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NEWS STREAM
Growing Controversy Around Donald Jr.'s Russia Meeting; After Mosul, Attention Now to Syria; Iceberg Broken Off From Antarctica; U.S. and Qatar Agreement to Fight Terrorism; South Korea Questions North Korea's Missile Technology. Aired 8-9a ET
Aired July 12, 2017 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNA COREN, CNN NEWS STREAM SHOW HOST: Hello. I'm Ann Coren in Hongkong. Welcome to "News Stream." The controversy over the president's son meeting
with a Russian lawyer before the election grows as President Trump himself calls it a witch hunt.
After the defeat of ISIS in Mosul, attention now turns to Syria. CNN is the first to go inside the old city of Raqqa.
And scientists say a trillion-ton iceberg has broken off from Antarctica. An iceberg so vast, it's four times the area of London.
We begin with the political firestorm centered on President Donald Trump's eldest son. The U.S. President took to twitter to defend Donald Trump Jr.
over a meeting his son had with a Russian lawyer. Trump Jr. released a series of e-mails showing he met with that attorney lawyer to get damaging
information on Hillary Clinton but he says he didn't get it. And President Trump says it is all part of the greatest witch hunt in political history.
Jason Carroll has the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, JR., PRESIDENT TRUMP'S ELDEST SON: In retrospect, I probably would have done things a little differently. For me this was opposition
research.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Donald Trump, Jr. confronting the ever worsening controversy that has his father's administration in full crisis
mode. Multiple outlets describing the president's growing exasperation with the Russian revelations and suspicion and finger-pointing between his
closest West Wing advisers. The behind-the-scenes turmoil described to the "Washington Post" as a category five hurricane. A characterization the
president's lawyer refuse.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAY SEKULOW, ATTORNEY FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP: This is a category zero, that this idea that this has consumed the White House is false.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: The White House on the defensive after Trump Jr. released a series of bombshell e-mails he had in June of last year with music
publicist Rob Goldstone about setting up a meeting with a Russian government attorney. Goldstone saying he had a lead on dirt that would
incriminate Hillary Clinton noting, "this is obviously very high level and sensitive information but is part of Russia and its government support for
Mr. Trump."
Trump Jr. replying, "If it is what you say, I love it especially later in the summer."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP, JR.: Now, someone sent me an e-mail. I can't help what someone sends me. This is 13 months ago before I think the rest of the world was
talking about that trying to build up this narrative about Russia. So, I don't even think my sirens went up or the antennas went up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: The president's son and his attorney insisting President Trump was not aware of the meeting or the e-mails.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP, JR.: It was such a nothing. There was nothing to tell. I would have even remembered it until we started scouring through the stuff.
SEKULOW: The president by the way never saw an e-mail, did not see the e- mail until it was seen today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: CNN has learned the e-mails were discovered as Jared Kushner and his legal team were preparing for his upcoming congressional testimony.
President Trump has been unusually reserved after months of insisting that the Russian investigations are fake news and a witch hunt. But the
president did come to his son's defense Tuesday night tweeting that, "he's a great person who loves our country," hours after the White House deputy
press secretary read a statement on the president's behalf.
(BEGIN AUDI CLIP)
SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS, WHITE HOUSE DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY: My son is a high quality person and I applaud his transparency.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
CARROLL: Vice President Mike Pence distancing himself from the growing controversy, releasing a statement stressing that the Russia meeting
occurred before he joined the Trump ticket. The newly released e-mails undermining what the White House has been saying for days.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REINCE PRIEBUS, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: It seems to be on the end of the Trump individuals a big nothing burger.
KELLYANNE CONWAY, COUNSELOR TO PRESIDENT TRUMP: No information provided that was meaningful, no action taken.
SEBASTIAN GORKA, DEPUTY ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT TRUMP: Nothing inappropriate happened. There's nothing inappropriate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: A number of lawmakers on Capitol Hill disagree.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: Definitely he has to testify. That e-mail was disturbing.
SEN.TIM KAINE (D), VIRGINIA: We're now beyond obstruction of justice in terms of what's being investigated. This is moving into perjury, false
statements and even potentially treason.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: Jason Carroll reporting there. Well, you saw part of Trump Jr.'s interview in Jason's report and it seems his father was impressed. A short
time ago he tweeted out his congratulations adding that he thinks the whole thing is "the greatest witch hunt in political history and sad."
You also heard in Jason's report one of the president's lawyers say Mr. Trump didn't know about any e-mail until
[08:05:00] Trump Jr. released them. Well here is what he told Jake Tapper.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: If somebody says he wants to set up a meeting with your campaign because a foreign government wants to give information about
a rival to that campaign, is that OK to do?
SEKULOW: It's not illegal. I mean, look, you had a situation with the DNC and the Ukrainians and the Ukrainian government there was giving
information about, remember, about that it was President Trump's and one of his campaign managers.
TAPPER: Yes. I mean, it was a little different. I don't want to go to the weeds of that, but it was -- nobody was meeting with any senior people of
the Clinton campaign and the person that was --
SEKULOW: But the law wouldn't be any different. I mean the question is the legal question. Is there any illegality, anything wrong with the meeting
that took place here? So the meeting take place. It's not illegal.
TAPPER: What about ethical?
SEKULOW: Look, you're in the middle of a campaign so, opposition research is very common. You've been covering this for a long time.
TAPPER: Sure, but not from Russians or --
SEKULOW: Well, but, I mean, the fact is you look at the context of where this took place. This was in the middle of a campaign, a meeting is set up.
It's a meeting that ends up where they said they had, you know, evidently, purportedly, which ends up not being the case of course - opposition
research on Hillary Clinton.
The meeting is set up, Don Jr. does the meeting. Its 20 minutes. Nothing transpires. It ends up being on the whole adoption issue and the Magnitsky
Act, and you look at the reality of what you're then dealing with and I go back to the same, what law has been violated here?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: Well this controversy isn't just raising legal questions, it's raising quite a few ethical ones as well. For months, the Trump White House
has denied time and time again any collusion with Russia. Well, Anderson Cooper broke down why this latest revelation is causing such an uproar.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Everything you just heard either gets dented or contradicted by these e-mails. No contact with Russians -- not true. No
politically motivated contact with Russians -- not true. No politically motivated contact with Russians who have ties to the Russian government --
not true. At least Donald Trump Jr. believed this attorney had ties to the Russian government.
In fact, these e-mails, again, in very plain English lay out even more politically motivated contact with a Russian individual with claims of ties
to the Kremlin promising information that would help achieve what is billed as the Russian goal of hurting Hillary Clinton and helping Donald Trump. It
is the first such encounter that someone close to the Donald Trump has acknowledged. And the president's eldest son surely qualifies as close.
So does Jared Kushner who is yet to comment and Paul Manafort. Now, it may turn out to be the only such encounter or one of many. We don't know and I
think that's important to point out. We don't know if there's more to come.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: Well, let's get more now, the turmoil reportedly consuming the White House. CNN's Jason Carroll is there. Jason, as we known for months,
the president has dismissed any collusion between his team and the Russians, labeling it as a total hoax, fake news, and now this
extraordinary e-mail. The White House obviously in serious damage control bit how can they spin their way out of this?
CARROLL: Well, I think, Anna, what we're seeing is what we've seen so many times in the past when this White House, this administration has been faced
with, you know, something controversial dealing with Russia and the allegations of Russian meddling. Deny and deflect, deny and reflect. You've
heard the denials not only from this administration but coming from surrogates who've been out there saying, look, nothing really big happened
here.
He took this meeting because it was during a campaign. He was looking for political opposition. No big deal. Deny, deny and then deflect. Deflected
on a media that they claim is obsessed with criticizing this administration.
You've already heard from the president who is deflecting by once again calling out the fake media, calling it a witch hunt, which, by the way, we
should point out continuously seems to work, at least it has in the past, which his base. So, when you ask what they do going forward, it's what
they've done in the past, deny and deflect.
COREN: But it's interesting, Jason, Republicans are trying to distance themselves from this latest scandal as you alluded in your report, the vice
president saying he wasn't part of the team when this all went down. They're making little effort to defend the White House. What does this say?
CARROLL: I think that was interesting especially, you know, some up here in D.C. who read between the lines of the vice president's statement
basically saying, look, this was something that happened before I came on board. I want to focus on the president and this administration's agenda
going forward, trying to focus on things like health care and tax reform and things of that nature.
But you have seen a number of GOP officials here in Washington who had basically tried to distance themselves. But not outrightly in some ways
criticizing Donald Trump Jr., basically saying that look, perhaps he should not have taken this meeting but still no evidence of collusion that I see
going forward. Some of them saying, is this something I would have done?
[08:10:00] No, but once again still no evidence that they're seeing so far of collusion.
COREN: Jason, Donald Trump Jr., the Russian lawyer, everyone else involved denied any wrongdoing. President Trump says he knew nothing about the e-
mail exchange and the meeting, but is there a sense where you are that we may learn of more e-mails, more (INAUDIBLE) and perhaps that smoking gun.
CARROLL: Well, I think that's really interesting. And you listen to what Senator John McCain, a Republican, said about this. He says -- I'm going to
paraphrase, you know, it was just a shoe has dropped and in all likelihood, another shoe will drop as well. It's unclear if there are going to be
another shoe to drop, you know, with all of this that's been going on.
What is clear I can tell you is that the special counsel, Robert Mueller, who is investigating allegations of, you know, Russian meddling is going to
be taking these e-mails, reviewing these e-mails. Donald Trump Jr. has agreed to cooperate with that investigation. His attorney has agreed to
cooperate but, you know, if I could just very quickly just once again just sort of go over the mood in this White House. I mean, you know, words like
paralyze have been used to describe how this White House has been feeling because of this.
They really feel as though their agenda has been hijacked because of, once again, another self-inflicted wound by this administration, someone closely
connected to this administration. So there's a lot of frustration here. They want to be talking about health care. You've got a president now who
by the way has been absent for the most part.
This president has not had a public event on his schedule within the past three days. As you know, he's about to leave for Paris tonight. So, ahead
of this, they wanted to be talking about health care. They wanted to be talking about tax reform. And now you've got this president headed to Paris
tonight and when that trip wraps up, in all likelihood he's going to end up facing questions about Russia and his son, Anna.
COREN: Absolutely. White House in crisis. Jason Carroll, great to see you. Many thanks for that.
CARROLL: You bet.
COREN: Well, CNN's Matthew Chance spoke to the Russian lawyer who met with Donald Trump, Jr. He joins us now from Moscow. Matthew, tell us, what was
your feeling meeting her? Is she credible?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I'm not sure I want to characterize it in that way. Certainly she said that she had no
compromising information on Hillary Clinton despite those e-mails that were released by Donald Trump Jr., showing quite clearly that he had a keen
interest in receiving that kind of sensitive information from her.
She says that the reason she went to that meeting at Trump Tower last June with Donald Trump Jr., the current president's son, was to lobby for the
repeal of the U.S. Magnitsky Act -- that's an act passed by the U.S. government to punish Russian officials accused of human rights abuse and of
corruption. She also wanted to overturn the Russian ban, she said, on U.S. families adopting Russian children.
We managed to catch up with her, when that e-mail exchange, which was explosive, was made public by Donald Trump Jr. Take a listen to what she
had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NATALIA VESEKNITSKAYA, RUSSIAN ATTORNEY (through translator): When it was suggested that I meet with Donald Trump Jr., I met him in a private
situation. It was a private meeting, not related at all to the fact that he was the son of the candidate. And the whole story which I had was spelled
out. It was the same for everyone, including to Donald Trump Jr., who having listened to my story didn't understand based on our conversation how
he could help me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHANCE: All right, well Veselnitskaya only denies that she had any kind of compromising information or offered that information. She also denies she
was sent by the Kremlin. The Kremlin, saying, that they want to distance themselves as much as possible from this person. They don't even know who
she is.
In fact, I just had a conference call with the Dimtry Peskov who's the spokesperson for Vladimir Putin, spokesperson for the Kremlin. And he said
this is more spin. It reminds us of a TV show that drags on a little bit too long, he said. So again, the Kremlin saying this has got nothing to do
with us.
COREN: A reality TV showing (INAUDIBLE). Matthew, the Kremlin has come out in the last hour saying there is nothing to investigate in the Russian
lawyer's contact with the Trump team. Obviously the American federal investigators think otherwise.
CHANCE: Yes. Well, they were talking about what they might investigate. We asked them this question about whether they were going to investigate this
lawyer who was perceived to be a Russian government lawyer. Apparently she's not. She was said to be carrying information from the Russian
government. Is that worth investigation, we asked them. They said they didn't think so because they didn't think she'd done anything wrong. But in
terms of, you know, what the risk to investing on the American side, I mean, and that's clear.
This isn't a smoking gun when it comes to Russian involvement in the meddling in the U.S. election, but it does show very clearly that the Trump
campaign team in the person of Donald Trump, Jr. was prepared
[08:15:00] to meet with someone they believed at the time to be from the Russian government carrying sensitive information. So I think that's what's
the subject of the investigation.
COREN: Matthew Chance joining us from Moscow. Many thanks for that.
Well, coming up on "News Stream, closing in on ISIS. The terror group is quickly losing its grip on Raqqa in Syria. We'll take you to the front
lines in a CNN exclusive report.
Plus, scientist is sounding the alarm on what they call biological annihilation. A new study lays out what could be a sixth mass extinction of
event.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COREN: Well, the drive to remove ISIS from its de facto capital is in full force. U.S. artillery and air strikes are backing Kurdish and Arab fighters
who have encircled Raqqa, Syria. They have reached the ancient walls that surrounds the old city marked in orange here. And CNN was the first news
outlet to get inside. Here's our exclusive report by Nick Payton Walsh and his team.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PAYTON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is where it ends. ISIS's twisted idea was built on claiming their own state, but now
ahead of us there are just a few square miles of old city streets and urban sprawl left of their capital, Raqqa. A major threat on this street we're
being told is from snipers although these Syrian, Arab, and Kurdish forces have pushed further inside the old city and now have positions pass this
historic old wall. A few days earlier, surgical coalition airstrikes punched holes through this 1,300 year-old defenses.
They say they don't move forward in daylight because of ISIS snipers but here they are literally 20 meters away from the historic old city wall of
Raqqa, a milestone in the war to rid the Middle East of ISIS. American Special Forces providing precision fire power from two miles down the road.
Marked here where civilians are trapped, perhaps has human shields.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator: For seven days ISIS has cut off water and everything to them, he says. They told them to stay inside, if
they go out, they'll slaughter them.
WALSH: We're the first journalists they take in. Over this side, they say they're safe from sniper cover. And there is the old city wall right there.
Assuming we're just here regularly, throughout the time we're here, targeting ISIS positions deeper inside Raqqa.
They are the foot soldiers in a global fight against ISIS. Shield by hope and U.S. support for a Kurdish
[08:20:00] young man nearby afterwards.
WALSH: Donald Trump?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Donald Trump.
WALSH: Donald Trump.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love the Trump
WALSH: He didn't vote Trump here, but the White House has let this assault gather pace, whisking through three miles of Raqqa's outskirts in as many
weeks to here. It is eerily empty. The one civilian we do see further out unable to speak, yet her story is in her blood-shot eyes. At least 50,000
story of loss and horror are now encircled inside Raqqa. Hostage to the question, when does ISIS's war result to die finally break? Nick Payton
Walsh, CNN, Raqqa, Syria.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: Well, top U.S. diplomat Rex Tillerson is now in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia trying to resolve the biggest diplomatic crisis to hit Gulf States
in decades. Qatar and the U.S. have agreed to fight terrorism together, but several Arab nations say it is not enough. They have froze out Qatar for
over a month now, accusing it of supporting terrorism. Doha denies the charge. Among the fallout from this, a shortage of dairy products in Qatar.
One hundred and sixty-five cows have been flown in to boost milk supply, the first of about 4,000 due to be imported.
South Korea is now questioning North Korea's missile technology after Pyongyang's long range missile tests last week. Intelligence officials in
the south now say there's a major flaw in that missile. Our Brian Todd has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIAN TODD: A key claim from Kim Jong-un's regime about one if his most dangerous missiles is now being contradicted by his arch enemy. That
intercontinental ballistic missile which North Korea test fired on July 4th does not have the capability of surviving the heat of re-entry into the
earth's atmosphere. That's according to South Korean lawmakers briefed by the country's intelligence service.
Kim's regime had claimed that missile could survive re-entry, which could have enabled it to strike targets in the U.S. carrying a nuclear warhead. A
missile expert told us what the North Koreans would have to do to make that work.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Within this nose cone or shroud, would be the war head. It's going to enter the atmosphere very fast and it's going to be very hot.
So it's going to be shielded within that nose -- within that delivery vehicle, would be presumably a nuclear weapon of some kind. So it has to
survive all the heat and the bouncing around of the re-entry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TODD: U.S. military and intelligence officials tell CNN they're still analyzing the North Korean missile test and won't comment on the South
Korean's assessment. At a minimum, we know North Korea is trying to perfect re-entry, ground testing those cone heat shields under simulated re-entry
conditions.
The newly raised doubts abut re-entry have not stopped Kim from celebrating that long range missile test. A concert in Pyongyang featuring dancers and
several bands lauded Kim's leadership and so-called guidance of the test firing. Kim's glamorous wife, Ri Sol-ju, even made a rare appearance at a
banquet to join in the festivities.
In the United States, a different response. A long scheduled missile defense test conducted overnight in Alaska. The Pentagon says the THAAD
system which intercepts intermediate range missiles had its 14th successful test. And from China, a complaint. Stop suggesting it's entirely up to
China to pressure North Korea.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GENG SHUANG, SPOKESMAN, CHINA FOREIGN MINISTRY (through translator): Recently, certain people have been exaggerating and giving prominence to
the so-called China responsibility theory. I think this either shows lack of a full, correct knowledge of the issue or there are ulterior motives for
it, trying to shift responsibility.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TODD: Is there validity to their claim here?
MICHAEL GREEN, FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL OFFICIAL: No, not really. The Chinese provide about 90 percent of food and fuel for the North
Koreans. They have the ability to put an enormous economic squeeze on them. They don't want to because if the north collapses, that's calamitous for
China in several respects. But they're not doing some, you know, basic things they could do to help.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TODD: But there are now indications that President Trump and his team may not be waiting around for China to act and maybe imposing more pressure on
Beijing. The "Wall Street Journal" is reporting that the Trump administration is moving towards imposing its own sanctions on Chinese
banks and companies that U.S. officials say help fund Kim Jong-un's weapons program. We got no comment on that report from the White House. Brian Todd,
CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: U.K. researchers say a trillion ton iceberg has broken off from the Antarctica's Larsen C ice shelf. Let's put that into perspective. The
breakaway iceberg is around twice the size of Luxembourg or four times the size of London. Well, it sounds extraordinary but it wasn't a surprise to
scientists have been monitoring the development of a large crack in Larsen's ice for more than a decade. Scientists at Swansea University say
that sea levels are unlikely to change
[08:25:00] since the sheet of ice was already floating before it carved off the ice. We're turning now to a staff (ph) new warning about the future of
our planet. Many scientists say it is now clear that Earth is entering its sixth mass extinction event. It follows a publication of a new study which
examined the populations of thousands of species, both common and rare.
The research found that even species that are not close to extinction are in trouble. One-third of land-based mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles
are shrinking in terms of their numbers and territorial range. The authors says it amounts to, "a biological annihilation."
Earlier, one of the studies co-authors spoke to CNN about why humans are to blame.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL EHRLICH, CENTER FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY, STANFORD UNIVERSITY: This is the first time we've had a mass extinction caused by a knowledgeable
agent doing the extinction. We know the last one was an asteroid hitting the Earth. Now it's human over population and over consumption. And the sad
thing is of course, that we are utterly dependent on the plants, animals and microorganisms of the planet.
And wiping them out is the equivalent of sawing off the limb we're sitting on. And that is it's pushing us towards the collapse of civilization
because of the essential services that we depend on from those other organisms. Very dangerous situation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, the numbers just seem so incredibly bleak. In the last years, which is in my lifetime, 30 percent of the wildlife on the
planet has been wiped out. Is one of the problems here simply trying to get to be able to understand the scope and the extent of this crisis?
EHRLICH: Yes. And not only is it trying to get people to understand it but trying to get politicians to understand it. To take the actions that we
need to preserve this life support systems for our grandchildren and for me, for our great grandchildren. So, it's a gigantic problem. It's largely
political and economic.
As long as we feel that we can grow forever, you know, the average economist lives in a magical world in which they think you can grow forever
on a finite planet. And we're quickly seeing in the climate situation, which is similar and tied to the extinction situation, that we can't grow
forever on a finite planet without suffering catastrophic consequences.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: Frightening isn't? Well, that was Stanford University biologist Paul Ehrlich speaking there.
Just ahead on "News Stream," what in the world does a U.S. president have to do with a Russian pop star? A lot in fact. More on the singer at the
center of the Russian controversy at the White House, just ahead.
And Mr. Trump returns to Europe where he'll try to improve this tense relationship with the French president. A live report, just ahead.
[08:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COREN: Welcome back. I'm Anna Coren in Hongkong. You are watching "News Stream." These are your world headlines.
Donald Trump Jr. is defending his meeting with a Russian lawyer last year. He met the attorney to get damaging information on Hillary Clinton, but
says he didn't get any. A lawyer for President Trump said the meeting was legal. President Trump says the uproar is part of the greatest witch hunt
in political history.
The U.S. and Qatar have signed an agreement to fight terrorism together but several Arab nations say it is not enough for them to end their boycott on
Qatar. Top U.S. diplomat Rex Tillerson is going through around of shuttle diplomacy to try to resolve that spat. He's now in Saudi Arabia.
Well, Spain's King and Queen are in the U.K. for an official state visit, the first for a Spanish monarch in 31 years. Queen Elizabeth and Prince
Phillip welcome them at Buckingham Palace a short time ago but are to attend a faith banquet at Buckingham Palade. They are to attend a state
banquet at Buckingham Palace.
In U.K., researchers say a trillion-ton iceberg has broken off from Antarctica's Larsen C ice shelf. Scientist were expecting it to happen
after monitoring the development of a large crack in Larsen ice for more than a decade. The break way iceberg is around four times the size of
London.
With Donald Trump's background in reality television, perhaps it's not surprising a Russian pop singer is playing a key role in the latest Trump
controversy. His name is Emin Agalarov and he and his father have been in the news quite a bit for their ties to the U.S. president. CNN's Ivan
Watson has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Believe it or not this pop music video is at the center of a political controversy that
riling Washington. A Russian pop star, Miss Universe contestants and a celebrity cameo.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What's wrong with you Emin? You're fired.
(END VIDE CLIP)
WATSON: The Russian pop star Emin is now one of a colorful collection of Trump associates linked to a controversial meeting between Donald Trump,
Jr. and a Russian lawyer. Trump Jr. says he met the lawyer, Natalie Veselnitskaya for the first time on June 9th, 2016 in New York. She spent
years lobbying against the Magnitsky Act, U.S. legislation that punishes Russians implicated in Human rights abuses and corruption.
This documentary film aimed at undermining the law. The Veselnitskaya meeting with Trump Jr. organized by Rob Goldstone, a British P.R. agent in
the music industry, and once a judge on the Trump-owned Miss U.S.A. beauty pageant. Goldstone told CNN Veselnitskaya stated she quote, have some
information regarding illegal campaign contributions to the DNC, which she believed Mr. Trump Jr. might find important.
In an interview Tuesday, Veselnitskaya denied working for the Russian government. Goldstone says he set up the meeting at the request of his
client, the singer named Emin. Emin partnered with Trump in hosting the Miss Universe beauty pageant in Moscow in 2013. A year later, Trump sent
Emin a video message on his birthday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: You're aware you're a champ. You (INAUDIBLE) real estate, and boy, can you entertain.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: Emin boasted of his close ties to the Trump's last year on Russia's state TV.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EMIN AGALAROV, SINGER (through translator): His daughter, Ivanka, was in this office two years ago when we discussed the Trump Tower project. I met
many times with the sons, Erik and Donald. We message each other constantly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: In addition to music, Emin is an executive at Crocus Group, a real estate company run by his billionaire father, Aras Agalarov. The patriarch
is an associate of Trump. This Trump tweet in 2013 suggests they had plans to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. The billionaire Russian businessman also
has ties to the Kremlin. In 2013, he received a medal of honor from Vladimir Putin.
An e-mail is published by Trump, Jr. Goldstone wrote that the father met with a Russian prosecutor and wanted to share sensitive information to help
Trump's campaign. Now these alleged attempts to meddle in U.S. politics may have landed these Russian businessmen in hot water.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: What's wrong with you, Emin?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: Ivan Watson reporting there. Well, Mr. Trump is headed back to Europe today, this time to Paris at the invitation of French President
Emmanuel Macron to attend the annual Bastille Day celebrations where Melissa Bell is covering his trip. She joins us now live from Paris.
[08:35:00] Melissa I think it's safe to say this Russian scandal will be following the president to France. Are there concerns from French officials
that this will overshadow the visit?
MELISSA BELL, CNN PARIS CORRESPONDENT: I think it's almost inevitable that they will play a huge part in the interest of the state of his visit in
particular of course, Anna, by the American press particularly because the old Trump has been laying so low this last couple of days as this has been
dominating the headlines.
