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Don Lemon Tonight

Election Day Results a Referendum On President Trump; Awaiting Joint News Conference With President Trump And China's President Xi Jinping in Beijing; CNN Poll Majority Disapproved Trump's Handling Of Tax Reform; Trump To Benefit Personally From GOP Tax Plan. Aired 11- Midnight ET

Aired November 08, 2017 - 23:00   ET

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

[23:00:00]

DON LEMON, CNN TONIGHT NEWS SHOW HOST: I heard some analysis I think it was on John Kings how today, who says that Nancy Pelosi may have a real possibility of becoming speaker again. Boy, Republicans are going to love that and that is what they are going to run on. Now you are confirming it.

Thank you. Appreciate it. See you next time.

This is CNN tonight, I am Don Lemon. It is 11:00 on the east coast. There is breaking news on the Russian investigations. Sources telling CNN that President Trump's first national security adviser, Michael Flynn is worried of the potential legal fate of his son, Michael Flynn Jr. on a probe by special counsel Robert Mueller. And more breaking news, President Trump is in Beijing meeting with his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping, the two leaders will be holding a joint news conference shortly. CNN will carry it live for you. I want to begin with breaking news on the Russian investigation with CNN chief national security correspondent Jim Sciutto, CNN political commentator David Swerdlick, and John Flannery, former federal prosecutor for the southern district of New York. Good evening, thank you all and good to see you. I like the bow tie John, always.

Jim, I need to start with you, tell me what you learn.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I am told tonight Don by multiple sources and familiar with the matter that General Flynn has expressed concerns about the potential legal exposure of his son, Michael Flynn Jr. is like his father is under scrutiny by special counsel Robert Mueller. Flynn's concern could be very well factor in the decision about how to respond to Mueller ongoing investigation. Which is of course, both in the Russians meddling in the 2016 campaign but also the business dealings of key Trump's campaign advisers. Flynn's wife Lorry Sheirs is concerns about their son possible legal exposure.

LEMON: What legal questions are special councils focusing on regarding Flynn?

SCIUTTO: This is revealing. I have spoken to two witnesses interviewed by special council investigators. They tell me the question regarding Flynn focusing on his and his son business dealings and including reported of income from their work and lobbying overseas. The foreign agent registration act and as well as what they are getting paid for that work. Flynn Jr., not a minor player, he is his father's chief of staff and involved in his father's consulting work and what is it called the Flynn intel group, that including joining his father in their overseas trips, one them to Russia in 2015, when Flynn famously dine with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a massive black tie gallop for the Russian propaganda network RT. I should say as well, Flynn senior is under legal scrutiny by Mueller's team for undisclosed lobbying during the campaigns on behalf of Turkey. And that is something the current President of Turkey wants to happen. I should know the spokesperson for Flynn has denied discussions took place.

LEMON: What's next for the investigation?

SCIUTTO: Really there is no sign of this investigation is slowing down or ending. Flynn's dealing has been under investigation for some time. It goes back to November of last year, prior to Mueller's appointment of May of this year, it is not clear that either Flynn's will face charges once that investigation is complete. I would not that Flynn attorney did not respond to a request for comment on this story, Flynn Jr.'s lawyer did decline a comment.

LEMON: All right. Thank you Jim, I want to bring in now John and Davis. John, as Jim just said Michael Flynn has been under federal investigation since November 2016 for lying to among others the Vice President of United States about his Russia contacts. That was before Mueller was appointed special council. How might the two investigation overlap?

JOHN FLANNERY, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK: Well I think they overlap. If you look at Manafort and you look at the parallels between the charges that Manafort has and what theme we see here for Flynn and Flynn Jr. that is a problem. But if you remember in the early days of this, the delay and firing Flynn when they knew he had mislead the Vice President of sanctions that were under discussion with the Russian ambassador and how the President resisted the investigation talking to Comey and makes you think that Flynn is of concern to the President, because he went out on a limb with Comey and he fired Comey. It looks like Flynn was his greatest concern.

I think that Mueller would like to have Flynn cooperate and put pressure on him. But Flynn is between a rock and a hard place. At some point Flynn will be indicted if they don't agree to anything to force to the point where they have to deal with the reality of being charged.

