The Latest: White House says it hasn't seen Mueller report
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump and the special counsel’s Russia investigation. (all times Eastern time):
8 p.m.
Vice President Mike Pence says special counsel Robert Mueller’s conclusions are a “total vindication” of President Donald Trump and “our campaign” and “should be welcomed by every American who cherishes the truth and the integrity of our elections.”
Pence calls it a “great day for America,” Trump and the administration.
Attorney General William Barr declared Sunday that Mueller’s long investigation found no evidence that Trump’s campaign “conspired or coordinated” with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election. Mueller also looked into whether Trump tried to obstruct the inquiry, but did not provide a definitive answer on that point.
Pence called on Democrats, who he says spent “so much time on these discredited allegations,” to join the White House and Republicans to help make the nation more prosperous and secure.
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7:55 p.m.
President Donald Trump was in his room at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, when he first learned details of a summary of special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia report.
That’s according to White House spokesman Hogan Gidley, who briefed reporters aboard Air Force One just before it landed in Washington.
Gidley said the president told him, “This is very good.”
He said that on the flight back from Florida, Trump was in his Air Force One office, talking with White House staff members and watching the news unfold on television and Twitter.
Gidley said the president has only seen Attorney General William Barr’s summary of the report, not the entire report.
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7:30 p.m.
President Donald Trump says “America is the greatest place on earth.”
That was Trump’s only comment as he returned to the White House on Sunday, hours after the Justice Department declared that special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation found no evidence that Trump’s campaign “conspired or coordinated” with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election.
Mueller also investigated whether Trump sought to obstruct the investigation, but did not provide a definitive answer.
Back at the White House, Trump said only: “I just want to tell you that, America is the greatest place on earth, the greatest place on earth.”
Trump tweeted his reaction before leaving Florida. He told reporters there was no collusion with Russia and no obstruction and that “it was a complete and total exoneration.”
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6 p.m.
Top Democrats Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer say Attorney General William Barr is “not a neutral observer” and they urge full release of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report.
Pelosi, the House speaker, and Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader, said Sunday that Barr’s letter to Congress about Mueller’s report “raises as many questions as it answers.”
In a joint statement, the leaders says that Barr’s past “bias” against the special counsel inquiry shows he is “not in a position to make objective determinations.”
They say that “the fact that Mueller’s report does not exonerate the president on a charge as serious as obstruction of justice demonstrates how urgent it is that the full report and underlying documentation be made public without any further delay.”
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5:30 p.m.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says President Donald Trump was right about the Russia investigation.
McConnell says Attorney General William Barr’s summary of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation confirms Trump’s account that there was “no effort” by his campaign “to conspire or coordinate with Russia” to influence the 2016 election.
The Republican leader said he appreciates Barr’s goal of “producing as much information as possible” from Mueller’s investigation. But McConnell declined to call for the report’s full release, as many Democrats want.
McConnell also warned Russia’s ongoing efforts to interfere in U.S. institutions “are dangerous and disturbing.”
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5:25 p.m.
President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign is claiming vindication as it celebrates the end of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.
Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale says in a statement, “Today marks the day that President Trump has been completely and fully vindicated by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, exposing the Russia collusion conspiracy theory for the sham that it always was and catching Democrats in an elaborate web of lies and deceit. “
While the Justice Department says that Muller found no evidence that Trump’s 2016 campaign coordinated with Russian to influence the election, the attorney general quoted Mueller’s report as stating it “does not exonerate” the president on obstruction.
Parscale is also accusing Democrats of taking the country “on a frantic, chaotic, conspiracy-laden roller coaster for two years” because they were “distraught and blindsided” by Trump’s win.
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5:15 p.m.
Several Democratic presidential candidates say special counsel Robert Mueller’s full report on Russian election interference and President Donald Trump must be made public.
California Sen. Kamala Harris says Attorney General William Barr, who submitted his summary of the report Sunday, “must testify” before Congress. She tweeted, “That is what transparency looks like.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts notes that lawmakers have voted to release the full Mueller report, not a summary from what she calls Trump’s “handpicked Attorney General.”
New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker says the public “deserves the full report and findings” immediately, “not just the in-house summary from a Trump Administration official.”
And New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand says the Mueller report “must be made public.” She tweeted, “The President works for the people, and he is not above the law.”
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4:55 p.m.
President Donald Trump is touting the Justice Department’s summary of special counsel Robert Mueller findings, saying “it was a shame” the nation had to go through the investigation.
Trump claims the report found “there was no collusion with Russia, there was no obstruction.” In fact, Mueller did not make a determination on whether Trump committed obstruction of justice in the Russia probe. Attorney General William Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein determined that evidence gathered by Mueller was insufficient.
The summary does say Mueller did not find that the Trump campaign or its associates “conspired or coordinated” with Russia in its efforts to influence the 2016 election.
Trump is also lashing out at the investigation, claiming without evidence that it was “an illegal takedown that failed.”
Trump spoke to reporters before boarding Air Force One to return to Washington from a weekend at his private club in Florida.
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4:50 p.m.
President Donald Trump is claiming “Complete and Total EXONERATION” in a celebratory tweet following the release of a summary of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report.
Trump writes, “No Collusion, No Obstruction, Complete and Total EXONERATION. KEEP AMERICA GREAT!” as he heads to the airport in Florida, where he’s spent the weekend.
The Justice Department said Sunday that Mueller’s investigation did not find evidence that Trump’s campaign “conspired or coordinated” with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election. Mueller also investigated whether Trump obstructed justice, but did not come to a definitive answer.
But Attorney General William Barr says in a four-page letter to Congress that Mueller’s report “does not exonerate” the president on obstruction and instead “sets out evidence on both sides of the question.”
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4:45 p.m.
President Donald Trump’s eldest son says a summary of the special counsel’s findings “proves what those of us with sane minds knew all along.”
Donald Trump Jr. issued a statement Sunday saying that a summary of special counsel Robert Mueller’s findings proves that there “was zero collusion with Russia.”
The summary by Attorney General William Barr says Mueller did not find that the Trump campaign or its associates “conspired or coordinated” with Russia in its efforts to influence the 2016 election. It also says that Mueller did not exonerate the president of obstruction of justice or find that he committed a crime.
Trump Jr. has come under scrutiny during the investigation, for helping arrange a Trump Tower meeting at the height of the 2016 campaign with a Kremlin-linked lawyer.
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4:40 p.m.
The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee says he will call Attorney General William Barr in to testify “in the near future.”
New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler tweeted that he will ask Barr to testify “in light of the very concerning discrepancies and final decision making” at the Justice Department.
As described in a report from Barr to Congress, Mueller’s investigation left open the question of whether President Donald Trump obstructed justice. Barr said he determined the evidence is not sufficient to establish that Trump committed an offense.
Nadler tweeted that after Mueller worked for 22 months, “Attorney General Barr took 2 days to tell the American people that while the President is not exonerated, there will be no action by DOJ.”
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4:35 p.m.
A spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin says the Kremlin has not yet seen the summary of the U.S. special counsel’s report on the investigation into whether the Trump administration colluded with Russia.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted by
Russian news agencies quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying Sunday night after the Justice Department released the summary. “We are not familiar with the report.”
Attorney General William Barr’s letter to Congress said Mueller did not find evidence that Trump or his campaign knowingly coordinated with the Russian government to interfere in the 2016 election.
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4:28 p.m.
The White House claims the Justice Department letter summarizing special counsel Robert Mueller’s report is a “complete exoneration” of President Donald Trump.
In a statement, press secretary Sarah Sanders says Mueller “did not find any collusion and did not find any obstruction.”
In fact, Mueller did not make a determination on whether Trump committed obstruction of justice in the Russia probe. Attorney General William Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein determined evidence gathered by Mueller was insufficient.
Barr’s letter to Congress did say Mueller did not find evidence that Trump or his campaign knowingly coordinated with the Russian government to interfere in the 2016 election.
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4:26 p.m.
