>>> ARE DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS
INVESTIGATING THE FIRST COUP
ATTEMPT THIS COUNTRY HAS EVER
SEEN TAKING A BUTTER KNIFE TO A
GUN FIGHT?
WILL THEY, AS THEY ARE SIGNALING
TONIGHT, TRULY GET TOUGH ON
THOSE WHO STAND BETWEEN THEM AND
THE TRUTH?
>>> ALSO, DID PRESIDENT BIDEN
JUST WHEEL A -- INTO THE BATTLE?
JOHN BERMAN HERE IN FOR AROUNDOR
ANDERSON.
A STRING OF NEW DEVELOPMENTS TO
BRING YOU FROM BOTH ENDS OF
PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE.
THEY ALL TOUCH ON THIS.
WHETHER THOSE WHO TRIED TO
UNDERMINE DEMOCRACY, ITSELF,
WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
BECAUSE AS ONE POLITICAL
OBSERVER TWEETED TODAY, AN
UNPUNISHED COUP IS A TRAINING
EXERCISE.
THOSE ARE THE STAKES, AS THE
COMMITTEE TRIES TO ENFORCE
SUBPOENAS ON FOUR EX-TRUMP AIDES
AND ALLIES.
AS OF TONIGHT, ONLY TWO, FORMER
WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF MARK
MEADOWS AND FORMER PENTAGON
OFFICIAL CASH PATEL ARE EVEN
ENGAGING AT ALL IN THE PROCESS
AFTER A MIDNIGHT DEADLINE FOR
PRODUCING DOCUMENTS CAME AND
WENT.
AND THAT'S THE COMMITTEE'S WORD,
BY THE WAY.
ENGAGING WHICH COULD MEAN
ANYTHING AND IS A FAR CRY FROM
COOPERATING.
DAN SCAVINO, IT'S NOT CLEAR
WHETHER HE HAS RESPONDED AT ALL
OR HAS EVEN BEEN SERVED.
HOWEVER, HE IS NOT EVEN
MENTIONED IN THE JOINT STATEMENT
FROM COMMITTEE CHAIR BENNIE
THOMPSON AND VICE CHAIR LIZ
CHENEY.
AS FOR STEVE BANNON, HE'S
FLAT-OUT DEFYING THE COMMITTEE.
HIS LAWYER CITING THE FORMER
PRESIDENT'S EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE
WHICH IS A PRETTY BRAZEN CLAIM
TO MAKE, GIVEN THAT BANNON
HASN'T WORKED IN THE WHITE HOUSE
SINCE 2017.
AND FOR THE RECORD, JANUARY 6th,
2021, WASN'T IN 2017.
BANNON IS ACTING ON THE FORMER
PRESIDENT'S ORDERS.
A TRUMP LAWYER LAST NIGHT
TELLING ALL FOUR NOT TO COMPLY.
AS YOU KNOW, THE FORMER
PRESIDENT HAS MADE IT CLEAR HE
NO LONGER EVEN SEES JANUARY 6th
AS A THING.
SAYING THIS WEEK, THE REAL
INSURRECTION WAS ON ELECTION
DAY.
AND LAST NIGHT ON FOX, HE MADE
HIS CONTEMPT PLAIN FOR THOSE WHO
HAVE TRIED AND FAILED TO HOLD
HIM ACCOUNTABLE.
>> YOU HAD FAKE IMPEACHMENTS,
TWO FAKE IMPEACHMENTS WHERE THE
REPUBLICANS WERE GREAT.
I HAVE TO SAY, THEY STUCK WITH
US.
THE WHOLE THING WAS FAKE.
AND I HAD TO SURVIVE.
AND TO SURVIVE, YOU HAD TO BE
TOUGH AND YOU HAD TO BE OUT
THERE.
YOU DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO BE
NECESSARILY DAINTY AND NICE.
>> DAINTY AND NICE.
OR AS IT USED TO BE CALLED,
FOLLOWING THE RULES.
OBEYING THE LAW.
THAT SORT OF THING.
FACED WITH THAT KIND OF
ATTITUDE, THE BIDEN WHITE HOUSE,
TODAY, BROKE WITH TRADITION
SAYING THE PRESIDENT WOULD NOT
INVOKE EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE OVER
TRUMP DOCUMENTS SOUGHT FROM THE
NATIONAL ARCHIVES BY THE SELECT
COMMITTEE.
IN OTHER WORDS, BIDEN WOULD
ALLOW THEIR RELEASE.
SO THERE IS NOW A CONFLICT.
BECAUSE WE LEARNED LATE TODAY
THAT THE FORMER PRESIDENT HAS
SENT A LETTER TO THE ARCHIVES
ASSERTING PRIVILEGE AND
THREATENING TO, QUOTE, TAKE ALL
NECESSARY AND APPROPRIATE STEPS
TO PROTECT THE OFFICE OF THE
PRESIDENCY.
AND PRESIDENT BIDEN -- LISTEN TO
HOW HIS PRESS SECRETARY FRAMED
IT.
>> THE ADMINISTRATION TAKES THE
EVENTS OF JANUARY 6th INCREDIBLY
SERIOUSLY AS THE PRESIDENT SAID
ON ITS SIX-MONTH ANNIVERSARY.
THAT DAY POSED AN EXISTENTIAL
CRISIS AND A TEST OF WHETHER OUR
DEMOCRACY COULD SURVIVE.
>> WHETHER OUR DEMOCRACY COULD
SURVIVE.
THAT'S REALLY SOMETHING TO