NICOLLE WALLACE STARTS RIGHT NOW.
NOW. /S
/S >>> HI, EVERYONE.
IT’S 4:00 IN NEW YORK.
PRESIDENT TRUMP ORDERS THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL TO HUNT DOWN
THE OP-ED AUTHOR ATTACKING HIM.
HE GAVE THE MIDTERM MESSAGE TO
TRY TO SAVE AMERICA FROM
TRUMPISM.
TRUMPISM. THE 44th PRESIDENT LAUNCHING HIS
MOST DIRECT ATTACK YET AGAINST
THE 45th, CALLING TRUMP, QUOTE,
A THREAT TO DEMOCRACY AND
ACCUSING HIS REPUBLICAN ENABLERS
OF PRACTICING A, QUOTE, POLITICS
OF FEAR AND RESENTMENT.
>> IT SHOULD NOT BE DEMOCRATIC
OR REPUBLICAN.
OR REPUBLICAN. IT SHOULD NOT BE A PARTISAN
ISSUE TO SAY THAT WE DO NOT
PRESSURE THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OR
THE FBI TO USE THE CRIMINAL
JUSTICE SYSTEM AS A CAJOLE TO
PUNISH OUR POLITICAL OPPONENTS.
[ APPLAUSE ]
OR TO EXPLICITLY CALL ON THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL TO PROTECT
MEMBERS OF OUR OWN PARTY FROM
PROSECUTION BECAUSE AN ELECTION
HAPPENS TO BE COMING UP.
I’M NOT MAKING THAT UP.
THAT’S NOT HYPOTHETICAL.
IT SHOULDN’T BE DEMOCRATIC OR
REPUBLICAN TO SAY THAT WE DON’T
THREATEN THE FREEDOM OF THE
PRESS BECAUSE THEY SAY THINGS OR
PUBLISH STORIES WE DON’T LIKE.
[ APPLAUSE ]
I COMPLAINED PLENTY ABOUT FOX
NEWS.
NEWS. [ LAUGHTER ]
BUT YOU NEVER HEARD ME THREATEN
TO SHUT THEM DOWN.
OR CALL THEM ENEMIES OF THE
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. IT SHOULDN’T BE DEMOCRATIC OR
REPUBLICAN TO SAY WE DON’T
TARGET CERTAIN GROUPS OF PEOPLE
BASED ON WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE OR
HOW THEY PRAY.
WE ARE AMERICANS.
WE’RE SUPPOSED TO STAND UP TO
BULLIES.
BULLIES. [ APPLAUSE ]
NOT FOLLOW THEM.
WE’RE SUPPOSED TO STAND UP TO
DISCRIMINATION.
DISCRIMINATION. AND WE’RE SURE AS HECK SUPPOSED
TO STAND UP CLEARLY AND
UNEQUIVOCALLY TO NAZI
SYMPATHIZERS.
SYMPATHIZERS. [ APPLAUSE ]
HOW HARD CAN THAT BE?
SAYING THAT NAZIS ARE BAD?
>> GOOD GOD, TRUMP MAKES YOU
MISS EVERYONE THAT CAME BEFORE
HIM.
HIM. OBAMA’S RETURN TO THE CAMPAIGN
TRAIL IS SURE TO FAN THE FLAMES
OF DONALD TRUMP’S INFERIORITY
COMPLEX.
COMPLEX. TRUMP TRYING TO BRUSH OFF
OBAMA’S RETURN WITH AN INSULT.
>> I’M SORRY I WATCHED IT, BUT I
FELL ASLEEP.
FELL ASLEEP. [ LAUGHTER ]
I FOUND HE’S VERY GOOD, VERY
GOOD FOR SLEEPING.
>> ACTUALLY IT’S MORE LIKELY
THAT OBAMA’S PRESENCE ON THE
KWAM
KWAM CAMPAIGN TRAIL WILL WAKE UP HIS
COALITION OF DEMOCRATIC AND
INDEPENDENT VOTERS BUT THERE IS
AMPLE TIME TO TEST THAT THEORY.
JOINING US TO DISCUSS THE LATEST
HIGH-LEVEL REBUKE OF THE CONDUCT
OF THE CURRENT PRESIDENT SOME OF
THE OUR FAVORITE REPORTERS AND
FRIENDS.
FRIENDS. JEREMY BASH, FORMER STAFF AT THE
CI ERICSSON AND PENTAGON NOW
MSNBC ANALYST.
MSNBC ANALYST. JONATHAN LEMIRE, WHITE HOUSE
REPORTER FOR THE ASSOCIATED
PRESS.
