ON THAT ONE.
>> Ed: JOHN ROBERTS WITH A LOT
OF TREES BEHIND THEM THERE
INSTANTLY DAVOS.
JOHN, THANK YOU.
>> Sandra: MEANWHILE, HOUSE
REPUBLICANS PLANNING TO JOIN THE
PRESIDENT'S DEFENSE TEAM.
AMONG THEM TEXAS CONGRESSMAN
JOHN RATCLIFFE.
HE KNEW AND JUST NOW AS OUR
GUEST THIS MORNING.
GOOD MORNING TO YOU AND
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
WHAT EXACTLY WILL YOU DO IN THIS
NEW ROLE?
>> WELL, IT WAS ANNOUNCED LAST
NIGHT, SMITTY, BUT REALLY FOR
THE LAST FEW WEEKS I'VE BEEN
WORKING WITH THE WHITE HOUSE
COUNSEL HELPING THEM PREPARE THE
LEGAL BRIEFS THAT ARE BEING
SUBMITTED IN THE TRIAL AND
PREPARING THE ORAL ARGUMENTS
THAT WILL BE PRESENTED LATER
THIS WEEK.
I WAS ONE OF A FEW MEMBERS THAT
WAS INVOLVED IN BOTH PHASES OF
THE IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY BEFORE
THE HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE
AND THE HOUSE JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE.
THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION
THERE, SO I'M GOING TO CONTINUE
TO BE AS MUCH OF A RESOURCE FOR
THE PRESIDENT'S LAWYERS AS I CAN
BE OVER THIS TRIAL.
>> Sandra: TO BE CLEAR,
THOUGH, YOU WON'T HAVE ANY ROLE
IN SPEAKING ON THE SENATE FLOOR?
>> THAT HASN'T BEEN FINALLY
DETERMINED YET.
I THINK THAT'S CURRENTLY THE
PLAN.
>> Sandra: CURRENTLY THE PLAN
NOT TO?
>> CURRENTLY THE PLAN NOT TO.
BUT YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT'S GOING
TO HAPPEN DURING A TRIAL.
PART OF THE REASON WE ARE THERE
IS TO HOLD ACCOUNTABLE SOME OF
THE HOUSE MANAGERS, IN
PARTICULAR THE LEAD HOUSE
MANAGER, ADAM SCHIFF, AND MAKE
SURE THE EVIDENCE IS PRESENTED
THE WAY IT OCCURRED IN THE
HOUSE.
IF THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN, THERE
MAY BE A CHANGE IN THE TRIAL
STRUCTURE.
>> Sandra: OF COURSE,
CONGRESSMAN, THAT'S WHY THERE'S
A DEBATE OF WITNESSES.
DEMOCRATS ARE MAKING THE CASE
THERE WAS INFORMATION PRESENTED
AFTER THE VOTE HAPPENED IN THE
HOUSE ON THE ARTICLES OF
IMPEACHMENT.
WHAT'S GOING HAPPEN WITH THAT
DEBATE ULTIMATELY, AND WHAT IS
YOUR DEFENSE TO NOT HAVE
WITNESSES CALLED?
>> I DON'T THINK THERE WILL BE
ANY WITNESSES CALLED.
THERE ISN'T A WITNESS THAT CAN
BE CALLED THAT CAN FIX THIS
PROCESS.
THERE ISN'T A WITNESS ON EITHER
SIDE YOU CAN CALL THAT CAN
INJECT FAIRNESS AND DUE PROCESS
INTO A PROCESS THAT HAD NONE.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS YOUR
LISTENERS ARE GOING TO HEAR THIS
WEEK IS A COMPARISON OF WHAT
HAPPENED, THE DISPARITY IN THE
WAY PRESIDENT CLINTON AND
PRESIDENT NIXON WERE TREATED
DURING THEIR IMPEACHMENT
INQUIRIES AS OPPOSED TO
PRESIDENT TRUMP THE NIXON AND
CLINTON LAWYERS WERE ALLOWED TO
PARTICIPATE EVERY SINGLE DAY
FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END.
THEY WERE ALLOWED TO REVIEW
EVIDENCE, SUGGEST EVIDENCE, TO
CALL WITNESSES, AND
CROSS-EXAMINE WITNESSES.
BY COMPARISON, PRESIDENT TRUMP
DURING HIS 78-DAY IMPEACHMENT
INQUIRY, HIS LAWYERS WERE
FORBIDDEN FROM PARTICIPATING FOR
THE FIRST 71 OF A 78-DAY
PROCESS.
NOT ALLOWED TO CALL WITNESSES,
CROSS-EXAMINE WITNESSES, BE
THERE FOR THE PRESENTATION OR
REVIEW OF EVIDENCE.
THAT IS A LACK OF DUE PROCESS
AND FAIRNESS THAT I THINK ALL
SENATORS, REPUBLICAN AND
DEMOCRAT, ARE GOING TO BE
SURPRISED TO LEARN.
I THINK AS A RESULT OF THAT THEY
ARE NOT GOING TO WANT TO HEAR
ANY WITNESSES, BECAUSE THE
SENATE ISN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO
FIX WHAT HAPPENED IN THE HOUSE.
>> Sandra: I WANT TO THROW UP
ON THE SCREEN THE TWEET LAST
NIGHT AFTER IT WAS ANNOUNCED HE
WOULD BE A NEW MEMBER OF THE
PRESIDENT'S DEFENSE TEAM.
HE SAID, "I TOOK THE OATH TO
DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION.
THIS IMPEACHMENT IS AN ASSAULT
ON DUE PROCESS.
IT'S AN ASSAULT ON THE
SEPARATION OF POWERS.
IT'S UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY
TO MAKE THAT CLEAR TO EVERY
AMERICAN DURING THE SENATE
TRIAL."
FOR YOUR PART, YOU WILL BE
CONTROLLING THE MESSAGING, YOU
WILL BE CONTROLLING THE DEFENSE
OF THIS TEAM.
HOW DO YOU LET YOUR STRATEGY?
WE ONLY KNOW WHAT WE KNOW.
WHAT ARE GOING TO BE THE
SURPRISES AS WE WATCH THIS ALL
BEGIN THIS AFTERNOON?
>> I THINK THE SENATE DEFENSE
TEAM, AS THEY PREPARE AND
PRESENT THIS, ARE GOING TO POINT
OUT THE FACT THAT, AGAIN, THE
IRONY OF THE HOUSE DEMOCRATS
WANTING TO IMPEACH A PRESIDENT
FOR OBSTRUCTING HOUSE DEMOCRATS
IN A 78-DAY PROCESS WHERE THEY
FORBIDDEN FROM PARTICIPATING FOR
THE FIRST 71 DAYS, PEOPLE ARE
GOING TO FIND IT IRONIC THAT
THE HOUSE DEMOCRATS ARE WANTING
TO IMPEACH FOR OBSTRUCTION OF
CONGRESS, A TERM OF THE FOUNDERS
REFERRED TO AS THE SEPARATION OF
POWERS.
THEY CAN'T MAKE CONSTITUTIONAL
ARGUMENTS BECAUSE THEY DON'T
HAVE ANY.
THIS IMPEACHMENT FAILS.
IT FEELS FACTUALLY, IT FEELS
LEGALLY, IT FEELS
CONSTITUTIONALLY.
THIS IS GOING TO BE LIKE KILLING
A FLY WITH A SLEDGEHAMMER.
THE HOUSE DEMOCRATS HAD A WEAK
CASE EVEN ON A SLANTED PLAYING
FIELD WHERE THEY MADE THE RULES,
CHANGE THE RULES, AND BROKE THE
WILL'S THEIR ADVANTAGE.
ON A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD IT'S
GOING TO GET UGLY.
I EXPECT A SHORT TRIAL, NO
WITNESSES, AND EARLY ACQUITTAL
FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP.
>> Sandra: THE MINORITY LEADER
CHUCK SCHUMER TOOK TO A
MICROPHONE LAST NIGHT TO SLAM
THOSE RULES LAID OUT BY
MITCH McCONNELL.
HERE'S THE SENATOR.
>> SENATOR McCONNELL'S
RESOLUTION IS A NATIONAL
DISGRACE.
HE IS SAYING THAT HE DOESN'T
WANT TO HEAR ANY OF THE EXISTING
EVIDENCE, AND HE DOESN'T WANT
ANY NEW EVIDENCE.
A TRIAL WHERE THERE IS NO
EVIDENCE, NO EXISTING RECORD,
AND NO NEW EVIDENCE, NO
WITNESSES, NO DOCUMENTS, THAT
ISN'T A TRIAL AT ALL.
IT IS A COVER-UP.
>> Sandra: AS A FORMER
PROSECUTOR AND NOW NEW MEMBER OF
THE PRESIDENT'S DEFENSE TEAM,
HOW DO YOU COUNTER THAT,
CONGRESSMAN?
>> ACTUALLY, I AGREE WITH
CHUCK SCHUMER THAT THERE CAN'T
BE A FAIR TRIAL AND THAT THERE
WAS A COVER-UP, BUT NOT FOR THE
REASONS THAT HE THINKS.
THE COVER OF HAPPENED, WHO
EVERYONE KNOWS WAS NOT TRUTHFUL
ABOUT HIS CONTACT WITH THE
WHISTLE-BLOWER, WHAT THEY DON'T
KNOW IS THAT THE WHISTLE-BLOWER
WAS NOT TRUTHFUL UNDER OATH
ABOUT HIS CONTACTS WITH
CONGRESSMAN SCHIFF.
AND THERE IS A TRANSCRIPT THAT
REFLECTS THAT.
IT'S THE INSPECTOR GENERAL'S
TRANSCRIPT.
IT'S THE ONLY 1 OUT OF 18
TRANSCRIPTS THAT HAS NOT BEEN
RELEASED BY CONGRESSMAN SCHIFF.
SO THERE IS A COVER-UP THERE,
AND THAT IS WHAT PREVENTS A FAIR
TRIAL.
IF THE PERSON CHARGED DOMINIC IN
CHARGE OF THE SOLICITATION WAS
JUDGE, JURY, PROSECUTOR.
THESE ARE ADAM SCHIFF'S FACTS.
YOU CAN'T LEAVE A MAGIC WAND AND
INJECT FAIRNESS INTO A PROCESS
THAT A CONFLICTED WITNESS
CONTROLLED FROM BEGINNING TO END
-- I THINK EVERY SENATOR,
REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRAT IS GOING
TO COME TO THE REALIZATION.
EARLY ON THERE'S GOING TO BE A
MOTION TO ACQUIT
PRESIDENT TRUMP, AND I THINK
THAT'S GOING TO BE SUPPORTED ON