that does it for me. happy labor day weekend everyone. "hardball" starts now. waiting for mueller's next move. let's play "hardball." good evening, in for chris matthews. we enter this weekend the traditional kick off ot midterm campaign home stretch with a cloud over the election. the mueller investigation. showing no signs of slowing down and the president still lashing out at it. and at the attorney general he believes could and should have stopped the probe from being launched. trump last night at rally in

indiana. >> but our justice department and our fbi have to start doing their job and doing it right. and doing it now. people are angry. people are angry. what's happening is a disgrace. at some point i want to stay out, but at some point if it doesn't straighten out properly. i want them to do their job. i will get involved and i will get in there if i have to. disgraceful. >> comments came just hours after trump seemed to tell attorney general jeff sessions job is safe. through the november midterm. maybe not beyond that. trump continuing to complain about sessions reluctance to investigate his political enemies. >> i just like to have jeff sessions do his job. and i would be happy. the job ep tails two sides. not one side.

>> trump also said he views the mueller probe as an illegal investigation and insisting there never should have been a special counsel. offering a reminder of the scope and the reach of the russia investigation and the possibility of more legal exposure for president trump and his campaign. sam patten a former associate of paul manafort pleading guilty today. for failing to register as a foreign lobbyist. admitting he made a $50,000 illegal donation to trump inauguration committee. acting as a straw donor for a russian and ukrainen banned from making contribution themselves. he is cooperating with the mueller investigation. i'm joined now by my panel. thanks for being with us. tom, i'll start with you. sam patten pleading guilty

today. illegal donations, straw man for trump committee. what do we know about who he is, how he fits into trump world. >> he's something smoeshted with the trump campaign. but somebody associated with kim nick. this is somebody who has connections to people inside the trump orbit. somebody has done business in ukraine. the big headline here today is that we have a legal foreign donation coming in to the trump inaugural committee. no indication from the court paper work that the donations the fact it was the original source of the money came from a foreign person. with something that the trump committee knew. but you now have essentially russian and ukrainen money. one of the persons involved is a russian. and the other person is a

ukrainen oligarch. able to get tickets to the inauguration by doing a $50,000 straw contribution. somebody bought the tickets for them. you can't put foreign money into the committee. that's how it came together today. that's an astounding headline. >> this is the u.s. attorney in washington d.c. bringing the charges. no mueller. >> it's a great question. from our own reporters in the courtroom today, that in fact andrew wiseman was in the court today. and very specifically in the plea agreement he is to cooperate with the u.s. attorney office and supposed to coordinate cooperate with the special counsel office. that's part of patten's cooperation agreement. we can expect for him to talk to

mueller as well as prosecutors federal prosecutors in d.c. they are a part of it. >> you have written on this topic. these names may not be new to you. what do you make of the news and the development. and the idea the inaugural committee donating getting tickets in exchange. what do you make of that? >> we know federal prosecutors have been interested in contributions to the committee. and mother jones who reported on six figure donations that came in from the cousin of a russian oligarch. who runs his business. he's an american. he's not a russian. that too is very suspicious. so it's interesting that finally some of this is turning into legal matters. criminal prosecution. the other big thing here that tom didn't mention is that in this plea deal, of sam patten. admitted to lying to congress. he came before the senate intelligence committee.

and gave testimony privately. and he lied about what he was doing in terms of representing ukraine in the straw contributions. now this is key. because adam schiff and others have asked for investigation of witnesses who come before the committee investigating the trump russia scandal on the basis of lying to congress. which is a crime whether you are sworn or not. they raised questions about donald trump jr.s testimony. roger stone and eric prince and others. if we're going to get federal prosecutors looking at the testimony given to the committees and looking for instances of lying, it could open up a whole new horizon for the mueller probe. >> this points to a pattern i think we have seen with the question of the mueller investigation. the russia investigation. there will be new developments that emerge to the sort of the lamen public 6789 people like me. that come out of nowhere and

loom as very cig kapt moving forward. another potential example of that. we reminded of the potential for developments like this and approaching the labor day weekend. this supposed 60 day rule. not official. but this sort of tradition in prosecutions of you hold off for the two months leading up to election. do you have a sense that means for the next two months we won't be getting much more? or learning more about whether it's this case with sam or more between now and lelection day? >> mueller will abide by the department policy and won't bring anything in that will be october surprise. if we learn nothing about mueller, he's a by the book guy. he's not going to jump the gun. he'll continue with the investigation. as he has up to this point in time. and looks as if once he has his findings that will be released after the midterm election. but you have to look back at what he's done to date.

we're talking about a planned approach by the president in his folks to go out there and consider this or call this a witch hunt. that this is rigged election. well, we have a situation where mr. flynn pled guilty. cohen his counsel pled guilty. gates pled guilty. manafort has been found guilty on eight counts and will be tried on the remaining counts in addition to the trial in d.c. as well as today we hear about patten involvement. all of the various prosecutions are based on fact. nothing is made up. when people use the term fake news, these are facts that people plead guilty to at the risk of losing their liberty and suffering heavy fines. we need to keep that in mind. talking about mueller and his investigation. i doubt seriously we'll hear anything before the midterm. >> the 60 day rule. you have information there. >> briefly. the thing that kol controls the

special counsel office is eric holder memo. if you read it closely there's no time that's listed on the memo as far as a specific window. in really the key to it is you can't bring an action against a particular candidate or a campaign for the purpose of influencing that candidate or campaign. everybody that we're talking about here is not running for office. donald trump jr., jared kushner. the president is not running for office. i use them as examples. they're not people necessarily facing legal jeopardy. but i think we have to keep that in mind. there's nothing here that necessarily says -- >> the president party. i have to think if you are a republican candidate for office you're looking at the next two months saying please no more of this. from today through election day. >> we know there's going to be more. we know manafort trial is starting in a couple weeks. it's going to be a four week trial. there will be a verdict.

one way or the other. we'll see product ts of the mueller investigation going forward. we may see another patten. republicans are hoping that trump will keep his mouth shut on this. because -- i know. he had to laugh. the reason why is if you're talking about that 30 to 60 days that manafort is supposed to not do anything the campaign -- giuliani spokesperson role has to also kipd of keep a lid on it. >> what's a republican in a competitive race? dealing with trump coming out calling this investigation an witch hunt a couple weeks before election. what does the republican candidate do? thinking the swing voters do not want to hear the president talking about this. or thinking i need the trump voters? >> they'll stay away from this. a new poll coming out.

look at the numbers that core base of trump support is for example for pardoning manafort is 18%. you can go hard on that. you have to be careful of the corruption numbers. because that message is starting to breakthrough. if you're running for office especially for congress in a swing district, you move away from the manafort -- mueller should continue. that's the safest way of going. you're not going too far from the president on that. sessions should stay in. >> speaking of the poll. there is a new poll out today. "washington post" abc news asks about robert mueller. 63% say they back the mueller probe of the president. 63 to 29. david, this sort of piggy back. from fox news last week showed a similarly wide margin. maybe not quite as wide. there's movement. public opinion on the mueller investigation a couple months ago it was tighter in terms of

folks staying positive and negative. it seems to have wind in the last month or so. >> donald trump and giuliani are aren't doing to well. as the primary people out there arguing that this is a bogus case. if you watch the president last night in the indiana he did seem kind of on edge. talking about getting rid of sessions. and talking about political prosecution of his opponents for reasons he doesn't even bother to cite. i understand why that plays with the base. but it really doesn't wear well with the rest of the public. of course not democrats and people who aren't part of the trump cult. the more giuliani is out there and saying things that doesn't make sense. and cohen flipping. the trump organization. chief financial officer. copping a deal of some sort getting immunity. david pecker of the national

enquirer. if you don't believe the president, it looks like it's getting worse, not better. and he's in a quick sand position here. and screaming about this is not going to make it better. >> let's not forget, one of the jurors in the manafort trial was ready to convict him of all charges and she was a trump supporters. and found this as a witch hunt as she said. but said the evidence is was there. that's to bear the point. facts now. presentation of things going on in the trials. the facts are not going to be distorted by giuliani or anybody else when it comes to the jurors. >> i have to leave it there. thank you all for joining us. coming up, remembering john mccain. the political, cultural and military leaders paying tribute to the late senator. across town, trump responding his defense to john mccain's

death. i'll head to the bilge board with big polling news that poses a big question. is a big drop in trumps popularity at hand at the worst possible time for republicans. trying to hang on to the house. and enjoy your weekend. when we come back election season gets into full swing. the "hardball" round table will weigh in on the play book for november. finally let me finish with the roots of trumps attack the media strategy. it has something to do with the 1990s. this is "hardball." where the action is. -laws were , 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.

