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President Trump Reset; Trump Rally in Florida; News Conference Most Used Words; No Charges for Flynn; Impact of Day without Immigrants; Former Mexican President on Border Wall; Former Mexican President on Renegotiating NAFTA. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired February 17, 2017 - 08:30   ET

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

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[08:30:43] ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: President Trump's 77-minute press conference yesterday, people describe it as must see TV and it's given us lots to talk about. Let's get "The Bottom Line" from David Chalian.

David -

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Good morning.

CAMEROTA: Is it your reporting that President Trump was sick and tired of other people talking for him and he decided to come out himself, because he's his best messenger, and he saw this as somehow a reset?

CHALIAN: Yes. I mean our colleague Jeremy Diamond reported yesterday he walked into the Oval Office and said, you know what, I'm going to do a press conference. You know, he wanted to take control of this.

And it was clear from his opening remarks that he did want a reset. He wanted to push back against this notion that the White House was in turmoil, that it was tumultuous, that it was in chaos. He really wanted to push back against that notion and also deal with some of the real controversies about Russia and the travel ban and what have you as well.

But remember here, it wasn't just yesterday. He - he was coming out, he was announcing a brand-new labor secretary, one day after it was - his guy, his initial guy, had to pull out and didn't have the votes. He's got a campaign rally coming up on Saturday. He's got a big joint session address coming up in ten days before Congress. There are real data points. And Judge Gorsuch has now gotten a firm confirmation hearing date for the third week in March. And so there are real data points on the calendar of potential prescriptive, positive, agenda- setting moments, leadership moments for the president, to really try to grab control back of the narrative. I think he went into yesterday thinking that was going to be part of that.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Well, it seemed that what he did yesterday objectively could not have expanded his base because he didn't rebut any of the facts that are out there that are hurting him. So that feeds into our understanding of what the objective may be this weekend. He's going to have this rally that's the base that's thousands of people, we don't know how many, cheering for him. He's going to say, what do you think of the travel ban? Yea. What do you think of the media? Boo. That will help him galvanize the base, but is that what he needs right now?

CHALIAN: Well, it will also give him a psychological boost, right? I mean he has been sort of in the White House, not really traveling the country very much, confined to the complex in many ways and getting back in front of that crowd, get that adulation, get that reinforcement no doubt will be a good psychological boost for the president himself.

But, Chris, I think you are hitting on something really important, both the upcoming rally and the press conference yesterday. Where - show me the data point where he moved his agenda forward. Show me how he just is accomplishing the governing successes that he wants as he delivers on his campaign promises.

CAMEROTA: OK. Well, Obamacare in March. I mean if you're looking for things to move the - we didn't know that he thought that there would be a replacement plan in March. That was new.

CHALIAN: It was certainly a new date to put on the calendar, but he didn't spend much time laying out his belief in what repeal is going to accomplish, what the new plan is going to look like. He just said he's going to submit a plan in March. You have seen presidents in the past in both parties use that bully pulpit to really lay out what they're trying to accomplish, guide Congress a little bit how it wants to go. He did put a date on the calendar, no doubt about that, Alisyn. But, again, where was the ability to move the country to that moment of, come follow me in this way on Obamacare repeal and replacement?

CAMEROTA: I see.

All right, so we put together a word cloud of the words that he used most during his 77-minute press conference. And, you know, obviously this is fun, but it also gives you a window into what he thinks is most important, what he wants to talk about. So you see "Russia" there in huge letters. That's because that was used most. "Fake," "Trump," "media," "American." I mean, you know, these are - he's playing the hits.

CHALIAN: Yes. Look at - I mean, yes, Russia was a big news item obviously (INAUDIBLE) lots of questions. The two words there that really pop at me for being larger than you might expect are "Trump" and "media." You know, talking about himself and talking about his relationship with the press, why that is so prominent at your first solo presidential news conference in the East Room behind that podium with that seal, I think it gives us real insight into what consumes his time (INAUDIBLE).

[08:35:06] CUOMO: But he's not wrong. You know, for all of this distraction about who likes the media, who doesn't like the media. The media has never been wildly popular. No institution has ever wildly been popular in recent history. But he knows that he wants to control the narrative. The problem he fell into once again yesterday is, he doesn't have better facts. He just has feelings. You know, I don't like what you're doing Chalian, so you are fake. It gets hollow after a while when there's no second line, when there's no proof of why I feel that way. But he's not wrong to come at us. It does work with - for him.

CHALIAN: Of course.

CUOMO: It has. The question is, will it get him where he wants to be?

CHALIAN: Well, I do think that's the question. And, by the way, it doesn't ring hollow for everyone. I mean I think his core supporters, that was like the best of. You saw that - you - if you are a core Trump supporter and you've been with him throughout this entire process -

CUOMO: Absolutely.

CHALIAN: That is what you loved.

CUOMO: Absolutely.

CHALIAN: You really enjoyed that yesterday.

CUOMO: I'm saying growing the base.

CHALIAN: Right.

CUOMO: For those who weren't for you. To those who are now skeptical of you. The facts are what will galvanize that support. Here's what I'm doing. Here's why Camerota was wrong. Here's why now things are better.

CAMEROTA: Or right.

CUOMO: And right is - I mean everybody knows that.

CHALIAN: The first part -

CUOMO: I'm trying to get to something that would be different.

CAMEROTA: Got it.

CUOMO: You know, and then you would -

CHALIAN: That first part, here's what I'm doing, Chris, here's where I'm doing, here's where I'm taking us specifically on jobs, on trade, on immigration, on the core things that got him here -

CUOMO: Taxes. Where was taxes in the word cloud?

CHALIAN: That - that would serve him really well. Right.

CAMEROTA: All right, David Chalian, thank you. Great to talk to you.

CHALIAN: Thanks, guys. CAMEROTA: So the FBI is not expected to charge former national security adviser Michael Flynn for any of his conversations with the Russian ambassador. Is he now off the hook? We discuss that, next.

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[08:40:48] CAMEROTA: Michael Flynn misled Vice President Mike Pence and federal investigators about his contact with Russia's ambassador. But for now, the FBI not planning to pursue any charges against the ousted national security adviser.

CNN justice correspondent Pamela Brown has more from Washington.

What have you learned, Pam?

PAMELA BROWN, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Alisyn, we've learned that Michael Flynn initially told FBI investigators back in January that sanctions were not discussed, but then the FBI agents challenged him because they had read the transcript of that phone call and asked him if he was certain that was his answer, and then he said to the agents that he didn't remember. Now, the FBI does not believe he was intentionally misleading them according to officials and is not expected to pursue any charges against Flynn. Of course, barring new information that changes what they know, officials say.

As you'll recall, Flynn was fired by President Donald Trump earlier this week after it was revealed that he withheld information from Vice President Mike Pence about discussing sanctions with Russia's ambassador to the U.S. Then Acting Attorney General Sally Yates delayed notifying the White House about the conversation until after Flynn was interviewed and we're told that FBI Director James Comey did not object at that time.

There is still, though, an ongoing broader FBI review of Flynn and Russian related dealings and Republicans in the House now appear to be warming to investigating the full scope of the allegations of Flynn's Russia dealings. This as Flynn's former position of national security adviser to the president remains open after retired Vice Admiral Bob Harward turned down the job citing family and financial reasons.

Back to you.

CUOMO: The more we learn, the more the resignation doesn't make sense. But that piece you just reported, at least now, Pamela Brown, has helped us understand why Comey didn't want the administration to know at first. It wasn't something nefarious, as had been suggested. They wanted him interviewed for the FBI first. At least that part makes sense.

So, President Trump sticking by his pledge to build a border wall. New details about how he plans to deal with immigration. Former Mexican President Vincente Fox joins us live next.

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[08:46:30] CUOMO: Countless immigrants, both legal and undocumented, are taking a day off work to send a message. CNN's Tom Foreman takes a look at the nationwide impact of the day without immigrants.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are workers. We are -

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Chicago, in Atlanta, in Charlotte, and in Austin, protesters rally loud and long against the Trump policies on immigration. Among them, many immigrants who walked off of their jobs to hammer home a point.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The people that are here, they just want to be heard. They just want to be respected. They want to do their jobs.

FOREMAN: Employers joined the effort too. Some restaurants in particular allowing their workers to stay off of the job, from Los Angeles to Philadelphia. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has found more than half of all restaurant workers are foreign born. That's over 7 million people.

DAVID PENA, RESTAURANT OWNER: We want to let them know that we're not criminals. We're workers. We support our country.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're just going to close the store completely. I wouldn't be able to run it without them in the first place. They're the backbone of my business and they make the machine go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you stand for something, whatever your ideology is, you've got to stand up for it.

FOREMAN: In the nation's capital, more than 100 eateries, bars and cafes shut down, including a good many that serve folks at the Pentagon. And on Capitol Hill, some even had managers working in place of their immigrant employees so the restaurant could stay open.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're running on a limited menu in support of our staff. My wife is here washing dishes, for example. You know, we needed to kind of call in all hands to help out.

FOREMAN: Even a restaurant in the new Trump Hotel was so short staffed it was offering a limited menu. And its sister restaurant was closed all together, just a block from the White House where the new administration has been steadily defending the new president's policies.

SEAN SPICER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Those who are in this country that pose a threat to us or with a criminal record are where his priorities are going to be first and foremost. And we're going to move through the rest of folks that are in this country illegally.

FOREMAN: But some aren't buying it. Celebrity chef Jose Andres (ph), who's involved in dueling lawsuits with the new president over a contract dispute, closed some of his restaurants and tweeted a message at the White House, #immigrantsfeedamerica.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I only want to run a successful restaurant and you're making it very difficult. FOREMAN (on camera): Soon the signs these businesses posted saying

that they would be closed in protest will come down, but they're hoping that the message will linger a whole lot longer and be heard all the way to the White House.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.

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CUOMO: Appreciate it, Tom.

Let's discuss the immigrant protest and growing tensions between the U.S. and Mexico with the former Mexican president Vincente Fox.

It is good to have you, Mr. President.

VICENTE FOX, FORMER MEXICAN PRESIDENT: Chris, good day. Good day to everybody there in America.

CUOMO: So let's talk about the theory behind the wall as it stands right now. We have fresh information from the president about what he wants and why. Here it is.

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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And the wall is going to be a great wall. And it's going to be a wall negotiated by me. The price is going to come down, just like it has on everything else I've negotiated for the government. And we're going to have a wall that works. We're not going to have a wall like thy have now, which is either nonexistent or a joke.

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CUOMO: Fair assessment that the border that the United States has right now with Mexico is either nonexistent or a joke.

[08:50:02] FOX: You know, he sounds so sad, so depressed when he's telling this idea that he's not even convinced himself. And, by the way, you allowed me yesterday on the presser, I think he resigned or he renounced the repression of the United States of America to go back to his old job, to be a show man. That's - that's his aspiration. Yesterday he clearly sent that message.

But in the case of the wall, number one, we are not paying for the wall. So he's cheating Congress and he's cheating American people because American people will have to pay all through his this taxes, this 25 billion U.S. worth (ph) for a thing that is not going to work. There are great, better solutions that are right there in Congress. That is a proposal on the bill presented by Senator Kennedy and Senator McCain. Number one, let's see after those eight, 10, 11 million undocumented who they are, what they are doing and if they have a job and if they are loyal to United States and they have not committed crimes, let them stay because U.S. economy needs them otherwise who's going to pick up the apples in Washington state. Who's going to pick up the various vegetables in California? Who's going to attend the restaurants? Who is going to attend in Disneyworld? Who's going to attend the construction industry and, more important, who is going to attend the elderly in United States? United States becoming an old aged population that needs love and care. And that's what they are getting from Mexicans, from Latin American nurses from all over the world. It's crazy this idea.

CUOMO: What do you make of - the fundamental pushback is this, we are a nation of laws. There are laws about how you come into this country legally. And if you do not do that, then you have broken the law. And really the analysis begins and ends right there. How you enforce it becomes a political issue. But if people come here illegally, they've broken the law. They have to go. What do you say to people who say, that's what the argument is, that's it?

FOX: Well, there is, on the other side, the argument of this people is productive, is working with high quality, is making a huge amount, big contribution to U.S. economy, is doing jobs that U.S. citizens are not willing to accept. They are contributing to more than 15 percent of U.S. economy the work done by immigrants. And why did he select Mexicans? Because we are brown? Why he didn't select Indians (INAUDIBLE) by the hundreds of thousands there working in U.S. economy, or any other nation. He should understand that we are a reliable neighbor. That we're friends. That we're partners. That we work together. That we solve problems together. That a world of North America without NAFTA will complicate productivity, competiveness and will get out of the markets U.S. corporations. It's -

CUOMO: Well -

FOX: Working together that we become competitive, is creating NAFTA corporations that we become competitive.

CUOMO: A comment and a question. A comment is, I think you know why he picked Mexico for - you know, not only is there a shared border there, but for many years that was the major influx of undocumented people into this country was coming from Mexico. So it's not the target that that's unusual, although Central America has become a much bigger player. And, yes, I've heard you make the case that you're hurting yourselves in America because you need Mexico to enforce the border because the Latin Americans are coming through Mexico and now you're discouraging your partner that you need there. But with NAFTA, the assumption is that if he renegotiates it, it will be better for American workers because they have lost jobs to Mexico and a cheap labor base.

FOX: You see he shows his absolute ignorance again on this case because if we look at the economy that have a higher surplus of a U.S. economy, like China, like Japan, like Germany and like others, (INAUDIBLE) doesn't have trade agreements with them. So, yes, there is a deficit in the case of Mexico, but U.S. economy has a deficit with every single economy in the world. U.S. economy works in a different way. And that's why to protect the success of North America, we need to work together. We each three of us bring in to the party (ph) great contributions on competiveness and quality.

[08:55:06] Look at what happened to General Motors or Chrysler or Ford. He's so proud saying now that he forced them to come back to manufacturing in the United States. He's forcing them to go bankrupt because that happened five years ago, that all three corporations went bankrupt because they couldn't compete. They need to look for that competitiveness by working in this case with the three countries. That's why I called them NAFTA corporation, they came back to life, now they are conquering markets, and that's the only way U.S. corporations can work today, by making alliances, by working together, Canada, Mexico and the United States.

He has to learn. Somebody from the corporate world must tell him, you're wrong, Trump, you're absolutely wrong. You don't know about this. And let me tell you, he's dealing in capacities that he showed is so importantly yesterday. He's a cheap dealer. He's a peddler. He - last three weeks he has shown that he doesn't have any capacity to make deals. He didn't show it with Pena Nieto. He didn't show it with other, like Australian and the others. And more so he's a lousy, worse, bad businessman and manager because he doesn't know what planning is all about. You need to plan before you shoot with a machine gun, except you give orders without any sense, without any documentation. He doesn't know anything about team forming. The team he attracted is only his friends and he didn't even spend some time on integrating that team.

CUOMO: Well -

FOX: And that takes time to integrate a team so that they really work for you.

CUOMO: Mr. President, appreciate you being on the show. Our president will say he's always bringing jobs back, the companies are listening to him in a new way. It's early and there's a lot of work to be done. We look forward to getting your take going forward. Thank you, sir.

All right, our CNN "Newsroom" with Poppy Harlow and John Berman is going to begin right after this break. Have a good weekend, take a breather and then we'll get back after it. Be well.

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