RESTRICTION SUMMARY: AP CLIENTS ONLY

SHOTLIST:

U.S. HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 19 April 2019

1. STILL IMAGES -  Various pages of House Judiciary Committee issued subpoena

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 19 April 2019

2. Wide of people reading newspaper headlines at Washington's Newseum

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

"The report really paints a damning picture of the Trump presidency. It shows a president who was consumed by the Mueller investigation. Someone who tried to get his top advisers to lie or obfuscate on his behalf and who really was trying to interfere with the Mueller investigation and actually only was blocked by his own - by his own team who either refused to carry out some of his orders or simply just let them fall by the wayside."

4. Various newspaper headlines on Mueller's report

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

"Ultimately Mueller did not find that, did not decide to go forward with criminal charges against Trump or some of the other figures that were around him at the early stages of his administration or during the campaign. But really when you,  when you put that aside there is a lot in here that really paints a troubling picture of this administration and it turns this into a political question now. That's for Democrats. Democrats have to decide if they want to continue to pursue these investigations, if they want to move forward with impeachment. There are really mixed feelings in the Democratic caucus about that but we now shift from a criminal question to a political question."

6. Medium of people reading displays of newspapers

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

"Certainly the full report the unredacted report will provide us with, with some level of additional information. There are, there are pieces of this report where you can figure out what's probably behind the redactions but then there are some where we really don't know and Democrats and the public have probably or you know feel like they have a right to know what is behind those redactions."

8. Various newspaper headlines on Mueller's report

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

"One of the reasons you're seeing the oversight committees move forward with trying to pursue the full report is they just want to keep the investigations going. It is very unlikely that we will learn something in the unredacted report that will fundamentally change either public opinion or understanding about what happened here. But these committees feel like it is their responsibility. They are the legislative branch. They are a check on the executive branch. They feel like it's their responsibility to push forward, take the next step, get the unredacted report. "

10. Various newspaper headlines on Mueller's report

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

"There are definitely some loud voices in the Democratic caucus that want to move forward on impeachment but we've heard for from the start from Democratic leaders people like Nancy Pelosi that she sees a pretty high bar for, for impeachment hearings. She has said repeatedly that she feels like in order to move forward on impeachment, you have to not only have really solid evidence of an impeachable offense but you also have to be able to bring not just Democrats but also Republicans on board."

DONALD TRUMP VIA TWITTER @REALDONALDTRUMP - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Internet - 19 April 2019

++NOTE GRAPHIC LANGUAGE++

12. @realDonaldTrump Twitter page

13. Donald Trump tweet of a "Game of Thrones" type still image (English) "NO COLLUSION. NO OBSTRUCTION. FOR THE HATERS AND THE RADICAL LEFT DEMOCRATS -- GAME OVER"

14. Donald Trump tweet (English) "...agreed to testify, it was not necessary for me to respond to statements made in the "Report" about me, some of which are total bullshit & only given to make the other person look good (or me to look bad). This was an Illegally Started Hoax that never should have happened, a...

15. Donald Trump tweet (English) "Statements are made about me by certain people in the Crazy Mueller Report, in itself written by 18 Angry Democrat Trump Haters, which are fabricated & totally untrue. Watch out for people that take so-called "notes," when the notes never existed until needed. Because I never...."

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 19 April 2019

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

"The president goes back and forth on this Mueller Report. On the one hand, he wants to argue that the main takeaway was hey I did nothing wrong there was no no collusion, no criminal obstruction. On the other hand, he's keenly aware that the report does paint this really damning picture of his presidency. And so he wants to with all those details out there now he wants to really undermine them. He wants to point fingers at Mueller's team and say they don't have enough credibility to make judgments on me. And then also he wants to cast doubt on the many Trump advisers who talked to Bob Mueller and provided pretty stunning details. He believes based on his track record over the past two years that he, he can undermine the credibility of that report, certainly for his base and perhaps for, for other Americans as well."

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 18 April 2019

17. STILL IMAGE - Pages from Mueller's redacted report

18. President Trump and Melania depart White House

STORYLINE:

The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena Friday for special counsel's Robert Mueller's report as Congress escalates its investigation of President Donald Trump.

"It now falls to Congress to determine the full scope of that alleged misconduct and to decide what steps we must take going forward," said Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y. He expects the Justice Department to comply by May 1.

While Mueller declined to prosecute Trump on obstruction of justice, he did not exonerate the president, all but leaving the question to Congress.

Associated Press Washington Bureau Chief Julia Pace says "Certainly the full report -- the unredacted report will provide us with -- with some level of additional information...there are pieces of this report where you can figure out what's probably behind the redactions but then there are some where we really don't know and Democrats and the public have probably or you know feel like they have a right to know what is behind those redactions."

Mueller's report provides fresh evidence of Trump's interference in the Russia investigation and challenges lawmakers to respond.

The risks for both parties are clear if they duck the responsibility or prolong an inquiry that, rather than coming to a close, may be just beginning.

"My committee needs and is entitled to the full version of the report and the underlying evidence consistent with past practice," Nadler said in a statement.

The materials are due the day Barr is scheduled to testify before a Senate committee and one day before Barr is set to appear before Nadler's committee.

Nadler also has summoned Mueller to testify.

Republicans are eager to move beyond what Trump calls the "witch hunt" that has overshadowed the party and the presidency.

While Democrats say Mueller's findings are far more serious than initially indicated in Barr's four-page summary last month, they've been hesitant to pursue the ultimate step, impeachment proceedings, despite pressure from the left flank of the party to begin efforts to try to remove the president from office.

Pace says "Democrats have to decide if they want to continue to pursue these investigations -- if they want to move forward with impeachment. There are really mixed feelings in the Democratic caucus about that but we now shift from a criminal question to a political question."

===========================================================

Clients are reminded:

(i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com

(ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service

(iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory.

RESTRICTION SUMMARY: AP CLIENTS ONLY

SHOTLIST:

U.S. HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 19 April 2019

1. STILL IMAGES -  Various pages of House Judiciary Committee issued subpoena

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 19 April 2019

2. Wide of people reading newspaper headlines at Washington's Newseum

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

"The report really paints a damning picture of the Trump presidency. It shows a president who was consumed by the Mueller investigation. Someone who tried to get his top advisers to lie or obfuscate on his behalf and who really was trying to interfere with the Mueller investigation and actually only was blocked by his own - by his own team who either refused to carry out some of his orders or simply just let them fall by the wayside."

4. Various newspaper headlines on Mueller's report

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

"Ultimately Mueller did not find that, did not decide to go forward with criminal charges against Trump or some of the other figures that were around him at the early stages of his administration or during the campaign. But really when you,  when you put that aside there is a lot in here that really paints a troubling picture of this administration and it turns this into a political question now. That's for Democrats. Democrats have to decide if they want to continue to pursue these investigations, if they want to move forward with impeachment. There are really mixed feelings in the Democratic caucus about that but we now shift from a criminal question to a political question."

6. Medium of people reading displays of newspapers

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

"Certainly the full report the unredacted report will provide us with, with some level of additional information. There are, there are pieces of this report where you can figure out what's probably behind the redactions but then there are some where we really don't know and Democrats and the public have probably or you know feel like they have a right to know what is behind those redactions."

