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He didn't have to make a decision. he could have just sent it to congress. but then it triggers that we are not an adjunct to congress point. that's a weird, odd and sort of -- it's a point that beefs up the role of the executive, which is something that barr -- a view that barr has taken i guess for the past 30 years, that the executive branch is never to be subordinate to congress. but sending something to congress for their rightful determination as to the guilt and innocence of a president is right within congress' purview. one more quick point, anderson, about treason, and i'm going to be...

Or emboldened. >> emboldened. that's a good point. >> david gergen, jeff toobin, thanks. when it first broke the story that had us question whether it was from the onion. and the lengths the white house will go to hold a grudge against the late john mccain, who is dead, we should point that out, and yet the president is still focused on him. also, meghan mccain's reaction. ♪ ♪ the house, kids, they're living the dream ♪ ♪ and here comes the wacky new maid ♪ -maid? uh, i'm not the... -♪ is she an alien, is she a spy? ♪ ♪ she's always here, someone tell us why ♪ -♪ why, oh,...

The president today couldn't even criticize the actions of the staffers, if, again, if it was just staffers doing this. he called them well meaning. a, you can look at that he doesn't want to throw them under the bus because he is lying. he is actually the one who directed it and he doesn't want them then leaking out that he directed it. but the idea that he couldn't even just apologize and say you know what? this was really -- it was just inappropriate, and you shouldn't cover up a war hero's name on the side of his ship. his reaction was telling as well. >> i don't think there is any questio...

Should have been an unequivocal no. and it's sort of foolish that the attorney general couldn't go there. >> i know you have a question. >> jim, what do you think about the precedence that's being set here, that the president of the united states orders a criminal investigation of his political enemies in a -- you know, in the previous administration with power to declassify anything over the objections of the intelligence agencies? what do you think about that as a principle for how a president conducts law enforcement? >> well, look, i mean, as others have pointed out, the term "treason" is ...

System we have. >> the president, you know, has also characterized the court approved surveillance of campaign advisers as spying, language the attorney general has echoed. here's what he said about that today. >> i guess it's become a dirty word somehow. it has never been for me. i think there is nothing wrong with spying. the question is always whether it's authorized by law and properly predicated. and if it is, then it's an important tool the united states has to protect the country. >> the attorney general was also asked about robert mueller's decision not to reach a decision on the presi...