NBC NEWS NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER HEIDI PRISBELA, RICHARD
HAAS.
HAAS. GOOD MORNING.
GOOD MORNING. >> UNFORTUNATELY, MIKA, A LOT
MORE THAN BASEBALL.
SOME GRIM NEWS CONTINUES ON OUT
OF THE MIDDLE EAST.
AND JUST AS GRIM, AMERICA’S
RESPONSE TO IT.
A SECRETARY OF STATE THAT SEEMED
TO HUMILIATE AMERICA ON THE
WORLD STAGE, MUCH LIKE DONALD
TRUMP DID IN HELSINKI.
>> WE’LL AGAIN WITH THE LATEST
ON THE DISAPPEARANCE OF
WASHINGTON POST COLUMNIST JAMAL
KHASHOGGI.
KHASHOGGI. YESTERDAY, THE TURKISH
GOVERNMENT LEAKED THE GRUESOME
DETAILS FROM WHAT IT SAYS IS AN
AUDIO RECORDING OF KHASHOGGI’S
TORTURE AND MURDER AT THE HANDS
OF WHAT IT CLAIMS WAS A
15-MINUTE HIT SQUAD.
SAUDI CONSUL LEFT TURKEY ON
TUESDAY AND TURKISH
INVESTIGATORS SEARCHED HIS
RESIDENCE YESTERDAY MORE THAN
TWO WEEKS AFTER THE OCTOBER 2nd
INCIDENT.
INCIDENT. AFTER TURKEY LEAKED THE GRUESOME
DETAILS, WHICH THEY SAID WERE
FROM A RECORDING OF KHASHOGGI’S
MURDER, PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS
ASKED ABOUT IT YESTERDAY AT THE
WHITE HOUSE.
WHITE HOUSE. >> DID YOU ASK FOR THIS
AUDIO/VIDEO INTELLIGENCE THAT
THE TURKS HAVE?
>> WE HAVE ASKED FOR IT.
IF IT EXISTS, WE’VE ASKED FOR
IT.
IT. >> ARE YOU SURPRISED THEY
HAVEN’T TURNED IT OVER?
>> NO.
>> NO. I’M NOT SURE THAT IT EXISTS YET.
PROBABLY DOES, POSSIBLY DOES.
>> I HOPE WE’RE GOING TO BE ON
THE BETTER SIDE OF THE EQUATION.
WE NEED SAUDI ARABIA IN TERMS OF
OUR FIGHT AGAINST ALL OF THE
TERRORISM, EVERYTHING THAT’S
HAPPENING IN IRAN AND OTHER
PLACES.
PLACES. >> I’M NOT GIVING COVER AT ALL.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, SAUDI
ARABIA HAS BEEN A VERY IMPORTANT
ALLY OF OURS IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
WE ARE STOPPING IRAN.
WE’RE THE NOT TRYING TO STOP.
WE’RE STOPPING IRAN.
AND THEY ARE AN ALLY.
WE HAVE OTHER VERY GOOD ALLIES
IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT SAUDI ARABIA,
THEY’RE AN ALLY AND THEY’RE A
TREMENDOUS PURCHASER OF NOT ONLY
MILITARY EQUIPMENT, BUT OTHER
THINGS.
THINGS. SO THEY’RE AN IMPORTANT ALLY.
>> WE’RE TALKING ABOUT A MAN
THAT LIVED ACROSS THE RIVER IN
VIRGINIA.
VIRGINIA. WHY NOT SEND THE FBI IN TO
FIGURE IT OUT?
>> WELL, HE WASN’T A CITIZEN OF
THIS COUNTRY FOR ONE THING.
WE’RE GOING TO DETERMINE THAT.
AND YOU DON’T KNOW WHETHER OR
NOT WE HAVE, DO YOU?
NO, DO YOU KNOW WHETHER OR NOT
WE’VE SENT THE FBI?
>> HAVE YOU SENT THE FBI?
