establishment are with the democrats to stop this campaign. >> at 14 i was not dating. he basically laid out some blankets on the floor of his living room, and proceeded to seduce me. charles manson is dead. the cult leader who orchestrated gruesome murders that shocked the world is gone. >> he needs to look into our eyes and see the pain that he's caused. >> this is "new day" with chris cuomo and allis cuomo. >> good morning, welcome to "new day." it is 8:00 in the east. up first, president trump slamming the father of one of the three ucla basketball players arrested for shoplifting in china. the president asked for appreciation, you'll remember. he did supposedly help get these students out of china. the athletes then thanked him publicly. but lavavar ball, who is a piec of work in his own right, the outspoken father of one of the

ucla players, li anglo ball, he's casting doubt on the role of the president. the president heard this, and he did what he does most often. responded in kind. now that the three basketball players are out of china and saved from years in jail, lavar ball, the father of li anglo, is unaccepting of what i did for his son, and that shoplifting is no big deal. i should have left them in china! >> the president went on. shoplifting is a very big deal in china, as it should be, five to ten years in jail. but not to father lavar. should have gotten his son out during my next trip to china, instead. very ungrateful. the president also ripped into senator jeff flake of arizona. in an open mic moment, senator flake referred to the republican party as toast if president trump and roy moore were allowed to define it. the president then fired back. senator jeff flakey, who is

unelectsable in the great state of arizona was caught purposely on mic saying bad things about your favorite president. he'll be a no on tax cuts because his political career anyway is toast. >> are you a toast person or an english muffin or bagel person? >> i like toast. whole grain. >> bad name. >> let's bring in donald trump biography, michael dantonio and ab stoddard. this is what he does. no target too small. no no indignity suffered. so have we seen a new and lower bar for the president actually saying that he should have left american citizens to rot in a chinese jail? >> i don't think anyone is surprised that he said that. i think his supporters, as we always talk about, you know, will never disapprove. and i do think that -- let's

start with the fact that these guys with incredible opportunity before them really -- this is a shameful act. they did not deny they shoplifted sunglasses in china. and it's embarrassing to the country. it's wrong. and they were right to thank the president. he -- we were here on friday and talked about -- it was back on a positive note with his tweets, talking about the pitfalls on the road of life, and, you know, to take great care of themselves. and mr. ball was rude. but that's -- you know, that's an aside. president trump always takes the bait. he always wants more credit. he wants to be thanked. he believes, you know, that people are ungrateful and, it's a disgrace, and he always says this kind of thing. but i do think the intensity and the reason he was doing it last night was because there was an abc news piece out about the fact that mueller is now -- the special counsel, is now looking for communications, documents

from department of justice, about the recusal in the russia probe about the attorney general, jeff sessions, as well as the firing of comey, which indicates he's homing in on the obstruction of justice. so i do think sometimes the timing has to do with russia. even though it is sort of typical trump to blow back on these things and stoke the culture wars. >> so michael, what do you think? because just to remind our viewers, you, of course, are the donald trump biographer. you have studied him for decades. so that's the question. is this just his usual reflex, or is it all a strategic distraction because of the russia investigation and other things boiling in the political sphere? >> well, i think it can be both. i think that he does have this reflex. but we also know that mr. ball has this method, as well. so probably the only two people in the country who are really happy about this are president trump and mr. ball.

they -- this is a game. they're both playing the game. it is -- it serves them both. for the president, it does distract the media and the country from his troubles with the special counsel mueller. and for mr. ball, this is part of his effort to monetize fame. you know, this is a game that actually donald trump almost invented. monetizing fame. you seek the attention, you -- as he says, any attention is better than no attention. and, you know, so now we have a guy that chris called a piece of work whose jabbing at the white house troll and the rest of the country gets to watch. and the only people who are doing the shameful thing here are the president and the basketball player's father. when i look at a guy in his 70s engaging in this kind of behavior, and then i see some college students who shoplifted some sunglasses, i actually see

a disparity. and i see the president acting unpresidential. you know, those kids did the wrong thing. foolish. they had adults intervene on their behalf. mr. ball should have been grateful. but, you know, there's no money in being grateful. and there's no political gain for the president in being gracious. >> so this is a win-win on one side. the president bringing up marshawn lynch, nfl player, on not standing for the anthem at a game in mexico city. that plays to a culture divide that the president believes works to his benefit. this, the same thing. ungrateful kids, they should have thanked me. that works. but then, ab, we have the jeff flake tweet, okay? and that's not about some faux sense of motrality, and americana, it's about what happens with the tax bill. let's put up that tweet. he has some fun with flake, flakey, attacks him for his lack of political future, which is fair. he'll be a no on tax cuts, because his political career

