That is all for tonight. Well be back monday with more mtp daily. Have great night and a great weekend. Has my way hit the highway . Lets play hardball. Good evening. Im Chris Matthews in washington. Just days after Kellyanne Conway and steve bannon took the helm of the Trump Campaign, the republican nominee modulated tone, cleaned house and rolled out his first ad of the general election. Its the clearest sign yet that trump, who has been hoping for a game change, is actively trying to win back the voters he needs for a path to victory in november. A staff shakeup this week, amid that, Paul Manafort today
resigned. Hes gone. His post as campaign chairman. Sources tell nbc news manaforts relationship with trump had turned adversarial and he didnt want to be sdra sdrx for the campaign. The move follows various reports about manaforts connection with russian oligarchs. Sticking to the teleprompter last night, trump showed a rare moment of contrition, expressing regrets for some of the things he said that may have caused, he used the word pain. Here he is. Sometimes in the heat of debate and speaking on a multitude of issues, you dont choose the right words or you say the wrong thing. I have done that. And believe it or not, i regret it. And i do regret it. Particularly where it may have
caused personal pain. Trumps also out today with his new tv ad of the general election, first one of the tv ad of the election, an attack on Hillary Clinton on the issue no surprise here of immigration. It comes after trump the last couple of months, two months, in fact, effectively ceded the air waves to secretary clinton who spent 60 million already on general election advertising. Shes owned the air waves. All of a sudden these Trump Campaign changes arent coming soon enough for a campaign that for weeks has appeared to be headed downward. We all agree on that. This is the transparent fact weech. We have all watched Trumps Campaign crumble the last three or four weeks. Late today, trump made a hard pitch to africanamerican voters, at least seemed to be doing it. Lets watch what he said. Look how much africanamerican communities have suffered under democratic control. To those i say the following. What do you have to lose by
trying something new like trump. What do you have to lose . What do you have to lose . Youre living in poverty. Your schools are no good. You have no jobs. 58 of your youth is unemployed. What the hell do you have to lose . At the end of four years i guarantee you that i will get over 95 of the africanamerican vote, i promise you. Im joined by msnbc political analyst robert costa from the washington post, michael steele, former chairman of the rnc and msnbc political analyst and stephanie shriok. I will let you up to the plate first. First, what do you make of trumps changes and the regrets . It was almost like i did it my way, regrets, ive made a few but then again, too few to mention. He wont mention them clearly. But he is trying to be, i think, trying to be nicer so he will get women republicans to vote
for him. I think thats what hes up to. Especially on the racial stuff. I dont think thats aimed at black people, africanamericans. I think its aimed at white women who dont want to see themselves as racist so hes talking to them. Your thoughts. It seems to me that really, the only thing he regrets is that hes losing. Right. Thats precisely what we are seeing. Thats politics. This isnt so much fun anymore, i liked this better when other things were happening. I mean, heres the thing. He has spent his entire campaign and arguably most of his adult life offending particularly women in this country. Seven out of ten women voters do not like him. They did not like him yesterday. They do not like him today. And im quite confident theyre not going to like him on election day. His offensive comments have gone too far and hes clearly proven hes unfit for the presidency. Let me go to robert costa. Robert, what do you think . He obviously saw the abyss this
week. We all have our own take on whats going on. I think he looked into the abyss and said im going to humiliate myself, im going to become a loser, a giant loser, and i better make some changes. In comes kellyanne, in comes bannon, out guess moes manafort. Your thoughts . It started over the weekend. Trump was in the hamptons meeting with donors, friends. He was furious about leaks he saw from within the campaign. He saw manafort as becoming a distraction. Trumps family which had grown close to manafort, supportive of him the last couple months, started to see manaforts issues with the prorussian forces in ukraine as another political distraction. This whole time, hes talking to Kellyanne Conway behind the scenes, talking to steve bannon, informal adviser and meeting with roger ailes and saying we got to kickstart this thing in the next 80 days. Do you think hes committed to this new approach of kinder, gentler to women, kinder gentler to africanamericans, kinder gentler to flood victims by flying down there . It does seem to o piece
im not the s. O. B. Some people think i am, im changing or im going to look different now. He seems to be trying. Is this real or is it p. R. . Thats a terrible question. I take that back. Just answer whatever you think. We can never do that on television, figure out whats the difference between true and just selling. Go ahead. Its not apples and oranges. Based on my reporting, what we are going to see is a hybrid approach. Little bit of this Kellyanne Conway influence, reaching out to suburban women. The trip down to louisiana, the regret expression last night in charlotte. Then you got the bannon approach at the same time which is this pugilistic populism going hard after secretary clinton. Lets take a look at this. This morning Trump Campaign manager Kellyanne Conway was asked about whom trump was addressing last night when he said he regretted some of the things hes been saying. Lets watch this moment. What was he talking about . He was talking about anyone who feels offended by anything he said and thats all him. I hope that everybody who has criticized him at some point, david, for being insensitive or for mocking someone, at least shows some recognition and some forgiveness. Will he reach out to the khan family personally . He may. But i certainly hope that they heard him last night. Well, i think shes saying accept it if you feel it. I think the important thing you are talking about a man who has made it very clear he doesnt apologize. He doesnt see a need to express what he did, express regret. So that for him, again, i give that credit to kellyanne. I think shes had an Immediate Impact on the campaign. I think trump is probably now for the first time in a while in a more comfortable space. He along with they are beginning to figure out how to do what robert just touched on, be the pugilist who can go into battle headtohead against hillary but also have in place the message, the structure, and the conversation beyond just going on attack. I think its interesting. Donald trump today released his
first tv ad of the general election. A 4 million ad buy comes two months after clinton, secretary clinton launched her first ad back in june. Lets watch this. In Hillary Clintons america, the system stays rigged against americans. Syrian refugees flood in. Illegal immigrants convicted of committing crimes get to stay. Donald trumps america is secure. Terrorists and dangerous criminals kept out. The border secure. Our families safe. Well, you dance with the one that brung you. Hes back to where he started. The battle against illegal immigration added to the battle against what he considers dangerous refugees coming to this country. Its one shade away from his statement of mexicans being rapists. I dont see this as a change. I see it as a continuation of the campaign. The entire campaign hes run. And as what do you think, illegal immigration is popular in this country . You think illegal immigration is popular . No, thats why we need immigration reform. We have to have a debate about immigration reform. But i think its important to note with these changes, bringing on steve bannon is not exactly a warming feeling for particularly women in this country. How about kellyanne . What do you think of her . What do you think of kellyanne . I think it will be really interesting to see what she does here. I just want to remind folks, on the anniversary of aikens statement about remember, she was the one who defended todd aiken. And shes working for donald trump. Im pretty sure she will defend him. I will get to you in a minute. Im working on you. I want you to Say Something you think might be a smart political move whether or not you like it. Going out and saying i made mistakes, things i regret saying, what do you make of that . I think thats got the kellyanne fingerprints on it. What do you think of that, last night, trump doing it . It may. It may have her fingerprints. I just dont, he also said believe me or not. I dont believe him. And i think i am with the vast majority of women in this country who just dont believe it now. Its too late. Let me get back to robert on the cultivation of the vote he needs. My hunch is that before you win a general election, you first have to win back the mitt romney vote from last time. He is in trouble in states like arizona. Hes in trouble in north carolina. He has to fight for florida at this point. He has to get back to avoid humiliation. Winning women republicans back seems to be the goal. Kellyanne seems to be the perfect professional to help him. Am i right . Well, thats a fair argument to make but based on the reporting i had today, they are severing the arm they had to the republican establishment in Paul Manafort. Hes gone. Hes the one with the links. Bringing in steve bannon, breitbart has been very much opposed to ryan, the House Speaker and mcconnell, Senate Majority leader in their primary contests in recent years. You have bannon advocating this populism nationalism thats detached from the republican party. This is an attempt to make wholesale change of what the gop is. Let me ask you about the area you came from. Bucks county, pennsylvania, suburban republican women who vote republican basically, i dont want to cut them short but basically because of their tax brackets. They are a little better off they think the republican partys better for them. Are they in trouble . Is trump in trouble with them still, those women . When we look they read the papers, they know the issues but tend to be republicans, soft republicans. Can he win them enough to win pennsylvania . Can he win them back, in fact . The way i have had it described to me is the trump people have to get economic unrest for suburban voters to outweigh temperamental concerns that have been lingering for many months. Trump today took on Hillary Clinton when it comes to the africanamerican vote. Hes going to a vote hes not going to get but i think he has to look like hes trying in order to get the white moderate vote. Thats my thinking. Lets watch. Hillary clinton would rather provide a job to a refugee from overseas than to give that job to unemployed africanamerican youth in cities like detroit hoshgs hawho have become refugees in their own country. How does that ring, michael . Is that for somebody else . I dont think that resonates he fki effectively in the black community. Guys in detroit dont think hes on their side . They are largely detached. There are those who like the idea and i heard that expressed to me by a number of entrepreneurs and folks like that who say look, i like that message originally but Everything Else is now clouded that in such a way they are not buying it. He may be able to open up a little bit of a conversation there but not much. This was for a broader audience. This was for greater michigan. This was for arizona. This was for the rest of the rust belt. This was for parts of
