>> ITS IN SEGMENT MEETINGS WHEN I REALLY LOSE IT.
>> I CAN HEAR THOSE DOWN THE
HALL.
HALL.
I KNOW THATS TRUE. THANK YOU, MY DEAR.
MUCH APPRECIATE IT.
THANKS TO YOU AT HOME FOR
JOINING US THIS HOUR.
WERE HAVING EAT ONE OF THOSE NIGHTS WHERE THE NEWS IS, LIKE,
CANT STOP, WONT STOP, SEE WHAT
YOU CAN DO TO CATCH UP SO ONCE
AGAIN JUST LIKE LAST NIGHT, WE
HAVE A WHOLE BUNCH OF OPTIONS IN
TMPLS S
TMPLS S TERMS OF WHERE WE COULD START
TONIGHT.
TONIGHT.
I THINK WE SHOULD START WITH THE MOST GALLING AND INEXPLICABLETHE
MOST GALLING AND INEXPLICABLE STORY OF THE EVENING AND THEN
MOVE OUR WAY UP FROM THERE.
ILL TELL YOU, IF YOU ARE
WATCHING ME ON A DELAY RIGHT NOW
OR IF YOU HAVE, LIKE, IF YOURE
WATCHING ME WITH A DVR AT HOME
AND HAVE A PAUSE OPTION, IM
GOING TO GIVE YOU THE OPTION TO
TAKE?
A QUICK SHOWER BREAK AFTER THIS FIRST STORY.ER BREAK AFTER THIS
FIRST STORY.
WELL PAUSE AND POWDER. ALL RIGHT. AND POWDER.
ALL RIGHT.
JUST SIX DAYS BEFORE THE IOWA CAUCUSES IN 2016,ORE THE IOWA
CAUCUSES IN 2016, THEN-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE
THEN-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE DONALD TRUMP GOT A CRITICAL
ENDORSEMENT FROM A MOST
UNEXPECTED PLACE.
UNEXPECTED PLACE.
HE GOT A VERY HIGH-PROFILE
ENDORSEMENT FROM THIS MAN, JERRY FALLWELL JR.FROM THIS MAN, JERRY
FALLWELL JR. JERRY FALLWELL JR. IS KNOWN
MOSTLY FOR BEING JERRY FALLWELL
JR. BUT ALSO FOR INHERITING CONTROL OF HIS DADS CASHCOW
TELEVANGELIST COLLEGE CALLED
LIBERTY UNIVERSITY.
LIBERTY UNIVERSITY.
WHEN JERRY FALLWELL JR. DECIDED
TO ENDORSE TRUMP IN JANUARY 2016, HE NOT ONLY ENDORSED HIM
AT THAT KEY MOMENT AHEAD OF THE
IOWA CAUCUSES, HE ALSO HEAPED
PRAISE ON HIM, CALLING TRUMP,
QUOTE, A WONDERFUL FATHER AND A
MAN WHO I BELIEVE CAN LEAD OUR COUNTRY TO GREATNESS AGAIN.OUR
COUNTRY TO GREATNESS AGAIN. HE SAID, "IN MY OPINION, DONALD
TRUMP LIVES A LIFE OF LOVING AND HELPING OTHERS AS JESUS TAUGHTND
HELPING OTHERS AS JESUS TAUGHT IN THE GREAT COMMANDMENT."
I MEAN, RIGHT, THAT IS SO
OBVIOUSLY ABOUT DONALD TRUMP. YOU WOULDNT EVEN NEED TO SEE.
YOU WOULDNT EVEN NEED TO SEE THE WORD, TRUMP, THERE.
YOUD KNOW SOMEBODY WITH THAT
KIND OF QUOTE, THAT WOULD BE THE
OBVIOUS CHOICE FOR THAT KIND OF
ENDORSEMENT
ENDORSEMENT.
WHAT?
I MEAN, TED CRUZ HAD LITERALLY
LAUNCHED HIS 2016 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN WITH HIS FAMILY ATIAL
CAMPAIGN WITH HIS FAMILY AT LIBERTY UNIVERSITY.
LIBERTY UNIVERSITY. HE LAUNCHED HIS CAMPAIGN THERE
AROUND TELLING THE WHOLE STORY
OF HIS FATHERS, HIS OWN
FATHERS LIFE AS AN EVANGELICAL
PREACHER JUST LIKE JERRY
FALWELL.
BUT NONETHELESS, JERRY FALWELL
JR. SNUBBED TED CRUZ AND ALL THE OTHER CANDIDATES AND THREW HISHE
OTHER CANDIDATES AND THREW HIS SUPPORT TO TRUMP INSTEAD,
DESCRIBING HIM AS THE MOST
JESUS-LIKE OF ALL OF THE
CANDIDATES.
CANDIDATES.
TRUMP SEEN HERE IN HIS CAMEO
ROLE POURING CHAMPAGNE ALL OVER
THE PLAYBOY SYMBOL ON THE LIMO
IN THE PLAYBOY MOVIE HE MADE IN THE YEAR 2000. MOVIE HE MADE IN
THE YEAR 2000. JERRY FALWELL JR. THREW HIS
SUPPORT BEHIND TRUMP AT THAT KEY
MOMENT.
WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT, RIGHT? WELL, TONIGHT, THERES THIS FROM
REUTERS.
REUTERS. "MONTHS BEFORE EVANGELICAL
LEADER JERRY FALWELL JR.S
GAME-CHANGING PRESIDENTIAL ENDORSEMENT OF DONALD TRUMP IN
2016, FALWELL ASKED TRUMP FIXER
MICHAEL COHEN FOR A PERSONAL FAVOR SAID COHEN IN A RECORDED
CONVERSATION REVIEWED BY
REUTERS.
REUTERS.
FALWELL SAID SOMEONE HAD COME INTO POSSESSION OF WHAT COHEN
DESCRIBED AS RACY, PERSONAL
PHOTOGRAPHS, THE SORT THAT WOULD
TYPICALLY BE KEPT BETWEEN
HUSBAND AND WIFE."
ACCORDING TO A SOURCE FAMILIAR
WITH COHENS THINKING, THE
PERSON WHO POSSESSED THE PHOTOS
DESTROYED THEM AFTER COHEN INTERVENED ON THE FALWELLS
BEHALF.
BEHALF.
REUTERS REPORTS MICHAEL COHEN RECOUNTED THIS INCIDENT IN AN
RECOUNTED THIS INCIDENT IN A RECORDED CONVERSATION WITH
COMEDIAN TOM ARNOLD.
RECORDING THAT REUTERS WAS ABLE TO REVIEW.THAT REUTERS WAS ABLE
TO REVIEW. PORTIONS OF THAT RECORDING WERE
FIRST REPORTED LAST MONTH BY
"THE WALL STREET JOURNAL". I WANT TO BE CLEAR NBC NEWS HAS
NOT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR
THIS AUDIOTAPED CONVERSATION.
NBC HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO VERIFY
IT.
NBC NEWS I SHOULD TELL YOU HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE FALWELLS.AVE
REACHED OUT TO THE FALWELLS. THEY HAVE YET TO COMMENT AS YET.
THINK ABOUT WHAT THIS MEANS
HERE.
THE REPORT GOES ON TO SAY THAT,
"THE FALWELLS ENLISTED MICHAEL COHENS HELP IN 2015 ACCORDINGL
COHENS HELP IN 2015 ACCORDING TO THE SOURCE FAMILIAR WITH
COHENS THINKING."
COHENS THINKING."
2015, OF COURSE, WAS THE YEAR
TRUMP ANNOUNCED HIS PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDACY.UNCED HIS PRESIDENTIAL
CANDIDACY.
AT THE TIME, COHEN WAS TRUMPS CONFIDANT AND PERSONAL LAWYER
AND HE WORKED FOR THE TRUMP
ORGANIZATION.
"THE FALWELLS WANTED TO KEEP A
BUNCH OF PHOTOGRAPHS, PERSONAL PHOTOGRAPHS, FROM BEINGINGONAL
PHOTOGRAPHS, FROM BEINGING PUBLIC, COHEN TOLD ARNOLD.
I ACTUALLY HAVE ONE OF THE
PHOTOS.
ITS TERRIBLE.
