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Erin Burnett Outfront
Source: Chief Of Staff Doing Damage Control To Address Rumors; Trump Signs 50th Executive Order, Slammed Obama For Doing The Same; Facebook COO Won't Reveal Details Of Company's Russia Probe; CNN Exclusive: Russians Even Manipulated Pokemon Go To Try To Meddle In U.S. Election; Harvey Weinstein Under Investigation By NYPD, London Police; Harvey Weinstein Under Investigation By NYPD, London Police; American Mom & Family Freed By Taliban After Five Years; Trump to Puerto Rico: We Can't Help You "Forever". Aired on 7-8p ET
Aired October 12, 2017 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: "OutFront" next, the President goes it alone on health care even if it means breaking another campaign promise. This as his chief of staff is in full damage control mode.
Plus, how Russia manipulated an online game used by nearly 30 million Americans to meddle in the election. It's a CNN exclusive investigation tonight. And the Harvey Weinstein sex scandal explodes. Tonight, the NYPD and Scotland Yard investigating. Let's go "OutFront."
And good evening. I'm Erin Burnett. "OutFront" tonight, hypocrite- in-chief. President Trump today doing something he harshly criticized President Obama for doing. Trump signing his 50th executive order today.
The move allows insurance to sell bare bones health care plans that don't meet the Obamacare requirements and it is the most damaging blow so far to Obamacare. The President clearly pleased with the move today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We were all gathered together for something I believe that's going to be very, very powerful for our nation and very good for a lot of people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: This is the same Donald Trump though who said this repeatedly about Barack Obama's use of executive orders.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: You have a president that signs executive orders because he can't get anything done.
Right now, Obama goes around signing executive orders. He can't even get along with the Democrats and he goes around signing all these executive orders. It's a basic just as you. Nobody ever heard of an executive order then all of a sudden, Obama, because he couldn't get anybody to agree with him, he starts signing them like they're butter. So I want to do away with executive orders for the most part.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: For the most part. Look, the facts are the President is not keeping his word. He signed 50 executive orders since the day he took office, which, if you do the math, is about one every five days. It is double the number the man he called a disaster signed. President Obama signed 26 executive orders by the 12th of October in his first year in office. Trump's running a double.
Trump's 50th executive order comes as headlines paint his White House in chaos. In just a past few days here are three. "I hate everyone in the White House, Trump seethes as advisers fear the President is unraveling," from "Vanity Fair." "A pressure cooker, Trump's frustration and fury rupture alliances, threaten agenda," "The Washington Post. And from the "L.A. Times," "Trump unleashes himself from would-be handlers, lashing out morning, nights and weekends."
Trump's Chief of Staff John Kelly today making a rare appearance in the press briefing room to refute those headlines and say it is not his job to control the President.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GENERAL JOHN KELLY, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: As far as the tweets go, that's funny. I read in the paper, you know, you all know, you write it. That, you know, I was -- I've been a failure at controlling the President or a failure at controlling his tweeting. Again, I was not sent in, or I was not brought to this job to control anything but the flow of information to our President.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: OK. Jeff Zeleny is "OutFront" at the White House. Jeff, he is the chief of staff. It would appear his job on some level is to control the President, isn't it?
JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Erin, I think that is a very difficult job for any president, certainly this president. So I do believe that John Kelly sees his job as to control, excuse me, who sees the president, what information gets to the president.
He has told reporters before and again today that, look, he does not control what the president says, what he tweets. But he can control who sees the President, what information he gets.
But Erin, I was so struck by the simple fact the chief of staff felt the need to come to the briefing room today to say, "Look, I'm not getting fired." This is the second senior official in the last week -- Rex Tillerson, last week, to basically announce that, "Look, I am still on board. I'm not getting fired," certainly very unusual, Erin. BURNETT: OK. I'm sorry to laugh, but yes, unusual, understatement of the evening so far. But look, Jeff, you've also pointed out what is let's just call a very interesting contrast between something the President said on Saturday and what General Kelly said today about General Kelly's job. Let me play it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: He's a military man but he loves doing this, which is chief of staff more than anything he's ever done.
KELLY: I would offer, though, it is not the best job I ever had. The best job I ever had as I said many times is when I was an enlisted marine sergeant infantry man.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: OK, Jeff, make sense of that.
ZELENY: Erin, I think the looks on their faces and the tone of their voice kind of tell the story here. The President, of course, saying, "No, it's the best job he ever had." We heard from John Kelly himself, again, a retired four-star marine general. He was in retirement, brought back out retirement to, you know, first become DHS Secretary and now lead this.
I think he very clearly said and it seemed pretty believable to me that this is not the best job he's ever had. He said it's the most important job. It's a tough job. And Erin, I think pretty much anyone who's had that job could not disagree that this is a very tough job to be the chief of staff for any president, certainly this president.
[19:05:07] BURNETT: Yes, although maybe this presidential wants to hear more that it's the best job his chief of staff ever had than perhaps others. All right, thank you very much.
Dana Bash is with me, Chief Political Correspondent, along with Tim Naftali, Presidential Historian, and Jamie Gangel, our Special Correspondent.
Dana, General Kelly specifically said it's not his job to control what the President does. It's basically forget the outbound, I'm only controlling the inbound. I'm going to control the information he gets and what he hears and everything else. What can I do? He's saying the tweets are not his responsibility loud and clear, Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Look, he is a four- star. He understands the importance of defining a mission and only executing the mission that is defined. It would make no sense for anybody who has watched this President for a nanosecond to think that they can control his tweets.
Meaning if he thought his mission was to take away his phone to say, "Please, Mr. President, don't tweet," that would be a mission failure right off the bat. So he understood that from the beginning and was trying to make that clear today.
I did think that the fact that he came out, the fact that he was doing this obvious damage control, but the way that he did it, Erin, he might have said similar thing to what we hear from Sarah Sanders about the media or about this or that or about the President, but the way that he did it with self-deprecating humor, with the calm tone, listening to the reporter's questions, it was a very different kind of demeanor.
And when the criticism and the concern, frankly, about this White House is the feeling of uncontrolled chaos, that sort of inoperable thing that we saw and heard and felt from the chief of staff today was probably something that went further in the damage control than anything that he actually said.
BURNETT: I mean, Tim, that is the question, right? He came out to refute those bad headlines and we shared just a few of them. But that's what is out there and it's out there from source after source after source. This is what people who work there are saying. They can say that they're not, but they are and headlines about chaos and unhinged president. Did Kelly do the job today to put that to rest?
TIM NAFTALI, FORMER DIRECTOR, NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY: Well, I mean, the very fact that he had to do the job I think just legitimated a lot of the criticism -- lot of the sourcing seems much better now. The fact that he had to come out and say that, can you imagine it, and when people say there's no chaos, it's usually because there's chaos.
I think the key moment in this today was when he said it's not my mission to restrain the president's tweeting. He can't say publicly that it is his mission. We're going to have to wait for his memoirs. But I suspect he knows that part of his mission is containing the damage. They can't say his effectiveness.
BURNETT: Then he looks like a failure and to Donald Trump, right, then you're out.
NAFTALI: Then you're out. So he -- I wasn't expecting him to say I am and he can't. The way he handled it, the fact he didn't get angry, the fact that he understood that that was a fair question, the fact that he was able to maintain his demeanor, I think is a sign that he knows what he has to do and that he's doing it as best he can.
BURNETT: Go ahead, Jamie.
JAMIE GANGEL, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: Nobody asked him, "Would you like him not to tweet?" This was a very specific message he had.
BURNETT: Yes.
GANGEL: That I can't control this. You may all think that I should, but I can't and that's not my mission. It wasn't -- that he wasn't like to.
BURNETT: Right, which I guess everyone knows no one can control that, but it is stunning when the person who is closest and has the most power to do so is admitting they absolutely cannot.
I mean, Jamie, this lends itself to the reality that Trump is increasingly alone. Those 50 executive orders are because of exactly what he said Obama's problem was. He can't even get his own party. He's got Congress with him, House and Senate. He can't get anything through.
Here he is though proudly saying he is the one alone who will make the big decision on North Korea, he alone. Here he is yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I think I have a little bit different attitude on North Korea than other people might have. And I listen to everybody, but ultimately my attitude is the one that matters, isn't it? That's the way it works.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: I think attitude is the one that matters. What do senior Republicans say about this?
GANGEL: Heads are shaking. Eyes are rolling. But beyond that, there is real alarm. Many, many senior Republicans who have been around the town a long time, former White House, former Defense Department people, they are very nervous.
One said to me, I think this is the most dangerous time we've ever faced in national security because they just don't know what may come up. It may be North Korea. It may be a flash point. You know, nobody saw 9/11 coming. They don't know. And that kind of attitude scares him.
BURNETT: Right. I mean, ultimately, he's right. That is the way things work, but usually presidents don't come out and say that. And Tim, we're learning that Trump is going to decertify the Iran deal.
[19:10:04] NAFTALI: Yes.
BURNETT: He's going to do that tomorrow, trying to undo years of work, the biggest national security deal in 40 years. Here's the truth of it. He is going against the advice now of his own top advisers, right? This isn't a Democrat/Republican thing. Here are Trump's own men. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GENERAL JOSEPH DUNFORD, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: Iran is not in material breach of the agreement and I do believe the agreement to date has delayed the development of a nuclear capability by Iran.
REX TILLERSON, SECRETARY OF STATE: My view on the nuclear deal is they are in technical compliance of the nuclear arrangement, but if you go back and read the preamble to the JCPOA, the nuclear agreement.
SEN. ANGUS KING, (I) MAINE: Do you believe it's in our national security interest at the present time to remain in the JCPOA? That's a yes or no question.
GENERAL JAMES MATTIS, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Yes, senator, I do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: He says he's listening to those around him. They're all in agreement, but he is ignoring them.
NAFTALI: Yes, he is. And he's ignoring them because he is dedicated to undermining anything Barack Obama did, regardless of whether it's useful or not useful, because that's -- he's the anti-Obama president.
This is the challenge for us. When -- and I mean Americans. When this goes to the Congress, what's going to happen is he's going to decertify it and it's going to go to Congress and Congress is going to have to decide whether to put sanctions on Iran.
A lot of Congress -- members of Congress are going to want to do it because Iran has a nasty government. That's not why we have this agreement with Iran. We have it with Iran because we want to contain them. And he is now throwing this to Congress. It's very irresponsible in his part.
BURNETT: You know, Dana, before we go, we're learning something new this moment I want to share with you. The man responsible for clearing background checks says the errors in the form that Jared Kushner submitted were unprecedented to him.
He was asked by -- in Congress today, "Can you recall if there's ever been an applicant having to submit for than the detailing 100 errors and omissions who still was able to maintain their security clearance?" The response was, "I have not seen the breadth of all applications, but I have never seen this level of mistakes." Can Kushner keep his security clearance, Dana?
BASH: I'm not sure he has his formal clearance yet. He had temporary clearance yet. He had temporary clearance. He might, we just don't know it. But the notion that someone of Jared Kushner's level, someone who was going into the White House for very senior job, obviously somebody who would be under the microscope because it is no unusual for the President's son-in-law to have that kind of senior job.
For him to make mistake after mistake or omission after omission on his disclosure form is pretty embarrassing and pretty bad and he obviously knows that. He, you know, we've heard to sources that he blames his lawyers. Whatever the reason, it doesn't matter. And the fact of the matter is that this is still an ongoing problem for Jared Kushner, even as he continues to do some pretty important work for the President of the United States.
BURNETT: Yes, pretty embarrassing at the very least. OK, thank you all very much. And next, it's a CNN exclusive, first Facebook, then Twitter, now Pokemon Go, the game played by nearly 30 million Americans targeted by Russians to meddle in the election. Plus, an American woman and her family freed tonight after five years o f captives of a Taliban linked group. So, why doesn't her husband want to come home? And President Trump patting himself on the back for his handling of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. What's the reality though on the ground?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What grade would you give it?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would give him a D. We have not seen anything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:17:23] BURNETT: New tonight, top Facebook executive, Sheryl Sandberg, admitting she regrets the company did not learn Russia was using its websites to meddle in the presidential election until it was too late.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERYL SANDBERG, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, FACEBOOK: We were looking at this, you know, certainly not as early as we would have liked to because we wished we had found it before it ever happened. But as early as we heard any rumors, we started our investigation. So if you think about 2015 and 2016, the threats most people were worried about were hacking, taking down accounts, getting into your e-mail account and sharing all of it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: This is a CNN exclusive investigation, finds if Russia's attempts to meddle in the election when way beyond Facebook and Twitter, including an app that nearly 30 million Americans were using daily at the time. Drew Griffin is "OutFront."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a strange e-mail that came directly to the desk of "Baltimore City Paper" Editor Brandon Weigel. Don't Shoot Us, a group claiming to be made up of black activists was promoting a protest outside the upcoming court hearing of a Baltimore police officer involved in the death of Freddie Gray. They wanted Weigel to cover it, but he was immediately suspicious.
BRANDON WEIGEL, BLOGS EDITOR, BALTIMORE CITY PAPER: It wasn't a group that I had heard of either locally or nationally.
GRIFFIN (voice-over): CNN has now learned Don't Shoot Us wasn't local nor national, it was Russian. And the black activism Don't Shoot Us was promoting in Baltimore was part of a much bigger strategy. A Georgetown Professor Mark Jacobson says was aimed at attacking the U.S. Democratic system.
MARK JACOBSON, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: What the Russians are doing by formatting distrust from the American government and by also trying to organize rallies is what you do when you want to destroy a country from within. These are war like acts. These are acts designed to destroy the United States.
GRIFFIN (voice-over): A CNN investigation shows Russia's propaganda attack on the U.S. went beyond using fake accounts and ads on Facebook and Twitter. CNN tracked multiple accounts from Don't Shoot Us across the internet.
A website that boasted 300,000 followers, a YouTube channel with videos of police brutality, a Tumblr account, most surprising, a post announcing a contest on Pokemon Go when it was at its most popular, directing gamers to visit locations where alleged police brutality took place.
All part of a Kremlin connected campaign of misinformation that actively sought to influence opinion and meddle inside the U.S. The e-mail that arrived on Brandon Weigel's City Paper computer said, "This is Don't Shoot. We raised awareness of police violence against people of color. The idea is to protest in front of the Baltimore City courthouse and demand justice for Freddie Gray."
[19:20:13] WEIGEL: It makes sense that it would be a hot button issue, but I didn't think it was something that the Russians would have exploited.
GRIFFIN (voice-over): The Russians not only exploited divisive racial issues in the U.S., CNN has learned Don't Shoot Us was operating almost a rapid response to those shootings.
In Minnesota last July, the day after Philando Castile was killed by a white police officer, Don't Shoot Us was using social media to organize its own protest. The effort failed because local community members determined something was wrong. Turns out, they were right and their suspicious had Russian links.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GRIFFIN: Erin, the evidence to the extent the Russians went to divide the American electorate just keeps on growing. Blacktivist is another Russian operated site that was used to try to saw discord between the police and blacks in this country. It went so far even as to sell its own blacktivist t-shirts. As far as we know, the people engaged with these sites had no idea until now these sites were backed and actually created by Russians. Erin?
BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Drew. And "OutFront" now, the Democratic Congresswoman Jackie Speier of California who sits on the House Intelligence Committee.
Congresswoman, you heard Drew's reporting. Russia attempts to meddle in the election went way beyond Facebook and Twitter. Pokemon Go for example which he was talking about had nearly 30 million active daily users in the United States during this time and it's a stunning number, 30 million Americans interacting daily with that. Is this the extent of Russian interference now? Or is Pokemon Go still the tip of the iceberg?
REP. JACKIE SPEIER, (D) INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: No. I still think it's the tip of the iceberg. The Russians initiated a comprehensive campaign on many platforms to sew division and to create trouble in the United States.
There was another website, another Facebook page called Black Matters. There was one Heart of Texas. They created communities of LGBT, African-American, conservatives and I think that it was a long-term game plan.
The Russians are always big on long-term game plans and they are intending or were intending to use this community of p persons who were of like minds, in future elections as well.
BURNETT: So, Sheryl Sandburg from the Facebook today took questions about a crucial question here, Congresswoman, which is whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russians to target ads on Facebook, right? This is going to be the crucial collusion question.
She was asked by Mike Allen of Axios whether there was any overlap in the Facebook users targeted by Russia and the Trump campaign and here's what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL ALLEN, CO-FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE EDITOR, AXIOS: What have you all learned about the overlapping targeting between the Trump campaign and these Russian accounts?
SANDBURG: Targeting on Facebook is broad. It's use by everyone --
(CROSSTALK)
ALLEN: He (ph) overlapped between the Trump campaign and these Russian accounts.
SANDBURG: Well, targeting is something everyone uses and it really goes to the heart of what targeting is.
ALLEN: But the Trump campaign and the Russian account, you don't know or you won't tell me?
SANDBURG: When the ads get released, we will also be releasing the targeting for those ads.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Three times, she didn't want to answer the question. Why do you think that is, Congresswoman?
SPEIER: I actually met with Sheryl Sandburg today and her message was very clear to me. We want to work with Congress. We want to work with the intelligence community. Tell us how we can be helpful.
BURNETT: So are they going to give you all of the targeting so you are going to be able to analyze this yourself whether there was overlap?
SPEIER: I think they're going to give us everything that they have. And I think that in some respects, we're not going to be able to tell whether or not there was overlap or maybe there was overlap, but there was probably overlap in many areas. So I think that answer is yet to be had and we will certainly look into it.
I think what's most important here though, Erin, is that we have a very sophisticated campaign undertaken by the Russians. It is long- term in its efforts to undermine our democracy. They were intended to sew discord. They were intending to use this universe for a long time in the future.
BURNETT: Congresswoman, I want to ask you about something a source is telling "Vanity Fair," saying President Trump's former chief of -- chief strategist, I'm sorry, Steve Bannon, says there's only 30 percent chance that Trump finishes his full term. Do you agree with Steve Bannon?
SPEIER: I actually do agree with him. I've said this for months. I don't think that President Trump will complete his four-year term. And I am one of those who believe that it is incumbent on the vice president and a majority of members of the cabinet to assess the President's ability to do the job and if necessary, to invoke the 25th amendment.
[19:25:08] BURNETT: Which, of course, is what Steve Bannon is saying is going to be the reason for Trump's being removed from office, not impeachment. All right, thank you very much. I appreciate it Congresswoman.
SPEIER: Thank you.
BURNETT: And next, the Harvey Weinstein investigation goes international. Another actress now saying she was raped by Weinstein.
And the strange story of an American woman and her family captured by Taliban group five years ago. They had children during that time, but released today. There are new questions tonight about how their freedom was secured.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: Major developments tonight involving movie mogul, Harvey Weinstein. Actress Rose McGowan is now tweeting that Weinstein raped her. This comes as both the NYPD and London Scotland Yard are now speaking to women who say they were sexually abused by the disgraced film producer. Jason Carroll is "OutFront."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARVEY WEINSTEIN, AMERICAN FILM PRODUCER: I'm not doing OK, I try (ph). I got to get help with this. You know what, we all make mistakes, second chance, I hope, OK? Thanks, guys. You know what, I've always been loyal to you guys, not like those (INAUDIBLE) treat you like (INAUDIBLE). I've been a good guy.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Harvey Weinstein now asking for a second chance. This as another prominent actress has come forward alleging she, too, was victimized by Weinstein.
Kate Beckinsale who is now 44 posted her experience on Instagram saying when she was 17 she was invited a hotel to meet with Weinstein. "I was incredibly naive and young and it did not cross my mind that this older, unattracted man would expect me to have any sexual interest in him.
[19:30:09] After declining alcohol and announcing that I had school in the morning, I left uneasy, but unscathed.
Beckinsale says years after the alleged incident, she continued to reject Weinstein's advances and as a result, she says her career suffered. Beckinsale's fate is the reason why Hollywood insiders say so many kept quiet for so long. They say for a time, Weinstein, could make or break anyone.
CYNTHIA LITTLETON, VARIETY, MANAGING EDITOR OF TV: You couldn't work in Hollywood and not know the stories and the reputation.
CARROLL: Take Gwyneth Paltrow. She came from a lineage Hollywood family and in the 1990s, she was dating Brad Pitt. But that didn't allegedly stop Weinstein. Paltrow told "The New York Times" Weinstein made sexual advances towards her when she was 22. Pitt, she says, confronted Weinstein.
Paltrow continued to work with him, winning an Academy Award for "Shakespeare in Love" under his then company, Miramax. Pitt also worked with Weinstein for years in films like "Inglorious Bastards" and "Killing Them Softly". Why?
LITTLETON: Even Brad Pitt at the point when he was a marquee star, to stand up and say, I'm not going to work with Harvey Weinstein would be damaging to his career.
CARROLL: A-lister Ben Affleck now facing questions about what he knew about Weinstein. Weinstein was key to Affleck's rise to fame and cast him in "Good Will Hunting" and "Reindeer Games". Affleck released a statement saying: What can I do to make sure this doesn't happen to others?
Actress Rose McGowan suggested in tweets that Affleck did know about Weinstein and that she had told him about her experience with him. Affleck's spokesperson did not return our calls.
LISA BONNER, ENTERTAINMENT ATTORNEY: This is a situation of power and influence and fear of reprisal.
CARROLL: The casting couch, not a new concept. Actress Jane Fonda says she found out about Weinstein about a year ago and she's ashamed she did not speak out.
JANE FONDA, ACTRESS: It has happened to me. It has. I only met Harvey when I was old. And Harvey goes for young, because that's more vulnerable, you know? But it's very, very common.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL: Well, Erin, going forward, Weinstein's legal fate still very much a question. The question many in Hollywood are now facing, is this the tipping point? Is this the point when the culture of silence, silence out of fear, or greed starts to change?
