>>> WELCOME BACK TO "HARDBALL." MID MOUNTING BACKLASH AN OUTCRY
OF THE ALLEGED KILLING OF JAMAL
KHASHOGGI, ACCORDING TO THREE
PEOPLE WITH KNOWLEDGE OF THE
SITUATION, GET THIS.
SAUDI ARABIA’S GOVERNMENT IS NOW
DISCUSSING A PLAN TO ADMIT THAT
KHASHOGGI WAS KILLED AFTER
ENTERING THE SAUDI CONSULATE IN
ISTANBUL.
ISTANBUL. ONE OF THE THREE SOURCES SAID HE
WAS TOLD BY THOSE CLOSE TO THE
SAUDI LEADERSHIP THAT THE
KINGDOM WILL CLAIM NOW THAT
ROGUE OPERATIVES KILLED
KHASHOGGI DURING AN
INTERROGATION OR A REDEMPTION
ATTEMPT -- RENDITION ATTEMPT
THAT WENT HORRIBLY AWRY.
THEY WERE TRYING TO INTERVIEW
THE GUY OR TAKE HIM BACK TO
SAUDI.
SAUDI. ANYWAY, A SPOKESWOMAN FOR THE
SAUDI EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON DID
NOT IMMEDIATELY RESPONSIBLE TO A
REQUEST FOR COMMENT FROM US.
WE FIRST CAUGHT A GLIMPSE OF
THIS NEW STRATEGY WHEN PRESIDENT
TRUMP TWISTED HIMSELF INTO A
PRETZEL DEFENDING THE SAUDI
KING.
KING. CATCH THIS.
CATCH THIS. >> WE ARE GOING TO LEAVE NOTHING
UNCOVERED.
UNCOVERED. WITH THAT BEING SAID, THE KING
FIRMLY DENIED ANY KNOWLEDGE OF
IT.
IT. HE DIDN’T REALLY KNOW, MAYBE --
I DON’T WANT TO GET INTO HIS
MIND, BUT IT SOUND TODAY ME LIKE
MAYBE THESE COULD HAVE BEEN
ROGUE KILLERS.
ROGUE KILLERS. WHO KNOWS.
WHO KNOWS. WE’RE GOING TO TRY GETTING TO
THE BOTTOM OF IT VERY SOON.
BUT HIS WAS A FLAT DENIAL.
>> ONLY TODAY PRESIDENT TRUMP
WAS ASKED ABOUT THE REPORTS OF
THE NEW SAUDI NARRATIVE.
LET’S WATCH.
LET’S WATCH. >> I HEARD THAT REPORT, BUT
NOBODY KNOWS IT IS AN OFFICIAL
REPORT.
REPORT. SO FAR THE RUMOR, RUMOR REPORT
COMING OUT.
COMING OUT. >> IT’S NOT A RUMOR.
DEMOCRAT CHRIS MURPHY, SENATE
FROM UP THERE, TWEETED, BEEN
HEARING THE RIDICULOUS ROGUE
KILLERS THEORY WAS WHERE THE
SAUDIS WOULD GO WITH THIS.
ABSOLUTELY EXTRAORDINARY THEY
WERE ABLE TO ENLIST THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
AS THEIR P.R. AGENT TO FLOAT
THIS.
THIS. EARLIER TODAY, TURKISH
INVESTIGATORS WERE FINALLY
GRANTED ACCESS TO THE CONSULATE
IN ISTANBUL TO BEGIN THEIR JOINT
INVESTIGATION WITH THE SAUDIS.
AFTER THE CLEANERS WERE SEEN
ENTERING THE CONSULATE, THERE WE
GO, TO CLEAN UP WHATEVER MESS
THERE WAS, IT’S BEEN OVER A WEEK
SINCE JAMAL KHASHOGGI WENT INTO
THAT SAUDI CONSULATE.
NEVER TO BE SEEN OR HEARD FROM
AGAIN.
AGAIN. BY THE WAY, HIS GIRLFRIEND, HIS
FIANCE WAS WAITING OUTSIDE.
