this is not the jim acosta show. this is the white house press briefing. this is a man who grand stands front of the president of the united states. i know his president -- i know his colleagues in the white house press corps are not happy with him. see the danger of pulling individual passes from reporters? guest: not if they manhandle a microphone from a female government intern. there has to be consequences for lack of professionalism. there are rules of professional decorum. if you negate them again and again, if there are no consequences, how are you saving the american people? allow another reporter to come in, allow regional reporters to come in. if you want to have news, come watch the white house as briefing, not the jim acosta show. host: willie, st. louis. isler: what i want to say that mueller was a witch hunt. he has indicted 35 people already. he got people spying on him to know what was going on behind closed doors, and at the end of the day, why would he want to know what is going on, why would he want to be interviewed? he did, heing else

. >> host: jim acosta "cnn" and donald trump. what is your take? >> guest: the reporter is doing a disservice to other reporters and his audience. i certainly believe and i'm an astute advocate of the entire bill ofte rights but certainly e fifth amendment and i'm glad "cnn" for example, think it's around 50 reporters thatt do cover the white house and jim acosta is just one of them. to believe in a free press very strongly and i would fight for that. until my dying day. i obviously understand the president where he feels like his message is often not completely committed to get a door communicated honestly. they say europe pinions as a journalist -- covering the white house for example. >> host: skip and waterbury connecticut. skip, go ahead with your question. >> guest:u i don't think how he can support deferments when he is never served. >> host: skip set as a vietnam veteran he doesn't know how you could support a man who has never served in the armed forces. >> guest: i do love with the president has done for the veterans. he's an advocate of

and i have not yet read a transcript from jim acosta's suit. he asked for a temporary we straining order reinstating his -- temporary restraining order reinstating his press pass, and and the court held a hearing, and it was decided in open court -- i do not think it was ever reduced to a written order or written statement of reasons, and the transcript has not yet been released -- i checked again last night -- but the court agreed that the white house press briefings, per this 1977 decision, are a place where important first amendment rights are at stake. and held that before the white house could revoke jim acosta's press pass, it would have to explain to him why he was doing so and give him an opportunity to respond, essentially, due process rights to protect the first amendment interests at stake. shortly after that ruling, the white house agreed to reinstate acosta's press pass, and cnn, in response, dropped the lawsuit. and instead, now the white house has a new set of rules. before, there were not really clear rules on when somebody coul

did you see that woman try to grab jim acosta's mic? she tried to snatch it right out of his hand. she looked like a wedding deejay who just realized the best man is loaded. "okay, tony. okay, tony, that's enough. we all think sara's beautiful in that dress, but please stop using the word 'delicious.'" trump got more hostile when asked about his campaign rhetoric. >> there's some people that say now the republican party is seen as supporting white nationalists because of your rhetoric. >> i don't believe that. >> what do you make of that? >> i don't know. why do i have my highest poll numbers ever with african americans? why do i have among the highest poll numbers with african americans? that's such a racist question. let me tell you-- that's a racist question. >> stephen ( as trump ): "and i hate racist questions. i love racist limericks. there once of a brown guy from guam-- and it gets a little sexy from-- ( laughter ) let's just say-- let's just say it involves his mom." ( piano riff ) and just a little later, another reporter helpfully gave trump his actual poll numbers among

jim acosta, thank you so much. we have a lot to discuss. i want to bring in tim kaine, a democrat on the foreign relations committee. i want to talk to you about the resignation of jim mattis. i think this is a critical story. i want to touch first on the shut down because we are keeping an eye on the senate floor here as the votes are proceeding. let's talk about that quickly. this would happen at midnight without a deal on the border wall or on border security. you hear democrats stressing border security. the president is blaming democrats when it comes to not being able to get an agreement. would you be okay with a $5 billion price tag if it's about border security and not about the wall or is the price tag the issue too? >> brianna , it's neither that's the issue. democrats have voted again and again for border security money. we did a comprehensive immigration bill in 2013 with $44 billion. the republicans killed it. we did a proposal to the president with $5 billion of border security money in exchange for protecting dreamers. the pr

jim acosta is one of them. because i do believe in a free press very strong and i would fight for that to my dying day. that's where i stand on that. i obviously understand the frustration of the present where he feels like his message is often not completely mitigated are not communicated honestly. that's the problem. i wish that the media would just report the news and like an opinion journalist which a lot of smes are, but say you're an opinion journals and i don't know that you need to be covering the white house. it's a controversial one for sure. >> host: skip is in connecticut. go ahead with your question or comment. >> caller: as an vietnam veteran i can say you support a man who had deferments and never served. trade i'm sorry. i couldn't understand. >> host: skipped said as of the number he doesn't hide you could support a man who never served in the armed forces. >> guest: yeah, well, i mean, there's been of the present that haven't served in the armed forces as well. i do love with the president has

