Transcripts For MSNBCW MSNBC Live With Stephanie Ruhle 20171221

Special counsel robert mueller. Putting the president on notice that there will be a, quote, significant consequence. These truly are red lines. Would be a gross abuse of power. And diplomatic dilemma . President trump threatens to cut off american aid to other countries ahead of that key vote at the u. N. Considering the u. S. Embassy in israel. Ambassador Nikki Haley Says the administration is taking names. Jerusalem is the capital of israel. We begin today with the tax bill and what the president calls that big beautiful tax cut which he could sign into law as early as tomorrow, putting a notch in the win column, after what has been a very rough year for him and his party. Ive got a great team with me to help break it all down. And more importantly, what it means to all of you at home. I want to go to Nbcs Kristen Welker live at the white house where there was a lot of celebrating yesterday to say the least, kristen. I think we thought there was probably going to be a News Conference yesterday. It kind of turned into this love fest. What are we expecting there today . Right, typically president s hold end of the year News Conferences. We thought that might happen yesterday. As you pointed out, yesterday turned into one big victory lap. There are no events on the president s public schedule today. But hes clearly eager to talk about his tax reform package. Look, he feels like this is vindication. This is his first legislative victory. Yesterday was undoubtedly a love fest. He was praising. Republican leaders. They were praising him. Which is so striking. Because of course, chris, we had been reporting on all the division in the Republican Party. The fact that President Trump clashed with Republican Leaders after they failed to repeal and replace obamacare. A different tone yesterday. The president , republicans, vowing that this tax overhaul will put more money in american pockets. They say a lot of folks will feel the difference as early as february. Democrats are seizing on the fact that corporations got the biggest tax break. 35 down to 21 . But President Trump says this is a Christmas Present for the middle class. Hes defending the bill today on twitter. Tweeting the massive tax cuts which the Fake News Media is desperate to write badly about so as to please their democrat bosses. Will soon be kicking in and will speak for themselves. Companies are already making big payments to workers. Dems want to raise taxes, hate these big tax cut. As you pointed out, the president could sign as early as tomorrow. He really wants to get this done before he takes off to mar a lago for his christmas break. But whats the holdup . Well, they have to see what happens with this government funding bill. And something called pay goes. Essentially the pay goes issue has to be worked out before the president can sign the bill into law. Pay goes can be defined as pay as you go. Is a budget rule that requires that tax cuts must be covered by tax increases or cuts in mandatory spending so they dont increase the deficit. So i am told the president is going to be trying to encourage republicans to get this budget deal done very quickly. Were anticipating its going to be a short term measure and some of the thornier issues will be shelved into the new year, chris. Kristen welkewelker, thank y. I want to bring in the political reporter for real clear politics. Sell Len Ma Maxwell is director of progressive programming for sirius xm. Eli stockels is a reporter for the wall street journal. Robert costa also an msnbc political analyst. And National Political reporter for the washington post. So, katelyn, pretty extraordinary scene, kind of a selflove fest i guess is one way you can put it. I cant believe we had to look it up. It was only three months ago, i think it was september, when yet again the republicans failed to pass a repeal of obamacare and people were saying this is, you know, the end of the world. Is this a turning point potentially now . Well, remember, republicans were looking to this president. Even when they didnt support him. They thought they were, you know, linked to him in some way because they wanted to pass major reforms on their agenda. Failed with health care, but on tax reform, they got that victory. Whatever you want to say about it, about the policy, it is a victory for them. Whats really critical here is heading into next year where the president has very low Approval Rating which is remarkable despite the economy looking pretty good on paper. And you also have republicans who are facing head winds already. Just historically in the midterms. Its going to be a tough year for them. They also they need to boost each other in ways. They think that this tax bill can be helpful to them in the midterms. That remains to be seen. But they also need to that point, lets talk about how the president sold it. Robert, he sold it, you know, saying this is going to be a tax cut for the middle class. Yesterday, he seemed to tell a different story than he had previously. So i want to play what he said about it in november and then what he said just yesterday. The beating heart of our plan is a tax cut for working families. Thats what it is. Our plan also lowers the tax on American Business from 35 all the way down to 21 . Thats probably the biggest factor in this plan. Republicans overall, robert, sold this as a middle class tax cut. So, you know, did the president slip admitting the biggest beneficiaries are people like him and his family, the wealthy . The sale for the president and republicans is just beginning. And the challenge for them will be defining it ahead of the 2018 midterms. Democrats have seized on the Corporate Tax cut as a way of going against the republicans as breaking away from their populous pledges during President Trumps campaign. That question of the definition is really at issue here. Is this going to be defined as a Corporate Tax cut moving forward or will republicans be able to some way tether it to the growth in the stock market and make a different sort of argument . Thats the political battle thats just beginning to unfold. Eli, the president , and kristen mentioned this, he had to sign a waiver to make sure