Barr to front Senate and House in coming days amid Mueller report fallout

US Attorney General William Barr will face the Senate Judiciary Committee today in the first of two testimonies on the findings of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia Investigation.

The redacted Mueller report, made public on April 18, concluded there was no criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia but found that it could not exonerate the president of obstruction of justice.

18 months out from the 2020 election, and with some 20 candidates vying for the party’s nomination, Democrats must be careful in how they navigate the Russia investigation. While hardliners, including presidential hopefuls Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris, have called for Mr Trump to be impeached, centrists have instead prioritised policy issues, such as healthcare, income inequality and education. Such a formula resonated with voters when Democrats retook the House in November.

Today’s appearance will give lawmakers an opportunity to grill Barr on Mueller’s findings as well as his handling of the final report. Ultimately, the opposition must decide whether the investigation is something that matters to voters. Indeed, the investigation has done little to affect Trump’s base––he still enjoys a 90% approval rating among registered Republicans. Attorney General Barr is set to testify in front of the Democrat-led House Judiciary Committee tomorrow, which will likely be harder on Mr Barr than today’s Republican-led Senate Committee.