Left-wing filmmaker Michael Moore on Wednesday reacted furiously to special counsel Robert Mueller’s statement on his investigation into now-debunked collusion between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia, calling Mueller “a weak man hoping to offend no one.”
In his first public remarks about his two-year Russia investigation, Mueller said the inquiry has been closed and he is leaving his role and returning to civilian life. Speaking at the Justice Department, Mueller reiterated his report’s findings — that there was no evidence to indicate collusion between Moscow and the Trump campaign before the 2016 election, and there were several “episodes” in which President Trump may have obstructed justice with attempts to disrupt the investigation.
The report did not clear him on that issue, though Attorney General William Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein did.
Hours after Mueller’s remarks, Moore took to social media to blast the special counsel, tweeting: “When the Wizard of Oz finally spoke — as himself (not as the big, bad Wizard) — his was a small, shakey voice, stuttering at times, unable to look directly at those gathered, a weak man hoping to offend no one, then cutting loose his balloon & flying away, leaving Dorothy behind.”
Moore’s harsh criticism of Mueller comes days after the frequent Trump critic jabbed the president during an appearance at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival Awards ceremony.
“Picasso said ‘Art is the lie that enables us to realize the truth,’” the Fahrenheit 11/9 director said from the podium while presenting the Jury Prize. “Or, as we say in America, Trump is the lie that enables us, well, more lying.”
“Art in dark times is what has helped save humanity,” he went on. “It’s the arts and the filmmakers who inspired the masses to not give up, to not despair, to think, to laugh at the madness, to mourn the loses, to rise up and defeat the insanity with love.”
Moore made headlines earlier this year when he called for furloughed federal workers to organize a “mass uprising” and “hound Mitch McConnell” over the partial government shutdown prompted by congressional Democrat leadership’s refusal to negotiate with President Trump about his proposed Southern border wall.
“What would a nonviolent mass uprising by 800,000 federal workers look like? Sit-ins. Takeover buildings. Shut down all air travel,” tweeted Moore. “A human ‘wall’ at the WhiteHouse. Hound Mitch McConnell so that he has no sleep, no lunches w/ lobbyists. Refuse to show up for work. I’d join that!”
UPI contributed to this report.