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Congressmen to Skip Civil Rights Event over Trump; Trump Doubles Down on Roy Moore Endorsement Despite Slavery Comment; Dina Powell Leaving White House; Kirstjen Nielsen Sworn in as DHS Secretary; "The Mystery of Michael Flynn" Airs Tonight. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired December 08, 2017 - 13:30   ET

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

[13:30:00] MICHAEL ERIC DYSON, AUTHOR & PROFESSOR, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: -- where the Congressional Black Caucus can't get to him and talk to him and have a face-to-face, a tet-a-tet, and say, look, this is our honest consideration of what you are doing. It's reprehensible and repulsive. We want to repudiate it. And if you can accept our criticism without calling us names and being mean spirited as he does. Let's be honest, Wolf. This is a president who gets up every morning and excretes the feces of his moral depravity to a nation he's turned into a psychic commode. That's nasty, horrible, and pretty reprehensible. They know that. They don't want to be complicate in that kind of behavior. They want to stand tall on their principles. And by not going, they create more of a possibility of highlighting the very values they stood for. If the museum celebrates civil rights leaders, Bennie Thompson and John Lewis are two of the most valiant civil rights leaders in this history of the nation.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Those African-American leaders will be at the opening of the museum. Do you think they are doing the wrong thing welcoming the president of the United States?

DYSON: Black people, by and large, are very nice people, so we're always going to be nice to people. We're going to stick out our hand and congratulate you for being a human being. At the same time, those leaders have a responsibility to show the worth and value of the civil rights they fought for and some of their people died for. There will be African-American people there. But they will not be the important figures, like Thompson and Lewis, who's symbolic withholding of their presence says more than should they show up.

BLITZER: Michael Eric Dyson, from Georgetown University, thanks for joining us.

DYSON: Thanks for having me.

BLITZER: President Trump doubling down on his endorsement for Roy Moore despite controversial comments surfacing where the candidate seems to praise the era of slavery.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:35:50] BLITZER: President Donald Trump is weighing into the Alabama Senate race in a big way today. First with his tweet, "The last thing to Make America Great Again agenda needs is a liberal Democrat in Senate where we have so little margin for victory already. The Pelosi/Schumer puppet, Jones, would vote against us 100 percent of the time. VOTE ROY MOORE." "Vote Roy Moore," all in caps. The president's strongest endorsement of the Republican candidate to date.

The president is also expected to deliver that same message later this evening at a political rally in Pensacola, Florida.

Check the map. You can see that Pensacola is not that far away from the Alabama line. It's part of the Mobile, Alabama, television market. And maximum coverage of the president's trip and maximum coverage of the endorsement for Roy Moore, the Republican candidate.

Here with us now, "Washington Post" congressional reporter, Karoun Demirjian, CNN analyst, David Gregory, CNN chief political analyst, Gloria Borger.

Gloria, the president is getting more forceful every day -- the election is Tuesday -- in his endorsement of Roy Moore.

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Right, because, A, he needs him more than ever and, B, he probably believes he's got a good shot at winning, and he feels he will be on the winning side this time in that state.

I thought it was interesting yesterday, Wolf, that the president had many opportunities when is he was asked by a White House journalist to comment on Barney Frank. Barney Frank leaving the Senate.

(CROSSTALK)

BORGER: I'm sorry, Al Franken.

(CROSSTALK)

BORGER: I'm being too old school. Al Franken leaving the Senate and he didn't respond because he knows who he is endorsing. He knows what Roy Moore is accused of doing. He doesn't want to comment about anything else, about Franken.

BLITZER: Yes.

BORGER: Thank you for correcting me.

DAVID GREGORY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: I'm always here for you, girl.

(CROSSTALK)

GREGORY: I think part of this, too, is the president making a calculation in the same way that Roy Moore has. That's to run a hard- right conservative campaign that is defiance in the face of these accusations, like President Trump, and to run on issues like abortion and other things that conservative voters are likely to be voting on. That's where the president is doubling down. I think there's something else, too. I think the president is trying

to accelerate a big cultural divide over this sexual harassment issue. He is going to say the claims are just false. Like me, he is standing up against them. I think you will be seeing him assert more of that.

BLITZER: Very few Republican Senators who are with the president in this robust endorsement. Karoun, as you know, the president is moving forward. He forced the Republican National Committee to do the same thing reluctantly, but the Senatorial Campaign Committee is not on board.

KAROUN DEMIRJIAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: No, they are not. Cory Gardner is holding a line on that. And the RNC has gotten back in the ring to back Moore. People are saying Moore, while the voters will decide sort of answers to the questions, and the very stern statements of he has no place in the Senate, he shouldn't be running. Jeff Flake is the only person that is still very, very much saying, I don't think there is any role Roy Moore should be playing, and writing checks to his opponent. Mitch McConnell criticized Roy Moore's candidacy and he is now saying this is up to the people. I think they are bracing for what they think may actually be the next step. If Roy Moore does win, do they put him before the Ethics Committee? They're probably willing to do that, because they committed to do that. But that's a long process. So they are going to neutral territory as the president is going all in for Roy Moore. That's a movement and a shift for everybody --

(CROSSTALK)

GREGORY: The ethics process is not only very establishment swampish, and what happens if you succeed in that, then you are back to the prospect of maybe we lose a seat again.

(CROSSTALK)

[13:40:04] BORGER: I don't know that they have the guts to expel him to be honest. Would they -- if you have McConnell talk about it's up to the voters, suddenly, where he wanted him to step aside originally. Will they have the guts to expel him from the Senate should he win? I'm not betting on it.

(CROSSTALK)

DEMIRJIAN: They may not need to. If you do the ethics process, that can take well over a year. At that point, you're looking at a new campaign season and primary. Then they need time to find the candidate to go against him because this was in the last month of his campaign --

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: If the president is all in for Roy Moore, why not simply go to Alabama? Why do you have to fake it and go near Alabama instead of campaigning in Alabama, a state that clearly was very, very pro Trump during the presidential election? GREGORY: I'm with you. It's not like there is subtlety to this

president of any subtlety to what he's been doing. I think it's an attempt to maybe hedge a little bit. He achieves everything he would want being there, and nobody is making a distinction really by the fact that he is not there.

BORGER: He can say, well, I didn't go to Alabama. It's a distinction --

(CROSSTALK)

GREGORY: Who is that going to -- what's the audience for that?

(CROSSTALK)

BORGER: That's right.

(CROSSTALK)

DEMIRJIAN: -- the one that makes the claim.

BLITZER: We're just getting word that the deputy national security adviser to the president, Dina Powell, is leaving the White House to return to New York. Sarah Sanders, the press secretary, issuing a statement, "Dina Powell has been a key trusted adviser in this administration. She always planned to serve one year before returning home to New York where she will support the president's agenda and work on the Mideast policy. She will serve in the administration until early next year."

That's a surprise because she was very involved with Jared Kushner in the Israeli/Palestinian peace process and trying to get that off the ground. And the timing of this coming just right after the Jerusalem announcement is surprising.

BORGER: I think the timing of it may be personal also. She would like to be in New York with her fiance, I believe. I do believe that she, like everybody else in this White House, has been in a struggle for the past year for the heart and the mind of the president. She belongs to the sort of more moderates, Gary Cohn, Dina Powell contingent. And then there are those like, Steve Bannon, no gone, but others who fought against them. After a year, it gets to wear on you.

GREGORY: I think people should be concerned. The surprise is that she every agreed to go into this White House in the first place. You know Dina. I haven't caught up with her in a long time. She was a Bush person, worked at Goldman Sachs. And to come in, it was surprising. She is the talented moderating voice that anyone would want in this foreign policy team, given what we have seen so far. It's a loss.

BLITZER: Karoun?

DEMIRJIAN: Her involvement with the Middle East process, it's a shifting point, not a breaking point, based on the president making the declaration recognizing Jerusalem as the capital. There is going to have to be rethinking. This is the point where you are planning on going anyway. You say, I'm going to go now.

BORGER: This is the beginning of many changes that we are going to be seeing come the new year in the administration, shifts and perhaps cabinet posts and, internally, inside the White House.

