him to be independent of the trump organization. he could continue to run it if he wanted and it is all about political optics and we've never had a president whose a businessman like this before. >> thank you very much paul and thanks to all of you. hope you have a wonderful weekend. thank you for joinings u.ac 360 starts now. >> good evening. john berman here in for anderson. tonight donald trump's controversial and consequential cabinet picks, including a choice for attorney general that civil rights groups say is a throwback to a dark time in u.s. history. we'll look at that and who he'll pick next. we begin with another choice, one that flies in the face he said something proudly and loudly and repeatedly throughout the campaign, namely that he doesn't like settling lawsuits. especially the cases against the non university formally known as trump university. trump said he expected to be vindicated in court so why settle? today he settled two cases in california and one in new york big league.

cnn's paul verk men joins us now with the $25 million details. what was the reaction in the wake of this settlement? why did they settle? >> well they were all smiles in both in court and outside court. trump's lawyer said. as i said they were jovial, they were happy. they seemed very very content to have this put behind them. and they used those terms as well, john. >> this is exactly what donald trump has been saying for months that he doesn't do. >> exactly. not only saying but going out on social media and saying such things as my university had a

98% approval rating. and perhaps i should settle this. but i won't in terms of principle. and let's listen to some of the other times that donald trump came out and said that he would not settle this case. >> i will win the trump university. i already am as far as i'm concerned. i will win the case in the end. i just didn't want or the forced to settle. >>ly win the trump university case. >> i could settle the case now if i want to settle the case. i don't settle cases. >> we have a situation where we will win in court and i'll win the trump university case. i would settle that case. >> as for the settlement, some $25 million, the plaintiff's attorney saying that each one of the people who were involved in this lawsuit will get at least half of their money back and in no instance was that more than $35,000, john. >> thanks a lot paul. now to the cabinet picks the fallout in the cabinet picks and

what we know about the next big cabinet pick. cnn's sara murray is at trump tower with more. explain the president's whereabouts tonight, what we know, what we don't know. he's still operating without the traditional press pool, correct? >> right. even though i'm in front of trump tower tonight. donald trump is not inside trump tower. he's already relocated. heaves going to be spending the weekend in his golf course in bed minster new jersey. they alerted the pool and the small group of reporters that followed him had the pleasure of sitting in traffic for three hours to follow him out to new jersey. of course donald trump gets a motor cade when he makes his trek. >> what is the latest on who exactly is expected to meet with this weekend and what will come out at 3450egs meetings. >> it is not a leisure weekend. we're told he's going to be this nonstop meetings. meeting with of course mitt romney who's been very critical of him throughout the campaign. also meeting with a former d.c. public schools chancellor.

michelle rey and james maddis, among many others. some of the meetings are to inform donald trump about the issues he's going to face as president. maybe give him advice about how he's going to build his team. but others are essentially job interviews. he's looking to talk to a number of these people about top cabinet posts in education secretary to treasury secretary, to defense secretary throughout the week weekend. and so far we have a full schedule on saturday. we're expecting another full day on sunday too. >> a lot of decisions still to be made. three big announcements today. attorney general, is cia and national security advisor. what is the latest on how those are being received. >> reporter: kmademocrats are h had sharp criticism. a number of these picks have sparked controversies of their own accord but when it comes to republicans who of course are going to have the majority in the house and in the senate come

january, it is misily positive. and in parking lot because they know some of these folks, jeff sessions of course serves in the senate with a number of them who will have to vote on his confirmation but also you are hearing from republicans that they really feel like the incoming president should have the opportunity to pick his own team. and that certainly does not mean that democrats are just going to sit back and not kmakt their pound of flesh. >> the but it does mean they didn't do a whole he can of a lot. sara murray. thanks so much. plenty to talk about tonight. joing us is matt louis.

