The Justice Department has released a redacted version of Robert Mueller’s report on Russian interference on the previous presidential election. The four-page summary concludes that no intervention was found between the Russian Government and the 2016 election.

Background:

In 2017, Trump fired James Comey as the head of the FBI after Comey publicly confirmed the investigation between Trump’s associates and Russian officials. After the firing, Robert Muller was appointed special counsel. Within his job, Mueller was tasked with investigating any links or interactions within the Russian government and individuals from Trump’s presidential campaign. Since 2017, Mueller’s team has indicted 32 people and 3 Russian companies, including Trump campaign managers (Paul Manafort, Richard Gates, George Papadopoulos and Michael Flynn.)

What to Notice:

Potential Obstruction of Justice: Throughout the report, there are many actions committed by Trump that could be considered obstruction of justice. Mueller declined to confirm or deny if President Trump could be prosecuted for his actions. The instances of potential obstruction of justice pertain to: Russia, James Comey, attempts to remove Muller from the special counsel, and efforts to prevent information from being disclosed to the public. Mueller reiterates the fact that this evidence does not conclude that Trump is guilty of obstruction of justice.

Contacts with Russia: The Mueller report did not find any evidence of criminal conspiracy between Trump and Russian officials throughout the investigation. The report is centered around a meeting that took place in 2016 at the Trump tower between Trump campaign officials and a Russian lawyer. The report also details other encounters such as interactions between Jared Kushner and Trump Jr, but in order for them to be prosecuted, they had to be knowledgeable of willingly committing their actions.

Trump Statements: When Trump became aware of the fact that Mueller had been appointed on to the special counsel, he reportedly “slumped back in his chair and said, ‘Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my Presidency. I’m f—ed.’” After Trump’s statements were disclosed to the public, Trump responds, “Everyone tells me if you get one of these independent counsels it ruins your presidency. It takes years and years and I won’t be able to do anything. This is the worst thing that ever happened to me.” This revelation in the Muller report makes it known that President Trump strongly opposed having a special counsel, but it cannot be proven that Trump opposed Mueller’s appointment.

What does this mean & What’s next?

Could Trump be impeached? Recently Trump’s approval rating has decreased from 44% to 39%, reaching an all time low. The Mueller report could possibly affect the 2020 elections results, due to the dip in Trump’s approval rating. Kamala Harris, has already publicly called for the impeachment of Trump. The Mueller report provides evidence of obstruction of justice, but it is not enough to impeach him.