From the time the special counsel began rolling out indictments in 2017, liberals became convinced with each arrival and departure of prosecutors from the D.C. federal courthouse that a massive, unifying indictment was looming that would charge Trump campaign operatives with conspiring with Russia and WikiLeaks to hack Hillary Clinton’s emails.

Perhaps it was already under seal? Some expected a case sweeping in individuals who were charged, like campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Trump confidant Roger Stone, with others close to the president who’d not been charged, like Donald Trump Jr. and Jared Kushner. There was even talk Mueller might buck Justice Department policy and charge the president himself.

When that round of speculation fizzled amid signs that Mueller was preparing to wind down his probe, attention shifted to the special counsel’s report. Perhaps the veteran prosecutor and former FBI director hadn’t charged Trump, but he would deliver a report that accused Trump of various crimes — akin to Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr’s impeachment referral for President Bill Clinton in 1998.

That, too, proved illusory.