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Erin Burnett Outfront
"Not My President's Day" Protesters Gathering Across U.S.; Trump Names New National Security Adviser To Replace Flynn; Trump Aides Don't Want To Admit The President Is Golfing; Protesters Pack GOP Congressman's Town Hall; Trump Admin About To Issue Sweeping Deportation Guidelines; ; Aired 7-8p ET
Aired February 20, 2017 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, THE SITUATION ROOM WITH WOLF BLITZER HOST: -- Erin Burnett OutFront starts right now.
ERIN BURNETT, ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT HOST: OutFront next. Breaking news. Anti-Trump protests in cities across the nation as the president names his new pick for national security adviser. Plus republicans warned about their safety at town halls as angry protesters show up to make the case. We're going to speak to one congressman facing the protesters live at this hour. And the president spending nearly every weekend at his Florida golf courses, why is the White House so reluctant to talk about Trump's golf game? Let's go OutFront. Good evening. I'm Erin Burnett. Breaking news.
Anti-Trump protesters taking to the streets across the country today, marking the president's day with not my president's day demonstrations. We saw it from Los Angeles to Chicago to New York. Noisy protests against President Trump. The president though was silent, not speaking or tweeting about the protest. Moments ago you see him returning to Washington from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, again waiving but saying nothing about the protest perhaps uncharacteristically.
He did though speak today about something totally different. Before boarding Air Force One, you see him there introducing his pick for national security adviser, Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster, seated alongside the president and McMaster, General Keith Kellogg who helped opposed into General Michael Flynn's ouster. Hellog will remain as the McMaster's Chief of Staff. Jeff Zeleny is OutFront tonight with our coverage beginning at the White House. And Jeff, this was a surprise announcement from the president today.
JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It was indeed, Erin. It came swiftly. There was a sense here at the White House that the president wanted to get this announcement made and to move on to regain his footing if you will after that-- the fallout over the resignation of Michael Flynn. He wanted to in the words one adviser I'm told start his second month in office on a smoother foot. H.R., President Trump naming a new national security adviser tonight, General H.R. McMaster.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENTOF THE UNITED STATES: He's a man of tremendous talent and tremendous experience. I watched and read over a lot over the last two days. He is highly respected by everybody in the military. And we are very honored to have him.
ZELENY: The president making the announcement at his Mar-a-Lago Resort. McMater to replace General Michael Flynn who was forced to resign after misleading the vice president over his calls with the Russian Ambassador. McMaster, a distinguished soldier rising through ranks to become a chief army strategist.
H.R. MCMATER, UNITED STATES NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: I'm grateful to you for that opportunity and I look forward to joining the national security team in doing everything I can to advance and protect the interests of the American people.
ZELENY: The president refilling the key position in his national security team in trying to recover from one of his administration's earliest missteps as he starts his second month in office. In Brussels today, Vice President Pence speaking about Flynn's resignation for the first time.
MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I would tell you that I was disappointed to learn that this -- the facts that have been conveyed to me by General Flynn were inaccurate.
ZELENY: The vice president expressing a commitment to NATO even as he sought reassurances from U.S. allies.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who should European leaders they listen to, you or President Trump? And can they be certain to what you say the assurances you gave won't be contradicted in the tweet or a statement to the press conference tomorrow?
PENCE: As I said today, through many leader s we look forward to working across the channel with all parties in the years ahead on behalf of peace and prosperity.
ZELENY: The president's defensive criticism of the media what she called the enemy of the American people also reverberating around the world.
PENCE: And rest assured, the president and I strongly support a free and independent press. But you can anticipate that the president and all of us will continue to call out the media when they play fast and loose with the facts.
ZELENY: So, Erin, so far the reaction tonight to the new national security adviser is positive across the board from Capitol Hill and military officials as well. And as for the vice president there, he was asked -- the president rather was asked if he played a role in the selection of this national security adviser, of course, given his role with Michael Flynn's departure. The president and Mar-a-Lago said he did.
BURNETT: Hmm. All right. Thank you very much, Jeff. And I want to go now to our pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr. Barbara, you've been talking to your sources. What are they saying may be General McMasters' toughest challenge? BARBARA STARR, Well, he is a very competent military officer but now
he weighs into politics White House style and Steve Bannon the president's political adviser who is very ideologically oriented and driven maybe one of the big challenges for General McMaster. Mr. Bannon now has a permanent seat on the national security council. So, McMaster will have to deal with him. Who will be the one that has the president's ear when there is a national security crisis?
Who goes to brief the president when there might be something from North Korea, Russia, or Iran that President Trump has to deal with? General McMaster is someone known to be very precise, very oriented to military strategy tactics, national security strategy. Very, very experienced in all of this (INAUDIBLE) tours in Iraq, Afghanistan, and his military career. Mr. Bannon perhaps looking more at the politics of it all. So this may be one of the big challenges for the general if he tries to bring some calm to the NSC and take complete charge of it. Erin?
BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Barbarra Star. I's a big question of course given that we all know Steve Bannon is so close to the president. OutFront now Colin Kahl, a former national security adviser for Vice President Joe Biden, former republican senator from Pennsylvania Rick Santorum, Kimberly Dozier, senior national security correspondent for The Daily Beast who's also interviewed General McMaster and our Mark Preston, our senior political analyst. Colin, let me start with you. You know Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster. What do you think?
COLIN KAHL, A FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER FOR VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: He's great pick. I think he is a stabilizing pick. He's a smart guy, he's strategic, he's forward thinking, he's creative. I think the big issue for him will be whether he can wrap his arms around an extraordinarily dysfunctional NSC process. And as Barbara alluded to in the meet up, really whether he can assert his prerogatives, the prerogatives of the national security adviser over Steve Bannon, Jared Kushner and others establish a degree of trust with the president himself and be able to kind of push back against some of the crazy and chaos that's coming out of this White House. And of interest, H.R. McMaster's book, Dereliction of Duty from the late 1990s really talk a lot about how the White House at the time of the Vietnam War was too insular, too political and didn't run a good process. So he knows what's talking about.
BURNETT: So Kimberly, you know General McMasters well. You've interviewed him, he was -- General Flynn of course was Trump's close adviser. Trump trusted him, they were incredibly close. He had a lot of influence. Do you think McMaster will have the power that Flynn did or not?
KIMBERLY DOZIER, SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY, THE DAILY BEAST: Well, McMaster certainly has the military experience that Trump respects. He's fought on the ground in first and second Gulf War. He has had experience in Tal Afar fighting against Al-Qaeda in Iraq. And then he tackled corruption in Afghanistan. Also to the man himself, he's been political enough that he's made to it his third star but contrary enough, spoken back to enough people that it was tough getting there. He got passed over for promotion a couple of times. So he has in the past criticized his superiors, criticized army doctrine and you got to think he's going to bring that into the White House.
BURNETT: Certainly he probably wouldn't taken the job otherwise although I want to get to that point, he's active duty, not technically even allowed to turn down an order from the president. Senator Santorum, first I want to ask you this and I want to play again what the president said about General McMaster, here is Donald Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I watched and read a lot over the last two days, he is highly respected by everybody in the military and we're very honored to have him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: So he said he watched and read a lot, right? What he didn't say, Senator is that he knows McMaster, right? He is not part of Trump's inner circle like Jared Kushner, Steve Bannon. What assurances are there that the President of the United States there will side with McMaster who knows national security, if he disagrees with Steve Bannon or Jared Kushner who have no national security experience but the president has made clear are going to have big national security roles?
RICK SANTORUM, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Because he put him in as the senior guy. I mean, that -- you don't put someone in there and don't give them the responsibility. I mean, Donald Trump is -- has put someone in there who is very much a counterweight to the people that you just mentioned. And he -- look, he surrounded himself with generals for a reason. I think he has a lot of respect for the -- for the work that they've done.
All three of these general who's are in major positions in the administration. I take issue with the fact this is a dysfunctional NSC. I don't think there's any evidence that it is dysfunctional. The bottom line is this president is trying to take this country in a different course. And is doing things that are non-traditional. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing and I think General McMaster actually would be a -- would be a good steady hand to guide that process.
BURNETT: So, Mark, what about the question out there? Of course, as active duty, the president says you will do this and he will do it. Obviously one would assume they had all these questions when McMasters fully on board. But is it possibly because of that obligation that he is not
MARK PRESTON, You know, I don't think so. In the sense that we've already seen that he is somebody who has bucked the system and has come under criticism by some people internally as Kimberly had noted for not necessarily being the go-along, get along guy which perhaps, you know, cost him to wait a little while to get his third star. What I think is interesting though is that can we see some kind of military order brought to this administration.
If you look at who' running the Department of Defense, General Mattis, if you look at General Kelly who's running Homeland Security. And now you have somebody right next to Donald Trump, President Trump and General McMaster, you got to wonder if those three gentlemen and throws in Mike Pompeo, the former congressman who's not necessarily known for being somebody who's outside the box to try to bring some stability to our foreign policy.
BURNETT: So Senator, aides to President Trump have been reluctant to talk about his golf habit. OK? And it's a serious issue because he's made it one in the past. His White House spokesperson said, I know he played a couple holes but I'm not going to disclose. I mean, you know, that they don't really want to talk about it. We do know though social media post interviews, he's visited his two golf courses six times since he's became president. Golfed during most of those visits. And here I guess is why it's an issue. This is what he said about president Obama who also liked to play golf.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: This guy plays more golf than people in the PGA tour. Obama, it was reported today, played 250 rounds of golf and he's going to be in Hawaii, I think did they say for three weeks? He played more golf last year than Tiger Woods. Now, think of it. I just got back from a tour of the suffering and devastation in Louisiana. Honestly, Obama ought to get off the golf course and get down there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Senator, is he realizing, it's a lot different when you actually have the job, from things like that, right? It's so easy to criticize. But now here he is doing the same thing.
SANTORUM: Yes. I don't think anyone was going to be critical of Donald Trump that he hasn't been engaged as president over the last month. I mean, he has been one of the most active 30 days that we've seen from any president and the things he's tried accomplish. So I think what he was complaining about with President Obama is that in the case of Louisiana and other places that he wasn't engaged and involved as the president. I don't think anyone was going to make that claim of Trump. And you're right. I mean, he -- is it a cheap shot to hit the president on playing golf? It was. And I think he's realizing that getting out of the White House and getting out there and swinging that golf ball is probably a good thing for his head.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you all very much. And next, republicans warned about their safety. Angry protesters showing up at town halls across the country. One of them live right now. We are going to take you there. Plus, controversial, Breitbart News, editor Milo Yiannopoulos blocked from a major republican event. What happened? And Jeanie Moos on the British pulling no punches when it comes to Trump today.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When we think about the man who thinks it's OK to go and grab -- (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: Tonight, breaking news. Protests growing at a town hall for Republican Congressman Scott Taylor of Virginia. We've seen the scene play out across this country. Angry protesters showing up. Sometimes even shutting down these town halls. It comes after members of congress were actually warned about their safety and their staff's safety at these events. Kyung Lah is OutFront at the town hall in Virginia Beach. And Kyung, is the same group behind tonight's protest?
KYUNG LAH, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is the same group we've seen at many of these town halls, Erin. I want you to take a look at Congressman Taylor's town hall. This began about 15 minutes ago. This is a near capacity crowd. They're actually trying to fill a few more seats here. And a huge crowd outside simply was not allowed in. I spoke to a lot of these folks as they were waiting in line. They say there are a number of reasons why they're here. A lot of it has to do with Trump's agenda but it's also to make a point that they are real voters, real people and that they're not being paid to show up.
Town hall fury from Utah, to Nebraska. Constituents chasing down congressmen at public events. This week aiming squarely at a congress in recess working in their home districts. The GOP bracing for the protests. The president even noticing.
TRUMP: They fill up our alleys with people that you wonder how they get there.
LAH: White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer shared the administration's theory.
SEAN SPICER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECREATRY: This is becoming very paid Astroturf type movement.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you making any money on this?
EZRA LEVIN, INDIVISIBLE GUIDE: Making any money? No. I mean, no. This is not a money-making venture.
LAH: Meet the team responsible for the movement. Three former democratic congressional staffers.
LEAH GREENBERG, INDIVISIBLE GUIDE: We had seen a very powerful local activist movement, the tea party emerge. And so, we knew exactly how powerful local action could be because it had been used against us very effectively.
LAH: Days after the election based loosely on tea party tactics, they sketched out an online guide for progressive of how to stop Trump's agenda.
LEVIN: When we put it out, we hoped our parents would like it.
GREENBERG: It was, you know, 10 people were reading it. And then 20 people reading it and then 90 people were reading it. LAH: Then, it crashed. They posted what's not known as the
Indivisible Guide on a website, now viewed 15 million times. Downloaded about 1.7 million. About 7,000 indivisible groups formed following their step-by-step guide.
There are four simple tactics to engage it.
LAH: A viral video followed. Brave New Films says their $10,000 video was crowd sourced from $5 to $100 donations. The guide's authors have now filed with the IRS as a non-profit. There's one full-time employee, Ezra Levin who still hasn't been paid. Three weeks ago they put up a donation tab on their website. Only small donations so far they say. Their movement growing based on a simple idea.
LEVIN: No, is it complete sentence? That that's a smart move because it keeps your coalition together and it allows you to have the greatest impact possible.
ANN TAYLOR, FOUNDER OF INDIVISIBLE 757: I was so inspired and motivated by what they said.
LAH: Do you know the people who wrote this guide?
TAYLOR: No. I couldn't tell you their names.
LAH: This is Ann Taylor, grandmother and founder of Virginia's Indivisible 757. None of the people here work for a political party. Their target tonight, Republican Congressman Scott Taylor.
LAH: How do you feel when the GOP brushes you off as someone who is paid?
TAYLOR: I think it is funny. I think it's a desperate attempt to delegitimize what they most definitely perceive to be a powerful grassroots movement.
LAH: Now, what you're seeing happening here behind me is that the congressman is taking a slightly tiff tack. You can see one of his workers standing a little bit closer to me. What they're trying to do is have people write down their questions and then he's randomly taking these questions and try to answer them, try to inject a little bit more control in the town hall. So far, Erin, it appears to be working although people are -- you can -- you can hear some of them giving him at least some vocal protests but so far they seem to be connecting pretty well. Erin?
BURNETT: All right. We're going to see obviously. I think (INAUDIBLE) how many people are there. How involved and passionate people are right now across this country. Congressman Taylor, as you could see, speaking right now. I had a chance to talk to him as people were filling those seats about the protests and whether he was worried that his town hall could be shut down tonight.
REP. SCOTT TAYLOR, (R) VIRGINIA: I'm not so much worried. Like I -- I think it's important for people to have a seat at the table whether you're democrat, republican, independent, it doesn't matter to me. I would hope that we don't have that like maybe we have it right now. They're passionate which is great, it's fine. But I mean, if they over shout, you know, shout over a bunch of people then they just call the other people out to have a seat at the table. I think that's the wrong thing to do, of course.
BURNETT: Now, I know Congressman that members of congress were warned. You were actually warned in a closed-door meeting about safety and, you know, your safety, that of your aides at this town halls. How seriously are you taking that warning?
TAYLOR: Very seriously. I mean, look, I think there are a lot of republicans around the country who -- that people were afraid, my staff is certainly concerned. So we've try to take as many safety precautions as possible both in the structure but also having back up with local law enforcement as well too just in case we have issues here. You know, like I said, I'm optimistic. Most of these folks that I know in this district are good people. They're not going to call us ruckuses and try to harm people. We may have a few and if they do then they'll be held accountable.
BURNETT: Some republicans are -- you know, you're talking about everyone having a seat at the table but some of your fellow republicans are talking in a different way about these town halls.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SPICER: It is not these organic uprisings that we've seen through the last several decades of the, you know, the tea party was a very organic movement. This is becoming very paid Astroturf type movement.
CONGRESSMAN TOM MCCLINTOCK, U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FOR CALIFORNIA'S 4TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT: There was also a well-organized element that came to disrupt -- and disrupt they did.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Congressman, is that the right attitude?
TAYLOR: Well, listen, I think it would be naive to say that some of these -- some of these organizations are organic because they certainly are. Like I don't know of any paid organizations that are here tonight. They're certainly organizations -- organized for the democrat party which is fine. I mean, they're my constituents too. So, I'm fine with them being here. I think it's, you know, there are some -- I've heard from people who have not been involved with politics before who are here organically. And again, that's fine. I'm glad they're in the process. So, you know, I won't take that approach. That may be happening in other districts but I don't know of any paid protesters here in this district.
BURNETT: And some of the protesters, look, they're angry about Donald Trump, Congressman, you are now in congress first term, does the president need to do something to help the situation? Right? They are there at your town hall because of Donald Trump. TAYLOR: Well, I think that -- listen, I think there's a little blame
to go around on both sides of course, but I will tell you and I agree, I think he needs to calm down. I think some of the rhetoric could be toned down. I think some of the media as well too can tone it down a little bit as well. But, you know, look, we can decide as a country, where we want to move? Do we want to move forward? Being divided? Do we want (INAUDIBLE) I think that's the wrong answer for the nation. And I -- absolutely, does the president have some responsibility for that or to deal that? Yeah. He does. As does the media and quite frankly the citizens.
BURNETT: So, Congressman, the movement that we're dealing with right now, some are calling the tea party of the left, right? No doubt you've heard that. The original tea party, of course, the rising of that led to the shellacking, that's what President Obama called it of the democrats in the 2010 midterms. Is the same thing happening all over again?
TAYLOR: I'm not sure. I mean, time will tell. I think it is important as a republicans to make sure people have a seat at the table. You know, as you remember, when that happened with the democrats, they just ran rush out over republicans and didn't allow them to have a seat at the table. And, yes, there was of course more parties well too, people were opposing everything. I think that's the wrong answer for democrats to oppose everything now. It's also the wrong answer before republicans were just to run (INAUDIBLE) you have to have and allow people to be respected and have a seat at the table. And that's why I'm here tonight
BURNETT: All right. Congressman Taylor. Thank you very much. I appreciate your time.
TAYLOR: No problem. Thank you.
BURNETT: And we're going to keep watching that town hall for you tonight. Next, leaked memos from the Trump administration on the Department of Homeland Security's tough new deportation rules. What will it mean for millions who are in this country illegally? Plus, we'll take you frame by frame through the stunning surveillance video of what appears to be the assassination of Kim Jong Un's oldest brother. Is the North Korean leader the real murderer?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: Breaking news. President Trump's sweeping immigration order is about to be put into action. The Department of Homeland Security Official telling CNN that Trump's new policy on how undocumented immigrants will be detained and deported could go into effect as early as tonight. The administration's aggressive stance likely to include acceleration -- accelerated deportation hearings. Also, a larger pool of immigrants will be targeted before removal from the country. Sunlen Serfaty is OutFront.
TRUMP: We will have strong borders again.
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The Trump administration is preparing to roll out a new travel ban executive order later this week. Sources tell CNN the draft order revises the original botched order which caused confusion, mass protests and portions of it were halted by multiple federal courts. The take two of the order is intended to be streamlined. What sources say this time will exempt green card holders, take out any preference for certain religious minorities allowed in the country and attempt on fix due process concerns by giving detailed notice of restrictions on those people coming from the seven identified countries with current or pending visas.
JOHN KELLY, DHS SECRETARY: We will have a short phase inferior to make sure that people on the other end don't get on airplanes. But if they're on an plane and inbound, they'll be allowed to enter the country.
SERFATY: All this as homeland security secretary is also set to release aggressive new guidelines for the new immigration policies, outlined in two earlier versions obtained by CNN, directions to agencies to implement the tightening of immigration laws, by raising the standard on asylum seekers and unaccompanied minors entering the country, and sending people awaiting immigration proceedings in the U.S. back to Mexico, expanding the use of expedited removal proceedings for unauthorized immigrants which could impact thousands more undocumented. And the memos call for an increase in detention facilities and agents.
The moves setting off immigration rights advocates and Democratic lawmakers. Senator Robert Menendez dubbing this a mass deportation effort.
SEN. ROBERT MENENDEZ (D), NEW JERSEY: Ultimately, anyone who is found in an undocumented status would ultimately be apprehended and deported with due process totally eroded under the proposals that I'm hearing about.
(VIDEOTAPE)
SERFATY: And that's on the potential revisions to the travel ban executive order challengers stay that the anticipated revisions won't stop the legal challenges ahead. They warn that litigation in courts could happen, as well as protests in the streets as they say they will likely continue in full force -- Erin.
ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Sunlen, thank you.
OUTFRONT now, the Democratic governor of Colorado, John Hickenlooper.
And, Governor, thank you for being with me.
You know, in the past couple of years, 2012 to 2014, you have seen this first hand. Undocumented immigrants in your state up by about -- more than 10 percent. It's a big number.
What would these new immigration policies, increased detention facilities, increased agents mean for your state? GOV. JOHN HICKENLOOPER (D), COLORADO: Well, it's hard to say. I --
right now, there are still so much uncertainty about what he is really talking about. But certainly, we look at from several points of view, I mean, what's the cost going to be? I mean, one rumor has the federal government hiring 10,000 ICE agents, 10,000 new ICE agents. I mean, put in the new facilities, incredible expense.
And then, secondly, we're under 3 percent unemployment right now. And in agriculture, in construction, even in tech. You know, we're not sure how many undocumented people are in these agencies.
But this might be the perfect time to kind of look at Congress to try to address and find, what is the right compromise? And let's really solve this problem that has been haunting us for 20 years.
BURNETT: So, you're saying we've been covering this story, Governor, of Jeannette Vizguerra. She's an undocumented immigrant, mother of four. She is currently taking refuge at a church in Colorado because she's afraid of being deported and separated from her children because of the executive order. Here she is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEANNETTE VIZGUERRA: I belong here. This is my home. Not only this is my home, but this is my community.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: So, as the governor of the state, in charge of law enforcement, what should happen here? Should they go into the church to get her? Because she is defying the rules? Should they not? What do you say?
HICKENLOOPER: Well, it is hard to imagine going into a church, in a sanctuary like that, and dragging somebody out. You know, an awful lot of successful law enforcement is based on the trust that has built up over many years between the local police force or the state patrol and the community. And that's another serious cost. This kind of -- this notion of going around, you know, rounding people up and hauling them off in detention facilities and then without much due process to, you know, expelling them from the country. There are serious costs to our economy and to the fabric of our community.
BURNETT: You know, back -- it's a tough issue, right? Back a few years ago, we did a report of a Canadian woman. She was married to an American citizen. And they had a baby. She wasn't allowed to return to the United States as she went to the whole process, right? So, she had to have a green card.
At that time went by, she wasn't with her husband. He missed all the firsts for his baby because he was in the National Guard, full time student. It's a tragic story, right? I mean, this family was separated as the mother waited until she could come in legally.
The big question, of course, is, if they played by the rules, shouldn't others as well? We see the heart-wrenching stories like the one in that church in your state. But this is a real question.
HICKENLOOPER: It is. And I mean, look, countries come with borders, right? And borders create complexity. And there are an awful lot of tough decisions.
I'm the first person to say we should be really overhauling a lot of these rules and figuring out, what is the right number that we need to make sure our work force is what our business community needs.
[19:35:11] And yet make sure we're not losing jobs that Americans could fill. But Colorado, I can tell you, there are a lot of farming jobs and ranching jobs, that people offer 20 bucks an hour and they can't fill them. You have people trying to build homes and they're trying to hire people to do hang sheet rock or do plumbing, they can't fill those jobs at $18, $20. Some of them by the third year, they're making $60,000 a year. They can't find people to work.
BURNETT: You can't fill them.
So, "The Hill" listed as one of the top Democratic contenders to run for president, Governor. And you're reportedly one of four Democrats that Steve Bannon, I don't know if you know this, but reportedly, Steve Bannon asked for research on you. If it is bad, they're going to find it.
Do you think you could beat Donald Trump if you run?
HICKENLOOPER: Just to help Mr. Bannon, you know, last year I put out a so-called memoir. I would like to think I'm too young to write a memoir, but my life in politics is called "The Opposite of Wealth", it's got to bad things and there's a lot of them that I've ever done. So, I don't think they have to worry about me coming at them from their blind side.
BURNETT: But it's on the table.
HICKENLOOPER: I don't know. There are going to be a lot of things on the table. The key is to figure out, with all the turmoil going on, how do we make sure we move the country forward and figure out, you know, where are those lines that should not be crossed? I think between states and federal government, you're going to see a whole lot more Democratic governors saying that we believe in states rights and the federal government shouldn't come and impose these burdens on us.
And I think you're going to see more Republican governors saying, hey, don't come and tell us you're going to cut back our Medicaid expansion, right?
BURNETT: All right. Well, Governor, thank you very much. I appreciate your time.
HICKENLOOPER: Strange times.
BURNETT: All right.
HICKENLOOPER: Oh, you bet, of course. BURNETT: And next, new surveillance video appears to show the moment Kim Jong-un's brother was poisoned. Did Kim Jong-un order the assignation?
And President Trump fighting back after suggesting this was a terror attack in Sweden when there wasn't. Plus, why is controversial Breitbart editor Milo Giannopoulos being blocked from a major Republican gathering?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:41:20] BURNETT: Tonight, chilling new surveillance video appears to show the murder of Kim Jong-un's oldest brother. What you're about to see is the moment Kim Jong-nam is believed to be poisoned.
A woman, we'll show you here, appears in white to be walking up to Kim. She then holds him while officials say another woman sprays him with some sort of a toxic substance.
Moments later, a man believed to be Kim in the gray suit as you can see walks over to the desk there and asks for help. Two hours later he was dead.
At this moment, there is a manhunt underway for four North Korean men believed to be involved with the murder, an act the leader of South Korea calls a terrorist act. There are four additional suspects in custody.
OUTFRONT now, Gordon Chang, author of "Nuclear Showdown: North Korea Takes on the World", also a columnist for "The Daily Beast".
So, Gordon, let's go back to this video again because I think it helps to see it one more time and understand exactly what we're talking about. The woman walks up to Kim. You can see her over there, OK? She walked up to Kim, and then holds him. Another woman sprays him. I don't know what I think. Is it toxic aerosol, or fluid, or -- what do you think it could be?
GORDON CHANG, AUTHOR, "NUCLEAR SHOWDOWN": Look, probably, it's poison of some sort. You know, the North Korean have been using poison. So, for instance, in 2011 when they were going after a South Korean dissident in South Korea, the North Korean assassin was caught with a poison pen, poison gun, poison pills. So, poison is their weapon of choice.
BURNETT: And they would have just, you know, planned this kind of walk-through, known his schedule somehow in the airport?
CHANG: And she's acting very decisively. She leaves quickly. That's trade craft.
BURNETT: So, let's show him going and asking for help. He is in the gray suit.
Back to the video again. He goes back, gets almost in line. He is moving purposefully but not distressed, right? Then it appears he is escorted by police.
So, how many people do you think were involved? They're looking for all the people. You saw at least two women there.
