Brian Williams examines the days top political stories and current politicalcampaign news. Inaugural address, which my old boss had colorful language to describe. George w. Bush called it some crazy bleep. I was thinking about the line about carnage and i was thinking that the real carnage and it was all in motion when he came that day. The real carnage is the people closest to donald trump. The lives that are being destroyed for crimes theyve committed. I mean, you know, its not a night to feel sympathy for Michael Cohen, but the events that are sending him to jail potentially are events put in motion by the things donald trump demanded of the people close to him. It may end up ensnaring his family. But just this idea of wreckage. A source close to Michael Cohen tonight told me that everything donald trump touches is tainted by his toxic brew of lack of ethics and lack of any adherence to the law. I also thought of something that someone who advises this president said to me earlier i
and was a voice mail interest the president s counsel to flynn s counsel, talking about how they needed to know what flynn was providing to the special counsel s team. and i understand a judge ruled on the evidence tonight? that s right. that means we could see some of this publicly within the next couple of weeks. the judge basically said, look, i want to see portions of the mueller report that have to do with michael flynn that may now be redacted. he also wants to see transcripts of michael flynn s phone calls with these russian officials, including the former russian ambassador. remember, these were the ones that got flynn in trouble in the first place talking about sanctions, and the judge wants to see the transcript of this voice mail, these conversations that flynn s legal team or this message, rather, that the president s legal team may have been leaving for flynn s legal team. so we could see all of that publicly, anderson, in the next couple of weeks. sara, thanks. i wa
barr and rosenstein rule the president couldn t be charged with obstruction? it s kind of what mr. mazzetti just mentioned. we ll see. the legal side of this and then the political side. we ll see what happens on the political side. certainly the congress is going to continue to investigate. it does seem odd taking a step back, not getting into the nitty-gritty details of at least numerous conversations between trump s lawyers and someone who they know had either flipped or was already talking to mueller. that s just an odd thing to do. most lawyers would know at that stage to keep their distance. so it might show a level of desperation. remember, flynn left and trump was praising him all the time simply because he knew how much flynn knew. as part of this court document today, let s not forget the judge also said that the communications between flynn and the russian ambassador would also be released. this is the thing that got flynn
it even says that flynn and his legal team provided the special counsel s office with a voice mail. this may be the one that is referenced in the mueller report and was a voice mail interest the president s counsel to flynn s counsel, talking about how they needed to know what flynn was providing to the special counsel s team. and i understand a judge ruled on the evidence tonight? that s right. that means we could see some of this publicly within the next couple of weeks. the judge basically said, look, i want to see portions of the mueller report that have to do with michael flynn that may now be redacted. he also wants to see transcripts of michael flynn s phone calls with these russian officials, including the former russian ambassador. remember, these were the ones who got flynn in trouble in the first place talking about sanctions, and the judge wants to see the transcript of this voice mail, these conversations that flynn s legal team or this message, rather, that the presid
remember this is what got flynn in hot water in the first place, talking about sanctions with the then russian ambassador and lying about it to the vice president and to the american people. so we could still learn more about this case going forward. so will the transcripts be something if we hear the voice mail. sarah murray, thank you very much. let s analyze. i have ashar rengoppa and frank bruni is a new york times opinion columnist and a cnn contributor. so welcome to both you. asha, you first, does what we ve just learned, this voice mail and communication, does that qualify as obstruction potentially? it can potentially qualify as obstruction. i think it is important to point out that this is actually in the mueller report. it is in volume two around pages 130, 131. you re good. not that i photographically memorized it. but i think it just goes to the volume of information in there. he does say that this could be an obstructive act.