bushes, let me tell you in 20 seconds what i witnessed from my friends who dealt with the family. if you think there is no light at the end of the tunnel in terms of gentility, hope, kindness, look at barbara bush. >> thanks to all of you for joining us. our breaking news continues with anderson. good evening, we begin tonight with breaking news, sad news, political family saying goodbye to its matriarch. all americans saying goodbye to former first lady, barbara bush died at age 92. in a statement, my dear mother passed on at age 92. barbara bush was a fabulous

first lady and woman unlike any other who brought levity, love, and literacy to millions. to us, she was more. mom kept us on our toes and kept us laughing until the end. i am a lucky man that barbara bush was my mother. we thank you all for your prayers and good wishes. >> jamie, what do we know about the last several days for mrs. bush? >> a lot of people knew that her husband has been struggling with parkinsons. few people realized that she has been struggling with copd and jo congestive heart failure. she had been in and out of the hospital quite a few times and when she got out this past few weeks she says that is enough and when barbara bush says

something, you listen. we have a look back at her life that i think shows her humor and celebrates what she was like. she was 92-years old. >> let's take a look. >> barbara and i just wanted to pop in here. >> reporter: to most americans barbara bush was known for her trademark white hair and pearls. to those who knew her best, her family, she was simply. >> the enforcer. >> your mom's nickname. >> the enforcer. >> reporter: tough loving mother and grandmother with a wicked sense of humor. and a strict rule book. >> if you violated them, she would enforce the rules and do it in a way that was pretty effective. >> for example if we left clothes on the floor in our room or didn't hang up a wet bathing

suit, grandmother would be direct and you would hear it sometimes from the other side of the house or even outside for us to get our butt back inside and clean up quickly. >> reporter: it didn't matter who you were. >> she was the sergeant. >> he was reading his paper and barbara looked at him, george, take your feet off my table. >> i said the guy is president of the united states give him a break. >> no, he knows better than that. >> your mom didn't hold her tongue? >> not at all. mother expressed herself frequently. >> i am the enforcer, no question about it. >> but you got angrier than your husband. >> always. >> you're feistier than he is.

>> reporter: she was loving and devoted. >> you can criticize me, but don't criticize my husband, you're dead. >> avoided the pitfalls of other first ladies who seemed overly intrusive. >> reporter: his not so secret, secret weapon. >> she had a foot with the family and a foot in his career. this idea that she was not politically involved is not true. she was there. >> barbara was someone who could tell george what she thought. and she would, just like she could tell everyone what she thought and she would. >> i'm not sure that my grandfather would attain as many accolades as he did with my grandmother. >> reporter: the bushes were the longest married couple in

presidential history. a love story documented in hundreds of letters between the two. >> i love you precious with all my heart and to know that you love me means my life. how often i thought about the immeasurable joy that would be ours someday. later in the letter, good night my beautiful. >> reporter: the public also loved barbara bush making her one of the most popular first ladies in recent history even though she didn't see it that way. >> why don't you like the word popular? >> because i don't think it is true. and i don't like it. i don't want you to stand up and say here comes the least popular either. it makes me feel very uncomfortable. >> reporter: used her platform to raise literacy. >> if more people could read and

write and comprehend, crime, everything would be better. >> reporter: occasionally there was controversy. when mrs. bush was asked to speak at wellesley commencement ceremony, students protested claiming she wasn't feminist enough. >> somewhere out in this audience may even be someone who one day may follow in my footsteps and preside over the white house as the president's spouse. and i wish him well. >> reporter: that savviness made her a force on the campaign trail well into her 'nineties. mrs. bush gave one of her last television interviews to cnn while stumping for her son jeb. >> what do you think of donald trump? >> i don't think of him.

