>> announcer: "the lead" with jake tapper up next on cnn. that is it for me. quick check of the dow. i'm brooke baldwin. thanks for being here. "the lead" with jake tapper starts now. okay, lawmakers, you have a good 21 days to actually read the mueller report before he testifies. "the lead" starts right now. the main event, robert mueller now set to testify before congress and the american people. president trump spent much of the day lashing out but will he try to block mueller from testifying? the president's lawyer is here to tell us. the harrowing, heartbreaking photo of a desperate father and his daughter who risked it all to try it get across the border into the united states. today how this image is shining a light on the border crisis but still not stopping the gridlock in washington to solve it. plus -- it all could change

tonight. we're just hours away from the first democratic debate of the 2020 presidential race with senator elizabeth warren coming in hot and with a target on her podium. welcome to "the lead," i'm jake tapper. we begin with the politics lead, quote, does it ever stop? that question coming from president trump after finding out that special counsel robert mueller is being forced by congress to testify publicly on july 17th in what may be the most anticipated testimony of the trump presidency so far. mueller will answer questions from the members of the house judiciary and intelligence committee after being slapped with a subpoena. now mueller made clear in his view his 448-page report was his official statement and the only one he wants to give but house democrats are eager to question the special counsel about the evidence he uncovered and whether he would have charged the president with obstruction of justice but for justice department precedent that a sitting president cannot be indicted. republicans, of course, planning to hammer mueller on the origin

of the investigation and raise concerns about the probe's integrity. cnn's sarah murray kicks off the coverage on what is sure to be must-see tv. >> look, the mueller thing never stops. >> reporter: president trump railing against democrats after learning robert mueller will testify publicly for the first time since he started investigating the president and russian election interference. >> how many times do we have to hear it. it never ends. it just keeps going on and on. at what point does it end? it is a disgrace. >> reporter: mueller set to appear july 17th before the house judiciary and intelligence committees. democrats subpoenaed the special counsel who hoped to avoid testifying publicly. >> i hope and expect this to be the only time that i will speak to you in this manner. >> reporter: the appearance at a p pivotal moment after they decide to dive into impeachment proceedings but they say this will help them understand the report.

but they're already managing expectations. >> certainly the outlines of what he's going to talk about are in the report, so, um, many americans haven't read the report, but again i think we should be realistic about our expectations. >> reporter: the -- the committees are expected to question mueller followed by a closed-door meeting to focus on the counterintelligence issues. there was not enough evidence to charge the members of trump campaign with conspiring with the russians and left open the question of whether he obstructed justice. writing, if we had confidence that the president clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we could so state. >> any testimony from this office would not go beyond our report. we chose those words carefully and the work speaks for itself. and the report is my testimony. >> reporter: republicans are jumping at the chance to question the special counsel's conclusions. >> bob mueller better be prepared because i could tell you he will be cross-examined for the first time and the american people will see the

flaws in his report. >> reporter: now, bob mueller said he'll stay within the four corners of the report if called to testify but that will not stop lawmakers asking whatever they want to, jake, particularly why bob mueller never subpoenaed donald trump for an interview and testimony and as you mentioned, why he declined to bring the obstruction charges if there was enough evidence there to recommend them, back to you. >> sarah murray. thank you. and joining me to talk about this is president trump's personal attorney jay sekulow. thank you for being here. >> thanks. >> the first question, will the president try to block or limit mueller's testimony in any form or tell the attorney general bob barr to do so. >> the president turned this issue over to the attorney general. the attorney general said -- attorney general barr said it is fine for bob mueller to testify and now he's going to testify. what he said -- what bob mueller said was that his report was his testimony. noup i expect that his testimony

is his report. so, no there is no legal moves. bob mueller will testify and i'm sure he'll stick to what is in his report. i don't expect a new revelation. that certainly would be inappropriate. so we'll find out when he testifies what he'll say but i expect it to be of the report. >> i think i messed it up. bill barr is who i meant to say. >> that is okay. i knew who you were talking about. >> are you worried at all that robert mueller will testify that he did, in fact, intentionally leave it up to congress to decide whether the president obstructed justice? is that a concern? >> no, i'll tell you what it is. if you look at volume 2 of the report, of the report which is the obstruction provision, the whole process is turned upside down. i think the biggest question bob mueller will have to ask him self-or be asked is do you really think it is the job of the special counsel to exonerate someone? because prosecutors don't exonerate. you're presumed innocent until proven guilty or until a charge

is brought in a court of law. here he said that -- he said we're not saying the president committed a crime, we're not exonerating him either, but the job of the special counsel is not to exonerate, i think that where this is conflated and it was conflated in the report, it turned the whole burden of proof and our presumption of innocence upside down and that is a big question he'll have to answer. >> why do you think he did that, he and his staff? >> i don't think they could come to a conclusion that there was, in fact, obstruction of justice. and he did what -- under the department of justice guide lines if a prosecutor cannot make that determination, which he did not, then it is reviewed by the superiors, and the department attorney general and the attorney general and they said based on the evidence there was not obstructive intent which is required for obstruction of justice. so bob mueller will have to explain this report, specially volume 2 aspect and i've read it

many times and you said in the beginning maybe members of congress will read this report, the fact of the matter is it is not a coherent legal argument in volume 2 and it turned the burd an of proof upside down and incorrect of the matter of law. >> has the president read the mueller report? >> he said he's reviewed it. i won't discuss conversations i've had with the president or not on this. i don't know the details of what he's reviewed. i'll tell you this, his lawyers have. we have reviewed it. thoroughly. more than once. and it is not an easier read the second or third time around. it is very convoluted and hard to follow and people are trying to shed a new light on it but i expect bob mueller is going to say, here is what i said, i said what i said in the report, that is my conclusion. it was interesting when he made his statement back a month ago he said he thought it was be inappropriate to appear before congress to respond or to answer questions from the press. so now he's in the situation

where he's agreed to do it, fine, we'll see what he has to say. i don't expect any new revelations in any of this. i think we'll hear more of the same of what is in it and they did not make a conclusion that ultimately the attorney general, department of justice did make. >> what if he does go beyond the parameters of the mueller report? what will you do? are you anticipating or preparing for him to do something like that? >> well, i mean -- look, you can't run into -- you won't run into the proceeding and stop the proceeding. we actually -- unlike others, we respect the separation of powers here and whose job and responsibility is. but i can't imagine a circumstance where he's going to start extrapolating something not in the report. the issue on the counterintelligence investigation is done in closed-door session. so that is completely separate. but i can't imagine a scenario where he's going to change something, come to a different conclusion after the report has been issued when he said my report is my testimony. so i just -- it is hard to speculate what that would

actually be. frankly, think that is why you're seeing this initial enthuse sax and lowering of expectations 24 hours later. >> it seems likely the democrats are doing this because most americans, unlike you and i, most americans are not read the mueller report and they want them to know what is in it. do you think that house democrats will ultimately begin impeachment proceedings and are you preparing for that? >> i do not think they're going to start impeachment proceedings. first of all, you have to go back to the high crime and misdemeanor. there is outset. but politically -- look, politically and republicans have this experience, this is a nonstarter. and, look, the democrats can say whatever they want to say and that is up to them and within their political caucus to determine what they're going to do but to start an impeachment proceeding based on bob mueller's report, i think would be a -- i'm not in a political prognosticator but i think it

would be a political mistake. legally it would be ridiculous. politically it would be very dangerous. >> so you don't think they will but with you preparing for them to do so just in case there is obviously -- i think it is a third of the democratic caucus in the house is now on record saying they want impeachment proceedings to begin. you're not preparing? >> we have no -- we have no impeachment preparation team in place. so, no. because you just said it. there is an example. one-third of what they need wants impeachment and two-thirds do not. so you look at some of the key districts involved here, there is a lot of members of the party that -- the democratic party that don't want impeachment and it doesn't bode well for them on re-election. nancy pelosi is doing what she's doing, she's the majority leader, speaker of the house, trying to control her caucus the best she can. there is going to be diversity within the caucus. i get that. that is part of the political process. but i don't see impeachment as a threat at all. >> jay sekulow, thank you for

