>>> WELCOME BACK EVERYONE TO THE WEEKEND. ELECTION INTERFERENCE WAS AT THE HEART OF THE NEW YORK CRIMINAL CASE AGAINST DONALD TRUMP. IN CLOSING ARGUMENTS, THE PROSECUTOR PUT IT LIKE THIS. QUOTE, THIS SCHEME COOKED UP BY THESE MEN AT THIS TIME COULD VERY WELL BE WHAT GOT PRESIDENT TRUMP ELECTED. THIS WAS OVERT ELECTION FRAUD, ACT AND FURTHERANCE OF THE CONSPIRACY TO PROMOTE MR. TRUMP'S ELECTION BY UNLAWFUL MEANS. MORE SIMPLY, THOSE CRIMES CONTRIBUTED TO TRUMP BEING ELECTEDMENT. WEKATY FANG IS WITH US AND ALSO PARTNER OF THE ALLIANCE LAW GROUP. >> I LOVE THE FACT THAT YOU ARE AN ATTORNEY. YOU DON'T JUST PLAY ONE ON TV. PEOPLE WOULD REFER TO THIS AS HUSH MONEY CASE. I WOULD ARGUE THAT'S TO DIFFERENTIATE IT FROM ALL THE OTHER ELECTION INTERFERENCE. >> THERE IS SO MANY. >> WE HAVE TO DIFFERENTIATE THAT. >> I WANTED TO FRAME WHY IT MATTERED THAT BRAGG DECIDED TO PURSUE THIS AS A QUESTION OF ELECTION INTERFERENCE. >> I WROTE A PIECE ONLINE ABOUT WHY IT WAS AS A LEGAL CONCEPT A NOVEL THEORY IN TERMS OF TRYING TO DO THIS BECAUSE THE CASE IN AND OF ITSELF, NEW YORK ELECTION LAW STATUTE, IS NOT REALLY PROSECUTED THAT OFTEN HERE. FALSIFICATION OF BUSINESS RECORDS, ALVIN BRAGG HAS REFERRED TO THOSE AS BREAD AND BUTTER WHITE COLLAR CASES FROM THE MANHATTAN DA'S OFFICE. TO ELEVATE TO THE FELONY IS KIND OF THE MORE NOVEL THING. IT TOOK COURAGE TO DO THIS. WHY? YOU NOT ONLY HAVE TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE PROBABLE CAUSE AND ELEMENTS OF THE CRIME, BUT WHEN YOU ARE A PROSECUTOR YOU HAVE TO TAKE STOCK OF WHETHER OR NOT A JURY IS GOING TO CARE ABOUT THIS KIND OF CASE. WILL A JURY SAY IT'S JUST A HUSH MONEY PAYMENT. WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE IT INTO SOMETHING THAT IT'S NOT? THAT'S THE THEME THAT THE BANNER HAS BEEN RUNNING WITH TO DEFEND DONALD TRUMP. IT CRYSTALLIZED BETTER AS I GOT DEEPER INTO THE CASE. THE 2015 TRUMP TOWER MEETING I CALL THE ORIGINAL SIN. THE REASON IS THAT IS WHEN PECKER, TRUMP, COHEN CONSPIRED TO DO THE CATCH AND KILL SCHEMES. THE REASON IT'S THE ORIGINAL SENTENCE BUT FOR THAT MEETING WHERE THEY AGREED TO KILL NEGATIVE STORIES AND PROMOTE NEGATIVE ONES ABOUT TRUMP'S OPPONENTS, HE MAY HAVE NEVER MADE IT TO THE OVAL OFFICE. EVERYTHING THAT'S SPUN OFF FROM THAT MEETING AND SUCCESSFUL CATCH AND KILL HAS LED TO HIM CLAIMING ABSOLUTE IMMUNITY AS A PRESIDENT, HAS LED TO HIM STEALING CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS, HAS LED TO HIM HAVING JANUARY 6. IF WE THINK ABOUT ALL THE INDICTMENTS THAT CAME AFTER HE BECAME PRESIDENT, MAYBE JUST MAYBE IF HE HAD NEVER MADE IT THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE, HE NEVER WOULD HAVE HAD THESE CASES. WE WOULD HAVE NEVER HAD A JANUARY 6. THERE WAS ALL THIS STUFF THAT CAME AS A DOMINO EFFECT FROM THE MEETING AND BRAGG MADE YOU CARE ABOUT THAT MEETING. BRAGG PUT IT IN A WAY AND SET THE TABLE FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH HIM HAVING SEX WITH OTHER PEOPLE. IT WAS NOTHING ABOUT THOSE TWO PEOPLE HAVING SEX. WHOEVER IT WAS, HIM AND SOMEONE ELSE. IT WAS ABOUT HIM STEALING THE ELECTION FROM THE AMERICAN PUBLIC AND THAT'S WHY YOU CARE. >> THAT'S INTERESTING. I AGREE WITH THAT ANALYSIS AT THE END OF THE DAY. THE POLITICAL CLIMATE AT THAT TIME WOULD NOT HAVE TOLERATED THAT STORY LANE, WOULD NOT HAVE TOLERATED ANY OF THAT WHICH IS WHAT THE FEAR OF THE ACCESS HOLLYWOOD TAPE DID IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE STORMY DANIELS AFFAIR, THAT POLITICAL CLIMATE IN THE COUNTRY WOULD HAVE SAID HELL NO, WE ARE NOT GOING THERE. FOR TRUMP IT WAS A MATTER OF CORRODING THAT POLITICAL CLIMATE, BRINGING THE POLITICAL CLIMATE TO WHERE HE IS SO IT BECOMES MORE ACCEPTING OF THIS BAD BEHAVIOR WHICH IS WHY YOU SAY I THINK A LOT OF THE FRACTURES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THE HARDNESS OF THOSE WHO IS SUPPORTING A GUY THAT SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT, TEN YEARS AGO, THERE IS NO WAY. BECAUSE CULTURALLY, POLITICALLY, THE COUNTRY WAS IN A DIFFERENT PLACE. HE HAS IN MANY RESPECTS EFFECTIVELY MOVED IT CLOSER TO HIS VIEW OF THESE THINGS WHERE THEY'RE LESS IMPORTANT. IT'S MORE ABOUT HIM. HE IS THE VICTIM. VERSES WHAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN OTHERWISE. I WOULD LOVE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT. >> TWO THINGS. FIRST, I DO WANT TO PUT US ALL BACK IN THAT TIME FRAME AS YOU POINT OUT, MIC I WILL. I WAS GENERAL COUNSEL TO THE CLINTON CAMPAIGN AT THE TIME. DONALD TRUMP WAS REELING FROM THE ACCESS HOLLYWOOD TAPE. AS YOU RECALL, ONE OF THE ONLY TIMES YOU HAVE SEEN DONALD TRUMP HAVE TO SHOW CONTRITION WAS AFTER THE ACCESS HOLLYWOOD TAPE BECAUSE IT WAS SO SERIOUS. TO ME, THE KEY MOMENT OF THE TRIAL POLITICALLY FOR ME WAS ACTUALLY HOPE HICK'S TESTIMONY WHERE SHE ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN THE END OF THE CAMPAIGN. HAD THIS COME OUT, THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN THE END OF THEIR CAMPAIGN. I TWEETED SHORTLY AFTER THE VERDICT THAT FOR THOSE OF US WHO WORKED FOR HILLARY CLINTON OR WERE SUPPORTERS OF HER, THIS PROVED SOMETHING WE ALWAYS SUSPECTED, THAT BUT FOR HIS CRIMINAL ACTS HE WOULDN'T HAVE BEATEN HER THAT ELECTION. I WANT TO GIVE HER THAT DUE. WE TALK ABOUT HE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN PRESIDENT. WHO WOULD HAVE BEEN PRESIDENT WOULD HAVE BEEN HILLARY CLINTON. HILLARY CLINTON WOULD HAVE APPOINTED TWO JUSTICES TO U.S. SUPREME COURT. HILLARY CLINTON WOULD HAVE BEEN IN CHARGE OF HEALTHCARE POLICY AND FOREIGN POLICY. AND OUR COUNTRY WOULD LOOK VERY DIFFERENT TODAY BUT FOR THE CRIMES THAT HE