THE WEEKEND. MAYBE ULTIMATELY THE OFFICIAL
WILL BE CALLED ONTO GIVE PUBLIC
TESTIMONY AS WELL.
WE’LL SEE.
WE’LL SEE. AS THE STORY EVOLVES IN THIS WAY
AND AHEAD OF TOMORROW’S SECOND
IMPEACHMENT HEARING, I THINK
IT’S ALSO WORTH ARTICULATING THE
EXISTENCE OF THE ELEPHANT IN THE
ROOM HERE, RIGHT?
BECAUSE I KNOW THIS IS BASIC AND
I KNOW YOU KNOW IT, BUT I FEEL
LIKE IT’S EASY TO LOSE SIGHT OF
AS WE HEAD INTO THE SECOND
PUBLIC IMPEACHMENT HEARING.
THERE’S A REASON THAT WHEN THE
WHISTLE-BLOWER COMPLAINT WAS
FIRST FILED, THAT BIT ABOUT
HOLDING UP THE MILITARY AID TO
UKRAINE, THAT WAS FILED
SEPARATELY IN A CLASSIFIED
APPENDIX.
APPENDIX. WHEN THE WHISTLE-BLOWER KNEW
EVEN THAT COMPLAINT WAS GETTING
DELIVERED TO CONGRESS WHICH IS
WHAT HE OR SHE WANTED, TILL THIS
BIT THE WHISTLE-BLOWER TOOK
STEPS TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT
WAS TREATED WITH SPECIAL CARE.
THAT THE PRESIDENT’S ORDER TO
HOLD UP MILITARY AID YOOTOTO UKR
IT WOULD BE HELD TIGHTER,
RESTRICTED MORE, FEWER PEOPLE
THAT SEE THAT.
WHY WOULD THE WHISTLE-BLOWER
WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PART OF
WHAT THE WHISTLE-BLOWER IS
ALLEGING, THIS INCREDIBLY
INFLAMMATORY ALLEGATION THE
WHISTLE-BLOWER IS MAKING ABOUT
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES COMMITTING CLEARLY
IMPEACHABLE AND ILLEGAL ACTS IN
OFFICE TO BENEFIT HIMSELF
POLITICALLY AT THE EXPENSE OF
U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY AND OUR
ALLIES, THE WHISTLE-BLOWER IS
WILLING TO SAY A LOT ON PAGE ONE
OF THAT COMPLAINT.
BUT THAT BIT ABOUT THE PRESIDENT
HOLDING MILITARY AID TO UKRAINE,
KEEP THAT CLASSIFIED.
WHY SHOULD THAT BE KEPT MORE
QUIET?
QUIET? WE’VE ALL HAD IN THE EDUCATION
WE’VE HAD AS CIVILIANS WATCHING
THESE IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS
ROLLOUT, WE HAVE SINCE LEARNED
FROM THEM THAT THE REASON YOU’D
WANT TO KEEP SOMETHING LIKE THAT
AS QUIET AS POSSIBLE IS BECAUSE
AMONG OTHER THINGS THAT BECOMING
PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE, IT BECOMING
KNOWN AROUND THE WORLD THAT U.S.
MILITARY AID TO UKRAINE WAS
BEING HELD UP, THAT ITSELF IS A
DAMAGING THING TO UKRAINE.
NOT JUST THEM LOSING THE AID
WHICH HURTS THEM MATERIALLY BUT
EVERYBODY KNOWING THEIR AID WAS
IN JEOPARDY, IT WAS BEING HELD
UP BY THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT,
THAT ITSELF INCURS DAMAGE.
>> UKRAINIANS WOULD LIKE TO BE
ABLE TO NEGOTIATE FROM A
POSITION OF STRENGTH OR AT LEAST
MORE STRENGTH THAN THEY NOW
HAVE.
HAVE. PART OF THAT STRENGTH, PART OF
THE ABILITY OF THE UKRAINIANS TO
NEGOTIATE AGAINST THE RUSSIANS
WITH THE RUSSIANS FOR AN END TO
THE WAR DEPENDS ON THE UNITED
STATES AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL
SUPPORT.
SUPPORT. IF WE WITHDRAW OR SUSPEND OR
THREATEN TO WITHDRAW OR SECURITY
ASSISTANCE, THAT’S A MESSAGE TO
THE UKRAINIANS, BUT IT’S AT
LEAST AS IMPORTANT AS YOUR
QUESTION INDICATES, MR.
