WE WILL SEE YOU BACK TOMORROW. HAVE A GOOD EVENING.
♪ ♪
♪ ♪ >> Tucker: GOOD EVENING AND
WELCOME TO
WELCOME TO "TUCKER CARLSON TONIGHT."
ON INAUGURATION DAY 2017, IT IS
LIKE ONE IN 100,000 AMERICANS
THINKING ABOUT RUSSIA.
THE LAST THING MOST PEOPLE WERE
THINKING ABOUT.
THINKING ABOUT. THE COLD WAR ENDED PEACEFULLY
MORE THAN 25 YEARS BEFORE.
MOSCOW WAS NO LONGER AMERICA’S
MAIN STRATEGIC RIVAL AND HAD
BEEN FOR 50 YEARS.
RUSSIA HAD BEEN DOWNGRADED
INSTEAD TO THE STATUS OF
REGIONAL POWER, CONSUMER
DISPUTES WITH PLACES LIKE
UKRAINE.
UKRAINE. IN THE AMERICA MEDIA THERE WERE
MORE STORIES ABOUT ALCOHOLISM
THAN THERE WERE ABOUT RUSSIA.
BUT IN THE WHITE HOUSE IN
WASHINGTON THAT MORNING, RUSSIA
WAS VERY MUCH THE MAIN TOPIC.
IT WAS JANUARY 20, THE LESS THE
OF THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION OF
GOING SECURITY SUSAN RICE IT
DOWN TO WRITE HER FINAL MEMO.
SHE DESCRIBED THE TRANSITION
WHICH HAD BEEN UNDERWAY FOR
MONTHS.
MONTHS. SHE WROTE THIS "DURING A MEETING
TWO WEEKS BEFORE,
PRESIDENT OBAMA SAID HE WANTS TO
BE SURE THAT AS WE ENGAGE WITH
THE INCOMING TEAM, WE ARE
MINDFUL TO ASCERTAIN IF THERE IS
ANY REASON WE CANNOT SHARE
INFORMATION FULLY AS IT RELATES
TO RUSSIA."
TO RUSSIA." AND RICE UNEXPLAINED WHY OBAMA
STAFF FELT IT MIGHT NOT BE
POSSIBLE WITH INTELLIGENCE TO
THE TRUMP STAFFER FOR THAT
MATTER WHY THE OBAMA PEOPLE
THOUGHT THEY HAD THE RIGHT
TO WITHHOLD NATIONAL SECURITY
INFORMATION FROM AN INCOMING
AMERICAN PRESIDENT HAD JUST WON
A NATIONAL ELECTION.
THAN RIGHT TO ELABORATE THERE
WAS ONLY ONE POSSIBLE
EXPLANATION TO THIS,
DONALD TRUMP COULD VERY WELL BE
A RUSSIAN AGENT.
BARACK OBAMA HIMSELF SAID HE
BELIEVED THAT WAS POSSIBLE.
AND IN RICE’S WORDS, "THE
PRESIDENT ASKED JIM COMEY TO
INFORM HIM IF ANYTHING CHANGES
THE NEXT FEW WEEKS THAT SHOULD
AFFECT HOW WE SHARE OF
CLASSIFIED INFORMATION WITH
INCOMING TEAM."
INCOMING TEAM." COMEY SAID HE WOULD.
WHAT EXACTLY DOES THAT MEAN?
HERE IS WHAT IT MEANS.
THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES TURNED TO THE HEAD
OF THE FBI THE MOST POWERFUL
LAW ENFORCEMENT IN AMERICA AND
SAID, CONTINUE TO SECRETLY
INVESTIGATE MY CHIEF POLITICAL
RIVAL SO I CAN THEM.
CALL ME’S RESPONSE, YES, SIR.
THAT IS WHAT OBAMA WAS SAYING
OPENLY.
OPENLY. IN ANY NORMAL PERIOD IN AMERICAN
HISTORY, THIS EXCHANGE WOULD
DEPRIVE BARACK OBAMA FOREVER.