PRESS. THE REV AL SHARPTON, PRESIDENT
OF THE NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK
AND HOST OF POLITICS NATION HERE
ON MSNBC.
ON MSNBC. BRETT STEVENS, OP-ED COLUMNIST
FOR "THE NEW YORK TIMES" AND MAR
A GAY, JOURNALIST AND MEMBER OF
THE "THE NEW YORK TIMES"
EDITORIAL BOARD.
EDITORIAL BOARD. JEREMY BASH, LET ME START WITH
YOU, ONE BECAUSE I MISSED YOU.
AND TWO, THE JUXTAPOSITION
TODAY, IT WAS A SPLIT SCREEN
MOMENT WE FINALLY ACHIEVED THE
TWO AMERICAS JOHN EDWARDS FIRST
TALKED ABOUT IN MY POLITICAL
CAREER WHERE, ON ONE SIDE OF THE
SCREEN, DONALD TRUMP WAS URGING
THE SITTING ATTORNEY GENERAL TO
INVESTIGATE THE IDENTITY OF THE
AUTHOR OF THAT OP-ED IN "THE NEW
YORK TIMES," REALLY REBUKING HIS
STABILITY, CALLING INTO QUESTION
HIS CAPACITY TO CARRY OUT THE
DUTIES OF HIS JOB.
ON THE OTHER SIDE, THE FORMER
PRESIDENT TALKING ABOUT HOW EASY
IT SHOULD BE TO DISTANCE
YOURSELF FROM PEOPLE WHO EMBRACE
GOOD PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE
KKK RALLY.
KKK RALLY. >> WHAT PRESIDENT OBAMA HAS
BROUGHT HERE TO THE FORE, FOR
THE FIRST TIME IN HIS CAMPAIGN
SEASON, BUT I DON’T THINK IT’S
GOING TO BE THE LAST, IS THIS
DEEP CONCERN THAT WE SEE THAT
PRESIDENT TRUMP WANTS TO USE THE
APPARATUS OF THE NATIONAL
SECURITY STATE TO GO AFTER HIS
POLITICAL CRITICS.
POLITICAL CRITICS. HE WANTS THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO
CRIMINALIZE FREE SPEECH, TO
CRIMINALIZE FREE EXPRESSION, TO
CRIMINALIZE CRITICISM.
CRIMINALIZE CRITICISM. TO ACTUALLY USE CRIMINAL
AUTHORITY
AUTHORITY AUTHORITIES AND NATIONAL
SECURITY AUTHORITIES TO CONDUCT
SURVEILLANCE TO FIND, LOCATE
POTENTIALLY EAVES DROP,
POTENTIALLY ARREST SOMEONE WHO
IS CRITICIZING THE PRESIDENT.
AND IT IS IN LINE AS PRESIDENT
OBAMA POINTED OUT WITH OTHER
EFFORTS BY PRESIDENT TRUMP TO
USE THE APPARATUS OF THE STATE
TO GO AFTER CRITICS, TO THREATEN
TO STRIP BROADCAST LICENSES FROM
THE MEDIA THAT HE DOESN’T
SUPPORT, AND, OF COURSE, TO USE
OTHER MECHANISMS THAT ARE
TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE TO GO
AFTER POLITICAL CRITICISM.
>> AND DON’T BELIEVE JEREMY AND
ME.
ME. LISTEN FOR YOUR OWN EARS.
HERE’S DONALD TRUMP WHILE
PRESIDENT OBAMA WAS SPEAKING
TALKING ABOUT DOING JUST WHAT
JEREMY DESCRIBES.
JEREMY DESCRIBES. LET’S LISTEN.
LET’S LISTEN. >> DO YOU THINK JEFF SESSIONS
SHOULD BE INVESTIGATING WHO THE
AUTHOR OF THE OP-ED PIECE WAS OR
WHO SAID --
>> I THINK SO BECAUSE I THINK
IT’S NATIONAL SECURITY.
I WOULD SAY JEFF SHOULD BE
INVESTIGATING WHO THE AUTHOR OF
THAT PIECE WAS BECAUSE I REALLY
BELIEVE IT’S NATIONAL SECURITY.
>> IS THERE AN ACTION THAT
SHOULD BE TAKEN AGAINST "THE NEW
YORK TIMES"?
YORK TIMES"? WE’RE GOING TO SEE, I’M LOOKING
INTO THAT RIGHT NOW.
IT ONLY HAPPENED YESTERDAY, BUT
I’M LOOKING -- I AM LOOKING.
>> YOU SAID LAST NIGHT THAT IT’S
TREASON WHAT HAPPENED.
