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Inside Politics

Trump to Make Statement on Putin Summit at 2 P.M. E.T.; Russian National Charged With Conspiring Against U.S.; Obama Warns Against Strong-Man Politics. Aired 12:30-1p ET

Aired July 17, 2018 - 12:30   ET

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

[12:30:00] JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR: -- to call him on the carpet for election meddling or anything else, the president instead chose to attack the special counsel.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE United States: I do feel that we have both made some mistakes. I think that the probe is a disaster for our country. I think it's kept us apart. It's kept us separated. The main thing, and we discussed this also, is zero collusion, and it has had a negative impact upon the relationship of the two largest nuclear powers in the world.

We have 90 percent of nuclear power between the two countries. It's ridiculous. It's ridiculous what's going on with the probe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: With us now to crunch the numbers, the host of the Pollsters podcast. Democrat Margie Omero, Republican Kristen Soltis Anderson. The both sides answer there had a lot of people drawing a Charlottesville reference when the president blamed both sides for what was clearly the fault of one side.

Is there any reason to believe foreign policy does intend to move public opinion as much as domestic events? Is there any reason to believe that the president's performance and the horrible reviews will actually move the numbers in a midterm election year?

KRISTEN SOLTIS ANDERSON, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST AND POLLSTER: Well, the president's job approval on foreign policy has tended not to be his strong suit, that people tend to give him higher marks for things like the economy. So foreign policy was already sort of a weak spot for this president.

What I think might be different this time is the level of Republicans who have come out to criticize him. You had the hosts of Fox and Friends sort of making the case, Mr. President, your critics are actually right this time. Folks like Newt Gingrich, who have been prominent supporter of the president coming out and saying this was wrong, which in some ways mirrors what happened after Charlottesville. Where you had a lot of higher ranking Republicans saying I can't go there with you, Mr. President, on this. Now, after Charlottesville, Trump's job approval did take a slight hit, mostly losing ground with Republicans, and this sort of stayed in place for a number of months. But as soon as the new year started, tax reform passed, we were on to a new issue, the president's job approval came right back up.

KING: And we're told, as you jump in -- Margie, we're told the president has a meeting with congressional representatives at the White House at 2:00, it's about economic issues. But we are told he will make a statement at the top of that meeting. Sarah Sanders is saying -- the press secretary, the president will make a statement at the top of that meeting about the Helsinki summit.

You're a Democrat. The president knows the reviews have been horrible. What should he say to clean this up? Can he?

MARGIE OMERO, DEMOCRATIC POLLSTER: I don't know how he says something to clean -- I mean, he spoke at length. It was very clear that he was not going to be tough in that conversation. And there actually have been times where he has done OK on foreign policy. I've heard it in focus groups, I've seen it in polls where they feel like he is getting tough. You know, Republicans at least feel that the president has been getting tough.

Here, he was not getting tough. And on top of that, one of the other things is, he seems reckless and not well guided. He's going into a meeting alone. I've heard a lot of folks say in focus groups I've been doing over the last couple months, people say, well, maybe, you know, he needs better people, he needs more people telling him what to do, he hasn't grown up sort of learning all the things you're supposed to do. He needs to be told how it's supposed to go.

And he went into a meeting with Putin without any support whatsoever and then came out and, you know, clearly not under -- taking any advisement from anybody. And so I think his performance yesterday was obviously a disgrace and got terrible reviews across the board.

I don't know what he can say. It's not like a stray comment or a misplaced word. It was a complete, you know, it was a complete misfire in every way.

ANDERSON: I think on the point that you just made, the weak criticism is a much more potent attack on the president than the reckless criticism. Voters know that the president is reckless and chaotic. (INAUDIBLE) is baked into the president's numbers. But his supporters have always said, look, he may be a wild card, he may do things that are unpredictable, but he's tough and fighting for us.

And yesterday was not that. It was weak and it was apologizing for us. And so because that cuts right against one of his core strengths with his supporters, that's why I think there's a potential for him to see some slippage in the polls even among Republicans.

