RUSH TRANSCRIPT BOLDUAN Breaking ░░░░░░░░ Jeff Sessions fired and ░░░░░░░░ are learning tonight that ░░░░░░░░ embattled Attorney General had ░░░░░░░░ to stay until the ░░░░░░░░ of the week but ░░░░░░░░ Chief of Staff White ░░░░░░░░ Chief of Staff John ░░░░░░░░ shot that idea down ░░░░░░░░ also know that the ░░░░░░░░ did not call Sessions ░░░░░░░░ That was also left ░░░░░░░░ John Kelly Sessions officially ░░░░░░░░ the Justice Department a ░░░░░░░░ time ago with a ░░░░░░░░ by members of the ░░░░░░░░ Including Sessions Chief of ░░░░░░░░ Matt Whitaker who is ░░░░░░░░ the Acting Attorney General ░░░░░░░░ is now expected to ░░░░░░░░ Special Counsel Robert Mueller ░░░░░░░░ Russia probe not Deputy ░░░░░░░░ General Rod Rosenstein as ░░░░░░░░ been kind of the ░░░░░░░░ of play for so ░░░░░░░░ now Outfront now Democratic ░░░░░░░░ from Connecticut Richard Blumenthal ░░░░░░░░ sits on the Senate ░░░░░░░░ Committee Senator thank you ░░░░░░░░ coming in BLUMENTHAL Thank ░░░░░░░░ very much BOLDUAN What ░░░░░░░░ your reaction to Jeff ░░░░░░░░ being fired today BLUMENTHAL ░░░░░░░░ s a break the ░░░░░░░░ moment Our democracy is ░░░░░░░░ attack because the President ░░░░░░░░ completely broken the norms ░░░░░░░░ the normal succession process ░░░░░░░░ s a kind of ░░░░░░░░ motion Saturday Night Massacre ░░░░░░░░ occurred under President Nixon ░░░░░░░░ the man he s ░░░░░░░░ is someone who provided ░░░░░░░░ road map for how ░░░░░░░░ stifle and strangle the ░░░░░░░░ Counsel investigation He called ░░░░░░░░ Mueller s lynch mob ░░░░░░░░ he said the way ░░░░░░░░ do it was to ░░░░░░░░ effect deny funding stifle ░░░░░░░░ that way or cut ░░░░░░░░ or disapprove indictments That ░░░░░░░░ creates an imperative for ░░░░░░░░ by him and if ░░░░░░░░ action by the Congress ░░░░░░░░ These are personal opinions ░░░░░░░░ his right That s ░░░░░░░░ from Whitaker before he ░░░░░░░░ at the Justice Department ░░░░░░░░ that he said things ░░░░░░░░ he has written and ░░░░░░░░ do wonder if an ░░░░░░░░ agent should be allowed ░░░░░░░░ have personal opinions like ░░░░░░░░ Strzok many Democrats said ░░░░░░░░ have been allowed to ░░░░░░░░ personal opinions and not ░░░░░░░░ it affect his work ░░░░░░░░ the same apply to ░░░░░░░░ BLUMENTHAL He s allowed ░░░░░░░░ have personal opinions but ░░░░░░░░ to supervise the investigation ░░░░░░░░ Strzok was taken off ░░░░░░░░ investigation by Robert Mueller ░░░░░░░░ soon as he learned ░░░░░░░░ those communications that indicated ░░░░░░░░ bias So whether it ░░░░░░░░ 45 Code of Federal ░░░░░░░░ Section 28 it clearly ░░░░░░░░ an appearance of impropriety ░░░░░░░░ it infects the entire ░░░░░░░░ of Justice and my ░░░░░░░░ is career professionals in ░░░░░░░░ Department of Justice ought ░░░░░░░░ really raise a protest ░░░░░░░░ along with people throughout ░░░░░░░░ United States because Americans ░░░░░░░░ this investigation to be ░░░░░░░░ There s a reason ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump waited until ░░░░░░░░ the midterms because this ░░░░░░░░ will be widely and ░░░░░░░░ unpopular I hope my ░░░░░░░░ colleagues will sense it ░░░░░░░░ so if he does ░░░░░░░░ recuse and right now ░░░░░░░░ s no suggestion that ░░░░░░░░ will what do you ░░░░░░░░ then senator I m ░░░░░░░░ to be proposing legislation ░░░░░░░░ would in effect guarantee ░░░░░░░░ for the Mueller investigation ░░░░░░░░ would stop any effort ░░░░░░░░ defund or reduce funding ░░░░░░░░ is necessary for the ░░░░░░░░ and attorneys who are ░░░░░░░░ this vital work and ░░░░░░░░ will also include in ░░░░░░░░ legislation requirement that there ░░░░░░░░ a in other words ░░░░░░░░ results of this investigation ░░░░░░░░ be made known to ░░░░░░░░ American people and give ░░░░░░░░ special counsel time to ░░░░░░░░ that report if there ░░░░░░░░ an effort to fire ░░░░░░░░ You know there s ░░░░░░░░ lot of speculation that ░░░░░░░░ Mueller is on the ░░░░░░░░ of a number of ░░░░░░░░ charges and indictments after ░░░░░░░░ quiet period before the ░░░░░░░░ and so the timing ░░░░░░░░ is really suspect But ░░░░░░░░ ve heard over and ░░░░░░░░ from Mitch McConnell and ░░░░░░░░ leaders that Mueller should ░░░░░░░░ able to finish Mueller ░░░░░░░░ and will be able ░░░░░░░░ finish his investigation that ░░░░░░░░ s no I mean ░░░░░░░░ s no reality in ░░░░░░░░ especially in this post ░░░░░░░░ world that they re ░░░░░░░░ to allow your legislation ░░░░░░░░ go forward Do you ░░░░░░░░ any confidence in that ░░░░░░░░ of all there s ░░░░░░░░ and it s bipartisan ░░░░░░░░ has been approved by ░░░░░░░░ Judiciary Committee to protect ░░░░░░░░ special counsel And you ░░░░░░░░ absolutely right that the ░░░░░░░░ leader said in the ░░░░░░░░ there s no need ░░░░░░░░ it So we will ░░░░░░░░ a really solid move ░░░░░░░░ my Republican colleagues to ░░░░░░░░ their stated intention to ░░░░░░░░ the special counsel and ░░░░░░░░ I think that they ░░░░░░░░ to sense that this ░░░░░░░░ unpopular step by the ░░░░░░░░ really embarks on a ░░░░░░░░ road for them The ░░░░░░░░ that he waited until ░░░░░░░░ the midterms was he ░░░░░░░░ it would be very ░░░░░░░░ unpopular with the American ░░░░░░░░ and this move will ░░░░░░░░ judged harshly by history ░░░░░░░░ will come home to ░░░░░░░░ our Republican colleagues You ░░░░░░░░ been no fan of ░░░░░░░░ Sessions I mean I ░░░░░░░░ one quote when it ░░░░░░░░ to changing rules over ░░░░░░░░ claims and you said ░░░░░░░░ you said that today ░░░░░░░░ decision will send untold ░░░░░░░░ of refugees to their ░░░░░░░░ Attorney general sessions their ░░░░░░░░ is on your hands ░░░░░░░░ you really that sorry ░░░░░░░░ see sessions go then ░░░░░░░░ Sessions and I have ░░░░░░░░ deeply on a great ░░░░░░░░ issues In fact I ░░░░░░░░ his confirmation I was ░░░░░░░░ first member of the ░░░░░░░░ Committee I believe to ░░░░░░░░ his confirmation But I ░░░░░░░░ with him that he ░░░░░░░░ absolutely right to recuse ░░░░░░░░ He had no choice ░░░░░░░░ regret his leaving for ░░░░░░░░ reason that the president ░░░░░░░░ in effect firing him ░░░░░░░░ is his refusal to ░░░░░░░░ the president s bidding ░░░░░░░░ the special counsel investigation ░░░░░░░░ I think that the ░░░░░░░░ for him Matt Whitaker ░░░░░░░░ a duty to recuse ░░░░░░░░ So he s the ░░░░░░░░ There s going to ░░░░░░░░ a search for a ░░░░░░░░ attorney general I mean ░░░░░░░░ you say at this ░░░░░░░░ is there any attorney ░░░░░░░░ that the president would ░░░░░░░░ up that you re ░░░░░░░░ to support Rod Rosenstein ░░░░░░░░ be put in that ░░░░░░░░ That s the normal ░░░░░░░░ that s typically the ░░░░░░░░ the process has worked ░░░░░░░░ the past The president ░░░░░░░░ effect is again breaking ░░░░░░░░ norms and avoiding the ░░░░░░░░ rules and that is ░░░░░░░░ succession that should take ░░░░░░░░ now That s what ░░░░░░░░ happened under previous administrations ░░░░░░░░ attorneys general have left ░░░░░░░░ thank you for coming ░░░░░░░░ I appreciate your time ░░░░░░░░ you.