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New Day

Soon: President Trump to Hold Press Conference; American Sam Querrey's Magical Wimbledon Run; Trump on Collusion: A Hoax Made Up By The Democrats. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired July 13, 2017 - 06:30   ET

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

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: -- to bring some closure to these families.

[06:30:02] ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, absolutely. All right, Brynn. Thank you very much for the update on that.

So, a hearing is under way in Britain's high court over new medical evidence in the case of baby Charlie Gard. The infant's parents are fighting doctors to allow them to keep him on life support so they can bring him to the U.S. for experimental treatment for this rare genetic disorder. Their legal battle with doctors to prolong Charlie's life is gaining international attention. More than 350,000 people have signed the couple's petition.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Scientists watching closely as one of the largest icebergs ever recorded breaks away from Antarctica. This is a huge chunk of ice, believed to be three times the size of London. It's been splitting for years, but, you know, made the final break, officially floated off the continent just yesterday. Researchers are looking into whether climate change is to blame for all of this.

CAMEROTA: Where will it go? Where is it headed?

BERMAN: Look, the president is in Paris today meeting with Emmanuel Macron. Obviously, Emmanuel Macron, you know, deeply concerned with climate change. It will be interesting if this comes up.

CAMEROTA: I bet it will.

BERMAN: You think?

CAMEROTA: Yes. That's my prediction.

BERMAN: There's an iceberg coming our way, Mr. President.

CAMEROTA: Duh!

All right. Meanwhile, President Trump is set to face reporters for the first time since the controversy over his son's meeting with a Russian lawyer came to light. What will President Trump say about this? We discuss that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [06:35:20] CAMEROTA: After nearly a week of no public events, President Trump will hold a press conference in just hours in France. This will be the first time he's faced the media since his son's e- mails were made public.

So, joining us now to discuss this and so much more, we have CNN media analyst, Bill Carter, and Jeff Mason, White House correspondent for "Reuters" and president of the White House Correspondents Association.

Jeff, I'll start with you. What do you predict reporters in France will be asking Mr. Trump today?

JEFF MASON, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, REUTERS: Well, there's a whole bunch of issues people would like to ask about, certainly follow-up on Russia and the latest on Don Jr.'s e-mails. There are also a whole host of questions after the G20 that we didn't have a chance to answer because the president did not do a press conference in Hamburg. So, climate change, which you've already been talking about on your program, taxes, health care, and sort of the relationship that the United States has with its G20 partners and the Western world.

BERMAN: You know, it's interesting because White House officials have been out talking the last few days, sometimes in somewhat strange terms. This is post, you know, knowledge of the Don Jr. meeting with the Russian lawyer.

Kellyanne Conway was on FOX News last night. And she brought with her visual aids. I want to play you this moment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KELLYANNE CONWAY, COUNSELOR TO PRESIDENT TRUMP: I just want to review, in case you run out of time, this is how I see it so far. This is to help all the people at home. What's the conclusion? Collusion? No. We don't have that yet. I see illusion and delusion.

So, just so we're clear, everyone, forward, conclusion, collusion? No. Illusion, delusion? Yes. I just though we'd have some fun with words. So, Sesame's Grover word of the day perhaps, Sean.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: So, Bill Carter, I confess to confusion over why exactly that is helpful for this White House. It gets to the question which I hope the president is asked today directly, which is, was the meeting with the Russian lawyer appropriate?

BILL CARTER, CNN MEDIA ANALYST: Right. Well, so much of this is now distraction. That's not a rhyming word. But that's really --

BERMAN: No, thanks for playing, Bill.

CARTER: Yes. But it really is, because they're looking for some way to talk about something else. And actually, putting up those signs is only inviting and already has a flood, an effluxion maybe of mocking signs. You're going to see this all over -- it goes back to "Love Actually" and the signs and all that. It's going to set up jokes about it. I don't think it's going to --

CAMEROTA: Her sign also said conclusion collusion. Shouldn't she have said no collusion, or had a big x?

CARTER: But, look, all of it really is, look over here, look somewhere else. That whole interview was about, you know, Ukraine and, you know, what's going on with the Democrats and all kinds of other things which is the same thing that came up with the Gorka interview with Anderson Cooper.

CAMEROTA: Right. So, we've had Sebastian Gorka on this week. And Sebastian Gorka, one of the president's advisers, was also on with Anderson last night. These interviews, Jeff, tend to be predictable in a certain way, which is they run off the rails and there's a lot of plate spinning and a lot of accusations and some ad hominem attacks.

