Analysis and discussion of the days top stories and compelling issues from Lawrence ODonnell. Presidency took a giant step toward impeachment. It happened in a courtroom in manhattan when these words were spoken. At the direction of, meaning at the direction of the president of the United States. And when a defendant is Pleading Guilty in court, it is very difficult for the defendant to Say Something more important than the word guilty. Thats usually the most important word a defendant speaks during a guilty plea session. But today in Federal Court in manhattan Michael Cohen said guilty, your honor eight times and hes also said at the direction of twice. And both times he meant at the direction of the president of the United States. And so today donald trump made history by becoming the first president of the United States to be accused under oath in Federal Court of ordering someone to commit a federal crime to win a president ial election. At the direction of. Have to be illegally pu
Sentence in this case and you agree to cooperate. And i think from Robert Muellers perspective it would be worth it because even if Paul Manafort doesnt have anything incriminating i think Robert Muellers quest is to get to the truth and Paul Manafort certainly knows a lot of what happened. He was present at that june 2016 meeting at trump tower. He has all the connections with the russians and the ukrainians and so it seems that hes in a position to know a lot of what was happening with regard to any connections with russia. So i think we might see that. Barbara mcquade, former u. S. Attorney in michigan. Thank you, barb. Really good to have you here tonight. Thanks, rachel. What a day. That does it for us for right this second. See you again tomorrow. Now its time for The Last Word with lawrence odonnell. Good evening, lawrence. Good evening, rachel. And i was so struck by your interview with lanny davis which is making news in that last hour. Not only did he tell you that Michael Co
the south and images of the president embracing a celebrity at the white house and not plugged in to the federal response. this is something the president should have known open to criticism since the white house emerged with criticism for ignoring the response in puerto rico. now this is a very small and relatively in the grand scheme of things insignificant self inflicted wound. it shows how little the white house is thinking. i m not sure he is thinking of it as a wound. again, that s the question. this was nixon meets elvis and some matter of speaking. didn t it work perfectly? the shinny object we chased around all afternoon and evening. i m not sure if it was quite that strategic. it is hard to ever know if they are that strategic. you said this was a private lunch. they opened the cameras and let him go on the rant.
politics of the midterm elections? does that generate enthusiasm in his wanted base? which is as we discussed a little bit of a shinny object. can they be more enthusiastic? does it gain him anything there. does it just cause the voters who really matter in the election, which is largely democrats who are already stirred up, but particularly a bunch of college-educated women in the suburbs who kind of vacillate between republican and democrat who aren t necessarily committed dependents african-americans women in big cities. does it generate more outrage and anger on their part. does pardoning manafort ensure the democrats take control of the house. it s a terrible political conundrum he faces because of the calendar. john, we ve seen two extraordinary things in two presidencies in a row. if you go back to lbj and nixon. lyndon johnson, who seemed to be the most powerful incumbent president and the wilest politician to be in the oval
politics of the midterm elections? does that generate enthusiasm in his wanted base? which is as we discussed a little bit of a shinny object. can they be more enthusiastic? does it gain him anything there. does it just cause the voters who really matter in the election, which is largely democrats who are already stirred up, but particularly a bunch of college-educated women in the suburbs who kind of vacillate between republican and democrat who aren t necessarily committed dependents african-americans women in big cities. does it generate more outrage and anger on their part. does pardoning manafort ensure the democrats take control of the house. it s a terrible political conundrum he faces because of the calendar. john, we ve seen two extraordinary things in two presidencies in a row. if you go back to lbj and nixon.