“I really hope that if he is asked by Congress to come testify, that he does,” Baker, a Republican, said of Mueller. “I think people ought to take a look at what he has to say about his own report and then pursue discussions after that before they make other decisions.”

Baker, who has cautioned against calling for Trump’s impeachment before seeing Mueller’s findings, said Wednesday any movement in the House should wait until Mueller can explain his findings in public.

Governor Charlie Baker aligned himself with several Massachusetts Democrats on Wednesday, saying he wants Special Counsel Robert Mueller to testify before Congress about his report on President Trump.


Baker also echoed comments from Senator Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, saying he was struck by the “appalling and sickening behavior of the president and the White House” that was outlined in a redacted version of Mueller’s report released last week.

But his views of what the next steps should be followed that of many Democrats. Senators Edward Markey and Elizabeth Warren have said Mueller should testify before Congress to explain his report, though Warren also went further when she became the first presidential candidate to call for impeachment proceedings to begin. Representative Lori Trahan, too, said Mueller should testify “as soon as possible.”

The Democratic Party as a whole, however, is struggling to find a wide consensus on what to do. Some, such as Senator Bernie Sanders and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, are urging caution. Same for Representative Katherine Clark, the Melrose Democrat who said impeachment shouldn’t be a “political decision.”

Others, including presidential candidates Warren, Representative Seth Moulton, and Senator Kamala Harris, say impeachment proceedings should be on the table now.

“I do believe that there are grounds,” added Representative Ayanna Pressley, a Boston Democrat.


For Baker, a Trump critic, his views again separate him from those within his own party. In late March, when many Republicans were eager to push the Mueller investigation into the rear view, Baker said he was “loath to comment” about the summary Attorney General William Barr had released to lawmakers of Mueller’s report, speculatively calling it a “four-page letter that supposedly wraps up a two-year investigation.”

At the time, he said he wanted to see the full report. With a redacted version now public, Baker — often a cautious political figure himself — said the context Mueller can provide is important before the House makes a decision.

“I think that’s the right way to go,” he said.

Matt Stout can be reached at matt.stout@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @mattpstout.