i am sick of him. >> reporter: classic barbara bush. this was her response to sarah palin's presidential hopes. >> i think she is happy in alaska and hope she stays there. >> he is by far the best qualified men, but there are other people out there that are very qualified and we have had enough bushes. >> reporter: she also broke the news to supreme court clarence thomas that he had the job before her husband picked him. >> i greeted her and she said congratulations and that's what i knew. and she said oh, i guess i let the cat out of the bag. >> reporter: comedian dana carvy

performed at the white house. >> on one tv was a close-up bill clinton, the new president and another side was a picture of ross perot. and she says i can't decide which clown to look at. >> reporter: bill clinton went from political faux to unofficial family member. >> i love bill clinton, maybe not his politics. >> i would walk across coals for her. >> she is so smart, aware, witty, wise, and kind of got the fierce momma bear instinct.

and she will defend and support any son or daughter or family member who gets in any trouble. passionate advocate for literacy. my mom is amazing. >> i think the reasons that my cousins and i have turned out to become productive citizens and have not taken the fact that we were grandkids for the president for granted is because of barbara bush. >> reporter: children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, all part of the legacy of barbara bush. >> the one request that i have is that they stay loving siblings. and so far so good. and i will be looking down so behave yourself. >> you take about the love story, they celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary. she was 16 years olds when she met her future husband at a

school dance. she was a senior. >> she told me he was the first person he ever kissed. 73 years of marriage. george bush said in his book of letters, we were two people but we were one. it was a remarkable love affair. and i know that today is a sad day and a sad moment, but what i like looking back and listening to all of those friends and family talk about barbara bush is you really got a sense of her personality. if she was here and i believe she is looking down, she would be saying why are you all making such a fuss about me. she is very direct, very outspoken, and a lot of fun. and there was a part of her that didn't like being the center of attention, but no question she was the center of that family. >> also, just in reading about

her incredible life, while her husband, before getting involved in politics, they moved down to texas and got involved in the oil business. he was away a lot. she was holding the family together. she was the person on scene. >> right. and you know, we heard them say that they called her the enforcer, that was her nickname. no question she was and they were a wonderful but wild bunch of kids. but the other thing that i think is true, is that it never stopped and one of the things that i'm not sure everybody knows is literacy was her cause. this was something that started when she was in the white house and really because you saw her son neal in the interview, she discovered he was dyslexic when he was a kid. so helping him learn to read, it

wasn't just a cause, it was a passion. and barbara bush and her husband, little known fact. in their years since they left the white house, they raised together, they helped to raise more than $1 billion for charity for literacy, for volunteerism, for cancer. she never stopped. right up until the end. i saw her in september at a literacy function and she was there taking pictures, greeting people. she really did believe in giving back. >> i want to bring if the panel in a moment, but jamie, for all of the love and triumph she had in her life, she suffered a tremendous loss. she lost a daughter at age 3 or 4 to leukemia. >> that's right. robin, their first daughter got leukemia at 2 years old, she

died when she was four. this is why the bushes have cared so much about cancer research. one of the reasons, people ask why she didn't die her hair. her hair actually in that year when robin died turned white almost overnight. she was very young at the time and she just decided to keep it that way. >> and i believe she is going to be buried next to her daughter as will the former president. >> that's correct. she is going to be buried at the presidential library at college station. her husband when he passes will be buried there. but robin's remains are there and she will be buried there. >> i want to bring in the panel. doug brinkley, not since abigail

adams has anyone been a wife and mother of a president. what do you think her legacy will be? >> her father was senator franklin pierce and yes, she will be always seen as america's matriarch when it comes to presidential history. she was, you know, often times we talk about the closeness of ronald reagan and nancy reagan and their love story, but ronald reagan had been married to jane wimeman before. the whole kennebunk port compound was reminiscence of the kennedys and cape cod. her staying with her husband but doing thing once her own terms. she was frustrated because he couldn't tell her anything anymore. they shared everything together.

