Politics
Robert Mueller Spoke Out About His Investigation the Day After Jim Carrey Urged Him With This Drawing. Coincidence? We Think Not
If Trump is impeached, it may all be because of Carrey.
Yesterday, actor, comedian, artist, and all-around political powerhouse Jim Carrey made his latest attempt to press Robert Mueller, the special counsel, into speaking publicly about his two-year investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Alongside a powerful image of Mueller, which Carrey drew himself, he implored the counsel: “We understand your desire to testify in private Mr. Mueller, but people don’t believe the news anymore because of someone you should have recommended for indictment.”
Then he added a cutting remark: “No pressure though… Its [sic] just the future of the free world at stake.”
Today, no doubt because of the enormous weight Carrey placed on him (the post was retweeted more than 5,200 times and liked by 23,868 people), Mueller finally spoke publicly about his investigation for the first time since it closed, making a point of declining to clear President Donald Trump of obstruction of justice.
“If we had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so,” Mueller said of the nearly 400-page report, which Trump has characterized as a complete exoneration.
Carrey: 1; Trump: 0.
This is not the first time Carrey has beseeched the special counsel. In April, he released a scathing statement on Twitter—one Mueller is sure to have remembered—in which he said the investigator “gave the enemy a leg up.” Brutal.
But even then, Mueller tried to stave off Carrey’s pressure. Last week, the Washington Post reported that the special counsel would prefer that any congressional testimony he give be kept private, rather than be nationally televised. But Carrey was having none of it.
On Twitter yesterday, he questioned Mueller’s courage, humiliating the special counsel by depicting him as a cowardly lion. Quoting the Wizard of Oz, Carrey wrote: “What makes the flag on the mast to wave? Courage.”
Carrey has become increasingly outspoken in his politically charged artwork, which he has shown in a gallery show in Los Angeles and at New York’s Outsider Art Fair, both with art dealer Maccarone.
In today’s remarks, Mueller noted that the Justice Department cannot charge a sitting president with a crime, but mentioned that there is another Constitutional means of accusing him of wrongdoing. He did not mention the possibility of impeachment by name.
“I hope and expect this to be the only time that I will speak to you in this manner,” Mueller added. “There has been discussion about an appearance before Congress. Any testimony from this office would not go beyond our report.”
For now, all we can do is wait for Carrey’s next move.
Read the full transcript of Mueller’s statement here.
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