NYT: Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon Calls Collusion A Joke | Morning Joe

>>> I THINK THE COLLUSION THING IS, I'VE SAID FROM DAY ONE IS A
JOKE. I WAS THERE.
WE COULDN'T COLLUDE. WE HAD A TOUGH TIME COLLUDING
BETWEEN THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN, PENNSYLVANIA AND THE RNC.
RIGHT? ALL OF OUR STUFF IS A GROUND
GAME. LOOK, HAVE MARGINAL GUYS AND
THEY WERE DEFINITELY MARGIN'S PEOPLE EARLY ON IN THE CAMPAIGN.
IT WAS AN ISLAND OF MISFIT TOYS. >> MANAFORT WASN'T MARGINAL,
THOUGH. >> HE'LL HAVE HIS DAY IN COURT,
TO -- BUT, YOU KNOW, IT SHOULD NOT BE LOST ON YOU MY FIRST
EXECUTIVE DECISION WAS A TALK WITH JARED AND THE PRESIDENT
MANAFORT HAD TO GO. >> YOU FIRED HIM?
>> YEAH. >> WHAT DID HAPPEN BETWEEN
MANAFORT AND THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN AND RUSSIA?
>> I HAVE NO IDEA, AND IT'S NOT RELEVANT.
>> HILLARY CLINTON AND THE -- >> NOT RELEVANT IN DID IT CHANGE
THE OUTCOME OF THE ELECTION. >> STEVE BANNON SAYING HE KNOWS
THE RUSSIANS ARE "BAD GUYS" AND THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION IS
NOTHING BUT "FAKE NEWS." BRING TOGETHER JEREMY PETERS,
CONDUCTING THAT WIDE-RANGING AND EX-ENT INTERVIEW WITH STEVE
BANNON AND HOST OF THE PODCAST WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE, CROOKED
MEDIA. JEREMY, FANTASTIC.
WELL SHOT IN ADDITION TO COMPELLING ON A VARIETY OF
LEVELS. >> THANK YOU.
>> WE GAVE A COUPLE HIGHLIGHTS. I WANT YOU TO TALK IN A
WIDE-RANGING WAY, YOU HIT THE WHOLE GAMUT HERE OF WHAT WE GOT
ON THE RECORD FROM MR. BANNON YESTERDAY.
>> WE THOUGHT IT WAS AN INTRIGUING IDEA TO HAVE STEVE
BANNON COME INSIDE THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE OPPOSITION
PARTY. RIGHT?
>> FAKE NEWS CENTRAL. >> HOW DID THAT HAPPEN, BY THE
WAY? >> IT WAS HIS IDEA.
I PROPOSED THE INTERVIEW. WE HAD HAD A PODCAST SET UP FOR
A WHILE AND I SAID I'LL COME TO YOU.
HE SAID NO. WHY DON'T I COME TO THE "NEW
YORK TIMES"? STEVE IS, AS YOU KNOW, A
CREATURE OF THE MEDIA. ALMOST MORE THAN SHE A CREATURE
OF POLITICS. SO HE UNDERSTANDS THE IMPORTANCE
NOT JUST OF GETTING HIS MESSAGE OUT ON AVENUES LIKE BREITBART
BUT IN COMING TO THE "NEW YORK TIMES," TALKING TO CHARLIE ROSE
ON "60 MINUTES." MUCH AS HE RALES THE POLITICAL
ESTABLISHMENT, HE IS TRYING TO RIP APART THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
AND DISPLACE LEADERSHIP AT THE TOP.
>> YOU HAVE A LONG RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM AND HE'S BEEN TALKING
TO YOU A LONG TIME, FROM BACK BEFORE A LOT OF PEOPLE DIDN'T
REALLY KNOW WHO STEVE BANNON WAS.
>> THAT'S RIGHT. >> HOW DOES HE -- DO YOU THINK
HE'S AT THIS MOMENT -- WE'LL PLAY MORE OF INTERVIEW IN
SECOND, BUT DO YOU THINK HE'S HAPP
HAPPIER? HE SEEMS HAPPIER THAN WHEN
TRAPPED IN THAT PLACE CALLED 1600 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE?
>> YES. HE SAYS HE'S GOT HIS HANDS ON
HIS WEAPONS, SO TO SPEAK. HE SEES BREITBART AND THE MONEY
SOON AT HIS DISPOSAL IF IT'S NOT ALREADY FROM DONORS LIKE THE
MERCERS TO ATTACK THE POLITICAL ESTABLISHMENT, THE REPUBLICAN
LEADERSHIP AND HE IS MUCH FREER TO DO THAT OUTSIDE THE WHITE
HOUSE. >> HE'S NOT OF BUREAUCRACY?
>> NO, A DESTROYER, DISRUPTER. HE DOESN'T WORK INSIDE
INSTITUTIONS, HE TEARS THEM DOWN.
>> DOES HE VIEW ANY OF THESE THINGS AS HIS PERSONAL FAILINGS?
DOES HE TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ROY MOORE?
HIS HAND-PICKED CANDIDATE .
>> I VERY HEARD HIM PUTTING ANY DISTANCE BETWEEN HE AND ROY
MOORE AND I THINK THEY HAVE TO ANSWER TO THAT.
>> THE MERCERS HAVE TO ANSWER TO THAT.
A PEDOPHILE THEY FUNDED. >> AND IN THE "ACCESS HOLLYWOOD"
TAPE, A COINCIDENCE THAT THE "WASHINGTON POST" BROKE BOTH OF
THESE STORIES? NO MORE THAN THE "WASHINGTON
POST" IS A GOOD NEWSPAPER. RIGHT?
GOOD REPORTERS. HE'S NOT JUST NOT TAKING
RESPONSIBILITY BUT ACTIVELY CONTINUING TO -- PROVIDE COVER.
>> WE WANT TO WATCH MORE OF THAT.
JEREMY ALSO TALKED ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP'S APPEAL WITH
WHITE NATIONALISTS. >> 100% AND BY THE WAY, THEY
REALIZED THEY THINK THE ONLY WAY TO RUN IS BY SPEARING YOU TO BE
A MISOGYNISTMISOGYNIST, RACIST. >> THEY'RE TOUTING HIS NAME,
SAYING, HEIL TRUMP! >> NOBODY CARES.
NO MEANINGFUL PURPOSE. THEY'RE SO TINY AND IRRELEVANT.
>> HEIDI? >> JEREMY, IT'S BECOME A
WASHINGTON PARLOR GAME HERE GUESSING ABOUT HOW MUCH BANNON
IS ACTUALLY STILL IN TOUCH WITH TRUMP.
DID HE ALLUDE TO THAT AT ALL? SECONDLY, I'M CURIOUS WHAT HE
ACTUALLY THINKS OF THIS TAX CUT DISCUSSION.
WHAT WE KNOW FROM BANNON IS THAT HE WAS ACTUALLY REPORTEDLY A
LITTLE BIT IN FAVOR OF THE WHOLE TAX THE RICH APPROACH AND THEN
YOU HAVE FOLKS LIKE ANN COULTER SAYING THIS IS FOR WALL STREET.
I'M CURIOUS WHAT HE THINKS OF A BIG TAX CUT, CORPORATE TAX CUT?
>> ASKED ABOUT THAT BEFORE. DIDN'T COME UP IN THINK PODCAST
BUT I ASKED HOW IS PRESIDENT TRUMP, THIS ECONOMIC POPULIST,
GOING TO SELL THIS TAX CUT TO A WORKING CLASS BASE THAT
BASICALLY VOTED FOR TRUMP AS A REJECTION OF THE DAVOS CLASS OF
THE ELITE, THE WALL STREET? AND BANNON SAID TO ME, WELL,
LOOK, YOU'LL REMEMBER READING REPORTS THAT I WAS IN FAVOR OF
TOP TAX BRACKET OVER 40%. HE DOES BELIEVE IN THAT.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE THE TRICK HERE.
IS SELLING THIS TAX CUT AS SOMETHING MORE THAN JUST A
CORPORATE GIVEAWAY. >> AND I WANT TO ASK YOU THIS.
BIG SETUP ON THIS QUESTION. YOU'VE GOT -- FIRST YOU'VE GOT
ROY MOORE, WHO'S A STEVE BANNON GUY.
YOU HAD ED GILLESPIE, LAST WEEKEND, BANNON SAYING, HEY, ED
GILLESPIE IS RUNNING ON THE TRUMP AGENDA.
SOON AS HE LOST, THREW HIM UNDER THE BUS.
OH, HE DIDN'T EMBRACE THE TRUMP AGENDA ENOUGH.
GOT HIM CLAIMING IN PREVIOUS INTERVIEWS HE WAS THE ONE THAT
KEPT CHRIS CHRISTIE FROM GETTING A JOB ON-OF-IN THE
ADMINISTRATION. A LOT OF PEOPLE SAYING THAT'S
NOT TRUE. AND RESPONSIBLE FOR FIRING PAUL
MANAFORT. NOT SURE THERE'S EVIDENCE THAT
THAT'S TRUE. LIKE A FREE-STYLE ANIHILIST.
HE ALSO SAYS TO JEREMY THAT HE IS PREDICTING MITCH McCONNELL
WILL BE GONE. NO MAJORITY LEADER, AND THAT HE
IS -- KIND OF HIS PERSONAL MISSION.
HOW DOES THE REPUBLICAN PARTY DEAL WITH THIS GUY AND THE FACT
THAT HE REMAINS CLOSE TO DONALD TRUMP?
>> I THINK THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS IN TROUBLE.
WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS ALL DAY. THE OPERATIVE WORD YOU USED IS
NIHILIST. YOU CAN'T DEAL WITH SOMEBODY WHO
DOESN'T CARE ABOUT HOSTAGES. HE HAS NO INVESTMENT IN ANY OF
THIS. ALSO THE PROBLEM WITH DEALING
WITH TRUMP. THAT TRUMP HAS NO INTEREST
BEHIND, BESIDES HIS OWN IMMEDIATE, LIKE, PERSONAL
ENRICHMENT OR PERSONALITY, EGO ENRICHMENT.
I THINK BANNON IS SIMILAR IN THAT HE JUST WANTS TO BURN IT
ALL DOWN. SOME PEOPLE JUST WANT TO WATCH
THE WORLD BURN. I THINK THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT,
THAT IS OF LIMITED USE IN BIDDING A REAL MOVEMENT.
YOU GUYS WERE TALKING ABOUT THIRD-PARTY CANDIDATES AND
INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES EARLIER. SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED TUESDAY
I DON'T THINK IS GETTING ENOUGH ATTENTION IS THE DEMOCRATIC
SOCIALISTS OF AMERICA, HIGHER OFFICE HOLDINGS INCREASED BY
71%. WON IN PLACES LIKE UPSTATE NEW
YORK IN DULUTH, MINNESOTA, WON IN BUFFALO.
WON IN VIRGINIA. AND THAT'S THE KIND OF, LIKE,
GROUND-LEVEL BUILDING OF A PARTY THAT REALLY COUNTS.
YOU GUYS ALL KNOW THIS. >> STEVE BANNON'S LEGACY.
ALLOW THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY TO REBUILD ITSELF.
>> AND THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS OF AMERICA TO BECOME A MAJOR
PARTY. >> AND THE DEMOCRATIC
SOCIALISTS, DEGENERATES END UP DOING -- THANK YOU, STEVE
BANNON. >> I THINK IT'S NOT BECAUSE HE'S
SINISTER, ELI SAID IT YESTERDAY. HE'S AN INCOMPETENT BOOB NOT
GOOD AT THIS.
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