>>> WE HAVE COMMUTED THE SENTENCE OF ROD BLAGOYAVICH.
HE SERVED EIGHT YEARS IN JAIL.
THAT IS A LONG TIME.
AND I WATCHED HIS WIFE ON
TELEVISION.
TELEVISION. I DON’T KNOW HIM VERY WELL.
I’VE MET HIM A COUPLE OF TIMES.
HE WAS ON FOR A SHORT WHILE "THE
APPRENTICE" YEARS AGO.
IT WAS A PROSECUTION BY THE SAME
PEOPLE, COMEY, FITZPATRICK AND
THE SAME GROUP.
VERY FAR FROM HIS CHILDREN.
THEY’RE GROWING OLDER, THEY’RE
GOING TO HIGH SCHOOL NOW AND
THEY RARELY GET TO SEE THEIR
FATHER OUTSIDE OF AN ORANGE
UNIFORM.
UNIFORM. I SAW THAT AND I DID COMMUTE HIS
SENTENCE.
SENTENCE. >> COMMUTING ROD BLAGOYAVICH
14-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE AND HE
SERVED EIGHT YEARS AND IN 2009 A
FORMER GOVERNOR WAS IMPEACHED
AND REMOVED FROM OFFICE AND SENT
TO PRISON FOR TRYING TO SELL, I
MEAN SELL, BARACK OBAMA’S
VACATED SENATE SEAT WHEN HE
BECAME PRESIDENT.
BECAME PRESIDENT. TRUMP’S DECISION TO HELP A
FORMER CELEBRITY APPRENTICE
CONTESTANT IS PROMPTING A
QUESTION, IS HE TRYING TO SEND A
MESSAGE TO ANOTHER ASSOCIATE
STILL WRAPPED UP IN THE LEGAL
SYSTEM.
SYSTEM. "THE NEW YORK TIMES" REPORTED,
IN CONVERSATIONS WITH ADVISERS
MR. TRUMP RAISED THE PROSPECT OF
COMMUTING THE SENTENCE OF,
BINGO, ROGER STONE, HIS LONGER
SERVING
SERVING SERVING ADVISER CONVICTED OF
SEVEN FELONY CHAJS CHARGES AND
HE’LL BE SENTENCED ON THURSDAY
TWO DAYS HENCE AS PLANNED.
AND LET’S GO TO PETER BAKER AND
HARRY LITMAN AND IN THE STUDIO
IS CAROL LEE, AND OUR POLITICS
REPORTER FROM "THE DAILY BEAST"
BETSY FLOTS.
BETSY FLOTS. AND THERE IS SO MANY POSSIBLE
MOTIVES.
MOTIVES. SO IS THIS TO SEND A SIGNAL TO
ROGER STONE, SIT TIGHT, I’LL GET
TO YOU, BABY?
>> WELL, WHETHER IT IS INTENDED
TO OR NOT, IT COULD BE INTEREST-
INTERPRETED THAT WAY.
HE THINKS WHAT HAPPENED TO ROGER
STONE IS UNFAIR AND UNJUST AND
ALSO MICHAEL FLYNN HIS FORMER
NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER WHO
FACES SENTENCING AND I THINK YOU
COULD INTERPRET THIS AS IT MAY
BE INTERPRETED ON THE RECEIVING
END AS THIS IS SOMEBODY WHO
TAKES CARE OF HIS FRIENDS.
PRESIDENT SAID SOMEBODY HAS TO
SPEAK UP FOR THESE PEOPLE AND HE
MADE CLEAR THAT IS GOING TO BE
HIM EVEN IF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
DOESN’T WANT HIM TO.
>> I WONDER HOW MUCH OF THIS --
MY FIRST INSTINCT WATCHING IT IS
POLITICAL.
POLITICAL. I THINK THERE IS A LOT OF PEOPLE
FROM EASTERN EUROPE AND ETHNIC
PEOPLE AND WHITE WORKING PEOPLE
AROUND THE CHICAGO AREA AND THE
SUBURBS, IS IT SENDING A SIGNAL
WITH REGARD TO THIS GUY.
WE’VE HAD SO MANY GOVERNORS OF
ILLINOIS THAT HAVE GONE TO
PRISON.
PRISON. IT IS RIDICULOUS.
THEY MADE A SERIES ABOUT IT, THE
GOOD WIFE.
GOOD WIFE. IS THIS PART OF A CONSTITUENCY
THAT WE CALL ROD AND IS THERE A
CONSTITUENCY OUT THERE THAT LIKE
THIS.
THIS. >> AND I THINK THAT IS POSSIBLE
AND I THINK PERSONALLY HE IS
SYMPATHETIC TO OR EMPATHIZING
PEOPLE LIKE ROD BLAGOYAVICH WHO
FEELS WAS PERSECUTED BY
PROSECUTORS.
PROSECUTORS. HE WAS PROSECUTED BY PATRICK
FITZGERALD A FRIEND OF JAMES
COMEY AND HE MENTIONED THAT
TODAY IN SPEAKING OUTSIDE OF AIR
FORCE ONE, THIS IS A COMEY
PROSECUTION IN HIS VIEW SO HE’S
NOW VOIDED THIS PROSECUTION AND
HE ALSO PARDONED SCOOTER LIBBY
WHO WAS VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY’S
CHIEF OF STAFF AND PROSECUTED BY
PAT FITZGERALD SO THERE IS NO
QUESTION THAT THERE IS THIS
CONNECTION IN HIS VIEW BETWEEN
THESE CASES AND THE CASES OF HIM
AND HIS FRIENDS WHO HE FEELS
HAVE BEEN TREATED UNFAIRLY BY
THE OLD FBI AND JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT.
DEPARTMENT. >> HARRY, WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF
THIS -- KNOCKING IT DOWN TO
EIGHT YEARS.
EIGHT YEARS. IS THAT REASONABLE?
>> NO.
>> NO. LOOK.
LOOK. NOT REALLY.
NOT REALLY. THINK WE’VE REPLACED -- THIS IS
A PIECE WITH THE STONE CHAINS
FROM LAST WEEK ITSELF.
THERE ARE PROCEDURES IN PLACE
FOR WHO GETS A PARDON AND WHEN
YOU GET A PARDON.
HAVE YOU SHOWN REMORSE AND HAS
IT BEEN FIVE YEARS SINCE YOUR
CONVICTION WAS SERVED AND THERE
IS A WHOLE APPARATUS AND
PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE ON THE
GROUND, TRUMP COMPLETELY IGNORES
THAT AND I THINK THE CRITERIA
FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR BLOGGY AND
DeBARTOLO, THEY’RE TRUMP’S KIND
OF GUYS.
OF GUYS. THAT IS ABOUT IT.
IS EIGHT YEARS REASONABLE?
HE GOT MORE UNDER THE GUIDELINES
JUST AS STONE SHOULD.
IT IS COMPLETELY IGNORING THE
SYSTEM THAT IS IN PLACE TO TRY
TO KEEP THINGS EQUAL AND
PROCEDURALLY CONSISTENT AMONG
DEFENDANTS.
DEFENDANTS. >> CAROL, HOW MUCH OF THIS IS
JUST TO SHOW -- BECAUSE I COULD
DO ANYTHING AND I COULD MAKE
RUSH LIMBAUGH A CITIZEN FOREVER.
AND A NATIONAL -- WHAT DO THEY
CALL IT -- AT MEDAL OF FREEDOM
AND JUST GIVE IT TO ANYBODY I
LIKE THAT DAY.
>> THERE IS DEFINITELY AN
ELEMENT OF THAT AND AN ELEMENT
OF THAT IN A LOT OF THINGS THAT
PRESIDENT TRUMP DOES WITH
PRESIDENTIAL PARDON POWER IS SO
DEFINITIVE AND IT IS THE ONE
BASE IN WHICH HE COULD BE REALLY
BE KING AND IT IS UP TO HIM AND
HE GETS TO DECIDE.
WE’VE SEEN HIM DO THIS WITH
MILITARY CASES AND WITH THE
REGULAR JUSTICE SYSTEM CASES.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS
INTERESTING --
INTERESTING -- >> AND WORKING IN THOSE
SITUATIONS WHICH IS SCARY
JUMPING INTO THAT STUFF.
