Rep. Jasmine Crockett on Jack Smith, Trump’s Crimes, and Why Republicans Dodged the Truth 

Rep. Jasmine Crockett on Jack Smith, Trump’s Crimes, and Why Republicans Dodged the Truth

Rep. Jasmine Crockett

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Jan 23, 2026 #JasmineCrockett #JackSmith #LauraCoates

In this interview with Laura Coates, Rep. Jasmine Crockett breaks down why Republicans spent more time attacking process than confronting the facts of Donald Trump’s crimes. Crockett explains why Jack Smith’s testimony mattered, how grand juries already did their job, and why Trump’s return to power shut down accountability that should have played out in court. She also calls out the hypocrisy of Republicans crying about phone records while expanding surveillance powers elsewhere and ignoring real constitutional violations. This is a clear-eyed conversation about truth, accountability, and why dodging the substance only confirms what Republicans don’t want to say out loud. #JasmineCrockett #JackSmith #LauraCoates #January6 #RuleOfLaw #Accountability #TrumpIndictments #Congress #Democracy #Politics #JusticeMatters #TruthOverSpin

Transcript

Transcript

0:00

REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THAT

0:02

PRESIDENT WAS A DEMOCRAT OR A

0:06

REPUBLICAN.

0:07

>> JOINING ME NOW, ONE OF THE

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LAWMAKERS ON THE HOUSE JUDICIARY

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COMMITTEE IN THAT HEARING TODAY,

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DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSWOMAN JASMINE

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CROCKETT, WHO, AS YOU KNOW, IS

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ALSO RUNNING FOR SENATE IN

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TEXAS. CONGRESSWOMAN, THANK YOU

0:16

FOR BEING HERE. I KNOW YOU'RE

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VERY BUSY WITH THE WORK THAT YOU

0:20

R

0:20

E DOING. I WANT TO BEGIN WITH

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THE FACT THAT THIS WAS THE VERY

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FIRST TIME, REALLY, THAT JACK

0:25

SMITH MAY HAVE HAD HIS DAY IN

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COURT, SO TO SPEAK, PUBLICLY.

0:29

HE'S WANTED TO TESTIFY PUBLICLY.

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YOU HAD ADVOCATED FOR THAT AS

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WELL. DO YOU THINK THAT HIS

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ABILITY TO DO SO TODAY WAS A

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GOOD THING?

0:38

>> I DO. I WAS RECEIVING TEXT

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MESSAGES AS THE HEARING WAS

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GOING ON FROM ALL KINDS OF

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PEOPLE, OTHER LAWMAKERS, AS WELL

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AS JUST PEOPLE BACK HOME THAT

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WERE WATCHING. AND SO I THINK

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THAT IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR

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AMERICA TO SEE THE CREDIBILITY

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OF THE PERSON WHO HAS REALLY

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BEEN PUT ON TRIAL WHEN IT COMES

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TO THE PUBLIC OPINION. RIGHT.

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AND THAT'S BEEN BY THE

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PRESIDENT. HE HAS CONSISTENTLY

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SAID ALL KINDS OF NASTY AND

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THREATENING THINGS ABOUT JACK

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SMITH. BUT JACK SMITH, AS A

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PROSECUTOR AND YOU KNOW HOW THIS

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GOES AS A PROSECUTOR. HE'S NOT A

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POLITICAL FIGURE. SO THIS IS

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SOMEBODY WHO WAS KIND OF IN THE

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SHADOWS. AND BASICALLY JACK'S

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LIKE, I AM GOING TO STAND BY MY

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WORK. THE ONLY REASON THESE

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CHARGES GOT DROPPED IS BECAUSE

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YOU BECAME PRESIDENT. AND WE

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KNOW THAT THAT'S WHY HE RAN WAS

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SO THAT HE COULD AVOID

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PROSECUTION.

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>> YOU KNOW, YOU MADE THE POINT

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EARLIER TODAY AS WELL THAT HE

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HAD BEEN CRITICIZED MORE FOR

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WHETHER HE HAD THE AUTHORITY TO

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PROSECUTE MORE THAN THE ACTUAL

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SUBSTANCE OF THE ALLEGATIONS

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THAT GRAND JURIES INDICTED HIM

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ON. WHY DO YOU THINK REPUBLICANS

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FOCUSED MORE ON REALLY PROCESS

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MORE THAN THE RESULT?

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>> BECAUSE IT DIDN'T WORK OUT

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VERY WELL FOR THEM, RIGHT? THEY

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DIDN'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE

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ACTUAL SUBJECT MATTER, WHICH THE

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SUBJECT MATTER WAS THE FACT THAT

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THE PRESIDENT NEEDED TO BE

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PROSECUTED. AND AS I STATED

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TODAY, I AM ALMOST POSITIVE THAT

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IF JACK SMITH WOULD HAVE HAD HIS

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DAY IN COURT AND PROSECUTED, THE

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PRESIDENT, WELL, THE PRESIDENT

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WOULD BE UNDER THE JAIL RIGHT

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NOW. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, HE NEVER

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GOT TO SEE THAT DAY FOR A NUMBER

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OF REASONS. ONE OBVIOUSLY

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INVOLVES AILEEN CANNON, WHO IS A

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TRUMP APPOINTEE. AND BASICALLY I

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WOULD JUST SAY A TRUMP FLUNKY.

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>> OBVIOUSLY, SHE IS THE JUDGE

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WHO STILL HAS A REMAINING KIND

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OF GAG ORDER ON THE CLASSIFIED

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DOCUMENTS REPORT OUT OF

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MAR-A-LAGO. SO HE WAS

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CONSTRAINED TO SOME DEGREE OF

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WHAT HE COULD ACTUALLY SAY. MANY

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BELIEVE THERE WAS A PERJURY TRAP

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THAT WAS ALREADY BEING SET FROM

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HIS PRESENCE. AND ALSO, WOULD HE

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VIOLATE THAT ORDER AND GET

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HIMSELF IN HOT WATER? EVEN

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WITHOUT THAT, THOUGH, PRESIDENT

2:29

TRUMP IS CALLING FOR HIM TO BE

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PROSECUTED IN A LONG LINE OF

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PEOPLE, HE'S ALREADY CALLED TO

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BE PROSECUTED. YOUR REACTION?

2:36

>> CORRECT. JUST LIKE MOST OF

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THE OTHER PROSECUTORS THAT HE'S

2:39

GONE AFTER WHO ARE SOUND

2:41

PROSECUTORS THAT WENT AFTER NOT

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THE PRESIDENT, BUT THEY FOLLOWED

2:44

THE EVIDENCE, AND THE EVIDENCE

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LED THEM TO THIS IDEA OR THE

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CONCLUSION THAT THE PRESIDENT IS

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A CRIMINAL. AND LET ME REMIND

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PEOPLE, HE IS A 34 COUNT

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CONVICTED FELON WHO WAS

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CONVICTED BY A JURY OF HIS

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PEERS. AND SO I KNOW THAT JACK

2:59

SMITH IS REALLY TIGHT ON THIS.

3:00

YOU KNOW, I SAID IN THE CLOSED

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DOOR DEPOSITION THAT HE

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DELIVERED WHAT HE TALKED ABOUT,

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VOLUME TWO AND BASICALLY SAID,

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I'M NOT ALLOWED TO SPEAK ABOUT

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THAT BECAUSE OF AN ORDER. RIGHT.

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AND SO THEY WERE CONSISTENTLY

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TRYING TO GET HIM EVEN BEHIND

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CLOSED DOORS. AND SO HE'S BEEN

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VERY CAREFUL AND METHODICAL,

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LIKE A GOOD PROSECUTOR WOULD BE.

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AND REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT

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HE RESPECTS AILEEN CANNON AS A

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JUDGE OR RESPECTS HER LACK OF

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ABILITY TO PROCESS THINGS IN THE

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WAY THAT WE WOULD EXPECT OF A

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JURIST, HE STILL RESPECTS THE

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LAW, AND THAT IS THE ONE THING

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THAT I WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND

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IS THEY WERE GOING AFTER HIM AND

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SAYING THAT THIS WAS NOTHING BUT

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A WITCH HUNT, AND THAT IT WAS

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WEAPONIZATION. IN THE MIDST OF

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ALL THIS DRAMA, HE'S STILL

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SAYING THAT THIS ROGUE JUDGE HAS

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A COURT ORDER, AND HE IS ABIDING

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BY THAT. THAT TELLS YOU

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EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

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ABOUT WHO HE IS.

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>> AND YET THEY WERE CRITICIZING

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HIS CAREER AS A PROSECUTOR. HE

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WENT TO GREAT LENGTHS AT

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DIFFERENT POINTS TO MAKE SURE HE

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WAS DIFFERENTIATED FROM THE

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PERSON. JACK SMITH, AND THE ROLE

3:58

OF HIS OFFICE, AND REPRESENTING

4:00

THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.

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OBVIOUSLY, PROSECUTORS ARE

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FUNGIBLE. IT'S THE IT'S THE

4:04

PEOPLE VERSUS AN ISSUE. BUT

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THERE WAS AN ISSUE THAT REALLY

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GOT UNDER THE CRAW OF

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REPUBLICANS LIKE JIM JORDAN, AND

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THAT WAS THE SUBPOENAS FOR PHONE

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RECORDS. NOW, THESE SUBPOENAS

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DID NOT ACTUALLY GET THE

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SUBSTANCE OF THE PHONE CALLS. NO

4:19

ONE'S WIRETAPPING THROUGH IT.

