progress. >> i've are still alvarez at the white house. and this is cnn 9:00 p.m. here in new york, the eighth day of the trump hush money trial. here are busy and productive one now in the books in this hour verse krystal prime continuing coverage, more details from the trial transcripts we just received the former president is latest word on whether he'll testify and what's ahead. while trial resumes next week, kaitlan collins starts off the hour with an exclusive interview. caitlyn yeah. anderson, i'm joined here tonight by william barr, who served as the former president's attorney general, and who told him that his 2020 allegations of election fraud were not true. >> but as now said, he will support the republican ticket. therefore, donald trump, again, mr. attorney general it's great

to have you. i want to talk to you about how you're going to vote in 2024 in a moment, but putting the merits aside, i like how you're laughing about that. putting american i'd say no, you don't agree with the merits of the new york hush money case, but you worked for donald trump. you got to know him. what do you think it's like for him to be in court, being treated like any other criminal defendant, and having to be there for days a week i think it's real tough on them. i think a lot of the country's sympathizers with them. so i think the longer the trial goes on, the more supportive gets well, i mean, he has claimed multiple times that this case is being brought essentially by president biden. i mean, you know how this works and how the breakdown in this works. presidents don't have any role in what a local district attorney, what case they bring normally true. >> and i don't i'm not suggesting biden is involved, but i think what they're saying is that this former federal official who's gone up to try the case that this somehow shows a link. i don't know

whether it do you i mean, you worked you were i attorney general prosecutors leave and go work at other places all the time? let's right. >> i think the impetus for this came from the new york prosecutors. >> i think that they're behind and not president biden. i don't know. i don't know. but yeah. but you have no basis to believe that the president would be in charge of an investigation. that's being brought by the manhattan district. i don't know no, i don't think he's in charge of minus two geisha, but politics, this is a political case. >> your predecessor was brought up at the trial. jeff sessions because david pecker, this national enquirer tabloid king, he got concerned at one point when he got a letter from the fec he and he called michael cohen, then trump's personal attorney to voice concern about that. michael cohen told him not to worry because jeff sessions is the attorney general and donald trump has him in his pocket did trump expect his ag to go easy on his friends i don't know. >> i don't know what he expected. what was your experience? my experience was

why the time i came in, he did not he did not push me to do one thing or another on these criminal cases. now we tweeted and made his public views on things known. but they never talked to me about them directly. so he did not have you in his pocket? >> he would argue it's not a question of arguing. >> i did what i thought was right. >> and you never felt any direct pressure from him on what investigations the doj you did not directly pressure maybe as i say, he was there are tweeting and doing things that were embarrassing and made it hard for me to run the department that sounds like pressure wasn't pressure. >> it was just i mean, for example, i had decided that we were going to not agree to a sentence on stone that was three times longer than normal, and i'd already decided that and then he was tweeting about stone. >> so just made it harder to make the decision because it looked like you were acting on roger stone's sentence. >> would they were just talking

about is this gag order and the alleged violations from the prosecutors here, they say it's about 14. >> it's pretty clear if you read the gag order and then you look at what trump has been saying and posting about witnesses and even commenting on the jury here what does, a judge due to deter him didn't defines work. i mean, what what do you believe that judges options are here well, i personally think it is the gag order could be two broad here and and but i think trump's and i've said this before. >> i think trump basically has the kind of personality that he's always testing the limit. he's always going further and further. and he's usually up against the lines. so that's what gets him in trouble, and that's what creates all these cases like we're seeing now in the supreme court, very fundamental cases about are constitution generally because of excess but do you think there's anything to his testing that. i mean, how does a judge stop that you mentioned

the supreme court and those are very important oral arguments that happened yesterday. it was really fascinating to listen to them. but at one point, his attorneys did concede that some of what jack smith has alleged and his indictment or private x, and they did concede private acts can be prosecuted and your view, does that mean that this case can move forward, at least in part? no, i don't think the case can move forward. >> in part. i think that if smith thinks he can try the case entirely and establish criminal liability just on the basis of private acts he could but if he if he requires some official acts, then he has a problem. i think the problem here is that the government smith saw at a very, you know, he, he had this broad position and that there was no immunity for official acts and that's the basis on which it has gone up to the supreme court and both sides are arguing this of

abstract general well idea. there's no immunity. and then trump's people make it seem like there's immunity for everything. even things that are not official acts, like just if you use the military to do something somehow your immune because the instrumentality you use is federal stage a coup it's ridiculous because the question is, is this something you're authorized to do and have the duty to do and execute the law. and so forth. the answer obviously is not the president does not have the authority to wage a coup against the constitution of the united states. he doesn't have authority to kill enemies to kill rivals, and so forth. those are obviously acts that are not authorized, are not required for him to do his job. >> so why are they why do you think they're arguing this? because there doubling down. it was first the seal team six can assassinate a political rival yesterday it was using the military to stage a coup. they said it would depend on the circumstances, whether it counted as an official act but

i don't know why they've taken those positions. >> i think the issue is whether or not the president is carrying out one of his duties and two and on the other hand, the extreme position taken by the government seems to be be that you can be doing an official thing like firing the fbi director or something like that. something clearly within your discretion. and yet you can be prosecuted for a crime depending on a prosecutor saying, well, you did it for and they legitimate purpose. and that would just open pandora's box. so well, i didn't hear the i didn't hear the attorney for the federal government arguing that, but what i did here, trump's attorneys arguing, and this is something that the you'll know well about. >> it's trump's effort to install jeffrey clark is the acting attorney general of the united states. and the point for why he wanted to do that was not just picking who he thought should be running the justice department after you left, it was jeffrey clark was going to use the power of the federal government to pressure georgia lawmakers to overturn their legitimate results. i mean, is that an official act

of the president of the united states? >> well, that's going to be in that gray zone they're going to have to sort out and that's why i feel it's going to have to go back to the district court was this was this the president's seeing that the laws were faithfully executed? or was this a candidate trying to bully and press a state into changing its vote when he knew that the vote had been against them. >> well, you write asked to be sorted out. you were there. which one do you believe it is? >> i'm not going to you know, i'd have to see you all the evidence and see the case litigated you're won a few people. i mean, you were there upfront and close and personal, was he bullying people and trying to get get them to carry out his will, his personal will to stay in office or was he carrying out election integrity and making sure that the united states has fair election. i wasn't happy with the way you behave. after the election, but whether it was a crime, is it issue, and that requires the government to have articulate the basis of the crime and prove it beyond a reasonable doubt. some of these acts are

great ray acts. some of these it's difficult to say whether he was acting as a candidate or as the top law enforcement officer. >> but which ones do you think are great because we you and i spoke right when this indictment came out and you i thought it was a pretty good indictment, a pretty solid indictment was i believed the word i said was not it was not an abuse that they had a coherent theory. >> i said i didn't feel it was pilling, but it was coherent. i think the things that were i think are we're private where the recruitment of the alternative slates and things like that that were to make clearly as a candidate but what you get into the gray zone is where he has an argument that, hey, i'm the president. i think this election was stolen. i am trying to see if the laws are faithfully executed. and there has to be some precision as to what exact where exactly he crossed the line so when his attorney, who was seated right here last night was arguing

that the fake slates of electors do constitute an official act. >> you disagree with that? >> i don't think they do i think he was doing that as a candidate. i don't see why it's part of the president's official duties there crude alternative slates to support him as a candidate. that seems to me to be a not an official act. >> when you see his attorneys kind of brazenly arguing about a military coup could be an official act that ordering seal team six to assassinate a political rival could be an official act did those arguments undermine? the integrity of the justice system under my the case because they were stupid examples in my opinion. >> so for example, when president obama sent a drone strike overseas and killed an american who was apparently in a terrorist complex that was legitimate, that was the president using is national security powers that was within

