stephanie ruhle and again at 3:00 p.m. eastern. "deadline white house" right now. hi, everyone. it's 4:00 in new york. brett kavanaugh and professor christine blasey ford have both been invited to testify before the senate judiciary committee on monday. kavanaugh has accepted the committee's invitation and is reportedly eager to defend himself against an allegation of sexual assault that happened during high school, an allegation he denies. for her part professor ford has not yet accepted the committee's invitation. we are going to bring in our reporters right away because this is a story that is taking shape this afternoon. there's a bit of a standoff under way. ford would like for the fbi to investigate her allegations before she agrees to testify. senator grassley, the republican chairman of that committee, has offered to send staff to california to speak with ford, has also offered to hold this hearing in public or in private.

let's bring in our reporters covering all of this, peter baker has a bi-line on the latest reporting from the white house and how they say it. i understand this hour they're feeling like the nomination is in much better shape than it was 48 hours ago. former congressman david jolly is here. with us at the table we're joined by jonathan and regulars who need no introduction. let me start with you, sung-min. in terms of where things are on a congressional front we have a deadline for dr. ford and her attorneys. chairman chuck grassley wants her lawyers to respond by friday if she will appear on the monday hearing. and it seems like the sentiment on capitol hill among republicans is they're increasingly confident that kavanaugh can weather the storm. i think the major bellwethers we've been watching are senators such as bob corker, a republican of tennessee, jeff flake of

arizona, and susan collins of maine. lisa murkowski has been quiet as far as i can tell today. senator collins did an interview with a maine radio station earlier today where she said -- where she seemed to side with her party in believing they have done all they can and that they have acted in good faith to try to get her to come before the committee. senator collins told maine radio that, look, grassley has given her the option of testifying in public or in private and that private session would be videotaped or avoiding that and having the opportunity to speak with a group of bipartisan congressional investigators. and the fact she appears to be potentially turning down those options. susan collins says, well, that's not really fair to the whole process now. so that's where you see kind of where this confidence is coming from. now we know that dr. ford and her attorneys believe there needs to be an fbi investigation before this process proceeds and i will note that while chairman grassley has been accommodating

in terms of how the questioning could be held, his staff tells me he's even willing to send his staff out to california to talk to her in palo alto. the one thing that grassley and republicans are not budging on is that monday date. grassley clearly said last night the invitation for monday still stands and they are also not budging from the fact they don't think the fbi needs to step in before she speaks. >> and your colleague erin blake tweeted there is no real reason to rush it besides politics, but they can't just say that. the president this morning, reupped his support for kavanaugh and punted into professor ford's claims to the senate. >> reporter: your reaction to ford calling for an fbi investigation, will you order one? >> well, it would seem the fbi really doesn't do that. they've investigated -- >> reporter: they would have if you asked them to, mr. president. >> they've investigated about six times before, and it seems they don't do that. >> reporter: will you ask them to?

>> they will do it if you ask them to. will you consider? >> i will let the senators take their course, let the senators -- they're doing a very good job. they've given tremendous amounts of time. they've already postpone add major hearing. they're hurting somebody's life very badly. >> i spoke to someone before i came on the air and said they feel better now than they did 48 hours ago. is that what you're hearing? >> even 24 hours ago. i think whether she intended to or not dr. blasey's decision to resist coming on monday seemed to galvanize republicans, put republicans back into judge kavanaugh's camp as you pointed out, as someone pointed out senator collins, flake, and corker all basically said come on monday. we're likely to proceed to a vote and it wouldn't be fair to hold this against judge kavanaugh if we can't hear dr. blasey's story. the white house is feeling much better today.

it doesn't mean they think they're out of the woods. anything can happen. something else can come out of the woods. perhaps dr. blasey could be enticed to come on monday, the deal could be arranged. but for the moment they're cautiously optimistic. >> peter baker, you write about and i heard you talk about on "the daily" this morning the mistaken identity strategy. the white house's break glass in case of emergency plan. tell us about it. >> well, look, judge kavanaugh has categorically denied this allegation. it's not like he said i don't remember this. he says flatly this did not happen. if that's the case, the only way to get around a he said/she said is to say perhaps she had somebody else in mind. perhaps she has gotten me confused with somebody else, not to challenge her story of being a victim of sexual assault, to say, in effect, we believe you. nobody is questioning that. but perhaps somebody else might have been in mind. remember, she didn't tell anybody for really 30 years.

that's the argument you hear and judge kavanaugh's friends. whether that flies or not, i don't know. a lot of people would say that's kind of insulting to suggest she wouldn't remember who it was who pinned her to the bed and groped her and tried to take her clothes off. if they can't prove the situation one way or the other. >> we have two new witness accounts. one saying it didn't happen, patrick patrick smith georgeto prep classmate who says that i understand i've been identified by dr. christine blasey ford as pj. i'm issuing this statement to make it clear to all involved that i have no knowledge of the party in question nor do i have any knowledge of the allegations she has levelled against brett kavanaugh. and i guess the trouble with eyewitness case is you have one

making opposite case. a school mate says she recalls hearing of a kavanaugh incident. ford was a year or so mind me, i did not know, but i remember this incident. i remember it happened. dris te christine's vivid rec election shouelection -- rec electiollection should that the incident did happen. and i've said that two human beings their lives being ruined, one the professor and the other judge kavanaugh. what do you make of where things stand and what might splafrn exr reluctance to testify? >> we all lived through anita hill. and sexism was a thing that i understood after watching that as a young girl. and i think if you saw the treatment of anita a hill in the best of circumstances, you may

not want to relive that. so i fully understand -- >> she's facing death threats, hate mail. >> yeah, all of that. so there really is nothing for her to gain by one, making up the story. and trying not to allow a full accounting and investigation. i think asking for the fbi to investigate was a smart move and it shows that she has nothing to hide. if she is asking the fbi to look into every single aspect to interview every single witness, does that sound to you like somebody who is making up a story and is perhaps worried that they will not back up her account? i don't think so. >> and we got to hear from anita hill on another network. let's watch. >> six days is not enough for the senators who probably snow very little about these kinds of climb

claims. it is not enough for them to inform themselves. and so that is why it is important to have an investigation. moving for ready on this as this pace with this kind of sort of black hole of a process being foreseen by many of us, we are really under the impression that the senate doesn't take this seriously and doesn't see it as part of the core responsibility to the skconfirmation process a to the american public. >> does she have a point. >> she does. the american's people will never agree fully on whether judge kavanaugh or dr. ford are the truth tellers that they want to believe. we will remain guided. i choose to believe dr. ford. others choose to believer judge kavanaugh. but if you speak to the raw poll particulars of this -- politics

of this, i do believe that dr. ford eventually will sit down with either senate staff in private or perhaps a public testimony and at that moment tts back to republicans for their next move. and republicans right now find themselves in a situation where they really can't win, but they can't afford to lose. and what i mean would i thby th are in a situation of either accepting the testimony and ignoring it or accepting it and voting down kavanaugh or having him withdraw. none of those are a good place for republicans to be. but they also can't afford to lose because if this gets postponed or kavanaugh withdraws, they cannot get a new nominee confirmed before the election and suppose democrats take the senate in november. there is no way then to suggest that republicans could move forward with a now nominee if the senate flips in november. >> it gives me chills. my monthly dose. stakes couldn't be higher. the analysis that things have

shifted is predicated on a sense of relief that professor ford will not testify in public. but if you go back 48 hours ago when this was in question, that was the thing everyone was afraid of, that she would tell her story and minds would be changed and senators like susan collins and jeff flake and others might not support judge ca kavanaugh. how did the white house stumble into the situation they are in now? i think it is fair to say is it wasn't some strategic plan they happened on sunday morning, its of really profession or ford's reluctance in the wake of death threats and other factors in her life that has them sort of back on top of this. >> right. i think the one piece of strategy was to keep the president in check. if he had come out there on monday and tuesday and railed against dr. ford and with full throat defense his nominee, but attacked his accuse erk i think

