>> AND JACOB IS WITH US NOW.
PANEL, LET'S TALK ABOUT IT.
CAN I JUST TELL YOU, WE'RE ON
THE AIR ALL DAY YESTERDAY,
TALKING ABOUT THIS.
AND WHEN KAVANAUGH CAME OUT, HE
DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT.
ALL WE'D SEEN WAS THIS STILTED,
STIFF JUDGE.
THE JUDGES DON'T SHOW EMOTION.
AND DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT.
AND WHEN HE LAUNCHED INTO THAT
OPENING STATEMENT, WHICH WAS NOT
THE PREPARED OPENING STATEMENT.
HE HAD REWRITTEN IT HIMSELF, TO
EXPRESS HOW HE WAS ACTUALLY
FEELING.
ALL OF US, ALL OF THE NBC TALENT
WAS STANDING.
WE GOT UP FROM THE ANCHOR DESK.
WE WERE STANDING IN FRONT OF A
MONITOR, IN FRONT OF THE CAMERAS
THERE, THERE ARE MONITORS.
JUST WATCHING, STUNNED.
I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE
THAT IN ALL MY LOVING LIFE.
AND IT WAS EXTREMELY POWERFUL.
JUST AT THE MOMENT WHEN YOU
THOUGHT NOTHING COULD BE MORE
POWERFUL THAN CHRISTINE FORD, HE
CAME OUT AND LINDSEY GRAHAM CAME
OUT.
PROBABLY CHANGED THE BALANCE
BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE KAVANAUGH
IS IN A BETTER POSITION THAN HE
WAS 24 HOURS AGO.
>> IT'S WORTH POINTING OUT, THE
ARC OF HIS OPENING STATEMENT.
HE COMES OUT AND IT'S HIS
PERSONAL MOMENT.
AND HE CRIES AND TALKS ABOUT HIS
DAUGHTER.
YOU CAN'T HELP BUT BE TOUCHED BY
THAT MOMENT.
HIS DAUGHTER IS UPSET FOR HER
FAMILY AND THIS WOMAN.
AND YOU FEEL FOR THE GUY.
YOU CAN'T HELP BUT FEEL FROM THE
GUY.
AND THIS SWINGS TO, THIS WAS ALL
ORCHESTRATED BY THE CLINTONS.
IT WAS A PIVOT THAT DIDN'T MAKE
SENSE TO ME.
I THINK UNDERMINED THE POWERFUL
MOMENT THAT HE HAD TO TOP IT
OFF.
>> IT WAS JUST SO JAW-DROPPING,
TO WATCH THAT ALL PLAY OUT.
AN YOU KNOW, I KNOW WHEN OUR
VIEWERS AT HOME WATCH, THEY
CAN'T HEAR THE AUDIENCE'S
REACTION TO THE SPOT THAT WAS
PLAYED WITH PETER ALEXANDER.
AFTER THE PRESIDENT TWEETED,
EVERYBODY HERE LAUGHED BECAUSE
THAT'S WHAT WAS EXPECTED.
WE HAD THE POWERFUL MOMENTS, AN
OPPORTUNITY TO GET DEEPER TO GET
SOMEWHERE.
BUT AT THE END OF ALL OF IT,
THERE'S A TWEET FROM THE
PRESIDENT, WE'RE BACK TO SQUARE
ONE WHERE WE THOUGHT WE COULD
BE, WHEN WE WENT INTO IT ALL.
>> WE HAD A CHANCE TO GET SOME
PLACE.
AND YOU HAD SENATORS ASKING HIM
ABOUT REFERENCES IN HIS HIGH
SCHOOL YEARBOOK TO FLATULENCE.
>> WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, BUFFING
IS NOT FLATULENCE.
LOOK IT UP.
>> SO SAY YOU.
HIS EXPLANATION IS DIFFERENT.
>> GROWING UP AT OUR GENERATION,
I DEFY TO TELL YOU THAT SOMEONE
WILL TELL YOU -- YOU WANT TO
RAISE THE QUESTION OF WHETHER HE
SHOULD HAVE BEEN ASKED ABOUT
THAT YEARBOOK REFERENCE?
FAIR ENOUGH.
BUT HE WAS ASKED ABOUT
SOMETHING, AND BUFFING AND THE
DEVIL'S TRIANGLE, NOT WHAT HE
SAID IT WAS.
>> HIS EXPLANATION WAS DEVIL'S
TRIANGLE WAS A DRINKING GAME
EQUIVALENT TO QUARTERS.
I WASN'T AT GEORGETOWN PREP.
>> IT WASN'T JUST GEORGETOWN
PREP WHERE THOSE TERMS WERE
USED.
