this is "nightline." >> tonight, breaking news. the president's lawyer, former mayor rudy giuliani, making a surprising revelation on fox news. about that $130,000 payment to porn star stormy daniels. did the president break the law? plus kanye versus the people. ♪ make america great again >> the battle building over freedom of thought and the obligations of a black cultural icon. >> you hear about slavery for 400 years, for 400 years? that sound like a choice. >> after kanye's comments, the tmz staffer who stood up, speaking up about their fiery face-off. >> he was so off-base on what he said about slavery. we're on the hunt for a living legend in the amazon river.

finding the beautiful and rare pink dolphin. how scientists are working to bring their numbers back. but first the "nightline 5." >> this beneful simple goodness is amazing. meaty morsels, tender texture, real meat and a blend of peas and carrots i can see. a totally new kind of awesome going on here. >> new beneful simple goodness. tender, meaty morsels with real ingredients you can see. my bladder leakage was making me feel i couldn't spend time with my grandson. depend fit flex has their fastest absorbent material inside. it keeps me dry and protected. depend.com, get a coupon, try them for yourself. >> number one in just 60 seconds. our 3 contestants are all at the big ikea table. contestant #1, impressive knife skills. but contestant #2 fights back by using fresh parsley. make room for the judge! what's your dream? at ikea, we help you live it. make the dream yours. mr. elliot, what's your wiwifi?ssword? wifi's ordinary. basic. do i look basic?

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here's abc's tom llamas. >> they funneled it through a law firm. funneled through a law firm and the president repaid it. >> reporter: the president's lawyer and long-time supporter rudy giuliani dropping a bombshell on fox news. claiming that the president repaid his personal attorney, michael cohen, for the $130,000 payment to porn star stormy daniels in a hush agreement to silence her about an alleged sexual affair she had with president trump back in 2006. >> and i said, $130,000? you're going to do a couple of checks for $130,000. when i heard cohen's retainer of $35,000, when he was doing no work for the president, that's how -- how he's repaying it, with a little profit and a little margin for paying taxes. >> reporter: giuliani adding the payment was perfectly legal. >> that money was not campaign money. sorry. i'm giving you a fact now that you don't know. it's not campaign money.

no campaign finance violation. >> reporter: the revelation seeming to contradict the president's own denials. president trump recently told reporters aboard air force one that he was not aware of the payment. >> did you know about the $130,000 payment to stormy daniels? >> no. >> then why did michael cohen make it if there was no -- >> you'll have to ask michael cohen. michael is my attorney and you'll have to ask michael. >> do you know where he got the money to make that payment? >> no, i don't know. >> reporter: giuliani saying that explanation is still plausible. >> i believe that's -- he didn't know about the specifics of it, as far as i know. but he did know about the general arrangement, that michael would take care of things like this, like i take care of things like this. >> reporter: tonight, stormy daniels' lawyer saying, "this is a stunning revelation. mr. trump evidently has participated in a felony and there must be serious consequences for his conduct and his lies and deception to the american people."

for "nightline," i'm tom llamas. >> of course you can tune into gma in the morning for much more on this story. we turn now to the media hurricane over kanye west. what started with some provocative comments about slavery has intensified into a national debate about black identity. "nightline" welcomes abc's zachary kiesch. ♪ >> reporter: this is what some call the old kanye. rapping in his 2004 hit "jesus walks." and this is kanye west now. tonight surrounded by a cloud of criticism after making these comments on tmz live yesterday. >> you hear about slavery for 400 years, for 400 years? that sound like a choice. like you was there for 400 years and it's all y'all? you know, like -- it's like, we're mentally in prison. >> reporter: the star immediately confronted by tmz staffer van latham. >> i'm appalled, and brother, i

am unbelievably hurt by the fact that you have morphed into something to me that's not real. >> i thought it was incumbent upon me to speak directly to kanye west. >> bro, i'm sorry i hurt you -- >> you have got to be responsible. >> he was so off-base on what he said about slavery that it was important for him to know before he speaks to something that serious, he needs to know what he's talking about. >> reporter: overnight, west's comments going viral. the backlash online quick and unapologetic. one twitter user saying, to say slavery was a choice isn't only deluded, it's insensitive, it's hateful, it's demeaning. >> kanye's most recent comments about slavery, it sounds like he's lost his ever-loving mind, what was left of it. >> reporter: the artist later clarifying on twitter writing, of course i know that slaves did not get shackled and put on a boat by free will. my point is for us to have stayed in that position, even though the numbers were on our side, means we were mentally enslaved." he would later delete the tweets. >> kanye west has a massive platform. when he speaks it reaches

