KEITH WILLIAMS, KEN DELANEY, MY FRIEND SHANNON, AND DOUG BERNS.
IT WAS YOUR REPORTING IN JANUARY
THAT SAID ROSENSTEIN WAS GOING
TO STAY UNTIL MUELLER’S WORK WAS
DONE.
DONE. DOES THAT STILL STAND, AND DOES
QUASI ANNOUNCING HIS DEPARTURE
MEAN THE REPORT IS COMING SOON?
>> I WOULD PUT IT THIS WAY.
I WOULD SAY THIS IS JUST ONE OF
MANY SIGNS THAT WE BELIEVE THE
MUELLER REPORT IS ABOUT TO BE
SUBMITTED TO THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT.
DEPARTMENT. I WOULD SAY IT’S PROBABLY GOING
TO GO UP THERE POSSIBLY THIS
WEEK, MAYBE NEXT WEEK, THAT
SOON.
SOON. SO YOU’RE RIGHT, THE ONLY NEWS
HERE ABOUT ROSENSTEIN IS
PRECISELY WHEN DOES HE DID SAY
IN JANUARY HE WOULD LEAVE
SHORTLY AFTER WILLIAM BARR CAME
IN.
IN. NOW, REMEMBER, THE TIMING HERE
IS NOT ENTIRELY UP TO ROD
ROSENSTEIN.
ROSENSTEIN. IT IS A LOT UP TO WILLIAM BARR.
THEY HAVE OBVIOUSLY HAD THIS
CONVERSATION AND ACTUALLY
ROSENSTEIN WILL STAY A LITTLE
LONGER THAN WE INITIALLY THOUGHT
HE WOULD.
HE WOULD. SO I THINK IT’S QUITE LIKELY
THAT HE’LL BE THERE WHEN THE
REPORT IS TURNED OVER.
HE MAY HAVE SOME VOICE IN
ADVISING MR. BARR, THE NEW
ATTORNEY GENERAL ON HOW TO
HANDLE IT, WHAT TO TURN OVER TO
CONGRESS, WHAT TO MAKE PUBLIC,
HOW TO DO SO.
BUT IT DOES NOW APPEAR THAT,
YES, YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST,
AGAIN, OUR SPECULATION PUTTING
ALL THE PIECES TOGETHER BECAUSE
THE SPECIAL COUNSEL’S OFFICE IS
SINGULARLY NOT COMMUNICATIVE
ABOUT THESE THINGS.
THAT’S THE WAY WE HAVE BEEN ALL
ALONG.
ALONG. BUT THE SCENARIO YOU SKETCHED
OUT A ACCURATE, THAT HE WILL BE
THERE WHEN THIS TURNS OVER.
>> THIS HAPPENS WHEN ROSENSTEIN
HAS BEEN CAUGHT UP IN THESE
ALLEGATIONS FROM ANDREW McCABE
ABOUT EFFORTS TO INVESTIGATE
PRESIDENT TRUMP.
PRESIDENT TRUMP. EARLIER THIS MORNING HE WAS ON
THE TODAY SHOW TALKING A BIT
MORE ABOUT THAT.
LET’S TAKE A LISTEN.
>> DID YOU ORDER A COUNTER
INTELLIGENCE INVESTIGATION INTO
THE PRESIDENT?
THE PRESIDENT? >> I DID.
>> I DID. IT IS SAYING THAT WE HAD
INFORMATION THAT LED US TO
BELIEVE THAT THERE MIGHT BE A
THREAT TO NATIONAL SECURITY.
IN THIS CASE THAT THE PRESIDENT
HIMSELF MIGHT, IN FACT, BE A
THREAT TO THE UNITED STATES
NATIONAL SECURITY.
NATIONAL SECURITY. >> WHEN YOU’RE OPENING THIS
PARTICULAR KIND OF
INVESTIGATION, COUNTER
INVESTIGATION, COUNTER INTELLIGENCE, DID YOU SUSPECT
THE PRESIDENT MIGHT ACTUALLY BE
WORKING FOR RUSSIA.
