Geist: 'This is jaw-dropping' | Morning Joe

WE'LL LET YOU HOP BACK ON THE ANE AND GET HOME AS YOU
CONTINUE TO REPORT THIS STORY. RICK TYLER, THIS IS JAW
DROPPING. I'M SORRY, I MEAN, THE FACT
THEY'VE BEEN OUT TALKING ABOUT THIS STORY AS LONG AS THEY HAVE,
THEY FELT THEY HAD THEIR STRATEGY PUT OUT, DONALD TRUMP
JR. IS GOING TO RELEASE E-MAILS, HE'S GOING TO DO A BIG INTERVIEW
WHERE HE SAYS, QUOTE, THIS IS EVERYTHING, THIS IS ALL ABOUT
THE MEETING. AND NOT ONCE IS IT MENTIONED
THAT THERE'S ANOTHER PERSON IN THIS ROOM, LET ALONE SOMEONE
WHO'S A FORMER SOVIET INTELLIGENCE OFFICER.
>> THE RATION HAS CLICKED AGAIN ON THIS STORY.
NOW IT'S LOCKED IN. NOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE ASKED
WHO THIS PERSON IS. AND AS YOU SAY A FORMER SOVIET
INTELLIGENCE OFFICER BY DEFINITION HAS CONTACTS WITH
CURRENT FORMER INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS WHICH SHOULD BE VERY
CONCERNING. AND IT IS ASTONISHING TO ME THAT
IF WE WERE GOING TO GET THIS OUT, AND BY RELEASING THE
E-MAILS, RIGHT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE ALL THE DETAILS ABOUT THIS
MEETING WERE LAID OUT IN BLACK AND WHITE WHERE THE PRESIDENT
COULDN'T SAY THIS IS FAKE NEWS ANYMORE.
THE SOURCE IS HIS SON. AND HE'S GIVEN A CHANCE TO SAY
EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS MEETING AND MISSES THE FACT THAT THERE
WAS SOMEONE ELSE IN THE MEETING. NOW WE'RE LEARNING IT.
NOW WE START ALL OVER AGAIN. >> WILLIE, WE'VE GOT -- I BETTER
DO THIS CALMLY. WE GOT TO START GETTING OUTRAGED
HERE. I GOT A PIT IN MY STOMACH AS I
HEARD THAT. JUST SITTING THERE AND REALLY
VISUALIZING WHAT'S GOING ON THERE.
THESE TWO KIDS -- IT'S INTERESTING WATCHING THOSE
IMAGES OF JARED KUSHNER AND I'VE TALKED OFTEN THAT HE'S BEEN IN
HIS DAD'S BUSINESS FOR TEN YEARS AND THAT'S WHAT DON JUNIOR'S
DONE, SO IT'S NO SURPRISE THESE GUYS ARE DOING THESE ABSURDLY
AMATEURISH LIKE FRIGHTENINGLY ABSURD THINGS THAT ANY
INTELLIGENT PERSON WITH A MORAL COMPASS WOULDN'T DO, BUT WE'VE
GOT TO START BEING OUTRAGED. JARED KUSHNER NEEDS TO LOSE HIS
SECURITY CLEARANCE TOMORROW. TOMORROW.
AND BOB MUELLER, HE'S GOT 30 INTENSE INTELLIGENCE ATTORNEYS
ON THIS. WE'VE GOT TO DOUBLE AND TRIPLE
THIS BECAUSE THIS IS THE SCARIEST THING I'VE SEEN IN MY
LIFE IN POLITICS. REALLY PLAY THIS OUT.
>> DOES THE FORMER SOVIET OPERATIVE'S NAME APPEAR ON JARED
KUSHNER'S FORM? OR DOES HE HAVE TO GO BACK AGAIN
AND ADD HIM? >> THERE'S SOME IMPORTANT REASON
WHY THE LYING IS WORTH IT. BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE
WHO ARE DECEIVING IN THIS, SO MANY CHARACTERS, GOING BACK TO
FLYNN, TO SESSIONS NOT DISCLOSING HIS MEETING WITH
KISLYAK. THERE'S SOME IMPORTANT REASON
WHY THEY CONTINUE TO NOT COME FORWARD WITH IT ALL.
AND IT'S STARTING TO UPSET REPUBLICANS.
IF YOU HEARD TREY GOWDY THE OTHER DAY, HE SAID ENOUGH IS
ENOUGH, SPILL IT, TELL US EVERYONE YOU'VE MET WITH.
>> AND GENE ROBINSON, DON JUNIOR ASKED US TO BELIEVE HIS ACCOUNT
OF NOT ONLY WHO WAS THERE BUT WHAT HAPPENED INSIDE THAT
MEETING. WE OF COURSE EXPRESS SKEPTICISM
RIGHT AWAY THAT IT'S JUST HIS ACCOUNT OF WHAT HAPPENED.
