PRIMARILY THROUGH THE HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE, LESTER IN.
>> THANKS.
>> THANKS. LET ME TURN NOW TO HALLIE.
THE PRESIDENT HAS AUTHORIZED THE
RELEASE OF A TRANSCRIPT OF THE
CONVERSATION.
CONVERSATION. >> YES.
>> YES. >> IT MAY OR NOT HAVE THE QUID
PRO QUO THAT MANY ARE LOOKING
FOR.
FOR. HOW DOES THAT FACTOR INTO WHAT
JUST HAPPENED NOW?
>> THE PRESIDENT IS CALLING IT A
TRANSCRIPT.
TRANSCRIPT. WE DON’T KNOW WHAT THIS RELEASE
IS GOING TO BE CONSISTING OF.
IT COULD BE NOTES TAKEN FROM
OFFICIALS IN THE ROOM, BUT THE
FACT THAT THE WHITE HOUSE IS
RELEASING IT, AND THE
PRESIDENTENPRESIDENT
PRESIDENTENPRESIDENT EN
EN WANTS IT RELEASED, IT MAY NOT BE
THE SMOKING GUN THAT DEMOCRATS
WANT TO SEE.
STEPPING BACK, THIS AFTERNOON IS
A DEFINING MOMENT IN THE TRUMP
PRESIDENCY SO FAR.
THE FIRST HALF WAS DEFINED BY
THE SPECIAL COUNSEL
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. THE SECOND HALF WILL BE IMPACTED
BY THIS IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY.
IT’S A MIX OF TREPIDATION ABOUT
THIS, AND DEFIANCE, THAT SORT OF
TRADITIONAL ATTITUDE THAT WE
SOMETIMES SEE FROM PRESIDENT
TRUMP.
TRUMP. >> I’M TOLD THE PRESIDENT HAS
JUST TWEETED, SUCH AN IMPORTANT
DAY AT THE UNITED NATIONS, SO
MUCH WORK, AND SO MUCH SUCCESS,
AND THE DEMOCRATS PURPOSELY HAD
TO RUIN AND DEMEAN IT WITH MORE
BREAKING NEWS WITCH HUNT
GARBAGE.
GARBAGE. SO BAD FOR OUR COUNTRY.
>> ALREADY YOU’RE SEEING THE
PRESIDENT BRAND THIS, JUST LIKE
HE BRANDED THE SPECIAL COUNSEL
INVESTIGATION AS A WITCH HUNT.
THIS TIME, IT’S NANCY PELOSI AND
THE HOUSE DEMOCRATS.
I’M TOLD BY SOURCES FAMILIAR
WITH THE PRESIDENT’S THINKING
THAT HE DOESN’T WANT NECESSARILY
IMPEACHMENT, THERE IS A SENSE
THIS COULD BE POLITICALLY
HELPFUL FOR HIM, AND IT COULD
ENCOURAGE HIS BASE TO TURN OUT.
THE CORE SUPPORTERS --
>> THAT’S THE PELOSI GAMBLE
HERE?
HERE? >> IT IS.
>> IT IS. >> YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE
POLLING NUMBERS ON THIS, PRIOR
TO THIS WHISTLE BLOWER COMPLAINT
EMERGING, MOST AMERICANS,
THROUGH RECENT POLL WILLING,
DON’T SUPPORT MOVING FORWARD IN
THESE IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS.
I THINK THAT’S WHY SHE DREW A
THROUGH LINE TO THE
CONSTITUTION.
CONSTITUTION. HOW MANY TIMES DID SHE TRY TO
MAKE THE ARGUMENT, THIS GOES
ABOVE POLITICS IN THEIR VIEW.
THIS IS ABOUT UPHOLDING THE OATH
OF OFFICE THAT THEY TOOK AS
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WHEN THEY
ENTERED THE HALLS OF THE
CAPITOL.
CAPITOL. >> A LOT OF DEMOCRATS WERE ALSO
ON THE FENCE ABOUT THIS, THE
TIPPING POINT APPARENTLY, THAT
PHONE CALL AND THE IMPLICATIONS.
>> SHE HAD ALMOST NO CHOICE
HERE.
HERE. IN THE LAST 24 HOURS, YOU’VE
SEEN TWO DOZEN DEMOCRATS COME
OUT AND CHANGE THEIR POSITION ON
IMPEACHMENT.
IMPEACHMENT. THE PRESSURE BUILT SLOWLY AND
THEN ALL AT ONCE.
THE PRESIDENT WANTS TO TALK
ABOUT HIS SUCCESSES AND WHAT
HE’S DONE HERE AS HE PUT IT AT
THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL
ASSEMBLY.
ASSEMBLY. YOU KNOW WHO HE’S MEETING WITH
ONE ON ONE TOMORROW?
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UKRAINE.
>> YOU HAVE THE TRANSCRIPT,
NANCY PELOSI SAYING, WE WANT TO
HEAR THE STORY OF THE WHISTLE
BLOWER.
BLOWER. THAT’S A POTENTIAL LONG LEGAL
BATTLE AHEAD OF US AS WELL?
>> ABSOLUTELY, A LEGAL BATTLE
THAT COULD EXTEND FOR MONTHS IF
NOT LONGER.
NOT LONGER. IT’S GOING TO COME TO A HEAD, AT
LEAST THE START OF IT THIS WEEK.
WHEN YOU HAVE THE ACTING
DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL
INTELLIGENCE.
INTELLIGENCE. A MEMBER OF THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION WHO IS BLOCKING
THIS COMPLAINT FROM BEING TURNED
OVER.
OVER. IN AN OPEN SESSION AT ONE POINT
BOTH THE HOUSE AND SENATE SIDE.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE SENATE
PIECE OF IT, LESTER, AND YOU
HEARD THIS QUESTION BEING
SHOUTED TO SPEAKER PELOSI AS SHE
WALKED OUT OF THE ROOM.
IT RELATED TO WHAT THE SENATE IS
GOING TO DO AT THIS POINT.
THE HOUSE COULD MOVE EVENTUALLY,
POTENTIALLY VOTE TO IMPEACH
PRESIDENT TRUMP.
PRESIDENT TRUMP. THE SENATE IS MAJORITY
REPUBLICAN, AND RIGHT NOW WHEN I
TALK TO SOURCES IN AND AROUND
TRUMP WORLD.
TRUMP WORLD. SO FAR THE GOP IS MOSTLY A
UNITED FRONT HERE.
YOU HAVE SEEN VERY LITTLE
DAYLIGHT BETWEEN THE PRESIDENT
AND HIS ALLIES ON CAPITOL HILL.
THAT COULD BE ADDVANTAGEOUS FOR
THE PRESIDENT.
THE PRESIDENT. >> THERE WERE THOUGHTS THIS
WOULD FOCUS SOLELY ON THE
UKRAINE AND JOE BIDEN.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> SHE TALKS ABOUT THE
COMMITTEES CONTINUING THEIR
WORK.
WORK. >> IT’S NOT JUST THE UKRAINE
SORT OF STORY THAT’S EMERGED IN
THE LAST FEW DAYS, IT’S NOT JUST
THE SPECIAL COUNSEL REPORT AND
WHAT OUR COLLEAGUE JEFF BENNETT
WAS TALKING ABOUT, AS IT RELATES
TO INFORMATION THE HOUSE MEMBERS
WANTED ON THAT.
IT’S THE PRESIDENT’S FINANCES,
IT’S THE PRESIDENT’S BUSINESS,
IT’S CONFLICT OF INTEREST
RELATED TO THE WAY THE PRESIDENT
HAS CONDUCTED HIMSELF IN OFFICE.
IT’S A WIDE RANGING UMBRELLA
THEY’RE INVESTIGATING.
THEY’RE INVESTIGATING. THAT ALL MOVES FORWARD NOW WITH
THE INCREASED THREAT AND
POTENTIAL FOR SUBPOENAS DOWN THE
ROAD, IF THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION CONTINUES DOING
WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN.
WE BELIEVE THAT WE DON’T HAVE TO
GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION YOU’RE
DEMANDING FROM US.
>> WE’RE IN A MOMENT OF HISTORY,
ANOTHER TRUMP TWEET THAT’S COME
OUT.
OUT. LET’S SET IT UP ON THE SCREEN, I
DON’T HAVE IT BEFORE ME.
PELOSI, NADLER, SCHIFF AND
MAXINE WATERS, CAN YOU BELIEVE
THIS?
THIS? >> YEAH, HE’S SITTING JUST A FEW
BLOCKS FROM WHERE WE ARE AT
TRUMP TOWER.
TRUMP TOWER. HE’S RETURNED FROM THE UNITED
NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
CLEARLY THE PRESIDENT IS
WATCHING WHAT’S UNFOLDING IN
THIS EXTRAORDINARY DAY RIGHT
NOW.