but if you see more facts come out, if you see this process move forward, if the public changes a little bit over time, you might start to see some republican defections. so i think all of that is part and parcel of this strategy where you see a lot of the president s most vociferous defenders coming out today like you did in arguing about process. molly, it s great to have you. i guess i want to know about other disruptions the gop may try, and are they all going to work? is it possible they re going one way with disruptions while the numbers, as we just saw from kornacki, and polls matter in this area. yes. public awareness, public opinion is going the other way. well, first of all, the thing is how are the polls in the districts of those 31 democrats that won in seats that trump won in 2016? what are they hearing on the ground back home because as we ve seen, the nrcc has targeted those districts, and you can go to their website. and i ve talked to some folks at
joining the white house team from our own hallie jackson will be trey gowdy, who ran that benghazi hearing. the white house is very worried about those numbers. republicans who support the president are worried about the polling numbers. there is a huge desire to get an impeachment vote, any impeachment vote of any kind right now before the possibility of those numbers moving. the president would like to show strength. if there is a vote right now, they think they can keep republicans together. i heard pete baker talking earlier about this real push from republicans to talk about process. that s something that s unifying for them. but if you see more facts come out, if you see this process moving forward, if the public changes a little bit over time you might start to see some republican defections. so i think all of that is part and parcel of this strategy where you see a lot of the president s most vociferous defenders coming out today like you did in arguing about process. molly,
and that s what this letter from pat cipollone is. it is executive poppycock. there is no truth to it. also, i just want to correct the record a little. during watergate, they started the impeachment hearings before there was a vote to authorize it. and also the rules were very different back then. now congress has much more independent authority to call witnesses and issue subpoenas. they don t need to declare the authorization for impeachment at this time, which they needed to back in the 70s. so i think they can and should proceed as they are going about their business, and they should not allow people to get away with just totally stonewalling and obfuscating, diverting attention from the facts that are really at issue here, which are very clear. molly, it s great to have you. let s start with this word stonewalling. it is a proven momentum killer. it works. that s why people employ it. but what counter-strategy are you hearing the democrats may
in the room with the grand jury. you can t have that. you need to develop the evidence and then the defendant gets anything that was exculpatory, and the defendant gets to question the witnesses against him. that s what will happen in the trial in the senate. that s the trial jury. right now the house is acting as a grand jury and should be allowed to continue in secret to develop evidence, but they have to have witnesses. and if the president can get away with saying i can t be investigated. i can t be indicted. i can t be impeached, then he has made himself a king. he is not the democratic ruler of a democracy. molly, let s turn overseas, and if you know the area, and i know you know the area, this moment with turkish forces poised to head into syria across the border puts a lump in your throat. i want to add to the conversation this from david
and if the president can get away with saying i can t be investigated, i can t be indicted, i can t be impeached, then he has made himself a king. he is not the democratic ruler of a democracy. molly, let s turn overseas, and if you know the area, and i know you know the area, this moment with turkish forces poised to head into syria across the border puts a lump in your throat. i want to add to your conversation, this from david ignatius of the washington post. a bad situation in northeast syria about to get much worse. sources tell me that u.s. officials, excuse me, have just informed the syrian kurds that turkey is likely to attack on air and ground in next 24 hours. the u.s. will do nothing. i m also told the kurdish attack appears coordinated with the russians. russian-backed forces are mobilizing to invade the kurdish area from the south.