that does it for me. i'll see you back here tomorrow on "the beat." "hardball" with chris matthews starts right now. >> trump means never having to say you're sorry. let's play "hardball." good evening. i'm chris matthews in washington. the white house these days is like an episode of "dynasty." there's back biting, gossip and feuding. leaking has gotten so bad one senior adviser compared the atmosphere in the white house to prison assault with everybody shiving each other. the president accuses the leakers of being traitors. that hasn't stopped much. vice president pence is said to be plotting to take over for trump as he stokes his ego in public. all around staffers vi to undermine colleagues in the eyes of the president. why did trump berate his

homeland security secretary in front of his own cabinet reportedly because of associates whispered in the president's ear she's a closet never trumper? the threat of sudden ex-fulgs hangs over everyone. the new yorker pointed out this week, after 16 months, trump's on his third national security adviser on his sixth communications director. and amid all this drama, the white house seems unwilling to do what almost any other administration would have done, issue an apology to a senator suffering from brain cancer after one of its aides reportedly made a sick joke about him. white house staffer kelly sattal told colleagues john mccain's opposition to their choice for cia director didn't matter because "he's dying anyway." here's how some of mccain's republican colleagues in the senate reacted to all ha. >> should the white house apologize to john mccain for the remarks that they made last

week? >> i believe so. certainly the comments that were made if in fact they were made and no one's denied they were made i find them to be offensive. >> does the white house owe him an apology? >> if i had said that i would apologize into i would apologize if it were me. whether she does or not, i don't know whether the administration does or not, that's their call. i this i they should. >> well, the person who said that should apologize and should apologize publicly. >> it's a pretty disgusting thing to say. it was a terrible joke if it was a joke. i just wish somebody from the white house would tell the country that was inappropriate, that's not who we are. >> apparently it is. yesterday white house spokesman raj shah made it clear no apology was coming. president trump issued this warning to people in his administration related to this. "leakers are traitors and cowards and we will find out who they are." on fox news last night,

kellyanne conway defended the president's tweet. >> there are all kinds of leaks, some leaks exist to hurt i guess colleagues some exist because they disagree with the policies being put forth. but none of them are helpful. and i will tell you something else that's gone on in the white house but not as badly as the begin. it's using the immediate to shiv each other. and that was going on quite a bit at the beginning of this administration and it's less so now. >> well, in his shorten you're as white house communications director, anthony scaramucci lashed out at the leaks. he said i'm going to fire everybody. that's how i'm going to stop leaking or you're going to get fired. anthony scaramucci joins me right here along with jason johnson, and susan page from "usa today." it's growing into something. what is this thing about not apologizing for a lame or awful bit of gallows humor i guess it

was. i don't know what else you would call it. >> i think the whole thing is a shame actually because the president's got a great agenda. by and large the country is doing well. his ratings are up. he looks like he can still get a deal with the north koreans but this fighting going on in the white house is a very big distraction. had they apologized it would have been a 24-hour cycle. we're now going into a 96-who your cycle and it's a cloud over thecration. people are asking what's wrong with the culture if you said something you didn't mean why you are not apologizing? listen, they'll have to answer that. if that's part of the culture going forward, that will be used as a strategy by the democrats in the elections. >> in any big organization like there one, you're encouraged by the top how to handle these cases. what kind of encouragement is kelly sadler getting from the top. >> my opinion? >> what's she being urged to do?

not do anything or do something. >> i don't know. i know her well. she's very loyal to the president. she's definitely not a leaker. she would have been one of the people had i had 11 more days i would have definitely kept her. the reason why i said i would fire everybody, that's what you do when you come into a corporation and you can't get the culture right. you're merging the rnc with the always trumpers. there was a lot of friction there. here's what the culture is going to be going forward. if you don't like it, leave. >> the culture said is set at the top. the president's own behavior, the only thing i can remember him saying he was sorry about or apologized for was the access hollywood tape, he did a video that expressed some regret. other than that, i can't remember another time when he has said he's sorry about what he said. >> i think it's a problem for all presidents. barack obama had a hard time. what did you do wrong? couldn't find anything. george w. bush, did you make any mistakes. couldn't find anything. the problem for the president, if he starts apologizing it leaves an opening for people

