A majority of Americans say they believe President Donald Trump has tried to obstruct the investigation into his campaign's ties to Russia, though the public is divided on whether he should be removed from office if he's found to have stymied the probe, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Meanwhile, the survey shows Americans are somewhat less likely to say Congress should remove Trump from office if he directed his former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, to arrange hush money payments to cover up claims of extramarital relationships during the 2016 campaign.

Still, opinions on both matters see a stark partisan divide.

The poll was conducted just after federal prosecutors in New York implicated Trump in illegal payments to a former Playboy model and adult actress and after special counsel Robert Mueller revealed that discussions over a possible Trump Tower in Moscow extended longer than had been previously known. It was done amid signs of intensifying legal danger for Trump, whose actions face scrutiny in New York and in Mueller's investigation into possible coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign.

Overall, 42 percent of Americans approve of the job Trump is doing as president, while 56 percent disapprove. Those numbers have held steady for most of the year. About 8 in 10 Republicans approve of Trump's job performance, while just 1 in 10 Democrats say the same.

The swirling investigations are helping define public opinion, creating clear divisions about whether and for what Trump should be impeached and to what extent he might be culpable of wrongdoing.

A majority of Americans _ 58 percent _think the president has tried to impede the Russia investigation, while 4 in 10 say he has not. An overwhelming share of Democrats, 90 percent, say the president has sought to obstruct the probe, compared with 22 percent of Republicans.

The survey also shows that if Mueller's investigation finds that Trump did not personally have inappropriate contacts with the Kremlin but nonetheless tried to obstruct the FBI's work, 51 percent of Americans think Congress should take steps to remove him from office, while 46 percent think it should not.

The special counsel's obstruction investigation has shadowed the president for a year and a half, unfolding alongside his inquiry into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to sway the election and the separate campaign finance probe in New York. The last month has produced bombshell developments in the investigation, including Cohen's sentencing, allegations that Trump's former campaign chairman lied to prosecutors and a judge's unexpected upbraiding of ex-national security adviser Michael Flynn.

___

The AP-NORC poll of 1,067 adults was conducted Dec. 13-16 using a sample drawn from NORC's probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.

Respondents were first selected randomly using address-based sampling methods, and later interviewed online or by phone.

1.Graphic: Trump job approval, approve 42%, disapprove 56%

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

++PARTIALLY COVERED++

"So on overall job performance, 42 percent of Americans approve of the job that the President is doing. Fifty-six percent disapprove. What's interesting is that despite all of the tumult that's occurred over the last 12 months in the White House, those numbers have held fairly steady since this time last year. There is a stark partisan divide about that, so we have 8 in 10 Republicans who approve of the President's job performance and just one in 10 Democrats say the same."

3. Graphic: Trump Russia Probe, Tried to obstruct investigation 58%

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

++PARTIALLY COVERED++

"On one of the questions about whether the president tried to obstruct the Russia investigation. Fifty-eight percent of Americans say they believe he did. Then a whopping 90 percent of Democrats who were surveyed say that he did. That really reflects again what we what we think of as a divide among Democrats and Republicans. And one of the central questions of the Mueller investigation. That 90 percent is compared to just 22 percent of Republicans."

5. Graphic: If Trump directed hush money payments to women, Impeach 45%, Don't impeach 53%

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

++COVERED++

"The survey shows that if Mueller's investigation finds evidence that Trump had inappropriate or illegal contacts with Russia, 51 percent believe that Congress should initiate some sort of proceedings to have him removed from office. Forty six percent say no."

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

++PARTIALLY COVERED++

"And then on the last sort of question as to the hush money payments that went during the campaign to two women. The idea was to of course cover up extramarital affairs that they were presenting. Forty-five percent say Congress should take steps to remove the President from office if there's evidence that he indeed directed his attorney Michael Cohen to arrange those payments. Slightly more, 53 percent, said Congress should not take steps to do that."

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

++PARTIALLY COVERED++

"One of the things that struck me about this poll is the consistency of viewpoint in terms of how Americans perceive the President and the investigations. So, for instance, if you were inclined to believe that Mueller's investigation is baseless in the Russian context then you similarly don't believe that there's evidence that he tried to obstruct it and then you similarly also do not believe that there is evidence of illegal hush money payments. And so you wind up getting, in our survey at least, a lot of no's across the board. And then conversely a lot of yeses across the board among people who believe yes, there was potential collusion; yes, there was obstruction and yes there's a problem in the hush money payments that could lead to impeachment. And so you don't see much discrepancy and I think that speaks to the strength of opinions that people have about the president at this point."

9. Medium of President Donald Trump speaking at the signing ceremony for an agriculture bill

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus109328

A majority of Americans say they believe President Donald Trump has tried to obstruct the investigation into his campaign's ties to Russia, though the public is divided on whether he should be removed from office if he's found to have stymied the probe, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Meanwhile, the survey shows Americans are somewhat less likely to say Congress should remove Trump from office if he directed his former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, to arrange hush money payments to cover up claims of extramarital relationships during the 2016 campaign.

Still, opinions on both matters see a stark partisan divide.

The poll was conducted just after federal prosecutors in New York implicated Trump in illegal payments to a former Playboy model and adult actress and after special counsel Robert Mueller revealed that discussions over a possible Trump Tower in Moscow extended longer than had been previously known. It was done amid signs of intensifying legal danger for Trump, whose actions face scrutiny in New York and in Mueller's investigation into possible coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign.

Overall, 42 percent of Americans approve of the job Trump is doing as president, while 56 percent disapprove. Those numbers have held steady for most of the year. About 8 in 10 Republicans approve of Trump's job performance, while just 1 in 10 Democrats say the same.

The swirling investigations are helping define public opinion, creating clear divisions about whether and for what Trump should be impeached and to what extent he might be culpable of wrongdoing.

A majority of Americans _ 58 percent _think the president has tried to impede the Russia investigation, while 4 in 10 say he has not. An overwhelming share of Democrats, 90 percent, say the president has sought to obstruct the probe, compared with 22 percent of Republicans.

The survey also shows that if Mueller's investigation finds that Trump did not personally have inappropriate contacts with the Kremlin but nonetheless tried to obstruct the FBI's work, 51 percent of Americans think Congress should take steps to remove him from office, while 46 percent think it should not.

The special counsel's obstruction investigation has shadowed the president for a year and a half, unfolding alongside his inquiry into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to sway the election and the separate campaign finance probe in New York. The last month has produced bombshell developments in the investigation, including Cohen's sentencing, allegations that Trump's former campaign chairman lied to prosecutors and a judge's unexpected upbraiding of ex-national security adviser Michael Flynn.

___

The AP-NORC poll of 1,067 adults was conducted Dec. 13-16 using a sample drawn from NORC's probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.

Respondents were first selected randomly using address-based sampling methods, and later interviewed online or by phone.

Washington, DC - 20 December 2018

1.Graphic: Trump job approval, approve 42%, disapprove 56%

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

++PARTIALLY COVERED++

"So on overall job performance, 42 percent of Americans approve of the job that the President is doing. Fifty-six percent disapprove. What's interesting is that despite all of the tumult that's occurred over the last 12 months in the White House, those numbers have held fairly steady since this time last year. There is a stark partisan divide about that, so we have 8 in 10 Republicans who approve of the President's job performance and just one in 10 Democrats say the same."

3. Graphic: Trump Russia Probe, Tried to obstruct investigation 58%

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

++PARTIALLY COVERED++

"On one of the questions about whether the president tried to obstruct the Russia investigation. Fifty-eight percent of Americans say they believe he did. Then a whopping 90 percent of Democrats who were surveyed say that he did. That really reflects again what we what we think of as a divide among Democrats and Republicans. And one of the central questions of the Mueller investigation. That 90 percent is compared to just 22 percent of Republicans."

5. Graphic: If Trump directed hush money payments to women, Impeach 45%, Don't impeach 53%

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

++COVERED++

"The survey shows that if Mueller's investigation finds evidence that Trump had inappropriate or illegal contacts with Russia, 51 percent believe that Congress should initiate some sort of proceedings to have him removed from office. Forty six percent say no."

