What President Donald Trump Risks If He Fires Jeff Sessions | Morning Joe

THE 50 VOTES THEY NEED. >> AND WHAT IT TURNS OUT TO BE
ULTIMATELY, TOO. THERE'S A LOT TO GO THROUGH.
FIRST LET'S GET TO THE SITUATION WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
JEFF SESSIONS APPEARS TO BE STAYING THE COURSE AT LEAST FOR
NOW, DESPITE ATTACK AFTER ATTACK FROM THE OUTSIDER PRESIDENT WHO
SESSIONS HELPED GIVE HIS FIRST DOSE OF ESTABLISHMENT
CREDIBILITY WHEN HE WAS A CANDIDATE.
THERE'S THE WHOLE ISSUE WITH THIS PRESIDENT OF LOYALTY.
YESTERDAY MORNING DURING OUR SHOW, WE SAW THE PRESIDENT FIRE
OFF TWEET AFTER TWEET, TAKING AIM AT SESSIONS.
AND LATER IN AN INTERVIEW WITH THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, WHEN
ASKED HOW LONG HE COULD CONTINUE TO CRITICIZE SESSIONS WITHOUT
FIRING HIM HE SAID, QUOTE, I'M JUST LOOKING AT IT, I'LL JUST
SEE. IT A VERY IMPORTANT THING.
AND THE PRESIDENT DOWNPLAYED THE SIGNIFICANCE ON SESSION'S
LOYALTY SAYING IT'S NOT LIKE A GREAT LOYAL THING ABOUT THE
ENDORSEMENT. ADDING "WHEN THEY SAY HE
ENDORSED ME, I WENT TO ALABAMA, I HAD 40,000 PEOPLE, HE WAS A
SENATOR FROM ALABAMA, I WON THE STATE BY A LOT, MASSIVE NUMBERS,
A LOT OF STATES I WON BY MASSIVE NUMBERS, BUT HE WAS A SENATOR.
HE LOOKS AT 40,000 PEOPLE AND HE PROBABLY SAYS WHAT DO I HAVE TO
LOSE? SO HE ENDORSED ME.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE A GREAT LOYAL THING ABOUT THE ENDORSEMENT BUT
I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED BY JEFF SESSIONS.
>> MIKA, WHY DON'T WE STOP RIGHT THERE?
IT'S CONFOUNDING AND IT SHOWS JUST HOW THIS MAN KNOWS NO
LOYALTY. DONALD TRUMP DOES NOT RESPECT
LOYALTY, HE DOES NOT GIVE LOYALTY.
JEFF SESSIONS STUCK HIS NECK OUT EARLY ON WHEN THE REPUBLICAN
ESTABLISHMENT WAS ALL AGAINST DONALD TRUMP AND SAID HE DIDN'T
HAVE A CHANCE OF WINNING, BUT THIS IS HOW HE TREATS PEOPLE.
HE THROWS THEM UNDER THE BUS AND WHAT HE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND, MARK
HALPERIN, IS IN WASHINGTON, D.C., AS I HAD A FORMER OLD SAGE
TELL ME IN WASHINGTON, WE'RE ALL IN A LITTLE BOAT HERE, JOE, AND
WE ALL ROW IN A LITTLE BOAT AND IF WE'RE NOT ALL ROWING IN THE
SAME DIRECTION, THINGS GET PRETTY UGLY PRETTY FAST AND WHAT
GOES AROUND COMES AROUND. AND WE'RE SEEING THAT WITH
SESSIONS. WOULD YOU TALK ABOUT THE OTHER
SIDE OF THIS STORY, THOUGH. THERE'S A REASON WHY BREITBART
CAME OUT YESTERDAY ATTACKING THE PRESIDENT AND WAS ON THE SIDE OF
JEFF SESSIONS. THERE'S A REASON WHY THERE A LOT
OF REPUBLICAN CONSERVATIVE, QUOTE, NATIONALISTS, THE SORT OF
BANNON WING OF THE PARTY STARTED SUPPORTING DONALD TRUMP, FELT
COMFORTABLE WITH DONALD TRUMP AND A LOT OF THAT HAD TO DO WITH
JEFF SESSIONS. WHAT DOES DONALD TRUMP HAVE TO
LOSE BY THROWING JEFF SESSIONS OVERBOARD AND TREATING HIM THIS
BADLY? >> JEFF SESSIONS IN HIS CAREER
AND ISSUES HE'S FOUGHT FOR BEEN THE HERO OF THAT MOVEMENT FOR
TWO DECADES. DONALD TRUMP HAS BEEN THERE FOR
ABOUT A YEAR. YOU'VE SEEN A LOT OF
CONSERVATIVE MEDIA. I THINK THE PRESIDENT RIGHT NOW
IS ACTING VERY REMINISCENT OF BILL CLINTON WHEN HE HAD AN
INDEPENDENT COUNSEL ON HIS BACK. IT'S VERY EASY AS THE PRESIDENT
SUGGESTED TO SAY THIS IS ALL ABOUT THE PRESIDENCY AND THE
INDEPENDENT COUNSEL IS OUT OF CONTROL AND HE BLAMES JEFF
SESSIONS FOR. IT'S MUCH WORSE HAVING AN
INDEPENDENT COUNSEL GOING AFTER YOU THAN THE REGULAR JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS AND EVEN THOUGH IT GOES
RIGHT TO A CONFLICT WITH HIS POLITICALCAL BASE IS BASED ON T
FACT HE'S LOOKING FOR A WAY OUT. HE'S FRUSTRATED BY THE SPECTER
OF THE INDEPENDENT COUNSEL. HE THINKS SOMEHOW GETTING RID OF
SESSIONS IS GOING TO SOLVE HIS PROBLEM.
MOST PEOPLE AROUND HIM ARE TELLING HIM IT WILL ONLY MAKE IT
WORSE, THEY'D LIKE HIM TO PATCH IT UP.
>> HE TEND TO REIGNITE FIRES AROUND HIM.
I THINK THERE IS A LESSON HERE ABOUT WASHINGTON, JOE.
THAT IS WHETHER YOU'RE ATTACKING A MEMBER OF THE SENATE, YOU'RE
ATTACKING THE ENTIRE SENATE. YOU'RE ATTACKING ALL OF US, AS
THEY WILL THINK. THROUGHOUT THE DAY JEFF SESSIONS
GOT SUPPORT FROM REPUBLICAN MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, IN
PARTICULAR HIS FORMER SENATE COLLEAGUES.
>> I WORKED WITH JEFF SESSIONS FOR NINE AND A HALF YEARS IN THE
SENATE. HE IS ONE OF THE MOST HONEST
PEOPLE YOU WOULD EVER KNOW. HE IS A MAN OF VERY HIGH
INTEGRITY AND HE IS AN EAGLE SCOUT.
>> HE'S A MAN OF COURAGE, HE'S A MAN OF PURPOSE.
>> I FIND HIM TO BE A MAN OF INTEGRITY.
>> I THINK THAT HIS INDEPENDENCE HAS BEEN PROVEN BY HIS
WILLINGNESS TO RECUSE HIMSELF. >> THIS COULD HAVE BEEN HANDLED
IN A DIFFERENT WAY. IT'S NOT GOOD FOR THE PRESENT,
NOT GOOD FOR THE POITICS IN GENERAL.
>> JEFF HAS BEEN VERY LOYAL TO THE PRESIDENT AND I THINK HE
DESERVES LOYALTY BACK. >> I WOULD RECOMMEND AGAINST
FIRING SESSIONS. HE WAS THE FIRST SENATOR TO
SUPPORT PRESIDENT TRUMP. HE STAYED WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP
WHEN HE WAS TEN POINTS BEHIND. >> I HOPE THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
DOESN'T RESIGN. I HOPE HE'S NOT FIRED.
IF YOU LOOK AT SO MUC MUCH OF W THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES WANTS TO ACCOMPLISH ON HIS AGENDA, SESSIONS IS CENTRAL
TO THAT. >> IF PRESIDENT TRUMP FIRES
ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS, DO YOU THINK THIS SENATE WILL
APPROVE WHOEVER HE APPOINTS AFTER THE FACT?
>> IT RAISES A QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT ANYONE WILL WANT
TO DO IT. >> WOW.
>> AND LINDSEY GRAHAM SAID IN A STATEMENT, QUOTE, JEFF SESSIONS
IS ONE OF THE MOST DECENT PEOPLE I'VE EVER MET IN MY POLITICAL
LIFE. HE'S A ROCK SOLID CONSERVATIVE
BUT ABOVE ALL ELSE, HE BELIEVES IN THE RULE OF LAW.
JEFF UNDERSTANDS THAT WE A ARE NATION OF LAWS, NOT MEN.
ON OCCASION, I'VE VIGOROUSLY DISAGREED WITH JEFF BUT I'VE
NEVER ONCE DOUBTED HIS INTEGRITY OR SENSE OF FAIR PLAY.
PRESIDENT TRUMP'S TWEET TODAY SUGGESTING ATTORNEY GENERAL
SESSIONSARE SUE PROSECUTION OF A FORMER POLITICAL RIVAL IS HIGHLY
INAPPROPRIATE. PROSECUTORIAL DECISIONS SHOULD
BE BASED ON APPLYING FACTS TO THE LAW WITHOUT HINT OF
POLITICAL MOTIVATION. TO DO OTHERWISE IS TO RUN AWAY
FROM THE LONG-STANDING AMERICAN TRADITION OF SPECIFIC SEPARATIN
FROM POLITICS REGARDLESS OF PARTY.
KASIE HUNT, YOU HEAR THESE REPUBLICANS THAT HAVE STOOD
BEHIND DONALD TRUMP NONSTOP AND DEFENDED HIM WHEN THEY SHOULD
NOT HAVE DEFENDED HIM, DEFENDED HIM WHEN SHE WAS DEFENSELESS.
AND THEY'RE COMING OU AND -- OUT AND STRONGLY SAYING BACK OFF,
MR. AND THEY DID THE SAME THING LAST

SAME THING WITH ROBERT MUELLER. TELL US HOW BAD THINGS ARE WITH
DONALD TRUMP SEEMINGLY SPINNING OUT OF CONTROL OVER THIS
INVESTIGATION. >> WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WHEN
REPUBLICANS IS STEP OUT IN OPPOSITION OF HIM.
SOMETIMES YOU HAVE BEEN CRITICAL FOR THEM FAILING TO DO IT.
THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE A CASE WHERE THAT HAPPENS.
I HAD ONE AIDE USE THE PHRASE CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS TO TALK
ABOUT WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IN THE EVENT THAT THE PRESIDENT FIRE
JEFF SESSIONS OR THAT JEFF SESSIONS RESIGNED.
I DON'T THINK THAT THERE IS A WAY THAT REPUBLICANS WOULD MOVE
FORWARD WITH CONFIRMING ANOTHER ATTORNEY GENERAL BASED ON THE
PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS I HAD YESTERDAY ABOUT IT.
I DO NOT THINK THAT THIS IS A THING THAT COULD POSSIBLY
HAPPEN. THERE'S BEEN CONVERSATION OUT OF
THE WHITE HOUSE ABOUT RECESS APPOINTMENTS.
THAT'S SOMETHING BOTH SIDES HAVE BEEN BLOCKING AND DEMOCRATS AND
REPUBLICANS SAY THAT'S WHAT WOULD HAPPEN HERE.
WE COULD GO FOR QUITE SOME TIME WITHOUT HAVING ONE.
THAT WOULD HAVE INCREDIBLE IMPLICATIONS.
>> AND, JEREMY, YOU LOOK AT ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE SPEAKING
OUT YESTERDAY AGAINST DONALD TRUMP'S SORRY TREATMENT OF JEFF
SESSIONS AS WE'D SAY IN THE SOUTH, SORRY TREATMENT OF JEFF
SESSIONS AND YOU EVEN HAD NEWT GINGRICH, A GUY WHO DONALD TRUMP
HAS BEEN A REPUBLICAN SINCE HE DISCOVERED BIRTHERISM IN 2011.
HE UNDERSTAND THE SPECIAL PLACE THAT JEFF SESSIONS HOLDS IN THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY FOR A CERTAIN WING OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
THAT HELPED DONALD TRUMP GET ELECTED.
THE BREITBART WING, THE STEVE BANNON WING.
TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT AMONG THE BASE IF HE WERE TO FIRE SOMEBODY
AND IF HE CONTINUES DISRESPECTING SOMEBODY THAT
ACTUALLY HAS BELIEVED THE SAME THINGS HIS ENTIRE LIFE AND
FOUGHT FOR THEM EVEN WHEN DONALD TRUMP WAS GIVING MONEY TO
HILLARY CLINTON, BARACK OBAMA, CHUCK SCHUMER AND OTHERS.
>> YOU HIT ON THE KEY POINT, THAT JEFF SESSIONS PROVIDED HIM
WITH POLITICAL COVER WHEN THERE WERE CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN
VOTERS WHO LOOKED AT DONALD TRUMP AND SAID I DON'T KNOW THAT
THAT GUY BELIEVES IN WHAT I STAND FOR.
