Matthews Fumes over Mueller: ‘How Could They Let Trump off the Hook?’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT Good evening ░░░░░░░░ m Chris Matthews The ░░░░░░░░ is over and according ░░░░░░░░ a senior DoJ official ░░░░░░░░ is no further indictments ░░░░░░░░ charges against the president ░░░░░░░░ children or associates after ░░░░░░░░ those meetings with the ░░░░░░░░ Not only that but ░░░░░░░░ special counsel signed off ░░░░░░░░ it without ever directly ░░░░░░░░ the president of the ░░░░░░░░ States about collusion or ░░░░░░░░ of justice After two ░░░░░░░░ of looking into President ░░░░░░░░ his campaign the Kremlin ░░░░░░░░ unprecedented interference in the ░░░░░░░░ election special counsel Mueller ░░░░░░░░ delivered his findings to ░░░░░░░░ Justice Department and at ░░░░░░░░ 00 P M Word ░░░░░░░░ that notified Congress the ░░░░░░░░ probe is officially over ░░░░░░░░ the fate in the ░░░░░░░░ of Attorney General William ░░░░░░░░ In Barr s letter ░░░░░░░░ the house and Senate ░░░░░░░░ committees he stated simply ░░░░░░░░ counsel Robert Mueller has ░░░░░░░░ his investigation the to ░░░░░░░░ in the 2016 election ░░░░░░░░ I may be able ░░░░░░░░ advise you taz to ░░░░░░░░ principal conclusions as soon ░░░░░░░░ this weekend I intend ░░░░░░░░ consult with deputy attorney ░░░░░░░░ Rosenstein and special counsel ░░░░░░░░ to determine what other ░░░░░░░░ from the report can ░░░░░░░░ released to Congress and ░░░░░░░░ public There are major ░░░░░░░░ big questions and calls ░░░░░░░░ Congress for Robert Mueller ░░░░░░░░ answer them We have ░░░░░░░░ best reporters possible tonight ░░░░░░░░ atlantic s and joining ░░░░░░░░ by phone the New ░░░░░░░░ Times Michael Schmidt I ░░░░░░░░ going to have this ░░░░░░░░ somebody answers it How ░░░░░░░░ the president be pointed ░░░░░░░░ as leading collusion with ░░░░░░░░ aiding a Russian conspiracy ░░░░░░░░ interfere with our election ░░░░░░░░ none of his henchman ░░░░░░░░ associates have been indicted ░░░░░░░░ was giving orders to ░░░░░░░░ stuff with the Russians ░░░░░░░░ none were indicted how ░░░░░░░░ he be blamed You ░░░░░░░░ right to question that ░░░░░░░░ we know the president ░░░░░░░░ t be indicted So ░░░░░░░░ can consider the possibility ░░░░░░░░ Mueller is accusing him ░░░░░░░░ impeachable offenses But the ░░░░░░░░ you raised argus against ░░░░░░░░ Trump can t conspire ░░░░░░░░ himself If he was ░░░░░░░░ with it the Russians ░░░░░░░░ would have had to ░░░░░░░░ at least some help ░░░░░░░░ least with Roger Stone ░░░░░░░░ when they didn t ░░░░░░░░ stone with conspiracy that ░░░░░░░░ us they didn t ░░░░░░░░ it Will they accuse ░░░░░░░░ of misjudgment negligence of ░░░░░░░░ himself and his campaign ░░░░░░░░ be manipulated by a ░░░░░░░░ covert opraise What steps ░░░░░░░░ he take during his ░░░░░░░░ Did he open himself ░░░░░░░░ to this It s ░░░░░░░░ bad but it s ░░░░░░░░ crimes If you re ░░░░░░░░ member of Congress or ░░░░░░░░ think he missed the ░░░░░░░░ Because we know about ░░░░░░░░ meeting June of 2016 ░░░░░░░░ meeting at the cigar ░░░░░░░░ We know all those ░░░░░░░░ in kislyak in Cleveland ░░░░░░░░ of these dots we ░░░░░░░░ to believe don t ░░░░░░░░ That s the conclusion ░░░░░░░░ front of us It ░░░░░░░░ t prove anything And ░░░░░░░░ Trump Tower meeting was ░░░░░░░░ They didn t actually ░░░░░░░░ over incriminating information It ░░░░░░░░ that don Trump Jr ░░░░░░░░ willing to accept help ░░░░░░░░ emails or