President Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general strove at his confirmation Tuesday to assert his independence from the White House, saying he believed Russia had interfered with the 2016 presidential election, that a special counsel investigation shadowing Trump needs to move forward and that his predecessor made the correct call by recusing from the probe.

Those comments departed from Trump's own views and underscored Barr's efforts to reassure Democrats that he will not be a loyalist to a president who has appeared to demand it from law enforcement.

Trump has repeatedly castigated special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, calling it a "witch hunt," and lambasted and ultimately pushed out his first attorney general, Jeff Sessions, for his recusal because of his work with the campaign.

"I will not be bullied into doing anything that I think is wrong, whether it be by editorial boards, Congress or the president," Barr said.

Barr repeatedly praised Mueller, who has been investigating whether the Trump campaign coordinated with the Kremlin to sway the election, and sought to provide assurance he would not undermine his work. He called him a friend of 30 years and saying he couldn't imagine that Mueller would do anything that would justify his firing.

Barr would oversee the final stages of the investigation, and said that though he would consult with ethics officials on whether he would need to recuse because of a critical unsolicited memo to the Justice Department last year, the decision would be ultimately his.

He also disclosed having discussed Mueller with Trump during a meeting in 2017 when Barr declined to join his legal team.

Trump wanted to know what Mueller, who worked for Barr when he led the Justice Department between 1991 and 1993, was like.

Barr said he told Trump Mueller "is a straight shooter and should be dealt with as such."

The nominee also said former FBI Director James Comey made the wrong decision by holding a news conference announcing he wasn't recommending charges in the Hillary Clinton email investigation.

Barr said if authorities aren't going to bring charges, then there should not be a news conference to detail derogatory information uncovered during the probe. Comey has defended his decision.

"That's not the way the Department of Justice does business," Barr said.

POOL

Washington, DC - 15 January 2019

1. Wide side shot of Barr testifying at confirmation hearing

2. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"I have a very good life. I love it, but I also want to help in this circumstance and I am not going to do anything that I think is wrong and I will not be bullied into doing anything I think is wrong by anybody, whether it be editorial boards or Congress or the president. I'm going to do what I think is right."

3. Cutaway of committee members

4. Cutaway of Sen. Lindsey Graham

5. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"It was a very brief meeting where essentially the president wanted to know, he said, 'Oh, you know Bob Mueller. How well do you know Bob Mueller?' And I told him how well I knew Bob Mueller and how you know the Barrs and Muellers were good friends and would be good friends when this is all over and so forth. And he was interested in that, wanted to know you know what I thought about, you know, Mueller's integrity and so forth and so on. And I said Bob is a, is a straight shooter and should be dealt with as such. And he said something to the effect like, 'So are you envisioning some role here?' And I said, 'No actually, Mr. President, right now I couldn't do it. You know, I just, my personal and my professional obligations are such that I'm unable to do it.' So he asked me for my phone number, I gave it to him and I never heard from him again until..."

6. Wide shot of hearing

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Patrick Leahy, Democrat, Vermont:

"So will you commit, if confirmed, to both seeking and following the advice of the department's career ethics officials on whether you must recuse from the special counsel's investigation?"

8. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"I will seek the advice of the career ethics personnel. But under the regulations, I make the decision as the head of the agency as to my own recusal. So, I certainly would consult with them and at the end of the day, I would make a decision in good faith based on the laws and the facts that are evident at that time."

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Patrick Leahy, Democrat, Vermont:

"Are there any circumstances that would cause you to terminate the investigation, a component of or significantly restricted funding?"

10. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"Under the under the regulations, Bob Mueller could only be terminated for good cause and I frankly, it's unimaginable to me that Bob would ever do anything that gave rise to good cause. But in theory, if something happened that was good cause, for me it would actually take more than that, it would have to be pretty grave and the public interest would essentially have to compel it. Because I believe right now the overarching public interest is to allow him to finish."

11. Wide shot of hearing

12. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"I think Jim Comey is, as I've said, is an extremely gifted man who's served the country with distinction in many roles. But I thought that to the extent he, he actually announced a decision, was wrong. And the other thing is if you're not going to indict someone then you don't stand up there and unload negative information about the person. That's not the way the Department of Justice does business."

13. Wide shot of hearing

President Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general continued efforts to distance himself from the president Tuesday as he testified before Senators at his confirmation hearing.

Under questioning by the Senate Judiciary Committee, William Barr said he would not "not carry out" any order to fire special counsel Robert Mueller without cause.

The comments were in response to a question from Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware.

Mueller's team is examining potential ties between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign. Barr said repeatedly Tuesday he wants Mueller to finish the investigation.

Trump's nominee was also asked whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is a friend or a foe to the United States.

Barr said while Russia is a "potent rival" of the U.S. with foreign policy objectives "usually at direct contrary," he minimized the threat from Moscow and said China, not Russia is the "primary rival" of the United States.

Throughout his testimony, Barr acknowledged Russian attempts to meddle in the 2016 election but said Russia "is half the size it was was" during the Cold War with an economy nowhere near the size of China's.

And he said he's concerned "that the fixation on Russia not obscure the danger from China."

On a separate topic, Barr told the committee he can't rule out jailing reporters for doing their jobs.

In  response to a question from Sen. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, Barr said that there are certain situations where a reporter could be held in contempt "as a last resort."

Barr said the situations he was envisioning would involve news organizations "putting out stuff that is hurting the country."

POOL

Washington, DC - 15 January 2019

1. Wide shot of William Barr sitting before the Senate Judiciary Committee as it returns from break

2. Wide cutaway of committee

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chris Coons, Democrat, Delaware:

"So most famously when directed by President Nixon to fire the special counsel the prosecutor investigating Watergate, Richardson refused and resigned instead as we all well know. If the president directed you to change those regulations and then fire Mueller or simply directly fire Mueller, would you follow Richardson's example and resign instead?"

4. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"Assuming there was no good cause?

(Coons: Assuming no good cause.)

I would not carry out that instruction."

5. Cutaway of Coons

6. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"As I said, I'm going to carry out those regulations and I want him to finish this investigation."

7. Wide shot of hearing

8. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"Well I don't hold myself out as a foreign policy expert but I think that he is, I think the Russians are a potent rival of our country and his foreign policy objectives are usually at directly contrary to our goals. I think he wants to weaken the American alliances in Europe and he also wants to become a player in the Middle East, more of a player in the Middle East. A lot of his foreign policy objectives are are at odds with ours. At the same time, I think the primary rival of the United States is China. I think, you know, Russia is half the size it was when we were facing them at the peak of the Cold War. Their economy is, long term prognosis, is nowhere near China's. But I'm concerned that the fixation on Russia not obscure the danger from China."

9. Wide shot of hearing

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Democrat, Minnesota:

"If you're confirmed, will the Justice Department jail reporters for doing their jobs?"

11. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"I think that, you know, there are guidelines in place and I can conceive of situations where you know, as a last resort and where a news organization has run through a red flag or something like that, knows that they're putting out stuff that will hurt the country, there might be, there could be a situation where someone would be held in contempt."

12. Wide shot of hearing

Private tensions between Justice Department leaders and Robert Mueller's team broke into public view in extraordinary fashion Wednesday as Attorney General William Barr pushed back at the special counsel's "snitty" complaints over his handling of the Trump-Russia investigation report.

Testifying for the first time since releasing Mueller's report, Barr said he was surprised Mueller did not reach a conclusion on whether President Donald Trump had tried to obstruct justice, and that he had felt compelled to step in with his own judgment that the president had committed no crime.

Barr was also perturbed by a private letter Mueller sent him last month complaining that the attorney general had not properly portrayed the special counsel's finding.

Barr called the note "a bit snitty."

"I said 'Bob, what's with the letter? Just pick up the phone and call me if there is an issue,'" Barr said.

The airing of disagreements over the handling of the report followed Mueller's two-year investigation into Russian interference to help Trump in the 2016 campaign and the possibility that Trump's team conspired with the Russians.

During most of the investigation, the Justice Department and Mueller's team seemed to be unified in approach.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been anything but unified.

And their partisan divide was on full display during Wednesday's contentious Judiciary Committee hearing, which included three Democratic presidential candidates.

Some Republicans, in addition to defending Trump, focused on the president's 2016 Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton's email and campaign practices and what they argued has been a lack of investigation of them.

Democrats, for their part, moved to exploit the daylight between Barr and Mueller to attack the attorney general's credibility and accuse him of unduly spinning the special counsel's report in the president's favor.

Barr sought to minimize the rift by suggesting the special counsel's concerns were largely about process, not substance.

Barr's appearance gave him his most extensive opportunity to explain the department's actions, including his news conference held before the Mueller report's release.

Barr has also been invited to appear Thursday before the Democratic-led House Judiciary panel, but the Justice Department has said he would not testify if the committee insisted on having its lawyers question him.

Neither side broke much new ground Wednesday on the specifics of Mueller's investigation, though Barr did articulate a robust defense of Trump as he made clear his firm conviction that there was no prosecutable case against the president for obstruction of justice.

POOL

Washington DC - 1 May 2019

1. Wide, Senate Judiciary Committee

2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. Cory Booker, Democrat - New Jersey:

"We right now have a new normal in our country. We have a document that shows over 200 hundred attempts, connections between a presidential campaign and a foreign adversary sharing information that would be illegal if you did it with a super PAC. We know that. (Barr: What information was shared?)  The polling data was shared sir. It's in the report I can cite you the page. (Barr: With who?) And I guess my point here is is that your willingness to seem to brush over this and use words like the American people should be grateful. What's in this report? Nobody should be grateful."

3. Back view of hearing

4. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"Sen. Kamala Harris: Attorney General Barr has the president or anyone at the White House ever asked or suggested that you open an investigation of anyone?

Umm, I wouldn't I wouldn't.

Harris: Yes or no.

Could you repeat that question?"

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Kamala Harris, Democrat - California:

"I will repeat it. Has the president or anyone at the White House ever asked or suggested that you open an investigation of anyone? Yes or no please sir?"

6. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"The president or anybody else.

Harris: Seems you'd remember something like that and be able to tell us.

Yeah but I'm trying to grapple with the words suggest. I mean there have been discussions of of matters out there that they have not asked me to open investigation but  ...

Harris: Perhaps they've suggested?

I don't know, I wouldn't say suggest.

Harris: Hinted? Inferred?"

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Kamala Harris, Democrat - California:

"Is in reaching your conclusion did you personally review all of the underlying evidence?"

8. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"No. We took and  ...

Harris: Did Mr. Rosenstein?

No we accepted the statements in the report as the factual record. We did not go underneath it to see whether or not they were accurate. We accepted it as accurate."

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Kamala Harris, Democrat - California:

"As the Attorney General of the United States. You run the United States Department of Justice. If in any U.S. attorney's office around the country, the head of that office when being asked to make a critical decision about in this case the person who holds the highest office in the land and whether or not that person committed a crime, would you accept them recommending a charging decision to you if they had not reviewed the evidence?

Barr: Well that's a question for Bob Mueller. He's the U.S. attorney. He's the one who presents the report.

But it was you who made the charging decision, sir? You made the decision not to charge the president."

10. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"In a pross (process) memo and then a declination memo.

Harris: You said it was your baby, what did you mean by that?

It was my baby to to let to decide whether or not to disclose it to the public

Harris: And whose decision was it? Who had the power to make the decision about whether or not the evidence was sufficient to make a determination of whether there had been an obstruction of justice?

Prosecution memos go up to the supervisor, in this case it was the the attorney general and the deputy attorney general who who decide on the final decision."

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Democrat - Minnesota:

"Mr. Attorney General, on April 27th President Trump stated 'Mueller, I assume for 35 million dollars he checked my taxes and he checked my financials.' Is that accurate? Did the special counsel review the president's taxes and the Trump Organization's financial statements?"

12. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"I don't know.

Klobuchar: Can you find out if I ask later in a written question?

I, yes or you could ask Bob Mueller when he comes here.

Klobuchar: OK I'll do that too."

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Democrat - Connecticut:

"In fact in response to your question 'why not just pick up the phone,' this letter was an extraordinary act. A career prosecutor rebuking the attorney general of the United States, memorializing in writing. Right? I know of no other instance of that happening. Do you?"

14. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"I don't consider Bob at this stage a career prosecutor. He's had a career as a prosecutor.

Blumenthal: Well, he's a very eminent prosecutor.

He was the head of the FBI for 12 years.

Blumenthal: He's a career a law enforcement professional, right? Yeah I know of no other instance of ...

But he was also political appointee and he was a political appointee with me at the Department of Justice. I don't know the letters a bit snitty and I think it was probably written by one of his staff people."

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Democrat - Connecticut:

"Did you make a memorandum of your conversation? Did you make a memorandum"

Barr: I didn't.

Did anyone, either you or anyone on your staff memorialize your conversation with Robert Mueller?"

16. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"Yes.

Blumenthal: Who did that?

Barr: There were notes taken of the call.

Blumenthal: May we have those notes?

Barr: No

Blumethal: Why not?"

Barr: Why should you have them."

16. Pan, Barr leaving hearing

Private tensions between Justice Department leaders and Robert Mueller's team broke into public view in extraordinary fashion Wednesday as Attorney General William Barr pushed back at the special counsel's "snitty" complaints over his handling of the Trump-Russia investigation report.

Testifying for the first time since releasing Mueller's report, Barr said he was surprised Mueller did not reach a conclusion on whether President Donald Trump had tried to obstruct justice, and that he had felt compelled to step in with his own judgment that the president had committed no crime.

Barr was also perturbed by a private letter Mueller sent him last month complaining that the attorney general had not properly portrayed the special counsel's finding.

Barr called the note "a bit snitty."

"I said 'Bob, what's with the letter? Just pick up the phone and call me if there is an issue,'" Barr said.

The airing of disagreements over the handling of the report followed Mueller's two-year investigation into Russian interference to help Trump in the 2016 campaign and the possibility that Trump's team conspired with the Russians.

During most of the investigation, the Justice Department and Mueller's team seemed to be unified in approach.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been anything but unified.

And their partisan divide was on full display during Wednesday's contentious Judiciary Committee hearing, which included three Democratic presidential candidates.

Some Republicans, in addition to defending Trump, focused on the president's 2016 Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton's email and campaign practices and what they argued has been a lack of investigation of them.

Democrats, for their part, moved to exploit the daylight between Barr and Mueller to attack the attorney general's credibility and accuse him of unduly spinning the special counsel's report in the president's favor.

Barr sought to minimize the rift by suggesting the special counsel's concerns were largely about process, not substance.

Barr's appearance gave him his most extensive opportunity to explain the department's actions, including his news conference held before the Mueller report's release.

Barr has also been invited to appear Thursday before the Democratic-led House Judiciary panel, but the Justice Department has said he would not testify if the committee insisted on having its lawyers question him.

Neither side broke much new ground Wednesday on the specifics of Mueller's investigation, though Barr did articulate a robust defense of Trump as he made clear his firm conviction that there was no prosecutable case against the president for obstruction of justice.

POOL

Washington DC - 1 May 2019

1. Wide, Senate Judiciary Committee

2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. Cory Booker, Democrat - New Jersey:

"We right now have a new normal in our country. We have a document that shows over 200 hundred attempts, connections between a presidential campaign and a foreign adversary sharing information that would be illegal if you did it with a super PAC. We know that. (Barr: What information was shared?) The polling data was shared sir. It's in the report I can cite you the page. (Barr: With who?) And I guess my point here is is that your willingness to seem to brush over this and use words like the American people should be grateful. What's in this report? Nobody should be grateful."

3. Back view of hearing

4. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"Sen. Kamala Harris: Attorney General Barr has the president or anyone at the White House ever asked or suggested that you open an investigation of anyone?

Umm, I wouldn't I wouldn't.

Harris: Yes or no.

Could you repeat that question?"

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Kamala Harris, Democrat - California:

"I will repeat it. Has the president or anyone at the White House ever asked or suggested that you open an investigation of anyone? Yes or no please sir?"

6. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"The president or anybody else.

Harris: Seems you'd remember something like that and be able to tell us.

Yeah but I'm trying to grapple with the words suggest. I mean there have been discussions of of matters out there that they have not asked me to open investigation but ...

Harris: Perhaps they've suggested?

I don't know, I wouldn't say suggest.

Harris: Hinted? Inferred?"

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Kamala Harris, Democrat - California:

"Is in reaching your conclusion did you personally review all of the underlying evidence?"

8. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"No. We took and ...

Harris: Did Mr. Rosenstein?

No we accepted the statements in the report as the factual record. We did not go underneath it to see whether or not they were accurate. We accepted it as accurate."

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Kamala Harris, Democrat - California:

"As the Attorney General of the United States. You run the United States Department of Justice. If in any U.S. attorney's office around the country, the head of that office when being asked to make a critical decision about in this case the person who holds the highest office in the land and whether or not that person committed a crime, would you accept them recommending a charging decision to you if they had not reviewed the evidence?

Barr: Well that's a question for Bob Mueller. He's the U.S. attorney. He's the one who presents the report.

But it was you who made the charging decision, sir? You made the decision not to charge the president."

10. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"In a pross (process) memo and then a declination memo.

Harris: You said it was your baby, what did you mean by that?

It was my baby to to let to decide whether or not to disclose it to the public

Harris: And whose decision was it? Who had the power to make the decision about whether or not the evidence was sufficient to make a determination of whether there had been an obstruction of justice?

Prosecution memos go up to the supervisor, in this case it was the the attorney general and the deputy attorney general who who decide on the final decision."

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Democrat - Minnesota:

"Mr. Attorney General, on April 27th President Trump stated 'Mueller, I assume for 35 million dollars he checked my taxes and he checked my financials.' Is that accurate? Did the special counsel review the president's taxes and the Trump Organization's financial statements?"

12. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"I don't know.

Klobuchar: Can you find out if I ask later in a written question?

I, yes or you could ask Bob Mueller when he comes here.

Klobuchar: OK I'll do that too."

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Democrat - Connecticut:

"In fact in response to your question 'why not just pick up the phone,' this letter was an extraordinary act. A career prosecutor rebuking the attorney general of the United States, memorializing in writing. Right? I know of no other instance of that happening. Do you?"

14. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"I don't consider Bob at this stage a career prosecutor. He's had a career as a prosecutor.

Blumenthal: Well, he's a very eminent prosecutor.

He was the head of the FBI for 12 years.

Blumenthal: He's a career a law enforcement professional, right? Yeah I know of no other instance of ...

But he was also political appointee and he was a political appointee with me at the Department of Justice. I don't know the letters a bit snitty and I think it was probably written by one of his staff people."

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Democrat - Connecticut:

"Did you make a memorandum of your conversation? Did you make a memorandum"

Barr: I didn't.

Did anyone, either you or anyone on your staff memorialize your conversation with Robert Mueller?"

16. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"Yes.

Blumenthal: Who did that?

Barr: There were notes taken of the call.

Blumenthal: May we have those notes?

Barr: No

Blumethal: Why not?"

Barr: Why should you have them."

16. Pan, Barr leaving hearing

President Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general continued efforts to distance himself from the president Tuesday as he testified before Senators at his confirmation hearing.

Under questioning by the Senate Judiciary Committee, William Barr said he would not "not carry out" any order to fire special counsel Robert Mueller without cause.

The comments were in response to a question from Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware.

Mueller's team is examining potential ties between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign. Barr said repeatedly Tuesday he wants Mueller to finish the investigation.

Trump's nominee was also asked whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is a friend or a foe to the United States.

Barr said while Russia is a "potent rival" of the U.S. with foreign policy objectives "usually at direct contrary," he minimized the threat from Moscow and said China, not Russia is the "primary rival" of the United States.

Throughout his testimony, Barr acknowledged Russian attempts to meddle in the 2016 election but said Russia "is half the size it was was" during the Cold War with an economy nowhere near the size of China's.

And he said he's concerned "that the fixation on Russia not obscure the danger from China."

On a separate topic, Barr told the committee he can't rule out jailing reporters for doing their jobs.

In  response to a question from Sen. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, Barr said that there are certain situations where a reporter could be held in contempt "as a last resort."

Barr said the situations he was envisioning would involve news organizations "putting out stuff that is hurting the country."

POOL

Washington, DC - 15 January 2019

1. Wide shot of William Barr sitting before the Senate Judiciary Committee as it returns from break

2. Wide cutaway of committee

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chris Coons, Democrat, Delaware:

"So most famously when directed by President Nixon to fire the special counsel the prosecutor investigating Watergate, Richardson refused and resigned instead as we all well know. If the president directed you to change those regulations and then fire Mueller or simply directly fire Mueller, would you follow Richardson's example and resign instead?"

4. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"Assuming there was no good cause?

(Coons: Assuming no good cause.)

I would not carry out that instruction."

5. Cutaway of Coons

6. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"As I said, I'm going to carry out those regulations and I want him to finish this investigation."

7. Wide shot of hearing

8. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"Well I don't hold myself out as a foreign policy expert but I think that he is, I think the Russians are a potent rival of our country and his foreign policy objectives are usually at directly contrary to our goals. I think he wants to weaken the American alliances in Europe and he also wants to become a player in the Middle East, more of a player in the Middle East. A lot of his foreign policy objectives are are at odds with ours. At the same time, I think the primary rival of the United States is China. I think, you know, Russia is half the size it was when we were facing them at the peak of the Cold War. Their economy is, long term prognosis, is nowhere near China's. But I'm concerned that the fixation on Russia not obscure the danger from China."

