about time, right? you've been waiting for a long time. >> yes, sir. >> here you go. let's pass it around. >> thank you, sir. [ applause ] >> what's that? >> pass them around. mike, get up here. come on up. mike, come on up. let's go take a picture nft oval office, okay? thank you very much, everybody. thank you. [ applause ] >> hi, everyone. it's 4:00 in new york. donald trump making protectionism great again. raising fear of a trade war, announcing tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum. making good on a promise at an event that just hours ago was unclear what even happened. washington post bureau chief phil rucker watching along with us.

phil, this is the policy debate that spilled into public view with house speaker paul ryan. these are trade policies that divide the republican party. mike pence was standing over his shoulder. he supported free trade for his entire elective career, but he never before in the history did have in the room there the of u.s. presidents have there kinds of voters whose fear of been so many people meeting with so many russians and then either economic change and a changing forgetting about it and lying economy was very much addressed about it. by the bill of goods donald and thanks to a second bombshell trump selling today. >> that's exactly right, report, we may have one more lie nicolle. i think this is president trump to add to the list. the washington post reporting trying to make a political play that special counsel bob mueller to the people he sees as his is gathering evidence that a voters out in the country. meeting in the seychelles just before the inauguration between he's been talking about this, trump has, for decades now, a trump associate and a putin since well before that p associate was an effort to presidential campaign about establish a back channel to protectionism, about a really russia. sort of nationalist, populist the trump associate was erik prince who told congress under approach to trade. oath that the meeting was and he's finally enforcing it nothing but a chance encounter here as president. in the seychelles, and that he didn't conduct any business on but there is strong opposition behalf of trump. among republican leaders on a lie assuming the post capitol hill, even advisors in reporting turns out to be true, his own administration, which it usually does. including gary cohn who as jennifer rubin writes in an announced the other day he would

be resigning as the top national op-ed in the post, if this was on the up and up, why would economic advisor in the white prince apparently lie about it? house. and i don't know if you were watching the cabinet meeting and more to the point, why were earlier today, nicolle, but i there so many meet wgz russians was so struck by how president trump talked about how flexible trying to establish contacts outside the purview of u.s. this plan would be, how he would be able to add countries or drop intelligence? that's the million dollar countries or shift the number on question. phil rucker is back with us to the countries based on how he help us try to answer it. feels about that country at that phil rucker, it seems to me if you're about to be the president moment. and it's just, you know, and the president's national businesses like to have certain tiff. security advisor what are they like to have -- they like jared's title is, you can walk to know what these tariffs are in the front door. going to be. you didn't need all these back and i just don't know how this is going to fly. door channels, did you? >> no, nicolle, you could have a >> and the idea, eli stokols, front door channel which is what donald trump campaigned on having. he talked over and over on the that he's going to be able to campaign trail about improving relations with vladimir putin, that putin was going to like him, that the u.s. and russia deliver on the promise of bringing back american steel industry, america produces 5% of were going to work together on the world's steel. any number of issues including alyssa, you and i worked at the white house, you deal with the some of the world's hot spots. steel diplomatically. but as my colleagues were you deal with it at the state reporting in the washington post last night, there was an department, you deal with it at attempted back channel set up the presidential level with here in this meeting at the countries that produce more steel than we do. seychelles from an emissary of you don't deal with it by exploiting really the extreme the trump transition, erik prince, with a representative of

economic insecurity of the kinds of workers who have been left putin. >> i see you shaking your head. behind in this economy. >> a couple things. >> unless you're president trump, in which case that's one, the other thing that's exactly what you do. interesting about the erik analysts -- look what happened prince thing that isn't widely to the market last week when reported, he's betsy devos's there was news these tariffs might happen. the market took a precipitous brother. >> not just some random -- drop. >> exactly. these jobs in the steel mills in it's completely implausible this the old cities, in the rust belt was just complete happenstance. >> these are people that would that are now tech centers, have us believe in a whole lot pittsburgh is a tech center. in donald trump's mind it's an of coincidences. >> and also we might forget that old steel mill town he can make the secret service would not great again. the problem with this economic approach, it may be smart provide security for the trump sons to also attend this politics to sit there and sell these voters, these people in meeting. they had wanted to attend this this town in these places and meeting either one or both of rural areas and tell them, it's the trump sons. not your fault, it's not about why was it so necessary to education t' not about have -- to, a, have this back automation, it's about somebody channel, but to, b, have your family involved? else, another country, a morph and then also there is jared us other that's at fault. they are doing this to us and kushner and how he sought out a i'm going to stop it. back channel that could that's political messaging. it's not economic reality. circumvent u.s. intelligence detection at the russian but it worked for him in the election and he's continuing it embassy. what are all these secret back as president. channels all about? >> let me put those up on the it's really now about about what screen because you just named the repercussions, getting one. we pulled together the time line of all the efforts to have a costly for americans and further secret back channel -- they were

