Chris Wallace: ‘This has been a disaster for the Democrats’ and ‘for the reputation of Robert Mueller’

“Fox News Sunday” anchor Chris Wallace called former special counsel Robert Mueller’s testimony “a disaster for the Democrats” and “for the reputation of Robert Mueller” during a discussion on the network Wednesday morning, comments that were later retweeted by President Trump.

Ouch.

Chris Wallace: “This has been a disaster for Democrats and for the reputation of Robert Mueller.” #MuellerHearings pic.twitter.com/hfaaSiAkMM

— Andrew Clark (@AndrewHClark) July 24, 2019

Wallace’s remarks on Mueller come as the former FBI director testifies before two congressional committees on Wednesday.

“I think this has been a disaster for the Democrats, and I think it’s been a disaster for the reputation of Robert Mueller,” Wallace told anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum. “[He] doesn’t seem to know things that are in the report.

“He’s been attacked a number of times, and you would think that almost anybody else would have defended his own integrity, the integrity of the investigation,” Wallace continued. “Over and over, Mueller just sits silent and lets the attacks from the Republicans to sweep over him and says nothing.”

“I think it does raise questions about the degree to which he actually was in charge of and in control of this report, because he doesn’t seem very much in control or charge of what the final report was. I should say whether he was in charge of the investigation, because he doesn’t seem in charge of what the report actually says,” he added.

Trump later quoted Wallace in a tweet sent around the time the hearing paused for a short break.

“This has been a disaster for the Democrats and a disaster for the reputation of Robert Mueller.” Chris Wallace @FoxNews

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 24, 2019

All of the major broadcast networks and cable news networks are offering wall-to-wall coverage on Mueller’s testimony.

Wallace rejoined Baier and MacCallum after Mueller concluded his testimony to the House Judiciary Committee to share that he had exchanged an email with a Democratic committee staff member who attempted to set expectations around what party members had hoped his testimony would provide.

“I had an email exchange after that with member of the Democratic committee staff,” Wallace said before quoting one part of the exchange. “We did not expect Robert Mueller to, quote, and I love this expression, ‘to be the most expressive witness. But we thought we could in this exchange bring the 448-page report to life.’

Later in the discussion, the veteran newsman stated that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) may end up being the big winner as a result of Mueller’s uneven performance since she has been pushing back against the party’s left blank on the drive for impeachment.

“The real question is: Is this going to be a game changer? Is this going to change — we had 95 Democrats vote for impeachment. Are a lot more now going to vote [for impeachment]?” Wallace asked.

“And, more importantly, Nancy Pelosi says, will there be any bi-partisan to buy-in on this? I don’t see this changing many minds. And I don’t see there any more move to impeachment,” he continued.

“To the degree that Nancy Pelosi really doesn’t want to go down that route, she may end up being the big winner today because I don’t think that the drive for impeachment gained any momentum. In fact I think it lost some,” Wallace concluded.