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<h2>UPDATE &mdash; 1:16 PM</h2><p>In his opening statement to the House Intelligence Committee, Mueller backed off his answer to Ted Lieu that implied he would&#39;ve charged Trump if he could. He said he was barred from even making a judgement. </p><div class="oembedall-container sec-iframe sec-oembed-iframe"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Mueller clarifies that he was not saying he didn’t charge Trump with obstruction of justice because of the OLC opinion barring indictment of a sitting president. He was saying it precluded him from making a decision on whether Trump should be charged.</p>&mdash; Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) <a href="https://twitter.com/peterbakernyt/status/1154077646994714624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div className="ad-splitter"></div><h2>ORIGINAL POST</h2><p>He speaks. Kind of.</p><p>Former Special Counsel (and former action hunk in <a href="https://splinternews.com/twitters-worst-resistance-bros-are-melting-down-becaus-1828464632">#Resistance comics</a>) Robert Mueller testified before Congress because he was subpoenaed to do so. Act one of the political theater event of the summer was before the House Judiciary Committee, ostensibly to discuss obstruction of justice.</p><p>If you didn&#39;t watch the hours of screaming, here are the key takeaways.</p><p>1. Mueller said that Trump is *Britney Spears voice* NOT. THAT. INNOCENT.</p><div class="oembedall-container sec-iframe sec-oembed-iframe"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">“The president was not exculpated for the acts that he allegedly committed”<br><br>- Robert Mueller testifying before the House Judiciary Committee on 7/24/19<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MuellerHearings?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MuellerHearings</a> <a href="https://t.co/fqlDmVYBpU">pic.twitter.com/fqlDmVYBpU</a></p>&mdash; Crooks and Liars (@crooksandliars) <a href="https://twitter.com/crooksandliars/status/1154027784827654148?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div className="ad-splitter"></div><p>While Trump has tweeted on many occasions &quot;NO COLLUSION AND NO OBSTRUCTION!&quot; as a way to claim innocence and show off that he knows at least two SAT words, Mueller hit Trump with some new fancy vocabulary.</p><p>The former FBI director said, in his own special way, that his report <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/mueller-testimony-congress-live/2019/07/24/d51a82d6-aca1-11e9-bc5c-e73b603e7f38_story.html?utm_term=.53fa4c83e218">did not exonerate the president.</a> &quot;The president was not exculpated for the acts that he allegedly committed,&quot; he told the House Judiciary Committee.</p><p> </p><hr /><p>2. Republicans screamed their faces off like they were auditioning to replace Sean Hannity.</p><figure class="image"><div class="image-container"><img alt="DO YOU HEAR THE PEOPLE SCREAM? SCREAMING THE SONG OF ANGRY MEN." data-attribution="C-SPAN" data-attribution-url="" height="445" src="//cdn.someecards.com/posts/screen-shot-2019-07-24-at-104928-am-8kMEuf.png" width="794" /></div> <figcaption>DO YOU HEAR THE PEOPLE SCREAM? SCREAMING THE SONG OF ANGRY MEN.</figcaption> <div class="image-attribution">C-SPAN</div></figure><div className="ad-splitter"></div><p>The Republican game plan was clear: challenge Mueller&#39;s credibility by being louder than him. Every member of the House minority came out screaming like they were Rep. Shouty McShouterson (R-Hell).</p><p>Ranking Member Doug Collins screamed about the <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSEveningNews/status/1154016135509172224?s=20">dictionary definition of collusion. </a></p><p>Jim Jordan (R-OH), of <a href="https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/congressman-jim-jordan-knew-about-sex-abuse-former-wrestlers-say/lzfhebNU5mZ5WrRbfg3aFM/">ignoring a sexual abuse scandal fame,</a> yelled about the Steele dossier, and accidentally debunked the conspiracy theory that it was what started the probe.</p><oembed>https://twitter.com/joshscampbell/status/1154031055441035268?s=20</oembed><div className="ad-splitter"></div><p>Louie Gohmert (R-TX) yelled about Comey, and his head almost burst like a kid in a Gushers commercial.</p><div class="oembedall-container sec-iframe sec-oembed-iframe"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Holy crap -- by the end of his questioning Gohmert&#39;s face was beet red, he was yelling, and it looked like his head was about to explode <a href="https://t.co/3AXt1D5sEZ">pic.twitter.com/3AXt1D5sEZ</a></p>&mdash; Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) <a href="https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1154024924299661314?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div className="ad-splitter"></div><p>Matt Gaetz (R-FL) also raged about the Steele dossier, while looking like a bloated Colin Jost.</p><figure class="image"><div class="image-container"><img alt="&quot;Mr. Mueller, why do the brothers of Chi Lambda Phi have a mixer with the chicks of Alpha Chi Omega and not Sigma Delta Tau?&quot;" data-attribution="NBC News" data-attribution-url="" height="373" src="//cdn.someecards.com/posts/gaetz-ZcHwhR.png" width="679" /></div> <figcaption>&quot;Mr. Mueller, why do the brothers of Chi Lambda Phi have a mixer with the chicks of Alpha Chi Omega and not Sigma Delta Tau?&quot;</figcaption> <div class="image-attribution">NBC News</div></figure><div className="ad-splitter"></div><p>This is how you treat a veteran and former FBI director?</p><p>Republicans do not respect the military and law enforcement.</p><hr /><p>3. He said that the only reason he didn&#39;t charge the president is because you can&#39;t charge a president.</p><div class="oembedall-container sec-iframe sec-oembed-iframe"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/tedlieu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TedLieu</a>: “The reason...that you did not indict Donald Trump is because of the OLC opinion stating that you cannot indict a sitting president, correct?”<br><br>MUELLER: That is correct.<br><br>AG Barr lied when he said the OLC opinion did NOT impact Mueller’s decision. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MuellerHearings?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MuellerHearings</a> <a href="https://t.co/sOfnsGtdG9">pic.twitter.com/sOfnsGtdG9</a></p>&mdash; CAP Action (@CAPAction) <a href="https://twitter.com/CAPAction/status/1154043405812371456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div className="ad-splitter"></div><p>An <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/olc-opinion-mueller-doj-memo-indict-trump-sitting-president-1450896">Office of Legal Counsel (OLC opinion) </a>states that sitting presidents can&#39;t be indicted. Mueller told Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) that he didn&#39;t charge Trump because he couldn&#39;t.</p><p>When asked by House Judiciary Committee Nadler (D-NY) whether Trump could potentially be indicted for obstruction of justice after leaving office, Mueller responded, &quot;true.&quot;</p><p>This is true not only of obstruction of justice, but also of the campaign finance violations for which <a href="https://www.someecards.com/news/news/donald-trump-stormy-daniels-hope-hicks-michael-cohen-stormy-daniels/">Michael Cohen is now in prison.</a></p><hr /><p>4. Mueller found evidence that the President engaged in efforts to encourage witnesses not to cooperate with the investigation.</p><div class="oembedall-container sec-iframe sec-oembed-iframe"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Another very important exchange:<a href="https://twitter.com/RepRaskin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepRaskin</a>: &quot;you found evidence that the President engaged in efforts to encourage witnesses not to cooperate with the investigation.&quot;<br><br>Mueller: &quot;That&#39;s correct.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/6a9FRGlGjK">pic.twitter.com/6a9FRGlGjK</a></p>&mdash; Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepDonBeyer/status/1154048810454306816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div className="ad-splitter"></div><p>I don&#39;t want my friends talking about me behind my back either, but if they can speak to my innocence, I&#39;d let them gossip away.</p><hr /><p>5. He said that Trump asked staff to do what they did with pictures of his inauguration and falsify records.</p><div class="oembedall-container sec-iframe sec-oembed-iframe"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Former special counsel Robert Mueller confirms that President Trump asked staff to falsify records relevant to the ongoing investigation. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MuellerHearings?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MuellerHearings</a> <a href="https://t.co/3EYBMBRaoC">https://t.co/3EYBMBRaoC</a> <a href="https://t.co/jcDm6KPqFJ">pic.twitter.com/jcDm6KPqFJ</a></p>&mdash; CNN (@CNN) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1154051699289366531?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div className="ad-splitter"></div><p>He who cried &quot;FAKE NEWS!&quot; tried to deal fake news.</p><p>Act two is Mueller testifying before the Intelligence Committee, so stay tuned for a different flavor of Republican rage.</p><div className="ad-splitter"></div>

5 key takeaways from part one of Mueller's testimony to Congress.

UPDATE &mdash; 1:16 PMIn his opening statement to the House Intelligence Committee, Mueller backed off his answer to Ted Lieu that implied he would&#39;ve charged Trump if he could. He said he was barred from even making a judgement. Mueller clarifies that he was not saying he didn’t charge Trump with obstruction of justice because of the OLC opinion barring indictment of a sitting president. He was saying it precluded him from making a decision on whether Trump should be charged.&mdash; Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) July 24, 2019 ORIGINAL POSTHe speaks. Kind of.Former Special Counsel (and former action hunk in #Resistance comics) Robert Mueller testified before Congress because he was subpoenaed to do so. Act one of the political theater event of the summer was before the House Judiciary Committee, ostensibly to discuss obstruction of justice.If you didn&#39;t watch the hours of screaming, here are the key takeaways.1. Mueller said that Trump is *Britney Spears voice* NOT. THAT. INNOCENT.“The president was not exculpated for the acts that he allegedly committed”- Robert Mueller testifying before the House Judiciary Committee on 7/24/19#MuellerHearings pic.twitter.com/fqlDmVYBpU&mdash; Crooks and Liars (@crooksandliars) July 24, 2019 While Trump has tweeted on many occasions &quot;NO COLLUSION AND NO OBSTRUCTION!&quot; as a way to claim innocence and show off that he knows at least two SAT words, Mueller hit Trump with some new fancy vocabulary.The former FBI director said, in his own special way, that his report did not exonerate the president. &quot;The president was not exculpated for the acts that he allegedly committed,&quot; he told the House Judiciary Committee. 2. Republicans screamed their faces off like they were auditioning to replace Sean Hannity. DO YOU HEAR THE PEOPLE SCREAM? SCREAMING THE SONG OF ANGRY MEN. C-SPANThe Republican game plan was clear: challenge Mueller&#39;s credibility by being louder than him. Every member of the House minority came out screaming like they were Rep. Shouty McShouterson (R-Hell).Ranking Member Doug Collins screamed about the dictionary definition of collusion. Jim Jordan (R-OH), of ignoring a sexual abuse scandal fame, yelled about the Steele dossier, and accidentally debunked the conspiracy theory that it was what started the probe.https://twitter.com/joshscampbell/status/1154031055441035268?s=20Louie Gohmert (R-TX) yelled about Comey, and his head almost burst like a kid in a Gushers commercial.Holy crap -- by the end of his questioning Gohmert&#39;s face was beet red, he was yelling, and it looked like his head was about to explode pic.twitter.com/3AXt1D5sEZ&mdash; Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 24, 2019 Matt Gaetz (R-FL) also raged about the Steele dossier, while looking like a bloated Colin Jost. &quot;Mr. Mueller, why do the brothers of Chi Lambda Phi have a mixer with the chicks of Alpha Chi Omega and not Sigma Delta Tau?&quot; NBC NewsThis is how you treat a veteran and former FBI director?Republicans do not respect the military and law enforcement.3. He said that the only reason he didn&#39;t charge the president is because you can&#39;t charge a president..@TedLieu: “The reason...that you did not indict Donald Trump is because of the OLC opinion stating that you cannot indict a sitting president, correct?”MUELLER: That is correct.AG Barr lied when he said the OLC opinion did NOT impact Mueller’s decision. #MuellerHearings pic.twitter.com/sOfnsGtdG9&mdash; CAP Action (@CAPAction) July 24, 2019 An Office of Legal Counsel (OLC opinion) states that sitting presidents can&#39;t be indicted. Mueller told Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) that he didn&#39;t charge Trump because he couldn&#39;t.When asked by House Judiciary Committee Nadler (D-NY) whether Trump could potentially be indicted for obstruction of justice after leaving office, Mueller responded, &quot;true.&quot;This is true not only of obstruction of justice, but also of the campaign finance violations for which Michael Cohen is now in prison.4. Mueller found evidence that the President engaged in efforts to encourage witnesses not to cooperate with the investigation.Another very important exchange:@RepRaskin: &quot;you found evidence that the President engaged in efforts to encourage witnesses not to cooperate with the investigation.&quot;Mueller: &quot;That&#39;s correct.&quot; pic.twitter.com/6a9FRGlGjK&mdash; Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) July 24, 2019 I don&#39;t want my friends talking about me behind my back either, but if they can speak to my innocence, I&#39;d let them gossip away.5. He said that Trump asked staff to do what they did with pictures of his inauguration and falsify records.Former special counsel Robert Mueller confirms that President Trump asked staff to falsify records relevant to the ongoing investigation. #MuellerHearings https://t.co/3EYBMBRaoC pic.twitter.com/jcDm6KPqFJ&mdash; CNN (@CNN) July 24, 2019 He who cried &quot;FAKE NEWS!&quot; tried to deal fake news.Act two is Mueller testifying before the Intelligence Committee, so stay tuned for a different flavor of Republican rage.

UPDATE &mdash; 1:16 PM  In his opening statement to the House Intelligence Committee, Mueller backed off his answer to Ted Lieu that implied he would&#39;ve charged Trump if he could. He said he was barred from even making a judgement.    ...