>>> WE ARE CONTINUING TO FOLLOW THE BREAKING NEWS OF THIS HISTORIC AND QUITE FRANKLY DAMNING INDICTMENT RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC TODAY. LAYING OUT THE SPECIAL COUNSEL'S CASE AGAINST DONALD TRUMP AND HIS GROSS MISHANDLING OF CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS. GIVEN THAT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SUCH ACTIONS ARE BEING TAKEN AGAINST A FORMER PRESIDENT, THE SPECIAL COUNSEL MADE SURE HE CAME PREPARED WITH THE RECEIPTS. AND THEY COULD NOT BE ANY MORE INCRIMINATING. IN ALL, THE SPECIAL COUNSEL IS CHARGING TRUMP WITH 37 COUNTS. 31 OF THEM HAVE TO DO WITH TRUMP'S WILLFUL RETENTION OF NATIONAL DEFENSE INFORMATION. OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE ESPIONAGE ACT. THESE ARE CHARGES RELATED TO FALSE STATEMENTS, CONSPIRACY TO OBSTRUCT JUSTICE, WITHHOLDING AND CORRUPTLY CONCEALING DOCUMENTS, AS WELL AS SCHEMING TO CONCEAL. INCLUDED IN SOME OF THE CHARGES IS ONE OF TRUMP'S CLOSEST AIDES, WALT NADA, WHO WAS ALSO INDICTED. ALSO TODAY, WE HEARD FOR THE TIR TIME FROM THE MAN LEADING THE SPECIAL COUNSEL INVESTIGATION, JACK SMITH. >> OUR LAWS THAT PROTECT NATIONAL DEFENSE INFORMATION ARE CRITICAL TO THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF THE UNITED STATES, AND THEY MUST BE ENFORCED. VIOLATIONS OF THOSE LAWS PUT OUR COUNTRY AT RISK. ADHERENCE TO THE RULE OF LAW IS A BEDROCK PRINCIPLE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. AND OUR NATION'S COMMITMENT TO THE RULE OF LAW SETS AN EXAMPLE FOR THE WORLD. WE HAVE ONE SET OF LAWS IN THIS COUNTRY AND THEY APPLY TO EVERYONE. APPLYING THOSE LAWS, COLLECTING FACTS, THAT'S WHAT DETERMINES THE OUTCOME OF AN INVESTIGATION. >> THE SPECIAL COUNSEL SPELLED OUT THE NATIONAL SECURITY RISK POSED BY THE DOCUMENTS TRUMP TOOK WITH HIM. QUOTE, THE CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS TRUMP STORED IN HIS BOXES INCLUDED INFORMATION REGARDING DEFENSE AND WEAPONS CAPABILITIES OF BOTH THE UNITED STATES AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES. UNITED STATES NUCLEAR PROGRAMS, POTENTIAL VULNERABILITIES OF THE UNITED STATES AND ITS ALLIES TO MILITARY ATTACK, AND PLANS FOR POSSIBLE RETALIATION IN RESPONSE TO A FOREIGN ATTACK. THE UNAUTHORIZED DISCLOSURE OF THESE CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS COULD PUT AT RISK THE NATIONAL SECURITY OF THE UNITED STATES, FOREIGN RELATIONS, THE SAFETY OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY, AND HUMAN SOURCES AND THE CONTINUED VIABILITY OF SENSITIVE INTELLIGENCE COLLECTION METHODS. FOR ALL OF YOU OUT THERE LIKE MYSELF THAT DID NOT GO TO LAW SCHOOL, LET ME BE CLEAR ABOUT THE U.S. CODE TRUMP IS BEING CHARGED WITH UNDER THE ESPIONAGE ACT. IT DOES NOT MATTER WHETHER THOSE DOCUMENTS WERE CLASSIFIED OR NOT. IT DOES NOT MATTER WHETHER TRUMP TWITCHED HIS NOSE LIKE BEWITCHED AND SAID TO HIMSELF, THEY ARE CLASSIFIED. IT ONLY MATTERS THAT THEY REFERRED TO NATIONAL DEFENSE, WHICH THEY CLEARLY DO. AND THROUGHOUT THIS INDICTMENT, WE ARE LEARNING EVEN MORE ABOUT TRUMP'S INVOLVEMENT. EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, AND HOW CARELESS HE WAS WITH THESE DOCUMENTS. COUNTER TO TRUMP'S LAWYERS' CLAIMS, THE INDICTMENT POINTS OUT THAT TRUMP WAS PERSONALLY INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OF PACKING UP THE BOXES WHEN HE LEFT THE WHITE HOUSE. AND WHILE TRUMP AND HIS LAWYERS CLAIM THE DOCUMENTS WERE SECURE, IN A STORAGE ROOM AT