From the New York Times. I'm about this today, FBI agents text messages about President Trump have made him a punching bag for republican lawmakers So? Why did he ask to testify before them? it's Friday July. Thirteen. I remember exactly where I was when I found out about PETE struck text messages. MIKE Schmidt, covers national security for the times. I say where it was. I who I was talking to browse with this guy and I said to him: why did PETE struck the top FBI Counter intelligence age,

who oversaw the Hillary Clinton, email investigation and the investigator. Donald Trump campaigns ties to Russia, get moved off of the Mahler investigation? Why? That happened. Why would one of the most respected investigators in the bureau go off to work in HR and he said it's really a mess? He said there are these text messages in which he expressed in Anti Trump bias. Inspector general has found out about the open sea. Have you ve been watching? What's been going on with the inspector generals report Waters, this whole thing in. I knew as soon as I heard that it was going to be a game changer for the president about that How about that guy, like you did, it would fit directly,

to his narrative. There was just a little buyers, their little by the FBI, the Justice Department, Bob Mauler, the deep state rejects them and there were out to get him and these texts sent right before the election last year oh extreme political bias. Since then, it has unleashed a torrent. Have you had a chance to read this of criticism? hilarious should win a hundred million to one God. Trump is a loathsome human being peach struck Peter Dr Peter struck, the age and Peter struck gets is much year time on Fox NEWS these days as anyone else. How is Sky, with this bias ever allowed.

On mothers T create a structure to invite a long time ago, and others in has become the president's strongest argument about why this is a witch hunt good morning over a year after these text, messages were discovered by the Justice Department. Bony PETE struck finally had the chance on Thursday, to defend himself, the committees on the judiciary and oversight and gum reform will come to order without objection. The cheers Ten a m this morning. At any time d, we welcome house, judiciary and oversight committees to committees and hold a joint. When hearing read its signature to question stride struck you maybe yet

chairman good latin gouty. Raking members now learn Cummings. Thank you for the opportunity to testify before your committees. Again this time in an open hearing. I testified today with significant regret, recognising that my tax have created confusion and cause pain for people I love certain private messages of mine provided ammunition from misguided attacks against the FBI, and situation that I love deeply and have served probably for over twenty years off, the bands struck sprout addresses the text messages. Like many people, I had an express personal political, pinions. During an extraordinary presidential election, many contained expressions of concern for the security of our country. Opinions that we're not always express in terms I'm proud of he says, look I, like many Americans, had political views.

Now what was going on during this extraordinary election? I said bad things about Donald Trump by said bad things about Hillary Clinton. I said bad things about Bernie Sanders at times by criticism was bought, but, despite all has been characterized, it was not limited to one person or to one part of the problem for struck is that the text messages are very, very damning, senator there's one that comes out during the election in which One of his coworkers says to him and on trumped, never gonna become president right and he says no. No, he won't will stop at personal opinions in for the any top

guy, overseeing the Trump investigation. That's pretty good example of bias fence in the perception of that is devastating to the FBI, but struck is adamant not once in my twenty six years of defending our nation. Did my personal opinions impact any official action I took. This is true for the Clinton email investigation for the investigation. And russian interference and for every other investigation, I've worked on. It is not who I am, and it is not something I would ever do period in then he goes further

I understand we're living in a political error in which insults and insinuation often try out honesty and integrity, but the honest truth is that russian Interference and our elections constitutes a grave attack on our democracy. Most disturbingly it has been wildly successful, sewing discord and our nation and shaking faith in our institutions, and he really hit the gas on defending himself. All he says this today's! What's going on in front of him, this hearing, where republicans are attacking him and by extension, attacking the FBI and the Miller investigation is just another victory notch imprudence belt and another milestone in our enemies. Campaign to tear America part

As someone who loves this country in cherishes its ideals is profoundly painful to watch and even worse, to play a part in. Mr chairman, I welcome your questions. We will now proceed under the five main rule with questions. I will begin by recognising the chairman of the oversight and number of committee before twenty mister. Let me Sherman. They just struck the FBI investigation into potential Russia of collusion worth the trunk campaign began or July thirty. First, twenty sixteen right from the minute the Republicans have the chance to go after Stroppy do between July thirty. First in August eight, how many interviews that you can docked related to the other collusion between Russia and the trunk get back, leading the charge risk of it with trade gouty potential, the outspoken South Carolina congressmen, who's the head of the Oversight Committee

August, the eight when you're talkin about stopping and how terrifying it would be for him to win and how you can protect the country and no interviews have been done before you're talking about impeachment of the press, Maybe no water about Mauler kicked you off of the investigation struck. My question is: if you were kicked off when you read the text, should you ve been kicked off when you wrote him not all? Well, it wasn't the discovery of your text. Mr struck. It was the existence of your bias. They got you kicked off. Nervous about it wasn't. I do not have bias my personal opinions in no way. What, then, why do you care arm why you get kicked off? Mr Gouty, understanding why was kicked off with the basic sounding of those texts in the perception that they might

one hundred hours today, dollar Rock hang Otis like strand Who is obviously had a lot of time to prepare for us almost had an answer ready for them. So I think it's important when you look at those texts that you understand the context in which there are made and the things there going on across Amerika. He honed in on one of the more controversial things that happened in the campaign. President trumps attack on a gold star fan family then had lost their son in a rag. You need to understand that that was written late at night off the cuff, and it was in response to a series of events that included then candidate trump. Insulting the immigrant family of a fallen war hero and my presumption based on that horrible disgusting behaviour. The theme

can population would not elect somebody demonstrating that behaviour to be present in the United States. It was in no way unequivocally any suggestion that me, FBI would take any action whatsoever to improperly impact the electoral process for any candidate. So I take great offence and I take great Disagreement to your assertion of what that was or wasn't much trucks argument seem to basically being in many moments of his testimony everybody had strong views about the people in this presidential campaign. And they went home and that they talked about them and he compares his behaviour to anybody, just vibrant talking about a campaign and having views on it, but he's not every other American. He is a senior FBI. Agents involved in a highly sensitive investigations were struck, takes

back to twenty sixteen before the election says. Look. I had very damaging information on the president. I could I've gotten that information out there I could have leaked, did and really undermined his campaign, and I did not do this text. I can assure you, Mr Chairman, at no time in any of these texts did those personal beliefs ever enter into the realm of any action. I took further more. This isn't just me sitting here telling you you don't have to take my word for it at every step at every investigative decision. There are multiple layers of people above me, and then he says, even if seventy I had these buyer seized it got in the way of my work. So much oversight and the FBI such a large institution, Did I would not have been able to get away with it that if he had tried to hit the gas too hard and go beyond what the facts were

The bureau would have constrained him in this, would that I aside, some dark chamber somewhere in the FBI, would somehow cast aside all of these procedures. All of these safeguards and somehow be able to do. This is astounding to me it simply couldn't happen opposite to basically seems to be saying if you think it's easy to try to hurt a candidate to act on your. Then you don't really understand how the FBI works. Correct. You don't understand the checks that are in the bureau. That would stop a robe agents from acting on their political feelings. Revised proposition that that is going on, that it might occur anywhere in the FBI, deeply corrodes. What the FBI is an american society, the effectiveness of their mission, and it is deeply destructive

Mr Chairman. I have emotion, overrule Levin motion and what about the democratic members of this committee? What are their questions for stock and how are they thinking about this hearing? Mr struck, you all before this committee for one right in to serve as a monumental distraction dear trying to defend Mahler their train defend the F B. I knew Frank. You show that dear is nothing to the message. Is this investigation is a joke that structure biases did not interfere. It is a three wing circus. They see it struck as their efforts to push back on the republican criticism. That is their most important thing. It is not even meritorious of an investigation by s been Torah detective, let alone seventy five members of the United States Congress. Not only did they try, indeed struck,

then the smaller and to defend what they see as the sanctity of the Mahler investigation. Also, as you know, the Council of the FBI, based on the special councils equities, have directed me not to answer any questions about the ongoing investigation into Russian. Attempts to hand it over to the young gentleman. Was this ban and the clock will suspend MR struck, you are under Sabena and are required to answer the question: are you objecting to the question? If so, Please state, your objectives, the chairman. I object to the gentlemen. It does not have standing issue a verdict. There is no into order. No point of order. I hear that the point of order it could be used parliamentary procedure is another measure, is to try and stop the Republicans from forcing struck to answer certain questions. Point of order. Mr german question is directed through the wedding, and I have a point of order before he answers the quoted. A point of order is not well

egg and until you know at the point of order, is you can say now I'll take a point of order. The witness will answer the question. The chairman I have, I raised my point of order and I insist on it so they're using a lot of legislative tools wherever they can authorities to try to keep Republicans from prying too deeply industry correct. The problem is the Democrats are in the minority. The Republicans may go ahead and hold struck in contempt for not answering these questions billion joint pheasant exile, badgering of the witness. Could he be allowed now to answer, as you promised, Mr Chairman, gentlemen, will suspend so it was, sort of four ugly, if not trial near you and you're gonna, give him an opportunity at the end? that opportunity back and forth between the Democrats and the Republicans about whether struck had to answer certain things whether he can consult is low

or whether he could consulting FBI lawyer. Who is doing what and regular order was obtained? Are you gonna just pontificate for nonstop general line of commissioners rugged yours at the end of the day was just a lot more noise from House, It is that have not shown themselves to conduct thwarted by partisan investigation into what has gone on. So then, why do you think that struck knowing, as he must have but this hearing was gonna be like. Why do you think you they wanted to do this? Why subject himself to this? Well, he's already had his credibility damage severely by these text messages. And he hasn't had an opportunity to really defend himself in this was that for not opportunity. I mean he would have gone on Fox NEWS a few months ago, if his lawyer and the FBI had let her. I think most people would want to do that. If you were criticised in the press harshly for six months in your face, was plaster on Fox NEWS,

every night you would want to go out there and say hey look. Let me tell my side of the story. What was interesting to me was how forceful he was in pushing back, and I am particularly proud of the work that I and many others did on the Clinton email investigation are charged with investigating competently honestly and in depth. ITALY, and that's exactly what happened. It turned into one of the more forceful defenses of the bureau that we have seen in the past year. I am also proud of our work on the russian interference. Invest the Asian. This is an investigation into a direct attack by a foreign adversary. The thing is is that in the course of all of this attacks from the president and against the FBI has been a bit muted in their push back, there hasn't really been a strong forceful

push back. Who says? Look guys all these criticism is nonsense in you guys know this. In the summer of two thousand, sixteen we had an urgent need to protect the integrity of an american presidential election from a hostile foreign power determined to weaken and divide the United States of America. This investigation is not politically motivated. It is not a witch hunt, it is not a hoax. Yet it's really interesting that this is the most forceful defence of the yeah I from somebody who seems so compromised who wrote these seemingly biased text that you wrote. It doesn't seem like an ideal figure to defend the agency right now. Well, that's the thing that the FBI has struck What, with their coming out of the coma air, were coming on to trouble for speaking too much publicly? The other thing is: is that these folks work in the executive branch, the F b I director works for the president to foster when the Justice Department were formed to end

I think the reticent to really come out and push back on the present truly as aggressively as struck did, do you think it FBI, agents watching this would have been heartened by what they saw? Was it a proud woman? I think they have very conflicting views have struck. I think they look at those text message and say, look how stupid these are and how many problems they have created for the bureau and how much they have hurt the bureau's credibility on the Her hand struck today was the best spokesmen, the FBI, his head out there in Bonn. Surly Polly since call me was the director and issue he's out there after causing all these problems that the bureau he's defending it away. We haven't seen saying: look I have such pride in the work than I do and what the bureau does and here's why we really incredibly difficult position and did nothing wrong but you think if they haven't been willing enough to look

how their own personal actions, their own judgments and decisions lead to this situation and to all of the scepticism of the FBI in many ways, once you're explaining you're losing in these guys spend a lot of time explaining why they did what they did, but at the same time, what they would say is that we do not understand how difficult the situation day were in and how bad the choices word that they had and they want to explain why they took the actions they had. But I bet that Peter struck really wishes that he hadn't Sunda text. I'm sure he would give anything to be back at the top agent working for Bob Mauler right now.

Thank you very much. Thanks for em, all the way back between two or cancellations asked creative, gags and shrinking out revenue. The covered nineteen crisis is making it clear that the system supporting creative people is broken. Patriarch offers a better way. We help creators make up lost revenue and build a more sustainable income source by offering a monthly membership to their fans. In turn, fans get access to exclusive community premium contents and the chance to become active participants in the work they love checks. Patriarch dot com now and help change the way art is valued here's? What else you need to know today, on Thursday, company ministration said it had technically complied with.

Federal judges order to reunite separated migrant children under the age of five with their parents. So far, The administration has returned fifty seven out of them. Hundred three young children and said that the remaining forty six are ineligible because houses about their safety or because parents, have already been deported under the same judges order of foreign A large number of older migrant children, numbering in the thousands must be reunited with their families by July, twenty, sixth and I believe, a NATO. I think that is very important and probably the greatest ever done, but the United States was four anywhere from Seventy two, ninety percent of it, depending on the way you calculate that's, not fair to the United States, do a new conference at the end of the NATO summit in Brussels. President Trump reaffirmed its support for the alliance after D

of scolding. Its members for failing to spend enough on their militaries and said Testing that the? U S might leave the organization. Stand your message, but some people ask themselves: will you be tweeting differently life you board air force? One think No that's other people do that. I don't I'm very consistent. I may stable genius The daily is produced by feel welcome, Lindsey, Garrison, Rachel question. Any brown Andy I X, Colorado, Clare, tennis, Getter page Cowan Michael Simon, Johnson and Jessica, with editing help from the recent Anderson. Lisa Tobin is our executive producer Samantha. Is our editorial director. Our technical manager is Brad Fisher our engineer is Chris Wood and our theme, music, is by

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