Subtitles section Play video Print subtitles >> Tucker: GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO "TUCKER CARLSON TONIGHT," IF YOU HAVE BEEN WATCHING TELEVISION RECENTLY YOU PROBABLY HEARD THE BAD NEWS. THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS OVER. TOAST, COOKED, DONE FOR GOOD, AND ALONG WITH IT ANY HOPE OF THE MIDDLE-CLASS REVOLUTION THAT 63 MILLION AMERICANS VOTED FOR TWO YEARS AGO, THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN CAUGHT COMMITTING FELONIES, TWO YEARS AGO, THE PRESIDENT HAS HERE IS WHETHER LEGAL EXPERTS WITHOUT LAW DEGREES ARE SAYING ON TELEVISION. >> IF PRECEDENT MEANS ANYTHING IN THE TRUMP ERA, DONALD TRUMP, MUST BE, WILL BE IMPEACHED BECAUSE OF THE CRIMES THAT PROSECUTORS SAY HE COMMITTED IN THE MICHAEL COHEN CASE. >> BOTH PARTIES NEED TO GET ON BOARD TO PASS ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT. >> YOU HAVE CONSPIRACY, YOU HAVE OBSTRUCTION COMING UP CAMPAIGN FINANCE. >> IF THE DEMOCRATS DO NOT PURSUE THIS VIGOROUSLY, THEY WILL BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR ABDICATING THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. >> IT GOES TO THE MUELLER QUESTION. THE ETHICAL QUESTION. A DEMOCRACY IS AT STAKE. TO SPEAK OF THIS CRIMINAL MUST BE BROUGHT UP BY THE UNITED STAT BE BROUGHT UP BY THE UNITED STAS BE BROUGHT UP BY THE UNITED STAF BE BROUGHT UP BY THE UNITED STAR IMPEACHMENT. >> Tucker: GOING TO SHOW YOU THE DON THEM ON TAPE, BUT TO SUM UP THEY ARE TELLING US THAT WE ARE STARING DOWN THE BARREL OF A CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS. AND THEN CRISIS STEMS FROM WHAT MSNBC DESCRIBES AS "THE CRIMES PROSECUTOR SAVED THE PRESIDENT COMMITTED IN THE MICHAEL COHEN CASE." WHICH CRIMES WERE THOSE? WE HAVE THE ANSWER, THE RELEVANT DETAILS WERE SPELLED OUT IN A PIECE THAT RAN OVER THE WEEKEND TO "THE NEW YORK TIMES" UNDER THIS HEADLINE. PROSECUTORS SAY THAT TO TRUMP DIRECTED A LEAGUE ILLEGAL PAYMENTS DURING THE CAMPAIGN. THE GIST IS THIS, TRUMP'S FORMER LAWYER MICHAEL COHEN HAS TOLD FORMER PROSECUTORS THAT HE FACILITATED PAYMENTS TO TWO WOMEN WHO SAID THAT THEY HAD AFFAIRS WITH DONALD TRUMP. AND THEN, ACTUALLY, THAT IS IT. THAT IS THE ENTIRE STORY RIGHT THERE. PAYING THE TWO WOMEN, SAYING FOR FEDERAL PROSECUTORS WAS A SERIOUS CRIME, A CRIME WORTHY OF IMPEACHMENT, IF NOT INDICTMENT. OKAY, BUT YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING HOW EXACTLY THAT IS CRIMINAL. WE WILL STIPULATE THAT EVERYTHING THAT MICHAEL COHEN HAS TOLD THE FEDS IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE. ASSUMING ANNA'S FEE IS NOT A WISE IDEA WITH MICHAEL COHEN, BUT FOR THE SAKE OF ARGUMENT LET'S DO IT IN THIS CASE. EVERYTHING HE SAYS IS TRUE, WHY IS WHAT HE IS LEGEND A CRIMINAL OFFENSE? REMEMBER THE FACTS OF THE STORY ARE UNDISPUTED, TWO WOMEN APPROACH DONALD TRUMP AND THREATENED TO RUIN HIS CAREER AND RUIN HIS FAMILY IF HE DOES NOT GIVE THEM MONEY. THAT SOUNDS LIKE A CLASSIC CASE OF EXTORTION. BUT FOR WHATEVER REASON TRUMP CAVES TO IT AND DIRECTS MICHAEL COHEN TO PAY THE RANSOM. NOW MORE THAN TWO YEARS LATER TRUMP IS A FELON FOR DOING THIS. IT DOES NOT SEEM TO MAKE ANY SENSE. OH, BUT YOU ARE NOT A FEDERAL PROSECUTOR ON A POLITICAL MACHINE. IF YOU WERE A FEDERAL PROSECUTOR ON A POLITICAL MACHINE, YOU WOULD CONSTRUE THOSE EXTORTION PAYMENTS AS CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS. YOU DO THIS EVEN THOUGH THE MONEY IN QUESTION DID NOT COME FROM OR GO TO DONALD TRUMP'S PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN. THEY KNEW WOULD CLAIM THAT TRUMP AND MICHAEL COYNE VIOLATED CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAW BECAUSE THEY DID NOT PUBLICLY DISCLOSE THOSE PAYMENTS. DESPITE THE FACT THAT DISCLOSING THEM WOULD NULLIFY THE REASON FOR MAKING THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE WHICH WAS TO KEEP THE WHOLE THING SECRET. THAT IS THE ARGUMENT YOU WOULD MAKE BOTH IN FEDERAL COURT AND FOR YOUR PROXIES ON CABLE TELEVISION. IT IS INSULTINGLY STUPID. BUT BECAUSE EVERYONE IN POWER HATES THE TARGET OF YOUR INVESTIGATION, NOBODY WOULD QUESTION YOU. AND THAT IS WHAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. NOW BY THIS REASONING, ANY MONEY OF POLITICAL CANDIDATE SPENDS TO NOW BY THIS REASONING, ANY MONEY MAINTAIN OR PROTECT THEIR IMAGE DURING OFFICE NOW QUALIFIES AS A REGULATED CAMPAIGN DONATION AND HAS TO BE DISCLOSED. THAT WOULD BE INCLUDED WITH AN INFINITE NUMBER OF OTHER THINGS, BUYING TOOTHPASTE AND GETTING A HAIRCUT. IT WOULD DEFINITELY INCLUDE THE TAXPAYER FINANCE SLUSH FUND THAT CONGRESS HAS SET ASIDE TO PAY OFF ITS OWN SEXUAL HARASSMENT CLAIMS. YES, THOSE NOW QUALIFY AS CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS. THEY MUST BE PUBLICLY DISCLOSED. EXCEPT, OF COURSE THEY ARE NOT PUBLICLY DISCLOSED AND THEY NEVER WILL BE. WHY IS THAT? THAT MAY BE A QUESTION FOR CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS INCLUDING, NOW THAT WE THINK ABOUT IT, ADAM CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS INCLUDING, NOW THAT WE THINK ABOUT IT, ADAMSCHIFF FROM BURBANK, CALIFORNIA. THE INCOMING CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE OF INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE. WHAT DOES HE HAVE TO SAY ABOUT CONGRESS NOT DISCLOSING THE VERY CONGRESS NOT DISCLOSING THE VERY SAME PAYMENTS THAT DEMOCRATS SAT SAME PAYMENTS THAT DEMOCRATS SAU SAME PAYMENTS THAT DEMOCRATS SAP SAME PAYMENTS THAT DEMOCRATS SAS SAME PAYMENTS THAT DEMOCRATS SAO SAME PAYMENTS THAT DEMOCRATS SAL SAME PAYMENTS THAT DEMOCRATS SAD SAME PAYMENTS THAT DEMOCRATS SAB SAME PAYMENTS THAT DEMOCRATS SAE IMPEACHED FOR NOT DISCLOSING. LET'S ASK HIM. >> THERE IS A REAL PROSPECT THAT ON THE DAY DONALD TRUMP LEAVES OFFICE, THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT