no one has your back like american express. so where ever you go. we're right there with you. the powerful backing of american express. don't do business without it. don't live life without it. good morning, and welcome to "politicsnation." on the show today, she worked at the white house for under a year, but what omarosa manigault saw and heard during that time was enough to convince her that the president is racist, or at least racist adjacent. she'll be here shortly with some explosive allegations. and later, martin luther

king iii will join me to share our personal experiences with the queen of soul, aretha franklin, who died this week at the age of 76. but first, the white house is escalating its attacks against special counsel robert mueller. this following a report this morning by "the new york times" that the white house top lawyer don mcgahn has cooperated extensively with the mueller investigation and has met with the special counsel's team at least three times. the white house is pushing back saying they are simply trying to be cooperative. >> 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.

and they're hoping that if they put out a story like this in which they suggest that mcgahn is cooperating against him, but don't say it, they don't say that, that he'll want to come in and explain himself. >> that's where we'll start today. joining me now is erin haynes, national reporter on race and ethnicity for the "associated press," and axios political reporter alexy mccamden. let me go to you first and ask you, erin, as the white house pushes back on this mcgahn story saying that, well, he's not necessarily cooperating against the prosecute, the president actually told him to go in, waived his, you know, presidential whatever techality i'm trying to reach for the name that he could have used to try and stop it, but at the same

time i don't know the president knew it was going to be 30 hours and 30 days and the ghost of john dean hanging over this. according to the "times" story, the white house counsel mcgahn has said things that are helpful and harmful to the president. how do you read this? >> well, right. so, of course, the president, over the weekend, watching cable news, is responding on twitter, referring to to the "new york times" with his favorite nicknames, calling it the failing new york times, discrediting their account of white house counsel don mcgahn's participation in the mueller probe and saying that, in fact, you know, the president gave, you know, his permission in the spirit of transparency trying to get, you know, this probe, you know, trying to usher it on through. you know, and, of course, he's also using this opportunity to

reiterate his usual, you know, kind of playbook saying that there's been no collusion, trying to shift the focus to hillary clinton. and it's unclear whether he's going to sit down with the special counsel. i mean, you heard rudy giuliani and i think that that's going to continue to be something that he says. but what is clear is that as we approach the midterms the president is really ready to be done with this investigation. >> well, i think, alexy, that he certainly wants to be finished with the investigation. but that is not up to him. how does this mcgahn story, alexis, from where you sit, how does this change the perception in the public one way or another of this investigation? when you have it coming out, "new york times," front page this morning, we don't know whether it was leaked by the white house counsel's office, it

certainly is unlikely it was released by the mueller investigators because they've not been doing much leaking. so whatever the motive, does this change the public perception of where this investigation's going in terms of implicating the president himself? >> you know, unfortunately, that remains to be seen because we have seen in polls throughout the investigation that the views of what bob mueller and his team are doing fall predictly along partisan lines. the -- some rural democrats i've been told think the russia thing is not even real. whereas democrats are taking this seriously. what we know, and what sources close to the president are telling axios is that this new information about mcgahn testifying is changing the way the white house inside the white house views this investigation. the white house is now, we are told, second guessing their strategy of cooperating fully with bob mueller because they

think that has ultimately fueled the investigation instead of leading it to an end sooner rather than later. that's the big deal here is that the white house is admitting this legal strategy of cooperating is more haphazard than it is helpful for the president himself. >> that seems, alexi, to be clear to me, errin, that it seems haphazard. it also seems to me, to be, the president is more concerned, nervous, scared about this because he is reacting and running rudy giuliani out of there every time something develops, which is the typical behavior to me of a bully of barking loud but really scared, reacting every step of the way. >> rev, i think it's important to point out, too, that latest tweet storm really comes at the end a week with more than 400

editorial boards to newspapers calling an end to the trump war on the press. since the campaign he's relentlessly referring to reporting on his administration to fake news, we know that's had an effect. more than half of republicans according to one one recent poll see the media as quote/unquote the enemy of the press. these editorials weren't aimed at the president, who i think, you know, his view on us as journalists is clear, but really at the american people, you know, trying to get them to really reconsider what they think the role of a free and fair press is in our democracy. >> alexi, as this goes down toward now we're getting toward labor day, and after that we're hitting right into the midterm elections, the politics of this could be very helpful to the democrats if the democrats come with a message that can really

capture the moment, the potential is there, whether it is realized or not, time will tell. but clearly this does not help the republicans, and it doesn't help the president, that this investigation and this seemingly involving people that are around the president, not to mention his campaign chair is sitting in virginia with a jury out on 18 counts of federal charges, not to mention papadopoulos facing a suggestion of six months. all of this is not helpful politically, as you wind down into labor day, going into the midterm elections. >> i certainly would not want to be a republican candidate who's expected to answer for all these things coming out of washington. i mean, and that's the big thing aisle be watching heading into the midterm elections. the republican candidates are increasingly unable to run localized races and instead they have to focus on national

issues. this idea of corruption or collusion is something democrats have already started talking about from the tom steyers of the world to nancy pelosi. it is something that they'll continue to press on the campaign trail. that could ultimately hurt the republicans. >> errin you cover race and ethnicity in the "associated press," and one of the things you've covered is his problem of race. one of the things that i took notice of is that to this minute, before i went on this show a few moments ago, donald trump is the only world leader and only president or former president that i can find that has not personally said anything about the death of kofi annan, the first african to have that

position. how are you the sitting president of the united states, almost recent -- probably recent secretary general of the united nations, a nobel prize laureate dies and you're tweeting about an investigation on you, you can tweet about everything in the world and you cannot even come to personally, not the secretary of state, personally give the condolences of your office and your nation to someone of the magnitude of kofi annan, this is an insulting as it gets to africans around the world, s citizens around the world who have admired the leadership of kofi annan. >> it's a glaring omission. you have bipartisan outpouring of condolences both from former

president barack obama and former president george bush speaking to kofi annan's significants and his legacy. this is somebody who brought the fight against poverty and the fight for equality to the united nations, working with nelson mandela. but i think what's interesting, too, is, you know, just last month you had kofi annan on twitter, president trump's forum of choice, speaking about the case for global cooperation in this moment where you do have, you know, this administration calling for nationalism, you know. >> i think it's a glaring omission. i've got to leave it there. thank you both, errin and alexi for being with me this morning. >> thank you. coming up, one on one with omarosa. i will ask you what made her change her mind about president trump. but up next, four years ago this month her son was shot dead

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developments in the evolution of ferguson, missouri. marked the long time county prosecutor who chose not to file charges against brown's killer lost the primary challenge to former ferguson council member wesley bell, now running unopposed as st. louis county's first black nominee for the office. and just three days later, michael brown's mother, leslie mcspadden, announced her can candidacy for a seat on city council on the spot her son was killed. joining me now is leslie mcspadden who is planning a bid for ferguson, missouri's city council. good morning, leslie. >> good morning, reverend al. >> i remember four years ago when your father called me and i came into ferguson and got to

know you and the family. and from day one, you always committed to making what happened to michael brown about more than just you and the family. you said to me from the moment we met and we've remained very close since then that you want to make sure that there's a bigger message and a bigger purpose than michael's life served. and then when you told me you were thinking about running for the city council, and you decided to announce it that day, is this where you were headed, and is this the purpose of your run, that you want to deal with a bigger vision than just your own personal pain, but really dealing with the pain of citizens? >> exactly. we do not want to see another ferguson, another tragedy, another young kid dead in the streets and a mother mourning the loss of her son way too early. we do not want to have that

again. >> the three things you're pointing out as the highlight issues of your campaign, there will be many, but you've pointed out to me the three issues you're very concerned about. tell me what they are. >> community policing, economic equality, and, of course health care for all. >> now, why do you think you are qualified to be the one to represent these interests in the city council? >> i say me because there's no better -- than from experience. what i experienced august 9th of 2014, it was unbearable. but i had those residents of ward three in ferguson to stand for me when i couldn't stand for myself. and four years later i have got the strength to come back and lift up their community and restore hope and show some

leadership. >> you have certainly exemplified that in turning your pain into power and have tried to really show leadership. as you pursue this office, what is your message to people around the country that supported you and all of us that were with you in the michael brown movement, what should they learn from the example of michael's mother lezley mcspadden? >> well, first of all, you can take your pain and use it for power. and that's the best thing that you can do. because we have to show them that what we need, and what we are asking for, we have to be heard. these people need to be listened to. we cannot have officers or elected officials coming from all over the world that don't live in these residents, in these areas, to continue to tell us these are the rules and the regulations that are set out for you. no, you have to get involved with the people, and you have to cater to the people.

we are there to serve the community. >> you know, when reverend toon, the national field director told me you were going to run and then you told me, i thought about -- you stood up and stunned me, quoting mark twain, two big moments in life, mark twain said, the moment when you're born and the moment you found out why you were born. i think you found out both, lezley. >> yes, sir. >> thank you for being with me this morning. lezley mcspadden. up next, can president trump tell the difference between a human and a dog? i'm not so sure. be right back. insurance that won't replace

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now for this week's gotcha. i saver those weeks when the president says something so offensive and triggering that i have to respond to him directly. and as you know, this week he called his former white house aide omarosa manigault newman a low life, before referring to her as that dog. much was rightfully made of the

racial and sexist overtone. but then reverend sharpton thought maybe it's none of that. maybe he's just confused. because mr. trump, you've called human beings a dog so many times. i begin to wonder if you can distinguish between the two. so let me help you out. this is a picture of a dog. this is a picture of a woman. see the obvious difference? i think the confusion lies in that you're so used to engaging in dominant, subordinate relationships that you forget what normal interpersonal encounters look like. so whether enraged or just encouraged, you revert to type. >> they were fired like dogs. we have a dirty dog like that who's no good, who's a failure. rubio doing poorly and he sweats like a dog. i'm watching marco sweating like

a dog. >> he choked like a dog. >> choking like a cog. >> lkt couldn't be elected dogcatcher. >> i'm watching television and i see her barking like a dog. he choked like a dog. choked like a dog. choked like a dog. >> we've seen you employ people, expect unwavering loyalty, teach them tricks and give them treats for a job well done, like, oh, six figures worth of hush money to silence an alleged affair, for example. but the moment they deviate from their good behavior and failed to fetch, you publicly condemned them, on twitter with animalistic slurs, steve bannon was, quote, dumped like a dog, you tweeted after he was fired. sally yates, you said she choked like a dog during her senate testimony on the russia investigation. and now, omarosa, that doesn't

include all those outside your orbit you've hit with a canine cutdown. like when you referred to black nfl players as sons of, well, female dogs. but i think you might have learned a lesson this week. sometimes the dog bites back with a book deal. and while we're talking about female canines, you know what they say about payback? it's a real -- well, you -- i'm sure you know the word i'm thinking of. so in the words of my late friend aretha franklin, show some r-e-s-p-i-c-t. the next time you get a black woman and a beagle confused, remember this, i gotcha. . if you're on park street in reno, nevada, the high winds of the washoe zephyr could damage your siding.

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omarosa manigault newman's war of words with the trump white house continues to escalate as the "associated press" reports that a handful of audio recordings, she's already begun to release, are just a tip of the iceberg. that includes video, e-mail and text messages that deterrence may come in handy as the white house has initiated legal action

against newman and the publisher of her new book "unhinged, an insider's account of the trump white house." it's where she details the breakdown in her relationship with the president and his staff. joining me now is former white house aide omarosa manigault newman. good morning, omarosa. >> good morning, rev. >> let me say this, last april of '17 you came to the convention at my invitation and you spoke on behalf of the president and his first 100 days. i got up behind you and disagreed vehemently. you left. you wrote about it in your book. and you and i haven't spoken since then. but we have known each other a while. you were a member of the network, and i used to -- music festival, met your mom.

so i know you. unlike a lot of people that don't know your background, you worked in the white house before, you're not just somebody that ended up where you are by accident. but many people felt, why is she there with donald trump? he is a bigot. he's a racist. and you -- i raised the national action network event not for you and i to continue our argument, but to say you really went out there and tried to convince us to give you a chance that you could work and get this president to do some things. and now you've come to say, hey, this man is a racist. this man is doing things in many ways. so it's not like you didn't do your job. it's that maybe you couldn't do your job. i'm a living example. somebody that had a friendship with you, that you went up to your friends that was calling you names, sellout, and all of that, and trying to convince us to talk to this man.

