Would he push the country into a constitutional crisis over the investigation of those attacks just to bolster his selfesteem . I know it sounds absurd or at the very least outlandish that a person so powerful might be doing that, but theres new cnn reporting on how President Trumps insecurity over his election victory has made any cabinet level discussion or oval Office Discussion of ongoing russian interference difficult, if not impossible. A Government Official telling the leads jake tapper that it is, quote, like pulling teeth to get the white house to focus on, quote, on the ongoing threat of Russian Election interference. Not what happened in 2016, which the president has still not convincingly accepted, but what could happen in 2020 in terms of foreign interference in the next election. This same official saying to jake tapper, in general, senior white house staff felt it wasnt a good idea to bring up issues related to russia in front of the president. Now, what makes this so startling is that top officials in this administration are well aware of the threat. The warning signs are there. The system is blinking, and it is why i believe we are at a critical point. It was in the months prior to september, 2001, when according to thencia director george tenet, the system was blinking red. And here we are two decade nearly two decades later, and im here to say the warning lights are blinking red again. Today the Digital Infrastructure that serves this country is literally under attack. So of that the director of national intelligence, dan coats, Whose Department handles threat assessment. The department of Homeland Security has a responsibility of civilian cyber defense. And this Government Official, who spoke to jake tapper, says that the dhs tried repeatedly over the last year or so to set up more cabinetlevel meetings on the subject of preventing interference again but, quote, kept getting the heisman, meaning the stiffarm from National Security advisor john bolton and others in the white house. Separately, the New York Times is reporting that acting white house chief of staff Mick Mulvaney told the department of Homeland Security second Kirstjen Nielsen not to bring up the subject in front of President Trump. Im quoting from the times account of a meeting mulvaney made it clear that mr. Trump still equated any public discussion of malign russian activity with questions about the legitimacy of his victory. Now, mr. Mulvaney disputes that, telling the times, quote, i dont recall anything along those lines happening in any meeting. Which is not quite the same as saying it didnt happen, its just saying i didnt recall. The Mueller Report also speaks to that same notion. Volume 2, page 23. Several advisers recall that the president elect recalled stories about his russian connections, the russia investigation and the Intelligence Communitys assessment of russian interference as a threat to the legitimacy of his electoral victory, not to the United States. Hope hicks said that the president elect viewed the Intelligence Communitys assessment as his, quote, achilles heel, unquote, because even if russia had no impact on the election, people would think russia helped him win, taking away from what he had accomplished. That was when he was president elect. According to this new reporting, it still seems to be his achilles heel. Its as if embarrassment over the attack on pearl harbor made it impossible for president roosevelt to fight the Second World War or talk about it realistically or even hear about it from others. Thats where we are tonight. In fact its probably where weve been since before the election. I dont think anybody knows it was russia that broke into the dnc. Shes saying russia, russia, russia. Maybe it was. I mean it could be russia. But it could also be china and lots of other people. It could also be somebody sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds, okay. You dont know who broke into dnc. So that was in september of 2016. We now know one month before that he was reportedly briefed by members of the Intelligence Community that, yes, it was the russians. And here he is nearly two years and several more briefings later from his own intelligence officials saying this in front of Vladimir Putin. My people came to me, dan coats came to me and some others. They said they think its russia. I have president putin. He just said its not russia. I will say this. I dont see any reason why it would be, but i really do want to see the server. I think its a disgrace that we cant get Hillary Clintons 33,000 emails. So i have great confidence in my intelligence people, but i will tell you that president putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today. He later claimed he had messed up a word and didnt really mean that he didnt know why it would be russia. He said that in front of Vladimir Putin right there as you saw after meeting privately with him. We still have no idea what he discussed privately. Its not even clear many of his top officials know for sure either. The president referred to dni dan coats who just issued the warning we played at the top less than a week before that the system was blinking red. The president said what you just heard in response. And even that couldnt stop him from casting doubt on something that every top intelligence official in his own administration