NPR Host Overheats on Russian Meddling: Did Mitch McConnell Commit ‘Treason’?

The question comes up ░░░░░░░░ didn t we know ░░░░░░░░ about Russian interference before ░░░░░░░░ election cause the Obama ░░░░░░░░ knew about it The ░░░░░░░░ agencies they were on ░░░░░░░░ what was happening and ░░░░░░░░ intelligence agencies strongly felt ░░░░░░░░ Russia intended not just ░░░░░░░░ mess with it but ░░░░░░░░ discredit Hillary Clinton There ░░░░░░░░ a lot of Republican ░░░░░░░░ to making any of ░░░░░░░░ public and a lot ░░░░░░░░ that opposition came from ░░░░░░░░ Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ░░░░░░░░ you describe the ways ░░░░░░░░ tried to prevent anything ░░░░░░░░ going public about Russian ░░░░░░░░ MILLER There s a ░░░░░░░░ gap between when the ░░░░░░░░ S government through its ░░░░░░░░ services learns what Russia ░░░░░░░░ doing and when the ░░░░░░░░ finally learns about it ░░░░░░░░ there s a lot ░░░░░░░░ second guessing even now ░░░░░░░░ why the Obama Administration ░░░░░░░░ t tell the public ░░░░░░░░ or earlier There are ░░░░░░░░ in the book I ░░░░░░░░ about in the late ░░░░░░░░ or the early August ░░░░░░░░ frame late July time ░░░░░░░░ John Brennan who was ░░░░░░░░ director at the time ░░░░░░░░ increasingly concerned about what ░░░░░░░░ happening The Wikileaks dump ░░░░░░░░ already occurred He sort ░░░░░░░░ holes himself up inside ░░░░░░░░ office at CIA headquarters ░░░░░░░░ the seventh floor for ░░░░░░░░ straight days deep into ░░░░░░░░ night each day poring ░░░░░░░░ all of the agency ░░░░░░░░ Russian intelligence At the ░░░░░░░░ of this exercise he ░░░░░░░░ just convinced that Russia ░░░░░░░░ he has and he ░░░░░░░░ sitting on new intelligence ░░░░░░░░ fact that tells him ░░░░░░░░ the Kremlin is playing ░░░░░░░░ bigger game here than ░░░░░░░░ has to that point ░░░░░░░░ that they re not ░░░░░░░░ in it to try ░░░░░░░░ disrupt the election but ░░░░░░░░ are trying to help ░░░░░░░░ Trump and damage Hillary ░░░░░░░░ And he calls the ░░░░░░░░ House that week calls ░░░░░░░░ in early August I ░░░░░░░░ to get in to ░░░░░░░░ the president After his ░░░░░░░░ with Obama the game ░░░░░░░░ involves Brennan then trying ░░░░░░░░ reach out to congressional ░░░░░░░░ This is sort of ░░░░░░░░ all hands on deck ░░░░░░░░ for the U S ░░░░░░░░ They want to make ░░░░░░░░ the leadership in Congress ░░░░░░░░ aware of what s ░░░░░░░░ in the election So ░░░░░░░░ starts calling you know ░░░░░░░░ Senate and House leadership ░░░░░░░░ committee the leadership of ░░░░░░░░ committee the relevant committees ░░░░░░░░ so forth and setting ░░░░░░░░ one on one briefings ░░░░░░░░ these people And that ░░░░░░░░ really unusual for a ░░░░░░░░ director to do And ░░░░░░░░ finds you know that ░░░░░░░░ Democrats are lining up ░░░░░░░░ his door that to ░░░░░░░░ and learn about what ░░░░░░░░ happening Republicans are putting ░░░░░░░░ off In fact he ░░░░░░░░ t even get to ░░░░░░░░ to some of the ░░░░░░░░ Republicans until almost a ░░░░░░░░ later sort of the ░░░░░░░░ recess time frame But ░░░░░░░░ this is a you ░░░░░░░░ a an alarming development ░░░░░░░░ some Republicans are showing ░░░░░░░░ little interest in He ░░░░░░░░ gets into a conversation ░░░░░░░░ private meeting with Mitch ░░░░░░░░ and we write about ░░░░░░░░ in the book And ░░░░░░░░ feels like he s ░░░░░░░░ to these leaders with ░░░░░░░░ information overwhelming information solid ░░░░░░░░ that shows that Russia ░░░░░░░░ this objective They re ░░░░░░░░ to screw in our ░░░░░░░░ up the election and ░░░░░░░░ to install Donald Trump ░░░░░░░░ in he ends up ░░░░░░░░ a shouting match with ░░░░░░░░ because McConnell s reaction ░░░░░░░░ something he just Brennan ░░░░░░░░ to anticipate and is ░░░░░░░░ troubled by McConnell is ░░░░░░░░ well if you basically ░░░░░░░░ him if you come ░░░░░░░░ this administration comes forward ░░░░░░░░ accuses Russia of trying ░░░░░░░░ help and help elect ░░░░░░░░ Trump I will consider ░░░░░░░░ interference in the election ░░░░░░░░ I will call the ░░░░░░░░ out on that I ░░░░░░░░ accuse the administration of ░░░░░░░░ to interfere in the ░░░░░░░░ I mean it s ░░░░░░░░ Here s