Correspondent Who Interviewed Trump Assassination Suspect: Some of His Ideas on Ukraine ‘Were Completely Nonsensical’

BERMAN With us now ░░░░░░░░ Thomas Gibbons Neff currently ░░░░░░░░ national correspondent for The ░░░░░░░░ York Times who spoke ░░░░░░░░ the would be shooter ░░░░░░░░ a year ago or ░░░░░░░░ Thomas How did it ░░░░░░░░ to pass that you ░░░░░░░░ with him GIBBONS NEFF ░░░░░░░░ thanks for having me ░░░░░░░░ So I was connected ░░░░░░░░ Ryan through a colleague ░░░░░░░░ friend Najim Rahim He ░░░░░░░░ a Kabul correspondent for ░░░░░░░░ Times and had known ░░░░░░░░ Afghan in Iran who ░░░░░░░░ been connected to Ryan ░░░░░░░░ Ryan had promised to ░░░░░░░░ him to Ukraine to ░░░░░░░░ And then from there ░░░░░░░░ got his contact information ░░░░░░░░ gave him a call ░░░░░░░░ think that was March ░░░░░░░░ 23 BERMAN And the ░░░░░░░░ was to find out ░░░░░░░░ what Americans looking to ░░░░░░░░ or help the fight ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine GIBBONS NEFF Yeah ░░░░░░░░ were working on a ░░░░░░░░ My colleague and I ░░░░░░░░ Scheck were putting a ░░░░░░░░ together about the foreign ░░░░░░░░ that were fighting and ░░░░░░░░ in Ukraine that kind ░░░░░░░░ had a sordid past ░░░░░░░░ think they re usually ░░░░░░░░ to Walter Mitty types ░░░░░░░░ who kind of showed ░░░░░░░░ in the beginning months ░░░░░░░░ the war with grand ░░░░░░░░ of valor in combat ░░░░░░░░ making a name for ░░░░░░░░ And Ryan definitely Mr ░░░░░░░░ definitely fell into that ░░░░░░░░ BERMAN And again I ░░░░░░░░ to lay the groundwork ░░░░░░░░ how it was that ░░░░░░░░ came to talk to ░░░░░░░░ and why really to ░░░░░░░░ to the question I ░░░░░░░░ everyone is interested in ░░░░░░░░ is you spoke with ░░░░░░░░ guy What was he ░░░░░░░░ when you talked to ░░░░░░░░ GIBBONS NEFF Yeah I ░░░░░░░░ he was definitely an ░░░░░░░░ character He was very ░░░░░░░░ to help Ukraine even ░░░░░░░░ some of his ideas ░░░░░░░░ completely nonsensical I mean ░░░░░░░░ kind of spoke with ░░░░░░░░ self assuredness that he ░░░░░░░░ going to get from ░░░░░░░░ to B and nothing ░░░░░░░░ going to get in ░░░░░░░░ way even though his ░░░░░░░░ were already running into ░░░░░░░░ obstacles And I talked ░░░░░░░░ Najim last night who ░░░░░░░░ to that Afghan in ░░░░░░░░ who had spoken to ░░░░░░░░ Ruth a few days ░░░░░░░░ his arrest yesterday And ░░░░░░░░ guess he was financially ░░░░░░░░ had around 60 in ░░░░░░░░ bank account and was ░░░░░░░░ out of the back ░░░░░░░░ his car So it ░░░░░░░░ of seemed like the ░░░░░░░░ of his grand plans ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine BERMAN Did it ░░░░░░░░ like and you ve ░░░░░░░░ a Reporter who covered ░░░░░░░░ for a long time ░░░░░░░░ you talk to a ░░░░░░░░ of people when you ░░░░░░░░ a foreign correspondent or ░░░░░░░░ war correspondent because as ░░░░░░░░ said there are these ░░░░░░░░ hanging around Did he ░░░░░░░░ to you like a ░░░░░░░░ who could really get ░░░░░░░░ done GIBBONS NEFF No ░░░░░░░░ seemed like like I ░░░░░░░░ saying before he seemed ░░░░░░░░ much like that crew ░░░░░░░░ showed up in the ░░░░░░░░ s early days who ░░░░░░░░ just thought it was ░░░░░░░░ to be a time ░░░░░░░░ recreate themselves as something ░░░░░░░░ they weren t I ░░░░░░░░ he has a you ░░░░░░░░ Mr Ruth has a ░░░░░░░░ background and I think ░░░░░░░░ I think he was ░░░░░░░░ invested in the cause ░░░░░░░░ until a point but ░░░░░░░░ invested in you know ░░░░░░░░ who he was as ░░░░░░░░ person as a lot ░░░░░░░░ these volunteers were And ░░░░░░░░ be fair there are ░░░░░░░░ volunteers in Ukraine who ░░░░░░░░ not like this and ░░░░░░░░ there for the right ░░░░░░░░ BERMAN I don t ░░░░░░░░ if you had the ░░░░░░░░ or the resources to ░░░░░░░░ up on him over ░░░░░░░░ I know at one ░░░░░░░░ I think he said ░░░░░░░░ had a big meeting ░░░░░░░░ in Washington Do you ░░░░░░░░ if he ever did ░░░░░░░░ things that he claimed ░░░░░░░░ you that he was ░░░░░░░░ GIBBONS NEFF No I ░░░░░░░░ that there was no ░░░░░░░░ up I think you ░░░░░░░░ the most Najim found ░░░░░░░░ last time is that ░░░░░░░░ know he very much ░░░░░░░░ in touch with the ░░░░░░░░ he was trying to ░░░░░░░░ He seemed very invested ░░░░░░░░ their success or survival ░░░░░░░░ think he was sending ░░░░░░░░ to them This is ░░░░░░░░ Najim reported you know ░░░░░░░░ until the end sending ░░░░░░░░ what little money he ░░░░░░░░ to a couple of ░░░░░░░░ Afghans who were trying ░░░░░░░░ to still either get ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine or get out ░░░░░░░░ Iran or elsewhere BERMAN ░░░░░░░░ right Thomas Gibbons Neff ░░░░░░░░ who s actually spoken ░░░░░░░░ this man now suspected ░░░░░░░░ trying to to to ░░░░░░░░ at former President Trump ░░░░░░░░ appreciate your time this ░░░░░░░░ What a story that ░░░░░░░░ out to be Appreciate ░░░░░░░░