>> I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE
PRECEDENT WE WANT TO ESTABLISH
FOR CONFIRMING SUPREME COURT
JUDGES.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE HEAR, IT'S
JUST A JOB INTERVIEW.
THE STAKES ARE ONLY HE GETS A
SUPREME COURT JUSTICE.
OR HE GOES BACK TO THE D.C.
COURT.
THIS IS THE GUY'S LIFE.
HIS JUDGESHIP IS IN THE BALANCE.
HE'S GOING TO BE FACING
DISBARMENT.
HE'S GOING TO BE FACING
IMPEACHMENT CALLS.
HE'S GOING TO FACE EFFORTS TO
GET CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST
HIM.
HIS FAMILY, HIS TWO DAUGHTERS,
HIS WIFE, WILL BE FACING
POLITICAL EXILE, PERHAPS RUINED.
THIS IS NO LONGER ABOUT THIS
COURT, SOCIETY BROADLY.
WHAT KIND OF SOCIETY DO WE WANT
TO LIVE IN?
THE KIND OF PAIN WAS EXHIBITED
BY DR. BLASEY FORD WAS REAL.
IT DESERVES TO BE HONOR.
AND SO, TOO, DOES THE JUDGE.
>> IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE THAT HER
TESTIMONY WAS SINCERE, THAT IS
SHE REMEMBERS BRETT KAVANAUGH
DOING IT AND HE HAS NO
RECOLLECTION OF TOUCHING
CHRISTINE FORD.
AND BELIEVES SHE HAS MISTAKEN
HIM FOR SOMEBODY ELSE.
BOTH THINGS CAN BE TRUE.
ALSO WHAT CAN BE TRUE, BOTH OF
THEM ARE FUDGING IT A BIT.
SOMETHING HAPPENED AND HE'S
DECLINED ANY PIECE OF IT.
WE DON'T KNOW.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO KNOW.
AND WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY WAS,
THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE.
NO ONE COULD CORROBORATE HER
STORY.
AND THE WITNESS SHE CONTINUED TO
POINT TO, HER FRIEND, WHO WAS
SUPPOSED TO BE THERE, HER FEMALE
FRIEND, ISSUED A STATEMENT
SAYING, WE WERE NEVER HAD A
PARTY TOGETHER WITH BRETT
KAVANAUGH.
AND WHEN SHE WAS CROSS-EXAMINED
ON THAT, SHE SAID, SHE'S ILL.
WE'LL HAVE TO LEAVE IT AT THAT.
WHEN THE REPUBLICANS SAY ALL OF
THE CLAMORING FOR MARK JUDGE,
THE FRIEND OF MARK KAVANAUGH,
HE'S ILL, TOO.
HE ISSUED A STATEMENT TODAY
SAYING, HE'S HAD A MAJOR
SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROBLEMS.
HE'S RECOVERED FROM CANCER.
HE HAS DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY
AND HE'S A CIVILIAN.
HE ISSUED A STATEMENT UNDER OATH
SAYING, I NEVER SAW BRETT BEHAVE
IN THIS WAY.
>> IT MAKES SENSE THAT JUDGE
KAVANAUGH WOULD UNDERMIND HIS
FRIEND HERE.
>> I THINK WE ESTABLISHED THAT
MARK JUDGE SHOULD NOT WBE ON TH
SUPREME COURT.
>> NO.
>> IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE THAT
DR. BLASEY FORD WOULD SAY, I
BELIEVE HER.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT SHE'S TALKING
ABOUT.
BUT I BELIEVE SHE'S TELLING THE
TRUTH.
AND DR. BLASEY FORD SAYS, SHE
HAS HER OWN PROBLEMS.
>> SHE SAID THAT BECAUSE SHE
SAID, I HAVE NEVER BEEN AT A
PARTY WITH BLASEY FORD AND BRETT
KAVANAUGH.
>> IF ANYTHING BECAME CLEAR, IT
WAS THAT PROCESS WAS A MESS.
YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE A SHOW TRIAL
AT A VENUE THAT'S NOT A COURT OF
LAW.
AND THE ONLY GOOD THING I CAN
SEE COMING OUT OF THIS, IS
DR. FORD BECOMES AN AMERICAN
HERO.
THE RAPE AND SURVIVORS NETWORK,
HAD PEOPLE CALLING BECAUSE THEY
FELT EMPOWERED BY DR. FORD
STEPPING UP.
AND TO ME, THAT'S THE ONE SILVER
LINING OF ALL OF THIS YESTERDAY.
OTHERWISE, IT WAS TERRIBLY,
TERRIBLY DISAPPOINTING FOR ALL
OF US.
>> OF COURSE, THAT'S A GOOD
THING, THAT MORE SURVIVORS ARE
CALLING IN.
