'Collusion Involves at Least Four Crimes': MSNBC Host Explains Why Giuliani's Latest Defense of Trump Is So Wrong

President Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani made waves in recent days by arguing that collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia in 2016 would not have been a crime — seeming to switch defense strategy away from the usual flat denials from the president and others that "no collusion" occurred.

But many pointed out that while "collusion" only technically refers to anti-trust laws, the wider sense of "collusion" refers to several crimes that the members of the Trump campaign may be guilty of.

"Colluding with foreigners to impact a U.S. election is a crime," explained MSNBC host Ari Melber Tuesday night. "Let's go through it briefly. One: It's a crime to get anything of value from a foreigner. Two: It's a crime to defraud the United States. Three: It's a crime to steal things, whether you steal objects, like everything that was ripped off in Watergate, or you steal email, which is what is at issue in Mueller's latest indictment."

He continued: "And finally, four: It's a crime to engage in a conspiracy of any of those other crimes. So collusion is not only a crime; collusion involves at least four crimes. Those are the legal facts."

A guest on Melber's show later pointed to a fifth possible collusion crime: bribery of public officials. If Trump accepted help from the Russians on the conditions of a quid pro quo — that he would give something in return as a part of his official capacity — then that could also be a crime.

Watch the clip below: