NIKKI HALEY AND LARRY KUDLOW ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A CATFIGHT.
THERE'S A LOT OF DRAMA, IT'S LIKE A SOAP OPERA BUT IN
GOVERNMENT, AND IT HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH SANCTIONS
AGAINST RUSSIA.
NOW EARLIER THIS WEEK THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK
ABOUT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FINALLY IMPOSING AND ENFORCING
SANCTIONS AGAINST RUSSIA BECAUSE OF THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN THIS
WHOLE MESS IN SYRIA, AND SO PEOPLE WHO THINK THAT ALL OF
THESE RUSSIA INVESTIGATIONS ARE MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING WERE
LIKE, SEE, HE'S GOING TO DO THESE SANCTIONS, WHAT DO YOU
HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT NOW?
TURNS OUT HE IS NOT PLANNING ON
ENFORCING THE SANCTIONS AND HE DIDN'T EVEN COMMUNICATE THAT
WITH NIKKI HALEY WHO IS THE U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED
NATIONS.
NOW, IT ALL STARTED WHEN NIKKI HALEY WENT ON TELEVISION
AND SAID THIS.
>>ARE THERE ANY CONSEQUENCES FOR ASSAD'S PATRONS, RUSSIA AND
IRAN, WHO CONTINUE TO PROTECT HIM?
>>ABSOLUTELY.
SO YOU WILL SEE THAT RUSSIAN SANCTIONS WILL BE
COMING DOWN, SECRETARY MNUCHIN WILL BE ANNOUNCING THOSE ON
MONDAY IF HE HASN'T ALREADY, AND THEY WILL GO DIRECTLY TO ANY
SORT OF COMPANIES THAT ARE DEALING WITH EQUIPMENT RELATED
TO ASSAD AN CHEMICAL WEAPONS USE, AND I THINK EVERYONE IS
WHEN TO FEEL IT AT THIS POINT, I THINK EVERYONE KNOWS THAT WE
SENT A STRONG MESSAGE, AND OUR HOPE IS THAT THEY LISTEN TO IT.
>>WRONG.
THAT IS NOT WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.
NO ONE
COMMUNICATED WITH HER THAT THAT'S NOT WHAT'S GOING TO
HAPPEN, BUT LARRY KUDLOW, WHO IS TRUMP'S ECONOMIC ADVISOR,
RESPONDED TO WHAT NIKKI HALEY HAD TO SAY ON TELEVISION
AND HERE IS WHAT HIS RESPONSE WAS.
>>SHE'S DONE A GREAT JOB, SHE'S A VERY EFFECTIVE AMBASSADOR,
THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN SOME MOMENTARY CONFUSION ABOUT THAT
BUT IF YOU TALK TO STEVE MNUCHIN AT TREASURY HE WILL TALK TO THE
SAME THING, AND THEY ARE IN CHARGE OF THIS.
WE'VE HAD
SANCTIONS, ADDITIONAL SANCTIONS ARE UNDER CONSIDERATION.
>>SO HALEY GETS SALTY ABOUT THESE COMMENTS AND RESPONDS WITH,
QUOTE --
>>GOOD FOR HER.
NEVER GETS CONFUSED.
>>CONFUSION IS A NORMAL PART OF LIFE BUT I LIKE THAT
RESPONSE, IT WAS STRONG.
>>THAT'S ABOUT THE ONLY THING I LIKE ABOUT NIKKI HALEY.
>>AGREED.
>>I'M GOING TO BREAK THAT DOWN IN THREE PARTS, ONE IS THE
DRAMA, OR DRAHMS, AS WE LIKE TO CALL IT, THERE IS THE SHORT-TERM
DRAMA OF THIS CATFIGHT, THE LONG-TERM DRAMA OF NIKKI HALEY
MAY BE COMING FROM BEHIND WITH A 2 X 4 AGAINST DONALD TRUMP?
HOLD, WE'LL GET TO THAT.
BUT THE SECOND PART IS THE INSTABILITY
OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AND THE MESSAGE WE ARE SENDING TO
THE WORLD.
AND THE THIRD PART IS POLICY WHERE I'M MORE ON DONALD
TRUMP'S SIDE THEN NIKKI HALEY'S SIDE.
WHAT IS THIS?
FIRST OF ALL
I HAVE TO NOTE MY AMUSEMENT AT HER GOING ON TV AND SAYING WE
ARE SENDING A STRONG MESSAGE TO RUSSIA.
TURNS OUT, NO, WE'RE
SENDING A REALLY, REALLY WEAK MESSAGE TO RUSSIA, WHICH IS OKAY
BECAUSE AGAIN I DON'T NEED TO ANTAGONIZE RUSSIA MORE.
BUT I
WOULD HAVE SKIPPED THE FLIP-FLOPPING PART BECAUSE THAT
REALLY SEEMS FAIRLY PATHETIC.
AND THEN SHE SAID THIS WILL SHOW
THAT WE MEANT BUSINESS.
NO, SINCE YOU SAID IT AND HAD TO
TAKE IT BACK IT ACTUALLY SHOWS THE EXACT OPPOSITE, WE DO NOT
MEAN BUSINESS.
AND FINALLY SHE SAID THAT RUSSIA WILL BE FEELING
THE PAIN.
NO, IT TURNS OUT YOU'RE FEELING THE PAIN, NOT
RUSSIA.
SO THAT GETS THE POINT NUMBER ONE, WHICH IS DONALD
TRUMP APPARENTLY WATCHING THIS ON TV GREW VERY ANGRY AND
STARTED YELLING AT THE TV, AND THEN ANYONE ELSE WHO WAS NEARBY,
THAT'S ACCORDING TO NEW YORK TIMES REPORTING, AND THEY HAVE
SOURCES INSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE.
SO, CLOWN OF ALL CLOWNS, DO YOU
WANT TO FIGURE OUT WHAT YOUR POLICY IS AND EFFECTIVELY
COMMUNICATE THAT TO ALL THE PEOPLE IN YOUR ADMINISTRATION,
ESPECIALLY BEFORE THEY GO ON TV?
SO ON THE ISSUE OF WHOSE FAULT
IS THE MISCOMMUNICATION, THAT'S EXTREMELY CLEAR, OF COURSE
DONALD TRUMP'S FAULT.
NIKKI HALEY IS A PROFESSIONAL, AND ON
THIS ISSUE I AGREE WITH YOU, ANA, THAT SHE WAS NOT CONFUSED,
IT WAS TRUMP WHO WAS CONFUSED AS USUAL.
BUT IT'S A LARGER ISSUE
THAN THAT, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE INSIDE THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION WHO WANT TO PUSH A MUCH MORE AGGRESSIVE STANCE
TOWARDS RUSSIA, AND THEY KEEP PUSHING AND PUSHING IN THAT
DIRECTION SO EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE NIKKI HALEY OR SOMEONE
ELSE WILL COME OUT AND GO WE ARE GOING TO SHOW RUSSIA, AND THEN
TRUMP IS LIKE, YOU IDIOTS, DID YOU NOT GET THE MEMO THAT I'M
COMPROMISED?
I DON'T WANT TO DO SOMETHING STRONG AGAINST RUSSIA,
I OWE THEM, OR WHATEVER IT IS, TAPES, MONEY LAUNDERING,
WHATEVER, BUT NO, WE AREN'T DOING ANYTHING STRONG ON RUSSIA,
WHEN IS IT GOING TO GET THROUGH YOUR THICK HEAD THAT I'M
CORRUPT?
>>I HAVE SO MANY THINGS TO CHIME IN ON.
