Donald Trump Jr Russian Meeting Story Unpacking Like A Nesting Doll | Rachel Maddow

I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
BUT THERE IS, THERE'S A BUNCH GOING ON TONIGHT.
A LOT OF NEWS HAS BROKEN IN THE LAST 24 HOURS.
LET'S GET RIGHT TO IT. THE 2014 WINTER OLYMPICS WERE
HELD IN SOCHI, THAT WAS CONTROVERSIAL OF COURSE BECAUSE
ALL OF OF THE THINGS CONTROVERSIAL ABOUT RUSSIA.
YOU MIGHT REMEMBER RIGHT BEFORE THE SOCHI OLYMPICS, JUST A FEW
WEEKS BEFORE THE OPENING SER MANY ANIES, VLADIMIR PUTIN MADE
A CONCESSION TO HIS HUMAN RIGHTS CRITICS TRYING TO TAKE SAM SOME
OF THE HEAT OFF OF RUSSIA FOR HOSTING THE OLYMPICS, PEOPLE
WERE UPSET ABOUT THEIR HUMAN RIGHTS, INTERNATIONAL
AGGRESSION, TRYING TO TAKE THE HEAT OFF OF THAT.
JUST A FEW WEEKS BEFORE THE OLYMPICS STARTED, PUTIN RELEASED
SOME OF THE POLITICAL PRISONERS WHO HE WAS HOLDING IN RUSSIA
PRISONS. AND AMONG THE MOST HIGH PROFILE
PRISONERS THAT PUTIN RELEASED BEFORE THE SOCHI OLYMPICS WAS A
FEMINIST PUNK BAND CALLED PUSSY RIOT.
I AM SUCH A PRUDE I STILL FIND IT EMBARRASSING TO SAY THE NAME.
THAT IS THE NAME OF THE BAND. THE THING THEY WERE THE MOST
FAMOUS FOR BEFORE THEY THE OLYMPICS WAS WHAT THEY CALLED
PUNK PRAYER. BASICALLY A PERFORMANCE ART
PIECE, IT HAPPENED IN A CHURCH, VERY PROVOCATIVE IN RUSSIA AND
CRITICAL OF VLADIMIR PUTIN. THE LEADERS OF THE BAND WERE
HELD IN PRISON 21 MONTHS BEFORE PUTIN RELEASED THEM BEFORE THE
SOCHI OLYMPICS, RIGHT BEFORE THE OLYMPICS.
SO LAST YEAR IN FEBRUARY, FEBRUARY 2016 NOT ALL OF THE
MEMBERS OF THE BAND BUT SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF THE BAND CREATED
A SONG AND A MUSIC VIDEO THAT IS THE PERFORMANCE THEY ARE SECOND
MOST KNOWN FOR AFTER THE PUNK PRAYER THAT GOT THEM THROWN IN
PRISON. THIS IS THE VIDEO THEY RELEASED
LAST YEAR, FEBRUARY. IT'S VERY WELL DONE.
I DON'T SPEAK RUSSIA SO I'M NOT SURE I TOTALLY GET ALL OF THE
LYRICS BUT VI TO SAY I KIND OF LIKE THE SONG AS WELL.
THIS IS A SONG CALLED "CHAKA." ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE HERO
DOES REPEATEDLY THROUGH THE VIDEO IS SHE MAKE AS SYMBOL OF
CROSSING HER HANDS OVER HER CHEST.
A LOT OF THE PEOPLE IN THE VIDEO DO THAT.
AS I UNDERSTAND IT WHAT THAT SYMBOL MEANS IN CONTEXT IS IT'S
SUPPOSED TO BE WINGS, BIRD WINGS.
IT'S SUPPOSED TO SIGNIFY A SEA GULL BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE
WORD CHAKA IN RUSSIA IS SEA GULL.
THAT PHYSICAL GESTURE OF CROSSING YOUR HANDS OVER YOUR
CHEST LIKE THAT THIS IS SEEN AS A SYMBOL FOR TOP LEVEL
CORRUPTION IN VLADIMIR PUTIN'S GOVERNMENT.
THE WORD CHAKA IS ALSO THE LAST NAME OF THIS GUY, THE TOP
FEDERAL PRO-COURT IN ALL OF RUSSIA, WHO IS HAND PICKED FOR
THAT JOB BY VLADIMIR PUTIN. AND YOU'RE PROBABLY GETTING THE
IDEA FROM THE PUSSY RIOT VIDEO THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IS KNOWN FOR IN RUSSIA IS ARRESTING AND
PROSECUTING ENEMIES OF VLADIMIR PUTIN AND TORTURING PEOPLE AND
KILLING PEOPLE AND DISAPPEARING PEOPLE IN RUSSIAN PRISONS.
