Return to Transcripts main page
Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees
Trump Holds "Thank You" Rally In Michigan; Trump Team: No Cabinet Post for Rudy Giuliani; White House Launches Investigation Into Russia Hacking; White House Launches Investigation into Russia Hacking; Flynn Once Pushed Fake Story about Arabic Signs At Border; Carrier's Sister Plant: Where's Our Deal?; Trump Picks Dow Chemical CEO to Run American Manufacturing Council; Local Union Leader Responds to Trump Tweets; Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice" Ties; Conway on Trump "Apprentice" Role: He'll do It in His Spare Time; Trump To Continue Ties with Celebrity Apprentice. Aired 8-9p ET
Aired December 09, 2016 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[20:00:14] ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: And Good evening. Thanks for joining us.
Another night, another stop in the so-called "Thank You" tour. President-elect Donald Trump is in Grand Rapids, Michigan, as his cabinet picks continue to come in.
We still don't know who will be secretary of state. But we do know who won't be -- former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. CNN has learned that Giuliani was told this week he's not getting the job. The official from a transition team statement today is that Giuliani removed himself from consideration.
CNN also has learned that the CEO of ExxonMobil is also getting a look for secretary of state. But there's no final decision.
Jason Carroll is in Grand Rapids, where Donald Trump is speaking. He joins us now.
Is Donald Trump striking a similar tone from what we've seen in these last few stops on this "Thank You" tour?
JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I think so, I think so. Some of the things we've heard today we've heard before, talking about the need to respect the American flag, to bring more jobs back to the United States.
At one point though, something that was different here, he talked about education, as you know his education secretary, Betsy DeVos is a Michigan native. So he brought her up on the stage here at one point and talked about the need to get rid of Common Core.
But then at one point, Anderson, a protester tried to interrupt what was going on. And as that protester was being taken out, there were chants of "lock her up, lock her up", and we've heard those before in relation to Hillary Clinton.
And I want you to listen to what Donald Trump said in response to those chants.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT-ELECT: We're going to reform our broken education system to put students and families first. So importantly. This includes providing great education to students living in our inner cities.
You know, they talk about the forgotten men, the forgotten women. Well, let me tell you, they are not so forgotten anymore by the way, in case you haven't noticed. They're trying to figure out -- they are still trying to figure it out, the media, where did all these millions of people come from? I knew they were there. They just never had the incentive to go out and say I like this person. But, boy, did they come out in big, big league numbers.
Our reform plan includes eliminating Common Core, bringing education local and providing school choice. We want every child, every single child -- low income, we don't care where they are, where they live, every child in America to be able to attend the public, private, charter, magnet or religious school that is right for them. Choice.
But to accomplish our goals for this country, government must stop listening to the special interests and start delivering for the national interest and for the people. Have to. It's time to deliver for you, the American people.
Our plan begins with bold reforms, to create millions and millions of great paying jobs.
I won Michigan and --
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
And Michigan hasn't been won for many, many years, long, long time ago. And I felt I was going to win it. Do you know when I felt I was actually going to win the whole thing? So I didn't have Michigan on our list of stops for that final day. And I did the speeches. I did six of them. It is a lot.
I did three a day for a month. And these were big speeches. And we didn't need any entertainers to come and entertain. We needed no entertainment. Nope. We didn't need anybody. We had packed house, thousands and thousands.
But at the last moment I said, 9:00 in the evening, let's go to Michigan, OK? Right? Because I heard my opponent had scheduled Michigan unexpectedly. It was like all of a sudden with President Obama and Michele and Bill and Hillary. And they are going to Michigan.
No, it's okay. No, forget it. That plays great before the election. Now, we don't care, right?
(END VIDEO CLIP) CARROLL: So there you have it there. He said, that was before the election. That was then. This is now. Trump has made it very clear, Anderson, as you know, that he doesn't want to go after Hillary Clinton. He feels as though she's been hurt enough.
Something else that we heard that was different tonight.
[20:05:00] We've heard rumblings of this before. But he wished the crowd a merry Christmas. He made it very clear that now is the time to tell people "merry Christmas". No longer he says to department stores have to say happy holidays -- Anderson.
COOPER: We mentioned Rudy Giuliani not getting the job as secretary of state. Any mention of him at all tonight?
CARROLL: No mention of that. And, frankly, we're not expecting to hear that tonight. But I should tell you -- there are a number of people here in this crowd who support Rudy Giuliani. They feel this is a man who was loyal to Trump very, very early on. As you know now, Rudy Giuliani said he had a meeting with the Trump team back on November 29th where he basically laid out that he was going to withdraw his name.
But that was basically a way of saving face because it seemed as if his name really wasn't being seriously considered as of late for secretary of state. That really it was Rex Tillerson the Exxon CEO who really being considered and, of course, Mitt Romney. So, it seemed as if this may have been a way of saving face but, Anderson, not really expecting to hear Donald Trump mention Rudy Giuliani. Not here, not tonight.
TRUMP: All right. Jason, thanks very much.
I want to get some reaction from our panel with us tonight. "Washington Post" political reporter Phillip Bump, CNN political analyst and "USA Today", Kirsten Power, CNN political commentator, former Reagan White House political director, Jeffrey Lord, CNN political commentator and former New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who is the president and CEO of Winch, a Democrat, and CNN political commentator and Trump supporter, Kayleigh McEnany.
Jeffrey, what do you think happened with Mayor Giuliani? I mean, clearly, he's somebody who had been very, very loyal to Donald Trump. Donald Trump prizes loyalty. We had been told early on he was a favorite among a lot of the staff of the transition team because of that loyalty.
JEFFREY LORD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, I have no idea. But I will say this. I thought he was the next attorney general to the United States. I think Jeff Sessions is terrific. But I really did think that was the most obvious spot for him rather than the State Department. But, apparently, he was interested in that and this went so far and is now off the table.
You know, at some point, presidents like to have outside advisors. You know, the "kitchen cabinet," as the phrase came to be in the Jackson administration. And I think he'll probably be part of that.
COOPER: Kirsten, do you buy that there wasn't one cabinet position that Giuliani was interested?
KIRSTEN POWERS, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, reportedly, he said he wasn't interested in A.G. and he set sights on the State Department. And I suppose if you're Rudy Giuliani and you're looking at how loyal you were and how early you got in with President-elect Trump and he was one of the only people that was defending him after the "Access Hollywood" tape, he probably thought he had a very strong hand. And that he may have overplayed his hand in this case. Maybe he just assumed that it would be his.
Look, I don't think Donald Trump really thought he was going to win. He has said that. Suddenly, he did win, and then he started to really seriously think about this. And what he discovered was, there was a lot of people willing to talk to him and he had a big field of people to choose from and he's come to the conclusion, it seems, that Rudy Giuliani isn't the best person for the job.
COOPER: Philip, it's interesting that CNN reporting now that the president-elect is giving close look at CEO of ExxonMobil as possible secretary of state. His name is Rex Tillerson. I mean, his name has not really been mentioned up until now. There's very public kind of try out period for a lot of people.
PHILIP BUMP, POLITICAL REPORTER, WASHINGTON POST: It is definitely out of box. We first started hearing rumblings a week or two ago, and I think it probably got a lot of people by surprise. But in the context of his other pick, I think it sort of fits fairly neatly, quite frankly.
It's got a lot of folks in the business community. He's repeatedly said he thinks folks in the business community can demonstrate that they know how to make money, they know how to get things moving, and I think it fits in that context. In addition to the fact that Tillerson is someone who has been all the world and, you know, got a very --
COOPER: Right, CEO of ExxonMobil.
BUMP: Exactly. This is not a shrinking violet.
I will say, however, that I think it is interesting that that the Rudy Giuliani news in the context of what we just heard Donald Trump say about Hillary Clinton, which is that there were some things very useful on the campaign trail that are less useful now. That may be Rudy Giuliani.
CHRISTINE QUINN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: You know, I agree with that. I was struck by that. And, you know, I think Donald Trump prizes loyalty, that it be given to him. I don't think he believes or sees loyalty as a reciprocal process here, you know, at all.
And I think it was telling. You know, I'm glad he's leaving Secretary Clinton alone. But it underscores what a lot of us said during the election, that he was willing to say anything and do anything that helped get him elected. And I just find that a level of disingenuousness that is deeply troubling as he heads into the White House.
COOPER: But were pretty much any politician --
LORD: Ha, thank you.
COOPER: This is not -- he doesn't have a lock on that. Democrats do that --
(CROSSTALK)
QUINN: I hope not every politician does that. I honestly do. But we're not talking a passing comment. We're talking leading crowds of thousands in a chant of "lock her up." That's pretty double down.
BURNETT: Kayleigh, just in terms of secretary of state could you still like to see a Mitt Romney? Would you like to see someone for the business community?
[20:10:02] KAYLEIGH MCENANY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I don't want to see a Mitt Romney.
COOPER: You don't?
MCENANY: I wanted Rudy Giuliani. I thought he was qualified. It wasn't his loyalty that made me want Rudy Giuliani. I had complete faith he would stand up to country likes Qatar, countries like Saudi Arabia who had been charged with funding terrorism. I have complete faith in his strength and in his toughness.
