>>> WE ARE FOLLOWING BREAKING NEWS THIS HOUR.
NEW REACTION TODAY TO REPORTS OF
RUSSIA AGAIN ATTEMPTING TO
INTERFERE IN U.S. ELECTIONS.
DEMOCRATS SOUNDING THE ALARM.
>> THE RUSSIANS NEVER STOPPED
INTERFERING IN AMERICAN POLITIC
POLITICS.
POLITICS. THEY DON’T JUST GET INVOLVED IN
ELECTIONS.
ELECTIONS. THEY ARE INVOLVED EVERY SINGLE
DAY.
DAY. ANALYSIS OF WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN
DOING ON TWITTER SINCE 2016 HAS
BEEN PRETTY CLEAR.
THEY ARE WEIGHING IN OVER AND
OVER AGAIN IN SUPPORT OF RIGHT
WING CAUSES, IN SUPPORT OF
DONALD TRUMP’S POLITICAL AGENDA.
OF COURSE, IT STANDS TO REASON
THAT THEY WANT DONALD TRUMP
RE-ELECTED, BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN
A GIFT TO RUSSIA.
>> THE WHITE HOUSE DENYING
REPORTS THE KREMLIN IS TRYING TO
HELP TRUMP’S REELECTION.
THAT CONTRADICTS THE FINDING OF
U.S. INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS
ACCORDING TO REPORTS.
HERE ARE TWO TRUMP OFFICIALS.
>> THERE’S NOT INTELLIGENCE THAT
SAID THAT THE RUSSIANS ARE
TRYING TO HELP DONALD TRUMP WIN
ELECTIONS.
ELECTIONS. >> THERE’S NO BRIEFING THAT THE
PRESIDENT RECEIVED THAT SAYS
PRESIDENT PUTIN IS DOING
ANYTHING TO INFLUENCE THE
ELECTIONS IN FAVOR OF PRESIDENT
TRUMP.
TRUMP. WE HAVEN’T SEEN THAT.
>> PRESIDENT TRUMP, ON HIS WAY
TO INDIA, ALSO WEIGHED IN ON THE
SUBJECT EARLIER ON THE SOUTH
LAWN.
LAWN. LET’S GO TO HANS NICHOLS.
WHAT DID THE PRESIDENT SAY ABOUT
THIS?
THIS? >> Reporter: THE PRESIDENT
CLEARLY HAD A COUPLE GOALS WHEN
HE WALKED TO THE CAMERA.
HE WANTED TO CONGRATULATE BERNIE
SANDERS.
SANDERS. HE WANTED TO ACCUSE ADAM SCHIFF
OF COMING WITH THIS IDEA THAT
RUSSIA IS ALREADY INTERFERING IN
THE ELECTION, AT LEAST ON BEHALF
OF BERNIE SANDERS.
HE WANTED TO DISTANCE HIMSELF
FROM ANY IDEA THAT HE HAS ANY
SORT OF BRIEFING.
I ASKED HIM IF HE HAS BEEN
BRIEFED ON RUSSIAN EFFORTS TO
MEDDLE ON BEHALF OF SANDERS.
HERE IS WHAT HE SAID.
>> NOBODY SAID IT.
I READ WHERE RUSSIA IS HELPING
BERNIE SANDERS.
BERNIE SANDERS. NOBODY SAID IT TO ME.
NOBODY BRIEFED ME ABOUT THAT AT
ALL.
ALL. WHAT THEY TRY AND DO IS CERTAIN
PEOPLE LIKE CERTAIN PEOPLE TO
HAVE INFORMATION.
HAVE INFORMATION. NO DIFFERENT THAN IT HAS BEEN.
I HAVE NOT BEEN BRIEFED ON THAT
AT ALL.
AT ALL. NOBODY TOLD ME ABOUT IT.
>> Reporter: THAT’S CONSISTENT
WITH SOUND YOU PLAYED EARLIER
ACROSS THE ADMINISTRATION.
THEY ARE CLAIMING THEY HAVE NOT
RECEIVED A BRIEFING.
IT’S A BRIEFING RUSSIAN IS
INTERFERING ON BEHALF OF
PRESIDENT TRUMP.
PRESIDENT TRUMP. THAT’S WHAT O’BRIEN SAID.
WHEN I ASKED TRUMP, IT WAS ABOUT
INTERFERING ON BEHALF OF
SANDERS.
SANDERS. AGAIN, A DENIAL.
WHAT THEY ARE TRYING TO DO IS
BLAME ADAM SCHIFF FOR THIS.
THEY WANT TO MUDDY THE WATERS.
THAT APPEARS TO BE THE STRATEGY.
THEY PREPARE FOR POTENTIAL
SANDERS NOMINATION.
SANDERS NOMINATION. WE HEARD IT FROM THE PRESIDENT
THAT HE EXPECTED SANDERS TO BE
THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE.
WE WILL SEE WHETHER OR NOT THAT
CHANGES.
CHANGES. AT LEAST ARE A TORE ICRHETORICAL
WHERE THE PRESIDENT IS RIGHT
NOW.
NOW. >>> JOINING ME NOW, SHAUNA
THOMAS.
THOMAS. WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON THIS
CONFLICTING INFORMATION?
CONFLICTING INFORMATION? THEY SAY THAT THEY HAVE HEARD
REPORTS THAT RUSSIA IS WORKING
TO MAKE SURE SANDERS GETS
ELECTED BUT THEY HAVEN’T HEARD
ABOUT A RUSSIAN PUSH TO HAVE
TRUMP RE-ELECTED.
TRUMP RE-ELECTED. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT?
>> IT’S HARD TO KNOW WHAT TO
BELIEVE THE PRESIDENT HAS
ACTUALLY BEEN BRIEFED ON.
THE THING THAT’S REALLY ACTUALLY
PROBLEMATIC IS WE KNOW RUSSIAN
IS TRYING TO INTERFERE IN OUR
ELECTIONS.
ELECTIONS. THEY INTERFERED IN 2016.
THEY -- IT MAKES SENSE THEY WANT
TO INTERFERE IN OUR ELECTIONS.
THE DISHEARTENING THING ABOUT
WHEN THE PRESIDENT COMES OUT IN
FRONT OF THE PRESS AS HE DID AND
TALK TO HANS IS IT WOULD BE NICE
IF HIS RHETORIC ACTUALLY MATCHED
SOME OF THE STUFF THIS
ADMINISTRATION ACTUALLY HAS
DONE.
DONE. THE SANCTIONS HAVEN’T BEEN
LIFTED ON RUSSIA.
CHUCK TODD GOT AT THIS TODAY.
THE WORDS A PRESIDENT SAYS
MATTER.
MATTER. ONE OF HIS BIGGEST THINGS THAT
HE HAS GOING FOR HIM IS HE HAS A
BULLY PULL PET
BULLY PULPIT.
BULLY PULPIT. IT WOULD BE GOOD IF HE PRESENTED
A UNITED FRONT WITH HIS
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY AGAINST
RUSSIA, NO MATTER IF IT’S TRUE
THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO GET HIM
ELECTED OR GET SANDERS ELECTED
OR WHATEVER.
OR WHATEVER. FRANKLY, IT’S EASY -- IT WOULD
BE EASY FOR THE PRESIDENT TO
DISMISS THE POLITICS.
HE COULD TAKE A SWIPE AT ADAM
SCHIFF BY DISMISSING POLITICS
AND SAYING, I THINK WE HAVE TO
STOP RUSSIA FROM INTERFERING IN
OUR ELECTION.
OUR ELECTION. THE QUESTION WE ALWAYS COME BACK
TO WITH THIS, SINCE 2016 IS, WHY
CAN’T HE JUST SAY THAT?
IF HE COULD SAY THAT, THEN ALSO
THESE PEOPLE IN THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY -- WE HAVE SEEN ALL OF
THE REPORTS THAT PEOPLE ARE
GETTING WORRIED THEY ARE NOT
ABLE DO THEIR JOBS.
THEIR JOBS ARE TO PROTECT YOU
AND I.
AND I. I THINK THAT WOULD GO A LONG WAY
TO SAYING, DO YOUR JOB.
>> THE FACT THAT SOME PEOPLE IN