. >>> in political news, president trump gearing up for a primetime -- susan mcginnis has the latest from washington what can we expect, susan? >> good morning,.com the short list down to three, maybe four nominees. any of whom could help the president have a historic shaping of the supreme court hereveals his pick for the supreme court. >> i'm getting close to a final decision. >> not yet. >> i believe this person will do a great job. >> on a short list to replace retiring justice anthony kennedy. all federal judges including brett kavanaugh of washington. amy coney barrett of illinois. thomas hardi man of massachusetts and ray kethledge. >> republicans are holding four lottery tickets and all of them are winners. >> i think they'd be fine justices of the supreme court. i do think the president has to think about who is the easiest to get confirmed here. >> but democrats worry a right leaning court could change american's lives on issues including abortion, health care and more. >> this next nominee will be the swing vote to overturn roe v. wade and equally important, to -- if it's r

let's get rig to susan mcginnis. >> reporter:g, good even pat. at the end of a rocky foreign policy week, a domestic firestorm erupts aroumd president >> this is michael cohen. >> the "new york times" reports the president's former attorne michael cohen secretly taped a conversation between then candidate trumpyhere t discussed paying off former "playboy" model kenne mcdougal who slimes she had a six month affair in 2006 with president trump. >> the president said at the beginning of november they didn't know anything about that, that isn't true, they were >> reporter: and the fbi is looking at hush money paid adult film star stormy daniels who claims this tape isn't the only one. >> any and all t audioes that michael cohen has in his possession should be leased immediately for the benefit of e american public. >> the tape was seized from cohen earlier this year by fbi agents investigating whether the payoffs amounted to illegal campaign contributions. >> he's the guy who hill record to capture this conversation, so my expectation is that you'll

nbc's susan mcginnis reports. >> reporter: tonight president trump reveals his choice for the next supreme court justice. >> i'm getting very close to making a final decision. >> reporter: not yet? >> and believe this person will do a great job. >> reporter: on a short list to replace retiring justice anthony ken dishes all feder judges, including brett kavanaugh of washington, d.c., amy con barrett of illinois, thomas hardiman o massachusetts and raymond kethledge of michigan. republicans ready t solidify a conservative majority on the high court see all as good options. >> republicans are holding four lottery tickets, and all of ther winners. >> i think they would be fine justices of the supreme court. i do think the president those think about who is the to get confirmed here. >> reporter: but democrats wore' right-leaning court could change americans' lives on issues including abortion healthcar and more. >> this next nominee will be the swing ve t overturn "roe v. wade" and equally important to -- if it's right, the protection of millions of americans who suffer from pre-,isting condi

susan mcginnis is live with all of the details susan. >> reporter: good morning, dom at 53 judge kavanaugh could be on the bench for a long time the reaction could not be more different from the parties gop leaders and republican leaders cheering calling the pick outstanding democrats, quite the opposite. big protests getting more tense outside the supreme court last night. democrats very worried about long standing laws such as roe v. wade, also rights like voting rights, lgbt rights, health care and other things they're afraid those things could be gutted under a supreme court that reaches this far right. he has a stance that sitting presidents should not be indicted or investigated while they are in office next up is confirmation. this will be a tough one republicans hold a razor thin majority if any of them defect, the democrats can come in and block it and forestall it and they'll have another fight after the mid-term elections dom? >> as we talk about what's happening, susan, is there a reason to think that this particular process, the nomination process and then of course the confir

susan mcginnis reporting. thanks, susan. >>> the man accused of killing five people athe "capital gazette" newspaper in annapolis has officially been indicted. jarrod ramos is facing nearly two dozen charges including first-degree murder,ttempted murder and assault. ramos is accused of opening fire inside hatnewsroom last month and killing five staffers of the investigators say he held a grudge against the paper after a report about harassment charge. >>> now to prunty where a police captain already under suspension has now been chargedith assault. investigators say thomas hart tried to use his car to hit hicks ex-wife's boyfrie. before the arrest hart was on suspensionut wit pain before putting name on a check to withdraw money from a joint account. >> news 4 broke a payroll discpancy story last year and the problem is now bigger than thought and it affects hundreds of employees dating bk 30 years. mark segraves with that story here only on news 4. >> reporr: a line item on everyone's pay stub, withholding tax

