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Rosenstein's Fate Uncertain as He Awaits Thursday Meeting with Trump; Kavanaugh Gives Unprecedented Interview Ahead of Hearing; The Woman Who Accuses Brett Kavanaugh will Testify Thursday Before the Senate Committee; Avenatti Says New Kavanaugh Accuser to Come Forward within 48 Hours; Trump Touts "America First" Policy from Podium Drawing Laughter from the Audience. Aired 11-12p ET

Aired September 25, 2018 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[11:00:00]

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATESEuropean states such as Poland for leading the construction of a Baltic pipeline so that nations are not

dependent on Russia to meet their energy needs.

Germany will become totally dependent on Russian energy if it does not immediately change course.

Here in the Western Hemisphere, we are committed to maintaining our independence from the encroachment of expansionist foreign powers. It has

been the formal policy of our country since President Monroe that we reject the interference of foreign nations in this hemisphere and in our own

affairs.

The United States has recently strengthened our laws to better screen foreign investments in our country for national security threats. And we

welcome cooperation with countries in this region and around the world that wish to do the same. You need to do it for your own protection.

The United States is also working with partners in Latin America to confront threats to sovereignty from uncontrolled migration. Tolerance for

human struggling and human smuggling and trafficking is not humane; it's a horrible thing that's going on at levels that nobody is ever seen before.

It's very, very cruel.

Illegal immigration funds criminal networks, ruthless gangs and the flow of deadly drugs. Illegal immigration exploits vulnerable populations, hurts

hard-working citizens and has produced a vicious cycle of crime, violence and poverty.

Only by upholding national borders, destroying criminal gangs, can we break this cycle and establish a real foundation for prosperity.

We recognize the right of every nation in this room to set its own immigration policy in accordance with its national interests, just as we

ask other countries to respect our own right to do the same, which we are doing.

That is one reason the United States will not participate in the new global compact on migration. Migration should not be governed by an international

body unaccountable to our own citizens.

Ultimately, the only long-term solution to the migration crisis is to help people build more hopeful futures in their home countries; make their

countries great again.

Currently we are witnessing a human tragedy, as an example, in Venezuela. More than 2 million people have fled the anguish inflicted by the socialist

Maduro regime and its Cuban sponsors.

Not long ago, Venezuela was one of the richest countries on Earth. Today, socialism has bankrupted the oil-rich nation and driven its people into

abject poverty.

Virtually everywhere socialism or communism has been tried, it has produced suffering, corruption and decay. Socialism's thirst for power leads to

expansion, incursion and oppression. All nations of the world should resist the socialism and the misery that it brings to everyone.

In that spirit, we ask the nations gathered here to join us in calling for the restoration of democracy in Venezuela. Today we are announcing

additional sanctions against the repressive regime, targeting Maduro's inner circle and close advisers.

We are grateful for all of the work the United Nations does around the world to help people build better lives for themselves and their families.

[11:05:00] The United States is the world's largest giver in the world, by far, of foreign aid, but few give anything to us. That is why we are taking

a hard look at U.S. foreign assistance. That will be headed up by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. We will examine what is working, what is not working,

and whether the countries who receive our dollars and our protection also have our interests at heart.

Moving forward, we are only going to give foreign aid to those who respect us and, frankly, are our friends. And we expect other countries to pay

their fair share for the cost of their defense.

The United States is committed to making the United Nations more effective and accountable. I have said many times that the United Nations has

unlimited potential.

As part of our reform effort, I have told our negotiators that the United States will not pay more than 25 percent of the U.N. peacekeeping budget.

This will encourage other countries to step up, get involved and also share in this very large burden.

And we are working to shift more of our funding from assessed contributions to voluntary, so that we can target American resources to the programs with

the best record of success.

Only when each of us does our part and contributes our share, can we realize the U.N.'s highest aspirations. We must pursue peace without fear,

hope without despair, and security without apology.

Looking around this hall where so much history has transpired, we think of the many before us who have come here to address the challenges of their

nations and of their times. And our thoughts turn to the same question that ran through all their speeches and resolutions, through every word and

every hope. It is the question of what kind of world will we leave for our children, and what kind of nations they will inherit.

The dreams that fill this hall today are as diverse as the people who have stood at this podium, and as varied as the countries represented right here

in this body are. It really is something. It really is great, great history.

There is India, a free society, over a billion people, successfully lifting countless millions out of poverty and into the middle class.

There is Saudi Arabia, where King Salman and the crown prince are pursuing bold new reforms.

There is Israel, proudly celebrating its 70th anniversary as a thriving democracy in the Holy Land.

In Poland, a great people are standing up for their independence, their security and their sovereignty.

Many countries are pursuing their own unique visions, building their own hopeful futures, and chasing their own wonderful dreams of destiny, of

legacy and of a home.

The whole world is richer, humanity is better because of this beautiful constellation of nations, each very special, each very unique and each

shining brightly in its part of the world.

In each one, we see awesome promise of a people bound together by a shared past and working toward a common future.

As for Americans, we know what kind of future we want for ourselves. We know what kind of a nation America must always be.

[11:10:00] In America, we believe in the majesty of freedom and the dignity of the individual. We believe in self-government and the rule of law. And

we prize the culture that sustains our liberty. It's a culture built on strong families, deep faith and fierce independence. We celebrate our

heroes. We treasure our traditions. And above all, we love our country.

Inside everyone in this great chamber today and everyone listening all around the globe, there is the heart of a patriot that feels the same

powerful love for your nation, the same intense loyalty to your homeland. The passion that burns in the hearts of patriots and the souls of nations

has inspired reform and revolution, sacrifice and selflessness, scientific breakthroughs and magnificent works of art.

Our task is not to erase it, but to embrace it, to build with it, to draw on its ancient wisdom and to find within it the will to make our nations

greater, our regions safer and the world better.

To unleash this incredible potential in our people, we must defend the foundations that make it all possible. Sovereign and independent nations

are the only vehicle where freedom has ever survived, democracy has ever endured or peace has ever prospered. And so we must protect our sovereignty

and our cherished independence above all.

When we do, we will find new avenues for cooperation unfolding before us; we will find new passion for peacemaking rising within us; we will find new

purpose, new resolve and new spirit flourishing all around us and making this a more beautiful world in which to live.

So together, let us choose a future of patriotism, prosperity and pride. Let us choose peace and freedom over domination and defeat. And let us come

here to this place to stand for our people and their nations, forever strong, forever sovereign, forever just and forever thankful for the grace

and the goodness and the glory of God.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the nations of the world.

Thank you very much. Thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

[11:13:16] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: On behalf of the General Assembly, I wish to thank the president of the United States of America for the statement

just made. May I request representatives to remain seated while we --

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Kate Bolduan. Thank you for joining us.

What we have been watching right there is President Trump delivering his second address to world leaders before the United Nations General Assembly.

And quite an address it was.

Let's get right to it because I have a lot to discuss. Let me bring in, first, CNN chief international anchor, Christiane Amanpour, with me.

Christiane, I was keeping a running list of who was criticized in his speech, and it's long. I heard probably compliments for North Korea.

That's really where I heard his praise today. What was your reaction? What do you make of this?

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: To be fair, compliments to India, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Poland, too.

BOLDUAN: Thank you.

AMANPOUR: Countries he's visited. But here's the thing. This was about sovereignty. He kept saying it over and over again. The president appears

to associate sovereignty with isolationism. In other words, he doesn't believe, at least according to his speech, that all countries can be

sovereign and still be part of a multilateral world. He believes, it seems from this speech, that to reject globalism, as he said, and to adopt

patriotism, as he explained and urged everyone else, means just being for yourself. He said make their countries great again. He's trying to pursue

his policy to the rest of the world. But it doesn't all add up because he rejects globalism and then he praises India for raising a billion people

out of poverty. Only globalization was able to do that. He says he rejects --

BOLDUAN: And it's not exclusive.

(CROSSTALK)

AMANPOUR: Sovereignty and multilateralism --

BOLDUAN: Right.

[11:15:00] AMANPOUR: -- are not mutually exclusive. This is the big situation that I think he's somewhat confused about. He rejected foreign

aid. He said he's going to only give it to our friends and to people who respect us. That's a total change from what the United States has done

before because it's tried to use foreign aid to pursue and embrace their own foreign policy goals. He's very upset. He said not good about OPEC,

right?

BOLDUAN: Right.

