CONTOSORRI, WE HAVE DAVID IGNATIUS.
THAT WAS JUST THE TEASE. WHAT A HUGE STORY THIS BOB
CORKER STORY IS. >> THE CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE
FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE UNLOADED IN A NO HOLDS BARRED
INTERVIEW TELLING THE NEW YORK TIME THATS PRESIDENT'S RECKLESS
THREAT KOSS SET THE NATION, QUOTE, ON THE PATH TO WORLD WAR
III. MEMBER OF THE SENATOR'S STAFF
CONFIRMED HIS COMMENTS TO NBC NEWS.
CORKER SAID HE WAS ALARMED ABOUT A PRESIDENT WHO ACTS, QUOTE,
LIKE HE'S DOING THE APPRENTICE OR SOMETHING.
AND, QUOTE, I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT EVERY SINGLE DAY AT THE
WHITE HOUSE IT'S A SITUATION OF TRYING TO CONTAIN HIM.
CORKER REFERENCED TWEETS THAT TRUMP MADE ON TWITTER ABOUT
SECRETARY OF STATE REX TILLERSON'S DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS
WITH NORTH KOREA IN WHICH THE PRESIDENT UNDERCUT TILLERSON,
TELLING HIM SAVE YOUR ENERGY, REX.
CORKER SAID A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK THERE IS SOME KIND OF GOOD
COP, BAD COP ACT UNDER WAY BUT THAT'S JUST NOT TRUE.
I KNOW HE HAS HURT, IN SEVERAL INSTANCES, HE'S HURT US AS IT
RELATES TO NEGOTIATIONS THAT WERE UNDERWAY BY TWEETING THINGS
OUT. LOOK, EXCEPT FOR A FEW PEOPLE,
THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR CAUCUS UNDERSTANDS WHAT WE'RE DEALING
WITH HERE, HE SAID, ADDING THAT, OF COURSE, THEY UNDERSTAND THE
VOLATILITY THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH AND THE TREMENDOUS AMOUNT
OF WORK THAT IT TAKES BY PEOPLE AROUND HIM TO KEEP HIM IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. ACCORDING TO THE TIMES, CORKER
WOULD NOT DIRECTLY ANSWER WHEN ASKED WHETHER HE THOUGHT TRUMP
WAS FIT FOR THE PRESIDENCY, BUT HE DID SAY TRUMP WAS NOT FULLY
AWARE OF THE POWER OF HIS OFFICE.
QUOTE, I DON'T THINK HE APPRECIATES THAT WHEN THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES SPEAKS AND SAYS THE THINGS THAT
HE DOES THE IMPACT THAT IT HAS AROUND THE WORLD, ESPECIALLY IN
THE REGION THAT HE'S ADDRESSING, HE SAID AND SO, YEAH, IT'S
CONCERNING TO ME. >> DAVID IGNATIUS, THERE IS A
PARALLEL HERE WITH THE WEINSTEIN STORY.
POWERFUL PEOPLE IN WASHINGTON WON'T SPEAK UP ABOUT SOMETHING
THAT THEY'RE ALL TALKING ABOUT. >> AND THEY KNOW IS HAPPENING.
>> OFF THE RECORD AND THEY ALL KNEW WAS HAPPENING.
THEY WON'T SPEAK OUT ABOUT IT. BY THE WAY, CORKER WAS TALKING
ABOUT THIS BEFORE, ASKING WHETHER HE WAS FIT FOR OFFICE,
MAKING THAT SUGGESTION LONG BEFORE HE DECIDED NOT TO RUN FOR
OFFICE, EVEN AFTER DONALD TRUMP BEGGED HIM TO RUN FOR
RE-ELECTION AND SAID IT WOULD SUPPORT HIM.
THERE'S A PARALLEL HERE. REPUBLICANS KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON
IN THIS WHITE HOUSE AND THEY KNOW THIS PRESIDENT IS NOT FIT
FOR OFFICE. THEY HAVE KNOWN IT FOR A VERY
LONG TIME. AS BOB CORKER SAID ALL EXCEPT
FOR A HANDFUL ARE VERY, VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS PRESIDENT
BEING IN THE MIDDLE OF A NUCLEAR SHOWDOWN AND NOT UNDERSTANDING
THE STAKES. >> JOE, I THINK YOU SAID IT
EXACTLY RIGHT. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE RARE
MOMENTS THAT WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT, CELEBRATE BUT HAPPEN TOO
INFREQUENTLY, WHERE SOMEBODY SPEAKS TRUTH TO POWER.
BOB CORKER HAS SAID FLAT OUT THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE WHISPER
ABOUT, WORRY ABOUT, THE SORT OF INNER CONCERNS OF WASHINGTON
THAT GO TO THE PRESIDENT, THE WAY HE OPERATES.
THESE LINES, ADULT DAYCARE CENTER COULD HAVE BEEN WRITTEN
BY THE GREAT TWEETER HIMSELF. THEY HAVE AN EDGE.
THEY'RE FUNNY. BUT HE'S REALLY GETTING AT THE
QUESTION OF THE UNDERLYING STABILITY OF CONDUCT OF POLICY
IN WASHINGTONN UNDER THIS PRESIDENT.
>> AND, DAVID, WHEN HE TALKS ABOUT ADULT DAYCARE CENTER AND
THEN TALKS ABOUT SOMEBODY, OBVIOUSLY, WASN'T MAKING THEIR
ROUNDS, THERE IS A SUGGESTION THERE.
IT SEEMS THAT'S NOT JUST A JOKE. THIS IS A SUGGESTION THIS MAN
MAY NOT BE FIT FOR OFFICE. AT LEAST THAT'S HOW I READ IT.
>> YOU KNOW, I THINK UNTIL HE COMES FORWARD, OR SOMEONE DOES,
WITH ADDITIONAL DETAILS YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL IN PARSING JUST
WHAT THAT MEANS. OVER THE WEEKEND, JOE AND MIKA,
I ASKED PEOPLE AT THE PENTAGON HOW MUCH OF THIS LUSTER WE'VE
BEEN SEEING SINCE LAST FRIDAY, THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM, THE
SORT OF, WHOA, THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN DOING.
HOW MUCH OF THAT IS REAL. AND I WAS TOLD I DON'T THINK
THIS WILL SURPRISE ANYONE, THAT IN TERMS OF ACTUAL MOVEMENTS OF
MILITARY ASSETS OF ANYTHING COMMUNICATED TO OUR ALLIES,
ANYTHING SPECIFIC, MY CONTACT SAID WE'RE NOT AWARE OF
ANYTHING. THEY SAID THAT WHEN THEY'RE
ASKED BY FOREIGN MINISTRIES OF DEFENSE WHAT'S GOING ON, WHAT'S
THIS ABOUT, THEY BASICALLY REPLY THIS IS MESSAGING.
YOU UNDERSTAND THIS PRESIDENT. SO WE HAVE THIS WEIRD SITUATION
IN WHICH WE HAVE RED HOT COMMENTS FROM THE PRESIDENT BUT
SO FAR AS I CAN TELL UNDERNEATH NOT