"MORNING JOE." >>> JOINING US NOW, SENIOR WHITE
>>> JOINING US NOW, SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT FOR "TIME"
HOUSE CORRESPONDENT FOR "TIME" MAGAZINE BRIAN BENNETT.
MAGAZINE BRIAN BENNETT. GOOD MORNING.
GOOD MORNING. YOU’RE HERE WITH THIS WEEK’S
YOU’RE HERE WITH THIS WEEK’S COVER STORY THE CRISIS YOU SAY
COVER STORY THE CRISIS YOU SAY OF THE PRESIDENT’S OWN MAKING.
OF THE PRESIDENT’S OWN MAKING. TELL US WHAT YOU SAY INSIDE.
TELL US WHAT YOU SAY INSIDE. >> WELL, THIS IMAGE ITSELF IS
>> WELL, THIS IMAGE ITSELF IS VERY STRIKING AND WE WANTED TO
VERY STRIKING AND WE WANTED TO BRING ATTENTION TO THIS WEEK’S
BRING ATTENTION TO THIS WEEK’S EVENTS AND THE SUMMIT.
EVENTS AND THE SUMMIT. AND, IN PARTICULAR, WE WANTED TO
AND, IN PARTICULAR, WE WANTED TO BRING ATTENTION TO HOW STRIKING
BRING ATTENTION TO HOW STRIKING IT WAS THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS
IT WAS THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS WILLING TO ALIGN HIMSELF WITH
WILLING TO ALIGN HIMSELF WITH PRESIDENT PUTIN OF RUSSIA ON SO
PRESIDENT PUTIN OF RUSSIA ON SO MANY ISSUES.
MANY ISSUES. WHETHER IT WAS THE WAY FORWARD
WHETHER IT WAS THE WAY FORWARD IN SYRIA, ANTI-NATO RHETORIC,
IN SYRIA, ANTI-NATO RHETORIC, ALL OF THIS, ALL OF THESE UB
ALL OF THIS, ALL OF THESE UB OBJECTIVE PRIORITIES.
OBJECTIVE PRIORITIES. PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS WILLING TO
PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS WILLING TO STAND NEXT TO PRESIDENT PUTIN
STAND NEXT TO PRESIDENT PUTIN AND ALIGN WITH RUSSIAN INTEREST
AND ALIGN WITH RUSSIAN INTEREST INTERESTS.
INTERESTS. ONE OF THE MOST INCREDIBLE
ONE OF THE MOST INCREDIBLE MOMENTS IS WHEN PRESIDENT TRUMP
MOMENTS IS WHEN PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS ASKED POINT BLANK BY A
WAS ASKED POINT BLANK BY A REPORTER, WHO DO YOU BELIEVE?
REPORTER, WHO DO YOU BELIEVE? U.S. INTELLIGENCE ASSESSMENTS
U.S. INTELLIGENCE ASSESSMENTS THAT RUSSIA MEDDLED IN THE 2016
THAT RUSSIA MEDDLED IN THE 2016 ELECTIONS OR PRESIDENT PUTIN’S
ELECTIONS OR PRESIDENT PUTIN’S DENIALS?
DENIALS? >> YOU SAY HERE THAT TRUMP’S
>> YOU SAY HERE THAT TRUMP’S DEFENDERS ARE JUST TRYING TO SAY
DEFENDERS ARE JUST TRYING TO SAY THAT THE PRESIDENT IS REALLY
THAT THE PRESIDENT IS REALLY DRIVEN HERE BY A DEFENSIVE
DRIVEN HERE BY A DEFENSIVE REFLEX TO DEFEND THE LEGITIMACY
REFLEX TO DEFEND THE LEGITIMACY OF HIS 2016 ELECTION VICTORY.
OF HIS 2016 ELECTION VICTORY. I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THIS IS
I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THIS IS NOT HELPING WITH THE LEGITIMACY.
NOT HELPING WITH THE LEGITIMACY. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OTHER
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OTHER OPTIONS WE NEED TO WITH A LEVEL
OPTIONS WE NEED TO WITH A LEVEL HEAD START TO CONSIDER HERE TO
HEAD START TO CONSIDER HERE TO EXPLAIN THE PRESIDENT’S
EXPLAIN THE PRESIDENT’S MOTIVATIONS FOR THIS BEHAVIOR?
MOTIVATIONS FOR THIS BEHAVIOR? >> SO, I THINK YOU’RE RIGHT.
>> SO, I THINK YOU’RE RIGHT. THERE IS NO SATISFACTORY
THERE IS NO SATISFACTORY EXPLANATION FOR WHY THE
EXPLANATION FOR WHY THE PRESIDENT HAS TAKEN PUTIN AND
PRESIDENT HAS TAKEN PUTIN AND RUSSIA’S SIDE ON SO MANY
RUSSIA’S SIDE ON SO MANY CRITICAL ISSUES WHEN IT COMES TO
CRITICAL ISSUES WHEN IT COMES TO U.S. INTEREST OVERSEAS.
U.S. INTEREST OVERSEAS. AND I THINK THE BIG QUESTION IS,
AND I THINK THE BIG QUESTION IS, WHY.
WHY. AND WHEN IT COMES TO PRESIDENT
AND WHEN IT COMES TO PRESIDENT TRUMP, CERTAINLY, WE KNOW FROM
TRUMP, CERTAINLY, WE KNOW FROM PEOPLE CLOSE TO HIM THAT HIS EGO
PEOPLE CLOSE TO HIM THAT HIS EGO PLAYS A HUGE, HUGE ROLE IN THAT.
PLAYS A HUGE, HUGE ROLE IN THAT. HE IS OBSESSED WITH THE
HE IS OBSESSED WITH THE LEGITIMACY OF THE 2016 AND THAT
LEGITIMACY OF THE 2016 AND THAT CLOUDED HIS JUDGMENT WHEN IT
CLOUDED HIS JUDGMENT WHEN IT COMES TO ALL HIS OTHER ISSUES.
COMES TO ALL HIS OTHER ISSUES. WHEN IT COMES TO NEXT STEPS,
WHEN IT COMES TO NEXT STEPS, MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ARE
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ARE EXTREMELY CONCERNED THAT
EXTREMELY CONCERNED THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP IS NOT TAKING
PRESIDENT TRUMP IS NOT TAKING THE INTEREST OF THE COUNTRY
THE INTEREST OF THE COUNTRY FIRST AND TAKING HIS PERSONAL
FIRST AND TAKING HIS PERSONAL INTEREST OR SOME OTHER INTEREST
INTEREST OR SOME OTHER INTEREST FIRST AND THAT IS SOMETHING THE
FIRST AND THAT IS SOMETHING THE FOUNDER DESIGNED THE PRESIDENCY
FOUNDER DESIGNED THE PRESIDENCY AND SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED THE
AND SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED THE OATH OF THE PRESIDENCY TO
OATH OF THE PRESIDENCY TO ADDRESS.
ADDRESS. >> SAM STEIN HERE.
>> SAM STEIN HERE. I ONLY WORKED FOR DIGITAL
I ONLY WORKED FOR DIGITAL PUBLICATIONS, I NEVER WORKED FOR
PUBLICATIONS, I NEVER WORKED FOR A PRINT MAGAZINE LIKE YOURS.
A PRINT MAGAZINE LIKE YOURS. THIS WEEK MADE ME VERY HAPPY FOR
THIS WEEK MADE ME VERY HAPPY FOR WORKING AT DIGITAL PUBLICATIONS
WORKING AT DIGITAL PUBLICATIONS BECAUSE TWO POTENTIALLY EVEN
BECAUSE TWO POTENTIALLY EVEN THREE WALK BACKS OF COMMENTS
THREE WALK BACKS OF COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE BY THE PRESIDENT.
THAT WERE MADE BY THE PRESIDENT. I’M WONDERING AS SOMEONE WAS
I’M WONDERING AS SOMEONE WAS PUTTING TOGETHER A PUBLICATION,
PUTTING TOGETHER A PUBLICATION, AS YOU SEE TRUMP SAY SOMETHING
AS YOU SEE TRUMP SAY SOMETHING AND THEN SAY I DIDN’T MEAN WOULD
AND THEN SAY I DIDN’T MEAN WOULD I MEANT WOULDN’T AND HIS PRESS
I MEANT WOULDN’T AND HIS PRESS SECRETARY SAID HE DIDN’T MEAN
SECRETARY SAID HE DIDN’T MEAN NO, HE BASICALLY MEANT YES.
NO, HE BASICALLY MEANT YES. HOW DO YOU HANDLE THAT AS
HOW DO YOU HANDLE THAT AS SOMEONE WHO HANDLES A PRINT
SOMEONE WHO HANDLES A PRINT PUBLICATION?
PUBLICATION? HOW DO YOU ADJUST YOUR COVERAGE
HOW DO YOU ADJUST YOUR COVERAGE AROUND THEM?
AROUND THEM? >> WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TOTALITY
>> WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TOTALITY OF WHAT TRUMP SAID STANDING NEXT
OF WHAT TRUMP SAID STANDING NEXT TO PUTIN ON MONDAY THAT MOMENT
TO PUTIN ON MONDAY THAT MOMENT WHERE HE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO
WHERE HE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONFRONT PRESIDENT PUTIN, TELL
CONFRONT PRESIDENT PUTIN, TELL HIM NOT TO MEDDLE IN THE 2016 TO
HIM NOT TO MEDDLE IN THE 2016 TO HIS FACE AND HE DIDN’T TAKE THAT
HIS FACE AND HE DIDN’T TAKE THAT OPPORTUNITY.
OPPORTUNITY. EVEN IF THERE ARE THESE
EVEN IF THERE ARE THESE ITERATIONS OF WALK BACKS WHICH,
ITERATIONS OF WALK BACKS WHICH, BY THE WAY, TRUMP DID LEAVING IT
BY THE WAY, TRUMP DID LEAVING IT OPEN TO OTHER PEOPLE AND THE
OPEN TO OTHER PEOPLE AND THE POSSIBILITY THAT OTHER PEOPLE
POSSIBILITY THAT OTHER PEOPLE MAY HAVE HACKED THE 2016
MAY HAVE HACKED THE 2016 ELECTION, IT’S ENTIRELY POSSIBLE
ELECTION, IT’S ENTIRELY POSSIBLE TO PAINT A COMPREHENSIVE PICTURE
TO PAINT A COMPREHENSIVE PICTURE THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP IS STILL
THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP IS STILL NOT CONVINCED THAT THE
NOT CONVINCED THAT THE INTELLIGENCE OR DOESN’T WANT TO
INTELLIGENCE OR DOESN’T WANT TO BACK UP THE INTELLIGENCE THAT
BACK UP THE INTELLIGENCE THAT RUSSIA MEDDLED IN THE 2016
RUSSIA MEDDLED IN THE 2016 ELECTIONS AND THAT HE IS
ELECTIONS AND THAT HE IS CONTINUING TO TRY TO UNDERMINE
CONTINUING TO TRY TO UNDERMINE THOSE CONCLUSIONS.
THOSE CONCLUSIONS. >> BY THE WAY, SAM’S LONG AND
>> BY THE WAY, SAM’S LONG AND WINDING QUESTION WAS JUST A
WINDING QUESTION WAS JUST A HUMBLE BRAG REMINDING US HOW
HUMBLE BRAG REMINDING US HOW YOUNG AND HIP HE IS.
YOUNG AND HIP HE IS. I ONLY WORKED FOR DIGITAL, MAN.
I ONLY WORKED FOR DIGITAL, MAN. >> WHAT IS PRINT?
>> WHAT IS PRINT? >> GET THAT PRINT ON YOUR
>> GET THAT PRINT ON YOUR FINGERS.
FINGERS. THE NEW ISSUE OF "TIME" SUMMIT
THE NEW ISSUE OF "TIME" SUMMIT CRISIS.
CRISIS. NO COMMENT, JOHN?
NO COMMENT, JOHN? >> I’M SPEECHLESS.
>> I’M SPEECHLESS. >>> PRESIDENT TRUMP SEEMED TO
>>> PRESIDENT TRUMP SEEMED TO SUGGEST EARLIER THIS WEEK THAT
SUGGEST EARLIER THIS WEEK THAT MONTENEGRO COULD CAUSE WORLD WAR
MONTENEGRO COULD CAUSE WORLD WAR THREE.
THREE. NOW MEMBERS OF TRUMP’S OWN