A DISGRACED PRESIDENT WHO USED
FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TO HURT
HIS POLITICAL ENEMIES.
THAT IS WHAT HE DID.
UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS NOT A
NORMAL PERIOD.
NORMAL PERIOD. ALREADY TODAY OBAMA’S ORDERED
JAMES COMEY TO INVESTIGATE
DONALD TRUMP RELATIVE TO A
LITTLE FOOTNOTE AND JOE BIDEN
HAPPEN TO BE SITTING IN THE ROOM
WITH THIS HAPPENED.
HAS BIDEN EVER BEEN ASKED ABOUT
THAT?
THAT? IT IS POSSIBLE HE NEVER HAS
BEEN.
BEEN. MOST MEDIA OUTLETS IGNORE THE
ORIGINS OF CONSPIRACY NOTES
COMPLETELY.
COMPLETELY. AS A RESULT OF THAT,
BARACK OBAMA’S PLAN TO DERAIL
HIS SUCCESSOR UNFOLDED WITH VERY
LITTLE OPPOSITION ALONG THE WAY
INCLUDING FROM REPUBLICANS.
THE ENTIRE COUNTRY THEREFORE
SPENT THE FIRST THREE YEARS OF
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
HYPERVENTILATING ABOUT RUSSIAN
COLLUSION THAT DID NOT EXIST.
SUSAN RICE DID HER PART TO HELP
IT ALONG.
IT ALONG. HERE IS RICE IN JULY 2017, YEAR
AND HALF LATER, SUGGESTING A
NETWORK TELEVISION THE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES WAS INDEED
WORKING FOR VLADIMIR PUTIN.
>> HE HAS TAKEN A SERIES OF
STEPS THAT HAD VLADIMIR PUTIN
DICTATE THAT HE COULD NOT HAVE
MADE MORE EFFECTIVELY.
WHAT HIS MOTIVATIONS ARE I THINK
IS A LEGITIMATE QUESTION, ONE
THAT I TRUST THE SPECIAL COUNSEL
IS INVESTIGATING, BUT THE
POLICIES OF THIS PRESIDENT HAS
PURSUED GLOBALLY HAVE SERVED
VLADIMIR PUTIN’S INTEREST IN
DIVIDING THE WEST, UNDERMINING
DEMOCRACY.
DEMOCRACY. >> DO YOU THINK THAT IS AN OPEN
QUESTION WHETHER OR NOT HE
COMPROMISED RUSSIA?
COMPROMISED RUSSIA? >> GEORGE FROM I DON’T KNOW WHAT
HIS MOTIVATIONS ARE.
I THINK THAT IS A LEGITIMATE
QUESTION.
QUESTION. >> Tucker: IN FACT IT WAS
NEVER A LEGITIMATE QUESTION.
IT WAS A RECKLESS CLERK, THE
MOST RECKLESS POSSIBLE SLUR, THE
KIND THAT DAMAGES A WHOLE
COUNTRY WITH A POLITICIAN IT IS
AIMED AT.
AIMED AT. RICE KNEW PERFECTLY WELL THERE
WAS NO EVIDENCE AT ALL THAT
DONALD TRUMP WORKED FOR RUSSIA.
WE KNOW SHE BELIEVED THAT
BECAUSE SHE ADMITTED AS MUCH IN
AN OATH IN A CLOSED-DOOR HEARING
IN CONGRESS.
IN CONGRESS. THE WHITE HOUSE COMMITTEE, THE
REASON SHE WAS ACCUSING TRUMP
OFFICIALS OF TREASON AGAINST
THEIR OWN COUNTRY WAS THAT SOME
OF THEM SEEM TO UNDULY WORRIED
ABOUT THE RISE OF CHINA.
