COUNTRY, AND OUR LIVE "LATE SHOW" FOLLOWING THE DEMOCRATIC

DEBATE IN CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA.

>> WE ARE LIVE.

>> Stephen: WE ARE LIVE.

LET'S DO IT LIVE.

LET'S TALK LAW AND ORDER FOR A SECOND HERE.

YOU'RE A LAW AND ORDER GUY?

>> I WAS U.S. ATTORNEY FOR SEVEN YEARS.

>> Stephen: DONALD TRUMP STILL CALLS RUSSIA TAMPERING A HOAX.

IS THAT A DANGEROUS THING FOR THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED

STATES TO BE SAYING ABOUT HIS ELECTION?

>> IT'S DANGEROUS BECAUSE HE'S WRONG ABOUT IT.

>> Stephen: THAT'S-- DUH!

>> I MEAN-- ( APPLAUSE ).

>> Stephen: HE'S WRONG ABOUT IT.

>> I BELIEVE-- LISTEN, I BELIEVE THE 17 DIFFERENT INTELLIGENCE

AGENCIES THAT SAY THAT IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED.

>> Stephen: NOW, WHY DO YOU THINK HE CALLS IT A HOAX?

>> BECAUSE I THINK HE'S VERY SENSITIVE ABOUT THE FACT --

>> Stephen: AND IT HURTS HIS FEELINGS?

>> LET ME FINISH NOW.

COME ON.

HE'S SENSITIVE ABOUT THE FACT THAT HE THINKS THAT MAKES HIS

ELECTION LESS VALID.

>> Stephen: AND DOES?

>> AND HE WANTS TO PUSH BACK AGAINST THAT.

IN MY OPINION, THAT'S WHY HE DOES IT.

>> Stephen: DO YOU THINK IT'S A DANGEROUS THING?

>> I DON'T THINK IT'S DANGEROUS.

I DON'T THINK ANYBODY TAKES THAT SERIOUSLY.

>> Stephen: WHY WOULDN'T THEY TAKE IT SERIOUSLY BECAUSE HE HAS

CALLED HIMSELF THE TOP LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL-- CHIEF.

>> Stephen: THE CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL IN THE

UNITED STATES.

>> THAT'S A SLIGHT MISTAKE THERE.

>> Stephen: YES, A SLIGHT CONSTITUTIONAL MISTAKE?

>> HE'S THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE COUNTRY.

>> Stephen: RIGHT, EXACTLY.

>> THE CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL OF THE COUNTRY IS THE

ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES.

>> Stephen: ANOTHER NOW AS SOMEBODY WHO WORKED AT THE

D.O.J.

>> DI.

>> Stephen: WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE PRESIDENT'S

CHARACTERIZATION OF THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, AND CALLING INTO

QUESTION THE VALIDITY OF THE PROSECUTION OF ROGER STONE?

>> WELL, ROGER STONE'S GUILTY.

BUT -- >> Stephen: AS THE DAY IS

LONG.

THE PRESIDENT IS NOW QUESTIONING WHETHER THAT WAS A VALID TRIAL.

>> I THINK THERE ARE-- I THINK THERE ARE PEOPLE, LIKE IN THE

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, LIKE IN ANYPLACE ELSE, THAT ARE GOOD

FOLKS AND THERE ARE SOME BAD FOLKS.

BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE PREDOMINANT PEOPLE THEY WORKED

WITH IN THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WERE GOOD PEOPLE TRYING TO DO

THEIR JOB THE BEST WAY THEY COULD.

AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT I THINK EVERYBODY HAS TO REMEMBER HERE

IS THAT THIS IS NOT THE DEPARTMENT OF PROSECUTION.

IT'S THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.

AND WE'RE SUPPOSED TO MAKE SURE JUSTICE GETS DONE.

AND I USED TO TELL EVERYBODY PROSECUTOR WHO WORKED FOR ME, I

DON'T CARE ABOUT WHETHER WE DO THE PROSECUTION OR NOT.

WE ONLY DO THINGS IF WE MAKE SURE JUSTICE HAPPENS.

AND I THINK WE'VE ALL LOST SIGHT OF THAT.

WE'VE SEEN THE PRESIDENT WANTS CERTAIN PEOPLE TO BE GONE AFTER.

THERE ARE PEOPLE INSIDE THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WHO WE KNOW

WANTED TO GO AFTER THE PRESIDENT AND SOME OF HIS PEOPLE.

ALL OF THIS STUFF IS LOSING WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE, WHICH IS

THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE PLACE WHERE

EVERYBODY CAN COUNT ON TO MAKE SURE THE RIGHT TH THING IS DONE,

NOT THE POLITICAL THING, THE RIGHT THING.

WHEN WE LOSE, THAT WE LOSE AN UNDERPINNING OF OUR COUNTRY.

( APPLAUSE ).

>> Stephen: ALL RIGHT WHAT, ARE YOU DOING-- WHAT ARE YOU

DOING FOR A LIVING THESE DAYS?

BECAUSE YOU'RE NO LONGER IN POLITICS.

>> NO.

WELL, I'M ON ABC, DOING COMMENTARY ON SUNDAYS.

>> Stephen: IT'S A DIFFERENT NETWORK.

>> IT'S A DIFFERENT NETWORK, ABC, SUNDAY, HERE IN NEW YORK AT

10:00.

>> Stephen: YES, YES, SURE.

>> IT'S A LIVE SHOW.

I'M REALLY STICKING IT TO YOU.

>> Stephen: OKAY, ALL RIGHT.

>> I'M ON SOME CORM RAT BOARDS OF DIRECTORS AND DOING SOME

CONSULTING.

>> Stephen: WOULD YOU MAKE A BETTER ATTORNEY GENERAL THAN

WILLIAM BARR?

>> SURE.

>> Stephen: IS THERE ANYONE I CAN COMPARE YOU TO IN ANY JOB

THAT YOU WOULDN'T SAY, "I'D BE BETTER THAN HIM?"

>> SURE.

>> Stephen: WOULD YOU BE A BETTER PRESIDENT THAN DONALD

TRUMP?

>> I RAN AGAINST HIM.

IF I DIDN'T THINK I COULD BE BETTER I HAD NO BUSINESS RUNNING

AGAINST HIM.

>> Stephen: HE BEAT YOU.

DOESN'T THAT PROVE HE IS A MORE FORCEFUL LEADER.

DIDN'T HE COW YOU?

ISN'T HE THE TOP DOG?

>> YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE ME CRY.

>> Stephen: I HOPE SO.

>> I COULDN'T BE A BETTER PITCHER FOR THE METS.

IN POLITICS IF I DON'T HAVE CONFIDENCE IN MIERKZ I DON'T

HAVE REQUEST ANY RIGHT TO ASK ANYBODY ABOUT THEIR VOTES.

>> Stephen: WHAT WOULD YOU DO ABOUT THE TRUMP TWEETS?

>> THE PRESIDENT GETS TO SAY WHATEVER HE WANTS TO SAY YOU

SHOULD JUST DO YOUR JOB.

>> Stephen: IGNORE THE PRESIDENT.

>> STOP COMPLAINING.

>> Stephen: IGNORE DONALD TRUMP?

>> STOP COMPLAINING AND DO YOUR JOB.

>> Stephen: THERE IT IS.

IGNORE THE PRESIDENT.

CRID.

GOVERNOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

GOVERNOR CHRIS CHRISTIE, EVERYBODY.

WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH A LIVE PERFORMANCE BY NATHANIEL

RATELIFF.

STICK AROUND.