>>> REACTION POURING IN HERE TO
MITCH McCONNELL’S REVEALING
ADMISSION THAT HE ONLY WANTS TO
OBSTRUCT JOE BIDEN.
MANY DEMOCRATS ARE SAYING THEY
SHOULD JUST START TAKING HIM AT
HIS WORD.
GO IT ALONE SINCE McCONNELL IS
ADMITTING THERE IS NO POINT TO
MEETING OR NEGOTIATING WHEN HE
SAYS THINGS LIKE THIS.
>> 100% OF MY FOCUS IS ON
STOPPING THIS NEW
ADMINISTRATION.
100% OF MY FOCUS IS ON STANDING
UP TO THIS ADMINISTRATION.
>> AS MY COLLEAGUE RACHEL MADDOW
LOOKED AT THIS AND SAID, QUITE
CLEARLY, THIS COULD BE A
CLARIFYING MOMENT FOR DEMOCRATS.
>> HONESTLY, REALISTICALLY, THAT
CLARITY FROM THE REPUBLICANS IS
VERY HELPFUL.
I MEAN, HAVING THE REPUBLICANS
IN ADVANCE GUARANTEE THERE WILL
BE ZERO VOTES FROM THEIR SIDE
FREES THEM UP.
THEY HAVE TAKEN THEMSELVES OUT
OF THE GAME.
DEMOCRATS ARE CLEARED BY MITCH
McCONNELL TO STOP WASTING TIME.
>> FAIR.
IS ANY OF THIS PLAYING WELL FOR
McCONNELL?
NOT EXACTLY.
BECAUSE THE GOP AT A MINIMUM
DOES WANT TO KEEP THE IDEA, THE
TALK OF BIPARTISANSHIP AS AN
OPTION, A WAY TO KIND OF ATTACK
BIDEN BY SAYING HE’S NEVER
MEETING WITH THEM OR BEING
BIPARTISAN AS A WAY TO INVOKE
BIPARTISANSHIP FOR DELAY, AND
THAT FACT, THAT POLITICAL FACT
MAY BE WHY McCONNELL IS TRYING
TO WALK THIS BACK SLOWLY BY
SAYING HE WANTS TO STOP THE
BIDEN AGENDA DEPENDING ON WHAT
IT IS.
WE’RE JOINED NOW, AS PROMISED,
BY CONGRESSMAN HAKEEM JEFFRIES,
A MEMBER OF SPEAKER PELOSI’S
LEADERSHIP TEAM.
THANKS FOR COMING ON "THE BEAT".
>> GREAT TO BE ON WITH YOU, ARI.
>> YOUR PARTY HAS BEEN DEBATING
ABOUT WHAT TO DO ABOUT MITCH
McCONNELL.
McCONNELL IS TRYING TO SLIGHTLY
UNMcCONNELL WHAT HE SAID,
ALTHOUGH THE RECORD IS CLEAR.
YOUR RESPONSE?
>> MITCH McCONNELL HAS A WAY OF
PUTTING HIMSELF ON FULL BLAST.
HE’S DONE THAT.
HE’S DONE THAT IN THE PAST.
HE DID IT WHEN HE MADE CLEAR HIS
TOP POLITICAL OBJECTIVE WAS TO
MAKE SURE THAT BARACK OBAMA WAS
A ONE-TERM PRESIDENT.
THIS IS THE SAME PERSON WHO
LABELED HIMSELF AS THE GRIM
REAPER A FEW YEARS AGO AND MADE
IT CLEAR TO HIS DONORS THAT HIS
SOLE JOB WAS TO STOP THINGS FROM
HAPPENING AND NOW, OF COURSE,
HE’S DOUBLED AND TRIPLED DOWN ON
THAT MESSAGE.
THERE IS A CLEAR DISTINCTION
BETWEEN DEMOCRATS AND
REPUBLICANS RIGHT NOW.
A MOMENT OF CLARITY FOR
EVERYONE.
DEMOCRATS ARE THE PARTY OF
GETTING THINGS DONE.
REPUBLICANS ARE THE PARTY OF
OBSTRUCTION.
DEMOCRATS BELIEVE IN DEMOCRACY.
REPUBLICANS BELIEVE IN
AUTOCRACY.
DEMOCRATS BELIEVE IN BUILDING
BACK BETTER, THE AMERICAN RESCUE
PLAN, THE AMERICAN JOB PLAN, THE
AMERICAN FAMILY PLAN AND
REPUBLICANS ARE ALL ABOUT
REVENTS AND XENOPHOBIA.
>> YEAH.
I HEAR WHAT YOU’RE SAYING THERE.
THIS IS WHY IT IS SUCH A
MOMENTOUS CLASH.
SINCE WE HAVE YOU ON THE HOUSE
SIDE, I WANT TO GET INTO THIS
OTHER STORY.
THE CONGRESSMAN STAYS.
BUT HERE WE ARE SIX MONTHS INTO
BIDEN’S PRESIDENCY AND
SQUABBLING ABOUT THE NUMBER ONE
HOUSE REPUBLICAN TRYING TO OUST
THE NUMBER THREE REPUBLICAN.
THIS IS THE REPUBLICAN PARTY’S
TRUMP PROBLEM.