OMERO: And, you know, one other thing too is that, often people say after one of these big events where the president does something erratic, oh, well, his base loves it which is not always true. I think sometimes we overuse that phrase. And maybe the base didn't necessarily love it until they say the president. But this was not something that anybody in the base said, yes, this is what I really want Trump to do and Trump really showed everybody by, you know, agreeing with Putin and giving him such a walk. So I feel that's another place where he's really had a disadvantage.

KING: I just want to ask you quickly before you go, there's a runoff tonight in Alabama. Martha Roby is the incumbent congresswoman. The president has now endorsed here but the Trump base is mad at her. You mentioned we use that term too much, because after the "Access Hollywood" tape she said essentially -- she pulled her support for him then.

Is there anything to be learned tonight or is this one congressional runoff in Alabama?

ANDERSON: I think this is a perfect example of why so many Republicans, even when in private will tell you they gravely, gravely -- have grave concerns about this president are sometimes reluctant to voice them publicly because they feel like saying something public to criticize the president doesn't change him and his actions but does get you in hot water with the base which jeopardizes your possibility for coming back to Washington.

[12:35:10] KING: The entire Republican establishment is on her side now but you don't expect her to lose, do you?

OMERO: Trump is more of a factor -- (INAUDIBLE). I mean, Trump is more of a factor in the Republican primary than the Democratic primaries around the country. And the other challenge in this too and it's a little bit different than some of the other races we've seen so far is that, you have a Republican woman. Republican women have not done as well in primaries facing off against other Republican men in those primaries. The primary electorate is more evenly divided between men and women than the Democratic primary electorate.

There are fewer women running. They don't emerge from those primaries easily. There's not as much institutional support on the Republican side. It's a different dynamic.

KING: Keep an eye on that one tonight in Alabama. Ladies, appreciate you coming in. Again, an important reminder, the president at the top of a 2:00 meeting at the White House going to deliver a statement. He's with congressional leaders about something else. He wants to talk about the Helsinki summit at this time of bipartisan criticism.

We'll follow that for you as soon as we get it at 2:00. A quick break now for INSIDE POLITICS. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:40:41] KING: Just into CNN, President Trump, the White House says, will make a statement at 2 p.m., that on his summit meeting with President Putin. CNN will bring you that as soon as possible.

Topping our political radar today, a busy day for the Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh who's back on Capitol Hill meeting with senators whose votes he needs to win confirmation. Five Republicans on Kavanaugh's call list today, including Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who's already endorsed him.

The Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell also up on the Hill updating Congress on the state of the U.S. economy. Powell said it remains strong enough for the Fed to continue making gradual interest rate hikes, something it's done twice already just this year. Powell was also asked about the likely impact of the president's new tariffs and said here's what history has taught us so far.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEROME POWELL, FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIRMAN: In general, countries that have remained open to trade that haven't erected barriers including tariffs have grown faster, they've had higher incomes and higher productivity. And countries that have, you know, going on a more protectionist direction have done worse.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: A Democratic congressional hopeful pouncing now on a bizarre statement his opponent made while being duped by the comedian Sasha Baron Cohen. California Congressman Dana Rohrabacher was just one Republican Cohen's character convinced to say on camera that he'd support a guns for toddlers program. His Democratic challenger, Harley Rouda making sure his constituents know about it, calling it radical and deeply disturbing. One Republican who danced around Cohen's trap said this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MATT GAETZ (R), FLORIDA: When the cameras are rolling, they were asking people to read off of a teleprompter and to hold up images of weapons and to say what they wanted them to say. I would like to thank my mother for giving me a very healthy dose of skepticism when people ask you to do strange things.

