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tv   MSNBC Live  MSNBC  December 14, 2016 3:00pm-4:01pm PST

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hello. it is 6:00 p.m. on the east coast. you're watching msnbc live and we have new reporting on donald trump's conflicts of interest. we'll hear from a democratic member of congress who says the government cannot wait to intervene on all this. also, face to face with a confessed killer. drama courtroom moments as the survivor in the mass shooting at a.m.e. church testified today. and big changes at the white house. and we're not just talking about trump moving in. donald trump said this would be the week he would make clear the distinction between his private business. then he lded. today he literally put those conflicts on display holding a meeting with tech executives and then bringing his kids to it. the same kids taking over the trump organization so that it is separate from government activities. now, let's take this all in.
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every april there is a national holiday, take your kids to workday. a fun thing. in the trump administration, it is looking like that holiday is every sent day. i want to show you this. look at this. this right here is what an apparent of conflict of interest looks like. an incoming government official meeting with business executives and bringing his chides have no government rule but manage a supposedly separate business that enriches that government official. this is not normal. there's no reason to pretend otherwise. in fact, if you just take a step back, forget donald trump. it would be weird for any top ranking official to keep bringing children to their official meetings. at the penn or state or treasury. then you add in that these the very children on are supposed to run donald trump's company, he says, so that it is independent of government conflicts and pressures. donald trump is basically defying everyone right fwho you that meeting picture i just
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showed you. defying congress, the press, mix in the very week that he ran away from his commitment to outline a conflicts of interest plan. >> completely agree with what has been said. >> there you hear it. while none of this is normal, trump is inviting in these cameras so you'll look at and i think it is normal. to normalize it. to get people accustomed to an arrangement here before he takes office. and we want to be cleefrl it is not just these meetings camera. eric trump sat in on vetting meetings with trump and romney. donald trump jr. did sim at interviews with secretary of the interior. the trump kids may be great people and great business people. none of this is personal. but it is simply a fact to point out, they have not been sought out for their vetting experience
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in federal hiring or demonstrating experience in the particular staffing challenges of international diplomacy or the interior department. the interior has complex staffing. 75% overseeing fish and wildlife, land and minerals, the national park service, the indian bureau, all of those have to be managed by different people and there are people in government from both parties with experience in that. with expertise. trump's children do not. and they're doing work instead of those people because apparently they happen to be donald trump's children. is anyone in government going to do anything about it? a group of house democrats saying, don't wait any longer to do oversight into conflicts of these issues and address what they call gop stone walling so democrats convened this special forum outside the normal house oversight channels to probe trump's conflicts of interests.
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the ranking member cast the issue as a matter of both security and democratic legitimacy. >> what do i care about are the great conflicts of interest that are interwoven throughout president-elect trump's entire global corporate enterprise. i care about every instance in which a foreign entity will see an opportunity to bestow favors on the president could degrade our democracy. >> joining me, congressman connelly. i want to start with the issue of the children who are supposedly going to run the company and thus take it out of trump's hands and mind. are you concerned about what appears to be a blatant dual role they're playing in this meeting with big trillion-dollar market value business today? >> absolutely.
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if we're going to be concerned about potential conflict of interests, continue volvment of his children and a son-in-law may be part of the problem. when you have your daughter sit in on the first meeting you have with the prime minister of japan, it raises eyebrows. when you have your son-in-law vetting who is and is not appropriate for the cabinet, that actually raises big question mark. likewise, both eric and donald jr. and what role they're playing in the transition and what role they will play in trying on have him divest himself in billions of dollars in financial interests that are a clear and present danger in terms of conflict of interest around the world. >> we've reached out to the trump transition. i want to play with you the response. ivanka may be in a separate category if she is basically not running the trump organization.
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which from the little that they've provided, is the apparent signal. here is the transition press conference today speaking about this. take a listen. trump jr. is on the transition team. on this government, putting things together. so we've announce that had right from the beginning so it makes sense that it was active in the process. >> your view of that? >> he used the word trans parent when i think he meant opaque. there is nothing trans parent about what is going on here. we don't have his. at a, his tax returns. we don't know how they might affect his view of the relationships. russia is a great example.
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we need to know a lot more. there is a constitutional issue here. in article 1, it is a flat out prohibition from receiving benefits of any kind whatsoever from a foreign king, entity or making a profit. so he already has potentially an enormous problem. he has, you know, investments in dozens of countries with which the united states has good, bad and indifferent relationships and he is now going to be commander-in-chief. >> you mentioned the countries. there is no secret there from what is public. india, uae, indonesia, we can put the map up. a lot of places with the business ties. and then we look at russia. where his liquidity is from. what do you think, final question. your forum achieved today in. >> i think, i really do think in a nonpartisan way. we highlighted the ethical challenge for the encoming
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president and warned him this could tanlt every foreign policy decision he makes. fairly or unfairly. and therefore, there's a solution. divest yourself. get somebody who is trust worthy. not your family members. because they're taint, too. so you can begin january 20 with a clean slate. >> i know it is a busy day for you. thank you for making time for us. >> joining me now, ed rendell, and reporting on why republicans have lost their taste for oversight. your thoughts? >> i think that's exactly right. everything up earlier. trump said he will turn the companies over to the kids and yet the kids are there in government. what has struck me is that everything that republicans said
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about hillary clinton and conflicts of interest is now inoperative to use that nixon era word. tom cotton said hillary clinton will have to shut down the clinton foundation. the clinton foundation didn't produce profits. donald trump's empire produces profits for him. jason chaifetz said you'll have to open your kimono if you're running for president. where is his kimono policy about trump? and trump was supposed to tell thus week what he was going to do. this mysteriously gets put off until next month. he has told us he would release his tax returns. when is that going to happen? and the two are linked. you can't fully judge what conflicts are there unless you have more information on what trump's holdings are. it's a real mess. >> and governor rendell, it is not normal in government given
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the both they're taking. in state or federal government. and the issues involved. to bring your kids to everything. >> it is very strange. i don't think would it corrupt any potential conflicts if he kept his kids out of any government meeting. there would be work to be done. to do it, it looks like he's thumbing his nose at all of us and the american people. ask one of the ways you can clear this up is to have that press conference he promised to tell us how he will protect against conflicts. the excuse was they're too busy. but they weren't too busy to go to wis white house a victory tour. they were not too busy to spend time with kanye west. no offense to kanye west. but those are things he could have cleared up this very, very important issue. i think they're thumbing their nose at the american people. i've hear them say the president of the united states is not subject to any laws or
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regulations. that may be so. but the american people have a vested interest in making sure decisions are made. for example, let's assume for the moment that it comes out in a number of russian oligarchs who are very close to putin have loaned trump a great deal of money. what does that make you feel is an american citizen? does our president have the ability to have a hands off, a stand-off relationship with russia? or because they owe so much debt, will he be compromised? >> to your point, we reported that donald trump has said at business conferences, a disproportionate amount of their money was from russian illnesses. it is certainly something our national security point.
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what happens when you think about today's meeting when don trump or eric trump calls one of these executives in a month or half a year? is there some confusion with what business they want to do given the last time they saw him was as a representative of an incoming government? >> sure. and take an issue like neutrality. that's a very important issue for the silicon valley folks. if eric trump calls and wants them to do business the trump organization, or wants them to do something that will benefit organization, do they feel some inherent pressure? it almost is an unspoken conflict. you don't have to say anything. it is there and it is omni present. so i think it behooves president-elect trump to not wait to clear this up. >> we've done about 13 minutes here because we keep time on television, on the substance.
