officials say by the time the river crests in just a couple days, it is going to set a new flood record. >> reporter: dep outy attorney general rod rosenstein floated the idea to secretly wear a wire to tape president trump last year. >> just take a look at what's now being exposed in our department of justice and the fbi. there's a lingering sterch and we're going to get rid of that too. >> brett kavanaugh, he was born for the u.s. supreme court, he was born for it. >> i thought that the president's tweet was completely

inappropriate and wraurch. wrong. ♪ good saturday morning to you. top of the hour. i'm victor blackwell. >> the big question was it a plan to remove the president from office or just a sarcastic comment taken the wrong way? deputy attorney general rod rosenstein is denying reports he discussed wearing a wire last year. >> in the days after james comey waw fired as fbi director, rosenstein reportedly talked about removing president trump from office by invoke thing 25th amendment. >> this is the latest one quote i never pursued or authorized record thing president and any

suggestion i have advocated for removal of the president is false. >> and president trump asked whether he should fire rosenstein. here is what he said about the justice department at that rally in missouri last night. >> we have great people in the department of justice. we vegreat people. these are people i really believe you take a poll. i got be to at 95%. but you have some real bad ones. you've seen what's happened at the fbi. they're all gone, they're all gone, they're all gone. but there's a lingering stench and we're going to get rid of that too. >> he's now spend thing weekend at his golf club.

boris, a lingering stench. he hasn't said much beyond that, at least today so far. >> that's right. president trump not yet weighing in on twitter. that's about as direct as he got. he doesn't mention deputy attorney general rosenstein by name. he also has not tweeted about any personnel changes. though previously we heard president trump talk about his displegser for the doj, specifically because of their ability to shield from their investigations and unhappiness with a lack of prosecution of his political enemies like hillary clinton, etc. we should point out sources previously indicated he wasn't happy with with the deputy

attorney general because of the free reign he give pursue the russia investigation and pursue certain things about president trump. but the president had previously said was a red line in that investigation. this was before the reporting that rosenstein had talked about invo invoke thing 25th amendment. there had been calls for rosenstein to be fired previously. now those are ramping up. the president pfsz son actually tweeted he was shocked by this. he was definitely being sarcastic because of course this plays into the narrative that there is a deep state seeking to untew the president's agenda and to remove him from office. one quick thing i did want to point out, sources have indicated the white house knew this story was coming thursday,

one day before it was published in the new york times and later confirmed by cnn and others. this isn't necessarily a surprise. what is start tung be a surprise is the fact that the president hasn't said anything on twitter. as you know he likes to tweet early on weekend mornings and he has fired people before via social media. >> always keeping our twitter fingers ready. cnn political analyst and congressional reporter at politico. and constitutional attorney and former director of the nixon presidential library. and rachel, let me start with you. flrs president has railed against deputy attorney general rosenstein for a year now. does all the reporting since make it more like laethat the

president will take the next step and order the firing of rosenstein? >> deeffinately giving them a lot more ammunition. if these reports are true that he talked about secretly taping him, potentially removing him fwens his will from office would fire that attorney general, no doubt about it. i thing this gives them something to say we have to fire this guy. we'rall rey seeing trump supporters say they want him to go but this gives them that concrete thing to point tootoo push him out. the one thing that gives me pause democrats are saying they would use this as a corruption. their top pitch is that white house is out of control and there needs to be a democratic

check in the house and there's a concern that democrats canned use him against them and that could be probb lumatic. >> the advisors convunsinced hi not to make decision last night. they know what the consequences would be. would they be the same today as they were friday morning considering what we've learned from this new york times reporting? >> i don't think so. i think he has additional coverage if he wants to bhufb nor midterm elections. it really is now not a question of if, it's a question of when. i see him waiting until after the elections. i think session sz gone, rosenstein is gone.

as we've heard him say his test, if you're toing a great job in the department of justice is if you like him. so eif it become as popularity contest and he puts somebody there he ecan control, robert mueller is not finished with his work yet and so i think if the president puts someone in those positions who in any way ubstruktzs, then you see them act. >> and who does he get confirmed? the question of the 25th amendment that reportedly rosenstein was trying to determine whom he could recruit. please just frame for us the original use of this, the purpose of this and how it's now put into contkst of the trump

administration. does what we see reach the level of 25th amendment? >> after world war i, the u.s. had a incapacitated president, woodr woodrow wilson. and the country was largery run by his wife. and if a majority of the cabinet should no longer perform his or her dut aerksz they'll be removed of their aught toies. that's there if something makes it impossible for him to serve his term. but it tuz require a majority of the cabinet and the president could fire the cabinet in

advance. so this is a president almost out of it, if you will. the fact people in the administration have been talking about it is an indication that president trump at times appears to be erratic. it would be remarkable if they fired someone on a basis of a new york times article, based on what the president has been saying all along. so i can't see how they would do it on the basis of an article. they can't do this before the election. to do this before the election would underskoecore the argumen that democrats have been making. >> let me come back to you, rachel.

house judiciary announced it was going to subpoena the note from andrew mccabe in which he details rosenstein's comments. there twhwere the articles impeachment submutted against rosenstein because of slow walking, they would say, letterser to congress. will it get any traks with house leadership. >> so basically trump supporters in the house have been trying to land fatdal blow for a while and they have filed articles of impeachment and paul ryan has trying to keep him at bay. and that was because rosenstein wasn't turning over enoughf documents.

i will say one thing though and that is the top conservative on house freedom caucus pushing for the impeachment of rosenstein, they're eerily silent and i wonder if this has something to do with the election. i think rilts arquestion off when, not if. i just don't see how they can hold this back in the house. >> listen to the president last night in missouri. >> a poll came out and they said everybody's going out in 2020 because they want to for you but not in 2018. get out in 2018 because you're voting for me. >> the president says you voting for me. is he right this election is more nationalized than midterms in the past and what does that mean for republicans who really

didn't want the president to say that? >> there is no question that president trump believes that he is an asset to the republican party. i'm not sure every republican candidate feels that way. i think the president is reminding people when he speaks that way that he does not believe there are checks and balances in the u.s. government and that he believes he has been elected to governor however he wishes and that anyone who should disagree with his understanding of the constitution must be removed. that is it not the american way. that's not how this country functions and the president, in using these terms about law enforcement, department of justice is sending the signal

that if you do not agree with donald j. trump's understanding 06 the constitutionm yorks must leave. he is making this argument and nang midterm elections to de9 presidency. it's up to you. >> stay with with us. there's much more to discuss this hour. u.s. ambassador nikki haley join jake tapper on "state of the union". that's tomorrow at cnn and former mayor michael bloomberg. again 10:00 a.m. eastern. the woman leveling charges against supreme court nominee, brett kavanaugh. demands they want her to agree

to beor the didline. and the worst is not over yet. >> reporter: good morning. this has been described by residents as a slow move ding swraser. we'll introduce you to a community still teal wing the aftermath of hurricane florence. you're watching. bllg the kenya tea development agency is an organization that is owned by tea farmers. every week we sell this tea, we get paid in multiple accounts. we were looking for a bank to provide a safe and efficient technology platform to pay our farmers. citi was the only one that was able to ensure that this was done seamlessly.

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well, south carolina is still feeling the effects of hurricane florence. some highways still closed, local roads impossible. >> and local flooding, even more is expected in the coming days. nick valencia in conway, south carolina. you were there earlier this week. you're back again. what are you seeing now?

>> reporter: it's remarkable to see the community more than a week after it made land fall and they're still deal wing the aftermath of the storm. we're 20 miles inland from myrtle beach and it's going to continue to get worse in the coming tase. we've already set a record. the record last set was somewhere around 17.9 inches. we're well past that. this community didn't see that much water during hurricane matthew. i skpopoke to the emergency management director and he said all of this is surveal. >> i guess seeing our nobbers and friends struggling. they woke up this morning and their house was flooded. it's going to be a long few days.

>> reporter: and they're prepared for that. as i mentioned not really getting water in this area. you're seeing residents to what they can to get the belongings out of their homes. though they're not in a mandatory evacuation zone. i askedall so the fire chief why they haven't, they said they don't have that ability to do that. but they have highly eencouraged residents to get out why they can. thiis the same area president trump visited. see thing aftermath of the flash flooding that took place. the water receipted long enough to residents to come in and get their belongings. it's not expected to crest until monday or tuesday. some predictions put it at wednesday. and this is all run off from the

river a couple of miles away from here. i asked how deep it is in some areas. upwards of 8/10 feet. but it's going to spread very far. there's a potential this could flood main street. >> the woman accusing the president's supreme court nominee of sexual assault has been given until noon. 2:30 is the new deadline to decide if she will testify. as they are now facing backlash over their deadlines. the best simple salad ever? heart-healthy california walnuts. the best simple veggie dish ever? california walnuts. the best simple dinner ever? great tasting, heart-healthy california walnuts.

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this morning senate republicans are demanding the woman accusing supreme court nominee of sexual assault, that she aegreed by this afternoon to testify before the senate judiciary committee. she says kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a party when thaw were in high school. that's according to the new york times. grassley gave ford until today decide if she is going to testify or says the vote will move forward monday afternoon. ford's attorney called this deadline arbitrary.

and cnn's presidential historian and former director of the nixon library. i first real quick want to go up to this deadline. there isn't anything except political pressure causing them to rush through this here. so do we think we may kind of work this out? >> yeah, so i don't know. maybe we'll have have five more extensions. they're racing against the political clock. they want him confirmed by october 21st. and there's a slight risk they go to democratic hands in which case kavanaugh's nomination,

they are going to have a big problem if democrats take the chamber. kavanaugh's taegs ford's attorney has obviously said she needs more time to really think through the consequences of coming forward and testifying. i think her life clearly has already been turned upside down by these alligations coming out. i would be surprise fd he doesn't testify and i'm not sure the last negotiating piece, i'm not sure that's going to be enough to keep her from coming forward. >> and part of it you mentioned the bullying. president trump openly atalked ford saying if the sexual assault happened and why didn't she tell her parents. for most of the day yesterday, that hashtag, why i didn't

report was trending across almost all mediums across social media. there was an oped from patty regan's daughter. talking about the fact maybe she didn't remember everything quote your memory snaps photo tofz details that will haunt you forever, that will change your life and live under your skin. "and she said quote requesting an investigation into the incident isn't a big ask unless they just want her to go away, which is, by the way, one reason that women are scared to speak up." the optics are tough for republicans, specifically orrin hatch who's been through this before with anita hill. are we teaming this up for anita hill part two? >> you have people now who were

there in 1991 when anita hill was so shamelessly attacked. you would think since 1991 our country has moved forward but in many ways we're seeing snof same arguments. and by the way in this case we're talking about sexual assault. in 1991 it was mainly of sexual harassment. sexual assault is rape, which lead -- must lead to prison. what i think is really important to keep in mind is that there are people on that committee, on the judiciary committee, who are send thing signal they've already made up their mind about professor ford and judge kavanaugh and they're ready to vote for judge kavanaugh regardless of what dr. ford is ready to say.

this is a terrible message to send to all women that these men and they are men and they're republican, have decided it doesn't really matter what professor ford has to say and they're not willing to allow the fbi tootoo its work to determine whether in fact an issue or incident of sexual assault occurred. that is the optics that i'm seeing. there's politics. left, right, republican, democrat. but we're talking about the question of whether frofeser ford's allegation kz be investigated in time to determine whether someone who may have been guilty, someone who may have been guilt afwaets lifetime of appointments that are supreme court and they're sending a signal every day it doesn't matter. that

that's the optics i see. >> and they're racing zbens a political clock if you will. we talk a lot about sexual assault this morning and these allegations and uneasy process so many people face if they decide to come forward and how do you go about recording it. if this has triggered something in you, it's 1-800-656-hope. and there's somebody who can help talk you through the nextsteps and give you support. the president sayss there is a stench inside the justice department. so will he try to fix that by fierng rod rosenstein? (vo) when bandits stole the lockbox from the wells fargo stagecoach,

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the president is vowing to fix what he calls a lingering stench. the former co chairman for the trump campaign in new york. last time we talked you had a boughtel of blue. it's not there. >> it's still here. we moved the angle. >> save me a shot. >> i will. >> laura ingram and sean hannity. >> the president tonight should seriously consider whether rod rosenstein should remain in the job. we just cannot have this plotting against the chief executive of this executive

branch. >> i have a message for the president under zero circumstances should the president fire anybody. they are hoping and praying that the president does just that. they're hoping he gets mad, sick and tired of it and they can turn nis to their equivalent of a friday night massacre. the president needs to know it is all a set up. >> so conflicting advice from his friends anded avers there at fox news. >> i tend to agree with one of the guests you have on earlier that it's more of a question of when not if. i think sean hannity's right that the timing is suspicious in the sense that firing him at the wrong time could have more significant political ramifications. this is a president who under this constitution has unilateral

executive power. the framers could have done that. they didn't. instead we give the entire power to one person and if that person believes people are working to undermine or not support the policies he's going to enact. >> you know vevl said this makes it easier in some ways avoid thing question of obstruction of justice. we'll see if the president decides to fire rosenstein. one thing we have not talked about is if this came out just a few hour afrz the president tweeted his reversal in declassify thing documents related to the russia investigation, do you expect this reporting lead the president to reconsider that reversal? >> no, no, no and i afwree with