8. Various newspaper headlines on Mueller's report

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

"One of the reasons you're seeing the oversight committees move forward with trying to pursue the full report is they just want to keep the investigations going. It is very unlikely that we will learn something in the unredacted report that will fundamentally change either public opinion or understanding about what happened here. But these committees feel like it is their responsibility. They are the legislative branch. They are a check on the executive branch. They feel like it's their responsibility to push forward, take the next step, get the unredacted report. "

10. Various newspaper headlines on Mueller's report

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

"There are definitely some loud voices in the Democratic caucus that want to move forward on impeachment but we've heard for from the start from Democratic leaders people like Nancy Pelosi that she sees a pretty high bar for, for impeachment hearings. She has said repeatedly that she feels like in order to move forward on impeachment, you have to not only have really solid evidence of an impeachable offense but you also have to be able to bring not just Democrats but also Republicans on board."

DONALD TRUMP VIA TWITTER @REALDONALDTRUMP - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Internet - 19 April 2019

++NOTE GRAPHIC LANGUAGE++

12. @realDonaldTrump Twitter page

13. Donald Trump tweet of a "Game of Thrones" type still image (English) "NO COLLUSION. NO OBSTRUCTION. FOR THE HATERS AND THE RADICAL LEFT DEMOCRATS -- GAME OVER"

14. Donald Trump tweet (English) "...agreed to testify, it was not necessary for me to respond to statements made in the "Report" about me, some of which are total bullshit & only given to make the other person look good (or me to look bad). This was an Illegally Started Hoax that never should have happened, a...

15. Donald Trump tweet (English) "Statements are made about me by certain people in the Crazy Mueller Report, in itself written by 18 Angry Democrat Trump Haters, which are fabricated & totally untrue. Watch out for people that take so-called "notes," when the notes never existed until needed. Because I never...."

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 19 April 2019

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

"The president goes back and forth on this Mueller Report. On the one hand, he wants to argue that the main takeaway was hey I did nothing wrong there was no no collusion, no criminal obstruction. On the other hand, he's keenly aware that the report does paint this really damning picture of his presidency. And so he wants to with all those details out there now he wants to really undermine them. He wants to point fingers at Mueller's team and say they don't have enough credibility to make judgments on me. And then also he wants to cast doubt on the many Trump advisers who talked to Bob Mueller and provided pretty stunning details. He believes based on his track record over the past two years that he, he can undermine the credibility of that report, certainly for his base and perhaps for, for other Americans as well."

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 18 April 2019

17. STILL IMAGE - Pages from Mueller's redacted report

18. President Trump and Melania depart White House

STORYLINE:

The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena Friday for special counsel's Robert Mueller's report as Congress escalates its investigation of President Donald Trump.

"It now falls to Congress to determine the full scope of that alleged misconduct and to decide what steps we must take going forward," said Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y. He expects the Justice Department to comply by May 1.

While Mueller declined to prosecute Trump on obstruction of justice, he did not exonerate the president, all but leaving the question to Congress.

Associated Press Washington Bureau Chief Julia Pace says "Certainly the full report -- the unredacted report will provide us with -- with some level of additional information...there are pieces of this report where you can figure out what's probably behind the redactions but then there are some where we really don't know and Democrats and the public have probably or you know feel like they have a right to know what is behind those redactions."

Mueller's report provides fresh evidence of Trump's interference in the Russia investigation and challenges lawmakers to respond.

The risks for both parties are clear if they duck the responsibility or prolong an inquiry that, rather than coming to a close, may be just beginning.

"My committee needs and is entitled to the full version of the report and the underlying evidence consistent with past practice," Nadler said in a statement.

The materials are due the day Barr is scheduled to testify before a Senate committee and one day before Barr is set to appear before Nadler's committee.

Nadler also has summoned Mueller to testify.

Republicans are eager to move beyond what Trump calls the "witch hunt" that has overshadowed the party and the presidency.

While Democrats say Mueller's findings are far more serious than initially indicated in Barr's four-page summary last month, they've been hesitant to pursue the ultimate step, impeachment proceedings, despite pressure from the left flank of the party to begin efforts to try to remove the president from office.

Pace says "Democrats have to decide if they want to continue to pursue these investigations -- if they want to move forward with impeachment. There are really mixed feelings in the Democratic caucus about that but we now shift from a criminal question to a political question."

===========================================================

Clients are reminded:

(i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com

(ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service

(iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory.

RESTRICTION SUMMARY: AP CLIENTS ONLY

SHOTLIST:

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 19 April 2019

1. Wide of people reading newspaper headlines at Washington's Newseum (PARTIALLY COVERS UPCOMING SOUNDBITE)

2. Newspaper headlines on Mueller's report (PARTIALLY COVERS UPCOMING SOUNDBITE)

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

"The report really paints a damning picture of the Trump presidency. It shows a president who was consumed by the Mueller investigation. Someone who tried to get his top advisers to lie or obfuscate on his behalf and who really was trying to interfere with the Mueller investigation and actually only was blocked by his own - by his own team who either refused to carry out some of his orders or simply just let them fall by the wayside."

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 18 April 2019

4. STILL IMAGE - Pages from Mueller's redacted report (PARTIALLY COVERS UPCOMING SOUNDBITE)

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 19 April 2019

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

"Ultimately Mueller did not find that, did not decide to go forward with criminal charges against Trump or some of the other figures that were around him at the early stages of his administration or during the campaign. But really when you,  when you put that aside there is a lot in here that really paints a troubling picture of this administration and it turns this into a political question now. That's for Democrats. Democrats have to decide if they want to continue to pursue these investigations, if they want to move forward with impeachment. There are really mixed feelings in the Democratic caucus about that but we now shift from a criminal question to a political question."

ASSOCIATED PRESS /U.S. HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE - AP CLIENTS ONLY

6. STILL IMAGES -  Compilation (PARTIALLY COVERS UPCOMING SOUNDBITE)

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 18 April 2019

Special counsel Robert Mueller's redacted report  and

U.S. HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

Washington - 19 April 2019

Various pages of House Judiciary Committee issued subpoena

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

"Certainly the full report the unredacted report will provide us with, with some level of additional information. There are, there are pieces of this report where you can figure out what's probably behind the redactions but then there are some where we really don't know and Democrats and the public have probably or you know feel like they have a right to know what is behind those redactions."

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 18 April 2019

8. President Trump and Melania depart White House (PARTIALLY COVERS UPCOMING SOUNDBITE)

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 19 April 2019

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

"There are definitely some loud voices in the Democratic caucus that want to move forward on impeachment but we've heard for from the start from Democratic leaders people like Nancy Pelosi that she sees a pretty high bar for, for impeachment hearings. She has said repeatedly that she feels like in order to move forward on impeachment, you have to not only have really solid evidence of an impeachable offense but you also have to be able to bring not just Democrats but also Republicans on board."

DONALD TRUMP VIA TWITTER @REALDONALDTRUMP - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Internet - 19 April 2019

10. @realDonaldTrump Twitter page (PARTIALLY COVERS UPCOMING SOUNDBITE)

11. Donald Trump tweet of a "Game of Thrones" type still image (English) "NO COLLUSION. NO OBSTRUCTION. FOR THE HATERS AND THE RADICAL LEFT DEMOCRATS -- GAME OVER" (PARTIALLY COVERS UPCOMING SOUNDBITE)

12. Donald Trump tweet (English) "Statements are made about me by certain people in the Crazy Mueller Report, in itself written by 18 Angry Democrat Trump Haters, which are fabricated & totally untrue. Watch out for people that take so-called "notes," when the notes never existed until needed. Because I never...." (PARTIALLY COVERS UPCOMING SOUNDBITE)

13. Donald Trump tweet (English) "...agreed to testify, it was not necessary for me to respond to statements made in the "Report" about me, some of which are total bullshit & only given to make the other person look good (or me to look bad). This was an Illegally Started Hoax that never should have happened, a... (PARTIALLY COVERS UPCOMING SOUNDBITE)

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 19 April 2019

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

"The president goes back and forth on this Mueller Report. On the one hand, he wants to argue that the main takeaway was hey I did nothing wrong there was no no collusion, no criminal obstruction. On the other hand, he's keenly aware that the report does paint this really damning picture of his presidency. And so he wants to with all those details out there now he wants to really undermine them. He wants to point fingers at Mueller's team and say they don't have enough credibility to make judgments on me. And then also he wants to cast doubt on the many Trump advisers who talked to Bob Mueller and provided pretty stunning details. He believes based on his track record over the past two years that he, he can undermine the credibility of that report, certainly for his base and perhaps for, for other Americans as well."

