Both sides are going to extremes in embrace and rejection of the probe.
To hear Democrats talk about the Robert Mueller investigation, one would think they have found the silver bullet to end the Trump Presidency. They are convinced that the Russians actually rigged the election and that Donald Trump conspired with the Russians to do it. There is no evidence for any of that.
The Republicans, over correcting the Democrats' irrational exuberance and also in defense mode, are completely dismissive of all of the Mueller probe. Collusion, they would tell us, is no big deal and John Edwards was found not guilty so Trump will be found the same.
The reality is more complicated, naturally. The reality is that we do not know what the Mueller investigation is going to actually show. What we do know so far is that his counter-intelligence investigation has turned into a criminal investigation. He has gotten numerous people to plead guilty to crimes and had others found guilty by juries. These include the President's former campaign chair, that campaign chair's deputy, another campaign volunteer, the President's national security advisor, and the President's lawyer.
We know the national security advisor, Mike Flynn, participated in 19 interviews and his information caused multiple other people to come forward and speak frankly. We know that the President's own lawyer testified in court that it was the President himself who participated with him and engaged in a conspiracy to cover up payments to porn stars. We should also be mindful that though a jury found John Edwards not guilty, the judge in his case had ruled the underlying acts were crimes.
I do not think the Mueller investigation will be the end of Donald Trump's Presidency. Since before he was even elected, Democrats have been searching for a silver bullet to stop him. Silver bullets, like werewolves, are myths.
I do, however, think the Mueller investigation is serious and will have deep and lasting ramifications for the Trump Presidency, his family, his business, and the Republican Party. The President is not out of the woods yet, and things are going to get worse.
