FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP ATTEMPTED TO MANIPULATE THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IN ORDER TO STAY IN HOUR. "NEW YORK TIMES" REPORTING IT COMES FROM TRUMP'S FORMER ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFF ROSEN WHO, QUOTE, HAS TOLD THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WATCHDOG AND CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATORS THAT ONE OF HIS DEPUTIES TRIED TO HELP FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP SUBVERT THE RESULTS OF THE 2020 ELECTION. "THE TIMES" REPORTS ROSEN MET WITH THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WATCHDOG FOR TWO HOURS FRIDAY AND VOLUNTARILY GAVE CLOSED DOOR TESTIMONY TO THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE ON SATURDAY. THE PAPER SAYS ROSEN TOLD INVESTIGATORS ABOUT NUMEROUS INTERACTIONS WITH JEFFREY CLARK, A TRUMP-APPOINTED OFFICIAL AT THE DOJ, INCLUDING ONE IN DECEMBER DURING WHICH CLARK ADMITTED TO MEETING WITH FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP. ROSEN REPORTEDLY TOLD INVESTIGATORS CLARK HAD HELD UNAUTHORIZED CONVERSATIONS WITH THE FORMER PRESIDENT ABOUT PRESIDENT BIDEN'S WATCH, AND THE WHITE HOUSE WILL OWN THIS IF IT CONTINUES TO ESCALATE. >> AND COUNSELOR, NOW OVER TO YOU. I WANT TO PLAY FOR YOU SOMETHING. THIS IS SENATOR DICK DURBIN, WHO HAPPENS TO BE CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE. HE WAS ASKED THIS AFTERNOON BY MY COLLEAGUE AND FRIEND NICOLLE WALLACE IF WHAT WE WITNESSED AFTER THE ELECTION WAS AN ATTEMPTED COUP. WE'LL DISCUSS ON THE OTHER SIDE. >> LOOK AT THE PROGRESSION OF EVENTS. FIRST, THE ONSLAUGHT OF LAWSUITS GOING THROUGH THE JUDICIARY WITH MANY OF THE JUDGES THAT HE APPOINTED. THEN HE WENT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, AND HE DECIDED HE WOULD MANIPULATE THE ATTORNEY GENERAL INTO REALLY INITIATING AN INVESTIGATION INTO PARTICULAR STATES. AND WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED THEN. HE TURNED THE MOB LOOSE ON THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL. SO WE SHOULDN'T JUST DISMISS THIS AS A BAD DAY FOR DONALD TRUMP. IT WAS CONSCIOUS, PLANNED STRATEGY THAT DID NOT WORK. >> SO NEAL, IN YOUR VIEW, HOW CLOSE DID WE COME? AND DO YOU TAKE THE OPTIMISTIC VIEW THAT'S OUT THERE ABOUT YOUR BELOVED DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE THAT THE GOOD NEWS IS THE SYSTEM HELD? >> I THINK WE CAME VERY CLOSE FROM EVERYTHING IT LOOKS LIKE. AND YEAH, THE SYSTEM HELD, BUT IT HELD BECAUSE OF A COUPLE OF PEOPLE. AND IT LOOKS LIKE, BRIAN, WITH EACH ADDITIONAL FACT THAT WE LEARN ABOUT JANUARY 6 AND WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE JANUARY 6, IT LOOKS LIKE TRUMP REALLY TRIED TO ATTEMPT A COUP AND TO CORRUPT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IN THE PROCESS. AND FORTUNATELY, HE IS TRUMP AND DID WHAT HE DOES, WHICH IS HIRE A BUNCH OF INCOMPETENTS TO TRY TO CARRY OUT A SCHEME SO THEY COULDN'T PULL IT OFF. BUT FOR A COUPLE OF THESE PEOPLE, THIS ALL COULD HAVE GONE THE OTHER WAY. MOST PARTICULARLY, WE HAVE THE REVELATIONS THAT JEFFREY CLARK, WHO IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL AND CIVIL LAWYER, WAS ANGLING TO TRY AND BE THE ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL. HE WRITES A COCKAMAMY MEMO THAT TRIES TO BASICALLY SAY WE CAN THROW OUT THE ELECTION RESULTS IN GEORGIA AND OTHER PLACES, AND EVEN ADDS TO THE LETTER, QUOTE, PERSONALLY, I SEE NO VALID DOWNSIDES TO SIGNING THIS LETTER. THIS LETTER IS SO CRAZY, IT'S WORSE THAN THE TORTURE MEMOS IN THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION. IT'S ATROCIOUS LEGAL JUDGMENT. YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW CRAY-CRAY THIS LETTER WAS, IT'S SO CRAZY THAT EVEN FORMER ATTOR
