>>> IT’S VERY IMPORTANTLY ONLY FIVE MINUTES FROM THE AIRPORT.
THE AIRPORT’S RIGHT NEXT TO IT.
WITH DORAL WE HAVE A SERIES OF
MAGNIFICENT BUILDINGS.
MAGNIFICENT BUILDINGS. WE CALL THEM BUNGALOWS.
THEY EACH HOLD FROM 50 TO 70
VERY LUXURIOUS ROOMS WITH
MAGNIFICENT VIEWS AND WE HAVE
MANY HUNDRED OF ACRES SO THAT IN
TERMS OF PARKING, IN TERMS OF
ALL THE THINGS YOU NEED, EACH
COUNTRY CAN HAVE THEIR OWN VILLA
OR THEIR OWN BUNGALOW.
>> WELCOME BACK TO "HARDBALL."
THAT WAS PRESIDENT TRUMP BACK IN
AUGUST MAKING THE SALES PITCH
FOR HIS TRUMP NATIONAL DORAL
COURSE IN FLORIDA.
AND YESTERDAY ACTING CHIEF OF
STAFF MICK MULVANEY MADE IT
OFFICIAL.
OFFICIAL. MULVANEY SAID A DOZEN LOCATIONS
WERE VETTED INCLUDEBING ONE HAWA
AND TWO IN UTAH, BUT DENIED TO
SAY HOW DORAL WAS PICKED.
>> IT WAS ALMOST LIKE THEY BUILT
THIS FACILITY TO HOST THIS TYPE
OF EVENT.
OF EVENT. I DON’T TALK ABOUT HOW THIS
PLACE RUNS ON THE INSIDE.
SO IF YOU SEE OUR PAPER ON HOW
WE DID THIS, THE ANSWER IS
ABSOLUTELY NOT.
ABSOLUTELY NOT. >> MULVANEY ARGUED THAT THE
SUMMIT WOULD BE AT COST AND SAID
THE PRESIDENT WOULD NOT PROFIT
FROM THE EVENT.
"THE WASHINGTON POST" REPORTS,
QUOTE, THAT DECISION IS WITHOUT
PRES DEPENDENT IN MODERN
AMERICAN HISTORY.
AMERICAN HISTORY. THE PRESIDENT USED HIS PUBLIC
OFFICE TO DIRECT A HUGE CONTRACT
TO HIMSELF.
TO HIMSELF. IT ADDS THE RESORT QUOTE HAS
BEEN IN SHARP DECLINE IN RECENT
YEARS ACCORDING TO THE TRUMP
RESORT’S OWN RECENT RECORDS.
TWO HOUSE COMMITTEES, OVERSIGHT
AND JUDICIARY HAVE ALREADY
DEMANDED INFORMATION ABOUT
EFFORTS TO STEER GOVERNMENT
BUSINESS TO THE PRESIDENT’S
RESORTS.
RESORTS. THE CHOICE OF DORAL BROUGHT
WIDESPREAD CONDEMNATION FROM
DEMOCRATS AND SOME REPUBLICANS.
HERE REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN ADAM
KINZINGER OF ILLINOIS.
>> I ACTUALLY READ THE
EMOLUMENTS CLAUSE YESTERDAY.
I DON’T KNOW IF IT’S A DIRECT
VIOLATION BUT I DON’T KNOW
UNDERSTAND WHY AT THIS MOMENT
THEY HAD TO DO THAT.
DO IT IN D.C., DO IT IN MIAMI AT
A DIFFERENT RESORT.
>> FOR MORE I’M JOINED BY WALTER
SCHWAB AND CURRENTLY SENIOR
ADSIZER FOR RESPONSIBILITY AND
ETHICS IN WASHINGTON.
AND ANITA KUMAR.
THANKS VERY MUCH BOTH OF YOU FOR
BEING WITH US.
WALTER, LET ME START WITH YOU.
MULVANEY SAYS THE PRESIDENT
WON’T PROFIT FROM THIS.
THEREFORE NOT A CONFLICT.
ASSESS THAT CLAIM.
>> WELL, THAT’S A RIDICULOUS
THING FOR MULVANEY TO SAY.
ESSENTIALLY IT BOILS DOWN TO
THIS, THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES PARTICIPATED IN A
CONTRACT AWARD TO HIS OWN
BUSINESS.
BUSINESS. THIS IS FIGERATIVE EQUIVALENT IF
HE REACHES INTO THE TREASURY,
GRABS A CHUNK OF MONEY AND SAYS
DON’T WORRY, I’M NOT TAKING MORE
THAN I’M SPENDING.
THAT’S NO DEFENSE AT ALL.
AND CERTAINLY IF IT HAD BEEN
MICK MULVANEY WHO OWNED THIS
PROPERTY HE’D BE PROSECUTED AND
CONVICTED OF A FELONY AND
WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO SAY OH, I
BROKE EVEN.
BROKE EVEN. >> THAT COMMENT HE SAID HE’S NOT
HAPPY ABOUT THIS BUT THEN HE
SAID WHY NOT JUST GIVEN ALL THE
QUESTIONS THIS RAISES, ALL THE
GRIEF THIS CAUSES THE WHITE
HOUSE, WHY NOT JUST HAVE IT
SOMEWHERE ELSE?
SOMEWHERE ELSE? WHAT IS THE ANSWER TO THAT?
>> THAT IS GREAT QUESTION AND
ONE I WAS WONDERING YESTERDAY
BECAUSE AS YOU MENTIONED THE
HOUSE IS INVESTIGATING THIS.
THIS IS PART OF THE IMPEACHMENT
INQUIRY RIGHT NOW.
WHY WOULD HE DO THIS?
NO POLITICIAN WOULD DO THIS
BECAUSE OF THE OPTICS ALONE.
SO I WAS TALKING TO THE PEOPLE
CLOSE TO THE PRESIDENT WHO SAY
AT THIS POINT IN THIS PRESIDENCY
HE’S DONE SO MANY OUTRAGEOUS
THINGS, THINGS THAT AREN’T THE
NORM AND HE KNOWS HE CAN GET
AWAY WITH IT.
HIS SUPPORTERS STILL SUPPORT
HIM.
HIM. IT’S ABOUT THE SAME AS IT’S BEEN
FOR THE LAST 2 1/2 YEARS AND HE
FEELS -- FEARLESS -- WAS THE
WORD USED WITH ME AND HE ALSO
FEELS BULLETPROOF.
FEELS BULLETPROOF. WHY NOT GO AHEAD AND DO IT?
HE CAN GET AWAY WITH.
>> AND MULL VAPY SAYS YESTERDAY
12 DIFFERENT SITES WERE
CONSIDERED, I THINK HAWAII,
UTAH.
UTAH. DO WE KNOW ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT
THIS?
THIS? HE’S SAYING THERE WAS A
SELECTION PROCESS HERE.
DO WE KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT?
ARE THERE ANY RECORDS TO SUPPORT
IT?
IT? >> I’M SURE THERE ARE SOME
RECORDS BUT WE DON’T HAVE ACCESS
TO THEM.
TO THEM. THEY’RE NOT BEING TRANCE PARENT
ABOUT IT AT ALL.
AND YOU HEARD THAT COMMENT FROM
MICK MULVANEY SAYING IF YOU WANT
THE PAPERWORK WE’RE NOT GOING TO
GIVE IT TO YOU.
BASICALLY THEY CLAIMED THERE
WERE 12, THEY DID CERTAIN SITE
SELECTIONS AND EVERYBODY CAME
BACK AND SAID THIS WAS THE PLACE
TO GO.
TO GO. BUT WE HAVE NO IDEA IF THAT’S
THE CASE AND WHAT THEY REALLY
LOOKED AT.
LOOKED AT. IF YOU LOOK AT THIS PROPERTY I’M
SURE THERE ARE SOME BENEFITS BUT
THERE’S ALSO SOME NEGATIVES.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS I’VE HEARD
IS THEY WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO DO
SOME CHANGES, SOME UP GRADES TO
ACCOMMODATE ALL THESE WORLD
LEADERS, THAT THERE ARE NOT
ENOUGH OF THESE SPACES THAT ARE
EXACTLY THE SAME.
SO ARE THEY GOING TO PUT IN
MONEY TO UPGRADE THE FACILITY?
WE DON’T KNOW THAT.
>> JUST A FEW DAYS AFTER HIS
INAUGURATION IN 2017 THEN
PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP SAID HE
WOULD SERVE TIES FROM THE TRUMP
ORGANIZATION AND PLAY NO ROLE IN
ITS OPERATIONS SAYING HE’D GIVE
COMPLETE AND TOTAL CONTROL OF
THE BUSINESS TO HIS SONS.
>> AND WHAT I’M GOING TO BE
DOING IS MY TWO SONS WHO ARE
RIGHT HERE, DON AND ERIC, ARE
GOING TO BE RUNNING THE COMPANY.
THEY ARE GOING TO BE RUNNING IT
IN A VERY PROFESSIONAL MANNER.
THEY’RE NOT GOING TO DISCUSS IT
WITH ME.
WITH ME. AGAIN, I DON’T HAVE TO DO THIS.
THEY’RE NOT GOING TO DISCUSS IT
WITH ME.
WITH ME. >> WALTER, HE SAYS THEY’RE NOT
GOING TO DISCUSS IT WITH HIM.
AT THE SAME TIME THIS WHOLE
SEGMENT IS ABOUT THE PRESIDENT
USING HIS PLATFORM TO PROMOTE
HIS CLUB.
HIS CLUB. AND NOW TO BRING THE G-7 SUMMIT
THERE.
THERE. >> YOU KNOW, ON THE DAY HE GAVE
THAT PRESS CONFERENCE AND SAID
THOSE WORDS I SPOKE OUT AND SAID
THAT THIS IS MEANINGLESS BECAUSE
THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST DOESN’T
STEM FROM RUNNING THE DAY TO DAY
OPERATIONS.
OPERATIONS. IT STEMS FROM HIS FINANCIAL
INTERESTS.
INTERESTS. AND NOW WE’RE SEEING HE’S
DETERMINED TO PROVE ME RIGHT
BECAUSE HE IS THE ONE WHO’S
GOING TO PROFIT FROM THIS.
HE OWNS THE BUSINESS.
HE PARTICIPATED IN THE
PROCUREMENT.
PROCUREMENT. I MEAN, THE BOTTOM LINE HERE IS
THERE IS NO DEFINITION OF
CORRUPTION THAT WOULD NOT COVER
THE PRESIDENT PARTICIPATING IN A
CONTRACT AWARD TO HIMSELF.
SO IF THIS IS NOT CORRUPT,
NOTHING IS CORRUPT.
AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT HE
WANTS, AND IT SEEMS TO BE
EXACTLY WHAT THE UNITED STATES
SENATE IS DETERMINED TO HAVE BE
THE CASE.
THE CASE. >> THEY ASKED IF IT WAS
APPROPRIATE FOR THE PRESIDENT TO
HOLD THE G-7 AT HIS RESORT.
COUPLE DIFFERENT REACTIONS FROM
REPUBLICAN SENATORS.
REPUBLICAN SENATORS. TAKE A LOOK.
>> I DON’T HAVE ANY CONCERNS
ABOUT IT OTHER THAN POLITICALLY
HOW IT APPEARS.
HE’S THE PRESIDENT, IF HE FEELS
HE DID ANYTHING WRONG HE DOUBLES
DOWN ON IT AND TALKS LOUD AND TO
SOME DEGREE I DON’T MIND THAT.
ON THE OTHER HAND, AS I ALWAYS
SAY THERE’S TREMENDOUS INTEGRITY
IN HIS BOLDNESS AND HIS
TRANSPARENCY.
TRANSPARENCY. >> SHOW ME WHERE THERE’S A
VIOLATION OF LAW.
I’M NOT SURE THAT THERE IS, NOT
THAT I’M AWARE OF.
>> A LITTLE MIX OF COMMENTS
THERE, ANITA.
THERE, ANITA. I’M CURIOUS, THOUGH, IN THIS
MOMENT THE PRESIDENT IS ASKING
REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS TO
DEFEND HIM ON UKRAINE, DEFEND
HIM ON IT CALL, DEFEND HIM ON
QUID PRO QUO, DEFEND HIM ON
SYRIA.
SYRIA. A LOT OF THEM HAVEN’T BEEN
WILLING TO DO THAT, AND NOW TO
DEFEND HIM ON THIS.
IS THAT CAUSING ANY KIND OF --
IS THAT CAUSING RESENTMENT AMONG
REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS?
IS THAT GOING TO HAVE
CONSEQUENCES?
CONSEQUENCES? >> I’VE ACTUALLY BEEN SURPRISED
HOW FEW REPUBLICANS HAVE CALLED
HIM OUT.
HIM OUT. YOU MENTIONED A COUPLE, BUT FOR
ALL OF THOSE THERE WERE SEVERAL
WHO SAID THAT AT THE END, WHICH
IS THEY ADMIRE HIM, AND IT’S
FINE THEY THEY DON’T THINK
THERE’S ANYTHING WRONG WITH
THAT.
THAT. REMEMBER HE’S BEEN DOING THIS
EXACT SAME THING FOR IT LAST 2
1/2 YEARS.
1/2 YEARS. FOREIGN LEADERS HAVE BEEN TO
MAR-A-LAGO.
MAR-A-LAGO. THE PRIME MINISTER OF JAPAN
STAYED AT MAR-A-LAGO.
SO THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER THINGS
THAT ARE EXACTLY THE SAME WHERE
HE IS GETTING MONEY FROM FOREIGN
GOVERNMENTS AND HE’S ALSO
GETTING MONEY FROM TAXPAYERS
THERE FEDERAL AGENCIES, SECRET
SERVICE STAYING THERE WHEN HE’S
THERE.
THERE. IT’S BEEN THE SAME ISSUE FOR THE
LAST 2 1/2 YEARS.
THIS IS ON A GRANDER SCALE BUT
WE DID WANT HEAR MUCH ABOUT IT