CLUB. KELLY, GOOD MORNING.
>> Reporter: GOOD MORNING,
CRAIG.
CRAIG. COUNTDOWN TO THE HIGH COURT.
AFTER PHONE CALLS AND INTERVIEWS
WITH TOP CANDIDATES, THE
PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT
SPENT TIME TOGETHER FRIDAY NIGHT
AT MR. TRUMP’S BEDMINSTER, NEW
JERSEY, HOME AND WE’RE TOLD THAT
CHOOSING A SUPREME COURT NOMINEE
WAS EXPECTED TO BE PART OF THEIR
DINNER CONVERSATION.
DINNER CONVERSATION. PLUGGING HIS NEXT PICK --
>> AS YOU KNOW, THERE’S NOW A
VACANCY ON THE SUPREME COURT.
>> Reporter: THE PRESIDENT
DRUMMED UP INTEREST FOR HIS
DECISION AS A TELEVISED EVENT.
>> AND IF YOU TUNE IN MONDAY AT
9:00, I THINK YOU’RE GOING TO BE
EXTREMELY HAPPY WITH THE
SELECTION, RIGHT?
SELECTION, RIGHT? AND THEY’RE ALL GREAT.
THEY’RE ALL GREAT.
>> Reporter: A SUPREME FINAL
FOUR.
FOUR. TWO OF RETIRING JUSTICE ANTHONY
KENNEDY’S FORMER CLERKS ARE IN
THE RUNNING, BRETT KAVANAUGH AND
RAYMOND KETHLEDGE.
RAYMOND KETHLEDGE. KAVANAUGH ALSO HAS POLITICAL
EXPERIENCE AS A TOP AIDE TO
GEORGE W. BUSH.
>> I BELIEVE MY WHITE HOUSE
EXPERIENCE MADE ME A MORE
KNOWLEDGEABLE JUDGE CERTAINLY
AND ALSO A MORE INDEPENDENT
JUDGE.
JUDGE. >> Reporter: AMY CONEY BARRETT,
A DEVOUT CATHOLIC, IS CONSIDERED
A FAVORITE AMONG RELIGIOUS
CONSERVATIVES.
CONSERVATIVES. AND THOMAS HARDIMAN, WHO WAS IN
THE FINAL TWO WHEN THE PRESIDENT
CHOSE NEIL GORSUCH LAST YEAR.
BEYOND THE COURT, THE PRESIDENT
MADE HIS CASE ON TRADE, IMPOSING
$34 BILLION OF NEW TARIFFS ON
CHINESE GOODS, PROVOKING CHINA
TO RETALIATE.
TO RETALIATE. >> I RESPECT CHINA AND I RESPECT
PRESIDENT XI, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN
KILLING US.
KILLING US. >> Reporter: THE PRESIDENT
CLAIMS THIS NEW ECONOMIC
PRESSURE WILL LEAD TO IMPROVED
TRADE AGREEMENTS, DESPITE LIKELY
HIGHER PRICES AND JOB LOSSES.
BUT ONE HIGH-PROFILE NEW JOB
STARTS MONDAY AT THE
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY.
WITH SCOTT PRUITT OUT OVER A
MAZE OF ETHICS ALLEGATIONS,
ACTING ADMINISTRATOR ANDREW
WHEELER TAKES CHARGE.
A FORMER COAL INDUSTRY LOBBYIST
AND LONG-TIME ADVOCATE FOR
REDUCING GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS
ON BUSINESSES THAT GENERATE
CARBON EMISSIONS.
CARBON EMISSIONS. >> MORE ON PRUITT IN A MOMENT
HERE, KELLY O., BUT THERE’S ALSO
AN UPDATE AS RELATES TO THE
MUELLER INVESTIGATION AS WELL.
WHAT MORE CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT
THAT?
THAT? >> Reporter: WELL, CRAIG, IT’S
REALLY ABOUT WILL THE PRESIDENT
SUBMIT TO AN INTERVIEW IN THAT
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. "THE NEW YORK TIMES" REPORTS
THAT THE PRESIDENT’S LEGAL TEAM
IS SETTING A NEW BAR, ASKING
ROBERT MUELLER TO PROVIDE ANY
INFORMATION TO SAY WHETHER OR
NOT HE HAS FOUND ACTUAL EVIDENCE
THAT THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF
COMMITTED A CRIME AND WHETHER
THEY HAVE USED EVERY OTHER
AVENUE, LIKE OTHER WITNESSES OR
LOOKING THROUGH DOCUMENTS TO GET
THE ANSWERS THEY SEEK.
THAT KIND OF A DEMAND SUGGESTS
IT’S EVEN MORE UNLIKELY THE
PRESIDENT WOULD VOLUNTARILY
SUBMIT TO AN INTERVIEW IN THE
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. SO FAR THE OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL
COUNSEL IS NOT COMMENTING.
CRAIG.
CRAIG. >> KELLY O’DONNELL TRAVELING
WITH THE PRESIDENT.
KELLY O., THANK YOU.
>>> ROBERT COSTA IS A NATIONAL
POLITICAL REPORTER FOR "THE
WASHINGTON POST" AND MODERATOR
OF "WASHINGTON WEEK" ON PBS.
ROBERT, GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> ROBERT, THE PRESIDENT MAKING
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT PRIMETIME
MONDAY NIGHT.