AMANPOUR: Raising oil prices. But it's not OPEC raising oil prices. As an oil expert said to me, when the president removes a billion and a half

barrels a day, for instance, from Iran by putting the sanctions on, what happens? Supply goes down, prices go up. That's what's causing right now

the prices to go up. And on and on, these sort of inconsistencies. But he also swapped out last year's fiery rhetoric against North Korea for against

Iran this time.

BOLDUAN: Yes.

And Jim Sciutto -- Jim Sciutto is here with me as well.

Jim, whereas, last year there was "fire and fury" and we'll totally destroy you or "Little Rocket Man" on North Korea, along with Iran -- and we'll get

to Iran in a second -- another country that faced a lot of criticism from the president this time was China.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: No question. The fact is the president is right on China here, right? He calls China out

for stealing intellectual property, which China does aggressively. It has done for years. We've had cyberattacks by both governments on U.S.

companies. He calls China out for making territorial claims that are not based on the law. They up and built unsinkable aircraft carriers, as

they're known, in the South China Sea, outside of U.S. law. What is interesting on this is the world is uncomfortable with the trade war, no

questions, tariffs, et cetera. But on challenging China on these activities, the president has support. What's happening from China -- and

I have been speaking to Chinese diplomats on this. Early on, they thought this was a short-term political play by this president. They could wait it

out. Yes, he's going to make these promises, et cetera. They're adjusting now. You now hear Chinese business leaders and others speaking in terms of

a decades-long trade war. It's a major adjustment. And the president has forced China to change its view on this issue.

BOLDUAN: And they have a big meeting coming up in November. So let's see what happens then.

Let me bring in also chief political correspondent, Dana Bash.

Dana, what was your kind of what was your takeaway? It's interesting to see the president standing up there addressing world leaders. You know the

domestic politics have to be in the back of his mind. He can't get away from it at every turn. What did you think of, I don't know, his change of

tone with North Korea? Not surprising because we know how he's been talking. But what do you make of it here?

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. It's hard to believe it was only a year ago that he called Kim Jong-Un Rocket Man at that very

same podium.

One of the things that strikes me in covering Congress, where the money is approved and appropriated to give to countries around the world, is the

very clear change in tone, maybe not for his tone, but in terms of America's view on foreign aid and foreign assistance. He made it clear

that it should be transactional. America will only spend money in places that does good for America. Now, it's one thing to say, you know, that

America will donate money, will give money for friends. But it made it sound like it goes further. We want something in return. And

historically, at least in the last, you know, many decades, the last generation-plus, maybe since World War II, there has been more to foreign

aid than that. It has been altruistic. It has been to help the patriots that the president talked about in countries who feel like they can't get a

leg up, and a whole host of other reasons. That was a really clear shift in the way America approaches that.

The other thing that I just want to mention is Russia. Because the president didn't. The only --

(CROSSTALK)

BOLDUAN: Yes, the only mention, that's right.

BASH: The only time that the word Russia crossed his lips was as a little bit of a backhanded slight to Germany for getting its energy from Russia,

which is a whole different question. The fact that he's upset about the pipeline that's being built there. Nothing about what Russia is doing in

Syria, what Russia is doing and in the threat that the neighbors of Russia think that it poses there. Never mind, in this country, in the United

States, the fact that his own intelligence agencies have said very clearly that they are seeing evidence that Russia is once again trying to meddle in

America's election. That was completely absent from the speech.

BOLDUAN: Especially when the major theme is sovereignty and threats to sovereignty --

(CROSSTALK)

BOLDUAN: -- and the fact that is not part of it is pretty glaring.

Susan Glasser is here. She's CNN global affairs analyst and staff writer for the "New Yorker."

Susan, on North Korea, really quickly, what difference did this year make, do you think, from last year's speech to this? We know obviously summits

have happened. The president today saying -- thanking Kim for his courage and the steps they have taken. Do you see the progress though?

[11:20:20] SUSAN GLASSER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, you know, it's very interesting. I think in the speech today, you see clearly that

President Trump has a highly personalized view of diplomacy, and that's why, as Christiane put it, he praised the countries which he's visited and

leaders that he interacted with. And you know, he's announced repeatedly in the last couple weeks that he's planning and wants to have a second man-

to-man summit meeting with Kim Jong-Un, the leader of North Korea. And it seems that for Trump, it's the great relationship, as he calls it himself,

that really overrides any substantive questions about what kind of progress has been made. My reporting among administration officials suggests

they're much more skeptical privately about whether North Korea really has the desire to denuclearize, as Trump has already proclaimed. In many ways,

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has a very difficult job, as one expert put it to me recently, of trying to negotiate the things Trump already claims

have been negotiated.

