AND THE GREAT DALIA LITHWICK IS HERE ON JUSTICE IN THE TRUMP
ERA.
ERA. NOW TO OUR TOP STORY.
DONALD TRUMP ASKING A FOREIGN
GOVERNMENT TO UNDERCUT
DEMOCRATIC OPPONENTS AT HOME.
THIS ISN’T A STORY ABOUT RUSSIA
IF YOU’RE LISTENING OR A STORY
ABOUT TRUMP ADMITTING HE’S OPEN
TO FOREIGN HELP IN THE 2020
CAMPAIGN.
CAMPAIGN. THOSE ARE TWO TIMES THAT TRUMP
HAS FACED BIPARTISAN REBUKES FOR
WELCOMING HELP FROM RUSSIA.
TONIGHT IT’S PRESIDENT TRUMP
SEEKING HELP FROM ISRAEL TO
RETALIATE AGAINST TWO DEMOCRATIC
POLITICIANS THE FIRST TWO WOMEN
WHO ARE MUSLIM WOMEN IN CONGRESS
AND BEFORE I GET TO THE DETAILS
RIGHT NOW, I WANT TO PRESENT YOU
WITH PIECES OF CONTEXT.
FIRST, DONALD TRUMP TONIGHT
RIGHT NOW HAVING DONE THIS BE IS
TOTALLY ISOLATED FACING REBUKES
WE CAN REPORT FROM DEMOCRATS AND
REPUBLICANS.
REPUBLICANS. FROM NATIONAL SECURITY EXPERTS
AND CIVIL LIBERTARIANS FROM,
LIBERAL JEWISH GROUPS AND MORE
CONSERVATIVE U.S./ISRAEL GROUPS
LIKE APAC.
LIKE APAC. THERE’S A LOT OF BLOWBACK
ALREADY ON THIS BRAND-NEW NEWS.
SECOND BEFORE I PRESENT WITH YOU
THE FACTS AND WE WILL, PLEASE,
PLEASE UNDERSTAND THIS DOES NOT
APPEAR TO BE A STORY ABOUT
FOREIGN POLICY OR NATIONAL
SECURITY.
SECURITY. IT’S A STORY ABOUT A
LONG-RUNNING PARTISAN FEUD WITH
THE SQUAD.
THE SQUAD. IN FACT, IT WAS JUST ABOUT A
MONTH AGO THAT TRUMP TOLD THE
RECENTLY ELECTED WOMEN OF COLOR
THEY SHOULD "GO BACK TO THE
CRIME INFESTED PLACES THEY
ALLEGEDLY CAME FROM."
TONIGHT HE HAS A FOREIGN
GOVERNMENT THAT WILL NOW DENY
THEM ENTRY BY PUBLICLY BULLYING
ISRAEL’S ADMINISTRATION TO
REVERSE ITSELF BECAUSE RIGHT
HERE YOU SEE JUST LAST MONTH,
ISRAEL SPECIFICALLY SAID THE
CONGRESS WOMEN WERE ALLOWED TO
VISIT OUT OF RESPECT FOR THE
U.S. CONGRESS.
U.S. CONGRESS. NOW, PRESIDENT TRUMP URGING
ISRAEL TO BAR ILHAN OMAR AND
RASHIDA TLAIB AND ALLEGING THEIR
POLICY VIEWS AMOUNT TO BASICALLY
A DISGRACEFUL HATRED OF ISRAEL.
WITHIN HOURS OF TRUMP POSTING
THAT, THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT
REVERSES ITSELF AND GAVE IN,
BLOCKING THEIR VISIT.
AS A TECHNICAL DIPLOMATIC
MATTER, COUNTRIES MAY DECIDE WHO
ENTERS.
ENTERS. ISRAEL HAS A LAW THAT AUTHORIZES
THE POSSIBLE DENIAL OF ENTRY TO
PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT BOYCOTTS CAN
OF ISRAEL AND OMAR AND DLAIB
TLAIB DO.
TLAIB DO. BUT FOREIGN POLICY EXPERTS AND
MIDDLE EAST EXPERTS SAY THAT’S
NOT WHAT THIS IS ABOUT AT ALL
TONIGHT.
TONIGHT. IN FACT, THEY KNOW THAT BECAUSE
ISRAEL WAS PLANNING TO ADMIT
THEM AND HAD SAID SO ON THE
RECORD AND AN ISRAELI JOURNALIST
IS NOW REPORTING THE REASON
ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU
MADE THIS REVERSAL WAS BECAUSE
OF "THE PRESSURE FROM DONALD
TRUMP," WHICH IS WHY SO MANY TOP
AMERICAN JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS
AND APAC AS MENTIONED OPPOSE
THIS TRUMP TACTIC.
SO THERE’S A LOT GOING ON KIND
OF A LOT EVEN INSIDE THE STORY.
LET’S TAKE THIS IN.
YOU HAVE THESE GROUPS AND
EXPERTS WHO WORK ON THESE
FOREIGN POLICY ISSUES FOR A
LIVING.
LIVING. SOME OF THEM AS YOU PROBABLY
KNOW ARE CRITICAL OF THESE VERY
CONGRESS WOMEN.
CONGRESS WOMEN. AND THESE GROUPS DON’T THINK THE
THIS STORY IS ABOUT FOREIGN
POLICY.
POLICY. THEY THINK IT’S SOMETHING ELSE
AND THEY THINK IT’S DANGEROUS
AND THEY WANT IT TO STOP.
THEY THINK IT’S PRESIDENT TRUMP
EXPLOITING THEIR WORK TO DOUBLE
DOWN ON HIS LONG-RUNNING ATTACKS
ON THESE WOMEN OF COLOR WHO LEAD
THE LIBERAL RESISTANCE TO TRUMP.
AS YOU KNOW, HE TOLD THEM LAST
MONTH TO BACK WHERE THEY CAME
FROM.
FROM. THAT VERY ATTACK ON TRUMP
EARNING HIM HIS HISTORIC REBUKE
BY THE U.S. HOUSE, THE FIRST
SUCH VOTE IN OVER 100 YEARS THAT
DECLARED A SITTING PRESIDENT
ADVANCED "RACISM," THE SAME
ATTACK HIS OWN SUPPORTERS
REPEATED BACK TO HIM IN THAT
UGLY CHANT THAT HE BACKED IN AT
A RALLY.
A RALLY. SEND HER BACK.
SEND HER BACK.
>> WHEN THAT FOOTAGE WENT AROUND
THE COUNTRY WHEN IT WAS ON THE
INTERNET AND TV, ALL THAT NEXT
DAY, THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO ASKED
IF DONALD TRUMP CONDONED THOSE
LINES.
LINES. THAT IS WAY TOO GENTLE A
QUESTION.
QUESTION. DONALD TRUMP WROTE THOSE LINES.
HE BROUGHT UP THAT
DISCRIMINATORY FRAME.
DISCRIMINATORY FRAME. HE STOKED THE ANTI-IMMIGRANT
ANTI-MUSLIM FERVOR.
ANTI-MUSLIM FERVOR. AND THEN IT WAS YELLED BACK.
AND WE KNOW THAT DISCRIMINATORY
MOTIVATION BECAUSE HE RAN ON IT
TELLING SIMILAR MAGA CROWDS IN
2016 THAT HE WAS RUNNING ON
DOING SOMETHING
DOING SOMETHING UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
UNCONSTITUTIONAL. HE WANTED TO BAN AN ENTIRE
RELIGION FOR MIGRATING TO
AMERICA.
AMERICA. >> DONALD J. TRUMP IS CALLING
FOR A TOTAL AND COMPLETE SHUT
DOWN OF THE MUSLIMS ENTERING THE
UNITED STATES UNTIL OUR
COUNTRY’S REPRESENTATIVES CAN
FIGURE OUT WHAT THE HELL IS
GOING ON.
GOING ON. >> IS THERE A LINKING FROM
RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT ON BANNING
MUSLIM TRAVEL TO GOVERNING AS
PRESIDENT BY ENGINEERING THE
BACHB TRAVEL?
