hello. i'm wolf blitzer in washington. wherever you're watching from around the world, thanks for very much for joining us. got breaking news. "the washington post" now reporting that larry kudlow will replace gary cohn as the next chairman of the white house national economic council. let's bring in our political director, david chaleon. the president yesterday was praising david kuz -- kudlow.

they disagree on one sensitive issue, tariffs. >> this is the issue the president put front and center before that special election in pennsylvania. this is a column written by larry kudlow. he basically is in here saying that there is no logic to the tariffs. he said, mr. president, these tariffs are a tax hike. and wolf, you'll remember, gary cohn, the man larry kudlow is now set to replace as head of the national economic council, left his job basically over the tariff issue. he was in disagreement with the president. he left his job over it. so the president is now replacing him with someone who agreed with gary cohn in that battle, not the president. the other thing, of course, to note here is this is a cable tv personality. it is a perfect kind of appointment for the apprentice-style presidency that donald trump is running. and we know how consumed he is with watching people on cable television and consuming a lot of tv news.

so it should surprise nobody that he would actually tap a cable television personality. >> larry kudlow has been at cnbc for a long time. >> not that he doesn't have the credentials. i'm not suggesting that. >> he's an economist. clearly qualified to be the president's national economic council director. at the same time, though, when it comes to tariffs and trade, globalist versus protectionist, he's with gary cohn. they both supported the tax cuts. they both clearly are with the president on that. and interestingly, earlier today, the president tweeted this. we cannot keep a blind eye to the rampant, unfair trade practices against our country. so he's still adamant on that. >> there's no doubt. in fact, donald trump has said just recently in the last week he sees this as one of the reasons he got elected president. he believes he tapped into this, a position, by the way, he's held, this protectionist nature, for three decades. this is actually the one major consistent policy position donald trump has had through his life in business and into public life as a politician.

he believes it's one of the reasons he got elected to the white house. he's in a diametrically opposite place from his new national economic adviser. >> yesterday, the president basically told us larry kudlow was his man. listen to this. >> we don't agree on everything, but in this case, i think that's good. i want to have a divergent opinion. we agree on most. he now has come around to believing in tariffs also. >> he's come around to agree that tariffs could be a negotiating point. the argument that the president, some of his advisers make, is threaten tariffs on mexico and canada as the u.s. renegotiates the north american free trade agreement, nafta, and use that as a pressure point to get a better deal on nafta. what the president is suggesting, larry kudlow agrees. >> yes, well, the president in announcing the tariffs gave those two countries waivers.

>> and he's holding over the threat. >> yes, holds over that threat this will be coming for you too if we don't renegotiate nafta to what donald trump deems more favorable terms. i'm sure it's a negotiating tactic. what larry kudlow has made clear is as policy, he's totally opposed. >> big picture, clearly the president has known lar i cry kw for a long time. they have a great relationship. it comes a tt a time when a bun of changes have already taken place. gary cohn is gone. rex tillerson was informed by twitter he will be gone as the secretary of state. and more are on the way. >> all right. so we look to see who else in the cabinet or among the closest advisers to the president, such as potentially his national security adviser, h.r. mcmaster. we know he's been on thin ice at times and in different places on major issues with the president. and we look to see some others, maybe secretary shulkin at the va might be in danger. the president has made clear to

folks he's not all that thrilled with this obama holdover in the cabinet. so here's the thing, wolf. not only is the president completely upending and recrafting his national security and foreign policy team, now with bringing kudlow in, he's also doing in on the economic front. this is a reboot of a presidency to try to bring people around him sort of trump 2.0 as he delves into this second year of his administration. >> and jeff zeleny is with us as well, our senior white house correspondent. i guess none of us should be completely surprised larry kudlow has been tapped to succeed gary cohn. >> we shouldn't be surprised. of course, we heard the president talk about this yesterday. but you never know for sure with this president. he talks to a variety of people. but we are learning he has accepted this position now. that is always our barometer, that he's accepted the position. all this is happening as the president is flying from los angeles to st. louis. he'll be doing an economic event there this afternoon. he is trying to shine a brighter

