JON, I HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THE SUMMIT IN HELSINKI.
>> Jon: YEAH, WOW.
>> Stephen: YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE LIKE CHUCK HAGEL SAID, --
CHUCK SCHUMER SAID,S I DON'T KNOW WHY HE WOULD THROW AMERICA
UNDER THE BUS.
WHAT IS THE POSSIBLE EXPLANATION?
YOU KNOW, COULD HE BE AN AGENT OF THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT?
AND SAID, NO, NO, IT'S JUST A STUPID THING FOR HIM TO DO.
I'M NOT SURE THAT WAS BETTER.
>> Jon: NO.
>> Stephen: IT WOULD BE LIKE THE SCHOOL SAYING TO THE
PARENTS, CALM DOWN, WE SAW THE BUS GOING ALL OVER THE ROAD, I
ASSURE YOU THE DRIVER WAS NOT DRUNK, HE'S JUST A MANIAC.
WE DON'T HAVE CONTROL OVER IT.
SO IT'S GOING TO BE FINE.
( LAUGHTER ) FOLKS, WE'VE BEEN FOCUSED ON THE
FALLOUT FROM TRUMP'S HONEYMOON IN HELSINKI, BUT BACK HOME,
WE'VE GOT DIFFERENT RUSSIAN ASSETS TO DEAL WITH.
WE ALL REMEMBER THE KREMLIN-CONNECTED LAWYER WHO MET
WITH DON JUNIOR, NATALIA VESELNITSKAYA --
( PIANO RIFF ) ( LAUGHTER )
BUT WE JUST LEARNED ABOUT A NEW TRUMP
CAMPAIGN-LINKED RUSSIAN SPY MARIA BUTINA.
( BAND PLAYING ) THAT'S RIGHT.
BUTINA IS A RUSSIAN NATIONAL WHO WAS ARRESTED SUNDAY AND
YESTERDAY WAS CHARGED WITH CONSPIRACY TO ACT AS AN AGENT OF
THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION.
AS LONG AS WE'RE CHARGING PEOPLE WITH THAT NOW, I HEARD ABOUT
THIS ONE GUY, WHO JUST GOT BACK FROM HELSINKI... I CAN GET YOU
HIS ADDRESS IF YOU NEED IT.
SO, WHO IS THIS RUSSIAN SPY?
APPARENTLY, BUTINA IS A 29-YEAR- OLD GUN-RIGHTS ACTIVIST AND
FORMER FURNITURE STORE OWNER FROM SIBERIA.
29 IS YOUNG TO BE INVOLVED IN ESPIONAGE, AND REALLY YOUNG TO
OWN A FURNITURE STORE.
( LAUGHTER ) ACCORDING TO THE AFFIDAVIT
BUTINA WORKED TO SET UP "BACK CHANNEL" COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN
AMERICANS AND THE KREMLIN AND MOVED TO INFILTRATE AN AMERICAN
GUN RIGHTS ORGANIZATION AS PART OF HER PRO-KREMLIN OPERATIONS.
NOW, THE AFFADAVIT DOESN'T SPECIFY WHICH AMERICAN GUN
RIGHTS ORGANIZATION-- IT'S THE N.R.A.
HERE SHE IS COLLOODLING WITH N.R.A. EXECUTIVE WAYNE LAPIERRE,
WISCONSIN GOVERNOR AND N.R.A.
SUPPORTER SCOTT WALKER AND FORMER N.R.A. PRESIDENT DAVID
KEENE.
SO, EITHER SHE'S REALLY TIGHT WITH THE N.R.A., OR THESE ARE
PHOTOS FROM THE WORST DISNEY WORLD TRIP EVER.
"HONEY, IT'S A 40-MINUTE WAIT TO MEET BUZZ LIGHTYEAR, BUT THERE'S
NO LINE FOR WAYNE LAPIERRE!" AND BACK IN 2015 AT A TOWN HALL,
SHE WAS ACTUALLY THE FIRST PERSON TO ASK TRUMP ABOUT
RUSSIA.
>> MY QUESTION WILL BE ABOUT FOREIGN POLITICS.
IF YOU WOULD BE ELECTED AS A PRESIDENT, WHAT WILL BE YOUR
FOREIGN POLITICS, ESPECIALLY IN RELATIONSHIPS WITH MY COUNTRY?
>> I KNOW PUTIN, AND I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, WE'LL GET ALONG WITH
PUTIN.
I BELIEVE I WOULD GET ALONG VERY NICELY WITH PUTIN, OKAY?
>> STEPHEN: YOU GOTTA ADMIT, HE KEPT THAT CAMPAIGN PROMISE.
( LAUGHTER ) BUTINA REALLY WASN'T GREAT AT
KEEPING HER SECRET IDENTITY UNDER WRAPS.
AS A STUDENT AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY, SHE CLAIMED MULTIPLE
TIMES TO HAVE BEEN A CONDUIT BETWEEN THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN AND
RUSSIA, WITH ONE PROFESSOR TELLING THE "DAILY BEAST," "SHE
SAID SO IN MY CLASS.
AND SHE SAID SO SEVERAL TIMES IN THE LAST SEMESTER."
WAIT, SO LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT.
SHE'S A RUSSIAN OPERATIVE TRYING TO INFLUENCE TRUMP AND HER
SECRET IDENTITY IS... RUSSIAN OPERATIVE TRYING TO INFLUENCE
TRUMP.
IT WOULD BE LIKE IF BRUCE WAYNE SAID, "HI, I'M BATMAN WAYNE, I
MEAN, BRUCE BATMAN, I MEAN, BATMAN BATMAN.
DAMN IT!" ( LAUGHTER )
( APPLAUSE ) SHE SEEMS NICE.
SHE SEEMS NICE.
AND SHE WAS EVEN LESS SUBTLE WITH THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN ITSELF.
IN MAY OF 2016, BUTINA ATTEMPTED TO ARRANGE A MEETING BETWEEN
PUTIN AND TRUMP.
THE SUBJECT LINE OF ONE EMAIL SHE SENT WAS "RUSSIAN BACKDOOR
OVERTURE AND DINNER INVITE."
SURPRISING.
MOST PEOPLE DO DINNER AND DRINKS BEFORE THE BACKDOOR
OVERTURE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( PIANO RIFF )
BUT -- BUT -- TRUMP DIDN'T END UP MEETING
PUTIN FOR DINNER, BUT THIS IS -- BUT SHE STILL HAD AN INTIMATE
RELATIONSHIP WITH ONE A MEMBER OF HIS TRANSITION TEAM AND THEY
SPENT OVER $30 MILLION TO SUPPORT TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN AND NOW
THE F.B.I. IS INVESTIGATING WHETHER RUSSIAN MONEY WAS
ILLEGALLY FUNNELED TO THE N.R.A.
TO HELP DONALD TRUMP WIN.
( AUDIENCE REACTS ) NOW, THERE ISN'T ANY DEFINITIVE
PROOF YET THAT LINKS THIS ALL THE WAY TO DONALD TRUMP, BUT
IF IT LOOKS LIKE A DUCK, AND WALKS LIKE A DUCK, AND ILLEGALLY
USES RUSSIAN MONEY TO ELECT A KREMLIN-APPROVED CANDIDATE LIKE
A DUCK... THEN IN 2016, AMERICAN VOTERS GOT DUCKED.
( LAUGHTER ) WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.