and --. michael flynn. jeff sessions. what does this say about donald trump's world view. >> the one he wants to bring into the house. there are a lot of folks who has moped to see a different sort of donald trump in the white house. these first three picks at least suggest he's going to implement the sorts of policies he articulated. a strong stand on immigration. he's going to embrace the international policies that he talked about on the campaign trail. it is very true to form and it is very true to him sticking with the loyal focus that have been there from the beginning but it is also understandable why his opponents would be disconcerted. >> but jonathan, you are one of these opponents is donald trump doing what he said he was going to do. appointing people who agreed with what he said during the campaign. democrats shouldn't be surprised here should they? >> if you are saying donald trump is a bigot and racist and con man and fraud is appointing people like him, you are

correct. bannon, a chief strategist. basically promoted racist, anti-gay, anti-women views via breitbart. and michael flynn who said of muslims that it is rational to fear them and spread a falsehood about sharia law being spread in the united states. and you have jeff sessions who set up civil rights groups. they were un-american and communist inspired and then he praised the confederate flag to talk about it being a fabulous accomplishment of our country. these are racises and bigots and people who are intolerant and that is donald trump's world view. >> that is really sad. >> no it is actually fact. i know you are going to try to spin this as not true kayleigh because you have done that for a year but this is the man who's a bigot. >> let's let kayleigh talk. >> that is what the left does. >> no we try to talk truth. >> let me speak. they did this to ronald reagan. yes you did. it is historical. it is factual. >> nobody called ronald reagan a bigot. >> voters were told. this is esquire. if you are voting fur ronald

reagan you are like a good german in hitler's germany. they tried to do it to donald trump. now the effort is to call steve bannon a racist. to call jeff sessions a racist. mike flynn islam phobic. the american people don't buy it and they voted donald trump soo totally house. >> on mike flinn he said say islam is a political ideology hiding as a religion. correct? >>. >> much -- >> he didn't say much -- >>[chatter]. >> mike flynn said repeatedly the enemy is radical sclaum. he believes rad claul islam. >> look at his tweet. fear of muslims is rational. he did what donald trump did, which he's painted a whole group of people as enemies. >> let me say this though carl because the one thing that is apparent from this discussion and i'll euphemistically call it

a discussion here is that these picks show that donald trump in a way doesn't care about appearances. he doesn't care that this is not being seen as reaching across the aisle here. >> oh i think he does care about appearances and i think this is exactly the appearance that he wants created. this is the four appointments, including bannon plus the three national security picks and sessions represent a hugely divisive statement for the beginning of a presidency. and set up the fact that we are not going to move towards unity in this country after this election. these choices reflect what he said in the campaign at his most extreme. in terms of how we look at muslims and how we take on isis, which is a strategy that he is enunciated that might lose us rather than have us win in this terrible struggle against radical islamic terrorism. and i'll use that phrase. but it is a very, very dangerous

strategy he's embarked on. hillary clinton did win the popular vote. now the reason i bring that up -- >> that is a participation medal at this point. >> it is not. it is an indication of how divided the country. is and what president obama tried do and it is clear he did not succeed, this that meeting with donald trump was to try and move trump towards unifying the country. we're not going there. that is what these picks mean. we are in for a terrible kind of conflict between two different visions of america such as we saw in the campaign. and there is no attempt in these picks to bridge that reality. >> you are forgetting about the best, the most important pick is mike pence who i think is a mainstream, serious conservative who is going to be a heart beat away from the presidency. reince priebus who's actually the chief of staff who i think you may not agree with him but he's a mainstream sort of establishment republican. we don't know what other picks are going to happen but of these three i would say if nothing

else they are highly qualified. one u.s. senator. we've got a guy, mike pompeo who's going to be head of the cia who finished first in his class at west point. you have flynn who served his country for 30 years. barack obama's head of the dia. so these are not ridiculous picks that donald trump has made. and what if he picks mitt romney for secretary of state. >> -- didn't use the word ridiculous. look at flynn. he had a somewhat distinguished military record and even the closest of colleagues say he has flipped out since he left the service. he's intemperate and states very dangerous views. that he is not factual. that he's off the reservation of sensible discourse. that is the rap. >> i -- >> that is the rap on him from those who know him best. >> -- as attorney general. >> jeff sessions is an interesting case. >> is your name --?

>> i'm sorry. >> -- >>[chatter]. >> jeff sessions, you know, carl is making the point here that these picks are hard line and extreme. jeff sessions is a sitting u.s. senator, been a senator for 20 years. and a lot of democrats and i'm sure you probably do not grae with him on many points. it is a pit with consequences. the justice department is a place where you can make big changes and someone with jeff session's views can change a lot. >> yeah that is exactly right. this is somebody who was too racist to be given a federal judgeship back in the 19 0s. that's who jeff session is. and it is not just the racism which is disturbing within itself. but when the tape came out. when the "access hollywood" tape came out he said that grabbing women by the genitalia is not sexual assault. so he has no business, you know, fighting or ensuring that our civil rights laws are being put forth or even running the office

of violence against women. right? he has no business doing that. but i do want to get another another point here. steve bannon, i really want people to understand how dangerous that is. and the thing about steve bannon is he's the whisperer. he's going to be the person that is going to be in closest proximity to donald trump and who donald trump is going to listen to. and we have to understand that when we call him a white supremacist. because when he took over breitbart it became a white -- a hot bed for white nationalism. that is what it did. and also it gave rebirth to the kk. let's talk about the kkk for one second here. the kkk, ku klux klan, terrorized african americans by either it was lynching, bombing or raping. there was a study that came out in 2015 by the equal justice initiative that said from 1877 to 1950, nearly 4,000 black

women, black men, black children were lynched in 12 southern states. so this is the reality that we're dealing with. >> did you know that jeff sessions as the u.s. attorney prosecuted -- >> let me finish here more a second. -- >>[chatter]. >> come on, don't be rude. let me just finish my statement. when we're talk about the steve bannon. that is the fear that we all have. thank you, is that okay for you? all right. >> i was just going to say that as a u.s. attorney jeff sessions prosecuted klan's men who murdered an african american boy. and i don't think a lot of people are talking about that. and by the way the so called racist things he said. i don't know if he said them or not. he might have said them. it is hearsay. that is what other people have testified to. >> hang on. -- we're going talk a lot more about jeff sessions after the quick break here.

sticks around. a closer look at the background of senator sessions for clues about his feelings on all the subjects we're talk about. and the direction he may lead the justice department in over the next several years. also what some trump supporters think of the makeup of trump's picks so far. >> as of now it's been all white men into the cabinet. is that okay with you? >> it is, yes. >> would you like to see a woman? >> i would. yes i would. >> but not necessarily. if everyone's qualified. they are all white men that is okay with you? >> it is. your insurance company

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late today senator jeff sessions got the thumbs up from joe manchin of west virginia who called sessions a friend with whom he can work. he's not getting rave reviews from everybody, especially in civil rights. especially over where he might take civil rights and voting rights enforcement: pamela brown has been looking into the senator's record and battleground and where he stands and joins us now. what request you tell us about the allegations of senator sessions when he was nominated to be a federal judge in the 1980s. >> he was nominated by president

reagan in the 1980s. and he made racist comments in the workplace. one of his former colleagues say he called the naacp. and he joked about the ku klux klan saying that he liked them until he found out that they smoked marijuana. and so with these people coming forward to make these allegations against him basically claiming that he was racist, that derailed his nomination at the time, john. >> and pamela, how unusual was it for him at the time to be denied a seat on the bench? >> it was highly unusual. it was a big deal because there was a republican majority in the committee that made the decision. and it was a 10-8 vote, voting against recommending to the senate for him to be nominated and confirmed. and two of the republicans on this committee sided with the democrats because of these allegations. and to put it in perspective at the time he was only the second

person denied to the federal judiciary in 48 years, john. >> it was very big news at the time. pamela, what was the response from jeff sessions at that time. >> at the time he angerily denid the accusations he was racist. he did say he could be loose with his tongue and that he was just joking about the kkk. he said he despised the kkk and he pointed to his own record that when he was a u.s. attorney in alabama he prosecuted the head of the kkk in al who was charged with murdering an african american teenager and he also talked about how he was advocating for desegregation. so up until today john he continued to i deny he's a racist and denies the allegations. >> pamela brown in washington. thanks so much. back now with the panel which now includes laura coates. you heard the reporting there. jeff sessions denies a lot that

came up in this confirmation hearing in 1986. nevertheless the naacp came outlet and spoke against the nomination. democrats on the hill speaking against the nomination. what does it say to you that donald trump has selected jeff sessions to be his attorney general. >> we seem to beerer verti reve back to a period of time where a american justice --. as a proud member and alum of the civil rights division of the department of justice one thing i look at this and i say the drksz oj has had a very difficult time even with two successive african americans attorney general. dealing with the backlash of the community who believe that the justice department is not serving their interests with respect to police shootings, excessive force, voting rights interests, etc. and this seems to be a piling on indication that this justice department may not be able to be responsive. if they were unable to be as responsive under either holder or lynch according to some

members of the community, then most assuredly a man who's been charged with calling people boy who's a grown man and his colleague and having referenced the klan as a punch line is not someone is really going to elicit the faith you need to have the justice department be faithful as the backstop it's intended to be. >> as we know in the legal community you can't take what one person said and treat it as absolute proof he said those things. he's denied several of the things brought up in those hearings and in fact went on to gain the respect of some of the people who voted gensz him. arlen specter. >> he was republican at the time. >> became a democrat and said he finds sessions to be very egalitarian. we in order that he brought ford --. he voted for an extension of the civil rights act for 30 years. we tend to forget the nice and good things and instead revert to the one or two things that or

may not be true. >> that is not what my focus is on. the racist rhetoric is mart. and it is going to be a formality to have this hearing in general but what i focus is really about the justice department is intended to be a backstop when the community feels that they cannot have neutrality or objectivity between local prosecutors and people they may have personal or prejudice with the officers. so when you have a loss of faith in the ability of the justice department to the you will enforce civil rights laws or actually serve those areas or promote them you will have a deleterious impact in the community you are trying to serve. the focus on the rhetoric is a part of it. the bigger focus is on the change will come in the prosecutorial priorities in the new administration and that is going to change drastically. >> >>[chatter]. >> on one point that laura was making right there. he's going to be confirmed. i mean, there is no absolutely

no sense that he will not be confirmed. republicans are unanimous as far as i can tell in the support. democrats, joe manchin, albeit, you know, a conservative democrat stood up in support of jeff sessions today. is there any sign this won't be smooth sailing in the senate? >> smooth sailing and confirmed are two different things. the point just being made about how the community is responding. a community already nervous about the concept of president trump, how that nervousness whether translate into democratic leaders. we're going to hear a lot of this in the coupling weeks. he's almost certainly going to be confirmed. but it's worth noting that the donald trump is going to be the president of the united states. he has an opportunity with these picks to send a message to the people who didn't support him about how he's going to lead the country. and that is i think the concern. and i doesn't detract from this things he's done as senator but

it doesn't help make donald trump more palatable to the people who didn't support him. >> that is the sad news here. the department of justice. great attorney generals like robert kennedy. the reason we have civil rights in this country and they have been enforced is because of greats attorneys general. jeff sessions is non someone what's made his mark by becoming a great advocate for civil rights in this country. that is the sadness of this. there have been people who were in the ku klux klan and senators from alabama. namely hugo black who became a great liberal supreme court justice and was confirmed by the senate after he had been a member of the ku klux klan. i don't think we're going to see -- i would love it, if jeff sessions becomes a great advocate for civil rights for all americans. but he's going to win in the confirmation hearing. but you can't look at this appointment separate from the other four names weave been talking about and what that signal is to all americans of

where donald trump is going. and they are quite frankly poking in the eye. >> what about the signal? he's five for five on white men here. first of all. five names. they are all white men. what signal does that send? >> look. first of all i would say i don't think anybody says you know what? i really wish we had a different attorney general or a different chief of staff. i think that at the end of the day if donald trump can turn the economy around, can make people feel better about america, more o optimistic, then he'll be a success. >> -- >> -- michelle ree in the department of education.

>> he had the opportunity to bring this country together. there's always been this myth about two donald trumps. we can finally dispel the myth. there is one donald trump. the same donald trump we saw in the campaign and we have to believe his actions. his words are not what we should be listening to. it is actually his actions and what he's done is. he's rewarding and puts a high premium on loyalty -- why do you -- >> -- >> -- let me finish. geez. just stop. just stop. thank you. and secondly, the other thing is he is creating this credo where his administration is going to be basically a white nationalism. that is what he's creating by picking these majority of his picks having this racial insensitive background. >> matt -- >> is there a break where -- >> go ahead matt.

