.
. >>> OFTENTIMES WHEN BAD NEWS
COME OUT AT THE PRESIDENT, YOU
WILL HEAR HIS BASE WON’T CARE.
DOESN’T MATTER WHAT OR HOW BAD
THE STORY IS, HUSH PAYMENTS TO
WOMEN, THE MUELLER REPORT, HIS
MASSIVE LOSSES IN BUSINESS.
THEY WILL SAY TRUMP’S CORE
SUBPOENA PORES WILL JUST NOT BE
MOVED.
MOVED. IT IS FASCINATING TO SEE HOW
THEY CON TERT THEMSELVES SO THEY
DON’T HAVE TO CARE.
TAKE THE REACTION TO TRUMP’S
STORY ABOUT HIS TAXES, FOR
EXAMPLE.
EXAMPLE. >> GUESS WHAT?
NOT ALL OF US WIN ON EVERYTHING
WE BUY.
WE BUY. >> THEY REALIZED HE’S A
BILLIONAIRE.
BILLIONAIRE. HE WAS CAMPAIGNING ON THE TRAIL
WITH HIS PLANE BEHIND HIM THAT’S
AS BIG AS A DELTA JET WITH HIS
NAME ON IT.
WE CAN’T EVEN FATHOM THAT KIND
OF MONEY.
OF MONEY. IF ANYTHING, YOU READ THIS AND
YOU’RE LIKE, WOW, IT IS PRETTY
IMPRESSIVE WHAT HE’S DONE IN HIS
LIFE.
LIFE. IT’S BEYOND WHAT MOST OF US
COULD EVER ACHIEVE.
>> COULD VERY WELL BE TRUE.
WHAT’S ALSO TRUE IS THAT DONALD
TRUMP HAS FOUGHT TRUTH AND NAIL
TO KEEP HIS TAX RETURNS FROM
COMING OUT.
COMING OUT. HE HAS PULLED OFF A MAJOR CON.
TRUMP WAS A CON ARTIST BACK IN
THE ’80s AND ’90s AND HE IS
STILL NOW IS TRYING TO STAY
AHEAD OF IT.
JOINING ME CLAIRE McCASKILL AND
FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE
NEW YORK STATE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
SENATOR, LET ME START WITH YOU.
THERE IS THIS IDEA IT’S NOT
GOING TO MATTER TO THE BASE.
PUTTING THAT ASIDE FOR THE
SECOND, IT ALSO STRIKES ME THERE
IS A REASON HE DOESN’T WANT THEM
TO COME OUT.
>> WELL, I THINK THAT’S PRETTY
OBVIOUS.
OBVIOUS. BUT THAT WAS OBVIOUS DURING THE
CAMPAIGN.
CAMPAIGN. >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> I WILL SAY THIS.
EVEN THOUGH HIS BASE IS VERY
DEFENSIVE AND VERY PROTECTIVE OF
THE PRESIDENT, THERE IS SOME
WOBBLING GOING AROUND RIGHT NOW,
AND WE’RE NOT SPENDING A LOT OF
TIME TALKING ABOUT IT, BUT IT IS
WITH THE FARMERS.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> THE FARMERS OUT THERE ARE --
THEY KNOW WHAT LOSSES ARE.
THEY KNOW WHAT REAL ESTATE
LOSSES ARE.
LOSSES ARE. THEY KNOW WHAT LOSS CARRY
FORWARD IS, AND THEY KNOW
THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF
THEM THIS YEAR.
AND THEY KNOW THAT THE TARIFFS
ARE NOT GETTING RESOLVED.
THEY CAN’T EVEN GET -- HE’S MORE
INTERESTED -- THIS PRESIDENT IS
MORE INTERESTED IN PUNISHING
PUERTO RICO AND IN THE PROCESS
HURTING HIS BASE, WHICH ARE THE
FARMERS OF AMERICA.
SO IT IS FASCINATING TO ME.
>> I HAD JOHN TESTER ON LAST
NIGHT.
