>>> WE ARE REDUCED TO SAYING THINGS LIKE MAKE OF THIS WHAT
YOU WILL, BUT TODAY THE
PRESIDENT SAID HE WOULD STRONGLY
CONSIDER TESTIFYING IN THE
IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY.
IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY. THIS COMES AS CHARLIE SAVAGE OF
THE NEW YORK TIMES TALKS ABOUT
THE LAST TIME TRUMP SUBMITTED
WRITTEN ANSWERS TO AN
INVESTIGATION AGAINST HIM.
THEY ARE EXPLORING WHETHER
PRESIDENT TRUMP LIED IN HIS
WRITTEN ANSWERS TO ROBERT
MUELLER’S INVESTIGATION.
MUELLER’S INVESTIGATION. RAISING THE PROSPECT OF AN
ADDITIONAL BASIS FOR AN ARTICLE
OF IMPEACHMENT.
OF IMPEACHMENT. THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT REFOCUSSED
ATTENTION ON A QUIET DEBATE ON
WHETHER ANY IMPEACHMENT OF MR.
TRUMP SHOULD GO BEYOND THE
AFFAIR AND ACCUSE HIM OF
OBSTRUCTING THE RUSSIA
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. BACK WITH US TONIGHT IS CHUCK
ROSENBERG, FORMER SENIOR
OFFICIAL AT THE FBI.
ALSO HAPPENS TO HOST OUR PODCAST
CALLED "THE OATH."
ALL RIGHT, CHUCK, WHAT SPECIFIC
PORTION OF THE WRITTEN TESTIMONY
ALREADY SUBMITTED IS RAISING
FLAGS NOW AFTER THE FACT.
?
? SUBSET QUESTION: IS THIS A
MAKABLE CASE?
MAKABLE CASE? >> THE PORTION WE SHOULD FOCUS
ON IS PRESIDENT TRUMP’S DENIALS
TA HE
TA HE THAT HE KNEW ABOUT THE
CONNECTIONS WITH WIKILEAKS,
REALLY THAT HE HAD ANY KNOWLEDGE
THAT WIKILEAKS HAD PLAYED A ROLE
IN SORT OF EXPOSING STOLEN
E-MAILS TO THE PUBLIC.
AND WHAT SHOULD WE -- AND IS IT
A MAKABLE CASE?
GOSH, BRIAN, THAT’S A MUCH MORE
DIFFICULT QUESTION.
DIFFICULT QUESTION. PERJURY IS A HARD CHARGE TO
BRING AND NORMALLY WHAT YOU NEED
TO MAKE A SUCCESSFUL PERJURY
CASE IS A RATHER PRECISE
QUESTION AND A RATHER EMPHATIC
ANSWER.
ANSWER. I HAVE WATCHED A LOT OF
CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS, BUT I
HAVEN’T SEEN A LOT OF PRECISE
QUESTIONS.
QUESTIONS. AND, SO, IS IT MAKABLE?
YES.
YES. IS IT EASY?
NO.
NO. AND ALSO THE PRESIDENT COUCHED
SO MANY OF HIS ANSWERS IN THE
FOLLOWING WAY: TO THE BEST OF MY
RECOLLECTION OR I DON’T REALLY
RECALL BUT.
RECALL BUT. AND WHEN YOU HAVE THOSE TYPES OF
ANSWERS, IT BECOMES EVEN MORE
DIFFICULT TO MAKE A PERJURY
CASE.
CASE. >> LET’S TAKE THE PRESIDENT AT
HIS WORD.
HIS WORD. HE SAYS HE’S STRONGLY
CONSIDERING TESTIFYING.
CONSIDERING TESTIFYING. ISN’T -- IF HE INSISTS ON
WRITTEN ANSWERS AGAIN, WHY ISN’T
THAT A WASTE OF EVERYONE’S TIME
ALL OVER AGAIN?
>> IT’S A WASTE OF EVERYONE’S
TIME ALL OVER AGAIN.
AS A PROSECUTOR, I NEVER TOOK
WRITTEN ANSWERS.
WRITTEN ANSWERS. I WOULD NEVER WANT A WRITTEN
ANSWER.
ANSWER. THEY ARE VIRTUALLY USELESS.
SOMETIMES YOU WILL SEE THIS IN
CIVIL LITIGATION, BUT NOT IN
CRIMINAL.
CRIMINAL. NOW, I KNOW AN IMPEACHMENT
INQUIRY ISN’T QUITE A CRIMINAL
CASE, BUT IT IS AN ANALOG TO
ONE.
