Stopped trying to leave the country amidst allegations of bank fraud. Wait until you hear what job he had at the u. S. Capitol. Good afternoon, everyone, welcome to the lead, im jake tapper, were going to begin with breaking news in the politics lead just moments ago. The white house gave a total nonanswer to the question of whether President Trump still supports his white house chief of staff. We all serve at the pleasure of the president , and if it goats a place where that isnt the case, hell let you know. So you cant say right now if the president has full confidence in chief of staff Reince Priebus . I think i just answered that. This comes after so much drama in the white house today. One might be tempted to compare it to game of thrones, but in some ways its more like pennsylvania avenue becoming mel rose place. The embarrassing infighting spilled over and reached a whole new level. Today however, i am not referring to President Trumps public humiliation campaign against attorney general Jeff Sessions, though the template is similar. This time Anthony Scaramucci throwing rhetorical punches at Reince Priebus. According to scaramucci, hes doing this with the president s approval, and its all playing out in front of the world. Most recently on cnns new day with chris cuomo. As you know from the italian expression, the fish stanks from the head down. But i can tell you two fish that dont stink, and thats me and the president. I dont like the activity thats going on in the white house. I dont like what theyre doing to my friend. I dont like what theyre doing to the president of the United States. Or their fellow colleagues in the west wing. If you want to talk about the chief of staff, we have had odds, we have had differences. When i said we were brothers from the podium, thats because were rough on each other. Scaramucci had to call into cnn to explain a tweet that appears to suggest priebus, a guy who just a few days scaramucci described as a brother though today he compared it to cain and able, that priebus was behind White House Leaks damaging President Trump. More specifically, behind a story in politico about scaramuccis Financial Disclosure forms. He tweeted, quote, enlight of the leek of the my info which is a felony, i will be contacting the fbi and the Justice Department. Swamped. And then he tagged chief of staff priebus in the tweet. If reince wants to explain hes not a leaker, let him do that. Priebus had no comment today. For the record, no one needed to leak scaramuccis forms, they are public record. For anyone who asks for them from the bank where scaramucci worked until recently. Perhaps the most telling part of the interview had nothing to do with all of this drama between scaramucci and priebus, but rather, it was this moment when scaramucci, which when discussing presumably priebus, but perhaps others in the Trump Administration as well. There were people inside the administration that think it is their job to save america from this president. Okay, that is not their job. Their job is to inject this president into america. Contemplate that, quote, there are people inside the america that think it is their job to save america from this president , unquote. Now scaramuccis not wrong here. Hes 100 right. Not about what the job of administration staffers are, there are allegiance should be to the nation and the constitution, not to any specific president , but, about the fact that there are people in the Trump Administration who, quote, think it is their job to save america from President Trump. Many of them, appointees of President Trump. The Communications Director cited this fact as a complaint. It is not their job from the establishment, from councilification to sit there and try to withhold the president. Okay. To reign him in or do things to slow down their agenda. Thats not their job. Lets take a moment to acknowledge and contemplate this very striking truth delivered by scaramucci today. What are these Trump Administration officials doing to rein in President Trump and why do they feel the need to do so . Why are they so concerned about the president s behavior that they think they have to quote, save america from this president . Save america from what . What are they so worried about . These, quote, people inside the administration. Contemplate that fresh truth from the new white house Communications Director. Cnns sarah murray is at the white house for us and filed the report on the latest chapter in this very public drama. Reporter even for a white house known for dysfunction, the latest feud is taking a stunningly public turn. You want to talk about the chief of staff, we have had odds, we have had differences. When i said we were brothers from the podium, thats because were rough on each other. Some brothers are like cain and able. Other brothers can fight with each other and get along. I dont know if this is reparable or not. That will be up to the president , but hes the chief of staff. Reporter newly minted Communications DirectorAnthony Scaramucci calling into question Reince Priebuss standing in the white house. And suggesting the chief of staff prove for himself that hes not a leaker. When i put out a tweet, and i put reinces name in the tweet, theyre all making the assumption that its him because journalists know who the leakers are. If reince wants to explain that hes not a leaker, let him do that. Reporter priebus didnt comment on the matter thursday. But allies outside the white house came to his defense. Reince is a very close friend of mine. Reince is doing a fantastic job at the white house, and i believe he has the president s confidence. Reporter all his white house spokeswoman was left to play referee. The president hires the very best people. Theyre not always going to be agree. Theres a lot of different ideas, unlike previous administrations, this isnt group think. We all come and have a chance to voice those ideas, voice those perspectives, and have a lot of healthy competition, and with that competition, you usually get the best results. Reporter scaramuccis broadsides come on the personal Financial Disclosure, which scaramucci takes as sign that someone in the west wing is out to get him. Which is a felony. He tagged priebus in the tweet which he later deleted. A Justice Department spokeswoman weighed in on the leaking issue more broadly. Saying, we agree with anthony that these staggers number of leaks are undermining the ability of our government to function and to protect this country. And vowing to pursue leak cases wherever they lead. The backup from the Justice Department coming as trump doesnt appear to have his attorney generals back. And as the president s anger at Jeff Sessions simmers, republicans are issuing a stern warning. Back off. There will be no confirmation hearing for a new attorney general in 