ARE DEMOCRATS DOING THAT? THINK ON THAT BECAUSE A LOT OF
FOLKS ARE WORRIED THEY’RE JUST
NOT.
NOT. THE PRESIDENT CONTINUED HIS
SMEAR CAMPAIGN AGAINST
CONGRESSMAN ELIJAH CUMMINGS
YESTERDAY, RAMPING UP THE
ASSAULTS WITH UNSUBSTANTIATED
ALLEGATIONS OF CORRUPTION.
HE SAID THAT THE BALTIMORE’S
NUMBERS THE WORST IN THE UNITED
STATES ON CRIME AND ECONOMY,
BILLIONS HAVE BEEN PUMPED IN
OVER THE YEARS TO NO AVAIL, IT
WAS STOLE ON WASTED.
ASK ELIJAH CUMMINGS WHERE IT
WENT.
WENT. HE SHOULD INVESTIGATE HIMSELF
WITH HIS OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.
SO THE PRESIDENT GOING AFTER HIM
AS HEAD OF OVERSIGHT.
THAT IS AN INTERESTING PARALLEL.
THAT IS AN INTERESTING ENEMY
THAT THE PRESIDENT IS TAKING ON.
WE ARE ALSO HEARING FROM
REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN MARK
MEADOWS WHOSE FRIENDSHIP WITH
CUMMINGS WAS ON DISPLAY WHEN THE
HOUSE OVERSIGHT CHAIRMAN
DEFENDED MARK MEADOWS AGAINST
ALLEGATIONS OF RACISM EARLIER
THIS YEAR.
THIS YEAR. HIS RESPONSE CAME AS THE
PRESIDENT ATTACKED HIS FRIEND
FOR A THIRD STRAIGHT DAY ON
TWITTER ACCUSING HIM OF BEING
RACIST.
RACIST. MEADOWS WRITES THIS.
I’M FRIENDS WITH BOTH MEN AND
PRESIDENT TRUMP AND CHAIRMAN
CUMMINGS.
CUMMINGS. I KNOW BOTH MEN WELL.
NEITHER MAN IS A RACIST.
PERIOD.
PERIOD. BOTH LOVE AMERICA.
I THINK IF WE PUT ASIDE
PARTISANSHIPS WITH
PARTISANSHIPS WITH INVESTIGATIONS WE CAN FIND
BIPARTISAN SOLUTIONS THAT WILL
BENEFIT NOT ONLY CHAIRMAN
CUMMINGS’ DISTRICT, BUT THE
COUNTRY AS A WHOLE.
I AM COMMITTED TO WORKING TO
THAT END WITH BOTH OF THEM.
MEADOWS DID NOT MENTION TRUMP’S
CLAIM THAT CUMMINGS ENGAGES IN
QUOTE RADICAL OVERSIGHT AND IS A
QUOTE INCOMPETENT LEADER.
THE STATEMENT ALSO IGNORED
TRUMP’S CLAIM THAT CUMMINGS’
DISTRICT IS A FILTHY, DISGUSTING
RAT AND RODENT INFESTED MESS
WHERE NO HUMAN BEING WOULD WANT
TO LIVE.
TO LIVE. BUT EARLIER THIS YEAR, MEADOWS
CRIED -- HE CRIED REALLY HARD
WHEN HE HIMSELF WAS ACCUSED OF
BEING ON THE WRONG SIDE OF AN
ISSUE INVOLVING RACE.
TAKE A LOOK.
>> MY NIECES AND NEPHEWS ARE
PEOPLE OF COLOR.
NOT MANY PEOPLE KNOW THAT.
YOU KNOW THAT, MR. CHAIRMAN.
YOU AND I HAVE A PERSONAL
RELATIONSHIP THAT’S NOT BASED ON
COLOR.
COLOR. >> MR. MEADOWS, YOU KNOW -- OF
ALL THE PEOPLE ON THIS
COMMITTEE, I HAVE SAID IT AND I
GOT IN TROUBLE FOR IT.
YOU’RE ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS.
I KNOW THAT SHOCKS A LOT OF
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. >> AND LIKEWISE, MR. CHAIRMAN.
>> YEAH, BUT YOU ARE.
AND I WOULD -- I COULD SEE AND
FEEL YOUR PAIN.
I FEEL IT.
>> REALLY?
>> REALLY? MARK MEADOWS JUST A COUPLE OF
QUESTIONS, CAN YOU FEEL ELIJAH
CUMMINGS’ PAIN WHEN HE’S CALLED
A RACIST BECAUSE YOU WERE CRYING
THERE.
THERE. YOU WERE TRULY UPSET.
YOU WERE DEEPLY SHOCKED AND
APPALLED THAT YOU WERE CALLED A
RACIST AND ELIJAH STOOD UP FOR
YOU.
YOU. RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF THE
CAMERAS, COME WHAT MAY, NO
MATTER WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM HE
STOOD WITH HIS FRIEND.
AND YOU COULDN’T EVEN DO IT.
BUT YOU WERE SO UPSET YOU RE
CRYING.
CRYING. LIKE A BABY.
YOU WERE CRYING SO HARD AT THE
THOUGHT OF BEING CALLED A RACIST
SO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THAT HURTS
ESPECIALLY IF IT’S NOT TRUE AND
YOU DID NOT STAND UP FOR YOUR
FRIEND.
FRIEND. SO YOU HAVE JUST SHOWN AMERICA
THAT YOU CANNOT BE COUNTED ON.
YOU HAVE JUST SHOWED YOUR VOTERS
YOU CANNOT BE COUNTED ON, THAT
YOU WILL TAKE THE WEAK WAY OUT.
THAT WAS PATHETIC.
YOU HAD A MOMENT YESTERDAY WHEN
YOU COULD STEP UP AND RETURN THE
FAVOR BECAUSE IT WAS THE RIGHT
THING TO DO.
AND YOU TOOK A PASS BECAUSE
YOU’RE WEAK AND SPINELESS.
AND YOU THINK THAT SOME SORT OF
RELATIONSHIP WITH THIS PRESIDENT
IS GOING TO BRING YOU SOMEWHERE
GOOD.
GOOD. IF HE LEAVES OFFICE AFTER FOUR
YEARS THERE’S A CHANCE HE WON’T
GO BACK TO MAR-A-LAGO.
THIS DOESN’T END WELL, MARK
MEADOWS.
MEADOWS. AND ALSO, IT’S A MATTER OF RIGHT
AND WRONG.
AND WRONG. IT’S A MATTER OF RIGHT AND
WRONG.
WRONG. YOU KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO
BE CALLED A RACIST.
WHEN YOU BELIEVE YOU’RE NOT,
WHICH MANY WOULD QUESTION ABOUT
YOU, BUT HE DIDN’T.
HE TOOK A STAND IN REALTIME.
YOU TOOK A PATHETIC MANY MOMENTS
TO FIGURE OUT SOME SORT OF
PATHETIC STATEMENT THAT SAID
NOTHING.
NOTHING. YOU DID NOTHING.
GENE ROBINSON, ANY PROBLEM WITH
ANYTHING I’M SAYING?
>> NO, NO PROBLEM.
I THINK YOU USED THE WORD
PATHETIC THREE TIMES I THINK
THAT’S THE RIGHT WORD.
UNCONSCIONABLE, DISGRACEFUL.
UNCONSCIONABLE, DISGRACEFUL. THOSE ARE ANOTHER COUPLE OF
WORDS THAT YOU COULD USE FOR
MEADOWS’ PERFORMANCE.
MEADOWS’ PERFORMANCE. CUMMINGS DIDN’T HAVE TO GO OUT
ON THAT LIMB FOR HIM.
CUMMINGS DIDN’T HAVE TO --
>> SURE DIDN’T.
>> AT THAT POINT, WHEN MEADOWS
WAS UNDER ATTACK, CUMMINGS
DIDN’T HAVE TO COME TO HIS
DEFENSE.
DEFENSE. SO --
SO -- >> DO YOU REMEMBER, GENE, DO YOU
REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED LEADING
UP TO THAT MOMENT WHERE MEADOWS
WAS CRYING CROCODILE TEARS?
>> I REMEMBER.
>> DO YOU REMEMBER THAT
MOMENT -- IT WAS A PATHETIC
DISPLAY.
DISPLAY. AND ELIJAH CUMMINGS PUT HIS HAND
UP AND SAID, NO, WE’RE NOT USING
THE WORD RACIST.
I KNOW THIS MAN, I HAVE WORKED
WITH HIM.
WITH HIM. HE STOOD UP FOR HIM IN REALTIME.
>> AND THAT REALLY RIDICULOUS
AND AGAIN DISGRACEFUL SORT OF I
KNOW BOTH MEN RESPONSE IS NOT
THE SAME THING AS COMING TO THE
DEFENSE OF SOMEONE WHO YOU CLAIM
AS A FRIEND, WHO SHOWED HE WAS A
FRIEND TO YOU.
A REAL FRIEND TO YOU.
IT’S JUST -- IT’S JUST AWFUL.
IT’S AMAZING THE WHOLE --
MICHAEL STEELE WAS TALKING
EARLIER ABOUT WHAT HE IS SEEING
AMONG REPUBLICANS ABOUT TRUMP.
IT IS SIMPLY TRUE THAT THERE IS
NO REPUBLICAN PARTY ANYMORE.
IT IS THE TRUMP PARTY.
YOU KNOW, I HAVE SERIOUS
QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER DONALD
TRUMP CAN EXPAND HIS BASE TO THE
POINT WHERE HE COULD ACTUALLY
GET RE-ELECTED.
GET RE-ELECTED. BUT I HAVE NO DOUBT ABOUT HIS
CONTROL OF THE VAST MAJORITY OF
SELF-IDENTIFIED REPUBLICANS
SELF-IDENTIFIED REPUBLICANS RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW. HE IS THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
IT’S NOT THE PARTY OF LINCOLN,
IT’S THE PARTY OF TRUMP AND
REPUBLICANS AND REPUBLICAN
OFFICE HOLDERS AND THE
REPUBLICAN BASE ARE FOLLOWING
HIM I BELIEVE OFF A CLIFF.
BUT FOLLOWING HIM LIKE SOME SORT
OF DEMENTED PIED PIPER.
IT IS APPALLING.
>> I HOPE MARK MEADOWS AND
ELIJAH CUMMINGS ARE REALLY
FRIENDS, IT’S GOOD FOR THE
COUNTRY AND THEY CAN WORK ON
LEGISLATION TOGETHER BUT I DON’T
KNOW A LOT OF FRIENDS WHO WOULD
HAVE SAT THERE FOR THREE DAYS
AND CALCULATED WHAT’S THE RIGHT
THING TO SAY SO I DON’T ANGER
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES AND IT GOES AS YOU KNOW
BETTER THAN ANYONE TO GENE’S
LARGER POINT.
LARGER POINT. DONALD TRUMP HAS DONE SMOG
REPUBLICANS AND TO THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY WHERE THEY ARE
NOT BEHAVING THE WAY THEY WANT
TO BEHAVE.
TO BEHAVE. IN OTHER WORDS, THEY’RE DOING
THINGS TO PLEASE DONALD TRUMP.
THEY’RE CALCULATING, THINKING
THROUGH HOW DO I SAY THIS, HOW
DO I LEGISLATE EVEN IN A WAY
THAT WILL PLEASE TRUMP WHEN IT’S
A DIRECT ATTACK ON A FRIEND.