susan mcginnis on capitol hill now to break all of this down for us. san, where do we stand o this? >> -- i think that the united states has been -- >> reporter: -- broke with u.s. inlligence agencies, indicating he does not believe that russia is trying to attack america's democracy. [ inaudible question ]>> thank you very much. >> reporter: hours later, the white house says he was misunderstood. >> the president said thank you very much and was saying no to answering questions. we believe that the threat still exists, which is w we're taking steps to prevent it. >> reporter: a day after he was forced to clarify whether he believes russia interfered with the 2016 election, the president insisted he is standing up to russia. >> there's never been a president as tough ons russia i have been. >> reporter: that claim falling flat with this former ambassador to russia. g> this is becoming a joke. it is becom absurd. it makes our president look weak. it makes our country look weak. >> reporter: meanwhile, lawmakers are demanding to know what trump and putin

susan mcginnis is on capitol hill now to break thi d alln.. >> reporter: definitely, from tweets to interviews thega president tried to clarify his position on russian election interference. president trump fires back against critics today and seems to backtrack once again on whether russia attacked the u.s. election tweeting trump recognized russian meddling many ases and telling cbs he said much to vladimir putin. >> i let him know we can't have this. we're not going to have and it that's the way it's going to be. >> reporter: but with no record confirming that critics point to the president's words while standing next to thele russian er. >> president putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial. >> reporter: trump's national security team has no doubt russia a targetedrica and continues to. >> russia attempted to ierfere with the last election and they continue to engage in malignhe influence operations to this day. >> i think we should belu ably prepared that they will try to interfere in all 50 stwhes. >> ile, president trump i

house press nbc's susan mcginnis joins us with the breaking rvelopments. orter: yeah, no telling if this new meeting would be anothehind closed door session. hope to find out more about that. the president spent the day from tweets to interviews again trying to clarify his position on election interference. today, president trump reiterated his desire to make russia a friend of the u.s. inviting vladimir putin to washington for summit this fall, but in an interview with cnbc also talking tough. >> getting along with russia is a positive, not a negative. now, with that being fsaid, that doesn't work out, i'll be the worst enemy he's ever had. >> reporter: in an with cbs, he claims he called vladimir putin out for election interference during their private meeting in helsinki. >> i h let know we can't have this. we're not going to have it, and that's the way it's goi to be. >> reporter: but with no record confirming that, critics point to tpresident's words while standing next to the russian leader. >> president putin was extremely strong ander pl in his denial. >> reporter: trump's nation

nbc's susan mcginnis is live at the white house to explain. >> reporter: hi, jim. that's right. the president was all about the economy when he was speaking now michael cohen may be offering to do some talking of his own. president trp took a victory lap today after new numbers showing the fastests. economic growth since 2014.e' >> wve accomplished anec omic turnaround of histori proportions. >> reporter: but no response when asked about the latest firestorm smerounding for attorney michael cohe >> mr. president, the michael cohen telling the truth? the chael cohen telling truth? >> reporter: nbc news says that cohen is willing to tell special counsel robert mueller about a june 2016 meeting. the source asserts donald trumps junior told father before the trump tower meeting happened. on fox news last year, don ju junior insisted he never alerted his father. >> it was such a nothing, tngre was not to tell. >> reporter: today the president continued his denials, tweeting he did not know of the meeting and accusing cohen oflying. as did his current attorney, rudy giuliani. >> the m

house press nbc's susan mcginnis joins us with the breaking rvelopments. orter: yeah, no telling if thishind closed door session. hope to find out more about that. the president spent the day from tweets