WITH STEVE BANNON. THE FIRST TIME HE’S EVER FACED A
JOURNALISTS QUESTIONS ON MSNBC.
>>> WE BEGIN WITH OUR TOP STORY,
DONALD TRUMP’S CLASH WITH
INTELLIGENCE LEADERS, MANY
ACROSS THE SPECTRUM NOW SAY THIS
IS CLEAR THERE IS NO DOUBT, NO
DEBATE HE IS ABUSING NATIONAL
SECURITY POWERS TO PUNISH
GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, NOT ONLY
BECAUSE OF THEIR CRITICISM,
WHICH IS POLITICAL DEBATE, BUT
ALSO BECAUSE OF THEIR POTENTIAL
ROLE AS WITNESSES IN THE RUSSIA
PROBE.
PROBE. THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION INTO
HIS WHITE HOUSE.
WE ARE SEEING A RISING CHORUS
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE SCREEN.
IT NOW INCLUDES DEFENSE
SECRETARY ROBERT GATES AND SIX
FORMER CIA DIRECTORS WHO HAVE
SERVED UNDER PRESIDENTS FROM
BOTH PARTIES, SIGNING ONTO A
STRONG LETTER CONDEMNING WHAT
DONALD TRUMP IS DOING.
THEY SAY THEY’VE, QUOTE, NEVER
BEFORE SEEN SECURITY CLEARANCES
ABUSED AS A POLITICAL TOOL.
THEY SAY THIS IS, QUOTE,
INAPPROPRIATE AND DEEPLY
REGRETTABLE.
REGRETTABLE. DONALD TRUMP HAS ADMITTED THIS
IS ALL ABOUT RUSSIA PAYBACK.
>> IT’S A DISGUSTING THING,
FRANKLY.
FRANKLY. LOOK, I SAY IT.
I SAY IT AGAIN.
THAT WHOLE SITUATION IS A RIGGED
WITCH HUNT.
WITCH HUNT. IT’S A TOTALLY RIGGED DEAL.
THEY SHOULD BE LOOKING AT THE
OTHER SIDE.
OTHER SIDE. >> AND WHILE THIS WEEK INVOLVES
A LOT OF DISCUSSION OF FORMER
CIA DIRECTOR BRENNAN, WHO I
MENTIONED IS ALSO AN NBC
ANALYST, THERE IS MORE GOING ON.
TRUMP NOW USING THE SAME TRICK
TO ATTACK A JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
OFFICIAL BRUCE ORR WHO IS LINK
TODAY SOME INTELLIGENCE IN THE
RUSSIA PROBE, THOUGH HE’S NOT
EVEN WORKING ON THE
INVESTIGATION ITSELF.
INVESTIGATION ITSELF. >> I THINK BRUCE ORR IS A
DISGRACE.
DISGRACE. I SUSPECT I’LL BE TAKING IT AWAY
VERY QUICKLY.
VERY QUICKLY. I THINK THAT BRUCE ORR IS A
DISGRACE WITH HIS WIFE NELLIE.
FOR HIM TO BE IN THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT, AND TO BE DOING WHAT
HE DID, THAT IS A DISGRACE.
>> LET’S GET RIGHT TO IT.
HOWARD FINEMAN IS AN MSNBC
POLITICAL ANALYST, RETIRED ARMY
LIEUTENANT COLONEL RALPH
WEATHERS.
WEATHERS. HE WAS A FOX ANALYST.
WHEN HE LEFT IT WAS A PROPAGANDA
MACHINE.
MACHINE. HE’S HAD SECURITY CLEARANCES AT
A HIGH LEVEL.
AND THE WOMAN WHO RAN THE DOJ
SECURITY -- SHE SAID TO THE "NEW
YORK TIMES" TODAY DONALD TRUMP
IS SENDING OUT A CLEAR MESSAGE,
QUOTE, DON’T CROSS ME.
AND JOINING US FROM NEW YORK AS
WELL, CHRISTINA GREER.
MY THANKS TO ALL, COLONEL, I
BEGIN WITHLIKE,
BEGIN WITHLIKE, THAT’S FINE, IT’S A FREE
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. WHY HAS THIS GONE BEYOND
SOMETHING PEOPLE DON’T LIKE AND
HOW IT’S DANGEROUS?
>> IT’S NOT AMERICA.
THIS IS NOT HOW WE DO THINGS.
IT’S BANANA REPUBLIC BEHAVIOR AN
INSULT TO THOSE.
IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
WE CLOSE RANKS WHEN IT COMES TO
NATIONAL SECURITY.
NATIONAL SECURITY. AND IT’S NOT MERELY A MATTER OF
KEEPING THESE PEOPLE -- GIVING
THEM CONTINUED SECURITY
CLEARANCES SO THAT THEY CAN GIVE
US ADVICE.
US ADVICE. BUT IN THE CASE OF A NATIONAL
CATASTROPHE, AND A NUCLEAR
ATTACK ON WASHINGTON, YOU’VE
ALSO GOT THIS "B" TEAM READY TO
HELP OUT.
HELP OUT. IT GOES ON AND ON.
BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS,
WE’VE GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE
THE ONLY THING WE’RE WORRIED
ABOUT IS, IS IT ILLEGAL?
IT’S NOT ILLEGAL.
THE PRESIDENT CAN DO THIS.
BUT IT’S PROFOUNDLY UNETHICAL
AND MORALLY WRONG.
WHILE A GOVERNMENT HAS NEVER
BEEN AN ETHICAL PARADISE, THE
DEPTH TO WHICH THIS
ADMINISTRATION HAS SUNK HAS
EXEMPLIFIED BY THIS BEHAVIOR IS
LITERALLY IMMEASURABLE.
LITERALLY IMMEASURABLE. >> YOU BEGAN WITH BANANAS AND
YOU END WITH PARADISE, WHICH
MAKES ME THINK OF APPLES AND
ADAM AND EVE.
AND THE APPLE OF COURSE, MARY,
INVOLVES KNOWLEDGE.
INVOLVES KNOWLEDGE. THIS IS A FIGHT OVER KNOWLEDGE
AND POWER.
AND POWER. THAT’S THE PART OF IT THAT’S NOT
FUNNY, THAT’S NOT TO BE JUST
DISMISSED BECAUSE IT IS,
ACCORDING TO THE PRESIDENT’S
CRITICS, WE SHOWED HOW MANY OF
THEM COME FROM BOTH PARTIES AND
FROM THE TYPE OF JOB WHERE YOU
WERE HEAD OF CLEARANCE, IT IS
THE IDEA WHERE HE IS GOING TO
SAY THE KNOWLEDGE IS ONLY
ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE WHO AGREE
WITH HIM, AND THE PUNISHMENT
WILL BE FOR EVERYONE ELSE,
INCLUDING THESE POTENTIAL
WITNESSES.
WITNESSES. >> JUST, A COMMENT WAS MADE, NOT
ILLEGAL.
ILLEGAL. I’M NOT SURE THAT’S THE CASE.
IT’S CLEAR THE EXECUTIVE HAS
GREAT PREROGATIVE WHEN IT COMES
TO REVOKING SECURITY CLEARANCES,
HE CAN’T DO THAT IN WAYS THAT
ARE UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
ARE UNCONSTITUTIONAL. THAT’S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT’S
CONCERNING HERE WHICH IS THIS
SEEMS TO BE IN DIRECT
RETALIATION FOR THE EXERCISE OF
FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS.
>> HOW WOULD THAT WORK.
WE DISCUSSED THIS EARLIER THIS
WEEK WITH A LEGAL EXPERT.
I TAKE YOUR POINT.
THERE ARE THINGS YOU CAN HAVE
THE AUTHORITY TO DO AND ABUSE
THE AUTHORITY.
THE AUTHORITY. IN THIS INSTANCE, YOU’RE NOT
SUGGESTING THERE’S A FELONY
HERE?
HERE? >> NO, NOT A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
>> BUT THIS WOULD VIOLATE WHICH
PART OF THE CONSTITUTION?
>> FIRST AMENDMENT, RETALIATION
FOR EXERCISE OF FIRST AMENDMENT
RIGHTS.
RIGHTS. AND SO THAT’S THE KIND OF THING
THAT THE SUPREME COURT HAS LEFT
OPEN WHEN IT’S COME TO REVIEW OF
THE REVOCATION OF NATIONAL
SECURITY CLEARANCES.
SECURITY CLEARANCES. THEY’VE BEEN PRETTY CLEAR THAT
GENERALLY SPEAKING IT’S NOT
JUDICIALLY REVIEWABLE.
JUDICIALLY REVIEWABLE. BUT THEY’VE LEFT THIS QUESTION.
>> WE’RE LOOKING AT YOUR
COMMENTS OF THE "NEW YORK
TIMES," MADE WAVES IN YOUR
ANALYSIS OF THIS.
CHRISTINA GREER, I WANT TO SHOW
DONALD TRUMP WHO, AS WE REPORT
HERE, OFTEN SAYS THINGS THAT ARE
NOT TRUE.
NOT TRUE. WE REPORT THAT.
HE SOMETIMES DELIBERATELY LIES
AND WE REPORT THAT.
TODAY HE SAID SOMETHING THAT
SEEMED TO BE TRUE, ALTHOUGH
DISTURBING.
DISTURBING. IT WAS HIS HONEST VIEW THAT
BEING ATTACKED IN THIS WAY,
WHICH AS OUR FORMER LEADER OF
THE NATIONAL SECURITY DIVISION
IN THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT JUST
SAID THAT MIGHT BE
UNCONSTITUTIONAL, BUT THAT
ATTACK MIGHT BE GOOD BECAUSE
IT’S THE KIND OF THING OF BRINGS
ATTENTION, AND DONALD TRUMP SAID
ATTENTION HELPS EVERYBODY.
I THOUGHT IT WAS A SAD BUT
STUNNING ADMISSION OF SORTS.
TAKE A LOOK.
>> THERE’S NO BALANCE.
IF ANYTHING, I’M GIVING THEM A
BIGGER VOICE.
BIGGER VOICE. MANY PEOPLE DON’T EVEN KNOW WHO
HE IS.
HE IS. NOW HE HAS A BIGGER VOICE.
THAT’S OKAY WITH ME.
I LIKE TAKING ON VOICES LIKE
THAT.
THAT. I’VE NEVER RESPECTED HIM.
I’VE NEVER HAD A LOT OF RESPECT.
I KNOW THAT I’VE GOTTEN
TREMENDOUS RESPONSE FROM HAVING
DONE THAT BECAUSE SECURITY
CLEARANCES ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO
ME.
ME. >> CHRISTINA, AS A POLITICAL
SCIENTIST AND OBSERVER, I WONDER
IF YOU COULD WALK US THROUGH THE
MULTIPLE LAYERS OF SAD PREMISES
THERE BECAUSE HE’S BASICALLY
SAYING I’M HELPING SOMEONE BY
BEING IN A FIGHT.
I’VE NEVER LIKED HIM AS IF
THAT’S THE RATIONALE FOR
NATIONAL SECURITY ACCESS.
AND TO COMPLETELY, WILLFULLY
IGNORANT OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT
CONSIDERATIONS.
CONSIDERATIONS. >> ARI, WHAT WE TALK ABOUT
ALMOST EVERY WEEK ON THIS SHOW
IS THAT THERE IS -- THERE SEEMS
TO BE NO BOTTOM TO THIS
PARTICULAR PRESIDENCY.
PARTICULAR PRESIDENCY. AND SO WE KNOW THAT TRUMP REALLY
DOES TRAFFIC IN BRANDING.
HE’S USING THE TERM WITCH HUNT.
HE’S USING THE TERM RIGGED.
HE HAS THE RED HATS.
IT’S BEEN HIS SHTICK.
AND SO NOW WE SEE WHEN HE’S
INTERACTING WITH EVEN
ADVERSARIES, HIS FRAMEWORK IS
EVEN, WELL, I’M HELPING TO MAKE
THEM FAMOUS.
THEM FAMOUS. SO, YOU KNOW, I DON’T UNDERSTAND
WHAT THE PROBLEM IS.
WE SAW THIS WITH GOLD STAR
FAMILIES HOW HE TALKS ABOUT
EVERYTHING WITH THIS IDEA OF
WINNERS AND LOSERS.