so she started going around and talking to people about her experiences in china and that is when she got involved with the l literacy campaign. which she thought was the key of unlocking the hearts and minds of the country. she became the general of book festivals and laura bush emulated her. created a texas book festival and it is mainly her devotion to her husband and the fact that they had this incredible marriage and the fact of how loyal she was to people that knew her. even somebody like lee atwater, she stayed loyal to him. if she liked you, she would do

anything for you. >> david gergen, what do you think you will remember most about mrs. bush? >> barbara bush died the way she lived, with courage and grace. i think it is remarkable how long she was in the public spotlight as second lady and married to the vice president for eight years and four years in the white house as first lady. and then, you know, coming back, with her son for another eight years. i mean, she had 20 years there when she was second lady, first lady or first mother. plus two of her sons in governor chairs and during all that time, she carried herself with a sense of propriety. sort of an old fashion way they lived together. endearing to people who knew them and she always brought

honor to the office. she stands as a beacon of what really good strong matriarchal first lady could be. >> kate, she had plenty of views of her own and some contrary to her husbands and keeper of the flame in so many ways. i think about herself deprecating sense of humor. clearly defending her husband but poking fun at herself. when she was asked about her huge popularity, she was one always ranked as one of the most popular women in america. she says she was popular because quote because i am fat and old and nobody feels threatened by me. rare that people poke fun at themselves in that way. >> she famously wore these fake

pearl snanecklaces. she was beloved in the white house. when i interviewed her about the butlers and the white house, she remembered their names. and i think the love story between her and president bush is incredible. longest presidential marriage in history. 73 years. she was asked if she had any flaws and she said no, he was a saint. she told me i have been so happy as first lady, so many good things have happened in my life, i have no complaints and all because of my husband. and so i think this is a really inspirational story and as douglas said, we hear about the reagans a lot, but the bushes had these deep devotion to each other and their family.

and an end of an era, this reagan/bush era of decorum. and it is sad. >> just on the medical front, we know she was diagnosed with graves disease, but in the last few years, it was congestive heart failure and copd. >> and she was healthy, she got the graves disease in the late '80s. that was about it until age 90. copd is a significant inflammation of the air ways. conic obstructive pulmonary disease. it becomes harder to breathe. in the worst case situations somebody needs to be on a breathing machine. the heart is pumping blood to the lungs but the lungs because

they are so constricted, makes it harder for the heart to do that and the heart begins to fail as well. that is when it does become concerning and this led to recent hospitalization. she talked about this idea of pail lattive care which doesn't mean no care. it just means people are still made comfortable but not doing things that are aggressively trying to extend life anymore. >> one of the regrets they had as a couple is they ignored doctors advice to not seek out aggressive treatment on their daughter and i wonder how that influenced her view of end of life for later on in her own life. >> i don't know that she talked much about it as jamie was talking about.

it has been president bush whose health has been focused on a lot. she was hospitalized at the same time as her husband at that time with bronchitis. >> a statement was put out that says barbara bush has been a rock worrying not about herself. she adores the kind messages and especially the prayers she is receiving. she was a politician in her own life. later on in life, she said she was pro-choice. and yet, she had a great political instinct and was

incredibly important adviser to the president. >> she understood the power of being beloved. she was beloved and respected. and great power that comes. and she used it. her husband was president. and her sons and all of that. and she says i hate the fact that people think compromise is a dirty word. isn't that wonderful. she looked back and said also have to compromise too. she could not have been more gracious. in time, she took to calling bill clinton, a man who defeated her husband, my fifth son. she answered hate with love. very tough woman. all bush friends of mine were

scared of her. she found a way that was an important example to all of us today. also to call us to the better angels of our nature. >> she was out campaigning for her son jeb bush. >> it was interesting. two things happened in this campaign when she joined it. before her son declared that he was running she said something to the effect that the country has seen enough of bushes and clintons. that was a blunt statement that said where her head was about this run. and clear about how the bushes viewed president trump and how they viewed candidate bush treated her son. you know, low energy was the one

that he branded him with. she and her husband and lesser degree former president son made clear that this was a brand of politics they did not subscribe to. >> the white house has put out a statement that says president donald trump join the nation in celebrating the wife -- amongst her greatest achievements was recognizing the importance of literacy. requires nurturing and protective. both of which she served unfailingly well. it is so interesting in this age where the idea of career politician or somebody who has spent 20 years working in the

washington bureaucracy is now viewed as part of the swamp or a suspect whereas from the generation of the bushes that was a different way to look at it. >> it was about a call to service and a family that has been public service oriented. i understand bushes and clintons in terms of how many campaigns they have run between them became seen as royals. and there are some voters who rebelled against that. but the reality is that both families had a tremendous public service mind and bent towards their approach. president trump did not spend his life in service and was not in the military. it was a contrast that i am going to be able to see. if the president is going to attend this funeral. that would the first such one that has happened. not unprecedented for a sitting

president to not go to the funeral of a former first lady. >> tweeting this just now. for my grandfather she was his top adviser and confidante. the sorrow of her loss is softened by the knowledge of the impact. know we will see you again. here is some more. >> mother was on the front line and expressed herself frequently. dad was of course available. but he was a busy guy and he was on the road a lot in his businesses and on the road a lot when he was campaigning and so mother was there to maintain order and discipline. she was the sergeant. >> well, mom, the nickname that

one of many nicknames that she had was the enforcer. so unwritten rules and if you violated them, she would enforce the rules. and do it in a way that was pretty effective. i don't remember my dad doing that. >> yeah, i mean, for example if we left clothes on the floor in our room or didn't hang up a wet bathing suit, grandmother would be direct and you would hear it sometimes from the other side of the house or outside for us to get our butt back inside and clean up quickly. >> i think the reasons that my cousins and i have turned out to be productive citizens and have never taken the fact that we were grandkids of the president for granted is because of barbara bush. god picked two people and said you guys would be a good team and do a lot of good for people

by being together. >> mom is amazing. she is smart, sharp, aware. she is witty, wise. i would say it was her role more important role was keeping us humble and grounded. i mean she was a rule maker and she did have high expectations for keeping things neat and just basic rules. and she would let us know when we hadn't met those rules. but she would never let us think we were different or better than others. and she kept us grounded. >> jamie, you obviously have interviewed her so much over the years and just in the reading i have been doing in the last couple of hours about her life, i am struck about the extraordinary family that she and her husband, six children, 17 grandchildren, seven great grandchildren. and in the 44 years of her

marriage, had to manage 29 moves for the family. that is extraordinary. >> that is a political wife who had a lot of experience. as we were listening to them, the family members all talking about her being the enforcer and strict, i was also struck, anderson, by the fact that they are still, there is this feeling of respect for her. you know, jeb said she was pretty effective. i think up until the end, they, when barbara bush said something, they listened. i love the story we heard earlier about she was when her son was president and she told him get your feet off the table. that was the direct kind of personality she had. and also a tremendous amount of

fun. if she said deary, come over here and sit and talk to me. you always wanted to sit and listen to what she had to say. it was going to be fun and funny and she was going to tell you the truth. >> you know, doug brinkley, she died as she lived her life which was on her own terms. she chose not to continue aggressive treatment. to be at moment and surrounded by family. reports that she was, you know, even having bourbon in the last several days. she died as she lived, really. >> yes. and she loved houston, texas, lived in river oaks and had all sorts of friends there. they are incredibly social people and that community is going to miss the bushes terribly. but also had this great affinity

for maine. and building a memorial, museum right there near their compound. she had an itinerary of moving so much. but it was the midland texas years when zapata oil got created and their marriage and identity with texas and you know, became so solid and no longer were they the new englanders but became houston astro texas fans. and at her door in houston used to be a mat that said the reason birds flied so high is that they carried themselves lightly. that was the key to her

personality. she didn't care for people who did. >> the story i kept coming back to is her meeting george herbert walker bush. she was under the age of 21 when they got married. but they actually, they got engaged a year and a half after they met or right before george bush went off to war and when he was back on leave is when they got married. >> she left smith college to marry him and she tells a great joke about he was the only man she ever kissed. what she did symbolically when she went to a house in washington, d.c. for babies with

hiv virus. she held them and cradled them and at the time in the late '80s, there was a myth that you could catch the disease by touching someone. and that was incredibly important. so she did a lot symbolically almost in a princess di kind of way. it was a meeting that lasted less than an hour but did a lot to help get rid of that terrible stigma. >> the first lady melania trump issued a statement. our hearts are with the bush family. throughout her life she put family and country above else. her dedicated service. she was a woman of strength and always remember her for important roles of wife, mother

and first lady of the president of the united states. also the office of barack and michelle obama. they say barbara bush was the rock of a family dedicated to service. always be grateful to mrs. bush for the generosity she showed us. public service is an important and noble calling. an example of decency. and to the countless citizen whom she and george inspired to become point of light in service to others. >> you know, so good, anderson, to hear the sentiments from the trumps and the obamas. it recalls another age where

people were more civils. and both couples handled it with grace. george h.w. bush was thinking about running for president in the late '70s, he invited me to spend the weekend with him. and i was struck over that weekend when i walked in the door, there was a democratic congressman who was also a guest for the weekend and they had great fun together and the partisanship did not enter into it. there was a fellfelllowship. always looked on the bright side and tried to cheer people up. the third thing is how much, they had these roots in texas and developed them. but also had deep roots in new

england. and came from families where the notion of service was simple. and george h.w. bush proved that when he went off to war in the second world war. he was the youngest pilot shot down in the pacific. and showed enormous courage at the time. it was emblematic of what they became to stand for. this was a view, you serve and do it under duress at times. could be rough at times, you have to do it together, but important to who you are and not your wealth but to service. >> i want to listen now to barbara bush telling larry king what it is like to be the mother of a president. >> what is it like to be the mother of a president? >> it's worry some because you

worry about responsibility. we were in washington last week and i got there before george and laura was overseas. and it touched me, the president came out and met me at the door. i would be the same way. i loved it. and it is not that much different. >> does he calls home? >> lots. >> to call mom and dad. tells us what he is going to do. we ask what are you going to do today. >> checks in early in the morning and no agenda, and didn't want anything. he knows what he got to do and goes out and does it. family means a lot to him. you asked what it is like. and it is about family, larry. it is not about the big deal or the head table.

it is about a father and mother and a son. and then, you show me pictures of your kids, and i can whip out pictures about mine. that is what it is about. and hard for people to realize that. we have been there. and loved every minute of trying to serve. and take great pride in our boys that are in politics and exactly the same for others. >> can you say that you love every child equally? >> absolutely. >> marvin is as important as george. and neal is important as jeb. >> no question. >> they all love each other. they are very loyal. if george gets hurt, marvin hurts. if marvin gets hurt, dorro hurts. and they are very loyal and loving and maybe that is what politics does for you. draws you apart or together. in our case, it drew us together i think. >> doug brinkley, mrs. bush was

very insistent in saying she loved all of her children, in every interview, if you ever asked or even not asked, having a child who is president or governor is same as her other children. >> and that is the way all moms should be. we believed her when she said that. there was no favoritism. and you know, one of the reasons, you know, that we are all mourning barbara bush's passing and celebrating her life is because of that marriage, we forgot what george herbert walker bush meant. he was president for german

reunionfication, and the berlin wall coming down. one of our great foreign policy president. yet memoir was cowritten. and yet didn't seem to be bragging. barbara bush has written one of the best memoirs ever as a first lady. very well done. and she kept diaries of her years and we have only seen snippets of the diary that is included. but eventually, i hope these will be made available to scholars. because she had keen insights to people. she could read anybody like a book. the grandson, he is continuing the political legacy. the texas land commissioner. which is the best job in the state outside of being

lieutenant governor or governor. he is our future. >> it is, i mean, doug makes an interesting point. what a critical time it was in history it was. that she was first lady. and how different a time it seems now looking backward. >> she and her husband followed the reagans who was regal. the bushes were actual american royalty. and very patrician. and yet, had this common touch. we are watching this video of her playing on the south lawn with her dogs. she gave what i think is one of the finest speeches i have ever. i hope people will google and take a look at.

she gave the commencement speech at wellesley. >> from the look of her, she was an old school matriarch and at the same time here is how she concluded the speech. at the end of your life you will never regret not having passed one more test, winning one more verdict. you will regret time not spent with a husband, a child, a friend or a parent. someone texted me, saying her husband was at her side at her last movement. and that is what she stood for her life. >> she also said, and the audience really roared basically saying she was speculating that someone in the audience might someday follow in her footsteps and she said, i wish him well. >> she understood, she talked in

the speech about this being a transitional time. in the transition, look at the video of her children and grandchildren. she was a force. she was a real force and really did shape the country and i think for the better. the other thing that her family wanted stress was her work for literacy. she raised $110 million for literacy and this was after they were out of the white house. she did it because she believed in it. their commitment to cancer research. active at nd anderson. >> what stands out to you as you think back on that time of them in the white house? >> i don't think i can say it as well as paul did who lived it much closer than i did at the

time. i do think it was a time of there was still this view and yes, they were a regal family, she was a traditional matriarch but this view of public service and view of how you served in the white house and what that meant. and i do think that certainly george h.w. bush embodied that and she embodied the values of a minded first lady. she helped shape views. she was a force i do think as paul said, we are in a rapidly changing time about the roles of women. and she seems achronistic. she represented a very strong and specific model of a woman who was doing the work that she was able to in the role that she

was not elected to play. she was serving with him and i am struck, i mean sort of a basic humanity about her. the loss of a child can never be overstated and it clearly impacted everything she did going forward. >> and she will be buried next to her daughter robin who died just before turning four of leukemia. we are going to be right back. taking our first break in this hour. much more on the life and legacy of barbara bush. let's listen to her talking to larry king in 1994. >> well, because i always knew that i was lucky and life had been good to me. and i really remembered again how really good it had been. >> for some people, when they face the catharsis of a book

have to be honest. >> let me give you an example. i told george this on the phone this morning or last night. i awaken monday morning in new york city having said goodbye to george bush. and i looked and the airplane went into the white house, and a lot of things happen. and i sat and watched the news darling jessica tandy died. and i thought, you know, i knew every single person or place that was on that television set thanks to george bush. with the exception of arafat and george did meet him this year and every other person knew me and i knew them. >> quite a life. >> an amazing life. >> i told george it really struck me how great a life you have given me. >> and also from looking at the books, aspects of it barbara

bush didn't like. >> nobody likes a child to die or losing an election, the ugly parts of politics. >> did you like the public life? >> sure. i love people. i loved living in the white house. but i don't miss it at all. i miss the people. >> explain that. >> well i miss the people. >> don't you miss what you love? >> no. because i got more. we're having the best time you've ever known. ♪ a wealth of information. a wealth of perspective. ♪ a wealth of opportunities. that's the clarity you get from fidelity wealth management. straightforward advice, tailored recommendations,

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we spent the last 50 minutes of talking about the extraordinary life of first lady barbara bush who has died at the age of 92. we'll continue that in the next hour. but a little bit of breaking news, cia director mike pompeo secretly met with north korean leader kim jong-un weeks ago. also amid confusion over whether sanctions will be imposed on russia, the u.s. ambassador to the united nations is pushing back in a big way against the white house. jim acosta joins us on the two breaking stories tonight. what do we know about mike pompeo's meeting with kim jong-un? >> reporter: "the washington post" was reporting this earlier

this evening. my colleagues jeff zeleny and elise labott confirmed that mike pompeo, who has been nominated by the president to be the new secretary of state, flew to north korea, met with kim jong-un with other intelligence officials, to try to set up this meeting between president trump and kim jong-un. we heard the president earlier today saying exactly whether or not that meeting will take place but that high levels talks were going on. there was one confusing moment earlier this evening when it sounded like the president said yes, he in fact had spoken with kim jong-un, but the white house later clarified that no, those talks were taking place among high level officials, and we now know who those high level officials are, including the cia director who may soon be secretary of state. >> the u.n. ambassador, nikki haley, had said on cbs' "face