your time. >> thanks for having me. a warning now, the images you're about to see are upsetting. a toddler's tiny lifeless arm draped across her father's body, the horrific photo from the border raising questions about the desperation and danger. stay with us. ♪ not ecan match the power of energizer.tery because energizer ultimate lithium is the longest lasting aa battery in the world. [confetti cannon popping] energizer. backed by science. matched by no one. with a lot of other young couples. then we noticed something...strange. oh, could you, uh, make me a burger? -poof -- you're a burger. [ laughter ] -everyone acts like their parents. -you have a tattoo. -yes. -fun. do you not work?

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alberto martinez as they float lifeless on the shore of the rio grande. the long and desperate journey toward a better life cut short at america's edge. the child's mother tannia witnessed it all from the mexican side of the river. she told a local reporter her husband and daughter initially made it across the river. oscar set their child on the opposite shore and began swimming back for his wife but the toddler jumped in after him. he clung to her as they were swept away in a current. eventually drowning together in his t-shirt. back in their home country of los angeles, her grandmother weeps for her family. >> translator: they lived here with me in the same house so they wanted to have their own house and that was what motivated them. >> reporter: the family of three spent some two months in mexico eventually joining thousands of other migrants crowding near the u.s. border. they were waiting to ask for asylum from american officials but on sunday they risked their

li lives for a faster way into the country. the push of poverty and the pull of promise have led millions to take such chances. customs and border protection often release footage of migrants and young children making the dangerous river crossing into the united states. according to u.s. border patrol, 283 migrants died on the south west border with mexico last year. 283 dead. it is a number some pay easily forget until an image like this reveals what a humanitarian crisis on the border really looks like. and, jake, critics of the trump administration crackdown on this asylum policy which limits the number of people who could cross legal ports of entry say this will not remain an isolated incident and have seen dozens of people who have had to have been rescued from the rio grande over the last few months and in many cases we've seen border patrol agents jumping into the river to save people from drowning. jake. >> ed lavendera, thank you.

president trump was asked how he felt after seeing the photograph. take a listen. >> i hate it. and i know it could stop immediately if the democrats change the law. they have to change the laws. and then that father who probably was this wonderful guy, with his daughter, things like that wouldn't happen. they want to have open borders and open -- open boards mean crime and open borders mean people drowning in the rivers. >> the president blaming the democrats. and priscilla, let me start with you because you cover immigration for cnn. that is the president. his argument is the democrats need to change the asylum laws so as to provide a disin -- disincentive so they stop coming and don't try to cross the river. what are the policy implications and prevented this horrific tragedy. >> that is right. so the administration wants to

see two specific things happen. they want to hold families together no detention for a longer period of time. something that is limited currently and they want to be able to return unaccompanied minors from the northern triangle countries back to their countries, something we do with mexico. these are both nonstarters for democrats but something the administration has urged them to do. as far as this current situation, what we know about the father and his child is that they were coming here to seek economic opportunity. now the trump administration has made it more difficult for asylum-seekers to seek asylum in the u.s. through the policies. but it is difficult to know what exactly would change now, another part of this, because all of this is a multi-layer add poach is -- layered approach is funding for the countries. and they're cutting funding to the countries so the conditions they're fleeing from as far as we understand are worsening. >> funding that trump's own

officials said was working in los angeles. >> kevin mcaleenan, is fund the countries and provide them with aid. >> from 2018 you saw migrants from los angelel salvador will . and they try to escape desperate situations that are going on in their home countries. >> scott, what is your take? >> well, i think that the way forward here is pretty clear. both the house and senate have approved legislation but only one of those bills has a chance to become law and that is the senate bill. >> you're talking about the supplemental $4.5. >> to deal with the humanitarian crisis at the border and right now the house bill is dead. the president will veto it. it has no chance to become law. the senate bill passed, got 84 votes, the fact is mitch mcconnell and his team and chuck schumer and his team work together to get a bill that was palatable to both parties. and so i think the way forward for u.s. policy in the

