President Trump Donald TrumpTrump lashes out after grand jury seated for New York criminal probe Schumer tees up vote on Jan. 6 commission bill Senators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission MORE covered a range of topics in an extensive Oval Office interview on Tuesday with Hill.TV’s John Solomon and Buck Sexton. Here is the extended conversation, which took place late Tuesday afternoon following the president’s press conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda. The Hill has removed brief segments where the president went off the record or made personal observations unrelated to the interview. ON DECLASSIFYING DOCUMENTS AND THE RUSSIA PROBE Buck Sexton: Have you reviewed the memos yourself? What do you expect them to show, if so? President Trump: I have not reviewed them. I have been asked by many people in Congress as you know to release them. I have watched commentators that I respect begging the president of the United States to release them. We’re sitting with one right here, we’re sitting with two, you’re right. More than once. And I have had many people ask me to release them. Not that I didn’t like the idea, but I wanted to wait. I wanted to see what, you know, where it was all going. And I think this whole, it’s a hoax. You know Gregg Jarrett wrote a book called the Russian Hoax. It actually is a hoax. I call it a witch hunt, but it’s a hoax. Beyond a witch hunt. ON FBI EMPLOYEES PETER STRZOK AND LISA PAGE President Trump: When you see the two lovers and you see their most recent texts come out. It is very, very sad for our country to look at that. When you see him talking about the leaks and then say, ‘No we were trying to stop leaks in the FBI,’ OK. That didn’t work out because the following day others came out. But when you see the one about ‘We have to get this while Andy is still there.’ In other words, Comey was a bad guy. He gets fired. They only have Andy left because they know they’re doing wrong. So, we have to get this while, Andy’s, you know the one I’m talking about John. John Solomon: Yes absolutely, it came out this week. President Trump: I thought that was terrible. And maybe I thought. And maybe it didn’t pertain to me as much, but the one where he said, ‘Great going Page, the story just hit’ something to that effect. You’ll quote it accurately, you know. But, and the other one I guess, Strzok, said ‘great going.’ And then he goes, ‘now I can go and essentially investigate them.’ In other words, he’ll go up to a door of some person and say, yeah pretext. And say, ‘hey this story just appeared, what’s going on.’ I mean, number one, how illegal is it. But number two, how low is it? And he’s congratulating her just the way a lover would congratulate another. ‘Way to go Page,’ you know. The whole thing, and I thought that was disgraceful. I thought it was disgraceful and when you look at it, it all goes back to the insurance policy. One of the earlier ones because they thought [Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonHillary Clinton takes on conspiracy theories on Borat special Top general: Russia, China will look to expand influence in Middle East as US pulls back We have a chance to halt climate change if we stop destroying carbon sinks and cut methane MORE] was going to win, but just in case she didn’t win, we’re going to have an insurance policy, and what we have now is an insurance policy. But it’s been totally discredited. Even Democrats agree, that it’s been discredited. They are not going to admit that, but it’s been totally discredited. And I think frankly more so by text than by documents. I think the texts, not only theirs, many others. So honestly Buck, I have been asked by so many people that I respect, please — the great Lou Dobbs, the great Sean Hannity, the wonderful, great Jeanine Pirro. (laughs) No, she takes it so personally. And that’s not, let’s say they like me. But this is beyond liking me. They know that this is one of the great scandals in the history of our country. Because basically what they did, is they used Carter Page who nobody even knew, who I feel very badly for, I think he has been treated very badly. They used Carter Page as a foil in order to surveil a candidate for the presidency of the United States. And if you think about it, I’ve been under investigation, even though they say I’m not under investigation and I’m not a target. You do know I’m not a target and I’m not under investigation. But, this has been going on from seven months prior to the election. And then you had, the appointment of Mueller, who’s highly conflicted. Highly conflicted. ON THE EXISTENCE OF THE DEEP STATE Buck Sexton: Mr. President, would you call this a deep state? People use that term. President Trump: I don’t like to use it because it sounds so conspiratorial and believe it or not I’m really not a conspiratorial person. But I think it’s a sad day for our country. ON ADDRESSING CONCERNS ABOUT FBI/DOJ CONDUCT IN RUSSIA PROBE President Trump: I think that I hope to be able to put this up as one of my crowning achievements that I was able to do through the help of a lot of good people including you two, and all of the support we have. We have tremendous support by the way, to expose something that is truly a cancer in our country. When you look at the FBI, you know you have eight people or so fired now. And what we’ve done is a great service to the country, really. You know, I hope, I hope to be able to call this one of, along with tax cuts and regulations, and all of the things I’ve done.<doc-sep>Welcome to The Hill's Morning Report, and happy Wednesday! This daily email gets you up to speed on the most important developments in politics and policy, plus trends to watch. (CLICK HERE to subscribe!) Alexis Simendinger is working solo for a spell while newsletter partner Jonathan Easley enjoys some R&R. Find her on Twitter @asimendinger. **** *** OVERNIGHT EXCLUSIVE *** President Trump Donald TrumpTrump lashes out after grand jury seated for New York criminal probe Schumer tees up vote on Jan. 6 commission bill Senators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission MORE , during a wide-ranging, 45-minute Hill.TV conversation with Buck Sexton and John Solomon, says exposing a “corrupt” FBI probe could be the “crowning achievement” of his presidency (The Hill). Watch the Trump interview beginning at 8 a.m.: http://thehill.com/hilltv Just days ago, the president and Senate Republicans believed Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh would be confirmed by the Judiciary Committee and narrowly clear the full Senate by next week. But by Tuesday, no one in Washington seemed certain of anything about the nomination, including whether Kavanaugh would appear before senators on Monday to deny allegations of sexual assault, or whether Christine Blasey Ford, the woman leveling the accusations, will testify. Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley Chuck GrassleyDemocratic feud erupts over scope of military sexual assault bill First Democrat announces Senate bid against Iowa's Grassley GOP senators introduce bill to reimpose waived Nord Stream sanctions MORE (R-Iowa) canceled his panel’s scheduled Thursday vote, and said a Monday hearing, bringing Kavanaugh back to answer questions, would take place whether Ford chooses to appear or not (The Hill). Debate erupted about who would pose the questions next week, whether there would be other witnesses, and whether an investigation by either the FBI or another independent entity would take place. The president said the bureau doesn’t have a role in the circumstances now facing senators (The Hill). Ford wrote to Grassley on Tuesday calling for an FBI inquiry (CNN). “We offered her a public or a private hearing as well as staff-led interviews, whichever makes her most comfortable,” Grassley said in a statement Tuesday night. “The invitation for Monday still stands. Dr. Ford’s testimony would reflect her personal knowledge and memory of events. Nothing the FBI or any other investigator does would have any bearing on what Dr. Ford tells the committee, so there is no reason for any further delay.” The president and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellSchumer tees up vote on Jan. 6 commission bill Senators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission GOP leaders face new calls to boot Greene MORE (R-Ky.) were unequivocal on Tuesday in supporting Kavanaugh, and they expressed that resolve without publicly appearing to judge Ford’s veracity. The president described his take on Democrats’ motives. Senate Republicans rejected the idea that the appellate court judge would withdraw his nomination under pressure, or that Trump might decide that too many political landmines too close to the midterm elections mean it might be time for another nominee (The Hill). The most forceful advocate for that idea was a Democrat, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a former Connecticut prosecutor and a Judiciary Committee member (The Hill). But in many ways, Kavanaugh is on shaky ground, even as the Senate GOP leaders plow ahead with his nomination. Ford’s sexual assault allegation dating back 36 years begins to subtract from the population of potential swing voters and suburban women voters so important to Republican candidates this fall. The uncertainties surrounding the nomination forced Senate Republicans to remain officially undecided about Kavanaugh until both he and Ford answer questions (The Hill). With a 51-49 Senate majority, Republicans face the delicacy of math. The nomination hinges on GOP Sens. Lisa Murkowski Lisa Ann MurkowskiSchumer tees up vote on Jan. 6 commission bill Senators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission Overnight Health Care: Moderna says COVID-19 vaccine is 100 percent effective in 12- to 17-year-olds | US achieves full vaccinations for half of adults | Trump on Wuhan lab: Now everyone agrees 'I was right' MORE (Alaska), Susan Collins Susan Margaret CollinsSchumer tees up vote on Jan. 6 commission bill Senators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission Overnight Health Care: Moderna says COVID-19 vaccine is 100 percent effective in 12- to 17-year-olds | US achieves full vaccinations for half of adults | Trump on Wuhan lab: Now everyone agrees 'I was right' MORE (Maine) and Jeff Flake Jeffrey (Jeff) Lane FlakeWhy Republican politicians are sticking with Trump The Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by Facebook - Republican reactions to Cheney's removal Flake: No greater offense than honesty in today's Republican Party MORE (Ariz.). The Hill: Collins wants Ford’s lawyer to be able to question Kavanaugh. The Hill: Kavanaugh’s friend Mark Judge – identified by Ford as a witness to the alleged assault in the early 1980s – told Grassley he has “no memory” of the event and does not wish to participate in any hearing. CNN: Kavanaugh’s nomination descends into chaos and partisan bitterness. The New York Times: Trump sides with Kavanaugh; says Senate Democrats timed assault allegation to block nomination. Perspectives ... Mimi Rocah, Barbara McQuade, Jill Wine-Banks, Joyce White Vance and Maya Wiley (former prosecutors): “There must be a thorough, unrushed investigation by the FBI or by another independent investigator and a full and fair public hearing, including all relevant witnesses and not just Kavanaugh and his accuser.” Linda Fairstein, former chief of the Sex Crimes Bureau of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office: In general, allegations of assault are not he-said-she-said. “As a prosecutor, it’s your job to break down every minute of the encounter so that details on one side push the facts over the edge.” Katty Kay: The truth about false assault accusations by women. LEADING THE DAY POLITICS & CAMPAIGNS: On Friday, voters in Minnesota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming begin early or absentee voting, and in New Jersey, in-person and no-excuse absentee voting begins on Saturday. The roll call of states spreads out from there. The midterm elections are now. Here’s a state guide: https://www.nass.org/resources/2018-election-information<doc-sep>Washington Post economics reporter Jeff Stein stopped by Hill.TV's "Rising" on Wednesday to break down the extent of the resistance President Biden faces from Democrats in the House and Senate to raising taxes for his planned $2 trillion infrastructure package.<doc-sep>By John Solomon and Buck Sexton President Trump Donald TrumpTrump lashes out after grand jury seated for New York criminal probe Schumer tees up vote on Jan. 6 commission bill Senators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission MORE in an exclusive interview with Hill.TV said Tuesday he ordered the release of classified documents in the Russia collusion case to show the public the FBI probe started as a “hoax” and that exposing it could become one of the “crowning achievements” of his presidency. “What we’ve done is a great service to the country, really,” Trump said in a 45-minute, wide-ranging interview in the Oval Office. “I hope to be able to call this, along with tax cuts and regulation and all the things I’ve done ... in its own way this might be the most important thing because this was corrupt,” he said. Trump also said he regretted not firing former FBI Director James Comey James Brien ComeyThe FBI should turn off the FARA faucet Barr threatened to resign over Trump attempts to fire Wray: report 'Fox News Sunday' to mark 25 years on air MORE immediately instead of waiting until May 2017, confirming an account his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, gave Hill.TV earlier in the day that Trump was dismayed in 2016 by the way Comey handled the Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonHillary Clinton takes on conspiracy theories on Borat special Top general: Russia, China will look to expand influence in Middle East as US pulls back We have a chance to halt climate change if we stop destroying carbon sinks and cut methane MORE email case and began discussing firing him well before he became president. “If I did one mistake with Comey, I should have fired him before I got here. I should have fired him the day I won the primaries,” Trump said. “I should have fired him right after the convention, say I don’t want that guy. Or at least fired him the first day on the job. ... I would have been better off firing him or putting out a statement that I don’t want him there when I get there.” Trump has offered different reasons in the past for his firing of the FBI chief, blaming Comey’s handling of the Clinton case but also linking it to Comey’s actions in the Russia investigation. The president also called into question the FBI’s handling of the Russia investigation, again criticizing it for surveilling his campaign. He criticizing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court’s approval of the warrant that authorized surveillance of Carter Page, a low-level Trump campaign aide, toward the end of the 2016 presidential race, suggesting the FBI misled the court. “They know this is one of the great scandals in the history of our country because basically what they did is, they used Carter Page, who nobody even knew, who I feel very badly for, I think he’s been treated very badly. They used Carter Page as a foil in order to surveil a candidate for the presidency of the United States.” As for the judges on the secret intelligence court: “It looks to me, just based on your reporting, that they have been misled,” the president said, citing a series of columns in The Hill identifying shortcomings in the FBI investigation. “I mean I don’t think we have to go much further than to say that they’ve been misled.” “One of the things I’m disappointed in is that the judges in FISA didn’t, don’t seem to have done anything about it. I’m very disappointed in that Now, I may be wrong because, maybe as we sit here and talk, maybe they’re well into it. We just don’t know that because I purposely have not chosen to get involved,” Trump said. The president spared no words in criticizing Comey, former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe Andrew George McCabeThe FBI should turn off the FARA faucet John Durham's endgame: Don't expect criminal charges Carter Page sues over surveillance related to Russia probe MORE, counterintelligence agent Peter Strzok, lawyer Lisa Page and other FBI officials who started the probe. He recited specific text messages Page and Strzok traded while having an affair and investigating his campaign, arguing the texts showed they condoned leaks and conducted a bogus probe. Those texts are to be released as a result of Trump’s announcement on Monday. “It’s a hoax, beyond a witch hunt,” he said. Trump cited one text released recently in which Strzok and Page appear to discuss getting McCabe to approve an expansion of the Russia case right after Comey is fired. “Comey was a bad guy. He gets fired. They only have Andy left because they know they’re doing wrong,” the president said in describing how he felt wronged by the FBI. He denounced the FBI for leaking to create what he said was a false narrative against him, saying it appeared to be an “insurance policy” to destroy his presidency if he won. “Number one, how illegal is it? And number two, how low is it?” he said. “What we have now is an insurance policy,” the president said. “But it has been totally discredited, even Democrats agree that it has been discredited. They are not going to admit to it, but it has been totally discredited. I think, frankly, more so by text than by documents.” Trump said he had not read the documents he ordered declassified but said he expected to show they would prove the FBI case started as a political “hoax.” “I have had many people ask me to release them. Not that I didn’t like the idea but I wanted to wait, I wanted to see where it was all going,” he said. In the end, he said, his goal was to let the public decide by seeing the documents that have been kept secret for more than two years. “All I want to do is be transparent,” he said.<doc-sep>
To view past editions of The Hill's 12:30 Report, click here: http://bit.ly/1M1mIfw To receive The Hill's 12:30 Report in your inbox, please sign up here: http://bit.ly/1Tt4hqN --> A midday take on what's happening in politics and how to have a sense of humor about it. * *Ha. Haha. Hahah. Sniff. Haha. Sniff. Ha--breaks down crying hysterically. The Hill's 12:30 Report: Trump shows new frustration with Sessions in exclusive Hill.TV interview | Hints at immigration action | Kavanaugh accuser wants FBI investigation before testifying | GOP wants to move forward with hearing | Trump wants accuser to testify | Trump tours NC hurricane damage | 'Marg,' 'guac,' TL;DR' added to the dictionary LATEST WITH THE KAVANAUGH CONTROVERSY This a.m. — now that’s a diplomatic response: Speaking to reporters on his way to North Carolina, President Trump Donald TrumpTrump lashes out after grand jury seated for New York criminal probe Schumer tees up vote on Jan. 6 commission bill Senators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission MORE expressed sympathy for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh without questioning Christine Blasey Ford’s story. On Kavanaugh: “Really, they’re hurting somebody’s life,” Trump said, referring to the senators working on Kavanaugh’s confirmation. “I think it’s a very unfair thing what’s going on.” On Ford: “I really want to see her. I really would want to see what she has to say ... If she shows up and makes a credible showing, that’ll be very interesting.” https://nyti.ms/2xmqMKD Ford or no Ford, the show will go on: Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, will not testify until the FBI investigates her claims. Why this is newsy: Her lawyer previously said she was generally willing to testify. Would this hearing be public? : GOP senators have offered to ban cameras. From Sen. Jeff Flake Jeffrey (Jeff) Lane FlakeWhy Republican politicians are sticking with Trump The Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by Facebook - Republican reactions to Cheney's removal Flake: No greater offense than honesty in today's Republican Party MORE (R-Ariz.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee: "She has the option of a closed session, with cameras or without." http://bit.ly/2Nm0WjQ DEMOCRATS SUPPORT HER DECISION: Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer Chuck SchumerSchumer says Senate will move on Biden's infrastructure agenda in July Senate confirms Biden pick to lead Medicare, Medicaid office Pelosi presses for Senate action on Jan. 6 commission: 'No time to waste' MORE (D-N.Y.) and Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Dianne Feinstein Dianne Emiel FeinsteinConcerns over growing ties between UAE and China could impact sale of F-35s: report Rep. Malinowski traded as much as M in medical, tech stocks with stake in COVID-19 response Bottom line MORE (D-Calif.) supported Ford's call for an FBI investigation. "An immediate FBI investigation is not only consistent with precedent, it is also quite clearly the right thing to do," Schumer said in a statement. http://bit.ly/2MJ7TpP AND REPUBLICANS WANT TO MOVE FORWARD ON THE HEARING WITH OR WITHOUT FORD: Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley Chuck GrassleyDemocratic feud erupts over scope of military sexual assault bill First Democrat announces Senate bid against Iowa's Grassley GOP senators introduce bill to reimpose waived Nord Stream sanctions MORE (R-Iowa) is moving forward with Monday's planned hearing with Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. "Dr. Ford's testimony would reflect her personal knowledge and memory of events. Nothing the FBI or any other investigator does would have any bearing on what Dr. Ford tells the committee, so there is no reason for any further delay," Grassley said. Grassley also said Ford's claims are: "Serious allegations and Dr. Ford deserves to be heard. ... The invitation for Monday still stands." http://bit.ly/2OEp65x OH AND -- KAVANAUGH'S CLASSMATE SAYS HE WON'T TESTIFY: Mark Judge, the former classmate of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh whom Christine Blasey Ford says was in the room when Kavanaugh allegedly sexually assaulted her, said he will not testify because he has no memory of the event. From Judge: "More to the point, I never saw Brett act in the manner Dr. Ford describes. I have no more information to provide the Committee and I do not wish to speak publicly regarding the incidents described in Dr. Ford's letter." http://bit.ly/2pm6YlZ HOW KAVANAUGH IS PREPARING: Via The Washington Post’s Josh Dawsey: “In a prep session for next week, Kavanaugh was grilled today in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building about his past, dating, the accuser's account and more for about two hours.