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Trump Honors Fallen Service Members; Families Visit Arlington; Efforts to Salvage Summit; Strategy to Undermine Probe. Aired 12- 12:30p ET

Aired May 28, 2018 - 12:00   ET

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

[12:00:00] DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Really beautiful. Thank you. You know that, right?

Also joining us today is a very special friend, seven-year-old Christian Jacobs, who is here with his mom, Brittany.

I met Christian exactly one year ago today. Last year after the wreath-laying ceremony, Christian walked over to me with great confidence, shook my hand, looked me straight in the eye and asked if I would like to meet his dad. He loved his dad. Marine Sergeant Christopher Jacobs, who died when Christian was just eight months old.

Next, Christian, looking as sharp as you could look, dressed in a beautiful Marine outfit -- I've never seen a Marine look that good in my life, Christian -- he wanted to look good, he told me, as a tribute to his father. And he led me to his dad's grave. And we paid our respects together. It was a moment I will always remember.

Christian, I want you to know that even though your father has left this world, he's left it for the next. But he's not gone. He'll never be gone. Your dad's love, courage, and strength live in you, Christian. And as you grow bigger and stronger, just like him, so, too, does your father's incredible legacy.

So thank you both. That's so beautiful. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you, Christian. Good to see you.

He's become my friend, I will tell you. A special young man.

To every family member of the fallen, I want you to know that the legacy of those you lost does not fade with time but grows only more powerful. Their legacy does not, like a voice in the distance, become a faint echo, but instead their legacy grows deeper, spreading further, touching more lives, reaching down through time, and out across many generations. Through their sacrifice, your loved ones have achieved something very, very special -- immortality.

Today we also remember the more than 82,000 American service men and women who remain missing from wars and conflicts fought over the past century. We will never stop searching for them. And whenever possible, we will bring them home.

We pledge to remember not just on Memorial Day, we will always remember them. We will remember them every day.

Moments ago, I laid a wreath in tribute to those resting in honored glory. For more than 80 years, the sentinels of the old guard have kept watch over the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Serving in this elite unit is among the most prestigious honors in the United States military. While the rest of us sleep, while we go about our lives, through every minute, through every day, through freezing cold, scorching heat, and raging storms, they stand watch. Even when the earth shook beneath their feet on 9/11 and smoke from the Pentagon darkened the sky above these tree-lined hills, here they remained faithful at their post, eternal on guard. They never moved. The sentinel always stands because America never forgets it's our heroes who make us who we are and who determine what we will be.

[12:05:23] Our fallen heroes have not only written our history, they've shaped our destiny. They saved the lives of the men and women with whom they served. They cared for their families more than anything in the world. They loved their families. They inspired their communities, uplifted their country, and provided the best example of courage, virtue, and valor the world will ever know. They fought and bled and died so that America would forever remain safe and strong and free.

Each of the markers on that field, each of the names engraved in stone, teach us what it means to be loyal and faithful and proud and brave and righteous and true. That is why we come to this most sacred place. That is why we guard these grounds with absolute devotion. That is why we always will remember because here, on this soil, on these ground, beneath those fields, lies the true source of American greatness, of American glory, and of American freedom. As long as we are blessed with patriots such as these, we shall forever remain one people, one family, and one nation under God.

It's been my great honor to be with you today. I want to thank you. May God bless the families of the fallen. May God bless the men and women who serve. And may God bless the United States of America, our great country.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, please stand for the playing of "Taps" and the benediction, then remain standing for the playing of "America the Beautiful."

("TAPS" PLAYING)

JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR: I'm John King in Washington. You're watching the president of the United States attending this service, these annual services on Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery. It is both the final resting place and a museum to America's heroes.

On site, as these ceremonies concludes, is our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr. Barbara, very moving remarks from the president of the United States,

saying we will never forget our heroes, saluting family members of fallen who are there for these ceremonies today, to remember their loved ones who died in combat.

