Donald Trump: Claims Of Collusion 'Dumbest Thing I've Ever Heard' | The 11th Hour

>>> GOOD EVENING ONCE AGAIN FROM OUR NBC NEWS HEADQUARTERS HERE
IN NEW YORK. DAY 174 OF THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION. AND THE PRESIDENT IS AIRBORNE
RIGHT NOW EN ROUTE TO PARIS AND WITH THIS TRAVELING WHITE HOUSE,
NOT ALL THE BAGGAGE IS IN THE CARGO HOLD AS THE "ASSOCIATED
PRESS" PUTS IT TONIGHT, THIS PRESIDENT HEADS OVERSEAS
TRAILING QUESTIONS. THE LATEST ROUND COMING FROM THE
REVELATION THAT HIS ELDEST SON WAS EAGER TO WELCOME RUSSIAN
HELP IN THE CAMPAIGN TO ELECT DONALD TRUMP AND TWEET HILLARY
CLINTON. QUOTING FROM TFROM THE A.P., IN
PRIVATE, TRUMP HAS RANLED AGAINST THE LATEST RUSSIA
DEVELOPMENT. WITH MOST OF HIS IRE DIRECTED AT
THE MEDIA, NOT HIS SON WHILE STAFFERS HAVE GROWN ACCUSTOMED
TO A GOOD NEWS CYCLE BEING OVERSHADOWED BY THE RUSSIA
INVESTIGATIONS, TRUMP AIDES AND OUTSIDE ADVISERS PRIVATELY
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS WEEK'S DEVELOPMENTS FELT MORE SERIOUS.
FROM POLITICO, ONE TRUMP ADVISER SAID THE WHITE HOUSE IS
ESSENTIALLY HELPLESS BECAUSE THE CONDUCT HAPPENED DURING AN
ANYTHING GOES CAMPAIGN THAT HAD FEW RULES.
IN A PREDEPARTURE INTERVIEW WITH REUTERS TODAY, THE PRESIDENT
DEFENDED HIS SON DON JUNIOR SAYING, "I THINK MANY PEOPLE
WOULD HAVE HELD THAT MEETING." YESTERDAY HE CALLED HIS ELDEST
SON "A HIGH QUALITY PERSON." THE PRESIDENT TODAY ALSO TALKED
ABOUT HIS OWN MEETING AT THE G-20 IN GERMANY WITH VLADIMIR
PUTIN. HE TOLD REUTERS HE SPENT AT
LEAST 20 MINUTES ASKING PUTIN ABOUT RUSSIA'S ELECTION HACKS.
QUOTING THE PRESIDENT, SAID DID YOU DO IT?
HE SAID NO, I DID NOT, ABSOLUTELY NOT.
I THEN ASKED HIM A SECOND TIME IN A TOTALLY DIFFERENT WAY, HE
SAID ABSOLUTELY NOT. ON THE SUGGESTION HIS CAMPAIGN
COLLUDED WITH RUSSIA, HE SAID, "IT'S THE DUMBEST THING I'VE
EVER HEARD." IN THE PRESIDENT'S OTHER
INTERVIEW OF THE DAY WITH PAT ROBERTSON OF THE CHRISTIAN
BROADCASTING NETWORK, HE SUGGESTED THERE WAS NO WAY PUTIN
WANTED HIM TO WIN THE 2016 ELECTION.
>> IF HILLARY HAD WON, OUR MILITARY WOULD BE DECIMATED.
OUR ENERGY WOULD BE MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE.
THAT'S WHAT PUTIN DOESN'T LIKE ABOUT ME.
AND THAT'S WHY I SAY, WHY WOULD HE WANT ME BECAUSE FROM DAY ONE
I WANTED A STRONG MILITARY. HE DOESN'T WANT TO SEE THAT.
FROM DAY ONE, I WANT FRACKING AND EVERYTHING ELSE TO GET
ENERGY PRICES LOW AND TO CREATE TREMENDOUS ENERGY.
HE DOESN'T WANT THAT. HE WOULD LIKE HILLARY.
SHE WANTS TO HAVE WINDMILLS. OKAY?
HE WOULD MUCH RATHER HAVE THAT. THERE ARE MANY THINGS I DO THAT
ARE THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF WHAT HE WOULD WANT.
WHEN I HEAR HE WOULD HAVE RATHER HAD TRUMP, I THINK PROBABLY NOT.
>> IN FACT, THE PRESIDENT TOLD REUTERS HE HAD ONE REGRET ABOUT
AN OMISSION WHEN HE SAT DOWN TO MEET WITH PUTIN.
"IT'S REALLY THE ONE QUESTION I WISH I WOULD HAVE ASKED PUTIN.
WERE YOU ACTUALLY SUPPORTING ME? .
THE TODAY AT THE HOUSE THEY CONTINUED TO SUPPORT DON
JUNIOR'S CONTENTION THAT HIS FATHER DIDN'T KNOW THE ABOUT
THAT RUSSIAN MEETING IN TRUMP TOWER LAST JUNE.
THEY CONTEND HE ONLY LEARNED ABOUT IT RECENTLY.
BUT IN THE FACE OF THAT, THERE'S THIS IS.
DONALD TRUMP SPEAKING ON JUNE 7th, THE VERY SAME DAY HIS SON
AGREED TO THE RUSSIA MEETING. >> I AM GOING TO GIVE A MAJOR
SPEECH ON PROBABLY MONDAY OF NEXT WEEK WEEK AND WE'RE GOING
DISCUSSING ALL OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE WITH THE
CLINTONS. I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO FIND IT
VERY INFORMATIVE AND VERY, VERY INTERESTING.
>> TRUMP DID GIVE A MAJOR SPEECH ON THAT MONDAY FOCUSING INSTEAD
ON NATIONAL SECURITY. LET'S AT THIS POINT BRING IN
TONIGHT'S STARTING PANEL. FOUR OF OUR VETERANS ON THIS
BROADCAST. PHILIP RUCKER, WHITE HOUSE
BUREAU CHIEF FOR THE "WASHINGTON POST," JEREMY PETERS POLITICAL
REPORTER FOR THE "NEW YORK TIMES" ]
SHANNON PETTY PIECE FROM BLOOMBERG AND MICHAEL CROWLEY,
SENIOR AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT FOR POLITICO.
MR. RUCKER, YOU CONTRIBUTED TO A PIECE IN THE "WASHINGTON POST"
TONIGHT BY ABBY PHILIP, THE HEADLINE A MILLION MILES AN
HOUR. INSIDE TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN WHEN
TRUMP JUNIOR MET WITH RUSSIAN LAWYER.
BECAUSE IT'S STILL THE STORY, BECAUSE IT HAS CHANGED THE
DIRECTION AND SCOPE OF THE INVESTIGATION AND IT'S STILL
GERMANE, TAKE US BACK AS A RESULT OF YOUR REPORTING.
WHAT WAS GOING ON AT THAT TIME THAT WEEK, THAT DAY?
>> YEAH, SO THIS WAS A REALLY CRITICAL MOMENT IN THE CAMPAIGN.
IT WAS AS THE PRIMARIES WERE TRANSITIONING INTO THE GENERAL
ELECTION. DONALD TRUMP HAD BECOME
EFFECTIVELY THE REPUBLICAN NOMINEE BUT HAD NOT YET SECURED
THE NOMINATION. THERE WAS ALL THIS TALK ABOUT A
DELEGATE FIGHT AT THE UPCOMING CONVENTION.
BUT HE WAS BEHIND HILLARY CLINTON IN THE POLLS.
HE WAS GETTING HIT BY HER. HE WAS UNDERFUNDED.
HE DIDN'T HAVE THE POLITICAL ORGANIZATION IN PLACE.
HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY KIND OF A RESEARCH TEAM IN PLACE.
AND SO HE WAS HIS CAMPAIGN WAS DESPERATE FOR ANY ADVANTAGE THAT
THEY COULD SEIZE AGAINST HILLARY CLINTON.
AND THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS PEOPLE WHO WORKED ON THE
CAMPAIGN EXPLAINED WHY DON JUNIOR WAS SO EAGER TO TAKE THAT
MEETING TO POTENTIALLY GET SOME OPPOSITION RESEARCH ABOUT
HILLARY CLINTON EVEN IF IT CAME FROM THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT.
>> AND MICHAEL, YOU DID SOME IMPORTANT WRITING THIS WEEK THAT
GOT A GOOD LONG RIDE FOR YOU ABOUT DONALD TRUMP JR. AND THE
TAKE AWAY WAS HIS LOVE OF ALL THINGS RUSSIA AND ESPECIALLY ALL
THINGS MOSCOW. >> YEAH, BRIAN, WE'VE SPENT A
LOT OF TIME IN THE LAST MANY MONTHS TALKING ABOUT PRESIDENT
TRUMP'S RELATIONSHIP WITH RUSSIA AND HIS HANDFUL OF TRIPS THERE.
BUT ACTUALLY, WHEN YOU ZERO IN ON DONALD JUNIOR, HE'S THE ONE
WHO'S BEEN TO RUSSIA NEARLY TEN TIMES BY MY COUNT.
I WAS ABLE TO BE ESTABLISH EIGHT OR NINE TRIPS BASED ON HIS
PUBLIC REMARKS OVER THE YEARS AND EVEN HIS SOCIAL MEDIA.
THERE ARE GREAT TWEETS FROM A TRIP HE TOOK IN 2011 WHERE HE'S
BRAGGING ABOUT BUZZING THE TREE TOPS OUTSIDE MOSCOW FLYING UNDER
THE RADAR IN CLOSED AIR SPACE. YOU FIND QUOTES FROM HIM SAYING,
FOR INSTANCE, THAT MOSCOW MIGHT BE HIS FAVORITE CITY IN THE
ENTIRE WORLD. HE'S GOING OVER THERE AGAIN AND
AGAIN LOOKING FOR BUSINESS TO FIND REVENUES FOR TRUMP
ORGANIZATION AND CLEARLY DEVELOPED THIS AFFINITY FOR THE
PLACE. HE EVEN TWEETED ABOUT HOW SAINT
BASIL'S CATHEDRAL IN RED SQUARE WAS HIS FAVORITE LANDMARK AND HE
NEVER MISSED A CHANCE TO SEE IT IN THE CITY.
THIS GUY HAD A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY AND CLEARLY PEOPLE IN
IT AND RUSSIANS WHO SAW HIM I THINK AS SOMEONE THEY COULD
APPROACH, IT MADE HIM A NATURAL TARGET, IF YOU WILL, BRIAN, FOR
OUTREACH LIKE THIS. >> JEREMY, ABOUT THE PRESIDENT,
YOU HEARD THE MAN. HE ASKED PUTIN NOT ONCE BUT
TWICE AND YET, AS PRESIDENT, HE'S NOT WILLING TO BE AS
UNEQUIVOCAL AS THE DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES.
>> THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. I THINK THE WHITE HOUSE HAD A
TREMENDOUS CREDIBILITY PROBLEM GOING INTO THIS WEEK AND ITS
DENIALS IF THEY DIDN'T MEAN MUCH BEFORE "THE NEW YORK TIMES"
STARTED REPORTING ON THIS MEETING WITH DONALD TRUMP JR.,
THEY MEAN ALMOST NOTHING NOW. IT'S A PROBLEM BECAUSE IN ORDER
TO BELIEVE THAT DONALD TRUMP KNEW NOTHING ABOUT OF THIS
MEETING, YOU KIND OF HAVE TO DISREGARD EVERYTHING WE KNOW
ABOUT THE DYNAMICS OF THE TRUMP FAMILY, HOW CLOSESE THEY ARE AN
HOW CLOSELY TRUMP RELIES ON THE COUNSEL OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE
BEEN WITH HIM THE LONGEST. IT'S ALSO TO KIND OF DEFIES
BELIEF BECAUSE YOU WOULD HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT DONALD TRUMP JR.
WHO FELT THIS MEETING WAS SO IMPORTANT THAT HE INCLUDED PAUL
MAN FOR THE, THE CAMPAIGN MANAGER AND JARED KUSHNER, THE
SENIOR ADVISER IN IT IN THE FIRST PLACE DIDN'T BELIEVE IT
WAS IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO TELL HIS FATHER ABOUT.
I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND THEY ALL KIND OF
CULMINATE WITH WHETHER OR NOT YOU CAN TRUST DONALD TRUMP AT
HIS WORD WHEN HE SAYS SOMETHING DIDN'T HAPPEN WHEN HIS WORD HAS
BEEN PROVEN WRONG TIME AND TIME AGAIN.
>> SHANNON, YOU'VE WRITTEN WHAT THIS STORY HAS DONE IN TERMS OF
A HIT TO THE PRESIDENT'S CLOUT. >> RIGHT.
AND I FEEL LIKE I'VE WRITTEN THIS STORY A NUMBER OF TIMES
NOW. JUST WHEN YOU THINK HIS
CREDIBILITY OR STANDING WITH MEMBERS OF CONGRESS COULDN'T GO
ANY LOWER, THERE'S ANOTHER SCANDAL.
I'M BACK TO THE STORY OF HOW THE PRESIDENT IS LOSING ANY SORT OF
POLITICAL CAPITAL, ANY LEVERAGE HE HAD IN CONGRESS TO GET THINGS
DONE. ON THE BIG ISSUES THAT PEOPLE
VOTE FORD HIM ON, ON THEIR HEALTH CARE BEING TOO EXPENSIVE,
NOT HAVING GOOD JOBS, WORRYING ABOUT PAYING FOR THEIR KIDS'
COLLEGE. THE REASON WHO VOTE FORD HIM PUT
HIM IN THE WHITE HOUSE, THOSE EFFORTS ARE BEING HARMED BY THIS
CONSTANT SCANDAL MACHINE THIS CONSTANT DISTRACTION THAT THEY
CREATE THEMSELVES FOR NOT BEING TRANSPARENT OR MAKING MISLEADING
STATEMENTS. THE WEST WING ONLY HAS SO MUCH
BANDWIDTH AND SO MUCH POLITICAL
CAPITAL.

Donald Trump: Claims Of Collusion 'Dumbest Thing I've Ever Heard' | The 11th Hour | MSNBC

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