SU Students react to the Muller Report

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Anticipation is rising for the special counsel Robert Mueller’s report from his investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election.

The redacted report is expected to be released on Thursday morning to the public and Congress, according to the Justice Department.

Students at the Syracuse University campus are mulling over the handling of the report and deciding whether President Donald Trump colluded with Russia or obstructed justice.

Syracuse University’s Hall of Languages

Blake Moyer, citizenship and civic engagement major, said the Mueller investigation was thorough and fact-finding with little to no partisan influence. “Every indictment or referral to another department’s jurisdiction points towards Mueller performing his job diligently,” he said. 

Attorney General William Barr summarised that the Mueller report “did not find that the Trump campaign or anyone associated with it conspired or coordinated with Russia in its efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election.”

Barr said Mueller did not find sufficient evidence to establish obstruction of justice.

 Moyer is convinced that a release of the redacted version should have accompanied Barr’s summary. “His comments, in my opinion, currently do not hold up on their own,” Moyer said.

Moyer believes congressmen should be worried about Trump accepting foreign intelligence. 

“It’s clear that Trump has tried to hamper investigations,” Moyer said, referring to the removal of then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions and then-FBI Director James Comey. “Safer to say he obstructed justice or attempted to,” he said.

Senior Kennedy Rose said that Barr’s initial overview was irresponsible. Due to the secret nature of the investigation, Rose believes transparency is imperative. 

“It has had little substantive information and exonerated people for crimes we are still unsure of,” she said.

Senior Daniel Strauss has been following the report closely over the last few weeks. Strauss said the investigation was conducted diligently.

“One of the most important aspects that will be remembered is how tight the lid was kept on. There were virtually no leaks,” he said.

Strauss questioned Barr’s handling of the report but finds legitimacy in redacting information on national security grounds.

“He’s a part of Trump’s camp,” Strauss said. “It’s likely Barr will try to keep certain aspects of the report from the public in order to protect his boss.”

 “The line between legal and illegal is an area Trump has become a master at operating within,” Strauss said.

Sophomore Casey Darnell said the delayed release of the report “eroded the public’s faith in Barr’s independence from the Trump administration.”

 “Right now, there is a misplaced focus on Russia and Russian collusion, and I’m tired of hearing about it,” he said. “The Mueller report might be a dead-end, but media outlets need to focus on other areas where the Trump administration is currently breaking the law.”