Donald Trump: I Wouldn’t Have Hired Sessions If I Knew He’d Recuse | All In

VOLUNTARILY COOPERATE AND PROVIDE WHATEVER INFORMATION HE
HAS ON THE INVESTIGATION TO CONGRESS.
JOINING ME NOW, MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR FOR THE "NEW YORK
TIMES" WHO INTERVIEWED DONALD TRUMP.
SO LET'S GO INTO THAT MEETING. THE HEADLINE, DONALD TRUMP
SAYING HE NEVER WOULD HAVE APPOINTED JEFF SESSIONS TO BE
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL. DID YOU GET SENSE THAT HE IS
SAYING THAT BECAUSE HE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT JEFF SESSIONS
HAD INVOLVEMENT IN THE RUSSIAN ISSUE?
OR THAT HE THOUGHT HE WOULD BE IN A POSITION TO COVER HIS BACK
ESSENTIALLY IN THAT JOB? >> I'M NOT SURE.
HE DID NOT EXPLAIN EXACTLY WHY HE FELT THAT WAY.
BUT HE'S CLEARLY VERY DISAPPOINTED IN SESSIONS.
HE CLEARLY SEES THIS. >> AND WE'VE HEARD REPORTS
BEFORE THAT DONALD TRUMP WAS DISAPPOINTED IN SESSIONS.
IT SEEMS THE GO DOWN TO THAT ONE THING.
THAT DONALD TRUMP IS NOT IN A POSITION TO WEIGH IN.
I HAVE TO ASK YOU, WERE THERE ANY FOLLOW-UP, WHY WOULD IT
MATTER IF HE RECUS RECUSED HIMS UNLESS HE THOUGHT JEFF SESSIONS
COULD PROVIDE HIM SOME COVER? >> WE DID FOLLOW UP WITH
QUESTIONS. IT IS DIFFICULT WITH THE
PRESIDENT. HE SPEAKS VERY QUICKLY AND HE
SAYS A LOT OF THINGS IN THE CONVERSATION AND CAN ME ANDIER.
WE HAD REPORTED THAT SESSIONS, THAT TRUMP WAS UPSET WITH
SESSIONS ABOUT HIS DECISION TO RECUSE AND THE APPOINTMENT OF
MUELLER, WHAT'S DIFFERENT IS THAT PUBLICLY THE PRESIDENT IS
DOING THIS. NOW HE HAS AN ATTORNEY GENERAL
WHO IS NOT NECESSARILY HAD THE LEGS CUT OUT FROM UNDERNEATH HIM
BUT CLEARLY ON THE BAD SIZE OF THE PRESIDENT.
AND IT WILL BE INTERESTED TO SEE WHAT THE FALLOUT IS.
IS THERE ANY IMPACT ON SESSIONS AND HIS ABILITY TO DO HIS JOB.
OR IS THIS JUST SOMETHING THAT SESSIONS SHRUGS OFF AND
CONTINUES GOING FORWARD. TRUMP IS CLEARLY UPENTITY THE
FACT MUELLER HAS BEEN APPOINTED AND HE IS LOOKING AT THESE
DIFFERENT ISSUES. AND THAT HE HAS THE ABILITY TO
TAKE HIS INVESTIGATION. >> WE'RE GOING TO GET TO THAT.
TAKE A LISTEN. >> SESSIONS GETS THE JOB.
RIGHT AFTER GETS JOB, HE RECUSES HIMSELF.
HE WAS OUT OF -- HE SHOULD HAVE NEVER RECUSED HIMSELF.
IF HE WAS GOING ON RECUSE HIMSELF, I WOULD HAVE PICKED
SOMEBODY ELSE. >> HE GAVE YOU NO HEADS UP.
>> ZERO. SO JEFF SESSIONS TAKES JOB.
GETS INTO THE JOB. RECUSES HIMSELF.
WHICH FRANKLY VERY UNFAIR TO THE PRESIDENT.
HOW DO YOU RECUSE YOURSELF? IF HE WOULD HAVE RECUSED HIMSELF
BEFORE THE JOB, I WOULD HAVE SAID, IT IS EXTREMELY UNFAIR.
AND THAT'S A MILD WORD TO THE PRESIDENT.
SO HE RECUSES HIMSELF. I THEN END UP WITH A SECOND MAN.
WHO IS A DEPUTY. >> I WANT TO STAY WITH THIS FOR
A MINUTE. THE CRUX OF THE ANGER ABOUT THE
ONGOING INVESTIGATION HAS CONSUMED HIS PRESIDENCY.
I WANT TO MOVE ON TO ROBERT MUELLER WHO YOU DID MENTION.
IN THIS INVESTIGATION, ACCORDING TO THIS, THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW IS
ON THE WEBSITE. HE GETS SUE THE QUESTION OF
MULER AND WHETHER OR NOT HE THINKS HIS INVESTIGATION COULD
CONCEIVABLY GO TOO FAR. DID HE THEN GET INTO WHETHER OR
NOT, IF HE THOUGHT MUELLER STRAYED INTO AREAS HE THOUGHT
WERE UNFAIR, WHETHER OR NOT HE WOULD FIRE HIM?
>> SO HE WOULDN'T COMMIT TO FIRING MUELLER IF HE GOES BEYOND
A CERTAIN LINE. HE DID SAY THERE'S A RED LINE.
IF EMANUELER IS LOOKING AT THINGS RELATED TO HIS FINANCES,
RELATED TO THINGS OUTSIDE THE RUSSIAN INVESTIGATIONS, IT WOULD
BE A VIOLATION. HE DIDN'T DEFINE WHAT HE MEANT
BY A VIOLATION. HE CLEARLY SEES THE PURVIEW TO
LOOK AT RUSSIAN MEDDLING IN THE ELECTION.
ANY TIME FOLKS AROUND HIM, THE PRESIDENT, AND FOLKS HAD RUSSIA.
BUT HE DOESN'T SEE THE MANDATE IS GOING ANY FURTHER THAN THAT.
AND THE QUESTION IS, THAT WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH MUELLER'S
INVESTIGATIONS. AS WE'VE SEEN WITH SPECIAL
COUNSELS OR SPECIAL PROSECUTORS IN THE PAST, THEY END TO TURN
ORDER A LOT LOT OF ROCKS AND LOT A LOT OF THINGS.
OFTEN DIFFERENT FROM WHAT THEY START.
WITH THE CLINTON INVESTIGATION, IT WAS A WHITEWATER
INVESTIGATION THAT LED TO MONICA LEWINSKY.
SO FOLKS HAD TRUMP WORLD ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT WHERE
MUELLER MAY GO AND WHAT MUELLER MAY DO AND WHETHER THIS BECOMES
AN UNWIELDY THING CASTS A SHADOW OVER HIS PRESIDENCY.
I THINK IF HE HAD HIS WAY. OBVIOUSLY MUELLER WOULDN'T BE
THERE. IF HE HAD HIS WAY GOING FORWARD,
IT WOULD BE A RUSSIAN INVESTIGATION THAT WRAPS UP
PRETTY QUICKLY. HE GETS TO SOME CONCLUSIONS AND
ALLOWS HIM TO MOVE ON WITH HIS PRESIDENCY.
>> ISN'T IT THE CASE THAT IT HAS TO DO WITH THE TRUMP FAMILY AND
THE FINANCIALS ARE DIRECTLY RELATED TO RUSSIA.
I WONDER IF YOU ASKED WHETHER OR NOT HE UNDERSTANDS, PART OF THE
REASONS IT IS IRRELEVANT, IT IS THOUGHT THAT MIGHT BE AN
INDUCEMENT TO THE RUSSIANS. >> WE DID TALK TO HIM ABOUT HIS
FINANCIALS AND HE SAID HE HAS NO REAL TIES TO RUSSIANS MONEY.
THAT MAYBE RUSSIAN FOLKS MAY HAVE BOUGHT A CONDO IN ONE OF
HIS BUILDINGS AND HE DID HAVE THE MISS UNIVERSE CONTEST IN
RUSSIA SEVERAL YEARS AGO BUT HE SAID THERE'S NOTHING MORE TO IT
THAN THAT. HE BASICALLY SAYS, THAT THERE'S
NOTHING THERE ON ANY OF THIS STUFF RELATED TO HIM.
HE'S NO INDICATION THAT HE HIMSELF IS UNDER INVESTIGATION.
AND THAT HE IS DEEPLY SKEPTICAL OF ALL THESE ACCUSATIONS ABOUT
RUSSIA. >> DID YOU TAKE IT AS THREAT TO
MUELLER TO BACK DOWN? >> IT CERTAINLY PUTS MUELLER ON
NOTICE THAT HE WILL BE WATCHING HIM CLOSELY.
THAT THEY'LL BE LOOKING AT MUELLER AND SEEING IF HE STEPS
OUTSIDE THE RUSSIA LANE. IF HE DOES THAT, THE PRESIDENT
DOES HAVE THE POWER TO GET RID OF MUELLER.
THE PRESIDENT DOES CONTROL THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT.
SO THAT WILL BE THE QUESTION. IF MUELLER STEPS OUT, WHAT WILL
TRUMP DO? COULD HE POLITICALLY SURVIVE
GETTING RID OF MUELLER? MOST PEOPLE WOULD SAY HE
WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SURVIVE POLITICALLY GETTING RID OF
COMEY. HE DID GET RID OF COMEY.
HE PAID AN ENORMOUS PRICE FOR THAT.
HE HAS CONTINUED ON. SO WOULD HE GET RID OF MUELLER?
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE REALLY GOT A DEFINITIVE ANSWER ABOUT.
>> AND THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE'S HEARINGS WHICH IS THE REASON
THAT SOME OF THE OTHER ASSOCIATES WERE BEING CALLED IN
TO TALK TO THAT COMMITTEE. I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT
COMEY. YOU DID TALK ABOUT JIM COMEY AND
APPARENTLY HE MADE SOME ADDITIONAL ALLEGATIONS ABOUT THE
FORMER FBI DIRECTOR IF COULD YOU EXPAND.
>> YEAH. SO JANUARY 6, COMEY IS THAT SOME
OF THE OTHER INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS WENT TO TRUMP TOWER TO
BRIEF TRUMP ON THE RUSSIAN MEDDLING IN THE ELECTION.
AFTERWARD, HE PULLED TRUMP ASIDE AND TOLD HIM ABOUT THE DOSSIER.
THIS IS COLLECTION OF REPORTS BY A FORMER BRITISH SPY ABOUT
INFORMATION THE RUSSIANS MAY HAVE ON TRUMP.
BLACKMAIL INFORMATION AND BUSINESS TIES BETWEEN TRUMP
ASSOCIATES AND RUSSIA. WHAT TRUMP SAYS IS THAT IN
HINDSIGHT, LOOKING BACK, HE THOUGHT COMEY WAS TRYING TO GET
LEVERAGE. AS COMEY WAS MANEUVERING TO GET
HIS JOB, IT WAS A PLAY FOR LEVERAGE
WHAT COMEY HAS TESTIFIED ABOUT, IF YOU TALK TO FOLKS AT THE FBI,
WHAT THEY WOULD SAY IS THAT COMEY WAS TRYING TO TELL TRUMP,
LOOK. THERE'S THIS INFORMATION OUT
THERE ABOUT YOU. THE MEDIA MAY BE PUBLISHING IT
AND WE HAVE IT AND YOU HAVE A RIGHT, YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT IT.
TO PUT HIM ON NOTICE ABOUT IT. THAT IT WAS NOT TRYING TO
COMPROMISE THE PRESIDENT. >> I HAVE TO TALK ABOUT VLADIMIR
PUTIN. I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH OF YOUR
INTERVIEW TALKED ABOUT VLADIMIR PUTIN.
A LOT OF TRUST, I GUESS. IN THE WORD OF VLADIMIR PUTIN
WHEN HE SAID HE DIDN'T INTERFERE IN THE ELECTION.
HE SEEMED THE TAKE HIS WORD FOR IT.
DID YOU TALK TO HIM ABOUT THE RUSSIAN PRESIDENT AND WHAT DID
HE SAY? >> WE TALKED TO HIM ABOUT THIS
SECOND MEETING HE HAD WITH PUTIN AT THE NATO CONFERENCE SEVERAL
DAYS AGO. MORE THAN A WEEK AGO.
AND HE TALKED ABOUT IT AND SAID WHEN HE WENT AND SPOKE WITH IT,
IT WAS AFTER THIS DINNER WITH PUTIN.
THAT THEY DISCUSSED ADOPTION. THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT THE
ISSUE OF ADOPTION IS THAT WAS THE INITIAL ANSWER PROVIDES BY
DON JUNIOR WHEN IT CAME OUT ABOUT TEN DAYS AGO THAT HE HAD
HAD THESE MEETINGS PROMISING INFORMATION ABOUT HILLARY
CLINTON THAT WHAT DON JUNIOR HAD SAID, THAT IT WAS ABOUT ADOPTION
AND LOBBYING ABOUT ADOPTION. THAT WAS AN INTERESTING
COINCIDENCE. WE WEREN'T ABLE TO MAKE
ESSENTIAL, WHETHER IT WAS ANYTHING MORE THAN THAT.
AND THE CONVERSATION VEERED OFF IN OTHER DIRECTIONS.
>> ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US
AT THE LAST MINUTE. THIS BREAKING NEWS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR REPORTING AND OF COURSE,

Donald Trump: I Wouldn’t Have Hired Sessions If I Knew He’d Recuse | All In | MSNBC

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