physic follow me on twitter @greta. i hope you go to facebook. "hardball" with chris matthews starts right now. the trump probe goes bipartisan. let's play "hardball." good evening. i'm chris matthews in washington. president trump has new national security adviser and statement major general h.r. mcmaster to serve in the role following dismiss of michael flynn. fbi leading inquiry, the intelligence community begun

their own investigation into russia interference with our election. former request to dozens organization, agencies is individuals asking them to preserve materials. nbc confirmed yesterday that letter reached the white house. it comes after -- shortly after that meeting, marco rubio posted this tweet. -- putin interference and influence. inhis interview they confirmed that the white house received letter. he down played it. >> that doesn't mean there's anything there, it means they need to do some things to

satisfy the commission that they have looked into something and they can have meetings behind closed doors and issue a report. as long as they do their job and we cooperate with them, they will issue a report and the report will say there's nothing there. i talked to the fibi. i know what they are saying. >> that's interesting. reporting from the "new york times" from last week a quote americans with ties to trump repeated contacts with current and russian officers. with me is the panelme. i want to go to ann, this question of this paper that's been sent in found its way on

the desk of mike flynn. it proposed russia -- we don't know how to got there except this guy mike koe wen dropped it on his desk. >> he retracted that. the times is standing by its store. we don't know what happened. but the organize story was that he -- >> the proposal details peace plan that removes u.s. sanctions on russia. lawmaker drafted the proposal. and it was green lighted by president putin. >> it would codify the -- and the annexation would be put up

for referendum that it would be approved that russian lead vas el area that would go against current u.s. position, and the trump administration has not come up with its own position on the future of kcrimea, the production of private democracy -- >> minute ska agreement -- >> there's still all of these negotiations about the minska agreements -- >> let's focus on one thing. the ro the role of the trump people

playing foot see with the trump campaign. now says he did not put it on the desk of natural security director michael flynn, you're paper says he did. what is people around trump doing the work flaking for, working for vladimir putin. this thickens the stew beyond what people thought was problem. it looks like they are working together, the trump people and vladimir putin himself. >> who put the letter on the desk. the tuesday breaks the story saying that the trump campaign was in constant contact with the russian intelligence, friday comey briefs the intel commune and they come out of the community like ghosts and rubio

say -- the document comes out on that same day, 2017 is going to be year of kicking russia's but. there's a lot of facts on the ground and huge amount of smoke and fire. >> i would say so. back to you, the question of sequence, as they put it, they have a meeting, the guy briefing them is comey. they come out, it's brotherhood and sister hood happening against trump, they send a letter -- what do they call it -- >> the shreader. >> the community is protecting the investigation they do.

they do not want to be republicans on that committee -- accused of having to setup the investigation to fail by allowing documents to be destroyed or by not setting the proper scope for this investigation. clearly, comey told them some things that concerned them enough that they were ready to say, republicans and democrats a alike, this going to be broad investigation. white house ask 12 agencies don't put anything in the shreader because we're diagnose to want to look at it. >> putin had -- grabbing back effective control of crimea, maybe making a threat, or worst, we know that goal. what do we know about how that goat was brought to the -- in collaboration with the trump

people who wanted to get trump elected. those are two goals that have nothing to do with each other. the papers showing them spliced together. >> part of putin's ambition has been to get rid of the unni polar world. instead of this constant tug of war between washington and moscow. to do that instead of raising russia up, he brings america down a few notches. they never expected trump to win. >> you think that was the goal? >> either way -- >> it makes sense because she was probably winner, why to the hamstring her from the start. >> she comes in hobble or -- >> and under a cloud --

>> who seems to have common cause and personal -- >> they are both strong men you may say because of giving trump a little credit, he thinks it's going to be east west against isis. >> right, the campaign saying united states cannot solve everybody's problem which is exactly what putin wants united states to be. >> the russia is preparing a psychological profile on trump. -- i love to say that word putin, there's a common interest around this table. quote -- who can be naive, an dra telling nbc news trump cannot come to meeting with

putin as a loser. he has to sort out domestic problems first. u.s. president is dancing on thin ice. the kremlin ought to state media -- i'm not sure i buy that story. let go to you, nick, the question of what they make of trump now that they have got him, following what ann said and julia said, if they didn't know he was coming. he is here. trump is president of the united states. they have to figure out -- all they come up with is that he is ri risk-taker. he running for president -- >> the dossier seems like a google search, the kind of thing

you pick up if you read the paper, we knew that already. it seems like a jab at him to mess with him a bit. russia wants a weakened america and eu. that's their goal. if they can have him off chasing his tail on domestic policy or dossier, it helps them. >> all they have on him is he is a risk-taker -- >> remember we used to put together a roeports, our government agencies, he mysterious, and vague -- >> he enjoys american jazz or occasional scotch.

>> thank you. zbloom co coming up donald trump says fl nato is obsolete. -- what does he do they are cleaning up for him overseas. is the trump doctrine. we used to get the european version now the american version. plus, there's a lot of comparison, nixon white house former investigators are coming to tell us comparisons are not appropriate. telling wealthy members of the golf club they are special

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ways wins. especially in my business. with slow internet from the phone company, you can't keep up. you're stuck, watching spinning wheels and progress bars until someone else scoops your story. switch to comcast business. with high-speed internet up to 10 gigabits per second. you wouldn't pick a slow race car. then why settle for slow internet? comcast business. built for speed. built for business. welcome back to "hardball." the world is watching president trump. candidate trump said he will grab oil in iraq. >> i didn't want to go there into the first place we take the oil. we should have kept the oil. we knock the hell owl of this,

take the oil. >> i said keep the oil. keep the oil. keep the oil. don't let somebody else get it. >> it used to be victor belonged the spoils. there's no victor. but i always said take the oil. >> four years ago i said bomb the oil, take the oil. i say the same thing. >> we should have kept the oil. maybe we'll have another chance. >> yesterday james "mad dog" mattis. here he is. >> we pay for gas and oil all oi long and continue to do so in the future. we're not in iraq to seize anybody's oil. >> here is president trump

strong word. it's obsolete because it was designed many years ago and countries are not paying what they should. today in europe, vice president mike pence was commit today our alliances. >> the united states of america strongly supports nato and will be unwavering in our commitment to this transatlantic alliance. >> gene, i remember when don said ewas cleaning up on the elephants. i don't think reagan liked the fact her husband is popping elephant.

now we have vp and chief cleaning up trump. >> they are skreweeping up as fs as they can. you have to make clear, no we're not going to seize iraq oil. >> can you imagine your son or daughter dying in the war. >> plus you have to reassure fractured out what president trump has been saying all along. what do you believe -- >> what's broken. evelyn, what's wrong where nato? it's the one good thing. it worked. >> it's only operational alliance we have in the same world. >> it's not the same.

in nato, first of all, automatically, almost automatically. second of all, we practice, we have exercise, we make war plans. every time we go to war, they come with us. after 9/11 the attack against united states that's only time nato nato invoked article v. it's ridiculous. vice president pence did a fantastic job. it was same thing in brussel. everyone wants to know what the president's policy is. >> he said you want us to bring back the cement --

>> we have to keep our country safe. we have to keep our country safe. you look at what's happening in germany, last night in sweden. who would believe this, sweden, took in large numbers. they are having problems like they never thought possible. >> what exactly was that happening. refugees in sweden responsible for increase in crime. my statement was this rerch reference to story in news. give the public a break large -- working out beautifully.

