SEE THAT? IT’S NOT THOSE RICH MAHOGANY
BOOKCASES YOU HAVE BUT SLEEP
WHITE.
WHITE. >> CAN WE DO THE NEWS?
>> YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT TRUMP
ALIGNING WITH PUTIN A LOT MORE?
>> YES.
>> YES. >> LOOK AT THIS.
>> THE WHITE HOUSE ACKNOWLEDGED
PRESIDENT TRUMP AND RUSSIAN
PRESIDENT VLADAMIR PUTIN
INFORMALLY MET AT BEUNOS AIRES
AT THE G20 SUMMIT BUT A NEW
REPORT ACKNOWLEDGES THEIR
CONVERSATION WAS LONGER, NO
SUBSTANTIVE AND INCLUDED NO
AMERICAN PERSONNEL.
AMERICAN PERSONNEL. IN NOVEMBER, TRUMP POINTEDLY
CANCELLED HIS SCHEDULED MEETING
WITH PUTIN.
WITH PUTIN. >> ALMOST LIKE A TREND HERE, A
FEAR THAT THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES EVER HAS AN
AMERICAN LISTENING TO HIS
CONVERSATIONS WITH VLADAMIR
PUTIN.
PUTIN. >> WITH PUTIN.
>> ALMOST.
>> ALMOST. >> OKAY.
>> OKAY. IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME.
>> IN NOVEMBER HE CANCELLED HIS
MEETING WITH PUTIN DUE TO
RUSSIA’S PROVOCATIVE ACTION TO
UKRAINIAN SHIPS AND SAILORS.
TRUMP TWEETED, I LOOK FORWARD TO
A MEANINGFUL MEETING AGAIN AS
SOON AS THIS SITUATION IS
RESOLVED.
RESOLVED. BUT THE LEADERS HUDDLED FOR
SEVERAL MINUTES AT THE END OF AN
EVENING EVENT WITH NO TRANSLATOR
OR NOTETAKER FROM THE U.S. SIDE
TO RECORD WHAT WAS SAID.
>> SUSAN, HERE’S ANOTHER THING.
WHY IS IT THAT THE TRANSLATOR’S
NEVER FROM THE AMERICAN SIDE.
IF IT IS ALWAYS TO BE ONE
TRANSLATOR, ALWAYS A TRANSLATOR
FOR VLADAMIR PUTIN BUT NEVER A
TRANSLATOR FOR THE AMERICAN
SIDE?
SIDE? >> BECAUSE PRESIDENT TRUMP DOES
NOT TRUST THE INTEL COMMUNITY,
HE DOES NOT TRUST HIS OWN STAFF.
THIS GOES BACK TO JARED KUSHNER
WANTED TO BACK CHANNEL WITH THE
RUSSIANS RIGHT AFTER THE
RUSSIANS AND WANTED AS AN OPEN
LINE OF COMMUNICATION.
HE HAS NOW SAID, I WILL FIND IT.
HE DOESN’T CARE IF HE’S NOT
UPDATING HIS SECURITY TEAM OR
INTEL TEAM.
INTEL TEAM. THAT’S ALSO WHAT’S GOOD ABOUT
YESTERDAY’S HEARING, THOSE
MEMBERS OF THE INTEL COMMUNITY
SAID WE ARE GOING TO BE HONEST,
WE ARE GOING TO BE
STRAIGHTFORWARD WITH THE
AMERICAN PUBLIC AND WE ARE NOT
AFRAID OF DONALD TRUMP.
>> THEY HAVE LIED TIME AND TIME
AGAIN.
AGAIN. I REMEMBER, I MEAN, THE GUY, I
SAID THIS BEFORE, MARCH OF 2017,
ASKING MARK HALPERIN, QUIET
UPSET ALL AROUND, THIS IS WHEN
THE WHOLE RUSSIAN THING STARTED
TO PERCOLATE, HE SAID, DON
JUNIOR FOR ONE.
I SAID, WHAT, DON JUNIOR, DOES
HE NOT HAVE A HUNTING LICENSE IN
IDAHO?
IDAHO? YOU AND MARK AND OTHERS DID
EXTRAORDINARY REPORTING ABOUT
ALL THESE CONTACTS WITH RUSSIANS
THAT DONALD TRUMP AND THE WHOLE
TEAM HAVE BEEN LYING ABOUT NOW
FOR TWO YEARS.
>> IT’S PRETTY AMAZING THE
EXTENT OF IT AND THE REPORTING
CATALOGING HOW MUCH IT’S BEEN.
TO SUSAN’S POINT A SECOND AGO, I
PUT A DONALD TRUMP SPIN ON THIS,
DONALD TRUMP DOESN’T TRUST HIS
COMMUNITY AND THERE IS A REASON
WHY AMERICAN PRESIDENTS EVEN IN
ONE-ON-ONES IN THE PAST, DO
ONE-ON-ONES WITH OTHER
PRESIDENTS AND HEADS OF STATE,
ALWAYS HAVE SOMEONE ON THEIR
SIDE THERE BECAUSE THE REST OF
THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO KNOW
WHAT’S SAID IN THAT MEETING AND
TO KEEP LATER ACCOUNTS HONEST
FROM THE OTHER SIDE.
TRUMP, FOR WHATEVER REASON,
WHATEVER HE’S TALKING TO WITH
VLADAMIR PUTIN IS STUFF HE DOES
NOT WANT ANY AMERICAN TO KNOW
ABOUT.
ABOUT. THAT RAISES ALL KIND OF -- A
SLIGHTLY CHILLING THING THIS
HAPPENS EVERY TIME HE MEETS WITH
PUTIN AND NOT REPORTED OR READ
OUT TO THE PRESS AND HAS NO ONE
FROM THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
EVER PRESENT.
EVER PRESENT. THAT PATTERN IS TRULY UNSETTLING
AND DISTURBING.
AND DISTURBING. >> JIM, THAT PATTERN HAS BEEN
WITH US A LONG TIME.
REMEMBER WHEN HE INVITED IN THE
RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER AND
RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR OF THE UNITED
STATES TO BRAG ABOUT THE FACT HE
FIRED JIM COMEY AND THEY DIDN’T
HAVE ANYTHING TO WORRY ABOUT
ANYMORE AND THE PRESSURE HAD
BEEN TAKEN OFF THE RUSSIAN
INVESTIGATION, HE EXCLUDED
AMERICAN REPORTERS FROM THAT
MEETING BUT ALLOWED RUSSIANS IN.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. I’VE GOT A LOT OF FRIENDS AND
FAMILY MEMBERS WHO ARE LIKE,
WAIT, OTHER PRESIDENTS HAVE DONE
THIS.
THIS. DIDN’T OBAMA DO THIS WITH PUTIN?
NO IS THE ANSWER.
I CAN’T REMEMBER A SINGLE TIME
IN HISTORY ONE OF OUR LEADERS
HAS MET WITH ADVERSARY MULTIPLE
TIMES THERE’S NOBODY ON THE
AMERICAN SIDE TAKING ANY NOTES
OR THERE TO TELL OTHER PEOPLE IN
THE GOVERNMENT WHAT ACTUALLY
TRANSPIRED.
TRANSPIRED. IT’S JUST PLAIN WEIRD.
YOU JUXTAPOSE THAT WITH WHAT YOU
WERE TALKING ABOUT THE TOP OF
THE SHOW.
THE SHOW. THIS IDEA OF THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY OR APPARATUS OR
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SAYING THE
OPPOSITE WHAT THEIR BOSS SAYS
ABOUT ISIS OR RUSSIA.
THAT DOESN’T HAPPEN.
IT’S NEVER HAPPENED WITH THIS
LEVEL OF CONSISTENCY WHERE THEY
BREAK, BASED ON DATA AND
INTELLIGENCE FROM WHAT THE
PRESIDENT SAYS RHETORICALLY IN
PUBLIC.
