Laurence Tribe to Trump and His Supporters: ‘You Are a Pathetic Excuse for a Human Being’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT MATTHEWS Professor ░░░░░░░░ what do you make ░░░░░░░░ start with what do ░░░░░░░░ make of the Republican ░░░░░░░░ wouldn t call it ░░░░░░░░ defense Alternate narrative yesterday ░░░░░░░░ I think it s ░░░░░░░░ The fact if you ░░░░░░░░ a bribe and are ░░░░░░░░ red handened before you ░░░░░░░░ the bribe you ve ░░░░░░░░ committed bribery And in ░░░░░░░░ case it was extortion ░░░░░░░░ well as bribery It ░░░░░░░░ a clear abuse of ░░░░░░░░ And in any case ░░░░░░░░ history of the framing ░░░░░░░░ the impeachment power is ░░░░░░░░ George mason one of ░░░░░░░░ framers wanted to include ░░░░░░░░ addition to treason and ░░░░░░░░ a term like corruption ░░░░░░░░ in the end instead ░░░░░░░░ corruption they used other ░░░░░░░░ crimes and misdemeanors and ░░░░░░░░ said that was intended ░░░░░░░░ capture among other things ░░░░░░░░ subversion of the Constitution ░░░░░░░░ here we have actual ░░░░░░░░ well as attempted subversion ░░░░░░░░ over 70 days the ░░░░░░░░ was withheld And if ░░░░░░░░ for the whistle blower ░░░░░░░░ not for having been ░░░░░░░░ red handed the president ░░░░░░░░ have gotten what he ░░░░░░░░ He would have wanted ░░░░░░░░ public television appearance by ░░░░░░░░ Zelensky smearing Biden and ░░░░░░░░ that we re investigating ░░░░░░░░ The only reason they ░░░░░░░░ t get that is ░░░░░░░░ he was caught And ░░░░░░░░ him to say that ░░░░░░░░ was caught and so ░░░░░░░░ doesn t matter is ░░░░░░░░ a desperate and unconvincing ░░░░░░░░ The question is will ░░░░░░░░ people of this country ░░░░░░░░ it Will they accept ░░░░░░░░ it s okay to ░░░░░░░░ your official power to ░░░░░░░░ an ally and help ░░░░░░░░ adversary just because you ░░░░░░░░ caught before you hurt ░░░░░░░░ adversary any longer And ░░░░░░░░ don t think the ░░░░░░░░ people will buy that ░░░░░░░░ then maybe I m ░░░░░░░░ too optimistic MATTHEWS While ░░░░░░░░ doesn t have a ░░░░░░░░ good historic sense about ░░░░░░░░ culture or anything I ░░░░░░░░ wondering I m trying ░░░░░░░░ be really fine here ░░░░░░░░ understanding this because I ░░░░░░░░ up LBJ and he ░░░░░░░░ the power of the ░░░░░░░░ close certain naval bases ░░░░░░░░ keep others open depending ░░░░░░░░ who he liked that ░░░░░░░░ Tell us the difference ░░░░░░░░ that and what Trump ░░░░░░░░ doing or what he ░░░░░░░░ done here with Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ It s very different ░░░░░░░░ of all it s ░░░░░░░░ security and foreign affairs ░░░░░░░░ secondly this is a ░░░░░░░░ where Congress specifically said ░░░░░░░░ this 400 million and ░░░░░░░░ javelin missiles should go ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine in order to ░░░░░░░░ this ally against the ░░░░░░░░ of Russia the encroachments ░░░░░░░░ Vladimir Putin And Congress ░░░░░░░░ said that the money ░░░░░░░░ t go until the ░░░░░░░░ certifies that corruption will ░░░░░░░░ get in the wail ░░░░░░░░ delivering the money the ░░░░░░░░ we intend it to ░░░░░░░░ used That certification was ░░░░░░░░ So the president violated ░░░░░░░░ Congress had specified He ░░░░░░░░ the power of the ░░░░░░░░ He usurped the power ░░░░░░░░ the purse and he ░░░░░░░░ it in a way ░░░░░░░░ solicited foreign assistance for ░░░░░░░░ re election which was ░░░░░░░░ a criminal violation of ░░░░░░░░ laws protecting the sanctity ░░░░░░░░ our electoral process We ░░░░░░░░ had corrupt presidents before ░░░░░░░░ who have trimmed the ░░░░░░░░ this way or that ░░░░░░░░ we ve never had ░░░░░░░░ whose whole purpose in ░░░░░░░░ that office is to ░░░░░░░░ himself and enhance the ░░░░░░░░ of his family and ░░░░░░░░ wealth of his family ░░░░░░░░ is not just a ░░░░░░░░ violation This is essentially ░░░░░░░░ anti president And I ░░░░░░░░ not talking only about ░░░░░░░░ policies His policies are ░░░░░░░░ different matter altogether It ░░░░░░░░ t matter if this ░░░░░░░░ Obama or Clinton any ░░░░░░░░ Just ask the Republicans ░░░░░░░░ a democratic president in ░░░░░░░░ future takes money that ░░░░░░░░ have appropriated for a ░░░░░░░░ foreign purpose and then ░░░░░░░░ to withhold it and ░░░░░░░░ people die on the ░░░░░░░░ until he gets what ░░░░░░░░ wants for his re ░░░░░░░░ would you like to ░░░░░░░░ with that Is that ░░░░░░░░ kind of country we ░░░░░░░░ It s not the ░░░░░░░░ of country I believe ░░░░░░░░ we want or that ░░░░░░░░ framers envisioned And I ░░░░░░░░ it s about time ░░░░░░░░ people pay more attention ░░░░░░░░ the Constitution and to ░░░░░░░░ purposes of our democracy ░░░░░░░░ to the trivial business ░░░░░░░░ getting re elected If ░░░░░░░░ office is so important ░░░░░░░░ you that you re ░░░░░░░░ to violate your oath ░░░░░░░░ vote for someone who ░░░░░░░░ his oath every day ░░░░░░░░ who uses the office ░░░░░░░░ the presidency to enrich ░░░░░░░░ and to enhance his ░░░░░░░░ then I really think ░░░░░░░░ are a pathetic excuse ░░░░░░░░ a human being.”