light on his economic policy. of course, that huge tax cut plan passed last year that isn't necessarily helping him politically, but he believes it will help him long-term here. as you've been talking about, this is the continuation of, i would call it, spring cleaning in the west wing. they're absolutely making a variety of changes. this is not the last. >> larry kudlow will be the head of the national economic council. this is a position that does not require senate confirmation. >> which is very important because some of the positions like yesterday's changes do require confirmation hearings. i think there is a limit to how many confirmation hearings the white house and west wing can withstand at one moment. but i think it's also important in choosing him, the president is also making the calculation that he's picking someone who doesn't necessarily agree with him on everything, but he's comfortable with him. we're seeing a bit of a contradiction here. in the secretary of state, he's choosing mike pompeo, who seems

to agree with him on every matter. on the economic front, he's using someone who doesn't necessarily agree with him who might challenge him. we'll see how that works. >> the president said he wants people with diverse opinions to be in that room. >> he says that a lot. i'm not sure he actually believes that. >> that's what he said yesterday. but he thinks larry kudlow has now come around and agrees with him, views the tariffs as a threat in negotiating new trade deals. brian stelter is with us. our senior media correspondent. brian, so he's gone to cnbc this time. a long-time friend of the president, larry kudlow. a long-time anchor and analyst on cnbc to come in and run economics over at the national economic council. >> yeah, we know that when president trump wants advice or affirmation, he frequently turns on the tv. but this is one of the best examples yet of that trump tv feedback loop. it's not only that the president live tweets cable news shows, gets ideas from cable news hosts, and sometimes calls them up after they're on the air.

now we actually see him poaching a host from cable television, in this case larry kudlow, as you've been talking about. kudlow has been a host on cnbc for many years. he's one of the best known faces on cnbc. a conservative commentator, someone who's been promoting free market capitalism all of his life and on television for many years. he was also an informal adviser to trump during the campaign. so they've been in touch. this is nothing new necessarily. what is new is to see this cnbc host -- he's now a contributor to the network -- actually making the leap and joining the government. maybe not the last person we'll see make this move from tv to the white house. >> he's brought in some others. undersecretary of state for public affairs. she also used to work at fox. >> yeah, that's right. heather was a "fox & friends" host. then she joined the state department last year. sort of the first example of

this trump tv feedback loop where he hires people away from television squljobs. that feedback loop is even stronger than ever. 14 months into trump's presidency, he's sometimes calling up fox hosts when he needs advice. he's seeking out the sean hanties of the world for guidance and bringing kudlow into the administration is another example. i did have a cnbc executive say to me, we don't want to lose him. we don't want to see kudlow go. but certainly i guess he can't say no when the president calls. >> president called him and larry kudlow responded with a yes. he'll be coming to washington, leaving new york. all right. brian, i want you to stand by. i want to bring in republican congressman tom cole of oklahoma. congressman, let me get your reaction. what do you think about this decision to replace gary cohn with larry kudlow of cnbc? >> well, i couldn't be more pleased. i like gary cohn a lot, but larry kudlow, of course, is a reagan alumni, if you will, all the way back to his days at the omb. and he's a guy that frankly is very well known among republican

members of congress. he comes to our conferences quite a bit, classic free-market economist and thinker and advocate. he's somebody that house republicans are extraordinarily comfortable with. >> are you with the president on going ahead with 25% steel tariffs, importing steel at 25%, aluminum at 10%, you want all thee tariffs to go forward? >> no, i don't, not across the board. i think this is where you target bad actors. again, if this is used as a negotiating ploy, because sometimes even our friends are not so friendly when it comes to trade questions, that's fine. but i wouldn't want to slide into an all-out trade war. in my home state, frankly, we're a big agricultural producer. that's an easy place to retaliate. we're an exporter. we also use an awful lot of steel and aluminum in everything from aviation to oil field activity. so metals are very important to us. obviously if you make them more expensive, you're going to

increase the price of petroleum, you're going to increase the price of airplanes. we don't like either of those things. >> is there anything you can do to stop the president from imposing these tariffs? >> well, there's something. look, we want to work with the president, not at odds with him. we know we don't agree on everything, but we agree on almost everything. i don't have any problem with him getting tough to people that are bad actors. obviously the chinese are huge tire producers. we had to put a tire tariff on them because they were dumping in the american market. i understand the use of this as a tool in selective cases. i don't think it works very well if you just do it to friend and foe alike, so to speak. a little more nuanced approach. we'll talk to the president about that. a hundred of us signed a letter to that effect, coordinated by kevin brady, the chairman of ways and means, and a noted free trader. i think the speaker's made his views known on this and

available. again, we're in a dialogue with the president, but we see this as a productive partnership, not as something where we're at war or at odds with our own president. >> you may have an ally in larry kudlow when he goes to the national economic council. let me put your political hat on, congressman. a major earthquake out in pennsylvania. you're a former head of the national republican congressional committee. what's your reaction to the election results in this 18th congressional district in pennsylvania? conor lamb slightly ahead by only 627 votes. looks like he's got a good chance of beating rick saccone. the president was there over the weekend, and he was saying the whole world is watching. it looks like the democrat's going to win. >> well, we'll see. it's still contested, but frankly, you know, i think it doesn't tell us much new. we knew the midterms were going to be difficult. alabama, new jersey, and frankly virginia told you that. while we've won five of these

six competitive house races so far, i'd rather be 6 for 6, our margi margins haven't been what they might be. look, democrats are energized, no question about it. that's noteworthy to me in this case. you got a democrat running against speaker pelosi, running for gun control, running in favor of the president's fortar policies. he was a little bit of a stealth candidate but a gifted candidate. again, i expect a very competitive midterm election. i believe our majority is at stake. that's been true in every midterm since 2002. it's not going to be any different this time. republicans need to be ready. i think we will be. i think we have excellent candidates, a great campaign committee, and nobody's asleep on our side. >> how worried are you, congressman, that democrats could do exceptionally well in the midterms and become the majority in the house? >> look, i would consider that a 50/50 possibility.

any republican that denies that is not doing themselves a favor. you need to understand when the environment is against you, it is right now, it always is against the party in power in a midterm election. we have a lot of members that have won in districts that hillary clinton carried, that have won in districts that barack obama carried. i actually think our battle tested incumbents are about as good as you could ask for. i think our committee's in good shape, and we're certainly not in a state of denial or complacency on our side. got to get ready for a big fight in the fall. >> let me shift to one other sensitive issue while i have you, congressman. "the washington post" is reporting the president may be ready for a three-year deal to extend daca, the dreamers, here in the united states in exchange for some border wall funding along the border with mexico. are you with the president in allowing these dreamers to stay here, have a three-year deal, attach it to the march 23rd spending bill? >> i'd want to see the details, obviously, but yeah, i could be

broadly in favor of that. i think the president's actually laid out the most reasonable position here. he went a lot further than democrats thought he would or could. that is 1.8 million, which more than doubled the people eligible, path to citizenship. but in return, real -- you know, the border wall and changes in both the chain migration portion of our existing law and the visa lottery. >> what if he drops -- what if they drop the last two ingredients, only have the path to citizenship for 1.8 million dreamers in exchange for border wall funding, but they don't deal with the other issues right now? >> i don't know what the specifics are, obviously, and that always makes a difference, but i would be inclined to be supportive. the president wants to move ahead. i think he's right to move ahead on border security. both parties really agree that the daca population is full of really good people that america really is their home.

so this is something we just need to work through to a successful conclusion. i don't find a deal like that a problem, certainly for me to support. >> clearly you're in favor of certain opportunities for these dreamers for a pathway to citizenship. >> absolutely. >> you don't say that simply amnesty is something your republican colleagues do. >> no, i don't. there's a big difference between children brought into the country as children. this really is their home. they've had to pass really stringent background checks. they have to be at work, clean record. i've met with a tlot of these folks in this category from my own state, my own district. i find them to be very admirable people. we need to work towards some sort of long-term legal status for them and allow them to do what they're doing now, which is work hard, progress, and contribute to the american economy and to the american culture. so there's a deal to be had here. i'm pleased that the president is trying to work for one.

>> congressman tom cole of oklahoma, thanks so much for joining us. >> thank you, wolf. coming up, we have some live pictures. take a look at this. students nationwide walking out of their classrooms and into the debate over gun control here in the united states. we're going to go live to the west coast, where rallies are still under way in hopes of bringing real change to this country. we'll be right back. ♪ the fastest samsung ever demands t-mobile, the fastest network ever. preorder the new samsung galaxy s9 for half off. ♪

burning, of diabetic nerve pain, these feet... loved every step of fatherhood... and made old cars good as new. but i couldn't bear my diabetic nerve pain any longer, so i talked to my doctor and he prescribed lyrica. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions, suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worse depression, unusual changes in mood or behavior, swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, muscle pain with fever, tired feeling or blurry vision. common side effects: dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain, swelling of hands, legs, and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. those who have had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. now i have less diabetic nerve pain. ask your doctor about lyrica.

hey, need fast try cool mint zantac. it releases a cooling sensation in your mouth and throat. zantac works in as little as 30 minutes. nexium can take 24 hours. try cool mint zantac. no pill relieves heartburn faster. where we're changing withs? contemporary make-overs. then, use the ultimate power handshake, the upper hander with a double palm grab. who has the upper hand now? start winning today. book now at lq.com. sarge, i just got a tip. that'll crack this case wide open! turns out the prints at the crime scene- awwwww...did mcgruffy wuffy get a tippy wippy? i'm serious! we gotta move fast before- who's a good boy? is him a good boy? erg...i'm just gonna go. oh, you wanna go outside? you gotta go tinky poo-poo? i already went, ok? in the bathroom! as long as people talk baby-talk to dogs, you can count on geico saving folks money. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance.

a the a time when the country is politically divided, an unprecedented sign of unity from students around the nation. around 10:00 a.m., students marched out of their classrooms to demand stricter gun laws and to honor students who died in the parkland, florida, shooting one month ago today. here in washington, thousands of studen students descended on the white house and capitol hill, bringing a direct message to lawmakers.

they clearly want change in the nation's gun laws. out in chicago, the walkout particularly significant. it's an area where gun violence touches the lives of people almost every day. for most, walkouts lasted 17 minutes in honor of the 17 lives lost. our correspondent stephanie elam is joining us from los angeles, where the walkout is getting under way. stephanie, what are the students doing there? what are you seeing and hearing? >> reporter: wolf, i want to show you here what's going on. right now we're in the middle of the students who have walked out at gre thnada hills charter hig school. the children are out here lying down, spelling out #enough, on their john elway stadium field here. as you can see, they're very silent. they're hitting the gong every 30 seconds right now to mark those 17 lives that were lost in parkland. i want to introduce you quickly to lexi, a junior here. how did the students come up

with this plan? >> we the students wanted to unite as a nation and use our voices to say enough to the gun violence. we worked together with a team of five, and that grew to so many other students organizing this event. we students, we don't want to be scared of gun violence any more in america. >> reporter: you're so far a way from florida, from park left-hanparkland. there have been so many other students. why did this one resonate? >> us students, even though we're far away, wanted to participate and use our voice because students anywhere shouldn't be scared. our school, we have a large student population, and we had the power. students are willing and have the courage to come out and say enough. we're out here, we're saying enough, we're showing it to our legislators that students should no longer be in fear of going to school. >> reporter: all right. lexi, thank you. as you can see here, the students quiet. they're really participating. they're stretched out, laying out here, spelling #enough. wolf, also worth noting that this was all voluntary of who wanted to participate.

besides the gong that you hear, they also lined up 17 chairs, empty chairs to mark those 17 lives that were lost in parkland right here on the field as well. all of this because this student body here in los angeles county at grenada hills charter high school wanted to participate and wanted their voices heard. talking to one young man who just turned 18 yesterday, he said he wanted to participate and also to vote his conscience now because he cares so much about gun violence and what's happening. >> that high school massacre exactly one month ago today. stephanie elam, thanks very much. moments from now, students across the nation, they've been walking out of their schools. the parkland killer is getting ready to appear in court after prosecutors call for the death penalty. for people with moderate to severe psoriasis, up to 90% had a significant improvement of their psoriasis plaques. with taltz, 4 out of 10 even achieved completely clear skin.

don't use if you're allergic to taltz. before starting, you should be checked for tuberculosis. taltz may increase risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. tell your doctor if you have an infection, symptoms, or received a vaccine or plan to. inflammatory bowel disease can happen with taltz, including worsening of symptoms. serious allergic reactions can occur. ready for a chance at 100% clear skin? ask your doctor about taltz. try it for as little as $5 a month.

ask your doctor about taltz. internet providers promise business owners a lot. let's see who delivers more. comcast business offers fast gig-speeds across our network. at&t doesn't. we offer more complete reliability with up to 8 hours of 4g wireless network backup. at&t, no way. we offer 35 voice features and solutions that grow with your business. at&t, not so much. we give you 75 mbps for $59.95. that's more speed than at&t's comparable bundle, for less. call today. as thousands of students

demonstrated outside capitol hill here in washington for change in gun laws, inside lawmakers demanded answers about why officials failed to act after receiving tips about the parkland shooter's alarming behavior. >> did the fbi reach out to law enforcement to give them a warning about cruz, and if not, why not? >> no, sir, we did not. i do not know why she, the call taker, did not do so. she conferred with her supervisor and made some sort of a presentation about what was contained in that call and a decision was made -- there was discussion about the fact that the local department had been notified. you're absolutely correct, senator. the call was very explicit. however, they made a decision to close it, no lead value, and no call was made to the local jurisdiction. >> emotional testimony. also at the hearing from the

father of elena petty, killed in the parkland shootings. i want to bring in the superintendent of the broward county schools. superintendent, thanks so much for joining us. >> thank you, wolf. good afternoon. >> you just heard the fbi confirming at this hearing on capitol hill that they received explit sit, very detailed tips about this shooter. those tips weren't acted on. what's your reaction when you hear that? >> it's very disappointing, and i think this is one of the things that our students and our young people are asking for, is that there be better coordination and accountability from law enforcement as one of the many pieces they have on the table. the other is more sensible gun laws, including banning assault rifles, universal background checks, and third is better investments and mental health services and supports. >> it's been one month exactly since the parkland high school

massacre. who you are t how are the students doing? >> you know, they have their ups and downs. this has been about a week since they've returned to a full schedule. we continue to provide grief counselors. we provide therapy dogs at the school. we have provided flexible schedules and supports for students and faculty. but it's still a very rough time. they have their moments. this grieving process is going to be with us, you know, into the foreseeable future. but coming together and getting the marjory stoneman douglas family together, the students and faculty, as one community, helps in accelerating their grieving process. they're having to be there with their friends, to be there with their teachers, and getting back to some sense of normalcy has been a very positive experience for our students. >> what do you think of the

nationwide walkout today by these students? >> you know, on one level, i certainly look at it at a number of ways. one, i view it as a positive that the students have been able to take their anger, grief, and concern into action for positive change. the other thing is that as part of the education process, we try to instill in our students critical skills, being able to look at issues, think about them critically, take a position, being able to communicate that, and connect and have relevance to what they're actually learning. this is a great learning opportunity for them to have some relevance to what they're learning. they read a lot about history. they're now able to certainly make history. they're able to demonstrate their first amendment rights, and they're also able to make connections not only within their school but with students and other young people across the country. so i think it's a positive day for our young people.

i'm very proud of the way they've stepped up. and again, using this tragedy as an opportunity for them to help define a better future for themselves and this country. >> it looks like at least in florida your legislators, your governor, they've been listening. they did pass legislation. some of the legislation clearly opposed by the national rifle association. are you encourageded by what you see in your state of florida? >> absolutely. i can tell you, wolf, this would have never happened without the advocacy and push of the students and their parents in the parkland community. they need to be applauded for their persistence. i also want to acknowledge the governor for spending so much time here. i spoke to him almost daily. he attended many funerals, became very sensitized to the situation. i think the legislation put on the table and his proposals reflect that level of engagement and sensitivity to the issue.

hopefully other states around the country take heed and we can get better, more sensible laws in place to help protect our kids and ensure our communities are safer. >> i know you're worried, and i've spoken with teachers, the superintendents all over the country, they're worried if you have to spend more money and you all have limited educational budgets, if you have to spend more money on security, does that take away from the teachers and the education, the funds that go for getting our kids a good education. >> yes, wolf. unfortunately, that's what we appear to be seeing here in florida. we have the school safety bill that was passed. over $400 million includes opportunities for school resource officers, mental health services. on the other hand, in broward county, we're seeing an actual almost reduction in what we call our base student allocation. we find that to be an

unacceptable situation, and we're asking the governor to veto the portion of the budget that deals with the education budget, send that back to the legislature, and provide adequate funding for basic education services. we don't believe there should be a choice between paying our teachers their salaries, investing in educational programs, and covering inflationary costs and actually keeping our schools safe. we should be able to do both. invest in school safety as well as invest in educational services. so we need to have both in order to move this state and this country forward. >> well, good luck to you, superintendent robert runcie of broward county schools. good luck to all the folks down there. we'll say in touch. thanks so much for joining us. >> thank you, wolf. there's breaking news involving another possible firing by the trump administration. get ready. we'll be right back.

75 million of us suffer from the gritty and frustrating symptoms of dry eye. we need theratears®. theratears® is more than just eye drops. it's eye therapy. dry eye symptoms are caused by a salt imbalance. theratears® unique electrolyte formula, quickly restores the natural balance. so your eyes will thank you. more than eye drops, dry eye therapy. theratears®. a hilton getaway means you get more because you get a break on breakfast get an extra day by the pool get to spend more time together get more from your spring break getaway

with exclusive hilton offers. book yours, only at hilton.com

listerine® cleans virtually 100%. helping to prevent gum disease and bad breath. never settle for 25%. always go for 100. bring out the bold™ while nothing comparesating modeto the real thing.d... experience the command performance sales event for yourself, now through april 2. experience amazing at your lexus dealer.

there's breaking news. the former fbi deputy director andrew mccabe could be fired just days before he's set to retire. a source says the attorney general, jeff sessions, is considering that recommendation, stemming from mccabe's actions in an investigation of the clinton foundation. our justice reporter laura jarrett is standing by. she's over at the justice department, has details. laura, explain the basis for this complaint against mccabe that could lead to his actual firing. >> well, wolf, after a 22-year career at the bureau, we have now learned that former deputy director andrew mccabe could be fired in just days. he's set to officially retire on

march 18th, this coming sunday. as you know, he stepped down abruptly last january and now we've learned that the office of professional responsibility at the fbi has recommended his termination to attorney general jeff sessions. now, jeff sessions has not made a determination. in fact, the spokesman, sara flores, says the department follows a prescribed process by which an employee may be terminated. that includes recommendations from career employees and no termination decision is final until the conclusion of that process. we have no personnel announcement at this time. now, wolf, this entire situation stems from an internal forthcoming report from the inspector general's office. that internal watchdog at doj. that report will claim mccabe misled investigators about his role in approving over fbi officials to talk to the media back in 2016 about an ongoing

investigation of the clinton foundation. now, mccabe did not have any comment about this most recent development, wolf, but you can be sure we will find out more as we see that report. it has not been released and is expected to be wide ranging and cover a multitude of issues stemming from the 2016 presidential election, including then-fbi director comey's decision to come out just days before the election announcing a decision on the hillary clinton e-mail probe, wolf. >> and at issue, he's got a 22-year career over at the fbi. if he's fired as opposed to being allowed to simply retired, he would lose his pension, is that right? >> that's exactly right, wolf. as i mentioned, he's been on terminal leave since january when he somewhat abruptly stepped down, and he was set to retire this sunday. but if he's fired before, he would lose his pension. >> all right, laura. we'll stay on top of this story.

very interesting, indeed. thanks very much, laura jarrett, at the justice department. julie, what do you think? >> well, i mean, it's a stunning move if jeff sessions actually does opt to fire mccabe in this manner. now, i haven't seen the details. i don't think any of us have seen the details of this investigation that is prompting this recommendation, but this is a person who president trump took on personally, famously. he characterized him as a partisan several weeks ago now when he was going after the fbi generally as a biased organization. mccabe was sort of the poster child for that in the eyes of the president. he made it very clear that he felt that mccabe that acted inappropriately, kept talking about how his wife had gotten campaign contributions from allies of hillary clinton. so his abrupt departure wasn't a surprise given thouse circumstances.

what would be truly stunning now if he were fired before he can get his retirement. again, we don't know the degree of wrongdoing he's alleged to have committed. maybe this is an appropriate step. it's just in the context of the mueller investigation and everything else and the fbi's clear role in that, it's a pretty stunning development. >> you know that mccabe has been the target of the president's anger for a long time. >> yeah, and i think that's what kind of makes this issue kind of complicated, because if it had just been based on the inspector general's report, then that could be understandable. but i think that the way president trump, when he weighs in on these matters so personally, it does raise at least concerns about, well, how is this decision being reached and is the white house in any way involved. we don't know that, but when president trump personally attacks people, it does, i guess, raise questions about how these decisions are being made. >> quickly, i want to get both of your reaccidetions. larry kudlow now being tapped to

replace gary cohn as head of the national economic council. larry kudlow a long-time host, contributor, analyst, conservative economist over at cnbc. >> well, it's interesting because, you know, larry kudlow has known donald trump for a long time. they're personally close. they have chemistry. he was involved in the campaign in the formulation of the president's tax plan during the campaign and his economic plan. it does seem like president trump this week is moving forward installing people around him who he feels more comfortable with, who share his world view on many matters. now, larry kudlow doesn't necessarily agree with his recent move on tariffs. they have some issues where they may diverge. but clearly this is a move towards someone who he feels comfortable with and feels like has the stature to take the place of gary cohn. obviously he and gary cohn differed on a lot of big issues, which is why he left. >> and it's clear the president never felt very comfortable with rex tillerson. >> no, no, he never felt comfortable with him. and it does seem that the president right now is feeling like he wants to get people around him who are going to carry out his, you know, demands

and not feel like he's being constrained and not feel like people are kind of getting him to kind of stay in this box. he wants to be able to do these things like impose tariffs and other things that people have tried to push him back or pull him back on. he doesn't want to play that game anymore. >> he clearly wants people around him that he likes and feels comfortable with. i assume we're going to see a lot more of that. that's coming up. mike pompeo, the cia director, has now been tapped to become the secretary of state. clearly feels comfortable with him as well. guys, thanks very, very much. coming up, reaction from democratic senator of hawaii to the big breaking news. you see her there. she's standing by live. the news the attorney general now considering whether to fire the former fbi deputy directoraroudirector andrew mccabe instead of letting him retire in the coming days. if he's fired, he loses his 22-year pension. hey, need fast heartburn relief?

try cool mint zantac. it releases a cooling sensation in your mouth and throat. zantac works in as little as 30 minutes. nexium can take 24 hours. try cool mint zantac. no pill relieves heartburn faster. ♪ the fastest samsung ever demands t-mobile, the fastest network ever. preorder the new samsung galaxy s9 for half off. ♪ a whole new concept in skin say heldefense.e-tox! new absolutely ageless®... ...pre-tox day mask from aveeno®. its' powerful anti-oxidant formula... ...fights pollution and keeps skin looking younger, longer. aveeno®.

the energy conscious whopeople among usle? say small actions can add up to something... humongous. a little thing here. a little thing there. starts to feel like a badge maybe millions can wear. who are all these caretakers, advocates too? turns out, it's californians it's me and it's you. don't stop now, it's easy to add to the routine. join energy upgrade california and do your thing.

