THAT’S WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE
SAYING ON EITHER SIDE OF THE
FENCE.
>> Neil: JOHN ROBERTS,
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AMONG THOSE WHO ARE WONDERING
WHETHER THIS WAS A POLITICAL
VENDETTA, TO WHOM HE WAS EAGER,
TO HAVE RICK VERNELL ADDRESS THE
ACTING INTELLIGENCE OFFICIAL.
SENATOR, WHERE DOES THAT STAND,
IS RIC GRENELL GOING TO TESTIFY
TO YOUR COMMITTEE AND DO YOU
HAVE CONFIRMATION OF THAT?
>> I DID SEND A LETTER LAST
EVENING AND ASKED HIM IF HE
WOULD DECLASSIFY THIS.
I THINK THIS IS ASTONISHING,
THAT VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN AND
REALLY ALL OF THE INNER CIRCLE
REQUEST OF THE UNMASKING OF A
POLITICAL OPPONENTS.
YOU REMEMBER THERE WAS A WHOLE
TO DO ABOUT TRYING TO IMPEACH A
PRESIDENT SAYING THE REASON THE
POWER OF GOVERNMENT TO GO AFTER
THE POLITICAL OPPONENTS, THIS IS
A SMOKING GUN IF THERE EVER WAS
ONE.
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN IS USING
THE POWER OF GOVERNMENT AND
ABUSING THEIR POWER TO GO AFTER
A POLITICAL OPPONENTS,
ESSENTIALLY UNMASKING SOMEONE IS
THE EQUIVALENT OF WIRETAPPING
THEM.
THE GOVERNMENT HAD PERMISSION TO
LISTEN TO THE RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR
BUT TO PROTECT AMERICANS WE MASK
THEIR IDENTITY.
BUT YOU HAVE THE WHOLE
PRESIDENT OBAMA’S INNER CIRCLE
CLAMBERING AROUND AND LISTENING
TO THE PRIVATE CONVERSATION, I
THINK ILLEGALLY, AND WITH
ILL-GOTTEN MOTIVES.
>> Neil: DO YOU KNOW, SENATOR,
WHETHER THESE UNMASKING REQUESTS
IN EACH AND ALL OF THESE CASES
OCCURRED AFTER THE ELECTION?
OBVIOUSLY THE ASSESSMENT PRIOR
TO THE ELECTION THAT
HILLARY CLINTON WAS GOING TO WIN
AND THE OBVIOUSLY THAT DIDN’T
HAPPEN.
SO DID A LOT OF THIS THEN
TRANSPIRE AFTER THE ELECTION
ITSELF?
>> THE DOCUMENT WE GOT LISTED
ALL THE NAMES AND LIST OF THE
DATE THEY DID THE UNMASKING SOUL
THE VICE PRESIDENT UNMASKED
GENERAL FLYNN TO LISTEN TO HIS
CONVERSATION, WHICH I THINK IT’S
REPREHENSIBLE.
SO DID JAMES COMEY AND SO DID
JAMES CLAPPER.
SO TO JOHN BRENNAN, SO DID
SAMANTHA POWERS AND SO DID
PRESIDENT OBAMA’S CHIEF OF STAFF
AND A DOZEN OTHER PEOPLE.
SO THINK ABOUT THIS.
IT’S ILLEGAL TO LISTEN TO
PEOPLE’S PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS.
YOU CAN LISTEN TO IF YOU HAVE A
NATIONAL SECURITY MATTER, A
FOREIGNER.
BUT IT’S A FOREIGNER SAYING WE
ARE GOING TO BLOW UP THE CAPITAL
AND WILL YOU HELP ME, YOU DON’T
GET TO LISTEN TO TO THAT OF THE
PRISON CONVERSATION IF THEY ARE
JUST TALKING.
GENERAL FLYNN WAS NEVER ACCUSED
OF SAYING ANYTHING THAT WAS
COMMITTING A CRIME BUT THEY ALL
LISTENED TO HIS CONVERSATION AND
THEN THEY ALL DECIDED, WE GOT TO
GET THIS GUY.
