New Evidence Of Donald Trump's 'Corrupt Intent To Impede Investigation'? | The Last Word

UFF GO. >> JOINING US NOW, PETER BAKER.
ALSO, ELI STOEG ELS. AND PAUL BUTLER.
PETER, DO YOU FIRST. YOU'VE BEEN TO THE INTERVIEWS,W
RAMBLING INCOHERENT INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED WITH THE PRESIDENT.
WHAT IS IT LIKE IN THAT ROOM WHEN HE BEGINS A SENTENCE, CUTS
HIMSELF OFF, CHANGES THE SUBJECT, ADDS A NEW SUBJECT THAT
ISN'T CLEAR AT ALL. WANDERS OFF.
THEN MAYBE NEVER ANSWERS WHERE THE WHOLE QUESTION BEGAN?
>> WELL, HE DOES FREE THROAT IN THESE INTERVIEWS.
HE WANDERS FROM SUBJECT TO SUBJECT A LITTLE BIT.
IT IS VERY MUCH THROUGH CONSCIOUSNESS.
IT IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN OTHER PRESIDENTS.
NO QUESTION. OTHER PRESIDENTS TEND TO STICK
TO TALKING POINTS. TEND TO STICK TO PREVIOUSLY
SCRIPTED ANSWERS THEY'VE GIVEN AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND
THE STRUGGLE FOR AN INTERVIEWER IS TO TRY TO GET THEM OFF THAT
KIND OF GAME WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
HE TENDS TO GO WHERE HIS MIND TAKES THEM AND WHERE HE IS
THINKING ABOUT. AND WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IS SORT
OF REALLY FORCE HIM TO FOCUS ON ONE TOPIC FOR A LITTLE BIT AND
TRY TO GET A PRECISE ANSWER, GET A SUSTAINED ANSWER.
BUT THE TRICK IS, OFTEN ARE THESE OTHER THOUGHTS, NEW
DIRECTIONS HE GOES, ARE INTERESTED IN THEIR OWN MIND AND
YOU WANT TO EXPLORE THEM TOO. IT IS AFTER MORE INTERESTING AND
ENGAGING KIND OF INTERVIEW THAN SOME OF THE ONES WE HAVE.
>> PETER, THE WHITE HOUSE REACTION TODAY WHICH IS THAT,
YOU KNOW, THE PRESIDENT JUST WEIGHED IN, WHATEVER THAT MEANS,
ON DONALD TRUMP JR.'S FIRST STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO YOUR
NEWSPAPER'S INVESTIGATION OF THAT MEETING.
AND THEN DONALD TRUMP JR. HAD TO ISSUE TWO MORE STATEMENTS EACH
DAY THE "NEW YORK TIMES" ADVANCED THE STORY.
>> YEAH. NO QUESTION THAT FIRST STATEMENT
WAS AN COMPLETE DESCRIPESCRIPTI THIS EVENT.
SAYING THE MEETING WAS PRIMARILY ABOUT ADOPTION POLICY AND WHAT
IT DOES NOT SAY IS THAT IT HAD BEEN ADVERTISED A AS AN
OPPORTUNITY TO GET INCRIMINATING INFORMATION ABOUT HILLARY
CLINTON PROVIDED BY THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT.
THAT'S A VERY DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDING OF THAT MEETING.
SO THE FIRST STATEMENT WAS CERTAINLY NOT COMPLETE.
CERTAINLY MISLEADING. WE REPORTED VERY SHORTLY
AFTERWARDS THAT PRESIDENT HIMSELF SIGNED OFF ON THIS
STATEMENT. AND THEN JAY, ONE OF HIS
LAWYERS, WENT ON TELEVISION, WENT ON THIS NETWORK AND OTHER
NETWORKS TO SAY, NO, THAT'S NOT TRUE.
THAT'S AN INCORRECT STATEMENT. THE PRESIDENT HAD NO INVOLVEMENT
IN IT. THAT IS OBVIOUSLY NOT TRUE
ACCORDING TO THE WHITE HOUSE ITSELF.
THE WHITE HOUSE ITSELF TODAY SAID HE WAS USING THE WORDS
WEIGH IN OR DICTATE OR WHATEVER ELSE.
THE WHITE HOUSE CONFIRMED WHAT WAS REPORTED WAY BACK IN JULY
THAT HE WAS INVOLVED IN THE STATEMENT CONTRARY TO HIS OWN
LAWYER. >> AND PAUL BUTLER, THERE ARE
MULTIPLE SOURCES ABOUT THE PRESIDENT DICTATING EVERY WORD
OF THE STATEMENT AND SO WHEN INVESTIGATORS SEE SOMETHING LIKE
THAT DO THEY THEN TRY TO FIND THOSE SOURCES WHO ARE UNNAMED IN
THE WOO POST AND TRY TO GET THEIR ACCOUNTS OF THIS?
>> THEY DON'T JUST TRY TO FIND THEM, THEY SUBPOENA THEM.
>> HOW DO THEY DO THAT WITH UNNAMED SOURCES IN THE
WASHINGTON POST? >> MUELLER HAS A TEAM OF SOME OF
THE BEST PROSECUTE POERPS WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO THE
WASHINGTON POST, IF THE POST CAN FIND THESE GUYS, CERTAINLY
INVESTIGATORS WITH SUBPOENA POWER CAN FIND THEM AND THEY
WILL WANT TO. NOW IF THE POST IS CORRECT, WE
HAVE DIRECT EVIDENCE THAT TRUMP NOT ONLY PARTICIPATEDPATED IN A
COVER-UP, HE DID SO TRYING TO THROW OFF THE INVESTIGATORS.
WE HAVE EVIDENCE OF A CORRUPT INTENT TO IMPEDE AN
INVESTIGATION. LAWRENCE, THAT'S OBSTRUCTION OF
JUSTICE. >> ELI, THERE'S ANOTHER
BEHAVIORAL INDICATOR IN THIS STORY.
THAT IS, THIS IS THE WAY TRUMP TELLS STORY.
TAKING A FEW DIFFERENT POSITIONS ON WEIGHED IN OR HAD NOTHING TO
DO WITH IT, BUT WHEN YOU'RE UNDER OATH, AND TESTIFYING UNDER
OATH, YOU CAN GET TRIPPED UP BY PERJURY WIRES ON THINGS THAT
DON'T SEEM PARTICULARLY CENTRAL TO WHAT THE INVESTIGATION IS
ABOUT. DONALD TRUMP JR.'S FIRST
STATEMENT TO "THE NEW YORK TIMES" IS NOT CENTRAL TO THIS
INVESTIGATION. BUT IF SOMEONE DOES NOT TELL THE
TRUTH UNDER OATH, IN QUESTIONING ABOUT THAT, SOMEONE CAN END UP
WITH A PERJURY CHARGE ON THIS PERIPHERAL MATTER.
>> RIGHT. AND THIS SO FAR IS JUST A
CONSTANT STORY ABOUT ARROGANCE. CAN YOU KIND OF UNDERSTAND WHY
MAYBE THEY WERE OVERCONFIDENT INSIDE TRUMP TOWER DURING THE
TRANSITION AND CONTINUE TO BE INSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE.
THEY WON THE ELECTION. DONALD TRUMP'S PENSION FOR
CONTRADICTING HIMSELF ALMOST CONSTANTLY, ADHERING TO THE
LIFE-LONG POLICY AS PART OF THE DEAL WITH TRUTHFUL HYPERBOLE,
THEY WERE ALL AVAILABLE TO THE WHOLE COUNTRY AND THEY VOTED FOR
HIM ANYWAY. CAN YOU UNDERSTAND WHERE THIS
HUBRIS COMES FROM AFTER NOVEMBER 8.
AS LINDSEY GRAHAM SAID, THEY WANT TO GET OUT OF ONE BOX AND
THEY PUT THEMSELVES IN AN EVEN TIGHTER BOX BECAUSE THEY ARE SO
EAGER, SO SHORT-SIDED AND SORT OF TRYING TO WIN EVERY POINT AND
NOT LETTING ANYTHING GO. NOT THINKING THEY NEED TO
CONSULT WITH THEIR LAWYERS, JUST SORT OF IMMEDIATELY RATIONALLY
REACTING ON TWITTER. THAT IS A TENDENCY THAT
CONTINUES TO EXACERBATE THE LEGAL TROUBLE IT SEEMS FOR THIS
PRESIDENT AND PERHAPS FOR CAMPAIGN FOLKS AS WELL.
>> AND PETER BAKER, WORKING FOR ONE OF THE TWO NEWSPAPERS, YOU
WITH THE NEW YORK TIMES AND WASHINGTON POST, THAT KEEP
DELIVERING THESE BLOCKBUSTER REVELATIONS ABOUT THE TRUMP
WHITE HOUSE, ALMOST ENTIRELY FROM UNNAMED SOURCES WITHIN THE
WHITE TRUMP WHITE HOUSE OR WITHIN THE WORLD, I WOULD LIKE
TO GET A SENSE FROM YOU OF WHAT YOUR GUESS IS ABOUT THE SPECIAL
PROSECUTORS ABILITY TO FIND THE SOURCES THAT HAVE BEEN SPEAKING,
WITHOUT THEIR NAMES IN "THE WASHINGTON POST" AND IN THE NEW
YORK TIMES. AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT YOU
GOING ANYWHERE NEAR THOSE SOURCES BUT JUST THE EXTENT TO
WHICH YOU SENSE THEY ARE AVAILABLE TO TALK AND WILLING
AND OR EAGER TO TALK. >> WELL, AS JUST SAID,
PROSECUTORS AND SUBPOENA POWER HAVE AN AWFUL LOT LEVERS TO WORK
TO GET PEOPLE TO TESTIFY. PROVIDING INFORMATION ABOUT
OTHER PEOPLE WHO THEN ARE BROUGHT UNDER OATH AND THEN
CHALLENGED WITH THE INFORMATION THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN GOTTEN AND
SO FORTH. I DON'T THINK IT IS THAT HARD
FOR PROSECUTORS TO FIND PEOPLE TO TESTIFY AGAINST THINGS LIKE
THIS. I THINK THE HARDER THING FOR THE
PROSECUTOR IS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THETH THE RUSS.
REMEMBER, THERE ISN'T A PARTICULAR SCANDAL, THIS ISN'T A
PARTICULAR THING WE HAVE SEEN IN THE PAST.
THIS INVOLVES INTELLIGENCE, ANOTHER CULTURE, ANOTHER
LANGUAGE, ANOTHER GOVERNMENT. WHAT THEIR INTENT WAS.
WHAT THEIR MODUS WAS, AND I THINK THAT'S MORE COMPLICATED
THAN PEOPLE WHO ARE AMERICANS PUTTING PEOPLE UNDER THE
CAMPAIGN AND THAT'S WHAT THEY DO QUITE OFTEN.
>> WHICH BRINGS US TO A NEW REPORT TONIGHT, JOINING
MUELLER'S TEAM. THE DEPUTY ASSISTANT WHERE HE
OVERSAW THE FRAUD UNIT AND MANAGED THE TARGETING OF FOREIGN
BRIBERY. PAUL BUTLER, YOUR REACTION IT
THAT ADDITION TO THE TEAM? >> IT DOESN'T MAT WHO
PRESIDENT'S LAWYER IS, IF HE DOESN'T LISTEN TO THEM.
SO WE HAD HIS CURRENT LAWYER GOOD IN ON MSNBC AND OTHER NEWS
SOURCES SAYING THAT THE PRESIDENT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH
DON JR'S MEMO OR RECOLLECTIONS OF THE MEETING.
WE NOW KNOW THAT IS FALSE WHICH MEANS EITHER THAT PRESIDENT
TRUMP WAS LYING TO HIS LAWYER OR HIS LAWYER WAS LYING TO THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE WHICH IS A VIOLATION OF THE CODE OF ETHICS
AMONG OTHER THINGS. >> AS ROBERT MUELLER CONTINUES
TO STAFF UP, HE IS DEFENDED BY BOTH PARTIES IN THE CONGRESS.
AND DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS. SOME SAYING IT THE PRESIDENT
MAKES A MOVE ON THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, THAT COULD BE THE
TURNING POINT THAT COULD POINT TO A SHORTER TERM THAN FOUR
YEARS. >> YEAH.
LINDSAY GRAHAM LAST WEEK SAID EXPLICITLY IF THE PRESIDENT
DECIDES TO GO AFTER MUELLER THAT COULD BE THE BEGINNING OF THE
END OF HIS PRESIDENCY AND YOU'VE SEEN REALLY OVER PAST WEEK MORE
REPUBLICANS TAKING MORE STRIDENT POSITIONS.
CRITICIZING THIS PRESIDENT MORE DIRECTLY.
IT IS NOT JUST LINDSEY GRAHAM AND BEN SASS ANY MORE THERE ARE
OTHER PEOPLE COMING OUT. JEFF FLAKE BEING ONE OF THEM.
BUT A NUMBER OF PEOPLE STANDING UP AND SAYING THIS BOTHERS ME
TOO AND GOING BACK TO THE MUELLER HIRING A WHITE-COLLAR
CRIME ATTORNEY, THIS INVESTIGATION JUST GETTING
STARTED. PROBABLY GOING INTO 2018 AND
MAYBE PAST 2018, BUT THAT WILL DRIVE PRESIDENT TRUMP UP THE
WALL. WHAT DID HE SAY ABOUT A WEEK OR
TWO AGO? YOU CAN FOCUS ON RUSSIA, BUT
THAT'S IT. WHEN HE HEARS THERE IS SOMEBODY
WHO IS AN EXPERT IN WHITE COLLAR CRIMES ADDED TO THIS LEGAL TEAM,
I WOULD JUST SAY I'M GOING TO SET MY ALARM FOR ABOUT PRETTY
EARLY TOMORROW MORNING AND CHECK TWITTER FOR WHAT THE PRESIDENT
HAS TO SAY. BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT
SEEMS LIKE ALMOST INEVITABLY WILL SET HIM OFF.
>> THAT'S A BIG TEST FOR THE NEW WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF IF
SOMETHING HAPPENS ON TWITTER

New Evidence Of Donald Trump's 'Corrupt Intent To Impede Investigation'? | The Last Word | MSNBC

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