One insider says one possible solution to the problem, more women in decision-making positions -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Jason, thank you very much.
Something they say about, obviously, in a lot of industries, politics and on, and doesn't ever seem to happen.
Brian Stelter is OUTFRONT now, CNN senior media correspondent, along with Kim Masters, editor at large for "The Hollywood Reporter".
Kim, I want to start with you because you know Harvey Weinstein. You have known him for more than 20 years and you have tried to break this story. You had people who told you it happened, but they didn't want to go on the record.
Why was Weinstein protected by so many people?
KIM MASTERS, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: Well, for many years, he was at the absolute top of his game. He was bringing out one Oscar magnet movie after another.
I think example of Gwyneth Paltrow is very illuminating. She decided to be quiet and she did end up with Oscar. And the alternative, especially if you were not as successful or well-known a Gwyneth Paltrow or well-supported, because she comes from a Hollywood family, was to challenge him and he would clearly try to destroy your career.
He would have you investigated, I am assuming. He would hire a battalion of lawyers as he has now. You would be broke trying to fend off legal actions that he would initiate, and your career would be dead.
So, obviously, given a choice, a lot of people decided to keep quiet and a lot of people -- I'm assuming some heard the stories, but said, you know, he hasn't been, there's been no public accusation, he hasn't been convicted.
I will say, I know one very prominent filmmaker who told me several years ago, he had heard about that alleged attack on Rose McGowan. Told me he would never work with the Weinsteins again. And he had worked with them a lot in the past and he has not. BURNETT: Which is interesting, Brian, because that is people, you
know, Angelina Jolie saying she told other actresses. People taking action in their own lives. Not coming out publicly, but doing something.
BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Doing something privately.
BURNETT: Yes.
STELTER: And Rose McGowan today for the very first time is publicly accusing Weinstein of rape.
BURNETT: Right. I mean, I'm using the word, using the word rape.
STELTER: Using the word rape. She's been hinting at this on Twitter. She received a settlement from Weinstein 20 years ago, which normally involves an NDA, a nondisclosure agreement, basically keeping her silent, but she has decided to go ahead and speak out publicly.
BURNETT: And to take whatever that may entail in terms of the risk.
Kim, why are people coming forward now, though? Why now, right?
[19:35:00] If they didn't for 20 years, 30 years, why now?
MASTERS: I don't think it's a simple answer. I think part of it is that Harvey is no longer at the peak of power and I wonder if we get allegations like this as we are, about people who are still in the peak of power, whether people would go on the record.
BURNETT: Right.
MASTERS: Harvey has said himself he suspects his brother of being part of exposing this story, so he was possibly done in by -- from within his own company. And I think it's also the wake of all the allegations about Bill Cosby, about Fox News, Silicon Valley. I think and -- of course, Donald Trump, who has acknowledged his own behavior.
Women are fed up with this and I think when they were contacted, they said, you know what, I had a source today come out about another executive publicly and it had been months since she had been hesitant and in the wake of Harvey Weinstein thing, she decided to go on the record for the first time about her own experience with a different executive.
BURNETT: And I would encourage people to check all of Kim's reporting because you have some big reporting you've been working on.
Brian, the former Vice President Joe Biden finally broke his silence on Weinstein and he said something I though pretty significant. And here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT: It's long past time for the powerful men in Hollywood to speak up, to be strong enough to say something because silence is complicity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: And you have reporting on others in the company.
STELTER: And whether they were complicit. That is the key question now.
An internal investigation happening inside the Weinstein Company. Meanwhile, partners starting to back away from the company. They don't want anything to do with this shamed company.
You know, Harvey's brother, Bob, has she mentioned, is now helping run the company, but this question about whether he'll survive this or not. What did senior management know? And if they didn't know, how the heck could they possibly have missed this for so many years?
We saw today, Weinstein books was a thing. Until today, that's disappeared. We see producers saying, I want to take my movie away from the Weinstein Company. So, bit by bit, this movie studio is crumbling.
BURNETT: And, Kim, Weinstein spoke to reporters, which we saw briefly. I want to play again part of what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARVEY WEINSTEIN, HOLLYWOOD FILM PRODUCER: I'm not doing OK. Trying. I got to get help. You know what, we all make mistakes. Second chance, I hope.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Will he get a second chance, Kim?
MASTERS: No. This is a truly breathtaking fall from grace from someone who was dominant -- from someone who was dominant for so many years. But Hollywood is done with the Weinstein name. It's toxic.
They can change the name of the company. I think it will still have a residual effect. This is just a stunning thing and it's -- Hollywood is really reeling and can talk of nothing else.
BURNETT: Yes. All right. Thank you both very much.
And next, Taliban captives. An American and her family freed after five years in captivity. What did the enemy get in return?
And insult to injury. President Trump threatening to take away aid from Puerto Rico as much of the island is still without power and in health crisis looms tonight.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: New developments tonight and a big twist to the story of an American woman and her family freed from a Taliban-linked group. Now, they were in captivity for five years.
We are learning tonight that after their daring rescue, the couple, who have three young children that were born while they were captive, declined a military flight back to the United States.
Barbara Starr is OUTFRONT live at the Pentagon tonight.
And, Barbara, this is a -- this is a huge story and a huge mystery. What do we know about how u this family was rescued?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is the American woman, Caitlan Coleman, her husband, Joshua Boyle, Canadian and three children born in captivity.
What apparently happened is U.S. intelligence began to notice movement yesterday of some vehicles in the border area of Pakistan and Afghanistan inside Pakistan. They had reason to believe it was this family in those vehicles being moved to a different location. They called the Pakistanis.
The Pakistanis surprised the U.S. a little bit, went after them and got them back, called the U.S. back and said, we have them. Mr. Boyle has spoken to his family, we're told, and has told them that they were in a vehicle when gunfire broke out. When they were finally let out of the vehicle by their rescuers, their five captors were dead. He had a slight shrapnel wound.
And the U.S -- the Trump administration is thanking the Pakistanis for getting these people back. This is a good development, Erin.
STARR: Absolutely, it is. There are though, you know, a mystery about what exactly happened here. We know obviously we can see the couple there. Their three children were born while in captivity and we are learning if family refused to board a flight bound for the United States and I know you're aware now of some questions about Boyle's past.
What can you tell us about this?
STARR: Well, it did get complicated. The U.S. military had an aircraft on stand by in Pakistan to take them out, return them through Afghanistan, either back through the United States or Canada, but Mr. Boyle according to our sources, declined to board the plane. He had expressed concern that he might be arrested. He didn't say why.
We had reached out to U.S. law enforcement. They said they had no reason to arrest him. They're not looking at him for any particular violations of law at this time.
The wrinkle is perhaps he was previously married to the sister of Omar Khadr, a Canadian citizen, who had been held in Guantanamo Bay in detention for several years. A bit of a mystery there.
BURNETT: And, Barbara, just to be clear, they -- how were they in Afghanistan to begin with? They were backpacking or something like that? STARR: Right. The only indications have been at the time that they
were on vacation in this eastern part of Afghanistan, which has been very dangerous for many years.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Barbara Starr.
And next, Puerto Rico's still in crisis tonight three weeks after the hurricane. So, why is President Trump sending them a warning tonight?
And Jeanne Moos on Trump's problem with executive orders. It's not that there's so many of them. It's that he forgets to sign them.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:48:40] BURNETT: New tonight, President Trump putting Puerto Rico on notice, tweeting quote: We cannot keep FEMA, the military and first responders, who have been amazing, under the most difficult circumstances in PR forever.
San Juan's mayor firing back, quote: Your comments about Puerto Rico are unbecoming of a commander-in-chief. They seem more to come from a hater in chief.
So, what's the reality on the ground? What's really happening in Puerto Rico?
Leyla Santiago has been there since before the storm hit. She's never left and she's OUTFRONT now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEYLA SANTIAGO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The destruction, a constant reminder, Maria's eye was here just 24 hours. Three weeks later, Puerto Rico is unrecognizable. But for us, this is familiar. We were here in Quebradilla just four days after Hurricane Maria struck.
When we arrived, a woman, a complete stranger embraced me in a way I will never forget. Desperate, she explained no one else had been to her town since the storm. No one else had come to see if that mountaintop community had even survived.
Her name is Brenda.
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
SANTIAGO: We wanted to find her again to find out how she's doing.
(on camera): That's her right there. That's her.
(voice-over): She recognizes us immediately.
[19:50:04] The mayor, she tells us, brought a box of emergency food. The neighbors all shared it. There's nothing left now.
(on camera): The president has said that he's doing an A-plus job in recovery efforts, how would you grade?
RESIDENT OF QUEBRADILLA, PUERTO RICO: No. No, no way.
