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Bipartisan Group of Senators Pushing for Investigation into Russian Hacking; Saying No To Cabinet Offer; Prioritizing White House as President; CNN Heroes 10th Annual All-star Tribute. Aired 4-5p ET
Aired December 11, 2016 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[16:00:26] BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now in the NEWSROOM, Donald Trump blasts American intelligence over its assessment that Russia interfered in the election.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think it is ridiculous. I think it is just another excuse. I don't believe it.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: It is clear the Russians interfered. They did hack into this campaign.
SANCHEZ: Democrats and Republicans now calling for an investigation.
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: This cannot become a partisan issue. The stakes are too high for our country.
NEWSROOM starts right now.
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SANCHEZ: Thanks for joining us. I'm Boris Sanchez in for Fredricka Whitfield.
Bipartisan group of senators are pushing for an investigation into claims that Russia intervened in the election to help Donald Trump. In a joint statement, Democratic senators Schumer and Reid, and Republican senators McCain and Graham, said recent Russian interference in our election should alarm every American. President- elect Trump dismissed those claims, blaming them on Democrats still bitter over the outcome of the election.
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TRUMP: I think it is ridiculous. I think it is just another excuse. I don't believe it. I don't know why. And I think it is just, you know, they talked about all sorts of things. Every week, it is another excuse. We had a massive landslide victory, as you know, in the Electoral College. I guess the final numbers are now at 306. She's down to a very low number. No, I don't believe that at all. CHRIS WALLACE, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: You say you don't know why. Do you
think that the CIA is trying to overturn the results of the election, somehow to weaken you in office?
TRUMP: Well, if you look at the story and take a look at what they said, there is great confusion. Nobody really knows. And hacking is very interesting. Once they hack, if you don't catch them in the act, you're not going to catch them. They have no idea if it is Russia or China or somebody. It could be somebody sitting in a bed someplace. I mean, they have no idea.
WALLACE: So why would the CIA put out this story that the Russians wanted you to win?
TRUMP: I'm not sure they put it out. I think the Democrats are putting it out because they suffered one of the greatest defeats in the history of politics in this country. And, frankly, I think they're putting it out. And it is ridiculous. We have to get back to making America great again, which is what we're going to do, and we've already started the process.
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SANCHEZ: CNN's Ryan Nobles is following this story and joins us now, live from outside of Trump tower in New York.
Ryan, if anyone thought there was going to be this great coming together, Kumbaya moment after the election, think again.
RYAN NOBLES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I think you're absolutely right about that, Boris. There seems to be a serious disconnect between how Donald Trump assesses this analysis from the CIA on the hack and how some leading members of the United States Senate view it, including members of both parties. Both Democrats and Republicans seem to want to know more about this hack. Donald Trump dismissing it, saying it has nothing to do with the outcome of the election and we should move on. Even questioning whether or not the United States intelligence community has this done correctly.
Listen to what Chuck Schumer, a leading democrat, and John McCain, a leading Republican, are saying about this situation.
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MCCAIN: They did hack into this campaign, and they did it, I think, with some of -- at least what seemed to be effective. Sort of every week or so, there was new information. And were they hacking the Republicans the same way, the Republican national committee? If so, why didn't they -- there is a whole lot of issues out there. It requires investigation.
SCHUMER: The fact that the CIA and FBI disagrees shows the need for a bipartisan investigation that gets to the bottom of this. The investigation should be tough strong and bipartisan, and should have access to all materials, classified and not.
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NOBLES: This is significant on a number of levels, but it also leads to a greater discussion about how the incoming Trump administration is going to handle the United States relationship with Russia. And you take a look at a senator like John McCain, who believes we should look into this a bit more. He is a harsh critic of the Kremlin and Vladimir Putin in general. Donald Trump has obviously said kind things about Putin and Russia. He believes that Russia had nothing to do with this hack. So this is going to be a big point of discussion on both sides of the aisle and between the incoming administration and the Congress once Trump takes office here in a couple of weeks.
