we're going to have a white house press briefing. >> no, i'm briefing before that starts. this hour on msnbc live -- spicer is back. we're awaiting the white house briefing. it is expected to begin any minute. by our count, it is the first official camera briefing since spicer by may 15th. this afterno breaking news, the president's long-time attorney michael cohen has been asked for information as part of a congressional probe into possible trump campaign ties to russia. and that follows news that trump's son-in-law and advisor, jared kushner, is under scrutiny in the fbi's russia's investigation with new questions today about curb merkushner's m with a big bank. our word of the day -- shake-up. >> we've just confirmed he is leaving. >> mike dubke, communications director at the white house, who's only been there for three months, you have changes afoot within the west wing.

>> after things blow up, predictably, he turns around and starts blaming his aides and starts shooting at his aides. it's preposterous. >> let's debrief with our reporters and analysts as we wait for sean spicer to take the podium. we've got nbc's peter alexander in the white house. nbc's -- msnbc's stephanie ruhle joins me on set. "new york times" white house correspondent and msnbc political analyst, glenn thrush is in the newsroom. and harold ford and elise jordan are with us as well. peter, we have a new candidate for the head of the fbi, john pistol. used to be number two at the fbi. he is expected to interview with the trump administration. what do we know about this? >> you named it. that's just the facts as we've heard from senior administration officials, confirming pistol will be here at the white house

eting privately with president trump this afternoon. his is the latest in a series of names bandied about as potential replacements for james comey at the fbi. pit toll has 27 years of service at the agency. the last six of which were as deputy director there. remember, joe lieberman, he took his name out of consideration several days back. for the moment with robert mueller heading up the investigation of the department of justice's russia investigation there is still a vacancy there at the top of the fbi absent andrew mccabe, the acting fbi director. the latest name to come into the mix is john pistol. >> peter, i want to ask you about donald trump's personal attorney. he's been asked to provide information and testimony about any contacts he has had with the russian government as part of the congressional investigation. what do we think this is about? >> in fact, those inquiries by both the house and senate intelligence committees. he's the one who did the declining saying that he's not going to participate in that

effort. they have asked for any contacts, any details he can provide in terms of documentation or even testimony about contacts with russians that may have taken place during the course of the campaign season. but for now, we have heard from michael cohen -- we spoke to him a short time ago -- that he is not going to be complying with that request for the moment. in effect, it is now in the hands of the house and senate intelligence committees if they plan to pursue this any further. on that we will keep you posted. >> stephanie ruhle, cohen has been part of trump's team for some time. he was a real advocate for donald trump during his campaign. this is his personal attorney. this is the guy who went out and threatened to sue people on donald trump behalf, and did. >> it is. and this poses the question, who's going to be the most important to president trump going forward? remember, we've heard from the likes of kellyanne conway who spoke today on behalf of jared kushner. michael cohen, the same beat, always working for the president. the question is, who's going to be by the president's side moving forward? remember, there are people inside that white house who are not part of the transition team,

who weren't part of the campaign, who came and said we're here to be policymakers. given this huge cloud that is sitting over the white house right now, are they going to get to policy? so if michael cohen is now embroiled in this, if jared kushner is, if you see the likes of david boisey lewandowski, whe of those who aren't part of that group? will they withstand tax reform, deregulation -- >> the cloud is over the people who have come with trump along the way. this development comes on the heels of the most recent reporting in the "new york times" on jared kushner where you wrote, over the past week, mr. kushner who at age 36 occupies an ill-defines role somewhere between princeling and president trump's shadow chief of staff is seen as foothold on that invaluable real estate shrink on the heels of news he's

under scrutiny relating to whether there was collusion with russian officials during the presidential campaign. we've got reporting from our people kushner's been asked to lay low. what do you know about the focus on kushner around the impt it's having on his role in the white house? >>well, again, ali, this gets to the questn of what exactly is his role in the white house? probably the most consequential thing cukushner -- his portfoli includes solving middle east peace, innovating government, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera -- probably the most consequential thing that he did though was to huddle to president trump at bedminster a couple of weeks ago and agree with him on getting rid of james comey which seems to have really led to this cascade of disclosures. so our reporting showed over the weekend that the president has become increasingly i think skeptical of some of mr. kushner's decisions. his family, as you recall, the

now sort of infamous video of his sister -- mr. kushner's sister in beijing pitching apartments in jersey city, dangling a visa program in front of chinese -- potential chinese investors. we are told that that relationship is now strained, that the president, who had sort of given him most favored nation status, among other aides, now includes him in dressings down of staff. so i think there are clearly strains. one thing we do know is that mr. kushner, who is supposed to lead this war room, this rapid-response group, is probably not going to be doing that now since he's going to largely be the subject of some of the questions that reporters are having. >> we haven't heard -- oftentimes you hear from don jr., eric trump, whenever you hear anything negative said about the family members. while they are still active on twitter, you haven't heard them say anything on this since this news on jared came out. >> could be their lawyers are still involved. >> the president retweeted a fox news tweet that fox put out this