SHE LEFT TO GO IN, STOOD OUTSIDE
WAITING FOR HIM TO COME OUT.
THAT’S A FACT.
WE’RE JOINED BY FORMER WHITE
HOUSE SENIOR DIRECTOR AND FORMER
STATE DEPARTMENT SENIOR ADVISOR
AND DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN ERIC
SWALWELL FROM CALIFORNIA.
LET ME START WITH THE
CONGRESSMAN, BECAUSE I DO THAT
HERE.
HERE. WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE FACT
THAT THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES IS BENDING HIMSELF LIKE A
PRETZEL TO GO ALONG WITH THE
LATEST HORRIBLE RIDICULOUS
EXCUSE FOR KILLING AND
DISMEMBERING AN AMERICAN,
BASICALLY AN AMERICAN
JOURNALIST?
JOURNALIST? >> HE HAS NO MORAL COMPASS.
HE LIKES PEOPLE WHO ARE LIKE
HIM.
HIM. I JUST DESCRIBED TO YOU THE
SAUDIS.
SAUDIS. THE FIRST PLACE HE WENT
OVERSEAS, THEY HAVE INVESTED IN
HIS HOTELS.
HIS HOTELS. THEY COME OVER HERE AND STAY
HERE.
HERE. ALSO, THEY HAVE CONVINCED HIM TO
KICK OUT QATAR AND SUPPORT THE
BLOCKADE THAT THEY PUT ON QATAR.
THIS IS JUST A CONTINUUM OF --
>> IT’S NOT POLITICAL.
WHY DO YOU THINK THE CROWN
PRINCE WHO IS SO SOPHISTICATE
AND HAD SO WESTERN LOVING SEEMS
TO GET HIP APPROVAL FROM THE
WESTERN PRESS?
WESTERN PRESS? WHY DID HE THINK HE COULD GET
AWAY WITH THIS?
>> BECAUSE HE SEES A PERMISSIVE
OPERATING ENVIRONMENT IN THE
WORLD.
WORLD. THE UNITED STATES FOR MANY HAVE
ALWAYS BEEN THE MORAL AUTHORITY
IN THE WORLD.
THIS PRESIDENT HAS EXTINGUISHED
THAT BEACON WITH THE RUSSIANS
KILLING IN GREAT BRITAIN, WITH
KIM JONG-UN KILLING IN SOUTHEAST
ARAB A. NOW IT’S OPEN SEASON FOR
LEADERS TO CONDUCT THESE
KILLINGS.
KILLINGS. >> WE USED TO BE THE STANDARD.
>> HE’S MADE IT BLATANT THAT HE
ACTUALLY LOVES AND ADORES A MAN
WHO LEADS HIS PEOPLE BY PUTTING
THEM IN GULOGS AND REPRESSING
THEM AND KILLING HIS FAMILY
MEMBERS.
MEMBERS. THESE ARE STRONG SIGNALS TO THE
REST OF THE WORLD WHAT THE
UNITED STATES WILL TOLERATE.
>> DO YOU BELIEVE THE CROWN
PRINCE --
PRINCE -- >> I THINK THEY WERE ABSOLUTELY
WAITING FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO
GET AWAY WITH MURDER, AND THIS
IS IT.
IS IT. >> THEY HATED THIS JOURNALIST SO
MUCH, THEY FEARED HIM SO MUCH.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> THEY’RE WILLING TO KILL HIM,
DISMEMBER HIM, REMOVE HIM FROM
THAT CONSULATE IN BROAD
DAYLIGHT.
DAYLIGHT. >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. I AM GLAD YOU CALLED HIM A
JOURNALIST AND NOT WHAT YOU’RE
SAYING, A DISSIDENT.
HE’S DOING HIS JOB ENFORCING
TRANSPARENCY ON HIS GOVERNMENT.
THAT’S NOT WHAT THE SAUDIS LIKE.
THE SAUDIS STARTED PUTTING
PEOPLE IN PRISON FOR RUMOR
MONGERING.
