OVERBLOWN.
MARTHA.
>> Martha: THANK YOU.
WE ARE NOW, FORMER ACTING
ATTORNEY GENERAL MATT WHITAKER.
GOOD TO SEE HER TONIGHT, WHAT
YOU MAKE OF THIS?
>> THANK YOU.
I THINK THIS IS A CLEAR EXAMPLE
OF SOMEONE THAT'S PART OF THE
DEEP STATE, MAY BE PART OF THE
DEEP STATE IN THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF
THIS WHISTLE-BLOWER PROCEDURE,
WHICH IS CLEARLY, AS TORRES
REPORTED, OUTSIDE OF THE
INTENTION OF THIS, AND THEN
TRYING TO CREATE THIS FIRESTORM
AND I THINK IT IS COMPLETELY
OVERBLOWN AS IT WAS SUGGESTED.
>> Martha: HOW DO YOU KNOW
THOUGH?
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IS?
WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THE
WHISTLE-BLOWER BROUGHT IT TO THE
IG AND THE IG ALSO FELT THAT IT
WAS WORTH WRITING UP AND SENDING
OUT A REPORT ON, SO THE IG
DIDN'T LOOK AT HIM AND SAY THIS
IS RIDICULOUS, WE'RE NOT GOING
TO DO THIS.
THAT'S TWO PEOPLE.
>> I ALSO KNOW THAT THE GENERAL
COUNSEL FROM DNI AND THE ACTING
DNI DIRECTOR LOOKED AT THIS AND
SAW IT EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS FOR.
CONGRESS OVERREACTS AND
ADAM SCHIFF IS GOING TO FIND ANY
CAMERA TO GET IN FRONT OF THEM
COMPLAIN ABOUT BUT THE BOTTOM
LINE IS THE PRESIDENT HAS BROAD
DISCRETION IN THE AREAS TO
NEGOTIATE WITH WORLD LEADERS AND
HAVE A FEELING THAT WE DO HEAR
THE WHOLE STORY, IT WILL BE A
BIG NOTHING BURGER.
>> Martha: AND MY GUESS IS
THAT WE WILL.
ESPECIALLY IF THEY DO TURN IT
OVER TO CONGRESS, I THINK THAT'S
PROBABLY ONE OF THE HESITATIONS,
BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THEN
ANOTHER CONVERSATION FOR THE
PRESIDENT A FOREIGN LEADER WILL
BECOME PART OF THE PUBLIC DOMAI
DOMAIN.
FORMER CIA -- GO AHEAD.
>> AND IT ALSO IS AN EXAMPLE OF
THIS PERSON WHO CLEARLY
DISAGREED WITH WHATEVER THE
POSITION THE PRESIDENT DID TAKE
IN THIS CONVERSATION WANTED TO
GET THAT OUT THERE.
THEIR TAKE WAS DIFFERENT AND I
DISAGREED WITH THE PRESIDENT
WHATEVER HE SAID, THEY TRY TO
GET THAT OUT AND GET INTO
"THE WASHINGTON POST," GET IT TO
CONGRESS DOING EXACTLY WHAT THEY
INTEND TO DO.
>> Martha: I THOUGHT IT WAS
INTERESTING THAT FORMER CIA
ANALYST AND CNN COUNTERTERRORISM
ANALYST WHO IS NOT A BIG FAN OF
THE PRESIDENT, HE WAS OUTRAGED
BY THIS.
LET'S WATCH WHAT HE HAD TO SAY.
>> I'M ABOUT READY TO BLOW A
GASKET.
THAT IS EXTREMELY UNUSUAL.
WHAT THE HECK IS OVER THE LINE?
THE PRESIDENT CAN SAY WHAT HE
WANTS TO PUTIN.
HE CAN SAY WHAT HE WANTS TO
KIM JONG UN.
THE PRESIDENT CAN SAY WHAT HE
WANTS.
IT'S NOT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF
THE INTEL GUYS TO GO POLICE THE
PRESIDENT AND GO SNITCH ON HIM
TO THE CONGRESS.
RIDICULOUS.
>> Martha: I THINK THAT'S VERY
INTERESTING AND IT RAISES THE
QUESTION, WHAT WOULD RISE TO THE
LEVEL OF WHAT THIS INDIVIDUAL
HAS CHOSEN TO DO?
>> I THINK THE ONLY THING WE
KNOW IS THIS INDIVIDUAL,
ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE THE
SOURCE FOR
"THE WASHINGTON POST," MAY HAVE
VIOLATED THE LAW IN PROVIDING
INTELLIGENCE AND CLASSIFIED
INFORMATION TO THE PRESS VIA
LEAK OUTSIDE OF THE BOUNDS OF
THE WAY THE SYSTEM IS SET UP TO
BE SO I AGREE WITH -- ONE OF THE
RARE SITUATIONS I AGREE WITH
HIM, I THINK THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS
CONDUCT IN THE PRESIDENT IS
ENTITLED TO NEGOTIATE ON BEHALF
OF THE UNITED STATES, IT'S A
CONSTITUTIONAL POWER AND I JUST
CAN'T IMAGINE A SITUATION WHERE
WHATEVER HE SAID TO ONE OF THESE
INDIVIDUALS COULD BE SAID AS
MAKING A PROMISE OR A COMMITMENT
THAT STEPS OVER THE LINE BECAUSE
THE PRESIDENT 'HIS POWERS ARE SO
BROAD.
>> Martha: I ALSO THINK THE
ADDITIONAL DETAILS THAT CAME UP
THIS AFTERNOON, IT WASN'T JUST A
PROMISE OR ONE THING, BUT IT WAS
ACTUALLY A LOT OF THINGS.
IN SOME WAYS COULD
POTENTIALLY -- IT MIGHT JUST BE
AN INDICATION OF OVERALL
DISGRUNTLED WITH THE WAY THE
PRESIDENT WAS DEALING WITH.
SO WE WILL SEE.
WHAT ABOUT THE CRITICISM OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE?
BECAUSE SOME ARE SAYING THAT
THEY SORT OF STEPPED IN BETWEEN
HERE TO PREVENT WHAT DEMOCRATS
AS THE CORRECT PROCEDURE, WHICH
WOULD BE TO RELEASE THE REPORT
TO THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE TO
HAVE THEM HAVE A LOOK AT IT BUT
THE DOJ STANDING IN THE WAY OF
THAT.
>> THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND
ESPECIALLY THE OFFICE OF LEGAL
COUNSEL, WHO IS THE LAWYER OF
THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH AND SOME OF
THE SMARTEST PEOPLE THAT I KNOW
AND HAVE WORKED WITH MANY OF
THEM UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL.
THEY ARE THE ONES THAT GET TO
DECIDE THESE ISSUES REGARDING
WHAT THE LAW IS AND WHAT YOU CAN
AND CAN'T DO AND I WOULD STAND
BEHIND REALLY ANYTHING THEY SAY
BECAUSE STEVE ENGEL AND HIS
GROUP ARE JUST THE SMARTEST
LAWYERS AND THE GOVERNMENT.
>> Martha: ALSO JUST AS A LAST
MENTION, THE INSPECTOR GENERAL'S
JOB IS TO SORT OF OVERSEE THE
DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE UNDER THEM
IN THE INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES, SO
IT DOES SEEM THAT IT'S
POTENTIALLY A VALID ARGUMENT
THAT THE PRESIDENT IS OUTSIDE OF
THAT CIRCLE AND THEY DON'T HAVE
JURISDICTION OVER THAT.
>> THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT, SO THE
INSPECTOR GENERAL, THIS PROCESS
IS RESERVED FOR ESSENTIALLY
THEIR --
>> Martha: EMPLOYEES.
>> EMPLOYEES ON WHAT THEY HAVE
AUTHORITY OVER AND THE PRESIDENT
IS NOT INSIDE OF THE SCOPE AND
SHOULD NOT BE PART OF THIS
PROCEDURE TO TELL CONGRESS.
>> Martha: WE WILL SEE WHERE
IT GOES AND WHAT WAS SO
EGREGIOUS THAT THEY -- WE WILL