AS WE KNOW.
>> Steve: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> Lawrence: THANKS, JACQUI.
>> Steve: LET’S BRING IN MATTHEW
WHITAKER FORMER ACTING ATTORNEY
GENERAL UNDER DONALD J. TRUMP.
MATTHEW GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> Steve: THIS ALL STEMS FROM
AFTER HE LEFT THE WHITE HOUSE HE
TOOK 15 CARTONS OF STUFF DOWN TO
MAR-A-LAGO.
FINALLY RETURNED IT.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES SAID STUFF IS
MISSING OR THEY WERE WORRIED
ABOUT IT.
AND SO THAT IS PRESUMABLY WHAT
THIS IS ALL ABOUT.
IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH
JANUARY 6TH.
MORE ABOUT JANUARY 20TH.
SO THE QUESTION OF
CLASSIFICATION OF NATIONAL
SECRETS AND STUFF LIKE THAT IS
KIND OF COMPLICATED BECAUSE THE
PRESIDENT CAN DECLASSIFY
ANYTHING HE WANTS WHEN HE IS
PRESIDENT.
AND IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER OR NOT
IF THEY FIND ANYTHING AT
MAR-A-LAGO WHETHER OR NOT HE
DECLASSIFIED IT BEFORE HE LEFT
OFFICE AND IT WAS SIMPLY NOT
UPDATED WITH THE MARKINGS.
>> YEAH.
STEVE.
AND THIS IS A DRAMATIC
ESCALATION FOR SOMETHING THAT
REALLY COULD HAVE BEEN HANDLED
MUCH DIFFERENTLY.
YOU KNOW, THEY COULD HAVE SENT A
SUBPOENA FOR THESE DOCUMENTS
THAT THEY BELIEVE EXIST AT
MAR-A-LAGO.
I JUST THINK THAT SENDING 30 FBI
AGENTS SEEMS TO BE A REALLY A
MISALLOCATION OF RESOURCES WHEN
YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, OUR NATION’S
CITIES EXPERIENCING VIOLENT
CRIME AND WHEN YOU HAVE, YOU
KNOW, A CRUNCH JUST GENERALLY
ACROSS FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
TO TRY TO HANDLE ALL OF THE
ISSUES THAT WE HAVE.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER
THING THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE
CONCERNED ABOUT, INCLUDING
MYSELF, IS THAT CONTINUED TWO
TIERED SYSTEM OF JUSTICE WHERE
PEOPLE LIKE HUNTER BIDEN,
HILLARY CLINTON, AND OTHERS, YOU
KNOW, GET AWAY, IT APPEARS WITH,
YOU KNOW, WITH NOTHING FOR
CONSEQUENCES FOR THEIR
ACTIVITIES.
BUT DONALD TRUMP SEEMS TO BE
CONTINUALLY INVESTIGATED WHETHER
IT’S RUSSIAN COLLUSION HOAX, THE
TWO IMPEACHMENTS, JANUARY 6TH
COMMITTEE, THE INVESTIGATION
THAT’S COMING OUT OF THAT FROM
THE FBI.
AND NOW THIS INVESTIGATION.
>> Ainsley: NOW THE A.G. AND THE
FBI DIRECTOR.
THEY HAD TO HAVE SIGNED OFF ON
THIS.
AND I KNOW THAT YOU ARE THE
FORMER ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL
UNDER DONALD TRUMP.
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT?
WOULD THEY HAVE HAD TO SAY YES,
YOU CAN GO AND DO THIS?
GO AND SEARCH HIS HOUSE RATHER
THAN DO THE SUBPOENA?
>> WELL, THERE IS TWO DIFFERENT
THINGS THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED.
