Former special counsel Robert Mueller on Wednesday is testifying before Congressional lawmakers regarding his investigation into now-debunked criminal conspiracy between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia. Mueller will testify publicly at 8:30 a.m. EST before the House Judiciary Committee and at noon EST before the House Intelligence Committee.
Mueller has said that he will not stray beyond what’s already been revealed in his 448-page report. The Justice Department has instructed Mueller to stay strictly within those parameters, giving him a formal directive to point to if he faces questions he does not want to answer.
On Tuesday, Democrats on the House judiciary and intelligence panels granted his request to have his top aide in the investigation, Aaron Zebley, sit at the table with him. Zebley is not expected to be sworn in for questioning by the judiciary panel.
President Trump slammed the hearings ahead of Mueller’s testimony, writing on social media that “Democrats and others” are attempting to fabricate a crime and blame it on “a very innocent President.”
“Why didn’t Robert Mueller investigate the investigators?” the president tweeted.
So Democrats and others can illegally fabricate a crime, try pinning it on a very innocent President, and when he fights back against this illegal and treasonous attack on our Country, they call It Obstruction? Wrong! Why didn’t Robert Mueller investigate the investigators?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 24, 2019
Wednesday’s first hearing before the House Judiciary Committee will focus on whether the president illegally obstructed justice by attempting to seize control of Mueller’s investigation. Attorney General William Barr and Deputy Attorney and General Rod Rosenstein, citing the special counsel’s findings, ruled the president did not commit obstruction of justice during the two-year-long investigation that cost taxpayers over $25 million.
The afternoon hearing before the House intelligence committee will dive into purported ties between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin.
Many House Democrats hope Mueller’s testimony will re-energize efforts to impeach the president, though some political observers believe that is unlikely to occur. Today’s hearings come one week after the House voted 332-95 to table a resolution calling for impeachment brought by Rep. Al Green. (D-TX).
**Follow all of the events on the Breitbart News Live Wire below. All times in eastern.**
3:03 PM — Robert Mueller takes a shot at the Trump campaign:
Rep Peter Welch, D-VT, asks Mueller is he’s concerned there will be a “new normal” in federal campaigns to not report foreign contacts to the authorities
Mueller: “I hope this is not the new normal, but I fear it is”
— Sam Brodey (@sambrodey) July 24, 2019
2:58 PM — Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) opts against asking Mueller any more questions.
Rep. John Ratcliffe decided not to ask Mueller any questions at the #MuellerHearings, given the “constraints” on what he’s “able or allowed to answer with respect to counter-intelligence matters” pic.twitter.com/zDO3HUUcTl
— Bloomberg TicToc (@tictoc) July 24, 2019
2:57 PM — Did a Democrat lawmaker fall asleep?
Pretty sure Rep. Quigley is napping during the Mueller hearing pic.twitter.com/sF1QFPez2r
— Matt Laslo (@MattLaslo) July 24, 2019
2:48 PM — Rep. Denny Heck (D-WA) to Mueller: “Trump and his team stood to make many millions of dollars’ on the Moscow tower deal?
Mueller answer: “True.”
2:47 PM — Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) to Mueller: “How do we prevent Russia and other adversaries from doing this again… you’ve seen tactics, techniques, and results of intelligence operations?”
Robert Mueller replies: “Our ability of our intelligence agencies to work together’ should be a top priority.
2:46 PM —
Mueller says “I can’t go into it” when asked whether McClatchy’s report about him having evidence that Cohen was in Prague in 2016 was true.
— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) July 24, 2019
2:42 PM — Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) to Robert Mueller: “The party line was that Cohen & Trump never discussed traveling to Russia during the campaign, when in truth they did discuss it. Is that right?”
Robert Mueller answers: “That’s accurate.”
2:39 PM — Former Under Secretary Homeland Security Michael Brown savages Mueller:
And, if #Mueller did know his case, he was clearly failing to adhere to so many legal standards that I’ll have to spend the rest of the day cataloging them. It was a disgrace and a political hatchet job.
— Michael Brown (@MichaelBrownUSA) July 24, 2019
2:34 PM — Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) to Robert Mueller: “Did the Special Counsel Office undertake any efforts to investigate, verify, or disprove allegations in the Steele Dossier.”
Robert Mueller responds: “Again, I can’t respond.”
Mueller parrying questions from @RepStefanik about the Steele dossier and efforts to verify its allegations.
“I can’t speak to it.”
“I can’t answer.”He confirms staff traveled overseas in probe, but doesn’t say if they met w/ foreign gov’t officials.
“Out of our bailiwick.”
— Ben Siegel (@benyc) July 24, 2019
2:32 PM — Rep. Swalwell (D-CA) to Mueller: “From 1/1/17 to 3/19, Donald Trump met with Vladimir Putin in person 6 times, called him 10 times, and exchanged 4 letters with him… he did not meet with you in person is that correct?”
Robert Mueller replies: “He did not.”
2:31 PM — Rep. Swalwell (D-CA) to Robert Mueller: “National Security Advisor Flynn lied about discussions with the Russian Ambassador related to sanctions.”
Robert Mueller replies: “That’s correct.”
2:30 PM — Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) hardest hit:
Sen. Tester (D-Mont.) tells me he’s not sure Mueller’s testimony will fuel impeachment efforts. And he’s not sure it makes sense since Senate Rs remain united with Trump.
“I’m not sure impeachment is the right direction to go, but it’s really in the House’s hands.”
— Robert Costa (@costareports) July 24, 2019
2:28 PM — Director of Communications for President Trump’s re-election campaign tweets:
End of the 3rd quarter in the Democrats’ Mueller Super Bowl and they’re getting routed.
— Tim Murtaugh (@TimMurtaugh) July 24, 2019
2:25 PM — Harvard Law Professor Emeritus Alan Dershowitz believes Robert Mueller’s testimony shows Mueller did not author the special counsel office’s report.
2:21 PM — President Trump trolls Mueller’s performance on Capitol Hill.
Trump Tweets a clip of Mueller being confused. https://t.co/mJQ2BAnuS9
— Niv Elis (@NivElis) July 24, 2019
2:19 PM —
Per NBC’s tracker, Mueller has deflected or declined to answer a question 155 times so far today
— Allan Smith (@akarl_smith) July 24, 2019
2:17 PM — Harvard Law School’s Laurence Tribe has a “sad.”
Much as I hate to say it, this morning’s hearing was a disaster. Far from breathing life into his damning report, the tired Robert Mueller sucked the life out of it. The effort to save democracy and the rule of law from this lawless president has been set back, not advanced.
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) July 24, 2019
2:13 PM — Mueller once against declines to answer questions regarding Fusion GPS, the opposition research firm behind the anti-Trump dossier:
Rep Devin Nunes: The Trump Tower meeting was shorter than 20 minutes, I believe. Would it surprise you that Glenn Simpson, working for Hillary Clinton, met Natalia Veselnitskaya more often than the Trump campaign? Mueller: “I’m not going to get into that.”
— David Smith (@SmithInAmerica) July 24, 2019
2:11 PM — Mueller refers to President Trump’s praise of WikiLeaks in 2016 as “Problematic”:
Problematic is an understatement,” Mueller says of Trump’s praise of WikiLeaks in 2016 amid leak of hacked DNC and Clinton campaign emails, “in terms of giving some hope or some boost to what is and should be illegal activity.”
— Sabrina Siddiqui (@SabrinaSiddiqui) July 24, 2019
2:05 PM — Robert Mueller claims he doesn’t know if his office leaked details of the FBI’s earlier morning raid on Trump ally Roger Stone.
Rep. Chris Stewart R-Utah gets Mueller to decline answering on who leaked info about raid on colorful Roger Stone. Mueller says he does not know who leaked info about his letter to AG Barr, suggests his office does not leak. Stewart claimed it did 25 times
— KevinGHall (@KevinGHall) July 24, 2019
2:04 PM — Deep.
Rep Mike Quigley to Mueller: “Thank you for being here. This too shall pass.”
— David Smith (@SmithInAmerica) July 24, 2019
2:01 PM — Robert Mueller summarizes what he wants Americans to take from his report:
Asked to summarize what he wanted the American public to take from his report, Mueller calls it “a flag to those of us who some responsibility in this area to exercise those responsibilities swiftly, and don’t let this problem continue to linger.” https://t.co/CXfCvYspNV pic.twitter.com/e8QdEYnJlX
— ABC News (@ABC) July 24, 2019
1:57 PM — Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) is seen at the White House during Robert Mueller’s second hearing.
CNN cameras have spotted Trump ally @RepMarkMeadows at the White House a few minutes ago. Trump has no public events on his schedule until the 4:00 hour. Meadows sat in on Mueller’s hearing this morning.
— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) July 24, 2019
1:56 PM — Exchange between Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) and Robert Mueller regarding his investigation:
SPEIER: Would you agree that it was not a hoax that the Russians were engaged in trying to influence our election?
MUELLER: Absolutely. That was not a hoax.— Meredith Lee (@meredithllee) July 24, 2019
1:54 PM — Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) says Robert Mueller is the “greatest patriot” in the hearing room.
Rep. Speier begins her questioning by saying that Mueller is the “greatest patriot” in the hearing room.
— Emma Loop (@LoopEmma) July 24, 2019
1:53 PM — Mueller says he requested to expand the scope of his investigation.
1:50 PM — Exchange between Rep. André Carson (D-IN) and Robert Mueller regarding Paul Manfort:
Carson: (re: Manafort) Does trading information about the American people to a foreign adversary for money betray the values of our country?
Mueller: “I can’t agree with that. Not that it’s not true, but I can’t agree with it.”
(interesting phrasing)— Tal Kopan (@TalKopan) July 24, 2019
1:44 PM — Robert Mueller passes the buck:
Rep. Michael Turner (R-OH): “Would you agree with me that the attorney general does not have the power to exonerate?”
Mueller: “I have got to pass on that.”
“Why?”
“Because it embroils us in a legal discussion and I’m not prepared to do a legal discussion in that arena.” pic.twitter.com/Qek5pICS0I— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) July 24, 2019
1:43 PM — Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH): “[Collusion] is not a legal term, so you didn’t put it in your conclusion.”
Robert Mueller replies: “That’s correct.”
1:35 PM — Exchange between Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL) and Robert Mueller:
“Generally speaking, yes,” Mueller replies to @RepTerriSewell to question on whether it’s illegal for foreigners to contribute anything of value to a US presidential candidate’s campaign. pic.twitter.com/NAgJ8DRD4y
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) July 24, 2019
1:34 PM — Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani tweets:
My co-counsel and I always urged people to tell the truth.The truth is-no collusion. Mueller’s AngryDems were pressuring witnesses to give false testimony,eg.,indicted Ukraine oligarch Firtash,Corsi,Manafort.(Plenty of proof).This will broaden investigation of investigators.
— Rudy Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) July 24, 2019
1:33 PM —
Mueller says he doesn’t “know or expect” any changes to the conclusions of his report #MuellerHearings https://t.co/vfH5a3U30H pic.twitter.com/jDGtlJ66dS
— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 24, 2019
1:30 PM — Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) to Robert Mueller: “If a campaign receives an offer of dirt from a foreign individual or government, should that campaign report those contacts?
Robert Mueller replies: “Should be and can be, depending on the circumstances, a crime.”
1:29 PM — Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT), reading from the Mueller report, says to the former special counsel: “The Russian govt perceived it would benefit from a Trump presidency and worked to secure that outcome. Do I have that statement right?”
Robert Mueller replies: “I believe so.”
1:24 PM — Meet the Press host Chuck Todd says Mueller’s testimony did not advance Democrats’ impeachment efforts:
NBC’s Todd: Mueller did nothing to “advance” impeachmenthttps://t.co/ABwTCTf0te pic.twitter.com/8EZhKEcDuy
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 24, 2019
1:19 PM — Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA): “When Donald Trump called your investigation a ‘witch hunt,’ that was also false, was it not?”
Robert Mueller replies: “I’d like to think so, yes.”
1:17 PM —
Mueller emphasizes in his second opening statement: “We did not reach a determination as to whether the president committed a crime” #MuellerHearings https://t.co/pjOwNhYtbJ pic.twitter.com/ieES2iJfdb
— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 24, 2019
1:16 PM — Democrats are in trouble when they lose MSNBC:
MSNBC’s Ari Melber says Mueller hearing “didn’t land” where Democrats were hopinghttps://t.co/VPpkp5ukR2 pic.twitter.com/2rbp3m4s8q
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 24, 2019
1:15 PM — Robert Mueller cleans up his testimony about the OLC:
NEWS: Mueller just walked back his earlier answer to @tedlieu
“That is not the correct way to say it,” Mueller said.
“We did not reach a determination as to whether the president committed a crime.” https://t.co/N1oOi4fg9G
— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) July 24, 2019
1:09 PM — Already some fireworks:
Nunes says Republicans won’t address questions to Mueller assistant Aaron Zebley, partly because of concerns about his ties to a former Clinton campaign aide. Schiff says “there’s an angry man down the street” who doesn’t want Zebley to testify.
— Bill Rehkopf (@BillRehkopf) July 24, 2019
1:05 PM — Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) brings the heat:
Rep. Devin Nunes introduces the #MuellerHearings as “the last gasp of the Russia collusion conspiracy theory” https://t.co/pjOwNhYtbJ pic.twitter.com/HtI1d7sV2Y
— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 24, 2019
1:05 PM — President Trump mocks the Mueller hearings:
I would like to thank the Democrats for holding this morning’s hearing. Now, after 3 hours, Robert Mueller has to subject himself to #ShiftySchiff – an Embarrassment to our Country!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 24, 2019
1:04 PM —
Robert Mueller’s testimony to the House Judiciary Committee is unlikely to move the needle on public support for or against impeachment, says CNN’s chief legal analyst @JeffreyToobin. #MuellerHearings https://t.co/Ea5LrfTSdF pic.twitter.com/Cgtlk2YHV4
— CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) July 24, 2019
1:01 PM — Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) says in his opening statement: “Our government is chosen by our people, our franchise, not some hostile foreign power… this is why your work matters, Mr. Mueller. This is why our investigation matters.”
1:00 PM — The House Intelligence Committee featuring Robert Mueller has begun.
12:58 PM — President Trump’s personal attorney on Mueller hearing: “This morning’s testimony exposed the troubling deficiencies of the Special Counsel’s investigation… The American people understand that this issue is over. They also understand that the case is closed.”
12:52 PM — White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham on the first Robert Mueller hearing: “The last three hours have been an epic embarrassment for the Democrats. Expect more of the same in the second half.”
12:51 PM —
Trey Gowdy: if Democrats “could cancel” next Mueller hearing “they would”https://t.co/6o8SbtisII pic.twitter.com/Ecby6iX6fv
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 24, 2019
12:50 PM — Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) says it’s a “bad day” for those who hoped Mueller’s testimony would re-energize impeachment efforts.
Rep. Doug Collins tells @nancycordes that for anyone hoping the #MuellerHearings would lead to Trump’s impeachment, “this was a bad day for you” https://t.co/pjOwNhYtbJ pic.twitter.com/SZj6kEfyMm
— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 24, 2019
12:49 PM — CNN must have watched another hearing:
His testimony was many things, but “fiery?”… pic.twitter.com/qKFoqmOKDQ
— Lanhee J. Chen (@lanheechen) July 24, 2019
12:44 PM — Corporate media continues to dunk on Mueller’s testimony.
MSNBC’s Jeremy Bash complains Mueller “sucked the life out” of report, “set back” efforts to impeachhttps://t.co/q6DWuqvSf1 pic.twitter.com/xxVBG5PKXt
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 24, 2019
12:38 PM — Don’t tell Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA):
“Impeachment is over,” @TerryMoran says in live @abc analysis
— Rick Klein (@rickklein) July 24, 2019
12:37 PM —
Politico Playbook’s afternoon lead: “Mueller missed the mark for pro-impeachment Democrats — and people in the Capitol recognize that.” https://t.co/TJQZs0AKuA
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) July 24, 2019
12:24 PM —
#KenStarr on Fox: “I love Bob Mueller as a patriot and a human being, but I think he has done this country a great disservice” by employing so many partisans in his probe.
— Ken McIntyre (@KenMac55) July 24, 2019
12:16 PM —
I asked Rep. Matt Gaetz how he thinks the hearing is going. He texted, “For Democrats?” and sent a gif of a mushroom cloud
— Betsy Woodruff (@woodruffbets) July 24, 2019
12:15 PM — Former Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) knocks Mueller’s performance:
Former Sen. @clairecmc:
Mueller was not a very good witness, Democrats may be disappointed in this morning’s testimony.
— TheBeat w/Ari Melber (@TheBeatWithAri) July 24, 2019
12:13 PM — Of course, Cohen did this:
Rep. Steve Cohen starts clapping for Mueller as he walks out of the room at the end of the hearing, but quickly stops after nobody else joins in.
— Ben Siegel (@benyc) July 24, 2019
12:10 PM — Robert Mueller has completed his testimony before the House Judiciary Committee.
12:02 PM — Robert Mueller declines a second time to state whether he recommends impeaching President Trump:
Asked twice if his report recommends impeachment, Robert Mueller says, “I’m not going to talk about recommendations…I’m not going to talk about that issue.” https://t.co/CXfCvYspNV #MuellerHearings pic.twitter.com/KbZTXwnceV
— ABC News (@ABC) July 24, 2019
12:01 PM — Robert Mueller forgets which president appointed him as a Massachusetts prosecutor:
Robert Mueller says he thinks it was Pres Bush who appointed him to his first prosecutorial job; @RepGregStanton reminds it was another Republican, Pres Reagan; adds that Pres Bush 41 appointed Mueller to later federal positions
— Judy Woodruff (@JudyWoodruff) July 24, 2019
Mueller can’t even remember which President first appointed him. pic.twitter.com/cepw7myYti
— RSBN 🇺🇸 (@RSBNetwork) July 24, 2019
11:55 AM — Robert Mueller declines to answer questions about impeaching President Trump:
Johnson: Your report does not recommend impeachment, does it? Mueller: “It does not talk about that issue.”
— David Smith (@SmithInAmerica) July 24, 2019
11:50 AM — Robert Mueller won’t answer whether Donald Trump Jr. invoked the 5th Amendment to avoid interviewing with special counsel team.
11:45 AM — Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) grills Robert Mueller about hiring prosecutors who appear partial to Democrats. He is specially asked about Andrew Weissmann attending Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential concession speech. He says he doesn’t know when he found out Weissman went to the event.
Mueller follows up with: “I have been in this business for almost 25 years. And in those 25 years, I have not had occasion once to ask somebody about their political affiliation. It is not done. What I care about is the capability of the individual.”
11:43 AM —
A longtime friend of Mueller’s emails me: “He clearly does not want to be there and is not comfortable. And this is the wrong format to get anything good out of him.” #MuellerHearings
— Max Kutner (@maxkutner) July 24, 2019
11:37 AM — From Politico’s Josh Gerstein:
Pretty bad optics for Mueller as several aides point at once to help him find the member who has been recognized to question him. Has happened several times now. Makes him look lost https://t.co/SOagb2yZVA
— Josh Gerstein (@joshgerstein) July 24, 2019
11:36 AM — Robert Mueller denies interviewing for the position of FBI director, saying: “My understanding is I was not applying for the job. I was asked to give my input on what it would take to do the job.”
@RepGregSteube asks if #Mueller applied for job of FBI director. Mueller says he spoke to Trump giving his view of the job, but it was not a job interview.
— Christopher Heath (@CHeathWFTV) July 24, 2019
11:35 AM — Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) asks Robert Mueller: “Given your 22 months of investigation… did you obtain any evidence that any American voter changed their vote as a result of Russian election interference?”
Robert Mueller replies: “I’m not gonna speak to that.”
11:33 AM — Robert Mueller remarks about the WikiLeaks email dump:
Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon: Is it fair [to say] that the president denied knowledge of himself or anyone else discussing WikiLeaks dumps with [Roger] Stone?
Mueller: Yes. #MuellerHearings https://t.co/pjOwNhYtbJ pic.twitter.com/5NPD0BanlE
— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 24, 2019
11:33 AM — Conservative radio host Mark Levin weighs in on the Mueller hearing:
The American people have a right to be furious with the spectacle of this Mueller hearing. Mueller is largely incoherent and rambling. The Democrats are simply cherry picking from Vol. II of the Mueller report and trying to force their views on the hapless Mueller…
— Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) July 24, 2019
…And Mueller has provided no good answer as to why he pursued Manafort and the various charges unrelated to Russia collusion, but chose not to pursue Russia collusion related to Fusion GPS, Christopher Steele, the Hillary campaign/DNC….
— Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) July 24, 2019
…. and the conduct of his former compatriots at the top level of the FBI. Now, of course, DOJ is looking into these matters, but Mueller was in office long before Barr became AG.
— Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) July 24, 2019
11:31 AM — Robert Mueller defends his “pitbull” Andrew Weissmann:
Mueller on Andrew Weissmann, a top special counsel prosecutor who’s …. unpopular among Republicans and in the white-collar defense bar: He’s “one of the more talented attorneys we [had] on board.”
— Ryan Barber (@cryanbarber) July 24, 2019
11:24 AM — Drudge Report founder Matt Drudge tweets:
Drug test everyone in Washington. Everyone! pic.twitter.com/ETcLrgwpJ6
— MATT DRUDGE (@DRUDGE) July 24, 2019
11:23 AM — Exchange between Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA) and Robert Mueller regarding former NSA advisor Michael Flynn:
Rep Lou Correa: You found “substantial evidence” corroborating James Comey’s account that Trump told him to let Michael Flynn off because he’s “a good guy”. Mueller: “Correct.”
— David Smith (@SmithInAmerica) July 24, 2019
11:20 AM — Rep. Val Demings (D-FL) to Robert Mueller: “Did other witnesses lie to you?”
Robert Mueller replies: “I think there are probably a spectrum of witnesses in terms of those who are not telling the full truth or those who are outright liars.”
11:19 AM — Rep. Guy Reschenthaler R-PA rips Robert Mueller:
In criticizing Mueller over volume 2 on obstruction of justice, Rep Guy Reschenthaler R-PA calls Mueller’s actions “un-American”
— Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) July 24, 2019
11:13 AM —
Asked if he has been watching the Mueller hearing, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman @SenatorBurr smiled and replied, “I read the book.”, per @jason_donner
— Pat Ward (@WardDPatrick) July 24, 2019
11:12 AM — From a Washington Post congressional reporter:
No mincing words here: bad morning for pro-impeachment crowd. They needed a bravo testimony to sway public opinion (and Pelosi). That hasn’t happened, so far.
Many hours remain. Let’s see.— Paul Kane (@pkcapitol) July 24, 2019
11:11 AM — 2020 White House hopeful and South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg comments on Mueller’s testimony:
Mayor Pete Buttigieg on the Mueller testimony:
“We’ll see what the testimony reveals, but there’s more than enough in that report to interpret it as an impeachment referral…I’m focusing on the best thing that I can do about the Trump presidency which is to defeat him…” pic.twitter.com/tdMp05u4JI
— Armando Tonatiuh Torres-García (@GarciaReports) July 24, 2019
11:10 AM —
No marine stationed outside the West Wing, suggesting the President is still in the White House residence as Mueller testimony continues. pic.twitter.com/FURwT59VSh
— Josh Wingrove (@josh_wingrove) July 24, 2019
11:08 AM — Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-AZ) asks Robert Mueller: “Were you ever fired as special counsel?”
Robert Mueller replies “No” and later says he was allowed to complete his probe unencumbered.
11:00 AM — Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) asks Robert Mueller: “You found evidence that the president engaged in efforts to encourage witnesses not to cooperate with the investigation.”
Robert Mueller replies: “That’s correct.”
10:59 AM —
Part of the media circus outside the Mueller hearing pic.twitter.com/3bYxaa7DYM
— Matt Laslo (@MattLaslo) July 24, 2019
10:54 AM — Rep. Tom McClintock (D-CA) says Robert Mueller dropped a “paper sack” on “fire” at Congress’s doorstep with his report.
Robert Mueller replies: “I don’t think you’ll review a report that is as thorough, as fair, as consistent.”
10:52 AM — Fail by Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA):
Well, there it is: @TedLieu tries to get Mueller to read from the report and he says “I’d rather that you read it.” Disappointing, but at least Lieu tried.
— Joan Walsh (@joanwalsh) July 24, 2019
10:51 AM — ABC News chief legal analyst Dan Abrams says the Mueller hearing is “a bit of a bust’ for Democrats.
10:50 AM —
Dem Rep Swalwell only questioned Mueller for one minute during this Judiciary hearing as he is also on the Intel Committee and will get more time to question the former Special Counsel there
— Alex Moe (@AlexNBCNews) July 24, 2019
10:47 AM — Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) to Robert Mueller: “How many times did you speak to Mr. Comey about any investigations pertaining to Russia prior to May 17, 2017?”
Robert Mueller responds: “None at all.”
10:46 AM —
Rep. @davidcicilline just asked Mueller whether he agreed with the 450+ bipartisan federal prosecutors who wrote that his findings would have resulted in obstruction charges, were he not POTUS.
Mueller: “The prosecutors…”
Then he heard a gavel, and stopped in his tracks.
— Kayla Tausche (@kaylatausche) July 24, 2019
10:40 AM — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell mocks Democrats’ high hopes for Robert Mueller’s testimony:
McConnnell to @washingtonpost on Mueller hearing, here at the Capitol: “Honestly, I haven’t paid a bit of attention to it. And I don’t intend to watch it.”
At all? “Nope. My view is that it’s over… I think Democrats are having a really hard time letting it go.”
— Robert Costa (@costareports) July 24, 2019
10:39 AM — Exchange between Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) and Robert Mueller:
Q: Was there sufficient evidence to charge President Trump of obstruction?
Mueller: We did not make that determination
Q: Can you charge the president with obstruction after he leaves office?
Mueller: Yes pic.twitter.com/1WAaLtCPhH— Frida Ghitis (@FridaGhitis) July 24, 2019
10:35 AM — ICYMI: David Axelrod, former President Barack Obama’s chief political strategist, weighs in on Mueller’s doddering performance:
This is delicate to say, but Mueller, whom I deeply respect, has not publicly testified before Congress in at least six years. And he does not appear as sharp as he was then.
— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) July 24, 2019
10:30 AM — From a national security correspondent for The Washington Post:
Mueller’s inability to track questions/retrieve facts is noteworthy. His inability to defend the integrity of his investigation and team might be more troubling.
— Greg Miller (@gregpmiller) July 24, 2019
10:29 AM —
Hmmmm…
“I don’t subscribe necessarily to the way you analyzed that,” Mueller says after Hakeem Jeffries puts up a graphic showing that Trump met all three elements of obstruction when he ordered McGah to fire Mueller.
— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) July 24, 2019
10:28 AM — Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) to Robert Mueller: “Your investigation found that the president took steps to terminate the special counsel, correct?”
Robert Mueller replies: “Correct.”
10:24 AM — Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) grills Robert Mueller about ex-British intelligence agent Christopher Steele regarding his anti-Trump dossier. The special counsel refuses to answer any questions on the matter.
Gaetz asks if Christopher Steele could have been making up his report, or if Russians were lying to him. Mueller says this is beyond his purview.
Gaetz says it should have been.
— Paul McLeod (@pdmcleod) July 24, 2019
10:22 AM — Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA) asks Robert Mueller: “It’s fair to say the president tried to protect himself by asking staff to falsify records relevant to an ongoing investigation?”
Robert Mueller replies: “I would say that is generally a summary.”
Rep. Cedric Richmond: It’s fair to say the president tried to protect himself by asking staff to falsify records relevant to an ongoing investigation?
Mueller: I would say that is generally the summary. #MuellerHearing https://t.co/pjOwNhYtbJ pic.twitter.com/hlYQT7q8ve
— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 24, 2019
10:21 AM —
A former senior FBI official who worked under Mueller texts me: “Mueller hates having to testify. He seems disoriented.”
— Max Kutner (@maxkutner) July 24, 2019
10:20 AM — More from former White House press secretary Sarah Sanders:
What’s been clear to all but the liberal media is this was a partisan investigation run by Democrats out to destroy @realDonaldTrump with Mueller as the figurehead. Thank you House Democrats for calling today’s hearing and exposing the truth for all Americans to see
— Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@SarahHuckabee) July 24, 2019
10:19 AM —
“The president has been watching” Mueller’s testimony before Congress, @jonkarl reports, saying source close to the president tells @ABC News, “This is a zero for the Democrats.” https://t.co/gyfX9fY6kb #MuellerHearings pic.twitter.com/SSgXm2xsHU
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) July 24, 2019
10:09 AM — The Fox News Channel’s Chris Wallace says Robert Mueller’s testimony is a “disaster” for his reputation. And the same for the Democrats.
Chris Wallace on FOX: “I think that this has been a disaster for the Democrats and a disaster for the reputation of Robert Mueller.”
— Michael M. Grynbaum (@grynbaum) July 24, 2019
10:07 AM — Donald Trump Jr. slams Robert Mueller and the House Judiciary Democrats.
Funny, Muelller can’t understand the Republicans but he can totally understand the Democrats questions. This is a disaster for dems.
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) July 24, 2019
10:04 AM — House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) has called a brief recess.
10:01 AM — Robert Mueller refuses to answer questions about spying claims regarding former Trump campaign aides Carter Page and George Papadopoulos during the 2016 presidential election.
Jim Jordan now invoking the spying accusations involving George Papadopoulos and Carter Page. Mueller is just staring as Jordan speaks. “Can’t get into internal deliberations,” Mueller said.
— Kristine Phillips (@kristinegWP) July 24, 2019
9:58 AM —
This is remarkable. Mueller can’t answer key questions, seems unaware of basic information, and admitted he denied exoneration of Trump over a standard that doesn’t exist.
No one needs to discredit this process. Team Mueller and House Democrats are discrediting it by themselves.
— Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) July 24, 2019
9:53 AM — Former White House press secretary Sarah Sanders weighs in on the Mueller hearing:
Didn’t take long for Mueller to once again vindicate President @realDonaldTrump. No collusion. No obstruction. And now Mueller all but admits it was all along a total witch hunt https://t.co/gUDSHnDiC0
— Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@SarahHuckabee) July 24, 2019
9:52 AM — Exchange between Rep. Martha Roby (R-AL) and Robert Mueller:
Now @RepMarthaRoby is questioning Mueller:
She asks Mueller how the release of the redacted special counsel’s report was coordinated.
Mueller: “We had a process that we were operating on with the attorney general’s office.”#MuellerHearings
— Taylor Popielarz (@TaylorPopielarz) July 24, 2019
9:48 AM —
Mueller asked why Trump wanted to fire him. “I can’t answer that question”.
— Russ Spencer (@russfox5) July 24, 2019
9:47 AM — Robert Mueller says he found White House general counsel Bob McGan to be a credible witness in his investigation.
“You found McGahn to be a credible witness, correct?” “Correct,” says Mueller.
— Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff) July 24, 2019
9:45 AM —
@TedDeutch now questioning Mueller on the actions of White House Counsel Don McGahn – “Did McGahn understand what the President was ordering him to do?”
Mueller: “I direct you to the report.”
— Samantha-Jo Roth (@SamanthaJoRoth) July 24, 2019
9:43 AM —
Mueller says he did not know about Peter Strzok’s dislike of Trump when he was brought onto special counsel team, while adding he “acted swiftly” to have Strzok reassigned when he learned of his anti-Trump messages.
— Sabrina Siddiqui (@SabrinaSiddiqui) July 24, 2019
9:42 AM — Robert Mueller says he did not speak to James Comey at least six months before becoming special counsel.
Mueller says he hadn’t talked to Comey at least six months preceding his appointment as special counsel.
He says he won’t discuss whether he anticpiated investigating Comey’s firing when he was appointed as special counsel.