Rex Tillerson, I see a lot of attributes there. I think if Donald Trump is serious about talking to China and making certain that they're not dumping cheap goods into our market, not manipulating currency, I think someone like Rex Tillerson is perfect because he's well-versed in trade and in economics.
Mitt Romney, it is hard to wrap my head around him because the number one attribute I think the secretary of state has to have is they have to be committed to the vision of the president. And for Mitt Romney never to have gotten on board with President Trump, President-elect Trump, I don't see how he can be committed to his vision on the world stage.
COOPER: We've got to take a quick break. We're going to have more ahead with the panel.
Coming up next, Donald Trump has his eye on another billionaire banker for his inner circle the president of the Goldman Sachs. Some are asking, what happened to draining the swamp and railing against big banks in the campaign trail. Others are saying these are exactly the kind of people he should be having. We'll talk about that ahead.
Also, we'll take you to another Indiana factory owned by the same company as carrier where employees say they are hoping their jobs can be saved and asking Donald Trump to remember to 700 jobs there that he's never mentioned.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:16:04] COOPER: More picks by the transition team. A transition official tells CNN that Donald Trump's top choice for director of the National Economic Council is Goldman Sachs president Gary Cohn. Now, you may remember that his treasury secretary pick is also Goldman Sachs vet and is working on a Goldman Sachs stock. It's up 30 percent since the election. Some critics wonder how that squares with Donald Trump's drain the swamp promise.
He said this in defense last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I want people that made a fortune, because now they are negotiating with you. OK? It is no different than a great baseball player or a great golfer. I mean, we want the people that are going to bring -- and they are so proud to do it. These people are giving up fortunes of income in order to make a dollar a year.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: With me again, Donald Trump supporter Jeffrey Lord. And joining us, former labor secretary and Berkeley professor of public policy, Robert Reich, who's book, "Saving Capitalism: For the Many, Not the Few" is just out on paperback.
Secretary Reich, you heard the argument the president-elect is making, which is that putting successful people in his cabinet is smart thing to do, essentially because they have proved how to run an organization, get results. To a lot of people, that sounds sensible. Why isn't it that simple in your view?
ROBERT REICH, FORMER LABOR SECRETARY: Well, it's not that simple, Anderson, because for the last 35 years, at least half of the entire American workforce has not had a raise and their jobs are becoming less and less secure. That is one reason they want to topple the establishment and go with Donald Trump.
In other words, the status quo in terms of American business and American finance, what big corporations and what Wall Street has done has in effect hurt average American workers. And by filling his cabinet with billionaires, with financers from Wall Street and also with big corporate executive, he's simply replicating exactly the same economy that has shafted so many American workers to begin with that. That's one of the ironies of ironies.
COOPER: Jeffrey Lord, what about that? That he's essentially, you know, sold himself as one thing but hiring all of these people sends a different message?
LORD: I just find the fascination with the billionaires to be interesting. Nobody complains when a president stocks their cabinet with lawyers or when they stock them, "The Washington Post" reported that a full two-thirds Obama cabinet were Ivy League graduates and of those, I think there were 13 of them that were either -- went to either Harvard or Yale. Nobody blinks. But suddenly, when it's billionaires, everybody is all concerned.
These are job creators. These are people who go and build businesses. And that is exactly the kind of thing.
This is not -- with all due respect and I don't mean this as a person sleight to Secretary Reich. But they're not academics. They are not theorists. They're not lawyers. They are business people.
And I think the American people wanted to give them a shot.
(CROSSTALK)
REICH: I just wanted to say, because there is some hypocrisy here, there's some fundamental misunderstanding of what's happened for the last 35 years. Donald Trump remember, campaigned against Wall Street, again and again. He accused Hillary Clinton of being too close to Wall Street. He actually put right there in the center of his opposition to Wall Street a firm called Goldman Sachs.
And what he's doing is not only putting a lot of Goldman Sachs and Wall Street people into his administration, but he is taking a position that is completely contrary to his notion of being the tribune, the voice of the forgotten worker in America.
The forgotten worker in America is going to be even more forgotten now than that worker was before because all of the people he's putting in his cabinet are people who have basically forgotten American workers for the last 35 years.
(CROSSTALK)
BURNETT: Jeffrey, let me just to kind of show what Secretary Reich is talking about. Some of the things that Donald Trump said about Goldman Sachs on the campaign trail. Let's just watch it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
TRUMP: Hillary speaks in secret to Goldman Sachs, sharing a private position, and then lies to you.
[20:20:01] Cruz tells you about Wall Street or the big, bad bankers and this and that and all the stuff. Now, he didn't put down on his personal financial disclosure form that he borrowed a million dollars from Citibank and Goldman Sachs. And now, he's going to go after Goldman Sachs? Doesn't work that way.
Goldman Sachs owns him, remember that, folks. They own him.
Supposing Citibank or Goldman Sachs calls up and they say, listen, we'd like you to do this. We'd like -- he's going to do it.
I know the guys at Goldman Sachs. They have total, total, total control over him -- just like they have total control over Hillary Clinton. (END VIDEO CLIPS)
COOPER: And, Jeffrey, now the president of Goldman Sachs is set to be named as director of the National Economic Council, just the latest person from Goldman Sachs.
LORD: Anderson, the most important person in all of this is the president of the United States, the person sitting in the Oval Office. All of these people work for him, not the other way around, which unfortunately I think the way it would have been if Hillary Clinton would have been president.
So, he's in charge. They are going to be following his orders, his vision of America. And I have not in the least of there any problem with their being there, because he's the guy in charge.
COOPER: But, Jeffrey --
(CROSSTALK)
REICH: I think that is -- I think that is frankly absurd. I've served in four national administrations. I was in the cabinet of Bill Clinton. I know how economic policies are made.
A president gets advice. A president depends on advice from the Treasury Department, the secretary of the treasury, and also the head of the National Economic Council. And who are these people going to be for Donald Trump? They are both going to be from Goldman Sachs.
COOPER: But, Secretary Reich, two things I think of when you say that. Number one, essentially, Trump is gathering people who are in many ways like himself and that is who voters voted for. I mean, there are people who are very accomplished financially. They have made a lot of money. They have run businesses. That's who Donald Trump is. And that's who voters voted for.
And secondly, Donald Trump won. I mean, I understand, you know, your disagreement, your fundamental disagreement on issues and the selection. But he did win. And he has the ability and the right to surround himself with the people he wants. He doesn't have to --
REICH: Well, Anderson, of course, he can surround himself with whoever he wants. That's not issue. The issue is he ran as a working class populist. He ran as someone who said, look, all of these big corporations, Wall Street, Goldman Sachs, these have basically shafted you. I am therefore going to be your voice. You have been forgotten for the last 35 years. I am going remember you. I'm going to give you voice.
And what does he do? He turns around and stabs the entire administration with the same people who have given no voice, who basically forgotten the working class.
COOPER: Jeffrey Lord, Secretary Reich, appreciate your time. Thank you.
REICH: Thanks, Anderson.
LORD: Thank you.
COOPER: We had to edit that interview just for time. We can watch the entire view, Jeffrey Lord responds and actually go back and forth. Very interesting discussion, online AC360.com. We're going to post it.
Up next, our investigative team has unearthed some surprising claims made by Donald Trump's pick for national security advisor, General Mike Flynn. It's not the first time his claims have raised eyebrows certainly. This one involves alleged Arabic signs along the U.S. border.
There's that and we have new details on the security briefings offered to President-elect Donald Trump.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:27:10] COOPER: Retired Army Lt. General Michael Flynn, Donald Trump's pick to be his national security adviser is already controversial. Now, tonight, our KFILE team has uncovered a dubious comment made by Flynn back in August to Breitbart News Daily. Listen.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
LT. GEN. MICHAEL FLYNN, U.S. ARMY (RET.): I know from friends in the Border Patrol in the CBP, that they -- there are countries -- so, there's radical Islamist countries, state-sponsored, that are cutting deals with Mexican drug cartels for some of what they call the lanes of entry into our country. And I have seen -- I have personal seen the photos of the signage, OK, the signage along those paths that are in Arabic. They are like way points along the path, as you come in. The one that I saw was in Texas and it's literally, it's like signs, that, you know, in Arabic, you know, this way, move to this point. I mean, it's unbelievable.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
COOPER: The border patrol has had no comment on the claim.
CNN chief national security correspondent Jim Sciutto joins us now with more.
Jim, how has the Trump transition team respond to these comments from Flynn?
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: They have made no comment. Flynn has made no comment. The border patrol has made no comment either to CNN. And keep in mind, last time, controversial comments from Flynn came up relating to his son, pizza- gate, that whole scandal, the response from the Trump campaign was simply, we feel lucky to have him there, not backing off their support for General Flynn.
COOPER: I also understand, you're learning more about the national security briefings that Donald Trump is supposed to have been getting. What are you hearing?
SCIUTTO: That's right. He's not getting that frequently.
The presidential daily briefing, it's the briefing made for the president of the United States and made available for the president elect, it is daily. But President-elect Trump is only getting it on average about once a week. I am told that he did request a specific briefing regarding the threat from North Korea, and also, I should say that Reince Priebus has said closer to Election Day, the frequency will go up. But so far, he's outpaced by his vice president who's getting them about five or six days a week.
