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Scripted Trump Does Little to Convince Skeptics on Border Wall; Filing: Manafort Fed Info To Alleged Russian Operative; Russian Lawyer At Trump Tower Meeting Charged With Obstruction Of Justice In Separate Case; Trump's Other Pledge: To Save A Dying Industry. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired January 09, 2019 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): The U.S. shutdown debate plays out live on national television. Trump gives a rare Oval Office address appealing for his border wall and Democrats fire right back on why they won't fund it.
Legal filings show Donald Trump's former campaign manager shared polling data with a Russian man suspected of having ties to Russia's military intelligence agency.
Plus an angry ally, Turkey's president publicly scolding the U.S. national security advisor over mixed messages on Syria.
Hello and welcome to our viewers all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church and this is CNN NEWSROOM.
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CHURCH: The dispute over funding for the U.S. president's southern border wall played out on national television Tuesday night with no compromise in sight. It looks like the government shutdown, now in its third week, will soon become the longest in U.S. history.
Trump used a televised Oval Office address to push for nearly $6 billion in funding for the wall. The Democrats insisted on air time for a response and demanded an immediate end to the shutdown with debate on the border to come later.
The president made a number of claims about immigrant crimes on the border and we will fact check those for you as well.
First, here's President Trump's Oval Office address in its entirety.
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DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My fellow Americans, tonight I am speaking to you because there is a growing humanitarian and security crisis at our southern border. Every day, customs and border patrol agents encounter thousands of illegal immigrants trying to enter our country. We are out of space to hold them and we have no way to promptly return them back home to their country.
America proudly welcomes millions of lawful immigrants who enrich our society and contribute to our nation but all Americans are hurt by uncontrolled illegal migration. It strains public resources and drives down jobs and wages. Among those hardest hit are African Americans and Hispanic Americans.
Our southern border is a pipeline for vast quantities of illegal drugs including meth, heroin, cocaine and Fentanyl. Every week, 300 citizens are killed by heroin alone, 90 percent of which floods across from our southern border. More Americans will die from drugs this year than were killed in the entire Vietnam War.
In the last two years, ICE officers made 266,000 arrests of aliens with criminal records, including those charged or convicted of 100,000 assaults, 30,000 sex crimes and 4,000 violent killings. Over the years, thousands of Americans have been brutally killed by those who illegally entered our country and thousands more lives will be lost if we don't act right now.
This is a humanitarian crisis. A crisis of the heart and a crisis of the soul. Last month, 20,000 migrant children were illegally brought into the United States, a dramatic increase. These children are used as human pawns by vicious coyotes and ruthless gangs. One in three women are sexually assaulted on the dangerous trek up through Mexico. Women and children are the biggest victims, by far, of our broken system. This is the tragic reality of illegal immigration on our southern border. This is the cycle of human suffering that I am determined to end.
My administration has presented Congress with a detailed proposal to secure the border and stop the criminal gangs, drug smugglers and human traffickers. It's a tremendous problem. Our proposal was developed by law enforcement professionals and border agents at the Department of Homeland Security. These are the resources they have requested to properly perform their mission and keep America safe. In fact, safer --
[02:05:00]
TRUMP: -- than ever before.
The proposal from Homeland Security includes cutting-edge technology for detecting drugs, weapons, illegal contraband and many other things. We have requested more agents, immigration judges and bed space to process the sharp rise in unlawful migration fueled by our very strong economy.
Our plan also contains an urgent request for humanitarian assistance and medical support. Furthermore, we have asked Congress to close border security loopholes so that illegal immigrant children can be safely and humanely returned back home. Finally, as part of an overall approach to border security, law enforcement professionals have requested $5.7 billion for a physical barrier. At the request of Democrats it will be a steel barrier rather than a concrete wall. This barrier is absolutely critical to border security. It is also what our professionals at the border want and need.
This is just common sense. The border wall would very quickly pay for itself, the cost of illegal drugs exceeds $500 billion a year. Vastly more than the $5.7 billion we have requested from Congress. The wall will also be paid for indirectly by the great new trade deal we have made with Mexico.
Sen. Chuck Schumer, who you will be hearing from later tonight, has repeatedly supported a physical barrier in the past, along with many other Democrats. They changed their minds only after I was elected president. Democrats in Congress have refused to acknowledge the crisis. And they have refused to provide our brave border agents with the tools that they desperately need to protect our families and our nation.
The federal government remains shut down for one reason and one reason only: because Democrats will not fund border security. My administration is doing everything in our power to help those impacted by the situation but the only solution is for Democrats to pass a spending bill that defends our borders and reopens the government. This situation could be solved in a 45-minute meeting. I have invited congressional leadership to the White House tomorrow to get this done. Hopefully we can rise above partisan politics in order to support national security.
Some have suggested that a barrier is immoral. Then why do wealthy politicians build walls and fences and gates around their homes? They don't build walls because they hate the people on the outside but because they love the people on the inside. The only thing that is immoral is the politicians to do nothing and continue to allow more innocent people to be so horribly victimized.
America's heart broke the day after Christmas when a young police officer in California was savagely murdered in cold blood by an illegal alien that just came across the border. The life of an American hero was stolen by someone who had no right to be in our country. Day after day, precious lives are cut short by those who have violated our borders.
In California, an Air Force veteran was raped and murdered and beaten to death with a hammer by an illegal alien with a long criminal history. In Georgia, an illegal alien was recently charged with murder for killing and beheading and dismembering his neighbor. In Maryland, the MS-13 gang members who arrived in the United States as unaccompanied minors were arrested and charged last year after viciously stabbing and beating a 16-year-old girl.
Over the last several years, I've met with dozens of families whose loved ones were stolen by illegal immigration. I've held the hand of the weeping mothers and embraced the grief-stricken fathers. So sad. [02:10:00]
TRUMP: So terrible. I will never forget the pain in their eyes, the tremble in their voices and the sadness gripping their souls.
How much more American blood must we shed before Congress does its job?
To those that refuse to compromise in the name of border security, I would ask, imagine if it was your child, your husband or your wife whose life was so cruelly shattered and totally broken. For every member of Congress, pass a bill that ends this crisis. To every citizen, call Congress and tell them to finally, after all of these decades secure our border.
This is a choice between right and wrong. Justice and injustice. This is about whether we fulfill our sacred duty to the American citizens we serve.
When I took the oath of office, I swore to protect our country. And that is what I will always do, so help me God. Thank you. And good night.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Just minutes after Trump's address, Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer responded with their own plea, urging Mr. Trump to stop manufacturing a crisis and holding the American people hostage.
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REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CALIF.), HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: What we have heard from President Trump throughout this senseless shutdown has been full of misinformation and even malice.
The president has chosen fear. We want to start with the facts.
The fact is, on the very first day of this Congress, House Democrats passed Senate Republican legislation to re-open government and fund smart, effective border security solutions.
But the president is rejecting these bipartisan bills which would re- open government -- over his obsession with forcing American taxpayers to waste billions of dollars on an expensive and ineffective wall -- a wall he always promised Mexico would pay for.
The fact is, President Trump has chosen to hold hostage critical services for the health, safety and well-being of the American people and withhold the paychecks of 800,000 innocent workers across the nation -- many of them veterans.
He promised to keep government shutdown for 'months or years' -- no matter whom it hurts. That's just plain wrong.
The fact is we all agree we need to secure our borders, while honoring our values: we can build the infrastructure and roads at our ports of entry; we can install new technology to scan cars and trucks for drugs coming into our nation; we can hire the personnel we need to facilitate trade and immigration at the border; we can fund more innovation to detect unauthorized crossings.
The fact is the women and children at the border are not a security threat, they are a humanitarian challenge -- a challenge that President Trump's own cruel and counterproductive policies have only deepened.
And the fact is President Trump must stop holding the American people hostage, must stop manufacturing a crisis and must re-open the government.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-N.Y.), SENATE MINORITY LEADER: Tonight -- and throughout this debate and throughout his presidency -- President Trump has appealed to fear, not facts. Division, not unity.
Make no mistake, Democrats and the president both want stronger border security. However, we sharply disagree with the president about the most effective way to do it.
So how do we untangle this mess?
There is an obvious solution: separate the shutdown from the arguments over border security. There is bipartisan legislation -- supported by Democrats and Republicans -- to re-open government while allowing debate over border security to continue.
There is no excuse for hurting millions of Americans over a policy difference. Federal workers are about to miss a paycheck. Some families can't get a mortgage to buy a new home. Farmers and small businesses won't get loans they desperately need.
