Donald Trump Jr.: Is There A Chance Mueller Will Be Fired? | Morning Joe

>>> CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE REPORTS THAT THE PRESIDENT WAS
INVOLVED IN THE INITIAL RESPONSE THAT DONALD TRUMP JR. GAVE THE
"NEW YORK TIMES"? >> SO I READ THOSE REPORTS AS
BILLION, AND THE PRESIDENT WAS NOT -- DID NOT DRAFT THE
RESPONSE. THE RESPONSE WAS -- CAME FROM
DONALD TRUMP JR., AND I'M SURE IN CONSULTATION WITH HIS LAWYER.
>> YOU WERE VERY CAREFUL TO SAY THE PRESIDENT DIDN'T DRAFT THIS
STATEMENT. THAT ISN'T WHAT I ASKED.
DID THE PRESIDENT GETS A HEADS-UP ON THIS STATEMENT?
DID HE SIGN OFF ON THE STATEMENT?
WAS HE ASKED TO READ THE STATEMENT BEFORE IT WAS GIVEN TO
THE "NEW YORK TIMES" ON AIR FORCE ONE?
>> I CAN'T SAY WHETHER THE PRESIDENT WAS TOLD THE STATEMENT
WAS GOING TO BE COMING FROM HIS SON ON THAT.
I DIDN'T HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. LET ME SAY THIS.
THE PRESIDENT -- I DO WANT TO BE CLEAR, THE PRESIDENT WAS NOT
INVOLVED IN THE DRAFTING OF THE STATEMENT AND DID NOT ISSUE THE
STATEMENT. >> PRESIDENT TRUMP'S ATTORNEY
WITH AN INDIRECT ANSWER TO THE PRESIDENT'S ROLE IN HIS SON'S
STATEMENT ON THE RUSSIA MEETING. JOINING US FROM WASHINGTON, WE
HAVE "NEW YORK TIMES" WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT GLEN THRUSH
AND COLUMNIST AND DEPUTY EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR AT THE
WASHINGTON POST RUTH MARCUS, WHOSE LATEST PIECE ON THE
PRESIDENT'S LEGAL TEAM IS POSTING TODAY.
DAVID IGNACIUS AND ALICE JORDAN WITH US AS WELL.
WE'LL START WITH YOU. THE LEGAL TEAM IS EXPANDING WITH
WHO AND WHY? >> WELL, THEY ARE -- THEY HAVE
HIRED AS A SPECIAL COUNSEL TY COBB.
NOT THE BASEBALL PLAYER. I GUESS WAGNER WAS NOT
AVAILABLE. ESSENTIALLY BECAUSE I THINK THE
DETERMINATION FROM THE CONVERSATIONS THAT I HAD LAST
WEEK AND THE WHITE HOUSE WAS THAT MARK KAZ OWI TZ JUST SIMPLY
ISN'T CAPABLE OF HANDING ALL OF THE MATERIAL THAT HE NEEDS TO
HANDLE, AND THERE'S BEEN SOME DISSATISFACTION WITH HIS
PERFORMANCE. THE SENSE IS THAT KAZ OWI Z HAS
BEEN SPLITTING HIS TEAM IP TIME BETWEEN NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON.
THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH. THE WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL DON
McGANN HAS BEEN ASKING FOR HELP FOR SOME TIME, AND FINALLY IT
WAS GRANTED TO HIM. >> AND, OF COURSE, YOU ALSO HAVE
KASOWITZ, RESPONDING TO E-MAIL LATE AT NIGHT.
YOU TALK ABOUT JAY AND THE LEGAL TEAM IN YOUR COLUMN TODAY, IN
THE WASHINGTON POST. TELL US ABOUT IT.
>> WELL, I WAS JUST MESMERIZED BY WATCHING JAY PERFORM WHAT
WE'VE COME TO KNOW AS THE FULL GINSBERG.
YOU THINK WHY IS THIS MAN SHOUTING?
HE IS SHOUTING, I THINK, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT DONALD TRUMP LIKES.
HE WANTS SOMEBODY WHO ISN'T GOING TO REALLY ANSWER THE
QUESTION, IS GOING TO DEFLECT ABOUT UKRAINE, IS GOING TO MAKE
THESE CRAZY ASSERTIONS IF THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE
MEETING, WHERE WHY THE SECRET SERVICE LET THE RUSSIANS IN
ANYWAY? THIS IS JUST DEFLECTION.
WHAT I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO PAY ATTENTION TO WITH WHAT
JAY SAID ON SUNDAY IS NOT WHY IS HE SHOUTING, BUT WHAT'S HE
SHOUTING? YOU HEAR THE HOOF BEATS OF THIS
ATTACK ON MUELLER THAT BECAUSE THE ARGUMENT GOES BECAUSE JAMES
COMEY LEAKED THIS INFORMATION IN ORDER TO GET A SPECIAL COUNSEL,
THAT'S SOMEHOW KIND OF TAINTING THE MUELLER INVESTIGATION,
TAINTS MUELLER AS SPECIAL COUNSEL, AND SO JAY SUGGESTS AT
ONE POINT, SO I DON'T KNOW HOW ANYTHING CAN PROCEED FROM THERE.
WELL, YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE SOMEBODY LEAKS INFORMATION THAT
A PROSECUTOR THEN USES AS A BASIS FOR DOING THE PROSECUTION
DOESN'T MEAN THE PROSECUTION CAN'T GO FORWARD.
THIS IS A CRAZY ARGUMENT, BUT IT'S AN ARGUMENT THAT YOU COULD
COMPLETELY IMAGINE THE PRESIDENT AND HIS LEGAL TEAM USING AS AN
EXCUSE EITHER TO FIRE MUELLER OR TO GRANT PARDONS TO EVERYBODY
INVOLVED. THAT REALLY ALARMS ME.
>> DAVID, OF COURSE, THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF PEOPLE AROUND
DONALD TRUMP SAYING THERE'S NO WAY THAT HE CAN FIRE MUELLER.
YOU LOOK AT -- YOU LISTEN TO WHAT JAY IT IS.
OBVIOUSLY HE HAS TO CHANGE HIS STORY EVERY WEEK.
YESTERDAY HE COULDN'T ANSWER THE QUESTION.
HE REFUSED TO REFUTE THE REPORTING THAT ALL THE
PRESIDENT'S MEN ON AIR FORCE ONE DRAFTED THE STATEMENT THE WEEK
BEFORE THAT WAS A LIE ABOUT THE MEETING ON ADOPTIONS AND THAT
THE PRESIDENT SIGNED OFF ON IT. HE COULD NOT -- HE WOULD NOT SAY
THAT THE PRESIDENT DID NOT SIGN OFF ON THAT FALSE STATEMENT.
>> THAT WAS A VERY CAREFULLY WORDED STATEMENT BY JAY.
I WANT TO COME BACK TO RUTH ON THIS QUESTION OF ROBERT MUELLER.
RUTH, DO YOU HAVE A SENSE THAT THE WHITE HOUSE IS STILL
THINKING OF FIRING MUELLER, AND WHAT'S YOUR SENSE OF WHAT THE
REACTION WOULD BE BOTH ON THE HILL TO THAT AND WITHIN THE
ADMINISTRATION? >> WELL, I THINK THAT THE WHITE
HOUSE IS INCREASINGLY CONCERNED ABOUT WHERE THIS IS HEADING AND
I HAD THOUGHT -- WE HAD SEEN THE SORT OF GET RID OF MUELLER OR
PARDON ISSUE KIND OF QUIET DOWN IN THE PREVIOUS COUPLE OF WEEKS,
BUT THE REASON I DECIDED TO SPEND MY TIME WRITING IS BECAUSE
HE RAISED IT YESTERDAY. I PAY A LOT OF ATTENTION TO
THESE ARGUMENTS AS THE KIND OF LEADING INDICATOR OF WHERE
THINGS WERE GOING. I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT
ESPECIALLY AFTER -- AND I WROTE THIS THE OTHER DAY -- THAT THESE
DISCLOSURES IN THE E-MAILS ARE SO ALARMING THAT IT WOULD MAKE
MUELLER MORE BULLETPROOF AND FROM BEING FIRED THAT
REPUBLICANS ON THE HILL WOULD JUST ERUPT, BUT I HAVE TO SAY
THAT THE SILENCE THAT JOE HAS
NOTED. >> THE PRESIDENT HAS NOT ENJOYED
IT WHEN HIS ATTORNEY HAS COUNSELLED HIM TO CUT OUT THE
TWEET. DO YOU THINK THAT KAS OWI TZ IS
ON THE ROCKS OR THAT HE WOULD BE STEPPING DOWN OR FIRED IN THE
NEAR FUTURE AS THIS LEGAL TEAM CONTINUES TO EVOLVE?
>>. >> I ANY HE IS JOINING SEAN
SPICER AND REINCE PRIEBUS IN THAT NETHERLAND OF AIDES THAT
ARE STILL VERY MUCH INVOLVED IN DECISION MAKING, BUT ARE ALSO
NOT PARTICULARLY IN FAVOR. NOW, KAS OWI TZ IS IN A MUCH
DIFFERENT CATEGORY. HE HAS BEEN PRIVY TO ALL OF
THESE DISCUSSIONS WITH TRUMP, BUT I THINK WHAT'S REALLY
INTERESTING ABOUT JAY AND KAS OWI TZ AND EVERYBODY ELSE,
THEY'RE DOING LESS LEGAL STUFF THAN THEY ARE PR.
WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT JAY W WAS SAYING.
OBVIOUSLY, HE DIDN'T DENY THAT TRUMP HAD SEEN THE STATEMENT,
AND, YOU KNOW, THE NOTION THAT DONALD TRUMP IS GOING TO NOT --
IS GOING TO SEE A STATEMENT AND NOT BE INVOLVED IN THE DRAFTING
WHEN THIS IS A GUY WHO IS INCREDIBLY HANDS ON AS HIS OWN
PRESS SECRETARY FUNDAMENTALLY, SO WHAT STRIKES ME AS BEING
REALLY INTERESTING IS TRUMP IS STILL VIEWING THIS LARGELY AS A
PUBLIC RELATIONS PROBLEM AS OPPOSED TO A LEGAL PROBLEM.
I THINK AS THE MUELLER INVESTIGATION MOVES UP THE ROAD,
RUTH WAS ASKED, DAVID ASKED RUTH, IS THIS FIRE MUELLER
MOVEMENT STILL AFOOT? YOU KNOW, TRUMP MOVES FROM DAY
TO DAY ON THIS STUFF. AS MUELLER GETS CLOSER TO THE
INVESTIGATION, AS HE CALLS MORE PEOPLE IN, AS TRUMP BECOMES
AWARE OF MUELLER'S ACTIVITIES, I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE VERY HARD
FOR THIS PRESIDENT WHO LIKES TO FIRE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, NOT
NECESSARILY ON HIS STAFF, BUT FIRE PEOPLE ON THE OUTSIDE HE
VIEWS AS HOSTILE TO HIM TO KEEP HIS FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER.
>> I'M LOOKING AT THIS REPORT HERE OP ED PIECE IN THE
WASHINGTON POST, I GUESS, BY TWO WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS WHO TALK
ABOUT THE CBO SCORE. THAT IT'S GOING TO BE LITTLE
MORE THAN FAKE NEWS. USING THE PRESIDENT'S LANGUAGE.
I KNOW THERE'S AN INVESTIGATION ON ONE HAND LOOKING FOR BREAKING
OF THE LAW, CORRUPTION. WHAT ABOUT THIS SORT OF GROWING
USE OF LANGUAGE THAT REALLY CHIPS AWAY AT THE FOUNDATIONS OF
OUR REALITY AND CERTAINLY OF DEMOCRACY.
NOT TO SOUND EXTREME OR TO EXAGGERATE, BUT THESE ARE
COMMENTS THAT DO THAT. DO THEY NOT?
>> I AGREE WITH YOU. I THINK THIS ASSAULT ON THE CBO
IS RIDICULOUS. I THINK ANYONE WHO COVERS THIS
STUFF KNOWS THAT THE CBO SCORES ARE SOMETIMES FLAWED.
THEY'RE SOMETIMES OFF BY A LOT. IT'S TOTALLY APPROPRIATE TO
CRITICIZE THEM. TO ATTACK SORT OF THE FOUNDATION
OF WHAT THEY DO, THEY'RE NONPARTISAN.
THEY GO ABOUT THIS IN A RATIONALE WAY, THEY ATTEMPT TO
GIVE CONFERENCE AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE.
I REALLY DO THINK THAT -- I COMPLETELY AGREE.
I THINK THIS IS AN ALARMING TREND.
THE OTHER THING THAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT THIS IS HOW
MANY MORE TWEETS HAVE WE READ FROM THE PRESIDENT ABOUT GOLF
TOURNAMENTS AND MEDICAID. HE DOES NOT SEEM FOR ALL OF HIS
YELLING AND SCREAMING ABOUT THIS TOPIC, HE SEEMS WAY LESS
INTERESTED IN WHAT'S GOING ON IN TERMS OF SPECIFICS OF HIS HEALTH
CARE DEBATE THAN ANY OF THESE OTHER ISSUES.
>> THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT REPUBLICANS ON THE HILL AND
THE SENATE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO.
THE PRESIDENT JUST WANTED THE HOUSE TO PASS WHATEVER THEY
COULD PASS, DAVID. THEY PASSED IT, AND NOW HE IS
CALLING THAT A MEAN BILL. HE IS DISENGAGED ONCE AGAIN IN
THE SENATE PROCESS. NOW HIS STAFF MEMBERS ARE
ATTACKING THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE.
YOU AND I HAVE BEEN IN WASHINGTON LONG ENOUGH TO KNOW
THAT'S THE LAST REFUGE OF THE DESPERATE, BUT TO ATTACK THEM
THIS WAY AND TO ATTACK A CBO RUN BY A DIRECTOR THAT THEY
PERSONALLY PUT IN PLACE IS DOUBLY OFFENSIVE.
>> JOE, I THINK THE MORE TIM TI PASSES, THE CLEARER IT IS THAT
THE REPUBLICAN SLOGAN REPEAL AND REPLACE IS A PLACE HOLDER
BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A CLEAR IDEA ABOUT WHAT KIND OF HEALTH
CARE REFORM THEY WANT. NOW THEY'RE HEARING FROM
GOVERNORS, FROM HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS IN EVERY MAJOR
STATE SAYING PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT GO OFF THIS CLIFF WITH THIS
ILL-CONSIDERED BILL. AS WE'VE NOTED, THE PRESIDENT
JUST HAS NOT PUT HIS OWN ATTENTION INTO THIS, AND HE HAS
NOT BEEN ABLE TO MOBILIZE RESOURCES WITHIN HIS OWN
ADMINISTRATION. YOU KNOW, WE'RE HEADING TOWARDS
A DECISIVE VOTE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, BUT THIS
BILL -- ANY EXPERT

Donald Trump Jr.: Is There A Chance Mueller Will Be Fired? | Morning Joe | MSNBC

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