ROLLS ROYCE OF THIS AND THAT. IT’S NOT LIKE THERE AREN’T OTHER
THINGS GOING ON IN THE WORLD,
FOLKS.
FOLKS. >> THAT’S A GREAT POINT.
THERE’S A LOT GOING ON THIS
MORNING.
MORNING. WE’LL GET TO THE NEW INFORMATION
ON THE SECRET WHISTLEBLOWER
COMPLAINT THAT THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION IS REFUSING TO
HAND OVER TO CONGRESS.
TWO FORMER U.S. OFFICIALS TELL
"THE WASHINGTON POST" THAT IT
INVOLVES A PROMISE THAT THE
PRESIDENT MADE TO A FOREIGN
LEADER THAT WAS THOUGHT TO BE SO
TROUBLING IT PROMPTED A U.S.
INTELLIGENCE OFFICIAL TO FILE A
FORMAL WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINT
WITH THE INTEL COMMUNITY’S
INSPECTOR GENERAL.
INSPECTOR GENERAL. THE POST SAYS, IT IS UNCLEAR
WHICH FOREIGN LEADER THE
PRESIDENT WAS SPEAKING WITH OR
WHAT HE PROMISED.
BUT NBC NEWS HAS SINCE LEARNED
FROM A FORMER U.S. INTELLIGENCE
OFFICIAL THAT IT INVOLVES A
PHONE CONVERSATION.
PHONE CONVERSATION. THE ENTIRE ORDEAL IS AT THE
CENTER OF THE LATEST BATTLE
BETWEEN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
AND CONGRESS.
AND CONGRESS. AFTER THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE JOSEPH
McGUIRE OVERRULED THE INSPECTOR
GENERAL’S DETERMINATION THAT THE
COMPLAINT WAS OF URGENT
CONCERN --
CONCERN -- >> LET’S STOP RIGHT THERE.
ELISE, THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF
THE INTEL COMMUNITY SAID THIS
WAS OF, QUOTE, URGENT CONCERN.
THAT THE PRESIDENT’S
CONVERSATION, HIS PROMISE TO A
FOREIGN LEADER WAS OF, QUOTE,
URGENT CONCERN.
URGENT CONCERN. THE INDEPENDENT INSPECTOR
GENERAL SAID THAT.
AND THAT CONGRESS SHOULD BE MADE
AWARE OF THIS CONVERSATION THAT
WAS OF, I WILL SAY AGAIN, THE
WORD, QUOTE, THE PHRASE, URGENT
CONCERN.
CONCERN. >> AND THE ACTING ATTORNEY
GENERAL, THE ACTING HEAD OF THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY, THE DNI
DOESN’T THINK IT’S OF SUCH
CONCERN THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN A
LOOK AT.
LOOK AT. I MEAN, THIS IS NOT THE FIRST
TIME THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS HAD
A TERRIBLE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY.
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY. HE’S DISRESPECTED THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY.
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY. HE’S QUESTIONED THEIR JUDGMENT.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT
LED TO THE RESIGNATION OF DNI
DAN COATS.
DAN COATS. AND HE AT EVERY TURN HAS DONE
THIS.
THIS. AND I’VE SPOKEN TO OFFICIALS,
FORMER OFFICIALS IN THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY, CURRENT
OFFICIALS, IT’S NOT THE FIRST
TIME THAT OFFICIALS HAVE HAD A
REAL PROBLEM WITH SOME OF THE
CONVERSATIONS WHEN THEY READ THE
READOUTS OF THIS PRESIDENT.
>> AND DAVID IGNATIUS, THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
IN EARLY 2017 HAD THE FOREIGN
MINISTER OF RUSSIA WHO WAS
SITTING THERE SMILING LIKE A
CHESHIRE CAT FOR A GOOD REASON
AND RUSSIA’S EMBASSY TO THE
UNITED STATES
UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES
LISTENED TO THE PRESIDENT WHERE
HE BANNED REPORTERS OF THE
UNITED STATES BUT ALLOWED RUSSIA
TO COME IN PROBABLY WITH
LISTENING DEVICES AND SPILLED
INTEL TO THE RUSSIAN FOREIGN
MINISTER.
MINISTER. THIS HAPPENS A GOOD BIT.
