Core Animating Question News Today

Blackwater founder travelled to the say chehali at theequest of a trump team to meet with a russian oligarch to set up back channel with president putin. so this begs a question why are they not going through the front channels? why are they not going through the state department, and what is it theyre trying to hide with all of this? >> and steve clemens, why does the president in general just favor russia so much? and the back channel issue is so fascinating. jfk would have loved to have a bac...

Get james comey to back down in this investigation, it was a one-word answer that he wanted to say more than once, no, no. >> no, no, no. next question. well, youre right, lawrence. he -- thats the only restraint he has shown in the last day. he was quiet for, lets say, 12 hours after the announcement of the special counsel. and as you said that very presidential professional statement was put out clearly written by his staff. but he couldnt help himself. in the morning, he came out with this tw...

And they are things that trump is doing that as indira said are self-inflicted, and give the special prosecutor more fodder, more things to look at. he may be right. the initial fbi investigation into the sort of core animating question, which is whether there was collusion between his campaign and russia may ultimately absolve him. it may not absolve people in his campaign. and that raises questions about what he knew about the people who he welcomed in to his campaign and his transition, inclu...

Have stated many times, a thorough investigation will confirm what we already know there was no collusion between my campaign and any foreign entity. i look forward to this matter concluding quickly." it was a perfectly reasonable presidential-sounding white house statement about a situation like this. but everyone knew that would not be the presidents last word abt the investigion. everyone knew we would havto wait for the early morning tweet to find out what he was really thinking. and of cour...

The initial fbi investigation into the sort of core animating question, which is whether there was collusion between his campaign and russia may ultimately absolve him. it may not absolve people in his campaign. and that raises questions about what he knew about the people who he welcomed in to his campaign and his transition, including mike flynn, including paul manafort. but nonetheless, he is adding fodder and adding potential angles for the special prosecutor to look at when he comes out and...

What do you say to them? >> a lot of those guys are still supporting trump publicly because they feel like they have to. they are afraid of the mean tweet, going crazy rip shit bonkers on them. they are afraid of the legal consequences coming. they are afraid of the structural problems that trump is going to bring them in 2018. mike pence feels like a safety blanket. he feels like a soft landing for a lot of these guys. i dont think it would be that easy politically if pence gets caught up in th...

Campaign. but i can only speak for myselves and the russians, zero. i think it divides the country. i think we have a very divided country because of that and many other things. so i can tell you that we want to bring this great country of ours together. >> the president, if he becomes a witness under oath for a special prosecutor will not be the first president who became a witness for a special prosecutor under oath. today he got a bit of a rehearsal for what that might be like. he was asked a...

Actually had a one-word answer when he was asked -- no. >> yeah. the answer was no. when he was asked did you try to get james comey to back down in this investigation, it was a one-word answer that he wanted to say more than once, no, no. >> no, no, no. next question. well, youre right, lawrence. he -- thats the only restraint he has shown in the last day. he was quiet for, lets say, 12 hours after the announcement of the special counsel. and as you said that very presidential professional st...

He reveals himself in his early morning tweets. >> the president is his own worst enemy. >> he can take care of himself. >> we look forward to getting this whole situation behind us. >> did you at any time urge former fbi director james comey to back down the investigation into michael flynn? and also, as you -- >> no, no. next question. >> the administration knew he was under criminal investigation when they hired him. >> and he is up for the most sensitive job in the white house? that should h...

And ken, if there is a single rule to live by in life when you know someone is under investigation by the fbi, you just wait. you wait. you do not communicate with that person. you done-mail, you dont call, dont meet them for coffee. just wait until thats over. the notion that the president of the united states might be reaching out to and communicating directly or indirectly with michael flynn under an fbi investigation could -- there is just no way to finish the question i have here. this is w...