Hallie Jackson NOW - May 3 | NBC News NOW

BUT THE NEWS CONTINUES WITH TOM

COSTELLO WHO IS IN FOR HALLIE

JACKSON RIGHT NOW.

>>> I AM TOM COSTELLO IN FOR

HALLIE JACKSON WITH BREAKING

NEWS SPECIAL REPORT.

DONALD TRUMP ON TRIAL IN

PERHAPS THE BIGGEST BOMBSHELL

DAY OF TESTIMONY YET.

DRAMATIC MOMENTS AS THE WOMAN

WHO HAD A FRONT ROW SEAT TO

EVERYTHING THAT THIS TRIAL WAS

ABOUT, BREAKS DOWN APPEARING ON

THE STAND.

HOPE HICKS, AND AID TO THE

FORMER PRESIDENT AND WHO HE

REALLY TREATED LIKE A DAUGHTER.

SHE LED TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN WHEN

THE ALLEGED SCHEME TO PLACE. A

VERY EMBARRASSING STORY AND

THAT WAS BEFORE HE BROUGHT HER

TO THE WHITE HOUSE FOR SOME OF

HIS TOP ROLES BUT NOW SHE HAS

NOT SPOKEN TO TRUMP IN TWO

YEARS.

TODAY PROSECUTORS WANTED TO

KNOW WHAT HAPPENED BEHIND THE

SCENES WHEN THIS MOMENT MADE

HEADLINES.

THE INFAMOUS ACCESS HOLLYWOOD

TATE.

CAUGHT ON CAMERA MAKING VULGAR

COMMENTS ABOUT ASSAULTING WOMEN.

HOPE HICKS WHO WAS HIS PRESS

SECRETARY SAID SHE DID NOT KNOW

ABOUT THE TAPE UNTIL SHE HEARD

FROM A REPORTER THAT THERE WAS

A CONSENSUS AT THE TIME THAT

THIS WAS GOING TO BE A CRISIS.

THE BIG QUESTION.

WHY DOES THAT MATTER FOR THIS

CASE NOW?

WE WILL HIT THE REWIND BUTTON

TO GO THROUGH THAT.

SHE SAYS SHE CALLED MICHAEL

COHEN TO ASK IF THERE WAS

ANOTHER TAPE THAT WOULD NEED

DAMAGE CONTROL.

THAT HAPPENED IN OCTOBER 2016

AND LATER THAT MONTH,

PROSECUTORS SAY DAMAGE CONTROL

KICKED IN WITH THE ALLEGED HUSH

MONEY PAYMENTS TO STORMY DANIELS

WHO CLAIMS SHE HAD AN AFFAIR

WITH TRUMP.

HE DENIES IT. AND THAT THIS IS

THE REASON WE ARE HERE RIGHT

NOW, THE FORMER PRESIDENT

FACING 34 COUNTS OF FALSIFYING

BUSINESS RECORDS TO WHICH HE HAD

PLEADED, OF COURSE, NOT GUILTY.

FOR THE NEXT 20 MINUTES WE WILL

TAKE YOU INSIDE OF ALL THE

ROOMS THAT CAMERAS COULD NOT BE

IN TODAY.

IF YOU WERE NOT GLUED TO EVERY

WORD COMING OUT OF COURT OR IF

YOU HAD OTHER THINGS TO DO,

DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.

WE'VE BEEN ON IT AND WE HAVE

THE DETAILS.

OUR TEAM OF REPORTERS AND

POLITICAL AND LEGAL EXPERTS ARE

READY TO BREAK IT DOWN.

EVERYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO

KNOW INSIDE AND BEHIND THE

SCENES AT THE TRUMP TRIAL.

WE ARE STARTING LIVE OUTSIDE

THE COURTHOUSE IN MANHATTAN. AND

YASMIN, THEY WANT HOPE HICKS

TO CREATE A DIRECT LINE FROM

EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED IN THE

CAMPAIGN TO, IN THEIR WORDS, A

CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY TO

INFLUENCE THE ELECTION IN 2016.

DID THAT HAPPEN TODAY?

>> OF THEIR OBJECTIVE WAS TO

CREATE MOTIVE.

