Transcripts For CNNW At This Hour With Kate Bolduan 20191118

One person who clearly is paying close attention is the president himself, as he ramps up his attacks on the witnesses. And with the start of a new week comes what appears to be a new strategy for republicans trying to defend the president. One star witness in all of this is Eu Ambassador Gordon Sondland. The man who changed his testimony after he met behind closed doors with house investigators weeks ago and the man now at the center of the surprise twist of last week. A new phone call. This time, between Gordon Sondland and the president , so loud, were told, that it was overheard at a restaurant by other u. S. Officials. So, a call where the president asks about the investigations, into his political rivals, and a call that sondland did not disclose to investigators. So what is going to happen on capitol hill this week . Lets go there to begin. Cnns manu raju is covering it all. Manu, what are you hearing from there right now . Yeah, a hugely sequential week. Tomorrow will have of high interest tomorrow. Because three people who are testifying tomorrow are actually on that july phone call between President Trump and president zelensky, in which trump urged the ukrainian president to open up those investigations, including into the bidens. And each of those witnesses have Different Levels of concern. Some more serious than others, alexander vindman, for one, raising some significant concerns about the matter, even taking it up to National Security council attorney. Also worried about the implications on National Security. But thats not the same level of concern that tim morrison had, for instance, who also served on the National Security council. Also was on that phone call. He was more concerned about the perception is if the transcript were to leak. Tomorrows testimony will put more pressure on Gordon Sondland, because morrison has already testified that he was told by Gordon Sondland that the president was pushing for those investigations, at the same time as that aide, that military aide had been withheld. Something that sondland did not reveal when he testified behind closed doors earlier. Now, the transcript of morrisons closed door testimony was released over the weekend, and it says this. I want says, a question from adam schiff. Sondland understood his responsibilities to be doing what the president asked him to do. Morrison responded, he related to me he was acting, he was discussing these maerttters wit the president. Schiff asked, and in fact, every time you went to check whether he had in fact talked to the president , you found that he had talk to the president . Yes, sir. So he made sure he was discussing these matters with the president. Sondland is probably the one witness who has talked to the president more than virtually anybody. So how much he reveals on wednesday remains to be seen. And we also learned on friday from an aide at state department, official, david holmes, that he overheard the president speaking with Gordon Sondland, in which they were talking about those investigations and the investigations specifically into the bidens and according to this testimony, Gordon Sondland said the president only cared about the investigations in s into t bidens. This is the take place we obtained on friday night. I heard President Trump ask, so hes going to do the investigation . Ambassador sondland replied hes going to do it, adding that president zelensky will do anything you ask him to. I asked ambassador sondland if it was true that the president did not give an s about ukraine . Ambassador sondland agreed that the president did not give an s about ukraine. And he goes on to testify that the president only cared about the, quote, big stuff. Big stuff meaning the investigation into joe biden, specifically. So well see how much ambassador sondland reveals about that conversation. Other conversations. If he changes his testimony in any way or if he does not recall a number of these conversations like he did earlier behind closed doors. Kate . Big stuff, not meaning the assistance that was long promised and the support of ukraine that has long been u. S. Foreign policy. That, though, not the big stuff. Good to see you, manu. Thank you very much. Joining me right now, samantha vinograd. Cnn legal analyst, elie honig, a former federal and state prosecutor. So we have an entire week. Lets distill it into five minutes. Seriously, there is even more that manu, that manu lays out some of it, theres also the wall street journal, sam, reporting that there are emails now from between sondland and others that show sondland kept officials, including mick mulvaney, apprised of their efforts, his efforts to get ukraine to announce these investigations that he discussed. So what new questions does all of this raise . What does this mean for this week . Well, the mulvaney sondland email angle is quite interesting, kate. The acting chief of staff or chief of staff, his job is to implement the president s guidance. So what were looking for this week is any kind of direct link between what ambassador sondland was doing and the president. The fact that acting chief of staff mulvaney was aware of what sondland was doing really indicates that the president was onboard. Its important to note, these emails predated an official white house phone call. This may be the first quid pro quo or abuse of power linking an official public act, a phone call, with a private need of the president , an investigation. So it narrows the distance between President Trump and ambassador sondland. Ambassador sondland was clearly not a rogue actor who came up with these presumptions about conditionalties on his own. He either had the direction or complicity of acting chief of staff mull vvaney and likely th president. And on its face, the fact that there is now more, several, you could say, significant encounters and details that in a bestcase scenario, Gordon Sondland has forgotten to tell house investigators when he was when he was being interviewed and giving his deposition. What does that mean . Do witnesses, when they come before you, forget . Yes. Yes, people do forget. Yes, but not like this. Not with the president i dont know anybody im sorry, but i dont know anybody who forgets speaking with the president of the united states. Its not a regular thing. Theyre not a frequent caller. So the fact that Gordon Sondland just happened to forget those conversations is highly unusual, kate. A, its the president. B, this is a couple of months ago. This isnt something that happened in the distant past. That is a really good point. This isnt from even 2016 or 2017 or 2018. This was 2019. Yeah. Ive done cases where youre asking witnesses about things that happened three, four monye ago. This is three, four months ago. And now look at pattern with sondland, who has been caught in a pattern of inconsistencies. They all break the same way. He forgets about things that would hurt the president. He omits th s this this restaur call that is really damaging to the president. He forgets initially that there was a quid pro quo, then he has to go back and supplement his testimony and say, actually, there was a quid pro quo. Itty bitty detail there, i proposed it directly. Even a little thing like, i didnt realize that burisma was connected to the bidens. Hes been contradicted on that by various other witnesses. Hes only fudgie ining the trut away. As youre laying it out, that adds to that there is talk that he could come before the committee and plead the fifth. What are the chances of that happening . I dont think its likely, but i think he needs to think hard about it. Because hes got potential exposure here. A, for perjury. If his testimony has been shown to be intentionally false. And like we said, one lie is one thing, but a whole string of them is something else. So he could take it if i was advising him, i would tell him, you should take the fifth. Now, theres optics issues here, right . Its going to look really bad for Gordon Sondland to have an ambassador that is not good. Its going to look terrible for him and for trump. So i dont think hes going to take the fifth, but hes walking a narrow path here. And lets remember, roger stone just got convicted for lying to congress. And sam, a lot of what this weeks testimony is about is the relationship between President Trump and the ambassador. The contact, the direct contact between President Trump and the ambassador. The ambassador calling a president directly while sitting in this restaurant in kyiv and it was so loud that he had to pull the phone away from his ear and thats while others sitting around could hear the president. Im not sitting around calling the president , but maybe you have the opportunity to. How unusual is this . Ambassadors usually dont have a direct line to the president. And when they speak with the president , both the president and the official on the other end of the line use a secure phone or at least an embassy phone to ensure that foreign intelligence officials arent listening, minor detail. Which they goth counterintelligence briefings as did the president they clearly didnt talk about. But they usually dont have a direct line to the president even when they know what theyre doing. Ambassadors input is typically integrated into the National Security councils work and preparation, packaged for the president on a variety of issues. Because ambassadors just represent one piece of the puzzle on an issue like ukraine. And by the way, kate, Gordon Sondland was not confirmed by congress to work on ukraine. Fiona hill said he didnt prep for his own meetings with european officials. And guess what, he wasnt an anticorruption expert. The whole notion that President Trump is really focused on corruption in yuukraine and thi is really about policy is discounted by the fact that the only expert that he regularly engaged with was Gordon Sondland. Yeah, this is all adding up to how, at if very least, fascinating that testimony is. And that is one of eight people who are set to testify. So prepare yourselves. They are, and theyre going to help you understand it. Thank you guys so much. Coming up, President Trump attacking an aide to Vice President mike pence just before she is set to testify on capitol hill. The impact it could have on this witness. A and this weeks impeachment hearings. Plus, a new cnn poll shows mayor Pete Buttigieg leapfrogging over joe biden and Elizabeth Warren in iowa. What is behind this surge to the top . What does help for Heart Failure look like . The beat goes on it looks like emily cooking dinner for ten. The beat goes on it looks like jonathan on a date with his wife. Ladiladidi entresto is a Heart Failure medicine that helps your heart, so you can keep on doing what you love. Entresto helped people stay alive and out of the hospital. Heart failure can change the structure of your heart, so it may not work as well. Entresto helps improve your hearts ability to pump blood to the body. Dont take entresto if pregnant; it can cause harm or death to an unborn baby. Dont take entresto with an ace inhibitor or aliskiren, or if youve had angioedema with an ace or arb. The most serious side effects are angioedema, low blood pressure, kidney problems, or high blood potassium. The beat goes on ask your doctor about entresto for Heart Failure. Ask your doctor about entresto for Heart Failure yeah entrust your heart to entresto. The beat goes on man 1 vo proof of less joint pain woman 1 oc this is my body of proof. And clearer skin. Man 2 vo proof that i can fight psoriatic arthritis. Woman 2 vo . With humira. Woman 3 vo humira targets and blocks a specific source of inflammation that contributes to both joint and skin symptoms. Its proven to help relieve pain, stop further irreversible joint damage, and clear skin in many adults. Humira is the number one prescribed biologic for psoriatic arthritis. Avo humira can lower your ability to fight infections. Serious and sometimes fatal infections, including tuberculosis, and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened, as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening Heart Failure. Tell your doctor if youve been to areas where certain fungal infections are common and if youve had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flulike symptoms or sores. Dont start humira if you have an infection. Man 3 vo ask your rheumatologist about humira. Woman 4 vo go to humira. Com to see proof in action. Capitol hill is bracing for a flurry of new testimony as week two begins of the public impeachment hearings. And one person who seems to be quite close attention is President Trump, spending yesterday and today attacking some of the witnesses, taking aim specifically at Jennifer Williams, a Longtime State Department employee, currently detailed to Vice President pences team. The president calling her a nevertrumper on twitter. And an Important Note here. Williams closeddoor testimony was released over the weekend, during which she called the president s july 25th call with ukraine, quote, unusual and inappropriate. And an even more Important Note, i guess we would argue, Donald Trumps attack comes as she is slated to testify publicly tomorrow. Cnns Boris Sanchez joins me now. Boris, this clearly is not the first time the president s attacked the witnesses in this inquiry. Many of them, though, still working for the government, like Jennifer Williams. Some in the white house. What is the white house saying about this . Well, kate, effectively, the white house is saying that these tweets speak for themselves. A spokesperson for Vice President mike pence, who Jennifer Williams works for, put out a very short statement to cnn over the weekend, saying, simply, quote, Jennifer Williams is a state department employee. Obviously trying to downplay her role as an adviser to the Vice President. President trump, obviously, unhappy with her closeddoor testimony, in which she said that his call with president zelensky of ukraine was unusual and inappropriate. The president yet again referring to her, as he has previously to others, a nevertrumper without evidence. And its a good bet that President Trump will likely return to these attacks again later this week, given who is slated to testify publicly. Not only Jennifer Williams, but Lieutenant Colonel alexander vindman, Gordon Sondland on wednesday, fiona hill on thursday. The president likely to be unhappy with their public testimony. Notably all of this is happening as President Trump on twitter says that he may soon testify as well. The president responding to a statement from House Speaker nancy pelosi over the weekend. The president writing on twitter that he likes the idea and will, in order to get congress focused again, strongly consider testifying publicly. This would be a shock if it actually happened, kate. Lets not forget that President Trump repeatedly talked about sitting for an interview with Robert Mueller during the russia investigation. Its something that he said he was looking forward to doing before ultimately showing that it was just bluster and declining to do so, kate. I was going to say, ask Robert Mueller how well that worked out. Reporter right. Great to see you, boris. Thank you very much joining me right now for much more, josh getter, hes a former top counterterrorism official who served on president obamas National Security council and briefly on President Trumps. Thanks for coming in, josh. Youve worked inside a white house. What do you say to the fact that the Vice President s office, when it comes to Jennifer Williams and the withering criticism she is facing from inside the white house, from the Vice President , the fact that the Vice President s office, theyre not coming to her defense. And at least to this point, neither is the state department. Its just unfathomable me to. I remember very concretely going to interview to work at the National Security counsel, as the white house. I was a Justice Department lawyer, and i remember the National Security councils Legal Adviser saying to me, if you come here, can you be of service to the president , to the white house . Youre not here to voice positions for the Eu Ambassador<\/a> Gordon Sondland<\/a>. The man who changed his testimony after he met behind closed doors with house investigators weeks ago and the man now at the center of the surprise twist of last week. A new phone call. This time, between Gordon Sondland<\/a> and the president , so loud, were told, that it was overheard at a restaurant by other u. S. Officials. So, a call where the president asks about the investigations, into his political rivals, and a call that sondland did not disclose to investigators. So what is going to happen on capitol hill this week . Lets go there to begin. Cnns manu raju is covering it all. Manu, what are you hearing from there right now . Yeah, a hugely sequential week. Tomorrow will have of high interest tomorrow. Because three people who are testifying tomorrow are actually on that july phone call between President Trump<\/a> and president zelensky, in which trump urged the ukrainian president to open up those investigations, including into the bidens. And each of those witnesses have Different Levels<\/a> of concern. Some more serious than others, alexander vindman, for one, raising some significant concerns about the matter, even taking it up to National Security<\/a> council attorney. Also worried about the implications on National Security<\/a>. But thats not the same level of concern that tim morrison had, for instance, who also served on the National Security<\/a> council. Also was on that phone call. He was more concerned about the perception is if the transcript were to leak. Tomorrows testimony will put more pressure on Gordon Sondland<\/a>, because morrison has already testified that he was told by Gordon Sondland<\/a> that the president was pushing for those investigations, at the same time as that aide, that military aide had been withheld. Something that sondland did not reveal when he testified behind closed doors earlier. Now, the transcript of morrisons closed door testimony was released over the weekend, and it says this. I want says, a question from adam schiff. Sondland understood his responsibilities to be doing what the president asked him to do. Morrison responded, he related to me he was acting, he was discussing these maerttters wit the president. Schiff asked, and in fact, every time you went to check whether he had in fact talked to the president , you found that he had talk to the president . Yes, sir. So he made sure he was discussing these matters with the president. Sondland is probably the one witness who has talked to the president more than virtually anybody. So how much he reveals on wednesday remains to be seen. And we also learned on friday from an aide at state department, official, david holmes, that he overheard the president speaking with Gordon Sondland<\/a>, in which they were talking about those investigations and the investigations specifically into the bidens and according to this testimony, Gordon Sondland<\/a> said the president only cared about the investigations in s into t bidens. This is the take place we obtained on friday night. I heard President Trump<\/a> ask, so hes going to do the investigation . Ambassador sondland replied hes going to do it, adding that president zelensky will do anything you ask him to. I asked ambassador sondland if it was true that the president did not give an s about ukraine . Ambassador sondland agreed that the president did not give an s about ukraine. And he goes on to testify that the president only cared about the, quote, big stuff. Big stuff meaning the investigation into joe biden, specifically. So well see how much ambassador sondland reveals about that conversation. Other conversations. If he changes his testimony in any way or if he does not recall a number of these conversations like he did earlier behind closed doors. Kate . Big stuff, not meaning the assistance that was long promised and the support of ukraine that has long been u. S. Foreign policy. That, though, not the big stuff. Good to see you, manu. Thank you very much. Joining me right now, samantha vinograd. Cnn legal analyst, elie honig, a former federal and state prosecutor. So we have an entire week. Lets distill it into five minutes. Seriously, there is even more that manu, that manu lays out some of it, theres also the wall street journal, sam, reporting that there are emails now from between sondland and others that show sondland kept officials, including mick mulvaney, apprised of their efforts, his efforts to get ukraine to announce these investigations that he discussed. So what new questions does all of this raise . What does this mean for this week . Well, the mulvaney sondland email angle is quite interesting, kate. The acting chief of staff or chief of staff, his job is to implement the president s guidance. So what were looking for this week is any kind of direct link between what ambassador sondland was doing and the president. The fact that acting chief of staff mulvaney was aware of what sondland was doing really indicates that the president was onboard. Its important to note, these emails predated an official white house phone call. This may be the first quid pro quo or abuse of power linking an official public act, a phone call, with a private need of the president , an investigation. So it narrows the distance between President Trump<\/a> and ambassador sondland. Ambassador sondland was clearly not a rogue actor who came up with these presumptions about conditionalties on his own. He either had the direction or complicity of acting chief of staff mull vvaney and likely th president. And on its face, the fact that there is now more, several, you could say, significant encounters and details that in a bestcase scenario, Gordon Sondland<\/a> has forgotten to tell house investigators when he was when he was being interviewed and giving his deposition. What does that mean . Do witnesses, when they come before you, forget . Yes. Yes, people do forget. Yes, but not like this. Not with the president i dont know anybody im sorry, but i dont know anybody who forgets speaking with the president of the united states. Its not a regular thing. Theyre not a frequent caller. So the fact that Gordon Sondland<\/a> just happened to forget those conversations is highly unusual, kate. A, its the president. B, this is a couple of months ago. This isnt something that happened in the distant past. That is a really good point. This isnt from even 2016 or 2017 or 2018. This was 2019. Yeah. Ive done cases where youre asking witnesses about things that happened three, four monye ago. This is three, four months ago. And now look at pattern with sondland, who has been caught in a pattern of inconsistencies. They all break the same way. He forgets about things that would hurt the president. He omits th s this this restaur call that is really damaging to the president. He forgets initially that there was a quid pro quo, then he has to go back and supplement his testimony and say, actually, there was a quid pro quo. Itty bitty detail there, i proposed it directly. Even a little thing like, i didnt realize that burisma was connected to the bidens. Hes been contradicted on that by various other witnesses. Hes only fudgie ining the trut away. As youre laying it out, that adds to that there is talk that he could come before the committee and plead the fifth. What are the chances of that happening . I dont think its likely, but i think he needs to think hard about it. Because hes got potential exposure here. A, for perjury. If his testimony has been shown to be intentionally false. And like we said, one lie is one thing, but a whole string of them is something else. So he could take it if i was advising him, i would tell him, you should take the fifth. Now, theres optics issues here, right . Its going to look really bad for Gordon Sondland<\/a> to have an ambassador that is not good. Its going to look terrible for him and for trump. So i dont think hes going to take the fifth, but hes walking a narrow path here. And lets remember, roger stone just got convicted for lying to congress. And sam, a lot of what this weeks testimony is about is the relationship between President Trump<\/a> and the ambassador. The contact, the direct contact between President Trump<\/a> and the ambassador. The ambassador calling a president directly while sitting in this restaurant in kyiv and it was so loud that he had to pull the phone away from his ear and thats while others sitting around could hear the president. Im not sitting around calling the president , but maybe you have the opportunity to. How unusual is this . Ambassadors usually dont have a direct line to the president. And when they speak with the president , both the president and the official on the other end of the line use a secure phone or at least an embassy phone to ensure that foreign intelligence officials arent listening, minor detail. Which they goth counterintelligence briefings as did the president they clearly didnt talk about. But they usually dont have a direct line to the president even when they know what theyre doing. Ambassadors input is typically integrated into the National Security<\/a> councils work and preparation, packaged for the president on a variety of issues. Because ambassadors just represent one piece of the puzzle on an issue like ukraine. And by the way, kate, Gordon Sondland<\/a> was not confirmed by congress to work on ukraine. Fiona hill said he didnt prep for his own meetings with european officials. And guess what, he wasnt an anticorruption expert. The whole notion that President Trump<\/a> is really focused on corruption in yuukraine and thi is really about policy is discounted by the fact that the only expert that he regularly engaged with was Gordon Sondland<\/a>. Yeah, this is all adding up to how, at if very least, fascinating that testimony is. And that is one of eight people who are set to testify. So prepare yourselves. They are, and theyre going to help you understand it. Thank you guys so much. Coming up, President Trump<\/a> attacking an aide to Vice President<\/a> mike pence just before she is set to testify on capitol hill. The impact it could have on this witness. A and this weeks impeachment hearings. Plus, a new cnn poll shows mayor Pete Buttigieg<\/a> leapfrogging over joe biden and Elizabeth Warren<\/a> in iowa. What is behind this surge to the top . What does help for Heart Failure<\/a> look like . The beat goes on it looks like emily cooking dinner for ten. The beat goes on it looks like jonathan on a date with his wife. Ladiladidi entresto is a Heart Failure<\/a> medicine that helps your heart, so you can keep on doing what you love. Entresto helped people stay alive and out of the hospital. Heart failure can change the structure of your heart, so it may not work as well. Entresto helps improve your hearts ability to pump blood to the body. Dont take entresto if pregnant; it can cause harm or death to an unborn baby. Dont take entresto with an ace inhibitor or aliskiren, or if youve had angioedema with an ace or arb. The most serious side effects are angioedema, low blood pressure, kidney problems, or high blood potassium. The beat goes on ask your doctor about entresto for Heart Failure<\/a>. Ask your doctor about entresto for Heart Failure<\/a> yeah entrust your heart to entresto. The beat goes on man 1 vo proof of less joint pain woman 1 oc this is my body of proof. And clearer skin. Man 2 vo proof that i can fight psoriatic arthritis. Woman 2 vo . With humira. Woman 3 vo humira targets and blocks a specific source of inflammation that contributes to both joint and skin symptoms. Its proven to help relieve pain, stop further irreversible joint damage, and clear skin in many adults. Humira is the number one prescribed biologic for psoriatic arthritis. Avo humira can lower your ability to fight infections. Serious and sometimes fatal infections, including tuberculosis, and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened, as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening Heart Failure<\/a>. Tell your doctor if youve been to areas where certain fungal infections are common and if youve had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flulike symptoms or sores. Dont start humira if you have an infection. Man 3 vo ask your rheumatologist about humira. Woman 4 vo go to humira. Com to see proof in action. Capitol hill is bracing for a flurry of new testimony as week two begins of the public impeachment hearings. And one person who seems to be quite close attention is President Trump<\/a>, spending yesterday and today attacking some of the witnesses, taking aim specifically at Jennifer Williams<\/a>, a Longtime State Department<\/a> employee, currently detailed to Vice President<\/a> pences team. The president calling her a nevertrumper on twitter. And an Important Note<\/a> here. Williams closeddoor testimony was released over the weekend, during which she called the president s july 25th call with ukraine, quote, unusual and inappropriate. And an even more Important Note<\/a>, i guess we would argue, Donald Trumps<\/a> attack comes as she is slated to testify publicly tomorrow. Cnns Boris Sanchez<\/a> joins me now. Boris, this clearly is not the first time the president s attacked the witnesses in this inquiry. Many of them, though, still working for the government, like Jennifer Williams<\/a>. Some in the white house. What is the white house saying about this . Well, kate, effectively, the white house is saying that these tweets speak for themselves. A spokesperson for Vice President<\/a> mike pence, who Jennifer Williams<\/a> works for, put out a very short statement to cnn over the weekend, saying, simply, quote, Jennifer Williams<\/a> is a state department employee. Obviously trying to downplay her role as an adviser to the Vice President<\/a>. President trump, obviously, unhappy with her closeddoor testimony, in which she said that his call with president zelensky of ukraine was unusual and inappropriate. The president yet again referring to her, as he has previously to others, a nevertrumper without evidence. And its a good bet that President Trump<\/a> will likely return to these attacks again later this week, given who is slated to testify publicly. Not only Jennifer Williams<\/a>, but Lieutenant Colonel<\/a> alexander vindman, Gordon Sondland<\/a> on wednesday, fiona hill on thursday. The president likely to be unhappy with their public testimony. Notably all of this is happening as President Trump<\/a> on twitter says that he may soon testify as well. The president responding to a statement from House Speaker<\/a> nancy pelosi over the weekend. The president writing on twitter that he likes the idea and will, in order to get congress focused again, strongly consider testifying publicly. This would be a shock if it actually happened, kate. Lets not forget that President Trump<\/a> repeatedly talked about sitting for an interview with Robert Mueller<\/a> during the russia investigation. Its something that he said he was looking forward to doing before ultimately showing that it was just bluster and declining to do so, kate. I was going to say, ask Robert Mueller<\/a> how well that worked out. Reporter right. Great to see you, boris. Thank you very much joining me right now for much more, josh getter, hes a former top counterterrorism official who served on president obamas National Security<\/a> council and briefly on President Trump<\/a>s. Thanks for coming in, josh. Youve worked inside a white house. What do you say to the fact that the Vice President<\/a> s office, when it comes to Jennifer Williams<\/a> and the withering criticism she is facing from inside the white house, from the Vice President<\/a> , the fact that the Vice President<\/a> s office, theyre not coming to her defense. And at least to this point, neither is the state department. Its just unfathomable me to. I remember very concretely going to interview to work at the National Security<\/a> counsel, as the white house. I was a Justice Department<\/a> lawyer, and i remember the National Security<\/a> councils Legal Adviser<\/a> saying to me, if you come here, can you be of service to the president , to the white house . Youre not here to voice positions for the Justice Department<\/a>. You are here to serve. And i said, of course, that is the understanding we all bring to that office. And yet here, you have the white house trying to distance itself from somebody who showed up to serve by trying to demean or diminish her as a state department employee. Yeah, and you combine this attack of Jennifer Williams<\/a> with what the president said about the former ambassador, marie yovanovitch. What impact do these attacks what impact do you think these attacks have on these officials who are about to testify . It has to be intimidating. As much as we all have in some ways gotten used to this type of rhetoric from the president , hes still the president. And putting myself in their shoes, to think that the president of the united states, my boss, as it were, but also the most powerful man on earth, is personally attacking me, as i try to do really a citizens duty, show up before the u. S. Congress, speak the truth, that has got to have some intimidating effect. And broaden this out a step, josh. This isnt about just these people who are being called to testify, this is about all of the federal employees, the officials, the aides who are watching this play out and also still tasked with carrying out the president s Foreign Policy<\/a> agenda. I mean, what is the impact there . This president is leaving a path of devastation through the federal workforce. Thats in part the ukraine story. Him taking Foreign Policy<\/a> out of the normal channels, out of the hands of professionals and experts, and instead using it, abusing it for his own purposes. But now even as there is an inquiry into all of that, hes doing the same thing again. He is diminishing, demeaning, insulting those who are Public Servants<\/a> who sha s who are tryi their duty in not just testifying before congress, but for those of their careers, just going about their jobs as state department or Intelligence Community<\/a> or Law Enforcement<\/a> officials. And there will be so much rebuilding of moral and of bureaucracy and of culture to do in the wake of this. Yeah, and you wrote about this last week. This is not normal, not normal behavior by Public Servants<\/a>. Not normal disagreements within policy making process. Not normal at all. It was a really good read. Thanks for coming in. Always appreciate getting your expertise on this. Thanks, josh. Thank you, kate. Coming up for us, we are now in the second week, of course, of the houses public impeachment hearings of President Trump<\/a>. And also, lets say, number, i have lost count, of the defenses of the president coming from house republicans. Where they now land and what that means. Thats next. S a company thats d to even more real people than me jd power. 448,134 to be exact. They answered 410 questions in 8 categories about vehicle quality. And when they were done, chevy earned more j. D. 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You can transfer your Service Online<\/a> in about a minute. You can do that . Yeah. And with twohour Service Appointment<\/a> windows, its all on your schedule. Awesome. So while moving may still come with its share of headaches. No kidding. Were doing all we can to make moving simple, easy, awesome. Go to xfinity. Com moving to get started. Were following some breaking news just coming in now from capitol hill. The house now investigating whether President Trump<\/a> lied to special counsel Robert Mueller<\/a> in his written answers with regard to the russia investigation. Let me bring in jessica schneider. Shes pulling together the details as this is coming in. This is all coming out of arguments that happened earlier this morning at the d. C. Circuit court. This is the Appellate Court<\/a> here in washington, d. C. And it really does point to the potentially broadening scope of this impeachment inquiry. So the general counsel for the house of representatives went before the court and they are arguing to get even more information from the mueller investigation. They want specifically the information that was given to the grand jury. But in making this argument to the judge, the house general counsel really making a significantly statement here, saying that the house of representatives is now investigating whether President Trump<\/a> lied to special counsel Robert Mueller<\/a>, when they told Robert Mueller<\/a> in written answers