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tv   Anderson Cooper 360  CNN  April 20, 2018 9:00pm-10:00pm PDT

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keeping the voice back to girls and allowing them to speak up. >> to learn more about the incredible work she is doing go to cnn.com. that's it for us tonight. thanks for watching. a source tells cnn kim is committed to denuclearization and will focus only an the nation's economy. so what can you tell us about it. it is a huge development. plenty of reason to be cautious and skeptical but stunning nonetheless. >> of course it will be down to
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actions. dramatic words to hear from kim jong un who has been belij rant. issuing this statement a short time ago. it reads like this. under the proven condition we no longer need any nuclear tests, mid-rapg and intercontinental rocket tests. so a message about a testing freeze even closing down that testing site. what a remarkable distance we have come since the president's kme comments about unleashing fire and fury, the speech to the un general assembly. he referred to kim as rocket man on a suicide mission. really a remarkable change. >> what is the president saying? >> very different words from rocket man, fire and fury.
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a tweet that shortly followed this statement. he was welcoming it. north korea agreed to suspend all nuclear tests. this is very good news you have a summit coming up. i heard from the president who was going on the ambassador. but his analysis here was that the most likely scenario at least offered on the table would be a freeze for free.
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>> i want to bring in terry am military analyst. how significant do you think this announcement is? >> the announcement is significant. whether north korea is truly serious remains to be seen. after 90 missile tests this is interesting development. as my colleague said they might be looking for it. they are looking for sanctions relief. what are they going to give for the freezing of tests? nay never give out anything for free. they would be looking for us.
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it was unprecedented. it has never had any similar ambulance to truth. we followed this regime forever. the seconds thing clearly is everything is as a result of his quick visit just a few weeks ago. clearly what that was she giving
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asheer ranss is what you have to back up. you have to stop doing certain things. he's got to feel pretty good about this. it seems like some sort of movement about this you had a feverish pace of north korean missile tests early in the trump administration far faster than you saw in previous
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administrations. what is he willing to give here and will north korea consider that a sufficient concession? >> does this show some confidence by north korea in their capabilities as they now stapds if they feel not to continue doing tests. >> i think about 90, 95% done with their nuclear program. they have more they have to cross showing that before they really truly complete the
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program. and i think they are truly waiting on the trump administration. we are waiting what. >> i think what also is significant is the proclamation is the regime up north is the continued u.s. forces in the south. it was another one of the potential quid pro quos that but going to be offered up.
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>> and you know, in may a few weeks away he has the opportunity to desert fi the iran deal. he is signaling the u.s. departure for the president to do that, move out of a deal with iran which has some of the ingredients that you might offer in a deal. >> i think the last joipt exercise there was no criticism
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which is some what unusual, correct? >> i believe if i have this right the u.s. and south korea. there was signaling there in advance. you know, if the u.s. were to give that up you might say those were exercises. keep in mind very important exercises to our partner. it stands face to face with north korea in range of its missiles and its artillery. they face the greatest risk here. the president noted with prime mip ster earlier this week. >> how important are those zwroipt exercises? >> they are huge. it's all about readiness. that's a place on the globe where you to fight tonight.
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exercises are a matter of routine. that's the life blood of this coalition that exists for over 60 years. they extremely important. if you'll recall in advance of the olympics there was a little bit of backing off on the exercise that was taking place. it is essential. this coalition is completely i want grated. you a u.s. kmacommandser. that exists. those folks change out and you have to maintain these exercises. >> thanks very much. >> coming up new information about james comey's memos. we'll have the latest on that next. also breaking news from the washington post. jeff sessions told the white house if the president fired rosenstein sessions might have to leave as well. details ahead. kyle, we talked about this. there's no monsters.
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>> hundreds of people lined up this morning to pay respects to barbara bush. mourners walked past they are casket at a church in houston. the funeral is tomorrow. thanks for watching 360. cnn tonight starts right now.
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we have new reporting coming in. detailing his conversations with the president. the justice department watchdog is investigating whether any classified information was improperly shared. our justice reporter joins me were many on that. >> according to multiple sources. the inspepg to general has interviewed several individuals it was prior to the release to congress last night. they cover a four month period last year. he had has said many times he shared the memos with top officials as well as his friend.
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>> exactly. it comes down to when comey wrote them and after he left. we know that there are seven documents in tote toal. we don't know exactly which ones these people outside of the fbi have seen. during jake tapper's interview with comey last night, comey said he couldn't recall how many memos in total were classified. the memos we obtained showed redactions on at least four of the seven memos. >> do we know when we can expect to get a report? >> that's been a bit of a moving target. the latest indication is some time in may.
