TO DIRECT JUST TO THEIR BASE AND THEY DON’T CARE ABOUT THE REST
OF THE COUNTRY.
>> SO ALL RIGHT.
WE DO HAVE SOME NEWS OUT OF THE
WHITE HOUSE AND WANT TO BRING IN
HALLIE JACKSON BECAUSE THE
PRESIDENT ANNOUNCED AN
APPOINTMENT AND PUTTING AN
ASTERISK ON IT.
CONGRESSMAN JOHN RADCLIFFE.
WE SAW HIM A LOT IN THE
IMPEACHMENT PROCESS.
IMPEACHMENT PROCESS. THIS IS NOW THE SECOND TIME HE’S
GOING TO BE A NOMINEE OF
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE.
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE. AND WE GOT HALLIE JACKSON HERE.
MY QUESTION IS, IS THIS A REAL
NOMINATION?
NOMINATION? OR, IS THIS A NOMINATION IN
ORDER TO EXTEND RIC GRENELL AS
AN ACTING FAR LONGER PERIOD OF
TIME BECAUSE BY LAW THEY HAD TO
NOMINATE SOMEBODY IF THEY WANTED
GRENELL’S ACTING ABILITIES TO
EXTEND I BELIEVE BEYOND MARCH
11th?
11th? >> Reporter: I DON’T KNOW THAT
CONGRESSMAN RADCLIFFE IS ONE TO
PICK FOR THAT TO DO THAT
STRATEGICALLY ONLY GIVEN THAT
THE CONGRESSMAN EVEN BACK FIRST
NOMINATED FOR THIS POSITION BACK
IN AUGUST ENDED UP WITHDRAWING
IN PART BASED ON THE REPORTING
AT THE TIME BECAUSE THERE WERE
SOME CONCERNS ON HIS PART ABOUT
THE BRUISING CONFIRMATION BATTLE
THAT WAS TO COME.
THE PRESIDENT OBVIOUSLY LIKES
JOHN RADCLIFFE FOR HIS POSITION
AND WANTS HIM.
THE PRESIDENT SAID PUBLICLY AND
THE SOURCES TOLD US PRIVATELY
RIC GRENELL IS NOT A SUPER
LONG-TERM PLAYER IN THAT ROLE
BUT I DO THINK IT’S IMPORTANT TO
PUT IT IN CONTEXT HERE.
THIS IS THE SECOND NOMINATION, A
RENOMINATION FOR JOHN RAT CLIFF.
AT THE TIME HE WAS NOMINATED
OVER THE SUMMER IN EARLY AUGUST
AND THERE WAS A LOT OF
CONSTERNATION OF THE PART OF
REPUBLICANS ON CAPITOL HILL WHO
WERE LOOKING AT RADCLIFFE AND
WHAT THEY PERCEIVED AS LACK OF
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
FOR THE POSITION, REPORTING IN
THE MEETDIA OF THINGS HE SAID AN
DONE, THAT GAVE APPARENTLY OUR
REPORTING AT THE TIME AND
COLLEAGUES ON THE INTELLIGENCE
AND OTHER TEAMS AT NBC GAVE
RADCLIFFE SOME PAUSE OF
CONTINUING TO MOVE FORWARD AND
THE PRESIDENT MADE A COMMENT.
HE SAID SOMETHING LIKE I PUT THE
NAMES OUT IN THE MEDIA AND YOU
VET THEM FOR ME AND
PARAPHRASING.
PARAPHRASING. >> I REMEMBER THIS.
>> Reporter: THE PRESIDENT
PULLED THE NOMINATION.
CONGRESSMAN RADCLIFFE PUT OUT A
STATEMENT ACKNOWLEDGING TO
WITHDRAW FROM THE POSITION AND
HERE WE ARE.
WHAT CHANGED, CHUCK, IN THE LAST
MONTHS HERE?
MONTHS HERE? LOOK AT IT.
THAT MAY HAVE BEEN PART OF IT.
THAT’S HIM DURING THE
IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS COMING TO
THE CAMERAS TALKING REPORTERS
ALMOST EVERY DAY.
HE WAS A VOCAL SUPPORTER OF
PRESIDENT TRUMP’S, NOT JUST
DURING THE HOUSE PIECE OF IT BUT
PARTICULARLY ON THE SENATE SIDE.
COMING TO TALK DELIVERING THE
MESSAGE.
MESSAGE. >> WHY DO WE THINK HE HAS THE
VOTE?
VOTE? THE REASON I’M SKEPTICAL THIS IS
MORE ABOUT -- BY LAW THEY NEEDED
A NOMINEE HERE TO CONTINUE --
>> Reporter: THAT’S RIGHT,
CORRECT.
CORRECT. >> TO HAVE AN ACTING.
HE DIDN’T APPEAR TO HAVE ENOUGH
VOTES BEFORE.
VOTES BEFORE. >> Reporter: YOU ARE RIGHT.
I DON’T KNOW -- THAT’S A GREAT
QUESTION, CHUCK.
QUESTION, CHUCK. I THINK THAT’S SOMETHING THAT WE
HAVE TO REPORT OUT HERE BECAUSE
I CANNOT SEE THAT THERE’S BEEN
MUCH THAT’S CHANGED FROM THE
CONFIRMATION BATTLE PIECE OF
THIS BETWEEN AUGUST AND NOW.
RIGHT?
RIGHT? I DON’T KNOW THAT IT’S AT ALL
CRYSTAL CLEAR THAT HE HAS THE
VOTES TO BE CONFIRMED HERE.
REMEMBER WHAT MITCH McCONNELL
SAID WHEN THE CONGRESSMAN
RADCLIFFE NAMED FOR THIS ROLE.
VERY TEPID RESPONSE FROM
McCONNELL SAYING, YES, I
UNDERSTAND HE’S BEEN NOMINATED
AND WAITING TO SEE HIS
QUALIFICATIONS.
QUALIFICATIONS. FAR FROM FULL THROATED SUPPORT
FOR CONGRESSMAN RADCLIFFE.
LISTEN.
LISTEN. I’M SPECULATING HERE, CHUCK.
I DON’T LIKE TO DO THAT BUT I
SUGGEST THAT PERHAPS, I DON’T
KNOW, MAYBE THERE’S A SENSE THAT
THE PRESIDENT, YOU KNOW, HAS
SHORED UP PARTISAN SUPPORT OF
REPUBLICANS ON THIS FRONT AND
IMAGINE THAT SOME OF THE --
AFTER THE IMPEACHMENT BATTLE,
SOME OF THE REPUBLICANS WHO ARE
VERY FOCUSED ON NATIONAL
SECURITY, FOCUSED ON THE ISSUE
WILL LOOK AT THE RESUME OF JOHN