Former RNC chairman claims Trump 'probably not happy' police foiled white nationalist's planned attacks

Former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele has been no fan of President Donald Trump, regularly speaking out against the president on cable news networks.

But Steele took his criticism of Trump to a new level on Friday when he claimed the president is "probably not happy" that law enforcement recently foiled massacres planned by a white nationalist.

What did Steele say?

Steele's comments came during a segment on MSNBC's Deadline: White House" in which the entire panel castigated the president for commenting on the Jussie Smollett saga, but failing to assail white nationalism in the wake Christopher Paul Hasson's arrest.

"I guess I have, at this point, reached...my glass is no longer half-full, it's just overflowing with all the crazy that comes out of Trump," Steele said. "On this one, why would we be surprised a self-proclaimed nationalist would not speak out against a self-proclaimed white nationalist?"

"These are his people," Steele added, referring to white nationalists.

"He's not going to thank law enforcement because he's probably not happy about what law enforcement did," Steele went on to say. "That's where we are."

Show host Nicolle Wallace said Steele's comments were brave and quickly drew him into a hypothetical, asking him what he believes Trump will do if a white nationalist is successful in carrying out massacres against politicians.

"That's the next test in all of this," Steele said. "I don't know what he would do, and that's the sad spot about all of this."

Who is Hasson?

Christopher Paul Hasson was arrested earlier this month on drug and weapons charges. He is a lieutenant in the Coast Guard and stands accused of planning assassinations of more than a dozen high-profile politicians and media members, including:

• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)
• Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)
• Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Maxine Waters (D-Calif.)
• New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D)
• MSNBC's Chris Hayes and CNN's Don Lemon

In all, 23 politicians, media members, and two socialist organizations were on Hasson's alleged hit list.