Retaliation. Michelle has the riveting details. Reporter a bombshell report, laying out the u. S. Intelligence communitys case for russias meddling in the 2016 election. And revealing it was directly ordered by Vladimir Putin. The Washington Post detailing that intelligence sources had captured putins own instructions to disrupt and discredit the president ial race with the goal of defeating or hurting Hillary Clinton and helping donald trump. The cia delivered the intelligence by courier to president obama in august. The post interviews with officials revealed the frustrations now among some of them that more was not done the punish russia. Its the hardest thing about my time in government to defend. I feel like we sort of choked. They say the administration was worried about provoking russia. Our primary interest in september and october was to prevent them from doing the max they could do. And after the election, some of the hasher options for punishing russia, like a massive cyber
Russias meddling in the 2016 election. So, what did the president do to relieve all of that pressure . Well, he threatened to shutdown the government. Mr. Trump tweeting early this morning, i am considering a veto of the omnibus spending bill, the bill that would keep the government open ahead of tonights midnight deadline. This threat after his aides and advisors spent the past 24 hours assuring lawmakers mr. Trump would definitely sign the bill. His tweets sending shock waves throughout washington, but it didnt solve the issue of that 1 00 p. M. White House Press Briefing where Sarah Huckabee sanders would certainly face questions about all of that uncomfortable news. So, the president took control again, tweeting News Conference at the white house concerning the omnibus spending bill, 1 00 p. M. Well, it would have been the first solo News Conference from the president in over a year and given all that the press wanted to ask him about, it would have been a pretty big deal. Only it
He negotiated good deals for the president in both of his divorces. From the ivana and from marla maples. They go back a long way and still talk to each other. And as you say this is first reported by the wall street journal. I spoke with jay goldberg afterwards. He reported last friday morning he gets a call from the white house, first pick up by his wife. Then he takes it. And the president is effectively asking him for his legal advice and read on the case. His advice was very clear. Be careful. Michael cohen whom you think is a good friend of yours and may very well be a good friend of yours is going to flip on you. And the reason he told me is that anybody who is facing 30 years never stands up. Without exception he said he told the president. A person facing a prison term cooperates. And he said there wasnt much of a response from the president to that at all. Then he told the president and by the way, dont testify. Because even if youre telling the truth theyre going to get you.
Attorney of the president s jay goldberg is and what he adviced the president. Jay goldberg is an old friend of the president , about 85 years old. He negotiated good deals for the president in both of his divorces. From the ivana and from marla maples. They go back a long way and still talk to each other. And as you say this is first roorted by the wall street journal. I spoke with jay goldberg afterwards. He reported last friday morning he gets a call from the white house, first pick up by his wife. Then he takes it. And the president is effectively asking him for his legal advice and read on the case. His advice was very clear. Be careful. Michael cohen whom you think is a good friend of yours and may very well be a good friend of yours is going to flip on you. And the reason he told me is that anybody who is facing 30 years never stands up. Without exception he said he told the president. A person facing a prison term cooperates. And he said there wasnt much of a response from the
College, not ever. This confirmation process has and offices, campuses and trains and planes, riveted by every momen boiling over. This is the most unethical sham since ive been in politics. Tonight we have reaction from the halls of congress, from the senators, with the Supreme Court nomination hanging in the balance, and from the white house where the president was watching after a day for the history books. Were any minds changed, and what happens now . This is nbc nightly news with lester holt. Good evening, a day that will go down in the history books, destined to becomen it happened moments. A marathon day of testimony as we heard for the first time publicly from dr. Christine blasey ford. The california professor whose allegation has thrown a Supreme Court nomination into turmoil. Dr. Ford unwavering in her certainty that Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in the nba in the 1980s. And judge kavanaugh appearing shortly after at times angrily, even tearfully denying it happene