AND I WILL TALK TO SOMEONE WHO SAID HE EVEN TRAINED MUELLER’S
SPECIAL PROSECUTORS.
SPECIAL PROSECUTORS. AND HOW TO SPOT AND FIGHT
PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTION.
>>> AND THE TAPING CAUGHT BY A
FORMER AIDE.
FORMER AIDE. THIS IRONY HAUNTING THE WHITE
HOUSE, NOTE IT IS ALL OF DONALD
TRUMP’S OWN MAKING.
WHEN IT COMES TO SECRET TAPES,
DONALD TRUMP SEEMS TO KEEP
GETTING HIMSELF ON THE WRONG END
OF THEM.
OF THEM. A LITTLE CONTEXT.
IT WAS DONALD TRUMP WHO CLAIMED
HE MIGHT HAVE TAPES OF JAMES
COMEY AND CLAIMED OTHER PEOPLE
MAY HAVE ILLEGALLY TAPED HIM AT
TRUMP TOWER, TRUMP ACCUSING
FORMER PRESIDENT OBAMA OF THAT.
AT THIS POINT IN THIS
PRESIDENCY, TONIGHT IS A NIGHT
WE NOTICED THE ONLY TAPES AIRED
ACROSS AMERICA THAT EMBARRASSED
THE PEOPLE CAUGHT ON SAID TAPES
ARE THE TAPES MADE BY TRUMP’S
OWN LAWYER AND FIXER, MICHAEL
COHEN AND NOW HIS OWN REALITY
SHOW APPRENTICE, OMAROSA, WHO’S
GONE FROM HERALDING THE TRUMP
TRAIN TO MAKING HIM OUT TONIGHT
AS A PUBLIC ENEMY.
>> WHEN I SAY TRUMP TRAIN, I
WANT YOU TO SAY CHOO-CHOO.
Y’ALL READY?
Y’ALL READY? TRUMP TRAIN!
TRUMP TRAIN! CHOO-CHOO TRUMP TRAIN!
>> CHOO-CHOO!
>> CHOO-CHOO! >> TRUMP TRAIN!
>> THOSE WERE THE DAYS.
TONIGHT, THE STORY IS NEW
REPORTS COMING OFF OF OMAROSA’S
BOOK, ROLLOUT TOUR THAT IVANKA
TRUMP AND JARED KUSHNER WERE
CAUGHT THE COUPLE WISHING HER
THE BEST AND ASSERTING THEY
DIDN’T KNOW SHE WAS BEING FIRED
AT THE TIME.
NOT ALL THESE TAPES ARE BAD FOR
THE WHITE HOUSE, OMAROSA’S
BREACH OF PROTOCOL TO BRING A
RECORDING DEVICE INTO THE
SITUATION ROOM HAS DRAWN HER FAR
MORE CRITICISM THAN HER APPARENT
TARGET, CHIEF OF STAFF JOHN
KELLIE WHO WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT
RULES WAS WITHIN HIS RIGHTS TO
EXPECT PRIVACY THERE IN HER
DEPARTURE, AS CHIEF OF STAFF AND
OMAROSA ALSO HAD PHONE ACCESS TO
PRESIDENT TRUMP FEATURES HIM
CLAIMING HE HAD NO IDEA SHE WAS
BEING LET GO.
>> OMAROSA.
>> OMAROSA. OMAROSA, WHAT’S GOING ON.
I JUST SAW IN THE NEWS YOU’RE
THINKING ABOUT LEAVING.
WHAT HAPPENED?
WHAT HAPPENED? >> GENERAL KELLIE CAME TO ME AND
SAID THAT YOU GUYS WANTED ME TO
LEAVE.
LEAVE. >> NO, I -- NOBODY EVEN TOLD ME
ABOUT IT?
ABOUT IT? WOW.
WOW. >> YOU KNOW, THEY RUN A BIG
OPERATION, BUT I DIDN’T KNOW IT.
I DIDN’T KNOW NAT.
>> I DON’T LOVE YOU LEAVING AT
ALL.
ALL. >> THAT EXPERT IS OBVIOUSLY OPEN
TO INTERPRETATION.
TO INTERPRETATION. DONALD TRUMP COULD BE TELLING
THE TRUTH AND HE WAS OUT OF THE
LOOP ABOUT HER REMOVAL WHICH IN
ITSELF MAY NOT MEAN MUCH IF SHE
ALREADY HAD A LIMITED ROLE.
THE PRESIDENT IS NOT INVOLVED IN
A NORMAL SITUATION EVEN IN A
TRUMP WHITE HOUSE.
