IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS
INVOLVING DONALD TRUMP.
WHILE THE DEMOCRATS IN CONTROL
OF THE HOUSE INVESTIGATE THE
PRESIDENT, REPUBLICANS IN
CONTROL OF THE SENATE ARE
LOOKING ELSEWHERE.
"HERE AND NOW" REPORTER ZAC
SCHULTZ CAUGHT UP WITH WISCONSIN
U.S. SENATOR RON JOHNSON TO ASK
HIM WHY HE'S ONCE AGAIN LOOKING
AT HILLARY CLINTON'S EMAILS AND
WHETHER WE CAN TRUST WHAT THE
PRESIDENT IS SAYING WHEN HE
TWEETS ABOUT A POTENTIAL CIVIL
WAR.
>> PRESIDENT TRUMP SHOULD NOT BE
USING THE TYPES OF TERMINOLOGY,
TALKING ABOUT POTENTIAL CIVIL
WAR.
AT THE SAME TIME, I WANT TO KNOW
THE TRUTH, AND I THINK YOU
CERTAINLY COULD TAKE A LOOK AT
HIS CONVERSATION.
I SPOKE WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP
BEFORE I WENT TO UKRAINE.
I OBVIOUSLY WAS THERE WITH THE
PRESIDENT.
HE INDICATED THAT NO PRESSURE
WHATSOEVER.
HE'S OBVIOUSLY CONCERNED ABOUT
THE FUNDING, AS WAS I, BUT HE
WAS COMING OUT TODAY SAYING
THERE WAS NO PRESSURE.
IT'S REASONABLE TO CONCLUDE WHAT
PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS TALKING
ABOUT AS THE CHIEF LAW
ENFORCEMENT OF THE EXECUTIVE
BRANCH, LET'S GET TO THE TRUTH.
WHAT HAPPENED IN UKRAINE AS
RELATES TO 2016 ELECTION.
I WANT TO FIND OUT WHERE DID
THIS NARRATIVE COME THAT HAS PUT
THIS COUNTRY THROUGH AN ORDEAL
THAT WE PROBABLY SHOULDN'T HAVE
HAD TO GO THROUGH.
SO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE A
RIGHT TO KNOW.
I'M INQUISITIVE.
I CAN UNDERSTAND AND I'M
SYMPATHETIC WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP
WANTING TO FIND OUT WHAT CAUSED
ALL THIS.
WHY WAS THIS COUNTRY WRUNG
THROUGH THIS DAMAGING BUSINESS.
>> WHAT WE TRUST WHAT HE SAYS
WHAT HE TWEETS OUT MESSAGES?
>> HE HAS AN UNORTHODOX STYLE.
HE'S LOOSE WITH SOME OF HIS
TWEETS.
HIS SUPPORTERS AGREE WITH THE
DIRECTION OF HIS POLICIES, WISH
HE WOULD TWEET A WHOLE LOT LESS.
>> DOES HE DAMAGE CREDIBILITY
WHEN HE TALKS ABOUT ISSUES LIKE
THIS?
>> WHEN YOU GET IT WRONG TOO
MANY TIMES, YOU START DAMAGING
YOUR CREDIBILITY.
FROM MY STANDPOINT, THE MOST
VALUABLE QUALITY A PUBLIC
OFFICIAL CAN HAVE IS
CREDIBILITY.
>> HAS THE PRESIDENT LOST
CREDIBILITY WITH YOU?
>> THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS
THAT HE'S TWEETED THAT ARE NOT
ACCURATE AND THAT'S NOT A GOOD
THING.
>> WHY ARE YOU INVESTIGATING
FORMER SECRETARY CLINTON AND HER
EMAILS AGAIN?
WHAT'S BRINGING THAT ISSUE BACK?
>> WE WANT TO FIND OUT SOME
ANSWERS.
WHEN YOU ARE CONDUCTING
CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATION WHEN
THERE'S ALSO CRIMINAL
INVESTIGATION, WE DON'T HAVE
ACCESS TO ANY INFORMATION.
I THINK WE WE DO THESE THINGS
BACKWARDS.
THE PUBLIC HAS A RIGHT TO KNOW
IF THERE'S IMPROPER BEHAVIOR ON
THE RIGHT OF A PUBLIC OFFICIAL.
WE SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THE
INFORMATION, HOLD HEARINGS,
WRITE REPORTS.
BASED ON THOSE REPORTS, TALKING
ABOUT PUBLIC OFFICIALS, IF
THERE'S A REQUIREMENT FOR A
CRIMINAL REFERRAL, WE REFER THAT
TO THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT.
IF THEY CAN'T HANDLE IT BECAUSE
OF CONFLICTS, THEN THEY SET UP A
SPECIAL COUNSEL.
FOR THE RUSSIAN COLLUSION IT
WENT BACKWARDS AND AS A RESULT
THE AMERICAN PUBLIC STILL
DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED AND
EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED WITH
THE FBI'S HANDLING OF THAT
INVESTIGATION.
SO, AGAIN, ALL I WANT TO DO IS
GET TO THE BOTTOM OF SO MANY
DIFFERENT ISSUES.
I HAVE SO MANY ANSWERS -- OR SO
MANY QUESTIONS THAT I WANT
ANSWERED BECAUSE IF SOMETHING
HAPPENED, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
NEED TO KNOW IT.
IF NOTHING HAPPENED, THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW
THAT SO WE CAN MOVE ON.
WE HAVE ENORMOUS CHALLENGES,
SERIOUS ISSUES.
WE NEED TO CONCENTRATE ON THOSE.
BUT UNTIL THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
UNDERSTAND WHAT DID AND DIDN'T
HAPPEN, IT'S GOING TO BE
DIFFICULT TO MOVE BEYOND THIS
AND WE'LL REMAIN IN THIS
PARTISAN LOG JAM.
>> DEMOCRATS SAY THEY'RE BEING
STONEWALLED BY SOME OF THE
PRESIDENT'S CABINET MEMBERS AND
HIS EMPLOYEES.
AS A COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN, HOW
WOULD YOU FEEL IF YOU WERE
GETTING NO RESPONSE OR BEING
TOLD THAT THEY WEREN'T GOING TO
COME TO TESTIFY BEFORE YOUR
COMMITTEE?
>> I'VE BEEN STONEWALLED BY BOTH
ADMINISTRATIONS.
THERE'S RELUCTANCE TO SHARE
INFORMATION WITH CONGRESS.
THEY DON'T WANT TO SET DIFFERENT
PRECEDENTS.
THERE IS A REASON WHY YOU HAVE
EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE.
THERE'S A REASON WHY IT'S VERY
DAMAGING NOW THAT ANOTHER
TELEPHONE CONVERSATION
TRANSCRIPT HAS BEEN LEAKED.
AND IN THIS CASE IT WAS JUST
BASICALLY OFFERED BECAUSE
PRESIDENT WANTED TO EXONERATE
HIMSELF.
THAT'S INCREDIBLY DAMAGING.
WORLD LEADERS, MEMBERS OF THE
PRESIDENT'S STAFF, HAVE TO BE
ABLE TO HAVE CANDID
CONVERSATIONS IN ORDER FOR A
PRESIDENT TO CONDUCT FOREIGN
POLICY OR TO GOVERN EFFECTIVELY.
IT'S AN ENORMOUS CHALLENGE BEING
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
YOU NEED CANDID ADVICE, CANDID
CONVERSATIONS.
THERE'S A REASON YOU HAVE
EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE AND WHY
THESE TRANSCRIPTS NEVER SHOULD
HAVE SEEN THE LIGHT OF DAY.
>> IF THE HOUSE VOTES TIME
-- VOTESTO IMPEACH, DO YOU EXPECT TO SEE
ANY ACTION ON YOUR COMMITTEE?
>> WE HAVE NEVER STOPPED OUR
GATHERING OF INFORMATION.
I NEVER HELD A TRIAL ON HILLARY
CLINTON'S EMAIL.
I'M JUST TRYING TO GATHER THE
INFORMATION TO GET TO THE TRUTH.
I WOULD EXPECT THAT GATHERING OF
INFORMATION INVESTIGATION WILL
CONTINUE.
AT SOME POINT IN TIME WE REQUIRE
A HEARING, WE'LL HOLD ONE.
>> THANK YOU, SENATOR.
>> THANK YOU.
>> BY FRIDAY, THE SENATOR WAS
DOUBLING DOWN WITH CALLS TO LOOK
INTO HILLARY CLINTON'S CAMPAIGN,
AS WELL AS THE UKRAINIAN COMPANY
THAT HUNTER BIDEN WORKED FOR.
HE SAYS HE HAS NO PROBLEM WITH
PRESIDENT TRUMP CALLING ON CHINA
TO INVESTIGATE.
FOR HER PART, DEMOCRATIC U.S.
SENATOR TAMMY BALDWIN SENT OUT
THIS TWEET ON THE IMPEACHMENT
EFFORTS.
QUOTE, THIS IS YOUR DEMOCRACY
AND WE SHOULD STAND UNITED AND
PUT OUR COUNTRY FIRST SENDING A
CLEAR MESSAGE TO DONALD TRUMP
AND THE REST OF THE WORLD THAT
WE WILL NOT TOLERATE FOREIGN