HOWIE: JUST AS THE MEDIA WAS
DECLARING NOBODY WANTED THE JOB
OF WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF,
PRESIDENT TRUMP GAVE IT TO HIS
BUDGET DIRECTOR AS ACTING CHIEF
OF STAFF.
JIM GERAGHTY AND ADRIENNE ELROD.
REPORTERS SAID CHRIS CHRISTIE
WAS THE LEADING CANDIDATE.
AN HOUR LATER HE DROPPED OUT.
HERE IS WHAT "THE WASHINGTON
POST" SAID.
TRUMP WAS DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED
NOBODY OF HIGH VALUE WANTED TO
BE HIS WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF
STAFF.
JIM: WHEN YOU HAVE A COUPLE OF
NAMES FLOATED IT'S LIKE THE
PRESIDENT WANTS AN APPRENTICE
SETUP.
EVERYBODY IS LEANING FORWARD TO
SEE WHO THE NEXT PERSON IS GOING
TO BE.
BUT THERE IS A LOT OF TURN IN
HIS ADMINISTRATION.
YOU GET THE IDEA MAYBE THIS
PRESIDENT IS TOUGH TO WORK FOR,
A LITTLE ERRATIC.
HOWIE: IT TOOK THE PRESS 9
SECONDS TO DIG UP THAT MICK
MULVANEY HAD CALLED PRESIDENT
TRUMP A TERRIBLE HUMAN BEING.
THE WASHINGTON POST SAID HE
WASN'T UNDER CONSIDERATION.
I WAS GETTING WHIPLASH.
ADRIENNE: I THINK THE CRITICISM
IS FAIR.
A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH THE
FACT THAT OFTENTIMES AND AS WE
HAVE SEEN WITH HIGH-LEVEL
MEMBERS OF THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION, THEY COME IN
WITH STELLAR REPUTATIONS, JOHN
KELLY LED THE SOUTHERN COMMAND
FOR THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA, AND THEY COME OUT OF
THE ADMINISTRATION AND THEIR
REPUTATIONS ARE IN SHAMBLES.
I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY SOMEBODY
LIKE NICK AYERS WHO MADE IT
CLEAR HE WANTS A FUTURE
POLITICAL CAREER IN HIS NATIVE
STATE WOULD HAVE TREPIDATIONS
ABOUT BEING THE CHIEF OF STAFF.
HOWIE: LET ME GO TO THE CHUCK
AND NANCY AND DONALD SHOW THAT
EXTRAORDINARY TELEVISED
CONFRONTATION IN THE OVAL OFFICE
ABOUT BORDER FUNDING FOR THE
WALL.
>> 0 TIMES YOU SAID YOU WILL
SHUT DOWN THE GOVERNMENT IF YOU
DON'T GET YOUR WAY.
YOU SAID IT.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: I WILL TAKE IT.
I WILL SAY YES, IF WE DON'T GET
WHAT WE WANT ONE WAY OR THE
OTHER, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH YOU,
OR MILITARY OR ANYTHING YOU WANT
TO CALL, I WILL SHUT DOWN THE
GOVERNMENT.
>> HE GOT OUTPLAYED BY PELOSI
AND SCHUMER.
HE WAS CUTTING THEM OFF.
HOLDING OFF PIECES OF PAPER.
NANCY, NANCY, NANCY.
THERE WAS AN EXTRAORDINARY
PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE.
HOWIE: A DEEP DIVIDE.
THOSE 17 MINUTES.
THE CONSENSUS WAS THE TWO
DEMOCRATS HAD THE PRESIDENT.
JIM: PRESIDENT TRUMP PUT OUT HIS
RED LINE.
HE SAID IT'S SO IMPORTANT I AM
WILLING TO SHUT DOWN THE
GOVERNMENT.
THIS FEELS LIKE THE WAS A YEAR
AGO IT WAS ONE OF THE BETTER
MOMENTS FOR THE PRESIDENT KIND
OF OVERTAKEN BY THE MICHAEL
COHEN INTERVIEW AND THE CHIEF OF
EXTRA DRAMA.
HOWIE: IT HAPPENS EVERY WEEK.
BUT LOOK, DONALD TRUMP PROUDLY
SAID HE WOULD SHUT DOWN THE
GOVERNMENT TO GET THE $5 BILLION
IN FUNDING HE WANTS FOR THAT
BORDER WALL.
AND EVEN STRAIGHT NEWS STORIES
POINT OUT USUALLY YOU TRY TO PIN
THE SHUTDOWN ON THE OTHER GUYS.
>> USUALLY YOU DON'T WANT TO BE
THE ONE WHO DECLARED IN FRONT OF
PEOPLE ON NATIONAL TELEVISION, I
WON'T BLAME.
I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE
BROADER PICTURE.
THIS HAS BECOME A REALITY SHOW.
THIS IS A LOT AT STAKE.
THERE IS A LOT OF POLICY AT
STAKE.
A LOT OF IMPORTANT POLICIES THAT
HAVE RESORTED TO A REALITY
TELEVISION SHOW.
HOWIE: IT'S VALUABLE AND
REFRESHING TO SEE POLITICAL
LEADERS DEBATING SUBSTANCE WHILE
THE CAMERAS ARE ROLLING.
ADRIENNE: I DON'T THINK THAT WAS
A SUBSTANTIVE DEBATE.
GIVE AND TAKE.
BUT IT EXPOSED THE GOVERNMENT A
LITTLE BIT MORE, SORT OF LIKE
MAKES IT SOMETHING YOU CAN
UNDERSTAND.
JIM: YOU CAN SCORE TRUMP WITH
HAVING A WIN WHEN NANCY PELOSI
SAID WE'LL MAKE A DEAL WHEN THE
CAMERAS AREN'T HERE IN WAS A
TIME ON GUN CONTROL AND THE
FIRST BUDGET FIGHT.
TRUMP LOVES THESE OVAL OFFICE
I'LL ARGUE IN FRONT OF THE
CAMERAS.
WE ARE NOW TWO YEARS INTO THIS
PRESIDENCY.
THIS ISN'T NEW AND SURPRISING.
THEY WERE READY FOR THIS.
HOWIE: THEN DEMOCRATS LEAKED TO
REPORTERS THAT PRIVATELY NANCY
PELOSI TOLD HER FELLOW DEMOCRATS
THIS IS A MANHOOD ISSUE FOR
TRUMP.
THAT'S A TRUMPIAN TACTIC.
LEAVING ASIDE THIS MOMENT THAT
WILL PROBABLY FADE INTO HISTORY.
THE PRESIDENT IS HISTORY BECAUSE
HE BROADCASTED TO HIS BASE THAT
HE CARES ABOUT ILLEGAL
IMMIGRATION.
AND HE'LL FIGHT FOR THIS WALL
AND HE'S WILLING TO SHUT DOWN.
FROM HIS POINT OF VIEW IT MIGHT
HAVE BEEN A WIN.
ADRIENNE: FROM HIS POINT OF VIEW
IT IS A WIN, BECAUSE IF YOU ARE
TRUMP YOU ARE TRYING TO PLAY TO
YOUR BASE.
BUT THE PROBLEM IS, THIS IS NOT
EXPANDING HIS BASE.
WHAT HURT IN THE MID TERMS AND
WHAT WILL HURT HIM IN 2020
UNLESS HE FINDS A WAY TO BRING
IN INDEPENDENTS AND SWING
VOTERS.
THERE IS NOT GOING TO BE A
SHUTDOWN.
NOBODY WANTS A SHUTDOWN.
BOTH PARTIES WANT TO LEAVE THIS
TOWN AND GO HOME FOR CHRISTMAS.