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Hala Gorani Tonight
Trump Changes Story About Payment To Porn Star; WH Press Secretary: "I Gave You The Best Info That I Had"; Trump Defends Payments Agreement; Giuliani Said Three Americans Would Be Freed Thursday; Fierce Storm Kills 110 In Northern India; New Footage In L.A. Mass Shooting Shows Police Entering Killer's Room; Ethiopian Journalist Released From Jail Speaks To CNN; Trump Admits Stormy Hush Money Deal After Denying It; Racist Trolls Try To Hack NASA Contest; Manchester City Captain Revels In Record Season; Giuliani Contradicts Trump On Stormy Daniels. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired May 03, 2018 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:59]
HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. Live from CNN London, I'm Hala Gorani.
Tonight, a major bombshell from the president's most high-profile attorney changes Donald Trump's story on a hush payment to Stormy Daniels. We'll
have the very latest.
And all of this as Daniels' team says the move could have violated the law. We'll speak live to the porn star's attorney, Michael Avenatti.
And they were the only all-female, all-black team in a NASA science competition then the trolls try to derail them. We'll speak to the teen
scientists about the controversy later in the program.
A bombshell casually delivered on cable TV is sending shockwaves through -- shockwaves through Washington unraveling months of Donald Trump's denials
about hush payments to a porn star within a matter of minutes.
The president didn't talk about the controversy at a prayer meeting today, but earlier, he made clear that he is on board with the admission that he
reimbursed his attorney, Michael Cohen, for a payment meant to silence the porn star, stormy Daniels.
In a series of tweets full of legalese not his usual style, the president backed up the bombshell dropped by one of his new attorneys, Rudy Giuliani,
on Fox News last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUDY GIULIANI, ATTORNEY FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP: Having something to do with paying some Stormy Daniels woman, 130,000, I mean, which is going to turn
out to be perfectly legal. That money was not campaign money, sorry, I'm giving you a fact now that you don't know. It's not campaign money. No
campaign-finance violations.
SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: So, they funneled it through a law firm?
GIULIANI: Funneled through a law firm and the president repaid it.
HANNITY: I didn't know he did. There no campaign-finance law.
GIULIANI: You roll.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: So, he's saying the president repaid it. He said it on Fox News. Hardly anyone saw that revelation coming. Even many aides in the White
House. Mr. Trump has long tried to distance himself from that hush payment.
Remember, just a few weeks ago, on Air Force One he looked reporters directly in the eye and said this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you know about the $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels? Then why did Michael Cohen make it if there was no truth to the
allegation?
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: You have to ask Michael Cohen. Michael is my attorney. And you'll have to ask Michael.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you know where he got the money to make that payment?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: No, I don't know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: So, why did the president decide to change his story and why now? CNN reporter, Sarah Westwood is live in Washington. Sarah, did the
president know that Rudy Giuliani, his attorney was going to on Fox News and make these bombshell revelations?
SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN REPORTER: Well, President Trump's story on Stormy Daniels keeps shifting and that White House sources tell CNN that staffers
were shocked by Rudy Giuliani's revelations on Fox News yesterday evening, although, President Trump claimed in early last month that he had no
knowledge of these payments, 1$30,000 paid just before the election by Michael Cohen, President Trump's personal attorney to adult film actress,
Stormy Daniels, in exchange for her silence about an alleged affair.
Rudy Giuliani said that President Trump reimbursed Cohen for that $130,000 payment raising new questions about Trump's level of personal involvement
in a transaction he claims to know nothing about.
Now Giuliani has said that this was a strategic, although, his remarks appear to contradict directly what the president has said in the past about
this exchange and the White House so far has refused to answer many questions about how the payment was made and what steps were taken to
ensure that campaign-finance laws weren't violated.
But one thing is for sure that Giuliani's comment has certainly undermined months of efforts to distance Trump from the Stormy Daniels controversy.
GORANI: But we don't know if Rudy Giuliani went to the president said here is the strategy, I'm going to go on Fox News tonight and I'm going to say
this.
WESTWOOD: Well, sources say the two may have coordinated with each other. They certainly spoke after the interview.
[15:05:05] but it's clear that Rudy Giuliani didn't consult anyone else in the White House about what he planned to say and how that would impact the
White House's messaging strategies.
Certainly, the communications shop was not looked into this decision. There are sources that are saying that this is the dynamic between
President Trump and Rudy Giuliani. They have a friendship that dates back years. Giuliani was a prominent campaign surrogate. This could continue
to be a problem for the White House.
GORANI: Sarah Westwood, thanks very much, live in Washington. My next guest says Donald Trump is trapped. CNN contributor, Norm Eisen is an
attorney who once served as White House ethics czar and he joins me now live.
So, what are the legal implications, Norm, of all of this, of Giuliani going on television and saying that the president repaid Michael Cohen that
hush money that he paid the porn star.
NORM EISEN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Hala, thank you for having me. The implications are profound and they're all negative for President Trump.
First of all, we have the startling revelation that President Trump reimbursed Michael Cohen, so that adds evidence to the supposition here
that that this was a campaign finance violation.
You know, you're not allowed to make a contribution and be paid back for it, seems to have happened. Number two, it goes to President Trump's
credibility. It's low the "Washington Post" reported today 3,000 allies so far in his tenure as president.
But this is a critical one because if we can't believe his story, first, he says I didn't know anything about it. Now, he says he pays back how can
you square the two, Hala? If he didn't know anything about it, how can he pay it back? And then there was --
GORANI: There's obviously a contradiction. Absolutely, there's obviously a contradiction, but there are experts and the former Federal Election
Commission Chairman Bradley Smith told CNN he doesn't believe this payment constitutes a campaign finance violation.
Because he said the standard is not if it's related to the campaign, it's a campaign expenditure, the standard is, it's a campaign expenditure if it's
an obligation that would not exist where it not for the campaign. So, you could interpret this several ways. Do you agree?
EISEN: Well, I've been disagreeing with Bradley Smith for 30 years since we were at law school together and I edited an article that he wrote and
I'm going to edit him now. I disagree with his reading of the law, Hala.
If the purpose of this payment was to help Donald Trump win the campaign, then it is an in-kind campaign contribution that's forbidden in this amount
that wasn't reported. And so, I think that's a different view of the law.
We've had people prosecuted for doing this. Bradley takes a very minimalist view of the law. I think that's outside the mainstream. I
think he is wrong and I think Rudy Giuliani substantiated the idea when he said this morning he alluded to the fact that that this payment would have
been necessary to avoid harm to the political candidate.
He said as much on national television. He is just admitting what we all know. This was campaign related.
GORANI: So, Norm, if this is a violation, if it established that it is, and the president is implicated and involved, I guess, the question is
legally then what? I mean, you can't indict a sitting president?
EISEN: Well, that is the million-dollar question legally then what. There is a debate about whether or not you can indict a sitting president. It is
true that the president's own outside law office says it's thought of the office of legal counsel at DOJ has offered that somewhat self-serving
opinion.
Many leading experts disagree. I'm among them. I feel that -- I've written a Brookings report on a presidential obstruction of justice. No
person is above the law in a democracy in the United States neither is the president.
The Constitution doesn't say a president can't be prosecuted. It simply describes impeachment procedures says that impeachment doesn't wipeout
prosecution. So, I think there is an open question. No court has address that that question yet.
GORANI: But it would be unprecedented.
EISEN: It would be unprecedented. We are living through the unprecedented every day and every hour here in Washington with the Trump presidency. So,
you know, it's all new territory, but I wouldn't be so sure he can't be prosecuted.
He could also be named as an unindicted co-conspirator that would be devastating if he were identified as having committed a crime, but not
being indicted for legal reasons.
[15:10:11] A referral, an impeachment referral we've seen those before with Bill Clinton could be made to Congress saying in effect as Ken Starr, the
Clinton special prosecutor did, he should be impeached. So, that would be very difficult and then there's a court of public opinion.
GORANI: Sure. Certainly, the second one would be a political step and right now, Republicans to control Congress. We'll see if that changes
after the midterm elections. Norm Eisen, thanks so much for joining us. Really appreciate your analysis.
EISEN: Thank you, Hala.
GORANI: Still to come, another interview you won't want to miss, I'll speak with Stormy Daniels attorney and find out why he says Mr. Trump's
reimbursements could amount to money laundering. He will be joining me in a few minutes.
While there is still no word on the release of three Americans detained in North Korea despite Rudy Giuliani saying they would be freed today, earlier
an official with knowledge of current negotiations had said Km Dong-Chul, Tony Kim, and Kim Hak-Song, you are seeing their pictures there on the
screen, would be freed immediately.
However, we still have no confirmation from authorities. One thing we do know is that the timing of this news could be hugely significant, a
historic meeting between North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump is expected in the next few weeks. Referring to the prisoners, Mr. Trump
has tweeted stay tuned.
Elise Labott is at the State Department with more. Stay tuned is the thing we say a lot on television. We are hearing it more and more from the White
House. It was puzzling why Rudy Giuliani would have information on the release of the American prisoners in North Korea. What are you hearing
from the State Department?
ELISE LABOTT, GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Hala, so there have been reports from the region that the three (inaudible), three Americans were
released from, you know, official kind of activity, and now are being kept in a hotel. The State Department and the White House say that they can't
verify those reports.
I think Rudy Giuliani might have been speaking to those reports, but when President Trump says stay tuned, I think there is an expectation, Hala,
that those three Americans will be released before the summit.
Negotiations have been going on between the U.S. and North Korea several months ago in Sweden and then last month when Secretary of State, then CIA
Director Mike Pompeo went to North Korea, it was on the table.
I think this is an expectation that they'll be released before the summit, but I don't think there's anything kind of, you know, in the offing in the
next several hours although officials do say that their release should be eminent before the summit.
GORANI: And Rudy Giuliani commenting on it as I said raised some eyebrows, unclear why he would be necessarily aware. What is the latest there on
this meeting between Kim Jong-un and the U.S. president. Is this -- do we have more clarity on where it will happen? According to reports, the
president seemed to indicate that the DMZ was a good location.
LABOTT: Well, certainly the president would like to go to the DMZ, that's something no president has ever done before, the kind of big grandeur of it
and the symbolism of it I think something he would very much like to do.
Obviously, we know that would be kind of hard logistically, but, you know, they are narrowing it down to a couple locations. Officials tell us that
Singapore is the location favored by U.S. officials because logistically more easy and convenient for the administration and the president.
But you know what this president he does what he wants, and I think there is a desire from him to make a grand gesture. They haven't nailed it down.
They are still going over dates and times, but you know, I think we had needed to wait to see for that summit between Kim Jong-un and South Korean
President Moon to then have these summit details worked out in full. That went very well.
So, I think we should be hearing something in the coming days or weeks about where and when that summit will be.
GORANI: We will stay tuned and we are waiting for the release of Kim Hak- Song, Kim Sang-Duk also known as Tony Kim, and Kim Dong-Chul. Their release should be eminent as a gesture of goodwill to award the United
States from North Korea. We'll see when that happens, and we'll speak again with you, Elise, when it does.
Still to come tonight, an eerie cloud of dust in Northern India, one person said it was like the end of the world, and the worst has yet to come.
And it was the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history, now chilling body cam footage from Las Vegas shows the tense moments as police
entered the killer's suite. We'll have that as well.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:17:00]
GORANI: Well, a bluster, threats, and bullying, these are just some of the accusations Iran is flinging at the U.S. ahead of that May 12th deadline
for the White House to recertify the nuclear deal.
Iran's foreign minister says if President Trump thinks Tehran will change the agreement that he should think again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHAMMAD JAVAD ZARIF, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: In realistic terms, when you buy a house and move your family in or demolished it to build a
skyscraper, you cannot come back two years later and try to renegotiate the price.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Well, some Iranian officials say if the U.S. pulls out of the deal, it will essentially be dead. Parts of India are bracing for another
possible dust storm on Friday or Saturday after a disastrous one pummeled the northern states. A 110 people are now confirmed dead. Some were
killed as their homes collapsed around them. Our Nikhil Kumar has more from New Delhi.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIKHIL KUMAN, CNN NEW DELHI BUREAU CHIEF: (Inaudible) is still reeling from the aftermath of a deadly night, more than a 100 people died after a
violent summer storm blast the region (inaudible). (Inaudible) largest state with sits just south of Nepal is the hardest hit.
As the deadly cocktail of winds, dusts, rain and thunder swept through the area. We even witnessed the storm here in Delhi with the storm hitting the
Indian capital during the evening rush hour.
Across Northern India hundred more people have been reported injured and not just people, out in the country side, livestock was hit. More than a
hundred cows, buffalos, goats, and other animals were killed.
Power to many homes across these states was also knocked out. Now dust storms are a common occurrence here at this time of year ahead of the
annual monsoon, but this was unusual, and it felt unusual.
We don't usually see rains and thunder after these dust storms. Weather experts say this happened because of an unusual combination of factors as
different storms effectively came together.
On the ground, rural areas suffered the most. Officials say many of the deaths occurred because of falling trees and collapsing ceilings and walls
in village communities was weak infrastructure.
The worse of the storm in many of these communities very late at night. The victims and the houses they were sleeping in were simply not prepared.
Nikhil Kumar, CNN, New Delhi.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Unfortunately, it's going to get worse. Let's go to CNN meteorologist, Jennifer Grey in Atlanta for more. What's the outlook for
that part of India that was already hit so hard?
JENNIFER GRAY, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, Hala, the next 48 hours or so were really not seemed too much as far as very strong storms like we saw in the
last 24 hours. Most of northern India looks basically clear for the next 48 hours.
We could see some rain, but as far as though that intense thunderstorms and like we saw the last 24 hours, I think we are clear of those. What
happened was we had a complex of stores basically a series of these storms that fed off of each other.
So, you have the winds that are rising, the air that is the lifting, creating these huge thunderstorm clouds and then the winds come out of
that, called it downdraft, and that's what creates the very strong winds at the surface.
[15:20:05] Ahead of the rain and that's what created these dust storms. When it hasn't rained in weeks or months, everything gets very dusty and
when those strong come ahead of the thunderstorms, it just blows dust everywhere.
