Transcripts For CNNW Situation Room With Wolf Blitzer 201701

The senate in approving the resolution that will begin that process. Stand by for more details on that vote next and what will follow obama care. Also tonight, newly revealed contact between the trump camp and russia. The Transition Team confirming that Incoming National security adviser general Michael Flynn spoke with moscows adviser to the u. S. Just last month. Their conversation happening the very same day as the Obama Administration was announcing sanctions for russias election meddle. Election Officials Say flynn and the ambassador discussed logistics for a postinauguration phone call between trump and Vladimir Putin not those sanctions. President elect is promising that his team will conduct its own report on russian hacking and complete that report within 90 days. Trump showing more hostility towards the u. S. Intelligence community in a new tweet blasting the leak of unsubstantiated claims that russia has compromising information about him. Tonight a democratic lawmaker and civil rights icon suggesting that trumps election is not valid because of that russian interference. Congressman john lewis revealing in an interview that he will not see trump as a legitimate president. Well talk about trump, russia and more with the leading republican on the House Foreign Affairs committee darrell issa right here standing by along with our correspondents and analysts as we bring you full coverage of todays top stories. First, though, to cnn political reporter sarah murray. Another busy day for the president elect behind the scenes and on twitter. Youre absolutely right, jim. A week from today donald trump is going to take the oath of office and a very busy week between now and then. A jam packed schedule for the Senate Nominees to go through their senate hearings. Donald trumps focus was else where as he took to twitter to not only take shots at the u. S. Intelligence community and also his former president ial rival, Hillary Clinton. Today donald trump is capping off a fiery week with an Early Morning twitter tirade. Its all fake news. Its phony stuff. It didnt happen. Reporter the president elect still stewing over allegations that russian operatives claim to have compromising information on him. Cnn isnt reporting the details of those allegations because it is not independently confirmed them. But trump took to twitter to call the allegations, totally made up facts. Both democrats and republicans. Fake news. Russia says nothing exists. Probably released by intelligence even knowing there is no proof and never will be. Trumps latest swipe at u. S. Intelligence agencies coming after the director of National Intelligence James Clapper said he assured trump the Intelligence Community wasnt the source for the dossier. As trump publicly feuds, privately his top advisors have done their own russian outreach. Trumps team confirming today that Michael Flynn, trumps pick for National Security adviser recently exchanged calls and texts with the Russian Ambassador. Their goal, according to the trump transition, was simply to arrange a chat between russian president vVladimir Putin and trump once hes in the white house. He is also aiming his fire at Hillary Clinton. Trump tweeting, what are Hillary Clintons people complaining about with respect to the fbi . Based on the information they had, she should never have been allowed to run. Guilty as hell. Thats as clinton allies applauded the decision by the Justice Department Inspector General to launch a probe into the way the department and the fbi handled the investigation into clintons private email server. I think those tweets are just the latest indication that donald trump is someone who is very insecure in his victory and i understand why. Every day there are new developments and new shoes dropping so to speak. Reporter as trump airs his grievances on twitter, at least some are being spared. His cabinet picks, who are starting to express disagreement between trumps views and theirs. We want them to be themselves and i told them, be yourselves and say what you want to say. Dont worry about me. Reporter another potential area of disagreement may be emerging. House Speaker Paul Ryan told an undocumented immigrant at cnns town hall that he hoped her future was in america. She was brought to the u. S. As a child by her parents. Do you think i should be deported . First of all, i can see that you love your daughter and you are a nice person who has a great future ahead of you and i hope your futures here. Reporter and he insisted the Deportation Force trump once promised wont become a reality. And im here to tell you, in congress, its not happening. Reporter amid all of this trump trot his celebrity guests through the lobby. Talk show and family feud host steve harvey. Harvey said he was encouraged by president obamas staff tacome talk with the president elect about the outreach he does in africanamerican community. Well team up and see if we can bring about positive change in the inner cities, which i felt was my only agenda. In terms of this back channeling between general Michael Flynn. Donald trumps pick as National Security adviser and the Russian Ambassador even though their phone call occurred on the same day that president obama unveiled sanctions against russia, trumps team had nuthing to do with that. It was not discussed but to set up this phone call between vladim Vladimir Putin and donald trump some time in the future. Jim . Sarah murray in new york, thanks very much. As lawmakers learn