For the principle purpose of influencing the election. President trump today is claiming that those Campaign Violations are, quote, not a crime. Thats not what the Justice Department said and same president named as individual one in the plea deal. You can believe individual one who is implicated in the crimes. The president. Who does have a long and storied history of saying thing that is arent true. Or you can believe Career Prosecutors at the Justice Department, two federal judges and a jury of Paul Manaforts peers but you have to pick one or the other. Another falsehood of the president saying that he did not learn of the Hush Money Payments until after theyd been made. Despite the fact, of course, that Michael Cohen recently released an Audio Recording of September 2016 in which donald trump can be clearly heard discussing a potential payment to playboy model Karen Mcdougall and President Trump verified that Tape Tweeting at the time, what kind of a lawyer would tape
The days top stories from around the world, from politics and money, to sports and pop culture. Happen in the political investigations. Reporter the president also claiming today that cohens Campaign Finance violations are, quote, not a crime and falsely claiming that president obamas campaign had similar issues. If you look at president obama, he had a Massive Campaign violation. But he had a different Attorney General. And they viewed it differently. Reporter obamas Campaign Paid a 375,000 fine from the federal Election Commission for reporting errors and never accusations that aides intentionally sought to conceal contributions that violated the law. Cohen reaching a deal with prosecutors on charges related to the Hush Money Payments to two women claiming to have affairs with trump. Thats what donald trump is, hes an unindicted coconspirator. Reporter the Court Documents have references to trump blind sided the president. Sources told cnn as legal risk
now we know because of these tapes. Yes, he did know about it. He said i didnt know about it until later. Whatever that means. Later than what . So they have zero credibility on this story as on so many. Does it matter . Yes. In The Grand Scheme of things. But will it matter to Trump Supporters . No, it wont. It doesnt. Because theyre looking at the they think hes been under siege the entire time and believe him first and foremost. Well see if it matters in the midterms for those that voted for trump, because theyre republicans and not part of the trump train. That remains to be seen. In terms of, you know, whether the president s lying about this, i think at this point its baked in. So, kaitlan collins, our able White House Correspondent tried to push Sarah Sanders on this issue. Take a listen. In his interview today, the president said he found out about those payments that Michael Cohen made later on but i heard this as a defense. Ill come back do you in a moment. Jen, President Trump has been paying off people, women inclouded, for years, to keep their mouths shut. Might not be the most happy explanation for religious people or moral people, people who believe in the sanctity of marriage but maybe it wasnt expressly related to the presidency. Thank you for bringing us donald trump. This might be a point they make and bizarre to be one of the Talking Points. What you saw Michael Cohen say in the courtroom yesterday was that this was he knowingly did it, related to the election. He was convicted of a federal crime. He is now the sitting president of the United States. And he was just implicated in a federal crime. I think theres a difference between being a sitting president and what he did as scandalous as it may have been. Its dicey to suggest its
about collusion and this Doesnt Prove Collusion and the other stuff. On the factual basis. But the president obviously said something today that wasnt true, didnt know about it until after the fact. How the white house responds. You mean Sarah Sanders. Not the president. Hes part of the president , to. President sanders handled it and donald trump have lied about this, this instance. Michael cohen said he did this on his own. The president didnt know about it. Now the president directed know do it. So its not just the president wh whos told different stories on this. Its also Michael Cohen. When you have a credible claim and i think you have laid out, multiple other reasons why someone would pay this money, this is a very, very hard case to prove that hes broken Campaign Finance laws. Do you think it makes a difference, a difference in the midterm elections, a difference in the Trump Presidency or is everybody just in their corners and it is going to remain as it has been . Two different things. Midterm elections you saw democrats came out today and
