♪ >>> GOOD EVENING.
I’M CHRIS MATTHEWS IN
WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON. PRESIDENT TRUMP PROMISED UNITY
FORHIS STATE OF THE UNION AND
DELIVERED CIVIL WAR.
HERE WAS THE WARNING SHOT.
>> AN ECONOMIC MIRACLE IS TAKING
PLACE IN THE UNITED STATES AND
THE ONLY THING THAT CAN STOP IT
ARE FOOLISH WARS, POLITICS, OR
RIDICULOUS PARTISAN
RIDICULOUS PARTISAN INVESTIGATIONS.
INVESTIGATIONS. IF THERE IS GOING TO BE PEACE
AND LEGISLATION, THERE CANNOT BE
WAR AND INVESTIGATION.
IT JUST DOESN’T WORK THAT WAY.
>> WELL, THE PRESIDENT SHUT DOWN
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OVER HIS
BORDER WALL AND NOW HE’S
THREATENING TO SHUT DOWN THE
CONGRESS.
CONGRESS. HE’S SAYING YOU’RE NOT GOING
ANYWHERE AS LUNG AS YOU’RE
CAUSING TROUBLE WITH THESE
INVESTIGATIONS.
INVESTIGATIONS. WE HEARD A SIMILAR CALL FROM
RICHARD NIXON IN HIS STATE OF
THE UNION IN 1974.
>> I BELIEVE THE TIME HAS COME
TO BRING THAT INVESTIGATION AND
THE OTHER INVESTIGATIONS OF THIS
MATTER TO AN END.
ONE YEAR OF WATERGATE IS ENOUGH.
>> WELL, PRESIDENT TRUMP’S CALL
FOR DEMOCRATS TO BACK OFF THEIR
INVESTIGATIONS COMES AS THE NEW
DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY THIS WEEK
RAMPS UP ITS OVERSIGHT SEND
MOERB THANL 50 UNREDACTED
TRANSCRIPTS TO ROBERT MUELLER
AND LAST SEPTEMBER WHEN IT WAS
STILL CHAIRED BY DEVIN NUNEZ.
NOW THE NEW DEMOCRATIC CHAIRMAN,
ADAM SCHIFF, ALSO ANNOUNCED THE
COMMITTEE WILL PURSUE AN
EXPANDED PROBE.
EXPANDED PROBE. NOT ONLY INTO RUSSIA BUT
PRESIDENT TRUMP’S FOREIGN
FINANCIAL INTERESTS.
FINANCIAL INTERESTS. PRESIDENT TRUMP RESPONDED WITH A
PERSONAL ATTACK ON SCHIFF.
>> THE CHAIRMAN OF THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE ANNOUNCED
HE WAS GOING TO LAUNCH A DEEP
INVESTIGATION INTO NOT ONLY
RUSSIA --
RUSSIA -- >> DID YOU SAY ADAM SCHIFF?
>> ADAM SCHIFF.
>> HE HAS NO BASIS TO DO THAT.
HE’S JUST A POLITICAL HACK.
WHO’S TRYING TO BUILD A NAME FOR
HIMSELF.
HIMSELF. IT’S CALLED PRESIDENTIAL
HARASSMENT AND IT’S UNFORTUNATE
AND IT REALLY DOES HURT OUR
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. >> NEVER HEARD OF HIM BUT HE’S A
HACK.
HACK. SCHIFF WRITING I CAN UNDERSTAND
WHY THE IDEA OF MEANINGFUL
OVERSIGHT TERRIFIES THE
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. SEVERAL OF HIS CLOSE ASSOCIATES
ARE GOING TO JAIL, OTHERS AWAIT
TRIAL AND CRIMINAL
INVESTIGATIONS CONTINUE.
INVESTIGATIONS CONTINUE. WE’LL DO OUR JOB AND WON’T BE
DESTRAKTD OR INTIMIDATED BY
THREATS OR ATTACKS.
JOINED BY JACKY SPEAR OF
CALIFORNIA WHO SITS ON THE HOUSE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE.
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE. NBC NEWS PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN.
FORMER DNC CHAIR AND BETSY WOOD
RF, POLITICS REPORTER FOR "THE
DAILY BEAST."
DAILY BEAST." WHAT A QUARTET.
WE’RE GOING TO GIVEN A LOT OF
PERSPECTIVES HERE.
PERSPECTIVES HERE. THAT WAS A THREAT LAST NIGHT
FROM THE PRESIDENT, RIGHT?
>> THERE’S NO QUESTION THAT IT
WAS A VEILED THREAT.
WHAT WAS MOST INTERESTING IS HOW
HE FRAMED IT AS PRESIDENTIAL
HARASSMENT THIS MORNING.
IF ANYTHING IT WAS CONGRESSIONAL
HARASSMENT BECAUSE IT WAS
SEEKING A QUID PRO QUO.
MEANING IF YOU WANT LEGISLATION
AND PEACE, YOU’VE GOT TO STOP
WITH THE INVESTIGATIONS.
SO I THINK HE’S ONCE AGAIN GOT
IT ALL WRONG WHEN IT COMES TO
HARASSMENT.
HARASSMENT. HE’S
HE’S HE’S PERPETRATOR MOST OF HIS
LIFE.
LIFE. >> IS THIS UNUSUAL FOR THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
TO SAY TO ALL MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS, IF YOU USE YOUR
OVERSIGHT ROLE INVOLVING ME,
YOU’RE IN TROUBLE.
I’M GOING TO SHUT YOUR PLACE
DOWN, THIS CONGRESS DOWN?
>> IT’S A COMPLETE SHOCK.
WE HAVEN’T SEEN ANYTHING LIKE
THIS IN HISTORY WHERE A
PRESIDENT BASICALLY SAYS YOU DO
NOT STOP THE INVESTIGATIONS THAT
MAY SHOW MY LEGAL OR CRIMINAL
LIABILITIES, MAYBE I’LL JUST
START VETOINGING ALL SORTS OF
BILLS AND SHUTDOWN THE WELL
BEING OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
HE’S ESSENTIALLY SAYING I’M
THINKING OF LEVERAGING THE
FUTURE OF AMERICA, OUR NATIONAL
SECURITY, ECONOMIC HEALTH TO
STOP THIS LEGAL AND POTENTIALLY
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION INTO ME.
WE’VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE
THIS BEFORE.
THIS BEFORE. >> NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE.
>> ABSOLUTELY --
>> BUT THIS IS THE MOST POWERFUL
PERSON ON EARTH SAWING THIS.
>> ESSENTIALLY HE’S TELLING
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO VIOLATE
THE CONSTITUTION.
THE CONSTITUTION. THE CONSTITUTION EXPLICITLY SAY
THAT MMBERS OF CONGRESS, THEY
HAVE THE LEGISLATIVE BODY HAVE
THE OVERSIGHT RESPONSIBILITY OF
THE GOVERNMENT AND HE’S TELLING
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS THAT THEY
SHOULD NOT DO THEIR JOB.
THE OTHER THING IS LAST NIGHT HE
EXTENDED AN OLIVE BRANCH.
HE SAID BASICALLY YOU DO WHAT I
SAY.
SAY. HE WANTS MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
FOOBASICALLY FOLLOW HIS LEAD --
>> WHAT WAS THAT PREAMBLE ABOUT?
WHY DO YOU THINK HE WENT THROUGH
THAT FORPLAY?
THAT FORPLAY? LET’S BE NICE AND THEN PUT THE
KNIFE OUT THERE?
>> LET’S TALK ABOUT VENGEANCE,
RESULTS NOT RESISTANCE.
AND USE SOCIALISTS THERE.
WE’VE BEEN CALLED EVERYTHING IN
THE BOOK.
THE BOOK. LOOK, THE MEMBERS OF THE
DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS WILL DO THEIR
JOB.
JOB. THEY UPHOLD NAIR CONSTITUTIONAL
RESPONSIBILITY, BUT THEY WILL
HOLD THIS ADMINISTRATION
RESPONSIBLE.
RESPONSIBLE. >> HE CONDEMNED YOU TO BEING THE
GUY IN VENEZUELA, THAT DICTATOR,
THAT LIKE THAT.
DEMOCRATIC LEADERS IN BOTH
CHAMBERS SEIZED ON THE
PRESIDENT’S THREAT.
PRESIDENT’S THREAT. >> HE SHRUGGED HIS SHOULDERS AT
KNEES INVESTIGATIONS IF HE HAD
NOTHING TO HIDE.
LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT THIS I
CAN’T QUITE FIGURE OUT THE GAME.
NOW LAST WEEK MATT WHITAKER SAID
THIS WHOLE ROB MUELLER THING IS
GOING TO BE OVER SOON.
WAS THAT INTIMIDATING?
SOME PEOPLE THINK IT WAS.
AND THE PRESIDENT SAYS GET THIS
OVER WITH.
OVER WITH. DOES HE THINK SHORTING THE
MUELLER PROBE BY A MONTH OR TWO,
WHICH IS ALL HE CAN POSSIBLY DO,
IS GOING TO KEEP MUELLER FROM
GETTING THE GOODS ON HIM?
IS THAT WHAT HE THINKS?
>> THAT CERTAINLY SEEMS TO BE
THE SUBTICT.
THE SUBTICT. THE REALITY IS MOST OF THE
REPORTING INDICATES THIS IS
COMING TOWARDS THE APEX.
WE KNOW THEY’RE WORKING ON A
REPORT
REPORT REPORT, SORT OF BRUNGING
TOGETHER WHAT THEY FOUND OUT.
THEY’RE TURNING OVER ALL THESE
TRANSCRIPTS AND IF ANY OF
TRUMP’S OFFICIALS TOLD THINGS TO
CONGRESS THAT ARE IN
CONTRADICTION TO WHAT THEY TOLD
MUELLER’S TEAM, THAT MEANS THEY
COULD POTENTIALLY BE SHAKY
TERRITORY.
TERRITORY. THEY BELIEVE SEVERAL PEOPLE
CLOSE TO THE PRESIDENT,
INCLUDING POSSIBLY THE
PRESIDENT’S SON, DONALD TRUMP
JR. AND THE BLACK WATER CHIEF
COULD HAVE LIED TO THEIR
COMMITTEDY AND THAT’S PART OF
THE REASON THEY’VE BEEN EAGER TO
GET THE TRANSCRIPTS IN MUELLER’S
HANDS.
HANDS. >> IT SEEMS THE SPECIAL COUNSEL,
MR. MUELLER, WILL HAVE IN HIS
HANDS IF HE DOESN’T ALREADY,
UNARE EDAKTUN
UNARE EDAKTUN UNREDACTED TRANSCRIPTS.
UNREDACTED TRANSCRIPTS. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU THINK HE
MIGHT BE SURPRISED BY?
>> I THINK WHAT IS MOST
IMPORTANT IS ONCE HE HAS THESE
TRANSCRIPTS, HE IS THEN IN A
POSITION TO ACT UPON IF THERE
HAS BEEN ANY ACTIONS THAT
SUGGEST THERE HAS BEEN PERJURY
TO CONGRESS.
TO CONGRESS. I THINK WHAT’S REALLY IMPORTANT
IS THAT WE REALIZE LYING TO
CONGRESS IS A FELONY AND IT WILL
BE CHARGED AND THOSE WHO DO THAT
ARE GOING TO SUFFER THE
CONSEQUENCES.
CONSEQUENCES. THE ONLY THING THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMITTEE IS SEEKING IS THE
TRUTH AND THE PRESIDENT SHOULD
NOT BE WORRIED IF THERE’S
NOTHING TO HIDE ABOUT.
WE ARE ALWAYS CONCERNED ABOUT
THE FACT THAT THE RUSSIAN
ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PRESIDENT,
BEFORE HE WAS PRESIDENT, MAY
HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH HIS
BROMANCE WITH VLADIMIR PUTIN
SINCE HE’S BEEN PRESIDENT.
IT’S VERY DISTURBING TO ME THAT
HE WOULD TEAR UP THE
INTERPRETER’S NOTES WHEN HE HAD
A MEETING WITH VLADIMIR PUTIN
AND THEN IN SUBSEQUENT MEETINGS
DIDN’T HAVE AN INTERPRETER AT
ALL.
ALL. SO IT WOULDN’T SURPRISE ME IF
THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT
THE MOSCOW TOWER FOR TRUMP.
BECAUSE THAT LETTER OF INTENT
HAS NEVER EXPIRED.
SO YOU COULD ARGUE THAT IS STILL
PENDING.
PENDING. >> WELL, THE HOUSE OVERSIGHT
COMMITTEE CHAIR, LIEGSAU ELIJAH
CUMMINGS SAYS CONGRESS IS SIMPLY
DOING ITS JOB.
>> IT’S NOT ABOUT PARTISAN
INVESTIGATIONS .
INVESTIGATIONS . WE ARE DOING WHAT IS DEMANDED BY
OUR CONSTITUTION. THAT IS TO BE