Case. Also, arming teachers. The Department Of Education weighing whether to let states use federal funding to arm teachers. Were going to hear from a student and a parent from parkland, florida. And unsportsmanlike conduct. One of College Footballs most decaded coaches, ohio states urban meyers, suspended for his response to Domestic Abuse allegations. A lot of critics are saying it was a slap on the wrist. Is there a double standard at play . Well dig into that. But we start with that breaking news. Nbc news has just confirmed one of President Trumps longtime friends, a man who may know his secrets better than just about anyone, was granted immunity in the Michael Cohen case. His name is michael pecker. He is the ceo of the company that published the national inquir inquirer. Lets start with tom winter. Hans nichols is standing by for us at the white house. Tom, tell us all that you know. And somebody who either decided to cooperate and capitulate and pleaded guilty. Do we know whether this is all that david pecker told prosecutors . Do we know if theres other information that mr. Pecker might have provided to prosecutors unrelated to this particular case but perhaps related to another case involving the president or Michael Cohen . So thats the exact question asked. I think at this point we dont know yet if his information went beyond the specific count, count seven, thats in the criminal information i have here, or whether or not this goes to any sort of other active investigation thats ongoing. Of course we know that the case involving Michael Cohen was coordinated with and in conjunction with the special counsels Office Robert mueller so does he have anything that extends beyond that, we dont know. It would we would presume perhaps that its tightly correlated to the specific allegation, specific payment, but right now we dont know if it goes beyond that. Hans, any reaction from the white house on any of this just yet . Is there a briefing scheduled
for any point this afternoon . Theres nothing on the schedule. Theres an opportunity to talk and engage with the president earlier this morning. The president kept it to the issue at hand. Whats interesting about toms reporting here is whether or not this additional flipper, this additional collaborator is going to stay within the four corners of that seventh indictment, that seventh plea. Because even if it is there, this is significant because its an indication theres more collaboration on the Michael Cohens side of the story than there is from the donald trump side thats been going back and forth. When President Trump this morning, when he was talking to fox news, had in mind whether or not david whether or not it would be that additional flip. Lets listen to what the president had to say. This whole thing about flipping they call it. I know all about flipping for 30, 40 years, ive been watching flippers. Everythings wonderful, then they get ten years in jail and
they flip on whoever the next highest one is. It almost ought to be outlawed. Its not fair. So a lot of that interview from the president this morning. Just in the last hour, weve heard on capitol hill two different accounts from senate republicans. You have Lindsay Graham saying he suspects President Donald Trump is going to fire sessions after the midterm elections. Youre hearing from cohen saying he thinks that would be a mistake. A lot to sort through and as of yet no comment from the white house hans craig. I want to stop you there because Lindsey Graham, senior senator from south carolina, saying on the record he suspects the president is going to fire the Attorney General. Thats significant. We should also note that President Trump and he are bffs. If anyone would know what the president might be thinking about, it would be senator graham. Have we heard any more about
whether the president s actually considering firing his Attorney General . Well, just dozens of hints from the president over the last 12 months. The most recent in this mornings interview. Youre right to zero in on the suspects from Lindsey Graham, that he suspects the president is going to fire him. This is someone who plays golf with the president. Who knows his thinking. Is able to bend his thinking sometimes. So the question is, did donald trump indicate to Lindsey Graham that he was planning on firing Jeff Sessions . That would take the story to the next lelevel. As it is right now, this is his feeling, this is what he anticipates might happen. Whether or not its stronger than that or whether or not the president is using Lindsey Graham as a trial balloon, we dont know. Craig. I think your latter point is very significant, hans nichols. It will be interesting to see if the white house says anything about the speculation. Weve just gotten a statement in from the Attorney General. Im going to share that with you in just a moment. I want to play the sound bite
were talking about from Lindsey Graham, talking about the president s thinking as it relates to his Attorney General. This is what Lindsey Graham said a short time ago. Replacing Attorney General sessions now would create havoc for the body. Jeff sessions has done a fine job. Hes an honorable man. Replacing him before the election to me would be a nonstarter. Senator graham just a few moments ago. This is a statement from the Attorney General of the United StatesJeff Sessions. A statement we got in just a few moments ago. I took control of Department Of Justice the day i was sworn in, which is why we have had unprecedented success at Effectuating The President s agenda. One that protects the safety and security and rights of the american people. Reduces violent crime. Enforces our immigration laws. Promotes economic growth. And advances religious laborty. The actions of the Department Of Justice will not be improperly
