PRESIDENTS BRAZEN AND UNPRECEDENTED APPEAL TO
INVESTIGATE JOE BIDEN IS WRONG
AND APPALLING.
AND APPALLING. I AM NOW JOINED BY TWO MEMBERS
OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE.
SENATOR RON JONSON AND CHRIS
MURPHY
MURPHY MURPHY.
MURPHY. SENATOR JOHNSON, WELCOME BACK TO
"MEET THE PRESS.
REQUEST ITSELF.
>> GOOD MORNINGING CHUCK.
>> LET ME START WITH SOMETHING
YOU TOLD THE "WALL STREET JOURNAL" LATE LAST WEEK, YOU
SAID GORDON SUNLAND SEEMED TO
IMPLY THAT THE FROZEN MILITARY
AID WAS A PROMISE FOR
INVESTIGATIONS, YOU SAID, AT
THAT SUGGESTION, I WINCED.
MY REACTION WAS, OH, GOD, I
DONT WANT TO SEE THOSE TWO
THINGS COMBINED.
THINGS COMBINED. WHY DID YOU WINCE?
AND WHAT DID YOU MEAN BY THOSE
TWO THINGS COMBINED?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, YOUR
SET-UP PIECE WAS TYPICALLY VERY
UNBIASED.
UNBIASED.
LET ME FIRST BEFORE I START
ANSWERING THE DETAILED
QUESTIONS, LET ME TALK ABOUT WHY I AM PRETTY SYMPATHETIC WITH WHY
I AM PRETTY SYMPATHETIC WITH WHAT PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS GONE
THROUGH.
THROUGH. I AM 64-YEARS-OLD.
I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFETIME
SEEING A PRESIDENT AFTER BEING
ELECTED AFTER HAVING SOME
MEASURE OF WELL WISHES FROM HIS
OPPONENTS.
OPPONENTS.
IVE NEVER SEEN AN ADMINISTRATION SABOTAGEED FROM
THE DAY AFTER ELECTION.
IVE NEVER SEEN NO MEASURE OF
HONEYMOON WHATSOEVER.
HONEYMOON WHATSOEVER. SO WHAT PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID TO
DOER.
DOER.
A FALSE VAELGS.
YOU HAVE DIRECTOR BRENNAN, YOU
HAVE TO ASK HIM WHAT DID PETER STRUCK MEAN WHEN HE TWEETED LISA
PAGE.
PAGE.
>> SENATOR.
>> CHUCK, LET ME FIN ENGLISH THIS HAS TO DO WITH UKRAINE.
>> SCORNED AND THERE --
>> WHAT DOES IT HAVE TO DO WITH
UKRAINE?
UKRAINE?
>> IT HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH UKRAINE, THINK OUR SISTERS WITH
UKRAINE, THINK OUR SISTERS LEAKING LIKE MAD, SCORNED AND
WORD IN POLITICO, THEYRE
KICKING INTO OVERDRIVE.
THAT WAS DECEMBER 15th, SIX DAYS
BEFORE THAT, IS WHEN WE FIRST
START HEARING THE CIA LEAKING
ABOUT RUSSIA SUPPORTING THE
TRUMP CAMPAIGN.
TRUMP CAMPAIGN. >> THAT IS WHY TRUMP IS SO
UPSET.
UPSET.
HE HAD THIS FALSE NARRATIVE.
>> THAT RESULTED IN HIM BEING
SET UP BY JAMES COMEY ON JANUARY 16th.P BY JAMES COMEY ON JANUARY
16th.
THEN HE HAS, AS THE COUNSEL
POINTED, IT HAS HAMPERED HIS ENTIRE ADMINISTRATION AND NOW
ONCE HES BEEN, THAT WAS PROVEN
FALSE.
FALSE.
>> YEAH.
>> HE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, I
WOULD LIKE TO KNOW.
I KNOW HIS SUPPORTERS WOULD LIKE
TO KNOW, WHERE DID THIS ALL COME FROM?OW, WHERE DID THIS ALL COME
FROM?
YOU PLANTED THAT FALSE STORY? I HAVE MY THIRD LETTER INTO THE
INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE ASKING TO
JUST CONFIRM, JUST CONFIRM, ARE
YOU INVESTIGATING THOSE LEAKS
THAT PE TUR STRUCK TALKED ABOUT
WITH LISA PAGE?
>> I HAVE NO IDEA WHY.
>> THATS A SPET-UP.
>> WHY A FOX NEWS CONSPIRACY
PROPAGANDA STUFF IS POPPING UP
ON HERE.
ON HERE. I HAVE NO IDEA.
>> IT IS NOT, THAT IS EXACTLY,
BECAUSE THIS IS GOING OVER THE
LINE, EXACTLY WHY PRESIDENT
TRUMP IS UPSET AND WHY HIS
SUPPORTERS ARE UPSET WITH THE
NEWS MEDIA.
NEWS MEDIA. >> THIS IS NOT ABOUT THE MEDIA.
SENATOR JOHNSON, PLEASE.
CAN WE PLEASE ANSWER THE
QUESTION THAT I ASKED YOU
INSTEAD OF TRYING TO MAKE DONALD
TRUMP FEEL BETTER HERE THAT YOU
ARE NOT CRITICIZING HIM.
>> IM NOT.
>> SAME TRYING TO ANSWER YOU ARE
AIMPLE QUESTION WHAT MADE YOU
WINCE?
WINCE?
IM ASKING A SIMPLE QUESTION
ABOUT YOU CLEARLY WERE UPSET THAT SOMEHOW THERE WAS ANSET
THAT SOMEHOW THERE WAS AN INVOCATION THAT MILITARY AID WAS
BEING FROZEN BECAUSE THE
PRESIDENT WANTED AN
INVESTIGATION?
INVESTIGATION?
WHY DID YOU WINCE? >> BECAUSE I DIDNT WANT THOSE
CONNECTED.
CONNECTED.
AND I WAS SUPPORTING THE AIDE AS
IS SENATOR MURPHY AS IS
EVERYBODY THAT WENT TO THAT INITIAL INAUGURATION.O THAT
INITIAL INAUGURATION. BUT HERES THE SALIENT POINT OF
WHY I CAME FORWARD WHEN I ASKED
THE PRESIDENT ABOUT THAT HE
COMPLETELY DENIED IT.
HE ADAMANTLY DENIED IT,
VEHEMENTLY DENIED IT.
HE SAID, ID NEVER DO THAT THAT
IS THE PIECE OF THE PUZZLE IM
HERE TO REPORT TODAY UNLIKE THE
NARRATIVE OF THE PRESS, THAT
PRESIDENT TRUMP WANTS TO DIG UP
DIRT ON HIS 2020 OPPONENT, WHAT
HE WANTS IS HE WANTS AN
ACCOUNTING OF WHAT HAPPENED IN
2016.
2016.
WHO SET HIM UP?
DID THINGS SPRING FROM UKRAINE?
THERE IS A GOOD PIECE, WE GOT A OVERSIGHT LETTER ON FROME GOT A
OVERSIGHT LETTER ON FROM POLITICO IN 2017, LET ME QUOTE
THE ARTICLE.
THE ARTICLE.
IT SAYS, YOU KRA INDIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TRIED TO
HELP HILLARY CLINTON AND
UNDERMINE TRUMP.
UNDERMINE TRUMP. THEY DID SO BY DISSEMINATEING
DOCUMENTS IMPLICATEING A TOP
TRUMP YAID SUGGESTING THEY WERE
INVESTIGATING THE MATTER.
UKRAINIAN OFFICIALS REPORTEDLY
HELPED CLINTON ALLIES RESEARCH
TRUMPS ADVISERS.
TRUMPS ADVISERS. THERE IS POTENTIAL INTERFERENCE
IN THE 2016 CAMPAIGN.
THATS WHAT TRUMP WANTS TO GET
TO THE BOTTOM OF.
BUT THE PRESS DOESNT WANT TO.
THE PEOPLE THAT WROTE THIS ARGUE
ARE PILLARY IDEA.
IM BEING CALLED A CONSPIRACY
THEORIST, JOHN SOLOMON IS,
BECAUSE THE PRESS IS HORRIBLY
BIASED AND TRUMP AND HIS
SUPPORTERS COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND
THAT.
THAT.
