SHEINELLE, CRAIG. >> KELLY O'DONNELL FOR US THIS
MORNING FROM THE WHITE HOUSE. THANK YOU.
>>> LET'S FOLLOW UP ON THAT ARI MEL BER IS MSNBC'S CHIEF LEGAL
CORRESPONDENT AND JOSH EARNEST SERVED AS PRESS SECRETARY UNDER
PRESIDENT OBAMA. GOOD MORNING TO BOTH OF YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING. >> GOOD MORNING.
>> LET'S BEGIN WITH YOU HERE. IS IT LEGAL TO SECRETLY RECORD
WHITE HOUSE CONVERSATIONS AND ARE THERE LAWS ABOUT WHAT NEEDS
TO BE DONE WITH THESE RECORDINGS?
>> IT'S UNUSUAL AND HAS BEEN PROBLEMATIC SINCE RICHARD NIXON
WAS TAKEN TO THE SPECT AND LOST UNDER HIDING TAPES.
UNDER D.C. LAW YOU CAN DO A ONE-WAY TAPING MEANING IF ONE
PERSON INVOLVED IN THE CONVERSATION KNOWS IT'S BEING
TAPED THAT'S LEGAL. IF THE PRESIDENT IS TAPING OTHER
AIDES IN CONVERSATIONS HE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THAT WOULD AT
LEAST VIOLATE D.C. LAW. >> SUM MING FORMER FBI DIRECTOR
JAMES COMEY AFTER SALLY YATES TO GIVE A HEADS UP ON MICHAEL
FLYNN. THIS PERHAPS INAPPROPRIATE
QUESTION BY THE FBI DIRECTOR ABOUT WHETHER HE IS UNDER
INVESTIGATION AND NOW THREATENING, IF YOU WILL, THE
FORMER FBI DIRECTOR WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF THESE TAPES.
AT WHAT POINT DOES THIS SOUND LIKE OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE?
>> I THINK AT THE POINT THAT THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT DONALD
TRUMP WOULD PRIVATELY AND SUBL CLEE TRY TO IMPEDE AND CHANGE
THE OUTCOME IN THE INVESTIGATION.
I WOULD SAY HE HASN'T YET SHOWN THAT.
THE CURRENT EVIDENCE WOULDN'T MAKE THAT CASE, BUT WHEN HE TOLD
OUR OWN LESTER HOLT THAT HE THINKS HE CAN SPEED UP OR SLOW
DOWN THE INVESTIGATION, THAT HE BELIEVES HE IS INN CHARGE OF AN
INVESTIGATION OF HIS OWN AIDES HE SHOWED EITHER COMPLETE
MISUNDERSTANDING OF HOW THIS WORKS OR WORSE THE BELIEF THAT
HE COULD DO THAT KIND OF IMPEDING.
SO HE IS GETTING CLOSER TO THE LINE.
>> TO BE CLEAR THAT WAS THE CENTRAL CHARGE AGAINST NIXON AND
AGAINST CLINTON AS WELL. >> BOTH ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT
INCLUDED THAT. >> JOSH, I WANT TO BRING YOU IN
HERE. IN FRIDAY'S BRIEFING WITH SEAN
SPICER WHEN ASKED IF ANY TAPING WAS DONE AT THE WHITE HOUSE HE
SAID HE HAD NOTHING TO ADD, NO FURTHER COMMENT.
WE JUST LISTENED TO TRUMP AND HE WAS DOING THE FOX NEWS INTERVIEW
HE REFUSED TO COMMENT ABOUT IT. WHAT DOES THAT SAY?
WHAT SHOULD WE READ INTO THIS HERE?
>> IT CERTAINLY SEEMS THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP IS SEEKING TO
SEW A CLIMATE OF PARANOIA AND CONFUSION INSIDE HIS OWN WHITE
HOUSE. EVERYBODY WHO NOW WALKS IN THOSE
GATES ON PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE HAS TO WONDER IF THEIR CONVERSATIONS
ARE GOING TO BE RECORDED AND THAT DOESN'T JUST INCLUDE
VISITORS, THAT INCLUDES MEMBERS OF THE WHITE HOUSE STAFF WHO
HAVE TO BE WONDERING WHETHER OR NOT THEIR CONVERSATIONS ARE
BEING TAPED. THIS IS A MANAGEMENT STYLE, IF
YOU CAN CALL IT THAT, THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP FOUND TO BE
USEFUL IN RUNNING HIS FAMILY-OWNED REAL ESTATE
BUSINESS. IT'S NOT A USEFUL STRATEGY FOR
RUNNING THE GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.
I THINK THAT WE'VE SEEN THAT ON DISPLAY OVER THE COURSE OF THE
LAST WEEK WITH THE EVOLVING EXPLANATIONS AND AN EVOLVING
SEARCH FOR THE TRUTH THAT FRANKLY HAS SHAKEN CONFIDENCE
THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE IN THIS ADMINISTRATION INCLUDING
AMONG MEMBERS OF THE PRESIDENT'S OWN PARTY.
>> JOSH, I WANT TO GET YOUR TAKE ON SOMETHING ELSE THAT THE
PRESIDENT SAID DURING THIS FOX NEWS INTERVIEW YESTERDAY.
HERE HE IS YESTERDAY WITH JUDGE JANINE.
>> ARE YOU MOVING SO QUICKLY THAT YOUR COMMUNICATIONS
DEPARTMENT CANNOT KEEP UP WITH YOU?
>> YES. THAT'S TRUE.
>> SO WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT THAT? >> WE DON'T HAVE PRESS
CONFERENCES AND WE DO -- >> YOU DON'T MEAN THAT.
>> WELL, JUST DON'T HAVE THEM, UNLESS I HAVE THEM EVERY TWO
WEEKS AND I DO IT MYSELF. WE DON'T HAVE THEM.
I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA. FIRST OF ALL, YOU HAVE A LEVEL
OF HOSTILITY THAT'S INCREDIBLE AND IT'S VERY UNFAIR.
>> YOUR REACTION TO THAT, FORMER PRESS SECRETARY JOSH EARNEST.
AND FOR FOLKS WHO MAY NOT FOLLOW THEM AS CLOSELY AS WE DO, WHAT'S
THE PURPOSE OF THE DAILY PRESS BRIEFING?
>> THE PURPOSE OF THE DAILY PRESS BRIEFING IS TO HAVE A
SENIOR MEMBER OF THE PRESIDENT'S STAFF EMPOWERED TO COME OUT AND
SPEND AN HOUR EVERY DAY IN FRONT OF THE PRESS CORPS ON THE
RECORD, ON CAMERA ANSWERING QUESTIONS, ANSWERING WHATEVER
QUESTIONS COME TO THE MIND OF THESE JOURNALISTS.
THIS IS AN EXPERTISE IN TRANSPARENCY, ALSO AN EXERCISE
IN ACCOUNTABILITY. IT'S CRITICAL TO THE SUCCESS OF
OUR GOVERNMENT. THERE ARE VERY FEW COUNTRIES
AROUND THE WORLD THAT PARTICIPATE IN AN EXERCISE LIKE
THIS. BUT WHAT'S TROUBLING
PARTICULARLY ABOUT THIS, CRAIG, IS IT'S NOT A SITUATION WHERE
THE WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS STAFF IS STRUGGLING TO KEEP UP
WITH RAPIDLY CHANGING WORLD EVENTS.
WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS STAFF IS
STRUGGLING TO DO IS TO KEEP UP WITH THE RAPIDLY CHANGING STORY
THAT IS EMANATING FROM THE OVAL OFFICE.
WE'VE SEEN MULTIPLE DIFFERENT EXPLANATIONS FOR WHY PRESIDENT
TRUMP FIRED DIRECTOR COMEY. THEY DON'T NEED A NEW
COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY, THEY JUST NEED TO GO BACK TO THE
BASICS AND START TELLING THE TRUTH.
>> I WANT TO JUMP IN HERE AND TAKE A STEP BACK.
LET'S RUN THROUGH WHAT HAPPENED. MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
JUST ONE WEEK. SO MONDAY WE HAVE SALLY YATES OF
COURSE TESTIFYING MICHA MICHAEL WAS POSSIBLY COMPROMISED WHILE
HE WAS ACTING AS NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER TO THE
PRESIDENT. THEN TUESDAY IN A SURPRISE
DECISION YOU HAVE TRUMP FIRING FBI DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY.
THEN WE GO TO WEDNESDAY, WE GET ONE EXPLANATION ABOUT THE MOTIVE
FOR THE FIRING. ON THURSDAY THAT EXPLANATION
SHIFTS. FRIDAY THE PRESIDENT MAKES
THAT -- YOU KNOW, WHAT SOME HAVE CHARACTERIZED AS A THREAT TO THE
FORMER FBI DIRECTOR. WOULD YOU SAY EVEN BY TRUMP
STANDARDS THIS WAS AN EXTRAORDINARY FIVE DAYS?
I WILL START WITH YOU, ARI. >> I THINK IT WAS EXTRAORDINARY.
I THINK DONALD TRUMP IS A GOOD COMMUNITY KARAT.
HE WANTS EVERYONE THINKING ABOUT THE DIALOGUE.
SO THERE'S THE TAPES, THERE'S THE DINNER, THERE'S WILL HE OR
WON'T HE CANCEL PRESS BRIEFINGS. WE ARE AT A POINT WHERE IT'S
IMPORTANT TO FOCUS ON THE PLOT. AS YOU OUTLINED THE PLOT IS THE
MIDSTREAM FIRING OF AN FBI DIRECTOR FOR A STATED AREN THAT
THEY HAVE NOW ADMITTED IS FALSE. THAT RAISES QUESTIONS FOR
AMERICANS, NOT ON A POLITICAL BASIS BUT ON THE BASIS OF THE
RULE OF LAW IF THE FIRST REASON WAS FALSE WHY DO YOU BELIEVE THE
SECOND AND DO YOU WANT TO FACT CHECK IT BECAUSE THERE'S A
POSSIBILITY THAT IF THE PERSON WAS FIRED FOR THE WRONG REASON
IT COULD COMPROMISE THE RULE OF LAW.
>> JOSH EARNEST, GOOD TO HAVE YOU, SIR.
THANKS TO BOTH OF YOU. >>> YOU CAN CATCH ARI'S
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét