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GOOD EVENING. I'M CHRIS MATTHEWS IN
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WASHINGTON. DONALD TRUMP'S TRUMP ISN'T THE
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PEOPLE HE'S HIRED. IT'S THE ENEMY IN HIS OWN BRAIN
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HE HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIRE. HOW HE WANTS TO STOP THE WARRING
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IN THE WHITE HOUSE BETWEEN NATIONALIST AND TRUMP IN BED,
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JARED KUSHNER IGNORES THE FACT THAT THIS IS GOING ON IN TRUMP'S
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OWN HEAD. AND PEOPLE STARTING WITH HIS
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FAMILY HAS TO DEAL WITH NOW THAT HE'S PRESIDENT.
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THE FIGHT IS REAL AND ISN'T GOING TO END HOW MANY BURY THE
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HATCHET MEETINGS THEY HOLD. THE FACT IS AS WE'VE SEEN FROM
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THE OUTSIDE, THERE WERE THREE DIFFERENT PARTIES ALL JOCKING
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FOR PARTY INSIDE TRUMP'S WHITE HOUSE.
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THE NATIONALISTS REPRESENTED BY STEVEN BANNON.
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THE FAMILY PARTY REPRESENTED BY JARED KUSHNER AND OTHERS CLOSE
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TO HIM, THEY ARE MOSTLY NEW YORK BUSINESS PEOPLE AND NOT VERY
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IDEOLOGICAL. PEOPLE LIKE CHIEF OF STAFF
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REINCE PRIEBUS. NOW AN OPEN DISPUTE AND IT'S ALL
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PLAYING OUT VERY PUBLICLY THANKS TO AN ABUNDANCE OF LEAKS FROM
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INSIDE THEDE THE WEST WING, LEAT NEVER STOPPED.
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SEAN SPICER ADDRESSED THOSE REPORTS.
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>> THE REASON THE PRESIDENT HAS BROUGHT THIS TEAM TOGETHER IS
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OFFER DIVERSE SET OF OPINIONS. HE DOESN'T WANT A MONO LIT CAL
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KIND OF THOUGHT PROCESS GOING THROUGH THE WHITE HOUSE.
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THAT -- HE IS THE DECIDER. I THINK THE PRESIDENT WANTS TO
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HAVE A SERIES OF IDEAS AND THOUGHTS PUT FORWARD TO HIM.
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THAT'S HOW HE'S GOING TO MAKE THE BEST DECISION POSSIBLE FOR
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THIS COUNTRY. >> HE SAID THE "IS CONFIDENT IN
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THE TEAM HE HAS. >> WE UNDERSTAND WHO HAVE SOME
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SMART INDIVIDUALS BUT THERE ARE BATTLES IN OUR POLICY
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DIFFERENCES NEED TO BE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.
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WE NEED TO FOCUS AND ULTIMATELY ALL COME UP TO COMMIT TO THE
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PRESIDENT'S AGENDA. >> KEEPING IT BEHIND CLOSED
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DOORS, HERE IS WHAT'S COMING UP IN THE PAST FEW DAYS, SOURCES
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CLOSE TO BANNON SAID HE'S NOT GOING ANYWHERE, HIS MESSAGE,
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DEMOCRATS WILL NEVER RUN THE WHITE HOUSE, THAT'S A REFERENCE
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TO JARED IMES LYDTH MR.N H BE
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WER C HN. PO Q ASE
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OF TNGUT BANN'S OPEN REVOLT AGAINST TRUMP'S
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SON-IN-LAW JARED KUSHNER. FOR A SEVENGALI, THAT DOESN'T
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SEEM LIKE A SMART THING TO DO. THE PRESIDENT IS CONSIDERING A
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MAJOR SHAKEUP IN THE WEST WING. TWO PEOPLE CLOSE TO THE WHITE
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HOUSE SAID MR. TRUMP HAS BEEN TALKING TO CONFIDANTS ABOUT MR.
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PRIEBUS'S PERFORMANCE AND HAS ASKED FOR NAMES FOR POSSIBLE
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REPLACEMENTS. JOINING ME RIGHT NOW IS KRISTIN
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WALKER, THE "NEW YORK TIMES," AND USA TODAY SUSAN PAGE.
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SOMEONE SAID NO ONE IS EVER LATE IN THIS TOWN FOR A HANGING.
