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Trump Calls Comey A Leaker; Trump Claims Vindication; Meetings With Russia; Interview with Sen. Jack Reed; Comey Closed Door Hearing; Sessions Additional Meeting with Russian Ambassador; Blumenthal Raises Perjury Question. Aired 1-1:30p ET

Aired June 09, 2017 - 13:00   ET

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

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Wolf Blitzer. It's 1:00 p.m. here in Washington, 6:00 p.m. in London. Thanks very much for joining us.

We're just an hour or so away from hearing from President Trump. About to take questions from the news media for the first time in three weeks. It'll also be the first questions he'll answer since the former FBI director, James Comey, whom he fired, testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee. That was on yesterday.

President Trump appears next hour with Romania's president, Klaus Iohannis. They will take questions from reporters. Two questions from American reporters. Two questions from Romanian reporters.

Among the top questions the president could face is whether he taped his conversations with James Comey at the White House and whether he has confidence in his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, moving forward.

There may also be some questions about the president's senior adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who now is expected to talk with Senate investigators as part of the Russia investigation.

Team Trump attacking this admission by James Comey, during his public testimony yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMES COMEY, FORMER DIRECTOR, FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: The president tweeted on Friday after I got fired, that I better hope there's not tapes.

I woke up in the middle of the night on Monday night because it didn't dawn on me originally that there might be corroboration for our conversation. There might be a tape.

And my judgment was I needed to get that out into the public square. And so, I asked a friend of mine to share the content of the memo with a reporter. I didn't do it myself for a variety of reasons but I asked him to because I thought that might prompt the appointment of a special counsel.

And so, I asked a close friend.

SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R), MAINE, SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: Was that Mr. Wittes (ph)?

COMEY: No. No.

COLLINS: Who was that?

COMEY: A good friend of mine who is a professor at Columbia law school.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Let me bring in our Senior White House Correspondent Jim Acosta. He's standing by at the White House. Our Justice Producer Shimon Prokupecz and our Congressional Correspondent Phil Mattingly. He's up on Capitol Hill.

Jim, the president tweeted about that passage earlier this morning, but that's just a small part of the White House reaction to all of this, right?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf. The president went back to tweeting earlier this morning, after being dark on Twitter for a good 24 hours.

He tweeted that Comey is a leaker. That is -- that is a statement that he said in that tweet earlier this morning, despite so many false statements and lies. Total and complete vindication, the president tweeted. And, wow, Comey is a leaker.

That gleeful tweet from the president basically echoes what his legal team was saying yesterday in response to the testimony from the former FBI director. Marc Kasowitz is now casting the former FBI director as a leaker, after he admitted in that testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee that he did orchestrate the release of his memos to that Columbia law professor.

It was shortly after that that Kasowitz gave that statement to the press and accused the former FBI director of leaking that information. Of course, it's not classified information. It's his own personal memo. He's not an employee of the federal government anymore and he was not being blocked by executive privilege, and so there are going to be some legal experts who say this was not a leaking of classified information by any stretch.

But Marc Kasowitz making it clear this morning, Wolf, that he is going to file a legal complaint against the former FBI director. He's going to file that complaint with the office of inspector general over at the Department of Justice.

Also with the Senate Judiciary Committee again trying to make the case that Comey improperly released that information about the president.

And, of course, we're going to hear from the president about an hour and a half from now in the Rose Garden. As you said, he's going to be appearing at that joint press conference with the leader from Romania.

And there are many questions that are going to be asked, whether or not the president has a recording system here at the White House. The deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders could not answer that question yesterday.

And, of course, the fate of his attorney general, Jeff Sessions. Sure, he has confidence, the White House says, in the attorney general. But is -- if -- is Jeff Sessions built to last? Is he going to last in that role? How much longer is that going to happen? And I suspect the president may be asked something about something -- about that as well.

