>> jobs, too. people want jobs and infrastructure and once you have made the progress they don't want to burn it like a barbecued

according to local reports. trump responded with his typical bluft order twitter, totally false reporting on my call with reince priebus. he called me, ten minutes, said i hit a nerve, doing well, end. in an interview with the "washington post," robert costa today, trump said the call was congratulatory. but he said priebus did say, maybe you can tone it down a little bit. it wasn't a lecturing type call. he's going to give me a lecture? give me a break. not only that. the "washington post" reports trump is digging in for the long haul. he won't commit to backing the eventual nominee and he might even run as an independent. robert is a national political report we are the "washington post." he spoke to donald trump today. robert, let me start with you. so try to understand.

try to explain to us wham here with this phone call. reince priebus call up donald trump. there are two conflicting versions. what they don't seem to disagree on is that at some point, priebus said tone it down. it seal like priebus tried to dress it up with a lot of flattery. did the message get through in. >> priebus called trump. he did tell will trump to tone it down and trump acknowledged that. everyone familiar with the call. it was about asking trump to tone it down but it was done in priebus' usual way, friendly, quiet, not exactly hitting trump over the head with the poibl. at the same time, trump that it was shorter than reported. about 15 minutes, something like that. we thought it was more 45 minutes, according to those familiar with the call but that was the only discrepancy. about the time of the call, not about the contest. he is not really taking that advice.

he is heading to arizona to have a big rally in phoenix. he thinks he can rise the whole republican base behind him and he is expecting a big crowd. >> soap how does the republican establishment, how do the reince priebuses of the world respond? if donald trump will take this. apparently, the gentle request from reince priebus and ignore it completely. go to arizona full steam ahead. what is the next move for the republican establishment? >> they're looking at a chess board. they don't know what the next move is. you have to understand these donors who talked to me on wednesday and revealed the call. they're putting intense pressure on priebus and the republican national committee to deal with trump. maybe if you can't get them off the debate stage in august, at least tell them to tone it down and to not alienate voters. they are talking about how to handle the situation. they thought trump would fade away. his campaign would be a summer fling. now they think it is here to stay and they're not sure what the next move is. >> what is your read on trump

talking to him? he doesn't like the public to have the impression that somebody else is telling him what to do. the news of a phone call like that, the news of that hits at his pride a little bit. he understands what's going. on he gets the concern. >> trump and i go back a long way. we have a professional rapport going back many years. we had a candid 30-minute conversation. do you recognize that the party really wants to you step down your comments and to take it a little easy? he acknowledged what priebus' message was. but he does not really heed the message. he thinks he can run an outsider campaign and just become the person, the force in the party who is a populist and gets the frustrated base behind him. but trump said he will run a television style campaign. he'll talk to anyone. he'll sit down with any network, reporters. he will be unfettered in his

access and the way he communicates. that will be a real contrast compared to his rivals. >> after a week of dealing with that, jeb bush for one sounds exasperated. here he is last night. >> when you hear donald trump, is he bad for the gop? >> i've already stated my views about donald trump. >> you're done? >> i'm done. >> just a few hours later, bush was drawn back into the fight when trump came up at a town hall on the subject of immigrant bashing which has struck a nerve with bush because his wife was born in mexico. here's jeb last night. >> i'm not going to stop loving my wife. i'm pretty comfortable with that position. i'll stick with it for a while. you can love the mexican culture, you can love your mexican-american wife and believe we need to control the border. this is a bizarre idea that you can have an affection for people in a different country and not think the rule of law should apply.

this is ludicrous. >> it is a bizarre idea. he expresses all this bafflement. you take look at these polls. there are a lot of republicans listening to what donald trump has to say and it doesn't sound bizarre to them. he is moving up and tied or ahead of jeb bush. >> well, don't panic. michelle bachmann was ahead in the votes at this time. donald trump is a big figure. he is a beautiful marketer. he is one of those guys that says a lot of things. much of which is contradictory. he was a big supporter of the clintons. at one point, especially a big fan of hillary clinton at one point in time. i don't think we need to panic about donald trump. he is a little bit of a problem. he is really dominating the whole discussion. >> but was not that, i've heard

so much talk from republicans, the talk was how much different thing were in 2016 than they were in 2012? we had bachmann, gingrich. we put that all behind us. number one in the polls is donald trump. >> i know. we still have this issue of donald trump. we're going to get through this. i want our guys not to panic. don't overly attack donald trump even though he is a problem and he is dominating this discussion. when we're, we're still in the summer. this is the summertime follies as you like to call it and i think we'll be fine. and trump will crash in his own rhetoric. i guarantee that will happen. >> well, he dangles the possibility, this interview with ronald costa of the third poirpt presidential campaign in 2016. i imagine in republican circles, that is the ultimate act of disloyalty. the easiest would be to run third party. you must love that idea.

>> well, the whole thing is very, very interesting. you can see why the republicans would like to cancel their contract with donald trump right now. there's something really important to remember. the underlying policies that he is touting and supporting are the same policies the rest of the candidates running for the nomination are supporting and the pbl party in its entirety. this is an important piece of this. he may be doing well in the polls because of his outrageous statements but his ideas are with signment. i think that's really important. >> they are they are really having trouble with the trump-lican party. that term was put out today. >> would you reverse president obama's executive action? >> yes. >> do you believe in providing a path to citizenship?

>> i do not. >> i introduced an amendment that eliminated a pathway to citizenship for those here illegally. >> legal status but not citizenship. >> no amnesty. if someone wants to be a citizen, they need to go back to their country of drugs. >> they're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists. >> i salute donald trump for focusing on the need to address illegal immigration. >> look, democrats love the idea, the possibility here of attaching donald trump two of the other republican candidates may be trying to, there is a tanlt on jeb bush. i'm curious. when you talked to the others, then of them will have to face up to him. what are they saying about how ted cruz, marco rubio, how they'll handle him when they come up on the stage.

>> all the republican contenders in the last 24 hours, my takeaway is they're nervous. they didn't want to deal with this at the first debate. they're not exactly sure how this will go forward. if you take him on, you rick not only a combative trump but weeks and perhaps months on end as an enemy going interview after interview against you. >> i'm wondering what you would say. what donald trump is sort of articulating. it is dangerous politically in some ways for republican candidates to stand up on these issues. there's also that overpowering personality. you see it come through. if you try to go toe the toe, you are liable to get run over. >> i think this is jeb bush's

chance to be cast more of a leader. for the rest of the field. they might be overwhelmed by trump's personality. if they try to be seen as their own kind of leader, that will be very difficult for them. it's interesting to see that rick perry has been attacking trump pretty vociferously. donald trump is a huge challenge. they're basically saying the same thing. this is the big debate and then the smaller debate by all the people who won't be part of the big debate. i think many of them would rather be at the kids table. >> two very different debates they're playing from a month from now. ted cruz continues to lavish praise.

here's what cruz had to say about it on "hardball" last night. >> i like donald trump. there are a lot of folks in washington right now that seem to be crawling all over. they to smack donald trump. i'm not one of them. i think he is bold, i think he's brash. >> why does he say stuff about you? when no one else is calling you. >> the legal question is quite straightforward. the child of a u.s. citizen born abroad is a natural born citizen. when i was born in calgary, i was a citizen by birth. >> let's take this from a slightly different angle. that's ted cruz, and by recommend attack, he's supposed to be the flame thrower. who is saying all the farout fringe pronouncements. he comes as rather reasonable. does the effect of having someone like donald trump in the feel, it creates an opportunity for jeb bush or scott walker or

anybody to, by comparison, look a little more mature. maybe it could help their image. >> what we're not seeing in the candidates who are running as any leadership to say really publicly, he needs to step out. he needs to stop. you have priebus taking a phone call. i'm not seeing any press conferences or truly public activities here. the public outcries need to come from the candidates running against donald trump. that's the leadership they should be taking. the opportunity is now. they are all building toward the teem part of the base. they are worried about where the base is in this primary and if they continue down this road, which they will, they've shown no interest in changing the policies. it is tied to the teem.

and that will never win a general election in this country. >> all right. appreciate all of your time only coming up, an historic day in south carolina as governor nicki haley signs a bill to remove the confederate flag from state grounds. plus, we'll pause for a minute as presidents 42 and 43 join up in dallas only the. and a look back at the vault in some vintage donald trump moments. will his past positions prove he has nowhere to go but down? and finally, does jeb bush really think the formula for a robust economy is as simple as working longer hours? why he is clarifying his controversial comments. this is "hardball." a place for politics.

half of americans feel the colonel government in washington has a negative impact on peel's lives. 21% say it has a positive impact. but nearly 7 in 10 americans believe it is possible to improve washington saying it leaves a positive impact. hope wins out.

welcome back. it was a day of history in south carolina after legislators there voted to remove the confederate flag from the grounds of the state house. this afternoon, governor haley signed the bill into law. she was joined by relatives of the nine charleston church members who were shot and killed by an avowed white supremacist dylan roof. he was seen in multiple photos posing with a confederate flag.

>> what we saw in swift action by both the house and senate, we saw members start to see what it was like to be in each other's shoes. start to see what it felt like. what we saw was another action. and that action is that the confederate flag is coming off the grounds of the south carolina state house. this is a story about action. this is a story about the history of south carolina. and how the action of nine individuals laid out this long chain of events that forever showed the state of south carolina what love and forgiveness looks like. >> in a final vote, 1:00 this morning, 94-20. the vote lasted 13 hours. it seemed far from certain oriole with amendments that

would delay it by week or even months. at one point there was an impassioned plea not to delay the vote any longer. >> i attended the funeral of senator clementa pinckney, and the people of charleston deserve immediate and swift removal of that flag from these grounds. i cannot believe that we do not have the heart in this body to do something meaningful such as take a symbol of hate off these grounds on friday. if any of you vote to amend, you are ensuring this flag will fly beyond friday. for the widow of senator pinckney and his two young

daughters, that would be adding insult to injury. i will not be a part of it. >> i'm joined now by south carolina state senator vicinity shaheen who wrote the bill. senator, let me start with you. such a moving speech. we just played a clip of it from your colleague. what have your conversations been like off the floor? you have private conversations in the last couple weeks with colleagues like that. obviously this is an issue that sat there are for 50 years unresolved. did you see it change over the hearts of your colleague over the last few weeks? >> well, see, we saw a dramatic change. make no mistake. this did not happen by accident. there was a group of us that decided to ramp the pressure up on the official in south

carolina who had ignored this issue or mealy mouthed this issue for far too long and we did that, the day after senator pinckney's death. we went on the air and we said it was time to bring the confederate flag down dwefl that very purposely to put pressure on the governor who at that point had given more, an answer that wasn't much of an answer. a congressman, u.s. senators. and we kept that focus until last night at 1:30 in the morning. and representative jenny horne was a part of that and a part of that effort. >> one thing the governor said and we played it there, this idea of this incident causing people to walk in the shoes, or to try to walk in the shoes of other people. to see the world from their perspective. and it seems that accounts for so much of the sudden change we saw in south carolina on this issue. it does raise the question, too, it has been 150 years since the civil war. it has been 50 years since the

end of jim crow in the south. why did it take so long to look at i differently? >> the story of the flag coming down is a moral narrative but also a narrative about money. in other words, the flag flew for 50 years, half a century. it maintained economic sanctions and boycott for 15 years. we had nine families and a church lose lives and a nation experience hours and hours, days and weeks of grief. this is a longer narrative. so it took the loss of life. the shedding of blood. and it also took economic pressure to bring this flag down. it says a lot about who we are as americans, in moments of tragedy and difficulty, we can rise up and exhibit our highest constitutional and moral values. we need to be clear.

it was a combination of forces coming together at a moment of conscience that brought that flag down. it was sad that it took so much. but we are heartened by the fact that the flag is coming down. and i'm reminded of the words of martin luther king who. that the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners would one day sit down at the table of brotherhood. that has not happened. but the sons and daughters of the confederacy and the sons and daughters of an enslaved people can gather around a flagpole of inclusion with a confederate flagless site. >> it spread to washington, d.c. that was after some republicans worked on a spending bill that would have removed it from gift shops in federal parks. there was an amendment offered yesterday. he said that southern member of

the republican delegation had asked him to offer the measure. today after fierce pushback, house republicans pulled that vote. that was opposed to remove the flags. he will luke russert, he saw it as a symbol of history and not hate. >> to me, there needs to be a conversation or rational conversation with both sides on the debate. let's talk about it from an historical perspective but also be insensitive to where others have seen it. has it been hijacked by some very heinous groups? and tainted a part of history? southern history? american history? yes. there needs to be a civil way to have that dialogue. >> on the other side, a number of democrats spoke about the history of confederate flag. >> had this confederate battle flag prevailed in war, 150 years

ago, i would not be standing here today as a member of the united states congress i would be here as a slave. >> often a reminder of the flag's role in history. >> mr. speaker, 50 years ago, when we were beaten on the bridge and attempted to march from selma to montgomery, there were officers of the law when the confederate flag on their helmet. the klan marched in our neighbors, in georgia and south carolina, countless homes in birmingham was born and burn. when they set that fire to churches throughout the south, the confederate flag was a symbol of separation, it is is a symbol of hate, into our past.

>> so the politics of this, what we just watched something extraordinary happen in south carolina. all that sort of thing. and yet even as this is happening, the concerted effort that you can see from the top of the party down was playing in the south. even as that is happening, this bill comes close to getting a vote in the house. how does this happen? >> so what happened is that basically the democrats pushed this, i don't want to get too much into it but they push theed idea to ban all flags national parks and cemeteries as well. and what you saw was the republicans from the south were kind of surprised as they were

blind sided by it. and you saw the republican side defending this idea of the flags as a place in the culture. i can tell you, republican leaders do not like hearing that kind of defense. they want to get out of this debate. and they probably want to get out as soon as possible. i suspect you'll see in the next few days, the bill will eventually pass which basically limits the confederate flag from any kind of confederate land. what you're seeing is two things this week really important happened. the confederate flag going down is huge news. i would say the fact that the rnc chairman called donald trump and said, please stop talking the way you are about mexicans and immigrants. what you're hearing is the republican leadership is very nervous and wants to get out of these racial issues. but their members are taking a long time to get there. >> all right. south carolina state senator, appreciate you all joining us. and we'll pose for a moment of bipartisanship in dallas where two former rivals come together as colleagues. will the 2016 campaign turn them

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welcome back to "hardball." the clinton-bush relationship has grown over the years. presidents clinton and george h.w. bush joined together on a variety of charitiable causes forming a strong friendship. >> we were laughing about going to restaurants and having to spend our time taking selfies with people. >> at least they're still asking, you know. >> yeah. that's right. >> george w. bush even told a reporter recently, he obviously keeps his counsel on hillary but i would like to needle him but how it would feel to be an interesting first spouse.

in the midst of this die animal gik will, the battle is heating under. blood is thicker than water. can this bromance survive? i'm joined by casey hunt who was at the event in dallas. to you first, you were inside inaugural event. these two former presidents, one democrat, one republican. both very close observers of 2016. set the scene for us. what was happening in there tonight? >> reporter: well, the two leaders are actually still on stage talking. they had just started when i came out here to talk to you. what we caught in the beginning was a very, very warm relationship on display. bush started off the conversation by joking that both he and clinton had grown long in the tooth. bill clinton was quick to correct him that this was the one month of the year when he is

actually a year young order paper than former president bush. so you can see the friendship coming out. some of the policy difference that's underscore, they're obviously different political parties and this potential clash in 2016 were on display. bill clinton made a comment that george w. bush tried to pass reform. bush didn't totally respond necessarily either way. they also talked a little about how they made decisions. and bill clinton talked about how he would sometimes ask his advisers if they were about to bomb a country, whether he could kill them tomorrow. that was how he put it. and george w. bush came back and said, when i was in the oval office, the circumstances were such that i had to decide decisively and make quick decisions. that's a direct quote. we obviously remember george bush for saying those things when he was in the oval office. so i think you are still seeing a very interesting combination

of warmth and friendship along with some very real differences in world view. >> so michael, i think back historically to the roots of this relationship. i think back to the 2000 campaign and i can remember george w. bush running in 2000. the slogan was we'll restore honor and integrity to the white house. a clear shot at bill clinton. that was the campaign where george bush sr. came out and he gave clinton an ultimatum. i'll give you a month to stop talking about my son. otherwise i'll tell the world what i think of you as a man. 15 years later we're at a very different place in this relationship. >> that's what is so nice about this. in 2000 who would have imagined that not only george w. bush but also george h.w. bush and bill clinton would be as friendly as they are today, dating back to that tough campaign in 1992. >> what is it that creates a bond? is it something, we've seen this, i guess example would be carter and ford.

they kind of bonded. is there something about the nature of the presidency? how closed off you are in a white house for eight years? that creates a bond that otherwise couldn't be there? >> i think that's right. an experience that very few people have and they have in common. even going all the way back to john adams and thomas jefferson who were these huge political enemies and jefferson defeat adams, went bitterly back to massachusetts. they revived their relationship in this famous correspondent. in these days we hear. so about how tough politics is. presidential level and in washington. it is so nice to see relationships between former presidents like clinton and bush and also, jimmy carter and gerald ford who ran against each other who became extremely close friends. >> let me just quickly ask to you play this out. if a year from now we're talking about hillary clinton, the democratic nominee, jeb bush, the republican nominee, how many of this good will survives something like that?

>> i mean, steve, you know as well as do i and anyone else who has watched the clintons in public life to know that they don't exactly take hits lightly necessarily. they tend to have long memories. so i think if this campaign gets really nasty and goes to questions of character. then all bets might be off. i think what you were discussing is really the key part of this. the george bush, george w. bush/bill clinton relationship started when george w. bush was still in office. they've talked about how they would call just to talk politics. they're the only two people with seats at that table. and i think that's something that distinguishes jeb bush and hillary clinton for many of the other people in this field. and i think it is something that will be an advance for both of them as they go forward. and potentially will give them a greater understanding. they've both been much, much closer to someone actually in the oval office for an extended period of time than any of the other candidates. >> those are live pictures there. appreciate you both joining us

now. up next, let's go to the videotape. how donald trump's past might come back to haunt him. you're watching "hardball," the place for politics.

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welcome back to "hardball." donald trump's 35-year career in the public eye earned him celebrity status decades ago. it is part of why he's managed to get so many media attention cynic he announced for president last month. his notorious thirst for the spotlight might soon boomerang on him as many of his past statements are at odds with the republican base. last month, frinls, he describe himself as pro-life at a campaign rally in iowa. >> i'm pro-life. i am pro-life. >> back in 1999, however, trump told tim russert on "meet the press" that he was very pro-choice. >> would president trump ban partial birth abortions? >> well, look, i am very pro-choice. i hate the concept of abortion. i hate it. i hate everything it stands for. i cringe when i hear people debating the subject but i still believe in choice.

>> in that same year, he told nbc news that he was in favor of universal health care. >> health care. >> a liberal on health care. we have to take care of people that are sick. >> universal health coverage? >> i like universal. what is the country all about if we don't take care of our sick? >> and as politico pointed out last month, he has credible to the candidate he hopes to eventually take on in the general election. clinton received donations from both him and son donald trump jr. on separate occasions in 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2007 according to state and federal disclosure records. here's how trump defended those contributions on cnn. >> you gave a lot of money to her over the years. >> i was a businessman. i guess i still am. everybody loved me. when i called them, they always treated me well and that's part of the game. and that's part of what is wrong with this country.

>> that joined now by the round table, susan milligan, democratic strategist steve mcmahon and francesca chambers. i start with you. i look at all the opposition research. do you know who i think of? i think back to night gingrich when they woke up and saw he had won south carolina and it was a koord hated hit on newt gingrich. super pacs dumping all the opposition research they had and some really damming stuff. what are they looking for with trump? >> i don't even think they have to do that. frankly, i don't think he's being contradictory. i don't think his ideological has anything to do with abortion or immigration or the economy. i think the donald trump doctrine is donald trump. back then he thought that's what would get him tang and support. now he's saying something else. that i think the analogy to gingrich is amount.

there were a lot of candidates who were at the top of the polls. and i don't think he has the campaign skills that gingrich certainly had after running all those campaigns. i think the republicans are kind of hoping that he just falls under the weight of his absurdity and what he's saying and they won't have to counter him. they don't want to lose that part of the vote either. they don't want to alienate that is part of it. >> it is a test of personality in a way. so many is personality. can he sell the republican base on, yeah, i said this about abortion, no longer, yeah, health care, is it strong enough to get them nodding their heads? >> by the way, this isn't unique. four years ago there was a guy named mitt romney who had positions as governor of

massachusetts that were completely contradictory to the positions he held as a republican nominee. so republicans are used to this. these guys changing their positions to fit the social norms of the party. but what is interesting, trump will be a clown show for the next several months. necessary first place in north carolina according the a poll yesterday. and he is in second place in most a places. he'll be in the debates. he will embarrass the party and they don't have to courage to stand up to him. the head of the republican party called him and told him to tone it down but by today, trump is saying he didn't do that and he is not doing that. so the silence on the right with respect to donald trump and it will be silence for a while. and it will be really interesting to wash the debates. >> i think a lot of people can't wait for that. >> in a way, a lot has happened with donald trump in the last

ten days. it is just ten days. when you think of the intense activity coverage. you have to go out six, seven months until you get through it. >> one thing that i've observed. i'm not sure, he has the campaign infrastructure. some of the poll were early states he's been in a lot and he does have campaign staff in those states. when you really again look at all 50 states. you look at the states you need win on super towson get the nomination. i don't know if. that he said has the legislature. other candidates are raising money. he's using his own money. the longevity of that. how long can he go on using his own money or does he want to is what you have to look at. how long before gets old to him. >> we'll find out. we'll see what happens. the round table up next.

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we are back. jeb bush says people should work longer hours. this is part of his plan to grow the economy according to an interview he conducted with new hampshire union leader on wednesday. >> aspiration for the country and i believe we can achieve it is 4% growth as far as the eye can see, which means we need to be a lot more productive. workforce production has to rise from all-time modern lows. means people need to work longer hours and through their productivity gain more income for their families.

that's the only way to get out of the rut we're in. >> not surprising democratic national committee quick to criticizes. democratic campaign hillary clinton quick to say, anyone who believes americans aren't working hard enough hasn't met enough american workers. bush clarified saying you can take it out of context as much as you want high-sustained growth means people work 40 hours instead of 30 hours. by success have money, income for their families and deciding how they want to spend it rather than getting in line and being dependent on governor. back to the roundtable with steve and francesca. this was sensitive, how republicans talked about it with mitt romney in 2012. jeb bush clarifying this and saying, hey, i'm talking about people not working 40 hours a week, underemployed people who want to work 40 hours a week. he's talking about giving them an opportunity to do that. how does this sound to people

coming from jeb bush? >> consistently you talked about mitt romney, republicans have a problem talking about jobs and people out of work. if he stayed in that lane, workforce and participation. only 2 in 3 americans working. what i want to do as president is create jobs for those people he would have a whole lot of people listening for the right reasons instead of the wrong reasons. >> the republican field, when i talk to republicans they took away from 2012. saying, look, our message may be sometimes too easily portrayed as favoring the top 1%. we need a bottom 99% messenger, somebody who maybe resonates more with blue-collar voters. at the time they were saying chris christie. that doesn't look like it will happen. does this set off warning signs for republicans? >> i think it does. he's right saying workforce production is low. productivity is high, went up dramatically even during

recession. what's been low is wages, wages haven't kept pace with inflation as corporations are making record profits. that's the issue to address, why the comment will haunt them. not as bad as the 47% mitt romney made in 2012 but it will haunt his campaign. >> are you guys looking at jeb bush democrats saying this is a guy we can make mitt romney. a son of privilege, a son of wealth? >> we do not have to. he's doing it to himself. yes, the answer is absolutely yes. this probably won't hurt in the republican primaries but will hurt badly if not the general election. you will see this quote often, in almost every ad. >> thank you to susan milligan, francesca chambers, steve mcmahon. we'll be right back.

that's "hardball" for now. >> tonight on "all in." >> take the symbol of hate off these grounds on friday. >> the lost cause loses again as the flag is finally coming down. then did jeb bush really tell americans to suck it up and work longer hours. >> i think people want to work harder to be able to have more money in their own pockets. >> plus presidential candidate martin o'malley joins me live. not so fast reince priebus, donald trump will say what he wants.