>>> I NEVER WANT ANYBODY TO BE ABOVE THE LAW BUT THE PARDONS
ARE A VERY POSITIVE THING FOR A
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. THE QUESTION WAS ASKED YESTERDAY
ABOUT PARDONS WITH RESPECT TO
PAUL MAN AFORT.
I SAID I’M NOT TAKING ANYTHING
OFF THE TABLE.
WE’RE LOOKING AT A LOT OF
DIFFERENT PARDONS FOR A LOT OF
DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
DIFFERENT PEOPLE. SOME OF THESE SOLDIERS ARE
PEOPLE THAT HAVE FOUGHT HARD AND
LONG AND WHEN THEY FIGHT,
SOMETIMES THEY GET REALLY
TREATED VERY UNFAIRLY.
THE POWER TO PARDON IS A
BEAUTIFUL THING.
BEAUTIFUL THING. YOU HAVE TO GET IT RIGHT.
YOU HAVE TO GET THE RIGHT
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. >> WHO SAYS THAT STUFF OUT LOUD?
DONALD TRUMP DOES BECAUSE HE
LOVES A GOOD, OLD-FASHIONED
PRESIDENTIAL PARDON.
PRESIDENTIAL PARDON. BUT NOW THAT HIS AFFINITY FOR
CIRCUMVENTING THE RULE OF LAW IS
COLLIDING WITH HIS KEY CAMPAIGN
PROMISE, THEY’RE VOWING TO DO
SOMETHING.
SOMETHING. TRUMP ASSURED AIDES WOE PARDON
THEM OF ANY LEGAL WRONGDOING IN
THE COURSE OF FAST-TRACKING THE
BORDER WALL HAVE RED LIGHTS
FLASHING IN CONGRESS.
"THE POST" QUOTES DAVID
CICILLINE, MEMBER OF THE
DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP IN THE
HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE, AS
SAYING, QUOTE, SADLY, THIS IS
JUST ONE MORE INSTANCE OF A
PRESIDENT WHO UNDERMINES THE
RULE OF LAW AND BEHAVES AS IF
HE’S KANGA KING AND NOT GOVERNED
THE LAWS OF THIS COUNTRY.
HE’S NOT A KING.
HE’S ACCOUNTABLE.
HE’S ACCOUNTABLE. AND I THINK IT ADDS TO THE
ONGOING PROCEEDING BEFORE THE
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE AS WE
CONSIDER TO RECOMMEND ARTICLES
OF IMPEACHMENT AGAINST THE
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. TRUMP DENIED HE MADE ANY
ASSURANCES BUT VOICES FROM
INSIDE THE ADMINISTRATION ARE
UNDERMINING THAT CLAIM.
FROM THE ARTICLE, QUOTE, A WHITE
HOUSE OFFICIAL SPOKE ANONYMOUSLY
IN ADVANCE OF THE REPORT DID NOT
DENY IT AND SAID TRUMP IS JOKING
WHEN HE MAKES SUCH STATEMENTS
ABOUT PARDONS.
ABOUT PARDONS. JOINING ME AND RICK, JASON
JOHNSON, POLITICS EDITOR FOR THE
ROOT, WANETA FROM THE CENTER FOR
AMERICAN CONGRESS ACTION FUND
AND AUTHOR OF "EVERYTHING TRUMP
TOUCHES DIES," RICK WILSON.
I HAVE TO START WITH YOU.
THESE ARE NOT FUNNY PEOPLE BUT
WHEN ROSENSTEIN TALKS ABOUT THE
25thANT, HA, HA, HE WAS BEING
SILLY AND FUNNY, IT WAS SARCASM,
STUPID REPORTERS.
STUPID REPORTERS. AND WHEN TRUMP TALKS ABOUT
PARDONED, WHICH WAS PLAYED,
THERE’S MORE WHERE THAT CAME
FROM.
FROM. HE LOVES THE PARDON AS MUCH AS
HE LOVES THE HELICOPTER, HE’S
HA, HA JOKING.
>> THIS IS A MAN WITH ZERO SENSE
OF HUMOR BECAUSE HE HAS ZERO
INTERSPEGS.
INTERSPEGS. HE’S NOT KIDDING OR JOKING OF
THE HE’S LOOKING FOR SHORT CUTS
TO CIRCUMVENT THE LAW.
THE CONSTITUTION, WHATEVER IT
IS, TO DO SOMETHING AS A
POLITICAL STUNT TO FEED HIS BASE
BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO SEE THEIR
WALL GET BUILT.
THEY’RE DESPERATE TO HAVE THE
WALL BUILT.