And just the overall thrust of James Comey's comments yesterday, Wolf, in that hearing. It is incredible to hear a former FBI director repeatedly accuse the president of the United States of being a liar. Of lying about this and lying about that. You would think that that would get the president's dander up and that would have prompted him to tweet something in response yesterday. He didn't -- the president did not take that bait.

So, the question becomes, does he do that later on at this press conference this afternoon? He was pretty restrained over this whole period of the Comey testimony. Not a lot of tweets. Just that tweet earlier this morning.

And this White House was pretty restrained as well, keeping the president, sort of, away from the T.V.s. He had meetings and so forth. So, it'll be interesting to see what the president's posture is at this news conference coming up -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Yes, it was interesting. He let his private, outside attorney speak for him yesterday.

And, remember, that Comey's testimony was under oath. If he was lying -- repeatedly calling the president of the United States a liar. If he was lying, that's perjury. That's a crime. He could go to jail for that.

[13:05:05] Shimon, next week we're going to hear from the attorney general of the United States, Jeff Sessions. He's going to face questions up on Capitol Hill. The topic -- the topic is the budget but he'll surely be asked about what we heard from James Comey yesterday during those hearings.

There are other questions about Sessions, as well, involved in the Russia investigation. What's the latest you're hearing?

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN JUSTICE PRODUCER: Well, that's right, Wolf. We fully expect him to be questioned about some of his contacts with Russians. Sessions has certainly been in the news quite a bit, concerning whether or not he had additional contacts with any Russians, specifically the Russian ambassador, Sergey Kislyak. It's been, sort of, a topic that has been ongoing.

We know that the FBI, and based on what the director -- former director did yesterday at his testimony, he would not discuss certain information that the FBI knows about. It's intelligence that they gathered during the course of this investigation, that hasn't necessarily been corroborated.

But there is some intelligence that suggests that the Russians were talking about Sessions. And perhaps there was a suggestion by the Russians that Kislyak may have had another meeting with Sessions. That information has not been corroborated by the FBI. They have not necessarily ruled it out.

And, you know, our understanding is that they're still looking at it. The Department of Justice and Sessions have denied there were any additional meetings. This meeting, in particular, happened over a year ago at the Mayflower Hotel in D.C., where Trump was giving a speech and Kislyak was attending.

There may have some contact that, kind of, was on the side. But the Department of Justice and, really, the attorney general have denied there have been any additional meetings.

You know, the FBI has not really talked about this publicly. It was really telling and interesting when the former director, Comey, yesterday was asked about Sessions. He -- you know, he kept saying there were other reasons why he felt Sessions would have to be recused from the Russia investigation, which he eventually was. But he did not go into those reasons.

And he did -- we were told yesterday -- you know, CNN's Manu Raju was told yesterday that in the closed session, Comey did talk about some of these other concerns. And one of it was this intelligence, this other information, about a possible meeting or some contact at the Mayflower Hotel -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Yes, it's also very, very intriguing, the president's aides, now the president's spokespeople, they continue to refuse to say whether the president has confidence in the attorney general.

PROKUPECZ: That's right.

BLITZER: Yesterday, the deputy press secretary would only say the president's confidence in his cabinet. But pressed repeatedly on Sessions, they won't say that. We'll see if the president is asked that at the news conference later today.

Phil, what's the latest up on Capitol Hill, as far as the investigations are concerned and the reaction to Comey's testimony?

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think on the reaction front, what's been most interesting, Wolf, is, kind of, how Republicans have tried to play this. They've said there was nothing new. There were no big surprises.

And they've also said, in multiple occasions from multiple senators and members of the House, maybe the president just didn't know any better.

Take a listen to what Senator Intelligence Committee member, Susan Collins, had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: The first interaction that the president had with Mr. Comey, in early January at Trump Tower, it was the FBI director who cleared the room so that he could have a one-on-one discussion with the president about that salacious dossier.

And I wonder if perhaps that made the president think that whenever there's a sensitive conversation to be had with the FBI director that it should be one-on-one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: Now, Wolf, it's worth noting that the president has a White House counsel's office, a White House counsel and a staff that should probably be the people that would inform him what he should or shouldn't do, if he's unaware of that. So, that puts a hole in it a little bit.

But I think the interesting element here, Wolf, is as much as yesterday seemed like a climax, when it comes to the investigations here on Capitol Hill, it's not.

As you noted with Shimon, obviously, Jeff Sessions will be testifying up on Capitol Hill on a separate matter next week. You also have Bob Mueller, the chief counsel -- or the special counsel. He'll be meeting with the top two members of the Senate Intelligence Committee behind closed doors next week to talk about their investigations, make sure they don't run into each other.

And then, you have Jared Kushner. As you noted, he, as soon as next week, will be meeting with staff on the Senate Intelligence Committee. After that meeting, he was expected, according to sources, to be submitting documents and then meeting with senators.

So, the idea that yesterday was kind of the end game or there was large-scale vindication or anything like that, if you talk to people up on Capitol Hill, they make very clear, they are still at the early stages of the investigation.

There are still a lot of issues that they plan to take on going forward. And there is no, really, kind of, end in sight to things, as they move forward on those probes -- Wolf.

[13:10:03] BLITZER: Yes, it seems to be expanding, as we speak.

Phil Mattingly, Jim Acosta, Shimon Prokupecz, guys, thanks very much.

Let's get some perspective on all of this, the Russia investigations, the Comey testimony. Democratic Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island is joining us. Senator, thanks very much for joining us.

SEN. JACK REED (D), RHODE ISLAND, SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: Thanks, Wolf.

BLITZER: You had a chance to question Comey yesterday. The president is claiming what he calls total and complete vindication. Do you agree with the president?

REED: No, not at all. I think Director Comey made a strong impression. As you noted, he did so under oath. The president, I think, if he's willing to insist upon his position, that should also be made under oath, not through an attorney or through tweets.

I think Comey was very compelling. I think both my colleagues on both sides of the aisle thought so. He was open. He answered all the questions.

So, I think the -- frankly, the burden is now on the president to come forth definitively and say what happened.

BLITZER: Well, there's a few ways he can do it. What you're saying is he should -- he should make a statement under oath. Where? At the White House? Come up to Capitol Hill and say that Comey was lying, as far as the loyalty issue and the Michael Flynn issue was concerned? Because that's what his lawyers -- his lawyer said yesterday.

REED: Yes.

BLITZER: You want him to raise his hand, take that oath and make that statement?

REED: I think that's, ultimately, what will happen. Because, in the course of these investigations, particularly with special prosecutor Mueller, since part of this, as was indicated yesterday, goes to the rationale behind the firing of Mr. Comey and the rational of trying to deflect, if not stop, the investigation of General Flynn. It involves, to some degree, the president.

So, I would expect, at some point -- not right away. But, at some point, that Mr. Mueller would feel he has to depose the president.

BLITZER: So, that would be the special counsel deposing --

REED: Right.

BLITZER: -- the president under oath. Well, we'll see if that actually winds up happening.

The other way this could be resolved, the he said verse he said, one is lying, the other is lying, is if there are tapes --

REED: Yes.

BLITZER: -- in the White House of those conversations he had with Comey. Do -- first of all, do you know if there are tapes?

REED: I don't know if there are tapes. But there are only three, in my view, logical conclusions. There are tapes and they confirm what Mr. Comey said. There are no tapes and so the president is misleading in his statement. Or there are tapes that refute Comey. If that was the case, I think those tapes would be public already.

BLITZER: So, you're saying -- your conclusion is -- REED: Either there's no tapes or those tapes, they do not help the

president's position.

BLITZER: Because the president, in that tweet weeks ago, he raised the possibility of tapes. He put the word, tapes, in quotes.

REED: Right. And that could be, I think, just simply a misstatement.

BLITZER: Let me play this clip for you. This is Comey, during the testimony, talking about the president's, sort of, hope. He used the word, hope. I hope you can --

REED: Right

BLITZER: -- walk away or leave a -- leave the investigation to Michael Flynn, his fired national security adviser, alone.

Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COMEY: I don't think it's for me to say whether the conversation I had with the president was an effort to obstruct. I took it as a very disturbing thing, very concerning. But that's a conclusion I'm sure the special counsel will work towards, to try and understand what the intention was there and whether that's an offense.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: First of all, do you know if the special counsel is now investigating the president for obstruction of justice? Because that's the implication of what Comey was saying yesterday.

REED: I have not had the opportunity to talk with the special counsel. His staff has indicated by the colleagues he will meet with Senator Warner and Senator Burr this week and talk about --

BLITZER: The chairman and the vice chairman of the Intelligence Committee.

REED: Yes, of the Intelligence Committee. My sense is that this is all part of a very elaborate, intricate situation, involving not only what he said to Director Comey.

But there have been reports and we've actually questioned Director of National Intelligence Coats and Admiral Rogers of the NSA about reports that he, in fact, asked them to take steps that would either publicly exonerate him or, in some hot way, influence the FBI.

So, this is -- these -- all these instances are suggesting not just one incident with Comey, but a pattern of behavior which goes to the president's possible abuse of power by trying to stop a legitimate investigation.

BLITZER: And do you know that the attorney general, Jeff Sessions, will testify before the Senate -- REED: Right.

BLITZER: -- next week on budget-related issues. But you know there are going to be a lot of questions on all of this.

REED: Yes, it's very loose budget-related issues.

BLITZER: Very loosely budget-related issues. But the senators can ask whatever they want.

I know you were part -- I assume you went to that closed-door meeting after the open session yesterday.

REED: I was there for part of it.

BLITZER: Because you saw the reports. CNN reporting that Comey suggested or there may have been a third undisclosed meeting with the Russian ambassador that Sessions had. They're still trying to figure that out. What can you tell us about that?

[13:15:02] REED: I -- it's not appropriate to comment on anything that took place in that closed-door session. That's -- I grew up in the Army. You don't talk about (INAUDIBLE.)

BLITZER: So you don't - you don't want to talk about the -

REED: No, sir.

BLITZER: But, I don't know if that's classified, but it was closed door.

REED: It was closed door.

BLITZER: Yes, but it was definitely closed door. I don't know if it was classified.

Did - without telling us any classified information, was there a bombshell that you learned during that one hour private meeting?

REED: Again, I - I would prefer not to. I think the best approach is that, there was an open session. I thought that Director Comey was incredibly candid, responded to every question, responded in a very thoughtful, complete way. And then there were matters that should be considered behind closed doors regardless of whether they're classified or technically not classified. I think going in that direction is not the appropriate way.

BLITZER: Someone is lying here, right?

REED: Someone is not accurate.

BLITZER: You're very diplomatic.

REED: Thank you.

BLITZER: Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island. REED: Thank you.

BLITZER: Thanks very much for joining us.

REED: Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: Coming up, we're learning new details about the former FBI director, Comey's closed testimony. What he said and why the attorney general, Jeff Sessions, is pushing back. Plus, why many are now calling for the British prime minister, Theresa May, to resign. We're going live to London for the very latest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:20:06] BLITZER: It's been a roller coaster week for the attorney general of the United States, Jeff Sessions. Earlier in the week, CNN reported that Sessions had offered his resignation but was turned down by the president. Then he was clearly an important player in the James Comey testimony yesterday with Comey explaining why FBI leadership decided to not loop Sessions into all of their conversations. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES COMEY, FORMER FBI DIRECTOR: Our judgment, as I recall, was that he was very close to and inevitably going to recuse himself for a variety of reasons. We also were aware of facts that I can't discuss in an open setting that would make his continued engagement in a Russia-related investigation problematic.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Here with us now, CNN legal analyst and former federal prosecutor Laura Coates, and CNN's chief political correspondent Dana Bash.

So, in the closed hearing that happened after the open - the two and a half hour open hearing, they went behind closed doors for an hour with members of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Apparently Comey elaborated on Sessions, saying their - it's possible there was a third undisclosed meeting he may have had with the Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak.

Dana, if he did, that raises questions about Sessions' credibility.

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh, big time. But the key part of your sentence is, if he did. What Comey said in closed session, what he hinted at in a big way in open session, is something that CNN reported last week, which is that this is part of the investigation. They're looking into whether or not there was an additional meeting that Jeff Sessions had with the Russian ambassador that he didn't tell Congress about, or he didn't - that he didn't tell the truth about when he was asked explicitly about it when he was under oath before the committee that was talking about whether or not he should be confirmed as attorney general.

So it's a big if, but that's why the investigation is going on. And, you know, it's also noteworthy that this comes as he is not in the best of places with his boss, the president, which is highly unusual given the fact that they were so close during the campaign. I mean Jeff Sessions was the first U.S. senator to endorse Donald Trump and it was a big boost for Trump's campaign.

BLITZER: Yes, he certainly was. And now the White House, as I said earlier, refusing to say whether or not the president has confidence specifically in Sessions. The only thing they'll say is the president has confidence in his cabinet.

BASH: Yes. Which I should say has nothing to do with this - with this investigation.

BLITZER: No.

BASH: It has to do with the fact that the president's upset that Sessions recused himself, which allowed this snowball that led to this special prosecutor.

BLITZER: Senator Blumenthal of Connecticut suggested if it's true that there was this third undisclosed meeting, Laura, at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, apparently U.S. intelligence, law enforcement, picked up a conversation involving Russians talking about that meeting, but they don't know if the Russians were simply bragging about something that did not occur or if it was real. But if it's true, could that possibly be perjury? Because, as you know, Sessions testified under oath before Congress, before the Senate, and also he made statements in terms of his own applications, his forms to become the attorney general.

LAURA COATES, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, it certainly does look as though that pendulum shifts from this convenient amnesia to perhaps a coincidental amnesia, to now maybe criminal culpability in the form of perjury and also it suggests at the least of his worries, if this is true, is probably perjury because what it's showing you from Comey's testimony yesterday is not that there was just a lack of confidence and faith in his leadership abilities of the Department of Justice, but that he may have actually been complicit in some aspect of what they're investigating, which is collusion into this foreign entity with Russia.

So, realistically, yes, perjury is definitely on the table. What's also on the table is that there is a greater investigation opening up or expanding about Jeff Sessions' specific involvement with the Russian foreign agents, foreign powers, the ambassadors. And what that tells you is, indeed, somebody close to the Trump campaign is, in fact, under specific investigation. And now we also know that the president of the United States, based on the handing over of memos to Mueller, is now part of that investigation. Talk about a snowball, Dana. This is a - this is a domino effect that leads right to the Justice Department, but probably not to - and not under Sessions guise any longer.

BLITZER: And remember what Comey said yesterday is when - when he said the president hoped he would walk away and leave alone the Michael Flynn investigation, the - he - that was totally inappropriate, Comey said, because Flynn was then being investigated and was under, in his words, legal jeopardy.

BASH: That's right, which is one of the many things that Comey kind of revealed in public the things that we have been reporting, namely that Michael Flynn is under criminal investigation and was under criminal investigation. But I just - I totally agree with you, the irony here is so overwhelming that the president's whole goal, what he was desperate for Comey to do, as far as Comey tells it, is to just tell the public that he's not under investigation. Please tell the public that it's not me. The Flynn thing was kind of a separate, but the gist of most of their conversations, according to Comey was, him trying to get his - him, the president, trying to get his own name cleared. And because of that Flynn conversation, which certainly did not seem appropriate at all to Comey at the time, but we now know is the physical notes from it, from Comey, his memos, are with the special counsel, that he ended up being likely part of the investigation where, at the time, he genuinely wasn't.

[13:25:51] BLITZER: It's interesting because Comey yesterday was testifying under oath. If he was lying, that would be perjury. He could go to jail for that. The attorney, the private attorney representing the president afterwards came out and said Comey was lying. And the president this morning in his tweet suggested the same thing, that Comey was lying. That - and Comey was suggesting the president was lying.

I want you to listen to what Senator Reed, who was in that hearing yesterday, Senator Reed of Rhode Island, just told me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JACK REED (D), RHODE ISLAND: I think that's ultimately what will happen because in the course of these investigations, but particularly with Special Prosecutor Mueller, since part of this, as was indicated yesterday, goes to the rationale behind the firing of Mr. Comey and the rationale of trying to deflect, if not stop, the investigation of General Flynn, it involves, to some degree, the president. So I would expect at some point, not right away, but at some point that Mr. Mueller would feel that he has to depose the president.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Because he wants the president to make a statement under oath and he - probably he's right, the only realistic way that would ever happen is if Mueller, the special counsel, calls him and says, you're under oath, you better testify.

COATES: And he should expect that knock on the door. But we can also expect the nature of the special counsel relationship is such that he still reports to Rod Rosenstein, who can decide if there is a report generated and an ultimate conclusion as to whether to bring criminal charges against anyone involved, any part of the campaign or any other we don't know about yet, it's Rosenstein who has the decision to say whether to release the report or the indication and basis behind it.

So even if we had this deposition, even if you had President Trump testify in some capacity under oath, it's still kind of, the buck still lies with Rod Rosenstein. And so that's why it's critically important to keep in mind this track and the pattern of recusals because with each recusal, with each step you take away from people passing this hot potato around, the public is farther and farther away from getting the final, critical answers they need. That's by design in part to avoid witch hunt, which he's been accused of having, but it's also to understand this is an ongoing investigation. And when the president holds up a sign that says, nothing to see here, don't look here, tell me, look in here, everyone looks here. It's like, imagine, don't picture the pink elephant in the room. That's all you can see. And so you should expect a deposition, but not expect the public to hear about it or have the details.

BLITZER: You know, Dana, I'm not sure that the president or his private attorney fully understood the ramifications of publicly accusing the former FBI director, the former deputy attorney general, a former U.S. attorney, someone who's been involved in law enforcement for so many years, James Comey, of committing a crime, lying under oath before Congress, because you make that accusation, as Marc Kasowitz did yesterday, the private attorney, as the president in his tweet did this morning, it opens the door. Well, you're accusing this guy of committing a crime. We have to investigate. The only way to prove who's lying is to get you, Mr. President, under oath or if there are tapes.

BASH: Right. Or maybe he did know. You know, or maybe he kind of understood the legal ramifications. But he had a client, the president of the United States, saying, you know, watching this hearing in the White House saying, you see, you see, I'm vindicated. Go out there and say I'm vindicated. That's your job. That's why I'm paying you.

BLITZER: Well, it's one thing to say - it's one thing to say I'm vindicated, completely vindicated.

BASH: Right.

BLITZER: It's another thing to make an accusation of a crime involving the former FBI director.

BASH: Look, Marc Kasowitz is obviously a very successful lawyer, but there are people who are near the president who have been begging him to hire somebody who is much more experienced in this kind of law, in the law that is, you know, kind of in and around and about Washington. People who have experience with independent counsels. And he's been reluctant - he, the president, has been reluctant to do that.

BLITZER: Yes, because the next step, now you've got to see if this man was committing a crime yesterday, Comey, and that means, you know what, you've got to get the president under oath as well. And special counsel can do that if he wants.

BASH: Yes.

BLITZER: All right, guys, thank you.

[13:30:00] You know what, one other note we should point out. The attorney general, Jeff Sessions, we've been pointing out, he will testify next week before the Senate and you know they're going to ask him a whole bunch of these kind of questions. You've covered the Senate for a long time.

BASH: Oh, yes.