he has now been accused of more than three dozen crimes. he has denied all of these charges. >> that discuss it from me. i will see you back here tomorrow night 6:00 p.m. eastern. don't go anywhere. "hardball" with chris matthews is next. >> my way or the highway. let's play "hardball." good evening, i'm chris matthews in washington. love me or leave me that's what president trump told top leaders today. you are right, he is angry. the president threatened to end all discussions on all legislation as long as there are investigations on him. he stormed out to go to the rose garden to blame everything wrong in the country on the democrats.

>> instead of walking happily into a meeting, i walk into look at people that just said that i was doing a coverup. i don't do coverups. >> what got under the president's scheme were comments made by pelosi today about the ongoing congress am investigations of him, donald trump. >> we believe that no one the above the law, including the president of the united states and we believe that the president of the united states is engaged in a coverup. >> pelosi made those comments to reporters just after a closed door meeting with members of her caucus with investigations, amid mounting calls to pursue an impeachment inquiry. two democratic sources say after arriving late for the meeting with pelosi and senate minority leader chuck schumer. he told the democrats he had heard about pelosi's comments early in the morning and expressing frustration with the early democratic meeting on impeachment, he said those would

need to be completed before they are able to discuss anything else with them. minutes later he walked out. he argued pelosi's comments were a take down attempt of him. >> i walked into the room and i told senator schumer, speaker pelosi, i want to do infrastructure. i want to do it more than you want to do it. but you know what, you can't do it under the circumstances, so get these phony investigations over with. they want to make this a big deal. whether or not they carry the big "i "word out, i can't imagine that. they probably would, because they do whatever they have to do. because this meeting was set up a number of days ago at 11:00. all of a sudden i hear last night they will have a meeting right before this meeting to talk about the q. i" word. the "i" word. can you imagine? >> speaking to reporters at the

capitol, speaker pelosi expressed disappointment the president wouldn't work with democrats on infrastructure. >> for some reason, maybe it was lack of confidence on his part that he really couldn't come match the greatness of the challenge that we have, didn't, wasn't really respectful of the congress and the white house work, together, he just took a pass. in any event, i pray for the president of the united states. >> when a separate event, the speaker called the white house meeting very strange and once again talked about a coverup. >> this is why i think the president was so steamed off this morning because the fact is in plain sight in the public domain, this president is obstructing justice and he's engaged in a coverup and that could be an impeachable offense. ignoring the subpoenas of

corporation both article 3 of the nixon impeachments. >> i am joined by democratic congresswoman maxine waters of california. what's going on? i'm trying to figure out here. this is a real log jam. we're not going to have anything done on infrastructure, which means the american people are being held hostage here by a president who is petyoulent about the democrats -- petulent about the democrats doing drage to him. >> absolutely. i was concerned about the fact that he even pretend that he was going to negotiate with the speaker and with schumer about infrastructure. i never trusted him and, of course, it turns out, today he's made up an excuse about why he's not going to proceed with them on instructure and, basically, blackmailing them and talking about if you want to get infrastructure, you got to stop

all investigations. i think that's outrageous. but that's typical of the president of the united states and i never trusted that he was going to get infrastructure done. now, as i think about this threat that he made today and i'm thinking about who really benefits from infrastructure. not only will the citizens of this country benefit if we're able to fix the roads and the bridges and the waterways and all of that, but he's got a lot of friends that i believe in construction and development and who would also benefit, so he may have to back off of that. >> well, that itself the question i guess this hostage situation, that's what it is. if, you know, i have been riding around lately. you right around a lot. you do mass transit. the line in washington, new york, the number of rides you get thrown out of the aisle halfway to new york. these things have to be fixed. they're not getting fixed. every time you go over a pothole

and lose your tire or your rim, is that because trump won't do it? is it because he won't do it? >> well, you know, i don't know if he made this up. if he thought this through and he had nancy and schumer meeting with him to talk about infrastructure and making a commitment for $2 trillion and all of that, because he knew he was going to try and use it to back them off of further investigations. he may have thought this through. i don't know, but you are absolutely right. we need infrastructure repair in this country. we need but look at flint and think about the lead in the water and the water pipes being old. we need but understand that many of our bridges have been determined already to be dangerous and in need of repair. and so it goes on and on and on. and, of course, it would create a lot of jobs. if he's simply going to leverage it and use it to threaten nancy pelosi and schumer, and exchange

for quitting all of the investigations, well, we got a problem. we have a real problem. because we're not going to allow him to intimidate or threaten us. >> well, sharing msnbc says your committee, financial services, gained access to president trump's two major financial institutions. two sources are telling our news division, wells fargo and td bank, two of the nine institutions that have so far complied with subpoenas, wells fargo provided the committee with a few thousand documents and td bank handed the committee a handful of document, according to sources. so what have you learned regarding trump's financial dealings? >> no, we don't have any information to share with you at this time about what we have learned from the documents. as you know judge rojas in the southern district of new york today made a decision about, yes, we should be able to get those documents that they ruled

on our side and in our favor. and, of course, we're looking forward to what happens beyond this, will they try to appeal the judge's decision? will this drag it out some more. we don't know the answers to everything yet. but as of now, we had a win today with the judge deciding that we should be able to get the documents. >> well, we hope to know what you know, as soon as we can. thank you so much, u.s. congresswoman maxine waters in california. >> you are certainly welcome. i want to bring in white house correspondent for politico, the former chief of chaff and tim o'brien at bloomberg. is this is quite a show. you work for the speaker. she went in this morning. they were going to talk like they did a couple weeks ago. infrastructure. i think it's one thing everybody believes you got to get done, public investment in this country and the president blew up. >> absolutely. to no one's surprise, he did. right. if you look at what happened?

>> why did he blow up? >> i think he blew up he was looking for a way out. the word coverup hit a nerve. he was looking for a way out of the meeting anyways. i've heard for the past three weeks there has been no focus at all -- >> who in america doesn't know at this moment he's paid off a pair of porn stars? >> right. >> the coverup is who he is. >> for him to get up to there and get covered, there is no coverup, i don't coverup. >> i don't do coverups. what did michael cohen do for a living? erase coverups? >> that's right. now what democrats are doing is two track. right? they're going to do what they have on legislation, they have to pass an instructure bill. they have to also build the case. >> i want to go back there. in the next site, we will talk about the speaker of the house and her plan on impeachment. how do you see this tantrum of the president, running into the rose garden.

a little bit of deliberate speed here. he apparently gave him time to get the press out there. so he got there when they were there is there there was time to print up posters that said no collusion, which we hadn't seen before. he said this, the day after the election, he said if democrats go down the path with investigation, he will not work with them. he has tried to or said he would three weeks ago. so this isn't a surprise, because he told them he was not able to separate these two things. he can't compartmentalize. so it was eventually going to come to this place. he told them he couldn't separate these things. >> we were trying to figure out this week. maybe nobody knows. let me go to tim o'brien, you might know this. is trump wanting to play this game, tease, edging, get them to the end of impeaching them and somehow make fools on a wild goose chase. they won't convict him and throw him out of office. does he want to tease

impeachment? want the wrap in the hearings to stop? what's his game? >> chris, we talked about this before. i think it's a mistake to look for a method in the madness. trump is not a strategic thinker. i don't think he has a long game plan. he doesn't know how to play impeachment as an election strategy. trump is realizing he hasn't guilt e built a coalition to get him close to a meaningful and expensive infrastructure bill throu through. so he doesn't have cards or bringing money to the table when talking to pelosi and schumer about an infrastructure bill. i think what always happens when trump is in the corner focused on the shiny thing in front of him. that's what he does, he focuses on the problem at hand, he doesn't think long term. he was worried about being embarrassed and lashed out. all of the information is the staff said not to rush out into the rose garden and make a

speech. he did so and made an absurd speech. this notion that he doesn't engage if coverups. read the second half of the mueller report about obstruction of justice. >> here's my theory. it had nothing to do with pelosi. they're both professionals. you attack the other side. you still don't have coffee together. that's how it who. three things are going wrong as we speak. the new york state house are moving to release his state taxes. >> that will tell us 90% we know. you have his financial house, accountants, they're being pushed to bring the paper out. same thing later, deutsche bank and td bank, whatever it is. the fact is, i'm sorry, wells fargo. all these judges are beginning to rule against him. finally the thinking most wanted to keep secret about his life, financial dealings, perhaps cut

