After Mueller's Big Day, Pelosi Spurns Impeachment Push

Hours of testimony apparently fail to move the needle
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 25, 2019 6:33 AM CDT
After Mueller's Big Day, Pelosi Spurns Impeachment Push
Former special counsel Robert Mueller, accompanied by his top aide in the investigation, Aaron Zebley, right, testifies before the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill Wednesday, July 24, 2019.   (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Mueller Day is over, and the assessments continue to roll in. One common theme in coverage is that if Democrats were hoping Robert Mueller's testimony would create a big push for impeachment, they were off the mark. Politico reports that in a closed-door meeting of the Democratic caucus after the Mueller hearings, Nancy Pelosi squelched a push from House Judiciary chief Jerry Nadler to launch the proceedings against President Trump. Instead, Democrats will stay the current course of letting committee investigations and court proceedings play out. In fact, Mueller's testimony before two House panels "was a disappointment to many Democrats," per Politico. Related coverage:

  • On to 2020: In the Washington Post, an assessment by Dan Balz agrees that impeachment now seems off the table as a way for Democrats to end the Trump presidency. Which means it's now all about the election. "Mueller did not deliver what Democrats had hoped he would," he writes. "If they hope to win in 2020, it’s now on them to convince the voters."

  • Trump: After a triumphant appearance before reporters after the Mueller testimony, the president issued a series of tweets Wednesday night referencing positive coverage on Fox News. He continued Thursday morning, with one of his tweets referencing coverage of Pelosi and Nadler in the caucus meeting in regards to impeachment. "Nancy said, 'Jerry, please sit down.'"
  • 2 themes: Axios points out two headlines that captured the pro- and anti-Trump elements of Wednesday's coverage. Drudge had a "Dazed and Confused" headline under a photo of Mueller. CNN, meanwhile, used an on-air banner to say, "Mueller: Trump Was Not Exonerated."
  • More headlines: A sample of headlines that followed the testimony: "Mueller answers Trump taunts in testimony unlikely to change the political dynamic" (Washington Post); "Mueller Warns of Russian Sabotage and Rejects Trump's 'Witch Hunt' Claims" (New York Times); "'Disaster': Robert Mueller Testimony Backfires on Democrats as Republicans Move in for the Kill" (Breitbart); "Mueller agrees: Accepting foreign intel is unethical, unpatriotic, and in certain instances 'a crime'" (MSNBC).

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