MAR-A-LAGO, THEY FORGOT TO MENTION THAT FOR MONTHS UPON ARRIVING AT HIS FLORIDA CLUB, THEY WERE ACTUALLY LEFT OUT IN THE OPEN, ON THE STAGE OF A BALLROOM IN WHICH EVENTS AND GATHERINGS TOOK PLACE, AS WELL AS IN A BATHROOM AND A SHOWER. THAT SURE WOULD MAKE SOME GREAT READING MATERIAL FOR ANYONE NEEDING TO USE THE TOILET. IN A SURPRISE REVELATION, WE LEARNED THAT IN MAY OF 2021, TRUMP THEN TOOK SOME OF THOSE DOCUMENTS TO HIS SUMMER RESIDENCE AND HIS GOLF CLUB IN BEDMINSTER, NEW JERSEY. THAT COULD VERY WELL BE THE BOXES WE SAW HERE IN THIS VIDEO FROM THE INDEPENDENT THAT WE TOLD YOU ABOUT THIS BEFORE, SHOWING TRUMP LEAVING MAR-A-LAGO FOR BEDMINSTER IN MAY OF 2021. IT WAS AT BEDMINSTER WHERE THE SPECIAL COUNSEL CLAIMS IN THE INDICTMENT THAT TRUMP SHOWED THOSE VERY DOCUMENTS TO OTHERS IN TWO DIFFERENT INSTANCES, SPECIFICALLY PEOPLE WITH NO SECURITY CLEARANCE. AND WE FURTHER LEARNED OF HIS OBSTRUCTION ATTEMPTS THROUGH ONE OF HIS OWN ATTORNEYS' NOTES. FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN TRUMP WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW TO RESPOND TO THE FBI SUBPOENA FOR THE DOCUMENTS, TRUMP IS NOTED AS SAYING, I DON'T WANT ANYBODY LOOKING THROUGH MY BOXES. I REALLY DON'T. I DON'T WANT YOU LOOKING THROUGH MY BOXES. WHAT HAPPENS IF WE JUST DON'T RESPOND AT ALL? OR DON'T PLAY BALL WITH THEM? WOULDN'T IT BE BETTER IF WE JUST TOLD THEM WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING HERE? LOOK, ISN'T IT BETTER IF THERE ARE NO DOCUMENTS? AND THEN EVEN AFTER ONE OF THE ATTORNEYS LOOKED THROUGH SOME OF THE BOXES AND RECOVERED CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS, TRUMP TOLD THE ATTORNEY TO TAKE THEM BACK TO HIS HOTEL ROOM AND AS THE ATTORNEY NOTED, MADE A PLUCKING MOTION TO REMOVE ANYTHING REALLY BAD IN THERE. SUFFICE IT TO SAY, REGARDLESS OF HOW THIS PLAYS OUT, TRUMP HAS CEMENTED HIMSELF WITH YET ANOTHER FIRST. HE IS THE FIRST PRESIDENT TO BE TWICE IMPEACHED, THE FIRST FORMER PRESIDENT TO BE CHARGED CRIMINALLY FOLLOWING HIS INDICTMENT BY A MANHATTAN GRAND JURY IN MARCH, AND AS OF YESTERDAY, HE BECAME THE FIRST PRESIDENT IN OUR NATION'S HISTORY TO BE INDICTED ON FEDERAL CHARGES. CONGRATS, DONALD. I HAVE AN AMAZING PANEL OF GUESTS TONIGHT TO DISCUSS THIS HUGE HISTORIC DAY. MY COLLEAGUE LAWRENCE O'DONNELL, HOST OF THE LAST WORD, ALEX WAGNER, HOST OF ALEX WAGNER TONIGHT. NICK ACKERMAN, FORMER WATERGATE ASSISTANT SPECIAL PROSECUTOR, THAT COULD COME IN HANDY, CHARLES COLEMAN, FORMER BROOKLYN PROSECUTOR AND MSNBC LEGAL ANALYST, AS WELL AS FRANK FIGLIUZZI, FORMER FBI ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR COUNTERINTELLIGENCE AND MSNBC NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST. ALL-STAR PANEL HERE TODAY. WHERE TO BEGIN? I MEAN, WHERE TO BEGIN. WE HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THROUGH THIS ALL DAY. I KNOW ALL OF YOU PROBABLY FELT LIKE I DID READING THIS, LIKE A CRIME NOVEL AND ALSO A COMEDY AT THE SAME TIME. >> A DARK COMEDY. >> YES, A DARK COMEDY. THERE ARE SORT OF THREE BUCKETS HERE. THE SLOPPY HANDLING, HAVING THE DOCUMENTS IN THE LOO, IN THE BATHROOM AND THAT TACKY BALLROOM, I FEEL LIKE HE SHOULD BE INDICTED FOR THE TACKINESS OF THE '80s BALLROOM. >> DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CHANDELIER IN THE BATHROOM. >> LISTEN, THAT IS INDICTABLE ALL ON ITS OWN FROM A TASTE POINT OF VIEW. THERE'S THAT. THEN THERE IS THE CHASE FOR THE DOCUMENTS. IN WHICH HE KNOWS THAT CORCORAN, WHO IS ATTORNEY ONE, HAS TO GO AND LOOK FOR THEM, SO HE TELLS NADA, HIS VALET, HIDE THEM, HIDE THEM. HE DOES THAT OVER DAYS. THEN THERE'S A LINE. LET'S START WITH THE SLOPPY HANDLING. I'M GOING TO GO TO YOU FIRST ON THIS. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WHEN YOU JUST GO THROUGH THE ACTUAL DOCUMENTS THAT ARE AT ISSUE IN THE INDICTMENT, IT FEELS LIKE DONALD TRUMP WHO DIDN'T PAY ATTENTION TO HIS PRESIDENTIAL DAILY BRIEF, MIGHT HAVE PAID MORE ATTENTION THAN WE THOUGHT IN TAKING STUFF HOME WITH THEM. THESE ARE DOCUMENTS MOSTLY FROM HIS TIME AS PRESIDENT. >> WHAT HE WAS DOING WITH THAT SLOPPY STORAGE IS IN AND OF ITSELF AN OFFENSE. NEVER WOULD HAVE BEEN CHARGED FOR IT. WOULD HAVE COMPLETELY GOTTEN AWAY WITH IT. AND IN FACT, THE AUTHORITIES REALLY WOULDN'T KNOW THAT IT WAS ALL OVER THE FLOOR IN THAT ROOM IF HE HAD JUST WHEN REQUESTED SENT IT BACK. IN FACT, IF HE JUST SENT IT BACK THE THIRD TIME HE WAS REQUESTED TO SEND IT BACK. OKAY. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE IT'S ONE OF THOSE RARE SITUATIONS WHERE THEY'RE BASICALLY SAYING TO THE BANK ROBBER, YOU KNOW WHAT, IF YOU GIVE THE MONEY BACK, IF YOU WOULD JUST, YOU KNOW? AND HE COULDN'T BRING HIMSELF TO DO THAT, WHICH IS JUST SO DEEPLY PATHOLOGICAL. WHEN YOU SAY WHERE TO BEGIN, I REALLY WANT TO STRESS TO EVERYONE OUT THERE, SOMETHING THAT JACK SMITH SAID TODAY, WHICH WAS PLEASE READ THESE PAGES. YOU KNOW, WE'RE SAYING 49 PAGES, BUT LOOK, THAT'S TYPE PAGES. IT'S NOT LIKE EVEN 49 PAGES OF A BOOK. IT'S DOUBLE SPACED. >> THOUGHT THE MUELLER REPORT. >> LOOK AT ALL THAT DIALOGUE, WHITE SPACE THERE. IT'S REALLY EASY TO READ. AND ON THE ISSUE OF WHERE TO BEGIN, YOU LITERALLY CAN'T RANDOMLY JUST DROP IT, FLIP IT, OH, IT TURNS OUT IT'S ON PAGE 37. THERE'S SOMETHING GREAT, I GUARANTEE YOU. PAGE 16, SOMETHING GREAT. SPEAKING OF PAGE 16. >> PLEASE DO. >> THERE ARE THESE LINES THAT JUMP OUT. A MOMENT THERE WHERE DONALD TRUMP SAYS, ISN'T THAT INCREDIBLE? AND HE'S SAYING THAT UPON COMMITTING A CRIME. HE SAYS, HE'S SHOWING THE CLASSIFIED DOCUMENT TO A VISITOR, WHO HAS NO RIGHT TO THAT, AND HE SAYS TO HIM, THIS IS SECRET. LOOK AT THIS. AND HIS NEXT LINE IS, BY THE WAY, ISN'T THAT INCREDIBLE? WELL, YEAH. EVERYTHING ABOUT IT IS INCREDIBLE. WHAT YOU JUST DID IS INCREDIBLE. AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TONIGHT. >> JOY, I JUST REALLY WANT TO JUMP IN REALLY QUICKLY ABOUT LAWRENCE'S FIRST POINT BECAUSE IT'S SUPER POINT. PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS INDICTMENT AND THE LEVELS OF CRIMES THAT HAVE BEEN COMMITTED, THERE WAS A POINT WHERE THE FACTS WERE WHAT THEY ARE, AND DONALD TRUMP HAD NOT TECHNICALLY DONE ANYTHING ILLEGAL. I HAD BEEN TALKING FOR A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT TIMES ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE CONTENTS OF THE DOCUMENTS THEMSELVES, WHILE HORRIFIC, WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AS MUCH OF AN ISSUE HAD HE RETURNED THEM INITIALLY. HOWEVER, AT THE POINT THAT HE STARTS TO EVADE LAW ENFORCEMENT, NUMBER ONE, YOU HAVE COMMITTED A CRIME THERE. AND THEN NOW, WHEN YOU ADD IN THE SENSITIVE NATURE OF THE DOCUMENTS THEMSELVES, NOW THAT UPS THE CRIME THAT YOU HAVE COMMITTED. SO ALL OF THIS IS ENTIRELY OF HIS OWN DOING FROM SOMETHING THAT HE COULD HAVE CLEARLY AVOIDED, SIMPLY BY GIVING THEM BACK. THAT'S SUCH AN IMPORTANT POINT TO UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE NOT ONLY DID IT CROSS
