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@AC360 - Anderson Cooper 360°
Former Spy chief James Clapper wonders if a pledge of “fealty or loyalty” to President Trump will become the new standard for obtaining and keeping government security clearances, calling the White House’s threats a “real abuse of the clearance system” https://cnn.it/2uV5LV2 https://t.co/PJAUoa94kf
Video Transcript AI Summary
The speaker learned about the consideration for revocation of his clearance without prior official notification. He believes the clearance system is being abused to attack political opponents and critics of the president, raising First Amendment concerns. He questions if loyalty to President Trump is becoming a clearance criterion.
The speaker raises concerns about potential retaliation against political opponents, including the possibility of losing retirement pay or medical benefits. CNN reports the president is pleased with the situation, viewing it as a way to promote the "deep state" argument and distract from the silence surrounding the meeting with Vladimir Putin. The White House is accused of politicizing intelligence.
The speaker describes experiencing "whiplash" from the president's statements and corrections regarding Russian interference. He believes the president's inability to accept Russian meddling stems from concerns about the legitimacy of his election. He emphasizes the distinction between Russian meddling and collusion, stressing that Russian meddling is a profound threat that the president doesn't consistently recognize.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: Well, yeah, that's how I I learned about it just like everybody else. I had no prior official notification that my clearance was under consideration for revocation. So it was quite amazing. I didn't know what to make of it at first and was a bit speechless to tell you the truth. Think after having reflected on it to me, I think this is a real abuse of of the clearance system just to use it to attack political opponents or people that have been critical of the president.
And, you know, is that now going to become a criterion for attaining a clearance anywhere in the government? Is a pledge of fealty or loyalty to president Trump? And so and of course, it has, all kinds of, first amendment implications, which are deeply disturbing.
Speaker 1: That that's the kind of concern or ripple effect something like this might actually have. That's the message it sends that if you speak out against the president, you're you can have your security clearance removed. If you toe the line, if you're Devin Nunez hustling the White House in the middle of the night, then then you're okay.
Speaker 0: Well or what else might the president decide we're not entitled to? Retirement pay, medical benefits, where where does this stop? Just as a way of, again, retaliating against political opponents. And, you know, I I won't get go into all the ironies here. Anderson, you know, I think you covered that pretty well, in your opening.
Speaker 1: CNN is reporting that the president is actually pleased with how all of this is playing out, and that it's a new way for him to make the deep state argument, which the president believes fires up his base. It probably, he thinks, distracts from the the the deafening silence on what actually happened in that closed door meeting with Vladimir Putin seven days ago, which we still don't know about. The irony of all this is that the White House is accusing you of politicizing intelligence when in fact, I mean, as we talked about, you know, this president seems to have no problem politicizing it when it's to his ends.
Speaker 0: Well, exactly. And that that's that's, one of the many implications here that, as you alluded, all kinds of ironies here. Mean, this is a classic, do as I say, not as I, not as I do.
Speaker 1: You know, last week, after many contortions, the president finally said that that Russia did meddle in the twenty sixteen election. But then, you know, first then he or initially, when he read the statement, he ad libbed and then, you know, that it could have been other people. There are a lot of people out there. Then he did basically come out and say it. Fast forward to yesterday, he tweeted that Russian interference is, quote, all a big hoax, which then Sarah Sanders tried to clean up today by saying, well, he's only referring to the claims of collusion.
Do you buy that? I mean, he said this time and time and time again.
Speaker 0: Well, I think, you know, probably a lot of people are getting. I am certainly a case of bad case of whiplash on trying to to figure out the statements, the backpedaling, and then the corrections, it's very, very confusing. And and the issue, I guess, is when it comes down to it, the president cannot accept the fact that there was Russian there was meddling by the Russians and that that causes questions to be raised about the legitimacy of his election. And when we first briefed him about our findings about Russian meddling in early January of twenty seventeen, that was kind of his reaction, and he hasn't changed since. So he has he really has a schizophrenic reaction here.
And I think the other problem is conflating met the Russian meddling with pollution, and they're really two different things.
Speaker 1: Right.
Speaker 0: The Russian meddling is a profound threat to this country, and it is really disturbing when the commander in chief won't consistently recognize it.
Speaker 1: Yeah. The idea that the White House I mean, how much cleanup have they had to do in the last seven days when only if if only we knew what he had actually talked about one on one with Vladimir Putin, who knows how much of that would have to be cleared up or cleaned up by the White House, but we can't there is no cleaning out because nobody knows what was talked about. Director, Clapper, thank you as always. Appreciate talking to you. Chief political analyst
@AC360 - Anderson Cooper 360°
Former spy chief James Clapper on President Trump's preoccupation with the Ukraine scandal and the specter of impeachment: "You wonder what's being neglected ... while the President is obviously totally consumed with attacking his opponents?" https://t.co/EvDoZict5a
Video Transcript AI Summary
The speaker expresses disbelief that the administration is seeking to discredit the Russia investigation, recalling Trump's past unsubstantiated claims against Obama and the British intelligence agency GCHQ. They question the purpose of seeking information from foreign leaders now and worry that intelligence services of close allies may hesitate to share information in the future if they think they will be investigated.
The speaker also raises concerns about Attorney General Barr's dedication to this investigation, questioning whether it infringes on other important work. They contrast this with the Clinton administration's handling of impeachment, where clear boundaries were established to ensure other work could continue. The speaker worries about what issues are being neglected due to the President's preoccupation with attacking opponents and the Attorney General's focus on this investigation. They express concern about the potential impact on handling major crises.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: Obviously, DNI during the the start of the, the Russian investigation. When you hear Caitlin's reporting that the president is now, you know, talking to Boris Johnson and others, does it make sense to you?
Speaker 1: No. It doesn't, Anderson. I I it just shows the lengths to which this administration will go to try to discredit, the the entire, Russian meddling, I guess. And I recall early on in the pres in this presidency when president Trump alleged that, you know, the Obama administration was surveilling Trump Tower, which is ridiculous, or that president Obama had asked the Brits to monitor, him, which was ridiculous. In fact, it prompted a rare public statement by GCHQ, which is the British equivalent of RNSA, National Security Agency, to completely re rebut the president's allegation.
So I I don't know what the expectation here is because this reporting was done in good faith by foreign service officers or law enforcement or intelligence officials who thought we should know about, you know, these activities. So I I I I do they expect now that because there are political leaders who he thinks are more in tune with him, that somehow they're gonna say, oh, April fool. You know, we were just kidding before three three plus years ago. So I I don't see the the point of it. And one other bad effect, of course, is that I worry that particularly the intelligence services of these these close allies who have freely shared information with us in the past will think twice before they do that when it it appears like as though they're gonna be investigated.
Speaker 0: The, the very fact that the attorney general of The United States, who Rudy Giuliani tonight on, Fox apparently referred to as the president's government attorney, and Rudy is he's the president's personal attorney. That Kinda interchangeable. Yes. That they're part of the same team, essentially. I mean, I guess some people at Trump's report is we'll say, well, look.
Okay. There's no no problem with them investigating. And if the investigation finds up nothing, it finds up nothing. Just in terms of the time that the I mean, it seems like the head of the justice department, Barr, is dedicating to this, does it does it infringe on other work that normally a head of the justice department would do? And the president, you know, when when Clinton was being, during that whole impeachment procedure, they had very clear lines in the White House about who anybody who was focused on the impeachment, that's what they did, but nobody else could talk about it.
And Clinton could only focus on it when he was meeting with those people Right. So that other work could be done. Just watching the president meet with the president of Finland today, you had the sense that there's not a lot of other work entering the president's head. It's all this all the time.
Speaker 1: Yeah. And that's that's kind of if you step back from all, you know, the day to day madness of of what we see, read and hear, read and hear about, you wonder what's being neglected. And all these huge issues that we face both foreign and domestic, well, the president obviously is totally consumed with attacking his opponents. And, you know, we're fortunate. We haven't had a major crisis of the magnitude of a nine eleven attack.
God forbid, we have another one. But I worry about that. And the attorney general's preoccupation with this, which I I don't I I can't recall a case where this much time is expended personally by the attorney general and sort of evidence gathering or facilitate evidence gathering in one investigation.
@AC360 - Anderson Cooper 360°
The Feds. "certainly have seized his phone in December," says Politico's @Mdixon55 of embattled GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz. "The trip to the Bahamas back in 2018 is all sort of part of this extended investigation," he adds, noting that "there [were] at least five women involved." https://t.co/qQcmeYfjOK
Video Transcript AI Summary
Matt Gaetz's phone and his ex-girlfriend's phone were seized in December as part of an extended investigation into a 2018 Bahamas trip involving at least five women who traveled in and out of Orlando and were stopped by customs. Gaetz has not been charged with anything, and his version is that it is not illegal to pay for the travel of women he is dating.
The investigation includes allegations that Gaetz had sex with a 17-year-old, with potential trafficking charges. Sources claim the women on the Bahamas trip were all over 18. Joel Greenberg, a former friend and Florida elections official, is cooperating with federal investigators.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: So what have you learned about Gates' time in The Bahamas?
Speaker 1: Well, what what is I guess the most notable about it, I I heard in the the clip that you played there that he wouldn't answer questions about if the feds had seized his phone. They certainly have seized his phone in December. They seized his ex girlfriend's phone also in December. And so that that is sort of a a new development in the the the trip to The Bahamas back in 2018, is is is all sort of part of this, you know, extended investigation that we're we're all, you know, you guys included sort of digging through. And there was at least five women involved.
They, you know, came in and out of Orlando, and they got stopped by customs in and out. So there's there's several elements and several data points that have helped us sort is of put this together based on his cell phone being seized and also that Bahamas trip. But, there's, you know, obviously still a lot of questions to to to take a look at.
Speaker 0: I mean, he has clearly intimated that he has paid for travel of people he was dating. Is that I I guess that's what authorities one part of this that authorities would have to figure out is, is this are these people he was in a relationship of whatever sort with, or was this a professional relationship? Was it a transaction? Right.
Speaker 1: Well, it's incredibly important point out that that Matt Gaetz has not been charged with anything at this point. These are these are allegations at this point. He is being investigated by the feds, you're right. The the the pushback or not even necessarily the pushback, but his version of this is that it's it's not illegal to to pay for travel of of of women that you're dating or or seeing in some romantic fashion of age. So that is that is absolutely his version of this.
There, you know, seems to be other elements, and and and and the feds are investigating that story and trying to poke holes in it as we speak. But you're right. The the the the point you just made is is certainly valid and that is that is congressman Gates' version of it.
Speaker 0: There've also been questions asked about the ages of some of the the women on this trip.
Speaker 1: Yeah. No. Without question. I mean, the the underlying allegation, the biggest allegation that congressman Gates is facing is that he had had sex with a a 17 year old and that that, you know, there's a trafficking allegation across state lines. Sources we have reported, it's public and and political stories.
We have sources who are saying that the the ever the the women were all over 18, specifically on The Bahamas trip. So we're we're talking about the trip that is to The Bahamas in in in September of twenty eighteen that that is being investigated. We have we have folks telling us that everyone is of of age, but key to this investigation is whether or not Matt Gaetz had had, you know, sexual relations with someone who was underage.
Speaker 0: And you're saying you you you have clear reporting that the feds took Matt Gaetz's cell phone?
Speaker 1: Yes. Both his cell phone in in December of twenty twenty, his his cell phone number abruptly changed. At the point, we didn't know exactly what that meant. We couldn't quite figure it out. Now, through hindsight several months later, it's our understanding that his cell phone was taken, and then an ex girlfriend of his, cell phone was also taken and and seized by the feds as part of this sort of broader investigation.
Yes.
Speaker 0: And any sense of where the the feds are in their investigation?
Speaker 1: Not at this point from a timeline perspective. Is is CNN, The New York Times, Politico have all reported, his his, you know, friend or or former friend, Joel Greenberg, who was a local Florida elections official, is is facing some serious time in the prison and is is cooperating with federal investigators. At this point, I I I think that's the extent to which we know from a timeline perspective. So that that's kind of where we're at at this point.
@AC360 - Anderson Cooper 360°
"It's not just about being afraid, it's about people being made afraid ... There are people in politics who have made fear their platform." - Christian Cooper, the Black man who filmed a White woman calling the police on him while he was birdwatching #CNNSpecial https://t.co/bDcFMzGzF3
Video Transcript AI Summary
Christian Cooper discussed an incident in Central Park where Amy Cooper falsely reported him, highlighting her attempt to gain an advantage by tapping into a dark vein of American history and racially intimidate him. He noted the incident occurred the same day as George Floyd's killing, emphasizing the long history of Black people being perceived as a menace in America.
Cooper stated that African Americans cannot fix this perception; it requires non-Black individuals to pause, reflect on their reactions, and address their subconscious biases. He expanded the discussion beyond anti-Black racism, noting the "othering" of various groups, including Asian, Latino, trans, and gay people. He urged ordinary people to resist the fear-mongering tactics of those in power by refusing to "other" these groups and recognizing that all communities face racism differently.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: Later charged for falsely reporting an incident in the third degree. The charge was later dismissed after she completed education and therapy classes. We're joined now by the man you heard in that video, Christian Cooper. Christian, the issue of race and exchanges like that has always felt for me like, in case of emergency, break glass. Honest conversation, I know that if I'm in a situation like that, the other person has the hammer to break that glass if they ever feel too uncomfortable or if it's a little too adversarial.
And when I heard Amy Cooper say, An African American man is threatening my life, that call would have been no less urgent if she just said a man is threatening my life. She broke the glass. How would you describe, explain that awareness?
Speaker 1: Well, clearly she was trying to get an advantage in our confrontation, and she went to a very dark place. She tapped into a very dark vein in American history to do it. And the most interesting thing, I think, in all of that is who she says it to. She says, I'm going to call the police and I'm going to tell them that an African American man is threatening my life. I know I'm African American.
I've known it for years. So why is she telling me this? She's telling me this to racially intimidate me and try to get an upper hand in the confrontation. So it's unfortunately not surprising that she went to that place because it is a very deep and strong vein in America, but it is unfortunate, and we have to try and root it out.
Speaker 0: Yeah. For as valuable as this conversation about fear in communities of color is, we should also talk about the fear of communities of color. Black men three times as likely as whites to be killed in incidents with police. We've watched so many videos like yours of white women calling the police on black people doing innocuous things, in a coffee shop, going to a university. We heard from the insurrectionists on the sixth wanting to take their country back.
Did you believe that if police showed up that they would even believe you?
Speaker 1: I have no idea. I don't like to speculate about that. It could have gone in any direction. You know, they could have gotten there and thrown me to the ground and, you know, cuffed me or worse. Or they could have gotten there and looked at her and said, what's up with her?
She's a little unhinged. There's, you know, there's no way to know what would have happened. I think you're right that it's not just about being afraid, it's about people being made afraid. I think that's one thing that hasn't been mentioned yet, is that there are people in politics who have made fear their platform. Fomenting fear is their business now, and that's the sum total of their platform for trying to remain in power.
We have to recognize that and we have to, as individuals, push back on it. If they're bringing fear from the top down, we've got to push back from the bottom up and say, No, we're not going to stand for that. We're going to do what we can to make sure that that fear isn't spread.
Speaker 0: Yeah. You know, what I had to be reminded of, and I think a lot of people may not remember, is that this incident in Central Park happened just a few hours before the killing of George Floyd. Same day in May, I believe it was May twenty fifth of twenty twenty. Once you heard what happened in Minneapolis, did that take on some additional poignancy for you?
Speaker 1: Yeah, how could it not? It just, what happened to me was important in that it let people see what was, what you and I know, but a lot of, I think, white folk, other folk didn't necessarily understand, didn't believe. So it was important in that respect. But in terms of its consequences, it pales in comparison to what happened to George Floyd, what happened to Ahmaud Arbery, what happened to Breonna Taylor, what happened going back to Amadou Diallo. And this is not new.
This is something that has been going on for decades, for centuries. This country has a tendency to, as we keep talking about other people, but in particular with African Americans, the tendency is we are by the nature of our brown skin, we can be identified as an inherent menace. And that is baked into the DNA of this country. And we've got to find a way to root it out because it's costing lives, our lives, and we can't fix it. It's up to other people to fix it.
Speaker 0: Christian, you mentioned that the expectation or the thought that Black people, Black men specifically, are an inherent threat, an innate danger, is baked into this country. There obviously needs to be some work done. And listen, this is a great conversation, and I think it's good that we're having it. But it seems like every time there's an incident involving race, we have these discussions and these events continue. Talk about the work that has to happen and who has to do it to change what we're seeing.
Speaker 1: Well, again, if we're talking specifically about African American equals menace, that's not something African Americans can fix. That's something that other people have to fix, who aren't African American. They've got to pull themselves back and say, Why am I reacting like this? Why am I having this response to this person at this moment? They've to hit the pause button.
And that's hard to do when you're in the moment of something, but you've to hit the pause button and think it through. Why is this happening? Why am I reacting this way? And is there maybe something else going on here subconsciously that I'm not aware of? And then you got to make yourself aware of it and rethink your responses.
That's a start. It's not easy. And honestly, we're all letting ourselves off the hook a little bit because if we talk beyond just the fear of African Americans and we talk about what happened to the Asian Americans in Georgia, there's an othering that goes on in all directions. And again, it's up to us because there are people who are fomenting it from the top, who want us to be fearful and who want us to fear each other. It's up to us at the bottom, us ordinary folk, to push back and say, Okay, I'm not going to other that Asian person.
I'm not going to other that black person. I'm not going to other that Latine person. I'm not going to other that trans person or that gay person. That's on us to do. That's the work we have to do.
Speaker 0: That's an important point. Listen, our face, how we face racism is different. It's not the same. But we are all facing it. So we should not otherize other communities.
And we have some work to do independent of people in power, white Americans. We have some bi directional corrections and healing that we need to do within minority communities as well. Christian Cooper, thank you so much.
@AC360 - Anderson Cooper 360°
President Trump continues his attacks on Ukraine's President.. calling him a dictator... and pushes a lie he started the war. We're Keeping Them Honest. https://t.co/a6ciKAj9zm
Video Transcript AI Summary
Tonight, I want to address the ongoing situation with Ukraine. I called Ukraine's leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, a dictator, which is a term Putin would love to hear. I said Zelensky should move fast or he won't have a country left, noting his poor job and the shattered state of Ukraine. Some say I echoed Putin's talking points by questioning Zelensky's legitimacy due to the cancellation of elections. I mentioned that Zelensky admitted half the money we sent is missing, which he didn't say, and that his poll numbers are very low, but that's not true either.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: Tonight we begin with the president of The United States for a second time today calling the democratically elected leader of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, a dictator. Words that are music to the ears of the actual dictator, Vladimir Putin, who sent his army and missiles into Ukraine.
Speaker 1: A dictator without elections, Zelensky better move fast or he's not going to have a country left. I love Ukraine, but Zelensky has done a terrible job. His country is shattered.
Speaker 0: Let's the president again for the second time today calling Zelensky a dictator nearly three years into Russia's invasion, which just as a reminder looked like this.
Speaker 2: Focus. Should we run that way? We've got to be by footed. And we are here at the Antonov Airport, which is about 25 kilometers, 15 miles or so out of the center. These troops you can see over here stand up, Louis.
These troops you can see over here, they are Russian airborne forces. They have taken this airport, not I was speaking to officials earlier, Ukrainian officials, and they're saying that the plan isn't just to surround the Ukrainian capital. They fear now that the plan is to take the capital, to decapitate the leadership of Ukraine, and to replace that leadership with a pro Russian government. That's what Ukrainian officials are telling us now they think is the Russian plan.
Speaker 0: That's Matthew Chance reporting. The coverage from the, 02/24/2022 as Russian troops on orders from Vladimir Putin rolled into Ukraine. A dictator launching a war of aggression that would become the biggest in Europe since another dictator invaded Poland in 1939, touching off the second World War. Now back then, the same as now, this country was divided over getting involved in European affairs. And in his fireside chat to the nation, president Roosevelt did not commit to defending Europe.
What he did do, however, unlike today, was tell the simple truth about the war and who started it.
Speaker 3: Until 04:30 o'clock this morning, I had hoped against hope that some miracle would prevent a devastating war in Europe and bring to an end the invasion of Poland by Germany.
Speaker 0: Plains speaking from an American president nearly eighty six years later. Here's what the current president is doing most recently tonight and earlier today in his equivalent of a fireside chat, social media. Quoting from president Trump now, think of it. A modestly successful comedian, Volodymyr Zelensky, talked to talked The United States Of America into spending $350,000,000,000 to go into a war that couldn't be won, that never had to start, but a war that he, without The US and Trump, will never be able to settle. And just yesterday, he flat out said Zelensky started the war.
He said it in response to complaints from Kyiv about being frozen out of peace talks over its future.
Speaker 1: I think I have the power to end this war, and I think it's going very well. But today, I heard, oh, well, we weren't invited. Well, you've been there for three years. You should have ended it three years. You should have never started it.
You could have made a deal.
Speaker 0: Should never have started it, he said. None neither Ukraine nor its president did start the war. Russia and Vladimir Putin did. The president continued today, writing Zelenskyy admits that half of the money we sent him is missing. He refuses to have elections, is very low in Ukrainian polls, and the only thing he was good at was playing Biden like a fiddle.
The president then calls him a, quote, dictator without elections, and warns that Zelenskyy, quote, better move fast or he is not gonna have a country left. He did the same as you just heard tonight. That thinly veiled threats aside, none of what he said about Zelensky, his polling, or the money is accurate. As for the polling, which the president was, has said was, quote, down separately said, by the way, was down at 4% approval is the president's words. That's just not true.
According to a recent survey in Ukraine, Fifty Seven Percent of Ukrainians trust Zelensky, thirty seven do not. His support has actually fluctuated in the sixties and fifties for about a year or so. The numbers already dropped from the 90% approval he got in the months following Russia's invasion back in 2022. As for the $350,000,000,000 figure, the inspector general overseeing it puts the number of at a hundred and 30,100,000,000.0 obligated, of which 86,700,000,000.0 has actually been dispersed, and that includes Ukraine related funding sent to countries other than Ukraine. Now the allegation that president Zelensky admits that half the money is missing, that's just not true either.
What he actually said to the Associated Press earlier this month was that although people talk about Ukraine getting as much as $200,000,000,000 in USAID, Ukraine had only received about 76,000,000,000. He then said, according to the translation by Ukraine news outlet, that he doesn't know where all the professed additional money has gone and that perhaps these higher figures are correct, quote, on paper, end quote, which is not the same as him saying the money is missing, let alone implying as the president just did that there's something shady going on. As for calling Zelensky a dictator for not holding elections, well, Britain's Winston Churchill didn't hold elections during the second World War. And by the way, when the war was over and he was voted out of office, he did not try to overturn the outcome. As for Vladimir Putin, he's held elections, but they are a foregone conclusion.
There's a headline after his last one. Putin extends his rule after a predetermined vote. Indeed, what is incredible is that president Trump, the president of The United States, is now echoing talking points that Vladimir Putin has pushed repeatedly. Putin has called Zelensky's presidency illegitimate and said he should hold elections.
Speaker 3: We're hearing that Russia wants to force Ukraine to hold new elections
Speaker 1: do martial law, essentially, martial law in Ukraine. And, yeah, I would say that, you know, when they want a seat at the table, you could say the people have to wouldn't the people of Ukraine have to say, like, you know, it's been a long time since we've had an election? That's not a Russia thing.
Speaker 0: I'll keep it honest. Not an exclusively Russia thing would be more accurate. Trump and Putin are on the same page on this. In any case, president Zelenskyy weighed in today about what president Trump is saying about him.
Speaker 2: Unfortunately, president Trump, I have great respect for him as a leader of a nation that we have great respect for. The American people who always support us, unfortunately, lives in this disinformation space.
Speaker 0: Well, he said that against the backdrop of two newspaper interviews with vice president Vance in which Vance warned Zelensky not to publicly criticize the president. Quoting him now in the Daily Mail, the idea that Zelensky is gonna change the president's mind by bad mouthing him in public media, everyone who knows the president will tell you that is an atrocious way to deal with his administration. In the meantime, even some Republican lawmakers appear uneasy with at least some aspects of the president's Ukraine position, though some such as senator Lisa Murkowski fell back on the variations of the GOP mantra during the first Trump administration of, oh, I didn't see that tweet.
Speaker 3: I would like to see that in context because, I would certainly never refer to, president Zelenskyy as a dictator.
Speaker 0: The president speaks for himself. What I wanna see is a is a peaceful result, a peaceful outcome.
Speaker 4: Make no mistake about it. That invasion was the responsibility of one human being on the face of this planet. It was Vladimir Putin.
Speaker 0: Former vice president Pence also weighed in, tweeting, quote, mister president, Ukraine did not start this war. Russia launched an unprovoked and brutal invasion claiming hundreds of thousands of lives. The road to peace must be built on the truth. Former national security adviser John Bolton called what the president said, quote, some of the most shameful remarks ever made by a US President. And again, as you saw just a short time ago tonight, the president repeated those remarks.
@AC360 - Anderson Cooper 360°
A week of less-than-transparent moves through the federal government later, we do not fully know what DOGE is doing, we dont know how those decisions were made. Or why. And now, if you believe the white house, it's not even clear who runs DOGE. We're Keeping Them Honest. https://t.co/cQnYz2apBB
Video Transcript AI Summary
Doge is under scrutiny amid job cuts and questions about its leadership. Despite Elon Musk's claims of transparency, the organization's actions are unclear. A White House official stated in court that Musk is merely a White House employee, not the Doge administrator. However, the press secretary said Musk oversees Doge for President Trump, who calls Musk a "patriot" and said he would prevent any conflicts of interest.
Concerns arise as Doge officials engage with the Pentagon, despite Musk's ties as a defense contractor. While the White House claims Musk only advises the President, Musk's tweets suggest otherwise, implying he's making decisions. Trump addressed rumors of a divide with Musk, dismissing them as media tactics and said the public sees through it.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: In tonight, keeping him honest with new developments surrounding Doge, the organization that Elon Musk famously said this about.
Speaker 1: So all of our actions, which are are maximally transparent. In fact, I don't think there's been I I don't know of a case that where where organizations been more transparent than the Doge organization.