and i have not yet read a transcript from jim acosta's proceedings. he filed suit. ordered for a temporary reinstating his press pass, and the court held a hearing. and it was decided in open court -- i do not think it was ever reduced to a written order or written statement of reasons, and the transcript has not yet been released. a check again last night and it is still not out. but the court agreed that the white house press briefings, per this 1977 decision, are a place where important first amendment rights are at stake, and held that before the white house could revoke jim acosta's press pass, it would have to explain to him why he was doing so and give him an opportunity to respond. essentially due process rights , to protect the first amendment interests at stake. shortly after that ruling, the white house agreed to reinstate acosta's press pass, and cnn, in response, dropped the lawsuit. and instead, now the white house has a new set of rules. before there were not really clear rules on when somebody could be kicked out of this white house press briefing, a

. >> host: jim acosta, cnn, and donald trump. >> guest: yes. >> host: what's your take? >> guest: i think when it becomes about the reporter, the reporter is doing a disservice to other reporters and to his audience. i certainly believe, i'm a huge advocate of the bill of rights butst certainly the first amendment. i'm glad that cnn has, for example, somewhere around 50 that do cover the white house, so jim acosta is just one of them. because ibe do believe in a free press press very strongly, and i would fight for that, you know, to my i doing day. -- to my dying day. so that's sort of where i stand on. that i, obviously, understand the frustration of the president where he feels like his message is often not completely communicated or not communicated honestly. and i think that that's a problem. i wish that the media would just report the news unless you're an opinion journalist, which a lot ofof us in media are too, but tn say you're an opinion journalist, and i don't know if you need to be covering the white house, for example. it's a controversial one, for sure. >>

. >> cnn's chief white house correspondent jim acosta says it started on spicer's first full day. >> thank you guys for coming. >> there's no other way to describe it. when he came out that day, the day after the inauguration, and went after us about the crowd size. >> some members of the media were engaged in deliberately false reporting. >> he basically turned those briefings into must-see tv. >> this was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period. >> long-time white house correspondents were stunned. >> it was a bit hard to keep my sense of balance, even though i was sitting. that day signaled to me that this would be a completely different orientation to communication, to facts. >> thank you guys for being here tonight. i will see you on monday. >> sean! >> it was a head-shaker. >> former press secretaries say it was the day spicer sacrificed his credibility. >> to call a special briefing and the first thing you go out there and do is attack the press for the coverage that was accurate. and right off the bat, you have a credibility problem. >> about that day, sp

joining us now is cnn chief white house correspondent jim acosta. so jim, what are you learning about where the president's head is right now about these smocking payments? >> it's pretty smocky over here at the white house tonight. i did talk to a source close to the president who said earlier this evening that the president has expressed concern that he could be impeached over some of these issues that you just talked about. he has said it's a, quote, real possibility according to the source. but at this point he doesn't see it as being certain. you saw in that tweet where he refers to these payments as being a transaction. that obviously is simplifying things a great deal because michael cohen has said he believes and he has said that he was directed to make those payments by the president. now, where things go from here, i talked to other sources close to the white house, one source says they do believe there are advisers inside the white house that the one item that could stick with this president are these alleged campaign finance violations.

. >> host: jim acosta, cnn and donald trump. what is your take? >> guest: i think when it becomes about the reporter, the reporter is doing a disservice to other reporters and to his audience. i certainly believe, i'm a huge advocate of really the entire bill of rights but the first amendment. i'm glad that cnn, for example, has a think somewhere around a number 50 reporters that cover,, that you cover the white house. jim acosta is just one of them because i do believe in a free press very strong andnd i would fight for that to my dying day. that's sort of my stand on that. i understand the frustration of the president what he feels like his message is often not completely communicated or not communicate honestly. and i think that's a problem. i wish that the media would just report the news, unless you're an opinion journalists which a lot in the our and that's fine, too. butd you an opinion journalist and a don'txa know that you need becoming the white house. it's a controversial one for sure. >> host:he y skip in connecticu. go ahead. >> calle

