Trump And Putin: It's Complicated

THE SYRIAN
REFUGEE CRISIS HE THINKS IS THE BIGGEST REGRET OF HIS
PRESIDENCY, THAT THEY DIDN'T INTERVENE.
IT IS A TRICKY
SITUATION, IT IS NOT ONE OF THE OTHER.
I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER
AND I HAVE NO OPINION ON THIS BECAUSE IT'S DISASTROUS
EITHER WAY.
>>DEMOCRATS MYSTICALLY ARE MAKING THE SITUATION MORE
FRAUGHT AND DANGEROUS BY PHONE MINTING THIS DERANGED CLIMATE
AROUND RUSSIA AND CONGRESS, EVEN IN SOME STATE HOUSES, IN THE
MEDIA, IT'S BEYOND ABSURD, SO THE INCENTIVE THAT TRUMP IS
WORKING WITH NOW IS TO DEMONSTRATE HIS HOSTILITY
TOWARD RUSSIA AND HIS ANTAGONISM TOWARD RUSSIA, SHOULD
SOMETHING THAT DOES ARISE.
>>HE IS NOT, HE'S BEEN CRITICIZED ABOUT RUSSIA OVER THE
LAST TWO MONTHS.
I DON'T THINK THEY ARE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE, YOU
CAN HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH RUSSIA WHICH HE CLEARLY HAS, AND
YOU CAN NOT USE IT AS A DEFENSE AS THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS.
I THINK DEMOCRATS NEED TO START TALKING ABOUT OTHER THINGS,
NOT JUST RUSSIA, WHICH BASICALLY REMOVES ALL RESPONSIBILITY
FOR ANY ACTIONS THEY NEED TO TAKE.
BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE NEED TO BE BLIND TO INTELLIGENCE
INFORMATION.
>>BUT DEMOCRATS ARE CREATING A DANGEROUS SITUATION, IS THE
POINT.
THEY NEED TO TALK ABOUT OTHER THINGS, THE WAY IN WHICH
THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT RUSSIA IS INCREASING THE LIKELIHOOD OF
SOME KIND OF CATACLYSMIC MILITARY CONFRONTATION.
>>WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE TOTAL
DISAGREEMENT ON THE PANEL ON THE
RUSSIA ISSUE, I DISAGREE WITH YOU SO FEDERALLY THAT I DON'T
THINK IT'S AS MUCH OF AN ISSUE AS YOU THINK IT IS, SO HERE'S
WHAT I MEAN BY THAT.
FOLLOW MY CHAIN OF LOGIC.
I THINK HE
REALLY IS IN BED WITH THE RUSSIANS.
SO IF THE RUSSIANS
FIRED AND EVEN KILLED AMERICANS, HE WOULDN'T DO MUCH ABOUT IT.
THAT SOUNDS OUTRAGEOUS, TRUMP WOULD HAVE TO BE THE ALPHA MALE
-- I DON'T THINK HE WOULD.
>>SO IN ORDER TO PLACATE DEMOCRATS, WHAT TRUMP WOULD HAVE
TO DO IS TAKE STRONGER MILITARY ACTION?
IN ORDER TO PLACATE YOU AND DEMOCRATS, HE WOULD HAVE TO
DO IT.
>>HE DOESN'T HAVE TO PLACATE ME.
>>YOU ASSUME THAT HE CARES ABOUT THE DEMOCRATS.
NEWSFLASH, REPUBLICANS ARE DOING WHATEVER THEY WANT WITHOUT
THE DEMOCRATS, BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO POWER BECAUSE THEY ARE
ONLY USING THE RUSSIAN ARGUMENT.
>>DEMOCRATS ARE ALIGNING WITH CERTAIN SEGMENTS OF THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY TO PRESSURE TRUMP ON RUSSIA, THAT'S WHERE HE
HAS INCENTIVE TO ASSERT HIS BELLIGERENCE TOWARD PUTIN.
>>LET ME AGREE WITH MICHAEL IN PART, I THINK THE DEMOCRATS TO
WARMONGER AND ALIGN WITH MCCAIN AND GRAHAM TO PUSH US INTO
CONFRONTATION WITH RUSSIA, BUT I WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT MY
POSITION.
I THINK TRUMP HAS A DEAL WITH THE RUSSIANS.
