i. sowed facebook and saying hey we're bringing home the regulation here is leaving i wonder how you could regulate us better with having good luck with that. i mean it's kind of silly to me there's a so there's a lot of things of why it's silly when you break down in the race things are given these four areas about you know these are areas where the government needs to decide essential if someone didn't pay attention to the internet when they were a kid and actually on that or they would have realized like all of us the idea that what you want is to not have any actual responsibility for what happens on your platform while at the same time pretending to be the great arbiters of what is news and what is good and what is bad you can't have it both ways and that's why facebook is suffering and that's why they're having some trouble on capitol you're exactly right and all this started when you look at kind of like the low of information you know a lot of and the reason capitals even interested in all of this is that flow of information being interrupted i mean when you when you you know the f

. >> you look at, you know, what russia did, you know, buying some facebook ads to sow dissent and it's a terrible thing but i think the investigations and all the speculation that's happened the last two years has had a much harsher effect on our democracy than a couple of facebook ads. >> reporter: but the mueller report found russia did a lot more than buy facebook ads and called the meddling sweeping and systemic spreading disinformation on social media along with the hacking of the dnc and hillary clinton's team. but kushner suggested the russian effort didn't amount to much. >> if you look at the magnitude of what they did and what they accomplished, i think the ensuing investigations have been way more harmful to our country. >> reporter: speaking at the same forum, hillary clinton says russia's actions were an attack on our democracy and the president is also asking his staff to boycott something else, this year's correspondents dinner. the white house says no staff will attend this week. last year comedian michelle wolf faced backlash after taking jabs at press secretary sarah sanders. >> i actually

. >> you look at what russia did, you know, buying some facebook ads to try and sow dissent, it's a terrible thing. but i think the investigations and all of the speculation that's happened over the last two years has had a much harsher impact on our democracy than a couple of facebook ads. >> reporter: russia's actions amounted to much more than buying some facebook ads. special counsel robert mueller's report called them sweeping and systematic, including spreading disinformation on social media, and hacking of the dnc and clinton team. but today, kushner suggested the russian effort didn't amount to much. >> if you look at the magnitude of what they did and what they accomplished, i think the ensuing investigations have been way more harmful to our country. >> reporter: today, speaking at the same forum, hillary clinton, the target of russia's interference, said their efforts amounted to an attack on democracy. she was asked about robert mueller's other focus, obstruction of justice. >> did donald trump obstruct justice, as you read the incidences, as mueller lays them out? >> well, i think there is e

i want to show you what jarrett kushner had to say. it was a remarkable display of what did not actually happen. >> you look at what russia did, buying some facebook ads to sow disend, it's a terrible thing. but i think all the investigations and speculation the last two years has had a harsher impact on our country than a couple facebook ads. >> that is writing off what is a very deeply documented, crafted effort on the part of russian intelligence to impact our election. >> do you think republicans on the hill are going to stand behind that? >> i don't think you'll see a flippant response to foreign meddling in our elections that you did right there, i don't think they share those views. if anything, i would like to see a bipartisan effort to improve our election security, and make sure that foreign parties, foreign countries are not able to interfere in the 2020 election. having seen this effort be so successful in the 2016 election, i worry we're just inviting that much more foreign interference the next time around. >> quick last word to you on kushner. >> that's exactly right. not only is he a senior adviser to the white house, he's the president's son

you look at what russia did, buying facebook ads to sow dissent, but i think the investigations and allhad a much harsher impact on our democracy than a couple facebook ads. i think they spent about $160,000. i spend $160,000 on facebook every three hours on campaign. if you look at the magnitude of what they did and what they accomplished, the ensuing investigations have been way more harmful. >> let's bring in chris cillizza. it was just a few facebook ads. wasn't really a big deal. >> yeah, that's what you call spin, erica. the reality here is that this was -- look, i recommend that people look at the mueller report, too, just as jared kushner suggested they do. this is a pervasive, broad, deep effort, concerted, coordinated, strategic effort by a foreign power to interfere in our election, to help one candidate, donald trump, to hurt another candidate, hillary clinton, because they believed donald trump would be better for their interests. you're talking about thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of facebook ads, reaching tens of millions of people. again, not my conc

