Ryan Costello: ‘Inappropriate’ for Trump to Pressure Sessions to Shut Down the Mueller Probe

RUSH TRANSCRIPT BOLDUAN There ░░░░░░░░ no collusion and collusion ░░░░░░░░ t even a crime ░░░░░░░░ That s the greatest ░░░░░░░░ from the president of ░░░░░░░░ united States and they ░░░░░░░░ so yesterday s news ░░░░░░░░ today it is stop ░░░░░░░░ whole thing The president ░░░░░░░░ shocking statement on Twitter ░░░░░░░░ the first time calling ░░░░░░░░ for attorney general Jeff ░░░░░░░░ to end the Mueller ░░░░░░░░ What does Mueller do ░░░░░░░░ this Well maybe more ░░░░░░░░ at this moment is ░░░░░░░░ do Republicans do with ░░░░░░░░ Joining me right now ░░░░░░░░ congressman Brian Costello of ░░░░░░░░ Congressman great to have ░░░░░░░░ here in the studio ░░░░░░░░ for coming in What ░░░░░░░░ your reaction to the ░░░░░░░░ from the president today ░░░░░░░░ he says attorney general ░░░░░░░░ put a stop to ░░░░░░░░ COSTELLO Well first as ░░░░░░░░ all know attorney general ░░░░░░░░ has recused himself so ░░░░░░░░ doesn t have the ░░░░░░░░ capacity to terminate Mueller ░░░░░░░░ would have to be ░░░░░░░░ And BOLDUAN Does that ░░░░░░░░ you comfort COSTELLO What ░░░░░░░░ think that that does ░░░░░░░░ it separates President Trump ░░░░░░░░ opinion from his instructions ░░░░░░░░ still find the tweet ░░░░░░░░ be inappropriate and intemperate ░░░░░░░░ having said that I ░░░░░░░░ just from a purely ░░░░░░░░ perspective it is important ░░░░░░░░ note that if the ░░░░░░░░ wants to fire Mueller ░░░░░░░░ can do that under ░░░░░░░░ 2 But instructing or ░░░░░░░░ that Attorney General Sessions ░░░░░░░░ Attorney General Sessions doesn ░░░░░░░░ have the ability to ░░░░░░░░ that I think the ░░░░░░░░ thing that can happen ░░░░░░░░ is that the president ░░░░░░░░ he won t do ░░░░░░░░ he should do is ░░░░░░░░ it alone Let the ░░░░░░░░ run its course People ░░░░░░░░ concerned about Russian interference ░░░░░░░░ American elections Russia is ░░░░░░░░ in elections all across ░░░░░░░░ globe We should take ░░░░░░░░ very very seriously It ░░░░░░░░ a very serious issue ░░░░░░░░ is trying to divide ░░░░░░░░ from within and to ░░░░░░░░ our democracy So saying ░░░░░░░░ we should shutdown an ░░░░░░░░ over it I think ░░░░░░░░ highly improper BOLDUAN This ░░░░░░░░ the first time that ░░░░░░░░ s really explicitly saying ░░░░░░░░ Jeff Sessions should do ░░░░░░░░ I know that some ░░░░░░░░ have said of course ░░░░░░░░ Mueller should be able ░░░░░░░░ finish his work and ░░░░░░░░ like you said Donald ░░░░░░░░ should stay out of ░░░░░░░░ Does this now mean ░░░░░░░░ all should act and ░░░░░░░░ something to protect Mueller ░░░░░░░░ Well I do think ░░░░░░░░ we should There is ░░░░░░░░ in the house be ░░░░░░░░ signed on to that ░░░░░░░░ not allow the dismissal ░░░░░░░░ the independent counsel except ░░░░░░░░ cause And if that ░░░░░░░░ to happen you would ░░░░░░░░ to report that to ░░░░░░░░ There would be a ░░░░░░░░ bit of a process ░░░░░░░░ would be undertaken BOLDUAN ░░░░░░░░ you think this changes ░░░░░░░░ appetite for that Because ░░░░░░░░ there s been no ░░░░░░░░ for that COSTELLO I ░░░░░░░░ doubtful Ultimately I think ░░░░░░░░ will say he was ░░░░░░░░ an opinion and he ░░░░░░░░ t have the capacity ░░░░░░░░ do it anyway It ░░░░░░░░ the integrity of the ░░░░░░░░ I think it is ░░░░░░░░ legitimate investigation Let me ░░░░░░░░ echo the comments of ░░░░░░░░ colleague trey Gowdy if ░░░░░░░░ re innocent act like ░░░░░░░░ re innocent Don t ░░░░░░░░ this stuff day after ░░░░░░░░ We should be focused ░░░░░░░░ the trade issue which ░░░░░░░░ very serious It is ░░░░░░░░ damaging to our farmers ░░░░░░░░ should also be talking ░░░░░░░░ the success of the ░░░░░░░░ cuts something that I ░░░░░░░░ for Republicans do have ░░░░░░░░ good message This gets ░░░░░░░░ the way of that ░░░░░░░░ I want to get ░░░░░░░░ trade I ve heard ░░░░░░░░ Ryan say I have ░░░░░░░░ assurances that his firing ░░░░░░░░ not even under consideration ░░░░░░░░ Paul Ryan in light ░░░░░░░░ this today does Paul ░░░░░░░░ need to reconsider that ░░░░░░░░ Paul Ryan need to ░░░░░░░░ something more forceful as ░░░░░░░░ top Republican in the ░░░░░░░░ COSTELLO I think the ░░░░░░░░ is obviously a very ░░░░░░░░ man I don t ░░░░░░░░ what he is doing ░░░░░░░░ but I m sure ░░░░░░░░ will review what was ░░░░░░░░ and speak with his ░░░░░░░░ on