that were submitted, i think, just about a year ago, about the extent of the president s knowledge about wikileaks. So, the house of representatives now investigating whether the president lied in those written answers to Robert Mueller<\/a>. Now, youll remember that this is all coming out in the wake of roger stone being found guilty last week on seven counts, including lying to congress and witness tampering. And in that trial, significant information came out from rick gates, the Deputy Campaign<\/a> chairman at the time during the campaign, as well as steve bannon, about what the president and Campaign Aides<\/a> knew at the time of these wikileaks releases. And there was one specific conversation that was recounted by rick gates, that in july 2016, the then candidate trump took a phone call from roger stone and when he got off the phone call, the president apparently said that he indicated more information would be coming from wikileaks. So this is all something that the house of representatives, kate, now wants to know more about, so they can determine if, in fact, the president potentially lied on his written answers about what he knew about wikileaks to Robert Mueller<\/a>, the special counsel. So a lot of this unfolding in really rapid secession. And also seeing how things are playing against each other. We saw the roger stone trial, but it now turns out that that trial and whats come out from it could really factor into this potentially broadening impeachment inquiry here, kate . Fascinating, the paths, that kind of very recent past, could impact this very near future. And it looks like it is. Jessica, thank you very much. A lot more to come out from that. I appreciate you bringing me the breaking news. Let me bring in right now democratic congressman jamie raskin of maryland. Hes on house judiciary and oversight committees, of course. Congressman, can i just get your reaction to what my colleague jessica is reporting right there. That now youve got house the houses general counsel telling in a d. C. Court that theyre now investigating whether President Trump<\/a> lied to special counsel Robert Mueller<\/a> . Well, kate, of course, its a crime to lie to federal prosecutors in the course of a federal proceeding. Thats perjury. It was also the basis for the gopcontrolled houses impeachment of bill clinton for lying under oath, for committing perjury. And its obviously something e that we take seriously. We take seriously the integrity of this entire process, which is why weve been frustrated by the white houses continuing attempts to blockade witnesses and to intimidate witnesses and to prevent us from getting all of the evidence to which the constitution entitles us. But congressman, how does this could this fit into the question of impeachment that were looking at right now . Well, obstruction of justice has been an independent article of impeachment in every modern impeachment case. So, essentially, there are underlying offenses. And then there is the obstruction of the process itself, which becomes an independent offense. In other words, say the president is found guilty or is found likely to have conducted this ukraine shakedown, trying to extract political dirt from a Foreign Government<\/a> or trying to get the president of ukraine to make his statement about the bidens and so on. But then, if the president goes on to try to blockade witnesses in the process or intimidate witnesses, that becomes a separate count in the articles of impeachment. Now and thats your and that is your committee, who eventually will be writing up the if there are, the articles of the charges, the articles of impeachment. Would is your what im not clear on the reporting so far, and this is obviously coming in, is this is coming from the houses general counsel, saying that the house is investigating, is it one of the committees that youre on thats investigating this . Judiciary or oversight . Well, yes, the special counsel, mueller in his report to congress, which the Judiciary Committee<\/a> received and investigated, has ten different episodes, precisely of obstruction of justice, witness tampering and so on. And the president committing perjury in the process of the investigation would be another article under the obstruction of justice, or it could be i mean, it could be another point under that, or it could be a separate article. None of that has been decided yet. And again, were still the Judiciary Committee<\/a> is still waiting to receive all of the factual evidence. The factual evidence is still ongoing with the ukraine episode. Yeah, a lot of the past coming back to the present in very realtime. Let me ask you about the present, which is a very big week that will be coming, of eight witnesses that are scheduled to testify in the public impeachment hearings. One thing that we have seen over time is the evolving strategy that ive seen from some weve all seen from some republicans and how they are defending the president against impeachment. And i wanted to get your take on what you say to what weve heard from top house republicans, just over the weekend. Either, it ranged from congressman turner saying the call was bad, but not impeachable. And other members of other republican members saying, well, ukraine eventually got the money and ukraine never launched the investigation, so essentially, no harm, no foul. Yes. Well, theyre throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. So far, nothings sticking. The latter argument is absurd on its face. Essentially theyre saying, because the president got caught, because the whistleblower came forward and congress launched an investigation, and therefore they let the money go, there was no crime. But thats like a bank robber saying, you know, on the threshold of leaving the bank with a bag of money, who gets caught by the security guards, oh, well, you know, no harm, no foul. Alls well that ends well. You guys stopped me, there was no crime. So essentially what theyre doing is theyre admitting to attempted extortion, attempted bribery. That doesnt improve the proposition, especially with the perpetrator who seems overwhelmingly likely to try it again. After all, donald trump right after special counsel mueller testified, felt somehow that he was operating with impunity and went right forward to create the whole ukrainians caper. Congressman, thanks for coming in. A lot of moving parts today already, and its not even begun. I really appreciate it. My pleasure. Coming up for us, a new cnn poll showing south bend mayor, Pete Buttigieg<\/a>, is the new frontrunner in iowa. What this means for his campaign and the rest of the 2020 field now that hes less than three months out from iowa. Hi honey, we got in early. Yeah, and we brought steve and mark. Experience the power of sanctuary at the lincoln wish list sales event. Sign and drive off in a new lincoln with zero down, zero due at signing, and a complimentary first months payment. But maybe not for people with rheumatoid arthritis. Because there are options. Like an unjection\u2122. Xeljanz xr, a oncedaily pill for adults with moderate to severe ra for whom methotrexate did not work well enough. Xeljanz xr can reduce pain, swelling and further joint damage, even without methotrexate. Xeljanz can lower your ability to fight infections like tb; dont start xeljanz if you have an infection. Taking