COMPARISONS TO HITLER AND IS DOUBLING DOWN ON THEM. ALL TO THE POINT OF YOUR LAST DISCUSSION. >> YES. >> THANK YOU, MY FRIEND. AND THANKS TO YOU AT HOME FOR JOINING US THIS HOUR IN 1952, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE KOREAN WAR, THE UNITED STEEL WORKERS OF AMERICA THREATENED TO STRIKE. BUT BEFORE THEY, COULD PRESIDENT TRUMAN SHOCKED THE NATION WITH A TELEVISED ADDRESS ANNOUNCING HE WAS SEIZING CONTROL OF THE STEEL PLANTS SO AS NOT TO INTERRUPT THE WAR EFFORT. WITHIN HALF AN HOUR OF THAT ADDRESS, LAWYERS FOR THE STEAL COMPANIES HAD DRIVEN TO A DISTRICT COURT JUDGES HOME IN WASHINGTON, D.C., AND GOTTEN THE JUDGE TO SET A HEARING FOR THE NEXT MORNING. A HEARING AS TO WHETHER OR NOT A COULD ACTUALLY DO THAT. NOW, THE MERITS OF THAT CASE A REALLY INTERESTING, BUT THE REASON THE STEELE SEIZURE CASE MATTERS TODAY IS THE SPEED AT WHICH WAS HEARD BY THE SUPREME COURT. THE ISSUE WAS SO URGENT FOR THE STEEL WORKERS, THE UNIONS, THE STEEL COMPANIES, THE U.S. MILITARY, IT WAS SO PRESSING THAT THE CASE SKIPPED THE APPEALS PROCESS AND THE SUPREME COURT HEARD ORAL ARGUMENTS JUST A LITTLE OVER A MONTH AFTER TRUMAN'S ANNOUNCEMENT. THEY DECIDED THE CASE LESS THAN A MONTH AFTER THAT. WHICH IS LIKE, LIGHT SPEED IN SUPREME COURT TIME. AND THAT IS WHY, IN SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH'S FILING BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT TODAY, MR. SMITH CITED THE 1952 STEEL SEIZURE CASE. TRUMP'S LAWYERS HAVE ARGUED THAT THE ENTIRE FEDERAL ELECTION INTERFERENCE CASE SHOULD BE THROWN OUT BECAUSE TRUMP, AS PRESIDENT, WAS PROTECTED BY PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY. IN HIS FILING TODAY, JACK SMITH ARGUED, THE RESOLUTION OF THIS ISSUE IS SO IMPORTANT THAT IT REQUIRES AN IMMEDIATE AND DEFINITIVE DECISION BY THE NATION'S HIGHEST COURT. AND THE 1952 STEEL SEIZURE CASE SHOWS THAT THE SUPREME COURT CAN ACT FAST WHEN IT COMES TO MATTERS OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE. SPECIAL COUNSEL SMITH ALSO OFFERED THE SUPREME COURT AND EVEN MORE DIRECT PRESIDENT. >> >> THIS IS NBC NIGHTLY NEWS, FRIDAY, MAY 24TH. REPORTED BY JOHN CHANCELLOR. >> GOOD EVENING. LATE THIS AFTERNOON, THERE WAS A STUNNING AND UNEXPECTED DEVELOPMENT IN THE BATTLE SPECIAL WATERGATE PROSECUTOR, LILLIAN JAWORSKI TO GET PRESIDENTIAL TAPES. HE WENT DIRECTLY TO THE SUPREME COURT AND ASK IT TO INTERVENE ON HIS BEHALF. JAWORSKI WENT DIRECTLY TO THE SUPREME COURT IN AN ATTEMPT TO AVOID A TIME CONSUMING TEST IN THE COURT OF APPEALS. JAWORSKI SAID THE ISSUES RAISED BY THE PRESIDENTS DEFIANCE OF THE SUBPOENA MUST BE RESOLVED BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT GOES ON VACATION NEXT MONTH. >> NOW, IN THEIR OWN FILING BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT YESTERDAY, TRUMP'S LAWYERS MADE CLEAR, MR. TRUMP DOES NOT WANT THE COURT TO ACT TO QUICKLY. TRUMP URGED THE JUSTICES NOT TO RUSH TO JUDGMENT. IN AN OBVIOUS BID TO TRY AND DELAY THIS ISSUE FROM BEING RESOLVED AND THEREFORE POTENTIALLY DELAY TRUMP'S TRIAL PAST THE 2024 ELECTION, TRUMP'S LAWYERS CLAIMED THAT, FOR THE SUPREME COURT TO DECIDE THIS ISSUE CORRECTLY, IT SHOULD WAIT FOR THE CASE TO GO THROUGH THE ENTIRE APPEALS PROCESS. WHEN THE WATERGATE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR WAS TRYING TO SUBPOENA NIXON'S WHITE HOUSE AUDIOTAPES NIXON'S LAWYERS TOOK THE EXACT SAME APPROACH. >> THE PRESIDENTS ANSWER WENT TO THE COURT TODAY. HE DOES NOT WANT THE COURT TO ACT QUICKLY. >> THE BRIEFS THAT THE PRESIDENT OPPOSES ANY ATTEMPT TO SHORTCUT THE LEGAL PROCESS. IT SAID THE DOCTRINE THAT THE PRESIDENT CAN WITHHOLD EVIDENCE UNDER EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE REMAINS ALIVE AND WELL. IT SAID IT WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAT THE CASE BE DECIDED WISELY THAN HURRIEDLY. AND IT SAID THAT NONE OF THE PARTIES WOULD BE SERVED BY A RUSH TO JUDGMENT. >> THE WHITE HOUSE DENIES THAT IT IS PURSUING A STRATEGY OF DELAY. >> PRESIDENT PURSUING A STRATEGY OF DELAY. SOMETIMES, HISTORY RHYMES, SOMETIMES HISTORY JUST REPEAT TUNE INVERSE. HERE IS HOW THAT NIXON PRESIDENT RESOLVED THE VERY NEXT DAY. >> THE U.S. SUPREME COURT ACTING AS SWIFTLY AS IT EVER HAS. TODAY ANNOUNCED IT WILL REVIEW THE SPECIAL WATERGATE PROSECUTOR'S COMPLAINT AGAINST PRESIDENT NIXON. >> WITHIN TWO MONTHS OF AGREEING TO HEAR THAT CASE, THE SUPREME COURT ISSUED ITS HISTORIC, UNANIMOUS 80 DECISION THAT PRESIDENT NIXON MUST TURN OVER THE WHITE HOUSE TAPES. THE SUPREME COURT CAN ACT QUICKLY WHEN IT WANTS TO. TODAY IN HIS FILING, JACK SMITH MADE THAT CASE. JUST AS THE COURT GRANTED SEE SARTORIAL BEFORE JUDGMENT IN THE UNITED STATES VERSUS NIXON, AN EXPEDITED ITS PROCEEDINGS, IT SHOULD DO THE SAME HERE. HERE, THE STAKES ARE AT LEAST AS HIGH, IF NOT HIGHER. THE RESOLUTION OF THE QUESTION PRESENTED IS PIVOTAL TO WHETHER THE FORMER PRESIDENT HIMSELF WILL STAND TRIAL, WHICH IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN LESS THAN THREE MONTHS IN THE FUTURE. THE CHARGES HERE ARE OF THE UTMOST GRAVITY, UPPED THE CASE INVOLVES, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OUR NATION'S HISTORY CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST A FORMER PRESIDENT BASED UPON HIS ACTIONS WHILE IN OFFICE. AND NOT JUST ANY ACTIONS, ALLEGED ACTS TO PERPETUATE HIMSELF IN POWER BY FRUSTRATING THE CONSTITUTIONALLY PRESCRIBED PROCESS FOR CERTIFYING THE LAWFUL WINNER OF AN ELECTION. THE NATION HAS A COMPELLING