CHAIRMAN, TO THE RUSSIANS WHO
ARE LOOKING FOR ANY SIGN OF
WEAKNESS OR ANY SIGN WE ARE
WITHDRAWING OUR SUPPORT FOR
UKRAINE.
UKRAINE. >> THE RUSSIANS ARE LOOKING FOR
ANY SIGN OF WEAKNESS, ANY SIGN
THAT WE ARE WITHDRAWING OUR
SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE.
SO IF IT BECOMES KNOWN THAT THAT
SUPPORT IS THREATENED, THAT
ITSELF HURTS UKRAINE.
THAT BENEFITS RUSSIA, RIGHT?
THE PRESIDENT WAS HOLDING UP AID
TO UKRAINE TO TRY TO PRESSURE
THEM TO COOK UP THESE
INVESTIGATIONS TO HELP THEM
AGAINST THE DEMOCRATS IN 2020.
BUT IN USING UKRAINE THAT WAY
AND IN PUTTING ON ICE HUNDREDS
OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF U.S.
AID TO THEM, HE HURT THEM.
HE HURT THEIR NATIONAL SECURITY.
HE SPECIFICALLY AS BILL TAYLOR
JUST EXPLAINED THERE YESTERDAY,
HE HURT THEIR NEGOTIATING
POSITION VISA VI RUSSIA WITH
WHOM THEY ARE IN A WAR RIGHT
NOW.
NOW. WHICH MEANS RUSSIA BENEFITS FROM
TRUMP DOING THAT.
FROM TRUMP WITHHOLDING THAT
MILITARY AID, RUSSIA BENEFITS
FROM THAT BECAUSE IT SHOWS THAT
UKRAINE DOESN’T HAVE THE KIND OF
AMERICAN AND INTERNATIONAL
SUPPORT THAT UKRAINE MIGHT HAVE
THOUGHT THEY HAD.
AND SO THEY’RE WEAKER THAN
EVERYBODY THOUGHT THEY WERE.
THEY’RE MORE AT RUSSIA’S MERCY.
RIGHT, EVEN WITH THE MILITARY
AID NOW BEING FORCED TO BE
RELEASED BECAUSE OF THIS
SCANDAL, THAT’S HOW THIS THING
IS SHAKING OUT NOW, IN TERMS OF
WHO BENEFITS.
WHO BENEFITS. QUOTE, IN THE PAST AMERICAN
DIPLOMATS WORKED CLOSELY WITH
KIEV IN ANY TALKS WITH MOSKOW.
THEY PRESENTED A UNITED FRONT
WITH THE KREMLIN, THEY TRIED TO
REASSURE A NERVOUS UKRAINIAN
PUBLIC.
PUBLIC. BUT NOW THE UNITED STATES IS
LARGELY ABSENT FROM THE
POLITICAL AND DIPLOMATIC PROCESS
OVER RESOLVING THE WAR IN THE
EAST.
EAST. THE LEADER OF ONE PRO-U.S.
POLITICAL PARTY IN UKRAINE
TELLING "THE WASHINGTON POST"
TODAY, QUOTE, UKRAINE IS NOW
KIND OF NAKED.
WE ARE ALONE CONFRONTING RUSSIA.
DAVID IGNACEOUS -- EXCUSE ME
THAT WAS IN "THE NEW YORK TIMES"
NOT "THE WASHINGTON POST."
DAVID IGNACEOUS OF "THE
WASHINGTON POST" RAISING MUCH
THE SAME ALARM TODAY.
TRUMP’S UKRAINE MACHINATIONS
HAVE YIELDED THE DIMINUTION OF
U.S. POWER AND A CORRESPONDING
INCREASE IN THE LEVERAGE.
THE UNITED STATES WAS AN
IMPORTANT BACKUP FOR UKRAINE.
LOSING THAT SUPPORT PUTS KIEV IN
A WEAKER BARGAINING POSITION.
HOW IS THE UNITED STATES SHAPING
EVENTS AS UKRAINE IS BALANCED
NOW?
NOW? AMERICA REALLY ISN’T A PLAYER.
TRUMP SAID IN SEPTEMBER WHILE
MEETING ZELENSKY, QUOTE, I
REALLY HOPE YOU AND PRESIDENT
PUTIN CAN GET TOGETHER AND SOLVE
YOUR PROBLEM.
YOUR PROBLEM. WE KNOW WE USED TO BE YOUR ALLY,
WE KNOW WE USED TO STAND
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH YOU SO
YOU NEVER HAD TO FACE RUSSIA
ALONE, BUT NOW YOU’RE ALONE.
IF IT WORKS OUT MAYBE YOU’LL GET
A WHITE HOUSE VISIT.
