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>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY.
WE'RE HERE WITH CNN'S JAKE TAPPER, BROADCASTING FROM
TELEVISION, APPARENTLY.
REALLY LOOKS LIKE HE'S ON TV.
JAKE, NOW, WHILE WE'RE FOCUSING ON COVID 19, WHY IS IT
IMPORTANT, AT THE SAME TIME, TO PAY ATTENTION TO THINGS LIKE
WHAT HAPPENED TO MICHAEL FLYNN?
>> WELL, BECAUSE, I MEAN, PRESIDENT TRUMP CONTINUES TO
DISRUPT THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM IN A WAY THAT A LOT OF EXPERTS FIND
NOT JUST NORM SHATTERING BUT JUST AGAINST THE VERY PRINCIPLE
OF INDEPENDENT JUSTICE.
I MEAN, THE IDEA THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS NOW
INTERVENED TWICE DIRECTLY WITH THE PROSECUTION OF MICHAEL
FLYNN, WHO, OF COURSE, ADMITTED THAT HE LIED, AND BEFORE THAT,
OF COURSE, WITH THE SENTENCING OF ROGER STONE, I MEAN, WE DON'T
SEE THAT SORT OF THING HAPPEN, AND THOSE ARE NORMS.
ONE THING I'VE LEARNED FROM COVERING WASHINGTON FOR SO LONG
IS, WHEN ONE PARTY ERODES A NORM, WHEN THE NEXT PARTY COMES
INTO POWER, THEY CONTINUE RESTORE IT, THEY TAKE ADVANTAGE
TO HAVE THE FACT THAT THAT NORM HAS BEEN ERODED AND NOW THEY CAN
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT.
>> Stephen: PRESIDENTS DON'T GIVE POWER BACK.
>> NO!
NOBODY'S GOING TO BECOME PRESIDENT AND SAY, YOU KNOW
WHAT, NOW'S THE TIME TO RETURN POWER TO THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH.
THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS.
BECAUSE EVERYBODY, OF COURSE, EVERY PRESIDENT THINKS THEY'RE
ACTING IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COUNTRY AND FOR
RIGHTEOUSNESS AND GOOD AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO WHEN YOU SEE PRESIDENT TRUMP DOING THIS FOR FRIENDS OF HIS
LIKE MICHAEL FLYNN OR ROGER STONE, WHAT DOES THAT PORTEND
WHEN, I DON'T KNOW, MICHAEL MOORE BECOMES PRESIDENT IN 15
YEARS?
I MEAN, LIKE, MAYBE THAT'S A BAD EXAMPLE.
SEAN PENN.
I DON'T KNOW.
>> Stephen: HE IS GOING TO MAKE A SCATHING DOCUMENTARY
ABOUT HIMSELF.
MICHAEL MOORE IS GOING TO TEAR HIMSELF A NEW ONE ABOUT THE
FAILURES OF THE MICHAEL MOORE ADMINISTRATION.
LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT WHERE YOU ARE NOW.
YOU LOOK LIKE YOU'RE SHOOTING AT YN AND BUT YOU'RE AT HOME,
RIGHT?
>> I'M NOT AT CNN.
I'M IN A SPARE ROOM IN MY HOUSE.
THE CNN ENGINEERS SET THIS UP EARLY ON.
MY DAD'S A DOCTOR, MY MOM'S A NURSE, SO I TOOK THIS VERY
SERIOUSLY EARLY ON.
YOU KNOW, I JUST DIDN'T THINK IT WAS NECESSARY FOR ME TO BE GOING
IN EVERY DAY IF THEY COULD MAKE IT LOOK REASONABLE PROFESSIONAL
FROM THE SPARE ROOM WE HAVE.
SO I COME HERE -- >> Stephen: NO, LOOKS LIKE
YOU'RE IN THE STUDIO.
>> YEAH.
I MEAN, THEY HAVE LIGHTS HERE AND AN UNDERLIGHT, AND IT'S
PRETTY GOOD.
SOMETIMES MY KIDS ARE PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS, SOMETIMES MY WIFE.
SOMETIMES THE DOGS BURST INTO THE ROOM, BUT IT'S OKAY.
AND, LOOK -- >> Stephen: ME, TOO.
TWICE ON TONIGHT'S SHOW, MY DOG CAME IN.
>> IS THAT RIGHT?
YEAH, BUT THAT'S CHARMING WHEN YOU DO IT.
FOR ME, PEOPLE IS, LIKE, WHY IS THERE A DOG BARKING IN THIS
PIECE ABOUT SHANGHAI?
>> Stephen: THAT'S AWESOME.
LOOK, WE'VE HAD INCIDENTS OF CORONAVIRUS AT THE CNN NEW YORK
STUDIO.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS IN THE STUDIO, BUT, OBVIOUSLY, CHRIS
CUOMO AND OTHERS HAVE RECOVERED FROM IT.
NO ONE AT CNN HAS GOTTEN IT AS FAR AS I KNOW.
BUT, LOOK, THIS THING KELLS PEOPLE.
EARLY ON, A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE WHO IS TWICE AS STRONG, FIVE
TIMES AS HANDSOME AND 30 TIMES MORE FIT GOT THIS AND WAS
BATTLING IT -- A GUY I KNEW, A VETERAN, SERVED IN AFGHANISTAN,
PROBABLY TEN YEARS YOUNGER THAN ME, HE'S ONE OF THESE -- YOU
KNOW THESE GUYS, YOU MEET THESE VETERANS AND THEY'RE SUPERH
SUPERHEROES, ANYWAY, HE HAD IT, AND HE WAS IN HIS BASEMENT AND
HE WAS MISERABLE AND HE COULD BARELY BREATHE.
I'M, LIKE, IF THIS IS TAKING OUT MY FRIEND MATT LIKE THIS, AND,
THANK GOD, HE'S RECOVERED, TOO.
WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO ME IF I COME ANYWHERE NEAR THIS?
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE ONE MORE BREAK.
PLEASE STAY RIGHT THERE AT CNN.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.
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