>>> WELCOME TO FRIDAY.
ITS A SPECIAL EDITION OF "MEET
THE PRESS DAILY."
IM CHUCK TODD.
WE WANT TO TAKE A DEEP DIVE INTO
A NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE THAT OUR
DEMOCRACY SUFFERED AT THE END OF
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.
THE SITUATION WAS FAR MORE DIRE
THAN WE THOUGHT.
IF THATS EVEN POSSIBLE.
THIS WEEK THANKS TO NEW
RECORDING, WE NOW HAVE A
CLEAREST PICTURE OF WHAT WAS
HAPPENING INSIDE THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION LEADING UP TO THE
JANUARY 6 ATTACK ON THE CAPITOL.
IM GOING TO TAKE YOU INSIDE
WHAT WE NOW KNOW ABOUT THIS
STUNNING 24-DAY PERIOD BETWEEN
THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTE AND
THE JANUARY 6 CERTIFICATION OF
THAT VOTE.
WHEN OUR DEMOCRACY, YES, WAS
HANGING ON BY A THREAD.
I WANT TO START ON THE DAY OF
THE ELECTIONORAL COLLEGE VOTE,
DECEMBER 14.
THATS WHEN THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY
GENERAL AT THE TIME, JEFFREY
ROSEN, GETS AN EMAIL FROM THE
WHITE HOUSE WITH THE SUBJECT
LINE, FROM POTUS.
ATTACHED TO THE EMAIL ARE
MATERIALS ALLEGING THAT VOTER
FRAUD IN MICHIGAN, WHERE TRUMP
LOST, WITH TALKING POINTS
ALLEGING A COVERUP THERE.
THAT EMAIL HITS ROSENS IN BOX
RIGHT BEFORE THE PRESIDENT
ANNOUNCES THAT BILL BARR IS OUT
AS ATTORNEY GENERAL AND THAT
ROSEN WILL NOW BE THE ACTING
ATTORNEY GENERAL AT DOJ.
BILL BARR LEAVES OFFICIALLY ON
DECEMBER 23rd, PUTTING ROSEN IN
CHARGE OF THE DEPARTMENT ON THAT
DAY.
I WANT TO GO A FEW DAYS LATER.
SIX DAY OF HIM ACTING ATTORNEY
GENERAL.
HE GETS ANOTHER EMAIL FROM
TRUMPS WHITE HOUSE ASSISTANCE.
COPIES ARE THE SOLICITOR GENERAL
AND ACTING DEPUTY ATTORNEY
GENERAL.
ITS AN ASK FROM THE PRESIDENT
TO REVIEW A DRAFT COMPLAINT TO
TAKE TO THE SUPREME COURT TO
OVERTURN THE RESULTS IN SIX
STATES OF THE BATTLEGROUND
STATES WHERE TRUMP LOST.
THE PRESSURE FROM THE WHITE
HOUSE AND DOJ KEEPS COMING AND
KEEPS GETTING MORE UNHINGED.
LET ME GO TWO DAYS LATER.
I WANT TO TAKE YOU TO JANUARY
1st.
THIS IS THE DAY WHEN SOME PEOPLE
ARE WAKING UP WITH HANGOVERS.
OTHERS ARE GETTING READY TO
WATCH FOOTBALL.
WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF THAT
DAY, MARK MEADOWS, HAS EMAILS TO
ROSEN.
THREE EMAILS THAT DAY.
HE ASKS HIM TO LOOK INTO
SO-CALLED ELECTION ANOMALIES,
INCLUDING THE BIZARRE CONSPIRACY
THEORY THAT THE ELECTION WAS
STOLEN FROM TRUMP BY ITALIAN
SATELLITES.
YOU HEARD THAT RIGHT.
THE WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF
WANTED THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
TO LOOK INTO AN ITALIAN
SATELLITE CONSPIRACY THEORY.
ROSENS DEPUTY CALLS THIS
INSANITY.
ROSEN HIMSELF ASKS, CAN YOU
BELIEVE THIS?
HE SAYS HE IS GOING TO IGNORE
WHITE HOUSES REQUEST.
THINK ABOUT THAT MOMENT ON
JANUARY 1st, ROSEN MAY HAVE BEEN
ONE OF THE LAST REMAINING
GUARDRAILS FOR OUR DEMOCRACY.
REMEMBER, AS THIS IS ALL
UNRAVELING, THE WHITE HOUSE
ISNT ONLY PUSHING DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE.
NO SATISFACTION ON JANUARY 1st.
WHAT HAPPENS THE NEXT DAY?
JANUARY 2nd, THE INFAMOUS PHONE
CALL WITH GEORGE GEORGE
SECRETARY --
GEORGIAS SECRETARY OF STATE.
GO FIND THE VOTES.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE TELLS THE
PRESIDENT, WE BELIEVE THE DATA
YOU HAVE IS WRONG.
HE BLUNTLY TELLS HIM THIS.
NOW WHEN YOU LOOK BACK ON THAT
SECOND DAY OF THE YEAR, THE
GEORGIA SECRETARY OF STATE MAY
HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE LAST REMAIN
REMAINING GUARDRAILS FOR OUR
DEMOCRACY.
JANUARY 3rd, THIS IS THE
CULMINATION OF THE STUNNING
EPISODE WHERE TRUMP PURPORTEDLY
TRIES TO OUST ROSEN SINCE HE
WONT DO HIS BIDDING AND INSTALL
JEFFREY CLARK.
THIS WAS THE LONE DOJ OFFICIAL
WHO HAD DEMONSTRATED A
WILLINGNESS TO PURSUE TRUMPS
CONSPIRACY THEORIES.
TRUMP DOES STAND DOWN.
WHY?
BECAUSE A GROUP OF DOJ OFFICIALS
THREATENED TO RESIGN IF HE GOES
THROUGH WITH IT.
THINK NIXON, IF YOU WILL.
IT PROMPTS A SIGH OF RELIEF FROM
ONE DOJ OFFICIAL WHO TELLS HIS
COLLEAGUES, THE CAUSE OF JUSTICE
WON.
AFTER ALL THESE EFFORTS BEHIND
THE SCENES BASICALLY TO TOPPLE
OUR DEMOCRACY FAILED, BRINGS US
TO JANUARY 6.
PRESIDENT GOES TO THE EELIPSE.
WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THAT.
SENATOR GRAHAM DESCRIBES IT,
THEY COULD HAVE KILLED ALL OF
US.
AT NEARLY 4:00 IN THE MORNING,
CONGRESS DOES COUNT THE
ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTES.
THEY CERTIFY JOE BIDEN AS THE
WINNER AND DEMOCRACY SURVIVES.
AS YOU CAN SEE, IT NEARLY
DIDNT.
TRUMPS EFFORT TO OVERTHROW THE
2020 ELECTION WAS JUST TWEETS.
HE REALLY TRIED.
A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE AT THE