pennsylvania, for example, where you know, hes trying to say look, i do care about the people you care about and i am concerned about their station in life, so that should be enough. I care seems to be the theme of the last 24 hours. We will see if it lasts. Certainly to highlight that and visualize it he took a surprise trip last night. Trump today toured the flood zone in louisiana where thousands have been forced out of their homes. Horrible stories down there. It comes after a louisiana newspaper called on president obama to cut short his vacation on Marthas Vineyard to visit the state. Trump today took a jab at the president for as he put it deciding to play golf. Lets watch. Youre playing golf in Marthas Vineyard. Thats all were going to say. Thanks for showing up here, buddy. Somebody is. Somebody is that shouldnt be. Thats right. Make America Great again. Thank you. Build it back, right . Build it back. Robert costa, you got to like somebody like that who just yells out what theyre thinking. That womans got it. She was saying why whats he playing golf for . Talk about a nice partisan shot while the cameras are running. What did you make of that . Trump loves golf. He spends most of his weekends at Trump National having these policy meetings. I think you see trump, this meeting, this trip, to louisiana, it was recommended by bannon. Bannon has these ideas, same with conway of going to democratic towns, places where president obama may not be to try to change the perception of trump not just in these interviews, in these speeches, but in his trips and his itinerary. Its like george bush senior going up to boston harbor, showing how dirty it was. Remember . Exactly. The conversation is about trump being in a space where the president is not. Yeah. You never look good when youre not in a spot. The president is going to catch up. He will tag businease tuesday g down to baton rouge. Its not so good as going now. You can argue this is all showmanship, all p. R. We can argue that but thats what we cover. Its called a campaign. Go ahead. What did you say . I was just saying this whole campaign for trump is showmanship. This is not a campaign that will be as competitive as clinton on grassroots and fundraising. Its all about public perception. I think Ronald Reagan did quite well. They know how to put him in the right place at the right time, whether it was in front of in the liberty park in new jersey rediscovering the statue of liberty. It all worked. I dont know if it will work as much for trump. Theres some scar tissue there on that guy. Donald trump is no Ronald Reagan. Did you like Ronald Reagan, stephanie . I disagreed with him but i tell you, donald trump did you like him . Well, im going to be honest with you. I was in elementary school. Did you like him . I need to know. You cant get away with this. You cant say hes no Ronald Reagan whether or not you say if you liked him or not. I really was a great
communicator. Great. Thank you. You are discernible in your politics. Thank you for coming on. Stephanie, robert and michael, thank you. Have a nice weekend, everybody, with all your opinions. Coming up, quid pro quo. The state Department Says that 400 million payment to iran was quote, leverage, close quote, to get the american prisoners back. The people being held over there. Critics are calling the payment ransom because money for people sounds like ransom. The white house is on defense. Lets watch this one next. Vladimir putin, all in for trump in 2016 . Vlad the impaler . I have the former ambassador of russia here to tell us why that country and its president , putin, appear to be meddling i think i wrote getting into our president ial election. And game change. Trumps attempted reset this week pivoting to foreign policy,
shaking up his Campaign People and heading to louisiana to tour flood damage, will that work . Can he win back wary republicans who went for mitt romney . Can he just win back the Republican Base . Thats his game now. Get a single before you hit a home run. The roundtable weighs in. Let me finish with the trumpdedump. He likes to fire people. Across new york state, from long island to buffalo, from rochester to the hudson valley, from albany to utica, Creative Business incentives, infrastructure investment, university partnerships, and the lowest taxes in decades are creating a stronger economy and the right environment in new york state for business to thrive. Let us help grow your companys tomorrow today at business. Ny. Gov
wthats why we offerfi free wifi at breakfast, by the pool, even while youre sleeping. You can exhale now. Enjoy free wifi and free hot breakfast. Book at hampton. Com for a guaranteed discount. New numbers tonight on how Hillary Clinton and donald trump fare in two tossup states. Lets check the hardball scoreboard. Hillary clinton holds a two point, these are nothing, these edges, out in nevada clinton 44, trump 42. That could be close certainly. Thats within the margin of error, obviously. In georgia, theres a state, clinton and trump are tied. Thats great news for Hillary Clinton. That state hasnt gone for a democrat since 1992. Well be right back. Energy is a complex challenge. People want power. And power plants account for more than a third of energyrelated carbon emissions. The challenge is to capture the emissions before theyre released into the atmosphere. Exxonmobil is a leader in carbon capture. Our team is working to make this technology better, more affordable so it can reduce emissions around the world. Thats what were working on right now. Energy lives here. First of all, this was irans money, okay . It was money that they were going to get back anyway and so we negotiated with the hague this Interest Payment that was much more advantageous to american taxpayers. So to the degree it was a quid pro quo, it was they got their principal back and we got a much more advantageous Interest Payment schedule. Welcome back to hardball. Th