Mike Barnicle on TV: August 2017

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As the Morning Joe panel discusses President Donald Trump’s visit to storm-ravaged Texas and his promises of federal aid for the destruction of Tropical Storm Harvey, senior contributor Mike Barnicle says of POTUS: “He showed up. And that's in and of itself something for people to cling to in these desperate times in Texas. Events like this, this hurricane, national tragedies like this, there's usually three stages: There’s the reaction to it, there’s the rescue phase -- which we’re still in the middle of -- and then, most importantly, the recovery stage. The recovery stage is going to be political, it’s going to be enormously costly, it’s going to have a reaction to things like the potential of a government shutdown….That's going to be when we're going to find out is the President capable of strong leadership because he going to have to make choices. Is he going to have to stick with the wall spending? Or is he going say, ‘let's ignore the wall for right now — we have got to get Texas back up on its feet?’"

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Texas Rescue and Recovery

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While the Morning Joe panel talks about Defense Secretary James Mattis freezing President Donald Trump’s transgender military ban, senior contributor Mike Barnicle asks of POTUS: “At one level, a study of the Trump presidency so far, you have to go back to the fallback position and ask yourself: Does he really care about this?” Listen to more of the discussion here about Mattis largely leaving in tact the Obama-era policy on transgender military service members until he can receive input from an expert panel about whether to move ahead with President Trump's ban that would prevent transgender people from serving in the U.S. military.

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POTUS Transgender Military Ban Frozen

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“We should point out — to be fair about all of this — that everyone I have spoken to either down there in Texas or in Washington has remarked upon the remarkable job that FEMA is doing here in terms of leading this effort and the remarkable coordination between state and local officials in Texas — in dealing with this the relentless nature of what they’re dealing with — has been a job extraordinarily well done so far,” comments Morning Joe senior contributor Mike Barnicle as the panel discusses the government’s handling of the deadly crisis in Texas brought about by Tropical Storm Harvey. Listen to more of the discussion here with Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski, Barnicle and Carol Lee, National Political Reporter for NBC News.

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Houston: Help is on the Way

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“The presidency certainly has a learning curve to it. It's something that certainly Donald Trump is unused to knowing anything about -- the Presidency. But human nature doesn't need a learning curve, the idea of empathy doesn't need a learning curve. You either have it internally, instinctively, or you don't have it. And I don't think there's anyone in America or very few people in America watching these scenes who are not stunned by the scope and the relentless nature of this tragedy — and the staff work that was lacking. That’s what struck me yesterday about the President’s inability to mention death and the suffering that’s going on. The staff work concerning Sgt. Steve Perez, 61 years of age, two days after his 61st birthday, drowns. A police officer that the President wasn't told about….The whole day was kind of stunning in his inability….” says Morning Joe senior contributor Mike Barnicle as the panel talks about President Donald Trump's visit to Texas in the wake of Tropical Storm Harvey’s devastation. Listen to more of the discussion here.

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Trump’s Take on Tragedy in Houston

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“The President, unfortunately, is so self-involved that clearly he can't see one aspect of his job – and that's to lead the nation in times of crisis….He's tweeting out book recommendations in the middle of this epic flood,” comments Morning Joe senior contributor Mike Barnicle as the panel talks about President Donald Trump’s tweets and messaging during Tropical Storm Harvey, which has ravaged large portions of Texas and its residents. Listen to more of the discussion here with Morning Joe hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski.

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POTUS: Flood of Tweets

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Morning Joe veteran columnist Mike Barnicle asks: Is President Donald Trump’s controversial pardon of former Sheriff Joe Arpaio a sign of what’s to come as he exercises his power of pardon? Hear what Axios national political reporter Jonathan Swan and The Washington Post White House Bureau Chief Philip Rucker have to say about what this might mean going forward and for the Russia investigation.

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The Power of Pardon

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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tells Morning Joe’s veteran columnist Mike Barnicle that the massive floods created by Tropical Storm Harvey have created the need for more boats and high-water vehicles, access to food and water, blankets and medical care, and temporary housing for the thousands upon thousands of residents that have been displaced by the torrential weather plaguing the state.

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What Houston Needs

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During a Morning Joe interview with Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo about the ongoing rescue efforts there due to the massive floods created by Tropical Storm Harvey, veteran columnist Mike Barnicle asks: “Chief, given the sprawl of the urban area of Houston, and the size of your force, and the condition of roadways and flooding — talk a bit about the degree of difficulty in the logistics that you’re encountering now – logistics of rescue operations.” Hear Acevedo’s response: “We feel their pain. I have had officers with tears in their eyes frustrated that they couldn’t do more, more quickly.” Listen in on more of the conversation here.

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Storm Harvey’s Devastation of Houston

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“Donald Trump yesterday refuted what he said on Monday because he felt forced to make that statement on Monday and he resented having to make that statement on Monday because it made him look weak. But Donald Trump is a strong man, and he's going to stick to his beliefs. So, he stood up there yesterday and spoke from his own sense of inner strength. That's what he gave the country: Enormous division, enormous ability for the right wing, Nazis, Ku Klux Klan people to say: “Yeah he’s my guy’,” said Morning Joe veteran columnist Mike Barnicle. "And the Republican legislators and Republican donors — forget them. This is about three things that all begin with C: Character, Courage and Country. It's not about politics now. It's about the country. Every president we've had, has been by definition of being a human being, has had flaws. No president has ever had flaws that so divide the country that we live in. It’s our country — not his.” Listen to more of the discussion here about the fallout from President Donald Trump's impromptu news conference in New York where he blamed the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, on both sides of the conflict, equating the white supremacists on one side with the "alt-left" on the other side.

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Barnicle: It’s our country — not his

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“This is a side show in a sense, the American Nazi party – the Nazis – in the streets in Charlottesville. Donald Trump is the deal: He gives them voice, he gives them strength, he gives them spine. He’s their President,” says Morning Joe senior contributor Mike Barnicle as the panel talks about white supremacists cheering President Donald Trump’s impromptu New York news conference, during which POTUS blamed the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, on both sides of the conflict, equating the white supremacists on one side with the "alt-left" on the other side. Listen to more of the discussion here about how POTUS has empowered Neo-Nazis and white supremacists with his words.

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POTUS Defends White Supremacists

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“This is a resilient country. We have survived, gotten up off the floor after assassinations, during wars, after terrorist attacks, after natural disasters; but, what happened yesterday was quite different. What happened yesterday because of the nature of the media and all of the tools we have available to us today, will live forever….You'll see and remember the President of the United States pouring words like salt on open wounds of race, of class, of gender, of income inequality. You’ll see the President of the United States not only diminishing the office, but diminishing himself by misconstruing history, which he certainly has not read and certainly does not understand,” says Morning Joe’s veteran columnist Mike Barnicle during the panel discussion about President Trump’s impromptu news conference in New York where he blamed the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, on both sides of the conflict, equating the white supremacists with the "alt-left" on the other side. "What we ought to be talking about is the country and the people who represent the country in Washington D.C. because now it’s up to them. What are they going to do? Paul Ryan, the Speaker of the House, tweeted last night without mentioning the President's name. Put his name on it, Mr. Speaker. It was the President. Put his name on it and do something about it."

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Barnicle: Hold The President Accountable

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"Donald Trump...artfully but fraudulently...managed to, without really saying it, identify with a huge, huge percentage of people in this country who suffered grievous losses in 2008 and 2009: They lost jobs, they lost income, they lost retirement savings, they lost their homes – many of them – and a lot of them also put their sons and daughters at risk of losing them in a war that's being fought for 16 years. These are the people, the composition, the basis of what the Democratic Party used to be, and they fled because of optics,” explains veteran columnist Mike Barnicle as he joins the Charlie Rose panel with Bloomberg View’s Al Hunt and Neera Tanden, President of the Center for American Progress, to discuss the current problems facing the Democratic Party. Listen to more of the discussion only on PBS.

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Donald Trump: Artful but Fraudulent

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Joining Charlie Rose to discuss the current issues facing the Democratic Party, veteran columnist Mike Barnicle says: “I think the larger problem for the Democrats is they basically have to answer a question individually and collectively as a party: `Who are you? What do you represent?’ The Democrats...have to get younger. Their message has to be more encompassing. It’s got to be economic. It’s got to be cultural. It's got to be social. It’s got to address things like education reform, what robotics are going to do to your job, what artificial intelligence might do to your children's jobs, what's going on in your kids’ schools. Do you have daycare, can you afford childcare? A whole range of social issues. They’ve got to be unafraid to wade into that.” Hear more of the conversation here with Charlie Rose, Al Hunt of Bloomberg View and Neera Tanden, President of the Center for American Progress only on PBS.

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Democrats: Who Are You?

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“Joe, that trust number and that base number; what are you thinking about if you’re a political adviser to the President of the United States?,” asks Morning Joe senior contributor Mike Barnicle of host Joe Scarborough as the panel reviews President Donald Trump’s lowest poll numbers in a CNN survey, which reports that President Trump’s approval rating among Republicans is down to 59 percent and 73 percent of Americans don’t trust most of what the White House says. Listen to Scarborough’s response here.

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Trust in POTUS Down

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“Joe…let me ask you. You're sitting out there in your district or your state. You’re looking at these numbers about your President of the United States. Someone stands up and starts really hammering the President in a town hall meeting. What’s the strength of your reflection and your support for your Republican president?” hypothetically asks Morning Joe senior contributor Mike Barnicle of host Joe Scarborough during a panel discussion about President Donald Trump’s sliding poll numbers and the uptick on Republican and constituent frustration with POTUS. Tune in to the conversation here.