And during the height of these, you can even see your hand in front of your face. The winds are so strong. It will definitely bring down weak
infrastructure and you can see that right there.
The winds are incredibly strong and what happened was when you have the buildings aren't strong or sturdy, the walls will come down. The trees
have fallen on the buildings and that's what we saw there.
Incredibly scary especially while people are sleeping, and this happens in the middle of the night. So, let's go back to our map so we can point out
the storm that impacted. There's Agra (ph) and you can see that strong storm that developed pulling over the area and then feeding off of each
other.
So, we had a series of these come through the area and so that's exactly what happened. Here's that explains -- we are talking about those strong
winds ahead of the thunderstorm. The cloud builds, and the storm builds and then you have been very, very strong wind gusts that comes out ahead of
the rain and that's what happened here.
Blows the dusk right into the city and so Hala, very, very scary especially like we said when it happens in the middle of the night and people really
don't know it's coming. There was a warning sent out that they believe a lot of people didn't get that warning because it happened so late.
GORANI: All right. Jennifer, thanks.
The images shocked the world, a lone gunman indiscriminately murdering 58 people and wounding hundreds more from a perch on a hotel window in Las
Vegas. It was the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history.
Now we are seeing firsthand what police saw in those moments, a newly released footage. Kyung Lah takes you through the chilling pictures.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KYUNG LAH, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The first officers racing toward the automatic gunfire of the Las Vegas shooter. Two
different police body cameras capturing their first steps, clearing the casino.
(BODY CAM VIDEO)
Then going floor by floor --
(BODY CAM VIDEO)
LAH: Room by room --
(BODY CAM VIDEO)
LAH: The first responders and the terrifying haze of America's worst mass shooting in modern history.
(BODY CAM VIDEO)
LAH: The 32nd floor where the gunman had been firing into the concert crowd below.
(BODY CAM VIDEO)
LAH: Whispering as the SWAT team prepares to breach the door.
(BODY CAM VIDEO)
LAH: The first glimpse of the madman's murderous plan.
(BODY CAM VIDEO)
LAH: Guns strewn across the hotel suite, the curtain pulled back, revealing the broken window, the killer's perch, a hotel chair. His body
still on the ground.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: That was Kyung Lah reporting.
In other news, he's one of the richest men in the world and not shy to share his opinion, but Elon Musk has just taken the bluntness to new levels
in an uncomfortable call with investors. The CEO of Tesla dismissed analysts question saying they were boring and bonehead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where specifically will you be in terms of --
ELON MUSK, CEO OF TESLA (via telephone): (Inaudible), next. (Inaudible) questions are not cool, next. We're going to you too. Sorry, these
questions are so dry. You're killing me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: I don't know -- OK. Since the call last night more than $3 billion have been wiped off Tesla's market value. The episode has left
some people in Wall Street questioning the future of Elon Musk's leadership.
Still to come, the porn star predicament, Stormy Daniels' attorney suggests it's no coincidence that President Trump is changing his story now. Find
out what he has to say next.
And three teenage scientists threatened with sabotaged by racist hackers. Their remarkable story and achievement later in the program. I'll be
speaking to them live as well.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:27:41]
GORANI: Persecution, imprisonment, even murder, these are just some of the threats that journalists face around the world every day. On this World
Press Freedom Day, dozens of news organizations are joining forces and their mission is to promote high quality journalism.
Let's go to New York where Brian Stelter joins me now live with more. First, let's talk about the statistics here concerning journalists all
around the world and how much of a risk it is for them. Are we going to Brian? OK. Apologies we will get to Brian a little bit later.
But in the meantime, we want to bring you a situation with certainly issues with press freedom in a country in Africa, in Ethiopia. Where there too,
there are big problems and big concerns. Farai Sevenzo reports for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FARAI SEVENZO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For months now, Ethiopia has been engulfed in this state of emergency. Protests were made with the
government crackdown and thousands fled across the border into Kenya.
Under public pressure, hundreds of prisoners were released from Ethiopia's notorious (inaudible) prison. The Prime Minister resigned. Some of the
jailed were journalists including this man, who served seven years on charges of terrorism because he wrote about the Arab Spring.
As the world marks Press Freedom Day, it is impossible to overstate just how harsh Africa's media terrain can be. They are committed to protect
journalists (inaudible) that they are 61 journalists in jail in Africa for their journalism.
And says Ethiopia is tied with Congo as the fourth worst jailer of journalists in the world. Ethiopia's new prime minister, (inaudible), has
pledged to expand political freedoms, but there is still a state of emergency and hundreds of political prisoners remain in jail.
CNN caught up with Eskinder Nega in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi after he's finally released.
ESKINDER NEGA, JOURNALIST AND AETHIST: I was the only dissident (inaudible) at that time from Ethiopia and that put me in the limelight.
SEVENZO (on camera): But when they arrested you, what was came through your mind? Did you think, my God, not another seven years?
NEGA: The possibility that this (inaudible) imprisonment it might come up in our minds, but had we panicked? No, we did not panic. Were we
(inaudible)? No, we were not (inaudible). Why, because not every country (inaudible).
SEVENZO: You were telling me earlier that your wife is a journalist, that your son was born in prison.
NEGA: He was born in prison. (Inaudible). The nation is also
You The Best Info That I Had"; Trump Defends Payments Agreement; Giuliani Said Three Americans Would Be Freed Thursday; Fierce Storm Kills 110 In
Northern India; New Footage In L.A. Mass Shooting Shows Police Entering Killer's Room; Ethiopian Journalist Released From Jail Speaks To CNN. Aired
3-3:30p ET>
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:59]
HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. Live from CNN London, I'm Hala Gorani.
Tonight, a major bombshell from the president's most high-profile attorney changes Donald Trump's story on a hush payment to Stormy Daniels. We'll
have the very latest.
And all of this as Daniels' team says the move could have violated the law. We'll speak live to the porn star's attorney, Michael Avenatti.
And they were the only all-female, all-black team in a NASA science competition then the trolls try to derail them. We'll speak to the teen
scientists about the controversy later in the program.
A bombshell casually delivered on cable TV is sending shockwaves through -- shockwaves through Washington unraveling months of Donald Trump's denials
about hush payments to a porn star within a matter of minutes.
The president didn't talk about the controversy at a prayer meeting today, but earlier, he made clear that he is on board with the admission that he
reimbursed his attorney, Michael Cohen, for a payment meant to silence the porn star, stormy Daniels.
In a series of tweets full of legalese not his usual style, the president backed up the bombshell dropped by one of his new attorneys, Rudy Giuliani,
on Fox News last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUDY GIULIANI, ATTORNEY FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP: Having something to do with paying some Stormy Daniels woman, 130,000, I mean, which is going to turn
out to be perfectly legal. That money was not campaign money, sorry, I'm giving you a fact now that you don't know. It's not campaign money. No
campaign-finance violations.
SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: So, they funneled it through a law firm?
GIULIANI: Funneled through a law firm and the president repaid it.
HANNITY: I didn't know he did. There no campaign-finance law.
GIULIANI: You roll.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: So, he's saying the president repaid it. He said it on Fox News. Hardly anyone saw that revelation coming. Even many aides in the White
House. Mr. Trump has long tried to distance himself from that hush payment.
