Washington (CNN) The televisions in the White House were turned to Attorney General William Barr's testimony on Wednesday as officials grappled with a long-coming reality: the cloud of Robert Mueller's investigation, once thought lifted, will linger for weeks or months to come.

"There is now public confusion about critical aspects of the results of our investigation," Mueller wrote on March 27, citing Barr's lack of context or nuance when he sent a memo to lawmakers detailing some of the report's findings.

After the letter splashed into view on Tuesday evening, White House officials expressed exasperation by development, bemoaning the new questions about Mueller's findings just as the investigation seemed to be receding from public view.

Officials, who feel they have been dealing with the Russia investigation for two years, believed there was finally a light at the end of the tunnel. Now, many are coming to realize the story will not get out of the headlines quickly.

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