I COULD
BE WRONG, I DON'T HAVE ALL THE EVIDENCE ON FINANCIAL
TRANSACTIONS, SUPER CLEAR ON THAT.
MY BELIEF IS THAT YES, HE
HAS SOME ARRANGEMENT WITH THE RUSSIANS.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN I
WANT YOU TO GO KILL RUSSIANS.
DON'T START A WAR WITH THE
RUSSIANS, YOU DON'T HAVE TO PROVE ANYTHING TO ME, DONALD.
POWER DOWN.
AND GET THOSE GUYS OUT OF THE MIDDLE OF THAT MESS,
BECAUSE THEY WILL GET HIT.
>>TWO THINGS ARE TRUE, NUMBER ONE, HIS SON SAID SOME OF THE
LARGEST DEALS WE DO ARE IN RUSSIA.
THERE'S DEFINITELY
FINANCIAL DEALINGS HE'S TRIED TO COVER UP, BUT OTHER THAN THAT
THE FEAR MONGERING AND HYSTERIA HAS BEEN ON, RUSSIA HACKED OUR
ELECTION AND ALL THE STUFF CENK AND I MIGHT DISAGREE WITH, THE
SEVERITY OF THAT, BUT WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO IS IF SOMETHING
HAPPENS WITH RUSSIA IT COMES DOWN TO OH, TRUMP EITHER IS
GOING TO GO WITH POSSIBLE BUSINESS DEALINGS WITH RUSSIA OR
HE IS A GIANT NARCISSIST EGOMANIAC WHO WANTS TO LOOK
STRONG, AND WHICH ONE OF THOSE TWO THINGS WILL WIN OVER?
I
THINK IT'S THE NARCISSIST, WHIP MY THING OUT AND BE STRONG.
>>NO ONE HAS DENIED TRUMP'S BUSINESS DEALINGS WITH
RUSSIA, TRUMP HAS BRAGGED ABOUT THAT.
WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS THAT DEMOCRATS AND LIBERALS HAVE
CONCOCTED A NARRATIVE WHERE THEY MAKE DEALINGS WITH RUSSIANS
TO BE SOMEHOW UNIQUELY SERIOUS, AND THAT'S HOW THEY'VE TRIED
TO FUEL THIS NARRATIVE OF TRUMP BEING IN BED WITH RUSSIANS.
>>OKAY, WE 100% DISAGREE ON THIS.
>>WHAT IS THE CRUX OF THE DISAGREEMENT?
>>IT IS UNIQUELY NEFARIOUS LITERALLY BECAUSE IT HELPED
SWING AN ELECTION, THEREBY MAKING IT UNIQUELY NEFARIOUS.
KEY HAS BUSINESS DEALINGS WITH RUSSIA, RUSSIA ONCE SANCTIONS
LIFTED, RUSSIA HELPS HIM DURING THE ELECTION, THAT IS A UNIQUELY
NEFARIOUS DEAL.
DO WE HAVE A DEAL LIKE THAT WITH TANZANIA?
>>ISN'T IT RUSSIA'S OWN INTENTION TO MAKE CHINA THE
ENEMY ALSO?
THAT IS ANOTHER NARRATIVE HE HAS PUSHED OUT
THERE, SOMETHING THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA WORKED VERY HARD TO MAKE
SURE THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION WAS STABLE, AND NOW CHINA IS
THINKING OF PULLING OUT OF APAC.
>>WHEN YOU SAY HELPED SWING THE ELECTION, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
IT'S NOT LIKE PUTIN WAS IN MICHIGAN BEHIND PEOPLE AS THEY
PULLED THE LEVER, THAT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING, THAT IS JUST
DEMOCRATS DEFLECTING FROM THE FACT THAT HILLARY CLINTON LOST
TO A REALITY TV STAR CHEETO.
THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT SHOWED
THAT WIKILEAKS PLAYED A BIG ROLE.
JAMES COMEY PLAYED A BIGGER ROLE.
>>LET ME ADDRESS THAT.
EVERYTHING SWUNG THE ELECTION.
I'M NOT TRYING TO DEFLECT ANYTHING FROM HILLARY CLINTON,
SHE 1000% BLEW IT, SHE WAS THE CANDIDATE, THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
BLEW IT, I'M NOT IN CAMP.
BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE
RUSSIANS DIDN'T ALSO HELPED SWING THE ELECTION TOWARD TRUMP.