anyway is toast. now, an unintended truth, probably, there, by the president. that's right, when you don't have to worry about getting elected any more, you vote your conscience. but this is different. this isn't just playing on a culture divide. this is about manipulating how people see the battle over the tax plan, right? >> right. look, no matter who votes against the bill on the senate floor, president trump, no matter what policy grounds they will be arguing their no vote president trump go after them likely because that's what he's done this whole year. right now, without senator flake having any reservations, there are five senators, murkowski, mccain, johnson, collins and corker, who have different reasons why they have concerns with the bill. ranging from deficit problems. there are some fiscal hawks remaining in the republican party in congress, though not many left. and then, of course, issues on

the more moderate side about what stripping out the individual mandate will do to health care premiums and how that increase in premiums could actually out -- wipe out any benefits they get from a tax cut. and you're already looking at five senators that could bring the bill down, because they only -- they can only lose two. but senator flake, he has -- senator -- i mean, the president has a personal beef, obviously, with senator flake, who has been extremely critical of the president. very out in the open about it. wrote a book about it. and subsequently could not get re-elected in a primary in arizona, because of it. but it was funny the way he described it. like he was purposefully caught on an open mic. and we know that senator flake has said everything he said on that mic in public already. so it was -- it was -- it wasn't meant to be an interview. in public comments. but it's not inconsistent at all with what senator flake has said. and it's something -- he has an

acti axe to grind with flake, and if he opposes it on deficit grounds, like he's doing it because it's a personal political spat. >> michael, one last tweet that i want to get your response to. this is from congressman adam schiff. and he was talking about the president tweeting about having -- about wishing that he had left these basketball players, these american citizens and kids, in, you know, this chinese prison to rot. adam schiff writes, the president would have left american students in jail because their parents didn't lavish sufficient praise on him. how can someone in such a big office be so small. and you know donald trump and have studied him. does he get affected by those comments, or can he compartme compartmentalize and dismays them as he's a democrat, who cares. what jeff flake comments about him in an open mic, what happens with president trump? >> well, he sees a dramatic

opportunity. this is another enemy for him to go up against. it's actually something that serves him very well. the president is not put off by this. i think for people to think that he stews over a poke at him from adam schiff is incorrect. if it were someone in his own party, a senator who might vote against a tax bill, then i think he might get his back up. but this is something he will dismiss. or he'll call schiff some crazy name. the world will be entertained, and some people will be aghast. and think, well, what is going on in washington. but we're now accustomed to this. this is the routine. so it's useful for him dramatically and keeps our minds off the serious business. you know, this is a problem, though, i think for his legislative agenda. the reason that flakey and corker and everybody else is

lining up against him is they actually oppose his policies. and he's not doing anything to court them. >> flakey. see? it sticks. one thing is for sure. we'll know if the president doesn't like something that is said about him. because he will respond. that's what he does. mr. dantonio, miss stoddard, thank you very much, as always. so lavar ball made a good play here. if what you want is attention, bring -- so many of you now have heard his name. you're going to be googling him. so what was in this for him? was this really about his son? did he just make a good choice in terms of baiting the president and winning? let's get his take. he's going to join us tonight on cnn tonight. i'm filling in for don lemon. so being 10:00 p.m. eastern. you'll hear from lavar ball, why he decided to go at the most powerful man in the world. >> and we will recap for you tomorrow morning, as well. >> indeed. why sleep, when i can be here with you. >> great point. meanwhile, we do have breaking news for you. charles manson has died. the cult leader masterminded the

gruesome murders of seven people in los angeles during the summer of 1969. cnn's stephanie elam is live in los angeles with these breaking details. stephanie. >> reporter: good morning. those gruesome murders that were carried out, murdering seven people that left the nation horrified, well, the man behind it has now died of natural causes. >> manson may be the most famous, notorious mass murderer ever. >> the summer of '69 was marred by gruesome murders that shook the nation. five people killed at the home of hollywood star, sharon tate. and another couple murdered the following night. manson was the mastermind behind the brutal killings. the leader of the clan that carried out the unthinkable. he was convicted of conspiracy and murder in 1971, and infamously went down in history. >> i do a lot of things in the world that you guys don't see. >> manson was born in cincinnati in 1934 to a single teenage

mother. >> she got out of my life early. i spent the best part of my life in boy schools, prisons and reform schools, because i had nobody. >> after marrying twice and spending half his life in prison, 32-year-old manson made his way to berkeley in 1967. he established himself as a guru in the summer of love, and was quickly sharing a home with 18 women. >> you get these kids, these children, coming into haight-ashbury. and here is charlie manson, saying how much he loves them and he wants to take care of them. he took full advantage. >> manson's passion for music translated into an obsession with the beatles' 1968 song, "helter skelter." >> manson wanted to have a worldwide revolution. blacks against whites. >> aiming to launch the fabricated war, manson directed his disillusioned clan to kill. on august 9th, 1969, four

followers invaded the hollywood hills home of actress sharon tate, where they massacred five people. the starlet was eight and a half months pregnant. the next night they murdered another couple. at both homes, they left behind shocking murder scenes. >> when those words helter skelter were found printed in blood at the murder scene, that was tantamount to manson's fingerprints being found at the murder scene. >> after evidence in the case mounted and a high-profile trial, manson and four followers were convicted of nine murders and sentenced to death in 1971. which was downgraded to life in prison when california banned the death penalty. >> and it turned out to be nine life term sentences that manson was serving out here in california. and as far as trying to get out of jail, he did try to do that. he tried to get parole. and it was denied 12 times,

chris. >> stephanie, thank you very much. appreciate the reporting on this. all right. so i don't know if you saw it this morning, but don't worry. we got you covered. what do you do with 25 years of sports history and amazing memories in the georgia dome? you blow them up! wait for it. wait for it. this was all planned. don't worry about that. this was about making rom for more development. >> that's good. someone didn't just accidentally cause that. that would have been really a problem. >> lord knows the things we have going on in the world. but this was planned. the georgia dome hosted super bowls, the olympics, the ncaas. it was huge. it's been replaced by the mercedes-benz stadium up next door. the new stadium is home to the falcons and major league soccer. it's up in a puff of smoke.

>> i like the sentimentality you're going for here. i really do. >> you make fun of me more and more. >> i too am nostalgic. i don't like getting rid of 25 years of memories, but who doesn't like a good implosion in the morning. >> you seem to be in conflict. >> i am in conflict. that is true. meanwhile, jared kushner's attorney disputing claims that his client has not been up front about russia contacts. he accuses senators of playing gotcha games. next. this i can do, easily. i try hard to get a great shape. benefiber® healthy shape is a clear, taste-free, 100% natural daily fiber... that's clinically proven to help me feel fuller longer. benefiber® healthy shape. this i can do! another day at the office. why do you put up with it?

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an attorney for president trump's son-in-law and top aide, jared kushner, says the senate judiciary committee is playing political gotcha games. he's pushing back against claims that jared kushner failed to turn over documents related to the russia investigation. cnn's evan perez interviewed kushner's attorney and he joins us live from washington. so what did he say in this interview? >> well, alisyn, when it comes to contacts involving russians during the 2016 campaign, jared kushner has been forgetful, he's been slow to acknowledge from his failure to list in his security clearance this past year to this last week when the judiciary committee in the senate sent him a bipartisan and public letter saying he hadn't turned over documents the committee knew existed. the documents include his clearance forms, campaign contacts with wikileaks, and a curious russian back door proposal to connect the russian

president, vladimir putin, with the campaign. an idea, by the way, that kushner rejected. now in this interview with me, abbey lowell, kushner's attorney, pushes back against those accusations. take a listen. >> in my communications with the senate judiciary committee, i said, take these documents and let's talk about what else is relevant. they jumped the gun to make it a media event. and any perception that mr. kushner has been anything but cooperative, if you look at the contents of these e-mails, he's the hero. he's the one saying there shouldn't be any contacts with foreign officials or foreign entities. that's what the senate judiciary committee should pay attention to. and not create some sort of partisan gotcha game. >> and by the way, that was a bipartisan letter that was sent to kushner. the bottom line here, though, is that kushner is not promising to do an interview with the senate judiciary committee. and while his attorney is saying that he's cooperating with congress, kushner has another investigation to keep in mind. that's the criminal investigation that's being led by special counsel, robert mueller. and right now mueller is still