SANTIAGO: What grade would you give him?
RESIDENT OF QUEBRADILLA, PUERTO RICO: I'll give it a D. We have not seen anything.
SANTIAGO (voice-over): It's hard for them to give the U.S. government a good grade when they still don't have power or water. More than 80 percent of Puerto Rico, no electricity. Maria left these mountains scarred. Mudslides are closing off entire communities across the island.
(on camera): So this is as far as we can get in this part of Anasco. There's a whole community back there. You can see that there's water that's taken over the road, there's mud. Trees down, making it difficult to reach this community. So, we're going to have to go by foot in order to get to them.
(voice-over): Along the way, we meet David.
He's a veteran, an orange farmer from the neighboring town who just wants to help. He hiked in with a full crate of water and ice.
(on camera): So, right now, you're having to walk through all of this, why?
DAVID ITURRINO, RESIDENT OF ANASCO, PUERTO RICO: For the people.
SANTIAGO (voice-over): The people. That's what makes it so hard for him. At 70 years old, he's one of the few reaching the people in this community that he loves.
A half hour hike through an area once slush now stripped of leaves and color, we learn one helicopter landed here since the storm. The bottled water is running out, along with the food for Hosean (ph), 5 months old, completely unaware of the reality surrounding him.
(on camera): She's worried about the milk and water for him. She only has two gallons left.
(voice-over): Mom tells me, it's only enough for another week and a half. She needs more. She needs more power. She needs another helicopter to land here soon. A third of the island doesn't have clean water.
As we move to another part of the island, we spot help.
(on camera): What are you guys doing down there?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're headed up this road right here.
SANTIAGO: Are you bringing supplies?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we're bringing some stuff to them. SANTIAGO (voice-over): In Utuado, the interior, the director of
emergency management tells us they've been able to reach everyone here. His challenge: communication.
(on camera): This is what they've been given out here. OK. It's got a number, it's got a Website.
But in an area where there's no cell service and there's no Internet, that's a problem.
(voice-over): He insists help is flowing. But it's not what we found when we talked to Sylvianne up the road. Her home battered by Maria, the floors still wet. No power here either.
(on camera): I notice she doesn't have a roof, but I also notice that flag she's flying.
(voice-over): The reason, she says --
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
SANTIAGO (on camera): She says that's their salvation.
Among the devastation, the desperation, she says she flies this flag with pride, waiting for help to arrive.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANTIAGO: And Erin, death toll tonight stands at 45, 117 still unaccounted for. Also visited a hospital evacuated because the generator they depend on because there's no power failed. They tell us they are operating on day-to-day basis. And doctor I talked to, one of the patients evacuated under his care says they need help -- Erin.
BURNETT: Leyla, thank you very much. Powerful report.
As we said, Leyla has been there since before the storm, seen the storm, the aftermath and the recovery.
OUTFRONT next, Jeanne Moos on President Trump forgetting to sign his executive orders again. And again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Mr. President --
RANDY NOEL, The most important thing --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: President Trump loves to sign an executive order. Or does he?
Here's Jeanne Moos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He came, he spoke, he forgot to sign?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He'll be signing that executive order, looks like maybe he was about to leave, and now they're directing him back to remind him.
MOOS: There's only one main thing you have to do in executive order signing ceremony and president forgot until Vice President Pence tapped him.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you, everybody.
PENCE: Mr. President, you need to sign it.
NOEL: Most important thing.
PENCE: I'm only signing it because it costs nothing.
MOOS: The president wrote his signature while critics wrote jabs. One pretending to be secretary of state.
OK, Mr. President, I'm ready to take the IQ test when you are.
(on camera): Now, let's not forget, this forgetting to sign has happened before. Back in March, the president was supposed to sign two executive orders on trade, but he was in hurry to leave as reporters peppered him with questions.
REPORTER: Were you trying to do that, Mr. President? Was that your intention, Mr. President, sir?
MOOS: Again, it was VP Pence who reminded him he hadn't signed the orders. The president gestured to the vice president to go get them, and they ended up getting signed elsewhere.
Of course, if there's no on camera signing, then there are no documents for Internet to doctor with nicknames like dotard and rocket man.
GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT: Thank you all very much.
MOOS: But there are worse things than leaving prematurely. At least President Trump didn't get locked in.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BURNETT: I forgot about that one.
All right. Thanks so much for joining us. Don't forget, you can watch OUTFRONT anytime, anywhere on CNN Go. "AC360" starts now.