THAT'S PART OF WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.
PART OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND HOW PUTIN HAS USED IT
IN RUSSIA AND HIS ARTISTIC CRITICISM OF THAT.
THE REASON THAT HE IS NOT JUST A SYMBOL OF BRUTALITY, THE REASON
HE IS A SYMBOL OF CORRUPTION IS LARGELY BECAUSE OF AN EXPO SAY
DONE BY ALEXI NAVALNY. HE'S THE MOST VISIBLE OPPOSITION
FIGURE IN RUSSIA. HE PLANS TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT
NEXT YEAR, ALTHOUGH PUTIN SAYS HE'S GOING TO BAN HIM FROM THE
BALLOT AND NOT LET HIM RUN. NAVALNY IS JUST GETTING OUT OF
PRISON NOW. ORGANIZED PROTESTS ACROSS CITIES
IN RUSSIA LAST MONTH. HIS PRODUCTION GROUP PRODUCED A
DOCUMENTARY ABOUT BT THE FEDERAL PROSECUTOR IN RUSSIA LAST YEAR.
AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE VERSION CAME OUT IN JANUARY, A RUSSIAN
LANGUAGE VERSION BEFORE THAT. AND THE ACCUSATIONS IN THAT
DOCUMENTARY IS THAT IN ADDITION TO BEING THE TOP PROSECUTOR IN
PUTIN'S BRUTAL GOVERNMENT, THE MAIN ALLEGATION ABOUT THIS VIDEO
IS THAT IN ADDITION TO THAT HE AND HIS FAMILY AND HE AND HIS
CRONIES HAVE SOMEHOW IMAGINED TO E MASS MASSIVE WEALTH AND A HUGE
BUSINESS EMPIRE, INCLUDING A LUXURY SPA HOTEL IN GREECE AND
GIGANTIC SALT MINES IN RUSSIA. ALL OF THESE THINGS YOU WOULDN'T
THINK HE WOULD BE ABLE TO AFFORD ON HIS PROSECUTOR'S SALARY.
ONE OF THE HATED MEMBERS OF THE PUTIN GOVERNMENT, HAND PICKED
FOR THE PROSECUTOR POSITION BY PUTIN HIMSELF.
HE'S ALSO NOW, I THINK, THE MOST PRONOUNCEABLE RUSSIAN NAME IN
THIS WEEK'S TORRENT OF ASTONISHING INFORMATION.
TUESDAY MORNING IS WHEN PRESIDENT TRUMP'S ELDEST SON
RELEASED AN E-MAIL CHAIN, A MEETING THAT HAS BLOWN UP INTO A
MAJOR PROBLEM FOR THE TRUMP WHITE HOUSE.
THE INITIAL E-MAIL IN THAT CHAIN REFERENCED A PROSECUTOR.
THIS IS AN E-MAIL FROM A BRITISH GUY, RON GOLDSTONE TO DONALD
TRUMP JR. ON JUNE 3rd LAST YEAR. THEY'RE ACQUAINTANCES.
AND ROB GOLDSTONE SENDS THIS FIRST E-MAIL TO DONALD TRUMP JR.
TO START THAT CHAIN OF CORRESPONDENCE THAT LEADS TO THE
MEETING. HIS E-MAIL SAYS GOOD MORNING.
HE CALLED AND ASKED ME TO CONTACT YOU WITH SOMETHING
INTERESTING. THE CROWN PROSECUTOR IN
RUSSIA -- EVERYBODY BELIEVES THAT TO BE A MISTAKEN TITLE.
RUSSIA DOESN'T HAVE A CROWN. THEY'VE GOT A PROSECUTOR
GENERAL. BUT THE E-MAIL SAYS THE CROWN
PROSECUTOR IN RUSSIA MET WITH E MAN'S FATHER THIS MORNING AND IN
THAT MEETING THE PROSECUTOR OFFERED TO PROVIDE THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN WITH SOME OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS AND INFORMATION THAT
WOULD INCRIMINATE HILLARY. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY HIGH LEVEL
SENSITIVE INFORMATION BUT IT'S PART OF RUSSIA AND ITS
GOVERNMENT'S SUPPORT FOR MR. TRUMP.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE THIS INFORMATION.
AND THAT IS THE E-MAIL THAT LED TO THIS MEETING AT TRUMP TOWER
DURING THE CAMPAIGN THAT HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF SO MUCH
FOCUS AND WEEK AND SO MUCH FREAK OUT AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
PART OF THE REASON THAT MEETING IS ATTRACTING SO MUCH ATTENTION
IS THAT NOBODY IS COMING RIGHT OUT AND SAYING WHAT HAPPENED.
FOR SOME REASON THEY WON'T JUST EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED AND WHO
WAS THERE. RIGHT.
INITIAL REPORTS WERE THAT DONALD TRUMP JR. MET WITH A RUSSIAN
LAWYER AT TRUMP TOWER LAST YEAR. THEN THE NEXT REPORTS WERE THAT
HE MET WITH A RUSSIAN LORD TO GET INFORMATION THAT HE WAS TOLD
EXPLICITLY ORIGINATED WITH THE RUSSIA GOVERNMENT.
THEN WE GOT A STATEMENT FROM DONALD TRUMP JR. SAYING YES, HE
DID TAKE A MEETING AT TRUMP TOWER LAST YEAR WITH THIS LAWYER
BUT IT WAS A MEETING ABOUT ADOPTIONS MOSTLY.
THEN WE GOT A SUBSEQUENT STATEMENT FROM DONALD TRUMP JR.
SAYING OKAY IT WAS TO GET DEROGATORY INFORMATION ABOUT
HILLARY CLINTON. THEN WE GOT THE E-MAIL CHAIN
THAT CLARIFIED IT WAS A MEETING WHERE THEY TRIED TO GET
DEROGATORY INFORMATION ON HILLARY CLINTON, GOING TO BE
DELIVERED TO TRUMP TOWER BY, WHAT WAS DESCRIBED IN THE
E-MAIL, AS A RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT ATTORNEY.
AND THEN WE LEARN THAT IT WASN'T JUST DONALD TRUMP JR.
JARED KUSHNER AND PAUL MANAFORT WERE AT THAT MEETING TOO AND
THEY HAD BEEN NOTIFIED THIS WAS A RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT ATTORNEY
COMING TO MEET WITH THEM BRINGING DEROGATORY INFORMATION
FROM THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT. AND THEN WE LEARNED IT WAS NOT
JUST ALL OF THEM AND THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT ATTORNEY, TODAY WE
LEARNED THE GROUP ALSO INCLUDE THD GUY WHO NBC NEWS FIRST
IDENTIFIED AS A FORMER SOVIET COUNTER INTELLIGENCE OFFICER
SUPPORTED BY SOME U.S. OFFICIALS OF HAVING ONGOING TIE TO RUSSIAN
INTELLIGENCE. HE WAS THERE TOO.
DESPITE ALL OF THESE DAYS OF REPORTING AND STATEMENTS AND
ADMISSIONS OF THIS MEETING, THE PRESENCE OF THIS GUY, THIS
FORMER RUSSIAN MILITARY INTELLIGENCE GUY, THE PRESENCE
AT THIS GUY AT THE MEETING WAS SOMEHOW LEFT OUT OF ALL OF THE
EARLIER DISCLOSURES AND WE ONLY FOUND OUT ABOUT THAT TODAY
THANKS TO NBC. IN ADDITION TO HIM THERE WAS
ALSO REPORTEDLY A TRANSLATOR THERE, A RELATIVELY WELL-KNOWN
PERSON HIMSELF, I SUSPECT YOU'LL SEE A BUNCH OF REPORTING HIM
ABOUT AND HIS POTENTIAL ROLE IN THIS.
THAT WOULD BRING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF THE PEOPLE IN THE
MEETING, JUNIOR, MANAFORT, KUSHNER, THE LAWYER, THE
TRANSLATOR, ALSO ON THE LOWER RIGHT-HAND SIDE GUY, THAT'S THE
BRITISH GUY WHO WROTE THE E-MAILS TO DON JR. IN THE FIRST
PLACE THAT THAT PRESCRIPTION THE TOTAL NUMBER OF THE PEOPLE IN
THE MEETING TO SEVEN. BUT CNN IS ALSO REPORTING THAT
ACTUALLY MAYBE IT WAS EIGHT. AND MAYBE IT WAS MORE THAN
EIGHT. CNN IS REPORTING THAT THERE WAS
SOMEBODY ELSE IN THE MEETING IN ADDITION WHO WAS THERE AS A
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE FAMILY OF THIS PUTIN LINKEDs RUSSIA
OLIGARCH WHO TOOK THE MEETING WITH THE PROSECUTOR IN THE FIRST
PLACE THAT LED TO THIS WHOLE THING.
