Donald Trump has flown out of Washington to his resort in Florida, falsely claiming Robert Mueller had totally exonerated him, and with Democrats assessing how best to respond to a report that failed to provide them with a true smoking gun.

Five hours after the special counsel’s lightly redacted report was finally made public, the president waved and grinned as he boarded Air Force One for a three-day weekend. He did not speak to reporters, but earlier said at the White House he was having a good day as the report revealed “no collusion, no obstruction”. Later, apparently tweeting while on his way south, Mr Trump urged people to watch Fox News later and said: “It was a really great day for America.”

In truth, Mr Mueller’s report did not represent the total exoneration the president claimed it did. While the investigation did not find evidence the Trump campaign colluded with Russia, it uncovered “multiple links between Trump campaign officials and individuals tied to the Russian government”. Likewise, the full report confirmed what had been conceded by attorney general William Barr, who said Mr Mueller wrote “while this report does not conclude that the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him”.

The report contained much damaging information about the president’s behaviour, not least his efforts to fire the person who led the investigation. Indeed, after Mr Mueller was appointed in May 2017 to lead the probe after the presidents firing of FBI Director James Comey, he believed his presidency was over and that he was “f***ed”. He tried to have him fired or the investigation halted, something White House lawyers lawyers pushed back on.

Mr Mueller’s report contained 11 instances that he and his team examined as possible breaches either of protocol of legality. He provided evidence to find both for and against such a finding.

Mueller investigation: The key figures Show all 12 1 /12 Mueller investigation: The key figures Mueller investigation: The key figures Robert Mueller is the special counsel overseeing the investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election, and potential obstruction of justice by the president. Mr Mueller has a pristine reputation in Washington, where he was previously in charge of the FBI. Throughout his investigation, he and his team have been notoriously tight lipped about what they know and where their investigation has led. REUTERS Mueller investigation: The key figures Former FBI director James Comey was the catalyst that led to the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller. Mr Comey was fired by the president after Mr Trump reportedly asked him to drop his own Russia investigation. Mr Trump has long maintained that the investigation is a "witch hunt". AFP/Getty Images Mueller investigation: The key figures Deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein had authority over the special counsel investigation for much of the two years it has been active. Mr Rosenstein found himself with that responsibility after then-attorney general Jeff Sessions recused himself from that oversight. AP Mueller investigation: The key figures Attorney general Jeff Sessions's decision to recuse himself from oversight of the special counsel investigation may have cost him his job in the end. Mr Sessions resigned last year, after weathering a contentious relationship with Donald Trump who vocally criticised his attorney general for taking a step back. Mr Sessions recused himself from the oversight citing longstanding Justice Department rules to not be involved in investigations overseeing campaigns that officials were apart of. AP Mueller investigation: The key figures Attorney General William Barr is currently responsible for oversight of the special counsel investigation. Mr Barr's office will be the first to receive the Mueller report when it is finished. His office will then determine what portion or version of that report should be delivered to Congress, and also made public. EPA Mueller investigation: The key figures Michal Cohn is the president's former personal lawyer, who has been helping the special counsel investigation as a part of a plea deal over financial crimes, and campaign finance crimes, he has pleaded guilty to. Among those crimes, Cohen admitted to facilitating $130,000 in hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 campaign. Cohen has said he did so at the direction of Mr Trump. Cohen has also admitted that he maintained contacts with Russian officials about a potential Trump real estate project in Moscow for months longer than Mr Trump and others admitted. The talks continued well into 2016 during the campaign, he has said. AP Mueller investigation: The key figures Stormy Daniels has alleged that she had an affair with Donald Trump in 2006, soon after Melania Trump gave birth to Baron Trump. The accusation is of particular importance as a result of the $130,000 hush money payment she received to keep quiet about the affair during the 2016 campaign. AP Mueller investigation: The key figures Paul Manafort was Donald Trump's former campaign chairman. Manafort was charged alongside Rick Gates for a slew of financial crimes, and was convicted on several counts in a Virginia court. He then pleaded guilty to separate charges filed in a Washington court. Manafort has been sentenced to just 7.5 years in prison for his crimes — in spite of recommendations from the special counsel's office for a much harsher sentence. AP Mueller investigation: The key figures George Papadopoulos was one of the first individuals associated with the Trump campaign to be charged by the Mueller probe. He ultimately received a 14 day prison sentence for lying to investigators about contacts he had with Russian officials. AP Mueller investigation: The key figures Roger Stone is a well known political fixer and operative, who has made a name for himself for some dirty tactics. He has been charged by the Mueller probe earlier this year, and he has been said to have had prior knowledge that WikiLeaks planned on publishing stolen emails from the Hillary Clinton campaign in 2016. Getty Images Mueller investigation: The key figures Rick Gates was charged alongside former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort for a range of crimes. Gates, who worked alongside Manafort for a pro-Russia Ukrainian political party. The two were charged with conspiracy and financial crimes. Gates pleaded guilty. AP Mueller investigation: The key figures Former national security adviser Michael Flynn was one of the first casualties of the Russia scandal, and was forced out of his position in the White House weeks after Donald Trump took office. Flynn pleaded guilty in 2017 to "willfully" making fraudulent statements about contacts he had with Russian officials including former Russian ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Flynn then lied to Vice President Mike Pence about that contact. REUTERS

For instance, the report noted, in June 2017, Mr Trump directed White House counsel Don McGahn to tell the then-acting attorney general, Jeff Sessions, that Mr Mueller had conflicts of interest and must be removed, Reuters noted.

It also said there was “substantial evidence” the president fired Mr Comey as FBI director in 2017 due to his “unwillingness to publicly state that the president was not personally under investigation”.

It also said there was some “some evidence” suggesting Mr Trump knew about former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s controversial calls with the Russian ambassador before Trump took office, but evidence was “inconclusive” and could not be used to establish intent to obstruct.

The report said Mr Trump directed former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski to ask Mr Sessions to reconsider the decision to recuse himself from the probe and say the Russia investigation was “very unfair”.

Indeed, large chunks of Mr Mueller’s report detail the president’s efforts to halt the investigation into Russia’s alleged election interference and possible collusion.

Robert De Niro plays Robert Mueller in SNL sketch

When Mr Sessions told the president about his appointment in the spring of 2017, an appointment made following Mr Trump’s firing of Mr Comey, he was said to have slumped into his chair and declared: “Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my presidency. I’m ****ed.”

He then turned to the one time Alabama senator who had joined his cabinet as chief law enforcement and legal officer, and blamed him. “How could you let this happen, Jeff,” he said. “You were supposed to protect me.”

He added: “Everyone tells me if you get one of these independent counsels it ruins your presidency. It takes years and years and I won’ t be able to do anything. This is the worst thing that ever happened to me.”

Such was the president’s determination to halt the process, he telephoned Mr McGahn, who left the White House in October 2018, and asked him to intervene. Mr McGahn told Mr Mueller’s team he was told by the president: “Call Rod, tell Rod that Mueller has conflicts and can’t be special counsel.

“Mueller has to go” and: “Call me back when you do it.”

The White House and supporters of Trump were quick to claim a victory. Senior advisor Kellyanne Conway told reporters: “We’re taking apologies.”

Mr Trump’s 2020 campaign manager Brad Parscale, said Republicans should turn the tables and “investigate the liars who instigated this sham investigation.”

Meanwhile, Democrats were struggling to find a way forward. They said Mr Barr’s decision to hold a preemptive press conference sought to create a false narrative and that the actual report revealed troubling details about Mr Trump’s conduct in the White House.

In a joint statement, House speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, wrote: “One thing is clear: attorney general Barr presented a conclusion that the president did not obstruct justice while Mueller’s report appears to undercut that finding.”

House judiciary committee chairman Jerrold Nadler said the report “outlined disturbing evidence that President Trump engaged in obstruction of justice and other misconduct.” He sent a letter to the justice department requesting that Mr Mueller himself testify before his panel “no later than May 23” and said he would be issuing a subpoena for the full special counsel report and the underlying materials.

At the same time, Democrats are probably unlikely to pursue Mr Trump’s impeachment, jugging that the country is in little mood for another lengthy probe, and that their efforts are better focussed on trying to beat the president in the 2020 presidential election.

“Based on what we have seen to date, going forward on impeachment is not worthwhile at this point,” Ms Pelosi’s deputy, Steny Hoyer told CNN. “Very frankly, there is an election in 18 months and the American people will make a judgement.”

Among those seeking impeachment is congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, who has already tabled a resolution. Among the first Democrats to sign was Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.