>>> GOOD EVENING ONCE AGAIN FROM OUR HEADQUARTERS HERE IN NEW
YORK. DAY 140 OF THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION. PUT ANOTHER WAY, ELECTION DAY
WAS SEVEN MONTHS AGO TONIGHT. AND OUR ATTENTION ON THIS DAY
WAS CONSUMED BY THE WIDELY ANTICIPATED AND WIDELY WATCHED
TESTIMONY FROM JAMES COMEY, THE FORMER FBI DIRECTOR WHO WAS
FIRED BY THE PRESIDENT. COMEY SAID THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION LIED, PLAIN AND SIMPLE, ABOUT WHY HE WAS FIRED,
SAYING THE PRESIDENT CHANGED HIS STORY AND THAT IT REALLY WAS ALL
ABOUT RUSSIA. HE CONFIRMED TO FEEL PRESSURE TO
MAKE THE FLYNN INVESTIGATION GO AWAY.
COMEY ALSO SEEMS TO HAVE TAKEN THE PRESIDENT'S COMMENTS ABOUT
THE FBI AS A WHOLE VERY PERSONALLY.
>> EXPLANATIONS, THE SHIFTING SLGSS CONFUSED ME AND
INCREASINGLY CONCERNED ME. IT CONFUSED ME WHEN I SAW ON
TELEVISION THE PRESIDENT SAYING THAT HE ACTUALLY FIRED ME
BECAUSE OF THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION.
ALTHOUGH THE LAW REQUIRED NO REASON AT ALL TO FIRE AN FBI
DIRECTOR, THE ADMINISTRATION THEN CHOSE TO DEFAME ME AND MORE
IMPORTANTLY, THE FBI, BY SAYING THAT THE ORGANIZATION WAS IN
DISARRAY, THAT IT WAS POORLY LED, THAT THE WORK FORCE HAD
LOST CONFIDENCE IN ITS LEADER. THOSE WERE LIES.
PLAIN AND SIMPLE. >> DO YOU BELIEVE THE RUSSIA
INVESTIGATION PLAYED A ROLE. ?
>> IN WHY I WAS FIRED? >> YES.
>> YES, BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT SAID SO.
'MY UNDERSTANDING I WAS FIRED BECAUSE OF THE RUSSIA
INVESTIGATION. I WAS FIRED IN SOME WAY TO
CHANGE -- THE ENDEAVOR WAS TO CHANGE THE WAY THE RUSSIA
INVESTIGATION WAS BEING CONDUCTED.
>> BEFORE WE DISCUSS TODAY'S COMMENTS FROM COMEY ABOUT PHILIP
AND WHETHER THE PRESIDENT PRESSURED HIM TO DROP THE
INVESTIGATION INTO FLYNN, RECALL THIS LINE FROM COMEY'S WRITTEN
THAT WE GOT A LOOK AT YESTERDAY. QUOTE, I HOPE YOU CAN SEE YOUR
WAY CLEAR TO LETTING THIS GO, TO LETTING FLYNN GO.
HE IS A GOOD GUY. I HOPE YOU CAN LET THIS GO.
THERE WAS A LOT MADE TODAY OVER THAT WORD "HOPE" AND WHAT IT
REALLY MEANT IN THIS CONTEXT. >> I HOPE -- THIS IS THE
PRESIDENT SPEAKING. I HOPE YOU CAN SEE YOUR WAY TO
LETTING THIS GO, TO LETTING FLYNN GO.
HE IS A GOOD GUY. I HOPE YOU CAN LET THIS GO.
NOW THOSE ARE HIS EXACT WORDS; IS THAT CORRECT?
>> CORRECT. >> AND YOU WROTE THEM HERE AND
YOU PUT THEM IN QUOTES? >> CORRECT.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT. HE DID NOT DIRECT YOU TO LET IT
GO? >> NOT IN HIS WORDS, NO.
>> HE DID NOT ORDER YOU TO LET IT GO?
>> AGAIN, THOSE WORDS ARE NOT AN ORDER.
>> NO. HE SAID, I HOPE.
>> THE REASON I KEEP SAYING HIS WORDS IS, I TOOK IT AS A
DIRECTION. I MEAN THIS IS THE PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES, WITH ME ALONE, SAYING I HOPE THIS.
I TOOK IT AS THIS IS WHAT HE WANTS ME TO DO.
>> AS YOU PERCEIVED IT WHILE IT WAS A REQUEST THAT HE HOPED YOU
THAT DID AWAY WITH IT YOU PERCEIVED IT AS AN ORDER GIVEN
CONDITION AND SETTING AND OTHER LIKE CIRCUMSTANCES.
