Transcript for 'Absolutely' would make same decision to investigate Trump: Ex-FBI official McCabe

Entered the cave his new book the threat how the FBI protects America in the age of terror and trump. Takes us behind the scenes at the launch of the Mueller investigation welcome to this week are poor man's. Pattern you know what that means. And yes not the first time that have had to listen to the president say bizarre and untrue things about me sets. Unfortunate that this is getting a little bit routine. But I will say you know I don't think there's anything sadder unfortunate. About speaking truth to power and telling the story that you lived in the things he saw and heard and the reasons behind the decisions you made and that's what I'm trying to do with the book. Another man's got a reputation for speaking truth power Robert Mahler you work for him I hit it at the FBI based on what you know you heard our previous discussion. Or what should we expect from Robert Mueller head Canada and narrow by the book prosecutor reporting or someone who senses he has a broader responsibility. To the public. Yeah it's a great question George I think first and foremost what you can expect from Robert Mueller is an honest independent assessment of the work that they've done. How much detail he chooses to go into to convey to the Department of Justice is a great question I hope they lean on the detailed side. This is not a normal investigation by any evaluation. It's one that I think the department congress and the public have been in enormous interest in finding out just exactly what they. It's complicated in so many ways including the precedent the Hillary Clinton. In any investigation unit the FBI. At least all that information. About her as you heard founders Jesse James Cohen criticized for that was at the wrong decision by teams coming. You know I would absolutely agreed with director colonies approach at the time and since the that you don't have the benefit of some. Some reconsideration of those things that we did and and I think I'm pretty clear about it in the book I think that that decision was not well thought I think we underestimated. The kind of political toxicity of the environment that we were launching our conclusions into. And I think we overestimated our ability engine's ability to convince people of the great work that we didn't. And it is now precedent in and released in the entire underlying case file is now president. Is well is it one the FBI should follow in this investigation. I'm not sure that Jim's decision to announce it in July is a precedent. However I think that it is a very concerning and now recent precedent. The volume of information that the FBI turned over to congress in the wake of after the investigation is concluded. That is something that concerns me greatly at that time and I thought. You know this is a this is a practice that will be hard to step away from. You made the decision to investigate presently open investigation. In the present come to some criticisms including from Carson mark meadows he says you made a stunning image wanna put up his tweet. Breaking your word you said that uses said it was said because of suspicious behavior by the present in an intercept source reporting or the secret evidence. Congressmen are says that is an abuse of power. I'm not sure what he's referring to there. But I can tell you that the information that was in our hands at the time much of which is publicly known caused us great. Concern. Yes I asked that this was your decision correct this was the recommendation from the investigative team and it is ultimately my decision to authorize the opening of the case. And I did that because at the time the facts clearly indicated that we had an articulate will basis to believe. That a crime may have been committed. And that a threat to national security might exist we hadn't concluded that either of those two things. Had happened but we were certainly in place that we needed to investigate both siding make the same decision today absolutely. You're also planning on filing. A civil lawsuit against president trump would crest yet to see you and what he hope to get them. Well I can't talks in great detail about the lawsuit I'll certainly let the pleading speak for themselves. It'll be an action against the Department of Justice primarily and challenge challenging circumstances of my. My firing. Did of course derives from the inspector general report a report that I deeply disagree with. Report that was the result of a process that I don't think anyone has ever seen before I certainly haven't. Any excuse me. Do you think the president's fire that process. There's no doubt in my mind that the president's clear. Desired impact of that process the president is talking about removing me from months before I ever interacted with the inspector general. He made his desires perfectly clear on his own Twitter feed the inspector general delivered that result. And McCain thanks very much baggage or.

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