AND CHRISTINA, THAT IS AMAZING. THANKS, GUYS.
THANKS, GUYS. >>> IT IS 11:00 A.M. OUT WEST
AND 2:00 P.M. IN WASHINGTON.
TODAY THE PRESIDENT REPEATEDLY
INSISTED THAT HE IS NOT WORRIED
ABOUT THE DEMOCRATIC TAKEOVER OF
THE HOUSE.
THE HOUSE. BUT ALL EVIDENCE POINTS TO THE
CONTRARY WHEN HE LOST CONTROL
WITH REPORTERS TODAY AT THE
WHITE HOUSE.
WHITE HOUSE. >> MR. PRESIDENT, IF I MAY --
>> PETER, GO AHEAD.
THAT’S ENOUGH, THAT’S ENOUGH.
>> I WAS GOING TO ASK --
>> THAT’S ENOUGH.
THAT’S ENOUGH.
THAT’S ENOUGH. PUT DOWN THE MIKE.
>> MR. PRESIDENT, ARE YOU
WORRIED ABOUT INDICTMENTS COMING
DOWN IN THIS INVESTIGATION?
>> I’M NOT A BIG FAN OF YOURS
EITHER.
EITHER. SIT DOWN, I DIDN’T CALL YOU.
I DIDN’T CALL YOU.
>> LISTEN, WE’RE NOT DUMB.
WE KNOW THAT THIS IS EXACTLY
WHAT THE PRESIDENT WANTED TO DO
TODAY, TO PICK A FIGHT WITH THE
MEDIA.
MEDIA. THAT’S WHY HE HAD THAT NEWS
CONFERENCE.
CONFERENCE. AND THAT IS NOT THE NEWS THAT
HE’S PICKING A FIGHT WITH THE
MEDIA, HE DOES THAT ALL THE
TIME.
TIME. THE NEWS IS THE WAY HE BULLIED
HIS ONLY PARTY TODAY.
>> YOU HAVE SOME THAT DECIDED
TO, LET’S STAY AWAY, LET’S STAY
AWAY.
AWAY. THEY DID VERY POORLY.
CARLOS CURBELO, MIKE KAUFFMAN.
TOO BAD, MIKE.
MIA LOVE.
MIA LOVE. I SAW MIA LOVE.
SHE CALLED ME ALL THE TIME TO
HELP HER WITH A HOSTAGE
SITUATION, BEING HELD HOSTAGE IN
VENEZUELA.
VENEZUELA. BUT MIA LOVE GAVE ME NO LOVE,
AND SHE LOST.
BARBARA COMSTOCK WAS ANOTHER
ONE.
ONE. I THINK SHE COULD HAVE WON THAT
RACE, BUT SHE DIDN’T WANT TO
HAVE ANY EMBRACE.
>> WAS IT TO MAKE SURE THEY KEEP
PROTECTING HIM OR WAS IT PURE
EGO, OR WAS IT BOTH?
SO OUR BIG QUESTION TODAY IS IF
THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE
PRESIDENT ON DAY ONE OF A SPLIT
CONGRESS, HOW WILL HE HANDLE A
DEMOCRATIC HOUSE OVER THE NEXT
TWO YEARS?
TWO YEARS? JOINING ME, NBC NEWS NATIONAL
CORRESPONDENT PETER ALEXANDER,
POLITICO’S SENIOR WRITER, JAKE
SHERMAN, "BOSTON HERALD" WHITE
HOUSE BUREAU CHIEF, KIMBERLY
ATKINS, THE DIRECTOR OF
PROGRESSIVE PROGRAMMING FOR
SIRIUS XM, ZERLINA MAXWELL AND
REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST RICK
WILSON, THE AUTHOR OF THE BOOK
"EVERYTHING DONALD TRUMP TOUCHES
DIES."
DIES." PETER, I WANT TO START WITH YOU.
LISTEN, HIM GETTING INTO IT WITH
CNN, HIM GETTING INTO IT WITH
REPORTERS, TELLING THEM TO SIT
DOWN, HE’S BEEN DOING THIS NOW
FOR THREE YEARS.
IT WAS MARKEDLY MORE OUT OF
CONTROL TODAY THAN IT HAS EVER
BEEN ADMITTEDLY, BUT I WAS
STRUCK, PETER, BY WHAT HE DID AT
THE VERY BEGINNING OF THAT NEWS
CONFERENCE WHEN HE SINGLED OUT
INDIVIDUAL REPUBLICANS AND SAID
THEY DID NOT WIN BECAUSE THEY
DID NOT EMBRACE HIM.
AND HE SAID THE RETIRING
REPUBLICANS, HAD THEY NOT
RETIRED, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN
FINE.
FINE. THEY RETIRED, PETER, BECAUSE
THEY COULDN’T WIN IN A PRIMARY
AGAINST A DONALD TRUMP
SUPPORTING CANDIDATE.
SUPPORTING CANDIDATE. >> YEAH, KATY, YOU MAKE AN
IMPORTANT POINT HERE.
THAT STRUCK ME AS MUCH AS
ANYTHING, THAT THE PRESIDENT
RIGHT OUT OF THE GATES MOCKED
THOSE MEMBERS OF HIS OWN PARTY,
BUT HE WASN’T DONE.
HE ALSO MALIGNED DEMOCRATS AND
MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA.
LET’S BE CLEAR, THIS IS NOT
ABOUT US.
ABOUT US. WE ARE JUST VEHICLES TO ASK
THESE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS OF THE
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. NONETHELESS, WHAT STRUCK ME
BEING IN THAT ROOM JUST STEPS
AWAY FROM THE PRESIDENT WAS SORT
OF HIS MOOD.
IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT HE WAS NOT
IN A GREAT MOOD WHEN HE WALKED
OUT INTO THAT ROOM.
YOU COULD JUST TELL AS YOU WERE
WATCHING HIM OVER THE COURSE OF
THIS.
THIS. WE’VE SEEN HIM JOVIAL, BOASTFUL
AT TIMES.
AT TIMES. THIS TIME HE WAS OBVIOUSLY UPSET
ABOUT THE WAY THINGS WENT DOWN
LAST NIGHT.
LAST NIGHT. EVEN AS HE WAS TRYING TO CAST IT
AS A VICTORY, DESPITE THE HOUSE
NOW IN THE HANDS OF DEMOCRATS.
HE WAS, OF COURSE, CELEBRATING
HIS SUCCESS HAD PAINGDDING THE
REPUBLICANS’ ADVANTAGE IN THE
SENATE, SPECIFICALLY IN RACES
THAT HE CAMPAIGNED.
BUT THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT
STRUCK ME TODAY.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS THE PRESIDENT
HAD CONCERNS ABOUT THE QUESTIONS
BEING POSED TO HIM BY REPORTERS
TODAY.
TODAY. IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN HOW HE’S
GOING TO HANDLE THE DEMOCRATS,
WHO HAVE A WHOLE HECK OF A LOT
MORE POWER.
MORE POWER. THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO LAUNCH
INVESTIGATIONS, THEY TAKE OVER
THOSE COMMITTEE CHAIRMANSHIPS.
THEY CAN SUBPOENA ADMINISTRATION
OFFICIALS AND DOCUMENTS AS WELL.
AT THE END OF THE DAY WHAT WE
WITNESSED IN THESE FIRST HOURS
OF THE SECOND HALF OF HIS FIRST
TERM IS THAT IT’S ALMOST
IDENTICAL TO THE FIRST HALF.
KATY.
KATY. >> KIMBERLY ATKINS, LET’S STICK
ON THAT.
ON THAT. IS THIS DONALD TRUMP NERVOUS
ABOUT WHAT HOUSE REPUBLICANS CAN
DO, THE POWER THAT THEY WILL NOW
HAVE?
HAVE? >> OF COURSE HE IS.
I KNOW HE TALKED VERY GLOWINGLY
ABOUT SOON-TO-BE SPEAKER PELOSI
TODAY SAYING HOW SHE DESERVES
THIS WIN AND HOW HARD SHE FOUGHT
AND SAID THAT THAT WAS VERY
SINCERE.
SINCERE. BUT WE KNOW HOW PRESIDENT TRUMP
FEELS ABOUT AND TREATS PEOPLE
WHO CHALLENGE HIM AND WHO POSE
ANY THREAT, AS HE SEES IT, TO
HIS PRESIDENCY.
HIS PRESIDENCY. JUST LOOK AT HOW HE TALKS ABOUT
THE MUELLER PROBE, HOW HE TALKS
ABOUT HIS OWN ATTORNEY GENERAL,
THE FEAR THAT SOME FOLKS HAVE
THAT HE’S GOING TO FIRE HIS
DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL AND
PROBABLY DO A BIG HOUSECLEANING
IN THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ABOUT
THIS PROBE.
THIS PROBE. ONCE DEMOCRATS START WIELDING
SUBPOENA POWER AND START GOING
AFTER THE PRESIDENT, AS HE
HIMSELF SAID, HE IS GOING TO
FIGHT BACK.
FIGHT BACK. AND I DON’T THINK THERE IS ANY
QUESTION THAT THAT IS GOING TO
HAPPEN.
HAPPEN. SO THE SOFT TONES FROM HIM TODAY
I THINK ARE QUICKLY GOING TO BE
TAKEN OVER BY A REALLY
CANTANKEROUS RELATIONSHIP
CANTANKEROUS RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE HOUSE AND THE WHITE
HOUSE, IF WE THOUGHT PRESIDENT
TRUMP AND SENATOR ELIZABETH
WARREN WAS A TOUGH FIGHT, WAIT
UNTIL PELOSI V. TRUMP.
>> JAKE, I’VE GOT TWO QUESTIONS
FOR YOU.
FOR YOU. WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT FROM HOUSE
DEMOCRATS?
DEMOCRATS? >> BROADLY SPEAKING -- I WANT TO
MAKE A POINT ON THE
INVESTIGATIVE FRONT.
INVESTIGATIVE FRONT. THERE’S ALWAYS A PROCESS WHEN IT
COMES TO THESE INVESTIGATIONS
WHERE SUBPOENAS AREN’T
NECESSARILY THE FIRST THING THAT
YOU’LL SEE.
YOU’LL SEE. YOU’LL SEE COMMITTEES SEND
LETTERS TO THE WHITE HOUSE AND
AGENCIES SAYING PLEADS COME UP
HERE AND PROVIDE THESE
DOCUMENTS.
DOCUMENTS. THAT GOES ON FOR A COUPLE OF
WEEKS OR MONTHS.
THERE’S NEGOTIATIONS BEHIND THE
SCENES ABOUT WHAT TO PRODUCE.
FINALLY THE LAST STEP IS A
SUBPOENA.
SUBPOENA. AGAIN, THERE ARE DEALS TO BE CUT
WHEN IT COMES TO INVESTIGATIONS.
AND PELOSI IS VERY SAVVY WHEN IT
COMES TO THESE THINGS.
SHE UNDERSTANDS WHAT OVERREACH
WOULD LOOK LIKE AND WHAT THE
PERILS OF OVERREACH ARE.
SHE SAID THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE
A SCATTER SHOT DEAL, THIS IS
GOING TO BE VERY TARGETED.
SO SHE’S ALREADY PRETTY WELL
AWARE OF THE CONSEQUENCES.
NOW, MY PERSONAL VIEW JUST IN
COVERING THIS FOR THE LAST
COUPLE YEARS IS THAT THERE ISN’T
A HUGE APPETITE IN THE DEMOCRAT
BASE, THE PEOPLE WHO JUST GOT
ELECTED TO CONGRESS, TO DO BIG
DEALS WITH DONALD TRUMP.
I DON’T THINK, MAYBE THAT WILL
CHANGE.
CHANGE. MAYBE WE’LL ALL BE SURPRISED.
BUT I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE GOT
ELECTED WHO WERE PRETTY
DISGUSTED BY THE PRESIDENT AND
DIDN’T LIKE THE WAY HE DID
BUSINESS AND WILL NOT GAIN FROM
DOING BUSINESS WITH HIM.
ARE THERE SPOTS WHERE THEY COULD
GET THINGS DONE?
SURE.
SURE. COULD THERE BE AN INFRASTRUCTURE
BILL?
BILL? I’M SKEPTICAL ABOUT A LAME DUCK.
I THINK IN THE EARLY PART OF
NEXT YEAR THERE WILL BE SOMIN
SENT
SENT -- SOME INCENTIVE TO GET THAT
DONE.
DONE. THE PRESIDENT IS VERY WORRIED
ABOUT LOSING REPUBLICAN SUPPOR
SO THIS IS A MINE FIELD.
IT’S A COMPLEX SITUATION AND
WE’LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN THE
NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.
>> WELL, YOU JUST LED INTO MY
SECOND QUESTION, WHICH IS
SOMETHING THAT WE RAISED IN THE
OPEN OF THIS SHOW.
YOU SAID HE’S WORRIED ABOUT
LOSING REPUBLICAN SUPPORT.
THAT MESSAGE THAT MIA LOVE
DIDN’T SUPPORT ME, BARBARA
COMSTOCK DIDN’T SUPPORT ME, ET
CETERA, WAS THAT A MESSAGE BEING
SENT TO REPUBLICANS IN THE
HOUSE, REPUBLICANS ACROSS THE
HILL THAT THEY BETTER GET ON
BOARD WITH HIM OR ELSE?
AND IF IT WAS, WAS THAT MESSAGE
HEARD?
HEARD? >> IT’S A STUNNING THING TO SAY
CONSIDERING REPUBLICAN GROUPS
HAVE JUST DROPPED $200, $300
MILLION INTO THIS ELECTION TO
SAVE SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE.
NOW, THE PRESIDENT DOESN’T SEEM,
ACCORDING TO HIS COMMENTS THIS
AFTERNOON, DOESN’T SEEM TO
REALIZE THAT IN A REPUBLICAN
CONFERENCE, PEOPLE REPRESENT ALL
SORTS OF DIFFERENT DISTRICTS
WHERE TRUMP IS POPULAR AND WHERE
HE’S UNPOPULAR.
HE’S UNPOPULAR. HE’S NOT VERY POPULAR IN BARBARA
COMSTOCK’S NORTHERN VIRGINIA
DISTRICT.
DISTRICT. HE’S NOT VERY POPULAR IN MIKE
KAUFFMAN’S DISTRICT.
KAUFFMAN’S DISTRICT. I COULD THINK THAT A LOT OF
THAT -- THOSE KINDS OF
REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN CLEARED
OUT AND YOU NOW HAVE A MUCH MORE
CONSERVATIVE HOUSE REPUBLICAN
CONFERENCE FILLED WITH PEOPLE
WHO REPRESENT DISTRICTS WHERE
TRUMP IS MORE POPULAR.
SO IN THAT HE GOT HIS WISH.
BUT I’M NOT REALLY SURE WHAT
CALLING OUT CERTAIN REPUBLICANS
DOES FOR YOU.
RIGHT NOW THE REALITY IS THIS,
THE PRESIDENT DOES NOT HAVE A