I’M SURE THAT’S NOT THE LAST WE’RE GOING TO HEAR FROM HIM
BEFORE HAVING HIM ON "MORNING
JOE" TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
MIKA, AS WE SET UP THIS WEEK,
IT’S GOING TO BE A VERY
IMPORTANT WEEK NOT ONLY THE
HISTORY OF THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION, BUT OF THIS
COUNTRY, THINK ABOUT HOW TELLING
IT IS THAT AFTER TWO WEEKS OF
DAMNING TESTIMONY DAY AFTER DAY
AND AFTER REPUBLICANS ARE GIVEN
A WEEK TO PREPARE, AN ADDITIONAL
WEEK AFTER THOSE TWO WEEKS TO
PREPARE FOR THE PRESIDENT’S
DEFENSE, THEY WERE LEFT
YESTERDAY PARROTING RUSSIAN
PROPAGANDA POINTS ABOUT UKRAINE
INTERFERING IN THE 2016
ELECTION.
ELECTION. MIKA, THIS IS WHAT’S SO DAMNING.
THOSE RUSSIAN PROPAGANDA TALKING
POINTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN KNOCKED
DOWN AND DISCREDITED BY THE
UNITED STATES 17 INTEL AGENCIES.
AND THE UNITED STATES SENATE GOT
A BRIEFING FROM THE INTEL
COMMUNITY TO TELL THEM
SPECIFICALLY THAT WHAT JOHN
KENNEDY, WHAT SENATOR JOHN
KENNEDY OF LOUISIANA SAID
YESTERDAY ON "MEET THE PRESS"
WAS NOT ONLY A LIE, BUT THAT IT
WAS ACTIVE RUSSIAN PROPAGANDA
AND HAD WARNED THE SENATORS THAT
THE RUSSIANS HAD BEEN PUSHING
THIS PROPAGANDA LINE FOR YEARS.
SO, I JUST THINK IT’S IMPORTANT
AFTER, AGAIN, IF YOU HAVEN’T
BEEN PAYING MUCH ATTENTION OVER
THE PAST WEEK BECAUSE OF THE
HOLIDAYS, IT’S IMPORTANT TO
UNDERSTAND YOU SAW TWO -- TWO
REALLY MOVING, IMPORTANT WEEKS
OF TESTIMONY AND NOW THE
REPUBLICANS ARE COMING BACK,
THEY STILL HAVE NO DEFENSE, AND
THEY’RE ACTUALLY REDUCED NOW --
THEY’RE DOING NOTHING BUT
REPEATING RUSSIA PROPAGANDA
POINTS.
POINTS. AS SOMEBODY SAID YESTERDAY, IF
THEY DO THAT, KNOWING THE 17
INTEL AGENCIES TOLD THEM IT WAS
A LIE AND BEING WARNED IN THE
UNITED STATES SENATE, THEN
ACTUALLY THEY’RE NOT IGNORANT,
THAT THEY’VE ACTUALLY TURNED
THEMSELVES INTO BEING RUSSIAN
ASSETS.
ASSETS. THAT’S WHERE WE ARE AS A NATION
AS THIS WEEK BEGINS.
>> AS JOE SAID, THIS WILL BE A
CONS
CONS CONSEQUENTIAL WEEK IN THE
IMPEACHMENT HEARING FOR
PRESIDENT TRUMP FOR THAT ALONE.
TODAY, THE HOUSE INTELLIGENCE
COMMITTEE WILL REVIEW A DRAFT OF
THE IMPEACHMENT REPORT WHICH
WILL MAKE THE CASE FOR THE
REMOVAL OF THE PRESIDENT.
TOMORROW, THE COMMITTEE WILL
VOTE TO SEND THE REPORT TO THE
HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE.
THEN ON WEDNESDAY, THE HOUSE
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE WILL HOLD
ITS FIRST IMPEACHMENT HEARING.
THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE HIN
VIOLATED HAD
VIOLATED HAD INVITED PRESIDENT TRUMP, BUT THE
WHITE HOUSE INFORMS US YESTERDAY
IT WILL NOT PARTICIPATE.
IN A FIVE-PAGE LETTER TO HOUSE
JUDICIARY CHAIRMAN WHITE HOUSE
COUNSEL WROTE THIS.
UNDER THE CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES
WE WILL NOT INTEND TO
PARTICIPATE IN YOUR WEDNESDAY
HEARING ADDING WE CANNOT FAIRLY
BE EXPECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN A
HEARING WHILE THE WITNESSES ARE
YET TO BE NAMED.
AND WHILE IT REMAINS UNCLEAR
WHETHER THE JOHN KENNEDYUDICIARY
WILL AFFORD THEM A PROCESS
THROUGH THE NEW HEARINGS.
THE PRESIDENT WILL LEAVE FOR THE
ANNUAL NATO SUMMIT TODAY.
THE PRESIDENT TWEETED ON
SATURDAY, I WILL BE REPRESENTING
OUR COUNTRY IN LONDON IN NATO
WHILE THE DEMOCRATS HORLD LGT
MOST RIDICULOUS IMPEACHMENT
HEARINGS IN HISTORY.
READ THE TRANSCRIPTS.
NOTHING WAS SAID OR DONE WRONG.
THE RADICAL LEFT IS UNDERCUTTING
OUR COUNTRY.
OUR COUNTRY. HEARING SCHEDULED ON SAME DATES
AS NATO.
AS NATO. WHILE THE HOUSE INTELLIGENCE
COMMITTEE READIES ITS
IMPEACHMENT REPORT,
IMPEACHMENT REPORT, REPUBLICANSNESSREPUBLICANS’
REPUBLICANSNESSREPUBLICANS’ DEFENSE OF THE PRESIDENT
CONTINUED TO GET MORE CREATIVE.
HERE’S THE TOP REPUBLICAN ON THE
COMMITTEE, AND TOM McCLINTOCK OF
CALIFORNIA YESTERDAY DEFENDING
PRESIDENT TRUMP IN HIS DEALINGS
WITH UKRAINE.
WITH UKRAINE. >> IF YOU BELIEVE THAT THE
PRESIDENT HAD USED THE POWER OF
HIS OFFICE TO TRY TO GET UKRAINE
TO INTERFERE WITH OUR ELECTIONS,
IF YOU BELIEVED THAT, WOULD THAT
BE AN IMPEACHABLE OFFENSE?
>> I DO NOT BELIEVE IT SO I’M
NOT GOING TO ANSWER A
HYPOTHETICAL IN WHICH IT’S
DESIGNED TO SIMPLY SAY THAT THE
PRESIDENT DID SOMETHING
IMPROPER.
IMPROPER. HE DID NOTHING IMPROPER.
THERE WAS NOTHING ABOUT A
PROBLEMATIC GIVING AID TO
ANOTHER COUNTRY IN WHICH YOU’RE
TALKING ABOUT CORRUPTION, WHICH
HE’S REQUIRED DO BY LAW IF THE
JUST SO HAPPENED THAT THE
PRESIDENTIAL’S SON HAD BEEN
GETTING A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF
MONEY FROM A COMPANY THAT HAD
BEEN UNDER INVESTIGATION IN
WHICH OTHER WITNESSES THAT HAD
BEEN FAVORABLE TO THE DEMOCRATS
IN THE INVESTIGATION HAD SAID
NEEDED TO BE LOOKED AT.
THIS IS A PROBLEM OF OVERALL
PROPORTION BUT THERE’S NOTHING
THAT THE PRESIDENT DID ANYTHING
WRONG AND THIS IS WHAT WE’RE
GOING TO MOVE FORWARD ON.
>> WHEN YOU DEFEND THE PRESIDENT
AND THINK ABOUT THESE HEARINGS,
IS THERE ANYTHING IN YOUR MIND
THAT THE PRESIDENT DID INVOLVING
UKRAINE THAT IS WRONG OR THAT
CONCERNS YOU IN ANY WAY?
>> WELL, HE DIDN’T USE THE
DELICATE LANGUAGE OF DIPLOMACY
IN THAT CONVERSATION, THAT’S
TRUE.
TRUE. HE ALSO DOESN’T USE THE SMARMY
TALK OF POLITICIANS.
WHAT YOU HEAR FROM DONALD TRUMP
IS THE BLUNT TALK OF A
BUSINESSMAN.
BUSINESSMAN. HE SAYS WHAT HE MEANS, HE MEANS
WHAT HE SAYS.
THAT’S THE ONLY THING THAT’S
REMARKABLE IN THAT CONVERSATION.
BUT HE WAS ENTIRELY WITH HIS
CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY AND WAS
FOLLOWING THE STATUTE THAT
CONGRESS ADOPTED IN GRANTING AID
TO THE UKRAINE.
>> ALLY --
>> HE SAYS WHAT HE MEANS AND HE
MEANS WHAT HE SAYS.
>> HE’S LYING.
THE DOD HAD ALREADY SAID THAT
THEY -- THEY WERE GOOD WITH AID.
THEY PASSED THE AID.
THE DOD STATE DEPARTMENT BOTH
SAID THEY PASSED GUIDELINES
REGARDING CORRUPTION.
REGARDING CORRUPTION. WHAT HE JUST SAID WAS A LIE AND
SAYING THAT’S NORMAL AND SEND AN
UNBELIEVABLY DANGEROUS SIGNAL
NOT ONLY TO POLITICIANS RUNNING
FOR OFFICE THIS YEAR BUT THOSE
WHO MAY RUN IN THE FUTURE.
BUT YOU LISTEN TO BOTH OF
THOSE -- THOSE COMMENTS,
JONATHAN LEMIRE, AND I FEEL LIKE
RALPHY IN A CHRISTMAS STORY.
I NEED AN OVAL TEAM DECODER RING
TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE HELL
COLLINS AND McCLINTOCK SAID.
BECAUSE YOU HAVE A PRESIDENT WHO
CLEARLY SAYS -- HERE’S THE DEAL,
CONGRESS HAS GIVEN YOU GUYS
ALMOST $400 BILLION IN MILITARY
AID, DEFENSIVE MILITARY AID,
YOU’VE BEEN INVADED BY PUTIN BUT
I’M NOT GOING TO GIVE IT TO YOU
UNTIL YOU DO A PRESS CONFERENCE
THAT ACTUALLY TRASHES MY
DOMESTIC RIVAL.
DOMESTIC RIVAL. IT’S CLEAR, IT’S
STRAIGHTFORWARD.
STRAIGHTFORWARD. WE HAVE TESTIMONY AND ACTUALLY
OVER THE PAST WEEK MORE NEWS
HAVE COME FORWARD THAT ACTUALLY
SHOWS IT’S EVEN WORSE THAN WHAT
SLOND TOLD
SLOND TOLD SONDLAND TOLD US.
THERE WASN’T A SECOND CALL.
WE’LL GET TO THAT LATER.
BUT, JONATHAN LEMIRE, IT SEEMS
AFTER THREE WEEKS REPUBLICANS
HAVE NOTHING TO DEFEND THE
PRESIDENT WITH OTHER THAN WORD
SALAD AND RUSSIAN TALKING
POINTS.
POINTS. HELP ME -- TELL ME IF I’M WRONG.
>> JOE, YOU’RE RIGHT.
THAT IS WHAT --
>> OH, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JONATHAN.
>> THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IS
THAT THE REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN
UNABLE TO DEFEND THE PRESIDENT
ON THE FACTS SO THEREFORE
THEY’VE HAD TO COME UP WITH
CONVOLUTE THE EXPLANATIONS.
YOU’VE HAD THE CONSPIRACY THEORY
FROM SENATOR KENTUCKY PUSHING
THAT IT WAS UKRAINE AND NOT
RUSSIA WHO INTERFERED WITH THE
2016 ELECTION EVEN THOUGH OF
COURSE EVERY U.S. INTELLIGENCE
AGENCY, EVERY ONE, SAYS IT WAS
RUSSIA.
RUSSIA. AND YOU HAVE A PRESIDENT HIMSELF
WHO IS NOW REFUSING TO COOPERATE
IN THE PROBE.
LET’S NOT SKIP OVER THIS.
WHAT WE’VE SEEN HERE IS THE
WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL IN THAT
LETTER LAST NIGHT SAID THAT THE
WHITE HOUSE WOULD NOT
PARTICIPATE, THE PRESIDENT
HIMSELF OR LAWYER WON’T BE THERE
ON WEDNESDAY.
ON WEDNESDAY. THEY LEFT THE DOOR OPEN FOR
PERHAPS FUTURE COOPERATION DOWN
THE ROAD IN THE PROCEEDINGS.
BUT THEY’RE GOING TO DO WHAT
THEY HAVE DONE FROM THE SECOND
PART OF THE MUELLER PROBE AND
DAY ONE SINCE THE DEMOCRATS TOOK
HEAD OF THE HOUSE OF
INVESTIGATIONS, THEY’RE GOING TO
STONEWALL.
STONEWALL. THEY’RE NOT GOING TO PLAY BALL.
THEY’RE GOING TO NOT COOPERATE.
THEY’RE GOING TO TRY TO HAVE THE
SPLIT SCREEN IMAGE OF THE
PRESIDENT OVERSEAS TRYING TO
CONDUCT THE PEOPLE’S BUSINESS.
HIS CAMPAIGN LIKES THE IDEA OF
HIM BEING ON THE ROAD A LOT IN
THE WEEKS AHEAD SHOWING HIM THAT
HE’S GOVERNING WHILE THE
DEMOCRATS AND THEIR VIEWS ARE
PUT BACK HOME PLAYING POLITICS
AND PURSUING THIS IMPEACHMENT
MATTER.
MATTER. THEY’RE GOING TO REALLY TRY TO
UP THE STAGE CRAFT THESE NEXT
COUPLE OF DAYS WHILE HE IS IN
LONDON SUGGESTING THAT HE IS THE
COMMANDER AND CHIEF.
>> BUT JONATHAN, OKAY, BUT
LET’S -- LET’S SEG GRAGREGATE TH
BETWEEN WHAT HE IS DOING.
HE PUTS HIS INTEREST ABOVE OF
THAT THE COUNTRY, OF THAT OF THE
WORLD.
WORLD. I MEAN, HE COMES FIRST.
WE KNOW THAT.
BAKED INTO THE CAKE.
DONALD TRUMP DOESN’T GIVE A DAMN
ABOUT WHAT AMERICA LOOKS LIKE
FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, TEN YEARS
FROM NOW.
FROM NOW. BAKED INTO THE CAKE.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THESE
REPUBLICANS?
REPUBLICANS? THESE SO-CALLED CONSERVATIVES?
PEOPLE WHO STOOD BY ME AS WE
FOUGHT AGAINST RUSSIAN INFLUENCE
AND THE SPREAD OF COMMUNISM AND
FOUGHT FOR CONSERVATIVE VALUES,
WE WERE TOLD TO BE CONSERVATIVE
WAS TO BE A GUARDIAN, TO BE A
CONSERVATOR, RIGHT?
CONSERVATOR, RIGHT? AND YET YOU HAVE REPUBLICANS
GOING ON NATIONAL TELEVISION
REPEATED PUTIN TALKING POINTS.
AND, AGAIN, I’M NOT SAYING THIS.
THE 17 INTEL AGENCIES HAVE SAID
THIS AND THE UNITED STATES
SENATE EVEN GOT A WARNING FROM
THE INTEL AGENCIES.
DONALD TRUMP’S INTEL AGENCIES
THAT THIS IS PROPAGANDA THAT
VLADIMIR PUTIN HAS BEEN TRYING
TO PUSH FOR THE PAST SEVERAL
YEARS.
YEARS. WE KNOW DONALD TRUMP.
WE KNOW THAT WITH DONALD TRUMP
ALL ROADS LEAD TO MOSCOW.
ALL ROADS LEAD TO PUTIN.
WE KNOW THAT.
HISTORY WILL SHOW THAT.
I CAN SAY THAT THIS MORNING
COMPLETELY COMFORTABLE, PLAY
THIS TAPE BACK TEN YEARS FROM
NOW, I AM RIGHT AND ANYBODY
DEFENDING DONALD TRUMP WOULD BE
WRONG ON THIS POINT.
THE QUESTION IS, WHY IS THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY, WHY ARE
CONSERVATIVES WHO BLAME TO BE
AGAINST RUSSIAN EXPANSIONISM AND
AUTHORITARIANISM, WHY ARE THEY
WILLINGLY REPEATING RUSSIAN
TALKING POINTS MADE UP BY AN
EX-KGB OFFICE CENTERR?
>> THEY HAVE BETRAYED THEIR
VALUES TO SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT.
IT’S THE PRESIDENT TRUMP TARTETR
GOP.
GOP. PUTIN SAID HE’S GLAD THAT THE
U.S. NOW STALKING ABOUT UKRAINE
IN THE ELECTION INTERFERENCE AND
NOT RUSSIAN.
NOT RUSSIAN. WE HEARD THIS CONGRESSMEN DO IT
DURING THE HEARINGS WHEN FIONA
HILL SPOKE WHEN SHE TRIED TO
KNOCK DOWN THESE CONSPIRACY
THEORIES AND THE LIES.
THEY’RE CARRYING THE PRESIDENT’S
WATER AND VLADIMIR PUTIN’S WATER
AND THE PRESIDENT’S GOING TO
KEEP GOING ON WITH IT BECAUSE TO
THIS POINT THERE HAVE BEEN NO
DEFECTIONS.
DEFECTIONS. THAT’S WHY THEY’RE PLAYING THIS
GAME WITH IMPEACHMENT.