NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ALABAMA AND
AN MSNBC LEGAL ANALYST, JOYCE
VANCE.
>> HOW DEVASTATING IS THIS
REPORT FOR DONALD TRUMP AND THE
ADMINISTRATION?
>> YOU KNOW, IF PEOPLE READ IT,
IT IS DEVASTATING.
AS YOU JUST DESCRIBED, IT SHOWS
A DEGREE OF INVOLVEMENT ON THE
PART OF THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN AND
DONALD TRUMP HIMSELF THAT EVEN
THE MUELLER REPORT DID NOT QUITE
DESCRIBE, PARTLY BECAUSE THE
REPORT IS, YOU KNOW, IT’S NOT A
CRIMINAL REPORT ON AN
INVESTIGATION, THE WAY THE
MUELLER REPORT IS.
IT’S ACTUALLY A LITTLE BIT MORE
OF -- YOU KNOW, IT’S ALMOST MORE
JOURNALISTIC REPORT BASED ON A
CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATION OF
COUNTERINTELLIGENCE RISK.
AND SO, IT CAN BE A LITTLE FREER
THAN MUELLER COULD.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT
IT, HOWEVER, IS NOT THE FACTS
THAT IT CONTAINED, IT’S THE
NAMES WHO WERE ON IT.
IT’S THE FACT THAT THIS WAS A
BIPARTISAN REPORT BY THE SENATE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE, WHICH
ACTUALLY, UNLIKE THE HOUSE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE UNDER
DEVIN NUNES, ACTUALLY DID ITS
JOB, DID A FULL AND COMPLETE
INVESTIGATION, PRODUCED THE KIND
OF INFORMATION THAT YOU COULD
WRITE UP AT 1,000 PAGES THAT
ANSWERS A WHOLE LOT OF QUESTIONS
AND IDENTIFIES THE ONES YOU
CAN’T ANSWER.
AND THE FACT THAT IT IS AS
DEVASTATING AS IT IS, IS
PARTICULARLY CLEAR BY THE FACT
THAT EVEN THE AUTHORS OF IT ON
THE REPUBLICAN SIDE WERE
YESTERDAY BUSY ISSUING
STATEMENTS SUGGESTING THAT IT
DIDN’T SAY WHAT, IN FACT, IT
SAYS.
>> WHICH WAS, OF COURSE,
HUMILIATING FOR THOSE WHO TRIED
TO DO THAT FOR POLITICAL
REASONS.
AGAIN, THEY PRESENTED MOUNTAINS
OF EVIDENCE THAT DONALD TRUMP
AND HIS CAMPAIGN WORKED WITH THE
RUSSIANS AND WERE AIDED AND
ABETTED BY THE RUSSIANS, THAT IT
WAS AN ONGOING, AGGRESSIVE
ATTEMPT.
AND INSTEAD, THEY DID WHAT
IDIOTS, USEFUL IDIOTS FOR
VLADIMIR PUTIN HAVE BEEN DOING
NOW FOR SEVERAL YEARS, AND THAT
IS, CLINGING TO THE MOST LURID
TALES IN THE STEELE DOSSIER AND
SAID YOU DIDN’T PROVE THAT, SO
THE WHOLE THING IS A HOAX,
ACTING, CLAIRE McCASKILL, AS IF
THAT ONE PART OF THIS
INVESTIGATION WOULD SOMEHOW
DISTRACT FROM THE MOUNTAINS AND
THE MOUNTAINS OF DAMNING
EVIDENCE.
AND I JUST HAVE TO SAY IT AGAIN,
FROM THE MOUNTAINS AND MOUNTAINS
OF DEVASTATING EVIDENCE THAT
DONALD TRUMP LIED TO ROBERT
MUELLER, COMMITTED PERJURY UNDER
OATH, WRITTEN.
I MEAN, HE HAD TIME TO THINK
THROUGH IT AND STILL COMMITTED
THAT.
AND THEN AGAIN, THAT YOU GO
THROUGH ALL OF THESE PEOPLE --
TRUMP’S FOREIGN POLICY ADVISER
LIED ABOUT CONTACTS WITH RUSSIA.
HIS NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER
LIED ABOUT CONTACTS WITH RUSSIA.
HIS CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN LIED ABOUT
CONTACTS WITH RUSSIA.
HIS DEPUTY CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN
LIED UNDER OATH, ALL OF THEM
UNDER OATH, ABOUT CONTACTS WITH
RUSSIA.
HIS PERSONAL LAWYER LIED ABOUT
CONTACTS WITH RUSSIA UNDER OATH.
HIS POLITICAL CONSULTANT LIED
ABOUT CONTACTS WITH RUSSIA UNDER
OATH.
AND HIS ATTORNEY GENERAL LIED
BEFORE CONGRESS UNDER OATH.
AND OF COURSE -- AND YESTERDAY,
REPUBLICANS CONCLUDED --
REPUBLICANS CONCLUDED THAT THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
LIED UNDER OATH TO FEDERAL
INVESTIGATORS ABOUT HIS
CAMPAIGN’S CONTACTS WITH RUSSIA.
BOY, THAT’S SOME HOAX, CLAIRE.
>> YEAH.
YOU KNOW WHAT, I REALLY WISH WE
WOULD REFER TO THIS REPORT A
DIFFERENT WAY.
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, TOM COTTON
SAYS THAT THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN
MANAGER WAS WORKING WITH A
RUSSIAN AGENT.
BEN SASSE SAYS, OF COURSE, THE
GOVERNMENT SHOULD HAVE BEEN
INVESTIGATING WHAT WAS GOING ON
IN THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN.
JOHN CORNYN SAYS, YES, CARTER
PAGE WAS DOING SUSPICIOUS THINGS
THAT WARRANTED HIM BEING LOOKED
AT BY THE PEOPLE IN OUR
GOVERNMENT BECAUSE OF HIS
ACTIVITIES WITH RUSSIA.
THIS IS A DAMNING REPORT.
IF IT WAS ISSUED IN ISOLATION,
WITHOUT ALL OF THE OTHER NOISE
THAT TRUMP CREATES, WITH ALL OF
HIS SCANDAL, IT WOULD BLOW THE
LID OFF WASHINGTON, D.C.
BUT BECAUSE OF WHEN IT’S BEING
ISSUED AND EVERYTHING THAT’S
COME BEFORE IT, MY FEAR IS
PEOPLE WON’T REALIZE THAT THIS
WAS MARCO RUBIO AND TOM COTTON
AND BEN SASSE AND JOHN CORNYN
SAYING, YES, THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN
WORKED WITH RUSSIA AND THEY
SHOULD HAVE BEEN INVESTIGATED.
>> YEAH.
ANOTHER WAY TO PUT IT, WILLIE,
IS THAT MARCO RUBIO SAID THAT
DONALD TRUMP’S COORDINATION WITH
RUSSIA, HIS CAMPAIGN’S
COORDINATION WITH RUSSIA POSED,
QUOTE, A GRAVE
COUNTERINTELLIGENCE THREAT.
ANOTHER WAY TO SAY THAT -- IT