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Wolf

Scaramucci Hits Priebus, Bannon with Vulgar Attacks; Pentagon Confirms North Korea Launched ICBM; Health Care Defeat Caps Tough Week for Trump; Trump to Speak in Long Island Soon. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired July 28, 2017 - 13:30   ET

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

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[13:30:36] WOLF BLITZER, CNNA ANCHOR: All right. Looking at live pictures right now. Air Force One on the ground in Long Island over at the Long Island MacArthur Airport. The president and the entire team there onboard Air Force One have not yet deplaned. Will be shortly. The president getting ready shortly to deliver a speech in front of law enforcement officials and others dealing with a wave of gang violence here in the United States. Live coverage of that speech as soon as it happens. First, he's got to get off the plane and drive over to Brentwood, not too far away, where he'll be delivering that speech out on Long Island.

Meantime, other news we're watching including this. This is a picture, worth 1,000 words. If this one, it's -- if this one of the new -- it's one of the new White House communications director, Anthony Scaramucci, and the White House chief of staff, Reince Priebus, icily glaring in the other's direction inside the Oval Office. It sort of screams turmoil going on right now, with Scaramucci's own words, at least, in a new and rather vulgar profanity laden interview with the "New Yorker" magazine.

Our own Ryan Lizza.

Scaramucci absolutely unloads on his fellow White House staffing and in the R-rated -- X-rated remarks, I should say, Scaramucci beginning threatening the entire White House Communications Department and he then evolves into calling Reince Priebus a paranoid schizophrenic. He has more profane words of description for the chief strategist, Steve Bannon. And later Scaramucci say he wanted to, quote, "kill all the leakers in the White House."

Joining us now, CNN chief political analyst, Gloria Borger, our senior political reporter, Nia-Malika Henderson, and our CNN political director, David Chalian.

And we'll keep a watch on Air Force One and the president as he deplanes as we discuss.

So what's going on over there at the White House?

(LAUGHTER)

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Wolf, that is a very good question, to which we cannot know the answer, except, I would say it's beyond dysfunction at this point, because it spilled out into the open. And you know there are warring factions, and you know this is a president who while he likes to fire people on television doesn't like to do it in person. And I think that at some point this Band-Aid has to be ripped off here. I do think that they have to get their differences resolved. And you have seen that Reince Priebus has been out there on this limb without anybody backing him up at the White House. And I think that's a real problem for him. You know?

BLITZER: We're told by the press pool aboard the plane, Nia, that both Scaramucci and Reince Priebus are aboard, traveling with the president right now.

(CROSSTALK)

BORGER: Yes. I hope at opposite ends of the plane.

BLITZER: Not sitting next to each other.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Could be a rather awkward situation over there.

NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: We saw this coming. Scaramucci coming in to the White House, had always wanted to be in the White House, and reports that he was blocked several times and that Priebus wasn't happy to have him there and Scaramucci now with his own power center there and apparently with the blessing of this president. How Priebus goes on from here we don't know how Bannon goes on from here. We don't know. We have seen Sessions, right? The Attorney General Jeff Sessions, essentially survive the same kind of public humiliation and public trash talking. We'll see if Priebus is able to do that, too. He's been on ice, really, since day one, hadn't been in the president's inner circle to begin with, and seems to still be having problems.

(CROSSTALK)

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: I'm sorry.

We don't see the same kind of conservative defense of Priebus the way we did with Sessions. Sessions was able to hang on because of his relationship with the base. It's one thing for an attorney general who's enacting policy. It seems unlikely you'll see a lot of Senators or "Breitbart" or conservative media come to deal with a West Wing staff issue.

(CROSSTALK)

BORGER: I've spoken to a source that says this is ready to get resolved.

BLITZER: What's ready to get resolved?

BORGER: That Priebus is likely to leave at some point. And I've also spoken to a source who said he's not going anywhere. CHALIAN: And any sense of resolution with both of them staying there?

BORGER: No. I don't. Again, with this -- with this White House it's difficult to predict anything.

CHALIAN: Of course.

[13:35:09] BORGER: You can't with any certainty, because this is up to one person, and that's the president of the United States. And as we know, he could change his mind. And, however, with these conflicting power centers in the White House, and there are many power centers, it's very difficult to get anything done, as we have seen. And what makes people leak is the fact that they're competing with each other. You can't stop leaks until you get people all on the same page. And that's the problem, I think, this White House has.

HENDERSON: No. It's true. But also true that probably the leaks aren't the main problem --

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: By the way, you're seeing members of Congress getting ready to deplane. I think I saw Peter King, whose district is out there on Long Island. Chris Collins, from the other part of New York State, up in western New York, around Buffalo. One of the top aides to the president there, a press aide to the president. And you see Nikki Haley, United States ambassador to the United Nations.

Sorry for interrupting.

(CROSSTALK)

HENDERSON: They're clearly trying to refocus, right? Focusing on gangs and the Justice Department trying to wipe out MS-13, been a real problem in Long Island. This week was supposed to be "American Heroes Week." Hadn't been a lot of focus on that. So we'll see what comes out of this, and, you know, I mean, it's just constant drama out of this White House and I think this week in particular. You talked about conservatives that are really challenging this White House, because of what Trump was doing around Sessions. And we saw that. And so many levels. The Pentagon challenging this White House over Trump's announcement around transgender. The Boy Scouts, of all things, challenging the president at every point. It's the president's fault. One thing to blame leaks, but this is the president's own doing.

BORGER: And threatening Murkowski.

HENDERSON: Exactly.

CHALIAN: And of course, the three Senators, Murkowski, Collins and McCain.

HENDERSON: Right.

CHALIAN: Also, I totally agree, Nia. I think this was, this was a really significant week in the Trump presidency, because I think it was the first time that we really saw cracks, fissures emerge in a way we haven't seen to date.

BLITZER: The language, this -- that Scaramucci used in attacking Reince Priebus and Steve Bannon in the White House, he later tweeted this, Anthony Scaramucci, "I sometimes use colorful language. I will refrain in this arena. But not give up the passionate fight for President Trump's agenda. I made a mistake in trusting in a reporter. It won't happen again."

Now, you're shaking your head.

CHALIAN: Well, the second tweet, when he decides to just deflect blame and blame it on the reporter somehow is --

(CROSSTALK)

CHALIAN: Right. It's nuts. You know? Obviously, it was an on-the- record conversation, and so -- it was --

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Our friend, Ryan Lizza, twice mentioned this was all on the record with Scaramucci. Scaramucci agreed. Called him up the next day, in fact, said, yes, it was on the record.

Here comes the president walking down. He's going to be delivering this speech shortly on this gang warfare going on, specifically MS-13. So he's brought a whole entourage along with him for this presentation.

But, you know, a lot of what he's trying to do this week, Gloria, seems to get lost because of all of these other issues, "American Heroes Week," certainly gets lost.

BORGER: I would say, when health care goes down and John McCain is the, you know, the vote that does it, I think --

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: A true American hero.

BORGER: A true American hero.

HENDERSON: Which the president actually called him this week flying back ---

(CROSSTALK)

CHALIAN: He thought he was coming back to be with him.

(CROSSTALK)

CHALIAN: And proceed to debate. John McCain, the first time we heard President Trump actually refer to him as a hero. BORGER: That didn't work out so well. Look, you're the president of

the United States, health care just failed, embarrassing to you, and you may take part of the blame or not take part of the blame. This transgender policy, which you didn't clear with your joint chiefs and we see members of the --

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: We see members of -- you saw Nikki Haley, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., Peter King walking down. Some other --

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Congressman, represents a distribute out on Long Island. Republican. Chris Collins, from western New York, from my hometown area, Buffalo, New York. A lovely part of New York state, I must say as well.

(LAUGHTER)

HENDERSON: Go Bills.

BLITZER: And this is -- this is an important event for the president. They've been setting the stage for it for several days now.

HENDERSON: That's right. And this idea of being tough on crime, being tough on criminals, being tough on illegal immigration, it all comes together I think in this event today. And we'll see what the president has to say about this. I mean, it is part of what Attorney General Jeff Sessions is doing. This is some of the work he's been doing as well. And the president, certainly a part of his brand and allows him to focus on something that will rile up his base. What the base expected, and had success on. Everything else in many ways, he hasn't had that success. This idea he's a dealmaker. He alone can fix it. He can bring sort of a new tone and tenure to Washington hasn't worked, but on these kinds of things I think, you know, the base is very pleased with what he's been doing.

[13:40:15] BORGER: Look, I think the turmoil that surrounds the president, part of which he's to blame for, weighs heavily on him, because he's got an agenda that has been stalled, and I think he understands that's a problem, and he has people, I'm told, urging him he's got to do something about it. But we -- we just don't know in the end what he will do or when he will do it.

BLITZER: And beginning to leave the Long Island McCarthy Airport for the drive over to Brentwood where the president will be speaking.

Interesting that Scaramucci, Reince Priebus, other senior aides, must have deplaned the back exit as opposed to the front exit. We didn't see them -- they left with the Secret Service agents --

HENDERSON: Arm in arm.

BLITZER: -- with the press pool, all the staffers. Didn't come out the front. CHALIAN: Despite the fact that's probably the photo we really wanted.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: That's why we wanted to keep that shot up. In case they'd walk out together. Maybe walk out together holding hands or whatever.

BORGER: Do you remember when the president told Jared Kushner and Steve Bannon to work it out? When -- I can't remember exactly.

HENDERSON: March, maybe?

BORGER: March, maybe march. So you don't know what the conversation was on the plane with -- with Reince Priebus and with Scaramucci. And -- and we don't know if there was a conversation. We don't know what the president said. And we don't know if that's going to, conversation will continue or not continue.

CHALIAN: Here's what we do know -- we do know when the White House was asked about this yesterday, that they did not have any problem with it. They just pointed to Scaramucci's words.

(CROSSTALK)

BORGER: Sarah Huckabee Sanders did.

(CROSSTALK)

CHALIAN: And said, he said he probably went outside of the lines there, but no -- recrimination or that's unacceptable behavior for a White House staffer. Not the way colleagues should treat colleagues.

BORGER: Shocking, by the way.

CHALIAN: There's was no retribution.

HENDERSON: Or defense of Reince Priebus, who's done a fantastic job.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: And didn't hear strong vote of confidence in the attorney general at that press briefing yesterday either, when specifically, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the press secretary, asked, does the president have confidence? We didn't hear a yes. A simple yes would have been a strong word but we can't hear that.

Guys, stand by.

We're getting new information now on the breaking news that led our program this hour. We know now what type of missile North Korea launched earlier today.

Let's bring back our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr.

Barbara, what are you and your team learning? BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, we've been told by

the Pentagon it was indeed a North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile, an ICBM, that North Korea launched about 10:40 a.m., east coast time this morning.

What does this all mean? An ICBM is a long-range missile that has the capability some day of being able to strike the United States with potentially a nuclear warhead on top of it. That is the critical threat that President Trump getting off that plane is facing. He would have been briefed about this now. No public word from the White House yet about this, but here's what's so critical, Wolf. Not just an ICBM, but this is the second one within a month. North Korea first tested an ICBM on July 4th. Stunning the world. And now today, a second ICBM test launch.

According to what the Pentagon is telling us, it was launched out of a site in northern, North Korea. North of the capital of Pyongyang. It flew about 1,000 kilometers to the east. Believed to have dropped in to the sea of Japan. the East Sea. Japanese saying that as well. The Japanese are calculating the missile flew for about 45 minutes.

One of the critical things we're trying to learn is how high the missile flew. That will tell us a lot about the capability of the missile. It landed about 88 miles off the coast of Japan.

This is -- this is a destabilizing action by the North Koreans, once again, but destabilizing more than ever before. So now, what happens? The Trump administration publicly has been focusing on diplomacy, using the Chinese, trying to pressure the North Koreans, but there's no indication the North Koreans are giving up their weapons. What we know is that commanders, U.S. commanders, have recently updated military options for North Korea, even though the defense secretary, Jim Mattis, says a war with North Korea would be a catastrophe -- Wolf?

[13:44:43] BLITZER: Only 80 miles from Japan. In Japan, what they call their exclusive economic zone. A very worrisome development where this missile landed at the same time.

Barbara, stand by. We'll get back to you.

We're following the breaking news.

Also following President Trump. About to address a large crowd out on Long Island as questions swirl about the future of some of his top aides. Live coverage. Stand by.

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[13:49:27] BLITZER: Sad news coming into CNN. The parents of British-born baby Charlie Gard say their infant son had died. Charlie Gard suffered from a rare genetic disorder. His parents spent months fighting to take him to the United States for treatment. Their very emotional battle gained worldwide attention with both Pope Francis and President Trump weighing in. Charlie Gard was just 11 months old. Take a look at this. Very different story we're following right now.

Live pictures coming from the Brentwood area of Long Island in New York where the president shortly will deliver a speech on combatting gang violence here in the United States and the need for stricter immigration laws. It's all part of an effort to get on with his agenda after the Republican health care bill failed in a dramatic late-night vote.

The health care defeat caps a very difficult week for President Trump. He was rebuked by members of his own party. Even the U.S. Boy Scouts. And some of the president's actions are raising questions about whether his leadership style is truly effective.

Joining us now to talk about all of this and more, presidential historian, Alan Lichtman, distinguished professor of history at the American University here in washington, D.C.

It is very dramatic. Give us an historic perspective on this week, on the setbacks that the president has suffered.

ALAN LICHTMAN, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN & DISINGUISHED PROFESSOR OF HISTORY, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY: Well, this week is not unique. He's suffered setback after setback. And I would compare him to the first American president to be impeached, Andrew Johnson, who was impeached in 1868. Like Trump, Johnson was a maverick. He portrayed himself as the ultimate outsider. He called Washington 12-square-miles surrounded by reality. Like Trump, he loved the adoring crowds and often propagated bigotry. He called himself the Moses of the white man to cheers of his crowds. He, like Trump, did not listen to advice. He was extremely head strong. And he aired his grievances in public, demeaning and defaming his enemies in Congress. He obstructed the reconstruction laws. He couldn't get any victories through Congress. And you know why he was ultimately impeached? For firing and replacing a cabinet member in defiance of a congressional law, the Tenure of Office Act, as well as defaming the Congress.

