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Trump's Star Gets Bars; Kavanaugh Accuser Open to Testifying; Conway's Interview Reviewed. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired September 21, 2018 - 08:30   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:32:31] JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: President Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame has been put through the ringer to say the least. The latest incident includes bars.

CNN's Jeanne Moos explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Stars are supposed to twinkle, but me, I spark when some guy takes a pick axe to me because he's mad at my namesake Donald Trump. This star was born in 2007. But since then I've been pulverized at least twice. A comedian named George Lopez pretended to relieve himself on me. And now the latest indignity, a street artist who called himself "Plastic Jesus" put bars over me.

MOOS: Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder who would do this to me and why would you put bars on me?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, because you're going to jail.

MOOS (voice over): Says the street artist "Plastic Jesus," who wanted to remain incognito. When he placed the wooden bars in broad daylight using industrial double-sided sticky tape, a Trump supporter tried to rip them off.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dude, leave it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you mean, dude, leave it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a piece of street art, OK?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's my president, bro.

MOOS: Two years ago the same street artist, mad about Trump's border wall, surrounded me with a wall, complete with razor wire.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is that yours?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, leave it. Yes, leave it.

MOOS: At least "Plastic Jesus" doesn't believe in torture. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I try and do my pieces in a way which doesn't

vandalize the Walk of Fame too much.

MOOS: Costs over $2,500 to repair me every time someone obliterates me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, sorry.

MOOS: Someone once came along and put a pizza box over me, then he deployed spray paint using some kind of stencil. What self-respecting star wants to be defaced with a mute symbol?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's hilarious.

MOOS: Hilarious? Why don't you mute yourself?

This isn't the Walk of Fame. It's the walk of pain. Ouch!

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: OK.

BERMAN: That could get beyond "Plastic Jesus," the name the artist. Sorry, did I hear that right?

CAMEROTA: That's where your brain scrambled on that?

All right, moving on, President Trump defending his Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh last night, but this time he also talked specifically about the accuser, Christine Blasey Ford.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think it's a very sad situation. He's an outstanding person. And, frankly, Sean, to see what's going on is just very, very sad. You say, why didn't somebody call the FBI 36 years ago? I mean you could also say, when did this all happen? What's going on?

[08:35:01] To take a man like this and besmirch -- now with that being said, let her have her say and let's see how it all works out. But I don't think you can delay it any longer. They've delayed it a week already.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: OK, joining us now is counselor to the president, Kellyanne Conway.

Kellyanne, great to see you.

KELLYANNE CONWAY, COUNSELOR TO PRESIDENT TRUMP: Good morning, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: OK, so on Monday, Kellyanne, you said some comments that I think that a lot of women I've heard really appreciated. So you said about the accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, this woman should not be insulted. She should not be ignored. This woman will be heard. And so --

CONWAY: Yes. And we're waiting for that.

CAMEROTA: Sure. Sure. So I'm wondering how you and the White House feel today about the accommodations that she's asking for. She wants senators to be -- to make some accommodations for her safety. She wants to be questioned by the senators, not any lawyers. She does not want to be in the same room as Brett Kavanaugh. She would like Brett Kavanaugh to testify first. And she would like the Judiciary Committee to subpoena other witness who she says were at that same party and she would like the hearing date to be pushed back from Monday.

So how do you feel about all of those?

CONWAY: Well, thank you, Alisyn, for very honestly and thoroughly listing her laundry list of demands at this point. Those don't just sound like conditions, they sound like demands.

It's very unusual for a person making an allegation to go second and not first. If you're the plaintiff, if you're the complainant in say a criminal proceeding, which of course this is not, nobody's been charged with a crime, then you go first because you lay out your case, you lay out your allegation to which the person you are accusing responds. That's a bedrock principle. So asking for that -- that usual sequence to be reversed itself is very unusual.

Also, there's no question that we want everybody to be safe. I know firsthand what it's like to be on the receiving end of death threats and threats to your safety and your family's safety. So, of course, anything that can be done to ensure Dr. Ford's safety, the Kavanaugh family's safety.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

CONWAY: Brett Kavanaugh's wife is receiving death threats. I appreciate CNN putting that up yesterday on your screens, even though you had to bleep out a lot of f words, calling -- his wife Ashely is receiving words about, tell your husband to put a f-ing bullet in his ugly skull.