They catch members of Congress at the end of the day, a little frustrated, a little tired. And I think they got some of my colleagues to say some things they likely regret.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: For what it's worth, a new Monmouth University poll has Rouda up three points (INAUDIBLE) in that race out in Orange County. And Matt Gaetz says some strange things sometimes when he's on television, but you cannot disagree with that. My mama was right, don't read the words strangers put in front of you. In fact, don't talk to strangers.

SAHIL KAPUR, NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER, BLOOMBERG: I think he recognized how radical was too radical even in defense of gun rights in that case whereas some current and former Republican lawmakers did not, including Trent Lott. The Rohrabacher district is one of 23 -- about 23 districts that Hillary Clinton won that currently held the Republicans that's on the front lines of the Republican-held districts that Democrats are trying to take back. Orange County, California, a Republican stronghold for a long time, Dana has been there about 30 years, but right no -- and has been for the last few years it's moving quickly toward the Democrats as suburban voters particularly women move away from Republicans.

KING: So take a lot of voters to 30-year part. I don't think you'll see this across the country, the 30-year part still sticks. A lot of voters just don't like what they got, they want something new, regardless of party. But Republicans happen to be at most risk this year.

Up next for us, the Justice Department goes after a 29-year-old Russian national. Was she just a grad student as she says, or was she conspiring against the United States?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:47:54] KING: Welcome back. Here's a quote to consider. Quote, I am ready for further orders. That's just one of many messages from a Russian national named Maria Butina sent in the days after the American presidential election in 2016. Now the Justice Department charging her with being an unregistered foreign agent for Russia here in the United States. The DOJ says she and her mentor, a Kremlin- linked banker named Aleksandr Torshin, were looking for back channels to the U.S. Government. She made connections with Republicans and members of the NRA as well as corporate leaders.

She even tried to get President Vladimir Putin on the guest list for the national prayer breakfast here in Washington. Her arrest on Sunday follows a pack of detailed indictments against 12 Russian military officers as part of the wider special counsel investigation.

An important note here, that charges against Butina were not filed by the special counsel's office but instead, by the Justice department's national security division.

It's an interesting case if you read it. The question -- there are a couple of questions. Number one is, you start to see 2016 references and political organization references in some of these charges, both the Mueller indictments from right before the Putin meeting, this separate indictment right after the Putin meeting. So there's the question of is the arc turning back on those investigations toward the campaign.

Then there's the second question, this is the Trump Justice Department, publicly announcing charges that relate to Russian meddling, Russian interference, Russian nefarious activity, just before and just after the president's meeting with Vladimir Putin. If you're the president, you have to note that timing.

ELIANA JOHNSON, NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER, POLITICO: I'm sure the president was not pleased with the timing and it's noteworthy that the president was briefed before the summit about the indictments that Rod Rosenstein announced Friday and he nonetheless went ahead and made the comments he made. I'm sure there's some relation. We talked a little bit about his intransigence beforehand.

But I think the Butina indictment is interesting because it does shed light on I think the breadth and the sophistication of sort of Russian influence in the U.S. And I think for people like me who are not experts on this stuff, I'm learning about it through these indictments. They're fascinating, the methods that Russians are using to influence the U.S. elections.

[12:50:04] KING: And just as fascinating, that's a great point. You learn a lot from these filings, is to read the level of detail about the counterintelligence on the United States part, both in the 12 -- in charging the 12 just before the summit, and this in indictment that what the FBI and Justice Department know about this activity. Which if you're involved in the broader Russia meddling investigation and you have something to hide, you got to be a little nervous because these guys are going under every rock.

KAPUR: I also wonder what the reasoning would be for these Russians to pick this party as their vessel with their agenda whether -- as Butina and Torshin are trying to use the NRA or whether it's, you know, Russians trying to help Trump. In the other way, why the hawkish party? Why the traditionally pro -- you know, tough on Russia party? Did they think they were easier marks than the Democrats? Did they think that they were more easily influenced by outside groups like the NRA, which they seemingly tried to use as a vessel to get after them? I want to know the motivation as well.

KING: That's a great question.

JOHNSON: I have to think the relationship between Putin and Hillary Clinton played into that in the 2016 election at least. The notoriously and long-standing hostility between those two.

KAPUR: Personal -- too personal animus.

JOHNSON: Right.

KING: And one of the questions we know the special counsel -- I'm sorry, the Justice Department -- we're not sure with the special counsel, we know the Justice Department was looking at this is $25 million of NRA money that went into the campaign, an amount they had never spent before in a presidential campaign. One of the topics of discussions which is when you get these little pieces of these cases, and we know there's more to come, continue to track the dots as we say.

Up next, President Barack Obama back on the world stage today, just a day, of course, after the remarkable Trump/Putin summit.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:56:08] KING: The former President Barack Obama back on the world stage today. The timing of course interesting, just a day after that eye-popping summit between President Trump and President Vladimir Putin. President Obama at an event in South Africa honoring the tradition and legacy of Nelson Mandela, telling the audience, quote, we're living in the most strange and uncertain times.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE United States: Look around. Strong man politics are ascending suddenly, whereby elections, and some pretense of democracy are maintained, the form of it, but those in power seek to undermine every institution or norm that gives democracy meaning.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: You could say he's talking about Putin. Russia has elections that aren't really elections. You could say he's talking about Turkey. Erdogan just won an election that wasn't actually an election. And strong man, is he talking about Trump?

CARL HULSE, CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, THE NEW YORK TIMES: I think so. I think that he is under a lot of pressure from Democratic activists, you know, to speak out more. And this week I've been thinking, remember his comment that was picked up on a mike that he had more flexibility after the election and Republicans really went after him for that. And now, you know, he has to be sitting there looking at that press conference from this week and going, talk about flexibility.

MARY KATHARINE HAM, SENIOR WRITER, THE FEDERALIST: I would say I think he may be talking about him on the institutions front, once he's been in office, but I'm not sure about the election part. Because I think President Obama is one of very few dedicated Democratic activists who's really knows well that Hillary Clinton lost that election, and he feels confident that he handed it to her in pretty good situation.

KING: You are correct on that point. There is no doubt here when the president -- the former president, President Obama, in South Africa today attacking about he says the free press is under attack. There is zero doubt he's talking about -- he includes President Trump in this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: The denial of facts runs counter to democracy. It could be its undoing, which is why we have to zealously protect independent media, and we have to guard against the tendency for social media to become truly a platform for spectacle and outrage and disinformation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: So quite the contrast to the current president who says that those of us at this table are the enemy of the state.

JOHNSON: It's true that it's a contrast. You know, my beef with the Democrats on this front is that, you know, the Obama administration was not friendly to the press. And yet, they seize on these Trump things which he is more hostile in terms of his rhetoric. It's questionable whether his actions are more hostile. And I don't think that the Democrats in many cases have taken full account to the ways in which they contributed to, you know, some of the disgraces that have taken place in the Trump administration.

KAPUR: One of the president's long-standing laments about the press is that -- as he's always just to put even before Trump were no longer operating from a common baseline of facts. And I think he mentioned in that speech that, you know, there used to be shame and accountability when politicians were caught in a lie, and that doesn't happen so much anymore. That's one of the consequences. There are many positive consequences in the democratization of the media. That seems to be one of them.

KING: Let me stick one more end, is this true, or is this funny, or is it both?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: Let me say, politicians have always lied, but it used to be if you caught them lying, they'd be like, oh, man. Now they just keep on lying.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HULSE: From my experience, there's truth to that. I think that people used to be more chagrinned and you could embarrass them into retracting statements. Now they just double down.

KING: Keep on going. Keep on going.

Thanks for joining us today on the INSIDE POLITICS. Hope to see you back here this time tomorrow. Jim Sciutto is in for Wolf. He starts right now. Have a great day.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Hello, I'm Jim Sciutto in for Wolf Blitzer. It is 1 p.m. here in Washington, 8 p.m. in Moscow --