So, let me just play for you a portion of the Sebastian Gorka-Anderson interview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN GORKA, DEPUTY ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT TRUMP: It's just fake news. I'm sad to see CNN in this. I know you're salacious, your ratings so corporate sponsors and owners will have more money. That's not media. That's not reportage. It's just fake news.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: OK. I'm just going to ignore the insults because I don't think it gets us anywhere.

GORKA: Anderson, how many minutes are we in?

COOPER: Are you a TV producer now? You're concerned about how minutes --

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: If you've got to go, you've got to go. OK.

GORKA: You're falling into the fake news trap again. It's sad, Anderson.

Let's let the viewers judge who decided that you are now 13th place in national ratings behind Nick at Nite, which is at 11th.

COOPER: I think it's funny you have enough time in the White House, which is apparently you're so busy, you're able to sit around and read Nielsen numbers.

GORKA: No, I get really good prep from my team because the White House press team is superb.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Jeff, there is someone in the White House who is obsessed with Nick at Nite. Somebody is watching a lot of Nick at Nite in the White House because they talk about that one a lot. But, you know, I mean, look, it's funny, but there is also some talk

out there about whether or not it's helpful to have Sebastian Gorka and Kellyanne Conway on, because if it actually helps the public understand anything about policy or what's going on in the White House.

MASON: Well, look, I mean, he certainly came prepared to that interview with some facts that he wanted to throw at Anderson or certainly some opinions he wanted to throw at Anderson about ratings, about what he refers to and the president refers to as fake news.

[06:40:11] I think it's important for we as journalists to ignore the insults which Anderson specifically said and did. It's important for us to focus on policy.

Now, I think if the White House has a problem with something that a reporter reports, if there is a reason to say, look, that is factually incorrect, then call it what it is, and say that's factually incorrect. This is the evidence that we have. These are the facts that are correct.

But it's our job as journalists to challenge those because we're not always getting facts that are correct. It's our job to make sure we do.

But I think, you know, I reject, as people have heard me say before with my White House Correspondent's Association hat on, this entire fake news term, I think it is used to try to undermine a free press --

CAMEROTA: Of course.

MASON: -- and it's our job to reject that and focus on doing our jobs.

BERMAN: Look, there's nothing fake about the words that were in black and white in this e-mail exchange with Donald Trump Jr. There's just nothing fake. It's right there for everyone to see. He says I love it when he was offered information that he was told was from the Russian government.

So, every time they say this is fake, that's fake, all they're trying to do is to divert from the reality is.

Bill, I want to give you the last word.

CARTER: Look, there really is an investigation. The FBI really is investigating. All the school yard commentary about ratings, no one is coming back and saying, what about your ratings? Your approval ratings are in the tank. The rest of the whole world gives you terrible rating.

No one does that --

CAMEROTA: Should we?

CARTER: No. I think we don't -- that's the point. The press is not supposed to engage in that. This is really school yard stuff that they're doing. And I think Anderson rose above it which is what he should do.

CAMEROTA: Bill, Jeff, thank you very much.

So, it has been eight years since an American man has made it to the semifinals of a major championship in tennis. That streak came to an end at Wimbledon. Andy Scholes has the latest in the "Bleacher Report" for us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:45:58] BERMAN: All right. Sam Querrey's magical run at Wimbledon continues after an upset win against Andy Murray. The 29-year-old is the first American man to make it to the semifinals since way back in 2009.

Andy Scholes has more in the "Bleacher Report".

Hey, Andy.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, John.

You know, Sam Querrey trying to become the first American man to win Wimbledon since Pete Sampras did it 17 years ago. He's two wins away after beating top seeded Andy Murray yesterday. Querrey has now defeated the top seed and depending champion at Wimbledon two years in a row now. He beat Novak Djokovic last year.

Querrey from California, a fun fact about him, he once went on the show "Millionaire Matchmaker" to find a mate. Unfortunately, he did not find a match. Querrey never been this far in a major tournament. He's going to take on Marin Cilic tomorrow in the semifinals.

All right. The ESPYs taking place last night L.A. This year's host was none other than Peyton Manning. He had plenty of jokes about being retired. His best zinger of the night, though, was at the expense of Kevin Durant.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PEYTON MANNING, FORMER NFL QUARTERBACK: Our gymnastics team was so dominant that Kevin Durant told me he wants to play for them next year.

(LAUGHTER)

And I got to tell you, I don't think he'd star for that team, Kevin. Yes. Russell Westbrook, what do you think?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: I tell you what, Alisyn, I was watching that live. I don't think Kevin Durant found that funny whatsoever.

CAMEROTA: I don't either. SCHOLES: And I think his face is actually what made it funnier for

everyone else.

CAMEROTA: I agree. He was really humor impaired.

BERMAN: I'm with conspiracy. I think he was in on it which is why he covered his mouth.

CAMEROTA: This is to prevent him from laughing?

BERMAN: It was still hilarious.

CAMEROTA: I don't know. He seemed very grumpy about it.

BERMAN: I think there was collusion. It's a word of the day.

SCHOLES: I think it's a sore subject, John. I think he was legitimately not happy.

CAMEROTA: All right. Get to the bottom of that, Andy. Thank you.

SCHOLES: I'll try.

CAMEROTA: Thank you very much.

So, the president and the White House responding to the latest Russia revelations by blaming Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party. Why? Insiders on both sides have their theories. They're here next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:52:05] CAMEROTA: With the spotlight on Donald Trump Jr.'s meeting with a Russian lawyer, the president continues to blame Democrats for some collusion.

He told "Reuters" this: It's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. There's no coordination. This was a hoax. This was made up by the Democrats. This is the greatest con job in history, where a party sits down the next day after they got their ass kicked and they say, huh, what's our excuse?

BERMAN: And the president did not stop there, once again going after his former rival Hillary Clinton.

I want to bring in CNN political commentator, former senior communications adviser for the Trump campaign, Jason Miller, and CNN political contributor Hilary Rosen.

Jason Miller, how can it be a Democratic hoax, an e-mail exchange between Donald Trump junior and this guy trying to set up a meeting with the Russian lawyer who purported to have information coming from the Russian government? How is that a Democratic hoax?

JASON MILLER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think what the president was speaking to was the complete double standard we see out there where we saw there was absolutely collusion between the DNC going in and sitting down with the Ukrainians to try to dig up information on President Trump, and try to use that against his campaign. We've seen that, and also this double standard that we've seen -- I mean, when we talk about e-mails.

BERMAN: Hang on one second. We're going to talk about the Ukrainians in a second. But are you admitting, therefore, the Russians did have conversations with the Trump campaign? If you're saying it was a double standard because the Democrats did it, too, are you saying, yes, the Trump folks did it, it's just the Democrats did it, too?

MILLER: No, this was completely made up. There was no collusion. There's coordination.

BERMAN: Is the email made up? Is the e-mail made up?

MILLER: There was absolutely no collusion or coordination. Don Jr. sat down and had a 20-minute meeting with a lawyer who had no information to give --

CAMEROTA: He hoped for a bad oppo research, he was looking for dirt.

MILLER: And Don Jr. said that he would have handled that differently, and he thought there was potentially -- maybe there was some information.

Look, you've got to keep in mind at that point there was no Russia narrative that was out there. This was way before any of that. What we did know at the time is that Secretary Clinton had been very much involved with the Russians, as we talk about the Uranium One deal which was very scandalous.

CAMEROTA: We keep hearing that talking point. We understand you guys keep bringing that up. You don't --

MILLER: So you don't think the Uranium One deal was a big deal?

CAMEROTA: You don't think President Trump would have approved the uranium one deal, the person who we hear his administration doesn't want Congress to keep sanctions on Russia?

MILLER: But, I mean, you're not answering my question. Do you not think the Uranium One deal was problematic, to give that much control of the world's uranium supply to the Russians?

HILARY ROSEN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Hold on here. Let's step back.

CAMEROTA: Go ahead, Hillary.

ROSEN: Because, Jason, you're making a point somehow that Donald Trump made yesterday which is that the Russians actually wanted Hillary Clinton to win because they thought she would be easier on Russia.

[06:55:06] Hillary Clinton during the campaign, let's not forget, had been attacking Putin for the invasion of Crimea. He had been attacking Putin for his attacks on NATO. There's -- and we have multiple intelligence agencies and Donald Trump junior's e-mails affirming that, in fact, the Russian government wanted Donald Trump to win this election.

