Mueller Investigation

The Mueller Investigation or the Special Counsel Investigation was established as a counterintelligence investigation to examine the involvement or interference of the Russian government in the 2016 US Presidential Election. Donald Trump’s presidential campaigns were characterized by allegations of collusion with the Russian government to interfere with the elections. Controversy regarding the probable interference of the Russian government in the US presidential elections in 2016 is one of the major issues that has faced President Trump’s administration. The Special Counsel led by Robert Mueller carried out its investigations into the matter for two years. Given the significance of the issue in the American political landscape, the Mueller Investigation has attracted lots of media coverage and attention over the past two years. This paper examines media coverage on the Mueller Investigation, particularly coverage by Sean Hannity (Fox) and Rachel Maddow (MSNBC).
Media Coverage of Mueller Investigation
Roeder & Mehta (2018) contend that CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC are three cable news networks that could not stop covering or talking about Mueller investigation in 2018. These three cable news networks devoted at least 3 percent of their news coverage to the Special Counsel Investigation in 2018. MSNBC and Fox News accounted for a significant portion of Mueller coverage as they averaged approximately 4.2 percent and 1.7 percent respectively. The increased media coverage on this issue occurred despite warnings by Robert Mueller that much of reporting on the probe was inaccurate. Media coverage on this probe increased after Mueller released a report, which could neither prove whether Trump and his presidential campaign colluded with Russia to interfere with the elections nor exonerate him.
In the aftermath of the report, cable news networks like CNN and MSNBC have seemingly been competing on coverage on this issue. Roeder & Mehta (2018) state that winter was Mueller season on MSNBC and CNN as the share of news mentioning Mueller’s name increased since March 28, 2019. At the core of the increased coverage of Mueller Investigation on Fox News and MSNBC are Sean Hannity and Rachel Maddow. Similar to other mainstream media journalists, Sean Hannity and Rachel Maddow took unique perspectives on their coverage of Mueller Investigation between March 28, 2019 and April 11, 2019. Hannity and Maddow took unique perspectives since they had different takes.
Sean Hannity’s coverage of the Mueller Investigation on Fox News seemingly celebrated the outcome of the probe. Hannity’s coverage on the probe since March 28, 2019 has focused on reports that there will be no further charges or indictments emerging from Mueller’s probe. Throughout his coverage, Hannity has propagated the idea that “the left’s favorite conspiracy theory is now dead… it is buried, and there was no collusion, no conspiracy, no obstruction” (Associated Press & Griffith, 2019). In one of his programs, Sean Hannity further stated that the witch hunt was over and reiterated his position that there will be no further indictments. To support his views, Sean Hannity interviewed President Trump as they discussed the outcome of the Mueller probe.
On the other hand, Rachel Maddow of MSNBC had a different perspective from Sean Hannity. While Hannity stated that the witch hunt had come to an end, Maddow celebrated the end of the investigation and stated that it was the beginning of something new. On March 28, 2019, Maddow stated, “Finally, it happened… In terms of what that means and what Mueller has found, we know only the smallest little bits. This is the start of something, not the end of something” (Associated Press & Griffith, 2019). Unlike Hannity, Maddow explained the meaning of a letter that will be released to the public by Attorney General William Barr. She suggested that the details of this letter could be the beginning on something new or emergence of further charges or indictments. To further support her perspective, Maddow highlighted reports by Democrats in Congress who have demanded the release of the full report. Maddow interviewed Rep. Adam Schiff on March 29, 2019 regarding the Mueller Report and Attorney General Barr. In the interview, Maddow’s ideas were seemingly supported by Schiff who questioned whether AG Barr’s actions were required by law or regulation. Additionally, Schiff propagated for the release of the full report to the public as advanced by Maddow in her coverage on the Mueller probe.
Samantha Bee provided a different perspective on Mueller Investigation and report by simply reiterating the findings of the probe. On her full frontal show after the release of the report, Bee highlighted the findings of the Mueller Investigation and seemingly lauded President Trump for not engaging in a crazy crime. However, she argued that Mueller report is not necessary to support the view of Trump as a bad, corrupt man (Horton, 2019). On one hand, Bee praised Trump for being cleared of allegation and suggested that he is a bad, corrupt man on the other hand. The noteworthy reporting on this subject by Samantha Bee was emphasis on the findings of the Mueller Investigation.
Trump’s View on the Mueller Investigation
Contrary to the details of Mueller report, Trump stated that the investigation was a complete and total exoneration. This contradicted the report, which highlighted that the probe could neither prove Trump’s collusion with Russia nor clear him of any wrongdoing. President Trump and his associates celebrated the findings in the Mueller Report in the aftermath of his release. Trump boasted of vindication due to the absence of clear evidence of any wrongdoing as shown in the report. On March 28, 2019, Trump stated “It was just announced there was no collusion with Russia, the most ridiculous thing I ever heard. There was no collusion with Russia. There was no obstruction, none whatsoever” (Liptak & Collins, 2019). Additionally, Trump stated that investigators should now focus on Democrats who committed some alleged misdeeds during the campaign period. Despite failing to name any specific targets or actions, Trump alleged that there are some Democrats who engaged in wrongdoing and should be investigated in the aftermath of the Mueller report.
The Special Counsel briefing on the Mueller investigation is expected to come out this Thursday. This briefing is the full report of the investigation, which will provide details of the findings and conclusions about various topics and incidents relating to the probe. Special Counsel briefing is expected to reveal the legal analysis and factual findings that underline the conclusions shared by Attorney General Barr. It is estimated that the briefing will release a 400-page report exclusive of appendices and tables (Ewing, 2019). Therefore, this briefing will basically provide further details regarding the Mueller Investigation and how findings and conclusions were reached.
In conclusion, one of the most controversial issues that have characterized President Trump’s Administration is controversy regarding the potential involvement or interference with the 2016 U.S. presidential elections by the Russian government. Allegations regarding the possibility of collusion between Trump presidential campaign and the Russian government to interfere with these elections have dominated media coverage before, during and after the election. As shown in this discussion, cable news outlets have covered the issue differently, especially after the Mueller report was released last month. Sean Hannity and Rachel Maddow have provided different perspectives in their coverage of the investigation due to their political stance and persuasion.
References
Associated Press & Griffith, K. (2019, March 23). How Pundits Reacted to Conclusion of Mueller Probe: Hannity Celebrates End of ‘With Hunt’ While Maddow Foresees Further Investigations. Daily Mail. Retrieved April 16, 2019, from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6841471/Cable-viewers-digest-Mueller-news-Hannity-Maddow.html
Ewing, P. (2019, April 15). Robert Mueller’s Russia Report is Coming Thursday. Here’s What You Need to Know. National Public Radio. Retrieved April 16, 2019, from https://www.npr.org/2019/04/15/712720679/robert-muellers-russia-report-is-coming-soon-here-s-what-you-need-to-know
Horton, A. (2019, March 28). Samantha Bee: ‘You Don’t Need Mueller to Tell You Trump is a Bad, Corrupt Man.’ The Guardian. Retrieved April 16, 2019, from https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2019/mar/28/samantha-bee-mueller-report-trump-late-night
Liptak, K. & Collins, K. (2019, March 28). Trump Claims Vindication After Mueller Does Not Establish Collusion. CNN. Retrieved April 16, 2019, from https://edition.cnn.com/2019/03/24/politics/donald-trump-response-mueller-report/index.html
Roeder, O. & Mehta, D. (2018, December 19). How Cable News Covered Mueller in 2018. ABC News. Retrieved April 16, 2019, from https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-cable-news-covered-mueller-in-2018/