RYAN: It seems clear that he was laundering money for the Colombian drug cartels.
POTUS: Jesus! I knew the man for 40 years. We went to school together.
We almost went into business together. The press is going to have a field day with this.
CUTTER: No one outside this room knows.
POTUS: They will. They always do. It will come up, you're right about that.
CUTTER: When it does, we'll downplay your relationship with Hardin somehow.
We'll defuse it.
POTUS: (Looking at RYAN) Do you disagree?
RYAN: No. Well, actually, yes. I would go in the other direction. If a reporter asked if you and Hardin were friends, I'd say "good friends". If they asked if you were good friends, I'd say "lifelong friends". Give them no place to go, nothing to report. No story.