HERE. CLEARLY THEY HAVE A LOT ON MR.
MANAFORT.
MANAFORT. >> CLEARLY THEY DO.
IT’S INTERESTING.
IT’S INTERESTING. WHEN EVERYTHING SEEMS TO COLLIDE
WITH DONALD TRUMP AND THINGS
START GOING REALLY BAD.
>> HE DEFLECTS.
>> HE DECIDES HE’S GOING TO TAKE
A MEETING WITH A GROUP OF
TIREnds.TIRE
TIREnds.TIRE TYRANTS.
TYRANTS. IT’S A PLAYBOOK.
>> IT IS.
>> IT IS. AND AT A PARTICULAR TIME, STORMY
DANIELS WAS ABOUT TO HIT THE
FRONT PAGES HE WENT THERE.
NOW HE’S OPEN TO MEETINGS WITH
THE IRANIANS.
THE IRANIANS. AFTER THIS, WHEN HE GETS IN
TROUBLE, HE’LL TALK ABOUT
MEETING WITH THE MARTIANS.
LET’S TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
DOING WHAT HE LIKES TO DO MOST.
DEFLECT.
DEFLECT. >> I’LL MEET WITH ANYBODY.
I BELIEVE IN MEETING.
I WOULD CERTAINLY MEET WITH IRAN
IF THEY’RE READY TO MEET.
I DON’T KNOW IF THEY’RE READY
YET.
YET. THEY’RE HAVING A HARD TIME.
I ENDED THE IRAN DEAL.
IT WAS A RIDICULOUS DEAL.
I DO BELIEVE THEY WILL PROBABLY
END UP WANTING TO MEET, AND I’M
READY TO MEET ANYTIME THEY WANT
TO, AND I DON’T DO THAT FROM
STRENGTH OR WEAKNESS.
I THINK IT’S AN APPROPRIATE
THING TO DO.
IF WE COULD WORK SOMETHING OUT
THAT’S MEANINGFUL, NOT THE WASTE
OF PAPER THAT THE OTHER DEAL
WAS, I WOULD CERTAINLY BE
WILLING TO MEET.
>> DO YOU HAVE PRECONDITIONS
NOOR MEETING?
NOOR MEETING? >> NO PRECONDITIONS.
NO.
NO. THEY WANT TO MEET, I’LL MEET.
ANYTIME THEY WANT.
ANYTIME THEY WANT.
GOOD FOR THE COUNTRY.
GOOD FOR THEM.
GOOD FOR US, AND GOOD FOR THE
WORLD.
WORLD. NO PRECONDITIONS.
NO PRECONDITIONS. IF THEY WANT TO MEET, I’LL MEET.
>> SO THE REASON WHY WE NEEDED,
THE WORLD NEEDED TO HAVE SOMEONE
AT THE MEETING WITH VLADIMIR
PUTIN AND DONALD TRUMP IS
BECAUSE IN THE PAST WEEK OR SO,
SINCE HILELSINKIHELSINKI, DONALD
HAS, ONE, SENT A SIGNAL HE WANTS
TO LIFT SANCTIONS ON AN OLIGARCH
WHO’S CLOSE TO VLADIMIR PUTIN,
THAT WE JUST PUT ON A COUPLE
MONTHS AGO, AND, TWO, NOW HE’S
TALKING AGAIN FROM A POSITION OF
WEAKNESS.
WEAKNESS. WANTING TO MEET WITH IRAN.
IT’S A -- IT’S A COMPLETE 180
TURN.
TURN. THERE’S VERY LITTLE, ACTUALLY,
TO EXPLAIN THAT, RICHARD, BUT
THERE IS A PLAYBOOK FOR DONALD
TRUMP.
TRUMP. THREATENED TO BOMB A TERRORIST
STATE.
STATE. SAY YOU WANT TO MEET WITH THE
TERRORIST STATE AND THEN
CAPITULATE TO THE TERRORIST
STATE.
STATE. ARE WE GOING TO SEE WHAT
HAPPENED IN NORTH KOREA HAPPEN
WITH IRAN NOW?
>> ALMOST CERTAINLY NOT.
