more than 40 million americans don't have enough food to eat. up to 40% of the food supply is wasted every year. it is a paradox that she first saw when she was just in the 8th grade. what she decide today do about it is why she is this week's cnn hero. >> there is a pantry in my church. you would have way too much of one thing and desperate need of a different thing. inevitably some of it would

expire and i would throw a lot of it away. i realized it doesn't make sense. it is such an obvious thing to fix. it has turned green. you would think the novelty of it would wear off. it doesn't. >> go for the full story. while you're there you can nominate someone you think should be a cnn hero. thanks for watching. our coverage continues. good evening. the top story tonight remains that donald trump caught on tape talking about reimbursing his friend $150,000, the same sum of money he had played for the rights to her story in her alleged ten month affair. ami, the parent company bought the story and killed it. mr. trump and mr. cohen were worried their secret wasn't safe so they are planning to buy the

rights guaranteeing a woman's silence. that's what we hear on that secret tape but not according to the president or his defenders. we begin tonight with the latest effort by president trump and his defenders over the tape. remember a little more than 24 hours ago the president said this on national television. >> just remember what you're seeing and what you're reading is not what's happening. it is in the weeks and days when it mattered. we have no knowledge of any of this. that's how campaign spokesperson put it days before the election. that's what they claimed, no knowledge. we now know that was just a lie.

the song appropriately was hound dog as in you ain't nothing but a hound dog. november 2016 is when she lied and said we have no knowledge of any of this. it is the deal to buy the story and silence karen mcdougal. we have no knowledge of this. it is possible the president lied to hope hicks and when she said we she just meant we the poor creatures who have no idea what's going on because the president lies to us as much as he lies to you. the we she probably really meant included the hound dog and that was just a lie. on the tape two months prior to that they appear to have been talking about precisely that talking mostly their friend david pecker. listen. >> i need to open up a company for the transfer of all of that

info regarding our friend david so i will do that right away. i have spoken to allen about how to set the whole thing up with funding. yes. and it's all the stuff because here you never know what he is going to be. >> correct. >> so i'm all over that. i spoke to allen about it. when it comes time for the financing which will be -- we'll have to pay -- >> no no no no no. >> so that recording released to cnn by cohen's attorney last night is muffled in places. some suggested they are saying our friend david may not refer to their friend david. it could mean david dennison. if you actually listen to it that idea doesn't make any

sense. they voicing concern their friend could get hit by a truck. the rights to the story will leak or be sold to someone not so friendly from the national inquirer would publish the critical story. because some of the words are in dispute we haven't put it on the screen. keep on it this is a conversation of two men discussing what sounds like a familiar subject or a familiar type of arrangement to them two months before hope hicks said no one knew anything about it. the president and his defenders are trying to shape what you hear on that tape. sheer one of the president's attorneys. >> i assure you we listen to it numerous numerous times and the transcript makes it quite clear at the end that president trump says quote don't pay with cash. cohen then interrupts and says no no no i got it and then you

hear dcheck and then cohen follows with no no no. there's no way the president will be talking about setting up a corporation and using cash unless you're a complete idiot. the president is not an idiot. >> that last bit you can decide for yourself. did you see what giuliani did there? he said don't pay with cash. not cash, don't pay with cash. we'll leave it to you to desietd. it'shearted it'sheart it's hard to listen to that argument. >> i said the word would instead of wouldn't. the sentence should have been and i thought it would be maybe a little bit unclear on the transcript or actual video. the sentence should have been i don't see any idea why it wouldn't be russia. sort of a double negative.

i think it probably clarifies things pretty good by itself. >> pretty good. would, wouldn't, cash, not the cash. at least there the president was try to go persuade salespeople. they want to hear words that may or may not even be there. he listen today the tape again and again and slowed it down. here is the key passage. listen closely one more time. >> so i'm all over that. i spoke to allen about it. when it comes time for the financing. >> giuliani said don't pay with cash. heard pay with cash. you draw your own conclusions. michael cohen said no no no no. what was said on the recording, we'll leave it up to you. this is michael cohen talking about something to campaign.

later tonight they had any knowledge of period which was just a big lie. for was it payments true for was his suggestion he had conversations with james comey. it might have you think twice about what the president tweets. what kind of a lawyer could tape a lawyer? never heard of it before. why was the tape so abruptly terminated? i was saying positive things. there are many reporters that are taped. can this be so? too bad. too bad for those taped but not too bad to reveal another campaign lie. >> it is interesting to hear him complain when it has been reported mr. trump allegedly secretly recorded conversations. more now joins us from the white house. >> jeff, the president pushing back pretty hard. >> they are pushing back not on the substance as much of the

recording trying to focus on a bit of, you know, smaller matters, if you will. the president expressing his shock that he was recorded in the first place. what they are not talking about i think is perhaps more interesting. not talking about the fact that the president has mislead everyone, you know, for more than a year, nearly two years about this, his knowledge of having -- have any knowledge of any of this. try trying to push back about the process of how the recordings came out. it was leaked and privileged information. the president expressing shock that his lawyer would have leaked this. i thought the president's words were pretty measured compare today what he usually says. it is he might be wondering what educational michael cohen has. >> they both tried to ask the president about this. >> exactly. the one question is does he feel

betrayed by michael cohen? there is no one closer to the president at least was closer outside his family than michael cohen. the president did not have any events on his public schedule and he would be taking questions. as we always do at other events we ask questions. so she was asking a question in the oval office today asking the president if he feels betrayed by michael cohen. he was having a meeting. the white house did not find that so routine and clearly a sign the president does not wants to answer the questions. it is it band him from covering an event later in the afternoon where the president was anouncing this sort of agreement with the eu. i was asking the president the same questions. does he feel betrayed by michael cohen. did he mislead the american people about not knowing about this affair or the payments?

the president did not look back as he walked into the oval office and did not answer the qestions. aids shot us looks. no answer from the president. at the end of this day pretty extraordinary the president only commented one time one tweet about all of this. we'll see what else he has to say in the coming days. >> i feel like i have a responsibility to ask this question. has anyone in the white house ever apologized for the lies they have told? in particular is anybody going to apologize or at least admit they were lying or saying information that was not true that we now know the president knew about this and either the president lied to everybody in the white house or hope hicks was lying when she said we don't know anything about this. does anyone ever come forward and say that thing that happened a year a we were wrong. >> no. the answer is no. we do have a bit of experience in this.

all of these lists are racking up. we have so many examples of places we were told were not the truth. they will say we are giving you the best information we know at the time. perhaps that's true. it could certainly be true but it still speaks to the point that they are being mislead by the president and they in turn are misleading the american president. >> she was like well, will heads roll? if they do make a mistake they apologize for it and do it as quickly as possible. i have yet to see anybody in this white house do that and i don't know how they can just, you know, kind of move on and think well, people no one will care they lied a year achlgt we'll just move on. >> there is for newspaper reporters. >> two perspectives on what the law has to say about the

conversation. his old law school professor of the best selling new book the case against impeaching trump. he says cohen will not be the president's bullet taker or punching bag anymore. he wants to tell the truth. is this a declaration of war? he said if cohen wants to tell the truth he can release all of the tapes and go out and start telling the truth. >> and we are parsing this tape very carefully. if you're an investigator or civil lawyer what you want is the whole context. you want to ask michael cohen, how did this start? is this your first con vversati about the subject. he mentioned allen who is another trump organization executive. >> he is saying he knew about the formation to pay the money and all along michael cohen and all of his supporters were saying this is something michael cohen did on his own.

nobody from the trump organization had anything to do with it. >> it is fine to fixate on whether he said don't pay cash or pay cash. the real question is what is going on here? what was donald trump's involvement? that's what we want to know. the tape tells us something. it is the beginning of a longer storm. >> and in terms of the context it was in august 2016 this conversation was in september. that had already been done. they are clearly trying to -- or talking about paying back david pecker to kill a story. >> correct. the very specific issue, this much is clear they talking about whether trump himself can pay david pecker and sort of own the contract for karen mcdougal. >> right.

it is unlessing in happens to the company. the tape makes it pretty clear the president are trying to get the rights to the story as we have been discussing. he had already bought the rights and killed the story. they are worried about having it in their files and david pecker getting hit by a bus or a truck. that may not be illegal but it sure seems sleazy and the campaign lied about it. doesn't it seem sleazy to you? >> the big picture is we shouldn't know all of this conversation. it is a lawyer and a client talking to each other about whether to pay by cash or check or whether to make the deal or not make the deal. that's the conversation i have every day. i don't tape the conversations and i certainly don't leak them. i think the big question is who leaked this tape and whose advantage was it to have this tape -- >> you don't think the big answer is why did hope hicks lie

about it and why did the president lie about it? >> those are political questions. >> no. those are human decency questions. >> and people have a right to judge those questions. you asked me to talk about the legal implications. the legal implications are conversations like this should never be disclosed to the public. do you want your conversation with your priest, doctor, wife, psychiatrist to be disclosed because the professional decides to tape it? we don't know who leaked it but it's very important to know that. the privilege is who leaked it? >> gave it to him. >> no. no. no. it happened after it was leaked. very important. it gets leaked. while it's privileged it gets leaked then giuliani says because it's been leaked i will weigh it to make sure other

privileges and other tapes aren't waived then he discloses it. the question is who did the original leak? that's the key question we must know the answer to that to protect all of our privileges. >> i think you have the clonnology. >> no. it was deemed to be privileged then it was leaked by somebody then rudy giuliani saying because it was leaked i'm waiving the privilege and went further and said -- >> wait. >> i never could have been the president's -- >> i never would have waived the privilege. it could have been let's find out. it could be that team. it could be anybody but let's find out. that's a crucial question. it involves all of ours. >> it is a classic demonstration about how we with are talking

about the right subject. >> because all of this was happening under the pressure of a presidential campaign. all of this money was changing hands and about during the heat of the presidential campaign. was any of it an illegal campaign contribution? i don't know. it certainly looks like it was worthy of investigation. >> of course it does. no money changed hands. this deal never got made. >> i have to tell you what effects all americans is not whether there were distortions or lies or what the tape says. what effects all americans is

whether we can rely on what we tell our lawyers, doctors, rabbis and our priests. we must learn the answer to that. >> the great thing is we can ask many different questions. while it is a valid legal question. i do want to ask you about the breaking news. what's your reaction? >> the reason they want to impeach him is he hasn't turned over all of the records of the pending russia investigation that these house republicans want to see. what he is is doing is following the long standing conversation through democratic alike. it is a political stunt. even they know it is going nowhere. it is even in a republican house of representatives.

rosenstein has done nothing. >> you're absolutely right. you're absolutely right. i will write a new book against the case against impeaching. i don't want to impreach anybody. i don't want to weaponize the criminal justice system. let's have the discussion and let the american public decide who is lying and not lying. no crime is apparent from this tape. the only crime but ethical violation is who leaked the tape. if it was the white house let's find it out. it would be a very very negative na mark. >> lying to the american people repeatedly is not a crime. it is sleazy and unfortunate. >> it's even worse than that. it undercuts democracy to have lies like this told. we are entitled to make that judgment. key questions are who leaked and whether any crime was shown on this tape. i think the answer to that

second question is no. >> always a pleasure. coming up how is the cohen reporting on capitol hill? we'll try to get reaction next. also ahead in the aftermath the secretary of state refuses to answer questions about what the two presidents discussed. not even sure he knows what the presidents discussed. a follow-up meeting you may have heard it has been delayed. their reasoning behind that next. before nexium 24hr mark could only imagine... a peaceful night sleep without frequent heartburn waking him up. now that dream is a reality. nexium 24hr stops acid before it starts for all-day, all-night protection. can you imagine 24 hours without heartburn? with tripadvisor, finding your perfect hotel at the lowest price... is as easy as dates, deals, done! simply enter your destination and dates... and see all the hotels for your stay!

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(honking) when your craving strikes, you need your wing nut. ( ♪ ) no one can totally satisfy a craving, quite like your wing nut. tnch president claimed to not know about a payoff. we have been getting reaction today. what did you hear from republicans you caught up with? >> not a lot. i talk today republican after republican about if they had any concerns not telling the truth to the american public about any risk that may be howevering over this presidency in light of this new revelation. republican after republican declined to comment.

