The members file into this room right now. Let us know whats going to happen here, phil. Reporter well, its going to actually have a similar format to what we saw yesterday in the senate, or we didnt senate, but at least heard about it. Rod rosenstein, who you saw last hour, just walking into this briefing. Once he starts, he will give the same Opening Statement he gave to the 100 senators who were gathered for his classified briefing yesterday. Hell give that same statement and then open it up for questions. You can see lawmakers streaming in behind me. Ill just lay out how this actually works. They walk into a room for this classified briefing. Before they do, they put their phones into a separate compartment. They cant bring any of those in. And then once they sit down, once the Opening Statement is read, they have an opportunity to ask those questions. Now, guys, as we discussed last hour, im told by several democrats to expect some very, very tough questions. What we also know is based on yesterdays briefing, there likely wont be a lot of answers there. Theres a lot of frustration from Democratic Senators that Deputy Attorney general rosenstein continued to defer to bob mueller, the new special counsel, on the majority of the questions that were asked, including questions about how jim comey was fired, why jim comey was fired, and whether or not they knew in advance. Now, one kind of brief historical fact that i thinks important to note in january, same format, same type of idea, classified briefing. Debbie wasserman schultz, a democrat, confronted jim comey, then fbi director, about the fbis lack of action about the hacking into the dnc. Im told it was very contentious, it was a very raw moment. Those are the types of things that can happen in these kinds of briefings. And as i noted, 193 house democrats, many of whom have a lot of questions, a lot of concerns about whats happened not just over the last ten days, but over the last couple of months. Expect those questions to come. The answers . Not so sure about that, guys. All right, Phil Mattingly, keep an eye on it for us. Thank you very much. We saw basically speaker of the house, paul ryan, almost photobombing Phil Mattingly during that live shot, walked right behind you. Also House Majority leader Kevin Mccarthy there as well. And youve got to think about Kevin Mccarthy when you think about them dropping off those phones. Thats right. No recording devices in this one. It is just a few hours until the president departs on air force one for his overseas trip, the first of his administration. Nine days, five nations, and likely zero chance of escaping the trouble festering at home. Why . Because a friend of fired fbi director james comey is opening up about the former directors distrust of the administration. He describes a squirminducing encounter between President Trump and comey in the white house. Watch this. If you watch the video, he extends his hand, and comeys arms are really long, and he extends his hand kind of preemptively, and trump grabs the hand and kind of pulls him into a hug, but the hug is entirely onesided. So, one guy in the hug is shaking hands. Comey was just completely disgusted by disgusted . Disgusted by the episode. He thought it was an intentional attempt to compromise him in public. All right, cnns joe johns at the white house. Joe, its fascinating to hear these accounts, but again, its onesided. Its comeys side of the matter. The white house, i imagine, has a very different view. Reporter well, certainly, it is pretty clear that were getting comeys version of the story, and theres a lot more to be told, and i suppose thats in part, at least, what a special counsel is for. But frankly, the focus right here at the white house is the president s nineday trip. Hes getting ready to get out of here in just a few hours, first stop saudi arabia, then he goes to israel, then the vatican. Out of the white house, but not able to put the controversy behind him. The president telling reporters just yesterday that in his view, the hiring of a special counsel hurts the country, also suggested he was a victim in this entire situation of a witch hunt, he said. Now, the president also talking just a bit about his interactions with the fired fbi director, james comey, and indicating that among other things, he thinks james comey is let me start again. What the president did say about james comey in his tweet, certainly, is that comey was giving up certain information, in other words, that he might not rb might should not have been giving. Now, lets talk just a little bit about this individual, this friend of james comey who talked to the new york times. This is a guy named ben widis. And he essentially said among other things is that what comey tried to do is stay away from the president of the United States because the president was trying to get too friendly. Listen. This was somebody under intense pressure. And look, jim is a trooper. He handles pressure very well. Hes not a whiner. But the color of the wallpaper was that these were not honorable people and that protecting the fbi was his day job. Reporter okay, so, one of the things pam brown has reported right here at cnn is that jim comey, in preparing for conversations with the president of the United States, actually practiced with his aides in order to sort of know how to talk to him. So, were probably going to hear a little bit more about that. Back to you. I bet. Joe johns at the white house for us, thanks. Ron brownstein is cnns senior political analyst, paris dennard, commentator and former white house staffer under george w. Bush and karen finney, former Senior Adviser for the Hillary Clinton campaign. Ron, first to you. We just heard more of the Benjamin Wittes interview. But im struck by the fact that this friend of james comey would be talking without the approval of james comey. The fact that we are now hearing this from the comey camp, as it were, what message does