a higher than recommended dose of xeljanz for ra can increase risk of death. Serious, sometimes fatal infections, cancers including lymphoma, and blood clots have happened. As have tears in the stomach or intestines, serious allergic reactions, and changes in lab results. Tell your doctor if youve been somewhere fungal infections are common, or if youve had tb, hepatitis b or c, or are prone to infections. Needles. Fine for some. But for you, one pill a day may provide symptom relief. Ask your doctor about xeljanz xr. An unjection\u2122. Of millions of americans during the recession. So, my wife kat and i took action. We started a Nonprofit Community<\/a> bank with a simple theory give people a fair deal and real economic power. Invest in the community, in businesses owned by women and people of color, in affordable housing. The difference between words and actions matters. Thats a lesson politicians in washington could use right now. Im tom steyer, and i approve this message. On the ground for weeks, ive been feeling that theres more and more support. Ive been feeling momentum. That was what Pete Buttigieg<\/a> had to say following big news out of iowa. A new cnn Des Moines Register<\/a> poll showing the south bend with, indiana mayor now has a commanding lead in the state with 25 support among likely democratic caucusgoers. A 16 jump from september, which means, as you see there, bernie sanders, Elizabeth Warren<\/a>, and joe biden are now fighting it out for second place. What does this mean with the caucuses less than three months away . Joining me right now, former Campaign Manager<\/a> for president obama, jim messina. Its good to see you, jim. Good to see you too, kate. So, iowa was the launching pad for obama in 2008. Leaning on all of that past experience, what do you think when you see these numbers that came out . For buttigieg, less than three months to iowa. Yeah, were 77 shopping days left before the iowa caucuses. And if youre going to peak, you want to start peaking now. And its clearly a very good moment for the mayor and, you know, he hit regardless of what happens in the polls, kate, hes the breakout star of this primary process. If you would have told me a guy whos only other National Experience<\/a> is losing a race for dnc chairman would be leading in iowa, i would be really surprised, but he is. That said, lets slow our roll here. Hes the fifth candidate to lead at least one poll in iowa. In the early state polls, where its came out over the weekend, have him way down in the early states. Hes in fourth or fifth total. And you have biden and warren kind of leading the pack. So i think its a very big moment for him. I think hes absolutely got to win iowa to catch fire here. But i also think were still a long ways away. But, looking at the polls, you have a chance that biden is still leading in national polling. And leading in nevada and South Carolina<\/a> and could lose the first two nominating states. If youre involved in bidens campaign right now, how big of a problem is that . I think its a real concern. No ones ever lost the first two states and gone to become the democratic nominee for president. That said, the democrats have changed their electoral calendar and weve moved a bunch of states up early. And iowa is probably less important than it used to be. Because so many states are right after iowa. Early voting in california and texas starts right after the iowa caucuses. And so you really do want to be a more national candidate, which is a big advantage to candidates like joe biden and Elizabeth Warren<\/a>. Do you see i mean, less than three months after iowa, do you see the do you see it changing dramatically . I was looking back at obama we were looking back at obama in 08, and it was a steady trend up, right . It was a steady rise and he was doing that last poll, he was up in iowa. And thats the trend that youre seeing with Pete Buttigieg<\/a>. I mean, do you see smart money that this is going to wildly change in terms of whos on top before iowa . Yeah, i think smart money is on it kind of jumping all around, kate. First of all, sadly for the democrats, we dont have another barack obama in this field. And i think the better analogy is 2004, when at this moment, like 70 days before the iowa caucus, john kerry was in sixth place in the polls and ended up winning the iowa caucus. I think youll see this race bump all over the place, because the single most important factor to democrats is who can beat donald trump. And in that polling, you know, mayor pete isnt in the top three or four. People do have concerns about whether or not he can win a i think democrats are going to hold their fire here especially in iowa and New Hampshire<\/a> and really look at this thing. And i think youll continue to see the race jump around a little bit. And as you know, weve got one or two new candidates in the field in the past ten days. This thing still feels to me to be very up in the air. And theres a long way to go. Jim, its good to see you, thanks for coming in. My pleasure. Thanks, kate. Talk to you soon. Coming up for us, one of those people that jims talking about right there, former new york city mayor Michael Bloomberg<\/a>. He hasnt yet officially jumped into the 2020 race, but he is jumping into a controversial issue from his past. That is next. This one grows fuel. Exxonmobil is growing algae for biofuels. That could one day power planes, propel ships, and fuel trucks. And cut their Greenhouse Gas<\/a> emissions in half. Algae. Its potential just keeps growing. Many studies show that too much screen time is unhealthy for kids, but this weeks top ten cnn hero is teaming up with hospitals to actually make screen time healing time. Watch. Suiting up sometimes people believe that video games are corrupting the minds of americas youth. But, video games are incredible tool for helping kids find a source of fun and relief during really stressful and difficult times. To people who think that games are just games, theyre so much more than that. Nice. Thats all you. You dont have to talk about me being sick. We can play the game. Because thats way more cool than having to talk about me being sick. Go to cnnheros. Com to vote for zack weigel for cnn hero of the year or any of your favorite top ten heros. Well be right back. Wanted som. Yeah, and he wanted someone to help out with chores. So, we got jeanpierre. But one thing we could both agree on was getting geico to help with renters insurance. Yeah, geico did make it easy to switch and save. Oh no. Theres a wall there now. Thats too bad. Visit geico. Com and see how easy saving on renters insurance can be. Wwithout it, i cannot write myl tremors wouldname. Xtreme. I was diagnosed with parkinsons. I had to retire from Law Enforcement<\/a>. It was devastating. One of my medications is three thousand dollars per month. Prescription drugs do not work if you cannot afford them. For sixty years, aarp has been fighting for people like larry. And we wont stop. Join us in fighting for whats right. Former new york city mayor Michael Bloomberg<\/a> hasnt officially jumped into the 2020 president ial race, but he sure sounds like hes getting ready to do so, not only getting his name on the ballot in some primary states, but now hes making a reversal in one of the most controversial positions as mayor of new york, apologizing