BLITZER: She is obviously very intelligent and smart. She has a good sense. Jared Kushner issued a statement, "Dina has done a great job for the administration, has been a valued member of the Israeli/Palestinian peace team. She will continue to play a role in our peace efforts. And we will share more details on that in the future."

That suggests that maybe there is another job that may be in the works for her?

BORGER: The rumor is she has some kind of a job in the United Nations.

(CROSSTALK)

BORGER: That is in New York. Should anything open up. Nikki Haley should move somewhere or some another job should Nikki Haley stay there.

BLITZER: She wants to go back to New York for personal family reasons as well.

GREGORY: Right. Again, it's important whatever the administration plans to do on something to create, if there is not a peace process, to create something, I think it would behoove them to have her involved.

BORGER: Yes.

[13:44:30] BLITZER: I want you guys to stand by.

The president -- we're expecting to hear from the president. He has been meeting with the Defense Secretary Mattis and others. We will get to that tape fairly soon.

Let's take a quick break.

Also, we are following the former President Barack Obama, invoking Nazi Germany in a warning to America about today's politics. You will hear his comments.

And the rise and fall of Michael Flynn, from military legend to the Russia investigation. A CNN special report. Jim Sciutto has been working on that. He's standing by to join us live after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Mixed messages from the Trump administration over the impact of the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. We'll get to that in a minute. But right now, I want to go to the videotape, moments ago, where the

president was in the swearing in ceremony for new secretary of Homeland Security, Kirstjen Nielsen. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[13:49:46] DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is an honor. You've been with us so long now. Anyway, I have no doubt it's going to be incredible what takes place.

I want to start by thanking you. You've done so well. We really appreciate it. We know you'll be here for a long while and working together.

But this is very special occasion. Because this is an issue I ran on, it's borders, it's Homeland Security. And it's one of the certainly important things. I can't ever say anything is the most important, because our military is the most important, and lots of other things. But this is right there. This is one of the very big issues.

And I just want to congratulate you.

Such an important day for our country. The numbers have been so incredible. We are up to 78 percent. They used to have 1 percent or 2 percent number they celebrated. We are at 78 percent. Went down a little bit, because a lot of people aren't trying to come in because they know it's not easy. But you'll take it to new levels.

We'll get the wall. I know you want the wall. If we don't get the wall, we are going to have a lot of unhappy people, starting with me. We are going to get the wall. We need it. We need it for the drug flow. We need it for people coming into our country.

We want to have great people coming into our country. We want to have a merit-based system. We have to get rid of chain migration. All these things we've been talking about.

And in addition, we have to toughen up the borders even more. And we have to toughen up air travel, too. Not just walls. Lots of people fly in. And they come in through other means.

But I have absolutely no doubt you are going to be so outstanding. And I'd like to congratulate you. And I wanted to be here for the big moment.

KIRSTJEN NIELSEN, SECRTARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: Thank you.

TRUMP: Thank you so much.

NIELSEN: Thank you.

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: Congratulations.

(INAUDIBLE) MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Why don't you turn around so they can see you?

Place your left hand on the Bible. Raise your right hand, and repeat after me. I, Kirstjen Nielsen, do solemnly swear.

NIELSEN: I, Kirstjen Nielsen, do solemnly swear.

PENCE: That I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States.

NIELSEN: That I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States.

PENCE: Against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

NIELSEN: Against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

PENCE: That I'll bare true faith and allegiance to the same.

NIELSEN: That I'll bare true faith and allegiance to the same.

PENCE: That I take this obligation freely.

NIELSEN: That I take this obligation freely.

PENCE: Without any mental reservation.

NIELSEN: Without any mental reservation.

PENCE: Or purpose of evasion.

NIELSEN: Or purpose of evasion.

PENCE: And that I well and faithfully discharge.

NIELSEN: And that I well and faithfully discharge.

PENCE: The duties of the office.

NIELSEN: The duties of the office.

PENCE: Upon which I'm about to enter.

NIELSEN: Upon which I'm about to enter.

PENCE: So help me, God.

NIELSEN: So help me, God.

PENCE: Congratulations.

(APPLAUSE)

NIELSEN: It's so lovely to see so many colleagues and friendly faces.