the nation" saying that mnuchin, the treasury secretary, would be announcing a new round of sanctions against russians who were linked to the chemical stockpiles in syria. the white house then -- no sanctions were announced. what's been happening over the last day? >> reporter: there's been some foreign policy whiplash going forth for a couple of days now, anderson. as you said, nikki haley, u.n. ambassador, on "face the nation" on sunday said that the sanctions were coming down on monday. that did not happen. the white house distanced itself from that statement. larry kudlow stunned reporters on an off-camera briefing in florida saying there was some confusion in that the u.n. ambassador had gotten ahead of the curve. that led nikki haley to put out a statement, this is remarkable, anderson, typically you don't get this kind of pushback from

one administration official to another, nikki haley putting out a statement saying "i don't get confused." she might as well have been saying, bless his heart, no, larry kudlow, you were wrong. i was able to confirm that larry kudlow in fact called nikki haley to apologize and said during the course of that phone call that the policy had changed and that nobody had kept her in the loop. so a lot of confusion and whiplash over a very important issue. the president is having a press conference tomorrow night with shinzo abe, the japanese prime minister, at mar-a-lago. obviously this potential meeting with the north korean dictator, kim jong-un, and the confusion over these russian sanctions, are very likely to come up. >> is it known at this point, is it the president who decided not to have these new sanctions go forward against russia? is it known at this point? because the white house hasn't really said. >> reporter: the white house has not said. and i know that you tried

mightily last night with hogan gidley to try to get an answer out of this administration. we just haven't gotten one. i think it was very clear on sunday that nikki haley was leaning very forward in the direction of sanctions against russia for their support of bashar al assad and syria. and of course that chemical weapons attack that we saw earlier this month in douma. and then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, a policy change occurred and according to what white house officials are telling us now, larry kudlow told nikki haley that that policy had changed and that nobody had told her about it. and so it was very striking to see larry kudlow say earlier today there was some confusion, she got ahead of herself, and then in fact there appears to be a different story emerging and that is that the policy had changed and that nobody had told her about it. anderson, we're simply not getting a straight answer out of this white house on that front. >> when it comes to the michael cohen investigation, do we know where the president's head is on it at this point?

>> reporter: we know all last week he was furious about this, and then my colleague pam brown talked to a source familiar with all of this. according to what she's reporting, the president i believe is apoplectic i believe is the word being used, he's still quite furious, feels that the mueller investigation has overstepped its bounds. another thing we heard last week from people who were close to these conversations, anderson, we should point out, mueller separated himself from what occurred in that cohen raid, but it sounds like the president has not given up on this, it is under his skin, and my guess is, is that if the president is going to be asked about something critical tomorrow, it may be about his own personal lawyer michael cohen and exactly what he's worried about in terms of what the prosecutor's office there in new york and what the fbi may have seized in that raid, because obviously he seems very concerned about what took place there. i had talked to a source familiar with all of this, a white house official yesterday, who said that they were pleased with the judge's ruling in terms

of what the prosecutor's office there in the southern district of new york can have access to. but it seems the president has not given up on this hostility, this anger towards what took place with his personal lawyer. >> and the white house, frankly, at this point, sarah sanders and hogan gidley, neither saying for a fact that michael cohen is still the president's lawyer. not clear what the status of their relationship is. >> reporter: we still don't have a straight answer on that. it has felt very much like the gang that can't shoot straight these last several days. >> jim acosta, appreciate it. coming up, more on the life and legacy of barbara bush who has died at the age of 92. can stay connected with new iphones. which is great... ...unless your parents thought you were studying. aren't exams this week? somebody's busted. so join t-mobile, buy an iphone 8, get an iphone 8 on us. all on america's best unlimited network.

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