Editors’ Note: Special Counsel Robert Mueller recently delivered his findings on Russian interference in the 2016 Presidential elections and possible obsturction of justice by President Trump to the Attorney General. Disclosures from Mr. Mueller’s report seem to satisfy neither Mr. Trump’s critics nor his defenders, especially given the public’s high expectations for answers. Seeking to foster more bi-partisan dialogue on campus, the Voice has partnered with Connecticut College Democrats (CCDems) and Connecticut College Republicans and Conservatives Club (CCRCC). The pieces below reflect the unofficial positions of both clubs. Read the piece written by Kailas Menon ‘20 for CCDems.
After Special Counsel Robert Mueller delivered his report concerning collusion with Russia during the 2016 election to Attorney General William P. Barr, many facts have come to light while others still remain in the dark. According to Mr. Barr’s four-page report released to Congress, Special Counsel Mueller has determined that neither President Trump nor his team had conspired with the Russians during the 2016 election. While the full details of the report have not yet been released, and may not be for sometime, there has been great speculation that there may be no indictments to come in the future that are specifically directed at President Trump or his associates. While the President may not face future indictments, many members of his team have been taken down by Mueller and his office since the investigation began in May of 2017. Paul Manafort, Richard Gates, Michael Flynn, George Papadopoulous, Michael Cohen, and many others have all plead guilty to a myriad of charges under the Mueller investigation, ranging from tax evasion to conspiracy against the United States.
All of these indictments have led me to question President Trump’s judgment in terms of who he’s looking to surround himself with. Anyone can plainly see that the aforementioned people previously in the Trump camp were crooked in one way or another and ultimately did not portray the President in a great light. Even with these indictments against the President’s associates, the main mission of the investigation, at this point in time, could be classified as a failure–especially to Democrats. In my opinion, the results of the investigation could have been the home run the Democratic party needed to discredit the President before the 2020 election. With no concrete evidence of collusion, or even questionable details coming out against the President in regards to collusion at this time, I believe the Democrats may have put all their eggs into one basket and are coming out of the two year investigation looking bewildered.
At this time, it is hard to draw any concrete conclusions from the investigation as the full report has not yet been released. I think it is commendable of Mr. Barr to push for the full release of the findings from the investigation in an attempt to be transparent with the American people, especially during a time when lawmakers undervalue and underutilize transparency, in my opinion. I’d like to advise all members of this community, regardless of party affiliation, to look out for the full report and use it as a learning tool and a time to reflect on what the United States and its officials have gone through over the past two years and what this could mean in the short term and long term. •
