CBS Posts Transcript Of McCabe’s 25th Amendment Comment After Denial

WASHINGTON, July 20, 2017 -- Andrew McCabe, U.S. acting director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, attends a press conference at the U.S. Justice Department in Washington D.C., the United States, on July 20, 20... WASHINGTON, July 20, 2017 -- Andrew McCabe, U.S. acting director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, attends a press conference at the U.S. Justice Department in Washington D.C., the United States, on July 20, 2017. The world's largest "dark market" on the Internet, AlphaBay, has been shut down, the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) said Thursday. (Xinhua/Ting Shen via Getty Images) MORE LESS

By Kate Riga

February 15, 2019 4:18 p.m.

Start your day with TPM.

CBS posted a transcript Friday afternoon of the conversation between former acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe and host Scott Pelley about alleged discussions in the Department of Justice concerning invoking the 25th Amendment to remove President Donald Trump from office.

Earlier on Friday, McCabe’s spokesperson said that McCabe did not ever “participate in any extended discussions about the use of the 25th Amendment, nor is he aware of any such discussions.”

The statement followed reporting that McCabe told CBS that top officials at the Justice Department discussed whether cabinet members would support invoking the 25th Amendment shortly before special counsel Robert Mueller was appointed. That conversation was not included in the short clip of the interview released Thursday, but Pelley referenced it on air.

Here’s the portion of the transcript released by CBS on Friday:

ANDREW MCCABE: Discussion of the 25th Amendment was, was simply Rod raised the issue and discussed it with me in the context of thinking about how many other cabinet officials might support such an effort.

SCOTT PELLEY: Rosenstein was actually openly talking about whether there was a majority of the cabinet who would vote to remove the president.

MCCABE: That’s correct. Counting votes or possible votes.

PELLEY: What seemed to be coursing through the mind of the deputy attorney general was getting rid of the president of the United States–

MCCABE: –Well–

PELLEY: –One way or another.

MCCABE: I can’t confirm that. But what I can say is the deputy attorney general was definitely very concerned about the president, about his capacity and about his intent at that point in time.

PELLEY: How did he bring up the idea of the 25th Amendment to you?

MCCABE: Honestly, I don’t remember. He– it was just another kinda topic that he jumped to in the midst of– of– of a wide-ranging conversation.

President Donald Trump bristled at the story before McCabe’s denial, quoting a Fox News analyst who called the DOJ officials’ conversation “an attack on the Constitution.”

The full interview will air on Sunday.

Start your day with TPM.

Kate Riga (@Kate_Riga24) is a D.C. reporter for TPM and cohost of the Josh Marshall Podcast.

Have a tip? Send it Here!