Americans everywhere were glued to their phones and constantly refreshing news sites on Tuesday in anticipation of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's sentencing recommendation for former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Flynn pleaded guilty to one charge of lying to the FBI regarding the nature of his talks with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.
When the memo finally emerged, it predictably offered no smoking gun. While it was heavily redacted, it did reveal that Flynn had spoken with Mueller's team 19 times and the Special Counsel recommended little to no prison time due to Flynn's "substantial assistance" regarding the investigation into Russian interference of the 2016 campaign. Both developments appear foreboding for President Donald Trump.
But legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin appeared on CNN to point out another line that should have Donald Trump sweating: "Senior government leaders should be held to the highest standards."
Toobin said:
“The fact that he is saying ‘senior government leaders should be held to the highest standards,’ I would be a little nervous if I were the people involved in the obstruction of justice investigation, starting, of course, with the president of the United States... I think that is a statement of how Mueller is going to approach the remainder of his investigation as he starts thinking about the people in the White House.”
Get the details from Toobin in the video below:
As the precision and efficiency of the Special Counsel's investigation has demonstrated, Mueller rarely does anything accidentally. Many agreed with Toobin that the line was far more than "filler material."
Some have pointed out that Trump's set of standards are far from the highest.
With the death of former President George H. W. Bush, Trump has strained to appear somber and presidential. He was even invited to the funeral. Founder of The Left newsletter, Adam Best, pointed out just how much lower the bar of the presidency has been set for Donald Trump.
Could Mueller's statement be a sign that he won't abide this lesser standard when it comes to the President and other White House officials?
Many say yes — that Mueller isn't playing. Trump has yet to directly address the memo on Twitter, leading some to think he's rightly scared.
More developments in the Special Counsel's investigation are expected as early as Friday. Though the Flynn filing was heavily redacted, it did confirm one thing: this investigation isn't ending anytime soon.
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