For President Donald Trump, the fight over the "witch hunt" is only just beginning.

Now that special counsel Robert Mueller's two-year investigation into Trump's campaign is over, it's being transformed into a rallying cry and a weapon for the president's re-election campaign.

The pall of the two-year probe lifted Sunday, when Attorney General William Barr released a summary of Mueller's findings that said the wide-ranging investigation found no evidence of collusion by Trump's 2016 campaign with the Russian government.

Barr's four-page letter was immediately seized upon by the Republican president and his allies as a weapon to use against Democrats, the so-called Deep State and the media.

Even before Mueller's conclusions were revealed, it was clear that Trump saw the end of the investigation as a political opportunity.

As the president's lawyers debated legal strategy, Trump aides and political allies developed a plan to turn the end of the probe into the launching pad for a new round of attacks on the president's foes and a moment to reinvigorate his supporters in the run-up to the 2020 campaign.

With pre-written tweets and talking points, Trump surrogates rushed to claim victory and rub the results in the face of Democrats, many of whom had spent months promising that Mueller would turn up more.

"Democrats and their liberal media allies for two years slandered President @realDonaldTrump for 'conspiring with Russia,'" press secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted. "It was all a malicious, preposterous lie given wall to wall media coverage despite zero evidence. This should never again happen to an American President."

Breaking a 48-hour stretch of lawyer-imposed silence on Twitter, Trump stood on the tarmac beside Air Force One on Sunday and jubilantly hailed the results, exaggerating the findings as a total exoneration.

He also seethed that those behind the probe, which he compared to a failed coup, should be held responsible.

"You've made a great victim of Donald Trump here," Trump counsellor Kellyanne Conway said on Monday morning.

Trump's campaign moved quickly to raise money off the Mueller news, with a text message to supporters stating, "Dems raised millions off a lie. Now we FIGHT BACK!"

The team's plans going forward are more expansive, according to seven aides and allies involved with the effort, most of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about private deliberations.

While Trump's base has long been suspicious of Mueller, the president's team believes independents and moderate Democrats who backed him in the last election but have since soured may return to the fold if convinced he was unfairly targeted.

Republicans who had mused about a primary challenge to Trump if Mueller returned a smoking gun may now stay on the sidelines. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, one of several Republicans considering a bid to unseat the president, had told the AP last month he would only mount a campaign if the political dynamics in the race have changed.

If anything, they've changed in Trump's favor. Major talking points for Democrats who had pinned great hopes on Mueller may have vanished. And some swing voters, wary at the prospect of endless investigations and talk of impeachment, may prove more sympathetic to the president.

The president and his allies will now link the report with the investigations launched by House Democrats and try to make the case that, in the wake of Mueller's findings, further probes are partisan overreach.

"I think they can't move forward until they apologize," Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani told The Associated Press.

He singled out Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and said the congressman's investigation would have no credibility because he had deemed Trump "treasonous" and promised clear evidence of collusion that didn't materialize.

"If there are people who contrived this investigation, who made up this collusion, maybe they themselves should be investigated," Giuliani said.

Democrats have pointed out that Mueller found evidence for and against obstruction and have demanded to see his full report.

The president's allies also intend to use the moment to heighten attacks on the media, which many Trump supporters believe unjustly fanned the flames of the special counsel's probe in an effort to bring down the president. They aim to highlight specific news organizations and, in some cases, individual reporters and paint them as biased and untrustworthy, according to two presidential confidants.

Eric Trump, the president's son, took to Twitter moments after Barr's letter was released to ask for a "simple apology" from the news media "for the hell everyone has been put through for the past two + years," listing a half-dozen news organizations.

In the days before Mueller submitted his report, Trump told his inner circle that, if the release validated him, he would use Twitter and the power of his office to trumpet the findings, complain about the probe's cost and depict the entire investigation as an attempt to obstruct his agenda, according to advisers and confidants.

The president's campaign and pro-Trump outside groups are poised to amplify the message, while his advisers expect Fox News and the conservative media to act as an echo chamber.

A full-throated attack on the investigation also will be the centerpiece of Trump campaign events, including rallies, they say.

Trump's next rally is set for Thursday in Michigan, a state he narrowly won in 2016 and will invest in heavily this time. Count on hearing an earful.

New York - March 25, 2019

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Lemire, AP Reporter

"So, for almost two years, Robert Mueller's special counsel probe investigating possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia has hovered like a dark shadow over the White House. And yesterday, it cleared. The politics of this have changed now. To be sure, questions remain. Democrats are unhappy with the four page summary the attorney general issued, they want to see the report, itself and the underlying evidence. So there are still certainly battles to be fought over that. Also, to be sure, there are other legal problems on the horizon for this president, particularly in the Southern District of New York. But the special counsel probe, which was an existential threat to this White House concludes that there was no collusion between Russia and the president and his team, which, of course, is what Donald Trump has been telling us for two years, usually in all capital letters. It did not make a decision on obstruction. Mueller said there wasn't enough evidence one way or the other to make that conclusion. The attorney general decided there was not enough to find reasonable cause for obstruction."

++ BLACK FRAMES ++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Lemire, AP Reporter

"The politics of this now change in a heartbeat where suddenly, for many months, we would have assumed that the president would have had to run for re-election, running away from the special counsel findings. Instead, he'll run with them. He will say 'look, they found that I didn't do anything wrong.' We'll hear about it after rally after rally, including his next one, which is Thursday night in Michigan. He will say 'I told you it was a witch hunt. You spent nearly two years, you spent tens of millions of dollars. You came at me. You didn't find it.' He will also link those findings to what the House Democrats are trying to do. They're launching a series of probes into all aspects of the president's life, his business and parts of the potential ties to Russia, the shadows of the 2016 election. And he will say 'look, you already had your chance. You had the investigator you wanted, I didn't interfere, he came to his conclusions. If you're still going to investigate me, that's just an example of government overreach. It's an example of partisan warfare. That's not what the American people want.' So, whether or not this works is a political tactic, of course, remains to be seen. But it now hands the president a pretty powerful political weapon where he can go out there and say 'Look, you came at me, you tried to accuse me of wrongdoing, it came back that I didn't do anything and instead Democrats are trying to impede my agenda. They're just being obstructionists, and they're getting in the way of what I'm trying to do for the American people.'"

For President Donald Trump, the fight over the "witch hunt" is only just beginning.

Now that special counsel Robert Mueller's two-year investigation into Trump's campaign is over, it's being transformed into a rallying cry and a weapon for the president's re-election campaign.

The pall of the two-year probe lifted Sunday, when Attorney General William Barr released a summary of Mueller's findings that said the wide-ranging investigation found no evidence of collusion by Trump's 2016 campaign with the Russian government.

Barr's four-page letter was immediately seized upon by the Republican president and his allies as a weapon to use against Democrats, the so-called Deep State and the media.

Even before Mueller's conclusions were revealed, it was clear that Trump saw the end of the investigation as a political opportunity.

As the president's lawyers debated legal strategy, Trump aides and political allies developed a plan to turn the end of the probe into the launching pad for a new round of attacks on the president's foes and a moment to reinvigorate his supporters in the run-up to the 2020 campaign.

With pre-written tweets and talking points, Trump surrogates rushed to claim victory and rub the results in the face of Democrats, many of whom had spent months promising that Mueller would turn up more.

"Democrats and their liberal media allies for two years slandered President @realDonaldTrump for 'conspiring with Russia,'" press secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted. "It was all a malicious, preposterous lie given wall to wall media coverage despite zero evidence. This should never again happen to an American President."

Breaking a 48-hour stretch of lawyer-imposed silence on Twitter, Trump stood on the tarmac beside Air Force One on Sunday and jubilantly hailed the results, exaggerating the findings as a total exoneration.

He also seethed that those behind the probe, which he compared to a failed coup, should be held responsible.

"You've made a great victim of Donald Trump here," Trump counsellor Kellyanne Conway said on Monday morning.

Trump's campaign moved quickly to raise money off the Mueller news, with a text message to supporters stating, "Dems raised millions off a lie. Now we FIGHT BACK!"

The team's plans going forward are more expansive, according to seven aides and allies involved with the effort, most of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about private deliberations.

While Trump's base has long been suspicious of Mueller, the president's team believes independents and moderate Democrats who backed him in the last election but have since soured may return to the fold if convinced he was unfairly targeted.

Republicans who had mused about a primary challenge to Trump if Mueller returned a smoking gun may now stay on the sidelines. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, one of several Republicans considering a bid to unseat the president, had told the AP last month he would only mount a campaign if the political dynamics in the race have changed.

If anything, they've changed in Trump's favor. Major talking points for Democrats who had pinned great hopes on Mueller may have vanished. And some swing voters, wary at the prospect of endless investigations and talk of impeachment, may prove more sympathetic to the president.

The president and his allies will now link the report with the investigations launched by House Democrats and try to make the case that, in the wake of Mueller's findings, further probes are partisan overreach.

"I think they can't move forward until they apologize," Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani told The Associated Press.

He singled out Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and said the congressman's investigation would have no credibility because he had deemed Trump "treasonous" and promised clear evidence of collusion that didn't materialize.

"If there are people who contrived this investigation, who made up this collusion, maybe they themselves should be investigated," Giuliani said.

Democrats have pointed out that Mueller found evidence for and against obstruction and have demanded to see his full report.

The president's allies also intend to use the moment to heighten attacks on the media, which many Trump supporters believe unjustly fanned the flames of the special counsel's probe in an effort to bring down the president. They aim to highlight specific news organizations and, in some cases, individual reporters and paint them as biased and untrustworthy, according to two presidential confidants.

Eric Trump, the president's son, took to Twitter moments after Barr's letter was released to ask for a "simple apology" from the news media "for the hell everyone has been put through for the past two + years," listing a half-dozen news organizations.

In the days before Mueller submitted his report, Trump told his inner circle that, if the release validated him, he would use Twitter and the power of his office to trumpet the findings, complain about the probe's cost and depict the entire investigation as an attempt to obstruct his agenda, according to advisers and confidants.

The president's campaign and pro-Trump outside groups are poised to amplify the message, while his advisers expect Fox News and the conservative media to act as an echo chamber.

A full-throated attack on the investigation also will be the centerpiece of Trump campaign events, including rallies, they say.

Trump's next rally is set for Thursday in Michigan, a state he narrowly won in 2016 and will invest in heavily this time. Count on hearing an earful.

New York - March 25, 2019

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Lemire, AP Reporter

"So, for almost two years, Robert Mueller's special counsel probe investigating possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia has hovered like a dark shadow over the White House. And yesterday, it cleared. The politics of this have changed now. To be sure, questions remain. Democrats are unhappy with the four page summary the attorney general issued, they want to see the report, itself and the underlying evidence. So there are still certainly battles to be fought over that. Also, to be sure, there are other legal problems on the horizon for this president, particularly in the Southern District of New York. But the special counsel probe, which was an existential threat to this White House concludes that there was no collusion between Russia and the president and his team, which, of course, is what Donald Trump has been telling us for two years, usually in all capital letters. It did not make a decision on obstruction. Mueller said there wasn't enough evidence one way or the other to make that conclusion. The attorney general decided there was not enough to find reasonable cause for obstruction."

++ BLACK FRAMES ++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Lemire, AP Reporter

"The politics of this now change in a heartbeat where suddenly, for many months, we would have assumed that the president would have had to run for re-election, running away from the special counsel findings. Instead, he'll run with them. He will say 'look, they found that I didn't do anything wrong.' We'll hear about it after rally after rally, including his next one, which is Thursday night in Michigan. He will say 'I told you it was a witch hunt. You spent nearly two years, you spent tens of millions of dollars. You came at me. You didn't find it.' He will also link those findings to what the House Democrats are trying to do. They're launching a series of probes into all aspects of the president's life, his business and parts of the potential ties to Russia, the shadows of the 2016 election. And he will say 'look, you already had your chance. You had the investigator you wanted, I didn't interfere, he came to his conclusions. If you're still going to investigate me, that's just an example of government overreach. It's an example of partisan warfare. That's not what the American people want.' So, whether or not this works is a political tactic, of course, remains to be seen. But it now hands the president a pretty powerful political weapon where he can go out there and say 'Look, you came at me, you tried to accuse me of wrongdoing, it came back that I didn't do anything and instead Democrats are trying to impede my agenda. They're just being obstructionists, and they're getting in the way of what I'm trying to do for the American people.'"

Robert Mueller has been given sweeping power to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign, an acknowledgment of growing public demands to place the politically charged inquiry into the hands of an outside investigator with bipartisan respect.

Senate Democrats reacted with virtually unanimous applause Thursday morning.

"Well, it's like a breath of fresh air has come into this week long saga in that I think he is someone that has support on both sides of the aisle," said Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.

"You've got to have somebody of integrity, Bob Mueller does have that," said Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont.

The former FBI director has a broad mandate that could encompass any questionable actions of President Donald Trump's associates and possibly even the circumstances of last week's abrupt firing of James Comey.

As special counsel, Mueller will direct an FBI counterintelligence investigation examining whether Russia coordinated with Trump campaign associates to influence the election in his behalf.

He is entitled to a budget, can request new or additional staff and will have the same authority as high-ranking Justice Department lawyers, including the ability to prosecute any crimes he uncovers.

Washington, DC - 18 May 2017

+++SOUNDBITES ONLY, NO BROLL+++

+++SEPARATED BY BLACK FRAMES+++

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Joe Manchin, (D) West Virginia

"It's the first time I have had my phone light up after six o'clock from my friends on both sides of the aisle, both impressed with the appointment. I think it shows we can rise above any cloud that's thrown on us in Washington."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Ron Wyden, (D) Oregon

"Bob Mueller and I have certainly had differences of opinion, particularly with my concern with the government's authority to do surveillance on law abiding Americans, but I do consider him to be a professional and an honorable man."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Dianne Feinstein, (D) California

"He's a very good attorney. He's a very diligent person. He's a wonderful man, and I think he will be a superior independent counsel."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Pat Leahy, (D) Vermont

"You've got to have somebody of integrity, Bob Mueller does have that. I've known him for years. I worked with him both as chairman and as ranking member of the Judiciary Committee. I think Bob Mueller is a good choice."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Richard Blumenthal, (D) Connecticut

"I'm very confident that Bob Mueller will do the right thing, here, follow the evidence wherever it might lead. There is mounting evidence of obstruction of justice and impropriety, illegality that preceded this administration and may have continued while its in power."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Amy Klobuchar, (D) Minnesota

"Well, it's like a breath of fresh air has come into this week long saga in that I think he is someone that has support on both sides of the aisle. You've heard barely a complaint about his which is quite unique. I got to work with him some because he was in the middle of an investigation of terrorist recruitment of people in Minnesota who were trying to join al-Shabaab. I was really impressed with his work then, and I continue to be impressed by him."

+++ENDS ON A SOUNDBITE+++

Robert Mueller has been given sweeping power to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign, an acknowledgment of growing public demands to place the politically charged inquiry into the hands of an outside investigator with bipartisan respect.

Senate Democrats reacted with virtually unanimous applause Thursday morning.

"Well, it's like a breath of fresh air has come into this week long saga in that I think he is someone that has support on both sides of the aisle," said Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.

"You've got to have somebody of integrity, Bob Mueller does have that," said Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont.

The former FBI director has a broad mandate that could encompass any questionable actions of President Donald Trump's associates and possibly even the circumstances of last week's abrupt firing of James Comey.

As special counsel, Mueller will direct an FBI counterintelligence investigation examining whether Russia coordinated with Trump campaign associates to influence the election in his behalf.

He is entitled to a budget, can request new or additional staff and will have the same authority as high-ranking Justice Department lawyers, including the ability to prosecute any crimes he uncovers.

Washington, DC - 18 May 2017

+++SOUNDBITES ONLY, NO BROLL+++

+++SEPARATED BY BLACK FRAMES+++

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Joe Manchin, (D) West Virginia

"It's the first time I have had my phone light up after six o'clock from my friends on both sides of the aisle, both impressed with the appointment. I think it shows we can rise above any cloud that's thrown on us in Washington."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Ron Wyden, (D) Oregon

"Bob Mueller and I have certainly had differences of opinion, particularly with my concern with the government's authority to do surveillance on law abiding Americans, but I do consider him to be a professional and an honorable man."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Dianne Feinstein, (D) California

"He's a very good attorney. He's a very diligent person. He's a wonderful man, and I think he will be a superior independent counsel."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Pat Leahy, (D) Vermont

"You've got to have somebody of integrity, Bob Mueller does have that. I've known him for years. I worked with him both as chairman and as ranking member of the Judiciary Committee. I think Bob Mueller is a good choice."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Richard Blumenthal, (D) Connecticut

"I'm very confident that Bob Mueller will do the right thing, here, follow the evidence wherever it might lead. There is mounting evidence of obstruction of justice and impropriety, illegality that preceded this administration and may have continued while its in power."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Amy Klobuchar, (D) Minnesota

"Well, it's like a breath of fresh air has come into this week long saga in that I think he is someone that has support on both sides of the aisle. You've heard barely a complaint about his which is quite unique. I got to work with him some because he was in the middle of an investigation of terrorist recruitment of people in Minnesota who were trying to join al-Shabaab. I was really impressed with his work then, and I continue to be impressed by him."

+++ENDS ON A SOUNDBITE+++

Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee issued a stern warning to President Donald Trump on Thursday: "If you shut down or throttle" the investigation into Russian meddling led by special prosecutor Robert Mueller, "you will plunge this country into a constitutional crisis."

New York Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler continued, "Mr. President, we are watching you. The American people are watching you."

Many House Democrats called for legislation to protect the special counsel to be included in the spending bill Congress must pass by Friday to keep the government running.

Republicans didn't agree to the measure, however, and the provision was not included.

Asked if firing Mueller was a "red line" that could lead to impeachment, Rep. Nadler stopped short of predicting the consequences, saying only, "all options would be on the table."

Nadler said the firing of the special counsel would lead to a "sea change in the political landscape of the country," that would cause Republicans "to be moved to act" against the president, too.

But he said, "We're not there yet."

Washington, D.C. - 22 March 2018

1. Wide shot of Rep. Nadler and other Democrats walking into House press gallery

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, (D) New York:

"Let us set aside for a moment that so much of what the president says is simply factually incorrect. These tantrums are more than merely the online musings of a passionate viewer of Fox News. These statements are threats from the president of the United States against our rule of law. They specifically target Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is charged with investigating allegations of serious crimes against the United States, including a conspiracy to defraud the United States government in an attempt to influence the 2016 election. That is why I am standing here today with my Democratic colleagues from the House Judiciary Committee to deliver a united message to President Trump: Do not meddle with the special counsel investigation. We expect and the rule of law demands that the special counsel be permitted to complete his investigation wherever it may lead free from political interference and that the facts be presented for public review so that the American people can know the full truth."

++BLACK BETWEEN SOUNDBITES++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, (D) New York:

"Where, however, is the Republican leadership. Why does Speaker Ryan take days to make tepid statements in general support of the Mueller investigation? Why does the majority refuse to take action to protect the special counsel from a president who clearly wants him gone? Why would they not agree to a bipartisan amendment to the omnibus budget bill to make it all but impossible to remove a special counsel without cause? My colleagues here have the courage to do it. Republican leadership will not. Mr. President, we are watching you. The American people are watching you. If you shut down or throttle the Mueller investigation by firing either (Attorney General Jeff) Sessions or (Deputy Attorney General Rod) Rosenstein or Mueller, you will plunge this country into a constitutional crisis."

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, (D) New York:

"Should a red line be crossed and firing the special counsel or throttling his investigation would be an absolute red line. Then there would be a total sea change in the political landscape of the country. And at that point, all options would be on the table. All options would be on the table. I believe that as the president puts us in a constitutional crisis, that there are enough Republicans who care about the rule of law and are concerned by the president's action they would be moved to act too. But if this happens, if the president puts us in a constitutional crisis by crossing a red line by firing the special prosecutor or really constraining the investigation, all options would be on the table. But we're not going to say now what we would do then because all kinds of things change not just change but .. we're not there yet."

Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee issued a stern warning to President Donald Trump on Thursday: "If you shut down or throttle" the investigation into Russian meddling led by special prosecutor Robert Mueller, "you will plunge this country into a constitutional crisis."

New York Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler continued, "Mr. President, we are watching you. The American people are watching you."

Many House Democrats called for legislation to protect the special counsel to be included in the spending bill Congress must pass by Friday to keep the government running.

Republicans didn't agree to the measure, however, and the provision was not included.

Asked if firing Mueller was a "red line" that could lead to impeachment, Rep. Nadler stopped short of predicting the consequences, saying only, "all options would be on the table."

Nadler said the firing of the special counsel would lead to a "sea change in the political landscape of the country," that would cause Republicans "to be moved to act" against the president, too.

