Reports: Trump Lawyers Looking to Limit Mueller Probe; Trump Legal Team Shuffled
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Will the special counsel probe lead to presidential pardons? The new reports breaking down the White House's new battle plan.</s>MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Shaking things up. The big reason behind big changes in the president's legal team.</s>ROMANS: And he is set for parole but still creating controversy. What O.J. Simpson said about his past before a panel decided his future. Welcome back to EARLY START this morning. I'm Christine Romans.</s>MARQUEZ: It's Friday. Happy Friday to you. I'm Miguel Marquez. It is 30 minutes past the hour. Up first, explosive new reporting this morning. The president's lawyers are looking for ways to undermine the Russia investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller. "The Washington Post." and "New York Times" report attorneys and aides are scouring the backgrounds of Mueller and his staff, searching for conflicts of interests they can use to undercut the Russia probe. The paper cites several sources familiar with the research effort.</s>ROMANS: "The Washington Post" reporting the president has asked about his power to pardon aides, family members, even himself. One adviser told "The Post" the president was simply curious about the reach of his pardoning authority. This follows the president's earlier attacks on Mueller and other officials connected to the Russian investigation. CNN's Jeff Zeleny has more this morning for us from the White House.</s>JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Christine and Miguel, President Trump and the White House increasingly focused on that special counsel's investigation, that independent investigation into the Russian meddling of the 2016 election. There are indications that the investigation is spreading beyond simple election meddling. President Trump made that's indication in his interview with "The New York Times" earlier this week when he talked about special prosecutor Robert Mueller and the idea that he could be looking into the Trump family's finances. Now, the president said he thought that would be outside of the purview of that. But this is increasingly dominating much of the conversation here at the White House, as the legal team is look at strategies here. "The Washington Post" and "New York Times" are both reporting this morning that the president is also looking into ways to disrupt this investigation. They're looking into the background of the attorneys working on this investigation. It just shows how much time and attention here at the White House is being focused on this. So much fallout reverberating from that interview with "The New York Times" earlier this week about the president expressing his blistering disappointment with the attorney general. It has sent shockwaves throughout the West Wing of the White House largely because the attorney general is one of the most loyal soldiers in the Trump army. He was one of the earliest supporters. He was in fact the earliest Republican senator to sign on. But as we end this week, the sixth- month mark of this presidency is Russia investigation dominating many things here at the White House -- Christine and Miguel.</s>MARQUEZ: Jeff Zeleny, thank you very much. As for the attorney general, he's shrugging off President Trump's attack. The president said he should have hired someone else if he knew Sessions would recuse himself in the Russia probe. The attorney general is determined to stay put for the time being.</s>JEFF SESSIONS, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: I have the honor of serving as attorney general. It's something that goes beyond any thought I would have ever had for myself. We love this job. We love this department. And I plan to continue to do so, as long as that is appropriate.</s>MARQUEZ: Now with more on the attorney general's response and damage control at the White House, CNN's Jessica Schneider in Washington.</s>JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Christine and Miguel, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, he seems to be rebuffing speculation that he might resign in the wake of President Trump's harsh words about him in "The New York Times". Well, of course, the president expressed his anger at Sessions' decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation back on March 2nd. The president saying in that "New York Times" interview that the decision was, quote, unfair to the president, and that President Trump wouldn't have asked him to become attorney general if he knew Sessions would remove himself from overseeing the investigation. Of course, those comments drew a lot of speculation. But White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, she's clarified, in part, saying that the president does have confidence in Sessions. But really was just disappointed in the decision Sessions made to recuse.</s>SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS, WHITE HOUSE DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY: Clearly, he has confidence in him or he would not be the attorney general. I think you know this president well enough to know that if he wanted somebody to take an action, he would make that quite clear.</s>SCHNEIDER: Well, Sarah Huckabee sanders added to the comment saying the president does not intend to fire Mueller, that the president believes the special counsel should not move outside the scope of the investigation. Though the scope of that investigation is up for interpretation about how broad it might be -- Christine and Miguel.</s>ROMANS: All right. Jessica, thank you for that. Now, with all that in mind, the president is reshuffling the legal team charged with helping him navigate this Russia probe. Two sources tell CNN the president's long time personal attorney, Marc Kasowitz, will see his role as lead lawyer on the Russia investigation diminish. And now, veteran Washington attorney John Dowd, and another Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow will lead the president's personal attorneys as on that Russia inquiry.</s>MARQUEZ: The sources say by working outside the White House, Dowd and Sekulow's dealings with the president will be protected by the same attorney-client privilege afforded all U.S. citizens. Inside the White House, Attorney Ty Cobb will take the lead on legal and communications strategy for Russia. He'll be effectively replacing communications strategist Mark Corallo who resigned on Thursday.</s>ROMANS: All right. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley threatening to subpoena both Donald Trump Jr. and Paul Manafort to appear before his committee.</s>SEN. CHUCK GRASSLEY (R), IOWA: We asked them for voluntary appearance. I've indicated that we would subpoena if they don't come.</s>REPORTER: Is there a deadline associated with that?</s>GRASSLEY: We are having hearings next Wednesday. So, obviously, we want to hear right away.</s>ROMANS: Trump Jr. and Manafort are scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. But neither has publicly confirmed he will appear. The top Democrat on the committee, California Senator Dianne Feinstein, also reiterating the subpoena threat.</s>MARQUEZ: Now, we're also learning this morning, Jared Kushner's closed door session with the Senate Intelligence Committee next week will be with staff. It's not yet clear when he will meet with senators themselves. This is now being called an interview, not testimony.</s>ROMANS: Meantime, CNN has exclusively learned Jared Kushner's status as a top aide for President Trump is still being used to lure Chinese investors to his family's New Jersey development. Kushner's name being used on an online promotion by two businesses working with Kushner companies, describing him in Chinese as, quote, the celebrity of the family and Mr. Perfect, Jared Kushner. It comes after his family apologized in May for using Kushner's name during a sales pitch. I thought you were Mr. Perfect.</s>MARQUEZ: I am Mr. Perfect. They clearly have it wrong. A confidant of President Trump now under consideration for White House communications director. Two senior administration officials telling CNN, Anthony Scaramucci has been interviewed for the job and was spotted at the White House Thursday night. The hedge fund manager was an adviser for the President Trump's transition. If he is hired, the big question, what happens to other key members of the communications team? Sean Spicer, the press secretary, has stayed mostly behind the scenes in the search for the communications director search. It is unclear what happens once that post is filled.</s>ROMANS: All right. The U.S. is fining ExxonMobil for violating Russian sanctions while Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was still in charge. The Treasury Department is slapping a $2 million fine on ExxonMobil, claiming it demonstrated reckless disregard for the sanctions. It stems from a 2014 deal between Exxon executives and this man, Igor Sechin. Sechin runs the state-run oil company Rosneft. He is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. His assets were blocked as part of U.S. sanctions in 2014 on Russia for annexing Crimea.</s>MARQUEZ: Now, the Treasury Department did not specify the Exxon executive involved and they didn't name Tillerson. Tillerson stepped down as CEO last year, but had personal business dealings with Sechin when he ran ExxonMobil. And this move raises concerns again over his deep business ties in Russia. Exxon says the fine is fundamentally unfair.</s>ROMANS: All right. Another record high for the NASDAQ, a third in a row, the longest win streak since 2015. It is evidence investors are unfazed by President Trump's political troubles, higher corporate profits and a strong earning season. More on this in a few moments, but a stunning string of record highs in the stock market. It is still Made in America Week, and the president is wrapping it up by touting deal between these three companies, pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Merck, and manufacturing Corning. Together, they will produce a new type of glass for injectable drugs.</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Pharmaceutical drug packaging will now be made in America. That's a big step. That's a big statement. I'm very proud of that. Thank you very much, by the way. I know they wouldn't have done it under another administration.</s>ROMANS: It is an important deliverable for Made in America Week. Something to show about made in America. Until now, 98 percent of pharmaceutical glass packaging was made overseas. In terms of giving credit to any other administration, this program, Miguel, has been in the works since 2012. So, these companies have been working on this for five long years. But Corning will invest $500 million initially. The investment is expected to grow to $4 billion, creating at least 4,000 new high tech jobs job. The CEOs of Pfizer, Merck and Corning were present at this announcement. The company still needs federal government approval to move forward with the deal, including the</s>FDA. MARQUEZ: O.J. Simpson will soon be out of prison, a little later this year.</s>O.J. SIMPSON, FORMER NFL STAR: I've done my time. You know, I have done it as well and as respectfully as I think anybody can.</s>MARQUEZ: Next, see the moment when Simpson found out he would be able to walk free.