The special counsel investigation continues to make big headlines as the deadline for the first indictments looms. But the truth is that no one really knows for sure what’s going to happen. In fact, it might be more accurate to say that everyone has a best guess as to what’s going to happen.
The question is: are you prepared to take on the big task of figuring out what is going to happen? Are you going to sit there and blindly rely on the news or are you going to do your own research? Are you going to pick a side or are you going to remain impartial?
We’re going to walk you through the process of determining who you should root for and who you should bet on. This is a crucial decision that will affect your future, so let’s make sure that you do it the right way. So sit back, relax, and get ready to root for justice.
The Basics Of Mueller Indictments
Let’s begin at the most simple level. There are essentially two types of indictments: those charging a crime and those accusing a person of a crime. The former are referred to as an “offense,” and the latter are known as “defendants.” In the case of Mueller’s investigation, the indictments that have been made public so far are all charges and none of them have named anyone as a defendant.
The reason for this is that until someone is officially charged with a crime, they are considered innocent until proven guilty. In other words, no one has been indicted yet, so they cannot be held criminally responsible. Nonetheless, Mueller has been very open about the people and companies that he has referred to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution, so we know that more indictments are on the way.
Who To Root For
The first step in analyzing the Mueller indictments is to figure out who you should root for. You have to decide whether you should support the Trump administration or if you think that the President should be held accountable for his actions. The answer to this questions is actually more nuanced than it first seems, but let’s walk you through the various considerations.
Impeachment
The other option is impeachment. If you believe that Trump has committed crimes, you could argue that he is no longer fit to serve as president. In fact, if the Democrats gain control of the House of Representatives in the coming elections, impeachment proceedings could begin as soon as next year. While there is no guarantee that this will happen, the possibility certainly exists.
You have to decide whether you think that Trump should be removed from office. This is a decision that should be guided by your thoughts on the nature of his alleged misconduct. If you think that he has broken the law, then it’s fairly easy to support the case for his impeachment. You should also consider whether you believe that the alleged wrongdoing goes far enough to justify the extreme step of removing the president from office. This is not an easy question, and it depends on your position on the Mueller investigation. Are you hoping that the special counsel will clear the president or are you hoping that he will indict and remove Trump? There’s room for both sentiments, so you have to think carefully about this.
Pardons
Another thing that you have to watch out for is pardons. While the president can pardon anyone that he chooses for any reason, this power is not unlimited. As a practical matter, the legal scholars that I consulted believe that a pardon would only be effective if it were to avert a federal or state prosecution. Otherwise, you can be sure that the president’s pardon will only result in more charges.
To be clear, this does not mean that pardons will deter or halt the Mueller investigation. It simply means that the president could protect officials that have been implicated in the Russian collusion hoax and those that have been exposed by pointing to this power. If you’re considering rooting for someone, you should keep this in mind.
Trump Or Russia?
There is one more consideration that you need to make before you can decide who you should root for. This is the fact that even if you believe that Trump has committed wrongdoing, there is still the possibility that the whole thing was an elaborate plot by the Russians to trick the American people into believing that Trump is compromised and thus ineligible to serve as president. You have to decide whether you believe that this is more likely to be the case or whether you think that Trump is guilty as charged.
If you’re leaning towards the latter option, then you should probably support the administration and root for Trump’s acquittal. This is certainly a possibility, but it is also quite far-fetched. If you’re a true skeptic, you should probably side with the investigators and root for the prosecution.
Inevitably, these are complicated questions, and there is no simple answer. But it’s important to remember that no matter what, it’s still very early in the investigation. We don’t know the answers yet, but we will when the investigation is over.