Yes is the answer. It may literally implode or it may fizzle out, but it is over. There are several reasons. The first and foremost is that whatever you think about Trump, the collusion concept was ridiculous, because it would be impossible to prove, was clearly a desperate attempt to derail the Trump Presidency at it most ambitious and, if that failed, to hobble Trump’s declared intention of improving relations with Russia. Recently this Blog said Trump would have to stand and fight. Well he has. But first let us deal with the Democrats.
Aghast at losing against a candidate they took for a fool and a funny, they were determined to get their own back for the perceived conspiracy to expose Hilary’s email problems. So the notion that Trump was too close to Russia and his campaign had somehow plotted something which was illegal took hold. But after spending a lot of tax dollars, all Mueller has to show is a few miscreants whose only crime, if it can be called that by people with time to waste, is to tell lies to investigators.
Paradoxically the Democrats have done rather well in recent elections in New Jersey, Virginia and Alabama, winning all of them. Seeing they are back in the game with real chances of big gains in 2018, they realise they have to start talking about stuff which Americans care about, like jobs, healthcare and taxes. Wasting tax dollars on a pointless investigation will not sit well with voters. It is obvious to everyone that Trump is closer to Russia than previous incumbents. He has been there with his beauty pageant, tried to build a hotel there, and according to well founded rumour, has quite a lot of Russian capital funding his property empire.
Exasperated at the inability to get on with his agenda, Trump has taken a much more proactive position. First Putin astonishes the world by singing Trump’s praises to the rooftops in his annual press conference. Next Trump phones him (they are on first name terms) to thank him for his support and discuss how to deal with Kim Jong Un. Days later Putin phones Trump to thank him for CIA intelligence sharing which thwarted a plot to blow up a St Petersburg church whilst people were inside at a service. A gang of alleged IS style terrorists is arrested in front of news feed cameras recording the whole thing.
In this carefully orchestrated set of exchanges Trump has said to America, yes I am on good terms with Putin, so what? From me you also get tax cuts, jobs, infrastructure development, a booming stock market, immigration controls etc. To spike the Democrats rusting guns he will add some stuff about Russia and China trying to challenge America on the world stage, which will bolster his case for mega spend on the military. Which is what he wants just in case anybody thinks for one teeny moment that America is not First.
Set against all that Mueller’s show is plain silly. Even the Democrats can see that.