other constructive ways to illuminate what they re doing. but the republicans could move to release to the public their memo. and again, we would hope they would not do that, that they would, you know, adhere to the concerns of the fbi who has called their memo reckless and, you know, find a more, i would say, collaborative way to address any concerns they have, but not to taint the public sentiment of this investigation. congressman eric swalwell, thank you so much for jumping on the phone. if anything happens before 5:00, you know our number. thank you. paul butler, let me ask you to weigh in on what you just heard. let me add to the conversation this. this is about this is from the washington post reporting over the weekend, trump is inclined to have that released, the memo released just because it will shed light a senior administration official speaking on background said apparently the rumors it will shed light, it will help the investigators come to a conclusion.
mueller investigation. what is going to be interesting is what happens when the replacements come in and they behave in exactly the same manner? because they re professionals and they re carrying out their duties. one of the duties of the fbi is to participate in the mueller investigation and to support the special counsel and to, frankly, to investigate donald trump. and i think hallie made an important point about this memo. this really is playing into the whole dynamic between the justice department and the white house and the fbi, because, look, this is extraordinary what s about to happen tonight and what could transpire over the next few days. if the house intelligence committee votes to make this public, this classified memo about one of the most secretive processes in the federal government which is fisa warrants, how we surveil u.s. persons and national security investigation, there are people at the fbi and the justice department who are very, very concerned about what secret
who would have to hold the president accountable if he were to fire mueller by tainting their perception of the fbi. i know you can t talk about the fisa warrant process, but let me just read something that was in the new york times today and see if we can get in the weeds a little bit. i think our viewers understand this issue pretty well. so, the new york times reported today in a story called secret memo hints at new target rod rosenstein. the new york times reporting the memo s contention is fbi and justice department officials failed to adequately explain to an intelligence court judge. so, an fbi source stopped me right there and said, if someone failed to adequately explain to an intelligence court judge, they d get thrown out, that that alone would never happen. that a fisa warrant is only granted when the person applying for a warrant adequately explains to intelligence court judge. so, let me read the rest of the sentence. it goes on to say, in seeking a warrant for s
well as msnbc analyst. and reporter from the boston globe. ken and paul are still with us. let me read something to you, elise, from the washington post. paul ryan and kevin mccarthy, we just saw, are complicit in the counterattack on the fbi and the special prosecutor. they set the tone for the nonstop assault on mueller and the justice department setting their caucus loose to create a fog of confusion. they see their roles as the defense team for trump, not the leaders of a co-equal branch of government to check the excesses of the executive. they in all likelihood will not insulate the special prosecutor nor prevent nunes, doing lasting damage to the fbi. jennifer rubin, pulling no punches, but this seeming to be more than just what you and i talk about on and off the air sort of the shock and awe of the loss of the gop s soul. but real damage to the country s national security. i think that this is an institutional failure, a failure of a branch of government that
everyone stand by. joining us now by phone is democratic congressman eric swalwell, member of the intel house committee. thank you for jumping on the phone with us. if you could speak to whether or not you believe this house republican memo, the four-page memo which in the words of the justice department would be extraordinarily reckless to share and make public, what you believe is going to come to pass in terms of the president and the republicans on your committee wanting that made public. good afternoon, nicolle. it s my hope for the sake of independence and the rule of law at the department of justice that this memo never sees the light of day. it is riddled with deliberate inaccuracies that can only be intended to undermine bob mueller. now, the democrats, we have what we believe is a fuller picture memo, a memo that i think accurately counters some of the falsehood that they put out there and we re going to try and