Untitled Document

[00:42:16] okay where's our chart people at charts [00:42:21] over here okay thank you very much I [00:42:25] have introduced a resolution today with [00:42:27] Senator McConnell and the purpose of the [00:42:30] resolution is to let the house know that [00:42:33] the process you're engaging in regarding [00:42:35] the attempted impeachment of President [00:42:39] Trump is out of bounds is inconsistent [00:42:42] with due process as we know it it's a [00:42:44] star chamber type inquiry and it's a [00:42:47] substantial deviation from what the [00:42:49] house has done in the past regarding [00:42:51] impeachment of other presidents and when [00:42:54] I can speak of very firmly is the [00:42:56] impeachment of President Clinton so what [00:42:59] I want to highlight here well [00:43:08] congressman Al Green wanted to open up [00:43:11] an impeachment inquiry which is the [00:43:13] right way to do it by the way [00:43:15] 137 Democrats voted with the GOP against [00:43:18] impeaching President Trump not one [00:43:21] Republican for an inquiry and what's [00:43:23] happened is that the attempt to open up [00:43:26] an inquiry of impeachment against [00:43:28] President Trump failed miserably so [00:43:31] they've created a new process that I [00:43:34] think is very dangerous for the country [00:43:35] instead of the judiciary looking at a [00:43:38] potential impeachable offense they've [00:43:40] created a process in the Intel community [00:43:42] committee that's behind closed doors [00:43:45] doesn't provide access to the [00:43:48] president's accuser shuts Republicans [00:43:51] out for all practical purposes and is a [00:43:54] unworthy substitute for the way you need [00:43:57] to do it is that its core unamerican and [00:44:00] I can tell you what we did in the past [00:44:02] let's go to 98 in October we had an [00:44:12] impeachment inquiry vote on the floor of [00:44:14] the house I was there [00:44:16] 31 Democrats voted to open up an [00:44:18] impeachment inquiry [00:44:25] these were the rights given to President [00:44:30] Clinton his team and members of the [00:44:31] minority none of this exists today [00:44:34] what's going on is a runaround [00:44:38] the impeachment process creating a [00:44:41] secret proceeding behind closed doors [00:44:43] that fundamentally is in my view denies [00:44:47] due process and when you're talking [00:44:49] about removing the President of the [00:44:50] United States seems to me you'd want to [00:44:53] have a process that is consistent with [00:44:56] who we are as Americans and consistent [00:44:58] with what Bill Clinton was allowed to do [00:45:00] Richard Nixon was allowed to do and the [00:45:04] process in the house today I think is [00:45:07] danger to the future of the presidency [00:45:09] because if you can drive down a [00:45:11] president's poll numbers by having [00:45:14] proceedings where you selectively leaked [00:45:16] information where the president who's [00:45:20] the subject of all this is pretty much [00:45:21] shut out god help future presidents i've [00:45:24] got 41 co-sponsors on the Republican [00:45:27] side and climbing and here's the request [00:45:30] if you believe you have a case against [00:45:33] the president vote to open up an inquiry [00:45:36] allow Republicans to have a say make [00:45:41] sure the president is allowed to [00:45:43] participate in a meaningful manner like [00:45:45] we did in the past that's the way to do [00:45:48] it what you're doing today in my view is [00:45:51] unfair to the President and is dangerous [00:45:53] to the presidency and I think 41 [00:45:56] Republican senators and growing is a [00:45:59] strong signal to our house colleagues [00:46:01] that you're off script here there's a [00:46:04] way to do it a right way and a wrong way [00:46:07] and you've chosen the wrong way yes [00:46:09] ma'am [00:46:21] I did I didn't interview any of these [00:46:23] witnesses that was pretty much Intel so [00:46:28] here yeah that this was I'm saying [00:46:31] there's not an informal we're looking at [00:46:32] the Russian investigation Muller [00:46:34] testified so this was all about Muller [00:46:36] so here's what happened ken starr spent [00:46:39] almost five years looking at clinton he [00:46:43] came before the committee we had an [00:46:46] impeachment inquiry vote ken starr put [00:46:50] forth to the senate judiciary committee [00:46:52] the eleven allegations against president [00:46:55] clinton we passed four articles of [00:46:59] impeachment based on the Starr report [00:47:01] that was transport transparent subject [00:47:04] to cross-examination and public gives a [00:47:07] public hearing and two of those articles [00:47:09] pass the house what Muller did was [00:47:14] investigate the president for two years [00:47:16] spent 25 million dollars and did not [00:47:18] recommend any action that's the [00:47:22] difference have you noticed [00:47:36] so I talked to the chief staff Mulvaney [00:47:40] I think they're working on getting a [00:47:43] messaging team together you know I was [00:47:48] involved in Pietschmann of President [00:47:50] Clinton I know this sounds weird but [00:47:54] Clinton's look what he did what he did [00:47:57] is he had a team that was organized had [00:48:01] legal minds that could understand what [00:48:03] was being said versus the legal [00:48:05] proceedings in question and they were on [00:48:08] message every day the president Clinton [00:48:10] defended himself but he never stopped [00:48:12] being president and I think one of the [00:48:15] reasons that he survived is that the [00:48:19] public may not have liked what the [00:48:21] president had done but believed that he [00:48:25] was still able to do his job and as he [00:48:28] governed during impeachment I think that [00:48:30] was probably the single best thing he [00:48:32] did quite frankly to avoid I'm hoping [00:48:38] that will become the model here that's [00:49:06] actually a very good point [00:49:09] I mean during the whole Muller [00:49:10] investigation I backed off of calling a [00:49:14] lot of the key witnesses because I [00:49:16] didn't want to get in his Lane now I'm [00:49:18] being asked by Republican folks out in [00:49:22] the Republican world why don't you call [00:49:24] Adam Schiff well I think that would do a [00:49:27] lot of damage to the country for a [00:49:29] senator to call a member of the House [00:49:32] you have a speech and debate problem but [00:49:35] if you think Adam Schiff is a fact [00:49:37] witness Wyatt and Donald Trump up that [00:49:39] witness the point is that's that's not a [00:49:42] process that I think will withstand [00:49:44] scrutiny dirham is looking at potential [00:49:47] misconduct about [00:49:49] things that happen in 2016 particularly [00:49:52] involving the Ukraine well here's what I [00:50:10] would say are you suggesting there needs [00:50:12] to be a special counsel for Ukraine I [00:50:14] think that's well here's what I've been [00:50:17] trying to get a special counsel to look [00:50:19] at all things 2016 from our side Muller [00:50:22] gave the Trump campaign a pretty good it [00:50:25] is to me here's the process why did I [00:50:28] support Muller to me there was a [00:50:31] conflict at the Justice Department why [00:50:34] did I introduce legislation that you can [00:50:36] only fire Muller for cause because I [00:50:39] thought it was important for the country [00:50:40] for somebody outside politics to look at [00:50:43] this [00:50:44] I think somebody outside politics should [00:50:47] look at the things that I'm concerned [00:50:49] about in 2016 you may not be but I think [00:50:52] the FISA warrant application could be a [00:50:55] considered a fraud on the court [00:50:56] we'll see from Horowitz I'm not a [00:50:58] prosecutor so when it comes to whether [00:51:00] or not somebody other than the house [00:51:03] should look at Ukraine I want to look at [00:51:07] all things yeah that's my view I would I [00:51:25] would say that if we pull this stunt [00:51:27] you'd be eaten alive but let me finish [00:51:31] and let me tell you why how many people [00:51:33] have asked me about Bill Taylor's [00:51:34] opening statement all I can say is if we [00:51:37] had Rudy Giuliani's opening statement [00:51:40] and he said I did nothing wrong [00:51:42] I doubt if you would accept this so 47 [00:51:46] Republican House members feel like it's [00:51:48] not working for them they feel like that [00:51:52] Volkers testimony has been selectively [00:51:56] released Radcliffe's cross-examination [00:51:59] of Taylor's not available to you so the [00:52:02] people that you just named [00:52:03] upset as I am and here's what I would [00:52:06] say there's a way to do it [00:52:10] these rights that every other President [00:52:13] Nixon Clinton have had and take a vote [00:52:16] to allow the house to be on record [00:52:19] authorizing this this is a rogue action [00:52:22] by a single committee the house that has [00:52:25] never done impeachment inquiries before [00:52:27] and I think it's dangerous to the [00:52:28] presidency those 47 don't agree with you [00:52:39] did they have a vote of inquiry [00:52:45] this here's Nixon eventually resigned [00:52:53] Peter Rodino designed the process [00:52:56] I remember the Watergate hearings very [00:52:58] well Jim Rogan who was an impeachment [00:53:01] manager with me during the Clinton [00:53:03] impeachment went up to meet with Rodino [00:53:05] to try to find out how they did it and [00:53:08] Newt knows this better than I do I think [00:53:12] the American people were not with us on [00:53:14] substance when it came to Clinton but I [00:53:16] do believe what we did very much [00:53:19] mirrored the Watergate way of doing [00:53:22] business [00:53:22] I remember the Watergate hearings I [00:53:24] don't remember any hearings in public [00:53:27] about whether or not Donald Trump did [00:53:30] something wrong in the Ukraine and [00:53:31] here's what I this is why Republicans so [00:53:34] frustrated if we had done this to a [00:53:37] Democrat you'd be eating us alive if we [00:53:39] took an opening statement of a witness [00:53:40] and said there doesn't that look bad [00:53:42] you'd want to know [00:53:44] well did anybody question the witness [00:53:46] how did cross-examination go so we [00:53:48] believe that a lot of people want to get [00:53:51] Trump and they don't give a damn about [00:53:53] how they get him I'm not telling you [00:53:55] what he did or didn't do I'm telling you [00:53:57] what they're doing in the house is [00:53:58] dangerous for the country it was good we [00:54:04] had beef so here's some news we had a [00:54:07] Situation Room briefing by general [00:54:09] Milley about developments in Syria there [00:54:13] were eight or ten senators there's a [00:54:16] plan coming [00:54:17] gather from the Joint Chiefs that I [00:54:21] think may work that may give us what we [00:54:25] need to prevent Isis from coming back [00:54:27] Orion taken to all Isis from taking the [00:54:29] oil I am somewhat encouraged that a [00:54:32] plane is coming about that will meet our [00:54:34] core objectives in Syria as to the lunch [00:54:38] he felt like from the time he's become [00:54:41] president [00:54:42] he's been hounded about things he didn't [00:54:45] do he feels like that it never ends and [00:54:49] that when it comes to Donald Trump [00:54:51] nobody really cares if he has a fair day [00:54:54] in court but a handful of Republicans I [00:54:56] don't know what to tell him other than I [00:54:58] told him every time he said Muller was a [00:55:01] witch-hunt [00:55:02] which was like every day I said I'm not [00:55:06] going there cuz actually no Muller and [00:55:07] when I introduced the resolution making [00:55:10] sure Muller could not be fired unless [00:55:12] there was cause he didn't like that but [00:55:15] I said mr. president I know you're [00:55:18] frustrated there's nothing worse than [00:55:20] being accused of something you didn't do [00:55:22] it just eats away at your soul and we [00:55:26] made it through Muller we didn't do any [00:55:28] real damage to the idea of nobody's [00:55:32] above the law I think Muller had a [00:55:33] really good opportunity to look at all [00:55:35] things Russia and Trump now here we are [00:55:38] again with the Ukraine I've told you [00:55:40] what I think about the phone call to me [00:55:42] it's not an impeachable offense I've got [00:55:44] no problem with the phone call but you [00:55:46] got other people coming forward you've [00:55:49] got the president the Ukraine saying no [00:55:50] there was no quid pro quo all I am [00:55:53] saying is that you tried an impeachment [00:55:55] inquiry vote and you failed and now [00:55:58] you're creating a process in the Intel [00:56:00] committee that I think if Star Chamber [00:56:02] like and in these dancers [00:56:12] well if you think impeachment is a [00:56:14] non-political event you're wrong their [00:56:20] court hearings in South Carolina let me [00:56:23] tell you about the first one I ever had [00:56:24] I represented a guy for speeding [00:56:28] we went to the magistrate we had a trial [00:56:30] and the magistrate was the Highway [00:56:34] Patrol officers uncle that didn't go [00:56:38] well [00:56:38] so what I am trying to say is at the end [00:56:42] of the day the Senate should be letting [00:56:45] the house know that if you're going to [00:56:48] continue this kind of process and it [00:56:50] results in articles of impeachment we do [00:56:53] not consider this in my view I consider [00:56:56] it to be out of bounds well what we've [00:56:57] done in the past void of basic due [00:57:00] process we're not telling the House you [00:57:03] can't impeach the president what we're [00:57:05] telling the House 41 of us that there's [00:57:07] a right way to do it and a wrong way to [00:57:09] do it and