CONDOLENCES TO ALL." JOINING US NOW AUTHOR AND
COLUMNIST NEW YORK DAILY NEWS AND MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR MIKE
LUPIKA, AND FROM CAPITOL HILL MEMBERS OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE
ON INTELLIGENCE DEMOCRATIC SENATOR JOE MANCHIN OF WEST
JOE, GOOD MORNING. >> FIRST OF ALL, PRAYERS AND
THOUGHTS GO OUT TO THE FAMILIES OF THE 16 SERVICE --
UNBELIEVABLE. I FLEW ON THAT PLANE A LOT.
C-130s. THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE SQUADRONS OF
IN WEST VIRGINIA. WHEN I WAS GOVERNOR, I FLEW THEM
QUITE A BIT. >> THANK YOU FOR THAT.
WE WANTED TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHAT WE ARE HEARING SO FAR.
THESE "NEW YORK TIMES" REVELATIONS ABOUT DONALD TRUMP
JR. >> YOU KNOW --
>> AND THIS MEETING. >> I'M SORRY.
>> I HAVE BEEN THINKING A LOT ABOUT HOW COULD YOU EVER DO
SOMETHING OR HOW COULD YOU EVEN THINK THAT THERE WAS A PROPER
MEETING TO HAVE. FIRST OF ALL, IT STARTS WITH THE
CAMPAIGN. HOW DO YOU PUT YOUR CAMPAIGN
TOGETHER? PAUL MANAFORT, THE CAMPAIGN
MANAGER, TO ALLOW ANYTHING LIKE THAT TO HAPPEN, TO ALLOW ANY
TYPE OF A MEETING TO TRANSPIRE, A CAMPAIGN MANAGER IS TOTALLY
INCOMPETENT TO ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN WITHOUT FIGHTING AND
THREATENING TO LEAVE IF SOMETHING THIS EGREGIOUS HAPPENS
AND SO THAT WOULD QUESTION PAUL MANAFORT BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW
THAT HE WAS FOR HIRE. HE WOULD GO WHERE THE HIGHEST
DOLLAR WAS. FOR DON JR. TO TAKE THAT KIND OF
OF A MEETING OR FOR HIM TO THINK IT'S PROPER TO BE IN THAT
MEETING, IT'S UNCALLED FOR. I CAN'T EXPLAIN IT.
IT JUST TELLS YOU THIS WHOLE TRANSFORMATION FROM THE PRIVATE
SECTOR TO THE PUBLIC SECTOR, YOU KNOW -- IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR
YOU DO WHATEVER -- NO BARS HOLD. WHATEVER YOU CAN DO GIVE YOU A
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE. I UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT, BOY, IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR THAT IS SO MUCH DIFFERENT.
TO SEE THAT WE HAVE DIGRESSED, THAT WE HAVE DIGRESSED IN THE
PUBLIC ARENA TO THIS TYPE OF BEHAVIOR IS JUST UNCALLED FOR.
>> LET'S CRYSTALLIZE WHAT YOU WERE SAYING AND HEAR FROM IT.
OF COURSE, NBC'S KIER SIMMONS GOT AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH
THIS RUSSIAN LAWYER, AND IN THIS MEETING WITH THIS WOMAN THAT YOU
ARE ABOUT TO HEAR FROM JARED KUSHNER, PAUL MANAFORT, THE HEAD
OF THE CAMPAIGN, AND, OF COURSE, DONALD TRUMP JR.
THE THREE OF THEM TOOK THE TIME TO MEET WITH THIS RUSSIAN
LAWYER. HERE IS THE NBC EXCLUSIVE
INTERVIEW WITH KIER SIMMONS HEARING FROM HER.
TAKE A LISTEN. >> Translator: I KNEW MR. DONALD
TRUMP JR. WAS WILLING TO MEET WITH ME.
I COULD RECOGNIZE THE YOUNG GENTLEMAN WHO WAS ONLY PRESENT
IN THE MEETING FOR PROBABLY THE FIRST SEVEN TO TEN MINUTES, AND
THEN HE STOOD UP AND LEFT THE ROOM.
IT WAS MR. JARED KUSHNER, AND HE NEVER CAME BACK, BY THE WAY.
THE OTHER INDIVIDUAL WHO WAS AT THE SAME MEETING WAS ALWAYS
LOOKING AT HIS PHONE. HE WAS READING SOMETHING.
HE NEVER TOOK ANY ACTIVE PART IN THE CONVERSATION.
THAT WAS MR. MANAFORT. >> THEY HAD THE IMPRESSION, IT
APPEARS, THAT THEY WERE GOING TO BE TOLD SOME INFORMATION THAT
YOU HAD ABOUT THE DNC. HOW DID THEY GET THAT
IMPRESSION? >> Translator: IT'S QUITE
POSSIBLE THAT MAYBE THEY WERE LOOKING FOR SUCH INFORMATION.
THEY WANTED IT SO BADLY. >> SO, JOE, THE RUSSIAN LAWYER
SAYS THEY REALLY WANTED THAT INFORMATION.
DONALD TRUMP JR. HAS CONFIRMED THE MEETING AND CONFIRMED IN HIS
STATEMENTS THAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR INFORMATION ON
HILLARY CLINTON. WHAT DO YOU DEDUCE?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, SHE SEEMS SURPRISED THEY EVEN MET WITH
HER. I THINK SHE WAS SURPRISED AND
CAUGHT OFF GUARD BY THE MEETING ITSELF.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT WENT ON TO SET THAT MEETING UP.
I KNOW WHEN YOU ARE RUNNING A CAMPAIGN, YOU DO OPPOSITION
RESEARCH. YOU DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO
GATHER ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT WOULD GIVE YOU AN
OPPORTUNITY TO EITHER HIGHLIGHT YOUR OPPONENT AND THE
DEFICIENCIES THAT OPPONENT HAS, BUT YOU DON'T GO TO THE LENGTH
WHEN YOU ARE GOING TO A KNOWN AT VERSARY SUCH AS RUSSIA, THE COLD
WAR, THE STANDOFF THEY'VE HAD WITH THEM OVER THE YEARS.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.
I CAN'T EXPLAIN IT. IT MAKES NO SENSE AT ALL, AND
I'M SURE THAT MARK WARNER HAS TALKED ABOUT THIS ON THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE PEOPLE
COMING FORWARD. I'M SURE RICHARD BURR AND MARK
WILL CALL THE APPROPRIATE PEOPLE AND HAVE OUR STAFF LOOK AT ALL
THE INFO THEY CAN AND THE DIALECT BACK AND FORTH AND ANY
TYPE OF PAPER MOVING BACK AND FORTH.
THESE MEETINGS, WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE?
WE'LL MAKE A DETERMINATION. >> SENATOR, DONALD TRUMP JR. IS
TWEETING THIS MORNING THAT THE DEMOCRATS AND THE MEDIA ARE SO
OBSESSED WITH THIS STORY THAT THEY'RE MAKING A BIG DEAL OUT OF
IT, AND THERE'S NOT A BIG DEAL TO BE HAD.
DOES HE HAVE A POINT? >> NO.
>> THAT MEMBERS OF YOUR PARTY ARE JUST OBSESSED WITH RUSSIA
AND TRYING TO BRING DOWN THE PRESIDENT BY ANY MEANS POSSIBLE?
>> WELL, TRYING TO MAKE IT POLITICAL IS THE WRONG APPROACH
TO TAKE BECAUSE YOU HAVE REPUBLICANS SPEAKING OUT.
THEY'RE AGHAST ALSO. WHEN YOU HAVE LINDSEY AND JOHN
McCAIN AND LINDSEY GRAHAM AND EVERYBODY ELSE SPEAKING OUT.
THIS IS NOT PROPER BEHAVIOR.
