Power. They ought to be equally before starting, protect yourself enjop impeachable. And i think it drives home the from an unexpected one, like a cardiovascular event. Idea that if the president is are you doing enough . Not removed from office over ask your doctor if its time for xarelto®. This, there is no reason to think he wont do it again. Final thought . To learn more about cost and how janssen can help, couldnt agree more. He he cant see the difference between his own visit xarelto. Com. Personal interests and the countrys. He puts his own interest first. He he thinks his call was perfect because he doesnt he doesnt perceive theres any interest that overrides his. All right. That does it for us. My thanks to matt miller, george conway, paul butler. At outback, steak oh no, its gone. Ck. Claire mccass till. Most of all, to you for phew, its back with lobster mac cheese. Its gone again. Watching. That does it for us. Oh, its back with shrimp now mtp daily with chuck todd starts now. Us. Mtp daily with chuck todd steak lobster starting at only 15. 99. Starts now hurry in before these three are gone again. Outback steakhouse. Were oscar mayer deli fresh your very first sandwich,m. Your mammoth masterpiece. Welcome to wednesday. And. Whatever this was. Not just any wednesday. Because we make our meat its meet the press daily and with the good of the deli and no artificial preservatives. Good evening im chuck todd here in new york. Make every Sandwich Count well youve been watching with oscar mayer deli fresh. History for just the fourth time in american history, a brz is facing formal impeachment proceedings in the United States house of representatives. Today, the gravity of the now, there is one witness. Allegations against the president , the evidence supporting them and the gops one witness that they wont fears, they were all on full bring in front of us. They wont bring in front of the display at this first public impeachment hearing. American people. Two career nonpartisan diplomats and thats the guy who started delivered testimony that largely it all. Seemed to corroborate the crux the whistleblower. I say to my colleague, id be of the democratic allegations that President Trump essentially glad to have the person who used the power of his office to started it all come in and try to get ukraine to testify. President trump is welcome to take a seat right there. Investigate his political rivals. And to help him personally in the 2020 reElection Campaign. Welcome back. Now, the democrats star witness well, that was one of the more intriguing counterpoints there was bill taylor. Between republican jim jordan the acting ambassador to ukraine who delivered compelling and and democrat peter welch during highlycredible testimony, todays hearing. Starting with a 41minute opening statement. With me now is democratic congresswoman of alabama. That laid out in stark and she is a member of the house intelligence committee, also meticulous detail his firsthand vice chair of the house ways and account of what it was like to means committee. Congresswoman, given what you watch what was this regular and irregular process, as he called thought today would be versus what it is, what do you think . It. And what was essentially an do you feel as if youve laid abuse of power, at least in his out this case for mind, unfold around him. In his testimony, he also public to understand better today than they did yesterday . Revealed newly discovered evidence tying the president to the Pressure Campaign to get ukraine to investigate his political rivals by way of an that we allow transparency to really reign. Overheard phone call the day the American Public deserves to after President Trumps july know the testimony and i think the testimony that was delivered 25th call with ukraines today by very credible patriots was devastating to this administration and to this president where mr. Trump asked presidency. For the investigation into the what we heard is a long and we bidens. Take a listen. Investigations was a term ambassadors volker and sondland used to mean matters related to the 2016 elections and to and heard very arduous and to investigations of burisma and convincing argument about president ial abuse of power. I think that its important for the bidens. Last friday, a member of my my constituents to know that we staff told me of events that all take this very seriously and occurred on july 26th in the following the facts where they presence of my staff, at a lead us. I Havent Prejudged at all. Restaurant, ambassador sondland called President Trump and told him of his meetings in kiev. But this was pretty damning and i thought the evidence is piling the member of my staff could up. Okay. You said you Havent Prejudged hear President Trump on the here. Phone asking ambassador sondland what is it about the evidence about the investigations. Youre seeing that youre saying to yourself, we got the election ambassador sondland told President Trump the ukrainians now less than a year away but were ready to move forward. This is so egregious he has to following the call with be removed from office. President trump, the member of walk me through that line of thinking. My staff asked ambassador
sondland what President Trump for you. Thought about ukraine. Well, i thought that the testimony today of ambassador ambassador sondland responded that President Trump cares more taylor where he said that there about the investigations of was not one regular channel biden, which giuliani was pressing for. I take it the import of that where that our Foreign Policy is he cares more about that than with ukraine was being but there he does about ukraine. Was an irregular, an informal yes, sir. Now, moments ago, the channel that was actually going president told reporters that he against the policies that would did not recall the phone call actually benefit the american with Gordon Sondland. During questioning with people. And i think, for me, where the democratic counsel, taylor spill crossing of the rubicon occurs spelled out just how consequential he thought the is really this president asking president s conduct was. Ambassador taylor, in your for a favor. Decades of Military Service and making statements just because you say them out loud doesnt Diplomatic Service representing make them not true and not the United States around the not not actionable. World, have you ever seen another example of foreign aid i think that i i really conditioned on the personal or think that, for me, it was just political interests of the president of the United States . The testimony of taylor today that i thought was really no, mr. Goldman, i have not. Compelling. And i think that when you talk now, at times, republicans to a soldier, and we just and their counsel struggled a accelerated veterans day and you bit at this hearing. Taylor and george kent, the say if youre going to war and Deputy Assistant secretary of your Commander In Chief withholds valuable weaponry,
state who testified alongside valuable and and does so taylor today large ly wouldnt by because of his own engage with some republican personal agenda and not that of theories about the case. The public good or the troops, which make up the bulk of the what is that . Is that actionable . President s defense at least i would say yes. I would say its treasonous and right now. Now, republicans tried to wall off the president by noting much i definitely would think that of taylors knowledge of the that soldier would be court Quid Pro Quo Scheme came from marshalled. And i think that alone is, to Ambassador Gordon Sondland who spoke with trump directly about me, is something that the it. American people can understand. You had said to me a couple so what im wondering is, whered you get this clear understanding . Sundays ago that you you as i testified, mr. Jordan, believed in this more narrow focus of this impeachment this came from ambassador proceeding. Focused on what youve seen here with ukraine, you had not you sondland. Ambassador taylor recalls that mr. Morrison told Ambassador Taylor that i told had been somebody that withheld mr. Morrison that i conveyed a call for impeachment unlike many of your democratic this message on september 1st, colleagues. You withheld it until this 2019, in connection with vice ukraine incident. But let me ask you this. Are you at all concerned that president pences visit to your case is too narrow . Meaning that its not that warsaw and ukrainian president there are bread crumb trails zelensky. You just told me this is where that lead you to other countries and other places that a longer you got your clear understanding. Ive seen Church Prayer chains investigation might uncover even that are easier to understand more things . Are you concerned you might be than this. Well, jordans performance short circuiting this there if hes trying to confuse investigation . Well, you know, i think that people was brilliant but he actually seemed to undermine the just within this particular president there a bit. Incident, we also have an because those criticisms obstruction of congress. Arguably only make gordon this administration is telling sondlands public testimony next its, you know, personnel not to week mustsee tv. Come before congress with a but The Big Question at the heart of everything in these proceedings is whether enough of the public will see the conduct subpoena. What is that, if not obstruction in these kinds of hearings as so of justice . So i think that within this discussion of this particular egregious that the president ukraine incident, which i think sho was totally egregious and cant should be disqualified from seeking reelection. Be the new normal, it cannot be that he should be ousted from office. And that is something were the new normal. Going to deal with as we go i think that my my throughout the show. Let me bring in Garrett Haake constituents understand right and wrong. Right now. And clearly, you cant listen to also here, peter baker, also an the compelling testimony that we msnbc contributor. Garrett, let me start with you. Heard today from kent, mr. Kent, obviously, we got news during as well as Ambassador Taylor and the hearing and during the not understand that what the president did was wrong. Hearing we found we got a new now, the question we have to ask ourselves and the question that deposition scheduled. Will be before the senate, is it weve got we now know more impeachable . And i would just say to everyone about what to expect next week. How do democrats feel today . Listening that we understand and how do the republicans feel . Right and wrong. And do we really want to not democrats i spoke to afterwards feel good about today but caution that this is a long reprimand a president whose extreme use of abuse of process. They think they have to keep
