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Giuliani Saying Trump Talked to Cohen About Testimony; Negotiations for Trump Tower in Moscow Active in 2016; Democrats Rejects Trump's Offer of DACA Relief; Stare-down of Student and Native-American Goes Viral; A Sex Guru Detained in Moscow; Prince Phillip Driving Without Seatbelt. Aired 5-6p ET
Aired January 20, 2019 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[17:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANA CABRERA, CNN HOST: You're live in the "CNN Newsroom." I'm Ana Cabrera in New York. It's 5:00 eastern, 2:00 in the afternoon out west, and we begin with a significant admission from President Trump's attorney this morning right here on CNN. Rudy Giuliani revealed that the president may have talked with Cohen about his congressional testimony.
We're talking about Michael Cohen lying to Congress. H is now going to prison because he lied in that testimony. In it, Cohen claimed that talks about a Trump Tower deal in Moscow ended in January of 2016, months before Trump won the Republican nomination.
When in fact, we are learning the talks lasted well into the campaign, perhaps even right up until Trump won office. More on that in just a moment, but first, here is Giuliani on those possible conversations between President Trump and Cohen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST: Did President Trump or anyone on the Trump team talk to Michael Cohen about his congressional testimony before he gave congressional testimony or after he gave congressional testimony?
RUDY GIULIANI, PRESIDENT TRUMP'S ATTORNEY: I can tell you -- first of all, I wasn't the lawyer at the time.
CUOMO: Right.
GIULIANI: Michael Cohen's lawyers reviewed his testimony with him.
CUOMO: Yes, but did --
GIULIANI: I'm sure --
CUOMO: -- did President Trump or anyone --
GIULIANI: No, no, no, let me answer the question.
CUOMO: OK. GIULIANI: As far as I know, president Trump did not have discussions with him. Certainly had no discussions with him in which he told him or counseled him to lie. If he had any discussions with him, they'd be about the version of the events that Michael Cohen gave then, which they all believe was true.
CUOMO: But you just acknowledged that it's possible that President Trump talked to Michael Cohen about his testimony.
GIULIANI: Which would be perfectly normal, which the president believe was true.
CUOMO: So it's possible that that happened? That President Trump talked to Michael Cohen about his testimony.
GIULIANI: I don't know if it happened or didn't happen. And it might be attorney/client privilege if it happened, where I can't acknowledge it. But I have no knowledge that he spoke to him.
CUOMO: But you just acknowledged that President Trump might have talked to him about his testimony.
GIULIANI: And so what if he talked to him about it.
CUOMO: Look, is it not --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CABRERA: I want to get straight to CNN White House reporter Sara Westwood live outside the White House. Sara, that's a significant admission, to say the least, and it's not the only one Giuliani made while he made his rounds on T.V. this morning.
SARA WESTWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: That's right, Ana. President Trump's personal attorney today acknowledging that those discussions about that Trump Tower Moscow deal may have lasted throughout the entire presidential race, which would of course, be longer than even what Cohen admitted to in November when Special Counsel Robert Mueller charged him with making a false statement to Congress and revealed that the Moscow talks might have lasted until at least June 2016.
Rudy Giuliani today admitted that the talks may have lasted months longer even than that, appearing on "Meet the Press" this morning. Giuliani suggested that the talks may have gone on until November and said that the president admitted as much in his written answers to Mueller's office. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GIULIANI: It's our understanding that they went on throughout 2016. There weren't a lot of them, but there were conversations. Can't be sure the exact dates, but the president can remember having conversations with him about it. The president also remembered --
CHUCK TODD, MSNBC HOST: Throughout 2016? GIULIANI: Yes, probably up to -- could be up to as far as October,
November. Our answers cover until the election. So any time during that period they could have talked about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WESTWOOD: Now, this is significant especially when we put it in context because in August of 2016, intelligence officials warned then- candidate President Trump about Russian attempts to infiltrate his presidential campaign. But if Giuliani is to be believed, the Moscow talks then lasted another three months after Trump received that warning.
