Donald Trump Dictated Son's Response To Russia Meeting | Morning Joe

STREET. THE LAST TIME I WAS HERE,
ANTHONY SCARAMUCCI WAS NOT EVEN A GLIMMER IN OUR EYE.
>> WHAT YOU HAVE MISSED AND IN WHAT A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.
OUR TOP STORY THIS MORNING REALLY CRYSTALLIZES THE
CHALLENGE FOR THE NEW CHIEF OF STAFF.
WE'LL BEGIN WITH THE REPORT THAT SAYS PRESIDENT TRUMP OVERRULED
HIS CLOSEST ADVISERS INCLUDING FAMILY MEMBERS WHEN IT CAME TO
THE NEW YORK CITY ABOUT THE STORY ABOUT DONALD TRUMP JR. AND
RUSSIAN ADVISERS. IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR
EVERYONE TO REALLY KEEP IN MIND HERE THE BIGGEST ISSUE MAY BE
THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF. THAT MAY BE THE BIGGEST
CHALLENGE. "THE WASHINGTON POST" CITING
MULTIPLE SOURCES WITH DIRECT KNOWLEDGE REPORTING THAT THE
MISLEADING FOUR-SENTENCE STATEMENT WAS PERSONALLY
DICTATING BY THE PRESIDENT FLYING HOME FROM THE G-20 SUMMIT
ON JULY 8. THINK ABOUT IT.
HE GETS AWAY FROM EVERYBODY, THERE'S ATTORNEYS, THERE'S
EVERYBODY WANTS TO TALK TO HIM, GETS ON A PLANE AND OVERRULES
HIS INNER CIRCLE, HIS KIDS. ACCORDING TO THE "POST,"
PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER AND SON-IN-LAW JARED KUSHNER'S
LAWYERS KNEW HOW DAMAGING IT COULD BE.
HOPE HICK DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS ADVOCATED FOR A
DIFFERENT APPROACH. THEY SAY KUSHNER'S TEAM TALKED
ABOUT SHARING EVERYTHING, INCLUDING THE CONTENTS OF THE
E-MAILS WITH THE MAINSTREAM NEWS ORGANIZATIONS.
HICKS REPORTEDLY ALSO SPOKE BY PHONE WITH TRUMP JR. ABOUT THE
TRANSPARENCY OF THE STRATEGY, BELIEVING THE COMPLETE STORY
WOULD EVENTUALLY EMERGE. BUT AS THEY BOARDED AIR FORCE
ONE, THE PRESIDENT APPARENTLY INTERVENED, DEMANDED THAT HE
DESCRIBE THE MEETING AS UNIMPORTANT, THAT IT WAS
INITIATED BY THE RUSSIAN LAWYER AND PRIMARILY WAS ABOUT HER --
THE ADOPTION OF RUSSIAN CHILDREN.
ACCORDING TO PEOPLE WITH KNOWLEDGE OF THE DISCUSSIONS,
ATTORNEY FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP, JOHN DOWD CALLED THE STORY
FAKENESS, INCORRECT AND MISINFORMED OF NO CONSEQUENCE.
AND ANOTHER LAWYER USED SIMILAR LANGUAGE.
WILLIE, TAKE IT TO THE TABLE. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IF THIS IS
TRUE AND IF THIS IS DOUBLE AND TRIPLE SOURCED AT THIS POINT, --
>> FOR THE PRESIDENT TO SAY LET'S JUST TELL THEM THIS IS
ABOUT AN ADOPTION AND IT WILL GO AWAY, IT'S NOT SMART
STRATEGICALLY. IT ANSWERS THE QUESTION AS
YOU'RE READING IN GREAT DETAIL OF "THE WASHINGTON POST."
>> WHAT RAISED SUSPICION IS THE CAMPAIGN DOESN'T GENERALLY TAKE
MEETINGS ABOUT POLICY ISSUES BECAUSE YOU'RE TRYING TO RUN A
CAMPAIGN. HE HAD SECURED THE NOMINATION
BUT HE WAS STILL RUNNING AGAINST HILLARY CLINTON.
THERE WAS NO CHANCE HE WAS GOING TO TAKE AN ISSUE.
THIS IS A FIVE-HOUR PLANE RIDE COMING BACK FROM THE G-20.
THE ENTIRE STAFF IS CONSUMED IN THIS INCONSEQUENTIAL,
MEANINGLESS MEETING. THEN YOU HAVE THE PRESIDENT'S
LAWYER, WHO APPARENTLY WENT OUT AND LIED FOR THE PRESIDENT OR
THE PRESIDENT IS LYING TO HIS LAWYER ABOUT THE NATURE OF THE
MEETING. >> AND ON TOP OF THAT, STEVE
KORNACKI, THERE ARE SERIOUS QUESTIONS THAT BOB MUELLER MIGHT
HAVE ABOUT THE PRESIDENT DRAFTING THIS, IF HE DID.
>> IF YOU LIE TO THE PRESS, CAN YOU CERTAINLY PAY A DEEP
