OFFICE, NOW WITH THE NEW SCHOOL
IN NEW YORK.
MAYA, WE’RE GOING TO BEGIN WITH
YOU BECAUSE THE NEWS TONIGHT HAS
TO DEAL WITH YOUR OLD SHOP.
THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW
YORK.
FOR PEOPLE WHO MISSED THE
EXPLANATION WHAT IT IS DURING
IMPEACHMENT, IT IS BASICALLY THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUDGMENT, NEW YORK
CITY OFFICE.
HERE’S THE HEADLINE IN "THE NEW
YORK TIMES."
IT’S ABOUT THAT MAN, GEOFFREY
BERMAN, U.S. ATTORNEY, WHO
INVESTIGATED TRUMP ASSOCIATES,
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
MR. GIULIANI, IS ABRUPTLY
REPLACED.
MAYA, HE’S OUT ON A FRIDAY
NIGHT.
THE FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY PETE
BHARARA MAKING IT CLEAR ON
TWITTER HE DOES NOT THINK THIS
WAS A RESIGNATION.
WE KNOW BERMAN WAS OFFERED OTHER
JOBS AT DOJ AND DECLINED THEM.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF IT?
>> YOU KNOW, WE USED TO CALL IT
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, NOT
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUST TRUMP.
UNFORTUNATELY ALL TOO OFTEN IT
SEEMS, AS CERTAINLY THE OPTICS
ARE, THAT THIS IS A DEPARTMENT
THAT WILLIAM BARR IS RUNNING AS
A WAY OF RUNNING INTERFERENCE
FOR DONALD TRUMP.
I MEAN REMEMBER THAT WE’RE
TALKING ABOUT THE SOUTHERN
DISTRICT OF NEW YORK, WHICH IS
OFTEN CALLED THE SOVEREIGN
DISTRICT OF NEW YORK BECAUSE OF
ITS INDEPENDENCE.
ALL U.S. ATTORNEYS’ OFFICES HAVE
SOME.
THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT FRANKLY
HAS MORE.
AND MR. BERMAN REMEMBERS NOT
JUST THE MICHAEL COHEN CASE,
DONALD TRUMP’S ATTORNEY THAT THE
OFFICE PROSECUTED.
HE HAD RECUSED HIMSELF.
BUT THERE’S ALSO CHRIS COLLINS,
WHO WAS, YOU KNOW, SUSPECTED OF
INSIDER TRAINING, WHO WAS A
CLOSE TRUMP ALLY.
WE KNOW THAT THEY HAD SUBPOENAED
DOCUMENTS FOR TRUMP’S INAUGURAL
COMMITTEE.
THERE WAS JUST ONE INVESTIGATION
AFTER ANOTHER, AND OF COURSE ONE
OF THE BIG ONES IS ALSO WHETHER
RUDY GIULIANI, ANOTHER DEFENSE
ATTORNEY FOR DONALD TRUMP AND
FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY FOR THE
SOUTHERN DISTRICT, WAS BEING
INVESTIGATED AS WELL, IT
APPEARED, POSSIBLY INCLUDING
FAILING TO REGISTER AS AN AGENT
FOR FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS.
THIS IS A VERY LONG LIST OF
TRUMP ALLIES THAT THE SOUTHERN
DISTRICT PURSUED OR WAS
PURSUING.
AND AS WE KNOW FROM THIS
PRESIDENT, LOYALTY IS WHAT HE
DEMANDS, AND THE JUSTICE THAT HE
SEEKS IS JUST FOR HIMSELF.
AND IT AIN’T JUSTICE.
>> OKAY, JEREMY BASH.
SO WE HAVE A PANDEMIC.
WE HAVE TULSA.
WE HAVE THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF
NEW YORK.
AND TO PROVE THAT WE’VE GOT TO
BE ABLE TO WALK AND CHEW GUM, I
GOT ONE FOR YOU TOO.
THE FOLKS AT BUZZFEED FILED A
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT
REQUEST FOR SOME OF THE REDACTED
MATERIAL IN THE MUELLER REPORT
THAT WE DIDN’T ALL GET TO READ.
