DAVID PECKER. AND TODAY NBC REPORTS THAT PAUL
WEISULBERG WAS GRANTED IMMUNITY
IN ORDER TO TESTIFY IN THE
MICHAEL COHEN INVESTIGATION.
THE MAN THEY DESCRIBE AS THE
MOST SENIOR PERSON IN THE
ORGANIZATION THAT’S NOT A TRUMP.
WELL, ACCORDING TO BLOOMBERG,
WEISULBERG IS DEEPLY FAMILIAR
WITH THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION’S
FINANCIAL HOUSEKEEPING, WAS
PRIVACY TO DECISIONS THAT THE
HOUSE WAS NEVER ABLE TO TAKE
PART IN.
PART IN. ERIC TRUMP, BOTH EXECUTIVE VICE
PRESIDENT OF THE ORGANIZATION.
IVANKA TRUMP WAS ALSO AN
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT BEFORE
SHE WENT TO WORK AT THE WHITE
HOUSE.
HOUSE. SO COOPERATING WITH FEDERAL
PROSECUTORS SHOULD MAYBE BE
ILLEGAL.
ILLEGAL. IT.
IT. >>> THIS WHOLE THING ABOUT
FLIPPING, THEY CALL IT.
I KNOW ALL ABOUT FLIPPING, FOR
30, 40 YEARS I’VE BEEN
FLIPPERS.
FLIPPERS. IT ALMOST OUGHT TO BE OUTLAWED.
YOU SAY SOMETHING ABOUT DONALD
TRUMP AND YOU’LL GO DOWN TO 2
YEARS SS 3 SS OR 3 YEARS.
IN ALL FAIRNESS TO HIM, IF I
WERE HIM I WOULD DO IT.
IT’S CALLED FLIPPING AND IT
ALMOST OUGHT TO BE ILLEGAL.
>> TODAY IS ANOTHER BOMBSHELL IN
A SEEMINGLY MUSHROOMING OF LEGAL
PROBLEMS FOR THIS PRESIDENT.
MICHAEL FLYNN AND EX-TRUMP
LAWYER MICHAEL COHEN ARE BOTH
ALREADY COOPERATING WITH FEDERAL
INVESTIGATORS.
INVESTIGATORS. AND AMI CEO DAVID PECKER WAS
ALSO GIVEN IMMUNITY SO THAT HE
COULD TALK ABOUT HELPING TRUMP
HIDE AN AFFAIR WITH LAUREN
McDOINGAL.
McDOINGAL. ALL OF THIS COMES ON THE HEELS
OF THE ULTIMATE BETRAYAL,
MICHAEL COHEN, TELLING A FEDERAL
JUDGE THAT DONALD TRUMP DIRECTED
HIM TO LEGALLY BIND THE SILENCE
OF TWO WOMEN WHO ALLEGEDLY HAD
AN AFFAIR WITH HIM.
ACCORDING TO THE ASSOCIATED
PRESS AGAIN, THE PRESIDENT WAS
UNDER SIEGE AND HIS AIDES HAVE
BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO BEING
SMACKED WITH BAD NEWS WHEN THEY
LOOK UP AT THE TELEVISION.
JOHNSON LA MERE, WHITE HOUSE
REPORTER FOR THE ASSOCIATED
PRESS.
PRESS. KIM WELD, A FORMER FEDERAL
PROSECUTOR, ANDON ONAND JONATHAN
LET’S START WITH YOU, ALLEN.
TELL US ABOUT WEISELBERG, IT
SEEMS WE GOT THE CHIEF
BOOKKEEPER, THE CHIEF FINANCIAL
OFFICER, HE’S SO CLOSE TO THE
FAMILY, HE’S THE ONLY ONE NOT A
FAMILY AT THE TOP OF THE TRUMP
ORGANIZATION.
ORGANIZATION. WHAT’S HIS IMMUNITY, GIVE HIM
THE ALLOWANCE TO TELL WITHOUT
PROSECUTION AND ALSO MAKES HIM
BASICALLY VULNERABLE.
BASICALLY VULNERABLE. HE CAN’T TAKE THE FIFTH ANYMORE.
>> FIRST OFF, WEISELBERG, THIS
IS A GUY WHO’S BEEN AT THE TRUMP
ORGANIZATION SINCE FRED TRUMP
WAS RUNNING THE SHOW.
WHEN DONALD TRUMP TOOK OFFICE HE
TURNED OVER THE RUNNING OF THE
GOVERNMENT TO THREE PEOPLE,
DONALD TRUMP JR. MICHAEL COHEN
AND WEISELBERG.
AND WEISELBERG. IT’S NOT ENTIRELY CLEAR WHAT HE
TOLD PROSECUTORS.
TOLD PROSECUTORS. BUT WHAT WE DO KNOW IS, WITH
MICHAEL COHEN’S PLEA DEAL,
PROSECUTORS SAID THEY HAD
WITNESS TESTIMONY TO BACK UP
WHAT HE WAS SAYING, WHAT HE WAS
ADMITTING IN COURT, AND NOW
WE’RE LEARNING FROM THAT
TESTIMONY, THAT IT WAS DAVID
WEISELBERG AND MICHAEL COHN.