damaging relationships with our about to be -- he was about to be the president of the united states, jared was about to be allies. >> eugene robinson also joins us. eugene, this is what i call the jared, whatever he's called. mike flynn was about to be bob runson president telling national security. here are all the efforts at having back channels. people who is to blame. they want the economic crisis we have the one you just back. discussed, elise, that on i guess i know the answer to my question before it even tumbled december 1st, jared kushner, out of my mouth. people tried to tell the president the truth or educate michael flynn discussed a back him. i've been on the road since channel with russian ambassador before the inauguration sergey kislyak. interviewing the kinds of voters that gave donald trump his they spoke again about a direct victory. they didn't want their father's steel jobs back. link to vladimir putin. they want new and better jobs. why do you need that if you're they want to gain new skills, to not doing monkey business? gain president technological >> that is the billion dollar question. jobs that are coming to these >> billion might be right. on december 22nd, flynn centers. even erie, p.a., a county that contacted the russian ambassador flipped for donald trump. at kushner's direction. they don't want to build trains let me read that again. any more. flynn contacted the russian they want the high-tech jobs ambassador at kushner's that will elevate their family direction to influence a u.n. out of that sort of economic security council vote. i think that was on israel. rung. so, even the message is a little but, again, why do that in off for the people he's trying to reassure. secret? i mean, it was shady. it's not norm, but it wasn't ill >> well, you know, i think it's relevant to sort of weigh in on off and you think it's off, but behalf of israel if you wanted a more pro-israel policy.

look, this is -- number one, this was one of the things that this is one thing, the one thing flynn ended up lying about, i would argue, that donald trump alyssa. has been consistent on. >> i mean, my big issue, when he is consistently been you think about, this is the time period when they should be protectionist. he calls it being nationalist setting up the government. it's one of the most important and putting america first. things -- they should be, but he's been for tariffs and instead of trying to find there's been reporting all along russians in an alley, they that he sits in the oval office should be vetting people, and periodically says, i want tariffs, bring me some tariffs. filling out their sf-86s gary cohn would talk him out of it or rob porter would talk him properly. >> you and i know they didn't do that. out of it. >> they didn't do that. porter is gone. cohn is going. he's going to get his tariffs. when president-elect barack obama started to transition, the first thing with it was meet the second thing is that i think with president bush and donald trump, some part of him mrs. bush. or maybe all of him, is stuck in we had good faith that they were going to pass over everything to us as we need it. we didn't go around being like, that 1950s, 1960s era when hey, u.k., talk to us now. >> call me on my -- pittsburgh did mean steel and >> appropriate. >> there are two more, eugene, didn't mean high-tech and what then let me send this to you and eli. a week later flynn contacted the it means now. russian ambassador. this time about forthcoming you know, that's what's inside sanctions. flynn pleaded guilty to lying to investigators about that contact and the one before about the donald trump's head. he's 71 years old, it's not u.n. council vote. going to come out. and then the new reporting in

he's going to have his tariffs. your paper about the january 11 >> your paper reported in seychelles meeting is rounding out this bizarre picture, stunning piece over the weekend that will stand out for me over bizarre at best, picture of the rest of the trump covert communications between presidency, however long that the trump team and russia. is, eight months or eight years, eugene, there is not a single about what donald trump just did example that i've unearthed of a is a tactic. back channel being set up with it's not about solving problems venezuela or mexico. in the lives of men and women he >> right. just stood. it's about bringing you in. >> or france or anyone. i think the quote was he just russia. assembles the press, chews on coincidence? >> no, i mean, look. policy, and whether it comes to you can think about -- be or not, he enjoys the tv historically, you think of back show. this seemed like one of those channel communications, you moments. think of henry kissinger's back >> it sure does. you had his cabinet members channel to china, setting up the dutyfully standing behind him nixon meeting. but there is no henry kissinger and then you had the workers to involved here. the other side to cheer and tout there is no sort of deep, you what he was signing, even his know, level strategic thinker signature was super sized there who is coming up with some sort on what he was signing so of great diplomatic coup. everyone would be able to see that. look, it's about theater. so, what's alternative? he's very good at this. it's one of the reasons he loves the alternative is there is something shady going on. having the pool, the sort of and so if i were robert mueller, assembled journalists and for example, i would be deeply, cameras in those rooms for those

long meetings with lawmakers to deeply interested in this whole go on for an hour because he back channel thing because if likes to show the american you want to communicate with the people how he builds consensus, russians and you specifically are doing this to avoid having how he leads in those the intelligence services know environments. of course he's different when the cameras are off sometimes what you're talking about and and can sometimes be a little who you're talking to, then you're doing something you shouldn't be doing. more angry, but, you know, look, >> and let's pick up on that, this is what he likes. it's his show and he sees it that way and he's producing it. eli, because there is a >> and why not? we continue to follow it. tradition, diplomatic and here we are covering it. military and strategic, of so, everything is staying put. in the meantime driving the news setting up back channels and not to say that we knew then that today former trump campaign paul jared was doing -- henry manafort in court today pleading kissinger at the moment not guilty to tax and bank fraud everything was possible. charges. former trump campaign manager but before the inauguration, if you were doing things that after corey lewandowski on capitol hill today answering more they were discovered were questions in front of the house honorable in intent, you intel committee. wouldn't be lying about them now. >> right. sarah huckabee sanders under and generally if you're doing scrutiny for suggesting the something on the up and up, you don't need to fly all the way to president prevailed in a hearing the seychelles for the secret meeting. that's going -- >> really far. with a porn star. >> great location. donald trump asking the top white house lawyer don mcgahn >> it's like the same thing, and his former chief of staff reince priebus, both key right. if you're not guilty, you're not witnesses in the mueller probe badgering witnesses, like what happened in your meeting with

about their testimony. even more stunning, an account the special counsel. that the president asked white some of these things just seem house counsel don mcgahn to put like this is what guilty people out a statement saying he was do. but this is difficult. never asked by the president to we don't know all the answers and it's really difficult to fire mueller when an account untangle. detailing that the president had we know the people who were done just that appeared in "the involved in this meeting had a lot of different interests. new york times" several weeks there are middle eastern ago. from that times account, the partners who want to drive a wedge between russia and iran. special counsel in the russia there are people -- we know investigation has learned of two putin had an interest in conversations in recent months in which president trump asked key witnesses about matters they cultivating relationships with donald trump going back years. discussed with investigators. we know that donald trump just in one episode, the president wanted putin to like him, right? told an aide the white house counsel don mcgahn should issue there are sanctions interests. a statement denying a new york russia wanted to get these times article in january. sanctions out 69 wof the way. the article said mcgahn told trump has done this. you step back and remember this president is being investigated. investigators the president once asked him to fire the special he has a lot of money. counsel robert mueller. he owes a lot of money to mr. mcgahn never released the russian bankers. statement and later had to he's been remarkably kind to remind the president that he had indeed asked mcgahn to see that putin, unlike pretty much all of mr. mueller was dismissed. our allies. a source close to the witnesses he's under investigation. russia was involved in the told me today that it's annoying election, the intelligence that the president doesn't leave his people alone. community has basically confirmed. he doesn't seem to appreciate and so step back from all of this and it's hard to untangle that everything he says to people except his personal where trump's interests end and lawyers will have to go back to where the country's interests

mueller, the source said. end. but it just does not -- none of joining us now to discuss how these conversations between the it smells like it is something president and these witnesses that is normal or on the up and ended up on the special up. counsel's radar and what that >> but also, if you look at, might mean for any investigation say, the obama administration, into potential obstruction of you could maybe understand if justice is the reporter who david axelrod did something like broke this news, michael that. you would never buy that tom schmidt. michael schmidt, it's a stunning account of the circular nature of donald trump's lehrer and dunna did this. michael flynn was involved. misdeeds. the legal no-no for anyone who what are they trying to get out of it? >> i think the problem is mike watched l.a. law, i don't know what your legal coming of age flynn didn't know better. drama was on tv. his career is built upon but anyone who knows how thinking he can get away with it. he was enabled by so many witnesses are supposed to act after they've testified knows different commanding officers. that you don't ask them what they said about you. and then, you know, the story being he suddenly went off the so, talk about how this got back edge and started behaving this to mueller in the first place. way, i just find it hard to buy. if he had risen so high in the >> when folks learned about this, they thought it was military and gotten those stars, concerning because at the very there were many people signing least it was a perception issue, off on mike flynn throughout the that the president was talking duration of his career. to them. >> phil rucker, let me give you and if mueller were to find out about this in a way that was not the last word on this part of disclosed to him, if there were the conversation. do you have any -- your paper some other way that he learned moves the story forward. we still don't get at the why. it, then he would have some real do you have any sort of questions about is there

something larger afoot, is there some type of obstruction, is investigative theory on why all there some type of witness these back channels, this new tampering. it doesn't look like these one revealed in your paper today examples in and of themselves were set up with russia? >> i wish i did, nicolle. are witness tampering, but what it does show is that here we i think robert mueller has that -- >> he'd hire you. >> one important bit of context are, as the investigation is i think we should remember which intensifying, the president is is as all of this was going on, disregarding what his lawyers have told him what to do. these back channel conversations in january of 2017 right before and the president more than burned his hand on this issue the inauguration, donald trump last year when it came out that as president-elect was at trump he tried to talk to comey about tower being briefed by the the flynn investigation. intelligence community leaders so, despite all these things about the u.s. intelligence going on, despite all the conclusion that russia, in fact, scrutiny, the president meddled in the 2016 election. continues to run up to that line and he was privately telling his aides and advisors he simply did where lawyers say is a bad, bad, bad place to be. not believe the intelligence. >> so, let me -- i mentioned one he was sort of spun up about this intelligence over several episode. it was with don mcgahn, the days. they were trying to convince him current white house counsel who to believe him -- believe it, i've heard is not a very -- rather, and he wouldn't believe the findings. that sort of sets the tone, i think, for the whole operation whose morale is not in a good and how they viewed russia at place is my understanding. have you heard anything that period of time. >> it's a good reminder. differently along those lines? >> well, mcgahn is an he was in a hot war with the interesting sort of survivor in this whole story. intelligence community very he's one of the few people who similar to the one he's engaged was there for the campaign and in with the fbi. phil rucker, thank you so much the entire time that the for joining us.

president has been in the white when we come back, the reality house. he had some brutal issues to star president goes toe to toe with a porn star who has proved deal with on the comey firing where he had the president had worthy in an arena the president likes to claim his own, the written this long ranting letter media. he wanted to send to comey and he had to sort of get rosenstein to get a memo to use the rationale, which is one of the central questions of the obstruction investigation. he's someone that is not particularly close with the president, but will tell the president things he doesn't want to hear and will, you know, go at it with him. but at the same time, he has survived and he's still around in a white house where i sometimes wonder whether there are empty offices. he is still there. >> can you truth squad some of liberty mutual stood with me the mythology around don mcgahn? when this guy got a flat tire in the middle of the night, because this account -- and i so he got home safe. believe it was your by line on the account that it appears yeah, my dad says our insurance doesn't have that. donald trump asked mcgahn to go what?! you can leave worry behind out and lie and rapidly respond when liberty stands with you™. to, saying i never did that. liberty mutual insurance. is that right? the whole account about trump wanting mcgahn to fire mueller in the first place. >> correct, correct, yes. correct. >> so, there is a lot of

mythology around mcgahn's courage for having the courage to say, if you make me fire mueller i'm going to quit. in other instances like the rob porter instance, a profile of courage hasn't emerged around any of the figures in the white house that would have known about rob porter's background. so, you cover him. you cover people who know him. can you sort of get at the heart of who don mcgahn is and how he functions day to day, hour to hour as an obviously vital witness in the mueller probe, but as you just said, as a survivor in the trump inner circle? >> i'm not sure. i think history will really have to tell because we don't really know all the details of the different things that he's been involved in. i think that on one hand he has a client in the president who wants to do things that are at times ethically dubious, if not legally dubious. and he has to figure out how to ballet client against that. obviously in the porter thing, there's been huge questions this time, it's his turn. about how they handled the you have 4.3 minutes to yourself. security clearances and they handled the other issues around this calls for a taste of cheesecake. that. and that has, you know,

philadelphia cheesecake cups. tarnished his image and his -- rich, creamy cheesecake with real strawberries. whatever legacy he'll have as the white house counsel. find them with the refrigerated desserts. at the same time, he knows an enormous amount about the president. he was involved in all of the critical things mueller is looking at on obstruction. he knows what the president was thinking, what the president's rationale was. he spent a lot of time with mueller. and, you know, if there is narrator: public education anything here that mueller ends has been valued for centuries. up doing, my guess is mcgahn man: the direction in which education starts a person would be a central figure in all of it. >> so, let me mention the other will determine their future in life. inner circle member who is in woman: the highest result of education is tolerance. your story. you write about donald trump asking his former chief of staff woman: it's the road to equality and citizenship. reince priebus if the special counsel was nice to him. man: education is the most powerful weapon talk about what you understand which you can use to change the world. donald trump wanted to know about reince priebus' narrator: brought to you by the california teachers association. interaction with the special counsel investigators. woman: because we know quality public schools >> well, it's just the president make a better california for all of us. bringing up the interview with reince priebus. reince priebus is someone who post-white house has struggled more than the other officials who i guess had more of an identity or more of a following.

and he has spent a lot of time at the white house. and people that know him think that is a very bad idea and he's at the white house having lunch with kelly and trump and the president brings this up. and priebus talks -- you know, they talk about whether they're nice and priebus talks about i personally like some of the topics that came up. it doesn't appear that priebus ms. sanders. i think she has a near went into any detail about what impossible job. any claim by the administration he said, but this is just the things where the president is that donald trump won in arbitration is no different than engaging in these things that me claiming that i won the super all lawyers -- you talk to any bowl a few weeks ago. lawyer, when you tell them about this, they say, oh, this is not it's complete hooey. >> hooey, god, i love anyone who something that you should do can get in a hooey reference. because it's just going to raise the suspicions of mueller when attempts to shoot down questions mueller is already doing an about the president's alleged obstruction investigation. affair with a porn star. >> you have a quote that makes just that point. i'm going to read it. but sanders only added fuel to the fire basically confirming in your piece you quote julia trump's involvement in the situation. sullivan, a law professor at here's what she said. georgetown, it makes it look >> look, the president has like you're cooking a story and prosecutors are always looking addressed these directly and out for it. is that the sense that mueller's made very well clear that none team might be interested now in of these allegations are true.

going back to more witnesses this case has already been won other than mcgahn and priebus? in arbitration. >> this is an issue that has >> you said that there is come up in interviews with other arbitration that's already been folks that have met with won by whom and when? mueller. they have asked -- they said, >> by the president's personal hey, what's your contact with the president been like? attorneys and for details on has the president asked you that i would refer you to them. about these things? >> but you're aware of them. so, it's something they're what more can you share with us? keeping an eye on. >> i can share that arbitration the other thing here is lawyers for the president can talk to was won in the president's lawyers for the witnesses. that is okay. and they have these agreements where they can share information favor. >> i don't know that she meant and learn different things. to do that, but by telling us so, the president doesn't need that the case has been won in to do this to learn the things arbitration by the president's personal attorney, what was the that he wants to about the investigation. he can let his lawyers handle president's personal attorney doing there if it wasn't -- that. so, but instead he injects >> the president denies all of this including the payments. himself into this and now at however, in the legal proceedings about the payments some point i guess if you were he won. to sit down, if he does sit down >> he just happened to be there? the white house position is -- i and gets interviewed by mueller, he'd be asked about this. why did you talk to these folks mean, i agree with stormy about this? just sort of curious. >> it would require more i am daniels' attorney she has a pums control than all of us who difficult job, and i agree with cover him know he has. stormy daniels's attorney that michael schmidt, stay with us. this position is hooey. let's add the table. >> there is just no real way to joining us eli stokols, alyssa, wriggle out of this. former chief of staff for the

we see sarah sanders every day obama white house, a lesion jordan, msnbc analyst, time columnist and former aide in the at that podium having to defend things that are indefensible and deny reality. george bush white house. there is enough already out in d.c. never introduced before there. whatever else stormy daniels this moment, eugene robinson. puts forward, whether there is phil rucker will be back later e-mails and texts, if she goes in the show. let me come back to you, eugene, further and puts more information corroborating her story out there, fine. on this idea that donald trump but we already basically have enough. cannot even act appropriately or we have the interview that she gave years later. we have a pattern of behavior presidential as a client, of lawyers who are trying to keep from this president based on allegations for more than a him perhaps not out of jail, but dozen other women. i think generally there is from being implicated in an obstruction of justice charge. enough evidence for most people to sort of take this for what it >> you know, i am of two minds is. and i think these legal fights, right, this is just -- you can on this because -- no, he can't look at this different ways. control himself. the president, the story about he can't keep from doing that. the president paying off the porn star, depending on your he has no impulse control. view, either hasn't gotten on the other hand, however, enough media attention because we're talking about the president of the united states oh, my god we're talking about a as if he's a 2-year-old. president paying off a porn he's not a 2-year-old. he's a president of the united star. or we're talking about a states. president paying off a porn star and he has a responsibility. and it's overshadowing a lot of he, i'm sure, has been told that other things that are happening. i mean, this is just what it's you shouldn't talk to these like being in that white house press room every day. witnesses. >> but i wanted to draw and so he knows he shouldn't do it and he does it anyhow. distinction. i think what she did by saying

so, we should hold him this case has been won, that accountable on that basis, i seemed to be satisfying and she think, that, you know, impulse said she talked to the president about this. it's not always clear to me that control or not. at some point we have to treat she talked to the president him like an adult. about tariffs or taxes. so, the fact that she talked to >> i can karolyi keep a straight the president about alleged sex with a porn star really grabbed face. of course, eugene is right, my attention yesterday. what she said is this case has elise jordan, but he doesn't act been won in arbitration by the like one. so, i constantly draw parallels president's personal attorney. to my 6-year-old. so, she was told that the if you get past the fact that president won. his behavior can't be checked so, what did the president win? and that's a problem for ty cobb he won -- >> her silence. and john dowd, the other tell, one of my favorite expressions >> the white house secretary of eli's, he's so obsessed about used the poem yum to say he won the silence of a porn star? the press in the mueller probe. >> it's no different than what he's more obsessed with what's he did with karen mcdougall. in the press than what's happening to him in this whole they put it on the shelf, never collusion. this was set in motion by the president asking mcgahn to put used it, essentially silencing out a statement to one of -- a her. story that michael's by line was it's a grotesque pattern, whatever it was, prime minister on, the story told an account of mcgahn saying if you fire berlusconi was on trial for his mueller i will quit.

donald trump wasn't upset that it was now known that he wanted bun ga-bun ga party. mueller fired. donald trump was mad that it was it was like the laughing stock in the press that don mcgahn before you go to the g20, who is tried to stop him. >> because he had -- at the end going to sit next to berlusconi. of the day, his ego drives everything and that's why you see him risking making life certainly more difficult for his isn't it one of southern baptist aides by asking them about their own interview questions girl's -- improperly. but he also hasn't really >> for not communicating properly the president's legal suffered any consequence for breaking norms, for doing things issues -- that he really shouldn't do and >> let me give sarah sanders then have an unseemly some cover here. appearance. that's why everyone is nbc news also reported trump rightfully obsessed with the lawyer michael cohen tries to question of will he eventually silence stormy daniels. fire bob mueller, and that is this is ongoing. reach for comment late wednesday kind of a decisive moment. afternoon, clifford's attorney, would there actually be that's stormy's real name, said consequence for donald trump if that cohen through his own he can't check his impulse attorney lawrence rosen has made enough and just decides to go further attempts to enforce the ahead and end the special order and cautioned clifford she investigation. >> can you imagine any scenario is subject to damages if she where -- our white house dealt talks about trump. so, these efforts to silence her, eugene, are ongoing. with the valerie plame >> yes, they are ongoing. you know, so, this eruption of

investigation. i was socialized to what was this story started on monday appropriate legally. they're more than just norms. when stormy daniels filed a they're things meant to protect witnesses and eventually lawsuit in los angeles claiming subjects in a special counsel that the hush money agreement, investigation. can you wrap your brain around the nondisclosure agreement is anything that michael has reported about donald trump peppering witnesses in the invalid because trump never mueller probe with questions? signed it. >> no. in filing the suit, her attorney it's so funny because when you first get to the white house -- appended the nondisclosure i don't know if it was the same agreement. for you -- you go through the so, you can see that trump did not sign it. but you can also see the details west wing and people are like, that person paid this much of that agreement. and it contains an arbitration during -- how much their legal fees were. process that i assume is what it's lore. i can't imagine, to me it's just sarah sanders is referring to. there is an arbitration process like the impulse control, but in the case of disputes. also if you're a foreign leader, my guess is that, you know, you know, and you look at the country and you look at our cohen and the president would say, you know, we went to president and you know -- any arbitration and she has to shut person who can watch television up again. i would guess that she and her knows he shouldn't be doing these things. attorney would say that their any person with half a brain wouldn't be doing these things, and he can't control himself. lawsuit supersedes that. so, if you're a foreign leader, in any event, as far as we're concerned, it's all out there if you're in another country, what does that tell you? now. you can just go, you know, call it up and read the whole thing. >> what does it tell you? >> that you can -- that one, he could bomb you at any moment, or as for sarah sanders, how is she

two -- you have no idea. you can't trust anything he says supposed to keep all the lies because he could do, you know, straight? it's very difficult, really, because they multiply, sometimes an executive order in the they contradict. roosevelt room and reverse it. >> i heard you laugh, eugene, i they proliferate. either you start a lie and you was going to go to eli. kind of forget what you're you gigled. supposed to say and what you're >> it's true. not supposed to say. in a sense we have no president >> march 8, 1:56 p.m., eugene because he's not a reliable robinson expressed his sympathy source of what we get from a president. for sarah sanders. we're used to getting truth. i want to read something from weaver used to getting you, elise jordan. authority. it has a word i had to google. we're used to getting maturity. we don't get any of that from bill crystal tweeted this. this president. and in another sense, it's a in the gr anf allon of life, how president who could do anything at any time and so he wants can the stormy daniels case fail tariffs, you know, on the spur of the moment, we have tariffs. to intersect with some wacky way we've changed our economic policy toward the world. with the russia investigation? marry that with the washington you know, just like that, post headline this week the without bothering to tell the special counsel has examined staff or the people who are episodes involving michael supposed to figure out this stuff. cohen, trump's long-time lawyer. it's an extraordinary situation >> well, the link is women, that we find ourselves in, more women and russia. which one is it going to be with of a predicament than a this president? situation, but that's where we i still think actually his are and it's just absurd. behavior towards women is going

to be his ultimate downfall. >> so, another crisis, eli, let it's just too egregious, it's me ask you a two-part question. this is not the first report of tee flagrant. there is too much of a pattern donald trump talking to people about their enter actuainteract over decades of donald trump mistreating women and abusing women. >> it is also easier to mueller. hope hicks it's been reported donald trump talked to about the understand than russia. investigation. russia feels like you have to do you pick up from your white remind people why they're our house sources any sense of dread adversary, it's complicated, it's about spies and far away that people who have already been to talk to mueller are things. everyone either is a woman, loves a woman, has a daughter, going to have to go back to talk to mueller? because there is an obligation has a mother. the woman story, i agree with on the part of the lawyers for all these witnesses to report you, it is more relatable in back to mueller if the president some ways. >> and fundamentally, the way asks any of them about the substance of their that michael cohen is still conversations. >> right. i think because the president is behaving and the way he's still sort of careless about this, he does put basically everybody acting towards stormy daniels, around him in a difficult legal stephanie clifford in this lawsuit, and the pressure and position. the bullying, it should send a and so there is a reason why a message to other women and to lot of these people are no longer in the white house or on stop other women, to keep them from coming forward with their their way out. they're trying to extricate stories about donald trump. they're trying to intimidate themselves from that situation. other women, and they clearly think that this is a recipe for there is a reason people are telling reince priebus, not a good idea to be going in there success. whether it is going to be in and having these kinds of this era of me too remains to be conversations that could potentially put you at legal seen, but i have hope that, no, risk. this is, as everybody has now it won't be.

>> we have to get to break, but said, this is a president who i heard you say something, doesn't care how guilty he looks eugene. do you want to jump in and get a last word? to asking comey for loyalty, >> no, elise is absolutely asking these people, hey, were they nice to you? right. in the nondisclosure agreement, we see this every day. it says she gets $130,000. i mean, donald trump, as you but if she violates it, she has said, is sort of -- he's acting to pay a million dollars for each violation. president, he's playing this role. basically to see it broadcast back to himself every night on it says that in the agreement, at least. and so that's the lever they're his dvr. it's a house of mirrors. trying to use and i'm sure this that analogy has been made over is absolutely designed to keep and over again. so a lot of this for him, he may other women from coming forward. not have as full an awareness of >> all right. if you're fluent be in passive the legal liability for himself aggressive, stick around because and for other people, even when we come back, a fond though his lawyers no doubt have farewell to gary cohn at the told him so many times, you have white house today, trump had a lot to say about his now former to be more careful. he doesn't seem like he's fully or outgoing chief economic capable of it. advisor as he sat right there. >> michael schmidt, your story some of it was good, sort of. details chief of staff general kelly was president for the conversation that the president of the united states had with reince priebus in which he asked him about his interactions with the special counsel. any indication that people who witness these conversations that the president has with mueller's witnesses may be added to the

list? we know that mueller has been responsive to other things in the news, like the publication of "fire and fury," he became interested in talking to steve bannon. it's possible other things he reads in your paper and your stories become of any interest. any sense kelly, mcmaster, other this is frank. sup! this is frank's favorite record. people that weren't important this is frank's dog. figures on the campaign may now and this is frank's record shop. be of interest to mueller because of the conversations frank knowns northern soul, they've had with the president but how to set up a limited liability company... about the russia probe? >> i find it hard to believe what's that mean? that by the end of the not so much. investigation kelly will not so he turned to his friends at legalzoom. have to go in and speak with yup! they hooked me up. we helped with his llc, contracts, and some other stuff mueller. kelly has been around for that's part of running a business. everything, obviously post july. so frank can focus on the beat. he knows about a lot of these you hear that? interactions. he can speak to the president's this is frank's record shop. and this is where life meets legal. mind-set. and if you're mueller and you need to turn over every rock to make sure that there is nothing that pops up later that you didn't find, he's got to talk to kelly. but kelly has had an interesting evolution here. if you recall back on the day comey was fired, kelly called comey as comey was flying back

from california and said, should i resign? and comey said, no, no, no, don't resign, stay there, because kelly was so distraught about what had happened to comey, and now you have kelly sitting in these -- sitting around as the president is interacting with witnesses, it's a pretty big evolution. >> michael schmidt, we live and die for your scoops. by phone exploitive, and yours popped up. thanks for starting us off today. when we come back, bob mueller wants to know what all those back channels to russia were all about. also ahead, sarah huckabee sanders may have delivered her boss a set back by declaring victory. the new new york is ready for take-off. we're invested in creating the world's first state-of-the-art drone testing facility in central new york and the mohawk valley, which marks the start of our nation's first 50-mile unmanned flight corridor. and allows us to attract the world's top drone talent. all across new york state, we're building the new new york.

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chair he was sort of a ticking clock. >> yeah, and there is always of this mythology around gary cohn, that he got whacked around for leaving on the principle of tariffs but staying on the principle of charlottesville. he is not getting out of there having done a good job on the p.r. side of his departure since we know and the president just announced he would have stayed for a promotion and come back for i bigger job. >> president trump, just a kind boss to someone who spent a year and a half working for you. and essentially spearheaded your only successful legislative initiative which was corporate and individual tax reform. you have to have some sympathy for gary -- at least in that sense in that he did stay and usher through a policy that he felt was important. and granted i know that -- it is i very divisive policy but he stuck that out and has that

achievement to show. >> what do you think of the way people came into the trump world and in the case of gary cohn and dana powell and i'm sure they'll be welcoming back into the financial circles. >> and that is not the same about the political world. and reince priebus having a hard time and sean spicer can't get a tv gig and people are frustrated and working in the west wing are still there because they are not sure if they could get jobs on the outside. it is different for the new york fol folks, the globalists as they've come to be known. the president saying he is a nationalist because he loves his country. and what is remarkable about the whole scene, he is laying bare the phoniness and the artivous and how transactional it is. he'll come back if i give him another job and while insulting him and it is all for laughs. you heard people in the room chuckling. nobody will ever tell this president don't do that. don't behave like that. that is not the way to treat people. as jean said, he is 71 years old and not going to change.

but it just degrades gary cohn on his way out of the door. >> he humiliated people who sacrificed for him, even his own family and his wife. he does not seem to care about the humiliation he flyinflicts people in his orbit and knowing how important character is to each president is his fundamental short coming. >> we'll sneak in one more break and then eugene robinson gets the laugh word today. you built your home again. my dna showed that i'm native american, and connected me to cousins who taught me about our tribe. my name is joseph reece, and this is my ancestrydna story. now with 10 million new family connections made every day. order your kit at ancestrydna.com smile dad. i take medication for

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war, the white house press secretary owns this factoid about the president living in arbitration with a porn star, take it away. >> just about gary cohn, i'm sure he'll be welcomed back to new york as if he spent his junior year abroad and going back to campus except he spent the year in "game of thrones." so he is lucky to have escaped with his life. >> and you don't think he pays the price for not leaving after charlottesville at which was a low point. >> he will pay a price and he pays a price in my esteem for not leaving for nazis but tariffs is where i draw the line. but i think they will take him back in new york. thank you so much. that does it for our hour. ike nicolle wallace, "mtp daily" starts right now. >> hi, nicolle. tell eugene that his game of thrones got a chuckle out of our starting line. well did, mr. robinson. if it is thursday, steel yourself for what is to come --

>> tonight protectionism and promises of new jobs. the global ripple effect of the new tariffs