[Unidentified Male:] Because it's not whether you win or lose, it's whether you win.
[Unidentified Female:] Yes!
[Anderson Cooper, Cnn Host, Anderson Cooper 360:] Yes! That voiceover just makes me want to play Trump: The Game. I love the game. Me and I mean I remember so many days, me and Whiff and Scoozer, J. Bob sitting on in the dorm room at Yale, just pounding American wine, gnawing on steak, just winning, not losing, just winning. See out, let's play friends on Corkette but the best wine win, at least on The Ridiculist. And that's it for us. Want to hand it over, the news continues, to Chris, for CUOMO PRIME TIME. Chris?
[Chris Cuomo, Cnn Host, Cuomo Prime Time:] I got to tell you, Coop. I think I see the President's point on this one. Look at this American wine bottle that I found online.
[Cooper:] See? It's freedom, I told you.
[Cuomo:] He only need to look at it to know that it is better than French wine.
[Cooper: I-- Cuomo:] Because you're not going to find a French wine- -with this label.
[Cooper:] I love it. I yes, yes. I think he was funny, I like that.
[Cuomo:] I don't even drink wine, but I prefer it.
[Cooper:] I was-
[Cuomo:] I like the way it looks.
[Cooper:] And he said it with knowing it was kind of funny that he was saying it. I give him props on that one.
[Cuomo:] Got to remember, it's not whether you win or lose, it's whether you win.
[Cooper:] Win, yes, thank you. The game, Trump: The Game.
[Cuomo:] Have a good weekend, my friend.
[Cooper:] OK.
[Cuomo:] I am Chris Cuomo. Welcome to PRIME TIME on a Friday night. An impeachment inquiry already in effect, underway, according to the House Judiciary Chair. Did you know that? Did you know that it's happening? But when did they announce? What actually changed? What is going on here? If a major step has been taken toward impeachment, why don't they come out and say it? We're going to ask a Member of the Judiciary tonight. We also have a lawmaker on the all-powerful Tax Committee here as Democrats step up their fight for the President's finances. His panel is now trolling Trump with proof that Nixon was more law-abiding to Congress than he. And 2020 Democrats are taking their fight to one of the nation's most crucial voting blocs, four days out from the CNN debates. A Great Debate on who's winning, who's losing with African-American voters. Happy Friday, grab a beverage, let's get after it.
[Text:] CUOMO PRIME TIME.
[Cuomo:] All right, what's the latest tally on impeachment? 101 House Democrats say yes, impeachment inquiry. But I don't know why I'm counting anymore because it seems that the Judiciary Chair said "No reason to count. I got a secret for you."
[Manu Raju, Cnn Senior Congressional Correspondent:] You're saying there's no difference between what you're doing now and an impeachment inquiry, correct?
[Rep. Jerrold Nadler:] In effect.
[Cuomo:] Manu Raju, spot-on. "In effect," they are already having an impeachment inquiry. Really? That was Jerry Nadler, obviously. His Committee would be the right home for it. But here's where it gets a little bit more complicated. In court today, here's what they said. "Articles of impeachment are under consideration." They're suing for Mueller's underlying evidence. The Grand Jury testimony usually stays secret. You need a compelling interest for it. So, how's the President handling all of this? Taking it in stride, he says it's not a big deal, we should get on with bigger issues? Ha ha, listen.
[Donald J. Trump, President Of The United States:] We want to find out what happened with the last Democrat President. Let's look into Obama the way they've looked at me. From day one, they've looked into everything that we've done. They could look into the book deal that President Obama made. Let's subpoena all of his records.
[Cuomo:] Two quick points. One, if you want to argue that what was done to you was wrong and overreaching, why would you argue doing the same to someone else? That's a point of hypocrisy. Two, you are the man, Mr. President, who started the birther campaign against President Obama. We have never seen a more wrongful or pernicious attack in the name of investigating a Presidential candidate, let alone a sitting President. So, let's discuss what matters in this moment, Judiciary and Intel Committee Member, Val Demings.
[Text:] ONE ON ONE.
[Cuomo:] Made some big headlines, and deservedly so, with some of the answers that she elicited from Robert Mueller. Good to have you on PRIME TIME, Congresswoman, welcome.
[Rep. Val Demings:] Chris, it's great to be here. Thank you for having me.
[Cuomo:] All right, so help me understand. Is there an impeachment inquiry ongoing? And if so, why were you guys entertaining all of this pushing about when you're going to start it?
[Demings:] Well that's a fair question, Chris. Look, I believe the Chairman used the term impeachment investigation. We are trying to get the underlying evidence to support filing articles of impeachment, just like you would in any criminal investigation, right?
[Cuomo:] Yes. And that is the job.
[Demings:] You could, yes-
[Cuomo:] That is the job for the House.
[Demings:] -you could you could right, you could you could know who the, let's say, the suspect is. But if that person committed a murder, you want to also recover that weapon, even if you had the supporting testimony. We need all of the evidence to support filing articles of of impeachment. And so-
[Cuomo:] A 100 percent.
[Demings:] Yes. And so, Chairman Nadler, and you heard also what-
[Cuomo:] Right.
[Demings:] -Speaker Pelosi had to say today. We're going to do this. We're going to do it right. And I tell you what, looking at the numbers of our Members, although the decision to file articles of impeachment rests solely with the Judiciary Committee, you've seen more Members from the House-
[Cuomo:] Right.
[Demings:] -Democratic Members at least have come out in favor. I think we're exactly where we hope to be at this point.
[Cuomo:] I hear it. Look, and I'm not a Gotcha Guy. But I'm just saying that your advantage here or what you want as a perceived advantage is being straight with the American people because the argument that you guys are saying you can make is that the President wasn't straight with the American people. That's why I'm coming at this because you got Pelosi saying, "Hey look, we're going to do this the right way, and we'll go into impeachment mode exactly when we have to, not one day sooner," and then you have Nadler saying, "We're already in it in an impeachment inquiry." You know, look, as we've seen in the two previous impeachments, I don't need to tell you this, you're a student of the game, with Nixon and Clinton, you had the House vote to start the inquiry, then you went into the Committee in the Judiciary, and you worked up the investigation to see if you could bring charges, articles of impeachment.
[Demings:] Yes.
[Cuomo:] Are you just trying to avoid-
[Demings:] Yes, yes.
[Cuomo:] -that vote here because it would be a tough whip at this point?
[Demings:] No. In the past, the House vote did move forward. But understand, Chris, that the House vote is not necessary to begin to file-
[Cuomo:] No, it's not necessary.
[Demings:] -articles of impeachment.
[Cuomo:] You're 100 percent right.
[Demings:] Yes. Yes. And so, let's let's look at what we do have. We had the man, Special Counsel Robert Mueller come in and confirm really what I already knew, and everyone who had read the report, but we do know the American people are just too busy to sit down, and read a 488 page. He said Russia interfered with our election in a sweeping and systematic way. The President knew it. The President welcomed it. The President or his campaign leaders coordinated with Russia with polling data and other things that the President engaged in numerous incidences of obstruction of justice, and the Special Counsel could not clear the President of wrongdoing.
[Cuomo:] Right. But on the Intelligence side, Russian interference is a no-brainer for everybody but the President, and he's only denying it for political purposes. But there was no criminal activity, no criminal coordination, no criminal conspiracy. That's what they mean when they say collusion, although that's not a legal term. I would argue there was collusion as a behavior. There was sneaky behavior. And they knew it was sneaky. That's why they lied about it, but not a crime. On the obstruction side, you get a complicated game. And I think that's why, Congresswoman, you have the poll numbers that you do where you don't have 50 percent of this country saying "Impeach," because it seems muddy. And if it's not going to be a clear and convincing situation, then why not just hash it out in an election?
[Demings:] Well, and Chris, remember, when articles of impeachment were filed against President Nixon, only 19 percent of the American people-
[Cuomo:] Fair point.
[Demings:] -were in favor.
[Cuomo:] Fair point.
[Demings:] We have a job to do. And look, I didn't come to Congress. I've been a Police Chief, 27 years law enforcement. I didn't come to Congress to not take care of my responsibility. We have a direct responsibility to show the American people that nobody, nobody is above the law, up to and including the President of the United States.
[Cuomo:] A 100 percent understood.
[Demings:] This is not a popularity game. This is not a popularity game. This is about us doing our job.
[Cuomo:] I understand.
[Demings:] Which we intend to do.
[Cuomo:] I I totally get that. One fair point of pushback. With Nixon, you didn't have the preceding year and a half plus of coverage in the Mueller probe that people were getting read into and understanding and all the reporting. You know, that only happened with the public hearings, so they only got that first exposure to it, and that's why you saw such a jump in public opinion because they learned a lot of things, and they also had an actual felony. They had smoking gun tapes in that. It was different in terms of what we're dealing with now. So-
[Demings:] I I don't know. I mean I hear what you're saying about the timeline on that. But and I know you're familiar with the Mueller report. If you read it, the President engaged in multiple instances of obstruction of justice. And so, just like you've seen Members of the House move in the, what I believe, certainly is the right column being in favor, I do believe that as the American people continue to digest the testimony yesterday, find out more and more about the report, hear from Attorney McGahn because we're going to subpoena and require him to come-
[Cuomo:] If he comes.
[Demings:] -and testify before us.
[Cuomo:] And if he's forthcoming.
[Demings:] Well and and see the underlying evidence, I believe more of the American people will be with us as well.
[Cuomo:] Look, maybe so. I'm just saying I still think the currency is being straightforward. And even something like this seems a little bit of a dance, and the American people are so sensitive to subterfuge right now, the straighter you are, I think the better it is no matter what you guys do. But Congresswoman Val Demings, you're a straight-shooter by coming on this show. I appreciate it, and welcome you back.
[Demings:] Thank you. Have me back.
[Cuomo:] Be well. All right, so impeach, don't impeach. If they don't impeach, there's another way to get the President out of Office, you know. It's called an election. The 2020 candidates are honing in now on really a key voting bloc for Democrats, specifically, African- Americans. We have numbers that show worries, certainly for this President, and also some interesting indications in-party, you're going to want to see it, next.
[Text:] CUOMO PRIME TIME.