CARTOON SCENE. >> HARD TO MAKE OUT THE
CHARACTERS ON TV. GO AND STUDY IT ONLINE.
IT IS WORTH IT. THE PIECE TITLED THIS TOWN MELTS
DOWN MARK EXAMINES PRESIDENT TRUMP'S IMPACT ON WASHINGTON.
>> WHAT IS THE IMPACT? >> BIG IDEA.
>> WELL, THE BIG IDEA IS THAT HE WAS GOING TO BLOW UP WASHINGTON.
HE WAS GOING TO CHANGE WASHINGTON.
>> LOOKS LIKE HE IS DOING A GOOD JOB.
>> WELL, SIX MONTHS IN. I THINK WHEN YOU SORT OF LOOK
AROUND THE SWAMP IS ANYTHING BUT DRAINED.
IT'S MORE LIKE A GOLD PLATED HOT TUB AT THIS POINT.
>> EXPLAIN WHY IS THE TOWN MELTING DOWN?
>> THAT WAS A HEADLINER. IT ALL RESOLVED AROUND THE
UNORTHODOX OF THE PRESIDENT WHICH IS MORE OF A NEUTRAL
READING. YOU CAN HEAR A LOT MORE COLORFUL
LANGUAGE. THE FACT IS THERE'S A WHOLE NEW
CALCULUS ON HOW YOU INFLUENCE THE WHITE HOUSE.
>> WHY WAS SEAN SPICER AFRAID TO TALK TO YOU?
>> HE IS AFRAID TO TALK TO A LOT OF PEOPLE THESE DAYS.
HE KIND OF DISAPPEARED. BUT THIS IS ONE AS SORT OF A
CROSS OVER FIGURE WHICH WAS A HACK BACK IN THE OLD DAYS.
IT WAS A MAN WHO SORT OF KNEW BETTER AND WAS WELL KNOWN WHO
DECIDED TO CROSS OVER AND BE IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS EXPERIMENT.
HE HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED BY SO MANY PEOPLE.
HE IS A NERVOUS GUY. HE HAS ONE OF THE TOUGHEST JOBS
AROUND. >> HE TOLD YOU IF HE TALKED TO
YOU ON RECORD IT WOULD HURT HIM. >> HIS CURRENT STATUS.
>> YE, BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT IS NOT ONE FOR SHARING.
>> OKAY. SO TEASER TIME.
TELL US A STORY ABOUT HOPE. >> HOPE IS SOMEONE I CAME TO
KNOW AND LIKE DURING THE CAMPAIGN.
I WENT TO VISIT WITH HER DURING THE COURSE OF REPORTING.
WE ARE SORT OF CHITCHATTING. AFTER ABOUT SAY OR 20 MINUTES
SHE IS LIKE YOU WANT TO COME SAY HELLO?
SHE SAID NO. COME SAY HI.
I WAS LIKE OKAY. SURE.
IT'S USUALLY NOT THAT EASY TO SCHEDULE.
USUALLY SOME KIND OF SCREENING OR BRIEFING THAT GOES ON.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS STAGED OR NOT.
I WALKED IN AND THE PRESIDENT WAS SITTING IN THE LITTLE DINING
ROOM AREA BY HIMSELF. HE WAS WATCHING A TAPE I THINK
OF FOX AND FRIENDS OF FOUR OR FIVE HOURS BEFORE.
CAME IN, GREETED ME. TOLD ME I TREATED HIM VERY
BADLY, THE NEW YORK TIMES WAS FAILING.
HE WAS VERY PLEASANT ABOUT IT. WE TALKED FOR ABOUT 10 OR 15
MINUTES. HE WAS EXACTLY AS YOU WOULD
EXPECT, FAKE NEWS, FOX IS TREATING HIM WELL, YOU KNOW, ALL
OF THE GREATEST HITS SORT OF CONDENSED INTO ABOUT 10 OR 15
MINUTES. >> AT LEAST MY CENTRAL TAKE AWAY
IS WHAT YOU ELUDED TO. YOU HAD THIS GREAT IMAGERY, ALL
OF THEM KIND OF WAITING FOR THAT MOMENT.
THEY ALL HAVE FREE ACCESS TO THE WHITE HOUSE.
IT'S THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO DO.
>> IT IS UNCLEAR HOW SERIOUS HE WAS.
THE FACT IS IF YOU ARE CLOSE TO THIS PRESIDENT, IF YOU'RE
PERCEIVED AS BEING CLOSE TO THIS PRESIDENT AND PEOPLE ARE NOT
VERY UNSHY ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT'S A GOOD BUSINESS PROPOSITION
YOU'LL GET HIRED BAY LOT OF CORPORATIONS AND TRADE GROUPS
WHO HAVE ALWAYS THROWN A LOT OF MONEY AT THIS TOWN AND THAT HAS,
YOU KNOW, IT HASN'T REALLY CHANGED AT ALL.
IT'S A DIFFERENT GUY IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
>> INTERNALLY FIRING SQUAD, PEOPLE GOING AFTER EACH OTHER.
PEOPLE NOT HAPPY WITH THEIR JOBS, NOT HAPPY WITH THE
PRESIDENT. WHAT DID YOU PICK UP?
OFF OF THE PEOPLE YOU WERE AROUND?
>> YOU READ THE PRESIDENT'S TWEET WHICH IS NOT THE FIRST
TIME HE SAID THIS BUT HOW IT'S ALL MADE UP AND SOURCES DON'T
KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT.
THIS IS ALL TRUE. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY I
HAVE A DOG IN THIS BECAUSE I'M IN THE PRESS.
THIS IS ALL TRUE. IT'S TRUE.
THEY ALL LEAK ON EACH OTHER. IT'S ABOUT AS EASY TO REPORT IN.
SO THAT'S ALL FOR REAL. IT'S NOT EVEN A CIRCULAR.
IT'S IN ALL DIRECTIONS. IT'S LIKE YOU'RE BEING TOO
NARROW HERE. >> WOW.
>> MARK, WHICH MEMBERS OF THE ADMINISTRATION HAVE BECOME KIND
OF THE CELEBRITIES? >> I THINK EVERYONE IN A WAY.
EVERYONE HAS BECOME A HOUSEHOLD NAME.
SEAN SPICER, SARAH HUCKABEE. THIS IS NOT AN UNWELL KNOWN
ADMINISTRATION. PARTLY IT IS BECAUSE THEY ARE
ALL SEEN -- THERE IS KIND OF A PARLOR GAME OF WHO IS UP AND
WHO'S DOWN THIS WEEK. THERE IS A CIRCULAR FIRING SQUAD
AND A ROULETTE WHEEL OF WHOSE IMMINENT DEPARTURE.
IT'S NOT AN ISSUE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR THE PRESIDENT RIGHT
NOW. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
WE'LL BE LOOKING FOR YOUR COVER STORY IN THE NEW YORK TIMES.
>> ANY ILLUSTRATION. >> IT'S TRUE.
IT'S ALL TRUE. >>> DONALD TRUMP JR. WAS
SUPPOSED TO BE THE FAMILY MEMBER THAT WASN'T PART OF WASHINGTON.
THAT IS CHANGING FAST AS CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATORS WANT
A WORD WITH HIM FOLLOWING HISS
-- HIS RELEASE OF THE E-MAIL TRAIL IN QUESTION.
>>> PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS AWARE OF HIS SON'S INITIAL STATEMENT
DEFENDING HIS MEETING WITH THE RUSSIAN LAWYER SAYING IT WAS
ABOUT ADOPTION. IT WAS A STATEMENT THAT WAS SO