WE'RE NOT THERE YET. NOW TO NBC NEWS NATIONAL
CORRESPONDENT PETER ALEXANDER LIVE AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
PETER, THE PRESIDENT ISTWEETING THIS MORNING, PUSHING BACK AT
THE CRITICISM OF VICE PRESIDENT PENCE, WHO WALKED OUT OF THAT
NFL GAME AFTER SOME PLAYERS KNELT IN PROTEST OF THE NATIONAL
ANTHEM. WHAT'S THE LATEST ON WHAT MOST
SEE AS A VERY COSTLY STUNT, COSTLY TO THE AMERICAN
TAXPAYERS? >> Reporter: YEAH, JOE AND MIKA,
GOOD MORNING TO YOU. IT'S CERTAINLY THE LATEST
CHAPTER IN WHAT'S BECOME A DIVISIVE NATIONAL DEBATE, BUT
THIS CERTAINLY ESCALATES THINGS. AS YOU'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT,
THE VICE PRESIDENT FLYING INTO HIS HOME STATE FOR THIS COLTS
GAME, HOSTING THE NINERS. MANY OF THE NINERS PLAYERS
TAKING A KNEE DURING THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER.
THE VICE PRESIDENT THEN TWEETING OUT A PICTURE, HAND OVER HEART,
WRITING "PRESIDENT TRUMP AND I WILL NOT DIGNIFY ANY EVENT THAT
DISRESPECTS OUR SOLDIERS, OUR FLAG, OR OUR NATIONAL ANTHEM."
TRUMP LATER TWEETED THAT HE BASICALLY ASKED PENCE AHEAD OF
TIME TO LEAVE IF ANYONE KNEELS, WRITING "I'M PROUD OF HIM."
OF COURSE, AS YOU NOTED, CRITICS HAVE POUNCED.
DEMOCRAT ADAM SCHIFF CALLING THIS AN EXPENSIVE
TAXPAYER-FUNDED POLITICAL STUNT, MAKING NOTE OF THE QUESTIONS NOW
INVOLVING TRUMP CABINET MEMBERS' EXPENSIVE TRAVEL HABITS.
THE VICE PRESIDENT'S TEAM DID NOT SAY HOW MUCH THE TRIP COST.
I REACHED OUT LAST NIGHT, BUT THE REIMBURSABLE RATE -- AND WE
CHECKED ON THIS -- FOR POLITICAL TRAVEL ABOARD AIR FORCE TWO
WOULD BE JUST SHY OF $16,000 AN HOUR TO FLY.
SO, TAKE ABOUT SIX HOURS OF FLIGHT FROM LAS VEGAS, WHERE HE
WAS, TO INDIANAPOLIS, BACK TO L.A. WHERE HE WAS HEADING BACK
AHEAD OF A POLITICAL FUND-RAISER.
THE COST OF THAT WOULD BE ROUGHLY $96,000.
OF COURSE, IT'S NOT SURPRISING THAT THE 49ers WOULD TAKE A
KNEE. THEIR FORMER QUARTERBACK, COLIN
KAEPERNICK, HE BEGAN THE WHOLE PROTEST LAST SEASON TO BRING
ATTENTION TO POLICE BRUTALITY AND INJUSTICE.
AT THE STADIUM, REPORTERS TRAVELING WITH THE VICE
PRESIDENT WERE TOLD TO STAY IN THE VAN BECAUSE -- AND THIS IS A
QUOTE -- THERE MAY BE AN EARLY DEPARTURE FROM THE GAME.
AHEAD OF THE GAME, THE VICE PRESIDENT TWEETED OUT A PICTURE
YESTERDAY WITH THE CAPTION THAT READ "LOOKING FORWARD TO
CHEERING FOR THE COLTS AND HONORING THE GREAT CAREER OF
PEYTON MANNING," WHOSE NUMBER WAS GOING TO BE RETIRED AT
HALFTIME. >> THAT'S JUST DISINGENUOUS.