that they drive mack trucks through. the last three presidents did the same thing. at the staff people, it's okay to apologize. i think it's terrible it got leaked though. if she said gallows humor, somebody's running out of the white house and making an anonymous call. >> who are these people? i want to know who the leakers are? i'm fascinated by it. >> part of the issue here and there is what i've always had a problem with this administration, say it to my face. look, if ump wants to be the guy who calls people names and encourages other people to do it, stand by it. what i find egregious, you have people who make these statements and they want to run and hide pep talks about obama and he's supply can't when he's next to him. if you don't like john mccain and if you think he's weak, stand by it. don't act like a bunch of weasels which is what the white house does when they insult anybody. >> they're sell t-shirts on

amazon. i disagree with you respectfully as it relates to the president. the president is outspoken how he feels about people. >> not to their faces. >> i think he is. >> he was in the debates. >> i've been in.roos with him. >> let's talk about something else that's ragging on -- vice president pence publicly extols his boss's leadership but behind the scenes seems to be a different picture. according to "the new york times," vice president pence and his staff are "unsettling a group of mr. trump's loyalist who's fear they are forging a separate power base. most brazenly the senior pence adviser told a republican donor mr. pence wanted to be prepared for the next presidential be race in case there's an opening." politico reported trump may be wise to the machinations with the vice president taking a higher profile in the campaign trail, the president stepped in to excerpt his dominance. is this a little early for pence to be making his move? you're a guest here, buddy.

>> i'm good. i can answer these questions. i don't think the vice president is like that at all. i think the vice president has been incredibly loyal. his staff has been loyal. i know marty. if marty said that, i think that's a slip-up. i don't think that's the true intentions of the vice president. you got -- actions speak louder than words. we all know that. the vice president has been nothing but super loyal to the administration, super loyal to the president and his family. and i have an enormous amount of respect for him. >> would he make a great president. >> would he make a great president? in 2024, 2028, i think he would be an unbelievable president. i don't thinking in 2020, the president is running for president. he's going to win re-election by a landslide if momentum stays where it is. i think the vice president will be vice president for eight years. i think it's a little much ado about nothing. >> there's no sensitivity on the part of the president about this. >> i didn't say that. there might be sensitivity but

some of that is manufactures i think. >> by whom. >> by those staffers or those, quote unquote, loyalists. some of it is manufactured by the media. i don't think it's true to the intentions of the vice president. >> they smell a trimmer out there. you know what that is. a trimmer is a man or woman who acts like they're loyal to you when you're with them. when you're not with them, they're not quite your biggest booster. >> that's why the american people don't like this town. the fact you had to explain what a trimmer is to the american people is the reason why this is -- >> the people they send here are the people that run the country. they don't come from washington, d.c. these people. they're elected to come here. >> let me tell you, they're by and large quite dissatisfied. it's harded to find good candidates because of all the restrictions put on. look what i had to do to serve the president. i had to put up a $250 million company for sale in order to serve the president. >> did you get it back. >> of course, i got it back. it's my company. i started it.

>> good for you. how long -- did you like your 11 days? >> listen, it was 954,000 seconds. >> let me ask, what about this -- kirstjen nielsen and that place? he was so red hot at her in the public meeting where everybody much watched it that she was thinking of quitting right on the spot. why is he so hot about somebody because he heard they might be a never trump. >> when i was in the white house, he was sore at attorney general sessions. i said this publicly and a say it here. you have to have a tough skin to work with the president and be able to take the president -- he's a hard charging guy. wants to fill every pothole, build every building and execute the policy. >> i'm sick and tired of people in in this administration grumble bragging. it was so did i have. none of these people are leaving. exthey're doing what they want to do and they want to do this

garbage where they're fighting the good fight against the administration where they're in line with anything he's doing. he goes after everybody. she's not going to quit the job. >> trimmer, grumble bragging. >> everybody knows. >> 14th street, people know what it is. >> i need this stuff. >> as i mentioned president trump hasn't shied away from rebuking aides and cabinet members. last week "the new york times" reported that kirstjen nelson, the homeland security secretary told colleagues she was close to resigning after trump berated her on wednesday in front of the entire cabinet for what he said was her failure to adequately secure the nation's boarders. according to politico, president trump's frustration with any son has been growing for weeks stoked by associates who have privately made the case she's a closeted or closet never trumper who still doesn't fully back his agenda. let me go to something i find unusual. anybody that's worked in a white house or congressional office finds this bizarre. people who work for senators in either party, man or woman,

