chris matthews trying to compare trump to hitler. atthews compared trump and mitch mcconnell to saddam hussein. sundar pichai under fire for a laundry list of offenses on the hot seat today on capitol hill. we have one of the judiciary committee members who was inside the hearing room. he'll give you a look inside that room sat what happened. that's next. stay here. but some give their clients cookie cutter portfolios. fisher investments tailors portfolios to your goals and needs. some only call when they have something to sell. fisher calls regularly so you stay informed. and while some advisors are happy to earn commissions whether you do well or not. fisher investments fees are structured so we do better when you do better. maybe that's why most of our clients come from other money managers. fisher investments. clearly better money management. >> does google through this phone know i have moved here and moved over to the left? it's either yes or no. as a pro own end of internet openness will google commit to non-discrimination agai

." >>> good evening, i'm steve kornacki in for chris matthews. the partial government shutdown now in its seventh day with no end to the shutdown stalemate in sight. president trump renewed his demand today that congress fund a b

." >>> good evening, i'm steve kornacki in for chris matthews. the partial government shutdown now in its seventh day with no end to the shutdown stalemate in sight. president trump renewed his demand today that congress fund a border wall, adding a threat to shut down the southern border with mexico. the president writing on twitter, quote, we will be forced to close the southern border entirely if the obstructionist democrats do not give us the money to finish the wall and also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our country is saddled with. hard to believe there was a congress and president who would approve. in a string of additional tweets, trump doubled down on the threat saying, quote, i would consider closing the southern border a profit-making operation. in a separate tweet the president issued a warning that, quote, a new caravan is forming. trump's incoming chief of staff, acting chief of staff, mick mulvaney, telling reporters the president is serious about that threat to shut down the border. >> is the president seriously wil

and chris matthews as well, host of "hardball," covered the bush white house as d.c.ureau chief as the san francisco examiner. it is a cold and generally dark morning here in the nation's capital. and nicole, where are your thoughts right now? >> it's been a weepy week and i apologize in advance for any tears. what's so amazing is how widespread that sentiment is. we've seen our colleagues out in houston with all the people who claimed houston as president bush 41's hometown emotional. we saw tourists and residents of d.c. waiting in lines for three or four hours to pay their respects at the capitol. there was a moment yesterday, i was on the train making my way down here and i opened up nbc's live streaming app. and no offense to anyone, i was surprised by how well it worked. and i watched that coverage of the 43rd president greeting people who came to honor his father at the capitol. and it reminded me of a day that we all covered when the 41st president went to the church where his wife's body was lying in state and greeted people there to honor her. and it felt li

that helping us in our coverage is the former republican party chairman michael steele, our own chris matthewsn anchor of a broadcast every afternoon, we have a tendency to treat you as just a part of our broadcast team. one, of course, you are not. of course, for you, this was your former boss and long-time friend talking today. and this family is a family you know well, this politically dynastic, prominent american family. so, with that in mind, my friend who is not like all the others here, your views on today? >> you know, i watched a cathedral full of tend r tender-hearted giants. i watched the former president of the world watching was a president but he was a broken hearted son. i watched the former secretary of state jim baker who when the 41st president's pastor from houston talked about how jim baker rubbed the feet of president george h.w. bush as he slipped away, broke down and cried. so for me, as a, you know, i was a 29-year-old press staffer when i met or started working in the white house. i was younger than. i worked for jeb bush when i met the 41st president and barbara bush.

. >> we're joined as well, now by chris matthews host of msnbc's "hardball." raq and the legacy of the iraq war that was launched in 2003 a the counter example of george h.w.s n operation desert storm in 1991, the liberation of kuwait from iraqi occupation and then george h.w. bush declining declining to , move into baghdad, declining to topple saddam hussein then and ating that the united states that point, you did not want to get yourself involved inpo any ntial quagmire in the middle east and opting instead to bring thtroops home. he said at the time we kicked the vietnam syndrome, that decision, the wisdom of that changed to many has over the last generation because of what ultimately happened in iraq. >> yeah, i think he and scowcroft and their vision of realism has basically survived through the neo conservative era that i've think we've gotten past. i think the people who use terms like "freedom agenda" things like that have been bacally -- let's just put it in our past. i just want to say something about him personally. back when he first was lected pre

. >> chris matthews, it's a grand place to live. it's a terrific aircraft. it's a big town. they all can seem very small and intimate when you're the president. >> yeah especially when you loose, and i think one of the lessons we got from this president who is now being buried is you can lose and prevail. it's not the end of the world. to be rejected by the american people once you've been accept second-degraccepted is brutal. that american people got through it. it's amazing the way he's taken his place as a former president without any bitterness or part of public, no regret that we had him. i think we'll see him rise in the estimate of historians. i think it's already begun. i think he will reach up into the top 20, perhaps. i think he's getting there. i think that's because of what we have talked about. this funeral today was a wonderful biography and a biography is a statement. his life was a statement of duty and loyalty and all the good things we respect like decency. it's all in that statement of his which you commended at today's broadcast. >> let's listen in as "ha

as for right now, it's "hardball" with chris matthews. >>> no defense. evening. i'm chris matthews from washington with a special counsel's probe looming over his presidency, donald trump today resumed his attacks on the investigation. after a brief two-day hiatus. resorting to his usual talking points, trump made the unfounded claim on twitter that without the phony russia witch hunt, my approval rating would be at

and chris matthews has you covered. ha "hardball with chris matthews" is up next. >>> good evening. i'm chris matthews from washington. federal prosecutors in new york have accused the president of criminal violation of the federal campaign laws. they say trump directed -- that's the word -- lawyer michael cohen to cover up a campaign contribution in the form of payments to two women with whom he had sexual relations. this comes from the southern district of new york, not robert mueller, not the so-called 17 democrats the president says are working against him, not the deep state, not from a witch-hunt. it's from one of the two sentencing memos filed in the case of trump's former lawyer michael cohen today which are shedding new light on the president's potential legal exposure. as trump's long-time fixer, cohen pleaded guilty in august to campaign finance violations in making hush payments to two women on trump's behalf, and now tonight's sentencing memo makes clear that, quote, with respect to both payments, cohen acted in coordination with and at the direction of individual one.

i'm chris matthews in washington. today former trump attorney michael cohen said it was his blind loyalty to the president that motivated him to break campaign finance laws on behalf of his boss. that's one of the big developments out of the southern district of new york that delivered a blow to president trump today. co cohen was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to nine criminal counts including violation of campaign finance laws by silencing two women during the election. fighting bakhtiars cohen today said he quote chose to participate in the elicit act of the president rather than to listen to my own inner voice. referring to the president's frequent attacks on him cohen said that recently the president tweeted a statement calling me weak, and it was correct but for a much different reason than he was implying. because time and time again i thought it was my duty to cover up his dirty deeds. i was weak for not having the strength, to question and to refuse his demands. in the case of the ad

i am chris matthews. democrats are fighting.he democrats led by schumer and pelosi golt t in the president' face. the battle was over the border wall, whether it is worth shutting down the government over. trump says it is. schumer says it is a fight they're ready for. democrats are fighting and may well be winning now after trump declared he would be proud to shut down the u.s. government if he doesn't get his way. >> one thing i think we can agree on, we shouldn't shut down the government over a dispute. and you want to shut it down. you keep talking about it. >> the last time, chuck, you shut it down. >> oh, no. 20 times. >> i don't want to do what you did. >> 20 times you called for i will shut down the government if i don't get my wall. >> you want to know something? you want to put that on me. i'll take it. you know what i'll say? yes. if we don't get what we want, one way or the other, whether through you, through military, through anything you want to call, i will shut down the government. i am proud to shut down the gov

. >> laura: chris matthews had a comment i thought that was fairly interesting about how the democratsave become the elitists. they were always really against the elitists. everyone likes my people. smart people are great. andrew, just take a breath, let me play something for you, and then you can react. i would assume you don't think chris matthews is a member of the right-wing conspiracy. >> i don't understand your attacks and intellectualism. >> laura: stopped talking. speak with a true democrat, lowercase d, -- as her democrat is by the party regains that with white, black, hispanic people, everyone, starting to think of themselves as one of them instead of being better than them, they'll get back to the party of the people. and they are not there yet. there's too many elitists, they are so much elitism in the eight democratic party. it is so outrageous. >> laura: andrew, you disagree with matthew is? >> no, not really. i think there are part of it that is right. there are problems with both political parties, problems washington for a long time here. but the thing about the democr

