Summary:
Second day of the impeachment of Donald Trump, impeachment managers
presented their case to convict Trump. They show new video of rioters
breaching Capitol on January 6. Senator Lindsey Graham called the
presentation by the House Managers offensive and absurd. Pharmacies prepare
distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.
Transcript:
LAWRENCE O`DONNELL, MSNBC HOST: Katie Benner, thank you very much for
joining us tonight.
That is tonight`s LAST WORD. Our special coverage of the second impeachment
trial of Donald Trump will continue live until 2:00 a.m. Eastern. "THE 11TH
HOUR" with Brian Williams starts right now.
BRIAN WILLIAMS, MSNBC HOST: And good evening once again. This was day 22 of
the Biden administration, day two of Trump`s second impeachment trial
wrapped up just a few hours ago.
If you watch some or all of it, then you know how dark and emotional this
day was. We all witnessed the taking of the Capitol as it unfolded live.
But today, the Democratic House managers introduced new evidence never
before seen video and audio, some of the gruesome sights and sounds that
paint such a vivid and harrowing portrait of the deadly violence unleashed
by Trump supporters.
There was this view from one police officers body cam during the moments he
was under attack while desperately trying to defend the Capitol from
rioters.
The managers also presented actual police radio traffic, the real time
audio of the panic and the alarm as the rioters surge closer to the
building and started their assault
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Infra (ph) 1, be advised you`ve got a group about 50
charging up the Hill on the west front just north of the stairs. They are
approaching the wall now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They`re starting dismantle the reviewing stand. They`re
throwing metal poles at us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cruiser 50, give me DSO up here now. DSO. Multiple law
enforcement injuries. DSO get up here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re going to give riot warnings. We`re going to try to
get compliance. But this is now effectively a riot.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 1349 hours. Declaring riot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let`s go. We need units outside on the terrace ASAP. We
need units. We`re surrounded.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cruiser 50, they`re reached the scaffolds. Let Capitol
know they have breached the scaffolds. They are behind our lines.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cruiser 50, I copy. We`re still taking rocks, bottles,
and pieces of flag and metal pole.
Cruiser 50, the crowd is using munitions against us. They have bear spray
in the crowd. Bear spray in the crowd.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cruiser 50. We`re flanked. 10-33. I repeat, 10:33 west
front of the Capitol. We have been flanked and we`ve lost the line.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAMS: As the line was lost with the rioters now inside the wire,
security personnel inside the Capitol went about the business of evacuating
members of the House and Senate.
The senator saw a new surveillance video of the Democratic Leader Chuck
Schumer and his security detail coming within yards of the rioters. The
group quickly turned around to escape the mob.
Impeachment manager Stacy Plaskett described another close call showing how
dangerously close Senator Mitt Romney came to an encounter with those
rioters if not for the quick thinking of Capitol Hill Police Officer Eugene
Goodman.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. STACEY PLASKETT, (D-VI) HOUSE IMPEACHMENT MANAGER: Officer Goodman
passes Senator Mitt Romney and directs him to turn around in order to get
to safety. On the first floor, just beneath them, the mob had already
started to search for the Senate chamber. Officer Goodman made his way down
to the first floor where he encountered the same insurrectionists we just
saw watch breach the Capitol.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAMS: Indeed, tonight Mitt Romney was asked about this new video
evidence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you know you were that close to those folks when you
came down this hall?
SEN. MITT ROMNEY, (R) UTAH: No, no, I did not.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you that was Officer Goodman?
ROMNEY: No, I did now know.
I was very fortunate indeed that Officer Goodman was there to get me in the
right direction.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAMS: The new surveillance footage also revealed congressional staffers
scattering and hiding for their own safety as the mob closed in.
Members of Speaker Pelosi`s staff were seen running into a conference room
where they proceeded to barricade the door as the rioters were on the hunt
for the Speaker.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where are you Nancy? We`re looking for you.
Nancy. Oh, Nancy. Nancy. We`re are you Nancy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAMS: A New York Times photographer captured this image of some of
those same Pelosi staff members, many who hid under a table for hours on
end on six January watching today`s proceedings.