whatever background, ethnic group whatever, are loyal. that's why they're there. they don't rat out stuff about each other. they don't say somebody said a bad word the other day. they don't. it never happened with a white house i worked in. i don't think it happened in the kennedy or w white house. why in this white house has everybody got a shiv out for everybody else and goes right to the press with it. because there was a split in the party about the president. there was a large group of people that signed a petition that he would be never trumpers. when he won, that group of people still liked and loves power. and they shifted back and they started putting their resumes into the transition team and reince bre bus started hiring them. >> that happens all the time and you become loyal to the president. >> in this town for some reason because the president is a disruptor, it has some cache in ooh these georgetown salons. >> there aren't any more georgetown salons. that's over with. >> i just learned about grumble

-- >> the idea of georgetown salons. >> here's the bottom line. this guy is a disruptor. this guy means business. >> why does that explain why people in the white house are totally disloyal to him and can't wait to talk to the times"? >> that isn't true. because there's a lower level of loyalty at this time with this white house than with previous ones. the turnover in the white house including your own does not build a sense that we're a team, we're together, we're going to defend each other. >> there's a lot of people super loyal to the president, myself included. >> you're not there. >> yeah. >> have you ever heard the white house calling his white house staff traitors? never heard that. >> i think he's upset. they shouldn't be leaking. > this is captain quick stuff. >> very wrong with what those people are doing. >> why are they there? why don't you fire them? you just whispered you know who they are? >> if i had a little more time,

i would have fired a few people and the rest of the people would have fallen in line. >> does huk we know who they are? >> sarah probably knows who they are. she has the toughest job in washington. she's an pleasing person. >> don't get meet into that. you think this president is going to get re-elected? >> resoundingly re-elected. the democrats -- >> will he carry the popular vote next time. >> he will. he's a sitting president in a rising economy. >> what are your pickup states? minnesota. >> he was close in minnesota. he could probably win minnesota. he won't win new york. he won't win california. but i got to look at the map. i don't know. i haven't seen the map. >> north carolina would be a possibility. we'll see. >> he's going to get re-elected. here's the thing. the reason people leak is because they think trouble's coming. that's when you ratted out your brother or sister. look, when mom gets home, we're going to get busted.

>> are they watching you? >> my family is probably liking what are you ratting about it for. >> susan lives off -- this is trade craft. get people to talk and every time i say to a reporter who covers the white house is the heat on, they laugh at me. the heat's never on. >> yeah. >> in the old days you didn't have phones. you had to go over to the exchange on 17th veet and have lunch with bob novak. now you just go to the bathroom. >> let me disagree with my two fellow panelists on the idea that president trump is never going to be re-elected in 2020. i think it's possible. it's possible he doesn't. i think the whole time is too chaotic. >> i said he would. >> you did too but you said the economy -- maybe the economy is great and that's good for incumbent presidents. this recovery is pretty mature. this is such a chaotic time it's hard to make any prediction about something two years away. >> i'll accept that. if you understand the economy and the impact of these tax

cuts, they'll start to impact the economy in about 12 to 18 months. and the rising wages are going to take the president to a landslide victory in 2020. so you know, your friends here in washington have to be prepared for six plus years. i know you're upset about that. >> i'm from kansas. >> georgetown salons. >> six great years. >> has anybody been to a georgetown salon. >> atlanta one. never a georgetown one. >> sally quinn is still around. it's pretty spare. >> you can give me guff about it. you know, there's a big group of people that like to hang out with each other and pretend they're in the same clique and want to sniff at the president. they shouldn't be working in the west wing. >> they should be on the outside of the tent, not inside. anthony scaramucci stirred things up here. we'll have to start leaking what really happened here. susan, jason, thank you. trump's call to help a chinese phone company surprised a lot of people.

surprised me. now it's starting to make sense. is it china gave the trump organization a half a billion dollars days earlier. people say the deal has all the hallmarks of a quid pro quo. this for that. plus the democrats are lining up to take their shot against trump in 2020 but a top party leader warns they need to do something more than just be against this president. and trump rarely an poizes. the only time he did for the access hollywood tape he took it back. why does he let these things festers? is he afraid of looking weak. >> just say excuse me. let me finish tonight with trump watch. this is "hardball," the place for politics. ♪ you and me together ♪ through the days and nights. ♪ i don't worry ♪ 'cause everything's ♪ gonna be all right. ♪ no one, no one, no one

♪ can get in the way ♪ of what i feel for you. ♪ traders -- they're always looking for advantages. the smart ones look to fidelity to find them. we give you research and data-visualization tools to help identify potential opportunities. so, you can do it this way... or get everything you need to help capture investment ideas and make smarter trading decisions with fidelity for just $4.95 per online u.s. equity trade. fidelity. open an account today. ♪ the north korean government today threatened to call off next month's summit with president trump according to south korean media in response to an ongoing military exercise between the united states and south korea.

north korea's central news agency is quoted as saying the united states will have to undertake careful deliberations about the fate of the planned north korea/u.s. summit in light of this provocative military ruckus jointly conducted with the south korean authorities. kim jong-un's government has also canceled a high level meeting with south korean representatives scheduled for tomorrow. we'll be right back. squeeze the toothpaste from the bottom and floss to set a good example. you fine tune the proposal, change the water jug so no one else has to, get home for dinner and feed the cat. you did a million things for your family today but speaking to pnc to help handle all your investments was a very important million and one. pnc. make today the day.

welcome back to "hardball." president trump caused jaws to drop on sunday when he put that he was intervening to save a chinese government-owned cell phone company in order to save, catch this, he wants to save chinese job he said. despite his long history of tough talk about china, trump tweeted president xi of china and i are working together to give massive chinese company zte a way back to get into business fast. too many jobs in china lost. commerce department has been instructed get it done." zte teetered on the edge of

collapse since the "uss commerce department last month banned the company from receiving is crucial american components. is the move penalized them for lying about sanctions against iran and north korea. serious stuff. zte equipment could enable china to spy on americans. the pentagon banned the use of their cell phonens on the fear the government cots use zte devices to track troop movements in the korean peninsula. now the "huffington post" reports trump's effort to save zte comes 72 hours after the chinese government agreed to put a half billion dollars into an indonesian project that will enrich donald trump. according to the report, the chinese government last thursday agreed to lend as much as $500 million to al indonesian theme park and resort set to feature a trump branded hotel, golf course and residences, all part of a licensing deal with the trump

organization. i'm joined by a senior white house correspondent with the "huffington post" and knowal book binder from the citizens for responsibility in ethics in washington crew. did trump get something half billion dollars in investment in his company in exchange for looking out for what he calls chinese jobs at zte. >> it was an investment in his company. what he's doing is going to run a hotel, a golf course and profit from that investment. right? so just to make sure. >> 72 hours that decision before this other thing. >> exactly. i was there like everybody else seeing this tweet pop up on the phone saying what is this? since the entirety of the united states government is saying this is a bad actor. we should not be using their phones. we shouldn't be letting them on our military bases and the reason is also well, they've been trading with north korea in iran in violation of sanctions. all of a sudden here he is going

to save chinese jobs, too many jobs in china lost. i would assume this probably means he had a phone call. >> why didn't he, i'll play dumb here. why didn't he tell zte if it wants to get out of its problem area, why doesn't he stop trading with our enemy and their enemy? why don't they stop trading with iran and north korea? they could avoid the problem. >> it's a seven-year ban on them. so we the united states government have the already told them that. >> have they stopped trading, we'll deal with them again. >> after seven years. his contention, no, we've got to save their jobs now. this is terrible for china. the tweet didn't point out that yeah, three days earlier, the chinese government which also owns zte, home run put a pile of money into a development that he's going to profit from. >> what's your smell test? do you think there's a deal here? do you think he's doing this to pay off somebody for what they did for him? >> he almost certainly knows what happened three days