. >> when you look at what russian did, buying some facebook ads to try to sow dissent, but i think the investigations and all of the speculation that's happened for the last two years has had a much harsher impact on our democracy than a couple facebook ads. >> it is absolutely not a couple of facebook ads. the only audience jared kushner would be saying this for is russia who's toasting that and even if the administration, ali, wants to make the argument, listen, that interference happened on obama's watch, not ours, your clock is ticking for the last two years and you're not doing anything. >> jared kushner is a senior administration official. so for them to say, for russia to get the message that a certain administration official says just a couple of ads, is crazy. and clint watts is joining us now. i couldn't believe when i heard jared kushner say that. it was at "the times" 100 conference. >> he seems to have forgotten about the trump tower meeting he fell for. he was dumb enough to go to a meeting under the us miss -- auspices of dirt on the hillary clinton. you can influence us

. >> you look at, you know what russia did, buying some facebook ads to sow dissent and it's a terrible thing. but ik the investigations and all of the speculation that's happened for the last few years has had a much lavern la harsher impact on democracy democracy if you look at the magnitude what have any didden a accomplished i think the ensuing investigations have been more harmful to the dynamic outfront now adviser to form front willing david gergen. former new jersey attorney general. patrick healy. i hear the words may more harmful to the country. that's that's his assessment of the investigations. >> he he has it exactly wrong. the mueller investigation was a far more serious attack and to think that he would sort of dismiss the indictments of some 25 russians racking in to think he would dismiss "the new york times" as reporting 126 million people likely saw those facebook ads. you know it's part of a overall offense that the administration is going on now. they are stiff argument the congress and all sorts of requests. ordering the bicycle of a white house correspondents dinner. that must

i robot and on top of the law. and i'm not that worried about my dad apart ability have. sowed facebook now and saying hey we're bringing on the regulation here is leaving our ideas for how you can regulate us better leaving good luck with that. i mean it's kind of silly to me there's a say there's a lot of things have why it's silly when you break down and then raise thanks again in these four areas about you know these are areas where the government needs to decide essential if someone didn't pay attention to the internet when they were a kid naturally on that or they would. the idea that what you want is to not have any actual responsibility for what happens. while at the same time pretending to be the great arbiters of what is news and what is good and what is that you can't have it both ways and that's why facebook is suffering and that's why they're having so much capital you're exactly right and all of this started when you look at kind of like the information and the reason capitol hill is even interested in all of this is that flow of information. the flow of information before

. >> we look at what russian did buying some facebook ads trying to sow dissent and i think it's a terrible of the investigations and speculation that's happened in the past two years has had a much harsher impact on our democracy than a couple facebook ads. if you look at the magnitude of what they did and accomplished, ensuing allegations have been way more harmful to our country. >> if jared things we're going to debate whether or not it's a couple of facebook ads he's sorely mistaken but he surely pleased the russian. you have to wonder, was that his goal? joining me former congress person and new dad david jolly. anish, to you first. "time" was trying to coordinate a strategy specifically centered on interference and the white house said no way jose. mick mulvaney said he doesn't remember. but does this dynamic surprise you? and what is it like for the white house to now pushback on anything since we saw the mueller report, and we know sarah sanders has lied and pushed stories that aren't true? a pushback story today, why is it worth anything if it was worth nothing before? >> the poin

you look at what russia did buying facebook ads to sow dissent and it's terrible. but i think the investigations and all of the speculation that's happened for the last two years has had had a much harsher impact on our democracy than a couple of facebook ads. >> make no mistake about what the president's evenier adviser and son-in-law is say tlg. here is he is doing. he claims that investigations under the rule of lawen a investigations intended to find the facts are more damaging to this country than russia's long-term and continuing attack on the election and on our democracy. that is stunning disregard for the actions of one of our most dangerous enemies. and it's no surprise after all that while robert mueller found that members of the trump campaign didn't take criminal steps to help the russians, he also found that they knew that they would benefit from russia's election interference. and jared kushner is 100% wrong when he says the russian effort to sow dissent amounted to, his words, a couple of facebook ads. it was much worse than that. here are some facts. oka

