Will Trump Fire Sessions?; Interview With Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: 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. The president setting the stage for potential moves to thwart the Russia investigation. In a new interview with Bloomberg News, he says he used the Mueller probe as -- quote -- "illegal" and he's leaving the door open to defying a subpoena from the special counsel. The president also suggesting that he might fire or force out Jeff Sessions in the coming weeks. He says the attorney general's job is safe until at least after the Election Day in November. After that, it seems all bets are off this. This hour, I will speak with Stormy Daniels' lawyer, Michael Avenatti, and House Intelligence Committee member Joaquin Castro. And our correspondents and analysts are also standing by. First, let's go to our senior White House correspondent, Jeff Zeleny. He's in Indiana, where the president has an event, a campaign rally later tonight. Jeff, new comments by the president with lots of implications for the Russia probe.</s>JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, they certainly do. As the president flies here to Indiana to rally Republicans for the midterm elections, he is certainly answering at least a few questions about the Russia investigation, first and foremost about the attorney general, Jeff Sessions. Of course, he has been the president's punching bag for several months now, but now, of course, he is saying his job is safe until at least November. But he's also still fuming about the Russia investigation. He called it today an illegal investigation.</s>ZELENY (voice-over): President Trump airing a long list of grievances today, agitating about the departure of the top White House lawyer. A day after praising White House counsel Don McGahn...</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He's a good man, very good man. Don, excellent guy. Yes, Don McGahn is a really good guy.</s>ZELENY: ... the president suddenly turning defensive over why another top aide is heading for the exits. "I liked Don, but he was not responsible for me not firing Bob Mueller or Jeff Sessions," the president saying on Twitter, referring to the special counsel leading the Russia investigation and the embattled attorney general who recused himself from it. After acknowledging he didn't know exactly what McGahn had told Mueller's team during a combined three hours of testimony...</s>TRUMP: No, I don't have to be aware. We have -- we do everything straight. We do everything by the book. And Don is an excellent guy.</s>ZELENY: ... he tweeted this today: "The rigged Russia witch-hunt did not come into play even a little bit with respect to my decision on Don McGahn." The president making clear through his own rapid-fire tweets what was weighing on his mind today. Responding to reports that his daughter and son-in-law wanted McGahn out, the president saying: "Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner had nothing to do with the so-called pushing out of Don McGahn." And blasting his favorite target, the media, he added: "They love to portray chaos in the White House, when they know that chaos doesn't exist. Just a smooth-running machine with changing parts." But that smooth-running machine is under the microscope, as the president hits the road for a campaign rally tonight in Indiana, where Republicans are trying to pick up a Senate seat. CNN has learned Republican senators are privately pleading with the president to wait until after the midterm elections to fire Sessions, fearful of the political fallout. The president is still fuming about Sessions recusing himself from the Russia investigation, but that's not all. He's now openly dismissive of his attorney general's personality and accent, with Politico reporting the president is complaining Sessions talks like he has marbles in his mouth.</s>JEFF SESSIONS, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: Make America great again.</s>ZELENY: Harsh words for the first Republican senator to endorse Trump's presidential bid. For now at least, Sessions is standing his ground.</s>SESSIONS: The president ordered me to focus on dismantling transnational criminal organizations. And every day at the Department of Justice, we have been faithful to that order.</s>ZELENY: Not answering questions about his future.</s>QUESTION: Mr. Attorney General, can you explain why you're still on the job after being attacked by the president so much?</s>ZELENY: But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell making his view clear.</s>SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), MAJORITY LEADER: I have total confidence in the attorney general. I think he ought to stay exactly where he is.</s>ZELENY: All this the president seemed to have the firing of FBI Director James Comey on his mind once again today, trying to backpedal on comments last year where he tied Comey's dismissal to the Russia probe.</s>TRUMP: This Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story. It's an excuse.</s>ZELENY: The president offering no evidence, but accusing NBC News of "fudging my tape on Russia." It comes as the Mueller probe escalates and now includes potential obstruction of justice.</s>ZELENY: So, there is no question that the president has made very clear what's on his mind today, tweeting throughout the morning at the White House and certainly giving that interview with Bloomberg news, indeed making news about Jeff Sessions, saying that he will keep him on until at least November. Now, that, of course, is going to be something that is going to make Republican senators and indeed House members very pleased. They were worried about the fallout from any firing that could happen, but, Wolf, we will we will see what the president says here tonight in Indiana. This is part of his midterm election push. Republicans trying to win this Senate seat. Of course, now it's held by incumbent Democratic Senator Joe Donnelly. It's one of those red states the White House is hoping Republican will pick up in November. We will see what the president addresses tonight. He certainly make clear the Russia investigation is weighing heavy on his mind -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: As it should. Jeff Zeleny in Evansville, Indiana, Jeff, thank you very much. Let's talk about the breaking news on the president's timetable for potentially firing Jeff Sessions. Our political correspondent, Sara Murray, is here with me. Sara, Mr. Trump says Sessions' job is safe until Election Day in November. What are you hearing?</s>SARA MURRAY, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, he is saying that Sessions is safe until Election Day. I think the caveat here is that obviously Trump has been a very unpredictable president, and who knows if he will wake up tomorrow or in a week or say something differently. But we know that there are a number of people around him, both other Republicans on Capitol Hill, as well as other allies from his campaign days, who have urged him to wait, to wait on getting rid of Sessions. They have said, you're completely within your rights to do that. You can do that. But let's wait until after the midterm elections. Let's get through one thing at a time. And let's not do something that may act as a rallying cry for Democrats. And it does seem like that message is sinking in with President Trump, although I do think it's telling that in that Bloomberg interview where he says Sessions is safe, at least until the midterm, they asked, well, what about after November, and President Trump declined to comment.</s>BLITZER: So let's say he's fired, he's done after the November midterm elections. Is that a blow to the Mueller investigation?</s>MURRAY: Well, on its face, Wolf, the attorney general has been there for two years. His relationship with the president has obviously deteriorated. It wouldn't be crazy in a different situation for the president to get rid of his attorney general and replace him. I think the question is, what do you do next, President Trump, after you have replaced Jeff Sessions? Do you use that as a way to try to end the Russia investigation? He said today that he believes essentially it's an illegal investigation. Do you try to get rid of Rod Rosenstein, who's overseeing it? Do you try to fire Robert Mueller? And I think that's really where the alarm bells begin to start going off, is if he's getting rid of Jeff Sessions as a way to essentially end the Russia investigation. And right now, we're not really sure what the president may do next.</s>BLITZER: Yes. Certainly, that's an accurate point. Thank you very much for that, Sara. Joining us now, Congressman Joaquin Castro. He's a Democrat. He serves on the Intelligence and Foreign Affairs Committee -- committees. Congressman, thank you so much for joining us. Let me get your reaction. The president of the United States now telling Bloomberg News that he views this entire Russia probe by Robert Mueller, in his words, as an illegal investigation. How troubling is that to you, and how do you think he's going to act on that conclusion?</s>REP. JOAQUIN CASTRO (D), TEXAS: Obviously, it's very troubling. It's been troubling for a long time. This president has never liked the fact that there's an investigation going on into how he conducted himself, how his family members and his campaign team conducted themselves in the 2016 elections, and how closely they worked with the Russians who interfered with our presidential elections in 2016 and congressional races. So it's not a surprise that he's still very much antagonistic towards this thing. But he just better not do anything to take away the power of Bob Mueller to complete this investigation. And that includes firing Jeff Sessions to take control of the investigation.</s>BLITZER: It sounds like President Trump understands the risks of taking any action before the November midterms, but he wouldn't comment on whether his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, is safe after November 6. Would you view any effort to replace Sessions as a first step in his effort to try to end the Russia probe?</s>CASTRO: Well, I mean, because of his past statements, then, yes, I would think that firing Jeff Sessions would be an attempt to have some -- a new attorney general come in and get back the power to oversee the Russia investigation. The problem with that is that President Trump is most likely to pick somebody who is completely loyal to him and who is essentially willing to bury that investigation, I think. So that's the concern of millions of Americans. And Congress should pass a bill to protect Bob Mueller's investigation. Unfortunately, in this Republican-led Congress, that legislation hasn't gone anywhere.</s>BLITZER: The president also today said in a tweet that it wasn't his outgoing White House counsel, Don McGahn, who convinced him not to fire Mueller or Sessions. Is that an admission, though, that he tried to get rid of both of those men?</s>CASTRO: I mean, I think, based on reporting, consistent reporting, it seems like he's been entertaining this idea for a long time. It'll be interesting to see what -- when we find out eventually what Don McGahn told Bob Mueller's team in terms -- most specifically in terms of issues with obstruction of justice, and the president and the Russia investigation.</s>BLITZER: The president is also now trying to diminish his own words in that NBC interview last year in which he admitted that firing James Comey was done because of the Russia investigation. You think the president is now realizing how damaging that admission that he delivered on videotape with NBC News and Lester Holt could be for him in the Russia investigation, how damaging it could be potentially as confirmation of obstruction of justice?</s>CASTRO: Yes, I think that's exactly it. Look, I think the president went into an interview with Lester Holt and was basically too honest, honest in a way that his lawyers probably told him afterwards could give him real legal trouble and real political trouble. And so, yes, I think he's trying to backtrack now. But his honest reaction back then, of course, lives on forever on videotape.</s>BLITZER: When he says Lester Holt and NBC News fudged that videotape to make it look different than it actually was, what's your reaction when you hear an accusation like that, which has no basis in fact?</s>CASTRO: It's -- I mean, it's just ridiculous. It's the president really, I think, trying to convince his political base, trying to get them to believe what he wants them to believe, so that they will continue to support him, because it's not based in fact, what he said.</s>BLITZER: In another tweet, President Trump directed the U.S. Supreme Court now to investigate the FISA court, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court. How concerning is that to you?</s>CASTRO: It's extremely concerning. That's obviously a very -- I'm limited in what I can say about it, but obviously a very important function to make sure that we keep the United States safe. So the president messing with that process is extremely concerning.</s>BLITZER: Well, explain what you mean. I know you're on the Intelligence Committee. You can't release classified information, but why are you limited in discussing what the FISA court is all about?</s>CASTRO: Well, you're right, because the information is classified. They're -- basically what they do, a lot of that is classified. But suffice it to say that that's part of the process that makes sure that the United States is not vulnerable to people that would -- foreign actors that would do ill will. And so if the president is going to weaken that process somehow or take away powers from it, then that is a very serious thing. And it's something that needs to be vetted carefully by the Congress, and not just changed on a whim.</s>BLITZER: If Democrats do win back the majority in the House of Representatives in November -- and you're a member of the House -- what investigations do you plan to pursue? What sort of information will you pursue? You will, as the majority, have subpoena power.</s>CASTRO: Yes. I mean, I think, obviously, it's still early to discuss what exactly which investigations will take place. I believe that, over the last two years or so, or really since the president took office, the majority has not conducted robust oversight. As you know, the Intelligence Committee investigation in the House, for example, on the Russia investigation didn't issue a single subpoena for any travel records, bank records, phone records, absolutely nothing. And so what you will see is Democrats actually putting in the hard work and the thorough work of going in there and doing real investigations. And we will not only, I think, investigate the Russia issue and the interference in our election, but also investigate the issue of the 500 or so kids who still have not been reunited with their parents, the kids at the border that were separated and how all of that came about, and, of course, other things that are important to the American people.</s>BLITZER: Well, let's talk about one other thing that is very significant right now. I want to get your reaction to this truly stunning report in "The Washington Post" that the Trump administration is now denying, denying passport renewals for U.S. citizens along the U.S.-Mexico border on the basis of their birth certificates, with they're now accusing these American citizens, including military personnel, law enforcement personnel, of having fraudulent birth certificates. They're now saying, if you're Hispanic, Hispanic American, you live along the border, and you want to get your passport renewed, you're going to have trouble getting it renewed. What's your response? Because it is truly a shocking story.</s>CASTRO: Yes, I mean, I was just shocked when I saw -- when I read the article, the investigation about this. And this is basically a president and an administration targeting Americans, U.S. citizens, based on their ethnic heritage, going after a group of people and challenging their full rights of citizenship. This is something that every American should be concerned about, because, in this country, over immigration, we often have debates over undocumented immigrants, now, under President Trump, over the number of legal residents that should be here. This is not about that. This is about a president coming after American citizens based on the color of their skin and their ancestry. And so, right now, my office is helping a Marine veteran who is not able to get a passport, who's been denied a passport. And so there are other cases like this. And the president, I believe, is intensifying this, because, I mean, we have had cases in the past where this has happened. In fact, there was a 2009 settlement to fix this. But the Trump administration seems to be ignoring that settlement and targeting Hispanics in Texas along the U.S.-Mexico border.</s>BLITZER: So what, if anything, can you do to fix this? And if the administration goes ahead and starts denying passport renewals to U.S. citizens, people who were born here in the United States, have birth certificates to confirm that, what, if anything, can you do about that?</s>CASTRO: Well, we have reached out -- many of us have reached out to the State Department to get an understanding of the scope of this, how many people are affected. My office had other offices had a call with the State Department today. They couldn't give us an exact number, but said that they would get us that information. Look, this has to be investigated by the Foreign Affairs Committee that has jurisdiction over the State Department or the Government Oversight Reform Committee. It's got to be investigated in the U.S. Congress. And if this is egregious, and it's widespread, which we believe that it may be at this point, then we need to do everything possible to stop it.</s>BLITZER: And you're a member of the Foreign Relations Committee. Congressman, thanks so much for joining us. And keep us up to speed on this development. Appreciate it very much.</s>CASTRO: Thank you.</s>BLITZER: Just ahead: Did the president try to buy off "The National Enquirer" to prevent decades' worth of his dirty secrets from going public? We're going to talk about new reporting on payments he discussed with his former fixer, Michael Cohen. Stormy Daniels' lawyer, Michael Avenatti, there you see him. He's here. He's live. We will discuss when we come back.