A Man of Distinction Maligned

  

On the day of the death of Robert Mueller, former Director of the FBI, Donald Trump messaged: "Robert Mueller just died. Good, I'm glad he's dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!" I knew a little about Robert Mueller, but I knew enough to assume that what Mr. Trump has said was not reprehensible just for its bad taste and indifference to the grief of Mr. Mueller’s family, but that he probably traduced Muller’s reputation.

 

This morning The Guardian published an obituary which confirmed my assumptions about both men. Robert Swan Mueller was born in New York City in 1944. He studied at Princeton, New York University and the University of Virginia. He joined the Marines and was awarded a Bronze Star for valour and a Purple Heart. He held positions in attorney offices in California and Washingon DC, and was involved in a number of important cases.

 

Mueller was appointed Director of the FBI by George W Bush, and had his appointment extended from ten to twelve years by Barack Obama. He was the longest serving director, with the exception of J Edgar Hoover. Seven days after he was appointed, al-Qaida attacked the USA on 9/11. Mueller had the moral integrity to instruct FBI agents not to participate in the “enhanced interrogation” techniques instituted by Bush and Dick Cheney: Mueller had the moral courage to refuse to participate in torture. He also successfully opposed an expansion of domestic surveillance of US citizens after 9/11.

 

In 2017 the Deputy Attorney General appointed Mueller to lead the investigation into possible Russian interference in the 2016 election won by Trump to become president. His report found that Russia had intervened in the election in a “sweeping and systemic fashion.” He also concluded that “While this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.” Contrary to this conclusion, Trump claimed precisely the opposite.

 

In this story of two men of similar ages (Trump was born in 1946), it is not hard to discern which was the man of courage, integrity and patriotic commitment to justice. Alas, that man is not the President of the United States.