THEY COULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, HAD
THIS WORKING PART OF THE
INVESTIGATION AND GONE TO THEM
LATE AND SAID THIS IS GOING TO
HAPPEN TOMORROW, THAT, YOU KNOW,
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE CASE WHEN I
WAS ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL
ROGER STONE GIVEN LATE NOTICE,
WASN’T TOLD ABOUT THE SPECIFICS
OF THE TACTICS OR TECHNIQUES
THAT WERE GOING TO BE USED.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IN THIS CASE, I’M
GUESSING THAT BOTH CHRIS WRAY
AND MERRICK GARLAND WERE
INTIMATELY INVOLVED AND NOT ONLY
APPROVING THIS CASE BEING, YOU
KNOW, PROGRESSING AS IT DID, BUT
ALSO APPROVING THE EXECUTION OF
A SEARCH WARRANT INSTEAD OF
OTHER MEANS TO OBTAIN THIS SAME
INFORMATION.
AND I JUST THINK IT LOOKS, TO
ME, LIKE A VERY MUCH AN
INTENTIONAL SHOT ACROSS THE
BOUGH TO TRY TO, YOU KNOW, SORT
OF MAKE DONALD TRUMP LOOK LIKE
HE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR
SOMETHING MORE SERIOUS THAN THIS
ACTUALLY IS.
BECAUSE, STEVE WAS MENTIONING
EARLIER, AINSLEY.
THAT THE PRESIDENTIAL RECORDS
ACT IS NOT AS CLEAR CUT AS MAYBE
SOME PEOPLE ON THE LEFT WOULD
LIKE TO SUGGEST.
YOU KNOW, THE RECORDS THAT THEY
WERE LOOKING AT OR THINGS LIKE,
YOU KNOW, A FOX NEWS ALERT KIM
JONG UN I READ OR, YOU KNOW,
OTHER TYPES OF ARTIFACTS FROM
HIS PRESIDENCY, AND THIS DO HAVE
EASILY BEEN NEGOTIATED OR
OTHERWISE REQUESTED BY A
SUBPOENA.
>> Lawrence: MATT, THIS GOES TO
THE QUESTION OF WHY.
AND THE POLITICAL ASPECTS OF THE
FBI.
WE KNOW, YOU HAD EARLY ON
MICHAEL SUSSMANN GOING OVER TO
THE FBI JUST TO HELP THEM OUT.
WE KNOW THE INNER WORKINGS OF
McCABE AND LISA STRZOK AND
PAGE.
WE JUST HAD THE FBI DIRECTOR
TESTIFY BEFORE CONGRESS AND SAY
THAT HE IS CONCERNED WITH SOME
OF THE REVELATIONS WITH THE
HUNTER BIDEN PROBE.
AS WELL AS HAVING ONE OF HIS
AGENTS MAYBE BEING CONVOLUTED
WITHIN THAT.
NOW YOU HAVE McCARTHY, THE
MINORITY LEADER SAYING THIS.
HE SAID I HAVE SEEN ENOUGH.
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE HAS
REACHED INTOLERABLE STATE OF
WEAPONIZED POLITICIZATION WHEN
REPUBLICANS TAKE BACK THE HOUSE
WE WILL CONDUCT IMMEDIATE
OVERSIGHT OF THIS DEPARTMENT
FOLLOW THE FACTS, AND LEAVE NO
STONE UNTURNED.
ATTORNEY GENERAL GARLAND
PRESERVE YOUR DOCUMENTS AND
CLEAR YOUR CALENDAR.
SO, ARE THE BIG QUESTION IS
THIS.
WHAT CAN THE REPUBLICANS DO WHEN
THEY GET POWER BACK?
YOU HAVE BEEN IN OFFICE BEFORE,
THEY ARE SCHEDULED TO WIN THE
HOUSE.
WE KNOW THE PRESIDENCY WILL
STILL BE JOE BIDEN’S.
WHAT CAN THEY DO THERE?
>> WELL, IT’S A GOOD POINT.
DON’T FORGET, LAWRENCE, THAT
THERE IS AT LEAST A DOZEN
WHISTLEBLOWERS THAT HAVE COME TO
CHUCK GRASSLEY AND JIM JORDAN
AND POINTED OUT THE
POLITICIZATION OF THE FBI AND
HOW THEY WERE PUTTING THEIR
THUMB ON THE SCALE.
FOR EXAMPLE, OF THE HUNTER BIDEN
INVESTIGATION.
SUGGESTING THAT IT WAS RUSSIAN
DISINFORMATION THAT WAS THE
LAPTOP AND NOT, YOU KNOW, HUNTER
BIDEN’S RECORDS RECORDING HIS
ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, YOU KNOW,
I WAS THE FIRST PERSON IN THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AFTER THE
DEMOCRATS RETOOK THE HOUSE TO GO
UP TO AN OVERSIGHT HEARING, IF
YOU REMEMBER, LAWRENCE, WHAT
THAT WAS LIKE, IT WAS AN SALUTE
ZOO.
I WOULD EXPECT JIM JORDAN WHO
WILL BE THE JUDICIARY CHAIR TO
RUN A THOROUGH OVERSIGHT HEARING
OF ALL OF THESE PEOPLE.
WHETHER IT’S DIRECTOR WRAY,
MERRICK GARLAND THE DEPUTY
ATTORNEY GENERAL.
WHOEVER NEEDS TO COME UP THERE
AND ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS AS TO
HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN?
WHY DID IT HAPPEN AND TO DEMAND
ANSWERS AND TO NOT BE SATISFIED
UNTIL THEY GET.
>> Lawrence: MATT, THE BIG
QUESTION IS REPUBLICANS HAD
CONTROL FOR TWO YEARS.
THEY KNEW WHAT WAS HAPPENING AT
THE FBI.
WE KNEW ABOUT THE FISA COURT YET
PRETTY MUCH ALL THE REPUBLICANS
VOTED TO GIVE THE FISA COURT
BACK THEIR AUTHORITY AGAIN AFTER
THEY KNOW THAT THEY LIED TO A
FEDERAL JUDGE, THIESSEN JUDGE
ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
WHY SHOULD REPUBLICANS BE
TRUSTED NOW TO DO SOMETHING
ABOUT IT WHEN THEY HAD CONTROL
THEY DID NOTHING ABOUT THE FISA
COURT.
THEY DID NOTHING ABOUT THE FBI.
THEY DID NOTHING ABOUT THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
>> YEAH.
WELL THERE WAS -- THAT TWO YEARS
WENT BY VERY QUICKLY IN ’17 AND
ABOUT 18 AND OVERSIGHT WAS
DISTRACTED TO SAY THE LEAST.
AND I’M SURE THAT THOSE THAT
WERE THERE WOULD SUGGEST THAT
THEY DIDN’T HAVE THE APPROPRIATE
PEOPLE THAT COULD DO THIS TYPE
OF WORK.
ALTHOUGH I THINK JOHN RATCLIFFE
AND OTHERS WERE FAIRLY
EFFECTIVE.
BUT, YOU ARE RIGHT.
I THINK THERE ARE SOME
IMPROVEMENTS, NOW ON THE FISA
COURT, I THINK THAT IS AN
IMPORTANT TOOL NECESSARY BUT,
YOU KNOW, THE FBI’S ABUSES DID
CALL INTO QUESTION WHETHER, YOU
KNOW, THEY COULD APPROPRIATELY
RUN IT BECAUSE THERE IS,
REMEMBER IN THE FISA COURT THERE
IS NO OPPOSING SIDE.
KIND OF LIKE THE JANUARY 6TH
COMMITTEE AND WE SEE WHAT A
DISASTER THAT IS RIGHT NOW.
>> Steve: SO THE REPUBLICANS ARE
GOING TO RUN ON THIS.
>> TALK ABOUT THE RAID.
TRUMP’S POLITICAL TEAM SENT OUT
FUNDRAISING SOLICITATIONS ABOUT
THE SEARCH LATE LAST NIGHT.
MEANWHILE, MATTHEW, AS YOU KNOW,
IT’S NOT THE FBI JUST SAYING
HEY, LET’S ALL GET A BUNCH OF
SQUAD CARS AND GO OVER TO
MAR-A-LAGO AND SEE WHAT WE CAN
FIND IN THE SAFE.
THEY -- THE DOJ, IN CONCERT WITH
THE FBI, HAD TO PRESENT EVIDENCE
AT A PROBABLE CAUSE HEARING WITH
A JUDGE.
AND THE JUDGE HAD TO LOOK AT THE
STUFF.
SO FOR IT TO BE AT THIS HISTORIC
LEVEL, I MEAN, THERE HAS NEVER
BEEN A RAID AT THE HONESTLY OF A
FORMER PRESIDENT EVER.
SO THE FBI AND THE DOJ MUST HAVE
KNOWN EXACTLY WHAT THEY WERE
LOOKING FOR AND YOU WONDER
WHETHER OR NOT SOMEBODY FROM,
PERHAPS TRUMP’S INNER CIRCLE OR
SOMEBODY ELSE FLIPPED AND NOW IS
COOPERATING WITH FEDERAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT AND SAID OKAY, YOU
NEED TO GO HERE AND LOOK FOR
THIS BECAUSE I SAW IT WITH MY
OWN TWO EYES OR SOMETHING LIKE
THAT.
>>
>> YEAH, STEVE.
WHILE WE DON’T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT
THE FBI WAS LOOKING FOR.
ALL INDICATIONS AND STORIES
COMING OUT OF THIS PRESIDENTIAL
RECORDS THAT WERE COVERED UNDER
THE PRESIDENTIAL RECORDS ACT OR
A MISHANDLING OF CONFIDENTIAL
INFORMATION.
YOU KNOW, IT JUST SEEMS TO ME AS
I KNOW HOW THESE CASES WORK THAT
THIS WAS A VERY GRAVE SITUATION
AND A VERY HEAVY HANDED TACTIC
THAT COULD HAVE OTHERWISE BEEN
HANDLED LESS PUBLICLY AND MORE
DISCREETLY TO GET THESE
DOCUMENTS THAT ALLEGEDLY WORK.
AND YOU ARE RIGHT.
AN AFFIDAVIT WOULD HAVE BEEN
SWORN OUT, WOULD HAVE ALLEGED,
YOU KNOW, THAT CRIMES HAD BEEN
COMMITTED AND THAT THERE IS
EVIDENCE AT MAR-A-LAGO THAT
WOULD SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, PROVING
THOSE CRIMES.
I JUST, YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS
IS A, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE CROSSED
A LINE THAT I’M NOT SURE THE
REPUBLIC IS GOING TO PREACH LONG
TERM AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE
GOING TO NEED ANSWERS TO A LOT
OF THESE QUESTIONS.
>> Ainsley: HERE IS WHAT AMERICA
IS THINKING THE DOSSIER
DEBUNKED.
YOU HAVE ERIC TRUMP LAST NIGHT
ON WITH SEAN TALKING ABOUT HOW
EVERY DAY THEIR FAMILY BASICALLY
RECEIVED A SUBPOENA.
THEN YOU HAVE THE JANUARY 6TH
COMMITTEE THAT IS ONE SIDED AND
UNFAIR AND NO CROSS-EXAMINATION
IS ALLOWED AND NOW YOU HAVE THIS
RAID FROM -- FOR TAKING POSSIBLY
ARCHIVES AWAY FROM THE WHITE
HOUSE.
THOSE ARE FOUR DIFFERENT THINGS
THAT THEY HAVE GONE AFTER TRUMP
AND HIS FAMILY FOR.
BUT THEN YOU LOOK AT THE FLIP
SIDE HUNTER BIDEN WITH HIS
LAPTOP.
HILLARY CLINTON THAT WHITE
WASHES THAT GETS RID OF
CLASSIFIED INFORMATION.
AND NOTHING HAPPENS TO THEM.
AND IT APPEARS THAT DEMOCRATS
ARE TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO GET
TRUMP NOT TO RUN AGAIN AT LEAST
THAT’S WHAT MANY AMERICANS
THINK.
WHEN IS ENOUGH ENOUGH?
WHEN DO THEY STOP DOING THIS AND
THEY JUST LET PEOPLE GO TO THE
POLLS AND VOTE?
>> WELL, I MEAN, WE HAVE AN
ELECTION COME UP.
>> THIS IS JUST A CONTINUATION
ON THE DEEP STATE’S WAR AGAINST
DONALD TRUMP AND IS HE GOING TO
CONTINUE TO FIGHT BACK I THINK A
LOT OF PATRIOTS ARE GOING TO
JOIN HIM IN THAT REGARD.
>> Steve: ALL RIGHT.