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IT'S ACTUALLY QUITE COMMON, BUT

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YOU GET THE FACT THAT A CALL WAS

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MADE AND THE DURATION THE

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TELEPHONE NUMBERS. BUT THERE'S

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ALSO A POINT ABOUT CONFIDENTIAL

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SOURCING. AND THE PAYMENT. DID

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EITHER OF THOSE TWO POINTS

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EITHER IN THE FIRST TIME YOU

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HEARD HIM BEHIND CLOSED DOORS OR

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NOW, DO YOU THINK THAT IMPACTS

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HIS CREDIBILITY?

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>> NO. ABSOLUTELY NOT. THE FACT

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THAT HE GOT TOLD RECORDS,

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REMEMBER WHEN THE SENATE DECIDED

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TO ADD IN WHEN THEY REOPENED THE

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GOVERNMENT, $500,000 PAYMENTS?

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NOW, CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT?

4:48

BASICALLY, YOU DECIDED THAT YOU

4:50

WERE GOING TO BE ON A PHONE CALL

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WITH A CRIMINAL, A DEFENDANT,

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RIGHT? AND BASICALLY, AS THEY

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ARE TRYING TO DEVELOP THEIR CASE

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AND THEY ARE TRYING TO FIGURE

4:58

OUT LIKE WHO WAS WHERE, MAKING

5:01

WHAT PHONE CALLS AND TO WHO AND

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TO HOW. THAT'S ALL THEY WERE WAS

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TOLD RECORDS THESE WERE NOT

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WIRETAPS, RIGHT. INTERESTINGLY

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ENOUGH, TODAY I ALSO DEALT WITH,

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MLK AND THE DECLASSIFICATION OF

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THOSE DOCUMENTS. AND WE WERE

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TALKING ABOUT HOOVER AND HOW

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HOOVER TAPPED MLK PHONES. RIGHT.

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LIKE, THIS IS WHAT THE FEDERAL

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GOVERNMENT DID. AND I ALSO THE.

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>> SUBSTANCE OF THE CALL, NOT

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JUST THE EXISTENCE, EXACTLY.

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>> NOT JUST THE EXISTENCE.

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RIGHT. BUT WE KNOW THAT THIS

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FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AS THEY SAY,

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THAT, OH, THIS WAS A

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WEAPONIZATION BY THIS ROGUE DOJ

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UNDER THE BIDEN-HARRIS

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ADMINISTRATION, WHICH IS VERY

5:36

WEIRD, TOO, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW,

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BIDEN WAS COMING IN, BUT WHOLE

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OTHER ISSUE, BUT NEVERTHELESS,

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AND THIS WAS A SPECIAL APPOINTED

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PROSECUTOR. RIGHT. BUT THE IDEA

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THAT THEY HAVE THE AUDACITY TO

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MAKE THESE ARGUMENTS IN A TIME

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IN WHICH ICE OF ALL

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ORGANIZATIONS HAS DECIDED THAT

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THEY ARE GOING TO SPY ON PEOPLE.

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THAT IS CRAZY. LIKE YOU'RE MAD

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THAT SOMEBODY SEES THAT YOU MADE

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A PHONE CALL, YET YOU HAVE

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NOTHING TO SAY ABOUT, ESPECIALLY

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ON TODAY WHERE WE WENT THROUGH

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OUR FUNDING BILL AND YOU

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INCREASED THE FUNDING TO ICE.

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ICE IS NOW THE FIFTH LARGEST

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FUNDED MILITARY IN THE WORLD.

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THAT IS CRAZY. AND THEY ARE

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CONSISTENTLY VIOLATING PEOPLE'S

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CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS. THAT'S

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NOT A VIOLATION OF YOUR

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CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS

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WHATSOEVER.

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>> IDENTIFY THE THE PART PART

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ABOUT THE SPYING. WHAT IS THE

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REFERENCE YOU'RE MAKING TO ICE

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BEING ALLOWED TO SPY? ARE YOU

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TALKING ABOUT A MEMO TO GO IN

6:31

PEOPLE'S HOMES OR SOMETHING

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MORE?

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>> NO. RIGHT NOW WHAT THEY ARE

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DOING IS GETTING TECHNOLOGY TO

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ACTUALLY GET AT PEOPLE'S CELL

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PHONES. AND THAT INFORMATION.

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AND SO TO ME, I DON'T KNOW HOW

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FAR THEY'RE GOING TO GO WITH

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THAT, BUT THAT'S WHAT T