Trump Still Talking To North Koreans "Right Now"; Russian Oligarch Met With Cohen At Trump Tower During Transition; White House Lawyer At Start Of Lawmaker Briefings On FBI Source
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Kate Bolduan. It appears the princess bride had it right once again, to paraphrase, mostly dead is not all dead. And when it comes to the president's summit, with North Korea, the president is suggesting that the summit is slightly alive.</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We're going to see what happens. We're talking to them now. It was a very nice statement they put out. We'll see what happens. It could even be the 12th. We're talking to them now. They very much want to do it. We would like to do it. We'll see what happens.</s>BOLDUAN: That jarring whiplash reversal, just 24 hours after abruptly canceling his talks with Kim Jong-un. President Trump even saying as you heard right there that the meeting could still happen on the June 12th date that he just canceled. CNN's Jeremy Diamond is at the U.S. Naval Academy where the president just delivered the commencement speech just minutes ago. Jeremy, the president, we heard, had been furious about the rhetoric coming from North Korea. It certainly doesn't seem he is so much today.</s>JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, that's right. Well, you know, if you were feeling a case of whiplash right now, Kate, I don't think anybody would blame you. Less than 24 hours after the president sent a letter to Kim Jong-un to cancel this planned summit in Singapore next month, the president now appears to say well, this summit could be back on the table. He suggested that the U.S. and North Korean officials are once again speaking to each other, once again communicating potentially about the logistics of the future summit between himself and the North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un. This would be, of course, the first summit between a U.S. and North Korean leader. But it is difficult to see what exactly has changed beyond that communication. Yesterday, the North Koreans put out a statement signaling they were still open to the prospect of diplomacy despite the president canceling on them. But the gap on the issue still remains. One of the reasons why the summit was canceled is because the U.S. and North Korea were not yet on the same page with regards to denuclearization. There is still a lot of questions that would take place on whether indeed the North Koreans are truly committed to denuclearizing as the president certainly hopes that they are. But, again, the president expressing some optimism this morning about this, he has not addressed it here at this commencement speech. Instead, he has hinted at the U.S. military buildup that has taken place during his presidency, which is also, of course, notable as we look at whether the situation with North Korea is going to be headed for more diplomatic opening or perhaps for the alternative, which the president has made clear is the military solution -- Kate.</s>BOLDUAN: Yes, that's right. All right. Great to see you, Jeremy. Thank you so much. Joining me right now to discuss this and where things are right now, Bill Richardson, former governor of New Mexico, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and someone who has had high-level negotiations with North Korea in the past, and Tony Blinken, CNN analyst and former deputy secretary of state under President Obama. Tony Blinken, I would love to hear your favorite princess bride quote here. You thought that Donald Trump needed this meeting more than Kim Jong-un. Then yesterday happened and the date was off and now it is -- how would you describe it?</s>TONY BLINKEN, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: You know, Kate, I think it is a little bit early to be singing the summit time blues because this is really a very high stakes game of international chicken. Each leader thinks the other needs the summit more than he does. And so, they're both ratcheting up their demands. I think they both need it and that's why I think it is too early to cancel your reservations for Singapore. For Kim Jong-un, this is the -- if the meeting happens, it is the legitimacy that he secures that his predecessors, his father and grandfather, couldn't get, by meeting with an American president. For President Trump, he is so hyped his ability to deliver what his predecessors couldn't that he wasn't this to happen and failure in advance is a big embarrassment for him. So, I think there is still a real possibility this comes off whether it's on the 12th or a little bit, we'll see.</s>BOLDUAN: Governor, you also think that both sides need this meeting. I'll read for you just a reminder what some of what the North Koreans said in response to the president canceling the meeting. We're willing to give time and opportunity to the U.S., always with a big and open mind, we reiterate to the U.S. that we're willing to sit face to face at any time in any way. Not the usual we're going to annihilate you and reduce you to ashes that we hear sometimes from North Korea when messaging. What do you think -- what message are they trying to send then?</s>BILL RICHARDSON, FORMER NEW MEXICO GOVERNOR: Well, that message was (inaudible) who has been their nuclear negotiator for many years. It is very authoritative. What the North Koreans did I think they overplayed their hand on the rhetoric side. Even though they always do this, they don't show up to meetings to discuss the logistics of the summit, they call the vice president a nasty name, they talk about nuclear annihilation. I think what happened was they overstepped their boundaries, and this caused obviously the president to be upset. So, my view is like Tony's. I think the summit will happen. I think it will be relatively soon. I'm not sure it will be the 12th. I hope it is not the 12th because I want -- there are still fundamental issues that is that there is substantial disagreement. The phase, scope of denuclearization, the North Koreans don't want to denuclearize. They're ready to put limits, curbs on the use, we say total denuclearization. North Koreans are not going to do that. I think the president already signaled a little flexibility on that when he says, well, maybe phased denuclearization. This is a negotiation that still has to happen, but, you know, welcome to the Trump roller coaster foreign policy.</s>BOLDUAN: It is a fun ride. Tony, is -- do you think China is to blame for the recent falling out? I ask because the president seemed to suggest that when he said that Kim changed in his words after the second meeting with President Xi. What did China tell Kim in that meeting do you think?