2017. If Jeff Sessions is fired. There will be holy hell to pay. Any effort to go after mueller could be the beginning of the end of the trump presidency. Reporter now, we havent heard a lot from Jeff Sessions as this drama has been playing out nap changed when he gave a couple of interviews, one he was asked whether he thoughts the president s criticism of him was fair. Heres what he said. Well, its kind of hurtful, but the president of the United States is a strong leader. He is determined to move this country in the direction he believes it needs to go to make us great again, and he is he had a lot of criticisms, and hes today is fastly determined to get his job done. And he wants all of us to do our jobs. And thats what i intend to do. Reporter sessions also made clear in a number of interviews that hes planning on staying on the job as long as trump will keep him in it, jake. And to be determined on Reince Priebus i suppose. Sarah murray, thank you so much. Shedding light on who the russians were on the meeting with them. Stick around for that story. I have agerelated maculare degeneration, amd, he told me to look at this grid every day. And we came up with a plan to help reduce my risk of progression, including Preservision Areds 2. My doctor said Preservision Areds 2 has the exact nutrient formula the National Eye Institute recommends to help reduce the risk of progression of moderate to advanced amd after 15 years of clinical studies. 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Bill broader, former Hedge Fund Manager testified that the russian lawyer at that meeting, natalia as well as others, the russian american lobbyist with alleged ties to russian intelligence were working on behalf of the kremlin, browder said, to overturn crippling u. S. Economic sanctions on human rights violators. Cnns mano raju is on capitol hill. You followed up with senator Lindsey Graham. He questioned browder, he asked him about the meeting in question. Reporter yeah, and he raised concerns after browders testimony. Browder saying that with 100 certainty in his view that the Intelligence Services in russia were aware of that june 2016 meeting before it happened, jake. And also, browder saying that it was a, quote, big ask for the people in that meeting, russians in the meeting to ask the Trump Campaign to move and try to get rid of the act, sanctions act against russia, the United States enacted in 2012. Now when i had caught up with Lindsey Graham after the pretty dramatic remarks by william browder, he said, very clearly, that perhaps this was not the only time that the russians met with the Trump Campaign and it pushed dirt and also to ask for something in exchange. And he said this is Something Congress needs to look into further. Heres what he said. Its also hard for me to believe that once the Trump Campaign expressed a desire to get help, yeah, love it, maybe later in the summer itd be better, but that meaning it was one and done. That contact came from a person that mr. Browder said should have been registered as russian agent. The russian female lawyer, the likelihood that contact needs to be looked into. Reporter now he also had some serious concerns about the possibility that trump may get rid of Jeff Sessions and bob mueller as a special council. And as a result, Lindsey Graham is drafting legislation, bipartisan tloegs try to insulate the special council from political pressure to say that if the special council were to be try to be fired by the president of the United States and there to be judicial review looked at first by judges to make sure that it is consistent with the law, expect that bill to be introduced next week, jake. Real concern on capitol hill by republicans and democrats alike that President Trump is going to try to fire bob mueller. Manu, the russian sanctions bill, new sanctions, as punishment for the election interference, passed by the senate, passed by the house, whats the latest on the status . Reporter overwhelmingly by both chamber, unanimously, something you rarely see. Now a final deal has been reached between the chairman of the Senate Foreign relations committee, bob korker, the House Majority leader, Kevin Mccarthy to move forward on this sanctions package that includes any effort to, by the white house to try to loosen russia sanctions at the congress essentially had to approve to that request. They could veto the possibility of loosening sanctions. Now one question is remaining, will President Trump sign this legislation or will he veto it . Today, asked at the white house, Sarah Huckabee sanders again would not say, said theyre still reviewing that. Thats a big question here. Whether or not they veto this, if they do, jake, certainly he would be overwritten, jake. Thank you so much. Russian president Vladimir Putin is firing back today, calling the new proposed sanctions illegal, and bemoaning that its a quote, pity u. S. Russia relations are being sacrificed. Cnns Senior International correspondent Matthew Chance had the opportunity to question putin personally at a News Conference today in finland. With these u. S. Congressional investigations, i thoroughly under way into allegations of russian meddling in the u. S. Election, and with the possibility of u. S. Sanctions being tightened shortly, do you sometimes sit in your office in the kremlin thinking about how badly u. S. Russian relations are going . And regretting the day that donald trump was elected . Translator the first point about the election of the u. S. President , thats not our business, and it is not up to us to assess what he does in this very senior post. Thats up to the u. S. Public. As far as the investigation which you referred to is concerned, i dont actually think it is an investigation because an investigation implies full study in the situation, the causes ensue. What we see is merely a growth of antirussian hysteria, and utilization of russia phobia for domestic policies. Putin has of course denied any russian interference in the u. S. Election, despite the american intelligence communitys certainty that it did happen. President trump has only said nice things about Vladimir Putin. So would mr. Trump really be tougher on russia than dong will as scaramucci claimed might happen . Stick around. When you really want to save big on a hotel just go to priceline. They add thousands of new deals every day at up to 60 off. Thats how kaley and i got to share this trip together at this amazing hotel. Yeah ash and i share everything dresses, makeup, water bottles. We do . Mmhmm. We share secrets, shoes, toothbrushes. What . Yeah i forgot mine so ive been using yours. Seriously . Whats the big deal . I mean, we even dated the same guy. Who . uh, go to priceline and get the hotel deals you wont find anywhere else. 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