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Erin Burnett Outfront

Trump Sticks Up For Russia Amid Feud With Allies at G7; Manafort and Ally With Russian Intel Ties Face New Charges; Trump: Pruitt is Doing a Great Job at the EPA; Anthony Bourdain Dead At 61; U.S. Suicide Rates Rise; Trump And Kim Jong-un Meeting. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired June 08, 2018 - 19:00   ET

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

[19:00:05] WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Cuomo Prime Time, 9 p.m. Eastern only here on CNN.

That's it for me. Thanks for watching. "ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts right now.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: OUTFRONT next, Donald Trump takes a stand for Russia. This, as he publicly fights with America's closest allies. With friends like these, who needs enemies?

Plus, breaking news, Robert Mueller hits Paul Manafort and the Russians with new criminal charges. The first time an American and Russian have been indicted together.

Plus, remembering friend and colleague, Anthony Bourdain. I'm going to speak to a world renowned chef and a close friend of Bourdain about Tony's life and passion.

Let's go OUTFRONT.

Good evening, everyone. I'm Kate Bolduan in for Erin Burnett. OUTFRONT tonight, Trump sticking up for Russia and sticking it to allies. The president stunning the world by insisting Russia should be allowed back into the leading group of industrialized nations, the G7.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE United States: I have been Russia's worst nightmare. With that being said, Russia should be in the seat whether you like it or not and it may not be politically correct. But we have a world to run. And in the G7 which used to be b the G8, they threw Russia out, they should let Russia come back in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: You know who disagrees? It seems all of the allies that he's meeting with right now at the G7 summit. German Chancellor Angela Merkel telling reporters that the E.U. countries agree this can't happen. And Canada adding, quote, there are no grounds whatsoever for bringing Russia with its current behavior back into the G7. Now remember, the then G8 threw Russia out for good reason. Senator John McCain in a blistering statement sums it up this way. "Vladimir Putin chose to make Russia unworthy of membership in the G8 by invading Ukraine and an annexing Crimea. Russia is assaulting democratic institutions all over the world."

But the message that Trump gave to reporters as he left the White House this morning was not the same message that he delivered when actually facing other world leaders.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We want to thank you. You were very helpful today. I also want to congratulate you because I'm reading what's going on in France. You've got great courage. You're going to right thing.

Nothing's easy. What you're doing is the right thing and it's a wonderful country. It's a special country and you have a special president. That, I can tell you. Thank you very much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: So it sure seems that the president has one message at home and quite a different one when he's face to face with America's allies. And don't forget, he's also leaving the summit with allies early in order to head to Singapore to sit down with another U.S. adversary, the leader of North Korea. So, again, with friends like these, who needs enemies?

Jim Acosta is OUTFRONT from Quebec City. He's traveling with the president. Jim, America's allies, they don't agree with Trump about Russia. They made that pretty clear tonight. So why did he bring this up in the first place? What are you hearing?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Certainly. Yes, Kate, it is unclear whether this was catnip for the media or just wishful thinking on the part of President Trump. You know, we talked to a senior administration official earlier today who said it wasn't even a plan that was discussed behind the scenes before this sG7 summit for the president to roll out this area idea bringing Russia back into what once was the G8.

And then listening to some of these officials and sources that we've been talking to all day long, it's unclear whether or not this idea ever came up in any of these meetings that the president had with these other world leaders. In the public moments that we saw earlier today, it was asked at one point whether or not this idea of bringing Russia back into the G7 came up and the answer was no. So it seems the president rolled out this idea. But there wasn't much follow through behind the scenes. And of course what we saw really all day long here in Quebec, Kate, was essentially Canadian kabuki theatre where they had some intense discussions behind the scenes on these important trade issues, these important tariff issues. And then out in front of the cameras, they pretended as if everything was just fine and dandy between the United States and these allies that are very upset with the president right now. It's very surreal to be covering an American president on the world stage like this and see an American president essentially not welcome, the odd man, now described as the G6 plus one at an important summit like this. But earlier this afternoon, Kate, when he was meeting with the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, President Trump said -- speaking of his early departure tomorrow, he said, well, Justin Trudeau may be happy that I'm leaving early.

Kate, that might have been the truest thing that was said all day. Kate?

BOLDUAN: Although of course he's making joke at the same time. Great to see you. It's great to see you, Jim. Thanks so much.

ACOSTA: It's the truth behind it. Yes.

BOLDUAN: Yes, exactly right.

OUTFRONT tonight, Samantha Vinograd, former senior adviser to President Obama's National Security Counsel, and Stephen Moore is here. He's informal White House adviser and former senior economic adviser to the Trump campaign, and Eliana Johnson, national political reporter for Politico. She's traveling with the president at the G8 -- at the G7 summit and then on to Singapore for the North Korea summit.