MONDAY NIGHT. WHO ARE THE TOP CONTENDERS AND
WHAT ARE THE CHANCES THAT THE
PRESIDENT’S PICK IS NOT
CONFIRMED BY THE UPPER CHAMBER?
>> THE PRESIDENT HAS TO FIRST
DECIDE DOES HE WANT SOMEONE FROM
OUTSIDE OF THE IVY LEAGUE.
IF YOU LOOK AT JUDGE
CONEYBARRETT AND JUDGE HARDIMAN,
THEY HOLD DEGREES NOTRE DAME.
JUDGE BRETT KAVANAUGH, HE’S THE
YALE GRADUATE, YALE LAW SCHOOL
AND YALE UNDERGRAD, A FAVORITE
OF THE REPUBLICAN ESTABLISHMENT.
WHOMEVER THE PRESIDENT SELECTS,
IT’S GOING TO HAVE A TOUGH FIGHT
AHEAD IN THE U.S. SENATE BECAUSE
WE’RE JUST MONTHS AHEAD OF THE
MIDTERM ELECTIONS AND
REPUBLICANS HAVE A NARROW
51-SEAT MAJORITY.
51-SEAT MAJORITY. >> ROBERT, I WANT TO PUT THE
PICTURES BACK ON THE SCREEN HERE
OF THE FOUR TOP CONTENDERS ONE
MORE TIME.
MORE TIME. WITH JUDGE KETHLEDGE, HIS
RELATIONSHIP -- EXCUSE ME, JUDGE
KAVANAUGH, HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH
THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION, HOW
MUCH MIGHT THAT HURT HIM AS A
CONTENDER?
CONTENDER? >> BASED ON MY REPORTING, THE
PRESIDENT ON AIR FORCE ONE THIS
WEEK HAS BEEN RAISING THE BUSH
QUESTION, WONDERING WHETHER
JUDGE KAVANAUGH’S EXPERIENCE IN
THE BUSH WHITE HOUSE WOULD MAYBE
NOT PLAY SO WELL WITH PRESIDENT
TRUMP’S BASE.
TRUMP’S BASE. AT THE SAME TIME, JUDGE
KAVANAUGH IS A FORMER CLERK TO
JUSTICE ANTHONY KENNEDY, SO HE
IS SEEN AS SOMEONE WITH A
DIVERSITY OF BACKGROUND WHEN IT
COMES TO LEGAL AND POLITICAL
EXPERIENCE.
EXPERIENCE. >> LET’S TALK ABOUT THESE
TARIFFS.
TARIFFS. WE’RE IN WHAT APPEARS TO BE THE
BEGINNING OF A TRADE WAR WITH
CHINA, THE WHITE HOUSE HOPING TO
PUNISH THEM FOR SOME OF THEIR
CONTROVERSIAL TRADE POLICIES.
THE QUESTION THIS MORNING, WILL
THIS FORCE CHINA TO MAKE
CHANGES, FULFILLING A CAMPAIGN
PROMISE FOR TRUMP, OR WILL THIS
BACKFIRE AHEAD OF THE ELECTIONS,
THE MIDTERMS?
THE MIDTERMS? >> CHINA HAS STRUCK BACK WITH
ITS OWN RETALIATION, WITH ITS
OWN TARIFFS AGAINST THE $34
BILLION THE U.S. PUT ON CHINESE
GOODS.
GOODS. THIS IS A POLITICAL GAMBLE BY
PRESIDENT TRUMP.
PRESIDENT TRUMP. MANY OF THE INDUSTRIES AND
COMPANIES THAT ARE BEING HIT THE
HARDEST BY CHINA’S RESPONSE ARE
THOSE COMPANIES AND INDUSTRIES
IN THE MIDWEST, LIKE
AGRICULTURAL GROUPS.
AGRICULTURAL GROUPS. THESE ARE PART OF THE
PRESIDENT’S BASE AND HE NEEDS TO
MAKE SURE THEY’RE WITH HIM FOR
THESE MIDTERMS.
THESE MIDTERMS. >> SCOTT PRUITT FACING 15
SEPARATE INVESTIGATIONS, FORCED
TO RESIGN A FEW DAYS AGO.
THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS THE
HIGHEST TURNOVER RATE OF ANY IN
THE PAST 100 YEARS.
ROBERT, WHAT DOES THAT DO IN
TERMS OF THE WHITE HOUSE’S
ABILITY TO JUST DO BUSINESS?
>> THE CONTROVERSIES AND
SCANDALS WITH ADMINISTRATOR
PRUITT WERE CERTAINLY A PROBLEM
FOR THIS ADMINISTRATION GOING ON
MONTHS.
MONTHS. WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF JOHN
KELLY BASED ON MY REPORTING
WANTED HIM OUT OF THERE.
AT THE SAME TIME, REMEMBER, THIS
IS AN ADMINISTRATION THAT HAS A
DEREGULATORY AGENDA.
DEREGULATORY AGENDA. ANDREW WHEELER, THE NEW ACTING
HEAD OF THE EPA, IS SOMEONE WHO
WILL CONTINUE TO DO WHAT SCOTT
PRUITT WAS DOING, WHICH IS TAKE
A VERY CONSERVATIVE POSITION ON