NOT IN ANY TYPE OF POLITICAL SETTING.
WE HAVEN'T SUNK TO THAT LOW. I KNOW WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO
THE BOTTOM, BUT THANK GOD, WE HAVEN'T HIT IT YET.
TO HAVE THIS AS ACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR IS WRONG.
JUST WRONG. YOU KNOW, MAYBE THEY DIDN'T DO
ANYTHING ILLEGAL. JUST SAY I MADE A MISTAKE AND
MADE A BAD JUDGMENT. I COME FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
I WOULD HAVE USED ANYTHING I COULD TO GET ADVANTAGE OVER MY
COMPETITOR. I THOUGHT THE SAME RULES APPLIED
IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR. THAT WOULD BE MORE ACCEPTABLE TO
ME. IT WOULDN'T BE ACCEPTABLE, BUT
IT WOULD BE MORE EXPLANATION TO ME THAT YOU JUST ARE HAVING A
HARD TIME TRANSITIONING. GUESS WHAT, PUBLIC SECTOR HAS TO
BE DONE IN A VERY TRANSPARENT WAY FOR THE PUBLIC TO HAVE
CONFIDENCE AND FAITH IN OUR PROCESS.
>> WE HAVE DON JR. TALKING ABOUT THIS NONSENSE STORY, THIS
NOTHING MEETING. THE REPUBLICAN SENATOR COMING
OUT AND SAYING NOBODY CARES ABOUT THIS.
WELL, ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW WHAT, MIKE LUPICA, INVESTIGATORS CARE
ABOUT THIS, AND INVESTIGATORS IN ANY STATE IN AMERICA WOULD CARE
ABOUT THIS. MAYBE THE LAW DOESN'T MATTER TO
DON JR. MAYBE THE LAW DOESN'T MATTER TO
A LOT OF REPUBLICAN SENATORS, BUT THERE'S STILL OUR
PROSECUTORS IN AMERICA. THERE'S STILL OUR JUDGES IN
AMERICA AND THERE STILL ARE GOOD PEOPLE IN AMERICA.
>> THERE ARE STILL LAWS IN AMERICA.
>> WHO BELIEVE WE ARE A NATION OF LAWS AND NOT A NATION OF MEN.
>> JOE, AT WHAT POINT DO MORE REPUBLICANS THAN LINDSEY GRAHAM
AND JOHN McCAIN STAND UP AND DO SOMETHING AND NOT LOOK LIKE
THEY'RE SUFFERING FROM A TERRIBLE STOMACH MALITY, WHICH
IS NO GUTS. LOOK AT WHAT THIS RUSSIAN LAWYER
SAID. IT'S QUITE POSSIBLE THAT THEY
WERE LOOKING FOR THAT INFORMATION.
IT'S NOT US THAT WAS LOOKING FOR THAT INFORMATION.
IT'S NOT THE DEVIL LIBERAL HOLLYWOOD ELITE.
SHE'S SUGGESTING THAT THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN -- JOE, WHY WOULD
DONALD JR. THINK THAT RUSSIA WAS AN ENEMY?
HE HAS GROWN UP THINKING THESE WERE BUSINESS PARTNERS OF HIS
FATHER. HE MUST HAVE LOOKED AT SOME OF
THESE RUSSIAN PEOPLE LIKE THEY WERE SANTA CLAUS.
>> AND, AGAIN, I MEAN, HE SAID HE HAS GOTTEN -- HE SAID HE HAS
GOTTEN MORE MONEY, THE TRUMP PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN MORE MONEY
FROM RUSSIA THAN ANYBODY ELSE. DON JR. SAID THAT BACK IN
2008-2009. ERIC TRUMP SAYS BASICALLY THE
SAME THING A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
>> THEY KNOW HOW BUSINESS WORKS IN RUSSIA AND BUSINESS AND
BILLIONAIRES HAVE DIRECT TIES TO THE KREMLIN.
THIS ISN'T JUST SOME BILLIONAIRE WHOSE SON IS A MUSICIAN THAT
TRIED TO SET UP A MEETING THAT MAYBE THEY COULD PROVIDE SOME
INFORMATION. THEY KNOW THAT EVERYONE HAS TIES
TO THE VERY TOP. >> THERE'S A QUOTE.
RUSSIANS MAKE UP A PRETTY DISPROPORTIONATE CROSS-SECTION
OF OUR ASSETS. WE SEE A LOT OF MONEY POURING IN
FROM RUSSIA." DON TRUMP JR.
JOE, WHERE DOES THE INVESTIGATION GO FROM HERE?
>> WELL, JOE, I MEAN, IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE.
IT'S NOT GOING TO STOP. YOU SAID SOMETHING.
THE RULE OF LAW. THAT'S WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT
FROM ANY PART OF THE WORLD. WE ARE A LAND OF LAWS.
NO MATTER HOW HIGH YOU ARE ON THE TOTEM POLL OR HOW LOW YOU
ARE, YOU SHOULD BE TREATED THE SAME.
JUSTICE IS BLIND. YOU ARE TREATED THE SAME.
YOU JUST CAN'T HAVE CERTAIN ASPECTS OF WHAT YOU THINK
BECAUSE OF YOUR WEALTH OR YOUR STATURE IF YOU ARE ABLE TO DO
THINGS THAT OTHER PEOPLE CAN'T, AND THEY SHOULD BE FORGIVEN.
DONALD JR. SHOULD COME FORWARD AND COME TO THE COMMITTEE, AND
HE WILL BE REQUESTED TO COME TO THAT COMMITTEE, SPEAK OPENLY.
HE MADE A MISTAKE, SAY YOU MADE A MISTAKE.
IT WAS JUST UNCALLED FOR TO DO THAT.
TO THINKING THAT YOU ARE GOING TO GET AN ADVANTAGE AND YOUR
FATHER IS IN A CAMPAIGN TO WHERE BASICALLY HE MIGHT BE THE
UNDERDOG OR HE WAS THE UNDERDOG, AND YOU ARE DOING EVERYTHING YOU
CAN TO EQUAL THE PLAYING FIELD OR LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD.
THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS YOU JUST CAN'T DO IN THE PUBLIC
SECTOR. YOU HAVE TO LEARN THAT.
THEY MIGHT LEARN THE HARD WAY HERE, BUT THERE ARE PEOPLE NOT
BACKING OFF, AND I THINK REPUBLICANS FEEL THE SAME AS
DEMOCRATS. IT'S ABOUT OUR COUNTRY.
IF IT WE CAN'T PROTECT THE THINGS THAT MADE US THE COUNTRY
THAT WE ARE, GOD HELP US ALL. >> SENATOR, TO THAT POINT THAT
YOU JUST RAISED AND I'M A LITTLE OFF MESSAGE HERE, WE FOCUS
INTENTLY ON RUSSIA AND THE FIRST FAMILY, MEMBERS OF THE FIRST
FAMILY, INCLUDING THE PRESIDENT PLAYING FOOTS Y WITH THE
RUSSIANS. YOU ARE SPEAKING TO US FROM THE
CAPITOL WHERE POLARIZATION HAS TAKEN SUCH EFFECT THAT VERY
LITTLE GETS DONE. YET, EARLIER TODAY 16 AMERICANS
DRESSED IN THE UNIFORM OF THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
BOARDED A C-130 AT CHERRY POINT, AND THEY ARE NOW IN A CORN FIELD
IN MISSOURI, PLANE HAVING CRASHED.
THEY'RE DEAD. EVERY SINGLE DAY AROUND THE
WORLD HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF AMERICANS WEARING THE UNIFORM OF
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA DO THEIR JOB.
WHY CAN'T WE, YOU IN THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE DO YOUR JOB?
>> MIKE, I COULDN'T AGREE WITH YOU MORE.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE TOUGHEST PLACE TO COME TO WORK
EVERY MORNING IF YOU CAN'T GET YOUR HEAD ON RIGHT.
WHAT'S THE PURPOSE OF BEING HERE?
I DON'T COME TO WORK AS A DEMOCRAT.
MY FRIENDS SHOULDN'T COME TO WORK AS A REPUBLICAN.
WE SHOULD COME TO WORK AS AMERICANS.
WE HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE. WE HAVE A TAX SYSTEM THAT'S OUT
OF DATE. WE HAVE JOB OPPORTUNITIES THAT
WE'RE NOT TAKING ADVANTAGE OF BECAUSE OUR ECONOMY -- PEOPLE
DON'T HAVE CONFIDENCE AND WE'RE NOT GROWING THE WAY WE SHOULD
BE. WE SHOULD BE TAKING CARE OF THE
HEALTH CARE CATASTROPHE THAT WE HAVE LOOMING RIGHT NOW THAT
BECAUSE OF POLITICS IT COULD COLLAPSE, AND PEOPLE BASICALLY
THEIR LIVES ARE IN JEOPARDY. WE CAN'T COME TOGETHER TO FIND
WAYS TO REPAIR IT AND FIX IT? YOU HAVE TO COME TO THIS JOB?
I'M IN A HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT.
PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO DEFEAT EACH OTHER EVERY DAY.
WE SHOULD BE COMING HERE FINDING WAYS TO WORK.
THIS IS HORRIBLE. BEING A FORMER GOVERNOR AND
BEING IN WEST VIRGINIA WE DON'T HAVE THINGS THIS WAY.
WE TRY NOT TO. THERE'S A TIME WHEN YOU PLAY
POLITICS AND HAVE A GOOD TIME WITH IT, HAVE YOUR DIFFERENCES
AND GO ON AND SELL YOUR GOODS IF YOU CAN.
THERE'S A TIME THAT BASICALLY THE STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA, THE
COUNTRY, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, IS FAR ABOVE ANYTHING
THAT I DO AND MY REASON AND PURPOSE FOR BEING HERE.
IT'S BECAUSE OF THAT. NOT BECAUSE OF BEING A DEMOCRAT
OR BEING A CONSERVATIVE OR BEING A LIBERAL OR BEING A REPUBLICAN.
IT IS ABSOLUTELY UNBELIEVABLE, AND TO GET YOUR MIND AROUND
THIS, FOR ALL OF YOU IN THAT ROOM TO COME TO WORK EVERY DAY
KNOWING THAT A PERSON IS SUPPOSED TO BE YOUR FRIEND, BUT
HZ HAS AN R BY YOUR NAME AND YOU MIGHT HAVE A D BY YOUR NAME, AND
THEY'RE TRYING TO GET YOU DEFEATED, AND THEN WE HAVE A
TWO-YEAR PROCESS WROOSH RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN A 2018 CYCLE.
EVERYBODY IS SHOOTING AT EVERYBODY HERE ALREADY.
I'M SICK AND TIRED OF IT ALREADY.
I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE GOOD PEOPLE IN WEST VIRGINIA GOT TO
BE SICK AND TIRED OF IT. WE'LL GET THROUGH IT.
WE'RE STRONGER AND BETTER THAN THIS.
WE ARE THE HOPE OF THE WORLD. IF WE DON'T GET IT RIGHT, GOD
HELP THE REST OF THE WORLD BECAUSE NOBODY ELSE WILL STEP TO
THE PLATE. WE CANNOT LEAVE THIS VOID.
>> MECHANICS OF THE SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE SENATOR
JOE MANCHIN, THANK YOU FOR BEING ON THE SHOW.
>> THANK YOU, JOE. >> HE GOT TO DALLAS THROUGH A
DEVASTATING -- RETIRED POLICE CHIEF DAVID BROWN AND WHAT'S