PUBLIC. THOSE TWO THINGS, THEY MIGHT NOT
BE IMPEACHABLE AND THEY MIGHT
NOT BE ENOUGH TO MOVE TRUMP
VOTERS, BUT THEY ARE JUST PLAIN
WEIRD AND THEY BREAK FROM
HISTORICAL PRECEDENT.
HISTORICAL PRECEDENT. >> SO THE REPORT --
>> QUICKLY --
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> THIS ISN’T LIKE OBAMA’S DEEP
STATE.
STATE. >> NO.
>> NO. >> THESE ARE ALL REPUBLICANS,
ALL APPOINTED BY DONALD TRUMP,
CHRISTOPHER WRAY, AS WE HEARD
YESTERDAY, WAS SUGGESTED BY
GOVERNOR CHRIS CHRISTIE, JENA
WAS NOT A REPUBLICAN PICK,
RUNNING THE CIA.
REPUBLICAN AMBASSADOR AND
REPUBLICAN THROUGH AND THROUGH
ALSO PICKED BY DONALD TRUMP,
CONFIRMED BY -- THESE ARE ALL
REPUBLICANS SAYING WHAT THE
PRESIDENT IS TELLING YOU IS JUST
A LIE.
A LIE. WHAT THE PRESIDENT IS TELLING
YOU IS NOT WHAT’S HAPPENING IN
THE WORLD.
THE WORLD. IT’S HAPPENING TIME AND TIME
AGAIN.
AGAIN. EVEN THE DHS SECRETARY SAID THAT
VLADAMIR PUTIN AND RUSSIA POSE A
DIRECT THREAT TO AMERICAN
DEMOCRATIC.
DEMOCRATIC. SHE SAID IT UNDER TESTIMONY, SHE
SAID IT ON CAPITOL HILL.
SERIOUSLY.
SERIOUSLY. HE JUST KEEPS DENYING AND
DENYING WHAT EVERYBODY IN HIS
GOVERNMENT AND IN THE MILITARY
ARE SAYING.
ARE SAYING. >> SO, SOME MORE DETAILS FROM
THIS REPORT, NOT INDEPENDENTLY
CONFIRMED BY NBC NEWS, PEOPLE
WHO HAD DIRECT KNOWLEDGE OF THE
ENCOUNTER OR WERE BRIEFED ON IT,
CLAIMS THE DISCUSSION OCCURRED
AT A THEATER AS WORLD LEADERS
AND THEIR SPOUSES WERE STREAMING
OUT OF THE BUILDING, PRESIDENT
TRUMP ACCOMPANIED BY HIS WIFE,
MELANIA, BUT NO STAFF AND
PRESIDENT TRUMP WITH HIS
TRANSLATOR, THE FOUR SAT AT A
TABLE AND WERE AMONG THE LAST TO
LEAVE.
LEAVE. A RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT LEADER
TELLS THE FINANCIAL TIMES THE
TWO SPEAK ABOUT 15 MINUTES ABOUT
A NUMBER OF FOREIGN POLICY
ISSUES, INCLUDING THE SEA
INCIDENT WITH UKRAINE AND
CONFLICT IN SYRIA.
THEY ALSO DISCUSSED WHEN THEY
COULD HAVE A FORMAL MEETING THE
OFFICIAL SAID.
OFFICIAL SAID. THE WHITE HOUSE DECLINED FORMAL
COMMENT.
COMMENT. THIS IS INCREDIBLE.
>> 15 MINUTES PALES TO WHAT WE
HAVE SEEN BEFORE, TWO HOURS AT
HELSINKI WITH NO TRANSLATORS, NO
NATIONAL SECURITY OF ADVISOR OR
SECRETARY OF STATE TO BE NEXT TO
DONALD TRUMP.
DONALD TRUMP. THINK OF THOSE TWO NARRATORS.
DONALD TRUMP AND VLADAMIR PUTIN
TRYING TO EXPLAIN EXACTLY WHAT
HAPPENED AND NO ACCOUNT WHAT
HAPPENED IN THAT ROOM.
IMAGINE YOU WERE PRESIDENT
TRUMP, A PERSON UNDER
INVESTIGATION FOR WORKING WITH
RUSSIA.
RUSSIA. YOUR CAMPAIGN WORKED WITH
RUSSIA.
RUSSIA. WHAT WOULD YOU DO AS A PR
MATTER?
MATTER? WOULDN’T YOU HAVE AS MANY PEOPLE
IN A ROOM AS YOU COULD?
WOULDN’T YOU HAVE TRANSLATORS
AND ADVISORS?
AND ADVISORS? >> SOMEBODY FROM YOUR COUNTRY.
>> OF COURSE I DON’T HAVE A
STRANGE RELATIONSHIP WITH
VLADAMIR PUTIN, IT’S ALL OUT IN
THE OPEN.
THE OPEN. HE’S DOING THE EXACT OPPOSITE.
>> NOT ONLY THAT, THE STORY
SOURCED BY A RUSSIAN OFFICIAL.
THIS WASN’T COMING FROM U.S.
SOURCES.
SOURCES. THIS IS RUSSIA SAYING, WE ARE
GOING TO INTERFERE EVEN MORE
WITH THIS PRESIDENT BY DOING
THIS.
THIS. >> JOHN HEILEMANN, WHAT THIS
SHOWS US IS, AGAIN, THE
RUSSIANS, AT EVERY ONE OF THESE
MEETINGS, HAVE ALL THE
READ-OUTS.
READ-OUTS. THEY KNOW WHAT GOES ON IN THESE
MEETINGS SO THEY CAN PREPARE IN
THE FUTURE.
THE FUTURE. I LOVE WHAT JIM VANDEHEI SAYS,
THIS NEVER HAPPENS.
NEVER HAPPENS REPEATEDLY LIKE
THIS, ESPECIALLY IT KEEPS
HAPPENING.
HAPPENING. USUALLY, A PRESIDENT IS NOT
ALLOWED TO TALK TO ANYBODY
WITHOUT HAVING SOMEBODY THERE,
WITHOUT GETTING THE FULL NOTES
BACK TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT,
BACK TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISOR SO THEY CAN PLAN THEIR
STRATEGY TOWARDS A COUNTRY THAT
SEES THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA AS AN ENEMY.
WE MAY SEE THE RUSSIANS AS AN
ADVERSARY, VLADAMIR PUTIN SEES
THE UNITED STATES AS AN ENEMY.
>> DONALD TRUMP IS IN NO
POSITION TO DISPUTE ANYTHING
THEY SAID.
THEY SAID. TRUMP SAYS, THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN
IN THE MEETING.
HE’S NEVER DONE THAT.
IF HE EVER DID, FOUND HIMSELF IN
A SITUATION THE RETURN MEDIA
SIDE SPUN IN A CERTAIN WAY, THAT
I DON’T HAPPEN, HE HAS NO
RECOURSE FROM ANY OTHER PERSON
THAT WAS THERE, I HAVE NOTES
FROM THE MEETING, THE NATIONAL
SECURITY ADVISOR NEVER SAID
THIS, HE’S IN A POSITION NOW
HE’S VULNERABLE TO RUSSIAN SPIN
AND MISINFORMATION AND PUTS
HIMSELF IN A SITUATION HE CAN BE
PRIVATELY MANIPULATED BY
VLADAMIR PUTIN AND BRINGS US
BACK TO THE LARGE QUESTIONS
HERE, WHAT IS IT VLADAMIR PUTIN
HAS ON DONALD TRUMP THAT COMPELS
HIM TO ALLOW -- FOR VLADAMIR
PUTIN TO CALL THE SHOTS HOW
THESE MEETINGS ARE SET UP AND
WHY DOES DONALD TRUMP CAP PIT
LATE OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
CAPITULATE --
CAPITULATE -- >> AND WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH
HELSINKI WHERE DONALD TRUMP
SAYS, I TAKE THE WORD OF AN
EX-KBG AGENT OVER MY OWN
HAND-PICKED FBI DIRECTOR, MY OWN
HAND-PICKED DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL
AGAINST, MY OWN HAND-PICKED
JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF.
MY OWN HAND-PICKED NATIONAL
SECURITY ESTABLISHMENT.
SECURITY ESTABLISHMENT. MY OWN HAND-PICKED -- YOU CAN GO
DOWN THE LIST -- JIM VANDEHEI,
YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR RELATIVES, I
CAN TALK ABOUT MY RELATIVES WHEN
ISSUES LIKE THIS COME UP.
I WONDER HOW VOTERS, ESPECIALLY
IN YOUR HOME STATE OF WISCONSIN,
WHICH SEEMS TO ME TO BE SORT OF
THE FLORIDA FLORIDA OF 2020, IT
IS REALLY THE STATE THAT
DETERMINES WHETHER DONALD TRUMP
HAS ANY CHANCE OF REPEATING
AGAIN IN 2020.
WHAT ARE PEOPLE IN WISCONSIN
SAYING?
SAYING? HOW DO THEY SQUARE UP THE FACT
DONALD TRUMP IS SIDING WITH
VLADAMIR PUTIN ON ISSUES
REGARDING RUSSIA AND SURIA AND
AND -- AND SYRIA AND NORTH KOREA
AND THE FBI DIRECTOR AND CIA
DIRECTOR AND DIRECTOR OF
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND
REPUBLICAN HAND-PICKED DONALD
TRUMP EMPLOYEES?
TRUMP EMPLOYEES? >> THERE’S NOT A TON OF EVIDENCE
TRUMP IS LOSING THAT MUCH
SUPPORT FROM HIS BASE.
I DON’T KNOW THEY’RE WATCHING
THIS LIKE WE ARE, SAYING, MY
GOSH, I’M CONNECTING THESE DOTS
AND DON’T WANT TO SUPPORT DONALD
TRUMP.
TRUMP. >> SHOULDN’T THEY?
>> THEY SHOULD BE.
YOU COULD WATCH THE FIRST 15
MINUTES AND SAY, GEEZ, YOU GUYS
ARE ALL VERY CONSPIRATORIAL.
THERE IS NOTHING THAT IS NOT A
FACT SO FAR.
ON CAPITOL HILL YESTERDAY, YOU
HAVE REPUBLICANS SAYING IT WOULD
BE DANGEROUS TO DO WHAT DONALD
TRUMP SAID IN SYRIA.
WHO WANTS US TO GET OUT OF SYRIA
PRECIPITOUSLY?
PRECIPITOUSLY? VLADAMIR PUTIN.
VLADAMIR PUTIN. THAT’S ABOUT IT.
IT MAY BE TURKEY, MAY BE A FEW
OTHERS THAT WANT US OUT
PRECIPITOUSLY.
PRECIPITOUSLY. WAIT A MINUTE, YOU SHOULDN’T DO
THAT.
THAT. REPUBLICANS ON THE HILL WHO TEND
TO BACK HIM ON ANYTHING, NO, WE
DON’T AGREE TO THAT EITHER.
YOU HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION.
YES, THEY’RE NOT ALL LINKED BUT
ALL COUNTER TO HOW WE’VE DONE
BUSINESS IN WASHINGTON AND
GOVERNMENT, YOU HAVE TO ZERO IN
ON IT AND START TO ASK THOSE
QUESTIONS.
QUESTIONS. WHY?
WHY? GO BACK, WHAT DOES VLADAMIR
PUTIN HAVE OVER TRUMP?
THAT USED TO BE VERY
CONSPIRATORIAL WHEN YOU SAY IT.
WE NOW KNOW IF YOU LISTEN TO
RUDY GUILIANI AND PEOPLE IN THIS
WHITE HOUSE, THERE WAS POTENTIAL
ACTIVITY GOING ON, A POTENTIAL
BUSINESS DEAL THROUGHOUT THE
CAMPAIGN FOR TRUMP TO HAVE A
PROPERTY IN MOSCOW, COORDINATION
BETWEEN MICHAEL COHEN, HIS RIGHT
HAND PERSON AND MOSCOW.
MOSCOW KNEW THAT.
PUTIN KNEW THAT.
PUTIN KNOWS EVERY SINGLE THING
THAT HAPPENS IN RUSH, CONTACT
THAT HAPPENS AND THAT IS ONE
THING YOU WOULD HAVE DANGLING
OVER HIM.
OVER HIM. >> IT IS.
>> IT IS. THERE ARE SO MANY COINCIDENCES.
IF YOU’RE SITTING AT A CRAPS
TABLE AND SOMEBODY ROLLS SNAKE
EYES ONCE, BUT IF THEY DO IT 47
TIMES IN A ROW, THE DIE ARE
LOADED, RIGHT?
LOADED, RIGHT? >> IT’S VERY CONCERNING.
>> ANYBODY HERE WATCH SHERLOCK.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> THERE’S THAT AMAZING SCONE
WHERE MYTHE OLDER BROTHER IS
YELLING IN SHERLOCK’S BRAIN AND
WHAT DO WE SAY ABOUT
COINCIDENCE, SHERLOCK, SHERLOCK
RESPOND, THE UNIVERSE IS RARELY
SO LAZY.
SO LAZY. THESE ARE NOT COINCIDENCES.
YOU CAN GO ALL THE WAY BACK TO
DONALD TRUMP ON THIS SHOW IN
DECEMBER OF 2015, SAYING
VLADAMIR PUTIN WAS A STRONGER
LEADER THAN AMERICAN LEADERS AND
HE DIDN’T CARE HE ASSASSINATED
PEOPLE, THAT U.S. TROOPS IN IRAQ
KILLED PEOPLE, TOO.
GO BACK TO THAT.
IT’S ONE AFTER ANOTHER AFTER
ANOTHER EXAMPLE.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE. AFTER A WHILE, THE COINCIDENCES,
THERE IS NO EXPLANATION HERE.
AGAIN, ON WHAT VLADAMIR PUTIN
WANTS THE MOST, TAKING OVER THE
MIDDLE EAST.
MIDDLE EAST. GETTING THE UNITED STATES OUT OF
SYRIA.
SYRIA. DONALD TRUMP IS THE ONLY PERSON
IN WASHINGTON, D.C. OTHER THAN
RAND PAUL, HE DOESN’T REALLY
COUNT, DOES HE, THAT WANTS US
OUT OF SYRIA.
>> THE THING I KEEP COMING BACK
TO, IT’S NOT AN AMERICA FIRST
POLICY, A DONALD TRUMP POLICY.
>> IT’S A RUSSIA FIRST POLICY.
>> IT IS ALWAYS ABOUT DONALD
TRUMP.
TRUMP. IT ALWAYS COMES BACK TO THAT.
ANY TIME YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY
DOES HE HAVE A SECRET ONE-ON-ONE
WITH VLADAMIR PUTIN OR DOES ANY
OF THE THINGS HE DOES, HE DOES
IT BECAUSE IT IS IN HIS BEST
INTERESTS AND HOPEFULLY WE WILL
LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT THOSE
INTERESTS ARE.
INTERESTS ARE. >> JIM VANDEHEI, THANK YOU VERY
MUCH.
MUCH. STILL AHEAD ON "MORNING JOE,"
NEW POLLING SAYS VOTERS HAVE
MORE FAITH IN DEMOCRATS THAN THE
PRESIDENT AND REPUBLICANS
INCLUDING OVER BORDER SECURITY.
>> MORE CONFIDENCE IN NANCY
PELOSI.
PELOSI. >> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. THAN DONALD TRUMP.
>> NANCY WINS BIG TIME ON THAT
ONE.
ONE. >> RUNNING AGAINST NANCY PELOSI,
THAT REALLY WORKED FOR YOU
REPUBLICANS LAST TIME.
TRY THAT AGAIN.
>>> PLUS, SENATOR ELIZABETH
WARREN TAKES ON THE WEALTHIEST