millions of people. what he's done with his latest comments on slavery being a choice, it's ignorant, it's irresponsible. >> there's something about putting slavery and choice together that many call misguided. >> slavery was not a choice. slavery was a crime. you know, nobody chooses to be a slave. >> reporter: radio host charlamagne tha god spoke to west in a much-anticipated interview released online yesterday. nearly two hours long, the interview hit on topics like mental health and west's apparent reverence for donald trump. >> a guy like him who's clearly trying to marginalize and oppress people that look like you. how can i support somebody who is oppressing and marginalizing me and people that look like me? >> that's the question for kanye west. >> 100%. that's what i said to him in the interview. and he had no answer. >> i don't have all the answers that a celebrity's supposed to have, but i could tell you when he was running, it's like i felt something. >> reporter: the interview was filmed the week before kanye

tweeted this picture of himself in a "make america great again" hat. >> kanye believes that as an artist, he can use his gifts to take symbols of hate and turn them into symbols of love. >> nah. i mean, you know, he said that in reference to the "make america great again" hat. something i told him, in order to repurpose something, you have to know the meaning of the thing that you're repurposing. that "make america great again" slogan does not apply to minorities. because america was never great for us. >> reporter: mr. west has never shied away from taboo topics like politics. >> george bush doesn't care about black people. >> reporter: he's known for creating controversial moments on a national stage. from snatching that microphone at the vmas -- >> i'm really happy for you, i'ma let you finish. but beyonce have one of the best videos of all-time. >> reporter: to his provocative music videos. ♪ at a time when debate rages over race, like the legacy of confederate monuments --

>> you will not replace us! >> reporter: and after white nationalists rallied in charlottesville, critics say his words matter now more than ever. >> kanye has a long history of saying inflammatory things. but this one -- the stakes are a little higher. you're disparaging the history of african-americans in this country. >> you talked to kanye after the statement? >> oh, yeah, 100%. >> what was that conversation like? >> you know, kanye had told me the context of what he was trying to say. so i understood it a little better. i think he -- when he said slavery was a choice, in his mind he was talking about psychological slavery. you know, in his mind he's saying, even if i am a slave, i have a choice to remain a slave, i can -- i can't give you points for what you were trying to say, i got to judge you base off what you said. what he said was, slavery was a choice, and that was just stupid. >> reporter: now, 17 months after his november 2016 hospitalization, west disclosing

to charlamagne details of the struggles that led him to seek medical help. >> that was the scariest moment of my life. >> reporter: the hip-hop multi-talent said his nine-day stay at a ucla medical center, not a breakdown but a breakthrough, brought on in part by stress from the at-gunpoint robbery of his wife kim kardashian west in paris just one month earlier. >> i'm sorry, family emergency, i have to stop the show. >> i went to paris on that trip to protect her. one of the things that she said she heard is that they were coming to rob her, and they had to wait till i had left. >> reporter: and in his tmz interview, revealing this. >> i got liposuction. because i didn't want y'all to call me fat like y'all called rob at the wedding. i was addicted to opioids. two days i got off of opioids i'm in the hospital -- >> where's kanye's head at, is he healthy? >> i really don't know. i mean, you know --

in the interview we talked about mental health a lot. he spoke about being on meds. so i'm on tmz saying he was addicted to opioids. he was talking about liposuction. he talked about losing all his confidence. like -- i mean, that sounds like, you know, low self-esteem. i still think he's grieving over the death of his mom. it's a lot, you know. so -- when i talked to him about being creative when it comes to music, where he wants to go with his company, he's clear on all of that. >> reporter: west's reps declined our request for further comment. tonight some critics saying the talent behind songs like "all of the life" -- ♪ all of the life >> reporter: -- may just be using his latest rant as a boost for album sales. regardless, some fans, disheartened by how the icon has chosen to use his platform. for "nightline," i'm zachary kiesch in new york. up next, saving the exotic pink dolphins of south america.

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♪ and now we travel the amazon river to track down a species as elusive as it is exotic. pink dolphins are legendary in this part of the world. but rarely seen in person. here's abc's victor oquendo. >> reporter: they're the world's most intelligent animals, second only to humans. dolphins are majestic and playful. but there's one rare subspecies that remains a mystery to scientists.

