>>> LAST MONTH DONALD TRUMP LOOKED READY TO CRUISE BACK TO THE OVAL OFFICE. REPUBLICANS CAN'T GET PEOPLE TO STOP CALLING THEM WEIRD. HE'S MELTING DOWN AND MAR-A- LAGO AS HE'S WATCHING HIS LEAD EVAPORATE AGAINST KAMALA HARRIS. THEY MAY THROW THEIR OLD PLAYBOOK OUT THE WINDOW. THE SENIOR ADVISOR TO THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN, THAT GUY THERE, TO INSIDERS HE'S KNOWN AS ONE OF THE TOP GUYS. ESSENTIALLY HIS DE FACTO CO- CAMPAIGN MANAGER. OVER TWO DECADES HE'S CONNECTED BIG REPUBLICAN DONORS WITH CANDIDATES IN TROUBLE TO HELP THEM TO WIN WITH CUTTING PERSONAL ATTACKS ON THEIR OPPONENTS. A WEIRD CAREER NICHE THAT BEGAN WITH ONE DARK MONEY CAMPAIGN BACK IN 2004. >> JOHN KERRY SECRETLY MET WITH ENEMY LEADERS IN PARIS WHEN HE WAS STILL AT WAR WITH AMERICANS BEING HELD IN NORTH KOREAN PRISON CAMPS. THERE HAVE BEEN WAR CRIMES ON A DAILY BASIS. EVENTUALLY JANE FONDA APOLOGIZED FOR HER ACTIVITIES BUT JOHN KERRY REFUSES TO. IN A TIME OF WAR, COULD AMERICA TRUST SOMEONE WHO BETRAYED HIS COUNTRY? >> TO BE CLEAR HE WAS A DECORATED WAR HERO WHO GOT OFF OF HIS BOAT TO CHASE A GUY WITH A ROCKET LAUNCHER AND RISKED HIS OWN LIFE TO SAVE THE MEN ON THAT BOAT BUT THAT DIDN'T STOP HIM AND HIS CREW FROM DOING THAT. THAT WAS ONE OF THE MANY ADS VIA SUPER PACK SWIFT BOAT VETERANS FOR TRUTH THAT HELPED TO SEEK JOHN KERRY'S PRESIDENTIAL BID AND IT WAS THE WORK FROM CHRIS LACIVITA MAKING SOME CLIENTS UNCOMFORTABLE. DESCRIBER'S SAY HE WAS LIKE A REPUBLICAN HITMAN, HYPERACTIVE. YOU'LL NEVER GUESS WHAT HE'S DOING NOW. RUNNING HIS OLD PLAYBOOK BY ORCHESTRATING THE RIGHT-WING ATTACKS ON THE MILITARY CAREER OF HARRIS'S RUNNING MATE TIM WALZ. I DEBUNKED THOSE ATTACKS, THEY ARE GROSS AND NOT WORTH LITIGATING. OUTSIDE OF THE WEIRD ANGRY RIGHT-WING SOCIAL MEDIA HEALTH GAVE THEY AREN'T A LANDING THE WAY ATTACKS ON JOHN KERRY DID. THE GUY WHO MADE THE ATTACKS POSSIBLE WHO BANKROLLED IT, A DONOR NAMED, WAIT FOR IT, HARLAN CROW. THE BILLIONAIRE WHO LAVISHES GIFT ON CLARENCE THOMAS FOR DECADES. MANY NOT REPORTED. WINTER WE LEARNED A NEW ONE. HE GAVE THE SWIFT BOAT GROUP $100,000. WHAT'S TO STOP THEM FROM DOING THIS AGAIN? HE'S NOT JUST A TRUMP CAMPAIGN AIDE HE ALSO BECAME THE DE FACTO COO OF THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE WHICH GIVES THEM CONTROL OVER THE CAMPAIGN SPENDING. JONATHAN ALLEN THE SENIOR NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER FOR NBC NEWS HAS BEEN COVERING THIS INFORMATION. JONATHAN, EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE SEEN IS OLD IS NEW AGAIN. SOME THINGS YOU JUST DO AND DO AND DO, RIGHT? >> CERTAINLY FROM LACIVITA'S STANDPOINT AND PUBLICANS WHO REMEMBER 2004, THEY FELT THAT THESE ADS WERE EFFECTIVE IN UNDERMINING A KEY PART OF JOHN KERRY'S BIOGRAPHY. HE WAS A DECORATED WAR HERO. SOMEONE WHO IS IN CHARGE OF BOATS, 50 FOOT ALUMINUM BOATS. TRAVERSING WATERWAYS HE WAS AWARDED A SERVER SILVERSTAR ENDO BRONZE STAR. I THINK THERE'S A NUMBER OF TRUMP SUPPORTERS AT THIS POINT WHO AREN'T IN FAVOR OF THESE KINDS OF INTERVENTIONS THAT WE SAW IN VIETNAM BUT BASICALLY THEY WENT AND ATTACKED JOHN KERRY AND FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE IT WORKS TO UNDERMINE HIM AND HURT HIS CAMPAIGN. 2004 WAS A CLOSE CAMPAIGN WHICH COULD HAVE TURNED ON A SINGLE STATE. >> LACIVITA IS ONE OF THOSE , YOU'VE GOT THIS DOWN THE BLOCK TOUGH KIND OF THING HE'S ALWAYS DOING THIS KIND OF VILLAIN SHTICK ON SOCIAL MEDIA. TELLING LARRY HOGAN AFTER HE SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THE CONVICTION OF DONALD TRUMP FOR 34 COUNTS OF FELONIES LIKE YOU'RE DONE, YOU'RE DEAD MAN. THERE IS A LOT OF LIKE BRAGGING COMING FROM HIM. A LOT OF SWAGGER AT THE RNC BUT THEY ARE IN A DIFFERENT PLACE RIGHT NOW. >> THEY ARE DEFINITELY IN A DIFFERENT PLACE. JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, THEY WOULD TELL YOU THAT DONALD TRUMP WAS IN THE LEAD. THEY WERE SAYING THAT ON THE AIR AFTER THE DEBATE THAT TRUMP WAS WINNING BEFORE THE DEBATE AND YOU LOOK AT THE POLLS AND THE ENERGY GOING ON IN THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE. YOU LOOK AT THE DEMOCRATS COALESCING BEHIND KAMALA HARRIS AND YOU HAVE TO CONCLUDE THE RACE IS SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT IT WAS. IT IS INTO THE PLACE WHERE KAMALA HARRIS -- IT IS IN A PLACE WHERE THESE WILL BE IN A DOGFIGHT FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR. >> I WANT TO PLAY A CLIP OF LACIVITA THAT I THINK IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN SETTLED CAMPAIGN BY ANYONE. REPORTING THAT SHOWS THAT THIS ISN'T JUST IDLE TALK WITH HUGE AMOUNTS OF WORK BEING DONE BY THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AT THE STATE ELECTION BOARD TO PUT THEIR PEOPLE IN PLACE SO THAT THEY CAN MUCK WITH THE MACHINERY OF THE ELECTION CERTIFICATION AT THE COUNTY LEVEL AND AT THE STATE LEVEL. IT'S AN ONGOING PROJECT. HERE'S WHAT LACIVITA HAD TO SAY WHEN ASKED A QUESTION ABOUT ELECTION DAY. TAKE A LISTEN. >> IT'S NOT OVER UNTIL HE PUTS HIS HAND ON THE BIBLE AND TAKES THE OATH. IT'S NOT OVER UNTIL THEN. IT'S NOT OVER ON ELECTION DAY IT'S OVER ON INAUGURATION DAY BECAUSE I WOULDN'T PUT ANYTHING PAST ANYBODY. >> WHAT DO YOU MEAN? >> I JUST DON'T. >> I DON'T PUT ANYTHING PAST ANYBODY. YOU COULD SAY WHAT HE THINKS THAT YOU KNOW THE DEMOCRATS ARE GOING TO DO SOMETHING BUT OF COURSE ALL OF THE ACTIVITY THAT HAPPENED BETWEEN ELECTION DAY AND INAUGURATION DAY LAST TIME AROUND WAS DONE BY A MAN THAT WAS BEING RUN ON THE CAMPAIGN FOR. >> THERE IS A FINE LINE BETWEEN PRESERVING ELECTION INTEGRITY AND PRESERVING IT. WHAT CHRIS WAS SAYING THEY ARE WALKING THAT LINE. IT'S INTERESTING HE PICKED INAUGURATION DAY BECAUSE AS WE KNOW THE CERTIFICATION OF ELECTORATES HAPPENS BEFORE THE INAUGURATION DAY. A COUPLE OF WEEKS BEFORE INAUGURATION DAY. IF YOU WORK FOR DONALD TRUMP AT THIS POINT YOU'VE GOT TO BE IN THAT POSITION THAT HE'S IN. SAYING YOU'