BLITZER: Well, what's your reaction when you see the president of the United States on Twitter and that "New York Times" interview, specifically go after the sitting attorney general of the United States, Jeff Sessions, because he recused himself from the Russia investigation.

LICHTMAN: Trump is terrified of the Russia investigation. And he's particularly terrified now because he heard that the special counsel is looking into his finances. That's why he's never released his taxes. It's nothing to do with the fact that he's paid little or no taxes. It has to do with what might be concealed within his taxes. So the attack on Sessions is indirect way of getting at the special counsel.

Look, lots of presidents have been unhappy with cabinet members. Franklin Roosevelt was unhappy for many years with Carter Glass, his secretary of state, but he didn't air grievances in public. FDR also liked conflict and controversy within his administration. He wanted people to hash things out, but he didn't do it in an unseemly way out in the public. And no president, really, except perhaps for Andrew Johnson, has so taken a risk of losing his base of support, his conservatives, by attacking Mr. Conservative, Jeff Sessions.

BLITZER: President was just asked as he landed out in Long Island for the speech he's about to give about the failure to pass the repeal and replace health care legislation. He said, when asked about health care, he said, it's going to be fine. That was what he said. It's going to be fine. We don't exactly know what he means.

We saw his tweet earlier in the day, "3 Republicans, 48 Democrats let the American people down, as I said from the beginning, let Obamacare implode, then deal. Watch."

Now he says it's going to be fine. Your reaction.

LICHTMAN: Two really important things here. One, as I pointed out in my book, "The Case for Impeachment," this is consistent with the way Trump has operated for more than 40 years as a businessman. He never takes personal responsibility for anything. He always puts it off on others, whether it's bankruptcies or walking away from a deal and letting others suffer. But the really frightening thing here, and this is consistent with his M.O. as well, all he cares about is the P.R. value of what he does and getting a win. The really chilling thing here is he seems willing to jeopardize the health care of millions of Americans to let Obamacare fail, which means people get hurt, in order to give him a better chance of posting a win. And just like with a lot of his projects, he doesn't care what's in the projects, he doesn't care what's in the bill, he just wants a mark on his record.

BLITZER: And what do you think about this exchange, what we've seen, the attack from the new White House communications director, Anthony Scaramucci, against the sitting White House chief of staff, Reince Priebus, the chief strategist, Steve Bannon, in the White House? You saw the interview that Scaramucci granted Ryan Lizza of "The New Yorker."

LICHTMAN: Two things struck me about that interview. Number one, you don't air your fights out in public. You do what FDR did and let them take place behind the scenes. Number two, the vulgarity of it. You're supposed to be representing the office of the president, the people of the United States. You don't speak in those kinds of vulgar terms. You're supposed to be the great communicator. And you know, who wants to have a communicator where you don't even want your children watching what he has to say.

[13:55:19] BLITZER: Listen to Republican Senator Kennedy of Louisiana react to this. He had some strong news. Republican Senator.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY, (R), LOUISIANA: You have all these aides that work for the president, and they want daddy to love them best, and so they fight over turf, and they try to hurt each other. It looks to me like in this White House it's out of control.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Out of control. That's a Republican Senator.

LICHTMAN: It is out of control. And a lot of Trump's businesses were out of control. You know, more often than not, his big businesses, like the big condo towers in Tampa and Ft. Lauderdale, Soho in New York would also fail. But I think it's really important that you don't put this on the aides. Harry Truman said, the buck stops here. What the aides are doing is a reflection of the leader. One of the Lichtman rules of politics is the leader always knows, and the leader always sets the tone.

BLITZER: You were one of the few who actually predicted that Donald Trump would be elected president of the United States, and you got some grief at the time.

LICHTMAN: Boy, did I ever.

BLITZER: But you were right. He was elected president of the United States.

LICHTMAN: And my new book is "The Case for Impeachment," my next big prediction that he's not going to make it through four years.

BLITZER: We'll talk about that on another occasion.

LICHTMAN: Sounds good.

BLITZER: Alan Lichtman, thanks very much for coming in. Presidential historian, distinguished professor of history here at the American University in Washington.

That's it for me. I'll be back 5:00 p.m. Eastern in "THE SITUATION ROOM."

For our international viewers, "AMANPOUR" is next.

For our viewers here in North America, "NEWSROOM" with Brooke Baldwin starts right after a quick break.

Our special coverage of the president's speech out on Long Island. We'll have live coverage of that. Stay right here.

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[14:00:03] BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Here we go. You're watching CNN on this Friday afternoon. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Good to be with you.