SILENT? ♪ ♪ ♪ >> GOOD EVENING ONCE AGAIN I'M STEPHANIE RUHLE. THIS WAS A DAY UNLIKE ANY OTHER IN AMERICAN HISTORY. DONALD TRUMP, A FORMER COMMANDER IN CHIEF, APPEARED IN A COURT AS A DEFENDANT IN A CASE BROUGHT BY THE GOVERNMENT HE ONCE RAN. A DARK, DARK DAY AND A SAD DAY FOR THIS NATION. THIS AFTERNOON, TRUMP MADE THE SHORT TRIP FROM HIS GOLF CLUB IN MIAMI TO FEDERAL COURT. AS THE MOTORCADE ARRIVED, A SMALL CROWD OF SUPPORTERS WAS GATHERED OUTSIDE THE COURTHOUSE. INSIDE, TRUMP WAS ARRAIGNED ON 37 FELONY COUNTS. THE 31 OF THEM IN VIOLATION OF THE ESPIONAGE ACT. HIS LAWYERS ENTERED A PLEA OF NOT GUILTY, NBC'S GARRETT HAAKE WAS IN THE COURTROOM EARLIER. >> THE FORMER PRESIDENT ARRIVING UNDERGROUND, ESCORTED BY SECRET SERVICE, AWAY FROM CROWDED CAMERAS. WITH NO CAMERAS ALLOWED INSIDE FEDERAL COURT ROOMS, THE FORMER PRESIDENT PROCESSED LIKE OTHER DEFENDANTS, INCLUDING HAVE A DIGITAL FINGERPRINT SCAN. THOUGH NO MUGSHOT WAS TAKEN. HIS AIDE WILL -- WHO IS ALSO CHARGED BY THE SPECIAL COUNSEL IN COURT TODAY. TO INSIDE THE COURTROOM, MR. TRUMP SITTING WITH ARMS TIGHTLY CROSSED FOR MUCH OF THE HEARING THAT LASTED LESS THAN AN HOUR. NEVER SPEAKING TO THE COURT. HIS ATTORNEY PLEADED NOT GUILTY ON HIS BEHALF. PROSECUTORS TELLING THE JUDGE THAT HE IS NOT A FLIGHT RISK. >> TRUMP CODEFENDANT -- DID NOT ENTER A PLEA TODAY, BECAUSE HE DOES NOT HAVE A LOCAL ATTORNEY. NADA IS FACING -- INCLUDING CONSPIRACY TO OBSTRUCT. AFTER THE HEARING, HE HEADED TO A LOCAL RESTAURANT AGREED TO SUPPORTERS. TONIGHT, THE TWICE IMPEACHED AND NOW TWICE INDICTED FORMER PRESIDENT IS BACK OUT IS NEW JERSEY GOLF CLUB HOSTING A FUND-RAISER FIRST 24 CAMPAIGN. THERE'S A LOT, COVER BUT I WANT TO START WITH HARRY LIPPMAN FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY AND FORMER DEPUTY ASSISTANT GENERAL. HARRY, YOU HAVE ANALYZED EVERY OUNCE OF THIS INCLUDING DONALD TRUMP'S DECISION, REPEATEDLY, NOT TO RETURN THE DOCUMENTS REQUESTED BY THE GOVERNMENT, WHICH IS EXACTLY HOW HE GOT HERE. CRIMINALLY CHARGED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. I WANT YOU TO PUT YOURSELF NOT JUST IN HIS SHOES, BUT IN HIS LAWYERS SHOES. WHAT IS THE DEFENSE STRATEGY? >> OH WOW. MISTER PRESIDENT, I HAVE GOT GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS. THE BAD NEWS IS THAT I KNOW THAT YOU THINK THAT HE IS A GUTLESS BAG, BUT BILL BARR WHEN HE SAYS THAT HALF OF THIS IS WHERE THE AIR, SHOWED IT IS TRUE. YOU ARE NOT GOING TO WIN A JURY VERDICT. THAT'S THE BAD NEWS. THE GOOD NEWS THOUGH IS THAT YOU HAVE GOT A VERY UNUSUAL POLITICAL CHANNEL, YOU ARE ALREADY ALL IN AND KEEP DOING IT. THAT MEANS TWO THINGS. FIRST, YOU ARE GOING TO USE THIS INDICTMENT TO BEAT THE DRUMS OF WAR ON THE -- AND RACE ALL THE MONEY THAT YOU CAN. AND, SECOND, AND I CAN HELP YOU WITH US AND WE ARE REALLY LUCKY THAT WE HAVE JUDGE CANNON. WE WANT TO DELAY SO THAT THE VOTERS DO NOT HEAR THAT YOU ARE A CONVICT BEFORE NOVEMBER 2024. HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DO THIS? WE'VE GOT THREE NEEDY ISSUES. PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT, CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS, AND THE EVAN CORCORAN NOTE. I THINK THAT THEY ARE ALL CANDIDLY, AND DO NOT SHOOT ME -- SHOOT THE MESSENGER, I THINK THAT THEY ARE ALL LOSERS BUT THEY EAT UP A LOT OF TIME. PROSECUTOR MISCONDUCT WILL -- AND I THINK WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD CHANCE, ESPECIALLY WITH A CANNON THERE, OF GETTING THIS ALL PASS NOVEMBER AND THEN YOU ARE ON A WHOLE NEW BOARD AND GAME IF YOU OR EVEN DESANTIS WINDS. SO IT IS THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF WHAT I WOULD NORMALLY TELL A CRIMINAL DEFENDANT, BUT YOU ARE PLAYING ON A DIFFERENT BOARD. THAT'S YOUR BEST SHOT. >> LET'S TALK ABOUT THE TWO DIFFERENT COURTS, THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION. DONALD TRUMP IS OUT THERE ALONG WITH HIS ALLIES, FALSELY SAYING THAT WHAT HE DID WAS THE SAME AS HILLARY CLINTON. IT IS NOT. JIM COMEY SAID IT OVER AND OVER, THEY COULD NOT PROVE INTENT IT IS WHY THERE WERE NO CHARGES. AND IN THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION, DONALD TRUMP CAN GET A LOT OF TRACTION, THEY LOVE SAYING THAT. WHAT ABOUT THE CLINTON'S, WHAT ABOUT THIS ONE, WHAT ABOUT THAT ONE? IF YOU ARE HIS DEFENSE ATTORNEY, HOW DO YOU SHOW UP IN COURT WHERE TRUMP HAVING MADE THAT ARGUMENT OVER AND OVER JUST LIKE, I WAS ALLOWED TO DO THIS, PRESIDENTS ARE ALLOWED TO DO WHATEVER THEY WANT. ALSO NOT TRUE. BUT THAT WAS WHAT TRUMP IS TELLING THE GENERAL PUBLIC. >> YOU KEEP THE COURTS SEPARATE. PUBLIC OPINION, SAY WHAT YOU, WON'T KEEP LIKE. YOU'RE RIGHT, WE ARE NOT GOING TO MAKE THAT FLY IN A COURT OF LAW SO WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO IS DELAY AND DEFER SO THAT YOU DO NOT FACE THAT UNTIL AFTER THE ELECTION WHEN WHO KNOWS, YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN ELECTED PRESIDENT AND -- THE DOJ TO JUST DISMISS THE CASE. ONE MORE THING MISTER PRESIDENT, I HOPE THAT YOU PLAN ARE NOT TESTIFYING BECAUSE IF I'M YOUR LAWYER I WILL THROW MYSELF IN FRONT OF A MOVING TRAIN BEFORE THAT WILL HAPPEN AND SO THEREFORE YOU WILL NOT BE EXPOSED TO TERRIBLE CROSS-EXAMINATION IF YOU TRY