THE PASSION OF HIS SUPPORTERS,
WHILE HIS TEAM ARGUES HE
SHOULDN'T EVEN HAVE TO STAND
TRIAL WHILE RUNNING FOR
PRESIDENT, JOINING ME IS ANDREW
WISEMAN, FORMER FBI COUNSELOR
AND FORMER PROSECUTOR FOR THE
INVESTIGATION INTO RUSSIA'S
INTERFERENCE IN THE 2016
ELECTION.
SO MANY QUESTIONS TO ASK YOU
ABOUT, ANDREW.
FIRST OF ALL, WILL THE PRESIDENT
FACE ANY CONSEQUENCES FROM JUDGE
CANNON, THE PRESIDING JUDGE IN
FLORIDA, FOR THE ESCALATING
RHETORIC ONLINE AS HE'S RECITING
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL AND WHAT
ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT WHETHER
WE COULD SEE AN INDICTMENT AS
SOON AS THIS WEEK?
>> SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION
ABOUT THE UPCOMING INDICTMENT, I
THINK THERE'S NO QUESTION, GIVEN
THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE TARGET
LETTER THAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE
CHARGES.
THE BIG QUESTION IS TO WHEN.
I'M STILL WAITING TO HEAR THAT
DEFENSE COUNSEL'S GONE INTO THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE TO MAKE
THEIR LAST-DITCH EFFORT TO
FORESTALL WHAT I THINK IS THE
INEVITABLE.
IT'S FAIRLY TYPICAL THAT THEY'RE
GIVEN THAT OPPORTUNITY AND THAT
THEY TAKE IT.
SO IT'S THE ONE PIECE OF
REPORTING THAT I THINK THEY NEED
TO WAIT ON.
WITH RESPECT TO THE FORMER
PRESIDENT'S CONDUCT, LET'S
REMEMBER THAT HE IS OUT ON BAIL
IN NOT ONE, BUT TWO CRIMINAL
CASES.
ONE IN MANHATTAN.
ONE BEFORE AILEEN CANNON, AS YOU
NOTED, ANDREA.
AND IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE
THAT IF HE'S INDICTED IN D.C.,
D.C. HAS AS PART OF ITS STANDING
ORDER, FREE PRESS, FAIR TRIAL
RULES THAT LIMIT WHAT A
DEFENDANT CAN SAY THAT COULD
TAINT A JURY.
AND SO IS WHETHER THE TWO JUDGES
THAT HE'S IN FRONT OF RIGHT NOW
TAKE ACTION -- AND THEY COULD,
BUT I SUSPECT THEY WON'T, UNLESS
THE GOVERNMENT RAISES IT.
IN D.C., WHERE I THINK IT IS
ANTICIPATED HE WILL BE CHARGED,
THERE ARE STANDING RULES THAT
COMPLY -- THAT APPLY TO EVERY
SINGLE DEFENDANT.
AND SO, THIS KIND OF CONDUCT,
AND THESE STATEMENTS, WOULD
VIOLATE THOSE RULES.
SO I SUSPECT IN THAT UPCOMING
CASE, HE WILL BE GIVEN STRONG
ADMONITIONS BY THE COURT AS TO
WHAT HE CAN AND CANNOT SAY.
>> AND ANDREW, LET'S BRING IN
NBC'S GARRETT HAAKE TO THE
CONVERSATION.
GARRETT, TO THAT POINT, WE SAW
IN THE PREVIOUS CASE, INVOLVING
ONE OF THE PRESIDENT'S CLOSEST
ALLIES, THE FEDERAL JUDGE REALLY
COMING DOWN HARD ON HIM WHEN HE
ACTUALLY TWEETED SOMETHING WITH
A BULL'S-EYE THAT COULD BE
THREATENING TO HER.
>> YEAH, I DON'T THINK THE
FORMER PRESIDENT'S GOING TO BE
BACKED OFF OF THE WAY HE'S BEEN
DESCRIBING THESE CASES ON SOCIAL
MEDIA AND ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
WITH ANYTHING LESS THAN A
CONTEMPT ORDER MAYBE FROM A
JUDGE.
HE HAS MADE -- THE IDEA THAT THE
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IS GOING
AFTER HIM FOR BEING PRESIDENT
BIDEN'S CHIEF RIVAL ESSENTIAL
PART OF THIS CAMPAIGN MESSAGE.
THIS IS NOT AN AFTERTHOUGHT.
IT'S WHAT'S DRIVING HIS SOCIAL
MEDIA POST.
THE CAMPAIGN HAS VIDEOS ON IT.
