Welker on Reps. Omar, Tlaib: Trump Sees This as a Way to Energize His Base

MITCHELL Joining me now ░░░░░░░░ White House correspondent Kristen ░░░░░░░░ MSNBC senior political analyst ░░░░░░░░ Parker White House reporter ░░░░░░░░ The Washington Post and ░░░░░░░░ White House correspondent Jeff ░░░░░░░░ Welcome all First of ░░░░░░░░ Kristen let s talk ░░░░░░░░ this unprecedented step by ░░░░░░░░ president of the United ░░░░░░░░ to pressure a foreign ░░░░░░░░ to deny two members ░░░░░░░░ Congress an official visit ░░░░░░░░ Netanyahu then caving in ░░░░░░░░ considerable criticism as well ░░░░░░░░ home WELKER It is ░░░░░░░░ Andrea and it s ░░░░░░░░ remarkable political strategy Effectively ░░░░░░░░ have an American president ░░░░░░░░ with a foreign government ░░░░░░░░ to try to punish ░░░░░░░░ opponents here at home ░░░░░░░░ to escalate this ongoing ░░░░░░░░ that he has with ░░░░░░░░ so called squad And ░░░░░░░░ we re seeing that ░░░░░░░░ out We ve reached ░░░░░░░░ to the White House ░░░░░░░░ see if they have ░░░░░░░░ immediate reaction to this ░░░░░░░░ that Israel has offered ░░░░░░░░ Rashida Tlaib to visit ░░░░░░░░ that she has rejected ░░░░░░░░ offer So far no ░░░░░░░░ Andrea Of course we ░░░░░░░░ be watching our Twitter ░░░░░░░░ very carefully to see ░░░░░░░░ President Trump weighs in ░░░░░░░░ continues to vacation here ░░░░░░░░ Bedminster But as a ░░░░░░░░ strategy he sees this ░░░░░░░░ a way to energize ░░░░░░░░ base to try to ░░░░░░░░ paint the entire Democratic ░░░░░░░░ in the light of ░░░░░░░░ four freshmen female congresswomen ░░░░░░░░ color He argues that ░░░░░░░░ re quote unquote socialist ░░░░░░░░ they re anti American ░░░░░░░░ of course he has ░░░░░░░░ bipartisan backlash for all ░░░░░░░░ that Now last night ░░░░░░░░ his rally in New ░░░░░░░░ Andrea it was interesting ░░░░░░░░ did mention Ilhan Omar ░░░░░░░░ few times to sort ░░░░░░░░ use a punch line ░░░░░░░░ of her But didn ░░░░░░░░ really delve into detail ░░░░░░░░ this controversy Before his ░░░░░░░░ though he said look ░░░░░░░░ didn t pressure Israel ░░░░░░░░ the scenes and then ░░░░░░░░ same breath said that ░░░░░░░░ was in contact with ░░░░░░░░ officials So clearly in ░░░░░░░░ with them in the ░░░░░░░░ leading up to this ░░░░░░░░ Andrea.”