WE HAVE IT ALL COVERED BEGINNING WITH NBC NEWS WHITE HOUSE
CORRESPONDENT, KRISTEN WELKER.
KRISTEN, GOOD MORNING.
>> Reporter: HI, HODA, GOOD
MORNING TO YOU.
THE PRESIDENT SEEMS AS DEFIANT
AS AFTER, TWEETING IN ALL CAPS
AFTER MIDNIGHT, NO COLLUSION,
RIGGED WITCH HUNT.
BUT IN AN INTERVIEW WITH FOX
NEWS, STRUGGLING TO ANSWER
QUESTIONS SURROUNDING THE LEGAL
DRAMA ENGULFING THIS WHITE
HOUSE.
HOUSE. THIS MORNING, WITH LEGAL
PRESSURE MOUNTING, PRESIDENT
TRUMP ON DEFENSE, TWEETING, THE
ONLY THING I HAVE DONE WRONG IS
TO WIN AN ELECTION THAT WAS
EXPECTED TO BE WON BY CONTRADICT
HILLARY CLINTON.
HILLARY CLINTON. IN A NEW INTERVIEW ON FOX NEWS,
BLASTING HIS FORMER ATTORNEY,
MICHAEL COHEN.
MICHAEL COHEN. >> YOU CAN SAY SOMETHING BAD
ABOUT DONALD TRUMP, AND YOU’LL
GO DOWN TO TWO YEARS OR THREE
YEARS, WHICH IS THE DEAL HE
MADE.
MADE. IN ALL FAIRNESS TO HIM, MOST
PEOPLE ARE GOING TO DO THAT AND
I’VE SEEN IT MANY TIMES.
I’VE HAD MANY FRIENDS INVOLVED
IN THIS STUFF.
IT’S CALLED FLIPPING.
AND IT ALMOST OUGHT TO BE
ILLEGAL.
ILLEGAL. >> Reporter: SPEAKING OUT ABOUT
THOSE HUSH MONEY PAYMENTS BY
COHEN.
COHEN. >> DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THE
PAYMENTS?
PAYMENTS? >> LATER ON, I KNEW.
LATER ON.
LATER ON. THEY DIDN’T COME OUT OF THE
CAMPAIGN.
CAMPAIGN. THEY CAME FROM ME.
>> Reporter: BUT IN APRIL, MR.
TRUMP TELLING A DIFFERENT STORY.
>> DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THE
$130,000 PAYMENT TO STORMY
DANIELS?
DANIELS? DO YOU KNOW WHERE HE GOT THE
MONEY FOR THAT PAYMENT?
>> NO, I DON’T KNOW.
>> Reporter: THE PRESIDENT ALSO
INSISTING THE PAYMENTS, WHICH
COHEN PLEADED GUILTY TO MAKING
AT MR. TRUMP’S DIRECTION, WERE
LEGAL.
LEGAL. >> THEY DIDN’T COME OUT OF THE
CAMPAIGN, AND THAT’S BIG.
BUT THEY WEREN’T -- THAT’S
NOT -- IT’S NOT EVEN A CAMPAIGN
VIOLATION.
VIOLATION. >> Reporter: AND WHEN PRESSED --
>> NOW HE’S SAYING THAT YOU
DIRECTED HIM TO MAKE THESE
PAYMENTS.
PAYMENTS. DID YOU DIRECT HIM TO MAKE THE
PAYMENTS?
PAYMENTS? >> HE MADE THE DEAL.
HE MADE THE DEALS.
AND, BY THE WAY, HE PLED TO TWO
COUNTS THAT AREN’T A CRIME.
WHICH NOBODY UNDERSTANDS.
I WATCHED A NUMBER OF SHOWS.
SOMETIMES YOU GET SOME PRETTY
GOOD INFORMATION BY WATCHING
SHOWS.
SHOWS. THOSE TWO COUNTS AREN’T EVEN A
CRIME.
CRIME. >> Reporter: ON WEDNESDAY, THE
WHITE HOUSE REPEATING THE SAME
LINE OF DEFENSE.
>> HE DID NOTHING WRONG.
HE DID NOTHING WRONG.
THERE ARE NO CHARGES AGAINST
HIM.
