WEBVTT - Mueller Expands Probe Into Trump's Business, While Sessions Labors On

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to the Bloomberg p m L Podcast. I'm pim Fox.

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<v Speaker 1>Along with my co host Lisa Abramowitz. Each day we

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<v Speaker 1>bring you the most important, noteworthy, and useful interviews for

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<v Speaker 1>you and your money, whether you're at the grocery store

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<v Speaker 1>or the trading floor. Find the Bloomberg p m L

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<v Speaker 1>Podcast on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, and Bloomberg dot com. For

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<v Speaker 1>more on this breaking news about the Special Counsel Robert

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<v Speaker 1>Mueller and his mother and his investigation, I want to

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<v Speaker 1>bring in a one of the authors of this story,

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<v Speaker 1>and congratulations to you, Christian Bertelson. Thanks very much for

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<v Speaker 1>being here. Much appreciate it. Why don't you just lay

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<v Speaker 1>out for people who all they've gotten on the headlines,

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<v Speaker 1>just get set, you know, set us up and and

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<v Speaker 1>go for it. Sure so. UH. The Special Counsel who

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<v Speaker 1>was appointed just a little over two months ago, Robert

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<v Speaker 1>Mueller UH to handle the investigation into Russian interference in

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<v Speaker 1>last year's presidential election, has included as part of his

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<v Speaker 1>probe a number of business transactions involving Russian financing of

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<v Speaker 1>Trump developments UH, the Trump Miss Universe pageant that was

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<v Speaker 1>held in Moscow in UH and as well as an

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<v Speaker 1>earlier investigation that was started by federal prosecutors in New

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<v Speaker 1>York into Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and and

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<v Speaker 1>Ukrainian transactions that he engaged in two thousand eight. So, Christian,

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<v Speaker 1>let's talk about how this differs from what we've known

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<v Speaker 1>so far in this scoop that just broke by yourself

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<v Speaker 1>and Greg Farrell talking about how the U s. Special

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<v Speaker 1>Council is investigating possible ties between Trump's campaign and Russia.

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<v Speaker 1>It including some of these financial ties that we know

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<v Speaker 1>to be long standing between the Trump organization and a

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<v Speaker 1>variety of different Russia and interest Uh. We also know

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<v Speaker 1>that President Trump did talk with the New York Times

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<v Speaker 1>in a wide ranging interviewer he said any look at

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<v Speaker 1>financial ties would be off limits. So it's not off limits.

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<v Speaker 1>In fact, it's front and center. What do we know

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<v Speaker 1>about how this changes the tenor of the overall investigation.

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<v Speaker 1>I don't know that it changes the tenor, but right,

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, the the initial mandate for the investigation was

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<v Speaker 1>to look into Russian interference in the election. Um and

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<v Speaker 1>that included you know the hack of the d n C. Uh,

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<v Speaker 1>you know whether the Trump campaign coordinated in any way

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<v Speaker 1>with Russia to get damaging information about Hillary Clinton, that

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<v Speaker 1>kind of thing. UM. So this look at the financial

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<v Speaker 1>transactions and the sort of you know, longstanding business ties

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<v Speaker 1>between Trump and Russians, UM is a bit different. You know.

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<v Speaker 1>I couldn't say whether it actually goes beyond the mandate

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<v Speaker 1>uh and the Special Council or from the DOJ, but it, uh,

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<v Speaker 1>it does seem to go in an area that Trump

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<v Speaker 1>warned in that New York Times interview that he considered

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<v Speaker 1>sort of beyond the bounds of our scope of the investigation.

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<v Speaker 1>All Right, I'm gonna try to connect two pieces of

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<v Speaker 1>information that you have been able to determine our true Uh.