SANCHEZ: Yes. Especially considering the potential secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, the Exxon Mobil CEO, with very close ties to Russia.
Ryan Nobles, thank you for that report.
Let's dig deeper on this, especially the Russian perspective. Joining me is Stephen Cohen the professor emeritus of Russian studies at New York University and Princeton University.
Professor, we thank you for joining us. There is now a bipartisan group of senators calling for a thorough investigation of these alleged Russian cyber-attacks. One of them is Republican Senator John McCain. He signed that letter. He also had some very strong words about Vladimir Putin on CBS's "Face the Nation" today. I want you to listen to this.
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[16:05:38] MCCAIN: Vladimir Putin is a thug and a murderer and a killer and a KGB agent. He had (INAUDIBLE) murdered in the shadow of the Kremlin. He dismembered Ukraine. He had precision strikes on hospitals in Aleppo. Let's call Vladimir Putin for what he is. Does that mean you don't deal with him or talk to him? Of course you talk to him. But you do it the same way that Ronald Reagan did. That's from a position of strength.
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SANCHEZ: Professor, do you agree with that assessment, that Vladimir Putin is a thug and a murderer?
STEPHEN COHEN, PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF RUSSIAN STUDIES, NEW YORK UNIVERSITY & PRINCETON UNIVERSITY: No, I don't. And I want to point out that McCain we on to say that anyone who did not agree with him, McCain, was lying. The impact of that is to chill discussion in this country about Russia and about American policy, at a moment when the relationship with Russia are fought with a possibility of hot war from the Baltic region to Ukraine to Syria. So we need a discussion here. Is American policy wise?
But we can't have it when McCain who is essentially politically a jihadist against Putin. He has been at this a long time. He has powerful allies. The bipartisan consensus for investigation, which there should be, is an inch wide. They never allow truly dissenting voices. But I think the tragedy is, and it could be a tragedy for the United States at home and abroad, is that regarding the hacking and what the Russians did or didn't do, we have a mega-ton of allegations and hysterical and almost no facts being produced. Neither by the CIA or the FBI. I mean, show us the facts, and then let us judge.
SANCHEZ: Well, president-elect Donald Trump is obviously slamming the CIA report that Russia intervened in the election. Here is his response on FOX this morning.
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WALLACE: I just want to ask you about your skepticism about the intelligence community. You are getting the presidential daily brief.
TRUMP: Yes.
WALLACE: Only once a week.
TRUMP: Well, I get it when I need it.
WALLACE: But is it -- if there is skepticism --
TRUMP: First of all, these are very good people giving me the briefings. I say, if something should change from this point, immediately call me. I'm available on one minute's notice. I don't have to be told, you know, I'm a smart person. I don't have to be told the same thing and the same words every single day for the next eight years. Could be eight years. But eight years. I don't need that. But I do say, if something should change, let us know. Now, in the meantime, my generals are great, are being briefed. And Mike Pence is being briefed.
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SANCHEZ: Security experts tell us that if Russia did interfere in the election, it wouldn't be the first time. They say that this kind of attack is part of their MO to try to instill chaos in the west and democratic elections in the west. Do you agree with that? Is that not what Russia does? Professor?
COHEN: Yes. I thought you were still talking to president-elect Trump.
SANCHEZ: I was just asking you, you know --
COHEN: Yes.
SANCHEZ: We heard from security experts again and again, saying that this would be typical of Russia. You -- would you agree with that?
COHEN: No, I would not. And it is a fundamental question. And I think that if you were to ask objective scholars of Russia, western scholars of Russia, as I try to be, maybe I fail, you would ask yourself, why would Putin want to destabilize the west? Here is a man who came to power in 2000, head of a state that had collapsed twice in the 20th century. Enormous state collapsed. His political and historical mission was to rebuild Russia, to stabilize Russia and make sure such collapse never happened again.
He said from the beginning, and experts in the west agreed, he needed, in order to do that, partnerships with the west. Primarily with Europe but also with the United States. That is still his mission. Rebuilding Russia. Why would he want to destabilize the very people he needs technology, investment and nuclear security from? It makes no sense.
