FOR IMPEACHMENT DONALD. THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT IMPEACHING
YOU, BUT HE DOESN’T WATCH.
WE’LL HAVE MUCH MORE ON THE
SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS POLLING IN
JUST A MOMENT.
>>> WE ALSO LEARNED YESTERDAY
THAT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
WILL NOT COOPERATE WITH THE
INQUIRY CALLING IT ILLEGITIMATE
AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL. WE’VE GOT THE FIRST SIGN OF THAT
WHEN THE STATE DEPARTMENT
BLOCKED E.U. AMBASSADOR, GORDON
SONDLAND A KEY WITNESS IN THE
PROBE FROM TESTIFYING BEFORE
CONGRESS.
CONGRESS. DEMOCRATS RESPONDED TO THAT BY
ISSUEING A SUBPOENA TO COMPEL HI
TESTIMONY AND FOR DOCUMENTS
RELATED TO THE PRESIDENT’S
EFFORTS TO GET UKRAINIAN
OFFICIALS TO INVESTIGATE JOE
BIDEN AND HIS SON.
AND REMEMBER THE TEXT MESSAGE
THAT DIPLOMAT BILL TAYLOR SENT
SONDLAND THAT SAID IT WAS,
QUOTE, CRAZY TO WITHHOLD
MILITARY AID TO UKRAINE TO HELP
THE PRESIDENT’S CAMPAIGN?
A SOURCE NOW TELLS NBC NEWS THAT
BEFORE RESPONDING HOURS LATER,
QUOTE, NO QUID PRO QUO, SONDLAND
ACTUALLY CALLED AND CONSULTED
WITH THE PRESIDENT.
THERE’S ALSO NEW REPORTING
RELATED TO THE PRESIDENT’S CALL
WITH THE PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE.
ACCORDING TO THE "NEW YORK
TIMES," ONE DAY AFTER THAT CALL,
THE WHISTLE-BLOWER WROTE A MEMO
ABOUT A WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL WHO
WAS, QUOTE, VISIBLY SHAKEN AFTER
LISTENING TO THE CONVERSATION
AND CITING TWO SOURCES, CNN IS
REPORTING THAT THE PRESIDENT’S
DEMAND FOR ENERGY SECRETARY RICK
PERRY AND TWO OTHER TOP STATE
DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS TO WORK
WITH RUDY GIULIANI ON UKRAINE
DATES BACK TO AT LEAST MAY, AND
THEN THERE’S THIS.
DESPITE THE PRESIDENT’S QUEST TO
PROVE THAT UKRAINE INTERFERED IN
THE 2016 ELECTION TO HELP
HILLARY CLINTON, THE
REPUBLICAN-LED SENATE
REPUBLICAN-LED SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE RELEASED
A BIPARTISAN REPORT YESTERDAY
THAT AFFIRMS THE ASSESSMENT FROM
THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY THAT
RUSSIA USED A VAST SOCIAL MEDIA
CAMPAIGN TO HELP TRUMP WIN THE
ELECTION.
ELECTION. JOE, A LOT TO UNPACK HERE BEFORE
WE EVEN GET TO THE WHITE HOUSE
RESPONSE TO THE IMPEACHMENT
INQUIRY.
INQUIRY. >> WHY DON’T WE START WITH THAT
LAST ITEM.
LAST ITEM. YOU KNOW, JOHN MEACHAM,
REPUBLICANS AND DEFENDERS,
PEOPLE WHO BLINDLY DEFEND DONALD
TRUMP REGARDLESS ALWAYS SEIZE ON
THE MUELLER REPORT AND SAY THERE
WAS NO COLLUSION.
THERE WAS A RUSSIAN WITCH HUNT,
IT WAS A WITCH HUNT, IT WAS A
HOAX AND BREEZE PAST ALL OF THE
TROUBLING FINDINGS IN THERE.
WE STILL HAVE A PRESIDENT WHO IS
STILL CHASING DOWN CONSPIRACY
THEORIES ACROSS THE WORLD WITH
HIS ATTORNEY GENERAL INSTEAD OF
WORRYING ABOUT WHAT’S GOING ON
AT HOME TRYING TO PROVE THAT THE
RUSSIANS, IN FACT, WERE NOT AT
THE CENTER OF IT, THAT IT WAS
UKRAINE OR SOMEBODY ELSE.
CROWD STRIKE.
CROWD STRIKE. HERE WE HAVE THE REPUBLICAN-LED
INTEL COMMITTEE AND THE SENATE
SAYING FOR HIS STORY AS A MATTER
OF FACT THAT THE RUSSIANS
ACTUALLY DID INFLUENCE OUR 2016
ELECTION.
ELECTION. THEY TRIED TO INFLUENCE IT AT
LEAST FOR THE SAKE OF DONALD
TRUMP.
TRUMP. THEY ARE NOW LINED UP WITH THE
FBI, THE CIA, EVERY FEDERAL
AGENCY NOW AGREES ON THE SAME
THING ALONG WITH THE SENATE
INTEL COMMITTEE THAT THE
RUSSIANS TRIED TO INFLUENCE THE
ELECTION TO HELP ELECT DONALD
TRUMP.
TRUMP. THE ONLY PERSON IN WASHINGTON
APPARENTLY WHO STILL DOESN’T
BELIEVE THIS IS DONALD TRUMP.
>> RIGHT, WELL, HE SAYS HE
DOESN’T BELIEVE IT, AND I
SUSPECT WHAT WE’RE GOING TO SEE
HERE IS A REVIFIFICATION, IF YOU
WILL, A RENEWAL OF THE OUTRAGE
OF THE CONCERN OF THE FACT THAT
OUR NATIONAL SECURITY HAS BEEN
AT RISK HERE, AND WE DON’T HAVE
TO BE HYSTERICAL ABOUT IT.
THIS DOESN’T HAVE TO BE A
PARTISAN ISSUE.
PARTISAN ISSUE. THAT’S THE CRITICAL THING HERE.
THESE ARE PRETTY COLD FACTS,
STONE COLD TO USE ONE OF THE
PRESIDENT’S FAVORITE LOCUTIONS.
I GO BACK TO THAT CRAZY LIBERAL
DICK CHENEY WHO SAID THAT IF, IN
FACT, RUSSIA TRIED TO TAMPER
WITH THE ELECTIONS, INFLUENCE
THE ELECTIONS, IT WAS AN ACT OF
WAR.
WAR. WELL, HERE WE HAVE IT, AND I
THINK THAT ALSO PUTS THE ENTIRE
STORY IN A CONTEXT THAT, AGAIN,
NO MATTER WHERE YOU STAND ON THE
IDEOLOGICAL SPECTRUM BE DRIVEN
BY THE FACTS, AND AS YOU SAY,
HERE’S A REPUBLICAN-LED
COMMITTEE SAYING WHAT SEEMS TO
BE OBVIOUS, AND THAT’S THE
CONTEXT IN WHICH WE’RE DEAL ING
HERE.
HERE. WE HAVE BEEN UNDER ATTACK FROM A
FOREIGN POWER THAT WANTS TO SOW
CHAOS, ASKND THEY’VE DONE IT.
HERE WE ARE.
>> WELL, AND YOU KNOW, DAVID
IGNATIUS TINGI THINK AT THIS POI
WE JUST NEED TO GO DOWN THE LIST
AGAIN BECAUSE IT IS SO DAMNING
TO THE PRESIDENT AND MITCH
McCONNELL, BOTH OF WHOM CONTINUE
TO TRY TO BLOCK ALL EFFORTS TO
PUT UP THE TYPE OF SECURITY THAT
WE NEED TO PREVENT RUSSIA FROM
INTERFERING IN 2020, BUT YOU
HAVE TRUMP’S DIRECTOR OF THE
FBI, TRUMP’S APPOINTED DIRECTOR
OF THE CIA,.
YOU HAD TRUMP’S, THE SECRETARY
OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY ALL SAYING DIRECTLY
THAT THIS WAS AN IMMINENT THREAT
TO AMERICAN DEMOCRACY.
YOU EVEN HAD TRUMP’S ACTING MBI
GO TO THE HILL LAST WEEK AND
SAYING FAR MORE THAN THE THERMO
NUCLEAR BLAST FROM NORTH KOREA
OR ANOTHER COUNTRY THE GREATEST
THREAT TO AMERICA WAS RUSSIA
INTERFERING IN OUR ELECTIONS.
YOU NOW HAVE THE REPUBLICAN LED
SENATE INTEL COMMITTEE TRAUGDRAW
THIS SAME CONCLUSION, AND AGAIN,
NOT ONLY DONALD TRUMP, BUT MITCH
McCONNELL DOING ABSOLUTELY
NOTHING TO PROTECT US IN 2020
FROM A SIMILAR ATTACK THAT ALL
OF THESE AGENCIES SAY IS THE
GREATEST THREAT TO AMERICAN
DEMOCRACY.
DEMOCRACY. >> I THINK THE IMPORTANCE OF
THIS BIPARTISAN SENATE REPORT IS
THAT IT UNDERMAINSINES THE NARRA
THAT DONALD TRUMP’S ATTORNEY
GENERAL WILLIAM BARR EVEN NOW IS
TRYING TO CONSTRUCT ABOUT SOME
KIND OF DEEP STATE PLOT TO DO IN
THE PRESIDENT, TO CAMPAIGN
AGAINST HIM, TO REVERSE HIS
ELECTION.
ELECTION. THAT’S WHAT BARR HAS BEEN
TRAVELING AROUND EUROPE TRYING
TO GATHER EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT,
AND HERE IS THE SENATE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE LED BY A
REPUBLICAN, WHICH SAYS NO,
WHATEVER BARR TURNS UP IS
IRRELEVANT TO THE FACTS THAT WE
HAVE GATHERED THAT SHOW RUSSIAN
ATTEMPTS TO INTERFERE IN OUR
ELECTION, TO SUPPORT TRUMP, TO
HINDER HILLARY CLINTON.
I THINK THAT’S THE KEY.
IT’S ONE MORE VOICE, BUT IT’S A
PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT ONE.
WE’LL HEAR A LOT MORE ABOUT THAT
COUNTER NARRATIVE.
COUNTER NARRATIVE. THAT’S JUST BEGINNING TO CREST,
AND THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE
OUT THERE WHO SUPPORT DONALD
TRUMP WHO BELIEVE IT, SO IT’S
REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE THIS
BIPARTISAN COUNTER EVIDENCE COME
OUT NOW.
OUT NOW. >> AND AS THEY MIGHT SAY IN
CONGRESS, A POINT OF PERSONAL
PRIVILEGE HERE, I CAME INTO
CONGRESS IN 1994 WITH A LOT OF
PEOPLE WHO WERE CONSERVATIVE
FIRE BRANDS WHO SAID THEY WERE
GOING TO FIGHT FOR THE
CONSERVATIVE CAUSE.
CONSERVATIVE CAUSE. I’VE SEEN SO MANY OF THEM FALL
BY THE WAYSIDE, SO MANY OF THEM
ACT IN WAYS THAT HAVE
DISAPPOINTED NOT ONLY ME BUT
REAL COFFINNSERVATIVES.
REAL COFFINNSERVATIVES. I CAME IN WITH RICHARD BURR, AND
I DID NOT EXPECT ALL THESE YEARS
LATER, 20 YEARS LATER THAT HE
WOULD BE THE ONE WHO WAS REALLY
ONE OF THE MOST STEADFAST
ADVOCATES, ONE OF THE
STRAIGHTEST SHOOTERS FOR THE
RULE OF LAW, FOR TRUTH, FOR
PROTECTING THE COUNTRY.
I ALWAYS LIKED HIM, BUT HE
WASN’T A FIRE BRAND.
HE JUST QUIETLY SAT BACK AND DID
HIS JOB.
HIS JOB. I’LL BE DARNED IF HE’S NOT THE
GUY OUT OF ALL OF THOSE THAT I
CAME IN WITH WHO RIGHT NOW IS
PUTTING HIS COUNTRY ABOVE HIS
PARTY.
PARTY. IT’S A VERY RARE THING SADLY IN
WASHINGTON, D.C. THESE DAYS, BUT
THAT’S WHAT HE’S DOING.
>> JOE, YOU SAID THAT EXACTLY
RIGHT.
RIGHT. HE’S GOT -- HE HAS GOT THE BACK
OF HIS RANKING MEMBER, MARK
WARNER, AND MARK WARNER HAS
RICHARD BURR’S BACK, AND THAT’S
THE WAY IT’S SUPPOSED TO WORK.
>> THAT’S THE WAY WASHINGTON’S
SUPPOSED TO WORK, AND THAT’S THE
WAY IT DOES WORK WHEN AMERICAN
LEADERS ARE ACTUALLY DOING THE
RIGHT THING AND ARE MORE
INTERESTED IN HELPING AMERICA
MOVE FORWARD THAN THEIR OWN
POLITICAL CAREERS.