>> we have been honest to the american public about what happened here. >> i don't know about this. >> do you see the white house needs to explain what happened here with this cohen deal right before the election? >>. >> i don't want to talk about it. >> so even some critics of the president did not want to touch this story at all. it's not unusual. oftentimes republicans don't want to talk about the controversy after controversy. they don't want to base it or any sort of revolt. others they want to stick territory. jeff said about tariffs.

it was a universal response today. republicans did not want to go any where near this scandal. they don't know where it is going to go. >> thanks very much. >> it is legal issues and federal election issues people have been talking about. i think in the last segment you pegged it. it is what we have going on. the president has constitutionalized the idea of it being okay to tell a lie. there's not strong pushback from the american public. in esz -- it is an incredible

problem in a trust based system. >> i think it's brave of you to say that. it's incredibly depressing to hear you say that. the reality of that is incredibly depressing. >> it is what it is. >> one of your republican colleagues said this morning that while he is not okay with this quote it is simply not an item that is a surprise to us. if it were a democrat or president obama or hillary clinton would there be more outrage by republicans voice in i assume the answer would be yes. i think to his point he is probably accurate in a political sense. it has been baked into the cake of what's acceptable or blast

okay -- what's okay. it's in a trust based political system the idea that you constitutionalize lying is a real problem. it does seem to me, and we have heard this that it seems like one tactic is ignore what the president is tweeting. ignore what he comes out with and focus on what the policies are. that's a safer place to react to because that's what is real and often the actual policies are different than the rhetoric in a tweet. >> that's fair. if you look at what's happening concurrently on the whole tariff and bail out issue, are you kidding me? i was the first in the nation to turn back then president obama's stimulus package which were bail outs and made a fairly long argument of why it didn't make

good sense. even if they weren't i know it's naive or dumb to expect at this point for the white house to come out and say a year ago we were wrong. that's just a fact. >> well, i think it's long been observed. this white house doesn't apologize. i get it. it is what it is on that front. >> he declared it a big day for free and fair trade and they work on trade. is it a very big trade?

you're referencing this. >> i don't think so. we don't know what comes out of the negotiation. we are tariffs in place and counter tariffs that can be imposed. the idea is something that doesn't make a lot of sense in anybody's book. we see consequences back home in south carolina. you can go down a long list of other industries in other states in this country that is seen similar retaliation. what i would say is it's a diversion because we'll see what comes next with european union. at the end of the day what you have to watch are the chinese. it is a very different approach to negotiations and we don't know what comes next. >> i appreciate your

perspective. >> the president tried to shift it. the questions about the cohen reporting kept coming all day long. that's next. ♪ if you have moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, little things can be a big deal. that's why there's otezla. otezla is not an injection or a cream. it's a pill that treats psoriasis differently. with otezla, 75% clearer skin is achievable after just 4 months, ... with reduced redness, thickness, and scaliness of plaques. and the otezla prescribing information has no requirement for routine lab monitoring. don't use if you're allergic to otezla. otezla may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. tell your doctor if these occur. otezla is associated with an increased

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we have been talking about a recording released to cnn. on it cohen and the had the are heard buying the rights from the national inquirer ant tbout the affair that she says lasted for ten months. it is a conversation she said happened right before the election. here is part of it. >> i need to open up a company for the transfer of all of that info regarding our friend david. i will do that right away.

i have spoken to allen about how to set the whole thing up. >> so what are we going to do? >> yes. >> and it's all of the stuff. all of stuff. >> you never know. >> correct. so i'm all over that. i spoke to allen about it. when it comes time for the financing. >> we'll have to pay cash. >> no no no no no. >> how are you? >> you spoke to michael cohen's lawyer. what did he say? >> he tries to explain the fact that michael cohen tape records a lot by saying that he did it in lieu of taking notes. it is something that was so normal for him he never even thought about it. he says he never thought anyone would misuse that tape.

