Schiff: Trump Obstructing Congressional Oversight Might Be Grounds for Impeachment

RUSH TRANSCRIPT And joining ░░░░░░░░ now from Los Angeles ░░░░░░░░ democratic congressman Adam Schiff ░░░░░░░░ is chairman of the ░░░░░░░░ intelligence committee Welcome back ░░░░░░░░ Meet the Press Thank ░░░░░░░░ Let s start with ░░░░░░░░ hearing this week Having ░░░░░░░░ few days to let ░░░░░░░░ sink in you have ░░░░░░░░ reviewed the transcript as ░░░░░░░░ What is your thinking ░░░░░░░░ them My theing is ░░░░░░░░ the special counsel made ░░░░░░░░ clear that the Trump ░░░░░░░░ welcomed Russian help built ░░░░░░░░ into their campaign plan ░░░░░░░░ reported it and lied ░░░░░░░░ it and that there ░░░░░░░░ multiple acts by the ░░░░░░░░ that constitute obstruction of ░░░░░░░░ This was a campaign ░░░░░░░░ a presidential candidate characterized ░░░░░░░░ disloyalty to country by ░░░░░░░░ and by lies I ░░░░░░░░ his testimony chilling I ░░░░░░░░ found as you pointed ░░░░░░░░ most chilling the fact ░░░░░░░░ the special counsel confirmed ░░░░░░░░ Russians have never stopped ░░░░░░░░ interference They re at ░░░░░░░░ again He s desperately ░░░░░░░░ as I am as ░░░░░░░░ that the acceptance of ░░░░░░░░ help the willingness to ░░░░░░░░ it may become a ░░░░░░░░ normal under this president ░░░░░░░░ that as the special ░░░░░░░░ said should set off ░░░░░░░░ to Americans Your half ░░░░░░░░ the hearing seemed to ░░░░░░░░ Mr Mueller a little ░░░░░░░░ more He seemed to ░░░░░░░░ a few more a ░░░░░░░░ bit more on some ░░░░░░░░ his answers than he ░░░░░░░░ in the first part ░░░░░░░░ it made some of ░░░░░░░░ wonder would the obstruction ░░░░░░░░ be easier for Americans ░░░░░░░░ understand had they seen ░░░░░░░░ presentation of the crimes ░░░░░░░░ which of course you ░░░░░░░░ part one of the ░░░░░░░░ report but you came ░░░░░░░░ part two of Mueller ░░░░░░░░ testimony Yeah You know ░░░░░░░░ s a good question ░░░░░░░░ think there may be ░░░░░░░░ number of reasons why ░░░░░░░░ testimony in the second ░░░░░░░░ came more naturally to ░░░░░░░░ special counsel You know ░░░░░░░░ animated his work for ░░░░░░░░ that is protecting the ░░░░░░░░ And I think that ░░░░░░░░ is most concerned that ░░░░░░░░ re not rising to ░░░░░░░░ challenge of protecting our ░░░░░░░░ and our democracy And ░░░░░░░░ you can see him ░░░░░░░░ most passionate about that ░░░░░░░░ hearing was about the ░░░░░░░░ focus of his work ░░░░░░░░ had something to do ░░░░░░░░ We also had the ░░░░░░░░ of going second where ░░░░░░░░ could hear the kind ░░░░░░░░ questions he would respond ░░░░░░░░ Right We understood the ░░░░░░░░ a little better than ░░░░░░░░ we been the first ░░░░░░░░ James Comey testified two ░░░░░░░░ after announcing the decision ░░░░░░░░ Hillary Clinton back in ░░░░░░░░ Robert Mueller let s ░░░░░░░░ the Mueller report got ░░░░░░░░ some time in the ░░░░░░░░ We ve changed seasons ░░░░░░░░ It has now took ░░░░░░░░ essentially four months Obviously ░░░░░░░░ wish it had been ░░░░░░░░ Could you have done ░░░░░░░░ to make this happen ░░░░░░░░ and was it a ░░░░░░░░ to let it happen ░░░░░░░░ I m not sure ░░░░░░░░ more we could have ░░░░░░░░ Bill Barr withhold the ░░░░░░░░ report as long as ░░░░░░░░ could He wanted the ░░░░░░░░ baked in as long ░░░░░░░░ possible This is the ░░░░░░░░ reason why it took ░░░░░░░░ long to get Bob ░░░░░░░░ Don McGahn and other ░░░░░░░░ The Mueller report the ░░░░░░░░ people have to recognize ░░░░░░░░ Mueller report is not ░░░░░░░░ evidence It is a ░░░░░░░░ of the evidence Maybe ░░░░░░░░ m just an old ░░░░░░░░ but I d like ░░░░░░░░ see the evidence I ░░░░░░░░ like to hear from ░░░░░░░░ witnesses before we make ░░░░░░░░ decision about charging the ░░░░░░░░ And so I think ░░░░░░░░ we are is probably ░░░░░░░░ accurately described as preliminary ░░░░░░░░ a judicial proceeding that ░░░░░░░░ being a potential impeachment ░░░░░░░░ we should see the ░░░░░░░░ We re just starting ░░░░░░░░ And yes it s ░░░░░░░░ too long but that ░░░░░░░░ largely been by the ░░░░░░░░ of the testimony Was ░░░░░░░░ any part of Mueller ░░░░░░░░ testimony you found unsatisfying ░░░░░░░░ wish he had testified ░░░░░░░░ more narrative fashion that ░░░░░░░░ words didn t need ░░░░░░░░ be coaxed from him ░░░░░░░░ much as they did ░░░░░░░░ were hoping it would ░░░░░░░░ it alive right And ░░░░░░░░ think that it did ░░░░░░░░ it came alive by ░░░░░░░░ questions and short answers ░░░░░░░░ than a great deal ░░░░░░░░ description from the witness ░░░░░░░░ Chuck I think we ░░░░░░░░ that going into the ░░░░░░░░ As you might recall ░░░░░░░░ I was saying before ░░░░░░░░ shouldn t have too ░░░░░░░░ expectations because we know ░░░░░░░░ sum and substance of ░░░░░░░░ system But nonetheless most ░░░░░░░░ have had that filtered ░░░░░░░░ the misleading characterization by ░░░░░░░░ like Bill Barr So ░░░░░░░░ was very important to ░░░░░░░░ him in There W ░░░░░░░░ debate on Friday You ░░░░░░░░ said we re in ░░░░░░░░ preliminary stage of an ░░░░░░░░ all right Is this ░░░░░░░░ or not You re ░░░░░░░░ there yet For the ░░░░░░░░ on the law and ░░░░░░░░ where we are now ░░░░░░░░ described as preliminary to ░░░░░░░░ judicial proceeding I say ░░░░░░░░ because you know what ░░░░░░░░ can of the Constitution ░░░░░░░░ you know what s ░░░░░░░░ function of how we ░░░░░░░░ something And right now ░░░░░░░░ most important thing is ░░░░░░░░ obtain the grand jury ░░░░░░░░ to see the evidence ░░░░░░░░ the standard the court ░░░░░░░░ set is are we ░░░░░░░░ to a potential impeachment ░░░░░░░░ believe we are Where ░░░░░░░░ should get to the ░░░░░░░░ okay let s indict ░░░░░░░░ president let s impeach ░░░░░░░░ president is if we ░░░░░░░░ convinced we can make ░░░░░░░░ case And here okay ░░░░░░░░ is no making the ░░░░░░░░ to the president s ░░░░░░░░ that is the Senate ░░░░░░░░ Right But we should ░░░░░░░░ least be able to ░░░░░░░░ the case to the ░░░░░░░░ people I d like ░░░░░░░░ see the evidence so ░░░░░░░░ m confident that we ░░░░░░░░ do that before we ░░░░░░░░ we re ready to ░░░░░░░░ the president of the ░░░░░░░░ States As you know ░░░░░░░░ is unsatisfactory to some ░░░░░░░░ think you guys have ░░░░░░░░ too slow Andrew Sullivan ░░░░░░░░ this this week in ░░░░░░░░ York Magazine Pelosi has ░░░░░░░░ an extraordinary precedent that ░░░░░░░░ evidence meticulously collected that ░░░░░░░░ president has committed crimes ░░░░░░░░ the Constitution does not ░░░░░░░░ sufficient grounds for impeachment ░░░░░░░░ when those crimes were ░░░░░░░░ to cover up an ░░░░░░░░ with a foreign power ░░░░░░░░ more than that is ░░░░░░░░ the impeachment power has ░░░░░░░░ been nullified This gets ░░░░░░░░ the argument that says ░░░░░░░░ of what you think ░░░░░░░░ outcome is in the ░░░░░░░░ that you are setting ░░░░░░░░ bad precedent by not ░░░░░░░░ you believe these are ░░░░░░░░ offenses you are setting ░░░░░░░░ bad precedent if you ░░░░░░░░ t do it Well ░░░░░░░░ there is great weight ░░░░░░░░ the argument that this ░░░░░░░░ the strongest form of ░░░░░░░░ we have If we ░░░░░░░░ t use it what ░░░░░░░░ does that send to ░░░░░░░░ next generation I worry ░░░░░░░░ taking an impeachment case ░░░░░░░░ trial having the president ░░░░░░░░ and having an adjudication ░░░░░░░░ this conduct is not ░░░░░░░░ There is not a ░░░░░░░░ answer here The jury ░░░░░░░░ m most worried about ░░░░░░░░ the Senate is the ░░░░░░░░ people Can we make ░░░░░░░░ case to the American ░░░░░░░░ And I want to ░░░░░░░░ sure that that s ░░░░░░░░ before we go down ░░░░░░░░ path because it is ░░░░░░░░ to occupy a year ░░░░░░░░ The Nation s time ░░░░░░░░ I want to make ░░░░░░░░ that s the right ░░░░░░░░ Is there a moment ░░░░░░░░ it s too late ░░░░░░░░ wise And how close ░░░░░░░░ we Here is the ░░░░░░░░ Chuck That is in ░░░░░░░░ constitutional sense also justice ░░░░░░░░ is justice denied They ░░░░░░░░ doing everything they can ░░░░░░░░ obstruct the congressional investigation ░░░░░░░░ obstructed justice so there ░░░░░░░░ get to a point ░░░░░░░░ the fall where we ░░░░░░░░ look he is violating ░░░░░░░░ different provision of the ░░░░░░░░ by obstructing the Congress ░░░░░░░░ its lawful and constitutional ░░░░░░░░ That would not be ░░░░░░░░ crime That would be ░░░░░░░░ misdemeanor the Founders have ░░░░░░░░ different idea of what ░░░░░░░░ means I think violating ░░░░░░░░ separation of powers would ░░░░░░░░ such a misdemeanor So ░░░░░░░░ is why I say ░░░░░░░░ president is doing everything ░░░░░░░░ can to push us ░░░░░░░░ an impeachment If we ░░░░░░░░ t get adequate answers ░░░░░░░░ the court in time ░░░░░░░░ in itself will be ░░░░░░░░ impeachable offense Well you ░░░░░░░░ t really answer it ░░░░░░░░ you don t want ░░░░░░░░ to be a deadline ░░░░░░░░ what you are saying ░░░░░░░░ that fair to say ░░░░░░░░ will be a deadline ░░░░░░░░ we will either get ░░░░░░░░ answers that we need ░░░░░░░░ the president s obstruction ░░░░░░░░ be so complete that ░░░░░░░░ itself becomes a grounds ░░░░░░░░ his impeachment Okay Chairman ░░░░░░░░ I will leave it