it send . It sends the message that they are not going to go away quietly, which has obviously been more loudly sent by the release of the memo originally. And i think that the behavior that former director comey is kind of rekoilg against does fit with a pattern, because one thing we have seen from President Trump is that he pushes against, if not ignores completely, both the legal and custom bounds on the arbitrary exercise of president ial power. He really doesnt see an end to where his authority extends. When he talks about socalled judges, when he talks about the fake news media, when he asks comey in effect to publicly exonerate him before the investigation has really unfolded, those are all examples of someone who does not have the traditional view of checks and balances, i think, and who is about trying to undermine or weaken any institution that he thinks can stand up to him. And so, i think this is going to be it is a powerful and resonant note, but as some of your guests last hour noted, its not clear how much were going to hear in public now that the special counsel is operating. Yeah. We will see people of all sorts of opinions on that, whether or not he will testify, and if hell do it in public. Paris, to you. Another part of this interview with comeys close friend that was just so striking is about physically where he chose to put himself in the room, call it curtaingate, or drapewater or whatever you want, but just listen to this. He really wanted to kind of blend in and not be singled out. And hes 68, so when its kind of tough to do that. When youre 68, its really hard to blend in. Hes wearing if you watch the video of it, hes wearing a blue blazer, and he stands in the part of the room that is as far from trump as it is physically possible to be and also against blue drapes that are the same color as his he chose that spot . He chose that spot because it was, you know, almost like a chameleon, camouflage against the wall. Blend in. All right, so, paris, that may be one of the more juicy nuggets, maybe not one of the most important nuggets. It gives you color into the day. But heres what is important, his friend saying that comey thought his job was to protect the fbi daily against the white house. How uncomfortable he felt with the president that he would prepare his remarks to the president ahead of time. I mean, what is your reaction to all of that that were just now learning . You know, i dont think its breaking news. I think its breaking gossip and breaking foolishness. I mean, look foolishness, why, paris . This is someone very close to comey who john rightly points out probably wouldnt say all this without comeys blessing . And i think its foolishness, and ill tell you why, poppy. Its because the fact that the sitting fbi director specifically chose, allegedly chose a blue jacket to stand across from the president knowing exactly where they were going to be, by a drape, so that and then complains about the president s handshake and complains about the president wanting to give him an embrace, which is classic President Trump . If you go back and look at any video of him shaking hands and greeting people when hes standing, thats how he does it. He extends his hand, he pulls him in, and sometimes he gives them the hug. So, were reading far too much into this. The president shook the fbi directors hand and gave him a hug, which is customary. Whats the problem . Comey, for that matter, is so uncomfortable with the president of the United States that he feels he has to defend or protect the fbi from the white house . This is just more evidence of the fact that the president has any confidence in the fact that comey could lead this fbi, and its just unfortunate that these stories are being made light of and i think theyre petty at best. Paris, quickly, drapes aside. Handshakes aside. Is there a legitimate reason why there should be a separation between the white house and the fbi . Look, there is a separation between the white house and the fbi, but they are separations of power. But at the same time, should the president not meet with the speaker of the house, should the president not meet with the head of the Judiciary Committee . Should the president not meet with the head of every other agency, things of that nature . No. We should expect that these people that are held in office should have enough power and enough decency to conduct themselves accordingly and understand that when you meet somebody and you shake their hand, it doesnt mean anything more than im shaking your hand and im meeting you and im saying hello. But its not just that. I mean, its three phone calls, you know, dinner together, and there has been tradition since, you know, hoover ran the fbi, that you dont have that close relationship between a white house and the head of the fbi. Karen, to you. You were in the Clinton White house when there was a special prosecutor and dealt with the drip, drip, drip of information and how it can consume a white house staff. What is your advice for the Trump Administration now . Well, first responding to what paris said. There is a level of appropriateness that this president just does not seem to understand. The fbi director, as you pointed out, traditionally has always been seen as someone who is meant to be, you know, independent. And so, not wanting to get a bear hug, which was what, really if you listened to the full interview, comey was saying, at a time when people were praising him or suggesting that somehow, which we tend to believe on my campaign, his letter may have influenced the outcome of the election. Thats just not who jim comey is. He wanted to maintain his independence. And i think having some respect for that is very important. And i can tell you in the administration that i served in, the clinton administration, that was certainly you know, janet reno was very much independent from bill clinton. And when we dealt with a special prosecutor, i can tell you, it