An Ideological Battle Takes Hold In The White House | Morning Joe

>> ZT PRESIDENT HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE NATURE OF
HIS COUNTERPART IN RUSSIA AND THE NATURE OF THE REGIME?
>> THE NATURE OF THE RUSSIAN REGIME?
>> YES. >> WELL, I THINK EVERYBODY IS
PRETTY CLEAR ON THAT, RIGHT? THE NATURE OF THE RUSSIAN REGIME
IS ONE PERSON, ISN'T IT? I MEAN, SO I THINK YOU HAVE --
YOU HAVE AN AUTO ACCURATIC REGIME AND AN INDIVIDUAL THAT'S
DONE AN EXTRAORDINARILY EFFECTIVE JOB AT CONSOLIDATING
POWER. YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING
OBVIOUSLY ABOUT THE ANNEXATION OF CRIMA.
>> THE ATTACK ON YOU ARE ON ELECTION.
>> AND THE ATTACK ON OUR ELECTION, THE ATTACK -- VERY
SOPHISTICATED CAMPAIGN OF SUBVERSION AND DISINFORMATION
AND PROP GAND THAT IS ONGOING EVERY DAY.
>> IT'S PART OF HUGH HEWITT'S EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW HERE ON
MSNBC WITHTH H.R. McMASTER. HE IS THE LATEST TRUMP OFFICIAL
WHOSE FUTURE IS REPORTEDLY IN QUESTION.
AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT STEVE BANNON AND A LOT OF RUSSIAN BOTS
ON TWITTER WOULD WANT YOU TO THINK.
WITH US NOW, WE HAVE SENIOR REPORTER FOR BUSINESS IN
INSIDER, NATASHA BERTRAND WHO COVERS FOREIGN POLICY.
ALSO, THE PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AND THE DIRECTOR OF THE
INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES AT STANFORD UNIVERSITY.
FORMER AMBASSADOR TO RUSSIA, MICHAEL McFAUL.
MR. AMBASSADOR, LET'S BEGIN WITH YOU.
IT CERTAINLY SOUNDS LIKE GENERAL McMAGSER HAS THE TRADITIONAL
AMERICAN LINE AGAINST VLADIMIR PUTIN.
>> AND -- SHARES HIS NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR'S ASSESSMENT OF
RUSSIA'S INTENTIONS. >> YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT H.R.
McMASTER IS SAYING THAT, AND YOU HAVE THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES SAYING THAT. YOU HAVE A LOT OF OTHER
OFFICIALS, INNICY HALEY AT THE U.N. SAYING THAT.
IT CERTAINLY SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S THE OFFICIAL POSITION OF THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. THE PRESIDENT WANTS TO SAY IT.
YOU REPORTED THAT THE LONG KNIVES ARE OUT FOR GENERAL
McMASTER. TELL US ABOUT IT.
>> YOU HAVE THE BANNON WING WHO IS REALLY, YOU KNOW, NOT HAPPY
WITH McMASTER. ESPECIALLY AFTER THE FIRINGS OF
DEREK HARVEY AND RICH HIGGINS. THIS IS JUST LIKE -- IT'S AN
IDEALOGICAL BATTLE THAT WE'RE SEEING PLAY OUT IN THE WHITE
HOUSE, AND IT'S REALLY UNCLEAR. I MEAN, I THINK THAT THE
NATIONALIST WING HAS KIND OF THE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE AT THE
MOMENT JUST BECAUSE TRUMP HAS SAID IN THE PAST THAT, YOU KNOW,
HE KIND OF FINDS H.R. McMASTER'S STRATEGY ANNOYING IN TERMS OF
HOW HE DOES THE BRIEFINGS. HE DOESN'T REALLY LIKE HOW HE
TALKS TO HIM. SOMETIMES HE FEELS LIKE IT'S A
BIT CONDEE SENDING. WE'LL SEE HOW JOHN KELLY DEALS
WITH ALL OF THIS. HIS PRESENCE IN THE WHITE HOUSE
DEFINITELY GIVES McMASTER MORE OF A CHANCE AT SURVIVING, BUT
WE'LL SEE. >> MR. AMBASSADOR, DONALD TRUMP
CAME OUT AND REITERATED HIS SUPPORT FOR GENERAL McMASTER.
