memeorandum: The battle over the Mueller report begins as Trump allies claim victory (Washington Post)

9:55 PM ET, March 23, 2019

Top Items:

Kyle Cheney / Politico:

Pelosi tells Dems she'll reject highly classified briefing on Mueller findings — Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Democrats on Saturday she'll rebuff any efforts by the Justice Department to reveal details of special counsel Robert Mueller's findings in a highly classified setting …

Discussion: Townhall and Vox

Benjamin Wittes / Lawfare:

How to Understand the End of the Mueller Investigation (Hint: You Can't Yet) — I have a confession: I don't understand the reaction to the news of the Mueller investigation's end. I don't understand the evident glee among some of the president's defenders. I don't understand the gloom among some of the president's critics.

Discussion: The Bulwark, Washington Free Beacon, KTIV-TV and The Daily Beast

New York Times:

Mueller's Findings Will Remain Confidential at Least Another Day — WASHINGTON — Attorney General William P. Barr and his team on Saturday pored over the highly anticipated report by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, a senior Justice Department official said …

Discussion: The Daily Beast, twitchy.com, CNN, The Gateway Pundit, The Week, Fox News and The Daily Caller

New York Times:

At Democratic Campaign Events, Mueller Report Is Barely Mentioned — RYE, N.H. — For Democratic presidential candidates on Saturday, it wasn't quite campaigning as usual after the delivery of a long-awaited report from the special counsel roiled Washington over the weekend. But it was pretty close.

Associated Press:

Barr scours Trump-Russia report to see how much to open — WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General William Barr scoured special counsel Robert Mueller's confidential report on the Russia investigation with his advisers Saturday, deciding how much Congress and the American public …

Discussion: Q13 FOX News, KTLA and Breitbart

Chris Megerian / Los Angeles Times:

Atty. Gen. William Barr not ready to share Mueller's ‘principal conclusions’ in Russia probe with Congress … It looks like Washington will have to hold its breath a little longer. Atty. Gen. William Barr apparently decided he was not ready to provide Congress with a summary of the …

Discussion: Washington Press and Talking Points Memo

Washington Post:

The battle over the Mueller report begins as Trump allies claim victory — The political showdown over the Russia investigation that could reshape the remainder of President Trump's term began in earnest Saturday even before the special counsel's conclusions were known to the public …

Discussion: Vox, Raw Story, Washington Press, Refinery29 and VICE News

New York Times:

As Mueller Report Lands, Prosecutorial Focus Moves to New York — Even as the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, submitted his confidential report to the Justice Department on Friday, federal and state prosecutors are pursuing about a dozen other investigations that largely grew out of his work …

Discussion: Associated Press, Boston Magazine, RT, Hullabaloo, The Week, Law & Crime, Raw Story, Common Dreams, The Guardian, emptywheel, The Federalist, Fox News, The Mary Sue, Washington Post, New York Times, The Nation and New York Post

Joseph Wulfsohn / Fox News:
‘There needs to be a reckoning’ for those who spread Russia collusion narrative: Mollie Hemingway

Discussion: Conservative News Today

Washington Post:
‘If you took it all in in one day, it would kill you’: What Mueller's investigation has already revealed

Discussion: Yahoo News, Quartz, New York Times, Breitbart, Hullabaloo and Politico

Andrew Desiderio / Politico:
Congress won't get Mueller findings today

Discussion: Washington Post, New York Post, POLITICUSUSA, Florida Politics, Breitbart, ABC News, Axios, Viking Pundit, The Atlantic, Instapundit and FiveThirtyEight

Mike Lillis / The Hill:
Pelosi rejects any classified briefings on Mueller report

Discussion: Splinter

Manu Raju / CNN:
Kushner provides documents to House Judiciary in obstruction probe

Discussion: The Hill, LifeZette, WTVR-TV, Washington Post, Axios and Fox News

Neal Kumar Katyal / Washington Post:
I wrote the special counsel rules. The attorney general can — and should — release the Mueller report.

Discussion: The Week, Vox, Brookings, New York Times and Splinter

Caroline Fredrickson / New York Times:
We Don't Need to Read the Mueller Report

Discussion: RedState and Simple Justice

Mike Allen / Axios:
With Mueller report submitted, Trump's legal team feels “cautious optimism”

Discussion: Townhall, Breitbart, Vox and Political Wire

The Daily Caller:
CNN Forced To Admit Mueller Report Vindicates Trump

Discussion: RedState, Breitbart and Geller Report

Alexandra Hutzler / Newsweek:
Robert Mueller's Report Is ‘Just the Beginning’ of Donald Trump's Legal Troubles, Experts Say

Discussion: Breitbart, No More Mister Nice Blog, Townhall and BuzzFeed News

Byron York / Washington Examiner:
Five things that didn't happen in the Mueller investigation

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Wall Street Journal, NB Blog, The Other McCain, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, CNN, Outside the Beltway and Lawfare

Katelyn Polantz / CNN:

Prosecutors suggest Paul Manafort may be trying to get $1 million out of his forfeiture — Can Manafort's sentence be challenged in court? — (CNN)Prosecutors suspect Paul Manafort might be trying to secretly claw back about a million dollars he agreed to hand over to the government …

Discussion: Raw Story, Political Wire and WTVR-TV

BBC:

Brexit march: Hundreds of thousands join referendum protest — Hundreds of thousands of people have marched in central London calling for another EU referendum, as MPs search for a way out of the Brexit impasse. — Organisers of the “Put It To The People” campaign say more than a million people joined …

Discussion: Fox News

Anne Applebaum / Washington Post:
Theresa May isn't the adult in the room. She's part of the problem.

Discussion: The Guardian

Hate Inc.:

It's official: Russiagate is this generation's WMD — The Iraq war faceplant damaged the reputation of the press. Russiagate just destroyed it — Note to readers: in light of news that Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller's investigation is complete, I'm releasing this chapter of Hate Inc. early, with a few new details added up top.

Discussion: Law & Crime

Marc Caputo / Politico:

Graham delivers laughs — and loyalty — at Mar-a-Lago dinner — PALM BEACH, Florida — Sen. Lindsey Graham delivered a rousing speech behind closed doors at Mar-a-Lago on Friday night, joking about the prospect of President Donald Trump opening a hotel in Jerusalem and asking the crowd whether …

Discussion: Raw Story and Hullabaloo

Dana Milbank / Washington Post:

Democrats are conspiring to reelect Trump — Watch in slow motion as Democrats, goaded by the media, conspire to reelect President Trump: — Voters care about the economy and making education and health care affordable. And so Democrats are talking about . . . abolishing the electoral college?

Discussion: NPR and LifeZette

Mary Papenfuss / HuffPost:

Trump Has Slapped His Brand On Images Of The White House To Sell At His Trump Store — President blurs the line again between his business and government. — President Donald Trump has emblazoned the “Trump” brand name on images of the White House to sell in his Trump Store and at the Trump International Hotel in the capital.

Discussion: Joe.My.God. and Hullabaloo

Washington Post:

The Islamic State's caliphate has been defeated, U.S.-backed forces say — BEIRUT — U.S.-backed forces declared the final defeat of the Islamic State's caliphate on Saturday, bringing to an end the group's brutal experiment in state building that had lured foot soldiers from around the world …

Discussion: sdf-press.com/en, Washington Monthly and Althouse