UNTIL HE CAN GET ASSURANCES THAT HIS POLITICAL DOMESTIC RIVAL
WILL BE SLINEED, THAT DIRT WILL
BE DUG UP ON HIM.
>> I WANT TO SHOW THE SHIFTING
EXPLANATION ABOUT WHY PRESIDENT
TRUMP CHOSE TO FREEZE
$400 MILLION IN THAT MILITARY
AID JOE’S TALKING ABOUT TO
UKRAINE.
UKRAINE. ON MONDAY THE PRESIDENT SAID
THIS.
THIS. >> IT’S VERY IMPORTANT TO TALK
ABOUT CORRUPTION.
ABOUT CORRUPTION. IF YOU DON’T TALK ABOUT
CORRUPTION, WHY WOULD YOU GIVE
MONEY TO A COUNTRY THAT YOU
THINK IS CORRUPT?
>> LESS THAN 24 HOURS LATER, THE
PRESIDENT SAID THIS, I’LL
CONTINUE TO WITHHOLD UNTIL SUCH
TIME AS EUROPE AND OTHER NATIONS
CONTRIBUTE TO UKRAINE.
WHEY IS IT ONLY THE UNITED
STATES PUTTING UP THE MONEY?
AND BY THE WAY, WE PAID THAT
MONEY.
MONEY. I THINK IT’S UNFAIR THAT WE PUT
UP THE MONEY.
THEN PEOPLE CALL ME.
THEY SAY OH, R LET IT GO, AND I
LET IT GO.
>> ACCORDING TO "WASHINGTON
POST" FACT CHECKER ANALYSIS,
EUROPE HAS BEEN A MAJOR FUNDER
TO UKRAINE SINCE RUSSIA ANNEXED
ITS CRIMEAN PENINSULA IN 2014,
OFTEN PROVIDING MORE AID THAN
DOES THE UNITED STATES.
IN FACT, ACCORDING TO THE
ORGANIZATION FOR ECONOMIC
COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT,
AMONG THE TOP TEN DONORS IN
GROSS OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
ASSISTANCE FOR UKRAINE IN 2016,
2017 THEY WERE EUROPEAN
INSTITUTIONS, GERMANY, POLAND,
SWEDEN AND BRITAIN.
IT’S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE --
>> WOW.
>> WOW. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> SO WILLIE, CAN WE GO BACK TO
THAT CHART FOR A SECOND?
LETS LOOK AT THE NUMBERS FOR ONE
SECOND.
SECOND. DONALD TRUMP SAID YESTERDAY
SPORTS,
SPORTS, SPORTS FANS THAT EUROPE NEEDED
TO CONTRIBUTE, THAT THE UNITED
STATES WAS CONTRIBUTEING
ASSISTANCE AND NOBODY ELSE WAS.
IF YOU ADDED EUROPEAN
INSTITUTIONS, GERMANY, POLAND,
SWEDEN, BRITAIN, AND
SWITZERLAND, JUST THE EUROPEAN
COUNTRIES, JUST THE EUROPEAN
COUNTRIES, THEY ACTUALLY HAVE
CONTRIBUTED IN GROSS OVERSEAS
DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE FOR
UKRAINE IN ’16 AND ’17 AT LEAST
THREE TIMES AS MUCH AS THE
UNITED STATES SO WILLIE, ANOTHER
EXCUSE, ANOTHER LIE.
>> IT DID FEEL LIKE HE WAS
REACHING INTO THE BAG OF
GREATEST HITS.
GREATEST HITS. REMEMBER THIS IS AN ARGUMENT FOR
NATO AS WELL, THAT EUROPE’S NOT
PAYING ENOUGH, SO WE’RE GOING TO
WITHHOLD FOR THEM.
KIND OF FEELS LIKE HE MADE IT UP
ON THE FLY AT THE U.N.
>> BURDEN SHARING HAS BEEN A
STAPLE OF THE ARGUMENT FOR 50
YEARS.
YEARS. THE PROBLEM IS THE FACTS DON’T
SUPPORT IT.
SUPPORT IT. LET’S COME BACK TO THE BASES.
THIS IS QUALITATIVELY DIFFERENT
AND MORE SERIOUS THAN 2016.
IT’S NOT SIMPLY INVITING A
FOREIGN GOVERNMENT TO GET
INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS.
IT’S ALSO SOMETHING HE COULD DO
NOW THAT HE COULDN’T IN 2016.
HE HAS THE POWERS OF THE
PRESIDENCY AT HIS DISPOSAL.
HAES THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF.
TO ME WHAT IS DECISIVELY
DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS IS THE
ABILITY TO LEVERAGE THE
AVAILABILITY OF U.S. SECURITY
ASSISTANCE.