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 18 April 2019

15. President Trump and Melania depart White House (PARTIALLY COVERS PREVIOUS SOUNDBITE)

STORYLINE:

The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena Friday for special counsel's Robert Mueller's report as Congress escalates its investigation of President Donald Trump.

"It now falls to Congress to determine the full scope of that alleged misconduct and to decide what steps we must take going forward," said Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y. He expects the Justice Department to comply by May 1.

While Mueller declined to prosecute Trump on obstruction of justice, he did not exonerate the president, all but leaving the question to Congress.

Associated Press Washington Bureau Chief Julia Pace says "Certainly the full report -- the unredacted report will provide us with -- with some level of additional information...there are pieces of this report where you can figure out what's probably behind the redactions but then there are some where we really don't know and Democrats and the public have probably or you know feel like they have a right to know what is behind those redactions."

Mueller's report provides fresh evidence of Trump's interference in the Russia investigation and challenges lawmakers to respond.

The risks for both parties are clear if they duck the responsibility or prolong an inquiry that, rather than coming to a close, may be just beginning.

"My committee needs and is entitled to the full version of the report and the underlying evidence consistent with past practice," Nadler said in a statement.

The materials are due the day Barr is scheduled to testify before a Senate committee and one day before Barr is set to appear before Nadler's committee.

Nadler also has summoned Mueller to testify.

Republicans are eager to move beyond what Trump calls the "witch hunt" that has overshadowed the party and the presidency.

While Democrats say Mueller's findings are far more serious than initially indicated in Barr's four-page summary last month, they've been hesitant to pursue the ultimate step, impeachment proceedings, despite pressure from the left flank of the party to begin efforts to try to remove the president from office.

Pace says "Democrats have to decide if they want to continue to pursue these investigations -- if they want to move forward with impeachment. There are really mixed feelings in the Democratic caucus about that but we now shift from a criminal question to a political question."

===========================================================

Clients are reminded:

(i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com

(ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service

(iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory.

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.'"

The White House says President Donald Trump isn't thinking or talking about firing special counsel Robert Mueller.

That's the word from White House lawyer Ty Cobb in a statement late Sunday after a series of Trump tweets revived chatter that the frustrated president may be preparing to have Mueller fired.

Mueller is investigating whether Trump's actions, including last year's ouster of FBI Director James Comey, amount to obstruction of justice.

Trump believes the probe is biased against him, a point he made clear in weekend tweets that jabbed Mueller directly.

Cobb's statement said the White House confirms yet again that "the President is not considering or discussing the firing of the Special Counsel, Robert Mueller."

But as AP Washington bureau chief Julie Pace explained, Cobb's statement came a day after another of Trump's attorneys, John Dowd, said it was time for Mueller's investigation to end.

"It really just contributed to this atmosphere where there's a lot of uncertainty on whether the president would be willing to make this step," Pace said.

Meanwhile, top congressional Republicans are warning of repercussions if Trump fires Mueller.

South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, said the move would mark "the beginning of the end of his presidency."

But Pace said Republicans have been known to use "tough rhetoric" against the president when they disagree with some of his actions, but there is very little history of follow through on their part.

She said Republicans are meeting behind closed doors this week to discuss how to proceed on protecting the Mueller investigation.

POOL

FILE: Washington, D.C. - 13 June 2013

1. Various of then FBI Director Robert Mueller being sworn in before giving evidence to committee, sitting down

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 19 March 2018

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press Washington Bureau Chief:

"Coming out of this weekend, there are a lot of questions about how President Trump views Bob Mueller's future as the special counsel overseeing the investigation into Russia meddling and also issues like obstruction of justice. The president was really aggressive in his tweets targeting Mueller by name which is something that we haven't really seen him do over the last several months. He will often talk about how this investigation is a witch hunt but he moved a step forward, going after Mueller directly. And this has sparked a lot of concern that the president, following the firing of Andrew McCabe, is feeling emboldened, feeling like the next target is going to be Bob Mueller. And you even saw John Dowd, who's one of the president's lawyers, seemed to fuel that speculation further by saying he thinks that the Mueller investigation should end. Now, John Dowd told the AP that he has not discussed this with the president, that he is not asking for Mueller to be fired immediately. But it really just contributed to this atmosphere where there's a lot of uncertainty on whether the president would be willing to make this step. The weekend ended with a different Trump lawyer, Ty Cobb, saying nothing to see here. The president is not seeking to fire the special counsel."

DONALD TRUMP TWITTER FEED/@realDonaldTrump

Internet - 18 March 2018

3. Screengrab of Donald Trump homepage on Twitter

4. Screengrab of Donald Trump tweets on Mueller investigation

ASSOCIATED PRESS

FILE: Beijing - 30 January 2008

5. FILE video of then-FBI Director Robert Mueller speaking in China

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 19 March 2018

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press Washington Bureau Chief:

"But for Republican law makers in particular, this is a huge moment. Because they have said, repeatedly, that if the president were to try to cross this line to try to remove Bob Mueller from this investigation, that it would cross a red line for them. Lindsey Graham has gone so far as to say it would be the start of the end of Trump's presidency. There are things that Republicans could do legislatively to try to protect the special counsel investigation. So far though they haven't been willing to take that step. It would be a step basically designed to insulate Bob Muller from anything that the president would be willing to do."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 15 March 2018

7. President Trump walking down Capitol steps with House Speaker Paul Ryan and Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 19 March 2018

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press Washington Bureau Chief:

"The president typically will try to test out messages and test out how far he could go with something. And that's some of what it seemed like he was doing this weekend - throwing out the prospect that he might even fire Bob Muller and seeing if Republicans reacted. And when he's done this with Republicans, he's found pretty much the same thing. There will sometimes be some tough rhetoric from GOP leaders, there will sometimes be some veiled criticism of him, but ultimately, they don't really follow through. There have been very few instances where Republicans have really said, 'No Mr. President, we're going to stop you from doing this.' And the president sees that and he he believes that ultimately Republicans will let him do what he wants. That is some of the discussion that's taking place this week among the GOP leadership. Is this different, is the firing of a special counsel who's investigating the White House different than something that the president wants to do on tariffs or even on foreign policy?"

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - Recent

9. House Speaker Paul Ryan at Capitol news conference with Republican leadership

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 19 March 2018

10. President Trump and first lady Melania Trump walking on the South Lawn of the White House

The White House says President Donald Trump isn't thinking or talking about firing special counsel Robert Mueller.

That's the word from White House lawyer Ty Cobb in a statement late Sunday after a series of Trump tweets revived chatter that the frustrated president may be preparing to have Mueller fired.

Mueller is investigating whether Trump's actions, including last year's ouster of FBI Director James Comey, amount to obstruction of justice.

Trump believes the probe is biased against him, a point he made clear in weekend tweets that jabbed Mueller directly.

Cobb's statement said the White House confirms yet again that "the President is not considering or discussing the firing of the Special Counsel, Robert Mueller."

But as AP Washington bureau chief Julie Pace explained, Cobb's statement came a day after another of Trump's attorneys, John Dowd, said it was time for Mueller's investigation to end.

"It really just contributed to this atmosphere where there's a lot of uncertainty on whether the president would be willing to make this step," Pace said.

Meanwhile, top congressional Republicans are warning of repercussions if Trump fires Mueller.

South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, said the move would mark "the beginning of the end of his presidency."

But Pace said Republicans have been known to use "tough rhetoric" against the president when they disagree with some of his actions, but there is very little history of follow through on their part.

She said Republicans are meeting behind closed doors this week to discuss how to proceed on protecting the Mueller investigation.

POOL

FILE: Washington, D.C. - 13 June 2013

1. Various of then FBI Director Robert Mueller being sworn in before giving evidence to committee, sitting down

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 19 March 2018

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press Washington Bureau Chief:

"Coming out of this weekend, there are a lot of questions about how President Trump views Bob Mueller's future as the special counsel overseeing the investigation into Russia meddling and also issues like obstruction of justice. The president was really aggressive in his tweets targeting Mueller by name which is something that we haven't really seen him do over the last several months. He will often talk about how this investigation is a witch hunt but he moved a step forward, going after Mueller directly. And this has sparked a lot of concern that the president, following the firing of Andrew McCabe, is feeling emboldened, feeling like the next target is going to be Bob Mueller. And you even saw John Dowd, who's one of the president's lawyers, seemed to fuel that speculation further by saying he thinks that the Mueller investigation should end. Now, John Dowd told the AP that he has not discussed this with the president, that he is not asking for Mueller to be fired immediately. But it really just contributed to this atmosphere where there's a lot of uncertainty on whether the president would be willing to make this step. The weekend ended with a different Trump lawyer, Ty Cobb, saying nothing to see here. The president is not seeking to fire the special counsel."

DONALD TRUMP TWITTER FEED/@realDonaldTrump

Internet - 18 March 2018

3. Screengrab of Donald Trump homepage on Twitter

4. Screengrab of Donald Trump tweets on Mueller investigation

ASSOCIATED PRESS

FILE: Beijing - 30 January 2008

5. FILE video of then-FBI Director Robert Mueller speaking in China

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 19 March 2018

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press Washington Bureau Chief:

"But for Republican law makers in particular, this is a huge moment. Because they have said, repeatedly, that if the president were to try to cross this line to try to remove Bob Mueller from this investigation, that it would cross a red line for them. Lindsey Graham has gone so far as to say it would be the start of the end of Trump's presidency. There are things that Republicans could do legislatively to try to protect the special counsel investigation. So far though they haven't been willing to take that step. It would be a step basically designed to insulate Bob Muller from anything that the president would be willing to do."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 15 March 2018

7. President Trump walking down Capitol steps with House Speaker Paul Ryan and Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 19 March 2018

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press Washington Bureau Chief:

"The president typically will try to test out messages and test out how far he could go with something. And that's some of what it seemed like he was doing this weekend - throwing out the prospect that he might even fire Bob Muller and seeing if Republicans reacted. And when he's done this with Republicans, he's found pretty much the same thing. There will sometimes be some tough rhetoric from GOP leaders, there will sometimes be some veiled criticism of him, but ultimately, they don't really follow through. There have been very few instances where Republicans have really said, 'No Mr. President, we're going to stop you from doing this.' And the president sees that and he he believes that ultimately Republicans will let him do what he wants. That is some of the discussion that's taking place this week among the GOP leadership. Is this different, is the firing of a special counsel who's investigating the White House different than something that the president wants to do on tariffs or even on foreign policy?"

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - Recent

9. House Speaker Paul Ryan at Capitol news conference with Republican leadership

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 19 March 2018

10. President Trump and first lady Melania Trump walking on the South Lawn of the White House

The White House says President Donald Trump isn't thinking or talking about firing special counsel Robert Mueller.

That's the word from White House lawyer Ty Cobb in a statement late Sunday after a series of Trump tweets revived chatter that the frustrated president may be preparing to have Mueller fired.

Mueller is investigating whether Trump's actions, including last year's ouster of FBI Director James Comey, amount to obstruction of justice.

Trump believes the probe is biased against him, a point he made clear in weekend tweets that jabbed Mueller directly.

Cobb's statement said the White House confirms yet again that  "the President is not considering or discussing the firing of the Special Counsel, Robert Mueller."

But as AP Washington bureau chief Julie Pace explained, Cobb's statement came a day after another of Trump's attorneys, John Dowd, said it was time for Mueller's investigation to end.

"It really just contributed to this atmosphere where there's a lot of uncertainty on whether the president would be willing to make this step," Pace said.

Meanwhile, top congressional Republicans are warning of repercussions if Trump fires Mueller.  

South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, said the move would mark "the beginning of the end of his presidency."

But Pace said Republicans have been known to use "tough rhetoric" against the president when they disagree with some of his actions, but there is very little history of follow through on their part.

She said Republicans are meeting behind closed doors this week to discuss how to proceed on protecting the Mueller investigation.

POOL

FILE: Washington, D.C. - 13 June 2013

1. Various of then FBI Director Robert Mueller being sworn in before giving evidence to committee, sitting down

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 19 March 2018

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press Washington Bureau Chief:

"Coming out of this weekend, there are a lot of questions about how President Trump views Bob Mueller's future as the special counsel overseeing the investigation into Russia meddling and also issues like obstruction of justice. The president was really aggressive in his tweets targeting Mueller by name which is something that we haven't really seen him do over the last several months. He will often talk about how this investigation is a witch hunt but he moved a step forward, going after Mueller directly. And this has sparked a lot of concern that the president, following the firing of Andrew McCabe, is feeling emboldened, feeling like the next target is going to be Bob Mueller. And you even saw John Dowd, who's one of the president's lawyers, seemed to fuel that speculation further by saying he thinks that the Mueller investigation should end. Now, John Dowd told the AP that he has not discussed this with the president, that he is not asking for Mueller to be fired immediately. But it really just contributed to this atmosphere where there's a lot of uncertainty on whether the president would be willing to make this step. The weekend ended with a different Trump lawyer, Ty Cobb, saying nothing to see here. The president is not seeking to fire the special counsel."

DONALD TRUMP TWITTER FEED/@realDonaldTrump

Internet - 18 March 2018

3. Screengrab of Donald Trump home page on Twitter

4. Screengrab of Donald Trump tweets on Mueller investigation

ASSOCIATED PRESS

FILE: Beijing - 30 January 2008

5. FILE video of then-FBI Director Robert Mueller speaking in China

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 19 March 2018

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press Washington Bureau Chief:

"But for Republican law makers in particular, this is a huge moment. Because they have said, repeatedly, that if the president were to try to cross this line to try to remove Bob Mueller from this investigation, that it would cross a red line for them. Lindsey Graham has gone so far as to say it would be the start of the end of Trump's presidency. There are things that Republicans could do legislatively to try to protect the special counsel investigation. So far though they haven't been willing to take that step. It would be a step basically designed to insulate Bob Muller from anything that the president would be willing to do."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 15 March 2018

7. President Trump walking down Capitol steps with House Speaker Paul Ryan and Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 19 March 2018

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press Washington Bureau Chief:

"The president typically will try to test out messages and test out how far he could go with something. And that's some of what it seemed like he was doing this weekend - throwing out the prospect that he might even fire Bob Muller and seeing if Republicans reacted. And when he's done this with Republicans, he's found pretty much the same thing. There will sometimes be some tough rhetoric from GOP leaders, there will sometimes be some veiled criticism of him, but ultimately, they don't really follow through. There have been very few instances where Republicans have really said, 'No Mr. President, we're going to stop you from doing this.' And the president sees that and he he believes that ultimately Republicans will let him do what he wants. That is some of the discussion that's taking place this week among the GOP leadership. Is this different, is the firing of a special counsel who's investigating the White House different than something that the president wants to do on tariffs or even on foreign policy?"

