BEHAVIOR FROM THE PRESIDENT IS SIMPLY UNACCEPTABLE.
SAVANNAH, BACK TO YOU. >> HALLIE JACKSON, THANK YOU.
SENATOR HARRIS FROM CALIFORNIA IS ONE OF THE DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS
OF THE SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE, SHE'S WITH US
EXCLUSIVELY. SENATOR, YOU'RE ONE OF THE
PEOPLE SITTING IN THOSE CHAIRS ASKING QUESTIONS TODAY.
YOU HAVE READ THE STATEMENT, OF COURSE, FROM DIRECTOR COMEY.
YOU'RE A FORMER PROSECUTOR AMONG OTHER THINGS.
>> CORRECT. >> IF YOU ACCEPT EVERY SINGLE
WORD OF THAT STATEMENT AS TRUE, DO YOU THINK THERE'S A
SUFFICIENT CASE FOR OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE?
>> I THINK THERE ARE A LOT MORE QUESTIONS TO ASK OF MR. COMEY.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE HEARING TODAY, BUT THERE'S NO
QUESTION WE HAVE TO GET TO THE TRUTH IN WHAT'S GOING ON.
COMEY'S STATEMENT, THE WRITTEN STATEMENT, VALIDATES SOME OF THE
REPORTS THAT WE HAVE BEEN HEARING THAT LED US TO THIS
POINT, WHETHER WE ARE QUESTIONING IF THERE'S
OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE. HE OUTLINES CONVERSATIONS
INITIATED BY THE PRESIDENT THAT SEEM TO BE INTENDED TO INTERFERE
WITH THE INVESTIGATION, AT LEAST AS IT RELATES TO FLYNN.
HIS LETTER IN TERMS OF HIS WRITTEN STATEMENT, COMEY'S
STATEMENT, VALIDATES THAT HE WAS ASKED TO TAKE A LOYALTY OATH.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I THINK ABOUT THAT, I WAS A DISTRICT ATTORNEY
OF SAN FRANCISCO, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CALIFORNIA AND THEN A
UNITED STATES SENATOR. I'VE TAKEN THE OATH MANY TIMES.
THE OATH WAS TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, NOT TO AN
INDIVIDUAL. IT'S COMPLETELY INAPPROPRIATE.
>> BUT, ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE ARE ASPECTS OF THIS STATEMENT
THAT DO CORROBORATE WHAT TRUMP HIMSELF SAID.
THE PRESIDENT SAID, I WAS ASSURED PERSONALLY THREE TIMES
BY DIRECTOR COMEY THAT I WAS NOT PERSONALLY UNDER INVESTIGATION.
YOU WERE ASKED ABOUT THIS ON AN INTERVIEW.
YOU SAID, AS A PROSECUTOR, YOU WOULD HAVE NEVER TALKED TO
SOMEONE WHO MAY HAVE BEEN IN THE ZONE OF THE INVESTIGATION AND
TELL THEM THEY ARE NOT SOMEONE WE'RE LOOKING AT.
THAT JUST DOESN'T HAPPEN. YOUR WORDS.
IT HAPPENED. >> THAT'S RIGHT.
YOU ARE RIGHT. AND SO, AT LEAST IT IS
INAPPROPRIATE. BUT WHAT IT WILL SAY TODAY IS,
WE'RE GOING TO GET MORE FACTS AND MORE INFORMATION AND SEE
WHAT'S THERE IN TERMS OF WHAT SHOULD BE THE NEXT
INAPPROPRIATE, NEXT STEP FOR THE UNITED STATES SENATE AND ANY
INVESTIGATOR LOOKING AT THIS MATTER.
>> DO YOU THINK THE COMEY STATEMENT WOULD BE MORE OF A
SMOKING GUN THAN WHAT YOU SEE? >> I DIDN'T HAVE ANY
EXPECTATIONS. I THINK THERE'S ACTUALLY ABOUT
ALL OF THIS, NOTHING THAT ANY OF US COULD HAVE EXPECTED WHEN WE
THINK ABOUT THE N NORMAL GOINGSN OF A PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES OR A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION.
BUT I WILL SAY THAT AS WE GO FORWARD, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT
THAT WE GET TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER AND TO THE TRUTH.
WHAT HAPPENED? THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.
THIS CERTAINLY IS TAKING ON A PROPORTION OF DRAMA, AND
EVERYONE IS WATCHING IT, BUT THIS IS NOT A TELEVISION SHOW.
THIS IS ABOUT THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
AND IT IS CRITICAL THAT WE FIND OUT WHAT IS GOING ON, WHAT HAS
HAPPENED, TO GET TO THE TRUTH AND MOVE ON.
>> BUT SOME PEOPLE SAY, LOOK, YOU LOOK AT THESE FACTS, IF YOU
PUT THEM IN THE LIGHT MOST FAVORABLERABLE TO THE PRESIDENTS
IS NOT A WASHINGTON GUY, THIS IS SOMEBODY WHO CAME IN AND MAYBE
DID NOT FULLY GRASP THAT IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE, FOR EXAMPLE, TO
SAY, HEY, DO YOU NEED TO GET TO THIS INVESTIGATION?
OR COULD YOU SAY PUBLICLY I'M NOT UNDER INVESTIGATION, THE
THING YOU TOLD ME PRIVATELY? WHY IS IT NOT A REASONABLE
INTERPRETATION? WHY IS THAT NOT -- TO GIVE HIM
THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT, WHY IS THAT NOT CREDIBLE?
>> WHEN YOU TAKE THE OATH TO BE THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES, THE AMERICAN PUBLIC HAS A RIGHT TO EXPECT THAT YOU KNOW
BETTER. PERIOD.
>> WHAT'S THE NUMBER ONE QUESTION YOU HAVE FOR COMEY
TODAY? >> I HAVE LOTS OF QUESTIONS,
INCLUDING WHETHER HE SPOKE WITH JEFF SESSIONS ABOUT THE
INVESTIGATION. WAS THAT BEFORE OR AFTER JEFF
SESSIONS' RECUSAL? WHAT CONVERSATIONS WERE
INITIATED BY ANY OTHER MEMBER OF THE STAFF ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING
ON WITH THE INVESTIGATION? I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER
THERE WERE ANY OTHER CONVERSATIONS WITH ANYONE ELSE
INITIATED BY THE PEOPLE OF COMEY ABOUT THE NATURE OF THE
INVESTIGATION OR ASKING HIM TO SLOW IT DOWN OR