I want to thank the president for the trust and faith he has placed in me, to thank the vice president and all my White House colleagues.

And my family, thank you so much for your undying support, and my friends.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: So you see the White House escorting the White House pool out of that room, even as the new secretary of Homeland Security, Kirstjen Nielsen, is about to speak.

That's strange. Usually, they let them remain inside to hear the secretary. But for whatever reason, they had them leave. Maybe they didn't want questions shouted to the president. We'll have much more on this coming up.

Other news we're following, the mixed messages coming out of the Trump administration over the impact of the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. On Twitter, the president took a swipe at his predecessors, saying, "I fulfilled my campaign promise, others didn't."

But the State Department seems to be downplaying this new designation. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REX TILLERSON, SECRETARY OF STATE: He has asked the State Department to begin the process of making the move of the embassy to Jerusalem. This will take some time. We have to acquire a state. We have to develop building plans, construction plans. As you point out, ensure we get the authorizations. Although I do not anticipate any difficulty getting the authorizations. And then actually build an embassy. So this is not something that's going to happen this year, probably not next year. And in fact, he was, I think, very clear that the final status of Jerusalem is a matter that would be left -- including the borders, would be left to the parties to negotiate and decide.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: All right. Let's bring in our national security correspondent Jim Sciutto.

Jim, is there less here that meets the eye?

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Secretary Tillerson and other senior diplomats are making the argument this is all rhetoric and no substance. You heard Secretary Tillerson saying this does not affect the final status of negotiations. If there is peace between Israel and the Palestine, there will be some negotiation about the borders of Jerusalem, shared in some way. By saying this, they are not changing that, not prejudicing any negotiations. Even if the kind of procedural level -- you know, the assistant secretary, saying they're going to keep some of these odd practices they have now. If you have American traveling abroad, it will say Jerusalem but leave country blank because they don't want something written down to imply the U.S. has formal recognition. That's not going to change either.

Now, I suppose the flip side is that rhetoric, as you know better than me, in this conflict matters. That's why you've seen the reaction from many Palestinians and others around the region that this sounds like America, the most powerful country in the world, is stating a preference, to some degree, or priority being Israel's position. And rhetoric has power and meaning.

[13:55:55] BLITZER: Even though the president says that Jerusalem is capital of Israel, you get a passport in Jerusalem, it won't say Jerusalem, Israel. City, Jerusalem. Country will be blank on the U.S. passport.

SCIUTTO: Right.

BLITZER: So not necessarily formally recognizable.

SCIUTTO: Exactly.

BLITZER: Tell me about the documentary on Michael Flynn you have that will air later on tonight.

SCIUTTO: We spent the last several of weeks talking to people who have known General Flynn back to his childhood in Rhode Island, growing up. Hardscrabble upbringing, one of nine children, one tiny little house, one bathroom. How he found his way into the military and how he distinguished himself greatly in the military, really a hero, helping turn the tide of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But then he made a move into politics. And even the people who respect and love him the most, many of them amazed, a little alarmed by the Michael Flynn that they've seen in the political sphere as different from the one they knew in military service before.

Have a listen to one example of that that we came across from some of this former intelligence colleagues.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO (voice-over): Inside the intelligence agencies, some grew concerned that Flynn's position sometimes contradicted the facts and the intelligence. Flynn facts they called them.

(on camera): People talked about Flynn facts. You've heard this expression.

JAMES CLAPPER, FORMER DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: I was hearing from more than one source in what became Flynn facts. That concerned me.

SCIUTTO: Can you give me an example?

CLAPPER: I think he was convinced the Iranians were behind the Benghazi attack, which they weren't. Or at least we had no evidence of that. But he insisted that we find evidence to back up that proposition.

SCIUTTO (voice-over): The increasingly infamous Flynn facts became one symptom of broader concerns about Flynn's leadership at DIA.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Flynn started to manifest some of the more controversial behaviors that played out on the national stage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Can't wait to see it. Jim, it looks great.

Jim's special report, "The Mystery of Michael Flynn" airs later tonight, 10:00 p.m. eastern right here on CNN.

That's it for me. Thanks very much for watching CNN.

The news continues right after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)