COUPLE OF WEEKS BEFORE I'M BACK TO FULL STRENGTH.
>> THANK YOU, RACHEL, APPRECIATE IT.
>> WELL, WE ALREADY KNEW THIS WAS GOING TO BE THE WORST WEEK
OF THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY SO FAR BECAUSE JAMES COMEY IS SCHEDULED
TO TESTIFY ON THURSDAY ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP'S ATTEMPTS TO
GET HIM TO STOP HIS FBI INVESTIGATION OF TRUMP CAMPAIGN
CONNECTIONS TO RUSSIA. IT WAS SCHEDULED.
IT WAS SCHEDULED TO BE THE WORST WEEK OF THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY AND
NOW NOW IT'S GOING TO BE MUCH MUCH WORSE STARTING TOMORROW.
BECAUSE TOMORROW THE SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE WILL BE
HEARING TESTIMONY FROM A MAN WHO, ACCORDING TO TONIGHT'S
BREAKING NEWS IN THE WASHINGTON POST, WILL BE ABLE TO
CORROBORATE JAMES COMEY'S CLAIM THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS TRYING
TO STOP THE FBI INVESTIGATION. THE WASHINGTON POST REPORT
TONIGHT SAYS THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP DID EXACTLY, AND I MEAN
EXACTLY WHAT RICHARD NIXON DID THAT LED TO THE BEGINNINGS OF
IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES THAT
THEN CONVINCED PRESIDENT NIXON THAT HE HAD TO RESIGN OR BE
IMPEACHED OR REMOVED FROM THE OFFICE.
THERE HAS BEEN MUCH DISCUSSION THIS YEAR, COMPARING THIS
INVESTIGATION TO THE WATER GATE INVESTIGATION, WEEKS AGO SENATOR
JOHN McCAIN SAID THIS SCANDAL WAS BEGINNING TO RESEMBLE THE
SIZE AND SCALE, TONIGHT WE HAVE ARRIVED AT WATERGATE, THIS IS
WATERGATE. THERE IS NO QUESTION NOW THAT
THIS INVESTIGATION IS COVERING SOME IDENTICAL TO THE WATER GATE
INVESTIGATION AND THAT THE PERIL TO THE PRESIDENT IS JUST AS
GREAT. THE WASHINGTON POST IS REPORTING
TONIGHT THAT THE NATION'S TOP INTELLIGENCE OFFICIAL TOLD
ASSOCIATES IN MARCH THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP ASKED HIM IF HE
COULD INTERVENE WITH THEN FBI DIRECTOR, FOCUSED ON NATIONAL
FLIGHT IN THE PROBE ACCORDING TO
OFFICIALS. ON MADGE 22nd AFTER BEING
CONFIRMED, DANIEL COATS ATTENDED A BRIEFING AT THE WHITE HOUSE
TOGETHER WITH OFFICIALS FROM SEVERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, AS
THE BRIEFING WAS WRAPPING UP. TRUMP ASKED EVERYONE TO LEAVE
THE ROOM, EXCEPT FOR COATS AND CIA DIRECTOR MIKE POMPEO.
AND TOMORROW, DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, DAN
COATS, IS TESTIFYING TO THE SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE.
THERE ARE NOW THREE PEOPLE WHO WE KNOW ABOUT WHO CAN TESTIFY
ABOUT THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP TRIED TO INTERFERE WITH THE FBI
INVESTIGATION. THOSE THREE PEOPLE ARE, THE
DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, CIA DIRECTOR MIKE
POMPEO WHO WAS A WITNESS TO THE PRESIDENT'S CONVERSATION WITH
DAN COATS AND, OF COURSE, THE MAN WHO WE'LL HEAR FROM ON
THURSDAY, FORMER FBI DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY, WHO SAYS THAT
PRESIDENT TRUMP USED THAT SAME METHOD ON HIM THAT HE USED WITH
DAN COATS, THE PRESIDENT ASKED EVERYONE TO LEAVE THE GROUP SO
THAT IT COULD SPEAK AT THE END OF THE MEETING IN THE --
INCLUDING VICE PRESIDENT PENCE AND ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFF
SESSIONS SENT THEM OUT OF THE ROOM SO THAT HE COULD SPEAK TO
MR. COMEY ALONE. HE SAID I HOPE YOU CAN SEE YOUR
WAY CLEAR TO LETTING THIS GO, LETTING FLYNN GO.
HE IS A GOOD GUY. I HOPE YOU CAN LET THIS GO.
HERE IS THE MOMENT THAT CONVINCED DEMOCRATS --
INSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE AND SHOULD BE IMPEACHED.
WHAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO HEAR WHEN THE PRESIDENT AGREED TO THE IDEA
OF ASKING THE CIA. PATRICK GRAY, TO STOP THE
INVESTIGATION OF THE WATERGATE SCAM, SOUND FAMILIAR.
ASKING THE CIA TO TELL THE FBI TO STOP THE INVESTIGATION.
YOU'LL HEAR THE VOICE OF WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF BOB
PRESENTING THE PROBLEM TO THE PRESIDENT.
>> GOES IN SOME DIRECTIONS WE DON'T WANT IT TO GO.
THAT'S THE WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF TELLING THE INVESTIGATION
GOING IN DIRECTIONS WE DON'T WANT IT TO GO.
HE THEN TELLS HIM THAT HE'S FIGURED OUT THE BEST WAY TO STOP
FBI INVESTIGATION AND THAT WAS THE TO GET THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR
TO TELL THE FBI DIRECTOR TO STAY THE HELL OUT.
>> YOU COULD BARELY HEAR IT ON THE TAPE, HE'S SIMPLY SAYING,
UH-HUH, TO BOB'S PROPOSAL AND THAT WAS ALL THAT WASHINGTON HAD
TO HEAR, DEMOCRAT REPUBLICAN, THAT'S ALL ANYONE NEEDED TO HEAR
IN CONGRESS TO BE CON VIPSED THAT THE PRESIDENT WAS GUILTY OF
OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE. EVERYONE IN WASHINGTON KNEW HOW
THE IMPEACHMENT TRIAL WOULD TURN OUT, HE WOULD BE FOUND GUILTY
AND REMOVED FROM OFFICE FROM SAYING ON THAT TAPE, WHAT YOU
JUST HEARD, UH-HUH. SENATOR BARRY GOLDWATER,
REPUBLICAN SENATE MINOR LEADER HEW SCOTT.
FALCON HOUSE MINORITY LEADER JOHN RHODES, THOSE REPUBLICANS
WENT UP TO THE WHITE HOUSE AND TOLD THE PRESIDENT HE COULDN'T
SURVIVE THIS, HE COULDN'T SURVIVE THE REVELATIONS OF WHAT
WAS ON THAT TAPE YOU JUST HEARD. HE WOULD BE IMPEACHED, HE WOULD
BE CONVICTED IN THE SENATE, HE WOULD BE REMOVED FROM OFFICE.
AT THAT POINT AND ONLY AT THAT POINT DID RICHARD NIXON DO THE
RIGHT THING AND SPARE THE COUNTRY BECOME THE FIRST AND
ONLY MAN IN THE HISTORY OF THE PRESIDENCY TO RESIGN THE
PRESIDENCY. HOW LOW HAS CONGRESS LOWERED THE
BAR FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP. WILL THIS REPUBLICAN CONGRESS
HOLD PRESIDENT TRUMP TO THE SAME STANDARD THAT PRESIDENT NIXON
WAS HELD TO, BECAUSE IF THEY DO, THE HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE
WILL PREPARE ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT THAT INCLUDE AT
LEAST TWO COUNTS OF OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE.
WELL, PRESIDENT TRUMP IS REPORTED TO HAVE SAID IN HIS
MEETINGS ABOUT STOPPING THE FBI INVESTIGATION IS A LOT MORE THAN
RICHARD NIXON'S UH-HUH. THE UH-HUH, THAT ENDED THE
PRESIDENCY. HE'S NEVER FELT PRESSURED BY THE
PRESIDENT OR ANYONE ELSE TO INFLUENCE ANY INTELLIGENCE
MATTERS OR ONGOING INVESTIGATIONS.
DIRECTOR COATS WILL BE FORCED TO REVEAL THAT CONVERSATION WITH
THE PRESIDENT TO THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR, ROBERT MUELLER.
HE'LL HAVE NO CHOICE. HE WILL BE ASKED ABOUT THAT
CONVERSATION WITH THE PRESIDENT IN TOMORROW'S SENATE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE HEARING AND HE MAY REFUSE TO DISCUSS IT
IN PUBLIC TOMORROW, BUT THE COMMITTEE MIGHT THEN DEMAND THAT
HE DISCUSS IT WITH THE COMMITTEE IN PRIVATE.
THIS STUNNING NEWS TONIGHT ABOUT THE PRESIDENT ASKING DAN COATS
TO INTERVENE IN THE FBI INVESTIGATION CAME MINUTES AFTER
WHAT WAS BRIEFLY THE BIGGEST BREAKING NEWS STORY OF THE DAY.
AND ANOTHER BREAKING NEWS REPORT LATE IN THE DAY, THAT FORMER FBI
DIRECTOR COMEY TOLD ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS, DON'T LEAVE ME
ALONE WITH TRUMP, THAT IS HOW THE "NEW YORK TIMES" PUT IT IN
THE HEADLINE OF THEIR REPORT OF THIS STORY, SAYING, THE DAY
AFTER PRESIDENT TRUMP ASKED JAMES B. COMEY THE FBI DIRECTOR
TO END THE INVESTIGATION INTO HIS FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISER. MR. COMEY CONFRONTED JEFF
SESSIONS AND SAID HE DID NOT WANT TO BE LEFT ALONE AGAIN WITH
THE