TO MAKE THESE CLAIMS IN COURT. KEEP COURT AND POLITICS, SEPARATELY WITH POLITICS, AND YOU KNOW, UNPRECEDENTED IS YOUR MIDDLE NAME. YOU WILL HOPE THAT IT STAYS THAT WAY FOR THIS HISTORIC PROCEEDING. CAN I GO BACK AND -- >> ALL THESE THINGS THAT TRUMP IS SAYING PUBLICLY, THAT ARE NOT TRUE, CAN THE PROSECUTION USE THESE PUBLIC STATEMENTS FOR THEIR CASE AGAINST HIM? >> EACH AND EVERY WORD, HE IS THE WORST CLIENT OF ALL-TIME UNDER THE RULES OF EVIDENCE EVERYTHING IN EVERYTHING HE SAYS INCLUDING WHAT CORCORAN HEARD HIM SAY IN THOSE NOTES IS ABSOLUTELY ADMISSIBLE. THEY CALLED ADMISSION BY A PARTY OPPONENT, SO ALL OF THE LIES COME IN WHETHER OR NOT HE TESTIFIES THE PROSECUTION WILL PUT THEM ON IN MANY OF SEVERAL WAYS. AND YES, THAT WILL ABSOLUTELY, HE HANGS HIMSELF WITH IT IF AND WHEN THEY GET TO THE MERITS OF THE COURT OF LAW. THAT IS WHY HE HAS NO HOPE OF WINNING. EVEN A HUNG JURY, BY THE WAY, THE U.S. WOULD TRY IT AGAIN. HE HAS NO CHANCE IN THE REGULAR COURT AND THAT IS ONE REASON. EVERY SINGLE WORD, YOU ALWAYS TELL A DEFENDANT TO KEEP QUIET NOW. TRUMP'S INCORRIGIBLE, THE WORST DEFENDANT AND CLIENT OF ALL-TIME AND HE IS ON THIS ALL IN ON A POLITICAL STRATEGY THAT ONLY PREVAILS, ONLY PREVAILS, IF HE OR POSSIBLY DESANTIS BECOMES THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. >> WHAT IF HE SUCCESSFULLY POISONING AND A POTENTIAL JURY? WE DO NOT HAVE A TRIAL DATE SET. A JURY IS NOT BEING SELECTED, AND HE IS USING A MEGAPHONE ALONG WITH HIS MEDIA ALLIES TO PUSH THESE LIES THAT ARE GETTING INTO ALL SORTS OF PEOPLE HAD ALREADY. >> TALK ABOUT A GREAT, POINT AND ONE MORE LUCKY BREAK FOR HIM THAT HE HAS A CANNON. IN A MANHATTAN CASE YOU HAVE THE JUDGE SAYING, RUN YOUR CAMPAIGN BUT DO NOT POLLUTE MY JURY POOL. DO NOT ENDANGER MY PERSONNEL. IT WILL BE UP TO HER TO SAY. THAT I THINK RIGHT NOW, IN THE LAST 24 HOURS HE HAS BLAMED IT ON, BIDEN CALLING HIM THE MOST CORRUPT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. AND CALLED SMITH A FASCIST RUNNING DOG, OR THE EQUIVALENT. IT'S A REAL, DANGER THE JUDGE NOT ONLY CAN BUT MUST CONTROL IT. BUT WE DO NOT KNOW THAT SHE WILL. IT IS ONE OF THE MANY WILDCARDS AND DOWNSIDES OF HAVING THE WORST POSSIBLE JUDGE IN THE UNITED STATES DRAWN TO PRESIDE OVER THIS CASE. >> QUICK FACT CHECK, WHILE THIS IS A DARK DAY FOR -- THIS IS OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM WORKING. THE WHITE HOUSE AND PRESIDENT HAS ABSOLUTELY NO TIES TO, THIS THERE ARE THREE SEPARATE BUT EQUAL BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT AND TO THE BEST OF ALL OF OUR KNOWLEDGE AT THIS POINT JACK SMITH HAS