Remember, just a few weeks ago, on Air Force One he looked reporters directly in the eye and said this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you know about the $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels? Then why did Michael Cohen make it if there was no truth to the
allegation?
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: You have to ask Michael Cohen. Michael is my attorney. And you'll have to ask Michael.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you know where he got the money to make that payment?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: No, I don't know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: So, why did the president decide to change his story and why now? CNN reporter, Sarah Westwood is live in Washington. Sarah, did the
president know that Rudy Giuliani, his attorney was going to on Fox News and make these bombshell revelations?
SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN REPORTER: Well, President Trump's story on Stormy Daniels keeps shifting and that White House sources tell CNN that staffers
were shocked by Rudy Giuliani's revelations on Fox News yesterday evening, although, President Trump claimed in early last month that he had no
knowledge of these payments, 1$30,000 paid just before the election by Michael Cohen, President Trump's personal attorney to adult film actress,
Stormy Daniels, in exchange for her silence about an alleged affair.
Rudy Giuliani said that President Trump reimbursed Cohen for that $130,000 payment raising new questions about Trump's level of personal involvement
in a transaction he claims to know nothing about.
Now Giuliani has said that this was a strategic, although, his remarks appear to contradict directly what the president has said in the past about
this exchange and the White House so far has refused to answer many questions about how the payment was made and what steps were taken to
ensure that campaign-finance laws weren't violated.
But one thing is for sure that Giuliani's comment has certainly undermined months of efforts to distance Trump from the Stormy Daniels controversy.
GORANI: But we don't know if Rudy Giuliani went to the president said here is the strategy, I'm going to go on Fox News tonight and I'm going to say
this.
WESTWOOD: Well, sources say the two may have coordinated with each other. They certainly spoke after the interview.
[15:05:05] but it's clear that Rudy Giuliani didn't consult anyone else in the White House about what he planned to say and how that would impact the
White House's messaging strategies.
Certainly, the communications shop was not looked into this decision. There are sources that are saying that this is the dynamic between
President Trump and Rudy Giuliani. They have a friendship that dates back years. Giuliani was a prominent campaign surrogate. This could continue
to be a problem for the White House.
GORANI: Sarah Westwood, thanks very much, live in Washington. My next guest says Donald Trump is trapped. CNN contributor, Norm Eisen is an
attorney who once served as White House ethics czar and he joins me now live.
So, what are the legal implications, Norm, of all of this, of Giuliani going on television and saying that the president repaid Michael Cohen that
hush money that he paid the porn star.
NORM EISEN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Hala, thank you for having me. The implications are profound and they're all negative for President Trump.
First of all, we have the startling revelation that President Trump reimbursed Michael Cohen, so that adds evidence to the supposition here
that that this was a campaign finance violation.
You know, you're not allowed to make a contribution and be paid back for it, seems to have happened. Number two, it goes to President Trump's
credibility. It's low the "Washington Post" reported today 3,000 allies so far in his tenure as president.
But this is a critical one because if we can't believe his story, first, he says I didn't know anything about it. Now, he says he pays back how can
you square the two, Hala? If he didn't know anything about it, how can he pay it back? And then there was --
GORANI: There's obviously a contradiction. Absolutely, there's obviously a contradiction, but there are experts and the former Federal Election
Commission Chairman Bradley Smith told CNN he doesn't believe this payment constitutes a campaign finance violation.
Because he said the standard is not if it's related to the campaign, it's a campaign expenditure, the standard is, it's a campaign expenditure if it's
an obligation that would not exist where it not for the campaign. So, you could interpret this several ways. Do you agree?
EISEN: Well, I've been disagreeing with Bradley Smith for 30 years since we were at law school together and I edited an article that he wrote and
I'm going to edit him now. I disagree with his reading of the law, Hala.
If the purpose of this payment was to help Donald Trump win the campaign, then it is an in-kind campaign contribution that's forbidden in this amount
that wasn't reported. And so, I think that's a different view of the law.
We've had people prosecuted for doing this. Bradley takes a very minimalist view of the law. I think that's outside the mainstream. I
think he is wrong and I think Rudy Giuliani substantiated the idea when he said this morning he alluded to the fact that that this payment would have
been necessary to avoid harm to the political candidate.
He said as much on national television. He is just admitting what we all know. This was campaign related.
GORANI: So, Norm, if this is a violation, if it established that it is, and the president is implicated and involved, I guess, the question is
legally then what? I mean, you can't indict a sitting president?
EISEN: Well, that is the million-dollar question legally then what. There is a debate about whether or not you can indict a sitting president. It is
true that the president's own outside law office says it's thought of the office of legal counsel at DOJ has offered that somewhat self-serving
opinion.
Many leading experts disagree. I'm among them. I feel that -- I've written a Brookings report on a presidential obstruction of justice. No
person is above the law in a democracy in the United States neither is the president.
The Constitution doesn't say a president can't be prosecuted. It simply describes impeachment procedures says that impeachment doesn't wipeout
prosecution. So, I think there is an open question. No court has address that that question yet.
GORANI: But it would be unprecedented.
EISEN: It would be unprecedented. We are living through the unprecedented every day and every hour here in Washington with the Trump presidency. So,
you know, it's all new territory, but I wouldn't be so sure he can't be prosecuted.
He could also be named as an unindicted co-conspirator that would be devastating if he were identified as having committed a crime, but not
being indicted for legal reasons.
[15:10:11] A referral, an impeachment referral we've seen those before with Bill Clinton could be made to Congress saying in effect as Ken Starr, the
Clinton special prosecutor did, he should be impeached. So, that would be very difficult and then there's a court of public opinion.
GORANI: Sure. Certainly, the second one would be a political step and right now, Republicans to control Congress. We'll see if that changes
after the midterm elections. Norm Eisen, thanks so much for joining us. Really appreciate your analysis.
EISEN: Thank you, Hala.
GORANI: Still to come, another interview you won't want to miss, I'll speak with Stormy Daniels attorney and find out why he says Mr. Trump's
reimbursements could amount to money laundering. He will be joining me in a few minutes.
While there is still no word on the release of three Americans detained in North Korea despite Rudy Giuliani saying they would be freed today, earlier
an official with knowledge of current negotiations had said Km Dong-Chul, Tony Kim, and Kim Hak-Song, you are seeing their pictures there on the
screen, would be freed immediately.
However, we still have no confirmation from authorities. One thing we do know is that the timing of this news could be hugely significant, a
historic meeting between North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump is expected in the next few weeks. Referring to the prisoners, Mr. Trump
has tweeted stay tuned.
Elise Labott is at the State Department with more. Stay tuned is the thing we say a lot on television. We are hearing it more and more from the White
House. It was puzzling why Rudy Giuliani would have information on the release of the American prisoners in North Korea. What are you hearing
from the State Department?
ELISE LABOTT, GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Hala, so there have been reports from the region that the three (inaudible), three Americans were
released from, you know, official kind of activity, and now are being kept in a hotel. The State Department and the White House say that they can't
verify those reports.
I think Rudy Giuliani might have been speaking to those reports, but when President Trump says stay tuned, I think there is an expectation, Hala,
that those three Americans will be released before the summit.
Negotiations have been going on between the U.S. and North Korea several months ago in Sweden and then last month when Secretary of State, then CIA
Director Mike Pompeo went to North Korea, it was on the table.
I think this is an expectation that they'll be released before the summit, but I don't think there's anything kind of, you know, in the offing in the
next several hours although officials do say that their release should be eminent before the summit.
GORANI: And Rudy Giuliani commenting on it as I said raised some eyebrows, unclear why he would be necessarily aware. What is the latest there on
this meeting between Kim Jong-un and the U.S. president. Is this -- do we have more clarity on where it will happen? According to reports, the
president seemed to indicate that the DMZ was a good location.
LABOTT: Well, certainly the president would like to go to the DMZ, that's something no president has ever done before, the kind of big grandeur of it
and the symbolism of it I think something he would very much like to do.
Obviously, we know that would be kind of hard logistically, but, you know, they are narrowing it down to a couple locations. Officials tell us that
Singapore is the location favored by U.S. officials because logistically more easy and convenient for the administration and the president.
But you know what this president he does what he wants, and I think there is a desire from him to make a grand gesture. They haven't nailed it down.
They are still going over dates and times, but you know, I think we had needed to wait to see for that summit between Kim Jong-un and South Korean
President Moon to then have these summit details worked out in full. That went very well.
So, I think we should be hearing something in the coming days or weeks about where and when that summit will be.
GORANI: We will stay tuned and we are waiting for the release of Kim Hak- Song, Kim Sang-Duk also known as Tony Kim, and Kim Dong-Chul. Their release should be eminent as a gesture of goodwill to award the United
States from North Korea. We'll see when that happens, and we'll speak again with you, Elise, when it does.
Still to come tonight, an eerie cloud of dust in Northern India, one person said it was like the end of the world, and the worst has yet to come.
And it was the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history, now chilling body cam footage from Las Vegas shows the tense moments as police
entered the killer's suite. We'll have that as well.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:17:00]
GORANI: Well, a bluster, threats, and bullying, these are just some of the accusations Iran is flinging at the U.S. ahead of that May 12th deadline
for the White House to recertify the nuclear deal.
Iran's foreign minister says if President Trump thinks Tehran will change the agreement that he should think again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHAMMAD JAVAD ZARIF, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: In realistic terms, when you buy a house and move your family in or demolished it to build a
skyscraper, you cannot come back two years later and try to renegotiate the price.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Well, some Iranian officials say if the U.S. pulls out of the deal, it will essentially be dead. Parts of India are bracing for another
possible dust storm on Friday or Saturday after a disastrous one pummeled the northern states. A 110 people are now confirmed dead. Some were
killed as their homes collapsed around them. Our Nikhil Kumar has more from New Delhi.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIKHIL KUMAN, CNN NEW DELHI BUREAU CHIEF: (Inaudible) is still reeling from the aftermath of a deadly night, more than a 100 people died after a
violent summer storm blast the region (inaudible). (Inaudible) largest state with sits just south of Nepal is the hardest hit.
As the deadly cocktail of winds, dusts, rain and thunder swept through the area. We even witnessed the storm here in Delhi with the storm hitting the
Indian capital during the evening rush hour.
Across Northern India hundred more people have been reported injured and not just people, out in the country side, livestock was hit. More than a
hundred cows, buffalos, goats, and other animals were killed.
Power to many homes across these states was also knocked out. Now dust storms are a common occurrence here at this time of year ahead of the
annual monsoon, but this was unusual, and it felt unusual.
We don't usually see rains and thunder after these dust storms. Weather experts say this happened because of an unusual combination of factors as
different storms effectively came together.
On the ground, rural areas suffered the most. Officials say many of the deaths occurred because of falling trees and collapsing ceilings and walls
in village communities was weak infrastructure.
The worse of the storm in many of these communities very late at night. The victims and the houses they were sleeping in were simply not prepared.
Nikhil Kumar, CNN, New Delhi.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Unfortunately, it's going to get worse. Let's go to CNN meteorologist, Jennifer Grey in Atlanta for more. What's the outlook for
that part of India that was already hit so hard?
JENNIFER GRAY, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, Hala, the next 48 hours or so were really not seemed too much as far as very strong storms like we saw in the
last 24 hours. Most of northern India looks basically clear for the next 48 hours.
We could see some rain, but as far as though that intense thunderstorms and like we saw the last 24 hours, I think we are clear of those. What
happened was we had a complex of stores basically a series of these storms that fed off of each other.
So, you have the winds that are rising, the air that is the lifting, creating these huge thunderstorm clouds and then the winds come out of
that, called it downdraft, and that's what creates the very strong winds at the surface.
[15:20:05] Ahead of the rain and that's what created these dust storms. When it hasn't rained in weeks or months, everything gets very dusty and
when those strong come ahead of the thunderstorms, it just blows dust everywhere.
And during the height of these, you can even see your hand in front of your face. The winds are so strong. It will definitely bring down weak
infrastructure and you can see that right there.
The winds are incredibly strong and what happened was when you have the buildings aren't strong or sturdy, the walls will come down. The trees
have fallen on the buildings and that's what we saw there.
Incredibly scary especially while people are sleeping, and this happens in the middle of the night. So, let's go back to our map so we can point out
the storm that impacted. There's Agra (ph) and you can see that strong storm that developed pulling over the area and then feeding off of each
other.
So, we had a series of these come through the area and so that's exactly what happened. Here's that explains -- we are talking about those strong
winds ahead of the thunderstorm. The cloud builds, and the storm builds and then you have been very, very strong wind gusts that comes out ahead of
the rain and that's what happened here.
Blows the dusk right into the city and so Hala, very, very scary especially like we said when it happens in the middle of the night and people really
don't know it's coming. There was a warning sent out that they believe a lot of people didn't get that warning because it happened so late.
GORANI: All right. Jennifer, thanks.
The images shocked the world, a lone gunman indiscriminately murdering 58 people and wounding hundreds more from a perch on a hotel window in Las
Vegas. It was the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history.
Now we are seeing firsthand what police saw in those moments, a newly released footage. Kyung Lah takes you through the chilling pictures.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KYUNG LAH, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The first officers racing toward the automatic gunfire of the Las Vegas shooter. Two
different police body cameras capturing their first steps, clearing the casino.
(BODY CAM VIDEO)
Then going floor by floor --
(BODY CAM VIDEO)
LAH: Room by room --
(BODY CAM VIDEO)
LAH: The first responders and the terrifying haze of America's worst mass shooting in modern history.
(BODY CAM VIDEO)
LAH: The 32nd floor where the gunman had been firing into the concert crowd below.
(BODY CAM VIDEO)
LAH: Whispering as the SWAT team prepares to breach the door.
(BODY CAM VIDEO)
LAH: The first glimpse of the madman's murderous plan.
(BODY CAM VIDEO)
LAH: Guns strewn across the hotel suite, the curtain pulled back, revealing the broken window, the killer's perch, a hotel chair. His body
still on the ground.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: That was Kyung Lah reporting.
In other news, he's one of the richest men in the world and not shy to share his opinion, but Elon Musk has just taken the bluntness to new levels
in an uncomfortable call with investors. The CEO of Tesla dismissed analysts question saying they were boring and bonehead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where specifically will you be in terms of --
ELON MUSK, CEO OF TESLA (via telephone): (Inaudible), next. (Inaudible) questions are not cool, next. We're going to you too. Sorry, these
questions are so dry. You're killing me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: I don't know -- OK. Since the call last night more than $3 billion have been wiped off Tesla's market value. The episode has left
some people in Wall Street questioning the future of Elon Musk's leadership.
Still to come, the porn star predicament, Stormy Daniels' attorney suggests it's no coincidence that President Trump is changing his story now. Find
out what he has to say next.
And three teenage scientists threatened with sabotaged by racist hackers. Their remarkable story and achievement later in the program. I'll be
speaking to them live as well.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:27:41]
GORANI: Persecution, imprisonment, even murder, these are just some of the threats that journalists face around the world every day. On this World
Press Freedom Day, dozens of news organizations are joining forces and their mission is to promote high quality journalism.
Let's go to New York where Brian Stelter joins me now live with more. First, let's talk about the statistics here concerning journalists all
around the world and how much of a risk it is for them. Are we going to Brian? OK. Apologies we will get to Brian a little bit later.
But in the meantime, we want to bring you a situation with certainly issues with press freedom in a country in Africa, in Ethiopia. Where there too,
there are big problems and big concerns. Farai Sevenzo reports for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FARAI SEVENZO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For months now, Ethiopia has been engulfed in this state of emergency. Protests were made with the
government crackdown and thousands fled across the border into Kenya.
Under public pressure, hundreds of prisoners were released from Ethiopia's notorious (inaudible) prison. The Prime Minister resigned. Some of the
jailed were journalists including this man, who served seven years on charges of terrorism because he wrote about the Arab Spring.
As the world marks Press Freedom Day, it is impossible to overstate just how harsh Africa's media terrain can be. They are committed to protect
journalists (inaudible) that they are 61 journalists in jail in Africa for their journalism.
And says Ethiopia is tied with Congo as the fourth worst jailer of journalists in the world. Ethiopia's new prime minister, (inaudible), has
pledged to expand political freedoms, but there is still a state of emergency and hundreds of political prisoners remain in jail.
CNN caught up with Eskinder Nega in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi after he's finally released.
ESKINDER NEGA, JOURNALIST AND AETHIST: I was the only dissident (inaudible) at that time from Ethiopia and that put me in the limelight.
SEVENZO (on camera): But when they arrested you, what was came through your mind? Did you think, my God, not another seven years?
[15:30:00]
NEGA: The possibility that this (inaudible) imprisonment it might come up in our minds, but had we panicked? No, we did not panic. Were we
(inaudible)? No, we were not (inaudible). Why, because not every country (inaudible).
SEVENZO: You were telling me earlier that your wife is a journalist, that your son was born in prison.
NEGA: He was born in prison. There's no way that I could think only about my immediate family. The nation is also part of our family. This is how
my wife sees the situation. We have responsibilities to the nation.
SEVENZO: How do you see the state of press freedom in Africa at the moment?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It would be a mistake to seek an island of liberty by fighting specifically for freedom of expression. Democracy especially in
Africa where democracy exists. There is the ideal environment for journalists to work. So let's work on democracy first (INAUDIBLE) to
attain democracy, to get to democracy. And then if I am the one who has to pay that price so be it.
SEVENZO: And what is that price? You would be willing to die for these beliefs?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No question. We yearn for freedom and I think this is -- this is common to all humanity. And until we get that freedom, we shall
not rest.
Farai Sevenzo, CNN, Nairobi.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: So many journalists around the world, by the way, on this World Press Freedom Day. A reminder of how many
of them end up in prison for just doing their jobs. And sometimes a whole lot worse than that. It is an extremely dangerous job in many parts of the
world. And one where on a daily basis you also -- you also are accused of peddling fake news and not doing your job right, wrongly of course.
Returning now to our top story. A startling admission that Donald Trump reimbursed his attorney, Michael Cohen for a payment meant to silence porn
star, Stormy Daniels. The American president long denied knowing about the payment at all. Much less having a role in it. It seems clear the
bombshell has an effort to quash allegations that the payment violating campaign finance law. But critic say it only raises a host of new
concerns.
Now, if there wasn't enough on the president's plate right now, there is the Russia investigation and we may be about to see an all-out war between
President Trump and Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Stephen Collinson is in Washington with more.
Let's first talk about this admission that the president reimbursed his attorney, Michael Cohen for a payment he made to a porn star so that she
stayed quite days before the election in 2016 about her alleged affair with him. What is the strategy here? Because that was a jaw dropping moment on
television with Rudy Giuliani admitting to this.
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: You know, Hala, it's very difficult to define any logical strategy. One theory is that Giuliani
and the president understand that the records and documentation about this payment, probably in the hands of the FBI since they raided Trump's
personal lawyer, Michael Cohen's apartment and hotel and offices a few weeks back. So this could be one way of getting this out in the public
sphere before any legal proceedings do that and do it in a more damaging way, politically. That's one theory.
The problem with all that is it's not clear that Rudy Giuliani's bombshell interviews have helped the president at all. He's making the case that
this was a private payment that was made by the president to his lawyer and it has nothing to do with campaign finance, so that's not clear at all. It
could have been the fact put the president in personal jeopardy because if you make payments to say -- hush payments, for example, to stop something
coming out before an election, that scene is election spending and has to be recorded, you know, to comply with U.S. law. You have to declare it and
that wasn't the case. So by trying to get the president that of one problem, Rudy Giuliani may have got him into a much deeper one. Not to say
it but -- and that's putting aside the political damage of this then the president came out on Air Force One and told the American people he did not
know anything about these payments. Now, it turns out he knew all about them and he was paying his lawyer back for paying off a porn star.
GORANI: So obviously -- I mean, there's two versions of these ends are a complete contradiction with each other. Basically, he didn't tell the
truth on Air Force One. What are the implications for the president though?
COLLINSON: The political implications are difficult, because we've seen many, many times the president's has managed to get away with stuff that
would doom any other significant political figure. But the key here is that the law doesn't care about the fact that Donald Trump supporters
believe him whatever happens and they'll never leave him. The cogs of the legal system are moving ahead both in the Stormy Daniels' case and in the
Russia case. So if the president has done something wrong, has done something unlawful, it's going to come out and he's going to have to pay a
consequence for it. This isn't a political situation the president is facing now, it's a legal one and the tactics --
[15:35:06] GORANI: But he's a sitting president though -- he is a sitting president though. It's unprecedented that a sitting president could be
indicted. I mean, there -- this then becomes a political issue, in Washington.
COLLINSON: Well, the political remedy, of course, for a president breaking the law is impeachment proceedings. Now, that doesn't look like it's
likely to happen with the republican majority on Capitol Hill. But all of these stories are feeding into the environment ahead of the midterm
elections that making Republicans very nervous that they're going to in live in Democratic turnout to press Republican turnabout if we get to a
point early next year where there's a Democratic House which is even better perhaps on the 50/50 proposition. All of this could come back to haunt the
president. It could be a real political problem from that point. That's when the equation that we've had for the last three years whereby nothing
anything else the president can begin to change.
GORANI: Sure. But it's really only those Republicans not running for reelection who come out and criticize the president and distance themselves
from the president, which means those running for reelection still believe that when they make the calculation going forward toward the midterms, they
make that political calculation. They still believe distancing themselves from Donald Trump and the president could hurt them ultimately. And until
that changes, that the party will not stop supporting the president, regardless on what he does --
COLLINSON: Right. Until that changes, the Republicans in the House will not stop supporting the president. The questions is, does all of this
start to feed into a political environment where enough Republicans get swept away the Democrats begin to have a good possibility of controlling
the house. That's the political remedy.
But the other part of this is it's consuming Donald Trump's presidency. Not just the Stormy Daniels developments over the last few days but it's
becoming clear that we're moving to the precious of a constitutional crisis that was always theoretical between the special counsel and Donald Trump.
But now looks almost like the most likely option. It's clear that Mueller wants to subpoena the president, if he doesn't wait to an interview and the
president's lawyer is hitting back harder than you aggressive tactics.
GORANI: Stephen Collinson, thanks very much for that report.
Stormy Daniels' attorney is suggesting that they could include now to money laundering, depending on how it was structured. Michael Avenatti joins me
now live from New York. Thanks for being with us.
First, I want to get your reaction when you first listen to Rudy Giuliani on Fox News saying that the president repaid Michael Cohen for that
$130,000 hush payment that was paid to your client, Stormy Daniels. How did you react when you heard it?
MICHAEL AVENATTI, ATTORNEY OF STORMY DANIELS: Well, Hala, thanks for having me. I was nothing short of stun and speechless which is a rarity
for me, as many people had probably tell you. I mean, this one's directly contrary to everything that the American people have been told about this
for the last three plus months by Michael Cohen, Michael Cohen's attorney and most importantly Donald Trump standing on board Air Force one
approximately a month ago. You cannot reconcile what Rudy Giuliani said last night and this morning with the prior statements that had been made
the American people about this and it's outrageous.
GORANI: And how does this change your strategy? I mean, you're still attempting to depose a sitting president, Stormy Daniels is suing the
president for defamation as well. Does this change your legal approach at all to these cases?
AVENATTI: Well, I think it likely will. It certainly strengthen both of our cases and it took jet fuel kerosene and gasoline and poured it on the
fire related to our ability to depose the president. I mean, now you have yet another inconsistent statement relating to what happen in connection
with this transaction and the $130,000 payment.
And, Hala, let me just say this. The explanation that we've received now from Rudy Giuliani that the American people have received relating to this
$130,000 reimbursement makes no sense whatsoever. If there was nothing untorn or improper about this reimbursement for $130,000, then it would not
have had to have been structured by way of payments made for bogus law firm invoices across many months. A simple wire transfer or a check would have
been written for the entirety of the $130,000 and that would have been all she wrote in.
GORANI: And that's because Michael Cohen set up an entity, a separate entity to make that payment to your client, Stormy Daniels.
AVENATTI: Well, that's correct. I mean, I don't know why Michael Cohen would go to the effort of setting up this single purpose entity and all of
this maneuvering to make this $130,000 payment and then send bogus invoices for retainer amounts across many months in an effort to get reimbursement
if everything was above board. It makes absolutely no sense and it does not pass the smell test.
[15:40:11] GORANI: And, Michael Avenatti, you have been -- you've said that you believe Michael Cohen will flip on the president. What makes you
so sure that will happen?
AVENATTI: Well, because Michael Cohen has a family and he's going to face -- there's no question about this. He's going to face a very, very serious
federal criminal charges and I do not think that he has the temperament to go away for an extended period of time in an effort to protect the
president, especially when has shown significant loyalty to the -- in the past to the president and the president has shown him practically no
loyalty. He's only going to have so many chips to play and those chips undoubtedly are going to center on what information he has on Donald Trump.
GORANI: You've also said you believe Trump will be forced to resign. I mean, this then becomes a political issue, right? Because legally
speaking, you don't indict a sitting president then it becomes an impeachment process which is truly political. So, why do you believe
Donald Trump will be forced to resign?
AVENATTI: Well, there's some contrary thought relating to whether you can actually indict a sitting president or not, but assuming that you cannot, I
don't think it's going to be necessary to go down that road or even engage in that analysis. I think the amount of information and damaging evidence
that is going to come out in the coming weeks and months, including by way of those three FBI raids and by way of the testimony of Michael Cohen, is
ultimately going to create a situation where the president will not be able to withstand the pressure and withstand the heat and he'll have no choice
but to resign the office.
Now, how he might go about spinning that or the excuse he might give is anybody's guess at this point. But I do not think that he will serve out
his term.
GORANI: Have you spoken to your client since this all came out? I'm wondering how she's -- we haven't heard from her, how she's doing, how
she's holding up, and what her reaction to all of this is.
AVENATTI: I have spoken to my client. She's incredibly intelligent, powerful woman. She feels empowered. At this point, she's very courageous
and she is intent on seeing this case through to conclusion and ensuring that all of the information that's available and all the evidence is
presented to the American people. She is dedicated to the search for the truth and I'm going to assist her each step of the way.
GORANI: Because this is significant for her. This is an acknowledgement that the president repaid Michael Cohen the amount that was paid to her.
So this is becoming -- this has been confirmed what she has been saying about this payment.
AVENATTI: This is exactly what we've been saying for months now together with other things that we've been saying for months now that have been
confirmed. And we're going to get to the bottom of this.
GORANI: Last one for you. You've been approached by other women in relation to affairs or relations they may have had with the president, is
that the case?
AVENATTI: There have been a number of women that have contacted me in my office with information relating to alleged indiscretions and relationships
that they have with the president. We have not completed out due diligence or verification of the story, so I'm not in the position to confirm or deny
them at this junction.
GORANI: Michael Avenatti, thanks so much for joining us. We really appreciate it.
AVENATTI: Thank you. Appreciate it.
GORANI: Thanks. More to come, my live interview with some student scientists about how they became the victims of a racially motivated
hacking campaign. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:45:13] GORANI: An all-female, all black team in the finals of a NASA science competition, it was a rare sight and it should have been an
inspirational one, and it was for many. But it seems the racist online trolls just couldn't cope with it. These three teenage girls made it to
the final eight of NASA's school contest with their system for purifying drinking water in school fountains. When voting was opened up to the
public, users of online bulletin board 4chan, posted a stream of racist insults. Anonymous users also launched the campaign to hack the results in
favor of a boys' team. NASA said it was forced to close voting on the competition early to quote, "protect the integrity of the results." The
three students in question are joining me now from Washington. Mikayla Sharrieff, India Skinner and Bria Snell. Thanks to all of you for being
here. Just so I'm right, Mikayla, you're in the middle, on the right is India, and on the left is Bria.
First of all, you got to the final stages which is amazing. Talk to us about your actual -- what got you there, your invention. Mikayla.
MIKAYLA SHARRIEFF, STUDENT SCIENTIST: Yes. So we made a water purification system for public school systems. We really wanted to focus
on issues within our community, but with outside communities as well, and so we focused on the water system because for us, water is a big issue with
not only in D.C. but in communities such as Baltimore and Flint, Michigan.
GORANI: And, India, what -- I mean, how many people were in this competition in order for you to get to the final eight? How many teams did
you have to beat out?
INDIA SKINNER, STUDENT SCIENTIST: We're not sure about how many teams competed. We just know that our team and a few of our other peers competed
in the competition within the inclusive incubator in D.C.
GORANI: OK. And I'm going to get to that -- to that part of the -- first of all, talk to us, Bria, about the overall reaction when you got to the
final stages. What was the reaction you've got from your friends, from your school, from your community and people in Washington, in general?
BRIA SNELL, STUDENT SCIENTIST: Well, the overall reaction was amazing. When we first found out, we were all super excited and we told our parents
and we told our (INAUDIBLE) and we also told our school and everyone was super supportive, our community was super supportive and it was just a pile
of all the hard work that we had accomplished.
GORANI: But then there is that -- I mean, the problem with the -- so then you got to the final stages and it was a public voting stage of the
competition. And, Mikayla, when that happened is when you got some negative online comments.
SHARRIEFF: Yes, unfortunately. But however, when they go low, we go high, so we just really focused on being positive or remain positive throughout
the whole process and we had a lot of community outreach and people from all over who are really supporting it.
[15:50:09] GORANI: Right. And I have to say to all three of you the negative online comments unfortunately, when you're in the -- when you're
in the public eye or when you do something remarkable or when you do something like this invention, you know, I cannot tell you the number of
negative comments I get on Twitter and personal attack. But just so you -- hopefully you feel better. A lot of times, you'll have lots or a single
person controlling a hundred or 200 accounts. They're not necessarily representing of the number of people. India, who shared this horrible
thoughts.
India, what -- how do you get passed some of those negative comments? How did you get passed some of those negative comments? Were some of them
hurtful?
SKINNER: I can't control what people say and people are entitled to their own opinion. I just, and myself, and my teammates, we just remain focus on
the goal which is to get to NASA, make collaborations with NASA, and hopefully be able to implement our technology into the communities across
the country.
GORANI: I'll ask you one last one about dealing with the reaction, Bria, to you before I get back to your -- to your invention and to NASA. How did
you react?
SNELL: Well, we just figured that if we just kept remaining positive as we pushes forward and see the end goal basically which is to help support the
communities who show what water filtration. And we're just going to keep remaining positive and optimistic about the entire thing.
GORANI: What happens now? I'll get back to you, Mikayla, and for you, because there -- correct me if I'm wrong, I believe there are eight teams
left in the running?
SHARRIEFF: Yes
GORANI: So what's the next step?
SHARRIEFF: So after this, we will find out from NASA if we won and the winners go to NASA Goddard in Greenbelt and you do a two-day workshop and
you're awarded of $4,000 (INAUDIBLE)
GORANI: OK. So how is it now decided anyone who wants to take this one? Since the online voting and the public voting was shut down because of
tampering and fears of hacking? How will this now be decided?
SHARRIEFF: So now, judges from NASA will pick the final winner of the glove and that's how they'll pick the winner.
GORANI: OK. Now, your invention, is it ready to go? I'll ask -- I'll ask India. Is it functioning now or is it at the prototype stage?
SKINNER: Yes. We're only at the prototype stage, but we hope to after this experience make a real model of it and be able to use it and test run
it in our own school.
GORANI: OK. And I guess the idea is to approach potential manufacturers, right? Companies that can help you make this prototype and your design and
make it a reality. Have you thought already about how you could achieve that, Bria?
SNELL: We've actually started to think about it and we really like hope that people might want to reach out and actually help us implement this
project.
GORANI: Mikayla, when do we know? When do we find out?
SHARRIEFF: In two weeks.
GORANI: OK. You did -- in two weeks we will find -- we will -- the winner will be announced, correct?
SHARRIEFF: Yes.
GORANI: All right. I love your project and it can be used not just in Flint or in Baltimore, all over the world where people have been watching
your interview as well in many parts of the developing world as well.
Thanks very much, Mikayla Sharrieff, India Skinner, and Bria Snell. And great -- and best of luck to you.
Sharrieff: Thank you.
SKINNER: Thank you.
SNELL: Thank you.
GORANI: Thanks. Well, from science to sports, if you like football, this one's for you, but even if you don't, stick around because they may -- this
may just change your views of the stereotypical football interview. Vincent Kompany is the captain of the new English Premier League champions,
Manchester City and he's wade into one of the big football debates of the year who is the best player in the land, and is it Kevin De Bruyne or
Liverpool's Mo Salah? Obviously, if you're the City captain, right? Especially when it was Salah's goal that helped to knock City out of the
UEFA champions league.
But what Kompany told CNN World Sports', Amanda Davies may just surprise you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VINCENT KOMPANY, PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL PLAYER: I'm going to be bias, I'm going to say, yes, of course. But how can you take away from Mo Salah what
he's achieved. And he's an African player which I'm happy about as well. It's important for a lot of -- it's going to have a big impact in this
country and for the continent as well. But Kevin is a master brain of football. And the way he sees and understand the games is beyond what you
can see in terms of ability from any player. And that's why it's difficult to categorize Kevin's performance. I think if you take the full package
and the passes you've seen, the amount of actions he's made this season that were so clever and different from what anyone else would have done
then you would put him on another level, but a lot of the things he does, maybe not even the ones that you will notice.
[15:55:23] AMANDA DAVIES, CNN INTERNATIONAL SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Has he take not winning for player of the year award?
KOMPANY: I'd cry for two days. I'm joking.
DAVIES: For all the success this season, surely you sit there and think, looking at Liverpool in that championship final. That should be asked.
KOMPANY: Yes or no. Liverpool player ever so well - it's not really -- unfortunately, historically couldn't have been two worse picks for the SA
Cup and the Champions League. Liverpool announced it had been difficult traditionally for us. I hope we can change at next season. I believe we
can.
DAVIES: How just the next step happen in terms of the Champions League?
KOMPANY: We were actually impressive in the Champions League equally, it's not more impressive (INAUDIBLE) than in the Premier League.
DAVIES: But it keeps happening, that must be frustrating.
KOMPANY: It keeps happening to every single team except for the winner. OK. Last year, we've lost in the semi-finals against Real Madrid. A few
years ago, it keeps happening, but it's not against no one, you know.
DAVIES: Will you watch the Champions League fun?
KOMPANY: Yes, of course. I like watching football. And, you know, against them, wish them all the best and we'll live to fight another day.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Well, breaking news from the U.S., law enforcements -- our sources are telling CNN police are responding to a shooting at a shopping mall in
Nashville, Tennessee. The shooting is at the Opry Mills Mall. NO details yet on how many people may have been shot. We're working to get you that
information. As soon as we do, we'll bring it you live on CNN. We'll have all the very latest after the break on that hush money paid to Stormy
Daniels, hush money that one of the president's attorneys Rudy Giuliani said was reimbursed to the lawyer who paid the porn star in the first place
by the president. This is something of course that changes the story, substantially.
I'm Hala Gorani, thanks for watching tonight. Stay with CNN. "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
