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Trump Son-in-Law Faces Scrutiny in Russia Probe; Putin Denies Russia Hacked Macron Campaign; May, Corbyn Face TV Grilling; British Investigators Unsure if Abedi Made the Bomb Himself; More Than 160 Dead in Sri Lanka Flooding; North Korea Claims It Fired New Type of Ballistic Missile; White House Official: Kushner Unfazed by Scrutiny in Russia Probe; Macron Calls Out Putin on Election Meddling; U.S. May Expand Electronics Ban to All International Flights; Conference at Trump Hotel Raises Ethics Questions; Tiger Woods Blames Medication for DUI Arrest. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired May 30, 2017 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:00:25] ISHA SESAY, CNN ANCHOR: This is CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Ahead this hour --
(HEADLINES)
SESAY: And welcome to our viewers all around the world. I'm Isha Sesay.
VAUSE: I'm John Vause. Great to have you with us. We're now in the third hour of NEWSROOM L.A.
Donald Trump's son-in-law is apparently unfazed by the recent scrutiny by his contacts with Russia and focused on his role as a senior advisor to the president. A White House official tells CNN Jared Kushner and his wife, Ivanka, understand their positions come with a certain level of attention.
SESAY: President Trump tells "The New York Times" Jared Kushner is, quote, "Doing a great job for the country and has total confidence in him."
CNN's Jim Sciutto has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tonight, the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is the subject of intense scrutiny after a source says he asked for back-channel communications with the Kremlin. This happened last December when Kushner met with Russia's ambassador to the U.S. during the transition.
Now some Democrats are challenging Kushner's role in the White House. REP. ADAM SCHIFF, (D), CALIFORNIA: I do think there ought to be a
review of his security clearance to find out whether he was truthful, whether he was candid. If not, then there's no way he can maintain that kind of clearance.
SCIUTTO: According to "The Washington Post," Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak told his superiors that Kushner wanted to use Russian diplomatic facilities for an off-the-record communications system to evade U.S. intelligence monitoring, a move that even Kislyak thought was risky.
Sources tell CNN that Kushner sought the secure channel for him and now national security advisor, Michael Flynn, to discuss military operations in Syria and other matters with Russian military officials.
Former FBI Director Robert Mueller, the man now leading the investigation into whether Trump's campaign associates colluded with Russia, spoke at his granddaughter's commencement today where he urged students not to sacrifice their integrity.
ROBERT MUELLER, FORMER FBI DIRECTOR: If you are not honest, your reputation will suffer, and once lost, a good reputation can never, ever be regained.
SCIUTTO: His first public speech since his appointment.
But over the weekend, others in the intelligence community raised the alarm. Former CIA and NSA Director Michael Hayden called Kushner's attempted back channel unprecedented.
MICHAEL HAYDEN, FORMER CIA DIRECTOR & FORMER NSA DIRECTOR: This is off the map, Michael. I know of no other experience like it in our history.
SCUITTO: Former DNI James Clapper raised similar concerns.
JAMES CLAPPER, FORMER DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: My dashboard warning light was clearly on, and I think that was the case with all of us in the intelligence community.
SCIUTTO: Homeland Security Secretary, retired General John Kelly, however, called such clandestine communications perfectly normal.
GEN. JOHN KELLY, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: It's both normal in my opinion and acceptable. Any way that you can communicate with people, particularly organizations that are maybe not particularly friendly to us, is a good thing.
SCIUTTO: For Jared Kushner, new contacts with Russia keep surface sing. In addition to the December meeting with Kislyak, Reuters reports that Kushner had several previously undisclosed communications with the ambassador, including two phone calls prior to the election last November. In response, Kushner's lawyer tells CNN, quote, "Mr. Kushner participated in thousands of calls in this time period. He has no recollection of the calls as described."
Jim Sciutto, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SESAY: Russian President Vladimir Putin denies his country was behind cyberattacks against the campaign of French President Emmanuel Macron. The two met at the palace outside Paris Monday.
VAUSE: Mr. Macron says Russian media spread propaganda and lies during the French campaign. Mr. Putin did not respond to that directly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translation): As for the imaginary intrusion by Russia into elections anywhere, we did not discuss this. And Mr. President did not show an interest in talking about it. As for me, I think there is nothing to talk about.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: CNN senior international correspondent, Ivan Watson, following all these developments. He joins us live from Moscow.
It was quite an extraordinary meeting between the fresh-faced French president and the Russian President Vladimir Putin. It seems Macron wasn't going to let Vladimir Putin off the hook when it came to a lot of these issues about meddling in the French election, as well as this denial from Putin that there was no Russian hacking during the French election.
[02:05:23] IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, as Putin pointed out, they hadn't discussed it during their meeting and Macron didn't want to pursue this line of discussion during that press conference, but they have spoken about it in the past in a phone call.
But this is kind of an important visit for Putin because Russia has been painted as a partisan force in that hotly contested French election. So it was important for both leaders to show they can do business despite clearly some ill will that still lingers after that election when Russia was seen to be supporting right-wing candidate, Marine le Pen. Putin was asked about this my journalist and he said, hey, it was normal for us to welcome Marine le Pen when she would visit Moscow. She wanted better relations between France and Russia, so it would make sense for us to have warm relations with her.
To Macron, this was a bit of a coming out party internationally for him. The G-7 meeting, the famous handshake and now meeting with Putin as well. And he clearly was showing -- he was trying to show strength here. He warned France would retaliate if chemical weapons were used in Syria. And Russia's ally in Syria has been accused of that in the past. He also hinted that more sanctions could come in if there was an escalation in the Ukrainian conflict. Of course, Russia is considered to be a big player in that conflict as well -- John?
VAUSE: This was a moment that lot of people did not expect they would see from Macron so soon into his presidency. There was also this moment when Macron did not hold back when he was explaining why two reporters who were booted from his campaign during the election because of their links to the Russian government and because of their reporting on the election. Listen to what Macron said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through translation): Politicians have the responsibility to make decisions, to say things, and when press organs spread counter truths, they're no longer journalists. They're organs of influence. Russia Today and Sputnik have been organs of influence throughout this campaign and they repeatedly produced counter truths about me and my campaign and, therefore, I confirm that I considered they did not belong inside my headquarters.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Just watching these two men on that stage, watching Vladimir Putin's reaction, almost feeling like he's squirming around, he's feeling very uncomfortable. It was an awkward moment to say the least.
WATSON: Yeah. And Macron didn't pull any punches. And now we've had reactions from the editor-in-chief from Russia Today, who has said their lawyers are getting ready to sue Macron's supporters and have blasted him for saying he didn't offer any evidence for his accusations against RT and Sputnik. But he did not mince any words there and stood next to Putin and basically accused these two media outlets of being partisan players in the hotly contested election. It was a fascinating meeting between these two leaders. And it shows a broader pattern where Russia is on the defensive in countries like France, in tiny Montenegro, which just joined the NATO military alliance, which has also been accusing Russia of meddling in its internal affairs. And again and again and again, you have Russian top officials having to defend Russia and accuse these countries, these governments that are leveling charges against Russia of meddling of kind of Russophobia, or spy mania. But it's a trend we're seeing again and again in different countries across Europe, with Russia again on the defensive against these allegations -- John?
VAUSE: Ivan, thank you. Senior international correspondent, Ivan Watson, live with us from Moscow. Thanks, Ivan.
SESAY: And later this hour, out political panel debates the latest White House revelations and some scathing criticism from Germany.
VAUSE: Former Panamanian strongman, Manuel Noriega has died at the age of 83. He had been in intensive care after surgery to remove a brain tumor. He ruled Panama from 1983 until he was removed from power by the U.S. military in 1989. Noriega spent nearly two decades in a U.S. prison for drug trafficking and money laundering, more jail time in France. He returned to Panama in 2011.
The polls are getting closer as candidates return to the front lines in the U.K. election campaign. There's just a week to go until voters head to the ballot box. Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn appeared on British television Monday night.
[02:10:22] They were questioned separately on key policies, first by a studio audience, then by a journalist. The event was broadcast live by a news agency and Channel 4.
Corbyn made his case to voters about support for trade policies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEREMY CORBYN, CONSERVATIVE PARTY: Let's build a sensible good tariff-free trade with Europe. Every car made in Britain or most cars made in Germany, the parts come from both sides of the channel. You could say the same with aircraft. You could say the same with an awful lot of other manufacturing industry. That's going to carry on. And it will have to carry on. Otherwise, we'll destroy our own industry.
But I'll tell you what we won't do. We won't threaten Europe with turning this country into a sort of corporate tax haven with low tax, low wages and low investment. We want high wage, high investment, a growing economy with good relations with our neighbors and the rest of the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SESAY: His rival, Theresa May, was asked about false claims that Britain was spending close to half a million dollars with the E.U. before last summer's Brexit vote.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THERESA MAY, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I think what's important is that we insure we get the best possible deal from Brexit. It's about ensuring in future we won't be sending vast sums of money to the European Union every year. as we do as members of the E.U. And we will be able to look at what, as funding comes back, how we use that funding. But it's important we get the best possible deal because it underpins so much else of what we want to do. And we can only get that deal if we have a plan to go in there and really stand up for Britain.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SESAY: Nina dos Santos joins me now from London.
Nina, good to see you.
Did either candidate change the trajectory of this race with their performance in this special election program?
NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN MONEY EUROPE EDITOR: Isha, basically, no. We didn't learn a huge amount from these new candidates but what we did get a chance to do is understand a bit better Jeremy Corbyn. Out of the two, even if it was a draw, Jeremy Corbyn probably came out slightly better, whereas Theresa May was, on some issues, on the back foot. And she's on the back foot because the difference between her party, the Conservative Party, and the Labour Party has been narrowing quite a bit in the polls. She was enjoying a lead, one that would propel her to the biggest landslide since Margaret Thatcher's landslide in 1983. But since then, the polls have been tightening quite significantly. We haven't had any new poll out this morning since that interview took place, the lead was already tightening. So presumably, she may well get in. It's looking as though the Conservative Party is likely to win a week a half from now. But it does seem she may not win with quite the majority that she may have wanted to going into it -- Isha?
SESAY: I mean, the event provided for an epic performance by veteran journalist, Jeremy Paxman (ph), but it was hard to make out any standout moments. What do you think?
(CROSSTALK)
DOS SANTOS: You're right there. One thing that did come out is Jeremy Corbyn appeared quite relaxed. And the very aggressive journalist, Jeremy Paxman (ph), repeatedly Jeremy Corbyn was quizzed on his views of controversial issues. For instance, the IRA, his relationship with the IRA. What he said before the group before the Good Friday peace agreement, and also he was quizzed on things like his stance particularly pacifist stance on some things like the Falkland's War, and asked by a member of the audience and the interviewer what he would do if he had to decide whether or not to press the button on a drone strike because terrorists had been intercepted in somewhere like Iraq. He dodged that question. That was probably the only time he found it difficult to deflect.
But Theresa May also came in for a lot of questioning, particularly on a U-turn her party had done where it appeared as though they were planning to charge elderly people for their care at home and after their death. That amount of money would be payable to the state. That has lot of older members of the electorate nervous. And that's the core vote of the Conservative Party. So she was on the back foot trying to explain whether there would be a cap to pay for their social care later on. And she was on the back foot on issues like schooling and the funding of schooling around the country.
There is one thing they did differ on, and that was the attitude to Brexit. Jeremy Corbyn's in a bit of a bind. He's made clear he's not a fan of the E.U. but says, as a Labour government, they would want to deal with the E.U. Theresa May has said, quote, "No deal is better than a bad deal," which is the stance she's had all along -- Isha?
[02:15:33] SESAY: It could go down to the wire.
CNN's Nina dos Santos joining us from London. Appreciate it, Nina. Thank you.
VAUSE: Well, security and terrorism now an issue in the U.K. election. It's been one week since the Manchester terror attacks and crowds gathered for a vigil in the city center Monday honoring the 22 people killed. Dozens more were wounded when Salman Abedi blew himself up at a concert by pop star, Ariana Grande. SESAY: Investigators are trying to track down Abedi's network and
answer a key question, did he build the bomb himself? There are also new photos of Abedi from before the attack.
CNN's Atika Shubert has the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Manchester police have released a new photo of Salman Abedi. He is standing curb side at a city center location and there's a distinctive blue suitcase next to him. Police are looking for anyone who may have seen Abedi with the suitcase at various locations across the city. It's part of an effort to try to retrace his movements in the days before the attack.
In addition to that photo, there's now closed circuit television footage that's surfaced from a nearby convenience store, also in the city center, and in it, there's a man that appears to Abedi walking through, picking up food items, and he appears to be avoiding the camera. He puts on his hat, puts on glasses as well. That was aired on BBC. Police say they're looking into the footage.
They're also trying to find any other clues as to what he was doing in the days preceding the attack. They know he arrived back in the U.K. on May 18th. And that on the day of the attack, he was also at a short-term rental apartment just about a mile a half away from the arena and that apartment, police believe, was the staging ground for the attack.
Atika Shubert, CNN, Manchester.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SESAY: Next on CNN NEWSROOM, a race against rising flood waters as Sri Lanka's disaster is only expected to get worse.
VAUSE: Also, North Korea claiming to have a new kind of ballistic missile. Details in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:19:57] SESAY: ISIS is claiming responsibility for a deadly bombing in Baghdad. A warning, the images we're about to show are graphic and disturbing.
VAUSE: A car bomb exploded outside an ice cream shop as families were gathering there after breaking their fast during the holy month of Ramadan. 10 people were killed, 40 others were wounded. ISIS says it was targeting Shiites. The terrorist group has carried out similar attacks throughout the Iraqi capitol this year.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SHOUTING)
(END VIDEO CLIP) SESAY: Sri Lanka says it expects the death toll to rise from the country's worst flooding in nearly 14 years. More than 160 people are dead. Crews are racing to rescue stranded flood victims, and more rain is expected. Cyclone Mora made landfall in Bangladesh.
VAUSE: Rescuers have been hampered by mudslides and rising waters. Authorities say at least 112 people are missing. India and the World Food Program are sending help.
Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri joins us from the International Weather Center with more on the cyclone and its path.
Pedram, what's the latest?
PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: We've had a lot of people ask this question. One with the heavy rainfall across Sri Lanka. But a lot of people beginning to mix the two together. But the concern right now tropical Cyclone Mora. A category 1 equivalent storm system and it doesn't take much this region of the world, seven of the top 10 largest tropical cyclones and biggest fatalities have occurred between these two nations. This is an area of concern because of infrastructure, because of a significant coastline standing and 700 rivers and tributaries dot this particular region. You have over 24,000 kilometers of waterways. A lot of water moving around this country and higher elevations to the north. It's very densely populated. Watching this carefully. And we think this storm system will now begin to weaken significantly because of the mountainous terrain ahead of it. You look carefully. The models put down 250 to maybe 500 millimeters of rainfall. Similar to what we saw in Sri Lanka. This could happen the next few days. About four million people there. I think the heaviest rains will be the east. Some reporting the heaviest rains they've seen in decades and as of right now, it is rather quiet. The tropical disturbance to the north is where it's located. These are equivalent to what prominent cities would see the white hash line indicates it is pushing in which is what brought the onslaught of tremendous rainfall. We're watching this area because we think additional rainfall could come down. We're getting a brief period of dry weather in that region.
SESAY: They've been through so much.
VAUSE: Yeah.
SESAY: Pedram, we appreciate it. Thank you.
(CROSSTALK)
VAUSE: Thank you for the update, Pedram.
North Korea claims to have fired a new type of ballistic missile, one with a highly accurate warhead, but some experts are doubting those claims from Pyongyang.
SESAY: We know Kim Jong-Un's regime launched a missile Monday that fell into the ocean off Japan's coast. North Korean state media say Kim's supervisor launched and is promising to develop more ballistic rockets.
CNN's Paula Hancocks joins us from Seoul, South Korea.
Paula, harsh rhetoric from Japan and South Korea in response to the latest missile test. But will their reaction, will the response go beyond words?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's difficult to see what they can do beyond those words. These are the standard condemnations, at least from the South Korean side. The condemnation of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe promising concrete action. Went further, saying they would work with the U.S. to try and deter North Korea. And you saw the U.S. President Donald Trump tweeting that this ballistic missile test was showing disrespect to China. So once again, calling on China to do more to curtail the missile systems and tests of North Korea. But it's quite difficult to see what any of the regional powers can do to deter Kim Jong-Un from continuing. We've just heard from the state-run media that Kim Jong-Un himself has ordered more launches, more progress to be made. And of course, you have the fact that they have just said that this was a particular kind of ballistic missile, a new type, because of the precision guidance system. No way of independently confirming that. But as far as Kim Jong-Un is concerned, he has made more progress on Monday -- Isha?
[02:25:28] SESAY: Since you're in Seoul, South Korean, let me ask you this. What does the North Koreans doubling down on this commitment to fire more missiles, where does this leave the new South Korean leader's desire to reset relations with Pyongyang?
HANCOCKS: The new president, Moon Jae-in, has been in power just over three weeks. May 9th was the election here. Every single week, North Korea has fired a missile since he has been in power. This is a president who is pro dialogue, pro engagement with North Korea. He's made it clear he believes negotiations are part of a settlement with North Korea. It's difficult to see how the new president would be able to move that forward, given the intensity of these launches at this point. We know that President Moon will be heading to Washington next month. It will be interesting what type of relationship he can build with President Donald Trump and whether they see eye to eye on more engagements with North Korea. And the U.S., at this point, seems to be pinning most of the hope on sanctions and on China.
SESAY: Paula Hancocks, from Seoul, South Korea. Paula, thank you.
VAUSE: It is time for a break.
"State of America" with Kate Bolduan is next for our viewers in Asia.
SESAY: For everyone else, president's son-in-law reported unfazed by recent scrutiny. What a White House official says Jared Kushner is focused on instead.
VAUSE: And also ahead, doing big business at the Trump Hotel in Washington where new questions of ethics are being raised.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [02:30:11] VAUSE: Welcome back, everybody. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles. I'm John Vause.
ISHA SESAY, CNNA NCHOR: And I'm Isha Sesay.
The headlines this hour --
(HEADLINES)
VAUSE: The growing investigation into the Trump campaign's ties to Russia alleged and otherwise doesn't seem to be bothering Jared Kushner. A White House officials says the president's son-in-law is focused on his work as a senior advisor to the president. He's also unfazed by the recent scrutiny.
VAUSE: The FBI is looking into what role Kushner played with respect to the Russians during the campaign and transition.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller didn't mention the probe directly during the commencement speech Monday but seems to be making reference.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT MUELLER, FORMER FBI DIRECTOR: And regardless of your chosen career, you're only as good as your word. You can be smart, aggressive, articulate and be persuasive, but if you are not honest, your reputation will suffer, and once lost, a good reputation can never, ever be regained.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Joining us for more on this, California talk show radio host, Ethan Bearman; and California Republican National Committee member, Shawn Steel.
Shawn, first to you.
All this surrounding Kushner, regardless of whether it's true or not, if it continues, it gets too hot to handle and he's no longer to maintain his role in the White House. Given how much Trump relies on Jared Kushner for everything, what are the consequences for the president and his administration?
SHAWN STEEL, CALIFORNIA REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE MEMBER: I think this is just the latest fabrication of the week. Grossly exaggerated. Same usual scenario. There's no sources that have been identified, no documentation. It's just the flavor of the week. A new way to attack --
(CROSSTALK)
VAUSE: You're not denying this report? No one's coming out and saying it did not happen.
STEEL: Actually, there's a push back that came out in the last couple of hours saying it was the Russians that suggested a back channel. That's been widely dispersed. They'll probably have it on the air in a couple of hours here. This goes back and forth. We're looking forward to seeing progress taking place, but we have a situation where the Harvard study, from the Media Center, points out that 93 percent of the news since Trump became president has been negative across the board. And that basically there's a problem with the media. So anytime there seem to be a little tiny problem, it turns out to be a huge mushroom of issues.
VAUSE: Three things. That story about the Russians suggesting Kushner use their communications came from FOX News. We look at it. We're not reporting it just yet because it doesn't --
STEEL: I wasn't going to mention that.
(CROSSTALK)
VAUSE: And 93 percent negative news, could also indicate it's been 93 percent negative issues coming out of the White House. OK.
(CROSSTALK)
SESAY: Ethan, you hear what Shawn is saying. He's discounting this, saying it's exaggerations, blah blah blah. Do you think Democrats are right to ask for Kushner's security clearance to be reviewed?
ETHAN BEAMAN, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: I think there's no question because we have a series of security clearance forms that were filled out incorrectly with facts missing, certain omissions that are very important for clearances. I think Kushner ne3eds to be reviewed at this point. Going to Russians saying let's use your facilities to have secret communications, that's almost as bad as the president himself bringing the Russians into the Oval Office and leaving out the American media.
VAUSE: Shawn, when we do look at what's going on here, the meetings with the Russians and the security clearance forms and the meetings omitted with the Russian ambassador, Jeff Sessions, the attorney general, national security advisor, Michael Flynn, Jared Kushner, all involving the Russian ambassador leaving these meetings off their security clearances. It does at least have the appearance there's something not quite right.
[02:34:56] STEEL: We can get into the weeds, and I will. The documentation Ethan talked about happened to be 129 pages. Microscopic information that requires lots of hours going through it. And mistakes can be made.
That's not even the big issue. The fundamental issue is information's coming out almost every day at 5:30, there's what we call an information dump, with various leaks we saw in Manchester and many are fraudulent information. Many of the leaks with fraudulent information. This Jared thing is inconsequential, and that's according to General Kelly, director of Homeland Security, and that's as good a source as you're going to get.
(LAUGHTER)
Now, if you're going to laugh at General Kelly, then nothing's sacred.
(CROSSTALK)
BEARMAN: I do laugh at General Kelly because he's the one saying we need to be more worried about the southern border than anything else in the U.S. I absolutely disagree. So, yes, I can laugh when you say General Kelly said this about the Kushner meeting. There's information that needs to be investigated. We need to get to the bottom of this. This is a series of stories that aren't ending.
SESAY: To Shawn's point, what about the leaks? What about the way this information is coming out? Does that trouble you in any way?
BEARMANL: It does a little bit. Let's talk about the difference between a leak and a whistleblower, and I think that's what the Republicans are losing in all of this. If there's something wrong going on, there's been lies being told, laws being violated, rules being broken, that's called whistle blowing, not leaking. So to explain everything on leakers and say that's where the problem is, it's the wrong approach.
VAUSE: I guess it depends on which party you're with.
(CROSSTALK)
VAUSE: Let's move on, because on Monday, the French President Emmanuel Macron actually met with Russia's Vladimir Putin. Take a look at some is of Melissa Bell's new reporting.
(CROSSTALK)
VAUSE: I don't think he did. Quite the opposite. Listen to CNN's Melissa Bell reporting from Paris.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MELISSA BELL, CNN PARIS CORRESPONDENT: It was quite impressive to see him stand there by Vladimir Putin and so firmly take on a number of different issues. For example, on allegations of Russian interference in France's elections. Vladimir Putin batted them away and Macron didn't really allow it, pointing out that he had already said what he had to say to Vladimir Putin on the matter when Putin had congratulated him on his win. And once he said something once, he doesn't say it again. Also talking clearly about the fact that he believes that certain Russia media outlets weren't acting as ordinary press during his election campaign but as machines of propaganda. And this was a man who did not mince his words in front of the president.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Shawn, what are the chances Donald Trump will take the same stance when he meets with President Putin?
