>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME. >> AND MSNBC POLITICAL ANALYST
EUGENE ROBINSON IS HERE.
>> PLEASE CLAP.
>> WE’LL ALWAYS CLAP FOR YOU.
>> WE’LL BEGIN WITH A POLL AFTER
THE RELEASE OF MUELLER’S
REDACTED REPORT THAT SHOWS
PRESIDENT TRUMP HITTING AN
ALL-TIME LOW.
ALL-TIME LOW. POLITICO HAS TRUMP’S APPROVAL
RATINGS DROPPING 5 POINTS TO
39%.
39%. 57% DISAPPROVE OF TRUMP’S JOB
PERFORMANCE, UP 6 POINTS SINCE
LAST WEEK.
LAST WEEK. BUT WHILE TRUMP IS UNPOPULAR, SO
IS IMPEACHMENT.
IS IMPEACHMENT. THE MORNING CONSULT POLITICO
POLL FINDS ONLY 34% SUPPORT
BEGINNING OF IMPEACHMENT
PROCEEDINGS, THAT IS DOWN FROM
39% IN JANUARY, 48% ARE OPPOSED.
JOE?
JOE? >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. SO THIS IS, AGAIN, WHAT I SAY
ALL THE TIME IN POLITICS,
SOMETIMES WHEN YOU WIN YOU LOSE
AND SOMETIMES WHUCH LOSEEN YOU L
WIN.
WIN. ALSO, WE WERE ALL SITTING AROUND
THE TABLE AFTER THE BARR LETTER
CAME OUT AND REMEMBER EVERYBODY
RAN OUT AND STARTED GLOATING AND
IT WAS ON THE TRUMP RIGHT.
ALL WERE GLOATING, OH, NO THIS,
NO THAT, NO COLLUSION, OH, THIS
IS JUST A WITCH HUNT.
OF COURSE THIS ALL ASSUMED -- IT
ALL ASSUMED THAT AMERICANS
DIDN’T SEE THAT EVERYBODY AROUND
DONALD TRUMP DURING THE CAMPAIGN
EITHER ENDED UP IN JAIL OR ENDED
UP DOING DEALS WITH THE FBI AND
THAT THE REPORTS SHOWED ONE LIE
AFTER ANOTHER LIE AFTER ANOTHER
LIE.
LIE. SO THAT’S PART ONE OF IT.
BUT, WILLIE, EVEN MORE BITTERLY
IRONIC FOR DONALD TRUMP I WOULD
THINK IS THAT HERE YOU HAVE THIS
POLL WHERE TRUMP USUALLY DOES
BETTER IN THE MORNING CONSULT
POLL THAN OTHER POLLS FROM WHAT
I’VE SEEN, BUT HERE YOU HAVE HIM
IN THIS POLL ONCE AGAIN DROPPING
TO AN ALL-TIME LOW, LOWEST SINCE
CHARLOTTESVILLE, AND THE REASON
WHY IS BECAUSE HE’S NOW GOT AN
ATTORNEY GENERAL WHO IS DOING AN
INSIDE JOB FOR HIM, WHO IS
GAMING THE SYSTEM, WHO AMERICANS
KNOW AREN’T PLAYING STRAIGHT
FORWARD AND DONALD TRUMP, THE
OUTSIDER, HAS BECOME DONALD
TRUMP THE GOVERNMENT INSIDER WHO
HAS RIGGED THE SYSTEM FOR
HIMSELF.
HIMSELF. AND AMERICANS SEE IT.
THEY KNOW IT’S A SCAM.
THEY HEAR HIM LYING ABOUT IT,
AND THEY’RE PUNISHING AT THE
POLLS.
POLLS. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. I MEAN, THOSE ARE TERRIBLE
APPROVAL NUMBERS.
APPROVAL NUMBERS. LET’S JUST PUT IT BLUNTLY.
IF YOU’RE IN THE 30s IN NOW
COMING UP IN THE THIRD YEAR OF
YOUR PRESIDENCY, THAT IS A
TERRIBLE PLACE TO SEE.
THE MUELLER REPORT IS IN PUBLIC
VIEW, AMERICANS CAN READ FOR
THEMSELVES WHETHER OR NOT BOB
MUELLER COULD ESTABLISH A
CONSPIRACY BETWEEN THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN AND THE RUSSIAN
GOVERNMENT, WHICH BY THE WAY,
THE HEADLINE THAT PRESIDENT
TRUMP HAS TAKEN FROM THIS,
BECAUSE IT’S TRUE, HE HAS THAT
HEADLINE AND YET YOU STILL SEE
THE NUMBERS AT 39%.
THAT’S JUST A TERRIBLE NUMBER
FOR ANY PRESIDENT, BUT
PARTICULARLY WHAT’S PERCEIVED BY
TRUMP SUPPORTERS AND BY THE
PRESIDENT HIMSELF AS GOOD NEWS.
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF IT, WHEN
YOU LOOK AT THE IMPEACHMENT
NUMBER AT 34%, NOW YOU
UNDERSTAND WHY NANCY PELOSI, THE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE IS HOLDING
CONFERENCE CALLS WITH HER
MEMBERS AND SAYING PUMP THE
BRAKES ON THE IMPEACHMENT TALK.
THE INVESTIGATIONS MAY LEAD US
THERE BUT WE DON’T NEED TO LEAD
WOULD THE WORD IMPEACHMENT.
I THINK YOU SAW WHY IN THAT
NUMBER.
NUMBER. HOUSE DEMOCRATIC LEADERS
PROMISING TO PUSH FORWARD WITH
AGGRESSIVE INVESTIGATION INTO
PRESIDENT TRUMP IN THE WAKE OF
THE MUELLER REPORT BUT REFUSING
TO COMMIT TO IMPEACHING HIM.
DURING A CONFERENCE CALL
YESTERDAY WITH RANK AND FILE
MEMBERS, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
NANCY PELOSI, HER LEADERSHIP
TEAM AND THE CHAIRS OF MAJOR
OVERSIGHT COMMITTEES OUTLINED
HOW THEY WOULD MOVE FORWARD
FOLLOWING THE REPORT’S RELEASE.
SOURCES SAY DURING THE CALL
PELOSI TOLD HER FELLOW
LAWMAKERS, QUOTE, WE HAVE TO
SAVE OUR DEMOCRACY.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT DEMOCRATS OR
REPUBLICANS, IT’S ABOUT SAVING
YOU’RE DEMOCRACY, ADDING IF IT
IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO HONOR
OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO THE
CONSTITUTION, IF THAT’S THE
PLACE THE FACTS TAKE US, THAT’S
THE PLACE WE HAVE TO GO.
BUT SPEAKER PELOSI REJECTED
CALLS FROM CENTRAL DEMOCRATS TO
BEGIN THE PROCESS OF REMOVING
PRESIDENT TRUMP, SAYING SAVING
THE DEMOCRACY DOES NOT
NECESSARILY CONSTITUTE
NECESSARILY CONSTITUTE IMPEACHMENT.
IMPEACHMENT. PLESSY TELLING THE PARTY WE
DON’T HAVE TO GO O ARTICLES OF
IMPEACHMENT TO MAINTAIN THE
FACTS.
FACTS. NANCY PELOSI HAVING AN 87-MINUTE
CONFERENCE CALL WITH ANYBODY WHO
COULD CALL INTO THAT LINE AND
SAYING EXACTLY WHAT WE LAID OUT
THERE.
THERE. I HEAR A LOT OF YOU PUBLICLY
CALLING FOR IMPEACHMENT, MANY
ELIZABETH WARREN WANTING TO PUMP
THE BRAKES ON IMPEACHMENT TALK?
>> SHE SAID, QUOTE, HE’S NOT
WORTH IT, TALKING ABOUT THE
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. THE CHALLENGE FOR HER, I WOULD
DESCRIBE THEIR OVERALL STRATEGY
AS THIS -- DIG UP AS MUCH
INFORMATION ABOUT THE PRESIDENT
AS POSSIBLE.
AS POSSIBLE. THE ASSUMPTION IS A A LOT OF IT
IS GOING TO BE NEGATIVE AND GET
IT OUT THERE AND ALLOW PEOPLE TO
MAKE THEIR OWN DECISION.
IF YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO
DEFEAT PRESIDENT TRUMP, WHY GO
THROUGH A PROCESS THAT’S
POLITICAL, DIVISIVE AND PERHAPS
HURTS YOUR CHANCES OF MEETING
THE GOAL.
THE GOAL. >> THE POLITICS ALL ALONG THE
WAY THERE HAVE BEEN SOME
REPUBLICANS WHO HAVE THOUGHT
ABOUT THE POLL TUX OF THIS AND
HAVE SIDED WITH TRUMP OR HAVE
BEEN A TRUMP LACKEY BECAUSE THEY
WANT TO WIN THEIR ELECTIONS.
AND AT SOME POINT SOMEBODY NEEDS
TO THINK ABOUT WHY WE’RE DOING
WHAT WE’RE DOING AND WHAT IT’S
FOR AND WASN’T IT ALL ABOUT THE
COUNTRY?
COUNTRY? AND WITH THAT I ASK YOU WHAT IS
IMPEACHMENT FOR?
IMPEACHMENT FOR? IT’S NOT A PUNISHMENT, IT’S NOT
A POLITICAL SWORD.
IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE A REMOVAL
FROM OFFICE FOR SOMEONE WHO WAS
UNFIT.
UNFIT. WHAT DOES THAT MUELLER REPORT
SHOW YOU.
SHOW YOU. I MEAN, TO ME, I DON’T EVEN KNOW
WHY IT ISN’T BLACK AND WHITE
CLEAR.
CLEAR. HAVING SAID THAT, NANCY PELOSI’S
JOB I GUESS IS TO WORRY ABOUT A
LOT MORE THAN JUST THAT.
>> IT’S THE WAY IT IS.
AND YOU AND I DISAGREE ON THIS
FRONT.
FRONT. YOU THINK THAT DEMOCRATS --
>> I DON’T THINK THEY NEED TO
TUKE ABOUT IT EVERY DAY BUT I
THINK THEY NEED TO ASK THE
QUESTIONS.
QUESTIONS. >> BUT GO WHERE THE EVIDENCE
LEADS THEM.
LEADS THEM. I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THAT.
I’M JUST TALKING AS FAR AS
POLITICS GOES AND BEING PART OF
A HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES BACK
IN THE 1990s WHO IMPEACHED BILL
CLINTON WHEN HE COULDN’T GET
PROSECUTED IN THE SENATE AND
WE -- IT ENDED UP WE GAVE HIM A
VERY NICE DEPARTING GIFT AND
THAT IS A 60% APPROVAL RATING.
AMERICANS ARE REFLEXIVELY
AGAINST IMPEACHMENT.
AGAINST IMPEACHMENT. I ALWAYS GO BACK TO JOHN ROBERTS
WHEN HE UPHELD OBAMACARE.
HE SAID DO NOT ASK ME TO DO FOR
YOU FROM MY BENCH WHAT YOU CAN
TAKE CARE OF IN THE VOTING BOOTH
IN A YEAR.
AND THAT’S HOW VOTERS HAVE FELT
ABOUT IMPEACHMENT.
ABOUT IMPEACHMENT. IT’S HOW THEY FELT ABOUT IT WITH
BILL CLINTON, IT’S HOW THEY FEEL
ABOUT IT WITH DONALD TRUMP.
WE HAVE AN ELECTION IN A YEAR, A
YEAR AND A HALF, AND YOU LOOK AT
THAT MORNING CONSULT POLL AND IT
SHOWS YOU DONALD TRUMP’S BEST
HOPE FOR HIGHER POLL NUMBERS AND
FOR REELECTION IS FOR THE
DEMOCRATS TO TRY TO REMOVE HIM
FROM OFFICE THROUGH IMPEACHMENT.
WHETHER THAT’S RIGHT, WHETHER
THAT’S WRONG, IF YOUR ULTIMATE
GOAL IS REMOVING DONALD TRUMP
FROM OFFICE, THEN IMPEACHMENT
POLITICALLY IS THE WORST WAY TO
GO.
GO. >> I IMAGINE YOU STILL HAVE A
FEW WHEWBATTLE SCARS FROM THE
CLINTON IMPEACHMENT.
CLINTON IMPEACHMENT. HOWEVER, THE STUSCONSTITUTION DO
NOT SAY FORGETABOUT IT IF ABOUT
THERE’S AN ELECTION YEAR.
IT DOES SAY, AS LINDSEY GRAHAM
SO ELOQUENTLY, YOU DON’T HAVE TO
COMMIT A CRIME IF YOU’RE NOT
UPHOLDING THE HONOR AND
INTEGRITY OF THE OFFICE.
THE HOUSE HAS TO MOVE
DELIBERATELY.
DELIBERATELY. ITS FIRST MOVE IS TO LET THE THE
COMMITTEE MEMBERS EXERCISE THEIR
SUBPOENAS AND MAYBE THEY GET TO
AN ACTUAL IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY
AND MAYBE THEY DON’T, BUT THEY
NEED TO MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE
GUESS WHAT, IF THEY DON’T PUSH
AHEAD, IF THEY DON’T LEAN
FORWARD, I KNOW SOMEBODY WHO
SURELY WILL AND THAT’S DONALD
TRUMP.
TRUMP. AND HE’S GOING TO BE PUSHING
FORWARD ON HIS BOGUS
COUNTERNARRATIVE OF THE DEEP
STATE AND THE COUP ATTEMPT BY
ANGRY DEMOCRATS AND SO YOU NEED
TO PUSH AND I URGE THEM TO PUSH.
>> YOU WRITE ABOUT IT IN "THE
WASHINGTON POST."
WASHINGTON POST." WE’RE GOING TO READ ABOUT IT IN
OUR OP-EDS.
OUR OP-EDS. MIKE BARNICLE, SOMETIMES
PROSECUTORS FIND THAT DISCRETION
IS A BETTER PART OF VALOR,
SOMETIMES THERE ARE CASES THEY
KNOW THEY CAN’T WIN THEY DON’T
BRING BECAUSE THEY DON’T WANT TO
SET A BAD PRECEDENT.
WE CAN TALK ABOUT BASEBALL AND
KURT FLOOD WHO WANTED TO BE A
FREE AGENT AND THEY NEVER
CHALLENGED THAT.
CHALLENGED THAT. MLB, THEY DIDN’T WANT TO USE
THAT CASE.
THAT CASE. IN THIS CASE DEMOCRATS CAN FEEL
GOOD ABOUT THEMSELVES DOING
THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY AND
THEN GET ROLLED BY THE SENATE
AND DONALD TRUMP’S THE BIG
WINNER.
WINNER. >> JOE, IF YOU LOOK AT THOSE
NUMBERS THAT WE JUST POSTED UP
THERE, THEY TELL YOU THIS -- A
MAJORITY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
KNOW WHAT THEY HAVE IN THE OVAL
OFFICE.
OFFICE. THEY KNOW THEY HAVE A DECEITFUL,
MANIPULATIVE GUY WHO IS ILL
PREPARED AND UNSUITED FOR THE
JOB.
JOB. THEY KNOW THIS.
SO GOING FORWARD THE IDEA THAT
THE HOUSE IS GOING TO BEGIN
IMPLEMENTING IMPEACHMENT
IMPLEMENTING IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS, GENE JUST REFERRED
TO THE CONSTITUTION.
THE CONSTITUTION, THERE’S NO
NOTATION, NO AMENDMENT IN THE
CONSTITUTION THAT SAYS, AND IT
OUGHT TO, STOP WASTING OUR TIME.
I THINK IF THEY DO GO FORWARD
WITH IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS,
THE MAJORITY OF AMERICANS ARE
GOING TO THINK THEY ARE WASTING
OUR TIME, THE VOTERS’ TIME.
THEY’RE NOT GETTING DONE ANYWAY
AND NOW THEY’RE OPENING THE DOOR
TO CONTINUAL EVERY DAY
HARASSMENT, WITCH HUNT FROM THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
HAVE SOME HEARINGS, GET MORE
EVIDENCE ON THE GROUND THAT
PEOPLE ALREADY KNOW BUTTRESSES