>>> WITH THE FIRST BIDEN/TRUMP DEBATE NEXT MONTH AND THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION DAYS FROM THE SCHEDULED SENTENCING FOR DONALD TRUMP, WE ARE MANY UNCHARTED TERRITORY. THE PRESUMED REPUBLICAN NOMINEE IS A CONVICTED FELON AND HAS A CHANCE OF BECOMING ELECTED PRESIDENT. MICHAEL BESCHLOSS JOINS US NOW. IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE. TALK ABOUT THE POLITICAL AND HISTORIC IMPACT OF THIS GUILTY VERDICT ON THE AMERICAN PUBLIC, WHICH IS SO DEEPLY DIVIDED. >> THAT'S FOR SURE. I THINK ONE WAY TO DO IT IS TO SAY, WHAT IS UNUSUAL ABOUT DONALD TRUMP THAT SEPARATES HIM FROM EVERY OTHER PERSON THAT SERVED AS PRESIDENT? HE IS A CONVICTED FELON, 34 TIMES. WE NEVER HAD ANOTHER PRESIDENT WHO WAS CONVICTED OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR. EVEN MORE THAN THAT -- WE SAW THIS IN THE SPEECH AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BRASS ESCALATOR IN TRUMP TOWER A LITTLE OVER AN HOUR AGO, WHAT HE WAS SAYING IS THAT, WE HAVE NEVER BEFORE SEEN A PRESIDENT WHO SO DEPRECATED AND INSULTED OUR LEGAL SYSTEM AND OUR RULE OF LAW IN PUBLIC. FOR INSTANCE, THE CLOSEST THAT A PRESIDENT HAS COME TO CRIMINAL CONVICTION, AS YOU ALL KNOW, IS RICHARD NIXON, IN 1974. WELL, THE HEIGHT OF WATERGATE, NIXON GAVE A SPEECH IN WHICH HE DID NOT SAY THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED, HE IS BEING TREATED UNFAIRLY, TERRIBLE JUDGE. DONALD TRUMP CALLED HIS JUDGE THE DEVIL. IN NIXON'S CASE, HE WAS PRAISING, HONEST PROSECUTORS, HE SAID, PROSECUTORS, HE SAID, A COURAGEOUS JUDGE, VIGOROUS FREE PRESS. NIXON SAID IT'S ESSENTIAL NOW THAT WE PLACE OUR FAITH IN THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM. THAT'S WHAT MOST PRESIDENTS DO, SO MAYBE ONE OF YOU CAN SOLVE THE RIDDLE FOR ME AND I'LL CLOSE WITH THIS, AND THAT IS DONALD TRUMP IS SAYING ELECT ME PRESIDENT. I'M GOING TO TAKE AN OATH TO DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION AND THE RULE OF LAW, AND AT THE SAME TIME, I'M SAYING THE SYSTEM IS ROTTEN AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I DON'T SEE HOW YOU CAN SERVE AS PRESIDENT SAYING BOTH THINGS. >> SO WE WENT AND DID A FACT CHECK. NOW, NOT EVERY SINGLE THING THAT HE SAID THAT WAS WRONG OR MISLEADING DID WE GO TO, BUT WE HAVE 15 PAGES JUST VERY QUICKLY THAT WERE ASSEMBLED. I'LL DO ONE FACT CHECK HERE, IF WE HAVE CONTROL ROOM, THEY LOVE WHEN I DO THIS, SHOW THAT VIDEO AGAIN FROM THE PRESS CONFERENCE. YOU SEE THAT HE HAS A HUGE NUMBER OF PRESS. HE HAS PHOTOGRAPHERS. HE HAS PEOPLE LIKE KATY TUR. HE WAS RAILING AGAINST THE FACT THAT HE'S BEEN GAGGED. THAT HE HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO SPEAK, THAT HIS CAMPAIGN IS BEING ABRIDGED, AND YET, HE DID NOT TAKE A SINGLE QUESTION. KATY TRIED TO ASK HIM A QUESTION, OTHER REPORTERS TRIED TO ASK HIM A QUESTION, AND THEN HE ALSO, FRANKLY, WENT ON ANOTHER TIRADE AGAINST IMMIGRANTS IN HIS REMARKS AND ACCUSED THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION -- WELL, LET ME LET HIM SAY WHAT HIS ACCUSATION IS. PLAY IT. >> THEY'RE COMING IN FROM JAILS AND PRISONS, AND THEY'RE COMING IN FROM IS MENTAL INSTITUTIONS AND INSANE ASYLUMS, THEY'RE COMING IN FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD INTO OUR COUNTRY, AND WE HAVE A PRESIDENT AND A GROUP OF FASCISTS THAT DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. >> TYPICAL BOMBASTIC LANGUAGE, MICHAEL, FROM DONALD TRUMP, BUT GIVE US A FACT CHECK, A REALITY CHECK ON HIS USE OF THE WORD FASCIST AND ITS HISTORY. >> WELL, FASCIST, THE MEANING OF THE WORD FASCIST IS A MILITARISTIC GOVERNMENT THAT GOES AFTER MINORITY GROUPS, THAT USES THE POWER OF THE GOVERNMENT TO INTIMIDATE THE ENEMIES OF THE FASCIST DICTATOR AS WE SAW IN MUSSOLINI'S ITALY. DONALD TRUMP ALL OF HIS LIFE HAS HAD HIS TECHNIQUE OF CALLING OTHER PEOPLE WHAT PEOPLE ARE CALLING HIM. SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON HERE. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IF YOU JUST LOOK AT THAT SPEECH AS A SIGN OF HIS FITNESS TO GOVERN, IT REMINDED ME A LITTLE BIT OF RICHARD NIXON'S LAST PRESS CONFERENCE, NOVEMBER 1962, LOST GOVERNORSHIP OF CALIFORNIA GAVE THIS RAMBLING GRIEVANCE-FILLED SPEECH, WHICH CLIMAXED WITH THE STATEMENT YOU WILL NOT HAVE NIXON TO KICK AROUND ANYMORE. THIS IS A LEADER WHO HAS TRIED TO PROJECT STRENGTH AND EFFECTIVENESS AND SHOWED ALMOST ANYTHING BUT DURING THAT
