"THE 11th HOUR WITH BRIAN WILLIAMS" STARTS NOW.
>>> WELL, GOOD EVENING, ONCE
AGAIN.
DAY 1,454 OF THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION.
EIGHT DAYS UNTIL THE
INAUGURATION OF JOE BIDEN AND
KAMALA HARRIS.
AS WE COME ON THE AIR TONIGHT AS
HAS BEEN NOTED IN OUR LIVE
COVERAGE, THE HOUSE IS TAKING
THE FIRST OF TWO VOTES TO TRY TO
REMOVE DONALD TRUMP FROM OFFICE.
VOTING IS ALREADY UNDER WAY IN
THE HOUSE RIGHT NOW ON THIS
RESOLUTION CALLING ON VICE
PRESIDENT PENCE TO INVOKE THE
25th AMENDMENT, BUT THE VOTE IS
ONLY SYMBOLIC BECAUSE PENCE
ALREADY SAID HE’S NOT GOING TO
DO IT, EVEN THOUGH HE REFUSED TO
DO TRUMP’S BIDDING WHEN IT CAME
TO OVERTURNING THE ELECTION.
PETER BAKER AND HIS COLLEAGUES
AT "THE NEW YORK TIMES" REPORT
ON THE BLOWUP BETWEEN TRUMP AND
PENCE LAST WEDNESDAY SHORTLY
BEFORE PENCE HEADED TO THE
CAPITOL.
THE "TIMES" QUOTES TRUMP AS
WARNING HIS ARDENTLY LOYAL
SIDEKICK TO, "YOU CAN EITHER GO
DOWN IN HISTORY AS A PATRIOT OR
YOU CAN GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS
A --" AND HERE THE PRESIDENT
USES HIS GO-TO "P" WORD.
EARLIER TONIGHT PENCE SENT A
LETTER TO SPEAKER PELOSI
EXPLAINING HIS REFUSAL TO INVOKE
THE 25th AMENDMENT AGAINST HIS
BOSS.
IT READS IN PART, "I DO NOT
BELIEVE THAT SUCH A COURSE OF
ACTION IS IN THE BEST INTEREST
OF OUR NATION OR CONSISTENT WITH
OUR CONSTITUTION.
I URGE YOU AND EVERY MEMBER OF
CONGRESS TO AVOID ACTIONS THAT
WOULD FURTHER DIVIDE AND INFLAME
THE PASSIONS OF THE MOMENT."
WELL, THE SECOND VOTE IS
EXPECTED IN THE HOUSE SOME TIME
TOMORROW.
THAT WOULD BE THE VOTE TO
IMPEACH DONALD TRUMP FOR A
SECOND TIME.
AS MORE HOUSE REPUBLICANS JOIN
THAT EFFORT TONIGHT IT SEEMS
CERTAIN THE PRESIDENT WILL BE
IMPEACHED BY THE HOUSE AGAIN BY
THIS TIME TOMORROW NIGHT.
TONIGHT, NEARLY ONE WEEK AFTER
THE ATTACK ON THE CAPITOL, TRUMP
TIMELY LY
FINALLY TALKED TO REPORTERS.
HE TOOK QUESTIONS ON THE ROLE
THAT HIS WORDS PLAYED IN SETTING
OFF THE BLOODY INSURRECTION THAT
TOOK FIVE LIVES INCLUDING THAT
OF A POLICE OFFICER.
A WEEK AGO, TRUMP URGED HIS
SUPPORTERS TO WALK DOWN TO THE
CAPITOL SAYING THEY NEEDED TO
FIGHT LIKE HELL TO SHOW
STRENGTH.
HERE IS WHAT TRUMP SAID TODAY
BEFORE LEAVING WASHINGTON FOR A
TRIP TO TEXAS TO TOUT WHAT’S
BEEN BUILT OF HIS BORDER WALL.
>> PEOPLE THOUGHT THAT WHAT I
SAID WAS TOTALLY APPROPRIATE,
AND IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT OTHER
PEOPLE HAVE SAID, POLITICIANS AT
A HIGH LEVEL, ABOUT THE RIOTS
DURING THE SUMMER, THE HORRIBLE
RIOTS IN PORTLAND AND SEATTLE
AND VARIOUS OTHER PLACES, THAT
WAS A REAL PROBLEM.
THEY’VE ANALYZED MY SPEECH AND
MY WORDS AND MY FINAL PARAGRAPH,
MY FINAL SENTENCE, AND EVERYBODY
TO THE "T" THOUGHT IT WAS
TOTALLY APPROPRIATE.
>> TONIGHT, THERE ARE
SIGNIFICANT CRACKS IN THE ONCE
SEEMINGLY IMPENETRABLE RED WALL
OF SUPPORT THAT REPUBLICANS
BUILT AROUND DONALD TRUMP.
THE SENATE MAJORITY LEADER IS
NOW BREAKING WITH TRUMP, IT
WOULD SEEM.
"THE NEW YORK TIMES" REPORTING
MITCH McCONNELL, "HAS TOLD
ASSOCIATES THAT HE BELIEVES
PRESIDENT TRUMP COMMITTED
IMPEACHABLE OFFENSES AND THAT HE
IS PLEASED THAT DEMOCRATS ARE
MOVING TO IMPEACH HIM, BELIEVING
THAT IT WILL MAKE IT EASIER TO
PURGE HIM FROM THE PARTY."
THE "TIMES" PIECE CONTINUES,
"REPRESENTATIVE KEVIN McCARTHY
OF CALIFORNIA, THE HOUSE
MINORITY LEADER AND ONE OF MR.
TRUMP’S MOST STEADFAST ALLIES IN
CONGRESS HAS ASKED OTHER
REPUBLICANS WHETHER HE SHOULD
CALL ON MR. TRUMP TO RESIGN."
AT LEAST FOUR HOUSE
LIZ CHENEY, THE NUMBER THREE
RANKING REPUBLICAN IN THE HOUSE
ALONG WITH CONGRESSMAN JOHN
KATKO, ADAM KINZINGER, AND FRED
UPTON HAVE ALL SAID, THEY WILL,
IN FACT, CROSS OVER AND VOTE TO
IMPEACH TRUMP.
CHENEY, OF COURSE, THE DAUGHTER
OF DICK CHENEY.
HER STATEMENT SAID IN PART,
"THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A GREATER
BETRAYAL BY A PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES, OF HIS OFFICE AND
HIS OATH TO THE CONSTITUTION."
TODAY TRUMP TRIED TO FRAME THIS
FAST-MOVING IMPEACHMENT PUSH AS
JUST PART OF AN ONGOING CAMPAIGN
AGAINST HIM.
>> THE IMPEACHMENT HOAX IS A
CONTINUATION OF THE GREATEST AND
MOST VICIOUS WITCH HUNT IN THE
HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY AND IS
CAUSING TREMENDOUS ANGER AND
DIVISION AND PAIN, FAR GREATER
THAN MOST PEOPLE WILL EVER
UNDERSTAND, WHICH IS VERY
DANGEROUS FOR THE USA,
ESPECIALLY AT THIS VERY TENDER
TIME.
>> AS THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE
CAPITOL ATTACK CONTINUES, "THE
NEW YORK TIMES" REPORTS FEDERAL
AUTHORITIES HAD WARNED THE
PRESIDENT ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY
OF VIOLENCE THE SUNDAY BEFORE
THE RIOTS LAST WEDNESDAY.
THE "TIMES" WRITES, "TOP
OFFICIALS IN GOVERNMENT HAD
REASON TO BE DEEPLY CONCERNED
ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF
VIOLENCE.
THE INDICATIONS INCLUDED A PAIR
OF FBI REPORTS THAT WARNED OF
WAR AND BLOWING UP A BUILDING AT
A MIDWEST STATEHOUSE AND A WHITE
HOUSE MEETING WHERE PRESIDENT
TRUMP AND TOP MILITARY OFFICIALS
DISCUSSED DEPLOYING THE NATIONAL
GUARD."
AND THE "WASHINGTON POST"
REPORTS THE DAY BEFORE, JANUARY
5th, AN FBI OFFICE IN VIRGINIA
WARNED EXTREMISTS WERE PREPARING
TO TRAVEL TO WASHINGTON TO
COMMIT VIOLENCE AND WAR."
THE "POST" REPORTS AN INTERNAL
BUREAU DOCUMENT NOTED ONLINE
DISCUSSIONS OF VIOLENCE SAYING,
"BE READY TO FIGHT.
CONGRESS NEEDS TO HEAR GLASS
BREAKING, DOORS BEING KICKED IN.
GET VIOLENT.
STOP CALLING THIS A MARCH OR