word. trumped up. let's play "hardball." good evening. i'm chris matthews in washington. for six days president trump let charge hang out there that president obama wiretapped him. that includes any evidence from the fbi. after going up to capitol hill, the director has no evidence that what trump said is true. today the president refused to answer questions about that charge. >> mr. president --

>> earlier this week, fbi director asked the justice department to reject the president's claim. last anytime he was on the hill meeting with house ask senate leaders. the topic was matters related to trump tower. here is that. >> illegal wiretap -- >> white house leader nancy pelosi were both in that meeting with comey, both declined to comment on what was said. here is nancy pelosi this morning. >> theoretically, do i think that the director of the fbi who knows for a fact that something is mythology but misleading to the american people, and he

should set the record straight, yes, i do think he should say that publicly. for getting comey for moment, going to the president, what is going on there? really? i think that he crossed a line with that. it's red meat for the base. >> we do not use fisa against the american people. >> that's right. after the day she was briefed by comey. here what the congressman, congressman schiff said after being briefed by comey. >> i have not seen evidence to substain ate that. >> meanwhile -- i stand by the statement i have seen no evidence. did president trump's charge go too far.

will be forced to recant. the panel is here to talk about this. >> i want you to start because you are a big picture guy. this is six days of a smear by comey that telling everybody else at the justice department push back on the story. it's not true. everybody in the intelligence, and the one's willing to talk all say, wait i minute. i still believe there's nothing there. they didn't learn anything it in. nothing's there. >> i talked to a senator and house members, both leaders who knows what was said there.

there was no statement by comey to indicate, just the opposite that number one, president obama, ordered anything. which he didn't do apparently. or that a directly involved donald trump. might there have been a a fisa warning -- >> not trump. >> there is a raging battle between the president and the fbi where donald trump has used his author to try to change the subject from the russia investigation to something else and take on comey in the process. >> malcolm, it seems to me that comey is scared. he can't talk. he is unable to say the truth to the public because he will get fired for it. it seems to that trump will fire him faster because the president is not telling the truth.

comey knows it's not true. explain to me the motive why he tells everybody it's not true. he won't stand there like a man to say sorry, mr. president, i never wiretapped you on behalf of the former president ever. that's a fact. stop saying it. in fact, take it back. why doesn't he do it? >> i think it may be coming. more importantly, it's important that president trump stand up, tell the american people that he lied and that it was just -- >> he should, he should stand up and say i hi spoke, it was a joke. whatever he used over the past year. he has to man up on this subject.

it's not the fbi's job to correct the president. we have new combat forces going to syria. we have a crisis brewing with north korea. how can we believe him on that. it's not comey's job to clean it up. >> i think the creditability issue is crux of this problem. >> it started with the birther -- >> when you say something about a guy born in kenya and he snuck in the country, when he did doing it now. he has a thing about smearing obama. he cannot stand the fact he left with a clean record. >> two things. one it is -- go ahead.

>> i can tell -- >> we have at president saying and surrogates saying massachusetts voters were taken over the border in new hampshire. when you have soldiers going off to war that creditability become important and i wonder how far he can continue to do this before it can be suggests -- >> pretty far. >> i would say there's something about the eternal war between barack obama and donald trump that began years ago. it began with the birthism and continued with the jokes -- obama made at dinner. number two, it is trump versus comey, which the trump people

view as a nest of people who oppose him. as for comey he may want to stay in the shadows for him he has a record of coming out in public and explaining his actions to prove he is not political, he did it in the fall with hillary clinton and the e-mails. he came out and said we're looking at this. i want to tell everybody about it. i'm trying to make your point which is he should come out given his past behavior. he said i expect to be her for the full term. >> sean spicer was asked about his boss's claim. let's watch. >> if there's no evidence that any wiretapping took place, will president apologize to obama for making a serious charge.

>> let's not get ahead of our -- ourselves. >> you're asking if there's evidence. i'm not getting into series of hypotheticals about an investigation that hasn't occurred. once it's done, we'll respond appropriately. >> can you explain why he hasn't asked the fbi director about this correctly. >> we believe that the house and intelligence committee have the appropriate form and staff to look into and report back. >> how long can he live in the barrel. he will say anything. every reporter is the best reporter, everybody asking great questions. all you have to do is call fbi director to ask if you have evidence of the wiretapping.

>> better scenario, call him up ahead of time, he does have the evidence, show us. >> prejudge. we don't want to prejudge it. prejudge what? >> you're in world of intelligence, i want to get a damage report here. the president of the united states my wife was over in vietnam. he running -- he is mixed bag and dictator. he says i'm not going to listen to america any more as a role model. -- we said we have a democratic model the world can learn and use. now they are saying no thanks. that's the hard -- they don't

want to be like us because they think we're a joke. we have a president who acts like some guy in pakistan. this is third world jokes this is what we're doing and we're doing now because of trump. >> you're right. look at the organization you started with peace core. they are talking -- >> they are? >>s there's talk about it, getting rid of it. there was a time when united states stood for everything that was decent and respectful in this world. we created globalization for god's sake with the products we shipped out we have to dismantle

it and turn back on ourselves and create internal enemies. if you have a guy from ro rwanda turning down our -- they drive around in long march and deer pick up trucks that come from china. we don't want to engage in the world. america firstism is going to destroy this nation standing in the world and these guys are happy to whistle on the way to doing it. >> well said. thank you. sometimes i think you're over heated. you're perfect tonight. you're heat level is exactly right. thank you sir for coming on. howard fine man.

eddy. this is some world you're in. up next, unaware michael flynn was working as foreign lobbyist of the turkish. trump the sheriff. this is trump during the intelligence briefing we're going to find out what happened to the promise to drain the swamp. it's more expensive and does less. for many on the right it's too much like obamacare. despite years of attack obamacare might survive. return of the birther lie. way to see you this.

finally let me finish with trump watch. for this friday night. this is "hardball" where the action is.

the first jobs report shows the economy he inherented from back obama is hardly the mess he claim it is. the economy it 235,000 jobs. that's longest streak since 1939. and the unemployment rate down a notch. unemployment rate a hoax. >> don't believe those phony numbers when you hear 4.9 and 5% unemployment. the numbers is 28, 29, as high as 35.

>> the worst jobs report in six and a half years. 38,000 jobs. it's going to wrong way. 5% figure is one of the biggest hoaxes. >> end of last week they came out with an anemic terrible jobs report. >> today he retweeted. adding the words great america. sean spicer saying while the jobs numbers were phony in the past, they are right now. we'll be right back.

welcome back to "hardball." president trump national security adviser michael flynn identified himself as former agent this week. his lobbying work could have benefitted turkey. flynn and company filed registration paper work describing 500,000 worth of lobbying before election day.

yesterday, white house press secretary said the president was not aware of flynn's lobbying. >> was the president aware that general flynn was acting as agent what -- >> i don't believe that was known. i would -- >> had the president had known that would he had appointed him. >> i don't know. it's a hypothetical i am not prepared to ask. >> lawyers did inform him. flynn may need to register as a foreign agent. it was up to him to decide what to do.

>> you have an attorney calling the transition saying that the person who line to be national security adviser may need to register as foreign agent that doesn't raise a red flag. >> it's a question of whether or not they gave him the advice they were supposed to. >> the transition officials were not overly concerned. >> the question is did they provide him the avenue they were supposed to. did they tell him to seek counsel and they did. >> when see the reports and news points out flynn was lobbying for turkey. joining me david and michael. david, what hit me when i heard this, why didn't we know this? >> why didn't anything get done about it. the transition team did know

about flynn. they were informed about flynn's lobbying. cautioned him there appeared to be a conflict of interest. they didn't do anything about it. it was almost unobserved. what we know is this had the information and they didn't act on it ask they let flynn go forward. the issues being raised is he retroactively registered. >> he was working for a foreign government and never told anybody. what if he had been picked and he never told anybody, he is getting paid working for somebody else. he was hiding. >> it would have been fatal. >> to whom?

