Chuck Todd On Comey Memo: ‘The Ground Has Completely Shifted On Capitol Hill’

SHORT ATTENTION SPAN. SAVANNAH AND MATT?
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >>> WE'RE JOINED BY MSNBC'S
CHIEF LEGAL CORRESPONDENT, ARI
MELBER. AND NICOLLE WALLACE.
AND FROM D.C., CHUCK TODD. GOOD MORNING TO ALL OF YOU.
AS PETE RIGHTLY SAYS, THERE'S A HIGH HURDLE TO GET OVER BEFORE
YOU CAN START TALKING ABOUT OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE.
HOWEVER, IF YOU COMBINE THE WORDS THE PRESIDENT USED WITH
DIRECTOR COMEY ABOUT, HOPE YOU CAN SEE CLEAR TO END THIS, YOU
GO TWO WEEKS EARLIER, I WANT YOUR LOYALTY, WHICH COMEY SAID,
I'LL GIVE YOU MY HONESTY. AND THEN,, YOU TWO TO THE FACT
THAT A DAY OR SO AFTER THE SECOND MEETING, COMEY IS FIRED,
ARE YOU GETTING CLOSER? >> YOU'RE GETTING A LOT CLOSER.
THIS MEMO IS THE MOST LEGALLY SIGNIFICANT THING WE'VE SEEN TO
HURT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SINCE HE BECAME PRESIDENT.
ALONE, IT IS PROBABLY NOT OBSTRUCTION, EVEN THOUGH IT
LOOKS BAD. BUT TAKEN TOGETHER WITH THE
OTHER PRESSURE AND THE POSSIBLY REASONS BEHIND THE FIRING, WHICH
NEEDS PROBABLY A FULL INVESTIGATION, IT'S THE THING
THAT TOGETHER WOULD AMOUNT TO OBSTRUCTION.
>> THE COMEY IS SITTING ON THIS MEMO, DID HE HAVE AN AFFIRMATIVE
DUTY TO DISCLOSE IT TO CONGRESS, TO AN INSPECTOR GENERAL, TO
SOMEBODY? WHY DID HE SIT ON IT?
>> PROBABLY NOT. THE FBI'S MORE RESPONSIBLE TACT
WOULD BE TO SAY, I'M MEMORIALIZING THIS, IF MORE
HAPPENS. THE PRESIDENT GETS THE BENEFIT
OF THE DOUBT AT THAT TIME. HE GOT IT.
ADDING TO OTHER INFORMATION, IT IS A MEMO ON FILE THAT
INVESTIGATORS CAN USE. >> THE PRESIDENT IS LEARNING AN
IMPORTANT LESSON HERE. JAMES COMEY IS A CAREER LAW
ENFORCEMENT GUY. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS LOOK AT
HIM AND YOU KNOW THIS IS A GUY WHO TAKES NOTES AND KEEPS THEM.
HE'S NOT A GUY YOU FRY TO OUTMANEUVER IN A REAL ESTATE
DEAL. >> WHEN YOU HAVE ANGERED
PRESIDENTS OF BOTH PARTIES, YOU STAND ON A DIFFERENT GROUND IN A
POLITICAL CONTEXT. AND WHAT JAMES COMEY LEARNED, HE
PROBABLY LEARNED FROM HIS FIGHTS WITH THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION.
IN HIS MIND, HE'S ALWAYS ON THE SIDE OF ANGELS.
HE ALWAYS TAKES NOTES. AND TO COME OUT OF A FIGHT WITH
THE FBI OR THE CIA WINNING IS NEAR-IMPOSSIBLE FOR A PRESIDENT
WHO HAS DECLARED OPEN WAR ON THE INTEL --
>> YOU FIRE HIM AND CRITICIZE HIM, AND NOW, HIS FRIEN FRIENDS
LEAKING THIS MEMO. >> AND I THINK THAT THE WAY THIS
WENT DOWN, THIS GOES BACK TO BEING A BAD WINNER.
THIS GOES BACK TO BEING A BAD FIRER.
HE FIRED HIM AND THEN, HE TAUNLT
TAUNTED HIM.
AT EVERY TURN, HE TEMPTS HIS OWN FATE.
>> YOU TALKED ABOUT THE LEGAL TRACK.
LET'S TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE POLITICAL TRACK.
THIS RAISES THE SPECTER OVER TO YOU, CONGRESS.
HOW SERIOUS ARE YOU ABOUT THAT? ARE THEY GOING TO GET THEIR
HANDS ON THAT MEMO? ARE THEY GOING TO LET JAMES
COMEY COME AND TESTIFY? HE WANTS IT TO BE PUBLIC.
WHERE DO YOU THINK REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS GO BECAUSE THEY HOLD
THE KEY HERE? >> THEY DO.
I THINK THERE'S DIFFERENT BARRIERS HERE THAT HAVE TO BREAK
IN DIFFERENT WAYS. AND I THINK ONE OF THE BARRIERS
HAS BROKEN. YOU NOW HAVE REPUBLICANS, THIS
WEEK, TALKING ABOUT AN INDEPENDENT COMMISSION OR A
SPECIAL COUNSEL. THAT WAS A CONVERSATION THEY DID
NOT WANT TO HAVE LAST WEEK. DEMOCRATS HAVE MOVED THE
CONVERSATION TO IMPEACHMENT IN WEEK.
OKAY, REPUBLICANS ARE SAYING, WE'LL GO TO SPECIAL COUNSEL.
THE POINT IS, EVERYTHING IS SHIFTING.
THE GROUND IS COMPLETELY SHIFTING ON CAPITOL HILL.
YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE HEARINGS. I THINK WE KNOW WHAT THE SUMMER
IS GOING TO BE. IT WILL BE THE SUMMER OF COMEY.
AFTER ALL THIS IS GOING ON, AT THE END OF THE DAY, AS PETE
POINTED ON EARLIER THIS, IS A POLITICAL DECISION FOR CONGRESS.
WHEN MITCH McCONNELL AND PAUL RYAN DECIDE THEIR MAJORITIES ARE
AT STAKE AND THE PARTY COULD GO DOWN WITH TRUMP, THAT'S WHEN
THEY WILL SEPARATE. I DON'T THINK THEY'RE THERE YET.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT THESE HEARINGS ARE GOING TO BE ABOUT.
>> NICOLLE, LET ME END WITH YOU. WE DON'T HAVE AN DIRECTOR OF THE
FBI. WE HAVE AN ACTING DIRECTOR.
AND THE SEARCH IS ON TO FIND A REPLACEMENT.
DOES DONALD TRUMP HAVE CREDIBILITY TO NAME A NEW
DIRECTOR OF THE FBI? >> I WONDER IF HE'S GOING TO
TAKE HIMSELF OUT OF THAT PROCESS.
JOHN CORNYN REMOVED HIMSELF FROM CONSIDERATION, SAYING THE TIMES
REQUIRE AN INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR OF THE FBI.
I TALKED TO A COUPLE OF FOLKS WHO INTERVIEWED FOR THAT JOB AND
A COUPLE OF OTHER JOBS. AND THERE'S A LOT OF ANGST.
>> I HAVE A FORMER CRIMINAL LAW PROFESSOR SAYING THE PRESIDENT
IS MAKING WHAT SHE CALLED A BEAUTIFUL CASE AGAINST HIMSELF.
AND HE NEEDS A LAWYER. DO YOU AGREE HE NEEDS TO HAVE
SOMEBODY THAT SAYS TO HIM, THE THINGS YOU ARE SAYING HAVE LEGAL
SIGNIFICANCE NOW AND YOU NEED TO WATCH OUT?
>> YES. AND AT A MINIMUM, WHAT WE'VE
SEEN IN THE SALLY YATES ISSUES AND MICHAEL FLYNN, IS THAT THE
WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL IS NOW INVOLVED IN THIS, DEEPLY.
HE PROBABLY NEEDS PRIVATE COUNSEL.
AND HE NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND IT WILL BE BEST FOR HIM PERSONALLY,
AS WELL AS INDEPENDENT LAW ENFORCEM

Chuck Todd On Comey Memo: ‘The Ground Has Completely Shifted On Capitol Hill’ | TODAY

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