WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:00.900 align:middle line:90% 00:00:00.900 --> 00:00:01.930 align:middle line:90% [MUSIC PLAYING] 00:00:01.930 --> 00:00:03.970 align:middle line:90% Welcome to my chambers. 00:00:03.970 --> 00:00:06.700 align:middle line:84% It is always an unpleasant topic when we're talking 00:00:06.700 --> 00:00:10.630 align:middle line:84% about bringing a legal action against the lawfully elected 00:00:10.630 --> 00:00:13.210 align:middle line:90% president of the United States. 00:00:13.210 --> 00:00:16.239 align:middle line:84% But under the Constitution, the House of Representatives, 00:00:16.239 --> 00:00:19.400 align:middle line:84% if they believe the president has engaged in treason, 00:00:19.400 --> 00:00:22.480 align:middle line:84% bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors, 00:00:22.480 --> 00:00:25.300 align:middle line:84% has an absolute right to investigate the president's 00:00:25.300 --> 00:00:28.090 align:middle line:84% behavior to determine whether or not he committed 00:00:28.090 --> 00:00:29.560 align:middle line:90% an impeachable offense. 00:00:29.560 --> 00:00:33.580 align:middle line:84% That phrase "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and 00:00:33.580 --> 00:00:36.100 align:middle line:90% misdemeanors" is the basis-- 00:00:36.100 --> 00:00:39.760 align:middle line:84% the sole basis-- for impeachment under the Constitution. 00:00:39.760 --> 00:00:42.140 align:middle line:90% How did all this come about? 00:00:42.140 --> 00:00:45.940 align:middle line:84% Well, a CIA agent formally assigned to the White House 00:00:45.940 --> 00:00:49.000 align:middle line:84% became aware of the president's conversation 00:00:49.000 --> 00:00:52.180 align:middle line:84% with his counterpart, the president of the Ukraine, 00:00:52.180 --> 00:00:56.440 align:middle line:84% during the course of which he said words to the effect of I 00:00:56.440 --> 00:00:58.310 align:middle line:90% need a favor. 00:00:58.310 --> 00:01:01.610 align:middle line:84% The favor he requested was dirt on Joe Biden. 00:01:01.610 --> 00:01:04.540 align:middle line:84% Now, why would he want dirt on Joe Biden? 00:01:04.540 --> 00:01:07.180 align:middle line:84% Well, if that favor was to help American law 00:01:07.180 --> 00:01:08.980 align:middle line:84% enforcement investigate Joe Biden, 00:01:08.980 --> 00:01:10.870 align:middle line:90% there'd be no impropriety. 00:01:10.870 --> 00:01:12.910 align:middle line:84% But there's no federal investigation 00:01:12.910 --> 00:01:17.620 align:middle line:84% of Joe Biden for any crime or any violation of American law. 00:01:17.620 --> 00:01:19.990 align:middle line:84% If the favor was to help the president's campaign, 00:01:19.990 --> 00:01:22.690 align:middle line:84% it's a very serious issue because as we know 00:01:22.690 --> 00:01:25.090 align:middle line:84% from the Mueller investigation in which the president was 00:01:25.090 --> 00:01:29.000 align:middle line:84% accused of obtaining favors from the Russian government, 00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:31.930 align:middle line:84% it is a federal crime to receive a favor 00:01:31.930 --> 00:01:35.650 align:middle line:84% or to ask for something for a campaign 00:01:35.650 --> 00:01:40.390 align:middle line:84% from a foreign national or a foreign government. 00:01:40.390 --> 00:01:44.420 align:middle line:84% In the context of all of this is the following. 00:01:44.420 --> 00:01:49.650 align:middle line:84% In 2014 and '15, Russia invaded Ukraine. 00:01:49.650 --> 00:01:52.630 align:middle line:84% It annexed the province of Crimea. 00:01:52.630 --> 00:01:55.810 align:middle line:84% Five years ago, Crimea was a province of Ukraine. 00:01:55.810 --> 00:01:58.310 align:middle line:90% Now it's a province of Russia. 00:01:58.310 --> 00:02:02.110 align:middle line:84% What once housed Ukrainians in Crimea 00:02:02.110 --> 00:02:05.950 align:middle line:84% now houses Russian troops and Russian tanks aimed 00:02:05.950 --> 00:02:08.410 align:middle line:90% at the Crimea Ukraine border. 00:02:08.410 --> 00:02:10.330 align:middle line:84% In response to that, Congress votes 00:02:10.330 --> 00:02:12.970 align:middle line:90% to authorize federal aid-- 00:02:12.970 --> 00:02:16.120 align:middle line:84% American aid-- to Ukraine and the sell 00:02:16.120 --> 00:02:18.160 align:middle line:84% of American military goods to Ukraine. 00:02:18.160 --> 00:02:21.610 align:middle line:84% The president holds all this up even though his Secretary 00:02:21.610 --> 00:02:24.940 align:middle line:84% of Defense, his Secretary of State, as Director of National 00:02:24.940 --> 00:02:26.890 align:middle line:84% Intelligence, his director of the CIA, 00:02:26.890 --> 00:02:29.710 align:middle line:84% and every member of his National Security Council said 00:02:29.710 --> 00:02:31.090 align:middle line:90% give them the aid. 00:02:31.090 --> 00:02:34.910 align:middle line:84% The Russian tanks are aimed their way. 00:02:34.910 --> 00:02:36.820 align:middle line:84% But he held up that aid and instead 00:02:36.820 --> 00:02:40.810 align:middle line:84% asked for a favor, which arguably 00:02:40.810 --> 00:02:42.880 align:middle line:90% was for his political campaign. 00:02:42.880 --> 00:02:46.690 align:middle line:84% That was a violation of federal law. 00:02:46.690 --> 00:02:49.240 align:middle line:90% That is an impeachable offense. 00:02:49.240 --> 00:02:53.830 align:middle line:84% That is what the Democrats are seeking to investigate. 00:02:53.830 --> 00:02:56.920 align:middle line:84% A lot of this is surrounded by confusing arguments. 00:02:56.920 --> 00:02:57.820 align:middle line:90% Who was worse? 00:02:57.820 --> 00:02:59.230 align:middle line:90% Joe Biden or Donald Trump? 00:02:59.230 --> 00:03:02.270 align:middle line:84% These arguments are made by the president's supporters. 00:03:02.270 --> 00:03:04.930 align:middle line:84% Many of his supporters are people of goodwill 00:03:04.930 --> 00:03:09.440 align:middle line:84% who wish him well and wish that the impeachment would go away. 00:03:09.440 --> 00:03:11.950 align:middle line:84% But wishing the impeachment to go away 00:03:11.950 --> 00:03:14.650 align:middle line:90% will not make it go away. 00:03:14.650 --> 00:03:19.000 align:middle line:84% Instead of a frenetic lawyer on television trying to make Joe 00:03:19.000 --> 00:03:21.910 align:middle line:84% Biden look worse, the president should present 00:03:21.910 --> 00:03:26.290 align:middle line:84% a principled defense if he has one because the Democrats have 00:03:26.290 --> 00:03:28.900 align:middle line:90% a lot of evidence against him. 00:03:28.900 --> 00:03:30.400 align:middle line:90% Welcome to my chambers. 00:03:30.400 --> 00:03:31.540 align:middle line:90% Fight the good fight. 00:03:31.540 --> 00:03:32.740 align:middle line:90% For freedom! 00:03:32.740 --> 00:03:36.090 align:middle line:90% [ROCK MUSIC] 00:03:36.090 --> 00:03:43.317 align:middle line:90%