BACHB TRAVEL? BY THE PRESIDENT’S MOST
PROMINENT MUSLIM POLITICAL
OPPONENT?
OPPONENT? IS A MAGA HAT RED?
TONIGHT CONGRESSWOMAN OMAR NOTES
TRUMP HAS GOTTEN ANOTHER COUNTRY
TO IMPLEMENT A VERSION OF
TRUMP’S MUSLIM BAN NOTING THIS
TIME AGAINST TWO DULY ELECTED
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.
THIS IS NOT A DRILL.
THIS RETALIATION IS NOT BEING
DONE IN SECRET WHERE THERE MIGHT
BE SOME ALLEGED DEBATE ABOUT THE
CAUSE AND MOTIVES.
THE CAUSE IS CLEAR.
A FOREIGN GOVERNMENT BUCKING TO
TRUMP WHO WIELDS THE POWER AND
THE MIGHT OF THE UNITED STATES
AND THE WORLD.
THE MOTIVE?
THE MOTIVE? SAME AS IT EVER WAS.
IT’S BECOME SOMEWHAT NORMAL TO
NOTE THE PRESIDENT’S WORDS AND
DEEDS ARE NOT NORMAL.
WHICH IS MORE OF A PROBLEM THAN
A PARADOX IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT.
IT’S BECOME COMMON TO HEAR THE
OBJECTIONS HE VIOLATES
TRADITION.
TRADITION. TONIGHT THE EXPERTS AND NEUTRAL
REFEREES ARE CLEAR, THE
"ASSOCIATED PRESS" REPORTING
TRUMP’S MOVE IS COMPLETELY
UNPRECEDENTED.
UNPRECEDENTED. "THE WASHINGTON POST" REPORTING
ON AN EXTRAORDINARY INTERVENTION
BY TRUMP TO SEEK FOREIGN
RETALIATION AGAINST THESE
DOMESTIC OPPONENTS WHILE TRUMP’S
CRITICS AT "THE NEW YORK TIMES"
EDITORIAL BOARD SAY THIS IS NEW
TERRITORY EVEN FOR DONALD TRUMP.
I’M JOINED BY MARKINCE BERG,
FORMER UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR
TO MOROCCO, BILL KRISTOL, AND
CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY AND FORMER
PROSECUTOR MAYA WILEY.
GOOD EVENING TO EACH OF YOU.
MAYA, IS THIS ON THE LEVEL?
>> NOPE.
>> NOPE. IT’S NOT ON THE LEVEL.
AND YOU KNOW, ARI, YOU ALREADY
LAID IT OUT QUITE CLEARLY.
AND IF WE JUST GO BACK EVEN IN
TERMS OF HISTORY, RIGHT?
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LONG HISTORY
IN THIS COUNTRY OF MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS GOING TO FOREIGN
COUNTRIES IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND
WHAT THEY THINK IT THE POLICY
POSITIONS OF THE UNITED STATES
SHOULD BE.
SHOULD BE. AND THAT’S ACTUALLY SOMETHING
THAT THE CONSTITUTION OF THE
UNITED STATES SANCTIONS.
SO HERE YOU KNOW WHERE HAD YOU A
DENNIS HASTERT WHO WENT ABROAD
EVEN THOUGH THE WHITE HOUSE WAS
UPSET ABOUT IT BUT THE WHITE
HOUSE NEVER YOU KNOW, WEN AND
CALLED YOU KNOW COLOMBIA AND
SAID DON’T LET HIM IN, YOU HAVE
NANCY PELOSI IN ’07 WHEN SHE
WENT TO SYRIA, HAD YOU ALL KINDS
OF, RONALD REAGAN DIDN’T LIKE IT
WHEN THEN SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
JIM WRIGHT WENT AND STARTED
NEGOTIATING A PEACE AGREEMENT
GREET WITH THE MSANDONISTAS
THANKS TO FORMER PRESIDENT
ARIAS.