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

++PARTIALLY COVERED++

"And then on the last sort of question as to the hush money payments that went during the campaign to two women. The idea was to of course cover up extramarital affairs that they were presenting. Forty-five percent say Congress should take steps to remove the President from office if there's evidence that he indeed directed his attorney Michael Cohen to arrange those payments. Slightly more, 53 percent, said Congress should not take steps to do that."

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

++PARTIALLY COVERED++

"One of the things that struck me about this poll is the consistency of viewpoint in terms of how Americans perceive the President and the investigations. So, for instance, if you were inclined to believe that Mueller's investigation is baseless in the Russian context then you similarly don't believe that there's evidence that he tried to obstruct it and then you similarly also do not believe that there is evidence of illegal hush money payments. And so you wind up getting, in our survey at least, a lot of no's across the board. And then conversely a lot of yeses across the board among people who believe yes, there was potential collusion; yes, there was obstruction and yes there's a problem in the hush money payments that could lead to impeachment. And so you don't see much discrepancy and I think that speaks to the strength of opinions that people have about the president at this point."

9. Medium of President Donald Trump speaking at the signing ceremony for an agriculture bill

President Donald Trump is launching his speech to the National Rifle Association with a recitation of grievances about special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation.

Speaking to the gun rights group's annual convention Friday, Trump said his political enemies "tried for a coup, didn't work out so well. And I didn't need a gun for that one, did I?'

The friendly audience applauded the quip, but Trump wasn't done. He said he's seen "corruption at the highest levels. A disgrace. Spying. Surveillance trying for an overthrow."

Mueller's probe found no evidence that Trump and his campaign colluded with the Russians to influence the 2016 presidential election.

But his report contained damning detail about Trump's efforts to shut down the investigation, fire Mueller and lie. Some Democrats say there's ample evidence of obstruction of justice.

Trump said Democrats are "obsessed with hoaxes, delusions and witch hunts."  And in a pre-emptive attack against his 2016 Democratic challengers, Trump also claimed that Democrats "want to take away your guns.

And he told the thousands in the crowd: "You better get out there and vote," saying of the 2020 election, "It seems like it's a long ways away. It's not."

Trump also wished his wife, First Lady Melania Trump a happy birthday.

POOL

Indianapolis, Indiana - 26 April 2019

1. Donald Trump on stage, walking up to podium

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

"Well I want to thank Chris and Wayne. I'm thrilled to be here in Indiana with the men and women of the NRA. You are a great American patriots."

++BLACK BETWEEN SOUNDBITES++

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

"And you see it now better than ever, with all of the resignations of bad apples, they're bad apples. They tried for a coup, didn't work out so well. And I didn't need a gun for that one, did I? All was taking place at the highest levels in Washington D.C. You've been watching, you've been seeing it. You've been looking at things that you wouldn't have believed possible in our country. Corruption at the highest level. A disgrace. Spying, surveillance, calling for an overthrow and we caught 'em. We caught em."

++BLACK BETWEEN SOUNDBITES++

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

"America's future has never been brighter and yet Democrats have never been angrier. Especially now that their collusion delusion has been exposed to the world as a complete and total fraud."

++BLACK BETWEEN SOUNDBITES++

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

"Democrats are obsessed with hoaxes, delusions and witch hunts, that's what they're obsessed with, that's what they want to do. And we can play the game just as well or better than they do. Far left radicals in Congress want to take away your voice, your jobs, your rights and they especially want to take away your guns, you know that. They want to take away your guns. You better get out there and vote. You better get out there and vote. It seems like it's a long ways away it's not. I was saying to Melania, our great first lady whose birthday it is today. Happy birthday Melania."

++BLACK BETWEEN SOUNDBITES++

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

"In recent days, leading Democrats have proposed banning new guns and confiscating existing guns from law abiding citizens. What they don't tell you is the bad guys aren't giving up their guns. And you're not going to be giving up your guns, either."

++ENDS ON A SOUNDBITE++

President Donald Trump is launching his speech to the National Rifle Association with a recitation of grievances about special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation.

Speaking to the gun rights group's annual convention Friday, Trump said his political enemies "tried for a coup, didn't work out so well. And I didn't need a gun for that one, did I?'

The friendly audience applauded the quip, but Trump wasn't done. He said he's seen "corruption at the highest levels. A disgrace. Spying. Surveillance trying for an overthrow."

Mueller's probe found no evidence that Trump and his campaign colluded with the Russians to influence the 2016 presidential election.

But his report contained damning detail about Trump's efforts to shut down the investigation, fire Mueller and lie. Some Democrats say there's ample evidence of obstruction of justice.

Trump said Democrats are "obsessed with hoaxes, delusions and witch hunts."  And in a pre-emptive attack against his 2016 Democratic challengers, Trump also claimed that Democrats "want to take away your guns.

And he told the thousands in the crowd: "You better get out there and vote," saying of the 2020 election, "It seems like it's a long ways away. It's not."

Trump also wished his wife, First Lady Melania Trump a happy birthday.

POOL

Indianapolis, Indiana - 26 April 2019

1. Donald Trump on stage, walking up to podium

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

"Well I want to thank Chris and Wayne. I'm thrilled to be here in Indiana with the men and women of the NRA. You are a great American patriots."

++BLACK BETWEEN SOUNDBITES++

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

"And you see it now better than ever, with all of the resignations of bad apples, they're bad apples. They tried for a coup, didn't work out so well. And I didn't need a gun for that one, did I? All was taking place at the highest levels in Washington D.C. You've been watching, you've been seeing it. You've been looking at things that you wouldn't have believed possible in our country. Corruption at the highest level. A disgrace. Spying, surveillance, calling for an overthrow and we caught 'em. We caught em."

++BLACK BETWEEN SOUNDBITES++

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

"America's future has never been brighter and yet Democrats have never been angrier. Especially now that their collusion delusion has been exposed to the world as a complete and total fraud."

++BLACK BETWEEN SOUNDBITES++

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

"Democrats are obsessed with hoaxes, delusions and witch hunts, that's what they're obsessed with, that's what they want to do. And we can play the game just as well or better than they do. Far left radicals in Congress want to take away your voice, your jobs, your rights and they especially want to take away your guns, you know that. They want to take away your guns. You better get out there and vote. You better get out there and vote. It seems like it's a long ways away it's not. I was saying to Melania, our great first lady whose birthday it is today. Happy birthday Melania."

++BLACK BETWEEN SOUNDBITES++

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

"In recent days, leading Democrats have proposed banning new guns and confiscating existing guns from law abiding citizens. What they don't tell you is the bad guys aren't giving up their guns. And you're not going to be giving up your guns, either."

++ENDS ON A SOUNDBITE++

House Speaker Paul Ryan is defending a vote by Republicans on the House intelligence committee to release a classified memo on the Russia investigation.

The memo purports to show improper use of surveillance by the FBI and the Justice Department in the Russia probe.

Ryan told reporters Tuesday that "there may have been malfeasance at the FBI by certain individuals." He said there should be "transparency" on the issue.

The committee voted to release the four-page memo on Monday. It could become public in the next few days.

The memo has become a political flashpoint, with President Donald Trump and many Republicans pushing for its release and suggesting that some in the Justice Department and FBI have conspired against the president.

Meanwhie, Ryan says he's looking forward to President Donald Trump's address to Congress Tuesday night and called the State of the Union "bright."

Washington - 30 January 2018

1. Wide of Republican leaders at podium

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

"What's OK's to follow the process as the process is laid out. That's precisely what is happening. I would remind you that the Democrats tried blocking the rest of the members of Congress from even having access to the memo that the majority wrote. Yesterday the majority voted to provide access to the Democrats' memo."

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK++

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

"First, there are legitimate questions about whether an American's civil liberties were violated by the FISA (United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court) process. We are the legislative branch of government. It is our job to conduct oversight on behalf of the American people of the executive branch in case any powers were abused and civil liberties are abused by the executive branch. So there's a very legitimate issue here as to whether or not an American civil liberties were violated in the FISA process. We are the legislative branch of government. it is our job to conduct oversight on behalf of the American people of the executive branch, in case any powers were abused and civil liberties were abused by the executive branch. So there's a very legitmate issue her as to whether or not an American's civil liberties were violated in the FISA process. That's point number one. Point number two. This is a Paul Ryan: completely separate matter from Bob Mueller's investigation and his investigation should be allowed to take its course. Point number three, there may have been malfeasance by people at the FBI. And let me just let me finish my points. There may have been malfeasance at the FBI by certain individuals. So it is our job in conducting transparent oversight of the executive branch to get to the bottom of that. Sunshine is the best disinfectant. And so what we want is all of this information to come out so that transparency can reign supreme and accountability can occur. There's a fourth point I want to make and that is the institution of the DOJ (Department of Justice.Paul Ryan: Of the FBI is a very important institution for American life is a very important institution for keeping the rule of law intact."

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK++

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

"On a positive note, I'm excited to hear President Trump's state of the Union address tonight. And honestly the state of the Union is looking up. It's really encouraging to be able to come and hear an upbeat tone at a State of the Union this week 20th of these that I've sat in and I've got to tell you, to be able to hear a State of the Union as bright as it is right now is something that's very encouraging. Wages are rising, economic confidence is coming back to America, tax reform is the law of the land and it is playing a huge role in this transformation. As Steve just mentioned, just yesterday we heard from another major employer about investing another 50 billion dollars into this economy because of tax reform. Just a couple of weeks from now, 90 percent of American workers, 90 percent of American wage earners earners are going to see their paychecks get bigger as the IRS' new withholding tables are put into effect in February. This is a big deal."

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK++

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

"So we're very excited. Economic confidence in America is at a 17 year high while unemployment in America is at a 17 year low. These are good things. This is a big deal for Americans across the country. We've got a lot more work to do and I'm looking forward to President Trump's speech tonight to find the way forward and get get more done for the American people in 2018."

6. Ryan and others walk out of room

House Speaker Paul Ryan is defending a vote by Republicans on the House intelligence committee to release a classified memo on the Russia investigation.

The memo purports to show improper use of surveillance by the FBI and the Justice Department in the Russia probe.

Ryan told reporters Tuesday that "there may have been malfeasance at the FBI by certain individuals." He said there should be "transparency" on the issue.

The committee voted to release the four-page memo on Monday. It could become public in the next few days.

The memo has become a political flashpoint, with President Donald Trump and many Republicans pushing for its release and suggesting that some in the Justice Department and FBI have conspired against the president.

Meanwhie, Ryan says he's looking forward to President Donald Trump's address to Congress Tuesday night and called the State of the Union "bright."

Washington - 30 January 2018

1. Wide of Republican leaders at podium

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

"What's OK's to follow the process as the process is laid out. That's precisely what is happening. I would remind you that the Democrats tried blocking the rest of the members of Congress from even having access to the memo that the majority wrote. Yesterday the majority voted to provide access to the Democrats' memo."

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK++

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

"First, there are legitimate questions about whether an American's civil liberties were violated by the FISA (United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court) process. We are the legislative branch of government. It is our job to conduct oversight on behalf of the American people of the executive branch in case any powers were abused and civil liberties are abused by the executive branch. So there's a very legitimate issue here as to whether or not an American civil liberties were violated in the FISA process. We are the legislative branch of government. it is our job to conduct oversight on behalf of the American people of the executive branch, in case any powers were abused and civil liberties were abused by the executive branch. So there's a very legitmate issue her as to whether or not an American's civil liberties were violated in the FISA process. That's point number one. Point number two. This is a Paul Ryan: completely separate matter from Bob Mueller's investigation and his investigation should be allowed to take its course. Point number three, there may have been malfeasance by people at the FBI. And let me just let me finish my points. There may have been malfeasance at the FBI by certain individuals. So it is our job in conducting transparent oversight of the executive branch to get to the bottom of that. Sunshine is the best disinfectant. And so what we want is all of this information to come out so that transparency can reign supreme and accountability can occur. There's a fourth point I want to make and that is the institution of the DOJ (Department of Justice.Paul Ryan: Of the FBI is a very important institution for American life is a very important institution for keeping the rule of law intact."

