LELAND: EVEN BY TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION STANDARDS THE
WHITE HOUSE PALACE INTRIGUE
PLOTS ARE REACHING FEVERED PITCH
WITH MULTIPLE REPORTS, THE CHIEF
OF STAFF JOHN KELLY IS ACTIVELY
WORKING TO OUST THE PRESIDENT'S
SON-IN-LAW ADDING TO THE FIRE,
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL WITH
THIS EDITORIAL, THE WHITE HOUSE
FAMILY BUSINESS, THE NEW YORK
TIMES JARED KUSHNER FLAMES OUT,
BOTH ATTACKING KUSHNER OVER
ACCUSATIONS OF USING HIS WHITE
HOUSE POSITION TO HELP HIS
FAMILY BUSINESS.
TO WEIGH IN ON THAT NATIONAL
EDITOR OF ACCURACY AND
DEMOCRATIC STRATEGISTS, GLAD TO
SEE YOU BOTH, THANKS FOR BEING
WITH US.
CARRIE, FIRST TO YOU, SO MANY
FOLKS IN WASHINGTON LIKE TO TALK
ABOUT THIS AND LOVE TO WATCH AND
COMMENT AND DOES ID REALLY
MATTER TO EVERYBODY ELSE IN.
[LAUGHTER]
>> WELL, LELAND, I THINK YOU HIT
THE NAIL ON THE HEAD, ACCURACY
AND MEDIA IS ALL ABOUT MAKING
SURE THAT THE FORGOTTEN MEN AND
WOMEN IN THE COUNTRY HAVE THEIR
VOICES HEARD AND FORGOTTEN MEN
AND WOMEN OF THE COUNTRY ARE NOT
CONCERNED ABOUT THE ISSUE ON
MAGAZINE.
THEY ARE NOT -- LELAND: CARRIE,
IT'S NOT JUST "THE NEW YORK
TIMES", WALL STREET JOURNAL
EDITORIAL PAGE BASICALLY SAYING
WOULDN'T IT BE BETTER IF JARED
KUSHNER WAS OUT, YOU CAN HARD I
WILL SAY THAT'S SOME KIND OF
ANTITRUMP PEOPLE MAGAZINE.
>> WELL, THEY WERE SAYING LET'S
MAKE SURE THEY HAVE CONFLICTS OF
INTEREST AND I DO AGREE WITH YOU
THERE, LELAND, THE THINGS THAT
I'M NOT SEEING COME OUT OF NEW
YORK TIMES IS LOOKING, FOR
EXAMPLE, LOANS THAT KUSHNER
RECEIVED WERE THEY FAVORABLE,
DIFFERENTIAL FOR HIM VERSUS REST
OF THE MARKETPLACE, I THINK IT'S
IRRESPONSIBLE TO PUT CLOUD OF US
POSSESSION WITHOUT CONFIRMATION.
ALSO I HAVE NOT SEEN MAINSTREAM
MEDIA REPORTING ABOUT WHAT'S
HAPPENED IN TERMS OF CASE LAW,
LOOKING AT GOVERNOR MCDONALD OUT
OF VIRGINIA, SCOTUS RULING, YOU
HAVE TO HAVE OFFICIAL ACT,
STANDARD THAT THE SUPREME COURT
HAS RULED ON THAT THERE WASN'T
ACTUAL OFFICIAL ACT.
LELAND: THAT'S FOR A CRIME,
THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE
COURT OF LAW AND THE COURT OF
PUBLIC OPINION, BUT BLAKE, ARE
DEMOCRATS JUMPING ON THIS TOO
EARLY AS A BAND WAGON, AS CARRIE
POINTS OUT, THERE'S A LOT OF
SMOKE AND WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANY
FIRE YET?
>> YEAH, LELAND, I DON'T THINK
THEY ARE NECESSARILY JUMPING ON
IT TOO EARLY BECAUSE THIS IS AN
ISSUE THAT'S BEEN PERCOLATING
FOR A WHILE, JUST THE DEBATE
OVER -- OVER MR. KUSHNER'S
SECURITY CLEARANCE, HIS ABILITY
TO -- TO MANAGE HIS WHITE HOUSE
PORTFOLIO WITHOUT THAT SECURITY
CLEARANCE AND NOW YOU HAVE --
LELAND: HOW MUCH OF THIS IS GOOD
FOR THE GOOSE IS GOOD FOR THE
GANDOR.
