Problem but its all a ticking ticking on lamb Larry King King for all for pomona good long republican lawmaker 20 lot served in moldova leadership roles during his time on cal make a 20 lot served in moldova leadership roles during his time on capitol hill have little hip right ranging from the house to house you did Issue Committee he did during world war the gate scandal to Senate Majority leader during the impeachment trial of build will to Senate Majority leader during the impeachment trial of bill Clinton Trent lott joins us for a wide ranging one on one when trent lott joins us for a wide ranging one on one including thoughts on donald trump the 2020 campaign. Including thoughts on donald trump the 2020 campaign and what he learned from his experiences with impeachment proceedings and what he learned from his experiences with him teach him to see things he joins me from washington d. C. President trump has called he joins me from washington d. C. President trump has called the impeachment inquiry. And a scam feisty impeachment inquiry. And a scam Vice President pendants call souls cause of those interests grace and this is what it is and a lot is a lot called. Well it concerns me it bothers me have it. Well it concerns me it bothers me having been through it i dont think its good for the country i worried both during and been through it i dont think its good for the country i worried both during the nixon impeachment proceedings and the clinton process in the senate the nixon impeachment proceedings and the clinton process in the senate i did want to do damage to the presidency in the process and i did want to do damage to the presidency in the process. And i was worried and i was told that involve all about his opponent and that at. I could stone it then i think we 6668 aided in the not doing been dating a major major but its not a good good process its not that not a country but the more let a country so for the lead to better lives chances. So to further divides us and i would caution that an immigrant. In the crowd archbishop caravan will roll the democrats in the house be careful what you wrought. Because it was a big call it was it back you look back. And the republicans voted the republicans voted to impeach to a bill pay clinton in the southwest and in the end how kalmoe sort of said it and you had to truncate imo with the sense that it was we had the trial the house and in some sort of out of his historic dark parekh. Change last fall seat seat that House Republican republican publicans also all see all seats so well you know well you know its its its youve got to be very careful how you proceed on this the best way if you want to move a president is golden youve got to be very careful how you proceed on this the best way if you want to move a president is called an election but also there are good lawyers im sure an election but also there are good lawyers im sure and partisans on both sides of the hour that bill like you know there are things here that and partisans on both sides of the hour all that bill like you know there are things here that need to be looked into the question is how do you do it and what is the in result going to be need to be looked into the question is how do you do it and what is the in result going to be in terms of you know the country itself it really bothers me in terms of you know the country itself it really bothers me is that the congress is not doing anything now theyre not doing anything about is that the congress is not doing anything now theyre not doing anything about Immigration Reform in this country theyre not doing anything about infrastructure one good but Immigration Reform in this country the not doing anything about infrastructure one good thing about what we went through with clinton is we right up until they get a bunch of out front well well who would clinton is we right up until we began the trial and it made a day after we went right. Back to legislating now they the house and i made a day after we went right back to legislating now they the house can do that because only one committee normally the Judiciary Committee would be meeting else can do that because only one committee normally the Judiciary Committee would be meeting but once it gets to the senate if you have a full blown senate trial every step but once it gets to the senate if you have a full blown senate trial every senator must be at his or her desk and they spin every day every afternoon from twitter must be at his or her desk and they spin every day every afternoon from 12 to 6 usually with all senators sitting there so the other total 60 usually with all senators sitting there so the other legislative business stops on the impeachment process legislative business stops on the impeachment process House Finance nancy nancy insoles you see until your little pissing in your pants and a little bit into the system will handle all that to this moment well let me point out that you know to let me did point in the intro and i dont get it at that as you noted in the intro i did serve on the Judiciary Committee when i when i was a 1st term congressman respond way back way back on teams going to 1973 in 74 so i saw it firsthand up close what is supposed to happen 3 in 74 so i saw it firsthand up close what is supposed to happen in the Judiciary Committee in the house which i served on and which peter in the Judiciary Committee in the house which i served on and which peter rodino from new jersey chaired. It was sort of but of done done by by the by the book. And i was of course also with majority leader when we had the impeachment trial of William Jefferson clinton also was majority leader when we had the impeachment trial of William Jefferson clinton a trial that i knew from the beginning as an old whip office of a trial that i knew from the beginning as an old whip Office Holder and counter i knew how to count the votes i could not see how we were going to get the boulder and counter i knew