But he said, "We're not there yet."

Washington, D.C. - 22 March 2018

1. Wide shot of Rep. Nadler and other Democrats walking into House press gallery

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, (D) New York:

"Let us set aside for a moment that so much of what the president says is simply factually incorrect. These tantrums are more than merely the online musings of a passionate viewer of Fox News. These statements are threats from the president of the United States against our rule of law. They specifically target Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is charged with investigating allegations of serious crimes against the United States, including a conspiracy to defraud the United States government in an attempt to influence the 2016 election. That is why I am standing here today with my Democratic colleagues from the House Judiciary Committee to deliver a united message to President Trump: Do not meddle with the special counsel investigation. We expect and the rule of law demands that the special counsel be permitted to complete his investigation wherever it may lead free from political interference and that the facts be presented for public review so that the American people can know the full truth."

++BLACK BETWEEN SOUNDBITES++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, (D) New York:

"Where, however, is the Republican leadership. Why does Speaker Ryan take days to make tepid statements in general support of the Mueller investigation? Why does the majority refuse to take action to protect the special counsel from a president who clearly wants him gone? Why would they not agree to a bipartisan amendment to the omnibus budget bill to make it all but impossible to remove a special counsel without cause? My colleagues here have the courage to do it. Republican leadership will not. Mr. President, we are watching you. The American people are watching you. If you shut down or throttle the Mueller investigation by firing either (Attorney General Jeff) Sessions or (Deputy Attorney General Rod) Rosenstein or Mueller, you will plunge this country into a constitutional crisis."

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, (D) New York:

"Should a red line be crossed and firing the special counsel or throttling his investigation would be an absolute red line. Then there would be a total sea change in the political landscape of the country. And at that point, all options would be on the table. All options would be on the table. I believe that as the president puts us in a constitutional crisis, that there are enough Republicans who care about the rule of law and are concerned by the president's action they would be moved to act too. But if this happens, if the president puts us in a constitutional crisis by crossing a red line by firing the special prosecutor or really constraining the investigation, all options would be on the table. But we're not going to say now what we would do then because all kinds of things change not just change but .. we're not there yet."

US President Donald Trump claimed on October 8th 2018 that "the Democrats colluded with Russia".

Trump was speaking in Washington after returning from his meeting with Deputy US Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

He claimed that the Obama administration did nothing when it found out about possible Russian meddling in the 2016 US elections.

Trump also commented on Jamal Khashoggi, a missing Saudi journalist, saying: "I do not like it".

When asked about superstar Taylor Swift's support for Democratic candidates in Tennessee, Trump said he liked her music "about 25 percent less now".

***

President Donald Trump says he has answered written questions from special counsel Robert Mueller but hasn't yet submitted them.

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on November 16th that he answered the questions "very easily" this week but added that "you have to always be careful."

The president did not say when he would turn over the answers to Mueller as part of the ongoing investigation into possible ties between Russia and the Trump campaign.

Trump had huddled with lawyer at the White House this week but made clear: "my lawyers don't write answers, I write answers."

Mueller had signaled a willingness to accept written answers on matters of collusion. The White House has said it would not answer Mueller's questions on possible obstruction of justice.

The president spoke to reporters shortly after a district judge ordered the Trump administration to immediately return the White House press credentials of CNN reporter Jim Acosta, though a lawsuit over the credentials' revocation is continuing.

Trump said "people have to behave" while in the White House and he said his staff will be "writing up rules and regulations" to guide press for future events.

The president insists he wants "total freedom of the press," but journalists "have to act with respect."

Trump didn't say what the new rules and regulations will entail.

***

Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, has pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about work he did on a Trump real estate deal in Russia.

Cohen made a surprise appearance on November 29th in a New York courtroom.

He admitted to making false statements in 2017 to the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence about a plan to build a Trump Tower in Moscow.

In August 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to other federal charges involving his taxi businesses, bank fraud and his campaign work for Trump.

One of the prosecutors working with Special Counsel Robert Mueller was present in the courtroom.

Cohen's lawyer told the judge the plea deal involved cooperation with Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the U.S. election.

***

A federal judge has agreed to delay former national security adviser Michael Flynn's sentencing so he can continue cooperating with the Russia probe.

U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan on December 18th set a status conference for March 2019.

Attorneys for Flynn asked the judge to postpone the sentencing. The stunning request came after Sullivan warned Flynn that if he were sentenced as scheduled Tuesday, he might not get all the credit for his cooperation with investigators that he is entitled to.

Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his Russia contacts. Prosecutors had recommended no prison time, citing his cooperation. But the judge's rebuke raised the prospect that Flynn could get a harsher sentence.

00:55:18

00:00:00

Trump says Democrats colluded with Russia

4176320

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington DC - 8 October 2018

1. SOUNDBITE: (English) Donald Trump, US President:

" Everybody understands there was no collusion with Russia. It was all made up by the Democrats. They're the ones that colluded with Russia.

00:08:16

Trump: I answered Mueller's questions very easily

4182647

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 16 November 2018

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, US President:

" I was asked a series of questions, I've answered them very easily, very easily. I'm sure they're tripped up because you know, they like to catch people, gee, you know was the weather sunny or was it rainy? He said, 'it may have been a good day. It was rainy.' Therefore he told a lie, he perjured himself. OK, so you have to always be careful when you answer questions with people that probably have bad intentions. But no it's, the questions were very routinely answered by me, by me.

00:42.04

Michael Cohen pleads guilty to lying to Congress

4184494

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York - 29 November 2018

3. Michael Cohen walks out of courthouse with lawyer

00:49:23

Flynn sentencing delayed, he's still cooperating

4187405

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington DC - 18 December 2018

4. Michael Flynn leaves courthouse, enters SUV8

Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee issued a stern warning to President Donald Trump on Thursday: "If you shut down or throttle" the investigation into Russian meddling led by special prosecutor Robert Mueller, "you will plunge this country into a constitutional crisis."

New York Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler continued, "Mr. President, we are watching you. The American people are watching you."

Many House Democrats called for legislation to protect the special counsel to be included in the spending bill Congress must pass by Friday to keep the government running.

Republicans didn't agree to the measure, however, and the provision was not included.

Asked if firing Mueller was a "red line" that could lead to impeachment, Rep. Nadler stopped short of predicting the consequences, saying only, "all options would be on the table."

Nadler said the firing of the special counsel would lead to a "sea change in the political landscape of the country," that would cause Republicans "to be moved to act" against the president, too.

But he said, "We're not there yet."

Washington, D.C. - 22 March 2018

1. Wide shot of Rep. Nadler and other Democrats walking into House press gallery

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, (D) New York:

"Let us set aside for a moment that so much of what the president says is simply factually incorrect. These tantrums are more than merely the online musings of a passionate viewer of Fox News. These statements are threats from the president of the United States against our rule of law. They specifically target Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is charged with investigating allegations of serious crimes against the United States, including a conspiracy to defraud the United States government in an attempt to influence the 2016 election. That is why I am standing here today with my Democratic colleagues from the House Judiciary Committee to deliver a united message to President Trump: Do not meddle with the special counsel investigation. We expect and the rule of law demands that the special counsel be permitted to complete his investigation wherever it may lead free from political interference and that the facts be presented for public review so that the American people can know the full truth."

++BLACK BETWEEN SOUNDBITES++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, (D) New York:

"Where, however, is the Republican leadership. Why does Speaker Ryan take days to make tepid statements in general support of the Mueller investigation? Why does the majority refuse to take action to protect the special counsel from a president who clearly wants him gone? Why would they not agree to a bipartisan amendment to the omnibus budget bill to make it all but impossible to remove a special counsel without cause? My colleagues here have the courage to do it. Republican leadership will not. Mr. President, we are watching you. The American people are watching you. If you shut down or throttle the Mueller investigation by firing either (Attorney General Jeff) Sessions or (Deputy Attorney General Rod) Rosenstein or Mueller, you will plunge this country into a constitutional crisis."

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, (D) New York:

"Should a red line be crossed and firing the special counsel or throttling his investigation would be an absolute red line. Then there would be a total sea change in the political landscape of the country. And at that point, all options would be on the table. All options would be on the table. I believe that as the president puts us in a constitutional crisis, that there are enough Republicans who care about the rule of law and are concerned by the president's action they would be moved to act too. But if this happens, if the president puts us in a constitutional crisis by crossing a red line by firing the special prosecutor or really constraining the investigation, all options would be on the table. But we're not going to say now what we would do then because all kinds of things change not just change but .. we're not there yet."

++ENDS ON SOUNDBITE++

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus120758

Robert Mueller's testimony before Congress will depend not so much on what he says, but that he's even saying it at all.

For Democrats, the special counsel's appearance Wednesday creates a moment many have been waiting for: Mueller finally speaking out, piercing the public consciousness about President Donald Trump's response to the Russia investigation and whether anything should be done about it.

The political stakes are high for Trump, but also for Democrats, who have spent the past two years pushing toward this day. As public attention has drifted and views have hardened, Democrats are counting on Americans hearing what most have not likely read - the stunning findings of Mueller's 448-page report .

Yet there's a real possibility that Mueller may not bring clarity.

It took months to negotiate his appearance before Congress and he has been reluctant to speak beyond what he and his team wrote. Few bombshells are expected. As the House Judiciary Committee and the House Intelligence Committee gavel in, the buttoned-down prosecutor, once envisioned as a trusted last word, may deliver just-the-facts responses that leave more questions than answers.

Rather than galvanizing public opinion and the questions of impeachment, Mueller's reluctant appearance may become just another chapter in the Trump era that won't be closed until the 2020 election.

Trump tried to project a lack of interest, claiming he will not tune in to Wednesday's hourslong hearings.

POOL

Washington - 29 May 2019

1. Robert Mueller walks into Justice Department briefing room

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 22 July 2019

2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press Reporter:

"Democrats have been trying to get Robert Mueller in ever since he issued his report, the Mueller Report in April, and they really think that they just need to get him in front of the American people to explain what he found because they think that Americans haven't read the Mueller Report."

3. SOUNDBITE: (English) Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press Reporter:

"I think one major point of questioning on both sides is going to be the fact that Mueller has essentially said that the President cannot be indicted. And so Democrats are going to try to get him to say you know what how important that decision was and when he made it. Republicans are really interested in the timeline of that, when did he decide that the president couldn't be indicted because some of them will try to make an argument that the investigation should have just been fully shut down if they decided that the president couldn't indict, couldn't be indicted. So I think that will be a major point of questioning on on both sides."