>> I’M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU.
WHY WOULD I TELL YOU?
>> I’M A SHAMEFUL PERFORMANCE
BECAUSE THE WHOLE WORLD IS
WATCHING, DONALD.
WATCHING, DONALD. THAT’S WHY YOU SHOULD TELL HIM.
THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING AND
THEY’RE LISTENING TO YOU AND IT
SEEMS YOU ARE FOR SALE.
THE RUSSIANS GIVE YOU A LOT OF
MONEY.
MONEY. YOU COME ON OUR SHOW THREE YEARS
AGO AND YOU DEFEND IT.
YOU SAY AT LEAST HE’S A STRONG
LEADER.
LEADER. WHY?
WHY? BECAUSE IT’S YOUR SON SAYING YOU
MAKE ALL OF THIS MONEY FROM
RUSSIA.
RUSSIA. ALL OF THESE RUSSIANS, THEY
SPENT MONEY.
SPENT MONEY. YOU TWEETED THAT IT WAS FAKE
NEWS, WHAT WE WERE SAYING, THAT
WE WERE LYING.
YOU KNOW WHAT WE’RE GOING TO DO?
YOU BUSTED ME.
I GOT IT FROM THE SOURCE.
THIS IS EMBARRASSING.
I GOT THE INFORMATION THAT THE
SAUDIS HELPED MAKE YOU RICHER
FROM A SOURCE THAT’S NOT A VERY
GOOD SOURCE.
GOOD SOURCE. IN FACT, IT’S HARD TO BELIEVE
ANYTHING THAT COMES FROM THIS
SOURCE BECAUSE IT’S A CONSTANT
STREAM OF STEADY LIES.
BUT I WILL ADMIT, VERY
EMBARRASSED, BUT MY SOURCE FOR
SAYING THAT YOU, DONALD, CAME
FROM MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS CAME FROM THIS SOURCE
RIGHT HERE.
RIGHT HERE. LET’S PLAY THIS TAPE RIGHT HERE.
I’M ASHAMED.
I’M ASHAMED. >> SAUDI ARABIA, AND I GET ALONG
GREAT WITH ALL OF THEM.
THEY BUY APARTMENTS FROM ME,
THEY SPEND $40 MILLION, $50
MILLION.
MILLION. >> I LOVE THE SAUDIS.
MANY ARE IN THIS BUILDING.
I LIKE THE SAUDIS.
THEY’RE VERY NICE.
I MAKE A LOT OF MONEY WITH THEM.
THEY BUY ALL SORTS OF MY STUFF.
ALL KINDS OF TOYS FROM TRUMP.
THEY PAY ME MILLIONS AND
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS.
>> OBJECT OKAY.
SO I’M WRITING THIS DOWN.
LET’S SEE.
LET’S SEE. I LIKE THE SAUDIS.
THEY MAKE ME RICH.
THEY GIVE ME 40 MILLION, 50
MILLION, THEY BUY TOYS FROM
TRUMP.
TRUMP. HUNDREDS OF OF MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS.
DOLLARS. WE STILL HAVE VIDEOTAPE.
>> THAT’S QUITE A SOURCE.
>> AND DONALD TRUMP TELLS PEOPLE
DURING THE CAMPAIGN THAT HE
MAKES HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS FROM THE SAUDIS SO HE
LIKES THEM.
LIKES THEM. SO HERE WE HAVE THIS GRUESOME
SPECTACLE AND, MY GOD, WHAT’S --
YOUR DAD OBVIOUSLY RAN U.S.
FOREIGN POLICY.
FOREIGN POLICY. YOUR DAD WAS ONE OF THE FOREMOST
THINKERS IN AMERICAN FOREIGN
POLICY.
POLICY. WHAT WOULD HE BE SAYING RIGHT
NOW?
NOW? HOW HUMILIATED WOULD HE BE AT
WHAT THIS ADMINISTRATION IS
DOING?
DOING? >> HE WOULD BE STAGGERED.
IT’S ONE THING WHEN THE MOST
POWERFUL COUNTRY IN THE WORLD
HAS NO LEVERAGE OVER ITS
ADVERSARIES.
ADVERSARIES. WE TALKED ABOUT HOW THE RUSSIANS
AND CHINESE CONTINUE TO BENEFIT
FROM THE AMERICA MORAL
IMPOTENCE.
IMPOTENCE. BUT SAUDI ARABIA WAS SUPPOSED TO
BE OUR ALLY, THIS DESPITE THE
FACT THAT THE NUMBER 15 KEEPS
COMING BETWEEN AMERICAN
PRESIDENTS AND THEIR SO-CALLED
FRIENDS.
FRIENDS. FIRST IT WAS THE 15 SAUDI
CITIZENS WHO MURDERED 3,000
AMERICANS ON SEPTEMBER 11th.
NOW THE 15 MEMBERS OF THE SAUDI
DEATH SQUAD THAT REPORTEDLY
BRUTALLY TORTURED AND MURDERED A
WASHINGTON POST COLUMNIST AND
VIRGINIA RESIDENT --
>> AND A VIRGINIA -- YOU’RE
EXACTLY RIGHT.
EXACTLY RIGHT. A VIRGINIA RESIDENT THAT DONALD
TRUMP SAYS SHOULDN’T BE AFFORDED
AMERICAN PROTECTION.
AMERICAN PROTECTION. >> SO WE’RE SITTING HERE LOOKING
AT THIS AND WE’RE WONDERING WHAT
OUR RESPONSE IS GOING TO BE.
WE ARE NOT SURPRISED AT THE
PRESIDENT’S PATHETIC RESPONSE.
BUT THE UNITED STATES SECRETARY
OF STATE SEEMED TO CONSPIRE WITH
SAUDIS TO KEEP FACTS FROM
CONGRESS FROM THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE AND THE CIVILIZED WORLD
ABOUT THIS ASSASSINATION AND
THAT IS BENEATHEN CONTEMPT.
THE SAUDIS SEEMED TO BRIBE TRUMP
WITH $100 MILLION TO ASSIST IN
U.S. EFFORTS IN SYRIA.
THAT BLOOD MONEY WILL NOT
DISTRACT FROM THE SAUDI 15’S
DEADLY DEEDS FROM TRUMP’S CLAIMS
DURING THE CAMPAIGN THAT HE
PERSONALLY PROFITED FROM SAUDIS
TO THE TUNE OF HUNDREDS OF
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OR FROM
AMERICA’S MORALLY DRIFT FOREIGN
POLICY IN THE AGE OF TRUMP AND
AT A TIME WHEN QUIZLINGS MEEKLY
MARCH BEHIND A MORALLY CORRUPT
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. I DON’T KNOW HOW YOU DO IT.
IT IS APPALLING.
>> I HADN’T EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT
THE 15 SAUDI THAT’S ACTUALLY
KILLED OVER 3,000 AMERICANS ON
SEPTEMBER 11th.
SEPTEMBER 11th. NOW WE HAVE 15 SAUDIS.
IT WAS A GREAT PARALLEL THAT
MIKA MADE THERE.
YOU JUST WONDER, HOW LONG CAN
THE UNITED STATES TURN A BLIND
EYE TO THIS COUNTRY WHEN THEY
PUT PEOPLE IN CHARGE THAT DO THE
GRUESOME THINGS THAT THEY DO.
AND WE HAVE AN AMERICAN
PRESIDENT THAT SITS THAT AND
SEEMS TO BE CONSPIREING WITH
THEY WILL.
THEY WILL. >> IT’S ONE THING TO STAND BY AN
ALLY.
ALLY. IT’S SOMETHING ELSE COMPLETELY
TO SIT THERE AND BE OBSEQUIOUS
REQUEST WHEN SO MANY OF THE
FACTS POINT TOWARD WHAT ALL THE
MEDIA IS SAYING AND WHAT THE
TURKISH GOVERNMENT IS SAYING.
SO NOW WE’RE GOING TO COME TO A
POINT WHERE THE UNITED STATES
INTEL AGENCIES SAY MR.
PRESIDENT, WE’VE GATHERED ALL
THIS INFORMATION.
THIS INFORMATION. IT IS CLEAR TO US NOT ONLY THAT
KHASHOGGI WAS MURDERED, BUT THAT
MBS WAS BEHIND IT.
GIVEN THIS WIND UP OF THE
PRESIDENT, WHAT WILL HE SAY
THIS?
THIS? >> CLEARLY HE WAS MURDERED.
IT’S NOT 100% SURE THAT HE WILL
EVER BE ABLE TO SAY THAT THE
CROWN PRINCE IS BEHIND IT.
BUT WE MAY NOT HAVE THE SPECIFIC
FINGERPRINTS ON IT.
AND THAT COULD, BASED ON
EVERYTHING THAT WE’VE JUST
TALKED ABOUT, THAT COULD GIVE
THE PRESIDENT SOME EXCUSE IF HE
WANTS TO SAY, IT’S STILL NOT
CLEAR.
CLEAR. THIS IS THE TAMMY WINTT FOREIGN
POLICY.
POLICY. THEY’RE GOING TO STAND BEHIND
THEIR MAN.
THEIR MAN. WHAT’S SO CONSISTENT IN THEIR
POINT OF VIEW IS THAT THEY ARE
TALKING ABOUT THIS GREAT ALLY.
THIS IS THE GREAT ALLY THAT
STARTED A WAR IN YEMEN.
THAT IS ESSENTIALLY THE VIETNAM
OF THE MODERN MIDDLE EAST.
HAD THE PRESSURE AGAINST QATAR.
NEVER HAD HAD ANY POSITIVE
INFLUENCE ON THE PALESTINIANS AS
BEST WE CAN SEE, NOW HAVE
COMMITTED MURDER.
COMMITTED MURDER. SO IT’S NOT CLEAR WHAT RETURN
WE’RE PARTICULAR AREALLY GETTING
ON INVESTMENT.
ON INVESTMENT. MIKA WAS TALKING ABOUT -- AND
JOE WERE TALKING ABOUT MIKA’S
DAD, DR. BRZEZINSKI.
WHAT THIS SEEMS TO ME IN SOME
WAYS IS REMINISCENT OF WHAT
HAPPENS WITH IRAN IN THE 1970s.
THERE WE HAD AN ALLY HEADED BY
THIS FIGURE, THE SHAH, AND THIS
ALLY WAS INCREASINGLY GOING OFF
THE RAILS.
THE RAILS. THE CARTER ADMINISTRATION WAS
STRUGGLING WITH THAT.
AND I THINK WE HAVE A VERSION OF
THAT NOW.
THAT NOW. IT’S NOT EXACT BEEN, BUT A
VERSION OF IT.
AN IMPORTANT ALLY, WHICH AT
TIMES HASN’T BEEN ACTING LIKE AN
ALLY, A LEADER WHO IS IMPULSIVE.
AND THE ADMINISTRATION IS
CAUGHT.
CAUGHT. THEY’RE WORRIED THAT IF THEY
DITCH THE HIM, THAT THEY SHOW
ANY DAYLIGHT BETWEEN HIM AND
THEM, THAT SOMETHING COULD BE
WORSE.
WORSE. SO THAT IS WHERE WE ARE.
THEY’RE CAUGHT.
THEY’RE CAUGHT. BUT MY GUESS IS, JUST LIKE THE
SAUDI LEADERSHIP, THEY’RE GOING
TO TRY TO BRAZEN THIS OUT.
THEY PREFER THE DEVIL THEY KNOW
TO THE UNCERTAINTY TO THE DEVIL
THEY DON’T.
THEY DON’T. EVEN THOUGH HE IS AT FLAWED AS
HE CLEARLY IS.
>> AND HEIDI, YOU HAVE MARCO
RUBIO SAYING ON SUNDAY IF THE
PRESIDENT WON’T DO SOMETHING
LIKE THIS, WE WILL.
BOB CORKER HAS SORT OF SENT UP
SOME RED FLARES IN THE PRESS
SAYING WE’RE NOT GETTING THE
INTELLIGENCE SHARING WE SHOULD
BE GETTING THROUGH THIS.
WHAT HAS THE REACTION BEEN LIKE
ON CAPITOL HILL FROM YOUR POINT
OF VIEW?
OF VIEW? >> CAPITOL HILL HAS BEEN WAITING
TO SEE WHAT POMPEO DID ON THIS
TRIP.
TRIP. NOW WHAT WE’RE SEEING IS THAT
POMPEO WENT OVER THERE, AND THE
BIG TELL HERE IN TERMS OF THIS
ADMINISTRATION ALLOWING SAUDI
ARABIA TO HAVE PLAUSIBLE
DENIABILITY IS THE FACT THAT
POMPEO WENT OVER THERE, DIDN’T
DEMAND TO SEE THAT TAPE, DIDN’T
DEMAND TO THE HEAR THAT TAPE.
IT’S BEING REPORTED BY ALL
MAINSTREAM MEDIA IS HE’S GOING
TO COME BACK AND ALLOW THE
SAUDIS TO SAY THAT THE CROWN
PRINCE LIKELY DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT
IT.
IT. I DON’T KNOW THAT CONGRESS IS
GOING TO LET THIS GO.
THE SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS
COMMITTEE SENT A POWERFUL LEVEL
BIPARTISAN ACROSS THE BOARD FROM
THE RANKING MEMBER AND THE
CHAIRMAN, THE FIRST TIME THAT
THEY’VE TRIED TO TRIGGER THE
MAGNITSKI ADMINISTRATION WHICH
ESSENTIALLY SAYS, HEY,
ADMINISTRATION, YOU’VE GOT 120
DAYS FOR THIS INVESTIGATION FOR
YOU TO MAKE A DETERMINATION
ABOUT WHETHER THERE WAS A GROSS
VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS HERE
AND TO REPORT BACK.
AND AT THAT POINT, YOU MUST
IMPOSE SANCTIONS.
IMPOSE SANCTIONS. I TALKED TO SENATE FOREIGN
RELATIONS SENIOR STAFFER LAST
NIGHT AND THEY SAID IT’S
POSSIBLE THAT THE ADMINISTRATION
COULD THEN IGNORE THAT.
HE SAID, QUOTE, BUT IT WOULD BE
PRETTY REPREHENSIBLE AND A NEW
LOW.
LOW. >> WHAT DOES IT TELL YOU THAT
THE ADMINISTRATION HAS INFORMED
THE SENATE INTELLIGENCE
COMMITTEE, SENATE FOREIGN
RELATIONS COMMITTEE NO
ADDITIONAL INTELLIGENCE.
ADDITIONAL INTELLIGENCE. NO ADDITIONAL INTELLIGENCE WILL
BE SHARED FOR NOW ABOUT THIS
EVENT.
EVENT. WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU?
>> THIS IS A COVER UP.
THIS IS THE ADMINISTRATION BEING
COMPLICIT.
COMPLICIT. AND WHAT HAS GONE -- THEY DON’T
WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH BECAUSE
THE TRUTH WOULD CREATE CAN
AWKWARD FOREIGN POLICY CHOICES.
SO THE ADMINISTRATION, RATHER
THAN PRESSING IMMEDIATELY FOR AN
INTERNATIONAL LEGITIMATE
INTERNATIONAL LEGITIMATE INVESTIGATION, WHAT ARE ARE WE
SEEING SAID, MIKE?
WE SEE CLEANING CREWS WITH
BLEACH GOING INTO THE BUILDING.
