Reality Check on the Mueller Report

Donald Trump is not a wise man, but he is a clever man with years of experience in no holds barred legal battles.

He regards the law as an obstacle to be ignored or worked around to get what he wants.  He surrounds himself with people like him, so he doesn't have to explicitly suggest breaking the law.   He just needs to let them know the goal.

Which explains why many in the Trump campaign or administration are on their way to jail, but the Mueller report could not conclude Trump conspired with Russia or obstructed justice.

Did he welcome Russian interference?  Of course, he did so publicly.  Did he threaten or fire people he thought posed a legal threat?  Again he did so publicly.  But for conspiracy or obstruction of justice prosecution rests on proving his intent.  He had, in the term from the Nixon era, plausible deny-ability. 

The concerns that sparked the Mueller report had to be investigated, and the investigation will be good for the country in the long term.  Some folks went to jail - sending a message to future campaigns and administrations.  

But Trump's fundamental lack of character won't be what brings him down.  It will be his unwise decision making.  He is being played by North Korea and Russia, but mostly he has undermined our economy with sanctions and blown up our national debt with tax cuts. 


I have been researching and writing a book on how political party ideologies impact the economy over the last 100 years.  The single fact that leaps out from the research is the Republican economic notions that Trump is doubling down on have consistently undermined our economic health.  In the roughly 50 years Republicans have controlled policy our National debt grew faster than GDP, at an average of -.5% of GDP per year.

In the immortal words of James Carville "it's the economy, stupid!"