John Kelly Enters A White House Fixated On Donald Trump’s Russia Problems | The Last Word

>>> I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE HIM ON THE GREAT JOB HE'S DONE
WITH HOMELAND SECURITY AND I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT HE WILL BE AN
ABSOLUTELY SUPERB CHIEF OF STAFF.
>> SEATED DIRECTLY ACROSS THE TABLE FROM THE PRESIDENT IN THE
SECOND MEETING, ONLY THE SECOND MEETING OF THE TRUMP CABINET
TODAY, WAS ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFF SESSIONS, WHO THE PRESIDENT HAS
PUBLICLY ATTACKED AND DEMEANED ON TWITTER AND ROLLED HIS EYES
ABOUT WHEN ASKED SHOUTED QUESTIONS BY REPORTERS.
AFTER A WEEKEND OF SOME SPECULATION THAT THE PRESIDENT
MIGHT TRY TO MOVE JEFF SESSIONS TO FILL THE NEW OPENING OF
SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY SO THAT THE PRESIDENT COULD THEN
INSTALL A NEW ATTORNEY GENERAL WHO COULD THEN FIRE SPECIAL
PROSECUTOR ROBERT MUELLER, THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY WAS
AUTHORIZED TO SAY THIS TODAY. >> THERE ARE NO CONVERSATIONS
ABOUT ANY CABINET MEMBERS MOVING IN ANY CAPACITY, AND THE
PRESIDENT HAS 100% CONFIDENCE IN ALL MEMBERS OF HIS CABINET.
>> JOINING US NOW, AL HUNT. HE IS THE COLUMNIST AT BLOOMBERG
VIEW, AND BETSY WOODRUFF, A POLITICS REPORTER FOR "THE DAILY
BEAST." AL, GENERAL KELLY HAS A LOT TO
DEAL WITH, NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH IS THIS LATEST MANEUVER
BEING RUMORED ABOUT THAT THE WHITE HOUSE SEEMED READY TO
SPIKE TODAY, WHICH IS MOVING OF JEFF SESSIONS, NEW ATTORNEY
GENERAL, FIRING OF MUELLER. IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT WAS A
KELLY-AUTHORIZED STATEMENT TODAY WITH 100% CONFIDENCE AND NO
ONE'S MOVING. >> YEAH, IT DOES, LAWRENCE.
LOOK, THE ONLY -- THE WHOLE JEFF SESSIONS BROUHAHA WAS ABOUT ONE
SINGLE THING, THAT TRUMP WANTS TO GET RID OF BOB MUELLER.
IN HIS MIND, THE QUESTION IS HOW DOES HE DO IT AND WILL HE DO IT.
IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH JEFF SESSIONS.
THERE'S NO POLICY DISAGREEMENTS WITH JEFF SESSIONS.
HE'S FURIOUS ABOUT MUELLER BEING THERE.
WHAT HE'S FURIOUS ABOUT, WE CAN ALL SPECULATE.
WHAT HE'S TRYING TO HIDE, WE CAN ALL SPECULATE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S REMARKABLE. THIS SHOULD NOT BE ON THE TABLE.
THERE IS NO ONE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT WHO COULD MANAGE THE
KIND OF BIPARTISAN RESPECT THAT BOB MUELLER DOES.
HE'S DOING THE JOB. IT'S A SERIOUS INVESTIGATION,
AND THE NOTION THAT THIS PRESIDENT WOULD REALLY BE
LOOKING FOR WAYS TO GET RID OF HIM IS JUST A TRAVESTY.
>> I WANT TO READ ANOTHER PASSAGE FROM TONIGHT'S BREAKING
NEWS REPORT FROM "THE WASHINGTON POST," WHICH SAYS TRUMP -- HIS
ADVISERS SAY THAT TRUMP IS INCREASINGLY ACTING AS HIS OWN
LAWYER, STRATEGIST, AND PUBLICIST, OFTEN DISREGARDING
THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE PROFESSIONALS HE HAS HIRED.
HE REFUSES TO SIT STILL. THE PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER SAID HE
DOESN'T THINK HE'S IN ANY LEGAL JEOPARDY, SO HE REALLY VIEWS
THIS AS A POLITICAL PROBLEM HE'S GOING TO SOLVE BY HIMSELF.
AND, BETSY, IF HE DOESN'T THINK HE'S IN ANY LEGAL JEOPARDY, WHY
HASN'T HE BEEN ABLE TO FOLLOW THE ADVICE THAT ANY LAWYER WOULD
GIVE HIM IF HE WAS NOT IN ANY LEGAL JEOPARDY, WHICH IS JUST
TO, YOU KNOW, STEP BACK AND LET THIS PROCESS TAKE CARE OF
ITSELF? >> THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
I THINK A BIG PART OF THE REASON FOR THIS IS THAT THE PRESIDENT
JUST ISN'T THE KIND OF PERSON WHO THINKS LONG AND HARD ABOUT
THE LAW AND LEGAL CULTURE AND THE WAY THAT LAWYERS THINK AND
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION AND ACTUAL
COURT OF LAW. REMEMBER, UNLIKE THE PRIOR
PRESIDENT, TRUMP DOES NOT HAVE ANY SORT OF LAW BACKGROUND.
HE'S BEEN A BUSINESSMAN. HE'S NEVER BEEN A LAWYER.
HE HASN'T HAD ANY SORT OF FORMAL LEGAL EDUCATION BESIDES WHAT
HE'S JUST SEEN IN HIS TIME AS A BUSINESSMAN IN NEW YORK.
AND BASED ON MY COVERAGE OF THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SPEAKING WITH
CURRENT AND FORMER OFFICIALS, ONE SENSE THAT I GET IS THAT
PEOPLE WHO PROFESSIONALLY WORK IN THE LEGAL WORLD SEE TRUMP AS
SOMEONE WHO JUST DOESN'T WHATSOEVER GET IT.
THEY SEE HIM AS SOMEONE WHO TREATS LAWYERS LIKE MEANS TO AN
END, RIGHT? WHO SEES LAWYERS AS TOOLS THAT
HE CAN USE TO ACCOMPLISH HIS LARGER GOALS RATHER THAN AS
PEOPLE WHO ARE INTEGRAL PARTS OF THE WAY OUR SYSTEM OF JUSTICE
WORKS. I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE
REASON THAT THE PRESIDENT'S RELATIONSHIP WITH SO MANY OF HIS
LAWYERS HAS BEEN SO MESSY AND COMPLICATED AND ALSO PART OF THE
REASON WHY HE HAS BEEN HIS OWN BIGGEST STUMBLING BLOCKS IN
TERMS OF LEGAL PROBLEMS BOTH INDIVIDUALLY AND IN TERMS OF HIS
ADMINISTRATION AS A WHOLE. >> AL HUNT, SO WE HAVE AN IRISH
GUY FROM BOSTON, CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE WHITE HOUSE.
I THINK THE LAST ONE OF THOSE MIGHT HAVE BEEN KENNY O'DONNELL
FOR PRESIDENT KENNEDY, NO RELATION TO ME.
BUT HE'S NOT A POLITICAL GUY. THIS IS SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN IN
THE MILITARY. THIS IS SOMEONE WHO IS
ACCUSTOMED TO PEOPLE FOLLOWING ORDERS.
HE'S ACCUSTOMED TO HAVING A LOT OF HONOR AND DECENCY AROUND HIM
IN THE WORKPLACE. WHAT'S YOUR PREDICTION FOR HOW
GENERAL KELLY MANAGES THIS NEW WHITE HOUSE?
>> WELL, AS THE GUEST IN YOUR PREVIOUS SEGMENT SAID, I THINK
IT'S AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK, AND I DON'T THINK HE WILL SUCCEED.
I WOULD JUST ADD ONE THING TO WHAT BETSY SAID.
NOT ONLY DOES TRUMP NOT HAVE RESPECT FOR THE LAW, HE IS TO BE
PERFECTLY CANDID A CHRONIC LIAR. HE'S PATHOLOGICAL ABOUT IT.
ANY GOOD LAWYER REALLY HAS DIFFICULTY WITH A CLIENT WHO IS
A PATHOLOGICAL LIAR. I THINK GENERAL KELLY IS GOING
TO HAVE AN ENORMOUS PROBLEM HERE.
I ALSO DISAGREE WITH JEREMY BASH THAT GETTING RID OF SCARAMUCCI
SPEAKS VOLUMES. IF YOU COULDN'T DO THAT, THAT
WAS THE EASIEST THING IN THE WORLD.
I MEAN FROM SECOND ONE. BUT, LAWRENCE, JUST TO GO
QUICKLY TO YOUR QUESTION, LOOK AT THOSE WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF
STAFFS WHO SUCCEEDED. JIM AND HOWARD BAKER, JOHN
PODESTA, LEON PANETTA, JOSH BOLTON, RAHM EMANUEL.
WHAT DO THEY SHARE IN COMMON, LAWRENCE?
THEY ALL KNOW THE WAYS OF WASHINGTON.
THEY ALL KNOW POLITICS IN THE BROADEST SENSE OF THE WORD.
GENERAL KELLY IS A VERY RESPECTED MARINE CORPS GENERAL,
BUT HE'S GOT A VERY NARROW BACKGROUND IN THAT SENSE.
AND I THINK THE WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF IS NOT A
MANAGEMENT JOB. IT'S A POLITICAL JOB.
>> AND, BETSY, IT'S THE TOP POLITICAL JOB IN WASHINGTON,
PURE POLITICAL JOB. AND GENERAL KELLY DOES HAVE
EXPERIENCE IN THE PENTAGON WORKING ON DEFENSE
APPROPRIATIONS BILLS AND LOBBYING THE HOUSE AND THE
SENATE ON THAT, BUT THAT'S REALLY THE ONLY LEGISLATIVE
EXPERIENCE HE'S EVER HAD. THAT TELLS YOU NOTHING ABOUT HOW
TO HANDLE FINANCE AND WAYS AND MEANS ON TAX BILLS AND ALL THESE
OTHER FORMS OF LEGISLATION THAT ARE MOVING -- THE HEALTH CARE
LEGISLATION, WHICH IS BEHIND US NOW.
SO HE DOESN'T HAVE -- IT'S HARD TO POINT TO PEOPLE WITH LESS
EXPERIENCE. I GUESS MATT McCLARDY FOR BILL
CLINTON AT THE BEGINNING. IN THAT ARENA OF DOMESTIC
GOVERNANCE IN WASHINGTON. >> I THINK THAT'S VERY MUCH BY
DESIGN. BEFORE GENERAL KELLY'S NAME WAS
BATTED AROUND AS SOMEONE WHO POTENTIALLY COULD RUN THE
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, THERE ARE REPORTS HE TOLD SOME
OF HIS CONFIDANTS THAT HE SPECIFICALLY DID NOT WANT TO BE
IN ANY ADMINISTRATION. HE DIDN'T WANT TO BE A CREATURE
OF THE BELTWAY. HE DOESN'T SEE IT AS HIS NATURAL
HABITAT AT ALL. OF COURSE THERE'S THIS PERHAPS
NO PARTICULAR JOB THAT PUTS YOU CLOSER TO THE EPICENTER OF THE
D.C. BELTWAY THAN BEING THE PRESIDENT'S CHIEF OF STAFF.
MY UNDERSTANDING BASED ON CONVERSATIONS WITH CURRENT AND
FORMER OFFICIALS, WITH FOLKS WHO HAVE WORKED WITH HIM IN THE
PAST, IS THIS ISN'T A GIG HE WAS JONESING FOR, AND HOW I VIEW IT
AS A BIG PART OF THE REASON HE TOOK THIS POSITION IS THAT THE
PRESIDENT ASKED HIM TOO, RIGHT? SECRETARY KELLY IS NOT A
POLITICAL LADDER CLIMBER. OBVIOUSLY YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME
SORT OF POLITICAL BACKGROUND TO GET TO BE A FOUR-STAR GENERAL,
BUT THIS ISN'T SOMEONE WHO BASED ON MY UNDERSTANDING HAD ANY SORT
OF ELECTORAL AMBITIONS. BUT GIVEN HIS TIME IN THE
MILITARY, GIVE HIS UNDERSTANDING OF THE IMPORTANCE OF AUTHORITY,
HIERARCHY, CHAINS OF COMMAND, IF THE PRESIDENT ASKED HIM TO DO
SOMETHING, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY THE CASE, HE WOULDN'T SAY NO.
AND I THINK THE IMPORTANT COUNTERPART TO THAT IS IN THE
SAME WAY THAT GENERAL KELLY DIDN'T WANT TO SAY NO TO THE
PRESIDENT, HE'LL EXPECT HIS SUBORDINATES NOT TO SAY NO TO
HIM. THAT'S WHY YOU'RE SEEING
SCARAMUCCI ON HIS WAY OUT WITH POTENTIALLY OTHERS TO FOLLOW.
>> AL, MY EXPERIENCE IN POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT IN WASHINGTON
TELLS ME THAT GENERAL KELLY BETTER HAVE THE RESIGNATION
LETTER IN HIS POCKET AT ALL TIMES, AND HE BETTER HAVE
INFORMED THE PRESIDENT ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT WILL PROVOKE HIS
RESIGNATION LETTER BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE HIS POWER WILL COME
FROM. HIS POWER WILL COME FROM THE
BASIC -- THE THREAT OF THE DISRUPTION OF HIS RESIGNATION IF
THE PRESIDENT DOES NOT FOLLOW HIS ADVICE ON X OR Y.
>> THAT IS A MIGHTY SWORD HE HAS, LAWRENCE, IF HE'S WILLING
TO USE IT. HE'S GOT TO START BY TELLING THE
PRESIDENT, YOU CAN'T LIE. YOU JUST CAN'T GO OUT THERE
EVERY DAY AND LIE. THAT'S GOING TO BE A TOUGH
CONVERSATION. I WOULD REMIND YOU THAT THE LAST
TIME WE BROUGHT A GENERAL IN TO REALLY TAKE CARE OF A
BELEAGUERED PRESIDENCY WAS ALEXANDER HAGUE FOR RICHARD
NIXON. THAT DIDN'T TURN OUT SO WELL,
DID IT? >> WELL, ALEXANDER HAGUE ENDED
UP BEING THE FIRST CHIEF OF STAFF FOR PRESIDENT GERRY FORD
WHEN HE MOVED UP. AL HUNT, THANK YOU

John Kelly Enters A White House Fixated On Donald Trump’s Russia Problems | The Last Word | MSNBC

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