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Trump delivers angry, divisive speech in Phoenix; Trump defends Charlottesville response, slams media; U.S. sanctions Chinese- Russian entities helping North Korea; Typhoon Hato makes landfall near Hong Kong; Trump administration halts coal mining health study; Treasury secretary's wife sorry for insensitive post. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired August 23, 2017 - 03:00   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:00:00] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN breaking news.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, HOST, CNN: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.

Well, Donald Trump is facing strong criticism for an angry and divisive speech at his campaign rally in Phoenix, Arizona. The U.S. president started out calling for unity in the wake of the violence in Charlottesville. But things got ugly as Mr. Trump went after the media and senators from his own party.

He even threatened to shut down the U.S. government if he didn't get approval for his border wall.

Outside the arena police fired tear gas and pepper spray at protesters. Officers say the demonstrators were throwing rocks and bottles. Three people were arrested.

CNN's Miguel Marquez was on the streets among the protesters.

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Police are now deploying gas trying to disperse this crowd they destroyed. There were a couple of bottles of water being thrown at police. They immediately begin putting out. There goes another bottle at police now. They immediately begin with pepper spray. This appears to be gas. You can see the throwing -- look and watch it.

These are for the most part gas canisters. You can see this person picking it up and throwing back a police now. This is the situation. That's a flash bang grenade trying to get the crowd to go home and to disperse them.

They sat out here, several thousand people it seems for mostly of the day. They began to maybe go home during the president's speech. Some of them. But for the most part they have stuck around.

CHURCH: OK. That's outside. Inside the rally President Trump went after he media over its coverage of his response to the violence in Charlottesville.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They don't want to report that I spoke out forcefully against hatred, bigotry, and violence and strongly condemned the neo-Nazis, the white supremacists and the KKK. I openly called for unity, healing and love. And they know it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: But he left out the part of the speech where he said both sides were to blame for the deadly violence. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides, on many sides.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And the president doubled down with a harsher rebuke for the media than for white supremacists.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: It's time to expose the crooked media deceptions and to challenge the media for their roles in fomenting divisions. And yes, by the way...

(CROWD CHEERING)

... and yes, by the way, they are trying to take away our history and our heritage. You see that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And Mr. Trump took his media bashing online after his campaign speech. He posted videos from the rally on Twitter. The caption on one reads "not only that media give a platform to hate groups but the media turns a blind eye to the gang violence on our streets."

Well, on controversial former sheriff, Joe Arpaio, President Trump strongly hinted he would give an executive pardon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Was Sheriff Joe convicted for doing his job?

I'll make a prediction. I think he's just going to be just fine, OK?

(CROWD CHEERING)

But -- but, I won't do it tonight because I don't want to cause any controversy. Is that OK?

(END VIDEO CLIP) CHURCH: Last month, Arpaio was convicted of criminal contempt for ignoring a court order in a racial profiling case. He has long been accused of racially discriminatory practices in his illegal immigration crackdown.

Well, the president also return to a key campaign promise to build a wall along the Mexican border. It came with a new threat.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: The obstructionist democrats would like us not to do it, but believe me, we have to close down our government. We're building that wall.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Meanwhile, many issues raise there. So, Doug Heye is a CNN political commentator and the former communications director for the Republican National Committee. He joins me now live from London. Thank you so much for being with us.

[03:05:02] DOUG HEYE, POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, CNN: Good morning.

CHURCH: OK. Well, let's look at Mr. Trump's Arizona speech. As a republican yourself, did you have any problem with what he said to say, specifically about Senator John McCain and Jeff Flake?

HEYE: Well, I think there's a whole lot to unpack there. The short answer is yes. With those two senators note the he didn't actually mention them by name but made very clear a veiled attacks on them.

And one of the things I think is troubling for a lot of republicans is we know that John McCain is an American hero who serve the country brilliantly and valiantly in Vietnam, he's a prisoner of war for several years. And if you're a conservative republican he's also who brought Sarah Palin to the party, to national prominence in the party. If you like Sarah Palin you should like John McCain.

With Jeff Flake he is somebody who bizarrely is being attacked from the right when he is one of the most conservative voting records in the Senate and also in the House.

I can tell you I have worked in the House of Representatives. If you had said 10 years ago to me that Jeff Flake would be attacked for not being conservative enough, I would tell you we're living on planet Mars at this point.

CHURCH: Yes. Interesting we're hearing that U.S. republican. Of course, a week after the president revised his Charlottesville response multiple times. He is doing it again. We just heard it there.