short-term is to get on top of the humanitarian crisis. everybody is outraged and heartbroken by this photo. one way we can stop the heartbreaking images is to get on top of the humanitarian crisis. the senate bill does it and the only one that could become law. >> the problem that i have with all of this is this president could stop this right now. why not call in the red cross -- save the children or ask pediatricians around the country to volunteer a week of their time to go down and help administer aid and care to the children. why not just call in every kind of resource that you have to deal with the problem that is there right now. because in the tragedy of this photograph that we're looking at is that is just one part of this tragedy. over the weekend the stories that emerged about the conditions that the children are living in. it doesn't make you a less of a bad ass or tough or mean or whatever he wants to show in terms of policies if you say we don't want you to come but we

won't let children -- these children are undergoing permanent damage. we're doing permanent damage to these children. ptsd, anxiety, depression issues. and in many cases, as we know, part of the recklessness of this administration with so many acting this and acting secretary that, is these children are getting lost in the system. we're not able to -- re-connect them with their families. it is shameful on everybody's side and who cares about the stupid bill. get the help in there now. >> priscilla, where is -- what is the future of first of all this $4.5 billion in humanitarian aid for people at the border, but then beyond that, is there any hope for any sort of larger reform of the immigration system? >> what the administration would say right now is that this border wall -- or not the border wall but funding for the border is what they need immediately and the conditions in the border patrol facilities is an example of that. these conditions are deteriorating. they are overwhelmed by the

crush of migrants arriving every single day. and they would say that is what they need. as far as where we go moving forward in terms of reform, the administration will continue to push because they're trying to say they want to deter migrants from coming to the border but democrats have shown in this moment, especially as they even fight over what should be included in the spending bill, that is unlikely. >> stick around. we have more to talk about. each candidate is getting a few minutes to talk at tonight's democratic debate. the last-second preps to make sure the minutes are memorable, next. the mercedes-benz of tomorrow will transform not just the automobile, but mobility itself. an autonomous-thinking vehicle protecting those inside and out. and it's the mercedes-benz of today that will help us get there.

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in our 2020 lead, we're just hours away from the crucial first debate of this election cycle. here is how the democratic candidates will be positioned on stage tonight. starting with new york city bill de blasio, congressman tim ryan, former hud sect julian castro, cory booker,away, beto o'rourke, senator amy klobuchar, tulsi gabbard, governor jay inslee and former congressman john delaney on the first night of the two-night debate event. ken law takes us behind the saeps into the last-minute debate preparations. >> the first main event of the 2020 race. ten democratic presidential candidates facing off on this stage for the first time, in the

senator elizabeth warren, the only one of the top five contenders on tonight. she'll be flanked by cory booker and beto o'rourke. >> well, it's going to be tough, right. we have 60 seconds to respond to some of the biggest questions that are on the minds of american people right now. >> reporter: warren also practicing drilling down on her plans to short answers. amy klobuchar is watching the 2016 debates marked but unpredictable exchanges and the divide among democrats will be front and center. warren and others might seek challenge from others. >> medicare for all may sound good, but actually not good policy, nor is it good politics. i'm telling you. i'm telling you. >> reporter: julian castro and beto o'rourke are campaigning on immigration reform. back in the spotlight after the disturbing image of the father

and his daughter who drowned trying to cross the mexico u.s. border. >> this president has put us into this situation. >> reporter: klobuchar and warren traveled south of the debate side to the homestead detention center where approximately 2300 unaccompanied migrant children are being held. doing as a country. we should be these children did not commit a crime. these children pose no threat to people here in the united states of america. >> reporter: kamala harris appearing in tomorrow night's debate said she'll be watching tonight. so will president trump. >> it just seems very boring but i'm going to watch it because i have to. that is part of any life. it is part of my life. >> reporter: i'm joining you in the so-called spin room. although the spin theater might be the more appropriate word because it is such a large space. after the debate the surrogates will come through and talk to reporters and spin their message

on how the candidate did but, jake, we're hearing the candidates may show up after the debate. cory booker expected to come here and speak to the reporters after his debate performance. jake. >> cune law in miami, thank you so much. let's chew over this with our expects. jackie, what are you looking for tonight? >> i'll see if elizabeth warren can keep up the moment. she's third in two national polls and in states doing better, matching herself up with bernie sanders who is her closest ideological rising. can she show people why -- why people are starting to take another look at elizabeth warren. >> and mike, what about you? >> i'm wondering if any of the other candidates, particularly the ones on the outside of the debate stage, will go after warren. will they go after the number one candidate who is on the stage tonight? she's out there, getting good coverage about all of the plans that she has, you have to window if somebody like john delaney who doesn't have a very good chance might be the person to go

after some of the plans and say, well how are you going to pay for that, senator. that is interesting to see because everybody thinks they're going after biden or sanders. >> you'll be looking at a different candidate tonight. >> well, i do agree the stakes are highest for warren. she's the only one on the stage that is in the -- in the legit conversation. belto, maybe his last stand and a huge flop so far. i'm thinking about joe biden. he's not there but the candidates have to take on joe biden. so i want to see who has the guts to punch at joe biden. he's not there to respond and will anybody have the guts to take up for him if they agree with biden on an issue. >> what about you? >> i'm looking to see if warren -- she's the person who has set the policy agenda i think in many ways. i know bernie's people would disagree and so much of what is discussed, how much spills over to tomorrow to where people are defending themselves which for her pushes her again, keeps her momentum going. i want to see if beto could hold his own. he's had some trouble on the

policy front and so standing next to the woman who is the queen of policy in this debate, this is going to be a big test for him. >> one thing about warren she's shown the most adeptness at being a lecturn and being at a crowd and her town hall -- she's a teacher and used to standing in front of a classroom so the settings set up for her. if she performed well tonight it vaults her higher. >> there will be three women on the stage tonight, klobuchar and gabbert and warren. is there a risk for a man taking on a woman in a debate? we've seen different dynamics play out, there was rick lawio took on hillary clinton in 2000, when trump and hillary went at it. it can be difficult. >> absolutely. and it is something that having worked with male candidates who have had female moderators and male and female candidates mixed on the stage, you have to be

mindful. it is the first time we've had three women at the same time. so the dynamics between them i don't think we'll see anything there. but for women, it's like ability, people are looking for elect ability and how a man and woman engage. there are certain things that we still think maybe that is a little bit too mean, too harsh, goes too far. so i'm curious to see how the dynamics play out and tomorrow when we are thinking about it, how do we feel about what happened between the candidates. >> the number one thing the democratic voters are looking for is can they beat trump. >> right. >> they're all going to be unanimous they think trump is a disaster. how do you distinguish yourself as the one who could beat trump when you are standing on a stage with ten people who think they can. >> it is interesting, because we've been talking about elizabeth warren, she's distinguished herself not because she's the toughest person against trump but because of the ideas and plans. and i want to give democratic primary voters credit. think think they're also looking

at those policies and plans and a good way to stick out is not talk about trump tonight but to talk about how you might differ from elizabeth warren or from any of the other candidates. >> but if you are one of the candidates on the lower tier you have to show you can take it to the president because no one is listening to you. >> very good point. >> your wonderful policy proposals, if you have them, no one cares. they want to see that person next to the president on a stage some day. >> everyone stick around. do republicans need to be concerned about democrats performances tonight? the republican senator from the key state of south carolina tim scott will join me next. low battery sound. do you want a charge? yeah battery charging. ♪ ♪ thank you so much.

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in our politics lead, make no mistake the democrat debate is in florida but south carolina could be the decider for democrats. joining me now is a man who knows about winning in south carolina, republican senator tim scott. thanks for joining us. >> thank you, jake. >> so you know the voters well in south carolina and right now joe biden is leading in polls in south carolina democrats. still early, though. >> it is still -- but he has a huge lead really in many ways. he's done very well with african-american voters in a way that is inconsistent with what we thought it would be the case and we're excited to see the african-american are not focused on identity politics on who they think is the best candidate. i'm not voting in that primary but it is interesting to see the engagement from the constituents that i represent and their involvement looking for the best candidate. >> 60% of the democratic base in south carolina, 60% is

african-american. are you surprised that your colleagues kamala harris and cory booker aren't -- and it is early. i want to emphasize it is early. are you surprised they're not doing better in polling? >> i am. i thought honestly, with the 60% of the african-americans that make up the democrat primary, african-american women make up the majority of the african-americans. therefore you would think that by default kamala harris will have a strong advantage and cory would be behind but what is happening now is surprising that candidates who are running very hard and very strong are folks who are white males in the democrat primary. so in south carolina that is no different. the facts are very clear that joe biden and his reputation, his legacy of service is serving him well with african-american voters, hence his leed is double-digit lead. >> it is interesting for a party as diverse as the democratic party. speaking of diversity, you launched initiative empower america project for conservative

candidates to run as republican candidates and you're the only african-american republican senator and only one of two black republicans in congress, period, you and will hurd, the house member, the number of republican women in congress went down. one of the things i'm told by republicans off the record is that the party is behind supporting more diverse candidates whether it is african-americans, latinos, women, whatever. >> absolutely. >> but republican voters don't support them in the republican primaries. >> i don't know that i -- i would disagree with that. >> you're an exception of course. >> my first race in congress i had to beat the son of strom thurman and the son namesake of the most popular governor in the last 100 years campbell and so the facts are simple that our candidates on the right can win even if you are a minority candidate but what you have to do is develop a team that spent time in the communities. i'm opposed to or -- think it is more difficult to win by

starting out running for the senate or the house. there are some aberrations out there and hopefully we'll see another one happen this year with the candidate who is -- is running. but building that farm team means planting the seeds in the soil and giving it time to run. so our hope is that over the next few cycles we'll have more and more candidates being successful because we'll pick the kind of candidates that already have a strong reputation, a strong legacy of service and a way for us to help build on their natural gifting and if we do that, we'll be very successful. >> now, i know president trump always talks about how black unemployment is at record lows. >> 6.2. >> latin america -- >> 4.5. >> and doesn't the rhetoric that he says and uses complicate the job you're trying to do right now. >> i wish we had fewer people on twitter. so i'll say that. but the truth of the matter is what we can celebrate is the fact that most americans, i think over 90% of americans,

want more civil discourse, civil debate. if we draw the type of diverse candidates to the forum and the conversation, we'll have that more civil society and more civil debate and each candidate will be responsible for their own words. >> i want to be clear, i'm not blaming the images i'm about to show on president trump. but when there are images like this one of the dad and daughter drowning at the mexico border at a time when president trump is pushing a hard line immigration position, does that complicate the job that you're doing? >> certainly i think it makes it even more important the job that i'm doing. having diverse candidates and diverse figures and having that conversation with our friends on the other side about not taking the issue as their political opportunity but taking the solution as the political opportunity. i think we have greater credibility when we have different voices, diverse faces, having that conversation. the truth of the matter is that we today passed humanitarian assistance in the senate, i think it was 84-8.

so we have the votes in a bipartisan piece of legislation and it is already meeting resistance in the house because sometimes it appears that folks prefer the issue than the solution. >> i do want to ask you about the recent rape allegation made against president trump. would two of your republican colleagues, said the accusation should be looked into. i'm not asking you to make -- >> i think any allegations made that seem to have merit, we should take a look at. i have not seen the allegations so i can't comment on it specifically. >> you haven't seen the allegation -- >> i've seen it but i haven't read the story because the fact patterns are important in making a decision on whether or not there should be a legal or criminal investigation into allegations. >> senator tim scott, republican of south carolina. thanks for stopping by. >> looking forward to coming back. >> i hope so. breaking news on the boeing 737 max next. and plus -- none of your business. what president trump doesn't

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breaking news in the money lead, the faa has discovered yet another flaw with the boeing 737 max. the same plane grounded since march in the u.s. after two crashes elsewhere in the world killed 346 people. cnn drew griffin has been covering this story from the beginning. what are sources telling you. >> reporter: another setback. the faa test pilots working in a simulator tested what would happen if a micro processor failed on the 737 max and came up with the same result in the

lion and ethiopian air crash, that the runaway stabilizer trim pointing the nose down and the pilots could not recover in a matter of seconds. the faa is demanding that boeing fix the problem. whether or not that requires a software fix or whether micro processors need to be changed in all 737 maxes is now what is being tested but this is a pretty big setback discovered by faa test pilots that this situation has come up in this troubled airplane. >> and boeing had been hoping that the -- that all-clear would be given and the plane would be returned to the airways. i assume this will delay that return? >> i was expecting any day now the faa to announce a flight certification test to be run. but that is delayed now indefinitely. it is not going to happen until this plane and all of the kinks are worked out. and even after that, jake, it is going to be another four to six weeks before the technical

advisory board brought together by the faa goes over everything boeing did. so, yes, we have a major delay now back again with the 737 max. >> drew griffin, thanks so much. in our politics lead, president trump is on his way in the air to japan for the g-20 summit where he's expected to have his first face-to-face discussion with president putin since the release of the mueller report. when asked about the upcoming chat on his way to air force one, the president still would not commit to even bringing up the subject of the russians' interference in the 2016 election and in fact said it is none of your business. i can't think of a subject more of our business but here is boris sanchez at the white house. >> reporter: as donald trump departs washington for the g-20 meeting in japan, the president again taking aim at several key issues like iran. >> i'm not sure that they're leaders care for their people. if they do, they'll make a deal. if they don't, they're just thinking about themselves and

they're selfish and stupid if that is what they're doing. >> reporter: and russia refusing to answer when asked if he would confront vladimir putin in osaka about not interfering in the election. >> what i say to him is none of your business. >> reporter: the president seeming to take a shot at another leader he'll be meeting at summit during a fox business interview. blasting german chancellor angela merkel and suggesting germany abused the united states worse than china on trade. >> you have a woman in europe, she hates the united states, perhaps worse than any person i've ever met. >> reporter: his digs also aimed at one of his own appointees saying federal reserve chairman jerome powell doesn't do anything for the u.s. >> this is a guy, nobody heard of him before and now i made him and he wants to show how tough he is, okay. let him show how tough he is. he's not doing a good job. >> reporter: and before a crowd of people of faith, before

leaving for japan, the president reviving his feud with late senator john mccain, again criticizing his vote against a repeal of obamacare. >> we needed 60 votes. and we had 51 votes. and sometimes, you know, we had a little hard time with a couple of them, right? fortunately they're gone now. they've gone on to greener pastures. or perhaps far less green pastures, but they're gone. very happy they're gone. >> reporter: jake, one more note about the meeting between vladimir putin and donald trump, a senior administration official tells cnn there is no formal agenda and they'll discuss syria and iran and ukraine but as far as election meddling president trump has already made his feelings well-known and he's not going to be repeating them, jake. >> boris sanchez at the white house. thank you. the attorney general has a hidden talent. what is it? that's next. wireless network claims are so confusing.

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>> you're eyes are not deceiving you, that is indeed the attorney general of the united states and long-time bagpiper, bill barr, joining the nypd emerald society pipe band at the justice department today. his staff was planning to surprise him with the band but he foiled their plot. >> as you know i'm very proficient at, dare i say the

word, "spying." [ laughter ] >> i don't know about that. certainly proficient at piping. follow me at jake tapper and tweet the show at the lead and our coverage continues right now. thanks for watching. happening now, breaking news, it never ends. president trump take aback by news robert mueller will testify before congress and claims it never ends and lashes out at the former special counsel with a false claim that mueller illegally purged evidence from former fbi officials. refusing to answer. the president is heading to the g-20 summit in japan where he'll meet with vladimir putin but he won't say if he'll ask putin not to interfere in the 2020 election. border blame. president trump reacts to the horrific picture of the father and young daughter who drowned trying to cross the border by blaming democrats as lawmakers wrangle over