BACK AFTER THIS. >> I THINK THE WHOLE PAUL
MANAFORT TRIAL IS VERY SAD.
HE WORKED FOR ME FOR A VERY
SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
HE HAPPENS TO BE A VERY GOOD
PERSON.
PERSON. I THINK IT’S VERY SAD WHAT
THEY’VE DONE TO PAUL MANAFORT.
>> PRESIDENT TRUMP WEIGHING IN
ON THE PAUL MANAFORT TRIAL,
CALLING HIS FORMER CAMPAIGN
CHAIRMAN GOOD.
CHAIRMAN GOOD. MANAFORT PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO
18 CHARGES OF BANK AND TAX
FRAUD.
FRAUD. THE JURY WILL BE BACK AT IT
MONDAY MORNING AT 9:30 A.M.
TONIGHT MANAFORT’S ATTORNEY SAYS
HE IS FEELING GOOD ABOUT
EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING. >> Reporter: WHAT WAS YOUR
REACTION TO THE PRESIDENT?
>> WE’RE HAPPY TO THE PRESIDENT
AND THAT HE’S SUPPORTING MR.
MANAFORT.
MANAFORT. >> HERE TO DISCUSS IT ALL, JOSH
GERSTEIN FROM POLITICO WHO HAS
BEEN AT THE ALEXANDRIA COVERING
THIS TRIAL AND ATTORNEY JILL
WINE-BANKS FORMER ASSISTANT
WATERGATE SPECIAL COUNSEL, BOTH
ARE MSNBC ANALYST.
>> THE PROSECUTION PUTS ON POKER
FACES, THIS JURY -- THIS JUDGE
HAS FAULTED THE PROSECUTION ON
SEVERAL OCCASIONS FOR MAKING
FACIAL EXPRESSIONS AND SO FORTH
SO THEY’RE MORE STATE THAN
USUAL.
USUAL. WE HEARD THE PROSECUTOR SAY HE
WAS HAPPY BECAUSE THEY WERE ABLE
TO GET SOME SLEEP BECAUSE THEY
WEREN’T TRYING TO PREPARE FOR
THE NEXT DAY’S TESTIMONY.
I THINK THE QUESTIONS THAT CAME
IN ON THURSDAY HAD TO BE
UNSETTLING FOR THE PROSECUTION
IF THEY THOUGHT MAYBE THEY WOULD
GET A VERDICT HERE WITHIN A
MATTER OF A FEW HOURS THAT THIS
CASE WAS A SLAM DUNK.
SOME OF THEM SUGGESTED THAT
JURORS WANT TO POUR THROUGH THIS
EVIDENCE IN DETAIL AND THAT WE
COULD BE HERE A WHILE I THINK
THE DEFENSE MAY BE OVERSTATING
BUT I THINK THE PROSECUTION HAS
SOME REASONS TO BE CONCERNED.
>> WE SHOWED THE PRESIDENT
WEIGHING IN ON THIS EARLIER.
WE SHOWED PAUL MANAFORT’S
ATTORNEY SAYING HE WAS HAPPY THE
PRESIDENT DID THAT.
ALSO OUR OWN PETER ALEXANDER
ASKED THE PRESIDENT ABOUT THE
POSSIBILITY IF THERE’S A
CONVICTION OF A PARDON FOR PAUL
MANAFORT.
MANAFORT. >> WILL YOU PARDON PAUL
MANAFORT?
MANAFORT? >> I DON’T TALK ABOUT THAT CHLT.
>> THE PRESIDENT DIDN’T WANT TO
TALK ABOUT IT BUT THE COMMENTS
HAVE PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT IT.
>> WELL, THE PRESIDENT HAS I
THINK ABUSED HIS PARDON POWER
WHICH IS I ADMIT COMPLETELY
UNLIMITED BUT IT’S PERHAPS TIME
FOR A CONSTITUTIONAL LOOK AT
THAT.
THAT. BECAUSE WITHOUT ANY RESTRICTIONS
ON HIM HE HAS PARDONED PEOPLE
WHO HAVE BEEN HELD IN CONTEMPT
OF COURT.
OF COURT. HE HAS PARDONED PEOPLE WHO HAVE
VIOLATED VERY SERIOUS LAWS.
AND I DON’T KNOW THAT HE WOULD
PARDON ANYONE HERE BECAUSE IT
DOESN’T DO HIM -- THAT IS DONALD
TRUMP -- ANY GOOD.
AND DONALD TRUMP SEEMS TO
PROTECT MOSTLY HIMSELF.
THE PAUL MANAFORT WERE PARDONED
HE WOULD HAVE TO TESTIFY.
HE COULD NOT AVOID THAT, HE
WOULD LOSE HIS FIFTH AMENDMENT
PRIVILEGE AND THAT WOULD BE A
PROBLEM FOR DONALD TRUMP.
NOW IT’S TRUE THAT DONALD TRUMP
PARDONED JOE ARPAIO SO HE COULD
DO THE SAME IN THIS CASE IF
MANAFORT REFUSES TO TESTIFY BUT
I THINK THE REPUBLICANS WILL
GROW A SPINE AND THEY WILL SAY
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH AND WE CAN’T
LET HIM KEEP GOING THIS WAY AND
WE NEED TO GET THE TRUTH OUT SO
I DO AGREE WITH EVERYTHING JOSH
SAID EARLIER ABOUT THE CONCERNS.
I WOULD BE SHOCKED IF THERE WAS
A VERDICT BEFORE THREE OR FOUR
DAYS.
DAYS. THEY HAVE TO CONSIDER 18 COUNTS
AND JURIES TAKE THEIR