>> AND THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN
TEASING THE ROD BLAGOYAVICH ONE
AND BACK IN AUGUST WHEN HE
TALKED ABOUT THIS, IT WAS JUST A
PHONE CALL.
PHONE CALL. YOU COULD SEE HOW THE PRESIDENT
RELATES TO -- AS OTHERS WERE
SAYING, HE CAN RELATE TO WHAT OR
SOME OF WHAT HE FEELS LIKE HE’S
BEEN THROUGH IN SOME OF THE
INDIVIDUALS.
INDIVIDUALS. AND SO HE WAS SAYING, IT IS JUST
A PHONE CALL.
PEOPLE HAVE WORSE PHONE CALLS
AND OBVIOUSLY THE PRESIDENT --
>> HOW SMART IS TRUMP.
IS HE SMART ENOUGH TO KNOW THIS
LOOKS LIKE COMPASSION.
YOU TALK ABOUT ROD BLAGOYAVICH
WIFE AND THE CHILDREN IN AN
ORANGE JUMP SUIT AND HE TALKED
ABOUT THE WAY HE KNOWS THE GUY
AND LIKE HIM AND HE’S GONE
THROUGH HELL AND EIGHT YEARS IS
ENOUGH.
ENOUGH. >> AND HE’S LIKELY SEEN PATTY ON
FOX NEWS ON THE NETWORK MORE
THAN HALF A DOZEN TIMES AND THAT
FAMILY HAS BEEN TRYING -- LOOK
IT IS NOT A COINCIDENCE WHEN
PEOPLE MAKE ARGUMENTS ON FOX
TRUMP ENDS UP BELIEVING THOSE
ARGUMENTS.
ARGUMENTS. WHAT WE COULD SURMISE ABOUT THE
WHOLE SITUATION IS THAT TRUMP IS
THINKING ABOUT ALL OF THE
PARDONS IN THE SAME WAY HE
THINKS ABOUT EVERYTHING.
WHICH IS WILL MY BASE LIKE IT
AND THE TRUMP BASE IS GOING TO
BE TOTALLY FINE WITH HIM
PARDONING ROD BLAGOYAVICH
BECAUSE TRUMP IS ENTHUSIASTIC
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT. AND SAME THING WITH BERNIE KERIK
AND THEN --
>> LET ME ASK THAT LEGAL
QUESTION THERE.
QUESTION THERE. HARRY, THIS IS CLOSE TO TRUMP.
IF HE LETS OFF BERNIE KERIK HE’S
GOING CLOSE TO HIS POLITICAL
WHEELHOUSE.
WHEELHOUSE. >> THAT IS RIGHT.
TO ME, FIRST I TOTALLY AGREE
WITH BETSY.
WITH BETSY. FIRST AND FOREMOST HOW DOES THIS
PLAY WITH THE BASE.
IT IS THE LODESTAR FOR
EVERYTHING THAT HE’S DOING.
AND JUST THE FEEL OF THESE GUYS
WHEN YOU BRING THEM TOGETHER,
KERIK, DeBARTOLO AND BLAGO, THEY
FEEL LIKE THE KIND OF GUYS THAT
TRUMP’S BASE WOULD CHAMPION.
BUT AGAIN I WANT TO POINT OUT,
NONE OF THEM -- NO ONE HAS GONE
THROUGH ANY OF THE ANALYSIS OF
WHO GETS A PARDON AND WHY.
HE’S GOT THE RAW POWER.
BUT IT IS ALWAYS IN THE PAST
BEEN EXERCISED ACCORDING TO
PROCEDURES THROUGH PROFESSIONAL
PEOPLE AND THAT IS THROWN OUT
WITH THE STONE SENTENCING.
>> AND IN THE LAST DAYS OF
DECEMBER THIS YEAR, IF HE WINS
OR LOSING, SAY IF HE LOSES,
COULD HE GO THROUGH SOME OF THE
CONGRESSMAN AND HIRE THE
RELATIVES AND FIRE THE STAFF AND