we all need to build a culture, including by empowering our girls and teaching our boys decency and respect so we can make such behavior less prevalent in the future, end quote that is our broadcast for tonight. "hardball with chris mathews" is up next. wild days at the white house. let's play "hardball." >> good evening. i'm chris matthews in washington. president trump continued lashing out at senator bob corker and his secretary of state rex tillerson today, leading to further questions about the president's erratic behavior. senator corker told "the new york times" this weekend that the president's behavior concerns him. let's listen. >> sometimes i feel like he is on a reality show of some kind, you know, when he is talking about these big foreign policy issues. >> yeah.

>> and, you know, he doesn't realize that we could be heading towards world war iii with those t kind of comment she's making. >> never herald anything like it. today president trump tweeted the failing "new york times" set little bob corker up by recording his conversation. was made to sound a fool. and that's what i'm dealing with here. according to "the new york times," it was corker who candidate for his conversation to be recorded. new in a msnbc report that secretary tillerson called him a moron. the president told "forbes" magazine i think it's fake news. but if he did that, well, i guess we'll have to compare iq tests. and i can tell you who is going to win. that's the president of the united states. the president was asked about that comment earlier today. let's watch. >> did you ever undercut the secretary of state today with the iq comment? >> no. i don't believe in undercutting

people. thank you very much. >> according to white house spokesman sarah huckabee sanders the president was only making a joke. in all these outbursts and feuds they're scrambling to manage their boss through them. one trump confidante likened the president to a whistling teapot saying when he does blow off steam, if he doesn't blow off steam, he can turn into a pressure cooker and explode. i think yes in pressure cooker territory, said this person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk candidly. phil rucker who is one of the writers of the piece joins me now. also jonathan capehart is with me here. and michelle goldberg and bret stephens as well. phil, give me a sense of this extraordinarily wacky situation where the president of the united states is compared to a teapot. i think of the mad hatter's tea party here, and he might blow up if you don't let him regularly blow off steam, he'll build soup much steam something worse will

happen. >> chris, this has been his nature over many years of course that we've documented over the course of this nine-month presidency. various moments where he has been enraged and mad. and my colleagues and i spent yesterday really trying to understand the president's state of mind over the last few days, and found out with sources he has been very upset with his cabinet, with tillerson and so forth. he is upset because he feels he doesn't get the credit from the media with his management of three successive hurricanes in texas, florida and puerto rico. he is just in a foul mood. and you have his aides, including general kelly, the chief of staff, trying to manage him, trying to calm the waters, trying to prevent any bad things from happening policy wise that would affect the country and the government. >> i just wonder about who is in charge sometimes his basic outfits. the weird thing with the big white bib he wore going down to puerto rico. who is watching the guy? i think they're afraid to talk

to him. michelle, when i listen to this description by top reporters like phil, and i hear about this wacky, erratic behavior, the president described by top pretty sober people like bob corker of tennessee, the chairman of foreign relations, i begin to hear this sounds that oliver stone would have given to the script of the nixon movie, the very last days of the nixon presidency when he was drinking too much, a little crazy. in fact, isolated in his room, and just angry at the world. it sounds like near edge impeachment territory that's being described here. your thoughts. >> i mean, i think that if we had a sane and rational and decent congress it would be near impeachment territory. and even nixon in his darkest days was not as erratic, unstable and didn't pose as much as a danger to his country as trump poses. it's breath taking what we've become accustomed to, the level of dysfunction we've become accustomed to. and every single -- good for bob corker for speaking out. but every congressman, you know,

senator or congressman who agrees with him who thinks that the president cannot be trusted with a blackberry should be doing everything that they can to get between him and the nuclear codes. and instead we just see this unbelievable cowardice. >> i want to go back to jonathan on that. you're a washington expert. we are familiar with alexander haig and the rest of them trying to protect the codes from nixon at the end because he was drinking too much. i didn't think so at the time when i was growing up watching all this, but he was and he was acting dangerously. is he on that nuclear edge right now that he has to be watched? guard rails. what are guardrails for a president? >> that's exactly a good question. >> it's not a bowling alley where you have somebody to make sure the ball doesn't gutter. >> right. no, what we're dealing with here is a president who is not normal. by that i mean a normal president would not be having battles with world leaders and senior members of his own party

on capitol hill on twitter. normal presidents would not be fuming about the fact that he is not getting enough credit. if you want credit, do a good job. for president trump, good press and getting credit means fawning press. it means oh, mr. president, you've done an excellent job when your eyes tell you something completely different. >> here is senator corker. i was mentioning the chairman of the senate foreign relations committee. white house staffers work every day to try to contain the president. politico seemed to back that up. quote, interviews with ten current and former administration officials, advisers, long time business oats and others close to trump describe a process in which they try to install guardrail futures a president who goes on gut feeling, and many days are spent managing the president, just as corker said. brett stooec stephens, let me a about this. i don't know what to say except to ask the question, what do you

make of it? pretty good close-up witnessing. >> i don't think there is a mystery here. we have a president who is morally, psychologically and correctly unfit to be president. i'm reminded of something that margaret thatcher said many years ago. she said something like having power or being powerful is like being a lady. if you have to say you are, you aren't. it reminds me of trump insisting on how smart he is, which by a way is a theme of his. he is constantly telling us how high his iq circumstances why? why is he doing this? >> it just goes to the sort of psychological heart of an insecure man with a gigantic ego trying to stumble his way through the most important office in the world. >> you know, bret, i'll go back to phil on this. we've learned from history that the best of our presidents, i mean the best of them, people like fdr would make a point of surrendering themselves with greater minds. you can always get a greater

mind. it doesn't take much imagination, get the word out there, do a little networking and you find somebody smarter on you on any particular issue. it's very toes do that. and you take pride with the fact you surround yourselves with the greater minds. fdr had a first rate temperament, not a first rate mind. this guy does not have a first rate temperament and claims to have a first rate mind, which makes you wonder about the whole set of capabilities. why does he want to be the smartest guy in the room? most presidents do not want that to be the goal because they can always have somebody smarter than them by appointment in the room. >> well, this is a president, donald trump, who during the campaign liked to pride himself as being his own chief strategist. he didn't like anybody thinking he was taking direction or advice from people who may know something about the subject more than he does. and as president, you know, he listens to his advisers. he hears what they have to say, but he overrules them and he makes the decisions. and he likes to call the shots. and he likes to also put his advisers in their place which

you saw with the statement whether it was a joke or not, it was an extraordinary statement to suggest an iq test with your secretary of state. and that's what this president has done. and he is just constantly trying to put people in their place. the attorney general, we saw this with jeff sessions a few months ago. and now rex tillerson, a former corporate titan, the ceo of the biggest company in the world, exxonmobil, is now being challenged in this way over the iq test from donald trump. >> someone just e-mailed me. i get some interesting e-mails. and one was a couple of moments ago before we started here tonight. he said why don't we have some big charity group offer a million dollars to a charity if president trump will actually take an iq test. and we'll see how he does. it's gotten -- it's high school harry stuff. bragging about his own intelligence is nothing new for donald trump. let's watch him here. >> so here i am, great schools, great brain, great success. >> i went to an ivy league school. i'm very highly educated. i know words.

i have the best words. >> i was a good student. i always hear about the elite, you know. the elite. they're elite? i went to better schools than they did. i was a better student than they were. >> now, i know a lot about west point. i'm a person that very strongly believes in academics. and then they say is donald trump an intellectual? trust me, i'm like a smart person. >> michelle, maybe you're not. a lot of my friends are godfather experts. this is frado talking. i'm smart, michael, i'm smart. it's pathetic. why does he do it? >> he does it because he is a weak, broken person who has no business being president. and that should be obvious to all of us at every moment. >> you're going to write this in "the new york times." how do you come back from that comment? you write he has to be out of the office. he is a crazy person. what do you write next? >> i mean, one of the reasons

that i am so honored to have this position is so that i can say every single week what i think so many people are thinking, which is that this is an obscenity. >> well, the thing is, okay, let me go to bret on this. i finished the show tonight by asking what would bit like to work in the white house. a regular man or woman, say 35, 40 years old, trying to do their best for the country. it may be a clerical job or maybe an intellectual policy job or press or whatever. and every day you're surrounded by this romperoom of behavior, this craziness running around. all the time you have the romanoffs you have to worry about offending, the uda and jared. and the true full mooners like kellyanne who will buy anything the guy says, like sarah. how do you live in that? it's like playing bobby riggs with chairs all around you, tennis. how do you exist? >> i think we should be grateful for people like general kelly and general mattis. i mean, they're engaged in a

form of extreme baby-sitting that very few of us would like to spend our lives on. and i think that in a moment when you have such an unstable person in charge of such a large nuclear arsenal, along with all the other armaments in the united states, you want stable people. on the other hand, to all of you who do not have essential jobs who are in the administration because you want to get ahead in your careers, i'm saying to you, i think this will stain you forever to be associated with this presidency. buyer beware. >> you believe that people who sit in the white house, even at any level are enablers. bret? >> as i said, i think general kelly is helping the country by being a responsible adult in the vicinity of a very irresponsible president. and i'd rather have him there than say stephen millner his job. on the other hand, for people who are nonessential, flee this ship. >> chris, here is a sobering reality, though. this is why there is so much

extreme baby-sitting, as bret just said. the nbc news survey monkey poll last month had a statistic in it that has haunted me since i've seen it. the poll pulled out trump supporters versus gop supporters. the president's approval rating among gop supporters, this is just last month, 84%. the president's approval rating among his supporters, 99%. for a president who lives for applause, who lives for applause from the people who support him, that is the number to keep in mind. >> wait a minute. 99% of the people who like him, like him. >> they approve of his job performance. >> so far. how do i don't get that perfect identity between the people who liked him when he went in and like him now? why is that the same number pretty much? >> beats me. >> it's like north korea. i'm not saying they're left wing idealogically. but that regimentation of i smile when you smile, i cry when you cry, you know? >> it's because they are the people who are his hard-core

base. and again, for a person who loves the applause, that's the number that he is going to focus on. >> i tell you, i would never think to compare republican conservatives with north koreans because they're not idealogically synonymous. but that behavior, that locks p lockstep, yes, sir, look at me, agree with everything you said, it's like the dittoheads from the day of rush-bo. we still live in the days of rush-bo. thank you phil rucker. thank you, jonathan capehart. michelle, i'll be reading you assiduously. and bret, wherever you are, he will read you. coming up, where are the republicans? if other republicans are thinking what bob corker is saying, why are they staying quiet? we're going to talk to a republican congressman about the silence in his party. plus, how russia weaponized the anger of american voters to sow discord during the american legislation. "the new york times" shows the sophistication and what the russians were up to. and when trump wants attention, he often teases was the same phrase. >> well, i'll tell you than maybe some time in the very near future. >> we're going see what happens.

>> mr. president, what did you mean by calm before the storm yesterday? what did you mean by that? >> thank you very much. you'll find out. >> you'll seattle. it's like he is hosting a reality show and wants the audience to stay tuned. finally, let me finish tonight with trump watch. this is "hardball," where the action is. but we know a lot about drama. from scandalous romance, to ridiculous plot twists. (gasping) son? dad! we also know you can avoid drama by getting an annual check-up. so we're partnering with cigna to remind you to go see a real doctor. go, know, and take control of your health. it could save your life. doctor poses! dad! cigna. together, all the way.

former vice president joe biden will campaign this weekend with ralph north and the democrat running for virginia governor. the two will hold a roundtable in the d.c. suburbs this coming saturday that same day vice president pence will campaign with the republican candidate for governor of virginia, ed gillespie. it remains to be seen if president trump will appear with gillespie, although he did offer his endorsement last week on twitter. gillespie downplayed that news saying it's not surprising that a republican president would endorse a republican candidate. we'll be right back. ♪ video-game dance music

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a highly credible descriptions of president trump's erratic behavior put congressional republicans in a tricky situation do. they side with the criticism down here in washington or with trump's base back home? let's watch. >> i got more important things to do, doing my job than to go tell corker to keep his mouth shut or to tell the president something. >> i would rather have everybody put aside the squabbles and concentrate on the issues at hand right now. i just wish everybody would concentrate on the enormous challenges facing this nation. we would be far better off thinking is a business. and most americans probably don't know who bob corker. most americans don't care what he thinks of you. and quite frankly, most americans don't care what you think of him. they do care about their family's security, their economic well-being. and i don't think it helps any of us to continue this. i like them both. i respect bob corker. >> senate corker is a valid member of the republican congress in the senate, a key player on the budget. we're going to be turning to the budget next week.

and we'll be a big help in helping us get it passed. >> there he said absolutely nothing. that's why mitch mcconnell survives all these years. according to "the washington post," the tepid reactions from capitol hill republicans seem to highlight a strategy they have adopted when it comes to the president. quote, don't engage in public, no matter how anxious you may be in private. well, the public has exposed troubling that many would prefer to keep behind closed doors. ryan castell of pennsylvania. mr. castell, so if you can as candidly as possible describe what it's lying to be in this sort of cauldron where you have to respond to the people in your district who are wild for trump, and the numbers show most republicans are, and a president who seems to be doing things that most normal political leaders in this country fortunately do not do. or maybe you're a trumpite. >> i mean, it's a balancing act. i was going to say, i say what they said! >> well, mitch mcconnell said absolutely nothing.

that's why he has survived all these years. he doesn't say anything. >> i think most constituents want to know that you can at times take issue with what gets tweeted, and they want to know that you're focused on issues. and so you kind of separate yourself from some of the i'd shows that happened, unless you're part of the sideshow, which i think can happen if you do get walk too far into it. >> well, this pat ran on very powerful issues. he said we're going to stop stupid wars. we're going to do something about illegal immigration. we're going to create jobs at home, restore the industrial base of the country. all three made sense to me. i don't think he has been coherent in pursuing those goals. i don't think he has a rational plan for dealing with stopping illegal immigration, dealing with the democrats cutting a deal that actually works. i don't see him getting anywhere this. >> if you do daca, border reform security and package that. >> why don't they do it? >> the question is will both sides come together. >> he had a deal two weeks ago. he had a deal with nancy and chuck over chinese. they had it all figured out. >> did they?

>> daca in exchange for border enforcement. next he stalking about the wall again. >> look, that's a piece of it. i do think border security has to be a part of daca and visa reform. but if you private now which i think is what members like i want to do in very competitive districts, but even around the country is let's do tax reform. let's give the working class families a tax cut, and make sure we lower rates on businesses, lift wage stagnation, get back to hiring -- >> yeah, but that sounds great. >> it does sound great. that's what we important to do. >> that's not what trump is talking about. he is talking about getting rid of the estate tax, which only affects people who have more than $11 million to give their kids. that's only for rich people. i'm sorry. he wants to lower the tax rate. he can argue about that. he wants to lower the top rate from 40 down to 35. that's not for regular working people in pennsylvania where you live and work. it's not for them. it's not what you just said. it's not republican. it's trumpite. >> a tax reduction for middle income families is part of the

tax plan. that's number one. >> it's in there. >> if you're looking at pass-throughs, you're talking a lot of times about middle income americans that are going to make a decision between starting a business or not starting a business. and, look, the c-corp. rate, we're still talking about employees. we're still talking about bringing jobs back. >> trump is out for the little grime. can say that with the straight face? >> what i'm saying is the tax reform package which i want to see more details on, which we are rolling out unified republican framework is something that i think that middle income, middle class america can get behind. >> where do you stand on this bannon threat, this on the alt-right say it will knock you out of your district and your congressional seat like you. >> right. >> if you don't play ball with trump, we're going to knock you out of the game you. worried about that no. i represent 05,000 constituents. i need to do what is best nor country. that's why i'm coming on your program do. >> you think bannon has any influence on people like you? >> not on me. >> you afraid of him?

>> no. i'm not afraid of anybody. maybe some of the offensive linemen. >> are you afraid of steve bannon? no. >> really? you're willing to sate. >> i just did on television. >> tell steve bannon you're not afraid of him. >> i'm not afraid of steve. i'm here to serve my district. >> last night steve had a warning for republicans who did not fall in line with the president's agenda. here he is. >> we are declaring war on the republican establishment that does not back the agenda that donald trump ran on. it's a new game in town. we're going cut off the oxygen to mitch mcconnell. mitch mcconnell's biggest asset is the money. we're going to make it the biggest liability. in other words we're going after these guys tooth and nail. >> he looks tough. >> i wasn't watching that program last night. >> well, you just saw it. what do you think of this guy? he looks like steve bannon. he looks like himself. he looks rough. you're not afraid of him? >> well, i said that. i looked right in the camera too. >> we got the tape. >> i'm sure it will be played. i think he probably likes that you view him as the villain. i don't know him.

i don't know. >> i've never met the guy. i'm not that interested. i congratulate you for not being interested there are some things i like about trump. i like the fact no more stupid wars although he is out trying to start a war with iran again. i like the infrastructure part. i look the railroad we travel and it's so rickety and old. >> i agree with you. >> it's not what we as americans should have. when are we going to see something done, just the railroads? >> i was hoping we could site by now. you combine railroads, roads and bridges, rural. >> when? >> electricity grid as well. well, we're looking for it. it's supposed to be a trillion dollar package. subsequent to that we heard it can't be a trillion. it would be a couple hundred billion coupled with incentivizing the private sector and regulatory permitting reform. i think that's something that you can get a big bulk of congress behind, republicans and democrats, because there is something in there for everyone. well, i was hoping it would have happened by now. >> i do too. the republicans can make sure the money is not wasted. democrats it will be easier to spend the money. but you guys are slow to spend

the money. at least if you do get aboard, you can keep your eye on the money. i don't want to see the money pees away. i want to see something away. i want to see us having trains like the rest of the world has. i want to see us acting like we can compete in the world. >> it's a global economy. >> we have to start catching up. >> immigration reform, tax reform. >> you guys in congress -- >> infrastructure. >> -- would have the watchdogs and make trump be the trump that ran on pretty good issues. he did. but he has been crazy. >> i think that we're -- >> you know he has been crazy, right? are you proud of his behavior in the white house? >> i prefer that he tweet less. >> thank you, u.s. congressman ryan costello, redding, pennsylvania and elsewhere. >> chester. >> really nice places. up next, a new investigation by "the new york times" reveals how russian agents sowed division ahead of the 2016 election, often promoting misinformation and anger that real americans were posting on social media. they were piggy backing on the crap some of the right wing americans were putting out. this is "hardball," where the

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hello, i'm milissa rehberger. deadly brushfires burn across california are, now blamed for at least 15 deaths. nbc news correspondent joe fryer has a live update from santa rosa. joe? >> melissa, the damage here in santa rosa in the coffee park neighborhood is really widespread. everywhere you look behind me, you see burned out cars including this one, which somehow ended out upside down.

beyond the cars is the homes. from where i'm standing right now, when you look out into this neighborhood you don't see a single house still left standing here. right now about 2,000 houses and businesses have been destroyed in these fires here in northern california that started sunday night. and the death toll has now risen to 15, including a coupe whole lived in napa county. he was 100 years old. his wife was 98 years old. the winds have died down a little bit today. that slowed the pace of the fire. but not that long ago. we still heard reports of fire encroaching on a community just a little bit from here, and more mandatory evacuations were issued. in all, about 20,000 people have been evacuated since these fires. add it up across northern california, across the state, 17 large wildfires are burning right now, and they have scorched more than 115,000 acres. and it's not going get any better this week. red flag warnings are still in effect for wednesday into thursday. these gusty winds that push the

fire through starting sunday night will continue into the rest of the week. melissa? >> joe fryer reporting from california, thank you. now back to "hardball." welcome back to "hardball." "the new york times" today reported that russian operatives used front groups on facebook to amplify content from american websites, often using material from fringe groups here and conspiracy theorists here to further their influence campaign. one of the most powerful weapons russian agents used to reshape american politics was the anger, passion, and misinformation that real americans were broadcasting across social media platforms. for instance, one video barred from a conservative pro trump website falsely claimed that muslim men who emigrated to michigan were allowed to collect welfare checks to benefit their four wives. at least one was aimed at president obama's family.

quote, another youtube video claiming that michelle obama had 214 personal assistants, and had purchased four yachts. yachts, taxpayer money. had close the a million views. even when the content was outright not false, it still served to widen existing political divisions in america. one russian group posted content highlighting discrimination against muslims, and another appears to have specialized in passionate denunciation of the criminal just system and viral videos of police violence. i'm joined by the author of that story, nick compesorri of "the new york times." nick that. >> know their stuff. if they know how to rat typical cage of the right, rattle the cage of the left, they know what angers americans. it's usually the racial stuff. they know how to get to our negative erogenous zones so effectively. do they need the help of american spotters, or are they doing this over in moscow? >> you know, chris, i think it's pretty clear that the russians

behind this, whoever it is, whether it's the research agency or other people had a very good sense of the divides and polarization in american society. and the truth is just kind of watch the news and see what people are angry about. what i saw in looking at the texts of hundreds of these posts and following those bread crumbs back to their sources that the russians were looking at the same things, that the same that americans were looking and engaging with on social media. >> so is this like a four or five bookies when they bet the spreads for a football game, sitting together, figuring out, four or five people sitting around saying what are we going to do on race this week, whands are we going to do about gender and what are we going to do about whatever ideology. they seem to know, for example, the beliefs that we would have sharia. we believed there would actually be some welfare payments are being paid to some muslim fellow because he's got four wives. you can't have four wives in this country. and you don't get welfare

