Findings play into the president’s narrative of ‘no collusion’ as he embraces the role of victim

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Donald Trump is set to weaponise the special counsel’s finding of no collusion with Russia in his bid for re-election, turning vindication into vengeance with an assault on Democrats and the media.

Robert Mueller found no evidence Trump’s campaign “conspired or coordinated” with Russia to influence the 2016 election and reached no conclusion on whether the president obstructed justice, according to a four-page summary of his findings by the attorney general, William Barr.

What do you want to know about the Mueller report? Guardian reporters answer your questions Read more

The official reprieve, the denouement of a saga that transfixed Washington, deflated critics who believed the Mueller report could lead to Trump’s impeachment, as the Watergate scandal led to the downfall of Richard Nixon. It left White House aides giddy with relief and prominent allies calling for revenge.

Quick guide Who was convicted or charged by the Mueller investigation? Show Hide Michael Cohen, confidant and adviser to Donald Trump Pleaded guilty to bank fraud, tax fraud and campaign finance violations. Separately pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about a plan to build a Trump tower in Moscow. Sentenced to 36 months in prison. Paul Manafort, Trump campaign chairman Pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the US and conspiring to obstruct justice. Sentenced to seven and half years in prison. Alexander van der Zwaan, Dutch lawyer who worked with Manafort Pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. Sentenced to 30 days in prison, fined $20,000, has since been deported. George Papadopoulos, foreign policy adviser to Trump 2016 campaign Pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about the timing of meetings with alleged go-betweens for Russia. Sentenced to 14 days in prison, 200 hours community service, fined $9,500. Richard Pinedo, online fraudster Pleaded guilty to identity fraud. Sentenced to six months in prison and six months home detention. Michael Flynn, National security adviser to President Trump Pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about contacts with Russia during the presidential transition in 2016. Awaiting sentence. Rick Gates, Manafort business partner and Trump campaign official Pleaded guilty to conspiring against the US and lying to the FBI and admitted helping Manafort doctor financial statements, hide sources of foreign income, mislead banks to get loans and cheat on his US taxes. Awaiting sentence. Roger Stone, longtime Trump associate Charged with obstruction, witness tampering and making false statements. Trial due to start 5 November. 13 Russian nationals and 3 entities, social media trolls Charged with using fake social media accounts to influence the 2016 election, but unlikely to ever come to the US to stand trial. 12 Russian military intelligence officers, hackers A dozen named members of the Russian military intelligence unit GRU charged with hacking John Podesta. There is no prospect of them being brought to justice. Konstantin Kilimnik, ran Kyiv office of a Manafort company Charged with obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice. Not in custody and has not answered the charges. Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty Images North America

It also played into a narrative that Trump has been building for two years, portraying the Mueller investigation a “witch-hunt”, “hoax” and “deep state” conspiracy. He is likely to embrace the role of victim in the buildup to the 2020 election. As a New York Times editorial noted the day after his win in 2016, Trump is expert at “the judo move of turning the weight of a complacent establishment against it”.

Although “I am not a crook” would not normally be a compelling campaign message, nothing is normal now. After the release of Barr’s letter on Sunday, analysts predicted that “No collusion!” will become a rallying cry, appearing on T-shirts at rallies like the “Lock her up!” mantra about 2016 opponent Hillary Clinton.

When he says, ‘No collusion!’ he’ll get great cheers and he’ll put on his Mussolini face Rich Galen

Rich Galen, a Republican strategist, told the Guardian: “Even when Trump thought he was in trouble, he was yelling for Hillary Clinton to be locked up and his supporters cheered and acted like idiots. When he says, ‘No collusion!’ he’ll get great cheers and he’ll put on his Mussolini face.”

On Sunday, Trump led an assault against “an illegal takedown that failed” and suggested a look at “the other side”. He said: “It’s a shame that our country has had to go through this. To be honest, it’s a shame that your president has had to go through this.”

On Monday, sitting with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, at the White House, he was asked if he still believed the investigation had been a witch-hunt.

He replied, ominously: “There are a lot of people out there that have done some very evil things, very bad things, I would say treasonous things against our country and hopefully people that have done such harm to our country … those people will certainly be looked at.”

He added: “I will tell you, I love this country, I love this country as much as I can love anything: my family, my country, my God. But what they did – it was a false narrative, it was a terrible thing. We can never let this happen to another president again. I can tell you that. I say it very strongly. Very few people I know could have handled it. We can never ever let this happen to another president again.”

Asked if Mueller had acted honourably, Trump said: “Yes, he did.” Asked if he favours the release of the full report, the president said: “Up to the attorney general. Wouldn’t bother me at all.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest A lone protester sits outside the White House on 24 March. Photograph: Erik S Lesser/EPA

Among Trump’s prominent allies, Sean Hannity, a Fox News host and close confidant, took on the role of attack dog.

“Starting Monday we will hold every deep state official who abused power accountable,” he tweeted. “We will hold every fake news media liar member accountable. We will hold every liar in Congress accountable.”

The White House fired off an email with the heading: “The Collusion Delusion.” The Trump campaign released a video entitled “Collusion Hoax!” The Republican National Committee issued “talking points” that set out the cost of the investigation – $50,230 per day for 675 days – and an email headed: “Russiagate may have destroyed the media’s reputation.”

No collusion, plenty of corruption: Trump is not in the clear | Richard Wolffe Read more

But Mueller could hardly be said to have come up empty-handed. Thirty-four people, including six Trump aides and advisers, were charged. Twenty-five are Russians accused of election interference either through hacking Democratic accounts or orchestrating a disinformation campaign.

Barr said Mueller investigated “thoroughly”, issuing more than 2,800 subpoenas, obtaining nearly 500 search warrants and interviewing 500 witnesses. Trump answered some questions in writing but refused to be interviewed in person.

Although Mueller did not find evidence the Trump campaign coordinated with the Russian government, Barr’s summary notes “multiple offers from Russian-affiliated individuals to assist the Trump campaign”.

This presumably includes a June 2016 Trump Tower meeting at which Donald Trump Jr expected to receive damaging information on Clinton from a Kremlin-connected lawyer. Trump Jr has claimed that the meeting was a waste of time. The Mueller report may yet shed more light on what transpired.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Donald Trump Jr at a Trump golf clubhouse in New York City. Photograph: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Democrats pointed out that Mueller found evidence for and against obstruction and demanded to see his full report. They insisted the summary by the attorney general did not fully clear the president. Barr is scheduled to testify before a House appropriations subcommittee on 9 April.

The House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, and the Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, said in a joint statement: “Attorney General Barr’s letter raises as many questions as it answers. Given Mr Barr’s public record of bias against the special counsel’s inquiry, he is not a neutral observer and is not in a position to make objective determinations about the report.”

Trump’s claim of complete exoneration “directly contradicts the words of Mr Mueller and is not to be taken with any degree of credibility”, they said.

But few doubted the Mueller report has handed Trump a political gift and upended many expectations for 2020. Galen suggested that Democrats should not allow it to become a distraction from bread-and-butter issues.

William Barr: attorney general plays Republican spear-catcher again Read more

“If I was advising Beto [O’Rourke] or Mayor Pete [Buttigieg] or any of those people,” he said, “I would say you’re not on the Senate judiciary committee, so you go and talk about what folks in Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin care about.”

The president remains in legal peril. Federal prosecutors in New York are investigating hush-money payments to two women during the 2016 campaign who say they had affairs with the president. Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, implicated Trump in campaign finance violations when he pleaded guilty last year.

With 588 days to go until the election, some believe the Mueller report will have little impact, noting it apparently played little part in November’s midterms and rarely comes up when Democrats campaign in early primary states.

Rick Tyler, a Republican consultant, said: “Not much has changed except the two sides are more solidified. The people who already dislike him dislike him more intensely than ever, and the people who like him now like him more. If the report is released in full, which I think it will be, there will be enough to make Democratic ad makers happy.”

He added: “People are tired of it and want leaders to move forward on issues they care about. I’ve never seen an interview with a single person who was casting their vote based on what came out of the Mueller report.”