AND SO DID COMEY, SO DID THE FACT THAT SHE DIDN'T VISIT THE
UNION HALL IN MICHIGAN, YOU ARE RIGHT ABOUT ALL THAT.
BUT THE
RUSSIANS DOING FAKE NEWS AND THE LEAKS, IT WAS ONE OF THE
FACTORS.
I DIDN'T MIND THE LEAKS BECAUSE THEY WERE REAL NEWS, THE
FAKE NEWS I MINDED, BUT OKAY, HILLARY CLINTON WAS SUPPOSED TO
FIGHT BEYOND THAT AND WHEN, SHE WAS RUNNING AGAINST A CLOWN.
I'M
NOT EXCUSING ANYTHING SHE DID, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THE
RUSSIANS DIDN'T WANT TRUMP TO WIN, BECAUSE THEY CLEARLY DID.
>>I THINK THEY TOOK VINTAGE OF A SITUATION WHERE THEY KNEW THAT
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY WAS AT ITS WEAKEST STATE, THEY WERE LOOKING
AT THE NUMBERS, THIS IS A PARTY THAT HAS LOST 1000 SEATS,
DOESN'T HAVE ANY INVESTMENT STATEWIDE IN ORGANIZING, AND
THEY ARE LOSING MEMBERS UNDER 40.
SO THEY TARGETED THOSE
PEOPLE UNDER 40 CONSUMING NEWS ONLINE WITH THIS FAKE NEWS TO
SPREAD THAT PROPAGANDA.
DID IT INFLUENCE THE ELECTION?
MAYBE,
MAYBE NOT, I THINK THEY ARE AT FAULT, BUT I THINK YOU ARE
PUTTING A FOREIGN POLICY ISSUE AND A DEMOCRATIC PARTY ISSUE AND
MUDDLING THEM TOGETHER, AND THEY ARE NOT.
THE DEMOCRATS ARE USING
THIS AS AN EXCUSE, IT ALSO IS A TRUE EXCUSE, THAT DONALD TRUMP
HAS BEEN INFLUENCED BY THE RUSSIANS.
LOOK AT THE CABINET PICKS.
>>FINANCIALLY, ABSOLUTELY.
>>INFLUENCED BY THE RUSSIANS, WHAT DOES THAT EXACTLY MEAN?
>>WHEN THEY PAY FOR YOUR SPEECHES A YEAR BEFORE, WHEN YOU
MAKE $75,000 IN SPEECHES IN RUSSIA, WHEN YOU ARE SITTING
NEXT TO PUTIN AT A DINNER, WHEN YOU HAVE A DEAL WITH RTTV, A
PROPAGANDA OUTLET FUELED BY RUSSIA, THAT PERSON IS A
NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR, NOT TO MENTION REX TILLERSON HAVING
THE LARGEST OIL DEAL WITH RUSSIA IN HISTORY?
>>IF
MIKE FLYNN WAS GIVEN A SPEECH IN ISRAEL AND WAS COMPENSATED JUST
AS MUCH AS THE MOSCOW SPEECH, WOULD YOU BE THIS INCENSED?
>>IF THERE WERE 15 PEOPLE WHO ALSO HAD DEALS LIKE THAT AND
ISRAEL WAS TRYING TO BREAK APART THE GEOPOLITICAL SITUATION --
>>BREAKING APART THE GEOPOLITICAL SITUATION?
THIS IS
WHERE PEOPLE WHO PROCLAIM TO BE EXPERTS ON THE MOTIVES OF THE
RUSSIANS, IMAGINE IF PEOPLE IN RUSSIA WERE SAYING, THE
AMERICANS.
WHAT DOES THE RUSSIANS MEAN?
THIS REDUCTIVE
INTERPRETATION OF WHAT THEIR MOTIVES ARE --
>>WE HAVE A CONSTITUTION, THEY DON'T.
>>WE JUST BOMB THEM AND DRONE THEM AND IMPRISONED THEM.
>>LET'S ALL GET A WHITE RUSSIAN AFTER THIS.
>>[YELLING CROSSTALK]
>>JUST REAL QUICK, WE HAVE TO WRAP THIS UP, MICHAEL, IN THE
CASE OF THE U.S. THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT FORCES AT PLAY.
IN
THE CASE OF RUSSIA THERE IS ONE GUY IN CHARGE.