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<v Speaker 1>Jeff Sessions, attorney current Attorney General, had asked for the

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<v Speaker 1>resignations of forty six u S attorneys. One of those

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<v Speaker 1>U S attorneys happened to be from the Southern District

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<v Speaker 1>of the County of New York. Can you tell us

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<v Speaker 1>about preparre his office and I believe some of his

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<v Speaker 1>colleagues who are now assisting in this investigation, and why

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<v Speaker 1>that's relevant. Uh. There there's never been any sort of

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<v Speaker 1>full explanation of why Barrara was fired. I mean, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>Barrara was fired along with all the other remaining OBA

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<v Speaker 1>was he considered to be an excellent prosecutor. He had

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<v Speaker 1>an incredible reputation and still does. Um. You know. The

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<v Speaker 1>the thing that is unusual about Barras firing, the firing

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<v Speaker 1>of U S attorneys is routine any time an administration

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<v Speaker 1>changed his hands, um, and all the U attorneys who

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<v Speaker 1>were fired were Obama administration of pointees. The thing that

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<v Speaker 1>makes barras firing unusual was that he met with Trump

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<v Speaker 1>after Trump was elected, but before the administration began, and

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<v Speaker 1>according to Barrara's account, he was told he was welcome

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<v Speaker 1>to stay. Uh So, so there's always been a question

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<v Speaker 1>about why Barrara was included in the mass firing with

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<v Speaker 1>the others after he had been given the assurance of

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<v Speaker 1>Trump that he would be allowed to remain in office.

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<v Speaker 1>So could it be a sort of prevention of justice

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<v Speaker 1>being done? Kind of it? Could that be sort of

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<v Speaker 1>part of the probe that you're hearing about, or obstruction

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<v Speaker 1>of justice? Or is this just sort of another sort

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<v Speaker 1>of whiff of smoke to to add to you can't

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<v Speaker 1>you can't know, you know, because Berrara himself has given

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<v Speaker 1>in a very detailed accounting in public of his firing,

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<v Speaker 1>and even Berrara doesn't know. You know, he received a

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<v Speaker 1>call from the White House the day before he was fired.

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<v Speaker 1>He did not return the call because he felt it

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<v Speaker 1>was inappropriate and there are existing Justice part regulations that

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<v Speaker 1>that prohibit contact between U. S. Attorneys and the White House,

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<v Speaker 1>So he he didn't have the conversation, and he didn't

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<v Speaker 1>know Andrew Goldstein. Sorry, just because you've got to connect

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<v Speaker 1>who is he and why, because Lisa knows is has

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<v Speaker 1>a legal mind. Andrew Goldstein was a I believe he

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<v Speaker 1>was a deputy chief in the U. S. Attorney's Office

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<v Speaker 1>and the head of the public corruption a unit in

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<v Speaker 1>the Southern District of New York. And he left his

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<v Speaker 1>position there, I want to say, two weeks ago, uh,

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<v Speaker 1>to move down to Washington to join Mueller's investigative team.

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<v Speaker 1>So I just want to note that equity markets do

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<v Speaker 1>seem to be down on this news. They did, uh.

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<v Speaker 1>The SMP five hundred did drop subsequent to this story

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<v Speaker 1>hitting the wire. So it does seem like this just

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<v Speaker 1>injects another note of uncertainty, UH, to the ongoing political intrigue.

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<v Speaker 1>I want to talk a little bit more about the

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<v Speaker 1>financial ties that Muller's team is looking into. In particular,

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<v Speaker 1>you highlight, for example, a Trump Soho hotel condominium development,

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<v Speaker 1>um and where got it's ten million dollar cash and

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<v Speaker 1>fusion that was from somewhere in Russia or believed to be.

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<v Speaker 1>As well as Miss Universe pageant where a prominent Moscow

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<v Speaker 1>developer paid twenty million dollars to bring the beauty spectacle

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<v Speaker 1>to that country. How does this relate to President Trump's

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<v Speaker 1>rise to power in the US. I would think, well,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, Russian, Eastern European capital in general was a

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<v Speaker 1>source of development for various Trump projects, and I think

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<v Speaker 1>that to the extent Mueller is investigating that. Uh, he's

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<v Speaker 1>trying to determine the origins of the relationship between Trump

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<v Speaker 1>and various you know, sources of capital in Eastern Europe. Uh,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, as to Trump Soho. Uh, the money that

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<v Speaker 1>came that helped build Trump Soho came from a development

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<v Speaker 1>group called the bay Rock Group and according to a

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<v Speaker 1>lawsuit filed against bay Rock by its former finance director,

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<v Speaker 1>bay Rock received some of its money from Russia and Kazakhstan.

