The president is facing impeachment
and it's all because of this call
with the president of Ukraine.
Which makes it even stranger that Trump is the one
who released the transcript of that call
where we clearly see him asking Zelensky for the favor.
But now, we're finding out that his people told him
not to release that transcript
because even they knew how bad it looked.
There are a lot of White House aides
who did not want this transcript to be released.
Many argued against it.
They worried that putting it out, uh,
would be problematic for the president.
It wouldn't be as good for him as he expected.
You had a real internal debate.
You had Secretaries Mnuchin and Pompeo
arguing against it privately and also publicly.
He believed that releasing the transcript
would-would exonerate him, would be exculpatory.
The conversation, by the way, was absolutely perfect.
It was a beautiful, warm, nice conversation.
(laughs) You know, I can safely say I've never heard
someone talk about a phone conversation that way.
(mimics Trump): Absolutely perfect, beautiful and warm.
(normal voice): Like, I actually feel bad
for every other call Trump has to make from now on.
It will never live up to that standard.
He'll be on the phone with, like, the leader of Spain,
and he'll just be like, he'll be like, "Well, Donald,
"I just want to say thank you for the time.
I think we can all agree this was a great call."
He's like, (mimics Trump): "Actually, it was just okay
"'cause you should have heard my call with Ukraine.
"So perfect, so beautiful.
"It was like the Ivanka of calls.
"This call... This call, on the other hand,
"is more like an Eric, totally an Eric call.
It's mine, but I'm not a big fan."
(normal voice): So for more on the decision
to release the call, let's talk to a man
who makes illicit phone calls all the time,
-Michael Kosta, everybody. -Thank you.
Thank you, Michael.
(cheers and applause)
This... This call, Michael,
-seems to be the thing -Yeah.
that could get Donald Trump impeached.
Yeah, Trevor, Trump is in trouble,
which I understand better than anyone.
I was once impeached out of a Denny's at 3:00 a.m.
So you were kicked out of a Denny's?
Yes, but impeachment sounds classier, so...
Okay. Uh, Michael, here's my question, though.
Clearly, Trump's aides didn't want
-this transcript to be released, right? -Yep.
So why did the president think this was such a perfect call?
Like, how did he not see that what he did was wrong?
Well, it's simple, Trevor,
because Trump didn't do anything wrong.
-W-Wait. What? -Yeah.
Trevor, to do wrong you have to know what's right.
In the same way that without darkness
can you really have light?
Without the weak is there might?
Without a gym, could there be a Dwight?
(laughter, whooping)
-Please, don't. Don't... -(cheers and applause)
Don't-Don't encourage him.
Kosta, everyone agrees
that the United States president asking a foreign leader
to dig up dirt on his political rival is wrong.
Okay, but Trump doesn't know right from wrong,
so, technically, he can't do anything wrong.
You can't blame a blind man
for driving on the wrong side of the road,
so you can't blame a morally blind man
for committing crimes.
Yeah, well, I certainly wouldn't let a blind man drive.
Wow-- racist.
But... But it doesn't matter
because America voted to let
this morally blind man drive the presidency,
and now we have no choice but to sit in the back seat
and pray he doesn't crash into too many old ladies.
Michael, Michael, no, it is totally different.
Blindness isn't a character trait, it's physical.
So is moral blindness.
In fact, it's genetic to the whole Trump family, okay?
Don't forget Robert Mueller let Don, Jr. off the hook
for colluding with Russia because he didn't know
colluding with Russia was a crime.
He walked away from that a free man
and then he locked himself in his car.
So you're saying Trump shouldn't be punished
because he doesn't know any better?
That is ridiculous.
No. No, Trevor. It's inspiring.
If ignorance is the ultimate legal defense,
then we should all strive to be as ignorant as possible.
That's why, for the past week,
I've been unlearning how to read.
That way, I can't get in trouble for not paying my bills
or ignoring divorce papers,
or disregarding restraining orders from Denny's.
Jesus, Kosta, I-I feel like unlearning to read
seems like a lot of work.
No way. It's as simple as A-G-V.
Michael Kosta, everyone.