THE TRANCHE THEY’VE SEEN SHOWS,
IN ADDITION TO OTHER THINGS,
TESTIMONY THAT INDICATES THE
PRESIDENT KNEW IN ADVANCE OF THE
WIKILEAK DOCUMENTS THAT WERE
GOING TO HURT THE DEMOCRATS AND
HILLARY CLINTON.
>> YEAH, BRIAN.
I THINK WE SAW SOME OF THIS
DURING MICHAEL COHEN’S TESTIMONY
BEFORE CONGRESS, AND OF COURSE
IN THE CONTEXT OF THE
PROSECUTION OF ROGER STONE, THAT
DONALD TRUMP HAD CLEAR
FOREKNOWLEDGE THAT WIKILEAKS,
WHICH WAS AN AGENT OF THE
RUSSIAN FEDERATION -- THAT’S THE
ASSESSMENT OF THE U.S.
INTELLIGENT COMMUNITY.
THERE’S NO DISPUTE ABOUT THAT.
THAT AN AGENT OF THE RUSSIAN
FEDERATION’S RELEASE OF ITS
HACKED INFORMATION FROM THE
DEMOCRATS WAS KNOWN TO THE
PRESIDENT, AT THAT TIME THE
CANDIDATE.
SO IT REALLY CALLS INTO QUESTION
ALL THE DENIALS THAT HE WASN’T
AWARE OF RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE.
IN FACT, I THINK IT’S CLEAR HE
KNEW ABOUT IT.
OF COURSE HE WELCOMED IT AND
SUBSEQUENTLY HE HAS REWARDED IT.
>> ANNIE KARNI, I GOT SOMETHING
FOR YOU.
THIS IS FROM OUR FRIENDS AT
AXIOS JUST SO EVERY NEWS
ORGANIZATION IS REPRESENTED OVER
THE COURSE OF THIS HOUR.
IT’S ABOUT DONALD TRUMP AND
TULSA TOMORROW NIGHT.
THE PRESIDENT HAS NO INWEARTENTI
OF WEARING A MASK AT THE RALLY
AND SAYS PEOPLE SHOULD DO WHAT
THEY WANT.
I DON’T FEEL THAT I’M IN DANGER,
HE SAID.
I’VE MET A LOT, A LOT OF PEOPLE.
SO FAR HERE I SIT.
WE HAVE TO GET BACK TO BUSINESS.
WE HAVE TO GET BACK TO LIVING
OUR LIVES.
CAN’T DO THIS ANY LONGER.
ANNIE, CAL PERRY DESCRIBED THE
SCENE CORRECTLY IN TULSA HAS
SURREAL.
WE HAVE NEVER HAD THIS CLEARLY
IDENTIFIABLE A MASS GATHERING
INDOORS OF PEOPLE FROM DISPARATE
PLACES IN THE MIDDLE OF A
PANDEMIC.
ON TOP OF THAT, WE’VE NEVER HAD
A PRESIDENT PRESIDING.
>> THAT’S RIGHT.
THIS IS -- THE MIXED MESSAGES ON
SOCIAL DISTANCING AND MASKING
THAT THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN HAS PUT
OUT HERE SHOWS THEIR CONFLICTING
AMBITIONS.
ON THE ONE HAND, THEY WANT TO
DEMONSTRATE THAT TRUMP CAN TAKE
THE RALLY STAGE IN FRONT OF A
PACKED ARENA JUST LIKE IN THE
OLD DAYS AND THAT AMERICA IS
REOPEN AGAIN, AND THAT’S THE
MESSAGE HE WANTS TO SEND, THAT
WE’RE BACK TO BUSINESS.
ON THE OTHER HAND, HE DOESN’T
ACTUALLY WANT THAT, YOU KNOW,
HIS MOST DIE-HARD FANS ARE
WILLING TO GO AND SIT IN A
19,000-PERSON INDOOR ARENA, TO
ALL GET SICK, TO HAVE HOSTED A
SUPER-SPREADER EVENT.
HENCE YOU SEE THE CAMPAIGN
MAKING PEOPLE SIGN WAIVERS
SAYING THEY WON’T SUE THE
CAMPAIGN IF THEY GET SICK OF
CORONAVIRUS AT THIS EVENT.
BRAD PARSCALE IS GIVING OUT
MASKS AND SAYING HE WILL WEAR
ONE.
KAYLEIGH McENANY IN THE CLIP
SAID SHE WON’T.
THEY’RE GIVING CONFLICTING
MESSAGES BECAUSE OF THESE
AMBITIONS THAT ARE KIND OF AT
ODDS WITH EACH OTHER, AND THE
BIG QUESTION OF TOMORROW
NIGHT -- ONE OF THE BIG
QUESTIONS IS WILL PEOPLE, YOU
KNOW, SOCIAL DISTANCE
THEMSELVES?
WILL PEOPLE WEAR MASKS?
IN A "WALL STREET JOURNAL"
INTERVIEW YESTERDAY, TRUMP SAID
THAT HE THINKS PEOPLE WEAR MASKS
NOT TO PROTECT THEMSELVES BUT AS
A POLITICAL STATEMENT TO SHOW
THEY DON’T SUPPORT HIM.
ANOTHER QUESTION IS WILL PEOPLE
IN THAT ARENA THINK TO PUT THEIR
HEALTH TO THE SIDE TO SHOW THEIR
LOYALTY TO TRUMP?
THIS IS ALL STUFF WE’RE GOING TO
BE LOOKING AT IN THE ARENA
TOMORROW NIGHT.
>> HEY, MAYA WILEY, I HOPE YOUR
DINING ROOM CHAIRS COMES WITH A
SEAT BELT BECAUSE THE GEOFFREY
BERMAN SOUTHERN DISTRICT NEW
YORK STORY JUST GOT STRANGER.
IT WAS THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
THAT PUT OUT A PRESS RELEASE
TONIGHT THANKING HIM FOR HIS
SERVICE, ANNOUNCING THE MAN THEY
PLAN TO PUT UP FOR SENATE
CONFIRMATION.
BERMAN IS OUT WITH A STATEMENT,
AND I QUOTE.
I LEARNED IN A PRESS RELEASE
FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
TONIGHT THAT I WAS STEPPING DOWN
AS UNITED STATES ATTORNEY.
I HAVE NOT RESIGNED AND HAVE NO
INTENTION OF RESIGNING.
MY POSITION, TO WHICH I WAS
APPOINTED BY THE JUDGES OF THE
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR
THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW
YORK.
I WILL STEP DOWN WHEN A
PRESIDENTIALLY APPOINTED NOMINEE
IS CONFIRMED BY THE SENATE.
UNTIL THEN, OUR INVESTIGATIONS
WILL MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT DELAY
OR INTERRUPTION.
I CHERISH EVERY DAY THAT I WORK
WITH THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THIS
OFFICE TO PURSUE JUSTICE WITHOUT
FEAR OR FAVOR AND INTEND TO
ENSURE THAT THIS OFFICE’S
IMPORTANT CASES CONTINUE
UNIMPEDED. MAYA, IN BASEBALL I BELIEVE THEY
MAYA, IN BASEBALL I BELIEVE THEY
CALL THAT A BRUSH-BACK PITCH.
>> WHOA, OKAY.
I AM SITTING DOWN AND THAT’S A
GOOD THING BECAUSE THAT’S
ESSENTIALLY AS PUBLIC A
STATEMENT AS YOU WILL EVER HEAR
THAT SUGGESTS THAT A SITTING
U.S. ATTORNEY -- BY THE WAY, A
SITTING U.S. ATTORNEY WHO HAD
CONTRIBUTED FINANCIALLY TO
DONALD TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN AND WHO
RUDY GIULIANI RECOMMENDED FOR A
SLOT AS A UNITED STATES
ATTORNEY.
THIS WAS A TRUMP INSIDER, HAS
JUST PUBLICLY SAID, I AM BEING
REMOVED, AND I’M STAYING UNTIL
I’M TOLD I HAVE TO GET OUT IN
ORDER TO PROTECT ONGOING
INVESTIGATIONS.