analytical stuff ░░░░░░░░ never panned out I ░░░░░░░░ to stick with you ░░░░░░░░ colleague why was there ░░░░░░░░ an interrogation of this ░░░░░░░░ We were told by ░░░░░░░░ that you don t ░░░░░░░░ the motive until you ░░░░░░░░ from the person himself ░░░░░░░░ s being targeted So ░░░░░░░░ tonight we have nose ░░░░░░░░ to believe Trump is ░░░░░░░░ to be charged by ░░░░░░░░ in the document itself ░░░░░░░░ Mueller report without ever ░░░░░░░░ to sit down and ░░░░░░░░ his dam questions How ░░░░░░░░ that happen That is ░░░░░░░░ great question The spells ░░░░░░░░ talked to Bill Clinton ░░░░░░░░ President Trump wouldn t ░░░░░░░░ down with him He ░░░░░░░░ never talk to him ░░░░░░░░ Mueller decided it wasn ░░░░░░░░ worth the subpoena fight ░░░░░░░░ would delay the investigation ░░░░░░░░ report for months knowing ░░░░░░░░ would lose If at ░░░░░░░░ end of the day ░░░░░░░░ Trump was never going ░░░░░░░░ sit down with Mueller ░░░░░░░░ that s what you ░░░░░░░░ advise him to do ░░░░░░░░ why delay the investigation ░░░░░░░░ should have sent the ░░░░░░░░ to stand on principal ░░░░░░░░ show he took that ░░░░░░░░ step He chose not ░░░░░░░░ do that Why no ░░░░░░░░ if there is collusion ░░░░░░░░ Mueller believes there was ░░░░░░░░ and why no questioning ░░░░░░░░ the president In terms ░░░░░░░░ the charges there are ░░░░░░░░ lot of parts of ░░░░░░░░ that have lived on ░░░░░░░░ will live on in ░░░░░░░░ s offices from norb ░░░░░░░░ Washington I thin you ░░░░░░░░ to look at Mueller ░░░░░░░░ his report as a ░░░░░░░░ point as these things ░░░░░░░░ forward Wait a minute ░░░░░░░░ job is to go ░░░░░░░░ the collusion question That ░░░░░░░░ why he had this ░░░░░░░░ team They were to ░░░░░░░░ into the collusion matter ░░░░░░░░ can t pass that ░░░░░░░░ to someone else can ░░░░░░░░ I don t know ░░░░░░░░ take a very lawn ░░░░░░░░ of time and Mueller ░░░░░░░░ cast a shadow over ░░░░░░░░ president and the president ░░░░░░░░ would want this to ░░░░░░░░ wrapped up as soon ░░░░░░░░ possible We don t ░░░░░░░░ what Mueller found We ░░░░░░░░ t know what Barr ░░░░░░░░ going to tell us ░░░░░░░░ m not sure we ░░░░░░░░ make a conclusion that ░░░░░░░░ didn t find this ░░░░░░░░ that We have to ░░░░░░░░ at the results of ░░░░░░░░ Barr discloses Why dump ░░░░░░░░ at 5 00 close ░░░░░░░░ business on a Friday ░░░░░░░░ s when you dump ░░░░░░░░ you re not proud ░░░░░░░░ That s when you ░░░░░░░░ something through the media ░░░░░░░░ of business Friday for ░░░░░░░░ we ve been waiting ░░░░░░░░ for two years and ░░░░░░░░ up the report for ░░░░░░░░ maybe since August And ░░░░░░░░ they drop it at ░░░░░░░░ 00 in the afternoon ░░░░░░░░ we re left with ░░░░░░░░ question mark Where s ░░░░░░░░ collusion report Obstruction report ░░░░░░░░ how come you never ░░░░░░░░ the big guy ever ░░░░░░░░ is a pattern we ░░░░░░░░ seen from the special ░░░░░░░░ since the beginning He ░░░░░░░░ dropped indictments on Friday ░░░░░░░░ wouldn t read too ░░░░░░░░ into that aspect of ░░░░░░░░ The fact that Mueller ░░░░░░░░ not recommending further indictments ░░░░░░░░ a surprise But at ░░░░░░░░ same time we don ░░░░░░░░ know what the report ░░░░░░░░ He might have found ░░░░░░░░ of behavior that was ░░░░░░░░ or behavior that was ░░░░░░░░ that did not rise ░░░░░░░░ the level of criminal ░░░░░░░░ There s a lot ░░░░░░░░ this that s couched ░░░░░░░░ the language of a ░░░░░░░░ investigation that does not ░░░░░░░░ to the level of criminal