more about Russian Election cyberattacks a prominent democrat says that he does not see donald trump as a legitimate president as a result of that russian interference. Listening to congressman and civil rights icon john lewis in a new interview. I dont see the president elect as a legitimate president. You do not consider him a legitimate president. Why is that . I think the russians participated in helping this man get elected. And they have destroyed the candidacy for Hillary Clinton. I dont plan to attend the in g inauguration. It will be the first one that i miss since ive been in the congress. You cannot be at home with something that you feel that is wrong. I think there was a conspiracy on the part of the russian and others. To help him get elected. Thats not right. Thats not fair. Thats not open democratic process. Tonight some democrats in congress are fuming after a closed door briefing by the fbi director about the russian hacking. We have breaking news about a heated confrontation between the former dnc chair and fbi director james comey about the hacked emails that help lead to her ouster. Cnn Phil Mattingly is digging in on that for us. What are you learning about that c confrontation . It was exactly how it was described by a lawmaker in the room. We are just learning right now that closed door briefing, classified briefing this morning turned into a challenging duel, if you will. Now, if you think back to the summer on the eve of the democratic convention, Debbie Wasserman schultz was forced to resign from her chairmanship of the Democratic National committee because of those leaks. Sounds like we dont have that sound from the director comey. But thanks for that report from inside that meeting, Phil Mattingly. I want to turn now to cnn justice correspondent evan perez for more on comeys briefings on capitol hill. What is the fbis view of this conferenrontation that were heg from . One of the things that the purpose of this briefing was to fill in members in the house and then yesterday in the senate about exactly what went on in the russian hacking in the election. And, of course, what happened at the end of that was democrats wanted to also ask questions about the handling of the Hillary Clinton emails. I think that is the reason why Debbie Wasserman schultz and some democrats emerged so angry. What happened was in the Senate Briefing, which was yesterday, the fbi director was able to explain a lot more about exactly why he set that october surprise letter. The letter in which he explained that they had found these new emails as part of an unrelated investigation of anthony weiner. And that basically at the end of that the fbi decided there wasnt enough reason to bring any charges just before the election. But what he described was that the fbi did find classified emails, new classified emails. Emails that they had not seen before. That they needed time to go through to investigate. At the end of that which is apparently a lot of work. A lot of emails. There were some that they had seen before and some they hadnt seen before. At the end it did not change their conclusion that Hillary Clinton did not knowingly mishandle classified information. Again, that did not change the overall conclusion. What were told, jim, in the Senate Briefing they had about almost two hours to describe this to the members of the senate. In the house they had about an hour and, apparently, they didnt have enough time to explain all of this and you saw the reaction in the house. Some of these members came out extremely angry and some came out and said they thought he should resign. That is a political question which might be a little bit more dicy for democrats to consider youre asking for donald trump to have the choice of an fbi director. Im not sure that the wall street journal also calling for him to resign. Thanks very much evan perez. Lets talk about all this breaking news. Darrell issa a member of the Foreign Affairs committee. Nice to have you back. Always good to talk to you. Good to be on, jim. You picked some great subjects. There you go. Were going to be here for hours. Lets start, first, with john lewis comments. Hes been in the house for decades. Hes a civil rights icon. He just said he does not see donald trump as a legitimate commander in chief. What is your reaction . John is a good man and i think he will, in time, feel that he used his words poorly. You know, similar conversations occurred when i first came to congress 16 years ago when some members shot off about an appointed, not an elected president. Ultimately, we all have to make this presidency a success. It is now the law we live under. Johns a good man. I think in time he will change his position to find ways to work with this president. But i can understand his grief and his pain. He fully expected Hillary Clinton to win. He, like many people, thinks, well, donald trump couldnt possibly win. Im a native of ohio, but im a californian. In california where more than 4 million more people voted for hillary than voted for donald. Its hard to understand how he won. But when i go back to cleveland and i look at the people who voted for him so he carried ohio and michigan and wisconsin, i do understand it. I would hope in time that he does. So we have a situation now just turning now to both the russian hacking investigation, but also the fire that the fbi director is coming under. So, were going to have parallel investigations now continuing russian hacking. What influence it had and what was the intention behind it, the extent. And also