considered beyond any doubt. Yet according to all we know from the Mueller Report, the times and our own reporting, they could not mention the subject to him even though they knew the country was under attack. Let that sink in. The commander in chief couldnt be told that the country was susceptible to further attack because not hearing apparently helps the president sleep better at night. Feels better about himself. As for the country, perhaps not so much. More perspective now from colonel ralph peters. Colonel peters, if this reporting is correct that the secretary of Homeland Security was told not to bring up preventing further attacks on the United States to the president of the United States essentially because his ego couldnt handle it, didnt want to hear about russian interference. Well, i think thats the standard line, that this is about 2016, about the legitimacy of his election. Were looking backward, but i believe that donald trump is looking forward to 2020. I mean he can read the poll numbers. Hes not doing well. His negatives are very, very powerful. And if the democrats dont selfdestruct, which they are perfectly capable of doing, hes going to be out of office in early 2021. And think what that means. If he doesnt win reelection, theres not just a new president , anderson, theres a new attorney general, theres a new secretary of the treasury, a new director of the irs, perhaps a new director of the fbi. And once he is out of office, the senators cant help him, even if the republicans maintain the majority in the senate. Hes going to be in the hands of the courts. And it does appear that theres going to be plenty to follow up. If hes not in prison, hell be in the courts for years. So i really believe that donald trump is stonewalling on taking effective measures to prevent our electoral system because he wants russian help. Hed take chinese help. Hed take help from albanian folk singers. He is desperate to win. By the way, if he doesnt win in 2020, youre going to see the ugliest departure from the white house in american history. So what youre saying is, is that its not just about ego, its not just any talk of russian interference he hates because in his opinion it questions the legitimacy of his victory, but youre saying he needs it or wants it to happen again to win . Absolutely. I mean certainly his ego is always involved and he wants 2016 to be seen as legitimate. But what matters to him is reelection. Its becoming desperate. I believe he is afraid for all his bluster and bravado, hes a terrified man. He knows the consequences if he loses in 2020. He knows, because he knows far better than you and i know, far better than Robert Mueller knew, what his exposure is, what his criminal exposure is. Just today documents are transferred from Deutsche Bank. This is going to go on for some time. And i genuinely believe that this is a president who does not care about this country. Its trump first. Its not america first. Its make trump greater, not make America Great again. And i do believe he will do everything he can to prevent our government from stepping in and blocking russian attempts to disrupt and influence the election. Ive talked to trump surrogates about this or people that support the president on this issue and say hes tougher on russia than anybody else. Yes. They always point to, well, look, the fbi is working on stopping russian interference. Homeland security is as well. The secretary of state is as well. Does it matter if the president isnt holding cabinetlevel meetings about this . Does it matter if the president doesnt want to hear about i mean is it ongoing does it make a difference if there was buyin from the president on preventing this, full stop . It makes a profound difference. If the president is excited about something, everybody gets excited about it. You need president ial leadership. You need the president to empower everyone from the from the department of Homeland Security to the intelligence agencies to Work Together to do all they legally can to prevent and interfere with russian attempts to disrupt the election. And to me, it is as clear as can be that trump is sending the signal he doesnt want it to happen. He continues to slow roll sanctions on russia. Still will not criticize Vladimir Putin. I believe, i believe with the firmest conviction i can possibly communicate, that trump will welcome russian help and any other help, but especially russian help in 2020. He is counting on them, because he wants to win this election at any cost, at any cost to our country. Lastly, a few hours ago kim jongun arrived in russia for his first oneonone meeting with putin. I wonder if they have a conversation about President Trump, and i can only imagine what that conversation would be like. Well, i think there would be some laughter. Kim is clearly dating around. But putin has manipulated trump brilliantly. Kim jongun got much of what he wanted and trump got nothing in return. Trumps flabbergasting incompetence is yet another issue. I always come back to the russia issue. You know, if you think back, if you want to look back at 2016 and that statement, when he stood up and said, russia, if youre listening, its as if in 1940 fdr had said, berlin, if youre listening, we need help. Putin is our enemy because he has chosen to be our enemy. He is an inveterate enemy. He wants the United States damaged