GORDON: Yes, the thing that's important, they have four suspects on the loose. They're all North Koreans, as you just pointed out. These are the people between perpetrators and the mastermind. And clearly, there's a North Korean link here. They've already detained one North Korean. So, obviously, North Korea is involved.
BURNETT: So, Kim Jong-nam was seen by some as a potential replacement for Kim Jong-un, right? I mean, they were half brothers by different mistresses, right, to their father. But the older brother, of course, is the first born and there is legitimacy from that in North Korea. Some have said if they got rid of Kim Jong-un, Kim Jong-nam would be there. Maybe China or the U.S. have been protecting him.
So, what does it mean that he is now dead?
GORDON: Well, it means that China feels that it's been disrespected by the North Koreans. And we've seen China cut off the coal ship --
BURNETT: Because they've been protecting him.
GORDON: Yes, oh, definitely. I mean, he lived in Macao. He walked around the streets. He was unprotected because the North Koreans knew they couldn't hit him on Chinese oil. That's why they got him in Malaysia before he went back to Macau.
BURNETT: Wow. All right. Gordon Chang, thank you very much.
Next, President Trump refers to an immigrant crime wave in Sweden. The Swedes say it is not true. We're going to give you the facts.
And Jeanne Moos on the very blunt, very British debate about Trump and his upcoming visit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Unfortunately, the intellectual capacity of the president is protozoan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:48:12] BURNETT: President Trump firing back against the media tweeting, "Give the public a break. The fake news media is trying to say that large scale immigration from Sweden is working out just beautifully. Not!"
It comes just after Trump was accused of making up a terror attack in that country. Trump, though, is now trying to clarify.
Brian Stelter is OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TRUMP: You look at what's happening last night in Sweden. Sweden! Who would believe this? Sweden.
BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Trump's ominous comments sparking worldwide confusion because there simply was no terrorist attack in Sweden the night before.
It turns out Trump was actually talking about this.
AMI HOROWITZ, DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER: There was an absolute surge in both gun violence and rape in Sweden.
TUCKER CARLSON, FOX NEWS HOST: Yes.
HOROWITZ: -- once they begun this open door policy.
STELTER: Watching this Friday night story from one of FOX's opinion shows, Trump's head scratcher suddenly makes sense.
TRUMP: They took in large numbers. They're having problems like they never thought possible.
STELTER: This conservative filmmaker's YouTube video about alleged risks of immigration barely had any views until FOX called. Now, it has the attention of the president.
And the police officers who appeared in the film are two of a growing number of Swedes saying the film's depiction of Sweden is inaccurate.
TRUMP: It is all fake news. All fake news. Russia is fake news. This is fake news put out by the media. The news is fake because so much of the news is fake.
STELTER: President Trump may think some news outlets are enemies but clearly FOX News is a friend.
TRUMP: "FOX and Friends" in the morning, they're very honorable people. They have the most honest morning show.
STELTER: FOX, controlled by Rupert Murdoch, seems to shape the new president's views. Last month, Trump parroted these words.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In a new article for "The Guardian", the disgraced former Army private is slamming Obama as a weak leader with few permanent accomplishments.
[19:50:04] STELTER: Within minutes, the words on screen calling Chelsea Manning an ungrateful traitor appeared in a Trump tweet.
Two days earlier, a similar pattern. Trump threatening to send federal agents to Chicago right after a guest on FOX suggested it.
BILL O'REILLY, FOX NEWS HOST: He called in the National Guard.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely. You could call in the National Guard. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Trump, I hear you watch the morning
shows.
STELTER: Some advertisers are buying time on cable news hoping to reach the president. He tweets reactions to MSNBC's "Morning Joe," CNN's "NEW DAY" and this show, wrongly accusing OUTFRONT of cutting off Bernie Sanders.
BURNETT: You believe that he has seen these reports. I mean, to your point --
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I), VERMONT: Kevin, I'm not -- are we on? OK.
BURNETT: It looks like we lost connection with Senator Sanders.
STELTER: Technical difficulties were actually the culprit. And Sanders came back on the air to finish the interview.
But as Sweden proves, Trump's cable news fixation can now have international ripple effects.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BURNETT: Brian, you know, it's pretty incredible. The Swedish prime minister in terms of this comment about Sweden, the most recent thing, is weighing in himself. What's he saying?
STELTER: Yes, saying he was surprised by Trump's comments as well and that we all must take responsibility for verifying information that we spread. The fact is, Sweden does face some challenges, as do other European countries as it tries to welcome asylum seekers but crime levels are still relatively low in the country despite some uptick and the FOX segment blew it way out of proportion -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Brian, thank you very much.
And the editor in chief of "The Daily Beast", John Avlon, is with me, also the author of "Washington's Farewell: Founding Fathers' Warning to Future Generations".