MONGERING. THIS WEEK --
>> THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME
THE PRESIDENT HAS GIVEN CREDENCE
TO AN INDIVIDUAL’S DENIAL AS
PART OF A PATTERN WITH THE
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. LET’S WATCH.
LET’S WATCH. >> I HAVE PRESIDENT PUTIN.
HE JUST SAID IT’S NOT RUSSIA.
I WILL SAY THIS.
I DON’T SEE ANY REASON WHY IT
WOULD BE.
WOULD BE. I WILL TELL YOU THAT PRESIDENT
PUTIN WAS EXTREMELY STRONG AND
POWERFUL IN HIS DENIAL TODAY.
>> MR. PRESIDENT, IS AN ACCUSED
CHILD MOLESTER BETTER THAN A
DEMOCRAT?
DEMOCRAT? IS AN ACCUSED --
>> WELL, HE DENIES IT.
LOOK, HE DENIES IT.
IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT, WHAT IS
REALLY GOING ON AND YOU LOOK AT
ALL THE THINGS THAT HAVE
HAPPENED OVER THE LAST 48 HOURS,
HE TOTALLY DENIES IT.
HE SAYS IT DIDN’T HAPPEN.
>> SAYS HE’S INNOCENT, AND I
THINK YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT.
HE SAID VERY STRONGLY YESTERDAY
THAT HE’S INNOCENT.
>> CONGRESSMAN, REMEMBER MORGAN
FREEMAN’S CHARACTER IN SHA
SHANK, HE SAID NONE OF US DID
IT.
IT. THE PRISONS ARE FILLED.
WHY DOES HE BELIEVE DENIERS OF
GUILT?
GUILT? >> THE CENTRAL PARK 5 DIDN’T DO
T PROVEN THEY DIDN’T DO IT.
ALL THE PEOPLE DONALD TRUMP
BELIEVES TENDS TO BE THE CERTAIN
TYPE.
TYPE. OLDER WHITE MEN WHO RUN
AUTOCRATIC COUNTRIES OR DICTATOR
SHIPS.
SHIPS. >> THEY’RE ALSO DEALING WITH
HIM.
HIM. >> RIGHT, THEY’RE DEALING WITH
HIM AND HE LIKES THAT.
FRANKLY I THINK HE WOULD ENJOY
RUNNING THE UNITED STATES THE
WAY THAT MBS HAS BEEN ABLE TO
RUN HIS COUNTRY.
>> SORRY, GO AHEAD.
>> WHERE HE DOESN’T HAVE TO
ACTUALLY TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION
ANYBODY ELSE’S OPINION, WHERE
HE’S ABLE TO APPOINT HIS FAMILY
MEMBERS TO RUN THINGS.
>> LET’S TALK ABOUT THE ROMAN
OFFS HERE.
OFFS HERE. THE PRESIDENT APPOINTED HIS
SON-IN-LAW THE VICE ROY FOR THE
MIDDLE EAST.
MIDDLE EAST. GOOD FOR HIM IF HE CAN PULL IT
OFF.
OFF. THE SAUDIS ARE A BIG PART OF
THAT.
THAT. THEY’RE GOING TO UNDERWRITE,
REDRAW SOMEWHERE BACK TO THE 67
GREEN LINE, WITH TRADING -- I’M
ALL FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WHO WOULDN’T?
WHO WOULDN’T? BUT IS THAT WHY HE’S AFRAID TO
ATTACK THE SAUDIS, BECAUSE
THEY’RE GOING TO BE THE ONES TO
ASK YOU PORT THE "FRONTLINE"
STATES WHERE THEY GO ALONG WITH
IT?
IT? >> I THINK IT’S ALL ABOUT THE
MONEY.
MONEY. IT IS ALL ABOUT THE MONEY WITH
DONALD TRUMP.
DONALD TRUMP. >> THE BUYING OF OUR GUNS?
>> HE CAN TRANSLATE WHAT THEY
ARE DOING TO JOBS, SO HE CAN
TELL THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DON’T
SCREW UP THIS RELATIONSHIP.
>> BECAUSE RAYTHEON WON’T LIKE
IT.
IT. >> THE MILITARY COMPLEX IS