[erimir]

On substance, Democrats got what they wanted: that Mueller didn't charge Pres. Trump because of the OLC guidance, that he could be indicted after he leaves office, among other things. But on optics, this was a disaster. #MuellerHearings

— Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) July 24, 2019

Obviously, Chuck Todd has nothing to do with the optics. When he says the substance was good but the optics were bad, that's just stating facts independent of media reportage. It's not like he could simply emphasize that the substance was good (which would in turn, create "good optics").