your hair is so soft! did you use head and shoulders two in one? i did mom. wanna try it? yes. it intensely moisturizes your hair and scalp and keeps you flake free. manolo? look at my soft hair. i should be in the shot now too. try head and shoulders two in one. trade negotiations between the united states and canada have broken off after off the record remarks made by trump in an interview emerged in a canadian newspaper. in the comments obtained by the toronto star. he insisted he wouldn't make compromises with canada. in the nafta trade deal.

and couldn't say it publicly because it will be so insulting they won't make a deal. another remark he suggested he was scaring canada into submission by threatening to impose tariff. according to to the report officials took the remarks of confirmation of the suspicion the trump team hasn't been bargaining in good faith. in charlotte, trump blasted the media for the leaked comments. >> i gave a off the record -- it said off the record. i said something strong. but it's my belief. they violated it. they said they were violated. it's unbelievable what's happening with the fake news. these are dishonorable people. i said in the end it's okay. because at least canada knows how i feel. >> we'll be right back. ♪

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in every generation there

are those who put country first. the prize service ahead of self-. who summon idealism from a cynical age. john mccain was such a man. on behalf of a grateful nation, we will ever remember john mccain served his country. and john mccain served his country honorably. >> welcome back to "hardball." that was vice president mike pence this morning in the u.s. capitol honoring the late senator john mccain. his life of service to this country. the statesman continues to lie in the capitol rotunda. as the american public streams through paying final respects. it's been six hours now. the crowds are not thinning ou. this morning his former colleagues paid tribute to him. >> half a world away, wearing lt nation uniform, john mccain

stood up for every value that this capitol building represents. then he brought that same patriotism inside its walls. to advocate for service members, our veterans, and our moral leadership. in the world. >> a patriot. who served his country. a man of the senate but also of the house. a navy man. a family man. a man who made an enormous difference in the lives of countless people. man of conviction. >> en in his passing mccain continues to push for bipartisan ship. having congressional leaders from both parties participate in a wreath laying ceremony. after the ceremony his wife joined by one of mccains closest friends.

senator graham. emptied the empty senate chamber and sat at her husband's desk. >> joined by a columnist for the "washington post." and a republican strategist. ruth, let me start with you. 1982. when mccain was elected to the house. four years later to the senate. an institution in washington. and capitol hill and american politics. what do you think he would make of the scene here? the height of the trump era. this out pouring of respect from both sides of the aisle. >> i think he would have been gratified by it. i think he obviously planned it out very carefully. and i think it is coming together in a way that probably exceed his expectations in terms of the out pouring of emotion. which i think is partly and most significantly out of respect for john mccain. but we can't help but -- he

intended for us to quite honestly compare and contrast this moment. compare and contrast senator mccain with the man who is not at any of the funeral services or memorials. president trump. and i think he would get us sort of grim satisfaction from knowing that one last time he was really showing up this president. that he disdained and the feeling was mutual. >> it really is interesting. we showed the vice president there. mike pence offering words about john mccain as a courageous figure and hero. all the things you traditionally expect a president to say of somebody of mccains stature in a moment like this. there's the aspect of the presidency. the president is also the head of state in the country. there's the ceremony aspect in a moment of national mourning the president is expected to generally to show up and say words about a democrat

republican or whatever the case maybe. something bigger than that. in this case the task fell to the vice president. >> it did. and unfortunately the president didn't rise to the occasion. which has been the expectation that i think we as a nation has had for every previous president and want expectation i would hope we maintain for every other president that will come after donald trump. here you have the late senator john mccain a noble man. it wasn't a perfect man in his own words. he had noble aspirations about the country. about the future. and noble aspirations about what it means to be a politician and public servant and the importance of bipartisan. and that's something lacking today. that i think most in the country would like to see a return to. so it's my hope that during this time as we reflect upon the life and legacy of senator mccain that hopefully in his moment of quietude.

if the president can think about some of the things john mccain was able to do such as selflessness. another expectation that we have for leadership. the president has not consistently shown. this is a teachable moment that i hope the president will reflect on and grow above the occasion. thus far he hasn't done so. >> as we have been talking about sitting presidents have attended the services honoring the last five people laid at the capitol. including donald trump at a recent one. for the late reverend billy graham this year. scenes from that on the screen. he's not attending any memorial events, it took 48 hours after the senators passing frtd president to send out an official white house statement and agree to keep flags lowered until the funeral. in the interview he insisted he properly honored the late senator and didn't miss the opportunity to unite the country. saying i don't think i did at all. i have done everything they requested and i don't think i have at all.

ruth, it's interesting. i have had conversations with folks who say they are bothered by the idea a president of the united states isn't going to be playing the role that traditionally expected in this occasion. also given the history the trump and john mccain. given the comments he made as john mccain was figing brain cancer in the last year. maybe it's better he take a backseat. >> the president didn't really have a choice about whether to take a backseat. in terms of the funeral. because it was made clear by senator mccain and his family that the president was -- but to act as if the president behaved and he was not because senator mccain was being petty. because the president from the moment that he dismissed mccain's status as a war hero saying plefred people who hadn't

been captured and refused to apologize and refused while he was suffering from the terrible illness. to do anything the slightest bit gracious. so he disqualified himself and further sunk to the occasion by the aggressive pettiness of failing to keep until the veterans objected to keep the flag at half staff. which they are now. i guess i would say that no one should expect the president to take this as any kind of teachable moment. the question that i really have is whether people like vice president pence, people like speaker ryan. people like mcconnell have any self-awareness as they are saying these words about a man who put country over personal interest, put country over party. who was man of conviction. whether they have self-awareness

of the degree to which they open themselves up to charges of hypocrisy to the degree of which they are falling short of ideals. and while i'm a little bit cynical about whether they are able to acknowledge that, i do have a slim hope there's some understanding that. >> you were saying you hope the president takes this as a moment to reflect. lt best sense i get about the way trump views the world and certainly the world in politics is this very bottom line. you win or lose. i do wonder, based on the disdain he showed on the campaign trail in 2015. if the lesson he takes from mccain's life is the man ran for president and lost. therefore everything else that comes with that. military and incredible courage. and the stature in the country. if that to trump doesn't have any value because he lost.

>> he lost gracefully. donald trump did not win gracefully. so maybe that is the way he internalizes this for himself. or his own ego-. to make himself to seem prideful. those around him buy into this which is a huge mistake. look, righteousness knows no boundary. one thing we can admit about john mccain. he was always on the side of being right. no matter if it was for party. l he recognized there was something bigger at stake. bigger than the democrat or republican party. bigger than rining for president. the future for the country and the role around the world and the president for whatever reason cannot seem to remove himself from that. >> all right. thanks to both of you for joining us. we go to break. take a look at the highlights of the mccain tribute in arizona this week.

>> my name is joe biden. i'm a democrat. i love john mccain. >> john mccain was at once a little bit wild and crazy. but a lot of fun. and the greatest honor of my life. >> he celebrated differences and embraced humanity. champion what was true and just. and saw people for who they were. >> even though john is no longer with us, he left us clear instructions. quote, believe always in the promise and greatness of america. because nothing is inevitable here. my mom's pain from

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within the republican party, the highest poll numbers i think it's 90. 92 and 93%. the highest poll numbers ever. ever. is that crazy? i actually asked them, i said, did they do polling when honest abi lincoln was around? nobody has been able to give me the answer. i'm assuming they did. we can say we're beating honest abe. >> they weren't doing land line polls. but president trump is making

that argument last night in indiana. saying look my poll numbers with my own party republican voters they are through the roof. and the president the last six months that's been a story. trumps approval rating with republicans has been that high. it's meant his over all approval rating has been in the low to maybe mid-40s. that's not great. but republicans have been saying if we can keep it around there, maybe a point or two higher we have a shot at holding on to the house. that has been the story and this morning, along comes this. brand new poll. "washington post" the president approval rating just 36%. a 60% disapproval score. no republicans out there telling you they think they can hang on to the house if it's at 36%. or anywhere near 36%. in the findings as you might expect when you're talking about 36% look at this. 24% strongly approve of the

