SATURDAY ATTACK.
STEVE: OUR
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF WILL HOLD
A BRIEFING LATER TODAY.
RUSSIA HAS WARNED A STRIKE
ON SYRIA COULD SPARK A WAR.
A LOT GOING ON.
LET'S BRING IN KELLYANNE
CONWAY, COUNSELOR TO THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES.
KELLYANNE, GOOD MORNING TO
YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING.
STEVE: COUPLE DAYS AGO AFTER
THE PRESIDENT TWEETED LOOK
OUT THEY ARE COMING.
SEEMED LIKE THE STRIKE MIGHT
HAPPEN RIGHT THEN, THE NEXT
DAY, HOW HERE WE ARE A
COUPLE OF DAYS LATER.
PEOPLE ARE PRESUMING THAT
WE'RE JUST VERIFYING THINGS.
WE ARE MAKING PLANS.
DO YOU THINK THAT'S
ACCURATE?
>> WELL, IT'S ACCURATE THAT
THE PRESIDENT WAS BEING VERY
DELIBERATIVE AND VERY
CAREFUL IN MAKING SURE THAT
WHAT OUR INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY SUSPECTED HAPPENED
INDEED DID HAPPEN.
AND THE PRESIDENT HAS ALSO
SAID THAT HE WILL HOLD
RESPONSIBLE SYRIA, IRAN,
RUSSIA, ANYBODY WHO IS
CAUSING TROUBLE IN THAT AREA
THAT LEADS TO THE DEATH AND
DESTRUCTION OF INNOCENT
CIVILIANS.
AND PEOPLE WILL NOTE THAT
ALMOST TO THE DAY, ONE YEAR
AGO, WHEN ASSAD GASSED HIS
OWN PEOPLE, THIS PRESIDENT
TOOK SWIFT AX AS WELL HE
TOOK SWIFT ACTAS WELL HE
TOOK SWIFT ACTIO WELL HE
TOOK SWIFT ACTIONWELL HE
TOOK SWIFT ACTION ALL HE
TOOK SWIFT ACTION ASL HE
TOOK SWIFT ACTION AS WHE
TOOK SWIFT ACTION AS WELL.
WHEN THOSE ARE VERIFIED HE
ACT ACCORDINGLY.
THE SAME HERE.
SYRIA MUST ALLOW
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION.
THEY MUST ALLOW MONITORING
IN THE AREA.
AND ASSAD HAS BEEN TERRIBLE
TO HIS PEOPLE AND THIS IS A
PRESIDENT WHO, WHEN HE SAW
THOSE BABIES GASPING FOR
LAST BREATH LAST YEAR BEING
POISONED BY THEIR OWN QUOTE
LEADER AND CONFERRING WITH
HIS NATIONAL SECURITY
INTELLIGENCE TEAM AS HE DID
THIS YEAR HE WILL TAKE SWIFT
ACTION.
HE HAS MADE THAT VERY CLEAR.
AINSLEY: KELLYANNE, LET'S
TALK ABOUT JAMES COMEY'S
BOOK THAT COMES OUT ON
TUESDAY.
SOME OF THE EXCERPTS WERE
RELEASED OVERNIGHT.
THE PRESIDENT IS BEING
CALLED UNETHICAL.
THEY ARE COMPARING HIM OR
JAMES COMEY IS COMPARING HIM
TO A MOB BOSS.
HE IS SAYING I'M SORRY TO
HILLARY CLINTON.
WHAT'S THE PRESIDENT'S
REACTION?
>> WELL, I WILL GIVE YOU MY
REACTION.
I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS WITH
THE PRESIDENT.
I WILL GIVE YOU MY REACTION.
THIS MAN, I SPENT MORE TIME
IN THE OVAL OFFICE IN A
GIVEN DAY THAN THIS MAN GOT
TO SPEND WITH THE PRESIDENT
OVER THE COURSE OF HIS VERY
BRIEF TENURE BEFORE HE WAS
FIRED.
HE IS TAKING ONE OR TWO OR
THREE MEETINGS WITH THE
PRESIDENT AND RETROACTIVELY
PUTTING HIS OWN SPIN ON THEM
TO SELL BOOKS.
IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE HE
SOUNDS LIKE A DISGRUNTLED
EXEMPT EMPLOYEE WHO AFTER
THE FACT WANTS TO CLEAR HIS
CONSCIENCE OF WHAT BOTHERED
HIM AT THE TIME.
IF YOU ARE THAT BOTHERED,
QUIT.
LEAVE THE JOB.
WHETHER IT'S AN ACTIVE
INVESTIGATION GOING ON WITH
MR. MUELLER, HAVE YOU GOT
THE FORMER FBI DIRECTOR OUT
THERE TALKING NOT UNDER
OATH.
NOBODY AS WE KNOW NOBODY
WRITES BOOKS AND GOES ON TV
IS UNDER OATH.
HE IS DOING THAT.
I FIND IT TO BE PRETTY
SELF-AGGRANDIZING.
THESE CLIPS I SAW.
I SAW THE ABC RELEASED
TODAY.
BRIAN: LET'S WATCH TOGETHER.
WE HAVEN'T SEEN IT AND JUST
READ IT.
>> COMMENT ON SOMETHING.
>> DO YOU TELL HIM THAT THE
DOSSIER HAD BEEN FINANCED BY
HIS POLITICAL OPPONENTS?
>> NO.
I DIDN'T THINK I USED THE
TERM STEELE DOSSIER.
I JUST TALKED ABOUT
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL.
>> DID HE HAVE A RIGHT TO
KNOW THAT?
>> THAT IT HAD BEEN FINANCED
BY HIS POLITICAL OPPONENTS?
>> I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER
TO THAT.
IT WASN'T NECESSARY FOR MY
GOAL, WHICH WAS TO ALERT HIM
THAT WE HAD THIS
INFORMATION.
BRIAN: IS THAT A SUFFICIENT
EXPLANATION FOR WHY HE
DIDN'T SAY WHO FINANCED IT?
>> OF COURSE IT'S NOT.
REMEMBER HE WAS AT AN FBI
WHO DIDN'T SEEM TOO WORRIED
ABOUT TELLING PEOPLE WHO HAD
FINANCED IT AT THE TIME.
LOOK, COMEY AND HIS BOSS,
PRESIDENT OBAMA ATTORNEY
GENERAL LYNCH WERE BACKING
THE WRONG HORSE.
THEY NEVER THOUGHT HE WOULD
WIN.
STILL FINDING OUT HAD THAT
PERSON WHO LOST THE ELECTION
WHOSE NAME I DON'T SAY ON TV
ANYMORE.
GEORGE ASKED THE RIGHT
QUESTION.
DON'T YOU THINK THAT THE
PRESIDENT-ELECT HAD A RIGHT
TO KNOW WHERE THIS DOSSIER
CAME TO BE?
HOW IT WAS BEING FINANCED?
I WANT TO SAY BECAUSE I SAID
IT AT THE TIME ON MANY
DIFFERENT NETWORKS AND
PEOPLE PUSHED BACK AND
CALLED ME VERY BAD THINGS,
THE IDEA THAT THEY HAD AN
INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING THAT
THE PRESIDENT ELECT IN TRUMP
TOWER MR. BRENNAN,
MR. COMEY.
AFTER THAT WAS DONE, COMEY
HUNG BACK WITH THE
PRESIDENT-ELECT AND TALKED A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE DOSSIER
AND WE'RE LOOKING INTO THIS.
AND MAKES IT SOUND LIKE SOME
BIG BRIEFING WHEN IT WAS A
HANG BACK AS FAR AS WE KNOW.
STEVE: KELLYANNE.
>> YES.
STEVE: ACCORDING TO THE BOOK
AT THAT HANG BACK, MR. COMEY
CONFIRMED WHAT YOUR BOSS HAS
SAID ALL ALONG.
HE SAYS WE ARE NOT
INVESTIGATING YOU.
>> YES, CORRECT.
STEVE: DONALD TRUMP.
THIS ALSO A BRAND NEW CLIP
FROM ABC.
THEY'VE GOT THE BIG 2020
SPECIAL ON COMEY ON
SATURDAY.
HERE THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT.
BRIAN: SUNDAY.
STEVE: TALKING ABOUT
MRS. TRUMP.
>> HE SAYS SOMETHING THAT
DISTRACTED ME BECAUSE HE
SAID IF THERE IS EVEN 1%
CHANCE MY WIFE THINKS THAT'S
TRUE, THAT'S TERRIBLE.
I'M A FLAWED HUMAN BEING,
BUT LITERALLY ZERO CHANCE
THAT MY WIFE WOULD THINK
THAT WAS TRUE, SO WHAT KIND
OF MARRIAGE, WHAT KIND OF
MAN THINKS THERE IS ONLY A
99% CHANCE YOU DIDN'T DO
THAT?
STEVE: SO HE IS GETTING INTO
THAT KIND OF STUFF, TOO.
>> PSYCHO ANALYST.
HE IS GIVING ADVICE ON
PEOPLE LOOK.
STEVE: DR. PHIL.
>> MARRIAGE COUNSELOR.
I FIND THAT PARTICULAR
EXCERPT TO BE REALLY
EGREGIOUS AND OVER THE TOP
AND UNACCEPTABLE.
I HOPE PEOPLE OF ALL
POLITICAL STRIPES.
INCLUDING THOSE WHO DIDN'T
LIKE JAMES COMEY IN LATE
OCTOBER OF 2016 TO PUSH BACK
ON IT FRANKLY PUT, THAT'S
NONE OF HIS BUSINESS.
AND THE IDEA AND AND AND HIM
REALLY, AGAIN, RETROACTIVELY
PUTTING HIS OWN SPIN ON
PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS WITH
THE PRESIDENT-ELECT.
IF HE HAD RESPECT FOR THE
OFFICE THE PRESIDENCY AND
FOR HIS JOB AS THE FBI
DIRECTOR AND FOR THE
WOULD HAVE SAT THE MAN DOWN
AND GIVEN A FULL BRIEFING OR
MADE IT A PART OF THE OTHER
CONVERSATION UNDER THE GUISE
OF OH, IT COULD HAVE BEEN
EMBARRASSING.
I DIDN'T WANT TO EMBARRASS
HIM.
SO THEN YOU GO OUT A YEAR
AND A HALF LATER AND SELL
BOOKS?
NOT UNDER OATH?
AINSLEY: WE HAVE ONE MORE
THAT WE ARE JUST GETTING
FROM GMA, WATCH THIS AND WE
WILL GET YOUR REACTION.
>> TRUMP'S FIRST QUESTION
WAS TO CONFIRM THAT IT HAD
NO IMPACT ON THE ELECTION
AND THEN CONVERSATION TO MY
SURPRISE MOVED INTO A P.R.
CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW THE
TRUMP TEAM WOULD POSITION
THIS AND WHAT THEY COULD SAY
ABOUT THIS.
THEY ACTUALLY STARTED
TALKING ABOUT DRAFTING A
PRESS RELEASE.
INTELLIGENCE, THE WHITE
HOUSE DOES P.R. AND SPIN.
>> YOU ALSO SAID YOU WERE
STRUCK BY WHAT THEY DIDN'T
ASK.
>> VERY MUCH.
NO ONE, TO MY RECOLLECTION,
ASKED SO WHAT'S COMING NEXT
FROM THE RUSSIANS?
HOW MIGHT WE STOP IT?
WHAT'S THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE?
IT WAS ALL WHAT CAN WE SAY
ABOUT WHAT THEY DID AND HOW
IT EFFECTS THE ELECTION THAT
WE JUST HAD?
