♪ >>> GOOD EVENING.
I’M CHRIS MATTHEWS IN
WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON. THERE’S A LOT OF NEWS TO GET TO.
IN JUST A MINUTE BILL MAHER WILL
GIVE US HIS TAKE.
>>> PRESIDENT TRUMP SPENT THE
DAY HUNKERED DOWN AT ONE END OF
PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE WITH WHAT IS
NOW THE IT LONGEST GOVERNMENT
SHUTDOWN UNAMERICAN HISTORY WITH
NO END IN SITE.
HIS NOMINEE FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL
BILL BARR TOLD SENATORS HE
WOULDN’T FIRE SPECIAL COUNSEL
ROBERT MUELLER WITHOUT CAUSE.
BUT HE ALSO DECLINED TO PROMISE
TO SHARE MUELLER’S REPORT IN
FULL WITH CONGRESS AND THE
AMERICAN PUBLIC.
AMERICAN PUBLIC. THIS JUST DAYS AFTER BOMB SHELL
"NEW YORK TIMES" REPORT THAT THE
FBI HAD BEEN SCRUTINIZING
WHETHER HE COULD BE AN AGENT OOF
A HOSTILE FOREIGN POWER, RUSSIA.
>>> PRESIDENT TRUMP MET WITH
HOUSE REPUBLICANS AFTER A GROUP
OF CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS
REJECTED HIS INVITATION TO MEET
WITH HIM.
WITH HIM. TO HAVE THE PRESIDENT TELL IT,
HE SPENT A LOT OF TIME AT THE
WHITE HOUSE WAITING FOR DEMOCRAT
DES.
DES. >> I HAVEN’T ACTUALLY LEFT THE
WHITE HOUSE IN MONTHS.
I’VE BEEN HERE I GUESS EVERY
NIGHT EXCEPT ONE DAY I FLEW TO
IRAQ AND TO GERMANY TO SEE OUR
TROOPS.
TROOPS. SO I FLEW AND CAME BACK.
I’M NOT SURE I MISSED A NIGHT
PER SE.
PER SE. BUT BASICALLY I’VE BEEN HERE FOR
MANY MONTHS IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
>> I DIDN’T EVEN FIND IT TO BE A
LONELY PLACE.
LONELY PLACE. I WAS HERE CHRISTMAS.
I WAS HERE ON NEW YEAR’S EVE.
>> I WAS HERE CHRISTMAS EVENING.
I WAS ALL BY MYSELF IN THE WHITE
HOUSE.
HOUSE. IT’S A BIG, BIG HOUSE, EXCEPT
FOR ALL THE GUYS ON THE LAWN
WITH MACHINE GUNS AND I WAS IN
THE WHITE HOUSE ALL BY MYSELF
FOR SIX/SEVEN DAYS.
IT’S VERY LONELY.
>> ANYWAY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
REPORTS THE PRESIDENT IS IS
BAFFLED HE’S NOT GETTING MORE
CREDIT FOR STAYING PUT.
AND WHILE THEY NOTE HE’S BEEN
ISOLATED IN HIS RESIDENCE AND
PRONE TO FRUST RAEGZS ABOUT HIS
INABILITY TO GET DEMOCRATS TO
BUCK.
BUCK. NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER FOR
"WASHINGTON POST."
"WASHINGTON POST." HOW IS IT GETTING TO HIM THAT
HE’S BEEN ACCUSED BY "NEW YORK
TIMES"S, PAPER OF RECORD AND
"WASHINGTON POST," OF BEING AN
AGENT OF RECORD?
>> HE’S FRUSTRATED.
SPOKE TO KENNEDY, REPUBLICAN IN
THE CAPITOL.
THE CAPITOL. SAYS THE PRESIDENT IS DIGGING IN
MORE AND MORE ON HIS BORDER
WALL.
WALL. UNDER SIEGE FROM NOT ONLY THE
SHUTDOWN BUT HIS INTERACTIONS
WITH VLADIMIR PUTIN AND THE
WHITE HOUSE.
WHITE HOUSE. >> HE REMINDS ME OF A KID WHO’S
BEEN ON SNOW HOLIDAY FOR TWO
WEEKS.
WEEKS. WHAT’S HE DO?
>> IT’S MORE OF A CABIN FEVER.
IT’S ABOUT AN INABILITY TO
GOVERN.
GOVERN. THEY SAY THEY DON’T SEE ANYWAY
THIS PRESIDENT BREAKS.
THEY THINK TSA AGENTS HAVE TO
WALK OUT OF THEIR JOBS TO FORCE
THE PUBLIC TO GET SERIOUS AND
BIPARTISAN SENATORS ARE TRYING
TO COME UP WITH A DEAL.
THEY KNOW THIS PRESIDENT IS
ISOLATED INSIDE THIS WHITE
HOUSE.
HOUSE. >> THE SAD JOKE IS HE STARTED
THIS WHOLE SHUTDOWN BECAUSE RUSH
LIMBAUGH AND ANNE COULTER SAID
HE HAD TO.
TO MAKE A PUN, HE’S DOING THE
LIMBAUGH.
LIMBAUGH. IT’S NOT LIKE HE EHAD A
STRATEGY.
STRATEGY. DID HE KNOW WHAT HE WAS DOING?
>> HE’S WATCHING THE BARR
HEARINGS, WATCHING THE "NEW YORK
TIMES"S STORY AND "WASHINGTON
POST" ALL OVER CABLE TV ABOUT
RUSSIA AND HE’S SAYING TO HIS
ADVISORS I NEED MY BASE WITH ME
IN 2019.
IN 2019. WHATEVER HAPPENS WITH THE
MUELLER INVESTIGATION, SUBPOENAS
FLYING WITH HOUSE DMT DEMOCRATS,
IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE BORDER
WALL BUT GOVERNMENT AND ALL THE
PROBLEMS THAT LIE AHEAD.
>> NANCY PELOSI CAME OUT THERE
AS TOUGH AS POLITICALLY I’VE
EVER SEEN AND SAID IT’S AN
IMMORALITY TO BUILD THAT WALL.
UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER IS WHAT
SHE SAID.
SHE SAID. >> A DIFFERENT DYNAMIC OF HIS
GENERATION.
GENERATION. YOU DON’T NOTICE A NICKNAME FOR
SPEAKER PELOSI.
SPEAKER PELOSI. HE GIVES ALMOST EVERYBODY ELSE A
NICKNAME.
NICKNAME. NOT HEIR.
NOT HEIR. SHE’S A POWERFUL PERSON IN THIS