[19:05:03] So follow Eliana because she's racking up some miles right now.

Steve, nothing has changed since Russia was kicked out of the G8. If anything, Russia has offered more reasons to keep them out than bring them in. And as we're now seeing, no one at the G7 agrees that Russia should be allowed back into the fold. So is Donald Trump making a mistake here?

STEPHEN MOORE, INFORMAL WHITE HOUSE ADVISER: I think Donald Trump was making a mistake. And I think most Republicans -- you know, I talked to a number of Republicans on Capitol Hill, and the answer that I got when I asked about this was, you know, Russia can be allowed back in the G7 when they start atoning for their sins. And that means pulling out of Ukraine and other issues that we've had with Russia for a long time.

So it was not a popular idea. I'm not exactly sure why Donald Trump proposed it but I don't see it going to anywhere. I'm an old, you know, Reagan cold warrior that, you know, they've saw -- they've got kind of Soviet leader still -- a KGB agent still running Russia. And it's just not a situation where we should be making nice to them.

BOLDUAN: And Sam, what's your view on this? I mean, have you ever seen a negotiating tactic like this when it comes to the world stage? I mean, does this get Macron and Trudeau and others any closer giving in on tariffs and NAFTA negotiations?

SAMANTHA VINOGRAD, FORMER SENIOR ADVISER TO NATIONAL SECURITY COUNSEL UNDER PRESIDENT OBAMA: Certainly not. This really sounds like something that the president made up on the spot. And the truth is, we should let Russia back into the G8 and make it the G8 again. But to Steve's point, Russia has to do something to deserve it.

And Russia's invasion of Crimea is actually one issue that not onlyG7 leaders were unanimously against, so was the majority of Congress. Remember, bipartisan sanctions were passed against Russia because of their invasion of Ukraine along with other malign activities around the world. So Republicans in Congress were against this. Democrats were against it. The G7 were against it.

And Donald Trump's old national -- own national security adviser, John Bolton, is also very anti-Russia. So this doesn't sounds like anything that had any coordination in advance.

BOLDUAN: And Eliana, today, President Trump seems was offering up some justifications for this suggestion on Russia rejoining the group. By trying to prove maybe that he has street cred here like -- well, just listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I have been Russia's worst nightmare. If Hillary got in, I think Putin has probably going, man, I wish Hillary won because you see what I do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: I mean, that's pretty stark contrast to all these (INAUDIBLE) surrounding the election that we know so far. I mean, what's your take? You've kind of know -- has observed the mind of a man. Why do you think the president even brought it up?

ELIANA JOHNSON, NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER, POLITICO: Yes, having observed him, it did seems to me like an ad hoc comment. And then calling around to White House aides today, they were reluctant to comment on why the president might have said this because they said it wasn't something that had been discussed internally in the White House. And it did seemed like a one off remark and the president didn't seem to add too much substance to that before he got on Air Force One to come to this summit today.

So, it's difficult to make too much of it without a sort of any background discussions in the White House. And the president did seem like he was talking out of both sides of his mouth saying on the one hand that we should welcome Russia back into, you know, the world community, to the G7 and make it the G8 again, but on the other hand, that he's Russia's worth nightmare. And so it's difficult to understand what exactly his message there was supposed to be.

BOLDUAN: It does though, Steve, seem another example of the president like offering concessions to adversaries, and at the same time, kicking during the eye of allies. And let's focus on trade and what we've been seeing how that's been playing out.

A new Quinnipiac poll came out today, it shows the majority of voters are opposing the tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, 50-31. And overall, voters are disapproving of how the president is handling trade. Why is it beneficial to antagonize everyone around that table?

MOORE: Well, look, I'm going to defend the president now because this is something -- and by the way, I don't always agree with him on trade but I'll make a couple of points. Number one, this was a big issue during the campaign. From the day that Donald Trump started running for president, he'd be around as a kind of an unorthodox Republican really challenging these trade deals that we have with some of the European countries and Asian countries and NAFTA as well. Remember, he called NAFTA the worst trade deal ever. Now, I happen to disagree with that.

But the point is, that Donald Trump basically said, you know, I'm going to negotiate better trade deals and that played, Kate -- that played in Pennsylvania and Ohio and Michigan and these states. So partly, what he is doing here is fulfilling a promise that he would negotiate better trade deal deals.

Number two, I mean, what I would say to these European leaders is welcome to America first because Donald Trump is a president and I happen to agree with him on this. Puts American workers and American businesses before the interests of the Europeans and the Canadians and Mexicans and the Chinese.

[19:10:01] And, you know, that was a pretty popular position with the American people as well.

