>> GOOD DRINKING ADVICE FROM RACHEL MADDOW TONIGHT.
>> THANKS FOR JOINING US THIS HOUR.
I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU A PIECE OF TAPE THAT I FIND FUNNY.
IT'S NOT FUNNY, BUT I WILL ADMIT THAT I FIND IT FUNNY.
ON MARCH 31st, THEY DID THAT THING IN THE OVAL OFFICE THAT
THEY'VE GOTTEN PRETTY GOOD AT NOW.
THEY HAVE THE EXECUTIVE ORDERS IN BIG LEATHER FOLDERS LIKE MEN
USE. THE PRESIDENT HAD HIS CEREMONIAL
PENS. THEY HAD THEM LAID OUT, THEY HAD
THE PODIUM SET UP WHERE HE COULD MAKE REMARKS AHEAD OF TIME.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THEM IN THIS ORNATE STAGED WAY, BUT THEY
DO. THEY WANT REPORTERS AND
PHOTORAPHERS TO BE THERE TO WITNESS THESE SIGNINGSMENT AND
THE PROBLEM WITH THAT SYSTEM IS THAT SOMETIMES THOSE REPORTERS
ASK QUESTIONS EVEN WHEN YOU DON'T WANT THEM TO.
AND THERE IS NOW -- WE NOW HAVE GOOD EVIDENCE.
THERE'S ONE CATEGORY OF QUESTION THAT BASICALLY WORKS LIKE FREEZE
TAG ON THIS PRESIDENT. YOU ASK HIM ABOUT THIS ONE
THING, TAG, AND HE FREEZES. HE FORGETS WHAT HE'S DOING.
AND THE PHOTO OP FALLS APART. HE JUST LEFT THE ROOM.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> WERE YOU TRYING TO TELL THE
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO GRANT IMMUNITY TO MICHAEL FLYNN?
WAS THAT YOUR INTENTION, MR. PRESIDENT, SIR?
WAS THAT YOUR INTENTION, SIR? >> THANK YOU, GUYS.
>> THANK YOU, GUYS. >> SO HE DIDN'T SIGN IT.
>> HE DID NOT SIGN IT. >> THE LITTLE MENU STILL SITTING
THERE ON THE DESK. MIKE PENCE IS LIKE -- HE HAS TO
GO GET THEM, FOLLOW THE PRESIDENT OUT.
THAT HAPPENED MARCH 31st. THE PRESIDENT WAS DOING A PHOTO
OP TO SIGN TWO EXECUTIVE ORDERS FRONT OF REPORTERS WITH
STAKEHOLDERS STANDING NEARBY, BUT HE GOT ASKED ABOUT MICHAEL
FLYNN, AND THAT APPARENTLY WAS IN.
FORGET IT, NO SIGNING, THIS THING IS OVER.
SO MIKE PENCE HAS TO GO BACK AND GET THE EXECUTIVE ORDERS OFF THE
DESK AND BRINGS THEM TO THE OTHER ROOM WHERE PRESUMABLY THE
PRESIDENT SIGNED THEM LATER. THEY DO SAY HE SIGNED THOSE
EVENTUALLY, JUST NOT WHAT HE WAS SUPPOSED TO.
THAT WAS MARCH 31st. TODAY THAT SAME GAME OF FREEZE
TAG GOT PLAYED AGAIN IN THE OVAL OFFICE, AGAIN AT A SIGNING
CEREMONY WITH AN EXECUTIVE ORDERS AND LITTLE MENU AND IS
EVERYTHING. THE LESS THIS TIME HE HAD
ALREADY SIGNED THE THINGS IN THE MENUS BEFORE SOMEBODY SAID THE
MAGIC WORDS THAT FROZE HIM LIKE A STONE.
>> DO YOU HAVE ANY REGRETS ABOUT MICHAEL FLYNN.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> IF YOU WANT TO TURN THIS
PRESIDENT TO STONE, ASK HIM ABOUT MIKE FLYNN.
AND THIS PARTICULAR GAME OF FREEZE TAG DOES NOT JUST AFFLICT
THE PRESIDENT. IT IS ALSO, I THINK IT'S THE
SAME AFLEXION FOR THIS CONGRESSMAN, CONGRESSMAN DEVIN
NUNES. AS CHAIR OF THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMITTEE INVESTIGATING THE RUSSIAN ATTACK ON THE ELECTION
LAST YEAR, THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE UNDER DEVIN NUNES HELD
ONE BLOCKBUSTER PUBLIC HEARING. AND AFTER THAT FIRST HEARING
THEY'D A SECOND ONE SCHEDULED FOR THE FOLLOWING WEEK, THEIR
SECOND PUBLIC HEARING WAS TO INCLUDE PUBLIC TESTIMONY FROM
SALLY YATES, BEFORE TRUMP FIRED HER FOR REFUSING TO DEFEND HIS
MUSLIM BAN IN THE COURTS. SALLY YATES WAS NOT DUE TO
TESTIFY BEFORE THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE.
SHE WAS DUE TO TESTIFY ABOUT MICHAEL FLYNN.
EVERYBODY TURNED TO STONE. THERE WAS VERY INTENSE INTEREST
ABOUT WHAT SALLY UNITED STATES WOULD SAY ABOUT MIKE FLYNN
BECAUSE SHE APPEARS TO HAVE HAD A KEY ROLE IN THE PROCESS THAT
CULL LED TO HIM BEING FIRED AS NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER.
BUT THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS THAT LED UP TO THAT FIRING,
PARTICULARLY WITH REGARD TO SALLY YATES' INVOLVEMENT IN IT,
THAT SEQUENCE OF EVENTS REALLY IS INSANE.
AND STILL TOTALLY UNEXPLAINED, AND SHE IS ONE OF THE ONLY
PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO SHED SOME LIGHT ON IT OTHER THAN THE
TOP PEOPLE IN THE WHITE HOUSE. IN THE TRANSITION AFTER THE
ELECTION BUT BEFORE THE INAUGURATION, WE NOW KNOW THAT
MIKE FLYNN HAD FAIRLY EXTENSIVE SQUUGSZ RUSSIAN OFFICIALS
INCLUDING REPEATED DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM ABOUT U.S. SANCTIONS
ON RUSSIA. RUSSIA OBVIOUSLY WANTS SANCTIONS
AGAINST THEM LIFTED, SOME OF THE SARNGSZ ARE ON THEM BECAUSE OF
THE ATTACK ON OUR ELECTIONS. THIS IS A SENSITIVE THING FOR
MIKE FLYNN TO BE TALKING TO THEM ABOUT.
THAT SAID, HE DENIED THAT HE WAS HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS AT
THAT TIME. AND THE WHITE HOUSE WAS DISTINCT
ON HIS BEHALF AS WELL. >> WHAT I CAN CONFIRM HAVING
SPOKEN TO HIM ABOUT IT IS THAT THOSE CONVERSATIONS THAT
HAPPENED TO OCCUR AROUND THE TIME THAT THE UNITED STATES TOOK
ACTION TO EXPEL DIPLOMATS HAD NOTHING WHATSOEVER TO DO WITH
THOSE SANCTIONS. >> BUT THAT STILL LEAFS OPEN THE
POSSIBILITY THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN OVER CONVERSATIONS ABOUT
THE SANCTIONS -- >> I DON'T BELIEVE THERE WERE
MORE CONVERSATIONS. I CAN CONFIRM THOSE ELEMENTS
WERE NOT PART OF THAT DISCUSSION.
>> SO THERE'S BEEN ONE CALL. I TALKED TO GENERAL FLYNN ABOUT
THIS AGAIN LAST NIGHT. ONE CALL TALKED ABOUT ABOUT FOUR
SUBJECTS. ONE WAS THE LOSS OF LIFE THAT
OCCURRED IN THE PLANE CRASH THAT TOOK THEIR MILITARY CHOIR.
TWO WAS CHRISTMAS AND HOLIDAY GREETINGS.
THREE WAS TO TALK ABOUT A CONFERENCE IN SYRIA ON ISIS AND
FOUR WAS TO SET UP -- TO TALK ABOUT AFTER THE INAUGURATION
SETTING UP A CALL BETWEEN PUTIN AND THE PRESIDENT.
>> WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN. THAT WAS JANUARY 23rd, HIS FIRST
BRIEFING. TWO DAYS AFTER THE WEARING?
IN, HE'S SAYING WE TALKED TO FLYNN ABOUT THIS.
HE WAS NOT TALKING TO THEM ACT ABOUT SANCTIONS.
DEFINITELY NOTHING ABOUT SANCTIONS.
