That does it for our show. Rachel h rachel. Dont go anywhere. Hardball with Chris Matthews is up next. Power trip lets play hardball. Good evening, im Chris Matthews in washington. Breaking news from the Associated Press. Just broke the news reported that Omarosa Manigault newman has more than tapes. Just broke. We begin the other big story news tonight. Obsessed with power. President trump appears ready and willing to use his office to punish enemies like omarosa. Scare others including his own people into submission. Having revoked Security Clearances, trump is weaponizing the presidency. Axios reports President Trump has become enamored with power. Consultation with anyone else. When it comes to yanking Security Clearances it is a power that is uniquely and solely hiss. Matches his idea of how the presidency ought to be. Pure power and instant
gratification. Investigating his enemies. Yesterday vanity fair reported that trump told advisors that he wants Attorney General Sessions that he wants Omarosa Manigault arrested. Unconcerned with the consequences with the actions he has taken to date. Key figures inside the mueller probe. As the Washington Post reports the president is eager to invoke more Security Clearances. Because he believes he has emerged looking strong and decisive. Lets listen. I know that ive gotten tremendous response from having done that because Security Clearances are very important to
me, very, very important. And i have had a tremendous response for having done that. Is this political retribution, sir . I am giving him a bigger voice. Many people dont even know who he is. And now he has a bigger voice and that is okay with me. I like taking on voices like that. I never respected him. Dozen former cia leaders have band together to rebuke the president for unprecedent behavior. They write, we have never before seen the approval or removal of Security Clearance used as a Political Tool as was done before. Some 60 more cia Officials Join with former directors in protesting the president s conduct. Joining me know is former cia
director. I want to start with john. You know, i am not sure trump cares where he shoots. He is shooting. If anybody gets in his way, he goes with whatever weapon he can find in his holster. He wants to arrest omarosa. He wants his Attorney General to go out and arrest her. Suing her isnt enough. He does know he is allowed to yank Security Clearances so first weapon of choice. In this case, i dont think he looks strong and determined. He looks thoughtless and like a mad king. I have seen this movie before and it is never in a democracy. Frankly, he has been very transparent about this. Not much artiface in his
response. The guy is erratic. I often thought demagoguery is not a longterm good career move. The rest died hideously. The other problem with this is it is not going to work because you can revoke the Security Clearances unilaterally of people who are out of government and who arent actively using them anyway. But the problem with revoking Security Clearances as a strategy for dealing with your political problems is most of the people who have them need them to do jobs that they are doing in the service of you. So you know, what are you going to do. You are talking about governing. Trump is not interested what you are talking about. If you want to run the cia, you have to have people in security. You are longterm thinking. Reporting now, he loves any power he can get. I think there are moments
where we need to remind people that trumps presidency in itself a grand experiment in the american experience. Never had a public without Public Service experience, government experience, military experience. And never had a president without no accountability. He was a sole proprietor. Here is why people are, you talk about franco and other dictators. Here is why we are having this discussion. People comparing his move to nixon, having an enemies list. Creeping towards authoritarian. Nixon at least new enough to be embarrassed of his list. He says they are enemies of the people. I think trump is back on his
heels. I think everything he is doing with brennan is reacting than omarosa. And she has a lot more ammo than he has ever thought of. Apparently getting to the next segment, she has emails, documents video, tape, everything. We are going to get to a lot of stuff. She has a hell of an arsenal. I think he is reacting. Brennan paid the price to omarosa. Tapes scare trump. Because it is not fake news. It is real. Its existent. Your thoughts. You know this guy. Well, first i agree with you 100 . Donald trump is back on his heels and he is like a coronened
animal. He knows what she is capable of. And we are hearing about more tapes, videos, emails. That has got to concern him. Also, lets not forget whenever he got after whether it is Stormy Daniels, omarosa, his bark is way worse than his bite. None of these Nondisclosure Agreements have held up. And he went after brennan. This man who is weak and petty, not surprisingly put himself before country. It is all about himself and nothing to do with the security of this i didnt. Occasionally, more often for his own good, or too often for
his own good, admits stuff. As i mentioned appears to be an ulterior motive. Trump made his decision weeks ago About Brennan. Announced the action wednesday amidst an onslaught of news coverage. John, i know you are concerned about your institution, the cia, and the government of the united states, this president is primarily concerned about covering his butt. Yeah. And he will use anything. I think that is why you see the signatures of all of these people on these letters. Yeah. Its because all of them, particularly the directors and Deputy Directors have had governing responsibility, responsibility for granting these clearances, for adjudicating them, and revoking them on occasion. They have had them to do it under the law, fairly, and with
integrity. And it affects the security of the united states. It has never been done in my memory for any political reason. Do it for that reason, and you are going to end up in court. The president has the authority to do it, i dont think he should. All of this is governed by executive order. People who have spent their life working for the fbi, and cia, i know through relatives and people, see themselves as working for america, the country, not some bureaucracy. They see themselves as The Good Guys and they dont make a lot of money. They do this their whole life because they think this is a cause, almost like a vocation, being somebody of god if you will because it is about country. And they want to defend these institutions. They believe people working with them is the same, serving their
country. Trump comes along and what is his system . You left out something that is implied what you said and you didnt articulate it. And i want to flesh it out. People actually believe, i know people outside of washington have trouble with this. But it is really true that the people who work in these agencies have a deep seeded idea of a political service. And they dont go in there as democrats or republicans. I know the fashionable thing to think about them as a deep state that has cosmic political interest of their own and that is not the way they think of it. They think of it as service to country. Guys and women who want to get the facts out. How many jobs were created last month. It is important to know this. And people, people, there are people in the cia who work on
very particular parts of the world, political economy in myanmar. They want to get the political economy in myanmar right. Debate club. And then you have these Value Systems that trump is up against that he doesnt fathom. He doesnt understand selfless service. He doesnt know what that is. He cant even fake it. And that comes, that comes off to people who actually went in with a service mentality. He is going after some people, not just going after his socalled enemies or what he calls enemies of the people. He is going after people who might testify against them. People involve in the mueller probe. That was the point i was going to make. He put out an expanding list. No one pushing back on him. Response in congress, not getting a lot of push back there. When you look at people like sally yates, they have been involved in some former fashion in the Russian Investigation as well. Two things, speaking out against him, and involvement in the Russian Investigation. Ive got to say, i was a little surprised not to have push back on the hill you mean his republicans who find no fault with this man. Kennedy called him political and a butt head. So there is either going along with it and defending it or just completely downplaying it. Chris, can i add a point. Go ahead, john. I am disappointed in the reaction of his party including
people i respect senator burr and graham and so forth. I dont know that they know what they are doing. In societies that goes bad, what happens is the laws are set aside, the procedures are set aside. And what they have said About Brennan is they dont like him. He deserves it. That is not a reason to pull a Security Clearance. If you say we are going to do it because these guys deserve it. You erode the process of governing. Where is this guy going. That jury is sitting right there and kissing up to manafort right now today as they are deciding his fate. Trump saying good guy. Nothing stopping trump. When nixon went after charles manson, that was messing with the jury pool. This guy is talking to a jury that is sitting this weekend. He is also projecting a bit. One of the things that scares him a bit is mueller might have his tax returns. And that is one thing that manafort is on trial for tax evasion and other things. I dont think he cares about manafort. I think he cares about how it reflects on him. And concerned about where this investigation is going and where his tax returns will show up. The a mmen corner if he i dont know. It is so disappointing that these members are not doing their job. They are not putting country first. And you know, thats where donald trump is successful. He made this about an individual, About Brennan who has been talking badly about
him. That is where he is able to be successful and attacking people. The senators say, oh, well, he is just one person. Lets see where donald trump takes this. Because there is only so much people are going to take from the Republican Party before they completely bolt. If you did this all on one day and you stripped all of these people of their Security Clearance on the same day, we would be talking about it as a saturday night massacre. You do it in slow motion and you get used to it along the way. Lets talk about the tank coming at the president , omarosa, one name and that is all she needs. And he is petrified. As bad as it is, it is reactive. He is scared to death of somebody with tape. Tape has caused him trouble. Thank you very much. John brennan will be Rachel Maddows guest. 9 00 tonight. First appearance since President Trump revoked his Security Clearance. Omarosa has as many as 200 more tapes she can release. Like time released aspirin. Trumps access Hollywood Tape that triggered Michael Cohen to give Stormy Daniels money. Trumps overblown, overpriced Military Parade gets canceled. And escalating fight with new york governor andrew cuomo. How the major news papers
covered the death of aretha franklin. I was impressed. This is hardball for over ten years. Its the 1 prescribed biologic by dermatologists. More than 250,000 patients have chosen humira to fight their psoriasis. And theyre not backing down. For most patients clearer skin is the proof. Humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. Serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including Lymphoma Have happened, as have blood, liver and nervous system problems. Serious allergic reactions and new or worsening heart failure. Before treatment get tested for tb. Tell your doctor if youve been to areas where certain fungal infections are common and if youve had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flulike symptoms or sores. Dont start humira if you have an infection. Join over 250,000 people who have chosen humira. Ask your dermatologist about humira go. Still no verdict in the bank and Tax Fraud Case against paul manafort. The jury wrapped up day two of deliberations. Back to work on monday morning. President trump spoke about the trial today calling it a sad day for our country. Talk about jury tampering. Lets watch. I dont talk about that now. I think the Whole Manafort Trial is very sad. When you look at what is going on there. It is a very sad day for our country. He worked for me for a short period of time but you know what, he happens to be a very good person. And i think it is sad what they have done to paul manafort. Are you listening members of the jury, he wants you to be. Be right back. Welcome back to hardball. Brand new reporting tonight that Omarosa Manigault newman has more than just audio tapes. She has a stash, apparently a big one of emails, Text Messages and hard documentation supporting claims against President Trump. Coming after released tapes already. She says she wasnt done yet and that is apparently true. Lets watch. Im not going to be bullied. I am not intimidated. Going to go toe to toe with him. Believe me, my tapes are better than theirs. Thank you both. I like your reporting and your writing. Let me go to ken. You reported she has hundreds of tapes. How do you react to the news that somebody is getting the reporting tonight of Associated Press that she has other forms of proof. Everything is documentable oopz. Either she was going to cash in in her experience. Or she was going to need to protect herself because she thought the trump inner circle. She is playing trumps tactics against him effectively in a way that is driving him crazy as you can see from his twitter feed. Do you know whether she began collecting this documentation, especially the audio tapes when
she knew she was going to be dumped on or disposed of or she knew from the beginning. It was after she learned that things were going south. In very trumpian fashion, she is suggesting there is more out there. Telling certainly, and telling in the content and also to hear these things directly from some of the people in their voice. But it is not bombshells. We havent seen anything super explosive. Just like trump saying he has Barack Obamas birth certificate. Trump was full of bs on his claims. She is providing. What she is providing so far is interesting to me. First is laura it was just money. We knew some of that was going on. The super pac has a lot of people who were working for it. Who dont have clear Job Description and fit into the categories of just hangers on. That said, to hear laura trump make that offer, it is powerful and it does lead us wanting to know what else she had. I never heard of a Job Conversation where the offer of a job is primarily about the money. If you want to give a speech now that would be okay. It sounds like hush to me. Hush, hush sweet omarosa. It does. If you want to talk, if you want to exist, it is fine but please dont hurt us. That smopeaks to how important is. I think general kelly, when
he tried to erase her from the scene. Please leave the building. Any idea what kind of Order Of Battle She has. It is fascinating. This is one of the crisis that trump has responded to most strongly. An existential threat to the whole trump m. O. Which is about being slippery with the truth. X one day, and y the next. When there is hard evidence, you cant do that anymore. If you are trump and you think you are the smartest guy in your family, i think that is fair to assume, he thinks so. And these people in his family that aren and then that laurah got taped, his daughterinlaw. I wonder if he is worried, what
in hell does that woman have on my kids because they dont know they are being taped. Your thoughts. That is what i think trump worried about. Actually, she has already taped him too. Yeah. And you even hear lara trumps tone in that tape that you guys did obtain. I dont Think Omarosa went in with this expectation of loyalty and sort of a warm mutual relationship. She was butting heads with people from the beginning. A long list of folks that were on her bad side. She had motivation to be recording. And some of the tapes that she has released thus far in my opinion are not super conde
condemntory. It should raise concerns about who else she has. It was just broke christina that the reason they gave 130,000, a lot of money, it was because they heard the access Hollywood Tapes and they got spooked. It shows the power of the tapes. And it shows what trumps usual method was. Completely l