You've been out on the grounds as well speaking to families through the day. Share your thoughts on this very important, solemn day.

[12:10:01] BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, we've been here for about four hours, and I have to tell you, behind me is one of the biggest crowds of families, friends of the fallen, battle buddies, that I've seen in a number of years here. Today it has just been really thankfully nonstop. People coming through to pause and pay their respects. And some families basically spending the day here, spending the day with their loved ones here at section 60. This is the place, of course, where so many of the fallen from Afghanistan and Iraq in recent years are buried. But others are here, certainly, at their final resting place.

You know, thankfully, we do have veterans in this country who live long, full lives, and die surrounded at an old age by their families, thankfully. Those people are here. This is a real cross section today of the American military family.

We spoke to one family earlier today. A great grandmother was here all day to remember her fallen grandson. She is 94 years old. And she has more than 20 great grandchildren. Her newest, just seven months old, being carried in his mother's arms here today.

So people, you know, are pausing, paying their respects on this Memorial Day. As we've talked about, enjoy the holiday, go to the beach, go to the cookout, but stop and remember. And that is what is happening here today. A place very much full of love for the American military family.

John.

KING: Couldn't have said it any better myself.

Barbara Starr, appreciate that, live from Arlington National Cemetery. It is a day -- it's the gateway to the summer for some people. There are barbecue. There is baseball. But also please take a moment to remember the scene you see on the right of your screen there, pay tribute to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

A quick break here. When we come back, the president said it was off, now he says it's on. Could that nuclear summit with North Korea actually still happen, and could it actually happen just two weeks from now?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:16:03] KING: Welcome back.

On the Korean peninsula right now, an urgent diplomatic mission. A high level team from the United States meeting with a North Korean delegation, trying to salvage that historic summit between President Trump and Kim Jong-un. The on again-off again-maybe on again summit could still happen a mere 15 days from now. There's another team of U.S. officials working in Singapore, where the meeting would take place.

The president certainly feeling optimistic. Listen to this tweet this morning. I truly believe North Korea has brilliant potential and will be a great economic and financial nation one day. Kim Jong-un agrees with me on this. It will happen.

Is there a basis for that optimism?

With me today to share their reporting and their insights, Karen Demirjian with "The Washington Post," CNN's Phil Mattingly, Michael Shear of "The New York Times," and CNN's Kaitlan Collins.

This is -- you have the advanced team in Singapore. More importantly, no offense to that team, you have this substance team meeting with the North Koreans. This was off just 72 hours ago. President Moon of South Korea wants it. Kim Jong-un clearly wants it. President Trump clearly wants it. Are we going to have a meeting to have a meeting, or do we think they're going to resolve the substance?

MICHAEL SHEAR, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": I mean, look, in some ways what's happening now is a more normal process. You normally have substantive meetings at the lower levels before you decide whether or not to have a summit. That's more normal. What isn't normal is the speed with which they're trying to make this happen. I mean, you know, other summits at this level have taken place after months if not years of negotiations, of discussions between, you know, the sort of technical experts to try to figure out, can you actually make this happen, and the diplomatic experts to decide, where are the two sides. And you try to have all of that mapped out before the leaders speak.

So, having said that, you know, folks I talked to yesterday said there is some value in breaking the ice, and perhaps they can get just far enough on an agreement on some kind of framework for what they want to talk about that then the two leaders come together, and then a lot of those sort of technical details can be worked out afterwards. And it's just not clear yet whether they're going to get there in time.

KING: So, in some ways, a process in reverse. Normally the leaders seal a deal. The leaders here trying to seal a mood, if you will --

SHEAR: Right.

KING: To get them into the deal-making?

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: And, also, look at what happened four days ago, just four days ago, when they canceled this. In one of the reasons they cited as part of the reason the president canceled it, because he said it wasn't the appropriate time, was because of that North Korean statement calling the vice president a political dummy. But also the end of it where it said that they threated nuclear war essentially. They were saying we can't meet under these circumstances.

But to the best of my knowledge, North Korea hasn't retracted that statement or said anything different. So what about it has changed now that four days later they feel like they can meet again?

KING: Well, one thing that has change is President Moon of South Korea had a weekend meeting with Kim Jong-un, who agreed to that meeting. And the South Koreans are making a point of notice saying they gave the White House a heads-up about that meeting. That's their way of saying, you blindsided us when you backed out of the summit, Mr. Trump.

But, President Moon is telling President Trump that Kim Jong-un is serious. That he will negotiate -- he's willing to negotiate giving up his nuclear weapons program.

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And, by the way --

KING: That's a big -- that's a -- that's a big bet.

MATTINGLY: And, by the way, so is Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and has been for the last couple of weeks, since their last face-to-face meeting. I think Mike's point is kind of the crucial one here. The red lines that exist, which I don't think we're all fully aware of right now. They haven't exactly been laid out in detail, particularly on the technical side, which I think everybody would tell you is the most important thing, is the idea now because you have Moon Jae-in saying, yes, because you have Kim Jong-un allegedly saying yes, because you have President Trump saying yes, because you have Secretary of State Pompeo saying yes, does that become the driving force to have the meeting and, therefore, said red lines are little bit more ambiguous? They're willing to move forward without those deals or constructs locked into place? And if the answer is yes because the driving force from the 30,000-foot level is yes, then I think there's a very real chance that it happens.

KING: But you have this fear, and the president's tweet only reinforces the fear among many conservatives in Congress and people who have watched this for a long time, that the president says this can be a great economic nation. Kim Jong-un agrees with me. The fear is that the president will sit down at the table, Kim Jong-un will say, yes, I'm willing to negotiate giving up my nuclear program, let's start those negotiations in detail on the technical stuff. But, in the meantime, I need sanctions relief. I need economic aid.

[12:20:13] Listen here, two Republican senators saying, whoa, whoa, Mr. President, be careful.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R), FLORIDA: Ultimately, I remain convinced that he does not want to denuclearize. In fact, he will not denuclearize. But he wants to give off this perception that he's this open leader, that he's peaceful, that he's reasonable. It's all a show. It's a show.

SEN. JEFF FLAKE (R), ARIZONA: I think that the North Koreans realize that total denuclearization on their part is not in their national interest. That's how they see it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: If the president is the one who ultimately has to makes this decision, the, of course, he wants to meet face to face, eyeball to eyeball, to get a sense of the man. But, man, there's a lot of worries.

KAROUN DEMIRJIAN, CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER, "THE WASHINGTON POST": Yes, I mean, look, the summit -- the problems of this summit has become an end in itself instead of part of a bigger process in a way and that's because of the egos of those people that maybe involved in this. Trump wants the branding of having been the president that actually who got to this point, which has been elusive for a long time. Kim, for him, it's huge to be seen next to the leader of the free world. It legitimizes him, right? And the question, will he have actually done anything to earn that before they get to that point. And there's not really a lot of agreement on what getting to that point means yet. Denuclearization is a very nice word. But for the North Koreans it actually may also mean, well, the United States, you have bombers that are at nuclear capacity -- you know, have the capability of bringing those.

KING: Right.

DEMIRJIAN: Are you going to have to get rid of those, too. We're using this word as if we're only talking about what's happening on the North Korean side. We haven't actually been listening to what their demands may be at the table, too. And that creates a complicated situation. President Trump really is quite good at flattering leaders who have terrible human rights records, who have pulled other sort of stunts in the world that we consider despotic as a way of sweetening -- sweet talking them into something. But in this situation, the stakes have actually -- having the nice handshake are pretty dire if it pads Kim Jong-un's ego to the point where he says, well, that's all I really wanted. Thanks so much. We're done here.