The impeachment managers made repeated references to what they argued was
Donald Trump`s incitement of violence against his own vice president.
Manager Plaskett also introduced new footage of Mike Pence and his family
being evacuated, moments before the mob came close enough to find him.
To build their case of incitement, Manager Joaquin Castro showed one rioter
reading a Trump tweet attacking Vice President Pence that was sent during
the insurrection.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mike Pence don`t have the courage to do what should have
been done to protect our country, and our constitution, giving states a
chance to certify a corrected set of facts not the fraudulent or inaccurate
ones which they were asked to previously certify. USA demands the truth.
(Crosstalk)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAMS: As today`s video evidence indicated, over and over again, Trump`s
repeated criticism of his own vice president, of course was noticed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hang Mike Pence.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hang Mike Pence.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hang Mike Pence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAMS: House managers also displayed the image of the gallows erected
outside the Capitol to try to underscore the rioters` intentions toward
lawmakers. Anger that they argued was fueled by weeks of Trump`s own
rhetoric.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JAMIE RASKIN, (D-MD) LEAD HOUSE IMPEACHMENT MANAGER: Donald Trump
surrendered his role as commander in chief and became the insider in chief.
REP. JOE NEGUSE, (D-CO) HOUSE IMPEACHMENT MANAGER: It was part of a
carefully planned month`s long effort with a very specific instruction.
Show up on January 6, and get your people to fight the certification.
REP. JOAQUIN CASTRO, (D-TX) HOUSE IMPEACHMENT MANAGER: After Donald Trump
lost, he became even more desperate and incited his base even further.
REP. MADELEINE DEAN, (D-PA) HOUSE IMPEACHMENT MANAGER: Donald Trump was
trying to undermine our elections so that he could remain president.
REP. TED LIEU, (D-CA) HOUSE IMPEACHMENT MANAGER: Donald J. Trump ran out of
non-violent options to maintain power.
PLASKETT: He knew who he was calling and the violence they were capable of.
And he still gave that marching orders to go to the Capitol and, "fight
like hell and stop the steal."
REP. DAVID CICILLINE, (D-RI) HOUSE IMPEACHMENT MANAGER: Even if President
Trump claims he didn`t know the extent of the violence that would follow
his speech, it was now happening in plain view. He doesn`t send help.
Doesn`t try to stop it. Doesn`t even acknowledge the attack.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAMS: With that, let`s bring in our leadoff guests on this
consequential Wednesday night, Phil Rucker, Pulitzer Prize Winning Senior
Washington Correspondent at "The Washington Post," A.B. Stoddard, Associate
Editor and Columnist for "Real Clear Politics," And Daniel Goldman, former
assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. We watched
him questioning witnesses as General Counsel for the House Intel Committee
during our live coverage of that first Trump impeachment.
And indeed, Counselor, I would like to begin with you tonight.
So here now, we retreat to our two nations, one side saying there`s nothing
to see here, move on. The other side, unable to imagine watching today`s
evidence and not wanting to act on it. It was as many found a perfect
combination of prosecution shops and production values.
Though I`m going to start by playing you Lindsey Graham`s reaction to the
entire day tonight on Fox News.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, (R) SOUTH CAROLINA: The not guilty vote is growing
after today. I think most Republicans found the presentation by the House
managers offensive and absurd.
The FBI and the Capitol Hill police actually now understand this was pre
planned. They were planning bombs the night before. So the whole storyline
that Donald Trump calls this by his speech has fallen apart.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAMS: So Dan, we learned long ago, there`s very little the senator from
South Carolina is not willing to say publicly, period full stop. But how do
you counter -- how do you counter that?
DANIEL GOLDMAN, MSNBC IMPEACHMENT ANALYST: Well, I think his talking points
must be left over from -- because what we saw today was not solely focused
on January 6, as Donald Trump`s lawyers would have you believe. What we saw
today was a month long build up by Donald Trump to plant the seed that the
election was rigged even before the election, to incite his followers to
believe that the election was rigged, to fail all legal -- in all legal
recourse and all legislative recourse and ultimately to call a rally for
the same time as the last gasp effort to stop the certification on January
6.