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WE DO ENJOY IT. JARED KUSHNER WILL ALWAYS BE THE
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SON-IN-LAW, I GUESS. HE'S IN BED WITH THE TRUMP
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FAMILY. HE KNOW WHAT IS THEY'RE
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THINKING, HE'S ONE OF THEM. WHY WOULD TRUMP BREAK THE
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NEPOTISM RULE YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSE TO BRING FAMILY PEOPLE IN, BRING
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THEM IN AND SET THEM DOWN IN DIRECT CONTRADICTION WITH HIS
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NATIONALIST, THAT'S JUST ASKING FOR TROUBLE AND TO ME IT
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REFLECTS THE TROUBLE INSIDE TRUMP'S BRAIN.
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HE CAN'T DECIDE WHETHER HE'S A NATIONALIST, IDLE LOG OR HE
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WANTS TO GET RE-ELECTED. >> I THINK YOU HIT THE NAIL ON
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THE HEAD, THEY REFLECT THE TWO SIDES OF PRESIDENT TRUMP'S OWN
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THINKING. STEVE BANNON IS A REAL TOUCH
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STONE TO THE BASE, THE POPULACE MESSAGE THAT HELPED TO GET
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PRESIDENT TRUMP ELECTED. THAT'S WHY YOU SEE HIM DIGGING
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IN RIGHT NOW. HE KNOWS THAT HIS SON-IN-LAW,
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THE PRESIDENT'S SON-IN-LAW CAN'T GET FIRED.
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AT THE SAME TIME HE SEES HIS JOB AS SAFE BECAUSE HE THINKS HE'S
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THE PERSON WHO HOLDS UP A MIRROR AND REMINDS HIM OF ALL OF THOSE
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CAMPAIGN PROMISES. ON THE OTHER HAND I THINK THAT
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PRESIDENT TRUMP UNDERSTANDS THE NECESSITY OF HAVING SOMEONE LIKE
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JARED KUSHNER TO TEMPER WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE FEEL IS A MUCH
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MORE CONSERVATIVE POPULACE MESSAGE, NATIONALIST MESSAGE, IF
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YOU WILL, BY STEVE BANNON. THAT'S HOW THIS WORKS IN TERMS
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OF WHERE THESE TENSIONS STAND RIGHT NOW.
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I THINK THEY'RE FACING THAT FIRST 100-DAY PARK.
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I THINK THEY'RE STAIRING IT DOWN.
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THEY KNOW THEY WANT THE HEADLINES OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL
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DAYS AND WEEKS TO BE POSITIVE SO THAT BIG HEADLINE, WHETHER HE
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REACHES THAT 100-DAY MARK IS POSITIVE.
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I THINK THAT'S WHY YOU'RE SEEING ALL SIDES PUBLICLY TONE IT DOWN
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A LITTLE BIT. I THINK YOU'RE ALSO RIGHT, STEVE
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BANNON IS NOT DOING TO CHANGE HIS VIEWS AN JARED KUSHNER ISN'T
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GOING TO BAG DOWN EITHER, CHRIS. >> YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO
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FIGHT, THERE ARE MILITARYIST, SOME SAY THIS IS CRAZY, GOING TO
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WAR WITH THE UNITED STATES IS CRAZY.
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WE'RE DOING TO LOSE. HE DOESN'T BELIEVE IN THEM.
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YOU'VE GOT SON-IN-LAW WHO LOOKS LIKE A PRINCE.
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HE'S BEEN WELL TENDED TO GROWING UP.
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THEY LOOK LIKE WHAT THEY ARE. THEY'RE BOTH IN TRUMP'S HEAD.
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>> THE PROBLEM IS, IT'S NOT THAT THEY DON'T LIKE EACH OTHER, THEY
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HAVE DIFFERENT VIEWS ON WHAT THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT, WHAT THEY
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SHOULD -- WHAT POLICIES HE SHOULD PURSUE, THEY ALSO
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DIFFERENT ATTITUDES OF HOW YOU GET TO WHERE YOU NEED TO GO.
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STEVE BANNON DESCRIBES HIMSELF AS DISRUPTER.
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THAT'S WHAT HE WANTS TO DO. >> LOOK AT THAT GUY.
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HE'S A GUY WHO WANTS TO WORK IN THE SYSTEM.
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HE'S SMOOTH NEGOTIATOR. THEY'RE DIFFERENT WHENT WHERE T
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WANT TO GO AND HOW THEY THINK THEY AUTO GET THERE.
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>> HE'S NEVER HAD A HANG OVER OR FISTFIGHT IN THE SCHOOLYARD.
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WHAT DO YOU THINK, I KNOW YOU'VE HAD BOTH?
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JUST GUESSING. JUST KIDDING.
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>> I THINK JARED KUSHNER IS WHERE TRUMP IS FROM, WHICH IS
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THE WORLD OF FINANCE AND REAL ESTATE AND MANHATTAN HIGH
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SOCIETY. AND STEVE BANNON IS WHERE HE GOT
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TO, WHICH IS THIS NATIONALISTIC IMPULSE IN AMERICAN POLITICS.
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I THINK THE MAIN DIFFERENCE IS THAT BANNON HAS A SET OF POLICY
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PRIORITIES AND KUSHNER HAS A ROLE AND TURF.
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BUT IT'S VERY DIFFERENT. KUSHNER, I DON'T THINK HE'S
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PURSUING A PARTICULAR DISCRETE SET OF POLICIES THAT YOU OR EYE
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CAN DESCRIBE OR IDENTIFY. I'VE NOT HEARD HIM TALK A LOT
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ABOUT SPECIFIC POLICY ISSUES THAT HE'S INVESTED IN.
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HE'S STRETCHED SO THIN AND HIS JOB APPEARS TO BE MOSTLY TO
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REPRESENT THE PRESIDENT. BUT BANNON HAS A PARTICULAR
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WORLD VIEW AND A SET OF ISSUES HE CARES ABOUT ON ISIS, ON
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TRADE, ON MANUFACTURING. AND THERE'S A CERTAIN POWER IN
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HAVING THAT KIND OF FOCUS, CHRIS.
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>> WELL, THE -- CHRIS LET'S BRING IT BACKACK TO YOU.
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THE POLITICS -- I MEAN THE PEOPLE THAT GOT HIM ELECTED WERE
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NOT JARED KUSHNER AND IVANKA. WHAT BROUGHT HIM TO THE WHITE
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HOUSE WAS THIS NATIONALIST ABOUT LOSING STRUL JOBS, UPSET ABOUT
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ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, STUPID WARS, ISSUES THAT GRABBED THE
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WHITE MIDDLE CLASS RIGHT IN THEIR GUT.
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WHY IS HE LISTENING TO JARED KUSHNER NOW, IS IT JUST FAMILY?
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WHY DOESN'T HE LISTEN TO BANNON. HE'S THE BULLET TRAIN THAT TOOK
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HIM HERE. >> IT'S PARTIALLY FAMILY,
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REMEMBER HIS OTHER CLOSEST ADVISER IS HIS DAUGHTER.
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I THINK HE TRUSTS JARED KUSHNER AND IVANKA IMPLICITLY.
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HE TRUST STEVE BANNON, AS YOU POINT OUT, HIS VIEWPOINT IS
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REALLY WHAT HELPED HIM GET TO THE WHITE HOUSE IN THE FIRST
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PLACE. THAT'S WHY I DON'T THINK HE'S
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NECESSARILY IMMINENT. I THINK THAT THE PRESIDENT IS
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LIKELY TAKING A HARD LOOK AT HIS ENTIRE STAFF RIGHT NOW, BUT WHAT
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WE ALSO KNOW IS THAT STEVE BANNON'S WORLD SEEMS TO BE
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LIMITED TO SOMETHING, INSTEAD, OF COURSE HE WAS TAKEN OFF THE
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NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL. WE SEE JARED KUSHNER'S ROLE
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EXPANDING. HE'S BEEN GIVEN NEW DUTIES AND
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HE WAS IN IRAQ JUST LAST WEEK, KIND OF ASSESSING THE SITUATION
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ON THE GROUND. SO IT -- WHAT IT SEEMS TO BE IF
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YOU READ IT, THE PRESIDENT IS TAKING A HARD LOOK AT HIS ENTIRE
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TEAM AND ASSESSING IF THEY'RE IN THE RIGHT PLACES.
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AND IF IT MAKES SINCE TO HAVE THESE TWO SQUARING OFF ON WHOLE
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HOST OF POLICY ISSUES ALL OF THE TIME.
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I CAN TELL YOU, STEVE BANNON ISN'T BACKING DOWN FROM THIS.
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AND IF YOU TALK TO FOLKS WHO ARE CLOSE TO HIM, HE THINKS HE'S
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WINNING THIS FIGHT. AND AS YOU POINT OUT, CHRIS, HE
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WELCOMES A GOOD FIGHT, A GOOD ONE.
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HE'S THE ONE USING ALL OF THESE WAR TERMS AND THROWING THE BOMB.
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HE'S NOT BACKING DOWN.