in Mr Trump’s
presidency. Mr Mueller’s report is arguably the best. Mr Trump will believe
he now has full licence to escalate his attacks on the “fake news media”. In
light of Mr Mueller’s conclusions, Mr Trump might be making fewer
complaints about the “deep state”, however.
The second problem for Democrats is understanding what was behind Mr
Trump’s victory so they can stop it from happening again. The reasons are
as complex as faith in a Mueller “hail Mary pass” was simple. They include
the woodenness of Hillary Clinton’s campaign, the FBI’s decision to reopen

3. 25/03/2019, 6+23 PMRobert Mueller is the God that failed Democrats | Financial Times
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her email investigation 11 days before the election, disgust with run-of-the-
mill politics, middle America’s economic gloom and Mr Trump’s appeals to
the so-called “deplorables”. They also include help from Russia.
Even without the Kremlin, the question remains how Mr Trump could have
come so close to taking the White House. Democrats will now be tempted
to redouble their investigations. Indeed, the Trump administration is
riddled with conflicts of interest and it is the job of Congress to hold him to
account. Moreover, Mr Barr’s take on Mr Mueller’s findings cannot be
taken at face value: Mr Trump attempted to obstruct justice in full public
view. Democrats are therefore right to demand publication of the report.
But they would be wise to graduate from what conservatives call “Trump
derangement syndrome”. There is a dose of truth in that critique too. If Mr
Trump is true to form, he will now stoke “TDS” as much as he can. It will
help his re-election campaign.
The question Democrats must answer is whether they can hold the Trump
administration to account without being swallowed by their personal
revulsion for the president. They must also brace for a sustained backlash.
Mr Trump has been chafing at the investigation since he took office. As the
saying goes, when you strike at the king make sure to kill him. A wounded,
vindicated, Mr Trump is not a prospect to relish.

4. 25/03/2019, 6+23 PMRobert Mueller is the God that failed Democrats | Financial Times
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Mueller finds no collusion between Trump and Russia