Wendy Sherman: Jared Kushner Backchannel Defense 'Took My Breath Away' | The Last Word

>>> THE LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD MET WITH VLADIMIR PUTIN
YESTERDAY AND CHALLENGED HIM ON SYRIA AND GAY RIGHTS.
AND THE COURSE NOW FRENCH PRESIDENT EMANUEL.
THE FRENCH PRESIDENT CLEARLY RESPECTED THE INTEREST OF THE
FREE WORLD AND IN THE PRESS CONFERENCE FOLLOWING THEIR
MEETING. THE PRESIDENT MAINTAINED A
SOMETIMES CONFRONTATIONAL TONE, ACCORDING TO THE "NEW YORK
TIMES." THE TIME REPORTS THAT MR. PUTIN
IS STANDING BESIDE HIM. HE ACCUSED TWO NEWS
ORGANIZATIONS WITH TIES TO RUSSIA AS ACTING AS -- RATHER
THAN TRUE OUTLETS. PRESIDENT IS MEETING WITH
PRESIDENT PUTIN FOLLOWED PRESIDENT TRUMP'S INSULT TOUR OF
EUROPE IN WHICH HE COMPLAINED ABOUT RICH AMERICANS AND HOW
THEY ARE RUINING AMERICA WITH THEIR ADDICTION TO GERMAN CARS,
WHICH HE BLAMED ENTIRELY ON GERMANY.
>> JOINING US NOW WENDY SHERMAN, FORMER UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE.
FIRST OF ALL, YOUR REACTION TO THE PRESIDENT'S MEETINGS IN
EUROPE AND WHAT HE HAD TO SAY ABOUT GERMANY, GERMANY TRADE AND
THE TOTAL EFFECT OF HIS VISIT THERE.
>> I THINK FOR THE UNITED STATES AMERICAN SECURITY, THE MOST
IMPORTANT THING IS THE TRANCE ATLANTIC ALLIANCE, OUR
RELATIONSHIP WITH EUROPE. WHAT THE PRESIDENT DID, I THINK,
WAS WELL SYMBOLIZED WHEN ALL OF THE LEADERS OF THE G7, THE
LARGEST ECONOMIES IN THE WORLD, TOOK A WALK IN SICILY AND THE
PRESIDENT FOLLOWED BEHIND THEM IN A GOLF CART.
I THINK IT REALLY SUM MARIZED IT ALL.
HE WAS ALOOF TO THEM. HE GAVE THE HEAD OF THE SAUDI
ARABIA COMPLETE DEFERENCE HE WASN'T GOING TO LECTURE HIM IN
ANY WAY AND LECTURED OUR CLOSEST ALLIES.
YOU SAY THAT HE'S NOW THE LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD.
MERKEL IS THE LEADER OF EUROPE. THE PRESIDENT WENT OUT OF HIS
WAY TO PUSH BOTH OF THESE LEADERS AWAY WHEN, IN FACT, OUR
SECURITY DEPENDS ON STRONG U.S. EUROPEAN ALLIANCE.
>> IT WAS FASCINATING TO SEE HOW HE HANDLED THE MEETING.
THERE WAS THIS KIND OF POSITIVE, VERY SENTIMENTAL BASE TO IT,
INVOLVING THE HISTORY OF THE RELATIONSHIP GOING BACK 300
YEARS, POSITIVE THINGS ABOUT FRANCE AND RUSSIA AND THERE WAS
PLENTY OF TIME TALKING ABOUT THAT AND TALKING ABOUT THAT
PUBLICLY, BUT IT -- BUT IT DID NOT MEAN THAT PRESIDENT BACKED
AWAY FROM ANY OF THE POINTS OF CONFLICT THAT THEY HAVE NOW.
HE'S VERY VERY FIRM ABOUT THAT, PUBLICLY.
>> YES, I THINK, LAWRENCE, MANY PEOPLE HAVE SAID -- I THINK IT'S
A GREAT LINE. THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP PLAYS
CHECKERS WHILE ALL OF THESE OTHER LEADERS ARE PLAYING CHESS.
THEY SEE ALL OF THE MOVES ON THE CHESS BOARD AND THEY KNOW THAT
THIS IS NOT A ONE DIMENSIONAL TRANSACTIONAL TIME OF LIFE,
WHERE YOU JUST SORT OF SAY, IF YOU GIVE ME THIS, I'LL GIVE YOU
THAT. IT REALLY IS AN UNDERSTANDING OF
HISTORY. IT'S AN UNDERSTANDING OF ALL OF
THE TIES OF HISTORY. YOU KNOW, MERKEL COMES FROM EAST
GERMANY. SHE UNDERSTOOD WHAT THE U.S.
MEANT TO GERMANY IN TERMS OF THE CHANGE IN HISTORY.
SHE UNDERSTANDS GERMANY'S HISTORY AND HOW SHE'S ALWAYS
GOING TO DRAW BACK AND NEVER GO TOO FAR BECAUSE SHE KNOWS EUROPE
WILL BE GET WORRIED AND CONCERNED ABOUT NATIONALISM AND
WHERE IT MIGHT HEAD. PAUL UNDERSTANDS THE HISTORY OF
FRANCE AS THE LIBERTY AND SO HE HAS REALLY STEPPED FORWARD AS
VERY YOUNG PRESIDENT OF FRANCE, NO WITH LOTS OF EXPERIENCE, BUT
IN A TOTALLY DIFFERENT WAY THAN PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS.
HE HAS COME WITH HISTORY, WITH SENTIMENT, AS YOU SAID, WITH A
DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE RELATIONSHIP.
AND YOU MENTIONED THE PRESIDENT'S CONCERN ABOUT
AUTOMOBILES, THE IRONNY IS THAT BMW EXPORTS MORE AUTOMOBILES
FROM SPARTANBURG, CALIFORNIA, FROM THE UNITED STATES TO THE
REST OF THE WORLD THAN ANY OTHER AUTO MAKER IN THE UNITED STATES.
>> THE PRESIDENT KNOWS THAT BMWs ARE ALSO MADE IN AMERICA.
I WANT TO GET YOUR REACTION TO SECRETARY JOHN KELLY, WHAT HE
SAID IN DEFENDING THE POSSIBILITY OF JARED KUSHNER
TRYING TO SET UP A SO-CALLED BACK CHANNEL WITH THE RUSSIANS
DURING THE TRANSITION. LET'S LISTEN TO THIS.
>> I DON'T SEE ANY BIG ISSUE RELATIVE TO JARED.
I THINK ANY TIME YOU CAN OPEN UP LINE OF COMMUNICATION WITH
ANYONE WHETHER THEY'RE GOOD FRIENDS OR NOT SO GOOD FRIENDS
IS A SMART THING TO DO. >> WHAT'S YOUR REACTION TO THAT?
>> IT ABSOLUTELY TOOK MY BREATH AWAY.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE NATIONAL SECURITY OF THE UNITED STATES,
TO THINK THAT SOMEONE THAT HAD NO POSITION IN THE U.S.
GOVERNMENT, WAS MERELY HELPING OUT HIS FATHER-IN-LAW DURING A
TRANSITION, WOULD CONSIDER GOING INTO THE VERY HEART OF RUSSIA,
BECAUSE THE EMBASSY IS RUSSIAN SOIL AND REALLY COMMIT OUR
NATIONAL SECURITY TO SUCH A CHANNEL IS ABSOLUTELY
BREATHTAKING. IT SHOWS EITHER TREMENDOUS
NAIVETY OR SOMETHING THAT'S SO DARK THAT I DON'T EVEN WANT TO

Wendy Sherman: Jared Kushner Backchannel Defense 'Took My Breath Away' | The Last Word | MSNBC

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