nbc's pete williams will explain. president trump says he has absolute power to pardon himself as his top lawyer says he could shoot the former fbi director and the president would still not be indicted. >> can't be indicted, and we think we have a very good argue in a practical sense. this isn't just theoretical. he's not sitting up there playing tiledywinks. he's involved in four or five historic negotiations right now. >> and him too? bill clinton's explosive "today" show interview on me too movement and his apology for the monica lewinsky affair went far enough. >> you didn't apologize to her? >> i have not tald to her. >> do you feel like you owe her an apology? >> i do -- i never talked to her. but i did say publicly on more than one occasion that i was sorry.

that's very different. the apology was public. >> and good day, everyone. i'm andrea mitchell in washington. we begin with that breaking news from the supreme court. nbc justice correspondent pete williams joins me with details on a narrow decision from the justices, but on a very prominent case, pitting gay ghts against religious freedom. >> reporter: narrowing because of the reasoning, not becausef thte. the vote was 7-2 in favor of the colorado baker, jack phillips, who refused to bake a cake for a gay couple who wanted it to celebrate their previously held wedding. he said sorry, that would violate my religious viewing. he basically said that the colorado human rights commission, by ruling against him, would force him to express a view that he doesn't agree with, and that that would violate his free expression rights. in a 7-2 decision, the supreme court said, jack phillips didn't

get serious enough consideration for his religious views before the colorado human rights commission. it said the commission's treatment of phillips' case violated the state's duty under the first amendment, which includes religious freedom, not to base laws or regulations on hostilit to a religion or religious viewpoint. that'she reason supme court ruled for jack phillips. it's a big victory for him. he o'll go back to making weddi cakes except for same-sex couples. he said if iave to bake it for same-sex couples, i'm not going to make it for anybody. but it doesn't say how to resolve it for similar cases. it was good for this one because of how the colorado human rights commission treated this case. it doesn't say anything about flourists, photographers, it just gives this guidance, this is justice kennedy writing the opinion.

he said in future cases, these disputes have to be resolved with tolerance, without undue disrespect to sincere religious beliefs and subjecting gay people to initieshen the ek goods and services. so there's something for everybody in this decision. for advocates of gay rights, you have seven supreme court justices saying yes, you have to give respect to same-sex couples, respectg the supreme court's 2015ision on same-sex marriage. for advocates of religious freedom, the court is saying you have to take these claims seriously. they have merit, and when the states that have these human rights amendments, and there are about 22 of them, resolve similar cases, they have to be respectful of religious so no precedent how to decide these cases, no guidance for the lower courts in how to decide these cases in the latest front in opposition to same-sex marriage. >> it strikes me that it was

justice kennedy, correct me if i'm wrong, who wrote one of the most memorable passages in that previousuling on gay marriage about love and what love means between people. >> reporter: and about dignity. dignity was the word throughout that ruling. isoing tt i've heard people reciting it to each other at their weddings, heterosexualouples,ll. the other thing that strikes me is what i don't know. do you have other cases that might be coming up through the courts that wouldeach the supreme court that might engender a broader opinion? epes. there's a case pending here right now from a florist in washington state who refused to serve same-sex couples. she mad the same kind of argument the baker did. the baker said, and this was tricky, the baker said my cake is a form of free expression. it's a work of art. i'm an artist. when people see my cake as the center piece in a wedding,

that's my view i don't want it expressed in a view i don't want to endorse. the court punted on that question. justice kennedy gives it the back of his hand saying a lot of people that look at lovely cakings don't think about the caker. so they didn't engage on that at all. that's a puzzling part of what happened today. there is a case pending here from a florist. there are other cases in the courts below involving photographers and other people who serve weddings. >> pete williams at the court, as we head into the final weeks of court decisions. we'll be talking to you a lot, i pe. president trump is taking the fight to robert mueller directly and the justice departnt in a spring of tweets today, slamming the special counsel's appointment a unconstitutional, agreeing with his lawyer's position that he has the right to pardo even though he says he wouldn't, adding that he's done nothing wrong. today's attack follows his personal attorney rudy giuliani saying that the president cannot

be subpoenaed or indicted. even telling the huffington post that president trump could shot jamesey and not be prosecuted. and "the new yo times unkoefring a lter from the president's attorneys to mueller last january, claiming broad legal powers for the president, but acknowledging that president trump did dictate a false account of don, junior's infamous trump tower meeting with russians in 2016. joining me now to sort this out, kristen welker, ashley parker, and harrylitman joining me from new york. harry, to you first, just on the law here. is what rudy giuliani and the president is asserting and what was asserted in the letter to mueller last january? >> yeah, i think it's really confused. let's start with what trump

tweeted this morning. he seems to agree as does giuliani, well, i can pardon, but i would be immediately impeached. what that has to mean, of course, is that's an improper use of the pardon power. it's not in tederal code, it's because the pardon power remedy is in the remedy is impeachment. but in terms of the firing of -- the killing of james comey in his office, of course that would be a crime. we know without a doubt that a vice president could be prosecuted for it. we know without a doubt that a president could be out of office and there's simply no reason, and they've offered none, that a president couldn't be. in fact, they're getting pilloried sort of on all sides of people taking issue with that royalist view. so i think it's basically you bankrupt and won't hold up.

remember, they're doing it to get out of this whole effort to testify or have an interview, which we now know trump has been falsely saying for months he's >> and kristen welker, what about this other part of that letter, that january letter, whic acknowledges for t first time that yeah, he did dictate the false explanation that that june meeting was just about adoption, even though all indications were it was about a lot more, including don, junior saying he would love it if the russians brought damaging information about hillary clinton. >> well, of course it'sot against the law to lie to the press necessarily, but it does raise questions about the account that the president, those who have sat and talked to robert mueller iaave ve to him. initially, of course, they were adamant in public testimony, that president trump had nothing to do with dictating that memo. of course, as you point out,

this letter says just the opposite. now, what's interesting about it, rudy giuliani, the president's attorney over the weekend said, by the way, the fact that you have these shifting explanations underscores one of their hesitations about the president sitting for an ierview with special counsel robert mueller, trying to make the case he can't necessarily be expected to remember every single detail going back a year or so. so it's a striking argument from the president's attorney. and one other point, andrea, it seems thathe president and giuliani are very coordinated in the statements that they're making. you pointed to the fact, and you were disg the fact that giuliani was saying that the president does have the power probably to pardon himself, but has no intention of doing so. that essentially echoed exactly what we heard in the president's tweet earlier today, that yes, he thinks he has the power to pardon himself. but why would he need to do it? because he hasn't done anything wrong. so we're starting to see a

coordinated strategy between the president and his attorney general, rudy giuliani. >> and ashley, what you have written about at the time, both low and sanders craftethat false explanation about don, junior's meeting with the russians. let's play that. >> i want to be clear, the president was not involved in the drafting of the statement, it came from donald trump, jr. >> he certainly didn't dictate, but like i said, he weighed in, offered suggestions like any father would do. >> so ashley, this certainly puts the lie to that. >> it sure does. this brings us back to one of the key questions of this administration, which, you know, we often receive mistruths or lies from them, depending on what we believe they know. and so the more charitable explanation, and i'm sure sarah ers may asked about this in the briefing today. it's possible she was in the

dark, or out of the loop and didn't have all of the information when she made that statement, or if she did have all the information, then she was lying. but it is a helpful reminder for reporters covering this administratindor voters in the public consuming information out of this administration, that just because thesident o someone on his team, his press secretary and adviser, alawyer, says something true,t doesn't actually make it untrue. it may mean the president wishes it hadn't burst out into public view, but it doesn't necessarily mean what has reported, as we reported a t the time, that the president dictated thatatem false. >> and harry, is there a legal, you know, a legal implication for that, or does it add to whatever mueller is looking at in terms of a pattern of behavior? >> right, no, i think there's definitely a legal implicatiomp. it's not against the law to lie to the press, although it's sort