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Support Down for POTUS

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“What’s happening in places where climate change is enveloping local communities, where climate change affects people who actually work for a living? We were talking about South Carolina. A place that’s a hot bed of politics all year around, but it is also a legitimate hot bed. If you’re going to work in a factory in South Carolina you might be paying more in air conditioning bills from like April through October. Probably the bill equals the gross national product of Switzerland. Your thoughts?” asks Morning Joe senior contributor Mike Barnicle of The New York Times national reporter Yamiche Alcindor during a conversation about the realities of climate change in America. Listen to Alcindor’s response here.

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Climate Change Woes

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“Both the House and the Senate are back home in their districts and in their states, and they’re having these meetings and anecdotally, you hear the most frequent questions they’re getting asked are: `What are you people doing in Washington. You seem to be doing nothing, other than trying to take away my health care.’ That’s what they have to respond to,” says Morning Joe senior contributor Mike Barnicle as he and host Joe Scarborough discuss the struggles Republican lawmakers are having with their constituents and President Donald Trump’s low and discouraging poll numbers. Listen in on the conversation here.

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Health Care Answers Needed

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“Phil Rucker, John Kelly has carried quite a load in his military career. He's now White House Chief of Staff. He attracts enormous support and respect from anyone who knows him, who has worked under him. How does he cope with this in this White House? What's going on there?” asks Morning Joe senior contributor Mike Barnicle of The Washington Post White House Bureau Chief Philip Rucker during a wide- ranging conversation about White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and the polls showing slipping support for President Donald Trump. Listen to the discussion and Rucker’s response here.

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John Kelly to the Rescue?

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“Visually and verbally it struck me as someone taking the podium, a young guy, who in his earlier life - I don't how many times - he probably had his lunch stolen from him. `And give me the Twinkies too.’ And now this is his get-back moment,” comments veteran columnist Mike Barnicle as the MSNBC Deadline: White House panel discusses White House advisor Stephen Miller’s heated exchange with with CNN reporter Jim Acosta at a press briefing over an immigration proposal backed by President Donald Trump. Hear the exchange and the ensuing conversation here.

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White House Antics

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Joining Nicolle Wallace’s MSNBC program Deadline: White House, veteran columnist and MSNBC contributor Mike Barnicle says of the Trump Administration: “The irony is that they came into office with Steve Bannon's theory about redoing all elements of government: Downsizing the State Department, reordering gender equality in the military, destroying the existing health care bill and coming up with another health care piece of legislation. But, what's happened is that every day, every single day, either by tweets, actual verbiage or actual action, Donald Trump has redefined and downsized the presidency both in Congress and, I think, among large elements of the American public. I don't know that the definition of the presidency and the way people think of the presidency will remain the same.” Listen to more of the conversation here.

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Redefining the Presidency

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“It's a pretty simple landscape that we're looking at because in every instance that we’ve mentioned here today — whether it's Russia, whether it’s the drafting of the statement on the plane, whatever it is, the source of conflict with the truth is the President of the United States. And that leads to an unbelievable burden on people like (Chief of Staff) John Kelly or John Dowd – one of his lawyers,” said Morning Joe veteran columnist Mike Barnicle during the ongoing discussion about the widening Investigation into the Russia controversy that surrounds President Donald Trump’s Administration and the recent disclosure that POTUS, while returning home from the G-20 summit, personally crafted his son Donald Trump Jr.’s misleading statement about his meeting with a Russian lawyer. Tune in to the conversation here.

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Trump’s “Truth” Problem

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Listen in on the discussion between Morning Joe veteran columnist Mike Barnicle and The Daily Beast politics editor Sam Stein about the big job ahead for new Trump Administration Chief of Staff Gen. John Kelly. From stopping the President’s often misguided tweets to changing the perception about a White House in chaos to staffing up the Administration, what will Gen. Kelly tackle first and can he be successful with all the obstacles he faces?

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Gen. Kelly’s 'To Do’ List

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While the Morning Joe panel discusses the vast changes in President Donald Trump’s Administration and the appointment of Gen. John Kelly as the new White House Chief of Staff, veteran columnist Mike Barnicle explains: “General Kelly…has a sense of the chain of command, a loyalty to the chain of command, but a larger loyalty to his country. If there is, and they’ve been lucky so far, there’s been no international crisis yet really. We’re on the verge of one with North Korea, obviously. But General Kelly will be the guy you want there and if anybody does anything that he thinks harms the country, that's where the rubber hits the road.” Listen to the conversation here, including comments about the role of the President’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, her “sense of entitlement” and “flawed sense of her own importance.”

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Mike Barnicle on TV