THAT IS THE WAY I READ THAT.
I DON’T SEE ANOTHER WAY TO READ
IT.
CERTAINLY THE FACT THAT HE HAS
BEEN TERMINATED WITHOUT A
CONVERSATION, THAT HE HAD
LEARNED ABOUT IT IN A WAY THAT
HE SUGGESTS, MEANS, YOU KNOW,
THERE ARE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT
SCENARIOS, AND I DON’T KNOW
WHAT’S TRUE.
BUT IF I HAD TO SPECULATE, I’D
SAY EITHER THEY ASKED HIM TO DO
SOMETHING AND HE SAID NO, OR HE
JUST WASN’T GETTING SUBTLE
MESSAGES TO BACK DOWN, AND THEY
DECIDED TO TAKE CONTROL.
BUT THAT IS AN ASTOUNDING PUBLIC
STATEMENT FROM ANYONE WHO SERVES
IN ANY ROLE IN GOVERNMENT, LET
ALONE AN ATTORNEY SERVING FOR
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
>> JEREMY BASH, SAME QUESTION.
>> YEAH, I THINK IT’S CLEAR HE
WAS FIRED BECAUSE TRUMP IS UNDER
INVESTIGATION.
WE DON’T KNOW WHICH ASPECT OF
THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION OR THE
TRUMP FAMILY OR THE TRUMP
CHARITIES OR THE TRUMP BUSINESS
EMPIRE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION,
BUT I THINK IT’S PRETTY CLEAR
THAT WHEN YOU FIRE THE U.S.
ATTORNEY CONDUCTING
INVESTIGATIONS ON A FRIDAY NIGHT
AND THE U.S. ATTORNEY HAS TO GO
OUT AND SAY, NUMBER ONE, I WAS
FIRED.
I’M NOT STEPPING DOWN
VOLUNTARILY.
AND, NUMBER TWO, I’M GOING TO
STAY RIGHT IN MY JOB UNTIL A
SUCCESSOR IS CONFIRMED BY THE
SENATE, WHICH BY THE WAY I’M NOT
REALLY SURE HOW HE’S GOING TO
PULL IT OFF BECAUSE OF COURSE
THEY COULD PUT IN AN ACTING U.S.
ATTORNEY IN HIS PLACE.
THAT WOULD ORDINARILY BE THE
COURSE OF EVENTS.
BUT HE IS SAYING, I’M NOT GOING
ANYWHERE BECAUSE I’VE GOT TO
PROTECT THESE INVESTIGATIONS.
I THINK IT’S CLEAR THERE’S A LOT
COOKING AT THE SDNY, AT THE
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK
THAT WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT.
AND THIS U.S. ATTORNEY IS
STANDING FIRM.
SHAME ON THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
FOR TRYING TO REMOVE HIM AND
UNDERMINE JUSTICE ITSELF.
>> JEREMY, JUST BECAUSE IT’S A
FRIDAY NIGHT, A QUESTION I’VE
ASKED YOU DURING HAPPIER TIMES.
WHAT MUST THE RUSSIANS THINK?
I MEAN THINK OF IT.
THEY SPENT, WHAT, $7 TO CORRUPT
OUR ELECTION IN 2016.
A GREAT RETURN ON INVESTMENT.
HELL, THEY PROBABLY HAVE THE
BOLTON BOOK.
THEY KNOW ABOUT TULSA.
WE HAVE 4% OF THE WORLD’S
POPULATION, BUT USA IS NUMBER
ONE IN THE GLOBE.
WE LEAD THE WORLD WITH 25% OF
THE CORONAVIRUS DEATHS.
WHAT MUST THEY BE THINKING RIGHT
ABOUT NOW?
>> WELL, I THINK FIRST OF ALL,
THEY’RE GRATIFIED THAT THE
PERSON THEY WANTED TO BE IN
OFFICE IN 2016 IS IN OFFICE.
AS I NOTED, HE HAS REWARDED THEM
FOR THEIR SUPPORT.