And so it`s not just about January 6, and to the extent that it was pre
planned, it was pre planned with Donald Trump`s words, incitement,
knowledge, and that only makes it worse for Donald Trump.
So, Lindsey Graham is -- and some of the other Republicans who are grasping
for straws, I think in just in terms of what their talking points should
be, are missing the point of what we saw today. And what we saw today in
spades, to me was the graphic violence of January 6, and the graphic video
put together so well, and so effectively.
But more importantly, it was tied so tightly to Donald Trump, who knew what
his supporters or how his supporters would react with violence, who had
previously endorsed their violence, and who use the same language that
previously incited their violence. So this whole scheme was hatched by
Trump and the whole rally on January 6, was initiated by Donald Trump.
So you cannot separate Donald Trump from the events of January 6. And that
was -- that`s a testament to the House managers because that wasn`t clear
before we started this trial. But I think after today, it is very clear.
WILLIAMS: A.B., the video shows nothing less than the taking of our
Capitol, you can see law enforcement officers getting beaten and tortured.
Of course, there was a loss of life.
You`ve covered politics in Washington for many years. Serious question,
take us inside the mind of a Republican senator who watched all that today
comes away and says, I think we`re good. Nothing to see here.
A.B. STODDARD, REAL CLEAR POLITICS ASSOC. EDITOR & COLUMNIST: Well Brian,
I`ve been saying before, the trial started that I was very disturbed by the
fact that there was a sort of an intentional indifference to the
insurrection displayed by Republicans who were not coming out and saying
that they were so upset, and so traumatized, but what had happened to the
Capitol, the cradle of democracy, and the U.S. Capitol Police who protect
them night and day, 24 hours a day for the elite members of the leadership,
like Kevin McCarthy, who know very well that they save the lives of Steve
Scalise when he was shot and almost killed several years ago.
None of them have been saying this has shaken me to the core. This was
immediately perceived, because around them on conservative media, the white
washing and sort of the January 6 truth or ism had begun as something that
they should not touch, and might upset their voters who still would like to
walk around, posting on Facebook that this was a, you know, false flag
Antifa operation.
So, I agree with Daniel and everyone else today, the vows managers laid out
incredibly powerful case about the premeditated incitement that started
many, many, many months ago before the election by Donald Trump, and
including, of course, every incendiary thing he said on January 6, the
rally.
But what Republicans are going to be able to do is cling to the word
peacefully, if already said the likes of senators Cruz and Johnson. It`s
really the criminals who did this not Donald Trump. We didn`t see that the
arguments today meat a threshold for the definition of incitement, and
they`re going to lean back on that constitutional argument.
Why? Because the Democrats did not deliver the Articles of Impeachment
until after Donald Trump was gone, and they limited it to incitement.
Everyone today has observed the most powerful arguments were about what
Donald Trump didn`t do and refuse to do. And so the fact that they didn`t
focus an article on his dereliction of duty as commander in chief. In
everything we heard today seems strange to me. You were never going to get
17 senators. What you were going to do is make it hard on them.
And I think the fact that they limited this very narrow argument to
incitement gives a free pass to the senators who are desperately looking
for one.
WILLIAMS: Phil Rucker, have you any reporting that disagrees with our
central holding that both sides go back to their corners, that they`re not
going to get to 17? Perhaps you have reporting of some movement today
beyond Senator Cassidy of Louisiana?
PHIL RUCKER, "THE WASHINGTON POST" SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: You
know Brian, no hard reporting yet about any additional Republican senators
considering convicting former President Trump. But a couple things to note,
there were a number of Republicans in that chamber, who according to those
watching from the gallery, or according to their colleagues were physically
taken by what they were watching, they were paying attention. They seemed
emotional, some of them look down at their papers, some of them reached out
to grab the shoulders of others.
And so you can tell that the power of the presentation by the House
Democratic managers today resonated with some of those Republican senators.
Now, it`s a huge leap to go from reacting emotionally to what you saw play
out in this trial to actually voting to convict the former president and
risking censure from your own party, which is, of course, what has happened
to Congresswoman Liz Cheney and other Republicans. So I don`t know if those
votes are going to materialize or not. But the presentation today did have
an impact on a number of those Republicans.
