Transcripts For MSNBCW Deadline White House 20190102 : vimar

MSNBCW Deadline White House January 2, 2019

His performance featuring political stunts like dramatic meet with the dems in the situation room about the border wall. That was just in the last hour. It followed an obstinant 90plus minute preview in the cabinet room that showed a stunning unwillingness to compromise on the wall. Even by trumpian standards. The 5 billion, 5. 6 billion approved by the house is sump a small amount compared to the level of the problem. When they say the wall is immoral, then you got to do something about the vatican because the vatican has the biggest wall of them all. They work 100 . Its never going to change. A wall is a wall. How long is the government going to stay partially shut down . Could be a long time. Could be quickly. That event also veered off the rails several times into attacks on his generals, a dig at senator john mccain, four months after his death, and, of course, a swipe or two at mitt romney who kicked off his tenure as senator with an oped rebuking trumps character. The Trump Presidency made a deep descent in december. The departures of kelly and mattis. The appointment of senior persons of lesser experience and the abandonment of allies who fight beside us and the thoughtsless claim that america has been a sucker in World Affairs all defined his presidency down. With the nation so divided, rezentsful and angry, president ial leadership and qualities of character is indispensable. And it is in this province where the incumdents shortfall has been most glairing. Those strong words generating growing chatter that there could be yet another threat added to the long list of all that trump is facing. A challenger from within his own party in the next election. Joining us from the Washington Post, robert costa. Also bill kristol, director of the Advocacy Group defending democracy together. And here at the table, White House Reporter jonathan lemire, Betsy Woodruff for the daily beast and matt miller, former chief spokesman for the justice department. Robert costa, as tempted as a am to ask you to decipher that whole vatican comment, i am going to go straight to what the president talked about today. Look. We have 800,000 people out of jobs. The smithsonian closed down. You have folks who are talking about returning christmas presents. And at the same time, you have a president facing all that we just laid out. So if anybody thought that somehow this new world order was going to make him more open to compromise, more restrained, clearly they were sadly mistaken. Most Government Shutdowns you have a president or a congress thats dealing with all the fallout of the federal workers being furloughed or not being paid but with this president when you talk to white house officials they say his main concern is keeping that Republican Base with him. The core voter with him for 2019. A look at mitt romney, the senatorelect from utah posting that saicathing oped and his focus is the base, not everything you just detailed. And all these folks that have left, leave him surrounded by yes men. Hes got people in place who are not going to tell him he shouldnt be doing things, who are not going to be a check on the facts. Do they at all share a sense there that the walls might be closing in . There is a degree of that. Certainly with mattis departure, there are fewer of those guardrails, washington establishment members who could sometimes tell the president no and have him at least occasionally listen. With mick mulvaney, in our reporting, the president even told him at one point, dont tell me no often. Thats not going its not something he wants to hear often. Thats not something hes interested in. He chafed in the initial months of kelly when kelly was somewhat restricting what the president could do. There is undoubtedly growing pressure in the west wing that we know the Mueller Investigation continues a pace. We know that, as of tomorrow, the democrats will have control of the house of representatives and that poses an existential threat to this administration. They are going to be armed with the power of the subpoena and talk of impeachment. Well see how they decide to do so but this is a president who robert is right. Despite theres no effort here to reach across the bridge to try to grow his base of support. Despite the losses his party took in the midterm elections. His focus is on the base. He feels he needs to keep them happy and have that Foundation Set to go forward into these battles so they are still happy with him and willing to stay with him no matter what comes next from the democrats or special counsel. And no sign at all that he has any understanding that the base will never be enough. He actually said this is all a political stunt by the democrats who are looking ahead to 2020. And i wonder, as theyre in the situation room right now, what is being discussed there that is a worthy of the situation room, for starters and thats going to change democrats minds. Does he think if he brings the members of the Border Patrol there to say we need a wall, suddenly nancy pelosi is going to come to the microphone and say, ive been wrong all this time . The point about the involvement of Border Patrol officials in these conversations gets to a really important one which is, through his entire campaign, trump bragged about building a solid concrete wall. And then after winning, all of a sudden, it seemed like it dawned on him, maybe you should ask the people responsible for patrolling the bord wler its Signature Campaign promise was a good idea. Turned out thats not what they wanted. So part of whats important about this is one can say with a high degree of confidence that having this meeting in the situation room is a god send to many of these white house staff because its not happening on camera. Like the twohour Cabinet Meeting where trump said all sorts of things that are going to cause headaches for the west wing for weeks to come. Having this behind closed doors may be tactically helpful but is it likely to get democrats to move or budge . There is no moving or budging. Bill kristol, you just wonder, democrats even in some ways, people have said why are they going because they know that nothing is going to happen in this meeting, and they also know that the president is more than ever filled with these flip flops, changes. Today in that you and i remember talking as all this information was coming in today from that 95minute Cabinet Meeting. One of the things he said was somebody mentioned 2. 5 billion for the wall. That somebody was his Vice President. And then he seemed to reject it, just showing you once again, you know, the Vice President goes to the hill. He says can we do 2. 5 billion, and the president seems to not even have any understanding that that ever happened. Makes you wonder whether Mitch Mcconnell at that point could be soon and says, i can cut a deal with nancy pelosi. Well get a little more money for the president in turn for other things and get 67 votes in the senate and house and if he wants to veto it you really think hes going to back down on, i am not going to put anything in front of the president until i know hes going to sign it . If the house passes six Appropriations Bills tomorrow, keeping a whole bunch of agencies open, important to citizens, voters, Interest Groups, agriculture, epa, actual work these agencies do, businesses depend on a permit from epa or evolving loan from agriculture. Youre keeping them closed because you have a disagreement about the wall . Die cr on Homeland Security for a month. Bracket that issue. But whats the rationale for keeping the other six agencies, big agencies of the government closed . I dont see one. I think there will be a lot of pressure for actual Republican Voters and Interest Groups on senators to say whats going on here . He said so many things today worthy of comment. Jame mattis was his defense secretary for two years. Jim mattis resigned in a dignified way. He did not praise donald trump but did not criticize donald trump. He has literally not said a word in criticism of the United States. And trump today trashes jim mattis who is an unbelievably distinguished general and served valiantly as defense secretary swallowing hard to try to keep things, you know, in check at times going along with decisions he didnt agree with. As defense secretary for two years. The day he leaves, the first day out of office, trump trashes him. One thing to criticize mitt romney who criticized him. Another thing to criticize democrats. Fine. Thats what trump does. Criticizing jim mattis will not sit well with people including people like other people in the cabinet. What about the acting defense secretary shanahan. What do you think about that criticism of the man you just served as deputy for two years. Somebody should ask mcconnell. What do you think of that criticism . Also, by the way, as hes about to go into a room with the democrats, he makes some remark about nancy pelosi having been in hawaii. He wants everyone to think hes the one who has been giving up his vacations and sitting in the white house and just waiting for a deal to be made. Speaking of nancy pelosi, right before that meeting in the white house sit room, nancy pelosi sat down with nbcs savannah guthrie. I have a little bit of that to play. Are you willing to come up and give him some of this money for the wall . No. Because apparently thats the sticking point. Were talking about Border Security. Nothing for the wall but that means its a nonstarter. No. How many more times am i saying no . Nothing for the wall. So nothing for the wall, matt miller. The president said hes got to have the wall. We heard from Lindsey Graham today. Theres no deal without a wall. Where does it leave us . Why would nancy pelosi ever give him any money for the wall . Democrats disagree on whether there should be a wall or not. The president was very clear during the campaign about who was going to pay for the wall. Mexico. Not the United States taxpayers. Not congress. The mexico. I dont know why democrats would ever let the president back down from that Campaign Pledge he made and agree to fund the wall they dont think should exist in the first place. You can make the argument theres a more important question to be answered. Do we need a wall . Who is saying that the wall is the answer to the Border Security problem . Absolutely. And the problem the problem is in now, you know, he really only has one playbook. He has he can stage a Reality Television show. An event at the white house and for tv cameras and he can tweet. He doesnt have any dealmaking ability or the real ability to marshal his party in defense of this. If you look at who is out defending the position hes in, its basically him and a few republican members of congress. Mitch mcconnell is really not rushing out to defend his position. Other republicans in congress arent really excited about this Government Shutdown. They got lucky that the shutdown was over the holidays. As people start to feel the impact of this in the coming days, now that people returning to work and seeing the impact of this. Now that you have pay cycles coming where 800,000 federal workers arent getting the pay they expect, youll see pressure on republican senators. And the president doesnt have an end game to get out of this. Speaking of the wall and Border Security, one deep irony is this affects funding for the coast guard. Service members got a temporary paycheck extension that happened just a few days ago but its likely theyll stop being paid. Thats one of the agencies that plays a key role in Border Security. They called additional people to the border. They seize smugglers and drugs being moved to the United States, they stop migrants trying to enter illegally. The shutdown might result in those people losing their way, wall or no wall, its a really goofy comcallaway to talk about Border Security. And insert into all of this mitt romney. Somebody who is very well known, who has a lot of stature. Robert cost aim going to read to you, romney inserting his independence and trumps jop critics see an opening. Romneys assertion of independence is a thunderclap in the gop thrusting him forward as trumps highest profile republican foil and talking talk of trumps vulnerability of a challenger for the 2020 nomination be it romney or another trump critic. Steve bannon emailed the Washington Post saying it begins. Talk about that. For a long time, the bill kristol wing of the Republican Party or the conservative movement has had limited options. John kasich was the rare person making noise about maybe mounting a challenge against President Trump for that 2020 nomination. Now with senatorelect romney making this statement, a scathing rebuke of the president , its animated donors across the country who are uncomfortable with President Trump. They are emailing the post, talking to each other. They are wondering, is there an opening here if the president s Approval Rating goes way down in 2019 if House Democrats impeach him, even if they are talking about if he leaves office at some point, who is going to step forward . Theyve been looking with someone with political capital. Romneys statement provides them with something new to talk about and seize on as the months unfold. How serious do you see the possibility of a threat from within the Republican Party . His base is still with him but theres a whole lot of things that can happen over the course of the next several months, not the least of which is the Mueller Investigation, impeachment proceedings and even he said today, the shutdown may be short or it may go on for a while. If the shutdown goes on for a very long while. A political scientist did a study. President s with Approval Ratings in their own party over 70 tend not to get primaried. If you go below 74 . Other times its more of a nuisance but a damaging one. Everyone has been so focused on trump being an 85 within the party, it wouldnt take that much to take him down to 70. A bad stock market, difficult mueller report, other things like this. Could be really could, i think ive always thought there would be a challenge but its now more likely to be a serious challenge and one that could be successful. And i think romney gives a huge amount of credibility to people out there thinking about doing it. Donors who would like to be involved in an effort to save the Republican Party. Suddenly they its not just bill kristol and john kasich and a few other dissident senators who are now retired. Its mitt romney coming into the senate who, obviously, has no personal stake in this. Its about the future of the party as he sees it. Suddenly saying, this man doesnt have the character, not suddenly, but repeating on this moment as hes about to be sworn in to the United States senate, this man doesnt have the character to be president. Very hard to say just, well, of course we should renominate him in 2020. Everyone agrees he should be renominated. Mitt romney doesnt agree, for one, it seems. If more and more get on that train, it could make a difference. I wonder if its a sign of urgency. Potus is attacked and obstructed by the Mainstream Media and democrats 24 7 for an incoming republican freshman senator to attack trump as their first act feeds into what the democrats and media wants and is disappointing and unproductive. I wonder, jonathan, what an attack would have looked like if mitt romney wasnt her uncle. In this case, maga is still thicker than blood and she was quick to turn her back on family in defense of the president. Certainly people in trump world who were somewhat surprised by this and certainly the timing of it, before romney comes to take office. Hes already launched a scathing attack. Theyve not been that worried about intraparty challenger. The jeff flakes, john kasichs of the world point to the president s high Approval Ratings in the party. They feel he can survive that. Romney brings a different cachet. Step into the breach and try to challenge the president or if he himself is not the candidate, would he be that first salvo. Thats what steve bannon is getting that. There be other efforts to unseat donald trump from the nomination going forward. But lets remember, romney himself was extremely critical of the president during the campaign and then interviewed to be his secretary of state. So we will have to see if this is a sauce stained assault or whether this is like a onetime shot at trump and then does he fall in line. In that piece he does praise a lot of the accomplishments that trump has done. Just not his character. So will he step into the role that we saw from jeff flake or john mccain or most of the time bob corker . The republican senator who is willing to stand up for the president. All those people werent facing voters again. In mccains case, he fell gravely ill. Remains whether romney is the begin aning of a groundswell. Hes also pretty darn secure with his voters in utah. Robert costa, thank you. Everybody else is coming back to talk about the new year bringing a bleaker legal reality for President Trum

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