And back in July 2016, President Trump had denied ever having any business dealings in Russia whatsoever. If Giuliani is correct about the timeline of the Trump Tower Moscow talks, Trump made that denial while the Moscow talks were ongoing. Here's Trump in 2016.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I can tell you I think if I came up with that, they'd say, oh, it's a conspiracy theory. It's ridiculous. I mean, I have nothing to do with Russia. I don't have any jobs in Russia. I'm all over the world, but we're not involved in Russia.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WESTWOOD: Cohen, of course, pleaded guilty after first telling Congressional investigators that those Moscow talks ended in January 2016. Giuliani denying that Trump instructed Cohen to tell that lie, but his comments today about the timeline of the Trump Tower Moscow talks, Ana, raise a lot more questions about the nature and the scope of that Russian deal.
CABRERA: All right. Sara Westwood at the White House. Thank you. I'm joined now by Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger of Illinois.
[17:05:03] He serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Congressman, thanks for being with us.
REP. ADAM KINZINGER (R), ILLINOIS: You bet. Thanks.
CABRERA: Now, the president's attorney is admitting now that talks over this Trump Tower Moscow probably lasted until Trump won office. And we put together this timeline. I want to bring it back up. Because if that's the case, that means Trump was still negotiating a deal not only while running for president but also while telling the American people his businesses weren't involved in Russia. Even after being personally warned that Russia may try to infiltrate his campaign. Does that concern you?
KINZINGER: Yes, I mean, it's definitely concerning in terms of, you know, we were told in January that it ended and now we know it didn't. You know, the president can say what he wants to say. If it's not under oath, it's not impeachable. So, people that are quick to jump on that train need to be careful on that.
What I've said on all this, though, is the Mueller report exists for a reason. It's a report, not a reporting. So, we will find out when he's completed what the accusations are, what the details are, and we can all make a decision on this.
What we saw from the BuzzFeed story was that when we're too quick to jump on the implications of what this stuff means, we can look pretty bad. And so that's why I'm being very cautious. I will look at this dependently when the Mueller report comes out, but all these details and their implications, I just don't know until we know what Mueller says.
CABRERA: Sure. What about Giuliani's other admission there though, that the president may have talked to Michael Cohen about his Congressional testimony, testimony during which Cohen ended up lying according to federal prosecutors? Do you find that problematic?
KINZINGER: Not necessarily. First off, he didn't say he knows he did, but let's say he did. There is actually nothing illegal, from what I understand, with actually having that discussion. The accusation where it looked bad was -- actually, it would have been really bad if true -- is when he told him to lie to Congress.
We found out for the Mueller team to come out and say that those details are not correct means I think that those details are not correct. So a discussion should he have had or maybe not --
CABRERA: But we don't know what specific details are not correct, right. I mean, Giuliani couldn't rule out completely.
KINZINGER: Well, we don't, but for the -- we don't know all the details, but for the Mueller team to put out a statement, I think it means that it's not just something little in the BuzzFeed story. It's got to be something major and problematic because we had a lot of -- my colleagues on the other side of the aisle saying this is impeachable, we need to impeach, it's time to impeach. And I think that's what made the Mueller team put out the statement there like, whoa, don't get too far out there. This isn't true.
CABRERA: Right. Again, we don't know what is or isn't true at this point, but when Giuliani was pressed directly on whether the president talked to Michael Cohen about his testimony, he couldn't rule that out. And that's why I asked you whether that's problematic and whether that's concerning because when you say that it's not necessarily concerning on its face, help us understand like where your head goes in terms of what those conversations could have been like that would be completely, you know, innocent.
KINZINGER: Well, so the legal implication of it is what I'm talking about. Now, is it maybe not a smart thing to do to talk to Michael Cohen? Probably not a smart thing, if the president did it. Again, we have not indication that he did except Giuliani saying maybe and Giuliani confuses me just about every time he is on T.V.
But is there a legal implication? If he's not directing Michael Cohen to lie, and I'm pretty convinced he didn't direct him, for the Mueller team to come out and put out that statement. If he didn't, there is not necessarily because of First Amendment protections.
And when it comes to things like testimony in front of a grand jury or anything, there is protection for people to be able to have conversations. If Cohen violated some kind of a plea agreement he had, that would be on him and not necessarily on the president.
CABRERA: But if the president knew that Cohen had lied to Congress because they talked about what he was telling Congress, isn't that an issue?
KINZINGER: Yes, it would be. I mean, certainly, but we don't know that. And that's why I said from the beginning, you know, early on I said let the Mueller report happen. Let's see what the result is.
CABRERA: I want to turn to the government shutdown. It is now day 30 and President Trump made an offer to Democrats yesterday. He wants money for roughly 200 miles of physical barriers, more border agents, more immigration judges, money for humanitarian aid and technology. In exchange, he'd give Dreamers and immigrants with temporary protected status three more years of extended protections. Now, Democrats have already rejected this deal. What do you think of it?
KINZINGER: I actually think the deal is good and here's why. The president ultimately wants $25 billion for the wall. He's put $5 billion out there. He has said we'll buy three years for TPS and DACA protections. That gives Congress time -- where Congress should be doing this by the way -- gives Congress time to fix a broader immigration issue.
I'm all for comprehensive immigration reform. And up until about three days ago, I said that both sides in this are being stuck in their corners and nobody is talking. For the president to put this out there I think was a bold move. I actually wish it had happened a few weeks ago.
[17:09:59] And for the Democrats to just reject it because there's a barrier in there, come back with a counterproposal that's serious then, but not one that says here's a counterproposal, but in no way will we ever talk about a barrier because it's a non-starter.
This is an idiotic shutdown. The American people deserve far better from those of us that are elected to represent 750,000 people, to be adults, to be grown-ups, to understand we're not going to get our way. This is to Republicans and Democrats, by the way. And let's just solve this. There are a lot of people hurting right now and I think this is actually a pretty easily solvable issue.
CABRERA: Do you understand, though, why Democrats want to reopen the government first and then negotiate? They're worried this could set a dangerous precedent, a precedent you yourself might not like the next time a Democrat is in the Oval Office.
KINZINGER: Yes, look, I don't like shutdowns being used as tools at all. I do think it's important to note this though. And again, up until a few days ago, I was critical of both sides on this. For two years, the president signed spending bills that didn't have the wall money in there he'd requested.
And now we're at a point where there's pressure, and we have to get to a solution on this. And I guarantee you, if the government is just reopened without solving this, let's say for three weeks, we will be right where we are again in three weeks because there will be no impetus to deal. I think the president put a good first salvo out there.
I actually think what he put out in and of itself is a good compromise. But if they don't like it, if Democrats don't like it, put a serious response out there, but it can't be one that says, our response is absolutely no wall money, which Nancy Pelosi has said.
CABRERA: Should Republicans, though, stand up to the president, you've been talking about the people who were impacted by this government shutdown and say, let's reopen the government. Let's continue negotiations. I know Senator Lindsey Graham has suggested that like, let's, you know, you have a three-week extension at least. Isn't that the way it's supposed to work?
KINZINGER: Yes, I mean, it is the way it's supposed to work, but Congress seems broken. I mean, it's still the best government in the world, but it's kind of screwed up right now. And, you know, if we can find a way to reopen while compelling basically an answer to this, I'm all for it. But what I worry about is -- and I want the government reopened and I voted to reopen the government multiple times.
But what I worry about is this takes the pressure off and then Democrats say, oh, yes, we're back to our negotiating position of absolutely no wall for the president. And when you only have one- third, in essence of government, you only have half of the legislature and not the presidency --
CABRERA: Right.
KINZINGER: -- you don't get to demand everything you want. They said that to us when we were fighting for defunding Obamacare. I realized that we couldn't get everything we wanted when we were just one part of government either.
CABRERA: But Mitch McConnell could put the vote up for people in the Senate to decide whether they want to pass the spending bills you just talked about voting for in the House. And ultimately, Congress could do this without the president because if two-thirds of both chambers say we vote for it, that would override a presidential veto.
KINZINGER: Yes, it would. And that's why I voted for the parts of -- reopening the parts of government that had nothing to do with this shutdown because there is a lot of people being held hostage that have nothing to do with this. But I do think now is the time to get to an answer on this and otherwise, we're going to be stuck in this morass.
If we did comprehensive immigration reform, 80 percent, I guarantee you, Ana, 80 percent of the American people would like the result of this. Just the extremes on each side wouldn't. We can get this done, but we have got to put on our adult pants and get out and work and actually make tough decisions. That's what we get paid to do. Make tough decisions.
CABRERA: Yes. Good point. And perhaps you and your colleagues can start working on that. I hear what you're saying, but you are one of those members in Congress so, good luck. I hope you lead the way. Congressman Adam Kinzinger, thank you for being here.
A watchdog report says the Trump administration likely separated thousands more children than previously reported. Why they say there's no way to even know exactly just how many kids were separated. That's next.
Plus, the government shutdown hits a record 30th day and the 800,000 workers affected are still not getting paid. Why a former Department of Homeland Security secretary says the damage could be felt years from now. You're live in the "CNN Newsroom."
[17:15:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CABRERA: We're into the 31st day. Hundreds of thousands of American men and women, federal workers, have been off the job or working without paychecks now for almost 31 full days. President Trump today on twitter again hanging it fully on Democrats in Congress saying they're not allowing those people to go back to work.
A short time ago, an interviewer on White House friendly Fox News asked the vice president why he won't just reopen the government today, and his answer --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Eight-hundred thousand federal workers want us to find a way to open the government. We --
CHRIS WALLACE, FOX NEWS HOST: You could open the government tomorrow. You could open the government tomorrow.
PENCE: We can do all of that --
WALLACE: You could open the government tomorrow. The House has passed bills to open the government tomorrow. Why don't you sign them and open the government, then you can negotiate about this?
PENCE: Well, because -- I mean, you know, frankly, Chris, what the American people want us to do is work on their priorities and the American people want us to secure the border.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CABRERA: Recent polls tell a different story. Several polls released in just the past few days show that most people blame the White House for this no end in sight shutdown and relatively few people see a wall as the best way to stop illegal immigration. Some on the far right of the political spectrum did not like President
Trump's offer yesterday to extend some temporary immigrant protections if congress approves the dollar amount he wants to build the physical border wall.
Conservative Ann Coulter tweeted that, "she saw it as the president offering amnesty." Let's get into this with CNN political commentator and former Democratic Congressman Luis Gutierrez. And also with us President Trump's former head of legislative affairs and CNN political commentator, Marc Short. Thank you both for being here.
[17:20:00] Congressman, I want to start with you and one more comment from the vice president today that I want your take on. It's his assurance that the president's offer does not equate to amnesty. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PENCE: It's not amnesty. We're asking for $5.7 billion for funding on a wall.
WALLACE: No, I'm talking about the Dreamers there on the TPS.
PENCE: -- and -- the president has said that we will support temporary relief for three years for DACA recipients and those who are in Temporary Protected Status. This is not amnesty. There's no pathway to citizenship. There's no, you know, permanent status here at all, which is what amnesty contemplates.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CABRERA: It's common knowledge that this White House is strongly influenced by certain high-visibility members on the far right and they're obviously not singing the same song on this offer to restart the government. What does this mean when the president president's biggest cheerleaders aren't on his side?
LUIS GUTIERREZ, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Look, when you just heard the expression of Ann "I never liked an immigrant" Coulter, that's part of Donald Trump's problem. We just listened to what the vice president just said. He says, oh, it's not amnesty because there's nothing permanent about this.
So here's what they do. They take the Dreamers hostage. They have legal status in the United States under DACA, the executive order of the president. What President Trump -- President Obama -- what President Trump does is he sends his attorney general to join, right, legal cases so that they can revoke their legal status.
And then through executive fiats, says the 300,000 people that have temporary protective status, we're also going to make you vulnerable to deportation by revoking your legal status in the United States. Then he comes back and he says, tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to give you back what I already took away, but I'm only going to give you something temporary. So look, if somebody's going to take the Dreamers hostage, if
somebody's going to take the members of the TPS community, Haitians and Central Americans and Africans that have temporary protective status in this country, I want to make sure that they're free. So what they have offered us is what's called the Bridge Act, but it's a bridge to uncertainty. Why don't we make it a bridge to citizenship of the United States of America?
CABRERA: Yes, but you did have a lot of Democratic senators who were co-sponsors of the Bridge Act back in 2017. So that's where I have to push back because you had Chuck Schumer, you had Dick Durbin, you had Kamala Harris who were all co-sponsors of that.
GUTIERREZ: You asked me my opinion. And my opinion is there was an election this past November. Ten million more people took a democratic ballot and sent a message, a clear resounding message to reject the politics of Donald Trump.
What was core and center to that election? It was Donald Trump's anti- immigrant, xenophobic rhetoric and policies and the American people rejected it. We should respect the will of the American people. They don't want a wall and they want citizenship for Dreamers.
CABRERA: Marc, I want you to take look at the Fox News headline from yesterday after the president's televised speech. We also showed you earlier what Ann Coulter is tweeting. Marc, do you feel like the president caved?
MARC SHORT, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: No, I don't feel like he caved at all. Look, Congressman Gutierrez has been one of the Dreamers' greatest advocates in Congress and was a terrific champion of theirs, but let's get our history straight here. Barack Obama, when president said, I would issue an executive order if I could, but I know it wouldn't stand legal scrutiny to create a program out of thin air.
After Congress failed to give him DACA, he went ahead and did that. Texas courts have ruled it's unconstitutional. The reality is those who have received DACA work permits are likely to have those withdrawn when this case gets to the Supreme Court. What Donald Trump is offering is not something that he took away.
He's offering legislation that makes it legal. It's not simply an executive order that's going to fail in court. It actually is legislation. That's a very significant concession to Democrats to try to find a pathway forward.
I'm shocked the Democrats aren't actually saying, you know what, the president has put forward extensions of temporary protective status, extensions of DACA. It's time for us to actually sit down and have a conversation and re-open the government.
CABRERA: Congressman, fair point?
GUTIERREZ: Yes. Look, it's very, very clear. First of all, let's get clear. DACA and the executive order of the president that protects the 700,000 Dreamers has never lost in court, OK. So let's make that real clear.
Is it going through a legal process? Yes, it's going through a legal process. But look, if you're going to -- I say -- let me put it to you this way. The same values I have inculcated in my daughters, my American citizen daughters, are the same values that the Dreamers have. They are Americans and everything but a piece of paper. And you know what -- and I know that Marc is going to have to agree with this.
[17:25:00] They will serve in the Armed Forces. They are attempting to serve in the Armed Forces to protect this nation, something that the president on numerous occasions has refused to do. So look, they've been through background checks. They've gone to school. They've graduated from college. They're part of our economy, right. And the American people overwhelmingly want to have them a pathway to citizenship.
CABRERA: Yes.
GUTIERREZ: So let's not continue this ping-pong with them. If you want --
SHORT: So say yes.
GUTIERREZ: If you want a wall --
SHORT: I agree with everything the congressman said. I agree.
GUTIEREZ: If you want a wall. If that's what you want, then free them completely so that you cannot take them hostage again.
SHORT: I think everything the congressman has said in many cases I agree with. These are people who have been in our country working. And the fact they received a work permit shows they're legal, that they've been actually abiding by the law while in the country. And so it is in our interest to protect them. That's what the president has offered. That's why it's so shocking you see Democrats run away from that.
CABRERA: But Democrats are saying -- Democrats are saying let's wait and let's open the government and then let's negotiate. Mark, can you see their view point, that to negotiate at this point --
SHORT: Right, but Ana, what -- no, because Ana, what you guys --
CABRERA: Let me finish for a second. Let me finish for a second because what I've heard time and again from members of current sitting members of Congress, Democrats that I have interviewed here on my show is that if they were to negotiate at this point, it would set a bad precedent, that the way to get your way is to hold the government hostage.
SHORT: Right. So Ana, just remember, last January 2018, the Democrats shut down the United States government because they said it didn't have DACA protections. That's where we were exactly one year ago. So, there's a little bit of hypocrisy here.
The reality is what you didn't show in the rest of your clip on Fox's interview with the vice president, is he went on to say our challenges the president put on the table an offered to Speaker Pelosi that said, if I open up the government for 30 days, will you negotiate with me on the wall? And she said no.
So, right now, it's actually Democrats that put the president in a very difficult position. He's now put on the table something Democrats have asked for in DACA protections and temporary protective status in exchange for funding for his wall. It's a perfectly reasonable approach.
CABRERA: I just want to correct one thing you said because you said the president offered the DACA protections for his money and actually it was the other way around last year. It was the Democrats who said we'll give you $25 billion for border security if you give a pathway to citizenship to DACA recipients and he rejected that.
SHORT: Ana, go back to January 2018.
CABRERA: There was a bipartisan plan that was offered to him. He shut that down.
SHORT: No, Ana. So since I was there in the White House, let me correct you since you're trying to fact check me. The reality was, it was $25 billion, but it was not just for DACA. What Democrats said is it's not just DACA recipients, its DACA parents. That's also those who could have applied who didn't apply. So all a sudden the population became far bigger.
This is a different deal. He is saying I will protect those who were in our country, who were born in our country and born to illegal parents but are here as working and getting permits. That is a smaller population.
