>>> THIS JUST IN TO CNN DONALD TRUMP SAYS HE PLEADED THE FIFTH
NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL HE LETITIA JAMES.
THAT HAPPENED THIS MORNING. SHE AND HER TEAM ARE
INVESTIGATING THE FINANCES OF THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION.
>> AND HE IS FACING MANY LEGAL WOES THIS WEEK.
THERE'S ALSO THE APPEALS COURT THAT RULED THAT HOUSE LAWMAKERS
CAN GET THEIR HANDS ON HIS TAX RETURNS.
A JUDGE RULED HIS FORMER ATTORNEY RUDY GIULIANI TO
TESTIFY TO A GEORGIA JURY FOR HIS SCHEME TO OVERTURN THE 2020
ELECTION. WEF BEEN LEARNING NEW DETAILS
ABOUT THE FBI SEARCH AT HIS MAR-A-LAGO RESIDENCE IN FLORIDA.
>> LET'S PICK UP WHERE WE LEFT OFF AND ABBY PHILIP I LEFT YOU
TO GET TO THE IMPORTANT SIGNING AT THE WHITE HOUSE AND THERE IS
NEWS FROM THE FORMER PRESIDENT EXPLAINING WHY HE PLEADED THE
FIFTH AND IT'S IMPORTANT CONTEXT BECAUSE WE'LL ALL REMEMBER IN
2016 AS IT PERTAINED TO THE INVESTIGATION OF HILLARY
CLINTON'S E-MAILS HE SAID IF YOU'RE INNOCENT WHY ARE YOU
TAKING THE FIFTH. NOW HE SAYS IN THIS STATEMENT,
ABBY, I ONCE ASKED IF YOU'RE INNOCENT WHY ARE YOU TAKING THE
FIFTH. NOW I KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT
QUESTION, THE FORMER PRESIDENT WRITES WHEN YOUR FAMILY, COMPANY
AND ALL OF THE PEOPLE IN YOUR ORBIT HAVE BECOME THE TARGET OF
A POLITICALLY-MOTIVATED WITCH HUNT YOU HAVE NO CHOICE.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THIS? >> FIRST OF ALL, THIS IS VERY
MUCH RELATED TO THE EARLIER CONVERSATION AND THE ARGUMENT
MR. TRUMP IS MAKING IS THAT HE IS BEING TARGETED POLITICALLY
FROM ALL SIDES AND THAT'S THE CASE HE'S MAKING TO HIS BASE TO
ENGENDER EVEN MORE SUPPORT AND THIS PLAYS INTO THAT.
JUST A QUICK NOTE BECAUSE AS YOU WERE READING THAT PART OF
TRUMP'S STATEMENT IT DID REMIND ME OF THE FACT THAT HILLARY
CLINTON, IN ALL OF THE INVESTIGATIONS THAT SHE WAS
INVOLVED IN THAT TRUMP HIMSELF SAID SHE SHOULD HAVE BEEN LOCKED
UP FOR DID TESTIFY PUBLICLY AND PRIVATELY ON THESE MATTERS.
TRUMP, ON THE OTHER HAND HAS TRIED REALLY AGGRESSIVELY TO
AVOID BEING UNDER OATH IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES AND THIS IS JUST
THE LATEST CASE OF THAT. >> DAVID, LET'S PICK UP ON THAT.
IT'S NOT JUST PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HIS FAMILY CALLING THIS A
WITCH HUNT AND YOU HAVE TOP REPUBLICANS AND LAWMAKERS WHO
ARE SAYING THAT THESE SERIES OF EVENTS FROM THE FBI SEARCH TO
HIS DEPOSITION TODAY WHICH HE ANSWERED NO QUESTIONS AND NOW
POSSIBLY CONGRESS GETTING HIS TAX RECORDS.
HOW -- WHAT CAN BE DONE, DO YOU THINK TO CONVINCE SO MANY
MILLIONS OF AMERICANS THAT ALL OF THIS IS LAWFUL, THAT IT'S NOT
A WITCH HUNT? >> HE'S GOING TO HAVE -- THIS IS
SO ENTANGLING AND IT'S HARD TO SORT IT ALL OUT, BUT EARLIER
THIS WEEK THAT THE FBI AGENTS SWEPT INTO MAR-A-LAGO AND GOT
ALL OF THIS INFORMATION OUT AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT, ONE HAD
THE FEELING THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS DOING SOMETHING THAT WAS
IMPOSSIBLE FOR EVERYBODY ELSE TO DO AND THAT WAS CREATE DONALD
TRUMP AS A SYMPATHETIC FIGURE. SUDDENLY HE LOOKED LIKE HE WAS
BEING DONE IN BY ALL THESE FORCES AND NOW WHEN HE GOES AND
TAKES THE FIFTH, YOU KNOW, HE'S BACK TO WHO HE WAS, VERY
UNSYMPATHETIC AND VERY MUCH SHOW ME, TELL ME THE TRUTH ABOUT WHAT
YOU'RE DOING AND I THINK HE'S MISPLAYED HIS HAND AND MAYBE IT
WILL PROVIDE TEMPORARY PROTECTION FOR SOME OF HIS
PEOPLE, BUT IN THE END HE'LL HAVE TO COME CLEAN IN ONE
ENVIRONMENT OR ANOTHER AND IT WOULD BE SO MUCH STRONGER IF HE
COULD TELL US WHAT'S GOING ON, NOT ONLY IN MAR-A-LAGO, BUT
WHAT'S GOING ON IN THESE OTHER FRONTS SO THAT THE COUNTRY COULD
MAKE A JUDGEMENT, A BALANCED JUDGMENT.
IT'S VERY HARD TO MAKE BALANCED JUDGMENTS ABOUT DONALD TRUMP
BECAUSE HE SURPRISES YOU FREQUENTLY, I'M AFRAID ON THE
DOWN SIDE. JOINING US NOW ON ALL OF THIS IS
DAVID K. JOHNSTON WHO HAS COVERED DONALD TRUMP FOR MORE
THAN THREE YEARS. ANALYST PHIL MUDD IS A SENIOR
FBI INTELLIGENCE OFFICER AND JENNIFER ROGERS, A FORMER
FEDERAL PROSECUTOR. JENNIFER, LET'S START WITH THE
DEPOSITION TODAY. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE
STATEMENT PUT OUT BY THE PRESIDENT, UNDER THE ADVICE OF
MY COUNSEL AND FOR ALL OF THE ABOVE REASONS, I'VE DECLINED TO
ANSWER THE QUESTIONS PRESENTED TO HIM TODAY.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF IT? >> WELL, THIS WAS THE MILLION
DOLLAR QUESTION, KATE, WHETHER HE WAS GOING TESTIFY OR NOT.
HIS SON ERIC DID TAKE THE FIFTH OVER 500 TIMES AND DON JUNIOR
DID TESTIFY AND IVANKA DID TESTIFY.
WHAT DON SENIOR WOULD TESTIFY AND TAKE THE FIFTH.
HIS STATEMENTS NOW WON'T BE IN THE RECORD.
THEY CAN'T BE USED IN A CRIMINAL CASE OR THE CIVIL CASE, BUT IT
ALSO COMES WITH CONSEQUENCES BECAUSE TISH JAMES IN HER CIVIL
CASE IF SHE FILES ONE CAN USE THE FACT THAT HE PLEADED THE
FIFTH AND HIS ANSWERS WOULD HAVE BEEN HARMFUL TO HIM.
THIS IS WHAT HE'S DONE. IT'S PROBABLY THE SAFER COURSE,
GIVEN THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS INTO HIM, BUT YOU
KNOW, YOU HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE BASICS AND SAY IF YOU DON'T HAVE
ANYTHING TO HIDE AND IF YOUR TESTIMONY WOULD HAVE BEEN TRUTH
F TRUTHFUL AND WOULD NOT HAVE HURT
YOU THERE WAS NO REASON TO TAKE THE FIFTH AND IT'S IN RESPECT TO
HIS BUSINESS PRACTICES THAT THERE WERE REASONS THAT HE DID
NOT WANT TO TESTIFY TRUTH LEVEL ABOUT THEM.
>> YOU ARE MENTIONING THE CRIMINAL CASE AND I'M WONDERING
WHAT THIS DEPOSITION COULD POTENTIALLY MEAN FOR THE
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION BY THE NEW YORK CITY DISTRICT ATTORNEY.
>> IT DOESN'T MEAN MUCH NOW BECAUSE HE HASN'T ACTUALLY
TESTIFIED. I KNOW THE D.A. ALVIN BRAGG HAS
BEEN WATCHING TISH JAMES' INVESTIGATION.
THEY'VE BEEN COORDINATING ON THEIR INVESTIGATIONS.
IF HE HAD TESTIFIED I BELIEVE THE PROSECUTORS IN BRAGG'S
OFFICE WOULD HAVE CAREFULLY COMBED OVER THAT TESTIMONY TO
SEE WHETHER ANY OF IT DEMONSTRATED EVIDENCE OF
CRIMINAL ACTIVITY THAT THEY COULD CHARGE, BUT NOW THAT HE
HAS REFUSED TO TESTIFY IT DOESN'T GIVE THEM ANYTHING
ADDITIONAL TO WORK WITH. >> DAVID, HOW MUCH IS AT STAKE
FOR DONALD TRUMP'S BUSINESS WITH ALL OF THIS?
>> WELL, UNDER NEW YORK STATE LAW, LETITIA JAMES COULD HAVE
THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION PUT OUT OF BUSINESS.
YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO YOUR LIFE, BUT A CORPORATION DOES NOT HAVE
A RIGHT TO ITS LIFE. THAT'S THE WORST SCENARIO
PROBABLY FOR DONALD TRUMP BEYOND, YOU KNOW, WHETHER
TESTIMONY HE MIGHT HAVE GIVEN COULD HAVE BEEN USED ASHGAINST M
AND OTHER PROSECUTORS. >> DOES IT SURPRISE YOU AT ALL
THAT HE'S NOT ANSWERING QUESTIONS.