PETER, THAT'S INGENUOUS.
HE KNEW -- HE KNEW THE 49ers WERE GOING TO KNEEL.
>> Reporter: YEAH -- >> BEFORE HE WENT THERE.
>> Reporter: WELL, THE BOTTOM LINE WAS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN
IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO KNOW. THE 49ers STARTED THIS WHOLE
THING. THE VICE PRESIDENT SAYS THIS HAS
BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR A LONG TIME, THAT IT WAS A LAST-MINUTE
FLIGHT TO GO OUT TO VEGAS AHEAD OF TIME FOR THIS.
THEY'RE PUSHING BACK, SAYING IT'S THE HEIGHT OF HYPOCRISY FOR
LIBERAL DEMOCRATS BASICALLY TO CELEBRATE PLAYERS WHO DISRESPECT
THE FLAG AND THEN TO ACCUSE THE VICE PRESIDENT EFFECTIVELY OF,
YOU KNOW, ENGAGING IN HIS OWN FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS OF
CARRYING OUT A POLITICAL STUNT. >> ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> WOW. >> PETER ALEXANDER.
I'LL TELL YOU WHAT THE HEIGHT OF HYPOCRISY IS --
>> HOW LAME. >> THE HEIGHT OF HYPOCRISY,
STEVE, IS TWEETING OUT A PHOTO -- LOOKING FORWARD TO
WATCHING THE COLTS PLAY TODAY, WHEN YOU'VE TOLD EVERYBODY
THAT'S FOLLOWING YOU, HEY, I AM NOT GOING TO WATCH THE COLTS
TODAY, WHERE IN FACT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN EARLY
DEPARTURE. >> THIS IS EMBARRASSING.
>> THEY KNEW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN, AND THIS ISN'T ABOUT
FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS. THIS IS ABOUT A POLITICAL STUNT
THAT'S GOING TO END UP COSTING TAXPAYERS MAYBE $250,000, THAT
TIED UP SECRET SERVICE MEMBERS. >> THIS IS REVEALING ABOUT MIKE
PENCE. >> THAT REQUIRED THE SECRET
SERVICE TO GO IN AND SWEEP THE STADIUM PROBABLY THE NIGHT
BEFORE, THE DAY OF, THAT INCONVENIENCED THE GOOD PEOPLE
OF INDIANA THAT WANTED TO GO TO A FOOTBALL GAME AND DIDN'T WANT
TO BE TOOLS USED IN HIS POLITICAL PR STUNT.
>> BUT THEY WERE TOOLS USED IN A POLITICAL PR STUNT.
>> THEY WERE. >> THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS,
BUT JUST -- >> HAVE YOU EVER SAT IN TRAFFIC
OUTSIDE OF A STADIUM WHEN THERE IS A PRESIDENT OR A VICE
PRESIDENT THERE? >> WELL, DON'T ASK -- STEVE HAS
NOT, BUT MAYBE ELISE HAS. >> HAVE YOU DONE THAT BEFORE?
I KNOW YOU HELICOPTERED THE 50 YARD LINE, GAVE YOU GRAY PUPON
AND YOU WERE USHERED UP TO THE BOX.
>> IF YOU CAN IMAGINE. >> ALL OF US HAVE DONE IT, WHERE
WE HAVE HAD TO SIT IN OUR CARS AND WAIT FOR HOURS BECAUSE OF
THE INCONVENIENCE OF A PRESIDENT OR A VICE PRESIDENT AT AN EVENT.