HE'S MADE IT A REGULAR PART OF
THE STUMP SPEECH.
AND IT'S WORKING ADD LEAST IN
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY CONTEXT BY
FORCING OTHER REPUBLICANS TO
PICK SIDES IS, YOU'RE EITHER
WITH THE WEAPONIZED JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT OR HOUR WITH HIM, AND
THE INDICTMENTS THUS FAR HAVE TO
BE POLITICAL I HAVE A VERY HARD
TIME SEEING HIM MOPPING BACK
THAT LANGUAGE ANYTIME SOON.
>> AND ANDREW, DO YOU EXPECT
MORE INDICTMENTS FROM POTENTIAL
CO-CONSPIRATORS?
AND WHAT IS THE DOWNSIDE OF THAT
I HEARD SOMEONE ARGUE, MAYBE IT
WAS YOU, IN FACT, I'VE WATCHED
YOU SO OFTEN ON OUR NETWORK,
THAT WILL NAUTA REALLY SHOULDN'T
INDICTED BECAUSE THAT DOUBLES --
EXTENDS THE CASE.
BECAUSE THEN YOU'VE GOT TWO
DEFENSE LAWYERS DOING CROSS
EXAMINES, AND TWO DOING OPENING
STATEMENTS, AND IT DOUBLES THE
TIME OF THE TRIAL.
>> WELL, THAT IS THE DOWNSIDE OF
HAVING MORE THAN ONE DEFENDANT,
THAT IT'S POTENTIALLY A LONGER
CASE.
AND ONE WAY THAT THE GOVERNMENT
COULD DECIDE TO PROCEED IS
HAVING A SOLO CASE AGAINST
DONALD TRUMP AND INDICTING OTHER
PEOPLE IN SEPARATE CASES.
AND SO, THAT IS ONE POSSIBILITY.
I DO THINK THAT THERE'S CERTAIN
PEOPLE WHERE IF THE GOVERNMENT
HAS PROOF BEYOND A REASONABLE
DOUBT, I'M FAIRLY CONFIDENT
THEY'RE GOING TO WANT TO
PROCEED.
I'M THINKS, FOR INSTANCE,
SOMEBODY LIKE JEFFREY CLARK, A
FORMER DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
OFFICIAL WHO APPEARS TO HAVE
COMMITTED 1,001 VIOLATIONS LYING
TO JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, HE IS THE
PERSON ESSENTIALLY WILLING TO
UNDERMINE HIS BOSS, THE ACTING
ATTORNEY GENERAL TO DO THE
BIDDING OF THE FORMER PRESIDENT.
SO, HE'S THE KIND OF PERSON, IF
THERE IS PROOF BY CONNECTING
BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT I
THINK THEY'RE GOING TO BE VERY
INTERESTED IN PROSECUTING HEIM
BECAUSE OF WHAT HE DID TO THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND THE
CONSEQUENCES TO THE COUNTRY.
SO, YOU'RE RIGHT, WHETHER HE'S
BROUGHT IN THE SAME INDICTMENT,
OR WHETHER IT'S BEEN CHARGED
SEPARATELY, IS SOMETHING WE HAVE
TO WAIT AND SEE.
>> IN FACT, I THINK HE WAS
ACTING A.G. FOR A COUPLE HOURS.
HE WAS LISTED THAT WAY ON THE
WHITE HOUSE SECRET SERVICE
ENTRY.
THE SO-CALLED WAIVE NOTICES IN
THE PRESIDENT ACTUALLY BACKED
DOWN AFTER SEVERE PROTESTS FROM
HIS GENERAL COUNSEL.
>>
LET'S FOLLOW UP ON SCLASHGCLARK,
GARRETT.
>> IS THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE
OTHER THAN DONALD TRUMP WHO
RECEIVED A TARGET LETTER UP IN
THIS POINT TO THIS PARTICULAR
INVESTIGATION.
IT'S ONE OF THE FASCINATING
ELEMENTS OF THIS BECAUSE WE KNOW
THERE'S SO MUCH OVERLAP BETWEEN
JACK SMITH'S INVESTIGATES AND
SOME GOING ON IN PLACES LIKE
GEORGIA AND ARIZONA AND MICHIGAN
THAT WE LEARNED THE FAKE ELECTS
FACED STATE LEVEL CHARGES.
YOU COULD THINK, IF THEY'RE
PROCEEDING AT A PACE OR LOOKING
AT STUFF, YOU MIGHT SEE OVERLAPS
IN THE TARGETS HERE.
