Ex-White House lawyer: Trump’s deflection of Russia ties parallels 'Nixon to the letter almost'

Former White House lawyer John Dean joined MSNBC to discuss President Donald Trump's allegation during a Thursday press conference that the recent Russia leaks are real, but the news is fake. Dean suggested Trump's defense draws parallels to former President Richard Nixon.

"If, indeed, there is a crime involved, [Trump] will say 'I had nothing to do with it, I'm not a co-conspirator,' or anything of that nature," said Dean. "What's interesting is he actually is paralleling Nixon to the letter almost in saying 'Well, I didn't authorize him to go talk to the Russians about whatever he talked about. I would have done so had he asked me.'"

Dean added, "That's exactly what Nixon said about the break-in into Ellsberg's psychiatrist office. 'They didn't ask me, but had they, I would have authorized it.' It's a grey area."

You can watch the full clip below.