joining us is chief white house correspondent jim acosta. what are you learning about where the president's head is right now about the smocking payments? >> it's pretty smocky over here at the white house tonight. i did talk to a source close to the president who said earlier this evening that the president has expressed concern that he could be impeached over some of these issues that you just talked about. he has said it's a, quote, real possibility according to the source. but at this point he doesn't see it as being certain. you saw in that tweet where he refers to these payments as being a transaction. that obviously is simplifying things a great deal because michael cohen has said he believes and he has said that he was directed to make those payments by the president. now, where things go from here, i talked to other sources close to the white house, one source says they do believe there are advisers inside the white house that the one item that could stick with this president are these alleged campaign finance violations. these camp

you said to jim acosta a little while ago, the wheels have come off. the wheels have been off for a long time and we've been seeing sparks fly off the axle for as long as -- well, for a long time. let's just put it that way. and this has got to change. the security of our nation is more important than these crazy, narcissistic moods of the president of the united states. >> jen, you spent a number of years in the obama administration. you know about the policymaking process, there are debates, discussions, proposals, tabled, considers, adjusted, debated, et cetera. it seems that process does not exist in this administration, that the president tweets, the president decides on a whim. how dysfunctional is that for a country, for an administration? >> it's hugely dysfunctional. the panel touched on this already, but one is, it's not withdrawing troops that in itself is the issue. it's part of it in these cases certainly. but it's the way he's gone about it. he's done it against the recommendation of his military generations, done it without warning to ou

and i have not yet read a transcript from jim acosta's suit. he filed an order reinstating his press pass, and the court held a hearing, and it was decided in open court -- i do not think it was ever reduced to a written order or written statement of reasons and the , transcript has not yet been released -- i checked again last night -- but the court agreed that the white house press briefings, per this 1977 decision, are a place where personal rights are at stake, and held that before the white house could revoke jim acosta's press pass, it would have to explain to him why he was doing so and give him an opportunity to respond, essentially, due process rights to protect the first amendment interests at stake. shortly after that ruling the , white house agreed to reinstate acosta's press pass, and cnn, in response, dropped the lawsuit. and instead, now the white house has a new set of rules. before there were not really , clear rules on when somebody could be kicked out of this white house press briefing, and now the white house has implemented

we have seen that with jim acosta. jim acosta went on tv and said this caravan was never coming. these guys are the fake news and this president has done a good service by calling them out. howie: the president said it's hard to defend yourself with an overwhelmingly negative coverage. but he has the biggest bullhorn in the world. so it shouldn't be that hard. dave: he does it every day. the vast left wing conspiracy that is out to destroy this president, they tried to defeat him during the campaign, and now they are trying to run him out t of town through impeachment. it's going to be a very tough next two years. the american people instead of being able to get things done for the american people, the president and the white house will be under siege by this left-wing congress. howie: we haven't gotten to impeachment yet if we ever do. but you wrote the press trades on the emotions of their audience. the more they stir them up, the more they get them to buy their papers and click on their website. that's true. but doesn't the president play on the emotions of the voters? why sin

acosta in julian assange thirty seconds big task go ahead. that's a difficult one peter in one sense i don't know look the point is and what i pointed out earlier last couple weeks ago is that you know the media the press spent days crying over jim acosta when in fact the most important person in the field of journalism who is under threat is julius on in the in the basement the ecuadorian embassy because he represents a pillar of western post enlightenment democratic society which is a the the right to publish to publish and be damned to have that right ok that is essential and we can still we finish on that very excellent point thank you very much that's all the time we have gentlemen many thanks to my guests in washington and in plymouth and thanks to our viewers for watching us here at r.t.c. you next time and remember. i got a place called camp sundown to get for people that can't decide and they're like so tired. this is like a safe house i guess they don't have to talk about what they go through with this because we understand her daug

. >> cnn's chief white house correspondent jim acosta says it started on spicer's first full day. >> thank you guys for coming. >> there's no other way to describe it. when he came out that day, the day after the inauguration, and went after us about the crowd size -- >> some members of the media were engaged in deliberately false reporting. >> he basically turned those briefings into must-see tv. >> this was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period. >> long-time white house correspondents were stunned. >> it was a bit hard to keep my sense of balance, even though i was sitting. that day signaled to me that this would be a completely different orientation to communication, to facts. >> thank you guys for being here tonight. i will see you on monday. >> sean! can we ask -- sean? >> it was a head-shaker. >> former press secretaries say it was the day spicer sacrificed his credibility. >> to call a special briefing and the first thing you go out there and do is attack the press for the coverage that was accurate. and right off the bat, you have a credibility problem.