morning saying, jared hasn't done anything. so while the president is still saying things, you aren't seeing the whole family -- >> maybe lawyers haven't reached the president. glenn, "new york times" is also reporting that investigators are zeroing in on jared kushner's meeting with a russian banker named sergei gorkov. what do we know about this? >> well, we know that sergei gorkov was trained at an institute that a lot of russian intelligence peoplhave been trained at. we don't believe necessarily from my paper's reporting that he is currently actively an agent of russian national intelligence, though it is not clear. what we do know again is that kushner's had a lot of these offline contacts with people. one thing i will tell you, ali, is in the response -- this is pretty fascinating. we talk about sort of the shake-up in the communications team. the response internally to these allegations against kushner are totally different than anything

else i've encountered since i've covered these folks. most of the com staff in the white house has absented themself from this. they were blindsided by these initial disclosures. one of them said to me how do we know there aren't going to be 15 other meetings jared didn't tell us about? here's the key ali -- they're happy to be left out of this. they're happy for jared kushner's personal flack to be dealing with this. because at this point in time -- and this is a dangerous trend for the trump administration -- people are starting to look after their own interests. they're going to start getting lawyered up soon. i think they're very wary of going out there and saying things in defense of people like jared kushner that might later be proven aren't true. >> elise, i saw when glenn was talking you nodding your head vigorously. >> it just shows the extent that this is really engulfed this administration. and now that the probe is extending to include michael cohen, you know he's been speculated for a while, since the dossier that the former

british mi-6 officer, that has many claims that have never been proven but his name has been swirling about in a cloud of suspicion. wouldoint out, eleio law is so different from any type of law that cohen has ever dealt with. this could be some of jared kushner's problems, also, because they were very unfamiliar with the election law environment. so they might have been breaking laws when they didn't even know it. >> harold, what do you make of how this is unfolding? stephanie's point i think is very valid, that the people who were lauded for being brought into the trump administration from the outside, whether or not you think they're effective, have not found themselves embroiled in this hot water. name after name of trump's personal circle continue to show up. >> i think stephanie said it well. i think you add to that list congress. congress, many were unfamiliar with trump as a political fix. he had been a donor over the years. many did not support him. they came to support him because he won the primary, so they find themselves in a hard spot because he has nothing to brag

about or claim as victory as president. now he finds himself embroiled in this mess. it is important to note the committee's asking for this testimony, all republican-led. these are not democratic-led committees. two, robert mueller i think probably the most discouraging thing if you are in that white house has said, listen, that great speech he gave over the weekend at his granddaughter's graduation talking about honesty and integrity being hallmarks of any great career meaning he'll go after this with all the force and might to allow all the truth to come out. i don't think michael cohen fully gets when he's saying no to here. this committee has options. it is not as if he invokes the fifth as flynn has purported to do. he's saying he won't appear before the committee. i don't know what rights he has but i do know the committee has extra steps they can take. they are eering into a really daerous terrain. friends of mine who have been around a white house like this say the number two things you should do is be quiet and get a lawyer. sounds like that's what people

are beginning to do in a serious way in the white house. >> harold brings up such a great point, especially as it relates to mike pence's speech. >> i can interrupt you guys for a second? >> ali! >> we're going to the white house right now. >> -- respects to the brave men and women who have given their lives for our freedom yesterday on memorial day. i want to recap the incredible historic trip that the president and first lady have just concluded because it truly was an extraordinary week for america and our people. in just nine days the president traveled across europe and the middle east and interacted with nearly 100 foreign leaders. it was an unprecedented first trip abroad. just four months into this administration, and it shows how quickly and decisively the president is acting to strengthen alliances, to form new partnerships and rebuild america's standing in the world. we've never seen before at this point in a presidency such sweeping reassurance of american interests and the inauguration

of a foreign policy strategy designed to bring back the world from growing dangers and perpetual disasters brought on by years of failed leadership. president trump started in saudi arabia, beginning his first foreign trip as president in the nation that's the custodian to the two holiest sites in the islamic faith. the president was greeted on the tarmac by the king of saudi arabia and received withgraciou kingdom and its leaders throughout the day. the leaders of more than 50 arab muslim nations was a historic turning point that people will be talking about for many years to come. he did exactly as he promised in his inaugural address. unite the civilized world in the fight against terrorism and extremism. encouraging leaders in the region to drive out terrorists from their midst and isolate the iranian regime that supports so much of this violence. he let american allies know exactly what they can expect going forward, what he called,

quote, a principled realism rooted in common values and shared interests." he laid out the case in persuasive detail for why the muslim world must take the lead in combating radicalization. he concluded by saying that if those nations go forward, "unified and determined to do what it takes to destroy the terror that threatens our world, then there is no limit to the great future our citizens will have." the president's historic speech was met with nearly universal praise. former cia direct irjim coolscy called it a, quote, courageous speech. former house speaker newt gingrich said we have to look back decades to find a comparatively dramatic moment in the history of u.s. foreign policy. and jane harman said she "loved the idea he going to the fount" of all three major religions. president el sisi said president

trump is a unique personality. >> king salman and other key allies also gave extraordinary praise - extraordinary speeches at the summit underscoring just how much president trump has done to rally the world against terrorism. we cannot overlook the significance of so many leaders of muslim countries coming together to recognize the need to fight extremists. this was a historic event in that regard alone. king salman said he shares the president's determination to, quote, renounce extremism and work on countering terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. king abdullah of jordan agreed that "the grave challenges of terrorism and extremism demands coordination and global action at every level." he stated that, quote, we are all accountable for our commitment to fight radicalization in all of its forms pcht visit also includes

historic economic development deals for the united states totaling well over half a trillion dollars in the creation of tens of thousands of american jobs. these deals include an immediate $110 billion investment which will grow to $350 billion over the next ten years in defense cooperation from saudi arabia that will further enable muslim troops to take on a greater role in fighting terrorism. the president also participated in the launch of a new task force to block terror funding in the gulf, the opening of a new global center for combating extremist yideology, and more than 30 commercial deals that include companies like raytheon, boeing, ge, dow, emerson, alcoa, and cisco, among others, that will result in an additional $270 billion of saudi investment in american businesses and american jobs. the president then went to israel where he was received with incredible warmth. he strengthened america's unbreakable bonds with israel,

made the first-ever visit by a sitting american president to the western wall, and gave a highly praised address at the israel museum as part of a continuing effort to rally nations together if the fight against terrorism and common enemies. the moving address spoke of a future in which "children around the world will be able to live without fear, to dream without limits and to prosper without violence. i ask this land of promise to join me in fighting our common enemies to pursue our shared values and to protect the dignity of every child of god." the president also visited the site of the victims of the holocaust. he then met with president netanyahu and palestinian prime minister abbas. th he also discussed with both leaders how to increase cooperation against terrorism. netanyahu said, "for the first time in my life i see real hope

for change." and a correspondent in one of the leading israel publications wrote that, "in the short pace of three days, trump carried out a semi-revolution." from israel the president traveled to rome where he met with pope francis at the vatican. any had a very productive conversation about combating isis and other terrorist groups, protecting religious liberty and numerous other issues. the president and first lady were incredibly honored by the visit. the pred thsint tn attended the nato summitnd called on other nato countries to pay the fair share on a speech delivered with the leaders of all of nato's countries, all present. hard working americans saw a leader represent them and their security on the international stage. the president also urged nato a adapt the alliance to more effectively combat terrorism. later in the meeting the member states unanimously agreed on those two priorities and the secretary-general was extremely complimentary of the president's work to dramatically strengthen

the alliance by getting member states to increase their contributions. finally the president traveled to the g7 summit in sicily where he and other leaders discussed how to better promote prosperity and security for each of their countries. nose meetings were marked by outstanding success that we see reflected in the communique that was issued. they include a strong statement that g7 nations will stand against unfair trade practices, and a commitment to fostering a true level playing field. g7 leaders also endorsed the right of sovereign nations to control their borders and endorsed in that communique the policy outlined by president trump to seek resettlement of refugees as close as possible to their home countries so that they can be part of an eventual rebuilding. this language on migration and refugees was a major shift in policy towards a shift of the president. g7 formally condemned the use of chemical weapons. in addition the president also met with prime minister abe of japan. the two agreed on the need for

enhanced sanctions with respect to north korea. the president concluded his trip with an address to the service members and their families at a naval station to thank them for their service on memorial day weekend and to deliver another strong message about the unity in the fight against terrorism. then yesterday president trump spoke at arlington national cemetery for memorial day services and visited the grave sites of many of our fallen heroes. this was an extraordinarily successful nine-day trip the president took. he rallied civilized nations of the world against terrorism, took real steps towards peace in the middle east and renewed our alliances on the basis of both shared interest and shared burdens. the trip sets the stage for a much more safe and prosperous nation here at home and a more peaceful world forl. we're back at home now and the president and his cabinet are moving full steam ahead on the president's agenda. as the president noted this weekend, his plan for the most significant tax reform in decades continues to progress led by secretary mnuchin and nec

director cohen. secretary mnuchin met with the house ways and means committee, and the republican subcommittee. president discussed tax reform with multiple members and leadership during his regular visits to capitol hill. we'll begin holding industry listening sessions next week providing an opportunity for business leaders and job creators to give us their inputs on what reforms are necessary to allow us to grow jobs and the economy. this morning the president met with epa administer pruitt. one of the topics they discussed was the president's upcoming decision on the pares climate accords. this is the subject the president is spending a great deal of time on. ultimately he wants a fair deal for the american people and he will have an announcement coming on that shortly. also today the president's trade

representative is having meeting with the trade minister. old's also speak at the chamber of commerce gala this evening for the vietnamese prime minister. that speech should be available via the u.s. chamber's facebook page. during his speech the ambassador will highlight developments for bilateral relationships with vietna over the pastde decades while underscoring our trade deficit with vietnam. trade deficits and unfair trade practices have hit american workers. this administration is trying to make our important relationships with partners like vietnam by leveling the playing field for american businesses throughout the world. with that, take your questions.

