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At This Hour

Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY) Discusses the Border Crisis; DHS Secretary Says He Doesn't Have Resources Need; Trump's Racist Remarks against Democratic Congresswomen, Chants of "Send Her Back"; Jeffrey Epstein Denied Bail, Will Remain in Jail Pending Trial; Michael Cohen Search Documents Indicate Trump & Hope Hicks Played Role in Stormy Daniels' Hush Money Payments; Rep. Al Green (D-TX) Discusses House Again Voting Down Impeachment; Police Fired Tear Gas at Protesters Demanding Puerto Rico's Governor Step Down. Aired 11:30a-12p ET

Aired July 18, 2019 - 11:30   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:33:37] KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: The crisis at the border, it is still happening. It is ongoing. Even the acting secretary of Homeland Security today told Congress that he doesn't have the resources that he needs to handle the number of migrants that they are holding in their custody every day. He's looking to Congress for help.

Joining me now is Republican Congressman Tom Reed, of New York.

Congressman, thanks for being here.

REP. TOM REED (R-NY): It's great to be with you as always.

BOLDUAN: Thank you.

You're going down to the border this weekend. You're going to tour facilities, look at border crossings. There are zero bipartisan agreement on what the solution is to alleviate the crisis.

You're the chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus. What is the solution?

REED: I'll tell you, first, Lloyd Smucker and Dean Phillips, who are the Republican Democrats leading the caucus, we're going to be going down to the border with 16 of us that are going to view the crisis. And what we can do is come together with common-sense solutions, and not only immediate aide like the aid we sent with the humanitarian package recently a couple of weeks ago, but also get to the root causes of the problem, thinks like fixing the broken immigration system.

BOLDUAN: Do you have any confidence from going down this weekend that you're going to be able to find bipartisan support for anything?

REED: The first thing starts with us going together. We're the largest bipartisan group of members in the House of Representatives going down and we're going to see, OK, what is the crisis firsthand, where can we find the resources, the dollars that are necessary. But where can we reform the system so that technology can be deployed

and more cases can be processed so we don't have this backlog and broken immigration system. And asylum reform has to be part of this conversation.

[11:35:14] BOLDUAN: Look, you are right, the first step to finding any solution, even if it is so far out there it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel is doing it hand by hand on a bipartisan basis. You're absolutely right about that.

Let's talk about something else that is not bipartisan but there's no two ways to look at it. I want to ask you about the president's rally.

I want to play a moment when the president was speaking with supporters in North Carolina.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CHANTING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: The crowd chanting "send her back" about one of the four members of Congress, Democratic woman of color that the president has been attacking. He did nothing when they chanted that. He just stood there and kind of soaked it in.

When I play that moment for you, what do you think?

REED: You know, obviously, we should be having a conversation about the positive nature of America and what that is, is tapping into I think some knee-jerk reaction and rhetoric that is about the concept of somehow the racist type of undertones of America that need to be uncovered.

But at the end of the day, what I believe is the contrast that will be shown is what she represents in regards to that member of Congress and her extreme vision of America going forward, that I don't believe is good for America, and I will stand opposed to it based on the ideological difference of Socialism versus freedom of America.

BOLDUAN: I hear you. Call her out. No one is saying don't call a member of Congress out when you disagree with statements they've made or policies they stand for.

We've had many a member of Congress, Republican and Democrat, who have been on my show to speak out against things that Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has said.

But the difference here is "send her back" is not vote her out. This is extremely different.

REED: I understand. You know, and that is obviously rhetoric that I don't engage in, nor do I support. But at the end of the day, the contrast in the position is what we're

going to be facing here in this upcoming election. It is going to be about big government Socialism versus standing for America, standing with America and be proud of America. Don't apologize for America.

America has done such good for not only our fellow American citizens, but for the world, and we should never apologize for it. We should stand up for it.

BOLDUAN: I hear you. But you're talking Socialism, but the Democrats would say it's Socialism or racism and you get to choose.

REED: And obviously, I don't support racism. And I don't believe that's going to be the choice. And maybe that's what partisan politics and extremists will try to frame this debate about.

But at the end of the day, what I stand for and all I can offer is my voice, is that I believe in America. I stand with America. And freedom is the cure to most of the ills across the world.

BOLDUAN: He made very clear last night, the president, that he's running a campaign based on division and one that is clearly going to include racism.

You've spoken out against his original tweets. You've spoken out here about what was said at the rally. What does this mean for your reelection campaign, and other congressional Republicans? Are you concerned that this could hang over your race?

REED: I'm not concerned, because my race is going to be driven by me and what we do in regard to how we represent people of the 23rd congressional district and listen to their voice and be accessible and be proud -- being a proud Republican. I believe in the principles of Republicanism.

And at the end of the day, the presidential race will take care of itself and we will fight through it just like we always have before.

BOLDUAN: If someone starts chanting "send her back" at one of your rallies, what will you do?

REED: What I will do is say, you know, that's not -- where is that solving problems for people on a day-to-day basis. And I will say is what we should be advocating for as Republicans is our vision and inspiration for tomorrow's generation so that we fix problems. Like giving people a job that they want, a career opportunity that is available to them. Talking about things like rebuilding America's infrastructure. Things like taking health care costs in the right direction.

You can't do that from a government control. You do that from market pressure.

BOLDUAN: That message is going to be increasingly difficult to get out there when you've got a president pounding the pavement and going to rallies with thousands of people chanting what they were doing last night.

(CROSSTALK)

BOLDUAN: But thank you for coming on, Congressman.

REED: That's where the Problem Solvers Caucus is leading the way and changing the culture of Washington, D.C. Stay tuned.

BOLDUAN: Congress, thank you. We will. I really appreciate you coming on. Looking forward to hearing what you learn at the border.

Thank you so much.

(CROSSTALK)

We have breaking news -- thank you. We have some breaking news coming in right now. A judge rejecting bail, denying bail for accused sex trafficker, Jeffrey Epstein. The multi-millionaire, accused of sex trafficking underage girls, had asked that he not have to stay behind bars, that he would be able to stay in his Manhattan mansion pending trial.

[11:40:07] CNN's Shimon Prokupecz is outside the courthouse where this all took place.

Shimon, what are you hearing from inside? What did the judge say?

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CRIME & JUSTICE REPORTER: The judge denying the bail request. Jeffrey Epstein will remain in jail in lower Manhattan at a federal facility here. He is not going home, despite the offer of putting up close to $100 million.

The judge, in issuing his ruling denying the bail, said that it is inadequate. Despite Jeffrey Epstein's offer of $100 million, between the offer of placing his mansion, cash, and other ways to try and secure his release, the judge saying that it was inadequate and he's not going to release Jeffrey Epstein as he awaits trials.

Of course, Jeffrey Epstein's attorneys have been asking for several days, and filing several letters asking for his release. The government arguing that he's an extreme flight risk and, therefore, he should not be released. The judge here this morning siding with prosecutors in this case, and he is not going to release Jeffrey Epstein.

So for now, he will remain in jail here at the MCC in lower Manhattan.

BOLDUAN: All right. Shimon, thank you so much.

We also are getting some more breaking news that's just coming in. Federal prosecutors just released some documents, more documents from the Michael Cohen search warrants. Combing through that, details are coming out. We're going to have that for you next.

We'll be right back.

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[11:46:34:] BOLDUAN: Some more breaking news into CNN. A federal judge has ordered the release of the full search warrant and related material from the investigation into Donald Trump's former attorney, personal attorney, Michael Cohen.

Our team has the documents now and they are combing through these newly unredacted pages.

CNN's Kara Scannell is joining me now from Washington with much more on that.

Kara, what are you picking up?

KARA SCANNELL, CNN REPORTER: Kate, there's about 900 pages in here and we're really homing in on the 20 pages that were previously redacted. They were un-redacted and we're combing through them.

What we have learned, based on the FBI affidavit, it that there was a mad scramble inside the Trump campaign, including specifically Donald Trump, then candidate, and his communications director, Hope Hicks. They were scrambling because they were aware of this "Access Hollywood" tape, right when that tape broke.

It then, according to the FBI, it brought to the forefront these lingering allegations by Stormy Daniels about having had an affair with Trump a decade earlier.

After the "Access Hollywood" tape breaks, it seems the Trump campaign scrambles. There are at least eight telephone calls we see in this document between Michael Cohen, Donald Trump and Hope Hicks. And Cohen is on the line with executives at American Media. That's David Pecker, the publisher -- and Dylan Howard, the chief consult officer of the "National Enquirer."

So they're consulting with them right after the "Access Hollywood" tape, which we believe is about the Stormy Daniels' allegations.

Then after the eight telephone calls jumping back and forth between the Trump camp and the AMI camp, they seemed to have some sort of agreement with Dylan Howard. AMI sends a text message to Michael Cohen in which he says, "Keith will do it. Let's reconvene tomorrow."

Keith is Keith Davidson. He was representing Stormy Daniels in her initial deal with the Trump Organization that Michael Cohen had paid the $130,000 to silence her story about having the affair with Donald Trump just before the election.

Another key element in this search warrant filings that we've homed in on is that when Michael Cohen was wiring that $130,000 payment to Keith Davidson and talking to him about making that payment to Stormy Daniels, he had at least two telephone conversation that very day with Donald Trump.

Now, the big question here has always been, what was Donald Trump's role in this. Michael Cohen, when he pleaded guilty, he said he did it in coordination with and at the direction of the president.

This search warrant material now seems to indicate that Donald Trump was having conversations with Cohen twice that day, twice the same day that he was making those wire transactions, information, over to Keith Davidson.

So it puts Donald Trump very squarely in the midst of all of this negotiation, both at the outset, and when the money was being transferred.

BOLDUAN: And Donald Trump has denied any knowledge of it all along and painted Michael Cohen as a liar. But you see something very different coming out in the search warrant now unredacted documents.

Kara, thank you so much.

I'm sure there's much more to come. Kara and the team will be looking through that and we'll bring you updates.

[11:49:41] Ahead for us, the House votes down yet another impeachment resolution. So is that the final word on the matter? I'm going to ask the Congressman Al Green. He's the man who introduced these articles of impeachment to the floor. Next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The vote was a totally lopsided -- they want to try and impeach. It's a disgrace.

(BOOING)

TRUMP: It's a disgrace.

(BOOING)

TRUMP: So now we have that behind us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: President Trump there trying to claim victory last night after the House voted to effectively kill an impeachment effort brought to the floor by Texas Democrat Al Green. The vote was 332-95 to table the impeachment resolution.

Joining me now is Congressman Al Green, the man behind that effort.

Thank you for being here, Congressman.

(CROSSTALK)

[11:55:05] BOLDUAN: You have now tried three times, 2017, 2018 and now 2019 with impeachment -- bringing impeachment to the floor. They failed. Is this one the last one that you're going to try? REP. AL GREEN (D-TX): It absolutely is not. The national anthem

reminds us we must march on until victory as one. We were up from the first time. I do believe that this president will be impeached. And I believe that it is our duty to do so.

BOLDUAN: After last night, when the president rallied a stadium of supporters and really kind of reveled in them saying "send her back" about one of your colleagues, after that, do you think the vote count today if it was held today would be different?

GREEN: I absolutely do believe that it would be because he's shown extreme disrespect to the Congress. He disrespects the court. We've gone from "lock her up" to "blood and soil," "Jews will not replace us" to "send them home." This is not the America we know and love and we must do something about this.

BOLDUAN: But, Congressman, Donald Trump is using your effort and the vote to rally his base. He talked about it, as we just played, last night in North Carolina. Are you playing into his hands?

GREEN: The base is not the American people. The American people don't want to tolerate bigotry. I just have faith in the American people. And I will continue. We will march on until victory is won.

BOLDUAN: Nancy Pelosi also is not -- is going to stand up against bigotry, but she has been very clear about the path forward for Democrats on impeachment. She's not caved to any of the pressure when it comes to impeachment proceedings from Democrats.

In her reasoning, she laid it out in May, when she said Trump is goading us to impeach him. " Every single day, he's taunting, taunting, taunting because he knows that it would be very divisive in the country but he doesn't really care. He just wants to solidify his base."

Doesn't last night prove that? Doesn't last night bear that out? Are you not concerned that this helps him?

GREEN: The speaker and I -- the speaker and I have the same goal and that's to do what's in the best interests of our country. We have different paths but the same goal.

And I must tell you, I have a vote that's on now and I must leave. So I do appreciate you very much, but I do have to run now.

Thank you.

BOLDUAN: OK. OK, thank you, Congressman. Thank you very much.

Welcome to live television. Let's hope he makes it in for his vote on that.

With that in mind, let's move to Puerto Rico. There have been massive protests that have taken a violent turn in Puerto Rico. You can see how quickly things escalated overnight as police threw tear gas into crowds demanding the resignation of Puerto Rico's governor.

The calls for him to step down erupted earlier this week after private chats between the governor and his inner circle leaked. Messages that included offensive, homophobic, misogynistic comments.

CNN correspondent, Leyla Santiago, is in Puerto Rico.

Leyla, you and your team were caught up in the clashes last night. What happened, and what are you hearing today?

LEYLA SANTIAGO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is a good sign of what happened here. You can see where the barricade sort of was broken up after a clash between protesters and police. Police continue to guard the governor's mansion.

Kate, important to note, just within the last half hour, for the first time, the governor has spoken out since last night's protests. He is saying he's not stepping down. He says the protests have not gone unnoticed, that some people protested correctly, which he considers to be peacefully, but others did so in the wrong form and that he believes led to the clash.

I had an opportunity to be here when that happened. I was standing here in this very moment.

As we look further out, the protests seemed to be somewhat festive. As you got closer here, this is where things really, really heated up.

I captured some video of that. In that video, you see a police officer pull a protester in. After that, that is when things started flying back and forth.

I asked today, the secretary of public safety, because he says that the protesters instigated this. I showed him the video. Here's what he had to say.

Do we have that interview?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELMER ROMAN, PUERTO RICO PUBLIC SAFETY SECRETARY: We obviously need to investigate, but as you can see also we had a situation where an individual started actually throwing Molotov cocktails. So --

SANTIAGO: So are you committing to investigating this video --

ROMAN: Absolutely, absolutely.

SANTIAGO: -- as to why your officer grabbed a protester?

ROMAN: Absolutely, absolutely. We'll do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANTIAGO: That said, the secretary did not ask for the full video. Still waiting to hear back from him. In the meantime, the labor unions just spoke here and they are calling

for another protest from the people of Puerto Rico tomorrow to rid the island of corruption -- Kate?

BOLDUAN: Leyla, is this having any impact on the governor, do you think?

[11:59:59] SANTIAGO: You know, people here, some say his days are numbered. He is digging in. It is very obvious in that last statement. He says that he has apologized and he was here to serve the people who elected him.

But the people of Puerto Rico say this goes beyond chats. This is about dignity and getting rid of corruption.