>> Woodruff: NATIONAL TRAGEDIES
AND NATURAL DISASTERS TEST A
PRESIDENT.
FROM LAS VEGAS TO PUERTO RICO,
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS
FACED SOME OF THE WORST IN
MODERN AMERICAN HISTORY.
WE TURN ONCE AGAIN TO KARINE
JEAN-PIERRE, SENIOR ADVISER TO
MoveOn.org, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
TO THE ONLINE WOMEN'S MAGAZINE,
BUSTLE, AND A VETERAN OF THE
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION.
AND, MATT SCHLAPP, CHAIRMAN OF
THE AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE UNION,
AND A WHITE HOUSE POLITICAL
DIRECTOR FOR PRESIDENT GEORGE W.
BUSH.
WELCOME TO BOTH OF YOU.
SO PRESIDENTS ARE IN THE
SPOTLIGHT AT A TIME LIKE THIS,
MATT.
HURRICANES, WHETHER IT'S MARIA
OR THE OTHERS, AND NOW THIS
TERRIBLE EVENT IN LAS VEGAS.
THE PRESIDENT WAS THERE TODAY.
WHAT DO WE MAKE OF HOW HE'S
HANDLING THIS PARTICULAR EVENT?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU
FOR COVERING THE STORIES OF THE
VICTIMS.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT
FOR EVERYBODY.
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE NATION
THE HEAL.
I WOKE UP THIS MORNING AND WAS
SENT A PHOTO FROM A FRIEND OF
MINE.
HE HAPPENED TO HAVE VERY
CONSERVATIVE POLITICS.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WITH ALL KINDS
OF POLITICS --.
>> Woodruff: ONE OF THE
VICTIMS?
>> ONE OF THE VICTIMS.
THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING HIM.
IT'S A SAD STORY.
LOOK, I THINK THESE ARE MOMENTS
WHEN A PRESIDENT, INCLUDING A
PRESIDENT WHO TALKS IN SUCH A
RAW FASHION LIKE DONALD TRUMP,
HAS A CHANCE TO CONNECT ON THE
PERSONAL LEVEL WITH AMERICANS
AND WITH VICTIMS.
AND THAT'S REALLY THE TEST.
THERE IS A ROLE, IT'S NOT
CONSTITUTIONAL, BUT THERE IS A
ROLE FOR THE PRESIDENT TO BE
COMFORTER-IN-CHIEF.
I THOUGHT HIS REMARKS AND THE
WAY HE HANDLED THINGS IN NEVADA
WERE GREAT.
AND I THINK THE WAY HE'S HANDLED
THE HURRICANES HAS BEEN GREAT AS
WELL.
I THINK THERE ARE POLITICAL-FREE
ZONE, AND I THINK WHEN PEOPLE
TRY THE MAKE POLITICS OUT OF
THESE MOMENTS, I THINK IT'S A
MISTAKE.
>> Woodruff: WHAT ABOUT LAS
VEGAS FIRST?
>> WELL, IT WAS A SHORT MOMENT
IN TIME.
IT WAS SCRIPTED.
HE WAS GIVEN WORDS THAT WERE
VERY BEAUTIFUL, VERY WELL
DELIVERED, BUT THE THING IS,
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN HE'S OFF
SCRIPT?
THAT'S THE PROBLEM WE SEE WITH
DONALD TRUMP.
ON HIS WAY TO DONALD TRUMP HE
WAS ATTACKING THE SAME MEDIA
THAT'S COVERING ALL THE
SUFFERING IN PUERTO RICO NEW
YORK TEXAS, IN FLORIDA, AND NOW
IN VEGAS.
AND SO THAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH
DONALD TRUMP.
WHEN IT'S A MOMENT TO BRING
PEOPLE TOGETHER, IT'S ALMOST AS
IF HE CAN'T.
HE IS INCREDIBLY DIVISIVE.
JUST 24 HOURS AGO HE WAS IN
PUERTO RICO, AND HE MADE SOME
DIVISIVE COMMENTS.
SO I JST DON'T THINK HE HAS THE
D.N.A. OR THE SKILL TO DO WHAT
NEEDS TO BE DONE AT THIS TIME.
>> WHAT ABOUT THAT, MATT?
HIS COMMENT IN PUERTO RICO
YESTERDAY AMONG OTHERS THINGS,
HE SAID THIS WASN'T A REAL CA
CATASTROPHE LIKE HURRICANE
KATRINA.
>> RIGHT.