ONE. HERE IS THE PROBLEM WITH IT,
BRIAN.
BRIAN. THOSE QUESTIONS, DESPITE WHAT
MR. TRUMP SAID WERE NOT PREPARED
BY HIM.
BY HIM. THEY WERE PREPARED BY HIS
LAWYERS AND CAREFULLY SO.
AND, SO, SO MANY, AGAIN -- SO
MANY OF THE QUESTIONS WERE, YOU
KNOW, RATHER PRECISE FROM THE
MUELLER TEAM.
MUELLER TEAM. SOME OF THE ANSWERS WERE
INCREDIBLY VAGUE.
INCREDIBLY VAGUE. IF I WERE ADAM SCHIFF, IF I WERE
THE DEMOCRATS, I DON’T WANT
THAT.
THAT. IT IS A WASTE OF MY TIME.
IT DOESN’T GET ME ANYWHERE AND
IT DOESN’T PERMIT ME TO GAUGE
SOMEONE’S TONE OR DEMEANOR OR TO
FOLLOW UP WITH MORE POINTED
QUESTIONS IF I DON’T THINK
THEY’RE TELLING ME THE TRUTH.
I THINK IT IS A WASTE OF TIME.
>> CHUCK, LATE LAST WEEK WE SAW
A RARE BIT OF EMOTION FROM YOU
ON THE SUBJECT OF OUR SECRETARY
OF STATE.
OF STATE. I SURMISED ON THE AIR FRIDAY
NIGHT THAT IT WAS EXACTLY
BECAUSE YOU HAD TAKEN AN OATH
MORE THAN ONCE TO SERVE YOUR
COUNTRY, AND HERE IS A GUY, OUR
SECRETARY OF STATE, FAMOUSLY
GRADUATED NUMBER ONE IN HIS WEST
POINT CLASS, 1986, AND HAS BEEN
IN HIS CAREER AN ARMY OFFICER.
WHY, THE QUESTION IS.
WHY HASN’T HE BEEN SUPPORTING,
OFFERING AIR COVER FOR HIS
PEOPLE, HIS EMPLOYEES, AMONG
THEM VETERAN FOREIGN SERVICE
OFFICERS?
OFFICERS? THE SUBJECT CAME UP AT THE STATE
DEPARTMENT TODAY.
DEPARTMENT TODAY. WE’LL SHOW YOU MIKE POMPEO AND
TALK ABOUT IT ON THE OTHER SIDE.
>> GREATEST DIPLOMATIC COURT IN
THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD.
>> YOU TALK ABOUT UKRAINE
POLICY, SO I’M CURIOUS IF YOU
THINK HE HAS BEEN EFFECTIVE ON
POLICY AND IF HE WILL REMAIN IN
HIS JOB?
HIS JOB? >> YES.
>> YES. THE STATE DEPARTMENT IS DOING A
FANTASTIC JOB.
FANTASTIC JOB. I THINK WE HAVE DELIVERED IN A
WAY THAT THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION HAS NOT DELIVERED
IN UKRAINE.
IN UKRAINE. >> THANKS, EVERYBODY.
HAVE A FANTASTIC DAY.
>> SO, COUNSELOR, YOU HEARD HIM
THERE.
THERE. HE WAS GIVEN A DIRECT CHANCE TO
OFFER SUPPORT, A DIRECT CHANCE
TO TALK ABOUT HIS EMPLOYEES BY
NAME.
NAME. >> HE’S AN ACCOMPLISHED MAN,
BRIAN, AND HE’S AN INTELLIGENT
MAN, BUT HE’S A COWARD.
I SAID THAT LAST WEEK AND I
DERIVED ABSOLUTELY NO PLEASURE
FROM SAYING IT.
BUT I STANDBY IT, EVERY WORD
THAT I UTTERED.
LOOK, LEADERSHIP MEANS TAKING
CARE OF YOUR PEOPLE.
AND WHEN THEY’RE BEING ATTACKED
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES, THAT IMPERATIVE DOES NOT
CHANGE.
CHANGE. HE HAS FAILED HIS PEOPLE.
HE HAS FAILED AS A LEADER AND IT
IS DEEPLY DISAPPOINTING.
AND, SO, HE HAD A CHANCE JUST
NOW.
NOW. YOU SHOWED IT ON CAMERA TO
EMPHATICALLY STATE HE STOOD BY
AMBASSADOR TAYLOR AND THE MEN
AND WOMEN OF THE STATE
DEPARTMENT.
DEPARTMENT. AND HE GAVE US NOTHING BUT