don't go anywhere, "hardball" with chris matthews is up next. surrounded. let's play "hardball." [ music playing ] good evening, i'm chris matthews from washington. in the wake of michael collins explosive plea hearing, they are venting anger down to the g20 summit in argentina, referring to the real estate project in moscow that cohen lied about, trump tweeted, oh, i get it! i am a very good developer, happily living my life, when i see our country going in the wrong direction, to put it mildly, against all odds, i decide to run for president, very legal, very cool. lightly looked at doing a building somewhere in russia. put up zero money, zero guarantees. didn't do the problem. witch hunt. cohen's plea yesterday has one of two consequential documents to emerge from the special counsel's office this week. there is also the draft plea agreement for jerome corsi, which corsi turned down. both identify the president by fame as a key subject in the mueller investigation. as "the washington post reports, quote, together the documents show investigators have eve

i'm chris matthews in washington.michael cohen said it was his blind loyalty to the president that motivated him to break campaign finance laws on behalf of his

i am chris matthews. democrats are fighting.in the president' face. the battle was over the border wall, whether it is worth shutting down the government over. trump says it is. schumer says it is a fight they're ready for. democrats are fighting and may well be winning now after trump declared he would be proud to shut down the u.s. government if he doesn't get his way. >> one thing i

as for right now, it's "hardball" with chris matthews. >>> no defense. let's play "hardball." >>> good evening. i'm chris matthews from washington with a special counsel's probe looming over his presidency, donald trump today resumed his attacks on the investigation. after a brief two-day hiatus. resorting to his usual talking points, trump made the unfounded claim on twitter that without the phony russia witch hunt, my approval rating would be at 75%. it's call presidential harassment, he said. now we're learning that trump's impulse everyone twitter habit may be his own line of defense against the reckoning that may soon come. t "the atlantic" is reporting there is no plan to deal with the upcoming revelations from special counsel's office. quote, according to a half dozen current and former white house officials, the administration has no plans in place for responding to the special counsel's findings. say for expecting a twitter spree. remember giuliani's claim last ago he was drafting a counterreport to discredit the results of the investigation? gi

i'm chris matthews from washington. we're watching breaking news. all of it shows a white house in chaos. today president trump followed the lead of rush limbaugh forcing a government shutdown over funding for his border wall. in just the last hour general jim mattis announced he's leaving and hanging over it all nbc news is reporting tonight that the mueller investigation is steam rolling toward a conclusion reportedly by mid february. first stop, trump's border wall fight. we live in a country where with these people call the shots. they are the ones who told president trump not to sign the bill to keep the government open. >> it's a textbook example of what the drive by media calls compromise. trump gets nothing and the democrats get everything, including control of the house. >> it'll just have been a joke presidency that scammed the american people, enraged, you know -- amused the populists for a while. you will you'll have no legacy at all. >> i think not funding the wall, the wall, the wall, the wall has to be built. >> the president tonight

. >> we're joined, as well, by chris matthews, host of msnbc's "hardball." we're talk thanksgiving about the -- talking about the presidency of him, one of the major reasons is iraq and the legacy of the iraq war launched in 2003 and then the counter example of george h.w. bush and operation desert storm in 1991. the liberation of kuwait from iraqi occupation and george h.w. bush declining to press ahead and move to baghdad and topple saddam hussein then and saying the united states, you did not want to get yourself involved and opting to bring the troops home. he said at the time we kicked the vietnam syndrome, that decision, the wisdom of that decision to many has changed over the last generation because of what ultimately happened in iraq. >> yeah, i think he and their vision of realism has basically survived through the neo conservative era that i think we've gotten past. i think the people who used terms like freedom agenda, things like that have been basically let's just put it in the past. i just want to say something about him personally. back in whe

i'm chris matthews from washington. we're watching breaking news. all of it shows a white house in chaos. today president trump followed the lead of rush limbaugh forcing a government shutdown over funding for his border wall. in just the last hour general jim mattis announced he's leaving and hanging over it all nbc news is reporting tonight that the

ha "hardball with chris matthews" is up next. >>> good evening. i'm chris matthews from washington. federal prosecutors in new york have accused the president of criminal violation of the federal campaign laws. they say trump directed -- that's the word -- lawyer michael cohen to cover up a campaign contribution in the form of payments to two women with whom he had sexual relations. this comes from the southern district of new york, not robert mueller, not the so-called 17 democrats the president says are working against him, not the deep state, not from a witch-hunt. it's from one of the two sentencing memos filed in the case of trump's former lawyer michael cohen today which are shedding new light on the president's potential legal exposure. as trump's long-time fixer, cohen pleaded guilty in august to campaign finance violations in making hush payments to two women on trump's behalf, and now tonight's sentencing memo makes clear that, quote, with respect to both payments, cohen acted in coordination with and at the direction of individual one. that's the president. we're also get

but did land inside chris matthews right nostril. we are just asking questions. greg: tyrus?u went to me first because? this is something our president has started. the media is so look for dirt on anyone to cause trouble, you can have fun with them. irving said i think the world is flat. they are running with it. he did the same thing, messing around with the podcast. you can hear the gig until his voice when he's saying it. the media doesn't care if they create tories. they want to do things to get reactions. they love anything negative about politics, and our president. black athletes, they love any kind of thing where they look dumb or ignorant. he was having fun, period. he came back and said i was messing around with the podcast. it's not like he was with walter cronkite and broke out a map. look how bad the film was back then? you could hear the crisping of the tape while the president of the united states talks about the moon landing. the media is so thirsty for any type of drama they will create it. greg: this was the creation of the media. i happen to believe the mo

i note chris matthews resisted the temptation to do so. >> no, it's down there. >> a number of peoplee today switch their watches to reflect that of the boss, just an interesting way that white houses. >> it's so true. you were an intern there, i believe, and you learned these things, these secondary characteristics like ted sorenson who wrote speeches for jack kennedy. he began to order daiquiris for everybody and they made fun of him because that was jack's drink. so true. >> just saw the hearse in the foreground of the building we are broadcasting from. it has reached this part of the city now, and will be turning onto the grounds of the national cathedral. this shot is from our anchor location. >> which we all read "the washington post" article about that that went on, which allowed the president and the first lady to come today, which was the idea that there would be no shots taken at them rhetorically during the sermons. what is the deal? >> i think that they watched the mccain -- and the mccain service was an extraordinary moment for our country to pay tribute to someone who de

every single move he makes with giddy excitement, trembling with joy and excitement, sort of like chris matthewstting a thrill of his leg. even if mueller is just indicting intelligence officials from her so that will never be brought to the u.s. to be put on trial ever. and just to mention the name, watch this. >> this guilty plea yesterday was an early christmas present from all the congressional committees that are investigating the russia case. >> i am still of the mind that this president may not serve out his term. >> from our reporting, one thing is clear. he's been knocked off balance here completely. >> the question comes, when do republicans start to turn on trump? if this were a mafia investigation, trump could be indicted. >> i spoke with the source is very close to michael cohen, in no uncertain terms, michael has the term. >> you have as somebody who is in trump's innermost circle for so long, chris, who is known as his fixer, who knows where the bodies are buried. this is not the way a high elected official is supposed to talk. it's the way guys talk to me when they are wearing or

. >> joining me, chris matthews. your coverage saturday night and today has been remarkable.ow the moment is here. the casket about to be carried up the steps of the capitol. >> when i worked at the hill i used to take people way down and down there is where the catafalque was. it's all so much about the capitol. there's the first article of the government of the constitution. it is where our government really resides, not the white house. it's the capitol. capitol policemen will die for that building. i know that because i used to be one of them. it is a revered spot. it is the heart of our democracy. and here's george bush coming back to it. a servant of the state, if you will. nobody has had as many jobs as he's had. everything. u.s. congressman, cia, republican national committee, ambassador to china, vice president, president, he did it all. he loved it. i hate phrases like the deep state because it suggests they're apart from us. of course, these are all people who bear witness to the fact he was representing the american people. and there's dick cheney and the rest of

thank you both, chris matthew will be part of the special coverage this afternoon at 3:00 eastern, noon pacific. the casket will arrive at joint base andrews, and then heading over to the u.s. capitol. please stay with us here for that. we have more on "andrea mitchell reports" only on msnbc. we saved hundreds on our car insurance when we switched to geico. this is how it made me feel. it was like that feeling when you're mowing the lawn on a sunny day... ...and without even trying, you end up with one last strip that's exactly the width of your mower. when you're done, it looks so good you post a picture on social media. and it gets 127 likes. geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. but he has plans today.ain. could save you hey dad. so he took aleve. if he'd taken tylenol, he'd be stopping for more pills right now. only aleve has the strength to stop tough pain for up to 12 hours with just one pill. aleve. all day strong. >>> so prompt is tweeting this morning. that is not a shocker. he's venting his anger at the russian investigation, that's no

greg: that's no way to talk about charism chris matthews. [ laughter ] [ cheering and applause ] gregm crying but i'm not. talk about a vicious cycle. i call it the trump 360. trump says or tweets something outrageous, the media freaks out, filling their depends with compost. it'snd

"hardball" with chris matthews starts it now. >>> a get out of jail card, let's play "hardball." >>> s in washington. president trump's former national security adviser, general michael flynn told all to investigators. it's clear that flynn who once served trump on the campaign and the administration is a valuable witness for the prosecution. it's also clear for flynn his cooperation is paying off. it already has, in fact, the special counsel last n

i'll will joined by nicolle wallace and chris matthews and other guests that knew the president well.our coverage begins at the ripe hour at 9:00 a.m., not far from here in the northwest corner of the city, at the national cathedral, that last hosted the service for senator john mccain. five u.s. presidents will be there for the farewell to our 41st. 9:00 eastern time, on this very network. we look at the live picture of the military guard around the casket. >>> when we come back, the moment that stopped everyone in this city today. >>> last thing before we go here tonight, is a tale of two very different men with some critical things in common. one of them was raised in depression era kansas. the other was chauffeured to and from greenwich country day school as a child. both men served their country with distinction and bravery in world war ii. both were lucky to come home alive as decorated veterans and both men then pursued a career in politics. today, bob dole came to say good-bye to his friend, george bush. they ran hard against each other more than once. they were competitors bu

. >>> we remind you tonight at 6:00 eastern, chris matthews will host a two-hour special rememberingnt bush. >>> let's go to andy card who served bush 41, most notably as assistant to the president and white house deputy chief of staff. it's been a long day for you, but i wanted to bring you back again, because a lot of what you talked but was so poignant and insight everly with president trump on the world stage, how do you compare these two presidents in their approach, say, to foreign policy? what would you say each is appropriate -- or which approach would you say being more appropriate for the era? if you get my question, i mean, that was then, this is now. >> president george h.w. bush never demanded respect. he earned respect and he gave respect. he earned it because he gave it. on the world stage he respected every other leader. he didn't necessarily like them all. he invited them to be part of solutions. he had to deal with unimaginable issuing of diplomacy. when the berlin wall came down, the world was at risk for not only a cold war, but a hot war. he had expectations, and

greg: that's no way to talk about charism chris matthews. [ laughter ] [ cheering and applause ] greg: it's like i'm crying but i'm not. talk about a vicious cycle. i call it the trump 360. trump says or tweets something outrageous, the media freaks out, filling their depends with compost. it's the end of the world. i mean, just look at their hair. ♪ greg: then a month later, they realize, damn, the loud, crazy orange guy had a point and they try to forget it ever happened. look at isis, how they laughed when trump said he wouldn't tell the media his secret plan. then not spilling the beans worked. isis was like whoa, there goes my legs. didn't see that coming. don't worry, neither did cnn. remember when trump lectured nato allies on defense spending. we laughed. i laughed. until they agreed to his demands. i was wrong. trump railed against trade imbalances. then we started learning about trade imbalances and now we have a new deal. people dragged him for his tweet about the wildfires. a week later, experts admitted mismanagement made the fires worse. trump said puerto rico was plague

"hardball" with chris matthews starts it now. >>> a get out of jail card, let's play "hardball." >>> good evening, i'm chris matt yous in washington. president trump's former national security adviser, general michael flynn told all to investigators. it's clear that flynn who once served trump on the campaign and the administration is a valuable witness for the prosecution. it's also clear for flynn his cooperation is paying off. it already has, in fact, the special counsel last night fought a highly-anticipated sentencing memorandum that shows flynn has been extremely use to feel mueller's investigation. crediting flynn with "substantially assisting the government." prosecutors recommended little to no jail time saying a sentence does that does not impose a term of incarceration is appropriate and warranted." the special counsel praised the timeliness saying it likely affected the decisions of related first-hand witnesses to be forthcoming with the special counsel's office. it was partially sealed due to the sensitivity of the investigations which are described as ongoing. >> that me

i'll will joined by nicolle wallace and chris matthews and other guests that knew the president well. coverage begins at the ripe hour at 9:00 a.m., not far from here in the northwest corner of the city, at the national cathedral, that last hosted the service for senator john mccain. five u.s. presidents will be there for the farewell to our 41st. 9:00 eastern time, on this very network. we look at the live picture of the military guard around the casket. >>> when we come back, the moment that stopped everyone in this city today. at booking.com, we can't guarantee you'll find gold in them therr hills on your vacation. but we can guarantee the best price on this rental cabin. or any accomodation from hotels to yurts. booking.com, booking.yeah that grandpa's nose i can'is performing "flight of the bumblebee?" ♪ no, you goof. i can't believe how easy it was to save hundreds of dollars on my car insurance with geico. nice. i know, right? ♪ [nose plays a jazzy saxophone tune] believe it. geico could save you 15% or more on car insurance. >>> last thing before we go here tonight, is a tale

i'm chris matthews in washington. we have breaking news tonight from the washington post.ggests special counsel robert mueller may have just taken a big step in ip be dieting roger stone. special counsel robert mueller asked the house intelligence committee this friday for an

>> well, becauasil, can you ima if rachel maddow, chris matthews, george clooney, robert de niro, theort of media celebs, had all criticized president obama during one week of his presidency? it wouldn't have happened, but could you have imagined that? that's what this was for the president. >> it did seem that that is analogous to what happened to the president this week. and you know, what's interesting is that when you look at his personal and political inner circle, he is becoming more and more isolated, and then that isolation is now carrying over into congress and in sort of the bigger sort of media environment, and actually, you mentioned karl rove. that's what was interesting here. he has no one actually pushing back. and a lot of that has to do with his intransigence. you can't negotiate with him, can't talk to him, thin skinned, and he's becoming more and more isolated. so, yes, this is a democratic victory of sorts, but at the same time, it is really the sort of diminishing of a president. >> do you think, matt, that the president's base, which includes the right-wing media

i'm chris matthews, join me weekdays at 7:00 eastern for hardball.nt than this. >>> up next, george herbert walker bush, a life of service. liberty mutual accident forgiveness means they won't hike your rates over one mistake. see, liberty mutual doesn't hold grudges. for drivers with accident forgiveness, liberty mutual won't raise their rates because of their first accident. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ ♪...from far away. but they ♪honly see his wrinkles.♪..♪ ♪he's gotta play it cool to seal the deal.♪ ♪better find a way to smooth things over.♪ ♪if only harry used some... ♪...bounce, to dry. ♪yeah! ♪he would be a less wrinkly, and winning at life.♪ discover card. i justis this for real?match, yep. we match all the cash back new cardmembers earn at the end of their first year, automatically. whoo! i got my money! hard to contain yourself, isn't it? uh huh! let it go! whoo! get a dollar-for-dollar match at the end of your first year. only from discover. >>> last year there was only a tiny sense of time left, this year i must convinced i'm

actually chris matthews, very fair and balanced moment.as amazing to hear the shuffling footsteps around that capitol rotunda as you look at former first lady laura bush shaking hands. >> dana: 43 and laura bush certainly know what it's like to be as comforter and chief. they had to do a lot of that. sometimes when you are grieving, it's hard to be that person, right? you are the one who wants to give. i think that's what you see in them tonight jenna bush and her husband henry hager. she did a beautiful tribute to her grandfather today on "the today show" where she works. i think that this in some ways is also a celebration of his life because they knew that it was coming and it was still a shock. but i also think that the outpouring from all across the world, including peter doocy interviewed somebody today who had come all the way from hawaii because he wanted to pay his respects, bret. >> bret: you know, susan, this is a very public family in the way that they're out and about because of all of their history and the service they have g

i'm chris matthews from washington.what could be bombshell news out of the special counsel's investigation. at any moment robert mueller's prosecutors are file a key memo in the sentencing of trump's former national security adviser michael flynn. a memo that could answer the question at the heart of the russia probe.

good evening, i'm chris matthews in washington.onight we're celebrating the good, the bad and the infamous of the past year with the hard ball awards. over the next hour we will celebrate the people, the moments and of course the tweets that defined 2018. including the award for the most inglorious exit from trump world this year. the best concession speech, the trumpiest thing said by someone not named trump and the big award of the night, the oddest moment of the year in trump world. well, a panel of experts that's the hard ball producers picked the winners and the results were tabulated by the accounting firm of urbanski, zellinger and clancy. i want to bring in my panel, sam stein, politics editor of the daily beast, jennifer ruben, opinion writer with the "washington post," jason johnson, politics editor for the root.com and dana mill bank also with the "washington post." let's get right to the first award of the night, the category is best diversion in regards to the mueller investigation. when news broke about the russian in

i want to hand over to chris matthews, the host of hardball here on msnbc. chris. >> thank you, thank you. this is a live look right now as we await the arrival of the 41 st president of the united states from his home in houston, texas. the plane is expected to land momentarily at joint base andrews for his final trip to washington. the president's plane has been renamed for this occasion special air mission 41 in his honor. after the president arrives, he will be -- his body will be carried through the streets of washington for the public viewing at the rotunda of the capitol where he'll lie in state until wednesday morning. let's go to tom costello at joint base andrews. john? >> chris, good afternoon to you. we're just minutes away from special air mission 41 touching down here at joint base andrews. when they arrive, president bush will be met by 115 members who serve on the ship that bear his name. 115 sailors from the u.s.s. george h.w. bush. that ship has set out but the sailors are here to honor him. in addition to the sailors, we'll have members of

." ♪ >>> good evening, i am steve car knack ee in for chris matthews.resident trump made an unannounced trip to iraq to visit troops at a base west of baghdad today, this the first time he visited troops in a combat zone. last week the president shocked his own allies and advisers announcing a plan to withdraw troops from syria. in iraq today, he dcefended tha decision. >> if they want us to do the fighting, they also have to pay a price, and sometimes that's also a monetary price. so we're not the suckers of the world. we're no longer the suckers, folks, and people aren't looking at us as suckers, and i love you folks because most of you are nodding your head this way. >> the visit comes amid a growing stalemate in washington with part of the federal government still shutdown. the president spent much of the long christmas weekend alone in washington, raging against criticism of both that withdrawal from syria and his ouster of secretary of defense james mattis. today, he defended those decisions. >> one year ago i gave our generals six more months in

up next, chris matthews continues our coverage remembering the life and legacy of george h.w. bush. ♪ >>> tonight the country remembers the life and remarkable legacy of president george herbert walker bush, the 41st president of the united states died last night at aged 94 in his home in houston, texas. his passing comes hardly eight months after the death of his wife barbara. bush 41 spent a life in service to his country from his days in a navy pilot shot down by the japanese during world war ii over the pacific, to his humanitarian work with president clinton in the years after the presidency and, of course, so much action in between. although his presidency just lasted one term, he oversaw some of the most defining moments of u.s. foreign policy. he guided the break-up of the soviet union, an operation desert storm known by most of us as the gulf war. the former president's final words were to his son george w. bush who told him he had been a wonderful dad and that he loved him. bush 41 told his son, i love you too. today, bush 43 remembered his father as a man of the hig

i'm steve kornacki in for chris matthews. sixth day of the partial government shut down and the prospects for a deal they are bleak. fresh off his whirlwind trip to iraq yesterday, the president renewed his shut down demands on twitter "have the democrats finally realized we desperately need border security and a wall on southern border?" do the democrats realize most of the people not getting paid are democrats? this coming two daysft

looking at the shock on chris matthews' face, someone might have paid off and accuse her.ressed, that happens in washington. how did these people, they are very gentle souls at nbc, never seen anything like this. >> you talk to mark penn in the last segment about hypocrisy. with matthews, in his case, he had to pay off a woman with whom he had made sexually inappropriate comments, that number was $40,000, the network argues it was much less. a separation compensation -- a transaction -- it was made. nbc has problems, we all know about matt lauer. matt helper, he was not with nbc at the time, let go from the network last year, usually on morning joe. this is the same network that spiked the harvey weinstein story that they took to another publication and won a pulitzer for. here is irony, by the way, the person who was supposed to review the work to see if it should go to air or print or not had to pay off $1 million, nbc universal had to pay on his behalf, after he was accused of sexual harassment here that as per a september "daily beast" report their member of the hollyw

"hardball with chris matthews" is up next. >>> what's trump's end game on the shutdown?"hardball." ♪ >>> good evening. i'm steve kerr knaornacki in fo matthews. today marks the sixth day of the partial government shutdown and prospects for a deal are bleak. fresh off his whirlwind trip to iraq yesterday, the president renewed his demands on twitter, "have the democrats finally realized we desperately need border security and a wall on the southern border." he went on "do