Steve Schmidt: Donald Trump Is 'Clearly Distracted' From Puerto Rico Crisis | The 11th Hour

. >>> I WASN'T PREOCCUPIED WITH
THE NFL, I WAS ASHAMED OF WHAT WAS TAKING PLACE BECAUSE, TO ME,
THAT WAS WAY VERY IMPORTANT MOMENT.
I DON'T THINK YOU CAN DISRESPECT OUR COUNTRY, OUR FLAG, OUR
NATIONAL ANTHEM. TO ME, THE NFL SITUATION IS A
VERY IMPORTANT SITUATION. I'VE HEARD THAT BEFORE ABOUT WAS
I PREOCCUPIED. NOT AT ALL.
NOT AT ALL. >> WELCOME BACK.
THE PRESIDENT DEFENDING HIS CRITICISM OF THE NFL TODAY FROM
THE ROSE GARDEN SAYING HE WAS ASHAMED BY THE PROTESTS AND HE
REJECTED THE NOTION THAT THE TOPIC RRK AS YOU HEARD HIM SAY,
HAD DISTRACTED HIM FROM OTHER ISSUES.
TRUMP MENTIONED THE NFL PROTEST AGAIN TODAY ON HIS TWITTER PAGE
FIVE TIMES. IT INDEED HAS BECOME A SHINY
OBJECT DISTRACTION FOR ALL OF US IN THE NEWS MEDIA.
AS HEALTHCARE GOES DOWN, AS NORTH KOREA LOOMS, AND AS A
HUMANITARIAN CRISIS UNFOLDS FOR, AGAIN, 3.5 MILLION AMERICANS.
WE'RE JOINED TONIGHT BY POLITICAL ANALYST STEVE SCHMIDT,
LONG TIME VETERAN OF THE CAMPAIGN AND SO PONT I WAS GOING
TO TALK ABOUT THE NFL BUT LET'S LABEL IT A DISTRACTION THAT HAS
AFFECTED THE PLAYERS AND FANS LIKE YOU AND ME OF PROFESSIONAL
FOOTBALL AND LET'S TALK ABOUT PUERTO RICO.
AND FIRST I WANT TO SHOW YOU SOMETHING.
OUR CORRESPONDENT GABE GUTIERREZ MADE HIS WAY TO THE AIRPORT IN
SAN JUAN AND DID SOME INTERVIEWS THERE TODAY.
AND THESE REALLY GOT MY ATTENTION.
THEY'RE GRIPPING AND THEY SPEAK TO THE DESPERATION THERE AND FOR
ME, THEY WERE REMINISCENT OF A STORM I COVERED IN NEW ORLEANS A
FEW YEARS AGO. WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FIRST FROM A
WOMAN WHO'S THE MOTHER OF A 4 WEEK OLD INFANT WHO HAS HER OWN
CONCERNS ABOUT HOW TO CARE FOR HER BABY.
>> IT'S A NIGHTMARE. THIS NOT WHERE I PLANNED TO BE
OR WANTED TO BE DURING THE FIRST FEW WEEKS OF MY BABY'S LIFE.
>> I NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE. WHY?
BECAUSE WE FEEL DESPERATE, IT'S NOT JUST ME.
THIS IS A SCARY SITUATION. >> SO THAT IS THE FACE OF

