Trump Investigated By DOJ 7/26/22 Transcript

Speaker 1: (00:00)
We begin this evening with bombshell breaking news from the Washington Post. The post reporting the Justice Department is investigating former president Trump’s actions in its criminal probe of efforts to overturn the 2020 election.” The paper reports, “Prosecutors who are questioning witnesses before a grand jury, including two top aides to Vice President Mike Pence, have asked in recent days about conversations with Trump, his lawyers, and others in his inner circle who sought to substitute Trump allies for certified electors from some states that Joe Biden won. In addition, Justice Department investigators, back in April, received phone records of key officials and aides in the Trump administration, including his former chief of staff, Mark Meadows.” Earlier tonight, our friend Carol Leonnig broke down some of her reporting and described what federal prosecutors wanted to know.

Carol Leonnig: (00:56)
What we learned is that they are asking most of their questions, at least so far, about Donald Trump. The questions overwhelmingly are, “What did Donald Trump tell his lawyers? What did Donald Trump say to you? What did Donald Trump say to Mike Pence?” And those are questions asked in the very serious and formal environment of a grand jury. A grand jury that’s preparing, as part of a criminal investigation, for the possibility of charging people with crimes.

Speaker 1: (01:28)
What is not news, that Attorney General Merrick Garland has come under a whole lot of growing pressure to act as the January 6th committee reveals more details about the efforts to keep Trump in power. And just hours before this latest news broke, Garland sat down with our own Lester Holt and he discussed the department’s work.

Merrick Garland: (01:47)
We have been moving urgently since the very beginning. We have a huge number of prosecutors and agents working on these cases.

Lester Holt: (01:54)
You said, in no uncertain terms the other day, that no one is above the law. That said, the indictment of a former president, of a perhaps candidate for president would arguably tear the country apart. Is that your concern? As you make your decision down the road here, do you have to think about things like that?

Merrick Garland: (02:15)
Look, we pursue justice without fear or favor. We intend to hold everyone, anyone who is criminally responsible for events surrounding January 6th for any attempt to interfere with the lawful transfer of power from one administration to another accountable. That’s what we do. We don’t pay any attention to other issues with respect to that.

Lester Holt: (02:41)
So if Donald Trump were to become a candidate for president again, that would not change your schedule or how you move forward or don’t move forward?

Merrick Garland: (02:50)
Say again that we will hold accountable anyone who was criminally responsible for attempting to interfere with the transfer, legitimate lawful transfer of power from one administration to the next. And I mean it from the bottom of my heart, the only pressure that I or my prosecutors, or the agents feel is the pressure to do the right thing.

Speaker 1: (03:13)
Anyone means anyone. Also today, the New York Times reporting that previously unseen emails show Trump campaign officials knew, knew that the slate of fake Trump electors that they were setting up were just that, fake. Lawyers working on the plan made it clear, they knew the fake electors might not hold up to legal scrutiny and this was all in writing.