that floored me, end quote. >>> ronan farrell's new book is called war on peace, the end of diplomacyerican influence. it's good in part because ronan knows what he's talking about on this subject. he is a former state department official. it is good in part because he's got a bunch of news scoops. and it's good in part because he's interviewed every living secretary of state and got them all to weigh in on the secretary of state disaster we are living through now that we will have to explain to the next generation when they wonder where it went and why we had to get rid of it. but mostly it's good because he gets people like, i kid you not, the person connecting rex tillerson's phone calls to talk to them -- talk to him about what's really happening, and those, of course, are the people who always actually know what's really happening. joining us now is ronan farrell fresh off his pulitzer prize. >> thank you for having me. >> this is a big deal, and a big piece of reporting. congratulations. >> i think an important untold story for a whole variety of reasons. >> you're writing about

there is any truth to the story that this doorman was trying to sell and also worth noting that ronan farrells called this story salacious and unconfirmed. a lot of sort of red flags pointing to the story that he is trying to tell. of course ami itself is saying that they were not able to verify that there was any truth to the story in the statement that they released earlier today. they were very emphatic they did not find this to be a a credible story and that'swhy theykilled it and run it. >> but the significant through line is this mnc.o., this patte of trump and people in his orbit with these potentially different story, true or or not, and paying them off. >> if three thrmake a pattern, have three. all of them sort of different versions of agreements and payoffs and this effort to try to keep them quiet, but all of them are now wanting to speak out and they all say that they were paid so that they wouldn't tell their stories leading up to the 2016 election. >> m.j., thank you so much. more breaking news. president trump is meeting with his national security team right this very moment