CABRERA: Congressman, you were part of that past Congress.
GUTIERREZ: Here's what I've always supported. What I've always supported is the -- here's what I've always supported. From the very, very beginning, one of the first people or nearly 20 years ago, Ana, a Dream Act, a clear path to American citizenship. What they offer is what's called the Bridge Act. It's a bridge to uncertainty.
Why don't we allow them to completely integrate themselves into our society? I want to make this clear to the American public. They haven't gone through one criminal background check by the FBI. They've gone through several criminal background checks. Members of the TPS, temporary protective community, they've gone through numerous background checks.
They are working. They are contributing. They've shown exactly what everybody wants. They want immigrants to come here.
CABRERA: Right.
SHORT: They want they want them to work hard, sweat, and toil, and you know what, and to make us prosper. So why can't we make them American citizens? What is the sin of American -- it's like a sin. It's a sin I will not commit. I won't allow them, because they have the Ann Coulters and the haters of the immigrant community that they have to respond to.
Forget about them. Listen to the will of the vast majority of the American people that want an immigration system that is sensible, that keeps us safe, but also is human and looks at those human. I say to my Democrats, negotiate. Negotiate. Don't walk away from the table because guess what, tonight I'm going to return to my wife. My children are going to see their dad.
I don't want to say to a million people who might have a pathway to certainty. I want to make sure they can return to their families and that those children can return to their moms and dads. So, I want to negotiate, but I don't believe that we should say to the American public, 10 million more of them that took a democratic ballot, that rejected the xenophobic, hate-filled presidency against immigrants that we're not going to listen to you. Give them citizenship. Give them certainty. Stop holding them as hostages.
CABRERA: Let me read you a tweet from the president today because he touches on this idea of a pathway to citizenship.
[17:29:7] He starts with, "No, amnesty is not part of my offer. It is a three-year extension of DACA." But then he says, "amnesty will be used only on a much bigger deal, whether on immigration or something else." Marc, is the president actually saying he is open to a pathway to citizenship for some immigrants?
SHORT: I don't know honestly, Ana. I do think what he again is saying right now is let's protect those who have been working inside our country. I hope Democrats take the (inaudible) of Congressman Gutierrez and say, yes, let's sit down at the table and negotiate. That would be a huge step forward.
But I've also heard, to answer your question, the president say he also recognizes that our country right now at 3.7 percent unemployment, at record lows, needs more workers. And he actually would be supportive of a guest worker program that I think would actually be able to help with border security because if there is a legal pathway for people to come in and contribute to our economy, that would be a good thing.
So yes, I think the president's open to a lot of the issues that I think have been plaguing us, but you know, when we talk about things like the Temporary Protective Status Program, what Americans need to recognize is those are people here from disasters that happened in Haiti 20-some years ago.
And yes, to disrupt and put in our country would be a disaster, but Congress has never fixed the laws. They've never fixed the laws to say here's a limit of how long you're going to be here.
CABRERA: Congressman, the president seems to be laying his cards on the table. Should Democrats come to the table?
GUTIERREZ: Yes, yes. The president who is known for lying, right? The president who is known as being the most untruthful man to ever sit in the Oval Office so let's make very clear. He will say what is ever politically expedient. He knows that he shut down the government. He shut it down.
He said to Speaker Pelosi and he said to the minority leader in the Senate, Schumer, "I own this shutdown. I take responsibility." It's not working out for him, because you know what? This isn't "The Apprentice." You don't get to do do-overs, right. There isn't take two and take three until you get it right.
He owns this shutdown. He should release the 800,000 government employees that are necessary and let their families be fed with their checks, right? Let them pay their mortgages. Stop destroying their credit rating and put them in fear of losing their homes. Bring them back to work and let Democrats and Republicans work on a comprehensive deal.
I think a deal can be had. Democrats were there before but that was one -- the Democrats were the minority in the House. That was when the president -- remember, when the Democrats Dick Durbin -- I want to make this clear -- and Lindsey Graham went to the White House to broker a deal where they would get some money for a wall in order for TPS and the Dreamers to get certainty in this country.
What did the president say? He said, you're bringing me people from these shit hole countries. That's what the president of the United States said about the members of the TPS community and Dreamer community. So look, you cannot trust this president. It has to be ironclad. And yes, we don't want them taken hostage again.
They are American citizens in everything but a piece of paper and we should guarantee, given their work, given their enthusiasm, given their love and patriotism for this country, and they love the American people who have embraced the dreamers, right. Give them American citizenship and let's end the nightmare that they live in.
CABRERA: Thank you, both. I really appreciate your thoughts --
SHORT: That's a long filibuster.
CABRERA: -- and thank you for the ongoing discussion. It's an important one to have. I appreciate it. Thank you, both.
A disturbing viral video of an encounter between a group of teenagers and a Native American elder, and we're digging deeper on this tonight. We know more about what happened before this viral moment. That's next.
[17:35:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CABRERA: A viral video of a stand-off between a Native-American elder and Catholic school teens at the Lincoln Memorial sparking 24 hours of outrage online. But as with any viral video, there is more to this story than what you might see in a clip on twitter. I want to bring in CNN's Sarah Sidner, who's been digging deeper. And Sarah, what have you learned? SARAH SIDNER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Look, Ana, you know, when a
video, as you mentioned, from a moment in time goes viral, there is often more to tell. And as we are reporting this story out, we found video that started a full hour before the Native American elder and Catholic school students came face to face. We will show you why and how they came together and why some aren't only condemning the students' behavior but the adults around them as well.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SIDNER (voice-over): New video emerges in a story that has gone viral between Catholic school students and a Native-American elder named Nathaniel Phillips. Phillips found himself surrounded by students, one staring him down, the others chanting around him as Phillips says he was trying to create calm between two groups at odds.
NATHANIEL PHILLIPS, NATIVE-AMERICAN ELDER: I realized I had put myself in a really dangerous situation, you know. It was like, here's a group of people who were angry at somebody else, and I put myself in front of that and all of a sudden I'm the one who's all that anger and all that wanting to have the freedom to just rip me apart.
SIDNER (voice-over): This video shows what happened long before Phillips shows up. You can see a group of about five black men who identify as Hebrew Israelites preaching. They start taunting people of all colors, other black visitors, natives, and a Catholic priest.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's make America great again! A bunch of child molesters (BLEEP)!
[17:40:00] SIDNER (voice-over): This is the moment that group becomes aware of the students, some wearing make America great again hats.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you got these pompous bastards come down here in the middle of a native rally with a dirty ass hat on.
SIDNER (voice-over): At first, the Catholic school students are there in small numbers, but more and more students begin to gather, watching with few weighing in. The small group of men continues taunting them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A bunch of incest babies! (Inaudible) babies. This is what America -- make America great looks like.
SIDNER (voice-over): The students begin to react but do not approach the men. The black Israelites continue to condemn the kids.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You worship blasphemy! We got angels (inaudible) for us!
SIDNER (voice-over): Then, one of the students takes off his shirt, and the group begins chanting. Two minutes later, you hear a drum beat. That is Phillips and another Native-American drummer. He says it was an attempt to thwart potential violence.
The kids danced to it, and some begin chanting along with the native song. But for those who think they were enjoying each other's company, Phillips says that is not at all how it felt, especially because of the student standing before him.
PHILLIPS: Fear, not for myself, but fear for the next generations, fear where this country's going, fear for those youth, fear for their future, fear for their souls, their spirit, what they're going to do to this country.
SIDNER (on camera): Now, the Covington Catholic School students were in Washington from Kentucky, taking part in the Right to Life march. The Catholic diocese that oversees the school has condemned the students' behavior towards Nathan Phillips, the elder you saw there, and Native-Americans in general. They're investigating.
But there is something that is very clear happening here. In the hour and a half video that we saw, it is clear what started the tension were the black men who call themselves Hebrew Israelites. They were being hateful towards this group of students, and we still have yet to hear from the students themselves, Ana.
CABRERA: Sarah Sidner, thank you.
Held in Russia, a self-proclaimed sex coach who climbs inside and claims to have inside knowledge of Russian election meddling is taken from a jail in Thailand and flown to Moscow where she says she is being detained. Is the Kremlin trying to keep her quiet?
[17:45:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CABRERA: There are new questions now about what has happened to a mysterious woman and a self-proclaimed sex coach who claims to have information about Russian election meddling. She was detained by authorities as soon as she landed in Moscow. So, is the Kremlin keeping her from telling her story? CNN's Brian Todd reports.
