ALL OF THAT IS AHEAD ON WHAT WE THINK WILL BE A DIFFERENT KIND
OF SHOW.
OF SHOW. BUT WE BEGIN WITH THE STORY THAT
COULD OVERSHADOW EVERYTHING
DONALD TRUMP IS DOING ACROSS THE
GLOBE.
GLOBE. HIS FORMER LAWYER, MICHAEL
COHEN, HAS BEGUN A MARATHON WEEK
OF CAPITOL HILL TESTIMONY.
A SOURCE TELLING NBC COHEN IS
SPILLING ON QUOTE, CRIMINAL
CONDUCT, WHILE TRUMP WAS IN
OFFICE.
OFFICE. I CAN TELL YOU AT THIS HOUR,
MICHAEL COHEN IS IN THE TENTH
HOUR OF HIS WORKDAY WHICH IS A
CLOSED DOOR MEETING WITH THE
SENATORS ON THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMITTEE.
COMMITTEE. AND THAT’S OF COURSE THE FIRST
OF THREE CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF
TESTIMONY.
TESTIMONY. COHEN ARRIVING AT A SECURE
FACILITY INSIDE THE U.S. SENATE
BEFORE 9:00 A.M.
YOU SEE HIM THERE, WALKING IN,
ESCORTED BY LANNY DAVIS, HIS
ADVISER AND LAWYER YOU’VE SEEN
ON THIS SHOW AMONG OTHERS.
HE WAS FACING WE’RE TOLD
SKEPTICAL LAWMAKERS,
SKEPTICAL LAWMAKERS, PARTICULARLY SINCE THIS IS THE
VERY COMMITTEE HE NOW CONFESSES
HE LIED TO IN 2017.
>> THAT’S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
WHEN A SENATOR DOESN’T WANT TO
ANSWER QUESTIONS BUT CAN’T HELP
HIMSELF AND ANSWERS AT LEAST
ONE.
ONE. MICHAEL COHEN’S PRIVATE
TESTIMONY HAS BEEN FOCUSED ON
RUSSIA.
RUSSIA. THAT’S PART OF WHY IT IS PRIVATE
TODAY.
TODAY. ON HOW LONG HE WORKED ON THE
TRUMP TOWER MOSCOW PROJECT,
WHETHER THE RUSSIANS HAD
LEVERAGE OVER THEN CITIZEN, NOW
PRESIDENT TRUMP.
PRESIDENT TRUMP. COHEN WON’T TALK ABOUT RUSSIA
PROBE LINES OF INQUIRY IN PUBLIC
TOMORROW.
TOMORROW. WE CAN REPORT A SOURCE TELLING
NBC THERE WILL BE OTHER
SIGNIFICANT POLITICAL AND LEGAL
BOMB SHELLS.
BOMB SHELLS. COHEN READY TO SHARE, QUOTE,
ANECDOTES ON TRUMP’S LIES,
RACISM AND CHEATING AS A PRIVATE
BUSINESSMAN, WHICH HE SAW UP
CLOSE IN THE DECADE HE WORKED
FOR MR. TRUMP.
EVIDENCE OF ELECTRICALCRIMINAL C
THIS IS KEY, SINCE HE BECAME
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. ALSO BRINGING THE GOODS ON
TRUMP’S FINANCES, BRINGING AN
ACTUAL FINANCIAL STATEMENT.
HE IS PREPARED TO GIVE GRANULAR
DETAILS ON HIS INVOLVEMENT, THE
SCHEME TO KEEP STORMY DANIELS
AND ANOTHER WOMAN QUIET DURING
THE CAMPAIGN, AND COHEN SAYING
HE WILL DETAIL WHY HE LIED TO
CONGRESS IN THE FIRST PLACE
ABOUT, YES, THE TRUMP MOSCOW
DEAL.
DEAL. DONALD TRUMP’S DEFENDERS ARE
SAYING LOOK, YOU CAN’T BELIEVE
ANY OF THIS, MICHAEL COHEN HAS
NOT ONLY LIED BEFORE BUT
ADMITTED TO LYING.
SO THERE’S DEBATE ABOUT THE FACT
HE LIES AT LEAST SOME OF THE
TIME.
TIME. TRUMP DEFENDERS NOTE THAT OF THE
TWO MEN AS OF THIS HOUR, ONLY
ONE OF THEM HAS BEEN CONVICTED
OF A CRIME.
BUT THAT’S ONE PIECE OF THIS.
THE OTHER PIECE IS BROADER AND
IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE LAW.
WE’RE HEADED IN TOMORROW, SEEING
THE CONTRAST AND THE CLIMAX OF A
FIGHT BETWEEN MICHAEL COHEN’S
WORLD AND DONALD TRUMP’S WORLD,
BETWEEN THE WAY MICHAEL COHEN
SAYS HE WANTS TO OPERATE NOW,
HOW HE SAYS DONALD TRUMP HAS
OPERATED FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
COHEN’S ALLIES HAVE, I’M SURE
YOU HEARD THE PHRASE, TOUTED
THIS AS A JOHN DEAN STYLE
MOMENT.
MOMENT. FAMOUSLY
FAMOUSLY FAMOUSLY INVOKING A TURNING
POINT IN THE WATERGATE ERA.
MANY SAY IT IS TIME TO TRUST
MICHAEL COHEN.
MICHAEL COHEN. >> HE’S SAYING VERY CLEARLY THAT
HE NEVER DIRECTED YOU TO DO
ANYTHING WRONG.
ANYTHING WRONG. IS THAT TRUE?
>> I DON’T THINK THERE’S ANYBODY
THAT BELIEVES THAT.
>> IS THERE ANYONE THAT BELIEVES
THAT?
THAT? WELL, TOMORROW IS GOING TO BE
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT DAYS
OF AT LEAST THE PUBLIC SIDE OF
ALL THESE PROBES.
TOMORROW, WE HEAR FROM MICHAEL
COHEN IN PUBLIC, HE WILL BE
TESTED BY MEMBERS OF BOTH
PARTIES, AMERICANS WILL MAKEUP
THEIR OWN MINDS.
I WANT TO BRING IN EXPERTS TO
BREAK IT DOWN.
MATT MILLER, DAVID CORN.
THANKS TO EACH OF YOU.
THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS LIKE
WHEN THE MEDIA OVERDOES A
WEATHER EVENT AND THE STORM
HASN’T ACTUALLY HIT, AND PEOPLE
ARE SAYING I’M TIRED OF HEARING
ABOUT THE STORM.
THE PROBLEM OF THAT, AND WE’RE
PART OF THAT WITH THE MEDIA, THE
PROBLEM IS THAT TOMORROW IS WHEN
WE GET THE PUBLIC TESTIMONY.
SO WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING TO
THAT’S ACTUALLY SIGNIFICANT AS
HE GOES UNDER OATH.
AND I WILL SAY MR. COHEN’S LINE,
I WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT TO
VIEWERS, HE GOES UNDER OATH
TOMORROW AS A PERSON IN THAT
RARE POSITION OF SOMEONE ABOUT
TO FACE JAIL TIME FOR AMONG
OTHER THINGS LYING TO CONGRESS,
WHICH WILL FOCUS YOUR MIND ABOUT
TRYING TO GET IT RIGHT THIS
TIME.
TIME. >> THAT’S RIGHT.
WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE FACT
HE LIED IN THE PAST, OBVIOUSLY
HE HAS.
HE HAS. THAT’S ONE OF THE FIRST
QUESTIONS TOMORROW, WHY DID YOU
LIE.
LIE. WHAT I SUSPECT HE WILL SAY IS
WHAT HIS LAWYER SAID IN COURT
PAPERS.
PAPERS. ESSENTIALLY I WORKED FOR SOMEONE
THAT LED AN ORGANIZATION, THEN
LED A CAMPAIGN, NOW A PRESIDENCY
THAT WAS BUILT ON LIES, BUILT ON
DECEPTION.
DECEPTION. IN ORDER TO KEEP UP THE STORY
DONALD TRUMP TOLD, I HAD TO LIE
FOR HIM.
FOR HIM. SOMETIMES IT MEANT LYING
PUBLICLY, SOMETIMES IT MEANT
LYING TO CONGRESS WHICH I DID.
BUT I PAID THE PRICE FOR THAT.
I THINK AS A VIEWER IF I WERE
WATCHING TOMORROW, TRYING TO
JUDGE WHAT HE SAID, HE’LL COME
IN AND TELL HIS STORY.
I ASSUME THE PRESIDENT WILL DENY
IT, PROBABLY ON TWITTER BUT IF
NOT AFTER.
NOT AFTER. >> MAYBE ON INSTAGRAM.
WHO KNOWS WHAT MEDIUM.
>> MYSPACE.
>> MYSPACE. WHO DO YOU BELIEVE.
SOMEONE THAT ADMITTED TO LYING
OR SOMEONE THAT LIES EVERY DAY,
CASUALLY, CONSTANTLY AS YOU AND
I BREATHE OXYGEN, NEVER ONCE
ADMITS TO IT.
WHEN YOU COMPARE THE TWO, AND
ESPECIALLY IF MICHAEL COHEN
BRINGS DOCUMENTATION AS HE SEEMS
TO BE INDICATING HE’S GOING TO,
IT IS A MUCH EASIER COMPARISON
TO MAKE ABOUT WHO MIGHT BE
TELLING THE TRUTH.
>> THIS IS A BLOCKBUSTER DAY,
DAVID CORN.
DAVID CORN. TAKE A LOOK AT THE CHIEF
DEMOCRAT ON THE INTEL COMMITTEE,
SENATOR WARNER.
SENATOR WARNER. THIS IS BRAND NEW, WE JUST GOT
IT, ABOUT WHAT HE IS HEARING IN
THE PRIVATE SESSION.
>> ONLY COMMENT I’M GOING TO
MAKE IS THAT TWO YEARS AGO WHEN
THIS INVESTIGATION STARTED, I
SAID IT MAY BE THE MOST
IMPORTANT THING I’M INVOLVED IN
IN MY PUBLIC LIFE IN THE SENATE,
AND NOTHING I HEARD TODAY
DISSUADES ME FROM THAT VIEW.
>> DAVID, WHAT’S IMPORTANT IN
YOUR VIEW?
YOUR VIEW? >> FOR US TO KNOW WHAT HE’S
TALKING ABOUT.
TALKING ABOUT. THAT WAS TESTIMONY THAT MICHAEL
COHEN GAVE PRIVATELY TODAY TO
THE SENATE INTELLIGENCE
COMMITTEE, HE IS TALKING
PRIVATELY TO THE HOUSE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE,
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE, PRESUMABLY ABOUT TRUMP, RUSSIA
RELATED MATTERS.
RELATED MATTERS. IF THERE’S SOMETHING THAT HAS A
SENATOR THAT’S BEEN SITTING IN
THE SENATE FOR YEARS, SAYING I
HAVEN’T COME ACROSS ANYTHING
MORE IMPORTANT, THE AMERICAN
PUBLIC DESERVES TO KNOW WHAT
THAT IS.
THAT IS. WE’RE TOLD TOMORROW THAT MICHAEL
COHEN IS GOING TO STAY AWAY FROM
RUSSIA RELATED ISSUES, I’M SURE
HE WILL BE PRESSED, WE’LL SEE
HOW FAR HE CAN GET ON THAT.
WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT SCARED,
WHATEVER UPSET MARK WARNER IN
THAT WAY.
THAT WAY. TOMORROW WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT
MICHAEL COHEN KNOWS ABOUT DONALD
TRUMP’S FINANCES AND BUSINESS
DEALINGS, HUSH MONEY PAYMENTS.
THERE’S A LOT OF MYSTERIES.
REPORTERS HAVE BEEN CHASING
AFTER IT FOR YEARS.
>> YOU PUT IT WELL, ON YOUTUBE,
HAVE YOU SEEN THE REACTION
VIDEOS?
VIDEOS? YOU ARE WATCHING SOMEONE REACT
TO A BIG MOMENT, A SPORTS
MOMENT, WHATEVER, THAT WE SAW
MARK WARNER A YOUTUBE REACTION
VIDEO TO MICHAEL COHEN BUT
DIDN’T GET TO SEE THE UNDERLYING
VIDEO.
VIDEO. DAVID, AS SOMEONE WHO OBVIOUSLY
I WOULD SAY HAS STRONG VIEWS ON
THIS CASE, YOU’VE BEEN CITED IN
THE INFAMOUS DOSSIER, YOU HAVE
BEEN AT THIS FROM THE CENTER,
YOU SAID PEOPLE SHOULD TAKE
RUSSIAN DOSSIER ACCOUNTS
SERIOUSLY BEFORE THAT WAS COMMON
OF YOU BEFORE MUELLER WAS
APPOINTED.
APPOINTED. SOME OF THOSE HAVE BEEN BORNE
OUT.
OUT. WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT TOGETHER, DO
YOU THINK THERE’S A WAY MICHAEL
COHEN COULD LOOK LESS THAN
CREDIBLE TOMORROW, LOOK LIKE IT
IS A BIT OF A NOTHING BURGER IF
IT’S ALL ABOUT STUFF HE WAS
INVOLVED IN, LIKE STORMY DANIELS
AND NOT THE OTHER STUFF.
>> DEPENDS WHETHER HE IS ALLOWED
TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT RUSSIA
AND THE TRUMP TOWER DEAL, WHAT
WENT ON THERE.
WHY DID TRUMP WANT TO KEEP IT
SECRET.
SECRET. WHO ASKED HIM TO CALL PUTIN’S
OFFICE FOR HELP WHICH HE DID AND
HOW DID THAT PLAY ITSELF OUT.
WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
TRUMP AND FELIX SAIDER WHO TRUMP
LIED ABOUT WHO WAYNE THE MIDDLE
OF THAT DEAL.
TRUMP SAID HE DIDN’T KNOW WHO HE
WAS IN THE CAMPAIGN.
THAT WAS OBVIOUSLY A BIG MAJOR
LIE.
LIE. THERE ARE A LOT OF RUSSIAN
RELATED THINGS.
RELATED THINGS. JUST AS IMPORTANT, $300 MILLION
AND LOAN FROM DEUTSCHE BANK WE
DON’T UNDERSTAND THAT TRUMP GOT,
OTHER BUSINESS DEALINGS THAT ARE
VERY CURIOUS TO PUT IT POLITELY.
THOSE ARE THINGS MICHAEL COHEN
SHOULD BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT.
I HOPE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS,
DEMOCRATS, NOT REPUBLICANS, HAVE
DONE HOMEWORK, KNOW WHERE TO
DIG.
DIG. >> AND THAT BRINGS US TO
SOMETHING ELSE, WHEN DAVID TALKS
ABOUT DIGGING, THERE’S A WHOLE
LINE OF QUESTIONING TOMORROW IF
MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE ARE
PREPARED ABOUT WHAT MICHAEL
COHEN SAW WITH THE FRONT ROW
SEAT ABOUT THE WAY DONALD TRUMP
DEALT WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AND
INVESTIGATIONS IN NEW YORK.
HE SAID HE WON’T TALK MUELLER.
OKAY.
OKAY. WHAT ABOUT THE MANHATTAN D.A.
LOOKING INTO MANAFORT, WHAT
ABOUT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL WHERE
DONALD TRUMP CLASHED PREVIOUSLY,
WHAT ABOUT THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT
WHERE THERE ARE CREDIBLE REPORTS
HE TRIED TO INSTALL A LOYALIST.
>> I THINK IT WILL CONTINUE TO
PAINT THE CASE OF THE INFLUENCE
TRUMP HAD OVER HIM AS AN
EMPLOYER, HOW HE WAS TRUMP’S
RIGHT-HAND MAN EVERY STEP OF THE
WAY, A MAN TRUSTED TO MAKE
DEALS, HANDLE PAYOFFS, SO TO
BACK THIS UP, I AM LOOKING FOR
COHEN TO SHOW RECEIPTS.
WE NEED TO SEE EVIDENCE OF ALL
THIS.
THIS. THIS IS HIS OPPORTUNITY TO LAY
IT OUT, PAINT A CLEAR PICTURE OF
HOW MANY THINGS HE TRIED TO
COVER UP, HOW MANY TIMES HE
TRIED TO OBSTRUCT JUSTICE.
ONE THING THAT PERKED UP MY
EARS, CRIMINAL ACTIONS TRUMP DID
WHILE SERVING AS PRESIDENT.
THAT DISTINCTION ALONE MAKES
THIS A LEVEL UP GAME.
>> WHEN YOU SAY RECEIPTS, YOU
MEAN LIKE THE COST OF HIS TRIP
TO D.C. OR --
>> I’M TALKING RECEIPTS AS IN
PROOF OF CAMPAIGN FINANCE
VIOLATIONS WHEN HE PAID OFF
STORMY DANIELS AND WHEN HE
REIMBURSED.
REIMBURSED. >> I AM JUST PLAYING, I DID
UNDERSTAND.
UNDERSTAND. MATT MILLER, LISTEN TO HILLARY
CLINTON WHO EMERGED AND IS
TALKING ABOUT AGAIN HER
POLITICAL THEORY OF WHY PUTIN
WOULD BE SO FAVORABLE TO TRUMP,
IN PART THAT HE WAS HER ENEMY.
TAKE A LISTEN.
>> I SPOKE OUT AS I WOULD SPEAK
OUT ABOUT FRAUDULENT ELECTIONS
ANYWHERE, INCLUDING IN OUR OWN
COUNTRY, BUT THAT JUST GOT HIM
SO UPSET, I THINK HE SAW ME AS A
WORTHY ADVERSARY, WHICH I THINK
I WAS.
I WAS. AND HE CLEARLY FAVORED IN THE
CAMPAIGN, FIRST IN THE PRIMARY,
BERNIE SANDERS, WHO HAD A LONG
HISTORY OF BEING VERY FAVORABLE
TOWARD RUSSIA AND THEN HE
FAVORED TRUMP WHO HE HAD REASON
TO BELIEVE WOULD BE ALSO
INCREDIBLY FAVORABLE.
INCREDIBLY FAVORABLE. >> MATT, I WANT YOUR READ ON
THAT, HER COMING OUT ON THAT
NOW.
NOW. >> I THINK SHE’S ABSOLUTELY
RIGHT, IT’S VERY CLEAR THAT
PUTIN HAD SERIOUS POLICY
DISAGREEMENTS, HAD REASON TO
WORRY ABOUT HER BECOMING
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. I THINK WHAT DIFFERENTIATED
TRUMP FROM EVERY OTHER
CANDIDATE, HOW FRIENDLY HE WAS
TOWARDS PUTIN FROM THE BEGINNING
OF THE CAMPAIGN.
THAT’S ONE OF THE IMPORTANT
THINGS MICHAEL COHEN CAN SHED
LIGHT ON, NOT TOMORROW, BUT
DOING IT TO BOTH INTELLIGENCE
COMMITTEES AND HOPEFULLY WE’LL
SEE THE TRANSCRIPTS, WHY HE WAS
SO FRIENDLY WITH HIM EARLY ON.
WAS IT THE BUSINESS DEAL COHEN
WAS TRYING TO NEGOTIATE, WAS IT
BECAUSE OF HOPE FOR INTERFERENCE
BY PUTIN ON TRUMP’S BEHALF IN
THE ELECTION?
THE ELECTION? I THINK WE NEED TO FIND OUT THE
ANSWER TO THOSE QUESTIONS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT’S
INTERESTING ABOUT THE NEXT SET
OF HEARINGS, IN SOME WAYS IT
SOLVES A PROBLEM THAT DEPARTMENT
OF JUSTICE HAS AND THAT ALL OF
US HAVE, WE DON’T KNOW WHAT
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE WILL TURN
OVER TO CONGRESS.
BUT IF YOU’RE IN THE SOUTHERN
DISTRICT OF NEW YORK AND THINK
TRUMP COMMITTED A CRIME BUT
DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO BECAUSE
YOU CAN’T INDICT, WHATEVER
EVIDENCE YOU TURN OVER, YOU
DON’T HAVE TO WORRY WHETHER THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL BLOCKS YOU OR
NOT, YOU CAN LET WITNESSES
TESTIFY TO CONGRESS.
IF WE SEE HIM TESTIFYING ABOUT
POTENTIAL CRIMES BY THE
PRESIDENT TOMORROW, THAT’S A WAY
FOR DOJ TO GET EVIDENCE OUT IN
PUBLIC IN A WAY THEY CAN’T DO
WHILE HE IS IN OFFICE BECAUSE HE
IS A SITTING PRESIDENT THAT
CAN’T BE INDICTED.
>> BRIEFLY, LIGHTNING ROUND.
I HAVE TO FIT IN A BREAK.
WHAT’S THE TOPIC IN A WORD OR
SENTENCE MOST INTRIGUED TO HEAR
TOMORROW, A WORD OR SENSE FROM
COHEN TOMORROW.
COHEN TOMORROW. MATT?
MATT? >> EXECUTIVE 2.
WHO’S THE EXECUTIVE, ONE OF THE
TRUMP KID THAT SIGNED OFF ON
PAYMENTS TO STORMY DANIELS.
>> DAVID?
>> DAVID? >> I SAY TRUMP TAXES.
WHY DON’T WE SEE THEM, WHAT IS
HE HIDING, WHY IS HE AFRAID TO
RELEASE THEM.
RELEASE THEM. >> HERE’S THE EVIDENCE THAT HE
AVOIDED TAXES, COMMITTED FRAUD.