Now, the Europeans obviously don't like this and the G7 leaders don't like it because you know what, he's going to forced them to pay more, and they don't like the fact that, you know, the United States isn't going to pay all those money for this crazy climate change deal, that he's requiring these European countries to pay more for NATO, that he's basically saying, look, the Europeans and some of these countries have not reduced their tariffs the way they promised to. And those kinds of things. So, it's an America first policy and I think the American people are generally with him on this.

VINOGRAD: I don't think it's an America first policy though. I'm going to disagree on the national security points, I'll leave the economics to you. But it is a fact that these decisions are bringing our friends and our enemies closer together. You look at Vladimir Putin's speech at the st. Petersburg economic forum when he was sitting next to Macron, supposedly someone the president has a strong relationship with.

You have Macron, Putin and the Chinese all saying the same things about the United States. So we just have to be aware that these decisions are bringing our rivals, Russia and China, very much closer to the very countries that we're supposed to be on side with and we're being completely left alone in the pounding box.

BOLDUAN: Eliana, can -- I want to give you the last word. Are things turning out to be with the leaders as awkward as everyone kind of thought it was going to be looking at kind of the Twitter back and forth leading up to it?

JOHNSON: You know, the president has good chemistry with Justine Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister, and Emmanuel Macron, the president of France. And I think you saw that today. But I don't think that that makes up for the damage that his tariff policies are doing. The president really didn't want the come to the G7. He's e departing early.

And I think you saw him sort of make remarks that would make his reluctance to come to this that would make the summit even more uncomfortable and sort of bring his reluctance to life if that make sense.

But what I think you're seeing across the board with Trump, it sort of a lack of consistency. He doesn't brief allies like Israel but he's less consistent with the European allies. And a senior administration official joked to me yesterday that at this point, he's going be -- get a better reception from the North Koreans than he was going to get from our European allies here. And I think the president is clearly aware of that.

BOLDUAN: Well --

MOORE: Can I make one quick point on this issue about relationships with the G7 leaders. You know, I think there is a historical parallel here a little bit with the Reagan's first year in office when he wanted to get very tough with the Soviet Union. Remember, there was a big debate about putting missiles in Europe. And the European leaders at that time for the most part were very uncomfortable with that position.

You know, five or six years later into Reagan's presidency, he was extremely popular in Europe. And we may be seeing, you know, the first couple innings of him, you know, getting very tough with these leaders, but this could eventually evolve into a closer relationship over time.

BOLDUAN: I can't wait for the seventh inning stretch. That's all I have to say

MOORE: There you go.

BOLDUAN: Thank you, guys. I really appreciate it.

OUTFRONT next, we have some breaking news. A new indictment by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Is this getting closer to the president?

Plus, the EPA chief's growing list of scandals, reportedly sending aides to buy his favorite lotion used at Ritz-Carlton hotels of all places. So, why does the president still have his back?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Scott Pruitt is doing a great job within the walls of the EPA.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: And a heartbreaking news. The death of CNN's Anthony Bourdain. I'm going to speak with his friend and fellow chef about his legacy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:17:08] BOLDUAN: Tonight, new charges in the Russia investigation. Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and a close business associate with ties to Russian intelligence now charged with obstruction of justice and conspiracy. It marks the first time an American and Russian have been indicted together in this investigation. This also means a total of 20 people have been indicted or admitted guilt now.

Shimon Prokupecz is OUTFRONT with more on this. So Shimon, what else do we know about the charges and the Russian now named in this indictment?

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: Well, certainly more bad news here for Paul Manafort. These two new charges represent the latest effort. It appears by prosecutors to put pressure on Paul Manafort to make a deal and cooperate with them.

Now, the former Trump campaign chairman was charged today with obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct the investigation. It was just days ago that prosecutors had accused Manafort of witness tampering, essentially saying that he was trying to get people to lie to prosecutors to help his case. Mueller and the special counsel team has asked a judge to consider sending Manafort to jail until he goes on trial later this year. He's due in court next week where a judge could decide on whether he's going to go back to jail.

Now the other man that you mentioned here that has been charged along with Manafort is a Russia Russian named Konstantin Kilimnik. He leaves in Moscow and worked with Paul Manafort in the lobbying work for Ukrainian politicians. He's facing the same charges as Manafort. This obstruction and conspiracy charges.

The key here though is that the FBI considers Kilimnik to be a closely tied to the Russian intelligence. He has denied that but certainly that is a key part of this investigation.

BOLDUAN: Sure is. Shimon, great to see you. Thank you so much.

OUTFRONT with me now, former assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, Harry Sandick. Harry, thanks for coming in.

HARRY SANDICK, FORMER ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK: Sure.

BOLDUAN: How significant is this latest indictment?