>> flynn would say i severed my relationship before i was appointed. >> isn't the whole thing with draining the swamp and getting rid of paid for play. he is on the payroll. 430,000 was a lot to be getting paid. >> let's take a look at this. pence denied knowing about michael flynn's work.

there is making the president look smart. >> let me say hearing the story was the first i ever heard of it. and i fully support the decision president made to ask flynn's resignation. >> you're dispointed about the story? >> first i have heard of it. it's affirm nation of the president's decision to ask general flynn to resign. >> david, i'm trying to figure out -- is there an administration -- i was saying, the scary think is we're no longer a role model because we're sleep at the helm. we're not giving a roll model about democracy. looking for president's to resign at end of terms or leave office, teaching them the lesson

from washington, which is you have to give up power at some point. >> the reason of the vetting of potential cabinet or appointees matter so you have orderly process what people have done, what positions they have taken. and other countries key off this. the reason there's order of lawful practice is because united states is traditionally run the system and insisted on it. in its government activities and can banking rules and those are under attack now. >> you cannot give speeches for nbc and take money. we have rules and this guy, flynn, didn't think it was a problem getting paid working to r a foreign government while working for trump.

>> i here you. he think he should have registered and he did that. >> he did it this week. >> he did it retroactively. >> his lawyers are saying, you better look at everything you done. >> meanwhile, the state department is at risk right now. we have secretary heading off with -- >> heading off to asia. >> why would you go over not want to be reported on. >> he used to be ceo of exxonmobil. he has not learned the washington rules. you need to be make waves, you need to be seen, you need to have policy explained to the press corps to do that. i think he could be a good secretary of state he has to

learn how to do it and how to play in this world. >> what's -- i have been sneaking around trying to figure out what's going on up there. there's no evidence of any tapping of the past president by this president. is isn't true. >> anything that called him got swept up in that -- >> he was picked up in the tapping of foreigners. >> yes, if you're talking to an ambassador or someone from foreign government you ought to know there's somebody listening to you. >> that's been my experience. >> thank you.

up next, obamacare looks like it's going to survive. obama light they cannot sell to the tea part types. this is "hardball." not their cup of tea. we'll be right back.

welcome back. president trump is harnessing the -- to make sales pitch repealing and replacing obamacare. he thanked leaders for their work and lobbed another attack on president obama.

>> we must act to save america from imploded healthcare. 17 would be a disaster for obamacare. that's the year it was meant to explode because obama won't be here. that was supposed to be. it will get worst. this is the time we're going to get it done. we're working together. we have great results. we have tremendous spirit and it's something that will happen shortly. >> president trump, and speaker paul ryan have to convince certain colleagues to get on board. >> let's simple do what we told the voters we were going to do whether they sent us here. >> president trump says that's what this is.

>> this keep -- i think this keeps way too much of the structure of obamacare. >> potential roadblock, how much the bill will cost. 16 million will lose coverage under healthcare act. he was confident that republicans with get this done. joining me now. i have to start with john, how many times in congress i we had a situation where the purist want something, they want to get rid of obamacare, they swore they would do it. they voted 50 times to get rid of it. now they have to vote for it knowing it will be signed by the president. if they vote obama light, if preexisting conditions, all the

good enough, it's an entitlement and they don't want to vote on that. >> repeal and replace. i remember what happened in 2003 when republicans campaigned on prescription drug benefit, conservatives revolted because they didn't want to spend the money. but we got enough to vote for the act in 2003. it's been a successful program. >> you think it will get 216 votes? >> it's going to take paul ryan every ounce of his being to get this done. >> it would be dumbest thing to vote for this. instead of railing against obamacare, you have to defend this, all the stuff that gets

rid of the cadillac tax, and mandated requirements. where is the money coming into system? >> trump would be blamed. he doesn't want it to be called trump care. they know this is a turkey. understand from paul ryan and certainly for the conservative people, healthcare is not issue. donald trump when we ran for president said he was going to cover everybody with better health insurance for less money. this does none of those things. the most important thing is covering everybody. if you can't afford health insurance, you don't deserve health insurance. that's the real mind-set.

you are seeing that in the fight. >> i want to know what the conservative position is. it seems like your party is choked on that. you don't want to go back to the free market. republicans voted against obamacare. now you want to go to something like obamacare. which is tax credit. dollar for dollar. that means -- the government is going to pay you in dollars. if you don't pay enough they give the dollars. that's a subsidy. >> that's why you have medicaid part d., the fact of the matter, tax credit help credit market conditions.

>> how is that not entitlements? >> -- >> do you believe in entitlement type healthcare -- does the government haves right to give you healthcare? >> which is what this bill does. is not the perfect bill, it's opening bid, it's going to -- >> is it going to cover everybody? >> for rich people -- >> we have ideologic problem here. they are totally against it in their being. they don't believe in anything but the market. >> yes. i have a lot of sympathy for john who has to come out to defend this bag of crap that

landed on his lap and i feel sorry for him. when you asked direct question do you think everybody ought to have healthcare. the answer is no we don't care. trump pretended to care. but nothing he says really means anything so don't count on that. he doesn't really care. >> let interject on that. not everybody needs healthcare. >> everybody needs healthcare. >> what i said, they don't need it delivered by the government. what they need is a private sector program that works. for people who need the help, they are going to get the help were the program. >> no, they doesn't. 15 million people.

>> then you have hard line tea party types. they would rather repeal it and get it over with. -- they don't agree. your tea party people are not the normal republicans. >> i remember when we had so-called tea party guy. the fact is we have obamacare. if you want to change it, you have to replace it with something better. this is what this bill is. >> you have to sell it. >> that's what i'm doing right now. >> thank you. very much. "hardball" roundtable is going to be here. why is fbi director comey keeping quiet while he goes around telling people don't believe this.

you're watching "hardball" where the action is.

theoretically, do i think that a director of the fbi who knows nor a fact that something is mythology but misleading to the american people and he should set the record straight, yes, i do think he should say that publicly. >> welcome back to "hardball." that was nancy pelosi calling fbi comey to set the record straight. as the "new york times" reported -- they have declined to do so. mr. comey has remained silent on the issue.

for more on this continuing story let's bring in the "hardball" table. let go to franchesca, as you were there, comey wascying i have no evidence in this meeting with the fbi director that suggests there was request for president obama to use wiretapping to get to trump. >> she would not comments on that directly. however i asked if she see anything to lead her to believe that -- conducted on -- she told

me obama would not do that and it could not possibly be true. >> here is what seems to be going on comey knows, but won't say because he doesn't want to lose his job. at that point there's no relationship between the president and fbi director. there's no relationship. >> he doesn't want to pick a public fight with the sitting president. >> everybody in the office -- would you rat him out. then you goes to -- will somebody do this so i don't have to do it and lose my job. is seems to be what's going on. >> comey said he doesn't believe you should weigh on every --

>> do you think it's a good -- do you think that was well thought through? >> of course not. what we learned is that people don't know on the hill what did happen. >> people have said after being briefed they have seen evidence -- >> it means he didn't tell them. >> you think no one in the house, the gang of eight, the democrats and republicans alike, you're arguing, nobody asked about the elephant in the room?

>> they asked if they has the information, he did not disclose it. and we know that -- >> wasn't that the reason he was up there. >> it was routine briefing. >> we know that he hasn't given a clear answer on this why et. whether or not wiretapping is a word that means anything, i do think if you look at obama administration to trump world, i do think there are people who believe there was surveillance done. >> a listening devises on phones or rooms, which one do you think was used by obama on trump? >> i think -- >> by obama on trump? >> by surveillance. >> who ordered it? >> -- >> where would trump get that information from?

>> you sound like kellyanne >> you know because the wall street post were reporting that people in trump world were being investigated. you know that. help me out. >> you're crowd are saying that the president was bugged by his predecessor. that's a simple fact. >> the obama administration could have surveilled -- >> there are four possible scenarios here. either he wasn't or it's possible that he was surveilled illegally as he alleged -- >> you mean president obama hired plumbers, you believe that? >> i'm knot saying that.

>> that donald trump was the subject of a probe. a probe that would have only allowed the surveillance if there was a warrant. if there was warrant -- >> is there any reason to believe that president obama ordered a wiretap of trump as a candidate. >> the white house provided no evidence to that affect. >> thank you. up next. "hardball" where the action is. digestive balance? try align junior probiotic. so she can have a fraction dominating... status updating... hello-yellow-belt kind of day. get 24/7 digestive support with align junior. the #1 doctor recommended probiotic brand, now for kids.

soldier versus soldier. army versus army.

nation versus nation. ♪ evony: the king's return. download now and play for free. president obama's been out of office now for 50 days, but the birther lie about him is back. the right wing web site gate way pundit, which the trump administration has awarded a white house press credential to, has revived the claim that barack obama wasn't born in this country. gateway pundit posted an article about barack obama's half brother malik, a trump supporter, who tweeted a birth certificate he suggests came from a hospital in kenya. what they fail to mention is that so-called birth certificate was s a fake.

we're back with the "hardball" round table, tell me something i don't know. >> there's a new poll out by the public religion research institute. >> you trust polls. >> this is a real one i believe in. it finds white evangelicals believe they are more persecuted in america than muslims are. now, that's something i think a lot of people scoff at but it also explain this is victimization mentality that helps explain how trump was able to win such commanding support from the religion. >> but you've heard about the white evangelical travel ban. francesca? >> bold predictions from nancy pelosi this morning on health care from that breakfast. first of all, she doesn't think that this bill, the health care bill that the republican have proposed, will get any democrats to vote for it whatsoever. >> i believe that's true. >> and she also believes once republicans see the cbo score on it that they will have to go back to the drawing board completely. >> i agree. >> trump personnel --

>> congratulations on the cpac event. >> thank you. but we already knew that. >> you got a lot of ink on. >> it thanks, chris. i've got to use my team on that. >> a moment of greatness for all of us. the office of presidential personnel from the trump administration is slowly doing what steve bannon is talking about. 46 u.s. attorneys were relieved today. the democratic member of the fcc was pulled back by the trump administration. you'll see a very aggressive president on the openings and i won't make everyone happy. >> isn't it normal to drop u.s. attorneys when you come in? >> it is, but what it shows you is that the treasury department department of justice is going to be 180 degrees from where the department of justice is. >> are you thrilled about that? >> i'm happy about that. >> mckay coppins, francesca chambers and the hard right matt schlapp. you're watching "hardball," the place for action.

trump watch, friday, march 10, 2017. for a half dozen days, donald trump has promulgate it had charge that barack obama, his presidential predecessor, had him wiretapped. that's what he said. president obama did it and was sick to do it. for six days trump hung this story out there, at any time he could have pulled it back, said he couldn't confirm, said the information didn't hold up. he hasn't. he's let the world believe that he believes the former president had him bugged. this is third-world behavior, the kind of claim demagogues from poor countries spout off when they're desperate or are out to seize more power, trying to cling to what power they have.

if trump has evidence he should produce it. if director comey does not have evidence, he should say so. the whole thing is beneath the country. remember we knew that. that's "hardball." thanks for being with us. tonight on "all in" -- >> don't believe those phony numbers. >> day 50 in the trump white house. >> they may have been phony in the past but it's very real now. [ laughter ] >> from phony job numbers to more hiding and lying about collusion with a foreign government. >> no, no -- >> reporter: the person in line to be the national security adviser may need to register as a foreign agent. and that doesn't raise a red flagg. >> it's not a question of raising a red flag, john. >> tonight an "all in" special report. falsehood and facts in the first 50 days of president trump. >> you're saying it's a falsehood and they're giving sean spicer, our press secretary gave alternative facts to that. >> including the massive emerging broken promises of trumpcare.