Rep. Elijah Cummings On President Donald Trump's 'Tapes' Threat To James Comey | AM Joy

. >>> Y'ALL MADE ME SOME REAL
LIGHTWEIGHT SLACKS. I NEED ABOUT SIX PAIRS FOR
SUMMER WEAR. I WANT A COUPLE OF MAYBE THREE
OF THE LIGHT BROWN. KIND OF LIKE POWDER COLOR.
WHEN I GAIN A LITTLE WEIGHT, THEY CUT ME UNDER THERE, SO
LEAVE ME -- YOU NEVER KNOW HOW MUCH MARGIN THERE, BUT SEE IF
YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME ABOUT AN INCH FROM WHERE THE ZIPPER ENDS
AROUND UNDER THE BACK OF MY BUNG HOLE.
>> YOU'RE AWAKE NOW. I BET YOU'RE AWAKE NOW.
GOOD MORNING. IS IT THE RIGHT TIME TO SAY
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY? HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY.
WHAT YOU JUST HEARD WAS PRESIDENT LYNDON JOHNSON
ORDERING PANTS ON THE PHONE IN THE SECOND MOST POPULAR TAPED
CONVERSATION IN THE WHITE HOUSE. TAPES FROM THE OVAL OFFICE BEGAN
LONG BEFORE WATER GATE AND LONG BEFORE LBJ IMAGINED FITTED INTO
PRESIDENTIAL PANTS. BACK IN 1939 WHEN FRANKLIN
DELNOR ROOSEVELT WANTED TO RECORD NEWS BRIEFINGS WHERE HE
FELT "THE NEW YORK TIMES" MISQUOTED HIM.
"THE NEW YORK TIMES" INCLUDED A MICROPHONE HIDDEN IN A LAMP
CONNECTED TO A RECORDING DEVICE IN THE WHITE HOUSE BASEMENT.
THE PRACTICE OF RECORDING CONVERSATIONS CONTINUED IN THE
EISENHOWER, KENNEDY AND JOHNSON ADMINISTRATIONS AND FINALLY WITH
NIXON, FOR WHOM THE TAPING OF CONVERSATIONS BACKFIRED AND THE
PRACTICE CAME TO A HALT. THAT WAS ALMOST 45 YEARS AGO.
YET ON FRIDAY MANY WONDERED IF TRUMP HAD REVIVED THE PRACTICE
OF WIRING THE OVAL OFFICE WHEN HE THREATENED HIS FORMER FBI
DIRECTOR, TWEETING JAMES COMEY BETTER HOPE FLOOR NO TAPES OF
OUR CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN HE STARTS LEAKING TO THE PRESS.
AND JOINING ME NOW IS ELIJAH CUMMINGS OF MARYLAND.
CONGRESSMAN, GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING. AND HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL.
>> HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL THE MOMS IN YOUR LIFE AS WELL.
YOU WERE THE CO-AUTHOR OF A LETTER THAT YOU YOURSELF, AS
WELL AS THE RANKING MEMBER ON JUDICIARY, CONGRESSMAN JOHN
WROTE TO THE WHITE HOUSE LEGAL COUNSEL REQUESTING ANY TAPES OR
COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN TRUMP AND COMEY.
AND THIS IS PART OF THAT LETTER. IT SAYS UNDER NORMAL
CIRCUMSTANCES WE WOULD NOT CONSIDER CREDIBLE ANY TAPED
CONVERSATIONS OF MEETINGS WITH THE PRESIDENT.
HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF THE MANY FALSE STATEMENTS MADE, WE'RE
COMPELLED TO ASK WHETHER ANY RECORDING EXIST.
IF SO, WE REQUEST ALL COPIES. AS WE JUST ESTABLISHED, THERE'S
BEEN TAPING IN THE WHITE HOUSE GOING BACK MORE THAN 50 YEARS.
SO DO YOU HAVE AT THIS POINT A DEFINITIVE ANSWER AS TO WHETHER
OR NOT DONALD TRUMP TAPES CONVERSATIONS IN THE OVAL
OFFICE? >> NO, WE DON'T.