FIRST OF ALL I WANT
TO MENTION THIS CAVEAT FOR I GET INTO MY COMMENTARY BECAUSE NIKKI
HALEY'S FOREIGN POLICY IS NOT SOMETHING THAT I'M SUPPORTIVE
OF, SHE'S INCREDIBLY HAWKISH, SHE IS IN FAVOR OF, YOU KNOW,
DOING THESE SANCTIONS, BECAUSE, LOOK, SHE BELIEVES IN THE
SANCTIONS, BUT SHE ALWAYS WANTS TO TAKE A MUCH MORE AGGRESSIVE
APPROACH THAN WE NEED TO WHEN IT COMES TO FOREIGN POLICY, SO
OVERALL I DON'T NECESSARILY AGREE WITH HER.
HOWEVER, WHEN IT
COMES TO HOW ALL THIS ALL UNFOLDED PUBLICLY, SHE IS NOT IN
THE WRONG.
SHE WAS NOT ADVISED THAT THEY HAD DECIDED TO SWITCH
GEARS, AND I'LL GIVE YOU SOME STATEMENTS FROM ACTUAL WHITE
HOUSE OFFICIALS THAT SPOKE TO THE NEW YORK TIMES --
>>
>>SO THIS KEEPS HAPPENING OVER AND OVER AGAIN IN THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION, AND STANDARD PROTOCOL IS, WELL, THE PERSON
WHO WASN'T INFORMED AND UNFORTUNATELY MADE THESE
STATEMENTS PUBLICLY SHOULD NOW BE SMEARED, OR SHOULD BE
CRITICIZED, OR SHOULD BE PUT DOWN IN SOME WAY. AND SO THAT'S
WHEN KUDLOW GETS INVOLVED AND SAID SHE MUST HAVE GOTTEN
CONFUSED, I'M PARAPHRASING, AND I LOVE THAT SHE WASN'T HAVING
IT.
SHE'S LIKE I'M NOT GOING TO FOLLOW PROTOCOL, I DON'T GET
CONFUSED, HERE IS WHAT REALLY HAPPENED.
SO I APPRECIATE HOW
SHE HANDLED THAT EVEN IF OVERALL WHEN IT COMES TO FOREIGN POLICY
I DON'T NECESSARILY AGREE WITH HER.
WITH THAT SAID, CENK
ALLUDED TO TRUMP'S REACTION AFTER WATCHING HALEY ON
TELEVISION AND WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE SANCTIONS, AND THE
TIMES IS REPORTING THAT THIS HAPPENED, LET'S GO TO GRAPHIC
EIGHT --
>>
>>AND APPARENTLY HE REPEATED AGAIN, WHO WROTE THAT FOR HER?
>>LET ME BE CLEAR, THESE ARE TWO DIFFERENT INSTANCES, SAME
REACTION IN BOTH.
WHEN SHE'S ON FACE THE NATION TALKING ABOUT
RUSSIA OVER THE WEEKEND HE GETS ANGRY AND YELLS AT THE TV.
EARLIER IN THE ADMINISTRATION WHEN SHE HAD GONE AND CRITICIZED
RUSSIA ABOUT THEIR INTERVENTION IN UKRAINE, SAME EXACT REACTION.
SUPER ANGRY, YELLING AT THE SCREEN, ETC., THAT GOES TO THE
POINT I WAS MAKING EARLIER.
PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR TRUMP, WHEN
ARE YOU GOING TO REALIZE HE DOESN'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING
ABOUT RUSSIA?
AND YOU KNOW FOR SOME ON THE RIGHT AND LEFT TO
THINK NO, NO, TRUMP HAS DEEPLY HELD PRINCIPLES AND THE
GOVERNING PHILOSOPHY -- [LAUGHTER].
ANYWAY, YOU THINK
THAT, GOD BLESS YOUR HEART.
OKAY, THEN HE HAS A GOVERNING
PHILOSOPHY THAT WE SHOULD BE AT PEACE WITH RUSSIA AND SANCTIONS
AND BOMBING AND ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS ARE GOING TO
UPSET THAT GOVERNING PHILOSOPHY, OR HE'S COMPROMISED, BUT EITHER
WAY IT'S CLEAR THAT HE FEELS VERY, VERY STRONGLY THAT WE
SHOULD BE SOFT ON RUSSIA.
AND BY THE WAY, AGAIN ON POLICY I'M
ABOUT TO AGREE WITH HIM ON SOME PARTS.
BUT NO, THE
MILITARY-INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX, THE NEOCONSERVATIVES -- HERE, I'LL
GET TO MY AGREEMENT RIGHT NOW, NIKKI HALEY IS A NEOCON, AND AS
RO KHANNA POINTED OUT SHE'S A PARENT OF LINDSAY GRAHAM AND
JOHN MCCAIN, AND THAT'S HER JOB, IS TO DRIVE US INTO WAR.
SO NO,
I VOTE NO, I'M TOTALLY AGAINST THAT.
NO MATTER WHY TRUMP WANTS
TO BE VERY, VERY FRIENDLY TO RUSSIA, I DON'T WANT HIM TO BE
VERY FRIENDLY TO RUSSIA, I BELIEVE SOME OF THE SANCTIONS
MIGHT MAKE SENSE, BUT IN TERMS OF THE BOMBING OR DRIVING US OR
INTO MILITARY CONFLICT IN SYRIA, NO WAY.
I'M WITH TRUMP ON THAT,
THAT NO, WE SHOULD TAP THE BRAKES AND WE SHOULD NOT JUST
BULLDOZE INTO WARS THAT THE NEOCONS LIKE NIKKI HALEY WANT.
SO ON THE MISCUE IN OCCASION, THE CLOWNISH IN US, ALL OF THAT,
TRUMP IS WRONG.
ON THE POLICY NIKKI HALEY IS WAY MORE WRONG
>>OVERALL I AGREE WITH THAT ASSESSMENT, HOWEVER I DO LOVE
JUST THE WAY SHE'S HANDLING HERSELF IN THE POSITION THAT
SHE'S IN, BECAUSE REMEMBER, TRUMP IS SURROUNDED BY YES-MEN,
RIGHT?
I THINK OF JEFF SESSIONS, AND HOW INCREDIBLY HUMILIATED HE
BECAME AFTER TRUMP HAS CRITICIZED HIM TIME AND TIME
AGAIN ON SOCIAL MEDIA, HE'S LIKE I'LL DO ANYTHING FOR YOU, TRUMP,
PLEASE LIKE ME.
BUT NIKKI HALEY IS LIKE, I'LL PUSH BACK.
I'LL
YOU AN EXAMPLE, THE NEW YORK TIMES REPORTED THAT TRUMP HAS
GROWN EXASPERATED BY HER OUTSPOKENNESS.
HE DOESN'T LIKE THAT.
>>SHOCKING.
>>IS THAT BOTHERING YOU?
AND THEN ANOTHER THING, THERE ARE
WHISPERS, RUMORS WITHIN THE WHITE HOUSE INVOLVING MIKE PENCE
AND NIKKI HALEY AND HOW THEY MIGHT JOIN FORCES TO CHALLENGE
TRUMP IN 2020.
LOOK, I HATE BOTH OF THEM, I HIT BOTH OF THEM, BUT
I LOVE THAT DRAMA, IT'S SO GOOD.
>>ET TU, HALEY?
SO EARLIER ON THERE WERE REPORTS THAT NIKKI
HALEY AND DONALD TRUMP WERE GETTING ALONG FAMOUSLY.
I NEVER
BELIEVED THOSE REPORTS, BECAUSE NIKKI HALEY WAS NOT IN THE TRUMP
CAMP TO BEGIN WITH DURING THE PRIMARIES, SHE IS WAY MORE
ESTABLISHMENT THAN DONALD TRUMP, AND SHE HAS HIGH AMBITIONS.
NONE
OF THESE ARE GOING TO BE A GOOD MATCH FOR DONALD, SO I WAS JUST
WAITING FOR THIS TO BLOW UP, AND NOW IT HAS.
SO WHEN TRUMP HEARS
HER BEING TOUGH AGAINST VLADIMIR PUTIN HE'S LIKE, YOU DON'T KNOW
WHAT I KNOW, SHUT UP!
THEN HE HEARS, WAIT, WAIT, LET ME GET
THIS RIGHT, RUMORS OF PENCE AN HALEY, NOT IN 2024, IN 2020 WHEN
I WOULD BE RUNNING FOR REELECTION?
OH NO SHE DIDN'T. SO
HERE COMES ORANGE-FACED, FUMING, VOLCANO TRUMP.
SO NOW THE CLOCK
HAS BEGUN A NIKKI HALEY'S TENURE AT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION,
TICK TICK TICK.
SHE COULD BE GONE IN THE NIKKI OF TIME.
>>YOU'RE THE WORST.
>>AGREED.
>>LET'S PRETEND LIKE THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
>>I SHOULD HAVE INTERRUPTED YOU SOONER.
MAYBE I'M MISSING, WE
ARE TALKING SANCTIONS, I DON'T THINK SHE'S TALKING ABOUT, OKAY,
SO THE POLICY NOW BEING BECAUSE WHATEVER CHEMICAL ATTACK
HAPPENED IN SYRIA WE WILL LAUNCH MORE BOMBS AND TRUMP IS AGAINST
THAT?
BECAUSE BEASLEY HIS FOR THAT, HE DID IT, OF COURSE IT'S
A CURSORY THING TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE HE'S A TOUGH GUY WHEN WE
AREN'T REALLY SURE WHAT ALL HAPPENED.
BUT WE ARE TALKING
ABOUT SANCTIONS THAT TRUMP ISN'T I THOUGHT IMPLEMENTING FROM THE
BEGINNING, THINGS THAT CONGRESS ALREADY VOTED ON, BIPARTISAN, TO
IMPLEMENT ON RUSSIA BASED ON THINGS THEY'VE BEEN DOING IN
GENERAL FROM BEGINNING TO END.
SO THAT'S WHAT HE DISAGREES WITH
HER ON?
I DON'T AGREE WITH HIM ON ALLOWING THAT STUFF TO JUST
SLIDE.
>>JAYAR MAKE A GREAT POINT, AND THANK YOU BECAUSE I NEED TO
CLARIFY THAT.
I'M AGAINST NIKKI HALEY'S GENERALLY HAWKISH,
NEOCON VIEWS AND HER CALLS FOR MORE BOMBING, ETC.
BUT ON THIS
SPECIFIC ISSUE THAT CLARIFICATION IS SO IMPORTANT
BECAUSE THIS WAS ABOUT SANCTIONS GOING TOWARDS OLIGARCHS WHO HAD
BUSINESS DEALINGS WITH SYRIA'S CHEMICAL WEAPONS PROGRAM.
NOW,
THAT SHOULD BE FAIRLY UNOBJECTIONABLE, EVEN FOR GUYS
LIKE ME WHO DON'T WANT ANY ESCALATION WITH SYRIA OR RUSSIA.
SO, NUMBER ONE, ON THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE, YOU'RE WRIGHT,
JAYAR, I'M ON HALEY RATHER THAN TRUMP'S SIDE.
MACRO ISSUES WHERE
SHE WANTS TO KEEP PUSHING MORE TOWARDS CONFLICT I'M AGAINST HER
AND MORE WITH TRUMP.
BUT MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT IS WHY TRUMP
BLOWS UP OVER THIS, BUT NOT THE BOMBING.
WHY?
BECAUSE THIS
TOUCHES RUSSIAN FINANCIAL INTERESTS, AND SO THAT ACTUALLY
HURTS THE OLIGARCHS WHO HE IS IN BED WITH.
AND THAT'S WHY HE
CAN'T HAVE IT.
THE BOMBING, SOME PEOPLE DIE, WHATEVER.
A LOT OF
PEOPLE ARE DYING IN SYRIA, AS LONG AS YOU DON'T HIT THE
RUSSIANS I THINK WE WILL BE OKAY AND THAT MAKES ME LOOK TOUGH,
BUT IF MY FRIENDS IN RUSSIA HAVE THEIR BANK ACCOUNTS FROZEN, THEY
ARE NOT GOING TO BE HAPPY ABOUT THAT.
THAT'S WHY HE FLIPPED OUT
OVER THIS.
>>RIGHT, AND THERE'S ALSO ONE OTHER COMMENT I WANT TO MAKE,
AND IT'S ABOUT JUST THE OPTICS OF EVERYTHING GOING ON RIGHT
NOW.
YOU SAY YOU AGREE A LITTLE MORE WITH TRUMP'S STRATEGY OR
FOREIGN POLICY, BUT REMEMBER, THE BIGGEST ISSUE HERE IS THAT
TRUMP DOESN'T HAVE A STRATEGY OR A FOREIGN POLICY.
SO THE
INTERNATIONAL, YOU KNOW, TO OTHER COUNTRIES, RIGHT, TO OUR
ALLIES, TO OTHER PLAYERS, THEY LOOK AT WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT
NOW, AND HOW IS ANYONE GOING TO TAKE THE WHITE HOUSE AT ITS
WORD?
HOW IS ANYONE GOING TO EXPECT ANY TYPE OF STABILITY
WHEN YOU HAVE A PRESIDENT WHO DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT HE'S
DOING?
HE CHANGES HIS MIND DAY-TO-DAY, ESPECIALLY ON BIG
ISSUES LIKE SYRIA.
I MEAN, TWO FRIDAYS AGO WE WERE DOING A
STORY ABOUT HOW HE WANTS TO PULL OUT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, TAKE
THE TROOPS OUT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, AND THE FOLLOWING
FRIDAY HE'S DROPPING BOMBS AND GETTING MORE INVOLVED, SO HE'S
JUST WING THIS DAY BY DAY AND CHANGING HIS MIND, AND WHILE
NIKKI HALEY IS MAKING STATEMENTS THAT THE WHITE HOUSE HAS ALREADY
RENEGED ON, THINK ABOUT HOW THAT LOOKS TO OTHER COUNTRIES.
>>THAT'S A GREAT POINT, ONE LAST POINT OF CLARIFICATION, YOU
ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
TRUMP DOES NOT HAVE A STRATEGY.
HE DOES NOT
HAVE A POLICY.
HE DOESN'T HAVE A POLICY ON ANYTHING.
SO I AGREE
WITH THE RESULT OF HIS INSTINCT OF, FOR WHATEVER REASON, I DON'T
WANT TO GET MIRED IN SYRIA.
THAT'S WHAT I AGREE WITH.
I
DON'T WANT TO PUSH INTO SYRIA AND I DON'T WANT TO PUSH TOWARD
MORE WAR.
NOW, HAVING SAID THAT, THE MIXED MESSAGES WE ARE
SENDING TO THE REST OF THE WORLD IS INSANITY.
BECAUSE THEY ARE
JUST SITTING BACK GOING, WAIT, HOW DO I REACT?
BECAUSE FIRST OF
ALL WHENEVER ANY TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL SAYS
SOMETHING I HAVE TO WAIT, I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL TRUMP TWEETS ABOUT
IT. IS IT TRUE OR NOT?
BECAUSE THIS GUY IS A TOTAL FRICKIN'
CLOWN, SO HE DOESN'T EVEN COMMUNICATE TO HIS OWN U.N.
AMBASSADOR, HE HAD TO TELL REX TILLERSON TO STOP NEGOTIATIONS
WITH NORTH KOREA WHICH HE THEN RESTARTED AND BRAGGED ABOUT
AFTER FIRING TILLERSON, SO NO ONE HAS ANY IDEA WHAT IS GOING
ON BECAUSE TRUMP DOESN'T HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT IS GOING ON.
TO ANA'S POINT NOT ONLY IS HE CHANGING THE STANCE HIS
OFFICIALS ARE SAYING, HE OFTEN CHANGES HIS OWN STANCE.
>>THAT'S RIGHT.
>>SO THE WHOLE WORLD IS WAITING ON THE EDGE OF THEIR SEAT
LIKE WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT?
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