Post by Admin on May 12, 2019 17:34:40 GMT
Barr’s slow reveal of the report seems to have worked: His brief four-page letter to Congress on March 24 — which claimed that no “collusion” with Russia was found, and soft-pedaled what the report did find on obstruction of justice — dominated the headlines. It also caused joy among President Donald Trump and his supporters.
We now know that Barr’s letter angered special counsel Robert Mueller, who wrote to Barr in late March. Mueller raised concerns that Barr’s letter had confused the public, and urged him to release his team’s own introductions and executive summaries to clarify things.
Barr refused Mueller’s request. For the next few weeks, the conversation was about how much of the report would be redacted, and whether House Democrats would have to issue a subpoena for the full report.
Then, on April 18, Barr’s “press conference” before releasing the redacted report continued to shape the news, shifting the attention from the report itself to media ire at Barr’s blatant attempts to spin its findings.
By the time the actual 448-page document landed on the nation’s digital doorstep, it had become old news, offering many print and broadcast outlets the opportunity to mark how many times their earlier reporting had been proven to be accurate, but not shedding much light on what Mueller actually said or failed to say.
Media accounts, particularly right after the report was released, focused on the most dramatic scenes, depicting an angry, emotional Trump hell-bent on quashing the investigation. It substantiated and enriched what had been reported, but it did not offer any surprises about the president’s character.
We now know that Barr’s letter angered special counsel Robert Mueller, who wrote to Barr in late March. Mueller raised concerns that Barr’s letter had confused the public, and urged him to release his team’s own introductions and executive summaries to clarify things.
Barr refused Mueller’s request. For the next few weeks, the conversation was about how much of the report would be redacted, and whether House Democrats would have to issue a subpoena for the full report.
Then, on April 18, Barr’s “press conference” before releasing the redacted report continued to shape the news, shifting the attention from the report itself to media ire at Barr’s blatant attempts to spin its findings.
By the time the actual 448-page document landed on the nation’s digital doorstep, it had become old news, offering many print and broadcast outlets the opportunity to mark how many times their earlier reporting had been proven to be accurate, but not shedding much light on what Mueller actually said or failed to say.
Media accounts, particularly right after the report was released, focused on the most dramatic scenes, depicting an angry, emotional Trump hell-bent on quashing the investigation. It substantiated and enriched what had been reported, but it did not offer any surprises about the president’s character.