WE HAVE NOT FOUND OUT YET. HOPEFULLY WE WILL KNOW VERY
SHORTLY. AND IF THERE ARE TAPES, CLEARLY
THEY WOULD COME UNDER THE PRESIDENTIAL RECORDS ACT.
THAT'S AN ACT PASSED BY CONGRESS RIGHT AFTER THE WATER GATE
EPISODE THAT BASICALLY SAID THAT WHEN YOU HAVE RECORDINGS LIKE
THIS, YOU HAVE TO PRESERVE THEM AND THEY BECOME A PART OF THE
PRESIDENTIAL RECORDS. AND WE SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO
THEM AS THE CONGRESS. >> AND THE NATIONAL SECURITY
REPORTER HERE AT NBC NEWS, HE TWEETED ON FRIDAY THAT A SOURCE
CLOSE TO JIM COMEY, WHO IS NOW A CIVILIAN, FORMER FBI DIRECTOR,
SAID HE HOPES THERE ARE TAPES. WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO SUBPOENA
JIM COMEY AND GET HIM, SHORT OF HAVING TAPES OF THE
CONVERSATION, TO SIMPLY RECOUNT HIS CONVERSATION WITH THE
PRESIDENT? DO YOU FORESEE THAT HAPPENING IN
THE OPEN TESTIMONY? >> I'M SURE THAT'S QUITE
PROBABLE. THE QUESTION BECOMES, YOU KNOW,
MR. COMEY, DIRECTOR COMEY SAID THAT HE WAS WILLING TO TESTIFY
IN THE SENATE, BUT HE WOULD ONLY DO IT IN OPEN SESSION AND
HOPEFULLY THAT WILL HAPPEN -- THAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE SENATE
AND PERHAPS ALSO IN THE HOUSE. BUT, JOY, WE'VE GOT TO GET TO
THE BOTTOM OF THIS. THE PRESIDENT BASICALLY HAS
NOBODY HOLDING HIM ACCOUNTABLE FOR ANYTHING.
REMEMBER BACK IN THE ELECTION DURING THE ELECTION TIME HE SAID
HE COULD WALK DOWN FIFTH AVENUE, SHOOT SOMEBODY AND HE WOULD
STILL LOSE NO VOTERS. THAT APPEARS TO BE THE WAY IT IS
SIMPLY BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GETTING ANY COOPERATION OR NO
SIGNIFICANT COOPERATION FROM THE REPUBLICAN SIDE.
>> YESTERDAY ON THIS PROGRAM WE HAD JOHN DEAN, THE FORMER WHITE
HOUSE COUNSEL TO RICHARD NIXON. THIS IS WHAT HE SAID WHEN HE
ASKED HIM IF IT WAS LIKELY THE OVAL OFFICE STILL HAS A TAPING
SYSTEM OPERATING. >> WHAT HAPPENED AT THAT DINNER
IN JANUARY THAT TRUMP NOW SAYS HE TAPED OR HINTED HE TAPED, I
DON'T BELIEVE THAT. BUT IF HE DID, I THINK IT WAS
SOMETHING HE HAD DONE ON A SMARTPHONE.
AND I THINK COMEY WOULD LIKE THAT TAPE OUT.
>> CONGRESSMAN CUMMINGS, IF DONALD TRUMP TAPED A
CONVERSATION WITH THE FORMER FBI DIRECTOR USING HIS SMARTPHONE,
IN THEORY, COULD THE CONGRESS, COULD THE HOUSE JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE OR THE SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE OR EITHER
OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEES SUB THE PRESIDENT'S PHONE?
>> YES. IT BECOMES A PART OF THE
PRESIDENTIAL RECORDS. AND SO, YEAH.
AND, JOY, WE ARE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER, IF
THERE IS A TAPE, IF THERE IS A TAPE, TO GET THAT TAPE.
THIS WHOLE SITUATION WITH REGARD TO THIS CONVERSATION IS VERY
SIGNIFICANT WITH REGARD TO THE INVESTIGATION, WITH REGARD TO
RUSSIA, TO COLLUSION AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SO WE NEED TO KNOW AND WE NEED TO KNOW WHO'S TELLING THE TRUTH
AND WHO'S LYING. G. >> I GUESS FINALLY THE QUESTION
IS AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A PANEL THAT INCLUDES SOME FOLKS
THAT HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT THIS MATTER, EXPLAIN TO US IF YOU
WILL WHAT YOU ARE HEARING BEHIND THE SCENES.