ENGAGED IN TO WIN THAT ELECTION. I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. THE OTHER THING YOU SAY, MICHAEL, THAT I THINK IS WORTH POINTING OUT IS IT ALSO HARDENED THE REPUBLICAN PARTY INTO BELIEVING THAT CRIMINAL ACTS WERE PART OF THE POLITICAL PROCESS. YOU KNOW, WE NOW SEE A REPUBLICAN PARTY THAT'S BRAGGING HOW MUCH MONEY IT RAISES OFF OF FELONY CONVICTIONS AND IT'S TRANSFORMED REPUBLICAN PARTY INTO A PARTY LED BY A CRIME BOSS THAT CELEBRATES CRIMES. >> I MEAN, MARC PUTTING THE FINER POINT ON IT. THIS POINT ABOUT WHAT WE CALL IT AND HOW THIS CASE IS FRAMED I THINK IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL. I REALLY THINK THAT WHAT LAUGHLIN AND CART WRIGHT WAS SAYING LAST HOUR BEFORE WE CAME TO YOU ABOUT MAKING SURE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS IS REALLY ABOUT, THAT HE WILL DO ANYTHING, HE AS IN DONALD TRUMP, WILL DO ANYTHING TO TRY TO HOLD ON TO POWER. HE DID WHAT HE NEEDED TO DO. HE CRIMED, LIED ABOUT CRIMES, COVERED CRIMES IN 2015 AND 2016 BECAUSE HE WANTED TO BE PRESIDENT. HE LIED AND TRIED TO BULLY THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND LIED AND LIED AND TRIED TO SUBVERT THE ELECTION IN 2020. THEN WHEN THAT DIDN'T WORK, HE HELPED INSTIGATE JANUARY 6. IF PEOPLE DON'T THINK HE WILL DO THE SAME THING THIS TIME, THEY ARE LITERALLY, THEY MUST HAVE BEEN LIVING UNDER A ROCK WITH HEADPHONES ON. >> THE DESTRUCTION OF NORMS IS SOMETHING WE TALK ABOUT ON THIS SHOW, MY SHOW, AND OTHER PROGRAMS. ONE OF THE BIGGEST INSTITUTIONS, THAT'S WHY I ADMIRE MARC SO MUCH, THE RULE OF LAW HAS TO BE PROTECTED ALL THE TIME. IT'S NOT A CONVENIENT TRUTH FOR CERTAIN ADMINISTRATIONS OR PEOPLE. WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE THAT PROTECTED, WHEN YOU HAVE CONGRESS THAT'S COMPROMISED, OVALS COMPROMISED, SCOTUS COMPROMISED WHERE IS THE SAFE SPACE FOR JUSTICE TO LIVE, BREATHE, SURVIVE? THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING. MAYBE STARTING WITH THE DELIBERATION DELINEATION OF CALLING IT HUSH MONEY. >> IT WAS THE PRESS THAT STARTED CALLING IT THE HUSH MONEY CASE. WE CAN DEFEND IT BUT THAT WAS WRONG TO DO. IT WAS WRONG. OTHER PEOPLE SAT AROUND TABLES AND THEY WERE LIKE THIS IS ABOUT A PORN STAR AND A PRESIDENT. THAT WAS NOT CORRECT. IF IT WERE UP TO THE MEDIA APPARATUS THE JURY PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE UNDERSTOOD IT. I THANK GOD THAT THE LAWYERS IN THE COURTROOM FOR D.A. BRAGG KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING AND PUT THIS IN THE CORRECT FRAME. THE D.A. NEVER FRAMED IT THAT WAY IN THE INDICTMENT. IT NEVER SAID HUSH MONEY. WE WAS WRONG. >> I THINK ALSO TO BOTH OF YOUR POINTS, IT SORT OF BROADENS IT A LITTLE BIT MORE. YOU HAVE NOW A LETTER FROM SENATE REPUBLICANS, EIGHT OF THEM, VOWING TO OPPOSE ALL NONDEFENSE