Most presidents have used Oval Office addresses for noble purposes. This president just used the backdrop of the Oval Office to manufacture a crisis, stoke fear and divert attention from the turmoil in his administration.
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CHURCH: Other observers were dismissive after watching Trump try to make his case for a wall on the southern border. They say he failed on several levels --
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CHURCH: -- to convince the critics and skeptics to join his side. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DAVID GERGEN, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: I don't think it moved the needle. The speech was too short to be persuasive and it was too long on questionable facts to escape scrutiny after the speech.
I would have -- the speech had a hurried quality to it. It was like thrown together. It didn't really -- it wasn't -- it didn't move you. It didn't move the audience, I think, emotionally or rationally.
I would have thought, for example, some very simple thing. They could have had the people in the White House compare -- compose a factsheet on every fact that was in the speech, verifying it, putting it out, before the speech was over, so that when you and I sat down and you have sat down with others and parse what he said, and was he accurate and not accurate, you would have to take account of what the White House said here's why it's accurate.
Instead, they just let the president float out there and I don't think he made the sale.
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AMANDA CARPENTER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: There was no new information brought here. Donald Trump wanted to drag the Democrats into this fight. And so, what we have is no new information from Trump. That's to be expected. But you also had no new information from the Democrats as well.
And so, I think a lot of people are shaking their heads. I want to know who feels better about the state of affairs in Washington, D.C., after watching that mess from both Republicans and the Democrats tonight. There was no new information from it.
And if you look at the Internet now, all people are comparing is who looked dumber in the screen shots.
We're not getting anywhere. And this is the classic Trump trap, where he drags people into his terrain. There was no reason for the Democrats to go on national television and try to respond to nonsense, because they responded with nonsense.
Everybody needs to take a minute and find a way to get out of this mess in a logical way instead of trying to compete on Trump's nonsensical terms.
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CHURCH: We will fact check some of that nonsense ahead, including Trump's claims about illegal drugs flowing through the southern border. Plus.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm a single mom. My son just graduated his first two years of college. He's going back. I'm not getting paid. I just bought a house and I'm not going to be able to pay my mortgage.
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CHURCH: Airport security workers affected by the U.S. government shutdown. Why one union said that the shutdown could put Americans at risk. We're back in a moment with that.
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TRUMP: I am proud to shut down the government for border security, Chuck, because the people of this country don't want criminals and people that have lots of problems and drugs pouring into our country. So I will take the mantle. I will be the one to shut it down. I'm not going to blame you for it.
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CHURCH: That was Trump, promising to own the government shutdown before it got underway. But now three weeks on, Mr. Trump has changed his tune. This is what he said during his presidential address on Tuesday.
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TRUMP: The federal government remains shut down for one reason and one reason only. Democrats will for the fund border security. My administration is doing everything in my power to help those impacted by the situation.
But the only solution is for Democrats to pass a spending bill that defends our borders and reopens the government.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: But Mr. Trump is wrong when he says Democrats won't fund the border security. They just aren't willing to meet his demands for more than $5 billion for a border wall. Congressional Democratic leaders have offered about $1.3 billion for border security in the current shutdown fight and that offer is still on the table.
There were plenty of other things the president said, which ranged from misleading to false. We asked our Tom Foreman for a fact check.
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TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As he made the case for the wall, one of the president's targets was the flow of illegal drugs over the Mexican border. TRUMP: Every week 300 of our citizens are killed by heroin alone, 90 percent of which floods across from our Southern Border. More Americans will die from drugs this year than were killed in the entire Vietnam War.
FOREMAN: It is true, an awful lot of heroin comes across the Mexican border, but it is smuggled through legal ports of entry according to Drug Enforcement officials, not over open land where a wall might be constructed.
And while Vietnam cost more than 58,000 American lives and the Centers for Disease Control said the total number of drug overdose deaths in 2017 was over 70,000, those numbers still could be confusing and possibly misleading because that includes a lot of deaths from prescription opioids, for example, which are not necessarily tied to the border.
The president saved of his toughest words for Democrats, who opposed his wall, including the resistance to something much bigger.
TRUMP: Democrats in Congress has refused to acknowledge the crisis. And they have refused to provide our brave border agents with the tools they desperately need to protect our families and our nation.
FOREMAN: Border security and patrols pushed way up under President George W. Bush, but Barack Obama kept them very high with the support of many in his Democratic Party. And even today, some Democrats are pushing for more electronic surveillance and fencing on the border and better staffing at ports of entry.
In any event, the president tried to give the Democrats credit for a certain change in plan for a vast wall.
TRUMP: At the request of Democrats, it will be a steel barrier rather than a concrete wall.
FOREMAN: Not true. Democrats said they did not asked for it and it pretty soundly rejected his promise to wall off Mexico from the get- go. They have entertained the possibility of some work on a barrier but only if it's part of a much broader immigration reform package -- Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
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CHURCH: Thanks for that, Tom.
Among Trump's border wall critics are some Republicans. A congressman who represents a district that cuts a wide path along the Texas-Mexico border is one of them. He said a barrier just is not the answer to legitimate immigration and drone concerns.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. WILL HURD (R), TEXAS: Building a 30-foot high concrete structure from sea to shining sea is the most expensive and least effective way to do border security. Yes, there are a lot of drugs coming into our country; almost $66 billion worth of drugs. And that's a very conservative estimate, that are coming through our country.
A lot of that is coming into our ports of entry. A lot of that coming from our coast.
The Coast Guard is only able to action 25 percent of the intelligence that they have on drugs coming into our country. That's an outrageous number. We should be making sure that we have more resources in the hands of the men and women in the Coast Guard in order to do their job.
Technology, the only way we're -- it is 2019. We don't have operational control of the --
[02:25:00]
HURD: -- border. We don't know everything that is coming back and forth. The only way we could accomplish this is by looking at all 2,000 miles of border at the same time. The only way to do that is with technology. We should have more Border Patrol but there's 2,000 positions already within Border Patrol that haven't been filled.
And one reason is they haven't been filled is there's retention problems within Border Patrol that needs to be addressed. I would like to take some of that money and make sure we give the men and women in Border Patrol that are doing a hard job more salary.
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CHURCH: Hundreds of thousands of U.S. federal employees are being impacted by the government shutdown. That includes workers with the Transportation Security Administration. Their jobs include airport security but facing no pay, many are calling out sick and triggering delays. Here's how some say they have been hurt by the shutdown.
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CHRISTINE VITEL, TSA EMPLOYEE: I'm a single mom. My son just graduated his first two years of college, he's going back. I'm not getting paid. I just bought a house. I'm not going to be able to pay my mortgage. So, yes, this is affecting me personally. Other people, I'm here, they do have another income, I do not.
BRIAN TURNER, TSA EMPLOYEE: I live about a half hour from work and it is going to come to the point where you say, do I put gas in my car or do I feed my family?
You feel hopeless and you feel helpless. You know, I'm not in Washington. I don't have the influence that these people of power have. And we rely on them. We elect them to these positions to get a job done.
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CHURCH: A union representing TSA workers is demanding an end to the shutdown. One official says many workers are thinking about leaving their jobs or have already left. Hydrick Thomas, president of the union's TSA Council, said that's
dangerous.
He said, "The loss of officers, while we're already shorthanded, will create a massive security risk for American travelers since we don't have enough trainees in the pipeline or the ability to process new hires."
A direct quote there from him.
A big question in Britain, deal or no deal?
Theresa May has less than a week to get her Brexit plan approved and now with another obstacle in her way.
Plus this year's Golden Globes kicked off the movie awards season just a few days ago. When we return, we'll head to London to find out who is getting nominated for this year's British Academy of Film and Television Awards. Back in a moment.
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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. I'm Rosemary Church. Want to update you now on the main stories we've been following this hour.
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[02:30:00] CHURCH: At least a dozen consulates and seven embassies in Australia have received suspicious packages. Authorities are investigating and say the packages are not believed to pose an actual threat. Representatives from the U.K., U.S., New Zealand, Switzerland, and Croatia say their officers received packages. North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un has wrapped up to a visit to China for talks with President Xi Jinping.
Beijing is not commenting on that trip but it comes as Chinese and U.S. negotiators also are meeting in Beijing trying to resolve their ongoing trade war. The U.K. Parliament resumes debate on Theresa May's Brexit plan in just a few hours. The prime minister has less than a week to convince lawmakers her deal is better than leaving the E.U. with no deal. But she's facing an uphill battle and suffered another major setback on Tuesday. Our Anna Stewart joins us now from 10 Downing Street.
Good to see you, Anna. So Theresa May (INAUDIBLE) to take a break. I want to start with that defeat in parliament last night. What happened exactly and how significant is this defeat?
ANNA STEWART, CNN INTERNATIONAL REPORTER: So what parliament voted for here was an amendment to the finance bill that essentially means the government can't raise taxes in this scenario of a no-deal Brexit. Now, lots of government ministers came out last night and say, this isn't too significant. This is minor. This is technical. It frustrates the process for sure, but it doesn't necessarily block it. It doesn't block a no-deal Brexit.
But, you know, Rosemary, what it does do is show that there is not a majority in parliament that would want no-deal Brexit. It also shows that there are 20 rebellious MPs in Theresa May's own party who voted for this as well, so that's not looking good going into that vote next week. On the flip side, Theresa May could say at this stage to her hard liner, Brexiter MPs (INAUDIBLE) listen, it's my deal or it maybe not a no-deal which is actually what many of them would rather have.
In this situation, it looks like parliament would never allow a no- deal Brexit. So it could be a softer Brexit or of course the machinations of the parliament could lead to a second referendum maybe no Brexit at all. So she may try and win back some of these Brexiter MPs before the big vote.
CHURCH: Interesting. Of course, the debate on Prime Minister May's Brexit deal picks up again today ahead of that vote next week. Is she still expected to be defeated there too? And if so, what are the ramifications of this? You mentioned that possibility of a second referendum. How would that work?
STEWART: So currently it doesn't look like she can win this vote at all. Either she does win over some MPs with the last night's defeat. It doesn't look good. Today is day one of a five-day debate ahead of the vote on Tuesday. Theresa May is hoping to get further assurances from the E.U. over this controversial Irish backstop issue. It's unlikely to be enough. Now, if she loses, what's expected to happen is she will tell parliament what her plan is to do next?
The general expectation is that she would say she needs to get more assurances from the E.U. that may not be enough to satisfy the house and what could happen and this is very much a drastic action would be a motion of confidence raised in parliament against the government, against Theresa May, and they could oust the government in that situation or of course Theresa May may suddenly decide that it's time for a second referendum.
I'd say whatever happens, it's looking more and more likely that (INAUDIBLE) surely must be extended. Now, that's something that the government has to try and rig in. It has to get the agreement of the rest of the E.U. because time is really running out here. We're less than 80 days away before the U.K. supposed to leave and there's not enough appetite in parliament at least for a no deal.
CHURCH: It is an extraordinary situation. Just after 7:30 in the morning, there at 10 Downing Street. Many thanks to our Anna Stewart bringing us that live report. Talk to you again soon. Well, as the clock ticks down, locals in Portsmouth, England are standing by Brexit no matter what. CNN's Phil Black has the details.
PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Among many people in Portsmouth, the passion for Brexit still runs strong. This city known as (INAUDIBLE) to proud locals has formed for standing up to continental Europe, from its base here on the English Channel, the British Navy to impose the will of the British Empire around the world and where necessary fight wars against European rivals. From that history lingers an enduring and powerful sense of distrust in the E.U. and the Brexit referendum, 58 percent of voters declared Britain should leave the European Union.
[02:35:04] We've been talking to people here today about how the Brexit process is unfolding and in particular what they think should happen should Prime Minister Theresa May fail to get her negotiated withdrawal agreement through the British Parliament.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) sabotage Europe at all, no. And that would be a tragedy, yes, absolutely. The deal should go through, yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Try and have a deal (INAUDIBLE) just saying no everything.
BLACK: So if a deal can't be reached, what happens then?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We just have to go.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Preferably with a deal.
BLACK: If that's not possible?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, we've got to get it.
BLACK: Full stop?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because they're just going to take us for a ride (INAUDIBLE)
BLACK: Do you think we should leave without a deal?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, if it comes to it. No?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
BLACK: A lot of difference of opinion.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. We need to have a decent deal with the E.U. otherwise (INAUDIBLE) is going to go down and there would be a massive impact if there was no deal at all.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Therese May needs to pull her finger out (INAUDIBLE) we're going to fall down low and pick ourselves back up.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just get on with it. Just get on with it. That's all (INAUDIBLE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACK: The fact so many people still support Brexit in Portsmouth is not particularly surprising. But it is notable that so many people we've met here say they're prepared for the United Kingdom to take an economic hit to secure Brexit through a no-deal scenario if needed. That's notable because all the predictions point to chaos, difficulty, and great expense in a no-deal scenario. In reality, it means real businesses faltering, real jobs disappearing, hardship, and difficulties for real people that they probably wouldn't have to experience.
CHURCH: All right. Award season is under way in the entertainment world. Let's hit the London where nominations for the BAFTA's are happening right now. Let's listen.
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WILL POULTER, ACTOR: Rachel Weisz for The Favourite.
HAYLEY SQUIRES, ACTRESS: The nominations for adapted screenplay are, Spike Lee, David Rabinowitz, Charlie Wachtel, and Kevin Willmott for BlacKkKlansman, Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty for Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Josh Singer for First Man, Barry Jenkins for If Beale Street Could Talk, and Bradley Cooper, Will Fetters, and Eric Roth for A Star Is Born.
POULTER: The nominations for original screenplay are Janusz Glowacki, Pawel Pawlikowski for Cold War, Debra Davis, Tony McNamara for The Favourite, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly, and Nick Vallelonga for Green Book, Alfonso Cuaron for Roma, Adam McKay for Vice.
SQUIRES: The nominations for animated film are Incredibles 2, Isle of Dogs, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
POULTER: The nominations for director are Spike Lee for BlacKkKlansman, Pawel Pawlikowski for Cold War, Yorgos Lanthimos for The Favourite, Alfonso Cuaron for Roma, and Bradley Cooper for A Star Is Born.
SQUIRES: The nominations for leader actor are Bradley Cooper for A Star Is Born, Christian Bale for Vice, Rami Malek for Bohemian Rhapsody, Steve Coogan for Stan & Ollie, and Viggo Mortensenfor Green Book.
POULTER: The nomination for leading actresses are Glenn Close for The Wife, Lady Gaga for A Star Is Born, Melissa McCarthy for Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Olivia Colman for The Favourite, Viola Davis for Widows.
SQUIRES: The nominations for outstanding British film are Beast, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Favourite, McQueen, Stan & Ollie, and You Were Never Really Here.
POULTER: The nominations for best film are BlacKkKlansman, The Favourite, Green Book, Roma, and A Star Is Born.
SQUIRES: And finally, these are all 41 of the feature films with nominations this year. You can discover more about these amazing films and the talented people behind them by following BAFTA online over the coming weeks.
POULTER: Congratulations to all the nominees. Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: All right. So there were the nominations. We're going to look in depth at all of that next hour. Hollywood Insider Sandra (INAUDIBLE) will join me to talk about the BAFTA nominations. So do stay with us for that. And of course we heard a number of names that came up at the Golden Globes.
[02:40:02] We'll see what happens. Well, Donald Trump's former campaign chairman may want to hire new lawyers. How a formatting mistake is revealing Paul Manafort's shocking new ties to Russia. Plus, Turkey's president lashes out at the U.S. National Security Advisor, the latest roadblock on President Trump's calls for a military exit from Syria. We'll have all of that for you when we come back. Do stay with us.
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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, President Trump's murky exit strategy in Syria has hit another roadblock. Turkey's President says U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton made a serious mistake by telling reporters the U.S. would only leave Syria if Turkey pledged not to attack America's Kurdish allies there. Bolton was in Ankara this week but never actually meet with President Erdogan. Meantime, the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is now in Jordan kicking off an eight-nation tour where he will try to clarify the White House policy on Syria and reassure nervous allies in the region.
For more on the widening rift between Turkey and the United States, CNN's Arwa Damon report now from Istanbul.
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Turkey was among the few continues to actually welcome America's decision to withdraw from Syria. But now, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is lashing out following U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton's comments in Israel that among the requirements America would have for a withdrawal from Syria would be that the Turkey not endanger America's allies on the ground. That is the Syrian Kurdish fighting force, the YPG.
Issue is, Turkey views them as being a terrorist organization. Here's more of what President Erdogan had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, PRESIDENT OF TURKEY (via translator): We cannot accept the comments made by Bolton in Israel. They can't differentiate between Kurdish citizens, YPG, PYD, and PKK. Kurdish PKK militants are not representative of Kurds. We can do what is necessary if they are terrorists.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DAMON: President Erdogan was also quick to emphasize that he had spoken to President Trump about America's troop withdrawal and he expected that to be the agreement that was honored. And Turkey of course does have its own requirements as were highlighted by presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin following his meeting with Bolton.
High on that list of priorities is what is going to happen to the weapons the Americans gave the YPG. Turkey wants to see those hand it over. And, of course, the fate of the bases that America is going to be leaving. Turkey wants to ensure that those don't and their words fall back into the hands of terrorists. But suffice to say, at this stage, there is plenty of confusion when it comes to what America strategy actually is to try to pull his troops out of Syria. Arwa Damon, CNN, Istanbul.
[02:45:31] CHURCH: And breaking news now, the current round of trade talks between the United States and China has concluded. Negotiators had agreed to extend their discussions in Beijing for a third day.
A person familiar with the talks described them as constructive. This was the first time negotiators have met face to face since presidents Trump and Xi agreed last month to restart talks.
We have a stunning new window into Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort. His lawyers have inadvertently revealed their client shared polling data with an alleged Kremlin operative during the 2016 campaign.
It is a remarkable suggestion of coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia beyond what we've seen so far. CNN's Sara Murray has more now from Washington.
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SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: As Trump campaign Chairman Paul Manafort shared campaign-related polling and discussed the Ukrainian peace plan with a Russian associate, Konstantin Kilimnik.
They stayed in touch after Donald Trump was elected, meeting in Madrid in 2017. Those revelations are the closest public assertion yet of coordination between a Trump campaign official and Russians.
In this case, Kilimnik, a man prosecutors say has ties to Russian intelligence, which investigators say is responsible for hacking the Democratic Party and leaking stolen e-mails during the 2016 campaign.
Manafort's legal team inadvertently revealed the details about his contact with Kilimnik in a new court filing. That filing meant to explain that Manafort never intentionally lied to federal investigators when he was supposed to be cooperating in special counsel Robert Mueller's probe.
The filing was submitted under seal, then made public with redactions. But a formatting error allowed those redactions to be made public. In another failed redaction, Manafort's team takes issue with prosecutor's claims that Manafort lied about his contacts with the Trump administration. Manafort's team says someone asked to use Manafort's name if they met the president. This does not constitute outreach by Mr. Manafort to the president. Manafort's team wrote in their filing, the Manafort revelations come as another Russian he encountered during the campaign, Natalia Veselnitskaya, faces an obstruction of justice charge brought by the Southern District of New York.
Veselnitskaya was the Russian lawyer that Trump campaign officials hoped would deliver dirt on Hillary Clinton in the now infamous 2016 Trump Tower meeting. That meeting now a focus of Mueller's investigation. But the new indictment is related to a money- laundering case against Prevezon Holdings. A Russia known investment firm.
The indictment highlights Veselnitskaya's close ties to the Russian government. Saying, she submitted an intentionally misleading declaration to the court which she allegedly drafted in secret cooperation with a senior Russian prosecutor. Veselnitskaya has previously denied any ties to the Kremlin.
NATALIA VESELNITSKAYA, LAWYER FROM RUSSIA (through translator): No, I'm certainly flattered by being marked and called as a government attorney, but I have never worked for the government in the first place.
MURRAY: In written testimony to the Senate Judiciary in 2017, she claimed she had no relationship with Russia's prosecutor general. Quote, "Other than those related to my professional functions of a lawyer." In April 2018, she revised her story again. Calling herself an informant.
Today, Veselnitskaya declined to comment on the indictment but vowed to defend by professional honor.
Now, Veselnitskaya is not here in the United States. And unless she decides for some reason to leave Russia, she'll probably never see a U.S. courtroom. Of course, Paul Manafort is not going to be that lucky. He's due for sentencing in February as well as in March. Sara Murray, CNN, Washington.
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CHURCH: And coming up on CNN NEWSROOM, the coal hard truth about a dying industry that President Trump had pledged to revive.
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BILL WEIR, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: Coal just cannot compete with cheaper, cleaner natural gas, wind, and solar. That's the reason more coal-fired power plants have gone out of business in the first two years of Donald Trump, and the first four years of Barack Obama.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [02:51:14] CHURCH: Welcome back everyone. Well, President Trump promised supporters a big beautiful wall on the U.S. border with Mexico. He also pledged to bring back the dying American coal industry. CNN's Bill Weir takes a look at how that's going.
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WEIR: Across America more and more coal-fired smokestacks are smoke- free. The power plants beneath them, cold and dark. The mines that once fed them abandoned. But for the past couple of years, miners and their families let themselves believe that a coal comeback was on the way. Thanks to promises like this.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We are putting our great coal miners back to work.
