President Trump is 'almost self-impeaching': Speaker Pelosi

[View in browser]( [Image](  MAY 9, 2019 Does House Speaker Nancy Pelosi think the country has entered a[constitutional crisis](?  "Yes, I do… because the administration has decided that they are not going to honor their oath of office,” Pelosi told reporters [at her weekly press conference](.  Pelosi said that President Trump is “almost self-impeaching” and “every day demonstrating more obstruction of justice and disrespect for Congress' legitimate role to subpoena.”  But has the Speaker changed her stance on impeachment? On that, she’s stuck to the same tune. As NBC's [Jonathan Allen writes](, Pelosi has framed the plan as “pursuing legitimate oversight of the executive branch... following investigations where they lead.”   “This is very methodical. It’s very Constitution-based, it’s very law-based, it’s very factually based,” Pelosi said. “It’s not about pressure— it’s about patriotism.”  Pelosi also referred to the Watergate scandal, saying that at the time, there were “months of hearings and investigations before they got to a place where they had a compelling argument” for President Nixon's impeachment, which caused even his own party to admit to the president that his time was over.  [Image]( In a highly unusual move, national security adviser John Bolton held a meeting at CIA headquarters last week with the Trump administration's top intelligence, diplomatic and military advisers to [discuss Iran](, according to six current U.S. officials.  National security meetings are typically held in the White House Situation Room, and it is extremely rare for senior White House officials or Cabinet members to attend a meeting at CIA headquarters. According to five former CIA operations officers and military officials, in the past, such meetings have been held there to brief top officials on highly sensitive covert actions, either the results of existing operations or options for new ones.  The meeting came amid rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran, as the Trump administration piles pressure on the Iranian economy through crippling sanctions on the steel, aluminum and copper industries.  The United States also this week sent a [carrier strike group and a bomber task force]( to the Middle East to send a "clear and unmistakable message" to Iran, basing the decision to do so on[Iranian threats]( to U.S. military forces and civilians at multiple locations in the region, according to U.S. officials and a defense official. ICYMI: Videos from MSNBC Today [Image]( [Schiff proposes heavy fines for stonewalling congressional probes]( Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, tells Maddow about how in some cases the Trump administration's refusal to share information with his committee violates the law, and suggests Congress use heavy fines or imprisonment for contempt to compel cooperation (Rachel Maddow) [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Image](  ['Constitutional crisis' is Trump-made: Pelosi]( House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says President Trump has created a “constitutional crisis” by trying to block congress from seeing the full Mueller report and warns she is ready to hold more Trump officials in contempt. (The Beat) [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Image](  [Lawrence's Last Word: Was Trump joking about shooting?]( Lawrence O'Donnell asks whether Donald Trump was joking when he warmly acknowledged a heckler who talked about shooting immigrants at his Florida rally. (The Last Word) [Facebook]( [Twitter]( More Videos  - [Like father, like son: Trump claims ‘total exoneration’ for Don Jr. (Deadline: White House)]( - [Florida governor signs bill allowing teachers to carry firearms (Hardball)Â]( - [Sen. Sanders, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez to unveil legislation capping credit card rates (Velshi & Ruhle)]( - [NY State Senate passes bill allowing Congress to get Trump tax returns (Hardball)]( - [Rapper Common on Trump, the abortion debate, and why rap scares people (The Beat)Â]( - [Why President Trump may be more eager for impeachment proceedings than Democrats (MSNBC Live]([)]( - [Pope Francis makes it mandatory to report sex abuses (Velshi & Ruhle)]( - [Sen. Sanders: I can ‘absolutely’ swipe Trump’s base back (Velshi & Ruhle)]( - [Klobuchar: Russian 'invasion' of election a rule-of-law issue (Rachel Maddow)](   [Latest from NBC News]( Quote of the Day [“Clearly they kind of mistook 'The Handmaid's Tale' for a how-to manual.”]( — Caroline Fredrickson, American Constitution Society President, on the GOP's effort to limit abortion rights ([video]() Analysis and Opinion [ANALYSIS](: Pelosi's Trump impeachment approach is coming together. The president's recent actions have helped Pelosi start to resolve the conflicts in her caucus — and unite them around a deliberate, relentless investigative approach... and the pace is speeding up even for most Democrats who have been reluctant to go down a path that could lead to impeachment. by [Jonathan Allen](, NBC News.  [OPINION](: Stacey Abrams and Joaquin Castro did Democrats a favor by not running for Senate. Now the field is open for fresh faces without baggage to establish themselves and grow the party's roster of candidates. by [Leah Askarinam](, political reporter and analyst. What to watch Friday [Former FBI General Counsel James Baker](will be Rachel Maddow's guest Friday at 9 p.m. ET on MSNBC.   Maddow will ask Baker about his testimony to two Republican-led committees last October, and the concerns around Russian influence that crystallized at the FBI after Director James Comey was fired.  "This is a big deal for me," said Maddow of the upcoming interview. This newsletter was prepped for you by Stephanie Haberman and Wyatt Mayes.  Tell us what you think of the news and [drop us an e-mail](mailto:msnbc.digital.editors@nbcuni.com).  If you received this email from a friend, [subscribe to the MSNBC Daily here](.   Follow MSNBC [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [YouTube]( [LinkedIn]( Download the NBC News Mobile App and watch MSNBC [Image] [Image] [Privacy]( [Unsubscribe](listvar=sub_daily)