PLUS: White House Legislative Affairs Director Short: “This Administration Has Complied in Every Single Possible Way With The Special Counsel”
EXCLUSIVE: Manchin: “I Do Not at All Believe That Mr. Mueller Has Been Compromised or His Investigation”
EXCLUSIVE: Kasich Says GOP Tax Bill Could Have Done Better for Middle Class
NEW NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll: Democrats Hold Biggest Edge in Nearly a Decade Ahead of 2018 Midterm Elections
DECEMBER 17, 2017 – In an exclusive interview this morning on “Meet the Press,” White House legislative affairs director Marc Short addressed speculation about President Trump firing Special Counsel Mueller, telling moderator Chuck Todd: “There’s no conversation about that whatsoever in the White House.”
“Thankfully, I’m not in communication with the transition lawyer for the Trump team. The reality is that this administration has complied in every single possible way with the special counsel. Tax payers have spent millions and millions of dollars on this investigation that has not yet proven any sense of collusion with the Russians,” said Short. “We have continued to cooperate in every single possible way with that investigation.” Watch the full interview.
When asked if Mueller’s investigation has been comprised, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) exclusively replied, “I do not at all believe that Mr. Mueller has been compromised or his investigation. … He is the person, the right person, that when he finishes his investigation that we’re going to have confidence it was done in a fair and balanced way. I truly believe that. And I’m not led to believe that anybody on Intelligence Committee thinks that he would not be the right person.” On the Democratic Party’s potential 2018 message to impeach President Trump, the senator told Todd: “I don’t think impeachment is something we should be talking about.” Watch the full interview.
Gov. John Kasich (R-Ohio) also exclusively joined the program, telling Todd that when it comes to the Republican tax bill, “Do I think they could have done better for the middle class? I do. Do I think they could have done better for the working poor? I mean, Rubio tried to get something. He made some progress. But they could have increased the rates a little bit for big business. It wouldn’t have mattered.” Watch the full interview.
New NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll numbers debuted on this morning’s broadcast, revealing that Democrats now enjoy their largest advantage in congressional preference in nine years. The full poll will be released later this week.
Read the full transcript of this morning’s “Meet the Press” on MeetThePress.com.
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NBC NEWS’ “MEET THE PRESS WITH CHUCK TODD”
“Meet the Press with Chuck Todd” is where newsmakers come to make news — setting the political agenda and spotlighting the impact Washington decision-making has on Americans across the country. It is the #1 most-watched Sunday public affairs show across the board for the 2016-2017 season, reaching more than three million viewers every Sunday and millions more through social, digital and on-demand platforms. “Meet the Press” brings its authority and influencer interviews to MSNBC with “MTP Daily” weekdays at 5 p.m. ET and to the “1947: The Meet the Press Podcast”. It’s the longest-running show in television history, celebrating its 70th anniversary this year with the launch of its first-ever film festival in collaboration with the American Film Institute this November. Chuck Todd is the political director of NBC News and the moderator of “Meet the Press“; John Reiss is the executive producer.
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