of stunning the trump but it's a lie to try to cover up testimony and try to keep the trom coming out in an investigation. y have tbility of a conspiracy, an agreement that doesn't have to be the tr from coming out, and keep if the intent here is not just to lie to the american people, but to keep it obscure fm t investigators, that's straightforward obstruction. and it could be a real hot water. there's indications it's one of the four concrete acts that mueller is looking very closely at in his obstruction report. >> harry litman, thanks so much. ey parker and kristen welker. up next, that bill clinton

intervie craig in joining uso talk abt t moment with bill clinton. you're watching "andrea mitchell reports" on msnbc. t? nah. honey look, your old portable cd player. my high school rethainer. oh don't... it's early 90s sitcom star dave coulier... cut...it...out! [laughing] what year is it? as long as stuff gets lost in the couch, you can count on geico saving folks money. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more fifon car insurance.d save you

you likso do i.urs? hey blue. i brought you sothin okay. we're getting out of here. you're welcome. run! holy! this is gonna be awesome. rated pg-13. and we have more stunning comments today fro a different commander in chief. former president bill clinton ping his new novel with co-author james patterpatterson.

when asked about his affair with monica lewinsky, in light of the me too movement. >> one of the things that this a lot of women to speak out.rced one of those women, monica lewins. too movement changed her view of sexual harassment. he was 27 years my senior. with enough life experience to know better. he was at the pinnacle of his career and i was out of college. looking through the lens of me too now, do you think differently or feel more responsibility? >> no. i felt terrible then, and i came to grips with it. did you ever apologize to her. >> no -- yes. i had a sexual harassment policy when i was governor in the '80s. i had two women chiefs of staff when i wasgovernor. women were overrepresented in the attorney general's office in

the '70s. i've had nothing but women leaders in my office since i left. you are giving one side and omitting facts. >> mr. president, i'm not trying to present a side. >> no, no, you asked me if i agreed. the answer is no, i don't. >> i asked if you apologized and you said you have. >> i have. i apologized to everybody in the world. >> it is important to me that everybody who has been hurt know that the sorrow i feel is genuine. first and most important, my family, monica lewinsky and her family. >> but you didn't apologize to her? >> i have not talked to her. >> do you feel hike you owe h apology? >> no -- i do -- i never talked to her, but i did say publicly on more than one occasion that i was sorry. that's very different. the apology was public.

>> and you don't think a private apology is owed. >> i think this thing is -- it's 20 years ago. come on, let's talk about jfk. you know, lbj. stop already. >> i don't think -- do you think president kennedy should have resigned? do you believe president johnson should have resigned. someone should ask you these questions because of the way you formulate the questions. i dealt with it 20 years ago plus, and the american people, 2/3 of themyed with me. and i've tried to do a good job since then with my life and with my work. that's all i have to say. >> craig melvin joins me now. craig, an amazing interview. first of all, what was going through your mind? a lot of us have been in the situation with the former president where when he gets angry, he gets angry, and boy, he unloaded. but you asked him whether he had

second thoughts about it, now that things have changed. sgsz rig >> right. and the idea was to ask the president in light of the me too movement, whether there was anything that he would have done differently today. and the president essentially saying no. you know, when the interview wrapped up, he and i did have an exchange afterwards, we had another brief conversation, and he did want to make sure that i understood that the standard now versus the standard then is different. and that it should be different. he wanted to make sure i understood that, a and he wanted to make sure i understood the facts of his case were very different from the facts of a lot of the high profile cases that have been spawned as a result of the me too movement. so the president really wanted to make sure i understood those two key points after we stopped rolling tape. >> although i'm sure he would say that it was a consensual situation. but when monica lewinsky wrote

recently is that the power dynamic is not that different from some of the cases that have been cited. >> right. one of the things we read from monica lewinsky's op-ed in "vanity fair" and triggered the question, she wrote that as a result of being outed, as a result of being ostracized, she had been diagnosed with . so that was sort of the framework for the question. but as you saw there, president clinton not indicating that he thought even through the lens of me too that he would do anything different. >> fascinating interview, craig melvin. thanks so much. and let's bring in "usa today" bureau chief susan page. you sat down with president clinton, and we have both seen how angry he can getn he's challenged. but this illustrates the dynamic we're seeing on the campaign

