GUARDS TO BEAT UP PROTESTERS THE PREVIOUS TIME HE WAS IN
WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON. AND EXPLOSIVE NEW POLLING FROM
IOWA SHOWING MAYOR PETE
BUTTIGIEG AT THE TOP OF THE
PACK.
PACK. A LOT TO UNPACK THERE.
BUT FIRST THIS MORNING, THE
FIRST TELEVISED PUBLIC
IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS GET
UNDERWAY INTO PRESIDENT TRUMP.
DONALD TRUMP IS THE FOURTH
PRESIDENT TO FACE IMPEACHMENT
PROCEEDINGS BY THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENT
REPRESENT REPRESENTATIVE, THE THIRD IN
RECENT TIMES.
RECENT TIMES. POLLING THIS MONTH SHOWS 49% OF
AMERICANS SAY PRESIDENT TRUMP
SHOULD BE IMPEACHED AND REMOVED
FROM OFFICE.
FROM OFFICE. 47% SAY HE SHOULD NOT.
TODAY’S HEARING WILL OPEN WITH
TESTIMONY FROM ACTING U.S.
AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE, BILL
TAYLOR AND DEPUTY ASSISTANT
SECRETARY GEORGE KENT.
TAYLOR IS THE ONE WHO TEXTED
AMBASSADOR GORDON SONDLAND THAT
IT WOULD BE, QUOTE, CRAZY TO
MAKE UKRAINE MILITARY AID
CONTINGENT ON INVESTIGATIONS
AIMED AT HELPING THE PRESIDENT’S
RE-ELECTION.
RE-ELECTION. TAYLOR TESTIFIED IT WAS HIS
CLEAR UNDERSTANDING THAT UKRAINE
WOULDN’T RECEIVE ITS MILITARY
AID UNLESS UKRAINE’S PRESIDENT
COMMITTED TO PURSUE THE
INVESTIGATIONS, AND DEPUTY
ASSISTANT SECRETARY GEORGE KENT
IS THE ONE WHO TOLD LAWMAKERS IN
CLOSED DOOR TESTIMONY PRESIDENT
TRUMP WANTED NOTHING LESS THAN
PRESIDENT ZELENSKY TO GO TO A
MICROPHONE AND SAY
INVESTIGATIONS, BIDEN AND
CLINTON.
CLINTON. >> MEANWHILE, THE WHITE HOUSE IS
GETTING READY FOR ALL THIS.
A SOURCE CLOSE TO NBC NEWS SAYS
AHEAD OF TODAY’S IMPEACHMENT
HEARINGS PRESIDENT TRUMP’S MOOD
HAS VEERED BETWEEN RELISHING THE
FIGHT AND SEETHING WITH ANGER.
THE WHITE HOUSE AND REPUBLICANS
HAVE BEEN COORDINATING ON A
STRATEGY TO DISTANCE THE
PRESIDENT FROM THE WITNESSES
ARGUING THAT NONE OF THEM HAD
ANY DIRECT KNOWLEDGE OF THE
PRESIDENT’S THINKING.
PRESIDENT’S THINKING. PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS SERLVERAL
COUNTER PROGRAMMING EVENTS THIS
WEEK THAT MAY HELP KEEP HIM FROM
REACTING IMMEDIATELY FROM THE
PUBLIC HEARINGS.
PUBLIC HEARINGS. TODAY HE WILL MEET WITH TURKISH
PRESIDENT ERDOGAN.
PRESIDENT ERDOGAN. THURSDAY EVENING THE PRESIDENT
WILL HOLD A RALLY IN LOUISIANA,
AND PRESIDENT TRUMP WILL FACE
LIMITS OF HIS POWER IN THE
IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS.
IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS. JONATHAN LA MERE WRITES THERE.
FOR THREE YEARS DONALD TRUMP HAS
UNAPOLOGETICALLY DEFIEDED THE
CONVENTIONS OF THE AMERICAN
PRESIDENCY
PRESIDENCY PRESIDENCY.
PRESIDENCY. ON WEDNESDAY CONFRONTING AN
IMPEACHMENT PROCESS ENSHRINED IN
THE CONSTITUTION THAT WILL PLAY
OUT IN PUBLIC AND HELP SHAPE HOW
THE PRESIDENT WILL BE VIEWED BY
VOTERS NEXT YEAR AND IN THE
HISTORY BOOKS FOR GENERATIONS.
JONATHAN CONTINUES A PARADE OF
PUBLIC SERVANTS WILL RAISE THEIR
HANDS AND SWEAR AN OATH TO THE
TRUTH, NOT THE PRESIDENCY
REMTING AN INTEGRAL -- ENTERS
THE CRUCIBLE OF THE PUBLIC
HEARINGS LARGELY ALONE BY HIS
OWN DESIGN.
OWN DESIGN. FOUR HOURS FROM NOW AT
10:00 A.M. EASTERN TIME HISTORY
AFTER A LOT OF BUILDUP, A LOT OF
TALK, A LOT OF HEARINGS AND AK
ACCUSATIONS AND HEARINGS AND
DEPOSITIONS, THE PUBLIC WILL SEE
OUT IN THE OPEN ALONG WITH THE
COMMITTEE WITNESSES WE’VE HEARD
FROM IN PRIVATE NOW TELL THEIR
STORIES IN PUBLIC AGAINST THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
>> JUST A WORD OF WARNING FOR
THE CYNICAL WHO SAY NONE OF THIS
MARRIED, FOR THE
MATTER, WE ALREADY KNOW HOW
REPUBLICANS ARE GOING TO VOTE,
WE ALREADY KNOW HOW DEMOCRATS
ARE GOING TO VOTE, WHAT DOES IT
MATTER?
MATTER? IT MATTERS FIRST OF ALL, IT
MATTERS BECAUSE HISTORY IS
WATCHING.
WATCHING. WE STILL GO BACK TO ’73 AND ’74.
WE FIND OUT THE MEN AND WOMEN
WHO PUT COUNTRY FIRST.
WE FIND OUT THOSE WHO PUT THEIR
POLITICAL PARTY FIRST.
E
E WE STILL HAVE A VERY CLEAR VIEW
OF THOSE WHO CHOSE POWER OVER
PRINCIPLE, AND IT MATTERS.
MOST OF THOSE PLAYERS ARE DEAD
NOW BUT THEIR REPUTATIONS
ENDURE, AND WE HAVE A VERY CLEAR
SIGN OF WHO HAD CHARACTER THEN
AND WHO DIDN’T, AND WHO ACTUALLY
SET AN EXAMPLE FOR FUTURE
GENERATIONS.
GENERATIONS. SO THAT’S JUST -- THAT’S JUST
THE FIRST THING, BUT ALSO, YOU
LOOK AT THE POLL NUMBERS, AND
WE’RE ABOUT 49% IN MOST POLLS,
THE FOX NEWS POLL EARLIER THIS
MONTH HAD 51% OF AMERICANS WANT
WANTING THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES IMPEACHED AND
REMOVED.
REMOVED. THAT’S THE NUMBER YOU HAVE TO
LOOK AT.
LOOK AT. YOU CAN CALL LINDSEY GRAHAM ALL
DAY, IT’S NOT GOING TO MATTER.
YOU CAN SAY HE NEEDS TO BE
IMPEACHED.
IMPEACHED. WHAT MATTERS IN THIS PROCESS HAS
TO DO WITH THESE WITNESSES, THE
IMPACT THAT THEY HAVE ON THE
AMERICAN PUBLIC, AND IF THAT --
THOSE NUMBERS START MOVING INTO
THE MID-TO HIGH 50s, IF THERE
ARE ENOUGH UNDECIDEDS WHO LOOK
AT CAREER DIPLOMATS AND
PROFESSIONALS LIKE BILL TAYLOR
COMING FORWARD, THEN 51 MAY
BECOME 53, 55, 57, 59.
AT THAT POINT THAT’S WHEN YOU
HAVE MITT ROMNEY, CORY GARDNER
IN COLORADO, SUSAN COLLINS IN
MAINE, A LOT OF DIFFERENT
MEMBERS OF THE SENATE
REPUBLICANS WHO REALLY ARE GOING
TO HAVE TO THINK LONG AND HARD
UNDERSTANDING, OKAY, I’M GOING
TO VOTE FOR IMPEACHMENT BECAUSE
IT’S THE RIGHT THING TO DO AND
MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN MY STATE
WANT ME TO DO IT, AND IF I
DON’T, I’M GOING TO LOSE.
I KNOW I’LL LOSE IN THE GENERAL
ELECTION.
ELECTION. THEY’LL JUST HAVE TO MAKE THE
CALCULATION.
CALCULATION. IF IT’S WORTH IT, VOTING FOR
IMPEACHMENT OR VOTING AGAINST
IMPEACHMENT SO THERE’S THAT, BUT
ALSO, I THINK MIKA DONALD TRUMP
HATES THIS PROCESS AS JONATHAN
LA MERE SAID BECAUSE HE DOESN’T
CONTROL IT.
CONTROL IT. THERE ARE GOING TO BE TELEVISED
HEARINGS WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE
WHO HAVE THE CHARACTER HE SO
SORELY LACKS, AND FINALLY, THIS
IS A PROCESS, AND IT’S SOMETHING
THAT I SAID REPEATEDLY IN ’99
WHEN IT WAS DEMOCRATS TALKING
ABOUT HOW IT WAS A COUP.
THIS IS NOT A COUP.
THIS IS A CONSTITUTIONAL
PROCESS.