POOL

Washington - 10 June 2019

4. Various of House Judiciary Commitee Chairman Rep. Jerrold Nadler

POOL

Washington - 29 May 2019

5. Various of Mueller speaking

POOL

Washington - 10 June 2019

6. Various of Nadler

7. Various of Judiciary Commitee Ranking Member Rep. Doug Collins

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 22 July 2019

8. Various of President Donald Trump discussing upcoming Mueller hearings UPSOUND: (English) US President Donald Trump: "No, I'm not going to be watching, probably, maybe I'll see a little bit of it. I'm not going to be watching Mueller because you can't take all those bites out of the apple. We had no collusion, no obstruction."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 22 July 2019

9. SOUNDBITE: (English) Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press Reporter:

"More than 80 Democrats have called to open an impeachment inquiry just to hold hearings on impeachment for Donald Trump. Democrats who support that effort are hoping to see more of those calls after this hearing. Nancy Pelosi so far has said that she is not interested for now in impeachment. So it's unclear if this hearing will change that dynamic. Some Democrats are really hoping that it will."

10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press Reporter:

"What Democrats hope is that they're bringing the report into the American consciousness and that they get people to to see what they see, which is egregious behavior on behalf of the president. Republicans are hoping that this all just goes away, that this is the final chapter in the Mueller Report. I think it remains to be seen. As I said I think that when they go back for August recess, we'll see how the American people respond. Are they going to pressure their lawmakers to move for impeachment or to do more than they're currently doing? I think all of that remains to be seen and I think Nancy Pelosi who really controls a lot of this will be watching all of that."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - June 21 2019

11. Various of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 12 June 2019

12. House Intel Committee Chairman Adam Schiff speaking with Rep. Jim Himes

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 11 June 2019

13. Still photo of Nadler and Schiff

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 2 April 2019

14. Still photo of Republican Reps Mark Meadows and Jim Jordan

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - Recent

15. Pelosi walking out of White House

Private tensions between Justice Department leaders and Robert Mueller's team broke into public view in extraordinary fashion Wednesday as Attorney General William Barr pushed back at the special counsel's "snitty" complaints over his handling of the Trump-Russia investigation report.

Testifying for the first time since releasing Mueller's report, Barr said he was surprised Mueller did not reach a conclusion on whether President Donald Trump had tried to obstruct justice, and that he had felt compelled to step in with his own judgment that the president had committed no crime.

Barr was also perturbed by a private letter Mueller sent him last month complaining that the attorney general had not properly portrayed the special counsel's finding.

Barr called the note "a bit snitty."

"I said 'Bob, what's with the letter? Just pick up the phone and call me if there is an issue,'" Barr said.

The airing of disagreements over the handling of the report followed Mueller's two-year investigation into Russian interference to help Trump in the 2016 campaign and the possibility that Trump's team conspired with the Russians.

During most of the investigation, the Justice Department and Mueller's team seemed to be unified in approach.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been anything but unified.

And their partisan divide was on full display during Wednesday's contentious Judiciary Committee hearing, which included three Democratic presidential candidates.

Some Republicans, in addition to defending Trump, focused on the president's 2016 Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton's email and campaign practices and what they argued has been a lack of investigation of them.

Democrats, for their part, moved to exploit the daylight between Barr and Mueller to attack the attorney general's credibility and accuse him of unduly spinning the special counsel's report in the president's favor.

Barr sought to minimize the rift by suggesting the special counsel's concerns were largely about process, not substance.

Barr's appearance gave him his most extensive opportunity to explain the department's actions, including his news conference held before the Mueller report's release.

Barr has also been invited to appear Thursday before the Democratic-led House Judiciary panel, but the Justice Department has said he would not testify if the committee insisted on having its lawyers question him.

Neither side broke much new ground Wednesday on the specifics of Mueller's investigation, though Barr did articulate a robust defense of Trump as he made clear his firm conviction that there was no prosecutable case against the president for obstruction of justice.

POOL

Washington DC - 1 May 2019

1. Wide, Senate Judiciary Committee

2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. Cory Booker, Democrat - New Jersey:

"We right now have a new normal in our country. We have a document that shows over 200 hundred attempts, connections between a presidential campaign and a foreign adversary sharing information that would be illegal if you did it with a super PAC. We know that. (Barr: What information was shared?)  The polling data was shared sir. It's in the report I can cite you the page. (Barr: With who?) And I guess my point here is is that your willingness to seem to brush over this and use words like the American people should be grateful. What's in this report? Nobody should be grateful."

3. Back view of hearing

4. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"Sen. Kamala Harris: Attorney General Barr has the president or anyone at the White House ever asked or suggested that you open an investigation of anyone?

Umm, I wouldn't I wouldn't.

Harris: Yes or no.

Could you repeat that question?"

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Kamala Harris, Democrat - California:

"I will repeat it. Has the president or anyone at the White House ever asked or suggested that you open an investigation of anyone? Yes or no please sir?"

6. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"The president or anybody else.

Harris: Seems you'd remember something like that and be able to tell us.

Yeah but I'm trying to grapple with the words suggest. I mean there have been discussions of of matters out there that they have not asked me to open investigation but  ...

Harris: Perhaps they've suggested?

I don't know, I wouldn't say suggest.

Harris: Hinted? Inferred?"

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Kamala Harris, Democrat - California:

"Is in reaching your conclusion did you personally review all of the underlying evidence?"

8. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"No. We took and  ...

Harris: Did Mr. Rosenstein?

No we accepted the statements in the report as the factual record. We did not go underneath it to see whether or not they were accurate. We accepted it as accurate."

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Kamala Harris, Democrat - California:

"As the Attorney General of the United States. You run the United States Department of Justice. If in any U.S. attorney's office around the country, the head of that office when being asked to make a critical decision about in this case the person who holds the highest office in the land and whether or not that person committed a crime, would you accept them recommending a charging decision to you if they had not reviewed the evidence?

Barr: Well that's a question for Bob Mueller. He's the U.S. attorney. He's the one who presents the report.

But it was you who made the charging decision, sir? You made the decision not to charge the president."

10. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"In a pross (process) memo and then a declination memo.

Harris: You said it was your baby, what did you mean by that?

It was my baby to to let to decide whether or not to disclose it to the public

Harris: And whose decision was it? Who had the power to make the decision about whether or not the evidence was sufficient to make a determination of whether there had been an obstruction of justice?

Prosecution memos go up to the supervisor, in this case it was the the attorney general and the deputy attorney general who who decide on the final decision."

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Democrat - Minnesota:

"Mr. Attorney General, on April 27th President Trump stated 'Mueller, I assume for 35 million dollars he checked my taxes and he checked my financials.' Is that accurate? Did the special counsel review the president's taxes and the Trump Organization's financial statements?"

12. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"I don't know.

Klobuchar: Can you find out if I ask later in a written question?

I, yes or you could ask Bob Mueller when he comes here.

Klobuchar: OK I'll do that too."

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Democrat - Connecticut:

"In fact in response to your question 'why not just pick up the phone,' this letter was an extraordinary act. A career prosecutor rebuking the attorney general of the United States, memorializing in writing. Right? I know of no other instance of that happening. Do you?"

14. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"I don't consider Bob at this stage a career prosecutor. He's had a career as a prosecutor.

Blumenthal: Well, he's a very eminent prosecutor.

He was the head of the FBI for 12 years.

Blumenthal: He's a career a law enforcement professional, right? Yeah I know of no other instance of ...

But he was also political appointee and he was a political appointee with me at the Department of Justice. I don't know the letters a bit snitty and I think it was probably written by one of his staff people."

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Democrat - Connecticut:

"Did you make a memorandum of your conversation? Did you make a memorandum"

Barr: I didn't.

Did anyone, either you or anyone on your staff memorialize your conversation with Robert Mueller?"

16. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"Yes.

Blumenthal: Who did that?

Barr: There were notes taken of the call.

Blumenthal: May we have those notes?

Barr: No

Blumethal: Why not?"

Barr: Why should you have them."

16. Pan, Barr leaving hearing

Private tensions between Justice Department leaders and Robert Mueller's team broke into public view in extraordinary fashion Wednesday as Attorney General William Barr pushed back at the special counsel's "snitty" complaints over his handling of the Trump-Russia investigation report.

Testifying for the first time since releasing Mueller's report, Barr said he was surprised Mueller did not reach a conclusion on whether President Donald Trump had tried to obstruct justice, and that he had felt compelled to step in with his own judgment that the president had committed no crime.

Barr was also perturbed by a private letter Mueller sent him last month complaining that the attorney general had not properly portrayed the special counsel's finding.

Barr called the note "a bit snitty."

"I said 'Bob, what's with the letter? Just pick up the phone and call me if there is an issue,'" Barr said.

The airing of disagreements over the handling of the report followed Mueller's two-year investigation into Russian interference to help Trump in the 2016 campaign and the possibility that Trump's team conspired with the Russians.

During most of the investigation, the Justice Department and Mueller's team seemed to be unified in approach.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been anything but unified.

And their partisan divide was on full display during Wednesday's contentious Judiciary Committee hearing, which included three Democratic presidential candidates.

Some Republicans, in addition to defending Trump, focused on the president's 2016 Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton's email and campaign practices and what they argued has been a lack of investigation of them.

Democrats, for their part, moved to exploit the daylight between Barr and Mueller to attack the attorney general's credibility and accuse him of unduly spinning the special counsel's report in the president's favor.

Barr sought to minimize the rift by suggesting the special counsel's concerns were largely about process, not substance.

Barr's appearance gave him his most extensive opportunity to explain the department's actions, including his news conference held before the Mueller report's release.

Barr has also been invited to appear Thursday before the Democratic-led House Judiciary panel, but the Justice Department has said he would not testify if the committee insisted on having its lawyers question him.

Neither side broke much new ground Wednesday on the specifics of Mueller's investigation, though Barr did articulate a robust defense of Trump as he made clear his firm conviction that there was no prosecutable case against the president for obstruction of justice.

POOL

Washington DC - 1 May 2019

1. Wide, Senate Judiciary Committee

2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. Cory Booker, Democrat - New Jersey:

"We right now have a new normal in our country. We have a document that shows over 200 hundred attempts, connections between a presidential campaign and a foreign adversary sharing information that would be illegal if you did it with a super PAC. We know that. (Barr: What information was shared?) The polling data was shared sir. It's in the report I can cite you the page. (Barr: With who?) And I guess my point here is is that your willingness to seem to brush over this and use words like the American people should be grateful. What's in this report? Nobody should be grateful."