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i want to close on the politics. there are some republican who's are saying, whatever you think about the rest it, this is going to be a political headache that could consume an administration for four years. and they want for practical reasons, donald trump to come one some sort of line. instead of that, it seems like whatever the lawyers drew up has been tossed out the window and been replaced with a couple tweets. they're worried about the politics of it. >> and they should be. the substance will create bad politics for republicans if they don't just speak up and say trump has to do something here. and he says there are no rules for presidents. but as the congressman said, it makes very clear that he can't get any benefit pr foreign governments. and as you showed on that map, there are ample opportunities for that to happen to trump.
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i think they have on realize, if they don't say publicly, trump has to do something about disclosure and dealing with his interests. and he can do it by putting his buildings in real he state trusts or selling his company as a whole. >> thank you very much. governor rendell, we will let you know if kanye was indeed offended by your remarks. he has been known to be sensitive. >> i know. >> i think kanye is okay. i honestly do. >> on that note, thank you. just five days to formally go elect donald trump as president. and what happened on wall street that has only happened twice in the past decade. i beci changed as a person, drastically. ♪ i tried hard to quit smoking. ♪
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generosity is its oyou can handle being a mom for half an hour. i'm in all the way. is that understood? i don't know what she's up to, but it's not good. can't the world be my noodles and butter? get your mind out of the gutter. mornings are for coffee and contemplation. that was a really profound observation. you got a mean case of the detox blues. don't start a war you know you're going to lose. finally you can now find all of netflix in the same place as all your other entertainment. on xfinity x1. the electoral college's
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selection of the president now just five days away is as you know usually a formality of there is actually something unusual going. on an effort to use the vote the stop donald trump from becoming president. over 50 electors are saying. they want some extra information. and second, there is a lawyer advising some of the electors with second thoughts. he says now 20 electors are considering voting against trump, leaving them in potentially striking distance of the number of electors it would change who becomes president. that kind of move would usually be derided as overriding the public will. some are saying in this case, more voters backed clinton any way making a reversal actually the more democratic outcome. if your she had done spinning, we have a member of congress to break it all down.
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you've gotten a lot of the tension. from the start, what are you taulg for? >> well, ari, president obama came out in october and said there was good evidence from the intelligence community that russia was meddling in the election. wasn't until this last week that we learned about a cia brief for the members of the senate that said russia was doing with it the specific intention of weakening clinton and electing trump. all i'm asking for is that the electors have a chance to see an appropriately documented cia review before they make their decision on the 19th. if they can't get it done by the 19, that we post phone election until we can look at the evidence and make a good decision. >> you think as a member of congress, that it would be appropriate to delay entire electoral college vote? wouldn't that put a cloud over
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donald trump as president-elect? >> i'm worried about the worst cloud. that we discover in february or april when people have had a chance to look deeply into that it he should not have been elected in the first place. that this was the first time in american his 40 a foreign government has intervened in an election. the 9/11 of american democracy. the worst attack on american democracy really ever. and better to know that now. if they decide to go forward, as he legitimate president. >> one thing that is striking about what you've been calling for. people see it as very assertive and they're not always accustomed to democrats reacting that way. if do you the thought experiment, donald trump having gotten 2.5 million more votes in potentially a rigged system. and if the same story was swirling around hillary clinton around foreign intervention, you think and he many republicans might be making the noise you are. why do you think democrats
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aren't lining up behind you or are you trying onset a knew tone for democratic fighting? >> i think democrats will line up behind this. for hillary clinton, a server led to lock them up. i think we need change dynamic. not just including fighting for those folks that have been left out of this economy. we're supposed to be the party of the underrepresented, the less powerful. this is a good way to start. >> and walk us through what would happen. your idea potentially would be the intelligence briefing would provide some kind of information could change what electors do? i.e., stop trump? >> first, the intelligence community probably led by the president would need on find the appropriately redacted cia report giving them everything they need without disclosing the sources and methods.
