Given Mueller’s abysmal performance before the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees on July 24, Barr looks like a genius who clearly outfoxed congressional Democrats.
The purpose of Mueller’s congressional testimony was twofold: to provide soundbites that could hurt the president, and to elicit testimony that could support the Democrats’ push for impeachment. Both failed miserably.
From a matter of public perception, Mueller appeared weak, feeble, unsure of himself, uncomfortable with what was in the report, unable to remember important and relevant information pertinent to the report, and evasive. Mueller also had difficulty with many of the questions that were posed to him.
Not only did Mueller fail to answer many questions, but he also failed to deliver any “whopping” soundbites that could help the Democrats with their impeachment push. To the contrary, some of his points actually helped the president.
A Poor Witness
It’s pretty clear that Mueller’s testimony didn’t help the Democrats. However, that’s only one part of the equation. What was more damning was the way that Mueller came across as a witness. This is oftentimes overlooked, yet it’s vital for purposes of public opinion.For example, at trial, when a witness is questioned on the stand, the jury not only listens to the testimony, but also hones in on the witness’s demeanor and believability. If the witness appears unbelievable, disinterested, confused, evasive, combative, or unprepared, the jury oftentimes views the witness in a negative light and questions the witness’s credibility. Once that happens, it’s very difficult to rehabilitate the witness in the eyes of the jury.
Unfortunately for the Democrats, while this wasn’t a trial in the traditional sense, Mueller was a lousy witness. He consistently referred to his report, failed or refused to answer many relevant questions, and came across as tired, weak, and unprepared. He failed to help their case to impeach the president whatsoever. Think about it: All of the time and money spent and nothing to show for it.
At the end of the day, Barr is a genius! He had no problem if Mueller testified. Judging from Mueller’s recent performance, why would he?