GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO YOU
BOTH.
AND ASHLEY, I’D LIKE TO BEGIN
WITH YOU AND YOUR BEAT.
WE HAVE TO BEGIN WITH THE
PRESIDENT, THOUGH.
WE’RE NOT SHOWING OR PLAYING
WHAT HE SAID.
WE COULDN’T AIR IT LIVE BECAUSE
WE FRANKLY COULDN’T HAVE IT
BETWEEN THE LIE AND THE BLATANT
ATTACKS ON OUR OWN SYSTEM OF
ELECTIONS IN OUR COUNTRY.
TELL US WHAT’S BEEN GOING ON
BEHIND THE SCENES.
>> SURE.
SO THE PRESIDENT HAS CYCLED
THROUGH A NUMBER OF MOODS IN
THESE BASICALLY 48 HOURS SINCE
THE POLLS CLOSED.
AND FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH JUST
STARTING WITH TODAY, WHAT MSNBC
COULDN’T AIR, FRANKLY, IS WHAT A
NUMBER OF THE PRESIDENT’S OWN
ADVISERS DIDN’T WANT HIM TO SAY
EITHER.
AND THAT’S WHAT THEY SPENT THE
PAST DAY TRYING TO PREVENT.
SO THE PRESIDENT WOKE UP THIS
MORNING.
HE WAS ANGRY AND DEFIANT.
HE WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING.
INITIALLY HE TWEETED, STOP THE
VOTE.
AND ADVISERS KIND OF HAD TO
HUDDLE WITH HIM AND EXPLAIN
WELL, SIR, IF YOU STOP THE VOTE
RIGHT NOW, IN FACT, YOU WOULD
LOSE.
SO THEY WORKSHOPED A DIFFERENT
PHRASE, STOP THE FRAUD, WHICH
AGAIN THERE’S NO EVIDENCE I NEED
TO SAY OF ANY WIDESPREAD VOTING
FRAUD AT ALL, BUT IT WORKED WELL
FOR THE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGING
PURPOSES.
AND THEN THE PRESIDENT SPENT THE
DAY WANTING TO GO OUT AND MAKE
THE REMARKS HE ULTIMATELY DID AT
THE END OF THE DAY AND ADVISERS
CAUTIONED HIM NOT TO.
THEY TOLD HIM TO KEEP A LOW
PROFILE AND TRIED TO PLACATE HIM
BY SAYING, LOOK, THIS IS OUR
LEGAL STRATEGY.
WE HAVE PEOPLE AND ALLIES
DEFENDING YOU ON TELEVISION,
HERE’S WHERE WE’RE FUND-RAISING
WITH DONORS FOR THE LEGAL FIGHT.
THE PRESIDENT WANTED TO GO OUT.
HE INCREASINGLY AT FIRST CAME TO
THE IDEA HE MIGHT LOSE, BUT
COULD NOT ACCEPT THE REALITY IF
HE LOSES IT’LL BE BECAUSE HE
LOSES FAIR AND SQUARE BECAUSE OF
WHAT STEVE KORNACKI JUST
OUTLINED.
AND HE BEGAN SAYING IF HE LOSES
IT’S BECAUSE THE ELECTION HAS
BEEN STOLEN FROM HIM.
AND AS YOU SAID THAT IS
BASICALLY WHAT HE SAID TONIGHT
IN THAT PRESS CONFERENCE YOU
DIDN’T AIR.
>> AND A FRAUGHT RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN THE TRUMP WHITE HOUSE,
EVEN TRUMP FAMILY MEMBERS AND
FOX NEWS.
FOX NEWS HAS THE ELECTORAL VOTE
COUNT HIGHER THAN US.
THEY’RE AT 264.
THEY CALLED ARIZONA, AND THAT
ANGERED ALL THE PEOPLE AROUND
THE PRESIDENT.
THOUGH I NOTE THEY’RE STILL
GETTING HEAVY AIR SUPPORT, TEAM
TRUMP IS DURING MOST OF PRIME
TIME COVERAGE ON FOX NEWS.
MY QUESTION TO YOU IS IF THIS
GOES 270 FOR JOE BIDEN, IF AS
EARLY AS TONIGHT OR TOMORROW OR
TOMORROW NIGHT, AND WE’VE TALKED
ABOUT THIS BEFORE -- CAN YOU
NAME ANY POTENTIAL PROFILES IN
COURAGE, DULL VOICES WHO CAN AND
WILL APPROACH AND TALK TO THE
PRESIDENT?
>>.
>> I MEAN, BRIAN, WHAT WE KNOW
ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP ESPECIALLY
AT THIS POINT IN HIS TERM IS
THAT HE LISTENS TO HIMSELF.
AND TO ASHLEY’S POINT IN
REPORTING EVEN WHEN ADVISERS
HUDDLE WITH HIM TO EXPLAIN THESE
THINGS, WE STILL SEE THE WAY IN
WHICH HE APROICHS THE PODIUM TO
SAY EXACTLY WHAT HE’S FEELING
AND ON HIS MIND EVEN IF HIS
ADVISERS ARE SAYING THIS ISN’T
BASED IN FACT AND THIS ACTUALLY
WOULDN’T HELP YOU WIN WHAT
YOU’RE ADVOCATING FOR.
WHAT IS INTERESTING WE’RE SEEING
SOME REPUBLICANS SLOWLY BUT
SURELY COME OUT AND SAY THINGS.
CHRIS CHRISTIE, FORMER GOVERNOR
OF NEW JERSEY WAS ON TONIGHT
BASICALLY SAYING I I’M
PARAPHRASING TO THE PRESIDENT
PUT UP OR SHUT UP, SHOW US THE
EVIDENCE OF WHAT YOU’RE TALKING
ABOUT AND MOVE ON.
SO WE’RE SLOWLY STARTING TO SEE
THIS.
BUT THESE FORMER REPUBLICAN
OFFICIALS DON’T REALLY MATTER SO
MUCH TO THE PRESIDENT.
AND REALLY AT THE END OF THE DAY
IT’S WHAT THE PRESIDENT FEELS
AND WHAT HE FEELS HE NEEDS TO DO
TO WIN RE-ELECTION AND AT THE