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and congress sets the date of december 19. they can always postpone it. obviously we should do it before january 20 but that's enough time. >> all right. get out your calendars. thank you very much. straight ahead, we have an important update. the cease fire in aleppo. also, dylan roof coming face to face with a survivor. and an update on the bill cosby trial. ♪ i want a hippopotamus for christmas ♪ ♪ only a hippopotamus will do at the united states postal service, we deliver more online purchases to homes than anyone else in the country. and more hippopotamuses, too. ♪
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we have an update on the humanitarian crisis in syria. they are gaining ground against rebels. the syrian government close to recapturing aleppo which would put assad in charge of most cities in syria. that would be a blow against fight here's had destabilized
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the assad regime. the cease fire broke apart. bombings have resumed. many innocent civilians and children. in a moment of solidarity with the victims, the eiffel tower turned out its lights to honor all of those massacred. the u.n. ambassador and the author of a book on genocide is urging the security council of the u.n. to think about their inaction. >> when one day there is a full accounting of the horrors of this assault of aleppo, and that delay come sooner than ter. you will not be able to say you did not know what was happening. you will not be able to say you were not involved. are you truly incapable of shame? is there literally nothing that can shame you? >> samantha powers appeals there.
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very moving to many. some critics of the obama administration syrian policy also emphasizes the united states that has been part of an incapable approach here. and a lack of decisive action or intervention. the admiral who served under obama was saying today that it was the president's deliberative approach that turned out to be too cautious here. >> i think with president obama, one of his strengths is he is deliberative, cautious. in this case he needed to move with more alacrity and i agree with david. he will look back in deep sorrow and some shame. >> experts he is night war in syria has now claimed anywhere from 300,000 to 400,000 lives. and of course, as we're reporting, it is another 50,000 people, civilians, that are believed to be currently trapped in aleppo trying to flee right now. >> reporter: tonight the temperature is plummeting well below zero.
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some don't even have shoes. grown men are shivering. how is a baby supposed to survive? >> my grand son is orphaned. his father and mother were killed. we don't have anything to wear. we leave everything behind to come here. >> a grim crisis with very little hope in sight. we will be right back. many people clean their dentures with toothpaste or plain water. and even though their dentures look clean, in reality they're not. if a denture were to be put under a microscope, we can see all the bacteria that still exists on the denture, and that bacteria multiplies very rapidly.
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afoot and light-hearted i take to the open road. healthy, free, the world before me, the long brown path before me leading wherever i choose. the east and the west are mine. the north and the south are mine. all seems beautiful to me. we start with the harrowing
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day. dylann roof was face to face with one of his survivors. poly said he left her live because he wanted her to relay his gruesome murders to the world. legally both sides in the case rested today. roof had initially tried to represent himself, by the way. then he brought his lawyers back in. he did not take stand in his defense. closing arguments begin tomorrow. mariana has been covering this in the courtroom in charleston, south carolina. let's just be clear. typically, we see violent criminals try either remove or intimidate witnesses or survivors. this was kind of the opposite. walk us through what happened in that dramatic day today. >> so ari, those emotional part of the day was when the jurors heard polysheppard's testimony.