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<v Speaker 1>This is a Bloomberg Market time pim Fox, my colleague

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<v Speaker 1>and co host a Lisa Abramwitz. Our guest is a

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<v Speaker 1>Christian Burtleson. He is a Bloomberg reporter who, along with

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<v Speaker 1>Greg Farrell, have broken a story about the Special Council

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<v Speaker 1>Robert Mueller, who is expanding his probe into a president

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<v Speaker 1>Donald Trump's business transactions. UM, I wonder if you could

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<v Speaker 1>just reset quickly for people that there's a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>pieces to all of this, right, I mean, you know

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<v Speaker 1>you the threads. Can you just sort of condense it

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<v Speaker 1>for people so that they understand exactly why this is important.

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<v Speaker 1>The the investigation being conducted by the Special Council is

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<v Speaker 1>into Russian interference in the presidential election last year, but

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<v Speaker 1>the the investigation is also looking at Trump's longstanding business

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<v Speaker 1>size too various Eastern European UH sources of capital for

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<v Speaker 1>his developments UH. The The president told The New York

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<v Speaker 1>Times in an interview yesterday that he viewed any investigation

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<v Speaker 1>into his business dealings as being sort of beyond the

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<v Speaker 1>bounds of what the point was intended for. I want

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<v Speaker 1>to bring an Awl Hunt. He's a Bloomberg View calumnist

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<v Speaker 1>who's been following all of the variety of different political

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<v Speaker 1>intrigue that we've been experiencing over the past few months.

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<v Speaker 1>And al do you think that this new disclosure of

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<v Speaker 1>the new angle of the special prosecutors investigation changes the

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<v Speaker 1>tenor of the discussion at all around Russia. No, it

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<v Speaker 1>really doesn't, because, um the whole question all along, Mueller's

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<v Speaker 1>mandate was always quite broad, and it was interference with

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<v Speaker 1>the election and the charge that somehow Trump might be

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<v Speaker 1>beholden to the Russians, they might have leverage. Only he

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<v Speaker 1>goes back to his business dealings. So Mueller had to

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<v Speaker 1>investigate this, or we're special cant I mean, I'm old

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<v Speaker 1>'ve been here when the Nixon special counsel was here.

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<v Speaker 1>Special counsel like this or special prosecutors as as existed before,

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<v Speaker 1>are given a broad mandate and they have to see

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<v Speaker 1>what they can they can find. When they were investigating Nixon,

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<v Speaker 1>they didn't start having any idea that there was illegal

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<v Speaker 1>use of the Internal Revenue Service, for instance, when they

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<v Speaker 1>were investigating Clinton, didn't have any idea that we were

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<v Speaker 1>talking about sex in the Oval office. I don't think

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<v Speaker 1>that Bob Mueller will be will go off in a

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<v Speaker 1>wild chase the way Kim Starr did. But central to

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<v Speaker 1>this investigation is Trump's relationship with the Russians, and central

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<v Speaker 1>to that is whether the Russians money laundered through Trump

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<v Speaker 1>and whether they bailed him out, and whether in any

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<v Speaker 1>way he is indebted to them, uh and has not

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<v Speaker 1>told the truth about it or has not or is

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<v Speaker 1>not revealed in his tax returns. That's something that a

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<v Speaker 1>special counsel would be Darrell looked if he didn't investigate.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, I have to say, this raises a real

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<v Speaker 1>fuzzy ground, which is, yes, we know that President Trump

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<v Speaker 1>has been involved with a variety of different Russians and

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<v Speaker 1>his financial dealings. At what point does that mean he's

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<v Speaker 1>beholden to them versus just has a very good relationship.

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<v Speaker 1>That's not That's not fuzzy. That's what the Special count

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<v Speaker 1>to investigates. If it's just a normal business transaction, then

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<v Speaker 1>there's no problem with it. Uh. If in fact, you

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<v Speaker 1>know there's there's something deeper than that, than that's what

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<v Speaker 1>Bob Mueller will fund. I don't think at all what's

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<v Speaker 1>the difference between a normal financial relationship and an abnormal

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<v Speaker 1>one if you're basically cloaking it. I mean, like, I

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<v Speaker 1>just don't understand the distinction that there's a Special Council

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<v Speaker 1>will even draw there, you know what I mean? Well, no,

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<v Speaker 1>I don't, because I think the distinction is going to

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<v Speaker 1>be did the Russians somehow? And I don't know the

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<v Speaker 1>answer this least, but I think this is quite clear

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<v Speaker 1>and quite obvious that the Special Council has to look

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<v Speaker 1>in this. The question is in some way with the

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<v Speaker 1>Russians giving aid to Trump's organization and the Trump bailing

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<v Speaker 1>him out in a way that he is indebted to them.

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<v Speaker 1>They have leverage over him, they have knowledge about him

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<v Speaker 1>that he doesn't want out. I don't know that's the case,

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<v Speaker 1>but that's the charge, and that's a charge that has

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<v Speaker 1>been suggested by serious people. Bob Muller will find out

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<v Speaker 1>if it's true or not. If it's just a normal

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<v Speaker 1>business transaction, then then there's then there's no problem. There's

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<v Speaker 1>all kinds of reasons to wonder, however, among them being

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<v Speaker 1>that Trump and his people continue to lie about this.

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<v Speaker 1>So if you're lying about it, what are you trying

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<v Speaker 1>to hide? I don't know. That's what Bob Muller will

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<v Speaker 1>find out. Al Hunt, I gotta love you because you

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<v Speaker 1>know you're you're so last century. You actually believe you

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<v Speaker 1>know you you you know, until proven you are, Uh,

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<v Speaker 1>you need the detail correct? Well do you want? No?

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<v Speaker 1>But this is where I'm going with this, and I

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<v Speaker 1>want I want Christian to come in on this because

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<v Speaker 1>the cycle and information, the gathering that has been included

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<v Speaker 1>in all of this includes online revelations, emails about the

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<v Speaker 1>president's son, emails from the President's son, um, conversations about

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<v Speaker 1>Jeff Sessions, the attorney general to the New York Times.

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<v Speaker 1>All of these things, people draw their own conclusions. You

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<v Speaker 1>know that the Twitter sphere, of the blogger sphere, they live. Uh,

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<v Speaker 1>this is a feeding frenzy for this and it's become

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<v Speaker 1>part of it in your investigation. How important will the

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<v Speaker 1>email trail and the money trail be in figuring this

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<v Speaker 1>all out? You know, I'm not a lawyer, and I

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<v Speaker 1>really I probably not qualified to a point on that,

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<v Speaker 1>but I you know, I think, uh, in a large

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<v Speaker 1>part it will explain, as I said, at least the

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<v Speaker 1>origins of the relationships um, and flowing from that, you

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<v Speaker 1>might get some understanding of sort of why Trump and

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<v Speaker 1>Russia appeared to have such sort of close interactions over

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<v Speaker 1>the course of his campaign. You know, I have to wonder,

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<v Speaker 1>given the fact that we did see markets moved down,

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<v Speaker 1>and that both of you are saying, this isn't really

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<v Speaker 1>materially change uh the narrative going forward, why our markets

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<v Speaker 1>reacting at all? I mean until to a large degree

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<v Speaker 1>that they kind of haven't reacted all that much. But

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<v Speaker 1>we are going to be speaking with someone up Mark Grant,

0:13:57.200 --> 0:13:59.920
<v Speaker 1>coming up from hill Top Advisors, who said that, you know,

0:14:00.120 --> 0:14:02.360
<v Speaker 1>people are losing faith that we are going to get

0:14:02.400 --> 0:14:04.840
<v Speaker 1>anything done. I mean, Christian, do you hear from people,

0:14:05.440 --> 0:14:09.280
<v Speaker 1>uh that just the ongoing tome of information that keeps

0:14:09.280 --> 0:14:13.400
<v Speaker 1>coming out is dampening any hopes, uh for for anything

0:14:13.440 --> 0:14:16.640
<v Speaker 1>else to sort of gain attention. I will say just

0:14:16.760 --> 0:14:19.400
<v Speaker 1>you know, in talks with people, I don't know about

0:14:19.440 --> 0:14:23.600
<v Speaker 1>the financial market implications of it, but I will say

0:14:23.680 --> 0:14:29.880
<v Speaker 1>that the people I've talked to do feel significant concerned

0:14:29.920 --> 0:14:34.240
<v Speaker 1>that if Mueller is not allowed to complete his work, uh,