IT HAS BEEN PLAYING OUT AT THE
HIGHEST LEVELS OF THE PARTY THIS
WEEK.
AS I THINK THE CONGRESSMAN KNOWS
SOMETIMES WE TURN TO BARS AND
POETRY FOR WISDOM OUT HERE.
RECOUNTED HOW IT TOOK HER A LONG
TIME TO SEE THAT SHE’D STOP
BELIEVING IN NEW FACES AND CAME
TO UNDERSTAND, QUOTE, IT IS
DISTINCTLY POSSIBLE TO STAY TOO
LONG AT THE FAIR."
CONGRESSMAN
CONGRESSMAN, YOU HAVE GOT ABLE
AT THE MAGA FAIR SIX MONTHS,
HALF THE YEAR INTO A NEW
POLITICAL ERA AND THEY’RE NOT
EVEN BEING EXTREME IN PURSUIT OF
SOME QUOTE, UNQUOTE PARTY IDEAL,
WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT BE RIGHT.
THEY’RE BEING EXTREME ABOUT AN
ELECTION LOST, SIGNED, SEALED
DELIVERS.
>> IF SOMEONE TELLS YOU WHO THEY
ARE, BELIEVE THEM.
THIS IS WHO HOUSE REPUBLICANS
ARE AT THIS POINT.
IT IS A FULL-BLOWN CULT OF
PERSONALITY AS IT RELATES TO
BENDING THE KNEE TO DONALD
TRUMP.
YOU CAN’T SUGAR COAT IT.
WE CAN’T MODERATE THE LANGUAGE.
THIS IS WHO THEY ARE, AND THAT
IS WHY THEY’RE OUSTING LIZ
CHENEY.
LIZ CHENEY HAS ONE OF THE MOST
CONSERVATIVE VOTING RECORDS IN
THE ENTIRE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, MORE SO THAN
THE PERP WHOSON WHO IT APPEARS M
REPLACE THEM.
HE’S NOT WILLING TO PERPETRATE
THE LIE THAT DONALD TRUMP
SOMEHOW SHOULD BE THE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
THIS IS A VERY RECKLESS MOMENT.
ULIS SIS GRANT SAYS THERE IS TWO
PARTIES NOW, PATRIOTS AND
TRAITORS.
LIZ CHENEY HAS CHOSEN TO BE A
PATRIOT.
AND BEING A PATRIOT MAY BE
INCONSISTENT WITH BEING A HOUSE
REPUBLICAN.
>> AS WE SAY IN THE BUSINESS,
BARS, CONGRESSMAN.
I ALSO, SINCE I HAVE YOU AS A
MEMBER OF THE JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE, I WANT TO GET YOUR
VIEWS ON THIS UNFOLDING GIULIANI
CONTROVERSY AND YOU AND I BOTH
UNDERSTAND EVERYONE IS ENTITLED
TO DUE PROCESS.
THE RAID IS A BAD SIGN WHEN HE
HASN’T BEEN ACCUSED OF ANYTHING
YET.
BUT HE’S ALSO BEEN AT THE CENTER
OF THE BIG ELECTION LIE.
HERE HE WAS DEFENDING HIMSELF ON
HANNITY
HANNITY.
>> JUST ABOUT THE DAY I BEGIN
REPRESENTING HIM IS THE DAY THEY
INVADE MY iCLOUD.
TOTALLY DONE BECAUSE THEY WANT
TO DESTROY MY CREDIBILITY.
THERE IS NO WAY THAT I’M A
RUSSIAN AGENT OR ANYONE ELSE’S
AGENT.
I WAS A LAWYER WHO WAS
REPRESENTING A CLIENT WHO WAS
INNOCENT.
THE BIGGEST BURDEN A LAWYER CAN
HAVE IS TO REPRESENT AN INNOCENT
MAN, AND I DID IT DAMN WELL.
>> CONGRESSMAN, YOUR RESPONSE?
AND DOES THIS PROCESS, HOWEVER
IT PLAYS OUT, DOES IT MATTER FOR
ACCOUNTABILITY?
PLENTY OF PEOPLE WANT TO MOVE
ON, FOCUS ON THE BUSINESS OF THE
DAY, BUT THERE WAS SO MUCH THAT
WAS DONE UNDER THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT, DOES IT MATTER TO
HAVE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR SOME OF
THESE ACTS IN THE TRUMP ERA.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
WE WERE VERY CLEAR THROUGHOUT
THE LAST FOUR YEARS THAT NO ONE
IS ABOVE THE LAW.
THE INCLUDES THE PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES AND HIS TOP
CON
DEPUTIES.
HOW DID HE GO FROM AMERICA’S
SO-CALLED MAYOR, SO-CALLED
AMERICA’S MAYOR TO A CARICATURE
OF SKELETOR, A CARTOON
CHARACTER?
IT IS AN INCREDIBLE DECENT.
HE WRAPPED INTO IT SO MUCH
APPARENT CRIMINALITY THAT THE
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IS COMPELLED
TO INVESTIGATE.
OUR VIEW IS REALLY JUST THAT THE
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SHOULD FOLLOW
THE FACTS, APPLY THE LAW.
AS ALWAYS BE GUIDED BY THE
CONSTITUTION AND LET THE CHIPS
FALL WHERE THEY MAY.