Jeffery Toobin: President Trump “Is Telling Paul Manafort In Effect, Hang In There, You Don’t Have To Cooperate And You Don’t Have To Worry About Mueller Because You May Be Getting A Pardon Is Wildly, Wildly Inappropriate.” JEFFERY TOOBIN: “This is an incredibly inappropriate thing to say. Whether it’s actually an obstruction of justice or part of an impeachable offense, you know, that requires greater analysis and knowledge of the full facts but the fact that he [President Trump] is telling Paul Manafort in effect, hang in there, you don’t have to cooperate and you don’t have to worry about Mueller because you may be getting a pardon is wildly, wildly inappropriate.” [New Day, CNN, 11/29/18; Video]
Willie Geist: “Just Days After We Learned The Special Counsel Wants To Scrap Paul Manafort’s Plea Deal, President Trump Is Now Publicly Discussing A Possible Pardon For His Former Campaign Chairman.” WILLIE GEIST: “Let’s dive right in. Just days after we learned the special counsel wants to scrap Paul manafort’s plea deal, president trump is now publicly discussing a possible pardon for his former campaign chairman. In an oval office interview, president trump left open the possibility of a pardon telling the paper, it was never discussed, but I wouldn’t take it off the table. Why would I take it off the table?” [Morning Joe, MSNBC, 11/29/18; VIDEO]
Willie Geist: “The President Floating The Idea Of A Pardon When He Was Asked. He Said It’s Not Off The Table. That Has To Be Music To Paul Manafort’s Ears Who Is Now Without His Cooperation Deal.” WILLIE GEIST: “In that interview, the president criticized Robert Mueller’s investigation claiming that manafort, Roger stone, and stone associate Jerome Corsi were all asked to lie. If you tell the truth, you go to jail, trump said. You know this flipping stuff is terrible. But I had three people, manafort, Corsi, I don’t know Corsi, but they refuse to say what he demanded. It’s actually very brave, the president said, of the trio and I’m telling you, this is McCarthyism. We are in the McCarthy era. This is no better than McCarthy, says the president of the united States talking about the special counsel’s investigation. Joyce, let’s pick through that a little bit and start with you on the president floating the idea of a pardon when he was asked. He said it’s not off the table. That has to be music to Paul Manafort’s ears who is now without his cooperation deal.” [Morning Joe, MSNBC, 11/29/18; VIDEO]Joyce Ann Vance: “Every Prosecutor Hears The President Say That And Your Spidey Senses All Come Into Focus Because It Sounds Like The President Is Dangling A Pardon To Paul Manafort. At This Point In Time, That’s Close To Witness Tampering.” JOYCE ANN VANCE: “I think that’s probably true, Willie. It’s really hard to know where to start in this statement because there’s so much going on, all of it bad for us as a country. But on that pardon issue, every prosecutor hears the president say that and your spidey senses all come into focus because it sounds like the president is dangling a pardon to Paul manafort. At this point in time, that’s close to witness tampering. Let me backup a little bit and say it’s not enough in and of itself. We really would have to look at an entire course of conduct because, of course, the president would say oh, no, it’s not an offer of a pardon. I’m just making a statement about my powers as president and that I’m taking nothing off the table. And it would be hard to get all of that alone across the finish but increasingly, the president’s course of conduct makes clear that the same man who wanted Jim Comey to go easy on Michael Flynn to short circuit this investigation at the outset is still willing to do whatever he can to try to keep Mueller from telling the American people what the truth is here.” [Morning Joe, MSNBC, 11/29/18; VIDEO]
Terry Moran: “The Real Question Is, Did Manafort And President Trump Have Any Conversations About President Trump Issuing A Pardon In Exchange For Manafort Holding Back? That Would Be Trouble For Manafort And President Trump.” TERRY MORAN: “It’s Risky For Manafort To Possibly Alienate The Prosecutors Who He Cut A Deal With. And The Real Question Is, Did Manafort And President Trump Have Any Conversations About President Trump Issuing A Pardon In Exchange For Manafort Holding Back? That Would Be Trouble For Manafort And President Trump.” [World News Tonight, ABC, 11/28/18; VIDEO]