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Here's the Scoop
Former President Bill Clinton Deposed in Epstein Probe; New Signs for U.S. Strike on Iran
00:23:34
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- [00:03]
A
Hey, everybody. Welcome to here's the scoop from NBC News. I'm Yasmin Vesugian. It is Friday and the news does not stop on the show today, new signs that President Trump may be getting closer to launching strikes on Iran and how a new war between Pakistan and Afghanistan could add fuel to the fire in the region. Plus, good news for home buyers on mortgage rates and who is reminding fast food workers to mind their manners. We're going to get to all of that at first, though, Bill Clinton is now the first sitting or former president to testify before members of Congress in 40 years. Behind closed doors in Chappaqua, New York, the former president told members of the House Oversight Committee that he, quote, saw nothing and quote, did nothing wrong during his years of acquaintance with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and he ripped the panel for deposing his wife, the former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday. I want to bring in chief Capitol Hill correspondent Ryan Nobles who is posted up out outside the deposition in Chappaqua, New York and has spending his days in Starbucks all over the area. Hey, Ryan.
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B
Well, just, just one Starbucks in particular.
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A
Yeah, just one Starbucks.
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B
We very much appreciate the hard working folks at the Starbucks in Chappaqua.
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A
Shout out to them, that's Ryan Noble trying to get a discount at Starbucks later today, everybody, in case you're wondering. So let's talk Hillary Clinton first yesterday because you and I spoke. And at the end of the hearing, Hillary Clinton came out to share what she had been asked in her six hour deposition. And it sounds like there were some departures from the Epstein files. I want to play a little bit of that for you. I started being asked about UFOs and a series of questions about Pizzagate, one of the most vile bogus conspiracy theories that was propagated on the Internet. So what more have we learned about the contents of her deposition from Epstein to UFOs, I guess.
- [02:05]
B
Yeah, I think that when the deposition comes out, this little line of questioning that happened towards the end of the deposition about UFOs and Pizzagate will probably not be the headline. But I think that she was trying to make that point towards the end to demonstrate that it got to a point where just because she was in front of them, they were looking for opportunities to ask her questions that would perhaps make her uncomfortable. But I think when we get the transcript and we see the video, I think we might be more interested in the way that she handled these questions about Jeffrey Epstein and in particular the way that she handled the questions about Jeffrey Epstein as they relate to her husband. Now, what the folks in the room were telling us about that is that there were a number of questions, whether it came about the Clinton Global Initiative or any sort of donations that went to the Clinton Global Initiative that she deferred and said, you're gonna have to ask my husband about that. And I know that Republicans wrote every single one of those down and plan to ask Bill Clinton about it today.
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A
So let's get to what's happening today. In his opening statement, he denied any wrongdoing. He said this as someone who grew up in a home with domestic abuse. Not only would I not have flown on his plane, if I had had any inkling of what he was doing, I would have turned him in myself and led the call for justice for his crimes. What do we know about the line of questioning that is being leveled at the former President?
- [03:36]
B
He is being asked very specific questions, Yasmine, from what I'm told, and this has been reflected in what both Republicans and Democrats have said ahead of time. These aren't just vague did you know Jeffrey Epstein Questions. They are. This is a photo that appears in the files. Tell us about this photo. Where were you? What were you doing? And what did it have to do with Jeffrey Epstein? Who are the people in this photo with you? What was the purpose of this event that you were at, that you are in this photo with this person? And I think he's getting those very direct questions, not just from Republicans, but from Democrats as well. And I think he probably was prepared for that. You know, if you look in his opening statement, he makes note of the fact that there are a number of photos of him as what he describes from 20 years ago. And it sounds like everything we're hearing so far that he's answering all the questions. He's not attempting to be evasive or to try and deflect. So we'll have to see if that continues. I think one of the things that the people I've talked to about this process are wondering is what type of stamina the former President will have. He's an 80 year old man. He hasn't been forced to be in this position in a very long time. Will he be able to just to handle a deposition of this length? We saw in the Les Wexner deposition, a similarly older man really start to fade as the deposition went on. So I do think the committee is kind of very purposely front loading the most important questions at the beginning of the day as opposed to letting it drag out throughout the rest of this. What could be a six hour deposition.
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A
I want to dig into why this is happening, as we did yesterday as well. And we've talked about the flight logs that show that Clinton, former President Bill Clinton, used Epstein's airplane in the early 2000s. You mentioned the pictures. His relationship, though, with Epstein goes back a lot further. Epstein made more than a dozen visits to the White house in the 1990s when Clinton was president. That was around the same time that Paula Jones filed a civil suit against President Clinton accusing him of sexual harassment while he was governor of Arkansas. And then during that trial, he gave, as we all remember, false testimony about his relationship to then White House intern Monica Lewinsky. He was impeached for perjury, but then the Senate acquitted him. Are those overlapping timelines likely to come up in this line of questioning within this deposition?
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B
I think you're very savvy to point that out, and I definitely think that it will. I think that's the kind of thing that this committee's gonna ask questions about and are gonna wanna know answers. And I also wonder if it is where they could run into a potential roadblock. Now, we have no evidence that this is the case. We don't have any reporting to suggest that this is happening. But when the deposition comes out, we'll get the answer to the question of whether or not anything that happened during his time in the White House becomes an executive privilege issue. Executive privilege is kind of the presidential way to plead the Fifth. To a certain extent, it's not exactly the same thing. So if any lawyers listening and cringing at me comparing the two, it is a very clunky, like a back of the napkin trying way of trying to describe it. But generally, a president and a member of the administration does have that protection that anything in and around the White House during a time where you're serving becomes essentially privileged information. And you know, to a certain extent in the room right now where they're trying to get these answers, if he says, I'm sorry, I can't answer that question, my attorney advises that's covered under executive privilege. It's not like they can say, okay, well, we object. There isn't a judge in there to then rule whether or not it is or not. But I do think that that's a critical juncture in time. I think those visits to the White House are something where Republicans in particular are very interested in. So I think when the deposition transcript and video are released, that's going to be one of the first things that we look for.
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A
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have said that questioning former President Bill Clinton, questioning the former Secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, opens the door, or could at least open the door to deposing the current president along with his wife, Melania Trump. Are we closer to that happening today after this deposition concludes?
- [07:53]
B
I think it depends on who you ask. I think that we're probably further away as long as the Republicans remain in charge. We've seen the Republicans use every opportunity to try and explain why this is different, why they think it was responsible and appropriate to ask Bill Clinton these questions under oath and why they don't think they need to do that with President Trump. Anna Paulina Luna, one of the members of Congress that's here, a Republican, said that every survivor that she's talked to, as she said, quote, exonerated President Trump. I don't think they have the ability to do that. And talking to a handful of survivors, while their stories are very important, do not reflect the entire breadth of every survivor that was caught up in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. And we know there were many. But what it alludes to is this idea that Republicans just do not are not compelled to do that quite yet. And earlier today, one of the things that James Comer came out and told us over the course of the investigation was that the ranking member, Robert Garcia, specifically asked Bill Clinton if he thought that Donald Trump should be forced to come in and testify that Clinton said it was up to the committee, but from his experience with Trump, he knew nothing of Trump having any sort of relationship with Epstein's crimes. Now, Garcia refused to confirm that that was the way the exchange went out. So we'll have to get some sort of clarity on that when the actual tape comes out. But the reason I bring that up is to answer your question, that this idea of President Trump testifying in front of the committee is more of a long term project than it is a short term one.
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A
And of course, important to note as we're having this conversation that the president has denied any wrongdoing and authorities have not accused him of any wrongdoing in connection with Jeffrey Epstein. Ryan Nobles, go get yourself a venti. We will talk to you again soon, my friend. Thank you.
- [09:42]
B
All right. Thanks, Yaz.
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A
Coming up, signs that we could be getting closer to a US Attack on Iran. That's next. And hey, while you have a minute, why not subscribe to this podcast wherever you're listening. That way you'll never miss an episode. We'll be right back
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- [11:21]
A
And we are back with here's the scoop from NBC News. So some staffers at at the US Embassy in Jerusalem got an email today from the US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee. And he told them that they could leave Israel if they wanted, but said they needed to, quote, do so today. Now, while Huckabee wrote the advice was issued out of an abundance of caution and quote, there is no need to panic. It is yet another sign that a US Attack on Iran could be imminent. Meanwhile, Iran's neighbors to the east, Pakistan, declared war on Afghanistan overnight after a series of mutual deadly strikes. So how volatile is the region right now and what do we know about the state of these peace talks? For this, I want to bring in NBC News chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel, who is on the ground for us in Tel Aviv. Hi, Richard.
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G
Good to be with you. And I'm glad we're talking about Iran and Pakistan together.
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A
I want to start first with this evacuation of the US Embassy in Israel. You have Secretary of State Rubio traveling now to Israel to consult with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with regards to the negotiations, the ongoing negotiations between Iran and the United States, as I mentioned earlier, the US has just told some embassy staff they can leave Israel today.
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G
Today was in all caps. If you saw that memo, it was if those who want to leave, leave today. Meaning if you want out, leave now because the airports are still open. I'm here in Tel Aviv, by the way. There's not a sense of panic. There hasn't been any kind of issue or any kind of guidance issued to the public to get to their shelters, to prepare their shelters. But that could come, that could change very quickly.
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A
Is this also at all a clue to Iran to say that if you don't shape up when it comes to these ongoing negotiations, a strike is coming 100%.
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G
I mean, this is classic gunboat diplomacy. What we're seeing here right now, an enormous amount of military power has been brought into the region. Two aircraft carriers, hundreds of aircraft and drones. The most military power assembled near Iran or assembled in this part of the world since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. So the amount of firepower that's here now isn't just a show of force. It is a massive amount of military might, but with a huge difference. There aren't ground troops. The US Isn't bringing an invasion force with it like it did in Iraq.
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A
So in addition to the quote, unquote, gunboat diplomacy that you talk about, there is actual diplomacy going on as well. And that is the continuation of these talks between Iran and the United States happening yesterday in Geneva. What do we know that has come out of those talks so far?
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G
Well, I think the gunboat diplomacy is the diplomacy. So while the talks went on in Geneva, the Iranians are clearly aware that this, what President Trump called an armada is on Iran's doorstep. And that at any moment President Trump could decide to pull the trigger and launch not just one, but a series a sustained air campaign against Iran, of course that impacts the negotiations, that it's not just about Iran's nuclear program, its uranium enrichment program, but Israel wants also to include Iran's missile program, limit its missile program, limit the range of their missiles that Iran is also being asked to stop, or certainly limit its support for other Iranian backed proxies in the region or Iran pro Iranian militias like Hezbollah and Hamas. And Iranian officials told me that they think it's a slippery slope, that sure, we can talk about nuclear program, we're happy to talk about the nuclear program. And I think, and they told me they think they can reach a deal on the nuclear program.
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A
So, Richard, when it comes to the missile program along with the nuclear program. The President and the White House have been giving some mixed messages. Last summer, after the US Struck three Iranian nuclear sites, the President said this.
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Our objective was the destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world's number one state sponsor of terror. Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success. Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.
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A
So then you cut to Tuesday, though, at the State of the Union, and the President said this about Iran's nuclear program.
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They've already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and our bases overseas, and they're working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America.
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A
Can you give us a reality check on where their program stands today?
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G
Well, I can try, but it's very difficult because these are secretive programs. And so what you just heard in that clip is President Trump isn't claiming that they have intercontinental ballistic missiles that could reach the United States. He's saying that they're working on them and that they need to be stopped before they develop any kind of weapon that could reach the United States. So that's quite a big difference here in terms of the nuclear program. The US Carried out these strikes just a few months ago. In operation was a midnight hammer and attacked the enrichment facilities so that Iran wouldn't be able to keep spinning these tubes and enriching the uranium and making it more and more pure, making it more and more weapons grade. The issue, or one of the issues is what happened to the material that was already enriched. It was never clear after the operation last summer that the 60% enriched uranium, the thousand pounds of this stuff was actually destroyed. At first the US Said, well, maybe it was buried under the, under the mountain because these enrichment facilities were buried underground deep inside mountains, that those were the targets that were hit. If it's buried deep in the middle of a mountain, it's kind of lost for forever. But the Iranians have been deliberately vague about what happened to this material. So in terms of just the nuclear file, the Iranian officials that I spoke to, aside from the one who said he didn't know anything about this material, said that Iran is willing to make great concessions to put this nuclear issue aside and avoid a conflict with the United States. That is, I think, why you're seeing some progress in these negotiations that are going on right now. They've agreed to another round of technical talks that are supposed to take place next week. And there's a series of discussions going on which is a positive sign.
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A
Meanwhile, on the border of Iran, you have what has taken place over the last 24 hours, and that is a declaration of war essentially between Pakistan and Afghanistan. How did this come about? What is happening there?
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G
For the last several months, the Taliban in Afghanistan have been, according to Pakistan, carrying out attacks inside Pakistan, supporting militant groups inside Pakistan, supporting a Pakistani version of the Taliban and the Pakistan Pakistan. The Pakistani military decided it had had enough. It carried out strikes, overt strikes, against the Taliban in Afghanistan. Now the Taliban in Afghanistan has responded with attacks of its own, and you have the two sides in an open conflict. And how does this all tie in with Iran? Because Iran sits right next to Afghanistan. So if you can, you have two countries, Pakistan and Afghanistan, who are already in the early stages of what could be an escalating and very difficult war. And then potentially, if the US Strikes are powerful enough, you could have regime collapse in Iran, which has the potential to create a zone of chaos, a zone of unrest. Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran. And I'm including Iraq in that as well, because if there's regime collapse in Iran, it would certainly spill over into Iraq. So it makes the stakes of of what we're seeing right now that much higher.
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A
Richard Engle, thank you.
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G
Absolutely.
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A
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The one you trust to find the ones you trust. Find pros for all your home projects@angie.com and we are back with here's the Scoop from NBC News. Let's get to some headlines. President Trump is holding an event in Corpus Christi, Texas today ahead of Tuesday's state primary elections. Republicans could add up to five congressional seats after last year's redistricting. And incumbent Senator John Cornyn is in a hotly contested race against State Attorney General Ken Paxton and Representative Wesley Hunt. All three GOP Senate candidates are allying themselves with the president, but he hasn't endorsed any of them. We are airing a live episode of here's the Scoop on Tuesday night on our YouTube channel with a fantastic panel of our NBC political reporters. If you have questions for them, go to our here's the Scoop YouTube page and post them in the comments. Mortgage rates just dipped below 6% for the first time since 2022. While this is a major win for home buyers, do not expect a surge in inventory. Most current homeowners are locked into mortgage rates below 4%. So they're staying put, keeping competition high. Warner Brothers Discovery has inked a merger agreement with Paramount Skydance after a months long bidding war. The companies announced today that both boards have approved the sale of Warner Brothers for $31 a share or a total of $110 billion. A final shareholder vote will come later this spring. Netflix, another potential buyer, announced earlier this week it was bowing out of a deal. But what is being called the most consequential media mer recent history still has to be approved by regulators. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren called it, quote, an antitrust disaster. And California's attorney general says his review will be rigorous. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on X that 30 more people have been indicted for allegedly taking part in an anti immigration enforcement protest at a Minnesota church earlier this year. One of the church's pastors was serving as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official. In total, 39 individuals have been charged with conspiracy against religious freedom for participating in the event at city's church a week after Renee Nicole Goode was killed by federal officers. They include independent journalist Don Levin and activist Nekima Levy Armstrong, who have pled not guilty to civil rights charges. More details are emerging about the deadly boat clash in Cuban waters. U.S. officials say at least one American was among the four killed when Cuban military opened fire on a Florida registered speedboat on Wednesday. Havana claims the men were armed antigovernment militants. Who fired first? Secretary of State Rubio has announced an independent US Investigation into the incident. Meanwhile, Cuba's president is doubling down, vowing to defend the nation against what he calls further mercenary aggression. And finally, Burger King just added a new AI co worker to the crew. She is a chatbot and of course her name is Patty. She's going to live inside employees headsets, giving them tips on how to assemble your whopper and track what is running low. But she is also listening to them at the drive thru and if they forget to say please or thank you, Patty's got some notes. Basically, it's like having your mom at work. That is going to do it for us at here's the Scoop from NBC News. I'm Yasmin Vesugin. We'll be back on Monday with whatever the weekend may bring. And if you like what you heard, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. And you can also subscribe to our daily newsletter, the Inside Scoop. It is a deeper dive on the main stories of the day that comes out every weeknight straight to your inbox. You can sign up for the Inside Scoop as part of our paid subscription@nbcnews.com we'll see you Monday.
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