or expand your office and take on whatever comes next. find out how american express cards and services can help prepare you for growth at open.com. good morning, everybody. i'm thomas roberts here in new york. it is 8:00 a.m. in the east and day 121 of the trump administration and we have breaking news from abroad as president trump is attending this elaborate arrival ceremony starting just a short time ago in saudi arabia. this is the kickoff destination to his first foreign trip and the big questions remain, what message will he be sending and how might it affect the troubles he has at home. all of this amid other breaking news stories out of washington. including new word on james comey. details on when the fired fbi director will testify in public about the russia investigation. and a new bombshell report claiming someone in the white house close to the president is

a person of interest in the russia probe. so, what could it be and what does that mean for who it is? plus, new reports on whether there are high-level leaks coming straight from the west wing. is there substance to the speculation that it is someone from the president's inner circle. we'll dive into all of that. breaking news overnight and president trump getting the royal treatment on his first foreign trip. just a short time ago he was honored by the saudi king. joining us from riyadh with more on this. and, let's begin, aly. the medal ceremony. a lot of pomp and circumstance around this, but he was honored. >> definitely, we've seen a lot of that since trump touched down this morning. he received one of the highest honors here in saudi arabia just a little while ago. he exited that room with the king along with his fellow advisors. rex tillerson along with the first lady and ivanka trump and

jared kushner, as well. a lot of who's who made the trip out to saudi arabia for this leg of the trip. that's important how the white house is looking at this. the trip comes when there is a lot of turmoil on the state side front. the trump administration facing a lot of oquestions regarding the firing of james comey, as well as the recent announcement of a special prosecutor appointed by the department of justice to investigate russian meddling in the 02016 election. this trip comes at a critical time to put distance between the domestic problems at home. one person on the world stage said this is a historic opportunity. and what they're looking to do here, specifically in saudi arabia, tomorrow there will be a speech and the hope is to be able to fighting in the region and trump had his own language throughout the campaign. rhetoric that pushed him through the campaign primaries into the general and now in office this

very controversial immigration order, executive order that has been stalled in courts, but really does seek to ban immigrants coming from seven predominantly muslim nations and that's something he will have to contend with here. and then there's also the idea of this america first doctrine that trump has put forward since the campaign. what is the trump doctrine on the world stage? that's something we're looking at very closely. but i think it's telling when you hear this america first idea. it sounds isolationist but the white house is saying it means leading on the world stage while keeping america in mind. thomas? >> thank you very much. we have more on now about the president's foreign trip. i want to bring in msnbc amy the co-anchor of "morning joe first look." let's talk about this. historic images coming out of saudi arabia and they really did roll out the red carpet, literally. what is the president trying to accomplish there and what are the saudis try to accomplish with this impressive show from the president? >> it is all about a reset.

they're going to look at president trump's first foreign seas trip as an opportunity for them to get the united states and saudi arabia much closer on one key issue. iran. for them, that is what this is about. it's the concern of the gulf arab countries. they're worried about iran's growing influence and destabilizing activities in yemen and syrian and else where. they want to see president trump close that gap that was created in their perspective as a result of the nuclear deal that president obama signed. with that, iran's statue, its influence and resources grew in the region and that's what they are concerned about. that's what they want to send that mesage to president trump. how they're going to do that through economic trump. that's something donald trump can understand. donald trump the businessman and donald trump the president. a lot of memorandum in terms of agreements that have been signed. billions of dollars worth of arm sales and private sector jobs that have been created that are going to be created as a result

of these. so, the saudis are going to be investing a lot of money as well as private sector investment and that's something that president trump can understand. >> all this happening the day before the president is going to give that speech and steven miller who was the author of the muslim ban and dealing with what this white house would call islamic terrorism. how do you think they walk a fine line of where they are delivering it and how to deliver it for it to be received well. >> very tricky. for president trump to stand in front of the heads of states 47 muslim countries were invited and six heads of government are going to be there. it is going to be, as i understand it, an attempt for president trump to say this is not about religion or faith but good versus evil. that is something that can resonate with the muslim world. the rhetoric of the campaign trail is behind them. it's not lost on a lot of the countries that are attending it. the countries most critical of president trump. they're attending this event because they want that reset to

take place. but, the concern is going to be what that definition of radical islamic terrorism is. president trump in the campaign had a very, had some very strong words. he wanted a muslim registry and the muslim ban and he said muslims celebrated 9/11. he has even called on saudi arabia to give the u.s. free oil and demanded it to give them free oil. it is going to be interesting to see him on the diplomatic stage as he balances what he has said in the past with what needs to be done now. very quickly, the muslim world does not necessarily agree with the definition of radical islamic terrorism that president trump has used. you have countries in the region that are engaged in activity that the united states may think to be promoting that idelology. saudi arabia is a country that has a lot of countries and fund schools. there has been a lot of criticism promoting that kind of work has led to the rise of extremism or a strict interpretation that has led to extremi extremism. it's interesting to see whether president trump can find

language that the entire muslim world can agree on. those odds are very much stacked against him. >> joining us colonel jack jacobs and colonel jack, while the president is trying to lay out this vision of not going it alone in terms of america fighting terrorism. what is that type to encourage other countries onboard with this show of unified strength. >> it is extremely difficult to do because the views, the countries, the objectives, the interest in that region is so fragmented. every country there has an interest. it's fighting its own war both internal and external. trying to get them altogether on the same, on the same path is going to be extremely difficult to do. come is one reason why it's going to take an extremely vigorous effort on the part of the secretary of state to follow up the secretary of state and secretary of defense to follow

up after this visit to make sure that we can continue of engaging those who are friendly in order to fight what we think is the biggest of all the threats the united states and the region and that is terrorism. that is going to be very hard to do. in the meantime, we are in the process of doing this largest of all arms deals. it's been estimated it's going to be well in excess of $100 billion over time. we're talking about selling capital ships, precision-guided and tanks and other equipment to saudi arabia. the real question is whether or not they're actually going to use it. we're training them to use it. we train them on maintenance. we, alongside the sales goes an assistance on how to use these weapons and this equipment. it remains to be seen whether or not they're actually going to use it for the purposes we want them to.

>> thank you. we'll have much more on this coming up. but, we do have new this morning potentially this preview of how the president will use that speech tomorrow to address concerns on his vision to the muslim world. here's a clip from his weekly address. >> now it appears muslim leaders are ready to take more responsibility and a much bigger role in fighting terrorism in their region. america cannot solve all of the world's problems. but we can and we must help any nation willing to join in the common cause of eradicating terrorism from the face of the earth. >> so, we know president trump's trip comes amid a series of new developments here in the u.s. two happening within minutes of boarding air force one in washington. the russia investigation is reaching into the highest levels of government. sources telling the paper that investigators looking into possible collusion have identified a senior aide, someone close to the president as a significant person of interest.

now, the white house issued this statement as the president has stated before, a thorough investigation will confirm that there was no collusion between the campaign and any foreign entity. now, around the same time, the "new york times" came out breaking a story with a report on president trump's meeting with russian officials in the oval office last week. the day after he fired the fbi director james comey. president trump reportedly telling them he had just fired comey calling him crazy and a real nut job. trump went on to say that firing comey eased great pressure from the russia investigation. now the white house not disputing "new york times" report in a statement to respond to it reads in part, the president has always emphasized the importance of making deals with russia as it relates to syria, ukraine, defeating isis and other key issues. by grandstanding and politicizing the investigation into russia's actions james comey created unnecessary pressure on our ability to engage and negotiate with russia. now, rounding out these major developments, james comey is

ready to talk. ready to tell all. breaking his silence. accepting the invitation to testify in an open session before the senate intelligence committee at some point scheduled for after memorial day. joining me now, john harwood and political writer for "new york times." as well as molly, congressional reporter for "the hill." great to see you both this morn. john, let me start with you. president trump wheels up on air force one on his big foreign trip. the first one. that's when two big wheels off headlines trump around him which suggests that a senior white house official could be the target of a russian investigation. how does that public information change the tone in washington for trump when he returns? >> well, donald trump was already in deep trouble before he took off on that trip. and this just indicates that the probe that we're talking about is incredibly serious for him. you know, when you hear the white house account of what's going on, they will say, well,

there's no evidence of anything. and this is just people, you know, james comey grandstanding. in fact, james comey doing the opposite of grandstanding. hillary clinton thought he was doing a little bit of grandstanding at the end of the campaign by publicizing the brief reopening of her investigation. he didn't say anything about the russia investigation. it's been going on for quite some time and these two reports on friday indicate that, first of all, they've got pretty significant targets, not just paul manafort and carter page and others proliferal to the campaign. and this is leaving the president under a cloud as he leaves on this trip. >> and, molly, in another headline that came out the result that was leaked out of the oval office the conversation with the president and the foreign minister and about

former fbi director comey saying he was a nut job. how embarrassing is this to the administration. especially when it appears there are such high level leakers willing to publicly embarrass this president? >> well, talking to lawmakers on capitol hill and i talked to them before these stories leaked, but, you know, there have been prior leaks to this. members are saying, number one, these are republican members. he's human. president trump is human. he's never been an attorney. he's a businessman and the way business is done in his world of high-end real estate and what not. you know, it's very, it's inf m informal, it's jokey. you know, he's human. he's not a lawyer. that's the other problem. he's not a lawyer. and you know, remember for what it's worth, hillary clinton when she came out, you know, a year and a half ago in the u.n. and wouldn't admit to the e-mail server or wouldn't, wouldn't answer questions directly. people said, well, because she's

a yale trained attorney and she has to parse her words and you have to be very specific because certain statements mean certain things in court. and president trump just isn't that attorney. which -- >> is that really fair for a business person who has been sued as many times as he has whether it's by private or even by the federal government for a person that has surrounded himself with a private attorney for years and gives depositions that we've seen video depositions where the constant refrain is, i don't recall. you would think that the president actually knows how to use words with nuance, also with clarity in a situation such as this. >> well, you would think. but then keep in mind. look what happened during the campaign. i mean, he wasn't very specific on certain items and he, he would say what he felt. and at the time, and if it came back to haunt him, hey, i don't recall saying it like that.

i don't recall saying that. which is something that he has said. i mean, hey, you didn't go to law school. not the first thing he says. and you want to look and see how successful he has been in those legal battles in the past. but he's been able to do pretty well thus far. so, i think that lawmakers or at least republicans, that's what they're telling me. >> he will tell you, molly, he did go to warten. let me ask both of you this and, john, let me start with you. out of the two headlines, which do you think is the most damaging? >> well, boy, that's a tough one. i would say the fact that a current official is under investigation has got to be the more significant substantively. when you look at how people react to news, in some ways, people who will read that headline and say that wasn't a surprise. we knew that there was a big fbi investigation. but to hear the president of the

united states talking to leaders of our historic adversary and talking that way about the top law enforcement officer until the day before in his own country. that strikes people as indicative of an attitude that is so outside the norms of what we've come to expect from a president that i think coming in his words comes as quite a shock. just on the point that molly was making earlier. you don't have to be a lawyer to understand what it means to be under investigation and be able to fire the guy investigating you and then make an assessment as was reported in that "new york times" story that the pressure is now off. that is something that people with a basic understanding of right and wrong can get their arms around. >> molly, real quick. i'll give you the last word because i have to bolt. but the more damaging headline, you think, is which? >> i think that for president

trump, it is the fact that there is somebody of significant interest in the investigation. even if that person isn't necessarily a target for criminal prosecution, the fact that somebody knows a lot that could help prosecutors go after those people of proscatorial who may be prosecuted like a flynn. that would be concerning. >> it's a linchpin to other pressures, for sure. >> molly, great to see you. john harwood great to see you. putting loyalty to the test. how long will rank and file republicans stand behind president trump. straight ahead a republican congressman joins me with his take. ht every day earned you miles to get to the places you really want to go. with the united mileageplus explorer card, you'll get a free checked bag, 2 united club passes... priority boarding... and 50,000 bonus miles. everything you need

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this information coming from "washington post" reporting the investigation has reached a current senior level official. i want to bring in congressman, republican of new york and a member of the ways and means committee. sir, good to have you with me. someone that is working in d.c. right now who can identify the tone of what all these different headlines mean as we have this latest information from "washington post" clarifying a significant person of interest. how curious are you to who that person is? >> we'll let the investigation. that's why the appointment of the special counsel is important. it is going to get into these facts and do the investigation. bob mueller is a guy i heard repeatedly is a true patriot and he'll do his job and get to the bottom of it. let the evidence rule the day. >> so, when the president refers to the russia probe as a witch-hunt. do you agree with that description? is it? >> well, i think there's a lot of people who are trying to take this president down or to take

the agenda off track. that's why we have to focus on the house that i focus every day to do the work. to do things like tax reform. relieve the burdens on everyday working americans because that's who's suffering as a result if we don't get the job done. >> when we think about what the probe is about, which goes back to how the campaign of trump was rooted to then win this white house, if the probe can provide connective tissue that would say this is corrupt or it is, you know, totally because of being in collusion with russia. how does that upend the work the agenda that you say you're trying to do right now? >> well, i'm very confident that the investigation will follow the evidence. and then we'll deal with that situation when the reports and the conclusions are reached. but in the meantime, i'm going to continue to work for the american people and put things like tax reform at the top of the agenda. working on the committee each and every day. you can't defend the broken

american tax code. we need to fix it for the american people. >> are there any facts so far that you have seen and, as you point out, no one should come to any predetermined conclusion about what this probe means. everybody has to take this slowly and with the facts. but are there any facts that you have seen so far, triggers that have gotten us to this point that make you concerned about mueller and what he may find? >> well, you know, obviously, questions are being asked and that's why i support letting the evidence lead these investigations. but when you see things like the intelligence director clapper say he saw no evidence of collusion. when you see the fbi director comey testify that no one asked him to do anything in regards to the investigations under oath. you know, these are indications that let's see where the investigations go, but let's not come to a predetermined conclusion that the president is somehow engaged in this nefarious activity. i just don't see it at this

point in time. >> when you think about the business james comey has in terms of testifying in public now. what he is doing as the former and now fired fbi director. some of the intelligence that has come out or reports that have come out about memos and intelligence of comey. does that give you any pause for concern about what could be given to the public from the testimony of comey? >> no, i support that. i think the more sunshine on these issues, the more you can see it in context and the more information we can get out to the american people. that, i think, is very helpful. and i look forward to that testimony and i am glad he agreed to come and testify openly in front of the american people and in front of the senate committee because that's the right thing to do. and to get to the evidence and facts is going to restore the integrity and hopefully the commitment to the agenda that's putting the american people first. >> sir, there are some republicans who have stepped at the front to talk about

impeachment or call for impeachment. do you have a message for those republican colleagues of yours? >> you know, a lot of folks, i think, are trying to make headlines and enjoy their five minutes in front of the tv cameras. but, bottom line, when you talk about that issue, that's a serious issue. and what we need to do is make sure that all the evidence. you go through the process and when you start jumping to conclusions like that, to me, that's more about politics than really letting the evidence and the process get to accurate conclusions. >> if the comey memos are real, do you think that is strong enough evidence to trigger what those other republican colleagues of yours are calling for. impeachment. >> we have to look at the evidence and make sure that the investigation gets to the full context and that's why i appreciate the appointment of special counsel mueller and the respect that he has. i'm confident that the process, both the investigations on the hill, plus that independent investigation by the special counsel will let the evidence dictate how this is presented to

the american people and then we'll go from there. >> we'll continue to follow the facts. thank you for your time. >> thank you, thomas. >> absolutely. so, as we've seen rubbing elbows with royalty. what is in it for the u.s. when president trump talks with the saudi king. we have a former u.s. ambassador to saudi arabia joining us to talk about the deals that could be taking place between our two countries. before fibromyalgia, i was active. i was energetic. then the chronic, widespread pain drained my energy. my doctor said moving more helps ease fibromyalgia pain.

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hi, everybody. good morning. welcome back. at 32 past the hour. here's what we're watching for you in the last hour. president trump and his white house delegation including the first lady took part in a royalty ceremony with the king of saudi arabia. now, if all is going according to schedule they are now

attending a luncheon. kelly o'donnell traveling with the president joining us now from riyadh. kelly, explain what is on the agenda for the presidential delegation later today. >> well, good to be with you, thomas. for the president and first lady, this luncheon is a part of the hospitality of the kingdom of saudi arabia. there are also some important topics for the president to talk about with the king. we've already been able to observe in their initial interactions, discussion of things, ranging from syria, the interest of the u.s. in terms of business with a separate delegation of ceos who are also meeting in riyadh. and are talking about weapon sales and that is a very big part of this. so is commerce and international relations and for the president, it will also be an opportunity to try to show respect, perhaps even mend fences with islam and a major speech that is scheduled there tomorrow. this is all about the welcoming period of receiving the u.s.

delegation. so, we saw the coffee ceremony. we saw the presentation of saudi arabia's highest honor to the president. and some building of the interaction between the president, the king, but also the other members of the delegation who are often a big part of trying to build some of the relationships and talk about some of the important details. like the u.s. wanting saudi arabia's help in the fight against radical islam, isis, terrorism. the terms that the president will use in his remarks tomorrow will be important to watch. how will he try to signal a softer tone, not the candidate donald trump, but now a president who is trying to reach out to the muslim world in a new way. not backing off of his certainly strong views on how to combat global terrorism, but trying to show more respect. for president trump, of course, it is also an opportunity to focus on being in the moment and not so much affected by all of the controversy that was behind

him in washington as he took the 14-hour trip here to saudi arabia. all of that still percolating, but almost in a parallel track. all the issues that the russian investigation and so forth. here in saudi arabia, so much of what they will try to do is project a global image for president trump and have the relationship building on issues of business, issues of the relationship between the u.s. and saudi arabia. but more broadly with as many as 50 leaders from the islamic world who will be here for the speech tomorrow. so, we are seeing a bit of the hospitality and nitty-gritty playing out here in riyadh. >> kelly, real fast. following you on twitter. first of all, it is warm there. i believe it is 109 degrees today. i was looking at the overnight tweets where 1:30 a.m. it is about 90. so, we can talk about the weather and also give me a kick the can down the road for the vatican with you and the information about the vatican ambassador being calista

gingrich or the hope to be calista gingrich. >> yes, first on the temperature, it is well above 100 degrees. but, as we love to say, it's a dry heat. and there is a breeze. but, boy, i can feel it from my head to my toes. but, it is also, it also tells us we are really here. and that's exciting. now, on the matter of a u.s. ambassador to the holy sea, which is the proper name of the city state that is the vatican. the vatican is its own country and for several months now, we have been trying to report out what we had heard was the intention of the president to nominate the wife of newt gingrich, the former house speaker and a prominent part of the president's candidate phase as an adviser and even a finalist in the running mate search. calista gingrich is the president's choice to be the u.s. ambassador to the holy sea. that is pending senate confirmation. there is some controversy about it, of course, because those who say she does not have the proper

qualifications for a role like that and some of the personal relationship of calista and when you're considering this is the catholic church in the way that they came together as a couple. and, so, this is a bit controversial, but i was also told by sources that newt gingrich had steed the president wanted nothing for himself but did want to see this kind of opportunity for his wife, calista gingrich. so, for the president important to have this done before he visits the vatican later this trip. >> nothing but cool breezes over to you reporting over in riyadh. great to see you. >> ambassador to saudi arabia. he serves under president george w. bush and an adjunct professor of science and also the author of "desert diplomat" inside saudi arabia following 9/11. as we are look at these pictures from president trump's pictures from saudi arabia, this is seen as an opportunity to reset our

relationship with the saudis. from what you've seen so far, what is your impression? do you think we're off to a good start? >> its early, but, yes, i think it's a great start. you know, they have flags lining the street in riyadh, alternately, and billboards with pictures of president trump and the king together. this, you would think this is the welcoming parade for charles lindbergh. it's such a large production that they're making of this. and i think that president trump has a good chance of really scoring some points here. >> how do you think that president trump having a business background comes into his official role as, you know, leader of the free world into that climate and the culture of what can be discussed in terms of how our two countries can work together? is that, you know a net benefit or a net negative? >> i think it's a benefit right now because he's been received so warmly.

i think it would make him comfortable. not a lot of antagonism surrounding the issues that he'll be dealing with here. it gives him a chance, really too, reset the relationship that had been troubled for quite a number of years during the obama administration. >> well, we know, certainly time helps to change a lot of things. certainly not for the families who still grieve for loved ones lost after 9/11. but you were the ambassador after 9/11 happened and, as we know, most of the attackers were saudi born. so, explain the level of relationship between george w. bush, that presidency and then on to president obama to where we stand in this moment today. >> well, i participated in two presidential summits with president bush and the leader of saudi arabia at the time. they developed a very strong personal relationship. and we got past the trauma of 9/11 together. the world family in saudi arabia really has had as negative a

relationship with al qaeda and withs osama bin laden as you ca imagine. they took away his citizenship in 1994. a myth in the way that the leadership of saudi arabia was somehow behind the attacks of 9/11. this has been fully investigated and put to bed, i think. so, what we had to do was join forces in rooting out al qaeda from saudi arabia. it took several years, but we were successful in doing that. in the meantime, though, president bush was able to forge a very korncordial personal relationship with crown prince abdullah. this fell apart somewhat during the obama years. the saudis were really upset when, in their view, obama threw hosni mubarak over the side as the president of egypt, embraced the muslim brotherhood. gave up on the red line

enforcement on the use of chemical weapons in syria. and then forged this agreement with iran on the nuclear deal. all of this was very upsetting to the saudis. and other gulf countries, as well. and, so, i think that the relationship really soured during that period. and president trump now has a chance, as you say, to reset the relationship on a much more positive tone. >> sir, do you think because of the headlines here at home, the chaos that is happening within his administration, some are just learning about. other things we're witnessing in realtime self-inflicted by this president. does that lesson him on the world stage to accomplish some of those reset goals? >> i think most people around the world are not paying nearly the attention to those problems that we are in the united states. and i think the saudis, in particular, see this as a chance to reconstruct a relationship that is very important to them regardless of some of the domestic problems that president trump has. so, i think they'll be able to go forward. make some deals, business deals,

defense deals. and, also, deal, i think, with the perception of islam and the world that president trump has a golden opportunity to address here. >> we shall see tomorrow in that speech. former u.s. ambassador to saudi arabia, robert jordan. sir, nice to have you on. thank you. allegedly called a nut job by the president what former director james comey might say about president trump in full public view at a senate committee hearing. i'll ask a former fbi agent. next hour, which of the many breaking news stories this week will ultimately do the most damage to the trump administration? there was a bevy of them. can it be sustained?

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society of former special agents of the fbi. nancy, great to have you with me. as we probably will wait until after memorial day to have the actual schedule for the director to speak, president trump and the russian investigation we seem to be getting headlines all the time from that and especially that moment of being in the oval office and the president referring to comey as a nut job. how important are the memos be now in what the fbi is doing in its ongoing probe? >> well, it's going to be an aspect of evidence that's going to be introduced and that's what we believe that this case and investigation needs. evidence, not rumors. and ancillary information that is being traded around washington and else where. any kind of memorandum that's prepared contemporaneously with

the conversation is going to be considered evidentiary. so, that would be our take on it. >> and when it comes to that type of memo, being written, being drafted, whether it's coming from comey or some other high-level person within the fbi, how typical is that for people to do? >> well, as fbi agents or fbi personnel, when there's something significant that happens that would be considered administrative in nature, whether it's a meeting at the significant meeting at the u.s. attorney's office or something that happens, a conversation that occurs meeting even in the fbi office or another meeting with someone of consequence and there's something then happens that would be considered evidentiary, it would be very typical to take notes as soon as

you can and then make some kind of written recordation of that meeting and what was said and the people that were involved in it. that's very typical. >> you're still in touch with multiple fbi agents and folks that are still working within the bureau. have they been able to kind of characterize to you how they feel in respect to the integrity of the ongoing investigation, considering it's gotten so much public scrutiny? >> i think there's absolutely no question about the integrity of the fbi investigation. i mean, it's an a-political organization. obviously, individuals work there and they had their own personal political views but not brought into the workplace in terms of how they do their work. so, you would have agents from agents and analysts from different political perspectives working jointly and the idea is collect the evidence, present

the evidence and then united states attorney's office and department of justice are going to take it from there. >> just from your experience and also from what you've been able to read about what's taking place, is this more a hair-raising moment because of a potential up and not a proven crime? always about the cover up, not the crime, nancy. >> there's nothing that i've even heard about that, you know, essentially has proved that there is a crime that they're even looking at. they've got some indication that they need to have a probe into this and that's why we have a special counsel. bob mueller's a great choice. he has a lot of respect within the agency and within the department of justice. i think he's well regarded on capitol hill. for good reason.

so, i just see this as we need to focus as a the fbi do their jobs, they know how to do it, it's well staffed. you've got great people at the fbi working on it and sort of move away from the rumor mills and the leaks that are going on and let a proper investigation come forward before they try to make any further determinations of what actually has occurred. >> we just need to follow the facts where they lead us. nancy, thank you for your time and insight into this. president trump has no scheduled news conferences during his nine-day trip overseas. here are live images as they have just finished this royal tea ceremony in saudi arabia as the trumps are on their first full day of their visit abroad, and we will talk about how the

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welcome back everybody. we want to get you back to riyadh, saudi arabia where we've been seeing live images of president trump and melania trump continuing on a tour after a royal tea ceremony that just took place. for many people seeing the pomp and circumstance and how well the saudi arabian royal family has rolled out the red carpet for the trump family and the white house delegation shows that they are trying to impress one another, and that is for sure as the two leaders and two countries try to mend some fences, especially when we consider a large arms deal that will take place, american-made products, american-made munitions going to saudi arabia.

we do know they will also being eyeing an official signing. the trumps continue to be on a tour of certain items while on site there with the royal family. we'll take you back to riyadh when news dictates. joining our conversation right now is joe watkins, republican strategist and white house aide to president george h.w. bush and sel lena maxwell, now director of progressive programming at sirius xm. joe, let me start with you and that big headline coming out of "the washington post" with a person of interest. significant person of interest being considered now within the russian probe and someone they consider close of the inner circle in this white house. how concerning is that? if true, how likely is it the president has known all along? >> it's concerning, obviously.

not good news for the administration. everyone speculating who that person is. i'm not going to take a guess who that person is. we know the circle is fairly small at the white house. this is traveli troubling, of course, a hard thing for the president. the tough thing about all this is as long as the headline is -- the white house source or what did he say to comey, as long as those are the headlines, donald trump and the administration can't concentrate on the agenda of tax reform and health care and all the other things they said they wanted to tackle for the american people. it becomes this. this is the center of attention, the centerpiece. it's all bad news. there's no good news here. at least the mueller appointment, while it was something the trump administration wasn't looking for, is helpful in bringing clarity to all this, a non-partisan, level-headed,

well-regarded investigator, somebody who can get to the bottom of this, tell the american people what happened, when it happened and who was involved. >> ser lena, joes makes a great point about different headlines coming out, especially attributed to leakers, white house sources in all of this. isn't that the point, especially when it comes to the russian probe and president trump saying to sergey kislyak and foreign minister lavrov that comey was crazy and a nut job, it reveals a type of deception ha is potentially taking place in the people's house as opposed to a disruption in politics. americans can handle a disruption. it's the deception that's the problem. >> i think one of the things that stood out to me in terms of "the new york times" report about his conversation in the oval office, it came the day after he fired former director comey and essentially is telling the russians the real reasoning behind why he fired former director comey, and that was

even before americans understood the real reason. we were given the initial cover story with the rosenstein memo about comey's handling of the e-mail investigation. and then we later learned that really donald trump fired former director comey because of the russia investigation. there's been a number of reports that go to what appears to be not the legal standing of an obstruction of justice, but the constitutional standard for high crimes and misdemnors. i thk this is a very serious series of stories that have come out from the white house. i think if the president does not have a personal lawyer, he should go get one because what we're hearing about are egregious abuses of power coming from the president, and that's very concerning to all americans. >> we know michael cullen was supposed to travel with the president, former trump organization staffers to be a personal lawyer for him in washington, d.c., taking care of personal suits that could pop

up. you might be talking about something different in terms of private constitutional law lawyer, or a constitutional scholar. i wonder if any of those are around. joe, when it comes to the shifting narrative of what ser lena points out about how comey was fired, how much of this do you think is going to come out in the public hearing when comey has that opportunity to testify in front of the senate cleanse committee? >> i think it's all going to come out. certainly comey's side is going to come out and it will dominate the news when it does. now, of course, he has absolutely nothing to lose. he's the former -- the fired fbi director and he has everything to gain by telling his side of the story, and i'm sure whatever he has to say is probably not going to be helpful to the trump administration and to president trump. so we'll all be watching to see what he has to say. it will dominate the news when it comes out. i said last week, the markets

are reacting to all this trouble and the fact there's no ability to really concentrate on the key issues that people wanted to see happen. and it's really the onus of the administration to really bring clarity to all this, to be transparent, to be more thoughtful, for the president to be more thoughtful in terms of the choice of his words. and i think at the end of the day the american people deserve the right to know. the ultimate appointment of mueller is a good thing, whether people are for it or not, it's a good inning this and helps bring clarity to the whole issue. >> we'll continue to follow the facts. thank you and good morning to everybody else coming us at msnbc world headquarters. i'm thomas roberts in new york. we continue to follow president trump's first trip overseas. right now he's in saudi arabia, riyadh to be specific, where the first lady is by