IT DOES SEEM THEY HAVE AN INCREDIBLY HIGH THRESHOLD FOR
SCANDAL. THEY DON'T SEEM TO BE MOVED BY A
LOT. THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, PAUL
RYAN, SAID HE ISN'T GOING TO RESPOND TO THINGS TRUMP TWEETS.
DO YOU DEFECT OUTRAGE FROM YOUR REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES?
>> I THINK THERE IS SOME OUTRAGE, BUT I THINK THERE ARE
TWO THINGS HAPPENING. ONE, MANY OF THEM ARE AFRAID
THAT TRUMP WILL RUN SOMEBODY FROM THEIR RIGHT AGAINST THEM
AND THEY WILL LOSE THEIR SEATS. THE OTHERS THINK THAT THIS THING
WILL JUST BLOW OVER AND IS NOT SUCH A BIG DEAL.
BUT I TOLD THEM OVER AND OVER AGAIN THAT THIS IS A FIGHT FOR
THE SOUL OF OUR DEMOCRACY. AND, SO, I EVEN TOLD JASON.
I SAID THE QUESTION IS GOING TO BECOME WHEN ALL OF THIS IS OVER,
WHAT KIND OF COUNTRY ARE WE GOING TO HAVE.
>> YEAH. >> AND THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
>> IT IS INDEED. AND WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE
TO HELP US TRY TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THE ANSWER TO THAT
QUESTION. >> OH, WE WILL.
I PROMISE YOU. >> ALL RIGHT.
WE WILL DEFINITELY HOLD YOU TO IT AND WE'LL HAVE YOU BACK ON.
>> LET'S BRING IN OUR PANEL NOW. JOINING US A SENIOR FELLOW AND A
FORMER DEFENSE ADVISOR. JENNIFER RUE BIN OF THE
WASHINGTON POST. JACK RICE CRIMINAL DEFENSE
ATTORNEY AND FORMER CIA SPECIAL AGENT AND FORMER CIA ANALYST.
THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. YOU JUST HEARD THE CONGRESSMAN
SAY THAT IF THE PRESIDENT USED HIS SMARTPHONE IN ORDER TO TAPE
A CONVERSATION WITH JIM COMEY, THEY COULD SUB THAT PHONE.
DO YOU FORESEE THE CONGRESS AS IT IS CURRENTLY CONSTITUTED.
YOU WROTE A PIECE SKEPTICAL OF REPUBLICANS HAVING A LOT OF
INTEGRITY ON THIS MATTER AND PUTTING COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY.
DO YOU FORESEE THE HOUSE OR SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE
SUBBING THE PRESIDENT'S PHONE? >> I DON'T BECAUSE THE
REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS HAVE BEEN PRETTY SUPINE BEFORE DONALD
TRUMP'S TRANSGRESSIONS AND I AM SHOCKED TO SEE THE EXTENT TO
WHICH. I MEAN, JOY, I MEAN, THIS IS
STUNNING TO ME BAZ -- OKAY, YOU HAVE HAD PRESIDENTS IN THE PAST
THAT HAVE OBSTRUCTED JUSTICE, BUT FEW OF THEM HAVE GONE ON TV
TO BRAG ABOUT WHAT THEY WERE DOING.
HE IS NOT HIDING THIS. HE IS SAYING I FIRED COMEY
BECAUSE I WANT TO STOP THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION.
THAT'S IT. THAT'S OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE
AND I'M STUNNED REPUBLICANS ARE BASICALLY TAKING IT.
THEY'RE NOT DEMANDING IMPEACHMENT BUT THEY'RE NOT EVEN
DEMANDING A SPECIAL COUNSEL. THEY'RE NOT DEMANDING AN
INDEPENDENT COMMISSION. THEY'RE SUPPORTING HIM ON ALL OF
THIS. THIS IS STUNNING.
THEY'RE PLACING THEIR DESIRE FOR TAX CUTS OVER THEIR DEVOTION TO
THE RULE OF LAW, WHICH IS THE BEDROCK OF AMERICAN DOMSY.
>> YOU HAVE WRITTEN COLUMN AFTER COLUMN SAYING THE SAME THING.
YOU DO HAVE NOW -- YESTERDAY WE READ FROM THE IMPEACHMENT
ARTICLES AGAINST BILL CLINTON, WHICH INCLUDED THE ACCUSATION HE
ATTEMPTED TO OBSTRUCT THE INVESTIGATION AGAINST HIM, THAT
HE INTERVENED TO OBSTRUCT JUSTICE.
YOU DO HAVE HERE A PRESIDENT ADMITTING OPENLY TO OUR OWN
LESTER HOLT THAT, YEAH, HE FIRED THE FBI DIRECTOR TO STOP THE
INVESTIGATION INTO RUSSIA-GATE. >> WELL, I'M WITH MAX ON THIS
ONE. I THINK IT'S FIRST OF ALL AN
ABOMINATION THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING.
BUT I DON'T SEE THEM WEAKENING, AT LEAST NOT YET.
NOT ONLY DID THIS PRESIDENT CONFESS TO OBSTRUCTION OF
JUSTICE. HE FOLLOWED UP WITH A TREAT TO
THE FORMER FBI DIRECTOR. WHITE HOUSE AIDS WERE SENT OUT
TO COVER UP THE REASON WHY HE FIRED JIM COMEY.
THIS IS OBVIOUS. IT IS BLATANT.
IT IS INESCAPABLE. I DO THINK THAT IF THERE IS ANY
MOVEMENT IT WILL BE IN THE SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE,
NOT THE HOUSE AND IT WILL DEPEND UPON RICHARD BURR AND MARK
WARNER AND PERHAPS THEY COULD SUB THINGS.
>> WE DID HAVE LINDSEY GRAHAM ON AND HE DID SAY IF THERE ARE
TAPES HE AND THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE SENATE WANT TO SEE THEM,
SO THAT'S AT LEAST SOME MOVEMENT.
WE'LL HAVE THAT TAPE LATER IN THE SHOW.
BACK TO THE SUBJECT OF RECORDING.
WE DID HEAR THE CONGRESSMAN SAY WHETHER IT WAS ON THE PHONE OR
WHETHER HE HAS A TAPING SYSTEM. THOSE THINGS SHOULD BE TURNED
OVER AS PUBLIC RECORDS TO CONGRESS.
DONALD TRUMP HAS A HISTORY OF TAPING PEOPLE.
OKAY? THERE IS A PIECE IN THE CHICAGO
TRIBUNE THAT TALKED ABOUT HIS LONG HISTORY OF RECORDING PHONE
CALLS. "THE NEW YORK TIMES" HAS BEEN
COVERING TRUMP BACK SINCE HE WAS A REPORTER HAS SAID A PERIODIC
REMINDER REPORTING THAT TRUMP AIDS FEARED THEIR OFFICES IN
TRUMP TOWER WERE BUGGED BY HIGHER UPS.
THIS IS A MAN WHO HAS A HISTORY OF TAPING PEOPLE.
>> AND THE BOTTOM LINE, THOUGH, IS DONALD TRUMP IS FEARLESS
RIGHT NOW. HE'S NOT AFRAID.
HE HAS NO PROBLEM WITH SAYING, OH, YEAH, I FIRED THAT GUY
BECAUSE OF THE RUSSIANS. HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING.
THE REPUBLICANS ARE CONSPIREING WITH THE PRESIDENT.
I DON'T MEAN THIS FROM PARANOIA. I MEAN IN THE SENSE THEY ARE NOT
WILLING TO STAND UP AND SAY YOU CAN'T DO THIS.
AND SO AT THIS POINT WE'RE NOT SEEING ANY PUSH BACK FROM THE
REPUBLICANS IN THE HOUSE OR IN THE SENATE AND AS A RESULT WHAT
WE'RE FINDING IS PRESIDENT TRUMP CAN DO WHAT HE WANTS.
