good monday morning, everyone, i'm poppy harlow in new york. president trump may have removed all doubt about the true intent of the meeting that his eldest son, son-in-law and then campaign chairman held in june of 2016. but the questions and fallout and potential implications just keep growing. the president writes that that trump tower meeting which was initially described in a statement dictated by the president himself as quote, primarily about adoption, was in fact -- and i quote the president this weekend, a meeting to get information on an opponent. totally legal writes the president, which in this case is debatable. we'll get into that in a moment. he also adds i did not know anything about it. this all raises a question of why then he thought it was totally legal. was there's so much on fuse indication.

the president is still on vacation in new jersey which means no opportunities for reporters to ask questions to try to clarify all of that. let's go to abby phillip as close to the president as the media can get. any clarity on this? >> not at all. but as the president has been lashing out at robert mueller over the weekend, he's also been revealing some really important information here, both about his own statements and how untrue they have been for over a year now but also about this trump tower meeting involving his son don jr. in this tweet sent over the weekend the president acknowledges as clearly as he has up until this point that the meeting was to get information on an opponent which he claims was legal and also claims he didn't know about it. but this goes all the way back to july of last year when this meeting first was revealed by the "new york times" and in a way of explanation, don jr. released a statement in july saying that the meeting was about a dopgss. we know president trump dictated

that statement but the new york times reported the next day that it was actually about opposition research on hillary clinton. don jr. preemptively releases the e-mail exchanges with the people setting up this meeting in which the organizers say very clearly, that the meeting was providing information on clinton as part of russia and its government support for trump for months after that, there's a back and forth about whether or not the president was involved in writing the statement, explaining this meeting and whether or not the true purpose of the meeting was about dirt on hillary clinton. the president's lawyer in july saying that the president didn't dictate the statement he said he wasn't involved in it. sarah sanders then later saying maybe he was involved. he weighed in on the statement but didn't dictate it. it wasn't until earlier this year in a letter from the trump team to mueller that we then learned according to the trump team, that president trump did in fact dictate that statement.

this is all coming to a head as sources say that robert mueller is closing in on this moment as a key part of the this investigation. and president trump is growing increasingly concerned about the potential legal exposure of his son don jr. in this meeting. at the same time, we also know that michael cohen, according to sources is willing to tell mueller that president trump knew in advance about this meeting. so all of this really just heightens the scrutiny on this key moment here and makes us wonder why is it that the white house -- president's attorneys have really been trying to on advice kate about the true purpose behind all of this, poppy. >> all important questions. let us know if you get to pose any to the president, thank you. let's talk about this, jess dossier, a white house reporter for the "washington post" and shannon pennypiece and caroline pelosi, criminal and defense attorney. nice to have you all here.

let's attack the legality or illegality of this first, caroline, should we and listen to the president's lawyer over the weekend. >> the question is how would it be illegal? the real question here is would a meeting of that nature constitute a violation, the meeting itself constitute a violation of the law. the question is what law statute or rule or regulation been violated? nobody has pointed to one. >> how about the logan act, explain how that very much could apply here. >> i think there are many statutes that could apply here, specifically there's a very specific criminal statute that says it is a crime to accept something of value from a foreign national in the context of a federal campaign. and jay sekulow in that clip there is trying to place sort of blinders around this meeting and look at it only in that context. we have so much more information poppy about this meeting that we

know. we have don jr. saying if it's what you say it is, i love it. that could be interpreted as soliciting something of value. they are going to argue maybe it never came to fruition and didn't get anything, that's been the party line there but it doesn't matter in terms of the criminal code whether or not anything was achieved. the fact -- the mere fact of the solicitation of the information is of itself criminal. >> and the logan act would say to communicate with foreign officials in order to quote influence the measure or conduct of any foreign government, that that would be a crime if you were looking at it specifically in that context. shannon, the president admitted clearly i quoted him, admitted this weekend that he misled the american people because he dictated that initial july 8th statement about the trump tower meeting last year the story about the meeting and motivation and why it came to fruition keeps changing. the president's favorable rating

does not change even as this story changes dramatically. we know there could be legal consequences. that aside, are there political? >> well, that's one of the interesting things because we've -- we've seen these tweets over the past couple of days. this tweet about jeff sessions which a lot of legal analysts and experts have said, boy, that could really do you damage in a court of law, that could be obstruction, that could contradict the other statements. but in the court of public opinion and what president trump believes and what his advisers believe is that attacking this investigation is really the best way to succeed in that court of public opinion. and there was definitely a shift after the michael cohen raid and we've seen in recent months about the president racheting up his attacks on this mueller investigation and i'm told that is because he very much believes and his lawyers advised him that this as a sitting president not going to be trial that plays out in a court of law. it will be if anything comes of this, a trial that plays outs in the court of public opinion

through impeachment. that's why the constant attacks, even if they do not hurt him in a legal sense are not, he feels at this point to undercut this investigation. >> and when it comes to the issue of impeachment, josh, you know the polling, recent polling. quinnipiac showed if democrats do retake the house, 65% of them, two thirds would push for articles of impeachment against the president. do you see the stepped up attacks on mueller here as motivating more his opponents to come out in the mid terms and try to flip the house or motivating more supporters in his base to come out? >> well, i think they motivate both. the president -- the prospect of impeachment unlikely at this point but certainly motivate the president's supporters. you look at support among republicans it's still high, above 80% by all polls and it's been pretty rock solid even when the president made insend dairy comments like jeff sessions shut

down the investigation. you don't see repudiation of comments, they are running in lock step with him now. they are motivated to come out in 2018 and try to take the house back and i thnk you would see a racheting up of investigations and see subpoenas and certainly a lot more oversight from the hill if democrats won the house and majority in 2018. all of that said, i'm not sure it would be a sure fire bet. i think the prospect of impeachment could backfire as well. i don't think we know at this point. i think we would be careful not to make too much implications because it's a long way to november. the mueller probe could be done by then and still see more lingering action and see democrats take over. the president is out on the campaign trail saying we're going to see a red wave not a blue wave, according to his numbers as well. >> you even saw adam schiff, the ranking democrat on the intelligence committee in a vocal opponent of the president say over the weekend, again, warning fellow democrats don't run on this, don't run on impeachment for precisely the

point you make. let's listen to something else the president aesz lawyer said over the weekend. chocking all of his denials about the trump tower meeting and et cetera and intent, up to bad information. here's more. >> i think it's very important to point out in a situation like this, you have over time facts develop, that's what investigations do. >> facts develop, facts are facts, right, you either know them or don't and it is very possible that a lawyer for the president could be kept in the dark about facts. but do facts develop over time? >> of courbviously not. facts don't develop they are set in stone. at the very best this was a reckless statement on the part of the jay seck co-low and at the worst it was a bold faced lie. i think what we're seeing here is that the president is a bad client. there's a reason why there are

many white color criminal defense attorneys who have turned down this representation. it's not a good thing when your client lies to you. you cannot adequately represent your client's interest when you are getting bad information as it were from your client. >> josh, one final thought. as the president and his legal team decide if he's going to sit down for an interview with mueller, that decision, who knows when it's going to come. they keep seeming to say a few weeks. they have been saying there's nothing else here. we've given all of these documents, et cetera, you had the former white house counsel to president obama now professor at nyu over the weekend saying that trump's attorney's argument that he shouldn't have to do an interview with mueller because he doesn't know anything, doesn't that now change that he said on twitter this was to get dirt on my opponent, essentially, doesn't that change? >> well, a lot of episodes that the president provides acknowledgement, one of the key players in a certain situation,

whether from the firing of james comey, episodes around michael flynn, his pressure on jeff sessions to try to force that attorney general to resign. there's certainly a case to be made that the president could provide unique information because he was one of the key players. that said, the interview is not a sure thing at this point. the president as we reported and others have as well, continues to wants to do it. he seems to think he can talk special counsel robert mueller into seeing it his way. i think his lawyers seeing his depositions over the years, seeing his tendency not to always tell the truth to say it lightly are more concerned about an interview with special counsel. and we've kind of been in a hold here, they've been proposals, lots of negotiations and we're still really nowhere firm and it's august. i think you'll see in the next few weeks something will have to materialize because we're approaching election season and midterms and i think the president wants this investigation over with and i think they'll have to make

that -- >> doesn't matter when he wants it over with, it's up to mueller's time line here. thank you all very much. >> certainly will prolong it if he doesn't do an interview. >> very fair point. >> have to wrap it up to do one. >> fair point. thank you all. still to come, president trump and kim jong-un, hopeful for a second summit between the two leaders. high stakes battle in ohio down to the wire. president's party is struggling to hold on a seat that has gone republican for last two decades and this -- >> but you're a fan of the president, think he's doing a good job? >>i izhe's doing a lot better t what obama did. >> where did that come from? bill weir is in sturgis, at the world's largest motorcycle rally. ivor of alzheimer's disease is out there. and the alzheimer's association is going to make it happen. but we won't get there without you.