>> I UNDERSTAND THAT A WAY TO AVOID ANSWERING A QUESTION IS TO
ATTACK US IN THE PRESS.
IM WELL AWARE OF THAT.
>> IM TRYING TO THEY GROUND TO
ANSWER.
ANSWER.
>> LET ME TELL YOU WHAT
AMBASSADOR VOELKER SAID UNDER OATH.SADOR VOELKER SAID UNDER
OATH.
IM CURIOUS IF YOU SHARED THIS CONCERN.US IF YOU SHARED THIS
CONCERN.
AMBASSADOR VOELKER SAID THIS I
EXPLAINED THAT I BELIEVEED THAT
MAYOR GUILIANI CONTINUES TO HAVE
A NEGATIVE VIEW OF UKRAINE BASED ON ASSERTION OF ACTIONS THATASED
ON ASSERTION OF ACTIONS THAT HAPPENED IN 2016 AND THIS
VIEWPOINT IS LIKELY MAKING ITS
WHAT I TO THE PRESIDENT.
WERE YOU CONCERNED THAT ROUGEUDY
GUILIANIS DISINFORMATION
GUILIANIS DISINFORMATION
CAMPAIGN UKRAINIAN PROPAGANDA
CAMPAIGN WAS NEGATIVELY
INFLUENCING THE PRESIDENTS
VIEWS OF THE CURRENTS UKRAINIAN
PRESIDENT?
>> WELL, ASSUMING THE REPORT,
NOT FROM GUILIANI BUT FROM KEN
VOKELE OUT OF POLITICO AND JOHN
SOLOMON DOING GOOD REPORTING, NOW "THE WASHINGTON POST" IS,
NOW "THE WASHINGTON POST" IS ATTACKING HIM, UNDERMINING HIM.
WE HAVE NEVER GOTTEN TO THE
ANSWERS TO THOSE QUESTIONS.
CHUCK, I WANT TO GET TO THE
PROOF, IM NOT HERE TO DEFEND
THE PRESIDENT OR TO DENOUNCE HIM
EITHER.
EITHER.
IM GIVING YOU MY HONEST
ASSESSMENT OF WHAT I HEARD, HOW THE PRESIDENT TOLD ME REPEATEDLY
IN THE MAY 23rd OVAL OFFICE
VISIT ON THE PHONE ON THE 31st,
THE REASON HE HAD VERY
LEGITIMATE CONCERNS AND
RESERVATIONS ABOUT UKRAINE,
FIRST CORRUPTION, GENERALIZED,
ITS ENDEMIC.
ITS ENDEMIC.
WE YOU A KNOW THAT. AND FRAMING THE 2016 ELECTION.
>> DO YOU THINK POWELL
MICROSOFT.
>> AND NOT STEPPING UP THE PLATE. NOT STEPPING UP THE
PLATE.
>> DO YOU THINK PAUL MANAFORT WAS FRAMED?HINK PAUL MANAFORT
WAS FRAMED?
>> NO, OBVIOUSLY, HE WAS
CONVICTED.
THERE WAS A LOT OF OTHER STUFF
GOING ON BACK THEN, TOO, YOU
KNOW, HILLARY CLINTONS CAMPAIGN
WAS SEARCHING FOR DIRT, MAYBE NOT ONLY ON PAUL MANAFORT BUT
TRYING TO KEEP VICE PRESIDENT
BIDEN OUT OF THE PRIMARY FROM
THE DEMOCRATIC CAMPAIGN SO
AGAIN, CHUCK, THE BOTTOM LINE IS
THERE ARE SO MANY QUESTIONS
UNANSWERED, SO AGAIN, ASK JOHN
BRENNAN WHAT WAS PETER STRUCK
MEAN WHEN THE SISTERS WERE
LEAKING LIKE MAD.
WHAT WAS THE CIA SCORNED AND
WORRIED ABOUT, WHAT WERE THEY
KICKING INTO OVERDRIVE?
THERE IS A KEY QUESTION ABOUT I
DONT KNOW HOW MANY.
>> SENATOR, DO YOU NOT BELIEVE
THE RUSSIANS INTERFERED IN THE
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS TO
BENEFIT DONALD TRUMP?
>> THEY ABSOLUTELY DID.
THEY ABSOLUTELY DID.
I DONT KNOW TO WHAT EXTENT THE UKRAINIANS DID, TO WHAT EXTENT
HILLARY CLINTON AND DNC WERE
INVOLVED IN JUICING UP THE
UKRAINIAN INVOLVEMENT AS WELL.
THERE ARE A LOT OF UNANSWERED
QUESTIONS.
QUESTIONS.
CHUCK, I JUST WANT THE TRUTH. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT THE.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT THE TRUTH.
TRUTH.
>> YOU DONT TRUST THE FBI, THE
CIA?
>> NO, NO, I DONT. ABSOLUTELY NOT.NT.
ABSOLUTELY NOT. LISA PAGE, AFTER JAMES COMEY.
>> YOU BELIEVE THE FBI AND THE
CIA --
CIA -- >> JOHN BRENNAN, I DONT TRUST
ANY OF THESE GUYS IN THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION.
ADMINISTRATION.
>> YOU DONT TRUST THEM NOW? >> NO I DIDNT TRUST THEM BACK
THEN.
THEN.
>> YOU DONT TRUST THEM NOW? >> I DO NOT TRUST JOHN BRENNAN.
I DO NOT TRUST LISA PAGE AND THE
FBI ANDREW McCABE.
>> THOSE ARE CONCLUSIONS YOU ARE
TRYING TO COME TO.
IM CURIOUS, DO YOU TRUST THEM
NOW?
NOW?
>> WHAT, WHO ARE YOU TALKING
ABOUT?
>> THE CIA.
>> I DIDNT SAY ANDREW McCABE. I DONT TRUST JAMES COMEY.ABE.
I DONT TRUST JAMES COMEY. I DONT TRUST PESTER STRUCK, I
DONT TRUST JOHN BRENNAN.
>> SENATOR, LET ME ASK YOU THIS.
>> I JUST WANT THE TRUTH, CHUCK.
>> SO WOULD I.
>> I WANT TO TRUTH.
YOU SET THIS THING UP TOTALLY
BIASED.
BIASED.
I CAN NEVER REALLY GET INTO THE
FULL NARRATIVE.
WE DONT HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO GO
THROUGH ALL THE THINGS I CAN
TALK ABOUT.
>> BECAUSE YOU CAME HERE AND
CHOSE TO BRING UP SOMETHING
ABOUT.
>> NO, YOU STARTED THE PIECE
WITH SOMETHING INCREDIBLY BIASED
THAT I WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO
GET THE TRUTH OUT.
>> SENATOR, I DONT KNOW WHY YOU
JUST CAME ON HERE TO PERSONALLY ATTACK THE PRESS AND AVOIDNALLY
ATTACK THE PRESS AND AVOID ANSWERING QUESTIONS ABOUT.
>> BECAUSE OF YOUR SET-UP PIECE.
>> SENATOR, ITS PRETTY CLEAR,
WERE ONLY DEALING WITH THE
FACTS THAT WE HAVE.
>> THATS WHAT I WANT TO DEAL
WITH.
WITH.
I CANT GET THE ANSWERS. AND I CANT GET THE ANSWERS.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE CANT GET
THE ANSWERS.
THE ANSWERS. SOMETHING PRETTY FISHY HAPPENED
DURING THE 2016 CAMPAIGN AND THE
TRANSITION, THE EARLY PART OF
THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY AND WE
STILL DONT KNOW.
ROBERT MUELLER.
ROBERT MUELLER. >> WE DO KNOW THE ANSWERS.
>> HE NEVER LEAKED ANY OF THAT
NARRATIVE.
NARRATIVE. HOPEFULLY WE WILL GET TO THE
BOTTOM OF THIS.
>> YOU ARE MAKING A CHOICE NOT TO BELIEVE THE INVESTIGATIONST
TO BELIEVE THE INVESTIGATIONS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE, MULTIPLE.
>> NO, IM TRYING TO LOOK AT THE
TRUTH.
TRUTH.
THE MEDIA DOESNT.
>> THE TRUTH IS ONLY WHEN IT BENEFITS -- POLITICALLYEN IT
BENEFITS -- POLITICALLY COMFORTABLE WITH YOU?