IF THE ADMINISTRATION WERE
SERIOUS ABOUT MEETING WITH IRAN,
THEY WOULD HAVE DONE IT BEFORE
THEY UNILATERALLY GOT OUT OF THE
NUCLEAR DEAL, THAT BY THE WAY
IRAN WAS --
>> WHAT IF FOOTEN ENPUTIN ASKED
REACH OUT TO IRAN?
>> ANOTHER REASON THE IRANIANS
WANT NO PART OF IT.
THE SECRETARY GAVE A BIG SPEECH
CALLING FOR REGIME CHANGE.
THE ADMINISTRATION IS RATCHETING
UP SANCTIONS.
UP SANCTIONS. GOT OUT OF THE NUCLEAR DEAL
AFTER THE PRESIDENT SAID HE’S
MEET WITHOUT PRECONDITIONS.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE STARTED
LISTENING TO PRECONDITIONS ON
NUCLEAR ISSUES, IRAN REGIONAL
BEHAVIOR, HOW THEY’RE TREATING
THEIR OWN PEOPLE.
>> LOOK WHAT WE’VE BEEN SAYING
ABOUT NORTH KOREA ALL ALONG AND
YOU HAVE DONALD TRUMP DECLARING
VICTORY IN NORTH KOREA, WHEN THE
NORTH KOREANS NOW, WE KEEP
FINDING OUT, IN MORE WAYS, THAT
THEY’RE CHEATING AND, IN FACT,
THEIR NUCLEAR PROGRAM IS MORE
DANGEROUS TODAY, U.S.
INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS TELL US,
THAN IT WAS WHEN DONALD TRUMP
FIRST STARTED NEGOTIATING WITH
THE NORTH KOREANS.
>> A FRONT PAGE STORY IN THE
"WASHINGTON POST" TODAY, AFTER
LAST WEEK’S STORY ABOUT THEIR
NUCLEAR PROGRAM, WE LEARN NOW
THEIR MISSILE PROGRAM,
INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC
INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILE PROGRAM IS CONTINUING.
THE ONLY WORD I TAKE EXCEPTION
WITH CHEATING.
WITH CHEATING. WE DON’T KNOW IF NORTH KOREA IS
CHEATING BECAUSE WE DON’T KNOW
WHAT NORTH KOREA AND THE U.S.
AGREED TOP IT’S LIKE A PIECE OF
SWISS CHEESE.
SWISS CHEESE. THE HOLES WERE BIGGER THAN THE
CHEESE.
CHEESE. >> WE KNOW THIS.
DONALD TRUMP SAID AMERICANS CAN
SLEEP AT NIGHT.
THAT NUCLEAR WEAPONS WERE NO
LONGER A PROBLEM WITH NORTH
KOREA.
KOREA. WE KNOW THAT’S A LIE.
>> WE KNOW THAT’S A LIE, AND
NOTHING LIKE THAT WAS
ACCOMPLISHED.
ACCOMPLISHED. WHAT WE’RE SEEING IS A PATTERN
OF SUMMITS WHERE THE PROMISE IS
GREAT.
GREAT. WE DON’T REALLY KNOW WHAT WAS A
AGREED ON -- WRONG AT BOTH ENDS.
THERE’S NO PREPARATION AND
THERE’S NO FOLLOW-THROUGH.
NO ENGINE, NO CABOOSE.
ALL OF THESE SUMMITS ESSENTIALLY
LEAVE US WORSE OUT THAN WHERE WE
WERE BEFORE THEM.
>> THINK ABOUT IT, WILLIE.
THE NORTH KOREAN LEADER LEAVES
FAR STRONGER THAN WHEN HE FIRST
MET WITH TRUMP.
PUTIN, MUCH STRONGER THAN --
MADE DONALD TRUMP LOOK LIKE, YOU
KNOW, HIS PATSY ON THE WORLD
STAGE.
STAGE. HE’S MUCH STRONGER THAN HE WAS
BEFORE, AND NOW TRUMP IS SAYING,
WE DON’T NEGOTIATE FROM A
POSITION OF WEAKNESS OR
STRENGTH.
STRENGTH. NO.
NO. IF YOU’RE THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA, I’M SORRY.