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) July 24, 2019
9:41 AM — Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) asks Robert Mueller about his relationship with fired FBI Director James Comey:
Mueller says he and #Comey “were friends” after being grilled by @replouiegohmert
(@realDonaldTrump has been claiming the two are very close friends for months) #MuellerHearing— Brooke Singman (@brookefoxnews) July 24, 2019
9:40 AM —
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX): Who wrote the nine-minute comments you read at your May 29 press conference?
Mueller: “I’m not going to get into that.”
Gohmert: “Okay. So that’s what I thought, you didn’t write it.” https://t.co/EbzpQ0lnrr pic.twitter.com/w7idTlbMYF— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) July 24, 2019
9:38 AM — Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) questions Mueller about obstruction of justice:
Rep Hank Johnson: The White House counsel told the president that if he tried to remove you, that could be another basis to allege that the president was obstructing justice, correct?
Mueller: yes#MuellerTestimony— Lesley Abravanel (@lesleyabravanel) July 24, 2019
9:34 AM — Robert Mueller claims that he had no conflicts of interest that would have prevented him from being appointed as special counsel.
Mueller asserts that he had no conflicts of interest to prevent him from serving as special counsel.
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) July 24, 2019
9:32 AM — Robert Mueller refuses to answer questions about Fusion GPS, the opposition research firm behind the anti-Trump dossier.
Rep. Chabot asks about Veselnitskya contacts with Glenn Simpson/Fusion GPS around June 9, 2016 Trump Tower meeting. Mueller answer: ‘Outside my purview.’
— Byron York (@ByronYork) July 24, 2019
Rep. Chabot is asking about Fusion GPS and the Steele dossier. Mueller already said he would not answer questions about it
— Alana Abramson (@aabramson) July 24, 2019
9:27 AM — Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) questions Robert Mueller about former Attorney General Jeff Sessions:
Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN): “You found at some point after your appointment, the president called [former AG] Sessions at his home and asked if he would unrecuse himself, correct?”
Mueller: “True.” https://t.co/EbzpQ03M2R pic.twitter.com/oNGHToHQzj— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) July 24, 2019
9:21 AM — Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) asks Robert Mueller: “You never use the term ‘raising to impeachable conduct’ for any of the 10 instances [of obstruction]?”
Mueller replies: “[We kept] in the center of our investigation our mandate. Our mandate does not go to other ways of addressing conduct.”
9:20 AM — Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) weigh in on Robert Mueller’s testimony:
Thus far Mueller completely contradicts what he told AG Barr about the reason not to proceed on the obstruction of justice.
He told AG Barr that the decision not to proceed was not solely based on the OLC opinion but on complicated facts in the law.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) July 24, 2019
John Ratcliffe is asking an excellent question here.
It is ridiculous for Democrats and the Mueller team to continue claiming Trump isn’t exonerated because Mueller didn’t exonerate him.
Mueller is a prosecutor. Prosecutors DO NOT exonerate people. That is NOT his job.
— Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) July 24, 2019
9:18 AM — More between Robert Mueller and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX).
Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX): “Is it correct ‘obstruction of justice can be motivated by a desire to protect non-criminal person interests, to protect against investigations where underlying criminal liability falls into a gray area?'”
Mueller: “Yes.” https://t.co/EbzpQ0lnrr pic.twitter.com/nf3hol9NJn— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) July 24, 2019
9:14 AM — Exchange between Robert Mueller and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX).
Rep. Lee (D-TX): Does your report state there is sufficient factual and legal basis for further investigation of potential obstruction of justice by the President?
Mueller: ‘Yes.’#MuellerHearing pic.twitter.com/Y1kkNtPTB1
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) July 24, 2019
9:11 AM — Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) tears into Robert Mueller:
.@RepRatcliffe says Mueller has violated “every principle” of prosecutors not offering extra-prosecutorial analysis, by writing a report about “decisions that weren’t reached.”
— Steven Portnoy (@stevenportnoy) July 24, 2019
9:08 AM — Mueller mispronounces President Trump’s last name, calling him “Trimp.”
Congresswoman: “Which presidential candidate was Russia trying to help?”
Mueller: “Trimp!”
— Tom Harper (@TomJHarper) July 24, 2019
9:07 AM — Rep. Lofgren (D-CA) asks Mueller whether his probe found Paul Manafort had briefed Russian political operative Konstantin Kilimnik on strategies of the Trump campaign. Mueller says yes.
“That’s a little bit out of our path,” Mueller says when Rep. Lofgren asks him to speculate on what Manafort’s colleague in Ukraine, who is linked to Russian intelligence, intended to do with the internal Trump campaign polling data that Manafort gave him.
— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) July 24, 2019
9:03 AM —
Mueller on whether Trump conspired with Russia to sway the 2016 election: “We found insufficient evidence of the president’s culpability” pic.twitter.com/PP8Djx3uIR
— Frida Ghitis (@FridaGhitis) July 24, 2019
9:02 AM —
Rep Doug Collins asks Mueller if Collusion or conspiracy are synonymous terms. Answer: No.
— Sharman Sacchetti (@SharmanTV) July 24, 2019
Here’s the “synonymous” section Collins was just grilling Mueller on pic.twitter.com/pVrFI3gBbW
— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) July 24, 2019
8:58 AM — Robert Mueller says his probe was not curtailed at any point.
Republican Doug Collins: Was your investigation curtailed or stopped at any point?
Mueller: No.
