EVENING TO YOU, ONCE AGAIN FROM OUR NBC NEWS HEADQUARTERS HERE
IN NEW YORK. DAY 207 OF THE THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION. TODAY WHEN THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN
CEO OF MERCK PHARMACEUTICALS RESIGNED FROM THE PRESIDENT'S
MANUFACTURING COUNCIL, IT TOOK THE PRESIDENT 54 MINUTES TO
ATTACK HIM ON TWITTER. NOW TO THE REASON WHY THE MERCK
CEO RESIGNED. IT TOOK THE PRESIDENT TWO DAYS
TO CRITICIZE THE PRESENCE OF NEO-NAZIS AND WHITE SUPREMACISTS
ON THE STREETS IN OUR COUNTRY WHICH THIS WEEKEND RESULTED IN
CHARLOTTESVILLE IN A LOSS OF LIFE.
AND TONIGHT AFTER A GRIM WEEKEND FOR THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY, THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES IS BACK AT TRUMP TOWER.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT A LIVE PICTURE.
AND IN PART BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEKEND, THE
CROWDS ARE LARGE AND LOUD IN MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, ABOUT FIVE
BLOCKS FROM HERE. WE HAVE FOR YOU TONIGHT A LOOK
AT THE PRESIDENT'S COMMENTS JUST AFTER 3:30 P.M. ON SATURDAY
AFTERNOON, AND THEN OVER 45 HOURS LATER TODAY BACK AT THE
WHITE HOUSE. >> WE CONDEMN IN THE STRONGEST
POSSIBLE TERMS THIS EGREGIOUS DISPLAY OF HATRED, BIGOTRY AND
VIOLENCE ON MANY SIDES, ON MANY SIDES.
RACISM IS EVIL, AND THOSE WHO CAUSE VIOLENCE IN ITS NAME ARE
CRIMINALS AND THUGS INCLUDING THE KKK, NEO-NAZIS, WHITE
SUPREMACISTS AND OTHER HATE GROUPS THAT ARE REPUGNANT TO
EVERYTHING WE HOLD DEAR AS AMERICANS.
>> WE ARE STARTING TO LEARN WHAT WAS GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES
DURING THOSE 45 INTERVENING HOURS.
ASSOCIATED PRESS CORRESPONDENT JONATHAN LAMERE, WHO WILL JOIN
US HERE MOMENTARILY, LOATHE TO APPEAR TO BE ADMITTING TO A
MISTAKE, TRUMP WAS RELUCTANT TO ADDRESS HIS REMARKS.
THE MEDIA'S UNFAIR ASSESSMENT OF HIS REMARKS BELIEVING HE HAD
EFFECTIVELY DENOUNCED ALL FORMS OF BIGOTRY.
NEW CHIEF OF STAFF JOHN KELLY HAD URGED HIM TO MAKE A MORE
SPECIFIC CONDEMNATION WARNING THAT THE NEGATIVE STORY WOULD
NOT GO AWAY AND THE RISING TIDE OF CRITICISM FROM FELLOW
REPUBLICANS ON CAPITOL HILL COULD ENDANGER HIS LEGISLATIVE
AGENDA, ACCORDING TO TWO WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS.
AND THE PRESIDENT IS STILL BLAMING THE MEDIA, WRITING THIS
ON TWITTER TONIGHT -- MADE ADDITIONAL REMARKS ON
CHARLOTTESVILLE AND REALIZE ONCE AGAIN THAT THE FAKE NEWS MEDIA
WILL NEVER BE SATISFIED. TRULY BAD PEOPLE.
PUT ANOTHER WAY, HIS STATEMENT TODAY WAS TO SATISFY THE NEWS
MEDIA, NOT TO SATISFY AMERICANS THAT WHAT WE SAW IN
CHARLOTTESVILLE THIS WEEKEND DOES NOT DEFINE WHO WE ARE.
IT DID SEEM TO DEFINE THE ALT RIGHT, THOUGH, THE GRAB BAG OF
NATIONALIST CAUSES AND THEN SOME REPRESENTED IN THE TIKI TORCH
MARCH ON THE UVA CAMPUS FRIDAY NIGHT.
ANOTHER STORY FROM THE AP TONIGHT CARRIES THE HEADLINE,
WHITE NATIONALISTS, CHARLOTTESVILLE JUST A
BEGINNING. THE LEADER OF THE MOVEMENT NAMED
MATTHEW HEIMBACH AS SAYING WE'RE GOING TO BE MORE ACTIVE THAN
EVER BEFORE. RICHARD SPENCER FROM THE ALT
RIGHT HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY AND SAID THE FOLLOWING
ABOUT THE PRESIDENT. >> WE SAW IN DONALD TRUMP
SOMEONE WHO WASN'T A CONSERVATIVE.
DONALD TRUMP NEVER TALKED ABOUT TAX OR AT LEAST DURING THE
CAMPAIGN, HE NEVER TALKED ABOUT TAX CUTS.
HE NEVER TALKED ABOUT ALL THESE -- HE WAS NOT -- ALL THIS
JUST KIND OF CONSERVATIVE GARBAGE THAT WE'VE BEEN HEARING
FOR YEAR. HE TALKED ABOUT IMMIGRATION
FIRST AND FOREMOST. HE WAS A NATIONALIST.
HE USED PHRASES LIKE AMERICA FIRST.
DONALD TRUMP IS NOT ALT RIGHT, NOT AN IDENTARIAN, BUT HES WITH
CONNECTED TO HIM IN THIS KIND OF PSYCHIC LEVEL WHERE DONALD TRUMP
WAS A NATIONALIST, HE WAS THE FIRST TRUE AUTHENTIC NATIONALIST
IN MY LIFETIME. >> THAT WAS FROM THIS AFTERNOON.
THERE WAS ALSO THIS TONIGHT, THE LATEST DAILY TRACKING NUMBERS
FROM GALLUP SHOW THIS COULD INDEED BE HURTING THE
PRESIDENT'S JOB APPROVAL RATING. THIS IS A POLL, MIND YOU, TAKEN
FROM FRIDAY TO SUNDAY SHOWING PRESIDENT TRUMP AT A NEW RECORD
LOW OF 34%. AFTER ALL THAT, LET'S WRITE IN
OUR LEADOFF PANEL TONIGHT. WHITE HOUSE REPORTER FOR THE
ASSOCIATED PRESS, JONATHAN LAMERE, WHOSE VOICE YOU HEARD
LAST WEEK PEPPERING THE PRESIDENT AT BEDMINSTER.
HE WAS ON HAND FOR THE PRESIDENT'S REMARKS SATURDAY AND
TODAY AT THE WHITE HOUSE. HAROLD FORD, DEMOCRAT OF
TENNESSEE, NOW AN MSNBC POLITICAL ANALYST.
AND FROM WASHINGTON, CHARLOTTESVILLE NATIVE ANITA
KUMAR, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT FOR McCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS.
WELCOME TO YOU ALL. JONATHAN, I'D LIKE TO BEGIN WITH
YOU. YOU ARE NEITHER THE PRESIDENT'S
APOLOGIST NOR THERAPIST, BUT THIS WILL CALL FOR ALL YOUR
DONALD TRUMP KNOWLEDGE. WHAT IN HIS PSYCHE PREVENTS HIM
FROM GOING OUT TO MAKE THIS RIGHT FOR TWO DAYS, RESIST
CALLING OUT NAZIS, ALT RIGHT, WHITE SUPREMACISTS, WHITE
NATIONALISTS AND FORCES HIM TO AD LIB ON MANY SIDES THE PART OF
HIS REMARKS THAT CAUSED THE MOST TROUBLE?
>> PRESIDENT TRUMP IS NEVER ONE TO ACKNOWLEDGE A MISTAKE.
IT IS VERY RARE THAT HE ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY.
IT'S VERY RARE THAT HE WANTS TO PUBLICLY SECOND GUESS HIMSELF OR
SEEM LIKE HE'S CAVING TO PUBLIC PRESSURE.
HE'S SUSCEPTIBLE TO FLATTERY. THESE ARE GROUPS WHO SPEAK
HIGHLY OF HIM. HE KNOWS THAT HE'S PEOPLE, SOME
OF THEM, SUPPORT HIM. HE RECOGNIZES THAT THEY ARE
SMALL BUT ENERGIZE PART OF THE COALITION OF PEOPLE THAT BACKED
HIM LAST NOVEMBER. ON SATURDAY, WHEN HE CAME OUT TO
GIVE HIS INITIAL STATEMENT IN
HE TOLD PEOPLE AROUND HIM HE WANTED TO FOCUS ON THE LAW AND
ORDER ASPECT OF THIS. HE SAID, ON MANY SIDES, WHICH
WILL RESONATE WITH THIS PRESIDENT FOR SOME TIME, THEN HE
FELT LIKE HE DID HIS JOB. OVER THE LAST TWO DAYS A
FIRESTORM OF BIPARTISAN CRITICISM.
PEOPLE AROUND HIM RECOGNIZED THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT
COULD REALLY DAMAGE HIM GOING FORWARD.
THEY TALKED TO HIM. HE WAS RELUCTANT -- HE TOLD
PEOPLE AROUND HIM HE WAS UPSET, THOUGHT HE WAS BEING TREATED
UNFAIRLY, BUT HE WAS EVENTUALLY PERSUADED THAT HE NEEDED TO GO
TO THE WHITE HOUSE TODAY AND GIVE THIS NEW MORE FORCEFUL
STATEMENT. >> CONGRESSMAN, ARE YOU
CONVINCED TO YOUR SATISFACTION, THAT THE PORTION OF THE
PRESIDENT'S BASE MADE UP OF THESE FOLKS IN CHARLOTTESVILLE
AND PEOPLE SYMPATHETIC MAYBE EVEN SECRETLY OR QUIETLY TO
THEIR CAUSE, THAT'S WHY HE TOOK SOMETHING OFF HIS RHETORICAL
FASTBALL ON SATURDAY? >> I'VE HEARD THE COMMENTARY.
I HAVE NO REASON TO NOT BELIEVE JONATHAN.
I HAVE NO REASON TO NOT BELIEVE THOSE WHO SAY THIS IS ALL ABOUT
HIS BASE. BUT YOU HAVE TO WONDER ON A
LEVEL, THERE ARE TWO GROUPS THAT HE'S CODDLED AND DEFENDED
WITHOUT HESITATION. RUSSIANS WHO MAY HAVE APPARENTLY
INTERFERED WITH THE ELECTION PROCESS, CLAIMING HE DIDN'T KNOW
THEM OR DIDN'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THEM AND WAS RELUCTANT TO
ANSWER. HIS FALLBACK IS ALWAYS FAKE NEWS
WHEN HE DOESN'T LIKE WHAT PEOPLE IN THE PRESS ARE TALKING ABOUT.
THERE'S A 32-YEAR-OLD WOMAN WHO IS DEAD.
I'M NOT BLAMING THE PRESIDENT, BUT THERE'S NOTHING FAKE ABOUT
HER DEATH. FOR THIS PRESIDENT TO CONTINUE
TO PUT UP THIS FACADE, IT'S LAUGHABLE AT ONE LEVEL AND
TRAGIC ON A VERY REAL LEVEL. THREE, YOU WATCH HIM AND YOU
HAVE TO WONDER WHEN HE TALKS ABOUT FAKE NEWS AS WELL, WHAT IS
THE NEWS MEDIA BLOCKING HIM FROM GETTING ACCOMPLISHED IN
CONGRESS? THERE'S A REPUBLICAN CONGRESS
THAT IS NOW -- TALKED WITH A HIGH RANKING REPUBLICAN OFFICIAL
BEFORE DINNER WHO SAID YOU SAW PENCE WHO HALFWAY DID IT FROM
OVERSEAS, HE CAME BACK TO CLEAN IT UP BECAUSE HE WANTED TO BE
ACCEPTED AT THE WHITE HOUSE, BUT ORRIN HATCH WHO INVOKED HIS OWN
FAMILY. IT WILL BE CURIOUS IF THEY
MAINTAIN THAT POSTURE GOING FORWARD OR STAND UP TO HIM.
THE FAKE NEWS MONIKER GOING FORWARD, WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT AND
SEE. I SAID IT BEFORE.
I THINK TERRY McAULIFFE, HIS WORDS BECAUSE HE WAS RIGHT AWAY
THE ONE THAT REASSURED AND SOOTHED AMERICA, BUT THE MOST
TROUBLING THING ABOUT THIS AND THE PRESIDENT, I APPRECIATE HIM
BEING ON RECORD CRITICIZING THE ALT RIGHT AND WHITE
SUPREMACISTS, BUT HE DIDN'T CRITICIZE THEIR BEHAVIOR.
HE DIDN'T LECTURE LIKE HE LECTURED THE CEO OF MERCK SAYING
YOU'RE GOING TO GO BACK AND LOWER DRUG PRICES, A LITTLE CUTE
SHOOTBACK AT HIM, TO NOT SAY TO WHITE SUPREMACISTS, THIS IS NOT
WHAT AMERICA IS, NOT WHAT MY CAMPAIGN IS ABOUT, NOT WHAT MY
PRESIDENCY ASPIRES TO BE ABOUT SAYS MORE ABOUT HIM THAN WHAT HE
DIDN'T DO ON SATURDAY. >> ANITA KUMAR, WHAT A GREAT
COMMUNITY YOU ARE FROM, WHAT A GREAT UNIVERSITY YOU WERE
FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO ATTEND. I'M GUESSING THAT GROWING UP IN
CHARLOTTESVILLE YOU DID NOT ASSOCIATE ANYTHING THERE WITH
THE ALT RIGHT, WITH WHITE NATIONALISTS, WITH NEO-NAZIS OR
THE KKK, AND YET, SADLY, THAT GREAT PLACE IS GOING TO BE TIED
AT LEAST IN OUR MEMORY AT LEAST FOR SOME TIME WITH THOSE AWFUL
CAUSES. >> NO.
I MEAN, ANYONE WHO KNOWS CHARLOTTESVILLE, IT'S A SMALL
LIBERAL COLLEGE TOWN. SO IT'S VERY STEEPED IN HISTORY,
THOUGH, SO THERE ARE THE STATUES.
I CAN SEE THIS DISAGREEMENT HAPPENING, BUT TO KEEP HEARING
CHARLOTTESVILLE, IT'S VERY JARRING TO ME, EVERY TIME I HEAR
IT BECAUSE NO ONE REALLY TALKS ABOUT IT IN THAT WAY.
AND JUST HEARING ABOUT IT, THIS SMALL TOWN BEING ON THE MAP LIKE
THIS, IT'S INCREDIBLE. >> ANITA, FIVE BLOCKS FROM HERE
THE PRESIDENT IS IN NEW YORK. >> RIGHT.
>> HIS FIRST NIGHT AS PRESIDENT IN THE PLACE, THE STEEL AND
GLASS TOWER, THE TRIPLEX HE CALLS HOME IN TRUMP TOWER, AND
YET YOU SEE THE SAND-FILLED DUMP TRUCKS AT THE ENTRANCE.
THAT'S A RELATIVELY NEW SECRET SERVICE VEHICLE CONTROL METHOD.
AND YET BECAUSE OF HIS OWN DOING, THE CROWDS ARE LARGER,
THE CROWDS ARE LOUDER THAN THEY WERE DURING THE CAMPAIGN.
>> RIGHT. I MEAN, HE DID COME OUT AND HAVE
A DO-OVER, IF YOU WILL, TODAY, AND HE SAID WHAT HE NEEDED TO
SAY. BUT THE QUESTION IS, IT TOOK SO
LONG, IS THAT STILL GOING TO HURT HIM?
IS IT TOO LATE? HE ALSO DIDN'T SAY A COUPLE
THINGS.INGS. THE CONGRESSMAN MENTIONED ONE
THING, THERE WERE TWO OTHER THINGS HE DIDN'T SAY THAT PEOPLE
POINTED OUT TODAY THAT THEY WANTED TO HEAR.
ONE HE DIDN'T USE THE WORD "TERRORISM."
NOW MEMBERS OF HIS STAFF HAVE.
I BELIEVE THE ATTORNEY GENERAL DID, THE NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISER DID. BUT PEOPLE WANTED TO HEAR HIM
SAY DOMESTIC TERRORISM. IT'S A QUESTION OF WHETHER IT'S
ENOUGH. THE OTHER THING HE DIDN'T SAY
WAS HE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT -- HE DIDN'T DENOUNCE THEM AND SAY,
THESE AREN'T MY SUPPORTERS. HE DIDN'T REALLY SAY THAT EITHER
WAY. I KNOW PEOPLE WERE SORT OF
WAITING FOR HIM TO SAY I DENOUNCE T