“Bob Mueller is and always has been a guy of tremendous character first. Bob Mueller graduated from Princeton and didn’t upon graduation go on a tour of Europe or drive across country with a couple of friends of his. He went to Vietnam as a young second lieutenant and led a rifle company in Vietnam. He knows what it’s like to lose men. He is unafraid in this investigation, and he is there for one thing and one thing only: Fairness and resolution. That’s who Bob Mueller is. That’s who he has always been,” explains Morning Joe senior contributor Mike Barnicle about special counsel Robert Mueller, who The Washington Post’s Sari Horwitz reported is investigating President Donald Trump for possible obstruction of justice in the probe into into Russia’s role in the 2016 U.S. election. Hear more from the panel here.
“The brutal truth is that violence is a part of everyday American life, and the geography of violence is also part of American life,” says Morning Joe senior contributor Mike Barnicle. “If you go all the way down the end of the street, where that little league practice field is located, where the Congressman was shot, you’re at the edge of the Potomac River. If you stand there and look across the Potomac you’re looking at a neighborhood in Washington called Anacostia — you’re looking at Wheeler Road and Southern Avenue where every day, every day there are parents afraid to let their children out for fear of them getting shot. And when they do get shot, when they do die at the age of nine, 10, 14 — before their lives have even come to the edge of fruition. Their deaths maybe, maybe get noticed in three agate lines of type in a newspaper – that’s America.” Listen in on the Morning Joe conversation with hosts Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski and others about the critical issue of violence and hostile speak in America following the shooting of House Majority Whip Steve Scalise and others at a Republican Congressional baseball practice by a gunman who appeared to have targeted the GOP members of Congress.
During the Morning Joe discussion about Attorney General Jeff Sessions testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee that he had not been briefed on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, veteran columnist Mike Barnicle asks The New York Times’ security and legal reporter Charlie Savage: “Would [anything] lead you to believe that the Attorney General by recusing himself from the investigation of Jim Comey… would [that] prevent him from receiving a briefing on an act of war against us by Russia?” Listen to Savage’s response here.
“Senator…the President of the United States has ceded policy control of Afghanistan to Secretary Mattis. Everyone has great respect for Secretary Mattis, but apparently, there will be an increase in the United States troop level sent to Afghanistan. My question to you is: What do you figure the objective is at this stage of a 16-year-long war? And do you agree with the idea of the President basically sitting on the sidelines as far as Afghan policy goes?” asks Morning Joe senior contributor Mike Barnicle of Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) during a conversation about the ongoing Afghanistan war. Hear Sen. Reed explain why the President’s decision “shows his failure to understand the complexities of these problems and the need for intervention and constant supervision.” Only on MSNBC.
After watching a Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon clip during which President Donald Trump slipped in his June 14th birthdate at a meeting with Senators, Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough wishes the President a happy 71st birthday as show host Mika Brzezinski and veteran columnist Mike Barnicle exchange banter about whether Barnicle should or shouldn’t sing “Happy Birthday Mr. President,” a la Marilyn Monroe for Trump. Watch the conversation here.
“Senator…we had the Attorney General of the United States sitting before a Senate panel trying to get to the bottom of an act of war against us by Russia. And you had the Attorney General consistently refusing to answer questions or being intentionally evasive in answering questions. I’m wondering why no one has raised the issue of citing the Attorney General for contempt,” asks Morning Joe senior contributor Mike Barnicle of Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) during a conversation about Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee. Listen to Coons explain why the situation involving the “bobbing and weaving” AG was “deeply troubling.”
While the Morning Joe panel talks about reports that President Donald Trump told Republican Senators that the House Republicans’ proposed health care bill was “mean,” which contradicts his previous categorization of the bill as “great,” senior contributor Mike Barnicle explains: “What probably happened is that the President was at one of his golf clubs over the weekend and maybe his caddy complained about the health care bill. That’s the way this thing works.” Hear more of the conversation between Barnicle and host Joe Scarborough here.
“Clint, it was interesting watching the Attorney General of the United States stonewall a Senate investigation into Russian interference in the basics of our American democracy – our electoral system. It was also interesting to hear the Attorney General say that he had never once been briefed on Russian interventions — hat he reads about it in the papers. That’s where he gets his news….But the split between he and the former FBI Director, Jim Comey, was truly interesting — that he had not spoken to him, and yet signed off on a letter basically indicting Mr. Comey for mismanagement of the FBI,” comments Morning Joe senior contributor Mike Barnicle to former FBI Agent Clint Watts during a conversation analyzing Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, where Sessions was questioned on his reasoning for President Donald Trump firing then FBI Director James Comey. Listen to Watts’ reply here and his condemnation of POTUS and Sessions for attending the “same school for bad leadership and poor judgment.”
“Brian, does it concern you at all that when people hear about this (law) suit or read about this suit, that there’s a general knowledge that there is a big-league investigation of the President going on in both the Senate and the House and as a major leaguer Bob Mueller conducting his own investigation as special prosecutor and that people would think…’ah man, this is just now all politics. They’re just jumping on this poor guy,’ because the country is divided and a lot of Trump supporters will refuse to believe almost anything said or filed against him. Does that concern you at all?,” asks Morning Joe senior contributor Mike Barnicle of Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh during a conversation about Maryland and the District of Columbia filing a lawsuit against President Donald Trump, based on the claim that POTUS is violating the Constitution’s Foreign Emoluments Clause that prohibits the president from accepting payments from foreign governments without the consent of Congress. Listen to Frosh’s response here about his view that POTUS is “doing so many things that violate his oath of office.”
“Are you familiar and could you explain the element of retraction as it’s posed in several state statutes and apparently it’s referenced in the federal code, whereas a witness goes in and says: ‘Oh yeah, by the way, I forgot to tell you when I was last here, I also had dinner with the Bolshoi Ballet and several other Russians.’,” asks Morning Joe senior contributor Mike Barnicle of George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley during a conversation about Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ public testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee on his dealings with Russian officials and whether he intentionally mislead Congress. Listen to Turley’s response here.
“How difficult is it, though, to extract information, reportage on what is going on with this (health care) bill in the Senate right now behind closed doors?” asks Morning Joe senior contributor Mike Barnicle of Associated Press Washington Bureau Chief Julie Pace during a conversation about the media coverage for the proposed health care bill. “I would hope that the public would be pretty outraged by how difficult it is to get information,” says Pace. “This is something that affects your life on a daily basis.” Hear more of the discussion here.
“Will the county ever be the same again, given what we’re going through right now?” asks Morning Joe veteran columnist Mike Barnicle during a panel discussion on the future of our country —our politicians, people and the media. “We’re not the enemy,” Barnicle says of the media. “We’re part of the system. We explain – hopefully – truth to people, but people no longer know what truth is. They have their own truth rather than a universal truth.” Hear more of the conversation here.
“Your Hair looks great today, Joe. I meant to tell you. I’m so proud to be here with you,” says Morning Joe senior contributor Mike Barnicle to host Joe Scarborough as the panel mocks the Trump Cabinet members who took turns, one after the other, praising President Donald Trump at the Trump Administration’s first Cabinet meeting. Hear the adoration heaped upon President Trump and the Morning Joe admonishment that followed.
“Given your remarks of a few moments ago, are you concerned of the President’s health?” asks Morning Joe senior contributor Mike Barnicle of House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) during a conversation about President Donald Trump’s health. Listen to Pelosi’s response here and the discussion with Morning Joe hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough.
“My question to you, Mrs. Pelosi, is the level of expectations in this country about what Washington does is probably a bit a lower today than it was prior to yesterday. What is going to happen to the agenda that both you or even the Republicans have on tax reform, on healthcare, on infrastructure? What’s going to happen?” asks Morning Joe senior contributor Mike Barnicle of House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) during a conversation about next steps for Congress and the Trump Administration following former FBI Director James Comey’s testimony yesterday. Hear Pelosi’s views on President Trump’s agenda.
“Senator, had you or the committee been given a heads up by either Admiral Rogers or DNI Director Coats that they were going to take this position in terms of the questioning?” asks Morning Joe senior contributor Mike Barnicle of Sen. Angus King (I-ME) during a conversation about Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and National Security Agency Director Michael Rodgers refusing to answer questions about the controversy surrounding the Trump Administration and Russia at their Senate hearing. King says he was “incredulous.” Hear more of the interview here and why a closed session is necessary.
“If you read Comey’s testimony a second time, slowly, let it sink in, it’s clear that Donald J. Trump doesn’t understand the Presidency, the Congress, the government or the city where he’s now living in – Washington, D.C.,” says Morning Joe senior contributor Mike Barnicle as the panel looks ahead to former FBI Director James Comey’s testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee and reviews Comey’s written opening statement. Morning Joe host Mika Brzezinski adds about Trump: “He does not believe the rules apply to him.” Hear the rest of the conversation here.
The Morning Joe show opens today with review and discussion of fired FBI Director James Comey’s written opening statement, which gives a vivid preview of what Comey plans to speak on as he testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee. Senior contributor Mike Barnicle comments: “Comey cannot only write, but when you read that – it is literally, the opening argument to a jury, it’s a prosecutor’s opening argument where he spells out a story with a beginning, a middle, and the end: ‘That was the last time I spoke to the President’.” Listen to more of the conversation with hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski here.
“The underlying theme here that is truly interesting is: Where is the courage on the part of the Republicans in the United States Senate? When do they summon enough courage to make a statement about what is going on to our country and their party,” asks Morning Joe’s veteran columnist Mike Barnicle during a panel conversation about former FBI Director James Comey’s upcoming testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee and what he might reveal. Listen in on the discussion here.
During the Morning Joe panel discussion about the ongoing chaos within the Trump Administration, including the revelation that Attorney General Jeff Sessions had offered his resignation to President Trump amid classes with POTUS, explains senior contributor Mike Barnicle: “There’s also two other elements in this. One is the increasing fear that a lot of people have: Are they damaging their reputations by their alignment with what’s going on? And two: Are they eventually going to have to be saddled with increasing legal fees to defend themselves against whatever internally is going on now and will become public eventually?” Listen to more of the conversation here.