the pink dolphin of the amazon river is a living legend. and we're about to catch our first glimpse. right now they've got one dolphin. you can see it right there behind me. it's totally surrounded. the world wildlife fund is on a mission to tag 15 dolphins throughout brazil, colombia, and here in bolivia, to study their health and behavior. the group consists of local fishermen and scientists. scientists fear the pink river dolphin is vulnerable to extinction due mostly to manmade threats like mining, hunting, and deforestation. waiting for them under tents is a makeshift o.r. >> they're bringing the dolphin out of the boat. very quick process, they move fast. pink dolphins can only be out of the water for up to 50 minutes. with the clock ticking,

veterinarian karla sanchez and her team hydrate the dolphin to lower its stress. as they conduct a physical, the researchers numb its tail. then take tissue and blood samples to test for mercury, toxic substances, and general health. scientists don't know for sure how these freshwater dolphins get their pink color. hypotheses include diet, water quality, and sunlight exposure. but they do know they get pinker as they age. a pink dolphin, why aren't they more well known? >> we didn't communicate about these dolphins. they are very attractive, more cute, in my opinion, than the marine dolphins. >> reporter: as quickly as it came out, the dolphin is returned to the water. pink dolphins are known as an indicator species. highlighting the overall health of the amazon. if they're doing well, so is the river.

but deforestation has been changing the water. >> all the deforestation is having an impact, because the less trees that means there's more runoff. and more runoff means there's more sediment getting into the rivers. >> reporter: sediment can prevent the dolphins from swimming freely, as it did in 2010 when these trapped dolphins had to be rescued. it's just after 4:00 a.m. we all just got up. we're about to drive two hours into camp, then head right out into the amazon. with one more dolphin to tag, we embark on a nearly three-hour journey through punishing terrain. you have to be really careful on these roads. road -- it's more just mud and water. leading the tracking charge is paul van dam, biologist and director of a bolivian ngo, bon agua. >> we want to know how far they travel, how far the males travel

in the river, searching for females, searching for family, searching for food. this is what we actually want to investigate. >> reporter: and just minutes after boarding our canoes -- a downpour. >> we are setting out in the rain. so we're a bit unlucky. but rain does not interfere in the capture of the dolphin. >> reporter: the ride out is bumpy. after an hour, the fishermen find a lookout point for the elusive dolphin. >> we're now setting up our camp. so the fishermen are preparing the setup to put the next -- to put up the nets to capture the dolphins. >> reporter: finally it's go time. the team starts by checking its vitals. right now they have to work as quickly as possible, and they also want to make sure to keep it very calm. that's why i'm talking very slowly right now. with the examination complete, the tagging begins.

each tag will ping data back to a satellite once a day. this drill, commonly found in your toolbox, becomes vital to tracking these mammals. >> first thing they had to do was disinfect the whole area. then give it an anesthetic. and one guy right here, all he's doing is holding the snout shut. because the dorsal fin is made of collagen, the dolphin's pain will be minimal. >> we're inserting it right now. it's like a mixture of rubber and metal. and within moments, the tracker is attached. now there's a rush to get it right back into the water. and she's set free. for people in the united states,

what do you hope they learn? >> it's important that you have to be aware that the conservation of this type of species is something global. it's not something local. i think we need support from the global community to conserve this species. >> reporter: now they wait in hopes this data will shed light on how to protect this mysterious and beautiful animal. for "nightline," i'm victor oquendo in baya vista, bolivia. up next, buzz lightyear to the rescue -- of your summer vacation. touch is how we communicate with those we love, but does psoriasis ever get in the way? embrace the chance of 100% clear skin with taltz. for people with moderate to severe psoriasis, up to 90% had a significant improvement of their psoriasis plaques. with taltz, 4 out of 10 even achieved completely clear skin.

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finally tonight, the toys are all alive. and they're taking selfies. here's abc's paula faris. >> hello! oh! oh my word! can i take a picture with you guys? toy story! >> reporter: two of hollywood's most famous leading men. now after over 20 years in the spotlight, they're finally getting a home at disney world. disney is the parent company of

abc news. we're just outside the entrance for the brand-new toy story land here at disney's hollywood studios. as you can see, still a construction site. there's a lot of excitement for the june 30th grand opening. anticipation for the new park has been building with remakes of old favorites. >> just to get to come and play with woody and buzz in andy's backyard. >> they're andy's toys. >> reporter: two new attractions featuring familiar faces. >> hey, slinky. >> reporter: at the end of that ride, weesy. >> for the first time we're seeing him here in the attraction moving around. >> hey, buddy. >> reporter: but for one special fan, happiness and a little heartache. >> it's a little depressing. it should be 11 acres of buzz land. that's what i pitched. it took a long time to get here. there's a million people at disney had something to do with this stuff. i'm excited to be part of it. the little stuff that they do, like nobody else does, it will

be very exciting. >> code red. you know what to do. >> yes, sir! >> reporter: and in toy story land, you never know who you might run into. >> drop and give me five good pushups, let's go! for "nightline," i'm paula faris in toy story land. >> and you too can check out toy story land which opens at disney world in orlando, florida on june 30th. thanks for watching "nightline." good night, america.

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