how to count the votes i could not see how we were going to get the votes to remove president clinton from office so that through much of an olive branch for core me and them all and for the them so the challenge for me and for the democratic leader tom daschle was how do we set that up a leader that one day actually was at the people thought i dont wish set this up in a way that the people felt like we did our job we did it thoroughly we went through the process we had depositions we had like we did our job we did it thoroughly we went through the process we had depositions we had debate we discussed it the chief justice presided but at the end of the day when debate we discussed it the chief justice presided but at the end of the day when that vote occurred it was all were and we were able to move on and do other things with their vote occurred it was all were and we were able to move on and do other things for the country now thats a real challenge and were about to have to test that speakable lowcountry now thats a real challenge and were about to have to test that Speaker Pelosi has been careful thats one reason why the house has not yet voted for she has been careful thats one reason why the house has not yet voted for the order they heard a mere 4 children resolution should run does it would be lou should in the in the in what hes a bigger get and they are simply beating his perceived ended ingrids in the Judiciary Committee and that thats where and that abol where the really some blow what do you how resides so while. Shes taken some criticism for not doing it that way by republicans shes taken some criticism for not doing it that way by republicans i think youve got shes waiting to see a little bit how this plays out what the evidence was i think youve got shes waiting to see a little bit how this plays out what the evidence was the report did not a number i would model a report that the tide not meant for me in a kind of dumb people would with the type of men from ation that people equals can saying precondition people but it might want to bid one point did so if she sees oh she said you know if you thought or thought to take i could retire i am i guess this they answer will be will be when she say she has the body she had as the votes in the united time and im as ready in the in the house. Because she couldnt determine it should she will propose that seat but but shes also told will look like spirit or is to stand and you cannot underestimate Speaker Pelosi did d. You cannot underestimate Speaker Pelosi did the sounding fathers make a mistake when they called the high sounding fathers make a mistake when they called the high crimes and misdemeanors do we understand that crimes and misdemeanors do we understand that. I dont think we really do and perhaps its in the mind of the holder i dont think we really do and perhaps its in the mind of the holder or it depends on how a person world are defined and it hit them dont have a pick up artist who will define it but the constitution itself has set up a lose limbs and what its very scary about limited in women but its what if you go so but i can can be reached but if you go back and read the federalist papers with their guard to impeachment Alexander Hamilton and madison had sort of federalist papers with their guard to impeachment Alexander Hamilton and madison had some very clear thoughts about why that might be necessary and how it should be done they were very spin very clear thoughts about why that might be necessary and how it should be done they were very specific but for instance i dont know how they would have to sipping but for instance i dont know how they would have defined misdemeanors but im under the impression that a mystery meter in their mind fine misdemeanors but im under the impression that a mystery meter in their mind was a more serious charge then we interpret it today misdemeanor today as a a was a more serious charge then we interpret it today misdemeanor today as a a minor criminal violation or maybe even you know minor criminal violation or maybe even you know is it a distilling something wrong so i think they thought it was more serious is it a distilling something wrong so i think they thought it was more serious than it now is interpreted so they thought of it as something more that then it now is interpreted so they thought i would have something more then and how to acquire crimes and im not to new tsunami not to screw scratch theory and risk that right a lot of what they all thought of woman all thought was oh my president hes a pretty serious ismir is matter. And thats thats thats the thing you having it. Is quite put all through the harness quite often very hard to prove is lying to a grand jury a high card to prove is lying to a grand jury. Crime it is certainly more than a misdemeanor or im it is certainly more than a misdemeanor or is obstruction of justice crime in my mind is obstruction of justice crime in my mind it could be and that was the conclusion i basically came to with regard to it could be and that was the conclusion i basically came to with regard to president nixon and there was the smoking gun the actual tape of him giving instructions that could certainly be interpreted as an instruction of justice speaking and that we now have an actual phone call between an american president and a thong 10 tree 34 defendant is speaking at that we now have an actual phone call between an american president and a thong 10 tree 3 to 4 different occasions now this is backed up that call asking the patients now others have backed up that call asking this foreign country to investigate a political rival. That is foreign country to investigate a political rival. As in that disturb you well it it disturbs me is a lot of things disturbs in that disturb you well it it disturbs me is a lot of things disturb me about that number one you know looking at it when the president ceased the band point i dont stand while these people were listening in a conversation or while there were all these recordings we would think president s would have learned for president nixon recorded what goes on in point i dont stand while these people were listening in a conversation or while there were all these recordings we would think president s would have learned from president nixon recorded what goes on no one in the oval office and not a great idea secondly to. Be told in the oval office not a great idea secondly to be talking to the leader of another country about investigating corruption or investigating welcome to the leader of another country about investigating corruption or investigating a person could be a political opponent. That ing a person could be a political opponent. That it is disturbing but i think for it to be something beyond that its disturbing but i think for it to be something beyond that it would have to be a clear quid pro quo if you dont do this were not going to do that there would have to be a clear quid pro quo if you dont do this were not going to do that or vice versa but its an area that is or vice versa but its an area that is being looked into then the question is has it been looked into and a proper way being looked into then the question is has it been looked into and a proper way and thats one thing i always appreciated about the Judiciary Committee when i was a freshman house member and thats one thing i always appreciated about the Judiciary Committee when i was a freshman house member 32 years old sitting on that Committee Peter rodino the chairman was barry faber 32 years old sitting on that Committee Peter rodino the chairman was very fair in the well he way allowed republicans to ask questions to have air in the well he way allowed republicans to ask questions to have witnesses im selves and and for me personally hell allowed witnesses im selves and for me personally hell out me to engage in the debate against one of the articles and plead to engage in the debate against one of the articles and sleep page one which we did defeat so how you. Do Something Like but please page one which we did defeat so how you do Something Like this is almost as important as what do you do you need to do it this is almost as important as what do you do you need to do it carefully and by the book and make sure that it well for instance carefully and by the book and make sure that it well for instance when i 1st met with my republican conference about how to proceed on the clinton when i 1st met with my republican conference about how to proceed on the clinton matter i had a process in mind that would have been concluded in about 2 weeks matter i had a process in mind that would have been concluded in about 2 weeks without any depositions or witnesses i mean things like that my own republican without any depositions or witnesses i mean things like that my own republican conference pushback said oh no you know what youre doing youre trying to short circuit on prince push back said oh no you know what youre doing youre trying to short circuit this and we need to do this by the book we need to have the full hearings we need to have senate get this we need to do this by the book we need to have the full hearings we need to have senators in the seats the chief justice sitting there we need to take depositions we need to have theirs in the seats the chief justice sitting there we need to take depositions we need to have a formal questions and so i revised how we were going to do it all more questions and so i revised how we were going to do it and it wound up taking about a month but at the end of that month most people whether that and it wound up taking about a month but at the end of that month most people whether they agreed or disagreed with the final result felt like it was done they agreed or disagreed with the final result felt like it was done properly as required by the constitution you voted for. You know properly as required by the constitution you voted for guilty right i did vote for the 2 articles of impeachment one interesting to me right i did vote for the 2 articles of impeachment one interesting thing about that did that on a friday tom daschle and i should think about that i did that on a friday tom daschle and i shook hands in the Center Island and agreed that we had done the job the best we can sin the Center Island and agreed that we had done the job the best we could and i fair and bipartisan way a week later actually could and i fair and bipartisan way a week later actually following thursday i got a call from president clinton he wanted to talk to be about a bill on the following thursday i got a call from president clinton he wanted to talk to be about a bill it was a big bill in fact i never have been able to recall exactly what it was it was a big bill in fact i never have been able to recall exactly what it was but he wanted me to see if we could move this bill along through the process he didnt mention how i had voted but he wanted me to see if we could move this bill along through the process he didnt mention how i had voted he didnt even mention the impeachment trial we just went on with our business and he didnt even mention the impeachment trial we just went on with our business and in the next few years did several good things for the country working together and the next few years did several good things for the country working together youve got to have that when the senate gets this trial the supreme youve got to have that when the senate gets this to trial the supreme chief justice conducts the trial can you honestly say that every chief justice conducts the trial. Can you honestly say that every cent of the senators you knew to consume easily and lotus and all the senators you knew to consume easily and voted their conscience absolutely and we did a lot of things that were in their conscience absolutely and we did a lot of things that were were different for instance we couldnt decide really how to pr