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believes there's a strong possibility of a second summit between kim jong-un and president trump. that source also says it could happen sometime later this year. no exact mention of a date though, will ripably joins me, and let me be clear, this is not the white house saying this. this is someone close to the kim regime. what's your read on it and why would they want to put forth something like this? >> when you look what's been happening over the last week, the official lines between the u.s. and north korea have been increasingly harsh, mike pompeo was calling on nations to continue enforcing sanctions against north korea, of violating u.n. security council resolutions and growing its nuclear program which is backed up by u.s. intelligence. and not following through on the june 12th agreement in singapore. if things don't happen in terms of sanctions relief and peace

tra treaty they may walk away. they still flatter him and say that president trump wants progress but it's u.s. politics getting in the way. and of course president trump sent a very nice tweet to kim jong-un last week thanking him for his nice letter and saying -- i was wondering if this was a hint, i'll see you soon. now the source is telling me in fact it is a strong possibility at least from the north korean perspective that there will be a second meeting between trump and kim sometime later this year and north koreans are pushing for this to happen before the midterm elections in november. they think that trump wants to tout north korea as success before the midterms and they want to give them that opportunity. they hope that direct negotiations between kim and trum much will get the north koreans a better deal in the end. we have to watch and see what happens. >> that is soon if that were to be the case. will riply, thank you for reporting and important context. at midnight tonight, the u.s. will reimpose sanctions on iran. months after president trump announced he was pulling u.s. out of the iran nuclear agreement, the white house is expected to provide more details

in a call starting right now, this hour, we'll bring you those when we get them. the president also readying his response directly at the president and let's go to the state department. michelle kosinski joins me for more. this is the first action after pulling out of the iran agreement that they would slap back these sanctions. but this is just part one, right, michelle. the tougher sanctions come in november. >> yeah, i mean this targets iran's ability to bank the american dollar, which is a big deal. aviation, that is expected to have an impact in the meantime leading up to this, so many companies and european companies included have gotten out of iran. so the white house wants to emphasize that they believe their regime is working but then this is kind of like a show that the u.s. is serious about doing this, including that the u.s. will sanction european companies

even if they continue to do business. november 4th is when the as sanctions come back on to iran against its oil sectors and energy sectors and central bank. that's expected to have a bigger impact as iran's economy is in deep, deep trouble and it's been facing increasing protests now going on for days, poppy. >> thank you very much, we'll get into this more next hour and let us know what does come up on the call going on right now with the white house. ahead, a crucial vote in ohio tomorrow, a neck in neck race to tell us a lot about the upcoming mid terms, what should be a safe seat for republicans is not looking safe at all next. i don't keep track of regrets. and i don't add up the years. but what i do count on is boost®. delicious boost® high protein nuritional drink now has 33% more protein, along with 26 essential vitamins and minerals boost® high protein. be up for life.

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in a special special election toex, republicans in ohio risk losing a seat in the district they have controlled for three decades. that's why president trump made a special trip there for a rally this weekend. >> we must elect troy balderson. we have to elect troy. i need your vote august 7th. >> the special election is an ohio 12th district and last major race before the midterm and may reveal a lot about what we'll see in november. in fact it is john kasich, says it should be an easy win for rpz. listen. >> the chaos that seems to surround donald trump unnerved a lot of people. it's kind of shocking, this should be a slam dunk and it's

not. >> joining me now david urban, former trump campaign strategist. thanks for being with me, david. >> thanks for having me, poppy. how are you? >> i'm good. kasich is right, look at the polling numbers, balderson at 44% and danny o'connor at 43% in a district that the president won by 11 points and district the republicans have held on almost as long as i've been alive, three decades. is kasich right, this isn't a slam dunk because of the president? >> not surprisingly governor kasich is taking a jab at the president and given their rocky past, i don't think that's any surprise. and poppy, look, in all of these races, all of these special elections especially candidates matter. candidates matter to a great deal. if you go back and think about where the democrats have been successful this these tight races and ralph north rum and conner lam in pennsylvania and danny o'brien and these folks --

