THIS IS THE FIRST CASE OFF OF A BIG WITNESS TESTIFYING BEFORE A
CONGRESS, A CONGRESSIONAL
COMMITTEE NOW CONTROLLED BY
DEMOCRATS WHO ARE GOING TO CALL
WITNESSES AND ASK QUESTIONS THAT
HAVE NOT BEEN ASKED FOR THE LAST
TWO YEARS.
TWO YEARS. >> WE WANT TO THANK EMILY JANE
FOXX FOR COMING IN, KEEPING US
POSED ON MICHAEL COHEN NEWS.
NOW IN A LATE-NIGHT TWITTER
EXCHANGE, PRESIDENT TRUMP BACKED
DOWN TO SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
NANCY PELOSI ON THE STATE OF THE
UNION THIS TUESDAY,
ACKNOWLEDGING THAT SHE CONTROLS
THE REAL ESTATE ON CAPITOL HILL.
IN TWEETS SENT AFTER 11 P.M. IN
WASHINGTON, THE PRESIDENT WROTE,
"AS THE SHUTDOWN WAS GOING ON,
NANCY PELOSI ASKED ME TO GIVE
THE STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS.
I AGREED.
I AGREED. SHE THEN CHANGED HER MIND
BECAUSE OF THE SHUTDOWN,
SUGGESTING A LATER DAY.
THIS IS HER PREROGATIVE.
I WILL DO THE ADDRESS WHEN THE
SHUTDOWN IS OVER.
I’M NOT LOOKING FOR AN
ALTERNATIVE VEN UP FORUE FOR THE
ADDRESS BECAUSE THERE IS NO
VENUE THAT CAN COMPETE WITH THE
HISTORY, TRADITION AND
IMPORTANCE OF THE HOUSE CHAMBER.
I LOOK FORWARD TO GIVING A GREAT
STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS IN
THE NEAR FUTURE.
AND THE SPEAKER RESPONDED BY
SAYING "I HOPE BY SAYING "NEAR
FUTURE" YOU MEAN YOU WILL
SUPPORT THE HOUSE-PASSED PACK
AND TO END THE SHUTDOWN THAT THE
SENATE WILL VOTE ON TOMORROW.
PLEASE ACCEPT THIS PROPOSAL SOS
WE CAN REOPEN GOVERNMENT, REPAY
OUR FEDERAL WORKERS AND THEN
NEGOTIATE OUR DIFFERENCES."
IT SEEMS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN
HIS LIFE HERE, GOT THE ANSWER NO
AND HAD TO LIVE WITH IT.
>> SPEAKER PELOSI HAS HELD THE
LINE AND IT SEEMS SHE’S THE ONE
PERSON PRESIDENT TRUMP ACTUALLY
RESPECTS IN WASHINGTON.
THE WAY HE ADDRESSES HER AND
RESPOND TOS IT HER DEMANDS AND
REQUESTS IS UNLIKE ANY OTHERS.
WE HAVE A REPUBLICAN BILL, A
DEMOCRAT BILL, NEITHER SECOND TO
GET THE 60 VOTES IT NEEDS.
DOES THAT GET PEOPLE A LITTLE
BIT CLOSER TO SOMETHING TO END
THE SHUTDOWN HERE?
>> YES AND NO.
THERE’S TWO DISTINCT DYNAMICS
HAPPENING AT THE SAME TIME.
NUMBER ONE, THERE IS THIS THAW
IN WHICH NANCY PELOSI IS PUTTING
BORDER WALL MONEY ON TABLE AND
SAYING SHE’S LOOKING TO GET SOME
SORT OF COMPROMISE IN THE COMING
WEEKS.
WEEKS. SHE IS NOW SAYING SHE WILL GIVE
UPWARDS OF $5 BILLION, HER
ALLIES AND AIDES ARE TELLING US
THIS BUT NO WALL MONEY.
SHE DOESN’T WANT ANY MONEY FOR
THE WALL BUT SHE’S WILLING TO
TALK ABOUT BORDER SECURITY.
THEN YOU HAVE THIS INCREDIBLE
STANDOFF.
STANDOFF. REPUBLICANS WERE DARING NANCY
PELOSI TO DISINVITE FORMALLY
FROM GIVING THE STATE OF THE
UNION.
UNION. NANCY PELOSI DID IT WITHOUT
BLINKING AN EYE AND THE
PRESIDENT BACKED DOWN.
IT DOES REESTABLISH PELOSI AS
THE -- IT ESTABLISHES HER
PRIMACY ON CAPITOL HILL, WHICH
IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT IN THIS
TIT FOR TAT WITH THE PRESIDENT.
IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS,
NANCY PELOSI AND MITCH McCONNELL
NEED TO GET ENGIDGEDAGED WITH EA
OTHER.
OTHER. THEY’RE THE ONLY TWO PEOPLE LOOK
WITH CHUCK SCHUMER THAT CAN GET
A DEAL.
A DEAL. THE CONTOURS OF THE DEAL WILL BE
A BIG BORDER PACKAGE, SEVERAL
BILLION DOLLAR, MAYBE MODEST
CHANGES TO IMMIGRATION POLICY
AND MAYBE A PROMISE THEY’LL LOOK
AT FURTHER WAYS TO SECURE THE
BORDER.
BORDER. THE PRESIDENT, ACCORDING TO
PELOSI, WHO CONTROLS THE HOUSE,
SHE’S NOT GETTING -- HE’S NOT
GETTING ANY MONEY FOR THE WALL,
SHE’S NOT GIVING IT AND THOSE
DYNAMICS ARE NOT GOING TO
CHANGE.
CHANGE. >> SO ANOTHER NEW POLL SHOWS
THAT THE SHUTDOWN IS CRASHING
PRESIDENT TRUMP’S APPROVAL
RATING.
RATING. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, AN ORC
POLL, PUTS THE PRESIDENT’S JOB
APPROVAL AT JUST 34%, DOWN EIGHT
POINTS FROM DECEMBER.
MEANWHILE, DISAPPROVAL OF HIS
PERFORMANCE HAS CLIMBED UP TO
65%, UP NINE POINTS FROM JUST
BEFORE THE SHUTDOWN BEGAN.
HIS RATING IS NEAR ITS LOWEST IN
TWO YEARS, DROPPING
SIGNIFICANTLY AMONG
SIGNIFICANTLY AMONG INDEPENDENTS.
INDEPENDENTS. THIS AFTER A CBS NEWS POLL FOUND
HIS APPROVAL RATING HAS FALLEN
TO 36%.
TO 36%. ASKED IN A SEPARATE QUESTION IF
A BORDER WALL IS WORTH THE
GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, 71% SAID
NO.
NO. STILL, THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
IS REPORTEDLY ASKING AGENCY
LEADERS FOR A LIST OF PROGRAMS
THAT WOULD BE AFFECTED IF THE
SHUTDOWN CONTINUES FOR THE NEXT
SEVERAL WEEKS.
SEVERAL WEEKS. A SENIOR OFFICIAL WITH THE
OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
TELLS NBC NEWS, QUOTE, PRUDENT
MANAGEMENT MEANS PLANNING AND
PREPARING FOR EVENTS WITHOUT
KNOWN END DATES.
UNFUN
UNFUN UNFUNDED AGENCIES ARE BEING
ASKED TO SHARE WITH OMB AN
ONGOING LIST OF PROGRAMS THAT
COULD BE IMPACTED WITHIN THE
COMING WEEKS.
COMING WEEKS. WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF MICK
MULVANEY HAS PRESSED AGENCY
LEADERS FOR A LIST OF
HIGH-IMPACT PROGRAMS THAT WOULD
BE JEOPARDIZED IF THE SHUTDOWN
CONTINUES INTO MARCH AND APRIL?
PEOPLE FAMILIAR WITH THE
DIRECTIVE TOLD "THE POST"
MULVANEY WANTS THE LIST NO LATER
THAN FRIDAY AND IT’S FURTHER
EVIDENCE THE WHITE HOUSE IS
PREPARING FOR A LENGTHY FUNDING
LAPSE AT THAT COULD HAVE
SNOWBALLING CONSEQUENCES FOR THE
ECONOMY AND GOVERNMENT SERVICES.