THEY CAN’T RESPOND THE WAY THAT
THE NORMAL HUMAN BEING WOULD
RESPOND FOR FEAR OF UPSETTING
DONALD TRUMP.
DONALD TRUMP. >> THEY HAVE THROWN VIRTUE AND
VALUE OUT THE WINDOW BECAUSE
THOSE CHOICES ANCHOR DOWN THE
CHOICES.
CHOICES. IT MAKES IT HARD TO STAND WITH
DONALD TRUMP IF YOU VALUE THE
PROPOSITIONS AND THE IDEALS OF
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF LET’S
SAY OH, GOSH, LET’S SAY RONALD
REAGAN.
REAGAN. OR EVEN, YOU KNOW, WILLIAM F.
BUCKLEY.
BUCKLEY. ALL OF THE STALWARTS WHO BUILT
THE MODERN CONSERVATIVE PARTY
HAVE LARGELY BEEN SET ASIDE,
LET’S JUST PUT IT THAT WAY.
THERE’S A STRONGER WORD I COULD
USE.
USE. BUT THE REALITY AND THE TRUTH I
THINK BOILS DOWN TO THAT MOMENT
THAT MIKA WAS TALKING ABOUT AND
CLARIFIED SO WELL WITH ONE
WORD -- PATHETIC BECAUSE IT
APPLIES TO SO MUCH WE HAVE SEEN.
AS A LIFE-LONG REPUBLICAN IT HAS
BEEN HARD FOR ME TO WATCH THE
PATHETIC CHILD-LIKE DISPLAY OF
SYCOPHANTIC BEHAVIOR BY A PARTY
THAT SAID IT BELONGED TO
LINCOLN.
LINCOLN. >> OKAY, MICHAEL --
>> IT BELONGED TO FREDERICK
DOUGLAS AND IN A MOMENT LIKE
THAT IT TOOK MEADOWS THREE DAYS
TO COME UP WITH THAT SUPPORT.
>> ZILCH.
>> ZILCH. >> FOR HIS FRIEND.
WITH FRIENDS LIKE THAT, ELIJAH
CUMMINGS, BROTHER, YOU NEED TO
CHECK THAT BECAUSE I DON’T KNOW
IF I’D GO INTO THE FIGHT HE’S
GOING TO HAVE MY BACK THE WAY
YOU HAD HIS IN FRONT OF THE
NATION A FEW WEEKS AGO.
>> MICHAEL, WE HAVE -- I HAVE
BEEN LISTENING TO YOU FOR A LONG
TIME YOU MAKE A LOT OF SENSE,
BUT HISTORY IS A CONSTANT
STENOGRAPHER, IT NEVER STOPS
RECORDING WHAT HAPPENS.
THERE’S GOT TO BE SOME
EXPLANATION OTHER THAN FEAR OF
BEING PRIMARIED ON YOUR RIGHT
FROM ALL OF THESE PEOPLE IN THE
HOUSE AND THE SENATE.
OTHER THAN FEAR OF DONALD TRUMP.
WHAT IS THE ANSWER HERE?
WHY DO THEY FOLD UNCEASINGLY ONE
AFTER ANOTHER?
AFTER ANOTHER? >> I THINK IT’S PROBABLY --
AGAIN, IT’S DRIVEN MORE FROM THE
BOTTOM UP HERE.
THIS IS NOT THE LEADERSHIP AND
ELECTED OFFICIALS NECESSARILY
TAKING THESE POSITIONS ON THEIR
OWN.
OWN. THEY’RE REACTING TO A BASE OF
REPUBLICANS THAT HAS TURNED ON
ITSELF.
ITSELF. AND A LOT OF IT -- A LOT OF IT,
MIKE, GOES BACK TO THE PROMISES
THAT WERE MADE THAT WERE BROKEN.
THE SENSE THAT YOU PROMISED US
THESE THINGS, THAT YOU SAID
THESE THINGS WERE OF VALUE, THEN
WENT OFF AND DID SOMETHING
DIFFERENT.
DIFFERENT. YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE FOLKS WHO
LOOKED AT THE SPENDING IN THE
BUSH ERA.
BUSH ERA. YET, HERE WE ARE WITH TRUMP
SPENDING THREE OR FOUR TIMES
THAT AMOUNT AND SEEMINGLY THEY
DON’T CARE.
DON’T CARE. I THINK THAT’S PRETTY MUCH THE
ATTITUDE IS, LOOK, ALL THOSE
THINGS YOU TOLD US AND PROMISED
US WERE TRUE WE REALIZED THEY’RE
NOT SO DONALD TRUMP IS EXPOSING
THAT.
THAT. AND WE SUPPORT HIM FOR EXPOSING
THAT LIE.
THAT LIE. BUT THERE’S MORE TO IT THAN
THAT.
THAT. BECAUSE IT HAS AN IMPACT.
IT RIPS AT A FABRIC ABOUT WHO WE
ARE AS A COUNTRY AND WHO WE ARE
AS A PARTY.
AND I THINK THAT’S GOING TO BE
WHAT THE PARTY IS GOING TO HAVE
TO GRAPPLE WITH WHEN TRUMP IS NO
LONGER THE CENTER OF THE
UNIVERSE.
UNIVERSE. WHEN THAT STAR IS GONE HOW DO
THOSE PLANETS REVOLVE, WHAT DO
THEY DO REVOLVE AROUND AND
BEFORE IT WAS THE IDEAS THAT
PROPOSE WERE TRUE.
NOW MAYBE THEY’RE NOT SO TRUE.
>> WELL, IT’S WORTH TAKING A
MOMENT TO INVESTIGATE WHAT SENT
PRESIDENT TRUMP ON THE WARPATH
AGAINST CONGRESSMAN CUMMINGS.
"THE WASHINGTON POST" REPORTS
THAT TRUMP WAS FRUSTRATED THAT
THE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE THAT
CUMMINGS CHAIRS AUTHORIZED A
SUBPOENA LAST WEEK THAT COULD
SWEEP UP EMAILS FROM HIS
DAUGHTER AND SON-IN-LAW AS PART
OF ITS PROBE INTO POTENTIAL
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST IN THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. THE SPECIFIC FOCUS OF THE
SUBPOENA IS JARED KUSHNER’S USE
OF WHATSAPP AS PART OF A WIDE
RANGING INVESTIGATION INTO
WHETHER SENIOR ADMINISTRATION
OFFICIALS BROKE FEDERAL RECORDS
LAWS BY USING PRIVATE ACCOUNTS
FOR OFFICIAL PURPOSES.
TRUMP IS ALSO ANNOYED THAT
CUMMINGS STOOD ALONGSIDE
DEMOCRATIC LEADERS DISCUSSING
THE POSSIBILITY OF IMPEACHMENT
AFTER ROBERT MUELLER’S
TESTIMONY.
TESTIMONY. AND WAS PARTICULARLY INCENSED
WHEN THE LONG TIME DEMOCRATIC
LAWMAKER LAMBASTED TRUMP’S
ACTING HEAD OF HOMELAND SECURITY
OVER REPORTS FROM THE BORDER OF
A CHILD SITTING IN ITS OWN FECES
AND CAN’T TAKE A SHOWER.
SO HERE WE GO.
>>> COMING UP ON "MORNING JOE"
BY SOME ACCOUNTS KAMALA HARRIS
GOT THE BETTER OF JOE BIDEN
DURING THEIR FIRST DEBATE BUT
THEIR POLL NUMBERS TELL A
DIFFERENT STORY.
DIFFERENT STORY. WE’LL GET TO THAT JUST AHEAD.
>>> PLUS, STEVE KORNACKI IS
DOING WHAT HE DOES BEST.
HE’S GOT A GREAT NEW PIECE ON