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Trump and Putin Speak; Trump's Asia Trip; Ron Moore Insists Allegations Are False; Russia Investigation; Lebanese President Demands Hariri's Return; Louis C.K. Admits Guilt; Obama Reports for Jury Duty and Is Dismissed. Aired 5-6a ET

Aired November 11, 2017 - 05:00   ET

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

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GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): U.S. President Donald Trump set to arrive in Hanoi, Vietnam, at any moment now as the Kremlin issues a joint

statement with Vladimir Putin on Syria. The two leaders talk on the sideline of the

APEC summit. We'll have more on that ahead.

NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Also ahead here in the United States, Republicans are divided on how to respond against sexual misc

allegations on a Senate candidate.

Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Natalie Allen.

HOWELL (voice-over): And I'm George Howell, from CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta. NEWSROOM starts right now.

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HOWELL: 5:00 am here on the U.S. East Coast. The U.S. president set to arrive in the capital of Vietnam at any moment now. We continue to monitor this as

part of his travels throughout Asia.

But in his previous stops, there was -- there were several meetings. He crossed paths with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, several times. We now

know from Russian state media that a brief meeting did occur earlier between the two

leaders and reportedly resulted in a joint statement on the Syria conflict.

ALLEN: The Kremlin says they spoke at the APEC summit and agreed that they must push for peace on negotiations and maintain communications between their

respective forces on the grounds on Syria.

Nic Robertson is in Da Nang, where Mr. Trump left a while ago; Ivan Watson is Hanoi, where the president will be arriving at any minute.

First to you, Nic, about this meeting, only reported so far by Russian state media.

That's unusual, isn't it?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It is unusual. It's three hours now since the Russian TASS news agency, the state news agency,

first put details out, saying that they'd agreed to continue fighting ISIS, that they

agreed that they were going to, you know, continue their joint military coordination to

avoid conflict of air forces and such in the area. And they agreed that the way forward in

Syria was not military but political and should be done under the auspices of U.N.

Security Council resolution 2254.

And the Russians also saying that President Assad had signed up to that. What is odd here is that all of those detail that the TASS news agency listed

there, these are all things that the United States and Russia had been doing for some time.

It would have been a headline, I think, if we'd seen them saying, one of these have been cancelled. But what they're really saying is this is a continuation

of what's already been going on.

So the fact that we don't have any information about this from the White House really only gives us partial picture but it feels in some ways like of a

rerun of the meeting between President Trump and President Putin back in Hamburg in the

margins of the G20 in July this year, where they met for 2.75 hours.

But it was the Russian side that came out initially with the details of what had happened in that meeting. The White House seemed to play catch-up with it

then.

So it's not clear why we don't have a fuller picture from the White House. So really, we only have a partial accounting, if you will, of what really took

place. ALLEN: All right, Nic Robertson, yes, unusual for sure. We'll wait to see what we hear from the White House. Unusual that a statement about Syria comes out

about the waning days of the war there in Syria. Thank you, Nic.

Let's turn now to Ivan Watson, because he is in Hanoi and we're told that the president has just landed there -- Ivan.

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Air Force One has just landed here in the Vietnamese capital. Vietnam is a

country that has enjoyed a blossoming of relationship with the U.S. in recent years,

all the more striking when you consider that, less than 50 years ago, these two countries

were locked in a bloody, deadly, long conflict with each other.

Part of that due possibly to the fact that Vietnam sees the U.S. as a counterweight to its neighbor to the north, China. If you go to museums here, you read

about how Vietnam has been engaged in wars with China going back thousands of years.

And China has laid claim to almost all of the South China Sea, where Vietnam has claimed some maritime territory. That's put them at odds.

And the U.S. can challenge some of those claims that China has made. But the U.S. and Vietnam are at odds on the issue of trade.

Down in Da Nang, where you just heard from Nic, that's where President Trump gave a long speech, where he argued against broad, multilateral trade

agreements, arguing they infringed on U.S. sovereignty and they were not complied with.