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - Recent

9. House Speaker Paul Ryan at Capitol news conference with Republican leadership

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 19 March 2018

10. President Trump and first lady Melania Trump walking on the South Lawn of the White House

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++

Former special counsel Robert Mueller is affirming that a president can be charged with crimes after leaving office.

He says Justice Department guidelines prevented him from considering charges against President Donald Trump while he is in office.

Because of the longtime Justice Department guidance that a sitting president cannot be indicted, Mueller says "one of the tools a prosecutor would use is not there."

Mueller has said his investigators could not exonerate Trump on obstruction of justice. His report said they did not find sufficient evidence to establish charges of criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Mueller is testifying Wednesday before the House Judiciary Committee about his Russia investigation.

President Donald Trump's sons and advisers are weighing in on Mueller's congressional testimony with quips on Twitter targeting Democrats.

Donald Trump Jr. is calling the hearing a "disaster" for Democrats. He says Mueller claims he can't understand the Republicans' questions, but totally gets the ones from Democrats.

Eric Trump says GOP Rep. Jim Jordan's comments at the hearing were "spot on." Jordan says Democrats should be investigating what he says are "false accusations" that started the Russia probe.

Former White House press secretary Sarah Sanders says the hearing shows the Russia probe was run by Democrats wanting to destroy Trump.

Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway tweeted three words: "drop the mic."

US NETWORK POOL VIA ABC NEWS VIDEOSOURCE - STRICTLY NO ARCHIVE RESALE/AUTHORIZED RE-USE BY AP'S BROADCAST AND DIGITAL OUTPUT ONLY

Washington DC - 24 July 2019

1. Various of former special counsel Robert Mueller walking back into hearing after break

2. Cutaway of hearing

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ken Buck, (R) Colorado:

"So what I have to ask you and what I think people are working around in this hearing is. Let me lay a little foundation for the ethical rules require that a prosecutor have a reasonable probability of conviction to bring a charge is that correct?"

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert Mueller, Fmr. Speical Counsel:

"Sounds generally accurate."

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ken Buck, (R) Colorado:

"Was there sufficient evidence to convict President Trump or anyone else with obstruction of justice?"

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert Mueller, Fmr. Speical Counsel:

"We did not make that calculation.

(Buck off camera: How could you not have made the calculation regularly?)

Well OLC (Office of Legal Counsel) opinion, OLC opinion, Office Legal Counsel indicates that we cannot indict a sitting president. So one of the tools that a prosecutor would use is not there."

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ken Buck, (R) Colorado:

"The decision on the Russian interference you couldn't have indicted the president on that. And you made the decision on that but when it came to obstruction you threw a bunch of stuff up against the wall to see what would stick."

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert Mueller, Fmr. Speical Counsel:

"I would not agree, I would not agree to that characterization at all. What we did is provide to the attorney general in the form of a confidential memorandum our understanding of the case. Those cases that were brought, those cases were declined. And the one case where the president cannot be charged with a crime."

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ken Buck, (R) Colorado:

"You believe that he committed... you could charge the President of the United States with obstruction of justice after he left office."

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert Mueller, Fmr. Speical Counsel:

"Yes.

(Buck off camera: Ethically under the ethical standards?)

Well I'm I'm not certain, I haven't looked at the ethical standards but oh well OLC Opinion says that the prosecutor why he cannot bring a charge against a sitting president. Nonetheless he can continue the investigation, to see if there are any other persons who might be drawn into the conspiracy."

11. Cutaway

TWITTER/@DonaldTrumpJr

Internet - 24 July 2019

12. Tweet from Donald Trump Jr. reading (English):

"Funny, Muelller can't understand the Republicans but he can totally understand the Democrats questions. This is a disaster for dems."

TWITTER/@EricTrump

Internet - 24 July 2019

13. Tweet from Eric Trump reading (English):

"@Jim_Jordan is terrific. Spot on..."

TWITTER/@KellyannePolls

Internet - 24 July 2019

14. Tweet from Kellyann Conway reading (English):

"Drop the Mic."

TWITTER/@SarahHuckabee

Internet - 24 July 2019

15. Tweet from Sarah Huckabee Sanders reading (English):

"What's been clear to all but the liberal media is this was a partisan investigation run by Democrats out to destroy

@realDonaldTrump  with Mueller as the figurehead. Thank you House Democrats for calling today's hearing and exposing the truth for all Americans to see."

Former special counsel Robert Mueller is affirming that a president can be charged with crimes after leaving office.

He says Justice Department guidelines prevented him from considering charges against President Donald Trump while he is in office.

Because of the longtime Justice Department guidance that a sitting president cannot be indicted, Mueller says "one of the tools a prosecutor would use is not there."

Mueller has said his investigators could not exonerate Trump on obstruction of justice. His report said they did not find sufficient evidence to establish charges of criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Mueller is testifying Wednesday before the House Judiciary Committee about his Russia investigation.

President Donald Trump's sons and advisers are weighing in on Mueller's congressional testimony with quips on Twitter targeting Democrats.

Donald Trump Jr. is calling the hearing a "disaster" for Democrats. He says Mueller claims he can't understand the Republicans' questions, but totally gets the ones from Democrats.

Eric Trump says GOP Rep. Jim Jordan's comments at the hearing were "spot on." Jordan says Democrats should be investigating what he says are "false accusations" that started the Russia probe.

Former White House press secretary Sarah Sanders says the hearing shows the Russia probe was run by Democrats wanting to destroy Trump.

Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway tweeted three words: "drop the mic."

US NETWORK POOL VIA ABC NEWS VIDEOSOURCE - STRICTLY NO ARCHIVE RESALE/AUTHORIZED RE-USE BY AP'S BROADCAST AND DIGITAL OUTPUT ONLY

Washington DC - 24 July 2019

1. Various of former special counsel Robert Mueller walking back into hearing after break

2. Cutaway of hearing

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ken Buck, (R) Colorado:

"So what I have to ask you and what I think people are working around in this hearing is. Let me lay a little foundation for the ethical rules require that a prosecutor have a reasonable probability of conviction to bring a charge is that correct?"

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert Mueller, Fmr. Speical Counsel:

"Sounds generally accurate."

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ken Buck, (R) Colorado:

"Was there sufficient evidence to convict President Trump or anyone else with obstruction of justice?"

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert Mueller, Fmr. Speical Counsel:

"We did not make that calculation.

(Buck off camera: How could you not have made the calculation regularly?)

Well OLC (Office of Legal Counsel) opinion, OLC opinion, Office Legal Counsel indicates that we cannot indict a sitting president. So one of the tools that a prosecutor would use is not there."

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ken Buck, (R) Colorado:

"The decision on the Russian interference you couldn't have indicted the president on that. And you made the decision on that but when it came to obstruction you threw a bunch of stuff up against the wall to see what would stick."

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert Mueller, Fmr. Speical Counsel:

"I would not agree, I would not agree to that characterization at all. What we did is provide to the attorney general in the form of a confidential memorandum our understanding of the case. Those cases that were brought, those cases were declined. And the one case where the president cannot be charged with a crime."

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ken Buck, (R) Colorado:

"You believe that he committed... you could charge the President of the United States with obstruction of justice after he left office."

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert Mueller, Fmr. Speical Counsel:

"Yes.

(Buck off camera: Ethically under the ethical standards?)

Well I'm I'm not certain, I haven't looked at the ethical standards but oh well OLC Opinion says that the prosecutor why he cannot bring a charge against a sitting president. Nonetheless he can continue the investigation, to see if there are any other persons who might be drawn into the conspiracy."

11. Cutaway

TWITTER/@DonaldTrumpJr

Internet - 24 July 2019

12. Tweet from Donald Trump Jr. reading (English):

"Funny, Muelller can't understand the Republicans but he can totally understand the Democrats questions. This is a disaster for dems."

TWITTER/@EricTrump

Internet - 24 July 2019

13. Tweet from Eric Trump reading (English):

"@Jim_Jordan is terrific. Spot on..."

TWITTER/@KellyannePolls

Internet - 24 July 2019

14. Tweet from Kellyann Conway reading (English):

"Drop the Mic."

TWITTER/@SarahHuckabee

Internet - 24 July 2019

15. Tweet from Sarah Huckabee Sanders reading (English):

"What's been clear to all but the liberal media is this was a partisan investigation run by Democrats out to destroy

@realDonaldTrump  with Mueller as the figurehead. Thank you House Democrats for calling today's hearing and exposing the truth for all Americans to see."

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

Robert Mueller on Wednesday bluntly dismissed President Donald Trump's claims of total exoneration in the federal probe of Russia's 2016 election interference, telling Congress he explicitly did not clear the president of obstructing his investigation.

Eric Tucker of the Associated Press said after viewing the testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, "Special Counsel Mueller was very clear today that he did not exonerate President Donald Trump on the question of whether he had committed obstruction of justice. He was adamant in response to questioning from Democrats that that is not what his report said."

In hours of sometimes halting and stilted testimony, reliant on terse one-word answers and a steely determination to remain outside the partisan fray, Mueller also declared Russian election interference as one of the greatest challenges to democracy he has encountered in his career.

The televised Capitol Hill appearances, Mueller's first since wrapping his two-year Russia probe last spring, unfolded at a moment of deep divisions in the country, with many Americans hardened in their opinions about the success of Donald Trump's presidency and whether impeachment proceedings are necessary.

Republicans and Democrats took divergent paths in questioning Mueller, with Trump's GOP allies trying to cast the former special counsel and his prosecutors as politically motivated.

Democrats, meanwhile, sought to emphasize the most incendiary findings of Mueller's 448-page report and weaken Trump's reelection prospects in ways that Mueller's book-length report did not.

They hoped that even if his testimony did not inspire impeachment demands — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has made clear she will not pursue impeachment, for now — Mueller could nonetheless unambiguously spell out questionable, norm-shattering actions by the president.

Yet Mueller by midday appeared unwilling or unable to offer crisp sound bites that could reshape already-entrenched public opinions.

He frequently gave single-word answers to lawmakers' questions, even when given opportunities to crystallize allegations of obstruction of justice against the president. He referred time again to the wording in his report or asked for questions to be repeated. He declined to read aloud hard-hitting statements in the report when prodded by Democrats to do so.

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Washington - 24 July 2019

1. Mueller swearing into House Judiciary committee

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"Special Counsel Mueller was very clear today that he did not exonerate President Donald Trump on the question of whether he had committed obstruction of justice. He was adamant in response to questioning from Democrats that that is not what his report said."

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Washington - 24 July 2019

3. Mueller testifying to House Judiciary committee

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"There is no question that he did not elaborate for whatever reason on questions that Democrats had. Soundbites they were hoping he would deliver. He did not walk through doors that they had opened in hopes of really giving a crisp expansive answer that could bring home allegations of wrongdoing against President Trump. It is clear that Mueller was either unwilling or unable or just simply resistant to the idea that he was going to use this forum to answer questions in a way that was going to really shed light and new details on his report."

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Washington - 24 July 2019

5. Medium of House Judiciary Committee

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"I think for Republicans what they were really trying to focus on was not so much what was in the report but what was not in the report namely how the FBI's Russian election interference began. And some of the concerns that the FBI began having about the Trump campaign. Some of that's detailed but I think Republicans really wanted to focus on allegations of partisanship on Mueller's team, allegations that a British spy who compiled a dossier of research had a political axe to pick and it was interesting to see there were certain questions from Republicans that really seemed to irritate Mueller. And then he responded in an animated way."

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Washington - 24 July 2019

7. Wide cutaway of House Judiciary Committee hearing

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"Democrats repeatedly seized on the fact that there are a thousand prosecutors -- former prosecutors who signed onto this letter saying that was Trump anyone other than the president he would have been charged. Mueller didn't say 'oh yes' I would have definitely charged him. But I think it was important for Democrats to make that point regardless of the answer that Mueller gave. I think Democrats wanted to have the American public hear that from them. That position that he would have been charged were he not the president. And so that's why we heard that so often."

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Washington - 24 July 2019

9. Wide cutaway of House Judiciary Committee

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"I'm not sure that there's going to be any lasting success from the testimony -- certainly not enough to propel any kind of impeachment drive. I'm not really sure what kind of soundbite you're left with that you could put on TV and repeat an air over and over and over again. He did have an exchange where he was asked about the OLC (Office of Legal Counsel) opinion and did you not indict because of the OLC opinion and Mueller said 'correct'. And I think that gave Democrats some cheer that Mueller seemed to be suggesting that were it not for the OLC opinion saying you can't indict a sitting president that he would have charged. That gave Democrats some hope. But no I think Mueller was very clear of I'm not going to be your mouthpiece. I'm not going to be the person who you hold up as you try to push towards impeachment or try to get the president out of there."

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Washington - 24 July 2019

11. Medium  of House Judiciary Committee hearing

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"Mueller was very clear that if you ask me something that is in the report I will confirm that it's in the report and I will refer you back to it. But I'm not going to expound or give opinions which is frankly not uncommon for a prosecutor. Right? You do your talking in court or you do you're talking through a legal document. I think they didn't want it. He did not want to do it through Congress. And I think he wanted to make sure that I'm not saying anything that's outside the four corners of my report. And so what we frequently heard from Mueller is he would decline to answer a question say I'm not going into that. That's not my purview or that's in the report and I stand by the report and you'll find your answer there. And that was really his standard response, time and again."

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Washington - 24 July 201

13. Wide of House Judiciary Committee hearing

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"Mueller is there basically saying I am not here to try to drive the president out of office for a political reason I'm here to just investigate. And so I am not part of this process that the Democrats are trying to have here of answering questions for the purpose of political gain, for the purpose of pushing towards impeachment. I'm just here to talk about what I found in my criminal and counter intelligence investigation period. And so I think for Republicans who say look how tainted this process is. Mueller didn't really do them any favors either because he did not come across as a partisan in any way."

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Washington - 24 July 2019

15. Wide cutaway of House Judiciary Committee hearing

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"I think the American public is so hungry for more information to understand what Mueller found and did not find. The 448 page Mueller Report is a complicated legal document. It's not easy to get through. And I think the expectation is frankly most Americans have not picked it up let alone actually read it. So in many ways, Mueller appearing on TV is the first introduction that the American public has to what the investigation actually found."

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Washington - 24 July 2019

17. Cutaway of Mueller testifying to House Judiciary committee

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus120898

Robert Mueller on Wednesday bluntly dismissed President Donald Trump's claims of total exoneration in the federal probe of Russia's 2016 election interference, telling Congress he explicitly did not clear the president of obstructing his investigation.

Eric Tucker of the Associated Press said after viewing the testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, "Special Counsel Mueller was very clear today that he did not exonerate President Donald Trump on the question of whether he had committed obstruction of justice. He was adamant in response to questioning from Democrats that that is not what his report said."

In hours of sometimes halting and stilted testimony, reliant on terse one-word answers and a steely determination to remain outside the partisan fray, Mueller also declared Russian election interference as one of the greatest challenges to democracy he has encountered in his career.

The televised Capitol Hill appearances, Mueller's first since wrapping his two-year Russia probe last spring, unfolded at a moment of deep divisions in the country, with many Americans hardened in their opinions about the success of Donald Trump's presidency and whether impeachment proceedings are necessary.

Republicans and Democrats took divergent paths in questioning Mueller, with Trump's GOP allies trying to cast the former special counsel and his prosecutors as politically motivated.

Democrats, meanwhile, sought to emphasize the most incendiary findings of Mueller's 448-page report and weaken Trump's reelection prospects in ways that Mueller's book-length report did not.

They hoped that even if his testimony did not inspire impeachment demands — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has made clear she will not pursue impeachment, for now — Mueller could nonetheless unambiguously spell out questionable, norm-shattering actions by the president.

Yet Mueller by midday appeared unwilling or unable to offer crisp sound bites that could reshape already-entrenched public opinions.

He frequently gave single-word answers to lawmakers' questions, even when given opportunities to crystallize allegations of obstruction of justice against the president. He referred time again to the wording in his report or asked for questions to be repeated. He declined to read aloud hard-hitting statements in the report when prodded by Democrats to do so.

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Washington - 24 July 2019

1. Mueller swearing into House Judiciary committee (PARTIALLY COVERS UPCOMING SOUNDBITE)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"Special Counsel Mueller was very clear today that he did not exonerate President Donald Trump on the question of whether he had committed obstruction of justice. He was adamant in response to questioning from Democrats that that is not what his report said."

US NETWORK POOL VIA ABC NEWS VIDEOSOURCE - STRICTLY NO ARCHIVE RESALE/AUTHORIZED RE-USE BY AP'S BROADCAST AND DIGITAL OUTPUT ONLY

Washington - 24 July 2019

3. Mueller testifying to House Judiciary committee (PARTIALLY COVERS UPCOMING SOUNDBITE)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"There is no question that he did not elaborate for whatever reason on questions that Democrats had.  Soundbites they were hoping he would deliver. He did not walk through doors that they had opened in hopes of really giving a crisp expansive answer that could bring home allegations of wrongdoing against President Trump. It is clear that Mueller was either unwilling or unable or just simply resistant to the idea that he was going to use this forum to answer questions in a way that was going to really shed light and new details on his report."

US NETWORK POOL VIA ABC NEWS VIDEOSOURCE - STRICTLY NO ARCHIVE RESALE/AUTHORIZED RE-USE BY AP'S BROADCAST AND DIGITAL OUTPUT ONLY

Washington - 24 July 2019

5. Medium of House Judiciary Committee hearing during questioning (PARTIALLY COVERS PREVIOUS SOUNDBITE)

6. Cutaway of House Judiciary Committee hearing during questioning (PARTIALLY COVERS UPCOMING SOUNDBITE)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"I think for Republicans what they were really trying to focus on was not so much what was in the report but what was not in the report namely how the FBI's Russian election interference began. And some of the concerns that the FBI began having about the Trump campaign. Some of that's detailed but I think Republicans really wanted to focus on allegations of partisanship on Mueller's team, allegations that a British spy who compiled a dossier of research had a political axe to pick and it was interesting to see there were certain questions from Republicans that really seemed to irritate Mueller. And then he responded in an animated way."

US NETWORK POOL VIA ABC NEWS VIDEOSOURCE - STRICTLY NO ARCHIVE RESALE/AUTHORIZED RE-USE BY AP'S BROADCAST AND DIGITAL OUTPUT ONLY

Washington - 24 July 2019

8. Medium of House Judiciary Committee hearing during questioning (PARTIALLY COVERS PREVIOUS SOUNDBITE)

9. Cutaway of Mueller testifying before Judiciary Committee (PARTIALLY COVERS PREVIOUS SOUNDBITE)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"I'm not sure that there's going to be any lasting success from the testimony -- certainly not enough to propel any kind of impeachment drive. I'm not really sure what kind of soundbite you're left with that you could put on TV and repeat and air over and over and over again. He did have an exchange where he was asked about the OLC (Office of Legal Counsel) opinion and did you not indict because of the OLC opinion and Mueller said 'correct'."

US NETWORK POOL VIA ABC NEWS VIDEOSOURCE - STRICTLY NO ARCHIVE RESALE/AUTHORIZED RE-USE BY AP'S BROADCAST AND DIGITAL OUTPUT ONLY

Washington - 24 July 2019

11. Wide of House Judiciary Committee hearing (PARTIALLY COVERS UPCOMING SOUNDBITE)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"Mueller was very clear that if you ask me something that is in the report I will confirm that it's in the report and I will refer you back to it. But I'm not going to expound or give opinions which is frankly not uncommon for a prosecutor. Right? You do your talking in court or you do you're talking through a legal document. I think they didn't want it. He did not want to do it through Congress. And I think he wanted to make sure that I'm not saying anything that's outside the four corners of my report. And so what we frequently heard from Mueller is he would decline to answer a question say I'm not going into that. That's not my purview or that's in the report and I stand by the report and you'll have to find your answer there. And that was really his standard response, time and again."

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Washington - 24 July 2019

13. Cutaway of Mueller testifying to House Judiciary committee (PARTIALLY COVERS PREVIOUS SOUNDBITE)

Robert Mueller on Wednesday bluntly dismissed President Donald Trump's claims of total exoneration in the federal probe of Russia's 2016 election interference, telling Congress he explicitly did not clear the president of obstructing his investigation.

Eric Tucker of the Associated Press said after viewing the testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, "Special Counsel Mueller was very clear today that he did not exonerate President Donald Trump on the question of whether he had committed obstruction of justice. He was adamant in response to questioning from Democrats that that is not what his report said."

In hours of sometimes halting and stilted testimony, reliant on terse one-word answers and a steely determination to remain outside the partisan fray, Mueller also declared Russian election interference as one of the greatest challenges to democracy he has encountered in his career.

The televised Capitol Hill appearances, Mueller's first since wrapping his two-year Russia probe last spring, unfolded at a moment of deep divisions in the country, with many Americans hardened in their opinions about the success of Donald Trump's presidency and whether impeachment proceedings are necessary.

Republicans and Democrats took divergent paths in questioning Mueller, with Trump's GOP allies trying to cast the former special counsel and his prosecutors as politically motivated.

Democrats, meanwhile, sought to emphasize the most incendiary findings of Mueller's 448-page report and weaken Trump's reelection prospects in ways that Mueller's book-length report did not.

They hoped that even if his testimony did not inspire impeachment demands — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has made clear she will not pursue impeachment, for now — Mueller could nonetheless unambiguously spell out questionable, norm-shattering actions by the president.

Yet Mueller by midday appeared unwilling or unable to offer crisp sound bites that could reshape already-entrenched public opinions.

He frequently gave single-word answers to lawmakers' questions, even when given opportunities to crystallize allegations of obstruction of justice against the president. He referred time again to the wording in his report or asked for questions to be repeated. He declined to read aloud hard-hitting statements in the report when prodded by Democrats to do so.

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Washington - 24 July 2019

1. Mueller swearing into House Judiciary committee

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"Special Counsel Mueller was very clear today that he did not exonerate President Donald Trump on the question of whether he had committed obstruction of justice. He was adamant in response to questioning from Democrats that that is not what his report said."

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Washington - 24 July 2019

3. Mueller testifying to House Judiciary committee

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"There is no question that he did not elaborate for whatever reason on questions that Democrats had. Soundbites they were hoping he would deliver. He did not walk through doors that they had opened in hopes of really giving a crisp expansive answer that could bring home allegations of wrongdoing against President Trump. It is clear that Mueller was either unwilling or unable or just simply resistant to the idea that he was going to use this forum to answer questions in a way that was going to really shed light and new details on his report."

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Washington - 24 July 2019

5. Medium of House Judiciary Committee

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"I think for Republicans what they were really trying to focus on was not so much what was in the report but what was not in the report namely how the FBI's Russian election interference began. And some of the concerns that the FBI began having about the Trump campaign. Some of that's detailed but I think Republicans really wanted to focus on allegations of partisanship on Mueller's team, allegations that a British spy who compiled a dossier of research had a political axe to pick and it was interesting to see there were certain questions from Republicans that really seemed to irritate Mueller. And then he responded in an animated way."

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Washington - 24 July 2019

7. Wide cutaway of House Judiciary Committee hearing

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"Democrats repeatedly seized on the fact that there are a thousand prosecutors -- former prosecutors who signed onto this letter saying that was Trump anyone other than the president he would have been charged. Mueller didn't say 'oh yes' I would have definitely charged him. But I think it was important for Democrats to make that point regardless of the answer that Mueller gave. I think Democrats wanted to have the American public hear that from them. That position that he would have been charged were he not the president. And so that's why we heard that so often."

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Washington - 24 July 2019

9. Wide cutaway of House Judiciary Committee

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"I'm not sure that there's going to be any lasting success from the testimony -- certainly not enough to propel any kind of impeachment drive. I'm not really sure what kind of soundbite you're left with that you could put on TV and repeat an air over and over and over again. He did have an exchange where he was asked about the OLC (Office of Legal Counsel) opinion and did you not indict because of the OLC opinion and Mueller said 'correct'. And I think that gave Democrats some cheer that Mueller seemed to be suggesting that were it not for the OLC opinion saying you can't indict a sitting president that he would have charged. That gave Democrats some hope. But no I think Mueller was very clear of I'm not going to be your mouthpiece. I'm not going to be the person who you hold up as you try to push towards impeachment or try to get the president out of there."

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Washington - 24 July 2019

11. Medium  of House Judiciary Committee hearing

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"Mueller was very clear that if you ask me something that is in the report I will confirm that it's in the report and I will refer you back to it. But I'm not going to expound or give opinions which is frankly not uncommon for a prosecutor. Right? You do your talking in court or you do you're talking through a legal document. I think they didn't want it. He did not want to do it through Congress. And I think he wanted to make sure that I'm not saying anything that's outside the four corners of my report. And so what we frequently heard from Mueller is he would decline to answer a question say I'm not going into that. That's not my purview or that's in the report and I stand by the report and you'll find your answer there. And that was really his standard response, time and again."

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Washington - 24 July 201

13. Wide of House Judiciary Committee hearing

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"Mueller is there basically saying I am not here to try to drive the president out of office for a political reason I'm here to just investigate. And so I am not part of this process that the Democrats are trying to have here of answering questions for the purpose of political gain, for the purpose of pushing towards impeachment. I'm just here to talk about what I found in my criminal and counter intelligence investigation period. And so I think for Republicans who say look how tainted this process is. Mueller didn't really do them any favors either because he did not come across as a partisan in any way."

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Washington - 24 July 2019

15. Wide cutaway of House Judiciary Committee hearing

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"I think the American public is so hungry for more information to understand what Mueller found and did not find. The 448 page Mueller Report is a complicated legal document. It's not easy to get through. And I think the expectation is frankly most Americans have not picked it up let alone actually read it. So in many ways, Mueller appearing on TV is the first introduction that the American public has to what the investigation actually found."

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Washington - 24 July 2019

17. Cutaway of Mueller testifying to House Judiciary committee

Elaine Kamarck, of the Brookings Institution says "we're pretty much at the end of this process" as she discussed the next steps in the special prosecutors Russia probe.

Kamarack, Senior fellow in the Governance Studies program as well as the Director of the Center for Effective Public Management , said on Tuesday that "The only thing that really seems to remain is whether or not the president himself is guilty of some crimes and do those crimes constitute in the minds of the members of Congress, high crimes and misdemeanors."

In a related story The Associated Press reports that President Donald Trump has been calling the Russia probe a witch hunt for two years.

But now, Trump and his allies are starting to see it as something potentially very different: a political opportunity.

Trump has grown increasingly confident that special counsel Robert Mueller's report will produce no clear evidence of a conspiracy between Russia and his election campaign.

A change is also underway among congressional Democrats, who had believed the report would offer damning evidence

Kamarack says "We're at a point where this is about to move unless there's some you know smoking gun. This is this investigation is about to move from the legal to the political and there the Democrats are going to have to decide do we move forward with impeachment."

Washington - 19 March 2019

1.Wide shot of Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro walking out of White House into Rose Garden

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Elaine Kamarck, Senior Fellow Brookings Institution:

"It's not often that a president is subject to a special counsel and that means often that the findings of a special counsel could lead to something very dramatic like impeachment. Or it could just turn out to be a bunch of nothing. And so everybody was interested in this. Everybody was excited about it. The president himself was furious about it. But this is a big deal. We don't generally have investigations like this of sitting presidents."

3. Side shot of Trump speaking

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Elaine Kamarck, Senior Fellow Brookings Institution:

"The only thing that really seems to remain is whether or not the president himself is guilty of some crimes and do those crimes constitute in the minds of the members of Congress, high crimes and misdemeanors, which is the constitutional issue for impeachment, and so we're sort of down to the end game here. I mean it looks like there was a rapid string of indictments, trials, etc. It's possible that one or more of the president's children or in-laws could get indicted but it's, we're pretty much at the end of this process."

5. Trump speaking

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Elaine Kamarck, Senior Fellow Brookings Institution:

"The issue, though, is did the House and Senate, did the intelligence committees when they were controlled by Republicans ignore important pieces of evidence? The Democrats think they did. And so the Democrats will have to start their own investigation. They may find nothing as well."

Washington - 25 February 2019

7. STILL - The Capitol is seen in Washington as Congress returns to work following a week-long recess. A top House Democrat, Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, has threatened to call special counsel Robert Mueller to Capitol Hill, subpoena documents and sue the Trump administration if the full report on Mueller's Russia investigation is not made public.

Washington - 06 March 2019

8. STILL - House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, of California, left, and Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., return to hear Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, testify before a closed-door session of the House Intelligence Committee, on Capitol Hill

Washington - 19 March 2019

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Elaine Kamarck, Senior Fellow Brookings Institution:

"We're at a point where this is about to move unless there's some you know smoking gun. This is this investigation is about to move from the legal to the political and there, the Democrats are going to have to decide do we move forward with impeachment? Now, Nancy Pelosi has said, wisely I think, that probably not that. There's just not unless there's some blockbuster finding in the Muller report or someplace else. Probably not because bet we're almost at 2020. Let, it's cleaner, easier for democracy to let the voters decide."

Washington - 06 March 2019

10. STILL - House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., with Ranking Member Doug Collins

Washington - 19 March 2019

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Elaine Kamarck, Senior Fellow Brookings Institution:

"This investigation has taken place simultaneously with a very chaotic presidency and with a separate investigation into Donald Trump's business empire. Now it may not be impeachable to be a corrupt businessman. All you have to do is look at the Deutsche Bank story in today's (New York) Times and you can see that that's that's going to be a big story. But maybe it's not impeachable but it sure isn't desirable."

12. STILL - President Donald Trump walks along the Colonnade of the White House, towards the Rose Garden with visiting Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro