Brit Hume on the politics of impeachment inquiry and John Durham's investigation

This is a rush transcript from "Special Report with Bret Baier," November 4, 2019. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

BRET BAIER, ANCHOR: For more on both investigations and the politics surrounding them, Senior Political Analyst Brit Hume is with us tonight from New York. Good evening, Brit. He's also the anchor this week of the 3 p.m. show. Nice show today.

BRIT HUME, FOX NEWS: Thank you, Bret. Thanks very much.

BAIER: Your thought on the impeachment moves, the transcripts coming out today and what this means. You know, there was this Washington Post report and largely talked about here in Washington that GOP senators may try to say, you know what, there was quid pro quo, but it's not illegal.

HUME: Well, I'm not - I think that a lot of Republicans look at the phone conversation and they think yes, this was inappropriate. He shouldn't have brought up Biden's name in that. But they don't think it comes anywhere near being an impeachable offense. So, their cause in thinking that way is not much aided by the President running around saying that the call was perfect. They think it certainly was not.

I think it was not for what little that may be worth. But remember, Bret, as was pointed out in Chad Pergam's report tonight. In the end, this is legal. Yes, but it is political. And because it is political, all sorts of calculations come into play.

For example, if people want to go after the President on the strength of this phone call and the investigation that grew out of it is ongoing in the House of Representatives right now. It will matter whether people think that investigation was fair.

If the Durham investigation turns up information suggesting that there were people in the government were plotting against the President from day one, that will leave a bad taste and will affect the political atmosphere. And people might say, well, you know, I don't like what he did. But look, what they were doing to him, more sinned against than sinning. So, what people vote on in an impeachment vote and in a subsequent conviction vote, if it comes to that in the Senate will depend on all kinds of factors, some of them relevant at law and a lot of them not.

BAIER: A lot of this also has to do with the calendar. On the IG report, we were originally told that by the end of October, we would definitely see it. It hasn't come out yet. Again, we're still being told it could come out any day. People are always asking and tweeting and posting about that.

But there is also a calendar here on the impeachment side. Next year, you're going to run right into the Iowa caucuses on February 3rd. And suddenly the prospect of, hey, we as a country could decide whether to kick this guy out or keep him in, factors into the equation.

HUME: I agree with that, Bret. I think you've got that absolutely right. Because, you know, the closer we get to the election, the more people are going to say, well, wait a minute. He's only got a few months before we the voters get a chance to decide whether or whether he ought to remain in office. So, why not wait and then the argument will be made. Look, they're just trying to damage him and touch him up politically, so he can't be re-elected.

That could leave a bad taste and make it easier in the end for Republicans whose votes will be needed if he's ever to be convicted to vote against that. And I think that's got to figure in every calculation we make nowadays about every piece of evidence such as it is, it comes forward and every day that passes on the calendar.

BAIER: Brit, as always, thank you. We'll see you tomorrow at 3 p.m.

HUME: Thank you, Bret.

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