OH, YOU KEPT ONE?
YOU MADE THE BLACKMAILER DESTROY ALL THE REST BUT YOU KEPTDESTROY
ALL THE REST BUT YOU KEPT "THE FALWELLS TOLD COHEN SOMEONE
HAD OBTAINED PHOTOGRAPHS THAT
WERE EMBARRASSING INTO THEM AND
THAT PERSON WAS DEMANDING MONEY.
REUTERS WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE
WHO MADE THE DEMAND.
THE SOURCE SAYS COHEN FLEW TO
FLORIDA AND SOON MET WITH AN
ATTORNEY FOR THE PERSON WITH THE
PHOTOGRAPHS.
COHEN SPOKE WITH THE ATTORNEY
TELLING THE LAWYER THAT HIS
CLIENT WAS COMMITTING A CRIME
AND THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT
AUTHORITIES WOULD BE CALLED IF
THE DEMANDS DIDNT STOP,
ACCORDING TO THE SOURCE.
THE MATTER WAS SOON RESOLVED,
THE SOURCE SAID, AND THE LAWYER
TOLD COHEN THAT ALL OF THE
PHOTOGRAPHS WERE DESTROYED.
BUT COHEN SAYS HE KEPT ONE.
SO ACCORDING TO THIS REUTERS
REPORT, THE FALWELLS ENLISTED
MICHAEL COHENS HELP IN 2015 TO MAKE THIS BLACKMAIL THREAT GOO
MAKE THIS BLACKMAIL THREAT GO AWAY INVOLVING, WHAT WAS THE
WORD, RACY PERSONAL PHOTOGRAPHS.
JERRY FALWELLS RACY PERSONAL
PHOTOGRAPHS.
THEN THE FOLLOWING JANUARY, JUST AHEAD OF THE IOWA CAUCUSES, JUST
AHEAD OF THE IOWA CAUCUSES, COHEN HELPED PERSUADE FALWELL TO
ISSUE HIS ENDORSEMENT OF TRUMPS PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDACY AT AUMPS
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDACY AT A CRITICAL MOMENT JUST BEFORE THE
IOWA CAUCUSES.
MIGHT HAVE BEEN HELPFUL TO HAVE
THAT ONE RACY, TERRIBLE, PHOTOGRAPH IN RESERVE WHEN IT
CAME TO BEING PERSUASIVE ABOUT
WHEN TO ISSUE THAT ENDORSEMENT.
REUTERS SAYS IT HAS NO EVIDENCE
THAT FAULLWELLS ENDORSEMENT OF TRUMP WAS ARE RELATED TO COHENS
HANDLING OF THE PHOTO MATTER,
BUT WHAT THEYRE REPORTING IS THAT CRUCIAL AND OTHERWISEIS
THAT CRUCIAL AND OTHERWISE UTTERLY INEXPLICABLE ENDORSEMENT
FOLLOWED BASICALLY IMMEDIATELY
MICHAEL COHEN TAKING CARE OF A
NAKED PICTURES PROBLEM FOR THE
GUY WHO DID THE ENDORSING AND
MICHAEL COHEN SAYS HE RETAINED
ONE OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS.
ASKING FOR A FRIEND, IS AN
ENDORSEMENT INTENDED TO
INFLUENCE THE OUTCOME OF A
FEDERAL ELECTION A THING OF
VALUE?
AND ARE YOU ALLOWED TO ARRANGE
FOR SUCH A THING OF VALUE TO BE CONTRIBUTED TO A CAMPAIGN BY BE
CONTRIBUTED TO A CAMPAIGN BY QUASHING NAKED PICTURE BLACKMAIL
EFFORTS FOR TELEVANGELIST WITH
ADDED INSURANCE OF KEEPING NAKED
PICTURES FOR YOURSELF AS A
REMINDER?
IS THIS NORMAL?
THIS IS YOUR
BEHOLD.
THIS IS YOUR LIFE.
THIS IS OUR LIFE.
THIS IS HOW WE LIVE NOW.
SO, YEAH, AS PROMISED, AT THIS
POINT, FEEL FREE TO HIT PAUSE,
TAKE A QUICK SHOWER, LITTLE AUED