U.S. Cyber Command Targeting Russian Operatives Suspected of 2018 Election Interference; Interview With Hawaii Senator Mazie Hirono; Trump Stokes Immigration Fears to Rile Up Base Voters; Another Putin-Trump Summit Planned?.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Does he accept Turkey's allegation that a ferocious murder was committed? Putin's sit-down plan. The president is planning another face-to-face meeting with the Russian leader soon, this as Vladimir Putin is taking jabs at the U.S. and giving Mr. Trump's national security adviser an earful. And kissed off. The FBI finds zero evidence to back the president's bizarre claim that there are 100 photos of James Comey and Robert Mueller hugging and kissing. Tonight, another Russia probe conspiracy theory debunked. We want to welcome our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in</s>THE SITUATION ROOM. ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.</s>BLITZER: We're following breaking news on the red meat President Trump is now throwing at his base exactly two weeks before the midterm election. Tonight, we heard Mr. Trump call himself a nationalist, this for the third time in less than 24 hours. He insists the term reflects his love of country, claiming he is unaware that the label is sometimes associated with racism and anti-Semitism. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office just a little while ago, the president strongly defended a series of controversial and misleading statements he had been making out there on the campaign trail. I will get reaction from Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono. And our correspondents and analysts are also standing by. First, let's go to our chief White House correspondent, Jim Acosta. Jim, you were there inside the Oval Office. You had a chance to ask the president several questions, including about his use of the term nationalist. Tell us what he said.</s>JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf. President Trump appears to be embracing his new label of being a -- quote -- "nationalist," repeating that again today here at the White House earlier today. Critics say the president's rhetoric is just another dog whistle to his base. But it's also a big part of the president's midterm strategy of nationalism, nastiness and nonsense. The president defended that label of being a nationalist earlier today. But he could not offer any proof to back up one of his other claims, that there are people from the Middle East riding in the caravan heading toward the U.S. border. The president actually said this -- quote -- "There isn't any proof of anything."</s>ACOSTA (voice-over): It's a controversial label President Trump is wearing proudly from the White House.</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Call me a nationalist, if you would like, but I don't want companies leaving.</s>ACOSTA: To his campaign rallies.</s>TRUMP: You know what I am? I'm a nationalist, OK? I'm a nationalist.</s>ACOSTA: In the Oval Office, the president defended the nationalist label. But he brushed off concerns from critics that he is sending a dog whistle to his base that what he really means is that he is a white nationalist.</s>TRUMP: I love our country, and our country has taken second fiddle.</s>ACOSTA (on camera): There is a concern that you are sending coded language or a dog whistle to some Americans out there that what you really mean is that you're a white nationalist.</s>TRUMP: I have never even heard that. I cannot imagine that. You mean I say I'm a nationalist...</s>ACOSTA: You have never heard...</s>TRUMP: No, I have never heard that theory about being a nationalist. We protect, and we get killed. We do the trading, and they get killed. Can't do it. All I want, our country, is to be treated well, to be treated with respect. So, in that sense, I am absolutely a nationalist. And I'm proud of it.</s>ACOSTA (voice-over): The president has been dubbing himself a nationalist while he is blasting the thousands of migrants heading for the border in a caravan that Mr. Trump claims has been infiltrated with what he calls Middle Easterners, a racially loaded suggestion that there are terrorists among them. But when asked for proof, the president, who turned to the vice president at one point, couldn't provide any. (on camera): You had said that there are Middle Easterners in the caravan. Can you explain that? Are you saying there are terrorists in that caravan at this point?</s>TRUMP: It could very well be. And if you look at...</s>ACOSTA: But do you know for sure?</s>TRUMP: I have very good information.</s>ACOSTA: Are you saying you have evidence that there are terrorists in the caravan?</s>TRUMP: I spoke with Border Patrol this morning. And I spoke to them last evening. And I spoke to them the day before. I speak to them all the time. And they say -- and you know this as well as anybody -- over the course of the year, over the course of a number of years, they have intercepted many people from the Middle East. They have intercepted ISIS. They have intercepted all sorts of people. They have intercepted good ones and bad ones. They've intercepted wonderful people from the Middle East and they've intercepted bad ones. They've intercepted wonderful people from South America and from other parts further south. They have intercepted a lot of different people. But among the people they have intercepted very recently are people from the Middle East, OK? So you can't be surprised when you hear it.</s>ACOSTA: But no proof -- no proof that they're in the caravan now?</s>TRUMP: There is no proof of anything.</s>ACOSTA (voice-over): The president also took questions about his claims that he will be unveiling a middle-class tax cut plan in the coming days, even though multiple GOP sources have told CNN that proposal is news to them. (on camera): Is that an acknowledgment that the original GOP tax cut was too heavily tilted in favor of wealthy Americans and corporations?</s>TRUMP: No. No, it really wasn't. I'm talking about the one that was passed -- we're very proud of it. And what it did, more than anything else, it brought jobs, tremendous numbers of jobs.