GOPers back away as Trump pushes wiretap claim

MOLLY BALL, LET ME ASK YOU
FIRST.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE PRESIDENT
HAS BEEN UP TO OVER THESE LAST
72 HOURS?
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THE WHITE
HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY TOLD ME
YESTERDAY THEY STILL HAVE NO
EVIDENCE, NO PROOF OF ANY OF
THIS.
WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?
DONALD TRUMP BELIEVES A LOT OF
THINGS THAT AREN'T TRUE.
I THINK THAT HAS BEEN ABUNDANTLY
CLEAR SINCE HE BEGAN HIS
CAMPAIGN, AND IS HE RATHER
IMPERVIOUS TO EVIDENCE ABOUT
WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE TRUE,
AND THE ISSUE ISN'T WHETHER HIS
SUSPICION TURNS OUT TO BE TRUE
IN THE END.
HIS ISSUE IS THAT HE SAYS THINGS
THAT HE HAS NO EVIDENCE FOR.
IT REMINDS ME VERY MUCH OF THE
ILLEGAL VOTERS THAT HE SPENT SO
MUCH TIME TALKING ABOUT
IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE
INAUGURATION, AND YOU HAD SEAN
SPICER GO OUT THERE WITH SORT OF
I THINK COMMENDABLE TRANSPARENCY
AND SAY THIS IS A THING THE
PRESIDENT BELIEVES.
THIS IS A THING THE PRESIDENT
BLOOEFDS.
>> ARE WE ON THE DARK SIDE OF
THE MOON HERE?
>> THERE WILL COME A POINT --
THERE ALWAYS COMES A POINT WHERE
THE PRESIDENT WILL NEED NOT ONLY
THE COUNTRY, BUT THE WORLD TO
BELIEVE WHAT THEY ARE SAYING.
TLL WILL COME A MOMENT.
>> LIKE SELLING THE REPLACEMENT
FORMENT --
>> MAYBE SOMETHING BIGGER ON
NATIONAL SECURITY, ON THE
NATIONAL SECURITY.
THAT IS CERTAINLY VERY BIG ON
THE DOMESTIC SIDE, AND, YOU
KNOW, YOU -- BY SYSTEMATICALLY
OVER AND AGAIN SAYING THINGS
THAT YOU CAN'T SUPPORT OR
CERTAINLY GOING OUT BEFORE YOU
HAVE ANY EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT
WHAT YOU ARE SAYING, YOU ARE
DEVALUING THAT COIN.
I MEAN, THAT IS JUST SIMPLY --
LOOK, IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, I
MEAN, THE FUNDAMENTAL
MISCONCEPTION IS PRESIDENT OBAMA
COULD NOT UNILATERALLY ORDER THE
WIRETAPPING OF ANYONE IN THE
TRUMP ORBIT.
IF THERE WAS A WIRETAP, IT WAS
BECAUSE A FISA COURT PRESUMABLY
THOUGHT THERE WAS ENOUGH
EVIDENCE TO JUSTIFY THAT.
BEING RIGHT ISN'T BETTER THAN
BEING WRONG HERE FOR PRESIDENT
TRUMP.
>> THERE WERE A LOT OF STRIKING
REACTIONS TO ALL THIS UP ON
CAPITOL HILL.
I THINK ONE OF THE MOST STRIKING
RESPONSES WAS FROM DEVIN NUNEZ.
REPUBLICAN WHO DESCRIBED THE
PRESIDENT AS A NEOPHYTE IN
POLITICS.
LET'S PLAY THAT, AND I'LL GET
YOU THE COMMENT ON THE OTHER
SIDE.
>> THE PRESIDENT IS A NEO PHYTE
TO POLITICS.
HE HAS BEEN DOING THIS A LITTLE
OVER A YEAR.
I THINK A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT
HE SAYS YOU GUYS SOMETIMES TAKE
LITERALLY.
SOMETIMES HE DOESN'T HAVE 27
LAWYERS AND STAFF LOOKING AT
WHAT HE DOES, WHICH IS I THINK
AT TIMES REFRESHING, AND AT
TIMES IT CAN ALSO LEAD US TO
HAVE TO BE SITTING IN THE PRESS
CONFERENCE LIKE THIS ANSWERING
QUESTIONS THAT YOU GUYS ARE
ASKING.
>> IS THAT A GOOD EXCUSE THAT
THE PRESIDENT IS NEW AT THIS?
>> IT'S TERRIBLE THIS IDEA THAT
HE DOESN'T HAVE 27 LAWYERS.
APPARENTLY THEY JUST HIRED A
BUNCH OF LAWYERS AT THE WHITE
HOUSE.
HE COULD HAVE 27 LAWYERS
REVIEWING WHAT HE DOES.
HE COULD TALK TO FOLKS AND
FIGURE OUT WHAT THE DEAL IS IN
TERMS OF THIS WIRETAP.
>> IT NEEDS THE CREDIBILITY OF
CONGRESS, THE CREDIBILITY OF
REPUBLICANS ON THE HILL TO BACK
UP WHAT HE SAYS, WHICH IS SORT
OF AN INTERESTING PLACE FOR THE
WHITE HOUSE TO BE.
THAT HE, YOU KNOW -- THAT WHAT
HE SAYS NEEDS MORE BACKING.
>> I THINK SEAN SPICER IS
HOPING, AS YOU SAID YESTERDAY,
THAT THIS WOULD BE GROUNDHOG DAY
EVERY DAY, AND PEOPLE WOULD GET
SICK OF IT AND MAYBE PEOPLE
WOULDN'T ASK ABOUT IT.
>> DON'T OVERLOOK THE FACT THAT
THIS REALLY INDICATES HOW MUCH
PRESIDENT TRUMP RELIES ON THE
CONSERVATIVE MEDIA FOR HIS
INFORMATION.
WHEN WE ASKED ON THE VERY FIRST,
YOU KNOW, MORNING AFTER HE
TWEETED THESE TWEETS WHERE IS HE
GETTING THIS FROM, AN AIDE
POINTED US TO THE BREITBART
ARTICLE AND SAID DID YOU READ
THIS?
THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN LED TO
BELIEVE THAT THIS IS THE ONLY
PLACE HE IS GETTING INTEL FROM.
>> THEY'RE SAYING, WELL,
BREITPART TALKED ABOUT IT.
>> WE BELIEVE TRUMP WATCHED
LEVINE OR READ THE PIECE.
HE HAD ENOUGH FAITH IN THAT THAT
HE WAS WILLING TO SPOUT OFF ON
TWITTER IMMEDIATELY.
>> JUST THINK ABOUT HOW
DIFFERENT THIS IS THAN THE USUAL
PROCESS.
FIRST WHITE HOUSE I COVERED WAS
RONALD REAGAN, AND YOU THINK
ABOUT IT IS PROCESS THAT GOES
THROUGH THE ASEM BLUE LINE, THE
ASSEMBLY BELT THAT HAS TO
PROGRESS BEFORE A WORD COMES OUT
OF THE PRESIDENT'S MOUTH.
ALL THE PEOPLE USUALLY INVOLVED
IN DEVELOPING THE POLICY AND
MAKING SURE ALL OF THE NUANCE,
PARTICULARLY ON FOREIGN POLICY
AND THEN WHEN YOU HAVE DONALD
TRUMP.
WHEN HE MISSPELLS UNPRECEDENTED
IN A TWEET ABOUT CHINA, YOU CAN
ASSUME THERE ARE NOT A LOT OF
PEOPLE THAT ARE PROOF READING
THAT AND FACT CHECKING IT, AND
SO YOU HAVE JUST THIS INCREDIBLE
PROCESS WHERE THEY'RE ALMOST
BEGINNING TO TREAT IT AS IT'S
DISASSOCIATED FROM THE ACTUAL
POLICY MAKING, YOU KNOW, OKAY,
THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT HE IS
SAYING, BUT THIS IS
EXTRAORDINARILY DIFFERENT, AND
THE REASON IT'S EXTRAORDINARILY
DIFFERENT IS BECAUSE WHAT
PRESIDENTS SAY MATTERS.
>> I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT
SOMETIMES THE PRESIDENT DICTATES
THOSE TWEETS TO A STAFFER THAT
PUTS IT OUT.
YOU HAVE TO WONDER IS THE SPELL
CHECK WORKING ON THE iPHONE OR
ANDROID, WHATEVER DEVICE.
LET'S PLAY A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT
ADAM SCHIF SAID YESTERDAY.
HE HAD AN INTERESTING COMMENT ON
ALL OF THIS, AND IT TEES UP A
QUESTION I WANT TO ASK.
PL
LET'S PLAY THAT.
>> THE PRESIDENT HAS SAID THAT
THIS IS A SCANDAL THAT DWARVES
WATERGATE THAT HIS PREDECESSOR
ENGAGED IN ILLEGAL WIRETAP OF
HIS CAMPAIGN.
THAT IS ONE POTENTIAL SCANDAL.
THE ALTERNATIVE IS A DIFFERENT
KIND OF A SCANDAL, AND THAT IS A
SCANDAL OF A SITTING U.S.
PRESIDENT ALLEGING THAT HIS
PREDECESSOR ENGAGED IN THE MOST
UNSCRUPULOUS AND UNLAWFUL
CONDUCT.
THAT IS ALSO A SCANDAL IF THOSE
ALLEGATIONS PROVE TO BE FALSE.
>> HE WAS SAYING LET'S BRING IT
ON.
ONE THING I THOUGHT WAS
INTERESTING YESTERDAY IS THAT
DEVIN NUNEZ SAYS HE PLANS TO
HOLD A HEARING ON ALL OF THRK
THE FORMER DNI, JAMES CLAPPER
WILL BE THERE, JOHN BRENNAN WILL
BE THERE, THE FBI DIRECTOR JIM
COMEY MIGHT BE THERE.
EVEN SALLY YATES WHO STEPPED
DOWN FROM BEING THE ACTSING
ATTORNEY GENERAL MAY BE THERE.
IT STRIKES ME AS THIS MIGHT BE
SOMETHING DEMOCRATS ARE REALLY
GOING TO BE LOOKING FORWARD TO
IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS HERE.
>> WELL, SURE, BUT, I MEAN, WE
HAVE --
>> THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS, WELL,
LET THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEES
INVESTIGATE THIS.
DO THEY REALLY WANT PUBLIC
HEARINGS WHERE ALL THESE
OFFICIALS COME IN AND SAY, NO,
MR. PRESIDENT, THERE WAS NO
WIRETAP.
>> IT'S POTENTIALLY VERY
EMBARRASSING FOR THE WHITE
HOUSE.
THERE WERE REPORTS OVER THE
WEEKEND ABOUT CLASHES BETWEEN
THE FBI AND THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT, AND WE HAVE SEEN
QUITE A LOT OF WILLINGNESS TO
SPEAK INDEPENDENTLY, WHETHER
THROUGH LEAKS OR INDEPENDENTLY
ON THE TOP OF PART INTELLIGENCE
OFFICIALS, TOP OFFICIALS.
THEY'VE BEEN PRETTY CLEAR WHEN
THEY HAVE DISAGREED WITH THE
PRESIDENT AND THAT IT'S BEEN A
LOT.
A HEARING LIKE THIS COULD EXPOSE
A LOT.
>> BECAUSE OF THIS WIKILEAKS
DUMP THAT REVEALED ALL THE
SOURCES AND METHODS WHERE THE
CIA ARE USING WHERE I GUESS THEY
CAN MAKE THEIR WAY INTO YOUR
PHONES AND SPY ON YOU AND
PERHAPS EVEN YOUR SELF-DRIVING
CARS.
HERE'S WHAT THE FBI DIRECTOR
SAID ABOUT WHAT AMERICANS CAN
EXPECT IN TERMS OF THEIR
PRIVACY.
>> THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS
ABSOLUTE PRIVACY IN AMERICA.
THERE IS NO PLACE IN AMERICA
OUTSIDE OF JUDICIAL REACH.
>> THAT DOESN'T GIVE ME A GREAT
FEELING.
>> RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN,ING HE IS
RIGHT.
HE IS SAYING THAT A COURT CAN
COMPEL YOU IF THERE IS REASON TO
BELIEVE YOU KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT
A CRIME OR COMMITTED A CRIME.
THE COURT CAN COMPEL YOU TO TELL
THEM THINGS, TO LET YOU -- LET
THEM INTO YOUR HOUSE.
IN THAT WAY HE IS RIGHT.
I DO THINK THAT IT IS IRONIC
THAT WE FIND OURSELVES HERE,
OBVIOUSLY, CONCERNED ABOUT
PRIVACY, BUT AMERICANS ARE SO
WILLING TO DIVULGE ALL SORTS OF
THINGS ABOUT THEIR LIVES,
WHETHER IT'S SNAP CHAT,
INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK.
PICTURES OF THEIR KIDS, WHAT
THEY HAD FOR DINNER, WHATEVER IT
IS.
WE SEEM TO AT THIS POINT BE
WILLING PARTICIPANTS AT THIS
POINT IN TERMS OF GIVING --
>> ONE THING THE WHITE HOUSE HAS
BEEN WORRIED ABOUT, JENNIFER, IS
THAT THE PRESIDENT'S SECURITY
WHEN IT COMES TO HIS PHONE
.
>> JUST TO CONNECT THIS AND THE
DISCUSSION WE'RE HAVING ABOUT
POTENTIAL WIRETAPPING OF TRUMP
TOWER, THIS IS WHY PEOPLE
BELIEVE DONALD TRUMP WHEN THEY
SAY THINGS LIKE THAT.
BECAUSE THERE IS A FEELING THAT
SURVEILLANCE IS EVERYWHERE, THAT
THEY'RE IN YOUR PHONE, THEY'RE
IN YOUR HOUSE, THEY CAN HEAR
EVERYTHING YOU SIGH, THEY CAN
READ ALL OF YOUR TEXT MESSAGES.
WHEN TRUMP SAYS MY PHONE IS
BEING TAPPED IN TRUMP TOWER, I
THINK THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE
WHO BELIEVE THAT BECAUSE THEY
FEEL

GOPers back away as Trump pushes wiretap claim

Latest Posts