0:14:34.560 --> 0:14:37.800
<v Speaker 1>that where we are as a country is a very

0:14:37.840 --> 0:14:41.560
<v Speaker 1>troubling place. Um. You know, there's a lot of hope

0:14:41.600 --> 0:14:44.880
<v Speaker 1>that you know, he will be allowed to complete his investigation,

0:14:45.000 --> 0:14:47.000
<v Speaker 1>that we will get some clarity on what happened in

0:14:48.480 --> 0:14:50.880
<v Speaker 1>uh and if that doesn't happen, if he's sort of

0:14:50.920 --> 0:14:54.880
<v Speaker 1>fired or stopped or something that, uh, you know, we

0:14:54.960 --> 0:14:56.760
<v Speaker 1>are in a dark place in terms of the rule

0:14:56.800 --> 0:14:59.520
<v Speaker 1>of law. Al hunt, are we already there? Oh? I

0:14:59.560 --> 0:15:03.080
<v Speaker 1>agree with every hand. Christian just said, Um, I suspect

0:15:03.840 --> 0:15:06.840
<v Speaker 1>that Trump really is thinking about firing Muller, and I

0:15:06.880 --> 0:15:09.920
<v Speaker 1>think that we then become whatever you want to call it,

0:15:10.000 --> 0:15:13.400
<v Speaker 1>Banana Republic, Russia. The rule of law doesn't matter. And

0:15:13.440 --> 0:15:15.840
<v Speaker 1>that's the case, and that then the key will be

0:15:15.840 --> 0:15:18.640
<v Speaker 1>whether whether Congression Republicans will stand up and say this

0:15:18.680 --> 0:15:21.080
<v Speaker 1>is not acceptable. That's what they did in seventy three

0:15:21.320 --> 0:15:24.280
<v Speaker 1>when Nixon fired Archie Cox. That's what we have to

0:15:24.320 --> 0:15:26.200
<v Speaker 1>do now. But I think the predicate that Trump was

0:15:26.200 --> 0:15:29.040
<v Speaker 1>trying to say yesterday but somehow he either wants to

0:15:29.080 --> 0:15:32.960
<v Speaker 1>fire Mueller or he wants, uh, somehow the four sessions

0:15:32.960 --> 0:15:34.760
<v Speaker 1>out and the point of Attorney general will do it.

0:15:35.240 --> 0:15:37.160
<v Speaker 1>I think if he gets away with that, this country

0:15:37.320 --> 0:15:39.800
<v Speaker 1>is in terrible, terrible trouble. And why does he want

0:15:39.800 --> 0:15:42.000
<v Speaker 1>to do that? You know, the Wall Street General had

0:15:42.040 --> 0:15:43.720
<v Speaker 1>a very good trip the other day. They said, look,

0:15:43.720 --> 0:15:47.280
<v Speaker 1>there's a simple answer, Mr Trump, release everything. You know,

0:15:47.440 --> 0:15:50.040
<v Speaker 1>if he would release everything, then you know we we

0:15:50.040 --> 0:15:52.520
<v Speaker 1>we won't have a problem. There's a reason perhaps he

0:15:52.560 --> 0:15:56.520
<v Speaker 1>won't release everything. Well. Al when you talk to people

0:15:56.560 --> 0:15:58.520
<v Speaker 1>on the Hill, do you get the sense that among

0:15:58.520 --> 0:16:01.880
<v Speaker 1>Republicans there's a growing and of concern about h the

0:16:02.000 --> 0:16:04.520
<v Speaker 1>US becoming up an inn a republic and holding President

0:16:04.520 --> 0:16:07.200
<v Speaker 1>Trump's feet to the fire. I think they're scared stiff

0:16:07.280 --> 0:16:09.360
<v Speaker 1>because they're caught in the terrible costs. Far least the

0:16:09.440 --> 0:16:12.240
<v Speaker 1>number one that base that Trump based now it's it's

0:16:12.240 --> 0:16:14.680
<v Speaker 1>smaller than it was. It's the ministe. She's lost support,

0:16:14.680 --> 0:16:16.920
<v Speaker 1>there's no question in that. But the fervor of that

0:16:17.000 --> 0:16:19.040
<v Speaker 1>base still is there, and that's a key part of

0:16:19.080 --> 0:16:22.680
<v Speaker 1>the Republican constituency. On the other hand, he is losing

0:16:22.720 --> 0:16:26.520
<v Speaker 1>all sorts of independent and people who were sanxious if

0:16:26.520 --> 0:16:28.600
<v Speaker 1>you will, who didn't like Hillary and held their dose

0:16:28.640 --> 0:16:31.680
<v Speaker 1>and voted for Trump. Uh. And secondly, a number there

0:16:31.680 --> 0:16:33.680
<v Speaker 1>are a number of these Republicans are oh my god,

0:16:33.800 --> 0:16:38.080
<v Speaker 1>what what what's going on? Is? Uh? Were there? Are

0:16:38.120 --> 0:16:41.840
<v Speaker 1>there really some very worrisome things. They were bothered, for instance,

0:16:42.200 --> 0:16:44.720
<v Speaker 1>by his second meeting with Putin that he didn't tell

0:16:44.760 --> 0:16:48.240
<v Speaker 1>anyone about. They were bothered by the Donnie Junior look.

0:16:48.320 --> 0:16:51.520
<v Speaker 1>Donnie Junior and Paul Manaford and Jared Kushner. I've covered

0:16:51.560 --> 0:16:54.400
<v Speaker 1>campaigns for forty years. A month before the convention, time

0:16:54.480 --> 0:16:56.800
<v Speaker 1>is precious. The Missouri state chairman, they come in, you

0:16:56.800 --> 0:16:58.840
<v Speaker 1>don't have time to meet him. I'm sorry, We're too busy.

0:16:59.040 --> 0:17:01.920
<v Speaker 1>And to spend that amount of time with with those Russians,

0:17:01.920 --> 0:17:03.800
<v Speaker 1>and the lie about it to begin with, and then

0:17:03.800 --> 0:17:06.080
<v Speaker 1>the lie about the number of people there. What are

0:17:06.119 --> 0:17:09.320
<v Speaker 1>they hiding? Least? And I think Republicans at least some

0:17:09.400 --> 0:17:12.000
<v Speaker 1>of them are asking those questions of themselves at least.

0:17:13.200 --> 0:17:15.600
<v Speaker 1>I want to keep you with us, l and Christian.

0:17:15.640 --> 0:17:18.240
<v Speaker 1>I want to bring in Larry Liebert, national Security team

0:17:18.359 --> 0:17:23.919
<v Speaker 1>editor for bloom Brook News, who is in Washington, d C. Larry,

0:17:24.000 --> 0:17:25.919
<v Speaker 1>I want to pick up on one aspect that I

0:17:26.119 --> 0:17:29.640
<v Speaker 1>was talking about, with the concerned that Republicans have expressed,

0:17:29.640 --> 0:17:33.120
<v Speaker 1>at least behind closed doors, about the second undisclosed meeting

0:17:33.160 --> 0:17:38.040
<v Speaker 1>that President Trump had with Vladimir Putin, President of Russia. UM,

0:17:38.160 --> 0:17:43.560
<v Speaker 1>is there any concern among the security the intel community, UH,

0:17:43.600 --> 0:17:46.520
<v Speaker 1>that right now there is something going on that could

0:17:46.560 --> 0:17:50.280
<v Speaker 1>potentially jeopardize the national security of our country? Or is

0:17:50.320 --> 0:17:54.200
<v Speaker 1>this mostly uh, you know the details and still having

0:17:54.200 --> 0:17:58.160
<v Speaker 1>to do with the campaign. Well in the intel community's

0:17:58.240 --> 0:18:02.919
<v Speaker 1>concern about anything they don't know about. And really, UH,

0:18:03.040 --> 0:18:06.439
<v Speaker 1>the question is what did they talk about in that meeting,

0:18:06.440 --> 0:18:09.040
<v Speaker 1>which the President said was very brief, others had said

0:18:09.119 --> 0:18:12.040
<v Speaker 1>was a full hour discussion. UH? What do they talk

0:18:12.080 --> 0:18:15.320
<v Speaker 1>about in terms of lifting sanctions and policy? What do

0:18:15.440 --> 0:18:20.160
<v Speaker 1>they talk about, perhaps in regard to the current investigations

0:18:20.160 --> 0:18:22.959
<v Speaker 1>are going on? UH? And and the fact that they

0:18:23.000 --> 0:18:24.880
<v Speaker 1>don't know is what trouble From the fact that there

0:18:24.920 --> 0:18:27.960
<v Speaker 1>were no no takers, not even Sexuary Tillerson, who was

0:18:28.000 --> 0:18:30.879
<v Speaker 1>there for the meeting earlier in the day, UH was

0:18:30.920 --> 0:18:34.040
<v Speaker 1>around to UH make any record of what was said.

0:18:34.080 --> 0:18:37.000
<v Speaker 1>So that just that worries. But this president is not

0:18:37.080 --> 0:18:40.160
<v Speaker 1>one to follow the diplomatic rules, and UH, I guess

0:18:40.200 --> 0:18:43.040
<v Speaker 1>they're trying to adjust to that. Christian, I know you've

0:18:43.040 --> 0:18:45.760
<v Speaker 1>got something to add to this, please, Well, you know

0:18:45.840 --> 0:18:48.399
<v Speaker 1>what's been interesting in the last two weeks amid you know,

0:18:48.480 --> 0:18:53.280
<v Speaker 1>first the revelations about the meeting between UH Donald Jr.

0:18:53.320 --> 0:18:58.040
<v Speaker 1>In his office with various Russian and Eastern Europeans UH

0:18:58.080 --> 0:19:02.080
<v Speaker 1>prior to the election, as well as Trump's new explanation

0:19:02.240 --> 0:19:06.320
<v Speaker 1>of his UH. You know UH side sideline meeting with

0:19:06.880 --> 0:19:11.720
<v Speaker 1>Putin at the G twenty dinner. UH. The the continued

0:19:11.800 --> 0:19:14.480
<v Speaker 1>explanation is that they were talking about this issue of

0:19:14.560 --> 0:19:20.320
<v Speaker 1>Russian adoptions, UH, which you know only partially explains what

0:19:20.359 --> 0:19:24.439
<v Speaker 1>the adoption issue is. UH. The adoption issue has to

0:19:24.480 --> 0:19:27.439
<v Speaker 1>do with something called the Magnetsky Act, which was passed

0:19:27.440 --> 0:19:32.080
<v Speaker 1>by Congress to UH punish human rights abusers in Russia

0:19:32.200 --> 0:19:37.399
<v Speaker 1>with severe financial sanctions. UH. And Putin was extremely unhappy

0:19:37.440 --> 0:19:40.480
<v Speaker 1>about the passage of the Magnetski Act, and in a

0:19:40.520 --> 0:19:47.400
<v Speaker 1>retaliatory move, he banned adoption of Russian children by Americans. UH. So, so, yes,

0:19:47.440 --> 0:19:51.000
<v Speaker 1>it's about adoptions, but actually it's about financial sanctions on

0:19:51.480 --> 0:19:55.960
<v Speaker 1>Russians UH. And and that is sort of the real

0:19:56.160 --> 0:20:00.440
<v Speaker 1>substance of what's been discussed at these meetings. So one

0:20:00.520 --> 0:20:04.880
<v Speaker 1>other aspect to the latest political news is the wide

0:20:04.960 --> 0:20:07.720
<v Speaker 1>ranging interview which you mentioned before, that President Trump had

0:20:07.800 --> 0:20:10.040
<v Speaker 1>with the New York Times, and in that he had

0:20:10.080 --> 0:20:14.360
<v Speaker 1>some scathing remarks about Jeff Sessions, his Attorney general, basically

0:20:14.359 --> 0:20:16.320
<v Speaker 1>accusing him saying if he had known that he would

0:20:16.320 --> 0:20:18.919
<v Speaker 1>have recused himself from the Russia issue, he would not

0:20:19.040 --> 0:20:22.520
<v Speaker 1>have appointed him as his Attorney general. Uh, Larry, I

0:20:22.600 --> 0:20:24.879
<v Speaker 1>would love to get your sense of this. We are

0:20:24.880 --> 0:20:27.440
<v Speaker 1>getting news this morning that Attorney General Sessions has no

0:20:27.520 --> 0:20:31.840
<v Speaker 1>intention of resigning. Um. Is there anything that President Trump