>> DONALD HAS AN UTTER CONTEMPT FOR THE LAW.
HE BELIEVES HE'S SPECIAL. HE'S USED DELAY AND AVOIDANCE
TACTICS HIS ENTIRE CAREER. HE COULD HAVE SAID A LONG TIME
AGO, I'LL TAKE THE FIFTH AMENDMENT IF QUESTIONED ABOUT
ANYTHING, BUT HE'S TRIED TO DRAG THESE THINGS OUT HOPING TO
BENEFIT FROM THINGS LIKE STATUTES OF LIMITATIONS.
>> PHIL, TO THE OTHER INVESTIGATION, THE FBI SEARCH OF
TRUMP'S RESIDENCE, THE FBI SAYING CNN'S REPORTING THAT THE
REASON THEY WENT IN IS THAT THEY THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS -- THAT
THERE WAS A CONCERN THAT FROM DONALD TRUMP OR HIS TEAM THAT
THEY DID NOT RETURN ALL OF THE DOCUMENTS THAT HAD BEEN TAKEN
FROM THE WHITE HOUSE. YOU THINK THERE MUST BE MORE
HERE THAN A MISPLACED, CLASSIFIED DOCUMENT FOR THE FBI
TO GO IN, THOUGH. TELL ME WHY.
>> I SPENT 25 YEARS LOOKING AT CLASSIFIED --
>> HOLD ON, DAVID. GO AHEAD, PHIL.
>> I'M SORRY. I SPENT 25 YEARS LOOKING AT
TOP-SECRET STUFF FROM 7:00 A.M. TO 7:00 P.M.
TOP SECRET STUFF SOUNDS SEXY OUTSIDE WASHINGTON AND THOSE
DOCUMENTS ARE A DIME A DOZEN AROUND THE CITY AND I GUARANTEE
YOU THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WILL TAKE HOME A CLASSIFIED DOCUMENT
TO READ BECAUSE THEY DON'T GET TIME TO READ IT IN THE OFFICE.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S APPROPRIATE.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT IS LEGAL. I'M SAYING THAT IS COMMON.
OCCASIONAL ABUSE OF THOSE DOCUMENTS, I WOULD SAY LIKE IT
OR NOT, IS PROBABLY RELATIVELY COMMON.
YOU HAVE TO MENTION THAT WITH ANOTHER PIECE AND THAT IS TWO
VERY QUIET BUREAUCRATS, THAT IS THE FBI DIRECTOR AND ATTORNEY
GENERAL WHO ARE TRYING TO KEEP THEIR AGENCIES OUT OF THE
LIMELIGHT BY NOT SPEAKING, ALL OF A SUDDEN DECIDE TO AUTHORIZE
WITH THE FEDERAL JUDGE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT -- ONE OF THE MOST
SIGNIFICANT SEARCHS THE FBI HAS EVER DONE, TO FIND SOME
CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS? >> THOSE TWO PIECES, THE FACTS
THAT THESE DOCUMENTS WOULD BE COMMON AND ATTORNEY GENERAL AND
THE DIRECTOR CAME OUT OF THE SHADOWS, TELL ME SOMETHING ELSE
IS AFOOT AND IF THEY ARE SUPER SECRET.
I NEED TO KNOW WHAT THEY ARE AND I'M NOT SURE THAW CHASED
MAR-A-LAGO TO FIND THAT STUFF. >> WHAT DO YOU MAKES OF THE
PRESSURE TO COME OUT AND SPEAK PUBLICLY ABOUT WHAT THIS WAS ALL
ABOUT LIKE WHEN I WAS TALK PEREZ.
>> I WOULD BE SUPER CAUTIOUS. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF PROBLEMS
WITH COMING OUT TO SPEAK AND THAT IS THE SUBJECT OR TARGET
LIKE DONALD TRUMP. HE SORT OF LET THE CAT OUT OF
THE BAG. WHAT DO YOU SAY NOW?
I WOULD STILL BE CAUTIOUS IF I WERE THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
FIRST, HE'S A PRIVATE CITIZEN. KATE, LET'S MAKE YOU THE SUBJECT
OF AN INVESTIGATION. WHEN THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE,
IF THAT WERE TO HAPPEN -- I HOPE NOT, WOULD YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE
WITH THAT EVEN WITH THEM SAYING WHY YOU'RE UNDER INVESTIGATION
OR WHY YOUR HOUSE WERE SEARCHED PEOPLE WILL ASSUME YOU DID
SOMETHING WRONG AND YOU PUT THE PRIVATE CITIZEN UNDER A
LIMELIGHT AND THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE HAS TO BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT
DOING THAT. LET'S CLOSE WITH THE JAMES COMEY
EXAMPLE. AS SOON AS THE DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE SPEAKS, DID YOU CLOSE THE INVESTIGATION?
DID YOU CLOSE THE INVESTIGATION? WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO CLOSE IT?
AS SOON AS YOU OPEN THAT DOOR YOU HAVE TO KEEP SPEAKING
BECAUSE YOU'VE TOLD PEOPLE WE'LL UPDATE YOU ON AN INVESTIGATION.