[16:10:09] SANCHEZ: Sir, critics make the case that he is trying to weaken, perhaps, NATO, to try to impose his will in, you know, the Baltic area, in Ukraine, in Syria. You don't feel like that's part of his agenda, to try to perhaps enforce his will in these places and weaken anyone that might challenge him?
COHEN: All right. Ukraine is a separate issue. If we leave that aside for a moment, why would Russia, Putin, want to take over the Baltic countries, those little countries, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania? Putin can barely pay pensions in Russia. Is he now going to pay the pensions in those countries? This is preposterous.
What Putin does not want, and no Russian president would want this, are NATO military bases on Russia's borders. Keep in mind, please, because it's never reported here, that NATO, having built up in the Baltics, the countries you mentioned, can hit St. Petersburg, Russia's second city, with ordinary artillery. Not with missiles or bombers, but ordinary artillery.
Now imagine that there were Chinese or Russian bases in Mexico or Canada with that capability. Would we be hysterical? Absolutely. The problem we have here is there's all sorts of allegations being made in this country, along with the kind of neo-McCarthyism, who labels anyone who disagrees with the consensus, and labeled Trump this, too, a puppet of Putin about, a, what the Russians did or didn't do during our election, and, b, what Putin's actual geopolitical motives are. And only one side is being heard here. I'm grateful you invited me today to present a different perspective.
But generally speaking, just look at the front page of "New York Times" and the "Washington Post" today. One war party, cold war party hawkish point of view is being presented. There is very little evidence for it.
SANCHEZ: Professor Cohen, we thank you very much for your perspective. You are certainly right that it is not one that many lawmakers would agree with, but we thank you for offering it to us.
Still ahead, Republican and Democratic senators are calling for an investigation into the Russian hacking report. How that could play out in the coming weeks. We'll talk about that next.
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[16:15:42] SANCHEZ: A bipartisan group of senators is calling for further investigation into claims that Russia interfered with U.S. elections. But Donald Trump says these reports are being perpetuated by Democrats and could be retribution for them losing the election.
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WALLACE: President Obama ordered a full review of Russia's involvement hacking in the election, and Democrats are now calling for hearings. Do you think this is part of an effort to undercut you?
TRUMP: Well, it could be. President Obama has been terrific, very respectful of the process and everything else. So I saw that. But -- and I want it, too. I think it is great. I think I don't want anyone hacking us. And I'm not only talking about countries. I'm talking about anyone, period. But if you're going to do that, I think you should not just say Russia. You should say other countries, also. And maybe other individuals. It's not necessarily --
WALLACE: Could be a political effort here.
TRUMP: It could be. I mean, look, we had many people saying one of the greatest victories of all time. They are very embarrassed.
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SANCHEZ: Let's dig deeper with Republican strategist Brian Morgenstern and political analyst and author Ellis Henican.
Brian, let's start with you. Right off the bat, do you think this investigation, these reports coming from the CIA, are these politically motivated attacks against Trump?
BRIAN MORGENSTERN, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, I think there are a number of different reports coming out, right. I mean, in terms of the CIA saying that Russia had an interest in this election, that's one thing. The FBI seems to have come to a different conclusion.
In terms of what the White House has been saying, the Obama administration -- or the White House came out truly after the election and said, we have no reason to think that this election was not legitimate or that a foreign government, you know, hacked in and affected the voting patterns or anything like that. And now, this seems to be -- part of this seems to be a bit of a political mission to de-legitimize the Trump presidency and say, you know, along with the fact that Hillary Clinton had more overall votes, there is this, you know, Russian issue sort of overhanging. So he shouldn't get what he wants.
If you think the Democrats are not going to come at it from that angle, I have got a bridge I'd like to sell you. But there is, you know -- of course, we want our government to be on top of any foreign threats to our cyber security. That is, of course, a separate and legitimate issue. But again, the Trump administration is going to be pushing back on this, that there was any sort of impropriety, you know, that led to his election.
