The Point: Donald Trump's 2016 election conspiracy just took a big hit

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May 31, 2022 | by Chris Cillizza and Shania Shelton

Donald Trump's 2016 election conspiracy theory just took a big hit

For years -- literally -- Donald Trump has insisted that Hillary Clinton engaged in a purposeful conspiracy designed to keep him out of the White House.

The probe into whether Russia sought to influence the 2016 election (it did) and whether it colluded with the Trump campaign to do so was regularly described by the former President as "the single greatest Witch Hunt in American history."

The real story, according to Trump, was how the counterintelligence investigation into Russia began -- a story that special counsel John Durham was going to get to the bottom of.

At the heart of what Trump called the "crime of the century" was an allegation by Durham that Michael Sussman, a lawyer for Clinton's campaign, had lied to the FBI about his own interests in passing along a tip about Trump and Russia.

On Tuesday, Sussman was found not guilty of the lying charge by a federal jury. As CNN wrote:

"The verdict is a major defeat for Durham and his Justice Department prosecutors, who have spent three years looking for wrongdoing in the Trump-Russia probe."

It remains to be seen when Durham will conclude his probe and whether he will bring charges against anyone else.

But what is clear is that the Sussman allegation, which was by far the most high-profile output of Durham's probe to date, amounts to a huge swing and a miss by the special counsel.

The Point: It's always been hard to line up Trump's wild claims about the seriousness of the Durham investigation with its output. Never has that disparity been more stark than today.

-- Chris

TRIVIA TIME!

In only one presidential election between 1952 and 1988 did California not vote for the Republican presidential nominee. What year was it? (Answer below!)

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"If we have fully electable candidates in November, I think there's a decent chance the country will change directions."

-- Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday about the midterm elections.

TUESDAY ON THE SOCIALS

1. BTS visits the White House

2. Bipartisan gun negotiations are underway

3. Tom Cotton is for Katie Britt in Arkansas

4. This gas prices chart is TOUGH

5. Like brother, like brother

6. Bottlenose dolphins rock

CHRIS' GOOD READS

NBC News examined the Biden White House -- and found it adrift.

Brooke Baldwin writes in The Atlantic that we can't look away from Uvalde, Texas

The Financial Times asks whether America is headed for a civil war.

Why Covid mask mandates haven't made much of a difference, according to David Leonhardt in The New York Times.

The Times also has this great profile of the coming battle between Democratic Reps. Jerry Nadler and Carolyn Maloney in New York.

The Washington Post on why no one can read all of their apps' privacy policies.

MUSICAL INTERLUDE

This "Tiny Desk" concert by Svaneborg Kardyb is pure bliss. Also, go and listen to their 2020 album, "Haven."

-- Chris

FLORIDA DEMOCRATS' NEW MESSAGING

As they have struggled to energize their liberal base and lost support among Latinos, Democratic candidates in Florida are turning their attention to soaring housing costs in the state.

CNN's Steve Contorno reports that while inflation has put President Joe Biden on the defensive, Florida Democrats sense an opportunity to place the blame on more than two decades of Republican leadership in the state.

Contorno writes: "Much of the ire has been directed at Gov. Ron DeSantis. Democrats have accused the Republican of waging cultural fights -- against Disney and over other hot-button social issues -- with an eye on a future White House bid instead of responding to a crisis they say has been years in the making."

DeSantis has attempted to counter by saying people are looking to "get the hell out of these dumpster fire states," resulting in greater demand for housing in Florida.

-- Shania

ONE SMALL NUMBER

14%

According to a new Gallup survey, just 14% of Americans described the current economic conditions as "excellent" or "good." By comparison, 46% called them "poor" and 39% rated them as "only fair."