CAMEROTA: Oh, it's hideous.

CONWAY: Calling (INAUDIBLE).

It's hideous.

CAMEROTA: It's hideous.

CONWAY: And they have young daughters and he has coached many young girls over the years in basketball, all -- many of whose moms have attested to his character and integrity.

CAMEROTA: Agreed. Agreed. So -- CONWAY: So I think what's happening here, nothing's really changed since Monday.

So here's -- the only thing that's changed since Monday is that Dr. Blasey Ford is not yet willing to testify. So Brett Kavanaugh was willing to testify last Monday, less than 24 hours after learning the person's identity. He was not taking a week to figure out any conditions.

CAMEROTA: Right.

CONWAY: He'll show up today. He would have showed up yesterday. He would have showed up last Monday. And he's already given his statement to the committee. So he's willing to do that again under oath.

CAMEROTA: Understood.

CONWAY: But -- but, look, the -- you have to be -- you have to subject yourself to questions. You can't just say, I'll only answer this, I'll only answer that. That's not --

CAMEROTA: Well, she hasn't said that. I mean she isn't making conditions about the questions. But she is about the timing. And it sounds like -- I mean, who knows, but it sounds like the Senate Judiciary Committee may be able to accommodate and push back.

CONWAY: Yes, send it to them. They are.

CAMEROTA: Well, yes.

CONWAY: They've been very accommodating.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

CONWAY: And I just want to say one thing. I hope this woman is not being used by the Democrats because that, of course, is who breached her confidentiality from the beginning. She asked to remain anonymous and they blew her cover.

CAMEROTA: But the fact that she came forward to "The Washington Post" in June on a tip line, what makes you think that she's some sort of stooge for the Democrats?

CONWAY: No, I didn't say she's a stooge for the Democrats. Don't ever attribute that to me.

CAMEROTA: Well, I mean you said being used by the Democrats. So what does that mean?

CONWAY: What I'm saying is I hope they're not -- well, why not give her that confidentiality that she asked for? Why not keep her anonymous? The entire chain of custody of her identity rested with the Democrats.

CAMEROTA: Yes. Yes.

CONWAY: There's no indication that any Republican had that information or, in fact, just released that information.

CAMEROTA: Agreed. I'm not making that accusation. We don't know who leaked it. That --

CONWAY: So she should be upset with them and -- and her lawyers, as you know, were heading a fundraising for a United States senator who will be voting on Judge Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court.

So I think in the interest of CNN's --

CAMEROTA: Yes.

CONWAY: Constant quest for transparency, accountability, truth, truth, let's put it all out there.

But Brett Kavanaugh is ready to testify. And when the president says it's really unfair to him, the entire process has been unfair to both of them. And that, I think, is why the Senate Judiciary Committee is trying to accommodate fairness by hearing from both of them. I -- this is not a court of law.

CAMEROTA: Yes. And hopefully -- and hopefully next week we'll get more information and transparency.

CONWAY: Yes.

CAMEROTA: But I wanted to ask you about something you just said. You said, he just learned her identity on Monday, I think, or this week.

Are you saying --

CONWAY: Sunday.

CAMEROTA: On Sunday, OK.

CONWAY: Yes.

CAMEROTA: Are you saying that Brett Kavanaugh does not know this woman or did not know this woman?

CONWAY: No, no, no. There were the false accusations that -- in other words, he called these false accusations when he heard about the allegations. He said, I unequivocally and categorically deny. And then on Sunday by way of "The Washington Post," her identity was revealed. So he was responding to anonymous allegations about alleged conduct from 36 years ago.

CAMEROTA: Understood. Good point. But does he know her? I mean does he know Christine Blasey from high school?

[08:40:05] CONWAY: I don't know. I don't know that I -- I don't know. I haven't talked to Judge Kavanaugh.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

CONWAY: And the -- about that. And the fact is that he will be asked that question. I assume he'll be asked questions like that.

But, Alisyn, let's be honest also. So many of the Democrats preening around this week and loaded for bear for whenever the testimonies happen next week already said months ago they were going to vote against Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.

CAMEROTA: Yes, that's true.

CONWAY: Already some of them actually said I'm not even going to vote for anybody that President Trump puts up.

CAMEROTA: That's true. It's not going to change their vote, but they think that it may change people who were on the fences vote if they have the full information. Who knows. I mean we just don't know.

CONWAY: Well, it's also infuriating many people -- it's also infuriating many people to think that after 30 hours of sworn testimony publically covered, including by CNN, thank you for doing that, by Judge Kavanaugh over -- responses to 1,300 written questions, over a million pages of documents over the course of his career, most of which was in public life, released. I mean this man has given more information, I'm told, than the last five Supreme Court justices combined.

CAMEROTA: Yes, but just to stop you there, Kellyanne, for one second because we just had Senator Angus King on who said, yes, they've produced lots of documents, but most of them are not relevant. Some of them are press clippings that anybody could have gotten out of the newspaper. He says that there is only 10 percent of the documents that they actually wanted from his time in the White House. And he compares that to Elena Kagan, who turned over 99 percent. So you think that --

CONWAY: Right. And what -- and what -- and what (INAUDIBLE) Senator King would have changed his vote.

CAMEROTA: So just so you know, they don't think they're relevant.

CONWAY: Senator King was voting against Judge Kavanaugh from the beginning. And we've got to be honest about that.

CAMEROTA: Still. But I'm just saying, in terms of the amount of documents isn't important, it's the quality, the relevance of those.

CONWAY: I mean are we comfortable now with -- are we comfortable now with Senator Mazie Hirono, who's becoming the new star of the left, there's one a day. it sound like she's the star de jure of the far, hard, extreme left, saying that the men in this country should just shut up? That's a terrible thing to say. And she's showing her partisan inclination that she's looking at this through a partisan lens, as well as, I guess, any other consideration.

But we should be honest about what was not asked of Judge Kavanaugh in over 30 hours. I think your colleague Jake Tapper made a great point. He said the Democrats haven't laid a glove on Judge Kavanaugh and now they're trying to get -- now these are my words, they're trying to go back in and investigate this. That is fine. Judge Kavanaugh has said he is anxious to testify under oath and clear his name.

Remember, he is a sitting judge on the second highest court in the land, the D.C. Circuit, of a dozen years. This man has already talked to the Senate about -- the Senate Judiciary Committee about this allegation, these allegations that he says are completely false and he's willing to do it again.

CAMEROTA: Well, wait a minute, what do you mean he's already talked -- hold on, what do you mean he's already talked to the --

CONWAY: He talked to them in a phone call on Monday.

CAMEROTA: Oh, so they've made phone calls and he says that they're false. I understand.

He also said this week --

CONWAY: Well, I'm saying that he can -- but there's -- there are penalties there. You can commit a crime by lying to Congress. He's already put himself out there and he's willing to say --

CAMEROTA: But that was a phone call. That wasn't -- he wasn't -- that wasn't sworn testimony. That was a phone call.

CONWAY: Alisyn, he would show up today. I guarantee I can get him to show up today if the Senate wants to take his testimony.

CAMEROTA: Understood, but it's probably going to happen next week.

But I do want to ask you about something that he said this week. Brett Kavanaugh said he was not at that party.

CONWAY: Right.

CAMEROTA: How does he know that?

CONWAY: My goodness, he's the only person who knows where he was at that --

CAMEROTA: On what day?

CONWAY: That particular -- he's explaining that he does -- the way that we're -- the way that he, I assume, is reading, only he can say, so I'm glad he's willing to testify under oath as to where he was and was not and what he did or did not do.

CAMEROTA: But the accuser hasn't said -- the accuser can't remember the day or the location.

CONWAY: Yes. Yes.

CAMEROTA: How can he know if he was at that party?

CONWAY: And -- and that certainly will be part of what's asking, I would expect, unless they try to get the conditions about, please don't ask me about things she can't remember from 36 years ago happened contemporaneously with the allegations.