THERE WAS A WHOLE LOT OF SHALL
WE SAY MORE SMOKE, DARKER SMOKE
OVER PAID TO PLAY THAN WE HAVE
RIGHT NOW, YOU AMONG THEM?
>> THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
I WILL RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE
WITH YOU, LELAND, THAT THERE WAS
A LOT MORE SMOKE ON PAID TO PLAY
BUT I THINK WE CAN DEBATE THAT
ANOTHER TIME, I THINK THE
QUESTION HERE IS WHETHER OR NOT
HE'S ABLE TO FULFILL THE MISSION
AND THE OBJECTIVES OF HIS
POSITION.
I'M SURE IT'S POLITICAL BUT IT'S
ALSO -- AND IT'S A LOT OF INSIDE
AVERAGE VOTER OUT THERE IS
PAYING ATTENTION TO WHETHER OR
NOT JARED KUSHNER HAS A POSITION
IN THE WHITE HOUSE, BUT I THINK
THERE IS SERIOUS TENSION AND
WHEN THERE'S SERIOUS TENSION IT
CREATES CHAOS WITHIN THE WEST
WING AND THAT'S PROBLEMATIC AND
YOU PREVIEWED THIS, LELAND FROM
THE BEGINNING, THERE'S TENSION
BETWEEN JARED KUSHNER, HIS WIFE
AND THE WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF
STAFF AND THAT'S A PROBLEM.
LELAND: AS MUCH AS THE WHITE
HOUSE SEEMS TO BE DOWNPLAYING
THAT, IT SEEMS TO BE AT LEAST
ABOUT THIS TENSION BETWEEN THE
GROUP, IN FACT, JOHN KELLY
ESSENTIALLY TOOK AWAY TOP SECRET
CLEARANCE.
CARRIE, IS THERE A DIFFERENCE,
IMPORTANCE, THOUGH, IF ALL OF A
SUDDEN YOU HAVE CHIEF OF STAFF
TAKING AWAY THE PRESIDENT'S
SON-IN-LAW AND TOP ADVISERS
SECRET CLEARANCE THAT'S A LITTLE
BIT MORE THAN PEOPLE MAGAZINE.
IS THERE A POINT WHERE THIS
REPORTING ACTUALLY IS MEANINGFUL
OR MAYBE SHOULD BE MEANINGFUL TO
PEOPLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
COUNTRY?
>> THE REALITY IS THAT CRUCIAL
NER IS A REAL ESTATE MOGUL AND
IT'S NOT JUST HIM, THERE HAVE
BEEN MANY OTHER PEOPLE IN OTHER
ADMINISTRATIONS AS WELL WHO HAVE
HAD TO GO THROUGH VERY THOROUGH
SECURITY CLEARANCES, HE'S GOT
SUBSTANTIAL HOLDINGS THAT HE'S
GOT TO BE DEALING WITH BUT,
AGAIN, LELAND, YOU RAISED THE
IMPORTANT POINT OF HILLARY
CLINTON AND THE MEDIA AND YOU
CEDE THE PUBLIC OPINION, THE
MEDIA HAS IT OUT FOR THIS
PRESIDENT, THE MEDIA IS LOOKING
FOR WHATEVER EXCUSE IT CAN PULL
BUT THE BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
THIS SITUATION OF THE LOANS WITH
JARED KUSHNER THESE ARE LOANS
VERSUS CASH PAYMENTS PAID TO
CLINTON FOUNDATION, CASH VERSUS
LOANS, THAT MEANS THAT THIS IS A
BUSINESS DEAL AND I DON'T THINK
THAT CONSTITUTIONALLY ANY OF US
WANT TO BE IN THE POSITION TO
SAY THAT AMERICAN CITIZENS WHO
ARE BUSINESS PEOPLE CAN'T GO
INTO PUBLIC SERVICE, THAT WOULD
BE JUST DISQUALIFYING A NUMBER
OF QUALIFIED PEOPLE.
LELAND: A LOT OF AMERICAN PEOPLE
WHO HAVE GONE TO PUBLIC SERVICE
AND DIVESTED AND NOTHING THAT