One -- among the many things we learned here is how much the president watches cable but not just cable, FOX News specifically. "Fox and Friends" specifically, the morning show, when he gets up. He's using it for speeches, using it for policy.
JOHN AVLON, EDITOR IN CHIEF, THE DAILY BEAST: Yes. That's a problem. I mean, it's almost like remember the movie "Being There" where Chauncey Gardner is watching television obsessively and drifts into the Oval Office. But this is real. This isn't fiction.
And if the president is paying more attention to what's on FOX or what's on a Chyron and tweets about it immediately, then, you know, maybe more interest than he pays to his intelligence briefings, that's going to lead to a very distorted world view. It's not only a partisan news, it increases the bubble and for someone with a lack of impulse control like he does, well then you have gaffe after gaffe. BURNETT: And, of course, this all started because he was ad libbing
at a rally on Saturday night, right? This was completely self- inflicted.
AVLON: As many of his gaffes are. This is a president who his supporters believe it's a sign of great authenticity that he seems to say whatever comes to his head. But if he's repeating on twitter or on speeches whatever he sees on cable news, particularly partisan cable news, that's going to lead to an increasing credibility gap, a gap with reality. It doesn't actually fit with the fundamental responsibilities of the office which is to be briefed better than everybody else and be more disciplined when you speak than anybody else.
BURNETT: Ii want to ask about Milo Yiannopoulos, and he is an editor of Breitbart. We have done some stories on him when he was going to be speaking out at a university in California, the protest and anger about that. He was disinvited today though from speaking at a conservative bastion.
AVLON: CPAC, yes.
BURNETT: CPAC, right? After videos emerged of him appearing to defend pedophilia, OK? So, it appears this is the line, this is a line that is too difficult to cross, also credited with being a leader of the alt-right movement obviously.
How significant is this that CPAC would come out and reject him? I mean, he was already incredible controversial. Pedophilia is where they draw the line.
AVLON: Yes, we apparently know there is a line. The good news is there is a line. We know what's too far. What is too far apparently is pedophilia.
The fact that that's the line we can all agree on it seems is awfully low for American society. You know, defending free speech is important. But he obviously crossed a fundamental line that we can all agree on. Now we know where the new line is. It's a little low. I think we can do better in America.
BURNETT: I think you're right about that. Thank you very much, John.
And next, Jeanne Moos on whether god can save the queen from President Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have a man who is the president behaving like a petulant child.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:57:47] BURNETT: Insults flying over Trump's invitation for a formal state visit to the U.K. One member of British parliament today likening it to, quote, "pimping out the queen."
Here's Jeanne Moos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Trump doesn't just get people stirred up at home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sit down. Sit down.
MOOS: Look what happened in the British parliament.
ANNE MAIN, CONSERVATIVE MP: Let's have some fake outrage here. I'm standing here as a woman being shouted down by women.
MOOS: All because Britain's prime minister invited President Trump to --
THERESA MAY, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Pay a state visit to the United Kingdom later this year.
MOOS: Over 1.8 million U.K. residents signed a petition saying it was okay for President Trump to come visit, but that he should not get an official state visit, because it would cause embarrassment to her majesty the queen.
A position members of parliament lobbed insults at President Trump --
PAUL FLYNN, LABOUR MP: Like a petulant child. The intellectual capacity of the president is protozoan.
MOOS: Protozoan? Like a single celled microscopic animal?
TULIP SIDDIQ, LABOUR MP: Can you really lay out the red carpet for someone who talked about grabbing women by the (EXPLETIVE DELETED)?
MOOS: Members of parliament went there.
DAVID LAMMY, LABOUR MP: Think about a man who thinks it's okay to go and grab (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
CAROL MONAGHAN, SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY MP: I became concerned when I heard comments like grab them by the (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
MOOS: The Scottish lilt helped.
EDWARD LEIGH, CONSERVATIVE MP: Which one of us has not made some ridiculous sexual comment sometime in our past?
MOOS: The queen, probably. She would be President Trump's official host as she was for President Obama, that time he accidentally toasted --
BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT: To the queen.
MOOS: Right through Britain's national anthem. Outside parliament, protesters rallied, "God save the queen from
Donald Trump." The president was portrayed as King Kong, clutching the monarch as he scaled Big Ben.
CROWD: No!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the noes have it.
MOOS: In the end, the government made clear --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The visit should happen. The visit will happen.
MOOS: But god save the queen from this debate.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pimping out the queen for the Donald Trump.
MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Walker, I don't think it's in order to refer to pimping out our sovereign.
MOOS: -- New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BURNETT: There's just something about that. Thank you for joining us.
Anderson starts next.
