( LAUGHTER )
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE GOT A CHANCE TO QUESTION MUELLER.
BUT BEFORE THEY DID, MUELLER MADE IT CLEAR WHAT HE WOULD AND
WOULD NOT TALK ABOUT.
>> I, THEREFORE, WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT
CERTAIN AREAS THAT I KNOW ARE OF PUBLIC INTEREST.
FOR EXAMPLE, I AM UNABLE TO ADDRESS QUESTIONS ABOUT THE
OPENING OF THE FBI'S RUSSIA INVESTIGATION, WHICH
OCCURRED MONTHS BEFORE MY APPOINTMENT, OR MATTERS RELATED
TO THE SO-CALLED STEELE DOSSIER.
(AS MUELLER) AND SINCE I CANNOT TALK ABOUT
ANYTHING THE PUBLIC IS INTERESTED IN, I ALSO WILL NOT
BE ADDRESSING THE BEHAVIOR OF LUKE P. ON "THE BACHELORETTE,"
THE NEW COLLABORATION BETWEEN JAY-Z AND MEEK MILL.
AND I DEFER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT JANE AS THOR TO NICK FURY AND MY
COLLEAGUES AT SHIELD.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
I GOTTA WORK ON MY IMPRESSION.
SCHIFF ASKED ONE OF THE BIGGEST QUESTIONS SURROUNDING THE
INVESTIGATION.
>> WHEN DONALD TRUMP CALLED YOUR INVESTIGATION A WITCH HUNT, THAT
WAS ALSO FALSE, WAS IT NOT?
>> LIKE TO THINK SO, YES.
>> WELL, YOUR INVESTIGATION IS NOT A WITCH HUNT, IS IT?
>> IT IS NOT A WITCH HUNT.
>> Stephen: NOT A WITCH HUNT.
AND I'M BEING TOLD WE HAVE SOME FOOTAGE OF THE PRESIDENT'S
RESPONSE.
>> I'M MELTING, MELTING!"
>> Stephen: THAT'S NICE ♪ CAN'T STAND THE RAIN AGAINST
MY WUNDTO ♪ >> Stephen: MY BEAUTIFUL
WICKEDNESS.
REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE MIKE TURNER TRIED TO NAIL MUELLER ON
THE FACT THAT, AS SPECIAL COUNSEL, HE DIDN'T TECHNICALLY
HAVE THE POWER TO EXONERATE THE PRESIDENT.
>> YOU HAVE NO MORE POWER TO DECLARE HIM EXONERATED THAN YOU
HAVE THE POWER TO DECLARE HIM ANDERSON COOPER.
>> Stephen: PLEASE DON'T DECLARE TRUMP ANDERSON COOPER.
I REALLY DON'T WANT THAT IMAGE IN MY MIND.
AND I'M BEING TOLD...
THEY'VE ALREADY MADE IT.
( LAUGHTER )
EVERYONE KNEW THIS WAS A HISTORIC DAY, ESPECIALLY THE
WOMAN FILMING IT ON HER PHONE.
THAT WOMAN'S NAME?
C-SPAN 2.
WHEN CONGRESSMAN TURNER TRIED TO ATTACK MUELLER WITH SOME LEGAL
MUMBO-JUMBO ABOUT WHO HAS THE POWER TO EXONERATE A SUSPECT,
MUELLER DEFTLY STEPPED ASIDE.
>> MR. MUELLER, WOULD YOU AGREE WITH ME THAT THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL DOES NOT HAVE THE POWER TO EXONERATE?
>> UH.. I'M GOING TO PASS ON THAT.
>> YOU WOULD NOT DISAGREE WITH ME WHEN I SAY THAT THERE IS NO
PLACE THAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS THE POWER TO EXONERATE, AND
HE'S NOT BEEN GIVEN THAT AUTHORITY?
YOU WOULD NOT DISAGREE.
>> I'M NOT GOING TO-- I TAKE YOUR QUESTION.
>> Stephen: (AS MUELLER) I TAKE YOUR QUESTION, I PUT IT
IN A BOX MARKED "WHO CARES?" AND THROW IT INTO "GO TO HELL
CANYON."
( APPLAUSE )
ON ANYTHING THAT WASN'T SPECIFICALLY WRITTEN IN HIS
REPORT.
BUT THEN REPRESENTATIVE QUIGLEY FROM ILLINOIS, PRESENTED MUELLER
WITH TRUMP QUOTES PRAISING WIKILEAKS, WHICH RELEASED STOLEN
DOCUMENTS TO SWAY THE ELECTION IN TRUMP'S FAVOR.
>> "WIKILEAKS.
I LOVE WIKILEAKS."
DONALD TRUMP, OCTOBER 10, 2016.
"THIS WIKILEAKS STUFF IS UNBELIEVABLE."
BOY, I LOVE READING THOSE WIKILEAKS."
DONALD TRUMP NOVEMBER 4TH, 2016.
WOULD ANY OF THOSE QUOTES DISTURB YOU, MR. DIRECTOR?
>> I'M NOT CERTAIN I WOULD SAY-- >> HOW DO YOU REACT TO THAT?
>> WELL, IT'S PROBABLY-- PROBLEMATIC IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT
IN TERMS OF WHAT IT DISPLAYS IN TERMS OF GIVING SOME-- I DON'T
KNOW-- HOPE, OR SOME BOOST TO WHAT IS AND SHOULD BE ILLEGAL
ACTIVITY.
>> Stephen: THAR SHE BLOWS!
( LAUGHTER )
( APPLAUSE )
♪ HOORAY AND UP SHE RISES HOORAY AND UP SHE RISES
HOORAY ♪ HE ACTUALLY-- HE ACTUALLY
DISPRESSED AN OPINION AND IT'S A BIG ONE.
REMEMBER, "PROBLEMATIC IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT" IS A
PRETTY SCATHING INDICTMENT FROM A MAN WHOSE VERSION OF "I LOVE
YOU" IS PROBABLY "IT'S SAFE TO SAY THERE IS SOME FONDNESS."
AT THAT POINT, THE HEARING TOOK A STRANGE TURN.
AFTER FOUR HOURS OF RAW PARTISANSHIP, THE UNITED STATES
CONGRESS DID SOMETHING REALLY ODD.
THEY STARTED TO WORRY ABOUT THE UNITED STATES.
THIS CONCERN FOR COUNTRY WAS LEAD OFF BY TEXAS REPUBLICAN
WILL HURD.
>> IN YOUR INVESTIGATION, DID YOU THINK THAT THIS WAS A SINGLE
ATTEMPT BY THE RUSSIANS TO GET INVOLVED IN OUR ELECTION, OR DID
YOU FIND EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT THEY WILL TRY TO DO
THIS AGAIN?
>> IT WASN'T A SINGLE ATTEMPT.
THEY'RE DOING IT AS WE SIT HERE.
>> Stephen: WHICH EXPLAINS WHY THE NEXT QUESTION WAS FROM
REPRESENTATIVE OLEG AMERICANMAN.
( LAUGHTER )
HE'S A GOOD GUY.
YOU'D LIKE HIM.
THE MUELLER REPORT WAS NOT ABLE TO FIND THAT TRUMP BROKE THE
LAW, BUT IT MADE IT ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THAT TRUMP WELCOMED THE
HELP OF THOSE PROWERE BREAKING THE LAW.
AND THAT TROUBLED VERMONT'S PETER WELCH.
>> MY CONCERN IS HAVE WE ESTABLISHED A NEW NORMAL FROM
THIS PAST CAMPAIGN THAT IS GOING TO APPLY TO FUTURE CAMPAIGNS, SO
THAT IF ANY ONE OF US RUNNING FOR THE U.S. HOUSE, ANY
CANDIDATE FOR THE U.S. SENATE, ANY CANDIDATE FOR THE PRESIDENCY
OF THE UNITED STATES, AWARE THAT A HOSTILE FOREIGN POWER IS
TRYING TO INFLUENCE AN ELECTION, HAS NO DUTY TO REPORT THAT TO
THE F.B.I. OR OTHER AUTHORITIES?
>> I HOPE-- >> GO AHEAD.
>> I HOPE THIS IS NOT THE NEW NORMAL, BUT I FEAR IT IS.
>> Stephen: OH, GOD.
THAT'S BAD.
"I HOPE IT'S NOT THE NEW NORMAL.
BUT I FEAR IT IS.
THAT'S CHILLING.
IT'S ALSO THE SLOGAN FOR THE NEW TACO BELL STEAK REAPER RANCH
FRIES BURRITO.
"I HOPE THIS IS NOT THE NEW NORMAL, BUT I FEAR IT IS."
YOU GOTTA KEEP IT LIGHT.
GOTTA KEEP IT LIGHT.
>> Jon: YEAH, YEAH.
>> Stephen: I COULD GO FOR ONE OF THOSE RIGHT NOW.
THEN, AT THE VERY END OF THE HEARING, CHAIRMAN SCHIFF ASKED
MUELLER WHETHER MERELY NOT BEING ABLE TO PROVE THE PRESIDENT
COLLUDED WITH A FOREIGN POWER IS ENOUGH.
>> FROM YOUR TESTIMONY TODAY, I GATHER THAT KNOWINGLY
ACCEPTING FOREIGN ASSISTANCE DURING A PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN
IS AN UNETHICAL THING TO DO.
>> AND A CRIME.
>> IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES A CRIME, GIVEN CERTAIN
CIRCUMSTANCES.
>> Stephen: YEAH, IT'S A CRIME IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.
FOR INSTANCE, IN AMERICA, RIGHT NOW.
WE'VE GOT A GREAT SHOW FOR YOU TONIGHT.