SANCHEZ: Ellis, do you agree that what we're hearing from the CIA is an attempt to de-legitimize Trump's win? ELLIS HENICAN, POLITICAL COLUMNIST: No. These are intelligence
professionals. Look, let's concede the obvious here. Partisans will be partisan, right? The Dems want to harass Trump. The Trump people want to avoid any investigation or anything that casts any doubt on their victory. That's just -- I mean, grown-ups understand that.
Now, the next step though is what happened? There are some actual facts here. They are intelligence professionals who were uniquely capable of gathering and presenting those facts. And so I think all of us ought to be on single syllable of that come out. See where it lands. What's better that n that?
SANCHEZ: Brian, let's talk secretary of state. Rex Tillerson, the Exxon Mobil CEO, now the front runner according to our sources, he has some experience overseas but it is pretty much limited to his role as a businessman. Do you think he is qualified to be secretary of state?
MORGENSTERN: I think a chief of a multi-national, multi-billion dollar corporation with tens of thousands of employees, who has overseen operations in over 50 countries, I think you would be hard pressed to find somebody who is more qualified. Obviously, diplomatic experience, you know, is valuable, also, but I would think that his skills as a CEO of a giant corporation like that would be very transferable.
I think the issue that you're seeing now with members of the Foreign Relations Committee in their statements is with respect to his relationships in Russia with Vladimir Putin, with the leaders there. And I think it is fair to say that if he is ultimately nominated, and we don't know yet, but if he is ultimately nominated, those lines of questioning will get a lot of coverage in the confirmation hearings because the senators, senator Rubio has already come out with a statement about that. You know, senators McCain and Graham, who are more hawkish toward Russia, will want to understand a lot more about Mr. Tillerson's relationships there.
[16:20:116] SANCHEZ: Sure.
MORGENSTERN: And, you know, how he would approach negotiations with Russia.
SANCHEZ: Ellis, we have maybe ten seconds. What do you think about this potential pick? Is he too close to Russia?
HENICAN: I think his stock is falling by the hour, Boris. 24 hours ago, I'd told you he is going to be the secretary of state. But let me tell you, a lot of Republicans are being made nervous. A lot of Dems already started skeptical. I think it is starting to fade, honestly.
SANCHEZ: Brian, Ellis, pleasure to talk to you gentlemen. Thank you very much for your perspective.
Marco Rubio taking aim at Trump's potential pic for secretary of state. As you just heard, the Florida senator calling Exxon Mobil CEO, quote, "a friend of Putin." We'll talk about that next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:24:36] SANCHEZ: We are getting more details around the investigations around Russian hacking into the 2016 election. (INAUDIBLE) investigation, there is a split between intelligence agencies of the CIA and the FBI over how conclusive the evidence is.
CNN justice correspondent Evan Perez is following this story. He joins us now over the phone.
Evan, where does this divide stop? Where do they disagree?
EVAN PEREZ, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (on the phone): Well, Boris, one of the first things we have to say is that, you know, there's nothing that is 100 percent at this point with the assessment on what was going on with the Russian hacking. It's clear that the Russians did hack Democratic National Committee and other Democratic organizations.
What is in dispute is whether there is enough evidence to say definitively that the Russians were trying to get Donald Trump elected. I think in some briefings in recent weeks, the CIA certainly is leaning more in the direction that it appears that what is happening, the Russians were favoring Trump, trying to hurt Hillary Clinton by releasing certain types of information that was published by WikiLeaks and other websites.
What is the difference though is that other agencies aren't so sure. The FBI is the one who thinks there needs to be more evidence gathered. That even the Russians seem to be very surprised that Donald Trump was elected. So it is not clear what factually they were trying to do, beyond that they were trying to sow discord. They were trying to cause there to be -- to undermine our systems, to undermine the U.S. election system, and to cause confusion in that way. So that's part of the bend the scenes discussions that are still ongoing.
There's still a lot of work that is being done by the FBI, by the CIA and other agencies. It is clear though the CIA has developed information from some of its sources that they believe more firmly puts it in the direction of -- that the Russian intelligence agencies were definitely trying to get Donald Trump elected. And I think that's one of the things that's causing so much pushback from the president-elect. I think what he hears from the reporting that's been coming out this weekend in the "Washington Post" and elsewhere, what he hears is that his election was illegitimate. And I don't think that that is the point the intelligence have been trying to make, Boris.
SANCHEZ: One of the points of contention over the weekend in the reporting about the information that the CIA has and what we're hearing from, specifically, the RNC, is whether or not the RNC was hacked. Have you heard anything about that?
PEREZ: Well, I'm glad you asked. Exactly, we have been following this very closely. We have been checking every few weeks on whether or not the RNC was breached. And we're told the FBI has still not found that the RNC itself was directly breached by these Russian hackers. What they did find was there were third-party entities, at least one-third-party entity, that had some data belongings to the RNC and there might have been a breach there. It appeared that the data is outdated and didn't really have much value, which is why you haven't seen the same impact as the DNC breach.
It is also clear the FBI found -- there were conservative groups and pundits that were hacked. And we did see some e-mails get published from those accounts. So it is clear though that, at this point, the FBI has not found that the RNC itself was breached. And that's a point that Sean Spicer, the spokesman for the RNC has been making all weekend. It is sort of rebutting some reports out there that the RNC was breached - Boris.
SANCHEZ: Just another fascinating angle. The divide between the CIA and FBI on this story.
CNN's Evan Perez, thank you so much. We will be back after a quick break.
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[16:30:00] SANCHEZ: CNN has learned that Chris Christie turned down several offers to join the Trump administration. Sources familiar with the offers say the New Jersey Governor rejected Trump's offers of homeland security secretory, secretary of Veterans Affairs and an ambassadorship to Italy. The one job he did want, attorney general, as we know, has been offered to Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions.
Meantime, back at transition headquarters at Trump Tower in New York, Donald Trump is reviewing his choices for secretary of state. And a decision is expected this week.
Sources say the leading candidate right now is ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson. Trump tweeted about him this morning, writing, quote, "Whether I choose him or not for state, Rex Tillerson, the chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil, is a world class player deal maker. Stay tuned."
But even before making it official, critics are expressing outrage, especially over Tillerson's relationship with Russia. Florida Senator Marco Rubio tweeted this out, quote, "Being a friend of Vladimir is not an attribute I'm hoping for from a secretary of state."
It's worth noting that in 2011, Exxon signed a deal with a Russian oil giant whose largest shareholder is the Russian government. Soon after the signing, Putin awarded Tillerson the country's order of friendship.
So, how close are Vladimir Putin and Rex Tillerson? Here is CNN's Rachel Crane.
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REX TILLERSON, EXXOMOBIL CEO: When I was a brand-new engineer with Exxon in 1975, I was... (END VIDEO CLIP)
RACHEL CRANE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He runs one of the world's biggest companies. Rex Tillerson, CEO of ExxonMobil, has spent his entire career at the oil giant.
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TILLERSON: And I think, you know, we are -- we are the largest American oil company.
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CRANE: Born in Wichita Falls, Texas, and a lifelong boy scout, Tillerson joined Exxon fresh out of the University of Texas in 1975, starting as a production engineer. He worked his way up the ranks and became CEO and chairman in 2006, and has amassed a fortune, estimated to be over $240 million.
According to executive data providers, Equilar, Tillerson has no experience in the public sector, but his work at Exxon has taken him all over the world, and he has forged close ties to Russia.
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REINCE PRIEBUS, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: This is a guy who has business relationships in every continent in the entire world.
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CRANE: Tillerson received the distinguished Order of Friendship award from Vladimir Putin in 2013. And he describes his nearly two-decade long relationship with the Russian president as, quote, "very close."
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TILLERSON: He understands that I'm a businessman. And I've invested a lot of money. Our company has invested a lot of money in Russia very successfully.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CRANE: His business acumen and extensive work overseas has caught the attention and gained the respect of President-elect Trump.
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DONALD TRUMP, UNITED STATES PRESIDENT-ELECT: Well, in his case, he's much more than a business executive. I mean, he is a world class player. And to me, a great advantage is he knows many of the players. And he knows them well. He does massive deals in Russia. He does massive deals for the company, not himself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CRANE: Under Tillerson's leadership, the company behemoth softened its stance on climate change, publicly acknowledging its existence and potential risks.
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TILLERSON: So, I'm not -- I'm not disputing that increasing co2 emissions in the atmosphere is going to have an impact. They'll have a warming impact. How large it is what is very hard for anyone to predict.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[16:35:06] CRANE: Tillerson, who is 64, is expected to retire as CEO of ExxonMobil when he turns 65 in March. The mandatory retirement age at the company.
Rachel Crane, CNN, New York.
SANCHEZ: Still ahead, Donald Trump claims that he's been turning down business deals since he was elected. But that doesn't mean his kids can't pick up what he turns away. The possible conflicts of interest.
Plus, Trump says the U.S. doesn't need to be, quote, "bound by the one China policy." Hear what he has to say when we come back.
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SANCHEZ: President-elect Donald Trump says the U.S. is not necessarily bound by the one China policy. The long standing position that Taiwan is part of one China.
Trump made that comment while discussing his controversial phone call with the president of Taiwan.
China issued a diplomatic protest after that phone call because China considers Taiwan a renegade province. But Trump is defending that conversation and he is questioning whether the U.S. has to be bound by that one China policy.
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TRUMP: I fully understand the one China policy, but I don't know why we have to be bound by one China policy, unless we make a deal with China, having to do with other things, including trade.
I mean, look, we're being hurt very badly by China with devaluation, with taxing us heavy at the borders when we don't tax them. With building a massive fortress in the middle of the South China Sea, which they shouldn't be doing.
[16:40:06] And, frankly, with not helping us at all with North Korea. You have North Korea. You have nuclear weapons, and China could solve that problem. And they're not helping this at all.
So, I don't want China dictating to me. This was a call put in to me. I didn't make the call. And it was a call, very short call, saying congratulations, sir, on the victory. It was a very nice call.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Joining me now to discuss this is Anthony Scaramucci, he is a member of the presidential transition team. Anthony, is the president-elect serious about ending the one China policy, or is this, as we've seen before with Donald Trump, just a bargaining chip in a much bigger move?
ANTHONY SCARAMUCCI, FOUNDER, SKYBRIDGE CAPITAL: Listen, everything should be on the table. At the end of the day, he's the leader of the free world. He's looking at things directionally bores that he doesn't necessarily like. There are certain things that have happened since 1979, frankly, that we didn't anticipate, like the building of those military fortresses out in the South China Sea.
And so, he's nearly saying, listen, there is a new sheriff in town. I want to have a very friendly, terrific relationship with China, but I also want to recognize the Taiwanese by accepting a call. And that's really all he did. The call came in, and he said, you know, thank you to the congratulations.
So, I think what I mind most fascinating about the conversation related to China is that there is a struggle there. There is a competitive tension between us and China. And the president-elect feels that we need to strengthen the U.S. hand, particularly for the working class people, and the middle class, as it relates to our trade deals.
And I can tell you, I'm sitting in these meetings, and I'm very refreshed by this and I expect it to happen.
SANCHEZ: That competitive tension that you've talk about is something that we heard over and over again on the campaign trail. Some very interesting rhetoric from Donald Trump when it comes to China. But is he hesitant at all to potentially start a trade war with them?
SCARAMUCCI: Listen, and I'll state the position again on behalf of all of us. There is no intent to start a trade war, but there is an intent to make things super fair for the American people.
And so at the end of the day, the bargaining chips of a trade war are obviously out there. The imposition of potential tariffs is obviously out there. None of that needs to pass if we can go through a rigorous review of each of these deals and make sure that these deals are right for the American people.
I think the American people are super happy in the last four weeks. They see the president-elect has somebody that is really going to champion in their interests. Not only here in the United States and some of the -- keeping jobs here, but also overseas. That they're going to stand up for America, frankly.