So, you can just stop this notion that somehow Hillary Clinton might have been a beneficiary of Russian action. She wasn't. And the fact is that we have seen time and time again the Trump team lying about their connections to Russia.

CAMEROTA: The whole DNC and Ukraine thing does keep coming up. That's a talking point we heard from Sebastian Gorka, et cetera, et cetera.

ROSEN: This isn't true. What we know is the DNC specifically denied it.

MILLER: Of course, they're going to deny it.

ROSEN: No intelligence agency has actually said that this was true. There are no facts about this, unlike the Russia situation where there are facts. So, my issue is actually a bigger point which is, let's not assume that what we have seen today on this Russia investigation, the few e-mails from Donald Trump Jr., is really all Bob Mueller has.

(CROSSTALK)

MILLER: Hilary, you're saying that a DNC consultant did not go to the Ukrainian embassy and sit down and try to get information on president Trump and members of his campaign in an effort to try to influence the election? You're saying that did not happen?

ROSEN: Well, what I'm saying is that the DNC did not do that. There's no evidence at all --

(CROSSTALK)

MILLER: OK. Just so we're clear, you're saying -- are you saying Ken Vogel and "Politico" were lying?

(CROSSTALK)

CAMEROTA: Jason, hold on. I'm confused about something. Are you, Jason, saying that Russia and the Ukraine are the same in terms of when it comes to U.S. relations?

MILLER: I don't understand -- that's irrelevant to this point. The point --

CAMEROTA: No, no, no. My question to you, is Russia -- Jason, we ask the questions. My question to you is Russia, which is considered a hostile foreign power, the same as Ukraine?

MILLER: I'm saying that there was no coordination or collusion between the Trump campaign and any foreign entity to try to influence the election.

CAMEROTA: That's not the answer to my question. MILLER: There absolutely was 100 percent coordination, solicitation

and collusion between the DNC and the Ukrainians.

CAMEROTA: I know you keep saying that.

ROSEN: Simply not true.

MILLER: -- according to the January report in "Politico".

CAMEROTA: Ukraine and Russia are equal in your mind?

MILLER: I'm saying there shouldn't be coordination or collusion with any foreign entity. We know it happened according to the January story in "Politico".

CAMEROTA: We have e-mails from don junior knowing he attempted to get dirt out of Russia.

MILLER: There was no collusion or coordination.

BERMAN: You agree there was -- was there at a minimum attempted collusion and coordination, Jason?

MILLER: No. He sat down and had a 20-minute meeting.

BERMAN: Why did he go to the meeting?

(CROSSTALK)

ROSEN: We have time and time again we have contacts between Trump allies and the Russian government and allies of the Russian government over and over again.

(CROSSTALK)

ROSEN: Ones that every time it happens, you guys deny and then we find facts about it.

MILLER: So, I'm glad Hillary brings up this point because --

ROSEN: When are you people going to stop believing the Trump team when they say nothing ever happened when we keep finding evidence over and over and over again that actually there were meetings? When will your talking points stop about this and just say, we ought to find out what happened because obviously there were meetings.

MILLER: That's the thing. We do know what happened with the DNC and the Ukrainians.

ROSEN: No, we don't. It didn't even happen the way you said it.

MILLER: We know what happened. Then tell me how it did happen.

ROSEN: There's no evidence that anything on behalf of the DNC or Clinton campaign happened. The Clinton campaign has repeatedly said -- (CROSSTALK)

BERMAN: I will say this, it's not apples to apples. It doesn't mean what happened with the Ukrainians isn't also some type of fruit. It may be a cherry or cranberry, but this consultant to the DNC, according to "Politico", did have interaction with the Ukrainians. It's just at a different --

CAMEROTA: But isn't that a red herring, no pun intended.

MILLER: Well, interaction, there was solicitation and coordination.

CAMEROTA: Is Ukraine a hostile world power to the U.S.?

BERMAN: It doesn't have anything to do with the alleged coordination or alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

(CROSSTALK)

MILLER: John, this goes to the whole double standard.

BERMAN: You're saying two things, you're saying two things, you're saying two things. You're saying coordination did happen, but the Democrats did it, too, which is absolutely contradictory in and of itself, in and of itself.

MILLER: No, it's not. Not at all. I'm saying, again, the broader picture here, and this is what the president was speaking to yesterday, is what many in the media and many on the left want to do here, is keep this permanent cloud and this goes to the, what I'm saying a moment, I'm glad Hilary brought up this point.