DEMOCRATS GOING TO DO ABOUT IT. I HAND YOU OFF TO MY FRIEND AND
COLLEAGUE.
COLLEAGUE. CHRIS MATTHEWS WITH "HARDBALL"
START NOW.
START NOW. >> WATER FIGHT.
LET’S PLAY "HARDBALL."
>>> GOOD EVENING.
I’M CHRIS MATTHEWS IN
WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON. IN AN OWN SENATE HEARING,
WILLIAM BARR WALKED INTO A MINE
FIELD SET BY LAST NIGHT’S
REVELATION THAT HE HAD AND
UNDERMINED THE REPORT OF ROBERT
MUELLER.
MUELLER. PERHAPS BECAUSE OF IT, THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL IS BACKING OUT
BEFORE THE HOUSE JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE.
COMMITTEE. BARR HAD BEEN REFUSING TO TAKE
QUESTIONS ON THE LAWYERS AND NOW
HE IS REFUSING TO COMPLY WITH A
SUBPOENA FOR THE FULL MUELLER
REPORT.
REPORT. HERE’S CHAIRMAN JERRY NADLER ON
THOSE DEVELOPMENTS MOMENTS AGO.
>> ATTORNEY GENERAL BARR
INFORMED US THAT HE WILL NOT
ATTEND TOMORROW’S HEARING.
I UNDERSTAND WHY HE WANTS TO
AVOID THAT SCRUTINY, BUT WHEN
PUSH COMES TO SHOVE, THE
ADMINISTRATION CANNOT DICTATE
THE TERMS OF OUR HEARING IN OUR
HEARING ROOM.
HEARING ROOM. THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE TOLD
US THEY WILL NOT COMPLY WITH OUR
SUBPOENA FOR THE FULL UN
REDACTED MUELLER REPORT, A
SUBPOENA THAT WAS RETURNABLE
TODAY.
TODAY. COMPLIANCE OF CONGRESSIONAL
SUBPOENAS IS NOT OPTIONAL AND IF
GOOD FAITH NEGOTIATIONS DON’T
RESULT IN A PLEDGE OF
COMPLIANCE, THE NEXT STEP IS
SEEKING A CONTEMPT CITATION
AGAINST THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
>> THIS COMES AFTER TODAY’S
HEARING WHERE IN CASE AFTER CASE
BARR CAME ACROSS, DEFENDING THE
PRESIDENT RATHER THAN AS THE
CHIEF OFFICIAL.
CHIEF OFFICIAL. THE MUELLER REPORT SAID TRUMP
TRIED TO FIRE THE SPECIAL
COUNSEL.
COUNSEL. BARR SAID TRUMP TRIED TO REMOVE
HIM AS IF THERE WAS ANY
DIFFERENCE.
DIFFERENCE. BARR SAID TRUMP’S ATTEMPT TO
SWAY TESTIMONY WAS REALLY AN
EFFORT TO DISCOURAGE THEM FROM
LYING.
LYING. HOWEVER THE HEARING REACHES THE
CLIMAX BARR’S ADMISSION THAT HE
HAD NOT LOOKED AT THE EVIDENCE
THAT THE PROSECUTE COULD NOT BE
DRAMATIC EXCHANGE WITH KAMALA
HARRIS.
HARRIS. >> HAS THE PRESIDENT OR ANYONE
AT THE WHITE HOUSE EVER ASKED OR
SUGGESTED THAT YOU OPEN AN
INVESTIGATION OF ANYONE.
YES OR NO, PLEASE, SIR.
>> THE PRESIDENT OR ANYBODY
ELSE?
ELSE? >> SEEMS YOU WOULD REMEMBER
SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND BE ABLE
TO TELL US?
>> YEAH, BUT I’M GRAPPLING WITH
THE WORD SUGGEST.
THERE HAVE BEEN MATTERS OUT
THERE THAT THEY HAVE NOT ASKED
ME TO OPEN AN INVESTIGATION.
>> PERHAPS THEY SUGGESTED?
>> I DON’T KNOW.
I WOULDN’T SAY SUGGESTED.
>> HINTED?
>> HINTED? INFERRED?
INFERRED? YOU WON’T KNOW.
OKAY.
OKAY. >> BARR WAS MASTERFUL IN
OBFUSCATING.
OBFUSCATING. SENATOR HARRIS NAILED HIM DOWN.
ANOTHER REVEALING EXCHANGE, THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL COULD NOT OR
WOULD NOT SAY IF THEY EVER ASKED
HIM IMPLICITLY OR OTHERWISE TO
OPEN NEW INVESTIGATIONS.
WE JUST SAW THIS TAPE.
LET’S CATCH THIS ONE.
>> THEN REACHING YOUR
CONCLUSION, DID YOU PERSONALLY
REVIEW ALL OF THE UNDERLYING
EVIDENCE?
EVIDENCE? >> NO, WE TOOK --
>> MR. ROSENSTEIN?
>> WE ACCEPTED THE STATEMENTS IN
THE REPORT AS FACTUAL RECORD.
>> DID ANYONE IN YOUR EXECUTIVE
OFFICE REVIEW THE EVIDENCE
SUPPORTING THE REPORT?
>> NO.
>> NO. >> NO?
>> NO? YET YOU REPRESENTED TO THE
AMERICAN PUBLIC THAT THE
EVIDENCE WAS NOT "SUFFICIENT "
TO SUPPORT AN OBSTRUCTION OF
JUSTICE?
JUSTICE? >> THE EVIDENCE PRESENTED IN THE
REPORT.
REPORT. >> I THINK YOU MADE IT CLEAR
THAT WOO YOU HAVE NOT LOOKED AT
THE EVIDENCE.
THE EVIDENCE. WE CAN MOVE ON.
>> SENATOR HARRIS TWEETED WHAT I
JUST SAW IS UNACCEPTABLE.
BARR MUST RESIGN NOW.
IN DOING SO, SHE JOINED
DEMOCRATS CALLING FOR THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL TO STEP DOWN.
SENATOR KAMALA HARRIS JOINS ME
NOW.
NOW. SHE SITS ON THE SENATE JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE AND IS A CANNEDDIDATE
PRESIDENT IN 2020.
YOU ARE CALLING NOW FOR HIS
RESIGNATION.
RESIGNATION. WHAT WAS IT THAT BROKE YOU ON
THAT CONCLUSION?
THAT CONCLUSION? >> WELL, IT’S A CULMINATION OF
THINGS, CHRIS.
THINGS, CHRIS. FROM THE BEGINNING, I WAS PART
OF THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE
HEARINGS TO DECIDE WHETHER OR
NOT HE SHOULD BE ATTORNEY
GENERAL.
GENERAL. THE CONFIRMATION HEARINGS.
I VOTE THE AGAINST HIM BECAUSE I
THOUGHT HE WAS LESS OF A
CANDIDATE.
CANDIDATE. SINCE THEN WE HAVE SEEN AN
ATTORNEY GENERAL WHO AFTER A
COMPREHENSIVE EXTENSIVE TWO-YEAR
INVESTIGATION BY BOB MUELLER AND
AN EXTRAORDINARY TEAM OF LAWYERS
AND PROSECUTORS, AFTER TWO YEARS
OF AROUND THE CLOCK WORK, HE IN
2 DAYS, SUBMITS A FOUR-PAGE
SUMMARY OF THE INVESTIGATION
THAT CLEARLY WAS INTENDED TO
MISLEAD THE AMERICAN PUBLIC
ABOUT THE CONTENTS OF THE REPORT
AND DOES A PRESS CONFERENCE
REINFORCING HIS BIASED AND IT’S
CLEAR HE IS BIASED, HIS BIASED
INTERPRETATION OF NOT ONLY THE
EVIDENCE THAT NOW WE KNOW HE DID
NOT REVIEW, BUT HIS
INTERPRETATION OF THE MEANING OF
WHAT HAD BEEN GATHERED IN THE
REPORT.
REPORT. HIS BIASED VIEW OF THE INTENT OF
THE ACTORS WHO WERE THE SUBJECT
OF THE INVESTIGATION.
THEN TODAY HE ADMITTED HE DID
23409 REVIEW THE EVIDENCE.
I’M GOING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING
AS A FORMER PROSECUTOR.
WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED
STATES WHO ISPRESENTED WITH THE
RESPONSIBILITY AND THE DUTY TO
REPRESENT THE PEOPLE OF THE
UNITED STATES ON A QUESTION OF
WHETHER THE PRESIDENT OBSTRUCTED
JUSTICE, I THINK IT IS
REASONABLE THAT THE AMERICAN
PUBLIC SHOULD EXPECT THAT BEFORE
THAT ATTORNEY GENERAL SPEAKS, HE
WOULD HAVE FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE
OF THE EVIDENCE BEFORE HE SPEAKS
AND UTTERS A WORD ABOUT WHETHER
OR NOT HE IS GOING TO CHARGE A
CRIME.
CRIME. BUT THIS ATTORNEY GENERAL FAILED
TO DO IT.
TO DO IT. CLEARLY IT IS BECAUSE HE THINKS
OF HIMSELF AS THE ATTORNEY OF
THE PRESIDENT INSTEAD OF THE
PEOPLE’S ATTORNEY.
PEOPLE’S ATTORNEY. I THINK THAT’S DISQUALIFYING.
>> TO PUT A SHARP POINT ON IT,
IT SEEMS HE OVERRULED MUELLER
AND SAID BASICALLY, HE CAN’T
EXONERATE THE PRESIDENT.
I’LL DO IT.
IT SEEMS AS YOU POINT OUT
WITHOUT GOING INTO THE EVIDENCE,
HE ASH TRARL MADE THE JUDGE
EVENING IF MUELLER WON’T DO IT.
