Breaking news. We have a breaking news statement were going have to read. Thanks. Breaking news is that the director of National IntelligenceJames Clapper says he just spoke with donald trump, and he released this statement. He said this evening i had the opportunity to speak with president elect trump to discuss the recent media reports about our briefing last friday. He said we also discussed the private Security Company document which was widely circulated in recent months among the media, members of congress, and Congressional Staff even before the Intelligence Community became aware of it. I emphasized that this document is not a u. S. Intelligence Community Product, and that i do not believe the leaks came from within the Intelligence Community. The Intelligence Community has not made any judgment on the information that in this document that it reliable, no jump that is reliable, and we did not rely upon it in any way for our conclusions. However, part of our obligation is to ensure the policymakers are provided with the fullest possible picture of any matters that might affect National Security that written statement tonight from James Clapper, director of National Intelligence. Does anyone really belief that story . Im also very much of a germophobe, by the way. Believe me. The incoming president and his intelligence agencies are in open warfare. Thats something that nazi germany would have done. He compared the Intelligence Community to nazi germany. I have Great Respect for the news or freedom of the press and all of that. No, not you. Not you. Your organization is terrible. Quiet. Quiet. Questions about russian influence. If putin likes donald trump, guess what, folks . Thats called an asset, not a liability. Is Vladimir Putin a war criminal . I would not use that term. Rex tillerson. I think its brilliant what he is doing and what he is saying. Do you lack the knowledge to answer my question or are you refusing to answer my question . A little of both. Despite bipartisan calls from ethics expert, mr. Trump will not be divesting from his business. My two sons are going to be running the company. Theyre not going to discuss it with me. We fails the test and hasnt set up a true ethics wall. Can a president be impeached before he is even inaugurated, or do we have to wait . We all remember exactly what we were doing, exactly 24 hours ago. We were either listening to the discussion on this network about president obamas speech or staring at things on social media that we couldnt really believe with our own eyes. Last night at this hour, when the tv news audience was still in the grip of the emotional aftermath of witnessing president obamas last speech as president of the United States, social media was buzzing about buzzfeed. Specifically a document released by buzzfeed yesterday that alleged russia has information about donald trump that can be used to blackmail him that is the document that James Clapper was referring to and what we just read at the beginning of the program. The New York Times says the document, quote, those document. S describe sex videos with mr. Trump in a 2013 visit to a moscow hotel there is no convincing sourcing for that claim in the documents. Today donald trump gave two reasons why that story should not be believed. He is extremely careful, and he is a germophobe. I am extremely careful. Im surrounded by bodyguards. Im surrounded by people. And i always tell them anywhere, but i always tell them if im leaving this country, be very careful because in your hotel rooms, and no matter where you go, youre going to probably have cameras. Im not referring just to russia, but i would certainly put them in that category. I was in russia years ago with the Miss Universe contest, which did very well. The moscow area. Did very, very well. And i told many people be careful because you dont want to see yourself on television. Cameras all over the place. And again, not just russia, all over. Does anyone really believe that story . Im also very much of a germophobe, by the way. Believe me. Weve all seen just how extremely careful donald trump can be when he knows he is surrounded by cameras and microphones. For the first time in history, access Hollywood Video was used as the basis of a question in the confirmation hearing of a nominee to be attorney general of the United States. My question is very simple. Is grabbing a woman by her genitals without consent, that Sexual Assault . Yes. Donald Trumps Press Conference today was scheduled last week with the announced topic being how donald trump and his family would manage conflict of interest issues during the trump presidency. Donald trump delegated that subject to a lawyer who filled silver minutes in the middle of the press conference that was otherwise dominated by russia. And finally today, the president ial candidate who continuously defends russia about hacking emails and John Podestas email and continuously came up with alternative scenarios saying it could be anybody, including his mythical 400 pound man finally said this. As far as hacking, i think it was russia. That. Became Donald Trumps new position, right up until he was asked about it again in the same press conference. You said just now that you believe that russia indeed was responsible for the hacking of the dnc, et cetera. Russia. But you know what . It could have been others also. And so there he goes again. Injecting reasonable doubt into a case where the directors of the cia, nsa and fbi all agree there is no reasonable doubt. Donald trump couldnt resist one more moment of defending russia in the hacking case. It could have been others. Donald trump has attacked president obama, president bush, president clinton, secretaries of state john kerry, Hillary Clinton. He has attacked most of the Democratic Senators who he can name, and at least half of the republican senators who he can name. He repeatedly attacked paul ryan. He attacked every single republican who had the temerity to run for president last year. And he has attacked the sworn officers of the cia. He has attacked me. He has threatened to sue me. He has attacked katy tur, whose only offense was being one of the first reporters to cover the trump campaign. He has attacked countless other reporters and all of the American News media generally and constantly, and he has never once, not once spoken a single word of criticism about the russian dictator Vladimir Putin. If putin the likes donald trump, i consider that an asset, not a liability. Because we have a horrible relationship with russia. If putin likes donald trump, guess what, folks . Thats called an asset, not a liability. Now i dont know that im going to get along with Vladimir Putin. I hope i do. But there is a good chance i wont. And if i dont, do you honestly believe that hillary would be tougher on putin than me . Does anybody in this room really believe that . Give me a break. Guess who does believe that . Vladimir putin, the person who dominated that room without being in that room does believe that. That is what american intelligence officials have concluded about Vladimir Putins view of the president ial campaign. And the official Intelligence Report on this matter, the director of National Intelligence says we assess russian president Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the u. S. President ial election. We further assess putin and the russian government developed a clear preference for president elect trump. We have high confidence in these judgments. We also assess putin and the russian government aspired to help president elect trumps election chances when possible by discrediting secretary clinton and publicly contrasting her unfavorably to him. All three agencies agree with this judgment. After a report like that, any other politician would be tough on russia just to demonstrate at a minimum some independence from russia. But not donald trump. He continues to be nice to Vladimir Putin on the same day that he attacked an american reporter at his press conference because the reporter committed the unpardonable offense of doing his job. And so the mystery continues tonight. Why is donald trump so nice to Vladimir Putin . No one is taking the buzzfeed documents as conclusive proof of anything. So reporters continue to probe for other possible explanations after donald trump insisted today that he has no deals in russia, and that he would be nothing that would make him beholden to putin or the russians. He was once again logically asked about his tax returns. Will you release your tax returns to prove what youre saying about no deals in russia . Well, im not releasing the tax returns, because as you know theyre under audit. Of course, we do not know that theyre under audit. We have never known that donald trump says that they are. But he has never produced the irs form letter that commences every audit. That letter would reveal nothing about Donald Trumps income. It would simply reveal that the irs was beginning an audit of Donald Trumps tax returns. It would not mean that the irs is still auditing those tax returns. But it would be something. It would be something other than Donald Trumps word that his tax returns for 2015 are still being audited. What if donald trump is not being audited . And remember, there is absolutely no evidence that he is being audited. None, not any. What if he is not being audited . And what if his personal returns could tell us something what we dont already know about his financial dealings with russians . You know, the only one that cares about my tax returns are the reporter. You dont think the American People are concerned . No, i dont think so. Donald trump is partially right about that. 1 3 right, in fact. 33 of americans apparently dont care about his tax returns. But 60 of americans told a pew poll that they believe it is his responsibility to release those tax returns. Donald trump will soon be appointing the next director of the irs. In effect, the next supervisor of the audit of his tax returns that may or may not be taking place. And like everyone currently working at the irs, Donald Trumps new handpicked supervisor of all of his tax filings will be by law sworn to secrecy about any information about any tax filer, including donald trump. And so donald trump knows that he can continue to claim that he is being audited forever, and no one at the irs can publicly say that he isnt. And the hope of finding something in his tax returns that explains why Vladimir Putin remains the only person in the world who donald trump has never criticized remains a distant dream. Donald trump is not a careful man. He has been reckless in his businesses leading to bankruptcies, in his marriages leading to divorces. He has been the most reckless politician we have ever seen. But he continues to be very careful. About Vladimir Putin and all things russian. And america is left to wonder why. Well try to answer that question next with malcolm nance, david forum and john schindler, a former Intelligence Officer with the nsa. Thats next. After expanding our Fiber Network coast to coast. These are the places we call home. We are centurylink. We believe in the power of the digital world. The power to connect. And thats what drives us everyday. What are you doing . Getting your quarter back. Fountains dont earn interest, david. You know i work at ally. I was being romantic. You know what i find romantic . A robust annual percentage yield thats what i find romantic. This is literally throwing your money away. I think its over there. That way . Yeah, a little further up. What year was that quarter . What year is that one . 98 thats the one. You got it nothing stops us from doing right by our customers. Ally. Do it right. Lets get out of that water. In our breaking news tonight, we have a Statement Released by James Clapper, the director of National Intelligence. We got this just before going on the air at 10 00 p. M. A written statement about a conversation he had tonight with donald trump. Among other things it says we discussed the private Security Company document which was widely circulated in recent months among the media, members of congress and Congressional Staff, even before the Intelligence Community became aware of it. I emphasize that this document is not a u. S. Intelligence Community Product in that i do not believe the leaks came from within the Intelligence Community. The Intelligence Community has not made any judgment that the information in this document is reliable, and we did not rely upon it in any way for our conclusions. We are joined now by malcolm nance, msnbc counterterrorism Intelligence Analyst. Also david frum, Senior Editor from the atlantic and former speech write for george w. Bush. And john schindler, former Intelligence Analyst for the nsa. Malcolm nance, let me begin with you with your reactions to the totality of the last 24 hours. What has emerged and what you heard from donald trump today that continued to include not a word of criticism of Vladimir Putin. Well, in totality, weve gone from, you know, silly season on to the silly campaign. Its going to be like this for four years. I find it very interesting that during the press Conference Today that he referred to himself as an asset. You know, and his relationship with russia is an asset. He is an asset all right. He may in fact be an asset of Vladimir Putins, who apparently has gotten him to the point where he cannot say anything or criticize him at all. Very interesting. And certainly moving on from, you know, serious to suspicious. John schindler, your reaction to the totality of the story so far, including director clappers written statement tonight. Well, i think jim clapper has said what he had to say, which is that the president elects tantrum today on twitter and at his press conference against the Intelligence Community is aiming at the wrong target. The ic is not responsible for the document which buzzfeed leaked. That is not where it comes from. That is not to say it doesnt perhaps agree with some of its conclusions. But the president elect was aiming at very much the wrong target today. And i think thats a very negative outcome. And david frum, your reaction . Id like to direct attention to the statement you read at the beginning from James Clapper. It directly gives the law as Kellyanne Conway said on seth meyers show last night where she said the president elect had not in any way been briefed on this. The people watch programs like this are people who follow politics closely. Theyre hard to fool. But there is a big universe of americans who pay less attention to politics, and they watch shows like seth meyers. And it sort of pays to lie to them. It is a reminder of the really kind of startling level of untruthfulness that comes out of everyone around this administrative grouping. That you flatly say on such a well watched show with such a nonpolitical audience one thing. And 24 hours later the Intelligence Community says thats just a lie. But the lie gets halfway around the world before the truth gets its boots on. And malcolm we have donald trump come out today and half heartedly say that russia did the hacking, and then take it back. Take it halfway back at least in his next comment about it. But during the campaign, he was pretty clear about it when he would stand up there on rally stages and publicly make specific hacking requests of the russians to specifically go after specific things that we would like to read. Well, im not sure that, you know, trying to rely on donald trump for giving you the truth is going to get you very far. We already know, and weve seen this pattern occur again and again, where he will come up and when forced into a corner to Say Something which is a known truth to everybody in this universe, he will touch it for one moment so that he can say that he said it. And he will go back to dissimulation. And essentially lying to mask whatever it is that he is trying to cover up at that moment. I think