[23:05:11] And if they don't cooperate, they'll just keep on going on, because they have the witnesses and there is talks of secret indictment, we'll see if it is true. I think the walls are closing in on Flynn, but not just them but other people who are involved. I always thought this would be the second wave and I think Mueller is probably giving them a chance to make up their mind. If you are the father and you have concerns of conversations have to be about specific charges. LEMON: This investigation continues to go on and you get things David

like Carter Page's testimonies and list of Trump's staffers talking to Mueller's team. It is growing. Is it having an impact on the President politically?

DAVID SWERDLICK, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, certainly.

LEMON: I am sorry, go ahead.

SWERDLICK: Yes, just quickly, yes, you look at last night's results and recent polls and the President's poll numbers in the mid, maybe the high 30's and you see a lesser voter turnout among his supporters and particularly in Virginia and a more robust turn out among voting demographics that have not traditionally supported President Trump and 80 percent of people of color vote went to the Democratic gubernatorial candidate and the winning candidate Virginia last night over 60 percent of women and over 60 percent of people and under 45. There was - all signs point to reaction against what people had seen over the past year for President Trump. It also has been a distraction for President Trump.

I agree with John that if you look back at Flynn, he left the White House. He left the national security adviser role before FBI Director Comey was fired and before special prosecutor Mueller was appointed. Looking for a time maybe the legal jeopardy of the White House is walled off with Flynn. Now, clearly that is not the case, he is just one of many threads going on in the investigation. Obviously neither he or his son is in charge yet, but from Jim's reporting tonight if you look at the idea that the senior Flynn is worried about the younger Flynn, clearly this is something that is swirling very close to the President orbit.

LEMON: And that was John, the perception from observer and the media and the people who report on this. Flynn was the first one to fall so to speak. No one thought of Papadopoulos and no one had any idea until we actually saw the documents.

FLANNERY: We had no idea how many people are compromised. I think that Trump is wearing thin, not just in Virginia and New Jersey and so forth, because the combination of bullying and tolerance and the lack of civility and lives, that is what brought down the Republicans and Virginia. It was a home method, a whole way of conducting oneself publicly and politically. Ralph Northam, may not be the exciting person in the world but he have the notion, he is a solid guy and he served in Virginia and he means what he said and he has a history in the state. He was not lured to make any kinds of statements that you were hearing from Republicans. The new seats that are in the general assembly, they got 10 points and they flipped in a lot of these. That is pretty dramatic and it is possible that Democrats taking over the general assembly.

LEMON: All right thank you gentlemen. I appreciate and I need to move on now. I want to turn to the results of the election. Joining me now CNN contributor Frank Bruni and New York Times op-ed columnist. You heard John there talking about, you know the distraction and his words, the lies, in your piece today, and you wrote that this Virginia election last night was clearly a referendum. Trump or Trumpism on the president. And it is a warning to Republicans. What made Virginia so special here?

FRANK BRUNI, NEW YORK TIMES OP-ED COLUMNIST: Democrats needed this. I don't think you can overstate the emotional importance that happened yesterday. Going in to Election Day yesterday, going in to Virginia Democrats have not had the real encouragement that they need it. That the liberal base was energizes as said it was. That base was animated against Donald Trump professing to be. There was not much you can see by the polls. Northam wins by 9 points in the state that Hillary Clinton only won by five and his Democratic predecessor only won by two. It was an enormous margin of victory. It was put up by the candidate and not exactly the most exciting person to put up there.

He ran a decent campaign. It was not an electric campaign. Ed Gillespie did not run a terrible campaign. There is no way of looking at this result and not see Donald Trump in the numbers.

LEMON: You said it was an emotional victory, is that what you said?

BRUNI: I think the emotional importance of yesterday. For Democratic Party going forward, if somehow Northam had lost, I think Democrats would have not gotten the momentum they desperately need. They need to feel that voters are seeing what they are seeing in terms of Donald Trump behavior and the way he is governing or rather not governing the state.

[23:10:22] LEMON: So what is different about Virginia where you had Carol and John here? What is different here?

BRUNI: well it is friendly or Democratic turf.

LEMON: She was supported by Trump?

BRUNI: She put up a bigger margin than Trump had. Virginia is bluer, quite frankly but it is not as blue as many Republicans are saying. It is interesting to listen to reactions and some Republicans particularly Republicans supporting the President trying to spin it, well, there is never much hope in Virginia of such a blue state. I remember up until about 2:00 p.m. yesterday afternoon, we were hearing oh, Gillespie closed the gaps and this race is up for grabs and he could absolutely win here and Steve Bannon was saying the same thing. All of the sudden he loses by nine points in Virginia, too blue for victory. That is ridiculous.

LEMON: Yes. They were saying on this program as well. He had the momentum and he was going to win. Listen, white college graduates went for Trump over Hillary Clinton in Virginia last year. By four points. This year, they went for Democrats over the Republican by three points and a seven point's swing. Will that be replicated nationwide and if so, what does it mean?

BRUNI: It is impossible if it is replicated nationwide. It is -- I do think Democrats who were discouraged before yesterday feeling a whole new sense of purpose and hope. It is important that Donald Trump's election told one story of America. We have been living in that story for a long time. It was a dark story of racial division and the election yesterday told a completely different story. Not only did Democrats put great numbers in Virginia and elsewhere but there were victories by transgender candidates, gay candidates, Asian American candidates and female candidates, big time in Virginia and those victories was powered by minority votes, by women votes. This was the complete inverse of what everyone was talking about in terms of lessons of the 2016 Presidential election. I think that is important to point out.

LEMON: What is interesting, because that is what America really looks like? I think it is important. That is what America really looks like and many people have been looking around the last year and saying, wait a minute, is America just 34 percent of the country which is mostly white and some have shown up and Charlottesville and beyond and so maybe you are right about this, the emotional importance of this. It is like telling the kids you can do it, you can do it and all of the sudden they do it, they get that confidence.

BRUNI: A friend of mine referred to what happened yesterday as a "rainbow revolt." I think it is much of a rainbow correction. This is the America that I know in believing and never stop believing and even after Donald Trump's election.

LEMON: Do you think that is a fight for 2018?

BRUNI: Yes, I do. I think people need to feel that their voices can be heard and there is a way to exercise their power. Donald Trump's election especially having not won the popular vote and incredibly narrow margins in those states that delivered the Electoral College. I think a lot of people felt somehow the system was rigged and lopsided and it could not be heard. They were heard yesterday and that would matter going forward.

LEMON: Listen we could put up your column here, but I just want to ask you because you wrote about it and you talked about the victory. I am just wondering if it gives more Corker and more Flakes and this gives some people in congress or in the senate motivation to say, ok, enough is enough.

BRUNI: I think that will happen. I don't think it is going to happen in big numbers, because what we have seen today is such a Republican cowardess and to think it is changing overnight would be ridiculous. But Republicans are in a big spot right now. What Donald Trump shows his tweet last night were essentially slapping at Gillespie, he is not going to do on a mature politician with approval numbers like his will do and kind of let Republicans who need to win the election established some graceful distance from him. He cannot do that because he is too thin skinned and too ego, he on Twitter last night, even though he is the reason Ed Gillespie lost, if you ever kind of really brought some rigorous analysis to it. He is on Twitter last night saying if you just hug me tighter you would have won, there is nothing in returns yesterday, just suggesting Ed Gillespie.

LEMON: If you watch television today, that is what you hear?

BRUNI: Do you see anything in this returns to suggest the press the case?

LEMON: No.

BRUNI: No.

LEMON: No, I have to ask you before we go, what happens if taxes don't -- tax reform does not go through.

[23:15:00] BRUNI: I think it is a huge problem for Republicans if tax reform does not go through. Yet another occasion has happened where they set a goal and they want to pass legislation and they did not. They were looking in that and unable to do anything. However if it passes, that could be its own problem, because there is a lot in the tax bill that is going to alienate certain voters they need in 2018.

LEMON: I think they have to do something and whatever they can because they need legislative win and they cannot go back to the district without it.

BRUNI: They got nothing. If we don't get something done on taxes and one piece of legislation to campaign in the midterms. Why would anyone vote for us?

LEMON: Yes. Happy holidays.

(LAUGHTER)

Thank you. Or merry Christmas.

(LAUGHTER)

Thank you very much Frank Bruni. Just ahead President Trump claiming he will be a big loser at the GOP tax reform plan becomes law. If he is right about that? We are waiting for a joint news conference in Beijing between the two Presidents.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: President Trump trying to sell GOP tax claiming he will personally be a big loser under the plan if it becomes law. I want to talk about the bill with Wayne Cohen, a special correspondent for "Vanity fair" and author of "The price is silent" and Richard Painter, former White House ethics lawyer. Gentlemen hello, Wayne you first, there is some red flag for the President tax's plan. CNN new polls, only 35 percent of the people approving how the President is handling taxes, what's the problem here?

[23:20:05] WILLIAM COHAN, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT FOR VANITY FAIR: Don, I don't understand this plan, a, I don't understand who's going to benefit or certainly not going to benefit the middle class or Donald Trump's wealthier friends, basically the tax rates don't really change, except for corporations. If you are a corporate executive or a shareholder, this is going to be great for you. If you are partnership income, it is going to be great for you. If you live in New York or California or Connecticut, places where there is high state and local taxes, if you cannot deduct state and local tax deductions, if you cannot take those deductions anymore, you are not going to be happy. I don't see who this benefits except for corporations and people like Donald Trump who have a lot of partnership incomes, I don't understand why he is saying, he going to be a big loser in all of this, he is a master of misdirection so I guess this is another (inaudible).

LEMON: OK. So having said that, there is a number of tax analysis where someone in the middle class will actually pay more in taxes, but tonight the White House Mick Mulvaney said President will reject a tax proposal that'll raise taxes in the middle class. Do your number add up here?

COHAN: I am personally waiting to see what the senate comes out tomorrow. I don't see how the President will accept the house plan and I don't understand how Donald Trump is not signing a bill when frankly this bill proposed by the house or frankly among his rich friends, I don't get it.

LEMON: Richard, I want to talk about the plan and a question here, the President calling a group of Democratic senators to get support for the plan. He told them, his accountant said that he would be a big loser at the GOP plan is sign, based on the only Trump's tax return that we have seen, that is 2005. He paid $38.4 million. 31.3 of it is AMT, which is repealed in the current plan. Do you think the President is a big winner or a big loser?

RICHARD PAINTER, FORMER WHITE HOUSE ETHICS LAWYER: Well, I think he ought to clean up and we'll get rid of the alternative minimum tax. That is the only thing that makes him paid any tax really at all it was significant in relation to what he earned that year. The alternative minimum taxes, big bite for a lot of upper middle income earners. To take it away entirely would let people like Donald Trump getting a break. This tax plan like all the other ones we have seen in congress are rip off of the middle class. I am a Republican and I would like to see tax cuts but tax cuts for middle class Americans. We are working there. We don't need them at the top of the scale here for the corporations and types of investments. Second, he would not disclose his own tax returns and if he is not going to dispose his tax returns, we don't know his conflict of interests. And he has no business monkeying around with a tax code as suggesting changes that are just helping himself. He needs to disclose the returns or not talk about taxes, because he has to recuse from it, he is got a conflict of interest.

LEMON: Go ahead William.

COHAN: I certainly agree with Richard Painter on that. The other thing that is worth mentioning here is the fact that he is repealing the estate taxes which is going help generations of Trump's. Look, we don't know how much Donald Trump is worth. The fact the matter is, he is worth plenty and he is not going to have to pay a state tax which benefits him and the icon of the world.

LEMON: He claims the estate tax, on that call of Democrats, he claims the estate tax was a toss in, because the plan was quote just so bad for rich people. But of course it will help the president and will also help his children. Is it bad for rich people?

COHAN: The federal tax rate for people making a lot of money remains at 39.6. That doesn't help, push right? What hurts people and of all citizens like New York State and California and tax environments is that you cannot deduct that anymore. You are talking about limiting the mortgage interest deductions, that could be a problem for upper middle class people who owns their homes and have a big mortgage. I don't see who this benefits except for really rich people who pays big taxes and corporations and people like Donald Trump who have a lot of partnership income.

[23:25:06] LEMON: Richard after last night, the Republicans in the suburbs want to vote for this plan?

