robert: it's done. the mueller report is now in the hands of the attorney general. i'm robert costa. welcome to "washington week." the spial council has completed its investigation. the big question now, how much will be t releaseo the public? plus, the president picks fights with house democrat who is want documents and answers. >> it'sime for the congress, house and senate to grow spines and w dealhat is necessary to protect this democracy. robert: those battles com as he picks another fight attacking the late senator johnn mcc even as republicans urge him to stop. next.

nouncer: this is "washington week". funding is provided by -- >> babble, agu lane program that teaches real life conversation in a new language such as spanish, french, italian and more. babble's 10 to 15-minute lessons are available online. more information on babble.com. announcer: additiona funding is pro vied by the yuen foundation committed todg bg cultural bridges in o community and by viewers like you. thank you. once again, from washington, moderator, robertosta. robert: good evening. special council robert muelle delivered his report to attorney

general lumbar general -- attorney general william barr. mr. barr who was sworn in last month then sent a letter toco ressional leaders advising them that he may brief them as so as this weekend he said he would consult with d.o.j. officials and mr. mueller to decide what will be released to congress. the attorney general wrote remain committed to as much transparency as possible, and i will keep you informed as to the status of my review." joining me tonight, michael tackett, political reporteror the "new york times." lisa desjardins, cocoressional espondent for the pbs newshour. dan balz, chief correspondent for "the washinon post." anita kumar, associate editor

for politico.wh a reckoning, a test for this new attorney general. what do we know about how le handle this moment perhaps based on hisestimony? >> well, based on both his testimony and the letter, the excerpt from which you just read, we know that he will be care wonderful this. he recognizes enormous public hunger and wil t tryo release as much as possible. the leadership, the democrats havet demanded tha the entire report come out. in his testimony when he was before the congress for his confirmation. he said he would release as much as he could withinhe law, which gives him some wiggle room. and the letter tonight said that he will consult with special council mueller and the deputy attorney general and perhaps others to figure out exactlymu w of it to release. but he's under tremendous pressure to release the entiret of the report.

robert: inside the white house, are they hands on or hands off? >> they don't have a heads up on what's in there. they've been preparing for this for months. this is a white house that does not prepare very much. they're always short staffed. this is something they've been looking towards, waiting for it come out. they've been working on talking point first all kinds contingency plans for every possible thing that this report could have. they're hoping the president will be exodge rated. they're hoping for that than anything else. but they have talking points for inside the white house. tathey havements ready to go for when they find out what's geng to happen. t robert: st's the hope, michael, but what do we know soi far about report and what could be in it? >> you've seen the many newspars i "the washington post" and politico and other places. you'vead a lot of people charged an convicted.

there's a lot of paper out there. there's auge trail of evidence. we haven't seen it from robert mueller. how that adds u is how the white house should be worried about. robert: let's look at t investigation. 37 people and entities have been charged. p seveple have plead guilty. and five people have been sentenced to terms in prison. as congress looks at this, especially congressional democrats, how are they going to push to make this public whatever it is? >> we already saw within sically the hour that it was announced this report had been handed over to the, w saw pelosi and schumer, the leaders offer the house and the senate for with a joint statement saying this must made public. chuck schumer put togethefe a news cnce in which he also said this is part of american democracy. there's all demand espec because the stakes are so high for everyone to see this. it's impornt that not just the report be released, but democrats are stressing the supporting documents.

there is an open question here. if as this is bei reported there are no new indictments in this report,here's a question whether the president can be indicted. there's a question that democrats would want to further investigate. robert: are you saying that democrats might want to use the orting material for impeachment proceedings? >> that's exactly right. thank you for getting me to the point. [laughter] they are curious if there arey impeachable offenses in this. it's not clear if special council mueller h feels can indict the president. they want to decide for themselveses if they shhould impehe president or not. robert: that's what they want, michael. but when y think about the rules of the department of justice, if youe not pursuing prosecution, you could be limited about what you could release to congrs. >> the democrats have a different path though. they have the power of subpoena. they can use it as a road map to draft their own subpoenas and

dt information in a different way. sn't totally block them just because the regulations are in place. >> inside of the president's circle, he has rudy giuliani, his lawyer. spoke to himhis morning. he said there is a counter reporteady. what about republicans? are they in touch with the whi house to mount a defense for whatever the white house has in it? >> yes, the white house has been working and so has the r.n.c. they are ready for the political taaing points. nd so they've been in touch with republicans. they're going to give talking points to start parties. they're going to talk to congressional republican about what they should say. now, that's all if it'sood news. if it's bad news, you know, they've got to -- they've got to cope with that. and you're not going to see a lot of republicans wanting to stand wit him >> what will define politically good news and bad news? is it nondictments?

further indictments, dan? >> well, i think that the white allies will mp's see the fact that there are no indictments coming in addition to what has already happened as good news for them. d if the findings are that there was no collusion or certnly no collusion t the president was a part of, he will tak that as exo ration and run with it. -- exoneration and run with it. i mean, this has been a legal proceeding up till now. this investigation is legaler s still a lot of legal matters that are ongoing in the eastern district of virginia, etc. this now becomes a political matter. this issue of impeachment is a political decision by elected ofcials as to wheth the president in one way or another abused the powers of his office. that's what democrats will be looking for. and they will -- they will -- like i said, they will be looking at the underlying

information. they've gotho difficultes to make depending on what's in the report. robert:napitol hill the trump administration this week in a battle with house democrats over the judiciary committee investigation of the preamdent, hisign and businesses. the white house so far has rejected all" to hand over records with his talks with vladimir putin that's according to anita at politico. lawmakers are raising concern about jared kushner. who has been using a message service to communicate foreign leaders. >> does this water just sit it out? do they wait to be faced with subpoenas? >> if they're looking at the history of the past 30 years, say. >> and even when that rises to subpna's being issued, knave

waited it out. >> this white house is choosing to cla not to claim it. it's making it more difficult for democrats. democrats' missi is to not get to the bottom but to raise questions about the trump administration. they seehose as justified. we saw this from a quiet storm from democrat. none of this is one deadline. chairman elijah cummings said that he has been stonewalled on half a different investigations are doing furious work in these committees on a large number of fronts including kushner's e-mails, inclu geesident trump's communication with his attorneral about pardoningen michael c one other thing coming unthis week as parts of investigations, house intelligence talk to

a man called -- who worked with him on the moscow hotel deal. there's still more questions happening. > yeah, i totally agree with you. but i'm hearing something that's different this time around, which is no presidentan to give documents over to congress. nobody wants that. but there is some reality that they can negotiate a little. we'll give you something butyt t evng. but what this white house is doing, they're not even respondi by letter. deadlines are coming and going. they don't sd the courtesy letter back saying wurve got request. they're just ignoring them. >> i was told by david bosse who went through this through bill clinton who said let them subpoena us. line and they're just going to wait it out. >> and that strategy isotally consistent with their witch hunt

narrative. >> if robert mumeu mueller's investigation was part of the justice department that initiate that investigation, if that is a witch hunt they're going t to to snone wall as long as they can. >> i think this was in part foreshadows by two. >> from t very get-go. and thehett reck o that has ramped up. >> i with looking at a polar reportability public opinion mueller. and what we've seen democratic been istill strong. he's still basically at 5% support of what mule ser doing.e thedent has been able to create a political polarization aroundhis. but also the choice of eminent glad to to come into the white use. he's a hard liner on issues of

the power of the executive vs. instincts. robert: anita, do they recognize the political chafaenge they because the president has been slamming the d.o.j., that hese need to get rid of case os maim a political statement as well. >> nearly everyouse committee is investigating. iidt really hear a realization from anyone. cey can't pursue all of them. they't subpoena everybody on all those things. ey'd be tied up in court all years. way past the president's term. even if you had a second term, they had to pick their shots and go after what they want to go after. robert: when you think about this wee w the preside in fighting mode day after day picking battles and making dramaticoves.

it puts a lot. -- the mueller report puts all of this in perspective. how the president's going about pursuing his aims. and during a visit to a military plan in ohio, president trump criticized the late arizona senator john president trump: i endorsedim h at his request. and i gave him the funeral he wanted. and iidn't get thank you. not my kind of guy. robert: the "new york times" reported this week in mike's article, hermrites that the tank plan in lima in front of verans that the denunciations drew no cheers. reporters around washington were wondering why was the president going after senator mccain? why was he continuing to play to his base? the mueller report was always on the. horiz >> a lot of his fellow republicans were wondering wh

he did this. it's as though he thinks the coentrated base of 3 is what he needs because that's the kind the ople who would cheer line about john mccain. every time he says something about mccain, it puts any independent-leaning voter and a swing voter, most people would gl thathere's a certain lack of grace when you speak ill about somebody who has passed. robert: usually, it wouldn't wocc. senatorn is a republican nominee. he's a fallen war hero. someone who has recently passed away. mr. republicans acrosshe country revere him. >> late senator mccain is seen as a t establishment and president wants to be seen as anti-establishment. ar ihink it's not a

>> i think it's not anc coinci that he launched these attacks after he awe is 12 est rebellion when republicans senators voted against his emergency declaration. that's a very small minority. but that's a large amount to president trump and the truth is, there were six to eight other republican senators, they had to work hard.an aspaul told me it was a bloody fight behind the scenes. he's signaling to them, you go against mem me, i'm never going to forget it. i thi that jo mccain has represented the establishment. somehow because they say campaign fundraising wing, but i think when he lost to obama that part of the party has held against john mccain.

d that he stood up for barack obama. >> i was struck of his brformance. tl of particulars that he against herntse -- senator mccabe, calling that it was mccain who gave the steele doss yea to the justice department. in a context of a week whether everybody thought the mueller report might land, that was clearly on his mind. he mentioned the vote that mccain did to sin r theeal of obamacare, which was in many ways a crushing defeat for the republican part as a whole butf the president. he desperately wantnd early victory. his anger for mccain is so ful at this point. and in the connection of the mule herb report, it seemed to me that it was buell -- boiling over. >> was this just a personal

grievance by president trump? was thisbout the president also continue to rail against the late senator mccain. he picks these targets again and again. often his bailscheerls him on. d >> i't think we heard the end of this with senator mccain. i think he's going to bring it back up. he's more l iely to bringt up in the sexain rallies where ople do clear. >> a loft his advisors maybe want to do -- to go around the country to domi these eco events for his selection. but actually what he'soanting to is itching to go back in the rally, >> he's the only incumbent president to not try to expand his base. in fact, spends all of his time trying to solidify that's going to be one of their bigger challenges as that go

into the campaign r. -- mpaign. >> is that his strategy to racket that a lot more. >> it's interesting why you wod say something petty like mccain. >> i didn't pay for the funeral or say thank you. that part made no sense. but he has thatne amen c that so far has been immoveable. >> one of the things that several have noted and they've been involved in campaigns that have been tough companies. they have said that when trumpe what he did and goes into a place, you know, rallies hispp ters, that has a big effect. and it has a real effect on turnout. and the more that he's able to ramp up both the turnout and the margins in rural communities,

the more it osets what the area is. robert: ogn forolicy, we saw a lot of activity this week. the president met with brazilian presidento. boson we saw the president support israel in thela u.s. gon heights. inside of the white house, why the moves on north korea on friday to make sure that the north korea don't have all these sanctions or theseron companies don't have these sanctions? and the recognition of the golan heights in israel. >> they took them by surprise. even mike pompeo was surprised about north korea.

>> you know, these two things, you know, presidents in the past spend weeks and mon dsiding policy and how they might roll it out. in a couple ofes che president tweeted something, said something and just decide . what you were talking about is p perfect e. . >> he preed him personally. he took hisholedministration by surprise. >> it was a total gift by netanyahu. >> he is so forward in trying to be involved in another election. robert: it's not just all these issues abroad. he's also looking at situationh with economy.

the federal reserve said they're not going to raise rate first the t recollection ofs year. he's trying to get a trade deal, th now revised of nafta. you have congressmenng appea to be intend on stopping that. >> i think that's right. >> i think flay r they realize that part from a scandal or, a miller report it takes, the company turning sour is their last hope in against this presidnt. >> there are signsmphat this y may be slowing down. there's a little tiny tick of coern. we saw c.e.o.s in the business round table down great their g.d.p. we have seen wall street rattlet and none os is helped by the president notting yet having tol with china over that >> i s. >> he needs the northmerican version of this trade deal.

but all the more democrats are they interested in blocking i it. >> is this moment the real significant tests we've seen for president trump with all of on his plate? e> he's got so much on his plate. oint on the company. he believed ineincarnation. he would want to come back likes something really powerful, the bond market. wall street pays attention to on the yield curve in the bond market. and that suggestions a recession might be looming. >> what r why does that matter to most people in the market? >> because they see that as a debt problem. they see that as a slowdown indicator. and they see that a as contractions measure. >> about president trump, who an a half years ago, on this on his agenda, all these challenges. >> you know, i'm tempted to say you're absolutely right. and you are. >> on the other hand we've had

on any given friday night we might be seeing the same thim ing. we would have reached for a long time for the mueller report. we now move into a different phase. we don't know what's in the report tonight. we don't know what will happen as a result of that. t we're clearly moving into something different. think the president and the white house is going to be geared up to battle this. and ultimately this may not be something that cock decides. it's goin to be the ameri people in the election of 20206789 and we're a long way from having any sense of what that's going to look like. >> i't think that even though they're not in the report. this is what's going to be funny. >> democrats are going to say, there's somethiad. but the president is going to say if hs exonerated..

the democrats will lose two more years and i'm sitting here doing what i need to be doing. >> i think we're going to see another phase of that. robert: we'll keep our eyes on all of these phases. this is just one tonight. more news will happen this weekend. we'll ep reporting on allf it. thanks, everybody, for being herr onversation will continue on the "washington week" website. starting at -- that's every friday night.e while you'r online, take our "washington week," 2020, election survey. tell us what are the issues affecting you and your community. i'm robert costa. have a great weekend. and we'll see you next time.

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i didn't want to really do anything but sleep because the dream was so good. i'd get up and then i would go back to sleep in the dream, i was on mars. rister: i've always wanted to be an astronaut. i think every little kid wanted to be an astronaut, but getting there and thinking, you know, if it would ever be possible, i just t.ught that was a fanta shirley: when i was 10 years old, my mother took me to my uncle's graduation from medical school at the university of oklahoma, and on the program it said, "aeronautical engineering." whd so i asked my mother that was. she said, "oh, that's people who build airplanes." i said, "that's what i'm gonna do." lauer: that's kind of a man's world. i mean, thngengineering side of tand nasa, we tend to think of it as a guy's world. ald that cross your mind a when you were a little girl?

shirley: well, it didn't until i got to college