Yes, that is basically it. I dont know if he wanted to be there while trump was making his speech about the change of staff. Phil rucker, as condensed as they are, all of our Print Colleagues at the white house are writing the Lookback Piece about the Reince Priebus era, all six months of it. And i know you contend he was something less than a Chief Of Staff in full always . You know, yeah, i think that is exactly right. Look, this is an establishment republican who became close to donald trump over the course of the campaign. Tried to help integrate the party in the trump world. Tried to do it in washington to help trump govern and pass his agenda on capitol hill. But he was beset time and time again by the kind of chaos and disorder that has really defined all of trumps enterprises, including this white house. It was so remarkable, that Reince Priebus was so belittled and demeaned at work, the backbiting was so intense and vicious. I talked to one staffer, the president said that Reince Priebus was weak, he cant get the job done and of course all has come to an end. As one politico put it together, how much change do you expect . Well, i think that is the critical question. And i would draw your attention to one point, brian, i had a conversation tonight with a source who said look, Anthony Scaramucci is still going to be reporting to the president. He will still have oval office privileges, as far as we know at this point and what that means is that the chief staff still doesnt have that emboldened status of having most of the top officials report to him. Will that change . Will john kelly push for that . I think it will be a critical question, that could determine if this ship is righted. It was very tense today at the white house. We had a sense that something may be brewing as phil points out, the president for several days if not for weeks and months has questioned Reince Priebuss ability to be forceful on a whole host of issue. And he put Reince Priebus in charge of health care and was growing increasingly frustrated he was not seeing more action, more success on that front. Its our understanding that last nights vote was the death nell for preibus. All right, it doesnt get any heavier than that. The lack of a successful agenda. He was supposed to be with his establishment republican contacts in charge of health care i just mentioned. That of course has gone down in a humbling defeat. He has not been able to keep the trains running on time. This is a white house that never has a coherent message week to week because theyre so often derailed by the president s tweets, his whims, he went after one of his most favorite generals, then, we have the departure of the shortest tenured Chief Of Staff in white house history. What kind of week was it . We want to tell the viewers tonight well have a look back at where we have been since monday. Its a headspinner. So josh, because were talking about washington and a Cabinet Department where the number two will be in charge until the number one can be nominated and not just any Cabinet Department. The folks who keep us safe, what are you hearing about a new secretary for the department of Homeland Security . Well, were hearing that you know, one of the rumors that is out there right now is there there may be some effort to try to shift Attorney General Jeff Sessions over to this job because he is somebody who always had been thought of as more of an Immigration Enforcer anyway. But i dont know that that is viable in the senate given some of the rules that have been laid out there. The statements laid down by various senators in the last couple of days saying theyre not interested in having more Confirmation Hearings for Attorney General. That would throw them obviously into a panic, the ouster of bob mueller, for the time being were probably looking at an acting chief over there until things settle down. So kristen welker, as we digest the idea of the Attorney General going to the job of Homeland Security, the bells that it would set off. And scaramucci, it is roundly contended that the kind of barnyard language he would use that would make a longshoreman blush, would make an instant dismissal by any other president. He won, he is still there. Not only is he still there, brian, but there is a sense behind the scenes that the president is okay with what happened. That perhaps he was in some ways expressing part of what the president feels at least as it relates to Reince Priebus. Steve bannons job, it seems, at this point is still safe. But what has already divided an already fractured west wing, what i mean is you have some people behind scenes who are brushing off what happened, others laughing about what happened but other people who are deeply upset and bothered by it who say frankly, someone who uses that type of language, someone who attacks his fellow colleagues should not be allowed to continue to serve in the west wing at the pleasure of the president. And so i think its created more discord. Now, can General Kelly come in and change that . Can he smooth over some of these very rough edges that exist right now . That will be a real challenge, i think, because there is a lot of concern and paranoia among staffers that they could be the next to go. It is worth noting that Reince Priebus was one of Donald Trumps remaining links to the party. You have sean spicer, who is out. You have katie walsh who was the first rnc connected high level staffer to leave and another lower Level Communications staffer who left just last week. So you have four departures all connected to the rnc, the president s connection to that branch of the Republican Party growing thinner by the day. Mr. Rucker, one question was answered tonight. That is what the president will do about the russia sanctions. They floated out the idea he would not sign on them even though they passed through the house and senate with margins you dont see any more. That is right, the answer is the president will sign the legislation. We got word through the white house that sarah sanders, the press secretary, just an hour ago, the Congress Really forced the president s hand because this is a vetoproof majority. Even if the president were to do a veto of this bill it would really be a symbolic gesture because the congress of course would override it. Jonathan, we dont deal in absolutes, but how close to the worst week ever in the white house did we just witness . That is this is up there. This is a week that has seen him as mentioned go after his Attorney General, that has seen the Health Care Bill collapse in a humbling defeat that has seen a lot of republicans suddenly act like theyre not afraid of the president any more. Theyre not going to act on his behalf for loyalty or out of fear. And now we have scaramucci coming in, clearly shaking things up. He is sort of the president s id, if you will, he seemed not only that he survived this controversy but seems offended in the white house, but that could change if kelly comes in on monday and attempts to right the ship. But at the end of the day this is still the president. It all emanates from donald trump. There will only be significant changes in this white house if he is willing to make them. And until he does and of course this is the russia cloud hanging over all of this. There may be other competitors for worst week ever. After a long day for the good folks who bring us The First Draft Of History our thanks to our panel of journalists, kristen welker, philip rucker, and jonathan lamiere. Coming up, how is the ouster of Reince Priebus sitting with the gop . Well ask one strategist when we continue. Hi. Sensing your every move and automatically adjusting to help you stay effortlessly comfortable. There. I can even warm these to help you fall asleep faster. Does your bed do that . Oh. I dont actually talk. Though im smart enough to. Im the new sleep number 360 smart bed. Lets meet at a sleep number store. Or a little Internet Machine . [ Phone Ringing ] hi mom. It makes you wonder. Shouldnt we get our phones and internet from the same company . Thats why Xfinity Mobile comes with your internet. You get up to 5 lines of talk and text at no extra cost. [ laughing ] so all you pay for is data. See how much you can save. Choose by the gig or unlimited. Call or go to xfinitymobile. Com introducing Xfinity Mobile. A new kind of network designed to save you money. On behalf of the entire senior staff, and around you, mr. President , we thank you for the opportunity and the blessing you have given us to serve your agenda and the American People and were continuing to work very hard every day to accomplish those goals. It was later dubbed the dear leader meeting. That was Reince Priebus at the president s first full meeting of the cabinet, thanking mr. Trump, for the opportunity and the blessing to work for the administration. Joining us by telephone to react to todays news, msnbc political analyst Steve Schmidt, also happens to be former Chief Strategist to john mccain, former 2008 campaign. Steve, we have been Thinking Of You as this news has pulled out. Give me the basics on the presidency tonight. Well, its in very bad shape. And listening to Reince Priebus on the audio, what it shows, brian, is that excellence and syphocancy is not necessarily Job Reassurance in the presidency. We have the lowest numbers in the modern history of polling at 35, 36, 37 , wherever it may be. We have complete and total chaos in the west wing. And really, with each new dawn, there is another assault. Another attack on the dignity of the institution of the office of the president of the united states. And so increasingly and i try not to be alarmist about this as we talk about it on a daily basis, but were approaching a real hour of crisis in our democracy and in our civics. In the life of a democratic republic. And you think back to that story from outside the Declaration Of Independence convention, you know, where Benjamin Franklin walks out and he is asked by a woman on the street and says dr. Franklin, what have we achieved here . He said the republic, madam, if you can keep it. I think what we see increasingly is a level of dysfunction that is profoundly injuring the institutions, to the democratic norms that are necessary to be sustained in a functioning 21st century Democratic Society. Steve, as we always say, the heroes of watergate were for the most part, republicans. At least the surprise as it unspooled. And the surprise in the end. Are you looking for that same thing of course coming off last night. Murckowski, collins and mccain in the senate, are you looking for the republicans to change their behavior and comments . Of course, look, we have two parties in this country right now. We may well see a real independent candidacy in 2020, but when we look at the two parties right now the party that Controls Washington where members who i dont question their sincerity and their oathtaking where they swore the oath to defend the constitution of the united states. But the norms of a Democratic Society and culture that have been passed down generation to generation in this country are under assault by this administration. And where is the point where Republican Office holders stand up and say enough is enough with the chaos and with the degradations of our most important institutions. And specifically, how important was it that Mitch Mcconnell was able to put together the vote of something that had the support of 13 of americans that not one of those senators knew how much it cost. How many people would lose their insurance. In fact, not one of them had any idea what the legislation would do who voted in the affirmative. And so as we continue on in this administration and you look ahead to the elections in 2018, what is increasingly clear is with this collapse of thinking and Policy Making and intellectualism that is attached to conservatism in the Republican Party, will there be a political price to pay for it . And i suspect there will be a heavy political price to pay for it before all is said and done. A somber note, thank you, Steve Schmidt with us tonight. Well take another break. When we come back some people who know this new Incoming White House Chief Of Staff, former marine, fourstar general. How will he get along with the boss . What can we expect . That and more when The 11th Hour continues. Got a minute . Not for me, for you. New aveeno®. Positively radiant® 60 second in shower facial. Works with steam to reveal. Glowing skin in just one minute. Aveeno® naturally beautiful results® and wake up ready to perform. Only exclusive retailers carry tempurpedic. Find yours at tempurpedic. Com. Fall, we are so happy and fortunate to have with us three men who know the general, retired fourstar barry mccaffrey, decorated vietnam veteran, and another highly decorated veteran, u. S. Army retired, jack jacobs, a recipient of the medal of honor. Also returning to our broadcast, the former Chief Of Staff at the cia and pentagon, jeremy bash. So general, you and General Kelly were both in the fourstar club, that is a very small membership. How did you come to know him . And tell him who is this man . I have known him over the years, in seminars with him, and doing interviews. This is one of the finest people i ever met in my life. In terms of integrity, competence, good judgment. So i think the good news is for the American People. I would also point out. I heard a couple of colleagues talking about his lack of congressional or political experience. This fellow was seven years working congress for the u. S. Marine corps. So he is intimately aware of how the legislative process works. And then finally, he not only served in europe and afghanistan, and all over latin america, he has been the Military Assistant to two of the finest Public Servants we ever had. Bill gates and secretary leon panetta. So i think this guy would be better off parachuting into raqqah, syria, than going into this white house. But its good news for the American People. General, you always have a way with words. Colonel jacobs, in addition to being a new englander, his accent will give him away, but we should have American People know him for his service. He is a gold star father, he lost a son serving in the military. He has another son, why do you believe he is suited for this job . Well, he is intelligent, hard working, diligent, a strong patriot, a Great American. But i dont think that this matters about the white house, the Chief Of Staff has to be a Chief Of Staff. Anybody who has an opportunity to work around him will leave the place in chaos, Jared Kushner doesnt report to anybody, goes directly to the president. Bannon is stuck to the president like the lip on the hull of a ship. Scaramucci already said he reports to the president. At the end of the day, General Kelly is either going to have to accept a diminished role as the Chief Of Staff or he will have to be frustrated and have to leave. Jeremy bash, during your time, i know General Kelly became a Military Officer that you worked with the closest. We worked together and traveled All Around The World together. I want to echo what is said, he is a Great American, maybe one of the greatest, i think the point stands even if we had the greatest american serving as the white house Chief Of Staff, if the president doesnt empower that person and insist on order, and john kelly is a student of the chain of command, and order, the president will not be able to achieve his agenda, and i dont know john kelly and nobody can do it. I talked to his friends, his former boss, secretary leon panetta, we know he is highly capable and intelligent. Were praying for him, and want the president to empower him now to bring order to that very unordered place. Well, i hope a lot of americans see and hear what you gentlemen just said about him tonight. Those three words, chain of command will come up tonight something tells me. So general mccaffrey, something tells me today, just before your appearance tonight on this broadcast, north korea fired off another icbm. We have information where they straightened out the journey of this missile today. It was aloft for 40 minutes to show us where had it had a different trajectory it could reach within the lower 48 of the united states. Make that 49, make it 50, actually, including alaska and hawaii. So general, as fraught a circumstance as we have seen in the modern era certainly, what to do about this . There is only a bit of good news here. North korea is essentially a criminal regime. Theyre not zealots. Theyre not ideological, theyre not religious. So the preservation of the regime is the only thing that counts. Having said that, this is an unstable regime with quirky lad who shoots his generals for not applauding loudly enough when he gives a speech. So we dont think he has a very rational bubble of decisionmaking around him. I dont think there is any good news. Were not going to strike north korea for trying to take out their nuclear capability. Not going to happen. The chinese are not going to strangle north korea economically. Not going to happen. Theyre not going to strangle their nukes, so we have to build our missiles and ships at sea. I love hearing the analysts saying we need to strike them preemptively, i want to say show me the target list you have in mind. I think if one assumes this is a continuing criminal enterprise, one way to deal with them, were going to have to go get together with china and look at the criminal enterprises existence. Otherwise, they will continue to develop the capability to strike the united states. Were not going to scorch their earth, with artillery strike distance, you have to make the deal with them. We kicked the can down the road so long this is the only route. And jeremy bash, you have the last word, we talked about perhaps a crisis would be the test of this administration no one was hoping to see. Yeah, the chairman of the joint chiefs had to correct the president given the transgender policy, not on the substance, but the manner in which it was given. When the president communicates an order it should communicate through the chain of command, that was not done this week and in a real crisis that could cost american security and american lives. General barry mccaffrey, jack jacobs, jeremy bash, thank you all gentlemen on a friday night. We certainly appreciate it. Coming up, another white house staffer was resigning, remember sean spicers exit, that was last friday. Think of all that happened this week, we will when The 11th Hour continues. Best people in the world. He knows people. We figured its friday night. We have to look at how we got here and where we have been. So we put together a great Conversation Group for this. Joining our conversation, Pulitzer Prize winning president ial author and historian, the author of most recently, bush 41, john meecham, boston globe columnist and the joint chair with us, and author and friend of the broadcast. Because a man from kenosha, because the man who is a friend of yours is in the white house, i want to start with what Reince Priebuss life has looked like this last six months. What his departure looks like to you today. I would love to hear it. I do think of Reince Priebus as a friend. But i think the story is tragic, because he made a series of decisions and rationalizations, and enabled and empowered donald trump. And even though a lot of us warned him this would end badly i dont think anybody thought it would end in this torrent of profanity and humiliation that we have seen. You know, Reince Priebus says he is going to try to keep this classy and above board. But the reality is when you watch the trajectory of the First Six Months of this presidency, its not because Reince Priebus was a bad Chief Of Staff, its because you have a bad president. Everything starts and ends with donald trump. And unfortunately, despite what a Great American General Kelly is he is going to inherit that same dysfunction. At the center of everything that is happening is donald trump. By the way, the big question i have is what is the really defining move of last week . Was it the appointment of General Kelly or was it the appointment of the mooch, the mooch who is obviously an unhinged, he has been described as the president s id, if that is the future of the presidency, then i dont think the president is going to be able to turn it around. As i said, general mccaffrey, the launch of a missile today sharpens the mind and causes you if youre at all worried about such things and responsive to such things, it asks you about the most fearsome arsenal in the world. I was talking to a very senior republican lawmaker last week who said he was more concerned about what he called the Competence Deficit in the white house, that he wasnt even worried about russia. And he was worried in 2016. I do think General Kelly is good news on that front. But we all know history is made up of the unexpected. And every white house comes in thinking that they can master events and events nearly always master them. That is the way the world works. As far as General Kelly goes, i dont know if he knows the story, but exactly 30 years ago in 1987, when don reagan was on his way out as reagans Chief Of Staff, Ronald Reagan decided to call the great baker of tennessee, when the president called to offer him the Chief Of Staff job. And Senator Baker was at the zoo with his grandchildren. And his wife said, mr. President , he cant come to the phone, he is at the zoo. And the president said well, wait until he sees the zoo i have in mind for him. And the Reagan White House looks like the Kennedy School compared to this. Indira, if the arrival of a marine fourstar means these are better days ahead, do you think the bill for dysfunction kind of came due this past week . Look, i think its all a great idea that General Kelly is supposed to come in and restore order. But its like the idea of rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic when it is already half way under water. I mean, it really doesnt make any sense. There is no amount of order that he can possibly restore to a dysfunctional white house where everybody is infighting with one another, when its the president himself who is encouraging this infighting, who is encouraging scaramucci to give an interview like he did, apparently with his blessing he gave these insults about Reince Priebus to ryan liz of the new yorker. When you have somebody at the top who is allowing his staff members to act like contestants on the apprentice, then one of them will get axed at the end of the week. I dont think how General Kelly will try to make order, when you cant make order, its like herding cats with a giant lion at the top of the pen. It absolutely cant happen. Well be right back after this. Can be signs of a lifethreatening condition. Side effects may include allergic reactions, neck and injection site pain, fatigue, and headache. Dont take botox® if theres a skin infection. Tell your doctor your medical history, muscle or nerve conditions, and medications, including botulinum toxins, as these may increase the risk of serious side effects. For a limited time, you can qualify for two treatments at no cost. Stand up to chronic migraine. Talk to a Headache Specialist today. They should have approved health care last night, but you cant have everything. Boy, oh boy. They have been working on that one for seven years. Let obamacare implode. When we win on november 8th and elect a Republican Congress we will be able to immediately repeal and replace obamacare. Have to do it. I know that were all going to make a deal on health care, that is such an easy one. Were going to take care of everyone. Were going to take care of people and people are going to get it so good. That was too easy, lets talk about what happened last night. In the well of the senate it came down to one very dramatic moment. Senator john mccain comes in and raises his right arm, broken in three places in north vietnam. Senator schumer waves off any verbal reaction. But with that it was done. Seven years of talk about repeal and replace done in one hand gesture. Our panel remains with us and well go to charlie sykes. Charlie, much was made of that moment of course a moment of moral courage, a man staring down his own mortality, yet again not the first time in his last. Lets talk about the courage of murckowski of alaska, and collins of maine, because without those two women there is no moment like that no john mccain. My question to you, is that kind of courage for cheering them on going to be contagious . Well, you dont know, you made the point to ask and others have as well that frankly it will have to be republicans or conservatives that will have to rein in the Trump Administration. It was Barry Goldwater that told nixon he needed to go. But john mccain not only cast a courageous vote, but probably provided cover for i dont know how many other senators who knew that this was a deeply unpopular flawed piece of legislation that the process, the policy, the politics were all very flawed. And that he provided them some cover. But you know we will see. I do get a sense that this was a Turning Point this week. Lisa murckowski standing up against the threat from the interior secretary. The push back against the talk of getting Jeff Sessions. Passing the russian legislation, the pushback on the transgender order. You almost got the sense that republicans are realizing okay, this is their moment they have to push. So john meecham, i have to ask if there is anything as parallel to anything in talk and campaigning, any Political Party that has had house, senate, white house going into a vote so elemental . I cant think of a specific one. There are broad trends that that unfolds. The republicans growing uncomfortable with deficits, that kind of thing after campaigning against government for so many years. But in terms of a dramatic moment and really a window into a party in crisis, we talk a lot about the democrats, Identity Crisis and rightly. But you know, there is a connection here between Reince Priebuss departure and the failure of the repeal vote, i think. Which is that the Republican Party essentially sold its soul to donald trump and the check has bounced. And theyre going to have to figure out what to do. Indira, you get the last 30 seconds, what now for the Trump Administration . I think that john made the excellent point. Its really what republicans are going to do to stop him in congress. We already heard from Chuck Grassley saying no, were not going to put in a new Attorney General. And graham saying were going to put in legislation to stop you from firing mueller. But i dont think its going to stop this president from taking those kinds of actions. So well see if any other republican can be able to do what john mccain did, and murckowski and collins, well see if anybody takes that kind of dramatic step to stand up to donald trump . And that sound you heard was the air coming out of charlies lungs. Charlie wrote books about this, copies of which well sell all during the fall. To john, indira, thank you for staying up late with us on a friday night after the week we have had. Coming up, it was a week where so many things happened, you would be forgiven for not remembering it all. That is where we come in after this. Wahhhh. Right. In. Your. Stomach watch this . Yikes, that ice cream was messing with you, wasnt it . Try lactaid, its real ice cream, without that annoying lactose. Lactaid. Its the milk that doesnt mess with you. Chances are, the last time yoyou got robbed. An, i know i got a loan 20 years ago, and i got robbed. Thats why i started lendingtree the only place you can compare up to 5 real offers side by side, for free. Its like shopping for hotels online, but our average customer can save Twenty Thousand dollars. At lendingtree, you know youre getting the best deal. So take the power back and come to lendingtree. Com, because at lendingtree when banks compete, you win. Attorney general. And in a rally in ohio, the president declared himself the most president ial since lincoln. That day senator john mccain flew back to washington and delivered a dramatic speech on health care. On wednesday, the president banned Transgender Service members in the armed forces. He did it later on twitter. The Armed Forces Later told the members there was no policy they knew of. Last night, a huge defeat of the Health Care Bill after seven years of the repealandreplace rallying cry. And then later, during a speech, the president said they should not be so soft on them. Later, the president said they dont advocate rougher treatment of those they arrest. Then north korea launched another missile, donald trump