a lot of friends of mine in the house of representatives who believe these should be transpaernt, unredacted. this has been almost two years fwoing into the mueller investigation and not one piece of evidence has been broadcast to the american people. more questions have been asked about when this investigation started. so i certainly side with the president on that, with a lot of members of congress who feel the same way. and it does raise suspicion when you have people like rosenstein who are seeking to block this unretacted documents. >> you're saying there's no evidence of collusion. and there would be some who would point to the trump tower meeting in 2016 to rebuff what

you just said there. but i just wanted to point out there's obviously going to be people who disagree with what you said there. i want to play what ben carson said at the value voter summit. this is about ms. blasey ford accusing him of sexual assault in high school. >> if you really understand the big picture of what's going on, then what's going on with with judge kavanaugh will make perfectly good sense toyou. go eall the way back to the fabbians who have wanted to fundamentally change this country and in order to to that, there are three things they must control, the media, the courts

and the educational system. the first two they have >> suggesting her accusation is part of a century-long plot to change this country by socialism. what is he talking about? >> it's a more sereeberal way to talk about what the democrats are trying to do. they are trying to block the allegation. i don't know if that happened to dr. ford, i certainly hope it didn't. tends people to think it did not occur -- >> you know how you get evidence? you do an investigation. >> she pointed to certain people who claim they were there -- >> haven't said it under oath.

>> i don't want to be the one to pass judgment but it certainly seems that a lot of people don't buy the story as she's saying this and seeing it as more of a delay tactic. >> but you would agree or disagree the secretary this is part of a century-long socialist plot. >> i'm sure if it is they're being very secret tae-- >> wait a minute. are you not taking a side on the socialist plot line from the secretary? >> i don't know if there's socialist plotting to undermine the government. perhaps there are. >> okay. jose. we got to dut there. i appreciate the interview but

you toent know if this is part of a socialist plot. all right. so there's a trade war going on between the u.s. and china but you might not know it by looking add the record highs on wall street. why he thinks consumers aren't going to notice that trade war at all. -trash can, turn on the tv. -my pleasure. -ice dispenser, find me a dog sitter. -okay. -and make ice. -pizza delivered. -what's happened to my son? -i think that's just what people are like now. i mean, with progressive, you can quote your insurance on just about any device. even on social media. he'll be fine. -[ laughs ] -will he? -i don't know.

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sleonly remfresh usesep one in threeion-powered melatonin to deliver up to 7 hours of sleep support. number one sleep doctor recommended remfresh - your nightly sleep companion. wall street seems to be shrugging off the president's trade war with china. flrs dow hit back to back record highs thursday and friday. had its best week untwo months. corp raugzs don't really seem worried either. the corporate tax cut is helping make a lot of money. but what about most of you out there watching? this ongoing trade war will eventually cost americans more

money. but commerce secretary says they're not going to notice. >> if you have a 10% tariff on another 200 billion, that's 20 billion a year. that's a tiny, tiny fraction of 1% total inflation in the u.s. because it's spread over thousands and thousands of products, nobody's going to actually notice it at the end of the day. >> really? well, joining me is -- fist of how is this possible. even if it's a little bit of money on a few product here and there, it adds up on the cost of the and what people need buy. it >> the analysis suggests the impact is probably 0.03% at the terrif range.

and 25%, so maybe that goes to 0.05%. the question is whether this is in the fact that the economy is continuing to be very strong. jobless are the lowest since 1969. consumer confidence is an all-time high. whether these will continue to mark inflation i think remains to be seen. >> eventually they're going to have to buy products and those prices are going to go up. >> the piece that will be interesting is how will supply chains change and to try to accommodate -- for example if components coming in from china and able to either find domestic sources or those from other

nations so you toent see much of a cost increase come through. and i don't think there's visibility yet in the numbers round that. the final episodes of "parts unknown" start tomorrow night at 9:00 p.m. here's a preview. >> who gets to tell the stories? this is a question asked often. the answer in this case for better or for worse is i do. at least this time out. ♪ >> first time on this continent? >> yes. >> it's unbelievable. astonishing. >> i always wanted to do that. >> try that in new york. new york, in your mind, is where the writer's life was. here we are.

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♪ i'm michael smerconish in philadelphia. is this going to be trump's long rumored saturday night massacre? the new york times says rod rosenstein discussed invoke thing 25th amendment. if true, president trump has reason to fire rosenstein and if sessions won't do it, could clear the path to firing robert mueller. and the conformation battle over