COOPER: The Obama administration has also announced it's opening a review of the election-related cyber attacks, right?
SCIUTTO: This is a big deal, Anderson. The White House has been under a enormous amount of pressure. We know our reporting is that there is no intelligence that shows not only Russia hacked the election, but its intention was not just to interfere but possibly help swing the election to Trump.
The president also under pressure from Democrats. They have sent him a letter asking him to release more information to the public. I'm told they want this review to be done before Inauguration Day. And the White House said today that if that happens, that they may very well release more evidence to the public so that you and I can see it and everybody else what exactly that it has led this administration to blame Russia for these attacks.
[20:30:14] COOPER: All right, Jim Sciutto, I appreciate it, thanks Jim.
SCIUTTO: Thanks.
COOPER: And back with the panel also joining the conversation is CNN counter terrorism analyst Phil Mudd, a former senior official with the CIA and the FBI, Phil, start of, first of all these comments from Lieutenant General Flynn about seeing signs at the border in Arabic guiding terrorists into the United States. There is no information to support that claim. Does it concern your a national security advisor who appears to be trafficking in fake news or conspiracy theories?
PHIL MUDD, CNN COUNTERTERRORISM ANALYST: It does, Anderson not just only in terms of the history we've seen here, repeated tweets, the involvement of his son, and the transition which proved to be an embarrassment for the vice president. Let's take a step further, I'm going to go to the Anderson Cooper beat board within 24 months I will predict he's out of a job that is General Flynn. Not just because of what he says but look at the other people around the table at the national Security Council meetings that he chairs. General Mattis potentially at defense, General Kelly potentially at Homeland Security, seasoned professionals, college professors in the world of national security. They're going to eat General Flynn's lunch.
So, it's not only the lack of job he is shown during the transition, is the fact that I think in comparison to the other people around the table, people who he's supposed to supervise in some sense he's going lose over the next couple of years. I don't think he's going to last Anderson.
COOPER: But I mean he has battlefield experience.
MUDD: That's not the question, so today I think the question is not where he came from. Not whether he have -- has experience in Afghanistan where his e reputation was quite good among people that I speak to everyday. The question is when you look at a campaign for someone who's supposed to show steely judgment in the face of threats from Iran, North Korea and Russia. When you have that individual talking about random trafficking roots from terrorists along the Mexican border. Let me give you the trafficking route Anderson. Go to San Diego, California in a car. This is nuts. This is not national security. This is a clown show as I mentioned the other day.
COOPER: Kayleigh I mean as a Trump supporter does it -- do you have other concerns?
KAYLEIGH MCENANY, TRUMP SUPPORTER: No because Mike Fynn said he saw a sign in Arabic. Let's look at the facts, let's look at the end of CNN article where the CNN article points out the drug enforcement agency as said Hezbollah has in fact aided the drug traffic across the border. Congressman Ron DeSantis came out and pointed to multiple congressional reports that show terrorists have crossed the border. That was rated mostly true by the "PolitiFact". So you do have routes through which terrorist are going, through which Hezbollah is sending people. The idea that there may be some Arabic signs somewhere along the boarder and Mike Flynn pointed that out and said he saw a picture of it. None of us know what that picture show, none of us know if he actually saw the picture. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that it exists.
This is a three star general, he headed the Defense Intelligence Agency. He was the guy on the Obama administration who said ISIS is actually a big deal. Let's tune in to this, let's look at that. This is a highly qualified person and I think people are being too dismissive of him.
COOPER: Phil, what about that?
MUDD: The argument that it's not beyond the realm of a possibility that something happened, that's the foundation for which we make a national security judgment? He alleged that there was a factual argument to say that there was signs on the border about terrorists being directed by a foreign power. Presumably he's referring to Iran. That is not a supposition, it's not a guess. It's a statement, an allegation of fact by his future national security advisor. I'm not interested in a suggestion that something might be true. I want to know why a future national security advisor alleged the fact that does not appear to be true at all.
MCENANY: You can't prove it, it doesn't exist though, he said he saw a picture of a sign in Arabic that may exist, you can't it negative, you can't prove it ... COOPER But he has trafficked -- sorry he has trafficked in other -- I mean on this show in a brief appearance he talked about attempts to institute Sharia law in Texas and Florida when he actually drilled down and look at the cases he's referring to, it really doesn't hold up.