THESE ARE UNSCRIPTED MOMENTS AND
THERE IS NO QUESTION WHEN A
PRESIDENT SPEAKS OFF THE CUFF,
YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T ALWAYS GO
AS EXACTLY AS PLANNED, BUT I
ACTUALLY THINK WHEN YOU TALK TO
PEOPLE ON THE GROUND, THE PEOPLE
WHO ARE AFFECTED, THEY
APPRECIATE THE RESPECT WHEN A
PRESIDENT SHOWS UP, WHEN THERE
IS THIS TYPE OF SUFFERING.
I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS WHY
THERE IS A DISSATISFACTION WITH
MANY PEOPLE IN THE MEDIA WITH
AMERICANS IS THEY FEEL LIKE THEY
PREY ON THESE MOMENTS INSTEAD OF
COVERING THE FULL STORY, AND THE
FULL STORY EACH OF THESE STOPS
THAT THE PRESIDENT MADE IS THAT
HE TALKED TO VICTIMS, HE TALKED
TO PEOPLE WHO WERE SUFFERING.
HE CONNECTED TO THEM.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE SOCIAL MEDIA
AND NOT SO MUCH THE MEDIA
COVERAGE, THERE'S A LOT OF
POSITIVE TWEETS AND PHOTOS AND
FACEBOOK POSTS FROM PEOPLE WHO
GOT TO MEET THEIR PRESIDENT, AND
HE WAS THERE TO TALK TO THEM.
WHEN IT COMES TO PUERTO RICO,
LET'S FACE IT, FOR TOO MANY
DECADES PUERTO RICO HAS SPENT
ITSELF INTO A TERRIBLE FINANCIAL
SITUATION WHERE THEY OWE
SOMETHING LIKE $72 BILLION.
IT'S A CATASTROPHE.
UNFORTUNATELY MUCH OF THAT MONEY
WAS NOT SPENT ON A BETTER
INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT WAS SPENT IN WAYS WHERE WHEN
THEY GET A DISASTER LIKE THIS,
THEY'RE IN DEEP, DEEP, DEEP,
DEEP, OH, IT'S HARD TO SEE HOW
WE FIND THE MONEY TO TAKE CARE
OF EVERYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE
DONE ON THE ISLAND.
>> Woodruff: REALLY --
>> REALLY QUICKLY, THERE WERE
ALSO SIGNS IN PUERTO RICO SAYING
DONALD TRUMP WAS A BAD HOMBRE.
SO THERE WAS SOME NEGATIVE STUFF
OUT THERE.
YOU HAVE 3.4 MILLION AMERICANS
WHO ARE SUFFERING.
3% OF THE PEOPLE ON THE ISLAND
HAVE ELECTRICITY.
WHERE IS THE ARMY CORE OF
ENGINEERS?
WHY CAN'T THEY GET THE
ELECTRICITY UP?
WHY AREN'T WE USING THE BILLION
DOLLAR MILITARY MITE?
WE'RE JUST NOT.
WHY IS THE REGION CRUISE LINE
THE ONES EVACUATING PEOPLE?
WHY AREN'T WE DOING THAT?
>> THERE ARE ANSWERS TO ALL OF,
THAT BUT THE BIG QUESTION WHEN
YOU HAVE A CATASTROPHE, AND WE
SAW THIS WITH KATRINA AS OPPOSED
TO THE HURRICANES THAT HIT
FLORIDA, WAS THE STEADY HAND OF
JEB BUSH AND THE STEADY HAND OF
GOVERNOR ABBOTT RECENTLY IN
TEXAS, IS THAT IT DEPENDS A LOT
ON THE LOCAL LEADERSHIP.
I THINK THE PROBLEM THAT WE'RE
SEEING IN PUERTO RICO IS THAT
TOO MANY ELECTED LEADERS TRIED
TO MAKE THIS ABOUT POLITICS.
AND I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF
MAYORS WHO ARE MORE RESPONSIBLE
AND REALIZE, WE HAVE TO LOOK
INWARD WITH THE FACT THAT THEY
WEREN'T NECESSARILY PREPARED
WITH THEIR OWN INFRASTRUCTURE TO
WEATHER SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
WE NEED TO HELP THEM.
AND WE NEED TO BE THERE FOR
THEM, AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO
ALL DIG IN AS TAXPAYERS AND HELP
THEM, BUT PUERTO RICO HAS GOT TO
START MAKING MORE RESPONSIBLE
FINANCIAL DECISIONS.
>> IT STARTS WITH THE PRESIDENT.
HE SPENT THE FIRST TWO WEEKENDS
ATTACKING, WHAT, THE N.F.L., HE
SPENT ONE WEEKEND ATTACKING
THEM.
>> I'M OKAY WITH THAT.
>> HE WAS ON HIS GOLF RESORT.
HE DIDN'T EVEN TALK ABOUT PUERTO
RICO THE FIRST TWO WEEKENDS.
>> I DISAGREE.
>> HE DIDN'T.
WE KNOW THAT TWITTER IS A MAJOR
WAY FOR HIM TO COMMUNICATE.
>> Woodruff: I WANT TO ASK
ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE, THE
DISPUTE THAT FLARED OUT INTO THE
OPEN TODAY BETWEEN THE SECRETARY
OF STATE AND THE PRESIDENT.
THE PRESIDENT WAS CHASTISING OR
I GUESS PUTTING DOWN REX
TILLERSON THIS WEEKEND, SAYING
DON'T WASTE YOUR ENERGY ON
TRYING THE TALK TO NORTH KOREA,
AND THEN WE GET THESE REPORTS
FROM NBC NEWS EARLIER TODAY THAT
TILLERSON HAD TO BE TALKED OUT
OF QUITTING THIS SUMMER.
>> YES.
>> Woodruff: WHERE ARE WE ON
THIS?
WHAT DO WE MAKE OF THIS
RELATIONSHIP?
>> THIS IS THE PROBLEM WHEN YOU
HAVE THESE GOSSIPY REPORTS ABOUT
THE RAPPORT OF THE PRESIDENT AND
HESS TEAM.
SO YOU HAD THE PRESIDENT COME
OUT AND KNOCK THE STORY DOWN.
YOU HAD THE VICE PRESIDENT KNOCK
THIS STORY DOWN.
>> Woodruff: BUT THERE ARE
BEEN OTHER REPORTS OUT THERE
ABOUT DIFFICULT RELATIONSHIPS
BETWEEN THE WHITE HOUSE.
>> LOOK, I KNOW A LOT OF THESE
PEOPLE.
I PREFER TO FOCUS ON WHAT WE DO
KNOW.
I THINK THAT THERE ARE SOME
POLICY CONCERNS THAT TILLERSON
MIGHT HAVE WITH THE PRESIDENT
THAT ARE LEGITIMATE, AND THAT
ALWAYS HAPPENS WITH CABINET
SECRETARIES, ESPECIALLY
SECRETARIES OF STATE.
THE IDEA THAT SOMEHOW HE WAS
READY TO QUIT AND VICE PRESIDENT
PENCE INTERVENED, VICE PRESIDENT
PENCE SAID THAT REPORT IS SIMPLY
UNTRUE.
I KNOW NBC STANDS BY IT, BUT I
THINK WHEN I SAW THE PRESIDENT
TWEETS ON SECRETARY TILLERSON,
WHAT I SAW IS TILLERSON'S TRYING
TO BE THE DIPLOMAT WITH NORTH
KOREA, WHEREAS THE PRESIDENT IS
CLEARLY THE HAMMER, AND THAT
COULD ALL BE INTENTIONAL.
>> Woodruff: WE ONLY HAVE 40
SECONDS.
>> I'M SORRY.
>> NO, IT'S OKAY, LOOK, I
HAVEN'T SEEN A PRESIDENCY THIS
DYSFUNCTIONAL FOR A LONG TIME.
YOU HAVE THE SAME CABINET
SECRETARY QUESTIONING THE
COMPETENCY OF HIS BOSS, OF A
PRESIDENT, AND I THINK THAT --
>> BUT HE DENIES THAT.
>> BUT STILL, WE'VE HEARD
TILLERSON TALK ABOUT THE
PRESIDENT BEFORE, AFTER
CHARLOTTESVILLE, HE SAID THE
PRESIDENT SPEAKS FOR HIMSELF.
THAT'S NOT FIRST TIME.
WE'VE HEARD REPORTS ABOUT HOW HE
FELT ABOUT THE PRESIDENT'S
COMMENTS ABOUT THE BOY SCOUTS.
SO THIS IS NOT THE ONLY TIME.
NOW TILLERSON IS HAVING A PRESS
CONFERENCE.
THIS IS ALL INSANE.
>> Woodruff: COMES RIGHT AFTER
THE STEPPING DOWN OF ANOTHER
EXECUTIVE.
>> CAN I SAY ONE THING IN LET'S
NOT FORGET THE VIRGIN ISLANDS?
>> I AGREE WITH YOU THERE.
LET'S NOT FORGET THE VIRGIN
ISLAND.
>> Woodruff: KARINE
JEAN-PIERRE, MATT SCHLAPP, THANK
YOU BOTH.
>> THANK YOU, JUDY
