TONIGHT. >> ARI MELBER, ALWAYS GOOD TO
SEE YOU, HAVE A WONDERFUL
WEEKEND, MY FRIEND.
>> THANK YOU.
>>> WE BEGIN TONIGHT WITH NEW
REPORTS THAT THERE IS A TAPE,
THAT DONALD TRUMP IS ON IT, AND
THAT MICHAEL COHEN MADE IT.
WHY IS THIS NEWS BREAKING RIGHT
NOW AS THIS LEGAL PRESSURE
BUILDS ACROSS THE BOARD ON
TRUMP’S LAWYER AND FIXER MICHAEL
COHEN AND THE WHITE HOUSE HAS
CONTINUE TODAY BATTLE BACK A
SCANDAL OF PUTIN PROPORTIONS
THAT’S ENGULFED IT ALL WEEK?
I CAN TELL YOU, I’M VERY EXCITED
TO LEARN SOME OF THE ANSWERS, WE
HAVE SEVERAL KEY PEOPLE WHO CAN
SHED LIGHT ON THIS QUESTION
TONIGHT.
TONIGHT. MICHAEL COHEN TAPED DONALD TRUMP
TWO MONTHS BEFORE THE 2016
ELECTION, AND THEY DISCUSSED
SECRET PAYMENTS POTENTIALLY TO
BE MADE TO FORMER PLAYBOY MODEL
KAREN McDOUGAL WHO HAD A
RELATIONSHIP WITH TRUMP IN 2006.
SHE HAS -- WE’LL GET TO THAT.
>>> WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED TO
KNOW?
KNOW? INVESTIGATORS HAVE THIS TAPE.
THE FBI SEIZING IT FROM COHEN’S
OFFICE IN APRIL AFTER THAT RAID
COHEN’S OPPONENT IN THE STORMY
DANIELS CASE MADE SOME NEWS ON
THIS SHOW BY DECLARING HE KNEW
FOR A FACT THIS TYPE OF TAPE
EXISTED.
EXISTED. >> I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT DONALD
TRUMP IS ON AT LEAST ONE OF
THESE RECORDINGS, ARI.
>> HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?
>> I’M NOT GOING TO GET INTO
DETAILS OF HOW I KNOW THAT, ARI.
>> WOULD YOU SAY THAT IN COURT?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. DONALD TRUMP IS ON ONE OF THE
RECORDINGS, AT LEAST ONE OF
THEM, I KNOW THAT FOR A FACT.
I STAND BEHIND IT.
>> STANDS BEHIND IT.
AND TODAY THAT FACT BEING
REPORTED, MICHAEL JOINS ME
TONIGHT WITH MORE.
THE WHITE HOUSE IS MAKING CLEAR
IT DOESN’T LIKE THIS NEWS AT ALL
AND THAT IT WAS CAUGHT OFF
GUARD, A SOURCE SAYING TRUMP
DIDN’T KNOW HE WAS BEING
RECORDED WHILE HIS LAWYERS ARE
PROBING WHAT OTHER POTENTIAL
TAPES COULD REVEAL.
THEY’RE ALSO TRYING TO PUT WORD
OUT TONIGHT THAT ANY OTHER
RECORDINGS THAT MY EXIST ARE,
QUOTE, NOT SUBSTANTIVE.
THIS STORY HAS MOVED FAST.
SO IT IS WORTH KEEPING THE
CONTEXT IN MIND.
THESE LEAKS MAKE COHEN LOOK LIKE
SOMETHING OF A THREAT TO DONALD
TRUMP.
TRUMP. AS MICHAEL COHEN RELIES ON HIS
OWN LAWYERS TO DEFEND HIMSELF
AND A TOP HILLARY CLINTON AIDE.