WE'RE BASICALLY WAITING TO FIND OUT IF THERE WERE ANY RUSSIANS
WHO WERE IN NEW YORK THAT DAY WHO WERE NOT IN THAT MEETING.
AND IF SO, IS THAT JUST BECAUSE THEY WOULDN'T FIT IN THE
ELEVATOR. HONESTLY, ANYTHING ELSE TO
DECLARE ON THIS? BUT DESPITE THE WAY THAT STORY
HAS ALREADY EVOLVED, ALMOST COMIC LEVELS OF DENIAL AND LACK
OF TRANSPARENCY OVER THE COURSE OF THE WEEK, TONIGHT "THE WALL
STREET JOURNAL" REPORTED ON SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT ABOUT
THE ORIGINS OF THAT MEETING. DESPITE THAT RUSSIAN LAWYER,
NATALIA, DESPITE HER DISPUTING THAT SHE SHOULD EVER HAVE BEEN
DESCRIBED AS A RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT LAWYER, DESPITE HER
INSISTING THAT HE HAD NO LINKS WHATSOEVER TO THE RUSSIAN
GOVERNMENT, THAT SHE JUST HAPPENED TO BE A RUSSIAN PERSON,
THOSE DENIALS I SHOULD MENTION COMING FROM NOT JUST HER BUT
COMING FROM THE WHITE HOUSE UP TO AND INCLUDING THE PRESIDENT
HIMSELF GIVING THAT DENIAL -- COULD WE PLAY THAT CLIP FOR A
SECOND? >> AS FAR AS MY SON IS
CONCERNED, MY SON IS A WONDERFUL YOUNG MAN.
HE TOOK A MEETING WITH A RUSSIAN LAWYER, NOT A GOVERNMENT LAWYER
BUT A RUSSIAN LAWYER. >> TONIGHT "THE WALL STREET
JOURNAL" REPORTS THAT DESPITE THOSE DENIALS COMING FROM
EVERYBODY UP TO AND INCLUDING THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF, THIS
LAWYER, WHO WENT TO TRUMP TOWER AND MET WITH TRUMP'S SON AND
TRUMP'S SON-IN-LAW AND TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN CHAIR LAST SUMMER,
ALONG WITH ALL OF THOSE OTHER RUSSIANS THAT SHE BROUGHT WITH
HER, DESPITE ALL OF THESE DENIALS INCLUDING FROM THE
PRESIDENT THAT SHE HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE RUSSIAN
GOVERNMENT, THE LAWYER HERSELF, NATALIA, HAS NOW CONCEDED TO
"THE WALL STREET JOURNAL" THAT IN FACT SHE WAS WORKING WITH
RUSSIAN PROSECUTOR GENERAL ON THIS.
ACCORDING TO "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL" TONIGHT, SHE SAID IN AN
INTERVIEW THAT SHE WAS MEETING WITH RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES
REGULARLY AND SHE SHARED INFORMATION WITH THE RUSSIAN
PROSECUTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE. SHE TOLD THE JOURNAL, QUOTE, I
PERSONALLY KNOW THE GENERAL PROSECUTOR IN THE COURSE OF MY
INVESTIGATION I SHARED INFORMATION WITH HIM.
SO THAT MEETING WITH THE UPPER ECHELONS OF THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN
IN JUNE OF LAST YEAR, TODAY WE LEARN THAT IT ALSO INCLUDED A
FORMER RUSSIAN COUNTER INTELLIGENCE OFFICER WHO NOBODY
MENTIONED BEFORE. HE TELLS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
THAT HE AND NATALIA LEFT DOCUMENTS ABOUT HILLARY CLINTON
BEHIND AT THAT MEETING FOR THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN TO CONTINUE TO
REVIEW. WE DIDN'T KNOW THAT BEFORE.
WE ALSO NOW KNOW THAT THE RUSSIAN LAWYER WHO WAS SENT FROM
MOSCOW AS THE EMISSARY TO DELIVER THIS DEROGATORY
INFORMATION ON HILLARY CLINTON, SHE NOW ADMITS THAT SHE WAS
WORKING WITH ONE OF THE TOP OFFICIALS IN VLADIMIR PUTIN'S
GOVERNMENT. THE SEA GULL GUY.
ONE OF THE HIGHEST RANKING OFFICIALS AND MOST RECOGNIZABLE
OFFICIALS IN PUTIN'S GOVERNMENT. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE
HAVE LEARNED JUST OVER THE COURSE OF THIS WEEK, IF WE
DIDN'T KNOW IT BEFORE, IS DON'T LISTEN TO WHAT THEY SAY.
DON'T LISTEN TO WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT THEIR OWN BEHAVE YOUR.
I MEAN IT IS INTERESTING TO LISTEN TO THE TRUMP WHITE HOUSE
SAY THINGS BECAUSE THEN YOU CAN ACCURATELY DESCRIBE THE THINGS
THAT THEY HAVE SAID. YOU CAN QUOTE THEM.
THAT'S DATA OF A FORM. BUT IT IS A MISTAKE TO TAKE
STATEMENTS FROM THIS WHITE HOUSE AS AN ACCURATE REPRESENTATION OF
WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE WORLD OF WHAT THEY DID, OF WHO WAS IN
A MEETING, OF WHAT -- ABOUT WHAT A MEETING WAS ABOUT OR WHAT WAS
SAID OR WHO WAS INVOLVED, OR EVEN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE
ROOM. YOU CAN HEAR THEM TALKING.
IT'S OKAY TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE WORDS THAT THEY SAY SO YOU
KNOW WHAT THEY HAVE SAID BUT DON'T TAKE IT AS A
REPRESENTATION OF WHAT HAPPENED IN THE WORLD.
I DON'T TAKE PLEASURE NO NOTING THAT IS TRUE ABOUT THEM BUT THEY
FREAKIN' EARNED IT NOW. LUCKILY FOR US AS AMERICAN
CITIZENS, PEOPLE TRYING TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR
GOVERNMENT, LUCKILY FOR US WE DO HAVE OTHER WAYS OF OBTAINING
INFORMATION BEYOND JUST HAVING TO LISTEN TO OUR GOVERNMENT,
WHICH ISN'T PROVING PARTICULARLY TRUSTWORTHY ON THESE MATTERS.
IF YOU'RE TREATING THE ADMINISTRATION LIKE A SILENT
MOVIE AND NOT HEARING WHAT THEY SAY, THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO
LOOK AT THIS AND TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON, WHAT HAS
HAPPENED TO OUR COUNTRY. THINGS THAT DON'T GET CLOUDED
OUT OR OCCLUDED BY WHATEVER NEWS THEY'RE MAKING AT THE WHITE
HOUSE AT THE MOMENT. ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT TONIGHT IS THE STACK OF INTELLIGENCE REPORTS THAT HAVE
BEEN REPORTED ON SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS SCANDAL.
WE ACTUALLY GOT A BUNCH OF NEW REPORTING ABOUT WHAT OUR
INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES KNEW AND WHEN THEY KNEW IT AS THE RUSSIAN
ATTACK WAS UNFOLDING. THIS IS NOT AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST
BUT WE LEARNED THIS WEEK FROM "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL" THAT
U.S. INTELLIGENCE AUTHORITIES AS EARLY AS THE SPRING OF 2015,
MONTHS BEFORE TRUMP ANNOUNCED HE WAS RUNNING, IN THE SPRING OF
2015, U.S. INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES WERE REPORTING ON A SURPRISINGLY
LARGE NUMBER OF MEETINGS WITH PEOPLE ASSOCIATED WITH DONALD
TRUMP AND RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.
ONE YEAR LATER IN THE SPRING OF 2016 WE KNOW ALSO FROM "THE WALL
STREET JOURNAL" THIS WEEK THAT THERE WERE REPORTS FROM EUROPEAN
INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES WHO ALERTED THEIR INTELLIGENCE
COLLEAGUES IN THE U.S. THAT SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF MONEY OF
RUSSIAN ORIGIN FOR SOME REASON APPEARED TO BE FLOODING INTO THE
U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. AGAIN THOSE INTELLIGENCE REPORTS
WERE FROM EUROPEAN AGENCIES NOTIFYING THEIR U.S.
INTELLIGENCE COUNTERPARTS THAT RUSSIAN MONEY WAS COMING INTO
OUR ELECTION. EXPECT TO HEAR A LOT MORE ABOUT
THAT PARTICULAR INTELLIGENCE IN THE FUTURE.
NUDGE NUDGE, WINK WINK. IN MAY OF 2016 U.S. INTELLIGENCE
AGENCIES REPORTEDLY OVERHEARD RUSSIAN MILITARY OFFICIALS
TALKING ABOUT THEIR PLANS TO DISSEMINATE DISPARAGING INFO
ABOUT HILLARY CLINTON IN THE UNITED STATES WITH AN EYE TOWARD
THE ELECTION. JOHN BRENNON SAID THAT THE CIA
OBSERVED ENOUGH CONTACTS AND INTERACTIONS BETWEEN RUSSIAN
OFFICIALS AND PERSONS INVOLVED IN THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN THAT THERE
WERE CIA CONCERNS ABOUT WHETHER THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN OFFICIALS
MIGHT BE WITTINGLY OR UNWITTINGLY WORKING WITH THE
RUSSIANS. THEY ENDED UP HANDING THE
INVESTIGATION OVER TO THE FBI AND THAT STARTED THE FBI
INVESTIGATION INTO THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN.
WE'VE LEARNED THAT BY SOME TIME AROUND LABOR LAST YEAR,
INTELLIGENCE REPORTS THAT HAD BEEN EXAMINED BY U.S.
INVESTIGATORS SHOWN RUSSIAN HACKERINGS DISCUSSING AMONGST
THEMSELVES HOW TO OBTAIN HILLARY CLINTON'S E-MAILS WITH AN EYE
FORWARD DELIVERING THEM TO MICHAEL FLYNN VIA AN
INTERMEDIARY. THAT LAST ONE ALSO FROM "THE
WALL STREET JOURNAL." THOSE ARE ALL JUST INTELLIGENCE
REPORTS THAT WE HAVE NOW LEARNED ABOUT.
RIGHT. THROUGH THE PRESS.
REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS ABOUT THEM.
AS THOSE INTELLIGENCE REPORTS WERE COMING IN THROW THE ATTACK,
WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE KNEW WHO THEY WERE
LOOKING AT, WHAT PROFESSIONALS IN THIS FIELD BELIEVED THEY WERE
SEEING AS THOSE REPORTS WERE COMING IN IN REAL TIME.
AND SO WE'VE SORT OF SAY THIS FROM THE BEGINNING.
SILENT MOVIE. DO NOT LISTEN TO WHAT THEY SAY.
THERE'S PLENTY TO KEEP UP WITH JUST IN TERMS OF WHAT WE CAN SEE
HAPPENING. I MEAN JUST TODAY TRUMP CAMPAIGN
ADVISER MICHAEL CAPUTO TESTIFIED WITH THE HOUSE INTELLIGENCE
COMMITTEE. TODAY THEY DELAYED.
ON THE TALK RADIO SHOW HE ISSUED A THREAT TO MICHAEL SWALWELL.
THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN ADVISER SAID ON THE RADIO ABOUT CONGRESSMAN

BELLIED COWARD. I DON'T THINK HE WILL SHOW UP
FOR THE HEARING BUT IF HE DOES SHOW, HE WILL REGRET IT FOR THE
REST OF HIS LIFE. THE TESTIMONY WAS DELAYED
ALTHOUGH WE DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT WAS DELAYED BECAUSE OF THE
THREAT TO THE CONGRESSMAN OR IF THAT'S JUST A COINCIDENCE.
ON TOP OF THAT, JARED KUSHNER LOST HIS TOP LAWYER TODAY, A
VERY REGARDED DEMOCRATIC LAWYER IN WASHINGTON, SHE DROPPED OUT
TODAY OF REPRESENTING JARED KUSHNER WHEN IT COMES TO MATTERS
RELATED TO RUSSIA ALTHOUGH SHE'LL CONTINUE TO REPRESENT HIM
ON OTHER MATTERS. BLOOMBERG REPORTED THAT THE
PRESIDENT HIMSELF MAY BE REPLACING AT THE TOP OF HIS
LEGAL TEAM HIS SOMEWHAT TROUBLED LEAD COUNCIL ON RUSSIA MATTERS,
MIKE KASOWITZ. APPARENTLY TRUMP MAY BE
CONSIDERING A NEW LAWYER NAMED TY COBB WHO WILL HEAD UP THE
RUSSIAN DEFENSE ON THE MEDIA ISSUES.
THERE'S A LOT HAPPENING. A LOT GOING ON.
THERE'S ALSO A LOT BEING SAID BUT TRUST ME, IT'S ALL NONSENSE.
WHAT'S GOING ON IS MOVING FAST ENOUGH THAT IT'S WORTH FOCUSING
ON THAT AND NOT GETTING DISTRACTED BY THE NOISE

Donald Trump Jr Russian Meeting Story Unpacking Like A Nesting Doll | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC

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