3. Back view of hearing

4. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"Sen. Kamala Harris: Attorney General Barr has the president or anyone at the White House ever asked or suggested that you open an investigation of anyone?

Umm, I wouldn't I wouldn't.

Harris: Yes or no.

Could you repeat that question?"

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Kamala Harris, Democrat - California:

"I will repeat it. Has the president or anyone at the White House ever asked or suggested that you open an investigation of anyone? Yes or no please sir?"

6. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"The president or anybody else.

Harris: Seems you'd remember something like that and be able to tell us.

Yeah but I'm trying to grapple with the words suggest. I mean there have been discussions of of matters out there that they have not asked me to open investigation but ...

Harris: Perhaps they've suggested?

I don't know, I wouldn't say suggest.

Harris: Hinted? Inferred?"

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Kamala Harris, Democrat - California:

"Is in reaching your conclusion did you personally review all of the underlying evidence?"

8. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"No. We took and ...

Harris: Did Mr. Rosenstein?

No we accepted the statements in the report as the factual record. We did not go underneath it to see whether or not they were accurate. We accepted it as accurate."

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Kamala Harris, Democrat - California:

"As the Attorney General of the United States. You run the United States Department of Justice. If in any U.S. attorney's office around the country, the head of that office when being asked to make a critical decision about in this case the person who holds the highest office in the land and whether or not that person committed a crime, would you accept them recommending a charging decision to you if they had not reviewed the evidence?

Barr: Well that's a question for Bob Mueller. He's the U.S. attorney. He's the one who presents the report.

But it was you who made the charging decision, sir? You made the decision not to charge the president."

10. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"In a pross (process) memo and then a declination memo.

Harris: You said it was your baby, what did you mean by that?

It was my baby to to let to decide whether or not to disclose it to the public

Harris: And whose decision was it? Who had the power to make the decision about whether or not the evidence was sufficient to make a determination of whether there had been an obstruction of justice?

Prosecution memos go up to the supervisor, in this case it was the the attorney general and the deputy attorney general who who decide on the final decision."

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Democrat - Minnesota:

"Mr. Attorney General, on April 27th President Trump stated 'Mueller, I assume for 35 million dollars he checked my taxes and he checked my financials.' Is that accurate? Did the special counsel review the president's taxes and the Trump Organization's financial statements?"

12. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"I don't know.

Klobuchar: Can you find out if I ask later in a written question?

I, yes or you could ask Bob Mueller when he comes here.

Klobuchar: OK I'll do that too."

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Democrat - Connecticut:

"In fact in response to your question 'why not just pick up the phone,' this letter was an extraordinary act. A career prosecutor rebuking the attorney general of the United States, memorializing in writing. Right? I know of no other instance of that happening. Do you?"

14. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"I don't consider Bob at this stage a career prosecutor. He's had a career as a prosecutor.

Blumenthal: Well, he's a very eminent prosecutor.

He was the head of the FBI for 12 years.

Blumenthal: He's a career a law enforcement professional, right? Yeah I know of no other instance of ...

But he was also political appointee and he was a political appointee with me at the Department of Justice. I don't know the letters a bit snitty and I think it was probably written by one of his staff people."

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Democrat - Connecticut:

"Did you make a memorandum of your conversation? Did you make a memorandum"

Barr: I didn't.

Did anyone, either you or anyone on your staff memorialize your conversation with Robert Mueller?"

16. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"Yes.

Blumenthal: Who did that?

Barr: There were notes taken of the call.

Blumenthal: May we have those notes?

Barr: No

Blumethal: Why not?"

Barr: Why should you have them."

16. Pan, Barr leaving hearing

Within minutes of receiving notification that special counsel Robert Mueller had turned over his report on the Russia investigation, congressional Democrats were calling for the report to be fully released, including the underlying evidence. They have threatened subpoenas if it is not.

The demands are setting up a potential tug of war between congressional Democrats and President Donald Trump's administration that federal judges might eventually have to referee.

Six Democratic committee chairmen wrote in a letter to Attorney General William Barr on Friday that if Mueller has any reason to believe that Trump "has engaged in criminal or other serious misconduct," then the Justice Department should not conceal it.

"The president is not above the law and the need for public faith in our democratic institutions and the rule of law must be the priority," the chairmen wrote.

Reacting to the release, Democratic Congressman Ted Lieu, who serves on the Judiciary Committee, told the Associated Press that "the American people paid for this report," adding "both American people and Congress have a right to see the full report. "

Lieu said although the special counsel report focused on Russia, the findings could also be used in a wide array of Judicary Committee investigations.

It's unclear what Mueller has found related to the president, or if any of it would be damning. In his investigation of whether President Donald Trump's campaign coordinated with Russia to sway the 2016 election, Mueller has already brought charges against 34 people, including six aides and advisers to the president, and three companies.

Lawmakers say they need the underlying evidence - including interviews, documents and material turned over to the grand jury - because the Justice Department has maintained that a president cannot be indicted, and also that derogatory information cannot be released about people who have not been charged. So if the investigation did find evidence incriminating against Trump, they may not be able to release it, under their own guidelines.

The Democrats say that it could be tantamount to a cover-up if the department did not let Congress and the public know what they found.

Washington - 22 March 2019

1. Wide, exterior view of Department of Justice

Los Angeles - 3 May 2018

2. STILL Image, Rep. Ted Lieu, Democrat - California, Member of House Judiciary Committee

Torrence, California - 22 March 2019

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ted Lieu, Democrat - California: ++ AUDIO ONLY++

"Today is a proud day for America. Despite many attempts by Donald Trump to block this investigation Robert Mueller and his team were able to complete it. The fact that Mueller and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein kept their jobs I think is a strong testament to the vitality and strength of our institutions. This was a Republican led investigation of a Republican president and it was allowed to continue. I think that says a lot about America."

Washington - 22 March 2019

4. Wide, exterior view of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office

Torrence, California - 22 March 2019

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ted Lieu, Democrat - California: ++ AUDIO ONLY++

"Now in terms of distribution, the American people paid for this report. It is a matter of intense national interest and under both the separation of powers as well as just general fairness and transparency, both American people and Congress have a right to see the full report. "

Washington - 22 March 2019

6. Wide, exterior view of Department of Justice ++NIGHT SHOT++

Torrence, California - 22 March 2019

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ted Lieu, Democrat - California: ++ AUDIO ONLY++

"It's hard to know without knowing what's in the actual report. It's also important to understand that because the Department of Justice has taken the position that they won't indict a sitting president then the only other institution that can hold the press accountable is Congress. And we can't do that if we don't see the full report. So, that at every level when you look at it from separation of powers or the functions of both Congress and the special counsel in this case, the different functions we have to see the entire report."

Washington - 22 March 2019

8. Wide, people standing in front of White House

9. Close-up protester

Torrence, California - 22 March 2019

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ted Lieu, Democrat - California: ++ AUDIO ONLY++

"Special Counsel Mueller's investigation was largely centered on Russia. The House Judiciary Committee and other committees were interested in knowing did Donald Trump, his family, his associates commit any crime? Second, did they engage in any ethical misconduct, whether or not it rose to the level of a federal crime? And third how do we explain this to the American people to keep it from happening again?"

Washington - 22 March 2019

11. Wide, tourists walking in front of White House

12. Wide, White House ++NIGHT SHOT++

Within minutes of receiving notification that special counsel Robert Mueller had turned over his report on the Russia investigation, US congressional Democrats were calling for the report to be fully released, including the underlying evidence. They have threatened subpoenas if it is not.

The demands are setting up a potential tug of war between congressional Democrats and US President Donald Trump's administration that federal judges might eventually have to referee.

Six Democratic committee chairmen wrote in a letter to Attorney General William Barr on Friday that if Mueller has any reason to believe that Trump "has engaged in criminal or other serious misconduct," then the Justice Department should not conceal it.

"The president is not above the law and the need for public faith in our democratic institutions and the rule of law must be the priority," the chairmen wrote.

Reacting to the release, Democratic Congressman Ted Lieu, who serves on the Judiciary Committee, told the Associated Press that "the American people paid for this report," adding "both American people and Congress have a right to see the full report. "

Lieu said although the special counsel report focused on Russia, the findings could also be used in a wide array of Judicary Committee investigations.

It's unclear what Mueller has found related to the president, or if any of it would be damning. In his investigation of whether President Donald Trump's campaign coordinated with Russia to sway the 2016 election, Mueller has already brought charges against 34 people, including six aides and advisers to the president, and three companies.

Lawmakers say they need the underlying evidence - including interviews, documents and material turned over to the grand jury - because the Justice Department has maintained that a president cannot be indicted, and also that derogatory information cannot be released about people who have not been charged. So if the investigation did find evidence incriminating against Trump, they may not be able to release it, under their own guidelines.

The Democrats say that it could be tantamount to a cover-up if the department did not let Congress and the public know what they found.

Washington DC - 22 March 2019

1. Wide, exterior view of Department of Justice

Los Angeles - 3 May 2018

2. STILL Rep. Ted Lieu, Democrat - California, Member of House Judiciary Committee

Torrence, California - 22 March 2019

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ted Lieu, Democrat - California: ++ AUDIO ONLY++

"Today is a proud day for America. Despite many attempts by Donald Trump to block this investigation Robert Mueller and his team were able to complete it. The fact that Mueller and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein kept their jobs I think is a strong testament to the vitality and strength of our institutions. This was a Republican led investigation of a Republican president and it was allowed to continue. I think that says a lot about America."

Washington DC - 22 March 2019

4. Wide, exterior view of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office

Torrence, California - 22 March 2019

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ted Lieu, Democrat - California: ++ AUDIO ONLY++

"Now in terms of distribution, the American people paid for this report. It is a matter of intense national interest and under both the separation of powers as well as just general fairness and transparency, both American people and Congress have a right to see the full report."

Washington DC - 22 March 2019

6. Wide, exterior view of Department of Justice ++NIGHT SHOT++

Torrence, California - 22 March 2019

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ted Lieu, Democrat - California: ++ AUDIO ONLY++

"It's hard to know without knowing what's in the actual report. It's also important to understand that because the Department of Justice has taken the position that they won't indict a sitting president then the only other institution that can hold the press accountable is Congress. And we can't do that if we don't see the full report. So, that at every level when you look at it from separation of powers or the functions of both Congress and the special counsel in this case, the different functions we have to see the entire report."