influenced by political considerations. I demand the highest standards. I take action. However no nation has a better group of talented Law Investigators than the United States. Im proud to serve with them and proud of the work weve done in successfully advancing the rule of law. Again, that statement just coming in from Attorney GeneralJeff Sessions amid suggestions from Lindsey Graham that the president plans to fire him after the midterms. Chuck rosenburg is with me now. Chuck rozenburrosenberg, msnbc contributor, also a former u. S. Attorney, former fbi official. Worked there for the Department Of Justice. Tim carney, commentator editor for the washington examiner. Also joining us as well. Tim, thanks for your time. Chuck, lets talk about both of these stories. Well talk about sessions and well talk about this news as it relates to mr. Pecker here. Lets start with sessions
interfere with the investigation of bob mueller. This would be another step in that direction. He has threatened and berated his Attorney General constantly in the media and over twitter. And while i may not be the biggest fan of the Attorney General, if hes going to stand for the rule of law, id like to see him stay in this job and do that. Our man that covers the Justice Department, pete williams, joining us now from washington, d. C. Pete, let me bring you in to the conversation here. We heard President Trump in the interview this morning on fox talking about the Attorney General. We heard from Lindsey Graham as well. This is a response to what the president said on fox this morning. Where he said that Jeff Sessions has lost control of the Justice Department. This is response to that. Because he says i took control of the Department Of Justice the day i was sworn in. So its a direct response to that. And it basically says three things. Number one, it praises the people in the justice
department. Number two, he says he wont be subject to improper political influence. And then the other thing thats notable about it, its something that Jeff Sessions does every time he ever appears in public. He praises the president. So even though this is a response to the president , he also says im carrying out the president s agenda. I think you have to say theres probably no Cabinet Member who is more faithful about in every public appearance, praising the president , saying he wants to do the president s agenda on fighting violent crime. But to Chuck Rosenbergs point, you know, Jeff Sessions has taken a lot of hits from the president ever since the president was elected on twitter, in public statements, and this statement is very interesting in that, number one, its pretty short. Number two, it praises the president , but number three, for the first time in any of these pushbacks, he says the Justice Department is not going to be improperly influenced by political considerations. Its getting that pressure from all sides. Its getting it from republicans in the house who are pushing the Justice Department to release what is probably an unprecedented amount of internal investigative documents related to the Mueller Investigation and the Hillary Clinton email investigation. And of course the suggestion that the Justice Department could be used to follow the political will of the white house. So its a very strong its a very muscular statement. Its surprising in the sense that Jeff Sessions has been taking these shots repeatedly and only now has decide to push back. In a very concise and, yet, muscular way. Pete, again, i dont want to get you to spoke laeculate here you just alluded to it. The president has taken a number of shots at his Attorney GeneralOn Television, on twitter. Why the response now . What do we make of the timing of this particular response this
time around . My guess is its because the president has kind of changed the normally the president s attacks on Jeff Sessions has been he should have recused himself and he didnt, which is something the president said again today on fox. This time, he brought something new to the party, saying Jeff Sessions has never had control of the Justice Department and i think perhaps that was an especially sore point and thats why he decided to pushback. Now, also, its very interesting, in terms of what Lindsey Graham said about the potential firing. In the president s comments this morning on fox, he seems to once again say that is something he just cant do as long as the Mueller Investigation is going on. Hes gotten this message loud and clear from the republicans in the senate. Not just Lindsey Graham and not just today. Which is dont fire Jeff Sessions. Hes popular among senate republicans. They basically said to the president if you get rid of Jeff Sessions, were not going to
confirm whoever you come up with to replace him as Attorney General. So i think the president seems to know that thats a nonstarter. He seemed to acknowledge it today on fox. Chuck, we know how the president feels about his Attorney General. You still have a number of friends that work there at the Justice Department. How do they feel about Jeff Sessions . Is he someone they still respect . Well, i think everyone respects the position. We always respect the position. The Attorney General is our boss when were at the Justice Department. Whether were a prosecutor, dea, hes our boss and we follow that direction. That said, i think lots of folks would like to see the Attorney General do more of what he just did today. Which is publicly and clearly say that hes standing by the men and women of the department of the rule of law. Thats what you need in a leader. You need to know that he or she
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