The Mueller Report and the old razzle-dazzle

Donald Trump is a master of the razzle-dazzle. If enough misinformation is out there (eagerly believed, of course, by his base), the general public may become confused about the facts of a matter. It's a tried-and-true tactic and one which Mr. Trump employs like a master.

And that means that the rest of us are under an obligation to try to keep the facts straight. Chaos and confusion generally aid the guy Jeb Bush once called "the chaos candidate," and Mr. Trump's supporters are almost invariably folks who didn't pay much attention to his behavior before becoming a candidate or his antics since, and who are a bit fuzzy on the facts and choose to believe what conforms to their own prejudices.

That's a very human reaction which, at least to some extent, we all tend to share. But even so, Mr. Trump and Atty. Gen. Barr have spewed so much nonsense concerning the Mueller Report and what it does and doesn't say that it becomes hard to keep track. Fortunately, a number of news organizations (including, conspicuously, the Associated Press) make it a point to examine public statements not only the president but also by other public figures in a position to influence opinion, and set the record straight.

The AP has done that with regard to the Mueller Report and the multitude of misrepresentations and distortions about it with which the White House and the Justice Department have presented us, and it's worth checking out what they have to say. After all, every once in a while, the Trump administration makes a claim that is actually true.

After all, the administration is committed to keeping us confused.