WALL BUILT. TRUMP KNOWS THAT’S THE SINGLE
THING IN HIS ADMINISTRATION THAT
MOST OF THE PEOPLE ON THE LOWER
END OF HIS SCALE UNDERSTAND.
THEY UNDERSTAND THEY’RE GOING TO
GET THEIR WALL AND MEXICO’S
GOING TO PAY FOR IT.
THEY’RE NOT AND NOW THEY’RE
PROBABLY NOT GETTING A WALL.
THEY’RE GETTING A FENCE AND
TRUMP IS NERVOUS ABOUT THAT.
IT’S A PROMISE HE’S BROKEN,
AMONG MANY, THAT WILL BE
SOMETHING THAT EVEN THE SLOWEST
CHILDREN IN THE CLASS ARE GOING
TO REALIZE HE WAS B.S.’ing FROM
THE VERY START.
>> THIS IS A SERIOUS POINT
THOUGH BECAUSE EVEN THE VIEWERS
AT FOX NEWS HAD SORT OF FANTASY
AND LIE TRUMP TELLS AT RALLIES,
IT’S BEING BUILT BLOWN APART BY
SHEP SMITH YESTERDAY.
>> THE PRESIDENT HAS MADE BORDER
SECURITY A MAINSTAY OF HIS
MESSAGE DATE BACK TO THE
CAMPAIGN WITH BUILD THAT WALL
AND MEXICO WILL PAY FOR IT,
THOUGH THAT LAST PROMISE IS LONG
GONE.
GONE. SO FAR DESPITE THE PRESIDENT’S
CLAIMS TO THE CONTRARY, THERE IS
NO NEW WALL.
EXISTING BARRIERS HAD BEEN
REPLACED WITH NEW ONES.
SAME SPAN, NOT NEW PLACE.
THE TOTAL OF REPAIRED BARRIER IS
ABOUT 60 MILES ALONG THAT
2,000-MILE BORDER.
2,000-MILE BORDER. THE PRESIDENT ALSO SAID IN THE
TWEET THAT THE WALL IS GOING UP
RAPIDLY.
RAPIDLY. IT IS NOT.
AS WE JUST REPORTED, THERE IS NO
NEW WALL.
NEW WALL. ONLY REPLACEMENT FOR WALLS WHICH
WERE IN NEED OF REPAIR OR
UPGRADE.
UPGRADE. THOSE ARE THE FACTS.
>> HOW ABOUT THEM APPLES?
>> HOW DARE SOMEONE ON FOX NEWS
TELL THEIR VIEWERS THE TRUTH.
>> THING IS THIS IS HONESTLY A
LINE THIS THE SAND FOR TRUMP
WHERE HE’S FEELING PRESSURE FROM
NOT JUST TRADITIONAL MEDIA
SOURCES BUT FOX NEWS, CALLING
OUT A SINGLE MILE OF HIS WALL
HAS BEEN BUILT.
OPINION CONSIDERING THE POLLS
ARE TRENDING NEGATIVELY AND THE
TRADE WAR HE DIDN’T NEED TO DO,
THIS IS THE ONE THING HE’S
CLINGING TIGHT TO SO HE’S
WILLING TO LIE, DO ANYTHING
ILLEGAL, ANYTHING CORRUPT, TELL
HIS STAFF TO BREAK THE LAW AND
SAY, DON’T WORRY, I GOT YOUR
BACK.
BACK. THAT’S WHAT HE’S DOING RIGHT
NOW.
NOW. IT’S RIDICULOUS.
IT’S RIDICULOUS. >> I WAS NEVER INTO TRUMP’S
POLITICAL PROMISES.
POLITICAL PROMISES. THEY WEREN’T FOR ME.
I DIDN’T LIKE THEM.
I DIDN’T VOTE FOR HIM.
BUT IF YOU WERE INTO THOSE
THINGS, HE SUCKS AT GIVING THEM
TO YOU.
TO YOU. >> YES.
>> YES. AND GOING BACK TO THE PROMISE
HE’S MAKING TO HIS INTERNAL
STAFF, MICHAEL COHEN, MICHAEL
COHEN, MICHAEL COHEN, RIGHT?
WHY WOULD YOU EVER BELIEVE THIS
MAN?
MAN? >> HE’S ON THE HVAC TEAM IN
PRISON NOW.
PRISON NOW. >> YEAH!
>> YEAH! >> THINK TWICE.
>> HE’S MAKING LICENSE PLATES.
WHY WOULD ANYONE IN DONALD
TRUMP’S ORBIT OR UNIVERSE
BELIEVE HE’S GOING TO HAVE YOUR
BACK?
BACK? THAT’S THE FIRST THING.
SECOND THING IS THIS, I REALLY
BELIEVE A LOT OF HIS SUPPORTERS
THEY ULTIMATELY DON’T CARE.
AS MUCH AS DONALD TRUMP LIED,
HAS SHOWN TO BE LYING OVER AND
OVER AGAIN, HIS BASE OF SUPPORT,
THAT 32% TO 35% OF AMERICANS WHO
ABSOLUTELY LOVE HIM, THEY LOVE
DONALD TRUMP SYMBOLICALLY AND
ANYTHING HE DOESN’T ACCOMPLISH
THAT HE PROMISES IS GOING TO BE
BLAMED ON DEMOCRATS.
IT’S GOING TO BE BLAMED ON THE
SQUAD.
SQUAD. IT WILL BE BLAMED ON SOMEBODY
ELSE.
ELSE. HE WON’T FACE CONSEQUENCES FOR
THESE KINDS OF LAWS AND
EVENTUALLY WHEN HE RUNS IN 2020
AND GOING UP AGAINST A DEMOCRAT
AND THERE’S NO NEW WALL BEING
BUILT, HE WILL JUST SAY IT’S
NANCY PELOSI AND DEMOCRATS THAT
KEPT HIM FROM DOING IT, RE-ELECT
ME AND I WILL MAKE SURE THE WALL
GETS BUILT.
GETS BUILT. >> THE WALL THOUGH TO ME IS SORT
OF -- EVERYTHING ABOUT TRUMP
MANIFESTS IN THE WALL.
WHEN REPUBLICANS WERE ASKED TO
MAKE THE WALL HAPPEN, HE SHUT
DOWN THE GOVERNMENT OVER IT, HE
GOT NO WALL.
IT ILLUSTRATES BECAUSE IT’S A
TANGIBLE THING.
TANGIBLE THING. I THINK THE DAMAGE HE’S DOING ON
THE WORLD STAGE IS GENERATIONAL
AND LASTING, KEEPS ME UP AT
NIGHT.
NIGHT. THE WALL, I DON’T THINK ANYONE
THINKS A WALL WILL KEEP PEOPLE
OUT.
OUT. BUT THE INABILITY TO BUILD THE
THING THEY WANT IS TO ME THE
TRUMP STORY.
TRUMP STORY. >> THE WALL IS SYMBOLIC AND
MEDIEVAL --
MEDIEVAL -- >> ESPECIALLY TRUMP’S WALL.
BLACK AND POINTED AND BLACK.
>> YES.
>> YES. AND THE WALL IS SYMBOLIC AND
WILL REVEAL HE HASN’T BEEN ABLE
TO ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING.
I WANT TO GO BACK TO THE PARDON
POWER AND MAKE A WONKY POINT
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT. >> PLEASE.
>> PLEASE. >> THE REASON HE LOFRSVES THE
PARDON POWER IS KIND OF A
MISTAKE, IT’S ONE OF THE
REIMMEDIATETTE POWERS THE
PRESIDENT HAS.
PRESIDENT HAS. IT WAS A MISTAKE OF THE
FOUNDERS.
FOUNDERS. THEY DIDN’T WANT TO DO ANYTHING
KINGLY.
KINGLY. AND WOULD I ARGUE OF ALL OF
THESE CONSTITUTIONAL FORUM, THE
PARDON POWER SHOULD BE
CONSTITUTIONALLY REMEDIED, THE
WAY CONGRESS APPROVES NOMINEES
THE PRESIDENT MAKES, CONGRESS
SHOULD HAVE TO APPROVE PARDONS
THE PRESIDENT MAKES.
IT SHOULD NOT BE AN UNREMEDIATED
POWER.
POWER. >> I WAS GOING TO TALK ABOUT I
PRESIDENT WHO DOESN’T READ HIS
PEB SHOULD BE SO OBSESSED WITH A
WALL BUT YOU’RE SMARTER BE SO I
THINK WE SHOULD STAY THERE.
IF YOU LOOK AT PARDONS AND WHO
HE GAVE THEM TO, GEORGE W. BUSH
DID NOT PARDON SCOOTER LIBBY.
DONALD TRUMP, I’M NOT SURE IF HE
EVER MET HIM, DID.
HE DOESN’T EVEN VIEW IT THE WAY
THE RELUCTANT FRAMERS MIGHT
HAVE.
HAVE. HE VIEWS IT AS A GOOD -- LIKE
THE WAY HE PROBABLY HANDS OUT
CUFF LINKS FROM THE OVAL.
HERE’S SOME CHUM FOR MY
POLITICAL PATRONS.
POLITICAL PATRONS. >> THE PARDON POWER IN THE MOST
BENIGN WAY IS ABOUT SYMPATHY,
IT’S ABOUT MERCY OF THE THE
QUALITY OF MERCY --
>> IT’S ABOUT EQUALING THE
SCALES OF JUSTICE.
