one of our very last words that we post on line? >> sure thing. >> clara bingham, tonight's last word. chris hayes is so unfair. trump on tear. let's play "hardball." >> good evening. i'm chris matthews. call him the fighter. a combative donald trump jabbed at a long list of enemies. trump's number one target was the media. today's press conference was called so that trump could detail which veterans groups were receiving donations from a january fund-raiser he held. here is some of the action today in trump tower. >> the dishonest press.

disgusting press. >> that's generally 100% true. >> it seems against you're scrutiny that comes from running for president of the united states. you've raised money for veterans. >> you're a really beauty. i'm not looking for credit. i don't want people to say, like this sleazy guy right over here from abc. he's a sleaze in my book. you're a sleaze because you know the facts and you know the facts well. >> i think you've set a new bar today for basic contentious calling us losers. >> not all of you just many of you. >> is it going to be like covering you? >> yes. it is going to be like this, david. >> it is going to be like this. hallie jackson on the front line. let's talk about this a little bit. is there any discrimination in

the way he goes after the press? does he really single out people that he honestly, that's not the right word. he thinks has been unfair to him. is there any logic to this or a general i know the best way to become popular is to trash the press? >> i think you nailed it. he's an equal opportunity insulter particularly when it comes to the press. that is a low risk strategy for him. republicans who support him, many conservatives believe the press is biassed. donald trump attacks the media, it's kind of a win-win for him. it's nothing to lose. that said, there was that question raised, as you noted, about how trump would act if he was the president. that goes to the broader question about his temperament and tone with our polling showing that one in ten americans believe he does have the right temperament. he says he similarly not going to change. this is how he is.

>> does he go after the conservative press, the right wing press such as it is? >> you know, at times. i think you got to see who he's talking, when he's talking. we were lined up in the front row. most of the bigger newspapers and trump kind of selected a few to camera today. that is a strategy that he's used for nearly a year now. >> the press, i think, are seen ooze liberal. i think fox is not. you're sitting right next to major garrett, were you immune to his assault today? >> well, i don't know if we were immune. i think that there are certain questions that trump would prefer not to answer and i think that some of those questions revolve around the issue of, as we talk about, accountability. you saw him become angry about these questions over the charitable donations. he feel like if he says he's going to donate, that should be good enough.

you heard him sort of complaining there or upset that he has donated money and he feel like he's not getting credit he should be receiving for making those donations. on the other side, the question should be held a public rally in a public way that he did not attend because it was moderated by megyn kelly. it was a public raising of money and so some argue there should be a public accountability for where the money went. >> yeah. i'll find out whether the press is. i wonder what the mood is in that first rank. i also wonder what the attitude. we'll talk later. >> well -- >> you thoughts if you have them. does he have any case? >> that's an interesting question. what you see, you asked about

conservative media. one person he calls out are some of the fox news reporters that are at the events. i was at rally last week sort of praising the fox news reporters. he often appears on that network. he is had a relationship or touted for example, drudge headlines. this is a candidate who, he will draw contrast with hillary clinton saying he's the one calling into networks and msnbc or cnn or these other networks. >> i dug up the old archives where he said if he ran for president, he would be using shows like ours like msnbc. they didn't even exist like this when he first started run. there wasn't any "morning joe" or shows like this. there wasn't shows like us but now he seems to have foreseen the existence when he started running for president. thank you for the front line reporting.

today trump also went after third and possibly fourth party challengers to him. big -- bill crystal tweeted it will be an independent candidate, an impressive one with a strong team and real chance. john heilemann and mark halperin said crystal was referring to a conservative author named david french. trump fired back at crystal and others. >> he's the last one. don't forget, trump will never run. the guy is not a smart person. i blame you. why do you put this guy on television? he's got no credibility. it sounds like he's going to put somebody up. even i thought it, they'll find some indy. he's trying to make you a little bit nuts. if they do an indy, assuming it's decent, which i don't think anybody with a reputation would because they would look like fools.

you lose the election for the republicans and therefore you lose the supreme court. >> michael steele the former chair of the republican national committee and howard fineman global political director. remember the year of replacements for the nfl. i be thinking -- i'm thinking they come up with this guy david french who writes for the national review of conserative magazine, he's their candidate now. >> he's always running against his own party. he's at war with his friends, people who should be his friends like susanna martinez in mexico. >> the so-called republican establishment is running people against the republican candidate.

>> it's a strong argument. >> what value is a third party candidate or fourth party except to destroy the chances of somebody else. ralph nader destroyed al gore. all these people say don't blame me, i voted for john anderson. give republicans on the

anti-trump bandwagon. somebody to vote for. >> it's the least democratic way to pick a president. >> whether it works or not, it would be helpful to have someone that somebody knows. >> yes. >> start with that. >> you know david french. >> i know who he is. i'm almost certain that rank and file republicans around the country have no clue who this brother is. we wanted to talk about it. >> people are saying this would be an honorable mission that they need somebody with courage and heft. >> libertarians are saying that too. they wrote mr. johnson isn't

likely to win a state, but he can still play a useful role by reminding the major party candidates that they aren't the only choices. mr. trump seems to think he can say whatever he wants because millions of voters are repealed by mr. clinton. >> 50% of the population he's talking about hispanics, mexicans in this way when the opposite is true. it's racist. >> are you ready for donald trump once you're in this thing and he recognizes you to give you a big punch in the nose for calling him a racist? >> i think they already started coming. so, you know, donald. >> trump hit back today. >> gary johnson got 50% of the vote. i watched that whole situation. it was disgraceful. i think he's a fringe candidate

if you want to know the truth. >> trump took a shot at bill well. he said, i don't talk about his alcoholism. a recent fox poll showed him getting 10% of the vote nationally. if these guys get in the race, gary johnson's in it. if somebody else, an undisclosed name gets in, it does wear down the center right and the right. >> i think it does. i think the libertarian thing is much more worthy of attention. they will be on the ballot in all 50 states. they have their ticket. bill weld is a smart guy. both of these guys are fearless. they have been through the wars of politics for 30 years. both of them. they're not going to be scared by donald trump. they have nothing to lose. >> they're not going to win electoral votes so why are they

running? >> if they're sitting at 10% right now and not been profiled or recognized nationally, the chance to get to 15% is very good. >> can they win states? >> i don't know if they with win states but that's not the objective. the objective is to get to 15%. it's a step by step process. >> is it good for the country to be governed by somebody who loses a three way race? >> that's not what this is about. >> this is anti-trump, anti-clinton. i don't think the country is ready for the libertarian party. if they're going to try to reach out to the obama coalition people will start asking questions why --

>> the real choice is between the top two. >> exactly. >> one of them will be president. don't we want honest voting. >> a third or fourth party candidacy has to take hold. this is the perfect cycle for that. >> however, the libertarians are not going to appeal primarily to disgruntld democrats. those are not bernie sanders voters. the point of the libertarian campaign will be to prevent donald trump from being president. >> and hillary clinton. >> most of the votes will come out. >> why does this remind me of siphoning gas out of someone's car? you don't like trump, vote for

hillary. >> in the last week you said the republican nominee walks like a penguin. >> i'm not a fan of mitt romney. he looks like a fool. >> you said you're committed to party unity. >> what about her? >> she was not nice. i was fine, just a bit of a jab. you think i'm going to change. i'm not changing, including with her. >> it was great. he took those two reporters seriously. i don't know if it's great but it's interesting. some of the reporters he trashed in their face. he argued with them. >> i would go back to my analogy from game of thrones. donald trump is a conquerer. he's not a politician. anybody in his own tribe who is noting with loyal, he's going to

trash. he's going to try to make susanna martinez come to him. he's going to try to make mitt romney come to him. he's going to try to make him submit. that's his mentality. it's a mentality that's foreign to american politics. >> most people when they get a job, they try to make some friends. who's he do? who can i find with around here? >> it is. >> why is he doing it? >> he's bringing his style into a very stayed political process which has a formality. >> which you know well. >> it's the part of donald trump that i do like. he does upset that apple cart. the question is can you dial it back. i don't think that's his temperament to dial it back. it's a siege mentality.

>> he may lose the crowd. thank you for that. thank you. howard fineman, thank you. hillary clinton and bernie sanders are locked in a hot fight for california. looks like it's going to be hot. clinton could win the nomination before california's results come in. she may need help to nudge sanders out of race. also, we're going to get senator barbara boxer's take on the race in her home state and the looming battle between hillary clinton and donald trump. we'll get back to the vault for more vintage donald trump stuff tonight. some surprise things he's told me including naming oprah winfrey as a potential running mate. pretty good choice. finally, let me believe with the hard to believe shooting ability of steph curry last night. this is hardball.

our new survey shows americans believe both paries have some repair work to do when it comes to unity. 34% say the republican party is divided but will unite by november. 55% say the gop will still be divided come november. 60% of the democrats say they are united. 43% seedy vision but predict unity by november. we'll be right back.

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presidency and stop the dangerous candidacy of donald trump. this is no time for democrats to keep fighting each other. the general election has already been done. this comes from hoover institution leading by 13 percentage points. the results are at odds with another recent poll completed later at the public policy institute of california which tsli puts clinton narrowly ahead. 46-44. with her share of delegates one of the primaries, clinton is 71 delegates shy. she's likely to reach that next tuesday night. clinton could clench the nomination before the polls close. sanders suggested he would try to persuade the super delegates to switch to him. here he goes. >> some discussions that the

media will say the campaign is over. that's not accurate. i don't think the dnc thinks that's accurate. super delegates don't vote until they're on the floor of the democratic convention. the most important responsibility is to make sure the democratic party has the strongest candidate possible to defeat donald trump. >> it seems to me that two people are arguing two different things. the facts are the super delegates have expressed a loyalty for hillary clinton pop those who have done that and those numbers of super delegates up with the delegates she's won

and she will win the requisite number of votes to win the nomination. what senator sanders is talking about that shouldn't be official and shouldn't be treated as official. i guess that's just an argument. how do you see it? >> it brings back memories of 2008 when hillary clinton won eight out of the last 11 primaries including the big states. we made the argument, clinton delegates and supporters, she's the strongest candidate, look at how she's finishing. the super delegates voted for the person who got the most elected delegates. that's the democratic way. i think hillary clinton will do well in the virgin islands caucus on saturday and in puerto rico on sunday. she will come in close to the nomination right then and there. jersey will put her over the top. bernie's point is correct. super delegates don't vote until the roll call comes. he's going against his own theme that it's rigged.

>> i think that's the question. this will go on for a while. maybe to the convention. bernie sanders big choice whether he said this was rigged or she won fair and square. he can say that based upon delegates won. if she wins the most delegates, it seems to me he can say it's my thinking here, she won. >> i don't think he has to say it right now. if he said as of next tuesday, if i lose, i'll drop out then nobody will vote for him.

>> look at how tough he's playing it. sanders campaign is trying to remove barney franks and the chairman of the platform committee. the campaign writes governor malloy and mr. frank have been both aggressive astack surrogates for the clinton campaign. congressman frank responded to the sanders challenge with kate snow on msnbc. let's watch. >> senator sanders is disappointed he hasn't won. he's losing. he's losing not because anything is rigged. he's losing because hillary clinton has more votes. one of the things he didn't pay attention to is black votes matter. there's been a large african-american vote. as a result, she has more votes. >> everybody now has gotten a chance to take shots. barney frank has an iq of about

180. he seems an opportunity to shoot at sanders of not paying attention to african-american votes. sanders takes shots that mr. frank can't be trusted. it is getting pretty ragged out there. >> you're being nice to sanders tonight. he feels that the governor malloy and what he said was right on and congressman frank said things that went beyond the pail.

>> do you agree with him? >> no. governor malloy is the chair of the democratic governor's association. someone who is thought highly of by the progressive community. i think they would be fair. i can understand senator sanders point. i do. i think that barney frank and dan malloy would be fair. i don't think this is challenge that will amount to anything. i remember when i was kennedy delegate, we went on a platform >> i remember when you were.

let me ask you one last question. do you think one of the things that senator sanders is thinking about is why should i get out of this race now? the e-mail thing sits there. who knows what the fbi will do. who knows what loretta lunch will do. he pulls out, joe biden will get it or john kerry. he has to be out there. >> he has this throw wall at the spaghetti. he's looking for any life raft. >> do you think that's possible. that's what he's looking for. >> i'm still trying to digest the throw the wall on the spaghetti. that's good.

>> do you think senator sanders is waiting for some odd thing to happen like an fbi report in. >> no. if that happened before the convention even if he suspended his campaign, that's what hillary clinton did. nor would there be anything to stop placing joe biden's name in nomination. >> thank you. >> coming up, california dreaming. barbara boxer has been a member of congress since 1983, we'll take her take on 2016 race out there and the newly important california primary. this is hardball, the place for politics.

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>> welcome back to hardball. some doctors say this procedure is absolutely necessary to save a woman's life and protect her health. others say no. what if the ones who say it's necessary are right. >> welcome back to hardball. that was senator barbara boxer but back in 1995. she's been a long time proponent of women's rights. beginning her senate career in 1993. she's been reelected four times by the state of california. been a member of congress through five presidencies.

today senator boxer is out with a new book today titled "the art of tough." thank you so much. you look great if i'm allowed to say that. four terms. >> yes. >> you haven't become a middle of the roader. i think of you as an advocate politician. would you tell others how to win. >> be sincere and show you care. don't say one thing to one group and one thing to another. the reason we chose the title, "the art of tough" is sometimes it is tough. i open the book up with all the things that a lot of right wing folks have said about me. pretty bad. you learn not to take it personally.

at the end of the day people respect that, chris. >> you said, you're quoting some right wing blogger. barbara boxer is quite possibly the biggest doofus ever to enter the senate chamber. what do you tell us in this book based upon a quarter century and more if you count the how years that we wouldn't know watching from outside. >> what i really tried to get across is who's in the room really matters. you know that so well from your days as working with one of the great speakers of all times, tip o'neil. who's in the room matters. if there's all white men in a room, you will come out with a policy that doesn't reflect the nation. we needdiversity in the room and people in the room when discussing economics and foreign

policy. you have to be willing to stand up for what is right. i want to engage people to say it doesn't make a difference. it makes an enormous difference. you have two progressives running. >> i think this race could be close. what's in their thinking? >> i think everybody thinks that. i'm supporting hillary very strongly. the fact is i think it will be

closed because independents are voting as well as democrats. i think she's win. this is a serious time in history. it's a serious time in the world. the last thing we need is an insulter in chief, which is donald trump. is a divider this chief, which is donald trump. someone who's a bully and in many ways a coward. we don't need that. who is going to be the one who will unite this country? i think that's hillary. i think that's why she will take california. i know it's going to be tough and tight. i think she's win this nomination. she will win the most votes. >> let many ask you about the life of a senator. a lot of people grow up that's the greatest job in the world. such history to it. what's that like to represent the biggest state in the union

and having to work in washington, d.c. on the opposite part of the continent. what is that like, exactly? >> it's hard on your body. i knew what i was getting into. i'm not going to complain. i used to say i'm only 5 feet tall. in heels maybe 5'3". i used to complain about it. i can i capture, but in those airplane seats it's good. i can cuddle up. i come to a point where i make the most of it. i wrote this book in the paper. i would have a pen and pad. thank you. i would put it into my computer. it took three years.

understand they shouldn't be intimidated. i have all these people who troll, you have to take it as a compliment. i must be doing something that's changing the world if they're coming after me. >> i've known you more than 30 years, the great thing about you is when you look at barbara boxer on the television set, you do look great, but i do think people ought to know you are who you look like. you are the person who was talking. there's no different person to meet privately. you are barbara boxer which is great. thank you so much.

>> thank you. >> coming up, we're going to dial the clock backwards about 17 yard and look at a vintage donald trump and hear what he had to say long before his political emergence. hardball round table coming here.

it's totally unscripted and it works. you can't hide from the public. they really get to understand you as we all understand you, chris. >> welcome back. that was donald trump 12 years ago saying you can't hide from the public when you're on tv as much as he is. he was describing his new reality show, "the apprentice." it's also how he's running for

the presidential campaign. back in 1999 when trump was doing a run for president and asked if he would ever consider choosing a woman as his running mate. here is who he suggested. >> would you consider a woman for your running mate and if so, who? >> i would consider and as chris can tell you, i threw out the name of the a friend of mine. some people thought it was an incredible idea. i said oprah winfrey who is really great. we would be a very formidable team. >> for more on our look back at vintage trump let's bring in the hardball round table. jonathan, what did you make of that? who would you rather see president him or oprah? >> no contest, oprah. the idea that oprah winfrey,

today, would even consider being the running mate of donald trump is just laughable. oprah is good friends with the current president and first lady of the president of the united states. >> he was good friends. >> pat buchanan -- >> he was so tough on buchanan. maybe appropriately. >> he has done a complete 180. back then the buchanan piece is he was an anti-nafta, pro-lifer and anti-war. who is donald trump today, exactly that. >> maybe the greatest spin i've ever seen on anything is it's almost coming out that bush is war hero and kerry's not.

that could be the greatest spin i've seen. >> because? >> it happened to be brilliant. they have taken all of that war hero thing away from kerry and almost given it to bush. bush was not serving. >> there he is giving credit to the sleaziest campaign ever. john kerry's opposition of the vietnam war and turned it into an attack on the war itself and saying good politics. >> he knew he had to be on offense. kerry didn't respond. trump responds to everything and responds quickly. >> in 1999 trump talked to me about his plans for the economy which included taxing people on their net worth. it's not an income tax. this is a wealth tax. let's watch. >> i would tax people of wealth,

of great wealth. people over 10 million by 14.25%. this tax would raise approximately 5.7 trillion which happens to be our national debt. the economy would boom. we would have no debt. i know about debt. probably as much as anybody. i've had too much and i've had too little. you know what, too little is much better, believe me. >> there he is. this isn't anything -- this is basically take your money and the government grabs it. 15% of it. >> that was donald trump 1999. >> why was he a populist then? >> that was the thing to be then. >> it still is. >> why isn't he still running that way? >> he said he found a different undercurrent this time of something that the media wasn't tapping into.

>> do you know chris? >> that's part of that group of wealthy people. they all think i can pay some more taxes. >> the roundtable is sticking with us. up next, these three will tell me something i don't know. this is hardball, the place for politics. to win at the olympic games, allyson felix needs to... ...be quicker than everybody. to win at home, she needs to be quicker than... allyson: chloe! that's why allyson felix uses bounty. the quicker picker upper. allyson: chloe! allyson: chloe! bounty is faster and 2x more absorbent than the leading... ...ordinary brand, and faster than chloe too. allyson: come on chloe! bounty the quicker picker upper

what he would like to see from the nominee. what he'd like to >> what i'd like to see is a more studious approach. i think that winning the white house is about more than just entertaining a large audience. he's very good at that. he proved that. i think the american people also would like to see see him fill in the blanks. he's appealed to a lot of voters. he's going to be the nominee. i for one don't have any trouble supporting him because he's going to pick the next supreme court justice. but i don't think the republican party fundamentally is going to change. what he is helping us do is reach out to voters that are not likely to vote for republicans. >> mitch mcconnell saying he doesn't think the gop will fundamentally change. we'll be right back.

back with the "hardball" roundtable. tell me something i don't know. >> the first fund-raiser between the rnc and donald trump was $6.5 million. all of which is going to pay for data which donald trump says he doesn't need. >> whose idea was that? >> reince priebus. my friend. >> don't share. >> california's a semi-open primary. what that means is that in order for independents, who bernie sanders needs, in order for them to vote on june 7th, they had to reregister as no party preference. as no party preference they need to ask for an actual ballot for a democrat, republican, or independent. otherwise if they get the regular ballot there's no presidential candidates on that.

>> they know that? >> i hope. >> jonathan? >> chris -- >> following that. >> first day back after ten days' vacation, italy, the next morning of being there, i proposed to my long-time boyfriend of five and a half years, nick. >> i'm hearing it. >> there it is. >> congratulations. >> he said yes. and so -- >> that is your art? >> no, that's the art of my friend paul chamberlain. >> congratulations, sir. >> thank you very much. >> best wishes. we have the mandolin ready in the other room. being serenaded now. let me finish with the wonders i saw on television last night, over this memorial day weekend. it was in the sporting world as john kerry -- no as mitt romney would say. time in my kitchen.

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let me finish tonight with last night's finish of the golden state/okc basketball. basketball is my favorite sport, the fastest, most exciting, nine of ten times it's not about the lead, it's about who's hot. last saturday's game between golden state warriors and oklahoma city thunder was the greatest game we can remember.

klay thompson had 11 three-pointers, 11, saturday night. last night, steph curry was the guy from behind the arc. he's out there, 30 feet from the basket, covered by a 7-footer, hand in his face, barely had a second to stop. throws up a shot like i don't know what. it's a swish. tell me how he and a good number of the players on the golden state and thunder teams can hit from that range in a split second, they get open, or not open, or right from the dribble, tell me how they do it. baseball except for the strength of the players is not that different from the 1920s. that's a fan's guess. running backs in the nfl are faster than when i first started paying attention, all true. but there's no way in the world any of this compares to the exciting wild talent in today's nba. i'm with the impressive charles barkley, one heck of a shooter in his day. we have never seen anything like what we saw this weekend in american professional basketball. we invented this sport, players like westbrook, thompson, curry are reinventing it again today. today.

that's "hardball" for now why are "all in with chris hayes" starts right now. tonight on "all in." >> the press is so dishonest and so unfair. >> donald trump lashes out. >> is this what it's going to be like covering you if you're president? >> yeah, it is. >> why it took a media investigation for trump to fulfill this months-old promise to veterans. >> donald trump gave $1 million, okay? >> hillary clinton responds in my one-on-one interview. >> it took a reporter to shame him into actually making his contribution and getting money to veterans' groups. >> her comments on trump and the state department report on her use of private e-mail. then new documents released in the fraud lawsuit against trump university. >> he's been a very bad judge, very unfair. >> ralph nader is here to discuss the third-party impact. as a candidate emerges from this convention.