trail, where he's not one of the top surrogates. >> it's interesting. the opening scene of his new novel, the thriller he did with james patterson, is the president, the fictional president, doing a preparatory q and a with the before going to congress for hostile questions. and the point that he makes in the book, as president, you have to prepare for hostile questions. so after 20 years, the fact that president clinton does not have a ready answer to what is not a question that should be completely unexpected at this point, is surprising to me. it's a sign that -- it's one of the reasons that some democrats are reluctant to have him on the trail, because standards have changed in terms of consensual relations with people with very different power situations. he seemed unable to acknowledge that in a graceful way, and in fact, got pretty angry. >> the analogy to jfk and lbj, who were known to have relationships, is inaccurate in that the impeachment was based

on perjury. sex is not illegal. >> impeachment was because he lied -- >> about the paula jones case. >> that's right. but also, there's a whole -- and it's true that his impeachment had big partisan aspects to it -- >> and he was not convicted by the senate. >> that's right. and most americans did side with him in that. but we have had a cultural shift since then. and that is something that everyone has to learn to acknowledge. >> he seemed to be alluding to -- we can't be for sure, but he seemed to be alluding to not agreeing with some of the things that have happened, i would think that might be an al franken reference. >> it could be. we've had any number of powerful men face accusations and lose their jobs, lose positions, lose contracts because i'm not sure who he is referencing there, but

he's doing this big book tour. this is going to come up again. >> and in your interview, he had some fascinating tngs to say about democracy, and the theme of his novel thathe's written with this best-selling author james patterson, famous author. >> one thing he said was that he feels our democracy can't survive its current course. if people continue to feel that it's so impossible to compromise, that you can't acknowledge the legitimacy of your opponents, that that is a very serious situation that we're facing as a country. >> that's so interesting, because the other theme of books like john meacham's is that we are resilient and can get through this. thank you so much, susan page. watch more of craig melvin's interview coming up here on msnbc. coming up, california dreaming. what tomorrow's primary in the golden state means for

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day and whether enough democrats retake the house in november could be decidedn california tomorrow where democrats hoped to pick up eight of the 23 seats they need to gain control. but so many democrats are crowding the ballot, where general election contestants art and second. and it could mean that democrats split the vote and republicans advance instead. this is the immigration debate is looming large in california, as advocates are trying to force a vote to protect dreamers. joining me now is congressman jeff denim of california. thank you for being with us. it's hard for a lot of the country to understand the california system, but ut does give new hope to republicans in some areas of republican because there is so many democrats that they may split the vote. >> yeah, definitely. california, louisiana are the two states that have top two

primary system. out of the eight seats that you had talked about that the democrats were trying to pick up, four of them actually have the opportunity to have two republicans in the general election. so tomorrow's really goingo define both what type of candidate comes out and whether or not democrats are shut out of some of these elections. >> and the irony for democrats to be shut out in a state where it's such a blue state and where they are so powerful and hoping to pick up as many as eight seats. do you have any kind of internal goining or estimate of wpe >> we certainly internal polling. we're watching to see who is going to come out of our primary. we he eight people running against me, one republican. so certainly when you divide up the vote that much, there is the opportunity for that republican, even with a small percentage of the vote, could make it into the general election. but right now, we're seeing republicans and democrats turn

out across the state in a pretty even number. so there is not that blue wave that we're seeing yet, although tomorrow will define that. but we have a lot of early voting in this state, a lot of absentee ballots. >> i want to ask you about the dreamer issue, because that and other related immigration issues are such driving forces in california. you are among those who want to force a vote on the dreamers on daca. and so far, the leadership is refusing, as you know better than i, there's a dispatch -- discharge petition rather, to get out of committee to the floor. what are the chances? >> the chances are great. we have had the numbers. we've got 213 now. there will be members signs on this week when we go back to washington, d.c. but ultimately, we want to have a vote in front of the american public, and a full debate. that's why i put this together to see four different measures

that every member, republican, democrat, left and right, has an opportunity to vote on their piece of legislation. and i think some members will vote on multiple pieces or vote for multiple pieces, giving us opportunity to have a bipartisan piece of legislation go to the president's desk. >> i want to play with something that happened with kevin mccarthy, majority leader and potential speaker, replacing paul ryan, if republicans keep the house. this was an interview on cnn with dana bash where he just refused to answer questions about the president's legal posture right now. let me play it for you. >> so leader, are you bothered by the fact that the white house lied about the president's involvement here? >> look, the one thing i have found, this has gone on for more than a year. millions have been spent. the white house has been cooperating all the way through. this was all based upon, was there collusion involved in the election. everyone has looked at this says there's no collusion going

forward. >> mr. leader, i understand those are the talk points. but this is a specific question -- are you concerned that the white house -- you heard the sound bites and saw the statement from his own laers, they li does that concern you? >> they can go on with the investigation. what i'm concerned most about, like most concerns, was there any collusion. there was no collusion. >> congressman, what about the president's legal arguments? >> umm, certainly there are some questions and concerns coming out of washington, d.c., but i've got to tell you from my district, especially with a primary coming up tomorrow, my district is focused on immigration reform and water storage, building infrastructure. so whether it's russia or some of the things that are coming out right now on the presidency, they just aren't top issues for i think this primary. but certainly for republicans and democrats in my district

that are just looking for a job. >> it's a great perspective from california, from your district. thank you very much, congressman. >> thanks for having me back. >> thank you. coming up next, 2020 vision. a crowded democratic field already. is our next guest also a contender? you're watching "andrea mitchell reports" on msnbc. riends. and we got to know the friends of our friends. and we found others just like us. and just like that we felt a little less alone. but then something happened. we had to deal with spam, fake news, and data misuse. that's going to change. from now on, facebook will do more to keep you safe and protect your privacy. because when this place does what it was built for, then we all get a little closer.

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obama are now the top surrogates in major midterm contests in the house and senate. but former president not being sought after in the me too era is bill clinton. his explosive interview with craig melvin on the "today" show shs why. >> and nobody believes that i got out of that for free. i left the white house16 million in debt. but you typically have ignored gaping facts in describing this, and i bet you don't even know them. this was litigated 20 years ago. 2/3 of the american people sided with me. joining me now is former democratic governor of virginia terry mccauliff. thanks for being with us. we want to talk to you about the campaign trail, but this just happened. you were closely identified with the clintons. nonkalu w-- monica lewinsky has

tweeted -- >> does president clinton need to rethink his responsesen th t that power relationships between men and women, mostly men and women who are less powerful, are very much -- very different than they were 20 years ago? >> i wish he had said today that he had said many times, i olize, publicly apologize. felt horrible for the actions that he did. and moved on. listen, it was a horrible time. i spoke to very close friends to the president. horrible thing, i wrote about it in the book, terrible time for the country. the moral standards haven't changed, but the standards about how we now talk about what happens in the workplace have, and that's a good thing. and it's excellent that people are out having these kinds of conversations. that's where we need to go. zero tolerance in the workplace

for sexual harassment any type of sexual discrimination. that's where we need to be as a country. >> from your perspective, the reason why midterm and off year elections are so important is what happened in virginia on medicaid. you fought or it, and now these freshman, who are elected because of the women's movement and because things are changing, they just took over. when is the last time freshman in a virginia legislative battle took the stage and won? >> historic last week. we have fought n for 4 1/2 years to get medicaid expansion. one reason we were able to do it this year. the speaker is gone, and the most important thing that happened is that we picked up 15 new house delegate members. when i became governor, there were 33 democrats. when i left office, there were 49 democrats. those 15 new democrats, 11 women was the game changer for med cad expansion in virginia. my point is, elections matter.

this was the first election aftethe '16 presidential. these people came out in record numbers to vote. i think it's going to happen now in the midterms. but 400,000 people now want health care because people voted. those elections were very close. in fact, we would have had 50-50 control in the house, but it was a tie, and they had to put a name out of a bowl. elections matter. >> one of the issues in the midterm is likely economy and trade. and here the president is betting that his tariffs on aluminum and steel are going to help in the midterms. he has really offended our closest neighbor, especially canada, where we export more steel and aluminum to canada than we take in from them, and he's used a very narrow national security exemption so that congress has no right to appeal. we saw the prime minister -- >> and they're a big threat to the united states of america. >> but you're going after ohio. is he right how to campaign in

ohio? >> unfortunately, using trade for political purposes, which he is trying to do. he needs to govern as the president of the united states. i am a big free trader, as governor, record amount of trade. $91 billion my last year in office. >> that's why i'm asking this. >> hdreds of thousands of jobs we created. i did 35 trade missions in five continents, we brought $20 billion in capit back to virginia. what he's doing is putting walls around our country, alienating canadamexico, the eu, pulling out of the iran nuclear deal, has so alienating our atlantic al allies, turning everybody against the united states of america. we need to be careful, because we'll end up paying more for products. it's ridiculous, reckless, stupid, and he shouldn't be doing it. i just don't think he has the understanding oh of what global trade is all about.

we in america can beat anybody, but when you put walls up, we are going to pay a horrible price. a lot of people that voted for him are going to pay a price. you give me a good, fair traid de -- fair tradeea let me at it. >> joe biden is looking like a candidate. eric holder in new hampshire, you have all these senators and governors. are you running in 2020? >> i'm a huge fan of joe biden, and he should be out there. he was a great vice president, great senator. my message to all democrats is we have big elections, and our party haspent too much time worrying about the president and we forgot about state and local. we have 36 governors this year. these governors elected this year will be in the chair in 2021 with all the new maps through jergerrymanderejerrgerr, we can fix that. so big governorships are very

importanttous. as a virginia governor, i varievetoed 120 bills, most of any governor in virginia. had i not been seated in the chair, they would be law today. you're not going to bring businesses in when you alienate folks. open and welcome. that's the democratic message. >> you're not ruling it out? >> i don't think anyone should rule anything out in life. >> on that, so good to see you, terry mccaiff, former governor of virginia. coming up, presidential powers. rudy giuliani pushing the idea that the commander in chief is above the law. stay with us right here on "andrea mitchell reports."

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and we have this breaking news. good news. former president george walker herbert bush has been released from the hospital in maine. he was in kennebunkport in the hospital for load pressure. but now according to his spokesman, the president is deeply appreciative for the terrific care and the many good wishes and we're delighted to join in wishing him well. meanwhile, rudy giuliani on "meet the press," saying the president wants to testify. >> i will tell you the straight,

unvarnished truth, the president wants to testify. i know a lot of people don't believe that. i know a lot of people thinks that's a position, it is a position. it's the true position. he believes he's innocent. >> does he really want to testify? for an expert take, joining me now is steven brill, ceo of news guard, the founder of court tv and the author of the new book "tailspin, the people and forces behind america' 50-year fall and those fighting to reverse it." i want to ask you first about this weekend's eruption, the letter that went to mueller by the president's lawyer, one former, one current lawyer back in january. the broad powers he's claiming, not only over being pardoned but not being indicted. >> it's a sweeping claim for not being accountable for anything. if he gets a subpoena, instead

of fighting it in the court, i think he'll take the fifth amendment and tell his base that this is exactly why the founders wrote the fifth amendment, which is when you have amendment. when you have a witch-hunt, a kangaroo court, you don't want to go in, be trapped by the prosecutor. to me that's a much better strategy than fighting it out in the supreme court, and probably losing. but the breth of what he and his lawyers are claiming is unbelievable. the book i wrote, you know, basically traces the long decline of america to the fact that people in power are increasingly unaccountable, and, you know, this is the epitome of unaccountability. he can't be prosecuted for obstructing justice because he's in charge of the gijustice department, can't be subpoenaed and can of course, pardon himself. >> your book "tailcitizen p"tai

how those in power not being fair the way they treat other people, yet he is trying to undermine the mueller e, if you will, suggesting it's the elites going after him and he's thvictim? >> exactlyright. he is trying to be the ultimate in unaccountability, at the same time that he is speaking for the people who he -- he claims to be speaking for who have justifiable grievances against peoplee political world built moats around themselves and are unaccountable. how's that for irony? >> the irony is -- painful, actually. because what you're trying to delve into is how for decades people have been treated unfairly, and that's what's created the climate that helped elect donald trump. >> exactly. i can't obstruct justice because that would be obstructing

myself. you know, i cannot be indicted. i cannot be subpoenaed, and by the way, i can pardon myself. now, how is that in any way consistent with the notion that no one is above the law? ean it is laughable, except it's not lahable, because he's, he happens to be saying it, and he's the president of the united states. >> steve brill, the book is "tailspin." it's fascinating and an important explanation of what's been going on. thank you so much for joining us today. appreciate it. >> thank you. and up next, medical milestone. a groundbreaking study about breast cancer may change the way hundreds of thousands of patients are treated for the disease. you're watching "andrea mitchell reports." stay with us right here on msnbc.

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and a major breakthrough for tens of thousands of women fighting breast cancer. a new study finding most women with early stage breast cancer may not need chemotherapy with all of its toxic side effects. researchers determining patients with smaller sizes tumors has had not spread to the lymph nodes and actually had outcoming for cancer recurrence in overall survival about equal to these who had chemo, those without treatment. in other words, did not need the chemo. nbc's anne thompson joins me now. i kind of botched it up but you can explain better than i am. >> great news.

es -- es tra joan, those with low scores, and high did really well on chemotherapy. the question, what about the women in the middle, the gray area? 70% of women with this type of kansas jer what the study found is that the women who just did end gr endogrin therapy, with tamoxifen or amora. they did just as well with the breast cancer suppressing medicine. those women in the middle, scores between 11 and 25 don't need chemo, and they can just g on this -- on tamoxifen, or some other type of medicine that suppresses estrogen. meaning they don't lose their hair. they aren't nauseous, aren't at risk for leukemia or heart

problems, don't have to day days off from work and the health care bill goes way down and so do the side effects of cancer treatment. it's fabulous news. >> and also neurological impacts some people have after chemotherapy with the deadening of the nerves. >> absely. nuer rop nuer rob panuer ropthi and melania trump will not attend the summit in canada or next week in singapore. she is attending the gold star family dinner. we wish her well. that does it for this edition of "andrea mitchell reports." craig melvin, a busy guy, is up

next. craig? >> andrea, always good to see you, my friends. thank you so much. good afternoon to you. craig melvin here at msnbc headquarters in new york city. president clinton on #metoo. i interviewed the former president about a new book he's co-written, and we also talked about #metoo and whether the movement has led president clinton to look at the monica lewinsky scandal differently. >> do you feel you owe her an apology. >> no. i -- i never talked to her. >> moments ago lewinsky tweeting gratitude to those who have helped her over the past two decades. and missed opportunity. in more of that interview with former president clinton, his candid remarks on north korea revealing his regret in dealing with the brutal regime. also this afternoon, above the law? president trump declaring he has absolute power to pardon himself. that declaration coming hours

after his own lawyer said that doing that would be unthinkable. we'll get to that story in a moment, but start with former president bill clinton defending vigorously his handling the monica lewinsky scandal insisting he did the right thing in fighting his impeachment and saying he does not owe monica lewinsky a personal apology. i sat down with clinton and author james patterson to talk about their new novel "the president is missing." talked about the book and discussed a white range of topics in our 20-plus minute sitdown and i asked the former president whether in light of the #metoo movement he would change anything about the way he handled the scandal that nearly cost him his presidency. >> a few days ago in response to critics who suggested you should have resigned, in the wake of the lewinsky scandal, you said you should not have. if you were president now, in 2018, with everything that's going on with the #metoo movement, how would you