Opinion: Mueller has finished his investigation, but some aren’t satisfied with the results

President Donald Trump says the Mueller report has cleared him of all criminal allegations, yet many Democrats are vocalizing their doubts and demanding the report be made public. 

While Attorney General William Barr has made it clear Trump will not be charged with collusion or obstruction of justice, Democratic representatives are not yet convinced of Trump’s innocence.

Barr’s announcement that Trump will not be charged with collusion or obstruction of justice seems a pretty clear win for Trump. He will not be indicted for any criminal offense, lessening the chance of impeachment proceedings being brought against him. After living with this investigation for more than two years, Trump wants nothing more than to believe this investigation is over and put it behind him. 

“It was a complete and total exoneration,” Trump told the media.  

However, the results of the investigation may not be as benign to Trump as he would like to believe. Barr told USA Today that Mueller’s investigation did not tie Trump to Russian collusion but that he was unsure about the obstruction of justice charges. In other words, Mueller did not find any evidence to charge Trump, but he does not believe the evidence exonerates him either.

In spite of the four-page summary Barr released, Democrats have not raised the white flag yet. CNN reported that House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler has said he will call on Barr to testify soon about the alleged obstruction. While this move may simply be a refusal to accept defeat, it could still tarnish Trump’s reputation if details surface that do not support his confident assertion that he has been cleared.

As it relates to obstruction, the specific accusations being brought against Trump relate to his treatment and eventual firing of former FBI Director James Comey. He is accused of asking Comey for “loyalty” and then firing Comey because of the Russia investigation, according to what Trump told NBC News.

Other accusations of obstruction include alleged conversations between Trump and key Mueller witnesses about giving them a pardon, including Paul Manafort and Michael Cohen, and many tweets that Trump issued that seemed to threaten or praise witnesses in the investigation.

While the report has yet to be made public, many, including the Democrats, are demanding the release of Mueller’s entire report, and CNN notes that Barr is working with Mueller to release the report to the public. However, Barr and Mueller need to remove classified information about grand jury testimony and ongoing investigations before releasing the report.

The public has also expressed its desire to see the report. CNN released a poll, saying 87 percent of Americans think citizens have a right to see Mueller’s report of this investigation, while only 9 percent think the report should not be released to the public. 

Another reason the president should be somewhat concerned is that the special counsel found that members of the Trump team, specifically Manafort, accepted help from Russia, according to USA Today. Multiple campaign chairmen, advisers and one of Trump’s lawyers have either been charged or pleaded guilty to tax evasion and have been linked with Russian operatives. Some of his aides were also charged with lying to cover up evidence. While Trump himself is avoiding charges, his public image will likely be affected by the charges brought against those around him.

Trump has indeed won in some ways. Avoiding charges for collusion and obstruction of justice are big victories. But the impact this entire investigation could have on Trump may not be clear until he is seeking reelection. If supporters lose confidence, that could shake up what to expect in the 2020 election. 

For now, Trump lives to fight another day in the presidency. Trump has declared victory after more than two years of this investigation hanging over him. However, the Democrats have sent a clear message in return. They are not ready to accept defeat.