MSNBC Host to NY Times Reporter on Trump Aide Story: ‘How is This Not Spying?’

The story is headlined: “F.B.I. Sent Investigator Posing as Assistant to Meet With Trump Aide in 2016.” And to hear Willie Geist discuss it, its conclusion seems clear.

Friday on Morning Joe, New York Times reporter Michael Schmidt — one of the authors of the story mentioned above, which details how the FBI sent an undercover investigator to meet with former President Donald Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos — stopped by to discuss his piece. And Geist led off with a question which is, in his words, “on a lot of people’s minds.”

“How is this not spying?” Geist asked Schmidt.

Schmidt replied, “Well, I guess it depends on your definition of spying.”

The Times reporter went on to elaborate — saying that the FBI’s reason for infiltrating the campaign was to figure out the scale of the threat posed by Russian interference.

“Now, if you’re a Trump supporter or if you’re Trump himself, you look at this and you say, ‘See? This shows that the bureau was out to get the campaign,'” Schmidt said. “But if you’re the FBI, you would say, ‘Look, this is a good thing. This prevented the operation from going awry, and from going too far.'”

The merits of the operation can certainly be debated. Nonetheless, Geist’s question — How do the FBI’s efforts not constitute spying? — seems entirely logical.

At the end of the segment, Geist saluted Schmidt for a hard week of work.

“I hope you can kick back, unzip the sweater, and have a cold drink tonight.”

A Morning Joe panelist, however, disputed Geist’s description of the garment Schmidt was wearing — a top which appeared to have all the characteristics of a sweater.

“That’s not a sweater,” said Donny Deutsch.

Perhaps it depends on your definition of a sweater.

Watch above, via MSNBC.