Rush Limbaugh said special counsel Robert Mueller’s surprise nine-minute public statement on Wednesday was the equivalent of begging Democrats to impeach President Trump.
The conservative radio host told fans across the nation that Mr. Mueller gave Democrats the “greenlight” to start impeachment proceedings because his Russia report found no evidence the president committed crimes; he also “doesn’t want to testify” in public because Republicans would ask tough questions regarding the infamous “Steele” dossier.
“There is no difference between Robert Mueller and any Democrat or member of the media in that town,” Mr. Limbaugh said. “The only problem that Robert Mueller had was there isn’t any evidence to nail the president, and so he is attempting to imply that the president committed all kinds of crimes, but in the end Robert Mueller says Department of Justice guidelines prevent us from indicting the president. … If all of that is true, then why do this investigation in the first place? Because the only reason for it was to get Donald Trump.”
“He begged them to impeach,” the host continued. “He gave them the greenlight. He said that’s what you people have to do. I can’t do it because I don’t have any evidence.”
Mr. Mueller, speaking from Washington, said it would be “unfair” to accuse Mr. Trump of crimes, given that “the Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system to formally accuse a sitting president of wrongdoing.”
Critics, like Mr. Limbaugh, counter that Mr. Mueller’s 400-plus-page report would have been worded very differently if there were evidence of criminal wrongdoing by the president.
“The reason [Mr. Mueller] doesn’t want to testify is that there’s also some Republicans on these committees [who will] be asking him questions,” the radio host added. ” ’Special counsel Mueller, did you examine the dossier’s role in the Hillary Clinton campaign? Are you aware the dossier was totally made up and had no evidence whatsoever? How big a factor was the dossier?’ He doesn’t want these questions. The very area he should have been investigating, he didn’t investigate.”
Mr. Trump responded to Mr. Mueller’s statement by reiterating his desire to move on.
“There was insufficient evidence and therefore, in our Country, a person is innocent,” the president tweeted. “The case is closed! Thank you.”
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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