( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY,
WE'RE BACK WITH THE AUTHOR OF "MIDNIGHT IN WASHINGTON,"
CONGRESSMAN ADAM SCHIFF.
IT BEGINS JANUARY 6th.
WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE OF THAT DAY?
>> I WAS ON THE HOUSE FLOOR FOR THE ENTIRE ATTEMPTED
INSURRECTION, AND I WASN'T REALLY PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT
WAS GOING ON OUTSIDE THE BUILDING.
I WAS ASKED TO BE ONE OF THE MANAGERS OF THE EFFORT TO STOP
THE REPUBLICANS FROM OVERTURNING THE ELECTION AND THE FIRST THING
I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG I LOOKED UP AND THE SPEAKER WAS NO
LONGER IN HER CHAIR.
>> Stephen: NEVER A GOOD SIGN.
NO, ESPECIALLY WHEN SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE CHAIR.
>> Stephen: WAS THERE A WILE E. COYOTE CLOUD OF DUST?
( LAUGHTER ) >> NO, BUT THAT CAME SOON AFTER
BECAUSE THE CAPITOL POLICE CAME BACK ON THE FLOOR, GRABBED OUR
NUMBER TWO, STANLEY HOYER, AND WHISKED HIM OFF THE FLOOR COO
FAST, I REMEMBER THINKING I'VE NEVER SEEN STANLEY MOVE THAT
FAST.
( LAUGHTER ) THEN THEY CAME BACK ON THE
FLOOR, TOLD US THERE WERE RIOTERS IN THE KILLING, TOLD US
TO GET OUT, GAS MASKS, TOLD US WE MIGHT NEED TO GET DOWN ON THE
GROUND.
BEFORE LONG, I COULD HEAR THUDDING AGAINST THE DOORS AND
BREAK GLASS AS THIS MOB WAS TRYING TO GET INTO THE CHAMBER,
AND A COUPLE OF REPUBLICANS CAME UP TO ME AND SAID YOU CAN'T LET
THEM SEE YOU.
I KNOW THESE PEOPLE, I CAN TALK TO THESE PEOPLE, YOU'RE IN A
WHOLE DIFFERENT SITUATION, YOU CAN'T LET THEM SEE YOU.
AT FIRST, I WAS ODDLY TOUCHED BY THEIR CONCERN FOR ME, AND THEN
THAT SOON GAVE WAY TO THE SENSE THAT, IF THEY HADN'T BEEN LYING
ABOUT THE ELECTION, I WOULDN'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT MY SECURITY,
NONE OF US WOULD.
>> Stephen: NOW, YOU SAY IN THE BOOK, IT INFURIATED ME THAT
MANY REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS CONTINUED TO PUSH THE LIE
BECAUSE, UNLIKE THE INSURRECTIONISTS, THEY HAD TO
KNOW IT WAS A LIE, IN THAT WAY THEY WERE AS CULPABLE AS ANYONE
FOR THE TRAGIC EVENTS OF JANUARY 6th.
THE METAPHOR I'VE USED IN THIS REGARD IS IT SEEMS LIKE THE
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT PRESENTLY IS GOING AFTER STREET-LEVEL
ADDICTS, AND WHAT THEY WERE ADDICTED TO WAS THE LIE BEING
FED TO THEM.
BUT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ISN'T GOING AFTER THE DRUG PUSHERS,
THE KINGPINS, THE PEOPLE IN THE GOVERNMENT.
( APPLAUSE ) THE PEOPLE WHO KNEW BETTER BUT
WERE PROFITING OFF OF THE ITCH THAT THEY KNEW A CERTAIN MEMBER
OF THE PUBLIC WANTED SCRATCHED.
>> YEAH.
I THINK IT'S A VERY GOOD, ALL TOO GOOD ANALOGY, AND IT'S WHY,
IN THE DAYS AFTER THE INSURRECTION -- AND THIS IS NOT
UNCOMMON, I THINK, WHEN PEOPLE GO THROUGH COMMISSION
TRAUMATIC -- THE TRAUMA INCREASES OVER TIME.
S I WATCHED MORE AND MORE THE FOOTAGE OF THE INSURRECTIONISTS
BEATING POLICE OFFICERS, BEAR SPRAYING THEM AND GOUGING THEIR
EYES, I REMEMBER THINKING THESE PEOPLE REALLY BELIEVE THAT LIE,
BUT INSIDE THE CHAMBER THE INSURRECTIONISTS IN SUITS AND
TIES, THEY UNDERSTOOD IT WAS A LIE, AND THAT, TO ME, WAS JUST
UNFORGIVABLE.
IF WE CANNOT TRUST THAT OUR ELECTIONS CAN BE USED TO
LEGITIMATELY DECIDE DISPUTES OR WHO SHOULD GOVERN, THEN IT
LEAVES IT OPEN TO VIOLENCE, AND THEY CONTINUE TO PUT THAT LIE.
JUST A WEEK AGO, STEVE SCALISE, ONE OF THE TOP REPUBLICANS IN
THE HOUSE, WAS ASKED REPEATEDLY ON FOX, CAN YOU SAY -- CAN YOU
JUST SAY THE ELECTION WASN'T STOLEN, AND HE COULDN'T BRING
HIMSELF TO DO IT.
AND ONE OF THE REASONS I WROTE THIS BOOK IS I SAW THESE
COLLEAGUES OF MINE CHANGE IN FOUR YEARS, I SAW THEM SLOWLY
SURRENDER TO THE IMMORALITY OF THIS PRESIDENT, AND I WANTED TO
EXPLAIN HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN, HOW DO PEOPLE WHO ONCE BELIEVED
IN AN IDEOLOGY, WHO ONCE BELIEVED IN MORALITY COME TO SO
EASILY CAPITULATE TO SOMEONE WITH SUCH APPARENT FLAWS
BECAUSE, AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S NOT A PROBLEM IN OUR CONN'S
CONSTITUTION IS DRAFTED, IT'S BRILLIANT, BUT IF PEOPLE DON'T
UPHOLD THEIR OATH AND GIVE CONTENT TO THE PROVISIONS AND
LIVE UP TO THE SPIRIT IN WHICH IT WAS WRITTEN, NONE OF IT
WORKS.
>> Stephen: ONE OF THE THINGS THAT BREAKS MY HEART IN
PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW OF WHAT HAPPENED JANUARY 6th,
WHAT MORE HEARTBREAKING AND HARROWING IS HOW THAT TERRIBLE
DAY THAT WAS RECOGNIZED AS A TERRIBLE DAY AT THE TIME EVEN BY
THE PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN PROMULGATING THE LIE IS NOW
BEING REFRAMED AS A F PROTEST, THAT THOSE PEOPLE WHO WERE
ARRESTED AND BEING PROSECUTED FOR THEIR ACTIONS ARE SOMEHOW
BEING PERSECUTED FOR THEIR EXERCISE OF THEIR FIRST
AMENDMENT RIGHTS, THAT WE'RE BEING GAS LIT INTO BELIEVING IN
A SENSE THAT DAY DIDN'T HAPPEN, AND THE REASON WHY THIS PREAKS
MY HEART IN A UNIQUE WAY IS WHY IT'S THE SECOND MOST HORRIFIC
DAY OF MY LIFE NEXT TO 9/11, AT LEAST ON 9/11 THERE WAS NO ONE
AFTERWARDS SAYING IT WASN'T REALLY A TRAGEDY, IT WAS
ACTUALLY JUST A PROTEST, AND THERE ARE PEOPLE IN CONGRESS WHO
ARE DOING THAT NOW.
( APPLAUSE ) >> YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
I REMEMBER VIVIDLY WALKING THROUGH THE TUNNELS UNDER THE
CAPITOL RIGHT AFTER ASHLEY BATTLE WAS SHOT AND THINKING TO
MYSELF -- BECAUSE I WAS IN CONGRESS ON FLIFN AND I REMEMBER
HOW THAT ATTACK BROUGHT THE COUNTRY TOGETHER BECAUSE IT WAS
ABATTACK FROM OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY, AND I REMEMBER WALKING
THROUGH THE TUNNELS ON JANUARY 6th THINKING THIS IS
NOT GOING TO HAVE THE SAME IMPACT ON THE COUNTRY BECAUSE
THIS ATTACK, UNLIKE THAT ATTACK, CAME FROM WITHIN, AND THIS
ATTACK WAS INSPIRED BY PEOPLE WORKING IN THE BUILDING AND,
SURE ENOUGH, IT'S EXACTLY AS YOU SAY, THERE WAS A MOMENT AFTER
THE INSURRECTION WHEN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY LEADERSHIP
THOUGHT ABOUT CASTING ASIDE THAT AWFUL FORMER PRESIDENT, SEEING
THE DESTRUCTION THAT HE HAD WROUGHT, THEY THOUGHT ABOUT
CASTING HIM ASIDE, AND THAT FLICKERING OF CONSCIENCE, IN THE
CASE OF KEVIN McCARTHY, LASTED ABOUT 30 SECONDS.
WITH MITCH McCONNELL, YOU COULD SEE HIM STRUGGLE WITH
THIS, BUT ULTIMATELY CONCLUDE THAT IF HE TRIED TO THROW
TEMPERATURE OVERBOARD, HE WOULD BE THROWN OVERBOARD.
AND MY FEELING IS THEN BE THROWN OVERBOARD.
( APPLAUSE ) I DON'T SEE THE POINT -- I DON'T
SEE THE POINT OF SERVING IN CONGRESS IF AT A TIME WHEN THE
COUNTRY DESPERATELY NEEDS YOU, YOU'RE NOT WILLING TO DO YOUR
JOB.
>> Stephen: CONGRESSMAN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
( APPLAUSE ) GO FIND THE TRUTH, PLEASE.
>> I'M ON IT.
>> Stephen: THE BOOK "MIDNIGHT IN WASHINGTON" IS AVAILABLE NOW.
CONGRESSMAN ADAM SCHIFF, EVERYBODY.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH A PERFORMANCE BY KACEY MUSGRAVES.
♪♪ ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )