Robert Mueller's audition: "Trump impeachment will not take place"

Five hours of audition. Four months after the release of the report concluding that there is no evidence of possible collusion between Donald Trump's campaign and Russia, former special prosecutor Robert Mueller faced a questioning in good standing of the Judiciary Committee of the House representatives, Wednesday, July 24. A Democrat-initiated hearing, to which the former Federal Police Chief (FBI) was forced to submit and which he would have done well.

The trembling voice, visibly scalded, Robert Mueller is still bent on the exercise, sandwiched in the battle between Democrats and Republicans. In the background, the question of impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump continues to shake the ranks of the opposition even if it seems less and less likely.

No "exemption" for Trump

As soon as it was introduced, William Barr, the Democratic Chair of the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives, displayed the color by praising the "integrity" of the former special prosecutor's work, saying the committee would "follow his lead". A gentle approach to overcome the reluctance of Robert Mueller and push him to comment. The latter, laconic, remained on his position: "I will confine myself to the elements of the file".

Asked about Donald Trump's statements that the report had "totally exonerated" him in the case of collusion with Russia, Robert Mueller was wrong: "This is not in the report. (...) The evidence was insufficient to incriminate the president. " With regard to the interference in the investigation, the former special prosecutor confirms having identified ten. Despite his insistence Donald Trump has "always refused" to answer the questions of the investigators.

For Philip Crowther, France 24 correspondent in Washington, the goal of the Democrats was to support the idea that Trump is an illegitimate president: "They had the answer they wanted: no, Trump did not, like he claimed, was exonerated and no, the report did not find no obstruction ".

NO COLLUSION, NO OBSTRUCTION!

An "illegal" report

Republican side, the method is quite different. "The investigation concludes that there was Russian interference, but Trump did not conspire with them, the question is now about the origin and the merits of this FBI investigation," he said. your provocative, Georgia's elected Doug Collins. Mueller then kicks in touch: "I will not answer any question about the opening of the investigation, which began months before I took office". Republicans have repeatedly denounced a partisan investigation, multiplying attacks against the former special prosecutor.

"The report does not conclude that the president committed a crime, but does not exonerate him.It was not your job to rule on Donald Trump's guilt, prosecutors must respect the presumption of innocence!", assorted Texas representative John Ratcliffe, before concluding: "This report is illegal, Donald Trump is not above the law ... but he must not be below the law".

The eternal question of impeachment

"In the Clinton affair, the report claimed that the president's actions could lead to impeachment proceedings, why have you never addressed this aspect in your report?", Surprised Kenneth Starr without Robert Mueller's response. The former prosecutor, who played a key role in the impeachment proceedings against Bill Clinton in the late 1990s, refers to a crucial issue in the hearing, which some Democrats see as the last chance to launch a criminal case. dismissal against the president on the Russian investigation.

The most ardent opponents of Donald Trump believed hard that the investigation would serve them on a plateau the elements necessary to complete such a procedure. But in March, the report brought no evidence of collusion with Russia - it's the cold shower. "Everything was based on the Mueller case, it is an official document sanctioned by the FBI and justice, so that has a real guarantee," says Gerald Olivier, specialist in the United States and researcher, "then certainly Mueller points to Trump's interference in the investigation, but there is no charge so no risk to the president.The impeachment will not take place. "

On the left of the Democratic Party, some elected officials like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez continue to favor this option to paralyze the government and weaken Trump, but many consider that a procedure doomed to failure would be counterproductive instead.

Yet, if the case of Russian collusion seems well and truly buried, another file could revive the prospect of impeachment proceedings. That of Donald Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen. "He pleaded guilty and made a deal with the law, which means that his information is of interest to prosecutors," says Stéphane Draï, an international lawyer sitting in the United States Supreme Court. "If information incriminating Donald Trump is revealed, then a procedure of dismissal on charges of corruption or tax evasion becomes possible."