R Street Institute

Op-Eds

Special Counsel Robert Mueller is the worst Joseph McCarthy ever

Aug 21, 2018
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issues: American Institutions Network, Democratic Institutions, Governance
originally published in Al.com
Recently, President Donald Trump panned Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation as a modern incarnation of McCarthyism. Trump begged his Twitter followers to learn about former Sen. Joseph McCarthy and his grandiose inquisition into alleged communists who infiltrated American society. It’s been a while since I learned about the “Red Scare,” so I took the president up on his request. If Mueller is supposed to make McCarthy “look like a baby,” he’s doing a terrible job.

The president’s request for our collective historical edification was clear: “Study the late Joseph McCarthy, because we are now in period with Mueller and his gang that make Joseph McCarthy look like a baby! Rigged Witch Hunt!”

Trump suggests that Mueller is some sort of super-McCarthy. Historical context is helpful in understanding the comparison between McCarthy and Mueller.

(Read the rest of the op-ed over at Al.com by clicking here.)

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