you know, he again, as he did yesterday points out that they released this because of the giuliani strategy which he says is to disparage and undermind michael cohen. he said it makes me wonder why they meaning the trump people are so intent on harming michael cohen. is it possible that he fears him because he knows too much and is determined to tell the truth? >> interesting. if this were any other president the story would likely be in the headlines for weeks or months. the president lied. the campaign lied. hope hicks didn't tell the truth. they come and go. it just seems normal now. >> yeah. it is hard to know whether it will have any impact more than any of the other stories. there was a time line when the

notion that there would be a story out about the president of the united states having paid off a former playboy playmate. it would himself be a huge thing. that is sort of baked in the cake now. i do think what he said was kind of the crux of the issue which is that it is potentially damaging. people at the white house to have a former fixer, somebody who was so intertwined with all of trump's business dealings before he was president in a situation where he feels like he is in a defensive crouch and he has a lot of potentially damaging information that he can leak out and trickle out however he wants. it is a precarious position in for the president to be in. >> michael cohen had kind of an odd role within the trump organization. he described himself as mr. fix

it. he references another attorney for the trump organization in that tape and basically says that he was consulted about how to set up this corporation that would pay the money to david pecker to reimburse them for killing the story and paying mcdougal. that guy who is referenced probably may even know more about the trump business because he was actually there longer and more intri kal to a lot of deals. so now he is part of this as well. >> yeah. i think it's safe to assume donald trump didn't have just one fixer. i think there were probably many and i think they operated at different levels. i think michael cohen was somebody who worked for trump far long time who was very loyal to him. i think trump trusted him. i think michael cohen also knew he had to consult other people when it came to making payments.

there was probably a hierarchy. i think where he actually fit in is kind of unclear. >> it puts it to michael cohen and all of his supporters. it said he did this independent of anybody in the trump organization. he pointed out on his letterhead there was a trump organization attorney involved in the arbitration he is talking about a trump organization employee who he is consulting to set up this corporation for this payoff. >> right. to the degree that the white house or anyone around donald trump has knowledged that any of this ever happened. has always been the case they argued it is cohen acting on his own. it has long since been dispensed with now. we know president trump knew about it. he directed it. he had a big role in it.

i think what you're hearing is because michael cohen now has essentially taken a difference stance he feels attacked by trump and he wants to make public what he knows. we are not going to hear that line coming from him anymore. i did it all without consulting my client. it is in his interest now to illustrate as much as possible that the president knew and told him to carry out this. >> and it was impartial of this and part of the whole operation of payoffs to silence people. thanks. coming up next one of the senators who questioned secretary of state they try to do what we have been trying to do to get answers about what happened.

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it's now been nine days since putin nine days without an official count of what was said in that room. nine days at the kremlin telling the world about what happened between the two presidents but nothing from the president himself to white house. >> our relationship has never

been worse than it is now, however that changed as of about four hours ago. >> the president also later complained reporters weren't reporting on the meeting behind closed doors. we would love to report on it. we have no idea what to say about it. there's no record of it. it was nine days ago. hard to see what's changed since then. today secretary of state pompeo went before the foreign relations committee and had few answers. >> did the president discuss relaxing u.s. sanctions? >> senator, the u.s. policy remains completely unchanged. >> i asked a very specific question. >> yes. >> did he tell you he discussed relaxing russia's sanctions or not? >> i'm telling you what u.s.

policy is. i came here today. if you told me you had a conversation. >> that's correct. >> he told you what transpired. i think the nation and all of us who are policymakers deserve to know so that we can fashion policy. did he tell him i will release or ultimately relax sanctions? >> senator, what you need to conduct your appropriate role i will provide you today. it is with respect to the issues you request. >> what's missing is the actual answer. pompeo declined to speak about discussions with north korea. >> i noticed that you are not responding to what i'm saying. >> i think i responded to everything that you're doing. >> no. you didn't. the fact is that you just didn't, okay? >> i don't disagree.

it is from the transcript if you want to talk about it. >> the fact is it's the president's public statements that create concern amongst senators on both sides of the aisle. >> secretary pompeo did use the hearings to reject and also saying the white house pushed back what is expected to be a fall visit. i'm quoting him here. the russia witch hunt is over. joining us now oregon. dough you think he knows what went on in that meeting? he has never said -- i mean the white house said the president met with pompeo and matti and talked to them. the white house never said that the president explained in detail what he and putin talked about. was it clear that he even knows? he didn't seem to have any

answers. >> the secretary said the president had informed him about the details but of course that means the president only shared what he wanted to share. i don't think anybody knew for sure what was discussed in the meeting. >> he argued that the president is entitled to private meetings. isn't the president allowed to conduct foreign policy as he sees fit? >> we are in a very strange space right now. the president is under investigation or the team is under investigation for potentially having collaborated with an enemy. to have a private meeting with that enemy, with russia, with no accounting and no public knowledge is pretty disturbing. >> when he knowledged that the president briefed him it's not clear to you at all what the president was relying on besides his own memory if in fact he was recalling specific things that were said. the president is not proving himself to be all that reliable

a narrater. he told things that were not true which then she went out and went on record with. >> that's absolutely right. i'm sure he does not at all competent. he knows what has went on in that meeting. that's what he did. he basically played dodge ball confiding almost nothing except the very interesting disclosure that he has been unsuccessful getting any sort of a detail in regard to the nuclear weapon effort not in agreement on doing an inventory, not reducing the weapons, not agreement on verification. that is really about the only thing of substance that came out of that three hours. >> it seems like it was a long time ago. it was a pretty stunning. twlen president came back from the summit he said can sleep

well at night. things are moving along. there is peace, everything is great. >> yes. i quoted that very phrase to him today and said can we really sleep well at night? it doesn't appear we have an agreement. essentially in kind of a round of about way pompeo knowledged they are still -- they have the capabilities they had before the conversations began so that there's been no significant progress in >> the president said words to the effect of there's not a time line for denuclearization. there's no real rush. >> that's right. suddenly after declared we can sleep well at night there's no urgency. they have not done another nuclear test. that's ta positive. they haven't done another ballistic missile test. that's positive.

that freeze is something they have done before with other administrations. and so to claim that we're something new or different has occurred here, north korea is playing the normal game. in which it agreed to a concept of its own definition of denuclearization. whatever it means. and freezes activity to let the heat go down. and from his commentary the president is happy to let north korea slow walk this now. >> in terms of the white house postponing the meeting with vladimir putin. kind of by surprise. is that a decision you support? >> his decision not to meet? >> absolutely. it's such a meeting is completely inappropriate at this point. not just because of the president is completely unprepared and you have a sharp agent in president putin. while the president is under investigation it just doesn't sound or feel right.

and we need to have the president be a watchdog for america. he essentially started putting forward the russian talking points. he hasn't held putin accountable on crimea, on the ukraine, on the assassinations in britain, on the conduct of the syrian government, which has dropped barrel bombs and gassed its own citizens, and certainly not on the cyberwarfare attack on our elections. >> senator merkley, i appreciate your time. thank you. >> you're welcome. thank you. >> i want to check in with chris to see what he's working on for "cuomo prime time" at the top of the hour. chris? >> how are you doing, my friend? we're working on the truth. we were very happy to bring this secret recording of trump and cohen to our audience. it's a little disappointing though not surprising that it's becoming a rorschach test for partisans. and i don't think that's really necessary. i think that we can bring you a better accounting of what's on the tape and then get into its implications. so tonight we're going to give people the best reading that we can of what's actually on there and who said it, and then we're going to get into what it means with a couple of great legal

minds and also we have senator tim kaine on with his take. >> all right. that's about eight minutes from now, chris. look forward to it. thanks so much. and great get on the tape last night. amazing. coming up next, on the now postponed putin summit, a look into why. right after this. chicken?! chicken. chicken! that's right, candace-- new chicken creations from starkist. buffalo style chicken in a pouch-- bold choice, charlie! just tear, eat... mmmmm. and go! try all of my chicken creations! chicken! when it comes to strong bones, are you on the right path? we have postmenopausal osteoporosis and a high risk for fracture, so with our doctors we chose prolia® to help make our bones stronger. only prolia® helps strengthen bones by stopping cells that damage them with 1 shot every 6 months. do not take prolia® if you have low blood calcium, are pregnant, are allergic to it, or take xgeva®. serious allergic reactions, like low blood pressure; trouble breathing; throat tightness; face, lip or tongue swelling, rash, itching or hives have happened.