not. people stopped saying "not" ten years ago. what is smoking. you're expert what is -- i assume they are having problems. what else is new? >> no crime -- every country has crime. i don't know what percentage is caused by refugee. >> i can tell you, i get stories in the '90s about sweden trying tocy semilate -- it had is nothing knew and it's same issue that every european countries have had with assimilations. >> they don't reproduce very much over there. they do not have a great

fertility rate. >> we are based on creed. we are not based on land, we are based on our ideals. >> i think is a distraction. it's not about sweden or -- >> why is he do it? >> he is trying to pardon -- trump up a terrorists threat to justify the ban le trying put in place. >> i think you're right. because he is about to put out new ban. >> right. >> i have not seen any evidence of terrorist threat from overseas. >> heaven help us. >> britain signed a petition

opposing president trump. pod they debated the president's visit. >> when you have a man who is the president behaving like a child, how is he going to behave if had a future conflict might aric arise. we're in a position where we have a person with a unique personality running the united states. >> the american people voted for president trump get over it because he is president of the united states. when we stand up in this country and condemn him for being racist i have seen no evidence of that, of him being racist or they attack him in an unseeming which. we have attacking the american people. >> that could be any dinner table in washington. but they have different opinion.

i love to see a real debate like that. >> you mentioned dinner party it seems like a public discussion to come over for dinner who cares. >> trump is not going to go if they downgrade it. >> the petition has a binding -- >> if i were trump i would go. you promised you would, stick to your promise. i'm american on this one. >> that's what i feel. thank you. up next, the parallel between trump and nixon. both joins us to talk about why

the comparisons are not right. it's interesting. this is "hardball" where the action is. kerage fees. fees? what did you have in mind? i don't know. $6.95 per trade? uhhh- and i was wondering if your brokerage offers some sort of guarantee? guarantee? where we can get our fees and commissions back if we're not happy. so can you offer me what schwab is offering? what's with all the questions? ask your broker if they're offering $6.95 online equity trades and a satisfaction guarantee. if you don't like their answer, ask again at schwab. pcountries thatk mewe traveled,t what is your nationality and i would always answer hispanic. so when i got my ancestry dna results it was a shocker. i'm everything. i'm from all nations. i would look at forms now and wonder what do i mark? because i'm everything. and i marked other. discover the story only your dna can tell. order your kit now at ancestrydna.com.

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mbs newsroom president trump arrived back after long weekend of the florida retreat. he named h.r. mcmaster at national security adviser. six teenagers who fell through

the ice an they are saying 24e are expectsed to be okay. on this president's day u.s. postal service released new stamp. says the image shows jfk's optism for this country. back to "hardball." what did the president know and when did he know it. >> from two -- cartoon in the latest edition with the ghost of the nixon telling trump, it's time we have a chat.

they comment on the parallels and what we are seeing today. on ten scale of arm get ton, i would put russia at nine. this is five or six. in my opinion. it's cascading by the hour. mr. dean, nothing is the same where do you stand? >> i see interesting parallels. the russian break in was different than the watergate break in it ef is. but they deal both with the dnc. that's where the comparisons come from.

from there there's coverups going on. no one is confessing and that's what we had in watergate. >> i don't think watergate had much impact. but this time around i'm not sure. i think some of the disruption of the dnc, all of that stuff was at least a trick, they were screwing up their operation. >> here you have a foreign power who are interfering according to the unified version of our intelligence community, that's big. so the question is was mr. trump -- now president trump or any of his close associates involved with the russians

during the course of conduct. if so, then that would be huge. >> at this point, can you retrospective impeachment. >> if there was such activity, then this would be a critical act -- >> it would be a misdemeanor, right. >> that would be of the utmost seriousness to this country. >> it would woube a crime. 1973 press conference. >> what is it about the televisi television coverage that is aroused your anger? >> don't get the impression if you arouse my anger -- [ laughter ] >> i have that impression. >> one can only be angry with those he respects.