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it certainly adds a new dimension. >> thanks very much. >> more breaking news tonight. jeff sessions told the white house if the president fired rosenstein he might have to leave as well. it was in a phone call last weekend according to reporting. with me now is jeffrey and law enforcement analyst to jim comey at the fbi. this is fascinating. >> it really is. i mean it shows you that jeff sessions is defending somebody who works for him whom he
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apointed. i think what it says is it's sort of a shot at the president. you lose him you lose me. maybe the president would think this is good news. >> yes. >> he did you want actually like either one of them but what it seems to say is that if you fired him this could cascade not only with sessions but perhaps within the entire department of justice. as we know the president met with rosenstein last friday. >> the potential domino effect. it is a saturday night massacre. >> well, it is. >> he's done nothing but
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diminish him. this threat may be to the president, oh, break my heart. it might be like don't let the door hit you on the way out. nothing lost between the current leadership. i was communicating with some of my former colleagues on the way over here tonight.
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>> look, i think it's perfectly legitimate. if there's classified information in memos that comey shared and he shared it inappropriately that's what inspectors do we know it was what was were talking about last night the president and comey had a specific conversation about leaking and classified information. he made it very clear he was not in fay very of that. we know when he gave these to his friend at columbia university he did it with a reason. he wanted a special council apointed. we know that he leaked those on purpose. we don't know what else was in them or who else he shared them with. it's reasonable. >> can we talk about karma here
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for a second? you know, remember, comey has been saying these memos weren't marked clas sified. the classification authorities who are wildly over zealous can mark things and based wloon was released yet it appears that some of the comey memos do contain classified informations. he could wiend up getting this trouble for the kind of thing health care health ca hillary clinton was about. >> i was looking at my watch trying to figure out how long it would be. i know it will be irresistible to make this comparison.
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zplp they are also looking at andrew mccabe. it seems the leadership of the justice -- of the fbi, they are look at comey. this is a real problem for them. >> it is interesting though in one of these memos comey recounts this conversation with president trump in which he is
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attacking leakers and criticizing them. you know, he is then leaking documents and leaking information. >> i mean i thought when comey testified before congress last year when he talked about giving these memos to dan rich momond. why was he giving these? he was doing it as kind of protection because he wanted it leaked. who was he to do that? i think comey has a real problem. >> maybe he could say he is his attorney at this point. >> right. but he never said that. >> when you look at the term leak is leaking sharing information about an
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observation? >> if it's not classified is that considered a leak? we all recould want conversatio. it's hard to know what's classified and what's not.
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this is what happened. >> and maybe they were classified. >> it's a big problem. >> appreciate it. >> coming up new reporting about the first lady, michael cohen and his payment to a porn star. fascinating details ahead. ♪ ♪ no matter when you retire, your income doesn't have to. see how lincoln can help ensure you still have income every month of your retirement, guaranteed, at lincolnfinancial.com. so allstate is giving us money back on our bill. well, that seems fair. we didn't use it. wish we got money back on gym memberships. get money back hilarious. with claim-free rewards. switching to allstate is worth it.
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>> michael cohen could end up flipping. cohen urnds criminal investigation. they say cohen tried to apologize for melania trump for the pain he caused her by paying off stormy daniels. this is a fascinating article. i urge people to read it. it has so many interesting details about the sort of tortured relationship michael cohec cohen has had with donald trump for years. >> he is good for being responsive for people. you saw that when he called to check?
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. >> and ichb vinvited down to ma go. before that he had been there where he tried to apologize for the headlines that sur rouround the contra ver si. michael cohen has done all kinds of things at the president's urging because the president wanted them to because he came to sort of what he thaug the president would want. it didn't always work out. but cohen was seeking his boss's approval. trump time after time treated him. he was fopd of using the phrase like a dog. >> nobody treats somebody like that if that person is going to continue to come and try to eat
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out of their hand. >> everything about trump is about dominance. we have seen this over and over in the white house. he had to dominate the chief of staff. he entered this with john kelly, t the current chief of staff. i think one of the most interesting things like somebody like roger stone would advise him that stone never ent on the inside. he always maintained some distance. one of the things that was very hard for a lot of people around trump who sought trump's approval or thachks or what have you is watching how comparatively well he treated the first campaign manager who was ultimately fired. he believed he planted a negative story and in cohen's mind he told people he thought he was protecting the trump
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family. >> also, it's not just behind closed doors that it seems to ridicule or belittle michael cohen. it was time after time. >> it was a continuous threat. cohen was not given a job first. paul manafort sought to keep him out. it would have happened. as it was though he did raise a fair amountov of money. he formed this diversity coalition. it was african american, hispanic, muslim supporters. it got ridicule at the time. in reality it ended up putting a lot of people on television who softened some of the edges at a time when the president was under a lot of fire under his racial kmecomments.