SO THIS IS PREPOSTEROUS WHERE,
AGAIN, SHREDDING OUR OWN
CREDIBILITY.
CREDIBILITY. AND FOR WHAT?
THE ONLY SANCTIONS WE’LL HAVE,
PROBABLY SOME FINANCIAL
SANCTIONS.
SANCTIONS. THIS IS GOING BACK TO BUSINESS
AS USUAL EVEN THOUGH IT MAKES US
LOOK -- THESE GUYS TIME AND TIME
AGAIN ARE NOT ACTING AS ALLIES.
>> JOE, WHEN YOU LISTEN TO THE
PRESIDENT, WHAT YOU HAVE IS
FOREIGN POLICY.
FOREIGN POLICY. HE KEEPS TIME AND TIME AGAIN
BRINGING UP THE $110 BILLION
ARMS DEAL.
ARMS DEAL. WHICH ISN’T QUITE ACCURATE.
BUT HE’S TALKING ABOUT MONEY,
TIME AND AGAIN.
THIS IS ABOUT MONEY FOR HIM.
IT’S NOT ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS.
IT’S NOT ABOUT WHAT THIS
RELATIONSHIP SHOULD BE OR WHAT
WE STAND FOR.
IT’S ABOUT MONEY IN THE UNITED
STATES TREASURY.
STATES TREASURY. >> WE’VE SAID IT TIME AND AGAIN.
IF YOU WANT TO UNDERSTAND DONALD
TRUMP’S FOREIGN POLICY, YOU LOOK
WHERE HIS PROPERTIES ARE.
YOU YOU LOOK AT QUOTES FROM
DONALD TRUMP AND HIS FAMILY.
WHERE DID THEY MAKE THEIR MONEY?
HIS SONS BRAGGED.
THEY MAKE THEIR MONEY FROM
RUSSIA.
RUSSIA. DONALD TRUMP BRAGGED AT HIS
CAMPAIGN RALLY.
CAMPAIGN RALLY. WHY SHOULDN’T HE LIKE HIM,
DONALD TRUMP SAYS.
HE THROWS OUT THIS $110 BILLION
DEAL AS A SMOKE SCREEN, BUT IT
DOESN’T EVEN EXIST.
WHAT DOES EXIST?
THE FACT THAT DONALD TRUMP HAS
MADE, HE SAYS, HUNDREDS OF
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FROM THE
SAUDIS IN THE PAST AND HE WANTS
TO MAKE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS
FROM SAUDIS IN THE FUTURE.
ONE OF THESE DAYS PEOPLE ARE
GOING TO UNDERSTAND THAT DONALD
TRUMP DIDN’T EXPECT TO BE
ELECTED PRESIDENT.
ELECTED PRESIDENT. DONALD TRUMP IS NOT GOING TO DO
A SECOND TERM.
DONALD TRUMP IS GOING TO CASH IN
HIS POKER CHIPS AT THE END OF
THE FIRST TERM AND GET REALLY,
REALLY RICH BECAUSE HE DOESN’T
CARE ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK HE
CARES ABOUT.
CARES ABOUT. ALL HE CARES ABOUT IS MONEY.
HE’S GOING TO SELL OUT U.S.
FOREIGN POLICY DOWN THE RIVER.
HE’S GOING TO SAY, HEY, REMEMBER
WHEN YOU CARVED UP THAT
WASHINGTON POST REPORTER AND I
DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING?
YEAH, LET’S DO BUSINESS, MAN.
THAT’S HOW DONALD TRUMP THINKS.
AND I WONDER, MIKA, IF VOTERS IN
LESS THAN THREE WEEKS ARE GOING
TO REMEMBER THAT.
AND IF THEY’RE GOING TO REWARD
THAT TYPE OF BEHAVIOR.
WE’RE LESS THAN THREE WEEKS
AWAY.
AWAY. WHERE THIS ABHORRENT BEHAVIOR IS