the Senate ░░░░░░░░ leader being told that ░░░░░░░░ is interfering in the ░░░░░░░░ And he s saying ░░░░░░░░ m not willing to ░░░░░░░░ any kind of statement ░░░░░░░░ take any action that ░░░░░░░░ let the public know ░░░░░░░░ but I will accuse ░░░░░░░░ of interfering in the ░░░░░░░░ GROSS You write Putin ░░░░░░░░ weaponized intelligence McConnell and ░░░░░░░░ GOP weaponized denial MILLER ░░░░░░░░ because they because of ░░░░░░░░ refusal to sign on ░░░░░░░░ even any kind of ░░░░░░░░ public statement that would ░░░░░░░░ say Russia s interfering ░░░░░░░░ this election Russia is ░░░░░░░░ to tilt the outcome ░░░░░░░░ this election the Obama ░░░░░░░░ felt sort of handcuffed ░░░░░░░░ you could argue that ░░░░░░░░ really weren t and ░░░░░░░░ they had lots of ░░░░░░░░ they could have come ░░░░░░░░ and talked publicly about ░░░░░░░░ But the Obama Administration ░░░░░░░░ hoping to do this ░░░░░░░░ a bipartisan way and ░░░░░░░░ determined to do it ░░░░░░░░ a bipartisan way that ░░░░░░░░ Nunez and McConnell and ░░░░░░░░ refuse to go along ░░░░░░░░ re sort of stuck ░░░░░░░░ can t see a ░░░░░░░░ past that It takes ░░░░░░░░ months to figure out ░░░░░░░░ way to get a ░░░░░░░░ out that even then ░░░░░░░░ glancingly gets at the ░░░░░░░░ that Russia is interfering ░░░░░░░░ the election with a ░░░░░░░░ purpose GROSS You know ░░░░░░░░ Mitch McConnell finally agreed ░░░░░░░░ releasing a joint statement ░░░░░░░░ Democrats and Republicans about ░░░░░░░░ interference and this was ░░░░░░░░ late September it was ░░░░░░░░ letter to state election ░░░░░░░░ from all four leaders ░░░░░░░░ Congress warning of unnamed ░░░░░░░░ malefactors that are seeking ░░░░░░░░ use cyberattacks to disrupt ░░░░░░░░ administration of our elections ░░░░░░░░ it urged states to ░░░░░░░░ ensure that their network ░░░░░░░░ is secure It made ░░░░░░░░ mention of Russia So ░░░░░░░░ when McConnell signs MILLER ░░░░░░░░ Given what we GROSS ░░░░░░░░ on to a statement ░░░░░░░░ s not only no ░░░░░░░░ of hurting Hillary Clinton ░░░░░░░░ helping Donald Trump there ░░░░░░░░ no even mention of ░░░░░░░░ It s so vague ░░░░░░░░ Oh it s astonishing ░░░░░░░░ look back It s ░░░░░░░░ look back on that ░░░░░░░░ because given what McConnell ░░░░░░░░ others in government knew ░░░░░░░░ that time that statement ░░░░░░░░ so watered down as ░░░░░░░░ be virtually meaningless GROSS ░░░░░░░░ meanwhile John Brennan who ░░░░░░░░ trying to convince McConnell ░░░░░░░░ Russia s interfering in ░░░░░░░░ election and McConnell is ░░░░░░░░ oh yeah if you ░░░░░░░░ that publicly I m ░░░░░░░░ to say you re ░░░░░░░░ in the election so ░░░░░░░░ recently lost his security ░░░░░░░░ and McConnell is still ░░░░░░░░ Senate majority leader I ░░░░░░░░ wondering and I don ░░░░░░░░ know if you can ░░░░░░░░ this at all but ░░░░░░░░ it can be proven ░░░░░░░░ McConnell knew that Russia ░░░░░░░░ trying to interfere in ░░░░░░░░ election and influence the ░░░░░░░░ of it and then ░░░░░░░░ to cover it up ░░░░░░░░ deny that it was ░░░░░░░░ is that treason Is ░░░░░░░░ like legally treason MILLER ░░░░░░░░ don t want to ░░░░░░░░ words like treason But ░░░░░░░░ write about many cases ░░░░░░░░ are really distressing that ░░░░░░░░ us that we re ░░░░░░░░ a different political era ░░░░░░░░ anything we ve that ░░░░░░░░ ve seen in this ░░░░░░░░ for a long time ░░░░░░░░ political imperatives where loyalty ░░░░░░░░ party or party considerations ░░░░░░░░ to overwhelm everything else ░░░░░░░░ the concern for the ░░░░░░░░ and its core institutions ░░░░░░░░ mean what s more ░░░░░░░░ than an election an ░░░░░░░░ for a president of ░░░░░░░░ United States What is ░░░░░░░░ deserving of protection and ░░░░░░░░ above all party considerations ░░░░░░░░ that And yet we ░░░░░░░░ numerous cases through this ░░░░░░░░ in which when senior ░░░░░░░░ learn about this and ░░░░░░░░ think Mitch McConnell is ░░░░░░░░ of them their impulse ░░░░░░░░ to protect their party ░░░░░░░░ to try to protect ░░░░░░░░ prospect of a Trump ░░░░░░░░ over the sanctity of ░░░░░░░░ election itself I mean ░░░░░░░░ s a troubling thing ░░░░░░░░ it didn t always ░░░░░░░░ wasn t always this ░░░░░░░░