AS TO NOW, THERE'S BEEN 91 AT
LEAST PUBLICLY REPORTED, AND IT
SPEAKS TO THE INDICTMENTS NOT
HAPPENING AT THE SAME TIME.
OR PERHAPS MANY OF THESE PEOPLE
WHO HAVE ALREADY HAD AN
OPPORTUNITY TO COME TESTIFY TO
THE GRAND JURY WHICH MR. TRUMP
HAD BUT DID NOT AVAIL HIMSELF OF
WOULDN'T HAVE RECEIVED A TARGET
LETTER AT ALL.
THEY'VE SAID THEIR PEACE AND
WE'LL FIND OUT WHEN THE
INDICTMENT GETS UNSEALED.
>> AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT
MARK MEADOWS?
MARK MEADOWS CONTINUE TO BE THE
MOST MYSTERIOUS PERSON IN THIS.
AFTER HE TURNED OVER HIS TEXT
MESSAGES TO THE JANUARY 6th
WITHOUT BEING SUM EDBPOENAED, HE
GONE ALMOST DARK.
HE'S BEEN THE MOST TALKATIVE
THROUGHOUT HIS TENURE HERE.
HE'S GONE AGROUND.
AND PEOPLE HAVE NOT SEEN MUCH OF
HIM.
THAT SORT OF PAPER TRAIL HE'S
LEFT BEHIND HAS BEEN CRUCIAL
EVIDENCE, ALL ALONG THE WAY IN
ALL OF THE INVESTIGATIONS.
BUT WHAT HE HAS OR HAS NOT SAID
TO PROSECUTORS IS AN OPEN
QUESTION, AND WHERE HE FITS IN
THE PUZZLE ONCE WE SEE THE WHOLE
THING IS A HUGE OPEN QUESTION.
>> ANDREW, TO PARAPHRASE, HE WAS
IN THE ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENED
OVER AND OVER AGAIN, NOW THERE'S
EMAIL TRAFFIC, TEXT TRAFFIC,
INVOLVING HIS SON AND THE SON
ACKNOWLEDGES IN A JOCULAR WAY
KNOWING THAT THE ELECTION WAS
INDEED LOST AND THAT THE
PRESIDENT REALIZED THAT, TOO.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
THAT IS RECEIVING INCREASED
ATTENTION.
IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT THE
JANUARY 6th COMMITTEE ACTUALLY
CITED THOSE TEXT MESSAGES IN ITS
REPORT.
SO THEY WERE THE ONES WHO REALLY
DID, YOU KNOW, THE LEG WORK, AS
GARRETT NOTED, THAT WAS
INFORMATION TURNED OVER BY MARK
MEADOWS WHO APPEARS TO BE TRYING
TO AVOID AN INDICTMENT AND
TRYING NOT TO TAKE SIDES.
I AGREE, THIS IS A BIG OPEN
QUESTION, WHETHER HE'S A
COOPERATING WITNESS, WHETHER
HE'LL BE A DEFENDANT OR WHETHER
HE SKATES AND DOES NOT GET
CHARGED AT ALL.
>> AND FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE, DO
YOU AN OPINION ABOUT HOW THEY
COORDINATE, IF THEY COORDINATE,
BETWEEN A POTENTIAL COLLISION ON
THE JANUARY 6th ISSUES BETWEEN
FANI WILLIS AND THE FEDS?
BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE, YOU KNOW,
SHE'S BEEN DOING IT FOR TWO
YEARS.
JACK SMITH'S BEEN PLAYING
CATCH-UP, BUT REALLY ALMOST
ARRIVED AT THE FINISH LINE AT
THE SAME TIME.
>> I THINK THAT, TO THE EXTENT
THAT THEY HAVE NOT COORDINATED
SO FAR, I THINK THEY HAVE TO
SIMPLY BECAUSE THERE'S, I THINK
THAT THE GEORGIA CASE IS REALLY
A SUBSET OF WHAT WE EXPECT JACK
SMITH TO CHARGE.
AND SO THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE THE
SAME WITNESSES THAT THEY'RE
GOING TO NEED TO INTERVIEW.
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO WANT TO
HAVE THEM INTERVIEWED TWICE.
THEY'RE GOING TO WANT TO SHARE
INTERVIEW NOTES THAT WERE TAKEN
BY THE RESPECTIVE AGENTS.
SO THERE IS GOING TO NEED TO BE
SOME COORDINATION BY THE TWO
OFFICES.
AND THAT'S NOT UNUSUAL TO HAVE
THAT IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS.
>> GARRETT, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE
TO GO TO LAW SCHOOL IN THE NEXT
MONTHS BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL