>>> WE GET THESE POLL NUMBERS, AND A LOT OF THEM ARE FAKE
POLLS.
POLLS. I CALL THEM FAKE POLLS.
>> CNN SUCKS!
>> COME TO THINK OF IT, WHO GETS
ATTACKED MORE THAN ME?
BEN?
BEN? DOES ANYBODY -- I AM -- I GET
ATTACKED.
ATTACKED. I GET ATTACKED.
MAYBE MORE.
MAYBE MORE. MAYBE.
MAYBE. MAYBE MORE THAN ANYBODY.
I CAN DO THE GREATEST THING FOR
OUR COUNTRY, AND ON THE NETWORKS
AND ON DIFFERENT THINGS, IT WILL
SHOW BAD.
SHOW BAD. THEY WILL TAKE IT BACK.
>> FAKE NEWS.
>> HE GOES FAKE NEWS.
THEY SAID AMERICA FIRST, THAT
COULD BE RACIST.
I SAID RACIST?
RACIST?
RACIST? WHY IS THAT RACIST?
HERE WE ARE, I THINK DOES
EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM AGREE?
YOU’RE LIVING IN AMERICA.
AMERICA FIRST, RIGHT?
>> USA!
>> USA! USA!
USA! >> QUITE A SIGHT IN THE WHITE
HOUSE EARLIER TODAY.
THE PRESIDENT DELIVERING REMARKS
TO THE YOUNG BLACK LEADERSHIP
SUMMIT IN WHAT SOUNDED TO THE
EAR MORE LIKE A MAGA RALLY THAN
AN EAST ROOM GATHERING.
THE CROWD AT TIMES CHANTING USA,
BUILD THE WALL, LOCK THEM UP AND
FAKE NEWS.
FAKE NEWS. JOINING THE CONVERSATION, PETER
BAKER.
BAKER. A.J., JASON, THE REV AND
JONATHAN ARE ALL STILL HERE.
PETER BAKER, YOU HAVE COVERED
AND I HAVE WORKED MANY EVENTS IN
THE EAST ROOM.
THE EAST ROOM IS WHERE PRESIDENT
JOHN F. KENNEDY’S BODY LAY IN
REPOSE ALONG WITH THE BODIES SIX
OTHER AMERICAN PRESIDENTS AFTER
THEY DIED.
THEY DIED. I HAVE NEVER SEEN IT HOUSE A
CROWD CHANTING "FAKE NEWS,"
CHANTING "CNN SUCKS."
I WONDER IF THERE IS A STRING TO
BE DRAWN BETWEEN THE POLITICAL
DISCOURSE AND THE CONDUCT OF
GROUPS THAT GO TO THE WHITE
HOUSE.
HOUSE. >> WELL, EVERY PRESIDENT, AS YOU
KNOW, TRIES TO DRAW AT LEAST
SOME DISTINCTION BETWEEN A
POLITICAL EVENT AND A POLICY
EVENT OR A WHITE HOUSE EVENT, A
PRESIDENTIAL EVENT.
PRESIDENTIAL EVENT. IN THEORY YOU’RE SPOT SUPPOSED
TO USE THE WHITE HOUSE AS A PROP
FOR A CAMPAIGN ALTHOUGH SOME
SOME WAYS OBVIOUSLY IT’S
UNAVOIDABLE.
UNAVOIDABLE. BUT THE APPEARANCE OF THIS
PARTICULAR EVENT MADE IT LOOK
LIKE, AS YOU SAID, ANOTHER RALLY
BEFORE THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS.
AND AT A TIME WHEN THE COUNTRY
IS CLEARLY RATTLED, AT A TIME
WHEN CLEARLY SOME PEOPLE IN THE
COUNTRY ARE RATTLED BY THESE
PIPE BOMBS, RATHER THAN GIVE
REASSURANCE, RATHER THAN, YOU
KNOW, PREACH A DIFFERENT KIND OF
MESSAGE, HE READ THE SCRIPT
EARLIER THAT HE WAS GIVEN, SAID
THE THINGS THAT A PRESIDENT IS
SUPPOSED TO SAY, AND THEN MOVED
ON BACK TO THE NORMAL, YOU KNOW,
DIVISIVE KIND OF RHETORIC THAT
HE PREFERS.
HE PREFERS. HE’S NOT SOMEBODY WHO WANTS TO
BE A UNIFIER.
THAT’S NOT HIS POLITICAL
APPROACH.
APPROACH. IT’S NOT HIS STYLE.
IT’S NOT WHAT GOT HIM TO WHERE
HE IS TODAY, AND HE RESENTS THE
PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN CRITICIZING
HIM.
HIM. HE RESENTS CNN.
HE RESENTS MSNBC.
HE RESENTS IN THE CRITICS IN THE
PRESS AND ON THE LEFT WHO SAID
HE’S RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS
ATMOSPHERE THAT MIGHT HAVE, YOU
KNOW, ENCOURAGED THIS KIND OF
ACTION.
ACTION. >> JASON JOHNSON, I’M NOT
SOMEONE WHO HAS BECOME NUMB TO
ANY OF THIS.
I’M SHOCKED AND RATTLED BY ALL
OF IT.
OF IT. BUT ONE OF THE MOST JARRING
THINGS I’VE SEEN HAVING WORKED
IN THAT BUILDING EVERY SINGLE
DAY FOR 6 1/2 YEARS WAS TO HEAR
THE CHANTS IN THIS ROOM, THIS
ROOM THAT IS SO SACRED.
I THINK WARS HAVE BEEN ENDED IN
THAT ROOM.
THAT ROOM. AND TO HEAR IT SOUND LIKE A MAGA
RALLY ON THE DAY THAT A
TRUMP-ALIGNED SUSPECT, SOMEONE
SUSPECTED OF ORCHESTRATING A
SERIAL BOMBING CAMPAIGN TO METE
OUT DOMESTIC TERROR TO DONALD
TRUMP’S POLITICAL RIVALS WAS
BEYOND JARRING.
BEYOND JARRING. >> NICOLLE, I’M LIKE YOU.
I WON’T ALLOW MYSELF TO GET NUMB
TO THE WAY THAT THIS PRESIDENT
BASICALLY BESPOILS EFRGSVERYTHIN
THE ROOM.
THE ROOM. BUT I’M GOING TO SPEAK AT AN
EVEN DEEPER LEVEL ABOUT WHAT WAS
GOING ON THERE.
THIS IS A YOUNG BLACK REPUBLICAN
GROUP.
GROUP. TURNING POINT USA.
THIS IS A TESTAMENT TO SORT OF
OVERALL AUTHORITARIANISM AND
VIOLENCE THIS PRESIDENT
ENCOURAGES.
ENCOURAGES. ONE, THEY BLOCKED ALL BLACK
PRESS FROM BEING ABLE TO COME TO
THE EVENT.
THE EVENT. I SNOW SEVERAL REPORTERS.
WE WERE INITIALLY GIVEN PASSES
TO GO TO THIS EVENT AND THEN
THEY TOOK THEM BACK BECAUSE THEY
DIDN’T WANT ANYONE THERE WHO
MIGHT POSSIBLY SEE THE KIND OF
VIOLENCE THIS PRESIDENT WAS
ENCOURAGING.
ENCOURAGING. FURTHERMORE, IT IS ABSOLUTELY
DISGUSTING THAT IN THE WAKE OF
POLITICAL OPPONENTS AND PEOPLE
WHO ARE HELPING HIM TO DO HIS
JOB, OTHER PEOPLE WHO SUPPOSEDLY
CARE ABOUT AMERICA BEING
THREATENED BY LIFE OR DEATH
BOMBS, THAT HE’S CONCERNED ABOUT
ATTACKS ON HIMSELF.
THIS PRESIDENT IS A NARCISSIST.
THIS PRESIDENT IS A TERRORIST
SYMPATHIZE
SYMPATHIZE SYMPATHIZER.
SYMPATHIZER. WE KNOW THESE THINGS.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, HE IS
ENCOURAGING A GENERATION OF
INCREDIBLY FOOLISH YOUNG
PEOPLE -- AND I WANT THIS TO BE
CLEAR.
CLEAR. THIS ISN’T ABOUT REPUBLICANS OR
DEMOCRATS.
DEMOCRATS. THIS IS ABOUT THE TRUMP
PERSONALITY CULT.
PERSONALITY CULT. WE KNOW REPUBLICANS.
I KNOW ROBERT TRAINHAM.
I KNOW MICHAEL ZEAL.
WE ALL KNOW AFRICAN-AMERICAN
REPUBLICANS.
REPUBLICANS. THESE ARE LOST, DISTURBED,
SELF-LOATHING PEOPLE, WHO ARE
PART OF A PERSONALITY CULT FOR A
PRESIDENT WHO CALLS FOR DOMESTIC
TERRORISM AND A DESTRUCTION OF
EVERY NORM THAT MAKES THIS
COUNTRY GREAT.
COUNTRY GREAT. AND ANY OPPORTUNITY HE HAS TO
SPEAK IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US
TO BE REMINDED OF WHAT AN ACTUAL
DANGER HE IS TO EVERYTHING WE
HOLD DEAR IN THIS COUNTRY.
>> REV?
>> REV? >> EVERY TIME WE SAY THAT YOU
CANNOT GO LOWER THAN WHAT DONALD
TRUMP HAS DONE, HE PROVES US
WRONG.
WRONG. THIS WAS AMONG THE LOWEST THINGS
THAT HE COULD EVER DO.
TO GO IN THE EAST ROOM, WHICH IS
SACRED, HAVE A STAGED RALLY --
NOTICE THAT ALL OF THOSE
YOUNGSTERS HAD CAPS ON.
IT WAS ALMOST LIKE, WE’RE GOING
TO DRESS YOU FOR THE PHOTO.
AND TO CALL IT A YOUNG BLACK
LEADERS SUMMIT, HE RAVES ABOUT
THE VIOLENCE IN CHICAGO, WHICH
HE SHOULD.
HE SHOULD. WHY WEREN’T THEY DISCUSSING
THAT?
THAT? WHY WEREN’T THEY DISCUSSING
STUDENT LOANS?
STUDENT LOANS? WHY WEREN’T THEY DISCUSSING
ISSUES OF YOUNG BLACKS?
THEY JUST HAD KANYE IN THERE AT
LEAST TALKING ABOUT CRIMINAL
JUSTICE.
JUSTICE. NONE OF THAT.
THEY’RE IN THERE TALKING ABOUT
CNN SUCKS.
CNN SUCKS. THEY’RE IN THERE TALKING ABOUT
BUILD A WALL.
WHY DO YOU NEED A YOUNG BLACK
SUMMIT TO DO IT BECAUSE IT WAS
NOT A SUMMIT.
IT WAS A MAKE AMERICA GREAT
RALLY.
RALLY. THE USE OF YOUNG BLACKS AS
PROPS, WHICH REALLY IS AN INSULT
TO THEM.
TO THEM. THERE ARE BLACK REPUBLICANS THAT
HAVE SOME DIGNITY AND HAVE SOME
ISSUES THEY WANT TO DISCUSS.
THEY’RE NOTHING WRONG WITH THOSE
YOUNG BLACKS WANTING TO BE
REPUBLICAN, BUT IT IS SOMETHING
WRONG WITH THEM BEING USED AS
PROPS SO THAT HE COULD TAKE HIS
SHOTS AGAINST THE MEDIA ON A DAY
THAT WE WATCHED CNN AND OTHERS
HAVE TO DEAL WITH BOMB SQUADS
OUT IN FRONT OF THEIR DOOR.
>> I WANT TO ASK YOU, JONATHAN
LEMIRE, ABOUT THE WHITE HOUSE
STAFF.
STAFF. DOES ANYONE TRY TO COACH THE
PRESIDENT?
PRESIDENT? WE KNOW WHAT HIS INSTINCTS ARE,
AND YOU’VE SPOKEN TO THAT, WHAT
WE SEE LAID BARE AT RALLIES AND
IN HIS 2:00 A.M. TWEETS.
WHAT DOES THE WHITE HOUSE THINK
OR SAY OR DO IN DEFENSE OF THIS
CONDUCT?
CONDUCT? OBVIOUSLY WHEN YOU WORK ON THE
WHITE HOUSE STAFF, YOU HAVE AN
OPPORTUNITY TO SHAPE THE CONDUCT
OR THE PUBLIC EVENTS.
THERE’S A LOT OF STAGECRAFT.
JUST PULL BACK THE CURTAIN.
I’VE STAGED A LOT OF THESE
EVENTS.
EVENTS. THEY’RE EXACTLY AS PETER BAKER
DESCRIBED THEM AND THEY’RE AS
YOU DESCRIBE THEM.
SOMETIMES THE PEOPLE ARE PROPS.
SMALL BUSINESS EVENTS ARE THE
BEST.
BEST. YOU GO AND FIND SMALL BUSINESS
OWNERS FROM BATTLEGROUND STATES
AND BRING THEM IN AND TALK ABOUT
GIVING LOANS.
GIVING LOANS. EVERY WHITE HOUSE DOES IT.
BUT LIKE ALL THINGS WITH THIS
PRESIDENT, THEY SEEM TO DEBASE
WHAT IS A PRETTY, YOU KNOW,
COOKIE CUTTER PROCESS, BRINGING
IN A GROUP AND TRYING TO MAKE A
POINT THAT ADVANCES YOUR
LEGISLATIVE OR POLITICAL AGENDA.
WHAT GOES ON AT THE STAFF LEVEL
WHEN A GROUP OF YOUNG
SUPPORTERS, I GUESS, OF THE
PRESIDENT STARTS CHANTING CNN
SUCKS, AND THE PRESIDENT’S LIKE
A PIG IN YOU KNOW WHAT, REVELING
IN IT.
IN IT. >> THE AIDES I TALK TO
CONSISTENTLY SAY THEY FEEL LIKE
THEY CAN CONTROL THE PRESIDENT
TO A POINT.
THEY BELIEVE THAT, YES, THEY CAN
FEED HIM SOME REMARKS IN A
TELEPROMPTER, AND HE WILL READ
THEM, SOMETIMES BEGRUDGINGLY,
BUT HE WILL DO THAT.
WE SAW THAT TODAY.
BUT ALSO THE DECISION FRANKLY
THAT JUST TO HAVE HIM DELIVER
THOSE REMARKS IN THAT SETTING AT
ALL IS STRIKING.
I THINK MOST PRESIDENTS PERHAPS,
HE WOULD HAVE GONE TO LIKE THE
DIPLOMATIC ROOM AND READ, THIS
IS THE UPDATE ON THE SHOOTING
AND THEN AN HOUR LATER, YOU HAVE
THIS EVENT.
THIS EVENT. AGAIN, YOUNG BLACK REPUBLICANS,
THAT’S FINE, BUT THAT HE
COMBINED THE TWO.
THEREFORE YOU HAVE THIS ODD
IMAGE WHEN YOU HAD WHEN HE WAS
DOING THE SERIOUS MOOD, YOU HAD
CHEERS FROM THE CROWD.
THEN WHEN HE --
>> YOU KNOW WHAT YOU’D DO?
YOU’D CLOSE IT.