remember that famous line where's my roy cohen? you're saying he found one in himself when he couldn't find one externally? >> it is him. it is not michael cohen. it is not rudy giuliani. it's not anybody, any of the many, many attorneys who have represented donald trump the last 50 years. it is donald trump himself who is his own roy cohen. he was perhaps roy cohen's best pupil, learned those lessons well starting in '73, certainly throughout the decade of the '70s into the early '80s. roy cohen is in his corner and at his side. >> that's really fascinating, the student outdoing the teacher. does it reveal a flaw, though, more broadly in our legal system that someone could so easily master a way to muddy the waters, to gum up the works by bringing not only at times frivolous litigation he's been accused of, and also spinning things. one of the biggest rules in politics certainly is to define your opponent before they can define themselves. it seems like his opponent is the justice system himself and he has been defining it time and

roy cohn? you say he found one in himself when he could not find it externally? >> reporter: it is him, it is not michael cohen or rudy giuliani, it is not anybody. out of the many attorneys that represented donald trump over the last 50 years, it is donald trump himself who was his own roy cohn, perhaps his best pupil . he learned those lessons while starting in '70s and throughout the decade of the '70s into the early '80s. roy cohn is in his corner and at his side. >> it is fascinating to think about the student outdoing the teacher . does it reveal a flaw in the legal system, someone could so easily master away to muddy the waters, gum up the works by bringing not only at times frivolous litigation he is accused of but also spinning things. one of the biggest rules in politics is to do find them, your opponent, but for the defined themselves. it seems like his opponent is the justice system itself and he is defining at time and time again as it relates to him as political persecution, as a witchhunt. what do you make of that? >> it is important for people to understand as we watch what is happening in vari

one his mentor, roy cohen, perfected. he suggests without evidence that nikki haley has something to hide. >> these are very dishonest people. you are always fighting them. just a little note to nikki. she's not going to win. if she did, she would be under investigation by those people in 15 minutes. i could tell you five reasons why already. not big reasons. little stuff she doesn't want to talk about. but she will be under investigation within minutes. >> again, offers no evidence, par for the course. that's how he treats his enemy. it's how he treats his friend. consider the public humiliation he dumped on tim scott, who was smiling behind him, who never at attacked trump and endorsed him over nikki haley. last night, the former president twisted the knife because he can. >> did you ever think that she actually appointed you, tim? think of it. appointed and you are the senator of the state. she endorsed me. you must really hate her. it's a shame. it's a shame. >> i just love you. >> humiliation, that's the price of adm

roy cohen wasn't exactly a statesman. he represented the mob.ans understand donald trump's background. >> i think, to your point, trump was very attracted to the clemency powers, because it was almost an absolute power. he could do it unilaterally himself. bill barr didn't like it. didn't matter, he could still do it. congress couldn't get in the way. no one could get in the way. from what we know about donald trump, something that gives him an enormous amount of power and leverage over people, what we don't address in the story is the commutations and for people who didn't cooperate with the mueller investigation or were part of helping to overturn the election. >> michael schmitt, thank you very much. we'll be right back for another hour of "morning joe." k for ano hour of "morning joe." when you walk up to the counter at the pharmacy and you have a new prescription, you don't know what it's going to cost. that's why i always recommend you check the singlecare app before you go to the counter. i found the cheaper price with singlecare! yes, yo