>> o'connor -- >> i'm sorry, danny o'connor. these folks are a far cry from candidates like ocasio-cortez, they are blue dog democrats both danny o'connor as well as conner lam both have said they would not vote for nancy pelosi for speaker. they are trying to distance themselves from the democratic party -- >> that means -- >> run as republicans. >> that may be but your party needs to have the stronger candidate in the critical districts if you're going to win. i want your reaction to what else kasich said. you heard this interview with george stephanopoulos, why he is supporting a republican candidate and then something stunning. >> he came out against this border separation policy. he came out against the tariffs and came out for fixing social security. you know, on his website or whatever, i asked him the other

day, why are you bringing trump in? i don't have anything to do with it. >> is he surprised president trump was come and didn't want to come? >> did you invite trump in here for president? he said no, i didn't. so i think donald trump decides where he wants to go and they think they are firing up the base. >> either the republican candidate balderson didn't ask the president of the united states for help in this very tight race or he did and he doesn't want to admit it. that's your read? >> poppy, listen, i don't -- i don't know what conversation he had with the president or didn't have with the president but i can't imagine somebody running for a house seat that would not want the president of the united states to come in, especially in ohio 12 as you pointed out. the president carried so decisively. look, that race was a very, very tight race -- >> it's a place where you do face uphill challenges from for example suburban women. you know that. >> right, no, listen, exactly.

i think that you need to get -- make sure as you know, need to make sure your base turns out in these low number kind of special elections race that's held in august when most people are out on vacation someplace with their families, it's going to be a pretty low turnout. so one of the strategies here, make sure your base turns out and turns out forcefully. that's why the president is there. >> it sounds like you're preparing for a potential loss and what the narrative should be on that if you do lose. you're saying it's august, no one is watching but ohio 12 matters. >> no, it does matter greatly, poppy. each one of these seats matters a great deal. look, the republican candidate won a very tough primary, a ten-way primary beat out one of my very close friends, guy named tim cain, won by 28% of the vote. 28% of the vote got him to this point where he is now. these tough bruising primaries do have an impact on the general

election as well. >> yeah, david, let me get you on a few other topics since you know the president well. he made very clear to everyone over the weekend something that he wouldn't say and didn't say before. and that is that he said about the trump tower meeting in 2016, quote, this was a meeting to get information on an opponent. information from russians on hillary clinton. this is the an tij this ses of what they said over again, the statement he dictated in july of last year, said this meeting was primarily discussed a program about the adoption of russian children. so which one are we supposed to believe, david? >> so poppy, look, i'm going to push back on that. my good friend jonathan swan at aixio has a piece out that says, look, what's the big news here? there is no breaking news. this is exactly what the president said on july 13th of 2017 one year ago. i think if we go back and look

at the statement from july 13th, 2017 he says the exact same thing and jonathan has it right. >> i read jonathan's piece, the president dictated we know this because of the letter sent to mueller's team admitting he did dictate that july 8th statement in which it said the meeting was primarily about russian adoption, nothing else to see here and now the president is saying it's information on an oppone opponent. the american people should believe which one because it matters, doesn't it? >> it does matter. it does matter, poppy. you know what, it is very confusing and i would say the latter of the two statements, right, the july 13th statement, i believe. i don't believe that the president -- there's a lot of folks out there opining that the president knew about this meeting at some point along the way. i'm not so certain about that. i go with a july 13th 2017 statement where he said look,

this is -- a meeting about people potentially offering up -- they came in under goois about lifting sanctions on the mag knit ski act and offering opposition research on a candidate. >> look, we know from the e-mail chain setting up this meeting to don jr. that it was about dirt on hillary clinton and he said if it's later in the summer i love it but i'm running out of time and i do want to get you on something so important. that is the media, the freedom of the press, and as you know over the weekend ethe president said the fake news is the enemy of the people then he said they, meaning us, the media, can also cause war. is that taking this too far? is that dangerous? to have threats against their life? >> look, sure, again, i think that the president is krek, look at the words, fake news as he said is bad -- >> he said they can also -- he

calls cnn fake news. and you know it's not -- >> i don't think he called the entire network. >> yes, he does, he writes it, you wouldn't be on this network if you thought that and they, meaning the media, they can also cause war. i understand you work for him and friend of his, is this taking it too far? >> yeah, look, i think it's taking it a little bit too far. i think there are very, very many good journalists in america and across the world and people risk their lives every day to get the truth out all across the world. but at the same time, there are lots and lots of bad journalists. to say there are no bad journalists is just naive for anybody's account. there are bad doctors and bad lawyers and bad accountants and to think there are no bad journalists, just does not -- doesn't pass a straight face test. >> except you know the president groups together huge networks and newspapers and says they are all fake news then says they can cause war so -- i appreciate your candor.

>> listen, poppy, let me put it this way, i don't think anyone at cnn or journalists that you or i work with cause war. how about that? >> i appreciate that. >> nice to have you. come back soon. >> thank you. >> the president who told us quote, tariffs are the greatest and plans a multibillion dollar rescue package for farmers hurt by trade wars now claims tariffs will bring down the national debt. it's a big promise. we'll fact check it next. hi i'm joan lunden. today's senior living communities have never been better, with amazing amenities like movie theaters, exercise rooms and swimming pools, public cafes, bars and bistros even pet care services. and there's never been an easier way to get great advice. a place for mom is a free service

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president trump is offering a new and novel defense of the tariffs that have launched essentially a trade war. not only are those tariffs in the president's words working far better than anyone ever anticipated but they will allow the u.s. to start paying down large amounts of our national debt, just fact checking that debt it is $21 trillion in change. my chief -- my friend and chief business correspondent christine romans is here as well as our senior economicsage lift steven

moore who advised the president on all things economy during the campaign. christine, the president says that these tariffs will bring down the national debt, $21 trillion. >> large amounts of the national debt, he says. >> the tariffs on the $85 billion worth of goods right now at best would bring in $21 billion. >> 0.1% of the national debt. >> exactly. >> the national debt is going up. it's going up because the government is spending so much more than it brings in and the treasury department has to borrow money, ironically in some cases, many cases from the chinese to pay for that debt. we're running up the national debt, $21.3 trillion right now, went up a big amount also during the obama administration because of the financial crisis. it was spending all kinds of money to keep the economy out of recession. you know, you don't -- you don't get out of the national debt by tariffs, you get out of the national debt by huge growth, which is i think what their

strategy is. but that is -- cutting the national debt by large amounts, paying it down just by tariff strategy alone is not possible. >> you also look at the cost of this to american companies and consumers steven moore, coca-cola said they'll charge more for coke because aluminum and winne bago will charge more for rvs because of the tariffs. you have the budget director acknowledging we're going to run a trillion dollar plus deficit for at least the next four years, i mean by the pred's own calculation, do we need mortar i haves? >> tariffs or taxes, that's one reason i don't like them because they are taxes but they do collect money. little history lesson for the first 100 years of our nation, as christine knows, the primary way we raised revenue for the federal government was through tariffs. i'm not justifying but i don't like tariffs but let me give you a status of where we are on this trade situation. i think president trump had a

major advance a week ago wednesday in europe where it looks like we could get a nice agreement with europe, buy more of our agricultural products and manufacturing products and oil and gas. i talked to the trade people over the weekend. they feel good where we are with mexico poppy. they feel like we're making good advances with britain. and so i think where we're at right now is the strategy which i've always thought was a smart strategy, which is isolate ch china, china is a big, big problem. poppy, you said trump is launching a trade war with china. i think if donald trump were on he would tell you, we're not launching this trade war, this was launched a long time ago by china where they are restraining our exports to china and they are treating and stealing. they steal 300 billion of intellectual property. most americans agree that can't continue any longer. we need to retaliate. >> and the question becomeses at what cost for consumer.