IT WAS JUST THREE MONTHS AGO,
ONLY THREE MONTHS AGO IN THIS
LIGHTNINGENING WARP SPEED ERA WE
LIVE IN THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS
TELLING PEOPLE ON AIR FORCE ONE
COHEN WAS STILL HIS ATTORNEY,
MEANING ON HIS SIDE, AND THAT
COHEN COULD TAKE ALL THE TOUGH
QUESTIONS ON TRUMP’S BEHALF.
>> YOU HAVE TO ASK MICHAEL
COHEN.
COHEN. MICHAEL’S MY ATTORNEY AND YOU’LL
HAVE TO ASK MICHAEL.
>> I HAVEN’T SPOKEN TO MICHAEL
IN A LONG TIME.
>> A LONG TIME.
IN A MOMENT I’M GOING TO SPEAK
TO FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR
JOHN FLANNERY ABOUT THIS, AS
WELL ANOTHER LAWYER FOR DONALD
TRUMP JAY GOLDBERG.
WE HAVE A LOT TO GET TO.
BUT I BEGIN WITH MEGAN TUWEY WHO
HAS COVERED THIS EXTENSIVELY.
WE’VE GOTTEN ANALYSIS BY MANY
CASES WHICH INVOLVE ALLEGATIONS
BY WOMEN WHO HAVE HAD CONTACT
WITH RUSSIA.
WITH RUSSIA. MEGAN, THIS ORIGINAL ALLEGATION
AGAINST TRUMP, HOW DID THESE
WOMEN GET US TO THIS PLACE, AND
WHY IS MICHAEL COHEN LOOKING
LIKE HE MIGHT BE TAKING REVENGE
OUT ON THE PRESIDENT?
>> IT’S TURNED INTO A LEGAL
RAT’S NEST FOR THE PRESIDENT.
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED
IN 2016 TOWARD THE END OF THE
PRESIDENTIAL RACE WAS -- WELL,
TWO THINGS.
TWO THINGS. ONE, THAT THERE WERE PAYMENTS
MADE TO WOMEN WHO CLAIMED
CONSENSUAL AFFAIRS WITH THE
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. ONE WAS MADE DIRECTLY BY MICHAEL
COHEN, THE STORMY DANIELS
PAYMENT, ANOTHER MADE THROUGH
AMERICAN MEDIA, INC., THE PARENT
COMPANY TO THE "NATIONAL
ENQUIRER."
ENQUIRER." TRUMP HAS BEEN INSISTENT IN THE
BEGINNING SAYING HE DIDN’T KNOW
ANYTHING ABOUT THESE PAYMENTS.
MICHAEL COHEN SAID HE HANDLED
THEM ON HIS OWN.
AND I THINK WHAT WE’VE SEEN
TODAY IS MORE NEW EVIDENCE THAT
WOULD SUGGEST THAT THE PRESIDENT
WAS ACTUALLY CERTAINLY AWARE,
MUCH CLOSER TO THE TIME OF THE
PAYMENTS IF NOT AT THE ACTUAL
TIME OF THE PAYMENT.
IN THE CASE OF THE AMERICAN
MEDIA.
MEDIA. >> WHICH MEANS WHAT?
>> THESE PAYMENTS WITH
SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE THEY’RE
BEING INVESTIGATED AS CAMPAIGN
FINANCE VIOLATIONS.
FINANCE VIOLATIONS. >> AND IT WOULD SEEM TO IMPLY
THAT HE WAS LYING ABOUT IT
BEFORE.
BEFORE. >> THAT IS ONE WAY TO READ IT.
AND SO THE QUESTION IS, YEAH,
NOT JUST -- IF HE’S BEEN LYING
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT. BUT, IN FACT, WAS HE A DIRECT
PARTICIPANT IN THESE PAYMENTS?
WAS HE AWARE OF THEM AT THE
TIME?
TIME? AND IF SO, THAT COULD BASICALLY
PLUNGE HIM INTO THE HEART OF
THIS CRIMINAL -- ONE ASPECT OF
THIS CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION.
>> LIZ, LET ME READ MORE FROM
THIS REPORTING IN YOUR
PUBLICATION, GIULIANI SAYING
TRUMP TOLD COHEN IF HE WERE TO
MAKE A PAYMENT TO MS. McDOUGAL,
WRITE A CASH, SO IT COULD BE
PROPERLY DOCUMENTED.
PROPERLY DOCUMENTED. IF THERE IS A CASE, IF THERE IS
A BEAR, IF THERE IS A CASE,
QUOTE, IT’S NOT CLEAR WHETHER A
FEDERAL JUDGE WOULD RULE ON
WHETHER PROSECUTORS CAN EVEN
LISTEN TO THE RECORDING, AND
WE’LL GET LATER TO THE LAWYERS
HERE.
HERE. BUT WHETHER OR NOT PROSECUTORS
GET IT, IT’S IN THE "NEW YORK
TIMES" FOR A REASON TONIGHT.
IS IT BECAUSE MICHAEL COHEN IS
CONTINUING TO TRY TO GIVE THE
PRESIDENT A HARD TIME?
>> MAYBE WHEN MICHAEL COHEN TOLD
DONALD TRUMP THAT HE WOULDN’T
RECORD HIS CONVERSATIONS, MAYBE
HE MEANT THAT HE WOULD.
>> WOW.
>> WOW. I THINK THAT’S A DOUBLE NEGATIVE
BURN.
BURN. >> YEAH, RIGHT.
BUT IF THERE’S ONE PERSON THAT
WOULD UNDERSTAND THAT, IT WOULD
BE DONALD TRUMP, RIGHT?
MAKING THAT KIND OF MISTAKE.
SO CLEARLY, YOU KNOW, MICHAEL
COHEN HAS USED DIFFERENT WAYS OF
COMMUNICATING WITH DONALD TRUMP
IN A VERY SORT OF SUG WAY WHERE
WE’RE ALL AWARE OF IT.
WHETHER IT’S WITH TWEETS HE’S
DONE OR MEETINGS HE’S HAD WITH
THE SHOW LITERALLY CALLED TRUMP
TAPES.
TAPES. I BELIEVE IN SORT OF INCHING AT
THE IDEA THAT THERE ARE THESE
TAPES.
TAPES. TODAY IT’S VERY CLEAR THAT WE
DON’T KNOW WHO LEAKED THIS
STORY, OR WHO LEAKED THIS
INFORMATION, BUT GIVEN THE
REPORTING, I THINK IT’S PRETTY
CLEAR THAT IT MIGHT BE COMING
FROM MICHAEL COHEN HIMSELF.
SO HE’S TRYING TO SPEAK TO
TRUMP.
TRUMP. HE’S TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS
THE IDEA OF THE PARDON AND HIM
WANTING THIS PARDON IS ALWAYS IN
THE BACKDROP.
THE BACKDROP. AND CLEAR, I THINK, WITH THIS
STORY.
STORY. >> I THINK THE POINT LIZ MAKES,
WOULDN’T NOT BE A BAD THEORY.
BY WHICH I MEAN, I’M SORRY,
DOUBLE NEGATIVE, I BOTCHED IT.
>> IT’S REALLY HARD TO DO.
>> IT’S INTERESTING, TOO, THAT
GIULIANI IN DEFENDING TRUMP ON
THIS TAPE SAID HE WASN’T AWARE
HE WAS BEING RECORDED AT THE
TIME.
TIME. AND THAT RAISES A COUPLE
QUESTIONS.
QUESTIONS. WAS MICHAEL COHEN IN THE HABIT
OF SECRETLY RECORDING THE
PRESIDENT IN THE PROCESS OF
REPRESENTING HIM.
REPRESENTING HIM. AND TWO, WHY DID HE FEEL
COMPELLED TO SECRETLY RECORD HIM
ABOUT THIS MATTER?
>> UH-HUH.