— Paul McLeod (@pdmcleod) July 24, 2019
8:56 AM — Robert Mueller says President Trump declined to be interviewed by the special counsel. However, the president did reply to multiple written questions posed by the special counsel.
“Did the president refuse to be interviewed by you and your team?” Congressman Nadler asks?
“Yes,” Mueller said.— Peter Nicholas (@PeterAtlantic) July 24, 2019
8:54 AM — Robert Mueller says his report does not completely exonerate President Trump.
Nadler: “Did you actually totally exonerate the president?”
Mueller: “No.”https://t.co/Bk6IKkx97y#MuellerHearings pic.twitter.com/Zo330QSPHF
— Dan Linden (@DanLinden) July 24, 2019
8:49 AM — Robert Mueller says in his opening statement: “I am unable to address questions about the opening of the FBI’s Russia investigation, which occurred months before my appointment, or matters related to the so-called ‘Steele Dossier.’ ”
Mueller: “I am unable to address questions about the opening of the FBI’s Russia investigation, which occurred months before my appointment, or matters related to the so-called ‘Steele Dossier.’ “
— Andrew deGrandpre (@adegrandpre) July 24, 2019
8:46 AM — Robert Mueller further says in his opening statement: “I do not intend to summarize or describe the results of our work in a different way in the course of my testimony today. As I said on May 29: the report is my testimony. And I will stay within that text.”
“We did not address collusion,’” which is not a legal term,” the former special counsel said. “Rather, we focused on whether the evidence was sufficient to charge any member of the campaign with taking part in a criminal conspiracy. It was not.”
8:45 AM — Robert Mueller says in his opening statement: “I [accepted the job of special counsel] because I believed it was of paramount interest to the nation.”
Mueller: ‘I [accepted the job of special counsel] because I believed it was of paramount interest to the nation.’ #MuellerHearing pic.twitter.com/3zQNBwW6pA
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) July 24, 2019
8:44 AM — Robert Mueller is sworn in following opening statements from House Judiciary members Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and Doug Collins (R-GA).
Robert Mueller is sworn in for his testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on his report investigating Russian interference into the 2016 presidential election https://t.co/a3dA3NbRWa pic.twitter.com/lBIXBNA3hV
— Deena Zeina Zaru 👩🏻💻 (@Deena_Zaru) July 24, 2019
8:41 AM —
Sitting behind Mueller at the Judiciary hearing: former Mueller aides Andrew Goldstein and James Quarles and Jonathan Yarowsky, the attorney at Mueller’s former firm, who acted as his intermediary to Congress since Mueller left DOJ.
— Mike Balsamo (@MikeBalsamo1) July 24, 2019
8:40 AM — Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA), ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, says in the opening statement:
Rep. Doug Collins: “He asked his lawyer if Mr. Mueller had conflicts that disqualified Mr. Mueller from the job, but he did not shut down the investigation. The president knew he was innocent.”
— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) July 24, 2019
8:39 AM — A protester is removed from the hearing room.
Protester enters hearing room and begins shouting about encryption even before Mueller hearing begins. Is forcefully removed by USCP. pic.twitter.com/LZuI71aWJY
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) July 24, 2019
8:36 AM — House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler’s (D-NY) praises Mueller:
“You conducted [the Russia] investigation with remarkable integrity,” Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) tells Robert Mueller. “For 22 months, you never commented in public about your work, even when you were subjected to repeated & grossly unfair personal attacks.” https://t.co/EbzpQ0lnrr pic.twitter.com/ZevyieUK6k
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) July 24, 2019
8:35 AM — House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler’s (D-NY) opening statement:
House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerry Nadler (D-NY): “Director Mueller, thank you for being here. I want to say just a few words about our themes today: Responsibility, integrity and accountability. Your career, for example, is a model of responsibility.” https://t.co/EbzpQ0lnrr pic.twitter.com/LFbRYD2SnA
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) July 24, 2019
8:28 AM — Robert Mueller arrives in the hearing room.
Mueller has taken his place in the hearing room. pic.twitter.com/HM8a6Fkh3b
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) July 24, 2019
8:28 AM — Russia collusion hoaxer Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) is in the house.
Reps. Demings and Swalwell huddling. They’re the only two Dems on Judiciary who also get to grill Mueller a second time on the Intel Committee. pic.twitter.com/lLuPOPYk6O
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) July 24, 2019
8:18 AM — President Trump tweets about reports that Mueller has said he did not seek the job of FBI director under the Trump administration:
….interview, including the Vice President of the United States!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 24, 2019
8:16 AM — Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Louie Gohmert (R-TX), and Jim Jordan (R-OH) Aconverse ahead of Mueller’s testimony.
Gaetz, Gohmert, and Jordan have arrived for Mueller Day pic.twitter.com/v9qXyXiwRt
— Sam Brodey (@sambrodey) July 24, 2019
8:11 AM — Former special counsel Robert Mueller has arrived on Capitol Hill.
Robert Mueller arrives on Capitol Hill. https://t.co/Bk6IKkfyg0#MuellerTime pic.twitter.com/RYKiDiT9Sq
— Dan Linden (@DanLinden) July 24, 2019
8:10 AM — Photos of the line for former special counsel Robert Mueller’s testimony before the House Judiciary Committee.
The end of the line to get into the Mueller hrng..all the way back to the office of GOP NC Rep Mark Meadows pic.twitter.com/XnaIpkOU6e
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) July 24, 2019
This is how long the line is to get into the Mueller hearing pic.twitter.com/V6oit2DUX5
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) July 24, 2019
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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