POLITICAL CAREERS. CHUCK ROSENBERG, WE TALKED EARLY
ON ABOUT THE TRUMP WHITE HOUSE
BASICALLY DECLARING WAR ON THIS
IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY.
IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY. LET’S TALK ABOUT WHAT IT IS AND
WHAT IT ISN’T.
DURING THE MUELLER INVESTIGATION
TIME AND AGAIN, I WAS CONCERNED
ABOUT A CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS IF
DONALD TRUMP FIRED MUELLER, IF
THERE WAS LIKE A SATURDAY NIGHT
MASSACRE OR IF A JUDICIAL RULING
CAME DOWN AND THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION REFUSED TO FOLLOW
THAT JUDICIAL RULING.
THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A
CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS.
CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS. THIS IS MORE OF A POLITICAL
BATTLE, A PITCHED HEATED
POLITICAL BATTLE, BUT NOT
EXACTLY A CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS.
SO THAT BEING SAID, WHAT ARE
SOME OF THE -- THIS ISN’T NIXON
DEFYING THE SUPREME COURT, IF HE
HAD DEFIED THE SUPREME COURT.
THESE ARE TWO BRANCHES OF
GOVERNMENT FIGHTING EACH OTHER,
SO IS THERE A LEGAL REMEDY?
CAN THESE COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN AND
CHAIR WOMEN GO TO THE COURTS AND
HAVE TESTIMONY COMPELLED?
>> THEORETICALLY, YES, JOE.
PRACTICALLY, IT’S GOING TO TAKE
A VERY LONG TIME, AND THAT’S THE
PROBLEM.
PROBLEM. YOU KNOW THIS FROM HAVING SERVED
AS A MEMBER, TYPICALLY THIS IS
DONE THROUGH ACCOMMODATION, BUT
HERE THE WHITE HOUSE HAS
SIGNALED VERY CLEARLY THAT THEY
DON’T WANT TO ACCOMMODATE ANYONE
OR ANYTHING.
OR ANYTHING. ONE THING THAT I THINK WE SHOULD
TAKE FROM THIS, SOME CONTEXT IF
YOU WILL, BECAUSE I WAS A
PROSECUTOR FOR A LONG TIME.
LOTS AND LOTS OF TIMES PEOPLE
THAT WE INVESTIGATE, SUBJECTS OR
TARGETS, DON’T COOPERATE WITH
US.
US. THEY DESTROY DOCUMENTS.
THEY WITHHOLD EVIDENCE.
THEY LIE OR COUNSEL OTHERS TO
LIE.
LIE. AND NEVERTHELESS WE’RE ABLE TO
PROSECUTE OUR CASES.
IF YOU WANT A REAL LIFE EXAMPLE
OF THAT.
OF THAT. LOOK AT VOLUME 2 OF THE MUELLER
REPORT WHERE THE WHITE HOUSE
OBSTRUCTED THE INVESTIGATION FOR
MONTHS ON END, AND THE MUELLER
TEAM WAS STILL ABLE TO DETAIL
WHAT HAPPENED AND WHY CAN THEY
DO THAT?
DO THAT? BECAUSE THERE ARE OTHER PLACES
TO GO TO GET INFORMATION.
RIGHT NOW WE’RE SEEING THAT,
EVEN WITH THE UKRAINE MATTER,
THERE’S LOTS OF INFORMATION OUT
THERE FROM OTHER SOURCES, FROM
TEXT MESSAGES, FROM
RECOLLECTIONS, RIGHT?
RECOLLECTIONS, RIGHT? FROM TESTIMONY THAT
INVESTIGATORS WILL GET EVEN
WITHOUT THE WHITE HOUSE’S
COOPERATION.
COOPERATION. SO DEEPLY UNFORTUNATE, NOT
TERRIBLY SURPRISING, BUT IT
DOESN’T MEAN THAT THE
INVESTIGATION COMES TO A DEAD
HALT.
HALT. >> YEAH, AND YOU KNOW, WILLIE,
IT’S NOT LIKE THE WHITE HOUSE,
THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH IS HOLDING
ALL THE CARDS.
THE HOUSE HAS THE POWER OF THE
PURSE.
PURSE. THEY HAVE THE CHECKBOOK.
THEY CAN CREATIVELY FIGURE OUT
WAYS TO SQUEEZE THE WHITE HOUSE,
TO SQUEEZE DONALD TRUMP, AT
LEAST -- WE DID THAT TIME AND
AGAIN WHERE WE SQUEEZED THE
WHITE HOUSE, AND AT THE VERY
LEAST YOU GET PEOPLE SITTING
DOWN AT THE TABLE AND FIGURE
OUT, ALL RIGHT, HOW DO WE BREAK
THIS IMPASSE.
THIS IMPASSE. >> YEAH, BECAUSE WHEN YOU GET TO
THE POINT WHERE THE HOUSE IS
ISSUING SUBPOENAS, AND THE WHITE
HOUSE IS NOW SAYING EXPLICITLY
IN A LETTER SENT TO THE HOUSE
WE’RE NOT GOING TO COMPLY WITH
ANY OF THAT.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
ASK
ASK AND YOU JUST OFFERED ONE
SOLUTION TO IT.
IT’S KIND OF A MOMENT WHERE BOTH
SIDES ARE GOING TO SIT THERE AND
STARE AT EACH OTHER IN A
STANDOFF.
STANDOFF. IT’S RARE YOU SEE THIS IN A
LETTER JUST AN EXPLICIT
STATEMENT THAT WE’RE GOING TO
OBSTRUCT YOUR INVESTIGATION.
WE PUT IT DOWN IN WRITING.
IT’S SORT OF A -- IT’S A
POLITICAL DEFENSE WRITTEN IN
TRUMP LANGUAGE MASTERQUERADING A
LEGAL DOCUMENT.
LEGAL DOCUMENT. >> YOU NAILED IT.
I WAS READING IT LAST NIGHT
EIGHT PAGES FROM THE WHILE HOUSE
COUNSEL, ONE-THIRD OF IT IS
LEGALESE AS IT OUGHT TO BE AND
TWO-THIRDS IS A POLITICAL TRACK.
THE NEWS OUT OF IT, AND I
REALIZE THAT MOST HIGH SCHOOLS,
GRAMMAR SCHOOLS IN THIS COUNTRY
NO LONGER TEACH CIVICS, BUT THIS
LETTER AND THE BEHAVIOR OF THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS
BASICALLY AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT
THERE IS ONLY ONE BRANCH OF
GOVERNMENT, THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH
OF GOVERNMENT, AND CHUCK, TO
THAT POINT, THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH
OF GOVERNMENT -- AND THIS WAS
REFERENCED BY DAVID IGNATIUS A
COUPLE OF MINUTES AGO -- THE
CONTINUING ROYALEING ROLE OF THE
GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES IN
ALL OF THIS BILL BARR, FROM THE
GET-GO FROM HIS PREEMPTIVE
ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT WHAT WAS IN
THE MUELLER REPORT, WHAT WAS NOT
IN THE MUELLER REPORT SKEWING
PEOPLE’S PERCEPTIONS OF THAT
REPORT TO HIS LATEST VENTURE
OVERSEAS WITH JOHN DURHAM, WHO
HAS BEEN ASSIGNED AS AN
INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATOR, AND HE
HAS THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
APPARENTLY LOOKING OVER HIS
SHOULDER AS HE TRIES -- AS THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL TRIES TO
CONCOCT SOME ALTERNATIVE THEORY
TO WHAT HAPPENED IN 2016, YOU’RE
A VETERAN PROSECUTOR.
YOU’RE A VETERAN OF THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT, YOU’RE A VETERAN OF
THE FBI, WHAT’S YOUR REACTION TO
HIM?
HIM? >> YOU KNOW, I HAD SAID FOR
MONTHS, MIKE, THAT I THOUGHT
BARR WAS A PRINCIPALED
INSTITUTIONALIST, AND THEN I
SAID I THINK ON THIS SHOW, I WAS
FLAT OUT WRONG.
I HAD IT WRONG.
I’VE BEEN DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED
ABOUT WHAT I’VE SEEN, AND THAT
FIRST THING, THAT FIRST THING
THAT REALLY SORT OF SHOOK ME WAS
MR. BARR’S MISCHARACTERIZATION
OF BOB MUELLER’S WORK.
AND AS YOU KNOW AND AS YOU’VE
SAID, RIGHT, ONCE THAT LIE IS
OUT THERE, IT’S REALLY HARD FOR
THE TRUTH TO CATCH UP.