OTHERWISE MAYBE NOT.
I MEAN, WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF
THIS IMPEACHMENT NOW, AND IT IS
STILL UNFOLDING, AND THERE IS
STILL MORE TO LEARN.
AND TOMORROW IS GOING TO BE --
TOMORROW SHOULD BE A BIG DEAL
EVEN JUST THE NEWS TONIGHT IS A
BIG DEAL.
BIG DEAL. BUT EVEN AFTER ONE DAY OF PUBLIC
HEARINGS SO FAR, THE ELEPHANT IN
THE ROOM HERE FEELS LIKE IT’S
REARING UP AND STOMPING ITS FEET
BECAUSE WHO BENEFITS WITH ALL
THESE THINGS TRUMP HAS DONE?
WITH ALL THIS STUFF IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE IMPOOEACHMENT BUT
ALL THE OTHER STUFF HE’S DOING
SIMULTANEOUSLY?
SIMULTANEOUSLY? IT WAS WITHHOLDING MILITARY AID,
WITHHOLDING THE MILITARY AID,
LETTING IT BE KNOWN THE MILITARY
AID WAS IN QUESTION, THAT ALONE
DISADVANTAGED UKRAINE IN THEIR
HOT WAR FIGHT AGAINST RUSSIA,
BENEFIT TO RUSSIA.
THE U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY TO
UKRAINE WHICH WAS SPECIFICALLY
TASKED TO HELP UKRAINE IN ITS
WAR, IN ITS NEGOTIATIONS AGAINST
RUSSIA, THAT WAS THIS GUY KURT
VOLKER WHO RESIGNED WHEN HE WAS
CALLED IN TO TESTIFY IN THE
IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS.
IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS. WE JUST LEARNED THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION ISN’T GOING TO
FILL THAT JOB.
THEY’RE GETTING RID OF THAT JOB
NOW.
NOW. NO MORE DEDICATED U.S. ENVOY FOR
HELPING UKRAINE WITH THEIR WAR
ON RUSSIA.
ON RUSSIA. I’M SURE RUSSIA IS DELIGHTED BY
THAT, TOO.
THAT, TOO. WE LEARNED FROM CHRISTOPHER
ANDERSON, THAT WHEN RUSSIA
ATTACKED UKRAINEIAN SHIPS AND
TOOK A WHOLE BUNCH OF UKRAINIANS
PRIZ
PRIZ PRISONER THEY TRUMP WHITE HOUSE
BLOCKED A STATEMENT CONDEMNING
RUSSIA.
RUSSIA. WHY DID THE WHITE HOUSE BLOCK A
STATEMENT CONDEMNING RUSSIA
SEIZING UKRAINIAN SHIPS AND
STEALING UKRAINIAN SAILORS?
TRUMP BLOCKED THAT.
WHEN A CNN STORY RAN LAST YEAR
ABOUT THE U.S. NAVY DOING AN
EXERCISE IN THE BLACK SEA THAT
WAS PORTRAYED AS THE U.S.
MILITARY STANDING UP TO THE
RUSSIA IN THE BLACK SEA,
PRESIDENT TRUMP SAW THAT REPORT
AND CALLED NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISOR JOHN BOLTON AT HOME TO
TELL BOLTON HOW UPSET HE WAS BY
THAT REPORT.
THAT REPORT. AND IN RESPONSE THE WHITE HOUSE
ORDERED THE NAVY TO NOT DO THAT
EXERCISE IN THE BLACK SEA.
WOULDN’T WANT TO UPSET RUSSIA.
WE LEARNED FROM NATIONAL
SECURITY COUNCIL STAFFER
CATHERINE CROFT WHOSE TESTIFY
ALSO HAS BEEN RELEASED IN
TRANSCRIPT FORM THAT EVEN AFTER
THE ADMINISTRATION SET UKRAINE
POLICY THAT UKRAINE WOULD GET
JAVELIN MISSILES FROM THE U.S.
AND EVERYBODY SIGNED OFF,
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL,
EVERYBODY’S ONBOARD, THE WHITE
HOUSE SPECIFICALLY INTERVENED
WITH A LATE HOLD ON THOSE
MISSILES.
MISSILES. WHY?
WHY? WHAT WAS THE WHITE HOUSE
CONCERNED ABOUT?
CONCERNED ABOUT? ACCORDING TO CATHERINE CROFT,
QUOTE, THAT RUSSIA WOULD REACT
NEGATIVELY TO THE PROVISION OF
JAVELINS TO UKRAINE.
YES, WE CAN’T HAVE THAT.
I MEAN, ON THE DAY THAT
PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS PROMISING
THAT HE DEFINITELY WASN’T
WATCHING HIS FIRST IMPEACHMENT
HEARING, THAT DAY PRESIDENT
ERDOGAN OF TURKEY IS AT THE
WHITE HOUSE, YESTERDAY.
AND THAT RELATIONSHIP IS WEIRD
AND INEXPLICABLE ENOUGH.
BUT WHEN TRUMP DOES ERDOGAN THIS
FAVOR, RIGHT, AND PRECIPITOUSLY
PULLS U.S. TROOPS OUT OF NORTH
EASTERN SYRIA, HE DOES IT, THE
IMMEDIATE RESULT IS THAT TURKEY
AND RUSSIA COME IN TO TAKE OVER
THAT LAND THAT OUR ALLIES AND
U.S. SPECIAL FORCES HAD BEEN
HOLDING.
HOLDING. THE U.S. BASE THERE -- LITERALLY
THE AMERICAN BASE THERE NOW HAS
THE RUSSIAN FLAG FLYING OVER IT.
ANDUSSIAN SOLDIERS ARE NOW
USING THAT BASE.
AND RUSSIAN SOLDIERS ARE NOW
PATROLLING THAT PART OF THE
COUNTRY WHERE U.S. TROOPS AND
U.S. ALLIES WERE REMOVED BY
PRESIDENT TRUMP’S ACTIONS.
WE’RE OUT, HERE PUTIN YOU CAN
HAVE IT.
HAVE IT. TURKEY HAS ALSO JUST BOUGHT
ANTI-U.S. RUSSIAN WEAPONS.
IT IS A CRISIS FOR NATO.
I MEAN, NOT TO GET INTO THE
TECHNICALITIES OF IT.
BUT HAVING A NATO MEMBER
OPERATING A SOPHISTICATED
RUSSIAN ANTI-AIRCRAFT MISSILE
SYSTEM LIKE THIS POTENTIALLY
EXPOSES THE MOST SECRET U.S.
FIGHTER JET TECHNOLOGY TO THE
RUSSIANS.
RUSSIANS. THANKS, TURKEY.
THANKS, TURKEY. THANKS FOR DOING THAT.
REPUBLICAN SENATORS WHO WERE
UPSET BY THAT AND WHO ARE UPSET
BY THE TURKISH MILITARY
ATTACKING OUR ALLIES IN SYRIA,
PRESIDENT TRUMP WEIGHED IN
DURING THIS WHITE HOUSE VISIT TO
TRY TO SMOOTH THAT ALL OVER, TO
TRY TO CALM DOWN REPUBLICAN
SENATORS ABOUT THAT, TO TRY TO
MAKE IT OKAY FOR TURKEY.
SO IT’S OKAY THEY ATTACKED OUR
ALLIES, AND IT’S OKAY THAT
THEY’VE GOT TO KEEP THOSE
SOPHISTICATED RUSSIAN WEAPONS.
TRUMP WANTS TURKEY TO KEEP THOSE
SOPHISTICATED RUSSIAN WEAPONS,
REGARDLESS OF WHAT THAT MEANS
FOR U.S. MILITARY SUPERIORITY
AND FOR NATO.
ADVANTAGE RUSSIA.
ADVANTAGE RUSSIA. I MEAN EVEN THE CORE WEIRDNESS
AT THE HEART OF THE IMPEACHMENT.
TRUMP DIDN’T JUST ASK UKRAINE TO
ANNOUNCE BOGUS INVESTIGATIONS
INTO JOE BIDEN.
HE ASKED THEM TO INVESTIGATE
2016, SPECIFICALLY THIS WEIRD
CONSPIRACY THEORY THAT IT WASN’T
RUSSIA THAT MESSED WITH OUR
ELECTIONS IN 2016, IT WAS
UKRAINE MESSING WITH OUR
ELECTIONS.
ELECTIONS. SO DAVID SANGER IN "THE NEW YORK
TIMES" CALLS ONE OF THE MANY ODD
TWISTS IN THE PARTISAN NOISE
AROUND IMPEACHMENT.
AROUND IMPEACHMENT. PRESIDENT TRUMP’S EFFORT TO
DIVERT ATTENTION FROM SUSPICIONS
ABOUT THE 2016 HACK AWAY FROM
RUSSIA.
RUSSIA. HE CALLS IT A COMPLETELY
DISCREDITED THEORY THAT
UKRAINIAN HACKERS, NOT RUSSIA’S
MILITARY INTELLIGENCE WERE
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE HACK.
WHERE DID THIS COMPLETELY
DISCREDITED THEORY COME FROM
THAT IT WAS UKRAINE THAT MEDDLED
IN THE 2016 ELECTION NOT RUSSIA?
I MEAN, ALL OF THE U.S.
INTELLIGENCE AND THE BIPARTISAN
SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE
CONCLUDES WITHOUT ANY
EQUIVOCATION IT WAS RUSSIA WHO
MESSED WITH US.
THE PRESIDENT IS ADVANCING THIS
THEORY INSTEAD IT WASN’T RUSSIA,
IT WAS UKRAINE.
WHERE DOES THAT COME FROM?
WE ACTUALLY NOW HAVE AN ORIGIN
STOR WHERE THAT CAME FROM?
THIS IS JUST RECENTLY RELEASED
BY A COURT ORDER.
RECENTLY RELEASED FBI INTERVIEW
NOTES WITH TRUMP’S DEPUTY
CAMPAIGN CHAIR RICK GATES GIVES
US OUR EARLIEST KNOWN APPEARANCE
OF THAT WEIRD CONSPIRACY THEORY
IN THE WILD FROM THE FBI
INTERVIEW NOTES WITH RICK GATES.
QUOTE, GATES RECALLED PAUL
MANAFORT SAYING THE HACK WAS
LIKELY CARRIED OUT BY THE
UKRAINIANS, NOT THE RUSSIANS.
WHY DID MANAFORT SAY THAT, THAT,
QUOTE, PARROTED A NARRATIVE THAT
KILIMNIK OFTEN SUPPORTED.
THAT’S THE PERSON WHO WAS SAYING
THAT IT WAS UKRAINE, NOT RUSSIA.
THAT’S WHERE PAUL MANAFORT GOT
IT FROM.
IT FROM. WHO’S CONSTANTINE KILIMNIK, HE’S
THE GUY MANAFORT WORKED FOR
YEARS IN UKRAINE, WHO CAME OUT
OF RUSSIAN MILITARY
INTELLIGENCE.
INTELLIGENCE. WHO THE FBI ASSESSES IS STILL
LINKED TO RUSSIAN MILITARY
INTELLIGENCE.
INTELLIGENCE. SO THIS WHOLE THING THAT THE
PRESIDENT AND THE WHITE HOUSE
AND REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS NOW
ARE ACTIVELY PROMOTING, THIS
CONSPIRACY THEORY THAT RUSSIA
DIDN’T INTERVENE IN THE 2016
ELECTION, IT WAS UKRAINE WHO DID
THAT, THAT THEORY APPEARS TO
HAVE ORIGINATED WITH THE GRU,
WITH THE RUSSIAN MILITARY
INTELLIGENCE.
INTELLIGENCE. WITH A RUSSIAN MILITARY
INTELLIGENCE GUY WHO DELIVERED
IT TO THE PRESIDENT’S CAMPAIGN
CHAIR WHO WAS IN PRISON FOR
LAUNDERING WITH NOT PAYING TAXES
FOR THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS HE
TOOK FROM POLITICAL KREMLIN
ALLIES AND POLITICAL PARTIES IN
UKRAINE.
UKRAINE. I MEAN THE PRESIDENT IS NOW
PROMOTING THE CONSPIRACY THEORY
THAT RUSSIA DIDN’T INTERVENE IN
THE ELECTION AT ALL, IT WAS
UKRAINE.
UKRAINE. THAT THEORY IS FROM RUSSIAN
MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.
MILITARY INTELLIGENCE. I MEAN, I KNOW THIS IMPEACHMENT
INQUIRY IS ABOUT ONE SPECIFIC
THING THAT THE PRESIDENT DID
ABOUT UKRAINE, AND IT IS ABOUT
THAT FOR A REASON.
I MEAN, IT’S PROVEN THAT HE DID
IT.
IT. HE’S ADMITTED HE’S DONE IT.
IT’S ILLEGAL AND ITCH PEACHABLE
AND HE’S GOING TO GET IMPEACHED
FOR IT.
FOR IT. I GET IT.
I GET IT. EVERYTHING HE’S DOING HERE
INCLUDING THE CORE ALLEGATIONS
AT THE HEART OF THE IMPEACHMENT,
ALL JUST HAPPEN TO BENEFIT
RUSSIA.
RUSSIA. ALL JUST HAPPEN TO BENEFIT DOWN
TO RUSSIA, ALL OF THEM.
AND MAYBE THAT IS A HUGE
COINCIDENCE, BUT I MEAN WHAT DO