MCENANY: I think he's eliminated some nuance and he should be careful in how he tweets going forward if he's going point out that story, for instance. There is some facts to it basically it was a law in Florida that was voted on by the Congress that was basically saying that you could not have foreign law come into the United States. That included Sharia law. There was a little more nuance to it but the root of what he's saying is not a lie, it's not that he made it up. He could serve himself well to insert nuance into his tweets or they're not tweet at all but he doesn't just make up lies.
CHRISTINE QUINN, CLINTON SUPPORTER: But it is not nuance because the law actually and you could question whether such law is needed and that's a different conversation. But the law actually said not we're gong to have Sharia law.
MCENANY: Right, right.
QUINN: It said you can't...
MCENANY: And Democrats voted against it.
QUINN: Whatever, that's not a nuance.
MCENANY: It is.
QUINN: No it is not. He's saying they're getting it, when they actually said we'll never ...
MCENANY: He said the Democrats voted against it.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: The thing about this position though. That he is going to be in. I mean it is in terms of like the person who talks in my ear has to give me just facts. Not, well I think this or I read this or maybe, it's got to be facts. And that is just the person who talks in my ear. And I'm just a CNN anchor.
[20:35:09] KIRSTEN POWERS, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Right.
COOPER: So -- I mean -- you want the person giving intelligence to the president to be nothing but the facts.
POWERS: General Mike Flynn come out and said basically that you want to someone in this role who's going to be a calming, you know, president is not somebody who's going to be excitable. And it was a criticism of this kind of behavior and look he talked about Sharia law in his book as well. So it wasn't just this one incidence that Sharia law is coming, which is not, that's a factually unsure statement. He also claimed there were Democratic e-mails; he tweeted about this -- proving that there is a sex ring. I mean it's not that -- I mean Kayleigh you can't possibly say that you believe that's true.
MCENANY: About the -- he was referring to something entirely different than his son ...
POWERS: He's actually, it said that the Democratic Party e-mail show that there is sex crimes against children.
MCENANY: He was referring to a plane ride that Donald Trump had taken that -- not that Donald Trump -- excuse me. Bill Clinton has been on a plane with Jeffrey Epstein and he had eliminated secret service -- that's the fact that happen and there were lot of questions to be ...
(CROSSTALK)
PHILIP BUMP, POLITICAL REPORTER WASHINGTON POST: The article was a made up news story about how the NYPD was about to bust the Clintons for being part of a pedophilia ring was total and absolutely none sense and I think I'll point honestly one of the things we need to keep is General Flynn's boss also does this on Twitter.
POWERS: Right.
BUMP: But I mean all the -- the president-elect of the United State said that there was, you know, he would have won the popular vote but for millions of illegal votes which is simply no factual evidence for. It's not the case and so I think that if the bar is General Flynn can't hold his position because he traffics in nonsense on Twitter, I think that bar is kind of a double edged sword.
COOPER: Jeffrey?
JEFFREY LORD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: One of the tribal rituals of Washington D.C. is to take somebody in a new administration and hang them up by their heels in public. I'm guessing here from all of this that General Flynn is to be the first. This will go on throughout this administration as it is going on throughout others, and went on in the Reagan, it's going on in others. For Bert Lance there was a friend of Jimmy Carter's got this treatment. This is kind of the way Washington does it. Now it's not helpful if you -- if the person in charge -- or the person at the center of this contributes to the -- contributes in the situation, I certainly will grant that. But I think we should keep on mind ...
COOPER: But are you saying that he's being, you know sort of -- questions being raised to him simply because he's the designated sacrificial lamb or is it actually justified in your opinion?
LORD: This is the mystery in the Washington culture and it works this way. And they zero in on someone who has made statements or in this case tweets or what have you and they go for the jugular there and then the pressure builds to get that person to resign. And frankly it depends on the relationship with the president.
COOPER: Kirsten?
POWERS: I just don't know -- I mean I don't know exactly what you're talking about. I mean these are some pretty upsetting things that he has said.
QUINN: Dangerous.
POWERS: And if you look at his book the way he speaks about Muslims. You know, he raises the questions of why have no Muslims won Nobel Prizes. And says well it's because -- in the sciences it's because they put all their faith in this, you know, 7th century text. And supports well Christians put their faith in a like the 6th century text I think. So it's -- he's really singling of Muslims in a way that it's probably not good as well. So, it's just one issue and the fact of accusing Democrats of running a sex ring abusing children is really outside the norm of what people say.
COOPER: Phil, this idea of Donald Trump choosing to receive national security briefings once a week is opposed to everyday. Can you just talk about what is in those briefings? Why they might actually be important because I mean, I think that would be actually one of the kind of coolest and most important things about being president is you get to see all the real stuff. I mean you get to see the presidential daily brief. That's fascinating.
MUDD: Anderson, I don't know if it's cool. I used to review the terrorist and stuff (inaudible) everyday for years. And some of it was cool, some of it not so much. Think of it through two lenses, Anderson. The first is tactical; you're homing in on an al-Qaeda guys or an ISIS guy in the current world in Syria. You want to talk it to the president about the prospect or might be a drone strike, the impact on the ISIS organization. There are tactical updates that might change day to day that the president needs to know about. Then step back from the second lens, strategic.
Where is the Russian military going in Europe? What's happening with the North Korea missile program? I think there are two lenses that the president has to use to understand intelligence. But let me defend President-elect Trump on this one. Different presidents receive information, different ways, some on writing, some orally, some directly from intelligence brief or some familiar advisers. I think this is a question of whether President Trump -- President-elect Trump trusts intelligence. Not a question of whether he receives a briefing once a week or once a day.
COOPER: Interesting. We're going to leave it there. Phil, appreciate you joining us and everyone on the panel, thank you.
Just ahead, the 700 workers at Carrier sister plant whose jobs are being sent to Mexico with lay offs looming and children put through college. They want to know if there something can be done for them. Martin Savidge is talking to them.
[20:40:08] We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: President-elect Donald Trump has wrapped the latest stop on his self described "Thank You Tour", he was in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he announced that the chairman and CEO of Dow Chemicals is going to be in charge of a new manufacturing council.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONAL TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF UNITED STATES: His name is Andrew Liveris, one of the most respected businessmen in the world. And I'm asking him to come up and head up our American Manufacturing Council and he's agreed to do it. They will be tasked with finding ways to bring industry back to America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Meanwhile in other news today Chuck Jones, the union leader who says he has been getting threatening messages since calling President-elect Trump a liar saying about the number of jobs data that Carrier plants that he is willing to work with Donald Trump to save more jobs in Indiana.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
[20:44:58] CHUCK JONES, PRESIDENT UNITED STEELWORKER 1999: If he somehow, some way reached out to me, today, tomorrow, next week, next month and say hey, what can you guys, the steel workers here work to do and work with me to try to save these jobs at Rexnord Carrier and UTEC up in Huntington. We'd be glad to sit down with that man.
How well, we're all of them who disagree on different things. And if Trump is sincere about keeping jobs in the country and you guys have heard him numerous times, that's what is go with, we'll sit down and we'll work out something to this damn job share.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: The President-elect Trump as you know just perish Mr. Jones on Twitter after Jones pointing out that Trump has inflated the number of jobs, say that the Carrier plants in Indianapolis where Jones also had praised Mr. Trump for saving the 800 jobs that he did. But as Mr. Jones pointed out the actual number is 800, not 1,100 has Donald Trump initially claimed.
Now meantime workers at the two other companies, you just heard Jones mention are hoping that maybe there are deal can be done to save their jobs. The other night we reported Rexnord. Tonight Martin Savidge shows us what's at stake at Carrier's sister plant.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRENDA HARPHAM, UTEC EMPLOYEE: I have no idea what I'm going to do with my life. I just pray that Trump comes through and save ours jobs.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is UTEC in Huntington, Indiana, two hours north of Indianapolis, 700 people work here. Its owned by the same company that owns Carrier and back in February on the same day Carrier announced its plants to move to Mexico, employees her were told the same thing. It was devastating. MIKE HARMON, UTEC EMPLOYEE: Those people have worked their tails off in that company. They have given up a lot of family time, a lot of family time to be in there on Saturdays and Sundays. They -- some of those employees have been here for 40 years.
SAVIDGE: When Trump announced the news he had worked a deal with Carrier, hopes soared at Huntington and UTEC were part of it, after all, they were owned by the same company, but the answer was no. There would be no miracle here.
HARMON: We kind of did came out on the floor and, you know, talk to people to let them know because their hopes were up, they were devastated again and it was like February all over again.
SAVIDGE: The first layoffs are expected in March.
CHAD CRAGE, UTEC EMPLOYEE: We're just all taking it a day at time and, you know, we're still going to work because we all have to work.
STUART HOME, UTEC EMPLOYEE: And of course my wife and I, we just built a brand new home. And so now I got to worry about that and plus myself, I'm a diabetic.
SAVIDGE: By the spring of 2018 the entire plant is expected to be closed.
MICHAEL HINLINE, UTEC EMPLOYEE: It is not just affecting us, it's affecting other companies here in town. And, you know, the ball's been dropped on all this.
SAVIDGE: Huntington is no Indianapolis, with a population just over 17,000 the loss of 700 jobs will be felt by almost everyone in some way.
MAYOR BROOKS FETTERS, HUNTINGTON, INDIANA: While we're excited our friends and fellow Hoosiers in Indianapolis, it feels a little bit like we've been left out here.
