“The CIA is very, very obviously trying to keep you from finding out sources and methods. But sources and methods within the Kremlin — can you address that? Did they have sources within the Kremlin?” asks Morning Joe veteran columnist Mike Barnicle of The Washington Post’s national security correspondent Greg Miller in reference to an article that posted just moments earlier about the Obama Administration’s handling of Russia’s meddling in the U.S. elections. Watch the breaking news account here.
“He’s the President of the United States. He says: ‘There may be tapes out there, government tapes, who knows.’ He is the President of the United States. He should find out,” says Morning Joe veteran columnist Mike Barnicle as the panel reacts to a “rambling” interview with President Donald Trump during which he confesses he does not knowingly have tape recordings of his conversations with former FBI Director James Comey, but hints they could exist. Watch the interview with POTUS and listen to the reactions from Morning Joe’s Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski and guest Bill Kristol of The Weekly Standard.
“Senator, I want to read a letter to you that is in The New York Times, written by a Martin Platt from New York City. It reads: ‘I would propose passing the Republican health care bill without amendment on the condition that all members of the House and the Senate be required to have health insurance as laid out by this plan, and only by this plan, for themselves, their wives or husbands, and their children. This would also apply to the President, the Vice President and their families, as well as all members of the cabinet and all federal employees.’ My question to you sir is: Would you and your family sign up for the bill as proposed right now?” asks Morning Joe veteran columnist Mike Barnicle of Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY). Listen to Paul’s answer here.
The Weekly Standard Editor at Large Bill Kristol joins the Morning Joe panel to talk about the Senate Republicans’ health care bill, spearheaded by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and how soon it might see a vote. “Do you think McConnell will put this on the floor for a vote before July 4th?” asks Morning Joe veteran columnist Mike Barnicle. Listen to Kristol’s response here on MSNBC.
As the Morning Joe panel discusses President Donald Trump and comparisons being made to President Richard Nixon, veteran columnist Mike Barnicle says about Nixon: “He was a tragic, historic, and an incredibly flawed figure in American history, but he had a certain level of respect for the government, for the Constitution and for the way it applies to the government. And he turned over the tapes, packed his bags, and left.” Listen in on more of the discussion here with show hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski.
While the Morning Joe panel talks about President Donald Trump’s corner-cutting tactics as a businessman and now as President, including his most recent tweet that he has no tapes of his conversations with former FBI Director James Comey, veteran columnist Mike Barnicle explains: “Once again, we are going to go back to the old standby: He is who he is. He’s a 70-year-old guy fixed in his habits. He has been doing this all of his life – all of his life. Real estate deals: Cutting a deal with you. He will try to intimidate you into signing the deal and to short change you in the deal.” Listen to more of the discussion on President Trump here with Morning Joe’s Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski and Donny Deutsch.
“You have rich people with the specific intent of damaging the free press. Now, it’s not going to work with the Times or The Washington Post or NBC, but there are a host of medium-sized papers and websites around this country that could be ended with this,” says Morning Joe veteran columnist Mike Barnicle to Brian Knappenberger, director of the new documentary “Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press,” during a conversation about the wave of hostility toward the press. Listen in on the discussion here and see a few clips from the film.
“Senator, let’s stipulate that the health care bill is critically important to this country’s future, and let’s stipulate that everyone ought to be concerned about the potential collusion with regard to Russia in the past election. But, what is your level of concern about the Cardinals: They’re 33 and 37. They’re four games under 500. You’re approaching the all-star break. You need a power bat in the outfield,” says Morning Joe veteran columnist Mike Barnicle to Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) as he teases the Missouri Senator about the St. Louis Cardinals struggling to win ballgames in the first half of the 2017 MLB season. Hear what McCaskill has to say here. Only on MSNBC.
“Congressman, we understand and respect your commitment to this investigation and to getting to the truth of what happened last fall so that all Americans know about it publicly. But why not focus all of these investigations into one? Into the Mueller investigation which seems to be more independent, less reliant on politics, more focused. Why not do that?” asks Morning Joe veteran columnist Mike Barnicle of Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), a member of the House Intelligence Committee, during a conversation about the ongoing investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election that are taking place in the House, Senate, and special counsel probe led by former FBI Director Robert Mueller. Listen to Swalwell’s response here. Only on MSNBC.
“Congressman, let’s talk a bit about part of the disappearing base of the Democratic party: Unions. Every election year and every off-election year, you have the heads of unions show up with people like you saying: ‘Yeah, we’re with the Democratic Party.’ The membership flees, large portions of the membership flees, when it comes to actually voting for a Democrat. How did you lose them?” asks Morning Joe senior contributor Mike Barnicle of Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) during a conversation about the strained relationship between the Democratic Party and unions. Listen to Ryan’s response here. Only on MSNBC.
During a Morning Joe panel discussion about President Donald Trump’s stance on the ongoing investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, veteran columnist Mike Barnicle adds: “The true oddity here is that if (Trump) had won the popular vote and lost the electoral college, he’d be a far happier man today.” Listen in on the conversation with host Mika Brzezinski and historian and Random House executive editor Jon Meacham here.
“Do you think the people there in Iowa—hand-picked—just for the President’s amusement and entertainment: Do you think they view him as the President of the United States or as an element of theater that they’re used to?” asks Morning Joe veteran columnist Mike Barnicle of Huffington Post senior politics editor Sam Stein during a panel conversation about President Donald Trump’s campaign-style rally in Iowa. Listen to Stein’s response here and the discussion with Elise Jordan, Mika Brzezinski and Willie Geist.
While the Morning Joe panel talks about the myriad of problems with the Senate Republicans’ health care bill, ahead of its unveiling, veteran columnist Mike Barnicle explains: “The bitter truth is, the harsh truth is that this is the end of the obsession with Obamacare. That’s all this health care bill is — giving them the right to go home for July 4th recess and saying: ’I voted to kill Obamacare.’ They don’t care what’s in it. They don’t care about the impact it’s going to have on millions of Americans. They just want to be able to say: ‘We killed Obamacare.’” Listen to more of the discussion on the GOP health care bill here with Barnicle, Morning Joe host Mika Brzezinski and NBC News Capitol Hill Correspondent Kasie Hunt.
“Senator, so let’s stay hyper focused on real life here. Other than your job, and whether you live in Hartford, or Boston or wherever, other than your job one of the things I think concerns a lot of people is the health care plan that they have for them and their families. Now, we don’t know much about the health care plan that’s being devised in the United States Senate – where you work – but one of the things that has leaked out is that perhaps the Republicans are going to put forward block grants as a package, as part of this health care bill. Could you explain, from your understanding so far of the health care bill, what happens to the poor, the elderly, the young, and the sick, if block grants go to states instead of being part of a national package in the health care bill?” asks Morning Joe senior contributor Mike Barnicle of Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) during a conversation about the Senate Republicans’ health care bill. Listen to Murphy’s response here on the possibly “devastating consequences” ahead.
“Jeremy, could you please explain for people who might not be familiar with the way the CIA operates or the NSA operates that they are both basically fact-based operations, not spies, not spooks out there whispering in the dark about the Russians?” asks Morning Joe senior contributor Mike Barnicle of former CIA and Defense Department Chief of Staff Jeremy Bash during a conversation about the Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency. Listen to Bash’s response here about the non-partisan government agencies.
“Let me ask you a question: Is the priority for Mitch McConnell right now to repeal Obamacare — underline “Obama,” get rid of the last visage of Obamacare and the past president himself? Or is it to pass a bill that’s going to help a majority of Americans?” asks Morning Joe senior contributor Mike Barnicle of MSNBC senior political analyst Mark Halperin and former Congressman Harold Ford Jr. (D-TN) during a conversation about the Senate Republicans’ health care bill. Listen to their answers here. Only on MSNBC.
In further discussion about the regrouping necessary for the Democratic Party after its defeat to the Republican Party in all four House special elections, Morning Joe senior contributor remarks: “Democrats would be well advised to go back and look at one of the great speeches Hubert Humphrey gave in his wonderful life about the dawn of life, and the dusk of life. Hear more of the conversation here and more about the immortal words of former Vice President and Democratic Sen. Humphrey.
“That’s what the Democratic Party has to do: Figure out what to run for rather than against Donald Trump all the time,” explains Morning Joe senior contributor Mike Barnicle as the panel weighs in on how the Democratic Party should regroup, following its defeat to the Republican Party in all four House special elections. Listen to more of the discussion with Morning Joe’s Joe Scarborough, Barnicle and former Congressman Harold Ford Jr. (D-TN).
“China has already established deep roots in both Africa and in South America, while we are still debating the number of troops we might send to Afghanistan – 16 years after that war began. How much of a drain and impact on our role in the nation has our obsession and involvement in Afghanistan meant?” asks Morning Joe senior contributor Mike Barnicle of The London School of Economics fellow Brian Klaas during a conversation about America still being at war in Afghanistan. Listen to Klaas’ response here. Only on MSNBC.
During a conversation with Sen. Angus King (I-ME) about Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Morning Joe’s veteran columnist Mike Barnicle asks King what he tells his constituents when he gets back home to New Brunswick, Maine. “How come (Sessions) won’t answer your questions?” Hear King’s response here.