LET’S TRY TO ENTRAP HIM, LET’S
TRY TO BRING HIM IN AND SEE IF
WE CAN GET HIM TO LIVE, MAKE A
MISSTATEMENT OR WE CAN GET HIM
ON THE LOGAN ACT.
SO THIS WAS A CONSPIRACY AND
REALLY, THE QUESTION IS DID
PRESIDENT OBAMA DIRECT THAT ALL,
OR DID VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN?
WE KNOW FOR A FACT THAT
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN WAS
INVOLVED AND, WE CAN’T ELEVATE
SOMEONE TO THE PRESIDENCY WHO IS
WILLING TO USE THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY TO SPY ON HIS POTABLE
OPPONENTS.
THAT SHOULD BE A DEAL KILLER.
>> THE TIMING IS IMPORTANT, AND
AS YOU KNOW THAT THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION IN ITS WANING
WEEKS WAS SLAPPING PUNITIVE
MEASURES FOR THEIR INVOLVEMENT
IN THE ELECTION.
THEN AT LO AND BEHOLD, THEY
ARGUE, THEY GET WIND OF A TOP
TRUMP AIDE WHO IS NOW TALKING TO
THE RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR.
WITH THAT RAISE ENOUGH CONCERNS
TO JUSTIFY THEM WANTING TO KNOW
MORE ABOUT THAT?
>> WELL, THE NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISOR’S JOB IS TO INTERACT
WITH FOREIGN LEADERS AND I THINK
IF YOU LOOKED AT THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION, THERE ARE
THOUSANDS OF PRESS REPORTS OF
THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION ON THE
WAY IN.
OF THEM TALKING TO FOREIGN
LEADERS.
THERE’S NOTHING WRONG AT A THINK
IT’S APPROPRIATE TO TALK TO
FOREIGN LEADERS.
BUT IT SHOULD BE ILLEGAL TO A
LISTEN TO AN AMERICAN
CONVERSATION AND IT’S EVEN WORSE
IF YOU ARE LISTENING TO AN
AMERICAN WHO HAPPENS TO BE YOUR
POLITICAL OPPONENTS.
THIS WAS A CONSPIRACY OF
HIGH-RANKING OBAMA OFFICIALS TO
TRY TO FALSELY CONVICT AND TAINT
A THREE YEAR VETERAN OF THE
MILITARY, I HOPE IT’S
REPREHENSIBLE.
>> YOU’VE HEARD A NUMBER OF TOP
DEMOCRATIC OFFICIALS SAYING THIS
IS ALL SUBTERFUGE, A DISTRACTION
CAMPAIGN LED BY REPUBLICANS.
AN EXPERT BY GOVERNMENT
CLASSIFICATION WAS SAYING, IT’S
PART OF A STRUGGLE OVER WHO
CONTROLS THE NARRATIVE OF THE
INVESTIGATION OF THE 22 TEAM
ELECTION, GOING ON TO SAY IT IS
PUTTING THE SPOTLIGHT ON THE
INVESTIGATORS RATHER THAN THE
INVESTIGATORS.
IT SAYING THE REGULATOR IS NOT
THE EXTRAORDINARY CONTACT WITH
THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT BUT THE
INTENT TO UNDERSTAND THAT, WHAT
DO YOU SAY?
>> I THINK WHAT YOU FIND IS,
WHAT WE ARE FINDING IS THE FISA
COURT AND THE SECRET COURTS AND
THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION AND
FRANKLY SOME REPUBLICAN
ADMINISTRATIONS HAVE TURNED
THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE
DIRECTED TOWARDS FOREIGNERS AND
TURN THEM ONTO AMERICANS.
THIS IS AN ABUSE OF POWER, A
BIGGER, BROADER DEBATE.
AND THE SECRET COURT DOESN’T USE
A CONSTITUTION AS A STANDARD AND
SHOULD NOT BE USED TO
INVESTIGATE A PRESIDENTIAL
CAMPAIGN.
SO I HAVE AN AMENDMENT THAT I
WILL PUT FORWARD TOMORROW THAT
SAYS IT’S ILLEGAL.