Washington DC - 22 March 2019

8. Wide, people standing in front of White House

9. Close-up protester

Torrence, California - 22 March 2019

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ted Lieu, Democrat - California: ++ AUDIO ONLY++

"Special Counsel Mueller's investigation was largely centered on Russia. The House Judiciary Committee and other committees were interested in knowing did Donald Trump, his family, his associates commit any crime? Second, did they engage in any ethical misconduct, whether or not it rose to the level of a federal crime? And third how do we explain this to the American people to keep it from happening again?"

Washington DC - 22 March 2019

11. Wide, tourists walking in front of White House

12. Wide, White House ++NIGHT SHOT++

President Donald Trump kicked off his reelection campaign Tuesday with a grievance-filled Florida rally that focused more on settling scores than laying out his agenda for the next four years.

Trump spent much of the first portion of his speech attacking the press, the political establishment and Robert Mueller's special counsel investigation into Russian election interferrence.

Trump complained he had been "under assault from the very first day" of his presidency by a "fake news media" and "illegal witch hunt" that had tried to keep him and his supporters down.

And he painted a disturbing picture of what life would look like if he loses in 2020, accusing his critics of "un-American conduct" and telling the crowd that Democrats "want to destroy you and they want to destroy our country as we know it."

The apocalyptic language and finger-pointing made clear that Trump's 2020 campaign is likely to look a whole lot like his improbably successful runs four years ago.

And he appeared eager for a re-run of 2016, spending considerable time focused on his former Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, who elicited ""Lock her up!" chants, even though she is not on the ballot.

Orlando, Florida - 18 June 2019

1. Wide shot of Trump on stage at rally

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

"For the last two and a half years. We have been under siege.  And with the Mueller report we won and now they want a do over. They want a do over. Let's do it again. Didn't work out too well. Let's do it again. They want to do over."

3. Cutaway of Trump supporters

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

"We went through the greatest witch hunt in political history. The only collusion was committed by the Democrats, the fake news media and their operatives and the people who funded the phony dossier, crooked Hillary Clinton and the DNC. It was all an illegal attempt to overturn the results of the election, spy on our campaign which is what they did and subvert our democracy. Remember the insurance policy just in case Hillary Clinton lost, remember the insurance policy."

5. Cutaway of Trump supporters chanting "Lock her up..."

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

"After two years, one point four million pages of documents, five hundred search warrants, five hundred witnesses, two thousand eight hundred subpoenas and 40 FBI agents working round the clock, what did they come up with? No collusion and the facts that led our great attorney general to determine no obstruction. No collusion, no obstruction and they spent 40 million dollars on this witch hunt, 40 million dollars."

7. Wide shot of Trump speaking

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

"The Democrats don't care about Russia. They only care about their own political power. They went after my family, my business, my finances, my employees almost everyone that I've ever known or worked with but they are really going after you, that's what it's all about. They tried to erase your vote, erase your legacy of the greatest campaign and the greatest election probably in the history of our country. And they wanted to deny you the future that you demanded and the future that America deserves and that now America is getting. Our radical Democrat opponents are driven by hatred, prejudice and rage. They want to destroy you and they want to destroy our country as we know it. Not acceptable. It's not going to happen."

9.  Cutaway of Trump supporters applauding

US President Donald Trump kicked off his reelection campaign Tuesday with a grievance-filled Florida rally that focused more on settling scores than laying out his agenda for the next four years.

Trump spent much of the first portion of his speech attacking the press, the political establishment and Robert Mueller's special counsel investigation into Russian election interference.

Trump complained he had been "under assault from the very first day" of his presidency by a "fake news media" and "illegal witch hunt" that had tried to keep him and his supporters down.

And he painted a disturbing picture of what life would look like if he loses in 2020, accusing his critics of "un-American conduct" and telling the crowd that Democrats "want to destroy you and they want to destroy our country as we know it."

The apocalyptic language and finger-pointing made clear that Trump's 2020 campaign is likely to look a whole lot like his improbably successful runs four years ago.

And he appeared eager for a re-run of 2016, spending considerable time focused on his former Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, who elicited ""Lock her up!" chants, even though she is not on the ballot.

Orlando, Florida - 18 June 2019

1. Wide shot of Trump on stage at rally

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

"For the last two and a half years. We have been under siege. And with the Mueller report we won and now they want a do over. They want a do over. Let's do it again. Didn't work out too well. Let's do it again. They want to do over."

3. Cutaway of Trump supporters

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

"We went through the greatest witch hunt in political history. The only collusion was committed by the Democrats, the fake news media and their operatives and the people who funded the phony dossier, crooked Hillary Clinton and the DNC. It was all an illegal attempt to overturn the results of the election, spy on our campaign which is what they did and subvert our democracy. Remember the insurance policy just in case Hillary Clinton lost, remember the insurance policy."

5. Cutaway of Trump supporters chanting "Lock her up..."

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

"After two years, one point four million pages of documents, five hundred search warrants, five hundred witnesses, two thousand eight hundred subpoenas and 40 FBI agents working round the clock, what did they come up with? No collusion and the facts that led our great attorney general to determine no obstruction. No collusion, no obstruction and they spent 40 million dollars on this witch hunt, 40 million dollars."

7. Wide shot of Trump speaking

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

"The Democrats don't care about Russia. They only care about their own political power. They went after my family, my business, my finances, my employees almost everyone that I've ever known or worked with but they are really going after you, that's what it's all about. They tried to erase your vote, erase your legacy of the greatest campaign and the greatest election probably in the history of our country. And they wanted to deny you the future that you demanded and the future that America deserves and that now America is getting. Our radical Democrat opponents are driven by hatred, prejudice and rage. They want to destroy you and they want to destroy our country as we know it. Not acceptable. It's not going to happen."

9. Cutaway of Trump supporters applauding

Robert Mueller has been given sweeping power to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential campaign, an acknowledgment of growing public demands to place the politically charged inquiry into the hands of an outside investigator with bipartisan respect.

Senate Democrats reacted with virtually unanimous applause Thursday morning.

"Well, it's like a breath of fresh air has come into this week long saga in that I think he is someone that has support on both sides of the aisle," said Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.

"You've got to have somebody of integrity, I think Bob Mueller does have that," said Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont.

The former FBI director has a broad mandate that could encompass any questionable actions of President Donald Trump's associates and possibly even the circumstances of last week's abrupt firing of James Comey.

As special counsel, Mueller will direct an FBI counterintelligence investigation examining whether Russia coordinated with Trump campaign associates to influence the election in his behalf.

He is entitled to a budget, can request new or additional staff and will have the same authority as high-ranking Justice Department lawyers, including the ability to prosecute any crimes he uncovers.

Washington, DC - 18 May 2017

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK++

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Joe Manchin, (D) West Virginia

"It's the first time I have had my phone light up last night right after six o'clock. My friends on both sides of the aisle were very impressed with this appointment. I think it basically shows we can rise above any cloud that's thrown on us in Washington."

++BLACK FRAMES++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Ron Wyden, (D) Oregon

"Bob Mueller and I have certainly had differences of opinion, particularly with my concern with the government's authority to do surveillance on law abiding Americans, but I do consider him to be a professional and an honorable man."

++BLACK FRAMES++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Dianne Feinstein, (D) California

"He's a very good attorney. He's a very diligent person. He's a wonderful man, and I think he will be a superior independent counsel."

++BLACK FRAMES++

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Pat Leahy, (D) Vermont

"You've got to have somebody of integrity, I think Bob Mueller does have that. I've known him for years. I worked with him both when I was chairman and as ranking member of the Judiciary Committee. I think Bob Mueller is a good choice."

++BLACK FRAMES++

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Richard Blumenthal, (D) Connecticut

"I'm very confident that Bob Mueller will do the right thing here, follow the evidence wherever it might lead. There is mounting evidence of obstruction of justice and impropriety and illegality that preceded this administration and may have continued while it's in power."

++BLACK FRAMES++

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Amy Klobuchar, (D) Minnesota

"Well, it's like a breath of fresh air has come into this week-long saga in that I think he is someone that has support on both sides of the aisle. You've heard barely a complaint about him which is quite unique. I got to work with him some because he was in the middle of an investigation of terrorist recruitment in Minnesota of people who were trying to join al-Shabab. I was really impressed with his work then, and I continue to be impressed by him."

++ENDS ON A SOUNDBITE++

They've got the keys to the offices, new paint inside, and parties to attend. But on January 3rd 2019, the work begins when 535 members of the new 116th US Congress solemnly swear to govern the divided nation.

Instantly, the new Congress will make history for seating a record number of women and becoming the most racially and ethnically diverse.

Republicans will take more seats in the Senate, while Democrats will grab control of the House.

Newly-elected Congresswoman from California, Katie Hill, said it reflected the "changing face of Congress", calling it "a new generation".

Immediately, they'll all be faced with resolving a stand-off over money and immigration that has shut much of the US government and vexed their predecessors.

***

On january 4th US President Donald Trump reacted to a freshman Democratic congresswoman's diatribe predicting his impeachment while using a vulgarity, by saying "You can't impeach somebody doing a great job." He also said the lawmaker, Rashida Tlaib, "dishonoured herself and dishonoured her family."

A few hours after taking her seat in Congress, newly elected Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan riled up a supportive crowd by calling the president a profanity and predicting that he will be removed from office.

"I thought is was highly disrespectful to the United States of America," the president said.

While many Democrats might favor impeachment, those calling for it now are largely outliers.

***

On January 4th U.S. President Donald Trump says he's considered using executive authority to get a wall built on the southern border.

Trump told reporters that he could officially declare a national emergency to build a border wall but wants to try to negotiate a border wall with Congress.

Trump said: "I can do it if I want. We can call a national emergency. I may do it."

He says he thinks the standoff over the border wall, which has resulted in a partial government shutdown, is going to be over sooner than people think.

In response to reporters questions about reports that members of the President's senior political team are poised to receive a $10,000 pay raise, because the government shutdown allows an existing pay freeze to lapse, Vice President Mike Pence indicated he would turn it down.

***

US federal employees in North Carolina took their anger to the streets, holding banners and chanting "No paychecks, no peace," demonstrating across Raleigh on January 11th.

Paychecks with zeroes on them began reaching federal workers on Friday, becoming the most tangible and painful sign yet of a three-week government shutdown that has paralyzed Washington and was all but assured to become the longest in US history.

Meanwhile, Miami International Airport is closing a terminal this weekend because Transport Security Administration's (TSA) security screeners have been calling out sick at twice the normal rate.