IN THIS COUNTRY WE PUNISH
TREASON WITH THE DEATH PENALTY.
ARE YOU SERIOUS ABOUT THAT?
>> WE’RE GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT
WHAT HE HAD, WHAT HE GAVE, WHAT
HE’S TALKING ABOUT.
ALSO WHERE HE IS RIGHT NOW.
>> JEREMY BASH, YOU WORKED IN
NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCIES YOUR
WHOLE CAREER.
WHOLE CAREER. WHAT IS THE NATIONAL SECURITY
IMPLICATION?
IMPLICATION? I UNDERSTAND THE IMPLICATION OF
HAVING AN UNSTABLE MAN AS OUR
COMMANDER IN CHIEF.
BUT WHAT IS THE NATIONAL
SECURITY IMPLICATION OF PENNING
AN ANONYMOUS OP-ED IN "THE NEW
YORK TIMES"?
YORK TIMES"? >> NOTHING.
>> NOTHING. THERE’S NO NATIONAL SECURITY
ANGLE.
ANGLE. IT’S BASICALLY A MADE-UP
RATIONALE TO TRY TO, AGAIN, USE
THE APPARATUS OF THE STATE TO GO
AFTER POLITICAL CRITICS.
I MEAN, THERE IS NOTHING THAT
THREATENS NATIONAL SECURITY IN
LEGITIMATE CRITICISM OF OUR
POLITICAL LEADERS.
POLITICAL LEADERS. IN FACT, I THINK I COULD ARGUE
AND I THINK OTHERS WOULD AGREE
THAT IT WOULD BE A NATIONAL
SECURITY CRISIS, A CRISIS OF OUR
DEMOCRACY OF EPIC PROPORTIONS IF
WE USED THE GOVERNMENT TO
CRACKDOWN ON POLITICAL CRITICS.
SO I ACTUALLY THINK IT’S AN
ABUSE OF POWER TO INVOKE
NATIONAL SECURITY.
NATIONAL SECURITY. AND I DON’T KNOW OF ANYBODY AT
THE FBI, IN THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY, THE DEFENSE
DEPARTMENT, OR THE REST OF THE
PEOPLE WHO ARE SWORN TO UPHOLD
THE CONSTITUTION AND DEFEND
NATIONAL SECURITY WHO WOULD LIFT
A FINGER NAIL TO ACTUALLY CARRY
OUT THIS UNLAWFUL AND
UNCONSTITUTIONAL ORDER.
UNCONSTITUTIONAL ORDER. >> JONATHAN, WHAT IS YOUR
REPORTING REVEAL ABOUT THE US
WHAT AFTER ONE OF THE MOST
BRUTAL WEEKS OF THIS PRESIDENCY?
HAD THE WOODWARD BOOK CAME OUT
THREE WEEKS AGO, THE BEGINNING
OF A SHORT WEEK, YOU HAD THE
PRESIDENT REPORTEDLY FURIOUS
THAT THERE WASN’T A MORE ROBUST
PUSH BACK AGAINST THE WOODWARD
NARRATIVE AND THE REPORTING,
AGAIN, FROM PEOPLE WITHIN HIS
OWN WHITE HOUSE AND THE CABINET.
AND THEN YOU HAVE THIS ANONYMOUS
OP-ED, THE WHITE HOUSE CAUGHT
FLAT-FOOTED.
FLAT-FOOTED. >> OUR REPORTING HITS ALL OF
THOSE POINTS.
THOSE POINTS. THIS IS A BOOK YOU OBVIOUSLY
KNEW WAS COMING, THERE WAS NO
BALTIMORE L PLAN, NO TALKING
POINTS.
POINTS. THEY HADN’T ACQUIRED A COPY OF
THE BOOK UNTIL AFTER THE FIRST
STORY IN THE WASHINGTON POST RAN
AND THEY READ THROUGH IT AND
STARTED FLIPPING THROUGH IT.
WHEN THE OP-ED ARRIVED A SHORT
TIME LATER, THEY WERE AS
OBSESSED AS WE WERE FIGURING OUT
WHO IT WAS.
>> MOST OF THEM WITH THEMSELVES.
WAS IT ME?
>> PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE BUILDING I
TALKED TO, SOURCES DESCRIBED
THESE TEXT CHAINS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT MEANS,
WHO COULD THAT BE, WHO COULD
THAT BE?
THAT BE? AND ASKING US OUR OPINIONS, WHO
DO YOU THINK IT COULD BE?
THEY ARE DEFINITELY UNDER SIEGE
NOW.
NOW. THERE IS AN ELEMENT OF SOME
DEFIANCE.