ASSISTANCE. THAT IS SOMETHING NO CANDIDATE
CAN DO.
CAN DO. IT’S ONLY SOMETHING AN INCUMBENT
PRESIDENT CAN DO.
THAT IS WHERE A LINE IS CROSSED.
>> LET’S GO TO HEIDI AND JAKE
NOW FOR MORE ON THAT
EXTRAORDINARY ADDRESS SPEAKER
PELOSI MADE YESTERDAY.
HEIDI, I’LL START WITH YOU.
I GUESS MY QUESTION THIS MORNING
IS WHAT IS DIFFERENT PROCEDURAL
PROCEDURALLY NOW?
PROCEDURALLY NOW? THERE WAS NOT A SPECIAL
COMMITTEE APPOINTED.
COMMITTEE APPOINTED. INSIDE THAT MEETING WITH THE
CAUCUS, SPEAKER PELOSI IS QUOTED
AS SAYING IT DOESN’T CHANGE MUCH
FROM WHAT’S ALREADY GOING ON
BESIDES THE FACT THAT I’M NOW
WITH YOU ON THIS.
>> WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS THAT
THURSDAY WILL BE ANOTHER
INFLECTION POINT.
INFLECTION POINT. TOMORROW, WHEN WE GET THAT
WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINT.
WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINT. WE’VE SEEN A BIG SHIFT HERE IN
THE WAY THAT REPUBLICANS HAVE
RESPONDED TO THIS IN THAT THE
REPUBLICAN SENATE VOTED
UNANIMOUSLY TO RELEASE THAT
WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINT, THE
HOUSE IS GOING TO DO THE SAME
AND THEN FROM THERE WE WILL SEE
HOW THE SPEAKER PROCEEDS AND
WHETHER THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE
IS GOING TO ACTUALLY MOVE ON
FORMING SOME TYPE OF ARTICLES.
I IMAGINE THAT THEY’RE GOING TO
WANT TO NOT ONLY SEE THE
COMPLAINT BUT THEY’RE ALSO GOING
TO WANT TO SPEAK TO THE
WHISTLEBLOWER AND HAVE THE
WHISTLEBLOWER TESTIFY.
WHISTLEBLOWER TESTIFY. NOW, IN MY DISCUSSIONS YESTERDAY
WITH LAWMAKERS WHO WERE LEAVING
THAT CAUCUS MEETING, THERE’S A
BROADER QUESTION HERE.
ON THE ONE HAND SPEAKER PELOSI
SAYS SHE WANTS THEM TO MOVE
EXPEDITIOUSLY.
EXPEDITIOUSLY. ON THE OTHER HAND, GIVEN THAT
ALL OF THESE SIX COMMITTEES ARE
NOW OPERATING UNDER THIS
UMBRELLA OF IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY,
IT IS THE LEGAL THEORY OF THE
DEMOCRATS THAT THEY’RE GOING TO
HAVE GREATER TOOLS AT THEIR
DISPOSAL TO MOVE THEIR REQUEST
THROUGH THE COURT SYSTEM, TO
COMPEL WITNESSES, TO COMPEL
TESTIMONY, AND THEY’RE MAKING
CLEAR THAT THEY ARE NOT AT ALL
BACKING OFF ON ALL OF THESE
OTHER INVESTIGATIONS THAT ARE
RUNNING ON VARIOUS TRACKS.
AND SO YOU COULD SEE MORE
INFORMATION POPPING, FOR
EXAMPLE, ON EMOLUMENTS OR HUSH
MONEY.
MONEY. SO ALL OF THESE THINGS WILL COME
INTO PLAY.
INTO PLAY. BUT THE ONE THING THAT -- AMONG
MANY, ACTUALLY, THAT RICHARD
MENTIONED ABOUT THE LINES THAT
HAVE BEEN CROSSED HERE AND HOW
THIS IS DIFFERENT FROM 2016.
BASED ON MY REPORTING, SPEAKER
PELOSI ALSO SAID IN THE MEETING
TO MEMBERS, LOOK, THIS IS NOT
JUST THE PRESIDENT ASKING A
FOREIGN COUNTRY TO PROVIDE OR
USING ASSISTANCE FROM A FOREIGN
COUNTRY, OPPOSITION RESEARCH ON
THEIR OPPONENT, BUT THIS IS THE
PRESIDENT DEMANDING THAT A
FOREIGN COUNTRY ACTUALLY COOK
UP, ACTUALLY MANUFACTURE THIS
EVIDENCE BECAUSE WE’VE ALREADY
REPORTED, AS HAVE NUMEROUS
OUTLETS THAT THE UKRAINIANS
THEMSELVES DISPUTE THE FACTS IN
THIS CASE, THAT THIS CASE
REGARDING THIS PROSECUTOR WHO
TRUMP ALLEGES THERE WAS
SOMETHING NEFARIOUS WITH BIDEN’S
INVOLVEMENT IN FIRING HIM WAS
ACCUSED OF CORRUPTION HIMSELF
AND THAT THE CASE ITSELF HAD
BEEN DORMANT FOR ABOUT A YEAR.
THAT’S YET ANOTHER WAY THIS
DISTINGUISHING FROM 2016.
>> JAKE AS YOU KNOW VERY WELL,
SPEAKER PELOSI HAS HELD OFF THE
IMPEACHMENT CAUCUS AMONG
DEMOCRATS FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS
NOW.
NOW. IT’S REALLY INTENSIFIED IN THE
LAST FEW MONTHS.
SHE’S HELD THE LINE, SHE THINKS
IT’S GOOD FOR THE PRESIDENT.
WHAT BROKE THE DAM FOR HER?
WHAT WAS THE MOMENT WHERE SHE
SAID I’M WITH YOU NOW, I’M GOING
TO GO OUT AND ADDRESS THE
COUNTRY?
COUNTRY? >> I’M GOING TO PLAY DEVIL’S
ADVOCATE, AND I’M GOING TO
ANSWER YOUR QUESTION IN THE FORM
OF ANSWERING A LARGER QUESTION.
NOTHING CHANGED.
NOTHING CHANGED. NANCY PELOSI PUT A NAME ON THIS.
IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY IS NOT A
LEGAL STANDARD.
LEGAL STANDARD. IT’S A PHONY DEAL.
IT’S A POLITICAL TITLE THAT
SHE’S GIVING TO A PROCESS AS
HEIDI NOTED SHE IS NOW BEHIND.
THAT’S IMPORTANT BECAUSE FOR
MANY MONTHS, JERRY NADLER AND
NANCY PELOSI WERE WORKING
AGAINST EACH OTHER.
THEY WERE CLASHING.
JERRY NADLER WAS WAY FAR OUT.
NANCY PELOSI AS OF LAST WEEK, A
WEEK AND A HALF AGO SAID
IMPEACHMENT IS DIVISIVE, AND SHE
DECLINED TO EVEN ANSWER
QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.
SO WHAT HAPPENED WAS SHE STARTED
TO SEE THAT THESE FRONT LINE
VULNERABLE DEMOCRATS WHO HAD
FLIPPED REPUBLICAN SEATS WERE
BEGINNING TO COME OUT IN FAVOR
OF IMPEACHMENT.
OF IMPEACHMENT. SO THE ARGUMENT THAT SHE WAS
PROTECTING THEM WAS PEELED AWAY.
THAT WAS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT,
AND YOU KNOW WHAT’S INTERESTING,
I TRY AT THE END OF THE DAY TO
TALK TO PEOPLE IN LEADERSHIP AND
ASK WHAT WE’RE MISSING.
WHAT IS BEING REPORTED THAT IS
NOT RIGHT?
NOT RIGHT? WHAT DO YOU THINK IS NOT GETTING
ACROSS OF WHAT YOU’RE TRYING TO
DO, AND ALMOST TO A PERSON LAST
NIGHT EVERYONE KIND OF SAID THIS
IS JUST ALL A BIG KIND OF HULL
BALOO OVER SOMETHING WE WERE
ALREADY DOING.
ALREADY DOING. DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE
SIGNIFICANCE OF PELOSI GETTING
BEHIND IT.
BEHIND IT. NOW SHE WILL HAVE CONTROL OVER
THIS PROCESS WHICH IS FOR
DEMOCRATS A HOPEFUL SIGN SHE’S
GOING TO WRANGLE CONTROL OF A
PROCESS THAT ALMOST ALL
DEMOCRATS THINK HAS GOTTEN OUT
OF HAND.
OF HAND. ONE MORE NOTE HERE, DEMOCRATS
DESPERATELY NEED TO FIND A
MESSAGE.
MESSAGE. HOW ARE THEY GOING TO TALK ABOUT
WHAT THEY’RE DOING?
IF THEY TALK ABOUT PROCESS THEY
ARE GOING TO LOSE, AND THEY ARE
GOING TO DROP IN THE POLLS, AND
IT COULD IMPACT THEM NEGATIVELY.
A LOT OF DEMOCRATS ARE URGING
PELOSI AND HOUSE DEMOCRATS TO
TALK ABOUT THIS AS A NATIONAL
SECURITY ISSUE.
SECURITY ISSUE. THE PRESIDENT IS PLAYING GAMES
WITH NATIONAL SECURITY.
THAT’S HOW THEY WANT THEM TO
TALK ABOUT THIS.
I DO NOT ANTICIPATE THAT THIS
WILL GO BEYOND THE UKRAINE
STORY.
STORY. I DON’T THINK WE’RE GOING TO GET
INTO THE HOTEL AND THE MUELLER
REPORT.
REPORT. THERE’S A REASON THAT THIS
HAPPENED NOW, AND THE REASON IS
THIS IS EASY TO UNDERSTAND, AND
IT’S EASY TO EXPLAIN TO THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE SHOULD DEMOCRATS
WANT TO.
WANT TO. >> YOU LOOK AT THE PEOPLE THAT
ACTUALLY WERE OUT TALKING
YESTERDAY, MIKA, THE DEMOCRATS
AND YOU HAD A LOT OF WOMEN, OF
COURSE, FROM SWING DISTRICTS WHO
SERVED IN THE MILITARY, WHO
SERVED IN THE INTEL COMMITTEE
WHO WERE FORMER PROSECUTORS,
THEY HAD A VERY COMPELLING
MESSAGE ALL DAY YESTERDAY
FOLLOWING UP ON WHAT JAKE
SHERMAN JUST SAID THAT THIS WAS
NOT ABOUT POLITICS.
IT WAS NOT ABOUT PARTISANSHIP.
THIS WAS ABOUT NATIONAL
SECURITY, AND HOW COMPELLING
WHEN YOU HAVE A DEMOCRAT SAYING,
YOU KNOW, I FOUGHT IN IRAQ, OR I
FOUGHT IN AFGHANISTAN.
I FOUGHT IN HOT WARS.
THE IDEA THAT SOMEBODY WOULD
WITHHOLD BADLY NEEDED WEAPONRY
FOR POLITICAL REASONS IS BEYOND
THE PALE.
THE PALE. JAKE’S EXACTLY RIGHT.
IF THIS CONTINUES TO BE ABOUT
NATIONAL SECURITY AND THE
PRESIDENT ACTUALLY UNDERMINING
AMERICA’S NATIONAL SECURITY
ACROSS THE WORLD, UNDERMINING
ALLIES WHO ARE INVADED BY
VLADIMIR PUTIN AND RUSSIA FOR
HIS OWN POLITICAL GAIN, THAT IS
A MESSAGE THAT WILL HAVE
RESONANCE WITH A LOT OF
AMERICANS.
AMERICANS. >> AND OF COURSE WE ALL REMEMBER
HE TOLD GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
THAT HE WOULD DO SOMETHING LIKE
THIS, THAT HE WOULD GET DIRT ON
POLITICAL O’PPONENT FROM A
FOREIGN ENTITY.
FOREIGN ENTITY. EVERYONE WAS GOB SMACKED AT THE
THOUGHT OF IT.
LITTLE DID WE KNOW IT COULD
HAPPEN IN REALTIME.
>>> STILL AHEAD ON "MORNING
JOE," RUDY GIULIANI’S MELT DOWN.
>>> AND DEMOCRAT CHRIS COONS AND
REPUBLICAN JOHN KENNEDY JOIN OUR
CONVERSATION.
CONVERSATION. >>> BRAND NEW POLLING HAS JUST
PUBLISHED IN THE LAST FEW
MINUTES, AND ELIZABETH WARREN
HAS NOT ONLY CAUGHT BUT PASSED
JOE BIDEN IN THE RACE FOR THE
WHITE HOUSE.
WHITE HOUSE. WE’LL BREAK DOWN THE NUMBERS
STRAIGHT AHEAD.
STRAIGHT AHEAD. >>> AND AS WE GO TO BREAK, A
REMINDER OF JUST WHAT’S AT STAKE
IN UKRAINE.
IN UKRAINE. HERE IS NBC’S BILL NEELY BACK IN
FEBRUARY.
FEBRUARY. >> UNFROZEN GROUND, A HOT WAR,
UKRAINE FIGHTING TO SURVIVE, ITS
TROOPS TAKE US TO THE FRONT LINE
WHERE THEY’RE BATTLING RUSSIAN
BACKED SEPARATISTS.
BACKED SEPARATISTS. >> RUSSIAN MADE?
J
J YEP.
YEP. >> Reporter: WE SPRINT ACROSS
OPEN GROUND AND INTO TRENCH WAR
FAIR,
FAIR, FARE, AN EXTRAORDINARY VISION OF
WORLD WAR I IN TODAY’S EUROPE, A
FIVE-YEAR WAR ALMOST FORGOTTEN
BY THE WORLD.
THEY WORRY RUSSIAN TROOPS WILL
INVADE.
INVADE. >> IT’S MY COUNTRY.
IT’S MY EARTH.