KING: It will be fascinating to get the report back from the White House team meeting with the North Koreans. That's the next step here to see. All right, does that team report back to the president, we think they're serious, and then we'll go from there. We'll keep an eye on that.

Up next for us here though, the president's TV lawyer with a very candid admission.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:26:28] KING: Welcome back.

Today the president's TV lawyer being quite candid that the attacks on the special counsel will continue and that the target audience is not a judge or a traditional courtroom jury.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) RUDY GIULIANI, PRESIDENT TRUMP'S LAWYER: Well, I mean, they're giving -- they're giving us the material. I couldn't do it if they didn't have the material. They're giving us the material to do it. Of course we have to do it in defending the president. We're defending -- to a large extent, remember, Dana, we're defending here, it is for public opinion because eventually the decision here is going to be impeach, not impeach.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Impeach, not impeach. Meaning, decisions made by members of Congress, who, of course, are mindful of public opinion. That's what Giuliani is targeting, and the president is back at it today, hammering his theme that the special counsel investigation is tainted, hatched, the president says, by a deep state plot that included placing spies in his campaign.

Now, to watch Giuliani on TV is to be reminded the customer, in this case the client, is always right.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR: Do you think that the Mueller probe is legitimate?

RUDY GIULIANI, PRESIDENT TRUMP'S LAWYER: I -- not anymore. I don't. I did when I came in, but now I see -- I see spygate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: "I see spygate." That sounds so definitive. Yet Giuliani admits he has not personally seen any evidence of spying. And, again, the venue is critical. There are no rules of evidence on TV. Giuliani could challenge the legitimacy of the investigation in court where there are rules, but he hasn't, which tells me everything I need to know.

And for those of you, yes, the president is not charged. So people at home might be saying, how would they challenge it in court. Every time they get a routine request for document at the White House, if they so choose, they could go to court and say the person sending us this request is illegitimate. This investigation is born of and make your case.

Paul Manafort has tried to make that case. Others who have been in court have tried to make that case. They have failed at every step. So Rudy makes it on TV. Again, there are a lot of federal courthouses he could pop into. He has not.

DEMIRJIAN: There's two audiences for this, though, as he was even saying the whole time, right, there's the legal process, there is the actual investigation, and there's the fact that everybody's watching what the president's saying about the investigation and what -- how the investigation's going.

And, I mean, look, unless Bob Mueller wraps this up very, very soon, they're probably both going to come to a head and collide right around the time of the November 2018 elections. And so it's not a stupid strategy for the White House and for the president's lawyer to be actually play this to the public right now because it matters. If the house flips, yes, we are probably talking about impeachment proceedings being started.

KING: And even if it comes up before the election, Republicans are going to have to make a decision based on the Mueller report.

DEMIRJIAN: Yes.

KING: And Rudy Giuliani lived this from a different perspective, that's what the Clinton administration did, too. This is not new. It might be on strides, the volume might be louder, the way they do it might be different in the social media age, but this is not new.

To the question of spying, which the president keeps saying, again absent any public evidence, Senator Marco Rubio, Republican, says this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R), FLORIDA: Up to now what I have seen is evidence that they were investigating individuals with a history of links to Russia that were concerning. And that was appropriate if that's all that happened.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: So pushback -- pushback from a prominent Republican to this idea that the investigation is tainted and that these attacks on the special counsel are justified.

COLLINS: And you notice whoever House Speaker Paul Ryan was asked last week about if he believed that there were spies inside the president's campaign, he totally deflected and said that he wanted to get to the bottom of Russian interference in the election. So you see that there.

[12:29:55] And then you hear from Rudy Giuliani saying that he doesn't believe Mueller is legitimate anymore. He did when he came in, which was a month ago. A lot has changed pretty quickly for him. But he's saying that "I see spygate." Of course, he has seen no evidence that there were spies inside the president's campaign because no one has. And the only people who have stated that as fact are the president and a few Fox News hosts.