AND WE SAW THAT WITH THE MUELLER
REPORT.
REPORT. PEOPLE STILL DON’T UNDERSTAND
WHAT BOB MUELLER FOUND, AND
THAT’S DEEPLY DISAPPOINTING.
ALL THAT SAID, I ALSO HAVE
CONFIDENCE IN JOHN DURHAM.
I KNOW JOHN, I TRUST JOHN, I
LIKE JOHN, AND I RESPECT JOHN.
WHAT I’M WORRIED ABOUT IS NOT
JOHN OR HIS FINDINGS OR HIS
WORK, WHAT I’M WORRIED ABOUT AS
WITH THE MUELLER REPORT IS THE
TENDENCY FOR THIS ATTORNEY
GENERAL TO MISCHARACTERIZE THAT
WORK, AND THAT’S THE DANGER.
IT’S NOT WHAT JOHN IS DOING OR
WHAT JOHN MIGHT FIND.
IT’S HOW JOHN’S WORK MIGHT BE
SPUN, AND THAT’S WHAT’S SO
DISAPPOINTING TO ME, MIKE.
>> YOU KNOW, JOHN MEACHAM, I
HAVE BEEN BORINGLY PREDICTABLE
TALKING TIME AND AGAIN HOW
WASHINGTON’S INSTITUTIONS,
WASHINGTON’S INSTITUTIONS, AMERICA’S INSTITUTIONS WOULD
CHECK THE WORST AUTOCRATIC
INSTINCTS OF DONALD TRUMP.
I MUST SAY, I’VE LEARNED AN
AWFUL LOT OVER THE PAST SEVERAL
YEARS, AND ONE OF THE THINGS
I’VE LEARNED IS THAT THE
POSITION OF ATTORNEY GENERAL IS
PARTICULARLY SUSCEPTIBLE SO
CORRUPTION, AND NOT HAVING
THAT -- YOU LOOK AT THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL BARR WHO, I BELIEVE, IS
EVERY BIT AS FWRAIFGRAVE OF A TH
TO OUR CONSTITUTIONAL NORMS AS
DONALD TRUMP, AND LET’S -- WHAT
CHUCK JUST SAID, HERE’S A GUY
THAT LIED ABOUT THE MUELLER
INVESTIGATION AND THE FINDINGS.
HE ACTUALLY WENT AND TESTIFIED
AND LIED AND THREW OUT A
CONSPIRACY THEORY THAT HAD LONG
BEEN DEBUNKED ON WHAT THE BASIS
OF THE MUELLER INVESTIGATION
WAS, EVEN THOUGH HE KNEW IT WAS
A LIE.
A LIE. HE’S GOING AROUND THE GLOBE
RIGHT NOW CHASING CONSPIRACY
THEORIES THAT HE KNOWS IS A LIE
BECAUSE HE’S NOT REPTRESENTING
THE PEOPLE.
THE PEOPLE. HE IS DONALD TRUMP’S ROY COHN.
AND NOW OF COURSE YOU HAVE
CONGRESS DEFYING -- OR YOU HAVE
DONALD TRUMP DEFYING CONGRESS,
THE WHITE HOUSE, AND HAVING
CONTEMPT FOR THEIR TRADITIONAL
OVERSIGHT RESPONSIBILITIES, AND
I JUST WONDER HOW DOES THIS
STACK UP TO WATERGATE IN 1974?
HOW DOES BARR STACK UP TO JOHN
MITCHELL?
MITCHELL? BECAUSE SUDDENLY JOHN MITCHELL
DOESN’T SEEM LIKE THE WORST
ATTORNEY GENERAL IN U.S.
HISTORY.
HISTORY. HE SEEMS LIKE HE’S PROBABLY
GOING TO COME IN SECOND.
>> YOU KNOW, IN AMERICAN LEGAL
HISTORY, YOU CAN EITHER BE JOHN
MARSHAL OR JOHN MITCHELL, AND I
THINK BILL BARR HAS CHOSEN HIS
FATE HERE, AND SO MITCHELL WAS
LONG-TIME FRIEND INSOFAR AS
NIXON HAD FRIEND, HAD BEEN HIS
LAW PARTNER, AND MUNICIPAL BOND
LAWYER, HAD LEFT THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT TO RUN THE COMMITTEE
TO REELECT THE PRESIDENT.
THE COMMITTEE TO REELECT THE
PRESIDENT, WHICH, AGAIN, IN THIS
CONTEXT LOOKS LIKE A FAIRLY
SEDATE OPERATION WAS -- AT LEAST
IT WAS, YOU KNOW, DOMESTIC, YOU
KNOW, THEY DIDN’T HIRE RUSSIAN
BURGLARS.
BURGLARS. I GUESS IF THEY’D OUTSOURCED
THAT WOULD MAKE IT WORSE.
MITCHELL WAS AN ARCHITECT OF THE
COVER-UP, AND WAS A FORMER
ATTORNEY GENERAL AT THAT POINT,
BUT THE POINT REMAINS.
WHAT GENERAL BARR HAS DONE IS
TREATED THE PRESIDENT AND HIS
POLITICAL CAPACITY AS HIS
PRIMARYO’PPOSED TO THE
INTERESTS OF JUSTICE OF THE
UNITED STATES.
UNITED STATES. THAT’S THE DECISION HE MADE.
HE’LL ANSWER FOR IT AT THE -- IN
THE LONG SWEEP OF HISTORY, AND I
THINK WHAT -- WHERE WE ARE IN
TERMS OF THE HISTORICAL
COMPARISON WITH WATERGATE IS
VERY CLOSE.
VERY CLOSE. WE’RE HEADING TOWARD A U.S. V.
TRUMP SUPREME COURT CASE.
ALL THE LANGUAGE FROM WATERGATE,
STONEWALLING, MODIFIED LIMITED
HANGOUT, TWIST SLOWLY, SLOWLY IN
THE WIND, THAT WHOLE VERNACULAR
IS ENTIRELY APPLICABLE HERE.
THE ONE THING THAT’S A LITTLE
DIFFERENT IS THAT WE’RE MOVING
EVEN MORE RAPIDLY, THAT IS THE
SPEED IS QUICKER.
THE RATE OF SPEED IS QUICKER,
AND I THINK DON’T UNDER
ESTIMATE, OR AS GEORGE W. BUSH
WAS SAYING, LET’S NOT MISUNDER
ESTIMATE THOSE POLLS, THAT 58,
THAT 53.
THAT 53. WE HAVEN’T GOTTEN 58% OF THE
PEOPLE TO AGREE TO GO TO BURGER
KING THIS A LONG TIME IN THIS
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. 58% IS A BIG NUMBER IF THAT’S A
SOLID NUMBER.
SOLID NUMBER. AS WILLIE WAS SAYING, THIS IS
THE EDMOND BURKE MOMENT FOR
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.
THEY REFLECT THE WILL OF THEIR
CONSTITUENTS OR THEY EXERCISE
THEIR JUDGMENT, AND THE 58% OR
LET’S CALL IT 55%, THAT ENABLES
THEM TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH.
>> YOU KNOW, WILLIE GEIST, I’VE
GOT TO SAY THERE’S A REASON WE
PAY JOHN MEACHAM THE BIG BUCKS.
YOU JUST HAD A BEAUTIFUL
ELOQUENT DISSERTATION ON JOHN
MARSHAL, EDMOND BURKE AND BURGER
KING.
KING. >> AND BURGER KING.
>> OKAY.
>> OKAY. >> BY THE WAY, WILLIE, YOU AND
I, WE ARE THE 58% THAT SAY LET’S
ALL GO TO BURGER KING.
>> AMEN, BROTHER.
AMEN.
AMEN. >> OKAY.
>> OKAY. YEAH, OR WHAT’S THE ONE THAT
DOES THE WHOPPER?
IS THAT BURGER KING?
>> THAT’S BURGER KING.
DELICIOUS.
DELICIOUS. >> WELCOME TO AMERICA MIKA.
THIS IS YOUR COUNTRY.
>> HOW DOES SHE NOT KNOW WHAT A
WHOPPER IS?
WHOPPER IS? GOOD LORD.
GOOD LORD. >> I’VE NEVER HAD ONE.
>> YOU’VE NEVER HAD ONE?
>> THEY’RE CHARCOAL BROILED.
>> SPECIAL ORDERS DON’T UPSET
US.
US. >> STILL AHEAD ON "MORNING
JOE" --
JOE" -- >> AM I BEING MOCKED FOR NOT
EATING A WHOPPER?