>> to the issue of the russia probe, i'm wondering, sean, if you can tell us when the president knew -- whether the president knew at the time that jared kushner was seeking to establish back channel communications at the russian embassy to the russian government, and if he didn't know at the time, when did he find out? >> i think that assumes a lot and i would just say that mr. kushner's attorney has said that mr. kushner's volunteered to share with congress what he knows about these meetings and he will do the same if he is contacted in connection with any other inquiry. >> has the president discussed this though? >> i'm not getting into what the president did or did not discuss. your question assumes a lot of facts that aren't substantiated by anything but anonymous sources that are so far being leaked out. >> does he approve of that action? >> you're asking if he approves of an action that is not a confirmed action. that being said, i think secretary kelly and general mcmaster have both discussed that in general terms, back channels are an appropriate part of diplomacy. >> does the white house dispute

that that happened? >> i'm not going to get into it. but your question presupposes facts that have not been confirmed. >> thank you, sean. the president retweeted this morning an article about that back channel that was based on an anonymous source that said that there was an effort to set up a back channel, that it was the russians who suggested that, and that it was to talk about syria. was the president not confirming that that -- that there was an effort in the facts that i just said? >> i think what i said just speaks for itself. >> but you say that first of all that the article was based on anonymous sources -- >> which it is. >> but the fox article that the president retweeted was also based on an anonymous source. why is their anonymous source more credible? >> there are two issues. one is the statement that jared's attorney has provided. second is whether or not the back channel -- the dossier that is largely the basis of this was largely discredited in the first

place. most of the publications here refused to even publish it in the first place. again, i'm not going to get into confirming stuff. there is an ongoing investigation. >> thank you, sean. i have two questions. first, the president, for the second time in a month, retweeted his desire for the senate to reduce the votes to pass anything to 51 which would effectively scuttle the filibuster for legislation as it has been scuttled for nominations. is this something he discussed with majority leader mcconnell or any of the senate leadership before he tweeted it? >> i think the concerns that he's had with the pace of the senate has been long standing. obviously the use of the filibuster and rules of the senate are ultimately up senator mcconnell. i think the frustration he's had with the pace of se of the legislation and some of the obstructionist tactics that democrats have employed, whether

it is his cabinet nominees or other pieces of legislation has been well documented. >> he wants to scrap the filibuster entirely? >> i think he wants to see action done, john. that's what the president wants. whether it is the delays the democrats pose to his cabinet nominees, or pieces of legislation, he wants action. this president was elected to get things done. and he wants to see things move through the house and the senate, especially when you've got a majority of support. people stop playing games. >> second question. i did want to mention that before he left to go abroad, the president praised philippine president duterte for his action against drug dealers and dealing with them. various human rights groups have condemned president duterte say nag a lot of the executions of drug dealers have been done without trial. does the president stand by his words of praise for the philippine president? >> i think the president recognizes the need to combat drugs. but he also believes in human rights. it is something that he's work

with several countries. it is one of the reasons that he's reviewing the cuba policy, et cetera. he wants human rights to be something that's very strong to him. something he's discussed in private with several countries. zeke. >> tomorrow's the deadline for the -- [ inaudible ] -- obama waiver. has the president made decision whether or not to sign another waiver? >> no. >> and will that be in the next 24 hours? >> when the president has a decision to make, we'll let you know. >> secondly, we're also awaiting a few other reviews, bothor key isis review, as well as afghanistan review. what is the status of those? you mentioned that paris will be hearing this week. the president said. what about the other two? >> i think on the afghanistan review he's still reviewing that from his -- from the department of defense. when we have an announcement we'll let you know. >> the president tweeted on sunday that he thinks republicans should, quote, add more dollars to health care and make it the best anywhere."

what did he mean by that? >> well, there is a lot of savings that are coming out of the repeal and replace effort right now. i think we are at $119 billion that we saved through the president's efforts. i think health care has been something the president's been very clear throughout his time as a candidate, well through his presidency to make sure that the american people get the care and accessibility that any need. he understands how important health care is and bottom line is he's going to do whatever it takes to make sure that people have quality, accessible health care. >> did he mean add dollars to the cost sharing reduction payments? the high-cost pools? >> the bill's in progress, obviously it is in the senate right now. he is willing to work with them to do what it takes. >> following on one of zeke's questions, afghanistan's now the country's longest war. how much more american blood and treasure is the president willing to expand? and does he think it is a winnable conflict? >> i think the conflict that he wants to defeat isis. he wants to defeat al qaeda.