th -- accuser, i think that could are turned things. but he has beaeeen muted but sag there should be a process. and that judge kavanaugh is of course denying the accusations pretty strongly. last two days he spent hold up at the white house in sort of a war room, reaching out to senators and personally making his case. sort of going through practice sessions with senator sanders, with don mcgahn, with bill shine who is the choice when it comes to -- >> talk about that. >> bill shine of course partially lost his job at fox news for his handling of the sexual harassment and sexual assault claims there. judge kavanaugh has been in the touch with the team by phone. and i talked to someone who says they feel much better about this now mostly because it seems that she is not going to testify. but if the signals come that she

is going to, they are put in that position again where the american people will see and they will get to choose. and obviously senators will respond to that as well. and i think that though there is a sense of cautious optimism, they are not out of the woods just yet. >> and from your reporting, are there any efforts among democrats particularly women who may be able to speak to professor ford in a are more empathetic manner, any effort to try to entice her to tell her story what she shared with your colleague s at the "washington post"? is there is a sense evof you ar urgency to convince her to testify? >> i think democrats have lined up behind what dr. toward aford attorneys outlined. we have been seeing for a couple days now talking with democratic senators, starting on mob nignd

night, when we heard news that tlld be a hearing this following monday that they were resisting because it was too fast. there needed to be an fbi background investigation before you proceeded. and no democrat -- no democrat has really defected from that overall party view. and that is exactly the position that we saw -- we saw dr. ford and her attorneys take last night in that letter. things could change once democratic senators realize that it would be to everyone's benefit and to dr. noford's benefit some she does speak to the committee. but we've seen especially dianne feinstein who has been running point on this for senate democrats in a fithat fine tine mass said that dr. ford's wishes have been paramount and i would bet that that would be the focus going forward as well about

that. >> peter, i want you and jonathan to rilgd me thddle me . what is the president talking about when the fbi doesn't do this? if he is saying they don't investigate smault claexual ass claims, that is a grayer area. but what does the white house wish the president is saying about the role of the fbi? >> the fbi did say earlier this week that it didn't see a federal crime here to investigate. remember, this took place, if it took prailace 36 years ago, it would be a state crime not a federal crime. and so there is not a natural thing for the fbi to look at from that criminal point of view. they do perform of course background investigations of nominees to provide information to the senate for their confirmation process. that is not unusual thing. it is one of the things where the senate would presumably have to ask them to do it and they will not initiate it on their own. it is not a question of prosecution, it is a question of providing guidance in terms of

factual information rather than a recommendation. solt president doesn so the president doesn't want the fbi involved. remember yesterday the interview with the hill, he said that the fbi was corrupt and that the krum corruption was a cancer on the country. so he is not in great relation ship with the fbi. but the senators on the republican side are deciding they do not want an fbi investigation because this would drag it on possibly for weeks. much closer to the midterm if not beyond. >> and the president does rely on the fact that the fbi has conducted this background check into judge kavanaugh six times. so i guess the question is, is irony dead. he wants to hang kavanaugh's credibility and sort of integrity on the fact that the fbi mass investigated him six times. while at the same time calling them a cancer that he hopes to eradicate. >> yeah, that was a pretty good

understatement. we're seeing him pressure them to turn over these documents in the russia investigation. he went after jeff sessions again. his feelings about law enforcement are complicated. but yes, he could order this background check as well. he shows no inclination to do so. he feels that what has been done has been done. i think some of the people around him in the white house kind of wish he would stop talking about this part of it, but he has a knack of leaning on the fbi when it is convenient for him and attacking them when it is not. >> like a club of bouncers that are protecting one of his restaurants. it is a ridiculous -- the way he talks about them even when trying to do no harm is ridiculous. >> early on someone said that he views them sort of like his private security force. and i don't think that that view has really shifted in the 18 months he's mad thad the post. >> deeply disturbing. thank you all for great reporting.

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he is a man of integrity, a man of principal and a man of total utter resolve. jeff understands that the job of attorney general is to serve and protect the people of the united states and that is exactly what he will do and do better than anybody else can. >> it is an honor beyond words

to serve under you and your leadership. i look forward to making sure that every ounce of strength i have and the people of the department of justice have is going to be focused on preserving and protecting the constitution and at safety of this country. >> look like being at that happy first day photo of a couple that regularly fights in pug. the president unleashed a new round ever attacks against the person he could fire whefrp whenev whenever he wanted to. he says i don't have an attorney general, it is very he sad. i'm not happy at the border, i'm not happy with numerous things, not just this. i'm so sad over -- [ laughter ] sorry. i'm so sad over jeff sessions because he came to me, he was the first senator that endorsed me and he wanted to be attorney general and i didn't see it. trump was asked about that

comment and he insisted that we take it seriously, not literally. >> i'm disappointed in the attorney general for numerous reasons. but we have an attorney general, i'm disappointed in the attorney general for many reasons. >> are you going to fire jeff sessions? >> we are looking at lots of different things. i have a great cabinet. we have it greatest economy ever. and so we are happy with the way things are running generally speaking. i don't think that we've ever had an economic like this, somebody who is on just this morning from reagan, from the reagan white house, he said this is one of the great economies. >> all right. let's discuss. barbara, i have to start with you because it seem like a president that likes to talk

about things that are big and strong looks like such a bus -- wuss that he didn't just fire this guy who he hates. >> i think it is sort of like the boyfriend if he is mean enough to you you will just break up with him and quit. i think this is a strategy to encourage jeff sessions, a man of honor, a gentleman, to quit if he is abused enough. because if he quits, then the president no doubt can use the say kansvacancy reform act so ht his own person in there temporarily to be the acting attorney general. and during those seven months, he do do a lot of things. he could fire robert mueller because the acting attorney general would no longer be recused. so i think if he shames jeff sessions enough, if he dle classifies things, maybe he can

get him to the point where he resigns. >> let me play something that rachel maddow spoke to raul castro -- that she spoke to hillary clinton about last night. >> what i worry about is that after this alexandrelection, th president will wholesale people. that is my prediction for tonight like my prediction for last year. and if we don't have one or both houses of congress in place, he will be even more uncontrollable and up accountable. he will fire people in the white house. he will fire people in his administration. who he thinks are crossing him, questioning him, yubd mundermin ha him. >> there is somebody gym in the analysis that he is on so petty. but there is a much more serious part of this conversation that barbara and secretary clinton both lead us toward and that is this idea of obstructing justice

in plain sight which is what these firings all have in common. and this interview with the hill tv is remarkable for the fact that it is so unremarkable that he still talks publicly about wanting his justice department and fbi serve as his personal bouncers. what do you make of sort of the state of vitreal toward his own attorney general, his own law enforcement agencies, his own justice department? >> well, i guess i'll leave aside the fact that it makes me sad too. can. >> yeah, right. >> this is ridiculous on one level. as you pipt oyou point out. is this a man he could fire anytime he wants. but i actually think that hillary clinton is right. i think that i will not fire jeff sessions before the election. though he would like to. but he won't because of the political ramifications and the fact that that would

republicans' chances of keeping both houses of congress. and afterwards win or lose, i think that he will fire jeff sessions. because i think he wants an attorney general who will be his bouncer, you know, at the velvet ropes protecting him, not as he said when naming sessions, not protecting the united states, but protecting him. i think that is what he wants. and whether or not that person goes all the way and fires rosenstein and mueller and shuts the investigation down to the extent that he or she can, i don't know. but i think that at the very least the idea would be to control it, to oversee it in a way that keeps it from harming the president, if all else fails

to keep secret parts of the mueller findings that really should be shared with the american people. and that rosenstein and sessions probably will make public. but that a new attorney general might not. >> david, anyone that would do what eugene just described could not be confirmed and anyone confirmed would not do what eugene just described. >> and president trump's comment that he does not have an attorney general, what he means is that he does not have an attorney general that the president feels is protecting himself donald trump as president. he does have an attorney general that has successfully advanced donald trump's criminal justice policies and frankly just as trump wanted to do rolled back much of president obama's criminal justice policies. so the attorney general is actually doing what the president trump suggested he wanted done, but he is stopping short of protecting donald trump himself. what the president means when he says he does not have the attorney general, he means the

attorney general is not his personal lawyer and he wants him to be his personal lawyer and to your point, that type of person should never be confirmed. >> and he is going so far as to smear jeff sessions in person allege terpersonal terms. he says that he went through the nominating process and he did very poorly. he was mixed up and confused. people that worked for him a long time were not nice to him, but he was giving confusing answers. that was a rough time for him. but on the other hand, he sort of has a point. let's watch that again. >> i had no recollection of this meeting until i saw these news repor reports. >> did anyone else at that meeting including candidate trump react in any way to what mr. papadopoulous had presented? >> i don't recall. >> did you discuss your meetings with ambassador kislyak with mr. flynn? >> i do not recall and don't

believe i communicated any of that information. >> did anybody ever forward to you a communication from mr. papadopoulous? >> i don't recall it. i don't -- recall -- ever being made aware of that before. i don't recall it . i do not recall such a conversation. i don't recall it. >> and your testimony today, you have stated i don't recall at least 20 that fair to say? >> i have no idea. >> i'm going to mark this day, the day i agreed with donald trump who said answers that should have been easily answered. he has a point. and what they all have in common, they were all about russia. >> and i believe it has been reported in a trump refers to jeff 1egss settles as mr. magoo. yes, they are all about russia. and what has happened, a triple blockade has been formed around jeff sessions where republican senators says he is valuable, don't confirm him. conservatives who said that he

is getting your agenda done. and also people who have --- >> i just got a stomach flip. >> sorry. and of course close advisers who are saying if you fire him now tharkts will only ma, that will only make the russia probe worse. but lindsey graham was the first to step out and give trump cover. suggesting that yes, you should wait until the midterms are over, but ugt is beisuggesting the president deserves to have an attorney general that he has confidence in. and i think that there is a widely held expectation in walling sessions isn't going to quit. he won't walk away. but at some point whether november or december, january, trump will fire him and the dominos will fall. >> and the idea of normalizing the venom against jeff sessions will be one of the black marks on lindsey graham's legacy in the senate. but take me inside what happens

next which is my 6-year-old's fair question. so he fires sessions the mornin. what happens next and who takes that job? >> you talked about anyone who would do the things that president trump would want him to do and the russia investigation for example could not be confirmed. but if he acts under the savacay reform act, he could name somebody for acceseven months t his bidding. that person would not have to be confirmed. so that is what i worry about. this is a person who has not had to go threw through t through t. he could come in, shut it down or i think more subtly make decisions to clip the wings of robert mueller that never see the light of day not allowing him to take certain investigative steps for example

or indict certain individuals. so i think that is a way to seize control over the russia investigation. >> scary stuff. after the break, donald trump takes a stab at defining his own legacy, comparing his attacks on the fbi and emptyingi inin of t senior leadership with curing cancer. trs nothing says fall like a homecoming football game, so let's promote our fall travel deal on choicehotels.com like this. touchdown. earn a free night when you stay just twice this fall. or, badda book. badda boom.

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. is it so unprecedented that you think that director wray and coats should quit? >> i think it becomes quite clear that we are at that point. if in this process when the president says reveal they say we are reviewing, and after review they come up and say mr. president, this stuff here just can't go out, he insists that it does, at that point they have to conclude that they are no longer a guardrail on i will will legitimate presidential activity, they are no longer able to protect their

institution. and therefore by leaving they may be doog ting the greater go. >> that was michael hayden reacting to the call from the president to declassify tu clac documents related to the russia probe. a move trump feels will vindicate him, but one that goes against the direction and advice from top national security officials who fear that it would compromise sources and methods. and as we mentioned, trump's war with the fbi reached a new level today when he said asked what he thought the outcome of his long running fight with the fbi, how it would look, the president said i hope to be able to put this up as one of my crowning achievements, that i was able to expose something that is truly a cancer in our country. i don't know that there have been many comments more disgraceful and abhorrent from the president. these are men and women who die running into crime scenes who put their lives on the line to protect us from another 9/11.

i'm speechless. >> yeah, and to your point, these are member and women who often investigate those who want to cause farm harm to donald tr chlsz. he wants to declassify only select material, so that is first exposing evidence to an investigation that happens to be right at his doorstep, but it sets a dangerous precedent. this really is exhibit a in lawlessness to suggest that the chief executive of the country is going to selectively declassify information that shines a better light on him is a bad precedent. but one thing we also see, we see a glimpse himself into the conviction this president has. it is apparent he truly believes there is corruption within the fbi and department of justice. many of us believe he is wrong, but it is clear he is speaking with conviction however perverted that might be. >> and we know where that

conviction comes from because he told us. it doesn't come from the fbi director chris wray who he appointed and hand picked to select jim comey. it didn't come from matt itimat comes from these names. are you ready? lou dobbs, the great sean hanni hannity, the wonderful and great gd piro. that is who gets his national security advice from. >> those are the people who are really -- whose advice and council the president is really listening to. and so they go on the air every day andleadfor him and they encourage him and bash anyone who is critical for him or heaven forbid trying to hold him accountable in any way.

and he lives interests that bubble, that disinformation bubble which is very dangerous situation for the country. and david said this would set a terrible precedent, but it is not just the precedent. there can be information here and now that the president is ordering to be released that can compromise sources and methods in a way that can get people killed. i mean, can result in serious harm, that can cut off valuable sources of intelligence that we've relied on and will horrify the allies with whom we share intelligence. so it is just -- its shameful, it is shocking. it really is of all the bad things that donald trump has

done this week, this is the worst. >> and people like me have been asking who quits or how do they stay really since charlottesville. but people like general hey kay who unit that li-- who understa that life and death decisions somewhere to be made who do not quit. what do you make of hayden drawing the line ever releaof r classified documents? there it is >> it is a tough question. this is one of the most egregious things that president trump has done, endangers sources of information and methods and making allies reluctant to share information with us. on the other hand, is this just a game of chicken that trump is playing to try to get sessions and rosenstein to resign? because if they do, he is now

sized control of the russia investigation. so they have to really make a calculation about if i leave could it get worts. and i think that they are trying their best to serve our country, but at some point i do agree with general maidhayden that pes it is important to make a public stand so that the public does understand how significant this is. i think this is a story that maybe if you are an achblg member of the public you you appreciate because the president says i'm doing this in the interest of transparency and most people think that this is a good thing. but i think there are two motives. one is damaging this investigation against him. and the other may be dopg the biddi -- doing the bidding of russia. and if he is disregardings advice of the intelligence community, maybe you ydo need t resign. >> and i'm nervous when you are talking about an american president doing the bidding of the russians and taking a stand.

thank you so much. up next, is the president-ing a pardon for paul manafort? he responded to that question. we'll play you his answer. hi, i'm joan lunden with a place for mom,

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paul manafort was with me for a short period of time. he did a good job. i was very happy with the job he did. and i will tell you this, i believe that he will tell the truth. and if he tells the truth, no problem. >> so it is the fling defense now. we hardly knew him. >> that's right. at least he acknowledged he knows who he is. for a while he was suggesting that he was a low slefl staffer abo -- level staffer. yes, it was only a few months, but he ran the president's campaign and the convention. so he was very much there at the height of a critical time during the election and helped establish the gop platform on the russia and ukraine.

so he is a significant person and the idea of him cooperating with robert mueller is one that unnerves a lot of people. >> and barbara, he was in the room for the meeting with russians that don jr. said i love it. >> yeah, there are a lot of issues that robert mueller wants to know the truth about. what happened at that meeting, was there an exchain of information, did president trump know about the meet williing. and why did paul manafort offer a private briefing about the campaign to an oligarch and about why the platform of the gop changed to be more pro russia. so there are a lot of things. and robert mueller is only interested in the truth. and if the truth means that people need to be held accountable, he will do that. so i think everybody is on the same page here that we all hope that paul manafort tells the

truth. >> i'm not sure everyone is on the same page, but we all hope paul manafort tells the truth. let's discuss about politico reporting. the plea deal contains several provisions that appear to discourage from seeking a pardon. and it charges manafort with additional crimes if conditions are wiped out for any reason. it is called trump-proving the man forth deal. good idea? >> i'm not smure it will hold u. to suggest that if manafort seeks clemency or other pardons that somehow mueller will then pull the rug out and go after manafort on other charges. i do think what it could be indicating is man forth afort i prepared to accept responsibility for whatever level of collusion that may have occurred. suppose that manafort is willing to say the change in the

republican flat foblat platform. suppose he was the fall guy and what we are seeing from trump is a suggestion that there may be a pardon. mueller did try to pardon-proof it deal, but i think legal scholars are in disgreagreement to whether it would hold up. >> are you saying that it might be a plan that they happened for manafort to take the responsibility and try to end it with him? >> what we know about paul manafort and i say this based on the facts, is at the center of the most recent chapter in his career, he has been double dealing, he has been representing foreign interests wrought disclo without deposit closing them and he worked for president trump for free and then the flat form changed. paul manafort was enriches himself and working with russians and other foreign

actors. so if paul manafort says to bob mueller it was all me and donald trump did not know about it, then mueller is in a position to having to look elsewhere to try to tie this to the president. >> and donald trump was asked if he would pardonelse. >> i don't want to talk about it or we'll talk about it later. do you think a pardon, or you know the president's dangling pardons over manafort and flynn as a result of the mueller probe, do you think pardoning manafort is something that would further emperil the president? if he says, hey, it was all me? >> if he was to pardon paul manafort right now, i think it could be kind of an induce mpme to get him to do something, but if it comes after paul manafort has completed his cooperation, if he does take the fall. it might be something that

passes muster. when we come back, donald trump is in north carolina today to assess the damage from hurricane florence and visit with victims of the storm. this being president trump, it was all a little weird. we'll show you what we're talking about. at least we don't have to worry about homeowners insurance. just call geico. geico helps with homeowners insurance? good to know. feeling better? i love you, pookie bear. [parrot 1] i love you, pookie bear. [parrot 2] i love you, pookie bear! [parrots] i love you, pookie bear!!! get to know geico and see how easy homeowners and renters insurance can be.

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i just want to thank all of the incredible men and women who have done such a great job in helping with florence.

this is a tough hurricane. one of the wettest we have ever seen from the standpoint of water. >> from the stand point of water. president trump visited parts of the cardinolinas totally devastd by hurricane florence, and while he did meet with residents, he couldn't help but focus on himself. he asked how is lake norman doing, after he was told it was fine, trump said i love that area, i can't tell you why but i love that area. he can't tell you why, but we can, there is a donald trump national golf course in that area. >> he's just weird, jonathan. >> maritime law is unclear who that boat belongs to now. but we have seen this president, jokes aside struggle with

empathy. he says is an understatement. we remember the hurricane in puerto rico, when he was pan th throwing paper towels to the people there. he handed out food, he shook hands, he talked to the elderly. he thanked fist responders. he did the things a normal president would do. but because he's president trump, we saw moments like this, where he cares about his own property, a golf course in the flooded area, and then here, it's a joke, but perhaps it doesn't land very well with the gentleman who's home has been ruined and who also now has a giant boat on his property. >> it really, really good presidents and those who are human do not flub things likes th

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that does it for our hour. if it is wednesday, will the gop press pause on a lifetime appointment? good evening and welcome to "mtp daily." republicans seem to be falling in line behind supreme court nominee brett kavanagh, which may just be another sign it's president trump's party now. but in the year of the woman, we'll see if suburban women voters want in or out. as we said last night, the allegation of sexual assault by the then-teenaged brett kavanagh

at