>> YOU’RE DONALD TRUMP, YOU ARE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,
THAT’S A BIG DEAL.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, OFFSETTING
BEING A BIG DEAL AND BEING
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,
YOU HAVE THIS COMING AT YOU,
EVERYBODY THAT’S DONE BUSINESS
WITH YOU, IT SEEMS, THAT KNOWS
EVERYTHING YOU’VE DONE WRONG IS
ABOUT TO SPILL IT.
>> WE SAW DONALD TRUMP’S INITIAL
DEFENSE WITH MICHAEL COHEN, HE
SAID THAT MICHAEL COHEN ADMITTED
GUILT TO CRIMES THAT ARE NOT
CRIME.
CRIME. >> THAT’S NOT UP TO DONALD TRUMP
TO DECIDE WHETHER THESE ARE
CRIMES ARE NOT.
>> MICHAEL COHEN WAS SORT OF --
HE’S TRYING TO CLAIM THAT HE WAS
SWINDLED INTO MAKING THIS
AGREEMENT, ADMITTING THESE
CRIMES TO FACE THE POTENTIAL OF
LESS JAIL TIME.
HE’S GOING TO TRY TO USE THE
PULPIT OF BEING PRESIDENT TO
PUSH OFF THIS ONCOMING STORM.
>> LET’S GO TO JOHN ON THIS.
WHAT DOES HE DO NOW?
HE MUST WONDER, HE’S A MAN OF
ENORMOUS EGO AND SELF-CONFIDENCE
AND HE’S BEEN THROUGH A LOT OF
STUFF IN HIS LIFE.
AND IT SEEMS TO ME THE
VULNERABILITY OF HIS FAMILY.
>> SURE, THAT’S ALWAYS BEEN
CONSIDERED HIS ACHILLES HEEL,
THE WAY HE FAIRSCARES FOR HIS AD
CHILDREN.
CHILDREN. THERE CERTAINLY IS A BATTLE
STATIONS MODE THERE IN THE WEST
WING, AIDES ARE ACCUSTOMED TO
THESE NEGATIVE HEADLINES AFTER
NEGATIVE HEADLINES.
NEGATIVE HEADLINES. AND THE PRESIDENT FEELS
PROSECUTED.
PROSECUTED. IT’S NOT A FULL MELTDOWN YET.
HE’S FUMING TO HIS AIDES ABOUT
WHAT HAPPENED, BUT STILL FEELS
LIKE WE CAN FIGHT THIS, WE CAN
ESCAPE THIS.
ESCAPE THIS. BUT THIS IS ALSO A PRESIDENT
THAT DECLARES TIME AND TIME
AGAIN THAT LOYALTY IS THE MOST
IMPORTANT TO HIM.
>> NOT THE PEOPLE AROUND HIM.
>> LOYALTY TO HIM IS NOT JUST A
ONE-WAY STREET.
ONE-WAY STREET. WE HAVE SEEN HERE, SOME OF THE
CLOSEST PEOPLE TO HIM HAVE
ALREADY TURNED.
ALREADY TURNED. IT STARTED WITH OMAROSA LAST
WEEK, AND NOW WE HAVE PECKER,
COHN AND WEISELBERG.
>> THE REASON THEY TURN IS
BECAUSE THEY FEEL THEY’RE
VULNERABLE TO PROSECUTION.
THEY KNOW OR SENSE THEY DID
SOMETHING WRONG THAT CAN BE USED
TO PUT THEM IN JAIL FOR A LONG
TIME.
TIME. SO HE’S SURROUNDED HIMSELF WITH
PEOPLE WHO FEEL THEY’RE
VULNERABLE TO FEDERAL
PROSECUTION.
PROSECUTION. >> SURE, AND THAT’S NOT A GREAT
TREND.
TREND. WEISELBERG AT LEAST SOMEONE
REPORTING AT THE AP TESTIFIED
ABOUT COHEN, THERE MAY BE --
>> ONE OF TRUMP’S SHARPEST
CRITICS, THE HUSBAND OF
KELLYANNE CONWAY, GEORGE CONWAY
WEIGHED IN TODAY TWEETING, IT
MEANS THAT INDIVIDUAL 1 NEEDS A
REAL LAWYER.
REAL LAWYER. INDIVIDUAL 1 IS THE WAY TRUMP
WAS REFERRED TO IN MICHAEL
COHEN’S PLEA DEAL.
HE’S PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES, HE PROBABLY CAN’T BE
INDICTED WHILE HE’S PRESIDENT.
THAT’S HIS ONE ACE IN THE HOLE.
BUT HE CAN BE INDICTED DOWN THE
ROAD.
ROAD. HIS KIDS, IT SEEMS -- WHO’S HE
GOT ON HIS SIDE IN TERMS OF
EVIDENCE.
EVIDENCE. WHO IS GOING TO TESTIFY ON
BEHALF OF THIS PRESIDENT ON ANY
QUESTION OF FACT.
THERE SEEMS TO BE ONE HOLDOUT
THAT SEEMED TO HAVE A QUESTION
OF REASONABLE DOUBT AS A NOTION.
BUT HE MAY NOT GET ANOTHER JUROR
LIKE THAT FOR A WHILE.
YOUR THOUGHTS?
YOUR THOUGHTS? >> I’M NOT SO SURE THAT HE CAN’T
BE INDICTED, I MEAN IF HE WENT
AROUND ASSASSINATING POLITICAL
RIVALS AND CONGRESS WOULD BE IN
FEAR OF THEIR OWN LIVES BEFORE
THEY CAN STAND IMPEACHMENT
PROCESS.
PROCESS. >> DO YOU THINK KAVANAGH WOULD
SAY THAT?
SAY THAT? >> WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT
ANOTHER TIME.
ANOTHER TIME. BUT THE KOONGSCONSTITUTION’S FLE
ON THIS POINT.
OPTION TWO IS IMPEACHMENT.
DEMOCRATS ARE WORRIED ABOUT
MIDTERMS IN NOVEMBER.
AND OPTION THREE, THAT’S THE
MOST REALISTIC OPTION HERE, IT’S
NOT JUST TRUMP HIMSELF, WE HAVE
GOT THE ORGANIZATION, WHICH HE
CARES A LOT ABOUT.
HE CAN’T HIDE BEHIND EXECUTIVE
PRIVILEGE FOR THAT, HE CAN’T
ARGUE OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE
DIDN’T APPLY TO ME, THAT’S
OUTSIDE OF IT.
AND OF COURSE HE ALSO HAS HIS
CHILDREN.
CHILDREN. AND THESE PROSECUTORS ARE BEING
SMART KIND OF MOVING IN,
OUTFLANKING HIM IN SOME PLACES
AND AT SOME POINT HE’S GOING TO
BE LEFT STANDING ALONE, AND THE
IDEA BEHIND NOT INDICTING A
PRESIDENT, IS THAT UNDER ARTICLE
2 THE EXECUTIVE POWER WOULD BE
INTERFERED WITH BY AN ONGOING
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION.
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION. I THINK THIS INSANITY WE’RE
LIVING THROUGH IS THE ABILITY
FOR THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH TO
FUNCTION.
FUNCTION. WE HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES, HOW IS
THE GOVERNMENT EVEN FUNCTIONING
AT THIS POINT?
>> HERE’S A GUY WHO GOT EVERY
BREAK IN THE CAMPAIGN, I MEAN
ALL THE STATES WE WATCHED
ELECTION NIGHT IN ’16 WENT HIS
WAY, HE DIDN’T GET MINNESOTA OR
NORTH CAROLINA.
NORTH CAROLINA. HE GOT EVERYTHING THAT WAS IN
PLAY.
PLAY. AND THEY ALL BROKE LOST IN THE
LAST WEEK OR SO.
HE’S BEEN THE BENEFICIARY OF
GOOD LUCK IN HIS LIFE I WOULD
SAY.
SAY. IT DOES SEEM THAT IT’S EVENING
OUT, THE BAD LUCK IS CATCHING UP
WITH THE GOOD LUCK.
WHAT A WEEK FOR THIS GUY.
>> THAT’S THE UNDERSTATEMENT OF
THE CENTURY THAT TRUMP HAS
BENEFITTED FROM GOOD LUCK.
AND YOU’RE RIGHT, I THINK IT’S
TURNING.
TURNING. ON A POLITICAL LEVEL, WHEN YOU
ZOOM OUT FROM THIS A LITTLE BIT.
THIS IS SO DANGEROUS FOR DONALD
TRUMP.
TRUMP. HE’S NOW GOT MICHAEL COHEN,
WHO’S PLEADED GUILTY TO THESE
CRIMES AND SAID THE PRESIDENT
DIRECTLY WOULD DO THAT.
THIS IS A VERY DIFFERENT SCANDAL
TODAY BECAUSE -- THAN IT WAS
JUST A FEW DAYS AGO, BECAUSE
WHAT WAS ABSTRACT AND STATIC IS
NOW VERY MUCH REAL.
AND VERY MUCH CLOSING IN ON HIM.
AND THE PROBLEM POLITICALLY IS
IT’S GOING TO HANG OUT THERE FOR
A WHILE.
A WHILE. WE’RE GOING TO SEE MORE
DEVELOPMENTS OUT OF MICHAEL
COHEN’S COOPERATION WITH
PROSECUTORS, WE MAY SEE MORE OUT
OF WEISELBERG AND DAVID PECKER,
WE’RE GOING TO SEE MORE IN THE
NEXT MANAFORT TRIAL, IT WILL BE
MORE AND MORE AND MORE.
AND HIS PROBLEMS ARE GOING TO
MOUNT NOT FADE, AND OF COURSE AS
YOU KNOW IN POLITICS, WHEN
THERE’S A PROBLEM OUT THERE,