SO NOT ONLY DID HE NOT MENTION THIS FOURTH PERSON WHO WAS IN
THE ROOM, THIS FORMER SOVIET INTELLIGENCE OFFICER WHO WAS
SITTING IN ON THE MEETING, BUT NOW IT CALLS INTO COMPLETE
QUESTION WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED IN THAT ROOM.
HE SAYS IT WAS A NOTHING MEETING.
KUSHNER LEFT AFTER SEVEN OR EIGHT MINUTES.
PAUL MANAFORT'S ON THE PHONE, THIS WHOLE NARRATIVE THAT'S BEEN
CREATED IT WAS A WORTHLESS MEETING AND A COURTESY CALL, HOW
DO YOU BELIEVE A SECOND OF THAT STORY?
>> RIGHT. I MEAN, FRANKLY, I NEVER REALLY
BELIEVED THAT BECAUSE DONALD TRUMP JR. LIED FROM THE
BEGINNING ABOUT THE MEETING. WHEN THE "NEW YORK TIMES" FOUND
OUT ABOUT IT, OH, IT WAS JUST ABOUT ADOPTIONS AND THEN HE TOLD
A SECOND LIE ABOUT IT AND FINALLY PUT OUT THE E-MAILS WHEN
THEY WERE ABOUT TO BE PUT OUT BY THE TIMES.
SO HIS CREDIBILITY ON WHAT HAPPENED INSIDE THE ROOM WAS
NEVER GREAT. NOW THERE IS NO CREDIBILITY
ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED INSIDE THE ROOM.
I THINK WE GO BACK TO SQUARE ONE.
WHO WAS THIS PERSON AND WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED?
I JUST CAN'T ACCEPT FOR A MOMENT THIS IDEA THAT IT WAS, OH, IT
WAS A NOTHING BURGER, NOTHING HAPPENED.
WE DIDN'T ACTUALLY GET TO COLLUDE WITH THE RUSSIANS EVEN
THOUGH WE WANTED TO. I THINK NOW YOU HAVE TO
SOMETHING MUCH MORE SERIOUS MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED IN THAT
ROOM. AND BOB MUELLER IS THE ONE TO
FIGURE IT OUT. >> JOHN MEACHAM, THE HISTORY OF
PAST PRESIDENCIES WERE REPLETE WITH MANY FAMILY ISSUES, SONS,
DAUGHTERS, WHATEVER, BUT THIS SEEMS TO BE A BIT DIFFERENT,
THIS PARTICULAR FAMILY ISSUE IN THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY.
AND I HAVE NO IDEA AS TO THE LEVEL OF ILLEGALITY OR COLLUSION
THAT EXISTED IN THAT MEETING, BUT THE LEVEL OF IGNORANCE OF
HOW WE OPERATE AS AMERICANS AND AS PEOPLE IN POLITICAL LIFE AS
AMERICANS IS KIND OF ASTOUNDING. >> WELL, THE TRUMP EXAMPLE BOTH
IN TERMS OF THE FAMILY AND OF THE IN-LAWS IS UNIQUE IN
AMERICAN HISTORY AT THIS LEVEL OF AND AMBIENT REALITY OF THE
POWER OF THAT CIRCLE. YOU KNOW, YES, BOBBY KENNEDY WAS
ATTORNEY GENERAL, AND, YES, PRESIDENT KENNEDY JOKED THAT HE
THOUGHT BOBBY SHOULD GET SOME LEGAL EXPERIENCE BY BEING
ATTORNEY GENERAL BEFORE HE WENT OUT TO PRACTICE.
BUT ROBERT KENNEDY WAS A FORMIDABLE FIGURE.
THIS IS MORE LIKE THE BONNAPARTS, REMEMBER, NAPOLEON
PUT VARIOUS BROTHERS AND COUSINS IN DIFFERENT THRONES.
AND IT'S TAKING A TOLL. TWO THOUGHTS ON THIS, ONE,
THERE'S ANOTHER FORMER SOVIET INTELLIGENCE OFFICER IN THIS
MIX, HIS NAME IS PUTIN. THAT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER.
THIS GUY STARTED OUT AT THE KGB. SECOND, ABOUT TWO WEEKS AFTER
THE INAUGURATION I HAD A CONVERSATION, PRIVATE
CONVERSATION WITH A FORMER OBAMA OFFICIAL, SO TAKE THIS FOR
CONSIDERING THE SOURCE, AND I SAID WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE
RUSSIA QUESTION. AND THIS PERSON SAID I DON'T
HAVE ANY DOUBT THAT IT'S TRUE. AND I SAID, WELL, TELL ME HOW
THIS HAPPENS. I MEAN SURELY THEY DON'T JUST
CALL UP AND MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AT TRUMP TOWER.
WELL, TURNS OUT MAYBE THEY DID. >> KASIE HUNT, WE'VE HEARD TIME
AND AGAIN THIS WEEK FROM DONALD TRUMP JR. AND FROM THE WHITE
HOUSE THE WORD TRANSPARENCY. WE JUST HEARD IT AGAIN FROM THAT
CLIP WITH JUNIOR'S INTERVIEW WITH SEAN HANNITY A COUPLE
NIGHTS AGO ON BEING TRANSPARENT. I'M THE ONE WHO PUT MY E-MAILS
OUT. I'M SHOWING YOU ALL MY CARDS.
EXCUSE ME. IN FACT, HE SHOWED HIS CARDS AND
PUT HIS E-MAILS OUT BECAUSE THE "NEW YORK TIMES" SAID WE HAVE
THE CARDS AND WE'RE ABOUT TO PUT THEM OUT.
AND NOW THAT'S FALLEN APART COMPLETELY TOO, THIS ARGUMENT OF
TRANSPARENCY. WHEN YOU DON'T LAY OUT HONESTLY
AND TRANSPARENTALLY WHO EVEN WAS IN THE ROOM WITH YOU DURING THAT
MEETING LET ALONE WHAT WAS DISCUSSED IN THAT MEETING.
>> Reporter: YEAH, WILLIE, A COUPLE POINTS.
LOOK, THE REALITY HERE IS THAT YOU ARE RIGHT, WE WOULD NOT KNOW
THAT THIS MEETING EVER TOOK PLACE, WE WOULDN'T HAVE ANY
DETAILS ON WHO WAS SITTING IN THE ROOM, NOTHING WITHOUT
REPORTERS, NEWSPAPERS DIGGING INTO IT AND TELLING PEOPLE THAT
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED. AND NOW OF COURSE WE HAVE THIS
FIFTH UNNAMED PERSON IN THE ROOM THAT NBC NEWS IS REPORTING.
AGAIN, SOMETHING THAT AFTER THE PRESIDENT AND ALL THOSE AROUND
HIM SAID, LOOK, WE ARE BEING TRANSPARENT ABOUT THIS.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS. ANOTHER CLEAR PIECE OF EVIDENCE
THAT THEY'RE NOT. AND MEANWHILE YOU HAVE THE
PRESIDENT CONTINUING TO REGULARLY ATTACK THE MEDIA, A
STRATEGY AIMED SQUARELY AT HIS BASE VOTERS MANY OF WHOM IT
SEEMS MAY BELIEVE THAT NONE OF THIS IS ACTUALLY TRUE OR THAT
THESE REPORTS ARE SIMPLY TRYING TO SERVE TO ATTACK THE
PRESIDENT. I THINK THAT'S A VERY CONCERTED
STRATEGY ON THE PART OF THE WHITE HOUSE.
AND I THINK IT'S ONE THAT MAKES SOME REPUBLICANS NERVOUS.
YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS A MINUTE AGO.
I THINK THERE IS RISING CONCERN ABOUT KIND OF THE GENERAL
ATTEMPT TO DISCREDIT THE REPORTING THAT IS OUT THERE ON
THIS, EVEN AMONG REPUBLICANS ON CAPITOL HILL.
THEY MAY NOT BE WILLING TO SAY IT PUBLICLY YET, BUT THEY
CERTAINLY ARE SAYING IT PRIVATELY.
>> ALL RIGHT, KASIE HUNT, GENE ROBINSON, JON MEACHAM, THANK YOU
ALL. WE HAVE MUCH, MUCH MORE.
STAY WITH US ON THIS NBC BREAKING NEWS INVESTIGATIVE UNIT
THAT THERE WAS SOMEONE ELSE, A FIFTH PERSON IN THAT
CONTROVERSIAL MEETING BETWEEN DONALD TRUMP JR., SENIOR ADVISOR
JARED KUSHNER, FORMER TRUMP CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN PAUL MANAFORT
AND A RUSSIAN LAWYER. ALSO NOW WE'VE LEARNED IN THE
JUNE 9th MEETING AT TRUMP TOWER OF LAST YEAR WAS ANOTHER PERSON
WITH ALLEGED TIES TO MOSCOW. A RUSSIAN-AMERICAN LOBBYIST, A
FORMER SOVIET COUNTERINTELLIGENCE OFFICER
SUSPECTED BY SOME U.S. OFFICIALS OF HAVING ONGOING TIES TO
RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE. THAT'S SOMETHING HE DENIES.
NBC NEWS NOT NAMING THAT LOBBYIST WHO DENIES ANY CURRENT
TIES TO RUSSIAN SPY AGENCIES, AS I SAID.
HIS PRESENCE LIKELY TO BE OF GREAT INTEREST TO INVESTIGATORS.
WE'RE GOING TO TALK MUCH MORE ABOUT THIS COMING UP.
THE ATTORNEY THERE SAID TO NBC NEWS SHE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY
SOMEONE BUT DECLINED TO IDENTIFY WHO

Geist: 'This is jaw-dropping' | Morning Joe | MSNBC

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