IN THIS CASE, THIS HAS GOOD TO
THE INSPECTOR GENERAL IN THIS
WHISTLEBLOWER CASE AND HE SAID
IT’S OF URGENT CONCERN, WHAT THE
PRESIDENT SAID TO THIS FOREIGN
LEADER, WHAT THE PRESIDENT
PROMISED THIS FOREIGN LEADER WAS
OF SUCH FOREIGN CONCERN THAT
CONGRESS AND OVERSIGHT
COMMITTEES HAD TO KNOW ABOUT IT.
AND YET IT’S BEING KILLED.
DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THE
NATURE OF THE CONVERSATION WAS,
DAVID?
DAVID? >> JOE, WE’RE GOING SO TOTO HAVE
MOMENT ONE OF OUR WASHINGTON
REPORTERS WHO WROTE A PIECE
WHICH IS AS MUCH AS WE KNOW
ACCORDING TO THIS ARTICLE THIS
INVOLVES A PROMISE THAT
ALLEGEDLY WAS MADE BY PRESIDENT
TRUMP TO SOME FOREIGN NATIONAL
THAT WAS SO WORRISOME TO
SOMEBODY IN THE AGAINST
COMMUNITY BECAME AWARE OF IT.
IT SEEMS IN EARLY AUGUSTTHY THEY
MADE A REPORT TO THE INSPECTOR
GENERAL, MICHAEL ATKINSON.
THAT TROUBLED ATKINSON SO MUCH
THAT WITHIN A MONTH LATER HE
REPORTED THAT ALLEGATION, THAT
IG ISSUE THAT WAS OF URGENT
CONCERN, TO THE HEAD OF THE
HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE
SCHIFF, ADAM SCHIFF.
SO THERE ARE A COUPLE THINGS TO
FOCUS ON.
FOCUS ON. WHAT WAS IT THAT WAS SAID THAT
WAS TAKEN AS A PROMISE THAT WAS
SO UPSETTING?
SO UPSETTING? I’LL LET SHANE GO THROUGH THE
LIST OF POSSIBILITIES BUT
THEY’RE THE ONES YOU’D THINK,
PUTIN, KIM JONG-UN ARE THE TOP
OF THE LIST.
WHAT WAS IT THAT MADE MICHAEL
ATKINSON, THE INSPECTOR GENERAL,
SO TROUBLED THAT HE FELT HE
ABSOLUTELY HAD A REPORTING
OBLIGATION?
OBLIGATION? AND WHAT HAPPENED TO INTERVENE
TO PREVENT DISCUSSION BY JOSEPH
MAGUIRE, THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE BEFORE THE
CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE?
CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE? THERE ARE A SERIES OF QUESTIONS
AND WHEN YOU COME TO THE END OF
THAT IT LOOKS TO ME AS IF THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS
DELIBERATELY SEEKING TO UNDO THE
RULES THAT HAVE BOUNDED U.S.
INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES
INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES BASICALLY SINCE THE WATERGATE
AND THE INTELLIGENCE SCANDALS IN
THE ’70s.
THE ’70s. IT’S A BIG DEAL.
>> WE’RE GOING TO GET TO SHANE
IN ONE SECOND.
ELISE.
ELISE. >> I THINK WHAT DAVID SAID IS
THE KEY.
THE KEY. WHY IS THE ACTING ATTORNEY --
ACTING DNI STONEWALLING THIS?
WHY DOESN’T HE WANT TO LET
THIS -- LET CONGRESS KNOW ABOUT
THIS?
THIS? THAT IS THE REAL KEY.
WHAT ARE THEY HIDING?
>> WHAT ARE THEY COVERING UP IS
THE QUESTION.
THE QUESTION. IT IS A COVER-UP.
>> IT IS TOTALLY A COVER-UP.
I THINK THE OBVIOUS ISSUES OF
INTELLIGENCE AND WHAT WENT ON
BETWEEN TRUMP AND THIS FOREIGN
LEADER ARE CENTRAL TO THIS.
BUT SO IS THE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN THE WHITE HOUSE AND THE
CONGRESS OF WHICH THIS IS YET
JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE
WHITE HOUSE ESSENTIALLY REFUSING
TO FOLLOW NORMAL PROCEDURES,
LAW, SEPARATION OF POWERS, AND
THE RIGHTS OF CONGRESS TO KNOW
WHAT’S GOING ON HERE.
>> AND THE QUESTION IS, WHAT ARE
THE REPUBLICANS THINKING ON THE
HILL?
HILL? ARE THE REPUBLICANS CURIOUS AT
ALL ABOUT THE INSPECTOR GENERAL,
AN INDEPENDENT INSPECTOR GENERAL
SAYING THAT WHAT THE PRESIDENT
SAID WAS SO DEEPLY TROUBLING
THAT THEY NEED TO BE MADE AWARE
OF IT?
OF IT? >> WE WON’T HOLD OUR BREATH ARE
WILL WE, KNOWING WHAT WE KNOW
ABOUT REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS?
>> KNOWING THAT MOSCOW MITCH IS
NOT EVEN PROTECTING AMERICAN
DEMOCRACY FROM THE KREMLIN, WHEN
REPUBLICANS NOW, FORMER
CONSERVATIVES LIKE NORQUIST ARE
NOW COMING OUT.
THE TRUMPISTS ARE COMING OUT AND
SAYING YOU HAVE TO PROTECT OUR
DEMOCRACY.
DEMOCRACY. AND --
AND -- >> BUT PUT ASIDE MOSCOW MITCH,
WHERE IS LINDSEY GRAHAM?
ALL OF THEM.
>> WHERE IS TOM COTTON?
WHERE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO SAY
THEY’RE MOST FOCUSED ON THE
INTEGRITY OF THE U.S.?
>> IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS WHOLE
ISSUE WITH IRAN AND SAUDI ARABIA
AND THE PRESIDENT IS ASKING THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO TRUST
THE INTELLIGENCE AT THE SAME
TIME HE’S DISREGARDING U.S.
INTELLIGENCE, THIS IS REALLY A
KEY TIME FOR U.S. INTELLIGENCE.
>> ALL RIGHT.
LET’S BRING IN SHANE HARRIS OF
THE "WASHINGTON POST."
HE COVERS INTELLIGENCE AND
NATIONAL SECURITY.
NATIONAL SECURITY. AS DAVID SAID, HE’S ONE OF THE
AUTHORS OF THIS EXTRAORDINARY
PIECE.
PIECE. FIRST OF ALL, WOW, EVEN IN THE
AGE OF TRUMP WE CAN SAY WOW
BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING WE’VE
NOT SEEN.
NOT SEEN. LET’S TALK ABOUT THE
POSSIBILITIES HERE ABOUT WHO THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
MAY HAVE BEEN TALKING TO, WHO HE
MAY HAVE MADE THIS PROMISE TO.
A LOT OF PEOPLE LOOKING AT A
JULY 31st PHONE CALL FROM THE
PRESIDENT TO VLADIMIR PUTIN.
AS WE LOOK BACK ON IT, THE
READOUT FROM THE WHITE HOUSE
THAT DAY WAS THAT PRESIDENT
TRUMP WAS CALLING TO EXPRESS
CONCERN AND TO OFFER HELP WITH
SIBERIAN WILDFIRES WHICH EVEN IN
REALTIME STRUCK A LOT OF PEOPLE
AS ODD.
AS ODD. AGAIN, WE DON’T KNOW WHAT THE
CALL IS, BUT WHAT ARE THE
POSSIBILITIES HERE?
POSSIBILITIES HERE? >> WELL, THAT CERTAINLY HAS TO
BE PROBABLY NEAR THE LIST GIVEN
THE PRESIDENT’S INTERACTIONS
WITH RUSSIAN OFFICIALS IN THE
PAST AND THE DIVULGING OF
SENSITIVE AND CLASSIFIED
INFORMATION.
INFORMATION. THE PRESIDENT TALKED TO A LOT OF
FOREIGN LEADERS.
FOREIGN LEADERS. AND I THINK ONE OF THE IMPORTANT
THINGS TO KEY IN ON HERE IS
WHOEVER MADE THIS COMPLAINT WE
REPORTED PREVIOUSLY IS AN
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY OFFICIAL
WHO WORKED AT THE NATIONAL
SECURITY COUNCIL.
SECURITY COUNCIL. A LOT OF PEOPLE GET ASSIGNED
OVER THERE FOR SOME TIME.
AND THEN MADE THIS COMPLAINT.
AND WHY I EMPHASIZE THAT IS I
DON’T THINK THAT YOU’RE PROBABLY
TALKING ABOUT SOMEBODY WHO SAW
THE PRESIDENT DOING SOMETHING
THAT WAS NOT SIGNIFICANT.
THESE ARE USUALLY FAIRLY
EXPERIENCED PEOPLE, THEY’RE WELL
VERSED IN WHAT THE RULES ARE.
AND BY THE WAY, PEOPLE WHO WOULD
KNOW THAT THE PRESIDENT CAN
DIVULGE CLASSIFIED INFORMATION
TO WHOMEVER HE WANTS.