acosta and julian a songe thirty seconds big task go ahead. that's a difficult one peter in one sense i don't know look the point is and what i pointed out earlier last couple weeks ago is that you know the media the press spent days crying over jim acosta when in fact the most important person in the field of journalism who is under threat is julius on in the in the basement the ecuadorian embassy because he represents a pillar of western post unlike many democratic society which is of the right to publish to publish and be damned to have that right ok that is essential and we can still we finish on that very excellent point thank you very much that's all the time we have gentlemen many thanks to my guests in washington and in plymouth and thanks to our viewers for watching us here at r.t.c. the next time and remember. the spiny cooking this out anybody. can authorize the powder but i can guess what i like. to. make. them work for. the most i'm not the whole c.d.m.a. job if you get that and you know has a funny because you. get out. and right

jim acosta at the white house, thank you. let's get more on this with democratic congresswoman jackie speier, a member of the intelligence and armed services committees. congresswoman, thank you so much for being with us in this evening. this document, i know you've had a chance to see this from the special counsel, it lays out how flynn lied repeatedly. he did this over and over, about his conversations with the russians. why do you think that he would do that when he should have been aware with his past experience that the fbi likely had transcripts and he essentially said as much. >> you know, it really causes me to wonder how he ever got to be the defense intelligence agency director. and then he was fired from that post under the obama administration. this is someone who had to know that we would be eavesdropping on foreign adversaries in the united states. and for him to be so naive is really quite stunning. and i think that we shouldn't give him a pass at all. he was a highly ranked general. he was the head of dia. and

jim acosta, thanks very much. with me now, senator richard blumenthal, democrat of connecticut, member of the judiciary committee. senator, thanks for being with us. the judge today saying cohen's sentence was fully justified to send a message. what message do you think it sends? >> it sends a couple messages. first of all, the judge indicated that the crime justified this three years, a significant sentence, because it was serious and sophisticated. second, there were statements in court and there's other evidence that donald trump directed the crime. and third, the term, co-conspirator, is beginning to fit donald trump like a well-tailored suit. it may be unindicted co-conspirator. he hasn't been formally charged, but he has been directly implicated in court and in charging documents from the southern district of new york prosecutor's office that put him at the center of a criminal conspiracy. and there is additional corroborating evidence now forthcoming as you indicated in your excellent summary before from am

i have not yet read a transcript from jim acosta's suit. he filed an order reinstating his press pass, and the court held a hearing, and it was decided in open court. i do not think it was ever reduced to a written order, and the transcript has not yet been released -- i checked again last night -- it is still not out. but the court agreed white house press briefings, through this 1977 decision, are a place where personal rights are at stake, and held up before the white house could revoke jim acosta's press pass, it would have to explain to him why he was doing so and give him an opportunity to respond, essentially, due process rights to protect the amendments at stake. -- amendment interests at stake. shortly after that really, the white house agreed to reinstate acosta's press pass, and cnn, in response, dropped the lawsuit. before, there were not really clear rules on when somebody could or could not be kicked out of this white house press briefing, and now the white house has implemented new rules. some people are complaining the rules

cnn chief white house correspondent jim acosta joining us on this story. tell us more about this announcement, and noteworthy is the timing. >> reporter: the timing is very noteworthy, brianna. the president appears to be dangling a bright, shiny object on this late friday evening, selecting his budget director mick mulvaney as his acting chief of staff. we should point out he has only been selected as an acting chief of staff. the president apparently trying to change the news cycle here, but even today with a moment us decision as naming a new chief of staff or an acting chief of staff, it is going to be tough to change the narrative of this news cycle with hits former attorney michael cohen speaking out, and not just to the special counsel's office. it was fixating tv as president trump's former fixer, michael cohen, explained federal prosecutors don't see his flip as a flop. >> the special counsel stated emphatically that the information that i gave to them was credible and helpful. there's a substantial amount of information that they possess that cor

acosta joining us now hi yes it's good to have you with us so wall street from what we saw didn't wait for official confirmation to rally when this news came out. thank you ali it's so far this year has not been a good year for stocks and investors for u.s. car companies so when we got those reports we did see a jump in the stock sell to the big makers even if they had vanished a bit towards the end of trading and the big question really is would u.s. carmakers really profit that. would be cut because if you look at general motors or ford most of the cars they sell in china they produce them in the united states that's a different story when you look at b.m.w. for instance a lot of the cars that they manufacture in the u.s. actually get exported to china the same is true it was a company like. i said after the initial jump the stocks still were on the upside but not by as much as earlier you were mentioning it is a case by case thing but if confirmed this measure would anyway only revert to a previous increase so doesn't really make much of a difference in general. well i mean it's rea