bluntly for this stop and frisk policy that violated the Constitutional Rights<\/a> of racial minorities. Listen to this. I got something important really wrong. I didnt understand that back then, the full impact that stops were having a the black and latino communities. I was totally focused on saving lives, but as we know, good intentions arent good enough. Will that be enough for democratic voters if bloomberg gets in the race . We may soon find out. Joining me right now is former mayor of philadelphia. Jonathan nutter is now talking about campaigns funded by philanthropic organizations. Welcome. What did you think about what mayor bloomberg said yesterday . I thought it was bold. It was certainly heartfelt. It takes a lot for a public official or former public official of high visibility to admit that something you did or an action that you took was wrong. And to admit it in public and to say that youre sorry. Thats a sign of great leadership and a person who has obviously been reflecting on his time in office and the impact that some of his policies or anybodys policies might have on other people. I thought it was quite admirable and certainly appreciated. I know youve seen this since. Hes faced a lot of pushback since his remarks yesterday. Mayor de blasio calling it a death bed conversion, that the mayor would never have done this if it western frent for him pr to run. What theyre getting at is the criticism is not sincere. Do you see that . One thing i know about Mike Bloomberg<\/a> is he is actually a very sincere and thoughtful person. He did not, i dont think, i havent talked to him, but hes not the kind of guy that i think woke up on saturday and said, hey, i suddenly realize i was wrong about this particular policy. He is a thoughtful, reflective person. Its to be expected that people would criticize but recently he was still defending his position on that policy recently, and thats why folks are pointing to, politically speaking, it looked like he turned on a dime. Well, i think the most important thing here is that he did say it. It doesnt often happen. Some people actually double or triple down on whatever their position had been in the past because theyre unable to actually say that they made a mistake and that theyre sorry. So, you know, well see where things go from here. I dont think this is a one and done, but all of us, i think, you know, have made whatever mistakes weve made and many people do believe in redemption and a second chance. And so i think, you know, the same courtesy, if you will, should be or will be extended to Mike Bloomberg<\/a>. Its the first step in, you know, what could be a thousand steps leading to, you know, whatever he might decide to do next. But i still think it is important. The statement was made, it was made in public. I believe it was, it is, sincere, and, you know, i dont know what goes on in the mind of another person, but i think we generally should take people at their word. Real quick, i find it fascinating, and its worth noting that you have been supportive in terms of looking at the president ial field, supportive of joe biden. You fundraised for him in your home state, and youre complimenting the Leadership Qualities<\/a> of Michael Bloomberg<\/a> as he considers his president ial run. If he gets in, obviously hes running against joe biden. If Michael Bloomberg<\/a> gets in the race, should we anticipate mayor nutter changing who he is supporting . I think thats much further down the road. You know, my comments today are about a speech made by former mayor Mike Bloomberg<\/a> who is a friend, and, you know, thats where things are today. The speech was a speech. I think its an important issue, and the president ial race ultimately will take care of itself. Not a no, though, mayor, not a no. Good to see you. Thank you for coming in. Always good, kate. Thank you. Thank you so much. Well be right back. They answered 410 questions in 8 categories about vehicle quality. And when they were done, chevy earned more j. D. Power quality awards across cars, trucks and suvs than any other brand over the last four years. So on behalf of chevrolet, i want to say thank you, real people. Youre welcome. Were gonna need a bigger room. When it comes to using data, which is why Xfinity Mobile<\/a> is a different kind of Wireless Network<\/a> that lets you design your own data. Choose unlimited, shared data, or mix lines of each and switch any line, anytime. Giving you more choice and control compared to other top wireless carriers. And now get 250 off when you buy a new Samsung Phone<\/a> during Xfinity Mobile<\/a> beyond black friday. Plus, you can save up to 400 a year. Click, call or visit a store today. It also has the highest growth in manufacturing jobs in the us. Its a competition for the talent. Employees need more than just a paycheck. You definitely want to take advantage of all the benefits you can get. 2 3 of employees said that the workplace is an important source for personal savings and protection solutions. The workplace should be a source of financial security. Keeping your people happy is what keeps your people. Thats Financial Wellness<\/a>. Put your employees on a path to Financial Wellness<\/a> with prudential. President trump had promised a ban on flavored ecigarettes, but a new report says hes essentially completely reversed course. This was the president back in september. Listen. We cant allow people to get sick and we cant have our youth be so affected. Now the New York Times<\/a> is reporting the president shelved a ban after hearing from his campaign and others that it could anger supporters. Supporters said the rule book is still going on and no changes have been made. Lets talk to kate bennett. Kate, this was a bibg issue for the first lady. What now . This is a big issue for the first lady. Remember the president said, shes got a son, weve got a son, talking about their teenage son. I just heard from stephanie grisham, while who White House Press<\/a> secretary and also spokeswoman for the first lady, and she said the first lady does not believe cigarettes or any Nicotine Products<\/a> should be marketed or made available for children. So, again, this is the first lady staying committed on this topic. Whats going to happen moving forward is the question. Our own jim acosta reported that trump is feeling the pressure from his political allies, even his Campaign Manager<\/a>, saying a ban on ecigarettes, even flavored ones, would affect his base. This could come down to something between the first ladys initiative, something she really cares about, and how the husband feels moving politically forward. Thank you, kate. Great to see you. Thank you all so much for joining me today. Inside politics with john king starts right now. Welcome to inside politics. Im john king. Thank you for sharing your day with us. A giant week ahead for the public impeachment hearings. The witnesses include white house aides who were alarmed at the president s dealings. And the point man pushing ukraine to investigate joe biden. Plus what to make of this new wrinkle . Speaker nancy pelosi says the president is welcome to come testify in his own defense, in person or in writing. The president says he likes the idea and he says he will consider it. Its debate week for the 2020 democrats. 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