Ari Melber: Presidents Don’t Have the Power to Prosecute; That Is What ‘Authoritarian Regimes Do’

>> Thank you It is ░░░░░░░░ night after a week ░░░░░░░░ Bob Mueller invited three ░░░░░░░░ aides and others testified ░░░░░░░░ a grand jury The ░░░░░░░░ news is not a ░░░░░░░░ The president of the ░░░░░░░░ States is advocating the ░░░░░░░░ prosecute his political point ░░░░░░░░ would be illegal That ░░░░░░░░ where we begin tonight ░░░░░░░░ Trump s first reaction ░░░░░░░░ the indictment of his ░░░░░░░░ aides was to downplay ░░░░░░░░ links to him Now ░░░░░░░░ is doing in public ░░░░░░░░ Richard Nixon would only ░░░░░░░░ in secret He is ░░░░░░░░ musing about pushing the ░░░░░░░░ to investigate or prosecute ░░░░░░░░ opponents I am really ░░░░░░░░ involved with the Justice ░░░░░░░░ I would like to ░░░░░░░░ it run itself But ░░░░░░░░ they should be looking ░░░░░░░░ the Democrats They should ░░░░░░░░ looking at podesta and ░░░░░░░░ that dishonesty They should ░░░░░░░░ looking at a lot ░░░░░░░░ things and a lot ░░░░░░░░ people are dispointed in ░░░░░░░░ Justice Department including me ░░░░░░░░ president is not supposed ░░░░░░░░ be involved in the ░░░░░░░░ Department and presseses don ░░░░░░░░ have the power to ░░░░░░░░ prosecute For good reason ░░░░░░░░ is really what authoritarian ░░░░░░░░ do That s how ░░░░░░░░ Russia works Not how ░░░░░░░░ American constitution works While ░░░░░░░░ Trump there is saying ░░░░░░░░ that he can t ░░░░░░░░ involved with how the ░░░░░░░░ and the FBI build ░░░░░░░░ he is saying the ░░░░░░░░ He said he hopes ░░░░░░░░ will and maybe he ░░░░░░░░ have it out with ░░░░░░░░ in that process You ░░░░░░░░ the saddest thing is ░░░░░░░░ because I m the ░░░░░░░░ of the United States ░░░░░░░░ will not supposed to ░░░░░░░░ involved with the Justice ░░░░░░░░ I m not supposed ░░░░░░░░ be involved with the ░░░░░░░░ I m not supposed ░░░░░░░░ be doing the kind ░░░░░░░░ things that I would ░░░░░░░░ to be doing and ░░░░░░░░ am very frustrated by ░░░░░░░░ I look at what ░░░░░░░░ happening with the Justice ░░░░░░░░ Why aren t they ░░░░░░░░ after Hillary Clinton with ░░░░░░░░ e mails and the ░░░░░░░░ and the kind of ░░░░░░░░ And you know it ░░░░░░░░ very discouraging to me ░░░░░░░░ ll be honest I ░░░░░░░░ very unhappy with it ░░░░░░░░ the Justice Department isn ░░░░░░░░ going now maybe they ░░░░░░░░ As president and I ░░░░░░░░ you understand this as ░░░░░░░░ president you re not ░░░░░░░░ to be involved in ░░░░░░░░ process But hopefully they ░░░░░░░░ doing something and at ░░░░░░░░ point maybe we re ░░░░░░░░ to all have it ░░░░░░░░ This is not normal ░░░░░░░░ if it is a ░░░░░░░░ of an actual attempt ░░░░░░░░ obstruct justice this is ░░░░░░░░ legal Trump s allies ░░░░░░░░ say don t take ░░░░░░░░ literally All this campaign ░░░░░░░░ about locking up Hillary ░░░░░░░░ and talking about not ░░░░░░░░ her it was all ░░░░░░░░ talk Okay Here s ░░░░░░░░ Just came out Lock ░░░░░░░░ up is right Hillary ░░░░░░░░ Hillary Clinton is the ░░░░░░░░ corrupt person ever to ░░░░░░░░ for the presidency Someone ░░░░░░░░ the temperament of Donald ░░░░░░░░ is not in charge ░░░░░░░░ the law in our ░░░░░░░░ Because you would be ░░░░░░░░ jail I don t ░░░░░░░░ to hurt them They ░░░░░░░░ good people I don ░░░░░░░░ want to hurt them ░░░░░░░░ didn t want to ░░░░░░░░ they will Trump was ░░░░░░░░ wrong to make that ░░░░░░░░ you just heard in ░░░░░░░░ when he was asked ░░░░░░░░ prosecuting Clinton because the ░░░░░░░░ does not have the ░░░░░░░░ to obstruct a potential ░░░░░░░░ He was wrong to ░░░░░░░░ the opposite claim now ░░░░░░░░ the president does not ░░░░░░░░ the power to order ░░░░░░░░ prosecution This is not ░░░░░░░░ drill This is not ░░░░░░░░ talk We are now ░░░░░░░░ through a test While ░░░░░░░░ in Congress have moved ░░░░░░░░ protect Mueller including some ░░░░░░░░ like senator Tom tills ░░░░░░░░ are Republican lawmakers now ░░░░░░░░ a new bill to ░░░░░░░░ out Bob Mueller It ░░░░░░░░ explicitly based on a ░░░░░░░░ theory from Sean Hannity ░░░░░░░░ argues because Bob Mueller ░░░░░░░░ as an FBI director ░░░░░░░░ cannot be a prosecutor ░░░░░░░░ Let me be clear ░░░░░░░░ theory has no basis ░░░░░░░░ recusal law We are ░░░░░░░░ it for you tonight ░░░░░░░░ note that it is ░░░░░░░░ political response to this ░░░░░░░░ s indictments Not to ░░░░░░░░ that it has any ░░░░░░░░ as a legal recusal ░░░░░░░░ Has the whole machine ░░░░░░░░ revving up against Mueller ░░░░░░░░ saying Jeff Sessions did ░░░░░░░░ and address that proposed ░░░░░░░░ for Trump to meet ░░░░░░░░ another aide saying he ░░░░░░░░ sessions All this comes ░░░░░░░░ we are witnessing a ░░░░░░░░ under investigation this week ░░░░░░░░ and braying against laws ░░░░░░░░ have always been bigger ░░░░░░░░ any one person How ░░░░░░░░ system responds how Congress ░░░░░░░░ will all have significant implications