ARIAS. LONG HISTORY FRANKLY IN SOME OF
THOSE INSTANCES EVEN THE
CONGRESSIONAL MEMBER OVERSTEPPED
THEIR HANDS.
THEIR HANDS. NEWT GINGRICH DID IT WHEN HE
WENT TO MAINLAND CHINA AND SAID
DON’T COME FOR TAIWAN OR WE’LL
COME FOR YOU.
THAT WAS NOT THE LAW OF THE LAND
IN THE UNITED STATES WHEN THE HE
SAID IT.
SAID IT. NOBODY PREVENTED THEM FROM
TRAVELING.
TRAVELING. THEY WERE ALL ALLOWED AND EVEN
WHEN THOSE WHITE HOUSES DIDN’T
LIKE WHAT THEY WERE DOING,
DEMOCRAT AND REPUBLICAN, NO ONE
STOPPED THEM.
STOPPED THEM. THIS IS EXACTLY AS YOU SAID,
DONALD TRUMP ACTUALLY PUT OUT A
TWEET THAT SAID THEY’RE DRAS AND
THEY HATE ISRAEL.
WHY WOULD WE EVER LET THEM --
WHY SHOULD ANYONE LET THEM IN.
AND IT UNDERMINES EXACTLY WHAT
WE WANT A DIVERSE CONGRESS TO BE
ABLE TO DO.
REPRESENT MULTIPLE DIFFERENT
EXPERIENCES AND POSITIONS.
APAC DID THE RIGHT THING AND THE
PRINCIPLED THING BY SAYING WE
DON’T AGREE WITH HIM.
THAT’S NOT THE POINT HERE.
WE WANT THEM TO SEE AND
UNDERSTAND WHAT’S HAPPENING IN
ISRAEL.
ISRAEL. THAT’S WHAT WE SHOULD ALL WANT.
>> AMBASSADOR, YOU HEAR HER LAY
OUT THE HISTORY.
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ANYTHING
LIKING THIS.
LIKING THIS. >> NO, AND I USED TO AS
AMBASSADOR HOST CODELS AND
CONGRESSMEN.
CONGRESSMEN. I HAVE TO PUT THIS INTO SOME
CONTEXT.
CONTEXT. THIS IS ALL ABOUT POLITICS IS
LOCAL.
LOCAL. BENJAMIN NETANYAHU WAS UNDER
PRESSURE TO PERMIT THESE TWO
CONGRESS WOMEN TO COME EVEN
THOUGH A FEW DAYS BEFORE THEIR
ARRIVAL THERE WAS A BIPARTISAN
DELEGATION OF CONGRESSMAN LED BY
STENY HOYER AND THESE TWO WOMEN
REFUSED TO BE PART OF THAT.
I’M NO FAN OF THE SQUAD.
I BELIEVE THEY WERE BASICALLY
GOING TO STIR UP A LOT OF
MISCHIEF DURING THIS FRIENDSHIP.
HOWEVER, THE FACT THAT BENJAMIN
NETANYAHU WAS PREPARED TO LET
ISRAEL TURN INTO A VAS SILL
STATE FOR DONALD TRUMP
PARTICULARLY AT A TIME WHEN
NETANYAHU ONLY CARES ABOUT ONE
THING WHICH IS HIS ABILITY TO
FORM A NEW GOVERNMENT IF HE’S
OBTAINS MANDATE THAT HE NEEDS ON
THE DECEMBER 17th ELECTION, ALL
POLITICS IS LOCAL IN ISRAEL.
IN ISRAEL, TRUMP IS THE MOST
POPULAR PERSON IN ISRAEL.
>> YOU MENTIONED THAT TRIP.
WE HAVE SOME FOOTAGE THERE OF
THE TOP REPUBLICANS SPEAKING
ABOUT WHAT YOU’RE REFERENCING.
LET’S SEE THAT FOR CONTEXT.
>> HAD I WISHED THAT SHE WOULD
HAVE JOINED ALL OF US, YEAH,
JOIN THE OTHER FRESHMEN, AS WELL
AND THAT WE SEE IT TOGETHER.