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>> the leverage, the tables have turned. >> every person i spoke to, you know, it is a former trump aid who also has been called by mueller said to me that the irony is now the relationship is switched and it's michael two who has the lever raj in this relationship. it is undeniably the fact. he does have it. >> you the reporting on michael cohe cohen approaching melania trump. do you understand how it went in. >> i don't. i don't think that the first lady was unpleasant or unkind to hifl. i think it was in a comfortable conversation and brief. >> it is a fascinating conversation. thanks very much. >> thank you. of up next, he says president trump told him twice he never spent a night in moscow.
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>> more now on the comey memos. he visited moscow from the miss universe pageant. the topic came up during a white house dinner. comey writes that the president
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insists that the claim was a total fabrication and he had spoken to people who had been on the thrip with him. he said he arrived in the morning. he department sidn't say the na hotel. they departed by plane that same night. according to comey the president repeated that a little more than a week later. he then explained he hadn't stayed overnight during the miss universe trip. his evidence the president spent at least one night in moscow. we posted video to prove it actually. there is testimony from mr. trump's former bodyguard that contradicts the president's claims. trump arrived in moscow on november 8th, 2013. here is a facebook posting from that day that mr. trump posing
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with russian, the son and the pa je pageant's host. he said picking a wiper is very hard. they are all winners. big night in russia. letsds than an hour later he says i was given a tour. the world will be watching tonight. it seems it was a busy saturday according to bloomberg. he was back starring in a role for one of his music videos. take a look. >> what's wrong with you? what's wrong with you? let's get with it. you're always late. you just don't have a pretty face. i'm really tired of you. your fired. >> later that day came the big event. the reason he was in moscow, the miss universe pageant was held.
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november 10th he tweeted i just got back from russia. learned lots and lots. his former bodyguard testifies before the house intelligence committee. democratic sources with direct knowledge for a few minneapolis before he turned in for the night. jeffrey is here they join me now. for the president to claim according to comey that he
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didn't stay in 2013 it doesn't mean he is trying to 450id something. >> if you lie about one thing you might be lying about something else. it is all rel vaevant to the sa question. it is some what unclear when he left the night after the pa jept, whether he went back and spend the second night there. it is not true. it did you want mean this took place. the fact that he lied about not spending the night certainly raises more suspicion.
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>> trump's bodyguard testified that the russians offered to send five women to mr. trump's hotel room. mr. trump laughed it off. it is an attempt to compromise vip guests. >> sure, anderson. it's not just whether it's prostitutes or whether it's donald trump or somebody else. that goes on with high ranking businessmen. when you have a target like donald trump i think it's probably undeniable that donald trump would have been a target for the russian intelligence frs is services because the rush shsia would have considered him. you never know when you're going to need that kind of information on somebody like donald trump. it turns out that appears to be true. it is standard operating proceed your for that sort of thing to happen. >> as you said before we don't
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know what robert mueller's team knows. >> that's right. for a brief investigation seems to have done enormously k06r7 te -- competent work. the question is whether michael cohen met with officials. there was a report that suggested he did go and meet with russian officials. so it is pretty darn good. it is true that this accusation is very much unproven at this point. the fact that steel made it, you know, he's not -- he's not some flake or irresponsible person.