HE TALKED ABOUT HOW VALUABLE HE WAS TO THE FOREIGN POLICY TEAM,
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THIS PAST WEEK THE PRESIDENT ALLOWED
GENERAL McMASTER TO DO SOMETHING -- OR ACTUALLY ALLOWED
JOHN KELLY TO DO SOMETHING THAT HE HAD NOT ALLOWED GENERAL
McMASTER TO DO BEFORE, AND THAT IS GET RID OF A COUPLE OF PEOPLE
IN THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WHO WERE UNHELPFUL TO THE CAUSE.
>> YEAH. AND I JUST HAVE TO APPLAUD THAT.
I MEAN, I WORKED AT THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL FOR THREE
YEARS. YOU CANNOT HAVE PEOPLE ON THAT
STAFF THAT'S A SMALL STAFF, THE SENIOR STAFF IS SMALL, THAT
DON'T SUPPORT THE VIEWS OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR.
AND I WOULD JUST SAY, IT WOULD BE A SHOCK AND A REAL CRISIS IF
THE PRESIDENT NOW TURNED ON H.R. McMASTER AND FIRED HIM BECAUSE
OF SOME "NATIONALIST" WHO THINK THAT THEY KNOW FOREIGN POLICY
BETTER. THIS IS A STRONG TEAM RIGHT NOW
WITH THE RIGHT VIEWS. I THINK ON A LOT OF FOREIGN
POLICY ISSUES AT A REALLY DANGEROUS TIME IN AMERICAN
FOREIGN POLICY. >> RIGHT.
>> WE NEED THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST RUNNING THE SHOW RIGHT
NOW. >> YOU KNOW, MR. AMBASSADOR,
YOU, OF COURSE, HAVE BEEN VERY CRITICAL OF DONALD TRUMP ON
FOREIGN POLICY FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
I DID NOTICE THIS WEEKEND YOU, RIGHTLY, SALUTED HIM FOR A 15-0
VOTE AGAINST NORTH KOREA ON SANCTIONS.
THAT WAS QUITE AN ACCOMPLISHMENT.
CONGRATULATIONS, DONALD TRUMP. THIS IS A GENUINE FOREIGN POLICY
ACHIEVEMENT, WHICH IT CERTAINLY WAS.
YOU JUST DID -- YOU JUST ALSO SAID SOMETHING THAT I THINK
PRETTY SIGNIFICANT WITH H.R. McMASTER WHERE HE IS, WITH JOHN
KELLY WHERE HE IS, WITH GENERAL MATT IS WHERE HE IS, THIS
PRESIDENT FOR ALL OF THE PROBLEMS THAT YOU AND I AGREE
ON, BUT THIS PRESIDENT RIGHT NOW HAS A PRETTY DAMN STRONG FOREIGN
POLICY TEAM ASSEMBLED, DOES HE NOT?
>> YES. I AGREE.
AND, YOU KNOW, LET'S BE CLEAR. U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL
RESOLUTIONS DON'T SOLVE MILITARY PROBLEMS, BUT THEY'RE A GOOD
STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. IT'S HARD TO GET THE RUSSIANS
AND CHINESE TO SIGN UP TO SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS ON
ANYTHING, LET ALONE NORTH KOREA, SO IT'S AN ACHIEVEMENT, AND
AMBASSADOR HALEY SHOULD GET CREDIT TOO, AS YOU WERE TALKING
BEFORE THE BREAK. I THINK SHE'S DONE A VERY
COMMENDABLE JOB AS A U.N. AMBASSADOR.
I STILL WORRY ABOUT THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF.
I WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT. I STILL WORRY THAT HE IS NOT IN
ALIGNMENT WITH HIS TEAM, BUT TO MESS WITH THIS TEAM RIGHT NOW, I
THINK WOULD SEND A VERY BAD SIGNAL TO OUR ALLIES BOTH IN
EUROPE AND ASIA. HE NEEDS TO KEEP THIS TEAM IN
PLACE. >> NATASHA --
>> WELL, NICOLE, IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT -- IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT -- I
CAN EXPAND THIS OUT. YOU LOOK AT WHAT JOHN KELLY
SAID. YOU LOOK AT WHAT GENERAL
McMASTER SAID ABOUT THE RUSSIANS.
YOU LOOK AT WHAT NIKKI HALEY SAID ABOUT THE RUSSIANS.
YOU LOOK AT WHAT VICE PRESIDENT PENCE SAID ABOUT THE RUSSIANS.
ON THE RUSSIAN'S DOORSTEP. IF DONALD TRUMP DIDN'T WANT THEM
SAYING THAT, THEY WOULDN'T BE SAYING THAT.
IT'S INTERESTING. EVERYBODY IN THE ADMINISTRATION
IS SAYING THAT. DONALD TRUMP IS STAYING QUIET,
THOUGH, OBVIOUSLY, AND THAT'S MADDENING TO A LOT OF US ABOUT
VLADIMIR PUTIN AND A LOT OF STEPS HE HAS TAKEN.
THAT SAID, AT SOME POINT WE HAVE TO GO BACK TO HALPERIN'S
FAVORITE QUOTE OF BILL CLINTON. IF A TURTLE IS ON TOP OF A FENCE
POST, IT DIDN'T GET THERE BY ACCIDENT.
HE SIGNED THE RUSSIAN SANCTIONS WITH TWO STATEMENTS.
NOT ONE. THAT'S THE NORM.
AND REITERATED HIS RAGE WITH CONGRESS.
IT WAS JOHN McCAIN THAT CONTINUES TO KEEP HIM HONEST AND
REBUKE HIM. NATASHA, YOUR REPORTING ABOUT
McMASTER IS SO INTERESTING BECAUSE STEVE BANNON DOESN'T
SEEM LIKE MERRILY A ROGUE AGENT INSIDE THE WEST WING.
I'M GUESSING IF HE DIDN'T FEEL THAT HE HAD SOME COVER EITHER
SPOKEN OR PERCEIVED FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,
HE WOULDN'T BE KNIFING McMASTER. >> WELL, HE HAS THE FULL WEIGHT
OF BREITBART BEHIND HIM, RIGHT? HE HAS -- HE IS VERY -- OR HE
CLAIMS TO BE VERY IN TOUCH WITH TRUMP'S BASE.
I THINK THAT'S WHY HE FEELS LIKE HE IS SO SAFE IN THE WHITE HOUSE
BECAUSE HE IS IN TOUCH WITH THIS KIND OF NATIONALIST BASE THAT
TRUMP HAS FOR SUPPORT THAT'S, IF ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT
MIGHT BE ERODING A A TINY BIT. THAT'S THE 33% OR 34% THAT
REMAINS STEADY. I WOULD NOTE THAT IT'S NOT
NECESSARILY A LOYALTY THING WITH REGARD TO McMASTER BECAUSE
McMASTER HAS GONE TO BAT FOR TRUMP IN THE PAST.
I MEAN, HE -- U, WHEN TRUMP HAD THAT OVAL OFFICE MEETING WITH
THE RUSSIAN -- >> STAKED HIS CREDIBILITY ON THE
LINE WHEN TRUMP TOLD THE RUSSIANS ABOUT ISRAELI
INTELLIGENCE. >> RIGHT.
>> THEN HE WENT TO BAT FOR KUSHNER, JARED KUSHNER, ALSO,
WHEN IT WAS REPORTED THAT KUSHNER HAD THIS MEETING WITH
THE RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR AND OFFERED TO SET UP A BACK
CHANNEL. McMASTER SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, I
DON'T SEE ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT.
THIS ISN'T NECESSARILY SOMETHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH LOYALTY.
I THINK THAT MAKES IT CLEAR THAT THIS IS PURELY IDEALOGICAL.
>> AND I'M NOT SO SURE ALSO THAT STEVE BANNON IS NOT STRIKING OUT
BECAUSE STEVE BANNON'S POSITION HAS BEEN DRAMATICALLY WEAKENED
OVER THE PAST FIVE, SIX DAYS. AMBASSADOR McFAUL, I'M VERY
CONCERNED FOR YOUR WELL-BEING ON TWITTER.
YOU HAVE SAID TWO POSITIVE THINGS ABOUT DONALD TRUMP THIS
MORNING. I'M GOING TO THROW YOU A
SOFTBALL ON THE SUBJECT THAT YOU CAN BE DEEPLY CRITICAL OF THE
PRESIDENT AND STILL WALK OUT OF THIS STUDIO IN ONE PIECE.
YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT TRUMP TV, SOMETHING WE DISCUSSED AT THE
TOP OF THE SHOW AT THE TOP OF THIS HOUR.
YOU SAID, WOW, IT FEELS EERILY LIKE SO MANY STATE-OWNED
CHANNELS I'VE WATCHED IN OTHER COUNTRIES.
"TELL US ABOUT THAT CONCERN. >> WELL, JOE, PROBABLY MOST --
MORE THAN MOST AMERICANS, I HAVE WATCHED A LOT OF STATE-RUN TV.
I WENT TO THE SOVIET UNION FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 1983.
IT'S MY JOB TO FOLLOW THAT COUNTRY AND MANY OTHER COMMUNIST
COUNTRIES. IT JUST WAS A VERY WEIRD, EERY
THING TO PRAISE THE PRESPRESIDE. HE DOES NO WRONG.
THE PRESIDENT IS IN CHARGE OF ALL GOOD THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN
THE COUNTRY. YOU KNOW, VERY STRANGE KIND OF
WAY. IT JUST MAKES ME WONDER WHO
ACTUALLY LOOKS AT THAT AND LISTENS TO THAT AND THINKS, OH,
I AGREE WITH THAT. I FIND IT SOMEWHAT DISTURBING
THAT WE NOW HAVE A PRESIDENT WITH HIS OWN TELEVISION STATION.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS WAS
FOR, BUT THESE ARE NEW TIMES, SO WE USED NEW TECHNOLOGIES.
>> THESE ARE NEW TIMES. WHAT'S THE REACTION THAT YOU
HAVE HEARD FROM TRUMP TV? >> WHO IS PAYING FOR IT?IT?
I MEAN, WHO IS COMPENSATING KALY FOR GOING ON THIS SHOW AND KIND
OF JUST, YOU KNOW, SPOUTING THIS PRO-TRUMP -- I WOULD ARGUE
PROP -- PROPAGANDA. IT'S REALLY KIND OF DISTURBING.
THAT'S WHAT I HAVE BEEN HEARING FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T
REALLY KNOW WHERE IT CAME FROM, WHO DON'T REALLY KNOW, YOU KNOW,
WHERE IT'S BEING FILMED, HOW IT'S BEING ORGANIZED.
IT'S JUST KIND OF -- IT KAF OUT OF LEFT FIELD.
>> ALL RIGHT. WELL, AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A
QUESTION ACTUALLY THAT MEEKA WAS ASKING.
WHO IS PAYING FOR THIS? NOT SURE WHO IS PAYING FOR THIS.
MOST LIKELY THE CAMPAIGN. THAT'S SOMETHING FOR US ALL TO
CHECK AND SEE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH
US. >> SURE.
>> THANK YOU. GREATLY APPRECIATE IT.
I HOPE YOU ARE ALL RIGHT, MR. AMBASSADOR.
BE SAFE OUT TH

An Ideological Battle Takes Hold In The White House | Morning Joe | MSNBC

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