is that drip, drip, drip of information that can be very damaging. But heres the problem that the Trump Administration has. Its one thing when everybody gets together and youre all on the same page and youve got a strategy, for the most part, and you have a sense of whats going to be coming. But the problem that the Trump Administration has is that the main perpetrator of the drip, drip, drip is President Trump himself. Time and again, one story is being told by his Communications Operation or, you know, other officials, then he starts to tweet something different. Then the story evolves a little bit differently. Then hes two days later saying something completely differently. And now hes saying its a witch hunt and whining and complaining. So, i think the problem is going to be controlling mr. Trump. But as information may come out, these things always happen, certainly between the investigations on capitol hill and i think i mean, mueller himself will be i think very careful with regard to leaks, but some information may come out, and the president himself has no selfcontrol. That may end up being his undoing, quite frankly. Karen finney, ron brownstein, paris dennard, thank you all very much. So, what is ahead for the president . Hes headed overseas. Come sm are calling this a doordie trip for him. The stakes are high. All right, and have you seen this man . The Vice President of the United States. Where has he been the last week or so with so much going on . People close to him reporting that he has concerns about all this news. Plus, no joementum. Growing democratic opposition for the president s frontrunner to be the next fbi director, senator Joe Lieberman, former senator Joe Lieberman. Were going to ask a currentserving democrat what he thinks of the possible nomination. Ense of smell. Glad bag, full of trash. What happens next . Nothing. Only glad has febreze to neutralize odors for 5 days. Guaranteed. Even the most perceptive noses wont notice the trash. Be happy. Its glad. Its not just a car, its your daily treat. Go ahead, spoil yourself. The es and es hybrid. Experience amazing. New roundup for lawns has arrived to put unwelcome lawn weeds to rest. So draw the line. Roundup for lawns is formulated to kill lawn weeds to the root without harming a single blade of grass. Draw the line with roundup for lawns. Rumor confirmed. Theyre playing. What . We gotta go. Where . San francisco. When . Friday. We gotta go. [ tires screech ] any airline. Any hotel. Any time. Go where you want, when you want with no blackout dates. [ muffled music coming from club. Blue monday by new order. Cheers. ] [ music and cheers get louder ] the travel rewards credit card from bank of america. Its travel, better connected. The travel rewards credit card from bank of america. Its my decision ito make beauty last. Roc® retinol, started visibly reducing my fine lines and wrinkles in one week. And the longer i use it, the better it works. Retinol correxion® from roc. Methods, not miracles. ™ e trades powerful trading tools, give you access to indepth analysis, and a team of experienced traders ready to help if you need it. Its like having the power of a trading floor, wherever you are. Its your trade. E trade all right, a crucial test after a controversial week. Later today, the president leaves for his first overseas trip. The white house is hoping to hit a little less turbulence while he is abroad. This is an ambitious, nineday tour. It includes stops in saudi arabia, israel and the vatican. On his agenda, these diplomatic meetings with World Leaders, visits to religious holy sites, and also a speech, his first speech will be in saudi arabia on islam to leaders of muslim countries. Saudi arabia is preparing. Look at those balloons. Wow. For the president s visit. You see american flags, billboards, all of this. Apparently, theyre having a concert, we hear, with toby keith, for the president . Pulling out all the stops. Lets pull in our Fareed Zakaria, host of Fareed Zakaria gps. On a much more serious note than that concert that theyre having, do you think that this could be a moment of reset for this president . And where is the bar for success . Is it just no major screwups . I think its difficult for it to be a reset, because the controversies that are embroiling the white house have to do with, you know, the issues of the comey firing, the investigation. That stuff has taken on a life of its own. No trip abroad will change that, as president s from bill clinton to Richard Nixon know, you can try to do that. Those stories arent going to go away. They have their own independent life. But i think that the trip is important and should be judged on its own merits, and the key test i think is going to be how he handles the first stop, saudi arabia. Unusual choice. Most president s really from fdr have gone to canada or mexico. Britain or mexico. Saudi arabia is, you know, basically the originator, the inventor of radical islamic terrorism. It is where Osama Bin Laden came from. It is where al qaeda, in a sense, was born. It is still one of the leading funders of radical islam around the world, maybe not the country, but people within its foundations, within it. So, how he deals with that is going to be i think a very interesting test. Well, hes given a speech there written by stephen miller, who is a person who has come out against what he calls radical islamic terror repeatedly. The president uses those words. So, how will a speech about islam, which we understand the president will give inside saudi arabia, what are the risksrewards there . I think that its good for him to do it. I hope its confrontational in the sense that i think these you know, you need to speak truth to power in the sense that this is the place where it all began. This is the place thats still, as i say, is a huge vehicle and funder of a lot of this stuff. The danger, frankly, is that you get played. The saudis have for 25 years now assuaged american