LIZ: AFTER DAYS OF QUESTIONS,
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS
FINALLY DESERTED DAVOS IN THE
DESERT.
TREASURY SECRETARY STEVEN
MNUCHIN HAD BEEN SCHEDULED UP
UNTIL ABOUT 11:29 A.M. EASTERN
FOR WEEKS TO ATTEND, BUT THEN A
MINUTE LATER VIA TWITTER, HE
ABANDONED PLANS TO ATTEND THIS
SAUDI CONFERENCE.
OF COURSE, HE FOLLOWS, DOESN'T
LEAD, HE FOLLOWS THIS WHO'S WHO
LIST OF WITHDRAWALS FROM THE
COUNTRY'S PREMIER FINANCIAL
EVENT AFTER QUESTIONS SWIRL
ABOUT THE CROWN PRINCE OF SAUDI
ARABIA'S INVOLVEMENT OR
KNOWLEDGE, THE DISAPPEARANCE AND
POSSIBLE MURDER, LIKELY MURDER,
OF A SAUDI CRITIC NAMED
KHASHOGGI.
CHARLIE GASPARINO HAS NEW
DETAILS ON HIGH PROFILE EXITS
AND WHY THEY MAY NOT REALLY NEED
AN END TO WALL STREET BEING
INVOLVED.
>> WE SHOULD POINT OUT WE HAVE
BEEN ASKING WALL STREET ALL DAY
ARE YOU GOING TO ATTEND.
THEY HAVE BEEN HEDGING LIKE
CRAZY TODAY.
WE SHOULD POINT OUT THAT DAVID
SOLOMON, CEO OF GOLDMAN, WAS
JUST ON CNBC.
HE'S ON THAT SHOW, WE ARE
REPORTING THAT GOLDMAN SACHS IS
PLANNING TO SEND EXECUTIVES TO
THE CONFERENCE.
LIZ: HE JUST SAID WE WILL NOT
SEND DINA POWELL OR --
>> SENIOR EXECUTIVES.
SOUNDS LIKE THEY'RE GOING.
LIZ: LITTLE WIGGLE ROOM?
>> YEAH.
WHAT'S FASCINATING ABOUT THE
CNBC INTERVIEW IS OF COURSE THE
PEOPLE OVER THERE DON'T ASK THE
FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS.
IF IT'S NOT SENIOR, ARE YOU
SENDING ANYBODY.
THE WAY ALL THESE FIRMS WERE
THINKING OF DOING IT, THEY WERE
GOING TO SAY JAMIE DIMON, NOT
GOING.
JAMES GORMAN, CEO OF MORGAN
STANLEY, NOT GOING.
LARRY FINK OF BLACKROCK, NOT
GOING.
WE ARE A PRESENCE IN RIYADH AND
WE MAY, JUST TO KEEP OUR
PRESENCE THERE, MAY SEND OUR
PEOPLE ON THE GROUND TO THE
CONFERENCE, OKAY?
GUESS WHAT?
THAT'S STILL IN EFFECT AS OF
TODAY.
I SHOULD POINT OUT GOLDMAN
SACHS, MORGAN STANLEY,
CITIGROUP, ARE, FROM WHAT WE
UNDERSTAND, ARE ASSESSING
WHETHER TO SEND ANYBODY TO
THESE, TO THIS CONFERENCE,
DESPITE THE FACT GOLDMAN IS
TRYING TO SAY IT'S NOT SENDING
SENIOR EXECUTIVES.
WE UNDERSTAND WHAT'S STILL
CLEARLY ON THE TABLE AND IT MAY
CHANGE BY TOMORROW, STEVE
MNUCHIN'S DECISION TO PULL OUT,
EVERYBODY STARTED REASSESSING AS
SOON AS THAT HAPPENED.
THEY MAY SEND JUNIOR EXECUTIVES
OR PEOPLE ON THE GROUND.
REMEMBER, THEY HAVE PEOPLE IN
THE MIDDLE EAST, OKAY.
SO THE REAL QUESTION IS WHAT
DOES THIS MEAN.
LET'S BE CLEAR ABOUT WALL
STREET, WHY THIS IS A BIG STORY.
EVERY MAJOR WALL STREET FIRM
WANTS TO DO BUSINESS WITH THE
SAUDI ROYAL FAMILY.
LOTS OF MONEY OVER THERE TO
INVEST, POTENTIAL IPO FOR THE
BIG OIL COMPANY, SAUDI ARAMCO.
EVERYBODY WANTS A PIECE OF THAT.
TO TOTALLY SNUB THE SAUDI ROYAL
FAMILY NOW EVEN AMID, LET'S FACE
IT, A MURDER OF A JOURNALIST
WHICH IS PRETTY BAD, WOULD BE --
COULD BE A BIG BUSINESS --
LIZ: UP UNTIL MNUCHIN PULLED
OUT, FOX BUSINESS WAS GOING TO
GO.
>> WE ARE NOT NOW.
LIZ: FOX BUSINESS NOT GOING
ANYMORE.
NOT SPONSORING, EITHER.
>> IF YOU READ THE STATEMENT
FROM US, I THINK IT'S A DECENT
STATEMENT.
IF MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN AGREES TO
AN INTERVIEW WITH MARIA
BARTIROMO, WE WOULD DO THAT.
THAT WOULD BE AN AMAZING
INTERVIEW BECAUSE THE QUESTION
FOR HIM WOULD OBVIOUSLY BE TELL
ME WHY WE SHOULDN'T BELIEVE THE
SAUDI ROYAL FAMILY IS NOT
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATH OF THE
JOURNALIST KHASHOGGI.
SO THIS IS AN INTERESTING STORY
RIGHT NOW.
I THINK WE WILL KNOW MORE
TOMORROW.
THIS IS NOT OVER YET.
THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THE
CONFERENCE AND WHO ATTENDS AND
DOES WALL STREET TOTALLY BACK
DOOR THE SAUDI ROYAL FAMILY, AND
DOES MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN, THE
CROWN PRINCE, DOES HE STILL HAVE
A HOLD ON THAT JOB.
DOES THE ROYAL FAMILY FIND SOME
COMPELLING REASON TO THROW HIM
OVERBOARD.
IS THERE SOMEONE WHO COULD STEP
IN.
BECAUSE WHAT THIS IS LOOKING
LIKE, YOU KNOW, HAS BEEN LOOKING
LIKE THIS FOR DAYS, BUT WE ARE
FINALLY GETTING SOME CLARITY OUT
OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, AS
YOU REMEMBER I REPORTED
YESTERDAY THAT POMPEO, THE
SECRETARY OF STATE, WAS SUPPOSED
TO GIVE A PRESS CONFERENCE.
HE DID, HE'S WAITING FOR MORE
INFORMATION.
IT LOOKS LIKE THIS IS A
DOWNRIGHT MURDER HIT JOB.
LIZ: THE "NEW YORK POST" HAS A
PICTURE --
>> MAYBE TORTURE.
LIZ: -- OF THE BODYGUARD OF
MOHAMMAD BIN SALMAN WHO IS ALSO
IDENTIFIED ON THE HIT SQUAD.
>> YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU SEPARATE
HIM OUT?
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WAS
HOPING FOR EVIDENCE THAT WOULD
PUT SOME DISTANCE BETWEEN THE
ROYAL FAMILY AND SOMETHING THAT
THEY CAN HANG THEIR HAT ON.
THAT NEVER CAME.
THAT'S WHY POMPEO DID NOT HAVE A
JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE, FROM
WHAT I UNDERSTAND, WITH SOMEONE
FROM THE ROYAL FAMILY.
LIZ: WE BRING IT BACK TO THIS,
FOLKS.
WHEN THAT HEADLINE HIT FROM
STEVEN MNUCHIN AND HIS TWEET,
THE MARKET DIDN'T LOVE IT.
LET'S PUT IT THAT WAY.
IT'S NOT THAT THEY DIDN'T LOVE
THAT HE'S NOT GOING.
IT'S JUST IT SHOCKED THE
MARKETS.
MARKETS AND TRADERS DO NOT LIKE
SURPRISES, AND LISTEN, IT CAN'T
POSSIBLY HAVE BEEN A SURPRISE AT