roads, corpse, it's all coming out. he finally knows he is losing that battle. >> i'd agree we you on those. there is one other thing happening too, people close to him are getting called close by the house and the senate. his son, that really hits hard when his son don, jr. gets called by the senate. hope hicks, you saw the other day. >> the hope hicks, he's close to her. they're still in touch all the time on the phone, he doesn't like her being targeted. >> people very close to him are being targeted. he doesn't like that. it's ratcheting up. he seen this stuff about impeachment and investigations and how he is losing on the legal front. >> he's a cornered rat. >> i think that was maybe the match that lit the gasoline. but what's building up now is he's starting to lose. >> that's right. building a case. there is a prosecution here that's going on. right. you have to build a case in order to get what you want at the end of the day. that's what the house is doing. right. with the subpoenas, the inquiries, by going to court.

i think the president is realizes what am i going to do. look, you got to follow the money like you always say. >> what are the chances nancy pelosi will finally approve an impeachment proceeding ever? ever? what are the chances it will ever happen? >> i don't know. you have to have -- >> will she call you up and say it will never happen? >> you have to have the everyday. that's what i learned from her. >> i'm asking, will it ever happen? >> it depends on the everyday is. >> will she? >> i'm not saying. >> is it a possibility? it depends on the evidence. >> is it possible? >> anything is possible. >> see you are not on this show and can't say is it possible at some point the left and the democratic party, they want action. we'll get somewhere with her? >> the issue is. >> is it possible is the question. >> if you have the evidence then yes. >> i think she will never go for impeachment. am i wrong? >> if have you the evidence.

>> we're not here with the subjunktive move and declarative statements and interrogtives. you don't have an answer? . >> is it possible, yes? >> thank you very much. it is possible nancy pelosi will finally come out for impeachment. you heard it here. thank you, tim o'brien, thank you for coming out. coming up, the "i" word as trump calls it, is it getting to him or is he losing control over his tax records. plus what the former secretary of state told lawmakers about working for president trump. wouldn't you love to be in that room? a fly on the wall, a big announcement here for a "hardball" special event, a live town hall with mayor pete

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at the fandango early access showing may 25th. back to "hardball" the temperature on impeachment talk actually keeps rising. it's unclear whether if the fever is going to break. an attempt to cirque tell wagons and stem the seemingly tide of democrats going for president trump's impeachment. speaker nancy pelosi held an emergency closed door meeting with her caucus. there she goes. according to politico, the meeting was to try to calm the mood inside the caucus. her message, multiple sources was to stay the course and have a little faith. giving her backup with the chairs of the various committees investigating the president and his administration, they gave updates on their various investigations. while speaker pelosi was comfortably accusing the president of a coverup.

she was more cautious on how to punish him. let's watch. >> in order to have an investigation of any kind if you want to call it impeachment or whatever, you have to have the subpoena. you have to go to court. you have to develop your case. and it's not personal. it's about patriotism and that the facts will take us where we need to go. >> i mean, everybody says it's the most animated political life i've ever seen. according to an nbc news count of the 235 house democrats, 31 have either called, one way or another to get the impeachment ball rolling. 31 out of the 200 plus. only one republican, of course, called for president trump's behavior to be acted on, justin amash from michigan. joining me is the senior director for sirius xm and george wells a syndicated columnist. zerlina, who it possible that nothing is really happening going towards impeachment, that the speaker is exercising steam

control, trying to keep the steam down under control. all of this is a staying, a holding action. she wants to get through the summer. by the fall with eall focused -- owe we all focused on the iowa caucuses and other things to get excited about. i get the feeling, she is never, i was pushing her former aa, she is never, what do you think? >> i think there is a little delay tactics on both sides here, chris. i think you see donald trump delaying, saying no to every subpoena, every document q. on the other side you have nancy pelosi trying to keep the democratic caucus together in a moment where the question about impeachment is an uncertain one. i think as a leader of the democrat make majority she just got, she's playing it cautious. you know there is some criticism about one approach. i think she is playing it cautious because she doesn't want to lose the majority she just got. >> so it's politics?

>> yes, it's politics. you know, to that same point, republicans are also playing politics, chris. they're elected to the government as well by american voters. they are making a political calculation in the same way i think democrats are being accused of. now, on the question of impeachment, i think an inquiry should be opened. ask me six months ago, i would have said, it's not worth it. vote him out in 2020. i think he has done a lot since the report, itself, has been released to obstruct the investigation. i think that the question is a serious won that the house needs to consider to start an inquiry, which means they're asking the question, whether or not there is enough evidence in the conduct and behavior of this president that would warrant an impeachment. that's all step one is. it is a process and so i believe that they should start that process and perhaps nancy pelosi is going to be the last person to agree to that process when there is more people in her caucus supporting that.

>> george, we know what a real impeachment exercise looks like. it's prime time hearings. a prime time vote on the articles with everybody watching in the country. it's very somber. do you think the democrats will ever engage in that? >> i don't. i think nancy pelosi has been around here for a while and remembers 1998 to a lot of the democrats who weren't there then. most democrats weren't here then. it's as distant as the polyponesian war and said this was disproportionate in the 1988 elections in the middle of a second term an incumbent president increased his representation in the house. never happens, republicans made it happen. >> didn't the mark on him bring down gore? >> probably. >> i think gore paid for the sins of bill clinton. >> i think that's right. i think that one of the themes that george w. bush used effectively is restore honor in the white house. >> he said when i take the oath,

i promise to restore -- do you think that zerlina no matter what else is said nobody wants to be impeached? >> new york i don't think trump wants to be impeached. i think he wants to be able to say the democrats are sore losers. that's why they're going down this path of impeachment. i think as serious american voters. if you are watching tonight, you think the president engaged in misconduct that warrants the democrats and the republicans, frankly. they're also elected, like i said, to seriously investigate whether or not the president has committed acts that are impeachable, then you should call your representative and tell them that. because i think the way this shifts is the public needs to make their feelings on this question heard loudly and clearly and it can't just be we wait for a poll that you know where a majority of americans support impeachment. we have to get them on the record now. so call your congress people and let them know what you think about this.

>> let's talk about the politics, nancy pelosi has laid this out. i agree, has made a political call. it may cost her the majority in the house. i would wonder if that's true, george. do you think people are going to vote for somebody because they were for impeachment? >> no i think the country is not particular interested in this. >> it wouldn't affect the vote at all? >> no, this is basically as the country hears it, it's a process question. i know the refusal was an item in the nixon impeachment. but it wasn't what the country thought watergate was about. it was a burglary, a crime, a coverup of that. what amazing me is how much time democrats are suspending talking about things they know are not going to happen. we're not going to abolish the electoral college because 13 states will stop it. we won't abolish private health insurance. 180 million americans will remove that. we won't remove the president from office. the senate will stop that.

why are we spending so much time, people will argue there is a lot of theater and gesture in this. >> why trump lost it a bit today. that's precocious, whatever you want to call it, that behavior. i don't like it. you are talking about stuff i don't like. even if i like it infrastructure. my question is this, could it be that these approaching judicial decisions on his financial papers in two courts now and in the new york legislature really are getting to him? because he know what is he's always feared would hurt him. will hurt him. >> that his financial behavior doesn't pass muster with the american people once it's out. he thinks it's getting out. that's what i think is driving him a bit nuts right now. zerlina. >> i do. he told michael schmidt. the red line is to look at his finances. we have deutsche bank and bank of america. you know the check that michael

cohen brought to the congress. the president is implicated in crimes that are not related to russia. so that is actually enough to warrant an impeachment inquiry beginning. i think the president is feeling that real pressure because there is something there in terms of the finances that we have yet to learn, because that was not robert mueller's remix. >> you mean that payoff for the cover j up that he doesn't do? >> correct. >> the check for the coverup he doesn't do. george, last thought. sorry. >> this man is naturally insecure is not worried about the country learning his financial behavior, they're learning about his financial bottom line. his whole charisma is i am a phenomenally successful billionaire. when people see what a house of cards his financial condition is, a lot of the charisma will melt. >> well, thank you so much. zerlina, thank you so much. up next, lawmakers in new york state have won the battle. this is the big one to see trump's tax returns.

they're coming out. you can bet governor cuomo will sign that baby pretty quick. we will see them coming out of the thealal /* out of albany. that's all coming out. not the story, not what speaker nancy pelosi did this morning. you are watching "hardball." mor. you are watching "hardball." leave no man behind. or child. or other child. or their new friend. or your giant nephews and their giant dad. or a horse. or a horse's brother, for that matter. the room for eight, 9,000 lb towing ford expedition. staining be done... behr presents: outdone yourself. and stay done through every season.

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welcome back to "hardball." another stinging proceed to the president. as i mentioned a judge in new york says they won't stop deutsche bank and wells fargo from turning them over to congress. last month president trump sued them to prevent them from complying. after listening to both sides, a judge said a ruling from the bench, said they were unlikely to succeed in a lawsuit arguing the subpoenas were unlawful and unconstitutional and subpoenas have a legislative purpose. this comes after we learn this week that multiple transactions made by the president were flagged inside deutsche bank. today is a setback after a judge ruled the president's accounting firm much release financial returns to the congress. i said it's not looking good for

the president. i joined by a member of the house financial services committee. the director studies for georgetown law. congressman, i'm thinking this is bad, this is like three strike, up in albany, the democratic colleagues are saying we will release the state returns, which will reflect the federal returns. you got two judges saying his accounting firm, now deutsche bank and capital one all have to release the financial records of this president. he is losing this fight. >> look, the chickens are coming home to roost. all we have to do is to keep looking and doing what we are doing, they whether roost. it is clear, i think anybody in new york who have seen and watched this guy over the years knows that he is a con man and that he has done certain things. he knows it. if you just listen to what he said when the mueller investigation started. he says, i am expletive and said

this is the end of my presidency. he knows -- once all of this information comes out, it's not just about impeachment. if he is impeached. he will be there tomorrow. it's about conviction and his presidency would be done and that's what we need in the united states of america. we need a new president. >> when did he say i warm what afterwards? >> explicitive. it's in the report. cuss words. it's in the report as redacted where he said i am explicitive. this is the end of my administration, my presidency i think the words were. so he knows it. he knows if the evidence continues to come up. he is done. that's why speaker pelosi is absolutely right when she says he is trying to coverup.

>> a lot of judges seem to be getting a spine all of a sudden, victoria. conth contheycontagion. >> they have been making the same argument, an argument that most legal experts think is very, very weak. congress has very broad powers. they have legitimate purposes for all of this information. the president is stonewalling. they convinced him a kind of argument is very easy to dispose of. >> let me go to the congressman on that. they used executive privilege. i fail to see what executive privilege has anything to do with predateing his inauguration, no connection. by the way, they had this other

one that says there has to be a legit mit legislative purpose. who gets to say the legislative branch gets to decide on what it's legislative business is. it seems to me oversight is key to congressional rule. congressman. >> absolutely. we are an equal branch of government. we are not under the executive branch of government. we are equal and the constitution invests in our branch, the authority to investigate the executive branch. that's exactly what we are doing. we are following the constitution step by step. in fact, that's why i believe that nancy pelosi when she made the statement about being a patriot. we are doing our patriotic responsibilities. our patriotic duties. that's exactly what we are doing. i think what she is also doing and doing with our work of oversight. we are getting all of the evidence so that, you know, when i was a da, it's easy to indict. you can indict a ham sandwich.

they could say. but you got to convict. but what's happening is there are individuals who are in peter king's district, for example, andy barr's district. there are some we can convince to come along and put pressure on them. their individuals in some of these republican senator's district, once all the everyday comes out, they will be compelled to then say wee got to go after this president just as they did with richard nixon. >> are you hearing from any of your colleagues in the new york delegation or elsewhere like peter king they are opened to the idea of impeaching a republican president? >> new york i'm not hearing that, other than you heard from amazz or amash rather earlier. once they start hearing from their constituents. this is not about them right now. it's about showing the broken the law. a president that has covered up

and a president that has used obstruction in his mannerisms that they can go to their congressman who wants to get reelected and says it is time for this president to go as well as members of the senate who are republicans. they then would have to say, it is time for this president to go. i don't want to just impeach. because if we just impeach him. he will still be here. i want him gone. i think that's what nancy pelosi's doing. >> i want to ask you about this thing. how do you see the outlook right now? here we are. late may. i have been waiting for something to happen. mueller's report's been out a while. people keep waiting for the big bang that's going to somehow change everything. you think the tax records will do it? >> the dominos are beginning to fall. follow the money. these tax records made him very upset as you said. it's a triangle. sow got the state seeking the taxes, deutsche bank now being able to go maybe ten days from now, give their documents to

congress, depending upon the appeals. it is beginning to fall. it might take longer in the courts, it could. he'll probably try to take it to the supreme court. look at how fast they decided. it was about a month the first judge decide. they are not going to wait. they know how important this is. they did this with nixon as well. they know when you have a clash between congress and the president you have to act expeditiously. i think nancy pelosi is waiting for all of this to come through, waiting for the evidence. >> we were all taught this in grade school. checks and balances, i hope they work. thank you so much. up next, former secretary of state, this is a great story, recollection tillerson spent seven hours yesterday talking about his work under trump. be a fly on that wall. wouldn't we love that? what is he saying about the man he called a moron. more about trump's response to russian interference or said nothing? and jared kushner's attempts at

international diplomacy. tillerson, that guy knows a lot. we got to find out what it is. straight ahead. we got to find out what it is. straight ahead to inspire confidence through style. ♪ i'm working to make connections of a different kind. ♪ i'm working for beauty that begins with nature. ♪ to treat every car like i treat mine. ♪ at adp we're designing a better way to work, so you can achieve what you're working for. ♪ what's going on? it's the 3pm slump. should have had a p3. oh yeah. should have had a p3. need energy? get p3. with a mix of meat, cheese and nuts. age-related macular i've degeneration, with which could lead to vision loss. so today i made a plan with my doctor, which includes preservision. because it's my vision,

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welcome back to "hardball." while congress battlings with the trump administration over officials, president trump's first secretary of state rex tillerson mooin finally -- finally met with the foreign affairs committee. he said the trump administration actively avoided confronting russia about allegations of interference in the election in an effort to develop a solid relationship with the kremlin. he also told the committee the president's son-in-law jared kushner at times impeded his ability to act effectively and introduce president trump's hoyles i policy proposals developed by experts. this isn't the first tension between the president and exxon

ceo trump originally praised like he was something out of central casting. yesterday, tillerson called trump a moron after a summer 2015 meeting. he refused to deny it publicly multiple times. let's watch. >> can you address the main headline of this story that you called the president a moron. >> i'm not going to deal with petty stuff like that. >> is it true? >> this is a town that seems to relish gossip, enyou endo, they feed on it in a very destructive way. i don't work that way. i don't deal that way. i'm not dignifying the question with an answer. >> he said it. ha, the trump administration hit back. the daily beast said the then chief of staff tillerson he was fired also in his bathroom. it's not the first time tillerson has spoken out since he left office. this past december, trump called him dumb as a rock after tillerson said he had to stop

trump from breaking the law. let's watch. >> it was challenging for me coming from the disciplined, highly processed oriented exxonmobile corporation to go to work for a man who is pretty undisciplined, doesn't like to read, doesn't read briefing reports, doesn't like to get into the details of a lot of things. i'd have to say, mr. mr. president, i understand what you want to do, you can't do it that way. it violates the law, it violates a a treaty. >> are they ratcheting up talk on iran? it's all coming up next on "hardball." ing up next on "hardball. because sometimes... when you take a look around... you notice... your grass is long... your time is short... and there's no turning back. ♪ ♪

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i discovered the potential with ozempic®. ♪ oh! oh! oh! ozempic®! ♪ ask your healthcare provider today about once-weekly ozempic®. . we shared with both the house and the senate our strategic campaign, an effort to push back against iran's activity. 40 years of terrorist activity. we walked through our efforts and our ultimate objective over the past days, which has been to deter iran. >> well, that was secretary of state mike pompeo yesterday after briefing congress on the threat he says iran may pose u.s. assets in the middle east. as the new york sometimes puts it, democrats emerged with sharp questions about whose actions ultimately led to recent escalation, who caused t it tehran or trump?

the pentagon will present plans to the white house to send up to 10,000 more american troops to the middle east to beef up defenses against potential iranian threats. a senator from delaware chris coons, a democrat. he need a more regular detailed briefing from senior administration leaders about their strategy with regard to iran. and frankly, one of the very concerning things about the clips that you just showed of rex tilltillerson and his comme about the president, is the undisciplined and unpredictable policy making process, decision making process at the highest levels of this administration. many of us are concerned about

the possibility that we might slide into a military confrontation with iran without having clearly thought through the consequences and the costs. >> you know, most of us -- you i'm sure grew up understanding how we got into world war i. it was a series of mobilizations on both sides. one triggering the other side until we had a terrible war with everybody involved. do you think this president knows that he is starting trouble over there? >> i'm gravely concerned that because we have a president who -- the first president with no prior military experience or elected experience, someone widely known to be not well versed in history and not someone who reads a great deal of his briefings or background material, may not fully appreciate the significant risks being taken here by forward deploying a battle carrier group, a wing of bombers and according to press reports considering deploying up to

10,000 more troops into the region. this is a tinderbox. as you know, iran is a deeply dangerous and destabilizing force, one of the leading state sp sponsors of terrorism in the world. our ally in the recent on, israel, have reasons why they might want to see us move into a more confrontational stance with iran. i'm concerned that into this very tight space, this dangerous and conflicted space where there is ongoing conflict in yemen and syria, that president trump may inadvertently escalating conflict with iran. >> hawks are not always right. hawks could have said going to war with iraq would help israel but remove a great buffer between israel and iran that was a good, healthy thing to have. somebody else fighting with iran. now i wonder whether -- you know this. how many hezbollah rockets are there aimed at israel. how many people could strike at

our businessmen, missionaries around the world. if we go to conflict, they have a lot to lay on. >> they have asymmetric opportunities to strike. there are tens of thousands of missiles that hezbollah has secured throughout southern lebanon that could strike israel. there are lots of american troops and american civilian families who are in the region, whether in iraq and syria and bahrain or elsewhere that could potentially be at risk. obviously in afghanistan as well. the iranians demonstrated during the iraq war both inclination and ability to take lethal action against american troops through the shia militia that they largely control in iraq. we have to be very serious about protect ourg troing our troops families in the region. >> i saw you at the joe biden rally saturday. it was great to see you up

there. it was a great rally. how do you think his standup against trump in terms of being a leader in the world? >> what i think is most striking is the way in which at that rally saturday in philly, joe biden made it clear he is rested, that he is eager, that escapable of stepping into being president on day one. he has more experience in interacting with global leaders, being in the senate and later in the white house as vice-president. he has been in the situation room when complex operations were carried out. he could step into a leadership role on day one and fix what has been broken about our vital alliances around the world and strengthen our foreign policy. he is ready to serve as president on the first day of a new biden administration if he is elected in 2020. >> thanks so much. it's great to have you on. which democrat is best equipped to go face to face with

president trump in a debate? the actual debate coming up late next year. you are watching "hardball." ye. you are watching "hardball."

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earlier today i was at the university of virginia talking about 2020. one thing that came up was how the 20 plus democrats running right now could stand up to president trump. how will they handle trump once they are face to face on stage with him? i say face to face because that is roughly how it ends up.

there are some cases where a candidate can be too in your face with the other candidate. here is vice-president al gore attempting to show he is not afraid to confront governor george w. bush. >> i specifically would like to know whether governor bush will support the dingle norwood bill. >> you may answer that. but i would like to know how you see the differences between the two of you. >> the differences is that i can get it done. that i can get something positive done on behalf of the people. that's what the question in this campaign is about. it's not only what your philosophy and what your position on issues, but can you get things done. and i believe i can. >> i think we can agree bush won that encounter. this is not to deny al gore hasn't gone on to do great things. one of the questions we need to place before the democrats running is how they would deal with trump is how if he tries to

do one of the godzilla numbers he did on hillary clinton. look at him looming over. you can say all this doesn't matter but it does. keep telling yourself it doesn't matter. tonight -- >> we believe the president of the united states is engaged in a coverup. >> democratic leader accuses the president of a coverup. >> he is engaged in a coverup. and that could be an impeachable offense. >> donald trump has his richard nixon moment. >> i don't do coverups. >> tonight, why the president threw a tantrum at white house. >> it was very, very, very strange. >> why more democrats are using the i word. >> you can imagine? >> why nancy pelosi it appealing to a higher power. >> i pray for t