George Conway on Trump: 'He is a narcissistic sociopath, he's not a normal, he's unwell'

>>> HI, EVERYONE.

HAPPY WEDNESDAY.

IT IS 4:00 IN NEW YORK.

DONALD TRUMP IS MANY, MANY, MANY

THINGS, RIGHT.

A DISGRACED TWICE IMPEACHED FOUR

TIMES INDICTED EX-PRESIDENT WHO

HAS NEVER MET A CONSPIRACY

THEORY HE DOESN'T LOVE WISHES

NOTHING MORE THAN TO BECOME A

CARD CARRYING MEMBER OF THE

AUTOCRATS CLUB.

BUT THIS WEEK AND FOR THE COMING

WEEKS, HE'S JUST ANOTHER ONE OF

AMERICA'S 400,000 OR SO CRIMINAL

DEFENDANTS.

IN THE TRIAL OF THE PEOPLE OF

THE STATE OF NEW YORK, VERSUS

DONALD J. TRUMP, THE

EX-PRESIDENT FACES A DYNAMIC IN

WHICH HE HAS NO CONTROL.

HE'S SUBJECT TO THE RULES OF THE

COURTROOM, AND TO ORDERS FROM

JUDGE JUAN MERCHAN AS POLITICO

PUT IT, COULD HE ATTEND HIS

SON'S HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION ON

MAY 17th.

I'LL GET BACK TO YOU.

MAY HE SKIP THE TRIAL ON APRIL

25th TO ASCEND SUPREME COURT

ARGUMENTS ABOUT WHETHER HE'S

IMMUNE FROM SPECIAL COUNCIL JACK

SMITH'S CHARGES FOR TRYING TO

SUBVERT THE 2020 ELECTION.

NOT LIKELY, SAID MERCHAN.

CAN HE BE EXEMPTED FROM ANY

PROCEEDINGS THAT ARISE ON

WEDNESDAYS?

>>

SO HE COULD CAMPAIGN WHEN THE

COURT IS DARK.

NOT IF THE JURY IS IN.

AND NOW TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE

FOR DONALD TRUMP, HE HAS TO

LISTEN TO JURORS EXPRESS THEIR

FILTERED HONEST OPINIONS OF THEM

AND HEAR ABOUT THEIR MEANS,

MOCKING HIM.

MER SHAN DISMISSED ONE MAN AFTER

HE PRESENTED A SOCIAL MEDIA POST

IN WHICH THE JUROR WROTE THIS,

GOOD NEWS, TRUMP LOST HIS COURT

BATTLE ON HIS UNLAWFUL TRAVEL

BAN.

ALONG WITH THE SUGGESTION TO,

QUOTE, LOCK HIM UP.

IN OTHER INSTANCES MERCHAN

REFUSED THE EFFORTS TO KICK OFF

CERTAIN PROSPECTIVE JURORS

INCLUDING ONE WHOSE HUSBAND

SHARED A POST SUBJECTING THAT

THE AVENGERS UNITE AGAINST

TRUMP.

JUST ABOUT THE ONLY THING THAT

HE HAS DONE IS EARN HIMSELF THE

MONIKER OF SLEEPY DON BY

SEEMINGLY NODDING OFF, RESTING

HIS EYES, TAKING A SNOOZE,

CATCHING UP ON SOME Z'S ON THE

FIRST DAY.

IT SHOULD BE NO SURPRISE THAT

THE WASHINGTON POST REPORTED

THAT ON TUESDAY, QUOTE, DURING

THE LONG DAY OF QUESTIONING,

TRUMP'S MOOD SEEMS TO DRIFT FROM

UNINTERESTED TO UPSET.

HIS BEHAVIOR EARNED HIM A SLAP

ON THE WRIST ALREADY FROM THE

JUDGE.

TIMES RECORDS THAT THAT MOMENT

THIS WAY.

WHEN A POTENTIAL JUROR WAS BEING

INTERDUED ABOUT HER OLD FACEBOOK

POST TRUMP BEGAN TO MUTTER AND

GESTURE JUDGING A REBUKE FROM

THE JUDGE.

I WON'T TOLERATE THAT, THE JUDGE

SAID RAISING HIS VOICE ONCE THE

POTENTIAL JUROR HAD LEFT THE

ROOM.

I WILL NOT HAVE ANY JURORS

INTIMIDATED IN THIS COURTROOM.

NOW THE JURY COULD BE SEATED BY

THE END OF THE WEEK.

OPENING ARGUMENTS COULD START AS

SOON AS MONDAY.

AFTER WHICH TRUMP WILL TAKE HIS

SEAT AT THE DEFENSE TABLE.

THIS IS FORMER AIDES AND ALLIES

TRY TO COVER UP A SEX SCANDAL

WITH THE PURPOSE OF KEEPING IT

FROM THE VOTERS.

EVEN THOUGH THE ALLEGATIONS ARE

WIDELY KNOWN, SOME OF THE PEOPLE

MOST INTIMATELY INVOLVED WITH

THEM HAVE NEVER SPOKEN ABOUT

THEM PUBLICLY.

THE EX-PRESIDENT LEARNING THAT

LIFE COMES AT YOU FAST.

DURING HIS FIRST CRIMINAL TRIAL,

IS WHERE WE BEGIN TODAY WITH

SOME OF OUR FAVORITE REPORTERS

AND FRIENDS.

HERE WITH ME AT TABLE.

LEGAL ANALYST ANDREW WEISSMANN

AND ATTORNEY AND CONTRIBUTOR TO

THE ATLANTIC GEORGE CONWAY IS

HERE AND VAUGHN HILLYARD IS WITH

US AT THE TABLE AND FOR POLITICO

ERICA ORDEREN IS HERE.

AND THEY ARE SPENT THE LAST FEW

DAYS AROUND THE COURTHOUSE AND

ANDREW HAS BEEN CHAINED TO THE

STUDIO HERE WITH ME.

WE START WITH YOU.

>> OH, GREAT.

WE START WITH ME.

>> TELL ME WHAT YOU WERE TELLING

ME OFF AIR.

TELL ME WHAT THE PACING OF JURY

SELECTION MEANS?

>> SURE.

I THINK THAT SOMETHING THAT

SURPRISED PEOPLE HAVING WATCHED

THIS IS THIS SORT OF A SLOW PART

OF THE JURY SELECTION AND A FAST

PART.

SO THE SLOW PART IS THE VENEER,

THE FIRST POOL COMES IN AND

THERE IS A LOT OF QUESTIONING

AND THAT IS THE PART WHERE

EVERYONE THINKS THIS WILL TAKE

FOREVER.

AND THERE IS ALL OF THE

QUESTIONS ASKED TO FIND OUT IF

THEY WILL STRIKE PEOPLE FOR

CAUSE.

THEY CANNOT BE FAIR.

SO THERE IS A LOT OF QUESTIONING

AND PEOPLE THINK THAT IS SLOW.

BUT ONCE YOU HAVE ALL OF THE

QUESTIONS ASKED, IT IS REALLY

FAST.

BECAUSE THERE IS JUST -- OKAY,

THESE PEOPLE GO AND THEN THE

SO-CALLED PEREMPTORY CHALLENGES,

WHICH EACH SIDE GETS UP TO TEN

PEOPLE TO STRIKE, THE JUDGE GOES

YOU, WHAT IS YOUR POSITION AN

THAT IS HAPPENING FAST AND NOW

WE'RE AT THE NEXT PART WHERE THE

NEXT POOL COMES IN.

BUT WE'RE ALREADY AT 7.

WE NEED TO GET TO 18.

I'M PRETTY SURE, UNLESS

SOMETHING UNUSUAL HAPPENS, THAT

THE JUDGE IS PROBABLY RIGHT,

THAT ON MONDAY WE COULD SEE

OPENING ARGUMENTS.

>> AND TRUMP IS COMPLAINING

ABOUT WHAT YOU JUST DESCRIBED.

ANYONE THAT WATCH LAW AND ORDER

KNOWS THAT EACH SIDE GETS TO

STRIKE.

HE THOUGHT YOU HAVE AS MUCH AS

YOU WANT.

>> YEAH.

SO, EITHER LISTEN TO YOUR

OPENING I WAS THINKING ABOUT

WHEN YOU ARE A DEFENDANT, YOU

HAVE LOST CONTROL.