Well, Vietnam has announced --

[05:05:00]

WATSON: -- the trade minister here, that the 11 other countries of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which outgoing President Obama had negotiated and that

President Trump pulled out of, while 11 countries had unanimously agreed to continue

and finalize negotiations to sign up to that trade agreement, an agreement that the

U.S. is now no longer part of.

Another kind of head-scratching moment was that President Trump, at that APEC meeting, talked about how he wanted to establish bilateral trade

agreements that would be mutually beneficial. But then he didn't engage in any bilateral

meetings down in Da Nang.

Well, he will engage now in bilateral meetings with the Vietnamese leadership. The last time he sat down with the Vietnamese prime minister, they announced

some $6 billion in commercial agreements, also talked about a memorandum of understanding

for future defense cooperation.

And one of the areas there has been the U.S. providing Vietnam with a Coast Guard cutter, talks of perhaps of more of that on the way.

That, again, comes to the issue of China. Coast Guard cutters can help protect the Vietnamese coast in its ongoing maritime territorial disputes with

China -- Natalie and George.

ALLEN: All right, thank you, Ivan, we know you're covering the president, as he's just arrived there in Hanoi. Thank you.

HOWELL: Let's bring in CNN contributor Jill Dougherty. Jill was a former CNN bureau Moscow chief and is a global fellow for the Woodrow Wilson Center,

live for us in Moscow at this hour.

Jill, good to have you. So we just saw the two images of these two presidents, Trump and Putin, together. And we're getting this statement from Russian

state media but nothing from the United States at this point.

How does that strike you?

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A bit odd. Quite obviously, you know, you would expect that both sides would have this choreographed, as mostly

happens at events like this. They would work out things behind the scenes. They

would time it. Both sides would make statements. And both sides would come out and

probably do a little bit of briefing on how it all happened.

Now what we're getting is coming exclusively from the Russian side. I was checking the Kremlin website. And they have it there very specifically that, this

agreement, which is nothing new by the way; there are no, from what we can tell, new

details in this statement but that it was worked out by experts on both sides;

presumably the foreign ministry, U.S. State Department, that it was agreed to by Tillerson

and Mr. Lavrov, who are both the foreign ministers of each country, and then approved --

approved, not worked out by -- both presidents.

So that brings you back to this idea of a meeting. Well, from what we can see -- and we have it on video -- it was a meeting, a nice little shake hand (sic)

session when they both had the blue shirts on. And then later, when they were in suits,

walking down a little hill and chatting for a few minutes.

We do not believe that there was any type of sitdown, in which the two leaders worked out this statement. This was precooked. And precooked because it

really didn't change the equation in Syria.

So then I think the ultimate question is, why couldn't they get beyond this?

And the Russians did, apparently, want to do something much broader. There was speculation, mere speculation, no confirmation of this, that maybe it

would include some type of deal on Ukraine and there would be a tit-for-tat. But that

certainly did not happen. In fact, very little happened.

And I would note one more thing, George; I was just looking at the TASS news agency, it's a Russian news agency. They said that, in fact, the meetings in Da

Nang at APEC were, quote, "the biggest intrigue of the summit."

So that gives you the idea that there was probably more behind the scenes than in front of the cameras this time.

HOWELL: OK. Again, we're able to confirm this from the Russian side. We're not able to confirm this from the U.S. side. Jill Dougherty, live for us in

Moscow, thank you for so much the reporting.

ALLEN: Until we do, we'll talk about the other aspects of the president's trip to Asia with Glenn Shive, the executive director of the Hong Kong America Center.

Glenn, thank you for joining us.

GLENN SHIVE, HONG KONG AMERICA CENTER: My pleasure.

ALLEN: President Trump let Asian leaders know, when it comes to trade, it's America first. Let's talk about how that went over because after he made that

pronouncement, these countries reached a trade deal without him basically, didn't

they?