the scope of his responsibilities. but that doesn't mean a president gets to shoot drones at domestic enemies to eliminate them and because they're military equipment, they become an official act president doesn't have the power to go around killing americans at will i hear from a lot of republicans who defend trump saying, well that's a hypothetical, and that's it's ridiculous. >> but alyssa farah griffin, who was trump's communications director, posted yesterday and said that you were present at a moment when trump suggested executing the person who leaked information that he went to the white house bunker when those george floyd protests were happening outside the white house do you remember that? >> i remember and being very mad about that, i actually don't remember him saying executing, but i wouldn't dispute it i mean, it doesn't sound the president would lose his temper, say things like that. i doubt it would have actually carried it out. i don't know. >> but he would say that on other occasions, you said he was the president had i think

people sometimes took them to literally and he would say things like similar to that in occasions to blow off steam but i wouldn't take them literally every time he did it why not? because at the end of the de wouldn't be carried out and you could talk sense just because it's not carried out and you could talk since into him doesn't that still mean that the threat is there? >> no. i mean, i think i don't think the threat is there. i can i i the thing that i worry about, president trump is not that he's going to become an autocrat and do those kinds of things why not? >> because i don't think he would the end of the day. what's the basis for that? >> that that understanding that you have what isn't just your own hunch. that's my feeling having worked for seeing him in action, i don't think he would actually go and kill political rivals and things like that. >> if the january 6 case, the election interference case, doesn't move forward before

the election. is that a mistake in your view? >> if it doesn't move forward? >> now, i mean, i've said earlier on, i would have liked to see that tried before the election, but i think it's gotten to lay but you were talking about jack smith, what he charged, isn't some part that the responsibility of the supreme court part that they could have heard these arguments back in december. they chose not to they could rule sooner. they may not rule until june. i mean, they have a role in this as well no, i think it was it was teed up for them and they acted very quickly to actually take the case quickly. >> and i think it hasn't been well prepared. i think that the circuit court didn't do its job. it should have sent it back for a fuller record and i think the supreme court is doing the best they can under the surface from stances, attorney general, bill barr, i have a few more questions for you, so please stick around. we're going to take a quick commercial break and we'll be back in just a moment with a lot more, including what your former boss has been saying about you right after a quick break hey, they're brenda.

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i wonder what i will be doing? probably still living here with mom and dad. fast reliable speeds right where you need them. that's wall-to-wall wifi with xfinity. preferred better science, better results. the white house correspondents dinner, live tomorrow at seven eastern on cnn we're back, now talking with former trump attorney general, bill barr and great to have you here last time you and i spoke, we had drawn to show, you told me that you would jump

off the bridge when it came to it on who you were going to support in the 2024 election? >> it appears so you have jumped off that bridge because you said recently you are, going to vote for the republican ticket come november, which means you're gonna vote for donald trump. >> i said that's what i plan to do at this stage. >> you're saying you could change your mind, maybe i'm not going to vote for biden and this is a wild time. >> who knows what? what's going to happen seven months, but i expect as between trump and biden, there's no question in my mind. >> so you're kind of suggesting that maybe donald trump may not be the republican nominee, which were biden may not be there through democrat or for another democrat if a different democrat was on the ticket, it's hard to imagine that this party that is progressive democratic party would nominate someone i would support yeah, i know you disagree with them, but i had to ask you, it's something that trump posted about you this week because he responded in response to you saying you vote for the republican ticket. wow, former ag bill barr who led a lot of great people down by not investigating voter fraud. and our country his just endorsed me for president, despite the fact that i call

him, called him week slow moving, lethargic, got less and lazy based on the fact that i greatly appreciate his wholehearted endorsement i am removing the word lethargic from my statement. thank you. >> bill. >> yeah classic trump what's the question what's your response my. respect. well, i mean, obviously, what i said was that i was very disappointed that this country is stuck with this choice between two people. i don't think either of them should be president of the united states. but given that binary choice, i feel i have to choose trump. >> but he's mocking you so it's not about me. i think that i've said this all along. if faced with a choice between two people there, which i think should be president, i feel it's my duty to pick the person who i think would do the least damage to the country.