he wants to defeat threats to defeat terrorism. i think i just read to you throughout the trip that was the common thread. uniting the muslim world, talking about it with prime minister netanyahu and president abbas, tking about it even with the pope, that wherever he went on this nine-day trip, protecting our country, protecting the world's people, was at the front of that discussion. i think he wants to do whatever he has to do to make sure that our country's safe and our people are safe. that's why he's asked for this review. >> i want to ask you a couple questions on tax reform. the president tweeted over the weekend that it was going, quote, very well. you just used the word progress. however, republicans on the hill still appear to be divided. the president tweeted today that maybe they should reverse the filibuster rules. i wonder what the progress is and what is it that's going "very well" at this time. >> i think the reception that secretary mnuchin and others on the staff that gotten from the house ways and means committee,

et cetera, has been very welcoming. as is in the business community. part of the reason that he is frustrated with the senate rules is because when there is a majority of support on key issues or key people, as the case of the confirmation progress, he thinks it stands into the way of progress the american people have asked for. >> asking you about the fbi director. before the trip, joe lieberman was the leading candidate. now he's out. where does the fbi director search stand. >> the president will meet with chris ray and john pistol. when the president feels as though he's met with the right candidate he'll let us know. he'll meet with candidates today and continue to do so until he finds the right leader. >> are they the two falists at this point?

>> the president is the ultimate decisionmaker. when he makes a decision as to who he believes is best to lead the fbi, he will let us know. >> the president tweeted that tax reform was going well but you just said that he got very frustrated with the lack of progress in the senate. does the white house still stand by its august deadline for tax reform and does the white house still believe health care, tax reform and infrastructure is going to get done this year? >> just so we're clear -- there are two separate issues. one is talk that secretary mnuchin and other members of the staff have had and response to the president's bold tax reform proposal is extremely welcoming. i think the president in general finds it frustrating the way the senate operates. i am dating this back to the hold-up that they had on some of these unbelievably well qualified nominees. we don't want to mix those two issues together. i think he feels very encouraged by the reception that he's gotten to tax reform. secretary mnuchin who made the comment about august had talked

about while that was a goal that we will continue to work as hard as we can to get it done. we have a pretty bold agenda. still pushing hard on health care. fruk thur isinfrastructure is a his. the president's legislative agenda is in full swing. >> where do you think the state of the u.s./german relationship right now and how important is that relationship to the white house and the president and the american public? >> i think the relationship that the president has had with merkel he would describe as fairly unbelievable. they get along very well. he has a lot of respect for her. they continue to grow. the bond that they had during their talks in the g7. any views -- not just germany but the rest of europe is an important ally. during his conversations at nato and at the g7, the president re-affirmed the knees to deepen and improve our transatlantic relationship. >> how did he view her comments that she felt that europe could no longer depend on the united states? >> well, respectfully, that's

not what she said. since you are misquoting the chancellor, let me read what she actually said. she said the time when europe could rely solely on others is somewhat in the past and as i have witnessed over the past few days, europe must take its fate into its own hands. this means working in friendship with the u.s., the uk, and neighborly relations with russia and other partners. that's great. that's what the president called for. he called for additional burden sharing. the secretary general of nato said that the president's calls are what's moving them in the right direction. the president is getting results. more countries are stepping up their burden sharing. that is a good thing for them. it is a good thing for nato and it is a good thing for america. scott. >> sean, has the president been meeting with lawyers specifically about defending himself in the special counsel investigation? [ inaudible ] -- and possibly go over his clearances? >> i'm not going to dignify partisan accusations of

anonymous sources and alleged -- unsubstantiated attacks. so i'm not even going to -- >> do you whether or not the president was having any meetings -- >> the president has a lot of meetings. on anything, we'll let you know. >> thank you, sean. first, welcome back. this weekend while you were all gone someone shout ot the lexington herald leader. we understand what happened in montana with now congressman gianforte. i think he has a misdemeanor charge of assault. will this administration take a sta standagainst violence against reporters? >> he'd take a stand against violence toward any person. >> how about supporting real reporting -- >> we have a constitution that supports the first amendment that allows all americans and

anyone in this country, frankly, the freedom of expression. we support that fully. >> the second question, when you say that you're going to try to defeat isis and al qaeda, what are you doing to eliminate the abject poverty that is the breeding ground for the terrorists? >> as we've mentioned before, his national security team's putting together a holistic solution to defeating isis. when that strategy is complete we'll have something for you on it. >> you said that a back channel is an appropriate part of diplomacy. >> i didn't say that. i said that secretary kelly and general mcmaster both commented on that. >> add more to that. how is it appropriate for someone who is a private citizen, not sworn in as an official of the u.s. government, to conduct any kind of negotiation or diplomacy with a foreign official? >> again, i would just refer to you what the comments that secretary kelly, general mcmaster have said about how they can be important tool in

diplomacy. >> but at the time there was no one who was close to the president who was working in an official government capacity. how is that appropriate? >> again, i think that both of those individuals who are steeped in national security and foreign policy have said that that can be an effective tool generally speaking in diplomacy. >> i know the president hasn't made a public decision on the paris agreement. i know you don't want to get out ahead of him, but on a more broad issue of climate change, can you say whether or not the president believes that human activity is contributing to the warming of the climate? >> honestly, i haven't asked him. i can get back to you. >> do you feel like that is a decision he is still trying to make? >> i don't know. i honestly haven't asked him that specific question. >> just quickly on health care to follow up on a question. as part of the tweet about wanting to add more money to get better health care, would the president consider putting back some of the obamacare taxes that were taken out of the health bill as it goes into the senate?

would he be supportive of keeping taxes in there to help pay for health care? >> again, that negotiation is ongoing with the senate. i don't want to presuppose what the president may or may not want to do. >> let me finish, please. thank you, sean. angela merkel's quote, the europeans must really take our destiny into our own hands. how did the president react to that? and will this have any effect on what he wants to do -- what he decides to do with paris? >> i think -- like i said a moment ago, the president believes that seeing europe and other no countries increase their burden sharing is a very positive thing for their own countries, for nato as a whole, and for the united states, to see these individuals heed the call that he has so eloquently put out over the last several -- frankly, well over a year. but when you look at the comments that the secretary general made, he recognizes that the president's rhetoric has had an extremely positive effect on

the strengthening of nato and other countries stepping up the percent of their own gdp that they're putting towards their common national defense. that benefits everybody. it benefits us. it benefits nato. it benefits themselves. >> will it affect his decision on? >> i'm sorry? >> will it have any affect on his decision on paris? >> what he ultimately decides is up to him. [ inaudible question ] >> i don't think so. i precinthink the president is pleased with his team and he has a robust agenda that he looks forward to working with congress to achieve the results for the american people. i don't think that there is anything we haven't said before

about how we've got -- the president has an unbelievably qualified cabinet and we've utilized them a ton in the past. if we can fin to do that on key issues we'll continue to do that. ultimately the best messenger is the president himself. he's always proven that he is the best messenger, not only for what he wants to articulate but the american people resoundingly chose him as their president because he understands the concerns of the american people and he is probably the best person to communicate that. >> do you think he's happy with the messaging that's been done thus far? >> i think he's very pleased with the work of his staff. i think he is frustrated like i am and so many others to see stories come out that are patently false, to see narratives that are wrong, to see, quote, unquote, fake news. when you see stories get perpetrated that are absolutely false, that are not based in fact, that is troubling. he's rightly concerned. >> can you give an example of fake news, sean? >> yeah. absolutely. i'll give you an example.

>> please. >> friday the president was having a great discussion at the g7 and someone from the bbc and ultimately an incoming reporter from the "new york times" retweeted that the president was being rude by disrespecting the italian prime minister. when in fact you all in everyone of the meetings we sit in watched the president with that one earpiece that's been used by other presidents. and yet the president did a great job at nato. building stronger bonds, building stronger bonds at the g7, increasing america's presence around the world. and that's the kind of thing that the bbc and ultimately a reporter who's now joining "the new york times" push out and perpetuate with no apology. you're shaking your head, peter. it's true. you did it. >> reporters make mistakes -- >> no, no. but that's just fake. that is a fake -- >> -- your trip was all over the front page. you're making something out of one tweet instead the vast majority of -- >> with all due respect, i was asked to give an example and i

did it. i gave an answer to jim. the problem is that i think the president -- to the question -- gets frustrated when he sees fake stories get published, things that aren't based in fact, and a narrative gets pushed -- >> talk about something significant though. >> with all due respect, i think when you see instances like that that get perpetrated over and over again, that is frustrating. no, i didn't come here with a list of things. you get to decide what's big and what's not. i think there is a lot of this stuff that's gotten pushed out based on unnamed, unaccount and sources, that is very troubling. i think when you see the same thing happen over and over again, it is concerning. i think the president has fought very hard to bring back jobs. you -- as i mentioned, you had over half a trillion dollars of investment that's coming in that's going to grow jobs, grow our economy. that should be a big story. the president's results when it came to fighting terrorism was a big thing. the idea that we're standing up

a global center to fight extremism that's uniting muslim countries. that's a big deal. >> there is reports that there is going to be an overhaul of the communications department -- >> so now you want to come back to that. what i'm telling you is that the reason that the president is frustrated is because there is a perpetuation of false narratives, a use of unnamed sources over and over again about things that are happening that don't ultimately happen. i think that is troubling. thank you, guys, very much. >> sean spicer leaving the white house briefing room at the first sign of trouble. he started this off, it was a very strange litany of the trip. donald trump's trip overseas. not providing a lot of substantive answers to reporters, and as soon as it got to the media coverage -- now what's going on? he's coming back. let's listen in. we're just -- >> i'm sorry. i didn't know that. we're just playing the beginning of this thing. the conversation came to