I FEEL LIKE I’M SOUNDING LIKE A
BROKEN RECORD WITH YOU, IS THAT
WHERE ARE THE SEPARATION OF
POWERS, WHERE ARE THE REPUBLICAN
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WHO ARE
SAYING OUR PRESIDENT IS
OVERSTEPPING IN A VERY
DANGEROUS, UNETHICAL TERRITORY,
BUT WE ACTUALLY NEED TO SPEAK
OUT?
OUT? IT SHOULDN’T JUST BE FORMER CIA
DIRECTORS.
DIRECTORS. IT SHOULD BE AGs ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. IT SHOULD BE REPUBLICANS,
POWERFUL REPUBLICANS, WE’RE
GETTING THESE MILQUETOAST
RESPONSES FROM REPUBLICAN
SENATORS SAYING, WELL, I MEAN,
IT’S NOT IDEAL, THAT’S NOT
ENOUGH.
ENOUGH. THEY SHOULD REALLY RING THE
ALARM.
ALARM. ONCE WE GO INTO BANANA REPUBLIC
TERRITORY, WE’RE ON
AUTHORITARIAN, DICTATORIAL
AUTHORITARIAN, DICTATORIAL COUNTRY WHERE THIS PRESIDENT
KEEPS PUSHING THE ENVELOPE AND
HIS OWN PARTY ISN’T CHECKING
HIM.
HIM. UNFORTUNATELY HE’S ABLE TO BRAND
IT IN A WAY WHERE IT SEEMS
POWERFUL, BUT IT’S INCREDIBLY
DANGEROUS.
DANGEROUS. >> HOWARD FINEMAN?
>> POLITICS, LIFE, EXISTENCE FOR
DONALD TRUMP IS A ZERO SUM GAME.
HE SEES -- HE BELIEVES THAT HE
CAN ONLY HAVE POWER AND
AUTHORITY IF NO ONE ELSE HAS IT.
SO ANY INDEPENDENT INSTITUTION
WITH A HISTORY, WITH A
REPUTATION, WITH A MISSION THAT
IS INDEPENDENT OF POLITICS IS
SOMETHING THAT HE HAS TO
DESTROY.
DESTROY. THAT’S THE ESSENCE OF WHAT
DICTATORIAL BANANA REPUBLICS ARE
ALL ABOUT.
ALL ABOUT. THEY’RE ABOUT THE PERSONALITY,
THE WILL AND THE WANTS OF THE
PERSON IN CHARGE.
THERE IS NO MORE INDEPENDENT, AT
LEAST SINCE WORLD WAR II,
INSTITUTION IN AMERICA WITH
GREATER POWER THAN THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY.
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY. AND WE DESIGNED IT THAT WAY.
WE WANTED IT THAT WAY BECAUSE WE
WANTED TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE
FREE TO LOOK FOR THE TRUTH WHERE
IT WAS, AND GIVE --
>> WELL, AND BUILD --
>> GOOD ADVICE TO PEOPLE.
>> ON THE POINT YOU’RE MAKING.
WHEN YOU USE THE WORD POWER, YOU
ALSO SEEM TO BE REFERRING TO
AUTONOMY.
AUTONOMY. >> YES, WELL, THAT’S IMPLICIT IN
THE IDEA OF WHAT DONALD TRUMP
HATES.
HATES. ANYBODY WHO HAS AUTONOMY CANNOT
EXIST IN HIS COSMOS.
THAT’S TRUE TO THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY, WHICH HE’S COMPLETELY
NEUTERED.
NEUTERED. BY THE WAY, IF YOU’RE EXPECTING
ANY OF THOSE SENATORS ON THE
HILL TO START COMPLAINING,
FORGET ABOUT IT.
THEY SECRETLY LIKE WHAT HE’S
DOING BECAUSE THEY WANT TO
MAINTAIN POWER THEMSELVES.
IN THE CASE OF THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY, THEY HAVE THE-- TO NO
ONLY BE DEPENDENT, BUT THEY SAY
RUSSIA HAS BEEN MONKEYING AROUND
WITH AMERICAN POLITICS FOR A
LONG TIME.
LONG TIME. JOHN BRENNAN SAID -- TO USE HIS
TECHNICAL WORD, HOGWASH.
THIS IS ULTIMATELY A POLITICAL
BATTLE IN WHICH DONALD TRUMP IS
GOING TO USE EVERY TOOL HE CAN
FIND, INCLUDING WITHDRAWING
NATIONAL SECURITY CLEARANCES, TO
DESTROY THE INDEPENDENTS AND THE
VISION AND THE INTEGRITY OF THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY.
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY. HE’S AT WAR WITH THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY TO TRY TO
SAVE HIMSELF FROM IMPEACHMENT
AND CONVICTION.
AND CONVICTION. >> I’D AGREE WITH THAT.
AND I THINK THAT ANOTHER
IMPORTANT POINT HERE, TO GO TO
THE PRESIDENT’S COMMENTS TODAY
ABOUT JOHN BRENNAN, IT’S TRUE
JOHN BRENNAN IS NOT GOING TO BE
COWED FROM STATING HIS OPINIONS.
THAT’S CLEAR.
THAT’S CLEAR. BUT DON’T FORGET ABOUT THE
THREAT TO OTHERS WHO MIGHT NOT
BE JOHN BRENNAN.
THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE THAT KIND OF
STATURE AND THAT RESPECT AROUND
THE WORLD WHO NOT ONLY THE OTHER
PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THE LIST,
INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, A CURRENT,
SITTING DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
OFFICIAL, BUT ALSO OTHERS WHO
AREN’T ON THE LIST YET, BUT ARE
AFRAID THAT EITHER IF THEY SPEAK
OUT, THEIR MINDS, OR EVEN IF
THEY JUST DO THEIR JOBS, IF
THEIR JOBS HAVE ANYTHING TO DO
THAT MIGHT BE THREATENING TO THE
PRESIDENT, THEN THEY MIGHT GET
ON THAT LIST AS WELL.
SO THAT CHILLING EFFECT, I
THINK, IS SOMETHING WE HAVE TO
BE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT.
>> I DON’T THINK WE SHOULD BE
NAIVE ABOUT THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY.
COMMUNITY. THEY’RE FULLY CAPABLE OF PLAYING
HARDBALL THEMSELVES.
HARDBALL THEMSELVES. THEY’VE ALWAYS DONE IT IN THE
INTEREST OF INDEPENDENCE, THEIR
INDEPENDENCE, SO THEY CAN GIVE
UNVARNISHED INFORMATION ABOUT
THE WORLD, SECRETS ABOUT THE
WORLD, AND GUIDANCE TO OUR
AMERICAN LEADERS.
AMERICAN LEADERS. >> SO, COLONEL, WHEN YOU LOOK AT
EVERYTHING THAT’S JUST BEEN
SAID, ONE OF THE TAKEAWAYS HERE
IS, ACCORDING TO A LOT OF
EXPERTS, THIS IS A BAD THING.
BUT IT’S ALSO A BAD THING THAT’S
BEING DONE VERY EFFECTIVELY,
WHICH MAKES IT WORSE THAN
INCOMPETENCE IN PURSUING A BAD
THING.
THING. SOME PEOPLE ARE SO AGAINST
DONALD TRUMP THEY FORGET TO SEE
HOW EFFECTIVE HE IS.
INSTEAD OF CREATING A POLARIZED
ENVIRONMENT, ARE BEING
MISPERCEIVED AS A PART OF A,
QUOTE, DEEP STATE WHEN, IN FACT,
THE AGENDA SEEMS TO BE TO CHANGE
THE LEADERSHIP OF THE FBI
BECAUSE HE’S UNDER INVESTIGATION
IN THE RUSSIA PROBE.
HE GOT COMEY OUT, McCABE IS OUT,
AND PETER STRZOK IS FIRED.
HE’S GOING AFTER PETER --
SECURITY CLEARANCE.
SECURITY CLEARANCE. AND THEN YOU GO TO CLAPPER AND
HAYDEN.
HAYDEN. >> WHAT IF HE PULLS MUELLER’S?
>> THAT GOES TO THE MUELLER
QUESTION, WHICH WE’LL PUT UP ON
THE SCREEN YOU’RE SAYING, JEREMY
BASH WHO WAS CIA COUNSEL WHO
SAYS MY CONCERN, QUOTE, IS THAT
TRUMP WILL STRIP THE CLEARANCES
OF THE BOB MUELLER INVESTIGATIVE
TEAM.
TEAM. GIVE US YOUR ANALYSIS ON HOW
EFFECTIVE THIS IS, AND HOW
DONALD TRUMP SEEMS TO BE GOOD AT
DOING THIS BAD THING.
>> WELL, I THINK A FUNDAMENTAL
PROBLEM WE HAVE, ARI, IS WE TRY
TO ANALYZE HIM AS A POLITICIAN.
HE’S NOT A POLITICIAN.
HE’S A MASTERFUL ENTERTAINER.
INDEED, HE MAY BE THE MOST
SUCCESSFUL ENTERTAINER IN
HISTORY.
HISTORY. I MEAN, BACK IN THE ’60s JOHN
LENNON GOT IN TROUBLE FOR SAYING
THE BEATLES ARE MORE POPULAR
THAN JESUS.
THAN JESUS. TRUMP IS A LOT MORE POPULAR THAN
THE BEATLES, AND HE’S COMMANDING
HEADLINES DAILY AROUND THE
WORLD.
WORLD. WHAT OTHER ENTERTAINER CAN DO
THAT?
THAT? BUT FOR ME THE FUNDAMENTAL
PROBLEM -- EVERYTHING ELSE IS A
SYMPTOM.
SYMPTOM. BUT THIS IS A PRESIDENT WHO
DOESN’T LIKE OUR SYSTEM OF
GOVERNMENT, WHO DOES NOT
UNDERSTAND OUR SYSTEM OF
GOVERNMENT, DESPISES THE IDEA OF
A SEPARATION OF POWERS, OF
SHARING POWER AS WAS SAID HERE,
AND WHEN IT COMES TO THE
CONSTITUTION, HE AND MANY OF HIS
CORE SUPPORTERS THINK IT’S A
MENU.
MENU. THINK CAN PICK WHAT THEY LIKE.
LIKE THE SECOND AMENDMENT, BUT
NOT THE FIRST SO MUCH.
I SEE THEM AS FUNDAMENTALLY
UN-AMERICAN, NOT ALWAYS
INTENTIONALLY SO, BUT TO JUST
WRAP UP TRUMP.
TRUMP’S GENIUS, AND IT’S BEEN
DONE BEFORE BY MANY A DICTATOR,
MANY A -- HIS GENIUS WITH HIS
CORE SUPPORTERS IS THAT HE’S
OFFERING THEM ABSOLUTION.
NOTHING IS THEIR FAULT.
IT’S THE FAULT OF THE DEEP
STATE.
STATE. IT’S THE FAULT OF MINORITIES.
IT’S A FAULT OF THE LEFT.
IT’S A FAULT OF THE TRADITIONAL
REPUBLICANS.
REPUBLICANS. IT’S A FAULT OF IMMIGRANTS.
AND HIS MESSAGE TO THEM IS
YOU’RE NOT RESPONSIBLE, WHATEVER
FAILURES YOU’VE HAD IN YOUR
LIFE, WHATEVER BAD CHOICES YOU
WERE, SOMEBODY ELSE’S FAULT.
HE GIVES THEM SOMEBODY TO BLAME.
AND AT HEART HIS CORE SUPPORTERS
AREN’T BUILDERS, THEY’RE COUCH
POTATO ANARCHISTS WHO ARE
THRILLED TO TEAR THINGS DOWN.
HE IS A POTENT, DESTRUCTIVE
FORCE WHO AS YOU OBSERVED -- ARE
YOU ALLEGING THAT ABOUT ALL 46%
OF PEOPLE WHO VOTED FOR HIM?
>> HIS CORE SUPPORTERS.
HIS SUPPORTERS COME IN A LOT OF
DIFFERENT FLAVORS.
DIFFERENT FLAVORS. THE CORE HAS BEEN TOLD SO MANY
TIMES THEY’RE ENTITLED TO MORE,
THAT DESPITE THEIR RED HATS
SAYING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,
THEY’RE NOT REALLY WILD ABOUT
AMERICA.
AMERICA. IN FACT, THAT’S SOMETHING I
CHARGE, I WOULD LAY AT THE FEET
OF THE LEFT AND THE RIGHT, WE’RE
AN UNGRATEFUL NATION.
WE’RE SPOILED, AND WE’RE CRYING
OUT THAT WE DESERVE MORE.
NO, WE DON’T.
WE’VE LOST THAT FUNDAMENTAL
AMERICAN VALUE, THE SENSE OF
RESPONSIBILITY, TRUMP IS
ULTIMATELY THE THEOLOGICAL
ANTI-CHRIST OF OUR POLITICAL
SCENE ARGUING THAT NOTHING IS
YOUR FAULT, I CAN SAVE YOU.
>> YOU KNOW, CHRISTINA GREER, I
CAN’T HELP BUT SAY WHAT WHEN I
LISTEN TO COLONEL PETERS WHEN
HE’S ON A GOOD RUN, IT FEELS
LIKE A COMBINATION OF GENERAL
PATTON AND LOUD SUE.
AND I HATE TO ASK YOU TO FOLLOW
THAT, BUT I THINK YOU’RE CAPABLE
BECAUSE I’VE HEARD YOU MAKE MANY
A GOOD POINT AS WELL.
TAKE US HOME.
>> WELL, I THINK WE NEED TO KEEP
OUR EYES ON TWO THINGS.
ONE, IF REASON WHY MUELLER IS
INVESTIGATING TRUMP HAS TO DO
WITH RUSSIA, AND IT’S NOT LIKE
WE DON’T HAVE ELECTIONS COMING
UP IN SEPTEMBER, IN NEW YORK AT
LEAST, AND IN NOVEMBER, AND IN
TWO YEARS FOR THE PRESIDENCY.
SO WE ALWAYS HAVE TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE MAINTAIN OUR EYE ON THE
BEACON, WHICH IS HAS RUSSIA
COLLUDED WITH THE PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES AND HIS ILK TO
INTERFERE IN OUR ELECTIONS?
WE CANNOT FORGET THAT WITH ALL
OF THE NONSENSE THAT TRUMP
BRINGS, AND MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY
HE’S REALLY GREAT AT SWITCHING
NEWS STORIES, AND HE’S DONE THAT
FOR SEVERAL DECADES NOW.
AND I THINK THE SECOND PIECE
THAT’S REALLY IMPORTANT IS THAT,
YOU KNOW, GOING OFF OF WHAT THE
COLONEL SAID, TRUMP IS MASTERFUL
AT BEING THE HERO AND THE
VICTIM.
VICTIM. MAKING HIS SUPPORTERS FEEL
THEY’RE THE HEROES, WITH RED
HATS, CLAMORING FOR MORE RED
MEAT AT HIS RALLIES, BUT ALSO
THEY’RE THE VICTIMS THAT, AGAIN,
THIS COUNTRY HAS NOT PROVIDED
THEM WITH WHAT THEY DESERVE,
ESPECIALLY AS WHITE AMERICANS
BECAUSE IT’S MUSLIMS, MEXICANS,
BLACKS, WOMEN, WHOMEVER IT MAY
BE.
BE. SO WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
STAY VIGILANT.
STAY VIGILANT. BECAUSE HE KEEPS GOING DEEPER
AND DEEPER INTO THIS SENSE THAT
THEY DESERVE SOMETHING AS THE
VICTIMS, BUT ALSO THAT THEY ARE
THE TRUE AMERICANS AND THE TRUE
CHAMPIONS.
CHAMPIONS. THERE IS NO SUCH THING.
YOU KNOW, I’M OVER 15 GENERATION
AMERICAN IN THIS COUNTRY.
I’M MORE AMERICAN THAN, YOU
KNOW, PROBABLY 90% OF THE PEOPLE
WALKING IN THIS COUNTRY.
AND SO -- BUT WE HAVE TO CHANGE
OUR IDEOLOGY OF WHAT THIS
COUNTRY REALLY MEANS.
AND TRUMP UNFORTUNATELY HAS
CALLED INTO QUESTION TRUTH,
FACTS AND THE MEDIA.
SO WHEN WE HAVE THESE
CONVERSATIONS, IF HE DOESN’T
LIKE THEM, HE CAN JUST THROW
THEM OUT AS FAKE NEWS.
SO I THINK WE ALWAYS HAVE TO
SORT OF KEEP OUR EYE ON THE