Pentagon and from the launch site. What really happened with tiger woods. A cop arrested the golf legend for driving under the influence except he had no booze in his system. So what was it . The Police Report now has some answers. Lets get to it. Shepard we begin with President Trumps soninlaw and his attempts to set up secret communications with the kremlin. The white house did not deny the report that jared curbmer pushed for a back channel with the russians. Im wondering if you can tell us if the president knew at the time that Jared Kushner was seeking to establish back Channel Communications with the russian government and if he didnt know at the time, when did he find out . That assumes a lot. Mr. Kushners Attorney Says that mr. Kushner has volunteered to share what he knows about these meetings. Sean spicer says that kushners lawyers will cooperate with investigators. The fbi turned its attention directly to kushner and meetings with russians ambassador Sergei Kislyak and sergei gorkov. Fox news has told separately by a source it was about syria and connecting President Trumps former National Security adviser Michael Flynn with Russian Military leaders. Michael flynn didnt last a month on the job. He was fired for lying to Vice President pence over conversations flynn reportedly had with the russian ambassador. As for the meeting with the russian banker, sergei gorkov, current and former Officials Say that kushner might have been trying to establish a line with Vladimir Putin outside of established diplomatic channels. The times points out that gorkov is a close associate of putin and a graduate of the russian spy academy. Trump told the New York Times that he has total confidence in his soninlaw. The president tweeted again that democrats have drummed up the entire russia controversy, which is not true. Quoting russian officials might be laughing at the United States and how a lame excuse for why the dems lost the election has taken over the fake news. Which also is not true. The white house officials have been careful with their wording over the kushner report saying if he called for a back channel with the russians, he had every right to do so. The president s detractors are pushing back. Theyre not alone. Senator john mccain, republican, said he does not think its Standard Practice for kushner to propose any kind of secret communications and fox news can confirm that is not Standard Practice. Its not just kushner part of the russian investigations. We learned lawmakers are asking President Trumps personal lawyer, Michael Cohen to talk. Cohen confirming that house and Senate Investigators have asked him to testify about any contact he had with people connected in any way to moscow. Cohen turned down the invitation. With the russia scandal growing by the day, and it is, theres word the president is considering overhauling the entirety of his Communications Staff to try to contain it. Just today we learned that President Trumps communication director, not a wellknown name, mike dubke is out. Officials say he resigned about two weeks ago and offered to stay or stay on until President Trump wrapped up his first foreign trip, which he did. With the president s soninlaw under a microscope, his personal lawyer now part of the mess and questions growing by the day as to how high up the chain the russian connection goes, will Michael Dubke be the first to leave the white house . The speculation thats what he is, the first of a group. Catherine herridge is live for us in washington. What are you hearing, catherine . The december meeting at trump tower with the russian ambassador, Sergei Kislyak and mike flynn focused on syria and russias contention that the Obama Administration policy was deeply flawed. The discussion did not focus on sanctions. Sources say kushner wanted to do a call between russian generals on the ground in syria and further under their complaints. The source said it was the russians of using a secure idea for the call, not kushner, emphasizes it was a one off to discuss syria and not a permanent back channel. The White House Press was pushed on the issue. How is it appropriate for someone that is a private citizen, not sworn in as an official of the u. S. Government to conduct any kind of negotiation or diplomacy with foreign officials . Ill defer you to general mcmaster. And kushner said hes willing to testify before congress. Before you go, the Washington Post has not one but six sources say it was Jared Kushner that asked to set this thing up is. The white house denying that . The white house in the meeting did not specifically address those allegations saying not to put too much stock in anonymous sourcing. Shepard some lawmakers say they want Jared Kushners security clearance reviewed now. In light of the reporting that Jared Kushner was trying to set up this back channel with russia, senior officials said that kushners security clearance should be reviewed. I think we should look at that. This is a pretty bad breach. These guys, the administration, theyre not acting like people who have nothing to hide. Fox news was told that kushner did declare his contacts and some to the fbi after the initial security paperwork was done. That clearance was approved and he was cleared to receive classified information; even given these russian contacts, shep. Shepard catherine herridge, one more thing. We learned that a former trump adviser wont be testifying this week. What are the details on that . This guy, carter page, a Foreign Policy adviser to the Trump Campaign will not be testifying on june 7 as previously scheduled. Page has denied allegations that he was the point person on the campaign for moscow. In this letter to the committee, page said hes disappointed with their decision but still willing to cooperate. It shows the urgency of delivering truthful facts does matter and this has only grown in recent days, a source said that carter pages testimony has been postponed indefinitely at the request of committee democrats. Weve asked the ranking democrat, adam schiff, for further comment, shepard herridge. Thanks. Josh gerstein for political. Theyre not denying that Jared Kushner requested that they set up this back channel so that they could communicate in some way without the United States knowing with the russians. Not through American Equipment but through the russian secret communications devices. Theyre not denying that. No, theyre not, shep. Youre right. Its an unusual request. Theres sometimes back channels, informal means of communications outside the normal lines of reporting. What is weird about this, you have transition officials that are not in officially u. S. Government role and to try to depend on the russians to do this for you does seem add a minimum naive. It seems reminiscent of folks in past errors like having a transistor short wave radio to keep in touch with people in another country. Shepard okay. If these things did happen and the white house is denying them, what does that mean in the main . Is that a crime . No, i dont think on its back its a crime. You can see why the intelligence agencies and the people that do this countser intelligence work for a living would be immediately alarmed by this kind of behavior on the part of anybody whose activities theyre looking into. If you have concerns that somebody might be up to something improper and you find out theyre trying to set up a secure communications channel, whether it be online or through an embassy or radio or other means, thats a huge warning flag. There may be an innocent or semi innocent or naive explanation about this but youd want to turn to the person doing it. Shepard remember how they found out about it in the first place. Yeah a leak but how . Heres how they found out. They were monitoring the russians. While they are monitoring the russians, as the story goes, all of a sudden theres Jared Kushner. There they are discussing a back channel that doesnt involve the United States equipment but russian equipment. If that didnt happen, if Jared Kushner wasnt trying to hide things from the United States, then why would he do that . If he didnt do that, please deny it so we can move on. That opportunity was given today in the White House Press briefing. Listen. Youre asking if he approved of an action that is not a confirmed action. That being said, secretary kelly and general mcmaster have discussed in generals terms, back channels are an important part of diplomacy. Does the white house dispute im not going to get it. In you presuppose facts that have not been confirmed. They have disputed it there. Jared kushners office is in the west wing. Hes the closest guy to the president , isnt he . They could have. Anybody with Legal Counsel would want to get lawyers involved in discussion so it doesnt spill out in front of congress or to fbi investigators. Those are the kinds of difficulties the white house has in putting their story together. You have outside lawyers an inside lawyers and Communications People coming up with something that will sell to the public and the lawyers warning you cant do certain things because that would go against their clients interests. Shepard weve been dealing with the russians as adversaries for a long time. Hard to imagine new stuff could happen. Over the course of transitions of presidencies going back to the cold war and below, what was there a last time a back channel was set up with the russians that wouldnt have involved the United States knowing about it . Im not aware of any situation like that. Theres usually an exchange with courtesy calls with a lot of foreign leaders. We heard about some of those calls during the trump transition. The secure communications is unusual. Maybe it was to get a briefing from military folks on the ground. The normal protocol to organize Outgoing Administration to try to put in whatever communications that they thought were necessary. Why it had to be protected from the Outgoing Administration is hard to explain. Thats one of the first things id know if i wanted to ask the fbi or congressional investigators. Shepard he didnt tell anybody about it. When you go for security clearance, they ask you, what kind of communications. He did mention it, right . Theres no indication that he mentioned it at the outset and he did report the meetings on a second go around. Shepard yeah, that was after someone heard him there. Thank you, josh. So theres a staff shakeup at the white house. Reports that many more could be on the way. The white house claims the president s agenda is continuing full speed ahead. So what is the status of the healthcare bill or the tax code change . The president tweeted on that today. He said kill the filibuster rule and take the vote. Get it done. That wouldnt get it done. Fox news can confirm and thats coming up from the fox news deck on this tuesday afternoon. Fun in art class. Come close, come close. I like that. [ music stops suddenly ] ah. When your pain reliever stops working, your whole day stops. Awww. Try this. For minor arthritis pain, only aleve can stop pain for up to 12 straight hours with just one pill. Thank you. Come on everybody. You cant quit, neither should your pain reliever. Stay all day strong with 12 hour aleve. To a new world. S. Deeper than the ocean. As unfathomable as the universe. A world that doesnt exist outside you. But within you. Where breakthrough science is replacing chemotherapy with immunotherapy. 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Shepard continuing coverage of what appears to be a white house staff shakeup in the miking. Mike dubke is out stepping down after three months on the job. Sean spicer said the president is moving full steam ahead with his agenda the team has in place. I think the president is very pleased with his team. He has robust agenda as i just outlined that he looks forward to working on congress. Shepard we get to the agenda in just a moment. President trump and his team are trying to reset the administration amid constant controversy. The wall street journal is considering hitting up roles or creating new ones for people that are already working in this administration. Lets turn to wall street journal reporter the white house reporter, Peter Nicholas who wrote an article on this matter and joins us live now from d. C. Nice to see you. Thank you. Hi, shep. Shepard the wall street journa journal, we share the same owner. So heres how pleased the president is with his staff. Listen. Hes very pleased with the work of his staff. I think hes frustrated like i am and so many others to see stories come out that are patently false, fake news. When you see stories get perpetrated that are absolutely false, that are not based in fact, its troubling. Hes rightly concerned. Shepard heres the things on false things. If theyre false, tell us that. We asked about Jared Kushner trying to back channel before President Trump was President Trump and they wouldnt ask the question. If its not false, tell us its false. They have not done that. They say things that are false that are nonspecific falsities. Is he happy with his team . I think with respect to sean spicer, the problems are not just what the president thinks about the news coverage. Theres questions about personnel and hes being properly staffed by his white house. Dubkes is one example of that. When i talked to senior advisers, he said every problem is not the problem of the press shop and the communications shop. Theres splits, polarization shepard its a toxic atmosphere. Explain that. Theres factions, people at odds with each other. Feelings that not everybody is rowing the boat in the same direction. If you re shuffle your Communications Team in, if you bring in somebody to replace Michael Dubke, have you solved the problems. Theres an Organization Problem a Decision Making problem. Its not just fake news, communications with Michael Dubke. It might be deeper than that. Shepard maybe youre saying the same thing that Jennifer Ruben said in the i should say tthe Washington Post newspaper. She said its the Trump Presidency failing, not the headlines. There was resentment that we were able to pick up from the team over seas to the president during his middle Eastern European trip. They thought they did a good job, hit their marks. Then they were scratching their heads and the performance back home of the advisers that were there. They thought the budget rollout was poor. People thought that the tax reform has been poor and that that bill seems stalled on capitol hill as is healthcare. Theres managerial problems that have to be addressed. Reince priebus, advisers asking about his status, whether the president might be better served with a chief of staff that might be able to pose more discipline in hierarchy. Shepard its all very interesting. Nice to talk to you, peter. We know these things are important to you. We hear you. Changes in the tax code, changing in the tax structure. Theyre important to americans. We know that. Changes in healthcare very important. He says that agenda is on track. Well have the facts on that many just a moment. One of americas strongest allies can no longer count on america. The german chancellor Angela Merkel says its time for europeans to take their fate into their own hands. It was a stunning announcement. Now President Trump is responding of course in a tweet. Thats coming up. First, a live look at Vandenberg Air