Hardball host Chris Matthews has always been erratic, but he ventured into conspiracy theory territory Thursday when he insinuated that President Trump's smile is indicative of his nefarious dealings with Russia. 

"Today, Donald Trump brazenly refused to criticize the organization that worked with Russia in tilting the 2016 election in his favor," Matthews said. 

"President Donald Trump, who’s election in November was helped by anti-secrecy group, WikiLeaks, declined the opportunity today to criticize them." Matthews then observed that when asked about Wikileaks, Trump "smiles" and says nothing. 

"And now, this big document dump and the information flowing out about the CIA and its operations and its ability to hack into people’s systems, he taking the weird smile, refusing to criticize," the Hardball host reasoned before bringing on guest Tara Maller of the think tank New America, to analyze Trump's "Cheshire cat" smile. Newsbusters provides the clip and transcript: 

MATTHEWS: What’s the smile mean? I mean, anyway, who is he? The Mona Lisa? What’s the smi — what a kinda weird smile? I mean, it’s so cute.

TARA MALLER: I think he likes that he’s got information that other people don’t have.

MATTHEWS: Yeah.

MALLER: But you know what? The intelligence community has probably more information than he does, so unless he can show the information that he’s basing this on, I’m not sure what that smile is about.

Matthews then went deep, referencing another instance in which Trump was given a chance to say something about Russia, but instead chose to smile sly, much like the Mona Lisa enjoying her own, dirty little secret: 

"Here he [Trump] was today, given a chance to say something about a foreign group trying to undercut the U.S. government in the world and he gives us the smile of a Cheshire cat," Matthews said. 

"What do we make of that smile? Is he the Mona Lisa enjoying a little secret of hers? Does he think it makes him cool to be enjoying the way the group that helped get him elected is helping itself to undermine our government's intelligence capability? Does he find that makes him superior to lesser men?"

Goodness, it's dangerous when these people try to think.