HIM. >> Reporter: MEANWHILE, THE
PRESIDENT ALSO PRAISING HIS NOW
CONVICTED FORMER CAMPAIGN
CHAIRMAN, PAUL MANAFORT, AS A
BRAVE MAN.
BRAVE MAN. HE WAS FOUND GUILTY THIS WEEK OF
FRAUD AND FINANCIAL CRIMES, BUT
MR. TRUMP DODGING A QUESTION
ABOUT WHETHER HE’LL PARDON
MANAFORT.
MANAFORT. >> AND I WOULD SAY WHAT HE DID,
SOME OF THE CHARGES THEY THREW
AGAINST HIM, EVERY CONSULTANT,
EVERY LOBBYIST IN WASHINGTON
PROBABLY DOES.
PROBABLY DOES. >> Reporter: ON CAPITOL HILL,
REPUBLICANS ALREADY FEARING
THEY’LL LOSE CRITICAL SEATS IN
THE MIDTERM HAD MIXED REACTIONS.
>> I DON’T THINK I’VE WITNESSED
ANYTHING LIKE I’VE WITNESSED
OVER THE LAST YEAR-AND-A-HALF.
>> I DON’T SEE ANY EVIDENCE THAT
THE PRESIDENT KNEW THEY HAD
COMMITTED THESE CRIMES.
>> Reporter: AND IN THE SWING
STATE OF FLORIDA, MANY OF THE
TRUMP FAITHFUL STANDING STRONG.
>> PAUL MANAFORT ISN’T DONALD
TRUMP.
TRUMP. I MEAN, HE DIDN’T DO THAT FOR
TRUMP.
TRUMP. HE DID IT FOR HIMSELF.
SO THAT DOESN’T AFFECT ME OR
AFFECT HOW I FEEL ABOUT TRUMP.
>> SO FAR, I’M WITH THE
PRESIDENT, BECAUSE I THINK THAT
HE IS TURNING THINGS AROUND.
AND I THINK WE’RE IN A BETTER
DIRECTION.
DIRECTION. >> Reporter: NOW, ACCORDING TO A
NEW "WALL STREET JOURNAL"
REPORT, THE FATHER OF MICHAEL
COHEN URGED HIS SON NOT TO
PROTECT HIS FORMER BOSS, TELLING
COHEN HE DID NOT SURVIVE THE
HOLOCAUST TO HAVE HIS NAME,
QUOTE, SULLIED BY PRESIDENT
TRUMP.
TRUMP. WE REACHED OUT TO COHEN’S
ATTORNEY FOR COMMENT, BUT SO FAR
NO RESPONSE.
NO RESPONSE. HODA AND SAVANNAH.
>> KRISTEN, THE PRESIDENT WAS
SAYING MORE IN THE FOX INTERVIEW
MOMENTS AGO.
MOMENTS AGO. HE ALSO TALKED ABOUT
IMPEACHMENT.
IMPEACHMENT. >> Reporter: SOME OF THE
PRESIDENT’S ALLIES HAVE
PRIVATELY EXPRESSED CONCERNS
ABOUT IMPEACHMENT.
ABOUT IMPEACHMENT. WE HAVE RARELY HEARD THE
PRESIDENT ADDRESS IT.
TODAY HE WEIGHED IN WITH THIS
REMARKABLE EXCHANGE.
REMARKABLE EXCHANGE. TAKE A LOOK.
>> I GUESS IT SAYS SOMETHING
LIKE HIGH CRIMES.
I DON’T KNOW HOW YOU CAN IMPEACH
SOMEBODY WHO HAS DONE A GREAT
JOB.
JOB. IF I EVER GOT IMPEACHED, I THINK
THE MARKET WOULD CRASH.
I THINK EVERYBODY WOULD BE VERY
POOR.
POOR. >> Reporter: SO A BIT OF A STERN
WARNING THERE.
WARNING THERE. NOW, LOOK, AS WE HAVE SEEN
CONSISTENTLY, MR. TRUMP’S
SUPPORT AMONG HIS BASE IS STILL
STEADFAST.
STEADFAST. YOU SAW THAT WITH THOSE VOTERS
IN FLORIDA THERE.
IN FACT, HE’S PLANNING TO
CAMPAIGN IN AT LEAST 15 STATES
AFTER LABOR DAY, HODA AND