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Trump played golf with Kid Rock and went dark on Twitter while the world waited for the release of the Mueller report

Mar 24, 2019, 20:34 IST

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President Donald Trump gives the thumbs-up as he arrives on Air Force One, Friday, March 22, 2019, at Palm Beach International Airport, in West Palm Beach, Fla., en route to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla.Carolyn Kaster/AP
  • President Donald Trump spent the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago resort, putting hundreds of miles between him and the frenzy over special counsel Robert Mueller handing in his final report on the Russia investigation.
  • The president went dark for 40 hours on Twitter and didn't mention the report in a speech he delivered the same day Mueller submitted it to the attorney general.
  • White House press pool reports and comments from eyewitnesses paint a picture of a relaxed but aware Trump. His activities included a fundraising dinner and golf with musician Kid Rock. 

Over the weekend, all eyes were on Attorney General William Barr's trips to his Washington, DC office and any clues about his next moves following the submission of special counsel Robert Mueller's final report in the Russia investigation. While the world waited for Barr to release further details on the report, President Donald Trump, whose campaign and administration were reportedly major focuses of the investigation, spent a quiet but closely watched weekend at his Mar-a-Lago resort.

The president largely stayed out of the frenzy surrounding the report. Trump didn't post to Twitter for nearly 40 hours and didn't mention the investigation in a Friday Republican fundraiser speech, a marked point of silence amid lawmakers' calls for the report's release and endless speculation about its contents.

Spokesman Hogan Gidley told reporters on Saturday that the White House had not received or been briefed on Mueller's report, and that Trump was feeling "fine." White House press pool reports and eyewitnesses at his Florida club described the president as relaxed, but aware.

CNN reported Saturday afternoon that a source close to the president said he is happy Mueller has finished his investigation and that "no one is panicking" about the coming announcements, adding that "we're letting it play out."

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There were no public events listed on Trump's Saturday schedule, the president played golf with Kid Rock, as evidenced by a picture he posted on Twitter Saturday evening in which the musician was sporting American flag pants next to Trump in a "USA" hat.

Rock wrote alongside the photo, "What a great man, so down to earth and so fun to be with!! KEEP AMERICA GREAT!!"

Trump finally broke his Twitter silence Sunday morning, writing in an all-caps spree in back-to-back tweets, "Good Morning, Have a Great Day!" and "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

Despite the images of normalcy at Mar-a-Lago, The New York Times reported a friend of the president said he was "anxious about the contents of the report" and how long it would take before it was released. 

More specifically, the Times reported that Trump had recently been gathering opinions from those around him on Barr, who has spent less than two months in the position of attorney general. 

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Read more: Top Republicans are calling to make the Mueller Russia investigation report public

Trump's silence was overshadowed by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who spoke out on Friday and Saturday about the report, with many demanding its full release to Congress and to the public.

Barr had previously said that he will advise top congressional committee members about details from the report that he can release "consistent with the law." In a letter to Congress, he said the DOJ aims to put out a summary "as soon as this weekend.

The attorney general's summary will reportedly include his interpretation of the special counsel's findings, and legal experts told INSIDER that it will be critical in evaluating what could happen next.

The tension over Barr's next steps with the report will surely soon be broken, as the attorney general is widely expected to release his summary on Sunday afternoon.

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Sonam Sheth contributed to this report.

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