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she was the one who dylann roof spared to tell what transpired that night at the ame church. that's what she did on the stand today. she described the moment the shooting began. then how she sought refuge under a table and was able to grab somebody's phone to call 911. i was there in the courtroom. the jury heard her on the been to that 911 operator, fearing for her life. dylann roof still in the room. just listen. so basically, she said to the 911 operator, he is still here, he is still here. i am afraid. and then she just started praying. god, please help me. it was at that moment when dylann roof told her to shut up, ari. all of that was played in the
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courtroom today. with her testimony, the prosecution book ended their case. you'll remember, they started this trial by hearing from another survivor. and now with poly's testimony, they ended their presentation. then judge asked dylann roof to come forward. he specified he did not want to testify on his own behalf. when the defense rested. and you know, i was just on the been to the father of the 26-year-old who died that night at the church. and he said one of the hardest things being in that courtroom today was that dylann roof showed no emotion. he said it is frustrating because it seem like he does not care. tomorrow, it is set to begin at 9:30 in the morning. then jury will begin deliberating. it remains to be seen whether dylann roof will represent
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himself for the sentencing phase. because he still has one of the best known death penalty attorneys working for him right now. but he changed his mind before so we'll have to wait and see what happens in this next phase of the trial. >> that's the big question. whether he faces capital punishment. the other big case we're following is the sex crime trial of bill cosby. this depends on whether the judge will let the 13 women testify against him. prosecutors say that is key to proving his lifetime of sexual assault. cosby's lawyers say it is totally unfair to bring in accusations that are not at issue in the trial and which won't really be corroborated or disproven in any clear way. they have history on their side. courts do not usually include that kind of additional evidence of accusers unless it proves a special pattern of behavior. joining me now, the veteran
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prosecutor, paul henderson. this is one of those things that gets a little more interesting, or a tougher call as you zoom in. if you start out far away, you go, if a lot of women accuse bill cosby of bad things, shouldn't they all be heard? >> it is a little more complicated because as you can imagine, evidence like that and testimony like that is prejudicial. so much so that the judge has to evaluate and weigh whether or not the prejudice is balanced against showing the modus operandi or the pattern and practice of this specific defendant, bill cosby, in terms of what he's done in the past. keep in mind there is one person on the stand. or one victim that has charged in this case. so these 13 other previous victims are not individuals that are associated with the charges
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that are currently penaltying against bill cosby. this is what prosecutors are saying. they are saying they need on show this pattern and practice as a behavior instinct that he was engaged in to add credibility to the one victim that is on the stage here. >> right. which is tricky. they want to say, here's this thing that he does. it involves drugs and incapacitation. and yet some of the memory of the key accuser is fuzzy, allegedly because of the nature of the incapacitating crime. and yet i want to read from the defense attorneys. you end up in a rabbit hole of a bunch of other things aren't on trial. here's what them about one of the accusers. she's been sober for 19 years but around the time she was allegedly having the encount we are mr. cosby, she had begun a spiral of drugs and alcohol. how cause the judge evaluate
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whether it is worth the jury's time to hear those kinds of arguments. we don't have a jury yet. but to hear arguments about someone who is ultimately not central to this case. >> that's why we're doing these 402 hearings. where the judge determines ahead of time what evidence can be used. is that what he'll be evaluating and this is where it is likely to be headed. if he rules that evidence can be used, that it is independently relevant to a material issue in the case, which i think a lot of this testimony is, what he is likely to do is limit what that evidence can be and so instead of having all 13 of these previous victims come and testify, he is likely to limit a number of those victims and manage how much a jury can hear. so it won't be just victim after victim after victim coming in. the judge may say, you can add up to two or three or four or five and limit the scope of your cross-examination and evidence in these ways.
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and i think that's what will happen. >> we saw a potential preview of trial strategy. in that they depicted bill cosby as aging and blind. what is the strategy with that? >> bill cosby's ability to aid in the defense of himself, saying because he is blind, he can no longer see or identify whom these individuals are. and if you couple that with the length of time in which the incidents were alleged to take place, that they cannot adequately prepare a defense. because of that, they should be restricted or restricting the prosecution from bringing the charges. the judge has ruled and thrown this out. the judge has already made several rulings against bill cosby by saying that he is fit to stand for trial. he can aid in his defense. he is also admitted into evidence some of his prevent testimony from his civil cases and he is moving this case along. i think what is likely an
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indicator based on this judge's rulings, is that he is going to admit some of the testimony from these previous victims. and we will see that evidence being used against him again, against this singular victim for this singular count that he still could face up to ten years of custody if found guilty. >> paul henderson making a pre dpik we will hear. we rely on your expertise so i will hold you to that. we'll check back next time. thank you for joining. >> thank you for having me. donald trump was meeting with silicon valley executives today. we mentioned that. and boy, what a difference a couple months make. paul ryan on stage with donald trump and boos that could tell you who has the leverage in their emerging -- yeah, with liberty mutual all i needed to do to get an estimate was snap a photo of the damage and voila! voila! (sigh) i wish my insurance company had that... wait! hold it... hold it boys... there's supposed to be three of you...
