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Since the special counsel investigation began, President Trump has been regularly flinging a series of attacks. There is No Collusion, it is a Witch Hunt, the investigation costs too much, Robert Mueller is conflicted over a golf club membership dispute. Trump has not abandoned any of these arguments, but of late he has begun to emphasize a different one: Mueller is biased because he is not prosecuting Hillary Clinton and the Democrats.

Trump questioned yesterday why Mueller isn’t prosecuting the other side:

When Mueller does his final report, will he be covering all of his conflicts of interest in a preamble, will he be recommending action on all of the crimes of many kinds from those “on the other side”(whatever happened to Podesta?), and will he be putting in statements from..... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 26, 2018

This morning he returned to the theme in an epic storm of rage tweets:

The Phony Witch Hunt continues, but Mueller and his gang of Angry Dems are only looking at one side, not the other. Wait until it comes out how horribly & viciously they are treating people, ruining lives for them refusing to lie. Mueller is a conflicted prosecutor gone rogue.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2018

....The Fake News Media builds Bob Mueller up as a Saint, when in actuality he is the exact opposite. He is doing TREMENDOUS damage to our Criminal Justice System, where he is only looking at one side and not the other. Heroes will come of this, and it won’t be Mueller and his... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2018

....terrible Gang of Angry Democrats. Look at their past, and look where they come from. The now $30,000,000 Witch Hunt continues and they’ve got nothing but ruined lives. Where is the Server? Let these terrible people go back to the Clinton Foundation and “Justice” Department! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2018

This claim is obviously nonsense on multiple levels. The Justice Department has investigated both the Clinton Foundation and Hillary Clinton’s email use and declined to prosecute. Even if Clinton was guilty, it would have no bearing on Trump’s guilt. And even if a new investigation were required, Mueller would not be responsible for it.

The reason his job is called “special counsel” is not that Mueller is just considered a special person and the Justice Department wants him to feel good. It’s that he is tasked with the special role of investigating Russian interference in the election. He does not have the job of investigating all the famous politicians on television.

Trump seems to be settling on the line of defense that, because Mueller didn’t prosecute any Democrats, he is inherently biased and whatever charges he produces should be ignored. This is worth bearing in mind when noting Trump’s obsession with directing the Justice Department to gin up charges against various Trump antagonists. It is not only that Trump wants to smear and intimidate his opponents, but also that he sees accusations against the other side as an essential part of his own defense.