Speaker 0: He said that a week ago today speaking for the Doge organization. A week of less than transparent moves through the federal government later, we do not know fully what Doge is doing except that tens of thousands of federal workers are losing their jobs. We don't know how those decisions were actually made or why. And now, if you believe the White House, it's not even clear who runs DOGE. According to the Trump administration, it's not Elon Musk.
In our recent court filing under penalty of perjury, a White House official named Joshua Fisher declares, quote, mister Musk is an employee in the White House office. He's not an employee of the US Doge service or US Doge service temporary organization. Mister mister Musk is not the US Doge Service administrator. Fisher made that argument in a case before DC Federal Judge Tanya Chutkin. Now you may know that name.
She's the person who you'll recall earned the the president's insults and other verbal attacks for being the trial judge in his election interference case, which is now dropped. In this latest case, she ruled in his favor, denying a request from a number of states for a restraining order against Musk and Doge, saying that they lack sufficient evidence of immediate and irreparable harm from from the job cuts. Now this comes just days after a federal judge in Boston, George O'Toole Junior, lifted a similar restraining order. By the way, he's a Clinton appointee. Judge Shudkin was appointed by President Obama.
Both ruled in President Trump's favor. Back to the question of who runs Doge, though, and that court document claiming that it's not Elon Musk, here's what the White House press secretary says.
Speaker 2: This affidavit actually says he doesn't work for Doge at all. So what is his role at Doge? Sure. I'm happy to clarify. Elon Musk is a special government employee here at the White House serving at the direction of the president of The United States Donald Trump.
Elon Musk has been tasked with overseeing Doge on behalf of the president.
Speaker 0: So the sworn statement says Elon Musk is, quote, not the Doge service administrator. The press president's press secretary says he oversees it. Short time later, the president himself weighed in without exactly clearing things up.
Speaker 3: Elon is, to me, a patriot. So, you know, you could call him an employee. You could call him a consultant. You could call him whatever you want. But he's a patriot.
Speaker 0: The president was also, asked this about Musk, who as we reported is not being required to file publicly available financial disclosure forms.
Speaker 4: Mister president, given your concerns about corruption, you said that if there were any conflicts of interest with Elon Musk, you wouldn't let him anywhere near it.
Speaker 3: That's right.
Speaker 4: Doge and SpaceX employees are now working directly at the Federal Aviation Administration and the Defense Department, agencies that have billions of dollars in contracts with Musk's companies or that directly regulate his companies. How is that not a conflict of interest?
Speaker 3: Well, I mean, I'm just hearing about it. And if there is and he told me before I told him, but obviously, I will not let there be any conflict of interest. He's done an amazing job. They revealed in fact, he's gonna be on tonight, a big show called Sean Hannity at 09:00. And, he's on and I'm on, and we talk about a lot of different things.
And, any conflicts I told Elon, any conflicts, you can't have anything to do with that. So anything to do with possibly even space, we won't let Elon partake in that.
Speaker 0: Well, keeping them honest, as you heard in that question, Doge officials are already involved with the Pentagon. We learned today they had meetings there Friday. Unclear if they're still there now, but defense secretary, Heggs said just last week said the defense department would welcome Doge and Musk very soon. As you've heard there, Elon Musk is a defense contractor, which means by the president's own standards, he shouldn't have anything to do with anything at the Pentagon. Unless, of course, you believe another line from that White House official's sworn statement to judge Shutkin.
It reads, mister Musk has no actual or formal authority to make government decisions himself. Mister Musk can only advise the president and communicate the president's directives. So maybe there's no conflict if Musk doesn't actually do anything, except the president seems to have given him broad authority to do lots of things. And it's not like Musk isn't openly suggesting the very same thing. He's been talking about that quite openly, implying that he is making decisions and is not merely advising the president.
Remember the tweet, we spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper. Could have gone to some great parties, did this, that instead. That doesn't sound like the word of someone who's just doing a little fact finding then reporting back to the boss. We'll talk more in a moment about what he and the administration might be up to with all this or whether some of this just reflects a measure of chaos and noise surrounding the administration, which there seems to be plenty these days. Some of which involve speculation there's a divide forming between Musk and the president who addressed it during a conversation with Fox's Sean Hannity.
Speaker 3: Elon called me. He said, you know, they're trying to drive us apart. I said, absolutely. No. They said, we have breaking news.
Donald Trump has ceded control of the presidency to Elon Musk. President Musk will be attending a cabinet meeting tonight at 08:00. And I say, it's just so obvious. They're so bad at it. I used to think they were good at it.
But you know what I have learned, Elon? The people are smart. They get it.
Speaker 1: Yeah. They do, actually.
Speaker 3: They get it. They really see what's happening.
Speaker 0: Yes. There's always plenty of cover seen as Caitlin Collins.
@AC360 - Anderson Cooper 360°
Frame by frame analysis of dramatic new video showing the crash, and rollover, of Delta Flight 4819 from CNN's @tomforemancnn. https://t.co/JWVkgkdeti
Video Transcript AI Summary
When the video starts, the plane appears normal, descending smoothly around 50 miles per hour, about a hundred feet above the runway. But instead of flaring to soften the impact, it slams in hard. Within seven seconds, the right landing gear collapses, and the wing tears off upon contacting the ground. This tearing is good because it sprays fuel away from the passenger cabin. The plane rolls onto its right side, flips over, and ends upside down.