>> there will be a cost to the consumer, no doubt. >> the president pointed to the chinese markets in his argument. >> and said the chinese markets are down 27%, the stock market and said that is evidence the trade strategy is working. there's a huge government focused deleveraging going on there, cutting debt campaign going on and the trade spat. it has not been good for chinese markets. but i think using the chinese markets as somehow a barometer for how americans will feel better about paying more for a car or more for a coke, those are two different economic statistics. i'm not quite sure that that sells his argument there. you know, look, the long term strategy here, in the short term there will be pain because these companies -- american companies paying this tax will have to find domestic sources, right? long term. the white house strategy is that long term you're going to exchange for the balance of trade. the irony here is that the chinese have sort of shifted from that manufacturing world to the chief manufacturing staff and want to be the leader on the things that really matter like

ai and stuff like that. we're almost in a way fighting the trade battles for 25 years ago. >> that's a great point. >> thank you both, next time you're on, first answer to you, i'm out of time today. thank you both very much. president trump's attack on the media, reaching a new level, accusing journalists of causing war but members of his own white house are breaking with the president's message on that. the first person to survive alzheimer's disease is out there. and the alzheimer's association is going to make it happen by funding scientific breakthroughs, advancing public policy, and providing local support to those living with the disease and their caregivers. but we won't get there without you. join the fight with the alzheimer's association. it's a pea-protein, gluten-free pâté.gman? (whistles) it's a burrito filled with plants

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what happens when a half million people gather together in a small town for the world's largest motorcycle event? cnn's bill weir hit the road to find out. joining bikers from around the world at sturgis. it is an annual pilgrimage in sturgis, south dakota to get their view on president and the politics. watch. >> reporter: they rumble in from all points on the compass and for one week each summer this little town of 7,000 explodes to half a million. but this is one city that looks nothing like the rest of america. you can go hours without seeing a person of color and sturgis, a minority is a white guy on a foreign bike. there are no debates over gun control here or ethics of the me too movement. and there is no doubt who is the leader at this pack. >> you're a fan of the president, think he's doing a good job? >> he's doing a lot better than

what obama did. >> reporter: this ghost rider reviews him self as john sands, a postal worker who rides up from kentucky each year and sees proof of trump's brilliance in the booming economy. >> they say it's the trump bump, people are feeling so good. >> reporter: rod woodruff says his campers have an average income of $95,000 a year. >> 70% are homeowners in the united states. lots of people own multiple motorcycles. >> we have a tattoo parlor up here. we've got food and pizza and anything you want at the free access cross roads. >> very good. >> do you have your own jail? >> no, we don't need one. >> you don't need one. >> violence and arrests are incredibly rare for a crowd of this size. one reason is most folks share the same values and those that don't keep it to themselves. i see here in motorcycling is a microcosm for the whole country.

get the feeling sometimes that people don't believe what's going on is right have become very quiet. >> i think there's a lot of h hypocrisy because i feel like everybody wants freedom and rights but god forbid somebody disagree with you, you'll get your head bitten off. >> reporter: a couple months back the president aimed at harley-davidson. the company shut down a factory in kansas city, laid off hundred workers and said because of the tariffs they would have to start production in a new country overseas which begs the question, is this the ultimate loyalty test for his base? do these folks pledge allegiance to the president or hall harley-davidson? >> i have to go with what makes america better. if harley wants to go somewhere else, i'll choose different bikes. >> i love the man, think he's doing a wonderful job. >> reporter: despite the president's disdain for my profession, they could not be

nicer. >> do i strike you as an enemy of the people? >> not at all. we're sure glad to have you here. >> reporter: no amount of earnest reporting will change their minds. >> because if you look at russia and the mueller investigation and there's a lot red flags and dark clouds. >> that's usually a lot of politicians but one they are picking on because he's on the outside. if you look at the clintons how come they can do things and no one else can. >> i'm old enough to remember when the base loved harley davidson and hated russia. it seems it flipped a little bit. >> i don't think there's any reason to call him out or try to be friendly with anyone. if they don't want to be friends, it's a whole other story. >> even vladimir putin, a dictator, a murderer? >> he met with kim jong-un as well. >> fake news. we all know it. >> touch me. >> touch me. >> donald j. trump. he'll tell you. >> reporter: back downtown our presence sparks a debate between some fox news fans from texas and bonnie

from nebraska. >> they don't know what they're talking about. i go either way. >> which proves we live in a media age where people can choose their own facts. >> i have a friend who is very much -- and i go, uh-huh, i agree with you. no problem. everybody has their own opinion. >> that's true. >> it's like a [ bleep ]. everyone has one. >> as long as we don't start shooting each other, right? >> then the heckling is interrupted from a hero falling from the sky. sergeant dana bowman, an army golden, lands, and it feels like we are all in this together. >> incredible reporting, as always, from our bill weir. thank you for that. ahead, the president calls the media the source of war.

