Trump's son-in-law draws scrutiny for talks with Russia

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>>> WELCOME BACK.
AT THE TOP OF THE WHITE HOUSE
BRIEFING YESTERDAY, THE PRESS
SECRETARY SEAN SPICER READ A
FORCEFUL STATEMENT CONDEMNING
THE ARREST OF ANTI-PUTIN
DEMONSTRATORS IN RUSSIA.
>> THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE LIKE
PEOPLE EVERYWHERE DESERVE A
GOVERNMENT THAT'S AN OPEN
MARKETPLACE OF IDEAS, TR
TRANSPARENT, ACCOUNTABLE AND THE
IDEA TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHTS
WITHOUT FEAR OF RETRIBUTION.
>> AMEN.
BUT THAT TRANSPARENT PART,
THAT'S A GIANT QUESTION HERE AT
HOME AND IN THE WHITE HOUSE
WHERE SEAN SPICER WORKS.
THE PRESIDENT'S TOP ADVISOR AND
SON-IN-LAW JARED KUSHNER HAS A
DATE -- KUSHNER DISCLOSED THAT
MEETING TOOK PLACE DESPITE M
MONTHS OF REPORTS DETAIL -- THE
AMBASSADOR MEETING ISN'T THE
BIGGEST CURIOSITY.
THAT WOULD WOULD BE THE MEETING
KUSHNER DISCLOSED YESTERDAY
AFTER HE REALIZED THE COMMITTEE
NEW ABOUT IT.
A RUSSIAN BANKER CLOSE TO
VLADIMIR PUTIN AND BY THE WAY A
MAN WHOSE BANK WAS UNDER U.S.
SANCTIONS WHEN HE MET WITH THE
PRESIDENT-ELECT'S POWERFUL
SON-IN-LAW.
>> THAT WAS PART OF HIS JOB.
THAT WAS PART OF HIS ROLE.
HE EXECUTED IT COMPLETELY AS HE
WAS SUPPOSED TO.
>> SO HE DOESN'T BELIEVE HE OWES
THE AMERICAN PUBLIC AN
EXPLANATION?
>> FOR WHAT?
DOING HIS JOB.
>> ONE PROBLEM, THE WHITE HOUSE
SAYS THE MEETING WAS OFFICIAL
TRANSITION BUSINESS.
THE RUSSIAN BANK HOWEVER ISSUED
A STATEMENT SAYING HE MET WITH
C
KUSHNER IN HIS CAPACITY AS THE
CEO OF THE REALLY FAMILY EMPIRE.
WE HAVE COMPETING STORIES AND
POTENTIALLY A COLLISION BETWEEN
WORKING WITH THE WEST WING BUT
ALSO KEEPING YOUR EYE ON YOUR
BUSINESS.
THIS WAS DURING THE TRANSITION.
HE KNEW WHERE HE WAS COMING
INTO.
IF THE RUSSIAN BANK IS TELLING
THE TRUTH, WE'VE GOT A PROBLEM.
>> WHY IS THE SON-IN-LAW OF THE
PRESIDENT WORKING IN THE WEST
WING ANYWAY?
>> BUT IF HE'S GOING TO MAKE
THAT CHOICE, THE PRESIDENT
SHOULD BE ABLE TO BRING HIS OWN
PEOPLE IN.
>> IT'S EXTRAORDINARY THAT FOLKS
ON CAPITOL HILL ARE OKAY WITH
THAT.
I MEAN, I GUESS BECAUSE THERE
ARE A BIGGER FISH TO FRY, BUT
THE WILLINGNESS TO SORT OF
TOLERATE THAT, AGAIN, FROM BOTH
PARTIES I THINK IS NOTABLE.
>> TO ME IT GOES BACK TO WHAT
SEAN SPICER SAID IN CONDEMNING
THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING
YOU KNOW IS GOING TO BE
CONTROVERSIAL, YOU HAVE TO HAVE
A GIANT BAR OF OPENNESS AND
TRANSPARENCY AND THAT WE ONLY
FIND OUT ABOUT THESE MEETINGS,
MAYBE THEY'RE ALL INNOCENT
MEETINGS, BUT IF THEY ARE, WHY
DID YOU WAIT?
>> INSTEAD STORY AFTER STORY
LEAKS OUT AND IT KEEPS ONGOING
LIKE THIS.
>> I JUST -- TO ME THERE IS A
STORY IN THE FIRST PLACE, BUT ON
TOP OF THAT THE POINT YOU MADE
WITH JUST THIS MINGLING OF
BUSINESS INTERESTS.
TO ME THAT IS A HUGE ISSUE THAT
JUST KEEPS COMING BACK AND BACK
AND BACK.
AND YOU START -- YOU SAID IN
YOUR OPENING TO THE SEGMENT
SOMETHING TO THE FACT THAT
WELL -- OR EARLIER THAT HIS SON
IS SUPPOSED TO BE DEALING WITH
FAMILY BUSINESS.
HERE HE WAS WEIGHING ON THIS.
BUT YOU CAN'T HAVE A LINE.
YOU CAN'T HAVE A LINE BETWEEN
