Meanwhile, Barr overstated the level of the Trump team’s moral innocence. He repeatedly claimed, wrongly, that Mueller’s report “proved” that the Trump team did not collude with Russian nationals. It did no such thing. It said the investigation “did not establish” proof of such collusion. It proved nothing either way, although certainly the burden is and has been on his accusers throughout.

To note Barr’s overstatement would be mere nitpicking, however, were it not for the overall context and effect of Barr’s statements. The upshot of Barr’s message was almost that Trump was innocent as a lamb, not just legally but ethically. Mueller’s report says otherwise. Mueller wrote that Trump’s campaign knew about and “expected it would benefit electorally from information stolen and released through Russian efforts.”

Moreover, as has been long known, top Trump officials and intimates — son Donald Jr., campaign manager Paul Manafort, and son-in-law Jared Kushner — all acted on at least one occasion with the absolute intent to conspire with Russian nationals. They agreed to the now-infamous Trump Tower meeting under the clear understanding that they would receive material which supposedly was “part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump.”