working through the roster of white house officials who are coming in for interviews, including this week we expect kushner is going to be one of those interviews. alisyn? >> all right. i'll take it, evan. thank you very much. appreciate it. what an interesting set of circumstances that we have going on with this investigation. let's get some more insight. joining us now is benjamin wittis, senior fellow at the brookings institution and editor-in-chief of the blog, law fair. he's also a friend of fired fbi director, jim comey. good to have you, sir. >> nice to be here. >> have you been in recent contact with mr. comey, by the way? >> wouldn't say if i had. >> because? >> because the relationship is a private friendship, and i'm not here speaking on his behalf. and so any communications that we might have are irrelevant, frankly. >> well, they're certainly not irrelevant, right? because so much of your insight

into these issues comes from an informed perspective of knowing what comey thinks about them, right? >> i actually like to think that if that's the reason why people want to talk to me, you know, i said everything that i had to say about my conversations with jim months ago. and so there would be -- that would be a weak basis on which to want to talk to me now. >> well, everybody is a diamond. you have many facets, mr. wittis. that's just one of them. you certainly have other values, as well. like your political and legal analysis. so let's harness those right now. when it comes to comey, we'll get into kushner and what you think about that. but you know what the political pushback is. you want to look at these questions about the trump campaign, fine. but you must also look at the clinton campaign and the events surrounding her side of this situation. and jim comey looms large for these critics. they say, he should be looked at, because he called the investigation a matter.

because he seemed to have been drafting an exoneration note for clinton before the investigation was up. do you believe that there is any merit to these types of charges, and that they warrant investigation? >> no. but i also don't think there's any harm, particularly, like any public figure exercising significant authority. jim's actions are reasonably subject to question, and i don't think there's any particular harm in reviewing, revisiting judgments that any public official made. that said, it's an effort to change the subject. and the subject that we should all be focused on is the question of, first of all, the underlying conduct that the russia investigation was constituted to investigate. and secondly, the circumstances

of the president's gross interference with that investigation up to and including firing the person who was running it. >> well, push back on the other side, though. because they connect the dots. they go all the way up to mueller, once celebrated for special counsel, life-long republican. they say, well, here's how the argument goes. he was at the fbi during the uranium one deal. the uranium one deal is about russia. he had information he didn't act on when he was at the head of the fbi about contributions. so he's tainted. comey is connected because clinton is connected to russia because of the dossier. so anybody trying to clear her of problems was trying to help her in her efforts to harness russian efforts to interfere in the election. so comey has to be looked at. that's their whole rationale for why this is about russia. but to the substantive matters, do you think there is an issue with calling the probe a matter versus an investigation? and do you think it's true that he was drafting a "she's off the

hook note" before the investigation was over? >> so, first of all, as to the taint of everybody associated with this investigation, i would say that just listening to your question just now sounded a little bit like looking at congressm congressm congressman gomert's chart. and these are, like, conspiracy theories that don't really have any merit to them. the idea that bob mueller, of all people, is going to cut hillary clinton a break because he was in office when the cifius process cleared the uranium one deal is just not worth the time to talk about. it's a silly, stupid idea. and it's -- it's not -- we shouldn't dignify it with a

serious conversation. as to whether jim began thinking about or drafting a statement exonerating or ending the investigation before the investigation was complete, you know, i have news for you. sometimes supreme court justices start working on draft opinions as a way of thinking through stuff before oral arguments. sometimes, you know, people think about how they're going to talk about something before the entirety of the work is done. there's nothing remotely wrong with that. and the idea that we should reopen the hillary clinton e-mail matter because some people object to the timing of the drafting of a statement that will either live or die on the

merits of what was said in it is just silly. >> and, look, point to your perspective on this. we saw jeff sessions push back on representative jim jordan about the need for a special counsel on these matters. he said, "sometimes looking like something isn't enough of a factual basis for actual investigation." that was jeff sessions, who said that in front of a house panel. jared kushner. what is your take on his exposure here, and on his cooperation to this point? >> so without knowing precisely what he testified to, as in the specific words that he said in response to the specific question, and without having all the evidence available about what his precise state of mind was when he said whatever he said, there is no real way to answer that question, except to say that the sequence of omissions from things that he's put in his security clearance,

from things that he's delivered to the committees from things that he's said, the sequence of omissions is profoundly embarrassing. should be profoundly embarrassing to him. and will raise suspicions with investigators. and, you know, what the merits of those are i can't say, sitting here. and by the way, neither can anyone else. but i do think, you know, every time kushner or one of the other senior trump administration officials makes a representation about the quality, frequency and type of contacts between the trump campaign and russian government officials or their agents, those turn out to be at best incomplete or sometimes just wrong. and i do think that's the kind of thing that investigators,

both on the congressional side and on the criminal side take very seriously. >> benjamin wittes, always appreciate your take and thank you for taking on the arguments on both sides. >> my pleasure. >> alisyn. okay, chris. after winning the release of three american basketball players from china, president trump now says he should have left them in jail. what do his republican supporters think? that's next. feel the power of theraflu expressmax. new power... ...to fight back theraflu's powerful new formula to defeat 7 cold and flu symptoms... fast. so you can play on. theraflu expressmax. new power.

president trump now says he should not have helped free three ucla basketball players arrested for shoplifting in china. this, after one of the players' fathers down played the president's role in securing their release. we have republican congressman scott taylor of virginia. your tie looks good, congressman. no need for adjustment. >> thank you, good morning. >> good morning. great to have you here. let me read the president's tweet from yesterday about these ucla players. he says, now that the three basketball players are out of china, and saved from years in jail, lavar ball, the father of li anglo, is unaccepting of what i did for his son and that

shoplifting is no big deal. i should have left them in jail. do you understand what the president is saying there? >> sure. i understand what he's saying. i don't think as leaders we should seek out credit. but i will say, his tweets are very effective. because most americans would agree with him. i just did some reading about china's punishment for theft. and it's a minimum three years in jail, maximum ten years in jail. so it is a big deal. shoplifting is a big deal in china. >> it is a big deal. but just to clarify. do you think that most americans would agree with the president that an american college student should be left to rot in a chinese jail? >> no, no, no. i don't believe that at all. but what i'm saying is that i think most americans -- most everyday americans would agree that, you know, the father should be appreciative that the president helped his son out, who made a mistake, no question about it. but over there, it's a lot more severe of a mistake than it is here. as i said, i don't think leaders should seek out the ata boys and

stuff like that. but i do think those tweets are effective, because most americans agree the father should be more appreciative. >> do you think that donald trump is putting out a tweet like that to stage sort of a diversionary tactic or distraction from, say, the tax issue or from roy moore and what's happening in alabama? >> i don't know the answer to that. but if he is, it's pretty effective. we're talking about it right now. i know you guys have talked about it before me, too. >> and, i mean, okay. i hear you. i think you're right. but is it -- is that good? should we be distracted by things like this? >> no. i mean, i'd rather talk about other things, of course. you know, like our bill and other things. but, like i said, that's a good question that you have. if that was his intention, it worked. >> okay. your wish is my command. so let's get to that piece of legislation. because it is new and it is really important. so you and gabbert have this

legislation that is -- this is in light of what happened, the horrible massacre that we witnessed at the church in sutherland springs, texas, that killed 26 people, including children. and this gunman had a violent past. let me remind people, i'll put it up on the screen, who this guy was, had been charged in 2012 with assault and battery against his wife, choked her, pulled her hair, kicked her. he had, i believe, charged with aggravated assault against his stepson, who was an infant, cracked his skull. four charges involving firearms that were dropped in a plea deal and charged with animal cruelty. he kicked and punched a dog. given bad conduct discharge from the ufaf. how would your legislation change what had happened in texas? >> sure. so i think that, you know, a lot of folks, they -- with these shootings, they want something done, of course. and, you know, when you hear reasonable, when you hear common sense, this is a measure that would do that. that would actually prevent things without taking people's

second amendment rights away. when you look at studies with gun violence, and you look at folks that have committed domestic abuse, they are more likely to use gun violence against others, of course. a lot of times with people they know. but this bill would require the military, which the uniform code of military justice doesn't necessarily match up with the civilian code completely. so the air force had come out and said they had failed in reporting this person to the national database, which had prevented him from getting a gun. the army came out and said the same, that they had underreported, as well. so this bill, with myself and mrs. gabbert, would require that military, all of dod, within three days to report domestic abuses convicted there. the language is different between the military justice system and the civilian one. but this would deal with that, and then perhaps prevent -- doesn't take care of all gun violence, obviously. you're not going to have 100% security. but it would make sure that the folks that are domestic abusers are reported to that system, therefore potentially preventing