AND OF COURSE HAS DONE THAT
BEFORE.
BEFORE. SO WHILE WE DON’T KNOW PRECISELY
WHAT THIS ALLEGATION CENTERS ON,
I HAVE TO THINK IT IS SOMETHING
THAT’S SIGNIFICANT, AS YOU
POINTED OUT, THE INSPECTOR
GENERAL THINKS IT’S SIGNIFICANT.
AND I THINK WE HAVE TO THINK
ABOUT THE SOURCE, THE PERSON WHO
WOULD HAVE SEEN THIS WOULD HAVE
BEEN AWARE OF THIS WOULD HAVE
WELL UNDERSTOOD BY THIS POINT
PRESIDENT TRUMP’S PROCLIVITIES
WITH FOREIGN LEADERS, HIS
HANDLING OF CLASSIFIED
INFORMATION AND YET STILL SAW
SOMETHING HERE THAT HE OR SHE
FELT KNEELED NEEDED TO GO TO
THIS INDEPENDENT WATCHDOG.
>> THE TERM IS INSPECTOR
GENERAL, THAT’S NOT JUST HIS
PERSONAL CHARACTERIZATION,
PERSONAL CHARACTERIZATION, THAT’S A LEGAL THRESHOLD WHEN
SOMETHING REACHES URGENT CONCERN
HAS TO REACH OUT TO THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITIES AND
CONGRESS.
CONGRESS. WHAT FALLS UNDER THAT THRESHOLD
SF WHAT
SF WHAT ?
? WHAT MAY HE HAVE SEEN OR HEARD
SAYING I HAVE TO PUSH THIS TO
CONGRESS NOW?
CONGRESS NOW? >> THE STATUTE TALKS ABOUT
FLAGRANT ABUSE OF POWER, ILLEGAL
ACTS.
ACTS. >> ILLEGAL ACTS.
>> THERE ARE LOTS OF THINGS THAT
AREN’T ILLEGAL FOR THE PRESIDENT
THAT ARE ILLEGAL FOR OTHER
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. CLASSIFIED INFORMATION SHARING.
>> CAN WE MAKE THAT POINT,
BECAUSE SHANE YOU MADE THIS
POINT IN THE PIECE, I’VE HEARD
OTHER PEOPLE MAKE THIS POINT.
IT’S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE THAT
ARE JUST WAKING UP AND
LISTENING, THIS IS NOT ABOUT THE
PRESIDENT DOING SOMETHING WRECK
LEPS
LEPS AND BRAGGING.
AND BRAGGING. HE CAN DO THAT, BUT HE HAS THE
ABILITY TO BLURT OUT HIGHLY
CLASSIFIED INFORMATION.
CLASSIFIED INFORMATION. THAT WOULD NOT MEET THIS
THRESHOLD OF URGENT CONCERN IN
THE IS SOMETHING ACTUALLY WORSE,
SOMETHING THAT THE IG SUSPECTED
MIGHT BE ILLEGAL WHICH PROMPTED
THE, QUOTE, URGENT CONCERN.
>> WELL, I DON’T THINK WE KNOW
THAT THE IG THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE
ILLEGAL BUT THINK YOUR DEDUCTION
IS RIGHT.
IS RIGHT. THIS IS IS NOT SOMETHING IN THE
CATEGORY OF THINGS WE’VE SEEN
THE PRESIDENT DO.
HE TWEETED A HIGHLY CLASSIFIED
SATELLITE IMAGE JUST A FEW WEEKS
AGO.
AGO. WE’VE SEEN THOSE KINDS OF
THINGS.
THINGS. INSPECTOR GENERALS ARE AWARE OF
THOSE KINDS OF THINGS AND YOU’RE
RIGHT, THAT ISN’T ILLEGAL, THE
PRESIDENT CAN DO THAT.
SO WHAT ARE HE DID OR IS ALLEGED
TO HAVE DONE HERE FALLS INTO
SOME DIFFERENT CATEGORY POSSIBLY
IN THIS STATUTORY DEFINITION OF
FLAGRANT ABUSE OF POWER.
ENOUGH SO THAT THE IG THOUGHT
THAT CONGRESS NEEDED TO KNOW
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT. THEY DON’T KNOW THE SUBSTANCE OF
THE ALLEGATION, BY THE WAY,
THAT’S VERY IMPORTANT.
THEY KNOW IT HAPPENED BUT THEY
ARE STILL IN THE DARK ABOUT THEL