MEANWHILE CHIEF KEVIN HASSETT
SAID THERE COULD BE ZERO GROWTH
IF THE SHUTDOWN CONTINUES.
>> COULD WE GET ZERO GROWTH?
>> YES, WE COULD.
IF IT EXTENDED FOR THE WHOLE
QUARTER AND GIVEN THE FACT IN A
THE FIRST QUARTER TENDS TO BE
LOW BECAUSE OF RESIDUALS, YOU
COULD END UP WITH A NUMBER VERY
CLOSE TO ZERO.
>> IN TERMS OF THE WORKERS WHO
ARE COMING TO WORK AND NOT
GETTING PAID, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY
TO THEM?
TO THEM? >> LISTEN, IT’S NOT FAIR TO YOU
AND WE ALL GET THAT BUT THIS IS
SO MUCH BIGGER THAN ANY ONE
PERSON.
PERSON. IT IS A LITTLE BIT OF PAIN BUT
IT’S GOING TO BE FOR THE FUTURE
OF OUR COUNTRY.
>> LARA TRUMP SAYING IT’S A
LITTLE BIT OF PAIN.
SHE SAID SHE WAS MISUNDERSTOOD.
IT’S NOT A LITTLE BIT OF PAIN,
THOUGH.
THOUGH. A LOT OF PAIN.
A LOT OF HUMAN SUFFERING ACROSS
THE COUNTRY.
THE COUNTRY. MILLIONS OF AMERICAN PEOPLE.
MICHAEL STEELE, LOOK AT THESE
POLL NUMBERS AND TELL ME HOW
REPUBLICANS WOULDN’T AT THIS
POINT BE URGING MITCH McCONNELL
TO FIGURE SOMETHING OUT BECAUSE
THIS CANNOT GO ON UNTIL MARCH
AND APRIL AND HAD WHITE HOUSETHI
IS PREPARING FOR IT TO GO ON.
ARE REPUBLICANS GOING TO STAY
WITH THIS?
WITH THIS? >> I THINK WHAT YOU’RE SEEING
WITH THESE VOTES IN THE SENATE
IS WE’RE NOT WATCHING THE ICE
BREAK BUT WE’RE HEARING IT
CREEK.
CREEK. THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE END
OF THE SHUTDOWN.
WE’RE GOING TO SEE AN EFFORT --
AFTER WE SEE THAT THE
PRESIDENT’S PLAN CAN’T PASS AND
THE DEMOCRATS’ PLAN CAN’T PASS,
YOU’RE GOING TO SEE PROBABLY
MITCH McCONNELL AND NANCY PELOSI
WORKING TO THE TO SEE THE
COMPROMISED LANGUAGE TO GET THE
GOVERNMENT OPEN AGAIN, NOT
TODAY, NOT TOMORROW, BUT IN A
WEEK OR TWO.
THE WALL IS NOT A REAL POLICY.
THERE ARE PLACES ON THE BORDER
WHERE A PHYSICAL BARRIER MAKES
SENSE.
SENSE. THERE ARE PLACES WHERE IT
DOESN’T.
DOESN’T. YOU CAN IMPROVE AND INCREASE
SECURITY WITHOUT BUILDING A
GAME-STYLE WALL ACROSS THE
SOUTHERN BORDER OF THE UNITED
STATES AND THAT’S WHAT WE’RE
GOING TO DO.
>> WILLIE, CAN DEMOCRATS GIVE
HIM SOME SYMBOLIC FACE SAVING
AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR A STUPID
WALL?
WALL? IS THERE ANY MOVEMENT HERE
THAT’S POSSIBLE WITH MITCH
McCONNELL?
McCONNELL? >> SURE.
>> SURE. THIS IS GOING TO END WITH A
TYPICAL WASHINGTON FUDGE WHERE
DEMOCRATS WILL AGREE TO
ADDITIONAL MONEY FOR BORDER
SECURITY AND THEY WILL SAY
THERE’S NO WALL, WE’RE NOT
GIVING MONEY FOR A WALL, THEY’RE
NOT GOING TO BUILD A WALL.
THE PRESIDENT WILL SAY LOOK AT
ALL THIS MONEY I GOT TO BUILD A
WALL AND IMPROVE BORDER SECURITY
AND EVERYBODY LIVES TO SEE
ANOTHER DAY.
ANOTHER DAY. >> FINAL FORMER SECURITY
SECRETARIES ARE CALLING ON THE
PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS TO END
THE SHUTDOWN.
THE SHUTDOWN. NBC NEWS HAS OBTAINED A COPY OF
THE LETTER.
THE LETTER. IT STATES ONE OF THE UNFORTUNATE
CONSEQUENCES OF THE SHUTDOWN HAS
BEEN THE NEED FOR SOME HOMELAND
SECURITY EMPLOYEES TO SEEK
UNEMPLOYMENT OR TO FIND A NEW
JOB.
JOB. THE LETTER READS IN PART, "WE
WRITE TO YOU TODAY WITH A SIMPLE
MESSAGE, FUND THE CRITICAL
MESSAGE OF DHS.
HOMELAND SECURITY IS NATIONAL
SECURITY.
SECURITY. DHS HAS A VITAL MISSION TO
SECURITY THE NATION FROM THE
MANY THREATS WE FACE."
AND GROUPS REPRESENTING AVIATION
OFFICIALS ARE SOUNDING THE ALARM
ABOUT THE GROWING RISK TO PUBLIC
SAFETY.
SAFETY. YESTERDAY THE UNION REPRESENTING
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS, PILOTS
AND FLIGHT ATTENDANTS RELEASED
THIS JOINT STATEMENT, QUOTE, IN
OUR RISK AVERSE INDUSTRY WE
CANNOT EVEN CALCULATE THE LEVEL
OF RISK CURRENTLY AT PLAY NOR
PREDICT THE POINT AT WHICH THE
ENTIRE SYSTEM WILL BREAK.
IT IS UNPRECEDENTED."
>> GO BACK TO JOHN KELLY FOR A
SECOND.
SECOND. HE HAS SIGNED ON TO A LETTER
SAYING END THE SHUTDOWN.
>> WELL, HE KNOWS HOW STUPID THE
SHUTDOWN IS AND HOW REALLY
RELATIVELY EASY IT WOULD BE TO
END THE SHUTDOWN IF BOTH SIDES
WERE NOT SO DUG IN AND THE
POLITICS OF THIS WERE NOT SO
POLARIZED.
POLARIZED. MICHAEL STEELE, WHO WORKED FOR
JOHN BOEHNER, I MEAN, JOHN
BOEHNER HAD A VERY GOOD
RELATIONSHIP WITH FORMER CHIEF
OF STAFF BILL DALY IN THE OBAMA
WHITE HOUSE, THEY SPOKE
REGULARLY, THEY ALMOST GOT A BIG
BUDGET DEAL DONE.
DIDN’T HAPPEN.
DIDN’T HAPPEN. BUT THEY WERE SPEAKING TO EACH
OTHER.
OTHER. NOW IT SEEMS BOTH SIDES ARE SO
FROZEN IN THEIR LACK OF MOVEMENT
THAT WE HAVE THE ACTING CHIEF OF
STAFF, MICK MULVANEY, TALKING
ABOUT WHAT TO DO TO PREPARE FOR
AN EXTENDED SHUTDOWN INTO MARCH
OR APRIL.
OR APRIL. SUSAN, I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU,
BUT WATCHING THIS PLAY OUT IS
JUST A STUNNING, STUNNING
PORTRAIT OF COMPLETE IGNORANCE
ON BOTH SIDES OF WHAT THE
REALITY OF THIS SHUTDOWN IS
DOING NOT JUST TO THE 800,000
PEOPLE NOT GETTING A CHECK FOR
THE SECOND TIME, BUT TO THE
COUNTRY ITSELF.
COUNTRY ITSELF. >> YOU KNOW, IT’S COLD COMFORT
TO PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY,
ESPECIALLY THE FEDERAL WORKERS
BY THIS THAT THEY SEE THIS TIT
FOR TAT DEBATE GOING ON IN
WASHINGTON, BUT I THINK THAT IS
THE FORCE THAT IS GOING TO MAKE
THIS GET RESOLVED.
YOU KNOW, YOU THINK ABOUT WHO
BROKE YESTERDAY WITH THE
PRESIDENT?
PRESIDENT? COREY GARDNER TOLD THE "DENVER
POST," HE WOULD VOTE FOR THE
DEMOCRATIC BILL COMING UP IN THE
SENATE TODAY.
SENATE TODAY. COREY GARDNER UP FOR REELECTION
IN COLORADO NEXT YEAR.
JUST FINISHED A TERM AS CHAIRMAN
OF THE SENATE CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE
ARM FOR THE GOP.
THAT’S A MESSAGE THAT SENATORS
AND CONGRESSMEN ON THE
REPUBLICAN SIDE AS WELL AS THE
DEMOCRATIC SIDE ARE HEARING FROM
PEOPLE, FROM THEIR CONSTITUENTS,
THAT THIS NEEDS TO STOP AND NOT
IN MARCH OR APRIL.
THAT WOULD BE EXTRAORDINARY FOR
THIS TO EXTEND INTO THEN.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> ALL RIGHT.
SO, JAKE, LOOKING FORWARD TO
WHETHER OR NOT GETTING MITCH
McCONNELL TO MOVE ON THIS AND
MITCH McCONNELL PERHAPS TO
APPEAL TO THE PRESIDENT THAT
THIS ISN’T WORKING, THAT THE
ONLY PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE
APPEALED TO HERE IS THAT HARD
CORE BASE THAT MOST OF AMERICA
DOESN’T WANT THIS WALL BUT
YOU’VE GOT HUMAN SUFFERING HERE
AND DANGER TO THE COUNTRY.
ISN’T THIS UPON MITCH McCONNELL
AT THIS POINT TO MAKE THE
PRESIDENT UNDERSTAND HIS FANTASY
HAS TO END?
>> IT IS BECAUSE HE’S GOING TO
HAVE A MEMBER MANAGEMENT
PROBLEM.
PROBLEM. MITCH McCONNELL UNDERSTANDS
THAT.
THAT. RIGHT NOW THE DAM HAS NOT BROKEN
BUT IT IS SHOWING SIGNING OF
CRACK, OF CREEKING I GUESS IS
THE WORD I’M LOOKING FOR.
PU I DON’T KNOW WHEN THAT MOMENT
WILL COME, BUT WHEN IT DOES
COME, I DO BELIEVE HAVING
COVERED McCONNELL FOR SO LONG, I
DO BELIEVE WHEN HE GOES TO THE
PRESIDENT WITH THAT INFORMATION,
THE PRESIDENT WILL HAVE TO
LISTEN TO HIM.
ONCE McCONNELL DECIDES TO MOVE,
HE WILL BE ABLE TO OVERRIDE A
VETO AT SOME POINT IN THE COMING
DAYS OR WEEKS.
IT’S PROBABLY WITHIN THE NEXT
TWO OR THREE WEEKS, WHEN HE
DECIDES TO MOVE, EVERYONE WILL
FOLLOW HIM.
FOLLOW HIM. WHEN HE DECIDES TO MOVE, IT WILL
BE A SIGN FOR THE PRESIDENT THAT
IT’S TIME TO END THIS THING AND
END IT WITH WHAT MIKE IS A
FUDGE.
FUDGE. THE PRESIDENT’S AGENDA IS
COMPLETELY STALLED AT THE
MOMENT.
MOMENT. EVERYTHING IS FOLKED ON THIS
POLITICAL FIGHT.
POLITICAL FIGHT. >> JAKE SHERMAN, THANK YOU VERY
MUCH.
MUCH. AND STILL AHEAD ON "MORNING
JOE", THE FBI AGENTS ASSOCIATION
SAYS THE SHUTDOWN IS HURTING
NATIONAL SECURITY.
NATIONAL SECURITY. WE’RE GOING TO TALK TO THE
GROUP’S PRESIDENT, WHO
REPRESENTS 14,000 ACTIVE AND
FORMER AGENTS.
FORMER AGENTS. >>ALSO AHEAD, SOME MAJOR
DEVELOPMENTS ON THE
INTERNATIONAL STAGE.