MSNBC host and notorious hate-monger, Joy Reid was excited Sunday morning, during AM Joy, as reporter Mike Viqueira came on with “breaking news”. Special Counsel Robert Mueller was spotted leaving church. “This is, you know, what some people would characterize as an ambush interview of a man coming out of Easter services at a church,” he admitted. “Some passersby weren't happy that we were doing that.”
Viqueira seemed so excited that he struggled to the Mueller’s title right: “Hi, Joy. Yes, so the -- Bob Mueller, the director – the former director of the FBI, of course, the special prosecutor – special counsel attended church services just across Lafayette Park here at St. John's Episcopal Church.”
“We knew that he was going to be he's been there. He’s been there in the past so we waited for him,” he bragged. “Easter services, tried to be as respectful as possible. He came out the side door of the church. I did have a couple of prepared questions to ask him.”
In the video, Viqueira and an apparent TMZ reporter could be heard flinging a barrage of questions at Mueller as he was trying to get into his car:
VIQUEIRA: Sir, could I ask you a couple of questions? Will you testify before Congress, sir?
ROBERT MUELLER: I have no comment.
VIQUEIRA: Are you sure about that, sir?
MUELLER: No comment.
VIQUEIRA: If he were anybody but the president would Mr. Trump be indicted, sir?
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Now that you've finished the Mueller Report, what do you have next, Mueller?
VIQUEIRA: Sir, why didn't you make a recommendation to Congress one way or the other, sir?
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Are you going on vacation at least somewhere?
VIQUEIRA: Did the Attorney General accurately characterize your positions on conspiracy and obstruction, sir?
“I think it's accurate to characterize Director Mueller today as being tight-lipped in response to my questions,” he and Reid laughed. He further justified his ambush tactic by arguing, “Nevertheless, you know, this is history in the making.”
Reid then used the Mueller’s refusal to answer the ambush questions as a possible sign that he wouldn’t answer questions from Congress: “is that what we could expect even if he goes before Congress, him refusing to really be very open about what he's done in this report?” Viqueira refuted that description.
The MSNBC reporter also claimed that this was “the first time we've seen Bob Mueller on tape in many, many months.” But that was false. Shortly before the conclusion of the special counsel investigation roughly a month ago, ABC News was getting excited because they spotted him driving into work.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
MSNBC’s AM Joy
April 21, 2019
10:32:45 a.m. EasternJOY REID: Some breaking news for you this morning. Special Counsel Robert Mueller was just spotted this morning coming out of church by our very own NBC's Mike Viqueira, who joins me now. Mike?
MIKE VIQUEIRA: Hi, Joy. Yes, so the -- Bob Mueller, the director – the former director of the FBI, of course, the special prosecutor – special counsel attended church services just across Lafayette Park here at St. John's Episcopal Church. Of course, that is known as the church of the President. President Trump and Melania Trump were there just recently.
We knew that he was going to be he's been there. He’s been there in the past so we waited for him. Easter services, tried to be as respectful as possible. He came out the side door of the church. I did have a couple of prepared questions to ask him. Let's just roll the tape.
[Cuts to video]
Sir, could I ask you a couple of questions? Will you testify before Congress, sir?
ROBERT MUELLER: I have no comment.
VIQUEIRA: Are you sure about that, sir?
MUELLER: No comment.
VIQUEIRA: If he were anybody but the president would Mr. Trump be indicted, sir?
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Now that you've finished the Mueller Report, what do you have next, Mueller?
VIQUEIRA: Sir, why didn't you make a recommendation to Congress one way or the other, sir?
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Are you going on vacation at least somewhere?
VIQUEIRA: Did the Attorney General accurately characterize your positions on conspiracy and obstruction, sir?
[Cuts back to live]
I think it's accurate to characterize Director Mueller today as being tight-lipped in response to my questions, Joy.
[Laughter]
REID: Yes.
VIQUEIRA: Nevertheless, you know, this is history in the making. It's an opportunity to ask him questions. Obviously, he's reticent. He's never been one to really hold forth in a situation like that before the press. I've had the opportunity to stake him out when he was FBI director on Capitol Hill. Basically, the same kind of encounter.
Of course, the Congress has asked him to testify by May 23. The Attorney General, Bill Barr, his nominal boss in this situation has said he doesn't have a problem with it. So, I think we can probably expect that to happen unless Mr. Mueller has objections and that's why I asked him that first question. But nevertheless, the first time we've seen Bob Mueller on tape in many, many months.
REID: First of all, great questions, Mike. Very good questions that you were asking him because that is exactly what I think the American people want to know. Really quickly, as you've said, you've covered him before. Is he, in the past, has he been the type of person to be a little bit more forthcoming eventually about his investigations or what we saw just now, is that what we could expect even if he goes before Congress, him refusing to really be very open about what he's done in this report?
VIQUEIRA: Well, I think it's important to make a distinction. This is, you know, what some people would characterize as an ambush interview of a man coming out of Easter services at a church.
REID: Fair.
VIQUEIRA: Some passerby weren't happy that we were doing that. I mean, in a formal setting, on a constitutional setting testifying before Congress. Obviously, this is an individual, a ramrod straight ex-marine decorated for valor in combat. An individual straight up and down kind of guy, a straight arrow. That's been the characterization that we've heard about Bob Mueller for years including over the past 22 months. When he gets before congress, what he's going to be compelled to say and more importantly what he's going to feel obligated to say as a constitutional officer, that's an open question. I do think he would probably be a little bit more forthcoming in that setting.
REID: Absolutely. Mike Viqueira, the MVP this morning. Thank you very much.