>> WE THOUGHT THAT MIGHT BE
POSSIBLE, YES.
POSSIBLE, YES. >> ALL RIGHT.
SO THAT’S McCABE’S ASSERTION.
NOW PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS BEEN
HOLDING ON TO THIS IDEA THAT ALL
OF IT WAS AN ILLEGAL AND
TREASONOUS ATTEMPT TO OVERTURN
THE 2016 ELECTION.
SHANNON, WHAT DO PEOPLE MAKE OF
THIS?
THIS? >> SO THE INTERESTING THING
ABOUT THAT IS THAT WE DON’T KNOW
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER McCABE
OPENED THIS COUNTER INTELLIGENCE
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. SO DID THAT CARRY ON AFTER
MUELLER WAS APPOINTED.
SHORTLY AFTER McCABE OPENED THIS
INVESTIGATION, MUELLER CAME IN
AND TOOK OVER THE WHOLE SHOW.
DID MUELLER CONTINUE THAT?
BECAUSE THE IMPRESSION OF THE
WHITE HOUSE AND THE PRESIDENT’S
LAWYERS ALL THIS TIME HAS BEEN,
YES, THERE WAS AN OBSTRUCTION OF
JUSTICE INVESTIGATION, BUT THAT
THE OTHER PART OF THE
INVESTIGATION WAS INTO THE
CAMPAIGN AND THE 2016 ELECTION
AND RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE IN THE
ELECTION.
ELECTION. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN TALK ABOUT
THE CONCERN THAT THE PRESIDENT
WAS BEING INVESTIGATED AS TO
WHETHER OR NOT HE WAS ACTING ON
BEHALF OF A FOREIGN POWER.
THE ASSUMPTION THIS WHOLE TIME
HAS BEEN THAT THE PRESIDENT AS
THEY KEEP SAYING OVER AND OVER
AGAIN HASN’T BEEN A TARGET OR A
SUBJECT OF THIS INVESTIGATION.
I FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE GOTTEN
INDICATIONS FROM MUELLER’S TEAM
THAT THAT HASN’T BEEN THE CASE.
SO THE BIG QUESTION I HAVE IS
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER McCABE
OPENED THAT COUNTER INTELLIGENCE
INVESTIGATION?
INVESTIGATION? WAS IT SHUT DOWN RIGHT AWAY?
OR HAS IT QUIETLY BEEN GOING ON
BEHIND THE SCENES ALL THIS TIME,
WHICH WE DON’T KNOW YET.
>> I ALSO WANT TO SHARE, McCABE
TALKED ABOUT CONGRESS AND WHAT
THEY KNEW.
THEY KNEW. TAKE A LOOK AT THIS.
>> THE PURPOSE OF THE BRIEFING
WAS TO LET OUR CONGRESSIONAL
LEADERSHIP KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE
HAVE BEEN DOING, OPENING A CASE
OF THIS NATURE, NOT SOMETHING
THAT AN FBI DIRECTOR, NOT
SOMETHING AN ACTING FBI DIRECTOR
KNEW BY YOURSELF.
THIS CAME TO ME FROM MY TEAM.
>> DID YOU TELL CONGRESS?
>> AND I TOLD CONGRESS WHAT WE
HAD DONE.
HAD DONE. >> DID ANYONE OBJECT?
>> THAT’S THE IMPORTANT PART
HERE, SAVANNAH.
HERE, SAVANNAH. NO ONE OBJECTED.
NOT ON LEGAL GROUNDS, NOT ON
CONSTITUTIONAL GROUNDS AND NOT
BASED ON THE FACTS.
>> WOW.
>> WOW. HE’S TALKING ABOUT BRIEFING THE
GANG OF EIGHT.
DOUG, IF CONGRESS KNEW ABOUT
THIS AND DID NOT PUSH BACK, WHAT
DOES IT TELL YOU?
>> IT IS INTERESTING BECAUSE IT
GOES INTO THE INTERPLAY
BETWEEN -- THANK YOU.
IT GOES BETWEEN THE INTERPLAY
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION, COUNTER
INTELLIGENCE INVESTIGATION AND
CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT.
CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT. THEY ARE THREE DIFFERENT
CATEGORIES, OKAY?
CATEGORIES, OKAY? BUT TO YOUR QUESTION, AND I
AGREE WITH YOU, YOU CAN SAY THEY
SHOULD HAVE TAKEN A MORE ACTIVE
ROLE IN CONGRESS IN THIS.
BUT AGAIN, THE COMEBACK WILL
ALWAYS BE, WAIT A MINUTE, THERE
WAS AN INTELLIGENCE
INVESTIGATION AND A CRIMINAL
INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY.
INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY. THAT’S WHY WE DIDN’T WOULD BE
THE EXPLANATION.
THE EXPLANATION. BUT I AGREE WITH YOU.
>> DO YOU AGREE ALL THESE
ALLEGATIONS WE HAVE SEEN IMPACT
ROSENSTEIN’S CREDIBILITY AND BY
EXTENSION THE WAY PEOPLE IN
GENERAL FEEL ABOUT THE MUELLER
INVESTIGATION?
INVESTIGATION? >> I THINK IT DOES TO SOME
EXTENT.
EXTENT. WORKING BACK TO WHAT PETE WAS
LAYING OUT, WHEN YOU HAVE A NEW
ATTORNEY GENERAL, THEY WILL
BRING IN A NEW DEPUTY ATTORNEY
GENERAL.
GENERAL. THAT’S KIND OF INTERESTING SAY,
OH, HE’S LEAVING.
BUT HE’D BE LEAVING ANYWAY.
IT IS ONLY A QUESTION OF TIMING.
BUT I THINK THERE ARE QUESTIONS,
OBVIOUSLY, ABOUT WHAT WENT ON
HERE.
HERE. I’LL JUMP TO EITHER SIDE OF THE
POLITICAL CONCLUSIONS, BUT THE
REALITY IS THE CIRCUMSTANCES
UNDER WHICH THE MUELLER PROBE
WAS STARTED IS SOMETHING THAT’S
BEING DISCUSSED VIGOROUSLY,
INTENSELY.
INTENSELY. PEOPLE ARE ANGRY BACK AND FORTH.
TWO DIFFERENT SIDES.
YES, THERE WERE LEGITIMATE
CONCERNS ABOUT THE PRESIDENT.
I COME RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE OF
THOSE TWO HONESTLY MYSELF.
>> WELL, WE’LL SOON FIND OUT.
YOU WROTE A FEW DAYS AGO THAT
PEOPLE MIGHT BE DISAPPOINTED IN
THE MUELLER REPORT.
DOES THAT EXACTLY PROVE DOUG’S
POINT, THAT PEOPLE ARE SO
DIVIDED AND THEY ARE HANGING ON
THE EXTREME RAFTERS THAT THERE
IS NO HOME FOR AN ANSWER IN THE
MIDDLE.
MIDDLE. >> ACTUALLY, THAT HEADLINE
REFERENCED THE FACT THAT PEOPLE
MAY NOT SEE THE MUELLER REPORT.
THAT’S WHY THEY WILL BE
DISAPPOINTED.
DISAPPOINTED. THERE IS A WIDESPREAD
MISAPPREHENSION THIS WILL BE
LIKE WHEN KEN STARR RELEASED HIS
OPINION ON BILL CLON TONINTON.
THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
THE RULES REQUIRE HE SUBMIT A
CONFIDENTIAL REPORT TO THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL.
ATTORNEY GENERAL. THAT WILL CONTAIN GRAND JURY
INFORMATION, CLASSIFIED
INFORMATION, CLASSIFIED INFORMATION.
INFORMATION. THERE IS NO WAY THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL COULD MAKE THE WHOLE
THING PUBLIC.
THING PUBLIC. WILLIAM BARR WAS VERY CAGEY
ABOUT EXACTLY HOW HE WILL
PROCEED.
PROCEED. THERE IS A WIDESPREAD DEMAND,
OBVIOUSLY.
OBVIOUSLY. THE PUBLIC DEMANDS ANSWERS TO
THESE BIG QUESTIONS WE HAVE BEEN
DISCUSSING.
DISCUSSING. WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THAT
COUNTER INTELLIGENCE
COUNTER INTELLIGENCE INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. WHAT EVIDENCE DID THE FBI FIND,
IS DONALD TRUMP COMPROMISED AND
IS THERE A PROSECUTORIAL CASE
FOR OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE, EVEN
THOUGH THE PRESIDENT CAN BE
INDICTED.
INDICTED. IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN, THOUGH,
HOW THE ATTORNEY GENERAL WILL
TRANSMIT THOSE ANSWERS AND
EXPLAIN WHAT ROBERT MUELLER
FOUND.
FOUND. >> WHAT HAPPENS TO MATT WHITAKER
ONCE BARR TAKES OVER?
>> THAT HAS ALREADY HAPPEN.
HE GOES BACK INTO PRIVATE LIFE.
I THINK HE’S GOING TO STAY AT
THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IN SOME
OTHER ROLE, SO HE’LL REMAIN FOR
A TIME AT THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT.
DEPARTMENT. BUT OF COURSE HE’S NO LONGER IN
THE COMMAND STRUCTURE THERE.
AND THAT STOPPED LAST THURSDAY
WHEN WILLIAM BARR WAS SWORN IN.
>> WHAT ARE PEOPLE IN THE WHITE
HOUSE SAYING ABOUT ROSENSTEIN
LEAVING AND BARR TAKING OVER.
DOES IT CHANGE THE LEVEL OF
CONCERN THEY HAVE ABOUT THE
MUELLER INVESTIGATION?
MUELLER INVESTIGATION? BECAUSE I HAVE TO TELL YOU WHEN
I SPEAK TO PEOPLE INSIDE THE
WHITE HOUSE THEY HONESTLY ACT
LIKE THEY DON’T HAVE A CARE IN
THE WORLD, AND IT BLOWS MY MIND.
>> WELL, THERE IS A LOT OF
PEOPLE IN THE WHITE HOUSE WHO
ARE JUST BATTLE TESTED AT THIS
POINT AND NOTHING SHAKES THEM.
THEY HAVE BEEN UNDER THIS
PRESSURE OF THIS INVESTIGATION
AND EVERY SORT OF DRAMA OF THE
DAY FOR TWO YEARS NOW.
SO, YEAH, YOU GET A LOT OF
SHRUGS AT THIS POINT.
BUT AS FAR AS BARR COMING IN,
THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAPPY
THE PRESIDENT WILL HAVE AN
ATTORNEY GENERAL AT LEAST FOR A
PERIOD THAT HE IS COMFORTABLE
WITH, THAT HE LIKES UNTIL THERE
WILL BE SOME SORT OF FALLING OUT
AT SOME POINT.
BUT INITIALLY THEY WILL HAVE AN
ATTORNEY GENERAL WHO THE
PRESIDENT HAS A GOOD RAPPORT
WITH.
WITH. AND THEN IT IS JUST BRACING FOR,
YOU KNOW, WHAT COMES NEXT.
THEY HAVE DESIGNATED SOMEONE
WITHIN THE WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL’S
OFFICE TO HANDLE THE
and if you’re pregnant COUNTER REPORT.
COUNTER REPORT. I HAVE ALSO BEEN TOLD THAT THE
WHITE HOUSE DEFINITELY PLANS TO
TRY TO REVIEW WHATEVER IS GOING
TO BE MADE PUBLIC TO SCRUB OUT
ANYTHING THEY SAY FALLS UNDER
EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE.
EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE. THAT WILL BE ANY CONVERSATIONS
THAT HAPPEN WHEN THE PRESIDENT
WAS IN THE WHITE HOUSE BETWEEN
THE WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL OR
BETWEEN HIS AIDS.
ANOTHER, TO KEN’S POINT, WAY
PEOPLE COULD BE DISAPPOINTED
WHERE THE WHITE HOUSE COULD PUSH
BACK AND SAY THEY WANT
INFORMATION KEPT FROM THE PUBLIC
BECAUSE IT FALLS UNDER EXECUTIVE