Mueller Wants to Interview the Agalarovs.
LEMON: Special counsel Robert Mueller pushing to interview Russian oligarch Aras Agalarov and his pop star son Emin who were instrumental in setting up that 2016 Trump tower meeting. Earlier this month, Emin Agalarov, well, he appeared to be trolling the president releasing this music video featuring a Trump impersonator in a hotel room with a slew of models. I just wanted to watch that a little bit longer so you can see what's going on. There were Trump impersonators. There we go, and an Ivanka impersonator and on and on. So there he is right there. So let's discuss now. CNN political analyst Carl Bernstein is here. He is a former Nixon White House counsel, and john Dean is a CNN contributor. Good to have both of you, gentlemen on. Your expertise. You were there for Watergate. I'm going to get your impressions on all of this relating to that and the latest on what's going on with this whole Russia investigation. So, good evening. Thank you for joining us. John, the Agalarov's attorney says that the conversations about an interview with the special counsel have been going on for nearly a year. And we also know that Mueller is offering the president's legal team new parameters for an interview with him. What does that tell you about where Mueller is in his investigation? Is it a sign that he could be wrapping things up or we still have a long way to go we just don't know?</s>JOHN DEAN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I don't think we really know for certain. This is an airtight investigation, but I think it's interesting that he wants to get to the source of the meeting that is a key meeting that June 9th meeting in the Trump towers, and Agaralov is one of the key players is setting it up. So he wants to get to the source and find out what's behind it. I don't think he expects any confessions. But I suspect this fellow who travels the world wants to cooperate or might -- doesn't want to be subject to an Interpol sanction against himself. So he may come in voluntarily.</s>LEMON: So, Carl, according to the Agalarovs attorney, Mueller's team is interested in discussing the Trump tower meeting and the talks around the building of a Trump tower -- a Trump tower in Moscow. Right? They were talking about building a Trump tower there. What does that tell you about Mueller's focus, Carl?</s>CARL BERNSTEIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: This may be the real sleeper of the whole Mueller investigation, because clearly on its face the Trump tower meeting was convened for the purpose of collusion and collaboration and conspiring. And with Don Junior and in the letter -- I'm going to read. I'm going to do something very un-television like and read the letter that brought this meeting about. "Emin just called and ask me to contact you, Don Junior with something interesting. The crown prosecutor of Russia met with his father Aras this morning and in their meeting offered to provide the Trump campaign with official documents and information that would incriminate Hillary in her dealings with Russia and would be very useful to your father. This is obviously very high level and sensitive information, but it's part of Russia and its government support for Mr. Trump helped by Aras and Emin. What's the best way to handle this?" That is perhaps the most important document that we have in this whole investigation. And if Donald Trump, indeed, means it, that he did not collude and people in his family did not collude, it is very easy for him to call these two people, Emin and his father Aras, good friends of the president, call them up on the telephone and say I want you to come talk to Mr. Mueller. Testify in my behalf. Tell them that this is, indeed, a witch hunt and this letter does not mean what it says.</s>LEMON: Yes.</s>BERNSTEIN: Trump has the ability right here to put this perhaps behind him--</s>LEMON: It never happened.</s>BERNSTEIN: -- if he wants to be honest about the meeting -- about this, well, but it tells you something about where Mueller is.</s>LEMON: Yes.</s>BERNSTEIN: This is not just an investigation about obstruction of justice. This is about collusion.</s>LEMON: Yes. And you're absolutely right. So listen, John. More details now. The New York Times is reporting that President Trump pushed his lawyers to try to reach an agreement with Mueller's team about sitting for an interview. Do you believe that this president actually wants to sit down with the special counsel or does he just want it to seem that way to the public?</s>DEAN: I think it's the latter phase of the question. He wants it to seem that he wants to sit down. I'm sure his lawyers don't want him to sit down. But, you know, the man has such an ego. He might sincerely believe that he can somehow turn Mueller to think his own investigation is a witch hunt. I doubt that he can do that. But Trump's imagination seems to have no boundaries.</s>LEMON: Yes. That is an interesting way of putting it. All right, gentlemen. Stick around. I'm enjoying the conversation so much. We're going to continue to talk about it. More on the Russia investigation and all the new details that we have coming out today. We'll be right back.