this bill doesnt trigger automatic spending cuts. Whats the point of pay as you go if you can ignore it . As long as were talking about how the democrats talk about this, with supposed republican ideology on cutting spending and slashing the deficit . Thats one of the thins about washington when you actually analyze it closely doesnt make a lot of sense on paper but thats the way washington continues to work. Bob corker, a senator who i think was really in the cross hairs over the last week because hes such a deficit hawk, he voted against this bill the first time it came through the senate because of concerns about what this could do to the deficit and then at the end of the day when he saw it was going to pass and he saw the momentum in his party, decided to come up with the rationale for getting on board and saying hes going to take the risk that while this could impact the deficit, he believes it could create more growth, economic growth, and be worth it in the end. Its really a tough call. Thats another one of the things that republicans and democrats are going to fight about over the next, you know, 11 months or so leading up to the 2018 midterms. Republicans finally do have a win, something to run on going into the next election year. I think the president would argue, eli, more than a win. He made the point of announcing what we have heard from a number of corporations yesterday. Boeing, comcast, this company, at t, say theyre going to give their workers bonuses. Wells fargo and Fifth Third Bancorp says theyre going to raise their minimum wage. I guess the question is, is this an anomaly, a pr move on the part of the Companies Getting a windfall, or is it whats to come for middle class americans . Its both. Partly a pr move for these companies to come out right after that press conference yesterday and announce these moves. And it does put feathers in the cap of this president and republicans when people who work for those Companies Step back and say oh, im going to be making more money. Thats the idea of what republicans are trying to do and the way theyre going to try to sell this. But, you know, as katelyn alluded to, the president s Approval Rating being sub40s for the last month or two is really amazing which how well the economy is doing. Its amazing a tax cut package could be so unpopular in terms of the polls it making tax cuts unpopular is hard to do. I think both have much to do with how the president is viewed. The fatigue the general public has with the constant chaos of this presidency. Day in, day out. The republicans were able to get donald trump after the failure on health care to sort of behave better, to be a little more strategic and deliberate in going about making sure they had the votes to do tax reform and in selling it to the public. Didnt get in the way as much. But whether that can continue and whether that can bring a little more stability will have a lot to do with how the tax cut is viewed and how republicans are viewed heading into next november. And weve heard what the democrats are going to continue to pound on for the next year until the election. Chuck schumer leading the way, saying this cements the Republican Partys reputation as the party of the rich. But selena, it does appear most americans will see a tax cut. They will see more money in their paychecks. Some of them will get this 1,000 bonus. So how hard is it going to be for democrats to make their case . I guess the question is do they really care if millionaires get a tax break as long as theyre getting one . Well, i think it comes down to youre taking money away from middle class people to give that tax cut to the rich and also youre repealing the individual mandate. So i think whats going to happen in the short term is that yes, youre going to see more money in your paychecks but your premiums are going to go up in the meantime. Thats going to be really important for families. If your Health Care Premium here in new york city it can be 800, 1,000 a month to pay for Health Insurance for you and your family. Its going to hit Small Businesses especially hard. There are plenty of women of color, which is the base of the democratic party, who are the leaders on Small Businesses. And entrepreneurships. You dont think people are going to be impressed . I think 50 more in my paycheck is not going to be significant in terms of how i feel psychologically about how im doing if my premiums on my Health Insurance, which is also essential to Many American women, Health Insurance is not a choice for women. We have to go to the doctor every year. And so there are a number of Different Things in this particular bill that are going to have a real impact in the negative, even though youre going to get a small tax cut in the short term. One of the things that surprised me about this, i guess we cant really quantify it at this point, is whether there is a real feeling of anger and a cry about the fact that the president , robert, has repeatedly said this bill will hurt him because he said it is going to close loopholes he had taken advantage of in the current law or the previous law i guess we can say almost now. Lets take a listen. It is riddled with loopholes that let some special interests, including myself in all fairness, this is going to cost me a fortune, this thing, believe me. This is not good for me. This is going to cost me a fortune, robert. Basically every single analysis says thats not the case. Again, though, does it matter to the average american if they see a little more money in their paychecks . Well have to see about the political cost for republicans as this moves forward with regard to the cost for President Trump on a personal basis, this is a major tax cut for wealthy people, for the corporations. And it still keeps many of the deductions that were that have been in the current tax code for quite some time. This changes a lot of the brackets. It lowers rates. But in terms of truly simplifying the code and getting some of the clutter out of the tax code, that didnt happen in the way that President Trump and other republicans envisioned a few months ago. And then there was, again, this scene yesterday on the steps, and i want to play some of what republicans had to say about the president. Theres been a year of extraordinary accomplishment for the Trump Administration. Something this big, something this generational, something this profound, could not have been done without exquisite president ial leadership. Mr. President , i have to say that youre one heck of a leader. President trump has been making history since the first day of this administration. After a year, katelyn, of many of those people who are standing on those steps either publicly criticizing the president or privately criticizing the president , yesterday, it felt like they were almost all going to take flight. They were so excited about what had just happened. Is this the beginning of Something Different between the president and members of congress . Well, this has been a long term goal for the Republican Party at large as the president said. A lot of these lawmakers have been working on this kind of policy for years now. The thing is that republicans in congress are going to be linked to this president , whether they like it or not. The midterm elections, we dont know exactly what theyre going to be about. But we do know they tend to be a referendum on the president. This will be a referendum on donald trump for better or for worse. These republicans know that. They need to sell the president i think as much as they have to sell this bill because they are linked. As eli was referring to, a lot of what you see in these polls i think reflect peoples visions or perceptions or opinions about the president. When you talk about a trump tax cut, people i think respond to that how they feel about the administration and the president. So they know they have a lot of work to do and theyre going to be tied to each other in these midterm elections and their majorities in congress will depend on it. And maybe make the best of it at this point. Exactly. The republican celebration over the tax bill could be short lived if they cant pass their plan to keep the government funded beyond tomorrow night. Msnbcs Garrett Haake is live on capitol hill with more on that. Where do things stand, republicans feeling pretty confident right now . Hey, chris, they are. Republicans have something they havent had in a while. They have the taste of victory still in their mouths from yesterday and they dont want to screw that up by failing to get the government funded and potentially shutting it down. So what were starting to see today are the outlines of a deal. Yet another shortterm deal. To keep the government open. In this case, until the middle of january. Republicans are hoping to pass a continuing resolution to fund the government, fund chip, fund a couple of other programs, fir fisa, the foreign intelligence courts issue. They want to add money to veterans programs. Add money to the department of defense. Theyll probably do a separate bill to deal with disaster funding for puerto rico, texas and florida. And then theyre hoping to get out of town and not let this moment go to waste here. Now, democrats have some cards here. They can make this politically painful for republicans. They can make republicans gather their votes among their own caucus to spend this money, which is not something republicans like to do on their own. It seems that everyone is relatively willing as we stand here at 9 00 in the morning on thursday to take this break here now and come back and start deal with these more complicated issues like daca and keeping the government open for the rest of the fiscal year when they come back in january. Yet another shortterm fix. Garrett haake, i know youll keep us posted. Attorney general Jeff Sessions looking for details about a controversial uranium deal with russia that critics have linked to bill and Hillary Clinton. The deal was already investigated and no charges were filed. So whats the attorney general looking for now . Nbcs exclusive reporting next. Plus, Life Expectancy falling for a second Straight Year in the u. S. And the startling reason behind that decline. matthew my wish was a clubhouse, but we call it the wish house. mom and it just immediately brought something positive in our life. Oh, i gotta get up get matthew on his treatment. matthew its not that bad, though. mom yeah. matthew the good thing about the surgeries is i get to have a popsicle at the end. mom he makes the best of everything and he teaches us to be strong and brave, too. vo through the subaru share the love event, weve helped grant the wishes of fifteen hundred kids so far. Get zero percent financing for 63 months on select models, plus well donate two hundred and fifty dollars to charity. The markets change. At t. Rowe price. Our disciplined approach remains. Global markets may be uncertain. But you can feel confident in our investment experience around the world. Call us or your advisor. T. Rowe price. Invest with confidence. I am totally blind. And non24 can make me show up too early. Or too late. Or make me feel like im not really there. Talk to your doctor, and call 8442342424. They cahow many of em . E, sir we dont know. Dozens. All right lets teach these freaks some manners good luck out there, captain thanks but i dont need luck, i have skills. I dont have my keys. on intercom all hands. We are looking for the captains keys again. They are on a silver carabiner. Oh, this is bad. As long as people misplace their keys, you can count on geico saving folks money. Fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. Now to an nbc news exclusive from inside the Justice Department. Attorney general Jeff Sessions is now ordering prosecutors to interview fbi agents and explain the uranium one deal. Critics allege corruption and link both bill and Hillary Clinton to the deal, but no one was ultimately prosecuted in the investigation. I want to bring in intelligence and National Security reporter ken delanian who broke that story for nbc news. So ken, walk us through this. We know Jeff Sessions has raised the possibility of appointing a special counsel to investigate the 2010 sale. Is this maybe another step closer to that . Well, thats the big question, chris. Its not clear whether this is just an attempt by Jeff Sessions to mollify House Republicans. Who are really the driving force behind the request for a special counsel. Or whether this is an effort to reexamine the case. What we know is Justice Department prosecutors have been asking fbi agents to describe the evidence and the nature of the case and just so our viewers understand, its absolutely true that people involved in this uranium transaction contributed millions of dlaollars to the clinton foundation. And Clintons State Department is one of the agencies that approved the sale. But Hillary Clinton said she played no personal role in this decision and no effort has emerged to contradict that. Its really not clear what the corruption allegations are. To a lot of people this looks reopening this case would look like a pure act of political revenge. I want to ask you about special counsel Robert Muellers russia investigation. Senator mark warner issued this morning to President Trump on the senate floor. Firing mr. Mueller or any other of the top brass involved in this investigation would not only call into question this administrations commitment to the truth but also to our most basic concept rule of law. No one is above the law. Not even the president. I mean, you know, the white house has said the president has no plans to fire mueller. He says that. But republicans, clearly some of them have been working to undermine his investigation. So i guess, you know, you wonder is warners warning just, again, partisan politics, hes saying what you expect a democrat to say. Could it help put some of those republican voices to rest . Where are we with that . Its not going to put some of the more extreme republican voices to rest. Theres a new report out from politico that says House Republicans have been engaging in this secret effort to uncover corporation. What they say is corruption and how the fbi and Justice Department has handled that dossier from the bridget intelligence operative about donald trump. I think mark warners audience was the more moderate republicans like his counterpart, the chairman of the committee which is running the senate investigation. Like chris christie, the new jersey governor who defended mueller this week on our air. His message to them is please try to talk donald trump out of doing anything reckless in terms of firing mummer. If he does try to fire mueller, please act appropriately because this would be a constitutional crisis, chris. Appreciate it. You bet. An alarming new ad getting a lot of attention ahead of the Holiday Weekend and the disturbing video has just one goal. avo when you have type 2 diabetes, you manage your a1c, but you also have a higher risk of heart attack or stroke. Noninsulin victoza® lowers a1c, and now reduces cardiovascular risk. Victoza® lowers my a1c and blood sugar better than the leading branded pill. avo and for people with type 2 diabetes treating cardiovascular disease, victoza® is now approved to lower the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, or death. And while it isnt for weight loss, victoza® may help you lose some weight. avo victoza® is not for people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. Do not take victoza® if you have a personal or Family History of medullary thyroid cancer, multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if you are allergic to victoza® or any of its ingredients. Stop taking victoza® and get medical help right away if you get symptoms of a serious allergic reaction such as rash, swelling, difficulty breathing or swallowing. Serious side effects may happen, including pancreatitis. So, stop taking victoza® and call your doctor right away if you have severe pain in your stomach area. Tell your doctor your medical history. Gallbladder problems have happened in some people. Tell your doctor right away if you get symptoms. Taking victoza® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. Common side effects are nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, decreased appetite, indigestion, and constipation. Side effects can lead to dehydration, which may cause kidney problems. Ask your doctor about victoza®. Welcome back. Time now for your morning primer. Everything you need to know to start your day. We begin in australia where more than a dozen people were hurt after a car rammed into pedestrians. The driver and a second man are in custody. Police have not suggested a possible motive but dont believe its terror related. California governor jerry brown is requesting a major disaster declaration from President Trump after devastating wildfires in southern california. The relentless thomas fire has been burning since december 4th. And is on track to become the states largest fire ever. Its still just 60 contained. Al frankens last day in the senate will be january 2nd. The minnesota democrat announcing hell step down after a string of Sexual Misconduct allegations and mounting pressure from fellow democrats. Nearly 2 million children could Lose Health Coverage as early as next month if congress doesnt renew funding for the childrens Health Insurance program. Commonly known as chip. Program administrators say parents are already panicking and permanent damage has already been done. And Life Expectancy has dropped for a second year in the u. S. Amid a surge of opoid related deaths. According to the cdc, there were more than 42,000 opoid related deaths in 2016. 1,000 more than Breast Cancer and a 28 increase over 2015. The busy Holiday Weekend is sure to bring dangerous travel conditions for Many Americans. But there is least one big danger thats avoidable. Nbcs tom costello has that story now, tom. Hey, chris, good day to you. So, you know, we talked about this for year, right, the dangers of distracted driving. If youre going 55 Miles Per Hour and youre looking at a cell phone, you can go the length of two basketball courts in two seconds. So even if you keep your eyes on the road, what about the guy next to you . This week, millions of americans are filling up, buckling up and hitting the road. Making their way to visit loved ones for christmas. But while the stress of driving over the holidays can be high, the dangers may be even higher. Recently traffic deaths in the u. S. Saw their biggest spike in 50 years. With the First Six Months of 2016 up 10 over the year before. A major contributor, smart phones. With apps, texting and email all distracting us behind the wheel. According to a new analysis of 3 million americans, drivers were on their phones during 88 of the trips. Putting a spotlight on how frequently drivers can be distracted and causing major accidents. Overseas in the uk, the issue also taking on new urgency. With road safety groups warning drivers are twice as likely to crash while texting as they are while driving drunk. The threat now the focus of a new ad campaign. A father killed after texting with his daughter while driving home. Highlighting how distraction can lead to tragedy over the holidays. Back here at home, the danger not going away. If im able to speak, then i will speak. Reporter florida resident marvalin lost her daughter last year. I dont want her memory to be lost. I want people to really understand how dangerous it is. Reporter the 19yearold was texting her boyfriend while driving. With her last message saying, i cant wait to see you this weekend. Moments later, her car veered off the road and crashed into a tree, killing her instantly. She was a good kid. I couldnt ask for a better one. She wanted to do good things in life and all that is gone. Reporter shes now working with the local Sheriffs Office to turn her tragic loss into the focus of a new antitexting campaign. We just want people to take the distractions out of their life while theyre behind the wheel and just drive. Is that text message or phone call or whatever the youre doing in your car worth that few seconds that could change your life forever. Reporter and this week, police are sure to be out in force, making sure everyone has a safe holiday. Many states are now raising the penalties for distracted driving, for texting while driving and the big challenge of course for all of us is not to give into the temptation and to remind our spouses and our kids, keep our eyes off the phone while driving. Chris, back to you. Thank you so much, tom costello. Were watching the u. N. Ahead of a key vote on the controversial resolution set to take place in just about a half hour. The measure has President Trump threatening to cut off american aid to several countries. All the details coming up next. Shes nationally recognized for her compassion and care. He spent decades fighting to give families a second chance. But to help others, they first had to protect themselves. I have afib. Even for a nurse, its complicated. And it puts me at higher risk of stroke. That would be devastating. I had to learn all i could to help protect myself. Once i got the facts, my doctor and i chose xarelto®. Xarelto®. To help keep me protected. Oncedaily xarelto®, a latestgeneration blood thinner. Significantly lowers the risk of stroke in people with afib not caused by a heart valve problem. It has similar effectiveness to warfarin. Xarelto® works differently. Warfarin interferes with at least 6 bloodclotting factors. Xarelto® is selective, targeting just one critical factor interacting with less of your bodys natural bloodclotting function. For afib patients wellmanaged on warfarin, there is limited information on how xarelto® compares in reducing the risk of stroke. Dont stop taking xarelto® without talking to your doctor, as this may increase risk of stroke. While taking, you may bruise more easily, or take longer for bleeding to stop. It may increase your risk of bleeding if you take certain medicines. Xarelto® can cause serious, and in rare cases, fatal bleeding. Get help right away for unexpected bleeding, unusual bruising, or tingling. If youve had spinal anesthesia, watch for back pain or any nerve or musclerelated signs or symptoms. Do not take xarelto® if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. Tell your doctor before all planned medical or dental procedures. And before starting xarelto®about any conditions, such as kidney, liver, or bleeding problems. Its important to learn all you can. To help protect yourself from a stroke. Talk to your doctor about xarelto®. Theres more to know™. So this morning the Trump Administration will find out if its not so veiled threat to allied nations pays off or if we see a revolt from some of our closest friends. The debate begins in 25 minutes over the u. S. Decision to move its embassy from israel to jerusalem. President trump doubled down on a warning from Ambassador Haley yesterday with this threat. For all of those nations that take our money and then they vote against us at the Security Council, or they vote against us potentially at the assembly, they take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars and then they vote against us. Well, were watching those votes. Let them vote against us. Well save a lot. We dont care. Nbcs ron allen is outside the u. N. Monitoring all the developments for us. Good morning. Ambassador haley spreading the president s warning in no uncertain terms. Were expecting a lot of dramatic emotional political and diplomatic theater here at the united nations. A situation where there are going to be allegations that the United States is blackmailing, is bullying, and its basically going to be the United States and israel and perhaps a few other allies against the world on this issue of jerusalem. Since the president announced that he is recognizing jerusalem as israels capital only and moving the u. S. Embassy there, theres been condemnation from around the world. And this, the u. N. , is the latest theater for all of that. The General Assembly is going to hold an emergency session, a rare session, and theyre going to vote on a resolution that essentially says its expressing what it says is, quote, deep regret at recent decisions concerning the status of jerusalem, ie, the u. S. Decision to move its embassy there and recognize it as israels capital only. This follows a vote by the Security Council yesterday on a similar measure that the United States stepped up and vetoed. The vote was 141. The United States vetoed the measure. All of this is significant because theres probably no more single important issue in the middle east Peace Process than jerusalem. What capital will that be the country of, the nation of. The palestinians of course want East Jerusalem as a minimum as their capital. The israelis proclaim this idea of proclaiming jerusalem as their capital is long overdue. There was jubilation in the streets of west jerusalem when this happened. The israelis for their part are saying that this whole process at the u. N. , theyre dismissing it. They say the u. N. Has been biased against them from the start. Whats really significant is the not so veiled threat, as you put it, by the Trump Administration to withhold funding, to withdraw money from countries that do not support the United States. Nikki haley in a letter to the 190 so members of the General Assembly said, in part, that the president will be watching this vote carefully and has requested i report back to on those countries who voted against us. We will take note of each and every vote on this issue. Now, that specifically means that countries are going to vote against the United States include allies like egypt, turkey, jordan, key american arab muslim countries in the region, that the United States needs in its fight against terrorism and to maintain peace and order in that part of the world. So there are a lot of analysts who really wonder can the Trump Administration really carry out this threat to withhold money from countries like that. Also, on the Security Council yesterday, there are American Allies like britain, france who also were against the United States on this issue. So, again, its largely the United States and israel against the world. We expect there to be some very fiery speeches starting very soon. A vote later this afternoon. And the fallout for many weeks and months to come. Ron, thank you for that. Let me bring in christopher hill. He was the u. S. Ambassador to iraq in south korea and hes also an msnbc diplomacy expert. I want to go back to what we heard the president say. He said, were watching those votes, let them vote against us, well save a lot, we dont care. What are you expecting to hear when they all convene in about, what, 20, 25 minutes now . Well, first of all, its really hard to determine how to begin with this. The u. S. Provides about 1 of its federal budget to assistance. The assistance is not were not the salvation army. Were not just giving out money to people. Were giving money, funds, programs, to various countries to help us. Were giving military assistance to countries to fight against terrorism. Were helping countries with their capacity so they dont become failed states. Were helping countries with all kinds of Health Assistance and ways to help children and food, et cetera. You think thats the way a lot of americans view it, at least trumps base, when you went to all those rallies and we all watched them, his whole America First push was exactly about what hes talking about here. So, i mean, i guess at least on this level, its not surprising and im not sure most americans, you know, and not im not saying this in a critical way, im not sure most americans understand that, a, its not a bigger part of our budget and b, what it goes for. Yes, and i agree with you. But just because they dont know that its true doesnt make it not true. It is true, what we have tried to do for decades to help countries so that they can help us. So this is the issue. Its in our interest, not just their interest. So is the president really going to change that . Is he really going to persist in the notion that somehow this is some huge amount of money, you know, Many Americans think its onethird of the federal budget. Its about less than one percent. So i guess hes going to kind of move ahead on this. And then the question is what is he trying to accomplish with this . Does he really think countries are going to switch their longstanding position . By the way, this has been the u. S. Position for 70 years, the issue of jerusalem should be a socalled final status issue. Its a tough issue. You need to get a lot of other things done before you take on that. And he thinks hes somehow taken it off the table. He hasnt. Hes really putting it on the table for years to come. Frankly, think hes made a mess of the issue of the middle east Peace Process, and also he seems to not understand why we have assistance in the first place. To be sure, many people have a misunderstanding of it. It behooves our leadership to try to explain to people why we have assistance. And this president is doing quite the opposite. Let me read to you a Statement Released by the plo ambassador. It says President Trump should know there are things that are not for sale or subject to blackmail, particularly issues of principle, legality and morality. Extortion is the most effective way for the u. S. To isolate itself even further and to weaken its influence and standing globally. Okay, not a surprising response from the palestinian leadership. But in terms of the reaction, do you think that that is a general rel reaction among our allies . And what are they going to do today . Whats the impact of this going to be . Ive rarely ever agreed with a plo statement, but i think thats about right, its about right. Were going to be isolated. And, you know, there are many people in the Trump Administration who think thats a good thing, to be isolated from the rest of the world, this terrible place out there that we need to put up walls against. I think its quite accurate. Weve put ourselves in a position where we will have a lot less influence. Well not be able to shape the world around us. In so doing, will not be able to protect our own people. You know, defense doesnt begin on our the shores of our nation. It begins out there. Thats why we have bases around the world. Thats why we have diplomatic processes. To protect our country. And so the idea that we can only protect our country at our shores is very wrong and, frankly, it really speaks to a president who you just dont have the sense has ever cracked a history book. Ambassador christopher hill, always good to see you, thanks so much. Thank you. An olympic Gold Medalist who says she was forced to keep a secret, an explosive lawsuit from jim nift michaela, revealing new details about the abuse she says she suffered. [ mouse clicks, keyboard clacking ] [ mouse clicking ] [ keyboard clacking ] [ mouse clicking ] [ keyboard clacking ] good questions lead to good answers. Our advisors can help you find both. Talk to one today and see why were bullish on the future. Yours. Talk to one today and see why were bullish on the future. I am totally blind. And non24 can throw my days and nights out of sync, keeping me from the things i love to do. Talk to your doctor, and call 8442142424. I used to have more hair. I used to have more color. And. I used to have cancer. I beat it. I did. Not alone. I used to have no idea what the American Cancer Society did. Research . Yeah. But also free rides to chemo and free lodging near hospitals. I used to maybe give a little. Then i got so much back. I used to have cancer. Please give at cancer. Org. Replace the full value of your totaled new car. The guy says, you picked the wrong insurance plan. No, i picked the wrong insurance company. With new car replacement™, well replace the full value of your car plus depreciation. Liberty mutual insurance. Ai had a lot on my mind. Could this happen again . Was my warfarin treatment right for me . My doctor told me about eliquis. Eliquis treats dvt and pe blood clots and reduces the risk of them happening again. Not only does eliquis treat dvt and pe blood clots. Eliquis also had significantly less major bleeding than the standard treatment. Eliquis had both and that turned around my thinking. Dont stop eliquis unless your doctor tells you to. Eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding dont take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. If you had a spinal injection while on eliquis call your doctor right away if you have tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness. While taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily. And it may take longer than usual for bleeding to stop. Seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. Eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. Tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. Both made eliquis right for me. Ask your doctor if switching to eliquis is right for you. New this morning, disturbing details are emerging in olympic Gold Medalist Michaela Maroneys lawsuit on the sexual abuse she suffered for nearly a decade at the hands of the former team doctor including allegations about those who knew about it and how she was expected to keep quiet. Nbcs stephanie gost joins me with the details. These are kids. Its unbelievable. You and i were in london. We cheered that team on, the fierce five. Little did we know that at the time Michaela Maroney according to these explosive allegations in this lawsuit, was being a abused by larry nasser. Saying the organization that basically got her to the podium had her sign a deal, exchanging money for her silence. Michaela maroney anchored the fierce five team in 2012 with incredible performances on the vault. Unbelievable reporter earning gold and silver at the london olympics. But a new lawsuit says her career was cut short. The young athlete now suffering severe depression after years of alleged sexual abuse by team doctor larry nasser. According to the suit, maroney believes nasser took thousands of photographs of her, continuously obsessively and compulsively. Including while he was abusing her. Maroney believes the photos were shared by nasser with other pedophiles. In september of last year, reports first surfaced of nassers crimes against young gymnasts. In december, maroney went to usa gymnastics, according to the complaint, to get financial help for psychological treatment. The wall street journal reports the organization agreed to a 1. 25 million settlement. Her lawyer says it was in exchange for signing a nondisclosure greept. You dont help somebody by putting a gag on them and saying, oh, yeah, we know you were molested but you can never talk about it. Reporter in a statement, usa j gymnastics says the concept of confidentiality was initiated by maroneys attorney, not usa gymnastics. Maroneys current Attorney Says that agreement was written by usa gymnastics lawyers and it was designed to do one thing, which is keep their secret from the public. Maroney now wants the previous usa gymnastics settlement overturned as unlawful and is suing the organization, nassar and his former employer Michigan State university. Despite the nondisclosure agreement, maroney went public with her story in october. Writing, in part, i had a dream to go to the olympics and the things that i endured to get there were unnecessary and disgusting. At the time, usa at the time they publicly commended maroney and others accusers for their courage. Predators can be held accountable for their actions. They would try to look good by acting like they wanted her to come forward. That statement is the height of hypocrisy and its dispicable. Two other members of the team say nassar abused them, too. Raisman recently speaking out on today. It is so disturbing to me what he did to me and so many other people. Reporter critical of usa gymnastics. I was basically told to keep it quiet and that they were handling it. They didnt let me help. Reporter nassar is in jail on sex abuse charges against sa seven young girls in michigan. He pled guilty to child pornography after investigators found 37,000 images in his home. The former doctor will likely spend the rest of his life in prison. Usa gymnastics said that during the negotiations, Gloria Allred was maroneys attorney. Those negotiations, by law, chris, are confidential. We reached out to Gloria Allred and she did not give us a comment. We also reached out to Michigan State university. And they didnt have a comment either. Its impossible to, i think, overstate the importance of gymnastics to the olympic movement. It is the marquise sport. That and figure skating in their respective olympics. What does the usoc have to do with all of this . Is there any culpability on their part . Do they have oversight of usa gymna gymnast gymnastics . They do. But in their public statements condemned larry nassar and distanced themselves from that process. One of the Big Questions here as it is on all of these Sexual Misconduct or sexual abuse stories is not only the person who allegedly was involved in it, but the institutions that they represented or were employed by and how those institutions reacted to the news when they heard it that something was going on. Was the priority to protect themselves or was the priority to help those people who were hurt by this person. And that is a big question that a lot of places today have to answer. Not just usa gymnastics, but across industries. Thank you, stephanie gosk, so much for staying on top of this story. Meanwhile on capitol hill, a bipartisan effort is under way to make sure lawmakers are personally libel. This would require members of congress to reimburse the treasury for using taxpayer dollars to settle those claims. Let me bring in msnbc political and legal contributor maya harris. Congress paid more than 166,000 for settlements involving Sexual Harassment or discrimination. Do you think having lawmakers pay for claims could eventually become law . Could this be truly preventative . What do you make of this . Well, clearly, as weve learned more and more about how congress has been handling these claims over time. Some reforms are long overdue. Over 20 years ago. When it comes to the process itself, i think a lot of reform that is needed and momentum for actual reform. Before you geet the question of settlements and, you know, who should be paying the settlements. You have to start with big piece of business, which is reforming the overall complaint process, which, right now, is daunting. Counsel the accuser of not being provided with counsel. A big piece of business in terms of making the process more fair and transparent and accountable in general. But to your question about the payments by lawmakers, i mean, voters send people to congress to make laws, not to break laws. And, so, i dont think that taxpayers should be actually footing the bill for their misconduct. And it seems as if there is both a republican and a democratic interest in reforming that aspect of the process, as well, so, i do think its possible that these changes will occur. I mean, were in a different cultural moment and i think people are understanding that we need to treat these issues seriously and, in fact, differently, than we have been treating them up to now. I think a big part of this, we heard it from stephanie. This goes across so many different professions. Nondisclosure agreements. Requesting specific information on Sexual Harassment and claims and settlements from the office of compliance. The occ released it all can legally. Now, i dont know if that is about nondisclosure or just the way the rules work there, but do you see a change coming as far as that goes . You know, id like to see the person who breaks a nondisclosure. I want to see the company or the organization go after them, especially where in the case of this doctor with the gymnasts, hes in jail now. Its clear he broke the law repeatedly and horrifically. Youve touched on a really important issue and i think the usa gymnastics story that you highlighted is actually bringing this further to light, which is around these nondisclosure agreements. In addition to the nondisclosure agreements, forced arbitration is another issue that we need to look at. But when you look at these processes, they really do, in many instances, operate to disadvantage or to silence survivors. And, so, i think we have to look at how to reform these processes so that we make sure that the system that we are creating is not actually reinforcing the very power and balance that led to the Sexual Harassment or the Sexual Assault in the first place. I do see movement on this occurring in states. Microsoft came out this week and said theyre going to stop requiring forced arbitration in sexual huhu harassment cases. In a way that evens the scales more than what were seeing right now. Maya harris, good to talk to you. Thank you so much. Were going to stay on top of this story. Very important stuff. Well be right back. So thats the idea. What do you think . Hate to play devils advocate but. I kind of feel like its a game changer. I wouldnt go that far. Are you there . Hes probably on mute. Yeah. Gary wont like it. Why . Because hes gary. phone ringing what . Keep going yeah. laughs voice on phone its not millennial enough. There are a lot of ways to say no. Thank you so much. Thank you so were doing it. Yes we got a yes start saying yes to your companys best ideas. Let us help with money and knowhow, so you can get business done. American express open. Sometimes i think, why did i do that. Take risks. Im gonna teach you how to make something happen. Dont rinse the pan, this is where we gonna make our sauce. Instead of using parsley, were going to use the carrot tops. Theyre gonna say, where did you learn that. Did you learn that at the masterclass or did you go to paris for a year . Im Wolfgang Puck and this is my masterclass. With moderate to severe Rheumatoid Arthritis . How do you chase what you love do what i did. Ask your doctor about humira. Its proven to help relieve pain and protect joints from further irreversible damage in many adults. Humira works by targeting and helping to block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to ra symptoms. Humira has been clinically studied for over 20 years. Humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. Serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened; as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. Before treatment, get tested for tb. Tell your doctor if youve been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if youve had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flulike symptoms or sores. Dont start humira if you have an infection. Ready for a new chapter . Talk to your rheumatologist about humira. This is humira at work. That wraps up this hour. Coming up, more news with hallie jackson. Good morning. From here at the white house where right now it is a countdown to a shut down. Maybe, but we are hearing now republicans have a deal on the table that would punt all the big bat tools the new year. We have some new reporting on that. Plus, some other exclusive reporting from nbc news. As the attorney general orders the fbi to take a new look at that uranium 1 deal. Republican critics have seized on to discredit Hillary Clinton. Well tell you why that could be creating some real problems for Jeff Sessions this morning. Get ready for some retribution at the united nations. That is what you are looking at as the