POLITICAL PRICE BUT GENERALLY IT'S NOT A CRIME TO LIE TO THE
PRESS. IF YOU THINK BACK TO PRESIDENT
CLINTON SAYING "I DID NOT HAVE SEX WITH THAT WOMAN," IT'S WHEN
HE LIES UNDER OATH. IN TERMS OF WHAT'S ON THE RECORD
RIGHT NOW, THERE'S PROBABLY NOT ANY LEGAL JEOPARDY.
>> ELISE, WHAT WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN IF YOU WERE
LOOKING AT THE PRESIDENT, INCLUDING HIS TEAM FOR RUSSIA
AND YOU SEE PERHAPS INCONSISTENCIES STARTING FROM
THE PRESIDENT DRAFTING A STATEMENT?
>> I THINK IT JUST GOES BACK TO THE QUESTION WHY IS PRESIDENT
TRUMP HIMSELF SO INVOLVED IN HOW THE RESPONSE IS MOVING FORWARD?
WHY IS HE SO CONSUMED WITH WHAT THE RESPONSE IS GOING TO BE WHEN
IT COMES TO THIS RUSSIA INVESTIGATION AND WHAT IS IT
THAT IS OUT THERE THAT HE IS SO WORRIED ABOUT SURFACING THAT HE
HAS A ONE-ON-ONE WITH PUTIN'S TRANSLATOR AT THE G-20?
JUST AT THE END OF THE DAY THERE'S THAT BIG CLOUD OF WHY
DOES PRESIDENT TRUMP ADDRESS PUTIN AND RUSSIA IN ANY TERMS?
THE OTHER DAY PUTIN SAID HE'S GOING TO BAN OVER 700 EMPLOYEES
AT THE U.S. EMBASSY IN MOSCOW, NOT A PEEP FROM DONALD TRUMP.
SINCE WHEN DOES HE NOT RESPOND TO A SLIGHT.
>> THIS FOR MANY MY PROVIDE SOME HOPE, SOME ORDER HERE, MAYBE
PEOPLE WILL REPORT TO SOMEBODY BEFORE THEY GO STRAIGHT TO THE
PRESIDENT AND MAYBE THERE WILL BE ORGANIZATION INSIDE THE WHITE
HOUSE. THEN YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN
THIS PRESIDENT GETS OFF ON HIS PHONE WITH HIS PHONE OR WITH HIS
FAMILY, THINGS HAPPEN, SAM STEIN.
>> KEEP IN MIND, THIS HAPPENED BEFORE GENERAL KELLY OR JOHN
KELLY WAS CHIEF OF STAFF. I DO THINK YOU'RE POINTING OUT
SOMETHING INTERESTING, THOUGH. WHEN YOU UNCEREMONIOUMONIOUSLY
AND GET RID OF YOUR CHIEF OF STAFF, THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY
THEY MIGHT COME AROUND AND BITE YOU.
I'M NOT SAYING THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR "THE WASHINGTON
POST" STORY BUT YOU HAVE TO WONDER WHAT KIND OF STUFF THEY
CAN TELL THE PRESS. I'M ALSO STRUCK BY WHAT WILLIE
SAID, WHICH IS THERE'S SORT OF LIKE THIS HAM FISTEDNESS TO ALL
OF THIS, THIS UTTER LACK OF DISCRETION FROM THE TRUMP TEAM
ABOUT HOW THEY'RE HANDLING ALL OF THIS THAT IS JUST PUZZLING TO
ME. THE COVER-UP IS JUST SO POORLY
EXECUTED THAT IT'S JUST RAISING ALL THESE SUSPICIONS.
WHY IS HE IN THERE CRAFTING THAT STATEMENT?
WHY IS HE TALKING TO PUTIN SO MUCH IN WHY IS HE FIRING COMEY?
I MEAN, EVERYTHING HE'S DOING LEADS A CASUAL OBSERVER TO SAY
WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? SOMETHING MUST BE HAPPENING.
I'M WONDERING WHY THEY'RE SO BAD AT BEING DISCRETE.
>> IT RAISES THE QUESTION AGAIN AND AGAIN, TO ELISE'S POINT,
WHENEVER IT COMES TO RUSSIA, THERE'S ALWAYS CLOUD AND SMOKE,
NEVER A CLEAR-CUT ANSWER. AND IF THIS WAS AN INNOCENT
MEETING, WHY DO YOU HAVE THIS MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES IN THE CABIN OF AIR FORCE ONE.
JUST SAY IT'S ABOUT ADOPTION. IF IT'S A NOTHING MEETING, JUST
SAY WHAT IT'S ABOUT. JUST PUT IT OUT THERE, SAY WHAT
IT WAS ABOUT. IF NOTHING HAPPENED IN THE
MEETING, JUST SAY WHAT HAPPENED. >> THEIR CURRENT LINE IS THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT IS SO RUDIMENTARY AND BENIGN THAT EVERY CAMPAIGN
IS INTERESTED IN OPPOSITION RESEARCH.

THROUGH THE FIRST STEP OF ATTACHING IT TO ADOPTION POLICY?
WHY CONCOCT SOME EXCUSE OF THIS? >> BUT IN IS WHAT THE PRESIDENT
WOULD HAVE DONE WHEN HE WAS IN CHARGE OF TRUMP TOWER.
THEY WOULD SAY, WE HAVE IT PLANNED OUT, HERE IT IS AND HE'D
SAY NO, NO, WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS.
JARED KUSHNER AND IVANKA AND HIS LAWYERS WANTED TO BE TRANSPARENT
AND THE PRESIDENT JUST OVERRULED IT AND BLEW IT UP.
I ALSO THINK IT VERY INTERESTING ABOUT THE RUSSIAN ANGLE TO ALL
THIS BECAUSE REMEMBER, PRESIDENT TRUMP HAD AN OFF-THE-RECORD
MEETING WITH VLADIMIR PUTIN. IT WENT ON FOR A LONG TIME.
VLADIMIR PUTIN IS NOW TAKING ACTION FOR THE UNITED STATES FOR
WHAT OBAMA DID AS HE WAS LEAVING THE ADMINISTRATION AND THROW TH
OUT THEIR DIPLOMATS. NOW HE HAS FINALLY RESPONDED
BECAUSE THERE WAS A PROMISE MADE SOMEWHERE TO PUTIN THAT WE WILL
LIFT THESE SANCTIONS AND NOW THAT THE CONGRESS HAS

TAKEN THAT AWAY. THERE WAS NO AMERICAN
INTERPRETER IN THAT MEETING. PUTIN COULD COME OUT AND SAY
HERE'S ALL THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT, WHETHER THEY'RE TRUE OR
NOT. I THINK THAT'S DANGEROU

Donald Trump Dictated Son's Response To Russia Meeting | Morning Joe | MSNBC

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