Trump says he'd accept dirt on an opponent from a foreign government

Also, Senator Kamala Harris says she plans to take executive action to reinstate protections for DACA recipients and give Dreamers a path towards citizenship if elected president [View in browser]( [Image](  JUNE 12, 2019 President Donald Trump [said in an interview that aired Wednesday]( that he might take help from a foreign government offering information on a 2020 opponent.  Trump made the comment to ABC's George Stephanopoulos while discussing why his son, Donald Trump Jr., didn't go to the FBI after he spoke with a Russian lawyer at Trump Tower during the 2016 presidential election.  The president told Stephanopoulos that "life doesn't work that way" when asked why his son didn't go to the FBI. Trump also said he would want to hear if another country had information on another candidate and called it "oppo research."  [Trump Jr. spoke to Congress for three hours Wednesday]( to discuss answers he gave in an interview to the Senate Intelligence Committee in 2017, including those regarding emails leading up to the meeting which promised dirt on Democrat Hillary Clinton, Trump's opponent.  "It’s not an interference, they have information," Trump said. "I think I’d take it. If I thought there was something wrong, I’d go maybe to the FBI."  The president was at the center of the probe on Russian election meddling and possible obstruction conducted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. The [448-page report](, released in April, avoided making a decision on obstruction, but Mueller did conclude that there was Russian interference in the 2016 election.  "There were multiple, systematic efforts to interfere in our election. That allegation deserves the attention of every American," Mueller said at a [May press conference](.  "Two years to get that admission. Two years of the Mueller report," said MSNBC's [Chris Matthews on his broadcast](. "And now we have the president's motive: 'There is nothing wrong with taking dirt from the Russians.'"  [Read more from NBC News' Doha Madhi](. 2020 hopeful Sen. Kamala Harris reacted to this news on MSNBC. “He’s the commander-in-chief and has a duty and a responsibility to the American people to be a defender, if not the greatest defender of our democracy,” [Harris told Stephanie Ruhle](. “It’s outrageous, and it tells me the guy just doesn’t understand the job and can’t do it very well.” The senator, who is also a member of the Intelligence Committee, admitted to being concerned with the lack of election protection for her presidential campaign, based on the information the committee has received regarding threats to national security and Russia’s previous interference. “This president is putting his self-interest in front of the interest of our democracy... and the American people’s confidence in the security and the integrity of our election system,” Harris said.  Other members of Congress also spoke to MSNBC to offer their reactions to the president's most recent statement. [Rep. Ted Lieu]([called it]( "unpatriotic" and "unbelievable" while [Rep. Hakeem Jeffries](says accepting help from a hostile government is "treasonous behavior." On All In, Senator Harris also discussed the immigration plan she announced earlier Wednesday. [Her immigration and citizenship plan for ‘DREAMers’ in the United States]( would use executive authority to expand DACA and reinstate protection for DREAMers, as well as give them a clearer path toward citizenship. “We are a nation of immigrants, and we have got to pull together a comprehensive system for giving people a pathway towards citizenship, instead of having a President of the United States who has vilified immigrants,” she said. In Case You Missed It: Videos from MSNBC Today [Image]( [Trump unchastened by Russia affair, still open to foreign help]( Rep. Adam Schiff talks with Rachel Maddow about a new video in which President Trump says he would accept information about his opponent from a foreign power and calls FBI Director Wray wrong for saying the FBI should be called in such a circumstance. (Maddow) [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Image](  [Hope Hicks agrees to testify before House Judiciary]( Hope Hicks will testify before the House Judiciary Committee next week on June 19th in a closed door interview. This was first reported by the Washington Post. (Deadline: White House) [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Image](  [Kamala Harris on 'intolerable' treatment of migrants]( Senator Harris says, if elected president, she plans to take executive action to reinstate protections for DACA recipients and give Dreamers a path towards citizenship. (All In) [Facebook]( [Twitter]( More Videos  - [Fmr. congressman David Jolly: Trump's comments are an 'impeachable moment' (11th Hour)](  - [Ted Lieu says it’s ‘unpatriotic’ for Trump to say it’s ok to accept dirt from foreign governments (Hardball)]( - [Gov Inslee: Trump impeachment is 'inevitable' (MTP Daily)](  - [Schiff considering subpoena for FBI on Trump counterintelligence (Maddow)](  - [How does Bernie Sanders define democratic socialism? (MSNBC Live)]( - [Critics say foreign spending at Trump properties could violate Constitution (MSNBC Live)](  - [What China hopes to achieve with Hong Kong extradition bill (MSNBC Live)]( - [Where the battle on the citizenship 2020 Census question stands (MSNBC Live)]( - [Road to Miami: Steve Kornacki on what you need to know about Pennsylvania before 2020 (11th Hour)]( [Latest from NBC News]( Quote of the Day [“It's not an interference. They have information. I think I'd take it. If I thought there was something wrong, I'd go maybe, to the FBI, if I thought there was something wrong.”Â]( — President Trump, in an interview with ABC News, on the possibility of taking information on his 2020 opponent from a foreign government ([Video]() NBC News THINK [OPINION:]( Hong Kong's protests against China show U.S. appeasement of Beijing has failed to bring reform. Protests against a new law that would allow for Hong Kong citizens to be extradited to mainland China to be tried for a crime have become increasingly violent this week. Protestors and critics view the act as a challenge to the semi-autonomy held by the region for years. By [Mark Dubowitz](, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.  [OPINION:]( Marijuana-loving former politicians are lining up to profit off the end of their war on drugs. Lock your doors, shut your blinds and hide your kids. There’s a danger lurking about that’s menacing suburban, rural and urban communities alike: hypocritical politicians trying to get rich off the nation’s burgeoning marijuana industry. By [Matt Laslo](. What to watch Road to Miami: It's 13 days before the first Democratic presidential debate. Which 2020 Democratic candidates will make the stage? We'll find out tomorrow. Candidates have until 11 a.m. to submit their updated fundraising numbers, and the Democratic National Committee is then expected to release the final list of who has qualified.  Beto O'Rourke joins Morning Joe Thursday morning.  At 9 a.m. ET, the House Intelligence committee will hold a hearing on national security challenges of artificial intelligence, manipulated media, and ["Deepfakes."Â](We'll bring you the latest. This newsletter was prepped for you by Bridget Brown, Cameron Taylor Oakes, and Wyatt Mayes.  Tell us what you think of the news and [drop us an e-mail](mailto:msnbc.digital.editors@nbcuni.com).  Have you read the [Mueller report](? Here's [a link](.  Were you forwarded this email from a friend?  [Subscribe here](. The latest episode of The Oath podcast with Chuck Rosenberg features former U.S. attorney Barbara McQuade.  Follow MSNBC [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [YouTube]( [LinkedIn]( Download the NBC News Mobile App and watch MSNBC [Image] [Image] [Privacy]( [Unsubscribe](listvar=sub_daily)