GETS UNDER WAY ON A THURSDAY NIGHT.
NIGHT. GOOD EVENING ONCE AGAIN FROM OUR
NBC NEWS HEADQUARTERS HERE IN
NEW YORK.
NEW YORK. DAY 910 OF THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION, AND WE ARE IN
THE MIDDLE OF AN UGLY PERIOD
WHICH GOT ITS START FOUR DAYS
AGO WHEN THE PRESIDENT TARGETED
FOUR AMERICAN MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS BY SAYING WHY DON’T
THEY GO BACK AND HELP FIX THE
TOTALLY BROKEN AND
CRIME-INFESTED PLACES FROM WHICH
THEY CAME?
THEY CAME? LAST NIGHT ON THIS BROADCAST, WE
WATCHED CLIPS OF THE PRESIDENT
RELITIGATING HIS CASE FRONT OF
HIS RALLY AUDIENCE IN NORTH
CAROLINA.
CAROLINA. WE HEAR HIM GO AFTER THE
CONGRESSWOMAN BY NAME.
WE HEARD THE CROWD CHANT "SEND
HER BACK" ABOUT CONGRESSWOMAN
OMAR OF MINNESOTA.
WE WATCHED AS THE PRESIDENT
PAUSED WHILE THE CHANT WAS
RISING UP FROM THE AUDIENCE.
AND TODAY HE TRIED TO DISTANCE
HIMSELF FROM THAT CHANT AND
TRIED TO DENY WHAT WE WATCHED
LAST NIGHT.
LAST NIGHT. >> MR. PRESIDENT, IF I MAY, WHEN
YOU’RE SUPPORTERS LAST NIGHT
WERE CHANTING "SEND HER BACK,"
WHY DIDN’T YOU STOP THEM AND ASK
THEM TO STOP SAYING THAT?
>> WELL, NUMBER, I THINK I DID.
I STARTED SPEAKING VERY QUICKLY.
IT REALLY WAS A -- I DISAGREE
WITH IT, BY THE WAY.
BUT IT WAS QUITE A CHANT AND I
FELT A LITTLE BIT BADLY ABOUT
IT.
IT. BUT I WILL SAY THIS.
I DID AND I STARTED SPEAKING
VERY QUICKLY.
VERY QUICKLY. BUT IT STARTED UP RATHER FAST,
AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW.
>> CONGRESSWOMAN OMAR WAS
WELCOMED BACK TO HER HOMETOWN OF
MINNEAPOLIS WITH A DIFFERENT
CHANT TONIGHT AND SHE HAD HER
OWN WORDS FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP.
[ WELCOME HOME,
.
. >> WELCOME HOME ILHAN.
WELCOME HOME, ILHAN.
>> HE IS THREATENED BECAUSE WE
ARE INSPIRING PEOPLE TO DREAM
ABOUT A COUNTRY THAT RECOGNIZES
THEIR DIGNITY AND HUMANITY.
WHEN I SAID I WAS THE
PRESIDENT’S NIGHTMARE, WELL,
YOU’RE WATCHING IT NOW.
[ CHEERS ]
BECAUSE HIS NIGHTMARE IS SEEING
A SOMALI IMMIGRANT REFUGEE RISE
TO CONGRESS.
TO CONGRESS. >> HIS DEFIANCE OVER HIS ATTACKS
ON THESE CONGRESSWOMEN BECAUSE
PUT TRUMP’S LOYAL REPUBLICAN
PARTY IN A TOUGH SPOT.
HIS FRIEND, A SOUTH CAROLINA
REPUBLICAN LINDSEY GRAHAM
PUBLICLY CAME TO TRUMP TRUMP’S
DEFENSE EVEN THOUGH ONCE UPON A
TIME GRAHAM HAD HARSH WORDS FOR
TRUMP ON THE MATTER OF RACE.
>> I WANT TO TALK TO THE TRUMP
SUPPORTERS FOR A MINUTE.
HERE’S WHAT YOU’RE BUYING.
HE’S A RACIST-BAITING,
XENOPHOBIC RELIGIOUS BIGOT.
HE DOESN’T REPRESENT MY PARTY.
>> ISN’T IT RACIST TO SAY SEND
HER BACK?
HER BACK? >> NO, I DON’T THINK IT’S RACIST
TO SAY.
TO SAY. WAS IT RACIST TO SAY LOVE IT OR
LEAVE IT?
LEAVE IT? I DON’T THINK A SOMALI REFUGEE
EMBRACING TRUMP WOULD HAVE BEEN
ASKED TO GO BACK.
IF YOU’RE RACIST, YOU WANT
EVERYONE FROM SIX-MONTH MALIA TO
GO BACK BECAUSE THEY’RE BLACK OR
MUSLIM.
MUSLIM. THAT’S NOT WHAT THIS IS ABOUT TO
ME.
ME. WHAT THIS IS ABOUT TO ME IS
THESE FOUR CONGRESSMEN IN THEIR
OWN WAY HAD BEEN INCREDIBLY
PROVOCATIVE.
PROVOCATIVE. >> THE HOUSE MINORITY LEADER
KEVIN McCARTHY DID TELL
REPORTERS THAT THE CHANTS,
QUOTE, HAVE NO PLACE IN OUR
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. HE WENT ON TO SUPPORT TRUMP’S
ASSERTION ABOUT NOT TAKING PART
WHEN THE CHANTS ERUPTED.
>> THE PRESIDENT DID NOT JOIN
IN.
IN. THE PRESIDENT MOVED ON.
HE MOVED ON ABOUT A SPEECH ABOUT
A COUNTRY AND THE THINGS THAT
ARE BUILDING IT RIGHT.
THAT’S WHAT THE PRESIDENT DID.
HAS IT BECOME SO FAR THAT YOU
WANT TO DISLIKE THE PRESIDENT SO
MUCH YOU’RE GOING TO ACCUSE HIM
OF TRYING TO DO SOMETHING HE DID
NOT DO?
NOT DO? >> BEHIND THE SCENES, HOWEVER,
MANY REPUBLICANS AREN’T HAPPY
ABOUT WHAT TIME OF DAY UNFOLDED.
SOME OF TRUMP’S ALLIES IN
CONGRESS SUGGESTED TO VICE
PRESIDENT PENCE TODAY THAT THE
CHANTS WERE NOT HELPFUL AND THAT
SUCH BEHAVIOR SHOULD BE
DISCOURAGED.
DISCOURAGED. "NEW YORK TIMES" REPORTING THAT
HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADERS, QUOTE,
PLEADED WITH PENCE ON THURSDAY
MORNING TO SEPARATE THE PARTY
FROM THE MESSAGE EMBRACED BY THE
CROWD.
CROWD. THERE’S THIS FROM POLITICO.
QUOTE, DURING A BREAKFAST
MEETING WITH REPUBLICAN LEADERS,
MULTIPLE MEMBERS SAID THEY WERE
DISTURBED BY THE CHANTS AIMED AT
REPRESENTATIVE OMAR AND ASKED
PENCE TO RELAY THEIR MESSAGE TO
TRUMP, WHICH HE AGREED TO DO.
TODAY VOTERS ALSO WEIGHED IN ON
THE RALLY AND TRUMP’S ATTACKS.
>> I’M DISGUSTED IN AMERICA FOR
ALLOWING THIS TO HAPPEN.
>> THERE’S CERTAIN THINGS ABOUT
AMERICA THAT AREN’T LOVABLE.
PEOPLE ARE ENTITLINGED TO THEIR
OPINIONS.
OPINIONS. >> IF YOU’RE GOING TO BE HERE,
YOU HAVE TO OBEY OUR LAWS AND
ABIDE BY THE THINGS WE SET HERE.
>> IT’S JUST DISGRACEFUL.
>> THIS IMMIGRATION PROBLEM, OUR
CONGRESS HAS GOT TO GET THEIR
ACT TOGETHER.
ACT TOGETHER. >> AS AN IMMIGRANT, I FEEL IT’S
VERY DISRESPECTFUL AND VERY,
VERY HURTFUL.
VERY HURTFUL. FOR ME AND MOST OF US, THIS IS
OUR HOME.
OUR HOME. >> TRUMP’S NEXT RALLY IS SET FOR
AUGUST 1st.
AUGUST 1st. CINCINNATI, OHIO.
CINCINNATI, OHIO. TODAY REPORTERS ASKED HIM ABOUT
HIS MESSAGE TO HIS SUPPORTERS
AND IF HE WOULD STOP THEM IF HE
REPEATED THAT SAME "ACCEPTED HER
BACK CHANT."
BACK CHANT." >> THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT LOVE
OUR COUNTRY.
OUR COUNTRY. I WANT THEM TORPGS KEEP LOVING O
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. THE CONGRESSWOMEN, BY THE WAY,
SHOULD BE MORE POSITIVE THAN
THEY ARE.
THEY ARE. THE CONGRESSWOMEN HAVE A LOT OF
PROBLEMS.
PROBLEMS. THE CONGRESSMEN AND WOMEN ALSO
HAVE A BIG OBLIGATION IN THIS
COUNTRY AND IN EVERY COUNTRY,
FRANKLY, BUT THEY HAVE A BIG
OBLIGATION.
OBLIGATION. AND THE OBLIGATION IS TO LOVE
YOUR COUNTRY.
YOUR COUNTRY. >> THAT BRINGS US TO OUR
LEAD-OFF DISCUSSION ON A
THURSDAY NIGHT OF FOR THAT,
PETER BAKER, CHIEF WHITE HOUSE
CORRESPONDENT FOR "THE NEW YORK
TIMES," KIMBERLY ATKINS,
BOSTON’S NPR NEWS STATION, AND
DAVID JOLLY, FORMER REPUBLICAN
MEMBER OF CONGRESS FROM THE
STATE OF FLORIDA WHO HAS SINCE
LEFT THE HOUSE AND HIS POLITICAL
PARTY.
PARTY. KIM, I’D LIKE TO BEGIN WITH THIS
FROM ASHLEY PARKER OF "THE
WASHINGTON POST."
WASHINGTON POST." SHE WAS IN ATTENDANCE LAST NIGHT
IN NORTH CAROLINA.
THE PRESIDENT PAUSED, AS OF TO
LET THE MOMENT UNFURL TO FAN
ANOTHER GUST OF OXYGEN ONTO THE
FIRE OF RACIAL ANIMUS DEVOURING
HIS BASE.
HIS BASE. HE LET GO OF THE LECTERN AND
TURNED HIS BODY TO THE LEFT.
HE GRIPPED IT AGAIN WITH BOTH
HANDS AND STARED FORWARD BEFORE
SWIVELING TO THE RIGHT.
FOR 13 FULL SECONDS, THE CROWD
SHOUTED THAT OMAR, A U.S.
CONGRESSWOMAN, A U.S. CITIZEN,
SHOULD BE SENT BACK TO THE
COUNTRY FROM WHICH SHE FLED.
AND IN THE MESSY AFTERMATH, MANY
IN TRUMP’S ORBIT AND THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY CONFIRMED AND
WRIGGLED, SIGHING THAT PERHAPS
THE CROWD HAS CROSSED A LINE,
BUT GENERALLY UNWILLING TO
CONDEMN THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF.
KIM, DO YOU GET THE UNMISTAKABLE
VIEW THAT THIS HAS BECOME MORE
OMINOUS BY THE DAY, OVER FOUR
DAYS OF THIS?
>> I THINK SO.
LOOK, WE’VE SEEN FROM THE LAST
FOUR YEARS THAT THERE ARE FEW
PLACES WHERE DONALD TRUMP FEELS
MORE COMFORTABLE AND MORE
HIMSELF THAN AT A RALLY.
HE KNOWS HOW TO DEAL WITH THE
CROWD.
CROWD. HE KNOWS HOW TO RESPOND TO THE
CROWD AND PLAY OFF THE CROWD.
AND I THINK ASHLEY DID A PRETTY
BRILLIANT JOB OF DESCRIBING
EXACTLY HOW HE DID IT.
HE HEARD WHAT THE CROWD WAS
CHANTING.
CHANTING. HE STOOD THERE AND LET THE CHANT
GO THROUGH.
GO THROUGH. IT WASN’T UNTIL THE CHANT ITSELF
DIED DOWN THAT HE STARTED TO
SPEAK AGAIN IN A VERY
SHOWMANSHIP TYPE OF WAY WE’VE
SEEN MANY TIMES BEFORE.
SO ANY CLAIM THAT HE TRIED TO
TAMP THAT DOWN IS JUST, YOU
KNOW, HE’S ASKING YOU NOT TO
BELIEVE YOUR OWN EYES IN THAT
SENSE.
SENSE. BUT TO YOUR QUESTION, YES, WE
HAVE SEEN THIS PRESIDENT BEFORE,
EVEN WHEN HE STEPPES BACK FROM A
CONTROVERSY, ESPECIALLY WHEN
IT’S ONE ABOUT CULTURAL
DIVISIONS SHE’S SEWEN.
WHEN HE RECEIVED CRITICISM FROM
THAT, IT WAS WHEN HE CAME BACK
AT A INFRASTRUCTURE PRESS
CONFERENCE AND UNLEASHED AND
TOTALLY WENT OFF AND SAID THAT
IT WAS VERY FINE PEOPLE ON BOTH
SIDES AND REALLY REVERSED AND
WENT BACK TO HIS ORIGINAL
COMMENTS.
COMMENTS. I THINK THAT VERY WELL COULD
HAPPEN HERE.
HAPPEN HERE. HE CLEARLY WAS CAN WE WHERE HE
WAS AT A RALLY AND THERE ARE
REPUBLICANS NOW PUSHING BACK.
BUT IF HE IS CRITICIZED, HE’S
GOING TO GO BACK TO HIS GUT.
THAT’S WHAT WE’VE SEEN HIM DO
TIME AND TIME AGAIN.
I DON’T THINK THAT IS OVER.
>> PETER BAKER, AS YOU KNOW
WELL, SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO
LISTEN TO THE PRESIDENT AND HE
WILL PREVIEW HIS OWN ACTIONS.
I’M GOING TO PLAY FOR OUR
AUDIENCE A QUOTE YOU KNOW NOW BY
HEART.
HEART. THIS IS BEFORE THE VFW IN 2018.
>> JUST REMEMBER, WHAT YOU’RE
SEEING AND WHAT YOU’RE READING
IS NOT WHAT’S HAPPENING.
JUST STICK WITH US.
DON’T BELIEVE THE CRAP YOU SEE
FROM THESE PEOPLE, THE FAKE
NEWS.
NEWS. [ CHEERS ]
>> PETER, WITH THAT IN MIND,
WEREN’T HIS COMMENTS TODAY JUST
A NATURAL EXTENSION?
>> WELL, LOOK, HE HAS REPEATEDLY
ASKED AMERICANS TO BELIEVE HIS
VERSION OF EVENTS, HIS NARRATIVE
THAT HE IS SETTING OVER NOT JUST
THE VIEWPOINTS OR RECOLLECTIONS
OF OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAPPEN TO BE
IN A ROOM, BUT THE VERY
VIDEOTAPES OR AUDIO TAPES WE’VE
SEEN.
SEEN. WE SAW HIM DENY THAT HE CALLED
MEGHAN MARKLE THE NEW DUCHESS IN
BRITAIN NASTY, HE DENIED THAT
THE FACILITY IN TEXAS THAT VICE
PRESIDENT PENCE SAW WAS CROWDED
AND TROUBLED.
AND TROUBLED. HE DENIED THAT HE HAD SAID, EVEN
A SMALL THING LIKE WHETHER HE
CALLED TIM COOK, WHETHER HE
CALLED HIM TIM APPLE OR NOT.
HE DID, THE AUDIO IS VERY CLEAR
AND HE DENIED IT AT FIRST.
DON’T BELIEVE WHAT YOU HEAR OR
WHAT YOU SEE, BELIEVE WHAT I’M
TELLING YOU.
TELLING YOU. LOOK, A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO
BELIEVE IN HIM BELIEVE HE’S
TELLING A LARGER TRUTH.
THEY UNDERSTAND HE MIGHT NOT BE
COMPLETELY HONEST, BUT WHAT THEY
SEE IS SOMEONE WHO IS SPEAKING
TRUTH TO POWER IN A WAY.
THAT’S WHY THEY REACT TO HIS
VISION OF AN AMERICA THAT IS
UNDER SIEGE BY THIS
MULTICULTURAL IMMIGRATION-HEAVY,
MULTICULTURAL IMMIGRATION-HEAVY, IMMIGRATION-FRIENDLY EVOLUTION
IMMIGRATION-FRIENDLY EVOLUTION OF A COUNTRY THAT MAKES PEOPLE
FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE.
FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE. THAT’S WHAT HE’S PLAYING TO.
>> DAVID JOLLY, I HAVE TWO
THINGS FOR YOU.
HERE’S THE FIRST ELEMENT.
THIS IS THE PRESIDENT ON MONDAY.
>> IT DOESN’T CONCERN ME BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE AGREE WITH ME.
>> DAVID, THAT KIND OF LANGUAGE
HAD PEOPLE THINKING BACK TO A
DIFFERENT POLITICIAN AND A
DIFFERENT TIME.
DIFFERENT TIME. THIS CLIP THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE
MAY REMEMBER.
MAY REMEMBER. >> I CAN’T TRUST OBAMA.
I HAVE READ ABOUT HIM AND HE’S
NOT -- HE’S AN ARAB.
HE IS NOT --
>> NO, MA’AM, NO, MA’AM.
HE’S A DECENT FAMILY MAN,
CITIZEN, THAT I JUST HAPPEN TO
HAVE DISAGREEMENTS WITH ON
FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES.
FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES. AND THAT’S WHAT THIS CAMPAIGN IS
ALL ABOUT.
ALL ABOUT. HE’S NOT.
HE’S NOT. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. >> SO DAVID A NUMBER OF
QUESTIONS.
QUESTIONS. HOW DID WE GET HERE?
THAT SHOWS THE MIGRATION IN
VIEWPOINT, TONE, AND TENOR AMONG
POLITICIANS.
POLITICIANS. IS THIS LOCKED IN NOW AS HOW
THIS PRESIDENT IS GOING TO RUN
FOR RE-ELECTION?
FOR RE-ELECTION? CANDIDLY, IT WOULD BE RATHER
STRIKING AT THIS POINT IF HE
PIVOTED AND STARTED CAMPAIGNING
ON JOBS AND THE ECONOMY.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. WE’VE SEEN THE REAL DONALD TRUMP
AND IT’S A FAILURE IN LEADERSHIP
THAT STANDS IN STARK CONTRAST TO
SOMEBODY LIKE SENATOR JOHN
McCAIN WHO ROSE TO THE MOMENT OF
LEADERSHIP WHEN THE NATION
LOOKED TO HIM AT EXACTLY A
MOMENT LIKE YOU JUST PLAYED.
BRIERNGS WE’RE FOUR DAYS INTO
THIS, IT’S BEEN AN EXHAUSTING
24-HOUR NEWS CYCLE.
I AM OPTIMISTIC TONIGHT COMING
OUT OF WHAT WE SAW AT THE
MINNESOTA AIRPORT.
MINNESOTA AIRPORT. WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS, I’M
OPTIMISTIC BECAUSE THE LEADERS
WHO FAIL US POLITICALLY, THE
DONALD TRUMPS, THE LINDSEY
GRAHAMS, THE KEVIN McCARTHYS,
THEIR MOMENTS ARE FLEETING,
THEIR LEGACIES DIM EARLY.
BUT TONIGHT WE’RE SEEING THE
EARLY MOMENTS OF ILHAN OMAR
SECURING A VERY SPECIAL PLACE IN
AMERICAN HISTORY.
AMERICAN HISTORY. CONSIDER ONE OF JUST A HANDFUL
OF REFUGEES WHO HAVE RISEN TO
ELECTIVE OFFICE IN THE UNITED
STATES CONGRESS.
STATES CONGRESS. NOW AT ABINREFLECTION POINT IN
THIS CONVERSATION OTHER THE
FREEDOM OF DISSENT.
OUR NATION WAS FOUNDED ON
DISSENT.
DISSENT. A BUNCH OF PEOPLE SAID TO THE
KING WE CAN DO BETTER.
THEY WROTE THE CONSTITUTION AND
AN AWARENESS TO PROTECT THE
FREEDOM OF DISSENT.
MADISON WROTE VIRTUALLY EVERY
ONE OF THE FREEDOMS IN THE FIRST
AMENDMENT COMES FROM DISSENT.
THOSE CONSTITUTIONAL FREEDOMS,
THAT’S THE VERY SAME
CONSTITUTION OMAR IN 2000 RAISED
HER RIGHT HAND AND PLEDGED TRUE
FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE TO.
THAT 17-YEAR-OLD GIRL HAD TO
LISTEN TO AN ANGRY MOB CHANT
THAT SHE NEEDED TO LEAD THE
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. WHAT HISTORY HAS TAUGHT US IS
THAT NO ANGRY MOB CAN UNDO THE
PROTECTIONS THAT WERE WRITTEN BY
JAMES MADISON.
JAMES MADISON. THE REASON I AM OPTIMISTIC
TONIGHT, THE REASON I THINK WE
CAN CELEBRATE IS THIS IS A
MOMENT WHERE WE ARE WATCHING THE
FOUNDERS’ VISION PLAY OUT.
IT IS EXACTLY ILHAN OMAR’S
DISSENT, IF YOU WILL, HER
FREEDOM OF DISSENT OUR FOUNDERS
ENVISIONED.
ENVISIONED. IT IS EXACTLY THE DANGEROUS
BEHAVIOR OF DONALD TRUMP AND THE
MOB LAST NIGHT THAT THEY ALSO
ENVISIONED.
ENVISIONED. AND THAT IS WHY THEY WROTE INTO