9. Wide shot of hearing

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Democrat, Minnesota:

"If you're confirmed, will the Justice Department jail reporters for doing their jobs?"

11. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"I think that, you know, there are guidelines in place and I can conceive of situations where you know, as a last resort and where a news organization has run through a red flag or something like that, knows that they're putting out stuff that will hurt the country, there might be, there could be a situation where someone would be held in contempt."

12. Wide shot of hearing

The incoming chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee says Attorney General nominee William Barr has confidence in special counsel Robert Mueller (MUHL'-ur) and will let Mueller finish his Russia investigation.

Sen. Lindsey Graham says Barr has a "very, very high opinion" of Mueller.

The South Carolina Republican was among the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee who met with Barr on Wednesday as Barr made the rounds on Capitol Hill before his confirmation hearing next week.

President Donald Trump pushed out Attorney General Jeff Sessions last year and nominated Barr to replace him.

Trump's critics have warned that Barr may try to curtail Mueller's investigation, given that the president has repeatedly called it a "witch hunt."

And Barr wrote an unsolicited memo to the Justice Department last year critiquing Mueller's investigation

Graham also commented on President Trump's speech Tuesday night from the Oval office.

"I thought the president did a good job of explaining the humanitarian problem," said Graham.

"I think the president is open minded to a deal, he's firm on the idea he needs border security money, including money for barriers, but I believe and hope he's open to a deal."

Washington DC - 9 January 2019

1. Cutaway of Attorney General nominee William Barr walking down the hall and into Sen. Lindsey Graham's office

++SILENT++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina, Incoming Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee:

"I think the main thing people want to know is what's his view of the Mueller investigation. And I can assure you based on what I've heard, that he has a high opinion of Mr. Mueller, believes that Mr. Mueller is doing a professional job, will do a professional job. Be fair to the president of the country as a whole and has no reason for Mr. Mueller to stop doing his job and is commited to allowing Mr. Mueller to finish."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina, Incoming Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee:

"As to President I ask him, he said some pretty tough things. Mr. Barr said he's the one on the receiving end of this, he is sort of the accused and from the president's point of view, I think he believes it is a witch hunt and doesn't believe he did anything wrong and I can remember the Clinton days, when Ken Starr was part of a right-wing conspiracy. That is just sort of the way these things go."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina, Incoming Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee:

"He had absolutely no indication he was going to tell Bob Mueller what to do, or how to do it. He is confident that Mr. Mueller will pursue the facts and the law."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina, Incoming Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee:

"The memo, that was his opinion about the slippery slope of obstruction of justice charges against a president who wants to terminate a political appointee. He has got to believe that is a dangerous precedent to set and his memo was shared

with other people, he wanted their input. And we will share with the committee all the folks that Mr. Barr talked to and shared the memo with and we will give you an explanation to the committee as why he wrote it."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina, Incoming Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee:

"He has a high opinion of Rod, they talked. Mr. Rosenstein mentioned him when they first met, I think that two years would probably be enough. He has some ideas of a deputy. I told him to pick somebody you are comfortable with and the president can approve and I trust his judgment to find a worthy successor to Mr. Rosenstein."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina, Incoming Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee:

"I thought the president did a good job of explaining the humanitarian problem on both sides, those who are coming here, the abuse that women go through, the children to get to the country, what happens when the criminal illegal immigrants are allowed to come back time and time again. And I thought it was a pretty persuasive case that we need to secure our border and we need to realize illegal immigration is a human tragedy at multiple levels."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina, Incoming Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee:

"To my Democratic colleagues I don't believe you're going to get much traction that the president is manufacturing a crisis because all of you, including me have voted for billions of dollars to secure the border very much like the president is proposing."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina, Incoming Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee:

"Toward the end of the week, there'll be some ideas emerging from the Senate that would have some bipartisan buy-in. But here's what the Democrats are going to ask, this is a good question - will the president sign it? And I think the president is open minded to a deal, he's firm on the idea he needs border security money, including money for barriers, but I believe and hope he's open to a deal on the wall."

10). Cutaway of Graham and Barr in his office ++SILENT++

After nearly two years of waiting, America is about to get some answers straight from Robert Mueller- but not before President Donald Trump's attorney general has his say.

Attorney General William Barr says he will give Congress a redacted copy of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigative report at 11 a.m. EST

He told reporters at the Justice Department that he would transmit to Congress copies of the public version of Mueller's investigation into Russian interference during the 2016 election and President Donald Trump's campaign.

Democrats complained that Barr's news conference was an effort to influence reaction to the report ahead of its release.

The Justice Department on Thursday is expected to release a redacted version of the special counsel's report on Russian election interference and the Trump campaign, opening up months, if not years, of fights over what the document means in a deeply divided country.

Even the planned release of the nearly 400-page report quickly spiraled into a political battle Wednesday over whether Attorney General William Barr is attempting to shield the president who appointed him and spin the report's findings before the American people can read it and come to their own judgments.

Trump himself was in a high state of alert ahead of the report's release.

He repeated what has become a near daily refrain of criticism of the Russia investigation using his favored Twitter account. "PRESIDENTIAL HARASSMENT!" he wrote.

POOL

Washington - 18 April 2019

1. Side view Attorney General William Barr walks into news conference

2. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) William Barr, Attorney General:

"As you know one of the primary purposes of the special, special counsel's investigation was to determine whether President Trump's campaign or any individual associated with it conspired or coordinated with the Russian government to interfere in the 2016 election. Volume 1 of the special counsel's report describes the results of that investigation. As you will see the special counsel's report states that his quote investigation did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities. I am sure that all Americans share my concern about the efforts of the Russian government to interfere in our presidential election. As the Special Counsel report makes clear, the Russian government sought to interfere in our election process. But thanks to the special counsel's thorough investigation we now know that the Russian operatives who perpetrated these schemes did not have the cooperation of President Trump or the Trump campaign or the knowing assistance of any other American for that matter. That is something that all Americans can and should be grateful to have confirmed."

3. Cutaway Barr speaking

4. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) William Barr, Attorney General:

"The special counsel report outlines two main efforts by the Russian government to influence the 2016 election first the report details efforts by the Internet Research Agency, a Russian company with close ties to the Russian government, to sow social discord among American voters through disinformation and social media operations following a thorough investigation of this disinformation campaign, the special counsel brought charges in federal court against several Russian nationals and entities for their respective roles in this scheme. Those charges remain pending and the individual defendants remain at large but the special counsel found no evidence that any American, including anyone associated with the Trump campaign, conspired or coordinated with the Russian government or the IRA in this illegal scheme. "

After nearly two years of waiting, America is about to get some answers straight from Robert Mueller- but not before President Donald Trump's attorney general has his say.

Attorney General William Barr says he will give Congress a redacted copy of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigative report at 11 a.m. EST

He told reporters at the Justice Department that he would transmit to Congress copies of the public version of Mueller's investigation into Russian interference during the 2016 election and President Donald Trump's campaign.

Democrats complained that Barr's news conference was an effort to influence reaction to the report ahead of its release.

The Justice Department on Thursday is expected to release a redacted version of the special counsel's report on Russian election interference and the Trump campaign, opening up months, if not years, of fights over what the document means in a deeply divided country.

Even the planned release of the nearly 400-page report quickly spiraled into a political battle Wednesday over whether Attorney General William Barr is attempting to shield the president who appointed him and spin the report's findings before the American people can read it and come to their own judgments.

Trump himself was in a high state of alert ahead of the report's release.

He repeated what has become a near daily refrain of criticism of the Russia investigation using his favored Twitter account. "PRESIDENTIAL HARASSMENT!" he wrote.

POOL

Washington - 18 April 2019

1. Side view Attorney General William Barr walks into news conference

2. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) William Barr, Attorney General:

SOUNDBITE (English)

"As you know on March 22nd, Special Counsel Robert Mueller concluded his investigation into matters related to Russian attempts to interfere in our 2016 presidential election. And he submitted his confidential report to me pursuant to department regulations. As I said during my Senate confirmation hearing, and since, I'm committed to ensuring the greatest degree possible of transparency concerning the special counsel's investigation, consistent with the law. At 11:00 this morning I'm going to transmit copies of the public version of the special counsel's report to the chairmen and ranking members of the Senate and House judiciary committees. The Department of Justice will also make the report available to the American people by posting it on the department's website after it has been delivered to Congress."

3. Cutaway Barr speaking

4. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) William Barr, Attorney General:

"As you know one of the primary purposes of the special, special counsel's investigation was to determine whether President Trump's campaign or any individual associated with it conspired or coordinated with the Russian government to interfere in the 2016 election. Volume 1 of the special counsel's report describes the results of that investigation. As you will see the special counsel's report states that his quote investigation did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities. I am sure that all Americans share my concern about the efforts of the Russian government to interfere in our presidential election. As the Special Counsel report makes clear, the Russian government sought to interfere in our election process. But thanks to the special counsel's thorough investigation we now know that the Russian operatives who perpetrated these schemes did not have the cooperation of President Trump or the Trump campaign or the knowing assistance of any other American for that matter. That is something that all Americans can and should be grateful to have confirmed."

5. Cutaway Barr speaking

6. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) William Barr, Attorney General:

"The special counsel report outlines two main efforts by the Russian government to influence the 2016 election. First the report details efforts by the Internet Research Agency, a Russian company with close ties to the Russian government, to sow social discord among American voters through disinformation and social media operations. Following a thorough investigation of this disinformation campaign, the special counsel brought charges in federal court against several Russian nationals and entities for their respective roles in this scheme. Those charges remain pending and the individual defendants remain at large. But the special counsel found no evidence that any American, including anyone associated with the Trump campaign, conspired or coordinated with the Russian government or the IRA in this illegal scheme. "

7. Side, Barr speaking

After nearly two years of waiting, America is about to get some answers straight from Robert Mueller- but not before President Donald Trump's attorney general has his say.

Attorney General William Barr says he will give Congress a redacted copy of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigative report at 11 a.m. EST

He told reporters at the Justice Department that he would transmit to Congress copies of the public version of Mueller's investigation into Russian interference during the 2016 election and President Donald Trump's campaign.

Democrats complained that Barr's news conference was an effort to influence reaction to the report ahead of its release.

The Justice Department on Thursday is expected to release a redacted version of the special counsel's report on Russian election interference and the Trump campaign, opening up months, if not years, of fights over what the document means in a deeply divided country.

Even the planned release of the nearly 400-page report quickly spiraled into a political battle Wednesday over whether Attorney General William Barr is attempting to shield the president who appointed him and spin the report's findings before the American people can read it and come to their own judgments.

Trump himself was in a high state of alert ahead of the report's release.

He repeated what has become a near daily refrain of criticism of the Russia investigation using his favored Twitter account. "PRESIDENTIAL HARASSMENT!" he wrote.

POOL

Washington - 18 April 2019

1. Side view Attorney General William Barr walks into news conference

2. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) William Barr, Attorney General:

SOUNDBITE (English)

"As you know on March 22nd, Special Counsel Robert Mueller concluded his investigation into matters related to Russian attempts to interfere in our 2016 presidential election. And he submitted his confidential report to me pursuant to department regulations. As I said during my Senate confirmation hearing, and since, I'm committed to ensuring the greatest degree possible of transparency concerning the special counsel's investigation, consistent with the law.  At 11:00 this morning I'm going to transmit copies of the public version of the special counsel's report to the chairmen and ranking members of the Senate and House judiciary committees. The Department of Justice will also make the report available to the American people by posting it on the department's website after it has been delivered to Congress."

3. Cutaway Barr speaking

4. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) William Barr, Attorney General:

"As you know one of the primary purposes of the special, special counsel's investigation was to determine whether President Trump's campaign or any individual associated with it conspired or coordinated with the Russian government to interfere in the 2016 election. Volume 1 of the special counsel's report describes the results of that investigation.  As you will see the special counsel's report states that his quote investigation did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities. I am sure that all Americans share my concern about the efforts of the Russian government to interfere in our presidential election.  As the Special Counsel report makes clear, the Russian government sought to interfere in our election process. But thanks to the special counsel's thorough investigation we now know that the Russian operatives who perpetrated these schemes did not have the cooperation of President Trump or the Trump campaign or the knowing assistance of any other American for that matter. That is something that all Americans can and should be grateful to have confirmed."

5. Cutaway Barr speaking

6. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) William Barr, Attorney General:

"The special counsel report outlines two main efforts by the Russian government to influence the 2016 election. First the report details efforts by the Internet Research Agency, a Russian company with close ties to the Russian government, to sow social discord among American voters through disinformation and social media operations. Following a thorough investigation of this disinformation campaign, the special counsel brought charges in federal court against several Russian nationals and entities for their respective roles in this scheme. Those charges remain pending and the individual defendants remain at large. But the special counsel found no evidence that any American, including anyone associated with the Trump campaign, conspired or coordinated with the Russian government or the IRA in this illegal scheme. "

7. Side, Barr speaking

The incoming chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee says Attorney General nominee William Barr has confidence in special counsel Robert Mueller (MUHL'-ur) and will let Mueller finish his Russia investigation.

Sen. Lindsey Graham says Barr has a "very, very high opinion" of Mueller.

The South Carolina Republican was among the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee who met with Barr on Wednesday as Barr made the rounds on Capitol Hill before his confirmation hearing next week.

President Donald Trump pushed out Attorney General Jeff Sessions last year and nominated Barr to replace him.

Trump's critics have warned that Barr may try to curtail Mueller's investigation, given that the president has repeatedly called it a "witch hunt."

And Barr wrote an unsolicited memo to the Justice Department last year critiquing Mueller's investigation

Graham also commented on President Trump's speech Tuesday night from the Oval office.

"I thought the president did a good job of explaining the humanitarian problem," said Graham.

"I think the president is open minded to a deal, he's firm on the idea he needs border security money, including money for barriers, but I believe and hope he's open to a deal."

Washington DC - 9 January 2019

1. Cutaway of Attorney General nominee William Barr walking down the hall and into Sen. Lindsey Graham's office

++SILENT++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina, Incoming Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee:

"I think the main thing people want to know is what's his view of the Mueller investigation. And I can assure you based on what I've heard, that he has a high opinion of Mr. Mueller, believes that Mr. Mueller is doing a professional job, will do a professional job. Be fair to the president of the country as a whole and has no reason for Mr. Mueller to stop doing his job and is commited to allowing Mr. Mueller to finish."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina, Incoming Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee:

"As to President I ask him, he said some pretty tough things. Mr. Barr said he's the one on the receiving end of this, he is sort of the accused and from the president's point of view, I think he believes it is a witch hunt and doesn't believe he did anything wrong and I can remember the Clinton days, when Ken Starr was part of a right-wing conspiracy. That is just sort of the way these things go."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina, Incoming Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee:

"He had absolutely no indication he was going to tell Bob Mueller what to do, or how to do it. He is confident that Mr. Mueller will pursue the facts and the law."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina, Incoming Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee:

"The memo, that was his opinion about the slippery slope of obstruction of justice charges against a president who wants to terminate a political appointee. He has got to believe that is a dangerous precedent to set and his memo was shared

with other people, he wanted their input. And we will share with the committee all the folks that Mr. Barr talked to and shared the memo with and we will give you an explanation to the committee as why he wrote it."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina, Incoming Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee:

"He has a high opinion of Rod, they talked. Mr. Rosenstein mentioned him when they first met, I think that two years would probably be enough. He has some ideas of a deputy. I told him to pick somebody you are comfortable with and the president can approve and I trust his judgment to find a worthy successor to Mr. Rosenstein."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina, Incoming Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee:

"I thought the president did a good job of explaining the humanitarian problem on both sides, those who are coming here, the abuse that women go through, the children to get to the country, what happens when the criminal illegal immigrants are allowed to come back time and time again. And I thought it was a pretty persuasive case that we need to secure our border and we need to realize illegal immigration is a human tragedy at multiple levels."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina, Incoming Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee:

"To my Democratic colleagues I don't believe you're going to get much traction that the president is manufacturing a crisis because all of you, including me have voted for billions of dollars to secure the border very much like the president is proposing."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina, Incoming Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee:

"Toward the end of the week, there'll be some ideas emerging from the Senate that would have some bipartisan buy-in. But here's what the Democrats are going to ask, this is a good question - will the president sign it? And I think the president is open minded to a deal, he's firm on the idea he needs border security money, including money for barriers, but I believe and hope he's open to a deal on the wall."

10). Cutaway of Graham and Barr in his office ++SILENT++

Senator Chuck Grassley said he would consider the special counsel protection bill even though Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the bipartisan legislation would not be brought to the senate floor. The bill is an effort to protect the job of special counsel Robert Mueller.

Grassley said today during the Senate Judiciary Committee Executive Business Meeting that "the views of the Majority Leader are important to consider but they do not govern what happens here in the Judiciary Committee."

The bipartisan legislation was introduced last week as Trump publicly criticized Mueller, who is investigating potential ties between Russia and Trump's 2016 campaign as well as possible obstruction of justice by the president.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, a Republican, announced that his committee would vote on the bill.

The legislation would give any special counsel a 10-day window to seek expedited judicial review of a firing, and would put into law existing Justice Department regulations that require a firing to be for "good cause."

At least three of the 11 GOP members of the Judiciary panel have said they will vote against it and another five have said they have questions about its constitutionality.

Grassley is one of those with concerns, but said he felt obligated to hold a vote. he said

The Senate's top Republican says the bill is not necessary because President Donald Trump isn't going to fire Mueller. Trump allies have been urging the president to fire Mueller, and the president has mused publicly about doing so as he complains about the probe into election meddling by Russia.

POOL

Washington - 19 April 2018

1. Wide shot of Senate Judiciary Committee hearing

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chuck Grassley, (R) Iowa:

"Some have raised the question of why the committee plans to proceed on the markup especially after the majority leader said it wouldn't reach, reach, wouldn't be brought up in the Senate. I answered this question, I'll bet ten times. The press is always trying to put us between me and the president or me and the majority leader. I don't care to be put in the middle of anything. I just plan on doing the work that this committee ought to do and how do you get things done. You get it done by moving up a slow pace of through the various steps you go to get there. Obviously, the views of the majority leader are important to consider but they do not govern what happens here in the Judiciary Committee. If consideration on the floor was a standard for approving a bill in committee or not we wouldn't be probably moving any bills out of this committee."

3. Medium wide shot of Democratic members of judiciary committee

4.SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chuck Grassley, (R) Iowa:

"Now I did raise some issues about the constitutionality of this whole issue. I've expressed my own concerns about the bill. At our hearing last September we had prominent legal scholars offer differing views as to whether the special counsel's bill were constitutional. But each acknowledged that there was uncertainty about how the current Supreme Court would come down on the issue. It's appropriate for members of the Judiciary Committee to discuss constitutional issues with potential legislation but it's also important to acknowledge the fact that were senators not judges or presidents, though some of this in this room might like to be one day."

5. Wide shot of Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Republican members of judiciary committee

6.SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chuck Grassley, (R) Iowa:

"Where there are issues of national importance such as the appointment of special counsels. Congress must consider its constitutional role and act to make sure that it can avail itself of its traditional checks against the executive branch. In my view, that means that Congress should at least require the executive branch to issue detailed reports to Congress about the appointment investigation or removal of special counsel and especially in light of the work done by the bipartisan group of senators from this committee, I think that this committee should consider whether a law requiring judicial review of the removal of special counsel is appropriate."

7. Wide shot of Senate Judiciary Committee hearing

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen.Dianne Feinstein, (D) California: (Wide shot of Feinstein and cutaway is part of upcoming remarks)

"And I really want to thank these four senators they've worked together now for several months to reach a compromise bipartisan bill that codifies the existing regulations to protect the special counsel and creates a judicial review. If he were to be fired. I support this legislation and hope Leader McConnell will reconsider giving it floor time. At the very least if it's passed out of this committee it's ready and it could go at any time on the floor."

9. Medium shot of Senate Judiciary Committee hearing

Senator Chuck Grassley said he would consider the special counsel protection bill even though Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the bipartisan legislation would not be brought to the senate floor. The bill is an effort to protect the job of special counsel Robert Mueller.

Grassley said today during the Senate Judiciary Committee Executive Business Meeting that "the views of the Majority Leader are important to consider but they do not govern what happens here in the Judiciary Committee."

The bipartisan legislation was introduced last week as Trump publicly criticized Mueller, who is investigating potential ties between Russia and Trump's 2016 campaign as well as possible obstruction of justice by the president.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, a Republican, announced that his committee would vote on the bill.

The legislation would give any special counsel a 10-day window to seek expedited judicial review of a firing, and would put into law existing Justice Department regulations that require a firing to be for "good cause."

At least three of the 11 GOP members of the Judiciary panel have said they will vote against it and another five have said they have questions about its constitutionality.

Grassley is one of those with concerns, but said he felt obligated to hold a vote. he said

The Senate's top Republican says the bill is not necessary because President Donald Trump isn't going to fire Mueller. Trump allies have been urging the president to fire Mueller, and the president has mused publicly about doing so as he complains about the probe into election meddling by Russia.

POOL

Washington - 19 April 2018

1. Wide shot of Senate Judiciary Committee hearing

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chuck Grassley, (R) Iowa:

"Some have raised the question of why the committee plans to proceed on the markup especially after the majority leader said it wouldn't reach, reach, wouldn't be brought up in the Senate. I answered this question, I'll bet ten times. The press is always trying to put us between me and the president or me and the majority leader. I don't care to be put in the middle of anything. I just plan on doing the work that this committee ought to do and how do you get things done. You get it done by moving up a slow pace of through the various steps you go to get there. Obviously, the views of the majority leader are important to consider but they do not govern what happens here in the Judiciary Committee. If consideration on the floor was a standard for approving a bill in committee or not we wouldn't be probably moving any bills out of this committee."

3. Medium wide shot of Democratic members of judiciary committee

4.SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chuck Grassley, (R) Iowa:

"Now I did raise some issues about the constitutionality of this whole issue. I've expressed my own concerns about the bill. At our hearing last September we had prominent legal scholars offer differing views as to whether the special counsel's bill were constitutional. But each acknowledged that there was uncertainty about how the current Supreme Court would come down on the issue. It's appropriate for members of the Judiciary Committee to discuss constitutional issues with potential legislation but it's also important to acknowledge the fact that were senators not judges or presidents, though some of this in this room might like to be one day."

5. Wide shot of Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Republican members of judiciary committee

6.SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chuck Grassley, (R) Iowa:

"Where there are issues of national importance such as the appointment of special counsels. Congress must consider its constitutional role and act to make sure that it can avail itself of its traditional checks against the executive branch. In my view, that means that Congress should at least require the executive branch to issue detailed reports to Congress about the appointment investigation or removal of special counsel and especially in light of the work done by the bipartisan group of senators from this committee, I think that this committee should consider whether a law requiring judicial review of the removal of special counsel is appropriate."

7. Wide shot of Senate Judiciary Committee hearing

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen.Dianne Feinstein, (D) California: (Wide shot of Feinstein and cutaway is part of upcoming remarks)

"And I really want to thank these four senators they've worked together now for several months to reach a compromise bipartisan bill that codifies the existing regulations to protect the special counsel and creates a judicial review. If he were to be fired. I support this legislation and hope Leader McConnell will reconsider giving it floor time. At the very least if it's passed out of this committee it's ready and it could go at any time on the floor."

9. Medium shot of Senate Judiciary Committee hearing

President Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general strove at his confirmation Tuesday to assert his independence from the White House, saying he believed Russia had interfered with the 2016 presidential election, that a special counsel investigation shadowing Trump needs to move forward and that his predecessor made the correct call by recusing from the probe.

Those comments departed from Trump's own views and underscored Barr's efforts to reassure Democrats that he will not be a loyalist to a president who has appeared to demand it from law enforcement.

Trump has repeatedly castigated special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, calling it a "witch hunt," and lambasted and ultimately pushed out his first attorney general, Jeff Sessions, for his recusal because of his work with the campaign.

"I will not be bullied into doing anything that I think is wrong, whether it be by editorial boards, Congress or the president," Barr said.

Barr repeatedly praised Mueller, who has been investigating whether the Trump campaign coordinated with the Kremlin to sway the election, and sought to provide assurance he would not undermine his work. He called him a friend of 30 years and saying he couldn't imagine that Mueller would do anything that would justify his firing.

Barr would oversee the final stages of the investigation, and said that though he would consult with ethics officials on whether he would need to recuse because of a critical unsolicited memo to the Justice Department last year, the decision would be ultimately his.

He also disclosed having discussed Mueller with Trump during a meeting in 2017 when Barr declined to join his legal team.

Trump wanted to know what Mueller, who worked for Barr when he led the Justice Department between 1991 and 1993, was like.

Barr said he told Trump Mueller "is a straight shooter and should be dealt with as such."

The nominee also said former FBI Director James Comey made the wrong decision by holding a news conference announcing he wasn't recommending charges in the Hillary Clinton email investigation.

Barr said if authorities aren't going to bring charges, then there should not be a news conference to detail derogatory information uncovered during the probe. Comey has defended his decision.

"That's not the way the Department of Justice does business," Barr said.

POOL

Washington, DC - 15 January 2019

1. Wide side shot of Barr testifying at confirmation hearing

2. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"I have a very good life. I love it, but I also want to help in this circumstance and I am not going to do anything that I think is wrong and I will not be bullied into doing anything I think is wrong by anybody, whether it be editorial boards or Congress or the president. I'm going to do what I think is right."

3. Cutaway of committee members

4. Cutaway of Sen. Lindsey Graham

5. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"It was a very brief meeting where essentially the president wanted to know, he said, 'Oh, you know Bob Mueller. How well do you know Bob Mueller?' And I told him how well I knew Bob Mueller and how you know the Barrs and Muellers were good friends and would be good friends when this is all over and so forth. And he was interested in that, wanted to know you know what I thought about, you know, Mueller's integrity and so forth and so on. And I said Bob is a, is a straight shooter and should be dealt with as such. And he said something to the effect like, 'So are you envisioning some role here?' And I said, 'No actually, Mr. President, right now I couldn't do it. You know, I just, my personal and my professional obligations are such that I'm unable to do it.' So he asked me for my phone number, I gave it to him and I never heard from him again until..."

6. Wide shot of hearing

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Patrick Leahy, Democrat, Vermont:

"So will you commit, if confirmed, to both seeking and following the advice of the department's career ethics officials on whether you must recuse from the special counsel's investigation?"

8. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"I will seek the advice of the career ethics personnel. But under the regulations, I make the decision as the head of the agency as to my own recusal. So, I certainly would consult with them and at the end of the day, I would make a decision in good faith based on the laws and the facts that are evident at that time."

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Patrick Leahy, Democrat, Vermont:

"Are there any circumstances that would cause you to terminate the investigation, a component of or significantly restricted funding?"

10. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"Under the under the regulations, Bob Mueller could only be terminated for good cause and I frankly, it's unimaginable to me that Bob would ever do anything that gave rise to good cause. But in theory, if something happened that was good cause, for me it would actually take more than that, it would have to be pretty grave and the public interest would essentially have to compel it. Because I believe right now the overarching public interest is to allow him to finish."

11. Wide shot of hearing

12. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"I think Jim Comey is, as I've said, is an extremely gifted man who's served the country with distinction in many roles. But I thought that to the extent he, he actually announced a decision, was wrong. And the other thing is if you're not going to indict someone then you don't stand up there and unload negative information about the person. That's not the way the Department of Justice does business."

13. Wide shot of hearing

On October 4th 2108 about 3000 demonstrators gathered outside the Supreme Court to protest Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the United State's highest court.

The protesters include a loud contingent from Maine, and they're calling on Susan Collins, a key Republican senator from that state, to vote against Kavanaugh.

Collins that the FBI appears to have conducted a "very thorough investigation" of the sexual misconduct claims against Kavanaugh.

Alaskan Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, told reporters October 4th she has not yet "had an opportunity to go through" the review herself, so she said she "can't comment on whether or not... it's entirely thorough."

Two speakers who identified as survivors of sexual abuse from Alaska also addressed during the protest, urging Murkowski to vote against confirming Kavanaugh.

A procedural vote on Kavanaugh's nomination is set for Friday. He denies the allegations.

***

US Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in -again, for the cameras, this time on October 8th at a White House ceremony.

US President Donald Trump in remarks at the ceremony said Kavanaugh had been found "innocent" in the process.

Kavanaugh said he was devoted to "equal justice under law".

***

President Donald Trump says the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, will be leaving administration 'at the end of the year'

Trump spoke as he and Haley met in the Oval Office, shortly after word came of her plans to resign.

He called Haley a "very special" person, adding that she told him six months ago that she might want to take some time off. Trump said that together, they had "solved a lot of problems."

No reason for the resignation was immediately provided.

Haley listed her accomplishments at the UN post by saying, "the U.S. is strong again."

Her resignation to Trump marking the latest shake-up in the turbulent Trump administration just weeks before the midterm election.

There was no immediate word on her successor.

Haley, 46, was appointed to the U.N. post in November 2016 and last month coordinated Trump's second trip to the United Nations, including his first time chairing the U.N. Security Council.

Before she was named by Trump to her U.N. post, Haley was governor of South Carolina, the first woman to hold the post.

She was re-elected in 2014.

***

US Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigned on November 7th as the country's chief law enforcement officer after enduring more than a year of blistering and personal attacks over his recusal from the Russia investigation.

Sessions announced his resignation in a letter to US President Donald Trump, saying his resignation came at "your request".

Trump announced in a separate tweet that he was naming Sessions' chief of staff Matthew Whitaker, a former United States attorney from Iowa, as acting attorney general.

The resignation was the culmination of a toxic relationship that frayed just weeks into the attorney general's tumultuous tenure, when he stepped aside from the investigation into potential coordination between the president's campaign and Russia.

Trump blamed the decision for opening the door to the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller, who took over the Russia investigation and began examining whether Trump's hectoring of Sessions was part of a broader effort to obstruct justice and stymie the probe.

Sessions had risked his reputation when he became the first US senator to endorse the celebrity businessman.

His early backing helped Trump's effort to be seen as a legitimate candidate.

Nearly year after his endorsement, Sessions raised his hand in the Oval Office, becoming the nation's 84th Attorney General, the country's top law enforcement officer.

A cloud of suspicion about Russian meddling in the election hung over the Trump presidency from the very beginning.

In his confirmation hearings, Sessions said he didn't meet with Russian officials.

But a few weeks into his tenure, reports emerged that Sessions met with the Russian ambassador to the United States during the campaign.

At the time, Trump expressed his continued support of Sessions.

Sessions soon recused himself from any campaign investigations.

Trump has seethed about Sessions' decision for months, publicly venting on Twitter against him while musing privately about firing Sessions.

In a series of tweets, Trump called sessions "beleaguered," criticizing for not investigating Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Trump viewed Sessions' recusal as disloyal - arguably a grievous offense for this president, and a move that led to the end of his short career as Attorney General.

***

US President Donald Trump slammed another CNN reporter on November 9th, this time Abby Phillip, an African American woman, for asking what he said was "a stupid question".

Trump made the disparaging comment while talking to reporters as he was departing for Paris, France.

Phillip asked Trump whether he would like his new acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to "rein in" Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Trump responded by saying, "What a stupid question," adding, "But I watch you a lot. You ask a lot of stupid questions."

The comments followed Trump's attacks during the same question and answer session on CNN reporter Jim Acosta, who he called "unprofessional" and not smart, and Urban Radio Networks' April Ryan, who he called "very nasty" and "a loser".

Earlier in the week, the White House seized Acosta's White House press credential, while Trump suggested on November 9th that more reporters could lose theirs.

***

President Donald Trump announced on December 8th that he's picked a battle-hardened commander who oversaw troops in Iraq and Afghanistan to be the nation's next top military adviser.

If confirmed by the Senate, Gen. Mark Milley, who has been chief of the Army since August 2015, would succeed Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Dunford's term doesn't end until Oct. 1.

Trump said the date of transition is "to be determined."

Trump used an early morning tweet to reveal his choice. "I am thankful to both of these incredible men for their service to our Country!" he said.

Trump's decision, announced before leaving Washington for the annual Army-Navy football game in Philadelphia, had caught some in the Pentagon by surprise when unofficial word spread on December 7th after he had tweeted that a succession announcement was coming.

Normally an announcement on a new chairman wouldn't be expected until early 2019.

Officials had said the Air Force chief, Gen. David Goldfein, was also a strong contender for the job.

Milley is known as a charismatic, outgoing leader who has not been afraid to offer candid and sometimes blunt assessments to Congress.

in 2017 he admonished the House Armed Services Committee for its inability to approve a defense budget, slamming it as "professional malpractice."

In 2016, he told lawmakers, in answer to a direct question, that women should also have to register for the draft now that they are allowed to serve in all combat jobs.

As the Army's top leader, he helped shepherd the groundbreaking move of women into front-line infantry and other combat positions, while warning that it would take time to do it right.

More recently, he has worked with his senior officers to reverse a shortfall in Army recruiting when the service fell far short of its annual goal in 2018.

He also played a role in one of the Army's more contentious criminal cases.

While serving as head of US Army Forces Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Milley was assigned to review the case of former Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who abandoned his post in Afghanistan and was held captive by the Taliban for five years.

Milley made the early decision to charge Bergdahl with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy.

01:03:14

00:00:00

Anti-Kavanaugh protesters mass at Supreme Court

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington DC - 4 October 2018

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Elizabeth Warren, (D) Massachusetts:

"Our democracy has been hijacked by the powerful, who don't plan to share it.

2. Protesters gathering in front of Supreme Court

00:11:09

Kavanaugh sworn in as justice in White House ceremony

4176326

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington DC - 8 October 2018

3. Anthony Kennedy, retired associate justice, U.S. Supreme Court and Brett Kavanaugh, associate justice, U.S. Supreme Court:

4. US President Donald Trump, Kennedy and Kavanaugh entering ceremony,

5. (From screen left to right) U.S. Supreme Court Justices John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg seated at ceremony

00:22:13

Nikki Haley resigns as Trump's UN ambassador

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 9 October 2018

6. Mid, U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley seated in the Oval Office

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

" She's done an incredible job. She's a fantastic person, very importantly, but she also is somebody that gets it.

00:31:18

Jeff Sessions forced out as US Attorney General by Trump

4181056

ASSOCIATED PRESS

St. Louis - 9 October 2016

8. Jeff Sessions speaking to reporter

Washington, DC - 9 February 2017

9. Sessions taking oath of office for Attorney General

00:43:00

Trump rips into reporter for 'stupid question'

4181444

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington DC - 9 November 2018

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, US President:

"CNN Reporter Abby Phillips: "Do you want him to rein in Robert Mueller?"

"What a stupid question that is. What a stupid question. But I watch you a lot. You ask a lot of stupid questions."

00:55:16

Trump picks General Milley as top military adviser

4185943

ASSOCIATED PRESS

ARCHIVE: Seoul , South Korea- 18 September 2017

11. US Army Chief of Staff General Mark Milley speaking at podium

Seeking a bipartisan compromise to avoid a government shutdown, President Donald Trump suggested on January 9th 2018 that an immigration deal could be reached in two phases - first by addressing young immigrants and border security with what he called a "bill of love," then by making comprehensive changes that have long eluded Congress.

Trump held a lengthy meeting with Republican and Democratic lawmakers seeking a solution for hundreds of thousands of young people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children.

In 2017 Trump ended the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which shielded more than 700,000 people from deportation and gave then the right to work legally in the country. He gave Congress until March to find a fix.

The president, congressional Republicans and Democrats expressed optimism for a deal just 10 days before a government shutdown deadline. Trump expressed a willingness to be flexible in finding an agreement.

Trump told the bipartisan group of 20 lawmakers that if they reach a deal, he will sign it.

A group of journalists observed the meandering meeting for an extraordinary length of time - about 55 minutes - that involved Trump seeking input from Democrats and Republicans alike in a freewheeling exchange on the contentious issue.

The president said he would insist on construction of a border security wall as part of an agreement involving young immigrants, but he said Congress could then pursue a comprehensive immigration overhaul in the second phase.

House Republicans said they planned to soon introduce legislation to address border security and the young immigrants. Trump said, "it should be a bill of love."

***

President Donald Trump denied January 12th via Twitter that he said anything "derogatory about Haitians" during an immigration meeting at the White House on Thursday, as the country and the world continued to express outrage over his reported comments.

Trump was in a closed meeting with members of Congress to discuss immigration on January 11th when he reportedly questioned why the U.S. would accept more people from Haiti and "shithole countries" in Africa, rather than places like Norway.

At first the White House did not deny that the remark was made. On Friday the president tweeted that his language was "tough" but insisted he did not say anything derogatory about Haitians aside from noting it's a poor country.

Associated Press White House reporter Jonathan Lemire said no one at the White House denied "that he used these vulgar terms to describe these immigrants."

on January 12th Trump took to Twitter to say the language he used at the meeting "was tough," but insisted the words being reported "was not the language used."

He also denied saying "anything derogatory about Haitians other than" that Haiti is "a very poor and troubled country."

***

After President Trump made disparaging remarks about immigrants, some members of the Haitian communities in New York and Florida said they were offended and believed his comments were racist.

President Donald Trump on January 12th questioned why the U.S. would accept more immigrants from "shithole countries" after senators discussed revamping rules affecting those from Africa and Haiti, according to people briefed on the conversation.

Haitians in New York and South Florida reacted negatively to the remarks.

"His comment is divisive. It's un-American. It's extremely offensive. I was reading the Daily News earlier this morning. Actually they could not have said it any better," said Gerald Cajust, referring to a crude depiction of the President on the front page of the New York Daily News.

In North Miami Beach, Florida, hosts at a Haitian-American radio studio, said although they were disappointed in Trump's comments, they believed Haitian leaders were also to blame for the country's economic situation.

Fabiola Charles, a Haitian radio personality with WSRF AM, said "we're looking at ourselves as well and saying you know what, if we took time to actually take care of our people, the president wouldn't have to say something like this about us. So, we also put the blame on us."

***

US President Donald Trump said on January 14th he is not a racist, just days after making controversial comments about Haiti and African countries.

Trump has been accused of using a vulgar word to describe African countries during an Oval Office meeting the previous week with a bipartisan group of six senators.

People briefed on the conversation say that during the meeting the president also questioned the need to admit more Haitians to the US.

The individuals spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to describe the meeting publicly.

Trump addressed the issue briefly on Sunday as he arrived for dinner at one of his Florida golf clubs with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California.

Asked what he thinks about people who think he's racist, Trump said: "I am not a racist". He told reporters: "I am the least racist person you have ever interviewed. That I can tell you."

He also praised authorities in Hawaii for taking responsibility for the blunder that caused more than a million people to fear that they were about to be struck by a nuclear missile.

***

Haitians showed their anger over vulgar comments made against their country and Africa by US President Donald Trump with a protest January 18th outside the US Embassy in Port-au-Prince.

Demonstrators gathered outside the gates of the embassy complex chanting slogans and waving signs denouncing Trump over his remarks and a move to end a program that gave temporary legal status to thousands of Haitians in the US.

Signs and Creole chants by the protesters criticised remarks by the president last week in which he is said to have profanely disparaged African countries and asked why the US would want more Haitians.

The protest by fewer than 100 demonstrators was peaceful and ended without incident.

Another demonstration was planned for next week.

The Haitian government said it was shocked by the remarks, which came on the eve of the anniversary of the country's devastating January 2010 earthquake.

The Trump administration has said that about 60,000 Haitians who have been allowed to stay and work in the US since the earthquake must leave the country in July 2019.

***

A former top adviser to President Donald Trump's election campaign pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy and false statements charges February 23rd in the special counsel's Russia investigation.

The plea by Rick Gates is a strong indication that he is planning to cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation as it continues to probe the Trump campaign, Russian election interference and Gates' longtime business associate, Paul Manafort.

Gates, 45, of Richmond, Virginia, appeared at the federal courthouse in Washington for his plea agreement hearing.

A court filing shows Gates has agreed to plead to charges accusing him of conspiring against the U.S. government related to fraud and unregistered foreign lobbying as well as lying to federal authorities in a recent interview.

Gates' decision to admit to the crimes comes a day after a federal grand jury in Virginia returned a 32-count indictment against him and Manafort, Trump's former campaign chairman, accusing them of tax evasion and bank fraud.

The indictment in Virginia was the second round of charges against Gates and against Manafort, who has denied any wrongdoing. The two men were initially charged last October with unregistered lobbying and conspiring to launder millions of dollars they earned while working on behalf of a pro-Russian Ukrainian political party.

Gates' decision marks the fifth publicly known guilty plea in the special counsel probe into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin during the 2016 campaign.

***

America's top diplomat is one of any White House's highest-level cabinet members, often seated at the right hand of the president.

As a newcomer to Washington politics, former Exxon Mobile CEO Rex Tillerson was tasked with steering the ship of state with no foreign policy experience and needed to navigate a turbulent, frequently contradictory White House.

As he stepped into the State Department for the first time, Secretary of State Tillerson appealed for unity.

"I know this was a hotly-contested election and we do not all feel the same way about the outcome, " he said, adding "we cannot let our personal convictions overwhelm our ability to work as one team."

But as Tillerson neared the six-month mark on the job, he was forced to knock down a flurry of speculation that he was unhappy and may quit.

At the time, Washington was buzzing with rumors that he would leave due to frustration with the White House.

In his first appearance in the State Department briefing room, Tillerson reiterated that he had a good relationship with the president.

While Tillerson was redefining foreign strategy under the Trump administration's overarching police of "America First", his efforts to craft coherent policy were frequently upended by a tweeting boss.

By October 2017, Tillerson was forced in an unscheduled news conference held at the State Department to defend remarks he made in the Pentagon earlier that President Trump was, "a moron."

In response, Trump said in an interview published in Forbes magazine that if Rex Tillerson did call him a moron, the two should "compare IQ tests."

The White House later said that Trump was joking when he appeared to question his secretary of state's intelligence.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters that the president "never implied that the secretary of state was not incredibly intelligent."

She says: "He made a joke, no more than that."

From the start of his tenure, Tillerson's selection raised potential conflict-of-interest issues, as Exxon's business interests around the globe, included Russia.

As an oil executive, Tillerson had argued against sanctions that the U.S. and European allies imposed on Russia after it annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014.

***

President Donald Trump says he has "total confidence" in Mike Pompeo, his new pick for Secretary of State.

Trump fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on March 13th, saying he would nominate CIA Director Mike Pompeo to replace him.

It's a major staff reshuffle just as Trump dives into high-stakes talks with North Korea.

Trump announced the change in a tweet early on March 13th just four hours after Tillerson returned to Washington from a trip to Africa.

He stopped to take questions from reporters at the South Lawn of the White House about his decision to oust Tillerson and replace him with Pompeo.

Trump said he and Tillerson "disagreed on things" like the Iran deal.

"We were not really thinking the same," Trump said about Tillerson. "With Mike Pompeo, we have a very similar thought process. I think it's going to go very well."

***

CBS says it will air its interview with porn actress Stormy Daniels on March 25th's episode of "60 Minutes."

Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford, has said she had sex with Donald Trump before he became president. She has been trying to invalidate a nondisclosure agreement she signed days before the 2016 presidential election so she can discuss her relationship with Trump, which she said began in 2006 and continued for about a year.

CNN anchor and "60 Minutes" correspondent Anderson Cooper recorded the interview with Clifford earlier this month.

Clifford's attorney, Michael Avenatti, told The Associated Press on March 21st that more details of the affair would come out on "60 Minutes," and said his office was checking out similar claims from six women who had come forward.

"This is about this woman wanting to be able to tell her story to the American people, tell her version of the facts" said Avenatti.

00:00:00

Trump wants immigration deal to be 'bill of love'

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington DC - 9 January 2018

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

" This should be a bill of love, truly it should be a bill of love. And we can do that. But it also has to be a bill where we're able to secure our border. Drugs are pouring into our country at a record pace. "

00:13:18

Trump Pushes Back on Vulgar Comments About Haiti

4134641

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Port au Prince, Haiti - 21 November, 2017

2. Shots of people walking, traffic in Haitian street

Johannesburg - 12 January 2018

3. Shot of people walking on the street in Johannesburg

00:23:03

Haitians In US offended by comments attributed to Trump

4134647

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York - January 12, 2018

4. Wide of Haitian American advocacy group storefront

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Herold Dasque, Haitian Americans United for Progress

"It's beyond racism. Of course he's a racist. He's going to say 'no I'm not racist.' What kind of statement is that? 'I don't need Haitians.' Economically they are the one working in the garden. "

6. Interior of barber shop

00:40:21

President Trump: "I'm Not a Racist"

4134855

POOL

West Palm Beach - 14 January 2018

++AUDIO AS INCOMING++

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, US President:

"No, no, I'm not a racist. I am the least racist person you have ever interviewed, that I can tell you."

00:47:21

Protesters in Haiti condemn Trump remarks

4135616

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Port-au-Prince - 18 January 2018

8. People protesting vulgar comments on Haiti and Africa by US President Donald Trump outside US embassy

9. Sign reading (English) "The U.S. has always been racist! Trump just said it out loud"

10. People holding signs during protest, one reading (English) "Donald Trump's racism is the true face of U.S. foreign policy."

00:57:20

Ex-Trump Aide Pleads Guilty in Russia Probe

4141338

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 23 February 2018

11. Wide shot of Rick Gates walking into US District Court

12. STILL PHOTO of Gates walking into court

13. Rick Gates and attorney walking out of court and getting into vehicle

01:10:17

Rex Tillerson: Businessman turned Trump diplomat out at the White House

4144029

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Various - Various

Washington, D.C. - 31 July 2017

14. Various, Cabinet Room meeting with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson seated right of President Donald Trump

Washington, D.C. - 1 February 2017

15. Mid, Rex Tillerson being sworn in by Vice President Mike Pence

01:34:09

Trump: Pompeo Will be a Great Secretary of State

4144042

ASSOCIATED PRESS, POOL

Washington - 13 March 2018

16. President Donald Trump stops to speak with reporters on White House South Lawn

17. SOUNDBITE: (English) President Donald Trump:

"I've worked with Mike Pompeo now for quite some time -- tremendous energy, tremendous intellect. We're always on the same wavelength.

18. Wide of Trump

19. SOUNDBITE: (English) President Donald Trump:

"Rex and I've been talking about this for a long time. We've got a long actually quite well but we disagreed on things. When you look at the Iran deal: I think it's terrible. I guess he thought it was OK.

02:00:11

Lawyer: Trump should take Stormy Daniels very seriously

4145439

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Various - 19/21 March 2018/FILE

FILE: Los Angeles - 11 February 2007

20. STILL: Stormy Daniels

FILE: New Orleans, Louisiana - 6 May 2009

21. STILL of Stormy Daniels

22. SOUNDBITE (English): Michael Avenatti, Attorney for Stormy Daniels

"I don't know how serious they are taking us at this point. I think they're probably taking us more seriously today than they were a couple weeks ago. I'll say that. I'll say that they should be taking us very seriously."

An associate of former Trump campaign adviser Roger Stone allowed himself to be held in contempt of court Friday in a fresh attempt to challenge Robert Mueller's appointment as special counsel investigating possible Russian collusion during the 2016 presidential campaign.

The move spotlighted a growing focus by Mueller on Stone as another of his associates, a New York woman known as the "Manhattan Madam" for once running an upscale escort service, was expected to appear before a grand jury but had not yet done so as of Friday afternoon.

Paul Kamenar, the attorney for Stone associate Andrew Miller, argued that Mueller's appointment is unconstitutional, asserting that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein did not have the authority to appoint Mueller to lead the investigation, which President Donald Trump has sought to undermine by calling it a "witch hunt" and a "hoax."

Kamenar also said a prosecutor with powers as broad as Mueller's should be subject to Senate confirmation, like U.S. attorneys are.

"So our point is if the U.S. attorneys have to be approved by the United States Senate, so, too, should Mr. Mueller," Kamenar told reporters outside the courthouse.

Rosenstein appointed Mueller as special counsel last year after Attorney General Jeff Sessions stepped aside from overseeing the Russia investigation.

Mueller appears to be putting a spotlight on Stone, a longtime informal adviser to Trump. Stone was mentioned, though not by name, in a sweeping indictment accusing 12 Russian military intelligence officers of hacking into the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton, Trump's Democratic opponent, and the Democratic Party, and releasing tens of thousands of private communications in a sweeping conspiracy orchestrated by the Kremlin to meddle in the 2016 U.S. election.

Miller worked for Stone during Trump's campaign. Kamenar said his client planned to appeal the contempt ruling in hope that the U.S. Supreme Court will eventually hear the case.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 10 August 2018

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Jeff Horwitz, Associated Press:

"So today we were expecting Kristen Davis who is a former madam and compatriot of Roger Stone to arrive at the DC federal courthouse and speak to the grand jury. We haven't seen that happen yet today."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York - 6 August 2013

2. STILL photo of Kristen Davis leaving the Manhattan federal court with her attorney

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 10 August 2018

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Jeff Horwitz, Associated Press:

"So today Roger Stone assistant Andrew Miller was supposed to come speak to the grand jury. Instead, however, his lawyer came out and announced that he is not going to be appearing, is going to be in contempt and will basically be appealing his entire need to appear in the first place as part of an effort to question the legitimacy of the entire Robert Miller probe. His attorney said that he believes this is capable of going to the Supreme Court and that Robert Mueller's appointment is unconstitutional and this is the best way to challenge that."

POOL

Washington, DC - 26 September 2017

4. Roger Stone speaking to the press at the Capitol

++AUDIO AS INCOMING ON FOLLOWING SOUNDBITES++

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 10 August 2018

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Paul Kamenar, attorney for Andrew Miller:

"No, the reason he's not talking to the special counsel is because he has to not talk to the grand jury in order for him to get a contempt. He's not being recalcitrant. He's been more than cooperative with special counsel. He's been interviewed by two FBI agents months ago. We've supplied the documents that the government requested. So the only thing that was the linchpin in order for us to get this appeal was this final, you have to appear before the grand jury. And at that point he respectfully declined. He was not being contumacious. We made it clear that he was doing this solely as a necessary step to appeal the decision."

6. Wide shot of Paul Kamenar outside the courthouse

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Paul Kamenar, attorney for Andrew Miller:

"So our point is if US attorneys have to be approved by the United States Senate, so too should Mr. Mueller. And therefore, that argument is what we made, the court rejected that argument in its opinion last week. That opinion has been unsealed and now we are taking the opportunity to bring this to the Court of Appeals here and ultimately to the Supreme Court."

8. Wide shot of Paul Kamenar outside the courthouse

As Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein prepares for a face-to-face showdown Thursday with President Donald Trump, there are indications he won't be fired, but a voluntary resignation isn't out of the question.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, speaking to reporters during a media availability with other GOP leaders, said "we should let the president work it out with Rod Rosenstein."

Ryan said in the news conference that special counsel Robert Mueller should be free to complete his work and that he did not believe that he would be fired.

"I don't think he will be fired. I don't think the president's going to fire him. I don't like the president should fire him. Mueller, I'm talking about," said Ryan.

Rosenstein is Mueller's boss. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has recused himself from the Russia probe, to Trump's great frustration, and left the duties of overseeing the investigation to Rosenstein.

After Trump fired FBI Director James Comey, Rosenstein appointed Mueller as special counsel to take over the investigation.

Rosenstein is acting in Sessions' place to oversee the probe and has the power to fire Mueller - for cause - under Justice Department guidelines.

Rosenstein makes nearly all the pivotal decisions in the Mueller investigation, including signing off on indictments.

Drama swirls around the job security of Rod Rosenstein who was reported last week to have floated the idea of secretly recording the president last year and to have raised the idea of using the 25th Amendment to remove him from office.

He will meet with Trump at the White House, also on Thursday.

Speaker Ryan also voiced support of the Senate Judiciary Committee's handling of the confirmation process of President Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Washington - 26 September 2018

1. Wide of GOP leaders walking into press availability

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Paul Ryan , Speaker of the House:

" First the president obviously should have political appointees that he has faith and confidence in. He's meeting with the president tomorrow. So I think we shouldn't step in in the way of that we should let the president work it out with Rod Rosenstein. I hope they have a good productive conversation. And I think that's that's helpful. I'll say it. I've said this all along. The special prosecutor - the special counsel excuse me should be free to complete his work. That goes without saying and it should be free to complete its work without any political interference. I don't think he will be fired. I don't think the president's going to fire him. I don't think the president should fire him. Mueller, I'm talking about. Yeah yeah. Sorry not Rosenstein, Mueller.

3. Wide of Rep. Paul Ryan and GOP leaders zoom

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Paul Ryan, Speaker of the House:

"Well I think that's that's what the hearing is about. First of all I think that Chuck Grassley has handled this professional way. I think it's important that both are heard the accuser and Judge Kavanaugh. I would say that the professional way that this had been treated by the Senate Judiciary Committee stands in stark contrast to the way the Senate Democrats have handled this, sitting on this for weeks. Dropping it after the hearings to try and implode this nomination. So I think it's fitting and proper that they hear from both sides this week and then I'll defer to the Senate on how and when to act. (Reporter: Do you think there should be a reopening-- Inaudible) No, I think they should do exactly what they're doing I think they're doing a good job."

5. Wide of Rep. Paul Ryan and GOP leaders zoom

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Paul Ryan, Speaker of the House:

" Look I will defer to the Judiciary Committee. I don't micromanage the committees around here. I'll defer to the Judiciary Committee as to what kind of hearings they want to have what kind of witnesses they want to have. But I would say this if you're going to stack the credibility of Rod Rosenstein against Andy McCabe who was fired for lying. I'll go with Rod Rosenstein. I'll leave it at that."