SAVIDGE: Mike Harmon has two kids in college, two more in high school. He says this is the third time he's lost a job that's moved to Mexico. If he could, what would he say to the president elect?
HARMON: Don't forget us, Donald. Please remember there are 700 jobs in Huntington, Indiana that you never mentioned and America is going to know that we are people too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: The local newspaper, the "Indystar" has done a recent survey, they say that even with the 800 jobs that Donald Trump saved here at the Carrier plant; Indiana is going to lose 2,100 jobs good paying factory jobs over the next couple of months. And it's goes beyond the salary, it goes beyond just the taxpayers for a community. It goes to things like what I saw at the local union hall today, where Rexnord employees showed up to wrap the gifts that they have bought for disadvantage children they'll distribute next week, that's a tradition that goes back 50 years in this city. But this is the last year they're going to do it, because next June, Rexnord closes down and moving to Mexico and 300 jobs all those workers will be lost which begs the question next Christmas, what will those disadvantage children receive? Anderson.
COOPER: You have report facts to on and Martin Savidge, thank you.
Just ahead the first reality show star when the presidency plans to keep his executive producer title on "Celebrity Apprentice." We'll have the latest on that ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:53:15] COOPER: Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway today defended President-elect Trump's decision to keep his executive producer credit on the NBC reality show, "Celebrity Apprentice". She compared it to President Obama spending time golfing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KELLYANNE CONWAY, TRUMP SENIOR ADVISER: Were we so concerned about the hours and hours and hours spent on the golf course of the current president? I mean, presidents have a right to do things, in their spare time, or their leisure time, whether it's President Obama or President Donald Trump, the idea that these men are going to be all work and nothing else, all the time, it's just unrealistic, because it's never happened in our lifetimes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: When asked whether President-elect Trump will get a salary or any other profits from his "Celebrity Apprentice" title, here's what Conway said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONWAY: I haven't discussed that with him directly. However, there are many options. He could do what he's going to do with his White House salary with the "Celebrity Apprentice," which is donate it to charity or refuse, decline to take it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: It should be noted that President Obama made millions off his books while he was in office, but as far as TV reality show producing for president, this is certainly new ground. Randi Kaye tonight on how we got here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In January 2004, the soon-to-be-hit show "The Apprentice" began airing on NBC. The reality show offered a chance for contestants from around the world to come to New York City for what producer Mark Burnett billed as the ultimate job interview.
TRUMP: Here ... KAYE: Contestants competed throughout the season with one goal in mind, a one year; $250,000 contract to run one of Donald Trump's companies.
TRUMP: I'm looking for "The Apprentice".
KAYE: The business-oriented show was a chance for Trump to try his hand at television, but more importantly, to tout his skills as a businessman and rock-solid negotiator.
[20:55:01] TRUMP: About 13 years ago, I was seriously in trouble. I was billions of dollars in debt, but I fought back and I won, bigly. I used my brain, I used my negotiating skills, and I worked it all out.
KAYE: On the campaign trail, he often talked about the show.
TRUMP: I do a television show called "The Apprentice" and it becomes one of the top shows on television tremendously successful. And by the way, they wanted to renew me and I couldn't do it, because I was doing this.
KAYE: When the 15th season of "The Apprentice" kicks off next month, actor-turned-politician Arnold Schwarzenegger will be the host. Donald Trump will stay on as executive producer, but it's unclear what will become of his signature line.
TRUMP: You're fired. You're fired. You're fired. You're fired.
KAYE: After the first seven seasons, where everyday people competed, the producers introduced "Celebrity Apprentice". Stars battled it out, not for an apprenticeship, but to raise money for a charity of their choosing. Big names like Joan Rivers, Arsenio Hall, Dennis Rodman, and Gary Busey all took part.
GARY BUSEY, AMERICAN ACTOR: They are the most deadly thing in the water, a shark fart.
KAYE: Trump's children, Eric, Donald Jr., and Ivanka are also prominently featured on the show, making them instant celebrities.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well done.
IVANKA TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP'S DAUGHTER: Thanks.
KAYE: But Donald Trump was always the star. In the board room, the show allowed Trump to be Trump.
TRUMP: But he tried to outthink me and nobody out thinks me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm being truthful and I'll always be truthful.
TRUMP: How stupid is that, right?
KAYE: No matter what Donald Trump said on the show, it was always memorable. TRUMP: Do you think that I should comb my hair like him?
KAYE: And the viewers just kept coming back for more.
TRUMP: Who will succeed? And who will fail? And who will be "The Apprentice"?
KAYE: Randi Kaye, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: And we'll be right back.