DEFIANCE. WE SAW NIKKI HALEY’S OP-ED THAT
DROPPED A SHORT TIME AGO.
SOMEONE SHOULD PUT THEIR NAME TO
IT, THEY SHOULD RESIGN.
SOME PEOPLE FEEL WHOEVER DID
THIS, THEIR COLLEAGUE WAS
COWARDLY IN THE WAY THIS
TRANSPIRED IN "THE NEW YORK
TIMES."
TIMES." BUT THE PRESIDENT IS OBVIOUSLY
VERY UPSET, TAKING THIS VERY
SERIOUSLY.
SERIOUSLY. THE WHITE HOUSE HAS TRIED TO
PUSH BACK A LITTLE BIT TODAY ON
HIS COMMENTS THERE, SUGGESTING
HE WAS JUST OPINING ABOUT
USING --
USING -- >> HE’S NOT OPINING.
HE’S THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF.
IT’S A LUDACRIS DEFENSE.
>> IT’S PHLEGM SI, HIS WORDS
CARRY WAIT.
CARRY WAIT. THAT IS HOW THEY’RE TRYING TO
SLOW WALK A LITTLE BIT.
I SPOKE TO RUDY GIULIANI ABOUT
THIS WHO SUGGESTED THE ARGUMENT
MAY BE FLIMSY.
HE SAID WHY THERE COULD BE A
NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERN IS NOT
NECESSARILY ANYTHING IN THE
OP-ED WAS A NATIONAL SECURITY
SECRET, BUT HIS REASONING WAS
SOMEONE WAS WILLING TO DO THAT,
PLACE A COVERT OP-ED IN "THE NEW
YORK TIMES," THAT PERSON COULD
ALSO REVEAL NATIONAL SECURITY
SECRETS TO "THE NEW YORK TIMES"
OR ANYONE ELSE.
>> THEY’RE WORRIED ABOUT THE
PRESIDENT DOING THAT.
I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT
PRESIDENT OBAMA’S RETURN TO THE
STAGE.
STAGE. I THINK WE SAY EVERYONE LOOKS
EVEN BETTER THAN THEY DID IN THE
MOMENT IN THE TIME OF DONALD
TRUMP.
TRUMP. BUT CERTAINLY I HEARD JIM
MESSINA SAY PRESIDENT OBAMA WENT
FARTHER THAN ANYONE THOUGHT HE
WOULD DO.
WOULD DO. I THINK THAT WAS REALLY A
WELCOME MESSAGE FROM DEMOCRATS
AND REPUBLICANS, AND IT REUPS
THE QUESTION, WHERE ARE -- WHERE
IS CONGRESS?
IS CONGRESS? WHY ARE WE SO THIRSTY FOR THIS
MESSAGE, THIS VERY SIMPLE BUT
VERY STRONG REBUKE OF PEOPLE WHO
CAN’T PLAINLY AND EASILY AND
QUICKLY KNOCK DOWN ANYONE THAT
STANDS WITH NAZIS?
>> I AGREE.
I THINK THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA WHO
I HAD A LOT OF ACCESS TO AND
STILL STAY IN TOUCH WITH, WENT
FURTHER THAN I THOUGHT HE WOULD.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> BUT I THINK THAT HE ALMOST
HAD TO FOR THE GOOD OF THE
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. YOU KNOW, PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYS
HE FELL ASLEEP WATCHING HIM.
HE SHOULD WAKE UP AND WATCH WHAT
A PRESIDENT’S SUPPOSED TO DEAL
WITH.
WITH. AND NOT JUST STYLE AND CARRIAGE,
BUT WHAT THE REPUBLIC STOOD FOR.
HE VERY METICULOUSLY WENT
THROUGH REPUBLICANS DID THIS AND
DEMOCRATS DID THIS AND WE’RE AT
A PLACE NOW WHERE IT SHOULDN’T
BE ABOUT PARTY.
AND HE DEFINED WHAT THE STATE IS
SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT AND HOW
IT’S SUPPOSED TO OPERATE.
AND TRUMP NEEDS THAT LESSON.
AND I THINK AMERICANS WERE
HUNGRY TO HEAR THAT AND WE DON’T
SEE THAT LEADERSHIP IN THE
CONGRESS NOW.
CONGRESS NOW. WE CERTAINLY ARE NOT SEEING IT
FROM EITHER SIDE.
HE GAVE THE GRAVITAS OF WHAT THE
AMERICAN DREAM IS SUPPOSED TO BE
EVEN FOR THOSE OF US THAT DON’T
FEEL WE EQUALLY SHARE IN IT.
SOMEBODY NEEDED TO BRING US
BACK, THOUGH.
BACK, THOUGH. >> LET ME PLAY SOMETHING FOR
YOU, OBAMA ON THE REPUBLICANS.
THE STRONGEST IN THE SPEECH.
>> ALLIANCES, COZYING UP TO
RUSSIA, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY?
REPUBLICAN PARTY? ITS CENTRAL ORGANIZING PRINCIPLE
IN FOREIGN POLICY WAS THE FIGHT
AGAINST COMMUNISM, AND NOW
THEY’RE COZYING UP TO THE FORMER
HEAD OF THE KGB.
ACTIVELY BLOCKING LEGISLATION
THAT WOULD DEFEND OUR ELECTIONS
FROM RUSSIAN ATTACK.
WHAT HAPPENED?
WHAT HAPPENED? >> WHAT HAPPENED?
>> YOU SEE HE, THIS IS THE
THING.
THING. ORDINARILY I WOULD BE VERY LEARY
OF A FORMER PRESIDENT FOR BOTH
TACTICAL AS WELL AS MORAL
REASONS ATTACKING HIS SUCCESSOR
AS POLITICALLY AND AS
AGGRESSIVELY AS OBAMA WOULD.
I KNOW OBAMA APPRECIATED THE
FACT THAT GEORGE W. BUSH
MAINTAINED PRETTY MUCH TOTAL
RADIO SILENCE, TOOK TO PAINTING,
WHATEVER, DURING HIS PRESIDENCY.
>> AMONG OTHER THINGS.
>> THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS DURING
NORMAL SUCCESSIONS, TRANSFERS OF
POWER.
POWER. WHAT I THINK OBAMA IS DOING IS
FILLING A VACUUM THAT HAS BEEN
LEFT BY THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
ITSELF.
ITSELF. WHERE WAS PAUL RYAN SAYING
PRETTY MUCH WHAT OBAMA JUST
SAID?
SAID? WHERE WAS MITCH McCONNELL?
WHERE WERE ANY OF THE LEADERS OF
CONGRESS?
CONGRESS? THE ONLY ONE WHO STOOD UP, OF
COURSE, LATE AND LAMENTED WAS
JOHN McCAIN.
JOHN McCAIN. HE PROVIDED THAT LEADERSHIP THAT
IS NOW ABSENT.
AND THAT’S WHY I THINK IT IS
IMPORTANT FOR OBAMA TO STEP UP
BECAUSE THIS IS NOT AN ORDINARY
TRANSITION.
TRANSITION. THIS IS NOT AN ORDINARY PERIOD
BECAUSE WHAT OBAMA IS DEFENDING
ISN’T THIS OR THAT PARTISAN
DEMOCRATIC POLICY.
DEMOCRATIC POLICY. HE’S REPRESENTING THE TRADITION
OF REPUBLICAN GOVERNMENT THAT
SHOULD TRANSCEND ALL POLITICS
THAT HE’S SPEAKING AS A
PRESIDENT, NOT AS A LEADER OF
THE DEMOCRATS.
THE DEMOCRATS. >> I HEARD FROM HALF A DOZEN
REPUBLICANS TODAY WHO SAID, MY
GOD, WHAT I WOULDN’T GIVE FOR A
FOUR MORE YEARS OF THIS GUY TO
GET RID OF DONALD TRUMP
TOMORROW.
TOMORROW. >> HERE’S THE THING.
PRESIDENT OBAMA IS SPEAKING NOT
JUST AS A GREAT AMERICAN, WHICH
I THINK HE IS AND I THINK
THERE’S A ROLE FOR AS YOU SAID
THE GRAVITAS OF THOSE WHO HAVE
THOSE PLATFORMS AND THOSE
REPUTATIONS TO COME FORWARD.
BUT I THINK HE’S ALSO -- IT’S
ALSO VERY IMPORTANT TO HEAR HIS
VOICE BECAUSE HE’S RIGHT AND HE
SAID THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE
MOST IMPORTANT ELECTIONS IN THE
LIFETIME OF THOSE WHO ARE
VOTING.
VOTING. AND I THINK HE REALLY DOES HAVE
THE ABILITY STILL TO TURNOUT THE
DEMOCRATIC BASE.
DEMOCRATIC BASE. AND IF YOU BELIEVE THAT IT’S
IMPORTANT TO ELECT DEMOCRATS
BECAUSE THE REPUBLICAN PARTY HAS
NO LONGER HELD ITS PART OF THE
BARGAIN IN AMERICAN DEMOCRACY,
YOU KNOW, WHICH I DO BELIEVE AT