7. Wide of GOP leaders walking out of press availability

House Republicans are interviewing James Comey behind closed doors Friday, hauling the former FBI director to Capitol Hill one final time before they cede power to Democrats in January.

Comey is appearing for the interview after unsuccessfully fighting a subpoena in court. It is the first time he has answered lawmakers' questions since an explosive June 2016 hearing in which he asserted that President Donald Trump fired him to interfere with his investigation of Russia's ties to the Trump campaign.

The interview comes as GOP lawmakers are wrapping up a yearlong investigation into decisions made at the Justice Department during the 2016 presidential election. Republicans argue that department officials were biased against Trump as they started the investigation into his campaign's ties with Russia and cleared Democrat Hillary Clinton in a separate investigation into her email use.

Comey was in charge of both of those investigations.

Democrats, who will also attend the interview, have said the GOP investigation is merely a way to distract from and undermine special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe. Mueller took over the department's investigation when he was appointed in May 2017.

"This is a waste of time to start with," Nadler said. "The entire purpose of this investigation is to cast aspersions on the real investigation ... there is no evidence whatsoever of bias at the FBI or any of this other nonsense."

Nadler said he's just learned of President Donald Trump's decision to nominate William Barr as Attorney General, but he said he was "hopeful" that Barr would protect the Mueller investigation. He also expressed concern that Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker has not been confirmed by the Senate.

Washington - 7 December 2018

1. Reporter asks Rep. Nadler question UPSOUND: (English) When you become chairman (of House Judiciary Commitee) are you going to officially end this investigation?

2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, (D) New York:

Yes. (Reporter: Why?) Because it's a waste of time to start with. The entire purpose of this investigation is to cast aspersions on the real investigation, which is Mueller, there is no evidence whatsoever of bias at the FBI or any of this other nonsense that they're talking about."

3. Rep. Jim Jordan walking

4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Rep. Jim Jordan, (R) Ohio:

"I mean I've got lots of questions but I guess one in particular is we learned from Bruce Ohr (U.S. Department of Justice official) that Christopher Steele (former British intelligence officer) had told him he was desperate to stop President Trump from being president. I want to know when James Comey knew that. And more importantly did he know that before they went to the FISA court with Mr. Steele's work product. I think that's an important question to go, a line of questioning go down."

5. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi walks toward reporters

6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, (D) Illinois:

"Well we have the right witness for the wrong questions. I think the Republicans brought him here to talk about Hillary Clinton. That's a settled issue. Instead we should be talking more about the ongoing Russia investigation, Paul Manafort, Michael Cohen and Michael Flynn. I brought a copy of his (Comey's) book, I'm hoping to get a signed copy to auction off to pay for this wasteful investigation."

++SOTS SEPARATED BY BLACK FRAMES++

7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, (D) Illinois:

"I'm hopeful that  you know Mr. Barr would be very responsible with the Mueller investigation. Certainly, Mr. Whitaker was not the right pick, even for an acting attorney general position. So let's see what Mr. Barr would say in his confirmation hearings. I think there are going to be a lot of pointed questions about how he's going to handle the Mueller investigation going forward. The bottom line is this. We have to allow our investigation to proceed unimpeded. Let the chips fall where they may. And in the meantime I'm hoping that we pass some protect Mueller legislation to make sure that his investigation is not terminated in an untimely way."

++SOTS SEPARATED BY BLACK FRAMES++

8.  SOUNDBITE: (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, (D) New York:

"I just heard about William Barr. I don't really know that much about him. I know he's attorney general years ago. But the real question now is that you know Barr will have to go before the Senate for confirmation. That will take some time. The real question now is that Whitaker is still the acting attorney general without having gone through the Senate. I believe that's unconstitutional and lots of questions about his bias and his having prejudged the outcome of the Mueller investigation have not been answered."

STORYLINE:

Former US President Barack Obama endorsed Joe Biden on April 14th, giving the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee a boost from the party's biggest fundraiser and one of its most popular figures.

"This is a big deal for Biden because it helps him create some momentum, " says Julie Pace, Associated Press Washington Bureau Chief.

The endorsement marked Obama's return to presidential politics more than three years after leaving the White House.

He didn't mention his successor, President Donald Trump, by name and instead sought to bridge the ideological divide among Democrats.

"He's eager to get out there. He is eager to start drawing the contrast with Donald Trump, Pace said. "This is basically what he's been waiting for."

Biden now has the support of all of his former Democratic primary rivals except for Elizabeth Warren.

The Massachusetts senator is expected to formally endorse Biden soon, according to a person familiar with her plans who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss her thinking.

Two other prominent Democrats who have yet to publicly back Biden are former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, the party's 2016 nominee.

Hillary Clinton has been in regular touch with Biden, including several times since Sanders dropped out of the race, according to an aide.

Obama avoided intervening in the Democratic primary, but followed the race closely from the sidelines and is eager to take a more active public role.

He's expected to headline fundraisers for Biden and public events in key swing states, if such gatherings can still be held given social distancing guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic.

After his endorsement was released, Obama sent a fundraising appeal to Biden supporters, asking for donations ranging from $5 to $100.

The endorsement will test whether Obama can transfer his personal popularity to Biden.

While the former president is seen favorably by a wide swath of Democratic voters, he was also a deeply polarizing figure during his two terms in office.

During his presidency, Democrats lost about 1,000 legislative seats around the country, starting with disastrous 2010 midterms that also cost the party control of the House and many statehouses.

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ASIAN AMERICANS ACTORS ON CALLING COVID-19 'THE 'CHINESE VIRUS': MAKING THIS BLANKET STATEMENT IS BAD

President Trump has stopped calling COVID-19 the "Chinese Virus" but some believe the damage is already done.

"I felt like it was a very uneducated statement," said TV personality Jeannie Mai, who was born in the United States to a Vietnamese mother and a Chinese father. "I think you have to be very responsible when you choose terminology to give people an idea of what to picture, what to visualize."

"The Good Doctor" actor Will Yun Lee, who was born in the U.S. to Korean parents, said blaming a group of people is dangerous because it only encourages xenophobia and racism.

"Making this blanket statement is bad. People take it the way they're going to take it. And unfortunately a lot of people have taken it to associate it to anybody who looks like me or is Asian-American or whatever Asian ethnicity you are. It becomes like the word 'chink,' right? It's a very harsh word."

Trump isn't the only person who has referred to COVID-19 in this way.

Earlier in April, TV host Bill Maher defended the notion of calling coronavirus the "Chinese Virus" on his HBO show, "Real Time with Bill Maher," saying it's logical because that's where it originated.

"Tigertail" and "The Farewell" actor Tzi Ma, who was born in Hong Kong and moved to the U.S. as a child, responded to Maher's statement saying, "For the moment it could be funny. For the moment it could give you some gratification or satisfaction by saying it. However you have to remember that there are ramifications."

Nico Santos of the NBC comedy "Superstore" was born in the Philippines and moved to the U.S. as a teen. He said this blame mentality rears its head whenever there is fear a community.

"We saw the same sort of thing happen when when the AIDS crisis was happening. People directed that sort of like fear and hate towards the LGBTQ community. When 9/11 happened, there was a lot of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim sentiment. Even people who actually weren't Muslim or who weren't of Middle Eastern descent, who said, if you just look like you work, if you're basically you looked like you were brown or maybe came from that part of the world, you all of sudden, you know, bore the brunt of that of that hate."

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The Justice Department on May 7th said it is dropping the criminal case against President Donald Trump's first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, abandoning a prosecution that became a rallying cry for Trump and his supporters in attacking the FBI's Russia investigation.

The move is a stunning reversal for one of the signature cases brought by special counsel Robert Mueller. It comes even though prosecutors for the last three years had maintained that Flynn had lied to the FBI about his conversations with the Russian ambassador in a January 2017 interview. Flynn himself admitted as much, and became a key cooperator for Mueller as he investigated ties between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign.

In court documents being filed May 7th, the Justice Department said it is dropping the case "after a considered review of all the facts and circumstances of this case, including newly discovered and disclosed information." The documents were obtained by The Associated Press.

The Justice Department said it had concluded that Flynn's interview by the FBI was "untethered to, and unjustified by, the FBI's counterintelligence investigation into Mr. Flynn" and that the interview on January 24, 2017 was "conducted without any legitimate investigative basis."

The U.S. attorney reviewing the Flynn case, Jeff Jensen, recommended the move to Attorney General William Barr last week and formalized the recommendation in a document this week.

The decision was quickly embraced by Trump, who has relentlessly tweeted about the case and last week pronounced Flynn "exonerated," and energized supporters who have taken up the retired Army lieutenant general as something of a cause celebre. But it may also add to Democratic concerns that Attorney General William Barr is excessively loyal to the president, and could be a distraction for a Justice Department that for months has sought to focus on crimes arising from the coronavirus.

The Justice Department's action comes amid an internal review into the handling of the case and an aggressive effort by Flynn's lawyers to challenge the basis for the prosecution. The lawyers cited newly disclosed FBI emails and notes last week to allege that Flynn was entrapped into lying when agents interviewed him at the White House days after Trump's inauguration.

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Paul Manafort, Donald Trump's onetime presidential campaign chairman who was convicted as part of the special counsel's Russia investigation, has been released from federal prison to serve the rest of his sentence in home confinement due to concerns about the coronavirus.

Manafort, 71, was released May 13th from FCI Loretto, a low-security prison in Pennsylvania, according to his attorney Todd Blanche. Manafort had been serving more than seven years in prison following his conviction.

His lawyers had asked the Bureau of Prisons to release him to home confinement, arguing that he was at high risk for coronavirus because of his age and preexisting medical conditions.

Manafort was hospitalized in December after suffering from a heart-related condition, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press at the time. They were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

Manafort was among the first people to be charged in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, which examined possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia in the 2016 election campaign.

He was prosecuted in two federal courts, convicted by a jury in federal court in Virginia in 2018 and later pleaded guilty in Washington.

He was sentenced last March and was immediately hit with state charges in New York that could put him outside the president's power to pardon. New York prosecutors have accused him of giving false information on a mortgage loan application.

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US President Donald Trump's long-time personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen was released from federal prison on May 21st to serve the remainder of his sentence at home, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.

Cohen had been serving a federal prison sentence at FCI Otisville in New York after pleading guilty to numerous charges, including campaign finance fraud and lying to Congress.

The person was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Cohen was released on furlough as part of an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus in federal prisons. Cohen, 53, began serving his sentence last May and originally was scheduled to be released from prison in November 2021.

Prison advocates and congressional leaders have been pressing the Justice Department for weeks to release at-risk inmates, arguing that the public health guidance to stay 6 feet (1.8 meters) away from other people is nearl