BRIAN: IS HE
BRIAN: WH HE
BRIAN: WHATE
BRIAN: WHAT WAS IT LIKE FROM
YOUR PERSPECTIVE WHAT WAS IT
LIKE WHEN THEY DROPPED THE
NEWS AND WHY THE WHITE
HOUSE'S REACTION WASN'T
WHAT'S NEXT?
WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO?
NUMBER ONE, THE ELECTION IS
OVER.
THE IMPACT IS BEING ANALYZED
BY THE PROFESSIONALS.
DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH
WHAT HE WANTED YOU TO SAY OR
THE WHITE HOUSE TO SAY?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
BRIAN, IT'S THE FBI'S
DIRECTOR'S JOB TO COME IN
AND TELL THE PRESIDENT-ELECT
EVERYTHING THAT THEY KNEW
ABOUT ALLEGED RUSSIAN
INTERFERENCE.
HE DIDN'T DO THAT WHY IS IT
UP TO THE PRESIDENT-ELECT
AND THE MEMBERS OF THE TEAM
WHO WERE IN THERE AND I HAD
BEEN WITH THE
PRESIDENT-ELECT RIGHT BEFORE
THAT AT A DIFFERENT MEETING
OUTSIDE THE BUILDING.
AND BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE MY
SECURITY CLEARANCE YET, I
WAS NOT IN THAT PARTICULAR
MEETING, I KNOW PEOPLE WHO
WERE, INCLUDING THE
PRESIDENT-ELECT.
WHY DIDN'T THE FBI DIRECTOR
AND THE OUTGOING CIA
DIRECTOR AND THE DNI
DIRECTOR, WHY AREN'T THEY
TELLING THEM IN FULL WHAT
HAPPENED?
I TAKE UMBRAGE THAT PEOPLE
WHO WERE LEARNING THINGS FOR
THE VERY FIRST TIME WERE
TRYING TO PUT PR SPIN ON IT
OH I WAS SHOCKED THEY DIDN'T
ASK THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.
YOU KNOW WHO DIDN'T ASK
THOSE QUESTIONS HIM AND HIS
BOSS PRESIDENT OBAMA.
THEY KNEW ABOUT RUSSIAN
INTERFERENCE BUT THEY
FIGURED HILLARY CLINTON, OH
I SAID HER NAME, DARN IT
THEY FIGURED THAT WOMAN WHO
LOST THE ELECTION WHOSE NAME
I DON'T SEE ON TV WOULD HAVE
WON THE ELECTION SO WE
WOULDN'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH.
BRIAN: WHAT DOES THE
PRESIDENT PLAN ON SAYING
ABOUT THIS?
I KNOW HE IS GOING TO BE
TEMPTED TO WEIGH IN RIGHT
AWAY.
BUT WHAT DO YOU THINK THE
PRESIDENT IS GOING TO SAY
ABOUT THIS WHEN HE GETS MORE
INFORMATION OR READS IT
HIMSELF?
>> WELL, THE PRESIDENT HAS A
RIGHT TO WEIGH IN BECAUSE
YOU HAVE ONE PERSON'S
ACCOUNT OF MEETINGS THAT
HAPPENED BETWEEN TWO PEOPLE.
AND HE IS THE OTHER PERSON.
AND I HAVE DISCUSSED IT
DIRECTLY WITH HIM.
HE HAS A DIFFERENT
RECOLLECTION OF THESE
MATTERS.
AND HE IS NOT OUT THERE
TRYING TO SELL BOOKS.
IS HE TOO BUSY CUTTING OUR
TAXES AND REDUCING OUR
REGULATIONS AND KEEPING US
SAFE AND RENEGOTIATING TRADE
AGREEMENTS.
AND I HAVE TO SAY AGAIN,
WHEN THE PRESIDENT FIRED JIM
COMEY, HE GAVE AN INTERVIEW
TO A DIFFERENT NETWORK WHERE
HE DID NOTE THAT THE MAN IS
A SHOW BOAT AND A
GRANDSTANDER.
I WILL ADD SANCTIMONIOUS, I
THINK PEOPLE ARE SEEING
THAT.
IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE JOB
YOU HAVE, I SAY TO THE SAME
PEOPLE THAT WORK HERE AND
HAVE IN THE PAST.
IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE JOB
YOU HAVE IF YOU THINK YOU
ARE WORKING IN A PLACE THAT
DOESN'T COMPORT WITH THE
WORKPLACE WHERE YOU WANT TO
BE, LEAVE.
HE DIDN'T DO THAT.
STEVE: THAT'S EASY.
>> HE GOT FIRED.
AND HE NEVER OBJECTED TO ANY
OF THIS.
I WILL SAY ONE THING THOUGH,
JAMES COMEY IS UNLIKE THESE
OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE
WRITING BOOKS, AT LEAST HE
MADE IT INTO THE OVAL OFFICE
AND HAD INTERACTION WITH THE
PRESIDENT.
AINSLEY: WILL THE PRESIDENT
RESPOND?
TH BOOK COMES OUT ON
TUESDAY.
>> HE MAY.
BUT HE HAS ASKED FOR A
NUMBER OF US TO RESPOND AND
I'M HAPPY TO DO IT.
STEVE: STAND BY OKAY FOR
SOME TWEETS.
SPEAKING OF HE WAS FIRED.
THERE HAVE BEEN SOME THAT
HAVE SAID THAT ROD
ROSENSTEIN SHOULD BE FIRED
HE IS HANDLING THE SUBPOENAS
AT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
AND IS HE DRAGGING HIS FEET.
IT'S WEIRD.
I KNOW HE MET AT THE WHITE
HOUSE YESTERDAY.
IT'S WEIRD WE HAVE A
REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT AND A
REPUBLICAN RUNNING THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE IN THE
FORM OF JEFF SESSIONS AND,
YET, ROD ROSENSTEIN DOESN'T
REALLY SEEM TO BE HELPING
CONGRESS DO THEIR DUE
DILIGENCE OVER THIS
INVESTIGATION.
>> WELL, CONGRESS HAS MADE
CLEAR THAT THEY WANT THE
PRODUCTION OF THESE
DOCUMENTS TO ACCELERATE AND
THERE IS A NEW GENTLEMAN ON
YOUR NETWORK RECENTLY WHO IS
IN CHARGE OF THAT.
STEVE: MR. LAUSCH.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
HE HAS SAID IT WILL GO MORE
EXPEDITIOUSLY.
AND THIS WHITE HOUSE HAS
BEEN COMPLYING WITH EVERY
REQUEST THAT WE HAVE
RECEIVED OVER 20 WITNESSES,
OVER 20,000 OR SO DOCUMENTS,
I'M TOLD.
AND THE SAME GOES AND WE
RESPECT ON CAPITOL HILL AS
WELL.
DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL WAS
HERE YESTERDAY.
MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT,
THE CHIEF OF STAFF FOR
ROUTINE MEETING.
AND HE CONTINUES IN HIS JOB.
I DO SEE PEOPLE.
STEVE: I DIDN'T
STEVEQ I DIDN'T
STEVEQUI DIDN'T
STEVEQUICKIDN'T
STEVEQUICKLYN'T
STEVEQUICKLY.'T
>> I DO SEE PEOPLE SAY DO
THIS DO THAT.
THIS IS PRESIDENT DONALD
TRUMP.
AS JAMES COMEY FOUND OUT,
THE PRESIDENT MAKES HIS OWN
DECISIONS AND HE HAS A RIGHT
TO.
STEVE: SURE.
>> NOBODY SHOULD GET IN THE
WAY OF THAT.
REMEMBER, PEOPLE WHO WRITE
BOOKS ARE NOT UNDER OATH.