SANDICK: I think it's very significant for a couple of reasons. First of all, this just increases the pressure even further on Paul Manafort. The government needs to convict him and to try to convince him to cooperate. Right now, there's been no sign that he's going to cooperate so they need to go forward and get a conviction. An acquittal would be devastating. And in a case like this which is sort of white collared case involving sort of paper crimes, to be able to show witness tampering provides real evidence of criminal intent that the government will need a trial.

BOLDUAN: And -- so the Russian associate of Paul Manafort is now the 20th person to be charged or admitted in the probe. I mean, do you think this offers any indication of where Mueller is in terms of wrapping things up?

SANDICK: Well, I think -- to me, it indicates that although he's made substantial progress to do all of these in only about a year and a month, it's very fast, actually, but we've yet to see --

BOLDUAN: Decide whenever he says.

SANDICK: That's right. You compare it to Whitewater or to other -- to Watergate, much faster.

[19:20:01] But at the same time, we haven't seen any charges arising out of the Hillary Clinton or Democratic National Committee e-mail leaks. We haven't seen any charges arising out of the obstruction of justice. So they still do seem to have some work to do.

BOLDUAN: Does it tell you where this is headed?

SANDICK: I think it's headed in a place that they feel they need to get Manafort convicted and hopefully for their purposes, becoming a cooperating witness later this year. Because he was at the Trump Tower meeting where so-called collusion may have happened. And he wrote notes about that meeting which the Senate Judiciary Committee released. In order to use those notes, in order to tell that story, they will need Paul Manafort.

BOLDUAN: I'm still struck why he would allegedly try something like this alleged in this indictment when he's already in so much trouble and his (INAUDIBLE) was done. I mean, it's really remarkable.

Great to see you, Harry. Thank you.

SANDICK: Thank you.

BOLDUAN: OUTFRONT next, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt finding himself at the center of yet another scandal. So what does the president have to say about it now?

Plus, remembering Anthony Bourdain and the stunning rise of suicides in this country. Father Edward Beck, a Catholic priest known to many viewers, is going to open up for the first time about his own father's recent suicide.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: A question tonight, what does it take for President Trump to say enough is enough when it comes to his EPA administrator? At this point, it's hard to guess. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Scott Pruitt is doing a great job within the walls of the EPA. I mean, we're setting records. Outside, he's being attacks very viciously by the press. And I'm not saying that he's blameless, but we'll see what happens.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[19:25:00] BOLDUAN: Well, here's just a sample of what's already happened. The mounting ethical allegations against Pruitt. Pruitt reportedly asking security agents to pick up his dry cleaning and drive him around to pick up a specific lotion that he prefers. Ordering an EPA staffer to set up a call with Chick-fil-A's chairman to try and help his wife get a franchise. And asking an aide to look into buying a used mattress from the Trump hotel in Washington.

OUTFRONT now, National Affairs Correspondent for "The Nation," Joan Walsh, and former senior communications adviser for the Trump campaign, Jason Miller.

Jason, can you find a reason to continue defending Scott Pruitt now?

JASON MILLER, FORMER SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS ADVISER, TRUMP CAMPAIGN: Absolutely. And I think the president was very candid and right to the point when asked the question about Administrator Pruitt earlier today. He said that Scott Pruitt is doing a very good job within the walls of the EPA, and the president's points out some of the records that they're setting with deregulation. Getting the U.S. out of the terrible Paris deal. I think he's doing very good job when it comes that.

I think the president was also very direct that Scott Pruitt is being unfairly attacked in the number of fronts. There was the misleading story that tried to say that Pruitt spending a whole bunch of money recklessly to go to the G7 meeting in Italy when in fact he spent half as much as his predecessor did -- excuse me, a couple of years previously.

And I think even the Chick-fil-A story I think is way overblown. I mean, it's not as if he was asking for free Chick-fil-A for life, or asking for a free franchise. I mean, he made a phone call because his wife wanted to purchase an actual Chick-fil-A franchise.

But look, I think the president also was very to the point in saying that there's -- that he's not completely blameless here, that he needs to make some of these headlines go away and not have some of them come up. I mean, some of these things are a little bit goofy. I mean, you can't send staffers on some of these runs for you. You know, you're going to have a higher degree of scrutiny at this level and the administrator has to be extra careful.

BOLDUAN: Joan, of course, I want to get you to jump in, but just on the money issue, I mean, put G7 aside. Overall, he's spent like double what they've spent -- the previous EPA administrators have spent on an annual basis. So Joan, just take on overall and that's one thing --

JOAN WALSH, NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT, THE NATION: And that trip that people say, oh, he spent less than Gina McCarthy, she brought a much larger contingent of her staff because they really care about these issues. He did not. He is traveling in luxury, she did not do that.

I mean, he's indefensible. I mean, the president campaigned on draining the swamp. He is the swamp. Scott Pruitt is an incredible grifter and I don't understand why the president just can't say we don't accept that. We don't tolerate that.

