I was out of pocket when the news hit on Friday. So I missed the immediate meltdown that gripped half the nation that day. 

The stunned disbelief. The sobs of disappointment. The paroxysms of despair.

Then again, did anyone expect bitter members of the “resistance” to be heartened to learn that their president wasn’t a traitor?

Not their style.

It was almost midnight when I crawled into bed in a Mississippi hotel room - I was on a college tour with my adopted niece and her mom - and saw that the Mueller report was complete. Two years and at least $25.2 million after this ridiculous rabbit-hole investigation began, it was finally over. There would be no more indictments. And, of course, there was no collusion or conspiracy with the Russians between Donald Trump or his campaign.

Heartbreaking news for the raging Trump-haters who were eager to see the president, his henchmen and even his children frog-marched to jail.

I watched a montage of left-wing cable clowns - Chris Matthews, Rachel Maddow and Mika Brzezinksi - chewing on the news with their frowny faces and undisguised sorrow.

Their loathing of the president clearly trumped their love of country. Assuming they ever had any.

When the attorney general’s letter was released on Sunday, Robert Mueller’s findings were clear: “The Special Counsel’s investigation did not find that the Trump campaign or anyone associated with it conspired or coordinated with Russia in its efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election.”

Uh-oh. All those high hopes for handcuffs, perp walks and impeachment, gone. Just like that.

The only hope of beating Trump now will be to do it the old-fashioned way: With a strong Democratic candidate. And what are the chances of that, given the freak show that’s forming on the left to compete for the 2020 nomination?

I still can’t wrap my head around the notion that millions of Americans hoped that the president colluded with our enemies to take the election from Hillary Clinton.

Decent Americans ought to be relieved. Heartened, even. No matter how they feel about the president.

Many of us never believed the preposterous lies - promoted shamelessly by members of the media - that Trump worked with Russia to win the election. It was Hillary’s to lose and that’s just what she did, with her low-energy campaign, coughing fits, fainting spells and imperious behavior. 

Look, the 2016 election provided nose-holding choices on both sides. But the polls said Clinton would win and she believed pollsters rather than advisors who told her to get her derriere to Wisconsin, Ohio and Pennsylvania or risk an electoral defeat.

The lethargic candidate and her sore-loser supporters immediately went to work trying to delegitimize Trump. Even now, they’re searching for flaws in the Mueller report. 

“This is looking like a cover up,” said Joy Reid, a member of MSNBC’s stable of hard-left pundits.

Another MSNBC stablemate, Chris Matthews, said it was “startling” that there were no more indictments coming.

Rachel Maddow tried to cheer up her viewers Friday, by tossing them a bone: “This is the start of something, not the end of something.".

Wishful thinking, dear.

After months of smugly predicting that the special counsel was going to cripple the White House with his final report, dispirited lefties must now pivot. From collusion and conspiracy to, well, something else. 

They’re working on it. Talking points should be ready some time today.

The weekend wailing of these melancholics proves that there are people in this country - lots of them - who actually WANTED an American president to be guilty of working as a Russian agent. 

Let that sink in.