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president trump is once again ramping up his rhetoric against the media. this weekend, it went really far. too far. he blamed journalists for starting wars. our senior media correspondent host of "reliable sources," brian stelter is here. senior political analyst and adviser to four previous presidents. david gergen, the media, quote, causes war, according to the president in this tweet. now, just -- your initial read on that.

>> wrong. it's just not true. we've had a lot of wars over the time of history, and the press has not caused any of those wars. i do think it's true, poppy, that at least in one war the press was a definite cheerleader. and that goes back to the end of the 19th century, and when we had the famous newspaper rivalry between hurst and pulitzer and we went in and won. i think -- brian may disagree with this. i think we did too much cheerleading in advance of the iraq war. under president george w. bush. but in both cases, the press was cheerleading an existing administration. it was not causing a war. >> the explanation i just asked david irvin, brian, who worked and knows the president well, friends with him. worked as a campaign strategist with him. you know, and he said to me, yeah, i think this goes too far. but he also said, well, the president is talking about the fake news. and if you look at the full

tweet, yes, the president wrote at the top, fake news hates me, they're the enemy of the people, blah, blah, blah, they can cause war. but come on. i mean, he points to all the major news networks and major newspapers. >> it's a very cynical strategy, trying to divide between good outlets and bad outlets. trump does this sometimes. it's bs, and it should be called out. i think we look at these tweets. think about what's different this time. it is changing. trump's tone is changing. it is getting worse. think about during the campaign. he would call us dishonest. then he started saying fake. then he started saying we're the enemy of the people. now he's using words like disgusting. using words like dangerous and sick. you know, that's dehumanizing language. that's the kind of language he also uses to talk about immigrants sometimes. it's trying to strip away people's humanity. and as david knows, that never ends well. look at the history books. that never ends well. >> sure. and david, when you look at, you know, the insults, we can take

it, right? all journalists have thick skin. that's okay. what's not okay is language that could further a dangerous environment for journalists. i mean, brian, you've pointed out katy tur, for example, pointing to threats against her, an nbc journalist. in your newsletter. so, i mean, at what point, david gergen, you know, do you get into the territory of making it dangerous for journalists? >> i think that we've already entered a period of danger. and that is -- and it may get worse in the next few weeks. the president is using these rallies of his base to make the press the scapegoat. to make the press the punching bag. and the more he does that and goes after the press as, quote, the enemy of the people, a famous phrase that goes back to the french revolution when enemies of the people went to the guillotine. you know, that is -- whips up crowds. it makes it seem like when you strip, as i think brian has well

said, you strip the press of its legitimacy and humanity. then there are going to be crazy people out there, especially in a culture with so many guns, who are going to be thinking about maybe i'll just take one of those guys out. we've already seen that in annapolis. so i think this is -- as the president looks down the road, this white house looks down the road at a lot more allies, they ought to tone this down. and get back into a place of -- >> but who will -- >> -- mainstream relationship. >> but brian stelter, the president has shown no sign of backing off on this one, of reining it in on this one. >> no, he's raising the temperature. he's not lowering the temperature. and unfortunately, all of his friends, like anthony scaramucci and ivanka trump and kellyanne conway is saying hey, they're not the enemies -- he's not listening to them. he is doing this, because his back is up against the wall. because real news is so damaging to him. he's trying to tell his fans to only believe what he says. and thankfully, most americans

see through it. >> thank you both, david gergen, brian stelter, appreciate you being with me. top of the hour. 10:00 a.m. eastern. good morning, everyone, i'm poppy harlow in new york. totally legal. those words from the president this morning. he also says, done all of the time. yet when it comes to that meeting that his son, don, junior held with the russian lawyer in trump tower, supposedly on dirt on hillary clinton, the president still insists i did not know about it. and with that, his latest attempt to douse the potential legal firestorm only adds fuel to the flames. this morning, it is far from clear why if the meeting was so routine, the president himself dictated that highly misleading statement about it when the news first broke. well, this morning, the president says more clearly than ever before, that meeting in trump tower was held, quote, to get information on an op