The Mueller investigation turned over dozens of indictments and multiple convictions, not to mention actual evidence of wrongdoing. The Durham report? It's only two criminal cases ended in acquittal. Yet Conservatives remain wilfully ignorant on this issue, jumping to their conclusions and refusing to acknowledge that Durham couldnt find any evidence of "The crime of the century".

Durham's report was underwhelming to say the least. Four years the guy spent investigating this, and all he could come up with was some vague, non incriminating language. Durham's featured story on Fox News will say something different of course, but in the end, he couldn't find anything damning. So he appealed to conservatives with paragraphs of empty, opinionated rhetoric that will fuel partisan conspiracies and attitudes toward the FBI. Let's move on to what prompted all of this.

The Steele Dossier has become the target of right wing outrage and ridicule, conservatives use it as the basis for their argument that the entire investigation was a "hoax". The Steele Dossier was not the impetus for the Russia investigation. Investigators, even Mueller himself did not rely on the dossier (or Hillary Clinton) to seek criminal charges, it had no influence on any significant findings.

In fact, the investigation, which was eventually handed over to Mueller by the FBI, began well before our intelligence agencies were made privy to the Steele Dossier. The opening of the investigation was entirely warranted and relied on several things, the most significant concerning evidence that Russia hacked the DNC and stole emails, and also evidence of a Trump campaign advisor revealing that Russia had reached out to the campaign with an offer to release damaging information on Hillary Clinton. And that's not all.

Let's start with the report that describes how when Trump found out about the Mueller probe for the first time he exclaimed "This is the end of my presidency, I'm fucked". That's not how an innocent man responds to an investigation.

How about when Trump asked for Russia's help on national TV?

“I will tell you this, Russia: If you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,”

Or how Trump cast doubt about Russian cyber attacks, contradicting our own intelligence agencies (and himself). During a press conference with Putin after meeting with him privately, Trump proclaimed in front of reporters, "...President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today"

"I have president Putin, he just said it's not Russia... I will say this. I don't see any reason why it would be"

Less than 24 hours later, Trump conveniently declared that he "misspoke", that he meant to say "wouldn't" instead of "would".

He even suggested Putin and Russia work with the U.S. on cyber security, have Russia join in on the special counsel that's investigating... Fucking RUSSIA!

Throughout Trump's presidency, he often aligned himself with Putin, defended and enabled him, repeated Kremlin talking points, and on several occasions, refused to confront Putin, chosing to blame America instead. America first my ass. Trump practically glorified Putin at any opportunity, and often at the expense of America and it's allies.

Trump also sought to rescind or loosen Russian sanctions, and after becoming president in 2017, if it weren't for veto proof sanctions, he would have most likely ended them.

Nonetheless, the Mueller investigation led to 37 indictments, multiple arrests, convictions and guilty pleas, and it was determined that there was a link between Russian officials and Trump campaign personnel, it was also determined that the president obstructed justice.

Trump associates repeatedly lied to investigators about their Russian contacts and connections, while Trump dodged inquiries related to his efforts to influence testimony and impede proceedings. Trump associates George Papadopoulos, Rick Gates, Michael Flynn, and Michael Cohen all admitted that they made false statements to federal investigators or to Congress.

Paul Manafort, Trump's campaign manager, and eventually found guilty of fraud, conspiracy, money laundering, tax evasion and the list goes on, gave Russian intelligence polling and campaign information. He also met with Russian nationals at Trump Tower, NY. Jared Kushner and Trump Jr joined him in that meeting after an intermediary informed the Trump campaign that they had damaging material on Hillary Clinton.

In the end, the Mueller report also found that Russia meddled and "interfered in the election in systemic and sweeping fashion" and to the benefit of the Trump campaign no less.

If you're the type to indignantly claim "nO cOlLuSIon!", Understand that Mueller never sought to use the term "collusion", nor was it a crime he was investigating. He believed that "collusion" wasn't an appropriate crime to investigate under the conditions of charging or indicting a president, instead Mueller focused on criminal conspiracy law, and in the end, never came to anything nearly as conclusive as "no collusion". In fact, according to the Mueller report, the results of the investigation were unresolved and inconclusive

"[W]hile this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him,"

Mueller declined to exonerate Trump and detailed obstruction of justice charges against the president for his actions in attempting to undermine the investigation. In the end, Trump's obstruction was painfully clear, involving multiple efforts to jeopardize the investigation, curtail investigators, prevent evidence from being disclosed, coerce DOJ/admin officials, install loyal lackeys to oversee the probe, fire those who wouldn't compromise efforts, influence testimony and the list goes on.

However, indictment/further investigation didn't follow thanks to William Barr, his deranged theories on executive authority, and a DOJ policy prohibiting the indictment of a sitting president in the first place, how convenient. Mueller never cleared Trump of obstruction.

Any conclusion or mention of "no collusion" doesn't even appear in the Mueller report. "NO COLLUSION" is a phrase propagated by Trump, right wing media and conservative mouthpieces for the purpose of instilling it into the minds of Republicans who would go on to repeat it ad nauseum, and guess what, IT WORKED.

Adding to it all, In 2020, a Republican controlled senate panel released a nearly 1,000 page report detailing Russia's interference in the 2016 election in favor of a Trump presidency, an extensive web of contacts between the Trump campaign and Kremlin officials, an eagerness from Trump officials to accept Russian assistance, and inexperienced, unqualified Trump campaign officials and advisers that *“presented attractive targets for foreign influence, creating notable counterintelligence vulnerabilities.”, among other things of course.*

When it comes to this radically polarizing issue, it's nowhere near as simple as "no collusion" or a "leftist hoax", and it was without a doubt, justified. Findings have been made clear, efforts weren't steeped in some conspiracy, there was no "witch hunt", and the FBI was entirely warranted in opening it's probe. All while Trump's continued attempts to thwart and obstruct justice remain evident.