Them fake. And priebus said his departure symbolized the president pressing the reset button, what trump accused Hillary Clinton for being with russia. Bre priebus was graceful in parting, as he praised trump for his unmatched political instincts. Ive been, obviously, talking to the president. For a few days about this. And ultimately, i formally resigned yesterday. It was something i talked to the president about. I always said to him and he said to me, that either one of us need to move in a different direction, lets talk about it and get it done. Im going to be a trump fan. Im on team trump. He has the best political instincts hang on a second. He knows intuitively, when things need to change. Ive seen it for a year and a half on this wild ride with the president. That i love being a part of. He intuitively determined it was time to do something differently. I think hes right. We talk about this subject. Anytime anytime we want to go a different direction, either one of us, we talk about it. Thats how Reince Priebus described his exit. Heres how the Washington Post describes it, his final departure was a humiliating coda for the tenure that priebus endured emasculation from rival advisers and at times the president himself. The post story recounts one vignette when the president asked priebus to kill a fly that was bothering trump in the oval office. Priebus told trump yesterday he would resign, as you heard. But he accompanied the president on air force one to long island today, where trump spoke to Law Enforcement officers. During that speech, before we knew, secretary kelly would take over for priebus, trump seemed to give a bit of a hint. I want to congratulate john kelly, our secretary of Homeland Security. One of our stars. John kelly is one of our great stars. You know, the borders down 78 . The story broke while air force one was en route from d. C. To new york. On a rainswept tarmac, the president at andrews, spoke briefly with reporters. Reince is a good man. John kelly will do a fantastic job. General kelly has done a fantastic job. Respected by everybody. Reince priebus, a good man. Lets bring in tonights starting panel for a friday night. Nbc News White House correspondent, kristen welker, who was busy today. Washington post white house entrepreneur chief, Phillip Rucker. Josh gerstein, ditto. And with us in the studio, jonathan lamere, White House Reporter for the associated press. Great to have you all. Josh ill begin with you because of your placements today. You were a Pool Reporter for the arrival at the place i will always call Andrews Air Force base. It was the smaller version of the plane today, a 757. And you reported what you saw contemporaneously it speaks to the ongoing diminishment of Reince Priebus. But tell us what you saw when they landed. They were quite delayed in landing, about an extra half hour in the air coming down from new york. I think they were circling for some time due to bad weather. When they finally did land and pull up at the parking place we saw a bunch of staffers come out of the back of the plane. And then we saw the senior staffers Reince Priebus and then Steven Miller and dan scavino the social media director there at the white house all go and get into a vehicle together. This was just at the time that the tweet was coming out from the president that john kelly would be the new chief of staff. And then just moments after loading up in that car, the aides miller and scavino stepped out and got back in the motorcade and that was it for Reince Priebus. He headed off in his own car under some sort of security protection. But he was basically dropped or dumped out of the motorcade at andrews on his own. Unbelievable. All being described by you. We were reading it here in the newsroom. Just to emphasize he presumably asked for the car maybe to make a phone call. The other two aides get out then the car gets out of the sequence. The line of the departing motorcade and pulls off separately. Yeah, thats essentially what happened. I dont know if he just didnt want to be there while trump was making the statement about the change of staff or he was just eager to head off and do business. Priebus did eventually end up at the white house later on in the afternoon. So, phil rucker with time and space condensed as they are, compressed as they are, all of our print colleagues at the white house are writing the lookback piece about the Reince Priebus era, all six months of it. And i know you contend he was something less than a chief of staff in full always. I you know, i think thats exactly right. Look, this is an establishment republican who became close to donald trump over the course of the campaign. Tried to help integrate the party and the trump world. Tried to do that here in washington to help trump govern help him pass his agenda on capitol hill. But he was beset time and again by the chaos and disorder that has really defined all of trumps enterprises including this white house. And its remarkable, brian, that Reince Priebus he was so belittled and so demeaned by his colleagues throughout the six months, as well as by the president himself, he showed up to work still. But the backbiting was just vicious and intense. You know today i talked to a senior white house official who said the past week the president was using the word weak to describe priebus. He would just say weak, weak, weak. He cant get the job done. Of course its all come a end. Kristin, on monday as one political type put it tonight there may be an actual printed schedule for the functioning of the west wing. Yet the president will still be donald trump. How much change do you expect . Well, i think thats the critical question. And i would draw your attention to one point, brian. I had a conversation tonight with a source who said, look, Anthony Scaramucci is still going to be reporting to the president. He is still going to have oval office privileges. As far as we know at this point and what that means is that the chief of staff still doesnt have that emboldened status of having most of the top officials report to him. Will that change . Will john kelly push for that . Thats a critical question and i think that could determine whether this ship is righted. I have to tell you it was very tense today at the white house. We had a sense that something may be brewing. As phil points out the president for several day ifs not several weeks and months has questioned Reince Priebus leadership, his ability to be forceful on a whole host of issues. And for context, remember he he put priebus in charge of health care. He was growing increasingly frustrated he wasnt seeing more action, more success on that front. And then its our understanding that last nights vote was the death knell for priebus, that he just couldnt sustain that final loss. Boy, it doesnt get more dramatic than that. And finally, jonathan, who pays a heavy price for being with us here in new york i got to you last. We have so many things to consider. We have he former marine four star general doesnt scare easily. We have this secretary of Homeland Security riveting for a new job at the white house where he can see the darkness on the edge of town. He can see what just happened to the last occupant and what has happened to other folks in the president s orbit. In this case does no political experience that a good thing. Maybe. Perhaps coming in he has a sense of what has gone wrong but maybe he will try something new to try to fix it. Secretary chief of staff priebus from the get go seemed overwhelmed by the post overwhelmed by donald trump who never quite forgave him for not initially getting onboard the trump train last year and for questioning him in the aftermath of the access hollywood tape. The president would bring it up he liked to tease priebus, belittle priebus at times. Others in the white house sometimes joined in. The lack of a successful agenda. He was supposed to be with his establishment republican contacts in charge of health care as i mentioned. That has gone down in a humbling defeat. He has been unable to keep the trains you think running on time. This a white house with never having a coherent message frx from week to week because they are derailed by the president s whims and tweets. This week started with him going after his own attorney general one of his most faithful and loyal supporters. At the end of the week a week the white house dubbed american heroes week we have the departure of the shortest tenured white house chief in history. We want to tell the viewers at the end of the broadcast, we will have a look back at where weve been since monday. And its a headspinner. So, josh, because were talking about washington and because were talking about a Cabinet Department where the number two will be in charge until a number one can be nominated and not just any Cabinet Department, the folks who keep us safe. What are you hearing about a new secretary for the department of Homeland Security . Well, were hearing that you know one of the rumors is that is out there right now is that there might be some effort to try to shift attorney general Jeff Sessions over this job because he is somebody who had always been thought of as more of an immigration enforcer anyway. I dont know thats viable in the senate given some of the rules laid down up there or the statements raid down by senators in the last couple days saying theyre not interested in having more confirmation hearings for attorney general. That would throw democrats into a pan ac that it was a package deal that would lead to the out offer of special counsel of bob mueller. And continuing chaos for the justice department. For the time being we are looking for acting chief over there until things settle down. Kristin welker, as we take a moment and digest just the idea of the attorney general going across town to Homeland Security and the dominos that sets off, about mr. Scaramucci. Umhum. It is roundly contended by all the former Communications Chiefs we have spoken to that the kind of barnyard language he used that would make a longshoremen blush would mean instant dismissal from any other white house. It appears at the close of Business Today he won. He is a direct report to the president going around any other function in the white house and he is still there. Not only is he still there, brian. But there is a sense behind the scenes that the president is okay with what happened. That perhaps he was in some ways expressing part of what the president feels, at least as it relates to Reince Priebus. Steve bannons job it seems at this point is still safe. But i have to tell you what happened has further divided an already very fractured west wing. And what i mean by that is that you have some people behind the scenes who are brushing off what happened. Some people laughing about what happened. But other people who are deeply upset and bothered by it. Who say frankly someone who use that is type of language, someone who attacks his fellow colleagues shouldnt be allowed to continue to serve in the west wing at the pleasure of the president. And so i think its created more discord. Now, can general kelly come in and change that . Can he smooth over some of the very rough edges that exist right now . Thats going to be a real challenge i think because there is a lot of concern right now, a lot of paranoia among staffers that they could be the next to go. Of course its worth noting, brian, that Reince Priebus was one of Donald Trumps remaining links to the party. You have sean spicer who is out. You have katy walsh who was the first rnc connected high level staffer to leave. Another lower Level Communications staffer who left last week. You have four departures all connected to the rnc. The president s connection to that branch of the Republican Party growing thinner by the day. Mr. Rucker, one question was answered tonight. That is whats the president going to do about the russia sanctions . They floated out the idea that he was going to not sign on to them even though these passed through the house and senate with margins you dont see anymore. Ert thats right and the answer is the president will sign that legislation. We got word from the white house through Sarah Sanders about an hour ago. And then if the Congress Really forced the president s hand because this was a vetoproof majority if you will. Even if the president were to do a veto of this bill it would really just be a symbolic gesture because the congress would of course override it. Jonathan le mere, we dont deal in absolutes but how close to the worse week ever did we just witness in the administration . That is a tough competition. We need a calendar and white beard. This is the a week seen him go after at attorney general. Seen the Health Care Collapse in a humbling defeat. Seen a lot of republicans suddenly act like theyre not afraid of the president anymore. Theyre not going to act on his behalf for loyalty or out of fear. And now we have scaramucci coming in clearly shaking things up. He is the president s id, if you will. He seems not to have just survived the controversy but seems ascendant in the white house. But that could change if kelly comes in on monday and attempts to right the ship. But at the end of the day this is still the president. It all emanates from donald trump. There are only going to be significant changes in this white house if he is willing to make them. And until he does and this is of course the russia cloud still hangs over all of this there may be other competitors for worse week ever. After a long day for the good folks bringing us the first draft of history our thanks to panel of journalists kristin welker, Phillip Rucker and josh g gurstein and jonathan le mire. Thanks for being here late on friday night. How is the ousting of priebus sit wg those inside the gop . Well have one veteran strategist we we continue. 1,200 workers are starting their day building on over a hundred years of heritage, craftsmanship and innovation. Today were bringing you americas number one shave at lower prices every day. Putting money back in the pockets of millions of americans. As one of those workers, im proud to bring you gillette quality for less, because nobody can beat the men and women of gillette. Gillette the best a man can get. So being cool comes naturally. Hmm. I cant decide if this place is swag or bling. Its pretzels. Word. Ladies, you know when you switch, you get my bombdiggity discounts automatically. No duh, right . [ chuckles ] sir, you forgot keep it. Youre gonna need it when i make it precipitate. What, what . What . On behalf of the entire senior staff around you, mr. President , we thank you for the opportunity and the blessing that youve given us to serve your agenda and the american people. And were continuing to work very hard every day to accomplish those goals. It was later dubbed the dear leader meeting. That was Reince Priebus at the president s first full Cabinet Meeting just over a month ago. Thanking President Trump as they all did in order for the in his part the opportunity and the blessing to work for the administration. Joining us by telephone tonight to react to todays news, our friend, gop veteran msnbc political analyst steve schmidt. Happens to be former strategist to john mccains president ial campaign. Weve been thinking of you as the news spooled out. What kind of shape is the presidency in tonight . Well, its in very bad shape. And listening to Reince Priebus there on the audio, what it shows, brian, is that excellence and sick ssycophancy is not necessarily recipe for security in the Trump Administration. We have an administration that has the lowest approvals for any presidency in the modern history of polling. 36, 37, 35 wherever it may be. We have complete and total chaos in the west wing. And really, with each new dawn there is another assault, another attack on the dignity of the institution of the office of president of the united states. And so increasingly and i try not to be alarmist about this as we talk about it on a daily basis. But we are approaching a real hour of crisis in our democracy, in our civics, in the life of a democratic republic. And you think back to that story from outside the declaration of independence convention, you know where Benjamin Franklin walks out and he is asked by a woman on the street and says, dr. Franklin what have we achieved here . He says, a republic, madam, if you can keep it. What we have seen increasingly a level of dysfunction profoundly injurious to the institutions, the democratic norms that are necessary to be sustained in a functioning 21st century Democratic Society. Steve, as we always say the heroes of watergate were for the most part republicans. At least the surprise as it unspooled. And the surprise in the end. Are you looking for that same thing of course coming off last night, murkowski, collins and mccain in the well of the senate are you looking for republicans to change their behavior and comments . Of course. Look, we have two parties in this country right now. We may well see a real independent candidacy in 2020. But when we look at the two parties right now, the party that controls washington, where members who i dont question their their sincerity and oath taking where they swore the oath to defend the constitution of the united states. But the norms of a Democ