them from getting a gun. >> do you think your bill goes far enough in preventing mass shootings or gun violence, or would you like to see other measures taken, as well as your bill? >> unfortunately, the reality is, any law that you create isn't going to prevent all mass shootings. it's just -- you know, potential. i think that is a false notion. a fashion narrative that you hear. but this bill is a common sense -- is a reasonable measure that closes a loophole necessary for reporting to make sure that people who shouldn't be getting firearms do not get them. >> understood. okay, congressman, thank you very much for explaining it to us today. great to have you. >> thanks for having me. another big story. one of the first accusers who says alabama senate nominee roy moore sexually abused her when she was just 14 is speaking out in her first tv interview. lei

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>> leigh corfman is really the woman who opened the floodgates of these accusations against roy moore when she came out with her story about him in an interview with the "washington post." now, she was only 14 years old when she was at a courthouse here in gadsden, alabama, where roy moore is from, when a man who was in his 30s approached her and her mother and offered to watch her while her mother went inside for a custody hearing. now, of course, that man was roy moore, and he got her number and later took her to his house and here's what she said happened from there, chris. >> on the second occasion that i went with him, he basically laid out some blankets on the floor of his living room, and proceeded to seduce me. i guess you would say. and during the course of that, he removed my clothing. he left the room and came back in wearing his white underwear.

and he touched me over my clothing, what was left of it. and he tried to get me to touch him, as well. and at that point, i pulled back and said that i was not comfortable, and i got dressed, and he took me home. but i was a 14-year-old child, trying to play in an adult's world. and he was 32 years old. it took years for me to regain a sense of confidence in myself. and i felt guilty. you know, i felt like i was the one that was to blame. and it was decades before i was able to let that go. >> reporter: now, roy moore has denied these allegations, and said it's all part of a conspiracy between the media and the republican establishment to derail his campaign. but leigh corfman said this morning she was not paid to make these accusations against moore.

and, in fact, she's voted republican for years. but for her, this isn't political, she said. it's personal. chris and alisyn. >> thank you very much. so, listen, it's always more powerful to hear from the person. we have read her accounts, we know the story. but to hear from her herself and what happened, that does feel different. i didn't -- i mean, to hear those details -- suddenly i don't know. it does feel really more intense and graphic. >> and it matters more than usual, because ordinarily, if there is going to be a trial, if we hear from one side, all right, that's good. or both sides, that's good. but it's not about just us and them. it's about a jury, it's about a judge. it's about a prosecution. and a defense. not here. for people saying, well, he's guilty -- he's innocent until proven guilty, that's true. but only in that context. this is the court of public opinion. this is only going to be about what you think about what she said, how it is offset about what he's able to offer up, like that he was assigned to her

divorce case, it didn't come up sooner, those kinds of things. his denials. and then you get to make a decision. the lawmakers make a decision. the alabama voters make a decision. this is the only process we'll have. >> yeah it's really interesting to hear the rest of her interview, as well. she says she did consider many times going more public in a more national way, but she did tell friends and family at the time. >> there is corroboration with most of these accounts. you have to read the "washington post" reporting and the reporting that's come afterwards. too many people are having opinions without doing that. >> this you go. meanwhile, president trump calls on the nfl to suspend raiders star, marshawn lynch for sitting during the national anthem. coy wire has more. >> good morning, alisyn. president trump blasting yet another figure from the sports world. this time, beast mode, marshawn lynch. the raiders' running back sitting during the national anthem all season long and said it's not a protest, just something he's always done. well, yesterday, before the raiders/patriots game in mexico city, lynch sat for the anthem, but then stood for mexico's

anthem. president trump tweeted saying, quote, marshawn lynch of the nfl's open raiders stance for the mexican anthem and sits down for your national anthem. great disrespect. next time nfl should suspend him for remainder of season. attendance and ratings way down. marshawn lynch has not said much about the ongoing anthem protest, but did wear a shirt last month before a game that said "everybody versus trump." chris? >> all right, coy, we see the president doing what he does very well here, picking an issue he knows divides people that may play to his base and doubling down. president trump also reshaping the late night landscape. the biggest names in comedy boldly taking him on. why? brian stelter is going to be here with a preview of his late night in the age of trump special. next. when heartburn hits,

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let's discuss with senior media correspondent and host of reliable sources, brian stelter. so these are not been terribly challenging interviews that he's done. with fox news. no indication he'll ever do a challenging interview again. >> i think it's worth pointing out how unusual this is. i had a segment on my program yesterday notinging it's been more than six months now. if you remember lester holt and president trump at the white house the same week president trump fired james comey. that's the last time we have seen president trump in a sort of nonfox news sitdown tv news interview style. >> and that interview caused some problems. >> it caused a lot of problems. it's going to end up being part

of the mueller investigation. so you think back six months since then, normally whether it's a president bush, president obama or any who came before in the tv age, they would go around every major network, even president obama who didn't like fox. we aren't seeing president trump do that. and i'm wondering, a couple months from now, we'll have the super bowl, usually a big moment. i wonder if president trump will avoid those. >> who has it? >> nbc. matt lauer, savannah guthrie, lester holt. so far president trump doesn't want to appeal to the major network audiences. doesn't do "60 minutes," cnn. it's really unusual compared to what we have seen from past presidents. >> the obvious question is, why would he, right? so far, what he's trying to cultivate in terms of his base, he doesn't need to. can he grow his tent, get ready for the next election, that's the challenge. so another reason he's not going on is because he's getting beat up on a regular basis. >> under siege. >> on late night tv. >> right. >> what's your take on that?

we know it's the subject of this big special you've got. >> yeah, we have a special tonight. we wanted to spend several months looking at how late night tv has changed because of president trump. it really has become more polarized, much more political. i think in some ways, these shows, whether it's stephen colbert or seth meyers or jimmy kimmel, they've captured the moment this kind of anti trump moment in america in some ways better than politicians, better than liberal news anchors. >> what's it doing for their numbers? >> the shows are basically still at election level. so normally, you have an election, then the ratings trail off, whether it's for news or comedy. not any more. it's because we're sort of in this permanent campaign. >> i want to show a couple clips of snl. kait kate mackinnon doing her jeff sessions -- you see melissa mccarthy playing spicer on the right. look at kate mackinnon on the left. she has been doing this every weekend and it's a particularly demented, dark version of jeff

sessions. and do we know how the president feels about women -- first of all, he -- >> melissa mccarthy was playing sean spicer. that was reportedly uncomfortable at the white house. >> right. because it was a woman playing a man. and now here's -- >> that was the least of their concern. that it was a woman playing a man. she was spot-on, was the problem. >> she was spot-on. >> particularly upset about the fact that it was a woman playing one of his aides. and now just when you thought snl couldn't top melissa mccarthy playing sean spicer, i think they have done it with this jeff sessions impersonation. >> she's kind of like the gremlin version of jeff sessions. like newman -- >> and a ferret. >> some type of varmint. >> you've thought about this. >> i have. >> she also played julian assange. she could essentially do the whole show. she's outstanding and really the breakout star of the year on snl. >> so it's been a boon for late night. and what else are we going to learn in your special?

>> i think in some ways, you could make the case that these shows are also changing president trump. or at least changing his audience's -- his fan base's feelings. when these shows attack president trump on a nightly basis. it also causes some of the people you interviewed for your focus group to dig in their heels further. i think when we interviewed some of these comedians, some of these producers, there's a concern they have deep down inside they're just preaching to the choir. they're not actually changing any minds. and that's one of the themes of tonight's special. >> the opportunity will be in the bridge. you know, that's what we're seeing right now. there is fomenting going on. the president is savvy on this. we're seeing late night pick up on it to their own advantage. but who is going to bridge. who will be the bridge in this situation. >> chris cuomo? alisyn c alisyn? >> we'll try. be sure to watch brian's report. "late night in the age of trump" tonight at 9:00 p.m. only on cnn. >> i see myself more as a tunnel than a bridge. but that's a personal

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all right. top of the hour. good monday morning, i'm popularly harlow. >> i'm john berman. for the first time we are hearing from the woman who says that roy moore sexually molested her when she was 14. also for the first time, we seem to hear the white house saying it would prefer that alabamans still vote for roy moore. >> that's right. this is how leigh corfman described her interactions when she was, look at that, just a 14-year-old girl. >> he basically laid out some blankets on the floor of his living room and proceeded to -- seduce me, i guess you would say. and during the course of that, he removed m