>>> WELCOME BACK TO "HARDBALL." AMBASSADOR WILLIAM TAYLOR AND
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF
STATE GEORGE KENT PAINTED A
SOBERING PORTRAIT OF A PRESIDENT
USING THE POWER OF HIS OFFICE TO
ADVANCE HIS PERSONAL POLITICAL
AGENDA BY WITHHOLDING MILITARY
AID FROM A FOREIGN POWER.
FACED WITH THAT EVIDENCE,
REPUBLICANS LOOKED THE OTHER
WAY, OPTING INSIDE STOOPRESSINST
PRESS AN ALTERNATIVE REALITY.
>> THE WHOLE POINT YOU HAD A
CLEAR UNDERSTANDING AID WILL NOT
GET RELEASED UNLESS THERE’S A
COMMITMENT, NOT MAYBE, NOT I
THINK THE AID MIGHT HAPPEN AND
IT’S MY HUNCH IT WILL GET
RELEASED.
RELEASED. YOU USED CLEAR LANGUAGE, AND
THOSE TWO THINGS DIDN’T HAPPEN
SO YOU HAD TO BE WRONG.
>> NO PRESSURE, NO DEMANDS, NO
CONDITIONS, NOTHING CORRUPT.
>> SO NOT ONLY NO CONVERSATION
WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES ABOUT UKRAINE.
YOU’VE NOT HAD ANY CONTACT WITH
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES.
STATES. >> FOR THE MILLIONS OF AMERICANS
VIEWING TODAY THE TWO MOST
IMPORTANT FACTS ARE THE
FOLLOWING.
FOLLOWING. NUMBER ONE, UKRAINE RECEIVED THE
AID.
AID. NUMBER TWO, THERE WAS IN FACT NO
INVESTIGATION INTO --
>> WELL, TODAY SPEAKING TO
REPORTERS HOW SPEAKER NANCY
PELOSI RESPONDED TO REPUBLICAN
CRITICISM BY INVITING PRESIDENT
TRUMP TO PARTICIPATE, HIM, GET
IN THE CONVERSATION ON THE
INQUIRY.
INQUIRY. >> IF THE PRESIDENT HAS
SOMETHING THAT IS EXCULPATORY,
MR. PRESIDENT, IF YOU HAVE
ANYTHING THAT SHOWS YOUR
INNOCENCE, THEN HE SHOULD MAKE
THAT KNOWN.
THAT KNOWN. AND THAT’S PART OF THE INQUIRY.
AND SO FAR WE HAVEN’T SEEN THAT,
BUT WE WELCOME IT.
>> HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER KEVIN
McCARTHY TOLD REPORTERS HE
WOULDN’T SUPPORT IMPEACHMENT
EVEN IF NEW EVIDENCE CONFIRMS
THE PRESIDENT DEMANDED
INVESTIGATIONS INTO FORMER VICE
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN.
FOR MORE I’M JOINED BY LAWRENCE
TRIBE.
TRIBE. PROFESSOR TRIBE, WHAT DO YOU
MAKE -- TO START WITH, WHAT DO
YOU MAKE OF THE REPUBLICAN -- I
WOULDN’T CALL IT A DEFENSE.
ALTERNATE NARRATIVE YESTERDAY?
>> I THINK IT’S RIDICULOUS.
THE FACT IF YOU SOLICIT A BRIBE
AND ARE CAUGHT RED-HANDENED
BEFORE YOU GET THE BRIBE, YOU’VE
STILL COMMITTED BRIBERY.
AND IN THIS CASE IT WAS
EXTORTION AS WELL AS BRIBERY.
IT WAS A CLEAR ABUSE OF POWER.
AND IN ANY CASE THE HISTORY OF
THE FRAMING OF THE IMPEACHMENT
POWER IS THAT GEORGE MASON, ONE
OF THE FRAMERS, WANTED TO
INCLUDE IN ADDITION TO TREASON
AND BRIBERY, A TERM LIKE
CORRUPTION.
CORRUPTION. AND IN THE END INSTEAD OF
CORRUPTION, THEY USED OTHER HIGH
CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS AND
MASON SAID THAT WAS INTENDED TO
CAPTURE AMONG OTHER THINGS
ATTEMPTED SUBVERSION OF THE
CONSTITUTION.
CONSTITUTION. SO HERE WE HAVE ACTUAL AS WELL
AS ATTEMPTED SUBVERSION FOR OVER
70 DAYS THE AID WAS WITHHELD.
AND IF NOT FOR THE
WHISTLE-BLOWER, IF NOT FOR
HAVING BEEN CAUGHT RED-HANDED,
THE PRESIDENT WOULD HAVE GOTTEN
WHAT HE WANTED.
HE WOULD HAVE WANTED A PUBLIC
TELEVISION APPEARANCE BY
PRESIDENT ZELENSKY SMEARING
BIDEN AND SAYING THAT WE’RE
INVESTIGATING HIM.
INVESTIGATING HIM. THE ONLY REASON THEY DIDN’T GET
THAT IS THAT HE WAS CAUGHT.
AND FOR HIM TO SAY THAT I WAS
CAUGHT AND SO IT DOESN’T MATTER
IS REALLY A DESPERATE AND
UNCONVINCING MOVE.
UNCONVINCING MOVE. THE QUESTION IS WILL THE PEOPLE
OF THIS COUNTRY ACCEPT IT?
WILL THEY ACCEPT THAT IT’S OKAY
TO USE YOUR OFFICIAL POWER TO
HURT AN ALLY AND HELP AN
ADVERSARY JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE
CAUGHT BEFORE YOU HURT THE
ADVERSARY ANY LONGER.
AND I DON’T THINK THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE WILL BUY THAT.
BUT THEN MAYBE I’M JUST TOO
OPTIMISTIC.
OPTIMISTIC. >> WHILE TRUMP DOESN’T HAVE A
VERY GOOD HISTORIC SENSE ABOUT
OUR CULTURE OR ANYTHING, I WAS
WONDERING I’M TRYING TO BE
REALLY FINE HERE IN
UNDERSTANDING THIS BECAUSE I
GREW UP LBJ, AND HE USED THE
POWER OF THE PRESIDENCY, CLOSE
CERTAIN NAVAL BASES AND KEEP
OTHERS OPEN DEPENDING ON WHO HE
LIKED THAT WEEK.
TELL US THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
THAT AND WHAT TRUMP IS DOING, OR
WHAT HE’S DONE HERE WITH
UKRAINE?
UKRAINE? >> IT’S VERY DIFFERENT.
FIRST OF ALL IT’S NATIONAL
SECURITY AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS,
AND SECONDLY THIS IS A CASE
WHERE CONGRESS SPECIFICALLY SAID
THAT THIS $400 MILLION AND THE
JAVELIN MISSILES SHOULD GO TO
UKRAINE IN ORDER TO PROTECT THIS
ALLY AGAINST THE ENCROACHMENTS
OF RUSSIA, THE ENCROACHMENTS OF
VLADIMIR PUTIN.
VLADIMIR PUTIN. AND CONGRESS SPECIFICALLY SAID
THAT THE MONEY SHOULDN’T GO
UNTIL THE PENTAGON CERTIFIES
THAT CORRUPTION WILL NOT GET IN
THE WAIL OF DELIVERING THE MONEY
THE WAY WE INTEND IT TO BE USED.
THAT CERTIFICATION WAS GIVEN.
SO THE PRESIDENT VIOLATED WHAT
CONGRESS HAD SPECIFIED.
HE VIOLATED THE POWER OF THE
PURSE.
PURSE. HE USURPED THE POWER OF THE
PURSE, AND HE DID IT IN A WAY
THAT SOLICITED FOREIGN
ASSISTANCE FOR HIS RE-ELECTION,
WHICH WAS ITSELF A CRIMINAL
VIOLATION OF THE LAWS PROTECTING
THE SANCTITY OF OUR ELECTORAL
PROCESS.
PROCESS. WE’VE HAD CORRUPT PRESIDENTS
BEFORE, PRESIDENTS WHO HAVE
TRIMMED THE SALES THIS WAY OR
THAT, BUT WE’VE NEVER HAD
SOMEBODY WHOSE WHOLE PURPOSE IN
HOLDING THAT OFFICE IS TO ENRICH
HIMSELF AND ENHANCE THE POWER OF
HIS FAMILY AND THE WEALTH OF HIS
FAMILY.
FAMILY. THIS IS NOT JUST A MARGINAL
VIOLATION.
VIOLATION. THIS IS ESSENTIALLY AN
ANTI-PRESIDENT.
ANTI-PRESIDENT. AND I’M NOT TALKING ONLY ABOUT
HIS POLICIES.
HIS POLICIES. HIS POLICIES ARE A DIFFERENT
MATTER ALTOGETHER.
MATTER ALTOGETHER. IT WOULDN’T MATTER IF THIS WAS
OBAMA OR CLINTON, ANY PRESIDENT.
JUST ASK THE REPUBLICANS IF A
DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT IN THE
FUTURE TAKES MONEY THAT YOU HAVE
APPROPRIATED FOR A PARTICULAR
FOREIGN PURPOSE AND THEN
THREATENS TO WITHHOLD IT AND
WATCH PEOPLE DIE ON THE
BATTLEFIELD UNTIL HE GETS WHAT
HE WANTS FOR HIS RE-ELECTION,
WOULD YOU LIKE TO LIVE WITH
THAT?
THAT? IS THAT THE KIND OF COUNTRY WE
WANT?
WANT? IT’S NOT THE KIND OF COUNTRY I
BELIEVE THAT WE WANT OR THAT OUR
FRAMERS ENVISIONED.
FRAMERS ENVISIONED. AND I THINK IT’S ABOUT TIME THAT
PEOPLE PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THE
CONSTITUTION AND TO THE PURPOSES
OF OUR DEMOCRACY THAN TO THE
TRIVIAL BUSINESS OF GETTING
RE-ELECTED.
RE-ELECTED. IF YOUR OFFICE IS SO IMPORTANT
TO YOU THAT YOU’RE GOING TO
VIOLATE YOUR OATH AND VOTE FOR
SOMEONE WHO VIOLATES HIS OATH
EVERY DAY AND WHO USES THE
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENCY TO
ENRICH HIMSELF AND TO ENHANCE
HIS POWER, THEN I REALLY THINK
YOU ARE A PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A
HUMAN BEING.
HUMAN BEING. >> WELL, AS A CITIZEN I LOVE THE
WAY YOU PUT TOGETHER THE
ABSOLUTE IMORALITY OF THIS WITH
HIS UNCONSTITUTIONAL BEHAVIOR.