>>> TODAY PRESIDENT TRUMP ACTUALLY SAID THAT HE COULD
REPLACE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR
ROBERT MUELLER WITH HIMSELF.
IN AN INTERVIEW WITH REUTERS,
THE PRESIDENT SAID HE COULD TAKE
OVER THE INVESTIGATION.
QUOTE, I COULD GO IN AND I COULD
DO WHATEVER.
DO WHATEVER. I COULD RUN IT IF I WANT.
BUT I DECIDED TO STAY OUT.
I’M TOTALLY ALLOWED TO BE
INVOLVED IF I WANT IT TO BE.
SO FAR I HAVEN’T CHOSEN TO BE
INVOLVED.
INVOLVED. I’LL STAY OUT.
TODAY THE PRESIDENT IS BACK ON
THE ATTACK AGAINST HIS OWN
ATTORNEY GENERAL, WHO HE HAS
PUBLICALLY URGED TO QUIT AND
PRIVATELY ATTEMPTED TO FIRE.
IN ONE TWEET, THE PRESIDENT
REFERRED TO JEFF SESSION’S
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WITH THE WORD
JUSTICE IN QUOTES.
IN HIS INTERVIEW FOEUIEW TODAY,
PRESIDENT DID NOT RULE OUT
TRIPPING ROBERT MUELLER OF HIS
SECURITY CLEARANCE.
SECURITY CLEARANCE. THE PRESIDENT SAID, I HAVEN’T
GIVEN IT A LOT OF THOUGHT WHEN
ASKED ABOUT MUELLER’S SECURITY
CLEARANCE.
CLEARANCE. TODAY MORE THAN 175 FORMER
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS SIGNED A
STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF FORMER
CIA DIRECTOR JOHN BRENNAN AFTER
THE PRESIDENT STRIPPED HIS
SECURITY CLEARANCE LAST WEEK.
YESTERDAY JOHN BRENNAN REPEATED
WHAT HE TOLD RACHEL MADDOW
FRIDAY NIGHT.
FRIDAY NIGHT. >> WELL, I HAVE BEEN CONTACTED
BY A NUMBER OF LAWYERS, AND THEY
HAVE ALREADY GIVEN ME THEIR
THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BASIS FOR A
COMPLAINT, AN INJUNCTION, TO TRY
TO PREVENT HIM FROM DOING THIS
IN THE FUTURE.
IF MY CLEARANCES AND MY
REPUTATION AS I AM BEING PULLED
THROUGH THE MUD NOW, IF THAT IS
THE PRICE WE ARE GOING TO PAY TO
PREVENT DONALD TRUMP FROM DOING
THIS AGAINST OTHER PEOPLE, TO ME
IT IS A SMALL PRICE TO PAY.
I WILL DO WHATEVER I CAN TO TRY
TO PREVENT THESE ABUSES IN THE
FUTURE.
FUTURE. IF IT MEANS GOING TO COURT, I
WILL DO THAT.
>> AND IN A FOOTNOTE TO "MEET
THE PRESS" YESTERDAY, JUST WHEN
YOU THOUGHT RUDY GIULIANI WAS
BEYOND PARODY, HE FOUND A WAY TO
PARODY HIMSELF.
PARODY HIMSELF. >> LOOK, I’M NOT GOING TO BE
RUSHED INTO HAVING HIM TESTIFY
SO THAT HE GETS TRAPPED INTO
PERJURY.
PERJURY. WHEN YOU TELL ME THAT, YOU KNOW,
HE SHOULD TESTIFY BECAUSE HE’S
GOING TO TELL THE TRUTH, THAT HE
SHOULDN’T WORRY, THAT’S SO SILLY
BECAUSE IT’S SOMEBODY’S VERSION
OF THE TRUTH, NOT THE TRUTH.
HE DIDN’T HAVE A CONVERSATION --
>> TRUTH IS TRUTH.
I DON’T MEAN TO GO --
>> IT ISN’T TRUTH.
TRUTH ISN’T TRUTH.
>> JOINING OUR DISCUSSION, A
CONSERVATIVE OPINION WRITER AT
THE WASHINGTON POST AND AN MSNBC
CONTRIBUTOR AND HOST OF DEEP
STATE RADIO.
STATE RADIO. AND JENNIFER, WE COULD HAVE A
NEW SPECIAL PROSECUTOR OF DONALD
TRUMP.
TRUMP. THAT WOULD BE DONALD TRUMP WHEN
HE TAKES OVER THE INVESTIGATION
OF HIMSELF.
OF HIMSELF. >> BY THE WAY, MY FAVORITE PART
OF THAT "MEET THE PRESS"
INTERVIEW WAS CHUCK TODD PUTTING
HIS HEAD IN HIS HANDS AS IF I
COULDN’T HAVE WRITTEN THIS.
MY GOD, WHAT ARE YOU SAYING
THEN?
THEN? THIS IS TRUMP’S CRAZINESS.
ON ONE HAND WE CAN LAUGH AT IT
BECAUSE IT IS SO ABSURD AND SO
CONTRARY TO THE WAY OUR
GOVERNMENT OPERATES.
GOVERNMENT OPERATES. IN ANOTHER WAY IT IS VERY
TELLING.
TELLING. WE KEEP LOOKING FOR THE OBVIOUS.
IT IS HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT.
TRUMP THINKS HE CAN USE THE
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AS HIS
PERSONAL LAWYERS TO PROTECT HIM.
IT COMES OUT IN THESE TWEETS.
IT COMES OUT IN THE WAY HE TALKS
ABOUT MUELLER AND THE WAY HE
TALKS ABOUT JEFF SESSIONS.
SO, YES, IT IS VERY AMUSING
BECAUSE IT IS SO CRACK POTTISH
AND SO EVIDENTLY TRUMP, BUT
THERE IS A SERIOUS SIDE TO IT, I
THINK.
THINK. >> AND DAVID, THE PRESIDENT CAN
FIRE THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
HE CAN FIRE THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY
GENERAL.
GENERAL. HE CAN PRETTY MUCH RIP THAT
INVESTIGATION APART.
INVESTIGATION APART. >> YEAH, SURE.
HE CAN DO THAT AND OF COURSE
THAT’S WHAT’S TROUBLING ABOUT
HAVING A PRESIDENT WHO IS AS
CRAY AS TRUMP IS.
ABNORMAL HAS BECOME THE NEW
NORMAL.
NORMAL. EVERY DAY WE HAVE NOT ONE, NOT
TWO, BUT HALF A DOZEN THINGS.
YOU DIDN’T LIST THE FACT HE SAID
HE KIND OF LIKES KIM JONG-UN AND
HE’D LIKE TO MEET WITH KIM
JONG-UN.
JONG-UN. WE DIDN’T TALK ABOUT THE FACT HE
THOUGHT MANAFORT WAS A GOOD GUY
AND THAT WAS A HORRIBLE THING
THAT WAS BEING DONE TO HIM.
EVERY SINGLE DAY HE VIOLATES
NORMS.
NORMS. BUT I THINK THE THING THAT WE
NEED TO KEEP IN MIND AS WE LOOK
FORWARD ON THIS THING IS THAT
SOME DAY WE’RE GOING TO BE
LOOKING BACK AT ALL THIS AND
SAYING THESE WERE THE GOOD OLD
DAYS.
DAYS. THESE WERE THE DAYS WHEN THE
PRESSURE WASN’T HIGH.
THERE WASN’T A DEMOCRATIC
CONGRESS THAT WAS RUNNING 11
INVESTIGATIONS AND LOOKING AT
HIS BOOKS.
HIS BOOKS. HIS SON WASN’T IN THE DOCK.
HIS DAUGHTER WASN’T IN THE DOCK.
HIS SON-IN-LAW DOESN’T IN THE
DOCK.
DOCK. WHEN THAT PRESSURE BUILDS UP ON
HIM AND GOD FORDID WE HAVE SOME
KIND OF INTERNATIONAL CRISIS,
WHICH WE HAVEN’T HAD, THIS KIND
OF LEVEL OF CRAZINESS IS GOING
TO LOOK GOOD BY COMPARISON
BECAUSE THE GUY IS CLEARLY
LOSING HIS GRIP.
>> AND JENNIFER, WE SAW THE
TWEETS GET MORE HYSTERICAL AS
THE PRESSURE BUILDS.
HE’S JUST LIKE A MACHINE THAT
WAY ALMOST.
WAY ALMOST. WHEN THE"THE NEW YORK TIMES" COM
OUT AND REPORTS THAT THE WHITE
HOUSE COUNSEL IS COOPERATING, WE
SEE THE PRESIDENT GOING INTO
HYSTERIA.
HYSTERIA. >> HE CANNOT HELP HIMSELF.
THERE IS NO GRAND STRATEGY HERE,
FOLKS.
FOLKS. THE NOTION HE’S PLAYING THREE
DIMENSIONAL CHESS OR FIVE
DIMENSIONAL CHESS IS RIDICULOUS.
THIS IS HIS CRAZED, CONFUSED
THINKING.
THINKING. THIS IS HIS ANGER.
THIS IS MORE HELPFUL PROBABLY
THAN ANYTHING OTHER THAN PUTTING
HIM UNDER OATH BECAUSE IT IS THE
REAL TRUMP.
REAL TRUMP. >> DAVID, JOHN BRENNAN PUBLICLY
ALLOWING FOR THE POSSIBLY THAT
HE’S CONSIDERING WHAT TO DO
LEGALLY IN TERMS OF SUING ABOUT
THE LOSS OF HIS SECURITY
CLEARANCE.
CLEARANCE. NOT FOR HIMSELF AS HE PUTS IT,
BUT POSSIBLY TO ESTABLISH A
PRECEDENT ABOUT THIS.
RUDY GIULIANI OUT THERE TONIGHT
SAYING PLEASE SUE.
THE PRESIDENT TAUNTING TODAY
SAYING WE WANT HIM TO SUE SO
THAT WE CAN GO INTO DISCOVERY
AGAINST HIM.
AGAINST HIM. IT WOULD BE A COMPLICATED ISSUE
FOR JOHN BRENNAN TO DECIDE TO DO
THIS.
THIS. >> WELL, I THINK IT MIGHT BE A
COMPLICATED ISSUE.
COMPLICATED ISSUE. BUT OF COURSE THERE ARE
TRADITIONAL PROCESSES FILED FOR
REMOVING PEOPLE’S SECURITY
CLEARANCES BOTH WITHIN AGENCIES
AND FROM BEYOND AGENTCYIESAGENCI
THEY INVOLVE DUE PROCESS AND
MOVING THERE IS SOME KIND OF
NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUE THAT’S
COME AT STAKE AS A RESULT OF IT.
I THINK THE BURDEN OF PROOF ON
THE PRESIDENT AND THE ACCUSERS
OF BRENNAN WOULD BE MORE
DIFFICULT THAN IT WOULD BE MORE
BRENNAN, WHO IS ONE OF THE MOST
DISTINGUISHED PUBLIC SERVANTS WE
HAVE HAD, ONE OF THE REALLY
OUTSTANDING LEADERS THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY HAS
PRODUCED AND IS ABSOLUTELY A
POLITICAL ACTOR.
POLITICAL ACTOR. THIS IS A GUY WHO SIMPLY HAS
DEVOTED HIMSELF TO U.S. PUBLIC
SERVICE FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS.
AND, SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK RUDY
GIULIANI AGAIN, THAT WAS ANOTHER
UNHINGED TWEET THAT’S A PARODY
OF A PARODY.
I DON’T THINK RUDY GIULIANI
WANTS TO GET INTO THAT FIGHT
BECAUSE IT WON’T JUST BE
BRENNAN.
BRENNAN. IT WILL BE THE ENTIRE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY THAT’S
GOING TO LINE UP BEHIND HIM
BECAUSE THEY SEE THIS AS A
THREAT TO THE INDEPENDENCE OF
THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY,
WHICH IS A THREAT TO U.S.
NATIONAL SECURITY.
NATIONAL SECURITY. >> AND JOHN BRENNAN PROBABLY
SERVED THREE REPUBLICAN
PRESIDENTS, THREE DEMOCRATIC
PRESIDENTS.
PRESIDENTS. HE HAS IN HIS PROFESSIONAL LIFE
NO PARTISAN HISTORY WHATSOEVER.
>> YOU HAVE A LONG LIST OF
PEOPLE WHO ARE EVERYTHING FROM
CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF -- NOT
MEDAL OF HONOR, BUT PRESIDENTIAL
MED DOLL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS,
PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM
RECIPIENTS, PEOPLE THAT HAVE
BEEN HONORED BY WEST POINT.
HE WANTS TO TAKE AWAY ALL OF
THEIR SECURITY CLEARANCES.
BUT I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT
FOR ANOTHER REASON.
AND THIS IS BECAUSE IT IS THE
PRAK
PRAK PRACTICE FOR WHEN HE DECIDES TO
DO THIS TO MUELLER.
IT IS IMPORTANT THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY SPEAK AS ONE VOICE.
THAT CONGRESS, IF THEY COULD
EVER GET THEIR ACT TOGETHER, IF
REPUBLICANS EVER DECIDE TO SHOW
ANY SPINE WHATSOEVER, NOT LIKELY
FOR BUT DEMOCRATS TO GET THEIR
ACT TOGETHER.
ACT TOGETHER. IF HE GOES DOWN THAT ROUTE, THEN
WE REALLY ARE AT A
CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS POINT.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO SPEAK UP NOW.
IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY TO REALLY
NOT TOLERATE THIS WHATSOEVER.
AND YOU DO SEE JUST ATHESE PEOPL
MOVING FORWARD.
MOVING FORWARD. SO THEY ARE CERTAINLY SHOWING
THEIR PATRIOTIC STRIPES BY NOT
RESPONDING TO AN ATTACK ON AN
INDIVIDUAL OR FROM AN INDIVIDUAL