CAMEROTA: Well, but what party is he referring to that he was not at?

CONWAY: Because of the description. In other words, she's giving a description about a party in a house in the summer of 1982, I think, if I recall, where this happened. And he's saying, I wasn't there.

CAMEROTA: So he's saying he was never at that house. He was never at a party like that, that year?

CONWAY: No, no, I think based on the descriptions that he saw in a media account, in other words, remember, they've gone to the media plenty. Her lawyers have loved going on TV and busy, I guess, burnishing the last couple of details for a -- headlining a fundraiser for a Democratic senator who's going to vote on Judge Kavanaugh's --

CAMEROTA: Well, look, I hear you but it looks like there's going to --

CONWAY: No, that's important.

CAMEROTA: It looks like they're trying, in good faith now, everyone to make this happen under oath next week.

CONWAY: Absolutely. But Judge Kavanaugh -- and none of us have interfered with it. We've encouraged it. My boss, the president of the United States, is standing by his nominee, Judge Kavanaugh. And, at the same time, Judge Kavanaugh wants to defend his -- these allegations that he says are completely and categorically false.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

CONWAY: And he wants to defend his honor and integrity. And today I believe there's a press conference of women who have known him over the course of their lives in many different -- many different roles and they're coming forward and saying I stay -- I stay behind him.

CAMEROTA: Yes. And women are coming forward to talk about his character and certainly women are coming forward to also talk about Professor Blasey's character.

[08:45:01] But, Kellyanne, I want to ask you something because I think so many women can relate to Christine Blasey's story on some level. And I'm wondering if you can empathize with it as well.

CONWAY: Well, certainly. I think we're about the same age, or within the same generation, as I'm sure you are. And of course I can relate to that. Absolutely. But that doesn't make Brett Kavanaugh there or having done anything against her or anyone else for that matter. So I don't want to conflate the two. But I -- but I will tell you something --

CAMEROTA: No, of course not. No. No. Of course not. I just mean that in terms of women being able to talk about this --

CONWAY: Sure. CAMEROTA: That if any of us have had an experience like that and if

you can relate to it on some level, then you understand why there would be a delay and why there would be confusion so long after about exactly where it was or when it was.

CONWAY: Well, I'll just say this, Alisyn, that if you look at the last year, let's just say the last year, all of these allegations of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and worse, by the way, against women by members of politicians from both parties, certainly members of the media, titans of industry, that you see a pattern and a practice in I think all the cases I've looked at. You see a pattern in their practice.

CAMEROTA: Which is what?

CONWAY: Well, that there are -- there are many -- there are many women who say that they've been wronged by the same man. Harvey Weinstein and Les Moonves, you know, others. I don't mean to name names. I'm just saying that when one woman comes forward, others come forward and say, thank you so much for coming forward because now I don't feel alone in saying that person was a complete -- he was just an awful person. He was raping women or sexual assaulting women or sexually harassing women. That's what's happened in most of these cases. And I know it's not for a lack of trying that people are trying to prove the same here and have not. So we will have the testimony next week from one woman --

CAMEROTA: But just to finish your point, just to circle back on your point, are you saying that that means that you don't believe her because she's the sole voice?

CONWAY: No, no, I didn't say that. I'm not saying that. I'm saying that this is exactly what sworn testimony does in our great democracy, is meant to accommodate in our great democracy. And I'm glad the proper place, the Senate Judiciary Committee, is accommodating both the accuser and the accused, but particularly the accuser here because she is the one putting many conditions on her testimony. And her safety should be completely assured, no doubt. We should all agree on that.

But we want to hear from them. And that's what our system allows.

But let me make very clear, this is a confirmation hearing. This is still part of the Senate Judiciary Committee's confirmation hearing of Judge Kavanaugh's nomination to the United States Supreme Court. It is not a criminal proceeding.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

CONWAY: It is not a civil proceeding. And so that's important for us all to remember also as we go into it.

I commend those who have come forward and shared their stories. It is not an easy thing to do. I expect it will continue. But let's not compare what's -- one allegation from 36 years ago against Judge Kavanaugh that he has completely denied, to what has happened as a matter of pattern and practice that went on for years if not decades in some of the most powerful c-suites (ph).