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BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A self-proclaimed seductress and sex coach from Belarus who claims to have inside knowledge of Russia's attempts to meddle in America's elections tells CNN that she has been detained by the Kremlin. Anastasia Vashukevich says she was rounded up as soon as she landed in Moscow after being deported from a jail in Thailand.
KEITH DARDEN, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY: She is probably being interrogated. In particular, they are probably interested in where she has this information that she claims to have and they probably will keep her in cold storage until she produces it.
TODD (voice-over): Vashukevich's bizarre tale began last year when she was arrested and jailed in Thailand on prostitution charges. At the time, she told CNN she believed she was being held on Moscow's orders. In a bid for U.S. asylum, she said that she had previously witnessed meetings between a prominent Russian oligarch with ties to Vladimir Putin and at least three Americans whom she refused to name.
ANASTASIA VASHUKEVICH, RUSSIAN SEX GURU (through translation): I'm ready to give you all the missing puzzle pieces, support them with videos and audios.
TODD (voice-over): But so far, Vashikevich has produced no recordings or photos of Americans meeting with the oligarch to CNN or other news outlets. And there has been no indication in court filings from the Special Counsel that she has talked to U.S. Investigators. FBI agents tried to meet with Vashukevich in the Thai prison last year but were not allowed to, according to a senior Thai official.
GARRETT GRAFF, AUTHOR, "THE THREAT MATRZI": It's really impossible to know whether this was a real key source or someone desperate to get out of a Thai jail and avoid deportation back to Belarus.
TODD (voice-over): Vashukevich's claims might normally have been laughed off if she hadn't produced these photos of her with the oligarch in question, Oleg Deripaska. They are seen embracing on his yacht. She says they had an affair, something he denies.
Vashukevich also released this video of Deripaska apparently on his yacht, talking to Russia's deputy prime minister about the state of U.S.-Russian relations, all of which makes her story more intriguing. That's because Deripaska, closely tied to the Russian president, is the same billionaire who paid former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort millions for lobbying.
And "The Washington Post" says Manafort once offered Deripaska briefings on the state of the Trump campaign. Manafort and Deripaska deny any briefings took place. And Deripaska denies being involved in election meddling.
OLEG DERIPASKA, RUSSIAN OLIGARCH: Get lost, please. Thank you.
TODD (voice-over): Last year in Thailand, Vashukevich posted on social media she feared she'd die in a Russian prison if she were sent back to Moscow. Now that's exactly where she is.
Could her life be in danger?
DARDEN: Of course, if she really collected lots of compromising material about Oleg Deripaska, it's a dangerous man to be dealing with and she could very easily lose her life.
TODD (on camera): We've reached out to Russian officials in Moscow and here at their embassy in Washington to ask why Anastasia Vashukevich has been detained and exactly what she is being questioned about. Russian officials will only say she is being detained as part of a prostitution inquiry. We've also asked the Kremlin to respond to her claims that she would die in a Russian prison if she was deported. They have not responded to that. Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[17:50:03] CABRERA: Coming up, racist comments, threats, even a noose hanging in an area where a black employee worked. Now, the shocking allegations against General Motors, ahead in the "CNN Newsroom."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) CABRERA: Prince Philip has been caught on camera breaking the law. These pictures show the Duke of Edinburgh driving without a seat belt. The pictures were taken just 48 hours after the 97-year-old royal crashed into a car with two women and a baby inside. The prince's vehicle flipped on its side.
He wasn't hurt but the two women suffered minor injuries. A Buckingham Palace source tells CNN Prince Philip passed a police eyesight test.
[17:55:03] As for those photographs showing the prince behind the wheel without a seat belt, police say they have given him, "suitable words of advice." Buckingham palace has not yet responded.
Style is a window to where we've been, it tells a story. The CNN Original Series, "American Style" continues into the 1980s tonight at 9:00 here on CNN.
Did the president's personal attorney just put him in legal peril? Rudy Giuliani seemingly opening the door for the possibility Trump spoke to Michael Cohen about his Congressional testimony, the testimony in which he lied. Details just ahead.
Plus, the government shutdown hits a record 30th day and the 800,000 workers affected are still not getting paid. Why a former Department of Homeland Security secretary says the damage could be felt years from now. You're live in the "CNN Newsroom."
[18:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CABRERA: Top of the hour. You are live in the "CNN Newsroom."
