Ivana Defends Trump; Trump Compared To Stalin; Trump's Ex-Wife Speaks Out.
BLITZER: The president's ex-wife, Ivana Trump, is now coming to his defense amid the fallout from his vulgar remarks about immigrants from Africa and Haiti. During an appearance on a British T.V. show, she denied her former husband is a racist.</s>IVANA TRUMP: I don't think Donald is a racist at all. You know, sometimes he says these things, you know, which are silly or he doesn't really mean them or something like that. But he's definitely not racist, I'm sure of that.</s>BLITZER: I want to bring in our White House Reporter Kate Bennett who's been following this story for us. It's not the first time, Ivana, his ex-wife, has come to his defense.</s>KATE BENNETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: It's certainly not. In fact, Ivana, in October, released a book called "Raising Trump" in which she says she still talks to the president. They seem to have a close relationship. She certainly has been a champion of his. And the first lady, current first lady, Melania Trump, has not said anything about this latest controversy. Although, Wolf, that's not unusual. Melania Trump doesn't typically respond when the president has these controversies.</s>BLITZER: What are the -- what does the current wife, and the first daughter, you know, Ivanka and Melania, what are they saying about all of this?</s>BENNETT: Not a whole lot. We've reached out to the White House and neither of them have responded to comment on this latest controversy. Melania Trump did, last week, respond to the Michael Wolff book, however, via a spokesperson, calling it a lie, saying it was a work of non-fiction. Interestingly, her spokesperson did say that Melania Trump might, at some point, tell her own truthful story, which leads lots of people to think maybe down the road she'll have something to say. But for now, the first lady and the first daughter are both avoiding this controversy. We have not heard from them. Melania Trump did, this morning, tweet a Martin Luther King Jr. Day tweet honoring the day and asking that we all represent and remember the civil rights leader.</s>BLITZER: It's interesting that the president still have a -- apparently a pretty good relationship with his wife.</s>BENNETT: He does. And this was the one thing in October that did trigger Melania Trump to respond, which she doesn't really do. But she did say back then when Ivana Trump made that comment about, I don't want Melania to be jealous if I call the White House, and Melania responded via her spokesperson saying, you know, this is about selling books. I'm first lady. This isn't, you know, something that we need to worry ourselves with. So she did sort of fire back that time.</s>BLITZER: Now when the president travels later this month to Davos for the World Economic Forum, the first lady will be going along as well.</s>BENNETT: That's right, Wolf. A last minute announcement yesterday. CNN learned that the first lady will go with him to Davos. She will likely be front and center when he gives his remarks there and she will accompany him on this trip.</s>BLITZER: Yes, we'll see what happens. There will be a lot of publicity on that trip I am sure.</s>BENNETT: Certainly.</s>BLITZER: Kate, keep up the great reporting. Thanks very much. A new twist today in American tensions with Russia. You're going to hear why Moscow is now berating the United States saying America is destabilizing the world. Plus, as North and South Korea meet again for talks ahead of the winter Olympic games in South Korea, we're hearing from a formal -- from former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who's describing Kim Jong-un as, quote, pretty clever. We'll tell you why she thinks that. That's coming up.