YOU ALWAYS NEGOTIATE FROM A
POSITION OF STRENGTH.
>> AS RICHARD POINTS OUT, THE
PRESIDENT IS SUPPOSED TO COME IN
END OF THE PROCESS.
DOT HANDSHAKE, SIGN THE
DECLARATION.
DECLARATION. NOT COME IN AT THE BEGINNING
MAKING PROMISING AND DECLARING
VICTORY AT THE END OF A PRESS
CONFERENCE WHERE NOTHING WAS
ACTUALLY ACHIEVED.
ACTUALLY ACHIEVED. ONE OF THE PATTERNS OF THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION, THE PRESIDENT
MAKE AS GRAND PUBLIC
DECLARATION, THE REST OF THE
ADMINISTRATION COMES IN TO
RESHAPE IT OR CLEAN IT UP.
YESTERDAY MIKE POMPEO TALKED
ABOUT ALL THE PRECONDITIONS HE
WOULD NEED TO SEE BEFORE A
MEETING WITH IRAN.
>> IF IRANIANS PRESENT A
COMMITMENT TO CHANGE HOW THEY
TREAT THEIR PEOPLE, THAT IT’S
WORTHWHILE TO ENTER INTO A
NUCLEAR AGREEMENT THAT ACTUALLY
PREVENTION PROLIFERATION, THE
PRESIDENT IS PREPARED TO SIT
DOWN AND HAVE A CONVERSATION
WITH HIM.
WITH HIM. >> ONE OF THE THINGS THEY TRIED
TO GET IN AT THE SENATE HEARING.
WHO SHOULD THE AMERICAN PEOPLE,
THE UNITED STATES SENATE LISTEN
TO.
TO. YOU HAVE PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYING
ONE THING ON THE BIG STAGE AND
THEN PEOPLE LIKE POMPEO, BOLTON
AND OTHERS COMING IN AFTER THE
FACT, SAYING SOMETHING
COMPLETELY CONTRADICTORY?
COMPLETELY CONTRADICTORY? >> THE ANSWER IS CLEAR.
LISTEN TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES.
UNITED STATES. THAT’S WHAT THE REST OF THE
WORLD IS FIGURING OUT.
AS MUCH AS THEY MAY RESPECT THE
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE OR THE
SECRETARY OF STATE, END OF THE
DAY, IF THEY DON’T SPEAK FOR THE
UNITED STATES AND IT DOESN’T
APPEAR THEY DO, HOW CAN YOU
LISTEN TO THEM.
THE TWO SUMMITS WE HAD, THERE
WAS NO STAFF IN THE ROOM.
THEY WEREN’T IN THE ROOM.
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES HAS BECOME THE CHIEF
DIFFERENT MAT OF THE UNITED
STATES.
STATES. WE HAVE TO LEARN, THAT’S
REALITY.
REALITY. SO THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND
OTHERS CAN COME IN BEFORE OR
AFTERWARDS AND TRY TO CLEAN IT
UP, BUT WE -- HE IS -- LOOK, I
LIKE MIKE POMPEO.
DON’T GET ME WRONG.
I THINK THE PRESIDENT IS PUTTING
HIM IN AN EXTRAORDINARY
DIFFICULT ALMOST UNTENABLE
POSITION LIKE WITH REX
TILLERSON.
TILLERSON. IF YOU’RE NOT IN THE ROOM AND
DON’T KNOW WHAT TRANSACTED, HOW
CAN YOU AUTHORITIVETYLY SAY THIS
IS THE POLICY OF THE UNITED
STATES?
STATES? >> AND TALKING REPUBLICANS TRUST
DONALD TRUMP MORE THAN THEIR
FAMILY, MORE THAN THEY TRUST THE
MEDIA.
MEDIA. SO AT WHAT POINT DO REPUBLICANS
VISIT -- AT WHAT POINT DO
REPUBLICANS, THE QUESTION WE
CONTINUE TO ASK, AT WHAT POINT
DO REPUBLICANS SAY, WAIT A
SECOND.
SECOND. WE WERE ANTI-PUTIN AND
ANTI-RUSSIAN.
ANTI-RUSSIAN. DIDN’T LIKE HIM SHOOTING DOWN
COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFTS OR INVADING
OTHER COUNTRIES.
OTHER COUNTRIES. POISONING PEOPLE,
POISONING PEOPLE, ASSASSINATING -- BUT NOW DONALD
TRUMP SAYS HE’S OKAY.
SO HE’S OKAY.
AND REWRITING 70 YEARS OF POLICY
THAT REPUBLICANS CHAMPION AND
THEN MAKES NICE WITH NORTH
KOREA.
KOREA. AND NOW HE SOUNDS SO WEAK.
BASICALLY BEGGING THE IRANIANS
FOR A SUMMIT.
AT WHAT POINT DOES SOMEBODY LIKE
NIKKI HALEY GO, I’M OUT.
I’M RUNNING AGAINST THIS GUY IN
2020 BEFORE HE ENDS UP, LIKE,
TURNING U.S. FOREIGN POLICY OVER
TO ALL OF OUR ENEMIES.
I WAS --
I WAS -- >> IF HE HASN’T ALREADY.
>> IF YOU REMEMBER, I WAS
CRITICAL AND EVERY OTHER
CONSERVATIVE WAS CRITICAL OF
BARACK OBAMA BEING SO FOCUSED ON
DEALING WITH IRAN AND CUBA.
THAT WAS CHILD’S PLAY.
DONALD TRUMP IS NORTH KOREA,
RUSSIA, NOW IRAN.
THERE IS NOT A TYRANT, NOT A
TERROR STATE THAT THIS GUY
DOESN’T WANT TO COZY UP TO.
>> I THINK THE ANSWER IS, AT
LEAST ALL THE EVIDENCE WE’VE
SEEN TO DATE IS NEVER.
NEVER.
NEVER. THAT’S WHAT -- I CAN’T STRESS
ENOUGH, THERE’S NO EVIDENCE
WHATSOEVER THAT HIS BASE
SUPPORTER OR ANY MEMBER OF
CONGRESS IS ACTUALLY TURNING ON
HIM IN A PUBLIC WAY.
I’D SAY THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE.
HE’S GROWING MORE POWERFUL.
HIS SWAY IS GROWING MORE
POWERFUL.
POWERFUL. >> BECAUSE CONSERVATIVES NOW
LIKE IRAN AND NOW LIKE NORTH
KOREA AND CONSERVATIVES LIKE
RUSSIA?
RUSSIA? >> I DON’T THINK PEOPLE PAY THAT
CLOSE ATTENTION TO IT.
I THINK PEOPLE LOOK AT HIM AND
SAY, HE’S DOING IT DIFFERENT.
THE OLD WAY DIDN’T WORK.
I DON’T BELIEVE ANY OF YOU GUYS
ON THE SET.
THEY DON’T TRUST US.
THEY TRUST HIM.
>> HEIDI, THEY COULD GO ON THE
GOOGLE MACHINE 30 SECONDS.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO TRUST ME.
GO TO YOUR NEIGHBOR’S GOOGLE
MACHINE AND TYPE STUFF IN.
THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE, BUT THIS
ISN’T THE "X FILES."
>> RUSSIA WAS THE PERFECT
EXAMPLE.
EXAMPLE. RIGHT?
RIGHT? IT NEVER HAPPENED.
CAN’T SIT ALONE WITH PUTIN FOR
TWO HOURS, MEET WITH HIM.
TREAT HIM LIKE THE POPE WHEN
STANDING NEXT TO HIM.
SURELY REPUBLICANS WILL TURN ON
HIM.
HIM. NOBODY TURNED ON HIM.
EVEN THE COUPLE OF CONGRESSMAN,
KEL, CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
WITHIN 24 HOURS, ALL RAN FOR THE
HILLS.
HILLS. WHY?
WHY? BECAUSE THEY FEAR THE BASE.
>> IT’S PAINFUL.
>> THE BASE LOVES TRUMP.
>> SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TELL THE
BASE THE TRUTH AND COULD THAT,
GO TO TOWN HALL MEETINGS AND
ACTUALLY TELL THE BASE THE
TRUTH, HEIDI.
TRUTH, HEIDI. THEY OUGHT TO TRY IT SOMETIME.
YOU HAVE, AGAIN, WITH DONALD
TRUMP, YOU HAVE HIM CAPITULATING
TO TERROR STATES, AND THEN YOU
HAVE STEVE SCALISE ACTUALLY
JOINING IN.
JOINING IN. SOMEBODY IN THE REPUBLICAN
MAJORITY JOINING IN, SIGNING ON
TO IMPEACH ROD ROSENSTEIN,
BECAUSE THEY’RE TRYING TO GET TO
THE BOTTOM OF VLADIMIR PUTIN AND
HIS ATTEMPTS TO UNDERMINE
AMERICAN DEMOCRACY.
AMERICAN DEMOCRACY. WELL, THAT IS A REPUBLICAN
LEADER.
LEADER. NOT ABENCHER.
NOT ABENCHER. THAT IS A REPUBLICAN LEADER WHO
IS ACTUALLY WORKING HARD TO
SUBVERT AND INVESTIGATION
ALREADY INDICTED SEVERAL DOZEN
RUSSIANS, AND WE HAVE THE -- THE
U.S. MILITARY, THE U.S. INTEL
COMMUNITY, HAS THE GOODS ON THE
RUSSIANS.
RUSSIANS. THEY TRIED TO SUBVERT AMERICAN
DEMOCRACY IN 2016, AND STEVE
SCALISE IS SIGNING ON WITH
FREEDOM CAUCUS BACK BENCHERS TO
TRY TO ACTUALLY SUBVERT AND
INVESTIGATION OVER SOMEONE
ACTUALLY TRYING TO UNDERMINE
AMERICAN DEMOCRACY?
AMERICAN DEMOCRACY? >> JOE, I SAW YOUR TWEET
YESTERDAY ABOUT HOW THIS
ELECTION IN 2018 IS GOING TO BE
THE MOST IMPORTANT OF OUR
LIFETIMES FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE,
AND I THINK THAT IS YOUR ANSWER.
WHETHER YOU WANT TO GO DOWN --
WHETHER IT’S FOREIGN POLICY OR
IT’S GUNS OR IT’S THE TAX CUTS.
THERE’S GOING TO BE ANOTHER
PROPOSED ROUND OF TAX CUTS FOR
THE WEALTHY NOW.
AT THE SAME TIME THAT PRESIDENT
TRUMP’S BASE IS CLOSING RANKS
AROUND HIM, LOOK INTO THE POLL
NUMBERS, AND SEE WHAT’S
HAPPENING WITH THE INTENSITY OF
THE DISAPPROVAL ON THE OTHER
SIDE OF THE LEDGER, AND THAT’S
WHY THIS ELECTION IS SO
IMPORTANT, BUT THAT’S ALSO WHY
IT’S SO HARD TO TELL EXACTLY
WHAT’S GOING ON HAS TO MATCH
THOSE NUMBERS UP, BECAUSE WHAT
WE COULD SEE HERE IS A REPEAT OF
WHAT HAPPENED WITH BARACK OBAMA,
WHICH IS THAT WHEN BARACK OBAMA
WAS NOT ON THE BALLOT IN THE
MID-TERMS, HIS PEOPLE DIDN’T
COME OUT BUT AN INTENSITY ON THE
OTHER SIDE OF THE LEDGER THAT
SWEPT DEMOCRATS, AND YOU COULD
SEE THE SAME THING HAPPENING
HERE, JUST BECAUSE THOSE NUMBERS
ARE BECOMING STRONGER WITH EACH
ONE OF THESE EXAMPLES THAT YOU
CITE.
CITE. THE INTENSITY OF THE DISAPPROVAL
ON THE OTHER SIDE IS
STRENGTHENING.
STRENGTHENING. MANIFOLD, TWOFOLD, THREEFOLD.
>> ONE MORE POINT ABOUT IRAN
BEFORE WE GO TO BREAK.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> OFTEN ASK, WHAT IF OBAMA HAD
DONE THIS?
DONE THIS? WE DON’T HAVE TO ASK.
HE DID IT DURING THE DEBATE
ALMOST TO THE WEEK IN 2007, 11
YEARS WOULD MEET WITH