In about four seconds, passengers experience a normal flight turning into a hard landing, a fireball, and the plane rolling over. What saved them was the fuselage remaining intact due to the wing tearing away and the seats being able to withstand the shock. The plane slides upside down for seven seconds before rescue arrives. In eighteen seconds, passengers went from a normal flight to escaping for their lives. It's remarkable they all survived.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: What this new video tells us now passengers experienced it, I wanna bring in CNET's Tom Foreman who's been going through it frame by frame. Tom, what what have you learned?
Speaker 1: Boy, an awful lot, Anderson. When this video begins, we're gonna mark this as zero seconds. Everything would appear to be normal to the passengers. The The plane is coming in around a 30, a 50 miles per hour. It looks like it's about a hundred feet above the runway, stable and descending smoothly.
In the next few seconds though, just what Pete talked about there, you do not see the nose come up as it flares to slow that descent. Instead, softening the impact, it slams in very hard. Seven seconds after everything was fine, this plane with a maximum landing weight of 73,000 pounds comes down very hard. The right side landing gear, as Pete noted, collapses. The wing is torn off as it contacts the ground.
That's actually very good news because that allows the fuel in that wing to spray away from the plane, not onto the main cabin where all those passengers are. Then the roll starts. The plane is on its right side. It tips up. It rolls all the way over and winds up upside down.
Speaker 0: It it must have seemed like it happened incredibly fast for the people inside.
Speaker 1: Absolutely. They would have gone from what would have seemed to be this is a mock up of that. They would have gone from about seven seconds in to from a normal flight to this very hard landing and then a fireball outside and then rolling over all of this in about four seconds.
Speaker 0: Wow.
Speaker 1: What saved them in that time was the fuselage is still intact. That's still related to that wing tearing away instead of crushing the cabin. And by their seats, which by regulation would have require are made with a requirement that they can withstand that kind of shock and not release from the floor, dropping them all on their heads, Anderson.
Speaker 0: And even then, I mean, it wasn't over yet. I mean, they had to
Speaker 1: do it. This is the amazing thing. Imagine you're in this position, and this is what happens. The plane goes on sliding for seven long seconds while they're upside down before the fire trucks can race out and the evacuations could begin. In total, those passengers went from what seemed a picture perfect flight, or at least pretty close to it to scrambling for their lives in eighteen seconds.
Andresson, the fact they all got out alive, remarkable.
Speaker 0: That's incredible. Tom Forman, thanks so much.
@AC360 - Anderson Cooper 360°
“For Joe, faith isn’t a prop or a political tool.” Sen. Chris Coons, a close Joe Biden ally, called the former vice president “a man of faith and conscience” who “knows the power of prayer” in a speech that focused on Biden’s Catholic faith. https://cnn.it/3aKPB5l #DemConvention https://t.co/XCWN2lFl2J
Video Transcript AI Summary
People of faith have historically driven change, and Joe Biden embodies that spirit, inspired by respect for all individuals. His faith is personal and genuine, guiding him through joy and sorrow. I've witnessed his compassion and empathy firsthand, as he supports those in need. Joe aims to create a future with less suffering and more justice, addressing issues like immigration and racism rooted in faith. He believes in the dignity of work and the importance of uniting people of all faiths to tackle challenges together. Joe understands that this election is about the soul of our country, believing in its greatness and goodness.
In response to a question about faith, Joe shared his personal experiences of loss and hope, emphasizing the importance of faith in providing purpose and resilience, particularly in difficult times.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: People of faith have long led change from abolition and women's suffrage to the labor movement and the struggle for civil rights. Joe Biden will continue that progressive march towards justice, inspired by respect for the dignity of all people, People Joe believes were made in the image of God. Joe learned that from his parents and the nuns and priests right here in Delaware who taught him and inspired in him a passion for justice. I'm senator Chris Coons of Delaware and I want to tell you about my friend Joe Biden. His faith is strong and it's personal and private.
For Joe, faith isn't a prop or a political tool. I've known Joe about 30 years and I've seen his faith in action. Joe knows the power of prayer. And I've seen him in moments of joy and triumph, of loss and despair, turn to God for strength. Joe's comforted me in my toughest moments as he has so many others.
I'll never forget how Joe took the time to offer me words of comfort as my father lay in hospice. Time and again, I've seen him stop everything and listen, really listen to someone who needs a shoulder to cry on or partner in prayer. That compassion, that empathy is part of his character. More than anything, Joe is a man of faith and conscience. He'll be a president for Americans of all faiths as well as people of conscience who practice no particular faith.
Joe's faith is really about our future, about a world with less suffering and more justice, where we're better stewards of creation, where we have a more just immigration policy, and where we call out and confront the original sins of this nation, the sins of slavery and racism. Joe knows these are central issues in this election, and for him, they're rooted in faith. Joe knows that it's faith that sustains so many ordinary Americans who do extraordinary things. Nurses who brave infection, firefighters who run into burning buildings, teachers working overtime, especially now. They all deserve a servant leader who knows the dignity of work, who sees them, respects them, fights for them.
We need a president who brings people of all faiths together to tackle our challenges, rebuild our country, and restore our humanity. Someone who knows we're called to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our god. Joe Biden will be that president. Joe's always known this race is a battle for the soul of our country, and he's right. Joe believes.
He believes in both the greatness and the goodness of this country. He believes in us and in what we can do together.
Speaker 1: My question is, what is your faith, and how would you use your faith and make a decision for our nation? Reverend, I kinda know what it's like to lose, family. And, my heart goes out to you. If you may remember, after Barack and Michelle and I were there, my family, I came back on that Sunday, the regular service, because I just lost my son. And, I wanted some hope because what you all did was astounding.
