Maddow: What Is Donald Trump Hiding About U.S. Military In Niger? | Rachel Maddow

>>> GO BACK TO THE FIRST WEEK OF MARCH THIS YEAR, MARCH 1st,
"WASHINGTON POST," "NEW YORK TIMES," "WALL STREET JOURNAL,"
REPORTED THAT JEFF SESSIONS HAD IN FACT MET MULTIPLE TIMES WITH
RUSSIAN OFFICIALS DURING THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN.
EVEN THOUGH HE REPEATEDLY DENIED THAT, EVEN UNDER OATH.
MARCH 1st. REPORTS CAME OUT ABOUT SESSIONS
HAVING MEETINGS WITH RUSSIANS. MARCH 1st HE CAME OUT AND
INSISTED INACCURATE. NEVER EVER MET WITH RUSSIANS IN
THE CAMPAIGN. MARCH 2nd, CHANGED HIS MIND,
ADMITTED HE HAD TAKEN MEETINGS WITH RUSSIANS.
SAME DAY, MARCH 2nd, J.D. GORDON AND CARTER PAGE ADMITTED TO
TAKING MEETINGS WITH RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS DESPITE
EARLIER DENIALS. THAT SAME DAY "NEW YORK TIMES"
REPORTED THAT TRUMP'S NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER AND TRUMP'S
SON-IN-LAW JARED KUSHNER HAD TAKEN MEETINGS DURING THE
CAMPAIGN THEY FAILED TO DISCLOSE.
ALL IN TWO DAYS. MARCH 1st AND MARCH 2nd THIS
YEAR. WHITE HOUSE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN
GIVING BLANKET DENIALS THAT ANYBODY FROM CAMPAIGN OR
TRANSITION HAD TAKEN ANY MEETINGS WITH RUSSIANS.
JUST BLOWN OUT OF THE WATER WITH THE REPORTING.
THEN MARCH 4th, WHAT? BRIGHT AND EARLY.
6:35 IN THE MORNING, JUST FOUND OUT OBAMA HAD MY WIRES TAPPED IN
TRUMP TOWER JUST BEFORE THE VICTORY.
NOTHING FOUND. MADE THAT REMARKABLE CLAIM
BEFORE DAWN ON THE FOURTH DAY OF MARCH AFTER FLURRY OF DAMNING
REPORTING ABOUT THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN AND SECRET CONTACT WITH
THE RUSSIANS. ONCE HE MADE THAT PROCLAMATION,
EVERYBODY WAS OBLIGED TO PLAY SIX-YEAR-OLD SOCCER AND RUN DOWN
THE FIELD CHASING THE BALL HE KICKED DOWN THERE.
THAT BECAME THE STORY OF THE WEEK.
THIS IS A POLITICAL TACTIC, NOT JUST DISTRACTION, IT'S DIVERSION
OF A DIFFICULT LINE OF INQUIRY. I MEAN -- IN THE FIRST WEEK OF
MARCH, CASCADE OF REPORTING THAT TRUMP CAMPAIGN PERSONNEL ARE
MEETING WITH RUSSIAN OFFICIALS IN THE CAMPAIGN AND COVERING IT
UP. LITANY, PAGE AND GORDON AND
FLYNN AND SESSIONS, ALL HAVING TO ADMIT IT.
BAD NEWS CYCLE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE.
PRESIDENT'S DECISION ABOUT WHAT TO DO ABOUT THAT IS DIVERT THAT
LINE OF INQUIRY. DON'T JUST START TALKING ABOUT
SOMETHING ELSE AND HOPE YOU CAN CHANGE THE SUBJECT, INSTEAD TRY
TO HARNESS THEHE ENERGY OF THE INITIAL DAMNING NEWS STORY AND
TURN IT TO SOMETHING RELATED BUT DIFFERENT.
SO PRESIDENT MADE DIVERSIONARY STATEMENT ON DIFFERENT ISSUE
VAGUELY RELATED TO QUESTION AT HAND.
EFFECT WAS TO SAP THE INITIAL STORY OF ITS PUNCH.
TO DIVERT IT OR MUDDY IT UP. ONCE HE CREATED THAT
DIVERSIONARY STORY LINE, NOW DEPENDS ON IF YOU LIKE TO LISTEN
TO THE WHITE HOUSE TO GET YOUR NEWS OR NOT, MIGHT STILL BE
THINKING OF THE INTELLIGENCE SCANDAL THAT BROKE IN WASHINGTON
FIRST WEEK OF MARCH AS LOTS OF TRUMP OFFICIALS HAVING SECRET
MEETINGS WITH RUSSIANS IN THE CAMPAIGN OR YOU MIGHT THINK THE
SCANDAL WAS OBAMA WIRETAPPING TRUMP TOWER.
EITHER WAY SORT OF SEEMS LIKE SAME THING.
ALL UPSET ABOUT A SCANDAL. WHICH SCANDAL AGAIN?
PRESIDENT OBAMA NEVER WIRETAPPED TRUMP TOWER.
SAYING SO AT THAT MOMENT MADE THE PREVIOUS PRESIDENT A FACTOR
IN THE NEWS CYCLE. GOT OBAMA ADMINISTRATION
OFFICIALS INVOLVED IN DEFENDING THE PRESIDENT FROM OUTRAGEOUS
AND FALSE ALLEGATION. GAVE CONSERVATIVE MEDIA
SOMETHING TO DISCLAIM ABOUT AND DEMAND THE MEDIA START COVERING
BECAUSE IT WAS THE REAL SCANDAL. IT'S NOT JUST DISTRACTION, IT'S
DIVERSION. JUST BARELY RELATED ENOUGH IN
TERMS OF SUBJECT MATTER, DOESN'T JUST CHALLENGE PEOPLE TO TALK
ABOUT SOMETHING NEW BUT STANDS IN FOR REAL SCANDAL.
MUDDIES REAL STORY'S STORY LINE. DIVERTS ENERGY FROM THE INITIAL
NEWS CYCLE THAT WAS DIFFICULT FOR THE WHITE HOUSE TO DEAL
WITH. NOT JUST DISTRACTION, DIVERSION.
THAT'S POLITICAL TACTIC. YOU CAN LEARN IT OR HAVE IT
INSTINCTUALLY. EITHER WAY, PRETTY GOOD TACTIC.
TODAY, REASON THE COUNTRY IS HAVING OUR HEARTS TORN TO BITS
OVER THE NEWS OF HOW THIS PRESIDENT HAS TALKED TO AND
ABOUT FAMILIES OF SERVICE MEMBERS KILLED OVERSEAS IS NOT
BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT'S INTERACTIONS WITH THE FAMILIES
OF KILLED SERVICE MEMBERS WAS EVER BROUGHT UP THIS WEEK, THAT
STORY LINE, EVEN QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT DIDN'T EMERGE ORGANICALLY
ON THEIR OWN. REASON WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS
IS PRESIDENT BROUGHT IT UP WITHOUT BEING ASKED.
WHEN THE PRESIDENT ON MONDAY MADE INITIAL FALSE CLAIMS ABOUT
PRESIDENT OBAMA NOT CALLING FAMILIES OF SERVICE MEMBERS
KILLED IN ACTION, THOSE COMMENTS THAT CAUSED US TO CALL MICHAEL
BESCHLOSS ABOUT PRESIDENTS IN THE PAST.
WHEN HE MADE THE COMMENTS, HE HADN'T BEEN ASKED ABOUT CALLING
SOLDIER'S FAMILIES OR CONDOLENCE PRACTICES IN HIS WHITE HOUSE OR
OTHERS, WASN'T ASKED ABOUT PRESIDENT OBAMA.
THESE CONVERSATIONS AND NAUSEATING REVELATIONS ABOUT HOW
PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS BEHAVED AND SPOKEN TOWARDS SERVICE MEMBER'S
FAMILIES WERE NOTHING ANYBODY ELSE BROUGHT UP.
THEY'RE WHAT HE BROUGHT UP, DIVERTED STORY TO.
ORIGINAL STORY WAS, WHAT HE WAS ASKED ABOUT WHEN HE BROUGHT UP
THIS TOPIC, WHAT HE DIVERTED FROM WAS THIS.
>> WHY HAVEN'T WE HEARD ABOUT A THE SOLDIERS KILLED IN NIGER AND
WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT?
>> PRESIDENT DIDN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
WHY HAVEN'T WE HEARD ANYTHING FROM YOU ABOUT THE SOLDIERS
KILLED IN NIGER. DIDN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
INSTEAD DIVERTED DISCUSSION TO INFLAMMATORY THING THAT'S TAKEN
UP THREE DAYS OF NEWS, INFLAMMATORY FALSE ASSERTIONS
ABOUT THE WAYS HE CONTACTS FAMILIES AND WAY OTHER
PRESIDENTS HAVE APPROACHED THAT ISSUE.
THERE'S STILL NO ANSWER ABOUT WHY HE MADE NO PUBLIC STATEMENTS
ABOUT FOUR U.S. ARMY SOLDIERS, KILLED IN NIGER WHERE MOST
AMERICANS DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WE HAVE SIZEABLE AMOUNT OF TROOPS.
HOW DANGEROUS, SPECIFIC OPERATIONAL MISSION THEY WERE
ENGAGED IN WHEN THEY WERE LOST? DOES THE PRESIDENT HAVE RESPONSE
TO THEIR DEATHS? WHEN THE AMBUSH HAPPENED THAT
KILLED THEM OCTOBER 4th, WHITE HOUSE SAID THAT THE PRESIDENT
HAD BEEN BRIEFED ON THEIR DEATHS BUT NO WORD FROM HIM.
ORIGINAL REPORT WAS THREE HAD BEEN KILLED, THEN THE BODY OF
FOURTH WAS RECOVERED. STILL NO WORD FROM THE
PRESIDENT. TWO DAYS INTO THE CRISIS,
ALREADY STARTING TO BE WEIRD THAT PRESIDENT WAS MAKING NO
PUBLIC REMARKS ABOUT IT. >> BODY OF ANOTHER U.S. SOLDIER
HAS JUST BEEN DISCOVERED BY LOCAL FORCES IN NIGER, WHICH
BRINGS TO FOUR THE TOTAL NUMBER OF GREEN BERETS THAT WERE KILLED
ON THE WEDNESDAY IN NIGER. SO FAR THERE'S BEEN NO RESPONSE
TO THIS BY THE PRESIDENT, NO TWEET FROM THE PRESIDENT, NO
STATEMENT FROM THE PRESIDENT. >> PRESS CORP. IS ALREADY ASKING
THE WHITE HOUSE. ALMOST TWO WEEKS AGO IN WHITE
HOUSE BRIEFING ROOM. IT WAS STRANGE EVEN TWO WEEKS
AGO THAT PRESIDENT HAD MADE NO PUBLIC RESPONSE OR STATEMENT
ABOUT IT. IT'S 12 DAYS ON AND STILL NO
PUBLIC RESPONSE FROM THE
PRESIDENT. WHEN HE WAS ASKED ABOUT IT ON
MONDAY IN ROSE GARDEN, HE RESPONDED WITH DIVERSION ABOUT
PRESIDENT OBAMA NOT CALLING FAMILIES OF SERVICE MEMBERS HE
HEARD, OR MAYBE NOT, I DON'T KNOW.
EVEN TODAY THE WHITE HOUSE STILL WILL NOT EXPLAIN WHY THE
PRESIDENT HAS MADE NO PUBLIC REMARKS ON THE DEATHS OF THESE
SOLDIERS. NOT ON HIS OWN BEHAVIOR, ABOUT
PRESIDENT OBAMA, BUT WHAT HAPPENED IN NIGER.
LATE TODAY POLITICO.COM THOROUGHLY CALLED THE QUESTION
ON THIS MATTER WITH REMARKABLE LEAKED DOCUMENOCUMENT OUT OF TH
PENTAGON OR WHITE HOUSE. NOT SURE.
KILLED OCTOBER 4th. OCTOBER 5th, NATIONAL SECURITY
COUNCIL DRAFTED STATEMENT FOR THE PRESIDENT TO RELEASE ABOUT
IT, ACKNOWLEDGING THE DEATHS, MOURNING THE LOSS.
DECENT, NOBLE, SIMPLE STATEMENT, KIND OF STATEMENTS THAT
PRESIDENTS MAKE WHEN THESE THINGS HAPPEN.
DRAFTED FOR PRESIDENT, CIRCULATED AND FOR SOME REASON
THE PRESIDENT IGNORED IT. DIDN'T ISSUE THE STATEMENT
WRITTEN FOR HIM AND CLEARED BY DOD AND NATIONAL SECURITYY
COUNCIL. DIDN'T DO IT THEN, STILL HASN'T
DONE IT. WHY?
NOBODY KNOWS. AND SOMEBODY INSIDE THE PROCESS
OF WRITING THAT STATEMENT IS MAD ENOUGH ABOUT IT THEY SAWED THE
STATEMENT TO REPORTER FROM POLITICO WHO WAS ABLE TO REPORT
ON IT TODAY. STILL NO EXPLANATION FOR THE
RETICENCE. AND APPARENTLY DON'T KNOW HOW TO
DEAL WITH IT. CIRCULATED BUT NEVER RELEASED
AND NOT IMMEDIATELY CLEAR WHY. SPOKESMAN MICHAEL ANTON DECLINED
TO COMMENT. STAFFER WHO WROTE THE INITIAL
STATEMENT QUOTE HUNG UP ON A POLITICO REPORTER WHO CALLED TO
ASK ABOUT IT. THE POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
OF THE PRESIDENCY ARE OBVIOUSLY VAST.
YOU SEE HOW IT PREMATURELY AGES THEM RIGHT?
HARD TO KNOW HOW INDIVIDUAL HUMANS GET THAT JOB DONE, LET
ALONE FIND ENERGY AND FOCUS AND COMPASSION WITHIN THE JOB TO
SHOW THE KIND OF GRACE THAT ABRAHAM LINCOLN SHOWED IN
CONDOLENCE LETTER HE SENT TO HIS FRIEND'S DAUGHTER IN THE CIVIL
WAR IN 1862 WHEN HE WAS AWASH IN HIS OWN GRIEF.
BUT BEING PRESIDENT, GETTING ELECTED PRESIDENT, STAYING
PRESIDENT, DOESN'T JUST REQUIRE STRENGTH AND REMARKABLE PERSONAL
CHARACTERISTICS, IT ALSO REQUIRES INNATE POLITICAL
INTELLIGENCE OR AT LEAST INSTINCT.
SOMETHING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN NIGER HAS CAUSED THIS PRESIDENT
APPARENTLY INSTINCTUALLY TO DIVERT THE CONVERSATION FROM
WHAT HAPPENED TO THOSE SOLDIERS, EVEN ACKNOWLEDGING PUBLICLY THE
DEATHS OF THOSE SOLDIERS AND WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM.
HE WILL NOT TALK ABOUT IT. WHY WERE THEY UNDERARMED AND
UNDER ARMOURED IN PLACE ISIS AM
BUSH. >> WAS IT FRENCH, WAS AU.S.
PRIVATE CONTRACTORS? WAS THERE EVACUATION PLAN.
IF NOT IS IT BECAUSE MILITARY DIDN'T EXPECT HAD THEM TO BE IN
DANGER? WHY WAS THAT INTELLIGENCE WRONG
IF THAT'S THE BASIS? AFTER LAST SOLDIER WAS SEPARATED
AND BODY NOT LOCATED UNTIL AFTER THE OTHERS WERE FOUND, DO WE
KNOW WHY? DO WE HOW IT IS THAT SERGEANT
JOHNSON WAS SEPARATED? WAS HE INITIALLY TAKEN ALIVE?
WHAT WAS THE MISSION? WAS IT WORTH IT TO HAVE HIM
THERE? WHAT IS THE U.S. GOING TO DO IN
RESPONSE TO THE DEATHS? THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT WHAT
HAPPENED IN NIGER THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS INSTINCTUALLY
DIVERTED THE CONVERSATION FROM. TO THE POINT NOT EVEN READING
STATEMENT ALREADY WRITTEN ON THE MATTER.
RATHER HAVE A NATIONAL CONVERSATION ABOUT CALLOUSNESS
AND MISTAKES AND FORGETTING TO SEND A CHECK TO FAMILIES OF
SERVICEMEN KILLED IN ACTION,
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Maddow: What Is Donald Trump Hiding About U.S. Military In Niger? | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC

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