i wondered if steve mnuchin had examples of that on the little card he brought. it was extraordinary that he brought it and that tells you all you need to know about the nature of the relationship here. he was anticipating being asked to stay longer than he wanted to. he was ready to take it to the chairwoman maxine waters. as you saw, he was willing to push the envelope in terms of the issues that the democrats wanted to talk about. he wasn't willing to get up and walk out. he wanted her to adjourn the hearing and say it was over. he didn't want to be in a position of stiffing the committee while they were in session. he also didn't want to give them all the time they wanted. this was just a pretty vivid representation of how contentious the relationship has become. you saw maxine waters say, this is the way it is going to be. we expect you to stay and answer the questions. >> is this an example of what the administration can expect with a new democratic oversight and perhaps an example of how they'll respond which is to say contentiously? >> yeah. you saw both

it seemed steve mnuchin was surprised maxine waters took him up on his offer. he wanted to backtrack and she wouldn't let him. that's why we ended up where we were at the end where in frustration he was like, i think you are supposed to bang the gavel and she just looked at him like, i'm the person in charge here. >> there was some grandstanding by her as well, by congresswoman waters. >> of course. >> he was there testifying for several hours. you know, there is no pure politics here. democrats are setting the agenda here. they are going to be tough in their accountability, try to push hard on this administration. i think what he didn't want was the picture of him getting up and leaving a hearing while it was in the middle of the hearing. that would look bad for him. he doesn't have a lot of experience doing this. so i think abby is right. the administration is taking a hard line against what they see coming which is a lot of oversight and tense oversight at that. >> not until you hit that "gravel". >> all right, david. abby, thank you very much. >>> we are fo

treasury secretary steve mnuchin sparred with democrats over the release and revealed that treasury lawyers they have been coordinating with the white house on this matter. during this hearing mnuchin said he is not afraid of getting fired over the president's tax returns and notably got into a very tense, awkward exchange with the chair of the committee maxine waters over the hearing's length. i want to get right to the breaking news. cnn is live on capitol hill. i get the sense that the attorney general is now doing a much more skpree hen sieve investigation into the investigators. >> reporter: that's absolutely right, john. this is a notable move by the attorney general that we're learning this morning, thanks to my colleagues evan perez and laura jarrett. according to a u.s. official they say that barr has assembled a seem at the department of justice to review how the fbi's counterintelligence probe and looking into the ties between the trump campaign and russia first began back in 2016. now, this is notable because it seems to suggest of course that bar is looking into a similar line

so great, so steve mnuchin wasn't born yesterday, nor was the president. so it's not a surprise that neither he nor the president have had any direct conversations. but at the end of the day, is it up to steve mnuchin, treasury secretary, whether or not he releases the president's taxes? >> well, there's a big disagreement about that right now. the letter from the house ways and means committee chairman richard neal said he wanted the taxes released to him by april 10th. tomorrow. i don't get the sense that treasury's going to do that. they are starting to build a legal case, both sides, for, you know, what should kind of transpire from here. the reason, you have to remember, the reason there is this rule in place, this law that says the white house should not be involved in this process is because in 1924, there was this response to the teapot dome scandal where the interior secretary went to jail for, you know, bribery, and this was not revealed because the white house circled the wagons. there is this like through is supposed to wall the white house off

and over the weekend steve mnuchin was positive on the outlooks. as you can see there, we will see negotiations between japan can see there, we will see negotiations betweenjapan and europe coming up as well. all right, we we re europe coming up as well. all right, we were talking about japan earlier with hannah addison, foreign—exchange provisions, currency manipulation could be part of the japan us trade negotiations. if that is discussed and the united states makes it an issue, how could this impact the n? the n has the potential to drop —— yen. and if the tariff gun gets pointed towards japan as well. we have a long way from that situation happening at this moment. that was our currency expert. another business news, president donald trump renewed his attack on the federal reserve, claiming that the stock market, in a tweet, would be much higher but it not been for the actions of the federal reserve. he tweeted this. well, social media joined facebook that it restored services after some users could not access its social networking site.

steve mnuchin has responsibility for congress to see it. >> why would steve mnuchin a grie agree to this? >> he can be health in contempt of congress if he doesn't follow the law. they can literally go over to his office and arrest him if he doesn't follow the law. as complicated as tax laws are, this one is very clear. upon written request from the chairman of the committee on ways and means, the chairman shall furnish shall a committee with any return, return information, specified upon request. that's as clear as it gets. >> go ahead, howard. >> i was going to say that law sounds very antique. it's from 1924. but if it gets to the court, the legislative history will be important and the history is that grew out of the famous or infamous teapot dome scandal in the early '20s that involved the administration at that time. so there is an argument to be made that, far from it violating executive privilege, the law itself grew out of, at least superficially analogous situation, a century ago. >> okay. so we know and we have heard from the president over and over again, the reason why he ha

we don't know how steve mnuchin will handle neal's demand for the trump tax returns by wednesday but it seems very clear that the trump administration is not going to leave that decision up to steve mnuchin. jake sherman and anna palmer will join us next with their insights on how the trump administration will rely to chairman kneel's demands for the trump tax returns and what their reporting tells them about the new levels of chaos we're seeing in the trump white house tonight and we'll review the book's description of one of those rare moments when president trump surprised everyone in the room by studiously taking notes. well, they thought he was taking notes. until they saw what was really on that piece of paper. that's next. ♪ when cravings hit, hit back. choose glucerna, with slow release carbs to help manage blood sugar, and start making everyday progress. glucerna. openturning 50 opens theuard. door to a lot of new things... like now your doctor may be talking to you about screening for colon cancer. luckily there's me, cologuard. the noninvasive test you use at home. it al

that is why steve mnuchin might fight this. and ann, i did find this intriguing, elijah cummings issued a letter of intent for the trump accounting firm to get his financial records. could this be seen as an end around and still give us the kwif lentd -- the equivalent of tax's tax yfgs information. >> it would indeed be another avenue to get the same information and potentially more because it would be business reports that are not simply tax returns. the tax-writing committee is seeking trump's personal and business tax returns. the financial documents involving his business being sought separately by the oversight committee in chairman cummings are potentially broader than that. but would cover the information that congressional democrats say is most relevant here which would go to the various questions that we've all been looking at in the context of the mueller investigation. potential conflict of interest, and also the idea that trump may have introduced by michael cohen in his separate testimony that trump may have over-

before that, it was steve mnuchin on the hill. the treasury secretary saying that before that letter was produced by democrats wanting the president's tax returns, that lawyers over at the treasury department and over here at the white house had discussions, but after that letter has been produced or since its been produced, mnuchin said he steered clear. listen. >> i have not spoke to the white house chief of staff or the president about this decision. it's our intent to follow the law and that is in the process of being reviewed. >> the president's personal attorney, an outside attorney, that is dealing with the requests or the demand from democrats sent a letter on friday outlining the president's position as to why they do not feel those six years of tax returns need to be handed over to the irs. as we heard from the president, recently, as he said in the recent days, months and years, his position is, he will not disclose his tax returns while he's under audit. >> sandra: so democrats risk a backlash going after the president

we don't know how steve mnuchin will handle neal's demand for the trump tax returns by wednesday but it seems very clear that the trump administration is not going to leave that decision up to steve mnuchin. jake sherman and anna palmer will join us next with their insights on how the trump administration will rely to chairman kneel's demands for the trump tax returns and what their reporting tells them about the new levels of chaos we're seeing in the trump white house tonight and we'll review the book's description of one of those rare moments when president trump surprised everyone in the room by studiously taking notes. well, they thought he was taking notes. until they saw what was really on that piece of paper. that's next. was really on that piece pofaper that's next. so, you're open all day, that's what 24/7 means, sugar. kind of like how you get 24/7 access to licensed agents with geico. hmm? yeah, you just go online, or give them a call anytime. you don't say. yep. now what will it take to get 24/7 access to that lemon meringue pie? pie! pie's coming! that's what it takes,

it is steve mnuchin's call. the law is very clear. it says that the treasury secretary will furnish tax returns of any american citizen upon written request from house ways and means. so nobody really cares what trump and the trump lawyers have to say. >> and mnuchin could disregard that. he could read it differently, as they seem to read many things differently like the constitution in the white house, but at the end of the day, that is a case when taken to court by the house democrats, they will win. you're right. it is clearly stated in the law. it is not interpretable. >> let me get to the nuts and bolts. it is based on the 1924 law. i know that you have this on hand. tax law is very difficult to understand. it 1924 law. anybody could see in congress, could see my taxes if they wanted to see it. now you're saying the decision goes to steve mnuchin. the treasury department to actually make clear whether or not we can see the president's taxes. why would steve -- am i wrong? >> yeah. it is not that steve mnuchin has the authority to

steve mnuchin saying they have consult consulted with the white house about the request. no one in the trump administration is telling him what to do. >> i have had no direct conversations with the president or anybody else in the white house about this. our legal department has consulted with the white house as they would and as i believe would be normal. that is not taking direction from the white house. i don't view that as interference, was not specific to the president, anything related to the president's tax returns other than the expectation. >> you are not afraid you will be fired if you release the returns? >> i'm not afraid of being fired at all. >> mnuchin and waters got into a verbal spat when the treasury secretary talked about leaving the hearing to keep a previous appointment. >> president trump refuting reports they are looking at a policy that tears apart families at the southern border. he blamed the obama administration for beginning it. it is a claim that is misleading, at best. we have more from the white house. >> christine and dave, president trump

look out steve mnuchin, he may have to take the hit for the president. what's he hiding, the president, and can democrats prove they have legitimate reasons? they already have one. they've got the law. let's get the tax returns. you're watching "hardball." waty ♪ help! not just anybody ♪ help! you know i need someone tailored recommendations, tax-efficient investing strategies, and a dedicated advisor to help you grow and protect your wealth. fidelity wealth management. to help you grow and protect your wealth. i felt i couldn't be at my best wifor my family. c, in only 8 weeks with mavyret, i was cured and left those doubts behind. i faced reminders of my hep c every day. but in only 8 weeks with mavyret, i was cured. even hanging with friends i worried about my hep c. but in only 8 weeks with mavyret, i was cured. mavyret is the only 8-week cure for all common types of hep c. before starting mavyret your doctor will test if you've had hepatitis b which may flare up and cause serious liver problems during and after treatment. tell your doctor if you

look out steve mnuchin, he may have to take the hit for the president. what's he hiding, the president, and can democrats prove they have legitimate reasons? they already have one. they've got the law. let's get the tax returns. you're watching "hardball." ok everyone! our mission is to provide complete, balanced nutrition for strength and energy! whoo-hoo! great-tasting ensure. with nine grams of protein and twenty-six vitamins and minerals. ensure, for strength and energy. oh no. your new boss seems cool, but she might not be sweatpants cool. not quite ready to face the day? that's why we're here with free hot breakfast. book at hampton.com for our price match guarantee. hampton by hilton. liberty mutual customizes your car insurance, book at hampton.com for our price match guarantee. hmm. exactly. so you only pay for what you need. nice. but, uh... what's up with your... partner? not again. limu that's your reflection. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty ♪ >>> welcome back to "hardball", monday is the deadline for amer

. >>> still ahead, treasury secretary steve mnuchin is also facing lawmakers today. different topic, talking about the president trump's tax returns. what does he say about it? would he have the final say to release them? much more on this after a quick break. pardon the interruption but this is big! now at t-mobile buy any samsung galaxy s10 and get a galaxy s10e free! >>> attorney general bill barr isn't the only trump cabinet member facing lawmakers today. treasury secretary steve mnuchin testifying before two house committees and he's quickly facing questions about the president and his tax returns. after a house committee, you'll remember, has said it has the authority to see the tax returns and the president's chief of staff just as quickly says that's is never going to happen. christiristina alesci is followl of this for us. what did mnuchin have to say about it. >> not much. he tried to kick off the hearing talking about his budget request for treasury, but very quickly, the chairman of this subcommittee turned the issue to the president's tax returns, and as

steve mnuchin has been a strong supporter of the imf. they understand this is one institution that works for america. tom: david lipton, thank you so much. first deputy managing director. thank you so much. vonnie: our thanks to tom keene from "bloomberg surveillance." at the imf meeting all weekend. union said to raise duties on $10.2 billion of u.s. goods in the boeing case. let's check in with courtney donohoe. courtney: president trump considered nominating his daughter to be the head of the world bank. the president told the atlantic magazine she would've been great because she is very good with numbers. he also considered her for the job as u.s. ambassador to the united nations. he said he was persuaded against it because of the appearance of nepotism. president trump is said to realize herman cain will have trouble getting confirmed to the federal reserve board. some of the president's advisers said they would not be surprised if herman cain withdraws. four republican senators say they will not vote for him. one has cited sexual-h

. >>> treasury secretary steve mnuchin saying his department consulted with the white house about the request. that set off a fiery exchange with democratic congresswoman maxine waters. he said no one is telling him what to do. >> i have had no direct conversations with the president or anybody else in the white house about this. our legal department consulted with the white house as they would and as i believe would be normal. that is not taking direction from the white house. i don't view that as interference. was not specific to the president's, anything related to the president's tax returns other than the expectation of getting this request. >> you are not afraid you will be fired if you release the returns? >> well, i -- i'm not afraid of being fired at all. >> mnuchin and waters sparring when talking about leaving the hearing to keep a previous appointment. more on that later. >> i'll get my popcorn ready. >>> a policy that tears about families at the border. he blamed the obama administration of separating children from their parents, a claim that is misleading, at best. we ha

chuck grassley back steve mnuchin up saying it to be alarming to every american the democrats are trying to weapon eyes the irs. >> donald trump dismissed a democratic deadline of thursday to turn over 6 years of tax returns noting the american people had already litigated the matter. >> i got elected last time, the same exact issue with the same intensity which wasn't very much because the people don't care. >> the president is correct, he won despite not reviewing any returns. is not right that the public does not care. a fox news paul essman found 74% of americans 54% of republicans believe in general the president of the united states should be required to release his or her tax returns. there is no such requirement though there was precedent dating back to richard nixon of candidates in both parties voluntarily releasing them. >> while i'm on the rotted i would not give my taxes. >> contrary to the president's claims, irs commissioner charles reddick says there is no resuming the release of any tax return because of an audit, but he has been noncommittal about giving the president's

steve mnuchin will make his final decision by may 6. you have to believe it's almost certainly a no. that will make this a serious legal issue. it could be up to the courts to decide. all of this is taking place on what we might call biden eve. former vice president joe biden is expected to finally formally enter the democratic race for president tomorrow. what impact will it have on the contest? more on that ahead. ab lby philip is live at the whe house. >> the president and his team are seeking to give no ground to congress on this and other inquiries led by the house congressional committees. the president and his aides view it as harassment and are seeking to prevent mcgahn and other aides going before congress and testifying under oath. president trump warning he'll stonewall house democrats saying he doesn't want current or former aides testifying before a congressional committee, telling "the washington post" there is no reason to go any further and especially in this congress where it's very partisan, obviously very partisan. th

my good friend, steve mnuchin. this administration has no intention to weaponize the irs the way the nixon administration did. and all of this looks too political for us. i will leave it there and refer you to the treasury secretary. that is all i have on that. no, you may not. i have nothing else to say to -- on the matter. i refer to the treasury department. the republican tax plan that passed has a perception problem. americans don't like it. why do you think that is the case? mr. kudlow: i don't know. here is the deal. poll after poll, almost 60% -- i need the umbrella. it is starting to really poor. -- pour. the wall street journal, nbc, the harvard poll, all show tremendous approval of the economy. taxes are a means towards that end. the tax debate, i don't know. i think at the end of the day you have a very prosperous america with low unemployment. blue-collar workers are doing higher wages than we have had in years and they are doing better than the white-collar workers. everybody is sharing in the prosperi

will steve mnuchin block the potential release of them? see what happened. and also more on the breaking news out of israel, both sie sietds -- both sides claiming victory. this is the race for the next prime minister. it is still too close to call as benjamin netanyahu's fate is on the line. you're watching cnn, i'm brooke baldwin. biopharmaceutical researchers. pursuing life-changing cures in a country that fosters innovation here, they find breakthroughs... like a way to fight cancer by arming a patient's own t-cells... because it's not just about the next breakthrough... it's all the ones after that. - anncr: as you grow older, -your brain naturally begins to change which may cause trouble with recall. - learning from him is great... when i can keep up! - anncr: thankfully, prevagen helps your brain and improves memory. - dad's got all the answers. - anncr: prevagen is now the number-one-selling brain health supplement in drug stores nationwide. - she outsmarts me every single time. - checkmate! you wanna play again? - anncr: prevagen. healthier brain. b

if steve mnuchin refuses to follow the law, what sanction can be applied? can these men and the sergeant at arms being sent over to get the tax returns? practically what can be done to make them comply? >> the issue is, chairman cummings said is going to the house counsel's office and have legal remremedies. the contempt is referred to the justice department for prosecution. trying to prosecute a cabinet member for contempt is challenging. congress has to assert a role as a coequal branch of government. that's not just about punishing this president, but establishing clear guardrails of democracy for future presidents. >> joe, i asked the questions to get to a point. there may not be built into our constitutional framework a way to cause the president of the united states and his cabinet to comply with the law. there is no sanction. the justice department is run by one william barr. does anyone think that william barr would prosecute for contempt of congress a member of the administration of the president for his -- he submitted a job interview and saying t

first, let's start with what steve mnuchin said. in some people's minds, they are, at don't think it surprising. he's saying right now what they are talking about is enforcement mechanisms on aspects of the deal. both sides have to agree to something and both sides have to live up to it, and if they don't, mnuchin is saying is there will be repercussions. he also said they are working both countries on establishing in each country and enforcement officer to monitor compliance. i think this is smart, because it's not like china is having to give in to something the u.s. is not getting into, which makes it more palatable. also coming said he thinks they are more close to the final round of talks on these issues. the heads seeking to of the china division of the imf last week, his view was the china trade pact will include -- will lead to stronger sentiment. yvonne: thank you, kathleen hays there. lines,just -- just some wall street journal reporting caesars entertainment will be naming a new ceo. anthony rodeo has been named to replac

it says the irs must do this. >> steve mnuchin, what advice do you need "shall" on? >> he does not want the country to see the footprints of his financial life. this came as the house ways and means committee chairman, mr. neal, set a new deadline of tuesday of next week. legal analyst danny savalis and criminal attorney ashley lawson. the president says the law is 100% on his side. it appears chairman neal is ready to take this all the way to court. does the treasury department have a legit argument that will hold up in court? who do you think wins this battle? >> i think chairman neal wins this battle. the law is clear. the law says "shall." it says if they ask for these reports, the treasury department shall give them to them. they have an oversight obligation. part of their job is to do oversight, and that's they're trying to reveal what says they shall give this report over. i think chairman neal will win if this ends up going to court. >> danny, it's so interesting. there's been all this arguing over the interpretation of the word "shall." does "shall" mean you

treasury secretary steve mnuchin released a statement about all of this. we will further bowlter the program finances which will benefit as a result of administration economic policies. this vote says in no uncertain terms the lawmakers need to deal with it now as we have options on the table available as opposed to it being an emergency. ashley: we've been saying that for a while. melissa: give me a break. dan heninger from the "wall street journal," also a fox news contributor. to see steve mnuchin talking about social security and trust fund, this man lived in the real world dealing with actual balance sheet and calling bs on companies that they were out financing this, is someone who actually understands numbers and balance sheets, to have him, i can't imagine what do you think he is going through his head and lax at social security thing, say something like relatively neutral, like these guys have to deal with this or it will be a huge problem? i mean it is like, like crazy land. >> it may be but i think there is only one thing going through steve mnu

if steve mnuchin refuses to follow the law, what sanction can be applied? can these men and the sergeant at arms being sent over to get the tax returns? practically what can be done to make them comply? >> the issue is, chairman cummings said is going to the house counsel's office and have legal remedieremedies. the contempt is referred to the justice department for prosecution. trying to prosecute a cabinet member for contempt is sch challenging. congress has to assert a role as a coequal branch of government. that's not just about punishing this president, but establishing clear guardrails of democracy for future presidents. >> joe, i asked the questions to get to a point. there may not be built into our constitutional framework a way to cause the president of the united states and his cabinet to comply with the law. there is no sanction. the justice department is run by one william barr. does anyone think that william barr would prosecute for contempt of congress a member of the administration of the president for his -- he submitted a job interview and

it's also interesting the letter comes from the treasury secretary, steve mnuchin, who was asked about this very issue yesterday on capitol hill because he, of course, department of treasury oversees the irs, so the fact that he is saying, that he is not only responding but making clear in the letter he is going to oversee it is interesting and noteworthy. obviously he's somebody who is one of the president's oldest and earliest supporters, but he's taken it upon himself, i don't think he has much choice, but saying this in black and white that he's going to navigate the waters so far. >> jeffrey, he says in the letter i intend, steve mnuchin. i intend to supervise the department's review of the request to ensure taxpayer protection and applicable laws are skrup yusly observed consistent with my statutory responsibility. >> i made a flip response a couple of minutes ago and i was wrong. this is a serious response. it is not this is a serious response. i think the tip-off is the word of the and the constitution. because the statute could not be clear. the statute says they shall turn ov

steve mnuchin testified at the financial services committee. with maxine waters running the show as chair, the maxine mnuchin rematch was worth the wait. >> if you wish to leave, you may leave. >> i don't understand what you are saying. >> you are wasting your time. remember you have a foreign dignitary in your office. >> i would just say that the previous -- when the republicans did not treat the secretary of the treasury this way. if this is the way you want to treat me, then i will rethink whether i voluntarily come back to testify, which i have offered to do. >> mr. secretary, i want you to know that no other secretary has ever told us the day before that they were going to limit their time in the way you are doing. if you want to use them as examples, you have acted differently than they have acted and as i have said, if you wish to leave, you may. >> if you wish to keep me here so that i don't have my important meeting and continue to grill me, then we can do that. i will cancel my meeting and not be back here. i will be clear. if that's

steve mnuchin discussing the fed's independence with sara eisen. lyft falling further below its ipo price, and the big bank ceos just wrapping up their almost full day of testimony on capitol hill joining us to talk about the market, charlie, vice president at ariel investments welcome to you we will start with mike santoli. how would you characterize the trading today? >> steady. i think it was sneaky strong all day, even when the major indexes were a little negative three stocks up for every one down it seems as if yesterday that little bit of a sell-off, kind of just a mini stutter step was not necessarily the start of a bigger pullback. at least doesn't seem so right now. you still see the very stubborn strength in things like software which have this defensive feel to them and some of the yield beneficiaries. it's a lawyer stosimilar story. we have to see if that's really the case, whether we can withstand what may be a noisy earnings season. >> earnings really kicking off in earnest on friday with those initial bank numbers what are you expec

mnuchin. the man who has talked about the importance not of doing a deal but enforcing a deal is less optimistic. what we are hearing is the chinese are willing to give more ground on cloud computing, letting american companies coming here. robert lighthizer has been talking about progress in ip protection. there is also talk about how they enforce this deal if it happens. robert lighthizer has been sceptical about this and the chinese seem to be resisting. they have concerns about sovereignty. they don't want the americans being in charge of enforcement. there is a mixture of sentiment here. the reality is, nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. as ever, thank you so much. now let's brief you on some other business stories: samsung has posted a 60% drop in operating profit in the fist three months of 2019, hit by falls in chip prices and slowing demand for display panels. operating profit at the south korean tech was $5.a billion in the january—march quarter. shared office provider w

last night steve mnuchin sent a letter requesting seven years of the presidents tax returns. democrats say the authority lies with the commissioner of the irs. meanwhile william barr has created an uproar. yesterday he told senators is looking into whether the intelligence community inappropriately spied on the trump campaign. echoing claims from the president. he said he has no evidence of such activity. democrats accused him of propping up a long debunked conspiracy just to please president trump. >> i'm not saying improper surveillance occurred. i'm saying i'm concerned about it and looking into it. >> how dismaying and disappointing. the chief law enforcement officer of our country is going off the rails. >> democrats say it's an attempt to undermine robert mueller's report. william barr is expected to release it rejected version next week. >>> major changes with the primary election. the neighborhood polling place, a longtime tradition, is now history. is dead there will be fewer, larger voting centers. the centers will be open days before the election. all voters will r

flash over to the other side where steve mnuchin is testifying before a subcommittee as well in the house. i can tell you he has already said he is going to be trying to comply with his lawyers's advice on whether or not to release the president's tax returns. just as he was walking into the hearing, he was briefly addressing us reporters and said -- waiting in rather on the tweet suggesting he would raise goods, on european secretary mnuchin said "this is not a trade war." vonnie: jean-claude juncker in europe called the president's tweet a twitch. something else ongoing that may not be getting as much publicity because everything that is happening today, but top executives from cigna, humana are also testifying before the senate finance committee on prescription drug pricing. democrats are concentrating on secrecy. what else can you tell us? kevin: three words, pharmacy, benefits, managers. this is a particular area in which there could be bipartisan consensus to get to some type of deal on lowering the cost of consumer drug pricing. speaker pelosi and president trump have signaled in r

steve mnuchin will make a decision by may 6th. >> don mcgahn being the white house council who refused to fire mueller. >> reporter: the white house is ramping up the fights to push back on the congressional subpoenas as they say they are trying to conduct oversight. the white house is saying it's overreached. cnn learned the white house may seek to prevent don mcgahn from complying with the subpoena from house democrats to testify into the probe of obstruction of justice. behind the scenes, there's no decision on what is going to happen. as the discussions move forward, the white house is weighing whether or not to give conversations mcgahn had with the president or if other measures should be taken. the house judiciary chairman, jerry nadler, does not like that the white house may stop him from testifying. the moment for the white house to assert privilege for this testimony from being heard has long since passed. behind the scenes, don mcgahn's attorney has been in discussion with the committee. they have not heard a final say, yet, on whether or not he is going to sit down with wit

treasury secretary steve mnuchin says they have to weigh in on that request. when he was asked about the deadline, he says those conversations have started, but it would be premature for me to conclude how long that will take because, as i said, these are complicated issues. he adds, it's more important to the american taxpayers that we get this right than hit an arbitrary deadline. the democrats are ready for a fight. congressman neil says he has the right to ask for anyone's tax returns. we'll learn more about it from cnn's lauren fox. >> reporter: the fight over the president's tax returns escalating today with richard neil, the chairman of the house ways and means committee sending a letter to the irs commissioner ten more days to reply with the request. in this letter, neil writes, quote, i am aware concerns have been raised regarding my request and the authority of the committee. those concerns lack merit. he says, quote, i expect a reply from the irs by 5:00 p.m. april 23, 2019. if you fail to comply, it will be interpreted as a denial of my request. ne

the chair representative maxine waters went back and forth with the witness, steve mnuchin. he was supposed to leave. watch this. >> if you wish to keep me here so i don't have my important meeting and continue to grill me then we can do that. i will cancel my meeting and i will not be back here. i'll be very clear. if that's the way you'd like to have this relationship. >> thank you. the gentleman, the secretary has agreed to stay to hear the rest of the members. please cancel your meeting and respect our time. >> what i told you is i thought it was respectful that you let me leave at 5:15. >> you are free to leave any time you want. you may go any time you want. >> please dismiss everybody. i believe you're supposed to take the gavel. >> please do not instruct me as who how i'm supposed to conduct this committee. >> it went on and on. >> you usually have to go to a junior high school student council to see debate at that level. >> i'm supposed to leave in 15 minutes. come on. the problem with this administration is they're not used to having congressional oversight. for tw

bob lighthizer and -- susan: steve mnuchin. >> liu he, serious negotiators. i think they understand if there is no deal, if we go back to confrontation, it hurts our economy and the chinese economy. there is mutually beneficial gain here, mutually beneficial prosperity for the fact they do reach a deal. if they don't, there is mutual economic disruption which no one wants, either. susan: thank you so much. good to see you. bob hormats. speaking of mutual agreements and prosperity, look at the markets today. we are up 305 points, very close to the session highs as we are just around 15 minutes away from the closing bell today. fannie and freddie, fannie mae, freddie mac at the center of a new d.c. storm. coming up, charlie joins us with exclusive details on the white house in-fighting that could keep the mortgage lenders solidly under the government's thumb. charlie breaks it down on "countdown." susan: fannie and freddie largely becoming the poster children of the 2008 subprime crisis. now the two mortgage lenders are finding themselves at the center of a new

treasury secretary steve mnuchin says he will make a final decision by may 6. >>> the white house plans to fight a house subpoena for don mcgahn. he is the former white house council who refused the president's orders to fire robert mueller. here is caitlin collins at the white house. >> reporter: yeah, michelle and dave, the white house is ramping up fights to push back on congressional subpoenas as they are trying to conduct oversight. cnn learned the white house may seek to prevent don mcgahn from complying with the subpoena he got from house democrats to testify in their probe into potential obstruction of justice. behind the scenes, no final decision on what is going to happen. as the discussions are moving forward, the white house is weighing whether or not they should assert executive privilege over conversations mcgahn had with the president or if other measures should be taken. the house judiciary chairman does not seem pleased that the white house may prevent him from testifying saying in a statement, in part, i'm quoting, the moment for the white house to assert privilege to

trade representative robert lighthizer, treasury secretary steve mnuchin kicking off a new round with china's top trade negotiator. edward lawrence outside the u.s. trade representative in d.c. where the talks are currently underway. edward? reporter: charles, the treasury secretary steve mnuchin arrived here about 15 minutes ago for the afternoon talks. vice premier liu he is inside a few moments ago, came in. some signs are positive. look at this, a rare sign, show of emotion from the vice premier, where he stopped, smiled, actually waved that is the first time he has ever done something like that walking into these talks. it is very relaxed atmosphere this morning. white house economic advisor larry kudlow says the chinese are finally acknowledging they need to follow trading rules. >> we're making headway. i hope we make some more headway this week. the chinese have acknowledged these problems for the first time. they were in denial. reporter: he says that protecting intellectual property will be a big part of this agreement. in fact, the u.s. trade representative saying that sect

but instead of turning over tax returns, steve mnuchin wrote a letter to richard neal. the department cannot provide you with what you are asking. we expect to provide the committee with a final decision by may 6th. chairman neal responded saying he would be consulting with council about his next steps. he did not indicate if that would include a southbound ubpo lawsuit. joining me now for "the hill," nile stanich. let's talk about the authority of the president or lack thereof. does he have the authority to keep these aides from testifying, like don mcgahn, in front of congress? >> it's highly debatabldebatabl. some of the comments you have plaid reflect that. congress has a legitimate oversight rule here. the fact that the president is stop his aides from testifying is dubious. when someone like don mcgahn, executive privilege was not ate asserted when he spoke to mr. mueller. but now, it's asserted? you can't avoid that stance. >> let's talk about karl klein, involved in the clearances. his job is being threatened, per se, if he were to testify in front of congress,

and if i am wrong on any of these numbers, steve mnuchin come our treasury secretary, i am sure he will call me out. but i think we will get it right, steve. we doubled the child tax credit. these are things that a lot of people -- and that is probably what the article is saying -- you don't want to delve too much into the "new york times kara mccullough because nothing good comes out of the new -- dust such fake news, it is unbelievable. -- you don't want to delve too much into the "new york times," because nothing good comes out of the "new york times." you have children, you love your children, and you want to leave your former or small business to your children but you can't because of a lot of reasons -- maybe it is asset rich and not cash-rich remind you worry about it because you know they are going to lose it. because they will go to the banks and berm any, and the banks will end up owning it. hundreds and thousands and thousands of times. so we have virtually eliminated the unfair rest death tax. for small business and farmers. [applause] so now, if you love your , which most o

the head of that department, steve mnuchin, is now at the center of this fight. he testified before the house financial services committee on tuesday and said he consulted the white house on this issue but did not take direction from them. >> i have had no direct conversations with the president or anybody else in the white house about this. our legal department has consulted with the white house as they would and as i believe would be normal. that is not taking direction from the white house. i don't view that as interference. it was not specific to the president's -- anything related to the president's tax returns other than the expectation of getting this request. >> and the treasury secretary ended his long day of testimony in a clash with a top democrat on the financial services committee. steve mnuchin and maxine waters got into a verbal sparring match when mnuchin requested to end the hearing because he had another meeting. take a listen. >> i've sat here for over three hours and 15 minutes. i've told you i'll come back. i just don't believe we're sitting

now, the secretary of the treasury department, steve mnuchin, he's not backing down. he had previously said that he wanted to hear from the department of justice because this was such an unprecedented request. mnuchin today, speaking to cnn, said that he had yet to speak to the attorney general about this, and he essentially said that he believes that these deadlines being set by neal are arbitrary. he believes that this request is a constitutional issue that may have to be settled in court. he's basically just waiting for doj to give him instruction on this. that's what we've heard from president trump, that democrats would ultimately have to hear from his lawyers and that they would have to hear from the attorney general william barr. this is likely going to lead to an unprecedented legal fight, ana, one that, as we've heard previously from sources within the white house, the president would fight all the way to the supreme court. ana? >> boris sanchez, thank you. so where does the battle over president trump's tax returns go from here? earlier today i had a convers

[applause] and i want to introduce secretary steve mnuchin who is here with us. steve, wherever you may be. steve? [applause] treasurer jovita has been with us from the beginning. she liked trump early on, very early on. before it was fashionable. before. [applause] and she has done done a great job as your treasurer. now she is moving over. linda mcmahon will be doing something very exciting for us. and jovita taking linda mcmahon's place at the small business administration and you are going to do a fantastic job. >> thank you. [applause] and jovita will be sitting on the cabinet. that is a cabinet position, in some cases. we have a choice. i had a choice. do i put her in the cabinet or not? that is one where it was my decision. that decision took me how long, two seconds to make, right? >> about that. >> she is on the cabinet. [laughter]. always nice, right? the cabinet is pretty good. so that's good. representative tom emmer thank you very much, tom. [applause] bob nuss put this whole thing together with your great family. bob has been a friend the whole time

one of the things we learned about this administration, especially steve mnuchin and wilbur ross and anyone associated, i question them all. >> they all toties? >> they delay, dodge, and lie for the president to protect. >> the battle over taxes will almost certainly wind up in court. according to two officials, he told white house advisers he does not plan to hand over his taxes and hope to stall it until after the 2020 election. i don't think trump wants to you see his tax returns and i mean in the worst way. for him to hide like this for all these years, there is something really nasty in there. >> it seems that way, but the president seems to have a pension for acting guilty. it's not the president who is turning them over. it's the irs. he doesn't have the control. at the end of the day, it's the people and the career civil servants and the people who have to answer to history. the congress will have to decide whether they want to go down standing in the way of congress's oversight rule for this president or stand up for the constitution. >> i don't know if you can answer this,

. -- secretary steve mnuchin and ben carson who were right here and they are. [applause] they're waving at me through the door. [laughter] and that's ok. just stay there, fellas. they've already heard from you. [applause] [laughter] and they're doing a great job, those two. and for their tireless work on behalf of nearly 35 million americans living in opportunity zones. tremendous community. since we passed our historic tax cuts and reform just over one year ago wages are rising fast and they're rising most quickly for the lowest income americans. you know, you keep hearing about for the wealthiest. not the wealthie. it's for frankly, blue collar workers. lower income people. african-american unemployment. hispanic-american unemployment. asian-american unemployment have reached the lowest levels in the history of our country. that's great. [applause] rates and new jobs of about 6,500 jobs added every single day. think of that. amazing. and something i'm very proud of and worked very hard with jared and everybody on was judicial reform and to give inmates a seco

it is not if the president has to turn it over, but the irs and steve mnuchin. this is setting up a conflict and if steve mnuchin is a certify ve servant of the people or of the president. >> danny, this is the only president since richard nixon who has not released his returns. they are willing to die on. that is a direct quote. what does this tell you? >> you remember president nixon said the people need to know if their president is a crook. well, i'm not a crook. but he ended up owing half a million when he was eventually audited. it is an interesting tradition. it is not required. the president is simply not going to do it. he is really likely relying on advice from tax attorneys telling him don't release your tax returns. it could result in personal consequences. the law doesn't require him to not release his returns under audit. he can if he chooses to, but he isn't going to because it would be devastating to his personal income and personal financial situation. so, go the other route and that would be the tax code which allows the three different committ

>> there doesn't have to be evidence of the president saying to steve mnuchin, don't do this. steve mnuchin knows the president doesn't want his taxes out. >> it's a nice work-around to keep him under wraps. if we can't indict a sitting president, and now bar won't give the information to congress so we can consider impeaching a sitting president if appropriate, to what end ? this information has to come to light. it has to. >> has to, or it doesn't. glenn, greg, thank you very much. there's a lot to cover here. >>> up next, just moments away from the markets opening on the heels of a crucial jobs report and president trump's controversial pick to put herman kane on the fed board. d board. your daily dashboard from fidelity. a visual snapshot of your investments. key portfolio events. all in one place. because when it's decision time... you need decision tech. only from fidelity. you need decision tech. car vending machines and buying a car 100% online.vented now we've created a brand new way for you to sell your car. whether it's a year old or a few years old, we want to buy

steve mnuchin responding to the house ways and means committee setting that april 23rd deadline for the irs to release six years of the president's tax returns. let's go live now to the white house and nbc's hans nichols. what did mnuchin say and where do we go from here? >> reporter: mnuchin says that april 23 deadline is entirely arbitrary. what you're starting to see is a concerted effort across the government on how they're going to push back against this challenge. let me read you a little bit of what mnuchin is saying, an indication really they want to take their time. he's saying, look, the implications of this is way beyond, in my mind, a congressional oversight issue and a precedent issue. the issue is i feel a responsibility that we get this right and that the irs doesn't become undermined like the nixon administration. he's saying the process needs to run its course. the democrats have refuted that argument in the past. they sent out a separate letter yesterday demanding those tax returns. that's a hard deadline, april 23rd. >> before i let you go, any idea how the white hous

being a lawyer, what about the counter arguments between steve mnuchin and the others on the tax writing committees who say that the law is very clear that those committees should have access to anybody's taxinizecluding the president of the united states as long as they keep them confidential. >> i think that is right. the tax code is pretty clear on that. that section of it speaks very clear. it says shall produce the documents. it is very difficult. i think that's why you are seeing the white house largely mounting a political response to this as opposed to a legal one. >> now, of course, not all of the 2020 candidates have put out their taxes. i don't think we have seen bernie's yet. it was supposed to come out today and maybe has come out in the last couple of minutes. he is acknowledging that he is a millionaire and maybe an artful response saying if you write a best selling book you can be a millionaire, too. it certainly -- they are reluct tonight show how much money they really have. >> sure. kamala harris showed in her tax returns that they are millionaires. the same standard s