SHOW FROM SOME GARAGE IN AUSTIN BUT I THINK WE’RE BETTER OFF
STAYING RIGHT HERE.
>> THAT’S WISE.
>> THANKS.
>> THANKS. >> WHAT HAPPENS WHEN AN
IMPEACHMENT INVESTIGATION OF THE
PRESIDENT FINDS THE SMOKING GUN
ON THE FIRST OFFICIAL DAY OF THE
IMPEACHMENT INVESTIGATION?
IMPEACHMENT INVESTIGATION? THAT’S WHERE WE ARE TONIGHT.
THE SMOKING GUN AND THE
IMPEACHMENT INVESTIGATION OF
PRESIDENT NIXON THAT FORCED HIM
TO RESIGN HIS OFFICE WAS
DISCOVERED A YEAR INTO THE
IMPEACHMENT INVESTIGATION WHICH
WAS ACTUALLY A YEAR AND A HALF
AFTER CONGRESS FIRST BEGAN
INVESTIGATING THE NIXON WHITE
HOUSE.
HOUSE. HOUSE COMMITTEES WERE ALREADY
INVESTIGATING DONALD TRUMP AND
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.
BUT NANCY PELOSI OFFICIALLY
STARTED THE INQUIRY ON TUESDAY
NIGHT.
NIGHT. AND ON WEDNESDAY, THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES HAD THE SMOKING
GUN.
GUN. THE RECORD OF PRESIDENT TRUMP’S
PHONE CALL WITH THE PRESIDENT OF
UKRAINE.
UKRAINE. AND WHAT WE’RE NOW SEEING IS
THAT GETTING THE SMOKING GUN ON
DAY ONE PUTS AN IMPEACHMENT
INVESTIGATION ON THE FASTEST
TRACK WE HAVE EVER SEEN FOR AN
IMPEACHMENT INVESTIGATION, AND
TODAY’S HEARING IN THE HOUSE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE WAS THE
FIRST HEARING IN THAT
IMPEACHMENT INVESTIGATION.
IMPEACHMENT INVESTIGATION. UNDER THAT OFFICIAL IMPEACHMENT
INVESTIGATION UMBRELLA.
INVESTIGATION UMBRELLA. AND IT HAS THE PRESIDENT’S
ALLIES SHAKING.
ALLIES SHAKING. GABE SHERMAN WHO LITERALLY WROTE
THE BOOK ABOUT INSIDE FOX NEWS
THAT WAS RECENTLY TURNED INTO
THE SHOWTIME MINI SERIES, THE
LAST VOICE, IS REPORTING THAT
THE FORMER SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
PAUL RYAN IS TELLING THE OWNERS
OF FOX NEWS, THE MURDOCH FAMILY,
TO PREPARE FOR THE END OF THE
TRUMP ERA.
TRUMP ERA. GABE SHERMAN WILL JOIN US WITH
HIS REPORTING AT THE END OF THE
HOUR.
HOUR. AND WE WILL BE ON THE FAST TRACK
TO IMPEACHMENT FOR THE REST OF
THIS HOUR.
THIS HOUR. WE’LL BE JOINED BY TWO JURORS IN
THE IMPEACHMENT TRIAL OF DONALD
J. TRUMP IN THE UNITED STATES
SENATE.
SENATE. IF THAT’S WHERE THE IMPEACHMENT
PROCESS ENDS UP TWO SENATORS ON
THE COMMITTEE WHICH HAS NO
FORMAL ROLE IN THE IMPEACHMENT
BUT COULD CONDUCT INVESTIGATIVE
HEARINGS OF ITS OWN.
AND WE WILL BE JOINED BY A TEAM
OF EXPERTS WHO HAVE BEEN GUIDING
US THROUGH THIS STORY FOR OVER A
WEEK NOW INCLUDING A FORMER
INSPECTOR GENERAL WHO HAS
COVERED SITUATIONS LIKE THIS
BEFORE.
BEFORE. WE’LL BE JOINED BY LARRY
PFEIFFER.
PFEIFFER. HE WAS IN CHARGE OF HANDLING THE
TRANSCRIPTS FOR PRESIDENT
OBAMA’S PHONE CALLS WITH THE
LEADERS OF FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS.
WE’LL GET HIS REACTION TODAY.
AND THE WHISTLEBLOWER’S REPORT
OF WHAT THAT TO THE RECORD OF
PRESIDENT TRUMP’S PHONE CALL
WITH THE PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE.
TONIGHT, WE NOW KNOW WHAT THE
FIRST ARTICLE OF IMPEACHMENT
AGAINST PRESIDENT DONALD J.
TRUMP WILL BE.
AND WE KNOW AS OF TONIGHT, THE
PRESIDENT HAS NO DEFENSE TO THAT
ARTICLE OF DEFENSE BECAUSE NO
DEFENSE OF THE PRESIDENT’S
CONDUCT WAS PRESENTED BY
REPUBLICANS TODAY IN THE HOUSE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE HEARING.
AND THAT IS BY FAR THE MOST
IMPORTANT THING THAT DID NOT
HAPPEN IN THAT HEARING TODAY.
THE PRESIDENT WAS NOT DEFENDED
IN THAT HEARING.
REPUBLICANS DEFENDED THE
WITNESS, THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, JOSEPH
MAGUIRE.
MAGUIRE. SOME OF THE REPUBLICANS TOOK
EXPECTED SWIPES AT DEMOCRATS,
BUT THEY DID NOT DEFEND THE
CONDUCT OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES THAT WAS THE
SUBJECT OF TODAY’S HEARING.
REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN MIKE
TURNER HAS ALWAYS BEEN A STAUNCH
DEFENDER OF DONALD TRUMP.
UNTIL TODAY.
UNTIL TODAY. >> I’VE READ THE TRANSCRIPT OF
THE CONVERSATION WITH THE
PRESIDENT AND THE PRESIDENT OF
THE UKRAINE.
THE UKRAINE. CONCERNING THAT CONVERSATION, I
WANT TO SAY, PRESIDENT, THIS IS
NOT OKAY.
NOT OKAY. THAT CONVERSATION IS NOT OKAY.
AND I THINK IT IS DISAPPOINTING
TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC WHEN THEY
READ THE TRANSCRIPT.
>> THAT CONVERSATION IS NOT
OKAY.
OKAY. NOT OKAY?
NOT OKAY? HOW NOT OKAY WAS THAT
CONVERSATION?
CONVERSATION? >> THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES HAS BETRAYED HIS OATH OF
OFFICE.
OFFICE. BETRAYED HIS OATH TO DEFEND OUR
NATIONAL SECURITY AND BETRAYED
HIS OATH TO DEFEND OUR
CONSTITUTION.
CONSTITUTION. FOR YESTERDAY WE WERE PRESENTED
WITH A RECORD OF A CALL BETWEEN
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES AND THE PRESIDENT OF
UKRAINE IN WHICH THE PRESIDENT,
OUR PRESIDENT, SACRIFICED OUR
NATIONAL SECURITY AND OUR
CONSTITUTION FOR HIS PERSONAL
POLITICAL BENEFIT.
POLITICAL BENEFIT. >> AND NOT ONE REPUBLICAN MEMBER
OF THE HOUSE TENSION COMMITTEE
TODAY SAID DONALD TRUMP DID NOT
BETRAY HIS OATH OF OFFICE.
NOT ONE OF THEM.
THEY DID NOT SAY CHAIRMAN SCHIFF
IS WRONG.
IS WRONG. PRESIDENT TRUMP DID NOT BETRAY
HIS OATH OF OFFICE.
THEY DID NOT SAY, SPEAKER NANCY
PELOSI WAS WRONG ON TUESDAY WHEN
SHE ANNOUNCED AN OFFICIAL
IMPEACHMENT INVESTIGATION
IMPEACHMENT INVESTIGATION BECAUSE AS SHE PUT IT, THE
PRESIDENT BETRAYED HIS OATH OF
OFFICE.
OFFICE. >> THE PRESIDENT HAS ADMITTED TO
ASKING THE PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE
TO TAKE ACTIONS WHICH WOULD
BENEFIT HIM POLITICALLY.
THE ACTIONS OF THE TRUMP
PRESIDENCY REVEALED DISHONORABLE
FACT OF THE PRESIDENT’S
BETRAYAL, OF HIS OATH OF OFFICE,
BETRAYAL OF OUR NATIONAL
SECURITY AND BETRAYAL OF THE
INTEGRITY OF OUR ELECTIONS.
>> THE REPUBLICANS AND THE
REPUBLICAN STAFF HAD 48 HOURS TO
WRITE THEIR SPEECHES FOR TODAY’S
HEARING CONDEMNING NANCY PELOSI
FOR SAYING THE PRESIDENT
BETRAYED HIS OATH OF OFFICE AND
NOT ONE OF THEM DID THAT.
NOT ONE.
NOT ONE. THE REPUBLICANS HAVE NO DEFENSE
FOR WHAT THE PRESIDENT SAID ON
THE PHONE TO PRESIDENT ZELENSKY
OF UKRAINE.
OF UKRAINE. SO DONALD TRUMP CAN NOW SPEND
HIS FIRST NIGHT IN THE WHITE
HOUSE FACING THE ABSOLUTE
CERTAINTY THAT HE WILL BE
IMPEACHED BY THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES BECAUSE THE
DEMOCRATS THIS WEEK WERE ALREADY
UNITED ON THE FASTEST TRACK TO
IMPEACHMENT THAT WE HAVE EVER
SEEN AFTER THE SUDDEN REVELATION
OF DAMNING EVIDENCE.
AND TODAY DEMOCRATS DISCOVERED
THAT HOUSE REPUBLICANS HAVE NO
DEFENSE OF DONALD TRUMP’S
CONDUCT WITH THE PRESIDENT OF
UKRAINE.
UKRAINE. THERE WILL BE MORE HEARINGS.
THERE WILL BE MORE WITNESSES.
THERE WILL BE MORE QUESTIONS.
BUT THE DIE IS CAST.
DONALD TRUMP WILL BECOME THE
THIRD PRESIDENT IN HISTORY
IMPEACHED BY THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES BECAUSE NOTHING
IN THE UPCOMING HEARINGS CAN
CHANGE A WORD THAT DONALD TRUMP
SAID ON THAT PHONE CALL TO THE
PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE.
THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE BELIEVES
THERE IS EVIDENCE ON THAT PHONE
CALL THAT DONALD TRUMP COMMITTED
A FEDERAL CRIME.
THE CRIME OF SOLICITING HELP
FROM A FOREIGN COUNTRY FOR HIS
RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN.
RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN. IN THAT DISCUSSION WITH THE
UNITED NATIONS YESTERDAY, MUCH
WAS MADE OF THE QUESTION OF DID
DONALD TRUMP PRESSURE THE
PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE?
THE PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE SAID HE
DID NOT FEEL PUSHED TO WHICH
DONALD TRUMP THAT, IN OTHER
WORDS, NO PRESSURE.
THE PROBLEM FOR DONALD TRUMP IS,
PRESSURE IS LEGALLY IRRELEVANT.
THE LAW THE INSPECTOR GENERAL
CITED SAID IT IS UNLAWFUL FOR A
PERSON TO SOLICIT HELP FROM A
FOREIGN COUNTRY FOR AN AMERICAN
POLITICAL CAMPAIGN.
POLITICAL CAMPAIGN. THE WORD PRESSURE DOES NOT
APPEAR IN THAT LAW.
THE WORD IN THE LAW IS SOLICIT.
UNFORTUNATELY, MOST OF THE NEWS
MEDIA IS FALLING FOR THE TRUMP
FRAIL OF THE ISSUE AND USING THE
WORD PRESSURE IN THEIR COVERAGE
OF THE PHONE CALL AS IF PRESSURE
MATTERS.
MATTERS. THAT IS THE WRONG FRAME FOR THE
CRIME THAT THE INSPECTOR GENERAL
IS CONCERNED ABOUT.
IT IS A CRIME TO ASK FOR
CAMPAIGN HELP FROM A FOREIGN
PERSON OR A FOREIGN COUNTRY.
EVEN IF YOU ASK POLITELY, EVEN
IF YOU ASK RESPECTFULLY.
AND THE RECORD OF THE PHONE CALL
SHOWS DONALD TRUMP ASKED.
I WOULD LIKE YOU TO DO US A
FAVOR THOUGH.
FAVOR THOUGH. THOSE WORDS HAVE NOW BECOME THE
MOST FAMOUS WORDS OF THE TRUMP
PRESIDENCY.
PRESIDENCY. BECAUSE THAT IS HOW DONALD TRUMP
BEGAN HIS REQUEST FOR HELP IN
HIS RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN FROM
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UKRAINE.
ILLEGAL HELP.
ILLEGAL HELP. AND THEN THE PRESIDENT WENT ON
AND ON AND ON ABOUT WANTING THE
PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE TO ORDER AN
INVESTIGATION OF JOE BIDEN AND
JOE BIDEN’S SON.
THERE’S A LOT OF TALK ABOUT
BIDEN’S SON, THAT BIDEN STOPPED
THE PROSECUTION ON A LOT OF
PEOPLE WANT TO FIND OUT ABOUT
THAT.
THAT. SO WHATEVER YOU CAN DO WITH THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL WOULD BE GREAT.
BIDEN WENT AROUND BRAGGING THAT
HE STOPPED THE PROSECUTION.
SO IF YOU CAN LOOK INTO IT.
IT SOUNDS HORRIBLE TO ME.
AND THAT NOW SOUNDS HORRIBLE TO
MOST AMERICANS.
MOST AMERICANS. IT SOUNDS LIKE A CRIME.
IT EVEN SOUNDS LIKE AN ABUSE OF
POWER, IF NOT A CRIME.
IT DEFINITELY SOUNDS LIKE A
VIOLATION OF THE PRESIDENT’S
OATH OF OFFICE.
AND IT SOUNDS HORRIBLE ENOUGH TO
EVERYONE IN CONGRESS WHO HAS
TAKEN AN OATH TO PRESERVE,
PROTECT AND DEFEND THE
CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED
STATES AGAINST ALL ENEMIES,
FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC.
THAT NONE OF THEM.
NOT EVEN THE REPUBLICANS ARE
DEFENDING THOSE WORDS THAT
DONALD TRUMP SAID, ABOUT
INVESTIGATING JOE BIDEN TO THE
PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE.
IT TAKES 218 VOTES TO IMPEACH
THE PRESIDENT IN THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES.
REPRESENTATIVES. THE DEMOCRATS ALREADY HAVE 223
MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE WHO SUPPORT
AN IMPEACHMENT INVESTIGATION.
THE PRESIDENT BASED ON THIS
PHONE CALL ALONE.
AND TONIGHT THE "WASHINGTON
POST" IS REPORTING THAT SOME
UNNAMED DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS OF
THE HOUSE AND DEMOCRATIC STAFF