WILLIAMS: Dan Goldman, if this were truly a trial before a jury of our
peers, and assuming our peers are nothing like Mike Lee, would this be the
stage in the trial where someone might want to discuss a deal?
GOLDMAN: I think you would have had a deal probably long before this trial.
You know, the analogy just falls flat. Because in a courtroom, you have a
judge making legal rulings, the senators would not if they were in a
courtroom, would not be able to consider the constitutional argument as a
basis for conviction or acquittal.
You would also have a situation where the jurors would be instructed as to
what the law is, and that they could only consider the evidence that`s in
front of them. They would also be instructed not to make up their mind
before they started. And we certainly know that is not the case here.
So, it is, I think, tempting to compare it to a courtroom, but it`s just
not a courtroom. That also, though, plays to some advantage for the
Democrats because I think that the hyper technical defenses that A.B. was
referencing about Trump`s dereliction of duty, but not inciting the riot
really fall flat to anyone who watched this.
The fact of the matter is, his dereliction of duty after the riot began
goes directly to his intent to incite the insurrection. That is why that
evidence is so relevant, and it is directly relevant to his inciting the
insurrection. It is a scheme that is effectively being charged.
And all of that evidence before and after it goes to the central charge
that he incited this insurrection. The Republicans and Trump`s lawyers were
certainly tried to narrow it to January 6, they`ll try to disavow any
association with the rioters and throw them under the bus as fast as they
possibly can. But that`s why that evidence of Trump`s dereliction of duty
of his failure to intervene is so important because it shows that this is
what he wanted.
And what I`ve been stressing all day long, and I urge people to do this as
well is go look at that 6:01 p.m. tweet on January 6 that Trump issued
where he basically said, I told you so. I told you that if you did not go
along with my demands, Mike Pence and the congressmen, that bad things
would happen. Remember this day forever.
That is a chilling, chilling tweet. And to me it would certainly be the
nail in the coffin in a courtroom. And unfortunately, it may not be here. I
shouldn`t -- Unfortunately, it doesn`t seem to have that impact, I should
say.
WILLIAMS: A.B., during your first answer I wrote down when you use the
phrase, intentional indifference. I`ll counter you with nihilistic
performance art.
And here`s what I`m talking about Josh Hawley, who now has a perfect voting
record against every one of the Biden Cabinet nominees thus far, has
decided apparently on his new swashbuckling brand, prep school, Stanford
and Yale Law notwithstanding, he put his feet up on the railing today. He
took in today`s session up in the gallery and was reading and he did all of
this, knowing journalists could see him.
Further the words tonight of Lindsey Graham. It`s beyond gas lighting. It`s
something different.
Where did this nihilism come from and take roots so deeply in what was
formerly known as the Republican Party?
STODDARD: Right, Brian, that`s the central question about the threat that
still remains that long after this impeachment trial there will not be a
third impeachment trial Donald Trump, there will be Donald Trump
penetrating the state parties, the local parties, the grassroots,
pretending he`s running again in 2024, and then lording over these people
who still fear him in the House of Representatives and the Senate, and the
elections in 2022, before the next presidential election.
And Josh Hawley plays it so shrewdly, right? He knew that that would be
reported on out to his -- what he sees as his future base, so that he could
look like he didn`t give a crap and it`s all such a joke.
Others who respect the institution, like Senator Roy Blunt, mentioned
tonight, that he thinks that they might be using some videos from Seattle
in Portland. And again, it will be some false equivalence to an attack on
our government in historic, unprecedented, deadly attack on our government
to -- in attempt to overthrow our government, a bloody coup to Antifa riot
and BLM protests that turned violent that they`re hoping will serve as a
counter argument to show that all rioting that turns deadly is terrible.
So it runs the gamut from the total nihilists, like Cruz and Hawley who
know better to the people that are just like Senator Cassidy trying to do
the right thing but waited until he won a second term, which he just did by
40 points. It doesn`t mean he will not be mocked at the grocery store,
because he will, but you can sense he`s struggling to do the right thing
and be a statesman and preserve the institutions.
So, this will be a range of people making their excuses to vote for acquit
for different reasons and different levels of queasiness. But we`re not
going to see 17 senators vote to convict.
WILLIAMS: Sometimes we have to be real around here. And our thanks go to
Phil Rucker, to A.B. Stoddard, to Dan Goleman. After the day, we`ve had
greatly appreciate the three of you starting us off tonight.
Coming up, he`s called this an open and shut case. Former House manager,
current Democratic caucus chair, Hakeem Jeffries standing by to join us
next as our special coverage of this second impeachment trial of one Donald
Trump, private citizen, continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN THUNE, (R) SOUTH DAKOTA: They were very effective. They had a
strong, strong presentation put together in a way that I think makes it
pretty compelling.
I think they`ve done a good job connecting the dots.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAMS: Praise today from the number two Republican senator about the
House manager`s presentation. It is not clear though how Senator John Thune
intends to vote.
John Thune was a loyal Trumper for these past four years. And we have
learned over the past four years, nothing is cheaper than faint praise
followed by a vote for Trump and his team.
We are pleased to be joined tonight by one of the impeachment managers
during the first impeachment trial, New York Democratic Congressman Hakeem
Jeffries, currently serves as chair of the House Democratic Caucus.
Congressman, thank you so much after the day you`ve had for making time for
us.
We at home, those of us watching these videos, hearing the real time police
radio transmissions are still coming to grips with how close a call this
was. You were there, you later learned your family at home was threatened.
Is it possible that you members of Congress are still learning as you watch
some of this with the rest of us exactly how close we all came?
REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES, (D-NY) HOUSE MANAGER FOR TRUMP`S 1ST IMPEACHMENT:
Well, good evening, Brian. It`s great to be with you. And absolutely today
was riveting and it was chilling at the same time. Because it wasn`t that
clear to me until today how close we all came to the possibility of grave
injury, if not death.
The House impeachment managers presented a case that was clear, convincing
and compelling. And it may -- it was obvious that those individuals who
Donald Trump radicalized some into Washington incited and then told the mob
to march on the Capitol were there to do bad things, like assassinate Nancy
Pelosi, hang Mike Pence and hunt down members of Congress. That`s not
hyperbole. Those are cold blooded facts that were put on display at the
trial today.
WILLIAMS: So tonight on Fox News, and with a straight face, Lindsey Graham
tried to put it again, on the Speaker somehow. His goal is to find out as
he put it what Nancy Pelosi knew and when she knew it, as if she somehow
played a role in this. It`s all part of the vague, gas lighting, lighting
fires as distractions. How do you deal with that?
JEFFRIES: It`s very hard to take Lindsey Graham seriously at this
particular point in time. And it`s sad because during the days in which he
traveled alongside John McCain, he projected that he was a much different
figure than the individual who he`s turned out to be.
But I think what the House impeachment managers have done is to stay
focused, be respectful of the Senate as it sits in a trial court of
impeachment, and urge them respectfully, to follow the facts apply to law
be guided by the Constitution, and let the truth fall where they may,
because if they follow the truth, then I think there`s no other verdict,
but to convict Donald Trump of inciting a violent insurrection.
WILLIAMS: New York congressman Hakeem Jeffries, thank you for always being
generous with your time and taking our questions again after the day we all
witnessed on Capitol Hill, thank you very much.
Another break for us and coming up the impact of two days of damning
evidence into the motivation behind an act of insurrection, that taking the
physical taking of that building.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WILLIAMS: During today`s trial Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett, a former
guest on this broadcast delegate representing the U.S. Virgin Islands,
presented never before seen video evidence of rioters breaching the Capitol
on 6th January.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PLASKETT: Note as the video begins we are seeing the inside view as the mob
approaches from outside and beats the windows indoors. And a lone police
officer inside response and begins to spray the first man who enters but is
quickly overwhelmed.
I want you to pay attention to the first group of assailants as they break
into the building. The second man through the window is wearing full
tactical body armor and is carrying a baseball bat. Others are carrying
riot shields.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAMS: Just keep remembering that is our Capitol Building we`re
watching.
Here with us tonight to talk about it. We`re so happy to have Jason
Johnson, a campaign veteran journalist contributor at The Greo, professor
of politics and journalism at Morgan State. We`re also happy to have
Matthew Dowd founder of Country Over Party and in the past, former chief
strategist for the Bush-Cheney presidential effort in 04. Gentlemen, good
evening to you both.
And, Matt, a special welcome to you, I`m going to play for you. Mark
Warner, what he said during an appearance with Nicolle Wallace late today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MARK WARNER (D-VA): I pride myself on this job and try and always try
to put myself in the other person`s shoes, but proud of trying to be
bipartisan. God, I pray that testimony may have some of my Republican
colleagues rethink how they`re going to vote, rethink who they are and what
they`re going to stand for.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAMS: Matt, do you have any hope that what we saw, what we all witness
today has the power to move any Republican votes?
MATTHEW DOWD, FMR. CHIEF STRATEGIST TO BUSH-CHENEY CAMPAIGN: Well, unlike
I`m a very helpful person. I`m like my Irish heritage where the famous
Yates quote of the Irish have an abiding sense of tragedy which sustains
them through temporary periods of joy.
I have hope, but I had my realistic outlook is I don`t think it`s going to
move many it may move a couple. Obviously, Bill Cassidy moved in one way,
move once in one vote. But I don`t have an expectation. And I don`t think
it`s because of Donald Trump.
I`ve said this before, I think he`s a proxy for the real bigger problem,
which is the Republican primary voters, and that`s who I think these
republicans are afraid of. They`re not afraid of Donald Trump. Nobody is
really afraid of Donald Trump. It`s the Republican Party, primary voters.
And that really is in America today to that segment of the population, and
we can have a deeper conversation of why that might be. But that`s the
problem. And that`s what is motivating those Republican senators.
WILLIAMS: Jason while I will match Mr. Dowd, Yates with a Moynahan the
definition of being Irish is knowing sooner or later, the world is going to
break your heart. I`ll ask, we move on to you and I have something for you
to. Here is Jim Jordan, whether you like it or not.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JIM JORDAN (R-OH): The language you talked about, were Democrats last
summer, Democrat members of the Congress said there needs to be more unrest
in the streets while there was unrest in the streets. And somehow that`s
not incitement. But when the president says peacefully and patriotically,
make your voices heard, they`re going to impeach him. I mean, this is what
Americans so despise. There`s lots of things that hate about this town.
They hate when we spend their money on crazy things. But what they mostly
hate is the hypocrisy and the double standard that the elite in this town
get to have.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAMS: So Jason, what about that sort of what about ism, and as sound
bites go, that was refrigerator magnets. He`s got unrest in the streets. He
threw the elites in there at the end. But this is Fox News and prime
tonight. You saw a lot of flames from BLM protests in the past few months.
JASON JOHNSON, PROFESSOR, MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY: Yes, I mean, basically,
Jim Jordan is just like a QAnon Mad Libs. I mean, you know, he leads
terrible lasers from outer space. He`s going to do that. He`s always been
sort of a disingenuous feckless hack for wherever he thinks the political
winds are going, I mean, number one, he`s lying because Trump had already
been impeached, but two, and I`ve said this all along about this sort of
ridiculous argument, which is, I watched a lot of protests last summer the
whole country did. I was at some of the protests last summer. I don`t
remember anyone saying we`re doing this for Nancy Pelosi. I don`t remember
anyone saying we`re doing this for Maxine Waters.
People protested last year because unarmed black people like Breonna Taylor
were shot in her home by cops. So the idea of associating state sponsored
violence, but somehow rest with the fact that the president of the United
States tried to have his own vice president killed is a ridiculous and
disingenuous comparison what it speaks to, and it is sort of mentioned what
you said at the beginning, Brian, we have a large number of Republicans.
They`re not afraid of their primary opponents. They`re not afraid of their
primary opponents. They agree with the insurrection. They wanted to see it
happen. They wanted to be in that number when the Saints and the Patriots
came marching into the building, they wanted to participate.
And that`s what I think is the dangerous thing that everybody needs to
understand. These guys are not being buffeted by some frightening outside
force and in their hearts at home. They`re crying at the table saying,
gosh, I wish I could get out of this. They are full fledged engaged in this
activity. And I hope that even after this impeachment, that there`s a
commission in an investigation to how many of them may have been complicit
in helping this happen.
WILLIAMS: And Matt, before we go to a break, do you agree with me that I
guess, nihilism is uniquely Irish or at least Irish in Part, do you agree
with me that there is a new performative nihilism afoot in the husk of the
remnants of the republican party?
DOWD: Well, there`s a PT Barnum S. Circus like atmosphere in the in the
10th. They`ve designed that they want to keep only a certain brand of
American. And as I listened to Jim Jordan, I`m struck by the fact that
every time there seems to be an issue, it says, if we`re going to bring up
people of color, we`re going to bring up people of color, because that`s
fundamentally, Brian, that`s fundamentally what`s at the base of why these
thousands of Americans stormed the Capitol. It`s because they fear, a lack
of power, a loss of power and a loss of place in America.
And this is a thread that has gone through American history, and you can
trace it, but you could trace it all the way back, but trace it fully back
to the end of reconstruction. And it traces all the way through everything
we`ve experienced the death of Emmett Till, the death of Medgar Evers, the
death of Martin Luther King, the death of Heather Heyer, the police -- the
deaths from police brutality.
And every time we come to this, that is the real issue. That`s the root of
this is -- there is a certain segment of a population that fundamentally
believes there`s real Americans, and there`s not and when the real
Americans lose their power, they saw in this instance, on January 6, to
nullify election, just like what happened in 1860 and 1861. It said same
thing. They use different words. They have different slogans, but it`s
exactly the same line that is traced all the way back. They fundamentally
do not believe all men and women are created equal in this country.
WILLIAMS: While sad, that is an accurate viewers guide to 2021. Both of
these gentlemen are going to stay with us. We`re just going to sneak in a
break. Our conversation continues. On the other side, we`ll talk about the
new president.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WILLIAMS: President Joe Biden today continued to counter prom -- counter
program the impeachment by going about the business of running the country.
Today that meant a trip to the Pentagon to talk about things like our
relations with China. The Associated Press summing up his strategy this
way. For now, the White House`s public approach to the proceedings has been
impeachment? What impeachment?
Remaining with us tonight, Jason Johnson, Matthew Dowd. Jason, what about
this strategy of being President of the United States? I noted, he didn`t
trash anyone on Twitter today. I`m not sure that`s sustainable. Serious
question, how long can he go about kind of ignoring the impeachment
elephant right down the street?
JOHNSON: I think that Joe Biden can ignore all the elephants and the rest
of the GOP. I think it`s a smart strategy for him to ignore what`s
happening. This is Senate business. I know that for many of us, his
reaction is sort of like an athlete saying no, I don`t really read fan
tweets. We know he`s paying attention to the impeachment. But he`s got a
country to run. There`s 400,000 people who have died of COVID. I like the
idea that Joe Biden has shown that he could be a responsible president of
the United States while the Senate does his business without him trying to
put his finger on the scale.
WILLIAMS: Matthew Dowd, I do a question for you. What is the state of play
on calling witnesses? What`s your prediction? Do you think we will see so
much as a single witness?
DOWD: First, I think the state of play is right now, my sense is they`re
not going to call them, I think they should call witnesses. I actually
think witnesses would give fiber to it and a muscle to the testimony and
present it in a way that it`s real. And not just a -- you`re not selling
something. You`re basically have real people saying real things, especially
if certain witnesses that can testify it whether they had conversations
with Donald Trump or people in the crowd that said, I went there because of
Donald Trump and they stand up and say it as a person.
I don`t know if they`re going to end up in that point. I think the
testimony so far has been so powerful. And the defense attorneys for Donald
Trump have been so weak. I don`t expect them to get stronger. But I -- if I
were them, I`d want witnesses right away. And I think what also and I
think, Brian, that`s why what you`ve done on the show tonight on the other
shows, the main point of this is not the punishment of Donald Trump. It`s
the finding the truth, and it`s assessing accountability.
And I think the punishment is the least important power. I think the
American public needs to hear the truth and find out who they should hold
accountable. And if we only we get that that`s a win big win for the
American -- for America at this point in time.
WILLIAMS: I think the words you just spoke may get -- may garner repetition
tomorrow, because I think the point you just made is terribly, terribly
important. As we watch this unfold on television. We saw 1/6 in real time,
but we`re seeing it the way we didn`t see it that day.
Jason Johnson, Matthew Dowd, gentlemen, really excited to have you both
with us tonight. Thank you very much for hanging out with us.
Coming up for us. We`ll turn to some good news on the coronavirus front
especially for anyone on the time consuming job to find a dose of the
vaccine. We`ll have that report when we come right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WILLIAMS: We are back and starting Friday. If all goes according to plan if
the supplies are there, and barring any bottlenecks, a lot of Americans are
going to be able to get vaccinated in the same way we`re used to getting an
annual flu shot in what could be a turning point in getting this pandemic
under control. Big chain drugstores like CVS, Walgreens are gearing up to
start delivering shots in the arms. We get our reports tonight from NBC
News correspondent Tom Costello.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
TOM COSTELLO, NBC NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At a Walgreens in West
Hartford, Connecticut pharmacist Juliet Provost was today checking her
vaccine vials preparing to start on inoculations on Friday.
JULIET PROVOST, PHARMACIST: Our phone volume has increased tremendously of
patients just calling asking about the vaccine. When can they get it are
they eligible where they can find more information.
COSTELLO: For weeks hospitals, clinics and health departments have been
responsible for vaccinations. Now the Biden administration is enlisting
retail pharmacists nationwide, including Walgreens Rite Aid, Walmart,
Publix, Costco and CVS along with smaller regional chains. CVS will start
with 300 locations and 11 states expanding to 10,000 stores as more doses
become available.
DR. SREE CHAGUTURU, CVS HEALTH CAREMARK CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: We have the
ability to provide 25 million vaccinations per month. So we really have the
opportunity to contribute significantly to the expanded vaccination of the
country.
COSTELLO: CVS began a pilot program last month on Long Island.
Where Barbara Soldan signed up.
BARBARA SOLDAN, LONG ISLAND RESIDENT: It was absolutely nothing. I feel
fine.
COSTELLO: A top priority for the CDC ensuring underserved populations have
equal access to the vaccine.
DR. MARCELLA NUNEZ-SMITH, WHITE HOUSE COVID-19 HEALTH EQUITY TASK FORCE: To
make sure that we see a substantial number of pharmacies located in
socially vulnerable areas.
PROVOST: There`s been a dire need for this vaccine. And we`re so excited
that that`s coming our way.
COSTELLO (on camera): To get vaccinated at your local pharmacy, you`ll need
to be eligible under your state`s vaccine rules then sign up online or
through the pharmacy telephone hotline.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
WILLIAMS: And our thanks to Tom Costello for that report tonight. Another
break for us and coming up. You`ve heard of the big lie. It`s what brought
a crazed mob to Washington but there was another lie and it`s one that
needs to be called out.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WILLIAMS: Last thing before we go tonight, the genuine sadness of today`s
impeachment presentation. And let`s talk about the millions of Americans
who fueled by grievance or anger actually believed they could somehow
overturn the election results by force. They believed in a fake landslide.
They believed there would somehow be mass arrest that maybe they could
murder the vice president or Speaker of the House by hanging and at all
those rallies where they`ve been whipped into a froth and we now know that
something Trump told them repeatedly was just a throwaway line to make them
feel good. We now know it was a lie.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, FMR. U.S. PRESIDENT: We`re riding down the beautiful
Pennsylvania Avenue and I look outside at this police. I love our police.
We got it.
We love our police. Yes.
We love our police. I stand with the heroes of law enforced. We love our
police.
So we want to thank you and the police law enforcement, great. You`re doing
a great job.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAMS: That is our broadcast for this Wednesday night. But please stay
with this network. Coming up our coverage continues with an extended look
at today`s presentation by the House managers. Joshua Johnson is standing
by to take you the rest of the way for now, for us. On behalf of my
colleagues at the networks of NBC News, good night.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY
BE UPDATED.
END
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