>> I AGREE WITH YOU.
THE REPORT IS A REPORT.
IS IF YOU HAVE IT IN FRONT OF
YOU, YOU SEE THE COVER PAGE OF
THAT DOCUMENT THAT CALLS SAID
BECAUSE IT IS, A REPORT.
IT IS NOT A FILE OF EVIDENCE.
IT IS A REPORT ON AN
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. THE FINDINGS OF THAT
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. HE SAID IT HIMSELF.
AFTER THE REPORT WAS FILED WITH
HIM, IT WAS HIS "BABY."
WHAT HE’S GOT HIS BABY, THEN YOU
KNOW YOU HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT
EXACTLY IT IS BEFORE YOU START
REPRESENTING WHAT IT IS TO THE
AMERICAN PUBLIC.
AMERICAN PUBLIC. HE FAILED TO DOE THAT, CHRIS.
LISTEN, THERE IS THAT PIECE
ABOUT HIS TESTIMONY WHERE HE
COULD NOT CLEARLY ANSWER IT.
I BELIEVE HE CAN, BUT DID NOT
CLEARLY ANSWER WHETHER HE HAD
BEEN ASKED BY THE PRESIDENT OR
ANY MEMBER OF THE WHITE HOUSE TO
INVESTIGATE SOMEONE OR ANYONE.
>> IF THIS IS HIS BABY, WHO IS
THE DADDY.
THE DADDY. I GET THE SENSE WATCHING THIS.
I MEAN THIS.
THIS WAS A BRILLIANT PR
OPERATION.
OPERATION. IT STARTED WITH A TWO-DAY WAIT
WHEN HE SAID THE PRESIDENT WAS
EXONERATED.
EXONERATED. I’M SORRY TO BE LIKE THIS.
IT’S A SERIOUS DAY.
HE LETS IT MARINATE OR JUSTATE
FOR FOUR WEEKS AND PUTS THE SPIN
ON IT THAT MORNING.
DO YOU THINK THE PRESIDENT HAS
BEEN DIRECTING THIS
CHOREOGRAPHY?
CHOREOGRAPHY? >> I HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING
THAT, BUT I DO KNOW WHAT I HAVE
SEEN IN THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND
I SEE SOMEONE WHO CLEARLY DOES
NOT HAVE THE PEOPLE IN MIND AS
HIS FIRST PRIORITY OR HIS FIRST
OR FOR WHOM HESHIP OF ULTIMATE
OR IMPORTANT DUTY.
HE FEELS A SENSE OF DUTY TO THE.
PRESIDENT AND DOES NOT FEEL THE
SAME SENSE OF DUTY TO THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE.
AMERICAN PEOPLE. AS YOU MENTIONED, I’M TRAVELING
THE COUNTRY AND MEETING A LOT OF
PEOPLE FEELING A SENSE OF
DISTRUST IN OUR DEFENDANT AND
INSTITUTIONS AND LEADERS.
WHEN YOU HAVE THE PERSON WHO WAS
RESPONSIBLE FOR BEING THE
HIGHEST OFFICIAL IN OUR LAND
CERTAINTY OUR SYSTEM OF JUSTICE,
PRESENTING HIMSELF AND
CONDUCTING HIMSELF IN THIS WAY,
IT COMPROMISES THE INTEGRITY IN
OUR SYSTEM OF JUSTICE.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WALKING INTO
COURTHOUSES BE IT STATE OR
FEDERAL COURTHOUSES BEING
PROSECUTED AND CONVICTED ON
EVIDENCE LESS THAN THE EVIDENTCE
OF THIS REPORT.
THIS IS A STATEMENT OF OUR
SYSTEM OVERALL.
SYSTEM OVERALL. WE HAVE SEEN THAT GENERAL BARR
IS NOT CONTRIBUTING TO ANYONE A
CONFENCE
CONFENCE CONFIDENCE IN THIS JUSTICE
SYSTEM.
SYSTEM. >> IS HE UPHOLDING THE
CONSTITUTION.
CONSTITUTION. >> CERTAINLY WE CAN CALL INTO
QUESTION WHAT IS HIS PRIMARY
DUTY IN TERMS OF OF THE WAY HE
THINKS OF HIS JOB.
>> HOW FAR ARE YOU GOING TO DO.
DO YOU THINK HE SHOULD BE
IMPEACHED?
IMPEACHED? >> WE SHOULD TAKE IT ONE STEP AT
A TIME, BUT I THINK HE SHOULD
RESIGN AND HE INTENTIONALLY
MISCHARACTERIZED THE REPORT.
I BELIEVE HE INTENTIONALLY IS
MISLEADING CONGRESS AND THE
UNITED STATES CONGRESS THAT HAS
AN EMPTY RESPONSIBILITY AS A
COEQUAL BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT TO
HAVE OVERSIGHT AND DETERMINE THE
INTEGRITY OF THE SYSTEM AND HE