coverage of the president. he accused the media of not covering the fact that he did a great job at nato, of fake news and of perpetrating false narratives. and then, as soon as the second question came on the same topic, he tnked everybo and he walked out of the room. this, i will remind you, is the first official on-camera briefing in more than two weeks. may 15th was the last day whether this happened. this is a new tone, even for sean spicer. it was dour. it got combative toward the end. but he was in fact lifting a whole lot of what he says the president's accomplishments were. he said now that he's back the president will deal with tax reform. he'll have a decision on the paris climate agreement. his u.s. trade representative. talking about a new head of the fbi. stephanie, you can't make this stuff up. >> you can't make this stuff up. it is extraordinary. sean spicer kept it tight. if you saw, he even answered that question about jared kushner straight reading from a script.

he's not going to go off script. all the scrutiny from the president himself around his communications team and how they're handling them service, clearly sean worked really hard to stay on message. >> peter alexander is in the white house. do you think he was meant to leave at 41 minutes after hour or as soon as the conversation became about media coverage of the president, sean spicer's had enough? >> good question. i can't get into his mind but certainly there were a lot more questions that needed answers. one of them was as we were talking about this idea of fake news. one after jared kushner's name has been the top of several headlines. one thing sean spicer could not do is rule out the fact that jared kushner had conversations with russian officials about back channel communications with moscow during the transition period. if i had got a question, i was trying to get one answered at the very end, it was can youay with certainty that jared kushner had those --

>> his response kept being that the source relied on anonymous sources. it was a very strange set of responses. >> the points is they didn't deny. they've had several days to try to get the story straight on this. one challenge is here -- we're told this privately -- is that the white house doesn't know. not all the officials, certainly not the communication staff, don't know all the details of what jared kushner was doing then as a private citizen during the transition period. they are in no position to say anything declarativdeclarativel. that's where mike dubke, the communications director now leaving this white house having given his resignation letter a couple of weeks ago. one challenge a couple of weeks ago we saw when the president himself delivered a tweet that said how can you expect my surrogates to deliver my message with perfect accuracy? again, sean spicer putting that uncomfortable position of trying to answer questions on behalf of an administration, of a president, of a son-in-law when he may not know all the details about those circumstances. >> kristen welker's there with you in the room. kristen, again, unusual.

when asked about the jared kushner stuff, he very clearly looked down to his podium and seemed to read an answer. did not wish to entertain anything other than the fact that the reporting on jared kushner's contact with the russians about establishing a back channel is based on anonymous sourcing. it had a strange feel to it. what do you make of it? >> well, it certainly did. you also heard sean spicer get pressed on the fact that the president retweeted a report today that cited an anonymous source, trying to underscore the facthat there is a huge inconsistency there. a number of times the president is relying on anonymous sources himself. i think peter hits the nail on the head when he says that, look, what we saw today is effectively that sean spicer, the press secretary, made now have the answers to some of these critical questions. they have had since friday to try and get the answers, and yet he wasn't able to answer the most basic questions that were asked. he wasn't able to dispute the

story outright. i think that's significant as well, ali. here we are on tuesday, and this administration has yet to say that this story is false. i shouted a question at sean spicer as he was leaving, "does the president still have full confidence in jared kushner? is" of course he told "the new york times" a few days ago that he does, does that still stand, is that still the case? is his role here going to be diminished in any way, shape or form? we know there are some top officials who are encouraging him to lay low. will we see that happen. those are among the questions that we are trying to drill down on today, ali. >> peter, there were a few interesting questions that didn't get thorough answers. he was asked about the u.s. relationship with germ in i as a result of angela merkel saying that europe may need to rely less on the united states. he called donald trump's relationship with angela merkel fairly unbelievable. >> that was -- i thought that choice of words was striking

there. reince priebus, the chief of staff earlier speaking earlier in a statement referring to the foreign trip as an historic one. i'll let historians be arbiters of that, whether what the president accomplished in the course of this trip was historic. he referred to that speech that the president gave as being one of the greatest foreign policy speeches i believe he said ever delivered. i think people will raise questions about that assessment as well. but what's as striking as anything right now is this is a white house in effect that's demoralized and in disarray because the bottom line is so many people within the factions we've spoken about in the white house have gone to their own corners where they are protecting their own interests because they can't be sure of what the next shoe is to drop. that's why on a day like this when, frankly, kristen and i speaking to senior advisors at the west wing, said, if we weren't talking about russia, what would you like to be speaking about today? certainly past administrations

after returning from a long foreign trip. this person said, in effect, we'd like to talk about the foreign trip being a success. we'd like to talk about the budget. but the bottom line their own message has been swamped and it is also impossible for them to deliver it and it appears, to even come up with it. >> elise jordan, that's what sean spicer started with. is it struck all of us a little odd. we've reported extensively on this trip. one reporter sort of got into it, saying you've got to be kidding. you were on the front page of the newspaper around the world. the media covered this story but now worry's covering other stories. >> i think very much that intro was designed for president trump. sean spicer went through his travel log which everyone knew about and no one cared about because they wanted to focus in on these allegations concerning jared kushner, that the white house clearly had not put any additional thought or effort in to a morre robust dense than what they've already offered. they send himut to the podium with nothing new. >> he didn't have anything to add. what did he do?

