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