It is important that former special counsel Robert Mueller makes it clear in his testimony Wednesday that he did not exonerate President Donald Trump in his report, Rep. David Cicilline, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, said Tuesday, while predicting the upcoming hearings could change lawmakers' minds on impeachment.
"I think it's important that Mr. Mueller makes it clear to the American people that he did not exonerate the president from the offenses of obstruction of justice, that obstruction of justice is a serious charge that really strikes at the core of our judicial system," the Rhode Island Democrat told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" ahead of the former FBI director's testimony Wednesday.
Cicilline said thinks Mueller will walk the American people through his report, including "through the actual evidence that the president directed the White House counsel to fire the special counsel, then he directed him to lie about it and even generated a fake document or a report to memorialize that lie."
Committee members, he added, "should be asking him questions to bring that report to life so that the American people can understand and see the very serious misconduct of the president."
Wednesday's testimony will mark the first time most Americans will "really hear" about Mueller's conclusions, said Cicilline, and he predicts there will be a "sober hearing, where people understand the gravity of the moment."
The hearing also will most likely change House members' minds on whether it's time to open a formal impeachment inquiry, said Cicilline, as "there's more than sufficient evidence" in Mueller's report to warrant the beginnings of the formal process.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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