YOU WOULD BE SURPRISED, THE
INSTITUTIONAL FORCES AROUND THEM
STILL WANT TO KEEP THIS BECAUSE
THEY LIKE THE SECRET COURT.
THE SECRET COURT IS ON
UNCONSTITUTIONAL IN THE SENSE
THAT THEIR STANDARD MIGHT BE
WORKING OR THE PROBABLE CAUSE,
THE FOURTH AMENDMENT SAYS WE
CAN’T SPY ON YOU OR GET A
WARRANT UNLESS YOU ARE CONVICTED
OF COMMITTING A CRIME AND THAT’S
A MUCH HIGHER STANDARD.
MY AMENDMENT WOULD FIX THIS.
I DON’T CARE IF YOU ARE A
REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT OR
INDEPENDENT, THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY OF SPIES SHOULD NOT BE
SPYING ON AMERICANS AND
PARTICULARLY NOT ON AMERICAN
CAMPAIGNS.
>> Neil: DO YOU THINK THAT
EVENTUALLY RIC GRENELL WILL TALK
>> I DON’T KNOW HOW LONGER HE IS
GOING TO BE IN THE INTELLIGENCE
DIRECTOR’S.
IT IS SHORT-TERM OVER THERE.
HE IS GET TO THE TRUTH.
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN
IMAGINE WHY THIS WOULD BE
CLASSIFIED?
IT’S CLASSIFIED ONLY TO COVER
THEIR TRACKS.
THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH
CLASSIFICATION IN GENERAL AND
GOVERNMENT.
IT IS USED BY THE EXECUTIVE
BRANCH TO COVER UP CRIMES AND
ABUSE OF POWER.
THIS AT THE VERY LEAST HIS ABUSE
OF POWER.
BECAUSE HE WAS BRAVE ENOUGH TO
DECLASSIFY IT, WE NOW KNOW THAT
THE VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN WAS
INVOLVED IN THIS.
WE HAVE THIS PERPLEXING QUESTION
QUESTION.
EVEN ASSISTANT TO ASSISTANT WERE
NOW LOOKING AT THIS.
THIS IS THE QUESTION AND OTHERS
ARE UP.
SAMANTHA POWER TO THIS OVER 200
TIMES.
WHEN SHE WAS ASKED ABOUT IT, SHE
SAID DID TELL MIKE SHE DIDN’T
REMEMBER MOST OF THOSE AND
DIDN’T THINK THAT SHE DID IT.
WHO CAN HAVE THE POWER TO UNMASK
PEOPLE, LISTEN AND EAVESDROP ON
PEOPLE WITHOUT TELLING THEIR
BOSS?
THIS IS AN ENORMOUS POWER THAT
NEEDS TO BE CURTAILED.
THIS ISN’T ABOUT POLITICS.
THIS IS ABOUT ABUSE OF POWER WHY
WE SHOULD ALWAYS TRY AND STRIVE
HARDER TO LIMIT GOVERNMENT POWER
PARTICULARLY WITH THESE SPY
AGENCIES.
>> Neil: FORCE THE ISSUE.
>> MY COMMITTEE DOES NOT HAVE
SUBPOENA POWER.
HE’S ALREADY DONE A GREAT
SERVICE BY RELEASING THIS HANDY
CLASSIFYING THIS AND GETTING
CLOSER TO THE TRUTH.
>> Neil: BY THE WAY, I
UNDERSTAND, THAT YOU RELEASE THE
CLASSIFIED MATERIALS TO THE
PUBLIC?
>> YES, I RELEASED THIS AN HOUR
AGO AND REQUESTED THIS FROM HIM
BY LETTER.
WE GOT THE INFORMATION RELEASE
THAT TODAY.
I’M PROUD OF THE FACT THAT HE
STEPPED UP AND DID SOMETHING
THAT I THINK WE NEED MORE OF IN
GOVERNMENT.
THAT IS TO SHINE A LIGHT ON WHAT
GOES ON.
WHEN PEOPLE USE GOVERNMENT AND A