>> YES. >> YOU AND I ARE PROSECUTORS.
I'M NOT GOING TO REQUIRE YOU TO ANSWER.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE A STATEMENT THAT IN MY EXPERIENCE OF
PROSECUTING CASES WHEN A ROBBER HELD A GUN TO SOMEBODY'S HEAD
AND SAID I HOPE YOU WILL GIVE ME YOUR WALLET, THE WORD HOPE WAS
NOT THE MOST OPERATEDIVE WORD AT THAT MOMENT.
>> WHAT DID THE PRESIDENT REALLY MEAN?
RECALL THIS TWEET, QUOTE, JAMES COMEY HAD BETTER HOPE -- THERE
IS THAT WORD AGAIN -- THAT THERE ARE NO TAPES OF OUR
CONVERSATIONS BEFORE HE STARTS LEAKING TO THE PRESS.
COMEY SAYS IT WAS AFTER SEEING THAT TWEET FROM THE PRESIDENT
THAT HE DECIDED TO GET OUT HIS OWN VERSION OF THEIR MEETING IN
THE FORM OF HIS CONTEMPORARY NOTES.
AND HE DID THAT IN THE HOPES A SPECIAL COUNSEL WOULD BE
APPOINTED TO OVERSEE THIS INVESTIGATION.
>> LOOK, I -- I'VE SEEN THE TWEET ABOUT TAPES, LORDY, I HOPE
THEIR TAPES. >> DO YOU BELIEVE THERE WERE ANY
TAKE PLACE OR RECORDINGS OF YOUR CONVERSATIONS WITH THE
PRESIDENT? >> IT NEVER OCCURRED TO ME UNTIL
THE PRESIDENT'S TWEET. I'M NOT BEING FACETIOUS.
I HOPE THERE ARE, AND I'LL CONSENT TO THE RELEASE OF THEM.
>> BOTH OF YOU ARE IN THE SAME FINDINGS HERE.
YOU BOTH HOPE THERE'S TAPES AND RECORDINGS.
>> WELL, ALL I CAN DO IS HOPE. THE PRESIDENT SURELY KNOWS WHERE
HE TAPED ME. IF HE DID, MY FEELINGS AREN'T
HURT, RELEASE THE ENTIRE -- RELEASE ALL THE TAPES I'M GOOD
WITH IT THE PRESIDENT TWEETED ON FRIDAY AFTER I WAS FIRED I
BETTER HOPE THERE AREN'T TAPES. I MOLK UP MONDAY NIGHT MIDDLE OF
THE NIGHT THAT THERE MIGHT BE CORROBORATION FOR OUR
CONVERSATION, THERE MIGHT BE A TAPE AND MY JUDGMENT WAS THAT I
NEEDED TO GET THAT OUT IN THE PUBLIC SQUARE.
I ASKED THE FRIEND OF MINE TO SHARE THE CONTENT OF THE MEMO
WITH A REPORTER. I DIDN'T DO IT MYSELF FOR A
VARIETY OF REASONS BUT I ASKED HIM TO BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT
MIGHT PROMPT THE APPOINTMENT OF A SPECIAL COUNSEL.
I ASKED A CLOSE FRIEND OF MINE TO IT.
>> OUR PANEL FEATURED THREE TOP-NOTCH CORRESPONDENTS,
KRISTEN WELKER, JULIE PACE, AND PETER BAKER.
AND HERE WITH US IN NEW YORK, JEREMY BASH CHIEF OF STAFF TO
THE CIA DIRECTOR. FORMER MEMBER OF THE HOUSE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE. WELCOME TO ALL OF YOU AT THE END
OF THE A LONG INDICATE. KRISTEN I'LL START WITH YOU.
THE COVERAGE ON THE LEFT IS SLAM-DUNK OBSTRUCTION CASE.
THE CONVERSATION ON THE RIGHT, COMEY IS A LEAKER.
THE PRESIDENT WATCHED ABOUT 45 MINUTES OF THE HEARING IN THE
WHITE HOUSE. WHAT IS THE REACTION YOU ARE
HEARING FROM THE WHITE HOUSE? >> WELL, THAT SQUARES WITH MY
REPORTING AS WELL, BRIAN. LOOK, I THINK THE REACTION FROM
THE WHITE HOUSE IS THAT THEY ARE PICKING OUT WHAT THEY THINK
BENEFITS THEM FROM COMEY'S TESTIMONY.
THEY THINK THAT THERE ARE THINGS THAT HAPPENED TODAY THAT
ACTUALLY HELPED THE PRESIDENT'S ARGUMENT.
YOU ARE GOING TO HEAR HIS SURROGATES REPEAT THOSE THINGS
OVER AND OVER AGAIN. ONE, THAT HE CORROBORATED THE
FACT THAT THE PRESIDENT SAID THAT COMEY TOLD HIM HE WASN'T
UNDER INVESTIGATION. THE FACT THAT COMEY SAID TODAY
THAT THE PRESIDENT DIDN'T URGE
HIM TO DROP THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION BROADLY.
AND THEN THAT POINT THAT YOU RAISE BRIAN, THE FACT THAT COMEY
ACKNOWLEDGED LEAKING OUT HIS OWN MEMO, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I
THINK THE PRESIDENT AND HIS SURROGATES ARE REALLY GOING TO
BE FOCUSED OFTEN IN THE COMING DAYS AND WEEKS.
IN TERMS OF HOW THE PRESIDENT PROCESSED THIS ENTIRE HEARING
TODAY, I AM TOLD THAT HE WAS IN AND OUT OF A DINING ROOM IN THE
WHITE HOUSE. HE WAS WATCHING IT WITH HIS
LEGAL COUNSEL, WATCHING WITH SOME OF HIS TOP AIDES BUT THEY
REALLY TRIED TO KEEP HIM PREOCCUPIED TODAY, BRIAN.
THEY SCHEDULED A BIG SPEECH, HIS ADVISORS DID, HE STARTED OFF THE
DAY MEETING IN THE OVAL OFFICE WITH SOME OF HIS TOP OFFICIALS.
AND HE DIDN'T TWEET. THIS WAS A WHOLE NEW LEVEL OF
MESSAGE DISCIPLINE. THE QUESTION IS, IS HE GOING TO
BE ABLE TO KEEP THIS GOING? WHAT HAPPENS ON SUNDAY WHEN HE
WAKES UP TO ALL OF THE SUNDAY SHOWS?
WILL HE START TWEETING THEN? HE LEFT HIS MESSAGING TO HIS
OUTSIDE COUNSEL, MARC KASOWITZ TODAY, AND IT WAS REALLY A
REMARKABLE DISCIPLINE FROM A PRESIDENT WHO TYPICALLY WAKES UP
EVERYBODY MORNING AND STARTS TWEETING BEFORE 7:00 A.M.
>> JULIE, AS KRISTEN JUST SAID TONIGHT SAID HE WAS UNUSUALLY
DISCIPLINED DURING THE DAY. ALSO SAYS THEY DID STACK UP HIS
SCHEDULE. PART OF WHAT YOU WROTE TODAY WAS
ABOUT THE PRESIDENT'S RECORD ON TRUTH TELLING AND POTENTIAL
REVERSALS VERSUS COMEY, THE FORMER FBI CHIEF.
EXPAND ON THAT, IF YOU WOULD. >> I THINK WHAT WE SAW FROM
COMEY TODAY WAS ESSENTIALLY A CHALLENGE THAT HE LAID OUT TO
LAWMAKERS, TO THE PUBLIC, AND REALLY PERHAPS ULTIMATELY TO BOB
MUELLER WHO IS NOW THE SPECIAL COUNSEL HERE, WHICH IS WHICH
VERSION OF EVENTS DO YOU BELIEVE?
DO YOU BELIEVE THIS VERSION THAT I AM TELLING YOU I DETAILED IN
MEMOS, IN ESSENTIALLY REAL TIME AND THAT I AM DESCRIBING HERE IN
DETAIL UNDER OATH? OR DO YOU BELIEVE THE PRESIDENT
WHO HAS A TRACK RECORD FRANKLY OF SKIRTING THE TRUTH ON ISSUES
BIG AND SMALL. FROM THE VERY FIRST DAY IN
OFFICE, FIRST FULL DAY IN OFFICE, PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS
SENDING HIS ADVISORS OUT TO SKIRT THE TRUTH ABOUT THE SIZE
OF THE INAUGURATION CROWD. AND YOU SEE THIS IN POLL
NUMBERS. WHEN YOU ASK AMERICANS ABOUT THE
PRESIDENT'S ---- WHETHER THEY THINK HE IS HONEST AND
TRUSTWORTHY, HE'S AT A PRETTY LOW NUMBER THERE.
COMEY AGAIN LAYS OUT THIS CHALLENGE.