>> BUT HE USES IT AS A QUID PRO
QUO.
QUO. EVEN IN "THE WASHINGTON POST"
WHEN IT SAYS YOU DO WHAT I WILL
SAY AND I WILL PARDON YOU,
THAT’S A MALFEASANCE QUID PRO
QUO RIGHT THERE FOR THE WHOLE
WORLD TO SEE.
>> AND IT’S NOT AN IMMUNITY TOTE
EMFOR "SURVIVOR."
EMFOR "SURVIVOR." YOU CAN’T HAND IT OUT AND SAY
KEEP DOING ALL OF THESE THINGS.
AT SOME POINT MICHAEL COMEY EVEN
REALIZES TO BREAK THE LAW DONALD
TRUMP WANTS YOU TO BREAK, YOU
CAN’T DO THE THINGS HE WANTS YOU
TO BREAK IT FOR.
>> AND ASKING ANYONE WHO WALKS
INTO THE WHITE HOUSE TO DO HIS
BIDDING EVERY DAY, IS THERE
ANYTHING LEFT TO SACRIFICE?
>> HOW IS ANY HUMAN BEING THAT
CAN WALK ON TWO LEGS AND READS
THE BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE,
WALKS IN AND SAYS DONALD TRUMP
WILL PARDON ME IF I DO SOMETHING
ILLEGAL OR WRONG?
HOW IS PAUL MANAFORT DOING THESE
DAYS?
DAYS? HOW IS MICHAEL COHEN DOING?
TRUMP IS A UTTERLY FACELESS
PERSON.
PERSON. >> AND I WAS HEARTENED TO SEE
DEMOCRATS ADD THIS TO THEIR
IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS.
IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS. WHAT POEXT PROCEEDINGS?
>> IT HASN’T HAPPENED.
TO PUT TOGETHER MAYBE A FILE TO
THINK ABOUT IT.
THAT IS LITERALLY HYPOTHETICALLY
ALL THEY HAVE DONE.
AND IT’S INTERESTING BECAUSE WE
HAD MORE NEWS THIS WEEK, UP TO
135, 138 DEMOCRATS WHO SAY THEY
WANT TO DO IT, POLLING IS IN
THEIR FAVOR.
THEIR FAVOR. TOP FOUR DEMOCRATIC NOMINEES ARE
LEADING TRUMP BY EIGHT TO TEN
DIGITS.
DIGITS. THE POLITICAL CONSEQUENCE
ARGUMENT, WHICH IS WHAT NANCY
PELOSI AND INSIDERS HAVE BEEN
USING FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS IS
NO LONGER THE CASE SO WHY AREN’T
THEY MOVING FORWARD?
I DON’T KNOW, OTHER THAN
COWARDS.
COWARDS. >> AND THERE’S GOING TO BE
IMMENSE PRESSURE WHEN THEY COME
BACK TO RECESS TO DO SOMETHING
ABOUT IT, SOMETHING SO BLATANT
BEING DONE AS ABUSE OF POWER
CAN’T BE IGNORED.
>> THE DANGLING OF PARDONS WAS
DETAILED IN MUELLER’S REPORTS.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT AN
ARGUMENT WAS MADE PELOSI NEEDED
MORE INFORMATION.
MORE INFORMATION. THESE DANGLING OF PARDONS HAVE
BEEN REPORTED IN "THE NEW YORK
TIMES" AND "THE WASHINGTON
POST."
POST." IT’S CREDIBLE.
IT’S CREDIBLE. IT’S HAPPENING IN REALTIME.
>> AND IT CAN’TING BE IGNORED.
>> WE HOPE.
>> AND WE PUT TOO MUCH --
DRAGGING US IN ANOTHER
DIRECTION.
DIRECTION. >> IT’S OKAY.
>> WE PUT WAY TOO MUCH WEIGHT ON
THE MUELLER REPORT, EXPECTING
THAT THE MUELLER REPORT WOULD BE
KIND OF LAY OUT OF TERRAIN, LAY
OUT ALL OF THE MALFEASANCE THE
PRESIDENT HAS DONE, OBSTRUCTION
AND COLLUSION.
AND COLLUSION. THERE ARE SO MANY MORE POINTS
FOR AN IMPEACHMENT OF THE
PRESIDENT BASED ON HIS DAILY AND
WEEKLY BEHAVIOR RATHER THAN THE
THINGS HE’S DONE IN THE MUELLER
REPORT AND CONGRESS NEEDS TO
THINK ABOUT IT IN THAT LIGHT,
NOT JUST IN THE DETAILS OF THE