MY PANEL IS HEAR TO WAY IN, A REPUBLICAN STRATEGIC, MSNBC
POLITICAL ANALYST AND COLUMNIST
FOR THE DAILY BEAST.
JONATHAN, BOB CORKER WHO HAS
BEEN A BIG SUPPORTER OF JEFF
SESSIONS NOW SAYS, THE FIX IS
IN.
IN. WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN HERE?
>> JEFF SESSIONS WILL NOT BE THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL AFTER THE
ELECTION.
ELECTION. IT’S VERY CLEAR, HE DOESN’T HAVE
THE SUPPORT OF THE PRESIDENT.
>> SO DOES THAT MEAN THAT THE
PRESIDENT WILL WAIT UNTIL AFTER
THE INVESTIGATION?
THE INVESTIGATION? >> OH, NO, HE’LL FIRE HIM AFTER
THE ELECTION.
THE ELECTION. >> AFTER THE ELECTION OR THE
INVESTIGATION?
INVESTIGATION? >> I BELIEVE HE’LL FIRE HIM
AFTER THE ELECTION.
I CAN’T SAY FOR SURE.
>> SO, EVEN BEFORE THE RESULTS
OF THE MUELLER --
>> WELL, THE SENATE IS PLEADING
WITH HILL, PLEASE DON’T FIRE HIM
BEFORE THE ELECTION.
THEY’RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO
KEEP HIM FROM FIRING HIM AFTER
THE ELECTION.
THE ELECTION. I DON’T BELIEVE.
I MEAN, WE DON’T KNOW,
OBVIOUSLY.
OBVIOUSLY. THE QUESTION IS WHAT HAPPENS
THEN.
THEN. AND AS HANS SAID, THE NAUM MEE
FOR NEW ATTORNEY GENERAL WILL BE
REQUIRED BY DEMOCRATS AND
REPUBLICANS TO PROMISE THAT HE
WON’T SHUT DOWN THE
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. >> I DON’T KNOW IF THAT’S TRUE,
THOUGH, IS THAT TRUE?
>> LET ME, QUICKLY, BEFORE HE’S
CONFIRMED, THERE WILL BE AN
ACTIVE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
AND TRUMP WILL WANT THAT ACT OF
ATTORNEY GENERAL TO SHUT DOWN OR
COMPROMISE THE INVESTIGATION.
AND THE QUESTION IS, HOW WILL
CONGRESS RESPOND TO THAT?
THE ANSWER TO THAT IS THE
MIDTERMS.
MIDTERMS. IN OTHER WORDS, IF THE DEMOCRATS
CONTROL THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, THAT ACTING
ATTORNEY GENERAL WILL NOT BE
ABLE TO SHUT DOWN THE
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. HE’LL BE SUBPOENAED ON THE HILL
AND PREVENTED FROM DOING SO.
IF THE REPUBLICANS MAINTAIN
CONTROL OF THE HOUSE, THEY WILL
SUCCESSFULLY SHUT DOWN THE
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. >> WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, THERE’S TWO
THINGS GOING ON.
THERE’S JEFF SESSIONS, THIS IS
VERY SAD TO ME.
BECAUSE HE WAS ONE OF THE VERY
FIRST LOYAL SUPPORTERS TO COME
ON.
ON. HE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN A BIGGER
FAN OF TRUMP AND STOOD BEHIND
HIM HE AND HIS FAMILY.
>> AT DIFFERENT POINTS.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. WHEN HE WAS CRITICIZED ALL
THROUGH THE STRANGE THINGS GOING
ON IN THE CAMPAIGN.
THE OTHER THING IS, I FEEL LIKE
JEFF SESSIONS, ANYONE THAT KNOWS
HIM, KNOWS HE FOLLOWS THE LAW.
I FEEL LIKE HE’S CAUGHT IN THIS
HORRIBLE DEAL OF DOING WHAT’S
RIGHT.
RIGHT. DOING WHAT TRUMP WANTS, DOING --
THERE’S TWO DYNAMICS GOING ON.
BUT THE LARGER --
>> WELL, THERE’S ALSO THE
ARGUMENT TO BE MADE, YOU KNOW
WHAT, YOU DON’T WANT ME HERE,
I’M GONE.
I’M GONE. >> BUT IS HE EFFECTIVE?
AND HERE’S THE THING I’M LOOKING
AT, TRUMP HAS MADE IT CLEAR, I
DON’T LIKE YOU.
I THINK YOU’RE BAD AT YOUR JOB.
AND YOU’VE GOT SESSIONS SAYING
I’M JUST GOING TO STAY BECAUSE I
THINK I’M DOING A GREAT JOB.
SO, YOU HAVE TWO CONFLICTING
MESSAGES.
MESSAGES. IF I WERE SESSIONS, I WOULD
RESIGN.
RESIGN. I WOULD RESIGN.
>> WELL, WE GET TWO CONFLICTING
MESSAGES BUT I’M NOT SURE,
JONATHAN, THAT THAT’S ALSO NOT
QUANTIFIABLE.
QUANTIFIABLE. YOU HAVE A GUY WHO IS ENFORCING
ZERO TOLERANCE.
ZERO TOLERANCE. THIS IS SOMEBODY WHO BELIEVES
THAT HE IS CARRYING OUT THE
PRESIDENT’S AGENDA.
PRESIDENT’S AGENDA. IS HE WRONG ABOUT THAT?
>> NO, NOT AT ALL.
AND SO WHEN REPUBLICANS --
>> SO COMPETENCE DOESN’T MATTER?
>> WELL, WHEN IT’S -- WHEN
YOU’RE WORRIED ABOUT SAVING YOUR
SKIN, IF YOU’RE THE PRESIDENT,
HE DOESN’T CARE ABOUT ANYTHING
ELSE, EXCEPT NOT GETTING REMOVED
FROM OFFICE.
FROM OFFICE. AND NOT HAVING THESE QUITE
POSSIBLE CRIMES EXPOSED FOR
EVERYBODY TO SEE.
>> I THINK TRUMP THINKS SESSION
IS WEAK.
IS WEAK. >> LET ME ASK YOU SNISTHIS, IN T
MIDST OF THIS, YOU’VE GOT THIS
CLOSED-DOOR ON MONDAY NIGHT WITH
EVANGELICAL
EVANGELICAL EVANGELICALS.
EVANGELICALS. MEANING THEY WILL OVERTURN TRUMP
AND DO IT VIOLENT IT.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT ANTIFA AND
THESE GROUPS, THESE ARE VIOLENT
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. >> THAT’S JUST DEMAGOGUERY BY
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES.
STATES. IT’S ONE THING TO SAY I WANT YOU
TO HOLD THE CONGRESS BUT WHEN HE
SAYS ALL DEMOCRATS ARE ANTIFA.
>> WELL, SOMEBODY, NOELLE, IN
ONE OF HIS RALLIES SAID ONCE HE
SAID HE WANTED TO -- ANOTHER
TIME, HE SAID IF YOU BEAT UP ON
PROTESTERS, I’LL PAY YOUR LEGAL
BILLS.
BILLS. >> THIS IS A GUY WHO IS RALLYING
TO HIS BASE.
AND THE BASE DOES WHAT DONALD
TRUMP SAYS.
TRUMP SAYS. LOOK, IT WASN’T BUT LAST WEEK
THAT HE SAID IF I’M NOT IN
OFFICE, IF I AM GONE, THAT THE
STOCK MARKET’S GOING TO CRASH
AND WE’RE ALL GOING TO BE POOR.
DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN HE SAID
THAT IN THE INTERVIEW?
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. THAT WAS ONLY LIKE A WEEK AGO.
>> IT’S ALL RUNNING TOGETHER.
>> SO YOU HAVE THAT, WITH THE
SCARE OF THE MARKET, BECAUSES AS
YOU KNOW, WE’RE RALLYING AT
ALL-TIME HIGHS.
ALL-TIME HIGHS. AND EVERYBODY IS VERY EXCITED
ABOUT THE EXPLOSION OF
EVERYTHING GOING GOOD WITH THE
ECONOMY.
ECONOMY. YOU HAVE THAT.
HE’S PUTTING FEAR INTO THAT.
THE SECOND THING IS HE’S PUTTING
FEAR INTO THE EVANGELICAL
SUPPORT BASE.
SUPPORT BASE. BUT THE THING IS, THIS IS HOW HE
GOVERNS.
GOVERNS. THIS IS HOW HE TALKS TO HIS
BASE.
BASE. BUT WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT A
MINUTE AGO, I’M NOT DEFENDING
IT, BUT THE BASE LOVES IT.
SO WHAT YOU’RE SAYING, YOU’RE
GOING TO SAY RACE AS BEING, ONE,
BECAUSE HE’S RALLYING --
>> WELL, THE BASE, IT MAY BE
DIFFERENT, WE’LL SEE WHAT
HAPPENS WITH THE BLUE WAVE, BUT
IT IS THE BASE ON BOTH SIDES
THAT TEND TO COME OUT IN THESE
ELECTIONS.
ELECTIONS. >> THAT’S RIGHT.
>> IS HE BEING SMART?
>> POLITICALLY, HE’S BEING
SHREWD.
SHREWD. IT’S INTERESTING HE DOESN’T
ACTUALLY KNOW THE DETAILS OF
GOVERNING.
GOVERNING. BUT IN TERMS OF THE POLITICS, HE
IS SO UP ON EVERYTHING GOING ON
IN ALL OF THESE PRIMARIES.
AND I THINK ONE NORM THAT HE HAS
CHANGED MAYBE PERMANENTLY IS
THAT PRESIDENTS IN THE FUTURE
MAY DECIDE THAT THEY WILL GET
INVOLVED IN PRIMARIES, THE WAY