and i think trump would do less damage than biden. and i think get all this stuff about a threat to democracy. i think the real threat to democracy is the progressive movement and the biden administration the biden administration, or president biden himself? biden's biden's support for the progressive agenda i think a lot of people hear that and the case that we just talked about that went before the supreme court, essentially so how can you see that and say that biden is a greater threat to democracy? well, whose square? where are we losing our freedoms? we have our freedoms being constrained in constrained by the press progressive government, and democracy especially from the anglosphere democracies, the five eyes and silver, the threats never been for autocratic government on the right. but how specifically is fine and threatening democracy the threat to freedom and democracy has always been on the left. >> that's the collectivist

socialist agenda. and that is where we're losing our freedom. parents are losing the freedom to control their children's education and people can't speak their mind without losing their jobs things like that. this is worse than the mccarthy era. where that coming from? it's coming from the right. >> those two things that you just noted there you believe are worse than a president of the united states trying to subvert the will of the people by hey overturning the results don't know. >> i think i think a country all the things together like we're not enforcing our borders, so we have open borders. we have lawlessness in our cities we have regulations coming fast and furious. so telling people were kinda stoves they can use and what kinds of cars they have to drive and eliminating cars and and so forth yeah, those are those are the threats to democracy. >> but president biden is not

in control of what some school boards across the country using the administration's argument. but these majors at the same major changes are being made in our country without, without the democratic process and they're being made by bureaucrats in these agencies okay pause. >> you can not argue that republicans across the country, and i'm doing that as well. my own hometown, there's a huge fight at the library over which books kids can read. this is not something that is do you think there are don't you think there should be some limits on what people are able to read it at very young ages. >> i just think people look at what you're saying and they don't maybe, maybe even republicans to have concerns about what's happening with school boards or the culture and don't make abortion even don't equate that with with january 6 and trump's efforts, when you told him the election was not stolen and he's still went out there and said it was stolen and let a lot of people to believe that they don't those things aren't equal. it feels like a false equivalency. >> well, i disagree. i think

and i think the country is much more susceptible to losing freedoms by the excesses of the left and they have been steadily and that, that's clear people lose their jobs kids can't speak out in the classroom. they have to go along with what the professor says in order to get good grades. and so forth. it's unlike nation being directed by progressive elite women's. >> they're also trying to limit what can be said the classroom, but i do want to ask you because you're a lifelong republican. i don't think it's a surprise that you don't like those democratic, those issues that a lot of republicans blame on democrats. i think there's a question of how they're the same, but i'd want you to listen to what another lifelong republican, liz cheney said about your decision to vote for them republican ticket in november given what bill barr has said publicly about trump's lack of fitness for office. >> i think that his assertion now that he's actually going to port trump bra office is

indefensible and then was frankly frankly, disappointing to see she says it's indefensible that's her view that's your view. >> the fact of the matter is as i said all along, i agreed with trump's policies and despite the media the left-wing media is effort that portrayed as a lawless administration. it wasn't the his policies were sound and they we had victories in courts and we defended them. i think that biden is on fed for office. >> so you're basically saying that you are voting because you want the republican policies. >> well, that's certainly part of it. well, i'm glad, but i also don't hold on. i'm glad you said that because because you told her aldo rivera last year, you may want his policies, but trump will not deliver trump policies. he will deliver chaos. >> and if anything lead to a backlash. >> so we'll set his policies much further back than they would otherwise be your even acknowledging he can't accomplish those? no publican policies what i was saying was,

if you want trump's policies, if you're maga and want to make america great again, the other candidates will be successful at that much more than he will. >> but the reasons i stated that's going to be donald trump, that's right. >> i'm certainly not going to get anywhere near what i'd like under biden biden is not a great moral exemplar. >> okay and is he following the laws here? >> he is giving away another round of for forgiving student loans after he lost it in the supreme court and he thinks get away any things you can get away with it by getting it out the door before the election. >> but this is not enforcing the law and the borders, but those are policy differences that you disagree with. trump. i remember also when border numbers were at an all-time high hi in the spring of 2019. so the idea that border chaos only happens under this administration is an accurate, but i think people had it under control because we had a program approved by the supreme court will remain in mexico that was fully lawful and had struck down the border and he

came in and lifted weight. >> how can you equate the border is a real issue. i've been to the border. no one's didn't knowing that. >> but is that the same thing? is what you said recently, which was that the conduct that was involved with donald trump, you said trying to subvert and prevent the progress, the execution of probably the most important process we have, which is the peaceful transfer of power after an election name one thing that biden has done that's worse than that i think it's hollow administration is a disaster for the company is worse than subverting the peaceful transfer of power. who did he succeed only because vice president mike pence done the way and now the people who were lining up, she again say that they will not do what my pence did it look, i was very loud and saying i thought it was a whole the whole episode was shameful. >> and i'm very troubled by and that's why it's not an easy decision. but i think when you have a hobson's choice, you have to pick the lesser of two evils. >> you don't see this is the definition i'm putting party over country no no, not because

unfortunately, we're having this we're in a situation where the policy differences between the two parties are very, very vast. >> there's a huge golf and so in that trump can achieve the policies i think he's gonna have a much harder time achieving them. >> but you're voting for so just to be clear, you're voting for someone who you believe tried to subvert the peaceful transfer of power that can't even achieve his own policies that lie about the election even after his attorney general told hold him that the election wasn't stolen. and as the former chief law enforcement in this country, you're going to vote for someone who is facing 88 criminal counts the ada criminal counts, a lot of those are sent are ten of them are accurate answer the question is yes. >> i'm supporting supporting the republican ticket. >> can you say that donald trump because you're not saying his name, you just say you're supporting the republican ticket. >> i've said i as between biden and trump, i will vote for trump because i believe he

will do less damage over the four years. i believe are i believe we're facing the most dangerous situation we've ever faced in the world. a lot of it invited by biden's weakness and to have biden out there for the next four years, given all the threats we face, including handing the keys to the nuclear weapon and to iran with a vice president like kamala harris, endangers the country. that alone should be reason to vote for the republican ticket. but there are host of other reasons our country is unraveling and many ways, the rule of law is unraveling so you want to put someone back in the position with a men's power who you believe disrespect people. >> a blob. well, i think he will enforce the law we'll have greater safety in our cities. >> mr. attorney general, i think a lot of people will have some stark views on that comment. well, if he is reelected, we'll bring you back, mr. attorney general. thank you so much for being here, anderson, back to you in new york caitlin. >> thank you. all. get everyone's taken. what we just heard in joining us as

legendary reporter bestselling author carl bernstein as well. carl i'm looking for the right yiddish word to try and character. i start with we've just what we've just heard. >> i think even by washington standards in the age of trump we've just seen bill barr engaging in a kind of craven hypocrisy that is emblematic of him despite his quiet tones and of a huge, huge problem which is republican leaders who understand the horror, danger of donald trump and refuse been there to witness it. listen to what he said. he saw the sedition that he called out barr did look at him calling trump before a brazen criminal and to get up and say, that donald trump should be the next president of the united states. it's astonishing it's it's a

kind of hypocrisy attorney general dedicated to the rule of law. and then he talks about how trump has no dedication to the rule of law i say, first of all, it's a great interview is so revealing and that's not stated. bar doesn't that doesn't score some points in it. what it is a defining document of where we are and that kind of blind loyalty to a seditious president as liz cheney pointed out. and really, how much of it is about wanting to i mean, i don't know what his motivators, but how much is about wanting to still be relevant in republican circles to go and lecture circuits to. >> i can be in bill bars head intellectually. >> he's an extraordinary person to listen to but is this

a case of you'll never work in this town again if you if you don't come out and support donald trump for president, it is a breakdown of a kind of moral and he is a real moralist. if you look at bill barr speech at notre-dame in february 4 years ago, it's an extraordinary document. karen, what do you think? >> i mean, it was just astonishing that he would say that the democrats took away more war riots. he kind of forgot about women and the fact that it's the republicans supreme court that took away a woman's right to choose and the freedoms that are being taken away from people. and he blames he blames crime on. he says, there's lawlessness. that's a local issue that has nothing to do with the president of the united states as do with local police. >> fbi numbers actually show crime. >> crime is exactly and in the cities, crimes going way down then manhattan. murder is down

28% and, and shootings are down 38% just from last year. and to date, year-to-date. so in addition to the fact that crime is down across the board it is not something that you normally think the president has anything to do with. i think caitlin is right about the border and other issues, but i think that it struck me as sort of sad because he he really changed his tune from where he was before and he's really not thinking about things that really mattered to him before, like law and order, like the crimes that donald trump is accused of committing that he witnessed himself, that he talked about himself, and he came up and talked about himself. and now that he's changing his tune if i can pick up on that. >> the one thing bill barr knows best is law enforcement. he's one of two men ever to be attorney general of the united states twice. >> it is wildly irresponsible

for bill barr to stoke this really conspiracy theory that the manhattan da's charge in this case, i look, i've raised questions about the wisdom of bringing it, but to stoke this conspiracy theory that, that charge is somehow a biden prosecution, he should have said he knows better. >> he should have said, of course not it's ridiculous. the manhattan de, has no connection to anything in the federal government is independently elected what the former attorney general tried to do is cite this one person on the team, matthew colangelo's, who was at doj and went over to the da's office? that is true that that happened, but that is all there is to this to make that into somebody acting at joe biden's behest feeds into straight up conspiracy. >> want to bring in kaitlyn? kaitlyn, you pointed out in the interview that plenty of people go from department of justice to two other places yeah. >> and of course, no one knows that better than the former attorney general who's worked at the justice department? multiple times and is very well-versed and how that works

so loosely interviewed bargaining what's your takeaway from this year, which by the way was incredible interview it's remarkable just in the sense of one, this is somewhat and who saw up-close and personal what those several weeks in-between the 2020 election and january 6 were like, obviously bill barr left his job in december but a lot of it had to do with what trump was saying about the election. >> and i'll never forget when bill barr came out and said there was no widespread election fraud and trump lost his mind when he saw that interview from and the oval office. and to hear it, here we are four years later hearing bill barr saying that he will vote for donald trump and he actually said that his name, not just the republican ticket tonight, is remarkable. and one thing i think the question for me is, is it a permission structure for other republicans who maybe are torn on how to vote are independent voters who say, you i don't, i'm not sure how i should vote on this. i wasn't comfortable with but trump did and then see even his own attorney general, who has

been no short of a critic of him, come out and say this. and i think really one of the most remarkable, remarkable moments because trump mocked bill barr for saying that he was going to vote for him. he posted that his whole team was kind of like laughing about it and saying that it was it's funny until here, bill barr say that he was unbothered by that and that he truly thinks that the biden policies are he can equate them with what happened in that period to try to overturn the legitimate election results. and he said, well, he didn't succeed deed but anderson everyone who was lining up to be donald trump's vice president at this time around at least the ones that i've spoken to have said, what mike pence did that day was wrong and they would not do it. mike pence did. so it's not a given that what happened on january 6, 2020, what happened again to me, that was one of the most extraordinary moments that doubt him downplaying efforts over the election by saying to you, did he succeed as though that makes it all right. >> i mean, hadn't mike pence not done the right thing? i

mean, it's it's extraordinary. >> it's the same thing with the execution part that was a part that i couldn't stop because we had i had a lot more questions to ask him, but alyssa farah griffin said that bill barr and other top cabinet officials were present when donald trump onetime suggested executing the leaker of whoever said that he went to the bunker when the washington post cnn reported he went to the bunker of the white house because they are worried about the protest and bill barr said he remembered him being irate. he didn't remember that specific call for executing him, but he said that it happened to others there are times where trump was was really angry, but it would die down and no one took it seriously simply because it didn't happen. i mean, it's just remarkable to hear a top cabinet aid confirm that. yes. the president of the united states at that time, did say things like that, right? >> talks about it more than once executing and you could almost see during the interview him sort of realizing, well clearly you're going to pursue this about like, well, what other cases are there and he clearly sort of started to kind

of step back from that, but it seemed like it happened more than once. >> i mean, it just speaks to what was happening inside the white house and what that looked like and what became the norm and then and it's it's remarkable, speaks for itself. >> one thing there's a long list of courageous republicans going back to, it, stopping joe mccarthy going back to barry goldwater going to the white house and saying to richard nixon we are going to vote to convict you in a senate trial. if you don't resign, where has bill barr been to reform this party since he left office on december 20 at the end of the of the trump preska just an extraordinary interview. >> thank you so much carl is not going anywhere. we're going to get everybody's thoughts and the strength of the di as case against trump so far as they close out the first week of testimony i love your dress.

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imprint.com certain cnn saturday morning starting tomorrow at eight on cnn it seems even more likely to down. trump will not be taking the stand in its own defense just last week, he insisted he would testify in his new york criminal trial we. use the word

would not, well, but in a new interview with newsmax, he was notably non-committal are you more or less likely you think to take the stand in the manhattan case right now. >> i know well if it's necessary legal well, scholars and experts say what kind of a cases is there is no case and pillaged for prize-winning journalist carl bernstein is with us as well along with my panel there is no scenario or do you believe there's a scenario under which he would actually take the stand with given the allegations and no, not a chance. one of the things about this trial though, is these supposed justice department people who, who put the prosecutor here up to this. i do not know a single person in biden white house who doesn't think and hate that this case was brought and thinks there was a great mistake to do so, and that there are these three other cases that have an incredible

gravity that go to the heart of trump's seditious conduct and they would much rather this case i've never been been brought. i don't know anybody that thinks that they will pay like the idea of this case. so interesting said, it doesn't that just sink the conspiracy right there. because if joe biden was so eager to get donald trump had and it cost me. jack smith has brought two ways stronger charges. so why would he be bothering with this? different mole and then anya mental write consequence to the future of democracy. and where this country goes, how karen how soon do you think michael cohen would be called to testify? i can see you probably don't want to have him be the last witness. do you know? no, no, no, no, no. >> i think you're going to see some people like you saw this week putting documents in and things that you don't really know what the significance is of that is yet like, what was the significance? guns have a certain calendar entry that they put in today for rhona

graff. i know there was they said that donald trump had lessons on how to use a teleprompter what was that about? i mean, but for some reason that was put in there's little things like that that will be put into evidence, dates and phone numbers and bank records that i think are a setup for other witnesses, perhaps someone like michael cohen who will then be able to talk about what those, what those mean. but i just wanted to say to mr. bernstein, i'm one of the people who think it's that it was a good idea to bring this case and that it is an important case because what is coming out in the evidence especially through david pecker in my view, just from seeing what's coming out is this was really about trying to influence an election. just like the other cases more cases fit together. >> that's yeah, they fit together and wanting election, undermining the election only.

>> this is the one he actually succeeded. i'm reminded that he one this election in 2016 in three swing states by 80,000 votes. >> and you think storm that the fact that a multibillionaire named donald trump, who everyone knows about all the women he's been within marla maples and this and that if he came out he fooled around with stormy daniels, that would exchange the election. he thought so he's just protecting not that it was going to swing the election. >> and this is 25th teen. he didn't even think it was going to be present in united states. trust me, i knew people around them. >> nobody was spoke to rudy giuliani the day after, but nobody was surprised. >> he wanted to let you money for donald trump. >> but this gets, but there's going to be testimony what he spent what, a hundreds half-a-million dollars. that's like, you know, you give me. well, there's going to testimony about the access hollywood tape and the impact the bombshell impact that had on the campaigns how that actually changed the desire to

silence story. >> dan and i think what what what i think what the prosecution is going to try to do. and i think today i think you're right. everybody knows now and everyone's desensitized to it. but back in 2015 and 2016, i other than the people around him, i think the general public didn't know and i think this was i think that this type of the access hollywood tape was very devastating. and i don't think they wanted look a right-wing conservatives as part of his base. i don't think they wanted it out there that he was cheating on melania with karen mcdougal and then shooting on karen mcdougal and stormy daniels and suit was untested at that point would the evangelicals actually embrace him as they did? and you can make an argument. there were some who thought, well, of course, once people know the full sorted details of his life, they're not going to, of course, little did we know actually, of course, they actually would embrace him and just ignore it despite all the

stuff they have said. but back in 20 he was an untested candidate. exactly. what did he against your argument, would fights against your argument is it's donald trump. we now know and michael cohen, who held this meeting, who called david pecker in for this meeting. it wasn't david pecker coming as previously thought i'm not saying they don't if they didn't desire gets. >> me know because of course is obvious defenses. i've been buying stories and controlling my media for my whole life. that's my brand the difference here is he was running for office and yes, celebrities have gone to the national enquirer. they've bought and suppress bad stories and that's not a crime if you have the money to buy silence by the difference in this case and why it was brought, which goes to the heart of what we've been talking about is donald trump is no longer just a celebrity at the time this was happening. he was a liberty running for office. and i think his attorney, todd blanche is lead counsel, made a mistake in the

opening argument because he made a statement to the jury. i think it's going to come back to bite him later on. he said there's nothing wrong with influencing an election. it's called democracy. and i think the manhattan da's office would begged to differ because when you are influencing an election, a lawfully under new york state law, that's called an illegality and that's what this case is really about what i was agreeing with, what carl said in terms of the power of the case or the ramifications of his actions. >> in other words, trying to stop the presidential election in january 6 it's like a ten on a scale from one to ten pay it off. a prostitute basically, for not talking her mouth, shubi mouth of about an affair. it's like a two-and-a-half, so to cause point, they're saying the white house isn't happening that this is the case that went first. it's because people like laughing about it compared to, let's stop the peaceful transfer of power. >> but at what it's all about

in every instance is undermining a free and fair elections i want to thank everybody. we're going to leave the story for a few moments for breaking news out of the midwest video, one of the least of at least 60 tornadoes, a touchdown in at least five states today, more on the damage and the forecast next can sugar ray leonard do everyday tasks wearing boxing gloves hi bird. >> and now putting on his new arch bit sketcher slip-ups. you just step in and go with comfort that will knock you out to try new arch fit hands, freeze, get your slipping don't play the must-see movie of the spray let me come talk you in this, this movie challengers. >> we did are now playing only beaters ere.

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least for a while this was at 1:50 to almost 200 miles per hour as it went from that lincoln picture that you see there too? well but was almost west of omaha into the omaha suburb of elkhorn. and so solidly e of three ef for damage and you what the pictures tell a story there was so much damage here but 67 tornadoes. so 66 other than that one right there, it's incredible. >> were there warnings oh, absolutely. >> there are warnings because you can see it. look, this is called we call this a lp low precipitation tornado, which means it's visible there are probably thousands of videos of this tornado online, which means the weather service saw it too. it wasn't hidden in some cloud or some brain wrap tornado that you don't even know that's there. this is the reason that we had the warnings that were so well done. even the police chief of omaha said

the warnings that were put out by the weather service today saved lives. we had warnings in time. they knew it was coming. they got into their shelters the safest place in their houses, and without a doubt, the weather service is saved many lives when you look at that and where's the severe weather heading next yeah, that's a good question because it's heading to the same spot. >> this is going to regenerate tomorrow to be in the same areas that we have right now. even des moines right now, i need you to really pay attention to this. there are still tornado warnings for you. some of these storms are still rotating in the dark at night. storms do lose their power. so that's happening, but not enough power to take away the tornadoes for now, another hour, hour-and-a-half? yes, this will be done. but look at where the tornadoes look at where the storms are again tomorrow from oklahoma city to the texas back into the same places that got hit today exactly what first responders don't need. obviously, what people trying to pick up their lives and put the pieces back together so far, anderson,

there have been zero reports of fatalities, which to me is amazing. yeah. i mean, those images are extraordinary chad myers, thanks so much. the news continues here on cnn this tiny home trend not for me. >> now, this is more like the same goes for my foot worth why one hands-free with white fits getchar slipping just step in to go without bending down or touching my shoes wide fit, hands-free skechers slip ends after advil, let's dive in. >> what about your back before advil advil dual axon fights paying two ways. advil targets pain at the source, seen a minute and blocks pain six. advil dual i'm a guy lost the bet. my dignity of watching my team lose wasn't punishment enough what do you look at at. home what do you it's a one screen i do have cut red car,

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