Faith in mueller. A lot of people. That is mueller saying, curious to see if democrats will accept this conclusion since that came from mueller. On obstruction, katy, i fully understand if there is a debate and dispute over this, because this was not muellers definitive word. This was bob barrs word. This is where theyll be a fight. Again, politically the toothpaste is already out of the tube as they say. Yeah. So, you know, this isnt getting resolved in this country until november 2020. No doubt about that. I think what we can take from this is that the investigations will continue in congress, but ultimately and who knows how long it will take to potentially see the rest of this report, or what we are able to see, but ultimately this is going to go to voters in 2020 and what the president s going to do, chuck, and the Steve Bannons made this clear and anybody who followed the 2016 campaign would assume as well, hes going to use this to his advantage and the way
hes used it already in the past two years saying that its all a witchhunt in respect was no collusion, there was no conspiracy. When they couldnt find conspiracy or collusion they moved on to something else. I am the victim here. Its been good politics for him. It is how he spins up his base. It is how he keeps his base devoted to him, how hes politically survived. No way to politically thrive, no way to govern. Hes not going to ever get the 60 to govern but this is what hes going to do. Survive the election and see if its enough and democrats are going to be in this, get frustrated. Perhaps by how this investigation is going to get perhaps how quickly they get to see the report, but there will be Voter Fatigue on this. And democrats have to be wary of that. And do they focus on the investigations or do they focus on other issues that perhaps voters want to see focused on . I think that will, that will have an impact here, too, hon ow
aggressive democrats are. Weve seen the 2020 democrats on the Campaign Trail so far is they havent paid a ton of attention to the investigation, chuck. Katy, the voters out there dont care. They have been paying attention to issues. They care tab babout it but following it day to day. Theyre not. Weve softened democrats and did well in 2018, they argue, they paid attention to the issues, paid attention to health care the economy and other things. If democrats in congress continue with the investigations into the president , continue with subpoenaing various members of his white house or members of his family or members of his orbit and go down the road of trying to determine whether they think he obstructed justice and whether that potentially is an Impeachable Offense for this president , do democrats risk overshadowing, drowning out what democratic hopefuls for 2020 are doing on the Campaign Trail . I think that is a risk. At the same time, i understand the desire by other whose say wait a minute. You know, youve got to prosecute these things even when its politically not, because if you dont, or if you dont attempt to, youre lowering the floor. You sgl youre lowering the bar again and it will only reward this, but, you know, i also have been having this conversation. What would the founders have wanted in this situation . Hes in a first term. Not a second term. There he is, and most would agree, its always better to let the voters make a derman nation a democracy than a ruling group of elites. Right . It is a first term and theres a lot to be said of let the public get all the information and let them make the determination themselves about whether they think he has the values to run the rule of law or not. To whether they trust him to be
in charge of the criminal justice system. Things like that. So there is an argument to be said that perhaps if you think back what would the founders have wanted in this situation, given the time were in, they might say, take it to the voters pap second term, its a different situation. Chuck, hang out one second. I want to reset for Anyone Tuning in. Its 4 04. About 30 minutes ago we receive add summary of Robert Muellers findings. The twoyear investigation into President Trump and his president ial campaign condensed down to four pages. Attorney general william barr has summarized that while the report does not conclude that the president comitted a crime, it also does not exonerate him. The evidence developed during the Special Counsel investigation is not sufficient to establish that the president committed an Obstruction Of Justice offense. That is per bill barr and Rod Rosenstein. Not per Robert Mueller. Also, the report identifies no actions that in our judgment
constitutes obstructive conduct. Again that is per bill barr and Rod Rosenstein. Finally, the investigation did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated or colluded with the russian government in its election interference activities. Chuck, year back with me. One other question on nancy pelosi. She had said a few weeks ago that she didnt believe impeachment is something the democrats should pursue unless there is bipartisan support of this. Now that we know the Principle Conclusions from Robert Mueller per william barr, do you see any way that nancy pelosi might change her stance on that . I doubt it, and i just, we just got a statement from Kevin MccarthyHouse Republican leader, and just, if this gives a taste where congressional leaders are, then the idea of how, if whether we see this whole report you may start to ask that. He says, it is abundant think
clear without a shadow of a doubt no collusion and its time we move on for the good of the nation. This case is closed. So if that is the sort of mainstream republican attitude on capitol hill, it may slow down the demands and calls for transparency and slow down i think were eventually see the details of the Mueller Report, make the determination for ourselves, but by the time we see it, the the spin will have already sort of made its way around and there may be even a fatigue oral exhausti an exha flavor. You dont do something if you dont have the votes in an exercise like that. Impeachment, while you may believe its part of the rule of law, it is a political exercise. Not a legal one. You have to count the votes. Hallie jackson is also with us. Hall hallie, the white house said all
along no collusion. The president greeted reporters on friday with no collusion, no collusion. The president s orbit has always said, no collusion. The president s children have always said, no collusion. Today Robert Mueller found no conspiracy which essentially is no collusion. There is no gray area on that piece of it, katy. You look at the two buckets. The conspiracy piece you say, sort of collusion, and then the Obstruction Piece. On the conspiracy piece of it it is Black And White. It is very clear that the Special Counsel did not find that it Trump Campaign conspired with russia. That is already what were seeing and forgive me for looking at my phone. Weve received reaction from the rnc. Unsurprisingly now from the Republican National committee falling in line with what chuck read you from those in the republican party, for years Many Democrats and many in the media promised collusion between the Trump Campaign and russia. They were wrong. That is going to be the line from the gop i think from the white house as well. Keep in mind right now the president is getting ready to Board Air Force one. Jit where there are televisions. He will likely be watching coverage of all this as it goes down leaving from maralago to come back here to the white house. Politically you have reaction from republicans, you can see Air Force One there. Down in South Florida getting ready to make its way back to washington. There is a chance by the way, let me note for vuters he evote president may stop and speak to those who gather underneath the wing. The president has done before. We dont know he will but obviously its something were watching clo ining closely for. We know rakz from republicans seizing on the conspiracy, no spawn kear conspiracy piece. Obstruction a gray area. Where you start to see reaction from democrats and where you will continue undoubtedly to see democrats pushing to see everything. Everything that Robert Mueller put together. As relates to the 2020 reelect you make the point correctly i think most democrats are not
focusing on the russia investigation out on the Campaign Trail. Just not. Talking about things like made c. A. R. E. F medicare for all, things voters want to hear about. President trump, goes to a Campaign Rally later in the week will be out in michigan for that. Loves to talk about Robert Mueller. I see the president making a pinata of the Special Counsel, of frankly the media as well and you already starting to see that in a new tweet out from eric trump. The president s son going after the media. Accusing the media trying to harp on what was overhyped and incorrect. That twofold attack you will see based on our reporting the president really hone in on the Campaign Trail. Repeatedly. Listen, he will probably do it thursday. Probably do it for the next 500plus days until this election happens because the president feels personally aggrieved by this. We know it because he tweets about it, talks about it. This has been the cloud hanging
over his west wing since the day he took office. A significant moment in time for this white house. Why its significant, by the way, after a huge week of twitter frenzy tweets, katy, nothing. Two innocuous good morning make America Great tweets. Thats all we heard from the president so far. I wonder if hell start to call Robert Mueller a Good American here because he did not find conspiracy and say he was not partisan and conflicted. There arent 13 angry democrats but did the president a service. Same time, hallie, in this report or summary, bill barr make as point that Robert Mueller says the president didnt commit a crime, but it does not exonerate him. Right. Those words. Does not exonerate him you will hear again and again from democrats. Right . That is sort of the murky waters here. I think youre right. The president may change his tune about Robert Mueller. You may hear the argument, difficult for the president to
change his tune about mueller given just how sort of intensely he has attacked him in his investigation repeatedly in writing, publicly on camera. This is a president who has reversed course on people before as we all know well from the story of Jeff Sessions and other whose have fallen in and out of favor with the president at various times in his administration. The Obstruction Piece of it is, again, much less clear, because mueller, Robert Mueller, did not draw sort of a a final line here on the issue of obstruction. Yes, the president. We have the quote here. Does not conclude that the president comitted a crime but it does not exonerate him is already where youre seeing the Question Marks from democrats, from people with kearns about the president. Again, all along, weve said this. There are two pieces of this. Right . Overall, step back big picture. A question of Donald Trumps legal the line and a question of his political liability bhand it me and what it means politically. Robert mueller came to the
conclusion based on attorney barrs letter, no coordination or conspiracy which was the thesis, central piece of his investigation. The other obstruction. Just not as clear. Hoping to get reaction for you seen. Its interesting that we understand based on my colleague kristen well ill kerr a statemeg for that. The early reaction from the legal team is its very good for us. So you can expect essentially just to build on what hallie is saying. They are prepared to take a major victory lap here at the white house within the president s legal team. They were sort of weighing a number of different scenarios. This scenario being politically speaking the strongest one arguably for President Trump. So i think youre going see that expressed. I know they had sort of thought through some early reaction, but
clearly theyre trying to determine exactly what that victory lap is going to look like when they put phone pad. Just to set the scene at the white house, hallie standing outside. Imed in. Ju inside where all the white house Officials Press staff works they are huddled in press secretary Sarah Sanderss office right now likely trying to determine next steps and what the official reaction, official statement is going to be here from the white house. Not clear that sarahs in that office right now, because i know she was traveling with the president , but bottom line, they are hashing through what their reaction is going to be here. And, again, President Trump set to land here at the white house in just a short time from now, katy. He usually does not talk when he returns home from the weekend. I think you might see him sort of break that streak and come and speak with us. We have to wait and see. I haeanticipate he want to weig in. He has a Campaign Rally later in the week and undoubtedly will
use this. I spoke to steve bannon the other day saying hes prepared to weaponize the Mueller Report. That tells usstaunchest supporters, they have meat on the bones to back it up. Does this mean the president can use this to convince others that might have been on the fence about him. Might not have enjoyed this investigation, might have had questioned surrounding this investigation to say, listen, i was right. It was a hoax. I am the victim. V vote for me. Does had use that to broaden his appeal is an open question. Sarah sanders says, the Special Counsel did not find collusion and did not find obstruction. Although the Special Counsel did not find obstruction that was what a. G. Barr and Rod Rosenstein found. Attorney general barr and Deputy Attorney general rosenstein further found no obstruction. A complete exoneration of the president of the United States. Number one, Special Counsel did not find collusion, Sarah Sanders is trite say that. She not right to say they did not find any obstruction. They left that question explicitly up to both william barr and Rod Rosenstein, and william barr and rosenstein determined that there was no obstruction. She said it is a total and complete exoneration of the president. The mueller summary according to bill barr says while the president did not commit a crime, it does not exonerate him. Expectly said in that letter. Even in circumstances where the news is good for them they have to be incorrect. Thats consistent, i guess, with this white house. And katy, why you are going to see such a Pitched Battle to get the actual report. Jerry nadler earlier today on Meet The Press said essentially arguing that some of the documents are protected by
executive privilege isnt an argument because theyve already been subjected to this investigation. Youre going to see democrats really push to try to see the entire report. By Special CounselRobert Mueller. Now, undoubtedly what you might see also is a desire by the white house and some others for the entire report to not be released at least publicly, and they point to ironically, the case of Hillary Clinton. They say, look. In the case of Hillary Clinton, you essentially had james kocom, but Saw Misjudgment and critical how he handled that matter at the time. I dont understand even on a good day, news is good for them they insist on lying. Still put out incorrect statements. Why in the world would Sarah Huckabee sanders want to cloud what happened today with this summary, cloud the good news of it by putting out a statement full of two factual errors . She is seizing upon the final
conclusion by the Attorney General. From bill barr and rosenstein. Not mueller. By the way, when we hear from President Trump, it