THESE TWO BECAUSE IT'S
CONSTANTLY BEING BLURRED.
AND WHEN YOU HAVE SOMETHING
DEALING WITH THE RUSSIANS, I
THINK THEN IT'S SERIOUS.
>> RUSSIAN SANCTIONS BECAUSE
THAT'S THE LINCHPIN OF THIS.
THERE WAS A MICHAEL FLYNN, THE
PRESIDENT'S OUSTED FIRED
SECURITY ADVISER GOT IN TROUBLE
BECAUSE HE TALKED ABOUT THE
SANCTIONS WITH THE RUSSIAN
AMBASSADOR AND THEN MISLED
PEOPLE ABOUT IT.
THE SANCTION THING IS IMPORTANT.
JARED KUSHNER MET WITH A BUNCH
OF AMBASSADORS.
SET THAT ASIDE.
CAMPAIGNS MEET WITH THEM ALL THE
TIME.
THE QUESTION IS WHETHER THERE
WAS DECISION MAKING GOING ON
RELATED TO THE SANCTIONS.
>> AND THE AMBASSADORS WANT TO
REFER TO HAVE THIS MEETING WITH
THE BANKER.
AGAIN, IT LOOKS BAD.
AND IF YOU'RE IN AN ENVIRONMENT
WHERE YOU KNOW YOU'RE BEING
WATCHED CLOSELY, WHY NOT BE HOPE
AND TRANSPARENT ABOUT IT?
>> I THINK, TOO, THE FACT THAT
SO MANY PEOPLE IN THIS
ADMINISTRATION ARE COMING
STRAIGHT FROM THE BUSINESS WORLD
IS SHOWING ON THE TRANSPARENCY
ISSUES AS WELL.
YOU SEE IT EVERYWHERE, WHETHER
IT'S THE STATE DEPARTMENT NOT
GIVING BRIEFINGS AND THE
SECRETARY NOT TRAVELING WITH
REPORTERS.
THEY COME FROM AN ENVIRONMENT
WHERE YOU BASICALLY DON'T HAVE
TO BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT WHAT YOU
DO.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO REPORT TO
ANYONE BUT YOUR SHAREHOLDERS IF
YOU HAVE SHAREHOLDERS.
THE TRUMP BUSINESS WAS A FAMILY
BUSINESS.
AND SO THIS IS IN MANY WAYS THE
PROCEDURES AND THE ETHIC USED IN
A FAMILY BUSINESS SORT OF BEING
BROUGHT IN TO WASHINGTON.
>> BUT THE OTHER THING IS THEY
VIEW ALL OF THESE AS BEING IN
LARGE PART DRIVEN BIPARTISAN
ZR
ZRTO
RE D-- ANY QUESTION ASKED IS SEN
AS AN ATTACK ON HIM.
BY THE WAY, FOR A BUNCH OF
PEOPLE THAT'S COMPLETELY TRUE.
THEY ARE USING THIS TO UNDERMINE
THE PRESIDENT'S LEGITIMACY.
THAT'S WHY THEY GET TO DEFENSIVE
AND I THINK THAT'S WHY THEY
DON'T DISCLOSE THESE THINGS SO
QUICKLY.
>> BUT THEY MAKE IT WORSE
THOUGH.
>> I'M NOT ARGUING THEY MAKE IT
WORSE.
>> BY LETTING IT LEAK AND HAVING
TO RESPOND TO IT.
IF YOU HAVE CONTACTS WITH THE
RUSSIAN, WHY WOULDN'T YOU PUT
E
EVERYTHING OUT THERE
IMMEDIATELY.
>> SOMEONE WHO AGREES WITH YOU
IS THE FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES.
WE DON'T GET TO HEAR FROM HIM
THAT OFTEN.
LISTEN TO DICK CHENEY OVERSEAS
SAYING THE ELECTION MEDDLING IS
A BIG DEAL.
>> THERE WAS A VERY SERIOUS
EFFORT MADE BY MR. PUTIN AND HIS
GOVERNMENT, HIS ORGANIZATION TO
INTERFERE IN MAJOR WAYS WITH OUR
BASIC FUNDAMENTAL DEMOCRATIC
PROCESSES.
IN SOME QUARTERS THAT WOULD
CONSIDERED AN ACT OF WAR.
>> TOUGH WORDS.
THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT
DICK CHENEY THINKS ARE ACTS OF
WAR, THOUGH.
KEEP IT IN PERSPECTIVE.
>> THIS IS THE THING THAT'S BEEN
BOTHERING THEM ON CAPITOL HILL.
THERE ARE A LOT OF ANGRY
REPUBLICANS WHO ARE ANGRY ABOUT
WHAT HAPPENED IN 2016.
>> AND WORRIED TRUMP WILL GET
TOO CLOSE TO RUSSIA.
EVERYBODY SIT TIGHT.
UP NEXT, FOUR YEARS IN A WORLD
OF DIFFERENCE.
THE NEW PRESIDENT IS ABOUT TO
UNDO HIS PREDECESSOR A POLICIES

Trump's son-in-law draws scrutiny for talks with Russia

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