RUSH TRANSCRIPT Who could ░░░░░░░░ next Rod blagojevich Martha ░░░░░░░░ Roger stone suggested they ░░░░░░░░ not be the only ░░░░░░░░ of a presidential pardon ░░░░░░░░ has to be a ░░░░░░░░ to Mike Flynn and ░░░░░░░░ Manafort and even Robert ░░░░░░░░ indict people for crimes ░░░░░░░░ don t pertain to ░░░░░░░░ collusion and this is ░░░░░░░░ could happen But if ░░░░░░░░ does go that route ░░░░░░░░ it backfire Joining me ░░░░░░░░ the White House reporter ░░░░░░░░ the Los Angeles times ░░░░░░░░ also still with me ░░░░░░░░ who served as the ░░░░░░░░ House cabinet secretary and ░░░░░░░░ to President Obama Is ░░░░░░░░ a pattern in the ░░░░░░░░ that the president is ░░░░░░░░ his pardons to Reporter ░░░░░░░░ see a pattern of ░░░░░░░░ conservatives and d souza ░░░░░░░░ case The through line ░░░░░░░░ to be the president ░░░░░░░░ belief these people have ░░░░░░░░ treated unfairly by the ░░░░░░░░ system He spoke to ░░░░░░░░ few of us who ░░░░░░░░ on air force one ░░░░░░░░ at length about his ░░░░░░░░ that the blagojevich sentence ░░░░░░░░ just way too long ░░░░░░░░ was ridiculous He had ░░░░░░░░ 18 years You could ░░░░░░░░ the president was basically ░░░░░░░░ this idea that the ░░░░░░░░ he s looking at ░░░░░░░░ they do happen to ░░░░░░░░ famous They ve been ░░░░░░░░ vice of white collar ░░░░░░░░ He believes the sentencing ░░░░░░░░ not fit the crime ░░░░░░░░ what do you make ░░░░░░░░ the pardons Do you ░░░░░░░░ they could backfire if ░░░░░░░░ president goes the route ░░░░░░░░ those in the Russia ░░░░░░░░ who might be indicted ░░░░░░░░ crimes not directly connected ░░░░░░░░ land do you think ░░░░░░░░ could be backlash or ░░░░░░░░ could backfire I absolutely ░░░░░░░░ if he starts pardoning ░░░░░░░░ in the Mueller investigation ░░░░░░░░ would precipitate a constitutional ░░░░░░░░ I m amused by ░░░░░░░░ fact that senator corker ░░░░░░░░ said what Trump is ░░░░░░░░ on tariffs is an ░░░░░░░░ of authority Pardoning a ░░░░░░░░ witness would be an ░░░░░░░░ of authority So far ░░░░░░░░ Republican Congress has shown ░░░░░░░░ to try to reign ░░░░░░░░ this president They ve ░░░░░░░░ forth a couple of ░░░░░░░░ lines This wocross a ░░░░░░░░ line If nothing else ░░░░░░░░ would gin up the ░░░░░░░░ base in the mid ░░░░░░░░ Chris you tweeted about ░░░░░░░░ comparison to a Bill ░░░░░░░░ Parten in his last ░░░░░░░░ in office and the ░░░░░░░░ that received Why do ░░░░░░░░ think dine souza d ░░░░░░░░ s deserved the same ░░░░░░░░ None of them went ░░░░░░░░ the office that scrutinized ░░░░░░░░ to make sure the ░░░░░░░░ deserve the pardon and ░░░░░░░░ evaluate them in the ░░░░░░░░ of all the other ░░░░░░░░ requesting pardons along the ░░░░░░░░ In the Bill Clinton ░░░░░░░░ that precipitated not only ░░░░░░░░ Department of Justice investigation ░░░░░░░░ also investigations by Congress ░░░░░░░░ the very least the ░░░░░░░░ that this one went ░░░░░░░░ that process and is ░░░░░░░░ on crimes for which ░░░░░░░░ people in the Mueller ░░░░░░░░ may be accused of ░░░░░░░░ a problem on many ░░░░░░░░ Is it fair to ░░░░░░░░ he could use it ░░░░░░░░ a trial balloon the ░░░░░░░░ of these political loyalists ░░░░░░░░ commentators conservatives as a ░░░░░░░░ trial balloon for the ░░░░░░░░ that could come later ░░░░░░░░ make it seem like ░░░░░░░░ is normal I ve ░░░░░░░░ pardoning people all over ░░░░░░░░ place Maybe with blagojevich ░░░░░░░░ could say I also ░░░░░░░░ a Democrat And also ░░░░░░░░ Stewart doesn t like ░░░░░░░░ but I pardoned her ░░░░░░░░ s what he said ░░░░░░░░ s a Democrat and ░░░░░░░░ t like me but ░░░░░░░░ m considering it I ░░░░░░░░ it could be a ░░░░░░░░ signal to those involved ░░░░░░░░ the Mueller investigation The ░░░░░░░░ will never say that ░░░░░░░░ it does seem like ░░░░░░░░ s thought this through ░░░░░░░░ I ll say he ░░░░░░░░ t bring this up ░░░░░░░░ his own There was ░░░░░░░░ off the record conversation ░░░░░░░░ came up after he ░░░░░░░░ already spoken for 20 ░░░░░░░░ in He had to ░░░░░░░░ asked by a reporter ░░░░░░░░ a pardon Then when ░░░░░░░░ was he had other ░░░░░░░░ at the ready This ░░░░░░░░ in an off the ░░░░░░░░ conversation When the members ░░░░░░░░ the press pool who ░░░░░░░░ in the cabin talking ░░░░░░░░ the president asked if ░░░░░░░░ could be put on ░░░░░░░░ record the president quickly ░░░░░░░░ yes and seemed happy ░░░░░░░░ made its way into ░░░░░░░░ news cycle and so ░░░░░░░░ think he is interested ░░░░░░░░ much in the public ░░░░░░░░ the reaction to these ░░░░░░░░ and to the d ░░░░░░░░ pardon.