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the fed is liking interest rates a notch. it is the first interest rate like since last december.
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trump and his aides steve bannon have been talking up domestic spending. in trump's meeting, he took credit for what he called a market bounce. >> i am here to help you folk do well. and you're doing well right now. and i'm very honored by the bounce. they're all talking about the bounce. right now everyone in the room has to like me a little bit. and anything we can do to help this go along, we'll be there for you. >> trump kafgt himself there as a friend of those companies represented. he has been dramatically attacking other individual companies by name. he has released statements online attacking boeing and lockheed martin. slamming the f-35 jets as out of control in a tweet that extent stock tumbling. it amounts to over $3 billion in
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market value. analysts say there's nothing new about government officials taking on defense spending or potential waste. but by singling out companies without legislation or policy plan, trump appears to be add go uncertainty to the markets and costs for shareholders without any obvious benefit for the u.s. in return. joining me now to break it all down, the form he secretary of labor in the clinton administration and author of saving capitalism for the many. not the few. i suppose you are someone who would be open to a policy oriented way to cut defense spending. but how you do it and if that's what you're even doing matters, what do you think is the value of these tweets? and do they get in the way of the very goal he claim to be pursuing? >> that is a very good question. it is very difficult to know at this stage, he is still only president-elect. it is hard for to us remember that. there is still a president called barack obama.
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but after january 20th, it seems pretty clear that donald trump is going to use not just the bully pulpit but also, every means at his disposal to achieve what he wants to achieve. whether that is talking down particular defense contractors with regard to how much they're charging the government, or getting company to keep jobs in the united states, or even being a little retributive. as he was allegedly with twitter today. even though he is the twitter, tweeter in chief. twitter was not invited to the meeting of high-tech executives. >> right. and you're referring to reports that that was some kind of payback. there was some theory about a potential icon or emoji about clinton and they didn't like it. and all of that stuff. the trump folks have pushed back. but there is a long undocumented record of him being aggressive,
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bullying and nasty. the difference is he is coming into government. let me read to you again on the market impacts. he hit other defense stocks. the attack appeared to have an impact. so the question becomes whether this is a responsible use of the bully pulpit. there is a rule in congress that you can't pass legislation that is designed to target one person or company. a bill of attainer. that is seen as an inappropriate use of power. we don't have rules about whether the president can hate tweet a company but it does seem to be moving in lines that are concerning. >> that's right. it doesn't matter whether one wants less defense spending or whether somebody wants a different kind of policy. the issue is procedural. and bits fairness.
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it is also about the arbitrary and capricious use of power. do we want a president to by himself, the basis of what his particular whim may be or what he read or what somebody whispered in his ear, to take on an individual company and send the share prices falling because that president doesn't like what he heard. i would think that is a real issue and it is going to be a growing issue under the donald trump administration. >> you were at labor. labor and treasury do a lot of thinking about these issues. how will both the career people who are going to be there, as you say, in january, when the power is transferred, and others, deal with this? >> well, the career people. many of them are still there at the labor department and i was working very closely with a lot of career people. those career people are very wary of politicians who use
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their, let's talk about it as arbitrary decision making power. they are concerned about process. the bureau of labor statistics, for example. they want to make very, very sure that there is no political interference in its work. a lot of other departments and agencies, also are understandably wary about arbitrary use of data or to the contrary, donald trump has said he doesn't want intelligence briefings and he doesn't trust the cia. it is not clear how he will be making decisions. >> yeah. you take my breath away. that's one of the questions. what is the underlying information? or is there a ledge it massey? he apparently thinks this is good. we're out of time. thank you for joining me. the incoming white house chief of staff is hinting at some potentially major changes for the press briefing.
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why put up with just part of a day? you want the whole thing? yes, yes! live whole. not part. aleve. we have plenty to talk about. i'll bring our panel straight in. a political report we are the guardian and our own reporter. here is what people are talking
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about. reince priebus causing a little stir by telling a conservative radio show that trump could change some pretty longstanding press traditions like the weekend radio address or even maybe the daily briefing. >> many things have to change. and i think it is important that we look at all those traditions that are great, but quite frankly, as you know, don't really make news. even looking at the daily white house briefing from the press secretary. i mean, there is a lot of different ways that things can be done and i can assure you, we're looking at that. >> the way i interpret that is consistent with donald trump canceling tomorrow's press announcement with questions potentially about his conflicts. there is a theme that they want
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to flood it with pictures and content and avoid situations where they are facing questions. >> two things. first of all, generally what happens is each day is a white house press briefing. and the seats are the white house press association. the networks are in the front row. and the second row has the big papers. and he has said they might not do the daily questions meaning you wouldn't get to talk to the administration and find out directly with a their resacks to something in syria or a big news event. if you're trying to rearrange the seats, if you don't like the way he asked the question, they will maybe move hill to the fourth row. a dangerous implication. >> i get that people want to take pot shots at the press.
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this is important and it is about whether the government is in charge or independent press. the white house press association is an independentent at this. everyone from us to fox news to "new york times." and that is a power source. we're seeing a trial balloon around challenging that power. >> right. at the end of the day, the media should not be operating by donald trump's terms when it comes to coverage and access. this is somewhat consistent with some of the concerns that have been raised by the press with regard to donald trump's transition process and what the media pushed for. resisting a protective pool.
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which was typical. and there is makeshift protective pool. but you recall he had gone out for dinner with his children a few days after the election without alerting the press. and there was a tradition to black list. so in materials of precedent setting, it is a dangerous direction to be moving in. and this is reflective of the attitude he's had. thissate adversarial relationship. and it feeds into the idea that the media is not to be trusted and is out to get him, operating with an agenda. so this has raised a lot of alarms for those who hope for an open and accessible administration. >> another question regarding rex tillerson. robert gates was the one who first recommended him and trump was seriously considering romney. but according to a romney ally,
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trump wants an apology and said that he wanted to be forward looking. but we can be backward. what the tension might have been for is mitt romney saying stuff like this. >> think of donald trump's personal qualities. the bullying, the greed, the showing off interesting mysogyny, the absurd third grade theatrics. donald trump is a phony, a fraud. his promises are as worthless as a degree from trump university. >> i want to be clear about the facts. if we fact check it, a lot of that was opinion. but a trump university degree is literally worthless. under new york law, they were forced to stop using the word university because they were never a university. the rest of it though is
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opinion. >> if romney had been picked, he would have had a confirmation hearing. he would have been replayed that video again. he would have had to walk it back in some ways anyway. so he was going to have to reverse it. i think it is small of trump to ask for an apology. i remember hillary giving a detailed public apology. i'm not surprised trump asked for this and i'm not surpriseded romney decide not to do it. the remarks are out there. >> maybe he wanted the apology before formalizing the role. >> yes, at the end of the day, we know donald trump holds a grudge. >> mitt romney after did meet with donald trump, he came out and told reporters that he was impressed by the meeting. and at the end of the day, he thought it was enough.
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clearly donald trump thought it was insufficient. >> thank you for watching. you can find me on facebook or e-mail me whether you like the show or not at ari @msnbc.com. i'll be hosting again tomorrow at 6:00. "hardball" starts right now. >> trump's war. let's play "hardball." >> good evening. we are just weeks away from donald trump being sworn in as our 45th president of the united states. as he enters, he will immediately faces crises. and nothing is more devastating than years. i can't there are scenes of utter devastation coming from