0:20:31.880 --> 0:20:37.480
<v Speaker 1>can do at this point to halt this Special Counsel's investigation,

0:20:37.560 --> 0:20:41.560
<v Speaker 1>Bob Mueller's investigation, or change his or would he have

0:20:41.720 --> 0:20:45.720
<v Speaker 1>any incentive to really fire Attorney General Sessions as a

0:20:45.720 --> 0:20:48.800
<v Speaker 1>result of some of his displeasure around this investigation. Well,

0:20:48.840 --> 0:20:51.159
<v Speaker 1>first of all, Uh, you know this is the innique

0:20:51.160 --> 0:20:55.040
<v Speaker 1>president one and one of the folks officials we talked

0:20:55.040 --> 0:20:57.640
<v Speaker 1>to said, it's normal for there to be some strikes

0:20:57.680 --> 0:21:02.000
<v Speaker 1>between a president and his Justice department. Uh, it's not

0:21:02.119 --> 0:21:05.720
<v Speaker 1>normal for the president to air at all for the nation. Uh.

0:21:05.760 --> 0:21:08.280
<v Speaker 1>And that's just what Trump does. But we we don't hear,

0:21:08.320 --> 0:21:10.359
<v Speaker 1>and I suspect the White House will tell us sometimes.

0:21:10.359 --> 0:21:12.960
<v Speaker 1>Today we don't hear that the president wants uh Sessions

0:21:13.000 --> 0:21:15.760
<v Speaker 1>to quit or is about to fire him. Uh. And

0:21:15.840 --> 0:21:18.920
<v Speaker 1>Sessions chose to take it that way, basically saying I

0:21:19.040 --> 0:21:22.280
<v Speaker 1>asked if he could serve with with the President's questions

0:21:22.280 --> 0:21:25.360
<v Speaker 1>about him. He said, he said, we are serving. We're

0:21:25.359 --> 0:21:29.040
<v Speaker 1>serving right now and uh, and we intend to continue

0:21:29.080 --> 0:21:33.280
<v Speaker 1>to and Uh, I'm not sure that the presidents and

0:21:33.359 --> 0:21:37.960
<v Speaker 1>Sessions has recused himself from the Russia investigation, would gain

0:21:38.080 --> 0:21:43.600
<v Speaker 1>much for firing Sessions. In fact, he'd uh inheritu Rosestine,

0:21:43.600 --> 0:21:46.680
<v Speaker 1>the deputy Attorney general who who Trump also despairs that,

0:21:46.960 --> 0:21:50.000
<v Speaker 1>Well he's from Baltimore, and how many Republicans are from Baltimore?

0:21:50.359 --> 0:21:54.040
<v Speaker 1>So what did he gain there? Uh? So I respected Sessions.

0:21:54.119 --> 0:21:57.800
<v Speaker 1>UH will labor on uh and uh and Trump will Uh.

0:21:57.960 --> 0:22:00.159
<v Speaker 1>We got we gotta leave it there, Larry, you back

0:22:00.200 --> 0:22:02.240
<v Speaker 1>to work. We got more work to do. We've got

0:22:02.240 --> 0:22:04.560
<v Speaker 1>more to bring you to. Larry Liebert, he's our National

0:22:04.600 --> 0:22:07.800
<v Speaker 1>Security team editor for Bloomberg Plus. I want to thank

0:22:07.880 --> 0:22:13.840
<v Speaker 1>Christian burtleson great reporting and Al Hunt, Bloomberg View contributor

0:22:13.960 --> 0:22:19.280
<v Speaker 1>and veteran d C watcher. Thanks for listening to the

0:22:19.320 --> 0:22:22.440
<v Speaker 1>Bloomberg P and L podcast. You can subscribe and listen

0:22:22.440 --> 0:22:26.600
<v Speaker 1>to interviews at Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, or whatever podcast platform

0:22:26.640 --> 0:22:30.560
<v Speaker 1>you prefer. I'm pim Fox. I'm on Twitter at pim Fox.

0:22:30.880 --> 0:22:34.400
<v Speaker 1>I'm on Twitter at Lisa abramowits one before the podcast.

0:22:34.440 --> 0:22:37.040
<v Speaker 1>You can always catch us worldwide on Bloomberg Radio