RUSH TRANSCRIPT Let s ░░░░░░░░ in our panel now ░░░░░░░░ us Washington bureau chief ░░░░░░░░ the Chicago sun times ░░░░░░░░ sweet and CNN legal ░░░░░░░░ national security analyst Asha ░░░░░░░░ the president s team ░░░░░░░░ now defending this meeting ░░░░░░░░ even though it happened ░░░░░░░░ is not illegal Let ░░░░░░░░ listen What s being ░░░░░░░░ here Because at the ░░░░░░░░ of the day I ░░░░░░░░ saying this this is ░░░░░░░░ and I understand why ░░░░░░░░ re covering it but ░░░░░░░░ fact is no legal ░░░░░░░░ for the meeting The ░░░░░░░░ itself is not a ░░░░░░░░ of the law So ░░░░░░░░ you first agree there ░░░░░░░░ nothing illegal here and ░░░░░░░░ even if no laws ░░░░░░░░ broken does that mean ░░░░░░░░ s nothing wrong with ░░░░░░░░ had this meeting Right ░░░░░░░░ So this is once ░░░░░░░░ another jedi mind trick ░░░░░░░░ attempted to say this ░░░░░░░░ completely Normal And it ░░░░░░░░ not Normal It may ░░░░░░░░ that if this meeting ░░░░░░░░ taken in isolation we ░░░░░░░░ t get any of ░░░░░░░░ American principles who were ░░░░░░░░ on a crime but ░░░░░░░░ suspect this is the ░░░░░░░░ of the iceberg I ░░░░░░░░ say that the number ░░░░░░░░ Russians that keep popping ░░░░░░░░ in they could be ░░░░░░░░ some violation of some ░░░░░░░░ And that is a ░░░░░░░░ bonanza for Mueller because ░░░░░░░░ has more people to ░░░░░░░░ So the senator s ░░░░░░░░ that was just read ░░░░░░░░ the previous reporter mentioned ░░░░░░░░ somebody may have been ░░░░░░░░ as an unregistered agent ░░░░░░░░ s something called the ░░░░░░░░ agent registration act which ░░░░░░░░ people who are here ░░░░░░░░ acting on foreign interests ░░░░░░░░ behalf of foreign governments ░░░░░░░░ to register particularly if ░░░░░░░░ re doing things like ░░░░░░░░ And that carries a ░░░░░░░░ of five years in ░░░░░░░░ It has been prosecuted ░░░░░░░░ So Mueller may have ░░░░░░░░ to hold over all ░░░░░░░░ these Russian attendees And ░░░░░░░░ they might be facing ░░░░░░░░ time they don t ░░░░░░░░ diplomatic cover like most ░░░░░░░░ do They will be ░░░░░░░░ out to dry by ░░░░░░░░ Russian government which disavows ░░░░░░░░ association with them They ░░░░░░░░ start talking And we ░░░░░░░░ t know yet what ░░░░░░░░ information they re going ░░░░░░░░ start coughing up So ░░░░░░░░ to think that it ░░░░░░░░ those other players not ░░░░░░░░ not Manafort not don ░░░░░░░░ that would be the ░░░░░░░░ that gets to the ░░░░░░░░ here But the fact ░░░░░░░░ administration has made multiple ░░░░░░░░ if not inaccurate statements ░░░░░░░░ this meeting as we ░░░░░░░░ learning more and more ░░░░░░░░ as it comes out ░░░░░░░░ it make it harder ░░░░░░░░ them to claim credibly ░░░░░░░░ nothing came of this ░░░░░░░░ The question they answer ░░░░░░░░ question that is not ░░░░░░░░ asked right now Let ░░░░░░░░ take it one step ░░░░░░░░ a time If I ░░░░░░░░ build on what we ░░░░░░░░ talking about here first ░░░░░░░░ find out what happened ░░░░░░░░ you sort it out ░░░░░░░░ see if a crime ░░░░░░░░ committed what crime is ░░░░░░░░ false statements is it ░░░░░░░░ is bad judgment which ░░░░░░░░ not a crime but ░░░░░░░░ important for the public ░░░░░░░░ know If we re ░░░░░░░░ talking about what is ░░░░░░░░ for knowing about Russian ░░░░░░░░ in our elections So ░░░░░░░░ more you say oh ░░░░░░░░ didn t commit a ░░░░░░░░ isn t the point ░░░░░░░░ s just they say ░░░░░░░░ in the sense when ░░░░░░░░ s said by the ░░░░░░░░ spokesman it s to ░░░░░░░░ you from finding out ░░░░░░░░ happened getting people and ░░░░░░░░ is classic in how ░░░░░░░░ build a case let ░░░░░░░░ underscore what we re ░░░░░░░░ about here you build ░░░░░░░░ the bottom up people ░░░░░░░░ have something to fear ░░░░░░░░ prosecution so they ll ░░░░░░░░ everything they know for ░░░░░░░░ real targets of the ░░░░░░░░ the bigger fish One ░░░░░░░░ thing this lawyer Ty ░░░░░░░░ distant relative of the ░░░░░░░░ player I first came ░░░░░░░░ him in the 1990s ░░░░░░░░ the democratic campaign finance ░░░░░░░░ So he knows about ░░░░░░░░ in Washington When he ░░░░░░░░ defending in that day ░░░░░░░░ DNC fundraiser who was ░░░░░░░░ hot water for maybe ░░░░░░░░ donations from foreign sources ░░░░░░░░ you know this is ░░░░░░░░ very familiar territory to ░░░░░░░░ new lawyer that is ░░░░░░░░ President Trump on the ░░░░░░░░ House tab Okay ladies ░░░░░░░░ want to go back ░░░░░░░░ a couple statements that ░░░░░░░░ been put out over ░░░░░░░░ course of the past ░░░░░░░░ It was one week ░░░░░░░░ today Donald Trump Jr ░░░░░░░░ his first statement about ░░░░░░░░ meeting let s show ░░░░░░░░ to everybody says quote ░░░░░░░░ was a short introductory ░░░░░░░░ I asked Jared and ░░░░░░░░ to stop by we ░░░░░░░░ discussed an adoption program ░░░░░░░░ was asked to attend ░░░░░░░░ an acquaintance but was ░░░░░░░░ told the name of ░░░░░░░░ person I would be ░░░░░░░░ with A day later ░░░░░░░░ a new statement adding ░░░░░░░░ information I was asked ░░░░░░░░ have a meeting by ░░░░░░░░ acquaintance I knew from ░░░░░░░░ 2013 miss universe pageant ░░░░░░░░ individual who I was ░░░░░░░░ might have information helpful ░░░░░░░░ the campaign I asked ░░░░░░░░ and Paul to attend ░░░░░░░░ told them nothing of ░░░░░░░░ substance And now we ░░░░░░░░ based on the e ░░░░░░░░ that Trump junior released ░░░░░░░░ he was told he ░░░░░░░░ be meeting with a ░░░░░░░░ government lawyer that this ░░░░░░░░ had damaging intelligence of ░░░░░░░░ that he did tell ░░░░░░░░ and Kushner what this ░░░░░░░░ was about because he ░░░░░░░░ them his e mail ░░░░░░░░ And that others were ░░░░░░░░ including a lobbyist with ░░░░░░░░ ties to Russian intelligence ░░░░░░░░ you re a former ░░░░░░░░ official Does this seem ░░░░░░░░ someone who has nothing ░░░░░░░░ hide In my experience ░░░░░░░░ who keeps changing their ░░░░░░░░ is usually hiding something ░░░░░░░░ think that is a ░░░░░░░░ common pattern that you ░░░░░░░░ More importantly Ana as ░░░░░░░░ was mentioned just now ░░░░░░░░ telling is going to ░░░░░░░░ very important because often ░░░░░░░░ these large sprawling investigations ░░░░░░░░ ends up clinching some ░░░░░░░░ these people who may ░░░░░░░░ skated right under the ░░░░░░░░ in other ways is ░░░░░░░░ false statements when they ░░░░░░░░ being interviewed by federal ░░░░░░░░ So one example of ░░░░░░░░ is Martha Stewart who ░░░░░░░░ investigated for S E ░░░░░░░░ Violations It turned out ░░░░░░░░ that she hadn t ░░░░░░░░ any S E C ░░░░░░░░ but she add made ░░░░░░░░ statements in the course ░░░░░░░░ the investigation and that ░░░░░░░░ what she was prosecuted ░░░░░░░░ convicted for So when ░░░░░░░░ start seeing these shifting ░░░░░░░░ I m thinking these ░░░░░░░░ might get jammed up ░░░░░░░░ lying or better yet ░░░░░░░░ saying anything at all ░░░░░░░░ White House official told ░░░░░░░░ that it s not ░░░░░░░░ don junior s story ░░░░░░░░ changing Lynn is it ░░░░░░░░ we ve seen so ░░░░░░░░ different situations because aides ░░░░░░░░ lawyers aren t even ░░░░░░░░ the full story from ░░░░░░░░ junior and Jared Kushner ░░░░░░░░ Oh it s possible ░░░░░░░░ you think about it ░░░░░░░░ don junior who did ░░░░░░░░ the e mails did ░░░░░░░░ think that the fragments ░░░░░░░░ crumbs he was offering ░░░░░░░░ make the story go ░░░░░░░░ and that abbreviated statement ░░░░░░░░ when he had you ░░░░░░░░ he didn t do ░░░░░░░░ relations 101 get everything ░░░░░░░░ In a sense you ░░░░░░░░ t need a summary ░░░░░░░░ where he could trip ░░░░░░░░ up as we re ░░░░░░░░ about The e mails ░░░░░░░░ for themselves You don ░░░░░░░░ have to explain anything ░░░░░░░░ don t have to ░░░░░░░░ a summary statement You ░░░░░░░░ I m releasing the ░░░░░░░░ mails My lawyer s ░░░░░░░░ them And then we ░░░░░░░░ Every day in this ░░░░░░░░ part of the developments ░░░░░░░░ what people are not ░░░░░░░░ to tell the whole ░░░░░░░░ It shouldn t be ░░░░░░░░ matter well you didn ░░░░░░░░ ask me if a ░░░░░░░░ translator was in the ░░░░░░░░ You re right I ░░░░░░░░ t ask Who knew ░░░░░░░░ There are things if ░░░░░░░░ really want out you ░░░░░░░░ volunteer it And I ░░░░░░░░ and we can talk ░░░░░░░░ this if there s ░░░░░░░░ professional investigators agents that ░░░░░░░░ this digging know where ░░░░░░░░ are not volunteering anything ░░░░░░░░ know as a reporter ░░░░░░░░ there s just holes ░░░░░░░░ the story where you ░░░░░░░░ to go back and ░░░░░░░░ gee you know I ░░░░░░░░ I m saying this ░░░░░░░░ reflection So you were ░░░░░░░░ with this lawyer from ░░░░░░░░ how did you two ░░░░░░░░ Did you speak Russian ░░░░░░░░ she speak English Yeah ░░░░░░░░ are just a lot ░░░░░░░░ questions Yeah He could ░░░░░░░░ just told the whole ░░░░░░░░ and put it together ░░░░░░░░ there is mitigating evidence ░░░░░░░░ s misconstrued maybe somebody ░░░░░░░░ going to say you ░░░░░░░░ it s damning in ░░░░░░░░ e mails I didn ░░░░░░░░ read it through and ░░░░░░░░ We ve got to ░░░░░░░░ There s always more ░░░░░░░░ discuss I think it ░░░░░░░░ also important to note ░░░░░░░░ we also learned in ░░░░░░░░ last couple of days ░░░░░░░░ Jared Kushner s legal ░░░░░░░░ found these e mails ░░░░░░░░ early as mid June ░░░░░░░░ And since then is ░░░░░░░░ long it s taken ░░░░░░░░ them to come up ░░░░░░░░ a response And of ░░░░░░░░ it all exploded after ░░░░░░░░ New York Times got ░░░░░░░░ reporting Lynn sweet Asha ░░░░░░░░ so much for the ░░░░░░░░ Thank you.