>> UH-HUH. LET ME BRING IN JOHN FLANNERY ON
SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS.
MR. FLANNERY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT
EVERYTHING YOU JUST HEARD, WHAT
IS THE LEGAL SIGNIFICANCE?
>> WELL, IN TERMS OF THE LAW,
THE CAMPAIGN VIOLATIONS ARE AN
OBVIOUS ONE.
OBVIOUS ONE. BUT IN TERMS OF THE STRENGTH OF
THE EVIDENCE TO SHOW THAT, I
THOUGHT THE TIMES STORY JUST
BEFORE THE QUOTE THAT YOU HAD
WAS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT SHOWS
KNOWLEDGE OF BOTH MEN, COHEN AND
TRUMP, OF WHAT AMI IS DOING WITH
PLAY MATE McDOUGAL.
HE SAYS SHOULD WE BUY HER STORY
DIRECTLY?
DIRECTLY? OR SHOULD WE BUY IT FROM AMI?
AND THAT SUGGESTS -- AND THEN
THE QUESTION IS, SHOULD WE PENA
CHECK OR SHOULD WE DO IT BY
CASH?
CASH? HE’S ENCOURAGING COHEN, TRUMP IS
ENCOURAGING COHEN TO DO IT BY
CHECK, WHICH STRIKES ME AS
BIZARRE.
BIZARRE. AND YOU HAVE DO WONDER IF THIS
WAS ALSO A PATTERN TO REIMBURSE
AMI FOR WHAT THEY’D ALREADY
DONE.
DONE. >> LET’S SLOW DOWN A BIT.
WE’RE GETTING INTO THE INITIALS.
YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT THE
"NATIONAL ENQUIRER" PARENT
COMPANY, YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT
WHETHER THERE WAS AN ELICIT PLOT
TO MISUSE OR ABUSE THAT
ORGANIZATION, THAT MEDIA COMPANY
TO SECRETLY TRY TO BUY PEOPLE
OFF AND BURY THEIR STORY.
THAT’S A BIG NO-NO TO USE A
LEGAL TERM.
LEGAL TERM. WE SPOKE TO McDOUGAL’S LAWYER
ABOUT THIS.
ABOUT THIS. TAKE A LISTEN TO WHAT HE WAS
SAYING.
SAYING. WE’VE BEEN REPORTING THIS OUT
FOR SOME TIME.
A LOT OF DIFFERENT REPORTERS
HAVE BEEN WORKING DIFFERENT
ANGLES OF THE STORY ON WHAT DOES
LOOK VERY SHADY.
TAKE A LISTEN.
>> SURE.
>> SURE. >> WAS THE "NATIONAL ENQUIRER"
ACTING AS THE ARM OF DONALD
TRUMP AND MICHAEL COHEN, IF SO,
IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH
THAT?
THAT? >> WE STRONGLY SUSPECT THEY
WERE.
WERE. >> CAN YOU PROVE IT?
>> IF THE LAWSUIT HAD CONTINUED,
WEOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PROVE
IT.
IT. >> JOHN?
>> JOHN? >> YES.
>> YES. WELL, HERE’S THE THING ABOUT THE
ABUSE.
ABUSE. I THINK WHAT WE HAVE IS WE HAVE
A LONG STANDING RELATIONSHIP,
WHICH HAS BEEN WELL REPORTED,
BETWEEN AMI, MR. PECKER, AND MR.
TRUMP, AND IN WHICH THEY HAVE
HELPED EACH OTHER FROM TIME TO
TIME, AND BOTH FAVORING MR.
TRUMP AND KILLING OTHER STORIES.
WHAT THEY DID WITH THE McDOUGAL
STORY WAS THEY PAID HER 150,000
AND THEN KILL IT HAD STORY AND
TRIED TO TIE HER DOWN WITH THAT
CONTRACT.
CONTRACT. THAT’S AN ABUSIVE SITUATION IN
WHICH THEY SAID THIS IS A STORY
THAT’S GOING TO RUN.