they really didnt want to talk about impeachment or ruffling the feathers before the midterm elections. They dont want to energize trumps voters. Republicans wont move to impeachment where they want trump voters supporting them and they dont need to at this point. In the midterms, no. Yesterday should be and i think could be a Turning Point as we look back six months from now as to when democrats may want to lay the case and after the outcome of the mueller investigation. It is true that this isnt linked to russia currently but there are a lot of links that mao Michael Cohen and that all of these players, Paul Manafort, have to russia, a lot more about that that well still learn. Stick around. We have lanny davis saying theres potential things an links that Michael Cohen wants to talk about and knows something that mueller will want to hear. Thousands of dollars on a flight for a pet rabbit . 30 tequila shots. Hawaiian shots and hotel rooms. Which member of congress is accused of spending this kind of money . Stick with us. A hotel can make or break a trip. And at expedia, we dont think you should be rushed into booking one. Thats why we created expedias addon advantage. Now after booking your flight, you unlock discounts on select hotels right until the day you leave. Addon advantage. Discounted hotel rates when you add on to your trip. Only when you book with expedia. So you have, your headphones, chair, new laptop, 24 7 tech support. Yep, thanks guys. I think he might need some support. Yes. Start them off right, with the School Supplies they need at low prices all summer long. Like these for only 2 or less at office depot officemax. Mom okay we need to get all your School Supplies today. School. Grade. Done. Done. Hit the Snooze Button and get low prices on School Supplies all summer long. Like these for only 2 or less at office depot officemax. Bundle and save big, but now its time to find my dream abode. Right away, i could tell his priorities were a little unorthodox. Keep going. Stop. A little bit down. Stop. Back up again. Is this adequate sunlight for a Komodo Dragon . Yeah. Sure, i want that discount on Car Insurance just for owning a home, but im not compromising. Youre taking a shower . Water pressures crucial, scott its like they say location, location, koi pond. They dont say that. Media did the payment of sorts to Karen Mcdougall its not come pain money so its not a come pain violation. True . Two. We have a federal judge as well as federal prosecutors that accepted the plea and the notion that the president can undue the Bl Whethwhether this is or not is silly. It has to do with disclosures. Coming from the company, thats a violation. Whether it came from him through cohen, nondisclosed. Thats the problem. The campaign and election laws care about knowing where the money is going and people know how to vote and whens paying for these campaigns. Thats the problem and the issue with whether it was knowing, the notion that it was handed over in order to affect the outcome of the campaign, that is we dont want this information coming out because its going to hurt the candidate, that makes it a crime. Michael cohen said, and pleaded to, he did this directed by President Trump, coordinated
by President Trump then candidate trump to affect the election. But the president s defenders have argued and again this is an odd defense but this guys been paying off women to keep their mouths shut for a listening time, not just women, other people, too. Not necessarily related to the president ial election. Do they have an argument to make . They have to come up with something. John edwards made a similar argument having to do with my girlfriend, not campaign. But the timing and the circumstances are so different and the edwards case, it was months if not years removed and it was a current girlfriend. This was people he had affairs with allegedly ten years ago on the very doorstep of the election so the timings very different and the actions mr. Trump took to make the payments, through the attorney, through a corporation. Prosecutors argue would be to disguise the nature of the transaction, all Circumstantial Evidence of wrongdoing or criminal intent. Cohen said in court that
trump directed limb him to quie women. Why wouldnt they have that in writing as to what he pleaded to . So, the statement that cohen made during the actual you know, im not sure exactly why that itself wouldnt have been in the document. Perhaps seth has a thought on that. Does it even matter . I mean, he said it in open court under oath and the court accepted the plea. If it werent an actual crime and evidence supporting the allegations that he was Pleading Guilty to the article 3 judge wouldnt accept this. So a president , the Justice Department guidelines are a president cant be indicted. Does this just take it to the political realm of impeachment . Only legal ramification here potentially . Big ramification. I think thats right. Im of the opinion a sitting president should not be indicted. Theres a process if the
president goes south. To allow an individual federal prosecutor or State Prosecutor to indict the president and allow 12 jurors to decide the fate of the president could run amuck and an impeachment proceeding to take police and i think thats where this can head up. I have a different view on that. Sure. Theres a debate. Theres a debatement ken starrs office as well as another concluded that you could indict a sitting president. You could . You could. Yes. Its not clear in the constitution. People talk about plain reading the Constitution Whether to indict a sitting president is not in there. I think the structure assumes accountability for every member of our government and to the extent of which congress right now is sort of out to lunch, not actually doing their Oversight Role here, the notion that there would be no accountability potentially if this political process fails i think is a problem. I do think you could in theory indict a sitting president and put it under seal. The public wouldnt know. After he finishes office then those cases could go forward on the theory that we would have to go to the statue of limitations. The issues really boil down to is it going to interfere with his ability to execute the law under article ii . If its quiet, if the public isnt aware, i dont think it interferes. A final question, both of you, which is, President Trumps defenders and President Trump himself have suggested that because manafort was only found guilty of eight of the 18 charges, the other 10 were resulted in a hung jury or mistrial on the 10 and President Trump wrote 10 not decided in the Paul Manafort case. Witch hunt. I dont know what that has to do with that there. As a former prosecutor, are you lap pi with that result . As a defense lawyer, thats not a good day for me and my client. Defending an individual client an they got con convicted on
bank fraud, tax evasion, with Sentencing Guidelines that could be from 10 to 20 years. So mr. Trumps statement is a wishful thinking. Not reality. It was a bad day for mr. Manafort clearly and for the Trump Organization as a whole. What do you think . Yeah. Politically, too, where i think the white house now stumbling. Running out of ways of spinning this in a way thats not absolutely damaging and i think were seeing the house is going to fall. The House Of Cards eventually. Not sure how it comes down but this is not sustainable in a popsicle stand let alone the white house and the Executive Branch of government in the United States. Thanks so much for being here. Appreciate it. If Michael Cohen answers lawmakers questions, again, will that spell new trouble for President Trump . The Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence committee responds to that next. To look at me now, you dont see psoriasis. You see clear skin. You see me. But if you saw me before cosentyx. I was covered. It was awful. But i didnt give up. I kept fighting. I got clear skin with cosentyx. 3 years and counting. Clear skin can last. See if cosentyx could make a difference for you. Cosentyx is proven to help people with moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis find clear skin that can last. Dont use if youre allergic to cosentyx. Before starting cosentyx, you should be checked for tuberculosis. An increased risk of infections and lowered ability to fight them may occur. Tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms. Or if you have received a vaccine or plan to. If you have inflammatory bowel disease, tell your doctor if symptoms develop or worsen. Serious allergic reactions may occur. See me now. Im still clear. How sexy are these elbows . Get clear skin that can last. Ask your dermatologist about cosentyx. Jj, will you break it down for this gentleman . Hey, ian. You know, at Td Ameritrade, we can walk you through your Options Trades step by step until youre comfortable. I could be up for that. Thats taking Options Trading from wall st. To main st. Hey guys, wanna play some pool . Eh, im not really a pool guy. Whats the hesitation . Its just complicated. Stepbystep Options Trading support from Td Ameritrade with its historical records. You could learn youre from ireland. Donegal, ireland. And your ancestor was a fisherman. With blue eyes. Just like you. Begin your journey at ancestry. Com. Todays Senior Living communities have never been better, with amazing amenities like movie theaters, Exercise Rooms and swimming pools, public cafes, bars and bistros even pet care services. And theres never been an easier way to get great advice. A place for mom is a free service that pairs you with a local advisor to help you sort through your options and find a perfect place. A place for mom. You know your family we know Senior Living. Together well make the right choice. Does your Business Internet provider promise a lot . Lets see who delivers more. Comcast business gives you gigspeed in more places. The others dont. We offer up to 6 hours of 4g Wireless Network backup. Everyone else, no way. We let calls from any of your devices come from your business number. Them, not so much. We let you keep an eye on your business from anywhere. The others . Nope for a limited time, when you get fast, reliable internet, you can add voice for just 24. 95 more per month. Call or go online today. Call or go on line today. One day after Michael Cohen implicated President Trump in court, cohens lawyer says hes prepared to tell the special counsels team, quote, everything. Cnns Brynn Gingras explores what it might mean for