SHIVE: In a sense, it shows the isolation of America from the trade agreements that he pulled out right at the beginning of his administration, it sent a --

[05:10:00]

SHIVE: -- shock through the region. And I think he's saying what we want to have bilateral agreements. But these days, multinational corporations, the

way the supply chains work, I mean, they need, in a sense, regional sort of coverage

of these agreements.

It doesn't help these companies a lot just to have these bilateral -- because of the way in which pieces of shipments and movements.

So I think that it's really going to be a question, whether the follow-up on this -- I mean, whether -- what does he mean about bilateral trade agreements?

Will they engage with Vietnam and say, take a lot of the stuff from TPP but we'll do it bilaterally?

You know, Vietnam is really set back. And it's interesting that now, on this occasion, they're putting this forward. I mean, they were much benefited. And

they would have been much benefited by it.

Now the question by the TPP 11 is, without the American market in the picture, will it be compelling enough?

Is there as much to gain for everybody if America's not in that package?

Because a lot of what everybody wanted was access to the American market. But now, globally, tariffs are very low and there's not a lot to gain more from

lowering tariffs unless there's another round of trade conflict and they would go up.

But, basically, there's barely been a lowering of tariffs. And what's the challenge now is intellectual property and the questions about investment protection

and what they call the barriers beyond the border. And so trade negotiation is evolving.

And America needs to stay in that process and just say we're changing our philosophy. We're looking after balance and reciprocity. So we're maybe not so

much the nice guy that we used to be.

We have to look after our own people but, in that context, we still want cooperation. We still want to work together in trade and economic growth.

ALLEN: Yes. And we'll see what advantage that gives the United States, if at all.

What will you be looking for, as far as what President Trump achieves there in Hanoi?

SHIVE: Well, I mean, this is a question, if he has good optics, he has a good event and it all looks good on the media and he goes home and he looks at stuff

and, you know, will he follow up?

I mean, will there be something that the leaders see as a change in American policy operationally?

Or whether this was, as it were, a lot of talk?

This is the question that everybody has laid. He's been in office for a year. He said clearly, we've had terrible trade agreements. Now I'm here and I'm

going to do it differently.

Well, show me what it is that's different, that is in how this is going to benefit the Americans and also be of interest to the various countries. Now some

of these small countries working -- negotiating directly with America, I mean, they

could be overshadowed.

Yes, U.S. could be at a great advantage. But longer term, for the regional sort of security of the region and the American strategy in the region, we've got to

have something that draws people to us economically.

And, you know, this is what's happening with China expanding and engaging in regional trade agreements. They're going to be rising in their influence over

the economies of the region.

And are we going to be shut out, even if it takes some time, if we get there?

But this is in a crucial moment. And he's got maybe another six months, a year, to demonstrate to these people, what does America first mean in terms of

bilateral trade agreements, that's going to be good for them as well as the U.S.?

ALLEN: Very good. Thank you, Glenn Shive, for us, appreciate it, Glenn.

HOWELL: Still ahead here on NEWSROOM, explosive allegations of sexual misconduct threaten to derail the candidacy of a Republican judge for Senate.

ALLEN: You'll hear what some of his supporters are saying. We'll be right back with that. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

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ALLEN: Welcome back.

Embattled Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore of Alabama is pushing back against explosive allegations of sexual misconduct from decades ago. Moore

says one woman's accusation that he molested her when she was 14 years old was, quote,

"completely false and misleading."

HOWELL: For now, many people in Alabama who supported him in their recent primary seem to be sticking with him. We'll get more now from CNN's Martin

Savidge from Alabama.

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MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Roy Moore, taking to conservative talk radio, making a strong denial of the accusations

leveled against him, including allegations of sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl in 1979,

first reported by "The Washington Post."

ROY MOORE, ALABAMA SENATE CANDIDATE: These allegations are completely false and misleading. But more than that, it hurts me personally because, you

know, I'm a father. I have one daughter. I have five granddaughters. And I have a special

concern for the protection of young ladies.

This is really hard, to get on the radio and explain this. And these allegations are just completely false.

SAVIDGE (voice-over): Moore says he has no recollection of his most serious accuser. Leigh Corfman, who says when she was 14 and Moore was 32, he undressed

and sexually abused her.

MOORE: I don't know Ms. Corfman from anybody. I've never talked to her, I've never had any contact with her. Allegations of sexual misconduct with her

are completely false.

SAVIDGE (voice-over): One question looms: should Moore continue or quit his quest for the U.S. Senate. And even fellow Republicans are divided.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If they are true, that is bad. He needs to step out of the race. There's no question of that.

SAVIDGE (voice-over): Moore is still finding support in his home state but, in Washington, where he is hoping to take over Jeff Sessions' Senate

seat, more than a dozen GOP lawmakers are saying Moore should step down if the

accusations are true.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If they're true, he should step aside.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If that's true, I don't believe there would be anyplace for him in the U.S. Senate.

SAVIDGE (voice-over): The political scandal even triggering reaction from President Trump, halfway around the world, speaking on Air Force One between

China and Vietnam, White House press secretary spokesperson Sarah Sanders first

giving the impression Trump was supporting Moore.

SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS, DEPUTY WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president believes that we cannot allow a mere allegation, in this case, one

from many years ago, to destroy a person's life.

SAVIDGE (voice-over): But in the very next line, Sanders repeating and increasingly (INAUDIBLE).

SANDERS: However, the president also believes that if these allegations are true, Judge Moore will do the right thing and step aside.

SAVIDGE (voice-over): Moore himself is showing absolutely no indication of quitting. In an phone interview, Moore's brother says his brother's accusers are

either being paid or supporting Moore's Democratic opponent.

Then comparing his brother's political problems to the persecution of Jesus Christ.

But the question remains, are the shocking accusations impacting Alabama voters?

It depends who you talk to.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why do they come up 7-8 months ago when he was running, all of a sudden two weeks from now, all this stuff come up?

I believe it's a lot of BS. I really do, you know, man. I think he's a nice guy.

SAVIDGE: Those who know Roy Moore will tell you a number of things, including, first and foremost, he will not back down. He will not quit. And they do

not expect the Alabama Republican Party to interfere or intervene in any way.

What they do expect --

[05:20:00]

SAVIDGE: -- is that Roy Moore will win the Senate seat for Alabama in December -- Martin Savidge, CNN, Gadsden, Alabama.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: Martin, thank you for the reporting.

We want to show you now some of the reaction to this disturbing situation from other lawmakers.

First, a Republican member of the Alabama statehouse, who strongly supports Mr. Moore.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ED HENRY, (R), ALABAMA: It is disingenuous in my opinion for 50- something-year- old women to come forward four weeks prior to a major senatorial election, you know, just one of the most 100 powerful people in the world that we're going

to elect in four weeks.

And four weeks out, we have these allegations, that no one in Alabama has heard about, it surfaces. It just reeks of politics.

If he had anything like this in his past, it would have been come out by now. And here we are, right before a huge election, with national implications between

a Republican and a Democrat, all of a sudden, this is front-page news. This is headline

news.

And I'm not buying it. It is political. It is political at every level.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: Ed Henry there, in an interview earlier with my colleague, Anderson Cooper.

Now U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota recently introduced a resolution requiring sexual harassment training. In the Senate, here's her

response to it all.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MINN), MEMBER, SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: I think, when you have someone in this kind of a prominent race, as was pointed

out earlier on your program, people decide it matters to come forward. And they make

that choice. It doesn't mean that it didn't happen.

In fact, it seems to me that these are pretty documented stories, with someone as a news organization as reputable as "The Post" that are running them.

And so to me, it just means the stakes are higher.

And maybe, you know, when you see women across the country are coming out and speaking out about what's happened to them and harassment and sexual

abuse and things like that, there's also been a change in this country, a change

where women are willing to stand up and speak.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: Let's now bring in Steven Erlanger, Steven the chief diplomatic correspondent of "The New York Times," live via Skype with us this hour in Brussels.

Good to have you with us to talk about what's happening in the state of Alabama, Steven.

There is indication that some voters will stick by Moore, no matter what, obviously and, conversely, there are those who will vote against him and support his

opponent.

But does this come down to people in the middle to determine this particular race?

Or does he have enough support from those die-hard supporters to win?

STEVEN ERLANGER, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": Well, Roy Moore is a very conservative man. What one needs to remember is he was elected twice to be head of

the Supreme Court in Alabama and twice had to step down, once because he put a

statue of the Ten Commandments outside the courthouse and refused to remove them.

And then he was re-elected and then refused to follow through on same- sex marriages. So he was removed. So he has a very, very devout right wing support

in Alabama, quite separate from all of these allegations.

And he's been elected statewide numerous times. So my guess is, the people who like him are not going to believe these allegations or decide they don't

matter. And my guess is he has still quite a lot of support.

ALLEN: And if he does win, what then for Republicans, who don't want to see him in the U.S. Senate, with these allegations hanging over him?

ERLANGER: Well, it will be cringe making. You already have Mitch McConnell, who's the Republican head of the Senate sort of not clear that he was going to

seat Moore if he wins. And it's hard to prove these things.

I mean, I think the point that was just made, about a new climate in the United States and, frankly, around the world, when women who have suffered

harassment in the past are willing to step forward, is really the new thing here.

I mean -- and it's something that my newspaper and "The New York Times" has been very much a part of, beginning with Harvey Weinstein and others.

So, in a new climate, I think, a Republican Senate, which really is only narrowly now Republican, very nervous about losing one more seat, they're going to

be caught between their own voters' possible disgust with these allegations and

their need to --

[05:25:00]

ERLANGER: -- preserve a Republican majority in the Senate.

HOWELL: Let's talk about how this story is being viewed.

There are different lenses, right, Steven?

So around the world, in larger cities, people hear about it. They hear about sexual harassment. It is a very disgusting allegation. In the big cities

here in the U.S., the same reaction of many people.

But there in Alabama, very near those towns where people know Roy Moore where, you know, the news coverage is local, how is the story being perceived,

would you surmise, by people there?

ERLANGER: Well, you know, there's -- what tends to happen is people resent, you know, interference in their local affairs from big national newspapers.

"The Washington Post," I believe, broke this particular set of allegations. So that's part of

it. And then they don't like to be told what to do by Washington.

And Roy Moore has been a kind of anti-consensus, right-wing candidate, you know, very religious, for quite a long time. So my guess is, a lot of people

will rally around behind him.

But things have changed. Now you know, in the South, people used to joke -- And when Edwards was former governor of Louisiana, he used to joked that he

would get elected, no matter what, unless he was found in bed with a live boy or a dead

girl.

Now I don't think that kind of attitude works anymore. And Alabama itself is changing. So I think this is going to be a very interesting election.

ALLEN: And it's just about a month away, so, we'll be, of course, watching it. We'll talk with you again, thank you so much, Steven.

ERLANGER: Thanks, Natalie.

ALLEN: And coming up here, a new political crisis rocks Lebanon. We'll tell you why Hezbollah says Saudi Arabia has declared war.

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HOWELL: Welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and around the world you're watching CNN NEWSROOM. Who did have you with us, I'm George

Howell.

ALLEN: And I'm Natalie Allen.

HOWELL: Let's take a look at live pictures at this hour from Hanoi, Vietnam, you'll see these pictures in a moment here; these are not those but there you

have it. The U.S. president, the Air Force One there, has arrived in Vietnam, the

country's capital. Mr. Trump there is set to meet with the Vietnamese president and other

leaders.

Of course, we'll monitor the trip throughout Asia, his meetings with leaders throughout that part of the world.

ALLEN: Of course, the APEC summit that happened in Vietnam, Russian president Vladimir Putin also attended. At a news conference for Russian media,

our Matthew Chance got the chance to ask him a question. And Matthew Chance joins

us live now from Da Nang to tell us about what happened there -- Matthew.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's been a couple of very busy days, Natalie. And it's ended with this closed-

door news conference that was held by Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, before we set

off away from Vietnam, at the end of this APEC summit in Da Nang in Central Vietnam.

The Russian president sort of opened that news conference by saying, look, you know, we want to reset the relationship between Russia and the United

States.

And he said that, it's significant, because he said it having not been able to secure a proper sit-down, one-on-one meeting, which had been widely

anticipated, by the way, with the U.S. President, Donald Trump before he departed for the

Vietnamese capital, Hanoi.

Vladimir Putin took the opportunity to sort of play down the significance of that meeting or the lack of a meeting, saying that it was merely down to protocol

or a clash of schedules.

But I got a question in to him and I asked him whether he was disappointed that he didn't manage to sit down with the U.S. president. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (through translator): It says that the relations between Russia and the U.S. have not come out of the crisis state yet.

As you know, and I often talk about it, we are prepared to turn the page and go

forward, to look into the future, to solve the problems that are of interest to people of the

United States and people of the Russian Federation.

To think about fulfilling our economic relations with a specific serious content, just look at the latest economic forum in St. Petersburg. There was the

greatest number of American companies there. There were more American companies at the

forum in St. Petersburg.

Everyone wants to work in Russia. But the ExxonMobil was banned from working in the Arctic shell. They cut off the interesting perspective work that

would have increased economic power of the United States, created jobs in the United

States, would have brought profits, taxes, et cetera.

And this is just an example. But take into consideration restrictions in the sphere of financing and many other examples. Your place will be taken over by

competitors. It's unavoidable in the modern world.

But we want to have harmonious relations with the United States, not only an economic sphere but also in ensuring security. Look, we have a treaty for

reduction, a strategic offensive arms treaty.

[05:35:00]

PUTIN (through translator): When this treaty was not signed, I was not president of Russia then. And President Trump didn't participate in preparing this

document as well. But it exists. And there are issues there requiring discussion.

Another problem, low- and medium-range missiles. We hear reproaches from some partners, from the United States, that Russia allegedly violates this

treaty. But one should then show where we're violating it.

But there are launchers in Romania that can be used not only as a missile defense but also for Trident systems and those are midrange missiles based at sea.

And those can be easily transplanted to land and be used as a midrange land-based

missile.

This is already a direct violation, in our opinion. There are also other issues that we can and must discuss, including counterterrorism. The fact that we're

able to agree on at least some things, what I mean, is a statement on Syria, that is

already good. But that is not enough.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHANCE: Right, well, Vladimir Putin did in fact meet President Trump on a couple of very brief occasions. They shook hands at the family photograph

that's traditional at the end of the APEC summits and they met during dinner as well.

Putin said they spoke about security and economic cooperation, which is at almost zero, in his words, at the moment, between the United States and Russia.

He also spoke about the character of Donald Trump. He said he was an educated person who behaves correctly. And he was comfortable to work with.

So despite the fact that there was obvious frustration there, about the fact that they didn't meet, about the lack of a meeting, President Putin still has

very positive words of praise for his American counterpart -- Natalie.

ALLEN: Very interesting. Interesting, too, that President Putin held a news conference. We have not gotten the same from President Trump. It will be

interesting to hear the White House's perspective on all of this. But thank you, Matthew

Chance, for us there in Da Nang.

HOWELL: The departure of Saad Hariri is fueling a political crisis in Lebanon. Hariri announced that he was resigning as prime minister of that nation last

week. And he said that he feared assassination. He made that announcement in Saudi

Arabia and also condemned Hezbollah and Iran.

ALLEN: And that has led to accusations that he's being detained by the Saudis but they say he is free to leave. Lebanon's president has demanded Hariri's

return. Hezbollah says the Saudis have declared war.

HOWELL: Let's get more on this situation with Gul Tuysuz, live for us in Istanbul, Turkey.

Gul, let's talk about these allegations that Mr. Hariri is being held against his will.

What more do you hear?

GUL TUYSUZ, CNN PRODUCER: Well, a high-level ministry official in Lebanon told CNN that they believe Saudi Arabia is restricting the movements and

communications of prime minister Saad Hariri.

The source also told CNN that they don't believe that prime minister Hariri can really express himself. And that even his bloc within the Lebanese

government had no idea about what was going on.

And ever since the announcement of his resignation in Saudi Arabia, which is unusual, because he didn't make that announcement from his own country of

Lebanon but, rather, from Saudi Arabia, there has been speculation about whether or

not he was forced by Saudi Arabia to tender his resignation and whether or not he

might be under house arrest.

These allegations denied by Riyadh, who has come out and said that these are baseless allegations. But just yesterday, the leader of Hezbollah came out and

said that -- and reiterated these allegations. Here is what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HASSAN NASRALLAH, SECRETARY GENERAL, Hezbollah (through translator): It is clear that Saudi Arabia and (INAUDIBLE) officials in Saudi Arabia have

declared war against Lebanon and Hezbollah.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TUYSUZ: That's the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah. And his words just go to show you how difficult the situation in the Middle East is, as Iran and

Saudi Arabia continue to square off against each other through proxies -- George.

HOWELL: Gul Tuysuz live for us in Istanbul, Turkey, Gul, thank you.

Let's go live to these images in Hanoi, Vietnam we're following. Again, images of president Donald Trump, his tour throughout Asia. Again, he'll meet

with the leader, the president of Vietnam, this part of his extended trip there.

ALLEN: Yes. He's just coming from Da Nang and we've been reporting our top story in that Russia is talking about the fact that the Russian president and

President Trump did have very brief meetings. But Russia is indicating that they made --

[05:40:00]

ALLEN: -- some headway on some statements surrounding Syria and the war there. Our Nic Robertson, who is reporting from Da Nang, said it's kind of a

reiteration of what they agreed to in Hamburg, Germany, already.

So the confusion is, we haven't heard anything from the White House about this. President Trump has not held a news conference or taken questions. So

we'll wait and see if, during his stop to Hanoi, we learn more about the Vladimir

Putin meeting.

HOWELL: Other top issues, though, that the president has covered throughout his trip, certainly talking about trade; the president wanting bilateral

agreements. Again, President Trump backed out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the TPP.

And what we've also come to understand is, the 11 other nations involved in TPP, well, they have moved along without the United States on that issue of

trade. The president also focused on defense spending and talking about getting more

support for North Korea.

ALLEN: So as we've been hearing from our Ivan Watson, who's covering this portion of the president's trip in Hanoi, the president is very well greeted in

Vietnam, very well liked by the Vietnamese, who aren't that close with China.

So they're hoping that they will see some trade deals that will come out from this meeting with the president as he arrives there in Hanoi.

We'll take a quick break. We'll continue right after this.

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(WEATHER REPORT)

[05:45:00]

HOWELL: All right. We're following the images of the U.S. president in Vietnam. Again, this is President Trump from moments ago. He arrived in Hanoi,

Vietnam. That's where he's set to meet with the president of Vietnam, part of his continued

tour throughout Asia.

We want to read through some information we're getting, this coming from the president -- rather, the White House. We understand that president

Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin discussed Russia's meddling in the

2016 election during a series of brief conversations at the APEC summit.

ALLEN: He made these comments, President Trump did, to reporters on his flight. Apparently he said that -- Mr. Putin said to Mr. Trump, quote, "He

said he absolutely did not meddle in our election," Trump said.

"He did not do what they're saying he did."

However, we all know that members of Trump's own team say that Russia did meddle in the U.S. election.

And then he was pressed on whether he believed Mr. Putin when he said that.

And Trump said to the reporters, quote, Mr. Trump said this, "Look, I can't stand there and argue with him. Every time he sees me, he says 'I didn't do

that,' Trump said. "I really believe when he tells me that he means it. But he says, 'I

didn't do that.'"

HOWELL: Again, the president said that Mr. Putin denied that Russia meddled in the U.S. election in 2016. And President Trump suggested that he believed

Putin's denial. Important to listen to the phrasing of those words, "believed his

denial."

But again the president believing President Putin's denial in contrast to the findings of his own intelligence community that have determined with confidence that

Russia did interfere in the 2016 U.S. election.

ALLEN: Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin apparently spoke casually at least three times while they were in Da Nang. So, again, he has arrived in Hanoi now this

hour. And we'll continue to bring you the latest on what transpires here. We'll be

right back. CNN NEWSROOM continues after this.

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[05:50:00]

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ALLEN: Well, comedian Louis C.K. said the sexual misconduct allegations against him are true. "The New York Times" reported earlier this week that five women

accused him of acting inappropriately toward them.

In a statement released Friday, the comedian said, "There is nothing about this that I forgive myself for. And I have to reconcile it with who I am, which

is nothing compared to the task I left them with.

HOWELL: "The hardest regret to live with is what you've done to hurt someone else," he says. "I can hardly wrap my head around the scope of hurt I brought

on them. I brought pain to my family, my friends, my children and their mother.

"I've spent my long and lucky career talking and saying anything I want. I will now step back," he says, "and take a long time to listen."

ALLEN: Well, Barack Obama had his day in court in Chicago this week after he received a legal summons.

HOWELL: The former U.S. president didn't stop, though. He went there, he shook hands. And certainly had a little free time after he spent the day

there. Jeanne Moos has more on that day.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: President Obama didn't arrive quite likely other the jurors. He came in a motorcade, news choppers track his progress

to Chicago's Daley Center. He entered the garage and took in the elevator reserved for

judges. But once inside the jury room he mingled.

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you. Thanks, everybody for serving on the jury.

MOOS (voice-over): You know those how to be a juror movies they make --

[05:55:00]

MOOS (voice-over): -- you watch.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: While in the courthouse wear your juror badge.

MOOS: The former president and head of the Harvard Law Review even sat through one of those. The Secret Service did one request of the other potential

jurors and actually was more of a demand.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stay seated, ma'am.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ma'am.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stay seated, ma'am. Ma'am, stay seated.

MOOS (voice-over): Other former presidents have had jury duty, guess who showed up, tweeted a guy who post with George W. Bush in 2015 and Donald Trump

served shortly after he announced he's running for president comedian Bobby Moynihan

happen to have a jury duty at the same time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I took a little creeper photo.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And that's him.

MOOS: Trump, Bush and now Obama were all dismissed. Obama was at the courthouse less than two hours, long enough to impress the potential juror who

shot this video.

ANGEL MARTINEZ, PROSPECTIVE JUROR: Luckily I got to take the pan so that was pretty awesome. I thought that was like the most highlight of my day and

probably of my life, you know.

MOOS: Now don't sell yourself short, who knows what could happen you got a lot of more years of that.

MARTINEZ: That's true.

OBAMA: This looks like Chicago right here.

MOOS: Angel Martinez kept panning to himself, obviously delighted. One thing the jury's not out on is Obama's handshake.

MARTINEZ: He had soft hands.

MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: Well, thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Natalie Allen.

HOWELL: And I'm George Howell. For our viewers here in the United States, "NEW DAY" is next. For other viewers around the world, "AMANPOUR" is next.

Thanks for watching CNN, the world's news leader.