>> how british of him. nixon went further in private conversation, let's listen. >> we're going to aroused -- also never forget the press is the enemy. the press is the enemy. >> he repeats himself, trump does that. tweeting on just this past friday. fake news media is the enemy of the american people. your thoughts between these two media hater. >> trump is aaggressive out in public that's the difference in their style.

nixon worked behind the scenes. he had surveillance on a dozen news. he has plumber squads looking for leaks. so far, trump is just been right out front even picking the degree of a press conference where he openly attacks the media in the press conference. >> nobody i read in history things they are bad. the way they look at the world, even the bad think they are the good guys. my question is what was nixon's goal, to be on this list of great presidents was that what it was? >> peacemaker. he didn't want to care about --

that's when he envisioned his presidency to be. >> what do you see? >> -- he says i'm going to get rid of isis and bring peace not middle east. >> nixon was ready to be president of the united states. eight years as vice president, members of the house, senator, this is on the job training for trump and one can only hope that he utilized resources available and pick people to say no to him. he surrounded himself by people

who kcatered to his bad side, nixon did. >> thank you. up next, it's a day of empty trump rallies across the country. this is president's day, they are saying not our president's day. while republicans and -- you're watching "hardball" where the action is.

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a. welcome back to "hardball." call 2020 campaign rally in melbourne florida this weekend. 9,000 people showed up. >> come on up.

this guy -- he has been all over television. saying the best things -- i see him standing -- you got here 4:00 in the morning? >> i think so. >> say a couple of words to this rally. >> mr. president, thank you sir. we the people all movement is the reason why our president of the united states is standing here in front of us today. >> wow, meanwhile, outside the event hundreds were protesting the. on one side of the street thousands of sup pores -- on other side orange mesh fencing.

people gathered for not my president's rally. the country is clearly divided. nobody challenges that. experts the roundtable tonight. you're the man that made it famous. yes, you can. i forget. >> you have the power. >> you're unbelievable. let's talk about a polarized country. on this cable tv there's a passionate group of people behind you. and rush limbaugh proved that to be right. 40% to get in the game. >> right.

>> right. >> which way they they are doing this because it's gting entrenched. >> democrats arear behind what's aping. if you look at the protests at the airport, that's not persber sanders people. they don't like institutions we have not sold them yet. they have voted for our candidates three times in the row, they don't like institutions, this generation. >> which generation. boom >> under 35. >> what's this about millennials. >> republicans can get them if they stop the right wing stuff they are doing it. they are not going to get them. the big problem is what's

happening now, the democratic party is out in front of its base. you should have seen the pictures of young women lawyers, 30 years old, drafting motion to go before the judges a couple of weeks ago. that's future of the party. they don't they see this country needing to be united. >> i'm mill lienal, is that they believe absolutely equality of women because they are first generation born to mother's. >> they tonight like trump. >> they have governor -- they believe this -- they are one of the most activist on the planet.

they are engaged in getting out there and volunteering. they are -- >> what is this division going to be like is this. >> the country has been divided for over a decade now. 41, 42% dem democrats and 41, 42% republicans. only 70% of eligible adults voted of there's a lot of room for playing -- >> that's not even half. >> that's where everyone gets it wrong this terms of talking about this group or that group. >> in terms of elections, 2018, who is going to vote in that election. >> interests a huge drop of independent -- >> women. >> as they get older. >> it gets more white.

the one thing you don't know if usually the out party from the white house has more. you may see games being played -- >> i'm sorry. they are making too much of what is happening -- >> do you buy as indicator or not -- >> no. >> 9,000 people in melbourne is nothing. what does turn-out mean? >> it could be misread. it started out with the mid 50s with the unfavorable. the only thing changed was intensity was for both of them. both went up for trump. it didn't change. you are see the intensity of the

hillary favorables going up. >> i don't hear her name much. >> essentially, a reneging on everything. >> you have a ton -- every women's serve i'm on, there's so many -- women energized. that could have huge impact. when you get women -- if women turned out in 2012 in the same numbers in 20 -- that's how powerful women voters are. >> a good example in this --

suburb an white vote was down. that's the one that's watching closely. >> i believe the polls when say suburbs are going to smash trump. it didn't go that powerfully. it didn't happen. the suburbs were not an anti-trump as they talked about. coming up, how is president obama doing. this is "hardball" where the action is.

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because the ones who truly change the world, are the ones who can't wait to get out in it. when the third weekend in the row the president spent the weekend at mar-a-lago. in an audio recording, however, obtainedy splpolitico, then-president-elect is asking him to join him in interviews as he conducted transition business. let's listen. >> we're going to be interviewing everybody. treasury. we're going to be interviewing secretary of state. we have everybody coming in and we're going to have -- and i don't know if you want to come around but if you want to, it's going to be an unbelievable day. >> this comes a week after he hosted the prime minister of japan in florida. they held a crisis meeting on the patio of mar-a-lago after

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we're back with a special presidents' day edition of the "hardball" round table. c-span has a new presidential survey in which they rank the best and worst presidents. abraham, lincoln, george washington and roosevelt hold their top spots. and then big news here, dwight eisenhower moved into the top five for the first time ahead of harry truman. no one would have believed this. what do you think is missing on the list? who do you think should be hired? he kept us out of the middle east in the suez campaign and kept us from overarming and all of that crap. ike was a pretty good president but he wasn't good on civil rights. >> perhaps not good on civil rights but military and national defense, i think you're seeing

him rise a little bit because of that. i think you also have -- you know, quite frankly, if i looked at that list, abraham lincoln would be on there. roosevelt. >> near the top. >> teddy roosevelt. but also ronald reagan because i got to work for him -- >> he's number nine, which is not bad. i think the top ten is like nominated for the academy award. the nomination is the key. top ten is pretty good. >> i just began a book on teddy roosevelt by morris. >> "the rise of roosevelt"? >> yes. and his daughter talks about how he had to be the bride at every wedding and the corpse at every funeral. >> who does that sound like? >> george washington.

number one, i'll tell you what, washington did something that no other president did and it affected the whole world. he refused the third term and offers of becoming king. >> do you know what george iii said about that? >> what's that? >> he was living in england and said what do you think washington is going to do after the war? this is real. he said, i think he's going back to his farm. you know what george iii said? well, then he'll be the greatest man in the world. >> that's my argument. at the time of the development of democracy, the office was more important than the person in it. >> who would have known that mad george the third would get it. you're watching "hardball." woul. you're watching "hardball." iwou. you're watching "hardball." iwou. you're watching "hardball." iwou. you're watching "hardball." wou. you're watching "hardball." if you have moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis like me,

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table. tell me something i don't know. you know a lot. >> well, we've spent a lot of time talking about 33 of the 50 governors, we have 68, 69 of the 98. one of the things i think you're going to have out of the next two years, a lot of discussion, again, about a balanced budget amendment and republicans are just one chamber short of having both chambers and a governor to be able to pass a national -- >> how are you going to do that with trump? >> that's one of the issues why you see that become more and more of an issue. >> okay. ten seconds. >> republicans, main street partnership, the second week of the administration met with the speaker and actually mentioned the word impeachment.

>> governor? >> 35% chance of appointing a chairman in south bend, indiana. >> are you for him? >> i kind of am a little bit. >> good. he got an endorsement. that's "hardball" for now. "all in" with chris hayes starts right now. tonight on "all in" -- >> we've been working all weekend very diligently, very hard. >> the president tries to turn the page. but tonight, new reporting from "the new york times" and "the washington post" on donald trump's alleged back channels to probe putin forces in ukraine and financial ties to russia. >> i have nothing to do with russia. to the best of my knowledge, no person that i deal with does. >> then -- >> you look at what's happening last night in sweden -- >> sweden corrects the record. >> we should have taken the oil. >> as the trump administration refutes itself. >>