CAMEROTA: Well, sure. I mean -- sure. I take your point.

CONWAY: I mean, in our country.

CAMEROTA: I take your point. But I do think that we are in the middle of this moment, and at this moment we're trying to lift the taboo and talk about things even if they were in the '80s or at least people should feel free to talk about this topic and we -- we --

CONWAY: Well, one thing people are talking about -- I went back and read the -- I went back and read the question that Senator Mazie Hirono asked of Judge Kavanaugh in his sworn testimony --

CAMEROTA: Yes.

CONWAY: As part of that 30 plus hours, and she asked him, since you've been a legal adult, have you ever sexual assaulted, sexually harassed people and go pull the question --

CAMEROTA: And would it be different if it were -- if it were true, but you were a minor, would that make it different?

CONWAY: Well, I think you want to ask her why she asked that. I think you want to ask her why she asked that. Let me repeat, Judge Kavanaugh said he wasn't there and he's never done this to this woman or any other woman.

CAMEROTA: No, understand. I just didn't know if you thought it would be different if he were a minor?

CONWAY: And -- I'm sorry?

CAMEROTA: I just wanted to know if you thought it would be different if it were a minor?

CONWAY: I think many people in this country do feel -- I've heard from people who do talk about that particular aspect. But that's -- that's just chatter. They're not testifying. They're not testifying. These two people are going to testify.

What I'm saying to you is, if we're talking about the Me Too moment and the Me Too movement, which I think actually has been harmed by the way the Democrats have handled the situation beginning with Senator Feinstein and continuing with a bunch of them --

CAMEROTA: Why is that?

CONWAY: Well, let's see how it all turns out next week. However, I will say that to compare what powerful men who controlled women's careers and ruined most of them because they had the presence of mind, and thankfully the ability, which is -- which is hard to do, to withstand those advances or to report them in real-time --

CAMEROTA: Yes. CONWAY: And I read these accounts of the man from a different network who recently had -- who was recently forced out last week. We don't need to name names --

CAMEROTA: Yes.

[08:50:01] CONWAY: Where these women came forward and said, in the 1980s, this happened to me and I went to report it and somebody said, but you're nobody here. You work for somebody who works for somebody who works for somebody. Nobody's going to believe you. He's the most powerful person here.

So that is -- I think we need to keep on talking in that vein and people should really care if the victims have been folks who support Democrats or who are Democrats and folks who work for President Trump, wink, wink, and treat everybody the same. But let's not conflate the larger Me Too movement with whatever did or did not happen in the summer of 1982 --

CAMEROTA: Yes.

CONWAY: Thirty-six years ago that was not spoken about for the first time ever until -- until 30 years later with -- that Judge Kavanaugh has completely denied.

CAMEROTA: Well, I'm -- I mean, yes, I hear you. But, I mean -- I understand. Having a 17 -- comparing a 17 year old to Les Moonves, who I think you're talking about, nobody is doing that.

But just having the conversation and understanding why it takes women -- it might take women a long time to come forward with allegations. I mean you can appreciate that, I'm sure.

CONWAY: I can. I can. I can firsthand, Alisyn.

Let me say one more thing. I think for Dr. Ford, that these conditions on the testimony could work against her also. If she wants to tell her story, then I would say the most pure thing to do would be for both of them -- each of them to tell their story. And to let her do that and to not -- not let her lawyers or the Democrats who are coaching her lawyers or anybody else who are trying to embarrass this nominee or embarrass or harass the president who nominated him or push aside a Supreme Court confirmation way passed the beginning of the next term into -- past the midterm, et cetera, et cetera --

CAMEROTA: Yes. Yes.

CONWAY: To politicize the whole process. I think her best shot and Judge Kavanaugh's best shot --

CAMEROTA: Yes.

CONWAY: Is to get there, raise your right hand and tell their stories.

CAMEROTA: I think that that is what we are going to see it looks like next week. Kellyanne Conway, we appreciate your time.

CONWAY: Thanks for having me, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: I'm being told you -- thanks for coming on.

CONWAY: Thanks for letting me answer questions. Thank you.

CAMEROTA: We appreciate you coming on. And we know you have a busy day. So, thank you very much.

CONWAY: OK. Take care. Thank you.

BERMAN: All right, a lot to cover there with that, Alison.

Want to get "The Bottom Line" with former senior adviser to President Obama and CNN's senior political commentator David Axelrod, host of "The Axe Files" on CNN.

Let me just say, Kellyanne Conway, as you pointed out from the beginning, has always said, we need to hear Professor Blasey Ford.

CAMEROTA: She should not be ignored and she should not be insulted, which people felt was the right thing, tone to take.

BERMAN: I -- so which is why I was so surprised that at the end of that interview she chose to bring up this notion that because this alleged sexual assault happened in 1982, it doesn't hold the same weight. It's not as significant, even if it did happen, as some other examples.

CAMEROTA: Well, I was trying to follow that -- that line of logic and she was being wrapped and had to go.

BERMAN: Many people do think it's different, she said. Many people do think it's different.

CAMEROTA: The minor. That he was a minor.

BERMAN: Now, Brett Kavanaugh -- Brett Kavanaugh says -- he denies it. But the idea, David Axelrod, that a high school drunken attempted rape is some kind of bar too high for a Supreme Court nominee is very interesting to hear from a senior adviser to the president.

DAVID AXELROD, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, I mean, one thing Kellyanne said that is absolutely true is that this isn't a criminal proceeding. But we are about to perhaps sentence a guy to a life on the Supreme Court. And, therefore, it's of enormous gravity that you get to the bottom of these things, and particularly if he's not being truthful about what happened there.

The other thing -- a couple of other things she said was that he -- you know, she has said and she's sort of intimated that maybe there's a mistake in -- a mistake on the part of the accuser and that, you know, he wasn't there. She was involved with -- in some other incident. Who is more likely to have the recollection, a clear recollection, the woman who had the experience of this assault, or a guy who she said was blind drunk?

And, you know, what is bewildering -- here's what's really happening. What's really happening is that the Republicans are really eager to get this done before they break for the fall so they can go home and campaign because there is a chance that they may not have control of the Senate after November, certainly after January. So they want to get this done, but they want to get it done without further inflaming this huge gender gap that they have. So they want to show -- at least check the box of showing respect for the accuser by hearing from them. But -- hearing from her. But not calling the one person who she says was witness to this makes the whole thing suspect.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

AXELROD: Last point on this, you guys, is that she also said that that woman was being used by Democrats. And I understand there's this back and forth about when this was -- when the letter was disclosed and when her identity was disclosed, but the stubborn fact is that she apparently told this story to her therapist six years ago. So these Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee would have been awfully crafty to have planted this story six years ago with this very credible woman's therapist. So there are a lot of problems here. And it's a very treacherous past they are trying to navigate.

[08:55:16] CAMEROTA: Look, there's -- the clock is ticking. I mean I think that everybody feels the urgency, right? So Democrats are trying to slow roll this, let's be honest, because it would help them to make it to the midterms without him being confirmed. The Republicans are trying to fast track it because it would help them to have him in before the midterms. And so next week, I mean, it does seem as though next week is something very big and telling is going to happen.

AXELROD: Without question. But let's be clear, she -- Kellyanne said, well, we need to -- we want someone seated before the Supreme Court convenes in October. That didn't bother Republicans in the Senate when they held up Merrick Garland for almost a year. This is about politics, pure and simple. They want to ram this thing through.

BERMAN: David Axelrod, thank you very much for being with us.

Be sure to watch "The Axe Files" with David Axelrod, Saturday, 7:00 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.

Whoo, quite a week.

CNN "NEWSROOM" with Jim Sciutto picks up after a quick break.

CAMEROTA: Have a great weekend.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: A very good morning to you. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington. Poppy is on assignment this morning.

[09:00:01] The attorney for Kavanaugh accuser Christine Blasey Ford says that she will testify, only just not on Monday. Right now Ford's lawyers laying out their terms their client wants before she tells her story to senators. And we are learning