people invested and they have to power for his own personal keep people listening. A lot of the arguments presented purposes to interfere in our by republicans today, for elections i represent the 7th Congressional District of example, that some of this alabama where people died, information that Ambassador Taylor was talking about was fought, bled for the right to vote. And we should not have a second or thirdhand, they think they can knock down as they go president that is openly further and further along. For example, Gordon Sondland, encouraging foreign interference in our elections. Who will appear next wednesday let me that, to me, is wrong. In an open hearing is the direct connection to President Trump. If you you use the word also, the questions about when reprimand here. An impeachment without ukrainians knew that the aid was being held up. Thats something that another conviction. Is that a sufficient reprimand . Witness, ms. Cooper, could speak look, i think that the to when she has her open hearing whether its impeachable or not is going to be or whether it also next week. And you mentioned the gets him removed or not will be depositions of new witnesses. A decision that will be up to the big Bombshell Today from the senate. And, frankly, i think that as taylor that one of his staffers had overheard this conversation this evidence continues to pile up, its becoming much more between sondland and the president. That staffer will be deposed on egregious to me and its friday. Reaching a heightened level that so were moving towards i think will be impossible for answering all those questions. The house not to take very republicans for their part i think there were two lines of seriously this obstruction of their counterquestioning that were particularly interesting. Justice, this abuse of power as arguably, the most effective was when they leaned into the impeachable. Congresswoman terry, democrat expertise of these two witnesses and had them talk about how from alabama as you just stated yourself, the 7th district corrupt ukraine has been in the there. Thank you for coming on and past. And to try to set up their sharing your views. I appreciate it. Thank you. Actual expertise as folks who lets dive into the other side of the aisle. And the republican defense, know about ukrainian corruption to make an argument that any which began at todays hearing reticence on the part of the with congressman devin nunes president to send money into a attacking the credibility of the corrupt country was just smart proceedings as a whole. Ive noted before the politics on the president s part. The other strategy that they employed that i think well see again and again and again that i democrats have a long habit of found interesting was you heard accusing republicans of offenses a little bit from jim jordan and they themselves are committing. What we will witness today is a televised theatrical performance from his counsel, mr. Castor. They are not trying to change staged by the democrats. Minds so much as theyre trying Ambassador Taylor and mr. Kent, to convince people to change the id like to welcome you here. Channel. The more this is confusing, the id like to congratulate you for more is reminds people of 2016 and just more partisan passing the democrats star bickering, the less inclined chamber editions held for the folks who might be on the fence last weeks in the basement of the capitol. About impeachment are to move the democrats way. It seems you agreed witting or so i think we are seeing outlines of a strategy here from unwittingly to participate in a drama. Both parties that well continue to see at least through the next but the main performance, the week of open hearings. Peter baker, The Big Question russia hoax, has ended and i had in all this watching the republicans here was as much as youve been cast in the lowrent i think at times that you could ukrainian sequel. Say the republicans were being joining me now is republican effective in at least creating a smoke screen, but knowing the congressman tom reid of new president , hes not going to be
york. He is a member of house ways and happy that there was republicans that were accepting the sum of means committee. Congressman reid, i know you werent involved in questioning or any of the strategy behind the premises of the arguments how how the questioning was that the two diplomats were determined today, but let me ask you this. From what you heard in the making. The president , as you say, has been upset that republicans testimony from the state are arguing process more than substance. Right . In other words, they have been saying the democrats are being department officials, are you more concerned today about the unfair as part of a witch hunt. President s conduct . Mind you, these are arguments he or less . Less. Himself makes, of course. To be perfectly honest with you, but they havent been chuck. I as ive always said going republicans for the most part been saying the president didnt into this, im looking for that do these things or that he didnt do something that was Smoking Gun Evidence of an wrong. Those who have addressed that impeachable, high crime, have said, look, it was Treasonous Type of charge that inappropriate but it might not be impeachable. Would warrant impeachment and well, you saw a little of that today. Removal of a dually elected jim jordan did kind of attack it a little bit more frontally in a president. And i just dont see that. You you you may try to connect the dots otherwise but i way that probably pleased just dont see that high crime President Trump if he was watching. He says he wasnt but he tweeted evidence that theyre talking a lot about it during the hours about so convincingly in their leading up to president mind on the other side. Does it matter to you if erdogans visit. And i think that he would want republicans there to be even direct evidence is produced that more aggressive than they were today. Thats the reason why jim jordan shows the president directed was added to the committee at this . This phone call, all of it. That it was because theres the last minute to give that been one of the defenses said, sort of energy to the defense well, the president , this may that the others dont bring at have been Gordon Sondland and the same level. Rudy giuliani. Youre right. The president didnt know as i think they create some much. Does that matter to you . Confusion, muddy the waters, and i think the whole theory of the case is whats important to say there are other ways to look me and, you know, what i see as at this than the way the democrats are presenting it. A theory of the case that says so, garrett, do do the president s invest