let me tell you about being a [00:57:12] juror I sit there for five weeks in the [00:57:15] Senate and a juror made a motion to [00:57:19] dismiss in a court of law [00:57:22] juries can't get up and say I want to [00:57:24] dismiss the case so this is one part [00:57:27] legal in two part politics and what I'm [00:57:30] trying to tell Republicans out there [00:57:33] that it is okay for the Republican Party [00:57:37] to insist that Donald Trump be treated [00:57:39] fairly and a lot of senators are going [00:57:42] to tell you since I may be a juror I [00:57:44] don't want to comment on substance but [00:57:47] I'm hoping we can get most Republicans [00:57:49] to comment on the idea that the [00:57:51] impeachment proceedings as currently [00:57:54] constituted in the house are unfair and [00:57:56] dangerous [00:57:58] yes sir yeah right we in October of 1998 [00:58:10] we authorized impeachment as a body with [00:58:13] 31 members saying do an inquiry some [00:58:18] were behind closed doors but the inquiry [00:58:20] itself became very public we had a star [00:58:23] hearing to start it off with but the [00:58:26] president participated in a very [00:58:27] meaningful way so what's missing here is [00:58:30] the house authorizing this inquiry who [00:58:33] is missing here is the 47 Republicans [00:58:35] you talked about that are participating [00:58:37] feel like it's not a fair process they [00:58:39] can't participate in a way that's [00:58:41] meaningful yeah I think if we were doing [00:58:52] this you'd be beating the out of us [00:58:54] I think if a Republican we're doing - a [00:58:57] Democrat what we're doing you would be [00:58:59] all over me and I think it says a lot [00:59:02] about people in your business with all [00:59:03] due respect I am confident that if we [00:59:06] had an Intel committee inquiry revolving [00:59:10] involving a Democratic president where [00:59:12] we selectively leak stuff you'd be [00:59:14] calling us every kind of bad name and we [00:59:16] would deserve it so what I am saying is [00:59:19] there's the right way to do it and a [00:59:21] wrong way to do it and this is a [00:59:22] dangerous way to do it one more question [00:59:25] yeah yeah well we'll let you both [00:59:36] so here's what I'm saying what they're [00:59:40] doing is selectively leaking the [00:59:41] information to drive the president's [00:59:45] poll numbers down and to drive the [00:59:47] momentum for impeachment up everything [00:59:50] coming out of this Star Chamber process [00:59:52] is being leaked by Democrats they said [00:59:55] you heard bill Taylor I was breathless [00:59:58] well I the point is you don't know what [01:00:02] Bill Taylor was asked we don't know if [01:00:04] he was cross-examined and what what [01:00:06] unfolded so what you have here is a [01:00:08] hearing a process that is to me not [01:00:13] sufficient for due process it's being [01:00:16] used in a politically dangerous fashion [01:00:18] if you open up one of these things in [01:00:20] the future against a Democrat and we [01:00:22] selectively leak things and we shut out [01:00:25] the Democratic president from having a [01:00:26] chance to participate please use my [01:00:29] words against us okay yeah I can this is [01:00:48] right right yeah so he was in a good [01:00:57] mood he appreciated the lunch he would [01:01:00] like the process to be exposed for being [01:01:05] basically unfair he keeps telling us he [01:01:09] did nothing wrong he keeps telling me [01:01:11] that the phone call was perfect I'm [01:01:14] saying mr. president the phone call was [01:01:17] okay with me he feels like it never [01:01:20] stops that he's been in office for three [01:01:22] years now and every time he turns around [01:01:24] there's another reason that his family [01:01:27] is friends he's got to pay legal bills [01:01:29] and that he feels like he doesn't have a [01:01:32] real fair chance of being present in the [01:01:34] United States he thought it would be [01:01:36] over with Muller and here's what I would [01:01:38] say I don't know what's going to happen [01:01:41] in terms of Ukraine I've gotten home [01:01:43] view about the letter I'm not here to [01:01:45] tell you that Donald Trump's done [01:01:47] nothing wrong [01:01:49] I'm not here to tell you anything other [01:01:52] than that the way they're going about it [01:01:54] is really dangerous for the country and [01:01:57] we need to change course while we can in [01:02:00] the house because what's happening in [01:02:02] the house in my view and the view of at [01:02:04] least 41 Republicans is not acceptable [01:02:08] thank you [01:02:22] you