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Trump Leaving on First International Trip as President; Rosenstein "Very Guarded, Frustratingly Cautious in Senate Meeting; Democrats Reject Joe Lieberman as FBI Director; Presidential Election Now Underway in Iran; Interview with Rep. Hakeem Jeffries. Aired 1:30- 2p ET

Aired May 19, 2017 - 13:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


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[13:30:36] WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: President Trump will be leaving the White House later this hour for his first international trip as president. Saudi Arabia is the first stop. It's a key ally in the Middle East and in the war on terror. In all, President Trump will make several stops, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the West Bank, Vatican City, Brussels. He'll be heading over to NATO meetings in Sicily for the G- 7 as well.

Here to talk about that and more, the president's agenda, challenges, objectives, our military and diplomatic analyst, retired Rear Admiral John Kirby; and our global affairs correspondent, Elise Labott.

John, give us three top challenges facing the president on this first overseas mission.

JOHN KIRBY, CNN MILITARY & DIPLOMATIC ANALYST: He needs to stay strategic. This shouldn't just be about faith and religion. It should be about foreign policy. He has a chance to reset the national security policy in many different parts of the world. He should take full advantage of that and keep it at a high level. Not be driven by the headlines that have been chasing him. Stay on message. This is not a time to freelance. He should follow the speeches and be careful about what he says in the press conferences too. Yes, all the stuff that he's been facing this week are going to be traveling with him. But this is a chance to try to reorient the press attention on the issues in those parts of the world. Number three, I think it's really important that he stays engaged. On this I mean two levels. One, it's a long trip. Lots of stops. It's going to be easy to lose focus. It's going to be easy to get tired and irritable. He's got to stay engaged on a personal schedule basis. But he has to stay engaged on commitments. There is a feeling that the United States has abdicated leadership. In Europe, where you have multi-lateral nations, they want to hear him say he's committed to multilateralism.

BLITZER: Elise, what do you see as the challenges facing the president?

ELISE LABOTT, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: As Johns said, really staying close to his objectives. The first objective when he goes to Saudi Arabia, not just to meet with the Saudi allies. There has been this feeling that the U.S. has abandoned them under President Obama, that they've been neglected. That's what this is about. There's going to be a huge Saudi arms package. There was just a package announced for the UAE. Then he'll meet with all the gulf states. Then he wants to really not just the Sunni Arabs, but the rest of the Islamic world against terrorism. He's going to be going to all the major religions, Islam, Judaism, Christianity, making the argument that we're all in this together, we need to fight terrorism as one civilized world. And then I think he wants to try and get some transaction on restarting the peace process. You're not going to see those kinds of formal talks just yet, but you saw he's met with Prime Minister Netanyahu, welcomed the president to the White House. His aides have been out there. I think he wants to see if there is some momentum. He's really going to get a big education when he goes to Bethlehem, and sees, you know, all of this from the Palestinian side. He's really only seen this from his whole life through the Israeli lens. He's going to see the conflict up close. I think he's going to see what it really means to try and negotiate the ultimate deal. He said he doesn't think it's that hard. He's really in for an education.

BLITZER: He's going to meet with the president of the Palestinian authority on the West Bank and Prime Minister Netanyahu in Jerusalem. Those meetings will be very important. He's also apparently going to get an arms deal, the Saudis are going to purchase an enormous amount of U.S. weapons, maybe $100 billion over the next year alone. $50 billion over the next 10 years. That's a lot of weaponry the U.S. is going to be selling to the Saudis.

KIRBY: It is. And I can guarantee they're looking forward to the announcement of this deal. Elise is right about the importance of that. They are a key ally and partner in the region when it comes to counter terrorism. My only concern is what's going on in Yemen. The Obama administration was more reluctant to provide legal arms and ammunition towards the end of their term because of the war in Yemen and the lack of precision by Saudi forces in the air over there. So I think -- I know the importance of the package, but we ought not to let off the pressure on Saudi Arabia when it comes to combat operations in Yemen being precise and carefully executed.

[13:35:18] BLITZER: He's hoping to get a commitment also from more than 50 representatives of Muslim countries that will be meeting with him in Saudi Arabia to fight terrorism.

LABOTT: This is not only about that. He'll be getting -- the Saudis will get precision weapon to help with that. This is about American jobs. He's going to be touting this policy. This is $100 billion or 350 as you said over ten years in American defense contract that is going to help the American economy. I think that's also something he can bring home to the American people.

BLITZER: Elise Labott, John Kirby, thank you very much.

Coming up, "very guarded, frustratingly cautious," that's how one member of Congress is describing this morning's briefing by the deputy attorney general, Rod Rosenstein, in the Comey firing. Democratic Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, of New York, was inside that close- door room. There you see him. He's standing by to join us live. We will discuss when we come back.

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[13:40:33] BLITZER: "Very guarded and frustratingly cautious," that is how some House members are describing today's briefing by Rod Rosenstein, the briefing on Russia and the firing of FBI Director James Comey.

Democratic Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, of New York, is a member of the Judiciary Committee, also co-chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee. He's with us now.

You were in that closed-door meeting. What did you think?

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES, (D), NEW YORK: He was very guarded, Wolf, when it comes to the circumstances surrounding the termination of James Comey, and that's important because it's quite possible that the president of the United States fired James Comey in order to obstruct a pending criminal investigation looking into the possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

BLITZER: Do you believe that?

JEFFRIES: I think that's a possibility. And we have to get to the bottom of what happened. Which is why several members of the House pressed the deputy attorney general as it relates to the exact timing of when he knew that the president was planning on firing Comey, who exactly asked him to write the memo, which at least initially seemed to be the basis for the justification. And he declined to go into details what was his excuse?

BLITZER: Why did he decline? What was his excuse?

JEFFRIES: His view was that the special counsel may be looking into the circumstances surrounding the termination and/or whether the writing of the memo was appropriate and so he did not want to step on that jurisdictional area until the special counsel had had an opportunity to weigh in.

BLITZER: Special Counsel Robert Mueller, the former FBI director. Well, that sounds logical, right? That sounds like a good excuse.

JEFFRIES: I think that if you're in a classified briefing and there's an opportunity to layout some facts concerning a potentially troubling development, the possibility that obstruction of justice occurred or that the Trump administration, Donald Trump himself perhaps directed the writing of this memo in order to provide justification, pretext, if you will, for the termination, then members of the Congress on behalf of the American people deserve some facts.

BLITZER: When is Comey going to show up on Capitol Hill? I assume at some point. He's been invited by numerous committees including yours.

JEFFRIES: That's unclear. The Judiciary Committee, we as Democrats have been pressing for our chairman to assert some authority to provide Comey, for instance, the opportunity to testify before the American people and explain to the extent that he can the interactions that he had with the Trump administration as it relates to the unfolding criminal investigation. We're very concerned that the FBI and the administration of justice has been politicized in ways that could complicate the ability for that agency and the American people to ultimately learn the truth as to what happened with Russia's involvement in our election.

BLITZER: Some Republican members in the Senate, they've expressed concern now, now that Robert Mueller, former FBI director, the new special counsel, the prosecutor, is taking charge of this whole Russia investigation and related matters, that he might say to members of Congress, like you and others, you know what, let me do this investigation because stuff that you do on the Hill could compromise that investigation and slow it down.

JEFFRIES: I think we'll show some degree of deference to Robert Mueller. His well respected at a law enforcement professional.

BLITZER: You trust him?

JEFFRIES: I trust him. I think it was the right appointment to make. There's a cloud of illegitimacy and corruption hanging over 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The only way to remove that is to have a fair and independent investigation. The special counsel is likely to deliver that. So a balancing of interest that needs to occur. But the American people do deserve transparency about what took place. So at some point, James Comey should testify.

BLITZER: You want, instead of congressional oversight, you want a special outside panel, a commission, to take a look at all of this I assume.

JEFFRIES: Absolutely. We need an independent commission similar to what was done in the aftermath of September 11th so we can get to the facts as to what occurred, explain and communicate those facts to the American people, and most importantly, Wolf, decide, how do we prevent the type of interference from a foreign power from ever occurring again. This was an attack on our democracy.

BLITZER: Congressman Jeffries, thanks so much for coming in.

JEFFRIES: Thank you so much, Wolf.

[13:44:45] BLITZER: Up next, the former Senator Joe Lieberman topping Donald Trump's list for FBI director. Why some Democrats on Capitol Hill say he's not the right choice. That, and more when we come back.

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BLITZER: The White House now says there won't be an announcement today in the president's choice for FBI director. There was some speculation that a nominee would be named before the president heads overseas. Former Democratic and Independent Senator Joe Lieberman has emerged as a front runner for the job. While some may think Lieberman would be a slam dunk in the Senate,

there are some, like Senator Dianne Feinstein, who told me Lieberman would be the wrong choice.

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DIANNE FEINSTEIN, (D), CALIFORNIA: I don't think somebody should be a "D" or an "R," a Democrat or a Republican. I think that the political part of this is not the best part for the FBI. I think the FBI has to have someone that every member of that agency respects, because they know they're law enforcement, they know they're not going to cave to political whims, and they know that they're talented in doing the law enforcement job.

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BLITZER: Congressional correspondent, Phil Mattingly, is up on Capitol Hill.

Phil, if it isn't Joe Lieberman, how much pushback will he get from Democrats, and is it just like Senator Feinstein said, he's a career politician?

[13:50:03] PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There's an element of that, Wolf, no question about it. While I think some people respect Joe Lieberman, we heard last night talking to Senators that they appreciate what he has done in public service, there's a split between those who just don't want a political or a politician to take that role and those who just flat-out don't like Joe Lieberman.

There's a lot of history here, as you know quite well. In 2006, Joe Lieberman lost the Democratic primary, ran as an Independent. In 2008, he backed John McCain over Obama. Perhaps, most importantly, according to the most liberal members of the caucus that I was speaking to, it was his policy positions, particularly on health care, on Medicare. He was the one man, the person who sank the proposal to bring Medicare from 65 to 55 during the debate of the health care reform. Democrats, there's no love lost there, Wolf.

The key element is while some Republicans have said that perhaps Joe Lieberman is the perfect pick to get Democrats on board, one Democratic aide, Wolf, told me that is, quote, "a gross miscalculation." I'm not picking up any Democrats right now who say they are willing to come on board with him, let alone, all 100 Senators of the entire U.S. Senate, as number two Republican John Cornyn said yesterday on camera.

BLITZER: Phil Mattingly, thanks very much for that update.

Right now, the last voters in line voting in Iran are voting for their next president. The results could have a significant bearing on foreign policy. We're going live to Tehran, next.

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[13:55:42] BLITZER: Ready for President Trump to leave the White House. Looking at live pictures of the White House, and also at live pictures from Joint Base Andrews outside of Washington, D.C., Air Force One. The president and first lady will be boarding Air Force One to make their first overseas trip as president and first lady of the United States. Destination, Saudi Arabia. We're going to bring you live coverage of their departure once it happens. Stand by for that.

Meanwhile, it's the 12th presidential election in Iran today. The stakes couldn't be higher. Voting hours have already been extended due to very high voter turnout. The choice, the incumbent, Hassan Rouhani, who signed the nuclear deal with the West in 2015, sees engagement with the West as a potential win for Iran, and his closest opponent, the hardliner, Ebrahim Raisi, protege of Iran's powerful supreme leader, the Ayatollah Khamenei, who blasted the nuclear deal.

Our senior international correspondent, Fred Pleitgen, is joining us from Tehran.

Fred, what does the significant turnout mean and what about the result, could that reshape Iran's foreign policy?

FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, to a certain extent, I think it really can and these people that are pouring in here, it really is remarkable. This polling station was supposed to close about four and a half hours ago, and now well into the night the entire area in front of it is still full with hundreds of people.

It shows that the folks here really understand how important this election is going to be for the country's economic, and also for the political and foreign policy future as well. Because the two opponents that you were just mentioning, the incumbent, Rouhani, and his opponent, Raisi, really have contradictory plans to one another. On the one hand, Rouhani wants to continue engagement with the West and open this country economically. He believes that will bring more foreign investment and that, ultimately, will bring more jobs as well. And then you have Ebrahim Raisi, who says we have the nuclear agreement but we have a hardline Trump administration, we need to confront America and then also try to grow the economy and not rely on foreign investment. So it really is two opposites as far as economic policy and foreign policy is concerned.

So the folks here that you see here, they really understand that this election is going to be very important for the kind of Iran that America is going to be dealing with for the next four years and also the direction that their country will take on the foreign policy stage. But especially, and, of course, like in any other election in the world, the most important issue for the economy internally as well -- Wolf?

BLITZER: I know you've been speaking to a lot of Iranians on the street there. Give us a sense, what do they think about the American president, President Trump?

PLEITGEN: Well, I think most of the people here have quite a negative opinion of President Trump. I think when you speak to people in the leadership here in this country, before President Trump took office, many of them told me that they believed that perhaps the president, Donald Trump, would be similar to the businessman, Donald Trump, that he would be pragmatic, perhaps someone that Iran could do deals with. They see President Trump as somewhat erratic, someone who pivots very quickly. And a real watershed moment was when Iran conducted ballistic missile tests and the Trump administration lashed out with additional sanctions. That is certainly something that has fostered a negative opinion among many of the leadership. But also, the sense that this is a president who is very, very difficult to figure out.

Of course, many, many people in this country, including the leadership, are going to be looking very closely at the next couple of days when President Trump will be, first, in Saudi Arabia and then, of course, in Israel to see what he's going to say about Iran when he's there -- Wolf?

BLITZER: And the president will be meeting with representatives in Saudi Arabia, about 50 Muslim-majority countries.

Fred Pleitgen, on the scene for us live in Tehran. Fred, thank you very much.

That's it for me. I'll be back at 5:00 p.m. eastern in "The Situation Room."

NEWSROOM with Brooke Baldwin starts right now.

[14:00:12] BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Here we go, top of the hour. You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin.