NBC’s Williams: Yates’ Memo Was Arguing EO Wasn’t ‘Wise or Just’ and ‘Invitation’ to Trump, Not ‘Detailed Legal Analysis’

On Friday’s broadcast of PBS’ “Washington Week,” NBC News Justice Correspondent Pete Williams argued that former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates’ memo refusing to defend President Trump’s immigration order was her saying, “I just can’t enforce this, because I don’t think it’s wise or just. It wasn’t a detailed legal analysis of it. It was almost an invitation to the president.”

Williams said, “[W]hat she said is in this memo, I just can’t enforce this, because I don’t think it’s wise or just. It wasn’t a detailed legal analysis of it. It was almost an invitation to the president. He took the bait. And, of course, you know, she’s — no matter what happens, she would only be there a short time because [Sen.] Jeff Sessions (R-AL) is about to get confirmed, it would appear. And he will come in and obviously enforce it.”

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