HE SAYS IT. HE HOLDS IT OUT THERE AND THEN
HE LAUGHS. I THINK THE PIVOT POINT COMES
WHEN THE MEMBERS ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE ARE FEARING FOR
THEIR JOBS. IF THEY FEEL LIKE THEY'RE GOING
TO BE UNDERCUT OR THEY'RE GOING TO BE BEATEN BY THE LEFT, THAT'S
THE ONLY TIME THEY'RE GOING TO STAND UP AND SAY I'M MORE THAN
WILLING TO SEPARATE MYSELF FROM THIS PRESIDENT BECAUSE HE COSTS
ME MORE THAN HE HELPS ME. THAT'S GOING TO BE THE PIVOT
POINT. THAT'S THE LINE.
>> SO THAT POINT, HE DOES SEEM TO HAVE A CERTAIN FEARLESSNESS.
HE KNOWS CONGRESS IS WITH HIM 100%.
DONALD TRUMP WAS ON HIS FAVORITE NETWORK ON FOX.
THIS IS WHAT HE SAID ABOUT NOT COMMUNICATING WITH THE PUBLIC BY
THE PRESS ANYMORE IF HE DOESN'T WANT TO.
TAKE A LOOK. >> ARE YOU MOVING SO QUICKLY
THAT YOUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT CANNOT KEEP UP WITH
YOU? >> YES.
THAT'S TRUE. >> SO WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT THAT?
>> WE DON'T HAVE PRESS CONFERENCES AND WE DO --
>> YOU DON'T MEAN THAT. >> WE JUST DON'T HAVE THEM
UNLESS I HAVE ONE EVERY TWO WEEKS AND I DO THEM MYSELF.
WE DON'T HAVE THEM. I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA.
>> HAVE WE REACHED THE PRESIDENT TO THE UNITED STATES HAS PLACED
HIMSELF BEYOND THE REACH NOT ONLY OF LAW, BUT POTENTIALLY OUT
OF THE REACH OF EVEN BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE BY THE PRESS?
>> WELL, I THINK IN HIS MIND THAT'S POSSIBLE.
BUT BACK TO WHAT THE REST OF THE PANEL IS DISCUSSING, UNLESS THE
GOP ALSO HELPS HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE, I DON'T SEE WHERE
HE IS GOING TO BE FORCED TO DO ANYTHING DIFFERENT.
AT THIS POINT IN MY EXPERIENCE I WAS WORKING WITH THE BUSH
ADMINISTRATION ON PUSHING BACK ON SOME IRAQ WAR INTELLIGENCE,
BUT WE HAD HEALTHY INSTITUTIONS THAT WERE WORKING AND
FUNCTIONING. WE HAD IMPARTIAL AND OBJECTIVE
PEOPLE IN PLACE IN DIRECTOR POSITIONS.
WE'RE LOSING SOME OF THAT LAW, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE LOST COMEY.
SO I AM VERY CONCERNED AT THIS POINT IF CONGRESS DOESN'T STEP
UP, YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE WE? >> YEAH.
REALLY QUICKLY, WE ARE OUT OF TIME, BUT AT WHAT POINT DID
PEOPLE START LEAKING BECAUSE THEY DON'T FEEL THE INSTITUTIONS
ARE WORKING? REALLY QUICKLY TO YOU, JACK.
PEOPLE IN THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY.
>> NO QUESTION ABOUT IT. WE'RE GOING TO SEE THIS FROM THE
LAW ENFORCEMENT SIDE AND THE INTELLIGENCE SIDE.
HE'S BEEN BASHING ON THE INTELLIGENCE SIDE SINCE BEFORE
HE WAS ELECTED AND THEN AFTERWARD.
HE WILL PAY A PRICE FOR THAT BECAUSE THEY DON'T FORGET.
THESE PEOPLE HAVE RISKED THEIR LIVES.
THEY ARE NOT GOING TO FORGET. THEY'RE COMING BACK.
>> ARE WE GOING TO START SEEING THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY
LEAKING? >> AT THIS POINT IF THEY FEEL
LIKE THE RULE OF LAW IS BEING OBVIOUS KATED, I CAN'T IMAGINE
THEY WON'T START TALKING AT THIS POINT.
>> THANK YOU. UP NEXT CONGRESSMAN MAX SEEN
WATERS. >> YOUR MOMENT

Rep. Elijah Cummings On President Donald Trump's 'Tapes' Threat To James Comey | AM Joy | MSNBC

Latest Posts