I MAY GET BACK TO YOU IN A SECOND AND I WANT TO GO NOW TO
PETER ALEXANDER WHO IS AT THE
WHITE HOUSE.
WHITE HOUSE. PETER, THE PRESIDENT HAS KNOWN
ROGER STONE FOR 40 YEARS.
HE HAS BEEN VOCIFEROUS IN HIS
DEFENSE.
DEFENSE. >> Reporter: YEAH.
>> OF ROGER STONE, IS THERE A
REACTION AT THE WHITE HOUSE YET.
>> Reporter: HARRY, EVEN AS I
SPEAK TO YOU I AM CHECKING
TWITTER BECAUSE THAT IS THE
PRESIDENT’S PREFERRED MEGAPHONE,
EVEN DESPITE HIS CRITICISMS OF
WILLIAM BARR EFFECTIVELY ASKING
HIM TO BUTT OUT AND BACK OFF OF
CRIMINAL CASES OF THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT, THE PRESIDENT HAS
REPEATED THE RUNNING COMMENTARY
AND EVEN AS TODAY’S SENTENCING
HEARING BEGAN THE PRESIDENT
AGAIN TWEETED ON THIS ISSUE
CALLING FOR FAIRNESS, ACCUSING
JAMES COMEY, ANDREW McCABE AND
SOME OF THE FAMILIAR FACES HE’D
LIKE TO ATTACK AS BEING THE
LIARS AND LEAKERS IN THIS
SITUATION.
SITUATION. THE PRESIDENT HAS ATTACKED NOT
JUST THE CASE, BUT THE
PROSECUTORS AND ACKNOWLEDGED AS
IT RELATES TO WILLIAM BARR, THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL, SAYING THAT HE
WAS MAKING HIS JOB IMPOSSIBLE TO
DO AND SAID THAT WAS THE CASE
AND HE SAID HE WOULD CONTINUE TO
SPEAK OUT HERE.
THE PRESIDENT DESCRIBING ALL OF
IT IN THE PAST AS A MISCARRIAGE
OF JUSTICE.
OF JUSTICE. SO THE REAL QUESTION RIGHT NOW
IS WHAT WILL THE PRESIDENT DO
ABOUT IT?
ABOUT IT? THIS OBVIOUSLY COMES DAYS AFTER
THE PRESIDENT GRANTED CLEMENCY
TO 11 INDIVIDUALS INCLUDING
THOSE THAT HE HAD RELATIONSHIPS
WITH, ROB BLAGOJEVICH WHOSE
SENTENCE WAS COMMUTED.
THE PRESIDENT HAS REFUSED TO SAY
WHETHER HE WILL PARDON ROGER
STONE AND JUST TODAY HE
RE-TWEETED A TWEET FROM A FOX
NEWS COMMENTATOR EFFECTIVELY
SUGGESTING THAT THE PRESIDENT
WAS VERY SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING
SUCH A THING, SO ON THAT WE
WAIT.
WAIT. THE ONLY THING I WOULD ADD TO
THIS ON CONTEXT IS I AM TOLD BY
A WHITE HOUSE EXECUTIVE, IS SAID
TO BE CONSIDERING ADDITIONAL
PARDONS AND COMMUTATIONS AT THIS
TIME AND HE HAS PUT TOGETHER AN
INFORMAL TASK FORCE OF SORT,
ADVISERS OF HIS TO TAKE A LOOK
AND TO VET AND RECOMMEND
CANDIDATES FOR CLEMENCY.
THAT’S SOMETHING TRADITIONALLY
DONE WITHIN THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT.
DEPARTMENT. THE PRESIDENT NOW PUTTING IT
UNDER THE WHITE HOUSE ROOF.
WE WAIT TO SEE WHETHER IN FACT
HE WILL PARDON ROGER STONE OR
COMMUTE THIS SENTENCE.
>> IF I’M NOT CORRECT, WHEN HE
WAS ASKED THE OTHER DAY DIDN’T
HE SAY I HADN’T EVEN CONSIDERED
IT, SO -- YEAH.
OKAY.
OKAY. WE’LL TAKE THAT FOR WHAT IT’S
WORTH.
WORTH. I WANT TO MOVE ON NOW AND BRING
IN NBC NEWS LEGAL ANALYST AND
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT VETERAN
ANDREW WEISSMANN.
ANDREW WEISSMANN. ANDREW, WHAT’S YOUR TAKEAWAY
FROM WHAT TRANSPIRED IN THIS
COURTROOM THIS MORNING?
>> I THOUGHT THERE WAS A
TREMENDOUS REBUKE OF THE WHITE
HOUSE AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
THAT WAS REALLY STUNNING WHICH
WAS THE CAREER PROSECUTOR, THE
NEW PROSECUTORS ON THE CASE,
DEFENDED THE CASE, DEFENDED THE
VERDICT AND DEFENDED THE JUDGE
ASK DEFENDED THE PROSECUTORS WHO
WITHDREW AND RESIGNED FROM THE
CASE AND POINTEDLY SAYING THAT
THEIR SUBMISSION TO THE COURT
WAS BOTH APPROVED AND LEGALLY
CORRECT.
CORRECT. SO REALLY TAKING ODDS WITH THE
POSITION THAT THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL HAD INSISTED BE MADE IN
FRONT OF THE COURT AND THEN THEY
BACKTRACKED.
BACKTRACKED. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. INTERESTING, A LOT OF PEOPLE
HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT THIS
BECAUSE THERE IS A SEPARATION OF
POWERS IN THIS UNITED STATES
SYSTEM AND FOLKS HAVE EVEN GONE
SO FAR AS TO SAY IS THIS A TEST
OF THE RULE OF LAW?
DID THE RULE OF LAW WIN OUT HERE
TODAY?
TODAY? >> SO I THINK IN TERMS OF WHAT
THE JUDGE DID, ABSOLUTELY.
YOU KNEW THAT THE JUDGE WAS
GOING TO BE FAIR AND WAS GOING
TO APPLY THE LAW AND THE FACTS,
BUT YOU STILL HAVE THE PROBLEM
OF THE SUBMISSION THAT WAS MADE
AFTER THE CAREER PEOPLE RESIGNED
IS ONE THAT IS DEEPLY
DISTURBING.
DISTURBING. IT CLEARLY WAS DEEPLY DISTURBING
TO THE JUDGE BECAUSE SHE
POINTEDLY ASKED THE PROSECUTOR,