And so, I agree with where the trade deals were, meaning they were unbalanced for the last 71 years, to help create more global economic interdependence. But the president-elect and I had this conversation, recognizes now that we have to be more focused on America, putting American workers first, putting the country first, getting jobs here in our country, manufacturing back, et cetera. And I think the American people love that message, Boris.
SANCHEZ: Well, Donald Trump, first and foremost, is known for his business acumen. He is known as a businessman. Today he was on Fox News and he talked about not only his business but now the election and now becoming president might impact that. I want you to listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: If I were going to do new deals right now, I am turning down billions of dollars of deals. I will tell you, running for president; the money I spent is peanuts compared to the money I won't make. And that's OK, because this is so important. What I'm doing is so important. This is a calling. This is so -- this is a movement. It's not just me. It's millions and millions of people. You got to see it firsthand.
I'm not going to be doing deals at all. So that would be -- I don't even know if that's a conflict. I mean, I have the right to do it. You know under the law, I have the right to do it. I just don't want to do it. I don't want to do deals. Because I want to focus on this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Now, Anthony, he says that he is turning down these billion- dollar deals that he's more interested in the White House than he is really Trump Tower to some degree. But should the American public be concerned about the expanse of his empire and potential conflicts of interest?
SCARAMUCCI: I don't think so. But what I love about that interview right there is you really see the charm and the commercial intensity of the new president-elect. I'm sure that he's -- he would be salivating at the prospect of doing those deals. And he is sending a message to the American people right there by saying, listen, this is so much more important than that. The stakes are so much higher on behalf of the entire country.
I do think on December the 15th, we will hear from him about how he has distance himself away from his corporation and all of his interests. And I think after that press conference, I think people are going to be very happy that the conflict of interest issue that's on the table right now will also be in the rear-view mirror.
[16:45:08] But I do love the fact that the president is a commercial guy. And I can tell the American people he is going that to bring that to the table in trade negotiations. He's going to bring that to the table with his diplomatic skills. And he's also going to bring that to the table in terms of defeating ISIS and making the world safer not only for Americans but for citizens all over the world.
SANCHEZ: Now Anthony, we have to ask you about this. It's the story of the weekend really and likely to continue to be the story in the coming weeks. Do you think this investigation into the Russian meddling in the election could potentially lead to a rough start for a Trump presidency? Could this be a black eye on his presidency? SCARAMUCCI: Listen, I really don't think so. And I think with the
case that the president-elect is making at this point is that the election is over. It was a broad-base landslide in the Electoral College. And these presidential elections are based on the Electoral College. And that's why the president-elect had his strategy over the course of the intense campaign.
I would like to see it end. I know most of the American people, if you poll them, would like to see it end. And so my guess is that this will get put to bed. It is still a lot of speculation, frankly. We're still trying to figure out where the sources are for the stories.
So, it's sort of like weapons of mass disinformation, if you will. And my guess is that he's going to have a very strong, robust start. The 100-day agenda is a fantastic agenda for the American people. And you're seeing people unite around the president-elect, Boris, now in a way that we're fighting very gratifying.
Just look at what happened yesterday at the army-navy game. It was an unbelievable, patriotic, rousing cheer for the president-elect. I know he was very emotional about it. My guess is that we'll be putting this behind us, as we had so many things over the last 18 months.
SANCHEZ: It's important to point out, though, Anthony, it's not just democrats that are calling for that investigation. Some high-ranking republicans, as well. We are out of time but we thank you very much for your time, Anthony.
SCARAMUCCI: Thank you for having me. Thank you.
SANCHEZ: We'll be right back after this.
[16:50:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Tonight is the night. The 10th annual all-star tribute for the top 10 CNN heroes. Anderson Cooper and Kelly Ripa are hosting the show. And we'll have reporters along the red carpet starting at 6 p.m. Eastern. You're going to expect a long list of celebrities that will recognize each hero. And now we're going to take a closer look at one of the honorees, Sheldon Smith.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHEDON SMITH, CNN HERO: Being a daddy I was taught to overcome because I didn't have any father figure around that taught me what being a dad is. Father who doesn't come with a map, father who doesn't come with a manual. And sometimes you can learn from others or you learn on the fly.