earlier. you need to do this for me, i don't know. but during the campaign, how many times did trump say if people are nice to me, i'll be nice to them. >> if he went into pennsylvania and said i'm out to the chinese jobs, they would have laughed him out of time. if he went to scranton or anywhere in the midwest rust belt dying to save their jobs because of china they believe, my concern is american politician is to make sure the chinese don't lose jobs, they would have thought he was insane. >> that's what's so eye opening about this. that we can see, there's no good reasonable explanation. >> no politics. >> for donald trump of all people to make this decision. as long as he owns his businesses, and he's making money from those businesses and those businesses are getting paid by foreign governments in violation of the constitution by the way, we have to wonder what his motivation is, particularly in a case like this where he's such a close link in timing and there doesn't seem to be any other good explanation. >> the chinese probably think there's a connection knowing how

they think in transaction it will terms i would think. everybody thinks in transactional terms. marco rubio of florida this morning criticize the president's shift in policy toward zte citing the cyber threat that china poses to the is united states. watch senator rubio. >> zte is a company that has in addition to posing a significant espionage threat against account united states is part of an overall industry in china that steals intellectual property. it runs counter to every conversation we've had before then. >> good for senator rubio because if hillary -- i always bring that flip it around and say if hillary clinton had done something like there, they would have gotten her for treason, trading with the enemy. >> the clinton were getting donations to their charity which was rated as a pretty good charity as opposed to president trump's charity. any foreign donation into that was seen as basically corruption at the highest level. this is amazing. this is going to his personal

pocketbook. >> watch how the white house deputy press secretary defends is the president's policy reversal in that big chinese telephone company yesterday. >> how does the president trump statement that too.chinese jobs are the an risk square with his campaign promise that china is stealing american jobs. >> well, i don't think this has frankly any bearing on the president's campaign promises. with respect to trade with china, he's been tough. let's put this into context. this president has taken china to tack for its unfair trade practices. he's been tough and he's confronted them. but on this issue specifically, he's asked the secretary of commerce to take a look at it. >> here's what he said when asked whether the trump's company licensing deal violates the anti-bribery of the constitution known as the emoluments claus, presidents can't take stuff from people. watch. >> you're asking about a private organization's dealings that may have to do with a foreign government. it's not something that i can speak to.

>> in the end, how is this going to get resolved? you first, noah. it's a stink right now. >> that's right. people who have been putting up with the president continuing to own his businesses which creates a conflict of interest on every foreign policy decision he makes and a lot of other decisions need to start racing a stink about that. we went to court to sue the presidents to stop him. >> uae always gets account hotel rooms at trump tower on pennsylvania avenue. >> we don't. he has shown he likes to. >> arafat used to have that deal. if you wanted to interview him, you had to take a whole hallway of rooms in some little one-story hotel or else you didn't get the interview. >> that's not how our system is supposed to work. that's how it is now. >> your thoughts? >> so far. >> what's going to happen. >> congress has done very little to deal with the stuff that's been. >> you guys are here making

noise. the public doesn't like what they've heard. sv and noah, thank you. some of the biggest names in the democratic party made their pitch for 2020 today. a top party leader warns that trump is a tougher competitor than democrats think. this is "hardball" where the action is. this is your wake-up call. if you have moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis, month after month, the clock is ticking on irreversible joint damage. ongoing pain and stiffness are signs of joint erosion. humira can help stop the clock. prescribed for 15 years, humira targets and blocks a source of inflammation that contributes to joint pain and irreversible damage. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened; as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common,

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welcome back to "hardball." a host of potential democratic contenders for 2020 running for

president lined up to make their pitches at the center for american progress ideas conference in washington today. and while some of the party's biggest stars tried out messages on the economy, many couldn't resist taking on the man they hope to bring down, president trump. >> what president trump stands for undermines everything we value. all his policyies women are goig to pay more for health care because of president trump. >> i think workers in my state in many ways know that this president is not on their side although he's talks a good game. it's my job to show that i am. >> we must not allow donald trump or anyone else to divide us up. >> we'd rather talk about great ideas. we can't climb that hill by ignoring the millions of americans who are angry and scared about the damage this president and this republican party have done to our

democracy. >> one democratic elder you might say, former san francisco mayor willie bron, former assembly leader in california warns donald trump may be more popular than democrats think right now. he writes it's time for the democrats to stop bashing trump. rather than stoking the base by attacking trump, democrats need to come up with a platform that addresses the average voter's hopes and concerns. minnesota's senator amy klobuchar reinforced that point today. >> they're not asking me about russian bots. they're asking me about like soybean exports. they don't like the stuff that he's tweeting out. they don't like how he beats up on innocent people and they are going to stand up against that. i think that's what you've seen in the elections. and that's what you're going to see in this election. but we're not going to see it if we spend our whole team bemoanings the facts he's there. he's there. we have to present an alternative. >> i agree with that. i'm joined by former democratic mayor of san francisco willie brown.

mayor brown, speaker brown, you've been there. is this a year the democrats should be planning a program or just this assault on trump? >> no, no, no, they should clearly be planning a program. we have a strong bench but we don't have a playbook yet. we don't have a playbook that addresses the needs of the american people. and you've got to give the american people an alternative to trump. not just say he's a bad person, take me. offer an alternative and he'll be deemed a bad person. >> do you think the democrats should do a little more defining -- i think trump is smart. nasty but smart. when he talks about immigration, the way he portrays the democratic position is open boarders. they'll let everybody come in. it's good will. pollyanna because the democrats haven't defined a position an says yes we're for regulating the border. we're going to do it fairly and

progressively but we are going to enforce the law. how about trade. >> i don't know if the democrats have a trade position or a tax position. do you think they need those positions? >> well, they really do. they need a position on everything that hurts the american people. everything that the american people are feeling bad about. we need to do so with a degree of sincerity and do so as if we are part of the whole movement that affects the lives of people. we can't keep doing it the way we did it years ago. unless we get a phenom like i suppose obama, we're not going to be very competitive. >> do you see somebody out there like bill clinton or barack obama a real natural, this guy or woman has the stuff to get out there on a platform with donald trump and beat him? >> there are half a dozen democrats with those kind of credentials. they've not been around long enough. they don't have, frankly, an

opportunity to demonstrate who they really are. believe me, we should be tutoring each and every prospective candidate who has got a possible winning victory in mind. for an example, we won in the city of atlanta where the black woman is mayor. we won in the city of new orleans with a black woman as mayor. we're going to win in a number of other places in this nation the same way. we have defeated republicans in those places whether republicans like kennedy is flawed. but at no point have we put together a program that makes people want to embrace democrats with the big "d." >> how do you get the moderates to come out and vote, the independent voter that swings back and forth, reagan democrat who's swing back and forth? they went a little more for obama the first time, not so much the second time, the moderate republican wasn't with obama the second time. how do you get that moderate or the centrist vote and excite the base especially

african-americans? i think they might have to have somebody on the ticket, with some balance like is the old new york state ticket where you have ethnic balance. do you think so or not? >> you have gender and ethnic balance on this ticket. we've got to have both. we've got to have a both in aggressive fashion. in california, it's loaded with talent like that. that's why we are a blue state, chris. we are a blue state because over the last 12 or 14 years, we've planned it that way. we're executing it appropriately. the democratic party ought to use california as their model. >> who is better, air garcetti or cam ma la harris? >> well, either one of them would be fine. you also got gavin newsom, you also have antonio villaraigosa. >> those are the candidates for governor, right. >> yeah. don't forget jerry brown. no matter what age you might think jerry brown is, he's not. he's never been through the

process of growing old by virtue of hard work. jerry brown could still abentity that the democratic party ought to be looking at. period. that's what california is about. that's what we need to do for the nation. >> you're amazing. you're a great demonstration of that, sir. age doesn't matter. thanks for coming on tonight. i think you're right about jerry brown. i was with him a month ago. he's as sharp as ever. former san francisco mayor former assembly speaker of california willie brown. up next, if you're surprised the white house hasn't issued a public apology to senator john mccain, you shouldn't be. the man at the top has set the tone. trump means never having to say you're sorry or apologize for anything no matter how outrageous you are. you're watching "hardball." your retail business. so that if your customer needs shoes, & he's got wide feet. & with edge-to-edge intelligence you've got near real time inventory updates. & he'll find the same shoes in your store that he found online

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i support the affordable care act, and voted against all trump's attempts to repeal it. but we need to do more. i believe in universal health care. in a public health option to compete with private insurance companies. and expanding medicare to everyone over 55. and i believe medicare must be empowered to negotiate the price of drugs. california values senator dianne feinstein welcome back to "hardball." it's been five days since is the hill broeks the news that kelly sadler, white house aide, made

hurtful comments about the senator john mccain and still no apology has come from the administration despite their lip service, senate republicans today failed to press for an apology during their meeting with president trump. nobody said nothing. maybe they don't believe they would get one. the president does not apologize. "as pugilistic a president as he was a candidate, mr. trump's apologies are rare." a white house official tells the "times" there are two other reasons the administration hasn't apologized for the remark. white house officials believe the obama officials apologized for the united states behavior too aurve. there's frustration from aide who's fear their every word will be leaked. trump's insistence on not apologizing it one of the more consistent things about this president. let's watch. >> last week, in the supreme court case over your travel ban, the lawyers for the opponents said that if you would simply apologize for some of your rhetoric during the campaign the

whole case would go away. i was wondering. >> i don't think it would, number one. and there's no reason to apologize. i think if a apologized it want o wouldn't make ten cents worth of difference to them. there's nothing to apologize for. >> we are going to stand up for america and we're not going to apologize anymore for america. >> we've seen a lot of apologies. last eight years, we've seen a lot of apologizing, not any longer. we don't apologize. >> but why? we'll get to that question next with the "hardball" roundtable. do not mistake serenity for weakness. do not misjudge quiet tranquility with the power of 335 turbo-charged horses the lincoln mkx, more horsepower than the lexus rx350 and a quiet interior from which to admire them. the lincoln spring sales event is here. for a limited time get 0% apr on the lincoln mkx. plus get $1000 bonus cash.

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welcome back to "hardball." during the presidential campaign, donald trump launch aid number of vicious personal attacks which he obviously never apologized for accusing ted cruz's father of being involved in the assassination of john f. kennedy. pretty serious terrible stuff. he attacked a u.s. district judge curiel because of his mexican-american heritage. he attacked the muslim family of a fallen u.s. soldier and openly mocked a physically disabled writer for the "new york times." appearing on the tonight show as a candidate, he was asked if he's apologized in his life. here's what trump said. >> i fully think apologizing is a great thing but you have to be wrong. i will absolutely apologize sometime in the hopefully distant future if i'm ever wrong. >> i'm joined by the roundtable,

yamiche alcindor, pbs "newshour," peter em esh son, and adolpho franco is an rnc surrogate. the question is, why does he allow this little bitty thing to become a week long story? all he had to do was say it was stupid humor it, lousy joke. if it was more serious, they should admit that. >> well, because had he nothing to do with it. >> why didn't she. >> she has apologized to the mccain family. >> she has promised to give a public apology. >> i don't know why she needs to. she has apologized. wait, but she has apologized to the family. this was a conversation and i agree with the president on in that should never have been shared. it was a private matter. it the four of us here probably have said things we would not want to appear. >> or course. >> but peter she has apologized and called the mccain family and apologized.

>> >>sley promised to say so publicly. it was with the mccain family, not the american people. >> the problem is at the head. >> he's the problem over there, not me, peter. >> exactly. >> did president bush apologize to adam climber >> let's deal with where we are in the present. >> there was no big to do about that. >> what's interesting as a reporter, what we're talking about right now is president trump and his track record not to apologize. i think it's not just because -- he doesn't think he's wrong and because he thinks it works for him. his instincts are to double down. it got him into the white house. why would he listen to consultants who say it's better if you apologize if he's gotten there far without apologizing. >> as far as mccain goes, why would au apologize if you mocked an american. >> do you think the president of msnbc should apologize for something chris matthews said? >> we both served in the white

house. we know it's from the head down. >> i've been at the white house, as well. the president only should apologize for something for which the president is personally responsible. >> no, he's responsible like a general or an admiral. he's responsible for all his troops. all. >> he is not responsible for apologizing for something. >> mocking of just mocking people. >> there's a context here first of all. he is the one who made fun of john mccain's service by saying i like people that don't get captured john mccain didn't throw his arms into the enemy's camp and said take me, i don't want to fight anymore. he bombed hanoi and shot down in the lake. i've seen where he was pulled out and beaten the elle out of. why did trump make fun of that. >> trump has said things in the past has nothing to do with what we're talking about. >> maybe it's a pattern. >> maybe sadler heard him say that. >> this has nothing to do with the story you're trying to all create is the president -- >> no, no, the president's

