It is the only accounting of Russian electoral interference most Americans can agree on.

Robert Mueller being sworn in to testify before Congress. Source: Newsweek

News last week reopened a flurry of speculation in the national media about the long-awaited Special Counsel report. CNN reported that the Mueller investigation was nearing its completion and that Mueller’s report could be released as soon as this week. While that timeline has been challenged in recent days, there is a general acceptance that Mueller is in the final stages of his work. The release of a report would not necessarily mean the end of Special Counsel-related activity, however. There is already significant evidence that Mueller has shipped numerous cases to the Southern District of New York. POLITICO also reports that, in the case of Paul Manafort in particular, “State and local prosecutors have reportedly prepped new charges that can’t be erased with a presidential pardon.”

News of an allegedly imminent Mueller report has led to arguments downplaying the report’s significance. David Graham of The Atlantic has argued that the Mueller report should not matter all that much to American opinion. Indeed, much of what the Mueller report could potentially reveal has already been disseminated by news outlets over the past two years. Graham writes:

If one is not already convinced that the president’s behavior is unacceptable, it would require an immense revelation to change one’s mind — if that’s even possible. Conversely, if one looks at these facts and believes they merit impeachment (or another sanction), then standing sentry for a nebulously timed, nebulously structured report hardly seems worth the effort.

It is true that the Mueller report will not solve the nation’s problems immediately. But in an era of 24-hour news cycles and rampant fake news, the Mueller report may be the nation’s only chance to fully understand the entirety of Russia’s intervention in the 2016 presidential election.

There is a chance that Mueller’s report will be influential because of new information. The idea that Mueller no longer has the capability to surprise the nation is short-sighted at best. In 2017, the arrest of George Papadopoulos caught practically every reporter and observer in the country by surprise. Details about the extent of Paul Manafort’s crimes, the nature of Russian disinformation, and the actions of Michael Cohen were also not known to the public before Mueller indictments. Graham admits as much in his article, noting that “the special counsel has repeatedly shocked even close observers with new revelations and details.” Mueller could still release a pile of tapes, contracts, or photographs with proof as conclusive as anything on Richard Nixon’s White House taping system.

A more likely benefit of the Mueller report is its value as a chronicle of misdeeds created by one of the nation’s last universally respected figures. Mueller’s approval ratings are more than twice as high as Congress’s. His team’s work has been meticulously crafted over the past two years by some of the nation’s most experienced, talented prosecutors. Mueller has never been tainted by significant scandal or credibly accused of seeking attention. His materials have never leaked, and his conclusions have never been seriously challenged in court. Even the Republican Party still speaks highly of Mueller. Its most frequent request is that Mueller “hurry up” his investigation, rather than end it and denounce it as a fraud like Trump wants.

Mueller himself is the key reason why his report is so vital. When he brings together all of the details on Trump and Russia into a concise narrative, it will be trusted by most Americans. This report can be quoted from during presidential debates and provide focal points for future congressional investigations. It may also guide an eventual law to combat electoral interference. While it may not push recalcitrant Republicans to vote for impeachment, the Mueller report may convince enough voters in Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania to deny Trump a second term.

Pundits are right to suggest that the Mueller report will not bring down President Trump. While such a result is still possible, the report will still help Democrats and the nation at large. It will act as a counterweight to the constant rhetoric of Trump, Russia, and the conservative movement surrounding the Trump-Russia connection. Above all, it will serve, to most Americans, as a rare tome of facts in an era of propaganda.