>> EVERYBODY HAS TO BE SCREENED, EVERYBODY HAS TO GO THROUGH THE
PROCESS. JUST ONE FOOTNOTE ON WHAT PETER
WAS SAYING, THOUGH. THE $96,000 FOR THE AIR FORCE
TWO, IF THAT'S EVEN THE COST, IS A FRACTION, A FRACTION OF THE
COST. YOU HAVE TO SEND IN ADVANCE
PEOPLE, YOU HAVE TO SEND IN HIS CAR TO GET FROM THE AIRPORT TO
THE STADIUM. YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR ALL THE
SECRET SERVICE. YOU HAVE TO GET ALL THOSE THINGS
BACK OUT AGAIN. THE COST OF MOVING THE PRESIDENT
OR VICE PRESIDENT IS HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF
DOLLARS. >> AND ON A SEPARATE NOTE, CAN
WE JUST TALK ABOUT NOT THE SMOOTHEST OPERATORS WITH THE
PHOTO AND TWITTER? >> NO.
>> DID THEY NOT THINK JOURNALISTS WERE GOING TO
IMMEDIATELY GOOGLE AND FIND OUT IT WAS AN OLD IMAGE?
COVERING THEIR TRACKS IS NOT -- >> AND I WONDER IN INDIANAPOLIS
YESTERDAY IF THERE WAS A MOM WHO WAS IN LABOR WHO NEEDED TO GET
TO THE HOSPITAL. >> IT'S LIKE BRIDGEGATE.
>> BECAUSE THE ROADS WERE CLOSED FOR THE VP'S MOTORCADE OR IF
THERE WAS A POLICE OFFICER WHO COULDN'T RESPOND TO 9/11 AS
QUICKLY OR IF THERE WERE AMBULANCES TIED UP.
WHEN YOU STEP BACK FROM IT, THE ABUSIVENESS --
>> THE ABUSE OF POWER, YES. >> THE ABUSE OF POWER, THAT'S
WHAT IT'S ABOUT. IT'S NOT ABOUT THE FIRST
AMENDMENT. >> BY THE WAY, DONALD TRUMP --
>> IT'S A GREAT STORY. >> -- IN PRIVATE AND IN PUBLIC
LOVED TALKING ABOUT CHRIS CHRISTIE AND BRIDGEGATE, LOVED
TALKING ABOUT IT. THIS MAKES SHUTTING DOWN A LANE
AT THE GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE PALE IN COMPARISON, BECAUSE THE
SECRET SERVICE WERE INVOLVED, THE HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. THIS IS SO MUCH WORSE THAN
BRIDGEGATE! AND DONALD TRUMP WOULD TALK TO
ANYBODY ABOUT BRIDGEGATE THAT WOULD LISTEN.
>> AND NOT FOR NOTHING, YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT DISRESPECTING THE
FLAG? THIS IS SOMEBODY WHO STOOD IN
SILENCE WHEN HIS RUNNING MATE, DONALD TRUMP, ATTACKED A GOLD
STAR FATHER AND MOTHER. >> YES.
>> AND ATTACKED PRISONERS OF WAR TO INCLUDE MY FORMER BOSS,
CAPTAIN JOHN McCAPTAIN, U.S. NAVY RETIRED, WINNER OF THE
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS AND THREE AWARDS OF THE BRONZE STAR
AND ONE OF THE SILVER STAR, AND COLONEL BUD DAY, RECIPIENT OF
THE MEDAL OF HONOR, REAL HEROES. >> YEAH.
>> DOESN'T SAY A WORD. SO, HE CAN SPARE US THE SANKT
MOANY AND THE LECTURES AND THE HYPOCRISY HERE WITH HIS
OUTRAGEOUS, PROFLIGATED USE OF MY TAX DOLLARS AND ALL OF YOURS.
>> AND AGAIN, THE SAFETY -- >> I THINK HE THINKS EVERYONE IS
STUPID. >> -- OF THE PEOPLE OF
INDIANAPOLIS. THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION, WHO
WAS DELAYED FROM GETTING TO THE HOSPITAL OR WHO WAS DELAYED FROM
DOING THEIR JOB, MAYBE JUST GOING TO A SHIFT --
>> RESPONDING TO A 911 CALL. >> WHO WAS LATE TO MAYBE THE
FIRST JOB THAT THEY HAD? >> A FIRE.
>> THEY PROBABLY MIGHT HAVE