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as we reported, that proposed meeting in washington between president trump and russia's vladimir putin is being postponed at least until after the first of the new year. as to why, national security adviser john bolton cited the ongoing russia investigation. he says in a statement "the meeting would be better after the russia witch hunt is over." meaning the mueller investigation. with me now is max boot, a cnn global affairs analyst and "washington post" columnist. daniel dale, a reporter for the toronto star summarized this in a tweet saying trump gets mad at coverage of putin summit orders bolton to announce second meeting they announce second meeting putin's like don't know that's a lot of commitment. second meeting is delayed indefinitely.

they blame mueller. does that sound about right to you? >> i saw that tweet by daniel dale. i thought that was a very succinct summary of what happened. the only thing i would add to that summary is that remember, bolton was the guy who before he became national security adviser said that the russian attack on america was an act of war. and now he's saying that the investigation of this act of war is this rigged witch hunt? i mean, this is so unseemly. we are so used to this in washington under the trump administration, but let's remember how improper this is, that the mueller investigation was appointed by the deputy attorney general, a republican. robert mueller is himself a republican. decorated vietnam vet and former fbi director. universally respect the. and now the national security adviser to the president is calling what he's doing, this lawful investigation into an attack on america, a rigged witch hunt? i mean, give me a break. >> yeah, we had colonel peters on the program a little while ago and i think one of the things he said and i'm paraphrasing i don't want to misquote him but it was words to

the effect of it will be interesting to see what bolton does because people in order to get close to power maintain a position like that sell themselves for trinkets essentially, and it does seem like bolton, who, you know, people used to resign out of honor and resign when they -- it doesn't seem like that happens anymore. >> very little honor in today's washington, sad to say. and you're right. i mean, bolton used to be this fire-breathing opponent of appeasement, critic of russia, critic of north korea, and now he seems to be defanged by being national security adviser. and you saw mike pompeo being put in a similar position before the senate foreign relations committee today. there was actually a kind of comical moment there where jeff flake tried to praise him for the state department rejecting this absurd proposal from putin to question the former u.s. ambassador to russia and, you know, pompeo reacted with horror because he didn't want to be congratulated at the expense of donald trump. he was saying oh, of course, we were just carrying out the president's direction,

everything we're doing is in line with the president's policy, he can't stand to have, you know, an iota of separation between himself and the president no matter how offensive and absurd the president's policy actually is. >> they're all scared. i mean -- >> they're terrified. >> it's really -- i laugh but it's not really funny. i mean, it's -- you know, it's sad. >> it's not like an american republican -- democratic administration, this is like the court of an ancient roman emperor or a french king from the 18th century where you have everybody's trying to keep the emperor in good temper and they're frayed if he is displeased they will lose their heads. that's essentially where we are. >> or like the inner circle of one of the stan countries. i don't want to insult any particular stan country. but you know, some of the ruling families of these countries and like their inner circle. it's -- yeah. >> i mean, these republicans are reducing us to kind of a banana republic. >> how do you think putin -- actually, we're almost out of time. always good to have you. before we go quick reminder

don't miss our interactive daily newscast on facebook. you get to pick the stories we cover. you can watch full circle weeknights at 6:25 p.m. eastern at facebook.com/andersoncooper full circle. i know it just flows off the tongue. facebook.com/anderson cooper full circle. follow that page to get posts from the show. i'll see through tomorrow at 6:25 p.m. eastern. at 8:00 p.m. of course here right here on cnn. the news continues. i want to hand it over to chris. "cuomo prime time" starts now. chris? >> more you. i love it. can't get enough. thank you, my friend. all right, everybody. i'm chris cuomo. welcome to "prime time." we brought you the secret trump-cohen tape last night, and now there is a debate raging about who said what and why. teams cohen and trump disagree on a key part. partisans are of course doing what they do worst. just taking sides. so let's do something better. all right? let's get as close as we can. let's get up. come on, always take a picture

of me, never just my chest. let's try and get as close to the truth as we can here.