performance as president. more than double over 50% in out right majority of voters in this poll, saying they strongly disapprove of the president. it's not just being unpopular. it's having this disparity and intensity. so much on the negative side. so little on the positive side. that in ominous sign for republicans and of course this is as well. the question of impeachment. democratic leaders don't want the candidates talk about. should impeachment begin. polls say yes. 49 to 46%. these would be close to catastrophic numbers for republicans. the question is this where things actually are in public opinion? what do we say, there's one poll it can be an out liar. different than the trend maybe it's not what's happening. maybe it's not. here's the thing to keep in mind. this poll as trump at 36%. that's the wrong button. look at this, when all of the

recent sort of uproar in politics kicked up. the day you had the cohen plea, the manafort conviction. things really seemed to ratchet up to a new level. new developments with the mueller. that day the average of the polls was 43.4%. as of right now, even if you factor in the "washington post" poll. if you average all the polls together about trumps approval rating what do you get. 42.8. it's not 36, 37, 38. down six tenths of a percentage point. if you think of it as a turning poin. it poses a question. this "washington post" poll with just brutal news for republicans at the worst time. home stretch of the fall campaign. is that the start of a big drop? will we see more polls that show the same thing? or is it an out liar. that's the question into labor day weekend. guess what, we start to get a

flurry of polls. folks set the stage for the midterms. we'll get an answer and fast. is it close to 43% in the next wave? or closer to what the "washington post" found today. down in the mid-30s. big big difference there. when it comes to stakes for the midterms. get ready for the ads and rallies and debates. midterm election season is kicking into high gear. higher gear. we'll dig into how trump and republicans are trying to survive it. you're watching "hardball." your insurance rates skyrocket after

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i have a great rels ship with him. we are working together to rebuild our military. we have cut taxes. secure the border. and i have a strong endorsement from him. we'll keep doing that. >> you heard the president loud and clear last night. he needs a real recruit like me. that will be for the agenda of

making america great again. >> welcome back to "hardball." with the midterm elections looming the president embarked on a an aggressive campaign schedule to boost republican candidates. pledging to spend 40 days on the campaign trail. he has been mimicking the 2016. attacking hillary clinton and vowing to build the wall and taking on the press. his base remains high. maybe not quite as high as before. and is the base really the only issue? former george w bush speech writer tweeting this. you lose because you lose people who weren't that crazy about you. but voted anyway. for more i'm joined by the "hardball" round table. beth, john thon and emly. beth, let's start with you. the question we were posing at the board. we're conditioned with trump

after a few years of there's the this big event will change everything and we find out a few weeks later this changed nothing. the legal front in the last few weeks. at least one poll shows that would seem to be having an effect on his numbers. do you think there is a possibly here a real shift going on? or two weeks from now back at baseline. >> actually the polling on his popularity remains stable. surprisingly. given the chaos of the administration and the news and the drama that happens every day. his popularity is right around that 40%. and nothing really that happened changes that. the question is is that enough to deliver the votes that he needs to come in and save the house seats that are so vulnerable. we have 45 to 75 seats house republicans who are in jeopardy. that's a ton of seats. the president can rally the base, he's effective on the campaign trail. had motivates people who love

him to come out. 45 to 75 seats it a ton to protect. senate is a different situation. the senate is more geared towards republicans holding on or picking up a seat. to keep the house seats in republican hands is tough. we have a ton of money coming into the races. the congressional leadership fund and others trying to reenforce the house members who are vulnerable. this is a referendum on trump. 42 isn't good. >> the quote we had there, from david saying is this the folks who weren't that crazy for you but voted for you anyway. i get the sense if there's a strategy from the trump stand point. it's to get them back and motivated to vote. it's to make the alternative the idea of democratic control seem worse than the idea of trump. worse than any concern they have about trump. that's why they are encouraging

impeachment and democrats nominate candidates who talk about socialism. is there a risk for democrats? >> there's a total risk. the idea this election is done. democrats have to carry more than half of the races they're called toss ups. is there not leaning democrat races these are toss ups. the experts don't know who will win this them. democrats have to carry more than half. they have 60 to 70% chance according to experts. of carrying the house. they shouldn't like the odds. remember what happened after the access hollywood tape. that was in october of 2016. everybody thought trump was toast. >> classic example. >> democrats need to be careful. especially in a turn out election. this is not a persuasion election. it's a turn out election. if trump is successful in mobilizing that base, getting them revved up and angry and democrats are not successful at

getting sper rattic voters. the ones who don't usually vote in midtlerges term election. getting them back to the polls. republicans hold the house. it will look like patty cake. >> trump put this on twitter he's fwoigoing to texas. it's been a long time since they elected democrats. trump won it by nine points. ted cruz running for reelection there. texas, cruz is on the republican radar. >> in does. polling shows the president base is deepening but not growing broader. in that makes for a popping campaign rally. it won't necessarily win campaigns in general. if there's no turn out from the base, and that's what ted cruz is afraid of.

in his race. they're not going to win elections. that's why ted cruz and president trump are not friends. i wouldn't even say frenmys. he's so desperate that he wants the president. >> cruz spent the 2016 campaign dodging the allegation his father had something to do with the kennedy assassination. >> said his wife is ugh wily. >> you have to be lame and desperate. >> i guess if you're cruz or a republican in the situation. that's the value you place on having trump campaign for you. >> and he knows that has 10,000 volunteers already signed up and raced twice as much money without packs. >> there aren't that many races in the midterm where there's real marquee names on the ballot. this maybe the one. everybody knows ted cruz. you love the guy or can't stand

him. it's nationalized this particular midterm race in a way the others aren't. there's not a lot of big, well known names. >> scrutiny and opposition research. he has questions about his past and arrest there. that's been in the news today in texas. the round table staying with us. up next they will tell us something i don't know. you're watching "hardball." 2 ds are excited about the potential of once-weekly ozempic®. in a study with ozempic®, a majority of adults lowered their blood sugar and reached an a1c of less than seven and maintained it. oh! under seven? (vo) and you may lose weight. in the same one-year study, adults lost on average up to 12 pounds. oh! up to 12 pounds? (vo) a two-year study showed that ozempic® does not increase the risk of major cardiovascular events like heart attack, stroke, or death. oh! no increased risk? ♪ ozempic®! ♪ ozempic® should not be the first medicine for treating diabetes,

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tune in monday night when chris matthews returns with a "hardball" labor day special. looking a the reality show presidency of donald trump. the former star of apprentice surrounded himself with tv ready characters. they all seem to pop up again and again in a scandal and drama to plague the trump white house. join chris monday 7:00 p.m. eastern. don't miss that. we will be right back. "i don'to hear about insurance." cause let's be honest, nobody likes dealing with insurance, right? which is why esurance hired me, dennis quaid, as their spokesperson because apparently, i'm highly likable. i like dennis quaid. awww. and they want me to let you know that, cue overdramatic music, they're on a mission to make insurance painless. excuse me, you dropped this. they know it's confusing. i literally have no idea what i'm getting, dennis quaid. that's why they're making it simple, man in cafe.

and they know it's expensive. yeah. so they're making it affordable. thank you. you're welcome. that's a prop apple. now, you might not believe any of this since this is a television commercial, but that's why they're being so transparent. anyways. this is the end of the commercial where i walk off into a very dramatic sunset to reveal the new esurance tagline so that you'll remember it. esurance. it's surprisingly painless. the number one cardiologist-recommended supplement for heart health. cardiologist-recommended supplement for heart health. this is not a bed. it's a revolution in sleep. the new sleep number 360 smart bed is on sale now, from $899, during sleep number's 'biggest sale of the year'. it senses your movement, and automatically adjusts to keep you both comfortable. it even helps with this. so you wake up ready to put your pedal to the metal.

and now, all beds are on sale. it's the last chance to save 50% on the new sleep number 360 limited edition smart bed. plus, 36-month financing. ends labor day. sleep number. proven, quality sleep. we're back with the "hardball" round table. beth, tell me something i don't know. >> i just got back from ireland where president trump is going to go visit in november. it was announced today. when i was there on august 28, the government announced the plx would take place -- drum roll -- october 26. so they have a 59-day window to elect a new president in ireland. >> meanwhile, our 2020 campaign already began a couple months ago. jonathan? >> steve, you saw news that

president trump canceled a 2.1% pay increase for civilian federal employees. the political implications of that have not been assessed beyond virginia and maryland where a lot of them live but there are 450,000 civilian federal employees who don't appreciate the rich getting a tax cut while their pay increase doesn't come until who live in california and texas where there are several congressional seats in play. this could be a sleeper issue. >> california with the seven districts held by republicans but won by clinton. that will be a big win late at night in election. emily? >> there's been tension throughout the primaries between the progressives and establishment when it comes to the democrats but as the season is winding to a close we'll look at a score card and as expected the establish system winning. the dccc which says it does not pick candidates according to their ideology, their red-to-blue list has 39 out of 41 winners as far as nominations

are concerned. >> the establishment mostly wins but joe crowley may beg to differ. beth, jonathan, emily, thank you for joining us. when we return, let me finish the president's anti-media messaging which reminds me of some things that happened in the '90s. everything that's old is new again. you're watching "hardball." only fidelity offers two zero expense ratio index funds directly to investors. and now we have zero account fees for brokerage accounts. at fidelity, those zeros really add up. ♪ maybe i'll win, saved by zero ♪

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let me finish tonight with presidents in the news media. it can feel like we're in territory we have never been in

before. the president of the united states not just criticizing the press, but branding it the enemy of the people calling the media fake news, telling americans they have to pick sides, it's me or the lying press, donald trump tells them. and in a lot of ways, we are in brand new territory here. it has never been in this blunt, this persistent and this central to the identity and political strategy of an american president but in another way it's been a long time coming. the rise of television gave us broadcast networks more than a half century ago and with that a national news media was born and it has evolved from there. cable news networks and web sites and everything else that's come with the modern media revolution. through it all, that national press corps has found itself in the cross hairs of the conservative movement which for decades has been claiming the national press is filled with like-minded liberals who put their thumb on the scale. you heard it with richard nixon's attack dog vice president spiro agnew going

after the mattering nabobs of negativis negativism, even generally george h.w. bush spent the final days of his 199 campaign imploring crowds to "annoy the media, reelect bush." >> and every one of you know what that means, every one of you know there has not been objectivity in the coverage. every one of you know it and they're having their own debates, these talking heads, have we been fair? this is the way we do it, that's the way we do it and everyone knows they're covering up the fact this has been the most biased year in the history of presidential politics. the bigger turning point came a few years after that and i write about it in my new book "the red and the blue" it's available for pre-order and i'm excited about that. the change can be summed up in one name -- newt. as in newt gingrich who bristled with the same anger toward the

national media. despicable, irresponsible and deliberately vicious, he could call it. this was more than just blowing off steam. what newt gingrich also saw was the vast strategic potential. slowly gingrich sold his party on making the idea of the term media synonymous not just with democrat and liberal but the idea of elitism. he got his party to embrace a style of populism that placed the media in opposition to the values of everyday americans and it worked. it was the going risch iingrich that broke the democratic stronghold. not everyone in the republican party followed his media play book but he had given them a taste of what he could achieve. lo and behold, two decades later a celebrity billionaire took that same play book, ramped it up in a whole new way and with newt gingrich cheering him on at rallies and television, donald trump road it to the white

house. that's "hardball" for now. thank you for being with us. a reminder to tune in tomorrow morning beginning at 8:30 eastern. chris matthews will anchor msnbc's coverage of john mccain's memorial service at the national cathedral in washington. barack obama and george w. bush will deliver eulogies. keep it here on msnbc. tonight on "all in." this russia thing with trump and russia is a made up story. >> the russian government had donald trump "over a barrel". >> no puppet, no puppet. >> and new reporting on what christopher steele told the justice department lawyer. >> i think bruce ohr is a disgrace. >> and why the president and his allies are trying to destroy bruce ohr. >> bruce and nellie ohr are the bonnie and clyde of collusion. >> so far every indictment is unrelated to the president. >> reporter: foreign money traced to the trump inauguration fund and another guilty plea produced by the