that I don ░░░░░░░░ want to get out ░░░░░░░░ front of the speaker ░░░░░░░░ have great confidence in ░░░░░░░░ leadership I think that ░░░░░░░░ s probably said he ░░░░░░░░ prefer I don t ░░░░░░░░ to put words in ░░░░░░░░ speaker s mouth but ░░░░░░░░ would probably prefer the ░░░░░░░░ tweets a lot less ░░░░░░░░ this BOLDUAN I think ░░░░░░░░ s dentally said that ░░░░░░░░ or two times Let ░░░░░░░░ talk about these tariffs ░░░░░░░░ s now reporting the ░░░░░░░░ Administration is considering raising ░░░░░░░░ on 200 billion of ░░░░░░░░ goods raising the tariff ░░░░░░░░ 10 to 25 I ░░░░░░░░ to play for you ░░░░░░░░ the president actually said ░░░░░░░░ the trade war with ░░░░░░░░ last night Listen to ░░░░░░░░ clip starts TRUMP Our ░░░░░░░░ are true patriots Because ░░░░░░░░ and others have targeted ░░░░░░░░ and others remember this ░░░░░░░░ targeted our farmers Not ░░░░░░░░ Not nice And you ░░░░░░░░ what our farmers are ░░░░░░░░ It s okay We ░░░░░░░░ take it These are ░░░░░░░░ people clip ends BOLDUAN ░░░░░░░░ you hearing that from ░░░░░░░░ it s okay we ░░░░░░░░ take it COSTELLO Farmers ░░░░░░░░ concerned They are small ░░░░░░░░ businesswomen and they have ░░░░░░░░ decades to develop a ░░░░░░░░ of the relationships they ░░░░░░░░ with their exports So ░░░░░░░░ we also know by ░░░░░░░░ way that China we ░░░░░░░░ that the retaliatory tariffs ░░░░░░░░ coming and they were ░░░░░░░░ to hit America where ░░░░░░░░ hurts the most And ░░░░░░░░ are bearing the brunt ░░░░░░░░ that I don t ░░░░░░░░ they like the thought ░░░░░░░░ getting a 12 billion ░░░░░░░░ I think what they ░░░░░░░░ is not to have ░░░░░░░░ business operations interrupted by ░░░░░░░░ having to sell something ░░░░░░░░ having it be purchased ░░░░░░░░ much more than what ░░░░░░░░ had anticipated Having said ░░░░░░░░ that I think what ░░░░░░░░ president wants to do ░░░░░░░░ reduce barriers He s ░░░░░░░░ to do that What ░░░░░░░░ s he s said ░░░░░░░░ members of Congress don ░░░░░░░░ be weak don t ░░░░░░░░ about this I think ░░░░░░░░ he s trying to ░░░░░░░░ is forecast to the ░░░░░░░░ community that he is ░░░░░░░░ in and he is ░░░░░░░░ to get better deals ░░░░░░░░ It s basically short ░░░░░░░░ paying long term gain ░░░░░░░░ you see that COSTELLO ░░░░░░░░ re feeling the short ░░░░░░░░ pain right now and ░░░░░░░░ a lot of us ░░░░░░░░ is very concerning because ░░░░░░░░ have constituents that are ░░░░░░░░ the brunt of that ░░░░░░░░ is very uncertain terrain ░░░░░░░░ now and I think ░░░░░░░░ I would point to ░░░░░░░░ national defense authorization act ░░░░░░░░ we just passed out ░░░░░░░░ the house It is ░░░░░░░░ to get passed out ░░░░░░░░ the Senate What we ░░░░░░░░ doing there is getting ░░░░░░░░ on China in different ░░░░░░░░ I think my concern ░░░░░░░░ as it is with ░░░░░░░░ is this is not ░░░░░░░░ appropriate way to go ░░░░░░░░ getting better trade deals ░░░░░░░░ Real quick The president ░░░░░░░░ continuing his threat on ░░░░░░░░ government shutdown if he ░░░░░░░░ t get his border ░░░░░░░░ and other national border ░░░░░░░░ measures Do you agree ░░░░░░░░ that COSTELLO No I ░░░░░░░░ it is no I ░░░░░░░░ t I don t ░░░░░░░░ the government s going ░░░░░░░░ get shut down If ░░░░░░░░ are talking about a ░░░░░░░░ BOLDUAN Where is your ░░░░░░░░ COSTELLO I just I ░░░░░░░░ t see that happening ░░░░░░░░ I that was as ░░░░░░░░ I think about shifting ░░░░░░░░ discussion from his press ░░░░░░░░ with Vladimir Putin as ░░░░░░░░ was anything else because ░░░░░░░░ we are talking about ░░░░░░░░ potential shutdown in September ░░░░░░░░ is just not going ░░░░░░░░ happen There is no ░░░░░░░░ for it one And ░░░░░░░░ we had a bill ░░░░░░░░ the house that conservatives ░░░░░░░░ us out to dry ░░░░░░░░ that would have funded ░░░░░░░░ wall that would have ░░░░░░░░ DACA and some other ░░░░░░░░ long term durable immigration ░░░░░░░░ measures So there is ░░░░░░░░ frustration amongst many of ░░░░░░░░ in the house that ░░░░░░░░ to get an immigration ░░░░░░░░ package done that does ░░░░░░░░ border wall funding that ░░░░░░░░ undermined by some in ░░░░░░░░ party I think the ░░░░░░░░ could have leaned in ░░░░░░░░ that and supported the ░░░░░░░░ bill a lot stronger ░░░░░░░░ he did BOLDUAN This ░░░░░░░░ why it is all ░░░░░░░░ confusing for everyone watching ░░░░░░░░ play out Thank you ░░░░░░░░ COSTELLO: “Thank you.”