Good choice. Good morning, everyone. Smart, smart candidate. Love her. We welcome to morning joe. We have joe, willie and me, National Affairs analyst, executive producer of showtimes the circus, john highly maeil. He doesnt watch morning even when hes on morning joe. Rick tyler is with us. Washington bureau chief for usa today, sharon page and Glenn Kirschner back on the show this morning. And what a day to have you on. What a day to have him on. Also, mickey, yesterday you had Kristin Welker asking donald trump a question, are you an agent of russia, have you ever worked for russia . The president finally after two days of brushing that question aside answered the question. But, my fwogosh, even more concs arising, especially in the National Security community and some people working with donald trump about why he basis tehave way he does toward Vladimir Putin and now word coming out he was trying to pressure aides to give Vladimir Putin what he wanted, a way out of nato. The u. S. Is reporting alarm among National Security officials who are fearful President Trump will attempt to withdraw from the north atlantic treaty administration. Senior officials told the times that trump privately expressed his desire to pull out of nato several times over the course of 2018. By the way, mika, that organization that was started after the cold war has kept russia in check now for 70 years. This is what they want, for him to do this. Of course. No president nobody thats ever walked into that office as soon as nato was formed has ever thought for one second about shutting down nato. Not one second. Because everybody thats ever walked across the threshold of the white house and into the oval office knows that nato has always been our check against soviet expansion and against russian expansion, and only Vladimir Putin only Vladimir Putin would be wanting the United States of america to withdraw from nato. 100 . And his reported attempts to keep his meetings with Vladimir Putin secret is adding to the concern. Current and former officials who support the alliance said they feared trump could return to his threat as allied military spending continued to lag behind the goals the president set. In the days behind a meeting last summer, they said trump told his top National Security visions that he did not see the point of the military alliance, which he presented as a drain on the United States. Natos foundational purpose is to serve as a check on russia. Theo white house pointed to President Trumps remarks calling americas commitment to nato very strong and the alliance very important. And senators will get to vote on a resolution today that criticizes the Trump Administrations decision to ease sanctions on Oil Companies linked to Russian Oligarch oleg deripaska. Of course, willy, the white house and those around the president , their statements over the past couple of days that nobody has been tougher on russia is just an absolute lie. You have the president of the United States trying to get out of the single most Important Alliance the United States has had in the postwar world. You have donald trump doing which, by the way, has been every soviet leaders goal. And now this soviet k. G. B. Agents goal has been the top priority, breaking up nato, undermining nato. And what would their number one goal be geo politically today, getting the United States out of syria, check. And now you have donald trump trying to ease sanctions on an oligarch close to Vladimir Putin. This is the biggest prize for Vladimir Putin, something he tested when he annexed crimea in 2014, he wants the breakup of nato, the split between europe and the United States. It goes back to july of last year when the president went to nato, he burst out of the meetings and declared he had gotten everybody to up their commitment to nato. And the next person, president macron, saying no, thats not what happened. Its either the president doing putin a favor or treating geo politics like a business transaction in new york city where guys have to chip in more. Its shocking over the last few days when you put this in context. The talking points of u. S. Getting out of nato sound like a puppet regime talking to putins talking points. These are putins talks points. Hes smart enough to know that he says the Nato Alliance probably one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century because it keeps us safe. We dont pay for nato. Nato pays for itself. Each of the countries contribute to their own defense. Theyre supposed to reach 2 of their own gdp. The United States and greece, ironically, is another one of them because their economy is so bad, it has worked immeasurably and who is asking to pull out of nato except for Vladimir Putin . You know, john heilemann, right now there is a question within the fbi and within a sizable chunk of america whether dr donald trump is working on behalf of russia, certainly whether hes doing it formally or whether hes doing it because Vladimir Putin has compromised material on him. But if someone were an agent for the russians sitting in the oval office, what are the three things that they would want to do the most . Number one, they would want to disband nato. Number two, they would want to ease sanctions on gooligarchs, those close to Vladimir Putin and, number three, the biggest prize, withdraw all u. S. Troops from syria and start turning the middle east over to russia and an exsoviet spy. And id add one more to that list. Im not sure where you would rank it in the hierarchy, but that would be to undermine the fabric of United States institutions and cause dissension within the United States how about attacking the intel communities that have chased the soviet unions designs for everything that they did from 1917 forward and now causing Vladimir Putin fits. I mean, donald trump is actively undermining the fbi, the cia, the Intel Community and its lackeys are doing the same thing. There was actually a buffoon on fox news that talked about abolishing the fbi. Thats how crazy its gotten. Its madness. Eye bundl i bundle all that ua catch all for the essential institutions, the Law Enforcement community is one, the courts are another. There are a variety of them. But weve talked many types for the last two years about donald trump with his head in some ways is kind of a battering ram against the american institutions. Those are foundations of what max the country strong. The strn counterbalances russia. If youre Vladimir Putin, ripping to shreds the american institutions is one giant goal. Its not i think sometimes helpful to discuss the notion of trump as a russian agent, only because i think people think that makes him an undercover spy. The knows that hes an asset i do think asset is probably the word that doesnt cause people to immediately shut their ears sometimes. Whether its witting or unwitting is the question on the ta table. And donald trump saying im not an agent for russia, it makes you think of bill clinton saying i did not sleep with that woman and Richard Nixon saying i am not a crook. Donald trump is not an agent. Im serious. He doesnt have the band width to do it, doesnt have the discipline to do it. He blurts out everything in his mind. But is he an asset . 100 . 100 he might be. Lets put it that way, mika. But again, you judge a tree by its fruits. You look at what donald trump has been trying to do on the International Stage and there is not a republican on capitol hill today that wouldnt say that what he has been doing is trying to help putin, praising putin. Will willie, his words and deeds leave no doubt that this guy is trying to help russia any way he can. At the very least, hes an easy mark for Vladimir Putin. Were looking at the tape where he stopped on his way to new orleans, took some questions from reporters and you had Kristin Welker ask her in an extraordinary moment whether or not he was working for russia, whether or not the president of the United States was working for russia, a question the president had to finally address and give a straight answer on it after dancing around in his interview with Jeanine Pirro saturday night. It needed to be asked a second time because he didnt directly respond the first time he was asked by a friendly interviewer. Were coming up at the twoyear mark since President Trumps inauguration, and it seems to me were back to a fundamental puzzle from that campaign, which is what accounts for the president s Donald Trumps attitude toward russia that we saw at the Republican Convention and during that campaign. That is a question that has not yet really been answered. This latest piece of evidence, this shocking New York Times story about serious consideration of the United States withdrawing from nato, its these are just extraordinary times. It really is. Mika, i hate to keep going back to this but it is so crate cait. I remember Jay Norlinger saying he thought the most important moment may have been when donald trump came on our show in december of 2015, when pressed on Vladimir Putin, called him a strong leader yeah. When pressed several times by all of us over the fact that he assassinated journalists and assassinated political opponents and whether that caused donald trump concern, his response, we kill a lot of people, too. Was then talking about u. S. Soldiers in iraq. And so he was blaming our soldiers and marines and u. S. Troops to Vladimir Putin assassinating journalists. That was a telling moment that was a huge moment. And raised questions not only in our minds but in a lot of other peoples minds, but you can trace events from that point toward and they just doesnt make sense. None of them make sense. His kowtowing in helsinki doesnt make sense. No president that has been in his chair, sitting in his chair before him has ever considered that for a moment. I know that moment for us was a big one, and we looked at him differently ever since that moment. You could see our faces in realtime on television literally transition from seeing him as, you know, a reality star buffoon who kind of is bumbling his way towards the presidency because of his branding ability. We saw that he could win. We also saw at that moment like, whoa, what is going on here. And we looked at him differently ever since and he gave us material to worry about as it pertained to russia every step of the way. And, willie, he continues to do that. I remember you and seth that day, all of us, we were shocked and for good reason. It just didnt make sense. Like helsinki didnt make sense. Like this nato situation didnt make sense, like syria didnt make sense. You start stacking 20, 30, 40 things that pertain to Vladimir Putin up that just make absolutely no sense and, my gosh, a narrative ef mermerges becomes deeply disturbing and requires us to ask the question that Kristen Welker asked him yesterday. That question that you asked that you got that answer of we kill people, too, it was an odd statement of equivalence between the United States and russia that didnt add up to us and continues not to add up. Glenn kirschner, i want to ask you because this all sort of dovetails about the new attorney general nominee, william barr, hearings expected to begin in a couple hours, with a big focus on Robert Muellers russia probe. And hes spoked expected to say he believes Robert Muellers investigation should continue unimpeded. He also plans to say the public should be informed of the results of that investigation, writing my goal will be to provide as much transparency as i can consistent with the law. He continues i can assure you that where judgments are to be made by me, i will make those judgments based solely on the law and let no personal, political or others influence my decision. Barr added he believes a president can obstruct justice. But democrats on the committee, including least three potential 2020 contends are aers are expe hammer barr on a memo last year in which he criticized Robert Muellers investigation. He wrote the special counsel should not be permitted to demand the president submit to questions on obstruction of justice. So, glen, william barr can say what he wants to and im glad hes saying but his initial feelings, his core feelings remain true as published in that memo. Willie, it was almost a surprise, i think, when the president first announced he would nominate bill barr because bill barr was viewed as something of an institutionalist, a law and order guy, someone who by all accounts seemed to be deeply concerned with the reputation and the integrity of the department of justice. So i think after the president installed, you know, whitaker, who seemed entirely inappropriate for the position, i think people were pleasantly surprised that he appointed a bill barr. And that was until people realized that bill barr had authored this lets call it curious memo, i believe in june, and who just sort of as a private citizen it up to the department of justice. What i think is most enlightening is very first sentence or two that memo. It says that, quote, i realize that i am in the dark about many of the facts, but i hope my views might be useful. Its curious bill barr unsolicit would send a memo to the daunl a department of justice admitting he is in the dark about the Robert Mueller investigation and go on for 19songlespaced pages to criticize the Mueller Probe and lay out this broad basically he took the position that if the president does something that is authorized by the constitution, i. E. , hire or fire a cabinet member or director of the fbi, it should not be investigated. That is a curious position to take. Were all bartoned that bill bar said that in his Opening Statement and it was an Opening Statement. Lets see what he has to say today at his hearing. Glen, it is curious at best. It reminds me of whitaker who announced he was going on cnn to apply for a job with Donald TrumpsJustice Department. Looks like theyre playing to the cheap seats here. In barrs case, you cant help but look back at the last Supreme Court admit. He wasnt even on the first list that the Federalist Society that twi now here out of nowhere, this bushie, this establishment figure, this supposed lawandorder guy moves to the drop of the list. It just doesnt make sense. When we look back from 1991 to 1993, it interesting, i went back and looked at some of the reporting and his confirmation hearing back in 1991 was, quote, unusually placid, closed quote. I suspect this confirmation hearing will be anything but unusual nally go ahead. But, go ahead. Lets ask that. Lets say he lets this go all the way to the end. How could attorney general barr undercut muellers investigation, even if he let it is conclude . Could he not decide hes going to hold all the findings and not release it, not let it go public . Are there other things he can do to undermine Robert Muellers work . There are or things he can do. Say he seeks approval for an indictment against roger stone as part of the wi ki leaks situation. Bill barr would have the authority in his capacity as the person supervising the Mueller Probe to withhold that approval. He would have to report it out at the end of the day to congress because theres a provision that says any denial of a request about special counsel ultimately has to be reported out to congress. But he could tack those kind of steps. When i heard in his openments, he worked with bob mueller,y respects bob mueller, i was encouraged and heartened because i learned how to try murder cases in washington, d. C. From bob mueller, my direct supervisor in the late 90s. So be in who knows bob mueller knows the man, knows where his heart and his principles and his ethics a. Thats a very good sign, i think, for the way bill barr will approach his relationship with bob mueller. Ill jump in a foxhole and fight et enmity with bob mueller any day knowing the man he. I think a lot of people would. David french actually yesterday had a great column talking about how he was a sheepdog defending the rest of us against the wolves. Glenn