</s>ACOSTA (voice-over): Even his own top economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, conceded to reporters the plan isn't coming any time soon.</s>LARRY KUDLOW, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL ECONOMIC COUNCIL: We're working through the Ways and Means, as you have to do in these things, OK? And it may not surface for a while.</s>ACOSTA: We should also point out the president during that lengthy exchange with reporters talked about the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. At one point, the president described the cover-up of Khashoggi's murder as the worst cover-up he's ever seen. The president, though, did not say, Wolf, exactly what he plans to do about it, if it is, in fact, the worst cover-up of a murder he has ever seen. We should point out the president also said he may meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin when he travels to Paris after the midterms next month. But, of course, the president has to worry about winning these midterms first. It is a battle he's trying to win at this point, as you know, Wolf, with falsehoods, half-truths and fear -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: Two weeks exactly from today. Jim Acosta at the White House, thank you. We're going to have more on the breaking news coming up, including more on the U.S.-Russia relationship right now, as President Trump tries to lock down a meeting with Vladimir Putin next month. Tensions between the two countries on display during talks today between Putin and the president's national security adviser, John Bolton. Let's go live to Moscow right now. Our senior international correspondent, Fred Pleitgen, is on the scene for us. So, Fred, what are Putin saying about their discussions there today?</s>FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was interesting, because John Bolton earlier today had a press conference, where he said the discussion were very frank and honest. But you could clearly see that there was a lot of heat in the air, especially during his meeting with Vladimir Putin. Here's what we saw.</s>PLEITGEN (voice-over): A tense meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and National Security Adviser John Bolton. Putin immediately taking a swipe at the</s>U.S. VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The emblem of the U.S. depicts an eagle. In one claw, it holds 13 arrows and, in the other, an olive branch, a symbol of the peace-loving policy of the states, together with 13 olives. Question: It looks as if your eagle has eaten all the olives and has only arrows left.</s>JOHN BOLTON, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: But I didn't bring any more olives.</s>PLEITGEN: Despite the thick air, the two sides decided on a new meeting between President Trump and the Russian leader on November 11 in Paris. The Russians still fuming after the Trump administration's decision to pull out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. CNN caught up with the national security adviser as he was laying a wreath for murdered opposition leader Boris Nemtsov between high-stakes meetings with top Russian leaders. (on camera): Have the Russians been quite understanding for your reasoning? And have you explained it to them?</s>BOLTON: Well, I think their preference, as they have stated, is that we not withdrawal. But I think we have given them reasons why we're going to do it. And I think they understand our reasons quite clearly, some of which I think they fully appreciate from their own strategic perspective. I think the president could not have been clearer, not just on Saturday, but yesterday, as to what his decision is.</s>PLEITGEN (voice-over): After a Russian woman was recently indicted for allegedly trying to meddle in the upcoming midterm elections, Bolton said he warned Putin not to interfere.</s>BOLTON: What the meddling did create was distrust and animosity within the United States and particularly made it almost impossible for two years for the United States and Russia to make progress diplomatically. So that's a huge loss to both countries, but particularly to Russia. So it's a lesson, I think, don't mess with American elections.</s>PLEITGEN: But the national security adviser didn't specify what the consequences would be if Russia was found to be meddling in America's democracy again, saying only the U.S. was keeping an eye on the situation.</s>PLEITGEN: And, Wolf, he was asked several times what America would do if, in fact, there was new evidence that Russia was trying to meddle in the elections, like, for instance, that indictment that just came down. He didn't really answer that question. In the end, he pointed to some of the things that Mike Pence said, the vice president, a couple days ago, obviously, saying that, in reality, the U.S. currently believes, or this administration believes that China seems to be a bigger threat than Russia as far as possible election meddling is concerned, Wolf.</s>BLITZER: All right, very interesting. Fred Pleitgen, good report. Thank you very much. Joining us now, Senator Mazie Hirono. She's a Democrat. She serves on the Judiciary and Armed Services Committees. Senator, thanks so much for joining us. We have a lot to get to.</s>SEN. MAZIE HIRONO (D), HAWAII: Aloha.</s>BLITZER: But, first, is there anything you can think President Trump could accomplish through yet another meeting with Vladimir Putin in the middle of next month?</s>HIRONO: I think it's very problematic, what he can accomplish, because pretty much he is very much on the page with Putin. And his announcement that we're going to withdraw from the INF is yet another, in my view, gift to Putin, because I think Putin would like that to happen, so that we can be unfettered in his aggression.</s>BLITZER: Not only is the U.S. pulling out of this nuclear arms treaty that's been around for 30-plus years, but President Trump is also promising to build up the nuclear U.S. arsenal. So what are the potential consequences if this new arms race escalates?