WHEN WE WORK ON THESE ISSUES AS
ONE BODY, WE HAVE THE SAME
EXPERIENCES THAT WE’RE LOOKING
THROUGH BUT I THINK IT’S HEALTHY
THAT AU MEMBERS COME.
>> AND SAYING AS YOU SAID, THERE
MAY BE GOOD FAITH OR STRONG
DISAGREEMENTS ABOUT THE
UNDERLYING POLICY BUT THERE’S
SOMETHING YOU DON’T SEE EVERY
DAY WHICH IS KEVIN McCAR I THINK
SAYING THE SQUAD CAN STILL COME.
TODAY IT’S ALL BEEN INVERTED.
BILL KRISTOL, IS THIS A STORY
ABOUT FOREIGN POLICY OR IS THIS
A STORY ABOUT DONALD TRUMP?
>> I THINK IT’S VERY UNFORTUNATE
THAT THE PRIME MINISTER OF
ISRAEL BUCKLED TO DONALD TRUMP.
THERE ARE ISRAELI MEMBERS OF THE
ZRIL KNESSET.
ZRIL KNESSET. A LOT OF THEIR VIEWS ARE NOT
THAT DIFFERENT FROM THESE
REPRESENTATIVES.
REPRESENTATIVES. ISRAEL HAS A LONG TRADITION OF
WELCOMING SUCH PEOPLE WHEN THEY
DON’T AGREE WITH PARTICULAR
POLICIES OR WHAT HOSTILE TO THE
STATE AS A WHOLE.
I’M NOT SAYING WHETHER THESE
PEOPLE ARE OR NOT.
IT’S AN UNFORTUNATE THING FOR
ISRAEL AND THE U.S./ISRAEL
RELATIONSHIP.
RELATIONSHIP. I THINK NETANYAHU IN MY OPINION
SHOULDN’T HAVE BUCKLED.
THE INTERESTING QUESTION IS WHY
DID HE.
DID HE. RON DERMER IS THE AMBASSADOR TO
ISRAEL AND VERY CLOSE TO THE
PRIME MINISTER OF.
HE WAS HIS CHIEF OF STAFF AND
SENT BY HERE, THE MOST SENSITIVE
DIPLOMATIC POST FOR AN ISRAELI
TO OCCUPY.
TO OCCUPY. HE SAID A WEEK OR TWO AGO LOOK,
WE’RE GOING TO WELCOME THEM.
THEY’RE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.
IT’S IMPORTANT FOR US TO DO
THAT.
THAT. WHAT HAPPENED?
WHAT HAPPENED? I DON’T THINK IT WAS JUST A
TWEET.
TWEET. NETANYAHU IS A VERY TOUGH AND
SAVVY POLITICIAN.
SAVVY POLITICIAN. IF HE WATCHES TRUMP, HE’S GOTTEN
ALONG WELL WITH TRUMP, TOO WELL
IN MY OPINION AND HURT IN THE
SENSE BY BEING EXCESSIVELY
SOLICITOUS OF TRUMP.
HE DEPENDS ON THE U.S./ISRAEL
RELATIONSHIP.
RELATIONSHIP. HE CAN SEE A TWEET AND COULD
ALSO SAY MY HANDS ARE TIED.
WE HAVE A LONG TRADITION.
I DISAPPROVE OF THESE PEOPLE.
I’M NOT GOING TO MEET THEM
PERSONALLY BUT THEY CAN COME
LIKE ANYONE ELSE CAN COME TO
ISRAEL UNLESS THEY’RE GOING TO
CAUSE DANIEL WHICH THERE’S NO
EVIDENCE WAS GOING TO BE THE
CASE THIS TIME.
SO WHY DIDN’T HE DO IT?
WHAT -- HOW MUCH ARM TWISTING
WAS THERE BY TRUMP AND HIS AM
BASS
BASS BASS DOOR TO ISRAEL.
>> I HAVE PART OF THE ANSWER
WHICH IS SOMETHING THE THREE OF
YOU AND THE FOUR OF US HAVE
COVERED WHICH IS WHEN YOU LOOK
AT THE ATTEMPTED ALLEGED
OBSTRUCTION BY DONALD TRUMP,
TWITTER WAS A TOOL IN IT BUT IT
WAS ALMOST RARELY USED ALONE AS
I TEMPLATE.
I TEMPLATE. WE KNOW FROM THE EXHAUSTIVE
ACCOUNT OF THE MUELLER REPORT
AND OTHER GOOD JOURNALISM IT
WOULD FIGURE INTO A MUCH LARGER
PATTERN.
PATTERN. LEGALLY THAT’S GENERALLY
CONSIDERED BAD BECAUSE IT SPEEPS
TO SOMEONE’S MALICIOUS INTENT.
HERE EVERYONE IS SAYING THIS IS
BAD.
BAD. BUT IT CERTAINLY SPEAKS TO A
LARGER DRUM BEAT AND TO BILL’S
POINT, I WANT TO SHOW SOME OF
THE REPORTING OUT OF ISRAEL
NETANYAHU’S NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISER ASKED DIFFERENT
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES FOR THEIR
OPINION ON WHETHER OMAR AND
TLAIB SHOULD REQUEST AND THAT
WAS DEEMED STRANGE BECAUSE THE
RELEVANT GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
ALREADY SAID LAST WEEK THEY
SUPPORTED LETTING THEM.
THE REPORTING THIS HAD BEEN
GOING ON FOR AT LEAST TWO DAYS
AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF THE
ISRAELI GOVERNMENT AGAINST WHAT
IS SUPPOSED TO BE THEIR
NONPARTISAN POLICY AND WOULD
SUGGEST THE U.S. PRESSURE BEGAN
PRIVATELY BY TRUMP BEFORE THE
TWEET.
TWEET. >> IT’S SOMETHING CONGRESS
SHOULD LOOK INTO IT.
DID JOHN BOLTON CALL DETERMINER?
DID OTHER TRUMP OPATIVES, WHAT
DID MIKE POMPEO SAY ABOUT THIS.
THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM FOR OUR
RELATIONSHIP WITH A CLOSE ALI
THAT’S GOING TO DAMAGE THAT
RELATIONSHIP AND MAKE ONE OF THE
TWO MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES THE
DEMOCRATS FEEL THAT ISRAEL IS
NOT TREATING DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS
OF CONGRESS WITH PROPER RESPECT
AND WITH SOME JUSTICE
UNFORTUNATELY.
UNFORTUNATELY. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?
WHAT HAPPENED HERE?
FROM THE U.S. GOVERNMENT POINT
OF VIEW.
OF VIEW. >> AMBASSADOR, THEN MAYA.
>> I JUST WANT TO ADHERE THAT
YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A U.S.
AMBASSADOR THAT IT’S MORE OF AN
AGENT FOR ISRAEL IN THE UNITED
STATES.
STATES. THAT IS FREEMAN, THE AMBASSADOR
TO THE UNITED STATES AND ISRAEL.
HE PUT OUT THE MOST INCREDIBLE
STATEMENT DEFENDING WHAT
ESSENTIALLY WAS THE EFFORT TO
BAR THESE CONGRESS WOMEN.
IT’S JUST UNBELIEVABLE THAT
FRIEDMAN IS PERMITTED TO IN
EFFECT BE THE BEHIND THE SCENES
LOBBYIST FOR TRUMP AND THE WHITE
HOUSE.
HOUSE. I GUARANTEE YOU THAT FREEMAN HAD
A LOT TO DO WITH CONVINCING THE
ISRAELI GOVERNMENT TO BAR THESE
TWO MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.
>> I THINK AT THE END OF THE
DAY, THESE ARE THE RIGHT
QUESTIONS AND THE RIGHT
CONCERNS.
CONCERNS. EXCEPT WHAT IT REALLY COMES DOWN
TO IS DONALD TRUMP IS WILLING TO
USE EVERY LEVER OF GOVERNMENT
FOR HIS OWN PERSONAL INTEREST
AND ADVANCEMENT.
AND ADVANCEMENT. AND THAT’S NOT WHY WE ELECT