>> i don't understand how the guy who's picked to be the head of the defense intelligence agency somehow is not bringing america together or even impacts in any way. >> matt we're talk about michael flynn. michael flynn says islam is a political ideology that -- >> -- >> -- care whose michael flynn is and that says a -- >> -- the ones who turn 18 in times of service would quiver if there is a notion that the head or former head of the dia has this very -- >> can stop a terrorist attack then i'll be happy. >> some of my colleagues on the left would stop and take a breath and listen to the president of the united states and the democratic nominee who said give this guy a chance. let's unify. to call someone racist is an egregious term to. say this is an administration of white supremacists that is deeply irresponsible. let's follow the lead of our president. let's follow the lead of our

president elect and unite as a country and give this guy a chance because if donald trump succeeds america succeeds. that is what president obama said and he couldn't be more correct. >> just ahead more on what carl bernstein was just talking about. the complexion, if you will, of crump's picks so far, culturally and politically. i want to speak with david axelrod who's been candid in his criticism on twitter so far. an. better take something. dayquil liquid gels doesn't treat a runny nose. it doesn't? alka-seltzer plus cold and cough liquid gels fight your worst cold symptoms including your runny nose. oh, what a relief it is!

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we're talking about the signal that president elect trump appeared to send today. three picks that fill national security positions. three white men who each come with some degree of controversy. three men that seem to reinforce position tos or views held by donald trump that are seen by critics to be either hard line or according to crit i offensive. lost to talk about here. david, you have bhn pretty vocal on trump's transition choices so far. at least on twitter. today you wrote donald trump sticking with those who brought him to the dance but to many americans it will seem a

monsters ball. what do you mean? >> yeah. well look. if you want to give him credit, give him credit to sticking to the pledges that he's made in terms of the tone of his administration through the appointments that he's made. but if you are -- if you are an immigrant, if you are a minority in the country, jeff sessions as attorney general is going to be unsettling. because he's been one of the leadi leadi leadi leading proponents against immigration reform in the u.s. senate. he had a history in the past of statements and actions that called into question his racial attitudes. in the department of justice those are big concerns. general flynn, fine intelligence officer but he's shown himself in this campaign to be a kind of incendiary figure not just because of his attitudes on islam, which he refuses to acknowledge is a faith or

religion. but also leading the chant of lock her up at the republican convention. now he's the national security advisor coordinating america's foreign policy for the president and being the most important foreign policy advisor to the president. and then congressman pompeo and the cia post taking a very conservative republican member of congress who was in the middle of the benghazi hearings. and putting him in charge of the intelligence community and the intelligence network. i bet you intelligence professionals and civil libertarians are going to have some concerns about that. but these are all people consistent with the kind of positioning that donald trump took in the campaign. and i think at some point you have to say he meant what he said and he said what he meant. and he's going to try to govern the way he campaigned. >> these are the people with him. the people with spousal abuse he e supposed during the campaign but if you are looking for signs

of the outreach david across the aisle or ideologies, this is the opposite of that. >> without question. you know, the appointment -- i found the appointment of reince priebus as the chief of staff somewhat reassuring because while i disagree with reince on a lot of things he's someone with an appreciation for the institutions of government and politics. steve bannon obviously is a different case and has created a lot of concern. but these appointments were not reaching out appointments. these were retrenching appointments. these were a statement to the base and the world that the statements i made in the campaign are now going to be carried forward into an administration. >> on the subject of what's been happening within the transition, the structure, the speed, the efficiency in which it's been working, you are perhaps an unlikely defender here. you have pointed out that basically they are not doing this anymore slowly than any transition really has in the past. >> no. in fact i think these

appointments came earlier than the ones that barack obama made when i was working for him in 2008. this is -- this was a bum rap that they had discouraged appointments. frankly look at some of these appointments, i wish he had taken a little more time. but, you know, it is not right to say he hasn't moved fast enough. this is a difficult process. you have to interview people and you meet with your advisors and go through the pluses and minuses. and it should take some time. and so people should not jump on him about that. they can be critical of the appointments. but i don't think at the pace of them. >> david axelrod, great to see you. thanks so much. >> all right john. good to be with you. up next more on tonight's breaking news. donald trump reversing course and agreeing to settle three trump university lawsuits for $25 million. so why did he change his mind? and what does the reversal mean

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back to the breaking news. president elect trump has agreed to pay $25 million to settle three lawsuits against trump university. the deal will keep him from having to testify in a trial in san diego november 28th. also a 180 on his earlier position on settling suits. joining us now the author of "the truth about trump." also laura coates, cnn analyst. the fact that donald trump decided to settle flow is a big concession. $25 million, especially given that he's always denied any wrong doing and continues denying wrong doing. >> it is a concession but less than the original suit against him. he was sued over 45 -- $40 million. but this would have dragged out in court and depositions. there is not just the financial struggle but also having to be

deposed. no sitting president has ever been deposed and his trial would start next monday. so the idea he has this burden off his shoulders actually clears the path to say listen, i always told you about my conflict of interest. i would never subordinate the country under my actual business dealings and this demonstrates that. >> $25 million for those who don't deal in sums this large. is it a lot of money? >> you know, for this settlement, no. we're talk about 6,000 actual lawsuits. 20 million are going towards the california people. 3 pll to the new york people and 1 million in fines. and that is the issue here. actual punitive damage given to donald trump. saying listen, we know there was a hustle that went on here and you are admitting that you were not really a university. and so in that respect it is not a lot of money but it is very very telling. >> michael, knowing trump the

way you do, how difficult do you think it was for him to come to these terms, especially since he claimed. he claimed that he doesn't settle lawsuits. >> to the words of donald, it was huge. this is really an admission he did something wrong and he wasn't willing to fight over it. donald has insisted his whole life he doesn't settle. especially if he's got a case he thinks he can win. but he's hurt so many people in this case. i've met many o of them. and it is a profound loss for a lot of them. it was their life savings. >> to be clear again he's admitted that wrong doing here -- >> well the money implies that he did. >> but there are plenty of people who settle lawsuits who -- >> not this guy. >> -- >> almost the first thing he said to me was don't slip and fall on the floor downstairs because if you sue me i'll fight you. >> -- in the seventies. >> well he didn't admit that was settled until he was forced to admit it.

he use sod say well we didn't settle anything. we won. he didn't win. he was ordered to change the practices of the company and he did. so, you know, there are signs in all of these things. in our system money talks. and donald understands that money talks. and it is a big amount to him. he bragged to me about the first check he got for the apprentice. it was $11 million. this is bigger than that. >> and the whole reason you think so he didn't have to sit there and answer questions being deposed? >> absolutely. this is a trend now. and also happened in florida where he was suing for air traffic control going over one of his resorts. he's dismissed that lawsuit as well. and there may be a growing trend where he is deciding to prioritize his role as the president elect which could be a good thing over these lawsuits but reality let's be clear. he has not admitted to any kind of fault. that is the beauty of a civil lawsuit. and in fact i think probably in his mind the idea that he was saying hyperbole about never settling, can still reconcile

with his current state. >> we're talk about the donald trump as settling matters with his business empire here. last night he met with the prime minister of japan, prime minister abe and in the room for at least part, maybe all of it we don't know was his daughter ivanka trump. and a lot of people have been wondering will he separate himself from the family business interests. will his kids be involved in the governing and there she was in that room. what does that tell you? >> i think it is very difficult for him to pull back from these family advisors. he's written that he's a somewhat paranoid guy. and he believes in the closest circle enjoying the most trust. and i think it is going to be very hard for him. i think it is hard for ivanka too. if she asks for her help she's going to be inclined to give it. but in the context of diplomacy and international relations they may be making different decisions. >> the wall street journal and other people have suggested this as well now. suggesting that donald trump should essentially lick date his

holdings. basically cash in. would trump ever do that? >> no. that is not his style and i think that is a pretty extreme proposal. i think to deprive all of his er heirs of these business enterprises wouldn't be fair. but i suspect there is more that could be done to eliminate the gross appearance of conflict. >> already has. disentangling, you know, something, an empire of his size. it's got to be next to impossible. >> it would take herculean efforts and that is the very reason why although congressional members have to have these conflicts checked out and cannot have these things, the president and vice president have always been exempt from that for is very reason you just stated. for someone like donald trump the presumption is not a that businessman would holding office, the presidency that is the issue. but you are correct. there is more than a hint of impropriety. the tanglements are with

countries that certainly have a stake in our global position in this world. and i think it would be very prudent for him to try to at least operate in akin to a blind trust. >> so far the things suggested are neither blind or trust but we talk about that a different time. up next to alabama, a state that went heavily for donald trump in last week's election to see what people there think about what others call the controversies surrounding donald trump's staff picks. >> jeff sessions in 1986 wanted to be a federal judge. he was rejectedly a republican committee because of racially charged comments. he called the naacp and aclu communist inspired. un-american. duke that should disqualify him? >> no because 30 years -- that's why this control enthusiast rents from national. where i can skip the counter... ...and choose any car in the aisle. on average, four out of every five rentals at national is a free upgrade. getting a full-size and paying for a mid-size?

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you heard at the top of the program, the reporting about donald trump's picks for national security adviser, head of the cia, and his attorney general. you also heard at the top of the program a lot of noise of people being made about some things that these men have said in the past about certain minority groups. but what about people in states that voted for donald trump, far away from washington, d.c. and new york. what do they think about these picks? we asked gary tuchman to go find out. >> reporter: in tiny heflan, alabama, the cabinet nomination of alabama's own jeff session was the talk of the town. >> i was surprised by glorified. i'm just overjoyed with it. i think he's doing to do us a good job. >> heflan is where we came to

talk about sessions and other trump cabinet nominees. >> as of now, it's been all white men into the cabinet. is that okay with you? >> it is, yes. >> but would you like to see a woman? >> i would. >> but if not, that's okay? >> it is. >> i'm not a feminist, it doesn't matter with me one way or another, as long as they know how to do their job. >> reporter: 88% of cleburne county voters cast their ballots for donald trump, so they are loyal to him as well as sessions. but we had questions. jeff sessions in 1986 wanted to be a federal judge and was rejected by a committee because of racist comments he made. he called the aclu communist inspired and un-american. do you think that should disqualify him? >> no, because 30 years ago, that was common for someone to say. >> if he said something like that more recently, a few years ago or last year, would that be enough to disqualify him? >> yes. >> 30 years ago, i went to an

all-white school, or maybe longer than 30 years, but when i was in high school, i went to an all-white school and they had an all-black school. i was all for that, because i didn't know any better. >> reporter: you feel he didn't know my better? >> there's a chance he didn't. >> reporter: if he made those comments today -- >> it would bother me, yes, it would. >> reporter: what about the nominee for national security adviser, retired lieutenant general, michael flynn, who was a fiery controversial advocate for trump on the campaign trail. >> reporter: he in the past has talked about islam and he said that islam definitely hides behind being a religion, as a political ideology. did that trouble you? >> i don't think that's true. that may be his opinion, but i don't think it's true. >> reporter: so does it bother you? should that disqualify him from being the national security adviser, if he's acknowledged making those comments? >> maybe he knows a heck of a lot more than about it than i do. >> reporter: then there's the other nominee of the day, congressman mike pompeo for cia chief. few we talked to knows much

about him, but this woman believes he may not have the proper experience to run the cia. >> does that trouble you? >> a little, yes, sir. if he don't have the experience, yes. >> reporter: but donald trump picked him. >> yeah, well, we can't agree with everything he does. >> reporter: but in this small town, there seems to be a general agreement that the presidential transition is going just fine. >> reporter: do you think there are some people in this country, the political establishment, the news media, who just don't get it? >> they never had it. i'm serious. >> reporter: all right, gary tuchman joins us right now from atlanta. so gary, curious, did you run into any hillary clinton voters out there today? >> reporter: john, it's not easy to find a hillary clinton voter in a tiny county where 88% of the people voted for donald trump. but there was one woman i talked to who hadn't told her family and friends yet that she may never do so that she voted for hillary clinton, so she didn't want to go on camera, but she told me that she felt that her senator sessions and general flynn, neither of them qualify for these spots, because shelves they both have skeletons in

their closets. john? >> gary tuchman, thanks so much. in the next hour of "360," president-elect trump's weekend plans, maybe some golf, but he's also going to meet face to face with mitt romney, who called him a phony and a fraud during the campaign. and trump trump didn't have nics for romney, either. could that all be history and could mitt romney join the trump cabinet? some thougts on that, ahead. happy. in love. and saving so much money on their car insurance by switching to geico... well, just look at this setting. do you have the ring? oh, helzberg diamonds. another beautiful setting. i'm not crying. i've just got a bit of sand in my eyes, that's all. geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. [and her new business: i do, to jeanetgo. jeanette was excellent at marrying people.

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