This time omitting his controversial both sides comments. Now, he only briefly mentioned the victim Heather Heyer and placed much blame on the media. You see him go after them there.

The country is so divided right now. As a republican did you have a problem with his version of events, and does it help the country when you're seeing so much division there when he called for unity at the start?

HEYE: Well, that's part of the problem as he calls for unity and then divides which is great if you're Donald Trump and you want to keep your tightest base absolutely lock step for you.

For the rest of the country, it's a big problem. And moving for Trump if he wants to do anything legislatively obviously, there haven't been a lot of big happen yet, I'd say Donald Trump needs to get out of his own way, stay out of these controversial areas, focus on repealing Obamacare, focus on building the wall. That may be a problem as well.

Focus on all these things that he campaigned on and not the constant battle back and forth that just causes controversy. And I think it leads a lot of people to question whether or not he's really up to the enormity of the task right now.

CHURCH: And you say that. And a lot of people are questioning that very point. How broadly felt is the sentiment you're revealing to all of us right across the globe by other republicans?

HEYE: Well, the party is split right down the middle yet. What we don't know is if it's split 50-50 or 38 to 62 or what yet. That's what we're still trying to figure out. But there are very serious concerns about what the president has done over the -- not just the past few weeks but the past few months and the constant chaos and controversy.

But most republicans would overwhelmingly agree with a lot of the policies that Trump has put forward whether it repealing Obamacare, certainly the appointment of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court are things that republicans can rally around.

The best thing Donald Trump can do is stay out of his own way, let republicans back the things that he's doing that are popular that could bring broader support in the country. Unfortunately, when we see these remarks like we saw in Phoenix just last night, that gets in Trump's way and destruction is large than message where he could campaign positively.

CHURCH: Now former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper called the speech disturbing and questioned whether President Trump was fit for office. He also worried about Mr. Trump having access to the nuclear code. What's your reaction to that? And to other analyst now questioning just how stable the president might be. People within your own party as well, by the way.

HEYE: Well, certainly, I'm no psychologist so I can't do whole a lot of psychoanalysis on Donald Trump. But clearly he's new to this job. He's new to politics. This is the biggest and toughest job in the world.

And so I think it's the fair question as to whether or not he can handle the enormity of it all. But again, with the psychoanalysis a lot of people are trying to read into Trump doing this or that. I think the bigger thing is to step out of the chaos, focus on three or four priorities and try in get those things done. If he's able to do so, then it's a different ball game for Trump. But what we've seen this year is he's not able to do so that's why his poll numbers are suffering so much.

CHURCH: I mean, that's the problem, isn't it? When he even got Bob Corker saying that he might not be stable. He might not be competent. Someone within your own party. What should Congress do about this concern regarding the president's fitness for office?

A concern also shared by Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell who isn't even sure and he's reveal that according to the New York Times that the president will see out his full term. Should the Congress be doing something, or is that over reaching at this point, not at that point right now?

HEYE: Yes. Right now there's not very much Congress can do. Certainly some democrats are talking about impeachment. But Donald Trump whether you love him or you hate him, clearly has not committed a high crime or misdemeanor which is what would be called for impeachment.

[03:10:06] So, this is, if you're -- if you're a republican House members or senators and you're concerned about the chaos that you see, and I can assure you every single republican member of Congress or senator I've talked to is very concerned about that.

You want to focus again on doing two or three things to move the ball forward legislatively. One of the things that was troubling about Trump's remarks last night was talking about shutting down the government. I can tell you, I worked in the House of Representatives leadership in 2013 when we shut down the government. That was not a great day for the country. Not a great day several days for the Republican Party.

The difference is, now we have a republican House or republican Senate and republican White House with Donald Trump in the White House. If we control government and we can't keep it open it makes it very hard for a year -- year or few months from now to campaign on why republican should stay in office.

CHURCH: Yes, talk of shutting down the government has many people concerned. No doubt about that. Doug Heye, thank you so much for joining us and bringing us...

(CROSSTALK)

HEYE: Thank you.

CHURCH: ... your opinion there from the republican side. I appreciate it.

Well, President Trump seems to believe he's gaining the respect of North Korea's Kim Jong-un. He touched on that in Phoenix as well and made reference to his fire and fury comments. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: And you see what's going on in North Korea. All of a sudden, I

don't know -- who knows? But I can tell you, what I said that's not strong enough. Some people said it was too strong. It's not strong enough. But Kim Jong-un, I respect the fact that I believe he is starting to respect us. I respect that fact.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: All right, let's talk about this. Our Nic Robertson joins us now. So, Nic, we just heard there from President Trump what he had to say about North Korea, specifically Kim Jong-un. He said I respect the fact that I believe he's starting to respect us. I respect that fact. How is that being received, and what are people supposed to make of that?

