Transgender military ban for nono now. Welcome to the lead. Im jake tapper. We begin with breaking news in our politics. Cnn learned Robert Mueller inquired about the Trump Campaign close relationship with the National Rifle association and how he came to speak at the annual conference in 2015, two months before he declared his candidacy. A Russian National pleaded guilty to conspiracy admitting to infiltrate gop circles. Cnn joins me now live to break the story. How does the nra fit into the Mueller Investigation . Look, we knew that the nra had been under scrutiny from some lawmakers. It is the first time we are getting any indications wanting to better understand the nature of the relationship between the Trump Campaign and National Rifle association. For the first time a special council with the National Rifle association during the 2016 election. Part of his appeal was that this guy was going to win at all cost. Sam, a former Trump Campaign aid telling when i was interviewed i was asked about the Trump Campaign and our dealings with the nra. Great honor to be here. I love the nra. It is the first indication mueller has been to the powerful Gun Rights Group and was still asking questions about it as recently as a month ago cnn has learned. While the nra hasnt been accused of any wrong doing it has been under scrutiny for massive support of trump in 2016. Very important for any freedom. He is of course run by it. One russian, maria. She pleaded guilty to engaging in a experience against the u. S. As part of her deal to influence u. S. Relations with russia. She worked at the behest of a former russian banker and lifetime nra member who was sanctioned last year. Years prior she managed to ask about his views on russia at a political event. If you are elected as president what will be your foreign politics in the relationships with my country . I believe i would get along very nicely with putin. He still became a darling of the nra. The Gun Rights Group shelled out more than 30 million to boost trump in 2016 according to the center for responsive politics. To get the endorsement is a fantastic honor. Muellers investigators were interested in how trump and early operatives first formed a relationship and how trump wound up speaking at the annual meeting just months before announcing his president ial bid. Trump was helped along by his son, donald trump jr. He played a role in building ties to the nra. They love the nra more than anyone they know. Great to be here. These are our people. These are the things we do. We dont know how far the special council is digging into this relationship. A spokesman declined to comment. The nra did not to. When President Trump received this list they did not ask the president about his ties to the nra. All right. Thank you so much. It is not surprising that the nra would get behind the republican nominee but they got behind donald trump very early. He used to support gun control. He supported the assault weapons ban. It is my impression they are a lot more skeptical that find religion on the road. Like they would normally be cautious. They went all in for donald trump. I asked oliver north about this in october. They were very they were very yeah, they might have happened and might have somehowed up but completely hands off. Now we know. We actual lly know it was. They are concerned about the funds. There were accusations of maybe 30 million is a huge funnel for money. It remains to be seen. Nra hasnt been doing well financially over the last several years. They havent been doing well in terms of membership as well. It could cat liez into membership members and real growth for the organization. We know about the reporting to date. It is big news that mueller is looking into this. Former russian central banker sought to build this bridge between russia and the nra as a means to influence american politics. The fact that north is running nra indicates a need to clean house. You have this conservative organization that during the cold war was really, you know, anti soviet. All of a sudden finding himself in situations where they may have been influence in american politics. It is astounding. This is a real elevation of what the reporters and the senate intel have been looking into. It is remarkable. 2015 donald trump is in i think nevada doing a town hall of some sort and maria asks him a question. It is july 2015. Lets roll that again. If you are elected as president what would be your foreign politics in relationship with my country . I believe i would get along very nicely with putin. I mean where we have the strength. I dont think you need the sanctions. I think we would get along very very well. I really believe that. Im guessing that you dont think thats a coincidence. I dont think it is a coincidence. We have a lot of different roads that lead us to that point. I think part of the challenge thats going to come out of this is you do have a Republican Party thats very closely tie today the nra. How are they supposed to from their perch take a look at this without expressing some type of conflict of interest. And what do you make of all of this . It is the latest shoe to drop. We dont know what mueller has. Right. You had that. I think its important to remember that the nra endorsed donald trump. They did so well after he was the front runner. So its not as if they were sort of coming out of the box saying this is our guy. Its a political organization. Of course. Wait for the winner. Right. Thats it. The nra has had this question looming over this for well over a year now. They said we only took x amount of money from russian interests. It is a question by itself. It certainly is the case that russians or at least himself saw this to the Trump Campaign. There were multiple ways in which he leveraged people to try to get a meeting with them, ended up in another weird coincidence, sitting at a table in kentucky which is this whole other question that mueller is looking at. There are part of the issue here that we all sort of confront is there is so many smoking guns but we dont know where bullets have been fire order what they have hit. Right. Extending the metaphor. Right. I would add to that that if you care about american democracy and you care about the possible infiltration of our elections this is a reminder there are many ways for this to be infiltrated. We have not figured out how to confront them going into 2020. And oversight during the republican control of the house was not lets be nice and say it was not everything it could have been. Apparently all of the damage may be healed. It cant be under estimated. It is great they lead them in a different direction. They did not apply basic standards of scrutiny in a clear and present situation where foreign power tried to influence and tried to act like it didnt exist over and over again. They planned to ease sanctions on companies owned by russian and could in fact benefit him by providing debt relief and allowing him to maintain significant ownership. The republicans did not allow it to go forward. Its a weird issue. They are clearly aware of the fact that they did a particularly touchy subject. It hired him and given him tons of money for his work in ukraine and other places and manafort has reached out through this guy that has ties to russian intelligence. All right. Everyone stick around, what the president s lawyer should jude ann giuliani be worried . Not only are fbi agents not getting a paycheck, now word it could be costing valuable information about terrorists. Stay with us. 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Kids safelite repair, safelite replace lookin better than a body has a right to and shakin me up so applebees all you can eat is back. Now with shrimp. Now thats eatin good in the neighborhood. Rc the latest clarification tour. President trumps attorney has caused massive con fiegs about whether he talked with cohen and how long did trump discuss the trump tower moscow project during the 2016 election . He talked to giuliani today about all of this. Whats the latest on this in terms of what he is saying and is President Trump peeved at all of the chaos . I asked him pointblank. He said no. He just wants it clarified. He understands how these things happen. It happens to him all of the time. I did ask giuliani if he has any sense that he will ask giuliani to take a break for a while maybe because of the confusion resulting from interviews like the one he did with you on sunday. Giuliani said i dont think so. He noted they dont seem confused. It leads to an important point is whether muellers team will come back and ask for formal clarification on the president s answer under oath about when he talked to cohen about the trump moscow project. Giuliani told me although they made it clear this one they would make an exception. They said if mueller does ask that question the answer is really simple. The answer is we dont know. We dont remember. That clears that up. In the new yorker article in which giuliani was interviewed he was asked about whether he is worried about the fact that he might not always be truthful about it. He said im afraid it will be on my gravestone. You asked him about this. That seemed an odd statement. What did he mean by that . He said he was joking around about the gravestone quote in general. He said wait people are suggesting you lie for the president. He said i am not lying for the president. The reason i said that is everybody is concerned with legacy. I cant figure out why because you dont get a chance to whatever you coin life you dont get a way to shape the way people see it later so do what you think is right. Giuliani told me the minute he agreed to do this he knew half the country would be angry at him but he said he thinks that the president is being unfairly treated. He said they have been friends for 30 years. He is the only one that would go out after that access hollywood tape. Yes. Chris christie wouldnt go but there was his honor. Thank you so much. Thank you. Lets talk about this. I want to start with you. You used to work for giuliani. Yes. You both did. Can i Say Something that the super polished and lovely and then i will Say Something else. Mr. Polished go first. We didnt get married if it wasnt for giuliani. We met on we met on his president ial campaign. Look, rudy always had a streak of fatalism. There is no question this chapter has diminished his legacy. It is of representing donald trump. He has done it to represent his client aggressively in the court of public opinion. Really in contrast the mayor who believed the laws about the truth. Its not how donald trump plays ball. He tried to defend his client. The problem is loyalty is a oneway streak. If you think about the gap and stature between the two when he was major, the work he did here, donald trump was a multibankrupt reality tv star it really does have a tragic turn. I hope that his career will be judged in his totality. I think it will. I think that one quote in the new yorker and how it doesnt matter about his legacy because it is truly, what we observed over the last decade is that giuliani, remember when he was mayor . He is a lover of opera. S many people concerned about his legacy who are part of some of the earlier chapters of his life, my husband among them. The parts of his career that are absolutely worth remembering and reflecting on and in some cases imemulating for a Republican Party. Instead rudy decided he doesnt care. He wants theagelation and spotlight now. The first clip is when i was talking about how long he was discussing the trump tower moscow project during the campaign because on i have i dont sayly i dont think and most dont think he was honest or straightforward about that. Lets play that. In his written answers President Trumps written answers to Robert Muellers question what is did President Trump have to say . He knowledged they had conversations. Through 2015 2016. He answered those questions fully and to the satisfaction of special counsel. So he didnt say anything to me when i tried to pin him down now he saying they dont remember. This is a goal post that continues to move. I understand why we are very focused on the legality of this. The backdrop of that is a bigger question which is the person that is now president of the United States when asked about this, the peak of his ptd shl Campaign Said i have nothing to do with russia. I have no connection to russia. Even if you separate out the legal questions from this there is a question of whether or not he mislead the American Public at the time they were making a fundamental decision about who will lead this country. And by not being honest, a, the russians had something on him at the time in addition to the fact that he wasnt being honest and that in itself was being compromised. Yes. Right. This is one of many things. If you go back and look at the things that the American Public didnt know. He knew he reached out through the nra. He knew there was a hacking. He knew there was a social media effort. He knew Michael Cohen talked for an extended period of time and there is some followup. He knew all of these things. These are all things that as we judge how donald trump responded in the months since, it is important to remember putin knew all of these things that the American Public did not. Yeah. It show it is gap. All we knew was that donald trump, the republican nominee, the one human being on earth he would not say a bad word about was putedness in. Thats peculiar but why . All of a sudden we are getting all of these incites into why it may be the case. The gap between what the American People knew and what he knew is stark. I think its important. And i have to say it doesnt excuse anything. The fact that he thought maybe he was going to have a big deal it could be that simple. It is a more innocent explanation. But thats actually something that we know about the president. This is a man whose experience was just business. All right. Everyone stick around. We have more to talk about. New today the white house says President Trump plans to give his state of the Union Address whether it is in front of a joint session of congress or maybe in front of a lot of red hats somewhere . Stay with us. I am not for colds. 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