YOU DON’T PAY $150,000 FOR A DOG
AND THEN THEY DIDN’T RUN IT.
THE ONLY PERSON WHO PROFITS FROM
THAT IS CANDIDATE TRUMP.
AND SO THESE CONVERSATIONS --
THEY DID THAT IN AUGUST.
SO THESE CONVERSATIONS IN
SEPTEMBER ONLY A MONTH LATER
SEEM TO FIT NATURALLY WITH AN
ONGOING SCHEME.
ONGOING SCHEME. SHOULD WE NOW PAY HER DIRECTLY?
SHOULD WE BUY THE RIGHTS TO THE
STORY FROM AMI OR THE ENQUIRER?
THAT SHOWS A CONTINUING
KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT’S GOING ON.
ALL THE DENIALS BY TRUMP ARE
AFTER THAT.
AFTER THAT. >> AND MEGAN SPEAK TO THE POINT
THAT MICHAEL COHEN MAY HAVE HAD
SOME INKLING THAT HE HAD
EXPOSURE ON THIS, IF HE KEPT THE
TAPES SECRET FROM DONALD TRUMP,
HE WASN’T MAKING THE TAPE FOR
DONALD TRUMP, WAS HE MAKING THE
TAPE AT THAT TIME THAT HE
THOUGHT HE HAD THE PRESENCE OF
MIND THAT THERE MIGHT BE
SOMETHING SHADY THAT WOULD
BACKFIRE ON HIM?
>> THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS WE
DON’T KNOW.
DON’T KNOW. BUT THAT CERTAINLY RAISES THE
QUESTION OF WHAT WAS THE
MOTIVATION TO SECRETLY TAPE THE
PRESIDENT ON THAT ISSUE AT THAT
TIME?
TIME? I MEAN, THIS IS THE THING ABOUT
TAPES, RIGHT, TAPES DON’T LIE.
I MEAN, YOU CAN HAVE DISPUTES
ABOUT A CONVERSATION YOU HAD
BACK IN 2016 WITH A HE SAID/SHE
SAID, TAPES DON’T LIE, SO IT’S
SIGNIFICANT -- THAT’S A HUGE
SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS TAPE.
>> LIZ, AS YOU SAID, SCALES
DON’T LIE, THE TAPES DON’T LIE
EITHER.
EITHER. I WANT TO BRING IN JAY GOLDBERG,
DONALD TRUMP’S EXCLUSIVE CHIEF
LITIGATOR FROM 1992 TO 2012, HIS
ADVISER AS WELL, AND HE’S
RETAINED ATTORNEY/CLIENT
RETAINED ATTORNEY/CLIENT PRIVILEGE.
PRIVILEGE. JAY, APPRECIATE YOUR TIME COMING
ON "THE BEAT."
THIS IS A BIG NIGHT.
DO YOU THINK THESE LEAKS ARE IN
THE "NEW YORK TIMES" BECAUSE OF
MICHAEL COHEN, AND DID YOU EVER
SECRETLY RECORD DONALD TRUMP
WITHOUT HIS KNOWLEDGE AS A
LAWYER, OR IS THAT SOMETHING
ONLY MICHAEL COHEN DID?
>> I DON’T THINK THAT’S UNIQUE
TO MICHAEL COHEN.
IT’S NOT UNIQUE TO A WRONG DOER
IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH SOMEBODY
WHO MAYBE A CO CONSPIRATOR.
>> NOT UNIQUE TO A WHAT?
>> TO A CO-CONSPIRATOR.
IF SOMEBODY IS DOING SOMETHING
WRONGFUL, THEN THEY MIGHT BE
CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR OWN
POSITION.
POSITION. AND THEY’LL TAPE RECORD IT TO
SEE IF IT CAN BE USED LATER ON
TO WIN THE COOPERATION OF THE
GOVERNMENT.
GOVERNMENT. >> DO YOU THINK -- YOU’RE SAYING
SOMETHING SO POWERFUL, JAY, I
WANT TO MAKE SURE WE’RE HEARING
YOU RIGHT.
YOU RIGHT. ARE YOU SAYING MICHAEL COHEN
VIEWED HIMSELF AS HAVING
EXPOSURE AS A CO-CONSPIRATOR AT
THAT TIME?
THAT TIME? >> YES, ABSOLUTELY.
I MIGHT POINT OUT WHEN I
REPRESENTED DONALD ACTIVELY, HE
REFERRED DAVID PECKER TO ME.
SO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE
ENQUIRER AND TRUMP IS EXTREMELY
CLOSE.
CLOSE. BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE, MICHAEL
COHEN WAS CONCERNED ABOUT HIS
OWN POSITION.
OWN POSITION. HE WANTED TO STAY IN THE GOOD
GRACES OF TRUMP BECAUSE TRUMP
ESSENTIALLY WAS HIS ONLY CLIENT.
BUT HE HAD THE PRESENCE OF MIND
TO KNOW THAT HE WAS TREADING ON
SHAKY GROUND.
SHAKY GROUND. AND HE HAD TO HAVE SOMETHING
THAT HE COULD SELL TO A
PROSECUTOR SHOULD THE MATTER
EXPLODE.
EXPLODE. >> DO YOU THINK DAVID PECKER,
WHO OVERSEES THIS MEDIA EMPIRE,
DO YOU THINK HE HAS ANY
POTENTIAL EXPOSURE FOR DOING
THINGS THAT REALLY WEREN’T UNDER
HIS OBLIGATIONS AND FIDUCIARY
DUTIES TO THAT COMPANY, BUT
RATHER WERE SOME OTHER SORT OF
SCHEME OR PLOT?
>> I THINK HE HAS A FIDUCIARY
DUTY TO THE SHAREHOLDERS.
AND HE, TOO, HAS EXPOSURE.
BUT I’M CONCERNED ABOUT MICHAEL
COHEN, IF YOU SPEND FIVE MINUTES
WITH MICHAEL COHEN, YOU KNOW
THAT HE’S NOT STRONG.
HE’S WEAK.
HE’S WEAK. IT’S ODD TO SAY THIS.
BUT WHEN HE SAID THAT HE WOULD
STAND UP FOR THE PRESIDENT, I
KNEW FROM TALKING WITH HIM FOR
LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES THAT HE
WAS SUFFICIENTLY WEAK, THAT HE
WOULD CAVE IN WITH RESPECT TO
ANY WRONGDOING.
ANY WRONGDOING. >> WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY WEAK,
THOUGH, DO YOU MEAN HE WOULD
TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT HIS HISTORY
OR HE WOULD BE INTIMIDATED BY
PROSECUTORS?
PROSECUTORS? >> HE COULDN’T BE COUNTED ON TO
PROTECT THE PERSON WHO WAS
PAYING HIM.
PAYING HIM. VERY FEW PEOPLE WHO FACE THE
PROSPECT OF JAIL STAND UP.
IN FACT, IT’S DIFFICULT FOR ME
TO RECALL ANY INSTANCE OVER
DECADES OF PRACTICE WHERE
SOMEBODY HAS STOOD UP AND TAKEN
IT ON THE CHIN.
>> LET ME PRESS YOU FOR A
MOMENT, JAY, I UNDERSTAND THE
POINT YOU’RE RAISING.
BUT IF THE FACTS THAT HE
PROVIDES TO THE FEDERAL
INVESTIGATORS ARE NOT NEGATIVE
OR INCRIMINATING TO DONALD
TRUMP, THEN IT DOESN’T MATTER
WHETHER HE’S WEAK OR STRONG,
RIGHT?
RIGHT? >> WELL, THE PROSECUTOR MAKES A
JUDGMENT AS TO WHETHER THE
PERSON IS TELLING THE TRUTH
NEGATIVELY OR POSITIVELY.
