memeorandum: Legal experts question William Barr's rationale for exonerating Trump (Aaron Blake/Washington Post)

10:00 AM ET, March 25, 2019

Top Items:

Neal K. Katyal / New York Times:

The Many Problems With the Barr Letter — By unilaterally concluding that Trump did not obstruct justice, the attorney general has made it imperative that the public see the Mueller report. — Mr. Katyal is a law professor at Georgetown. He drafted the special counsel regulations under which Robert Mueller was appointed.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, POLITICUSUSA, Washington Post, Politico and Slate

Peter Baker / New York Times:

A Cloud Over Trump's Presidency Is Lifted — WASHINGTON — For President Trump, it may have been the best day of his tenure so far. The darkest, most ominous cloud hanging over his presidency was all but lifted on Sunday with the release of the special counsel's conclusions …

Discussion: Shareblue Media, Spectator USA, IJR, CNBC, ABC News, USA Today, WCCO | CBS Minnesota, Vox, Breitbart, RT, Bloomberg and Townhall

New York Times:

Read Attorney General William Barr's Summary of the Mueller Report — The letter, by Attorney General William P. Barr, details the main findings of the special counsel's two-year investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. — Dear Chairman Graham, Chairman Nadler …

Discussion: USA Today, The Root, The Resurgent, Politico, The Daily Beast, Raw Story, Northeastern, Breitbart, The Gateway Pundit, FiveThirtyEight, Contemptor, Talking Points Memo, The Bulwark, Mother Jones, Townhall and Vox, more at Mediagazer »

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:

If Trump Obstructed Justice, He Can't Be Exonerated — The summary of Robert Mueller's report, given to Congress by Attorney General William Barr, asserts that President Trump engaged in a number of actions that impeded the investigation. At the same time, it concludes that Trump's campaign …

Discussion: American Prospect, National Review, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Week and Slate

Bob Bauer / New York Times:

Trump's Shamelessness Was Outside Mueller's Jurisdiction — A demagogic president can walk right up to the edge of committing a crime, so long as he operates brazenly in public view. — Mr. Bauer is a professor of practice and distinguished scholar in residence at New York University School of Law.

Discussion: Raw Story

Dan B / Washington Post:

For Democrats, the Mueller report turns their politics upside down — For President Trump, the finding by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III that there was no coordination or conspiracy involving Trump campaign officials or associates and the Russians, despite myriad contacts that have been documented, was a sweet moment.

Discussion: NPR and Speaker Nancy Pelosi

CNN:

Special counsel and DOJ deliberated seeking subpoena for Trump — (CNN)The special counsel's office deliberated at length with Justice Department officials about issuing a subpoena for President Donald Trump to be interviewed, but ultimately the decision was made not to move forward …

Discussion: Raw Story and The Week

Susan B. Glasser / New Yorker:

“Trump Wins!”: The President, the Mueller Report, and Our New Political Normal — Whatever is next, it's not impeachment—at least not on Russia charges. — The most consequential weekend of Donald Trump's Presidency started with that classic Washington event, a Friday-afternoon news dump.

Discussion: National Review

Aaron Blake / Washington Post:

Legal experts question William Barr's rationale for exonerating Trump — The attorney general's personal history and his reasoning make this fraught. — A big question hanging over William P. Barr's nomination to be attorney general this year was whether, once he got the job, he would do President Trump's bidding.

Discussion: RedState

Mike Allen / Axios:

Trump claims vindication, eyes vengeance — Donald J. Trump has twice gone to war with Democrats and most of the American media — and won both times, dramatically and consequentially. — The big picture: The one-two gut punch to his critics — first, beating Hillary Clinton, and now …

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, POLITICUSUSA, New York Post, Raw Story and VICE News

Charles M. Blow / New York Times:

It's Bigger Than Mueller and Trump — Trumpism follows a historical pattern: Whenever black people make progress, white people respond forcefully. — The Mueller Report has landed ... with a thud. According to summary findings released by Attorney General William Barr …

emptywheel:
How William Barr Did Old Man Back-Flips to Avoid Arresting Donald Trump

Discussion: Daily Kos, The Week, Hullabaloo and Raw Story

David Frum / The Atlantic:
The Question the Mueller Report Has Not Answered

Discussion: New York Times, Washington Post, The Week, Quartz, The Hill and The Moderate Voice

Washington Post:
‘No collusion!’ goes from a defiant mantra to a rallying cry for Trump's reelection

Discussion: Politico, Talking Points Memo, POLITICUSUSA, One America News Network, Towleroad Gay News, Breitbart, Axios and ABC News

Lawfare:
What to Make of Bill Barr's Letter

Discussion: Townhall, The Week, National Review, Fortune, USA Today, Outside the Beltway, Reason, The Gateway Pundit and Breitbart

Renato Mariotti / Politico:
William Barr Has Some Explaining to Do

Discussion: ABC News and Breitbart

William Saletan / Slate:
Bill Barr's Weasel Words

Discussion: New York Times, Roll Call, Conservative News Today and Gothamist

New York Times:
Trump Declares Exoneration, and a War on His Enemies

Discussion: Washington Press, Washington Examiner, The Hill, Conservative News Today and New York Post

The Daily Beast:
Trumpworld Gloats About Mueller: The ‘Fat Lady Has Sung’

Discussion: Just Security and Contemptor

Jonathan Martin / New York Times:
Mueller Report Offers Clarity for 2020 Candidates: Beat Trump at the Ballot Box

Discussion: Washington Press and Fox News

Byron York / Washington Examiner: Trump, falsely accused of collusion, faces new onslaught of obstruction accusations

David Corn / Mother Jones:
Trump Aided and Abetted Russia's Attack. That Was Treachery. Full Stop.

Discussion: Mediaite, Townhall and Political Wire

Heather Caygle / Politico:
Pelosi wins breathing room on impeachment after Mueller findings

Discussion: Axios and ABC News

New York Times: Barr Clears Trump of Obstruction After Mueller Demurs

Ken White / The Atlantic:
Barr's Startling and Unseemly Haste

Discussion: NBC News, Slate, Raw Story, Vox, The Week, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Balloon Juice, Gizmodo, Washington Post, Reason and Bloomberg

New York Times:
No Collusion, No ‘Exoneration’

Discussion: Tampa Bay Times, Foreign Policy, NBC News, Vox, Telegraph, The Resurgent, Breitbart and Raw Story

Politico:
POLITICO Playbook: Mueller is done. What's next for Washington

Discussion: Wired, The Week and Politico

New York Times:
Mueller Finds No Trump-Russia Conspiracy, but Stops Short of Exonerating President on Obstruction

Marcy Wheeler / New Republic:
Yes, Trump Obstructed Justice. And William Barr Is Helping Him Cover It Up.

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon, Hullabaloo, NB Blog, Common Dreams and Bloomberg

Jonathan Allen / NBC News:
Mueller delivers a ‘gift’ to Trump for 2020 election

Discussion: Political Wire

Timothy L. O'Brien / Bloomberg:
Trump Can Take a Victory Lap, But It's a Partial One

Discussion: Townhall, Splinter, The Week and RedState

Kyle Olson / The American Mirror:
MAXINE MELTDOWN: ‘This is not the end of anything!’

Discussion: Daily Wire, American Greatness, The Gateway Pundit, One America News Network, Politico and Breitbart

Reuters:
Kremlin says ready to improve ties with U.S. after Mueller report

Discussion: Political Wire

Blake Hounshell / Politico:
Trump Didn't Collude With Russia. So Why Does He Love Putin So Much?

Discussion: Just Security, One America News Network, Slate and The Atlantic

Mike Levine / ABC News:
Mueller report letter from Attorney General William Barr sent to Congress; describes …

Discussion: Politico, ABC7, Financial Times, Washington Post, The Gateway Pundit, One America News Network, Chicago Tribune, FiveThirtyEight, CNBC, Byline Times, Reuters, Breitbart and The Week

Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:

Serious journalists should be proud of — not bullied over — their Russia reporting — It should be no surprise to anyone that President Trump's reaction to the Mueller report is to attack reporters for doing their jobs. — That's exactly what he has been doing for years.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Viking Pundit and Mercury News

Michael Calderone / Politico:

Media stares down ‘reckoning’ after Mueller report underwhelms — Fox News host Sean Hannity accused “CNN, MSNBC, and the mainstream media” of having “lied” for two years in his first tweet on Sunday after a four-page summary of special counsel Robert Mueller's conclusions was made public.

Discussion: RedState, Townhall, CNN, USA Today and Marginal REVOLUTION

Paul Farhi / Washington Post:

Conclusion of Mueller probe raises anew criticisms of coverage — And now comes the reckoning for the mainstream news media and the pundits. — After more than two years of intense reporting and endless talking-head speculation about possible collusion between Donald Trump's presidential campaign …

Discussion: Politico, The Week, The Daily Caller, Fox News, Mercury News, NB Blog and American Digest

Reuters:

Russian air force planes land in Venezuela carrying troops: reports — CARACAS (Reuters) - Two Russian air force planes landed at Venezuela's main airport on Saturday carrying a Russian defense official and nearly 100 troops, according to media reports, amid strengthening ties between Caracas and Moscow.

Discussion: The Daily Beast and ThinkProgress