NIC ROBERTSON, INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR, CNN: Well, President Trump hasn't made available publicly at least what he bases that fact that he sees upon why he believes Kim is listening to him, what behavior he see changing or what intelligence he is being given that would lead him to that conclusion.

So, unless that's being privately shared with the United States allies in the region and around the world, then it's very difficult to see how, you know, how leaders can have confidence in what President Trump is saying because he, you know, he leans on his own rhetoric and his own believes and his own understandings. And often they're not borne out.

So, you know, in the words of Jens Stoltenberg, the Secretary-General of NATO speaking on CNN a few weeks ago, in the context of the relationship between the United States within NATO and Russia and how the United States should play its role vis-a-vis Russia. He said the key quality was predictability.

And perhaps that's a quality that Stoltenberg was raising because he has a concern like others around the world, that predictability is not one of President Trump's policy.

So, if you're an ally of the United States and you're looking to see, you know, what President Trump is saying about North Korea, how that may engage Kim, how that may change the situation, predictability of narrative predictability of action, Stoltenberg said is the key to strengthen in dealing with Russia.

And I think that's generally the sort of diplomatic view around the round that you need to have that element of consistency, of the narrative that can be expected and to continue with that.

So, again, without knowing what President Trump is basing his facts on is it's very hard to analyze that's something that could worry allies if they don't know.

CHURCH: Indeed. Our Nic Robertson joining us there from Vienna, Austria. Many thanks to you.

Well, the U.S. defense secretary is continuing his Middle East tour with a stop in Turkey. What to expect from his meeting from the Turkish president. That's still to come.

[03:15:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, U.S. President Donald Trump went back on the campaign trail for a night in Arizona. And the results were a telling look at what's on Mr. Trump's mind right now. Perhaps not surprisingly it's mostly those he feels have wrong him, as usual that starts with the media.

But he continued a recent trend of going after the republican controlled Congress, even hitting out at the senators who represent the state he was speaking in.

Well, CNN senior political analyst, Ron Brownstein is with me now from Los Angeles. Thanks so much for being with us. Always great to chat with you.

So, let's look at President Trump's Arizona speech under the microscope. Former Director of National Security, James Clapper, called the speech objectionable and disturbing. He also questioned whether President is fit for office. He is also worried about Mr. Trump having access to the nuclear codes.

So let's listen to exactly what he did have to say and then I'll come back to you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES CLAPPER, FORMER UNITED STATES NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE DIRECTOR: I found downright scary and disturbing. I really question his ability to -- his fitness to be in this office. And I also am beginning to wonder about his motivation for it. Maybe he is looking for a way out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: All right, Ron Brownstein, I mean looking at that, how concerned would you be? What was your overall reading of what came out of Mr. Trump's speech there?

RON BROWNSTEIN, SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST, CNN: You know, I thought this was a speech that we would not have heard from any other elected American president. I mean, there's no one in office who would have given this speech. But it was very consistent on the other hand with what we heard from candidate Trump.

I mean, on the land he's got a bottomless wealth, a person of grievance as you noted. There's a constant sense that he's being wronged, the wrapping of that in a series of half-truth or outright misstatements, particularly in recounting his response to the violence in Charlottesville, leaving out the most objectionable statements that he made both on Saturday and Tuesday that cause so much consternation.

And then, also, but also a very kind of systematic fanning of popular resentments against a whole series of targets from the media to the leadership of the Republican Party. And by the way, along the way making a lot of news, you know, for

international audiences. He said it was more likely than not that in the end he will pull out of the North-American Free Trade Agreement. And he said he will shut down the government if I will -- you know, not signing the funding if they don't provide him the funding for the wall.

So, I think it was, you know, it was a speech that continued the pattern, a couple of patterns that we've seen. One, increasing isolation of the president. I mean, there's no one uneasy about his fitness for office who is going to be anything but more, being more uneasy by this stage.

And the second thing, he continues the pattern in which we have seen and really throughout his presidency just either unwilling or incapable of talking to anyone beyond his base. That who is -- that's who he was talking to. That has been shrinking. And they are focusing more on mobilizing that than on reassuring the growing numbers of Americans who are uneasy about the way he is approaching the presidency.

CHURCH: And we are seeing that. We're hearing it from republicans. What should Congress do about this concern regarding the president's fitness for office?