more on the breaking news right now. attorney general jeff sessions contemplating fire iing deputy director andrew mccabe days before his retirement. he would lose his pension as opposed to in the coming days simply letting him retire. >> two words. the chaos continues. impulsive behavior by the president and this time he's using jeff sessions as his tool to get rid of somebody that doesn't agree with him. and basically the president likes to surround himself with

people who will not disagree with him. you see all these people exiting the executive branch at a time, for example, in the state department where we need to strengthen the state department and our ability to conduct diplomacy. he is who will owing out the state department. i could go on. >> let's talk about that. >> to fire somebody a few days before his retirement is sadistic in my view. really. and uncalled for. >> so you would oppose that. let's see what the recommendations to the attorney general are from this committee that's been looking into some of his behavior. let's talk about the president's decisions to fire the secretary of state rex tillerson and bring over mike pompeo from the cia to be nominated as the next secretary of state. what do you think? >> i think that the firing of secretary tillerson at a time when we're supposed to be preparing, one hopes, for some negotiations with north korea to

ease tensions there is, in my view, bad timing. at the same time we'll have to go through a hearing process for pompeo. i do not vote for pompeo to be cia director because he has some views about using torture that i -- is totally, in my view, illegal and inappropriate. there will be a lot of concerns as to whether or not pompeo will be the kind of secretary that will stand up to the president and tell him what he needs to hear as opposed to what he wants to hear. >> what's your impressions of gina haspel, the deputy cia director, now in line to become the first female director of the cia? >> she also has some issues around torture and will be asked a lot of appropriate questions when her confirmation comes forward. basically what i ask of all the people who come before the judiciary committee, in particular, for confirmation is -- for example, the fbi director, what i ask them is are you going to be able to stand up

to the president when you disagree and are you willing to leave if the president asks you to do something inappropriate, illegal or immoral? >> as you know she's a career cia officer. you're referring to what happened after 9/11, back in 2002 when she was involved in what was called the cia black site in thailand. >> yes. >> where they used what they called enhanced interrogation techniques. you have serious questions about that. >> i do. >> given what was going on there then, there are some, including the former cia director leon panetta who said you have to take the timing of her activities into consideration. he has high praise for her. >> i think that that will go a ways to giving her the benefit of the doubt. at the same time she will be asked what was her role and why

didn't she speak out to the so-called enhanced interrogation techniques which is basically torture. she will be asked tough questions. at the same time i'm concerned about what's happening with the who will o hollowing out of the state department and lack of discussion or negotiations with kim jong-un. and i framed it as, you know, i would hate for what i call the tuesday president who likes to agree with the people in front of him, which is what i experienced when i went to the white house to talk about the dreamers. he's very amenable. then you get the thursday president where everything is changed and everything is walked back. i would hate for the tuesday president to show up unprepared to deal with kim jong-un, if these negotiations even happen. in order for that to happen we need to do a lot more investigation. it would be good to have an ambassador to south korea. >> senator hirono, thank you so

much for joining us. >> thank you. aloha. one month after the parkland shooting, students across the country have been walking out of their classrooms in a show of solidarity. their mission, gun control. we'll have a live report of the nationwide demonstrations coming up.

if you'd have told me three years ago that we'd be downloading in seconds what used to take minutes. that guests would compliment our wifi. that we could video conference and do it like that (snaps). if you'd have told me that i could afford a gig-speed. a gig-speed network. it's like 20 times faster than what most people have.

i'd of said... i'd of said you're dreaming. dreaming! definitely dreaming. then again, dreaming is how i got this far. now more businesses in more places can afford to dream gig. comcast, building america's largest gig-speed network. welcome to cnn. you're watching cnn. i'm brooke baldwin. breaking news. another television personality is joining the trump administration. selecting cnbc commentator larry kudlow to lead his economic council, replacing gary cohn who stepped down last week. kudlow, too, has opposed the tariffs,