the media is not going to let up. as soon as people realized he wasn't answering that question, it did work for a few minutes, he got reporters to ask other questions. >> i thought reports were going to stay on it. i think the question about miss chambers, and the follow-up, maybe it was the first question, when did the president learn that jared had talked about back channels and did he have any knowledge and ask him to do this. the question i would have also, when did mattis and kelly and tillerson learn about it and did they encourage jared to try to establish a back channel. reamount lity is the story's nog there. peter was the one who called the president out several months ago when the president was recounteding his electoral vote and said it was the most votes ever achieved by anyone the last five or six times. he said the most by republican. turned out to be wrong by both accounts. peter said when you're promoting fake news, how can you go after those of us in the media? the reality is sean may have gotten away with a 13-minute

press conference. strange that they started out with that when the trip was covered extensively. >> sean spicer lead this administration talking about crowd when the president and the administration keeps pushing this fake news, this we need to stop the leaks, they need to look inside their house. remember where much of this palace intrigue came from. there was a huge divide between the house of area kushner and steve bannon weeks ago. when we saw breitbart and others pushinthe idea that the globalistsithin the white house were pushing ideals that were not core to trump's message, that was steve bannon. 24-7. we saw steve bannon neutered in the white house with not much to do. they thought let's keep him inside because it's safer than outside. all the news has swell and steve bannon has risen up again. as far as fake news and leaking,

look in your house. >> people say why are you covering these things? it's not just about the white house, but it's holding the media to account and trying to get answers on behalf of the american people. >> i wonder if you can tell us when the president knew or whether the president knew if jared kushner was seeking to establish back channel to the russian government. if he didn't know, when did he find out? >> that assumes a lot. mr. kushner's attorney said he volunteered to share what he knows about the meetings and he will do the same if he is connected with any other inquiry. >> did the president discuss it? >> i won't get into it, but your question assumes a lot of facts that are not substantiate and

they are from anonymous sources. >> does he approve of that action? >> it's not a confirmed action. secretary kelly and general mcmaster have discussed that in general tes,ack channels are a part of diplomacy. >> >> phil is with us now. what a remarkable twisting of things. he didn't say it didn't happen. he said you assume a lot and you are talking about an action that is not confirmed to have happened. what do you make of that? park >> i'm surprised there was not more at the white house. nobody wants to talk about it. we saw it in the immediate aftermath at the end of the foreign trip where they were not mentioning jared kushner, but it's three or r or four days and they had a chance to figure out what the defense is going to

look and sound like and we are yet to hear it. one thing to point out, sean spicer was trying to quibble with the questioning, but the white house has not denied any of the reporting regarding this attempt by jared kushner to seek the back chen will communications. >> not denying or acknowledging it and it changed the tone of the press conference. at that point we were not going to get a straight answer. what do do you now as reporters when you can't get get basic confirmations. we are not agreeing on if the sky is blue. >> that's what all of you guys are doing. there is a lot left to be answer and explained. we would love to hear from jared kushner himse or preside trump explain what he knew and when he knew it and whether he

approves of the attempt of what his son in law tried to do. >>. >> did the president know or ask them to do this. where is going with it. you asked the right questions. tara is a former cia analyst. we have a lot of questions around people trying to do with intelligence and disagreement about that's by u.s. intelligence or is that a good

thing or illegal? >> sean spicer didn't deny it which leads me to believe there is a possibility. if it did happen, he seemed to be defending the move and cited kellyanne mcmaster. that's not what is happening in this case. jared kushner was a private citizen and reports said he was trying to arrange a back channel using russian communications that would go under the radar of u.s. intelligence. that's not the purpose of a back channel diplomacy for the private conversations and the other key question that was mentioned is who else was was he roguely deciding to set up discussions with the russians and why weren't other officials either in the campaign or trump himself involved in the decision? if so, there should be a paper trail formulating the strategy behind this and to do this without buy in or understanding of the national security apparatus seems a bit strange if

this did occur. >> at what point do they get to stand behind the idea that this is intelligence and we can't talk to you about it? >> that's a great question. let's go back to the private citizen. that dove tails to what you are asking. jared was a private citizen. in many respects, if this did happen, it may not be illegal. where it comes in and where it is not a question of intelligence is that sf 86. essentially they will receive a top secret clearance. even if he was honest or did not make an o kigz, this may be a disqualifying thing. that's sf 86. >> sorry we didn't have more

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breaking news this hour. sean spicer saying back channels are to russia are an appropriate part of diplomacy and reported that kushner and russian ambassador discussed creating the russian back channel.