HE HAS UNDERMINED NATO AND GIVEN
RUSSIA ALL KIND OF BENEFITS ON
THE WORLD STAGE.
AND SECOND AS I THINK THEY
PREPARE FOR 2020, THEY SEE THE
PRESIDENT HAS BEEN WILLING NOT
ONLY TO GO TO THEM IN 2016 --
EXCUSE ME, NOT ONLY TO GO TO
UKRAINE AFTER THE 2016 ELECTION
BUT ALSO NOW WE LEARN FROM THE
BOLTON BOOK TO GO TO CHINA AS
WELL AND ASK FOR THEIR
INTERFERENCE IN THE AMERICAN
ELECTIONS.
I THINK THE KREMLIN AND VLADIMIR
PUTIN UNDERSTAND THAT THEY CAN
DO THE SAME THING IN 2020, AND
THEY WILL.
THEY ENJOY THE CHAOS.
IT REDOUNDS TO THEIR BENEFIT,
AND EVERYTHING THAT THE
PRESIDENT HAS DONE TO GO TO
OTHER DICTATORS AND OTHER
LEADERS AROUND THE WORLD AND ASK
FOR INVOLVEMENT IN U.S.
ELECTIONS IS ACTUALLY RIGHT OUT
OF VLADIMIR PUTIN’S PLAYBOOK.
>> ANNIE KARNI, OTHERWISE IT WAS
A BAD WEEK FOR DONALD TRUMP WHEN
YOU LOOK
YOU LOOK AT THE INCOMING
POLLING, TWO CASES AT THE
SUPREME COURT WENT THE OTHER WAY
DESPITE TWO APPOINTEES.
THE AFOREMENTIONED BOLTON BOOK.
I GUESS TONIGHT’S DOJ SCORE GOES
ON THEIR SIDE OF THE BOARD,
THOUGH THAT’S GETTING A LITTLE
FUZZY AS WE CONTINUE TO TALK.
>> YEAH.
I WAS GOING TO SAY THAT THE ONE
THING ABOUT THE LATE-NIGHT
FRIDAY NIGHT FIRING WAS IT FEELS
LIKE PRE-PANDEMIC TIMES.
THAT ALMOST HAD BECOME KIND OF A
NORMAL OF THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION.
THIS IS A TERRIBLE MOMENT FOR
THE PRESIDENT POLITICALLY.
THAT’S WHY THIS RALLY IS
HAPPENING.
EVERY HEALTH OFFICIAL IN
OKLAHOMA, ON THE TASK FORCE HAS
RECOMMENDED DELAYING UNTIL IT’S
SAFER TO HAVE IT, AND THE
ORIGINAL PLANS THE CAMPAIGN HAD
WERE TO RESTART RALLIES A LITTLE
LATER IN THE SUMMER.
THE REASON THIS IS HAPPENING
NOW.
THE REASON TOMORROW NIGHT IS
GOING TO BE THIS CONFLUENCE OF
TENSIONS ABOUT RACE, ABOUT
HEALTH IS BECAUSE HE IS TRAILING
IN NATIONAL POLLS AND IN
BATTLEGROUND STATE POLLS TO JOE
BIDEN RIGHT NOW.
AND THE THINKING IS THAT THE
RALLIES WILL RESUSCITATE HIM.
ANOTHER BIG QUESTION IS THEY
HAVE FAILED TO SHOCK AND AWE FOR
YEARS NOW THE WAY THEY DID WHEN
HE BECAME A POLITICAL STAR AT
RALLIES.
CAN THE RALLIES REALLY SAVE HIM
AND PULL HIM BACK UP?
THAT’S ANOTHER BIG QUESTION.
WE’LL SEE IF THEY STILL HAVE
THAT POWER.
>> TO THE MEMBERS OF OUR
AUDIENCE, THESE WERE THE THREE
FRIENDS WE PLANNED TO HAVE
TALKING TO US TONIGHT ON A
FRIDAY NIGHT, NEVER DREAMING
THEY WOULD BE FORCED TO REACT TO
SO MUCH BREAKING NEWS AS THEY