>> reporter: helped by an earthquake, tsunami and who knows what else. >> yeah. yeah. >> that's all for this edition of "dateline." i'm natalie morales, thank you for watching. good morning. i'm dara brown in new york at msnbc world headquarter. it is 7:00 in the east, 4:00 out west. the report says white house lawyer don mcgahn is cooperating fully with robert mueller's investigation. >> mcgahn is trying to save himself because trump would throw him to the fish if he could. >> is he telling the mueller team too much? >> the mueller team is panicking. they know they don't have a case. there was no collusion. there was no obstruction. >> the president and his attorneys weighing in and not holding back. plus, back to court.

jury in paul manafort's trial ready to start deliberating, again. how soon until they make a decision? new this morning, the white house escalating attacks against special counsel robert mueller on the heels of the report the russia investigation reach sbood the white house. "the new york times" reporting white house top lawyer don mcgahn has cooperated extensively with the investigation and met with the special counsel teams three times totaling more than 40 years starting in november. people familiar with the investigation said mcgahn gave them the president's mind set of the days leading up to the firing of james comey and how they handled michael flynn and how president trump berated attorney general sessions and tried to get into control over the investigation and threatened to fire him. president trump tweeted saying mcgahn's interview was part of the white house's effort to be

cooperative and reiterating his battle cry that the investigation is a witch hunt. rudy giuliani, meanwhile, is accusing the mueller team of leaking the story, saying it is part of an effort to think mcgahn is setting him up for a fall. here is what giuliani said in an interview last night. >> the best analysis would be that the mueller team is panicking. they know they don't have a case. there was no collusion. there was no obstruction. they can't prove it and they are trying to get the president to testify. they are hoping that if they put out a story like this, in which they suggest that mcgahn is cooperating against them, they don't say it, they don't say that, he will want to come in and explain himself. >> let's bring in the host of faq for nyc blog and the chief washington correspondent for bloomberg tv. great to have you here this morning.

>> great to be here. >> don mcgahn's attorneys say president trump, through counsel declined to assert anything over his testimony. he answered the questions honestly as any person interviewed by federal investigators must. ozzie, your take aways from the statement in the new york times report as a whole. >> as a whole, don mcgahn and his lawyer are coming up with a plan to show mcgahn has done nothing wrong. in a case where there's no smoking gun, painting the picture and setting the scene is helpful. as much as he is talking, the president doesn't want to go in for an interview. if his own lawyer has to devise a strantegy, it shows the president has something to hide. we are not going to know until mueller has the full report. there is information coming forward that may be helpful, but not the smoking gun democrats or

progressives think might come out of the investigation. >> "the new york times" giving us insight into mcgahn's relationship with the president. they rarely speak one-on-one. the chief of staff john kelly and other advisers are usually president. the president's behavior exasperated him and he called the president king congrekong b his back. we know mcgahn is working on the cavanagh confirmation, but does this show you how much longer he survives in the white house? >> first and foremost, there's a parallelism we are watching with what happened between former president nixon's legal team and then president nixon ended up firing a top attorney with regards to what happened. the second point is to echo what ozzie said, in the sense that this is the situation where the

administration is saying, repeatedly, they are unsure whether or not president trump should sit down and give an interview to the special counsel, to mr. mueller's team. former new york city mayor, rudolph giuliani says he believes that is not the correct avenue to go. this article, essentially suggests there's division amongst the ranks in the president's legal team. that said, the interview for mr. giuliani would contend otherwise. look, it's like, you know, you have -- you have the intrigue with the president's administration and this side show, this synopsis of inner fighting within the president's legal team. >> ozzie, the president just tweeting this about the report saying the failing at new york times wrote a fake piece implying because don mcgahn was given hours of testimony to the special counsel, he may be a john dean type rat.

i allowed him and all others to testify. i did not have to. i have nothing to hide. okay. ozzie, what do you make of that? >> clearly, he doesn't feel like he has nothing to hide. he openly said statements he gives to the media may not be truthful. what is he actually doing? painting the picture and hitting the same drum he and his team tried to say before, there's no collusion, this investigation is going on too long. this is a public media strategy to shape the narrative about the investigation. he has no standing. >> also, putting that watergate inference in there, too. >> as i said, the watergate reference, there you have it. the president tweeting out, you know, this is not the same at watergate or a dean situation. the question is whether or not they can maintain that legal strategy as they move forward.