On this program trying to do better but my son doesn't have to go through what I went through.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Amen.
SMITH: Seventy percent of African-American children grow up in single parent households. And so what I wanted to do is figure out how to provide these men with the skills and tools that they need to stay involved in their children's life and really support the next generation of children.
My goal at the end of the day when I started the Dovetail Project was to break the cycle. Because I grew up in a community where a lot of young men faced the same issues that I was facing and no one was doing anything about it.
There aren't too many places where a father can go and get the help and support that he actually needs. Being able to have those resources that you actually need in order to make an impact on your child's life like employment or some type of assistance, is key and very important. And I really wanted to be the person who built the hub for that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: And Sheldon Smith, a really inspiring guy. You can see all the honorees tonight at 8 p.m. right here on CNN. Anderson Cooper and Kelly Ripa, again, hosting with a long list of celebrity presenters including Neil Patrick Harris and Richard Gere. Be sure to watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They are the kind and the caring. They are the strong and the brave. They are the ones who see a need. Fill a void. Make a difference.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm trying to get them all the opportunities they deserve.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This has become my life. I don't ever want to do anything else.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They don't do it for themselves. They do it for all the rest of us. They are a reminder of what's good in this world and what it truly means to be a hero.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We give them the foundation from which they can thrive the feeling of family.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have transformed the lives of thousands of children.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tonight, CNN presents a very special, live event. The 10th annual CNN Heroes all-star tribute.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Tonight, we're gathered to celebrate extraordinary men and women who highlight the best of what humanity has to offer.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Join host Anderson Cooper and special co-host Kelly Ripa, as we honor 10 extraordinary people. The 10th annual CNN Heroes all-star tribute, live tonight at 8 p.m. on CNN.
[16:55:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: President John F. Kennedy was a great lover of American culture, asking Robert Frost to read his inaugural poem and regularly inviting authors and artists to the White House. When it comes to culture, President-elect Trump is going for a slightly different vibe, you could say. That's a subject of this week's State of the Cartoonian by Jake Tapper.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Screw off, costal elites. Donald Trump is stacking his administration with leaders from real American pop culture.
TRUMP: Wow.
TAPPER: His pick to head the small business administration is Linda McMahon, CEO of WWE. Making her, I'm pretty sure, the only head of that agency to have ever survived one of stone cold Steve Austin's stone cold stunners.
His pick to be secretary of labor runs the Carl's Jr. and Hardee's franchise, infamous for these racy commercials with scantily clad models.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you ever used Viagra before?
TAPPER: His pick to head the treasury department served as an executive producer on "Mad Max: Fury Road." And of course, we learned this week that the next season of "Celebrity Apprentice," starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and featuring Snoopy will have Donald Trump as an executive producer.
Is it ridiculous to wonder if the inaugural poem will be given by Andrew Dice Clay?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hickory dickory dock.
SANCHEZ: That would be something. That's it for me. Thank you so much for joining us. I'm Boris Sanchez. I'll be back next weekend. Fredricka Whitfield is taking a well-deserved, well-earned vacation. The next hour of CNN Newsroom with Poppy Harlow starts right now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
POPPY HARLOW: Top of the hour at 5 p.m. Eastern. I'm Popppy Harlow in New York. I'm so glad you're with us. You are live in the CNN Newsroom.
And we begin with a bipartisan call for an investigation into Russia's attempt to sway the outcome of the U.S. election. Four sitting U.S. senators, two republicans and two democrats say every American should be alarmed.
The group includes republicans John McCain, and Lindsey Graham, along with democratic Senator Chuck Schumer, the incoming minority leader, and democratic Senator Jack Reid, the top armed services committee of democrats.
In a joint statement, they warn, quote, "This cannot become a partisan issue. The stakes are too high for our country."
[17:00:04] Senator McCain spelled out his concerns. Listen.
