Anderson Cooper takes viewers beyond the headlines with indepth reporting and investigations. Do it. As you said, he defended his summit with Putin In Helsinki and said the russians are unhappy hes the president of the United States when Vladamir Putin admitted at the summit he wanted donald trump to win. Theres this huge disconnect. We could all feel it in the Briefing Room earlier today and why you saw so many reporters asking that question. Yes, im sure it was very assuring to a lot of americans out there to hear the director of National Intelligence, fbi director, of Homeland Security to say theyre on the case. Looming over everything in the room is the fact the president has said all sorts of things to diminish the russian threat in the past. He just said it could be other countries, not just russia. Thats so opposite what we heard from his top officials at that briefing. And it was just yesterday sarah palin called the investigation into russia a hoax, wasnt it . Thats right. She echoed what the president
saw these things how theyre going to try to stop Russia Meddling in the 2018 midterms. You heard the fbi director and Homeland Security secretary all saying there are these new initiatives and task forces aimed at stopping Cyber Attacks on our democracy. What was missing in all of this was to have the president of the United States, to have an anonymous official to say the president sent them out there. I dont think thats good enough. When the president had this opportunity this evening to say, i did this, i sent these officials out there, we will stop this. He didnt do it. Another opportunity missed . Thanks. Joining us now, max boot and cnn legal and Security Analyst and phil, former senior official at the fbi and cia. It is interesting this
disconnect that took placey the president reit place, the president reiterated in his speech and his officials were so clear in the russia involvement. I think the fact the president continues to acknowledge this is exactly why the intel chiefs had to do this. When you have a threat from a foreign adversary, attack, you need the United States to speaker with one voice and that voice usually comes from the president of the United States, to say, twhois we are, this is what our values are. This is important when there is misinformation, part of the attack is a misinformation campaign. The president , consciously or not, is actually doing putins work for him. He is echoing and amplifying divisive messages putin is hoping to sew and delegitimizing rhetoric. Port of that is to make this public statement. Phil, you worked for the cia
and fbi in your long career. Does it really matter whether or not the president is echoing what the National Security apparatus is saying as long as you have chris wray, dni coats, nielsen, all pointing at russia, saying were aware of this, working on this, doing everything we can to make sure the sanctity of the voting process remains. Timeout, anderson. 95 of the americans couldnt name one of the people who spoke today. Cant name the National Security advisor and cant name the cabinet members. They can name the president of the United States and he has at least two major responsibilities here well beyond the intel that people like me who used to be on the inside would ask him to do. Number one, what is the message to Vladamir Putin after we see this happening only a week after helsinki, the president told Vladamir Putin why dont you visit the white house. I can tell you the consequences on Vladamir Putin are nothing. If the russians continue to
this, the answer to trump is, sure, ill go visit the white house and we dont have to talk about it. One more significant thing, the domestic thing the president has to send, you live in new york, anderson, time and time again they say the new York Police Department and fbi have secret work to do. If you see something say something. The governor and mayor had a message to the people. And the facebook intervention they talked about this week, what has the president said to the American People and who is the messenger to the American People. I dont see one, anderson. Next, if this were so important, should the president have been there or echoed this at least tonight saying, i totally glacier with what my intelligence chief said opposed to saying, talking about a hoax . Of course, anderson but it is clear the president does not agree with what the intelligence chiefs are saying. You saw the clip a few moments
ago he called this a hoax and they are saying this is a major danger to the United States. One of the most revealing lines is when john bolton said, the president has made very clear what his priorities are. By that, i think bolton meant he has a priority focusing on russia. In fact, the president has made very clear his priority is not to focus on the russian threat, he only views this through his political selfinterest. He doesnt care about getting to the root of the russian interference in the 2016 election or in the future, all he cares about is saving his own political skin, which is why he and other senior officials have now taken to referring to the Mueller Probe as a rigged witch hunt delegitimizing the investigation and essentially doing Vladamir Putins work for him. I talked to Michael Hayden and director clapper, all saying having the president be the one on top of all his national
security apparatus directing all of their efforts. We heard from each of these people individually. Chris wray testified in congress what the fbi is doing to try to counterrussia in the upcoming election and dni coats and others express concerns. People who worked in Intelligence Agencies and the fbi all say it is critical for the president to be the one setting the agenda and giving it all a sense of urgency and coordination. Do you agree with that . Absolutely. One of the things after 9 11, in light of the 9 11 commissions recommendations was to break down barriers in terms of sharing intelligence, create the office of the director of National Intelligence in order to bring all these different perspectives these agencies have so that good policy can be made. That is made at the top by the president of the United States. Many things, covert actions abroad, have to be authorized by him in writing with a finding
its important to National Security. So, in many ways, these Agencies Cannot Act effectively without him getting on board and without him creating a coordinated strategy and tell them exactly what he wants them to do. Did it jump out to you that hes not fully wear what happened at the summit or talk about it . Not understanding or having been reliably been briefed by the president exactly what he said to Vladamir Putin, i find that surprising. It is. Let me make this real to you. If there is a conversation between the president and putin about Election Interference and putin makes specific representations about what he will or will not do. Lets take it further, say theres a conversation about syria and russian engagement in syria and putin makes representations to the president. Who will verify what putin says