acosta joining us now hi yes it's good to have you with us so wall street from what we saw didn't wait for official confirmation to rally when this news came out. thank you ali it's so far this year has not been a good year for stocks and investors for u.s. car companies so when we got those reports we did see a jump in the stock salt's a big makers even if they had vanished a bit to the end of trading and the big question really is would u.s. carmakers really profit that much if tariffs would be cut because if you look at general motors or ford most of the cars they sell in china they produce them in the united states that's a different story when you look at b.m.w. for instance a lot of the cars that they manufacture in the u.s. actually gets exported to china the same is true it was a company like test said after the initial jump the stocks still were on the upside but not by as much as earlier you were mentioning it is a case by case thing but if confirmed this measure would anyway only revert to a previous increase so doesn't really make much of a difference in general. well i mea

acosta joining us now hi yes it's good to have you with us so wall street from what we saw didn't wait for official confirmation to rally when this news came out. thank you ali it's so far this year has not been a good year for stocks and investors for u.s. car companies so when we got those reports we did see a jump in the stocks off the big car makers even if they had vanished a bit towards the end of trading and the big question really is would u.s. carmakers really profit that much. would be cut because if you look at general motors or ford most of the cars they sell in china they produce them in the united states that's a different story when you look at m.-w. for instance a lot of the cars that they manufacture in the u.s. actually get exported to china the same is true it was a company like tesla said after the initial jump the stocks still were on the upside but not by as much as the earlier you were mentioning it is a case by case thing but if confirmed this measure would anyway only revert to a previous increase so doesn't really make much of a difference in general well i me

acosta joining us right now that evening to you we're seeing heavy losses. most in a season wall street are those disappointing numbers from china we just saw the main reason that was seen as the main reason we for example got numbers from the chinese retail industry and for the month of november resolve the increase in retail sales in about fifteen years but we also got weaker economic news out of europe from the car industry for instance and that actually was the big pressure here for wall street selling off by almost five hundred points and it was interesting to see because the u.s. economy in general does not depend so much on trade but more on consumption and we got pretty good actually a bit better than expected numbers from retail sales here in the u.s. but nobody really paid close attention to those figures here on friday and maybe it's because they were paying attention to other news from china we saw the announcement of those subpoenaed of tariffs being lifted is there a connection between their decision and the slower economic growth that we're se

jim acosta is over at the white house. all of a sudden we get this tweet from the president, jim, that mattis is out. >> reporter: that's right, wolf, and somebody who is a very key part of the national security leadership of this administration, and as barbara was just saying a few moments ago, and i think you were echoing this as well, wolf, this comes, secretary mattis leaving the administration comes, or this announcement that he's leaving the administration comes, right in the middle of this very fierce debate over what should happen to u.s. troops in syria. lindsey graham was just saying earlier today, and we just played it in our piece a little while ago, that according to lindsey graham, members of the president is's own national security team were advocating against this withdrawal of u.s. troops from syria, and so if you believe what lindsey graham is saying and -- and it does sound like he's got his finger on the pulse of this administration and talks to people inside the national security apparatus of this admi

acosta joining us now hi yes it's good to have you with us so wall street from what we saw didn't wait for official confirmation to rally when this news came out and i'm clearly is so far this year has not been a good year for stocks and investors so for us card companies so when we got those reports we did see a jump in the stocks also the big makers even if they had vanished a bit to the end of trading and the big question really is what u.s. carmakers really profit that much if a tariffs there would be cut because if you look at general motors or ford most of the cars they sell in china they do not produce them in the united states that's a different story when you look at b.m.w. for instance a lot of the cars that they manufacture in the u.s. actually gets exported to china the same is true it was a company like test as i said after the initial jump the stocks still were on the up side but not by as much as the earlier you were mentioning it is a case by case thing but if confirmed this measure would anyway only revert to a previous increase so doesn't really make much of a differe

acosta joining us right now good evening to you we're seeing heavy losses. most in a season wall street are those disappointing numbers from china we just saw the main reason that was seen as the main reason we for example got numbers from the chinese retail industry and for the month of november resolve the slowest increase in retail sales in about fifteen years but we also got a weaker economic news out of europe from the car industry for instance and that actually was the big pressure here for wall street good chips selling off by almost five hundred points and it was interesting to see because the u.s. economy in general does not depend so much on trade but more on consumption and we got pretty good actually a bit better than expected numbers from retail sales here in the u.s. but nobody really play paid close attention to those figures here on friday and maybe it's because they were paying attention to other news from china we saw the announcement of those punitive tariffs being lifted is there a connection yes between their decision and the slower econ

thanks very much, jim acosta reporting from the white house. let's get some more on the trump associates who had contact -- [ no audio ] evan, cnn has now identified at least 16 people associated with the president who had contact with russian officials while in the white house. but how big is mueller's picture right now? do you expect the list to stop there or to grow? >> it is quite possible that it is going to grow, wolf. there is a number of references in these court documents we've seen. there is unnamed people that are associated with the campaign who have not yet been identified. and so by the time this is all said and done, i fully expect we might see a longer list than that list we've been showing on the screen there, which has 16 people, which ranges, by the way, from paul manafort, the chairman of the campaign and his deputy, rick gates, who were in business with russians for many, many years to, his members of his family. don junior who set up the now infamous june 2016 meeting in trump tower where he was supposed to be getting dirt

we are joined by our chief white house correspondent jim acosta. jim, the president may be fuming about cohen in private, but publicly he is showing unusual restraint. what is the latest? >> reporter: that's right, wolf. he is seething in silence so far tonight. president trump bit his tongue today, turning down a chance to weigh in on michael cohen's prison sentence. the president isn't likely to maintain the silence for very long as the special counsel's investigation is moving to its next target goes. privately, as you said, the president is said to be seething behind the scenes about the cohen case and referring to his former lawyer as a, quote, liar. at the revealing of a new executive order, his signature was punctuated with silence as he refused to comment on the three-year sentence handed down to his long-time fixer, michael cohen. >> mr. president, your reaction to michael cohen -- >> reporter: the president is in a fix as cohen heads to pricer for his role in hush money payments to two women who alleged affairs with mr. trump before the e

you heard jim acosta saying this is not a good harbinger of what's to come. you look at chief justice roberts siding with them on this issue. what is the significance of this? >> i would be cautious of interpreting too much into this. this is certainly a defeat for the president, it is certainly a victory for immigration rights lawyers, but it is also a preliminary ruling. it is not a resolution of this case. it is not a resolution of the many, many legal cases having to do with immigration that are now working their way through the courts it is assigned that chief justice roberts is going to see his role as the center of the court. he has very much taken the place of anthony kennedy, who was the center of the course. you know, i would certainly expect that as we move into these, you know, very controversial issues that will be heard in a full way, not this sort of preliminary way, chief justice roberts is going to side with the conservatives a lot more than he's going to side with the liberals, but here on this one question in a preliminary way, he has put t

at the end to have day jim acosta is getting what he want and we are talking about him this morning, perhaps we are giving him something that he wants. jillian: let's give attention to boston globe and correction they had to make and this was about elizabeth warren and the mathematical chance that is she was native american and let's read the correction and says, quote, due to math error, story about elizabeth warren misstated the ancestry percentage of a potential 6 to tenth generation relative. the generational raping based on the ancestor that the report identifies suggests she's between 1 and 64th and 1, 1,024th, come on, the numbers really? >> yet, they didn't make correction to original statements saying that they pointed to strong evidence that she did have native american heritage. so i think what you saw with the globe, they seemed to be in elizabeth warren's camp, perhaps they want her to run in 2020. most people thought this and learned if integrity is as questioning as they come to ancestry. jillian: thank you very much, we appreciate it. have a good new year. >> thank yo

"jim acosta, the reason we did what we did is because we do not like you, here is your notice, here is your hearing, you have to contest that, you " -- at some point, you have to confront what kind of forum this is, right? >> yeah, you do, and a lot of in favor of at president, and this one, for the first time, managed to do it in the way most likely to let him loose a case, but it does not have to be that way. it is clear that the president does not have to have press conferences. me clear that he could do that. that are a lot of things the president has, even under a broad first amendment readings, a great deal of authority over. he does not have to have press conferences, he can leak to whoever he wants, he can call on whoever he wants, and he, they, can make rules, which limit the questions, as they appear to toe, to limit the question ae per person, they can make rule, no follow-ups. in the timehat after the promulgation and release of these rules that there are still follow-up questions of sarah sanders, for the most part, is that there is no objection to them. so this is not --

jim acosta, thanks very much. let's talk about our new reporting of the president being in the room when michael cohen and david pecker discussed hush money back in 2015. mj lee, how significant is this breaking news? >> reporter: what is significant tonight is that now we have confirmed all of the three actors who were in that meeting in august 2015. let's walk through the three people that we know attended that meeting. ami of course confirmed yesterday that they had met with david pecker, the chairman of ami, met with michael cohen, as well as another member of the trump campaign and this was their discussion to come up with a strategy to kill stories that were potentially unflattering for then candidate trump. second of course, michael cohen's involvement in this meeting, we have known about this since the summer when he pleaded guilty, among other things, to at least two campaign finance violations involving these hush payments. and now, today cnn is able to confirm that donald trump himself was also in that

jim acosta at the white house. thank you. >>> let's talk a little bit more about the president and the russia investigation. right now our crime and justice reporting, shimon prokupecz is joining us. shimon, rudy guilliani says there's no way he will allow the president of the united states to sit down for a face-to-face interview with mueller and his team, saying that would only happen, quote, over my dead body. why are they so opposed to the president answering some questions if the president did nothing wrong and has nothing to hide? >> look, you have rudy guilliani who claims to be out there talking for the president. he himself can't get the story straight. every time we hear from him, there's always something new, something doesn't make sense. he adds things to the narrative, he takes things away. so it is totally conceivable that they're worried, as we've been saying all along, they do not want to put the president before the special counsel, before the fbi agents, before prosecutors where he could essential

jim acosta at the white house. thank you very much. >>> joining us now, senator jack reid of rhode island. he is a democrat that serves on the intelligence and armed services committees. thanks for joining us. >> thanks, wolf. >> we don't know the name of the country, we don't know the name of the corporation. i assume we will know fairly soon, but the fact that this company, this corporation, this unknown foreign country is going to these extraordinary lengths so they don't have to comply with a mueller grand jury request, a subpoena for information, and that they're fighting this in rather mysterious ways, what does it say to you? >> well, it suggests they have something to hide. they're using every opportunity, appealing decisions and using all of their legal rights, which they're entitled to, but companies that have nothing to fear from disclosure don't go to these extremes. >> what does it tell you about the mueller investigation right now, that they're going to this extreme to try to get this information, to

our chief white house correspondent, jim acosta, joining us now. jim, so far the president, i understand, hasn't said anything publicly today about cohen's sentence. >> reporter: that's right, wolf. president trump bit his tongue, turning down a chance to weigh in on michael cohen's prison sentence. the president isn't likely to maintain that silence for very long as the special counsel's investigation is now moving on to its next targets. the president, as you said, wolf, said to be seething, furious about cohen's case and referring to his former fixer behind the scenes as a, quote, liar. at the unveiling of a new executive order at the white house, president trump's signature was punctuated with silence. that spoke volumes. as he refused to comment on the three-year sentence handed down to his long-time fixer, michael cohen. >> mr. president! >> anything about the cohen sentencing? >> mr. president, your reaction -- >> mr. president! >> reporter: the president is now in a fix, as cohen heads to prison for his role in hush money payments to two wo

. >> jim acosta, cnn. >> yes. >> and donald trump your take? >> i think it is about reporter, doing apo disservice to other reporters, to his audience, i believe, i am a huge advocate of the entire bill of rights, but certainly first amendment, i think that i am glad that cnn for example, has i think number of 50 reporters that cover that do cover the white house, acosta is just one of them, i believe in a free press, i would fight for that you know, to my dying day. so, that is where i am on that. i understand the frustration of the president he feel his message is often not communicated or communicated a honestly. i think that is a problem, i wish the media was just report the news, unless you are an opinion journalist, but say you are, then i don't know if you need to be covering thou white house for example, it is a controversial one. >> skip in water bury, connecticut. >> vietnam vet, i can't see how you support a man who never served. >> i am sorry. >> skip said as a vietnam veteran he does not know how you on could support a man who neve

let's bring in our chief white house correspondent, jim acosta. first of all, any reaction to comey's rather stinging appraisal of the president? >> not yet, wolf. but we should point out, the president has not been bashful about going after jim comey in the past. so i would expect that's going to be happening within the next 24 hours after what we heard from the former fbi director up on capitol hill. but as you know, wolf, president trump's legal team is scrambling to stay ahead of the latest twists and turns in the russia investigation. the president and his outside attorney, rudy guiliani, are both beating up on the special counsel's probe, throwing punches in just about every direction. but it seems to be the truth that's taking a pounding. the president's legal team isn't when asked whether mr. trump eer will sit down with special counsel, robert mueller, in the russia investigation. >> they're a joke. over my dead body, but, you know, i could be dead. >> the president's outside attorney, rudy guiliani, suggested, without any evidence that m

. >>> want to get the latest from jim acosta. jim is at the white house. tell us about the president's view on this. the white house has been awfully reluctant. >> that's right. if you talk to the president's legal team and people familiar with the discussions going on inside the president's legal team, they view a potential sit-down interview with mueller or his investigators of the president as a perjury trap. they've said that time and again. they don't want the president to sit down with mueller because they feel he's essentially going to try to entrap the president and catch him in a lie and the president will then be in trouble for lying to federal investigators. they, obviously, want to avoid that. but at the same time, i think that this was something that was a -- a very strong possibility when the president fired off those written answers to mueller's team weeks ago. we knew when that happened. and i know pam is saying that, well, this is not because of what the president said in his written answers but we knew when that happened that there was th