</s>BLINKEN: Look, Kate, I don't think China is to blame. I think they did a very good job reinserting themselves into this process. They were a little bit afraid of being left to the side of the road. They got back in the middle of it, which is where they wanted to be. But no, I think it is exactly as Governor Richardson said, the problem is the president set the bar almost impossibly high on himself, which is the virtual immediate complete denuclearization of North Korea. That was never going to happen. And ironically, what could happen and there is at least a possibility is to get some kind of deal, a little like the deal that the president trashed with Iran, where they take a series of steps overtime that are reciprocated, that start to curb their program, not eliminate everything but get it in check. Unfortunately, the president setting this bar so high makes it very, very hard for him to succeed and the idea that he would even get something as effective as the Iranian agreement that he threw out. That is all dismantled and virtually the entire program in North Korea upfront, the most intrusive inspections regime in history, that's a very high bar. So, here is an opportunity for him to reset expectations a little bit before a meeting which I still hope happens.</s>BOLDUAN: Governor, what do you do if you're Secretary of State Mike Pompeo right now. The day before the president pulled out of talks he seemed optimistic they were going to happen and then this, and he was left to answer before it before a Senate committee.</s>RICHARDSON: Well, what I would do, if I'm Secretary Pompeo, is I would go to the president and say, Mr. President, I have to be the lone voice, the lone messenger of North Korea, can't be the national security adviser, the vice president. I mean, this is --</s>BOLDUAN: Good luck with that.</s>RICHARDSON: But the problem is too many messengers, too many messages. White House press office, the president, the vice president, Bolton, it should be the secretary of state. This is diplomacy. It was Pompeo that got the two meetings with Kim Jong-un that set up the intelligence channel. Let him run the show. I think he has been hampered a bit by individuals in the White House that didn't want this summit to happen, that's my observation. Now, I don't have any inside information, but I do think it is important that the summit take place, that the administration prepare. That the president really prepared, that he listened to substance on what is achievable, I think there are some things that as Tony said that are achievable. But total denuclearization, by North Korea, it is not going to happen.</s>BOLDUAN: Yes, and one thing that might be their first challenge among many is speaking with one voice, coming out of the administration, if we look at the recent history of coming out of the White House and beyond. Great to see you both. Thank you so much. We are following some breaking news that is coming in just now to CNN. Breaking news on the Russia investigation. We're now learning President Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen, that he held a Trump Tower meeting with a Russian oligarch who has been questioned by the Special Counsel Robert Mueller. This meeting unknown until now came during the transition to the White House, focused on improving relations with Russia. What does this all mean and what really do we know? Let me bring in Shimon Prokupecz. He's working his sources. He's got all of this. Shimon, bring us up to speed, please.</s>SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: Yes, that's right, Kate. So, this meeting took place in January, around January 9th of 2017, as you said. During the transition. It happened at Trump tower, Victor Vekselberg, who as we've done a lot of reporting, and you may recall, is a very wealthy, a billionaire, worth some $15 billion, Russian oligarch, who has been sanctioned by the United States. He was also recently questioned by FBI agents working for the special counsel after he flew to the U.S. in a New York area, he was pulled off a plane, and questioned by FBI agents. Now, at this meeting at Trump Tower, and you see there is video there of Mr. Vekselberg, there with the hat, his back is to the camera. He's accompanied by his cousin, a man by the name of Andrew Intrader. Now, as you may recall, we did some reporting regarding Andrew Intrader. He was eventually hired by Michael Cohen as a consultant, was paid about $500,000 by Michael Cohen for what we were told was consulting work. And now this new video which we have reviewed today shows that these two men, Andrew Intrader and Viktor Vekselberg were at Trump Tower and as you said, we were told the meeting was about improving U.S. and Russia relations. And this meeting we're told was with Michael Cohen, the president, was not there, Donald Trump was not in the meeting, the meeting lasted about 30 minutes and then the two men left. And as you now know, Kate, pretty well there has been a lot of reporting about Victor Vekselberg, about Andrew Intrader and it all tells us why the special counsel is so interested in Viktor Vekselberg. We also know that at some point Andrew Intrader was also questioned about the FBI. Now, also keep in mind, Kate, Viktor Vekselberg was at Trump's inauguration. There is some history with him and Vladimir Putin. He was at an RT dinner that as you may recall Michael Flynn was at. So, all of this, obviously, created some suspicion and some concern for the FBI and the special counsel team that has been looking at Russia collusion. And that's why they wanted to talk to him and certainly this again raises some questions as to exactly what was Viktor Vekselberg doing there, who thought this was a good idea for this man who is a very well-known Russian oligarch, who has connections to Vladimir Putin. You know, who would think this would be a good idea for this man to appear to show up at Trump Tower during the transition?</s>BOLDUAN: And also, how that is, if that is connected to that huge dollar amount that the private equity firm paid then to Michael Cohen for consulting services. How that all fits together, that's what they're looking at. Great to see you, Shimon. Thank you so much. Coming up for us, the backlash over the briefings, lawmakers ripping the Trump administration for involving a White House attorney at a confidential briefing among the gang of eight and talks about the source in the Russia investigation. Plus, did they learn anything new? With all that leadup ahead of time. We'll discuss. Also surrounded by cameras, without a red carpet in sight, Harvey Weinstein walks into a New York City courtroom, walks into a New York City courtroom in handcuffs after being charged with rape and other sexual offenses. What his accusers are saying now.