for hours but we are out of time. thanks to jeremy, don, and charlie. i'm micolle wallace. mtp daily starts right now with chuck todd. hi todd. >> if it's tuesday, will this new year unleash a new president? tonight, new year's resolution. why the president appears to be ringing in 2018 unleashed, like never before. plus hatch is out. could this many senator romney? >> i have decided to retire at the end of this term. >> as orrin hatch closes out his decades-long career, myth romney now has an opening to come to

washington. and finally, protests rock iran. >> the iranian people are angry at the rising tide of corruption in their daily lives. >> reporter: president trump warns the u.s. is watching. what's the next move? this is mtp daily, and it starts right now. ♪ good evening i'm chuck todd here in washington. welcome to mtp daily and welcome to 2018. we begin the year with a president who probably feels like he could do everything. but we could end the year with a midterm wave that prevents him from doing anything. the big question, how far is this president willing to go to get what he wants? he seems unleashed and on the clock making mr. trump a wild card of epic proportions as washington confronts an epic to do list. he was unleashed in that

impromptu year end interview with the "new york times" which its own staff didn't know about until after the fact at mar-a-lagoo. he told them he could do whatever he wants with the justice department. spouted conspiracy theories object russia and claimed that he killed obamacare. today he is talking about building a wall, cragging down on north korea, jailing huma abedin, and the deep state justice department. that's a quote. and this is how we rung in the first press briefing of the new year w the white house being pressed to explain some of those recent presidential statements. >> does this administration believe that the deep state is a real thing, that there is this shadow government out there actively plotting to sabotage him? >> look, the president finds some of those actions very disturbing and he thinks that we need to make sure if there is an issue that it's looked at. >> is the president requesting that the department of justice investigate huma abedin? and how did he reach this

conclusion that she should be in jail given she hasn't been convicted or indicted on any crime. >> the president wants to make sure that he doesn't feel anyone should be above the law. >> the president is seemingly living in a conservative echo chamber cheering the tax twin and his appointments of conservative judges and the rollback of some obama an herra regulations. so with his right flank behind him, how far will the president go to get what he wants? on immigration, he says he wants this. >> i got elected partially because of a border wall. oh, we are going to have the wall. don't worry. >> on the russia probe, he wants it finished and or discredited. >> that was a democrat hoax. it was an excuse for losing the election. and it should have never been this way where they spent all

these millions of dollars. it's a shame what happened with the fbi. really really disgraceful. >> on trade, he wants china to pay. >> we can't continue to allow china to rape our country. and that's what they are doing. it's the greatest theft in the history of the world. >> but what he says on the campaign trial and what he does in the oval office on china is sometimes two different things. bottom line, january is shaping up to be a legislative and executive log jam that includes those and other issues whether it is government funding daca, health care or trade with china as the russia investigation hangs over everything. top white house officials are meeting with the big four kong leaders tomorrow to begin talks in the new year at a moment when neither party seems interested in working together under this president. the core of the democratic party wants to begin impeachment proceedings and the core of the republican party seemingly wants whatever this president's wants. joining me now, mark meadows the

chairman of the powerful house freedom caucus. it has 30 members. >> a good 25 or 30 votes are representative of your caucus? >> we try to get together and make sure we have a united front when it comes to the conservative voice. more importantly it's not about the 35 members, chuck. it's about the millions of people who feel like washington, d.c. has forgotten them. that's why the caucus was formed, certainly it's why they have influence on capitol hill. >> you definitely have flurchs and these building blocks to get the deals, the compromises done. let's face it you are not going to get everything you want. chuck and nancy won't get everything they want. >> i'm shocked. >> and the president won't. what's fatalistic and what's possible? let's start with daca and the deferred action for the d.r.e.a.m.ers. is this going to be a narrow deal -- first of all, are you

supportive of some form of protection for these folks? >> we have been working closely with the administration and some of my democrat colleagues even some republicans that perhaps are more moderate on immigration than i would be because the president set a deadline in march to deal with the 674,000 people that had deferred action. >> right. >> we are going to get a deal. we have been working behind the scenes not only with members but with the white house as well to try to do that. but the president has been very specific on what he wants to see. you had it there in the leadup. >> the wall is everything to him. >> well, it's border security. >> i asked that because you heard the rhetoric. >> there is chants of border wall. >> you heard from democrats saying they will support any compromise on daca as long as the wall is not part of it. >> why would they not want border security? they are going to come down to a fundamental decision. are they willing to protect these individuals, some 600,000

or 700,000 individuals from deportation in exchange for a secure border and really enforcement that all americans, whether it's the 674,000 or the 318 million should enjoy. i mean -- so why is it this without the other? >> what you are telling me is you think the wall is very much a part of this conversation, it hasn't been taken to of the table? >> it has not been taken off the table. chain migration, making sure we enchain migration. and we've seen the last two terror attacks with this visa lottery program somehow bag factor along with chain migration. so those three kpoeb entz are critically important to the president and something that we've got to discuss. >> is there a chance that you just see, since you might not be able to come into agreement on all the other things this seems to be consensus on protecting the 700,000 folks. is there somehow -- is that the

last-minute snare i don't remember here? >> i don't see it being a last-minute scenario by itself. here's the reason why. if you deal with those 600,000 or 700,000 individuals without changing the fundamental reason why they are here and the fact that -- we'll just be dealing with it again. you have seen previous administrations, both democrat and republican, try to deal with it. and they have never been able to deal with it. let's go ahead, once and for all. let's do something his forric and make sure we address it. >> you want this bill to be big, when i say big, expansive, deal with the entire immigration law. like gang of eight style? not saying the gang of eight bill but that comprehensive? >> i would like to see it bigger in terms of border security and dealing with this deportation issue. that being said, i want to be truthful, i mean there have been a number of discussions, do you do something really small? do you do something in the middle?

or something really big? there has been more of an appetite too do it either big or in the middle than something skinny. >> how connected to the american funding bill is daca now. this january 19th expiration date, does daca have to be agreed on before that? >> if you talk to democrats they are going to want to attach to it that funding. conservatives said let's keep as a separate issue. >> you think march is the real deadline. >> march is the deadline. you are not talking about deportation until months after that even if we hit that deadline. but the deadline is march. but the other part is i'm encouraging leadership to do something bold in the next two weeks. let's discuss and it see if we can get a bipartisan agreement you. >> want it this month. >> yes, in house. because the senate is slower to act. yes, i see it being dealt with long before infrastructure. >> what should be the priority for 2018? you got taxes out of the way.

you have got to keep the lights on. let's separate them. daca has to be dealt with because you have this deal. let's talk about what you could do. there is talk of welfare reform, infrastructure. let's be realistic. it's an election year. you might not get any bites. what's the priority? >> from a priority standpoint, what is doable. infrastructure is doable. i'm on the infrastructure committee. we have been working on that for months. that's something that honestly when you talk about bridges and roads and transit, it actually brings delts and republicans together. >> sure. >> because everybody has a road or a bridge in their district. i think that we can get a deal there. now, the size of that deal becomes critically important because you know fur talking about a trillion dollars in infrastructure spending which this pre has committed to do. >> is that a real trillion or a government trillion dollars? >> are you suggest there is mat in washington and math on main

street. >> i'm just asking -- >> i think it's trillion of investment. taxpayer dollars or a public/private partnership or some other type of dollars. it is a trillion dollars. that's a priority. the well form reform aspect, it gets down to this, should able body adults with non-dependent children have a work requirement, either 20 hours at work, 20 hours at school or 20 hours volunteering at a local municipality, should they be required to do that in order to get welfare. >> modelled off of the georgia system by the way. >> there is a maine system. it's not new. we have had this under democrat administrations. >> there have been work requirements. >> there have. we have been waved those. i think we put the value back in work. i think those two things. >> you seem to be nervous about

the political climate. you were very careful what you said about this and about the white house. you said well their political shop could use some work and essentially you think they are improving. what do you mean? what could they improve on? decision making? how do you best allocate the president's time? >> no. listen, the president has been a celebrity when he ran for office. he is now elected in office. now he has become a historical figure in terms he have has gotten tax reform, moved the embassy from tel aviv to jerusalem. they are going to look at his name attached to those two things historically. when we look at the political operation it is not what the president does. it's about making sure that on this very thing of tax reform we passed it historically, nine out of ten viewers watching right now are getting more of their money back in this new tax bill. that's not actually being communicated effectively, so we have got to do a better job of

that. >> you are admitting 10% are getting a tax hike. >> depending where you live, new york, california, new jersey. it's not as great in those -- and it's actually, depending on which study, it would be 95%. but certainly, there are some who will pay more taxes. you have to be intellectually honest about those things. >> charlie den said this over the break about loyalty to the president. he said, you know, before donald trump became president the litmus test for republicans was about the eye dideological confy and purity. now the litmus test has changed. the litmus test is loyalty to the president. is he right? >> you are talking about a man who has openly disagreed with the president. and i'm one of his biggest defenders. >> he calls you out my name. >> he does. and i always take his call.

i am a one of the few members he tweeted about when i had a disagreement on health care. i don't like to bring that back up. you don't of want to bring up -- >> sure. >> but this is not about loyalty to the president. this is about loyalty -- >> do you think this he views loyalty as simply loyalty to him and not to something larger? >> no, i think this is about loyalty to the american people. my voting card, and charlie dent's voting card has our pictures on it but it doesn't blonde to us. it belongs to the people we represent. >> do you think the fbi is biased against the president. i think the fbi has engaged in activities that they shouldn't be engaged in. let's take the most recent "new york times" report that came out over the last few days. in that report you have six reporters reporting anonymous sources. but in the actual report they talked about the fact they have interviewed agents both current and former agents, fbi, doj agents, for their story. now, what agent would actually opine or give a reporter information on an ongoing

investigation? it is a cardinal sin and they can't do that. >> this is an i issue all the time. >> i do think there are people at the very top of the fbi that are not carrying out their constitutional duty without bias. >> let me ask you this, if they were so antitrump why did they keep the investigation into the president as a candidate secret and why did they reopen the investigation into the president's opponent? this is where the facts don't fit the charges. >> you know me i'm one that will go to the facts. we also know that there was conversations and actually within doj and the fbi where, actually, documents or conversations were shared with the media prior to november 8th of 2016. and that's all going to come out. >> i under. but what i'm trying to understand is what part of the investigation itself -- i mean has any like falsified fact been found yet? like there is an implication here there are rogue agents running around creating fake

investigations. >> well, there is all kinds of falsified facts, chuck. if you look at what -- >> up etrying to find one on some of the accusations that are out there. >> the dossier. >> the dossier is not an fbi product. >> you are right. it is a $12 million democrat product of custom the fbi coopted -- listen, we don't have to look any further than bruce orr. why would he be meeting with the person who wrote the dossier? >> let me ask you something, if there is wrong that happened why is everybody worried about the investigators? >> here's why they are worried about the investigators and why i believe we need to stregt the investigators with a special prosecutor. >> through the looking glass type of stuff. >> when you have fbi agents sharing with the media internal documents and internal conversations with the media on an ongoing investigation, that is not supposed to happen.

>> under that scenario then everything that washington has reported on for the last 50 years deserves a special prosecutor, sir. >> no no, no i'm not saying that you and i -- but law enforce men is held to a different standard. >> i understand that, but we are going to go round and round and i'm going to run out of time. congressman i'll leave it there. thank you for coming in. coming up next, president trump asked senator hatch to stay. today he said no. based on your budget. [ gasps, laughs ] you ever feel like... cliché foil characters scheming against a top insurer for no reason? nah. so, why don't we like flo? she has the name your price tool, and we want it. but why? why don't we actually do any work? why do you only own one suit? it's just the way it is, underdeveloped office character. you're right. thanks, bill. no, you're bill. i'm tom. you know what? no one cares.

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senator orrin hatch, the longest serving senate republican, announced today he's retiring at the end of term. >> i've always been a fighter. i was an amateur boxer in my youth, and i brought that fighting spirit with me to washington. but every good fighter knows when to hang up the gloves. and for me, that time is soon approaching. >> senator hatch's decision not to run for an eighth term comes

despite late pressure from president trump who last month said he had hoped hatch would stay in the senate to quote -- quote, for a very long time to come. why is that? because hatch's retirement could lead to a senator myth romney. the former presidential nominee and massachusetts governor long promised to throw in his hat if hatch retired. all of it could happen in a state where he has deep personal and business ties. what all that means, we could see the utah seat going from this -- >> mr. president, i have to say that you are living up to every, everything i thought you would. you are one heck of a leader. and we're all benefiting from it. >> -- to this. >> donald trump is a phony, a fraud. his prormss are as worthless as a degree from trump university.

>> two former romney advisors tell nbc news we should not expect a romney run as a pure anti-trump republican campaign and that people will probably be surprised at his willingness to support the rest. back with more "mtp daily" in 60 second. in jellyfish. in clinical trials, prevagen has been shown to improve short-term memory. prevagen. the name to remember.

welcome back. while you were celebrating the holidays and watching bowl games, president trump was continuing his reshaping of the federal government. the "washington post" james holman rounded up some big very recent white house moves that you may have missed. such as reskinneding an obama era directive that tightened fracking standards. watering down some regulations that were intended to prevent big oil spills like the deep water horizon -- you remember that from 2010. new medicine guidelines scaling back fines for nursing homes that harm residents and scaling back an obama era promise to pay for half of an amtrak track.

and there was the firing of every advisory member on the council for hiv aids. let's welcome in today's panel. welcome all. i want to unpack the meadows interview in a minute. quickly, let's go through this. ramesh, it seems as if passage of the tax bill has now allowed everybody to sort of look at the first year of the trump presidentsy and look at what he has done on the executive level now and see big changes. and this reshaping of the federal government as an institution is something that hasn't gotten enough attention. >> i think that everybody's assessment of the trump presidency's first year changed because a lot of its major accomplishments happened at the back end, the last few days of 2017 and it looks like a much stronger record of accomplishment than it did say going into december where it looked like there was the chance it would be dominated by the failure of health care legislation. >> and the failure of tax

reform. >> exactly. >> this reshaping of the federal government, there is lot of doom and gloom. i'm old enough to remember the doom and gloom of when reagan did something similar in trying to shrink the government. is this as doom and gloom as some people say it is. or does it depend on the department? >> we were in high school during reagan. fair enough that we might have gotten a few things wrong. wasn't getting the "new york times" or the "washington post" in those days. >> i'm glad you mention that. i think that obviously one year is an opening bid in any kind of a presidency and in maybe ways, you know, certainly internationally, you could say trump was very lucky he didn't have any kind of major external crisis, that virtually all of his predecessors, including ronald reagan faced. i think we will come back and look at all of these things as very significant. whether you like them or not is a different issue. but i wouldn't undersell trump

on either international or domestic issues. >> what is interesting about this, ruth is i get the sense of you know when the public going the care about these decisions? when something bad happens? >> >> as always. >>as as always, and they are like oh, turns out they rolled back that regulation. >> like the oil rig spill. or when it happens to your grandmother in the nursing home. that is the risk are. i was actually here for reagan. i was a fresh out of college reporter. and it is an interesting comparison, right, because reagan came in with a very deliberate and i would say trumpian in the sense of wanting to roll back, really, actually classic republican effort to roll -- >> i was going to say it should be credited to mike pence. mike pence is the one who populated the senior leadership of many of these agencies. >> to roll back government. reagan's was more effective, this goes back to we didn't notice it while it was happening or didn't start noticing it

until our perspective was shifted by the passage of the tax bill which allowed us to say whoa he has done a lot of other things as well. there is a sense that two things are going on simultaneously. he has been really ineffective in some parts of government in terms of getting staff in there. reagan was totally on top of that. he has been negligent with the state department or just unable to get people staffed. but there has been this pence helped driven, fueled, evident to get things done elsewhere. epa is a classic example of that we have been too distracted by tweets to pay attention to that. >> i think that's an interesting parallel because the difference between reagan's administration and the trump's administration is reagan set the direction of the republican party. trump accepted it. >> or has he. >> it was not bush setting the agenda for the reagan agenda.

it was a reaganite agenda. but the trump administration has been a pretrump agenda as well. >> in 2018 we are going to be looking certainly international but i think domestically at this question of does donald trump believe trumpism? i don't think we know the answer to that. >> let's unpack mark meadows, what did you learn about daca? he wants big. it sounded like to me they want a big -- and come preens comprehensive is defined by a lot of border security money money. >> and thane migration. >> but the wall. and symbolically, democrats will walk away from anything that's a wall. >> i think they will. >> how can they get anything done. >> it's going to be a big blow up. and his desire to push this off until march and to not have it be part of the spending fight, i think that that's what i would do if i was mark meadows, but i wouldn't necessarily give my vote to other things if i were democrats. and they have got a very cranky

hispanic part of the party who waited for too long to get this done from their point of view. >> it does seem both sides are retreating to mamt mall iz positions. >> a good way to put night to make it extremely hard to make the deal that you would think in theory is there to be made. >> i feel like we could make this deal. >> you know why? >> because we don't have to get elected. >> that's true. this is a powerful issue in certain constituencies. >> these why the democrats constituencies that ruth mentioned areio upset because they knew if you kicked it from 2017 to 2018, it became an election year issue. >> the freedom caucus has been sort of the core of late of the president's biggest defenders on russia. you heard it there, mark meadows says he wants a special

prosecutor to -- >> investigate the investigators. >> he was clear identify about this. i'm just trying to -- don't you need to find a falsified fact before you even open that. >> i thought, the hair stood up on the back of my neck at investigate the investigators. that is not what we do in america unless there is a really good reason to do that. if there is a really good reason to do that, if there is worry about leaks, he was sort of talking about leaks as if no one in the fbi has ever talked to a reporter before. >> 50 years of investigations. >> they are internal mechanisms to do that within the fbi and within the justice department. but the notion -- you asked a good question, if this is not a problem, why is everybody so upset about letting this investigation go forward? waiting for an answer. >> is there a long term penalty here for the republican party to look like anti-fbi.

? >> there could be. if you think about the clinton administration there was a brief period where the democrats looked like they were getting to the right of on questions of law order and law enforcement but they don't seem to last long because there are deep seeded beliefs that the parties is more rooted in law enforcement. it' -- it is keeping his team on side. >> we have got the pause here. stick around. coming up, chaos has been erupting in iran for over a week now. the biggest anti-government protests in years have turned

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it takes great bravery for the iranian people to use the power of their voice against their government, especially when their government has a long history of murdering its own

people who dare to speak the truth. >> the president trump administration is applauding demonstrators in iran on a sixth day of violent protests across that country. more than 20 people have died and hundreds have been arrested in the largest anti-government protests in iran in eight years. president trump tweeted repeatedly about the protests over the past few days saying it's quote, time for change. but today white house press secretary sarah huckabee sanders wouldn't specify if that was specifically a call for regime change. the demonstrations began as protests against high inflation and rising prices of everyday goods but they have turned sharply political and anti-government. iranians expected economic relief after the 2015 nuclear deal which included some sanctions relief. but demonstrators say the improved economy hasn't trickled down to ordinary citizens. joining me, a staff writer at the "washington post" and serving as a distinguished fellow at g.w.'s school of media

and public affairs. he spent time if prison in rhabdomyolysis before he was freed a year ago this month. he is currently suing the iranian government and the revolutionary guard. good to see you. >> thanks for having me on. happy new year. >> happy new year to you. what is the crackdown look like? you have family there? you have sources there. the impression is the iranian government wants to crack down on these protesters. have they succeeded in cracking down. >> i don't think they have succeeded completely. in the last couple of hours i have been communicating with people on the ground in iran via social media and mess anning apps. >> those things are still working. >> to a certain extent. >> they have not shut down the stig ott completely? >> not completely. >> i couldn't say if they are trying to shut it down completely or leave it open just a crack. but there are images, sounds, messages getting out to the rest

of the world. i think that the crackdown that took place in 2009 following the contested re-election -- >> right. >> the digital crackdown and the suppressing of different communication tools was much more effective at that time if that's what they are going for. >> walk me through this. you said in 2009 -- >> yeah. >> we don't know the exact numbers but say 15% of the country was connected on social media. let's say that was the number. now it's what 60, or 70 -- who is not on social media on iran? >> it's hard to put a precise number -- >> but it is a different situation. >> it is a completely different situation. at that time i knew people in their 20s and 30s who might have had a facebook account but didn't use it regularly. now i don't know anyone on the ground in iran including senior

citizens who aren't using messages apps like skype and viber and those sorts of things. >> this means if the government fully shuts the spigot off they have taken away a personal freedom here that will never be accepted. >> right. it wasn't that they were giving people access to the communication tools willingly in a way that they wanted to but the way that technology is spreading across the world, iranian people have expectations and desires to connect just like everybody else. in a moment like this, when the system really tries to shut it down, those sort of the concerns and desires to stay connected become amplified. >> what's the relief valid here? rouhani was the relief valve last time. >> right. >> you had the green revolution. it looked like retorically they said we better find more acceptable presidents. that worked for a bit. >> right.

>> they get the iran deal. they think economic relief is coming. what's the relief valve this time? >> i think they have deliver on some of those economic promises of recovery that were supposed to follow the implementation of the nuclear deal and the lifting of sanctions. >> have anything -- what was it, did they try anything and it hasn't worked? >> the economy is growing. oil prices, as we know, are up -- [ audio weren't ] >> but the people on the street aren't seeing the results of that. it's thard to say if that's the revolutionary guard getting in the way of the implementation of the nuclear deal or if it is a question of rouhani and his team not following through or just poor management. it's hard to say. but the reality is that people are not feeling -- everyday people are not feeling positive results from this deal. >> my executive producer and i were talking about this. it feels different. this doesn't fell like one they

can easily shut down this time. so it didn't look like an engame is visible yet. >> i don't think an end game is visible. i think what we've learned from past protests in iran is that they could subside, be quieted temporarily but the embers of discontent are still there and will be until state addresses some of the legitimate concerns of people, and mostly about bringing their daily lives back to where they were several years ago. >> this seems it come at a time when you have the united states, vab and israel creating a new alliance of sorts, bringing the sunnis and ararians together is something they never would have expected. what kind of pressure is that? >> the fact is that they can do

all of it. right? and to address the problems outside of their borders and ignore the ones going on right inside the country is sort of a recipe for disaster for them. but i think that they have proven themselves adept at maintaining power for a very long time. >> is this a time -- if the united states never says regime change is our policy, but is this the time, are the mullahs weak enough where it's worth pursuing the strategy? >> you know, i would like to not chime in on that particular argument. >> i guess how vulnerable are the mullahs? >> i think there is always some vulnerability. but this is a system that has lasted almost 40 years, has strong grip on all levers of power in the country, including almost all aspects of the economy. but what i would say is that, you know, i have heard from a

lot of people on the ground who are saying that they think these calls from president trump are a lib disingenuous, especially at a time when he's pursuing policies that would ban them from sbrring the united states. >> theysy both sides of that. >> exactly. >> jason i have got to leave it there. good to see you. two weeks away from going back full-time to the post. >> that's what we hear. >> marty barren, you are a lucky man. when we come back, are republicans resolving to make the same mistakes in 2018 that politically they made in 2017? we'll be right back. what's the hesitation? eh, it just feels too complicated, you know? you know, at td ameritrade, we can walk you through your options trades step by step until you're comfortable. i could be up for that. step-by-step options trading support from td ameritrade

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welcome back. tonight i'm obsessed with what seems to be a republican new year's resolution, at least for some. run as many fringe candidates as possible and see what happens n. virginia, where tim kaine is up for re-election, a reverend is running. he say gays and lesbians are quote very sick people and suggested that yoga might invite the devil into your school. it's made local politician corey stewart, an outspoken supporter of confederate monuments who also pledged to hunt down illegal immigrants the moderate in this republican primary. then there is mississippi's chris mcdan yol, a romney conservative minus the molestation charges where possible nomination could give democrats another shot of a roy moore style upset.

in minnesota, kelli ward is running for jeff flake's seat. in nevada, danny tarkanian is challenging dean heller. then there is arkansas, which is the impetus for this over the weekend. a gun range owner who declared her business a muslim free zone is now entering the governor's race in that one which is likely to be an open seat race. for republicans this is all a gamble. some of these candidates could loose winnable races as romney did, but some will win. good in the short-term for the gop. yet if you elect too many of these candidates pretty soon you run the rick of having a party with the fringe on top. we'll be right back. see how invisalign® treatment can shape your smile up to 50% faster today at invisalign.com

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lid." we'll go mitt romney quickly. does bannon play? does trump run away? or does romney basically acquiesce to the trump world? >> well, which romney had we see? we see the romney with the trump university degree? or the romney who ate frogs legs with the president, then president-elect when he was trying to become secretary of state and then was humiliated by him? i have to say i'm hoping for the former because it will be a lot more fun to watch. and having not the greatest experience with trump all along, could be a real thorn in his side. >> he wants to be in the game. >> and it is not necessarily the most fun time to be a member of congress. i say if he runs, he is be going to try to define himself as one

dimensional trump critic or enabler. he will agree with trump on some things but has an independent identity and can push back. >> i believe you're an award winning podcaster. >> this, how different does this feel to you? >> every year is different. every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. you see a lot of pedaling on how obama screwed up in 2009 and we should have done something differently. the world is different than it was in 2009. this is the most sweeping not only protest but the most broad based movement you've seen in iran in recent times. where does it go from here? we don't know. sitting here in wash, it is

striking that basically, trump once again appears determined to do what i would call the not obama playbook. when in doubt -- >> whatever he did, do the opposite. >> so what can we say about trump and iran? we know he is very, very against randle without knowing what their policy is without having defined it. other than saying we're going to tweet very aggressively against it. >> it is hard to know what to do, the not obama playbook. totally his instinct when you have a travel ban that doesn't allow people from the country. >> is he really they know situation? or let my people in? that type of thing. that's an interesting -- >> one of the arguments that prevailed in 2009 and kept them from giving vocal support from protesters is that that would play into the regime's hands. that would make it easier to dismiss protesters as being

outside agitators. something they did quite effectively in 1969. >> right. but the argument that prevailed, they'll say it anyway. and meanwhile you can give them that support. >> to me the technology thing is the most significant game changer here. jason brought it up. >> and there was a really excellent piece in the atlantic. only $1 million people had smartphones in 2009. we talked about the not obama play book. remember, obama handled it very differently in the arab spring revolution that's broke out. >> he got very involved. >> and he came out very early and pushed the egyptian leader to leave. and then owned the unintended consequences. we're still dealing with the unintended consequences of the revolution in syria next door.

>> we have this president here who very much wants to get involved on the domestic problems and the values that he doesn't agree with. he's not done that with saudi arabia, with rush, with china. >> this is a president who has no credibility to talk about human rights and democracy promotion anywhere. >> it is the promises coming home to roost. he talks about the red line. trump has made his own series of red lines and one of those is consistently lavishing praise on dictators. going to saudi arabia and saying, we won't lecture you anymore. what is he doing with the mullahs but lecturing them? so that's a huge risk factor.

>> he is not the first one to have different standards on human rights. >> that's a fair point. it is through eye of the allied beholder on that front. whatever your personal allies say. i have to leave it there. >> we'll be right back. i wanted to know who i am and where i came from. i did my ancestrydna and i couldn't wait to get my pie chart.

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that's all we have for tonight. we'll be back tomorrow with a lot more on "mtp daily." "the beat" starts right now. happy new year. >> i'm in tonight for ari melber who has the day off and tonight as we go on the air, the trump white house is in open confrontation with three countries either warmed nuclear weapons or in the case of iran, nuclear ambitions. that's how 2018 begins. donald trump fires off tweets at the most delicate moments. one, iran which froze its nuclear program in return for the lifting of sanctions, now facing its largest protests in eight years. a broad uprise go in its sixth day focused on the economy and other issues. trump used using the opportunity to blast randle's leaders