you look at what russia did, buying some facebook ads to sow dissent and it's a terrible thing. but i think the investigations and all the speculation that's happened for the last two years has had a much harsher impact on democracy than a couple of facebook ads. >> that right there intentional on kushner's part is an insult to a lot of people. for starters the scores of federal investigators who compiled the mueller report.of it's also insulting to the russians who hacked into our political system and our elections so effectively. just a reminder here, a quote from the mueller report, the russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election in sweeping and systematic fashion. by the end of the 2016 u.s. election russia's disinformation organization had the ability to reach millions of u.s. persons through their social media p accounts. in the wake of revelations about the russian campaign and trump's exhaustive efforts to control and end the inquiry, several prominent democrats as you know have voiced their support for impeachment hearings.or today again house speaker nanc

when you look at what russia did buying some facebook ads to sow dissent, and it's a terrible thing, but i think the investigations and all the speculation that's happened for the last two years has had a much harshering impact on our democracy than a couple of facebook ads. >> here's what the journalist seth abramson said on twitter. the president's son-in-law said today that bob mueller, a u.s. law enforcement officer, has caused more damage to america than vladimir putin who tried to rig a u.s. presidential election. and that's not front page news everywhere in america right now because i guess nothing matters. do you concur? >> yes. it's odd coming from jared kushner who stumbled into some meetings with the russians in trump tower. it's curious he wants to minimize something that ensnared him. i think it's also just reflective of the white house attitude, just like we heard in "the new york times" about you can't talk about russia in the white house. well, clearly if you don't take it serious and you minimize the scope of it and how serious the american public takes it, how can we not

you look at, you know, what russia did, buying some facebook ads and sow dissent. it's a terrible thing. but i think the investigations and all of the speculation that's happened for the last two years has had a much harsher impact on our democracy than a couple of facebook ads. >> it wasn't a couple of facebook ads. honestly. that's the most ridiculous thing i've ever heard. it was millions of people saw these completely fabricated, made-up, troll farm production of hundreds of thousands of things just on facebook alone. >> aimed at helping donald trump win the election. >> exactly. >> that was the goal of what the russians were trying to accomplish. but what jared kushner in his factually incorrect and absurdly downplaying comment there, what he does is actually give us insight into the president's thinking on this, right? he's channeling his father-in-law, the president, his boss, by dismissing this as completely -- as best he can to not raise this to the level of the kind of threat that it is because that would displease the president, apparently, as we're learning today in the "new york t

. >> you look at what russia did, buying some facebook ads to sow dissent and it is a terrible thing but i think the investigations and the speculation that happened for the last two years has had a much harsher impact on our democracy than a couple of facebook ads. >> reporter: now senior white house official conceded the president and his team are more focused on border security than cia security saying it is the first second and third topic on the -- president's agenda and former secretary nielsen may try tock repair her image not being remembered as the secretary of immigration. >> jim acosta at the white house. thank you. >>> and as house democrats are struggling with the president's stonewalling and the prospect of impeachment, they're getting advice from hillary clinton, the 2016 presidential nominee has a new op-ed in "the washington post." let's bring in david chalian. what is hillary clinton's message. >> she notes that some pay may say she's not anything but a flawed messenger because she was his 2016 opponent but she's making a clear argument for how house democrats should proc

. >> you look at, you know, what russia did, buying some facebook ads to try to sow dissent and do that, and it's a terrible thing. but ithe investigations and all of the speculation that's happened for the last two years has had a much harsher impact on our democracy than a coupe of facebook ads. >> house speaker nancy pelosi also spoke saying impeachment would be divisive, but she didn't rule it out. >>> the second of three men convicted in one executed in texas tonight. 4-year-old john william king, an avowed racist orchestrated the beauty 1998 death of james byrd jr. king will be the second man executed in the case. a third man is serving a life sentence. >>> former vice president joe biden is ready to make it official. nbc has learned biden will roll out a video announcing his white house bid tomorrow. then he'll hold a rally in pittsburgh next week, followed by trips to the four key voting states. he is leading in early polls. >>> the brawling bunny is speaking out after viral video surface of him coming to a woman's rescue and breaking up a fight in downtown orlando while dressed as the easter bunny. >> it led hi

. >> when you look at, you know, what russia did, buying some facebook ads to sow dissent and it's a terrible thing but investigations and the speculation has had a much harsher -- >> he's currently the ceo of cyber defense labs, thank you for joining us tonight. we really are eager to get your perspective on this. let's start with what jared kushner said today. first of all, it was just a couple of facebook alds, and secondly the mueller investigation was actually the worst thing that happened to america. >> well, good questions, lawrence. glad to be here. first of all, i think it's sad that somebody that close to the president of the united states is supposed to be one of his trusted advisers cannot see the threat the intelligence and counter intelligence operations pose to russia. and secondly i think the bob mueller investigation and all the men and women who worked with him have allowed us to see a very clear picture how this white house is run. and i think we've pushed some answers back to the congress. >> if the time 100 had invited the russian ambassador today to speak, would he have said anythin

distraction for the country and you look at what russia did, buying some facebook ads to try to sow dissent and it is a terrible thing, but i think the investigations and all of the speculation that has happened for the last two years had a much harshers impact on democracy than a couple of facebook ads. >> while the special counsel concluded quite the contrary, this quote said it all, the russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election in sweeping and systemic fashion. cnn analyst matt rosenberg is a national security correspondent for "the new york times" so thank you for jumping on. and just starting with the comments today and -- that's obviously one person's opinion. we don't know if that represents the mindset of the entire white house. but if you don't recognize the problem, hearing him say, a couple of facebook posts, how are you supposed to solve the problem? >> i mean, we know we've -- there is ample amount of reporting that the white house doesn't have much interest in protecting the next election from russian interference. this is not a high priority. look, kushner is right it was facebook ads bu

. >> when you look at what russia did, buying some facebook ads to sow dissent and do it. but it's terrible but iigations and all of the speculation that's happened for the last two years has had a murch harsher impact on our democracy nasa couple of facebook ads process you look at what they accomplished the ensuing investigations have been way more harmful to our country. >> a couple facebook ards. estimates are on fischer there were 807,000 posts between 2015 and 2017. as david mentioned reaching 126 million users pch i mean, is there- i do wonder if you think -- you know the white house. is there any way those comments coming from jared kushner or him shooting from the hip? or do we assume that's a prevailing view now. >> that's a prevailing view within the white house, kate. what's happening is is that in administration doesn't want to give the russians any life as it relates to their interference in the 2016 elections. as well as the mid-terms which we know and this white house knows that they were trying to sway. spo the bottom line is that jared kushner is sound being like his father-in-l

you look at what russia did, buying some facebook ads to try to sow dissent and do it and it's a terrible thing. but i think the investigations and all of the speculation that's happened for the last two years has had a much harsher impact on our democracy than a couple facebook ads. >>> let's discuss now. john dean and garrett graff are here. good evening, gentlemen. john, i want to start with you. one of the very first lines in mueller's report reads, the russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election in sweeping and systematic fashion. yet here's jared kushner saying that it's no big deal. is he being purposefully misleading about what the russians did? >> when i first read his remarks, i wasn't sure. then i watched him on the clip that you just used, and he had obviously planted that seed in his head and then found the opportunity to use it. and i think it's a devastating misstatement. it's misleading. it's absolutely incorrect. the man has either not read the report, or he's intentionally trying to mislead, and he's not in a good position to be doing that. >> mm-hmm. >> garrett,

you look what russia did, buying some facebook ads to try to sow dissent and do it and it's a terrible thing but i think the investigations and all of the speculation that's happened for the last two years has had a much harsher impact on democracy than a couple of facebook ads. if you look at what they did and the magnitude of what they accomplished the ensuing investigations have been way more harmful. we didn't know what russia was doing what they were doing, a notion what have they were doing didn't even register to us as being impactful. >> and the president just moments ago, you see it right there, leaving absolutely no doubt he approves of his son-in-law's take. russia, of course, did a lot more than buy a couple of facebook ads but facts are not easy to come by in the white house effort to attack the mueller report and its damning findings about the president's conduct and about his character. fight is the white house mantra of the moment. the media, morning show personalities, tariffs, twitter, democrats, the obama administration, all subjects of presidential twitter scorn in the last 24

and you look at, you know, what russia did, buying some facebook ads to try to sow dissent, and do it, and it's a terrible thing, but i think all the allegations and speculation that's happened over the last two years has had a much harsher impact on our democracy than a couple of facebook ads. >> just a couple facebook ads, he says, which earned him a digital pat on the head from his father-in-law. "great interview by jared," he tweeted. "nice to have extraordinarily smart people serving our country." so smart. who else other than maybe that cliff guy could sum up such a long document so concisely? who else could take the lead sentence in the mueller report and interpret it so smartly? i'm quoting from the mueller report -- "the russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election in sweeping and systemic fashion." or as jared kushner so brilliantly put it, a couple of facebook ads. there's also this passage from the opening page of the mueller report -- "first, a russian entity carried out a social media campaign that favored presidential candidate donald j. trump and disparaged presidential candidate hil

. >> you look at what russia did, buying some facebook ads to try to sow dissent and do it, and it's a terrible thing. but i think the investigations and all the speculation that's happened for the last two years has had a much harsher impact on democracy than a couple of facebook ads. >> reporter: russia's actions amounted to much more than buying facebook ads. special counsel robert mueller's report called them sweeping and systematic, including spreading disinformation on social media, hacking of the dnc and clinton team. but kushner suggested the russian effort didn't amount to much. >> if you look at the magnitude of what they did and what they accomplished, i think the ensuing investigations have been way more harmful to our country. >> reporter: speaking at the same forum, hillary clinton, the target of russia's interference, said their efforts amounted to an attack on democracy. and she was asked about robert mueller's other focus, obstruction of justice. >> did donald trump obstruct justice, as you read the incidences as mueller lays them out? >> well, i think there's enough there that any other pe

. >> and you look at whainrussia did, bsome facebook ads to try to sow dissent and do it and it's a terrible thing, but i think the investigations and all of the speculation that's arppened for the last two has had a much harsher impact on democracy than a couple facebook ads. >> woodruff: in addition, a "new york times" article today said that the former homeland security secretary, kirstjen nielsen, was discouraged by the president's staff from discussing security for the 2020 election, in front of the president himself. the white house denied this,r afe story was published. but what about 2020? what has been done, and what more needs to be done, to protect the integrity of that eltion? juliette kayyem previously served in the u.s. department of meland security. and thomas rid is a cybersecurity expert at johns hopkins university, who has closely studied russiane operations lis one. welcome to the newshour to both of you. welcome back. let me start wh you, juliette kayyem. we hear jared kushner saying it was just a few facebook ads, but weee a much more serious picture being portrayed, painted in the m

sow dissent is a terrible thing. but i think the investigations and all the speculation for the last two years has had a much harsher impact on our democracy. >> a few facebook he would go on to say. the first words of the mueller report is interfered in sweeping and systemic fashion. president trump said several times he does not believe this. the "new york times", by the way, saying this morning chief of staff mulvaney instructed the head of homeland security not to discuss election security with the president. we're watching everything that's going on in washington. follow me on twitter. @scottmcgrew. >> thanks, scott. >>> so if you don't know who oakland's damian lillard is, maybe you will know after this. of course you're going to know. last night oklahoma city facing off in the playoffs. portland trail blazers had one last chance to put them away, and here's what happened. >> lillard, long-range three. score! >> that was just a pretty shot. >> that was nice. >> trail blazers win the fame on the 37-foot buzzer beater. they move on to the conference semi times. he graduated from oakland high school. >> all right. >> when the trailblazers came to regular

. >> you look at what russia did, buying some facebook ads to try to sow dissent, and it is a terrible thing, but ink the investigations and all of the speculation that's happened for the last two years had a much harsher impact on the democracy than facebook ads. if you look at what they ensuin investigations have been way more harmful to our country. >> facebook reported russia-based operatives publi published around 80,000 posts that could have reached about 126 million americans. joe, in the mueller investigators called the efforts sweeping and systemic. not just a few facebook ads. >> yeah. elise jordan, you also, of course, had -- you also had officials, administration officials, kirstjen nielsen, for instance, saying this was a threat to our democracy. along the same lines, a breaking story right now from "the new york times," reporting white house chief of staff mick mulvaney warned then homeland secretary kirstjen nielsen not to mention how she was working to stop russian attempts to meddle in the 2020 u.s. elections. to not mention that in front of president trump. according to the report

. >> you look at what russia did, buying some facebook ads to try to sow dissent and do it, it's a terrible thing, but iestigations and all of the speculation that's happened for the last two years has had a much harsher impact on our democracy than a couple of facebook ads. >> his kmenlts came after the "new york times" reported in the months before kirstjen nielsen was forced to resign, she tried to prioritize preparing for russian interference in the 2020 election but white house chief of staff mick mulvaney reportedly told her not to bring it up in front of the president. julia, you have a piece in gq called what putin has on trump. and i mean, what jared kushner there was kind of saying about what happened runs counter to everything we know in public to the fbi director, what mueller laid out in his report, and yet there is still this sort of refusal on the part of the president to acknowledge that this has all happened. in your mind, what is the explanation for that? >> it's also counter to what his -- i say his attorney general, bill barr said also in saying there was no collusion. he did say at

. >> you look at what russia did, you know, buying some facebook ads to try to sow dissent and do it, and it's a terrible thing. but ink the investigations and all of the speculation that's happened for the last two years has had a much harsher impact on democracy than a couple facebook ads. >> is this just a jared kushner perspective or is this something that's shared by others in the president's circle in the white house? >> that took my breath away. first of all, we know that russia was involved much more than just a couple of facebook ads. millions and millions of americans have seen that ad and it impacted the election. but let me tell you how the white house has really kind of ignored the threats of cybersecurity. tom bossert left weeks after i did. he was the head of cyber security for the white house and oversaw the guidance for this president. and this president has not replaced him. the highest-ranked adviser on cyber security, that position remains vacant. we have to be very, very concerned about this president's disregard for the clear and credible threats that we continue to face from russia and other co

sow dissent, and do it. it's a terrible thing, but i think the investigations and all the speculation over the past two years has had a much harsher impact on our democracy than a couple facebook. >> woodruff: the mueller report found that russia engaged in a sweeping campaign of interference in an effort to aid the trump campaign. the man who granted jared kushner his security clearance ignored a subpoena today from the house of representatives oversight committee. carl kline was white house personnel security director during president trump's first two years in office. at issue is whether he improperly gave clearances to kushner and to others. in the philippines, an s earthquatruck the central part of the country, but there were no reports of deaths. just yesterday, another quake killed at least 16 people in the northern philippines. the shockwaves brought down a supermarket and damaged an airport.te in egypt have overwhelmingly approved lettinge president fattah el-sissi stay in power until 2030. 90ections officials say the proposal won nearlof the vote. el-sissi is a former general who overthrew anslamist president in 2013, and has ccked down on dissent since. back in this

i would like you all to respond to it. >> quite frankly the whole thing is just a big distraction for the country. if you look what russia did, buying facebook ads to sow dissent and do it, it is terrible thing but investigations and all the speculation that happened for the last few years had much harsher impact on democracy than a couple facebook ads. they spent 160,000. i spent $160,000 on facebook every three hours in the facebook on the campaign. what they accomplished ensuing investigations are way more harmful to our country. neil: what do you think? >> i mean, debatable about whether or not the investigation has been more harmful than what the russians did i suppose but there is no doubt that jared is obviously downplaying what the russians did. hacking of emails for example, all the stories that produced in the negative fashion. we talked about it ourselves. john podesta emails and everything else that was out there. there are other examples in part one of the mueller report go through it. not enough to charge the president or anybody in the inner circle with conspiracy necessarily. there was more there, there, than a few facebook ads. i under