STEEEL: When that day happens, I don't think Putin will be talking to somebody he can roll over. Trump tells it like it is. His extremely successful tour in Europe, telling NATO that they're not paying their fair share. Talking to more --
(CROSSTALK)
SESAY: OK. Every American president in recent times has said that.
STEEL: Not on that level. And talking in Saudi Arabia to one of the greatest defense deals ever made in American history that's going to get three generations of work for Americans. And talking about the truth that Obama could not possibly do, that the Sunnis have to clean up their own house, and that includes the Wahhabi religion coming out of Saudi Arabia.
We have two conversations here. Half the country doesn't believe anything I say and the other half of the country doesn't believe a smidgen of what Ethan says. Our job is to try to communicate to the other side maybe a semblance of a little bit of information that might open the mind somewhat.
SESAY: You talked about the president not being rolled over by Vladimir Putin.
Ethan, to you, we're not clear on what this administration's policy is on Russia.
BEARMAN: And we don't have answers in terms of business deals, financial ties with Russia. No answers on any of it except there's nothing to see here, those are the answers we're getting from the White House. And unlike Macron, who directly confronted Vladimir Putin, President Trump will give him a hug, kiss on the check, they're drink a little wine together, instead of actually getting to the point where an American should be concerned about the Russians medaling.
STEEL: Trump doesn't drink.
(CROSSTALK)
VAUSE: You mentioned the very successful overseas trip the president just had. We're hearing from the foreign minister a day after we heard from the German chancellor. He said about Trump, "Anyone who accelerates climate change by weakening environmental protection and sells more guns in conflict zones and does not want to resolve religious conflicts is putting peace in Europe at risk. The shortsighted policies of the American government stand against the interests of the European Union. The West has become smaller. At least it has become weaker."
So, Ethan, this is the view of Trump's visit.
STEEL: By one person.
[02:40:03] VAUSE: By Macron and the others as well.
BEARMAN: Let's include the French president, Macron. The same thing there. This president in a matter of months has done everything he can to roll us back to before the Marshall Plan when it comes to Europe. This is dangerous territory. It's bad news for all of us. I really hope someone can speak something to the president.
VAUSE: Final thought, Shawn.
STEEL: The Marshall Plan was actually a good era, before the Marshall Plan because America had total domination over Europe.
VAUSE: OK, and with that --
(CROSSTALK)
VAUSE: Shawn, Ethan, thanks so much.
SESAY: Appreciate it, gentleman.
VAUSE: Thank you.
Well.
SESAY: They're a handful.
VAUSE: They are.
We move on to another issue which is concerning the Trump administration. Earlier this month, the Trump International Hotel in Washington hosted a conference for essentially a group wanting to improve relations between U.S. and Turkey.
SESAY: This is just one example of the complicated entanglements involving Mr. Trump's business empire and his presidency. The Trump Organization says the money it receives from foreign governments is too difficult to track.
CNN's Cristina Alesci reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CRISTINA ALESCI, CNN MONEY CORRESPODNENT (voice-over): An annual meeting on U.S. Turkey relations, most years a standard event. Not this year. This year, it was at the Trump International Hotel in D.C., ground zero for President Trump's conflicts of interest.
EKIM ALPTEKIN, DIRECTOR, TURKEY BUSINESS COUNCIL: Frankly, most people involved in the decision making didn't expect him to win the election. But we liked the hotel.
ALESCI: Ekim Alptekin heads a business counsel in Turkey. He's the guy who paid Mike Flynn, Trump's fired national security advisor, to work in Turkish interests.
(on camera): Did the money you paid Flynn, did that come from a foreign government?
ALPTEKIN: Absolutely not. It was my personal money from my personal account. ALESCI: Alptekin says the Turkish government didn't pay Flynn and the
government didn't fund this conference at the Trump Hotel either. It was planned before Trump became president but the contract was signed after.
ALPTEKIN: We pay for all our activities through sponsorships and membership fees. There's zero money from the government coming in.
ALESCI: But ethics experts aren't so sure.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looks like several of the sponsors of the event are government owned and controlled entities. We haven't' seen the flow of money.
ALESCI: Alptekin's group falls under the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey which is linked to the Turkish government. Why does that matter? Critics say payments from foreign governments to Trump's companies violate the Constitution, specifically the Emoluments Clause.
That's why the Trump Organization made this pledge in January.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: President-elect Trump has decided that he's going to voluntarily donate all profits from foreign government payments made to his hotels to the United States Treasury.
ALESCI: Four months later, Trump Org. now says it's not practical to fully deliver on its promise. In fact, the company will not track individual hotel guests or foreign government money that flows through an outside group.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're deciding who qualifies, they're deciding what is a profit. They're essentially saying trust us. We've got this.
ALESCI: The Trump Organization says, quote, "We take these matters seriously and are fully committed to complying with all of our legal and ethical obligations.
As for next year's U.S./Turkey relations conference, it will beat the Trump Hotel again. Alptekin denies it has anything to do with getting the president's attention.
ALPTEKIN: I think it's preposterous to think you can curry favor by staying in this hotel.
Cristina Alesci, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SESAY: Let's take a break here. Many travelers facing a lengthy flight consider their personal electronics a necessity. They have to get unplugged.
VAUSE: No.
SESAY: We'll explain ahead.
[02:44:05] VAUSE: Awful.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SESAY: Well, British Airways expects a run a full flight schedule Tuesday. A computer meltdown halted the operation at Heathrow and Gatwick, stranding thousands of passengers on a busy holiday weekend.
VAUSE: So miserable.
The airline blames a power surge for the failure affecting 75,000 passengers all around the world. And this actually could cost the airline more than $100 million.
SESAY: That is the very definition of miserable.
The U.S. is considering a dramatic expansion of a ban of laptops and other electronic devices on planes.
SESAY: This is the other definition of miserable.
Right now, the carryon ban affects 10 airports in the Middle East and Africa.
Rene Marsh has details on what's behind the possible change.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RENE MARSH, CNN AVIATION & REGULATION CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sophisticated threats towards commercial aviation is fueling new proposed restrictions on what electronics passengers can take into the cabin of an aircraft.
Homeland Secretary Kelly says terror groups are obsessed with blowing up passenger planes, preferably, a plane bound for the United States.
CHRIS WALLACE, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Are you going to ban laptops on all international flights both into and out of the U.S.?
GEN. JOHN KELLY, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: I might.
MARSH: Kelly first told CNN on Friday why he thinks it's necessary.
(on camera): Some of the stakeholders say you've hinted this ban could happen right here on U.S. soil. Is that true or did they misread you?
KELLY: They didn't misread me. I would tell you the threats against passenger aviation, worldwide, are constant.
MARSH (voice-over): A U.S.-based ban would restrict electronics larger than a cell phone in the cabin. Those include iPads, eReaders and laptops. It would be the most extreme step taken to protect aviation from a terror attack since September 11.
This weekend, Kelly said chilling intelligence is pushing him to expand the ban.
KELLY: There's a real threat. There's numerous threats against aviation. That's really the thing they're obsessed with.
MARSH: The laptop ban is currently in place in 10 airports in eight Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East and Africa. All electronics larger than a cell phone have to be in checked luggage on those flights.
In the meantime, another new security measures are in place at 10 U.S. airports. Electronics larger than a cell phone must be taken out of carry-on luggage to be screened separately. Kelly says that, too, will likely expand nationwide.
KELLY: The TSA people looking at those bags can't see exactly what's in the bags because they're stuffed so full.
MARSH: While Kelly makes clear more new restrictions and screening measures are on the way, he's less clear on when those would happen.
(on camera): Despite the dire warnings from Secretary Kelly, deliberations on the expansion of the ban have spanned several weeks. One U.S. official tells me the lengthy deliberation is partly due to Kelly's desire to consider the full impact of the ban. The airline industry says it helps drive $1.5 trillion in economic activity in the U.S., so how could this ban impact that. Another source says DHS is taking a close look at the science surrounding lithium ion batteries in the cargo hold.
Rene Marsh, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: It's going to be Armageddon. Awful, horrendous.
SESAY: OK. Well, that's cheery.
[02:49:56] VAUSE: There we go.
Next on NEWSROOM L.A., a public apology and an explanation from Tiger Woods after he was arrested on charges of driving under the influence.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: Sticking with apologies, Tiger Woods has said he is sorry after he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. He said alcohol was not involved and that he had an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications.
SESAY: Woods was arrested early Monday in Jupiter, Florida, where he has a home. He was booked and released from jail a few hours later.
Segun Oduolowu is with us, an entertainment journalist and pop culture contributor.
Segun, welcome back. SEGUN ODUOLOWU, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST & POP CULTURE CONTRIBUTOR:
Good to be back.
VAUSE: Nice to see you.
ODUOLOWU: Nice to see the both of you.
SESAY: Thank you. You're so smooth.
So let's move on. Woods in this widely-reported statement says he takes responsibility but it wasn't alcohol, rather a reaction to medication that he's been taking for his back surgery. As explanations, as apologies go, how does this rate?
ODUOLOWU: Well, it's plausible denial. And if this was another sport, like football, this would be a foul. When he was arrested, the reports are saying that he refused a breathalyzer, which under Florida state law, you are taken immediately to jail and booked under suspicion of DUI. He's been reported as having back fusion on his back, so this excuse, it's my meds, not alcohol, is plausible.
Personally, you don't not take the breathalyzer if you're innocent. And this is more for his fans, and for his sponsors. In a sport like golf, similar to the Indianapolis 500 where if racers have the logos on their person, there's a logo on Tiger's bags, his clubs, the all he uses, these sponsors and these endorsers are not going to be happy with a DUI mug shot staring right back at them.
VAUSE: This is not for legal reasons, but prescribed medication, under the influence, illegal drugs, all the same in Florida.
But Tiger also in that statement said, "I would like to apologize with all my heart to my family, friends and fans. I expect more from myself, too. I will do everything in my power to ensure all of this never happens again."
All of this sounds similar to an apology he made back in 2010 after it was revealed he had multiple affairs and he had been in rehab for six weeks. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TIGER WOODS, PRO GOLFER: Many of you have cheered for me, or you worked with me, or you supported me. Now every one of you has good reason to be critical of me. I want to say to each of you, simply and directly, I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behavior I engaged in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: How many times can Tiger Woods be forgiven?
ODUOLOWU: Well, none, if you keep giving horrible apologies like that. When do you have to read an apology? If you're truly sorry, that's all you say, I'm sorry, I messed up, please forgive me, I let you down. SESAY: When you have sponsors, you read apologies.
ODUOLOWU: Right, but that read apology didn't feel as if there was any genuine emotion to it.
(CROSSTALK)
SESAY: I thought he seemed genuine.
(CROSSTALK)
[02:54:54] ODUOLOWU: No. Take a look at the Michael Vick apology when he apologized for getting caught for dog fighting. He got up there, no script, no notes and apologized sincerely. Tiger should have done that. He's getting ahead of the story with the plausible deniability. But that apology, when you look at it, he's like, I'm sorry that this happened. No account whatsoever about what the possible danger of driving under the influence, people that could have been run off the road or killed, and that bothered me as well As people came out in support of, oh, we're so sorry for Tiger, not the potential damage that could have happened. But he blames it on the meds. It's not my fault, it's not me, it's the meds. That, at 41- year-old, I didn't know how to take responsibly, even though I've had multiple knee surgeries and back surgeries and have been prescribed medication before.
SESAY: The mug shot was put out there, as you know, and it was out there, everyone saw it, and then social media lit up.
ODUOLOWU: As they should.
SESAY: When it appeared that ESPN had Photoshopped --
VAUSE: Cleaned him up a little.
(CROSSTALK)
VAUSE: Look at this, on the right.
ODUOLOWU: In the red, and you can see how they kind of slicked his hair back a little bit and highlighted the jaw line.
(CROSSTALK)
VAUSE: And the bags under the eyes.
ODUOLOWU: I'm not sure why they would do that. He looks like in that picture that he's got more hair than me.
(LAUGHTER)
And in the real picture, they're doing the exact same thing.
(CROSSTALK)
SESAY: -- be like a technical thing where you're trying to change backgrounds and, I don't know.
ODUOLOWU: No, that was -- listen, Tiger -- in the world of sports, Tiger Woods is still a sacred cow. The golf meter and sports meter moves when something happened to him.
There was a DUI recently today of Philadelphia defensive back. That doesn't make the news, because he's not Tiger Woods. Tiger Woods is so big that he hasn't played --
VAUSE: Let's take a look at the official rankings right now. He was number one for so long. Right now, in the official world rankings, he is 876. I mean, that is a huge -- that is 875 places short of number one.
ODUOLOWU: But he's the only golfer, if they walk into a room, everywhere in the world, you would know who that is. Golfers are international. But as good as others may be, they do not carry the same type of weight and gravitas of a 14-time major championship winner. So Tiger is still the golf needle. Every tournament he doesn't play, when is he coming back? Every tournament he does play, can he win again? It's so much. We talk about his surgeries, his family, his infidelities, and now driving under the influence.
VAUSE: The lasting image is Tiger in a green jacket, tiger in a mug shot.
ODUOLOWU: The lasting image of Tiger is a fallen star because we love a comeback story, and until he does, we'll be left with that soulless mug shot.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
SESAY: Segun, thank you.
VAUSE: Good to see you.
SESAY: You've been watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. I'm Isha Sesay.
VAUSE: And I'm John Vause.
Speaking of comebacks, Max Foster, big comeback in London. Stay with us.
SESAY: It's worth the wait.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[03:00:09] MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: The Russia investigation focuses attention on Donald Trump's son-in-law. The White House sticks by Jared Kushner, but others --