the fbi now investigating itself on director comeys handling of the investigation of Hillary Clintons emails which, as you know, democrats have said possibly influenced the election as well. Let me ask you, do you have confidence in the fbi director . Well, you know, i had a similar reaction when he basically announced there wasnt anything there when, in fact, she had broken the law. There were statutes on the books that do not require you knowingly, only that you essentially recklessly handled information. As a matter of fact, David Petraeus was onef the charges he was charged with. So, i was upset at that point. Then i became less upset when he came out with more. Then, of course, i was upset dont you think he is doing his job well if you agree with the results of the investigation . I didnt say i was right or wrong. I said i was upset. I understand why people are upset when it doesnt go their way and they are happier when it does. I look at this man who tried mightily to do the right thing in a highly charged political environment. If he made a mistake, he seemed to have made it on both sides. Let me ask you this. Here is the criticism and one of the focuses of this fbi investigation by its Inspector General. He spoke very publicly about the investigation into Hillary Clintons emails. Youll remember that july speech. Got up there and said she was extremely careless. He did not speak publicly about other investigations that we know that are under way regarding Donald Trumps Transition Team communication prior to the election with russia. Why is that fair . Well, first of all, communications with russia wouldnt be unlawful or anything that hed have jurisdiction on. They are investigating because they want to find out what the communications were about, et cetera. I understand. But the fact is there was nothing to investigate. But that, to be fair, thats not your judgment. Thats up to the judgment of the investigators. The question im asking in july there was nothing. In august there was nothing. Prior to the election we know there was enough to pursue an investigation which is pursuing my question to you is why is it fair for the fbi director to speak very open and very publicly about the investigation into Hillary Clintons emails and not into the other investigations into Trump Campaign . Jim, your question is good, but the answer is the same. This is somebody who is trying we could all fault him in retrospect but he was trying in a politically charged environment to provide the information so that the fbi and the public would be as much equally informed. But on one side of the investigation, not on the other. Thats the thing. If you inform, you have to be consistent. Lets just stick with hillary for a moment. There was an Ongoing Investigation of wrongdoing violations of the law. The federal records act is a law. Hillary clinton willfully violated it. He investigated it. He came up and said, im not going to charge nobody would charge. He came before my committee and said it and i was in shock because i thought he was wrong. I still think he was wrong. But the fact is he made an judgment call. Hey, we found more. When you find apnthony weiner with classified documents, thats worth commenting on. Although he was distinct from the candidate. Let me move on. Uma wasnt, so, the fact was that the reason it was is because she, who had all that classified information. Obviously put it there. Lets move on only because there are so many things in the news and i want to get your opinions on it. We now have confirmed that Donald Trumps National Security adviser, his choice for National Security adviser communicated with Russian Ambassador to the u. S. On the very same day that the Obama Administration was opposing new sanctions on russia for electionrelated meddling. Is that a appropriate time for the National Security adviser to speak with russian officials . Well, what i understand is that he was talking about a potential call. May have even been saying in light of this we have to delay the call. I cant know the details of it. You know, only one president at a time. The president set an agenda and decided to do something that i think all of us know hehead have done months earlier. He should have done it when they knew what they were doing. Thats the criticism of the policy. You say there is only one president at a time and that was obama at the time. Jim, the president chose a day. The fact is, the Incoming Administration was dealing with 200 heads of state around the world and communications with limited staff. So, the fact that it occurred on the same day is only important if there really was a link, which i dont understand. I understand there wasnt. You know, to be honest, ive had conversations with heads of state that i was trying to get in the cue to talk to the president. On the day that i had those, i have no idea what else was going on necessarily. And you make those. I think that general flynn has given an answer, if that answer is truthful, then i dont think theres a story there. Let me ask you this. Cnn was the first to report this week about intelligence chiefs prepting the president and the president elect with unsubstantiated, i will specify without research from a former mi 6. Originated and to report our reporting a former mi6 operative that has provided credible information to u. S. Intelligence agencies in the past. I want to ask you this. Donald trump and his team have given multiple explanations and sometimes inconsistent alte alternative narratives as it were that, frankly, contrad