Chris Ruddy & Susan Glasser React to Tuesday’s Testimonies

DO YOU BELIEVE THE PRESIDENT WAS SMART IN REALTIME TWEETING AGAINST MARIE YOVANOVITCH WHEN SHE TESTIFIED ON FRIDAY?

IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A THING THAT ANY LAWYER WOULD ADVISE HIM TO DO.

AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE ALREADY KNOW WHO THIS PRESIDENT IS.

HE LIKES TO SPEAK HIS MIND.

HE'S VERY TRANSPARENT.

HE'S JUST LETTING LOOSE AND LETTING OFF STEAM AS TO WHAT HE'S SEEING.

OBVIOUSLY THERE'S LEGAL IMPLICATIONS FOR SOME OF THE THINGS HE'S SAYING.

BUT IT'S A STRATEGY THAT HE HAS HAD AND HE'S EMPLOYED AND USED SUCCESSFULLY.

I DON'T NECESSARILY AGREE WITH EVERYTHING HE DOES.

I DO THINK WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE WHOLE ISSUE HERE, ALL THESE DIPLOMATS, NSC STAFFMEMBERS LIKE VINDMAN AND OTHERS THAT WERE ON THE PHONE CALL AND VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES INVOLVING UKRAINE, NOT ONE OF THEM FILED AN OFFICIAL COMPLAINT OR WHISTLE-BLOWER COMPLAINT.

THE WHISTLE-BLOWER COMPLAINT WAS FILED BY SOMEONE WHO WAS NOT A PARTY TO ANY OF THIS.

SO NO ONE ELSE THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS SERIOUS ENOUGH TO MAKE AN OFFICIAL COMPLAINT.

COLONEL VINDMAN DID SAY TO THE WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL HE THOUGHT THE ACTION WAS NOT PROPER AND IT NEEDED TO BE REVIEWED.

NEVER CLAIMED THE PRESIDENT ENGAGED IN ANYTHING ILLEGAL.

AND EVEN IN HIS TESTIMONY TODAY HE NEVER SAID IT WAS ILLEGAL OR THAT IT WAS AN IMPEACHABLE OFFENSE.

SO I THINK VINDMAN DID, AS THE NSC --

SO SORRY, CHRIS --

BRINGING TO THE ATTENTION OF THE COUNSEL'S OFFICE.

SO HE DID GO TO HIS LEGAL COUNSEL, AND IN FACT HE WAS HAULED UP FOR PRECISELY DOING THAT, SO HE CLEARLY MUST HAVE THOUGHT SOMETHING WAS WRONG BECAUSE HE WENT TO THE LEGAL COUNSEL.

SUSAN, GIVE US A REALITY CHECK ON THAT.

I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION ALL OF THESE PEOPLE WHO HAVE TESTIFIED WENT UP THROUGH THEIR OWN CHAINS OF COMMAND.

THAT'S RIGHT, I THINK THAT IT'S A DRAMATIC THING FOR A DIRECTOR ON THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL TO REPORT THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AFTER A PHONE CALL WITH A FOREIGN LEADER, EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO HAS TESTIFIED SO FAR, AND THAT IS TILL BARREL WITH DECADES OF EXPERIENCE, MARIE YOVANOVITCH WITH DECADES OF EXPERIENCE, GEORGE KENT, ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE, JENNIFER WILLIAMS, ALEX VINDMAN -- EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM HAS TESTIFIED THEY HAD QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT THE PRESIDENT AND HIS PHONE CALL.

AND THEY REPORTED IT THROUGH CHANNELS.

IT'S VERY INTERESTING TO ME.

I'VE NEVER HEARD OF SOMEONE AT THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL IN MY DECADES OF REPORTING IN WASHINGTON, GOING TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL LAWYER TO REPORT CONCERNS ABOUT THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES IN A PHONE CALL.

THIS IS REALLY UNPRECEDENTED, UNUSUAL STUFF.

SO I THINK THAT CHARACTERIZATION IS WHY WE'RE HAVING THIS INQUIRY IN THE FIRST PLACE.