OMAROSA SAYING TODAY TRUMP IS
PREPPED TO LIE TO THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE ON "THE DAILY.
>> IF THE COMES TEAM PREPPED THE
PRESIDENT TO LIE TO LESTER HOLT.
>> THEY PREP HIM TO LIE
EVERYDAY.
EVERYDAY. >> DID YOU EVER ASK THE
QUESTION, WHY ARE WE LYING?
>> ALL THE TIME.
THE ANSWER WAS --
>> THIS IS HOW THEY DO IT.
THIS IS THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
AT ITS BEST.
>> THIS IS HOW WE DO IT, MONTEL
JORDAN THERE.
JORDAN THERE. TRUMP IS HITTING BACK AT HIS
AIDE BY GIVING HER THIS
NICKNAME.
NICKNAME. >> MR. PRESIDENT, DO YOU FEEL --
BY OMAROSA, SIR?
>> LO LIFE, SHE’S A LOW LIFE.
>> THIS IS NOT ANOTHER PLOT
TWIST, NOT A CLIFFHANGER.
THIS IS ANOTHER STEP IN THE
MARCH OF A REALITY SHOW
PRESIDENCY NOT SO MUCH STAFFED
AS CAST NOT SO MUCH PLANNED AS
IT IS SCRIPTED AND THAT IN THE
END, IS NOT DRIVEN PAO BY DEBATE
WHICH ASSUMES PEOPLE HOLDING
BELIEFS BEYOND SELF-INTEREST AND
PROMOTION.
PROMOTION. THIS ISN’T A DEBATE TONIGHT.
THIS IS JUST MORE CONTENT, WHICH
IS WHY THE SELF-MADE CHARACTERS
LOOK SO AT EASE IN SITUATIONS
MOST PEOPLE WOULD FIND
UNCOMFORTABLE AND UNDESIRABLE.
BUT WE KNOW THIS IS THEIR
DESIRE.
DESIRE. THIS IS WHAT THEY WANT, AS WE’VE
KNOWN ABOUT MANY OF TRUMP’S
FLAMBOYANT AIDES FOR SOME TIME.
SOME OF THEM WANT TO USE YOU BUT
SOME OF THEM WANT TO GET USED BY
YOU.
YOU. JOINING ME NOW WE HAVE MICHAEL
HIRSCH HORN WHO CREATED THE
REALITY OF HIPS.
HE IS A CRITIC OF IMIMPORTANTING
IMIMPORTANTING -- IMPORTING THE
STYLE OF GOVERNANCE.
THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR THIS
VERY IMPORTANT DISCUSSION.
I DON’T KNOW.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> I ACTUALLY THINK YOU’RE SPOT
ON.
ON. I DON’T THINK THIS IS A
DIFFERENT STORY.
DIFFERENT STORY. I THINK THIS IS WHAT WE CALL IN
JOURNALISM, MORE COLOR FOR THE
SAME STORY ALREADY BEING WRITTEN
ABOUT THE TRUMP WHITE HOUSE,
WHICH IS DESPITE PROMISING
AMERICANS HE WAS GOING TO HIRE
THE BEST PEOPLE, ACTUALLY
PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS SHOWN THAT
THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE WHITE
HOUSE ARE PEOPLE YOU WOULDN’T
EVEN NECESSARILY WANT TO BE AT
YOUR DINNER TABLE BECAUSE YOU
CAN’T TRUST THEM, BECAUSE OF THE
LACK OF RESPECT THAT THEY BRING
TO THE OFFICE AND TO THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE.
AMERICAN PEOPLE. IT WAS ONE OF THOSE DAYS FOR ME
WHERE I SAID, IMAGINE IF BARACK
OBAMA HAD DONE THIS.
THE DOUBLE STANDARD, NOT JUST
FOR THE FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT
COMPARED TO PRESIDENT TRUMP BUT
ALSO QUITE FRANKLY AT THIS POINT
FOR REPUBLICANS AND THE LATITUDE
THEY ARE SOMETIMES GIVEN
REMARKABLE.
REMARKABLE. >> YOU THINK AMERICA WOULD BE
LESS PATIENT WITH BARACK OBAMA
MAKING ALL THESE HIRING AND
FIRING DECISIONS?
FIRING DECISIONS? >> OH, WELL, I’LL LEAVE IT TO
THE IMAGINATION.
THE IMAGINATION. I THINK WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE
QUOTE UNQUOTE SCANDALS DURING
HIS ADMINISTRATION, BARACK
OBAMA’S, THE WEARING OF A TAN
SUIT, WE ARE SO FAR BEYOND THAT
AT THIS POINT, AND I THINK IT’S
VERY CLEAR THAT RACE IS PART OF
THAT, BUT ALSO JUST THIS GENERAL
DISINTEGRATION OF OUR POLITICS
INTO THIS REALITY CARNIVAL.
IT MAKES ME SAD.
>> MICHAEL, BECAUSE YOU ARE
FAMILIAR WITH BOTH THIS MEDIUM
BUT ALSO ITS LIMITATIONS, THESE
ARE TIMES, AS WE THINK ABOUT
WHAT’S IN THE NEWS AND WHAT’S
IMPORTANT AND WHAT THE PRESIDENT
IS DOING WITH HIS TIME, WHERE I
DO STRUGGLE.
DO STRUGGLE. I STRUGGLE TO EVEN UNDERSTAND
WHAT WE’RE DOING.
SO I REACH FOR THE POET METHOD
MAN WHO SAID, IS IT REAL, SON,
TELL ME IF IT’S REAL, SON, IS IT
REALLY REAL SON?
>> I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO
REFERENCE THE DECATCHY 6 Y 9 G
BUT YOU WENT DEEPER FOR ME.
I THINK IT’S UNBEARABLY SAD AND
TRAGIC.
TRAGIC. MY CONCERN EXPANDS TO THE
COVERAGE GIVEN TO THIS ISSUE.
THEY ARE VERY SUCCESSFUL,
OMAROSA AND THE PRESIDENT AT
CONTROLLING ATTENTION.
CONTROLLING ATTENTION. >> THIS IS NEGATIVE ATTENTION
FOR DONALD TRUMP.
I’M WILLING TO DEBATE IT.
THIS IS VERY NEGATIVE ATTENTION
ON SOFT SPOT ISSUES FOR HIM ON
SOMETHING HE TOLD SUPPORTERS WAS
CREDIBLE AND POSITIVE FOR HIM
AND ON A DAY POLITICALLY, HE HAS
FINALLY GOTTEN, WE WILL GET TO
LATER ON THE SHOW, HE WOULD WANT
THE A BLOCK OF THE NEWS SHOWS TO
BE ABOUT THE FIRING OF THE FBI
AGENT ANTI-TRUMP DEEP STATE.
DOES IT REALLY APPLY ON A DAY
LIKE TODAY?
LIKE TODAY? >> I THINK SO, IF WE STICK WITH
THE BEEF METAPHOR THIS IS IN THE
CONTEXT OF A REALITY SHOW, KIND
OF A HIP-HOP BEEF, RIGHT?
AND A HIP HOFF BEEF ALMOST BY
DEFINITION BENEFITS AT LEAST ONE
OR BOTH OF THE PARTIES.
IN THIS SENSE, ANYTHING THAT
PROVIDED DISTRACTION IS A
POSITIVE.
POSITIVE. THIS ACTUALLY REPRESENTS A NEW
TYPE OF DISTRACTION INTERESTING
AS DRAMA, BUT YOU NEVER KNOW IF
IT’S REAL OR FAKE.
I WOULD POSIT THESE FAKES ARE
FABRICATED, THE QUALITY OF THE
TAPE IS TOO GOOD.
THE WHOLE THING KIND OF SMELLS
FUNKY TO ME.
>> WHEN YOU SAY IT’S LIKE A BEEF
WHERE BOTH SIDES BENEFITS
BECAUSE THE CONFLICT ESCALATES
THEM BOTH TO SOME DEGREE.
IT GOES TO THE SAYING, WHAT’S
BEEF?
BEEF? BEEF IS WHEN YOU NEED TWO TWEETS
TO GO TO SLEEP.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. ARI, YOU BEGIN WITH THAT ANALOGY
THE WHITE HOUSE IS A REALITY
SHOW AND TRUMP LIKES TO CONDUCT
IT LIKE A REALITY SHOW.
THE PROBLEM WITH THAT METAPHOR
IS WE ARE NOT VIEWERS, WE ARE
CITIZENS, WE DESERVE BETTER AND
WE CANNOT OPT OUT OF THIS
REALITY SHOW ON OUR TERMS.
THE WORLD IN MANY CASE IS GOING
TO FIRE AND THEN WE’RE SADDLED
WITH ALL THIS MESS AND WE ARE
DISTRACTED, AS MICHAEL HAS SAID.
THIS BUSINESS, TO YOUR POINT,
WHAT ABOUT SCARAMUCCI AND
PRUITT, A PARADE, HORROR SHOW OF
DISASTROUS HIRES AND SOME IN THE
MAIN REALITY SHOW AND SOME SHEER
INCOMPETENCE.
INCOMPETENCE. DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN INEXCESS
INCOMPETENCE AND REALITY TV.
>> THIS IS A CONSTRUCTIVE BEEF
FOR BENEFIT IS DRAMA.
HERE’S DONALD TRUMP AND OMAROSA
AND THEIR FAILED REALITY TV
DATING SHOW.
DATING SHOW. >> OMAROSA.
>> OMAROSA. >> MR. TRUMP.
>> YOU’VE BEEN VERY GOOD FOR ME.
AND YOU’RE MY PAL.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I’D LOVE TO HAVE
YOU MEET SOMEBODY.
IS THERE ANYBODY THAT CAN TAME
YOU?
YOU? I HAVE 12 MEN.
I WANT YOU TO GO TO LAS VEGAS,
MEET THESE GUYS AND YOU WILL
DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT THERE’S
SOMEBODY FOR YOU.
>> I HOPE I CAN FIND THEM.
>> NOTE, THAT WAS A BINDER FULL
OF MEN, FOR ANYONE WHO
REMEMBERS, THAT’S A BINDER FULL
OF MEN.
OF MEN. BUT IT GOES TO YOUR POINT THESE
TWO HAVE BEEN COLLABORATORS.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. I THINK THEY’VE BEEN
COLLABORATORS FOR A LONG TIME.
ANYONE WHO IS A REALITY SHOW
VILLAIN IS A REALITY SHOW
VILLAIN FOR LIFE.
THERE’S NO WAY OUT OF IT AND
THIS IS A CONTINUATION OF THEIR
RELATIONSHIP BY OTHER MEANS.
>> I’M GOING TO SAY DONALD TRUMP
REALLY ONLY SEEMS TO HAVE TWO
LITMUS TESTS TO WORK IN THAT
WHITE HOUSE, ONE IS TO MAKE HIM
LOOK EXTREMELY GOOD, AND THE
OTHER IS TO BE RED MEAT FOR HIS
BASE.
BASE. WHEN THOSE ARE THE LITMUS TESTS
YOU USE TO HIRE YOU DON’T
NECESSARILY GET THE BEST PEOPLE.
>> I WILL BRING IS PULITZER
PRIZE WINNING JOURNALIST.
THIS WAS CONSIDERED MORE OF A
PIPE DREAM IN 2015, LET’S TAKE A
LOOK.
LOOK. >> YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE
DYNAMIC OF CELEBRITY FEUD,
HONEY, I MADE A CAREER OUT OF
CELEBRITY FEUDS.
CELEBRITY FEUDS. HE IS SELLING THE SIZZLE NOT THE
STAKE.
STAKE. YOU ALL ARE GETTING CAUGHT UP ON
THE SIZZLE.
THE SIZZLE. >> WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?
>> A LOT.
>> A LOT. THAT CONVERSATION HAPPENED IN
AUGUST 2015.
AUGUST 2015. IT WAS THE FIRST SATURDAY AFTER
DONALD TRUMP PARTICIPATED IN HIS
FIRST DEBATE IN THE REPUBLICAN
PRIMARY.
PRIMARY. I WANTED US TO BRING IN A TRUMP
WHISPERER, SOMEONE WHO COULD
EXPLAIN HIM TO US BECAUSE WE
FIGURED HE WOULD DO SOMETHING IN
THAT DEBATE TO REQUIRE US TO
TALK ABOUT IT AND TALK ABOUT
HIM.
HIM. THAT INTERVIEW WITH OMAROSA HAS
STUCK WITH ME FOR THREE YEARS
BECAUSE EVERYTHING SHE SAID IN
AUGUST 2015 TURNED OUT TO BE
TRUE.
TRUE. THE THING SHE SAID WAS,
JONATHAN, REALITY TELEVISION HAS
TAKEN OVER AMERICA.
DONALD TRUMP IS THE REALITY
TELEVISION KING.
TELEVISION KING. HE IS NOW BRINGING THAT TO
PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS AND YOU’RE
MAKING A MISTAKE IF YOU TRY TO
VIEW HIM THROUGH A PRESIDENTIAL
PRISM.
PRISM. YOU NEED TO VIEW HIM THROUGH
THIS POP CULTURE REALITY
TELEVISION PRISM.
TELEVISION PRISM. I WAS HAVING A HARD TIME WITH
THAT.
THAT. THREE YEARS LATER I HAVE NO HARD
TIME AT ALL.
I COMPLETELY SEE IT.
EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT DONALD
TRUMP AND LEARNED ABOUT DONALD
TRUMP I LEARNED FROM OMAROSA.