TO THE EXTENT, ANYONE COMING
FORWARD WITH HER TESTIMONY
ENCOURAGES ANOTHER TO COME
FORWARD IS GOOD.
BUT THE TRUTH IS, WE DON'T KNOW.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN
THIS CASE.
I'M SURE THERE'S KAVANAUGH
DEFENDERS THAT DON'T WANT TO SEE
DR. FORD BECOME A NATIONAL HERO.
THEY BELIEVE THAT SHE TOLD
SOMETHING THAT ISN'T TRUE OR
SEVERELY MISTAKEN, AT A GREAT
COST TO JUDGE KAVANAUGH AND HIS
FAMILY.
AND THE TRUTH IS, WHATEVER
HAPPENED IN HIGH SCHOOL BETWEEN
TH
THOSE TWO, KAVANAUGH LED AN
EXA
EXEMPLARY LIFE.
THERE IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD
MAR HIS CHARACTER AS A MAN.
YOU HAVE A WOMAN WHO IS CREDIBLE
AND SYMPATHETIC, TELLING HER OWN
STORY.
AND YOU HAVE A JUDGE WITH A
RECORD THAT COULD BE MAKING
MILLIONS IN PRIVATE PRACTICE AND
HE WENT TO THE BENCH WHERE HE
DOESN'T MAKE CLOSE TO THAT.
AND NO PROFESSIONAL SCARS ON
HIM.
>> THE QUESTION IS, SHOULD THIS
MATTER?
LET'S SAY IT'S TRUE.
SHOULD THIS MATTER?
THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS
COUNTRY THAT HAVE DIFFERENT
ANSWERS TO THAT QUESTION.
I THINK THE PROCESS WOULD HAVE
BENEFITED FROM A GRITTIER
CROSS-QUESTIONING OF BOTH MARK
JUDGE AND KAISER ON THEIR
POSITIONS.
WHETHER THAT HAPPENED IN THE
COMFORT OF THEIR HOMES OR
14 WE'RE BACK, NOW, WITH
STEPHANIE GOSK, JACOB SOBOROFF
AND NOAH ROCKMAN.
THE BIGGEST DAY YESTERDAY WAS
LINDSAY GRAHAM.
LINDSEY GRAHAM HAD HIS OWN
HOWARD BEALE MOMENT OF, I'M
DISGUSTED.
I'M DISGUSTED BY THE PROCESS.
AND JUST KEEP IN MIND.
IT USED TO BE IN THIS COUNTRY.
WHEN YOU NOMINATED A SUPREME
COURT JUSTICE, EVERYONE WOULD
VOTE FOR THE SUPREME COURT
JUSTICE, AS LONG AS THEY
APPEARED TO BE QUALIFIED IN
THEIR KCREDENTIALS AS A LAWYER.
JUSTICE STEVENS, SCALIA, 98-0.
GINSBURG, SHE WAS GENERAL
COUNSEL OF THE ACLU.
THE REPUBLICANS KNEW THEY
WOULDN'T LIKE HER.
SHE WAS CONFIRMED 96-3.
NOW, IT'S MORE PARTISAN.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SENATOR
GRAHAM WAS TRYING TO RAISE IN
HIS RANT YESTERDAY.
WATCH.
>> IF YOU WANTED AN FBI
INVESTIGATION, YOU COULD HAVE
COME TO US.
YOU WANT TO DESTROY THIS GUY'S
LIFE, HOLD THIS SEAT OPEN AND
HOLD IT FOR 2020.
YOU SAID THAT.
NOT ME.
YOU HAVE NOTHING TO APOLOGIZE
FOR.
WHEN YOU SEE SOCIEKAGAN, YOU WO
NEVER DO WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO
THIS GUY.
THIS IS THE MOST UNETHICAL SHAM
SINCE I'VE BEEN IN POLITICS.
IF YOU WANTED TO KNOW THE TRUTH,
YOU WOULDN'T HAVE DONE WHAT YOU
DID TO THIS GUY.
>> NOW, A LOT OF REPUBLICANS ARE
CALLING THAT THE SPEECH OF HIS
LIFE.
>> AND PEOPLE ARE CLAPPING HERE.
I UNDERSTAND WHY YOU'RE
CLAPPING.
YOU CAN BE CLAPPING REGARDLESS
OF YOUR POLITICAL STRIPES.
WHAT LINDSEY GRAHAM IS TALKING
ABOUT, THIS POLITICAL PROCESS
AND HOW AWFUL IT IS.
THIS IS WHAT I SAY TO HIM.
HE SAYS, TO MY REPUBLICAN
COLLEAGUES, IF YOU VOTE NO,
YOU'RE LEGITIMIZING THE MOST
DESPICABLE TIME IN POLITICS.
WHAT IF THAT VOTE NO IS A
BELIEVER.
WHAT IF IT IS, IT IS NOT FAIR TO
HER, EITHER, AND THIS PROCESS
DIDN'T WORK?
AND YOU CAN LOOK AT IT AGAIN.
IT'S FINE TO BE UPSET ABOUT THE
POLITICS.
BUT LINDSEY GRAHAM, DOES IT
MATTER?
DOES WHAT SHE'S ALLEGING MATTER?
DO WE NEED TO GET AT THE BOTTOM
OF IT?
>> HE FEELS HE DID.
HE MADE THE POINT REPEATEDLY,
THERE'S NO PROOF.
AND ALL RESPECT TO DR. FORD,
IT'S BEEN 36 YEARS.
SHE HAS GAPS IN HER MEMORY AND
I'M NOT GOING TO BASE A MAN'S
GOING TO THE SUPREME COURT ON
THAT.
>> YOU HAVE A CHANCE FOR AN FBI
INVESTIGATION AND WE WOULD HAVE
DONE AN FBI INVESTIGATION.
TODAY, THERE'S NO PROOF.
IF YOU WERE OPEN TO THE
INVESTIGATION NOW AND CLOSED TO
IT NOW, HOW CAN YOU SAY THERE IS
NO PROOF?
>> I THOUGHT HIS ANSWER ON WHY
SHOULDN'T THERE BE AN FBI
INVESTIGATION, OR DO YOU SUPPORT
ONE, WAS ONE OF HIS WEAKEST
ANSWERS.
IF I HAD BEEN JUDGE KAVANAUGH
AND SOMEONE SAID TO ME, WON'T
YOU CALL FOR AN FBI
INVESTIGATION, I WOULD HAVE
SAID, I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN FAVOR
OF IT 10 DAYS AGO OR 30 DAYS
AGO.
BUT YOU'VE GONE OUT THERE
PUBLICLY AND SAID I'M EVIL.
YOU'VE GONE OUT AND SAID I'M A
LIAR AND YOU BELIEVE HER.
I DON'T BELIEVE YOU HAVE AN
HONEST DESIRE TO SEARCH FOR THE
TRUTH.
I BELIEVE YOU WANT DELAY.
DO I WANT 10, 6, 20 DAYS FOR YOU
LOOKING FOR MORE WOMEN TO ACCUSE
ME OF OUTRAGEOUS THINGS, ONLY TO
HAVE THE THINGS RETRACTED IN
RECENT DAYS?
NO.
I DON'T WANT THAT.
>> AND YOU CAN'T SAY THAT AND
SAY I CARE ABOUT WHAT SHE'S
ALLEGING.
MY PUNISHMENT FOR YOU IS WE'RE
GOING TO RAM THIS THROUGH
REGARDLESS AND IT DOESN'T MATTER
ABOUT THIS ALLEGATION AND
WHETHER IT'S PLAYED OUT FAIRLY.
>> HE SAID THE FBI'S
INVESTIGATION IS GOING TO BE
INCONCLUSIVE.
THEY'RE GOING TO PRESENT YOU
WITH WHAT SHE SAID, HE SAID AND
I SAID.
WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT IS ANGER
ON THE PART OF LINDSEY GRAHAM
AND BEN SASS, WHO SHARED THE
SAME SENTIMENTS.
THIS EPISODE HAS UNITED TWO
FRACTIOUS ELEMENTS OF THE
REPUBLICAN COALITION.
>> DO YOU THINK IT GETS A YES
VOTE OUT OF COMMITTEE?
AND DOES HE GET CONFIRMED?
>> I CAN'T TELL YOU.
BUT IF IT DOES, HE GETS
CONFIRMED.
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> THIS IS SO PARTISAN AT THIS
POINT.
>> IF YOU HAD TO MAKE A
PREDICTION?
>> I ANTHINK IT DOES.
I DON'T KNOW IF HE WILL GET
CONFIRMED.
>> THE REPUBLICANS CAN ONLY
LOSE -- IS IT ONE OR TWO?
IF THEY LOSE ONE, IT'S 50/50.
AND PENCE BREAKS THE TIE.
IT'S TWO IF THEY GET A DEMOCRAT,
JOE MANCHIN, COMING TO THEIR
SIDE.
>> IT'S ALSO FRIDAY.
AND IN OUR WORLD, TO GET TO
TUESDAY, IT MIGHT AS WELL BE AN
ETERNITY.
>> TODAY IS THE COMMITTEE VOTE.
BUT THE FULL SENATE DOESN'T NOTE
UNTIL NEXT WEEK.
THANK YOU ALL, VERY QUICKLY.
MA
JACOB IS GOING TO HOST THE
CITIZENS FESTIVAL.
THAT'S VERY KOOL