Mueller found Trump guilty of obstruction of justice
| Mueller found Trump guilty of obstruction of justice | |
|---|---|
| MISLEADING | |
| "The Mueller report concluded that Donald Trump committed obstruction of justice." | |
| Domain | Politics & Elections |
| Tactic | False Context Propaganda Technique |
| Era | Current |
| First seen | 2019 |
| Origin | Reaction to the April 2019 release of the Mueller report, Volume II |
| Last reviewed | 2026-11-03 |
| Further reading: books on Politics & Elections | |
The claim that Mueller found Trump guilty of obstruction of justice is as inaccurate as the claim that he was cleared, and both rest on what Volume II actually says.
What the evidence shows
- Ten episodes were examined. Volume II reviewed actions including the firing of FBI director James Comey, efforts to have Mueller removed, and attempts to influence Michael Flynn and others.
- No prosecutorial conclusion was made. Mueller's team said it followed a Justice Department policy that a sitting president cannot be indicted, and so it did not make a traditional charging decision. It stated that it did not conclude that the President committed a crime, and that it also did not exonerate him.
- The report described substantial evidence in some episodes. It laid out facts that could support elements of obstruction, and left the question to Congress and the courts.
- Barr and Rosenstein reached their own conclusion. On March 24, 2019, Attorney General William Barr said he and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein concluded the evidence was not sufficient to establish an obstruction offense. Critics said that reasoning was flawed.
- Mueller's 2019 statement. On May 29, 2019, Mueller said that charging the President was not an option his office could consider.
Why it persists
The wording is unusual: neither a charge nor a clearance. Each side reads the sentence it wants.
Lessons for readers
- "Not exonerated" is not "convicted," and "not charged" is not "cleared."
- Read the primary text before accepting a one-line summary.
See also
- The Mueller report completely exonerated Donald Trump
- Trump fired James Comey over the Clinton email case, not Russia
Sources
- Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III, report, Volume II, March 2019.
- Attorney General William Barr, letter to Congress, March 24, 2019.
- Robert Mueller, public statement, May 29, 2019.