# A Thread for the Mueller Investigation Results and Outcomes (Part 1) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 28, 2017, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093 "2017-10-28T20:14:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 107
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/2121 "2018-01-29T23:45:09Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Trump has a [decision to make on Russian sanctions](https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/29/new-us-russia-sanctions-trump-to-comply-but-impact-will-be-minimal.html): > \* > "Russian oligarchs are biting their nails in anticipation of a U.S. Treasury report outlining new sanctions to be enacted Monday on certain Russian business entities and friends of the Kremlin. > > However, the Trump administration, which has been characterized as dragging its feet on punitive measures against Russia, is unlikely to enact the most stringent measures recommended in the legislation, analysts have told CNBC. "\* > > Long story short, Trump has to enact (at least) 5 sanctions (more is permitted) from a list of 12 possibilities, and the assumption is that he will choose the ones that blunt the sanctions most. But, assuming a “no collusion” scenario where there is absolutely no reason that Trump is beholden to Russia, why would he attempt to choose the sanctions that hurt least? We have the president of the United States attempting to minimize sanctions against a foreign entity for no apparent legitimate reason. Trump went with an even more novel approach to blunting the sanctions imposed by Congress. He’s decided to just [[URL=“https://twitter.com/eschor/status/958110759489294336”]go ahead and not do it](https://twitter.com/eschor/status/958110759489294336). ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/2122 "2018-01-30T00:26:44Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Trump went with an even more novel approach to blunting the sanctions imposed by Congress. He’s decided to just [[URL=“https://twitter.com/eschor/status/958110759489294336”]go ahead and not do it](https://twitter.com/eschor/status/958110759489294336). God, wotta dipshit! ---
**Author:** ![eulalia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eulalia/32/457_2.png) [@eulalia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eulalia)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/2123 "2018-01-30T01:15:29Z")
> [@andros](#): > > I think I disagree. The _nature_ of the pee tape will not damage his image to his supporters. There’s a squick factor for some people, but the base will see an incredibly powerful and wealthy man purchasing other people (well, renting their services, but potato, potahto) in order to have them deface the Obamas. They eat that shit up. But why should the Obamas care what he does to a hotel bed _after_ they’ve slept in it? The people who were hurt by it were hotel housekeeping, and I doubt if he left them much of a tip to make up for it. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/2124 "2018-01-30T01:21:22Z")
> [@eulalia](#): > > But why should the Obamas care what he does to a hotel bed _after_ they’ve slept in it? The people who were hurt by it were hotel housekeeping, and I doubt if he left them much of a tip to make up for it. What makes you think the Obamas care at all? The entire incident speaks only to the character and nature of Trump. He’s probably a perv. Is anyone surprised? It says nothing at all about the Obamas. Like I said, it’s the least important/interesting thing written in the Steele memos – which, again, are only useful to the extent that what they allege can be proved to be true based on actual evidence. ---
**Author:** ![eulalia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eulalia/32/457_2.png) [@eulalia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eulalia)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/2125 "2018-01-30T02:08:04Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > What makes you think the Obamas care at all? > > The entire incident speaks only to the character and nature of Trump. He’s probably a perv. Is anyone surprised? It says nothing at all about the Obamas. > > Like I said, it’s the least important/interesting thing written in the Steele memos – which, again, are only useful to the extent that what they allege can be proved to be true based on actual evidence. I don’t think they care. That was my point. Trump and his worshippers are all irrational, and I feel for the housekeeping staff that have to deal with his shit. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/2126 "2018-01-30T02:14:26Z")
Okay, so everyone is saying that the memo release is to set up an excuse to fire Rosenstein and replace him with someone who’ll fire Mueller. I’m wondering if we have any idea who that person might be, and whether he’ll have to fire more people to successfully fire Mueller, considering what we’ve been told about who kept him from the firing the first time (significant because he had nothing to do with the FBI). ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/2127 "2018-01-30T02:17:15Z")
> [@eulalia](#): > > I don’t think they care. That was my point. Trump and his worshippers are all irrational, and I feel for the housekeeping staff that have to deal with his shit. Ah, I misunderstood your meaning. My apologies. My sense of humor is not finely tuned when it comes to this stuff. I’m just too angry about it all. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/2128 "2018-01-30T02:32:13Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > That and life in prison with no possibility of parole. > [@Aspenglow](#): > > LOL, we won’t need a very long sentence to accomplish that… I dunno – a prison-food diet might slim him down to 239 pounds and greatly improve his health. ---
**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/2129 "2018-01-30T02:52:30Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Okay, so everyone is saying that the memo release is to set up an excuse to fire Rosenstein and replace him with someone who’ll fire Mueller. I’m wondering if we have any idea who that person might be, and whether he’ll have to fire more people to successfully fire Mueller, considering what we’ve been told about who kept him from the firing the first time (significant because he had nothing to do with the FBI). I doubt it. Trump knows that firing Mueller would end his administration. More likely, it’s all a smokescreen to undermine the investigation. Won’t work of course, especially not with so many of his inner circle already under indictment. My other best guess is that it’s all damage control to help prevent a blue wave this fall. That won’t work either, regardless of how the investigation goes. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/2130 "2018-01-30T03:07:08Z")
> [@GreysonCarlisle](#): > > I doubt it. Trump knows that firing Mueller would end his administration. … Does he? I think not. ---
**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/2131 "2018-01-30T03:11:40Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Does he? I think not. Well, Lindsey Graham told him so, anyway. Whether Trump listened or not… > [@](#): > > Graham said: “It’s pretty clear to me everyone in the White House knows it’d be the end of President Trump’s presidency if he tried to fire Mr. Mueller.” -[Reuters link (Republican senators urge Congress to revisit bill to protect Mueller)](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia/republican-senators-urge-congress-to-revisit-bill-to-protect-mueller-idUSKBN1FH0SG) ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/2132 "2018-01-30T03:12:51Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Okay, so everyone is saying that the memo release is to set up an excuse to fire Rosenstein and replace him with someone who’ll fire Mueller. I’m wondering if we have any idea who that person might be, and whether he’ll have to fire more people to successfully fire Mueller, considering what we’ve been told about who kept him from the firing the first time (significant because he had nothing to do with the FBI). I don’t believe he will try to fire Mueller. He’ll fire Rosenstein, and will then try to put his own minion in the position to limit and restrict the investigation in every way he can. “No, Mr. Mueller, you may not pursue any part of the investigation that involves Mr. Trump’s personal finances.” “No, Mr. Mueller, we’re not going to increase your budget. In fact, we’re going to cut it in half.” Meanwhile, they’ll keep eliminating anyone who doesn’t toe the line. It’s a slow-walked Saturday Night Massacre. I think Trump is going to be summoned before a grand jury. And I wonder what will happen then. Knew this was going to be a rough year. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/2133 "2018-01-30T03:24:22Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > I dunno – a prison-food diet might slim him down to 239 pounds and greatly improve his health. and make him taller. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/2134 "2018-01-30T03:26:29Z")
One doper dollar sez the replacement is Joe Arpaio. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/2135 "2018-01-30T03:28:45Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > One doper dollar sez the replacement is Joe Arpaio. 😃 LOL, that’s too likely a scenario for me to take that bet!! Gad. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/2136 "2018-01-30T05:32:52Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > and make him taller. And make his hands adult-sized ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/2137 "2018-01-30T06:45:29Z")
> [@GreysonCarlisle](#): > > Well, Lindsey Graham told him so, anyway. Whether Trump listened or not… That means nothing whatsoever. The entire point of this ridiculous memo nonsense and the apparent “investigation” into the FBI is to turn the Trumpists against the FBI, and get an “FBI is corrupt” narrative going, so the Republicans have an excuse to accept Mueller’s dismissal. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/2138 "2018-01-30T07:22:18Z")
I’ll say that if there’s one thing that the last year had demonstrated is that if you don’t have a smoking gun, all of the aspersions in the world are insufficient for the general public to muster much passion. It’s quite possible that the memo will land itself in the same general region as most things from Trump-land and have its malevolence cancelled by the incompetence. The memo will, fundamentally, provoke questions. And once you’ve decided to toss the issue of national security of sources and means aside, you can start to actually answer those questions in the public sphere. There’s really nothing to hold anyone back from releasing more and more secret data to support their position. And so which side is more likely to find itself supported by the full, unredacted, unedited raw data? Ultimately the truth of the situation is the truth of the situation and the best way to hide the truth is by **hiding the truth**. You want to burn documents and recordings and offer up as little information as you possibly can. Every little bit that comes to the fore is just another opportunity for someone to see a thread of investigation to go down, and every journalist in the land is going to add in on top of Mueller to start pulling at those threads. ---
**Author:** ![Not\_Carlson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc79bd/32.png) [@Not\_Carlson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_Carlson)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/2139 "2018-01-30T12:01:57Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Does he? I think not. This exactly. Trump has demonstrated time and again that he just does not understand the ramifications of his own actions. He does the unthinkable because he doesn’t think. Then it’s left up to his handlers to either try to keep him at least somewhat in check, or to do damage control. He already fired Comey, and apparently tried to (or wanted to) fire Mueller. Concern about optics clearly isn’t in his mind, and whenever he does something outrageous, the Republican party generally seems willing to cover his ass. I think Trump firing Mueller is quite possible. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/2140 "2018-01-30T13:40:06Z")
> [@GreysonCarlisle](#): > > I doubt it. Trump knows that firing Mueller would end his administration. More likely, it’s all a smokescreen to undermine the investigation. Won’t work of course, especially not with so many of his inner circle already under indictment. > > My other best guess is that it’s all damage control to help prevent a blue wave this fall. That won’t work either, regardless of how the investigation goes. I am not so sure. Lindsey Graham may say so, but do you think for one minute Devil Nunes will say “oh golly gee, he fired Mueller! Impeach!” Will Paul Ryan have a spine implant if it happens? I think more likely they will say “well, I wouldn’t have done this but he’s new at presidentin’” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093.md?page=106) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093.md?page=108)