Summary

  • US Attorney General William Barr sent a summary of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report to Congress

  • After 22 months, Mueller "did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government"

  • Barr found insufficient evidence of obstruction of justice and does not recommend any further indictments

  • President Trump says the collusion claim was "ridiculous" and the inquiry "an illegal takedown that failed"

  • But on obstruction Mueller also states "while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him"

  • Mueller's team found two main Russian efforts to sway the 2016 US election: disinformation on social media and hacking Democratic emails

  1. End of our live coveragepublished at 23:16 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2019

    Letter to Congressional leadersImage source, Reuters

    We're wrapping up our live coverage of the Mueller report summary - which you can read in full here.

    You can keep up with any updates on our news story, here.

    And if more analysis is what you're looking for, check out our correspondents' pieces:

  2. In small-town America, Mueller report is 'just dumb'published at 23:15 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2019

    Tara McKelvey
    BBC News, Russellville, Arkansas

    Toni Crites, 70, watched CNN in her living room and shouted at the screen and at others in the room that investigators need to "dig deeper".

    But she is in the minority in Russellville, Arkansas (pop. 29,000).

    Most people here say the investigation was wrong from the beginning, and they’re glad it’s done.

    “Witch hunt,” says Walter Smith, a retired bus driver, talking about the report while standing in a Burger King parking lot.

    Timothy Schroeter, a college student, said “the report came out correctly - that there’s no obstruction of justice” and that people should move on.

    Meanwhile, an unemployed warehouse worker (he’s looking for a job and asked me not to use his name) sat in front of his computer in McDonald's and watched Fox News: “It’s just the Democrats,” he said, saying the report was politically motivated and adding: “Now they can drag something else up.”

    Summing up the town’s majority view, he said: “It’s just dumb.”

    Then he turned away from the TV and returned to a more interesting occupation: watching YouTube videos about beehives on his laptop.

  3. Top Democrat: President trying to spin findingspublished at 22:51 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2019

    Democratic House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler has just told reporters that Trump is wrong, the report does not amount to an exoneration.

    He suggested Attorney General William Barr is biased and his conclusions on the Mueller report raise more questions than they answer.

    Nadler says it is "unconscionable" that the president would try to spin the special counsel’s findings.

    He says it is imperative that the attorney general release the "entire, unfiltered" report.

    Nadler concluded the attorney general’s comments show Congress "must step in to get the truth and provide full transparency" and Barr must testify, will subpoena him if necessary.

    He says: "The president has not been exonerated by the special counsel, yet the attorney general has decided to not go further.

    "We cannot simply rely on what may be a hasty partisan interpretation of the facts."

    Democratic House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold NadlerImage source, Reuters
  4. Kellyanne Conway: 'You won 2016 all over again'published at 22:44 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2019

    White House adviser Kellyanne Conway congratulated the president in a tweet, saying the report was "a gift for the 2020 election".

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  5. A brief timeline of Trump Mueller tweetspublished at 22:43 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2019

    Trump has tweeted dozens of times about "Bob Mueller" and the Democratic "witch hunt". Here are some of the president's musings over the last year.

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  6. Trump in 'phenomenal mood'published at 22:38 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2019

    Mar al lagoImage source, Getty Images

    Trump spent the weekend at his golf course in Florida, joined by South Carolinians Senator Lindsey Graham, acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and former congressman Trey Gowdy.

    It was his 175th day at the course while in office, US media estimate.

    The president - who is back in DC this evening - was in a "phenomenal mood", the New York Times reported, external.

  7. Mueller pictured outside White Housepublished at 22:35 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2019

    Robert Mueller, the greatest riddle in America, was pictured today with the White House behind him after he and his wife, Ann Mueller, attended a service at St John's Episcopal Church, which has been attended at least once by every sitting president since Founding Father James Madison.

    Mueller was pictured today with the White House behind him after he and his wife, Ann Mueller,Image source, Getty Images
  8. Congress continues to investigate Trump toopublished at 22:24 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2019

    In addition to lawsuits the president faces from around the country, lawmakers on Capitol Hill are continuing their own inquiries, mostly the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives.

    Senate Intelligence

    • The committee has already said it has uncovered no direct evidence of a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, but has yet to fully conclude its bipartisan inquiry

    House Judiciary

    • The committee is looking into obstruction of justice, corruption, or abuse of power claims against the president

    House Oversight

    • The committee is investigating the administration's use of security clearances - including reports that Trump overruled officials to get clearance for his son-in-law, Jared Kushner

    House Ways and Means

    • Democrats in this committee are preparing to ask for the president's tax returns - which he has refused to release since his campaign days

    House Foreign Affairs

    • The committee has requested all documents relating to Trump's conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and will also soon reportedly look into whether the president's foreign businesses have impacted his policy decisions

    House Intelligence

    • Like the Senate, the House is also looking into Russian interference - but they will also investigate any Russian links to Trump or his inner circle

    House Financial Services

  9. White House: 'Trump completely vindicated'published at 22:17 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2019

    White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said after "wild anti-Trump hysteria" the president has been vindicated.

    Republican Senator Chuck Grassley echoed the same, adding: "let's not gloat let's all move on".

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  10. Republican Party chair: 'Attacks on Trump wrong'published at 22:17 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2019

    Republican Party Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel says the Democratic attacks on the president were "wrong".

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  11. Best day of Trump's presidencypublished at 22:16 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2019

    Jon Sopel
    BBC North America Editor

    What was that film called? As Good As It Gets? That's how Donald Trump must feel now that the attorney general has published his four-page summary of the Mueller report.

    It is impossible to over-emphasise the significance of what has been said.

    If the Democrats want to remove this president from the White House. it's going to have to be via the ballot box in November 2020, and not before.

    The cloud that has been over the president for 22 months has gone, the weight that has sat on his shoulders has been lifted.

    This is without doubt the best day that Donald Trump has had since his inauguration in January 2017.

    Read Jon's take in full

  12. Pelosi and Schumer: Attorney general biasedpublished at 22:10 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2019

    The Democratic leader of the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer have released a joint statement, external: “Attorney General Barr’s letter raises as many questions as it answers.

    "The fact that Special Counsel Mueller’s report does not exonerate the president on a charge as serious as obstruction of justice demonstrates how urgent it is that the full report and underlying documentation be made public without any further delay.

    "Given Mr Barr’s public record of bias against the Special Counsel’s inquiry, he is not a neutral observer and is not in a position to make objective determinations about the report."

    House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (R) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (L)Image source, AFP
    Image caption,

    House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (R) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer

  13. A powerful talking point for Trumppublished at 22:06 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2019

    Anthony Zurcher
    BBC North America reporter

    “My goal and intent is to release as much of the Special Counsel’s report as I can consistent with applicable law, regulations and Departmental policies.”

    Now the waiting resumes. Mr Barr insists he will release as much of the report as he can, given rules that limit the disclosure of grand jury activities and information that could impact ongoing criminal proceedings.

    Democrats will be interested in learning of any more details unearthed in the Russia investigation, even if Mr Mueller did not conclude that they were sufficient evidence to prove conspiracy or coordination. In addition, they will want to see the pro-and-con arguments the special counsel made for charging Mr Trump with obstruction of justice.

    That’s when the second-guessing of Mr Barr’s decision will begin in earnest.

    All this, however, is going to take time.

    Meanwhile, Republicans – from the president on down – will use Mr Barr’s summary to argue that all the investigations into the president’s conduct are baseless and should be abandoned.

    “This should be a lesson to my Democrat colleagues that chasing imagined scandals and following a partisan investigatory agenda will not result in any meaningful change for the country,” writes Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

    There are a variety of ongoing investigations into Mr Trump’s conduct and that of his businesses. Several of them pose a legitimate threat to the president, both legal and political. Those inquiries will continue unabated.

    On Sunday, however, Mr Trump’s side landed a powerful talking point to use in the political warfare to come.

  14. Trump still faces numerous investigationspublished at 22:03 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2019

    Here are (some of) the investigations and lawsuits the president and his organisations still face:

    Stormy Daniels

    • Trump was implicated in campaign finance crimes when his ex-lawyer Michael Cohen said he paid off women alleging affairs with Trump before the election "at the direction of" the president; the US Attorney's Office in Manhattan is looking into the matter

    Inauguration funds

    • Prosecutors are looking into the presidential inauguration committee's record haul of $107m (£81m), to determine where the money came from - including possible illegal foreign donors - and if donations resulted in any special favours.

    Trump Foundation

    Trump Organization

    • After ex-Trump fixer Michael Cohen testified the Trump Organization used to lie about assets to insurance companies, the New York Department of Financial Services launched an investigation, the New York Times reported, external.

    Taxes

    Emoluments lawsuit

    • Under US law, a president cannot accept any gifts or benefits from a foreign government - the attorneys general of Maryland DC are looking into whether Trump's DC hotel violates this law.

    Summer Zervos defamation claim

    • Former Apprentice contestant Summer Zervos is suing Trump for defamation after he called her a liar for accusing him of sexually assaulting her in 2007

  15. What are the implications of Mueller report?published at 21:54 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2019

    The BBC's North America editor breaks down the findings...

    Media caption,

    What are the implications of Mueller report?

  16. Trump campaign sees fundraising opportunitypublished at 21:51 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2019

    The Trump campaign has sent the following text to supporters:

    "Pres Trump: NO COLLUSION & COMPLETE EXONERATION! Dems raised millions off a lie. Now we FIGHT BACK! Donate in the NEXT HOUR & it'll be QUADRUPLED."

  17. Senate Republican leader reactspublished at 21:46 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2019

    Mitch McConnell welcomes the special counsel's conclusion that there was no collusion.

    But still no reaction from the Democratic leader of the House of Representatives, Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

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  18. Comey in the woodspublished at 21:43 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2019

    Former FBI Director James Comey - whose firing by Trump in May 2017 triggered the whole special counsel inquiry - has just posted this tweet.

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  19. Gillibrand campaigners reactpublished at 21:38 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2019

    Vicky Baker
    BBC News, New York

    Democratic presidential candidate Kirsten Gillibrand was on a stage next to New York's Trump International Hotel, launching her campaign shortly before the Mueller summary was released.

    "It is not often that I agree with Richard Nixon," she said, pausing for a laugh. "But he was right to say that the American people have a right to know if their president is a crook or not."

    It got one of the biggest cheers of her speech. However, no-one we asked - before or after - said they had been pinning any hopes on the inquiry.

    "I don’t think this will be a big voting issue," said Austin Bicknell, a student visiting from Seattle. "When people follow Trump down the rabbit hole, that is when we lose. But if we focus on healthcare, economic issues, healthcare, that is when they have a chance of taking him out."

    Kathy Rosenberg, a local nurse, said she had already learnt enough from the investigation to be sure he is an illegitimate leader.

    "The Trump people are going to say it is a big victory and that is very depressing," she predicted. "But that is why I am here, I want see him defeated."

    Many people on the ground here echoed her wish to take on Donald Trump at the ballot boxes, rather than through the courts.

    Denis Lee Owen, who works in economic political development, looked on after as the speeches wrapped up and a small, very vocal bunch of Trump supporters circled the barriers in Maga hats.

    "People could be disappointed today," he said. "But the Mueller inquiry is a process, not an event."

    Democratic presidential candidate Kirsten GillibrandImage source, EPA
    Image caption,

    Kirsten Gillibrand