I'm sorry, Jason, but calling -- when you are a cabinet member calling and saying, oh, my wife would like a Chick-fil-A franchise, that's not acceptable. You just don't do that. It's not an innocent call. It's using your power. So --

MILLER: Joan, people buy Chick-fil-A franchises every single day. I mean --

WALSH: But you don't do that as a cabinet member. She could call up herself.

MILLER: I love the spicy chicken sandwiches.

WALSH: Delicious. She could do that herself. Why would you do that? Why would you do that as a cabinet member.

BOLDUAN: On a broader issue --

MILLER: He probably want to be supportive of his wife. I think just probably all it is.

BOLDUAN: But Jason, on the border issue real quick -- I don't want -- I just like no more Chick-fil-A please because on the broader issue of what the president compliments on and seems to be keeping around for because he's pushing his agenda. What's the difference then between Jeff Sessions and Scott Pruitt? Because Jeff Sessions is doing a very good job of pushing the president's agenda over at the Justice Department and the president goes out of his way to attack him. What's the difference?

MILLER: Well, I think with many regards, Attorney Jeff Sessions is doing a fantastic job I think particularly when it comes to fighting gangs like MS-13, and I think cracking down on illegal immigration. I think there are some concerns with -- in particular, I think there are some House members who've been trying to get records from the DOJ that they've been getting stone walled. I think that's one thing where Jeff Sessions I think could go and get those released.

I think there's also the concern that there's not enough that's being done to look into some of the abuses with the FBI and some -- in the DOJ from the previous administration. I think there should be a second special counsel that should be formed in this case. So I can see where people could be frustrated with Attorney General Sessions, but I think overall, A.G. Sessions is doing a pretty darn good job also.

BOLDUAN: OK, so no difference between the two? It's just, Donald Trump wants to hit on him because he --

WALSH: Because he feels that he's not protecting him.

BOLDUAN: Joan, who goes first? Scott Pruitt or Jeff Sessions?

WALSH: I don't think either of them goes because I don't -- he knows he can't replace Sessions. I mean, you know, Chuck Grassley, a Republican has basically said, we're not confirming another attorney general. So he's got to keep him and he loves -- he finds nothing wrong with what Scott Pruitt is doing. They stay.

BOLDUAN: And real quick. Jason, final thought. Wouldn't someone else put -- if Donald Trump is just done with this nonsense, this swampiness, I'm sure he could find someone who could push his agenda just as effectively with Scott Pruitt without the nonsense.

WALSH: Absolutely.

MILLER: I don't think either of the two men is going anywhere. I think Scott Pruitt is doing a fantastic job and i think he's been absolutely fearless with taking on the Washington establishment, with taking on the bureaucrats. He hasn't blinked when whether it's taking on the occupy Wall Street people who have been putting out his home address out to the free world. I think he's doing great at that.

(CROSSTALK)

MILLER: The occupy Wall Street people have been tweeting his address. He's been unhinged. These people are nuts.

WALSH: OK. But fearless and pushing his agenda, but also fearless in drifting. Keeping the swamp going, I mean, some of the stuff. I mean, it's crazy.

BOLDUAN: See you guys, thank you. OUTFRONT next, Anthony Bourdain, remember Anthony Bourdain. My next guest is world renowned chef who worked side by side with the chef. Plus, Trump and Kim Jong-un about to meet face-to-face. We're going to take you inside the meeting venue and the mysterious question, who is paying for Kim's hotel room?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: Tonight, everyone here at CNN has a heavy heart after learning our colleague, Anthony Bourdain took his life overnight in France. He was there filming an upcoming episode and show "PARTS UNKNOWN" and tributes are pouring in from friends and colleagues who knew him best and from fans who admired his ability to find humanity in every far flunk place that he visited, connecting people over a meal.

Erica Hill is OUTFRONT.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) [19:35:18] ANTHONY BOURDAIN, CNN HOST: I don't even know what this is. I love you, noodles.

ERICA HILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Called the original rock star of the culinary world, the Elvis of bad boy chefs. Anthony Bourdain was a cultural icon.

BOURDAIN: Oh, delicious.

HILL: His mission, to explore the world. Meet the most interesting people. And of course, find the best food.

BOURDAIN: We ask very simple questions. What do you eat? What do you like to cook and everywhere in the world we go and ask these very simple questions, we tend to get some really astonishing answers.

HILL: Born in New York and raised in New Jersey, Anthony Bourdain began working in kitchens as a teenager, eventually becoming a celebrity chef.

BOURDAIN: Going to 70 (inaudible).

HILL: A best-selling author and TV host.

BOURDAIN: What do you think?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love this.

HILL: Behind his success, Bourdain struggled with demons, including an addiction to heroin, which he says began in a Cape Cod restaurant when he was just 17.

