Trump Falsely Claims He Can't Be Impeached; Report: White House Wanted "USS McCain" Out of Trump's Sight; How Trump Has Politicized the Military
KEILAR: President Trump says he knew nothing about efforts to keep the "USS John McCain" out of sight during his visit to Japan but he says whoever was behind the decision to hide the destroyer bearing the McCain family name probably meant well.</s>TRUMP: I don't know what happened. I wasn't involved. I would not have done that. I was very angry with John McCain because he killed health care. I was not a big fan of John McCain in any way, shape, or form. I think John McCain had a lot to getting President Bush, a lot to do with it, to go into the Middle East, which was a catastrophe. To me, John McCain, I wasn't a fan. But I would never do a thing like that. Now, somebody did it because they thought I didn't like him. OK. And they were well meaning, I will say. I didn't know anything about it. I would never have done that.</s>KEILAR: Two Navy officials confirmed to CNN that the White House military office communicated with lower-level Navy officials about moving or obscuring the ship ahead of the president's visit. There were actually e-mails about it. The "Wall Street Journal" reports a tarp was placed over the name because it couldn't be moved because since it was undergoing repairs from a fatal collision. But one Navy officials tells CNN the tarp was removed before Trump's arrival. And multiple Navy officials say the ship and its name were viewable during the president's visit. When Navy higherups heard about the plan, they had stopped it. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan told reporters that he was not aware of the controversies surrounding "the USS John McCain."</s>PATRICK SHANAHAN, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY (voice-over): I never authorized, I never approved any action around the movement or activity regarding that ship. Furthermore, I would never dishonor the memory of a great American patriot like Senator McCain. I also think it's important that I'd never disrespect the young men and women that crew that ship.</s>KEILAR: This is just the latest example of the politicization of the military by the president or in his interests. During the president's trip to Japan, some sailors wore patches on the image with the patches on their uniforms with Trump-like images and the slogan "Make Air Crews Great Again." The Navy is currently investigating that. And over Christmas, the president visited the troops in Iraq and, instead of just thanking them for what they do and acknowledging that, to do it, they're away from their family on an important holiday, he held a campaign rally railing against Democrats. The Trump administration has sent troops to the U.S. border with Mexico to enforce had a highly partisan immigration policy. And it issued a memo that allows them to use some force, even though the law is clear, the military is not to engage in domestic law enforcement. So why are these things a problem? Just ask experts on civil military relations. Sure, these actions are inappropriate. They will also tell you they are dangerous. The Navy, which is stretched so thin on resources and deployments, that many experts think that's to blame for recent fatal accidents, like on the "McCain," at sea, is dedicating manpower to deal with this "USS John McCain" controversy. As a whole, the president's politicization of the military actually undermines how other countries view U.S. military action abroad. U.S. involvement in conflicts looks like the policy of a minority faction of the U.S. Navy instead of the whole. The military is supposed to serve America, the Constitution. They are yours, not the president's. If the military is seen as supporting a particular president, then Americans who don't support that president, may not want to serve. And then it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. Then the military is the riff to become weaponized by one party and that's not supposed to happen in America. That's what happens in Venezuela, Iran, China, Russia, North Korea. And back to the "USS John McCain," the fact that the president never authorized this move to obscure the name of the ship is actually worse than if he did. Because it means that some officials in the Navy are catering to the president's political vendetta against John McCain. It means that not only is the president politicizing the military, the military is politicizing itself. Special Counsel Robert Mueller suggesting only Congress can hold the president accountable in a crime. My next guest is a member of the House Judiciary Committee and she says she is ready to act. Also, Actor Ashton Kutcher is taking the stand, testifying in the Hollywood Ripper serial killer trial. What he says about the day he discovered his girlfriend was murdered.