AND I THINK THAT -- THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION, WHO DO YOU
BELIEVE, MAY NOT RESULT IN ANYTHING THAT IS RELATED TO THE
INVESTIGATION OR ANY LEGAL IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PRESIDENT,
BUT IT'S CERTAINLY GOING TO HURT HIM POLITICALLY.
AND TO HAVE THAT KIND OF DAMAGE AT THIS POINT IN A PRESIDENCY, I
THINK WOULD BE PRETTY DIFFICULT TO OVERCOME.
>> PETER BAKER ALLOW ME TO QUOTE FROM PIECE BY PETER BAKER IN
TONIGHT'S "NEW YORK TIMES." HEADLINE FOR TRUMP, THE CLOUD
JUST GREW THAT MUCH DARKER. THANKS TO MR. TRUMP'S OWN
ACTIONS THE CLOUD DARKENED CONSIDERABLY ON THURSDAY, NOW
SEEMS LIKELY TO HOVER OVER HIS PRESIDENCY FOR POPTS IF NOT
YEARS. IN HIS ANGER AT MR. COMEY MR.
TRUMP MAY HAVE ACTUALLY MADE HIMSELF THE TARGET OF AN
INVESTIGATION. EXPAND ON THAT, PLEASE.
AND EXPLAIN HOW IT IS TO OUR AUDIENCE THE THROUGH LINE, HOW
ONE TWEET FROM THIS PRESIDENT RESULTED IN A SPECIAL COUNSEL.
>> WELL, THAT'S RIGHT EXACTLY. HE WAS UPSETTED A KEMME NOT
SAYING PUBLICLY THAT HE WAS NOT UNDER INVESTIGATION.
HE ACTUALLY HAD ASKED OF COURSE COMEY TO -- HE SAID HE HOPED
THAT COMEY WOULD DROP THE MICHAEL FLYNN INVESTIGATION.
BUT IN THE PROCESS OF THEN DECIDING TO FIRE HIM HE CREATED
A WHOLE BIGGER ISSUE THAN HE HAD TO BEGIN WITH, RIGHT?
WHATEVER WAS HAPPENING WITH THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION HAD NOT LED
TO THE KIND OF SPECTACLE THAT WE SAW TODAY WITH THE PRESIDENT'S
OWN FORMER FBI DIRECTOR WAS ACCUSING HIM OF NOT BEING A
TRUTH TELLER. YOU KNOW, HE HAS CREATED A
PROBLEM FOR HIMSELF THROUGH HIS OWN ACTIONS.
WE NOW HAVE A VERY LIKELY SITUATION WHERE BOB MUELLER
COULD BE INVESTIGATED PRESIDENT TRUMP FOR OBSTRUCTION OF
JUSTICE. WE DON'T KNOW WHETHER THAT'S
TRUE OR NOT. THAT WAS ONE THIN THAT WE
LEARNED TODAY FROM JIM COMEY WHEN HE SAID HE HAD GIVEN OVER
HIS MEMOS OF THE CONVERSATIONS HE HAD WITH THE PRESIDENT TO BOB
MUELLER. THAT SUGGESTS AN INTEREST ON THE
PART OF INVESTIGATORS. IN ANY CASE HE SORT OF RAISED
THIS QUESTION ABOUT OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE OR IMPEDING AN
INVESTIGATION TO A POINT WHERE IT'S GOING TO BE DIDN'TED AND
HANG OUT THERE NOW FOR QUITE A LONG TIME.
RATHER THAN MAKING THE PROBLEM GO AWAY, RATHER THAN LIFTING THE
CLOUD WHICH IS THE PHRASE THAT JIM COMEY SAID HE USED THE CLOUD
AT THIS POINT IS HERE FOR QUITE A WHILE.
>> JEREMY BASH, WHERE WAS THE DAMAGE THE GREATEST, THE
POTENTIAL OBSTRUCTION CASE THAT COMEY CONTRIBUTED TODAY, OR
AGAIN AS SOME OF THE COVERAGE WOULD HAVE IT TONIGHT, COMEY'S
ADMISSION THAT HE LEAKED THOSE CONTEMPORANEOUS NOTES TO TRY TO
BRING ABOUT A SPECIAL COUNSEL. >> TWO PARTS.
JAMES COMEY, A MAN OF IMPECCABLE CREDENTIALS AND IMPECCABLE
RECOLLECT ATTITUDE STATING HE BELIEVED THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES ORDERED DIRECTED HIM, AFTER KPLEERG THE ROOM IF
THE OVALS TO SHUT DOWN AN INVESTIGATION IN