THAT WAS THE OBJECTIVE OF THE

PROSECUTION IN THE LEAD UP OF

THEIR TESTIMONY WITH HOPE

HICKS.

THEY BUILT THAT TIMELINE. I

DON'T KNOW IF I CAN ANSWER

WHETHER THEY-- WHETHER IT

CREATED THE DIRECT LINE.

THAT IS UP FOR THE JURY TO

DECIDE BUT THEY BUILT THIS IDEA

OF AN INDIVIDUAL, A MAN RUNNING

FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED

STATES IN 2016 AND THE

REVELATIONS OF THIS ACCESS

HOLLYWOOD STAGE IN WHICH HOPE

HICKS WOULD RECEIVE AN EMAIL

SAYING THERE IS AN ACCESS

HOLLYWOOD TAPE OUT THERE.

DO YOU HAVE STATEMENTS YOU WANT

TO RELEASE PERTAINING TO THOSE?

SHE RAN UP TO TRUMP TOWER IN

WHICH THEY WERE PREPARING FOR

DEBATES A COUPLE DAYS LATER AND

TALKED WITH THE TEAM ABOUT THE

REVELATIONS OF THIS TAPE AND

THE VERACITY OF IT.

IT WENT ON FROM THERE TO THE

END OF OCTOBER IN WHICH PAYOUTS

WERE MADE, PAINTING A PICTURE

OF A MAN RUNNING FOR ELECTION

FOR RESIDENT OF THE UNITED

STATES THESE DETAILS KEPT QUIET

AND NOT SURE IF THEY WERE GOING

TO AFFECT THE OUTCOME OF THE ELECTION.

ELECTION.

>> ARE WE GETTING THE KEY

ELEMENT, THE DIRECT CONNECTION

OF INVOLVEMENT IN THIS ALLEGED

SCHEME?

BECAUSE SHE DID NOT HAVE A LOT

OF POSITIVE THINGS TO SAY ABOUT

MICHAEL COHEN.

>> SHE DID NOT.

LET ME READ SOME OF THE BACK

AND FORTH FOR YOU IF I CAN.

SPECIFICALLY SHE SAID I DIDN'T

KNOW MICHAEL TO BE AND ASK

ESPECIALLY CHARITABLE PERSON.

IS THE KIND OF PERSON WHO TAKES

CREDIT.

TRUMP THOUGHT IT WAS GENEROUS

OF HIM TO DO AND HE APPRECIATED

THE LOYALTY.

MICHAEL FELT LIKE IT WAS HIS

JOB TO PROTECT HIM.

THIS WAS IN REGARDS TO THE

ARTICLE ABOUT THE PAYOFF TO

STORMY DANIELS.

IN CROSS-EXAMINATION IT GOT

EVEN BETTER WHEN IT CAME TO

MICHAEL COHEN, ASKED WAS MISTER

COHEN PART OF THE CAMPAIGN?

HE SAID NO, HE WOULD TRY TO

INSERT HIMSELF BUT WAS NOT ON

THE CAMPAIGN IN ANY OFFICIAL

CAPACITY.

THERE WERE THINGS HE DID IN A

VOLUNTARY CAPACITY BECAUSE OF

HIS INTEREST, AND THEN THIS

MOMENT WHICH DROVE THINGS HOME

FOR THE DEFENSE I BELIEVE.

HE LIKES TO CALL HIMSELF A

FIXER OR MISTER FIX IT AND IT

WAS ONLY BECAUSE HE FIRST BROKE

IT.

ONE OF THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS I

HAD A FROM HER TESTIMONY WAS

THAT SHE WAS CREDIBLE FOR BOTH

SIDES.

BOTH FOR THE PROSECUTION AND

THE DEFENSE.

THE PROSECUTION PAINTING THIS

WOMAN WHO WAS LOYAL TO DONALD

TRUMP BUT ALSO NEW OF THE INNER

WORKINGS OF THE CAMPAIGN.

SHE SERVED AS SOMEONE PAINTING

THE FORMER PRESIDENT AS A

FAMILY MAN WORRIED ABOUT

EMBARRASSING HIS FAMILY AND HIS

WIFE.

>> WE ALSO MENTIONED THAT HICKS

BECAME EMOTIONAL ON THE STAND.

REMEMBER THEY HAD NOT SPOKEN

FOR YEARS.

WHAT DID THE NBC COLLEGE IN THE

COURTROOM SEE IN TERMS OF THE

DYNAMICS AND THE INTERPLAY, IF

THERE WAS ANY, BETWEEN TRUMP

AND HICKS?

>> AT THE BEGINNING OF CROSS

EXAMINATION SHE GOT FAIRLY

EMOTIONAL AND TOOK A MOMENTARY

BREAK TO ALLOW HER TO GATHER

HERSELF.

AND THEN SHE REENTERED FOR HER

CROSS-EXAMINATION.

I TAKE AWAY FROM THAT MOMENT

WAS CONSIDERING THE HISTORY

THAT SHE HAS WITH THE FORMER

PRESIDENT, AT 25 YEARS OF AGE

SHE TOOK A JOB IN 2014 WITH THE

TRUMP ORGANIZATION AND TWO

YEARS LATER SHE WAS A TOP

ADVISER.

INCREDIBLY LOYAL NOT ONLY TO

THE FORMER PRESIDENT AS WELL AS

HIS FAMILY BUT IN 2022 THE

FAMILY-- THE RELATIONSHIP

SOURED BECAUSE OF HER TESTIMONY

OF THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO

JANUARY 6. THE FORMER PRESIDENT

WAS WATCHING TESTIMONY DIRECTLY

THROUGH THE MONITORS AND MAKING

EYE CONTACT WITH HER DIRECTLY

DESPITE THEIR CLOSE

RELATIONSHIP FOR SO MANY YEARS.

>> INTERESTING.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

YASMIN VOSSOUGHIAN ON SITE IN

MANHATTAN.

LET'S NOW GO TO LEGAL ANALYST

DANNY CEVALLOS AND GEORGETOWN

CONSTITUTIONAL LAW PROFESSOR

MICHELLE GOOD ONE.

DANNY, LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME OF

THAT EMOTION.

HOW MIGHT A JURY REACT TO THAT

EMOTION AND DID IT APPEAR

SINCERE?

>> I THINK IT APPEARED VERY

SINCERE.

HOPE HICKS DID NOT NEED A LOT

OF HELP ON THE CREDIBILITY

METER BUT OF COURSE THAT SHOW

THE MOTION-- AND JURORS ARE

GOOD AT TELLING WHETHER

SOMETHING IS SINCERE OR NOT.

THE ENTIRE JURY SYSTEM IS

PREMISED ON THE IDEA THAT WE

ARE ALL HARDWARE TO WITH THIS

TRUTH AND LIE DETECTOR ABILITY.

THAT IS REALLY WHAT THE JURY

SYSTEM IS.

PEOPLE ASSESSING CREDIBILITY OF

OTHER REGULAR FOLKS AND

DECIDING WHO TO BELIEVE AND WHO

NOT TO BELIEVE.

SO EMOTION CAN GO ONE OF TWO

WAYS.

IT CAN BE CREDIBLE IN SOME

CONTEXTS AND COMPLETELY

INCREDIBLE IN OTHERS.

BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TOTAL

PICTURE OF HER TESTIMONY, I

THINK A SHOW OF EMOTION

PROBABLY CAME ACROSS AS VERY

GENUINE TO THIS JURY BASED ON

THE FACT THAT SHE REALLY DID

NOT HAVE ANY CREDIBILITY ISSUES

LIKE SOME OF THE OTHER

PROSECUTION WITNESSES.

>> LET'S GO TO PROFESSOR GOOD

ONE.

YOU'VE BEEN READING NOTES ALL

DAY. WE ARE READING THE NOTES

BACK AND FORTH.

DOES IT APPEAR THAT THE

PROSECUTION DID A GOOD JOB OF

CONNECTING THE DOTS FROM THE

ACCESS HOLLYWOOD TAPE ALL THE

WAY THROUGH TO THE TIME IN THE

WHITE HOUSE?

>> THEY DID WHAT THEY NEEDED TO

DO AND THE FACT THAT HOPE HICKS

APPEARED CREDIBLE FOR BOTH

SIDES IS ACTUALLY, COULD BE

ARGUED TO BE SOMETHING THAT IS

SUCCESSFUL FOR THE PROSECUTION.

MUCH OF THE BACKDROP OF THIS,

SOME PEOPLE SAYING THAT THIS IS

POLITICALLY MOTIVATED, WHAT'S

TAKING PLACE.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMIND

PEOPLE THAT THESE ARE 34 FELONY

COUNTS.

THESE ARE FELONY COUNTS

ASSOCIATED WITH THE FORMER

PRESIDENT DOING BUSINESS IN NEW

YORK, SO IT'S NOT RELATED TO

JANUARY 6, IT'S NOT THAT KIND

OF POLITICAL HYSTERIA THAT HAS

BEEN FRAMED BUT RATHER, HE IS A

BUSINESSMAN AND MUST COMPLY

WITH THE BUSINESS LAWS OF NEW

YORK.

THAT IS WHAT THIS STEMS FROM.

SO THE HUSH MONEY TRIAL ITSELF,

HUSH MONEY COULD BE SOMETHING

THAT IS A MISDEMEANOR OFFENSE.

WHY THIS IS BEING ELEVATED TO

FELONY COUNTS IS BECAUSE THE

ALLEGATIONS BY THE PROSECUTORS

IS THAT THERE WAS AN ATTEMPT TO

CONCEAL SOMETHING MORE.

>> IT SEEMED TO SUGGEST THEY

WERE VERY MUCH FRONT AND CENTER

THINKING ABOUT THE ELECTION.

>> THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.

IN OCTOBER WITH THIS SALACIOUS

VIDEO DEAL, HEARING THE FORMER

PRESIDENT FOR THE ELECTION

EXPLAINING HOW HE GRABS WOMEN,

ABOUT HOW HE VIOLATES WOMEN,

ABOUT HOW HE HAS NO

CONSIDERATION AND DOES IT ALL

THE TIME.

THE FEAR THAT THERE COULD BE

MORE ALLEGATIONS SUCH AS THAT

COMING OUT. AND LET'S BE CLEAR,

THIS IS A FORMER PRESIDENT WHO

HAS ALREADY BEEN FOUND GUILTY

OF HAVING VIOLATED SOMEONE AND

MANY ALLEGATIONS OVER TIME.

>> DANNY, THERE ARE THESE

COMPETING IMAGES OF THE FORMER

PRESIDENT HERE.

ONE THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO PUSH,

THAT HE IS JUST THE GUY WHO

SIGNS THE CHECKS AND THERE'S

ALSO THE ONE THAT HOPE HICKS

DESCRIBES, OF TRUMP WHO IS

INTIMATELY INVOLVED IN EVERY

ASPECT OF HIS BUSINESS AND LIFE.

WHICH PICTURE IS COMING OFF AS

MORE COMPELLING OR MORE

DOMINANT?

>> THERE ARE REALLY TWO

AVENUES.

TRUMP AS THE BOSS OF A LARGE

CORPORATION THAT REQUIRES

MINIONS WHO ACT INDEPENDENTLY

AND THEY HAND HIM CHECKS AND HE

SIGNS THEM.

THAT WILL BE THE VIEW OF THE

WORLD BY THE DEFENSE, AND THEN

THE PROSECUTION WHICH IS THAT

DONALD TRUMP IN THIS CLOSELY

HELD FAMILY COMPANY WAS A

MICROMANAGER AND WAS ON TOP OF

EVERYTHING. SO REALLY ONLY ONE

OF TWO CHOICES ARE AVAILABLE TO

THE JURY.

SO FAR THE PEOPLE HAVE PUT IN

PLENTY OF EVIDENCE.

AND SOME OF IT HAS SNUCK IN.

BUT THE IDEA THAT HOPE HICKS

CONVEYED WAS THAT DONALD TRUMP

WAS SOMEONE WHO WAS INTIMATELY

INVOLVED IN ALL ASPECTS OF THE

BUSINESS.

THAT IS GOING TO HELP THE

PROSECUTION MAKE THE CASE THAT

ONCE THEY'VE PROVEN THE

TRANSACTIONS, IT IS SOMETHING

THAT DONALD TRUMP NOT ONLY

WOULD HAVE KNOWN ABOUT IT WOULD

HAVE HAD TO HIM PROVE.

NOT PASSIVELY BUT DIRECTLY

APPROVE. ONLY ONE OF TWO IS

TRUE.

>> THE DEFENSE REALLY PLAYED

HARD ON THIS IDEA THAT MICHAEL

COHEN DESCRIBES HIMSELF AS

MISTER FIX IT.

DOES IT HELP THE DEFENSE OR

HURT THE PROSECUTION?

>> WHAT THEY ARE TRYING TO DO

IS SAY THAT HE IS SOMEONE WHO

HAS POOR CHARACTER OR CANNOT BE

TRUSTED.

THIS IS SOMETHING DONALD TRUMP

HAS SAID, USING THE TERM LIAR

TO DESCRIBE MICHAEL COHEN.

THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT TO LEAVE

THE JURY WITH.

SOMEONE WHO EXCEEDED WHAT THE

BOUNDARIES WERE OF WHAT HE WAS

CALLED TO DO AND IS NOT

SUPPOSED TO BE INVOLVED IN THE

CAMPAIGN AT ALL.

SO ANYTHING HE DID WAS PRETTY

MUCH ON HIS OWN WITHOUT ANY

KIND OF GUIDANCE OR ANY WAY

IMPLICATING DONALD TRUMP.

>> THE IDEA WAS THAT HE WAS

ROGUE?

>> THAT'S THE IDEA AND WHETHER

THAT IS SUCCESSFUL BEFORE THIS

JURY REMAINS TO BE SEEN.

>> THANK YOU PROFESSOR GOODWIN

AND DANNY CEVALLOS.

BOTH GREAT INTERPRETATIONS AND

ANALYSIS.

HOPE HICKS PLAYED A KEY

COMMUNICATIONS ROLE AT HIS

COMPANY IN HIS CAMPAIGN AND THE

WHITE HOUSE.

HER TESTIMONY TODAY WAS ALL

ABOUT HOW THEY GOT THE MESSAGE

OUT TO THE PUBLIC.

FOR MORE ON THAT LET'S BRING IN

WASHINGTON POST MEDIA CRITIC.

ERIC, AT ONE POINT SHE WAS

ASKED ABOUT HER PRESS DUTIES

DURING THE 2016 CAMPAIGN ASKING

IF THERE WERE-- WHAT ABOUT THE

TEAM AROUND HER?

SHE SAID IT WAS QUOTE JUST ME

AND MISTER TRUMP.", WE WERE ALL

JUST FOLLOWING HIS LEAD.

SHE WAS RIGHT OUT OF COLLEGE, A

LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR

SOMEONE THAT AGE.

DOES THAT SUGGEST THAT HE HAD

INTENSE CONTROL OF MESSAGING

WITH HOPE HICKS AT HIS RIGHT

HAND?

>> WELL THAT'S CORRECT.

I THINK TO THAT POINT, HISTORY

BEARS OUT EXACTLY WHAT HE WAS

SAYING. AT THE TIME IT WAS

CLEAR THAT THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN

WAS NOT REALLY MUCH IN TERMS OF

YOUR TRADITIONAL CAMPAIGN.

IT WAS VERY SKELETAL, AND WAS

MAINLY A COMMUNICATIONS

OPERATION.

SHE WOULD PASS ALONG QUESTIONS

TO TRUMP AND THEY WOULD GET ON

THE PHONE AND TRUMP WOULD A

SICKLY LIST OFF THE TOP OF HIS

HEAD, THOSE QUOTES, MANY OF

THEM OUTRAGEOUS, THEY GO

STRAIGHT TO THE PAPERS AND ON

TO THE AIR.

THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN REPORTERS

ARE SCRAMBLING TRYING TO FIGURE

OUT WHAT WAS TRUE AND WHAT WAS

NOT.

MOST OF IT WAS NOT BUT TRUMP,

THEY WERE FOLLOWING HIS LEAD IN

PART BECAUSE HE LIES LIES AND

LIES.

EVEN THE PEOPLE AROUND HIM WERE

NOT WILLING TO GO AS FAR AS HE

WAS AND THE OTHER THING HERE IS

THAT IT WAS WORKING. TRUMP WAS

EATING HIS RIVALS.

>> MICROMANAGING THE MESSAGING

ALL DAY.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

IT WAS A MEDIA DRIVEN CAMPAIGN.

HE WAS GETTING HIS RALLIES

COVERED BY CNN, I THINK MOST OF

THE CABLE INDUSTRY IS TAKING A

SECOND LOOK AT THAT BUT HE'S

GETTING ALL OF THIS STUFF

COVERED AND GOING STRAIGHT INTO

OTHER MEDIA.

IT WAS A REMARKABLE TIME AND NO

ONE WAS PREPARED FOR IT.

>> KNOWING ALL OF THAT, WHAT

CAN WE ACTUALLY TRUST FROM HOPE

HICKS AS SOMEONE WHO BACK IN

2018, ACKNOWLEDGED THAT WORKING

FOR MISTER TRUMP OCCASIONALLY

REQUIRED HER TO TELL WHITE LIES

AND AS SOMEONE WHO OBSERVED HOW

SHE INTERACTED WITH THE MEDIA

AND THE PUBLIC, CAN WE TRUST

WHAT SHE SAYS NOW?

>> ONE OF THE THINGS YOU LEARN

ABOUT WORKING FOR DONALD TRUMP

IS THAT SOONER OR LATER YOU ARE

GOING TO HAVE TO RAISE YOUR

RIGHT HAND.

SHE WAS UNDER OATH WHEN SHE

SAID THAT AND GAVE AN EXAMPLE.

A WHITE LIE WOULD WHEN I WOULD

SAY MISTER TRUMP IS UNAVAILABLE

WHEN A FAT-- WHEN IN FACT HE

WAS AVAILABLE.

BUT THE LIES COMING FROM THE

TRUMP ESTABLISHMENT WERE MUCH

MORE EGREGIOUS AND ESTABLISHING

AND ALSO MUCH MORE CREATIVE.

MANY PEOPLE ON THE AIR SAID

THAT HOPE HICKS MANAGED TO SORT

OF-- WITHOUT DAMAGING HER

CREDIBILITY.

I DON'T DISAGREE WITH THAT

ASSESSMENT.

OF ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE TRUMP

ORBIT SHE MANAGED TO, SHE WAS

NEVER SEEKING SPOTLIGHT, BUT

SHE DID MANAGE NOT TO GET

SLIMED WITH ALL OF THIS

PERSONALLY.

SHE WAS STRATEGIC CONSULTING

AND I AM NOT A LEGAL ANALYST

BUT AS FAR AS PEOPLE IN HIS

ORBIT I WOULD HAVE TO RANK HER

AMONG THE HIGHEST PEOPLE IN

CREDIBILITY.

GRANTED THAT IS A LOW BAR BUT I

WILL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

LET'S BRING IN OUR FORMER CHIEF

OF STAFF TO VICE PRESIDENT MIKE

PENCE AND DEMOCRATIC

STRATEGISTS.

YOUR TIME WITH HOPE HICKS

OVERLAPPED A LITTLE BIT AND AS

YOU WATCH HER TESTIMONY DOES IT

APPEARS SHE HAS ANY AGENDA

HERE?

>> I DON'T THINK SO.

I DON'T THINK SHE HAS AN AX TO

GRIND.

WHEN ASKED TO JOIN THE CAMPAIGN

IN SUMMER OF 2016, IT WAS

REALLY ONLY HOPE HICKS AND

STEPHEN MILLER AS THE TWO

STAFFERS.

>> IT WAS A REMARKABLE CAMPAIGN

BECAUSE FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP

REALLY RAN IT HIMSELF. THERE

WAS A CAROUSEL OF VARIOUS

CAMPAIGN MANAGERS BUT THE TWO

STABLES WERE STEPHEN AND HOPE.

>> WE TALKED ABOUT THE BIDEN

CAMPAIGN LOOKING FOR ANY

OPPORTUNITY TO POTENTIALLY TURN

SOMETHING HERE FROM THIS

TESTIMONY INTO A CAMPAIGN ITEM

FOR THEM. DID YOU SEE ANYTHING

SO FAR THAT MAY WORK TO THEIR

ADVANTAGE?

>> AS OF TODAY, NO.

I THINK HOPE HICKS IS SOMEBODY

WHO HAS BEEN A STRATEGIST WITH

DONALD TRUMP FOR QUITE SOME

TIME.

SHE WAS FRESH OUT OF COLLEGE

WHEN SHE WENT TO WORK FOR THE

ORGANIZATION.

A LOT OF HER CAREER HAS BEEN

BASED ON LOYALTY TO DONALD

TRUMP AND TODAY ALL SHE

HONESTLY DID WAS FURTHER THROW

MUD ON MICHAEL COHEN WHICH

WE'VE HEARD MANY PEOPLE DO.

BUT I DON'T THINK THAT ANYTHING

THUS FAR HAS BEEN ABLE TO

SHOWCASE ITSELF AS THIS IS A

SMOKING GUN WE CAN RUN WITH.

>> HE IS NOT LOOKING GOOD

COMING OUT OF THIS TRIAL.

CAN WE GO TO THE 35,000'?

NORMALLY TRUMP HAS FOUND THAT

HE CAN GET A BIT OF HIS BOOST--

A BIT OF A BOOST AT LEAST FOR

HIS SMALL, DIEHARD BASE WHEN HE

GOES THROUGH THE USE VARIOUS

LEGAL PROBLEMS.

HOWEVER HE IS PRETTY FAR BEHIND

THE BIDEN CAMPAIGN.

$90 MILLION SO FAR IN TERMS OF

HOW MUCH THEY'VE RAISED.

$165 MILLION CASH ON HAND AND

TRUMP IS QUITE A BIT BEHIND THAT

. DOES HE HAVE ANY OPPORTUNITY

TO MAKE UP GROUND HERE WITH A

BROADER GROUP OF CONSTITUENTS

IN THE MIDDLE, OR IS HE

ISOLATED TO HIS FAR RIGHT BASE?

>> I THINK HE CAN MAKE UP

GROUND.

I THINK THERE WILL BE MORE AND

MORE REPUBLICANS WHO COME BACK

BUT IN 2016 HILLARY FAR OUTPACED

TRUMP AS WELL. HE RUNS A VERY

SMALL OPERATION AND HE GETS ALL

THE EARNED MEDIA THAT HE WANTS.

THERE'S A LOT OF FOCUS ON THE

MONEY.

>> HE DOESN'T NEED

ADVERTISEMENTS.

>> I DON'T EVER THINK IT'S AS

BIG OF A DEAL AS SOME OF THE

MEDIA MAKE IT OUT TO BE.

>> THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT.

>>> THIS MEDIA IS BIG BECAUSE

HE'S GOING DOWN TO MAR-A-LAGO

AND THAT IS A BIG PART OF THE

SO-CALLED DEEP STATE TO REPLACE

MIKE PENCE.

IT ALMOST SOUNDS LIKE HE'S

TRYING TO MAKE THIS LIKE AN

EPISODE OF HIS FORMER REALITY

TV SHOW.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE TOP

CONTENDERS. ANY ONE F THOSE,

WHAT ANY OF THOSE BE A DEMOCRAT

TOP CHOICE?

WOULD IT BE BETTER FOR THE

DEMOCRATS IF THEY PICKED ONE OF

THEM?

AND WHY DO IT THIS WAY?

IS IT ALL CREATING A SHOW AND

CREATING THE SAME KIND OF

EXCITEMENT THAT HE HAD ON HIS

TV SHOW?

>> I THINK HE RESONATES WITH

BEING ABLE TO MAKE A SHOW OUT

OF HIS VP CANDIDATE CHOICE.

WE RECOGNIZE THAT POLLING IS

WHAT IT IS AND THIS FAR OUT WE

SHOULD NOT PAY AS MUCH

ATTENTION TO IT AS THE MEDIA

DOES.