HEAT INDEX 109 DEGREES, NO POWER, NO AIR-CONDITION, VERY
LITTLE WATER AND STARTING TO BE NO FOOD.
YOU ALMOST SINGULARLY ON SOCIAL MEDIA HAVE BEEN OUT THERE
REMINDING EVERYONE THESE ARE AMERICANS.
>> THEY ARE AMERICANS. OUR FELLOW AMERICANS TONIGHT,
BRIAN, ARE SUFFERING ON THE ISLAND OF PUERTO RICO.
I FEAR THAT WE STAND ON THE EDGE OF A HUMANITARIAN CATASTROPHE ON
AMERICAN TERRITORY. AND THE RESPONSE, DESPITE CLAIMS
TO THE CONTRARY, IS NOT SUFFICIENT.
WE ARE AN IMMENSELY POWERFUL COUNTRY.
THE FULL MIGHT OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY SHOULD BE
DEPLOYED HERE. IF THE DIVISION READY BRIGADE OF
THE 82nd AIRBORNE NEEDS TO BE PAIR CHUTED ON TO THE ISLAND OF
PUERTO RICO, THEN THAT'S WHAT MUST BE DONE.
IF WE NEED TO AIRLIFT BY C-17 AND C-5 GALAXY PUERTO RICANS TO
THE MAINLAND, THE SICK, ELDERLY, WITH THE PREGNANT WOMAN,
CHILDREN, IF WE NEED TO GET THEM OFF THE ISLAND, WE NEED TO DO
IT. THERE'S REALLY ONLY ONE
ORGANIZATION IN THE WORLD THAT HAS THE CAPACITY TO DO THE TYPES
OF THINGS LOGISTICALLY THAT NEED TO BE DONE HERE.
AND IT IS NOT BEING FULL, DEPLOYED.
THE PRESIDENT IS CLEARLY DISTRACTED.
I BELIEVE HIS FIRST COMMENTS ABOUT THIS SITUATION WERE TODAY.
HE SHOULD NOT BE DOING TAX REFORM SPEECHES TOMORROW.
HE SHOULD BE IN THE SITUATION ROOM OF THE WHITE HOUSE
OVERSEEING THIS, DIRECTING THE AWESOME MIGHT AND POWER OF THE
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT TO HELP OUR FELLOW CITIZENS WHO ARE IN
DEEP TROUBLE TONIGHT. >> YOU THINK THIS WOULD BE A
DIFFERENT CASE IF THESE WERE 3.5 MILLION AMERICANS ON AN
ISLAND NAMED CATA LINA OR NANTUCKET?
>> I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT, BRIAN.
YOU KNOW, I -- I THINK THAT WHEN YOU THINK OF PUERTO RICO AND THE
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS, IT'S NOT SHOCKING TO ME THAT A LOT OF
AMERICANS PROBABLY DON'T THINK OF THESE PLACES AS PART OF THE
UNITED STATES. AND THAT'S UNFORTUNATE.
BUT THEY ARE. THESE ARE AMERICAN CITIZENS.
WILDERS SERVE IN OUR MILITARY, HAVE SERVED IN COMBAT.
PUERTO RICANS SERVE IN OUR MILITARY, HAVE MORE THAN THEIR
FAIR SHARE OF MED AFL HONOR RECIPIENTS.
THESE ARE OWL COUNTRYMEN. THEY'RE IN TROUBLE AND THE
GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES NEEDS TO ACT HERE AND ACT
QUICKLY. AND I THINK VERY UNFAIRLY
GOVERNOR ANDREW COMEAU WAS CRITICIZED FOR VISITING THE
VIRGIN ISLANDS. THE GOVERNOR MAP IS A FORMER
NYPD COP. THERE WAS A CONNECTION THERE.
THERE'S A LARGE PUERTO RICAN POPULATION IN THE STATE OF NEW
YORK. WE NEED A POLITICAL LEADER IN
THIS COUNTRY TO STEP UP. OTHER THAN THE PRESIDENT, MAYBE
IT COULD BE GOVERNOR COMEAU, BUT WE NEED SOME POLITICAL LEADERS
IN THIS COUNTRY ON THIS DAY IN, DAY OUT.
WHEN AMERICANS IN TROUBLE, OTHER AMERICANS DON'T SIT BACK, HANG
BACK AND WAIT FOR IT TO GET WORSE, WE ACT.
THAT'S WHAT A GREAT COU
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Steve Schmidt: Donald Trump Is 'Clearly Distracted' From Puerto Rico Crisis | The 11th Hour | MSNBC

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