SPENDING, BIDEN NOMINEES, DEMOCRATIC LEGISLATION, THIS GOES TO WHERE IS THE SAFE SPACE FOR JUSTICE? SO YOU CREATE THAT SAFE SPACE BUT THEN YOU'VE GOT POLITICAL CONSEQUENCE BY ILL LIBERAL UNPRINCIPLED INDIVIDUALS LIKE MIKE LEE, JDVANC, RICK SCOTT, ROGER MARSHALL, MARCO RUBIO WHO WANT TO PENALIZE THE JUSTICE SYSTEM FOR DOING WHAT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO DO WHICH WAS ADJUDICATE THE FACTS IN FRONT OF IT. AND 12 PEERS OF DONALD TRUMP DECIDED YOU'RE GUILTY. NOW THEY WANT TO HAUL BRAGG IN. YOU'VE GOT TO TELL US, YOU KNOW, ALL THE FRAUD AND LIES YOU MADE UP TO CONVICT DONALD TRUMP. HOW DO WE RECTIFY THIS? I AM GOING TO BE STRAIGHT UP. I DON'T THINK A LOT OF DEMOCRATS IN THE POLITICAL WORLD APPRECIATE THE URGENCY OF THIS MOMENT AND THEY'RE STILL SORT OF PIDDLING AROUND WITH THIS IDEA THAT STUFF LIKE THIS, USING THE SYSTEM AGAINST THE SYSTEM IS NOT POLITICAL TO GO AFTER. >> I THINK ONE OF THE GREAT TRAGEDIES OF OUR TIME IS HOW UNSERIOUSLY WE TAKE THE THREATS THAT DONALD TRUMP IS TO THE POLITICAL SYSTEM AND TO DEMOCRACY AS A WHOLE. THE FACT IS WE KNOW HE COMMITTED CRIMES. WE KNOW HE INCITED VIOLENT INSURRECTION AND CRIMES TO TRY TO OVERTURN SECOND ELECTION. WE ARE FIVE MONTHS FROM HIS THIRD ELECTION AND WHAT IS IT ABOUT HIS BEHAVIOR TO LEAD US TO BELIEVE WE WON'T SEE FURTHER CRIMINAL ACTS? WITH RESPECT TO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, THERE WAS NOT LONG AGO WHEN WE WERE TOLD MARCO RUBIO AND SCOTT REPRESENTED THE MODERATES. SCOTT SAID HE WON'T ACCEPT THE OUTCOME OF THE ELECTION. MARCO. I WISH THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA, NOT YOU ALL, BUT WHEN I SEE OTHERS IN THE MEDIA, I WISH THEY WOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THIS. I UNDERSTAND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THAT UNICORN, BUT THEY DON'T EXIST. WHEN DONALD TRUMP SAYS HE WON SIX ELECTIONS IN 2020 THAT HE DIDN'T, THEY ARE GOING ALONG WITH IT. WHEN HE SAID RECENTLY HE WON MINNESOTA, YOU DIDN'T SEE ANY OF THEM SAY HE DIDN'T EVEN THOUGH HE LOST BY SEVEN PERCENTAGE POINTS. MICHAEL STEELE, YOU ARE PARTY CHAIR, SO MARK MY WORDS, HE GAVE A RALLY IN NEW YORK IN WHICH HE SAYS HE BELIEVES HE WILL WIN NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY. BY ELECTION DAY DONALD TRUMP AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY WILL BE SAYING HE WON ALL 50 STATES. YOU THINK IT'S CRAZY TODAY BUT I AM HERE TO TELL YOU PEOPLE THOUGHT I WAS CRAZY IN 2020. >> I WANTED TO ADD SOMETHING WHICH SEEMS PRETTY SMALL IN RESPONSE, I CALL THEM THE GANG OF EIGHT, THE GANG OF EIGHT IS TAKEN. NONE OF THESE PEOPLE ARE NEGOTIATORS AND GETTING BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION DONE. THE FACT THAT THEY'RE LIKE REAL BRAVE AND REAL STRONG GETTING TOGETHER TO WRITE A STRONGLY WORDED TOGETHER
