>>> PRESIDENT TRUMP IS DEFENDING FOX NEWS HOST BILL O'REILLY
AGAINST ACCUSATIONS OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT.
EVEN AS MORE MAJOR COMPANIES PULL ADS FROM HIS TOP RATED
PROGRAM -- THIS IS THE LIST OF COMPANIES THAT HAS DONE SO SO
FAR. ACCORDING TO CNC THE LIST
INCLUDES BMW, MERCEDES-BENZ, GLAXOSMITHKLINE.
O'REILLY HAS BEEN UNDER FIRE SINCE "THE NEW YORK TIMES"
REPORTED SATURDAY THAT EITHER THE HOST OR FOX PAID ABOUT $13
MILLION TO FIVE WOMEN SINCE 2002 SETTLING CASES OF ALLEGED
INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR BY O'REILLY.
IN AN OVAL OFFICE INTERVIEW WITH THE TIMES YESTERDAY, THE
PRESIDENT WAS ASKED IF O'REILLY WAS BEING TREATED FAIRLY.
HE RESPONDED, HE IS A PERSON I KNOW WELL.
HE'S A GOOD PERSON, I THINK HE SHOULDN'T HAVE SETTLED.
I DON'T THINK BILL DID ANYTHING WRONG.
BILL O'REILLY DENIES THE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST HIM AND SAID
HE SETTLED TO, QUOTE, PUT IT TO REST ANY CONTROVERSIES TO SPARE
MY CHILDREN. A COUPLE THINGS.
MARK HALPERIN, WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE NOTION OF THE PRESIDENT
ADDRESSING THIS IN THE OVAL OFFICE AND TAKING IT A STEP
FURTHER? >> I SAID IN THE FIRST BLOCK THE
PRESIDENT WAS ACTING MORE LIKE A NORMAL PRESIDENT AND I THINK HE
WAS IN GIVING McMASTER THE ABILITY TO RUN THE NATIONAL
SECURITY COUNCIL IN THE ROSE GARDEN STATEMENT YESTERDAY.
SOME PEOPLE AT HOME LIKE RON FORNIER WERE SUGGESTING I WAS
GOING ALL IN IN SAYING THE PRESIDENT WAS NORMAL.
RIGHT BEFORE HIS STATEMENT ON SYRIA, THIS IS NOT NORMAL FOR A
PRESIDENT. IT CREATES A HUGE DISTRACTION,
GETS TONS OF COVERAGE AND YESTERDAY SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT
PROJECT STRENGTH AS HE DID ON SYRIA.
BUT IT IS PURE TRUMP AND CLASSIC TRUMP FOR HIM TO ALSO BE WILLING
TO ADDRESS BILL O'REILLY. THERE'S NO REASON TO ADDRESS IT,
NONE. >> NONE AT ALL.
ELISE, WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> I GUESS HE CAN JUGGLE MULTIPLE ISSUES AT A TIME THAT
ARE OF IMPORTANCE TO HIM. IT'S SHOCKING THAT SO MANY
STAFFERS ARE AROUND THIS PRESIDENT AND HE STILL
CONTINUES -- HE CANNOT CONTROL HIS IMPULSIVITY.
YOU SEE IN "THE NEW YORK TIMES" INTERVIEW WITH MAGGIE HABERMAN
AND GLENN THRUSH, HOPE HICKS INTERJECTED TO TRY TO STOP HIM
AND STEER THE CONVERSATION IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
YOU HAVE THE CHIEF OF STAFF, SEAN SPICER IN THE ROOM.
I THINK HOPE HICKS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST INFLUENCES ON
DONALD TRUMP IN THIS ADMINISTRATION.
>> ANY TIME YOU HAVE FIVE OR TEN OR 15 ASSISTANTS, ALL OF WHOM
ARE CIRCLING AROUND THE PRESIDENT, THESE SORT OF THINGS
HAPPEN. ONE OF THE REAL QUESTIONS IS
WHETHER THIS ADMINISTRATION BECOMES A MORE TRADITIONAL ONE
OVER TIME AND NARROWS THE RANGE OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIRECT ACCESS
TO THE PRESIDENT. OTHERWISE THIS SORT OF THING
WILL CONTINUE. EVERYBODY HAS GOT HIS OR HER OWN
FOCUS. >> AND JOCKEYING FOR POSITION
RATHER THAN COUNSELING AND TRYING TO CURB HIS WORSE
IMPULSES. >> JOE?
>> IF YOU'RE WALKING INTO A MEETING, YOU NEED A CHIEF OF
STAFF, SOMEBODY YOU TRUST, A COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR SAYING,
PRESIDENT TRUMP, THEY'RE GOING TO BE ASKING YOU ABOUT BILL
O'REILLY, PROBABLY ASK YOU ABOUT WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT BARACK OBAMA
YESTERDAY, THEY'RE GOING TO ASK YOU ABOUT SUSAN RICE.
TODAY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SYRIA. ALL YOU SAY, WHATEVER THEY ASK,
LISTEN, THOSE ARE IMPORTANT ISSUES, BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE ALL
FOCUSED ON SYRIA, WE'RE IN THE OVAL OFFICE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
HOW WE RESPOND TO THIS HEINOUS ATTACK AND I'M NOT GOING TO
COMMENT. MIKA, HERE IS THE COMMENT.
I'M JUST NOT GOING TO COMMENT. ASK ME THE QUESTION.
I'M SORRY, I'M THINKING ABOUT SYRIA.
AND THEN YOU TURN IT ON THEM BY SAYING, I THINK MORE PEOPLE ARE
PROBABLY INTERESTED IN THE SLAUGHTER IN SYRIA RIGHT NOW
THAN WHAT'S GOING ON AT FOX NEWS.
THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT, AND I UNDERSTAND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT,
BUT AMERICANS EXPECT ME TO COMMENT ON CHEMICAL WEAPON
ATTACKS ON CITIZENS, NOT ON FOX NEWS.
AND YOU MOVE THEM BACK. SERIOUSLY, THAT WAS HIS JOB
YESTERDAY, TO FOCUS ON SYRIA, NOT BILL O'REILLY.
>> WE'LL BE TALKING TO ONE OF THE REPORTERS WHO WAS IN THE
ROOM. I THINK THE PRESIDENT BROUGHT IT
UP HIMSELF OFF THE RECORD IN SOME WAY.
IT'S EVEN MORE BLURTY. IT'S ALSO DISGUSTING.
YOU DON'T TAKE SIDES ON A SETTLEMENT IN A SEXUAL
HARASSMENT CASE THAT CLEARLY HAS SOME LEGS SOMEWHERE IN A NETWORK
THAT IS FINALLY GOING TO CHANGE ITS CULTURE AND DO THE RIGHT
THING. THE ADD STIEZERS ARE SPE