Rep Jim Jordan lied from beginning to end about Robert Mueller's special counsel report as well as William Barr's bogus spying references that he made during his interview with ABC's This Week, but George Stephanopoulis was there to reel him in and show him as a liar.
Jordan, who is whining about the source material, length and cost of Mueller's very important investigation is still salivating to keep investigating Hillary Clinton while spinning Mueller's devastating conclusions away from the Obstructor-in-Chief.
Back in 2017, Jordan claimed that Robert Mueller had compromised himself because he refused to indict Clinton over the phony Uranium One story that was bought-and-paid-for conspiracy theory opposition research from Steve Bannon shill Peter Schweizer, something he brings up in this interview too.
Jordan actually demanded that then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions appoint another special counsel to investigate the sale.
Jordan went on a well-rehearsed rant about how the FBI was spying on Trump because of unauthorized surveillance, when Stephanopoulos jumped in.
"Meantime, we've also heard from Robert Mueller," Stephanopoulis said. "He laid out four incidents in the obstruction of justice section of the report that met all three criteria for obstruction of justice -- an obstructive act, connection to an investigation, corrupt intent. Does that concern you?"
Instead of addressing these four incidents, Jordan tried to gaslight his interviewer.
"Look, Bob Mueller had 22 months, $30 million, 19 lawyers, 40 FBI agents, 500 witnesses, 2,800 subpoenas," (and a partridge in a pear tree), Jordan replied. "If he could have established obstruction, he would have done it."
"He couldn't do it, that wasn't his finding, regardless of what the Office of Legal Counsel told him at the -- at the Department of Justice what they can do with a sitting president or not, if he could have established obstruction of justice, he would have done it. He didn't do it. Bill Barr said that, that there wasn't obstruction of justice, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said the same darn thing," Jordan filibustered.
This is a bald-faced lie and Jordan knows it. So does Stephanopoulis. Robert Mueller laid out eleven instances where Trump was guilty of obstruction of justice but said he was unable to bring charges against a sitting president because the OLC opinion was established DOJ policy, and instead refused to say he was innocent.
That is a far cry from what the congressman from Ohio said.
Stephanopoulos corrected him immediately. "Well that’s not what Robert Mueller said, though, and he laid out the evidence. Are you going to -- are you concerned enough to take a look at the evidence?"
Jordan said he read the report but is more interested in investigating the investigators than holding Trump accountable for his actions, while repeating all the talking points.
Jordan then had a bit of a slip of the tongue, where it almost seemed that he admitted there was obstruction but hey -- COLLUSION.
"I think the one question most Americans want to know, when did you first learn there was no obstruction -- or excuse me, no collusion? The -- the central charge of Bob Mueller -- the central task was to find if there was any collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia -- "
And there was GSteph on it yet again, reminding Jordan of actual facts.
"Actually, he says he didn't look at collusion," George corrected. "That’s not what he said. When he spoke in his report, it says very clearly he didn't examine that question. What he did say is that he could not establish a conspiracy between the Trump -- Trump campaign and Russia."
That's how these interviews have to be conducted. Every lie called out, every weasel word debunked. This video is a terrific exercise in how to hold liars' feet to the fire until they scream "Uncle!."
