Former Deputy Director of the FBI Andrew McCabe said Wednesday he wasn’t surprised with former special counsel Robert Mueller’s House testimony, saying it was “exactly” the showing he expected.
“Director Mueller delivered exactly the performance that I think I and many people expected,” said Mr. McCabe, who later became acting FBI director before he was fired. “He was obviously incredibly cautious. Did everything humanly possible to not go beyond the four corners of the report,” Mr. McCabe told CNN.
“Think about the challenge of testifying under these circumstances after you already provided a 400-page statement on the matters that you’ll testify to. He was clearly trying to be very careful not to veer in any way from the phrasing and the facts and the terminology in the report,” he said.
Mr. McCabe said he understands why people might feel let down by Mr. Mueller’s testimony, calling him a dry presenter.
“I can see how some people would have been disappointed. Folks who were hoping he would breathe life into the report and turn it into a dramatic retelling of the presidential abuse were destined to be disappointed,” he said. “Mueller is at his best at just the facts, somewhat dry presenter. And I think the limits that he placed on himself in this circumstance brought him even closer to that center.”
The next day, Mr. McCabe called on the House “do their job” and open an impeachment inquiry, adding it’s “baffling” one hasn’t been opened yet.
“From my own experience at the very beginnings of this investigation, we confronted some very hard choices,” he said on CNN’s “New Day.” “Congress is in now, and they should step up to the plate and do their job. It doesn’t mean that the president will be removed from office or should be removed from office or will be impeached, but it is absolutely clear to me that the time has come for Congress to pursue a dedicated impeachment inquiry.”
House Democrats subpoenaed Mr. Mueller to discuss his investigation into the 2016 election interference and accusations that President Trump and his associates attempted to obstructed justice in that investigation.
Democrats have been vocal that their plan was to use the former special counsel to help visualize the Mueller Report, claiming it will “bring the report to life” and give it more impact.
However, the media has generally panned the hearings, with both MSNBC and Fox News calling it “a disaster” for Democrats. Fox News said it’s terrible “for the reputation of Robert Mueller.”
• Bailey Vogt can be reached at bvogt@washingtontimes.com.
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