STARTS RIGHT NOW. HELLO.
HELLO. HEY, EVERYBODY.
HEY, EVERYBODY. HOW ARE WE DOING?
WELCOME BACK.
WELCOME BACK. WELCOME, EVERYBODY.
WELCOME, EVERYBODY. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. IT’S GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE.
IT’S GREAT TO BE BACK HERE.
IT WAS A CRAZY, CRAZY WEEK.
WE LEARNED THE IMPEACHMENT
HEARINGS OF THE PRESIDENT WILL
BE TELEVISED NEXT WEEK.
WE ALSO GOT HUNDREDS AND
HUNDREDS OF PAGES OF IMPEACHMENT
TRANSCRIPTS RELEASED INCLUDING
TWO KEY ONES TODAY.
AND WE ALSO HAD THE FIRST
NATIONAL ELECTION IN THE
IMPEACHMENT ERA.
IMPEACHMENT ERA. AND THE WHITE HOUSE WANTS THE
SUPREME COURT TO RULE ON THE
PRESIDENT’S TAX RETURNS.
WE’RE GOING TO GET TO THAT AS
WELL.
WELL. BUT I THINK IT’S USEFUL TO
REMEMBER THIS ENTIRE SCANDAL
STARTS AND REVOLVES AROUND THE
NOTES OF PRESIDENT TRUMP’S OWN
CALL WITH THE UKRAINIAN
PRESIDENT ZELENSKY, RIGHT?
IT’S A CALL HE SAID WAS PERFECT
AND THAT’S THE CALL THAT PROMPTS
THE WHISTLE-BLOWER COMPLAINT,
AND THAT IN TURN GETS THE HOUSE
TO FORMALLY ANNOUNCE THE
IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY.
IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY. AND WHEN PEOPLE START CLAMORING
TO KNOW WHAT DID HE DO IN THIS
CALL, THE PRESIDENT RELEASES THE
CALL NOTES.
CALL NOTES. AND EVERYONE GETS TO SEE IN
THEIR OWN EYES WHAT TRANSPIRED.
AND NOW THE PRESIDENT IS
ATTEMPTING IN A CLEVER OR DUMB
OR JUST SORT OF FERRULE ANIMAL
INSTINCT KIND OF WAY, HE’S
TELLING ANYONE THAT WILL LISTEN
IS PAY LOTS OF ATTENTION TO THE
SINGLE MOST INCRIMINATING PIECE
OF EVIDENCE AGAINST HIM.
SO THOSE ARE THE CALL NOTES OF
HIS CALL WITH THE UKRAINIAN
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. TRUMP CALLS THE NOTES A
TRANSCRIPT.
TRANSCRIPT. THAT’S IT.
THAT’S IT. WE KNOW IT’S NOT A COMPLETE
TRANSCRIPT, AND WE’RE GOING TO
GET TO THAT IN JUST A BIT.
BUT WHAT HE’S TRYING TO DO HERE
IS THE SAME TRANSPARENCY GAMUT
THAT WORKED FOR HIM IN THE PAST.
REMEMBER WHEN HE SAID, RUSSIA,
IF YOU’RE LISTENING, IF YOU CAN
GET ACCESS TO HILLARY CLINTON’S
E-MAILS YOU’LL BE REWARDED
MIGHTILY.
MIGHTILY. THAT WAS AN AID OF SOLICITATION
OF FOREIGN INTERVENTION IN AN
AMERICAN ELECTION, AND IT WAS
SUCCESSFUL ONE.
SUCCESSFUL ONE. THE RUSSIANS TRIED TO HACK THE
SERVERS THAT NIGHT.
BUT HE JUST DID IT IN FRONT OF
THE CAMERAS, RIGHT?
AND THE IDEA IS IF I DO IT IN
FRONT OF THE CAMERAS IT IS NOT
IMPROPER OR ILLEGAL.
AND SO NOW THE MOST RECENT
ITERATION OF THAT IS THE SLOGAN
"READ THE TRANSCRIPT."
HERE’S THE PRESIDENT AT A RALLY
IN KENTUCKY WITH A BUNCH OF
PEOPLE WHO JUST RANDOM ELAJUSTLY
SAME ORGANIC IDEA TO PRINT UP
THE T-SHIRT AND STAND BEHIND THE
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. I’M KIDDING.
I’M KIDDING. YOU CAN ACTUALLY BUY THEM ON HIS
WEBSITE.
WEBSITE. IT’S A LIMITED EDITION T-SHIRT.
IT HAS THIS MARKETING COPY, IF
YOU JUST READ THE TRANSCRIPT,
IT’S CLEAR PRESIDENT TRUMP DID
NOTHING WRONG.
NOTHING WRONG. THE TRANSCRIPT SPEAKS FOR
ITSELF.
ITSELF. DON’T LET SHIFTY SCHIFF AND THE
REST OF THE DEMOCRATS LIE ABOUT
WHAT’S IN IT.
SO THE PRESIDENT IS BANKING ON
THE IDEA IF HE SAYS READ THE
TRANSCRIPT, WHAT HE CAN DO IS
WASH THE DEVASTATINGLY
INCRIMINATING NATURE FROM HIS
MIND.
MIND. AND THIS STUFF DOES KIND OF
WORK.
WORK. I SAW THIS POLL I THINK THIS
WEEK IT’S PRETTY REMARKABLE,
ONLY 40% OF REPUBLICANS -- ONLY
40%, A MINORITY, THINKS TRUMP
SPECIFICALLY MENTIONS THE BIDENS
IN THE CALL.
HE DOES.
HE DOES. WE’LL GET TO THAT.
HE DOES MENTION THE BIDENS.
AND THE CONCEDE ON THE PRESIDENT
TRUMP’S APPROACH HERE IS
BASICALLY HE TELLS PEOPLE TO
RELEASE THE TRANSCRIPT AND IF HE
TALKS ABOUT HOW PERFECT THE
PHONE CALL IS, THEN THE ONLY WAY
IT COULD HAVE BEEN WRONG IS IF
THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF WAS STUPID
ENOUGH TO EXTORT A COUNTRY AND
DO SOMETHING WILDLY
INCRIMINATING AND IMPEACHABLE IF
HE KNEW SOMEONE ELSE WAS
LISTENING.
LISTENING. HE TWEETED THIS, QUOTE, IS
ANYBODY DUMB ENOUGH TO BELIEVE I
WOULD SAY SOMETHING
INAPPROPRIATE WITH A FOREIGN
LEADER ON POTENTIALLY SUCH A
HEAVILY POPULATED CALL?
COULD THE PRESIDENT BE SO DUMB
AS TO COMMIT A FLAGRANT ABUSE OF
POWER, EXTORT A FOREIGN COUNTRY
WHILE A BUNCH OF PEOPLE WERE
LISTENING?
LISTENING? THE ANSWER IS YES, HE COULD BE.
SO COULD HE ALSO BE SO DUMB TO
TELL EVERYBODY TO READ A
TRANSCRIPT THAT INCRIMINATES
HIM?
HIM? I DON’T KNOW, BUT LET’S READ THE
TRANSCRIPT, OKAY?
TRANSCRIPT, OKAY? REMEMBER THE CALL STARTS WITH
TRUMP LAYING THE GROUNDWORK WITH
THE UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT FOR THE
COERCIVE ASK THAT HE’S GOING TO
GET TO, SAYING THE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES HAS
NOT BEEN RECIPROCAL.
HE SAYS THE UNITED STATES HAS
BEEN VERY, VERY GOOD TO UKRAINE.
I WOULDN’T SAY THAT IT’S
RECIPROCAL NECESSARILY.
RECIPROCAL NECESSARILY. KEEP IN MIND, ALMOST 17,000
SQUARE MILES OF UKRAINE IS
CURRENTLY OCCUPIED BY RUSSIA.
THEY’VE ALREADY LOST CRIMEA.
SINCE THE START OF THE YEAR AT
LEAST 72 UKRAINIAN SOLDIERS HAVE
BEEN KILLED IN UKRAINE.
AND THEY’VE BEEN WAITING ON AID,
WHICH IS 10% OF THEIR MILITARY
BUDGET.
BUDGET. THIS IS NOT PENNIES.
SO THE UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT SAYS
WE’RE ALMOST READY TO BUY MORE
WEAPONS FROM THE UNITED STATES
FOR DEFENSE PURPOSES AND THE
PRESIDENT RESPONDS I WOULD LIKE
YOU TO DO US A FAVOR, THOUGH.
AND HE GOES ON.
THERE’S A LOT OF TALK ABOUT
BIDENS SON, THAT BIDEN STOPPED
THE PROSECUTION.
THE PROSECUTION. A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO FIND OUT
ABOUT THAT, SO WHATEVER YOU CAN
DO.
DO. WHATEVER YOU CAN DO.
MANUFACTURE DIRT ON MY POLITICAL
RIVAL WHO I JUST NAMED, AND
THAT’S THE FOUR ALARM FIRE
MOMENT, RIGHT?
MOMENT, RIGHT? THAT’S THE MOMENT WHERE HOLY
CRAP, THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN
ILLEGAL, AND THE PHONE CALL
REVERBERATES THROUGHOUT THE
ENTIRE GOVERNMENT.
ENTIRE GOVERNMENT. WE KNOW FROM THE IMPEACHMENT
TRANSCRIPT DEPOSITIONS THAT HAVE
BEEN RELEASED INCLUDING TODAY,
PEOPLE ARE FREAKED OUT.
FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO
UKRAINE MARIE YOVANOVITCH SAID
SHE WAS DISMAYED.
DEPUTY SECRETARY GEORGE KENT
SAID HE WAS TOLD THE
CONVERSATION WENT INTO THE MOST
EXTREME NARRATIVES, ONE WAY OF
PUTTING IT.
PUTTING IT. FIONA HILL, SHE’S THE FORMER
SENIOR DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL
SECURITY COUNCIL, SHE SAID
READING THE CALL NOTES RAISED AN
AWFUL LOT OF CONCERNS.
SHE SAID IT WAS HER WORST FEARS
AND NIGHTMARES, THAT IT WAS AN
EFFORT TO SUBVERT THE NATIONAL
SECURITY PROCESS AND TURN A
WHITE HOUSE MEETING THAT’S A
MEETING WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP
INTO A DANGLED ASSET.
NONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WERE ON THE
CALL, SO THEY’RE HEARING ABOUT
IT.
IT. AND TODAY WE’VE GOT ANOTHER
TRANSCRIPT WITH LIEUTENANT
COLONEL ALEXANDER VINDMAN.
HE WAS ON THE CALL.
HE SAID HE WAS CONCERNED WITH
WHAT HAPPENED.
WHAT HAPPENED. HE DID NOT THINK IT WAS PROPER
TO DEMAND A FOREIGN GOVERNMENT
INVESTIGATE A U.S. CITIZEN.
HE SAID IT UNDERMINED U.S.
NATIONAL SECURITY.
NATIONAL SECURITY. HE SAID THE CALL STRAYED FROM
MATERIAL HE HIMSELF HAD
PREPARED.
PREPARED. AND HE SAID THERE’S NO DOUBT IN
HIS MIND THE PRESIDENT WAS
ASKING FOR A DELIVERABLE.
AND GET THIS, IMMEDIATELY WITHIN
AN HOUR THE PHONE CALL HAPPENS,
VINDMAN’S ON THE PHONE,
LISTENING AND LIKE YIKES.
AND WITHIN AN HOUR HE GOES TO
THE TOP LAWYER OF THE NATIONAL
SECURITY COUNCIL IN HIS OFFICE
AND FOR BACKUP HE BRINGS ALONG
HIS TWIN BROTHER.
THIS IS A REAL DETAIL.
HIS IDENTICAL TWIN WHO ALSO
WORKS FOR THE NATIONAL SECURITY
COUNCIL AS A LAWYER HANDLING
ETHICS ISSUES, THAT IS THEM, BY
THE WAY.
THE WAY. BOTH OF THEM.
I DON’T KNOW WHICH IS WHICH.
SO NOT ONLY DID HE RAISE ALARMS
WITH THE LAWYER, VINDMAN ALSO
NOTICES AS HE’S GOING THROUGH
THE DOCUMENT THAT’S CIRCULATING
THAT THE ROUGH TRANSCRIPT WAS
NOT CORRECT, ACTUALLY.
SO HE MADE SUBSTANTIVE EDITS TO
THE CALL NOTES BECAUSE HE WANTS
THE RECORD TO BE CORRECT, AND
THOSE EDITS WERE NOT TAKEN,
WHICH HADN’T HAPPENED BEFORE.
HE HAD IT WAS TOTALLY ABNORMAL
AND THEN THEY LOCK DOWN THE
TRANSCRIPT IN A SECRET SERVER,
AND LIEUTENANT VINDMAN WAS
CONCERNED ABOUT THE PHONE CALL.
HE REGISTERED THOSE CONCERNS UP
THE CHAIN OF COMMAND.
HE AND A BUNCH OF HIS COLLEAGUES
RECOGNIZED HOW AWFUL THE CALL
WAS AT THE TIME, AND THE WHITE
HOUSE ACTS TO COVER IT UP.
THE THING IS THE PLOT DOES NOT
ORIGINATE ON JULY 25th, RIGHT,
WHEN THE PHONE CALL TAKES PLACE.
ALL OF THIS GROUNDWORK WAS LAID
WELL BEFORE AS WE LEARN THROUGH
THIS TESTIMONY.
THIS TESTIMONY. BUT THE PEOPLE WHO LAID THE
GROUNDWORK AT LEAST HAD THE GOOD
SENSE TO ACT KIND OF STETCHY
ABOUT IT, OKAY?
THEY UNDERSTOOD YOU CAN’T JUST
SAY IT, YOU’VE GOT TO BE A
LITTLE UNCLEAR, A LITTLE
AMBIGUOUS, OPERATE IN THE
SHADOWS, HINTS AND IMPLICATIONS,
WINK, WINK, NUDGE, NUDGE, DO US
A FAVOR.
A FAVOR. MAYBE THAT CAN HAPPEN, CAN YOU
GET THE DELIVERABLES?
EVERYONE WHO’S DOING THIS, THEY
RECOGNIZE WHAT THEY’RE DOING IS
WRONG AND CORRUPT, AND THEN THE
MAN AT THE CENTER OF THE
CONSPIRACY GETS ON THE CALL AND
JUST OUT-AND-OUT OPENLY EXTORTS
THE UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT TO
MANUFACTURE DIRT ON HIS
POLITICAL OPPONENT.
POLITICAL OPPONENT. HE DOES THE ONE THING -- THE ONE
THING EVERYONE’S WORRIED HE WILL
DO AND THAT NO ONE ELSE IS DUMB
ENOUGH TO DO.
RIGHT?
RIGHT? BECAUSE WHO WOULD BE DUMB ENOUGH
TO EXPLICITLY EXTORT THE
UKRAINIAN GOVERNMENT FOR DIRT ON
THE PRESIDENT’S POLITICAL RIVAL
WHEN A BUNCH OF PEOPLE ARE
LISTENING?
LISTENING? WELL, THERE’S ONE PERSON IN
GOVERNMENT WHO IS DUMB ENOUGH TO
DO IT.
DO IT. >> MY PHONE CALL WAS PERFECTO.
IT WAS TOTALLY APPROPRIATE.
READ THE TRANSCRIPT.
READ THE TRANSCRIPT.
ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS READ THE
TRANSCRIPT.
TRANSCRIPT. AND IF YOU WANT TO READ THE
TRANSCRIPT, YOU SEE HOW PERFECT
IT WAS.
IT WAS. >> SO THE PRESIDENT SAYS YOU
SHOULD DO IT, I SAY YOU SHOULD
DO IT.
DO IT. WE ARE ALL IN AGREEMENT IN THIS
CONTENTIOUS TIME WHEN WE’RE
DIVIDED WE’RE IN AGREEMENT ABOUT
THIS ONE THING.
IF YOU LIKE THE PRESIDENT OR
DON’T LIKE THE PRESIDENT OR YOU
DON’T KNOW WHETHER THE PRESIDENT
EXTORTED THE PRESIDENT OF
UKRAINE, YES, BY ALL MEANS
EVERYONE LISTENING TO MY VOICE
AND THE PRESIDENT’S VOICE PLEASE
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, READ THE
TRANSCRIPT.