Airport spokesman Greg Chin said there's a concern there won't be enough workers to handle all 11 checkpoints during normal hours over the weekend.

The terminal serves United Airlines, along with smaller carriers.

Its closure means restaurants and shops that depend on departing flights will also close.

Terminal G's flights will be diverted to other terminals over the weekend.

But Chin said that if the shutdown continued and additional screeners don't show up for work, the airport could be forced to close a security checkpoint at terminals that have multiple entry points.

***

U.S. President Donald Trump says he will do an "alternative" event since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has blocked him from giving his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress.

Trump at the White House January 23rd said that the cancellation was a "disgrace."

He did not detail his next move, saying: "we will be announcing what we're doing."

The California Democrat told Trump in a letter Wednesday the Democratic-controlled House won't pass the required measure for him to give the nationally televised speech from the House floor.

Trump said he was planning a "really important speech" and called Pelosi's move a "great blotch on the country that we all love."

He argued Pelosi was blocking him because she doesn't want to hear "the truth" about border security.

***

Democrats are moving quickly to try to roll back President Donald Trump's declaration of a national emergency to siphon billions of dollars from the military to fund construction of a fence along the U.S.-Mexico border.

A vote planned for February 26th in the House aims to revoke Trump's executive order from earlier in February.

The bill will likely pass in the Democratic-controlled House, and would be sent it to the Republican-held Senate, where it would take only a handful of GOP defections to pass it.

Democratic leaders said February 25th that the vote is not about the merits of Trump's wall; instead they say Trump is trampling on the Constitution by grabbing money that he can't obtain through normal means.

"But this isn't about the border, this is about the Constitution of the United States. This is not about politics. It's not about partisanship. It's about patriotism," said Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Monday.

The vote could be challenging for GOP lawmakers who view themselves as conservative protectors of the Constitution and the powers of the federal purse that are reserved for Congress.

But GOP vote counters are confident tally won't get near two thirds that would overturn a Trump veto.

Either way, Trump is likely to prevail in the end since he could use his first-ever veto to kill the measure if it gets sent to him, but the White House is seeking to minimize defections among the president's GOP allies to avoid embarrassment.

***

President Donald Trump reiterated how great he believes the findings from the Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation is and the "Republican party will soon be the party of health care."

Trump's comments came on March 26th as he was heading into a Senate Republican Policy lunch on Capitol Hill.

The President says he doesn't believe any Democrats are talking about 'impeachment' any longer.

"We have the greatest economy we ever had and our country is in incredible shape," said Trump.

"They and others created a fraud on our country, it was ridiculous as you are aware, and proven very strongly no collusion, no obstruction, no nothing. We are doing so well, we've never probably had a time of prosperity like this, it's been great."

The Trump administration has told a federal appeals court it wants the entire Affordable Care Act struck down, an outcome that could leave millions uninsured and reignite a winning political issue for Democrats.

The administration, in a terse filing March 25th with the court in New Orleans, said it agrees that former President Barack Obama's health care law should be declared unconstitutional after Congress repealed one part of it - unpopular fines on people who remain uninsured.

That position is at odds with previous statements by leading congressional Republicans who said they did not intend to repeal other parts of the law when they cut out its fines, effective this year.

It's also a departure from the administration's earlier stance in a lower court, where it had argued that only federal protections for people with pre-existing medical conditions and limits on premiums charged to older, sicker people should be struck down.

The president's response was "let me just tell you exactly what my message is, the Republican party will soon be known as party of health care you watch."

02:08:22

00:00:00

New look US House gets to work in Washington

4189313

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington DC - 3 January 2018

1. Representative Rashida Tlaib, Democrat, Minnesota, posing for pictures

00:06:11

Trump: 'Can't impeach somebody doing a great job'

4189484

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 4 January 2018

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, US President

(Reporter)"If you could comment on the remarks made by a freshman congressperson about impeachment and following a bit of a profanity last night.

(President Trump) Well, you can't impeach somebody that's doing a great job. That's the way I view it. I've probably done more in the first two years than any president, any administration in the history of our country.

00:28:17

Trump says he could use executive power on wall

4189491

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 4 January 2018

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

Yes, I have and I can do it if I want.

Reporter: So you don't need Congressional approval to build the wall?

No, we can use them. Absolutely we can use them. We can call a national emergency because of the security of our country. Absolutely. No, we can do it. I haven't done it. I may do it. I may do it.

00:42:19

Protests and closures across the US amid shutdown

4190647

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Raleigh, North Carolina - 11 January 2019

4. Protesters holding banners and chanting "No paychecks, no peace"

00:47:20

Trump: State of Union cancellation a 'disgrace'

4192528

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 23 January 2019

5. Mid, Donald Trump in Cabinet Room

6. SOUND BITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

"The State of the Union speech has been canceled by Nancy Pelosi, because she doesn't want to hear the truth. She doesn't want the American public to hear what is going on and she is afraid of the truth and the super-left Democrats, the radical Democrats, what is going on in that party is shocking

01:08:14

House Democrats slam Trump border declaration

4198061

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 25 February 2019

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the US House of Representatives:

"But this isn't about the border, this is about the Constitution of the United States. This is not about politics. It's not about partisanship.It's about patriotism. And so, again, once we pass this resolution, we will send it over to the Senate. All members, as I say, have taken the oath of office. We would be delinquent in our duties if we did not resist -- we did not fight back and to overturn the president's declaration."

01:42:12

Trump talks Mueller probe on Capitol Hill

4202926

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington DC - 26 March 2019

++AUDIO QUALITY AS INCOMING++

8. SOUNDBITE (English) President Donald Trump:

"I don't think they are talking about impeachment. We have the greatest economy we ever had and our country is in incredible shape, they and others created a fraud on our country, which is ridiculous where it was proven very strongly no collusion, no obstruction, no nothing. We are doing so well, we've never probably had a time of prosperity like this, it's been great."

Robert Mueller's testimony before Congress will depend not so much on what he says, but that he's even saying it at all.

For Democrats, the special counsel's appearance Wednesday creates a moment many have been waiting for: Mueller finally speaking out, piercing the public consciousness about President Donald Trump's response to the Russia investigation and whether anything should be done about it.

The political stakes are high for Trump, but also for Democrats, who have spent the past two years pushing toward this day. As public attention has drifted and views have hardened, Democrats are counting on Americans hearing what most have not likely read - the stunning findings of Mueller's 448-page report .

Yet there's a real possibility that Mueller may not bring clarity.

It took months to negotiate his appearance before Congress and he has been reluctant to speak beyond what he and his team wrote. Few bombshells are expected. As the House Judiciary Committee and the House Intelligence Committee gavel in, the buttoned-down prosecutor, once envisioned as a trusted last word, may deliver just-the-facts responses that leave more questions than answers.

Rather than galvanizing public opinion and the questions of impeachment, Mueller's reluctant appearance may become just another chapter in the Trump era that won't be closed until the 2020 election.

Trump tried to project a lack of interest, claiming he will not tune in to Wednesday's hourslong hearings.

POOL

Washington - 29 May 2019

1. Robert Mueller walks into Justice Department briefing room

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 22 July 2019

2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press Reporter:

"Democrats have been trying to get Robert Mueller in ever since he issued his report, the Mueller Report in April, and they really think that they just need to get him in front of the American people to explain what he found because they think that Americans haven't read the Mueller Report."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - Recent

3. Various exteriors of Judiciary Committee Hearing room

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 22 July 2019

4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press Reporter:

"There's going to be two hearings back to back. The first will be the Judiciary hearing, which is much larger, for three hours and then the House Intelligence Committee, which is smaller, for two hours. And they'll be on different subjects, mostly, although they'll obviously intersect somewhat. The Judiciary Committee will be looking more at obstruction of justice and that portion of the report, which is Volume 2 of Mueller's report and the Intelligence Committee will be looking at Russia, the Russian contacts, which was volume 1 of the report."

POOL

Washington - 29 May 2019

5. Mueller speaking at Justice Department

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 22 July 2019

6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press Reporter:

"I think one major point of questioning on both sides is going to be the fact that Mueller has essentially said that the President cannot be indicted. And so Democrats are going to try to get him to say you know what how important that decision was and when he made it. Republicans are really interested in the timeline of that, when did he decide that the president couldn't be indicted because some of them will try to make an argument that the investigation should have just been fully shut down if they decided that the president couldn't indict, couldn't be indicted. So I think that will be a major point of questioning on on both sides and I think the Democrats will use it to try to show well he did all these things that if he had been a private citizen he would have been indicted for obstruction of justice. Mueller is unlikely to say that but that would be sort of their ideal scenario that he would."

7. Various of President Donald Trump discussing upcoming Mueller hearings

8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press Reporter:

"Mueller is sort of a longtime -- he's a by-the-book guy. He's not a very animated witness. I think people who've watched his previous testimony, he's testified dozens of times on the Hill as FBI director and just over the years, he's not a very loquacious guy. No one is expecting him to go on and on. There might be a lot of yes and no answers. He was very reluctant to testify. He gave a press conference in May in which he really basically said I don't want to testify. I'm not going to say anything beyond what, what you already know. So it will be interesting to watch how Mueller reacts to what is going to be very animated questioning and a lot of very well prepared questions designed to get information out of him."

POOL

Washington - 10 June 2019

9. Various of House Judiciary Commitee Chairman Rep. Jerrold Nadler

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 22 July 2019

10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press Reporter:

"More than 80 Democrats have called to open an impeachment inquiry just to hold hearings on impeachment for Donald Trump. Democrats who support that effort are hoping to see more of those calls after this hearing. Nancy Pelosi so far has said that she is not interested for now in impeachment. So it's unclear if this hearing will change that dynamic. Some Democrats are really hoping that it will."

POOL

Washington - 10 June 2019

11. Various of Nadler

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 22 July 2019

12. SOUNDBITE: (English) Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press Reporter:

"What Democrats hope is that they're bringing the report into the American consciousness and that they get people to to see what they see, which is egregious behavior on behalf of the president. Republicans are hoping that this all just goes away, that this is the final chapter in the Mueller Report. I think it remains to be seen. As I said I think that when they go back for August recess, we'll see how the American people respond. Are they going to pressure their lawmakers to move for impeachment or to do more than they're currently doing? I think all of that remains to be seen and I think Nancy Pelosi who really controls a lot of this will be watching all of that."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - June 21 2019

13. Various of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Democrats grappled Monday with special counsel Robert Mueller's findings, holding strategy sessions as Republicans gleefully called for them to "move on."

President Donald Trump accused those responsible for launching Mueller's Russia probe of "treasonous things against our country" and said they "certainly will be looked into."

Trump also said the release of Mueller's full report "wouldn't bother me at all" as the Democrats clamored for the Justice Department to release the entire document and not just Sunday's four-page summary from Attorney General William Barr.

"I've said all along that we would accept whatever conclusions he reaches as a prosecutor, said Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.

"I've also said that there is a big difference between whether there is evidence of collusion, and I think that evidence is in plain sight, and whether you can establish a proof beyond reasonable doubt of a criminal conspiracy."

Schiff said his committee's investigation has focused on counterintelligence issues and particularly whether the president or anyone around him is somehow compromised.

"That work has to go on," Schiff said.   

Republicans disagree.

"I don't see the Democrats getting over this right now because they wanted impeachment from the beginning," said Rep. Steve Scalise of Alabama.

"I think the Democrats have way overstepped and overplayed this," he said.

Washington, DC - 25 March 2019

+++AUDIO AND VIDEO AS INCOMING+++

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Adam Schiff, (D) California, Chairman House

"I've said all along that we would accept whatever conclusions he reaches as a prosecutor. I've also said that there is a big difference between whether there is evidence of collusion, and I think that evidence is in plain sight, and whether you can establish a proof beyond reasonable doubt of a criminal conspiracy. And I accept his conclusion that he could not. I do want to say with respect to the obstruction part, as well, that what troubles me the most about that is that you have an attorney general who applied for the job by talking down any potential obstruction conviction or indictment, who then went to a Senate confirmation,and refused to recuse himself. I don't think under those circumstances he should ever have been confirmed. But he has now done the job he applied for which is attempt to exonerate Mr. Trump, when Mr. Mueller said no exoneration was in order. That ought to deeply concern people; that someone was hand-picked for the purpose and executed that purpose. That does not I think tend to enhance the credibility of the Justice Department."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Adam Schiff, (D) California, Chairman House

Our investigation has always focused on counterintelligence issues; that is is the president or anyone around him compromised in some way. That work has to go on. We have yet to be briefed on the counterintelligence findings of Bob Mueller. That was not a part of his memo or report, and it was certainly not mentioned even at all by Attorney General Barr. As you know this began as a counterintelligence investigation, not only by the FBI, but by our committee as well. Those issues go to whether people are acting as an agent of a foreign power either wittingly or unwittingly. We need to look at for example the financial issues. Was the present driven during the campaign and to this day by financial interests in consummating a lucrative real estate deal, Moscow Trump Tower? Or for any other illicit purpose. That work has to go on and we're committed to doing our oversight until we get answers."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Adam Schiff, (D) California, Chairman House

"Right now, our focus is on figuring out when do we bring in Barr. Is it going to be necessary now to bring in Mueller or Wray (FBI Director Christopher Wray) or others? We're particularly interested in our committee on the counterintelligence findings. But that's our focus right now. We will use the Mueller Report and the underlying evidence when we obtain it to make decisions about the focus of our investigation. I'm circumspect about our ability on the two areas that Mueller looked at involving the Russians, that is the social media campaign as well as the hacking operation. I'm circumspect about how much more we can find than someone armed with the kind of resources Bob Mueller did. We're going to look and see what issues did he look at what issues did you not look at. In particular we have profound questions about whether he looked at any of the financial interests--issues and even if they didn't rise to the issue of a crime, it nonetheless could pose a grave to compromise our national security."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Adam Schiff, (D) California, Chairman House

"I certainly accept the finding that he could not establish proof beyond a reasonable doubt of a criminal conspiracy but if there are interactions between the president, his family, his campaign people and the Russians that are compromising, we are going to look to the Mueller Report to find out what he established. There are a lot of open questions. Why did the Russians offer dirt on Hillary Clinton? Why did the president's son say that he would love to have that help? Why did they set up a meeting at Trump Tower? Why did they keep it secret? Why did they lie about it? Why did the campaign chairman provide polling data for someone linked to Russian intelligence? Why did Roger Stone reach out to the GRU you through Gusifer 2? Why did the president ever reach out to Roger Stone? Well, these answers--these questions have not been answered by the summary we got from Bill Barr. I would hope that there are answers in the Mueller Report. Now those answers I would imagine don't amount to proof beyond a reasonable doubt of a crime but they are concerning nonetheless particularly as they shed light on whether there is any form of compromise of these individuals. So we're going to try to figure out answers. (Reporter) Republicans say you should step down. (Schiff) I'm more than used to attacks by my GOP colleagues and I would expect nothing less. (Reporters) Thank you. Appreciate it."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Rep. Steve Scalise, (R) Alabama

"I think the Democrats have way overstepped and overplayed this. They tried to mislead the American people to think the president was somehow going to be removed and was colluding with a foreign country, and it wasn't true. It didn't happen. Now, it's time for them to get over it, but they won't get over it. I don't see the Democrats getting over this right now because they wanted impeachment from the beginning. They wanted to overturn the results of the 2016 election. That was what a lot of this was rooted in. I think that's what angers the American people the most. We've got big problems we need to be focused on. And when Nancy Pelosi and her new majority ran, saying give us these gavels to be chairmen, they didn't do it under the guise of harassing the president and his family everyday. And yet that's all they continue to do, even after it's turned out there was no collusion."

6. Scalise walking down stairway

US Democrats grappled on Monday with special counsel Robert Mueller's findings, holding strategy sessions as Republicans gleefully called for them to "move on".

US President Donald Trump accused those responsible for launching Mueller's Russia probe of "treasonous things against our country" and said they "certainly will be looked into".

Trump also said the release of Mueller's full report "wouldn't bother me at all" as the Democrats clamored for the US Justice Department to release the entire document and not just Sunday's four-page summary from Attorney General William Barr.

House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff said his committee's investigation had focused on counter-intelligence issues and particularly whether the president, or anyone around him, was somehow compromised.

"That work has to go on," Schiff said, but Republicans disagreed.

"I don't see the Democrats getting over this right now because they wanted impeachment from the beginning," said Rep. Steve Scalise of Alabama.

"I think the Democrats have way overstepped and overplayed this," he said.

Washington, DC - 25 March 2019

+++AUDIO AND VIDEO AS INCOMING+++

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Adam Schiff, (D) California, Chairman House:

"I've said all along that we would accept whatever conclusions he reaches as a prosecutor. I've also said that there is a big difference between whether there is evidence of collusion, and I think that evidence is in plain sight, and whether you can establish a proof beyond reasonable doubt of a criminal conspiracy. And I accept his conclusion that he could not. I do want to say with respect to the obstruction part, as well, that what troubles me the most about that is that you have an attorney general who applied for the job by talking down any potential obstruction conviction or indictment, who then went to a Senate confirmation,and refused to recuse himself. I don't think under those circumstances he should ever have been confirmed. But he has now done the job he applied for which is attempt to exonerate Mr. Trump, when Mr. Mueller said no exoneration was in order. That ought to deeply concern people; that someone was hand-picked for the purpose and executed that purpose. That does not I think tend to enhance the credibility of the Justice Department."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Adam Schiff, (D) California, Chairman House:

Our investigation has always focused on counterintelligence issues; that is is the president or anyone around him compromised in some way. That work has to go on. We have yet to be briefed on the counterintelligence findings of Bob Mueller. That was not a part of his memo or report, and it was certainly not mentioned even at all by Attorney General Barr. As you know this began as a counterintelligence investigation, not only by the FBI, but by our committee as well. Those issues go to whether people are acting as an agent of a foreign power either wittingly or unwittingly. We need to look at for example the financial issues. Was the present driven during the campaign and to this day by financial interests in consummating a lucrative real estate deal, Moscow Trump Tower? Or for any other illicit purpose. That work has to go on and we're committed to doing our oversight until we get answers."

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3. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Adam Schiff, (D) California, Chairman House:

"Right now, our focus is on figuring out when do we bring in Barr. Is it going to be necessary now to bring in Mueller or Wray (FBI Director Christopher Wray) or others? We're particularly interested in our committee on the counterintelligence findings. But that's our focus right now. We will use the Mueller Report and the underlying evidence when we obtain it to make decisions about the focus of our investigation. I'm circumspect about our ability on the two areas that Mueller looked at involving the Russians, that is the social media campaign as well as the hacking operation. I'm circumspect about how much more we can find than someone armed with the kind of resources Bob Mueller did. We're going to look and see what issues did he look at what issues did you not look at. In particular we have profound questions about whether he looked at any of the financial interests--issues and even if they didn't rise to the issue of a crime, it nonetheless could pose a grave to compromise our national security."

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4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Adam Schiff, (D) California, Chairman House:

"I certainly accept the finding that he could not establish proof beyond a reasonable doubt of a criminal conspiracy but if there are interactions between the president, his family, his campaign people and the Russians that are compromising, we are going to look to the Mueller Report to find out what he established. There are a lot of open questions. Why did the Russians offer dirt on Hillary Clinton? Why did the president's son say that he would love to have that help? Why did they set up a meeting at Trump Tower? Why did they keep it secret? Why did they lie about it? Why did the campaign chairman provide polling data for someone linked to Russian intelligence? Why did Roger Stone reach out to the GRU you through Gusifer 2? Why did the president ever reach out to Roger Stone? Well, these answers--these questions have not been answered by the summary we got from Bill Barr. I would hope that there are answers in the Mueller Report. Now those answers I would imagine don't amount to proof beyond a reasonable doubt of a crime but they are concerning nonetheless particularly as they shed light on whether there is any form of compromise of these individuals. So we're going to try to figure out answers. (Reporter) Republicans say you should step down. (Schiff) I'm more than used to attacks by my GOP colleagues and I would expect nothing less. (Reporters) Thank you. Appreciate it."

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5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Rep. Steve Scalise, (R) Alabama:

"I think the Democrats have way overstepped and overplayed this. They tried to mislead the American people to think the president was somehow going to be removed and was colluding with a foreign country, and it wasn't true. It didn't happen. Now, it's time for them to get over it, but they won't get over it. I don't see the Democrats getting over this right now because they wanted impeachment from the beginning. They wanted to overturn the results of the 2016 election. That was what a lot of this was rooted in. I think that's what angers the American people the most. We've got big problems we need to be focused on. And when Nancy Pelosi and her new majority ran, saying give us these gavels to be chairmen, they didn't do it under the guise of harassing the president and his family everyday. And yet that's all they continue to do, even after it's turned out there was no collusion."

6. Scalise walking down stairs