mueller's team disagree with attorney general bill barr's efforts to, what they see, as downplay their evidence in key findings on trump. "the new york times" quoting second hand sources who say that mueller's investigators have strong evidence against trump and that barr was not totally accurate in his rush to release quotes and his own opinion in his now famous letters to congress. there may have been private disagreements during 22 months of the probe. if they're private, we still wouldn't know about them and rod rosenstein was in charge most of that period. we never really saw daylight between mueller's office and the doj during that time. today we're seeing a high stakes rift go public right after mueller turned in his report and before congress has seen any of it. in the spirit of thinking about where we're going, before i go into a few more of the details about why barr's approach is in question, is under fire, i want to you consider where we are in the time line on the substance. not the d.c. messaging. but on substance. bob mueller worked for almost two years, issuing 37 indic

when they become citizens of this nation. i'm going to get into all of that. i begin with bill barr, putting out real-time lines today. under oath to the congress saying he will release some version of the mueller report within a week. >> my original timetable of being able to release this by mid-april stands within a week. i'll be in a position to release it to the public. i think it is important that the public have an opportunity to learn the results of the special counsel's work. >> this release, of course, is the center of maybe one of the biggest fights of the trump presidency. barr has said he will make up his own mind about reall sorts of things from the report. the house democrats have said they're willing to subpoena the whole thing. they want the full report, no redactions. it is sometimes referred to as 6 e. >> we intend to redact information. >> will we have the complete report? >> you mean the unredacted report? >> no. >> if they want to see classified information. >> we have an intelligence committee for that. >> this is what drives the public crazy. when they see som

escalating the pressure on attorney general bill barr to testify this week. barr now threatening to skip thursday's testimony on the mueller report before the judiciary committee. barr now objecting to chairman nadler's plan to have committee lawyers question him. barr's office saying, quote, the attorney general appeared -- agreed to appear before congress. therefore members of congress should be the ones doing the question. chairman nadler speaking out today and getting blunt. they will subpoena barr if they have to. >> the attorney general is afraid to subject himself to questions where he can follow up that may indicate lack of confidence in his own position. and more to the point, we have to get to the bill of these issues. that's why we've called him in. and it's not up to the attorney general to tell the committee how to conduct his business. if he doesn't show up on thursday, we'll have to go to subpoenas. >> chairman nadler telling barr he does not get to pick how the committee questions him, and there are growing questions about how specifically barr handled the mueller report,

. hello! >> hello. thank you, chuck todd. we have big a show. bill barr facing the senate today. this was the first time he's done that since bob mueller finished his probe. the top democrat who runs the party's subpoena power takes a new shot here. speaking pelosi making it clear she doesn't trust barr saying he is not the attorney general of donald trump. he is the attorney general of the united states. i don't trust barr. i trust mueller. and basically comparing his work to a train wreck. >> a very, very dismaying and disappointing that the chief law enforcement officer of our country is going off the rails yesterday and today. >> barr trying to turn attention to his comments on the lawful surveillance of some trump aides today. that was his rhetorical or strategic priority and it has gotten some attention. i would draw your attention to the top of our broadcast to one of the more important substantive revelations. it kams under cross-examination by senator van hollen pressing barr on his own choice to release his own view on findings of obstruction of justice when mueller po

tomorrow with "meet the press" daily. good evening, bill barr, has he briefed you on the mueller report? >> he hasn't briefed me. the briefings are beginning, they've been talking to the white house and we have the press tomorrow. it's huge. hearing your bit above the sky makes me think of the famous gang star song, above the clouds. for political junkies, it samples kennesampl samples john f. kennedy's speech. >> you put it all in there. >> and it was an unredacted song. we'll be seeing you tomorrow with the coverage. i'll be busy, you'll be busy. we're all looking forward to learning facts. >> chuck todd, thank you. we begin here on "the beat" with breaking news. hours before the release of this mueller report expected tomorrow morning, the trump doj has made this announcement. you may have heard about it. it is new. it is not what we knew would happen. but it is now the plan. trump attorney general bill barr holding a press conference at 9:30 a.m., with deputy attorney general rod rosenstein. what i can't tell you is what they're going to do about the redacted report. we know

have a big friday night show here. rod rosenstein out defending his boss, attorney general bill barr, and interestingly, previewing parts of the mueller report which as we just discussed we are expecting next week. and betsy devos under fire for using kids as props while still trying to slash $200 million worth of programs for literacy. we begin with the power grab. first new reports that trump wanted to politicize border policy with an idea to try to bus undocumented immigrants into what are called sanctuary cities and are typically more politically liberal. officials in trump's own administration saying this idea was, quote, so illegal, and thus it was ultimately dropped. but donald trump was out threatening his opponents with this very policy today. >> we'll bring them to sanctuary city areas and let that particular area take care of it. california is always saying, we want more people. and they want more people in their sampg twaer cities. we'll give them more people. we can give them a lot. an unlimited supply. let's see if they're so happy. they say we have open arms. open arms

tonight to washington, trump attorney general bill barr has for the first time named a day he will release his redacted mueller report. that day is thursday, and we're told that in an announcement today. it comes after barr testified he was on pace to release the mueller report this week. and today the justice department says they have this planned. it is plan so they could move again. but the timing is notable because barr is picking when to release his redacted version of this obviously very anticipated report. now it could be a monday to start the week. it could be a friday or the weekend, like some of his memorable letters. it could be good friday. that hits this week. and i'm here to tell you tonight, barr is pretty close because he's told the world for the first time today that of all the days that could begin if multi-day process of reading and reacting to this redacted report, the attorney general has picked the eve of good friday and passover, which could be a sign that barr wants to use this process to try to play down the report heading into a friday holiday weekend rath

with it. and later, bill barr has not told the whole truth about mueller's findings. why that matters going forward and what can be done about it. also, eric swalwell making his first appearance on "the beat" as a presidential candidate. that's later in the show. we have a hot. we begin with the president of the united states announcing his opposition to lawful subpoenas from congress. >> we're fighting all the subpoenas. these aren't impartial people. the democrats are trying to win 2020. the only way they can luck out is by constantly going after me on nonsense. >> that's trump's take. here's bob mueller's. because he ended his report by intoning, congress may apply the obstruction laws. it accords with the constitutional system of checks and balances and the principle that no person is above the law. congress uses those powers on a spectrum. kit do nothing, and that happens more often when the same party controls both houses of government, or the oversight functions to hold the executive accountable with hearings, funding measures or the subpoenas, or over here, if you want to thin

formally to subpoena it. if attorney general bill barr doesn't hand it over. >> i will give him time to change his mind, but if we cannot reach an accommodation, then we will have no choice but to issue subpoenas for these materials. >> judiciary chair nadler who we spoke with on this broadcast last night, saying today that basically he wants to work on this in a negotiated way. so he's providing time to the attorney general before they make good on what they did today, so they have the authority, the power to move forward on the subpoena. they just haven't issued it yet. nadler also insisting he doesn't see a middle ground on this. he needs, the congress needs the full report, no redactions, or they will take this to court. >> are you willing to negotiate on any middle ground in terms of redactions -- >> no. >> -- of the mueller -- you're not? >> no. the committee must see everything. obviously some material will have to be redacted before it's released to the public to protect privacy, to protect the various rights. but the committee is entitled and must see all the material.

here. he has begun to sound a sort of alarm. he says barr has been deeply troubling in the way he has handled at least the obstruction issue. neal katyal is here, and we're actually debuting a new special that will be appearing on "the beat." i'll tell you about what and why we're excited about that, later in the show. then there is this bombshell whistle-blower who says the trump administration has actually mishandled at least 25 different security clearances, all raising questions about national security and jared kushner, who has been in a lot of hot water over clearances. >>> we begin with this fastball from jerry nadler, anticipating that mr. barr over at doj will not meet the democrats' deadline set for tomorrow to release this entire mueller report. barr has said a redacted version is coming this month, or starting today, i should say. nadler said a vote for wednesday that would move forward to subpoena the whole thing and any other related evidence that mueller gathered and documents from five former trump white house officials. now they're making explicit one issue on his

the way attorney general barr initially discussed this in his letters and certainly different even than the way he discussed it in a fairly unusual press conference this morning. so today was a story divided between the mueller report and the man in charge of it who we still haven't heard from, bob mueller, and his current boss under the rules, mr. barr, who had a different view. and by the end of the day and by now, this evening, brian, i think it is clear the differences between these two men in legal analysis and their view of the evidence will reverberate well past tonight. >> ari, because you were our legal wing man all day long, the question about mr. barr is this. the news of his event was the degree to which he has the president's back. the president finally has his man at doj. the news value of his remarks seems to me was his talk of a legal disagreement between his team and robert mueller. do you think enough in retrospect has been made of that in light of the fact we spent the day talking about it. >> if and when mr. mueller testifies under oath, which after 23 months wo

. one is that mr. barr has to turn over the full unredacted report. two is for bob mueller to personally testify with a deadline of may 23rd. and three, breaking moments ago in our newsroom, a formal subpoena for bob mueller's star witness, white house counsel don mcgahn, the guy who talked about all the crazy stuff, except he used a more severe word and warned of a saturday night massacre, the crazy stuff trump was demanding that he refused to do. all this looks like a lot there are the hearing as well that should focus on donald trump's activities as displayed in the report. and all that raises questions whether it's oversight or whether it's impeachment. >> thank you. >> nobody disobeys my orders. >> are you worried about impeachment, mr. president? >> not even a little bit. >> not even a little bit. i'm joined now with a very special guest, and it's exclusive. david kelly was the u.s. attorney for the southern district of new york, a familiar position to viewers because it's been held by rudy giuliani, james comey, and preet bharara, who also says that he was ta contacted, he viewed

it. enjoy the show. >> thank you. tonight donald trump's attorney general william barr blown back a deadline that tees up a major fight with a top law maker on this issue, house judiciary chairman jerrold nadler. we begin with overseeing the doj and leading the fight, chairman nadler. given all the news, i want to get right to you. thank you for coming on "the beat. request itself. >> thank you for having me. >> you run the judiciary committee. attorney general barr missed your deadline, how will you respond? >> we noticed a mark up, we are having a markup tomorrow in which we will vote to authorize to issue subpoenas, subpoenas for their, the mueller report and the underlying materials and to various documents of five other people. >> you are going right to it. if you win that vote i think you expect to when might you actually issue the subpoena for the report or for those individuals? >> well, we will, for the individuals we'll probably issue them right away. but for the report and the underlying materials, we'll work with the attorney general for a short period of time to get the

witnesses. according to barr's own letter. we've seen hundreds and hundreds of letters about donald trump and the mueller probe over the last 22 months but virtually all of them were based on anonymous sources. so we usually didn't know who was talking. here on "the beat," tremendous tied to draw on firsthand accounts whenever possible. they were limit by people who were willing to talk on the record to come on television. to put their names on their accounts. we learned things from them will whatever you think of them, those people, those sources, were the exception because as a mathematical matter, we can tell you most, the ma rt jo of the 500 or so other witnesses did not go on the record. they stayed anonymous, other than what they told mueller. and they apparently hoped to keep that it way. they are now on pins and needles, at least until thursday, waiting to see if barr's redaction there's spare them, keeping them anonymous or will expose them. these people, many of whoof whom have worked for or with donald trump, they know he has a longstanding obsession with loyalty. >> if g

formally demanding bill barr hand over the full unredacted mueller report by may 1st. judiciary chairman jerry nadler issuing this subpoena today. the move telegraphed during the past three weeks of sparring between bill barr, given his aggressive and we can now report, often proven to be misleading handling of the conclusion of the mueller probe. let me tell you this. as we get into this news. telegraphing you might do something and negotiating about it with the white house or the doj is different than action. tonight is action. the first time the trump doy is now staring down the pressure of a subpoena from mueller's report. and that's not all. democrats demanding that bob mueller himself testify by may 23rd. they are seizing on barr's ters statement yesterday in the first may know press conference as attorney, that he didn't obt to mueller addressing congress. pelosi taking the lead on now the biggest fight of the trump era. tonight he says mueller's report busts president trump for serious instances of wrongdoing. what comes next? i can tell you this because it is a very live story.

bill barr won't be able to hide behind grand jury secrecy rules which is essential to whether we ever see the mueller report. later we'll go and look at this new push to get donald trump's tax returns and financial records and new york state taxes. so that's a lot thin this show. but we begin with what looks like a trumpian purge of the homeland security department and the tacit agreement by donald trump that he has basically failed to driver on his own immigration promises. this is his own measurements, not ours. dhs secretary kirstjen nielsen on her way out after overseeing trump's policy infamously of separating families at the border. now we have multiple dhs posts with no senate confirmed leadership whatsoever, a shake-up reportedly driven by none other than trump aide stephen miller, a hard-liner on immigration. the reality of the trump/miller agenda has become quite clear, though. remember, no new wall. no approved national emergency at this point. the border open after threats to close it, immigration obviously hasn't stopped in any fundamental sense, and those failures again

as it is. and then you watch william barr being willing to play, clearly take partisan perspective during this period. it is scary. it's scary. this is what trump does to people. he brings them down to his level. >> it would be nice to have a president who has read the constitution. that's my view. >> we don't even have a president who has read babe ruth's story, much less the constitution. >> one of the things that has become clear, when donald trump says this whole point about witch hunt or any of the tropes that he uses to confuse us about v values, too many people are cynical about whether anyone tells the truthful and i think that serves the sound bites of donald trump. that's why the rule of law and its neutral application is so important. because part of what it says, our institutions of government are about protecting the rules, the boundaries, and if there is one good thing to come out of this. it is that the statute that is about transparency and about making cheer to the american people what they're hearing and where it's coming from is being enforced. it has a very long

power drug with trump attorney general bill barr after democrats that they want him to face additional questions from committee staffers they're preparing a subpoena if barr does not show. now chairman cummings raising the stakes and making it very clear, democrats are in uncharted territory. watch this. this situation where we can't get down. and by the way, can i get one single white house witness? >> with me, from "the new york times," and the former managing editor of "time" magazine. i'll start with you on this one. fines or jail? neither of those are very good prospects, to say the least for the attorney general. you're talking about the attorney general of the united states here. possibly fines or jail if he does not show up for this thursday testimony. is that the only way the democrats can go about this? >> there are other ways. i would say let's bring it on. this is a conflict between article one branch, which is congress, and the article two congress, the executive. there's supposed to be conflict between them. these are remedies well within its power. the executive can resi

his oversight of the probe? >> weak in that he allows the president first and then allowing bill barr to push him into doing things he should not do. i'll give you examples. obviously writing the comey memo. he knew the president was firing comey for other reasons. letting himself be used as the pretext inappropriately to fire jim comey. when he should have stood up for the department. he was weak when he asked the inspector general to investigate a trumped up charge by the president that there was no evidence to substantiate, adding fuel to the claims that republicans on the hill, the president were making about some conspiracy and coup at doj. and he was weak when he allowed his name to be used with the attorney general in that letter the attorney general sent. and in that press conference. to mislead the american public about the results of the mueller report. we need him to be strong. yes, he protected it to some extent. he was always making these little compromises. i'll take these little steps. and that is not what you are supposed to do. you say mr. president, this is wrong. if

that barr has basically become trump's roy cohn, criticizing him for not standing up to trump, shielding him from the rule of law and in their view following down on his oob obligations for attorney general. this blood bath is a very real issue. so there are reactions to the whole range of elements of this power grab. some call it an abuse of power with donald trump trying to weaponize the federal government for what he calls political purposes. so this is the type of thing that in the nixon era we often heard about behind closed doors and it would leak later. in the current era, a lot of this comes out loud and from the top. >> this was an attempted coup, an attempted takedown archpresident. >> we have bad laws, so we're fighting the bad laws. we have the worst laws of any country anywhere in the world. >> we know what one co-equal branch of congress thinks about this, at least on the democratic side and to be clear some republican pushback. but what about the judges? they generally have to bawait a rule on individual cases. but judges can also speak about what they're seeing

at the law firm of giuliani and barr, that position is presumably open and it is not the position of the united states attorney general. a fire point. i want to turn to something else that we've been talking about that's dead wrong. the idea that while the report is out, let's move on. it is being rebutted by you. there are book versions of the mueller report that are at number one and other spot from 3 to 5:00. you see it here. meanwhile, others are learning from the report. obviously, it quotes a lot of what mueller found. 11 million people watching coverage of attorney general barr's press conference when he released the report. i covered doj and i can tell you, we don't usually take those pressers live, let alone to oak over something like this. he said this is a process. you cannot control about what they think and what they've read. politics is about you guys and what are you going to do with what you learned about the moou report. the former new york congressman, joe crowley. thank you for being here. >> thank you. >> i want to read to you what's on the screen. it is all th

he's been using in the aftermath of the results, also in attorney general barr's letter and after the full report is out. the democrats hate me, they're trying to undo a legit matly elected president. that will help his base get energized, not that they need any help now. that's part of the political calculation that pelosi and others on the democratic side that have to make this decision are having to confront. >> if they can't confront him in '19 are they going to confront him in 2020? i'll tell you one thing i learned from the clarence thomas problem, during the day the women testified against him and at nighttime he got to testify. there's a puer to being on prime time. >> but the watergate hearings were in the afternoon -- but i think to jeff's point trump will do that no matter what. if the democrats ask a -- >> so what's your bottom line? >> i'm saying they shouldn't be guided by the fact he's going to react that way. they should do, a, what's right, but i think you don't have to call it impeachment. you can go ahead and get the facts out there. let him say that. >> by the way,

altogether because of the bill barr letter, four pages which turned out to summarize 300 plus pages. still waiting on that one. now it seems as if the president has tried to hide his finances. what has happened here? >> i think clear that the four-page letter from barr dten and close the case. far from it. i talked to one of the key leaders on the democratic side in the house right after the barr letter came out. they said it was going to be full steam ahead with the investigative and oversight committees that the democrats control in the house. you've got five of them going after different parts of the trump story. the point here is that impeachment aside, the american people in the congress need to know in essence financially, and businesswise, who donald trump is. we still really don't know. that is key to understanding foreign influence, if any, it is key to understanding illegal contributions, perhaps. key to understanding his business and so forth. and a full pardon of donald trump will come out one way or the other. at least that's what the house leadership intends to happen.

. telling them to move. on bill barr saying everyone should rely on his press conference instead of reading the actual findings from bob mueller. and americans are actually still reading the report themselves. it has been the most popular book on amazon since it came out. that's pretty unusual for a 400-page government report. the mueller report is so exhaustive, so detailed, so studded with facts and quotes and all kinds of stories. i don't think it is possible to digest it all in a few days. and we've been reporting out different parts of it on this show so you can make up your own mind about the evidence. tonight we present to you another absolutely wild story from the mueller report that actually answers one of these recent mysteries. what was this all about? >> is president trump prepared to let the special counsel pursue his investigation? >> well, i think he's considering perhaps terminating the special counsel. i think he is weighing that option. i personally think it would be a very significant mistake. >> that was trump insider chris who runs news max, seeming to dish on t