HERE IS WHAT SUSAN RICE FOR
EXAMPLE SAID ABOUT
GENERAL MICHAEL FLYNN,
"GENERAL FLYNN’S FOCUS WAS ON
CHINA IS THE PRINCIPLE OF
OVERARCHING ADVERSARY.
OVERARCHING ADVERSARY. HE HAD MANY QUESTIONS AND
CONCERNS ABOUT CHINA.
WHEN I SOUGHT TO ELICIT HIS
PERSPECTIVE ON RUSSIA, HE
DOWNPLAYED HIS ASSESSMENT OF
RUSSIA AS A THREAT TO THE
UNITED STATES.
UNITED STATES. HE CALLED IT OVERBLOWN.
HE SAID THERE WERE DECLINING
POWER AND DEMOGRAPHICALLY
CHALLENGED.
CHALLENGED. THEY ARE NOT MUCH OF A THREAT.
AND THEN RE-EMPHASIZE THE
IMPORTANCE OF CHINA.
I HAD SEEN ENOUGH AT THAT POINT
AND HEARD ENOUGH TO BE A LITTLE
BIT SENSITIVE TO THE QUESTION OF
THE NATURE OF GENERAL FLYNN’S
ENGAGEMENT WITH THE RUSSIANS."
DID YOU FOLLOW THAT?
BECAUSE MICHAEL FLYNN CORRECTLY
DESCRIBED RUSSIA AS A DECLINING
POWER AND THEN WENT ON TO
CRITICIZE SUSAN RICE’S CLOSE
FRIEND IN THE CHINESE
GOVERNMENT, SUSAN RICE CONCLUDED
THAT GENERAL FLYNN MUST BE A
VLADIMIR PUTIN SPY.
THIS IS IDIOTIC AND CRAZY.
HARD TO BELIEVE THAT SUSAN RICE
WAS ONCE NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISOR OF THE UNITED STATES,
BUT SHE WAS.
OF ONE’S PURPOSE WAS
BARACK OBAMA SECRETARY OF
DEFENSE.
DEFENSE. SHE REPEATEDLY WENT ON
TELEVISION TO SAY AMPLE EVIDENCE
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS
COLLUDING WITH RUSSIA AND YET
LIKE SUSAN RICE, SHE SAID
SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
UNDER OATH BEFORE CONGRESS "I
DIDN’T KNOW ANYTHING, SHE
ADMITTED.
ADMITTED. NOW WE QUOTED EVELYN FARKAS
SAYING THAT ON THIS SHOW ON
FRIDAY.
FRIDAY. SHE RESPONDED TO US AND SAYING
WE WERE MISSING SOME KEY FACTS.
NOW ORIGINALLY SHE AGREED TO
COME ON TONIGHT AND EXPLAIN WHAT
THOSE KEY FACTS MIGHT BE.
SHE IS RUNNING FOR CONGRESS NOW
IN NEW YORK.
UNFORTUNATELY THEN, EVELYN
FARKAS BACKED OUT BUT WE HOPE
SHE FERVENTLY COMES BACK TO TELL
US WHAT THOSE MIGHT BE.
WE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO
BARACK OBAMA ELSE ALSO.
THAT IS UNLIKELY SO WE WILL HAVE
TO SETTLE FOR WHAT HE TOLD HIS
FRIENDS.
FRIENDS. ON FRIDAY OBAMA HAD A PRIVATE
CLOAK WITH SUPPORTERS THAT WAS
IMMEDIATELY LEAKED TO THE MEDIA.
IN IT THE MAN WHO SICK TO
LAW ENFORCEMENT ON POLITICAL
RIVALS ACCUSED CURRENT
ADMINISTRATION OF UNDERMINING
THE RULE OF LAW.
>> THAT IS THE KIND OF STUFF
WHERE YOU BEGIN TO GET WORRIED
THAT BASIC NOT JUST
INSTITUTIONAL NORMS, BUT BASIC
UNDERSTANDING OF RULE OF LAW IS
AT RISK.
AT RISK. >> Tucker: INSTITUTIONAL
NORMS.
NORMS. THESE PEOPLE ARE NOTHING IF NOT
PREDICTABLE.
PREDICTABLE. WHAT YOU JUST HEARD AS ALWAYS
WAS TEXTBOOK PROJECTION.
YOU SEE IT AGAIN AND AGAIN AND
AGAIN.
AGAIN. WHAT THEY ACCUSE YOU OF DOING,
THEY ARE EAGERLY DOING
THEMSELVES.
THEMSELVES. THE RULE OF LAW, YELPS OBAMA!
IT IS ALMOST AMUSING.
THE PRESS DIDN’T FIND IT FUNNY
IN THE SLIGHTEST.
THEY SAW A NOTE NO IRONY AT ALL.
THEY REPEATED IT VERBATIM WITH
SOLEMN FACES.
SOLEMN FACES. CHECK -- THE ACCUSED OF
BILL BARR OF COMING THE RULE OF
OF IGNORING IT COMPLETELY
AND TO PROVE THAT, CHUCK TODD
USED WHAT SEEM TO BE QUITE A
QUOTE, WATCH THIS.
>> I WANT YOU TO LISTEN TO THIS
BILL BARR ANSWER TO A QUESTION
ABOUT WHAT WILL HISTORY SAY
ABOUT THIS.
ABOUT THIS. WAIT UNTIL YOU HEAR THIS ANSWER.
TAKE A LISTEN.
>> WHEN HISTORY LOOKS BACK ON
THIS DECISION, HOW DO YOU THINK
IT WILL BE WRITTEN?
>> WELL, THIS TREE IS WRITTEN BY
THE WINTER SO IT DEPENDS ON WHO
IS WRITING THE HISTORY.
>> Tucker: I WAS STRUCK BY THE
CYNICISM OF THE ANSWER.
IT IS A CORRECT ANSWER BUT HE IS
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
HE DIDN’T MAKE THE CASE HE WAS
UPHOLDING THE RULE OF LAW.
>> Tucker: STRUCK BY THE
CYNICISM.
CYNICISM. CHUCK TODD WHO IS MARRIED TO A
POLITICAL CONSULTANT WAS JUST
STRUCK BY THE CYNICISM.
HE COULD BARELY BELIEVE IT.
HE WAS STUNNED!
BILL BARR DIDN’T EVEN MENTION
UPHOLDING THE RULE OF A KIND OF
A MAJOR OMISSION FOR AN
ATTORNEY GENERAL.
ATTORNEY GENERAL. BUT WAIT, IT TURNS OUT THAT
BILL BARR DID MENTION THE RULE
OF LAW.
OF LAW. IT WAS AT THE CENTER OF HIS
ANSWER.
ANSWER. THAT WAS HIS TV TAPE AND NBC GOT
A HOLD OF IT AND EDIT OUT THE
WORDS TO DISTORT BILL BARR’S
MEANING.
MEANING. WE HAVE THE REAL TAPE.
HERE IT IS.
>> WHEN HISTORY LOOKS BACK ON
THIS DECISION, HOW DO YOU THINK
IT WILL BE WRITTEN?
>> WELL, HISTORY IS WRITTEN BY
THE WINTER SO IT IT LARGELY
DEPENDS ON WHO IS WRITING THE
HISTORY, BUT I THINK A FAIR
HISTORY WOULD SAY, IT WAS A GOOD
DECISION BECAUSE IT UPHELD THE
RULES OF LAW.
>> Tucker: YEAH, TO BE CLEAR,
CATHERINE HERRIDGE DID NOT EDIT
THAT TAPE BUT DID A
STRAIGHTFORWARD TAPE.
STRAIGHTFORWARD TAPE. NBC NEWS EDITED THE TAPE.
IF YOU THINK THEY CAN BE
AGGRESSIVELY DISHONEST, THE
FOOLISHLY DISHONEST, THEN YOU
HAVE NOT BEEN PAYING CLOSE