Princeton University professor and MSNBC contributor Eddie Glaude appeared to complain during Thursday’s Hardball that, along with new demands from Republican congressmen for documents from the Clinton e-mail investigation, the FBI Inspector General’s criminal referral concerning former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe was part of an “assault” on Robert Mueller’s investigation.
“[I]s this obstruction again? Is this what the Republicans are doing? Just trying to delay, distract, waste time...so that they can confuse the thing...I don't think they're going to stop Mueller. I think they're going to incite him to be more — more militant in his investigation. But what are the Republicans up to,” host Chris Matthews wondered.
The liberal professor agreed and lumped in requests by Republican Congressman Jim Jordan (Ohio) and Mark Meadows (N.C.) with an action by an Obama-appointed IG as part of a broader plot to take down the Trump-Russia investigation:
I mean, when Mark Meadows and Jim Jordan pressure Rosenstein in the way they do — in the way they’re trying to do, it seems to suggest there's a kind of pinch that's being — that’s being orchestrated. There's the attack — the orchestrated attack on Comey, the I.G. referral for criminal investigation of McCabe. It seems that there's this all-out effort, this assault on — on — on — on the investigation to slow things up, gum it up as much as possible and, to my mind, it's obstruction.
Smart try, Professor, but that’s some serious spin to link the two together with the McCabe case having thoroughly been investigated with now-public findings that he was less than truthful in recalling interactions with fellow agents and a Wall Street Journal reporter.
In a brief aside, he also mentioned Rudy Giuliani in light of his decision to join the President’s legal team and the appearance prior to the 2016 election that Giuliani may have had prior knowledge of the FBI’s decision to reopen the Clinton e-mail investigation.
“So it seems to me that this — this is all confusing and consistent with the idea that Trump is trying to divert attention and two things. It also shows that this is not a one man show,” Glaude concluded.
To see the relevant transcript from MSNBC’s Hardball on April 19, click “expand.”
MSNBC’s Hardball
April 19, 2018
7:09 p.m. EasternCHRIS MATTHEWS: Professor Glaude, is this obstruction again? Is this what the Republicans are doing? Just trying to delay, distract, waste time of the prosecutors — the investigators so that they can confuse the thing? And apparently — I don't think they're going to stop Mueller. I think they're going to incite him to be more — more militant in his investigation. But what are the Republicans up to?
EDDIE GLAUDE: It seems like it. I mean, when Mark Meadows and Jim Jordan pressure Rosenstein in the way they do — in the way they’re trying to do, it seems to suggest there's a kind of pinch that's being — that’s being orchestrated. There's the attack — the orchestrated attack on Comey, the I.G. referral for criminal investigation of McCabe. It seems that there's this all-out effort, this assault on — on — on — on the investigation to slow things up, gum it up as much as possible and, to my mind, it's obstruction. And I also was just thinking about Giuliani. I remember the October surprise, Remember he was hinting that there was something that the campaign was about to release and it happened to be those e-mails, I think? So it seems to me that this — this is all confusing and consistent with the idea that Trump is trying to divert attention and two things. It also shows that this is not a one man show.
MATTHEWS: Well, let’s go back on that because a lot of our viewers — Professor, let's get back to that. That’s a hot issue with a lot of our viewers.
GLAUDE: Sure.
MATTHEWS: I know it was. Sometime, it was 11 days before the 2016 presidential election that Comey came out and said Hillary Clinton is under investigation again because of Anthony Weiner's laptop or whatever that he shared with his wife, Huma Abedin, may had stuff that was classified and shouldn't have there, so that launched a very bad 11 days for Hillary Clinton. Rudy Giuliani, as you accurately point out gave us an advance look at that. Why would Rudy know that Comey was going to release that announcement about Hillary Clinton at such a critical moment in the campaign that many believe, including me, believe turned the election result in that last week and a half.
GLAUDE: There was some reporting at the time that Rudy Giuliani had some connections with agents — FBI agents in the New York office —
MATTHEWS: Did he push it?
GLAUDE: — that alerted him to this fact.
MATTHEWS: Did he push it?
GLAUDE: And it seemed, to me, he pushed. Yes. It seemed to me. That's what I believe.