JEFF SESSIONS WAS THE EMBODIMENT OF THAT CONSERVATIVE NATIONAL
STRAIN OF POLITICS THAT ULTIMATELY DELIVERED THE WHITE
HOUSE TO DONALD TRUMP. SO IN DISTANCING HIMSELF FROM
SESSIONS, WHAT I WILL DESCRIBE AS CYBER BULLBULLYING, HE'S CYB
BULLYING HIM INTO RESIGNATION BECAUSE HE WON'T SAY IT TO HIS
FACE. HE'S ULTIMATELY CONFLICT AVERSE.
YOU'RE LEFT WITH A SITUATION IN WHICH THE RIGHT IS STARTING TO
BREAK FROM TRUMP IN A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT WAY.
YOU HAVE RUSH LIMBAUGH, WHO IS NOT ONLY A LEADING INDICATOR,
HE'S KIND OF A LATTER INDICATOR, SAYING HE'S TROUBLED BY THIS.
YOU HAVE MATT DRUDGE, YOU HAVE BREITBART AND EVEN TALKER
CARLSON, THESE VOICES ON THE RIGHT THAT ARE USUALLY HIGHLY
DEFERENTIAL TO THE PRESIDENT ARE STARTING TO SAY THIS IS THE ONE
FRIEND YOU HAD IN WASHINGTON AND NOW YOU'RE THROWING HIM UNDER
THE BUS. >> SO I HAVE A QUESTION, IF YOU
COULD PUT YOUR PROFESSOR HAT ON, EDDIE AND ELISE.
IT SEEMS THAT JEFF SESSIONS RECUSED HIMSELF, WHICH WAS
IMPORTANT TO RECUSE HIMSELF FROM THE RUSSIAN INVESTIGATION.
THE PRESIDENT SAID YESTERDAY WITH A COMPLETE SERIOUS FACE, HE
WANT JOKING, IT WAS HE JUST SAID IT, THAT HE WOULD HAVE NOT HIRED
JEFF SESSIONS IF HE KNEW HE WAS GOING TO RECUSE HIMSELF.
>> RIGHT. >> WHAT'S THE LEGAL VALUE OF
RECUSING YOURSELF? I FEEL LIKE THE VERY LEAST THE
PRESIDENT WAS SAYING, WELL, IF I HAD KNOWN HE WAS GOING TO DO THE
RIGHT THING UNDER THE LAW, I WOULDN'T HAVE HIRED HIM.
>> THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS HERE.
ONE IS THAT IT'S CLEAR THAT THERE WAS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST
WITH REGARDS TO SENATOR SESSIONS AND THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION.
SO IT SEEMS TO BE UNANIMITY AROUND THE FACT THAT HE WAS
RIGHT IN RECUSING HIMSELF. BUT ONE OF THE WAYS IN WHICH HE
WAS ATTACKING MUELLER AND THE LAWYERS INVESTIGATING THE
RUSSIAN INCIDENT IS THAT THEY HAD CONFLICT OF INTEREST, THAT
THEY SHOULD RECUSE THEMSELVES BECAUSE THEY SUPPORTED THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY. HE ONLY APPEALS TO THE LAW WHEN
IT'S IN HIS ON INTEREST. THAT'S THE FIRST THING.
AND THE SECOND THING IS WE'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT ABOUT DONALD
TRUMP OF COME BEING FROM THE BUSINESS WORLD, HE'S A CEO, HE
CAN CLOSE THE DEAL. WHERE ARE HIS MANAGEMENT SKILLS?
WHY DIDN'T HE ASK SENATOR SESSIONS BEFORE HE HIRED HIM
WHAT HE WOULD DO IF THIS AROSE. AND OBVIOUSLY HE DIDN'T.
SO NOW HE JUST TOLD US HE DIDN'T.
SO NOW HE FIND HIMSELF IN THIS SITUATION.
>> THERE ARE SO MANY SITUATIONS LIKE THIS.
>> I THINK WHAT WE'VE SEEN WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP IS THAT IN HIS
LEGAL COUNSEL, HE DOES NOT WANT OFFICIALS THAT ARE GOING TO
UPHOLD THE LAW OF THE LAND. HIGH WANTS LAWYERS WHO WANT HIM
MANEUVER OF LAW OF THE LAND IN HIMSELF FAVOR.
AND SO NOT UPHOLD OUR RULE OF LAW AND JUST THROW IT OUT THE
WINDOW AND IT'S ONE THING WHEN IT'S NORMS, WHICH I'M CONCERNED
ABOUT, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT ALL OF THE NORMS SURROUNDING THE
PRESIDENCY THAT THIS PRESIDENT HAS JUST COMPLETELY DESTRUCTED
AND THE ETHICAL LAPSES BUT NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE LAW AND
THINK THAT'S WHEN YOU'RE REALLY GOING TO SEE THE UPRISING FROM
REPUBLICANS IF HE DOES TAKE THIS -- IF HE TAKES IT TOO FAR
WITH JEFF SESSIONS. >> AND THAT'S JOE WHEN HE WAS
TALKING TO THE REPORTERS YESTERDAY AND ANSWERED THE
QUESTION, WELL, I WOULDN'T HAVE HIRED HIM IF HE TOLD ME HE WAS
GOING TO RECUSE HIMSELF. COULDN'T THAT BE TRANSLATED TO I
WOULDN'T HAVE HIRED HIM IF HE TOLD ME HE WAS GOING TO UPHOLD
THE LAW AND DO THE RIGHT THING? >> HE SAID I WOULD N NOT HAVE
HIRED HIM IF I KNEW HE'D PUT ETHICS AND THE LAW OF THE LAND
ABOVE DONALD TRUMP'S PERSONAL INTEREST.
WE'VE HAD SO MANY EXAMPLES OF THIS.
MARK HALPERIN, LET TAKE THREE OR SO.
WE START WITH JAMES COMEY, A MAN HE SAID WAS A GREAT FBI DIRECTOR
WHEN HE DID THINGS IN HIS FAVOR. AND THEN HE FIRED HIM.
YOU LOOK AT ROD ROSENSTEIN, WHO HE WAS CALLING THE SMARTEST GUY
IN WASHINGTON, D.C. AND LOVED ROD ROSENSTEIN AND EXPECTED HIS
ENTIRE STAFF TO LIE FOR HIM AND HE REFUSED TO DO IT AND HE HIRED
ROBERT MUELLER. NOW HE'S DOING IT WITH THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL. THIS IS A THIRD TIME WHERE HE'S
LOYAL TO A PERSON SO LONG AS A PRN IS WILLING TO BE UNETHICAL
FOR HIM OR CHECK THEIR OWN ETHICS AT THE DOOR.
YOU CAN LOOK AT BOB MUELLER, TOO.
I'M SURE WE COULD LOOK BACK AND FOUND SOME GOOD THINGS HE COULD
SAY WHEN HE WAS GUIDING OUR COUNTRY THROUGH 9/11.
FOUR EXAMPLES OF PEOPLE WHO SUDDENLY DON'T MEET DONALD TRUMP
AS STANDARD WHEN THEY DON'T BLINDLY AND ON -- ON SEEK
WEOUSLY SUPPORT DONALD TRUMP. >> WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT BOB
MUELLER IS NOT LIKE ANY OTHER ADVERSARY.
HE'S GOING TO BE VERY DIFFICULT TO STOP IN ANY WAY.
AND BOB MUELLER IS DOING A METHODICAL INVESTIGATION WITH A
LOT OF OTHER LAWYERS. AND WHILE THEY'LL TRY AND ROUGH
HIM UP, THE PROBLEM THAT ANY PRESIDENT HAS WHEN CORNERED BY
AN INDEPENDENT PROSECUTOR, THERE'S NO WAY TO GET RID OF
HIM. HE SOMEHOW GOT BY GETTING RID OF
JAMES COMEY AND HE IS SOMEHOW GETTING BY BESMIRCHING JEFF
SESSIONS. >> AND HIS BIGGEST ARGUMENT IS
HE MAY HAVE MADE CONTRIBUTIONS TO DEMOCRATS AND THE PEOPLE HE
HIRED AND YOU HAVE THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES WHO HAVE
GIVEN MONEY TO HILLARY CLINTON, BILL CLINTON, THE DNC, HUNDREDS
OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO THE DNC BETWEEN BOTH OF THEM, HARRY
REED, BARACK OBAMA, RAHM EMANUEL, CHUCK SCHUMER.
IF YOU REALLY WANT TO LINE UP WHAT THE PRESIDENT AND THE WHITE
HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, THEIR DONATIONS TO DEMOCRATS AND
BOB MUELLER AND HIS TEAM'S DONATIONS TO DEMOCRATS, I HAVE
NO DOUBT WHATSOEVER THAT THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
AND THE WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR HAVE
GIVEN MORE MONEY TO DEMOCRATS THROUGH -- AND DEMOCRATIC
INSTITUTIONS THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES THAN BOB

What President Donald Trump Risks If He Fires Jeff Sessions | Morning Joe | MSNBC

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