PAINTER: I don't think so. This is not going to help anybody but the super-rich. The estate tax, it means you have generations of families that do anything for a living, but sit around and spend money that somebody earned decades ago. That is not the American way and I don't see anything in this for the middle class. The message is very clear from voters and they want a government that is responsive to the needs and economic needs of ordinary Americans. We need to focus on our economy and getting our economy going again and putting pockets and money in the pockets of ordinary families that need money to support their kids and send kids to school and basic expenses and people are having trouble keeping up with and that ought to be the focus and not just handling a huge amount of money to corporation and making sure that rich family like Trump don't have to pay any estate tax.

Once again, if he won't disclose his tax returns, we don't know what kind of benefit he is getting from this tax plan. He has no business messing around with the tax codes. Every other president has to disclose his tax return. There is no excuse for this. He is under audit. He is audit have been going on for a long time. There is no idea of what it is about. The bottom line is that American people don't trust them. That is what we saw in Virginia last night. The American people don't trust our President.

LEMON: Richard, thank you. William thank you. I appreciate it. When we come back, incredibly harsh words from North Korea against President Trump. How they are responding to his warnings about their nuclear program and any moment now, President Trump will address the press alongside the President of China.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[23:30:48] DON LEMON, CNN TONIGHT NEWS SHOW HOST: President Trump and China's President Xi Jinping is now speaking to business leaders in Beijing. Thy will soon hold a joint news conference and CNN will carry it live for you. I want to bring in now CNN Global Affairs Analyst David Rhode and CNN National Security Analyst Samantha Vinograd, good to see both of you, thank you for coming on. Samantha, you first, all eyes on the President's trip to China. Here is the President, this is earlier tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The hosting of the

military parade this morning was magnificent and the world was watching. I already had people calling from all parts of the world, they were all watching, and nothing you can see is so beautiful. I just want to thank you for the very warm welcome and I look forward to many years of success and friendship, working together to solve not only our problems, but world problems and problems of great danger and security. I believe we can sell almost all of them and probably all of them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Samantha, what needs to comes out of this bilateral meetings especially with the North Korea tensions being so high?

SAMANTHA VINOGRAD, NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: I agree with President Trump, that a lot of people are watching the outcome of his bilateral meeting with President Xi, there is no secret that the administration has had. Trump threatening China during campaign and blowing them over twitter and now lavishing them with praise. The fact is there is been positive soundbite coming out of this visit to Beijing. President Trump has not raise any of the tough issues that he spoke about during the campaign. The fact is, if he fails to speak with President Xi about unfair Chinese market practices or intellectual property theft, he is going to send a message that he is all about bluster and does not fall through his threats to holds countries accountable for them as behavior. Now, Kim Jong-un could interpret it as Donald Trump is not being serious to strike North Korea if they don't denuclearize.

LEMON: David, did you hear a coherent North Korea's strategy during the President's speech last night in South Korea?

DAVID ROHDE, GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST, CNN: He seems to sort of fluctuate between complete rattle and more we'll destroy you and then the softer tone is that is exactly I want to hear from him, so I agree with Samantha. There is concerns of what the Chinese are hearing. They are the key players here and they're worried that Trump is so erratic and they're watching his language and the way he carries himself inside China very carefully and if he does speak out so much in China, it will seem like insulting. It is a very delicate balance and I don't think he has succeed in really coming out of politics.

LEMON: Let's look at North Korea responded Samantha to President Trump's speech calling him, quote a lunatic, old man and that is according to the state media. Is Kim trying to go Trump?

VINOGRAD: Kim in definitely trying to go Trump, this is a pretty transparent move by Kim Jong-un. We know that Donald Trump has taken a less aggressive posture and run up to his meetings and Xi and Putin. These are two leaders particularly because they don't want to see more U.S. Troops on the Korean peninsula. Kim is trying to egg Donald Trump on and Donald Trump should remain on message and on his talking point if it is all possible so that he can convince both Xi and Putin that a military strike is not a for gone conclusion. If he does not, the Chinese and Russians are not going put additional pressure on Kim Jong-un, because they will think it is for not.

LEMON: The President also makes big promises when it comes to trades and he talked tough on China during the campaign. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We cannot continue to allow China to rape our country. And that is what they are doing. China is taking our money, jobs and base and manufactures.

I am going to instruct my treasury secretary to label China a currency manipulator, to label China a currency manipulator?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[23:35:05] LEMON: So David, what's a win for the President on this trip, especially considering he is lacking poll numbers here at all?

ROHDE: he has all his executives when he is unveil a bunch of trade deals, but I would agree he is not confronting China on trades. The South China Sea, he is not raising that at all, and a lot of American allies in the Pacific are waiting to see if he is going to confront China. He is backing in the corner where he needs China's corporation and North Korea. He is not really getting that and again back to his base and voters and promised of all these changes on trades and high paying jobs. I don't think it is coming.

LEMON: Is there a win?

ROHDE: The win is like no gap. He is calm and he sticks to his scripts but that does not deliver. The massive exaggerated promises he made during the campaigns. He has raise expectations so high. Regarding China and trade and jobs that he is not going to be able to achieve that.

LEMON: David and Samantha, thank you as well. I appreciate it. See you guys next time. When we come back. Last night was not just big for Democrats, women, people of color and LGBTQ, candidates won states and local races. Why are so many ground breaking wins happening now and will it last?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[23:40:10] LEMON: The 2017 elections knocked down a lot of barriers. I want to talk about that with CNN political commentator Maria Cardona, Ed Martin and Tara Setmayer the former communications director for a Republican congressman Dana Rohrabacher. Hello, welcome to the program, Maria, last night election results was solid win for diversity, women, African-American, gays and transgender were elected across the country. Many accused the president of insensitivity when it comes to women and minorities. Was this a rebuke of the President, can you say that?

MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: There is no question about that, Don. It was actually sweet poetic justice with all of these wins when you have a historic win in the Virginia House of Delegates by a transgender woman who took the seat of the most anti-LGBT delegate there who was the author of the bathroom bill. This happens across the board where you have two Latinas in the House of Delegate and African-Americans and lieutenant governors and a record amount of women who ran and won. It was resounding rejection of Trump's agenda, of Trump's philosophy, of Trump's temperament, of Trump's policies, of his language and definitely of his twitter habit.

LEMON: OK. All right. Listen Ed. Let me get the question and you can respond. She sounded like Macron who became the first nation's transgender woman elected in the state legislature, defeating the longtime Republican incumbent social conservative Robert Marshalls sponsored that transgender bathroom bill. He describes himself as a state chief homophobes. You don't think voters are sending a message?

ED MARTIN, AUTHOR, THE CONSERVATIVE CASE FOR TRUMP: No, look I mean those two white guys, the guy that won for governor in Virginia and the guy that won in New Jersey s did not exactly nominate people outside of demographics. I think it is cherry picking and for example, where I am from, we had a race between the dynamic woman and a guy. You see in races where there is more money and in the case of marshal, a lot more money, he got beat. That is how races go. But it was a delegate race everything else is elections base on you know, the numbers, Virginia was not a surprise of anyone knows politics. New Jersey was not a surprise so the idea of reading a mandate to this is farfetched.

CARDONA: Poor Ed.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: You are sure of cherry picking?

TARA SETMAYER FORMER COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR CONGRESSMAN DANA ROHRABACHER: As someone who does know politics, that is true the results of New Jersey was not surprising. The blue state it went, you know 13.4 Hillary Clinton over Trump.

LEMON: And there was a Republican governor.

SETMAYER: Chris Christie was terribly unpopular. He won by 22 points four years ago. What's surprising though, my state of New Jersey was how underperforming Republicans were doing in districts they should not have been. In districts that they were normally their strong hold. That the problem.

He is a legacy family in his district in New Jersey and the Republicans only -- well, the Democrats there outperformed the Republicans in ways that no one expected which is not good for the moderate Republicans and states like New Jersey. Now in Virginia, what was surprising for those of us who knew politics, the House of Delegates down there in Virginia is about the flip potentially? No one expected that.

No one expected that. Republicans almost due to one margin there. That wave is something that should be alarming to Republicans because it is indicative of things that happened in 2006 and 2008 where Republicans also lost considerably, they lost the House of Representatives in 2006 and 2008, it continued on with the wave of Barack Obama. We cannot dismiss what took place there. There are a lot of things that you could gleam from what happen.

LEMON: David I am going to read this, in New Jersey, in Hoboken new Jersey, the city councilman Robby became the state first seek campaign that had been targeted by racist flyers, you could put that up. That is interesting, but Maria Democrats turned out big. But the president still has his core supporters. I want to read a part of the piece, this is from Michael Cruz from politico today. He revisited a town called, John's town Pennsylvania where die hard Trump's voters have not changed their minds. Trump is angry on their behalf and battling the people who vex them, the worst "obstructionist," Democrats uncooperative establishment Republicans the media black lives matter, protesters and NFL, boy oh boy, do they hate kneeling NFL players who may see as ungrateful disrespectful millionaires and they love him for this. He spoke with a couple who called the NFL players a horrible main that included the n word, why such anger and can that kind of racism ever be overcome, do you think?

CARDONA: I do think it can be overcome and we saw it being overcome last night. Let's just look at the piece that you just put up, Don. This is the President of the United States who prides himself on representing hatred and racism and bigotry and representing vengefulness and representing anger, he represents the worst in all of that and he was proud of it. The majority of Americans will have come out to say enough, this is not a man who represents --

MARTIN: The majority of Americans? Come on.

CARDONA: I am not finish. Who have not, this is a majority of Americans who have said like they said in the election, Ed, because he did not get the support of the majority Americans that he did not represent full on American values. That is a huge piece that Republicans really need a strong look at going into 2018.

MARTIN: Come on, Don. Look, you are going give a lengthy speech on what you think the President is this or that. We expected energy to be on the Party out of power that is very predictable and everything else I agree with assessment. Virginia, they're under perform.

LEMON: She is responding to the political article.

MARTIN: She is saying all the stuff about the President saying about hate and all of this stuff, I mean.

CARDONA: Absolutely. I stand by in all of that.

LEMON: Did you hear the response from the political article, that she says Trump is seasonably angry on his behalf battling the people who vex and using the "n" word to describe it?

MARTIN: That is not acceptable. When somebody is interviewed and the political article has an angle that there were people that voted for Barack Obama, because they thought about him of something you and I did not agree with. But the point is this, president's policy, listen to his speech in South Korea last night and look at him in China. He is taking on issues seriously. He is a guy that is trying to do his part and people coming on your show saying over and over again they wish to change the rules, electing the President by popular votes. That has never been the system. We have a constitution, most people including Hillary Clinton thought it was a good system.

(CROSSTALK)

That is what she brought it up.

SETMAYER: This is a nonsense argument. Here is the bottom line

MARTIN: You are the one that brought it up.

LEMON: Hold, hold, after the break.

(LAUGHTER)

[23:52:10] LEMON: Back now with Maria Cardona, Ed Martin and Tara Setmayer, Ed, you know you were talking about the Electoral College.

MARTIN: Yeah.

LEMON: It must have slipped. I didn't know Maria mentioned it but this is 11, 6, 12 at 11:45 p.m.

CARDONA: Let's just say Hillary got more support than President Trump.

LEMON: OK. Hold on. Just so you know, you brought up the Electoral College 11, 16, 12, at 11:45 p.m. you know who, tweeted this, the Electoral College is a disaster for democracy.

SETMAYER: What did I say right before the break? That is the point I was making right before we go on to break.

MARTIN: Come on, guys.

LEMON: I don't want to go down this rabbit hole, but yeah.

SETMAYER: Trump is all over the place depending on (inaudible).

MARTIN: Yes, but wait a minute a second, Don. Can I just say something? It's true that people make criticisms of the system. Whatever the system is before, whenever, but when you run and set the rules, the rules Trump ran on was to win and he won. You guys want to play chess.

LEMON: Hold on. What are you talking about? What are you talking about?

MARTIN: I'm talking about the people that are so diluted that they come on and say oh, Hillary won the popular vote, therefore it's something special.

CARDONA: She did won the popular vote. MARTIN: That doesn't matter. So did Al Gore. It's not how you

become President.

LEMON: So would you say to the President that we have a constitution and we elect Presidents a certain way and that he needs to abide by that and respect it? Would you say that to the President of the United States?

MARTIN: I sure would. Any President.

LEMON: After he tweeted that it was a disgrace?

MARTIN: No. That was before he was a candidate. Again, you can criticize the system. You can criticize the system.

LEMON: Oh, my god.

CARDONA: Here is the problem.

LEMON: All right.

CARDONA: Here is the problem with what Ed is saying, because he is saying that it doesn't matter that Hillary won by 3 million votes. You're right it doesn't matter in terms of who is President. But it does matter when it comes to governing. Donald Trump does not that he is only supported by less than a third of Americans. He doesn't care that communities of color feel that they are left behind.

MARTIN: That is not how it works.

CARDONA: And abandoned and are fearful by the kind of divisive and hateful rhetoric this President has spouted from the day that he announced his candidacy.

SETMAYER: Can I say something?

MARTIN: You're missing a good presidency. Sure. Yes.

SETMAYER: Ok. Look, all those things, how people feel and all of that at this point is reflected in the polls.

LEMON: You guys are going to be really upset, but I've got to get to breaking news. Ok. Stone. Breaking news. President Trump and his China's counterpart President Xi Jinping holding a news conference in Beijing. Let's listen in now.

(BEGIN VIDEO LIVE FEED)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (TRANSLATOR): The Excellency President Xi Jinping. The honorable President Donald Trump distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, members of the press, good afternoon. The press statement made by the two Presidents now starts. First of all, I would like to invite President Xi to make his statement.

[23:55:08] XI JINPING, PRESIDENT OF CHINA (TRANSLATOR): You're honorable President Donald Trump, friends and the press, good afternoon. It is my great pleasure to meet all of you together with President Trump. Let me begin by extending once again warm welcome to the President for his state visit to China. Yesterday and earlier today the President and I have had in-depth discussions on China U.S. relations and major international and regional issues of mutual interest. We reviewed the important progress made in the relationship since we met at Mar-a-Lago. And we discussed how to further move forward the relationship in the months ahead in great depth. And we reached a series of new and important consensus.

Our meeting is constructive and productive. I shared with the President the policies adopted at the 19th Party congress. I conveyed China's firm commitment to deeper reform, greater opening up and a path of peaceful development and China's desire to expand converging interest with other countries in promoting coordination and cooperation among major countries. President Trump shared with me his domestic reform agenda and foreign policy priorities. The development of China and the United States is mutually reinforcing without contradicting each other. Our respective success serves the common interest of both countries. We believe that facing the complex and changing international landscape and maintaining world peace and stability and promoting global development and prosperity China and the United States being two large countries share more common interests, shoulder greater responsibility and enjoy broader room for cooperation.

A healthy, stable and growing China U.S. relationship is not only in the fundamental interest of the Chinese and American people, it also meets the expectations of the international community.

Through mutual visits, meetings and phone calls and correspondents with a view to having timely communications on major issues of shared interest. We agree to make the most of the diplomatic and security dialogue, comprehensive economic dialogue, social and people to people dialogue and law enforcement and cybersecurity dialogue for high level dialogue mechanisms and work together for greater results out of these dialogues. We believe that China and the United States are the two largest economies and important engines of global economic growth. We need to further expand trade and investment cooperation, strengthen macroeconomic policy coordination, pursue healthy, stable and dynamically balanced economic and trade relations.

It is necessary to formulate and launch economic cooperation plan for the next phase to have continued in-depth discussion on trade imbalance, export restrictions, investment environment, market openers and other issues. And work to support practical cooperation in energy, infrastructure, belt and road initiative and other areas. Just now the President and I witnessed the signing of some major cooperation agreements by our businesses. During this visit the two sides signed over 250 billion U.S. Dollars of commercial deals and two-way investment agreements. According to China's timetable and road map for opening up, China has announced a number of steps to promote market access. This speaks volume of the broad space for further economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, which will deliver great benefits to the two peoples. We agreed to expand, exchange dialogue between our two militaries at various levels, realize at an early date the visit by U.S. Secretary of Defense to China and a senior high level Chinese military delegation to the U.S. and to ensure the success of the first joint staff.