BOURDAIN: There was some dark genie inside me that I really much hesitate to call a disease that led me to dope.

HILL: Bourdain spoke openly about his struggles, and about person who inspired him to do better.

BOURDAIN: I have a seven-year-old daughter now who I never would have had. I never thought. I looked in a mirror and I saw somebody worth saving. Or that I wanted to at least try real hard and save.

HILL: Using his celebrity to raise awareness about opioid addiction, along with his advocacy, Bourdain remained a passionate explorer, bringing his adventurous spirit to CNN in 2013, where he share his insatiable curiosity with audiences around the world on his series, "PARTS UNKNOWN."

BOURDAIN: All right. You're going to -- I will walk you through this. You're going to have walked me through this.

BOLDUAN: Former President Obama who joins Bourdain on "PARTS UNKNOWN" in Vietnam tweeting, he taught us about food, but more importantly, about his ability to bring us together, to make us a little less afraid of the unknown. BOURDAIN: People tend to be proud of their food. They let their guard down when they talk to you, you see them at their most vulnerable and revealing in a lot of ways. So even people (j you have really fundamental disagreements, with maybe the different belief systems. If you're going to intersect anywhere, it's going to be over food.

The real deal.

HILL: Erica Hill, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: OUTFRONT tonight, two people who knew Anthony Bourdain. Chef James Syhabout, a colleague and mentee of Anthony's. And the force behind the mission and start restaurant, Commis, and "New York Times" opinion columnist, Frank Bruni. Thanks so much for being here.

James, you've known Anthony for years. Where is your head and heart tonight?

JAMES SYHABOUT, CHEF: The weight of loss has still hasn't hit me yet. It's still in disbelief, actually. I woke this morning, I was like -- my wife told me the news. And my phone was full of text messages. I'm like, what's going on? And it's just I'm still in shock.

BOLDUAN: That's understandable. And you joined him in Laos for that episode of "PARTS UNKNOWN." And that's where your family fled from when you were a baby. Let me play a little bit for you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SYHABOUT: So Commis takes you to a place. Take me to a place.

BOURDAIN: What's it like being back? I mean, it's only your second time, but what's it's like?

SYHABOUT: Oh, it's like -- I totally get it with my mom for telling me that one.

The key ingredient is the pepperwood. These are wooden blocks which has like a white pepper, (inaudible).

BOURDAIN: And if fuses it, if you don't need it.

SYHABOUT: It's like (inaudible) pepper of the really rich.

BOURDAIN: Unlike anything I've ever had.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Looked like so much fun you guys were having. What do you remember most about that trip together?

SYHABOUT: Oh, man, just walking through the streets and just seeing his appreciation for culture alone. How can we imagine when the place is gone. And, you know, he's really engaged into the people, what's happening socially. Not just food, you know, politically as well, what's going on in the countries he's in. He's just a sponge, you know.

He wants to know more. He's curious. And that really radiates often just walking through the streets, what's this, what's that. And he makes yu want to learn. And that's like the most best experience I've ever had traveling, actually.

So to have him do that for us on TV, just brings the world closer to all of us. And that's a fantastic thing. That's what's going to be missed the most about him.

[19:40:00] BOLDUAN: That's a fantastic quality that was really unique to him. And, Frank, when James is saying his curiosity is something that strikes everyone, it's why it's so striking and shocking of what happened.

I mean, you got to know Anthony through different way, through your work as the New York Times restaurant critic. What are you thinking tonight?

FRANK BRUNI, FORMER RESTAURANT CRITIC, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": You know, I find this stunning, it's a heart breaking, all those things. As you just said and as was alluded to, this was a man who really devoured the world. You know, who modelled for us a kind of adventurousness, the fearlessness.

I think there are no shortage of Americans who have gone out in search of delicious foods in places they never would have beforehand, who have an appreciation for other cultures because of Anthony Bourdain encourage them to. His legacy is a sort of open-mindedness not just toward food, but toward culture, and inclusiveness not just about food, but about everything.

And this appetite for life that makes what happened so hard to understand. And I think it's important to remember that because we think we know people, from the outside. You know, we look at someone like him, who had such confidence, who have such joy in life. We don't know everything about them and I think a moment like this happening a couple of days after Kate Spade's death, I think it compels us to take a close look at people around us and to realize as we get some support, as we get people love that we never know anyone as well as we believe we do.

BOLDUAN: And so true. He was on my show weeks ago and he seemed happier than ever.

BRUNI: He always seemed happy. And I think he often was happy. I mean, people are complicated and they have different moment, but he was someone -- what's so heart breaking about this is he's someone of extraordinary talent.

He have talent in the kitchen, he had talent at the typewriter or the Word process. He was one of the most verbally dexterous human beings I ever met when you talked to him. And you listen to what -- BOLDUAN: And good and bad (inaudible).

BRUNI: Yes. When you listen to what came out of his mouth, and some of it, yes, was insulting at times, you thought I want to be able to had that sort of fluency with words and in life.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely. Chef?

SYHABOUT: Oh man, yes. The fluency in words, it totally agree no matter what time of the day, whatever situation, over drinks, he's sober. It's just the greatest like word smith, you know. He's like, who -- if you going to ask me like what is he like outside of the camera? I was like, he's just what he's like on the camera. And that's the beauty of him.

And he's unapologetically, you know, honest and a lot of people respect him for that. I respect him for that. It all gives us courage to be ourselves and be individuals that's what, you know, that's what really radiates from him, what we get through TV is a sense of courage.

BOLDUAN: James, he heaped high praise on you when your book came out, "Hawker Fare". He said, this book will make you a better person that's even before you try any of the recipes. And that's high praise. What do you think you learned most from him?

SYHABOUT: Well, the book was, I wanted to write a refugee story. You know, I tell about my upbringing. And, you know, I was going to write it on my terms. And I want it to write in my terms, I mean, my voice and tell the unfiltered stories of what he did (inaudible) that's going over this refugee kid in Oakland. And he gave me a full blessing and he understood.

What reads to be most by him, and he said, hey, you know, it's not about just the food. It's about the people who cooking the food and the situation when those dishes are cooked. And that what creates a good story, and what makes the dish, gives it depth.

And I was like, wow, I never thought about that way. You know, also something that's just, you know, edible becomes deeper than just flavors, and you know, just made me look at food differently now, every where I go. Every time I eat out. I got to my neighborhood Ethiopian restaurant now.

And I also think about, you know, where these recipes comes from, who's cooking the food, in what circumstance, how is this restaurant even open, you know, and who's cooking in the back. It's a family business, you know, just those things run in my head now because of Anthony.

BOLDUAN: What was it about Anthony Bourdain, Frank, that made it so easy for people to open up and connect and share, was it the food, was it something else, what's the mark that he leaves?

BRUNI: I think it was his appetite but not just for food, but for experience and for perspectives. I think when he looked at you and when he looked down at the plate, he wanted to experience something new, and he wanted to be a larger person as a result of that. He is a man who treated life as smorgasbord. I think in his memory, all of us should do the same.

BOLDUAN: Amen. Great to see you, Frank. Thank you so much, James. Really appreciate it.

SYHABOUT: Thank you.

[19:44:44] BOLDUAN: And ahead for us, the alarming rise in suicides across the nation. I'm going to speak with Father Edward Beck, a familiar face here at CNN, about how suicide has touched his own family and why he wants to share his own story.

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BOLDUAN: Tonight as we remember our friend and colleague, Anthony Bourdain. There is new information out painting a grim picture of suicide in America today. The CDC finding a 25 percent jump in suicide rates in the U.S. over the last two decades, arise in 49 states with about 45,000 lives lost to suicide in 2016 along. And so many more lives affected in those left behind.

One of those people, CNN Religion Commentator, Father Edward Beck is here with me now. Father Beck is here with me now. Thank you so for coming in, Father.

Your father took his life. I can't imagine what today has been like for you.

FATHER EDWARD BECK, CNN RELIGION COMMENTATOR: Sure, Kate.

BOLDUAN: Your father, he took his life almost three years ago now, and this is the first time really that you're talking about it publicly. I can't imagine what today has been like for you.

BECK: Well, it makes you kind of relive it again, Kate. It was so unexpected for my father. We had no inkling that it was coming. He wasn't depressed that we knew of. He was not going through emotional turmoil.

He got a bad diagnosis and he really felt like he didn't want to be a burden to his family and he left us a note. My brother and me, saying, I don't want to be a burden, please forgive me. And, you know, he shot himself to death. And it was really out of the blue.

[19:50:00] So when you hear again now about other people going through that kind of emotional pain and turmoil, it raises all the issues of is there something we should have seen, something we could have done. And of course, that the Catholic priest does the whole moral ethical stigma around it.

And I had to say my own father's funeral. I had to preach the homily. And so, I really couldn't even grieve at the time as a son. So you kind of live with all of the aftermath of that for a whole, trying to trying to make sense of it when really there is no making sense of it. BOLDUAN: That's the truth. Why did you want to speak out now?

BECK: Well, I just felt with what happened this week, that maybe it was time to share a little bit of my own struggle with it. If it helps somebody else, you know, people think while you're a priest and, you know, the answers to all of these mysteries. And, of course, I really don't.

I mean, I can't say that I wasn't angry at first with my father and, you know, you internalize it. You think, well, how could you do this to me. And it was not about me. It's about my father's pain and that inner struggle that he had that somehow we all missed.

And so, I think that people feel guilty afterwards and they are angry and they don't know what to do with it. So I thought if a priest of the church struggles with it, and I have to stay at the funerals, and I have to help other people make sense of it.

Maybe to know that even people like us go through this, and with the stigma attached to it, you have to see that it's not about the person doing something wrong or unethical or immoral. That person was in a pain. They didn't know what else to do, and they chose to do something very extreme. And no matter what walk of life you're in, it can touch your family.

I mean, as you said, it's up 25 percent in this country. And we really don't even understand why, all of the issues of why it's on the rise.

BOLDUAN: And so when people come to you and are seeking answers and guidance, how can I help? What can i do if it is their loved one that they may see something, may see a problem, may see them struggling. What do you say?

BECK: If there are signs, I certainly refer and say, you know, you need to seek medical professional help, psychological help. Encourage others to do that. If there are those tell-tale signs of depression, or addiction, or alcoholism, that led to those kind of episodes or somebody ever talks about it. Then you need to report it. You need to.

If they can't reach out themselves, you need to help them reach out. It's the other mysterious ones where there aren't those tell-tale signs that are perplexing that they come out of nowhere and you think, well, may I should have seen something. And people who come to me deal with that same kind of guilt.

But, first of all, I would tell them, it's not your fault and realize that that person was driven to such an extreme, that at that moment, they thought they could do no other. There was no other way out for them. And for my father, he thought he was going to be a burden to my brother and me, and to the woman he was seeing at that time, Barbara. She had cared for her husband for 10 years before he died. And he didn't want her to have to 2care for somebody else.

And so this was for him, a gift to us saying I don't want you to have to take care of me. But I think that he didn't realize is that, there is a burden in that. There's a burden of what we wanted to take care of you. We wanted to be there for you. You didn't give us that chance.

BOLDUAN: Yes.

BECK: And yet, he wouldn't have seen that way.

BOLDUAN: You have been a friend for a very long time and thank you for opening up and sharing your strength you're your struggle. It means a lot.

BECK: Thanks for asking, Kate. I appreciate being here.

BOLDUAN: Thank you. Coming up for us in CNN, we're going to share more about the life of chef and story teller, and colleague Anthony Bourdain. Remembering Anthony Bourdain that's tonight at 10:00.

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[19:57:33] BOLDUAN: President Trump says he has been planning for the summit with Kim Jong-un his entire life. That despite saying yesterday, he didn't think he had to prepare, quote "very much." Tonight, Will Ripley takes you inside the venue where the historic sit-down will take place.

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WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Golf courses, casinos and theme parks, President Trump may feel right at home next week on Singapore's Sentosa Island, the luxurious location of what some are calling the meeting of the century.

Trump says there will be no Mar-a-Lago style golf diplomacy when he meets North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, trying to make a deal with a man who remains much a mystery to much of the world.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES: Two hours, it's going to be much more than a photo op. I think it's a process.

RIPELY: The guest list for the island's five star hotel remains a mystery too, as is the question of who will foot the bill for cash- drought North Korea. At the Capella or Kim Jong-un's rumored first choice, the Fullerton, where a presidential suite can cost $6,000 a night. The U.S. say it won't pay for the Pyongyang delegation.

What is certain, protocol will be Paramount. The numbers of U.S. and North Korean, delegates must be equally balance. And we do have some clues as to who may have a seat at the table. Trump has met Kim Jong- un's right-hand man, Kim Yong Chol, at the White House earlier this month. And that makes him a likely partner for Kim on his flight to Singapore along with his trusted younger sister Kim Yo-jong. On the American side, Mike Pompeo, the Secretary of States, has met Kim jong- un in Pyongyang twice.

MIKE POMPEO, SECRETARY OF STATE: There will be tough moments, there will be difficult times. I've had some difficult conversations with them as well.

RIPELY: Or Perhaps Philippines' ambassador, Kim Sung, a veteran of Korean diplomacy, who set the stage for Tuesday summit with planning meetings on the DMZ.

The Capella Resort is on lock down for the talks. Perhaps only the peacocks allowed to roam freely on the pristine 30-acre rounds. Soon, this secluded island will host two nuclear armed leaders, in what promises to be a surreal first ever encounter between a seating U.S. president and North Korean supreme leader.

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RIPLEY: It's going to be quite a week in Singapore, and adding to the bizarre nature of all of it, Former NBA star Dennis Rodman has confirmed that he will be traveling to Singapore. Of course, he had met Kim Jong-un many times. He is a friend of President Trump. He will not be sitting at the summit table. President Trump has said he is a great rebounder but he is not invited to participate in the talks, Kate.

BOLDUAN: Good to clarify that one, at least. Will, thank you so much. Thank you for coming up. And thank you so much for joining us.

"AC360" starts now.