President Donald Trump, Comey 'Tapes,' And The Art Of The 'Tease'

>>> YOU'RE GOING TO BE VERY DISAPPOINTED WHEN YOU HEAR THE
ANSWER, DON'T WORRY. >> WHY DON'T YOU JUST EXPLAIN
WHETHER OR NOT WILL ARE RECORDINGS?
>> THE PRESIDENT MADE IT CLEAR WHAT HIS POSITION IS.
>> I'M NOT HINTING ANYTHING. I'LL TELL YOU ABOUT IT OVER A
VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. OKAY?
OKAY. DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION HERE?
>> WHEN WILL YOU TELL US? >> WHEN HE'S READY TO MAKE THAT
ANNOUNCEMENT WE'LL LET YOU KNOW. HOW'S THAT?
>> GOOD MORNING,AL COME TO "A.M. JOY."
BEFORE ANNOUNCING A BID TO THE WHITE HOUSE WITH A TRIP DOWN
TRUMP TOWER ALMOST EXACTLY TWO TWO-YEARS AGO HE WAS BEST KNOWN
FOR DISPLAYING HIS NAME ON BUILDING AND FOR SAYING "YOU'RE
FIRED" ON "THE APPRENTICE." THE FORMER TV STAR CARRIED SOME
REALITY SHOW HABITS WITH HIM TO THE OVAL OFFICE, SEEMS
PARTICULARLY FOND OF ONE SPECIFIC GAME SHOW DEVICE, THE
TEASE. WELL NOW UNLIKE TV, WHERE THE
GOAL IS TO GET TO YOU COME BACK AFTER THE COMMERCIAL BREAK,
TRUMP'S TEASES SEEM DESIGNED TO KEEP US ON THE EDGE OF OUR NEWS
FEEDS, THUS DISTRACTED FROM HIS MANY SCANDALS.
TRUMP TWEETED FOR FOR WEEKS TO UP HIS FINAL DECISION ON THE
PARIS CLIMATE ACCORD. IT WAS 3:00 P.M. ON MAY 31st.
DID YOU TUNE IN LIVE? SPOILER ALERT, IT WAS NOT A HIT.
AND EARLIER THAT MONTH TRUMP HAD THE ENTIRE NATION WAITING FOR
THE ANSWER TO ONE QUESTION. ARE THERE TAPES OF HIS
CONVERSATION WITH FORMER FBI DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY WHO BEFORE
HE WAS FIRED WAS RUNNING THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION.
THIS WEEK WHEN WE FINALLY GOT THE BIG REVEAL TRUMP DOES NOT
HAVE ANY RECORDINGS AND NEVER ACTUALLY DID, WE LEARNED THE
ORIGINAL TAPES TWEET WAS UNLIKE HIS OTHER TEASES.
IT WASN'T MEANT FOR US, IT SEEMS LIKE IT WAS MEANT EXCLUSIVELY
FOR JAMES COMEY BEFORE THE SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE.
>> WHEN HE FOUND OUT THAT I, YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE TAPES OUT
THERE, WHETHER IT'S GOVERNMENTAL TAPES OR ANYTHING ELSE, AND WHO
KNOWS, I THINK HIS STORY MAY HAVE CHANGED.
YOU'LL HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
MY STORY DIDN'T CHANGE. MY STORY WAS ALWAYS A STRAIGHT
STORY. MY STORY WAS ALWAYS THE TRUTH.
>> Reporter: IT WAS A SMART WAY TO MAKE SURE HE STAYED HONEST IN
HIS HEARINGS. >> WELL, IT WASN'T VERY STUPID,
I CAN TELL YOU THAT. >> THE THING IS, WHEN A
MISLEADING "TEASE" IS MEANT TO INFLUENCE AN AUDIENCE OF ONE,
THE MAN IN CHARGE OF THE INVESTIGATION THAT COULD TAKE
TRUMP DOWN, PERHAPS THAT TEASE IS LESS OF A TRUMP SHOW
CLIFFHANGER AND MORE OF A DEVICE FOR WITNESS INTIMIDATION.
JOINING US NOW IS -- ♪♪
MALCOLM NANCE, AUTHOR OF "THE PLOT TO HACK AMERICA" BUSINESS
AND POLITICAL MARKETING CONSULTANT TARA DOWDELL, DAVID
JONES FROM MOTHER JONES AND FORMER SPECIAL PROSECUTOR JILL
WEIN BANKS. NO CHAIR TURNS AND DO YOU NOT
HAVE TO SING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING
HERE. LET'S START WITH THAT QUESTION
OF WHY, TARA. YOU KNOW DONALD TRUMP PROBABLY
BETTER THAN MOST OF US ON THIS PANEL HERE.
WHY WOULD HE HAVE SET UP THIS SORT OF LONG LENGTHY, YOU KNOW,
SUSPENSE ABOUT WHETHER HE HAD TAPES?
>> YOUR POINT IN THE OPEN DONALD TRUMP IS CARRYING PRACTICES OVER
FROM REALITY TV. "THE APPRENTICE" IS THE MOST
SUCCESSFUL THING HE HAS EVER DONE AND HE IS WELL AWARE OF
THAT, SO DONALD TRUMP IS THE TYPE OF PERSON IF IT WORKED FOR
HIM IN THE PAST HE'LL DO IT AGAIN AS LONG AS HE THINKS IT'S
GOING TO WORK FOR HIM AND HE THINKS THIS STRATEGY "THE TEASE"
AS YOU COINED IT, WORKS FOR HIM. THE OTHER DYNAMIC IS, DONALD
TRUMP THE REASON WHY WE SAW HIM REVEAL IT WAS, IN FACT, A TEASE
AND THAT THERE ARE NO TAPES THE REASON WHY IS BECAUSE WHEN HE
DOES SOMETHING HE FEELS IS STRATEGIC, HE WANTS THE CREDIT.
SO WHEN THE REPORTER ASKED HIM, WHEN THE HOST ASKED HIM AND
SAID, THAT WAS A VERY SMART STRATEGY, THAT RIGHT THERE WAS
THE BAIT, AND SO FOR SOMEONE LIKE DONALD TRUMP, HE WAS NOT
GOING TO LET THAT GO, BECAUSE HE WANTS PEOPLE TO KNOW, JUST LIKE
WHEN HE FIRED COMEY AND HIS STAFF WENT OUT AND SAID IT
WASN'T THE PRESIDENT, AND THE NEXT DAY HE SAID I FIRED COMEY
BECAUSE DONALD TRUMP WANTS THE CREDIT.
>> JILL WEINBANKS, ONE OF THE PROBLEMS IS THAT DONALD TRUMP
MAY IN HIS OWN MIND AS TARA SAID HAVE THIS ATTITUDE I'M DOING
THIS, GETTING THE CREDIT AND GETTING EMOTIONAL PAYOFF FROM
DOING IT. COULDN'T PRETENDING THERE WERE
TAPES AND ADMITTING HE DID IT IN ORDER TO SEND A MESSAGE TO JIM
COMEY COULD THAT BE WITNESS INTIMIDATION OR TAMPERING?
>> IT COULD BE. I THINK THE COMBINATION OF FACTS
IS REALLY WHAT BECOMES INTIMIDATION.
THAT IN AND OF ITSELF ISN'T THAT SIGNIFICANT BUT ADD THAT TWEET
TO ALL OF THE OTHER THINGS HE DID, THE CONVERSATION HE HAD IN
THE WHITE HOUSE TO HIS FIRING COMEY, ALL OF THOSE THINGS MAKE
YOU VIEW THE TWEET DIFFERENTLY AND COULD BE INTIMIDATION.
>> DAVID CORN, A FORMER WHITE HOUSE ETHICS LAWYER, ACTUALLY
WROTE IN "THE HILL" OR TWEETED IN "THE HILL" TWEETED OUT THAT
THE LACK OF THE COMEY TAPES AND THE FACT THAT THERE NEVER WERE
ANY, DONALD TRUMP KNEW THERE WEREN'T ANY BUT SAID IT ANY IN
HIS OWN WORDS TO SEND A MESSAGE TO COMEY THAT IT ACTUALLY IS
WITNESS INTIMIDATION. >> IT MAY BE.
I'VE HEARD OTHER PEOPLE SAY, IT'S HARD TO MAKE THE CASE IF
YOU'RE DOING IT TO GET SOMEBODY
TO TELL THE TRUTH AS TO COVER UP SOMETHING.
IN ANY EVENT IT'S ABSURD FOR WEEKS AND WEEKS HE WOULDN'T
ANSWER THE QUESTION AND ULTIMATELY HIS POSITION IS, I
HAD TO LIE OR SUGGEST A LIE IN ORDER TO GET SOMEONE ELSE NOT TO
LIE. THIS IS A PRESIDENT WHO SAYS
THAT HE WAS WIRE TAPPED IN TRUMP TOWER WHEN HE WASN'T, WHO
SUGGESTS HE HAS TAPES OF THE COMEY MEETINGS WHEN HE DOESN'T,
AND THEN HE COMPLAINS ABOUT FAKE NEWS.
I MEAN, THE COGNITIVE DISSIDENCE HERE SHOULD BE HIS CAMPAIGN
MOTTO NEXT TIME. MAKE AMERICA CONFUSED AGAIN.
I MEAN IT'S REALLY, IT'S KIND OF SAD THAT THE MEDIA DIDN'T AT ONE
POINT AT LEAST THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS CORPS WALK OUT OF THE
PRESS CONFERENCES WHEN SEAN OR HE WOULD NOT GIVE AN ANSWER TO
THIS VERY SIMPLE QUESTION. >> OR WHEN THEY WOULDN'T LET
THEM RECORD. WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT LATER.
MALCOLM ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S HAPPENING BEHIND THE SCENES IN
ADDITION TO DONALD TRUMP PUTTING UP ALL OF THOSE SHOWS FOR US AND
SORT OF DOING ENTERTAINMENT AS PART OF HIS PRESIDENCY, BEHIND
THE SCENES HE SEEMS TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY CONCERNED ABOUT
THIS PROBE. THERE WAS A PIECE, NBC NEWS DID
THIS REPORTING THE DAN COATS, THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL
INTELLIGENCE TOLD HOUSE INVESTIGATORS EVEN THOUGH HE
WOULDN'T SAY IT IN THE OPEN HEARING, HE SAID HIS FEELINGS,
HE DIDN'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT CONVERSATIONS BUT BEHIND CLOSED
DOORS HE TOLD THE HOUSE COMMITTEE THAT TRUMP DID SEEM
OBSESSED WITH THE RUSSIA PROBE. >> SURE, ABSOLUTELY.
WE'VE WITHIN AT THIS FOR ALMOST A YEAR, TEN MONTHS AT THIS
POINT. WHY?
WHY IS DONALD TRUMP ON SENSED WITH COVERING UP THIS PROBE?
IT'S A NATIONAL COUNTER ESPIONAGE INVESTIGATION THAT NOW
APPEARS THAT IT LOOKS, BASED ON THE LAWYERS, THAT DIRECTOR
MUELLER HAS HIRED, IS NOW GOING INTO A MASSIVE FINANCIAL FRAUD
AND RICOH INVESTIGATION. ONE OF THOSE TWO THINGS IS GOING
TO HAPPEN OR BOTH, ESPIONAGE TIED TO DIRTY MONEY OR A MASSIVE
DIRTY MONEY THING. TRUMP HAS TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT
THAT AND HE THINKS AS A BIG REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER CAN HE GET AWAY
WITH IT. HE'S NOT GOING TO GET AWAY WITH
IT. MUELLER IS PLAYING A REALITY
SHOW, CALLED "PRESIDENTIAL
APPRENTICE" AND ONLY ONE CONTESTANT AND ONE RESULT THAT
COMES FROM THE END OF IT, YOU'RE EITHER FIRED OR NOT FIRED.
I THINK TRUMP IS TERRIFIED OF THAT.
>> AT THE RISK OF ASKING TO YOU PSYCHOANALYZE HIM, TARA, THIS
GUY REFUSED TO RELEASE HIS TAX RETURNS.
THERE'S OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING IN THE WAY HE DOES BUSINESS HE
DOESN'T WANT REVEALED THROUGH THE TAX RUSHES.
BEHIND THE SCENES, WHATEVER HE'S DOING THEY'VE GOT TO BE
CONCERNED. THEY'RE NOT DIGGING INTO THE WAY
THAT HE DOES BUSINESS AND HE DOES DO BUSINESS WITH SOME
CHARACTERS THAT HAVE GOT SOME TIES TO SOME INTERESTING RUSSIAN
MONEY, PUT IT THAT BAY. >> NOT JUST RUSSIA, OTHER
COUNTRIES WITH SHADY CHARACTERS AS WELL.
HIS FAMILY IS CONTINUING TO DO BUSINESS IN COUNTRIES THAT ARE
HIGHLY SUSPECT, HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES.
DONALD TRUMP IS USED TO GETTING AWAY WITH THINGS.
THAT IS WHAT HE'S DONE HIS ENTIRE LIFE.
HE'S GOTTEN AWAY WITH TAKING ADVANTAGE OF PEOPLE, NOT PAYING
PEOPLE, CORRUPTION. HE'S GOTTEN AWAY WITH SO MUCH,
NOW HE KNOWS THINGS ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THIS TIME.
I THINK HE HAS AWARENESS THAT THINGS ARE DIFFERENT THIS TIME,
THAT'S WHY HE CLOSED THE DOOR WHEN HE WAS IN THE MEETING WITH
COMEY, WHY HE'S BEHAVING AND HIDING INFORMATION, THE NOTION
THAT HE DOES NOT KNOW THAT THE VICES AROUND HIS NECK IS A FALSE
NOTION, BECAUSE HIS BEHAVIOR IS INDICATIVE OF SOMEONE THAT KNOWS
THERE IS TROUBLE AND CONSISTENT WITH HOW HE'S BEHAVED IN THE
PAST WHEN HE'S HAD TROUBLE. THE DIFFERENCE IS HE'S GOTTEN
AWAY WITH IT. I THINK HE KNOWS THE STAKES ARE
HIGHER AND THE GAME IS A LOT DIFFERENT.
>> THE JEOPARDY HERE IS THIS IS NOT INDEPENDENT COUNSEL, NOT A
KEN STARR SITUATION. THIS IS A PROSECUTEOR THAT IN
THEORY THE PRESIDENT COULD FIRE. HE COULD WORLD ROD ROSENSTEIN
THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL TO FIRE MUELLER OR HE COULD JUST
SOMEHOW GET HIM OUT N THEORY. CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
THE JEOPARDY HERE THAT THIS IS AN INVESTIGATION THAT COULD GO
IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS, RIGHT?
IT'S NOT LIMITED JUST TO RUSHQWAN GATE.
>> IT IS NOT LIMITED, ALL IT MAY SOUND TRITE REMEMBER IN
WATERGATE THE PHRASE "FOLLOW THE MONEY" BECAUSE I THINK YOUR
QUESTION TO THE LAST GUEST IS REALLY ON POINT, AND THAT IT IS
THE FINANCIAL WRONGDOINGS THAT MAY BE THE UNDOING OF THIS
PRESIDENT, AND THAT THE INVESTIGATION CAN EASILY GO TO
THOSE KINDS OF DEALINGS TO LOOKING AT WHAT WOULD WE SEE IF
WE SAW HIS TAX RETURNS? WHAT ARE HIS DEALINGS WITH THE
RUSSIAN BANKS? WHY WAS JARED KUSHNER MEETING
WITH A SANCTIONED BANK? THERE SEEMS TO BE NO LEGITIMATE
EXPLANATION FOR THAT, AND THIS INVESTIGATION IS LED BY SOMEONE
WHO IS GREATLY RESPECTED BY MANY, BY ALMOST EVERYONE, MAYBE
NOT BY PRESIDENT TRUMP, WHO IS NOW TRYING TO IMPUGN HIS
CREDIBILITY, BUT THAT HASN'T BEEN SUCCESSFUL AND SO I THINK
THAT IT COULD REALLY LEAD TO SOMETHING MUCH BIGGER, AND AND
MADE A BIG MISTAKE WHEN HE TOOK ACTIONS THAT LED TO THE
APPOINTMENT OF THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR, AND OUR DEPUTY
ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS SAID HE WILL NOT FIRE HIM, EXCEPT FOR
CAUSE, WHICH MEANS THE PRESIDENT WOULD HAVE TO REPEAT THE
SATURDAY NIGHT MASSACRE, HE'D HAVE TO FIRE ROD ROSENSTEIN SO
HE COULD APPOINT SOMEONE TO CARRY OUT HIS ORDER TO FIRE MR.
MUELLER. >> YOU ALREADY, DAVID, HAVE
DONALD TRUMP TRYING TO FIND AN ALLY TO PUT IN CHARGE OF THE
FEIN. HE'S CLEARLY TRYING TO CREATE
LOYALISTS THAT CAN PROTECT HIM. IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKELY CAN HE IN
ANY WAY GET IN MUELLER'S WAY. >> HE IS IN A BAD SPOT.
HE HAS A GUY WHO HAS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF EXPERIENCE,
EXPERIENCE AROUND HIM. I DID A STORY THIS WEEK, IT'S A
LITTLE COMPLICATED, BUN FELLOW WHO WAS INVOLVED IN A
PROSECUTION OF FELIX SATER, A REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER IS ON THE
TEAM OF MUELLER SO THERE ARE DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE
INVESTIGATION BUT ONE BIG POINT THAT I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO LOSE
SIGHT OF. IT BECOMES CLEARER AND CLEARER
EVERY SINGL SINGLE DAY THAT DON TRUMP AIDED AND ABETTED PUTIN'S
OPERATION AGAINST UNITED STATES AND THE ELECTION.
THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE SUMMER AND EVEN AFTER THE ELECTION, AFTER
THE U.S. GOVERNMENT SAID IT WAS PUTIN DOING THIS, AND THAT IT
WAS A RUSSIAN OPERATION, HE KEPT DENYING IT WAS HAPPENING.
THAT'S THE SAME THING AS AIDING AND ABETTING, LIKE BEING OUTSIDE
A BANK ROBBERY AND SAYING NOTHING IS GOING ON WHEN YOU
KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON INSIDE. THAT'S THE BIG SIN, GOES BEYOND
THE FINANCIAL STUFF. HE HELPED THIS OPERATION.
>> AND MALCOLM, HE ESSENTIALLY ADMITTED HE KNEW ABOUT IT TODAY
IN A TWEET. >> IN HIS TWEET YESTERDAY HE PUT
OUT, ESSENTIALLY, IT'S ACTUALLY FASCINATING TO LEARN THAT DONALD
TRUMP WATCHES MSNBC AND IS A BIG FAN AND THAT BEING SAID I HAVE
SOMETHING -- I HAVE SOMETHING I'D LIKE TO SAY TO HIM, RIGHT?
AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES THAT I BEG YOU, I BEG
YOU, COME OUT AND TELL US THAT WHATEVER YOU KNOW AND WHATEVER
YOUR STAFF KNOWS ABOUT RUSSIA AND COLLUSION WITH WIKILEAKS,
THROW THEM UNDER THE BUS, RIGHT, SAVE YOURSELF, BUT LET'S GET
THIS NATION PAST THAT, AND IF HE CAN'T UNDERSTAND THAT, HE NEEDS
TO TAKE A LONG WALK AROUND THAT BUILDING THAT HE LIVES IN AND
LOOK AT ALL THE PEOPLE IN THIS HISTORY WHO HAVE PROTECTED THIS
DEMOCRACY. OTHERWISE HE DOESN'T HAVE ANY
INTEREST IN PROTECTION THE NATION.
>> YOU CAN TALK TO HIM THROUGH THE TV.
HE MAY HAVE HEARD THAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>> UP NEXT, DONALD TRUMP FINALLY DOES ACKNOWLEDGE
RUSSIA'S ELECTION ATTACK AND ALL IT TOOK WAS THE CHANCE TO SAY
IT'S ALL PRESIDENT OBAMA'S FAULT.
STAY WITH US.

President Donald Trump, Comey 'Tapes,' And The Art Of The 'Tease' | MSNBC

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