responsible for. >> have you heard president trump say something it you think he should apologize for. >> i wouldn't. >> have you ever heard him say anything that he should apologize for. >> i don't think he should be in the business of apologizing to. >> for anything. you're all jumping on me. president obama spent his time apologizing heritage foundation print aid book obama's ten apologies. the three of you and all these democrats are going to be using there including you, peter, in the plid terms and in 2020. i don't think the president should abapologizing. >> okay. let me move on. >> he didn't do anything. i think she probably wants to apologize and they've told her not to the publicly. a few days after the release of the now infamous access hollywood tape, then candidate trump issue aid rare apology acknowledging it was him on the tape and excused his language as locker room talk. let's watch that. >> i've said and done things i

regret. and the words released today on this more than a decade old video are one of them. anyone who knows me knows these words don't reflect who i am. i said it. i was wrong. and a apologize. >> roughly a year later "the new york times" reported the president was privately walking that back telling a senator that the tape was not authentic. the roundtable is sticking with us. up next, these three will tell me something i don't know. you're watching "hardball." kyle, we talked about this. there's no monsters. but you said they'd be 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.

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♪ miracle-gro guarantees results >> vo: these neighbors are starting right. with rich potting mix and essential plant food for three times the blooms. success is sweet. miracle-gro. three times the beauty. one powerful guarantee. we're back with the "hardball" roundtable. tell me something i don't know. >> congressman blake farenthold who had had to resign landed a new gig making $160,000 as a lobbyist in texas. it's only $10,000 less than he was making as a congressman. he landed on his feet. >> probably less work. peter? >> the continent that transformed our lives the peace corps and me doing business over the years has benefited mightily

by secretary of commerce wilbur ross who has kept the president's counsel on doing business in africa for american businesses to invest in africa. he's leading a yet an unannounced four-nation tour for american business. so he may nap in cabinet meet is but he's wide awake to the importance of african investment. >> for aids over there hib aids, is that still on. >> i don't know. >> that's the best thing w did. >> i think today's meeting with the president with republican senators demonstrated the unity of the republican party on the same page on the president's mess ac, on creating jobs and lower taxes and i think the democratic party we're seeing continued disarray with. >> that's a tell me something i don't know? you just use these opportunities for this flackery. you know what i learned at that meeting today, that they will not say a word against president trump. thank you, yamiche, peter and adolpho. when we return, let me finish tonight with trump watch.

flackery. you're watching "hardball." yamiche. leo, i know i'm late.

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trump watch tuesday, may 15th, 2018. i listened to the president pay honor to police officers who are killed in the line of duty and as someone who is pro police, i like that he participated in this testimony to people who put their lives on the line every day. i know the job of being a policeman demands you come up against people that see you as a target or at minimum the lone

obstacle to them escaping justice but it's that word justice that was missing from today's presidential remarks. a good police officer is on the side of good. he or she deserves respect because he or she can represent society at its very best trying to keep the peace, protect the weak and vulnerable from the strong and violent an officer abuses his authority and we have seen such cases is not worthy of our respect. justice is the cause we hold high. the public servant uses the badge to enforce the law justly not the one who fails in the mission. this blings up the black lives matter movement. there should be no conflict in the work of a daily police officer. the world can't divide itself between the black lives advocate and the police. they should be united. sadly are take one side and hold it high and blame the other. that's what i heard today siding

with one side and not taking the side of justice itself which is what we should ought all be saluting every day. that's "hardball" for now. all in with chris hayes starts right now. >> tonight on all in -- >> i could actually run my business and run government at the same time. the president promotes jobs in china as the chinese invest half a billion into a trump property. >> as you know, i have a no conflict situation because i'm president. >> tonight the ethical and national security backlash. then, michael cohen, donald trump and the ukrainian politician who is about to face robert mueller. and the search for "traitors and cowards inside the white house." >> sir, has the white house apologized to john mccain. >> the incredible self-inflicted firestorm over white house leaks. >> it's not so much leaking as using the media to shiv each other. >> whether he all in" starts right knew.