But I thought -- the speech started with this remarkable moment, right? That for decades, President Trump, before he was president, has claimed the

whole world is laughing at us. Then he gets up there and he begins his U.N. speech, only a second time in this audience, as if it's a campaign

rally. And he seemed genuinely surprised when, after bragging that his administration in less than two years had done more than any administration

in the history of the United States, that people actually laughed at him.

(CROSSTALK)

GLASSER: I have never seen that.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely not.

And let me play that moment, because it absolutely was a startling one. As Susan says, this is right off the top of his speech. The president saying

something that he says often here, you know, in political rallies, from the Rose Garden. But just listen how it played at the U.N.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: My administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country. America's -- so true.

(LAUGHTER)

Didn't expect that reaction, but that's OK.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: It was pretty extraordinary.

GLASSER: Well, again, you know, I think President Trump is really, in recent months, taken to addressing only extremely friendly venues. He's

traveling around the country, as you know right now, in advance of the midterm elections giving a series of campaign-style rallies. He seemed

really unused to an audience that would be more skeptical. But if you go to the United Nations General Assembly and you say that you're against

globalism, you know, you're not necessarily in the most friendly of audiences, first of all. Second of all, you know, throughout the speech,

he made a little joke there after they laughed at him, but throughout the speech, it's really striking the extent to which the president brings a

sense of grievance to the world stage. The idea that the United States is being ripped off by OPEC, the idea that trade deals are not necessarily

favorable to us and have to be renegotiated, that foreign aid, as Dana put it, needs to be much more transactional and only conditioned on whether

you're our friend or not. Those are not words that this audience is used to hearing from a president of the United States. It's really a stark

shift in tone. And arguably, it's actually a more hardline speech this year than it was last year, even though the rhetoric toward North Korea is

much more friendly in general. I would say this reflects the fact that you have a more hardline series of advisers now around the president, such as

John Bolton, as his national security adviser.

BOLDUAN: That's a fascinating point.

Christiane, I want to drill down on Iran. He laid into Iran. I mean, eviscerating, essentially, the leadership, chaos, destruction, death, in

talking about in his speech. You sat down with the president of Iran and asked him about this -- well, asked him about a lot, but the clip want to

play is about this back and forth meeting, no meeting, a lovely man. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMANPOUR: The president of the United States has tweeted this morning saying that, "Despite repeated requests" -- I think he means your requests

-- "he has no plans to meet you. Maybe some time in the future." And he thinks maybe you're a lovely man. That's what he says in the tweet. What

do you make of that? Have you requested a meeting with President Trump?

[11:24:52] HASSAN ROUHANI, IRAN PRESIDENT (through translation): Not this year. Nor last year. We have never made such a request for a meeting with

the president of the United States. Of course, last year, from American officials, we received eight requests for a meeting. And I did not see

that as being an appropriate meeting, as I do not see it as being appropriate now. And a meeting must take place at a time when that meeting

can serve a purpose, can be beneficial, can serve the benefits of both countries. But under the current conditions, when it comes to a meeting

and dialogue, I do not see it as beneficial, nor appropriate. But you should ask him who made such requests.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AMANPOUR: Well, apart from who made such requests, we have got the very serious issue of a deal that was designed to reduce dramatically the threat

of nuclear proliferation. The United States has pulled out of it. And the president said that most in the Middle East supported his decision to pull

out of that deal. It's not quite true. It is true that the alliance of anti-Iranians do support it, whether it's Bibi Netanyahu's government,

whether it's the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, the UAE. That coalition supports that because they think that they can achieve regime change in

Iran. But the rest of the world, including Russia and China and the Europeans, and everybody else, are desperately trying to figure out some,

as I have been told, new mechanism to keep the deal somehow alive, despite American sanctions, secondary sanctions on European and other countries

that do business with Iran. So the Iranians have yet again been certified as complying with it. And, yes, of course, there are issues about

ballistic missiles, about interference in Syria, about Hezbollah, about all of those things, terrorism, but those will never be addressed in this deal,

according to the Iranian president. He said that we are not going to reopen or renegotiate, these are issues that should be talked about but

this deal is a separate deal. Whereas, he explained yesterday that this deal was a win-win when it was signed -- and it's been in effect for three

years -- now he believes and he says the U.S. has done -- is now into a lose-lose situation. The world will lose, the U.S. will lose, the Iranians

will lose by not having this deal and by imposing these sanctions. And that, you know, they hope that somehow they can keep this deal alive.

Because it's not sure how long they're going to stick with it if sanctions are imposed on it.

BOLDUAN: Very important, what she's laying out, these huge issues with worldwide impact. Why is it, then, that this morning, on Twitter, over the

weekend, something that -- I don't know, it seems so small, something like the obsession of who requested the meeting or not coming from the

president. Why do you think that matters to him?

SCIUTTO: Listen, I think he likes to keep us in the world on edge with this. The contradiction in his rhetoric, even before he gave this speech

there, as he entered the United Nations an hour after sending a tweet saying that the Iranian president is a lovely man, he said, no way, you

know, a meeting is off the table. Then the change in rhetoric from the podium there before the U.N., calling them in effect a despicable

dictatorship, that's quite a contradiction. And, listen, Donald Trump has been comfortable with those contradictions before, right? It was not long

after his fiery rhetoric last year at the U.N. General Assembly that he sat down just a few months later with the leader of North Korea.

The other point I would make is this. Sovereignty, that word is a very powerful word. He used the same word and made the same argument last year

before the U.N. G.A. That's a word typically used by countries such as China to push back against any interference, they call it, in their

internal affairs, any criticism of their human rights record, for instance. Their basic argument is, listen, let us do what we want to do abroad.

(CROSSTALK)

SCIUTTO: You do us. Which the president has allowed space for, right? He does not, for instance, bring up North Korea's despicable human rights

record at home. He does not tweet about Russia attacking and imprisoning protesters, et cetera, as he reaches out for a friendlier relationship. So

that word sovereignty, it has a lot of meaning in this context, and will frankly be welcomed on those terms by those countries

(CROSSTALK)

SCIUTTO: -- which is an enormous departure from U.S. foreign policy in the past.

AMANPOUR: Yes, but, also, E.U. and those countries have sovereignty, the right to deal with who they want to trade with. They believe that

President Trump is violating their sovereignty by putting secondary sanctions on --

(CROSSTALK)

SCIUTTO: Doesn't show principled consistency, right?

AMANPOUR: This is not just an agreement between the United States and Iran and the others. This is a U.N.-enshrined legal treaty -- not a treaty of

the U.S., but a U.N.-enshrined Security Council resolution binding deal.

BOLDUAN: The president handled the laughter well, I would say, in that moment in the hall. I do wonder what it means maybe when it sets in a

little later. Watch your Twitter feeds.

Thank you, guys. I really appreciate it. Thank you very much.

[11:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:35:00] ROBYN CURNOW, CNN HOST: Hi, I'm Robyn Curnow and you have been watching coverage and analysis of U.S. President Donald Trump's speech to

the U.N. General Assembly. So, thanks for joining me. We'll talk about that a little later on in the show.

But first, I also want to talk about what's happening in Washington, D.C. It's been a busy week for Donald Trump and two huge stories consuming his

administration could come to a head once he returns to Washington from New York. Now Mr. Trump has scheduled a meeting with Rod Rosenstein on

Thursday to discuss the Deputy Attorney General's fate, amid reports he could resign or be fired.

Now Rosenstein oversees the Russia investigation, a probe that Mr. Trump has repeatedly said must end. Now, on that same day on Thursday, a woman

who accuses Mr. Trump's Supreme Court nominee of sexual assault will testify in public before a senate committee. Brett Kavanaugh will then get

a chance to respond and one prominent senator says the White House is using Rosenstein to distract from a nomination in crisis.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RON WYDEN (D), OREGON: Whenever they've got problems they go out and create dust and chaos, they create some distraction. We were getting

reports on The Hill that this was a smoke bomb today to distract from the Kavanaugh allegations. Again, the bottom line is, and a lot of us are very

concerned about this, Bob Mueller is really in a race against time, as the President should not interfere with this investigation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CURNOW: OK. So, Abby Phillip has more on the future of the Russia investigation itself, which is clearly at stake as you heard from those

words and with Rod Rosenstein's job on the line.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We'll be meeting at the White House and we'll be determining what's going on.

