Transcripts For CNNW Situation Room With Wolf Blitzer 201809

His way on to a parked passenger jet and tries to get into the cockpit before being taken down by maintenance workers. Now, were learning hes a licenses pilot. What was he planning to do with the plane . Im wolf blitzer. Youre in the situation room. Were following breaking news involving president trumps former personal lawyer Michael Cohen and the special counsel Robert Muellers russia investigation. Abc news citing sources is reporting that cohen has had hours of interviews with the mueller team over the last month, primarily focused on all aspects of president trumps dealings with russia. Well talk about that and much more with democratic senator Chris Van Hollen and our correspondents and specialists, our analysts they are also standing by. First, lets get more on the breaking news with our justice correspondent evan perez and our cnn crime and Crime Reporter shimon prokupecz. According to this abc news report, Michael Cohen met with Robert Mueller, and the report says that the meetings have taken place over several hours over the last month. Certainly and could spell more trouble for the president who just been the last few weeks saw his former Campaign Chairman cooperate with the investigation. Now, according to this report, wolf, the special counsel asked the former Michael Cohen, the former personal attorney, about dealings that the president had with russia, asking questions about possible collusion, other dealings, and the other thing significant here which would go to the obstruction investigation is whether or not Michael Cohen was promised either through the president or someone else any kind of a pardon, so certainly this would spell could spell more trouble for the president and would be a significant move here for the special counsel if in fact they did meet with him and did interview him for their investigation. You know, everybody, michael president was the president s longtime fixer and personal lawyer for at least a decade. How pig of a threat potentially is his cooperation with mueller, the u. S. Attorney for the Southern District of new york and maybe even with the attorney general in new york . How much of a threat is this to the president . Potentially he does pose a threat to the president depending on what exactly he says. What stories hes telling. Havent confirmed the report, reaching out to the special counsel and Michael Cohen hand his team to try to see what they will tell us. Look, we know that for many years, wolf, Michael Cohen was, as he described, the president s fixer. He said he was willing to take a bullet for the president , and now suddenly hes going in to talk about the president s dealings with russians which obviously is something that raises questions about whether what hes talking about, the president s business which you know that the president has identified as a red line. Something that he believes investigators should not be touching as a result of this investigation. Well see what mueller ends up doing with any of this information, but certainly as this abc report says, there are other agencies that are also involved, including as you mentioned the state of new york, attorney general and the prosecutors there in new york that are still looking at some of the other issues around Michael Cohen and the trump organization. I asked Michael Cohens lawyer lanny davis for comment to this abc story. Lanny davis, attorney for mr. Cohen declined to comment. No inference should result from this no comment. Any reaction coming in from the white house, any place else . Weve talked to people close to the president , and one of the things they immediately said they are not surprised. They expect that had Michael Cohen would probably at some point talk to mueller, despite all the fireworks that that Michael Cohen has caused as a result of his plea deal, but they also expressed that they dont think its a big deal for the president. They are confident, they say, that Michael Cohen does not have anything to to harm the president. Of course, thats what you would expect the trump team to say but you have to think that they are looking back at everything that Michael Cohen was involved, especially because he was so close to the president for many, many years. The keeper of a lot of his secrets. You have to be prepared for whatever eventuality might come from this. Assuming that the abc story is correct, what does cohen get from all of this cooperation in. By the way, i want to show our viewers, these are live pictures coming in from joint base andrews outside of washington, d. C. This is in maryland and the president just landing on marine one from the brief little flight from the south lawn of the white house. Hes about to Board Air Force one on a flight to las vegas. Hes addressing a political rally there later tonight, but go ahead. Even though hes plead guilty, hes not cooperating and hasnt been given a cooperation agreement, there could come a time at his sentencing scheduled to be in december that the special counsel or maybe even the attorney general in new york, the new York State Attorney general, decides that his cooperation was fruitful, that they were able to learn things, they were able to pursue investigations, take action as a result of this information, and they can then go ahead and write a letter to the judge saying, hey, this guy was helpful to us, give us a break. Maybe instead of a year in jail he gets instead of years in jail he gets a year in jail and it could be that he doesnt see any jail time at all because of his cooperation. In the end you have to wonder if that is what Michael Cohen is hoping for here because no one would touch him as a cooperator while this while his investigation was ongoing. Now that hes pleady guilty and facing jail time, dont have to worry about his credibility, never made any promises to him, but in the end he could get something. He said hes doing this, wants to cooperate for the good of the country, for his family, want to do the right thing, but this could prove significant if hes helpful and help him avoid jail time in december. Hes supposed to be sentenced, Michael Cohen, december 12th, the u. S. Attorney for the Southern District of new york around the same time, by the way, Paul Manafort is going to get his sentence. And Michael Flynn as well. The president s former National Security adviser, the president s former Campaign Chairman and the president s former personal attorney. They are all supposed to be sentenced around middecember. Going to be a busy december. Well all be busy, guys. Thanks, thank you very much. Also breaking this hour, Christine Blasey ford is now open to testifying according to her attorney about an alleged Sexual Assault by the u. S. Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh when they were in high school. Our chief White House Correspondent jim acosta is joining us. Jim . Fords aAttorney Says in exchange for her testimony she wants, and im quoting, terms terms that are fair and which ensure her safety. Update our viewers. Reporter thats right, wolf. The negotiations are going on back and forth. The white house is sort of at the mercy of events watching this unfold like everybody else. Today there was a very Significant Development as the supreme Court Nominee accuser Christine Blasey ford said she could be prepared to testify next week that. Announcement came after we reported earlier today that the Senate Judiciary committee could be flexible with its deadline stating that ford could make her decision by tomorrow morning or later if she wanted to as to whether or not she would sit down in front of that panel on monday. It sounds like she has made her decision, but its not exactly what the committee wants. We believe christine ford. We believe anita hill. Reporter the battle over the fate of supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh is escalating once again with protests on capitol hill and demands flying back and forth. The latest an email to the Senate Judiciary committee from the legal team for kavanaughs accuser Christine Blasey ford. The email states ford is willing to sit before the committee next week adding she wishes to testify, provide that had we can agree on terms that are fair and which ensure her safety, a hearing on monday is not possible. That was in response to a letter from Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley who set a friday morning deadline for ford to decide whether she would appear at mondays scheduled hearing, but sources told cnn that that friday deadline is negotiable saying ford has time to weigh her options. Democrats wonder whats the rush . As a prosecutor you know you cannot rush Something Like this. You have to have people investigate. As for the democrats on the committee and what they have asked for, this rush to judgment makes you wonder who else are they trying to hide . Fords attorneys say their client want the fbi to investigate her accusation that kavanaugh sexually assaulted her while they were in high school, but republicans are refusing that demand, even though grassley himself was receptive to an fbi probe into anita hills allegations against Justice Clarence thomas in 1981, accusations he described as an 11thhour charge. When the fbi has completed its work, every Committee Member should be notified and have access to that report, and a determination by the committee should be made as to how we need to proceed with any allegations. A rule like this should ensure once and for all that even an 11thhour charge like yours has been fully considered. With her attorneys warning ford has received death threats, her family released a statement showing support for kavanaughs accusers saying we know how difficult this is for her. Chrissy is not someone who chooses to be in the spotlight. Her accusation promises to have a major impact on the upcoming midterm elections. Republican congressman ralph norman mocked the accusation facing kavanaugh at a debate in south carolina. The latest latebreaking news from the kavanaugh hearings, Ruth Bader Ginsburg came out and she was groped by abraham lincoln. Its no wonder democrats say ford is reluctant to testify. I do hope that she testifies, but i deeply respect her hesitation given the ways in which her life and her familys life have already been disrupted by attacks, by disrespect, by death threats. Reporter as for kavanaugh, the judge stayed behind closed doors at the white house prepping for a possible hearing that may exclude any other witnesses. As aides to the president said, mr. Trump has been bragging about the way he has handled his latest Supreme Court pick. Now the Senate Judiciary committee is now weighing its next move and how to respond to these demands coming from fords legal team. The committee could potentially hear from ford later on next week if the gop members in charge of that panel agree to her terms, wolf. The president asked about this as he was leaving the white house just a short while ago. Did not respond to those questions but our colleague jeff zeleny was on the white house lawn and bill shine, the deputy chief of staff did respond to questions from the reporters and says the white house fully stands behind Brett Kavanaugh. Wolf . Jim acosta at the white house. Lets bring in our Congressional Correspondent who is also working this story. Sunlan, based on all the reporting that you and your colleagues have done, what comes next . Thats all going to be discussed on a phone call potentially later tonight and could happen at any mom between the three side, senator grassleys staff and the staff for senator Dianne Feinstein and the attorneys for the accuser, dr. Ford. This was a phone cam specifically requested today in an email from dr. Fords attorney, and she requested specifically that they discuss the conditions for fords potential testimony in front of the committee. Of course, its, again, worth repeating and worth highlighting again that the conditions for the last 40 hours have been the realisticing point here. Weve seen them grapple over the who, whether it would be just dr. Ford or judge kavanaugh and other outside witnesses, the where, where in california or here or another location and the when, of course, a big question. The chairman has set that hearing for monday but dr. Fords attorney said being very clear that they cannot make monday happen so that is out of the picture and, again, its also worth repeating that the statement from dr. Fords Attorney Says they will potentially testify next week if the terms are fair so the phone call and negotiations over what is fair and what terms and whats agreed to, a lot riding on what exactly is discussed in that phone call and potentially worked out. Wolf . If professor ford does not testify, sunlan, will the votes happen next week in the committee. Reporter officially thats very much an open question, but were certainly starting to see republicans lay out their argument that this is her chance and that its her to choose to come to or not, and if she does not they will likely proceed towards a vote and look no further than what senator cornyn told my colleague manu raju when asked about this. Cornyn said, quote, if she doesnt want to participate and tell her story, theres no reason for us to delay. I think it all depends on what show decides to do. Weve all made clear this is her chance, but if she doesnt want to do that, then were going to have a markup, and, of course, a markup means essentially to move towards a vote on kavanaughs nomination and you couple that, of course, wolf, with what weve heard from some other important republican forces, senator corker and senator graham and senator flake all saying the same thing, if she doesnt show up, then its time to move towards a vote which certainly adds to the drama and certainly the highstakes moment. This will she or wont she potential testimony . Well stand by here to get the latest on that phone call, very critically important call. Sunlan, thanks very much. Joining us is democratic senator Chris Van Hollen of maryland. Senator, we have a lot lot to discuss. I want to take a quick break and begin our conversation right after this. Stand by. Join tmobile, and get netflix included for the whole family. So you can get lost in space in your own backyard. 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