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A Question for Historians: Robert Mueller’s Incapacity
To say that Robert S. Mueller III did not distinguish himself in his Congressional testimony Wednesday would be an understatement. His answers were halting, when not evasive, and he repeatedly had to ask that a question be repeated. Long before his appearance before the Judiciary and Intelligence committees, there had been rumors that he was senile.
His testimony today suggests two possibilities: that he really is senile, or that he is pretending to be so in order to avoid having to explain his conduct as Special Prosecutor. If the latter is true, it had to do with his reluctance to discuss his decision to hire a host of hyper-partisan Democrats, such as Andrew Weissman, to do the footwork on the case and with his failure to investigate the origins of the Fusion GPS report and to consider the possibility that the Russians made clever use of the Clinton campaign.
I am, however, inclined to suppose that the former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is senile and that he was already suffering from dementia when he was named Special Prosecutor. This would explain a great deal. If, in effect, the hyper-partisan Andrew Weissman was in charge, it would explain why, though by then they knew that he was innocent, the Special Prosecutor and his team did not exonerate Donald Trump of collusion with the Russians prior to the 2018 midterms. It would also explain the absence of any curiosity concerning Christopher Steele and the Fusion GPS report. And, of course, it would explain all the malarkey about obstruction of justice.
Donald Trump is an impulsive man. He knew that he was innocent of the charge being weighed by the Special Prosecutor, and he rightly discerned from the outset that Mueller’s appointment was a ploy aimed at his ouster. That this would enrage a man of his temperament is no surprise. But let’s face it. If you were on the receiving end of such treatment, you would be more than annoyed. That Trump would thrash about seeking the means for getting off the hook also makes sense, as does his rancor against Jeff Sessions, who allowed himself to be bulldozed by the staff of the Department of Justice. But, in the end, Trump did nothing to interfere with the investigation.
There are two matters that need investigation: the attempt to cripple an administration on … er … trumped-up charges, and the larger attempt to make the Department of Justice independent of the President, who is charged by the Constitution with the execution of the laws. William Barr and his merry women and men have their work cut out for them.
Published in Law
It’s difficult to disagree with your interpretation, but not yet possible to prove it. He did seem to be dazed and slurring in his “press conference” a month or so ago.
I haven’t watched any of the hearings but the recent posts have piqued my interest in Mr. Mueller. Here is a highlights-only version of the hearings that’s only seven minutes long:
Here’s Mueller from an interview in 2018.
Funny, seems pretty sharp in this video.
That’s my take as well. The “dementia” narrative is pretty convenient.
I think the claim is not senile dementia, but “liberal” dementia . . .
Also incurable.
As I said, there were rumors about Mueller’s incapacity. This report explains why.
Let me add something about dementia. Those slowing losing it have good days and bad days — times when they are alert and on point, and times when they wander.
Comey, Mueller, Clapper and Brennan are excellent arguments that there is something seriously wrong with our intelligence and law enforcement agencies. I think that Mueller has been rotten for a long time.
I also think that as frustrating as it was, Trump ultimately made the right decision in not firing Mueller. And we should all be thankful Barr became AG and made sure the circus closed down and the clowns sent home.
Dementia is a progressive thing, not binary, so give the guy some credit. Lawyerly dodges are easy. “outside of my purview” was his default answer, when he had nothing cogent to say. Coping mechanism are a natural way to compensate. 1) repeat the question, 2) stall by asking for a citation, 3) outside of my purview. Anybody could be trained to do those three things.
His face looks healthier back then also – he looks very old and tired in the hearings – you can go downhill fast if you have an illness, plus the strain of this whole thing.
Especially when one of the names mentioned was a former communist and voted for the Communist Party USA candidate (forgot which one) . . .
Brennan
I do not believe that Mueller is senile, I believe that he is slipping.
I do not believe that Trump is senile, I believe that he is slipping. See, for example, his interviews 20 years ago when he could speak in full paragraphs; now he is challenged by spelling.
Mueller was subjected to cross-examination. Trump has not been subjected to cross-examination for many, many years. (When at debates, Trump would interrupt and filibuster. Just try that in Court! You would end up being found in contempt, and facing possible incarceration.)
The evidence of his own recent speeches proves otherwise.
Trump does well when he reads speeches written by speechwriters, but not speaking extemporaneously.
Yes, attorneys are good at destroying people on the stand and misrepresenting the truth. It is practically the definition of attorney.
Wrong again, Gary!
Not to mention one hour plus rallies where Trump combines written speech with totally off the cuff commentary, back and forth, never missing a beat. These rallies are held all over this country, so PDJT has had to travel to them. If he is slipping, and I grant that we all slip, the President’s starting point was way beyond the normal person. But keep ankle biting Mr. Robbins. You surely will draw blood eventually.
Having no taste for reality TV—it embarrasses me—and no cable either, I missed the proceedings. Diagnosis via photograph is a stretch; but my two older brothers suffer from dementia; Mueller’s lost look is sadly familiar to me.
Repetition is the demented’s friend; one will often use a magical catch phrase to divert or settle the line of a conversation.
No spring chicken myself, I’m considering adding “…beyond my purview…” to my quiver of automatic responses.
Is Trump’s use of “build the wall” such a catch phrase? How about “Hillary’s emails”? Or “I love Wikileaks”? Or “Robert Mueller and 12 angry democrats”?
No.