ABBY PHILLIP, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Trump leaving Deputy Attorney General, Rod Rosenstein, in limbo until Thursday

after a day of confusion over his fate. Which could have major repercussions on special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation.

Sources tell CNN that Rosenstein offered to resign last Friday in a conversation with White House Chief of Staff, John Kelly. After "The New

York Times" reported that Rosenstein suggested secretly recording Trump and invoking the 25th amendment to oust him from office after the President

fired FBI director James Comey. Rosenstein denies the report.

But a senior official says he overestimated how angry the President would be and another source tells CNN he expected to be fired on Monday. Instead

after two chaotic hours inside the White House and a phone call with Mr. Trump, the White House delaying a decision on his future until the

President and Rosenstein can meet in person on Thursday.

Sources tell CNN that President Trump and his allies are concerned that "The New York Times" story was leaked to provoke the President to take

action against Rosenstein. Even as members of both parties warn of the potential implications.

SEN. ORRIN HATCH (R), UTAH: If he did something like that, it would cause a furor that I don't think we need right now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If the President fires Rod Rosenstein, it is exhibit B in the obstruction of justice case against him, exhibit A being the firing

of James Comey.

PHILLIP: A source says President Trump has been preoccupied with the allegations surrounding Judge Kavanaugh and pushing the White House to go

on offense.

TRUMP: For people to come out of the woodwork from 36 years ago and 30 years ago and never mention it. All of a sudden it happens. In my opinion

it's totally political.

PHILLIP: Kavanaugh defending himself alongside his wife in an unprecedented interview with Fox News. Ahead of Thursday's hearing with

Christine Blasey Ford who says the nominee sexually assaulted her in high school.

BRETT KAVANAUGH, U.S. SUPREME COURT NOMINEE: I am not questioning and have not questioned that perhaps Dr. Ford at some point in her life was sexually

assaulted by someone in some place. But what I know is I've never sexually assaulted anyone.

PHILLIP: Judge Kavanaugh downplaying reports he was a heavy drinker and partier in his youth.

KAVANAUGH: I went to an all-boys Catholic high school, a Jesuit high school, where I was focused on academics and athletics. Going to church

every Sunday. I did not have sexual intercourse or anything close to sexual intercourse in high school or for many years thereafter and girls

from the schools I went to and I were friends.

FOX NEWS REPORTER: So, you're saying that through all these years that are in question you were a virgin?

KAVANAUGH: That's correct.

PHILLIP: Kavanaugh also denying a claim from a second woman, Deborah Ramirez, who accuses him of sexual misconduct in college.

[11:40:06] KAVANAUGH: The other people allege to be there, don't recall any such thing. If such a thing had happened it would have been the talk

of campus.

PHILLIP: Earlier in the day Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, signaling Republicans are moving forward.

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R), SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: I want to make it perfectly clear, Mr. President, Judge Kavanaugh will be voted on here on

the Senate floor.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CURNOW: Thanks to Abby Phillip for that.

As if there wasn't already enough drama on tap for Thursday another bombshell could be just hours away. A third woman could come forward with

new allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. That's according to attorney Michael Avenatti who says he's representing the

latest accuser. Avenatti called Kavanaugh a liar on Twitter and told CNN last night that his client will go public within 48 hours.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL AVENATTI, ATTORNEY: Well at this point, Chris, it's clients. We're going to make a public disclosure within the next 48 hours of

detailed allegations as well as the identity of at least one of my clients relating to what she witnessed and experienced concerning Brett Kavanaugh

and Mark Judge and ultimately, we're going to let the American public decide who is telling the truth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CURNOW: So, let's bring in White House reporter Stephen Collinson. Good to see you again, Stephen. So, I mean, my big question here is, can this

judge be impartial? I mean, in many ways his nomination has become an exercise in politics rather than judicial neutrality.

STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Right. And there's this notion that members of the judiciary, especially those elevated to the

Supreme Court are supposed to look at the substance of any case and rule according to the law. That's something that Kavanaugh said in his own

confirmation hearing.

But it's true, by going on television and going on Fox News, especially which is a -- has a very conservative bent in the evening period, Kavanaugh

has politicized this confirmation process more than any other Supreme Court nominee has ever done. And that, of course, raises questions about what

the impact of that will be on the institutional integrity of the Supreme Court.

But at the same time, you know, who are we kidding? I mean, the Supreme Court, although it's supposed to be above politics, has become more and

more politicized over the last 20 years or so since the Supreme Court actually decided the 2000 election between Al Gore and George W. Bush. On

most of the big issues that it rules upon, guns, religion, same-sex marriage, abortion, these are at the center of the political argument and

Kavanaugh, of course, was chosen by President Donald Trump who ran saying that he would pick somebody that was a conservative. In some ways it's

sort of pulling away this sort of charade that we go through that the Supreme Court is not politicized. Of course, it's hugely political.

CURNOW: Yes, and it's out in the open for all to see. Perhaps too much information as well. That's happening on Thursday. Now we saw also all

this chaos over Rosenstein yesterday. And we heard one suggestion that all of that was just chum, distracting pieces of contrasting information,

dripped out to distract the media and the public from the Kavanaugh hearing. What do you make of that?

COLLINSON: You know, it's often the kind of beltway wisdom in Washington that whenever Donald Trump is in trouble, he whips up chaos in some other

area to make everybody look away and miss the real story. You know, I'm a little bit skeptical of that first of all because this, after all, is a

hugely important story in itself. This is the Deputy Attorney General. There are massive implications for the outcome of the Mueller case, the

Mueller investigation, which he oversees. It's a little bit more, you know, than a side show.

The other issue, of course, is the importance of the Kavanaugh situation. Perhaps it sort of distracted cable news for a couple hours on Monday

morning, but nobody is really taking their eye off this hearing on Thursday and the fate of Kavanaugh. Simply because it's so important to, you know,

the next generation of jurisprudence in the United States on those key issues like abortion, same-sex marriage. The conservative majority that

Kavanaugh could cement will shape American life for many years. I don't think there's any distracting from that.

CURNOW: OK. Stephen, good to speak to you. Thanks so much.

And you can get more of Stephen's analysis on our website. He gives details about how Brett Kavanaugh plans to fight what he calls a

coordinated smear campaign against him. Do read that and much more on CNN.com.

So, there is lots more ahead this hour, after a very short break. Stay with us.

[11:45:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CURNOW: You're watching CNN. Thanks for joining us. I'm Robyn Curnow here in Atlanta.

Our top story this hour, Donald Trump talking to the world and taking to the world stage to tout his "America First" agenda. Just minutes ago, the

President addressed the United Nations General Assembly with an aggressive speech underling the message of U.S. sovereignty. Mr. Trump began his

speech by praising the accomplishment of his administration, but he was caught off guard by the crowd's response, eventually many global leaders

literally laughing at him.

Now while the world digests President Trump's U.N. speech, how much impact will his remarks have? Well, one highly experienced Washington diplomat

thinks not so much. Brett Bruen argues that President Trump's global insignificance is about to be exposed. And the President -- who he calls a

master showman -- is likely to be, quote, an irrelevant side show at the General Assembly.

Let's hear from the man himself. Brett Bruen is the President of the Global Situation Room, an international consulting firm in Washington, D.C.

He joins me, though, from Los Angeles. Good to speak to you. Did you hear that speech? In many ways it was dark, it was uncompromising, it was

confrontational, it was radical. Do you think it was side show, though?

BRETT BRUEN, PRESIDENT, GLOBAL SITUATION ROOM: Yes, I think Trump came in with some punchy patriotism and unfortunately, he became the punchline. I

have to say it was remarkable to see an American President standing before world leaders and being laughed at. I think unfortunately it illustrated

the point that I was concerned about in the article I wrote for CNN last week, that his brand of "America First" really is putting America last when

it comes to influence.

CURNOW: So, we also saw it and like I said, I think this was certainly a darker speech than the one last year. And in many ways, it also laid out

the more foundational increasingly entrenched fundamentals of the so-called "America First" policy. And the statement about sovereignty, it's a very

coded and loaded word, isn't it?

BRUEN: It is, indeed. I have to say there were echoes in that speech of - - I think another era in which this notion of nationalism would "trump", if you will, globalism. I fear that we're heading down a path with what Trump

proposes that leads to more conflict, that leads to less cooperation on major global issues. And we simply are not going to be able to address

whether it is climate change, immigration, or a whole host of security threats with this idea of everyone to themselves.

CURNOW: It's great power dynamics in many ways. Let's talk about one of the -- one focus of his ire, this year it was not North Korea, it was

instead Iran. This is what the President had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[11:50:00] TRUMP: The corrupt dictatorship in Iran, Iran's leaders sow chaos, death, and destruction. They do not respect their neighbors or

borders, or the sovereign rights of nations. Instead, Iran's leaders plunder the nation's resources to enrich themselves and to spread mayhem

across the Middle East and far beyond.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CURNOW: Brett, what do you make of those comments?

BRUEN: I have to say there's an inherent contradiction. On the one hand he calls out Iran for some of its extracurricular activities and yet on the

other hand we know that Kim Jong-un and the North Koreans are engaged in much of the same behavior. What we are witnessing is a reluctance on the

part of the international community to walk away from a deal that they had with Iran that dealt with some of the more serious issues of nuclear

armaments. And yet on the other hand, Trump is trying to convince the world that they should look the other way when it comes to Pyongyang.

CURNOW: Let's talk about Pyongyang. Let's listen to what he had to say about North Korea as well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: With support from many countries here today, we have engaged with North Korea to replace the specter of conflict with a bold and new push for

peace.

I would like to thank Chairman Kim for his courage and for the steps he has taken, though much work remains to be done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CURNOW: Our correspondent Will Ripley says that not a lot of really concrete steps have been taken towards demilitarization. It's about the

optics, it's about the vibes, it's about this, what we're seeing, a courageous man being complimented by the American President at the U.N.

BRUEN: Yes. It's pretty superficial and I fear that, unfortunately, Trump has given Kim a good deal of credibility, respectability on the world

stage, and in exchange for very little. He has taken, you know, these steps that Kim has made, whether it was returning some of our deceased

servicemen, as well as removing some of the ICBMs from the military parade, but those substantively don't change his calculus or his capabilities. And

I fear, unfortunately, that we're in for just more extended efforts by Pyongyang to drag this process out.

CURNOW: And I have another sound bite to play for you, and this is about global institutions and in particular this issue as I said, this loaded

word sovereignty, this is what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I honor the right of every nation in this room to pursue its own customs, beliefs and traditions. The United States will not tell you how

to live or work or worship. We only ask that you honor our sovereignty in return.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CURNOW: I spent a lot of my career working and reporting from Africa and that word sovereignty was often used by African leaders to protect

themselves, to win friends themselves from criticism. Whether it's about human rights or anything like that. It's a word as we said earlier that is

interesting coming from an American President, and what does that mean then in terms of the realignments perhaps that we're seeing in global politics?

BRUEN: Yes. Robyn, you and I both spent a good deal of time in Africa and not only this notion of sovereignty, but concurrently his attacks on the

ICC are quite concerning. And I think will hearten some of the leaders in Africa who have committed human rights violations, who might consider it,

in the preservation of their power. I think at this point we have a very weakened international justice system, simply by the words that John Bolton

and Donald Trump have been using. And unfortunately, I think you will hear them parroted by leaders across Africa and other parts of the world where

they are trying to preserve power at any cost.

CURNOW: Yes, and that critical line -- reject globalism, embrace a doctrine of patriotism. What does that mean? What are the implications

for the globe? Brent Bruen, thanks so much for joining us. Well, I'm Robyn Curnow, much more news after the break.

[11:55:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CURNOW: OK. So, here's some good stuff. One person has already made history at the United Nations General Assembly. New Zealand's first baby,

Neve, looked on as her mom, Jacinda Ardern, addressed the assembly hall. The Prime Minister is still breastfeeding her baby daughter and said the

decision to bring her baby to work is, quote, a practical one even if it is the UNGA. Ardern is only the second elected leader to give birth while in

office after Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto almost three decades ago. A situation Ardern says she hopes will one day be completely normal. Here,

here for her.

So, on that note I'm Robyn Curnow. This was CONNECT THE WORLD. Thanks so much for watching.

END