. >>> want to get the latest from jim acosta. jim is at the white house. tell us about the president's view on this. the white house has been awfully reluctant. >> that's right. if you talk to the president's legal team and people familiar with the discussions going on inside the president's legal team, they view a potential sit-down interview with mueller or his investigators as a perjury trap. they've said that time and again. they don't want the president to sit down with mueller because they feel he's essentially going to try to entrap the president and catch him in a lie and the president will then be in trouble for lying to federal investigators. they, obviously, want to avoid that. but at the same time, i think that this was something that was a -- a very strong possibility when the president fired off those written answers to mueller's team weeks ago. we knew when that happened. and i know pam is saying that, well, this is not because of what the president said in his written answers but we knew when that happened that there was the potential that

i'm jim acosta, and you're in "the situation room." >>> tonight, as the government shutdown heads into its second week, president trump has cancelled plans for a new year's get-away in florida and is hunkered down at the white house. throughout the day, he sent a series of threats via twitter, including threats to close the entire border with mexico and cut off aid to central-american countries. meanwhile, top members of the trump team targeting nancy pelosi and seem to be trying to drive a wedge between house and senate democrats. we'll discuss the situation with mazie hirono and jeff flake and our correspondents and analysts and specialists have full coverage of the day's top stories. let's begin at the white house and cnn's white house correspondent, abby phillip. abby, there is a lot of finger-pointing from president trump and members of his team today, isn't that right? >> that's right, jim. seven days into this shutdown, the blame game is in full force, and the white house unveiled a new strategy today, which relies squarely on trying to divide democrats by blaming nancy pelosi.

jim acosta, cnn, the white house. >>> and we're following events in france, that nation bracing for another weekend of protests that could rock the city of protest and other parts of the country. this live look at 10:13 in the morning. when we return, why some protesters say concessions that were made this week but the president there, those concessions still aren't enough. >>> also, australia's prime minister says his country now recognizes west jerusalem as the capital of israel. ahead, we'll tell you the reason behind that big announcement. stay with us. today is the day you're going to get motivated... get stronger... get closer. start listening today to the world's largest selection of audiobooks on audible. and now, get more. for just $14.95 a month, you'll get a credit a month good for any audiobook, plus two audible originals exclusive titles you can't find anywhere else. if you don't like a book, you can exchange it any time, no questions asked. automatically roll your credits over to the next month if you don't use them. with the free audible app, you can listen anytime, and anywh

i'm jim acosta, and you're in twoon twoon. >> this is cnn breaking news. we're following breaking news on both ends of pennsylvania avenue where congress and the white house seem only to agree on one thing, the government shutdown is not ending any time soon. within the past hour congress formally reconvened but only for a few minutes and adjourned until next week. meanwhile, president trump is back from which is his wirl whind trip from iraq and tweeting excuses and taunts to democrats. we'll speak to jerry connolly, a member of the house foreign affairs and oversight committees and our correspondents and analysts have full coverage of the day's top stories. let begin at the white house with correspondent abby philip. even though he's returned from iraq, it did not take long for the president to dig in his heels about this continuing government shutdown. >> reporter: that's right, jim. it's business as usual now for president trump who is back here at the white house and already blaming democrats for this government shutdown that's going into its sixth an

jim acosta, thanks very much. let's get more on all the news. democratic juror jack reid of rhode island is joining us, a member of the senate intelligence are and arm services committee the. thanks for joining us. >> thanks, wolf. >> federal prosecutors in new york city are now investigating whether the president's 2017 inaugural committee which raised a record $107 million, whether some of that money was received illegally or used illegally. there's apparently a criminal investigation now underway. >> well, i think what you're seeing is professional prosecutors who have evidence suggesting that there may be crimes and they are following that evidence and, again, it's another shoe that has dropped. it seems like every day there's another revelation of at least hey alleged improprieties by the trump administration or his campaign, and -- and all of this can't be just sort of made up. thereto seems to be a consistent finding of impropriety related to the administration. >> this is the u.s. attorney's office for the southern district of new york.

the trump team buckling up for a new round of investigations. >>> i'm jim acosta. wolf blitzer is off today and you're in "the situation room". ♪ >> this is "cnn breaking news." >> we are following breaking news on president trump's first trip to a war zone at