quite frankly, there's this acceptance on the administration's part that the mueller probe is going to be something they have to deal with well into and up into the midterm elections and beyond. quickly, dara, i would note what the president said at the white house on friday to us reporters, which he said, point-blank, he defended paul manafort, who is charged with a host of allegations, most notably for the conspireing against the united states. so, the president, defending his legal team and his former campaign chief on friday. so, you know, make it what you will. >> with manafort, we won't know what happened. they go back for deliberations tomorrow. ozzie, with the comparisons to nixon, "the new york times" reporting don mcgahn said he wants to avoid john dean's fate. he was traveling on air force one when he was campaigning in

ohio. is there a sense in the white house of those wrapped up in the investigation they are worried as much as don mcgahn is? >> president trump has his history of hiring people, firing them, bringing them back into the circle and having this sort of murky relationship with people, they come in, they come out. people who are afraid of donald trump, but work for him, are trying to protect themselves and protect him out of a bizarre sense of loyalty. people around them are having infighting. the sense of how this investigation is going on and bringing more people in. everyone is trying to protect themselves. they have this ongoing relationship with the president who has his history of keeping people in his orbit, even after he terminated them. >> right. i would agree with everything that was said there, but i think, very quickly, i think the situation is different. i don't think she turned against the president at all. >> we'll see if she comes back

into the white house. that's a possibility there. >> yes. former cia director john brennan is going to sit down with chuck todd for "meet the press." several members are voicing their outrage of what the officials like cia director haspel and coates and bruce orr is being targeted by the president. is there a sense they are coordinating an effort against this? >> i spoke yesterday with one of the signers of this letter. what this person told me was, e sensually how rare it is to get the intelligence community and the names from around the country to join on this letter. they are folks who try to remain silent, who really don't like to come to the forefront of these national, political issues. they have a deep sense of loyalty to the country and believe they are serving a higher purpose, beyond political

ideology of republicans and democrats. it is incredibly notable the caliber of folks and the intelligence community would come out to sign this letter. now, that said, if you talk to conservatives, particularly in the political commentary world, they would argue this is something that has been a long time coming, that does not put national security interests at risk, but clearly, i will be blunt here. i talked with many other conservatives who disagree with that assessment and take a look at the names on that letter and it speaks for itself. >> ozzie, i want to turn to this. there's a sense for how the voters are seeing this. are they ignoring it because it is too inside the beltway? >> the more this becomes a debate between donald trump and the quote, unquote deep state or establishment in washington structure, the more it becomes something that voters see as a typical debate.

right to kevin's point, this letter they signed, that the national security officials signed on to is unique. it is different. it is something we have not seen in the past. the more it becomes more of the president debating, supporters defending him and being treated as routine, normal, put it side by side with the political debates. some voters who are overwhelmed in complicated issues may tune out and think it is noise. >> well, on that note, i'm going to hold that there. we have much more to discuss coming up. ozzie, kevin, we are going talk about the midterm elections next. now, back to work for the jury. they resume deliberations tomorrow in the case of paul manafort. how much longer until we see a verdict? that's coming up next.

i've been making blades here at gillette for 20 years. there's a lot of innovation that goes into making america's #1 shave. precision machinery and high-quality materials from around the world. nobody else even comes close. now starting at $7.99. gillette. the best a man can get. that's confident. but it's not kayak confident. kayak searches hundreds of travel and airline sites to find the best flight for me. so i'm more than confident. how's your family? kayak. search one and done. i'm still giving it my best even though i live with a higher risk of stroke due to afib not caused by a heart valve problem. so if there's a better treatment than warfarin, i'm up for that. eliquis.

eliquis is proven to reduce stroke risk better than warfarin. plus has significantly less major bleeding than warfarin. eliquis is fda-approved and has both. so what's next? seeing these guys. don't stop taking eliquis unless your doctor tells you to, as stopping increases your risk of having a stroke. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. while taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily and it may take longer than usual for any bleeding to stop. seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. eliquis, the number one cardiologist-prescribed blood thinner. ask your doctor if eliquis is what's next for you.

cardiologist-prescribed blood thinner. this wi-fi is fast. i know! i know! i know! i know! when did brian move back in? brian's back? he doesn't get my room. he's only going to be here for like a week. like a month, tops. oh boy. wi-fi fast enough for the whole family is simple, easy, awesome. in many cultures, young men would stay with their families until their 40's.

mcgahn is trying to save himself because trump would throw him to the fishes, if he could. he will be off his rocker. he doesn't know if he could trust mcgahn. i would have to think his golf game is terrible. >> don mcgahn has cooperated extensively with robert mueller's investigation. the fury toward the russia investigation and the ways he urged mr. mcgahn to respond to it. a clear view of the president's most intimate moments with his lawyer. here with more is former federal prosecutor, doug burns. what a morning here. an attorney was quoted saying a prosecutor would, quote, kill for this type of cooperation. how unusual is this? >> well, you break it down into political, legal and public

relations and media, seriously, because they are different discussions. the politics, you have talked about. legally speaking, the problem with the story, honestly, it's accurate, but subject to misinterpretation especially those who aren't well versed in federal criminal investigations. the point is, early on, under tye cobb and the early lawyers, they made a decision to be cooperative and not rely on attorney/client privileges, therefore, mcgahn went in and spoke. the problem is the insinuation or concept he is testifying against the president, he's the next john dean from watergate era, all of that isn't legally the case. however, at the same time, as you just said, you are right, dara, you can get a lot of insight from a lawyer who goes in and is willing to discuss the context of many of the discussions. i think, i just want everybody

to be fair. i don't think it's fair to jump to conclusions he is testifying against him and he is john dean, i don't see it that way. >> how does he get around attorney/client privileges? >> great question. the counsel, if you were called in for an interview, he could turn around and say, attorney/client privilege on the discussions with the president and serving executive privilege, the parameters, which are the president in his capacity. if you listen to mayor giuliani and others, apparently, early on, the strategy was to cooperate, fully, which is actually a positive, again. taking the politics and staying out of it. therefore, to answer your question, dara, they waived the privilege and were able to discuss conversations back and forth. >> he laid out how mr. trump tried to secure control of the

investigation giving a mix of information damaging and favorable to the president. what do you make of that? is that enough for a case for obstruction? >> good point. prosecutors love, and ifsz a prosecutor for nine years, if you can get context and flavor, it's very, very helpful. it's not necessarily concrete, substantive evidence that anybody did or did not do anything wrong. the point is, it's extremely helpful to hear. i remember being on the edge of my seat in that meeting thrks is the flavor of it, where he is coming from, it is helpful and can help you as an investigator or prosecutor in your case. it's not substantive evidence of wrong doing. dara? >> the jury for paul manafort head back for deliberations. how soon will we see a verdict? >> i can't predict what a jury

is going to do. i have seen quick verdicts of not guilty, quick of guilty and long ones. however, there's a rule that says, generally, expect a jury to deliberate around one day per week of trial. this was a two and a half week of trial so that takes us into tomorrow. as a segway, i think tomorrow you will see action. the case will go into what i describe as crunch time. the jury either moving toward reaching a verdict in the case or you see some type of note very mildly or even a little stronger saying, one of the jurors isn't interacting properly or we simply can't agree at this point and you see a charge, the judge saying please continue on in good faith. you are going to see that tomorrow. i think, you know, again, it's hard to predict when they will come back. it's a very complicated case, tons and tons of documents. lawyers have a tendency, i'm

guilty of it as well, pacing the hallways overinterpreting notes. they have a lot of work and material to get through. that's all that is going on now. >> what is the likelihood the president would pardon manafort? >> in lieu of pardoning, he could do something else far, far down the road, in my opinion. there are huge political ramification for either. i don't think it's necessarily something that is in play at the moment, honestly. >> thank you for your insight on this sunday morning. we certainly have a busy week ahead. thank you. a key group of voters who helped elect president trump may see blue in november. whatever you do to stay healthy. you might be missing something.

your eyes. that's why there's ocuvite. ocuvite helps replenish nutrients your eyes can lose as you age. it has lutein, zeaxanthin and omega-3. ocuvite. be good to your eyes. the first person to survive alzis out there.ase and the alzheimer's association is going to make it happen by funding scientific breakthroughs, advancing public policy, and providing local support to those living with the disease and their caregivers.

but we won't get there without you. join the fight with the alzheimer's association. gentlemen, i have just received word! the louisiana purchase, is complete! instant purchase notifications from capital one . technology this helpful... could make history. what's in your wallet? aah! ...i would have said you were crazy. but so began the year of me. i discovered the true meaning of paperless discounts... and the indescribable rush of saving drivers an average of $620. why does fear feel so good? i fell in love three times -- once with a woman, once with a country, and finally... with myself. -so, do you have anything to declare or not? -isn't that what i'm doing?

countdown to the midterms. voters flock to the polls in 79 days. >> i think it could be a red wave. i tell you what, really, i think it should be a red one. >> president trump sees a gop victory celebration in november. one respected prognosticator sees a blue wave. they predict democrats will pick up 12 seats. add them to the numbers and another estimate, the democrats have 3 in 4 chance of winning the house, republicans have a 1 in 4 of keeping the chamber. let's bring back ozzie and kevin. kevin, let's start with you. i know the numbers are constantly changing, but what

indicators are you looking at when the races kick into full gear? >> a couple things. if you look at the special elections in terms of last week and the primaries, two trends. first and foremost, more female candidates elected. secondly, the democrats, arguably, would have the enthusiasm factor and i speak with republicans who told me that, dara. there is another story, the issue of nancy pelosi and should the democrats take back control of the house, whether or not she holds on to claim her speakership. that's something that has divided democratic candidates on the campaign trail this cycle. >> ozzie, your take on this? james clyburn is saying he will run for speaker if pelosi fails. they bolster the arguments for

keeping pelosi. >> it's the democrats coming in. openly saying they want to see who seelse is out there. tles a generational change happening. clyburn, well respected, but older. the democrats may want to see something different. >> we talk about the democrats coming in. kevin, who do you think is the person replacing pelosi? >> well, i think that it's going to be an open fight in terms of that. i'll keep it very quick. i interviewed representative swalwell who is in line with pelosi. he is the youngest person on democratic leadership. there are different, varying factions of ideologies we'll see. kevin, chief washington correspondent from bloomberg tv and ozzie, great to have you

here. you have quite a week ahead. >> the president is already tweeting. that will do it for me. i'm dara brown. thank you for watching. at the top of the hour, politics nation. first, "your business," up next with j.j. ramberg. a little bit of water, it really- it rocked our world. i had no idea the amount of damage that water could do. we called usaa. and they greeted me as they always do. sergeant baker, how are you? they were on it. it was unbelievable. having insurance is something everyone needs, but having usaa- now that's a privilege. we're the baker's and we're usaa members for life. usaa. get your insurance quote today. and i don't add up the years. but what i do count on is boost®. delicious boost® high protein nuritional drink now has 33% more protein, along with 26 essential vitamins and minerals boost® high protein. be up for life.

boost® high protein. then you might have a dcondition called dry mouth.? biotène is clinically proven to soothe and moisturize a dry mouth. plus, it freshens breath. biotène. immediate and long lasting dry mouth symptom relief.

this wi-fi is fast. i know! i know! i know! i know! when did brian move back in? brian's back? he doesn't get my room. he's only going to be here for like a week. like a month, tops.

oh boy. wi-fi fast enough for the whole family is simple, easy, awesome. in many cultures, young men would stay with their families until their 40's. good morning, everyone. coming up on msnbc's "your business," how do you expand your business across the country? the owners of a healthy meal vending machine company show their plan. brooklyn decker becomes a star with finery. protect your business from a starbucks situation. what you need to know about imp lomting anti-bias training in your company. when it comes to making choices for your business, we have your back. so, let's grow fast and work smart. that's coming up next on "your business."