PROCESS. OUR FOUNDING FATHERS LAID THIS
OUT IN THE UNITED STATES
CONSTITUTION, AND BECAUSE DONALD
TRUMP HATES THE CONSTITUTION,
BECAUSE THE LIMITS OF THE
CONSTITUTION, BECAUSE HE SAYS
ARTICLE 2 GIVES HIM ULTIMATE
POWER TO DO WHATEVER HE WANTS,
HE DOESN’T UNDERSTAND THIS
PROCESS.
PROCESS. IT IS FOREIGN TO HIM.
THAT’S WHY HE CALLS IT A COUP
BECAUSE HE DOES NOT LIVE BY THE
SAME CHECKS AND BALANCES THAT
THE REST OF US DO IN THE
CONSTITUTION.
CONSTITUTION. SO THIS WHOLE PROCESS IS VERY
FOREIGN TO HIM, JOYCE, VERY
FOREIGN TO HIM IN PART BECAUSE
THE CONSTITUTION ITSELF IS
FOREIGN TO HIM.
>> THAT’S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, AND
WE SEE HERE THE DANGER OF THIS
RADICAL EXTREME POWERFUL
PRESIDENCY THAT TRUMP HAS
ADVOCATED FOR PERHAPS LESS
BECAUSE HE UNDERSTANDS THE
CONSTITUTION WHILE THOSE AROUND
HIM NOTABLY BILL BARR HAVE
ADVOCATED FOR AN EXTENSIVE
PRESIDENCY.
PRESIDENCY. TODAY WE CONFRONT WHETHER THERE
ARE ANY LIMITS TO THAT
PRESIDENCY AND WHETHER THIS
PRESIDENT WHO HAS ESCAPED SO
MANY ALLEGATIONS AND SO MANY
SCANDAL FINALLY BEGINS TO BE
HELD ACCOUNTABLE AS THE FACTS
COME TO LIGHT.
>> YEAH, ACTUALLY, JOHN, IN
JONATHAN LEMIRE’S PIECE, THE
WELL-KNOWN PRESIDENTIAL
WELL-KNOWN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN SAYS TRUMP CAN DO AWAY
WITH THE TRADITIONS AND NICETIES
OF THE OFFICE, BUT HE CAN’T GET
AWAY WITH THE CONSTITUTION.
HE’S BUMPING UP AGAINST THE
CONSTITUTION TODAY.
CONSTITUTION TODAY. WE’VE TALKED ABOUT THIS A LOT
THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS AND
SOLEMN PROCESS THAT NOBODY WANTS
TO LIVE IN THE COUNTRY WHERE THE
PRESIDENT IS IMPEACH EFD ED OR H
TO BE IMPEACHED FOR HIS ACTIONS.
WE ALL HOPE BOTH SIDES IN THAT
ROOM TAKE THE HEARING SERIOUSLY
AND TAKE THE PROCESS SERIOUSLY
AND ATTEMPT -- MAYBE I’M BEING
NAIVE HERE -- TO NOT TREAT IT
LIKE A CIRCUS.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT CIRCUS
MENTION.
MENTION. I GET A ROYALTY EVERY TIME YOU
SAY THAT.
SAY THAT. THINK ABOUT IT FROM THE
STANDPOINT OF HOW THE PARTIES
ARE LOOKING AT IT AND NOT
CASTING PROSPECTIVE ASPERSIONS
ON ANYONE.
ON ANYONE. I THINK YOU’RE GOING TO BE
DISAPPOINTED.
DISAPPOINTED. THE REALITY IS DEMOCRATS ARE
GOING TO TRY TO BE SOLEMN.
I THINK THEY RECOGNIZE IT IS IN
THEIR POLITICAL INTEREST IF
THEY’RE TRYING TO PERSUADE
AMERICANS ON THE FENCE ABOUT
THIS PRESIDENT, IT’S GOOD OPTICS
IN A WAY FOR THERE TO BE GRAVITY
ASSOCIATED WITH THIS.
I DON’T MEAN TO BE CYNICAL ABOUT
THIS.
THIS. THEY RECOGNIZE IT’S IN THEIR
INTERESTS TO TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY
AND PROJECT A SEW LEMTY, A
SOBRIETY ABOUT IT.
REPUBLICANS DO NOT SEE IT THAT
WAY.
WAY. THEY’RE NOT TRYING TO PERSUADE
PEOPLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
COUNTRY WHO ARE UNCERTAIN.
WHAT THE REPUBLICANS ARE TRYING
TO DO IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT
35 TO 39% OF THE ELECTORATE
THAT’S BEEN WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP
THAT THEY STAY WITH HIM.
THEY’RE NOT TRYING TO MOVE
PEOPLE IN THE MIDDLE TO THEIR
POINT OF VIEW.
WHAT THEY’RE TRYING TO DO IS
KEEP THAT BASE INTACT.
I THINK REPUBLICANS HAVE NO
INTENTION OF BEING SOLEMN.
AND I’LL GIVE YOU THE ONE PIECE
ABOUT WHY WE KNOW THAT’S TRUE.
JIM JORDAN.