Officials here though are very much focused on the fact that there is concrete progress that can be made on real issues like Syria, like
terrorism for instance and perhaps more importantly the point of this visit for Emmanuel Macron, is to say, look, we may not agree on everything.
Donald Trump may be a different sort of American president but there are all kinds of areas on which we should be trying to make progress.
So we're trying to bring him back to his position where Europeans -- America's historical allies in the west feel that they can continue to look
to the United States for the kind of leadership that had simply not been in question since World War II.
COREN: Melissa as you said, Emmanuel Macron's politics are vastly different from President Trump's. Does he hope to perhaps mend bridges,
make headway on those contentious issues such as trade and climate change?
BELL: Well, his attitude has been extremely interesting, Anna, much more than other European leaders. He's been quite aggressive, almost belligerent
in taking on Donald Trump on a number of issues, on climate change. Again, this week on the Paris versus L.A. Olympic bid. Sometimes going so far as
to use the president's own words against him because Emmanuel Macron represents a completely different world view.
And (INAUDIBLE) perhaps much more aggressively than other European leaders to take on the American president, twisting for instance his campaign
message when the American president (INAUDIBLE) United States would withdraw from the Paris Climate Change, make the planet safe again, said
Emmanuel Macron.
There was of course the famous handshake. So there is this sense that he wants to present himself as someone who will (INAUDIBLE) very forth right
way to go against everything the American president represent to remind him perhaps to what American presidents used to represent. So there is a one
hand out for merger instead of almost aggressiveness -- aggressive posturing on the part of the French president. But also there is the sense,
much more than has the German Chancellor for instance.
Whatever the difference is, however great the divide, it is still better to try to talk than simply to shut the United States. Angela Merkel had come
to the conclusion at the end of the G7 Summit really well. Europe had to go alone at this stage and stop looking towards its historical ally for
support.
Emmanuel Macron is more hopeful and believes that there can be some progress made. And that's what he's going to try and achieve. With an awful
lot of peace (ph) sign with the American president over the next couple of days. They're going to be meeting alone a great deal and it will be really
interesting to see, Anna, what specific progress on some of the issues facing the world can be made.
Also, whether Emmanuel Macron will manage what he still hopes to do to change the American president's mind on the crucial question of climate
change.
COREN: Melissa Bell joining us from Paris. Good to see you. Thank you.
Well, some quality words from father to son, coming up. Social media at his mocking best as President Trump reacts to his son's e-mail revelation.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:40:00] COREN: Well, it's the kind of praise you might expect for a new car or a sturdy new vacuum cleaner, but U.S. President Donald Trump, high
quality is a compliment he's heaping on his son Don Jr., and critics are having a field day. Our Jeanne Moos has a story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The two sons America has trouble keeping straight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Eric and Donald Trump Jr.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: Now, one of the, Donald Jr. may well be remembered in the words of his dad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My son is a high-quality person.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: Tweeted screen writer John Lovette, high quality is how you talk about wood flooring, not your son. As if he was made well in a German auto
plant, tweeted someone else. But for those who say that's a profoundly weird way to compliment someone, it's actually not weird for Donald Trump.
He said it of his V.P.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: High quality person, wonderful guy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: He said it of Sarah Palin. She is a friend of a high quality person. He said of Jerry Falwell, Jr.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I shouldn't say this in front of Jerry because he's such a quality person.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: It makes for a slightly pathetic greeting card.
"Every year on my birthday my dad mails me a card telling me I'm a high quality person."
Twitter couldn't get enough of the faked praised. You don't understand, I could have had class.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You don't understand, I could have had class. I could have been a contender.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: I could have been a high quality person. For the president, it's the highest quality compliment, one he even lavishes on his wife.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: She was always the highest quality that you'll ever find.
It is a very high quality woman.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: Though he did say very high quality about Melania and merely high quality about his son. In the words of the "Washington Post" theater
critic, I would say that Donald Trump Jr. is a high-quality person of interest. Jeanne Moos, CNN --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: High quality person. Such a quality. The highest quality that you'll ever find.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: That is "News Stream." Thanks so much for your company. I'm Anna Coren. Don't go anywhere. "World Sport" with Alex Thomas is coming up.
[08:44:43] (WORLD SPORT)
END