NIGHT. HE TALKED ABOUT THIS.
AND HE WAS TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE
TAKING A BATH.
IT SHOWED UP ON THE SPREADSHEET.
>> TAKING A BATH.
>> I GUESS THE QUESTION ALWAYS
IS LIKE, DO PEOPLE’S SYMBOLIC
ATTACHMENT OUTWEIGH MATERIAL
LOSSES?
LOSSES? >> YOU HAVE TO REALIZE A LOT OF
PEOPLE WHO BEGIN TO QUESTION HIM
LIKE FARMERS AND WHETHER OR NOT
WHAT HE’S DOING IS WISE AND
WHETHER OR NOT HE’S LOOKING
AFTER HIM OR THE WORKING FOLKS
AREN’T THERE THAT AREN’T SEEING
THE MANUFACTURING JOBSEN EVERY
CORNER IS THEY MAY NOT TALK
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT. AND THEY CERTAINLY DON’T WANT TO
BEND THE KNEE TO FOLKS THAT ARE
SPEAKING OUT OF WASHINGTON.
>> RIGHT, YES.
>> OR MAYBE OUT OF NEW YORK.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> SO THEY ARE REALLY GOING TO
PUSH BACK IF THEY ARE CONFRONTED
AND SAY, WAIT A MINUTE, THE ONLY
REASON THE PRESIDENT IS NOT
DOING WELL IS BECAUSE THE SYSTEM
IS AGAINST HIM, WHICH OF COURSE
IS SILLY.
IS SILLY. IT’S DUMB.
IT’S DUMB. IT IS NOT THE REASON HE’S NOT
DOING WELL.
DOING WELL. IT IS BECAUSE HE’S NOT A VERY
GOOD QUESTION.
GOOD QUESTION. >> HOW PICKABLE IS THIS AURA
AROUND HIM TO A CERTAIN SEGMENT
OF THE POPULATION.
YOU HEARD THEM SAY HE’S GOT THIS
BIG PLANE AND ALL THIS STUFF
THAT LIKE THE IDEA THAT THE
WHOLE THING IS A MIRAGE IS
DEVASTATING FOR HIM AND ALSO TOO
MUCH TO PROCESS.
>> GOING BACK TO AN EARLIER
POINT THAT YOU MADE, WE WERE
TALKING ABOUT THIS A LOT IN
2017, THAT THIS WAS THIS HOUSE
OF CARDS THAT WOULD HAVE TO FALL
APART AT SOME POINT.
BUT WE HAVE COME TO REALIZE THAT
VOTERS COMPARTMENTALIZE A LOT.
THERE WAS THIS COMMENT AROUND
THAT TIME THAT SAID DON’T TAKE
HIM LITERALLY.
HIM LITERALLY. JUST TAKE HIM FIGURATIVELY.
THAT’S SHOCKING WHEN YOU ARE
TALKING ABOUT THE PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES, RIGHT?
AND, SO, VOTERS HAVE FOUND A WAY
TO GET ALONG WITH HIM AND TO
SORT OF TRY TO BELIEVE HIM.
BUT I DON’T KNOW THAT WORKS
NECESSARILY FOR THE VOTER THAT
VOTED FOR OBAMA TWICE AND HIM
ONCE.
ONCE. >> WHEN I LOOK AT THIS, I THINK
THERE IS A CASE TO BE HE IS THE
MOST SUCCESSFUL CON ARTIST OF
ALL TIME.
ALL TIME. NAME SOMEONE.
NAME SOMEONE. THIS IS SOMEONE WHO BUILT THIS
ENTIRE REPUTATION FOR HIMSELF AS
AN INDEPENDENT BUSINESSMAN THAT
WAS A BAILOUT OF DADDY’S MONEY.
THEN TURNED THIS MYTH OF BEING A
REALITY STAR TELEVISION INTO THE
MOST POWERFUL PERSON IN THE
WORLD.
WORLD. >> IT’S TRUE.
AND ALL HE DID -- AS YOU SAID,
CHRIS, BANKS AVOIDED HIM.
THE ONLY BANK THAT WOULD DEAL
WITH HIM WAS THE WEALTH DESK AT
DEUTSCHE BANK.
DEUTSCHE BANK. ALL HE WAS DOING WAS SELLING HIS
NAME.
NAME. >> BUT HERE IS MY QUESTION.
YOU WERE ON CAPITOL HILL
ACROSS -- YOU WERE THERE WHEN HE
WAS THERE, RIGHT?
>> I WAS.
>> I WAS. >> YOU GOT COLLEAGUES.
THEY’RE ALL EGO DRIVEN PEOPLE
GENERALLY IN POLITICS.
THEY THINK THEY KNOW WHAT
THEY’RE DOING.
THEY’RE DOING. DOES THE CON WORK IN PERSON?
LIKE HOW IS IT WORKING ON THE
REPUBLICANS?
REPUBLICANS? I JUST DON’T ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND
WHY IT WORKS.
>> I DON’T THINK IT’S WORKING ON
THE REPUBLICANS.
THE REPUBLICANS. I THINK THEY’RE DOING A GOOD JOB
OF KEEPING THEIR HEAD DOWN AND
TRYING NOT TO SAY TOO MUCH.
IF YOU LOOK ACROSS THE BOARD,
THERE IS A FEW OUTLIERS LIKE
LINDSEY GRAHAM WHO APPEARS TO
HAVE LOST HIS MIND AND OTHERS.
BUT THE VAST MAJORITY OF MY
FORMER COLLEAGUES THAT ARE
REPUBLICANS, THEY DON’T TALK
ABOUT DONALD TRUMP.
>> I’M SORRY.
AND IT’S A LITTLE BIT OF BEING
OUT OF CONTROL OF WHAT YOU HAVE
BROUGHT, RIGHT?
BROUGHT, RIGHT? THIS IS NOT JUST DONALD TRUMP.
THIS IS 10, 15 YEARS IN THE
MAKING OF CREATING THIS DIVISIVE
ATMOSPHERE THAT IF DONALD TRUMP
DIDN’T EXIST HE WOULD HAVE BEEN
CREATED.
CREATED. NOW THAT HE IS HERE, HOW DO THEY
ROLL BACK ALL OF WHAT THEY HAVE
DONE?
DONE? IT IS NOT JUST FROM THE
ELECTION.
ELECTION. IT IS GOING BACK A DECADE.
>> IT ALSO STRIKES ME THERE IS
THE KIND OF SHAMELESSNESS AND
BOUNDARY PUSHING IS A
COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE IN THESE
STANDOFFS.
STANDOFFS. HE’S DOING STUFF THAT’S CRAZY
AND OUT THERE AND IT SEEMS LIKE
HE’S GETTING AWAY WITH IT.
>> THAT’S WHY WE NEED GOOD
LAWYERS TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT
THE PRESIDENT IS, WHAT THE CASE
LAW IS AND GET IN FRONT OF A
COURT ABOUT THE CONSTITUTIONAL
DUTY OF CONGRESS TO DO
OVERSIGHT.
OVERSIGHT. THAT’S WHAT THIS REALLY IS
ABOUT.
ABOUT. AND IT WOULD BE DIFFERENT IF THE
PRESIDENT WERE PICKING AN
INDIVIDUAL FIGHT LIKE FAST AND
FURIOUS.
FURIOUS. >> RIGHT, RIGHT.
>> ON ONE INDIVIDUAL THING.
HE’S BASICALLY SAYING, I’M DONE
WITH YOU.
WITH YOU. >> THAT’S IT.
>> I’M GOING TO TREAT YOU LIKE I
USED TO TREAT THE PEOPLE WHO
WORKED ON MY DEVELOPMENT
PROJECTS.
PROJECTS. I’M JUST NOT GOING TO PAY YOU
AND THEN MAYBE I’LL SUE YOU.
>> I’LL WALK AWAY.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. HE’S TREATING A DULY ELECTED
BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT AS IF THEY