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Roy Moore Speaks to Faith Leaders Amid New Allegations; Moore Says Allegations Against Me are Untrue; White Briefing Amid Al Franken, Roy Moore Scandals. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired November 16, 2017 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00] ROY MOORE (R) ALABAMA SENATE CANDIDATE: Thank you very much, Janet. It's in deed an honor when I look at this group of people behind me, I won't repeat their names, but I've known many of them through the years, some ten years ago, some 20, some 30, and some 40, but some 40 are gone. Many of them have lost their jobs. They have lost their positions. They have suffered imprisonment. Jail time or they've have been fined. They suffered persecution. And some are gone like Mr. Schlafly who I dearly loved and respected.

You know, they all have one thing in common, which all reminds me of a story. When I first got into politics, they said in the court system, they said, three things you have to have to be a good candidate. That's honesty, dedication and experience. So, I went to a seasoned old judge and told him that. He said Roy that's not really correct. He says, you don't need honesty, dedication and experience. What you need to have is eyeglasses that shows people that you study a lot and read a lot. And I've come to where I have to have glasses close range now.

He says next thing is you have to have graying hair or thinning hair, well as you can see mine has been going for a while. And he said you have to have that to show your age. You have to be studied and be of an age proper. Then he said then you have to have one other thing. I said what's that judge? He said you have to have hemorrhoids. And I said judge, I don't understand that. I don't have hemorrhoids. He said well you have to have hemorrhoids. I said why? He said well it gives you a concerned look.

I think the one thing that drives these people to come from places all across our country, from California, and Texas, and Ohio, and Maryland and Pennsylvania, New York, Florida, Illinois, the one thing we have in common is a concern for our country and concern for our future. I want to thank everyone of them individually. It's been a great honor. It's been a great encouragement to hear them. They know what they are talking about, I think. They know that this country faces rough times ahead if we don't go back to the one upon whom it is founded.

I thank all of you who have come to support me in this campaign. I sincerely appreciate your support and look forward to serving the United States Senate. One thing I want to see happen in our country is unity. I said I wanted to see unity. I never dreamed that I would succeed even before I got elected. But I have unified the Democrats and the Republicans in fighting against me. Because they don't want me there. As you know "The Washington Post" has brought some scurrilous, false charges, not charges, allegations, which I have emphatically denied time and time again. They are not only untrue, but they have no evidence to support them.

Two of the speakers up here said words that I caught. One said unsubstantiated, and another said unproven. Another said they were fake. All of that is true. And "The Washington Post" is certainly not evidence. What I want to do in this campaign is very simple is get back to the issues, which some are avoiding addressing. I haven't had one question from the press or the media about issues in this case since these allegations have occurred.

What is important is how we address the future of this country. And by cutting taxes, rebuilding our military repealing Obamacare, and putting good judges and justices on the Federal and Supreme Courts of the United States. We've got to stop judicial supremacy, or we are losing our form of government.

Many of you have recognized that this is an effort by Mitch McConnell and his cronies to steel this election from the people of Alabama, and they will not stand for it. They overcame $30 million and voted me in the primary. And now they are trying a different tactic. They even -- well, today we got a call from one big magazine, which you all recognize if I say the name, I don't want to say it. But they got a call that said asked me to step down from the campaign. Well, I want to tell you who needs to step down. That's Mitch McConnell.

[15:35:00] There have been comments about me taking a stand. Yes, I have taken a stand in the past. I'll take a stand in the future. And I'll quit standing when they lay me in that box and put me in the ground. I'm proud to stand with people that I see behind me and with people of Alabama to bring forth the truth to Washington D.C. Not just about what we stand for, but what the people of this country stand for. An acknowledgment of God and acknowledgment of the constitution, and acknowledgment that we need moral value back in our country. And without God we can never succeed. I want to thank you for coming here. I want to close by just saying my God bless you, bless the state of Alabama, and the United States of America. Thank you.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN HOST: There you have it, Roy Moore. He says he is not going anywhere. He says he wants to get -- become to the issues. He wants to get back to the issues. But I would say the issues are about women. And the issue is about this allegation of improperly touching a 14-year-old. Chris Cillizza, we also heard him, of course, double down on clearly his ire for the Senate Majority Leader and saying to round of applause in a very friendly room there in Birmingham that Mitch McConnell should step done. What did you think of that.

CHRIS CILLIZZA, CNN POLITICS REPORTER AND EDITOR AT LARGE: OK, So, to follow Roy Moore's logic here as he just laid out, Mitch McConnell, the top Republican in the Senate is in cahoots with not only the Democrat. But also "The Washington Post" in a grand conspiracy to get eight or nine -- I've lost count -- it's eight or nine women who do not know one another to come forward and tell very similar stories about Roy Moore's approach to them, and efforts to purview romantic relationships with them. That's the conceit. That is what Roy Moore's argument is. And that I find hard to believe, Brooke. I mean, he is right. There is not fool proof undeniable evidence that these women are telling the truth and Roy Moore is not telling the truth. I get that. There is not going to be that evidence. But if you believe Roy Moore, you have to believe everything that I just said. That Mitch McConnell and the Democrats and "The Washington Post" and by the way the Birmingham News are all in on something where eight or nine women are alleging sexually inappropriate behavior, 20 plus people are cooperating that in "The Washington Post." I just struggle to seek --

BALDWIN: You have no words. I know, I know, I know.

CILLIZZA: You have a mountain of things here. And on the other side we have fake news. And what, frankly, I spent a lot of time in Washington in politics, it just strikes me that it would be odd that Mitch McConnell and the Democrats and "The Washington Post" and the Birmingham News would all be on this grand conspiracy that only Roy Moore can see.

BALDWIN: Right. Jamie, what do you think?

JAMIE GANGEL, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, one of the things he's thrown down a marker here, right. And the other thing is whose playbook is this? This is Donald Trump's playbook. He denied, denied, denied. It's clear that Roy Moore has decided he's going to go all the way. And if you look at a lot of the other instances, we have seen recently, when people apologized, when people admitted they were wrong, they lost their jobs. They lost their book contracts. They lost their tv shows. There are consequences. Al Franken just said he was sorry. That he's going to cooperate. But his life has now been turned upside down. Roy Moore is not going that way. He's going Donald Trump is the president of the United States despite what was it 15, 16 women in that case who came out. He's going to go the denial route.

BALDWIN: What do we -- go ahead, Chris.

CILLIZZA: I was just going to say, I mean, I mentioned this before, Roy Moore, but I do think it's important. Look, when that Access Hollywood tape came out in the fall and Donald Trump dismissed it as locker room talk, and he wins anyway. I think we all knew that there was sort of a profound cultural shift happening. But hard to mark that in the moment. I think what you are seeing here is what happens when you elect someone who takes the approach that Jamie just outlined. Who I think is both unwilling and unable in some ways to sort of seize the moral leadership that our past presidents, Democrat and Republican have had.

[15:40:00] We saw a hint of it as it related to Charlottesville, but this gets to the core of it. A president -- imagine if Barack Obama, George W. Bush were president, you would have them saying this conduct is unacceptable whether it's Al Franken, whether it's or George H.W. Bush -- although that would be tough for George Bush, admittedly. But this conduct is unacceptable. This is not how we act. We need as a society, we need to say that this -- we don't do this. This is not what we do. And Trump because of who he is and where he came from in the campaign, past things he has said about women, and his sort of unwillingness I think to do the things that past presidents have done as it relates to sort of standing up and being that moral leader, there is a vacuum there. You know, we are not getting a comment from him.

BALDWIN: But --

CILLIZZA: Sorry, go ahead.

BALDWIN: You know, obviously you heard the room, you know, Chris. You have a thought and rest of the country has a thought on this. But what matters at the end of the day how people feel in Alabama because they are the ones going into vote. What is it, December 12th. And they're the ones. I don't know if the room is indicative of the state, but there was steer us applause for Roy Moore.

CILLIZZA: Look, he's going to get a chunk of votes, Brooke. I don't think there's any doubt about that. Could he win? Sure. I do think it is less likely that he wins then at this moment, assuming there is no other Republicans trying to replace him? Let's say candidates are Roy Moore and Doug Jones. I think Doug Jones is likely to when. Despite the fact that you are right, it's not just in that room, there are a lot of places that Roy Moore goes in Alabama where he's being cheered on. We have seen, you've had people on the show, defending Roy Moore's behavior. Alleged behavior.

But that doesn't make it right. And I think it's important to say that. Alabamians will have their say.

BALDWIN: I know.

CILLIZZA: But I would suggest that there is a reason beyond simply moral principle that is leading Mitch McConnell and others to want to try to get Roy Moore out and Jeff Sessions in. Get a write in. And that is because they believe they will not win the seat. Or they will not be able to hold the seat in any meaningful way. I don't think that's not their number one calculation. But it is a calculation. And I think Roy Moore, he has not been destroyed by this. He would not get zero votes if the election were held today. But I do think that he has been hurt by this outside of the hard-core base. And that hard-core base for him I don't think is big enough for him to win statewide even in a Republican state like Alabama.

BALDWIN: So, we have the picture up from the White House. We are about to see her, Sarah Sanders. We saw her on her way out of town, you know, with the president, heading off to Asia. You know, as we talked about a second ago, calling the female accusers in the Donald Trump case, essentially calling them liars. That's the last thought, that's the last, you know, on the record comment we've had. And so, here's she's about to be on that podium, Jamie Gangel. She is going to be asked -- let's just go there. Sarah Sanders.

SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Apologies for the delay. It's great to be back with everybody. Certainly, missed seeing most of you who weren't on the road.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Most of us.

SANDERS: Most of you. I gave myself a little wiggle room there.

The President's historic five-country trip to Asia was an incredible success. He rallied the world against the menace of North Korea; strengthened our alliances and showed our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region; and took a stand for fair and reciprocal trade. As a result of the trip, American families will be safer and more secure, and American workers and companies are one step closer to competing on the level playing field they deserve.

Speaking of leveling the playing field for our workers and businesses, the President applauds the House for passing the Tax Cut and Jobs Act. A massive step toward fulfilling our promise to deliver historic tax cuts for the American people by the end of the year.

We are encouraged that the House and Senate continue to work together to deliver what the President asked them to do. Allow hardworking middle-class families to keep more of their hard-earned money, and empower our companies and workers to dominate their global competition.

The Senate Finance Committee is also making progress on its companion bill, and will soon advance it to the floor for a vote.

A simple, fair and competitive tax code will be our rocket fuel for our economy, and it's within our reach. We'll bring back our jobs, we'll bring back our wealth, and as the President has said many times, we'll bring back our great American dreams. Now is the time to deliver, and we fully expect the Senate to follow the House's suit.

And with that, I'll take your questions -- Cecilia.

[15:45:00] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, Sarah. Two questions -- two topics, if I may. Does the President believe Roy Moore's accusers, or does he think Roy Moore should drop out of this race?

SANDERS: Look, the President believes that these allegations are very troubling and should be taken seriously, and he thinks that the people of Alabama should make the decision on who their next senator should be.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So that's a no? He thinks Roy Moore should stay in?

SANDERS: Look, the President said in his statement earlier this week, that if the allegations are true, then that Roy Moore should step aside. He still firmly believes that -- Major.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How would the President like to see that truth proven?

SANDERS: Look, I'm not going to get into and litigate back and forth. But the President has been clear that if any of these allegations are true -- allegations that he takes very seriously and finds very troubling -- if those do happen to be true, then he should do the right thing and step aside.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does the President believe the accusations themselves -- that is to say the women themselves and their own credibility -- can be established outside of them making these allegations? What's the mechanism by which the President would be satisfied that the allegations are true?

SANDERS: Look, I don't think the President's laid out what the mechanisms are. That should be determined possibly by a court of law. But that's also something and a decision that the people of Alabama need to make, not the President, whether or not they want Roy Moore to support them in the Senate.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sarah, Ivanka Trump says that she has no reason not to believe the women who have come forward. Does the President disagree with her position?

SANDERS: Look, the President is not disagreeing with anybody. He's saying that he finds the allegations to be extremely troubling. He doesn't know any more than you do on this fact, other than that these are something that should be taken very seriously and that the people of Alabama should be the ones to make the decision on whether or not to support Roy Moore -- Matthew.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Sarah. Having the information that we have and the information that the people of Alabama have, would President Trump vote for Roy Moore?

SANDERS: The President is not a voter in Alabama, so --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know he's not, but he endorses candidates all the time in states that he's not a voter in. And if he says, "I would vote for this person or I wouldn't," would he vote for Roy Moore?

SANDERS: I haven't asked him if he would vote for Roy Moore.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would you get back to us on that?

SANDERS: Yes. John.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Sarah. A number of Republican senators have pulled their endorsement for Roy Moore. They've urged him to step aside. And Senator Sheldon said he wouldn't even vote for him. He would write someone in on the ballot. Senator Cruz has pulled his endorsement. The President is not only President of the United States and Commander-in-Chief, he's also leader of the Republican Party. Why won't he weigh in on this? Why won't he take the same type of strong position that these other Republican senators have taken on Roy Moore?

SANDERS: Look, the President supported the decision by the RNC to withdraw resources from this race, but feels it's up to the people of Alabama to make a decision. I don't have anything further to add on that --James. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Sarah. I don't mean by asking about that to suggest it's necessarily the most important thing facing the country right now, but it happens to be my story assignment for the day. You say that the President finds these allegations against Mr. Moore, Judge Moore, to be very troubling, extremely troubling, et cetera. As we all know, the President faced a number of similar allegations, or somewhat similar allegations during the course of the campaign, and he vigorously denied them.

But I wonder what you would assert to be the difference between the two situations such that, on the face of things, we should find one set of allegations very troubling and, on the other, we shouldn't pay attention to them at all or we should totally disbelieve them.

SANDERS: Well, I think the President has certainly a lot more insight into what he personally did or didn't do, and he spoke out about that directly during the campaign. And I don't have anything further to add beyond that -- Jeff.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sarah, I'd like to ask you about two other topics. The tax bill passed the House today. One of the things that the tax bill does is increase the deficit by $1.5 trillion. I know the White House has argued that that will be paid by growing the economy. But if the economy doesn't grow, how do you square that with the Republican view of -- or general principle that deficits are bad?

And on a second --

SANDERS: Well, I mean, I just disagree with the premise of the question. We do expect the economy to grow. We've seen that happen over the last 10 months, and we expect that to continue.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But are you confident that the economy will grow consistently enough to cover these costs that otherwise would lead to a ballooning deficit?

SANDERS: Yes. That's been part of our process and part of what we've laid out from the beginning. We expect this to be consistent, and that's certainly what we hope for. That's one of the reasons that the President continues to push for things like deregulation that have helped boost the economy. He's going to continue to push things that help do that and accomplish that, and we feel confident moving forward -- Blake.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sarah, let me ask you about the tax code as well. While on the House side, they've passed it today.

[15:50:00] The Senate side still has a way to go. These are similar, but they are also different bills and plans. At this point, does the President have a preference for the House or the Senate bill? And if so, which one?

SANDERS: Right now, both bills achieve the President's priorities -- that's been his focus. Tax cuts for middle-class families. Simplifying the tax code. Slashing tax for businesses of all sizes so they can grow, create jobs, raise wages for their workers, and compete in the global marketplace. He's laid out those priorities. Right now, both of those pieces of legislation do that, and that's what he's been focused on throughout the process.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You didn't say they're repealing the Obamacare individual mandate. Is that a priority for the President as well?

SANDERS: That's something the President obviously would love to see happen. But in terms of the big things that he laid out on the very front end of the principles for the tax reform package, it's those things I just laid out -- Mara.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sarah, thank you very much. I have a question about the trip. But just, first of all, does his endorsement of Moore still stand?

SANDERS: Look, as I've said, the President believes this is a decision for the people of Alabama to make, not one for him to make.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. And my question about the trip is that he's made a strong argument that having a good relationship with Russia and with Vladimir Putin is a good thing for the United States. Does the President believe that Putin would ever lie to his face?

SANDERS: Look, as the President said many times before, he doesn't think that it's helpful for him to get into a back-and-forth argument with Vladimir Putin. But he does think that there are places where we can work with Russia, particularly whether it's on Syria, North Korea, or other big global issues that the world is facing. And that's been the President's focus and he's going to continue to look for ways that we can work with them that help America -- Steven.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can I ask you another question about tax reform? Thirteen Republicans in the House today broke from the President, broke from their party leaders because they believe that this bill will actually increase taxes for some, if not many or most, of their constituents in California, New Jersey, and New York. Those 13 members represent millions of people who, in theory, voted for the President believing that he would lower their taxes. So, what does the President say to those people? And how is this whole tax reform endeavor for them not a bait and switch?

SANDERS: Look, the President is still incredibly focused. He's laid out his priorities of making sure that this tax plan helps those in the middle class, and that's exactly what it does. That's the focus of both pieces of legislation in the House and the Senate -- Jim.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: On Roy Moore, would the President campaign with Roy Moore?

SANDERS: Not that I'm aware of.

ACOSTA: And can I ask you a follow-up? Do you think he's a creep?

SANDERS: Do I?

ACOSTA: Yes. SANDERS: Look, I don't know Roy Moore. I haven't met him in person, so I wouldn't be able to respond to that -- Kristen.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you. Does the President think that Roy Moore is qualified to serve in the U.S. Senate?

SANDERS: Look, the President, as I've said about seven or eight times now, thinks that this is a decision for the people of Alabama to make.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sarah, we've heard from you and we've heard from Ivanka on this. When are we going to hear from the President himself?

SANDERS: The President has put a statement out earlier in the week when we were on the trip, and he stands by that statement.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But he's ignored shouted questions for two straight days. He's the President of the United States, the leader of the Republican Party. I think a lot of people want to hear --

SANDERS: I'm aware of all of those qualifications of the President, and it's actually my job to come out here and answer questions on his behalf, which I am doing. Which I've done. And which he has done repeatedly over the last 12 days while we were on a trip across Asia. So, to act like he hasn't answered questions is just silly.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Does he think Senator Al Franken should step down? What does he think of Senator Al Franken?

SANDERS: Sorry, Kristen, I'm going to move around.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: On the other side of the aisle, does the President have a response to the allegations against Senator Al Franken and also the mistrial over Senator Bob Menendez?

SANDERS: On Senator Franken, it appears that the Senate is looking into that, which they should. And we feel that's an appropriate action. I haven't asked him about Senator Menendez.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Could you talk a little about the decision-making behind apparently appointing Mick Mulvaney to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Board, at least on an interim basis, given the fact that he's been a longstanding critic of the board and its existence in the first place? And what signal should we take from that in terms of the future of that board and the director?

SANDERS: I don't have any announcements on that front at this point. But we'll follow up with you in the coming days over any movement in that area -- Francesca.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, Sarah. China has announced that it's sending a special envoy to North Korea tomorrow. The President was just in Beijing. Is that something that the President talked to President Xi about while he was there? Is that something that the President favors?

SANDERS: The President certainly favors China taking a greater role in putting maximum pressure on North Korea. This is one of the things that he and President Xi spoke extensively about over the course of our visit. And certainly, any effort in order to denuclearize the Peninsula there in North Korea, then China participating in that, the President certainly supports those efforts.

[15:55:00] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sorry, I have another question about China and trade. Yesterday in his remarks, the President said that we can no longer tolerate unfair trading practices that steal American jobs and wealth and intellectual property, and the days of the United States being taken advantage of are over. He specifically mentioned China as he said all those words. Does the President still believe that China is raping the U.S. economy?

SANDERS: Look, the President knows that there hasn't been fair and reciprocal trade with China. He doesn't think that we've had great ideals in place with China. And he's been very clear, and he was very clear directly with President Xi -- which he'll continue to be -- that we want to make sure that Americans, and American workers in particular, are getting the best deal and the best pieces possible. That was one of the reasons that he worked to secure massive deals totaling over $250 billion while he was in China. He's going to continue to push for those types of efforts -- Jordan.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks, Sarah. Before the President left for Asia, officials here hinted that North Korea might be added back onto the list of state sponsors of terror. Has the President decided to go forward with that move?

SANDERS: I believe the President will be making an announcement and decision on that at the first part of next week. And we'll keep you posted on those details -- Hunter.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Sarah. The Fish and Wildlife Service is lifting a ban and will now allow elephant trophies imported from Zambia and Zimbabwe. President Trump has previously said he disagreed with big-game hunting. Why does he want this ban lifted? And has he changed his view on the practice?

SANDERS: Actually, there hasn't been an announcement that's been finalized on this front. But at this point, I defer you to the Department of Interior.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I did speak to them today. They said that they have a draft of what's going in the Federal Register tomorrow.

SANDERS: Again, there hasn't been an announcement. And until that's done, I wouldn't consider anything final.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, the question is he does seek to --

SANDERS: Again, I would defer you to the Department of Interior for the time being. And when we have an announcement on that front, we'll let you know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Sarah. The Senate Judiciary Committee today sent a letter to Jared Kushner alleging that he did not provide all the information that he should have about his e-mails during the campaign, including e-mails regarding WikiLeaks. Do you acknowledge that Mr. Kushner has not been fully forthcoming?

And then, secondly, Donald Trump, Jr. sent out all of this correspondence with WikiLeaks on his Twitter account. Do you acknowledge that the campaign was in touch with WikiLeaks during the campaign? And was the President aware that his son was corresponding with WikiLeaks?

SANDERS: On the first question, Jared's attorney will be putting out a statement momentarily. If that hasn't happened yet, it will happen here within the next half hour or so. So, I would refer you to that. In terms of any other questions dealing with the campaign, I'd refer you to the campaign -- Debra.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, Sarah. After the House passed the GOP healthcare law, you had a celebration in the Rose Garden. I'm assuming there's not going to be a celebration today about the tax bill. What are you doing differently this time around?

SANDERS: Look, the President was on the Hill earlier today, sent to praise and rallied support for the vote. He's very engaged in this process. We're going to continue to be. And we're looking forward to seeing the same results come out of the Senate when they pass a bill and sign historic tax cuts and tax reform by the end of the year.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, you have talked about the tax bill in terms of fulfilling the promise to middle-class people that the President made during the campaign and afterward. Why does the President support a bill, though, where the individual tax rates will -- the cuts will expire at the end of 2025, but the corporate rates will never expire, going down from 35 to 20?

SANDERS: Look, the President laid out his principles. That's what we've said all along. We're counting on the House and Senate to actually put in the details of that legislation that reflect the priorities that the President laid out. We're going to continue letting this bill work through the process, and right now we think it's in a really good place and we're going to keep pushing forward for progress.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does he think that's a fair bill, to have that one provision expire and the other not?

SANDERS: Again, the President has made clear what his priorities for this legislation are, and we're going to continue to stay focused on this -- Jessica.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you. One of the other things that happened in China right after the President left was that this announcement about more foreign ownership in the financial sector in China was announced, but it was announced after the President left. I wonder if that came up in the conversations between the Presidents and if that was part of any ongoing conversations or deals that were reached during the visit or before the visit.

SANDERS: I'm not sure if that specific thing came up. I'd have to check and get back to you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Chinese Foreign Ministry has taken issue today with the President's statement yesterday that he and President Xi agreed that there would be no freeze-for-freeze proposal regarding North Korea. What is your understanding, or the President's understanding of what he and Xi agreed about that? And does the President stand by that statement yesterday?

SANDERS: Yes, both sides made their position clear. They're different, but --