>>> GOOD EVENING ONCE AGAIN FROM OUR HEADQUARTERS HERE IN NEW
YORK. THE PRESIDENT TODAY HAD THE
OPPORTUNITY TO DENY WHEN ASKED ABOUT IT DIRECTLY WHETHER OR NOT
HE HAS BEEN RECORDING PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS IN THE WHITE
HOUSE. HE DID NOT DENY IT, NOR DID HIS
SPOKESMAN SEAN SPICER EARLIER IN THE DAY.
IT COULD BE A BLUFF. IT COULD BE A TAUNT.
IT COULD BE A THREAT. AND IT COULD BE THAT DONALD
TRUMP IS RECORDING CONVERSATIONS IN THE WHITE HOUSE AND JUST
OPENED HIMSELF UP TO A MASSIVE SUBPOENA CLAIM.
TODAY'S SAGA STARTED EARLY THIS MORNING WHEN THE PRESIDENT GOT
AHOLD OF HIS PHONE AND SAID ON TWITTER, QUOTE, JAMES COMEY
BETTER HOPE THAT THERE ARE NO TAPES, END QUOTES.
OF OUR CONVERSATIONS BEFORE HE STARTS LEAKING TO THE PRESS.
THE PRESIDENT WAS CONCERNED THAT COMEY'S VERSION OF THEIR WHITE
HOUSE DINNER HAS STARTED TO EMERGE.
WE BROKE SOME OF THE DETAILS ON THIS BROADCAST LAST NIGHT.
IN PLAIN ENGLISH SOME OF WHAT THE PRESIDENT DESCRIBED OF THAT
EACH LIKE THE VERY IDEA THAT COMY WOULD ASK TO HAVE DINNER OR
THAT HE WOULD ASK TO STAY ON EVEN THOUGH HE WAS JUST FOUR
YEARS INTO A TEN-YEAR TERM, SOME OF THAT DIDN'T SOUND AT ALL LIKE
THE JAMES COMEY HIS FRIENDS & ASSOCIATES HAVE COME TO KNOW.
SO THOSE FRIENDS & ASSOCIATES HAVE STARTED TALKING TO THE NEWS
MEDIA. THE WHITE HOUSE HAS BEEN STUNNED
THIS WEEK AFTER FIRST PUSHING THE STORY THAT COMB WEE AS FIRED
BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN MEAN TO HILLARY CLINTON ONLY TO HAVE THE
PRESIDENT COME OUT AND BLURT OUT TO LESTER HOLT THAT HE HAD
ALREADY DECIDED TO FIRE COMEY. THE PRESIDENT NOW OWNS THAT.
AND HE CERTAINLY NOW OWNS THIS SUBJECT OF POSSIBLY RECORDED
CONVERSATIONS. HE HAS NOW BEEN ASKED DIRECTLY
ABOUT IT AND TOOK A PASS. HERE IS THE CLIP ING TO GET ON
AIR RIGHT NOW. LET'S WATCH TOGETHER.
THEN WE'LL REACT ON THE OTHER SIDE.
>> WHAT ABOUT THE IDEA THAT IN A TWEET YOU SAID THERE MIGHT BE
TAPE RECORDINGS. >> THAT I CAN'T TALK CONTROL R
DO WE HAVE THAT READY T? OKAY.
NOT YET. WE ARE GOING TO WORK ON THAT.
BUT PRIOR TO HEARING FROM THE PRESIDENT THAT HE WAS GOING TO
TAKE A PASS ON THAT QUESTION, THIS QUESTION OF TRUMP RECORDING
HIS PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS CAME UP MORE THAN ONCE AT TODAY'S
PRESS BRIEFING AND MORE THAN ONCE AS WE MENTIONED, SPOKESMAN
SEAN SPICER TOOK A PASS. >> DID PRESIDENT TRUMP RECORD
HIS CONVERSATIONS WITH FORMER FBI DIRECTOR COMEY?
>> I ASSUME YOU ARE REFERRING TO.
>> HIS TWEET. >> THE TWEET.
I HAVE TALKED TO THE PRESIDENT. THE PRESIDENT HAS NOTHING
FURTHER TO ADD ON THAT. >> WHY DID HE SAY THAT?
WHY DID HE TWEET THAT? WHAT SHOULD WE INTERPRET FROM
THAT? >> AS I MENTIONED THE PRESIDENT
HAS NOTHING FURTHER TO ADD ON THAT.
>> ARE THERE RECORDING DEVICES IN THE OVAL OFFICE OR IN THE
RESIDENCE? >> AS I SAID FOR THE THIRD TIME
THERE IS NOTHING FURTHER TO ADD ON THAT.
>> DOES HE THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE TO THREATEN SOMEONE
LIKE MR. COMEY NOT TO SPEAK. >> I DON'T THINK HE SEES THAT AS
A THREAT. THE TWEET SPEAKS FOR IT SELF.
>> I WOULD LIKE A YESSER NO. IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES CURRENTLY RECORDING CONVERSATIONS TAKING PLACE IN
THE OVAL OFFICE. >> I THINK THINK THE COMMENT I
WITH RESPECT TO THE TWEET IS THE PRESIDENT HAS NO FURTHER COMMENT
ON THIS. >> AS YOU WOULD IMAGINE,
DEMOCRATS ON THE HILL ARE DEMANDING TO KNOW IF RECORDINGS
EXIST AND IF SO HOW QUICKLY THEY CAN GET THEIR HANDS ON COPIES.
THEY ARE ALSO CALLING FOR NEW HEARINGS TO MORE BRADLEY
INVESTIGATE COMEY'S FIRING. A SOURCE CLOSE TO COMEY TOLD OUR
OWN KENNEDY LANIAN THAT COMEY WANT DELIGHTED IF THERE WERE A
RECORDING OF WHAT HE SAID AT DINNER WITH TRUMP.
HE HOPES THEIR TAPES. THAT WOULD BE PERFPERFECT.
ANYWAY, THE COMEY PUSHBACK IS BEGINNING ON THIS DAY 113 OF THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. ELLIOT NECESSARY FOUND IT SO
HARD THE BELIEVE THAT HE WOULD HAVE REASSURED THE PRESIDENT
THAT HE IS SOMEHOW NOT UNDER INVESTIGATION NOTE ONCE, AND
CERTAINLY NOT THREE TIMES. LET'S BRING OUR KICKOFF PANEL ON
THE, THE VET RAL RAN "NEW YORK TIMES" CHIEF WHITE HOUSE
CORRESPONDENT PETER BAKER IS WITH US, WHO HAPPENS TO BE OUR
NEWLY MINTED MSNBC POLITICAL TALK ABOUT THAT.
ALL I WANT IS FOR COMEY TO BE HONEST.
I'M SURE HE WILL BE, I HOPE. >> YOU REACTED IN REAL TIME.
I'M NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
YOU THINK THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS MOMENT RIGHT THERE.
>> I DO. IT'S VERY STRIKING.
IT'S BEEN 40 YEARS SINCE WE HAD A PRESIDENT THAT WE KNEW OF
ANYWAY WHO WASRD RECORDING ON ANY REGULAR BASIS, TAPE
RECORDING HIS CONVERSATIONS. THERE IS A REASON WHY OTHER
PRESIDENTS HAVEN'T DONE IT. BECAUSE IT DIDN'T WORK OUT WELL
FOR RICHARD NIXON, OBVIOUSLY. THE IDEA THAT HE IS PUTTING OUT
THERE IS EITHER HE IS IN FACT TAPING CONVERSATIONS WITH THE
FBI DIRECTOR OF ALL PEOPLE OR HE IS BLUFFING OR MISLEADING IN
ORDER TO INTIMIDATE SOMEBODY WHO MIGHT HAVE CONFERRING THAT HE
CONSIDERS TO BE DAMAGING I GUESS.
EITHER SCENARIO IS STUNNING I THINK FOR ANY WHITE HOUSE.
>> VIVIAN, THIS WOULD APPEAR TO BE A SECOND STRAIGHT INTERVIEW
DONE PERHAPS OUTSIDE THE AUTHORITY AND TRACK OF THE PRESS
SHOP IN THE WEST WING. LESTER HOLT, AND THEN JANINE
PIRRO IN TWO STRAIGHT INTERVIEWS THE PRESIDENT HAS MADE NEWS N.
THREE SEPARATE DEPICTIONS OF THE WEST WING, I HAVE READ ABOUT A
DARK PLACE THIS WEEK A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WHO DID NOT WANT TO
ENCOUNTER THE PRESIDENT HAD THEIR DOORS CLOSED.
WHAT CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE MOOD AT THE ENDS OF THIS WEEK?
>> THAT'S RIGHT, HIS INNER CIRCLE SEEMS TO BE GETTING
SMALLER AND SMALLER. TRUMP HAS BEEN MORE RECLUSIVE IN
THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS. HE HAS BEEN HOLDING LESS PUBLIC
EVENTS THAN NORMAL. EVEN WHEN HE DID, THEY WERE SORT
OF THESE EVENTS THAT WERE NOT SORT OF THE NORM THAT WE WOULD
EXPECT. REMEMBER, WE HAD SERGEY LAVROV,
THE FOREIGN MINISTER OF RUSSIA, AT THE WHITE HOUSE A COUPLE OF
DAYS AGO. THE PRESS WAS CALLED IN TO GO
SEE WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS GOING TO BE LAVROV AND TRUMP TOGETHER.
AND PERHAPS EVEN AMBASSADOR SERGEY KISLYAK WHO HAS BEEN AT
THE CENTER OF SO MANY OF THE CONTROVERSIES SURROUNDING THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. OF COURSE WE WALKED IN AND YOU
COULD HEAR THE GASPS BECAUSE THERE WAS NO LAVROV OR KISLYAK,
IT WAS HENRY KISSINGER SITTING IN THE CHAIR WITH THE PRESIDENT.
HE SPOKE TO US A COUPLE OF SECONDS.
THAT WAS THE MOST WE HAD SEEN OF HIM.
HE HAD BRIEF PUBLIC STATEMENTS TODAY BUT HE HAS BEEN STAND
OFFISH IN TERMS OF THE PEOPLE HE IS TALKING ABOUT.
SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO WERE WITH HIM SINCE THE VERY, VERY
BEGINNING, RELATIVE AND CLOSEST ADVISORS, THE ORIGINAL STAFF OF
HIS CAMPAIGN -- HIS INNER CIRCLE IS GETTING SMALLER.
HE IS APPARENTLY GETTING VERY, VERY TENSE WITH THE SITUATION
THAT THEY CAN'T SORT OF SHAKE OFF THE WHOLE RUSSIA ALLEGATION.
SO IT'S REALLY AN INTERESTING TIME.
AND DEFINITELY CAN BE FELT, THE TENSION, THROUGHOUT THE WHITE
HOUSE. >> AND MATTHEW, LET'S TALK ABOUT
THE COMEY ANGLE, RESPECTFULLY HE WOULD INSERT THE WORD INTEGRITY
IN EVERY SENTENCE HE UTTERS PUBLICLY IF HE THOUGHT HE COULD.
HE HAS NOW BEEN ACCUSED OF WHAT THE PRESIDENT HAS ASCRIBED TO
HIM, AND THAT IS SAYING THREE TIMES, REASSURING THE PRESIDENT,
YOU ARE NOT THE SUBJECT OF AN INVESTIGATION.
LET'S TALK ABOUT, CALL IT COMEY'S REVENGE AND HOW YOU YO
THINK THAT'S GOING TO PLAY OUT NOW?
>> WELL, BASICALLY WHAT WE HAVE IS DONALD TRUMP'S CREDIBILITY
VERSUS THAT OF JAMES COMEY. I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S A FIGHT
DONALD TRUMP WANTS TO PICK. JAMES COMEY, FOR ALL THE
CONTROVERSY HE HAS BEEN A PART OF, REMAINS A RESPECTED FIGURE
CERTAINLY AMONG THE FBI AND AMONG LAW ENFORCEMENT AND AMONG
SOME ON CAPITOL HILL AND THE IDEA THAT HE'S THE ONE PUSHING
THESE FALSE NARRATIVES AND THE IT'S THE PRESIDENT WHO IS THE
ONE DELIVERING THE TRUTH ON THIS SEEMS A LITTLE DUBIOUS TO A LOT
OF PEOPLE, ALL THE MORE SO BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN
ACTING SO DEFENSIVE MAKING THIS VEILED OR NOT SO VEILED THREAT
ABOUT RECORDING THEIR CONVERSATIONS.
AND THEN OF COURSE THE QUOTE YOU SHOWED, SOMEONE CLOSE TO COMEY
SAYING I HOPE THERE ARE TAPES. SO, AGAIN, IN A CREDIBILITY
BATTLE I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S ONE THAT TRUMP COMES OUT ON TOP.
>> PETER WE HAVE BEEN TALKING 16 WEEKS NOW OF THIS ADMINISTRATION
THAT THE PRESIDENT IS NOT, SHALL WE SAY AN INSTITUTIONALIST.
HE IS NOT AMONG THOSE OF US WHO HAVE BEEN STEEPED IN HISTORY IN
THE WAYS OF THE PRESIDENCY BECAUSE WE HAVE LEARNED ABOUT IT
AND FIND IT INTERESTING. HE CAME FROM ANOTHER WORLD.
DOES THAT EXPLAIN THE FACT THAT HE APPARENTLY DID NOT KNOW WHAT
HIS WORDS IN NEITHER CONFIRMING NOR DENYING RECORDING THE KIND
OF SCRUTINY THAT THE BRIEF PAPERS WITH JANINE PIRRO WOULD
BRING? >> I THINK YOU NEED TO REMEMBER
THIS IS THE FIRST PRESIDENT WHO NEVER SERVE ADMIN IN AN ELECTED
OFFICE AND NEVER BEEN IN THE MILITARY.
THIS IS ALL NEW TO HIM. IT IS A STRENGTH AND A WEAKNESS.
A STRENGTH OBVIOUSLY BECAUSE PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT HIM AND LOVE
THE FACT HE IS SHAKING UP THE SYSTEM AND WHE WHEN THEY SEE
EVERYBODY PILE ON LIKE WASHINGTON IS DOING THEY GET
DEFENSIVE AND SAY THAT'S BECAUSE HE IS TRYING TO DRAIN THE SWAMP.
IT'S ALSO A WEAKNESS IN THAT HE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND WHERE THE
PITFALLS ARE LIKE POLITICIANS WOULD.
MOST POLITICIANS UNDERSTAND HINTING AT THE IDEA OF A SECRET
TAPING SYSTEM WOULD RAISE ECHOS YOU DON'T WANT TO RAISE.
MOST ADMINISTRATIONS TRY TO AVOID IT.
NOW IT'S UNAVOIDABLE. AND WHO DOES HE LISTEN TO.
IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE WHO CAN GET TO HIM AND MAKE HIM
UNDERSTAND WHY THERE MIGHT BE CONSEQUENCES TO THE THING HE
DOES ON TWITTER AND IN THESE INTERVIEWS?
THE ANSWER SEEMS TO BE NO AT THE MOMENT.
>> VIVIAN, WHAT STEPS WERE TAKEN TO FURTHER ENHANCE THE TRUMP
LEGISLATIVE AGENDA TODAY OR AT ANY TIME THIS WEEK?
>> IT IS A HARD TO SAY, A LOT OF THE COMMUNICATIONS HAVE BEEN
SURROUNDING THIS ISSUE ABOUT FIRING DIRECTOR COMEY.
AS FAR AS ANY OF THE MAJOR ITEMS ON THE AGENDA THAT HE IS TRYING
TO CARRY OUT SORT OF FURTHER HIS HEALTH CARE BILL, YOU KNOW, THE
TAX PLAN, THINGS LIKE THAT, EVERYTHING IS SORT OF -- THEY
ARE STILL ROLLING BUT THERE ISN'T A LOT OF ATTENTION BECAUSE
SO MUCH ENERGY AND EFFORT IS GOING INTO THIS WHOLE ISSUE OF
DIRECTOR COMEY BEING ABRUPT LEE FIRED AND THE RUSSIA
INVESTIGATION. I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT
SOMETHING THAT PETER SAID EARLIER.
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT AGAIN, IS IT A
BLUFF OR THERE REALLY EVI EVIDE OF SOMETHING SECRET?
THIS IS AT SAME PRESIDENT WHO THREW OUT SERIOUS WIRETAPPING
ALLEGATIONS AGAINST PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA.
YET WE HAVE NEVER SEEN THOSE CLAIMS SUBSTANTIATED.
AGAIN WE HAVE A SITUATION NOW WHERE THERE IS SO MUCH ENERGY
GOING INTO THESE CLAIMS THAT HAVE NO EVIDENCE TO BACK THEM
UP. IT'S ENGAGING PEOPLE ON THE
HILL. OW LAWMAKERS ARE BEING ENGAGED
WHERE YOU ARE HAVING TO REOPEN INVESTIGATIONS AND DEDICATE SO
MANY RESOURCES INTO THESE ISSUES.
AND THEN PRESIDENT TRUMP GETS REALLY ANGRY WHEN THEY GET SO
MUCH ATTENTION. IT'S SORT OF A VICIOUS CYCLE WE
ARE LEADING. THAT'S WHERE WE ARE NOW.
IT'S FASCINATING TO WATCH, BUT AL
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