[03:20:00] A concern also shared by Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, by HOP Senator Bob Corker, and by many analysts we've heard just following this speech made in Arizona by the president. What needs to happen here do you think?

BROWNSTEIN: Look, they are in uncharted waters. We have had not had a situation where, I think, the president's own party has felt as much anxiety about his direction possibly since Andrew Jackson took over for Abraham Lincoln after the Civil War. And he wasn't really a republican. He was a democrat brought into the ticket for unity.

And I don't that we haven't really been in this situation. Now one thing that is clear, though, is that the president responds only to actions not words. That either words don't impress him. And when you kind of get this kind of grumbling, and mumbling that well, maybe he went too far this time or he said something inappropriate particularly around Charlottesville, I think he kind of brushes that off.

If republicans want to send him a message, there are various ways they can do it. I mean, there has been legislation introduce, for example, to protect the independent council. To say that he could only be removed with approval of a court panel. There is a stronger version option of session which Paul Ryan, the Speaker of the House summarily resisted yesterday.

I thing is, I think if republicans are uneasy either for the country or their own political future about the direction the president is drifting, particularly in this increasingly volatile last few weeks. I think the evidence is clear that they need to send him a stronger message than they have done so far. CHURCH: And political commentator and republican strategist Ana

Navarro tweeted this. "Only possible defensible explanation for Trump's disgusting presidential narcissistic behavior would be early onset dementia, maybe." That was her tweet.

BROWNSTEIN: Yes.

CHURCH: Now I mention this because there has been this discussion about the stability and fitness for office of Mr. Trump. Some have even raised the 25th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Do you think that's over reaching at this point? Do you think we're in a situation where we're looking at a president who's having some problems grappling with office?

BROWNSTEIN: Look, I think the fitness and mental stab -- mental health are separate issues. You know, I'm not going to sit here and diagnose him from, you know, in essence from the couch from watching him on television. I don't think -- I don't think that's a productive conversation for the media to have.

The question of whether he is -- and in part because as I said, I think what we saw from him tonight is what we have seen over the last two years. I mean, the thing that's most striking about this is that it hasn't changed in office.

And all those people who voted for him, you know, somewhere between a fifth and a quarter of the people who voted for him be very clear in the exit polls that they did so in reservations. They want a change. They didn't like Hillary Clinton but they weren't sure he had the temperament or the qualifications as we've seen this president.

All indications are that those outs have been deepened since he's taken office. And again tonight he's reinforcing them. And as I say, I think republicans have to decide if they're comfortable with the way this is going either for the country or for their own political self- preservation. And if they are not they have to figure out a way to send the strongest signal to the president and what they have done so far.

Because if you watch Paul Ryan on CNN last night at his town hall that was about his ineffectual, a kind of red yellow, yellow light or red flag as you could put up.

CHURCH: As you say, we are in unchartered waters. We will be watching very closely to see where things go from here. Ron Brownstein, always a pleasure to chat with you. Thank you so much.

BROWNSTEIN: Thank you.

CHURCH: Well, now to a major shake-up in the U.S. Navy's leadership, CNN has learned Vice Admiral Joseph Aucoin will be removed as commander of the 7th Fleet after two deadly collisions in the Pacific in just two months.

The navy ordered a top to bottom review of its operations after the USS John S. McCain, a guided missile destroyer collided with a commercial oil tanker in the Singapore early Monday.

On Tuesday, divers recovered some remains of the 10 missing sailors.

CNN reporter Manisha Tank joins us now live from Singapore. Manisha, the commander of the 7th Fleet to be dismissed. Why are we seeing so many accidents like this, and will the commander's dismissal change anything here?

MANISHA TANK, REPORTER, CNN: Well, these are the big questions, aren't they, Rosemary? If you look at the four incidents, and four incidents it's quite a number since the beginning of this year, three of them have been vessels that are in that 7th Fleet.

And so, some might say it's not a surprise that we saw the removal of this particular admiral. And he's a highly decorated man. You know, Joe Aucoin has quite a service history. But many questions being asked how these incidents could be allowed to happen.

[03:24:55] In this particular case this collision that happened on Monday involving the USS John S. McCain, you know, people are asking was it human error? At the end of the day there was a steering malfunction. How could a steering malfunction happen and how could backup systems not kicked in?

These are the questions that will be explored in an ongoing investigation that has been sided not just by the U.S. Navy but also locally here.

The marine courts authority of Singapore will be looking at how a collision could happen in waters so close to Singapore. This is a really busy, busy area for shipping, it's probably the biggest shipping area channel in the world.

And so there are -- there is that aspects of it. But let's not forget the tragedy here. The absolute, Rosemary. Ten sailors missing, and now we heard that remains has been found, divers were sent down to assess the bottom of the ship where it was known there were sealed flooded compartments.

You must feel for the families who of those missing sailors who are actually meeting with Admiral Scott Swift, he is the commander of the overall Pacific fleet. He is in Japan today meeting with families, but also commanders of the 7th Fleet.

CHURCH: It is a tragic outcome. Manisha Tank, thank you so much for bringing us up to date on the situation there. I appreciate it.

Well, U.S. Secretary James Mattis is in Ankara for meetings with Turkish leaders. He will be meeting with his Turkish counterpart in a little less than an hour from now. The Turkish foreign minister will join later.

And Mattis will meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan separately as well. Mattis is expected to try and smooth over relations and re- emphasize U.S. commitment to Turkey as a NATO ally. Our Arwa Damon is with is now live from Istanbul with more on this.

So, Arwa, what is expected to come out of the U.S. defense secretary's trip to Turkey overall?

ARWA DAMON, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Well, there's a couple of different issues that the various different leaders will be discussing. Some of them are issues that Secretary of Defense Mattis has been touching upon throughout his trip. And that is of course the issue of arming the Kurds inside Syria.

Turkey views the Syrian Kurds and the YPG as basically being one side of the same coin of the terrorist organization that Turkey has been fighting for decades. Now the PKK and are greatly concerned with the fact that at some point in time, in the near future perhaps the weapons that America is providing to the YPG could end up being turned against Turkey.

There are also greater issues to be dealt with as well when it comes to the broader war inside Syria and of course the war against ISIS at this stage. The relationship between America and Turkey has been fairly strained over the last year or so.

Turkey expects the U.S. to be much more supportive of its position, vis-a-vis the Kurds much more supportive of its concern. Turkey, remember has been fighting terrorism it says on multiple fronts not just against the PKK. But there is also been numerous attacks carried out by ISIS within Turkey over the last few years as well.

So, it's definitely a strategic relationship. It's one that also needs to be rebuilt to a certain degree. Both sides need to re-establish trust with each other especially as we see these various different broader regional dynamics and global dynamics come into play as well, Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right. Our Arwa Damon bringing us to date there from Istanbul in Turkey. Many thanks to you for that live report.

We'll take a very short break here. But still to come we are learning of a possible collaboration between two dangerous regimes. A new report accuses Syria and North Korea of doing business.

Stay with us for the details when we come back.

[03:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: And a very well warm welcome back to have our viewers joining us from all around the world, I'm Rosemary Church.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Police in Phoenix, Arizona say most of the protesters have now gone home after a campaign rally by U.S. President Donald Trump. Offices used tear gas and pepper spray to disperse the crowd outside the city's convention center. They say a three people were arrested. Two offices were treated for

heat exhaustion. CNN's Alex Marquardt has more on what President Trump had to say inside the arena.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anyone who came tonight hoping for a true campaign style rally from the president, did not walk away disappointed.

There's a lot of speculation ahead of the rally what kind Trump would we see tonight, would we the Trump who was scripted on message like when he gave his primetime address on Afghanistan or would he be more off-the-cuff, or more unscripted which really plays to his base, place to the kind of supporters who come out to these rallies.

That is the kind of Trump that we saw on Tuesday night. He started off on script talking about the tone of the country in the wake of the violence in Charlottesville.

He said that we stand in forceful condemnation of thugs who perpetuate hatred and violence, and that's where he went off script with a long screed against the media. We the media are used to being targeted by Trump in his speeches but this was really exceptional.

He went on for an extended period of time. He repeatedly accused the press of failing to accurately cover his responses to the violence in Charlottesville, accusing the media of fermenting divisions. Take a listen.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's time to expose the crooked media deceptions and to challenge the media for their role in fermenting divisions and yes, by the way -- yes by the way they are trying to take our history and our heritage, you see that.

MARQUARDT: Another -- the big questions hanging over the rally in Phoenix on Tuesday night was whether Trump would issue a pardon for the very controversial Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was convicted of criminal contempt for refusing to stop profiling Latinos.

We were told by the White House ahead of the rally that no action would be taken on Arpaio today. That did not stop President Trump from bringing him up, asking the crowd how they feel about the controversial Sheriff.

They shouted their -- their approval of him to which President Trump responded only prediction. He is going to be just fine. We won't do it tonight because he doesn't want to start a controversy.

The other big question is how much the president would weighed into local Arizona politics without mentioning them by name, the president when after both of Arizona Senators, John McCain for failing to stand up and support Republicans in the repeal of Obamacare. He also went after the other Senator, Jeff Flake who has been a long time thorn in President Trump's side, recently calling him toxic and someone who no one knows.

So this was a campaign rally in the truest sense of the phrase, lots of red meat for President Trump's supporters who came out on Tuesday night. Alex Marquardt, CNN, Phoenix.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Well, joining us now from England is Scott Lucas. He is a Professor of International Politics of the University of Birmingham. Scott, always good to talk with you and get your analysis.

So what was your overall reaction to President Trump's speech and how different was it do you think to any of his campaign speeches before he became president?

SCOTT LUCAS, PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM: Oh, this was the Trump of 2016.

[03:35:00] But the difference is that this is a Trump who is not on the rise. This is a Trump who is in trouble, about where he can blame his tools.

This president blames the media and John McCain, and Hillary Clinton, and immigrants, and liberals, in other words, whether or not Donald Trump was compromised even when he took office because what happened during the election, and will wait to see what his new accounts to that.

The failure to get any significant legislation through, for example health care, he is now at odds with Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader.

He is now at odds with others within his ministration. He is just distance to the chief strategist. He appears to be excusing white supremacy.

This was his last out readout to go back to the fortress in Arizona where he could get a group of people around him who would applaud his every line and to simply go on the attack.

Will it work? Well, with those people who were inside the center? Yes. Outside the center? That remains to be seen.

CHURCH: How damaging do you think it is for the world to witness a U.S. president deliver such an angry, controversial speech, so divisive and misleading in some instances to rant and rail against the media.

What's the worldview of President Trump likely to be in the wake of this speech and how will the enemies of America viewed this?

LUCAS: Well let's be honest here, not just last night but for months, Donald Trump is pretty much soft on America's reputation in many parts of the world including here and the UK.

You know, whatever one might say about American policy and we can debate those. There has been a great deal of respect for in waking up to American values.

That idea for freedom, that idea of democracy, that idea of tolerance, ironically that respect where Donald Trump invoke last night but then proceeded to this mess by attacking and disrespecting many others.

With Trump's actions, as well as his words, he is presenting a divisive America, divided within itself and even divided against his allies, the only people I think that Donald Trump is really embraced beyond his core supporters has been Vladimir Putin of Russia.

So now he is not good for America's standing. He wasn't good for it last night and he hasn't been good for it for sometime.

CHURCH: And some analyst are questioning the stability of the president and former Director of National Security James Clapper even went so far to question Donald Trump's fitness for office whether he should have access to the nuclear codes.

Does he have a point? And if he does, what should Congress do in a situation like this?

LUCAS: Rosemary, the president needs to do two things. He needs to govern and he needs to set an example for those within the nation.

Donald Trump has been unable to govern and the example he is setting right now is not positive example. He is a divisive example.

He is a polarizing example. He is an example which quite often is so with animosity and we are seeing America being sucked into this day by day.

He is unstable. He needs to go. What will the process be? I think it is likely to be the Russia investigation and the point when we get to next year and when probably Republicans placing their own reelections, well say to the president, you need to go now before we have to face the question of impeachment.

CHURCH: Do you think there are enough Republicans to feel that way and there has been this talk of the 25th amendment. Is that overreaching at this point do you think?

LUCAS: At this point yes. I mean were still only seven months into the Trump campaign. We'll still wait to see what Special Counsel Robert Mueller says. We'll still wait Congressional hearings.

Remember it took two years for Richard Nixon to fall after Watergate but yes I think as the corrosiveness continues, as the president is increasingly aggressive and defensive at the same time, where Republicans are going to struck to either away and we can then talk about his possible departure next spring.

CHURCH: Scott Lucas, thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate it.

LUCAS: Thank you.

CHURCH: We turn now to North Korea where state media report Kim Jong- un has ordered the production of more solid fuel rocket engines and warhead tips.

That request apparently came before President Trump's speech in Phoenix. Mister Trump said he believes Kim Jong-un is starting to respect the United States.

Well meanwhile, the U.S. Treasury Department is targeting Chinese and Russian entities accused of supporting North Korea's weapons programs. Washington has imposed new sanctions on 16 companies and individuals.

They include energy firms, coal and oil traders, and others suspected of helping North Korea export workers and evade sanctions.

We're also learning that a confidential report may point to a disturbing source of funding between Pyongyang and Syria.

[03:40:00] Now Brian Todd has more details on that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: New indications that Kim Jong-un's regime will stop at nothing to get cash for his weapons program and will do business with anyone, even serious murderous Dictator Bashar al-Assad.

A diplomatic source tells CNN, U.N. Security Council experts are about to review a confidential report which says two North Korean shipments to Syria were intercepted in recent months.

According the U.N. report which was seen for the Reuters News agency, the shipments were headed for the Syrian agency which handles Assad's chemical weapons program.

JONATHAN SCHANZER, VICE PRESIDENT, FOUNDATION FOR DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACIES: This is a nightmare scenario.

What were looking at right now is the North Korean regime, one of the most dangerous regimes in the world peddling its most dangerous weapons to some of the other more dangerous regimes on the planet, including that Bashar al-Assad who has been using chemical weapon against his own people for the last several years.

TODD: According to Reuters, the U.N. report does not say when or where the interceptions of the North Korean shipments occur or what was in the crates headed for serious chemical weapons on. What could have been in those ships?

SCHANZER: It could have been missile parts. It could have been chemical agents themselves regardless in something that is likely going to A, Bashar al-Assad in his continued slaughter to the Syrian people. TODD: Experts say Kim has a massive stockpile of chemical weapons and he apparently has little conscience about using them. Malaysian officials say the regime used an outlawed VX nerve agent to kill Kim's half-brother at the Kuala Lumpur airport this year.

The North Koreans deny it. This also wouldn't be the first time North Korea and Syria have formed a dangerous partnership. In 2007, the Israeli military bombed a nuclear reactor in Syria. U.S. intelligence officials later reveal that North Korea helped Syria build that reactor.

SUSAN RICE, FORMER ADVISOR, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY: That was not transfer weapons, that was transfer of technology which was also very concerning.

TODD: Analysts say Kim's regime feeling the pinch for new sanctions after its recent ballistic missile test may resort to black market operations, it's already engaged in to pay for its weapons program. The US State Department has linked North Korea to a variety of criminal activity.

DEAN CHENG, RESEARCH FELLOW, HERITAGE FOUNDATION: North Korean diplomats around the world have engaged in a variety of frankly illegal behavior under the protection of diplomatic cover, everything from drug trade including methamphetamines to passing very high quality counterfeit hundred dollars bills.

TODD: The North Korean and Syrian missions at the U.N. did not respond to our inquiries about the report of shipments to serious chemical weapons arm.

The U.S. government is taking new measures to put the squeeze on Kim Jong-un's finances with new sanctions and money laundering penalties from the Justice and Treasury Departments against individuals and firms in Asia which do business with Kim. Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: A terror group behind attack in Barcelona and Cambrils where planning to target big landmarks in Barcelona.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

That's was suspect linked to the attacks told a judge, that according to Spanish media reports. He was one of two men charged Tuesday with membership in a terrorist organization, murder and explosives possession.

Two other suspects appeared in court. On Monday police killed the suspected driver in the van attack that killed 13 people. We'll take another break here.

But still to some, typhoon Hato has made landfall in the Hong Kong, with the team has now on where this power storm is hitting next. We'll have that when we return. (END VIDEO CLIP)

[03:45:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Typhoon Hato made landfall to the west of Hong Kong several hours ago and produce these large waves in its way. Hundreds of flights have been canceled as a result and schools are closed and financial markets also suspended as a result.

Well Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri joins us for the international weather center with more on this rapidly strengthening typhoon. So how bigger concern is this for the people there?

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it is one of the more concerning storms I see at least a half a decade. Here Rosemary, I want to show some video coming out of this region as well. It's going to be time-lapse perspective that we have for you.

It shows exactly what were dealing with across that Victoria Harbor, tremendous building of the storm in the past 24 hours that brought these thunderstorms across this region.

Of course dangerous wings as well to go along with it but the images look as such as you take a look at the harbor, we have areas as this across the city, at home to over six million people when you consider the metro population.

And the system, incredibly was just a mid grade tropical storm this time yesterday, so those from that within 24 hours, almost doubling the speed, becoming a severe typhoon and when speaking out roughly around 175 kilometers per hour.

So borderline category for the equivalent from a tropical storm inside of one day, in fact the Hong Kong Observatory issued a rare signal 10, well this indicate to us is that folks across the Hong Kong urge to stay indoors.

And also expecting winds to exceed 118 kilometers per hour for several hours in a row potentially gutting over 220 kilometers per hour only three times in the past two decades have we had a storm with this threshold and again, all of this happening within the last 24 hours.

So you see folks out there having their best Michael Jackson impersonation with the lean into wind and of course you look across the storm system going to really move over a densely populated areas.

So were talking several hundred millimeters of rainfall inside the next two days, some 60 plus million people in the path of the storm system as it moves ashore.

So pretty incredible and also potentially damaging storm system and you think about Vicente which was a storm that made landfall here five years ago with the same sort of a danger threshold and category left behind over dozen fatalities and of course, you know, tens of millions of dollars in losses. So the storm system again, we're observing area home to almost 70 million people here are around the numbers out and talking somewhere over the population let say, the country of France, that's the scale of the amount of people said to be impacted by this.

So here's how we shape up so far in 2017 very much in line with what you expect so for the season for the average number of a tropical storms, typhoons were exceeding the average, you're your way into super typhoons, we've already exceeded that averages as well. So definitely a season to remember so far...

[03:50:00] (TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RENE MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: ... Virginia -- Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee were mountaintop coal mining is most prevalent instead of drilling, explosive blast blowup mountains to get at the layers of coal inside. The waste from the process is dumped into streams and valleys nearby.

BILL PRICE, NATIONAL ORGANIZER, SIERRA CLUB: President is showing that he is looking out for the coal industry in the co-executors and not the people of Appalachia.

MARSH: Since taking office, Trump has withdrawn from the Paris climate agreement issued an executive order reopening federal lands to new coal leases.

And rolled back environmental rules including ones aimed that requiring the coal industry to monitor and report toxic mining waste and water waste.

ANDREW ROSENBERG, DIRECTOR, UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS: They stopped the requirements for companies to report.

Now they've halted a study that would investigate whether there are any public health impacts for communities that are in the vicinity of mountaintop removal mining. And that fits into an overall pattern in this administration of setting science aside.

MARSH: The National Mining Association which represents coal miners pointed to a July study that said there is no conclusive evidence connecting mountaintop mining with health hazards and question whether studying the health impacts is even necessary.

Saying quote, these mining practices today account for less than 1 percent of total U.S. coal production.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: CNN's Rene Marsh reporting there. Animal rights groups say they are upset that some dogs have turned to color blue from pollutants in the Kasadi River in India.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CHURCH: Now these are images of the dogs. They went viral on social media and across the internet this week. Reports say authorities in Mumbai have shut down a manufacturing company after was accused of dumping on untreated industrial waste and dies into a local river that led to these strangely colored K9s.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Well up next, she wears designer clothes and carries a very expensive and fancy handbag. She wants everyone to know it as well. Why the U.S. Treasury secretary's wife is now apologizing for bragging about her expensive clothes. Back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back everyone. Well, the wife of the millionaire U.S. Treasury Secretary is apologizing for her online brands against an Oregon mom who she dismissed as adorably out of touch.

Now it all started when Louise Linton posted on Instagram bragging about her expensive designer clothes and accessories.

[03:55:00] Now she is drawing comparisons to another controversial lady of leisure. Here is Jeanne Moos.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: She once played Marie Antoinette and it didn't well. Now the former actress and current incurred wife of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is being zinged for acting like a French royal in real life.

Louise Linton posted this photo of the multimillionaire Mnuchin's getting off a government jet to visit Fort Knox, Kentucky. She tied the photo with luxury brand she was wearing.

Tom ford sunnies for sunglasses, Hermes scarf, Valentino rockstud heels which so annoy Jenni Miller, an Oregon mother of three that she posted back, glad we could pay for your little getaway, hashtag deplorable.

JENNI MILLER, OREGON MOM: Honestly it was probably just a weak moment for me. I was the first time I'd ever posted on someone's Instagram.

MOOS: The Treasury Secretary's newlywed wife responded with a rant. Aw, did you think this is was a personal trip, adorable. Do you think the U.S. government paid for a honeymoon or personal travel? LOL.

Have you given more to the economy than me and my husband? You're adorably out of touch. The post was adorned with blown kisses. Miller's reaction...

MILLER: A little bit amused and a little bit horrified.

MOOS: It was one overarching themes to the criticism, it's a let them eat cake, don't you think? Tweeted former CIA officer Valerie Plame playing.

Linton deleted her tirade. Someone joked luckily her photo remains and now Linton says, I apologize for my post on social media. It was inappropriate and highly insensitive.

The Mnuchins are reimbursing the government for her travel. In past she's played a creepy deputy and a reporter but when she came off sounding like a costume party character, she played in CSI New York. She was clearly in over her head. Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MOOS: Tough to sum, right? Thanks for your company. I'm Rosemary Church, remember to connect with me anytime on Twitter, love to hear from you. And the news continues with Hannah Vaughan Jones in London. You're watching CNN. Have a great day.