FAVREAU AND JOHN LOVETT, WITH GOD SAVE AMERICA. [ MUSIC ] IT'S SAFE TO SAY THERE WAS A LOT OF LEGAL NEWS THIS WEEK. IN A COURTROOM IN DOWNTOWN MANHATTAN, THERE WERE HOURS OF TESTIMONY ABOUT DONALD TRUMP AND THE NATIONAL INQUIRER AND HOW THEY TRIED TO KILL CHANCES FOR STORIES. TRUMP'S LAWYERS WERE MAKING AN ARGUMENT THAT KILLING YOUR POLITICAL RIVAL WOULD BE COMPLETELY FINE FOR A PRESIDENT. THAT WAS THE ARGUMENT. IT HAS BEEN A LOT TO TAKE IN. WHAT HAPPENS THIS WEEK MATTERS, IT SHOULD MATTER TO ALL OF US. IT'S IMPORTANT TO TALK ABOUT WHY , ESPECIALLY IN THESE MOMENTS WHERE IT FEELS LIKE WE ARE ALL DRINKING FROM A NEWS FIREHOSE. WE ARE GOING TO START ON THURSDAY, AT THE SUPREME COURT. WHEN YOU LISTEN TO THESE ARGUMENTS, YOU MAY HAVE THOUGHT YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY BE SERIOUS. >> IF THE PRESIDENT DECIDES THAT HIS RIVAL IS A CORRUPT PERSON, AND HE ORDERS THE MILITARY OR ORDER SOMEONE TO ASSASSINATE HIM, IS THAT WITHIN HIS OFFICIAL ACTS FOR WHICH YOU CAN GET IMMUNITY?>> IT WOULD DEPEND ON THE HYPOTHETICAL, WE COULD SEE THAT BE AN OFFICIAL ACT. >> YOU HEARD THAT AFTER CORRECTLY, HE SAID IT COULD BE AN OFFICIAL ACT. THAT'S RIGHT, IF THEY FEEL THEIR OPPONENT IS CORRUPT, THEY CAN TAKE CARE OF THAT BY KILLING THEM. BUT WAIT, THAT'S MORE. AT ONE POINT, JUSTICE KAGAN ASKED IF A RESIDENT COULD SELL NUCLEAR SECRETS TO A FOREIGN ADVERSARY. WHAT DID TRUMP'S LAWYERS SAY? ISIL YEP. COULD HE GET AWAY WITH IN A COUP? MAYBE. IF THE PRESIDENT DOES IT, KILLS, IF HE FELT NATIONAL SECURITY SECRETS, IT'S NOT ILLEGAL. IT MAY HAVE SOUNDED LIKE THE JUSTICES WERE PREPARING FOR THIS HEARING BY COMING UP WITH THE CRAZIEST POSSIBLE SCENARIOS, WHATEVER SHOCKING THING TRUMP'S LAWYER WOULD SAY IN RESPONSE WOULDN'T REALLY MATTER, BECAUSE IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WOULD ACTUALLY HAPPEN HERE. BUT THE THING IS, NONE OF THIS IS MUCH OF A HYPOTHETICAL WHEN IT COMES TO DONALD TRUMP. IN 2020 HE WAS REPORTEDLY INVOLVED IN EFFORTS TO DIRECTLY DEFEND A SECRETARY SEIZING VOTING MACHINES. THAT'S ON A COUP. AND HE MUSED ABOUT EXECUTING MARK MILLIE. A STAFFER WHO LEAKED A STORY ABOUT HIM HE SAID SHOULD BE EXECUTED TOO. FORMER ATTORNEY GENERAL BILL BARR SAID HE USED TO SAY THAT SORT OF THING ALL THE TIME. SO WHEN IT COMES TO DONALD TRUMP, NO, THOSE HYPOTHETICALS THAT GOT TOSSED AROUND THE SUPREME COURT THIS WEEK ARE NOT HYPOTHETICALS, ARE THEY? THESE ARE CLEARLY STILL RATTLING AROUND IN HIS HEAD, THESE ARE THINGS'S LAWYERS ARE SAYING SHOULD BE OKAY FOR THE PRESIDENT TO DO. HERE'S THE OTHER REALLY IMPORTANT THING TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT ALL OF THIS. THE VIEW OF THE PRESIDENCY THAT DONALD TRUMP HAS, THIS ABSOLUTE POWER ABOVE THE LAW MIND-SET IS LITERALLY HIS PLAN FOR HIS SECOND TURN. THE FAR RIGHT THINK TANK THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION IS DRAFTING PLANS TO CONVERT HIS CALLS FOR REVENGE AND LAWLESSNESS INTO ACTION. IT'S CALLED PROJECT 2025, IT'S NEARLY 1000 PAGES LONG, IS ONLINE, YOU CAN READ IT IF YOU LIKE. LET ME GIVE YOU A CLIFF NOTES VERSION. THE GOAL IS TO ASSEMBLE AN ARMY OF ALIGNED, VETTED, TRAINED AND PREPARED CONSERVATIVES TO TO WORK ON DAY ONE TO DECONSTRUCT THE ADMINISTRATIVE STATE. ONE BIG AREA OF ATTACK, THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT. WHICH PROJECT 2025 SAYS HAS LOST ITS WAY, AND TO FIND ITS WAY BACK, IT MUST BECOME SUBSERVIENT TO THE WHITE HOUSE. IN PLAIN ENGLISH, THAT BASICALLY MEANS THEY WANT TO REMAKE THE STRUCTURE AND STAFFING OF THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SO AN INDEPENDENT BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT LOOKS THE OTHER WAY, WHILE TRUMP BASICALLY DOES WHATEVER THE HECK HE WANTS. AS THE NEW YORK TIMES PUT IT, ACCORDING TO THE PROJECT 2025 PLAN, THE LAW MUST SUBMIT TO THE PRESIDENT PRIORITIES, IF NOT, THE LAWYERS ARE DOING IT WRONG. ORAL ARGUMENTS AREN'T EXACTLY APPOINTMENT TELEVISION ALL THE TIME, THEY ARE CONFUSING AND LONG-WINDED AT TIMES, BUT THEY MATTER, CLEARLY IN THE CONTEXT OF