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK++

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

"On a positive note, I'm excited to hear President Trump's state of the Union address tonight. And honestly the state of the Union is looking up. It's really encouraging to be able to come and hear an upbeat tone at a State of the Union this week 20th of these that I've sat in and I've got to tell you, to be able to hear a State of the Union as bright as it is right now is something that's very encouraging. Wages are rising, economic confidence is coming back to America, tax reform is the law of the land and it is playing a huge role in this transformation. As Steve just mentioned, just yesterday we heard from another major employer about investing another 50 billion dollars into this economy because of tax reform. Just a couple of weeks from now, 90 percent of American workers, 90 percent of American wage earners earners are going to see their paychecks get bigger as the IRS' new withholding tables are put into effect in February. This is a big deal."

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK++

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

"So we're very excited. Economic confidence in America is at a 17 year high while unemployment in America is at a 17 year low. These are good things. This is a big deal for Americans across the country. We've got a lot more work to do and I'm looking forward to President Trump's speech tonight to find the way forward and get get more done for the American people in 2018."

6. Ryan and others walk out of room

House Speaker Paul Ryan is defending a vote by Republicans on the House intelligence committee to release a classified memo on the Russia investigation.

The memo purports to show improper use of surveillance by the FBI and the Justice Department in the Russia probe.

Ryan told reporters Tuesday that "there may have been malfeasance at the FBI by certain individuals." He said there should be "transparency" on the issue.

The committee voted to release the four-page memo on Monday. It could become public in the next few days.

The memo has become a political flashpoint, with President Donald Trump and many Republicans pushing for its release and suggesting that some in the Justice Department and FBI have conspired against the president.

Meanwhile, Ryan says he's looking forward to President Donald Trump's address to Congress Tuesday night and called the State of the Union "bright."

Washington, D.C. - 30 January 2018

1. Wide of Republican leaders at podium

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

"What's OK's to follow the process as the process is laid out. That's precisely what is happening. I would remind you that the Democrats tried blocking the rest of the members of Congress from even having access to the memo that the majority wrote. Yesterday the majority voted to provide access to the Democrats' memo."

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK++

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

"First, there are legitimate questions about whether an American's civil liberties were violated by the FISA (United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court) process. We are the legislative branch of government. It is our job to conduct oversight on behalf of the American people of the executive branch in case any powers were abused and civil liberties are abused by the executive branch. So there's a very legitimate issue here as to whether or not an American civil liberties were violated in the FISA process. We are the legislative branch of government. it is our job to conduct oversight on behalf of the American people of the executive branch, in case any powers were abused and civil liberties were abused by the executive branch. So there's a very legitmate issue her as to whether or not an American's civil liberties were violated in the FISA process. That's point number one. Point number two. This is a Paul Ryan: completely separate matter from Bob Mueller's investigation and his investigation should be allowed to take its course. Point number three, there may have been malfeasance by people at the FBI. And let me just let me finish my points. There may have been malfeasance at the FBI by certain individuals. So it is our job in conducting transparent oversight of the executive branch to get to the bottom of that. Sunshine is the best disinfectant. And so what we want is all of this information to come out so that transparency can reign supreme and accountability can occur. There's a fourth point I want to make and that is the institution of the DOJ (Department of Justice.Paul Ryan: Of the FBI is a very important institution for American life is a very important institution for keeping the rule of law intact."

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK++

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

"On a positive note, I'm excited to hear President Trump's state of the Union address tonight. And honestly the state of the Union is looking up. It's really encouraging to be able to come and hear an upbeat tone at a State of the Union this week 20th of these that I've sat in and I've got to tell you, to be able to hear a State of the Union as bright as it is right now is something that's very encouraging. Wages are rising, economic confidence is coming back to America, tax reform is the law of the land and it is playing a huge role in this transformation. As Steve just mentioned, just yesterday we heard from another major employer about investing another 50 billion dollars into this economy because of tax reform. Just a couple of weeks from now, 90 percent of American workers, 90 percent of American wage earners earners are going to see their paychecks get bigger as the IRS' new withholding tables are put into effect in February. This is a big deal."

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK++

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

"So we're very excited. Economic confidence in America is at a 17-year-high while unemployment in America is at a 17-year-low. These are good things. This is a big deal for Americans across the country. We've got a lot more work to do and I'm looking forward to President Trump's speech tonight to find the way forward and get get more done for the American people in 2018."

6. Ryan and others walk out of room