THE IDEA IS TO WIN THE
AFFECTION, IF YOU WILL, OF THE
PROSECUTOR.
PROSECUTOR. AND IF THE PROSECUTOR FEELS THAT
YOU’RE TELLING THE TRUTH, ALBEIT
NOT MEASURING UP TO CRIMINAL
ACTIVITY ON THE PART OF THE
TARGET, YOU STILL HAVE THE
COOPERATION OF THE PROSECUTOR.
>> LET ME BRING IN ANOTHER
FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR
COLLEAGUE OF SORTS OF YOURS,
JOHN FLANNERY, YOUR REACTION?
>> MY REACTION IS THAT YOU’RE
BEING A LITTLE GENTLE ABOUT
WHAT’S GOING ON HERE.
IT’S VERY SUSPICIOUS SINCE COHEN
SHARED THIS TAPE WITH TRUMP WHEN
THEY WERE GOING THROUGH THE
TAPES.
TAPES. AND SINCE IT’S NOT CLEAR THAT
THE GOVERNMENT HAS A GREEN LIGHT
TO DISCLOSE IT, AND I DON’T
THINK THEY WOULD, THERE ARE ONLY
TWO REAL POSSIBILITIES OF
DISCLOSING THIS TAPE.
ONE IS COHEN AND THE OTHER IS
TRUMP.
TRUMP. AND LANNY DAVIS IS A SKILLED --
I DON’T KNOW, A SKILLED
PUBLICIST, SHALL WE SAY.
AND IT FEELS LIKE DANNY MAY HAVE
HYPOTHETICALLY BEEN RESPONSIBLE
FOR THE COHEN TAPE BEING
REVEALED TO SHOW THAT COHEN HAS
SOMETHING WORTHWHILE.
SOMETHING WORTHWHILE. AND RUDY GIULIANI PERHAPS SHOULD
HAVE REMAINED SILENT.
BASICALLY IT IS AN INCULPATORY
DOCUMENT.
DOCUMENT. IT DOES NOT EXCULPATE TRUMP.
I WOULD SAY SCORE ONE IF LANNY
DID THIS FOR HIM, AND ANOTHER
BLEMISH ON GIULIANI’S JUMP TO
EXPLAIN HOW EXCULPATORY THIS
DOCUMENT IS AND HOW THE TIMING
DOESN’T MATTER WHEN IT IS VERY
CLOSE TO THE PAYOFF IN AUGUST
THAT THEY’RE IN SEPTEMBER
TALKING ABOUT MAYBE HOW THEY
HANDLE THE MONEY.
REIMBURSEMENT.
REIMBURSEMENT. >> YOU KNOW, GIULIANI IS NOT --
>> JAY, I’LL GIVE YOU THE FINAL
WORD BRIEFLY.
WORD BRIEFLY. >> GIULIANI HAS NOT BEEN HELPFUL
TO TRUMP.
TO TRUMP. HE KEEPS A LONG, EXCULPATORY
STATEMENT, SO HE THINKS, BUT
THEN HE SAYS THAT MICHAEL COHEN
CAN BE COUNTED ON TO TELL THE
TRUTH.
TRUTH. THAT’S AN EXACT QUOTE FROM THE
STATEMENT THAT HE MAKES.
AND IT’S IN TRUMP’S INTEREST TO
IMPUTE A NEGATIVE HOSTILITY TO
HIS TESTIMONY WITH RESPECT TO
ANY WRONGDOING ON THE PART OF
TRUMP.
TRUMP. AND FOR TRUMP’S LAWYER TO SAY
THAT HE’S SOMEBODY WHO COULD BE
COUNTED ON TO TELL THE TRUTH IS
NOT IN TRUMP’S INTEREST.
AND YET THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT HE
SAYS.
SAYS. THAT WILL COME BACK TO HAUNT