SANDRA, BILL?
>> Sandra: MIKE EMANUEL,
THANKS.
>> Bill: LET'S BRING IN
SENATOR TED CRUZ.
WELCOME BACK TO
"AMERICA'S NEWSROOM,"
GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING, BILL.
GOOD TO BE WITH YOU.
>> Bill: WOULD YOU VOTE IN
FAVOR OF DISMISSAL?
>> I THINK THE SENATE HAS
DECIDED RATHER THAN STARTING
WITH DISMISSAL WILL BE ARE GOING
TO DO IS ALLOW BOTH SIDES TO
PRESENT THEIR CASE.
SO THE ORDER OF PROCEEDING IS
GOING TO BE THE EXACT SAME WAY
THE SENATE PROCEEDED WITH THIS
CLINTON IMPEACHMENT TRIAL.
IN OTHER WORDS, IT WILL START
WITH OPENING ARGUMENTS FROM THE
HOUSE MANAGERS, THEY WILL GET A
FULL AND FAIR OPPORTUNITY TO
PRESENT THEIR CASE, THEN IT'LL
MOVE TO OPENING ARGUMENTS FROM
THE WHITE HOUSE DEFENSE TEAM.
UNLIKE HOW HOUSE DEMOCRATS DID
IT, WE WILL GIVE THE PRESIDENT A
FULL AND FAIR OPPORTUNITY TO
PRESENT HIS CASE TO DEFEND
HIMSELF.
WE WILL THEN MOVE TO THE
QUESTIONS FROM SENATORS.
THE WAY THAT WILL WORK, THEY
WON'T BE ORDERLY.
INSTEAD, SENATORS HAVE TO WRITE
DOWN OUR QUESTIONS.
WE SUBMIT OUR QUESTIONS IN
WRITING AND THE CHIEF JUSTICE
WILL ASK THE QUESTIONS FOR US.
AT THAT POINT THEN, THE DEBATES
WILL HAPPEN ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT
TO DISMISS THE CASE OR TO VOTE A
FINAL VERDICT THEN OR TO TAKE UP
WITNESSES.
I EXPECT A CONTENTIOUS DEBATE
DECISION, PROBABLY ABOUT TWO
WEEKS FROM NOW.
>> Bill: YOU WAITED OUT VERY
WELL, THEN.
ONCE YOU GET TO THAT POINT,
WOULD YOU VOTE FOR DISMISSAL?
>> I THINK AT THE END OF THIS
PROCESS, THESE ARTICLES OF
IMPEACHMENT ARE GOING TO BE
THROWN OUT.
I THINK EVIL AND NOT WITH A
DISMISSAL BUT WITH A VERDICT OF
NOT
GUILTY.
THE WAY IT WORKS IN THE SENATE,
YOU VOTE ON EACH ARTICLE AND
EACH SENATOR WILL VOTE EITHER
GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY.
THE REASON WHY THIS ENDS WITH AN
ACQUITTAL IS VERY SIMPLE.
THEY HAVEN'T MET THE
CONSTITUTIONAL THRESHOLD.
THE CONSTITUTION SPECIFIES, FOR
IMPEACHMENT OF A PRESIDENT, THAT
YOU HAVE TO DEMONSTRATE BRIBERY,
TREASON, OR OTHER HIGH CRIMES
AND MISDEMEANORS.
THEY HAVEN'T DONE THAT.
IN FACT, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME
IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY
THAT ANY PRESIDENT HAS BEEN
IMPEACHED WITHOUT EVEN SO MUCH
AS AN ALLEGATION OF CRIMINAL
CONDUCT.
THEY HAVE NOT ALLEGED IN THESE
ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT THAT THE
PRESIDENT VIOLATED ANY CRIMINAL
LAW.
THEY HAVEN'T ALLEGED HE VIOLATED
A CIVIL LAW.
THEY HAVEN'T EVEN ALLEGED THE
PRESIDENT HAS A SPEEDING TICKET.
FOR THAT REASON, THIS DOESN'T
MEET THE CONSTITUTIONAL STANDARD
OF HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS.
SO THE END OF THIS PROCESS WILL
BE AN ACQUITTAL AND I THINK
THAT'S PROBABLY IN ABOUT A
COUPLE OF WEEKS.
>> Bill: YOU'RE NOT ANSWERING
THE QUESTION YET ON DISMISSAL.
PERHAPS YOU DO
OVERTIME
WOULD YOU FIGURE WITNESSES IN A
SENATE TRIAL AFTER TODAY?
YES OR NO?
>> BILL, LET ME MAKE SURE OF
ANSWERING THE QUESTION ON
DISMISSAL.
I THINK THE OUTCOME OF THIS CASE
WILL NOT BE DISMISSAL.
IT WILL BE AN ACQUITTAL.
THOSE ARE DIFFERENT OUTCOMES.
DISMISSAL THREE WAS THE CASE OUT
WITHOUT REACHING A VERDICT.
WE ARE GOING TO REACH A VERDICT,
AND THE VERDICT IS GOING TO BE
ACQUITTAL.
IT'S GOING TO BE NOT GUILTY
BECAUSE ON THE FACE OF IT THE
ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT DON'T
MEET THIS CONSTITUTIONAL
STANDARD.
THAT IS A MUCH BETTER OUTCOME
FOR THE PRESIDENT SHOULD BE
ACQUITTED OF THESE CHARGES THAN
SIMPLY A DISMISSAL.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THE ANSWER
THAT QUESTION.
>> Bill: ON WITNESSES, DO YOU
FAVOR CALLING THEM?
YES OR NO?
>> THAT'S GOING TO BE, AS I
SAID, A HOTLY DEBATED QUESTION
WITHIN THE SENATE.
WHETHER WITNESSES GET CALLED
PENS ON THE 51 SENATORS, WHETHER
THEY WANT WITNESSES TO BE
CALLED.
MY VIEW IS, IF WE CALL
WITNESSES, HE NEEDS TO BE FAIR,
IT NEEDS TO BE EVENHANDED
, IT NEEDS TO RESPECT DUE
PROCESS.
THAT MEANS IF THE PROSECUTION
GET SCULLY WITNESS, THE DEFENSE
SHOULD COME AS WELL.
IF THE PROSECUTION GETS TO CALL
JOHN BOLTON, THE PRESIDENT
SHOULD BE ABLE TO CALL
HUNTER BIDEN.
IT OUGHT TO BE FAIR AND EVEN AND
RESPECT DUE PROCESS.
THAT'S THE WAY ANY FAIR
PROCEEDING SHOULD BE CONDUCTED.
THE HOUSE DIDN'T DO THAT.
THEY DIDN'T LET THE MINORITY
CALL WITNESSES.
THEY DIDN'T LET THE WHITE HOUSE
CROSS-EXAMINE WITNESSES.
AND SAID THEY HAD A PARTISAN
ONE-SIDED SHOW TRIAL.
THE SENATE WILL DO MUCH BETTER.
WHETHER THEY
WILL BE WITNESSES OR NOT I THINK
WILL BE A CLOSE
CALL IN THE SENATE AND WE HAVE
SOME OF THE VOTES ARE.
>> Bill: TWO MORE MINUTES, TWO
MORE QUESTIONS.
SOME OF HER COLLEAGUES --
LISA MURKOWSKI FROM ALASKA,
SUSAN COLLINS FROM MAINE, MET
ROMNEY OUT OF UTAH, ALL
REPUBLICANS -- CONVERSELY,
DOUG JONES OUT OF ALABAMA,
JOE MANCHIN, WEST VIRGINIA.
DO YOU KNOW WHERE THEY ARE ON
THIS ISSUE TODAY?
>> YOU KNOW, I DON'T.
I THINK YOU'VE IDENTIFIED
SENATORS WHO COULD POSSIBLY VOTE
AGAINST THE PARTY.
THOSE ARE PROBABLY THE FIVE MOST
LIKELY TO BE ON THE OTHER SIDE.
WE WILL HAVE TO SEE HOW THINGS
PLAY OUT AND WHERE THEY DECIDE
TO VOTE.
>> Bill: OKAY.
YOU HAVE SAID REPEATEDLY AND
AGAIN A MOMENT AGO THAT YOU WILL
GIVE THIS PRESIDENT A CHANCE TO
DEFEND HIMSELF.
IN WHAT FORM OR SHAPE DOES THAT
OCCUR IN THE SENATE?
>> THE PRESIDENT HAS A LEGAL
TAME.
IT IS LED BY THE WHITE HOUSE
COUNSEL, PAT CIPOLLONE.
PAT AND HIS TEAM OF LAWYERS WILL
BE THERE ON THE FLOOR OF THE
SENATE.
THEY WILL BE ABLE TO PRESENT
OPENING ARGUMENTS, THEY WILL BE
ABLE TO PRESENT EVIDENCE, THEY
WILL BE ABLE TO CALL WITNESSES
IF THEY CHOOSE.
THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS --
THERE'S ALL THIS DISCUSSION
ABOUT WITNESSES.
ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS TO
REMEMBER, IT'S NOT THE SENATE
THAT CHOOSES TO CALL WITNESSES.
IT IS THE PROSECUTION OR THE
DEFENSE, TYPICALLY, THAT SAYS,
DEFENSE, TYPICALLY, THAT SAYS --
PAT CIPOLLONE STEPPED UP AND
SAYS, "WE CALL HUNTER BIDEN TO
THE WITNESS STAND."
AT THAT POINT THE SENATE
DECIDES, WILL WE ALLOW YOU TO DO
THAT?
BUT IT'S THE INITIAL DECISION OF
THE LAWYERS PROSECUTING AND
DEFENDING THE CASE.
IT'LL BE BE THE WHITE HOUSE
DEFENSE TEAM IN CONSULTATION
WITH THE PRESIDENT MAKING THOSE
DECISIONS.
>> Bill: I'M OUT OF TIME, JUST
THAT ONE MORE HERE.
BILL CLINTON'S IMPEACHMENT
LASTED 37 DAYS.
DO YOU SEE THAT HAPPENING NOW,
57 DAYS?
MORE OR LESS?
>> I THINK IT CERTAINLY COULD.
IF WE GO DOWN THE ROPE
WITNESSES.
I THINK THIS CHILD COULD BE
BETWEEN TWO WEEKS AND SIX WEEKS.
THE BIG DETERMINATION ON THAT,
IF WE GO DOWN THE ROW OF
WITNESSES, HE COULD TAKE FIVE OR
SIX WEEKS.