ART SULLIVAN, CONSULTANT, COAL MINING: He's trying to get their votes. He isn't telling them the truth.
WEIR: He's lying to them.
SULLIVAN: He's lying to them.
WEIR: You, so work in this mine?
SULLIVAN: I worked in this mine, I was a face boss.
WEIR: For 52 years, Art Sullivan worked in and consulted on mines around the world. And he bristles every time he hears the president claimed to be the savior of coal.
SULLIVAN: And that really disturbs me because these are really good people. These are the people that I have spent my life working with. And if they have the truth, they will make the right decisions.
WEIR: If the president was honest, he would explain to those folks that mines like this are never ever coming back to life again. Not because of regulation, but competition. Coal just cannot compete with cheaper, cleaner natural gas, wind, and solar.
That's the reason more coal-fired power plants have gone out of business in the first two years of Donald Trump and the first four years of Barack Obama. Another 20 are expected to go down this year. And if a miner is hired today, chances are he'll be digging to fill the demand in India.
Do you feel the president gave these communities false hope?
BLAIR ZIMMERMAN, FORMER COAL MINER: In my -- in my opinion, absolutely. I mean. I'm an expert, he is not. And like when he was campaigning, I asked, why talk to us people? And I said, what's your plan? How are you bringing back coal because it could be brought back if these plants would come back up and deregulating stuff will help this much, it's not going to help a lot.
WEIR: Trump EPA, now led by a former coal lobbyist in Andrew Wheeler recently moved to lift Obama-era caps on how much poisonous mercury and how much heat-trapping carbon power plants can pump into the sky which really worries climate scientists like Penn State's Michael Mann.
MICHAEL MANN, CLIMATOLOGIST, PENN STATE: We're already experiencing impacts of climate change that could have been avoided, had we acted, you know, two decades ago when we knew already at that point that there is a problem.
WEIR: In order to save life as we know it, Mann says rich countries need to be on carbon-free electricity by 2030, which means 80 percent of current coal reserves need to stay in the ground.
MANN: I think there's enough resilience in the system that we can withstand. One term, one fear four-year term of Donald Trump, I'm not sure we can withstand two. He's among the chorus calling for an energy revolution. And Art's knows a few folks who might be able to pitch in.
SULLIVAN: If you spent several years working in coal mines, you're going to come to understand electricity, hydraulics, mechanics, geology. I see no limitation on the average coal miner's ability to transition into any other field.
WEIR: But first, they need leaders willing to transition to the truth. Bill Weir, CNN, Monongahela, Pennsylvania.
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[02:54:56] CHURCH: Well, nearly all of the world's biggest tech companies are in Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronic Show and Apple has a message for its rivals of the show. It's using the side of a hotel as a billboard to promote its privacy policy, specifically, on iPhones. Apple indicates it won't sell user data. But critics say the ad is misleading citing data leaks through apps.
While everyone gets distracted by the big showstoppers at CES, there are also many innovations that could have a real-world impact. CNN's Samuel Burke, explains.
SAMUEL BURKE, CNN BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: The best part of being at CES every year is finding technology that will actually change people's lives. Many times, these are advancements for communities with special needs. This year, we see a smart walking cane called, WeWalk. It cost $349.
We've got Kursat here. You're from Turkey, thanks for being with us. Now, this smart walking cane, the technology's not at the bottom, the technology is up top here. You've got an ultrasonic sensor that can tell you if there are tree branches in the way, for example. It's got a microphone, a speaker, how did you come up with this technology?
KURSAT CEYLAN, COFOUNDER, WEWALK: We have been working on WeWalk for the last two years. However, in YGA, which is social impact-driven organization aims to raise social entrepreneurs. For the last 10 years, we have implemented various technologies for visually impaired such as indoor navigation technology, audio description in movie theaters, or smart public transportation for the (INAUDIBLE).
Because we believe we have to bring latest technology to visually impaired people to provide full and equal participation to society.
BURKE: And every year at CES, whether it's apps that can help the visually impaired so the sighted people can come in and give them step-by-step directions if they're lost using the FaceTime video technology, or technology for the deaf. It really shows you all that negative that we reported on when it comes to technology in 2018. You can just forget about it for a second in 2019 and see all of the good that technology can do.
CHURCH: And thanks so much for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church. I'll be back with another hour of news in just a moment. Don't go anywhere. You're watching CNN.
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