</s>HIRONO: This is yet another example of how President Trump makes these kind of announcements without consulting certainly with Congress and definitely with our allies. So our allies both in Europe and Asia are very concerned about where he's going, that we don't need another nuclear arms race to proceed apace, and then to encourage other countries to become very -- to develop these kinds of capabilities also. This is not what we need. We should be pursuing diplomatic means to bring about a peaceful resolution to what's going on in North Korea, as well as the Middle East. But that is not where President Trump is.</s>BLITZER: Let's turn to the question, Senator, surrounding Jamal Khashoggi's murder. The president now says the Saudi cover-up was one of the worst of the cover-ups -- his words -- and that he wants a bipartisan recommendation from the U.S. Congress, the House and the Senate. From your perspective, what will you recommend to the president?</s>HIRONO: Well, first of all, I think that we do need to reassess our relationship with Saudi Arabia. And I am very much in agreement with Senator Jack Reed, who is the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, wherein he said, we should stop our refueling assistance to Saudi planes as they're attacking in Yemen. We should not have any more -- we should not approve any more sales of offensive arms to Saudi Arabia. And we should have an independent body investigating what happened to Mr. Khashoggi. And then we can proceed. But it took a long time for the president going from really disbelieving that the Saudis had anything to do with it, to believing their own cover-up, to where he is now. So when the president says he's waiting for Congress to make a recommendation, it reminds me very much of when we are dealing with DACA, and he said, I will accept a bipartisan recommendation. I will sign it into law. And then he did entirely the opposite. So, I would like those other things to happen, and I would like the president to be on that page, as opposed to just saying all kind of things that we can't rely upon.</s>BLITZER: The president also says -- and I'm quoting him now -- "We would be really hurting ourselves and American companies and jobs if the U.S. were to back out of its weapons deals with Saudi Arabia." What's your reaction to that?</s>HIRONO: When he equates what happened to Mr. Khashoggi with the arms deem, which is, by the way, a long-term kind of process, I think that he is creating a false choice. But we definitely need to reassess what we are doing with regard to Saudi Arabia. And with Trump, everything is about money. Everything is about money, particularly for his own family. And, by the way, you mentioned in the earlier segment that he is throwing everything out there and trying to make sure that the midterm elections go the way he wants by not just dog whistles, but I would call it a bullhorn. And really, when he goes low, we have to fight back.</s>BLITZER: Well, let's talk a little about that. Exactly two weeks until the midterm elections, the president, he is stroking fears about immigration right now. He says Middle Easterners, his words, Middle Easterners, are among the migrants among the migrants trying to reach the United States through Mexico right now. They're coming up from Central America. What do you think he means by that when he says these Middle Easterners have planted themselves in this caravan?</s>HIRONO: Well, note that he had no proof of it. And it's just yet another example of how he stokes fear and loathing into the electorate. He knows he is speaking to his base. And the words he uses, he says he doesn't really -- he makes up his own definitions. We should stop giving him the benefit of the doubt that he doesn't understand what he means when he refers to nationalist or any of these other terms. These are not just dog whistles, but it's bullhorns. It's racism. It's basically -- for many people, it's anti-Semitic. It's white supremacy. He knows very well what he is talking about, even if he professes otherwise.</s>BLITZER: Well, he says he is proud to call himself a nationalist, even though he says he knows that word hasn't been used in quite a while. He also at the same time is railing against what he calls power-hungry globalists, who really don't care, he says, about what's good for the United States. What's your reaction to that?</s>HIRONO: If there is anybody who is power- and money-hungry, it is the president of the United States, where he just lies every single day. It is very hard to keep up with all of the lies. For example, he says that it's the Republicans who are protecting everyone from being discriminated on preexisting conditions. Nothing could be further from the truth, because they are right now, the administration right now is in Texas in a huge lawsuit that would do away with protections for people with preexisting conditions. That's over 50 million people in our country. That is a lie on his part. Also, that he is protective of Medicare and Medicaid. No, in fact, his 2019 budget already puts a $1.5 trillion cut to Medicaid. That's going to hurt all of our families. So it is very hard to keep up with all of the lies. But suffice to say that he will say anything to rile up his base, so that they will come out and vote for his candidates. And he has put this election, midterm election, as a referendum on him. And I just hope that the people of our country have figured out and connected the dots as to who is protecting people with preexisting conditions. That would be the Democrats. As to who is protecting the people who are on Medicare and Social Security from the kind of cuts that even McConnell has put out with regard to Medicare, and that will be the Democrats two are protecting our seniors. So, I hope that the people in the 2018 elections will have connected the dots and will vote accordingly.</s>BLITZER: We will see what happens in two weeks, two weeks from today. Senator Hirono, thank you so much for joining us.</s>HIRONO: Thank you.</s>BLITZER: All right, just ahead, we're going to have more on the president's Oval Office defense of his midterm campaign tactics, as he pushes right-wing hot buttons on immigration, nationalism, tax cuts. And the president insists there is a Comey-Mueller bromance that discredits the entire Russia probe. The FBI has investigated this claim of photographic evidence. The not-so-shocking results, that's coming up.