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he has done very good work. you know, just because it's not confirmed did you want mean it's not true. >> he does bring up to comey he is well aware and that's part of the defense he couldn't have been compromised and he is aware of their ammo. >> absolutely. that may be, you know, that may be the eptd of the story that he would pt have done it. he department didn't do it. the fact that he lied to comey about not having spent a night there does raise suspicions in and of itself. >> it was all over the place about his relationship. it's not like there's a green room. those things are taped
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separately. now according to the comey memo putin bragged to him. the kremlin denies that ever took place. >> one of the things that struck me is discussions of the president being jigsawed. you sit a piece down and go back to it. that's how he seems to be with regard to russia. you have him congratulating putin on what is not a legitimate election in his own country. and trump comes back and says i'm upset about the numbers. you do get this idea that it's all sort of happenstance. it's what they fire inside the
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president's brain dictates what his perception or reality is. a hard thing to follow. >> well, that's one possibility that is all happenstance and whatever happens into his head. it is that russia has something. it is an we more mouse over the campaign and this year. the explanation could be that the russians have something. >> coming up next new tapes emerge of john baron. hi told a reporter to get on the forbes list. ♪ oh you're simply the best
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there is a new report that president trump may have lied his way on the forbes annual magazine of most rich. the former reporter shared the fap of who was then john barron. 360 of an randi kaye has the tape. >> what's your first name. >> john. john barron. >> does that voice sound familiar? that was donald trump posing over the phone as a executive from the trump oppression. he called himself john barron. >> most of the assets have been consolidated to mr. trump. >> the call was recorded by forbes magazine reporter jonathan green berg who now shares it first with the "washington post". green berg says the fictitious executive john barron was trying to convince him that donald trump was rich enough to earn a
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higher spot on the forbes 400, a list ranking america's richest people. >> are you saying that the ownership has been transferred to donald trump. >> correct. that's correct. >> okay and when you say you know in excess of the 90% of the ownership. >> i'd say in excess- well it's closer to even the ultimate. but it's in excess of 90% yes. >> he figured out the what he had to do in order to deceive me and get onto that list. and he did it very well. >> in the end forbes estimated trump's 1984 net worth to be about $400 million, earning him a higher spot on the list. >> he lied about his father that he owned all of his father's assets. he didn't own any of them until 1999. >> green berg said trump posing at barron spoke with a slightly stronger new york accent and switched up the rhythm of his voice. >> cnn reached out to the white house for comment about this reporting but so far no response.
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trump meanwhile has been hiding behind fake names for decades. back in 1980 trump apparently also acting as john barron gave "the new york times" this quote after trump the developer had smashed two sculptures at a demolition site in new york instead of giving them to a museum. notice the source is john barron. it turns out the in a 1990 lawsuit trump himself reportedly admitted under oath that on occasion he has used that name. in the heat of the 2016 campaign another alter ego resurfaced. the "washington post" published an old interview with trump posing as a publicist as john miller a name he appeared to use for media calls like this one with a people magazine reporter asking about trump's break up with marla maples. >> he gets called for everybody. he gets called by everybody in the book in terms of women.
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>> trump later told people magazine it was just a joke. but then on nbc this. >> it was not me on the phone. it doesn't sound like me on the phone. >> an audio forensic expert disputed that. >> i'm confident it's jump trump. >> john miller, barron, whatever the name seems they lead back to donald trump. randi kaye, cnn, palm beach, florida. >> joining me now is trump biographer. this is bizarre. it shows the extent to which he wanted to be seen as being incredibly rich and getting his name in the paper and bragging about women he had been with. the blatant lying from citizen trump to where some of the buildings were located goes beyond embellishment to outright fabrications. >> i guess this is how we get to a president who now told 2,000 lies during his time in office.
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you know, listening to that, you wonder if john barron and john miller were separated at birth, because they sure do sound like the same guy. and he'll present this -- people will present him with the audio recordings. and he will deny that it's him. even after he admitted it's him. it's really impossible to follow and kind of crazy making. >> it's interesting, though, because a lot of the lies he told in the past and even nowadays, they require you to be an idiot. they're sort of based on the idea that the person listening is just dumb and doesn't put the pieces together. i mean, they are so sort of obvious at times that, you know saying he wasn't making fun of a disabled person when he was -- you could see with your own eyes what he was doing. >> um-hum. well, and he was determined to convince james comey that he wasn't making fun of the reporter.
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it's -- it is him almost demanding you believe something so fantastic and so ludicrous that i think the listener winds up thinking with well am i crazy to be thinking about this? did he really just stay that his father gave all of his wealth to him and now instead of being worth 5 million he is worth 400 million? you got to give the guy credit for audacity. he has incredible amounts of and he is not even jewish. >> as long as you're profiling him, has he always been like this. >> oh, yes, this is donald really going back to his school days when he was a boy. he insisted to others that he had hit home runs he had never hit in ball games. he left the new york military academy declaring himself the
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greatest baseball player in new york state. and it went on and on and on. he was named the ladies man at a school that had no young women at it. you tell me, he has been doing this forever. >> right. that's impressive. michael, thank you very much. up next the breaking news out of north korea state run tv reporting kim jong un said the degree no longer needs missile or nuclear tests. ahead of the summit with president trump. we'll talk about that. some skepticism and caution. it is a stunning development. all the latest on it when we continue. it's ok that everyone ignores me while i drive. it's fine. because i get a safe driving bonus check every six months i'm accident free. and i don't share it with mom! right, mom? righttt. safe driving bonus checks. only from allstate. switching to allstate is worth it.
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