I don't know if you all know this. All those who died and were killed by this white supremacist, they forgave him. They forgave him. The ultimate act of Christian charity, they forgave him. And, you know, reverend, I'm not proselytizing.
I happen to be a practicing Catholic. But I went back to the church because I found particularly the black church. In this case, it was an AME. It was not an Episcopal church. I found that, there's that famous phrase from Kierkegaard.
Faith sees best in the dark. I find the one thing it gives me, and I'm not trying to process that. I'm not trying to convince you to be to share my religious views. But for me, it's important because it gives me some reason to have hope and purpose.
@AC360 - Anderson Cooper 360°
Former Vice President Joe Biden on his son's legacy and his own future: "I'm trying like hell to do everything I think ... that Beau would want me to do" cnn.it/2nP8kVj https://t.co/sjtQt547nP
Video Transcript AI Summary
This book conveys a straightforward message: Joe Biden should run for president. It emphasizes the importance of duty, a value instilled in Beau by his father, highlighting that everyone deserves dignity. Despite experiencing profound loss, holding onto purpose is crucial. The American people are capable of greatness if given the chance, and there's a need to elect a Democratic majority to restore order. The focus is on finding talented individuals within the party to lead. While it's acknowledged that winning is uncertain, the hope is that readers will reflect on the book's message and its significance.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: This book has a very simple message when it comes to politics. It says, Joe Biden needs to run for president. I know. That's what this book says. Everything in here about relevance, what Beau called duty, what your sense of significance, whether you're quoting a philosopher or not, that was about fulfilling your responsibility writ large.
I'm not saying you'd win. I'm not saying I wouldn't hammer you on a daily basis if you ran. But in this book, how hard for you is it to reconcile yourself with that sense of duty that he brought to your life and that you brought to his?
Speaker 1: Well, look, he everything with Beau was about duty and everything about Beau was about the lesson he learned from my father. Everyone's entitled to be treated with dignity. I mean, everybody. For God's sake, everybody. And that's what Beau did.
And what I try to point out here is you can have severe loss, but if you hang on to purpose. And so I'm trying like hell to do everything I think, that sounds corny, but the Beau would want me to do. I mean, when his mother and his sister were killed, he and Hunter were the kids. I looked up to them rather than look up to me. And the point in here is that there is a the American people are better than their leadership is now across the board.
And you just gotta give them a chance. Whenever you give them a chance, they've never let the country down. And so from my perspective, I'm spending all my time, and I give you my word as a Biden. I'm spending all my time seeing to elect we elect a democratic house and have a chance to elect in the senate to stop this insanity and begin to right this ship again. And that's what I'm focused on.
And I really mean that. And and we got a lot of talented people in the democratic party. And I'm looking for some of these guys to come along. Who's better than you? Your father was better than me.
Speaker 0: Listen. Don't make me get upset. You know how pop felt about you. You know you guys represent the same things. And again, I'm not saying that the the country would embrace it.
I'm not saying you'd win. But, it just seems like I don't know how when I read this book, and this was not easy for me. And it won't be easy for a lot of people and for the right reasons. And I hope, they read it. It's been out.
It has been read, but people should refocus on it.
@AC360 - Anderson Cooper 360°
Pres. Trump's "Twitter account should be suspended," says Kamala Harris. "There's plenty of…evidence to suggest that he is irresponsible with his words in a way that could result in harm…so the privilege of using those words in that way should probably be taken from him." https://t.co/k5SYGCuwX1
Video Transcript AI Summary
Speaker 0 believes the president's tweets and behavior demonstrate he uses power to beat people down. The speaker thinks the president's Twitter account should be suspended because he is irresponsible with his words in a way that could result in harm to others.
Speaker 1 notes that suspending the president's account would allow his followers to claim that Silicon Valley is silencing him.
Speaker 0 counters that the president's words are powerful and he has never fully appreciated the responsibility that comes with them. Speaker 0 says the president uses his words in a way that could subject someone to harm, and if he won't exercise self-restraint, other mechanisms should ensure his words do not harm anyone.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: The president's tweets and his behaviors about this are just further evidence of the fact that he uses his power in a way that is designed to beat people down instead of lift people up. Frankly, when you look at what he's been tweeting today, directed at the whistleblower, directed at so many people, you know, I frankly think that based on this and all we've seen him do before, including attacking members of Congress, that he frankly should be his Twitter account should be suspended. I think there is plenty of now evidence to suggest that he is irresponsible with his words in a way that could result in harm to other people. And so the privilege of using those words in that way should probably be taken from him.
Speaker 1: But doesn't that, I mean, play into, certainly, the hands of, you know, his what I don't know how many Twitter followers he has. I think it's in the range of 60,000,000 who will say, well, look. Okay. Now they're now, you know, the the rich folks in Silicon Valley are just trying to cut or silence me and taking me off Twitter.
Speaker 0: I'm sure that that will that will be said, but I we have to also agree that when the president of the United States speaks, her words are very powerful and should be used in a way that is not about belittling, much less harming anyone. And this President has, I think, never fully appreciated that responsibility. And so what we see continuously, including in the last 24 hours, is a use of his words, Donald Trump using his words, in a way that could subject someone to harm. And if he's not going to exercise self restraint, then perhaps there should be other mechanisms in place to make sure that his words do not in fact harm anyone, and that's my point. What we want to make sure is that his words do not actually result in harm to anyone.