MSNBC’s Ari Melber Confronts Matt Schlapp for Declaring ‘Mueller Will Be Gone Soon’

 

MSNBC host Ari Melber clashed with American Conservative Union head Matt Schlapp over his attacks against Robert Mueller and his suggestion that a “Barr effect” — the appointment of newly confirmed Attorney General William Barr — could lead to the removal of the special counsel.

“What is this Barr effect you speak of?” Melber asked the right-wing advocate and pundit.

While recent comments from Schlapp appeared to suggest Barr’s confirmation may result in the end of Mueller’s probe, he claimed to Melber that he simply believes the special counsel will end soon because of lack of evidence — not tampering from the attorney general. Additionally, Schlapp said his controversial “Barr effect” remark referenced the top law enforcement official’s access to status updates on Mueller’s report.

“You say Mueller will be gone soon, are you saying Bill Barr may do something that Trump wants to end the probe? Or are you saying, and I had you here because I want your views, are you just saying there’s no collusion and that’s all he is going to find?” The Beat host continued.

“Take a breath! Take a breath,” Schlapp replied while chuckling. “No one is saying anyone is doing something untoward… If there’s no evidence of that collusion, it would be logical for the special counsel’s probe to come to an end soon. That’s a simple statement.”

Melber again asked if the “Barr effect” means Mueller will change “something because of Barr.”

The segment then moved onto a Fox Business segment of host Lou Dobbs calling for the arrest former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe while on with Schlapp.

“Look, I’m disgusted by it,” Schlapp said after an outraged Dobbs demanded to know why no one in D.C. has called for McCabe’s arrest. “I guess there’s only one person that can do something about it, and that’s Bill Barr. He is either going to do this or not — I will be greatly disappointed if he doesn’t.”

“Why the hell isn’t the Republican Party demanding his arrest?” Dobbs asked again.

“I think the reason is because they don’t want the controversy of actually taking the deep state on because they might be the next victim,” Schlapp claimed.

After MSNBC played the segment, Melber asked Schlapp if he can “really stand by that.” Schlapp responded with a lengthy answer that ended with a condemnation of McCabe’s 25th Amendemt claims as a “disgusting abuse of power” that “needs to be” investigated.

Watch above, via MSNBC.

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Caleb Ecarma was a reporter at Mediaite. Email him here: caleb@mediaite.com Follow him on Twitter here: @calebecarma