>> i did. and, rev, first of all, thank you so much for having me on. and you're absolutely correct, we have a long history, yes, i served in national action network in los angeles. under kw2. on the front line of the initiatives you tried to push into the community. i went into the white house and wanted to extend that advocacy. it's important to have somebody at the table and to not allow them to make decisions about us without us. my intent really was to make sure that i was a voice advocating for education, advocating for justice reform, civil rights. there's so many things happening in this administration while they were trying to dismantle one by one every accomplishment that president barack obama did i wanted to make sure i was in there to preserve the things that he worked for so that we can advance. but unfortunately, i think you've known donald trump longer than i have, he has a very destructive spirit. what i saw within those first

100 days disturbed me greatly. that's why i wanted to write about it in "unhinged". >> you said that you came to understand this destructive spirit. is donald trump, in your mind, a racist? >> yes, donald trump is. and i have to tell you that i have always given him the benefit of the doubt. people ask me about when he was doing the berther movement, i had a chance to talk to him about it. he said that was something the clintons started in their campaign against barack, that he was using it for political reasons. every time he has some type of issue with the community, i was there, i was the person in the room that could take him to task about that. the one thing i realized once i was in that he was disingener - had his agenda and that agenda did not include advancing and uniting the african-american

community or even putting any policies in place that he promised during the campaign. you will remember that campaign he said, what do you have to lose? >> yeah. >> well, with this white house we have a lot to lose. >> i remember, and you and i talk about that, he called me after he won and invited me to meet, and i told him i wouldn't come for a photo op. it had to be a serious meeting with other leaders. and you called me. and i said omarosa, i'm not going to be a prop. i know exactly what you're talking about. he tried to get you to convince me to come. he talks one thing, and privately get him to do this, get him to do that. but it's all stage crap, it's not serious. >> yes, he's a performer. he wants to use people as props. he did tell get sharpton on the phone, i want to sit down with him. he said that privately. but publicly he was trying to use you to get people to go against the advocacy work you were doing or to go against democrats. your instincts were right.

i did call on you because i did need some backup. i quickly realized at the white house, if the black community is against her, we can undermine everything she's doing. i was fighting on the inside. i understood why african-americans may have been concerned about me being there. but i think once you look at what i've talked about, about my journey in "unhinged" they'll realize that i truly was getting tackled by my teammates every single day in that white house. >> that's one of the chapters, tackled by your teammates. is the "new york times" right, do you have more tapes, more videos, more e-mails? is there more there? >> absolutely. i have this huge kind of 15-year record with donald trump. and i'm very good at documenting my life, documenting things that happen. but particularly, things that were peculiar to me. you know, i think that i showed when i shared that tape of general kelly when he took me in the basement of the white house into the situation room, had i

not had that tape, rev, then i think it would be very hard for people to believe that i was threatened by this four star general with things getting ugly for me, or damage to my reputation. it was very important because, in trump world, everybody lies. i mean, it's a culture of deceit. people turn on each other very, very quickly. and you have to have documentation for everything that you do, even trump. in the morning he may say one thing, by the afternoon he's flip-flopped. he's all over the place. and so the question about whether or not i do, absolutely. i have this vast historical knowledge and relationship with donald trump, 15 years. and i've been very good about documenting the evolution of that relationship, which is what i put in my book "unhinged". >> will any of it be of interest to special investigators like mr. mueller? >> yes. you know, i talk about having a meeting, and i share whatever they need, anything of interest that i've already shared,

anything new that i've revealed, i am fully cooperating with them. i think it's important to -- >> you are cooperating with the mueller -- you are cooperating with the mueller investigation? >> yes. i'm so sorry, my ear piece is popping out. i am. i can hear you, rev. >> and you're willing to hand over to them anything that may be helpful, even if it's corroborating some things, even though you might know, they need a missing piece? >> oh, absolutely, i will turn over all of the things that they need. but i will turn over additional things that i've discovered as i've gone through the two years on the campaign. and so i'm here and willing to serve and continue the dialogue that i started with them this spring. >> now, what do you think about the "new york times" story this morning saying that the white house counsel mcgahn has had all of these hours of talk with them, do you think there's a potential for he and others to say, wait a minute, i'm not taking the fall for donald trump

here? >> it doesn't surprise me. you know, don mcgahn is a professional. and his commitment is to the country, not to donald trump. i think it's important for all of us to realize that when we took that oath, and don mcgahn was an assistant to the president just like me, and we all took the same oath. but we took the oath to this country, to the constitution. we did not take an oath to donald trump. >> let me ask this, in terms of diversity in the white house, i've been in this, as you know, a long time in civil rights, i can't think of a president, even republican from nixon on, that didn't have a black in the west wing, in at least the discussions, in the senior administrative leadership until now. you were the most public face there. and even there they didn't have -- they didn't want you in a lot of the meetings that you insisted to be in as i read the book. >> that's right. >> he is the first president that has outright excluded.

he can call me and other activists a racist all he wants. he's the only one with a lily white in a circle, am i right? >> you're absolutely correct. it's much worse than people even realize. there's 30 assistants to the president right now. there are none representing the african-american community. there are sess as well as schedule cs that make up the bulk of the appointments to each of the agencies. and the diversity in the agency is very sparse. in fact, when we submitted candidates they were rejected over and over again. and i will tell you that they haven't even made an attempt to replace anyone in opl to do the african-american outreach. they just kind of detailed a guy over for just three months, i think, to do a little window dressing. but there is really no real commitment to diversity in the white house. and he's unapologetic about it because he's completely contradicted the commitment he made when he did that campaign of what do you have to lose? well, clearly, we have to lose a voice, an advocate, someone who

understands the issues and knows how to reach out to the community. we have a lot to lose. in fact, we're losing right now because donald trump is disingenuous about his engagement. i believe he wants to start a race war in this country. >> wow. let me ask you, omarosa, you were attacked by many, including me, in terms of your positions, and you took the heat and took being called a sellout and all and then you decided that you were going to come with this book. some say she's just selling books. but you went way above and beyond, just saying something, you really went in and advocated. how did you feel when you saw the president call you a low life and a dog after you had taken all of these arrows for him? >> you know, when he called me that dog i thought that it was clear evidence, one, that he has

absolutely no respect for the presidency. it was such a vulgar slur. and can you just imagine if he would say that publicly, what is he saying about me, and other african-americans, privately? it just really makes the point that donald trump is not equipped to serve in the role that he is in. in fact, i would say that he's unfit to serve as the president of the united states. he has completely taken the presidency to the gutter when he reduces this important office to name calling, to being thin skinned, impulsive. as you know in "unhinged" i assert that he is in mental decline, on full display when he was attacking me over and over again in all of those tweets and then he wanted to sic his entire legal team. i'm built for this, i am not intimidated afraid of this president. i have an entire community of

faith that's praying for me and undergirding everything i'm doing. i will say at the end of the day the truth matters, the truth matters, and we will all come on the right side of this because this country has endured much worse. and african-americans have endured much worse than donald trump. >> well, as you said, a community of faith, you're the first lady of a church there in jacksonville. so tell reverend newman that you and i are speaking again. you all have a great service today. thank you, omarosa manigault newman. >> thank you, rev, i will tell them. up next, a voice meant so much to black america and the civil rights movement on the legacy of aretha franklin when we come back. ♪ what you want baby i got it ♪ ♪ what you need you know i got it ♪ ♪ all i'm asking is for a little respect ♪ d love always keeps you safe.

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>> well, it certainly was a struggle, and still is. although we have come a great ways, a long way, there still is a significant way to go. >> in 2014, i had the honor of sitting down with the queen of soul, aretha franklin, who's -- whose indelible voice was silenced this week, passing away at the age of 76 after the long battle with pancreatic cancer. aretha franklin's voice embodied the collective concerns of black america, bridging the gap between gospel and funk, the authority of the church and the militance of the street. despite being revered as pop music's greatest vocalist, even then she never -- herself from the struggle, lending her money,

time and of course that tran -- voice to the cause of social justice. joining me now is martin luther king iii. thank you for being with me this morning, martin. >> lives, you and i are around the same age, i'm slightly older, but there has been an aretha franklin not only in the music and culture, but in the struggle. i remember her when your father was assassinated. i had just turned 13. you were younger. all the way through your mother, who would call upon her, and then as you would have various civil rights and world peace causes, dexter would have things, you could call on her. she was always there. i think a lot of what is not emphasized in her death is she was a real freedom fighter, martin. >> yes, rev, she was. let me first say my prayers are certainly going out to her

family. but she was certainly that. many, many years ago, during the time when sclc was always struggling as an organization, she provided the payroll for the organization. on numerous occasions, she raised money for the organization. she helped with money used to bail people out of jail. as you say, she also traveled a little bit with dad, doing the work to help raise money. she was always right there. most of all, the music that she created became somewhat of an anthem or personification of what struggle was about. this voice and this person, this being that we lost, we can never replace. there will be others who will come, as we know, and will attempt, but there will be no one who can replace aretha franklin as the queen of soul.

>> here's what she told me on "politics nation," on this show, about singing at president obama's 2009 inauguration. >> it was absolutely tremendous. >> yeah. >> to look out, a, and just see all of the throngs of people, as far as you could see out in front of you, to the right and to the left. knowing what this moment in history was about. having evolved out of the civil rights movement. this moment is certainly the dream of many. this is the fruition of their struggles and your struggles. >> this was the fruition of the struggles and the struggles that i and others and you have been engaged in. you and i sat at the second inauguration, side by side, on that platform with your wife,

and she was the daughter of one of your father's contemporaries, reverend c.l. franklin. she never forgot her roots. she never, ever let, no matter how big she got, intoxicate her or entice her away from the struggle for human and civil rights. >> there's no question about that. in fact, that reminds me that in 1963, a little bit before the march on washington, dad led 100,000 people, along with reverend c.l. franklin and walter ruther, down woodward in detroit. for that speech, it was a prelude to the "i have a dream" speech. aretha franklin wrote one of the openings of one of the books where that speech is chronicled. throughout, as you said, throughout the king's existence, throughout my mother's tenure, she was always there. she could always be called on to lend her voice, to provide

resources, to provide inspiration and support to the modern civil rights movement. of course, father was a civil rights act vi-- activist, as we, as we know. the roots are deep in aretha franklin. >> i wanted you and the king family to speak to the nation about someone who was not only a fantastic singer but a freedom fighter. thank you, martin luther king iii. >> thanks, rev. up next, my final thoughts. ♪ >> yeah, all right. hit it. hit it. -morning. -morning. -what do we got? -keep an eye on that branch. might get windy. have a good shift. fire pit. last use -- 0600.

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this week, i watched two giants make their transition. two giants that i happen to know. one, kofi, the secretary general formerly of the united nations that i had several meetings and encounters with, and the queen of soul, aretha franklin, who i knew well for decades, and who i became friends with. she'd even call me on stage to dance with her, as i showed you in the break. both of them were giants. both of them helped to change the times in which they lived.

i often thought, i was blessed to be around giants. therefore, i should wonder what they expected of me and expect of you. we all can't be giants, and none of us probably will ever reach the height of a kofi annan or aretha franklin, but willibeing around giants makes you stand as tall as you can and be the best you can be. that's what they did. that's what they would expect of us. so if you really want to celebrate aretha this week, if you want to remember kofi, stand up straight. be erect. stand for something. be as tall as you can be. somebody may say you're a giant to them. that does it for me. thanks for watching. i'll see you back here next sunday. now to my colleague, alex whit. >> see, i have to sit up a

little taller in my seat for being around you. you're a giant in my book. i want you to know that. >> that's because you're sitting down. that's all. >> rev, i'll see you in one hour. you can't go too far. you have a couple more hours of work. >> i won't go too far. good morning. i'm alex whit here in new york at msnbc headquarters. 6:00 a.m. out west, 9:00 in the east. here's what's happening right now. >> is donald trump, in your mind, a racist? >> yes. donald trump is. >> omarosa opening up again. this time with the rev. what she said about race, talking to the special counsel, and being called a dog by the president. cooperating. the "new york times" report about white house attorney don mcgaughan tahn talking to inves. what it means for the white house. new voices criticizing president trump for revoking the security clearance of a former cia chief.