White House officials are celebrating the release of the Justice Department’s summary of special counsel Robert Mueller’s findings that he “did not establish” that the Trump campaign colluded with the Russian government.
Director of Oval Office operations Madeleine Westerhout adds on Twitter: “How many tens of millions of dollars did the American taxpayers have to pay to find out what everyone already knew.”
Eric Trump, the president’s son, is calling for a “simple apology” from the media for “the hell everyone has been put through” during the two-year probe.
In fact, Mueller did not make a determination on whether Trump committed obstruction of justice in the Russia probe.
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4:20 p.m.
Attorney General William Barr’s letter summarizing the findings of special counsel Robert Mueller was released to Congress and the public without any input from Mueller.
A senior Justice Department official says Mueller was not consulted about the letter. The official was not authorized to be identified and spoke on condition of anonymity.
—Associated Press writer Eric Tucker.
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4:18 p.m.
The Justice Department gave the White House a heads-up about the letter summarizing special counsel Robert Mueller’s findings in the Russia investigation.
A senior Justice official says the attorney general’s chief of staff called White House lawyer Emmet Flood at 3 p.m. Sunday and gave him a “readout” of the letter, which came out about a half-hour later. The official further says the letter was put together by Barr and the deputy attorney general, Rod Rosenstein.
The official was not authorized to be identified and spoke on condition of anonymity.
— Associated Press Writer Eric Tucker.
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4:15 p.m.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham says “the cloud hanging over President Trump has been removed” by special counsel Robert Mueller’s report.
Graham, a close ally of Trump, also says it is “a bad day for those hoping the Mueller investigation would take President Trump down.”
A summary of Mueller’s findings released Sunday says Mueller did not find that the Trump campaign or its associates “conspired or coordinated” with Russia in its efforts to influence the 2016 election. It also says that Mueller did not exonerate President Donald Trump of obstruction of justice or find that he committed a crime.
Top House Judiciary Republican Doug Collins said “there is no constitutional crisis.” House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said “it is time we move on for the good of the nation.”
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4:10 p.m.
The House Judiciary Committee chairman says special counsel Robert Mueller “clearly and explicitly is not exonerating the president.”
Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler tweeted that Attorney General William Barr’s letter to Congress says that while President Donald Trump may have acted to obstruct justice, the government would need to prove that “beyond a reasonable doubt.”
But Nadler tweeted Congress must hear from Barr about his decision making and see “all the underlying evidence for the American people to know all the facts.”
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4 p.m.
Special counsel Robert Mueller’s team issued more than 2,800 subpoenas and executed nearly 500 search warrants in its probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election and any potential involvement by President Donald Trump’s campaign.
That’s according to Attorney General William Barr’s letter to Congress on Sunday summarizing the findings. The special counsel employed 19 lawyers and was assisted by a team of 40 FBI agents, intelligence analysts, forensic accountants and other professional staff. The team interviewed approximately 500 witnesses.
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3:50 p.m.
Evidence gathered in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation “is not sufficient to establish” that President Donald Trump committed obstruction of justice.
That’s according to Attorney General William Barr in a letter to Congress summarizing the finding of the Mueller probe.
Barr says Mueller did not reach any conclusions in evaluating the president’s conduct, leaving it to the Justice Department.
Barr says he and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein reached the conclusion without considering constitutional questions regarding bringing criminal charges against a sitting president.
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3:46 p.m.
Special counsel Robert Mueller did not exonerate President Donald Trump of obstruction of justice or find that he committed a crime.
That’s according to a summary of Mueller’s findings provided to Congress by the Justice Department.
The summary also says Mueller did not find that the Trump campaign or its associates “conspired or coordinated” with Russia in its efforts to influence the 2016 election.
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3:35 p.m.
The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee says a letter from the Justice Department describing special counsel Robert Mueller’s findings “does not conclude that the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.”
The department sent the letter to Rep. Jerrold Nadler on Sunday afternoon. Nadler tweeted that the Justice Department “determined not to make a traditional prosecutorial judgment.”
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3:09 p.m.
The Justice Department has told Congress to expect a summary of Robert Mueller’s findings in the Russia investigation within the hour.
That’s according to two people familiar with the Justice Department’s plans. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly about the plans.
__ By Eric Tucker and Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington.
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1:35 p.m.
Special counsel Robert Mueller’s “principal conclusions” in the Russia investigation are still expected to be sent to Congress on Sunday.
That’s according to a person familiar with the planned delivery of a letter from Attorney General William Barr.
Barr is expected to summarize a confidential report that Mueller turned in on Friday, concluding his 22-month investigation into Russian election interference and possible coordination with President Donald Trump’s campaign.
__ By Michael Balsamo and Chad Day in Washington
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11:55 a.m.
Rep. Jim Jordan has yet to see the special counsel’s report on the Russia investigation, but the Ohio Republican insists it shows no evidence of “coordination, collusion, conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia.”
Jordan tells ABC’s “This Week” that “everyone in town” was confident Robert Mueller would lead a thorough investigation.
Jordan says Mueller is seen as “right next to Jesus, he can almost walk on water, this is the guy and – and he will have the definitive statement on that fundamental question.”
He says Democrats are concerned there’ll be no “bombshell” in the report, so they’re pursing more investigations of the president.
Attorney General William Barr received Mueller’s report on Friday and says he’ll give Congress a summary as soon as this weekend.
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10:50 a.m.
The chairman of the House intelligence committee says he trusts special counsel Robert Mueller’s judgment on who should be prosecuted following the nearly two-year Russia investigation.
But Rep. Adam Schiff of California says that doesn’t mean “there isn’t compelling and incriminating evidence that should be shared with the American people.”
Attorney General William Barr received Mueller’s report on Friday and says he’ll give Congress a summary as soon as this weekend.
Schiff says his committee wants the full report and the underlying materials made public and will head to court to compel Barr to release them.
He says the intelligence committee has an obligation to determine whether the president is compromised in any way, whether criminal or not.
Schiff spoke on ABC’s “This Week.”
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10:05 a.m.
The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee says Democrats won’t be willing to wait months for the Justice Department to release special counsel Robert Mueller’s full report.
Rep. Jerrold Nadler says Congress and the public deserve to see the underlying evidence, not just a summary of conclusions, to make their own judgments. Attorney General William Barr says he’ll provide that summary as soon as this weekend.
Asked how long Democrats will be willing to wait before considering subpoenas, Nadler says, “It won’t be months.”
The New York Democrat says there has been “collusion” and “obstruction” by Trump and his associates, but “whether it’s criminal is another question.”
He stressed that while Justice Department policy is not to indict a sitting president, Congress has a broader mandate to find abuses of power.
Nadler spoke on CNN and Fox.
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9:50 a.m.
Presidential spokesman Hogan Gidley says the White House still has not received and has not been briefed on the Russia report issued Friday by special counsel Robert Mueller.
On Sunday, Trump went to the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, near his Mar-a-Lago resort. He sent a good morning tweet, wishing everyone a great day and another that said: “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” but so far has not commented on the release of the report.
Attorney General William Barr is reviewing the report with his advisers and will be deciding how much Congress and the American public will get to see of the two-year probe into Trump and Moscow’s efforts to elect him. Barr could release his first summary of Mueller’s findings as early as Sunday.
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2:00 a.m.
Attorney General William Barr is preparing a summary of the findings of the special counsel investigating Russian election interference.
The release of Barr’s summary of the report’s main conclusions is expected sometime Sunday.
The White House says it hasn’t been briefed on Robert Mueller’s confidential report. The nation’s top Democrat, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has told House Democrats that a summary of conclusions won’t be enough as she pressed for the entire report.
Mueller’s 22-month investigation reached its official end on Friday, the day the report was submitted to Barr. It’s expected to focus on whether President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign coordinated with Russia to sway the election and whether Trump later sought to obstruct the investigation.
Trump has denied any collusion and disparaged the investigation as a “witch hunt.”
The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.
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