badly, if not destroyed. He is gleefully disrupting everything he can. And our president is his accessory and assistant. I do want to ask you one last question. Yesterday i talked to paul krugman on the program and one of the things he had written and he talked about it last night on the program was saying that he believes we may not have a functioning democracy in 2020 if the president wins again. Essentially america, as we know it, is under threat. And one of the things i asked him he said if youre not scared, youre not paying attention. Well, i dont think youre going to have to wait to see some of trumps maliciousness. Hes already doing tremendous damage, abetted, by the way, by the Senate Republicans who are amazingly undercutting their own institution and its powers for very shortterm gain. But trump, yes. If trump wins, hell do great damage. But if he loses the election, he is going to call upon his supporters for violence. Theres not going to be a civil war, thats idiocy. But you will see isolated violence on the part of crackpot supporters. He will be clinging to the doors of the white house giving orders to everybody on all sides that the honest people will not obey, career employees will not obey and military will not obey. Anderson, lets check back in in a couple years. And im telling you, its not funny. Its going to be very, very ugly whatever happens. But trump needs to go for the good of this country. And the silence of republicans on capitol hill is extraordinary. The Republican Party that i knew growing up, you know, the party of reagan, i mean thats just its just a dim memory. Yeah. In National Level elections as an adult, ive voted for republicans probably two times out of three. They dont exist anymore. That party is gone. These people are so incredibly craven. And this was the party of patriots. They were going to defend the american alamo to the last round. And the constitution. That was everything. Oh, forget the constitution. They dont i mean theyre shredding it. The constitutional crisis is right now with the republicans in congress preventing congress, doing their best to prevent congress from fulfilling its duty of being a check and balance on the president. And they also allow this president , who has already gone rogue. Its not a question of will he go rogue. He is daily damaging our country at home and abroad. Anderson, i dont get a buzzoff being on tv. The reason im here is i believe deeply we have to speak out. When trump is gone, im gone. Sooner is better than later. Colonel peters, appreciate you being here with us tonight. Thank you. Thank you. Next, colonel peters point on congress confrontation with the president or at least the democrats. Well talk with the democratic member from the Oversight Committee. Next, Hillary Clinton offering her advice to lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Is anybody listening . Well take a look at that just ahead. Also more breaking news. Cnn has learned what the president s bankers are sharing with the authorities. Creep breathe freely fast, with vicks sinex. My congestions gone. I can breathe again ahhhh i can breathe again ughh vicks sinex. Breathe on. Theyre americas bpursuing lifechanging cures. In a country that fosters innovation here, they find breakthroughs. Like a way to fight cancer by arming a patients own tcells. Because its not just about the next breakthrough. 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Right here. Right now. Humira. Into your own little world. K especially these days. dad i think its here. mom vo especially at this age. big sister where are we going . mom vo its a big, beautiful world out there. little sister woah. big sister wow. See that . mom vo sometimes you just need a little help seeing it. vo presenting the allnew threerow subaru ascent. Love is now bigger than ever. Tonights breaking news, our first take on the Mueller Report from Hillary Clinton. In a piece for the Washington Post opinion pages, she has the following advice for congress. Im quoting now. What our country needs now is cleareyed patriotism, not reflexive partisanship. Republicans share the constitutional responsibility to protect the country. She goes on writing congress should hold substantive hearings that build on the Mueller Report and fill in its gaps and not jump straight to an up or down vote on impeachment. In 1998 the Republican House rushed to judgment. That was a mistake then and would be a mistake now. She also mentioned her experience on the watergate impeachment hearings. Joining us is john dean, who was former Nixon White House counsel and also max boot, author of the road not taken, Edward Landsdale and the american tragedy in vietnam. Also steve cortez, a cnn political commentator. Max, just in terms of substance of what secretary clinton is saying, whether or not shes the right voice for it as she herself raises in the piece, the idea that its not a binary choice, either go for impeachment hearings or go to impeachment or do nothing, shes saying theres essentially this middle way. Yeah, i think its basically called kicking the can down the road, anderson. Im not disagreeing with her advice. This is in fact what Speaker Pelosi is choosing to do, to hold these hearings and build up an Evidentiary Base and create popular revulsion against donald trump. Theyre dreaming if they think theres any set of fac