The Atlantic

Forget the Theater Criticism—Mueller’s Conclusions Are the Real News

Covering whether the odds of impeachment are up or down and what President Trump is tweeting is more comfortable for many reporters.
Source: Leah Millis / Reuters

If you thought yesterday’s testimony from former Special Counsel Robert Mueller was dull and devoid of surprises, wait until you read the coverage.

“The Blockbuster That Wasn’t: Mueller Disappoints the Democrats,” intones The New York Times. “Mueller Answers Trump Taunts in Testimony Unlikely to Change the Political Dynamic,” The Washington Post agrees. “While hearing it from Mueller may change some minds, it’s hard to see any of those facts—which we’ve now known for months—fundamentally altering the narrative,” announces CNN’s Chris Cillizza.

Midway through the hearings, NBC’s Chuck Todd had already , “On substance, Democrats got what they wanted: that Mueller didn’t

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