to the president . The director of the National Intelligence. The dni coming out of helsinki should be saying, putin said this, mr. President and this is what putin said after speaking about russian interference. Instead, what he told us, you just reported to us he doesnt know what happened. I have spoken quite a bit about what happened in helsinki, what do you think about what dni coats said . Its deeply disturbing. This is a president accused very credibly of colluding with russia in 2016. Evidence is piling up including the recent cnn report Michael Cohen is prepared to testify donald trump knew in advance about the meeting between the russians and the Trump Campaign. You have a president suspected of working with russia to affect american democracy. The same president is in an off the record meeting with the russian president where nobody including the National Security knows what happened. This is not diplomacy as usual, very unusual and disturbing and worrisome given the unique vulnerability of donald trump to russian pressure. Thanks very much. Next, the revelation of manaforts trial, not how little money he had but how little he had when he went to work for donald trump, riches to rags tail. And info on butina and her trade craft and how russian intelligence operates in the u. S. Today. Back pain cant win. Now introducing aleve back and muscle pain. Only aleve targets tough pain
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he helped a Bank Executive at bank who gave him a loan to get a job with the Trump Campaign, too. These are the details prosecutors are putting out for the jury. As much as the defense shows the bad guy her exact quote was he approved every penny of everything we paid. Not only that, the bookkeeper describes in details how manafort lied to the banks. Prosecutors show a side by side of documents. One where the book keeper told one bank that manaforts company lost more than 1 million in 2016. Manafort, he sent the same person at that same bank a different Financial Statement saying his Company Actually made 3 million by around the same time period. Prosecutors are priming this jury with a lot of evidence for charges to show he committed tax
fraud, too. And saying now gates will testify. They floated will he or wont they, they werent sure. They finally said they will call gates, today or tomorrow. And will manafort testify . Thats something the judge brought up. They want to bring in evidence manafort was ever audited by the irs. The judge said, if you want that evidence or testimony to come in, it would be much better if Paul Manafort testifies, the next big question. Appreciate it. Still Breaking News what that russian woman arrested for conspiracy and acting as a russian agent, forever she acted as charged and some info on her skillset with politician, a hint, she wasnt exactly subtle. What are you learning . She wasnt exactly subtle. She is innocent until Proven Guilty but an alleged russian spy. She didnt use the kind of Spy Technology we would expect, communicating on twitter and whatsup, with those her own age and older men. She was so flirtatious, men walked away wondering what her ulterior motive was, what she wanted from them. This gives you the various ways moscow runs its influence operation, thats what experts said when i asked about her spy tactics. Look, Vladamir Putin has a number of seasoned operatives he can plant in the u. S. To run operations for him. He also will tap people like maria butina through other people he knows to gain information and access in the u. S. Thats what prosecutors say is going on in this case, anderson. Did she talk about ties to russian intelligence at any point . She did. This is one of the allegations
her. He hasnt fully made these arguments in court but shes back in september and we will hear more in the courtroom. More Breaking News who Robert Mueller wants to talk to now in his investigation, a name that goes back to the russians in the campaign and you might be surprised to it. And news whether the president really wants to sit down with Special Counsel or not. Could there be a method behind the choice legal experts call not a great idea. The legal team weighs in when 360 continues. So what do you guys want . Pistachio. Chocolate chip. Rocky road. I see Whats Going On here. Everybodys got different taste. Well, now verizon lets you mix and match your family unlimited plans so everybody gets the plan they want, without paying for things they dont. Jetsetting moms can videochat from europe. Movieobsessed teens can stream obscure cinema. Its like everyone gets their own flavor of unlimited. chuckles its a metaphor. Simile, not a metaphor. Hm. Well played. vo one family. Different unlimited plans. Starting at 40 per line. Switch now and get 300 off our best phones all on the network you deserve. Two views why that may be and how that may play out by Jeffrey Toobin and biographer, michael dantoni. Do you think the president wants to sit down or part of a strategy . Its probably both. Donald trump is nothing if not selfconfident. Hes testified a lot and given a lot of depositions in civil cases. Hes mostly done better than badly in those cases. Everybody focuses on the tim obrien case in the New York Times but actually done well. Hes never been charged with perjury in what he said in those depositions. He has done well. Most of those cases have wound upsetting rather than going to a resolution. I think hes confident in handling a deposition. I think its part of his brand not to be afraid of anything. I think he wants to be perceived as someone who has nothing to hide and will testify. I think there is really, at least a measure of candor in
what hes saying that he does want to testify. This seems to be how donald trump has approached a lot of situations in his life believing he can if he talks to somebody he can convince them. He can be very charming when he wants to be. Is that something hes had all his life . It absolutely is a quality hes exhibited all of his life. I only found really one example of an interview where he just couldnt bring anybody around, and it was one of the early ones he did with time magazine. He bumped into a reporter who actually reminded me temperamentally what people say about Robert Mueller. He was a pretty upstanding straight ahead guy and trump just couldnt win him over. For the most part, he is able to win people over. He gets them relaxed and charms them and i think he even
surprises them when hes not super aggressive. He could attempt that. As mentioned he has experience testifying in depositions. He even images himself as a lawyer himself he has spent so much time with attorneys he feels expert. If there is an interview with mueller, theres not going to be a judge there. He can filibuster. Youve interviewed the then candidate trump, he talks and talks and that could eat up practically the whole interview. I think he kn