YOU ARE SUBJECT TO A JUDGE THAT

IS A CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND

IT IS A PARTICULAR PROBLEM FOR

PEOPLE WHO ARE USED TO BE IN

CONTROL.

OBVIOUSLY IF YOU USED TO BE THE

PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,

THAT'S SORT OF THE UBER POSITION

OF BEING IN CONTROL.

BUT I'VE SEEN WHEN YOU YOU'VE

PROSECUTED HEADS OF

CORPORATIONS.

AND THAT IS PART OF THE ISSUE,

BUT YOU HAVE TO LEARN TO DEAL

WITH THAT AND YOU HAVE TO LEARN

TO TRUST YOUR COUNSEL.

AND AGAIN, YOU'RE OUT OF

CONTROL.

IT IS SOMEBODY ELSE WITH AN

EXPERTISE AND THE WAY YOU HELP

YOURSELF IS GETTING REALLY GOOD

COUNSEL AND TRUSTING THEM.

THAT IS HIS PROBLEM.

AND WE SAW IT IN THE E. JEAN

CARROLL CASE, WHERE YOU SEE IN

TRIAL, TOO, BY ALL ACCOUNTS,

HE'S LIKE I COULD DO THIS BETTER

THAN MY LAWYERS COULD.

WE SAW HOW THAT WORKED OUT.

AND THAT TO ME IS THE ACHILLES

HERE, IF YOU WANT A LAWYER ONLY

DOING YOUR BIDDING AND IS NOT

GOING TO GIVE YOU HONEST, DIRECT

ADVICE AND NOT TAKING CONTROL

ABOUT HOW TO DO THE CASE, YOU

KNOW, YOU BROUGHT WHAT IS GOING

TO HAPPEN AND I THINK ALL SIGNS

ARE THAT IS DONALD TRUMP'S

PROBLEM.

IS THAT HE THINKS HE KNOWS

BETTER AN IN THIS FORUM, I DON'T

THINK HE DOES.

>> HE'S ALSO THE BOY WHO CRIED

WOLF.

THIS WAS GOING TO BREAK AMERICA.

LINDSEY GRAHAM WAS ON TV AFTER

ALVIN BRAG CHARGED THIS CASE A

YEAR AGO, THERE WILL BE RIOTS IN

THE STREET.

HAVE ANY OF YOU WALKED AROUND

NEW YORK CITY TODAY.

MOST PEOPLE YOU RUN INTO HAVE NO

IDEA DONALD TRUMP IS ON TRIAL.

>> IT IS VERY QUIET DOWNTOWN.

THERE WASN'T A LOT GOING ON

EXCEPT FOR THE TV SETS.

AND SOME JERSEY BARRIERS HERE

AND THERE.

IT WAS ALL A PERFECTLY NORMAL

DAY IN LOWER MANHATTAN.

SURPRISINGLY.

>> EXCEPT --

>> EXCEPT WE HAD TO GO THROUGH

TWO LEVELS OF SECURITY SCREENING

BECAUSE OF SECRET SERVICE HAD AN

EXTRA -- MADE THEM DO ANOTHER

ONE ON THE 15th FLOOR.

BUT OTHER THAN THAT, IT FELT

VERY ORDINARY.

>> SO YOU WERE IN A UNIQUE

POSITION IN THAT YOU ARE A LIFE

LONG CONSERVATIVE AND STILL A

CONSERVATIVE BUT YOU'VE BEEN

CALLING FOR ACCOUNTABILITY FOR

WRONGDOING THE LOUDEST, THE

LONGEST.

WHAT IS IT LIKE PERSONALLY TO

SEE HIM ON TRIAL?

>> IT WAS GRATIFYING IN A -- I

FOUND THE PROCEEDINGS BOTH

INTERESTING AND MUNDANE AT THE

SAME TIME.

I ACTUALLY FELL ASLEEP MYSELF A

LITTLE BIT ON MONDAY MORNING.

BECAUSE IT IS LIKE, OKAY, WE'RE

LISTENING TO THIS DISCUSSION

ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THE ACCESS

HOLLYWOOD TAPE GETS IN.

AND THERE IS NO SURPRISE THERE

ABOUT THE ACCESS HOLLYWOOD TAPE

AND THE ARGUMENTS WERE, I COULD

MAKE THE ARGUMENTS EITHER WAY IN

MY SLEEP.

AND IT PUT ME TO SLEEP AT ONE

POINT.

IT WASN'T -- IT WAS SO ORDINARY.

AND YOU'VE BEEN, YOU'RE A TRIAL

LAWYER AND YOU'VE BEEN THERE,

SOMETIMES IT IS THE BATTLE IS TO

STAY AWAKE DURING A TRIAL.

AND THERE WASN'T -- IT REALLY

WASN'T THAT INTERESTING WHICH

WAS THE BEST THING ABOUT IT

BECAUSE IT SHOWED THAT THIS

COULD BE NORMAL.

IT IS NORMAL TO HOLD SOMEBODY TO

ACCOUNT.

>> YOU HAVE AN INTERESTING

PERSPECTIVE ON HOW THIN SKINNED DONALD TRUMP IS.

DONALD TRUMP IS.

YOUR TWEETS DROVE HIM BAT SHIT

CRAZY.

SO YOU DROVE HIM OUT OF HIS

MIND.

WHAT DO YOU THINK WAS LIKE FOR

HIM TO HEAR -- HIS LAWYERS WENT

AND BASICALLY VETTED PROSPECTIVE

JURORS AN IT IS WAS LIKE, NOT

THIS ONE.

AND HE'S LIKE LET ME SEE.

AND A GIANT UNFLATTERING

PICTURE.

WHAT KNOWS WHAT WAS ON SOCIAL

MEDIA.

>> HE CAN'T HELP IT.

HE HATE WATCHES THIS NETWORK.

HE MIGHT BE WATCHING RIGHT NOW.

AND PROBABLY THROWING SOMEBODY

AT THE TELEVISION.

I DON'T KNOW.

HE CAN'T HELP HIMSELF BUT

EMOTIONALLY REACT TO THINGS.

AND THAT IS -- AND ONE OF THE

THINGS THAT YOU -- HE'S A

NARCISSISTIC SOCIOPATH AND

EVERYONE HAS TO GET USED TO IT

IS THE REASON WHY YOU COULD NOT

NORMALIZE HIM.

CAN YOU NOT TREAT HIM LIKE A

NORMAL HUMAN BEING BECAUSE HE IS

NOT.

HE IS UNWELL.

AND THAT IS WHY HE CAN'T FOLLOW,

HE'S NOT GOING TO BE ANYONE TO

FOLLOW HIS LAWYERS DIRECTIONS.

THAT IS WHY HE PLAYED RIGHT INTO

THE PLAINTIFF'S HANDS IN THE E.

JEAN CARROLL CASE.

THEIR TRYING THOUGH SHOW HE'S A

JERK AND HE ACTS LIKE A JERK IN

FRONT OF THE JURY AND HE SHOWED

DISRESPECT FOR THE JURY.

AND THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS,

HE'S SAYING NONE OF THIS EVER

HAPPENING.

WHERE IS YOUR TESTIMONY.

WHERE IS YOUR TESTIMONY.

AND THAT IS THE INTERESTING

THING.

IS HE WILL BE TOLD, IT IS INSANE

FOR ANY LAWYER TO GIVE HIM

ADVICE TO TESTIFY IN HIS OWN

DEFENSE.

BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS

GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN SOMEONE

LIKE ME GOES ON THE SHOW AND

SAID, DONALD, DONALD, YOU'RE

SCARED.

YOU'RE LAWYERS ARE MAKING YOU

LOOK SCARED.

YOU KNOW --

>> OR GUILTY.

>> OR GUILTY, RIGHT.

AND IT IS GO FOG START GETTING

MORE INTERESTING BECAUSE THERE

IS -- AS THIS JURY SELECTIONS GO

AS FAST AS IT IS STARTING TO GO.

IT IS A THING CALLED A SANDOVAL

HEARING ON FRIDAY WHICH IS A

HEARING THAT YOU ARE REQUIRED TO

DO THAT YOU BASICALLY GO THROUGH

JUDGE RULES ON WHAT THINGS THE

DEFENSE -- THE DEFENDANT CAN BE

CROSS-EXAMINED ON FOR PRIOR

OFFENSES AND PRIOR LITIGATION

AND PRIOR STUFF.