payments for four of them. but it's just sort of believe to believe those on the wacky ends of things. >> look, conspiracy theories spread widely on social media. and there are american source conspiracy theories, like the one you referenced earlier about michelle obama. look, people make these things up for fun and profit, and the russians just grabbed a lot of them and threw them back. or take police violence. every time have there is a vile video of police video in america, there is a pretty good chance it would show up in some form on facebook group controlled by this operation in russia. a beating or a shooting or a death, these guys were harvesting the things that are making americans most angry, and holding a mirror back at us to show us the things that were worst about our own country. >> you know, my wife is in local news for a year. and she would tell me when i came home tonight, agreed hear the czech tv and russian telephone showed up because there was an eviction in d.c. any time there is any socially bad news that could make us look

bad on the social front, the communist in those days were there to exploit it. it seems like that game began a long time ago, the russians looking for our weak side. >> exactly. the strategy of the russians around the world, including the u.s. is to sow division by finding divisions that already exist and trying to widen the cracks a little bit. trying to throw some seeds or throw some fuel on the fire. take your metaphor. and to make it worse. to make us a little angrier and more energized and more divided. but it doesn't stuff that they made up out of whole cloth. that's what is so amazing about it. they took things already out there from americans and threw them back in our face. >> did they do anything to help hillary? >> well, look, it depends what you think helps. if escalating polarization was going to help hillary, there was certainly a lot of escalating polarization. >> i don't think so. >> really what they did was send messages aimed at black audiences that was meant to depress them and demoralize them and make them feel like the country was not fair, that political institutions in this country were flawed and racist,

and certainly there is some truth in that. but they were not trying to get black people out to vote. they were trying to get black people to be mad at their country and feel dea moralized about their country. >> thank you very much. they have very sophisticated enemies. nick confessore. bob corker says the president treats the white house like a reality show. it seems like he is always teasing his big decisions by saying "you'll find out." it is true. anyway, you're watching "hardball." . think of all the things that think these days. businesses are thinking. factories are thinking. even your toaster is thinking. honey, clive owen's in our kitchen. i'm leaving. oh nevermind, he's leaving. but what if a business could turn all that thinking... thinking... endless thinking into doing. to make better decisions. make a difference. make the future. not next week while you think about it a little more. but right now. is there a company that can help you do all that? ( ♪ )

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now's your chance at ...has grown into an enterprise. that's why i switched to the spark cash card from capital one. now, i'm earning unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase i make. everything. what's in your wallet? i don't worry. could be the before the storm. >> what storm is it? >> we have the world's great military people in this room. i will tell you that.

and thank you all for coming. thank you. >> what storm, mr. president? >> you'll find out. >> you'll find out. welcome back to "hardball." that was a tag line you'll hear forever. that was donald trump issuing a cryptic warning just last week. senator bob corker says trump treats his office like a reality show. the president, former "the apprentice" host frequently draws upon his tv reality experience to stoke drama in one specific way, a cliff-hanger. let's listen to it. >> his grandmother in kenya said oh, no, he was born in kenya. and i was there, and i witnessed the birth. now she is on tape. and i think that tape is going to be produced fairly soon. somebody is coming without a book in about two weeks. it's going to be very interesting. >> and then they had oh, but he'll never put in his financials. because maybe he is not as rich as people think. not that it matter, but i'm much richer. and you'll see that next week do. >> tapes exist of your conversations with him? >> well, i'll tell you than

maybe some time in the very near future. >> mr. president, what did you mean by calm before the storm yesterday? what did you mean by that? >> thank you very much. you'll find out. >> well, we're going see what happens. you're going to see very soon. >> well, you get the point. trump's flare for the dramatic doesn't end there. the pres also claimed credit for mike pence's performance at sunday's colts game, ensuring his made for reality tv feud with the nfl would also garner ratings for another week. let's bring in the "hardball" roundtable. sabrina seddiqi, and sam stein's politics editor at the daily beast and msnbc contributor. this is a free fire discussion. producers all day have been telling me if you go through the reality tape, which i don't watch, tremendous familiarity. with the feuds he is setting up. it's cliff-hangers he is setting up or nicknaming people. it's all familiar shtick.

>> he is the reality show president. and he is obsessive about ensuring that he is the center of attention that no one in his administration is given more importance than he stharks he is constantly a fixture within the news cycle. that's how was able in part to propel himself to a republican nomination. the comments before the storm comments did set off within the security community. at times when there are troops overseas, you can't be making vague comments when you're the commander in chief what your plans are. you have to be a lot more clear. >> what does that clown in pyongyang thinking it means? the generals come in to him sand say he said the calm before the storm. what should we do, dear leader? >> he thinks about announcements as tv programing decisions. and he actually said publicly when he announced the pardon of sheriff joe arpaio, he said this publicly. i've got the quote. he said announced his pardon of sheriff arpaio as hurricane harvey made landfall in texas

because he assumed the ratings would be far higher. he literally thinks about decisions in terms of how they will rate on cable programing. >> but the purpose of reality tv is ratings. i mean, you understand it. you get paid by sponsors. the more eyeballs you have, sam, the more successful you are. what is his goal? what is the coherent purpose of this administration? getting eyeballs? getting attention? is that it? >> do you think there is a coherent purpose? >> what is the purpose of all that shtick, all this stuff he is doing. the cliff hanging stuff, the nicknaming, the showing off, the bragging about his iq. what's the whole purpose of it? >> i had to divine one, first of all, he has a history obviously in reality tv. he was the host of a reality tv show that was very successful. so he knows all the machinations and what not. but even if you go before that period in his life, he was obsessed with coverage of himself and finding himself on the front pages of the tabloids. and if there is a common denominator through all this, it is that he is most satisfied

when people are talking about him. so that's why you have these continuous cliff hangers. that's why you have these announcements about who is up and who is down in the administration, who will be fired. the only problem is he is not deciding who is going to be fire who will get the rose. in the rose in this case is will we drop a nuclear bomb on north korea. and it's super real. >> so reality is real here. >> yes. he is the president. this is not -- "the apprentice." >> a disturbing game in itself. but there are consequences. this guy does have the button. >> there. >> he has it. >> he is an impulsive person. and we've seen that manifest time and again. it's not just these comments, the way he dragged out the decision over daca. i mean, we're talking about nearly 800,000 young undocumented kids and their future. now, it doesn't mean he is not sometimes deliberating to the last minute. that's another component of this. you never know anything is final until he says it's final. and then he has a tendency to potentially change positions. >> an end game figured out. for example, the fight with the nfl on take agony.

we can argue back and forth whether it was appropriate at a time during the national anthem whether you do it after six weeks, that's enough you made your point and let's move on. but he is not going to move on. what does trump want the end game to be in that fight? buzz he envision where he and pence win and the players stop doing it? or what? he gets more votes in 2020 because he took a position on the players take agony. i'm sorry, does this sound odd? is there a purpose to what he does. >> the notion that there is some long-range strategic vision behind this day today impulsive behavior is absurd. >> asking if the president of the united states has a absurd. >> a better question is not where does it end, but how does it begin? he cease things, usually on "fox & friends" that tickle his fancy and he decides to tweet about. suddenly these things snowball into something much larger than that. and now you have this large

cultural backlash intention. >> did you see the numbers we just reported? the numbers are unbelievable. >> sure. >> they're on his 99 support of the people that were with him day one are now with him on day whatever. almost 200. they're with him now. they don't change. it's working. it's in his world. >> it works with his base. but it's also the advice he receives. so the obsession with tv is not just him and the set and how he talks. he sees the people on tv as advisers. in the early days of the administration, madeline, who is his secretary, get me lou dobbs. and lou dobbs would be on the phone. and lou would tell him. >> speaking of lou dobbs, jon stewart. last night comedian jon stewart took on the calm before the storm comment. and let's watch him here. >> you'll find out. you'll -- a cliff-hanger surrounded by military people. you'll find out. ooh, will trump give humanity the rose? will civilization make to it the

fantasy suite? and calm before the storm? is that what he was saying? calm before the storm. >> [ bleep ]. >> calm before the storm. how is all this not the storm? this is all the storm. and what kind of a sociopath, what kind of a sociopath would use that terminology? while people are still literally cleaning up from storms? >> again, you guys are younger, i live lived through the nixon thing, nothing like this. the commentary wasn't this wild. that's an amazing statement. to call the president a sociopath and have nobody challenge it on the show, they're all cheering. they want to go further. >> i think that we're this an unprecedented moment here. and to some degree the tone is also set from the top. because the president doesn't hold back. how he talks about other people. in terms of the language he uses. obviously he doesn't give the office the same level of respect as his predecessor, so i don't think that it -- >> it's not just late-night

hosts, edgy and comedic by nature. but when you have the senate, the chair of the senate foreign relations committee in your own party talking about you as if you're an infant -- >> bob corker, whatever he is, is not a hot dogger. >> no. >> there's the roundtable sticking with us. there's going to be some scoops tomorrow, things you'll be talking about, hopefully. this is "hardball." watching us all the time. no, no. no, honey, we meant that progressive would be protecting us 24/7. we just bundled home and auto and saved money. that's nothing to be afraid of. -but -- -good night, kyle. [ switch clicks, door closes ] ♪ i told you i was just checking the wiring in here, kyle. he's never like this. i think something's going on at school. -[ sighs ] -he's not engaging. i think something's going on at school. now that we have your attention... capri sun has four updated drinks. now with only the good stuff. do you know how to use those?

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oh, that's really attached. that's why i rent from national. where i get the control to choose any car in the aisle i want, not some car they choose for me. which makes me one smooth operator. ah! still a little tender. (vo) go national. go like a pro. sabrina, tell me something i don't know. >> throughout this feud between the president and rex tillerson, i've heard from people who work at the state department, there's still very little if any communication between the secretary of state's office and the broader staff there. when rex tillerson went out to give that speech last week, many of the staffers were sitting there not even knowing if he's going to resign, that's how great the dissonance is. >> the white house staff? >> no the state department staff did not know if the secretary of state was about to resign, that's how little communication there is. >> weird.

>> chris, you know this because you know everything. >> a good start. >> a lot of people forget donald trump has been in a feud with the nfl for 33 years. it started in 1994 when he bought the new jersey generals. >> u.s. football league. >> tried to go head to head with the nfl, failed abysmally. it was a really low point in his career. but this is -- >> pretty hard to fail at pro football. he got me -- >> he didn't. >> another trump sports one, he did a tour de trump in new york, a bicycle tour de france version in new york, that failed too. >> was he on any special help for that? >> no, not that i know of. the secondly, c.h.i.p., the children's health care program, reauthorization failed in september, they're frantically searching for a solution, 9 million kids' health care at stake and there's no clear understanding between the house and the senate right now.

>> that's reality compared to reality tv. when we return, let me finish with "trump watch." it's really something tonight. it is something reality something. (avo) when you have type 2 diabetes, you manage your a1c, but you also have a higher risk of heart attack or stroke. non-insulin victoza® lowers a1c, and now reduces cardiovascular risk. victoza® lowers my a1c and blood sugar better than the leading branded pill. (avo) and for people with type 2 diabetes treating cardiovascular disease, victoza® is now approved to lower the risk of major cardiovascular events

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can celebrate a life like no other. find out how at sanfranciscodignity.com. "trump watch" tuesday, october 10th, 2017. did you ever wonder what it's like inside trump world? i mean really inside? you know, the hallways and offices of the west wing, the white house, and national security staff sitting at the

big table in the white house mess, driving home together after work, meeting at bars. did you ever wonder what it's like up close and personal with donald trump and the romanoffs, jared and ivanka, and the true believers like kellyanne conway and sarah huckabee sanders. what's it like being careful not saying something about the president and having it get back to him? meanwhile talking to the press while you're safely on background and won't get quoted? hearing by the hour the crazy things the country's chief executive and commander in chief just said or tweeted or joked about his iq or what school he went to or other wacky things that grown-ups usually leave to the high school kids? this is important stuff you're dealing with every day, the fate of the country, really. and then here the vice president, presumably one of the grownups, is out in the midwest peek a -a-booing in a football game. a decade, a year, a week, a day from now, we're sorry, already has. how to you keep faith in our

form of government when you find yourself working at the very top of it and knowing you're in some crazy grade school recess yard where the big skid sticks the other kids with nicknames, brags about himself like some dangerous clown, and you having to take it every day, every minute? that's "hardball" for now, thanks for being with us. "all in with chris hayes," starts right now. tonight on "all in." >> did you undercut the secretary of state today with the iq comment president president floats an iq test. >> senator bob corker called the white house an adult day care center -- >> tonight multiple new detailed reports supporting the adult day care method of managing the president. and what it means for the country. >> senator corker is certainly entitled to his own opinion. then blockbuster new assault allegations against harvey weinstein. >> please come in. i'm everything -- i'm a famous guy. >> i'm feeling very uncomfortagh