THAT WAS THE 23rd. THE NEXT DAY, THE 24th, WE NOW
KNOW GENERAL FLYNN WAS INTERVIEWED BY THE FBI ON THIS
MATTER. HE REPORTEDLY TOLD THE FBI WHAT
HAD BY NOW BECOME THE ADMINISTRATION'S PUBLIC LINE ON
THIS SUBJECT, NOPE, DEFINITELY NO DISCUSSIONS WITH THE RUSSIANS
ABOUT SANCTIONS, DIDN'T TALK TO THEM ABOUT THAT AT ALL.
THAT KRS HAPPENED ON JAPAN 24th. INCIDENTALLY IT IS A CRIME TO
LIE TO THE FBI. IF GENERAL FLYNN DENIED HE HAD
CONVERSATIONS WITH RUSSIAN OFFICIALS ABOUT SANCTIONS WHAT
HE HAD IN FACT HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS, THAT WOULD BE A
BIG DEAL. AND HE DID TELL THEM THAT HE
DIDN'T TALK TO THE RUSSIANS ABOUT SANCTIONS.
IF HE TRIED TO SELL THAT TO THE FUB, THE FBI WOULD HAVE KNOWN AT
THAT TIME THAT THAT WAS NOT TRUE.
BECAUSE WE KNOW GENERAL FLYNN'S ACTUAL CONVERSATIONS WITH WITH
THE RUSSIANS WERE STOUDGE FBI SURVEILLANCE.
SO THEY KNOW WHAT HE WAS TALKING TO THEM ABOUT.
TWO DAYS AFTER HE HAD HIS INTERVIEW WITH THE FBI WHERE HE
REPORTEDLY LIED TO THEM ABOUT HIS CONTACTS WITH THE RUSSIANS
AND WHAT HE WAS SAYING IT'S RUSSIANS, TWO DAYS AFTER THAT,
THIS REMARKABLE DECISION WAS MADE, THE APEX OF THE DRAMA
SCENE IN THE MOVIE WHERE SALLY YATES FACED WITH THIS
INFORMATION ABOUT THE NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER AND WHAT HE'S
SAYING, AND WHAT SHE KNOWS HAS ACTUALLY HAPPENED THANKS-TO-TO
THAT FBI SURVEILLANCE, SHE MAKES THIS REMARKABLE DECISION TO GO
DIRECTLY TO THE WHITE HOUSE TO WARN THEM ABOUT THEIR NATIONAL
SECURITY ADVISER. THE ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL
WARNED THE TRUMP WHITE HOUSE THAT THE NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISER WAS POTENTIALLY VULNERABLE TO RUSSIAN BLACKMAIL
BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN LYING ABOUT HIS CONTACTS WITH THE RUSSIAN
GOVERNMENT, AND THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AND THE FBI KNEW
ABOUT IT. THEY HAD PROOF.
SO SHE BRINGS THAT BOMBSHELL TO THE WHITE HOUSE.
THIS IS FLASHING RED LIGHT. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER TO THE
PRESIDENT MIGHT BE GETTING BLACK MAILED BY THE RUSSIANS BECAUSE
HE'S HAVING CONTACTS WITH THE RUSSIANS THAT HE'S LYING ABOUT.
HAS ANYTHING LIKE THAT EVER HAPPENED BEFORE IN THE HISTORY
OF THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY? NOT THAT WE KNOW OF.
HUGE DEAL. HOW DOES THE WHITE HOUSE
RESPOND? THEY DO NOT RESPOND.
AT LEAST AS FAR AS WE CAN TELL, NO VISIBLE RESPONSE.
THAT FLASHING RED WARNING COMES FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
SIX DAYS AFTER THE NAURKS JANUARY 26th.
THERE IS NO VISIBLE RESPONSE AT ALL ON THE 26th OR THE 27th.
ON THE 28th WE SEE FLYNN IN THE OVAL OFFICE.
THAT'S HIM SITTING IN ON THE DISASTROUS CALL WHERE PRESIDENT
TRUMP HUNG UP ON THE PROOIRMGS OF AUSTRALIA.
THERE HE WAS STARING AT THE BACK OF DONALD TRUMP'S HEAD WHILE HE
HELD ONE OF HIS SIGNING PHOTO OPS.
THIS WAS BEFORE THE MERE MENTION OF MICHAEL FLYNN'S NAME.
THREE DAYS AFTER THAT HE'S THERE NEXT TO JARED.
INTO FEBRUARY, FLYNN IS STILL THERE IN THE WHITE HOUSE
BRIEFING ROOM PUTTING IRAN ON NOTICE.
REMEMBER THAT? WHAT DID THAT MEAN ANYWAY?
NO RESPONSE. THERE'S MIKE FLYNN AT THE
NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST. MEANWHILE, THEY FIRE SALLY
YATES. THEY FIRE THE WOMAN WHO HAD COME
UP FROM THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO THE WHITE HOUSE TO WARN THEM
DIRECTLY ABOUT THEIR NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER AND HIM LYING
ABOUT HIS TIES TO A FOREIGN GOVERNMENT AND THE PROSPECT THAT
THE RUSSIANS MIGHT BE BLACK MAILING HIM.
THEY FIRE HER. THEY KEEP FLYNN.
THEY KEEP HIM ON AND ON AND ON AND ON.
MEANWHILE, LUCKILY, JOURNALISM CONTINUES ON THIS SUBJECT.
ON FEBRUARY 8th, "WASHINGTON POST" ASKS FLYNN DIRECTLY IF HE
HAD DISCUSSED SANCTIONS WITH THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT.
QUOTE, ASKED IN AN INTERVIEW IF HE HAD EVER DONE SO, HE TWICE
SAID "NO." THAT'S THE 8th OF FEBRUARY.
THEN THE THE NEXT DAY, HE ISSUES A NEW STATEMENT SAYING, WHEN
FLYNN SAID "NO" YESTERDAY, WHAT HE ACTUALLY MEANT WAS MORE LIKE
HE CAN'T REMEMBER. MIGHT HAVE DONE, MIGHT NOT HAVE
DONE. BY FEBRUARY 10th THAT STORY
BLOWING UP IN THE "WASHINGTON POST" IS GETTING NOT ONLY
SERIOUS ABOUT FLYNN BUT IT'S STARTING TO GET SERIOUSLY WEIRD
THAT THE WHITE HOUSE HASN'T COMMENTED ON IT.
>> WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF REPORTS THAT GENERAL FLYNN HAD
CONVERSATIONS WITH THE RUSSIANS BEFORE YOU WERE SWORN IN.
>> I DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT. WHAT REPORT IS THAT?
>> I'LL LOOK AT THAT. >> I HAVEN'T SEEN THOOCHLT
PRESIDENT SAYS, I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT.
I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THIS.
FLYNN? CONTACTS WITH THE RUSSIANS ABOUT
SANCTIONS? REALLY?
SAYS HE'S NEVER HEARD OF THIS BEFORE.
THAT WAS FEBRUARY 10th. THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN INFORMED
ABOUT THIS ON JANUARY 26th. AND THE ACT ATTORNEY GENERAL
CAME TO THE WHITE HOUSE AND TOLD THEM ABOUT THIS.
THERE'S TRUMP MORE THAN TWO WEEKS LATER PROFESSING TOTAL
IGNORANCE? WHAT'S THIS?
FINALLY THE TRIP FROM SALLY YATES TO THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
BACK UP TO THE WHITE HOUSE WITH THAT BLISTERING WARNING.
THEY'RE FINAL ABLE TO REPORT THAT MEETING HAPPENED.
THE WHOLE THING GETS SO BUSINESS ZARKS ULTIMATELY MICHAEL FLYNN
RESIGNS. WHATEVER YOU THINK ABOUT MICHAEL
FLYNN, THE BEHAVE OF THE HOUSE IS VERY STRANGE.
THE VICE PRESIDENT LIED ON TV. THE WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN LIED
IN THE BRIEFING ROOM. ALL ACCORDING TO THEM BECAUSE OF
UNTRUE INFORMATION THAT WAS CONVEYED TO THEM PERSONALLY BY
MIKE FLYNN. THE NATURE OF THOSE LIES WAS
SUCH THE ACTING ATTORNEY GENERALLY THOUGHT NATIONAL
SECURITY ADVISER MIGHT BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO BLACKMAIL.
INFORMED OF THAT THOUGH, THE WHITE HOUSE JUST, EH, SAT ON IT
FOR A FEW WEEKS. SO YOU CAN IMAGINE THE
QUESTIONS, RIGHT? SALLY YATES, MS.IATES, THANK YOU
FOR BEING HERE. DO WE HAVE THIS STORY RIGHT?
IS THAT REALLY WHAT HAPPENED? WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT WHAT
HAPPENED? THE HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE
GETS INTO THAT. THEY HAVE THIS HEARING, A
BLOCKBUSTER HEARING WHERE JAMES COMEY ADMITS, YES, THERE WAS AN
ONGOING COUNTERINTELLIGENCE INVESTIGATION AS TO WHETHER OR
NOT IT KOORPTD IN THE RUSSIAN ATTACK ON THE UNITED STATES LAST
YEAR. AFTER THAT BOMBSHELL, WE ARE
NEXT GOING TO HEAR FROMIATES, THE NEXT HEARING IN A FEW DAYS
IS GOING TO BE THE ONE THAT HAS SALLY YATES ON IT.
SHE'S NOT GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THE MUSLIM BAN, SHE'S
GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT MICHAEL FLYNN.
AND SO NOW, FREEZE TAG, NOW IS DEVIN NUNES'S TIME TO BE A
PILLAR OF SALT. THE DAY AFTER THE COMEY HEARING,
DEVIN NUNES APPARENTLY DECIDES TO PULL THE RIP CORD, EJECT,
EJECT, IGD TO GET OUT OF THIS THING.
FAMOUSLY HE PULLS THIS STUNT WHERE HE GOES TO THE WHITE
HOUSE, MEETS WITH ONE OF HIS FORMER STAFFERS WHO'S WORKING
THERE NOW AS WELL AS A MICHAEL FLYNN PROTEGE WHO THE WHITE
HOUSE INSISTED ON KEEPING. HE MEETS WITH THOSE GUYS AND
THEY PROVIDE HIM WITH DOCUMENTS MAYBE.
WHAT WAS CLEAR TO EVERYBODY AT THE TIME WAS THAT DEVIN NUNES
WAS BEHAVING STRANGELY, THAT HE WAS EXPLAINING THINGS IN A WAY
THAT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE, THAT HE WAS CLEARING TRYING TO CREATE A
SMOKE SCREEN, IT WAS CARTOONISHLY OBVIOUS THAT HE WAS
TRYING TO DO. FIRST OF ALL, INEXMILK BLIRKS
DESPITE FACT IT HAD NO CONNECTION TO THAT AT ALL, THE
FIRST THING IS THAT THE SALLY YATES HEARING GOT CANCELED.
OH, GOOD. THAT WAS WEEKS AGO NOW.
SALLY YATES HEARING, CANCELED. THEY WOULD STILL LIKE TO TALK TO
HER BUT THEY HAVE NOT RESCHEDULED.
THE OTHER MATERIAL CONSEQUENCE OF THAT DEVIN NUNES STUNT IS HE
GOT KICKED OFF THE INVESTIGATION.
WHEN THEY FINALLY DO THAT SALLY YATES HEARING, IF THEY EVER DO
IT, DEVIN NUNES WILL NOT BE IN THE ROOM WHEN SHE EXPLAINS WHAT
SHE KNOWS ABOUT MIKE FLYNN AND THOUSAND WHITE HOUSE RESPONDED
WHEN SHE TOLD THEM THE CURRENT SITTING NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISER IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO BLACKMAIL BY THE RUSSIANS AND
LYING ABOUT HIS CONTACTS WITH THEM.
WHO WOULD WANT TO BE THE TRUMP TRANSITION COMMITTEE MEMBER
REPUBLICAN CHAIRMAN OF AN OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE WITH THE
DETAILS OF THE MIKE FLYNN AND THE WHITE HOUSE STORY COME OUT?
WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE OVERSEEING THE COMMITTEE AT THAT TIME?
SO THE NAME MIKE FLYNN HAS THIS REMARKABLE EFFECT ON PEOPLE.
YOU WANT TO SAY PRESIDENT FREEZE WANT TO POINT HE FORGETS WHAT
HE'S DOING? ASK HIM A QUESTION ABOUT MIKE
FLYNN. YOU WANT TO SAY DEVIN NUNES
FREAK OUT AND TAKE HIMSELF TAKEN OFF THE BOARD?
WELL, GET HIM CLOSER TO THE REAL STORY ABOUT MIKE FLYNN.
BUT THAT INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE INVESTIGATION IS NOT ONLY BOARD
ON WHICH THAT GAME IS
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