NOT A LOT OF
COUNTERVAILING FORCES.
ARE YOU SAYING PUTIN IS NOT COMPLETELY
IN CHARGE?
IF THERE ARE COUNTERVAILING FORCES EITHER EXECUTED THEM
OR PUT THEM IN PRISON.
>>I'M SAYING THIS ATTRIBUTION OF MOTIVE TO THE RUSSIANS AS IF
THAT'S SOME HOMOGENOUS ENTITY THAT CAN BE REDUCED THAT
WAY IS SILLY.
>>NORMALLY NOT THE CASE, BUT UNDER PUTIN, THE CASE.
UNDER
PUTIN HE HAS A CLEAR MOTIVE AND HE'S PUSHING THAT.
>>SO SAY PUTIN, DON'T SAY THE RUSSIANS.
THAT IS A PROPAGANDA
TERM TO MAKE PEOPLE IRRATIONALLY FEARFUL OF RUSSIANS AS
INHERENTLY SINISTER.
>>IT'S NOT THE PEOPLE OF RUSSIA, IT'S PUTIN WHO RUNS THE COUNTRY.
>>WOULD YOU WANT TO BE CALLED THE AMERICANS, AND HAVE YOU
CONFLATED WITH THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT?
>>NO ONE IS CONFLATING CENK WITH TRUMP.
PUTIN LITERALLY DICTATES WHO IS IN HIS GOVERNMENT.
>>WE SHOULD FINISH THE STORY BECAUSE THIS IS IMPORTANT.
GRAPHIC EIGHT.
AND SPEAKING OF THE DERANGED HYSTERIA WHICH I
INSIST IS THE CASE IN THIS, AND ADVISOR TO THE HILLARY CLINTON
CAMPAIGN CAME OUT AND SAID --
>>REMEMBER, FOR HIM TO MAKE THAT ADMISSION IS HUGELY
SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE HE IN LARGE PART SPARKED THIS HYSTERIA IN
THE FIRST PLACE BACK IN AUGUST WHEN HE WROTE A COLUMN FOR THE
NEW YORK TIMES HEADLINED --
>>A FEW MONTHS LATER HE SAID THAT RUSSIA'S POTENTIAL
COLLUSION WITH TRUMP WAS THE POLITICAL EQUIVALENT OF 9/11.
SO
IF EVEN NOW HE ADMITS THAT WE
SHOULD PROBABLY TAMP DOWN
EXPECTATIONS OF WHAT WOULD BE UNCOVERED HERE, MAYBE IT'S
TIME FOR A WAKE-UP CALL.
>>MICHAEL ISIKOFF REPORTED ON THIS LAST APRIL AND HE IS
NO FRIEND OF THE CLINTON STUFF THAT HE BROKE THE RUSSIA STORY.
>>WHAT SPECIFIC STORY?
>>GENERAL FLYNN, ALL OF THIS.
>>ISIKOFF ALSO HAD THE MONICA LEWINSKY STORY, WHICH THE
CLINTONS HAVEN'T FORGIVEN HIM FOR.
>>AND JAMES CLOUGH ARE SAID THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF
COLLUSION, THAT WAS BARELY COVERED.
>>I THINK MICHAEL AND JORDAN'S POINT IS FAIR, I THINK THE JURY
IS STILL OUT.
I CAN GIVE A LOT OF REASONS I THINK THAT IS NOT
INDICATIVE OF THE FINAL ANSWER BUT I WILL TAKE THE POINT AND
NOT GET INTO THE MINUTIA -- I THINK THERE IS AN ISSUE BUT I
THINK THAT WHAT I REALLY WANT TO DO IS GET SOME SORT OF AGREEMENT
HERE THAT NOBODY AT THIS TABLE IS SAYING THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
IS JUST FINE, IF IT WASN'T FOR THOSE DASTARDLY RUSSIANS WE
WOULD HAVE WON THE ELECTION.
THE THING I THINK INFURIATES ALL
FOUR OF US IS WHEN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY SAYS IT WASN'T
THAT WE WERE TOO ELITIST OR DIDN'T RUN A POPULIST CAMPAIGN
OR THAT WE WERE THE ESTABLISHMENT, IT WAS THE
RUSSIANS.
THAT, NOBODY HERE BELIEVES.
>>I WANT TO MAKE ONE THING CLEAR, WHEN I'M SAYING I THINK
IT'S LIKELY THERE ARE FINANCIAL DEALINGS BETWEEN TRUMP AND
RUSSIA AND THAT COULD AFFECT HIS DECISIONS AS PRESIDENT, THAT IS
100%.
WHAT INFURIATES ME IS BEING AROUND THE COUNTRY AND
SEEING MISERY, CORRUPTION, AND INJUSTICE EVERYWHERE.
IT IS NOT
RAINBOWS AND SUNSHINE, AND I GET EMAILS THAT NIGHT FROM THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY, WHICH SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT THESE THINGS,
BUT ARE TALKING ABOUT RUSSIA.
SURE IF THEY WANT TO TALK ABOUT
RUSSIA HERE AND THERE, OR MAKE TRUMP A PINATA, THAT IS
POLITICS.
BUT THEY ARE NOT FOCUSING ON ECONOMIC ISSUES AND THAT'S
WHY THEY LOST.
>>TO END ON AGREEMENT, THE REASON THEY DO THAT IS BECAUSE
IF YOU TALK ABOUT FLINT AND ALL YOUR PLACES THEN YOU HAVE TO
START TALKING ABOUT THE DONORS, THEY HAVE THE SAME DONORS, SO
TACKLING THE ACTUAL PROBLEMS IS DEEPLY PROBLEMATIC FOR THEM
BECAUSE THEY HAVE CONFLICTS OF INTEREST ON MOST OF THOSE
PROBLEMS.
IF YOU TALK ABOUT SKYROCKETING DRUG PRICES, A LOT
OF THE DEMOCRATIC SENATORS VOTED TO BLOCK DRUGS FROM CANADA WHICH
WOULD HAVE SAVED US A LOT OF MONEY.
ON THE OTHER HAND THE
DEFENSE CONTRACTORS WANT HOSTILITIES WITH RUSSIA, TO
MICHAEL'S POINT, THAT IS WIN/WIN FOR THEM.
RUSSIA, BAD GUYS.
PLUS THAT HELPS DONORS.
>>HERE IS ANOTHER CRUCIAL POINT.
I HAVE BEEN COVERING THESE TOWN
HALL MEETINGS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, MOSTLY CALIFORNIA,
DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN.
YOU HAVE THESE GRASSROOTS GROUPS WHO
HAVE FORMED TO COUNTER THE TRUMP AGENDA, INDIVISIBLE AND OTHER
ORGANIZATIONS, SENDING ACTIVISTS TO THESE MEETINGS.
EVERY MEETING
I'VE GONE TO THIS FAR WITHOUT EXCEPTION, THE SINGLE MOST
DISCUSSED ISSUE AMONG THESE MOST ACTIVATED MEMBERS OF THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY'S BASE IS RUSSIA.
PEOPLE CONSTANTLY TELL
ME ON THE INTERNET YOU ARE FOCUSING TOO MUCH ON THIS
FIXATION, THAT MEANS YOU ARE FIXATED.
NO, I'M REACTING TO A
FIXATION THAT IS OUT THERE IN THE PUBLIC.
INITIALLY THIS
HYSTERIA WAS CONTAINED TO THE ELITE CLASSES BUT HAS
TRICKLED DOWN TO THE GRASSROOTS, YOU HAVE LIBERAL ACTIVISTS
RUNNING AROUND WITH TRUMP AND PUTIN SIGNS, SOVIET UNION SIGNS,
WHAT WE WOULD ASSOCIATE WITH THE MOST DERANGED PEOPLE ON THE
RIGHT IS NOW SHOWING UP ON THE LEFT.
THEY ARE FEEDING INTO THIS
HYSTERICAL NARRATIVE AND LETTING IT CONSUME THEM AND DISTRACT
FROM WHAT THEY COULD ACTUALLY DO TO IMPROVE THEIR IMAGE IN
THE WIDER PUBLIC.
>>YOU KNOW WHAT I THINK IS FUNNY?
AT THE DNC DEBATE NO ONE EVER TALKED ABOUT RUSSIA, THEY
TALKED ABOUT LOSING RACES.
>>THAT IS A NICE, POSITIVE NOTE.
A POSITIVE NOTE FOR THE DEMOCRATS ON ALL THE RACES
THEY LOSE.
>>INTERNALLY.

Trump And Putin: It's Complicated

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