>> MICHAEL IS SAYING SOMETHING
YOU DID AS WELL, WHAT IS THE
CULTURE CONVERSATION TAPPED
INTO.
INTO. THE CELEBRITY STATUS OF DONALD
TRUMP HELD AGAINST HIM NOT ONLY
BY THE REPUBLICAN ESTABLISHMENT
ON THE RIGHT BUT BY THE ELITES
AND WHAT YOU MIGHT CALL CENTER
AND LIBERAL ELITES PLAYED WELL
IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. HE DIDN’T GET MORE VOTES BUT HE
CAME CLOSE.
CAME CLOSE. HARD TO IMAGINE JOHN KELLIE FITS
INTO THE BEEF FEUD -- JOHN
KELLY -- HERE’S THE AUDIO.
>> IS THE PRESIDENT AWARE OF
WHAT’S GOING ON?
>> DON’T GO DOWN THE ROAD.
THIS IS A NON-NEGOTIABLE
DISCUSSION.
DISCUSSION. THIS HAS TO DO WITH SERIOUS
INTEGRITY VIOLATIONS.
INTEGRITY VIOLATIONS. I’LL LET IT GO AT THAT.
THE STAFF AND EVERYONE ON THE
STAFF WORKS FOR ME, NOT THE
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. AFTER YOUR DEPARTURE I’LL IN
FORM HIM IF HE GETS INTERESTED
ON WHERE YOU MAY BE.
>> IS THAT PART REAL?
>> THEY SOUND LIKE THEY’RE IN
BED TOGETHER.
BED TOGETHER. >> BUT THEY’RE NOT, ALLEGEDLY IN
THE SITUATION ROOM.
>> ALLEGEDLY.
>> ALLEGEDLY. THE PROBLEM IS I THINK WHAT’S
HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IS
EVERYTHING IS BECOMING AN
ALLEGEDLY.
ALLEGEDLY. PART OF THE DETERIORATION THAT
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS
CREATED WHERE YOU DON’T TRUST
ANYTHING.
ANYTHING. I THINK THE ENTIRE COUNTRY IS IN
A STATE OF PARANOIA.
WHAT IF THIS IS REAL?
I HAVE NO IDEA.
>> THE IDEA IS JOHN KELLY, BASED
ON WHAT WE KNOW, THERE ARE
FACTS, SHE WAS REMOVED FROM THE
WHITE HOUSE AND GOVERNMENT
PAYROLL AND NO LONGER DRAW AS
CHECK AND DOESN’T GO THERE
EVERYDAY AND JOHN KELLY WAS THE
ONE THAT REMOVED HERE.
THIS IS WHAT JOHN KELLY THE
CHIEF OF STAFF IS SPENDING HIS
TIME ON.
TIME ON. >> WHAT’S THE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR
THAT?
THAT? IF THESE ARE SO SLIPPERY, HE’S
ACTIVELY CREATING AN ATMOSPHERE
OF PARANOIA, WHAT IS THE
TANGIBILITY OF THESE FACTS.
THEY ARE FACTS BUT HE GETS TO
DETERMINE, OH, SHE’S THIS AND
THAT AND HE GETS TO DETERMINE
THE PARAMOUNTETERS OF THE FACT I
WERE NOT FOR JOURNALISTS KEEPING
HIM ACCOUNTABLE?
HIM ACCOUNTABLE? >> DO YOU THINK THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT PLAYS OUT IN
WASHINGTON FOR A FEW MORE DAYS
AND TAPES OR HAS LONG TERM
SIGNIFICANCE FOR THIS PRESIDENT?
>> I THINK WE’RE NOW IN
OMAROSA’S HANDS.
OMAROSA’S HANDS. SHE INITIALLY SAID, I’VE GOT
TAPES.
TAPES. THE INITIAL REACTION IN
WASHINGTON WAS, OH, SURE YOU DO.
THEN, ON "MEET THE PRESS"
YESTERDAY SHE DROPS A TAPE THAT
YOU JUST PLAYED.
WE HEAR THAT IT’S NOT ONLY THE
CHIEF OF STAFF BUT IT’S IN THE
SITUATION ROOM, SHE UPPED THE
ANTE THIS MORNING ON THE "TODAY"
SHOW WITH A TAPE OF A
CONVERSATION SHE HAD WITH
PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYING SHE HAD
JUST BEEN FIRED.
NOW, THERE’S REPORTS SHE’S GOT
RECORDINGS OF JARED AND IVANKA.
SHE COULD KEEP THIS GOING,
OMAROSA COULD KEEP THIS GOING