>> on sunday 9:00 p.m. eastern on "after words" national review executive editor -- excessive discusses his book melting pot or civil war. he makes the case of open borders. he's interviewed by the former commissioner of naturalization service. >> when you think about the next several decades partly because of falling birth rates among nativeborn americans immigration really is a big driver and a composition that immigration is not just a discreet matter of immigration policy but because of human capital policy and the character of our schools and future workforce and much else. it is a very important issue touching on many different sectors. >> watch this weekend on c-span2 book to be. >> earlier today before departing for the g20 summit in argentina present him spoke with reporters at the white house to talk about his former attorney michael cohen relations with china and propose meeting with

russian president vladimir putin where [inaudible] >> he put out a statement talking about a project which was essentially, i guess, more or less an option that we were looking at it in moscow and everyone knew about it. it was written in his papers and one on project. it was during the early part of dickstein and even before that, it lasted a short period of time and i did not do the project. i decided not to do the project. we're not talking about doing a project but doing not a project. michael cohen. [inaudible converstations] he's doing, convicted, i guess, yet you put it into legal terms but he was convicted with a fairly long-term sentence on things totally unrelated to the trump organization. it had to do with mortgages and

cheating the irs perhaps a lot of different things. i don't know exactly but he was convicted of various things unrelated to us. he was even a fairly long sentence and a weak person and by being weak unlike other people that you watch he's a weak person and what he is trying to do is get a reduced sentence. he's lying about a project that everybody knew about. we were open with it and thinking about building a building and i guess it was an option and i don't know what you would call it but we decided ultimately not to do it and there would've been nothing wrong if i did do it. if i did do it there would be nothing wrong. >> [inaudible] >> he's lying to get a reduced sentence. >> i don't know when i decided but during a period of time i was never very enthused by the summer during a period when i

was running for president. my focus was running for president. when i went for president that is i mean i'm not allowed to do business. i was doing a lot of different things when i was running. after i won, obviously, i don't do business. but more importantly -- i ran a business and in fact i was the only person that can paint simultaneously ran a business. that was a project i did not do. it was a project and number one is that i was focused and running for president wanted that to be my primary focus, not running or building a building. >> [inaudible] >> this was a deal that did not happen. no deal. this was an option and i guess i don't know what i want to be

specific so to my way of thinking there was an option it was an option i decided not to do. we do not have excuse me -- excuse me, this was an option in a forum but here very simple we had a position to possibly do a deal to build a building of some kind in moscow. i decided not to do it. the primary reason that could have been other reasons but the primary reason was simple. i was focused on running for president. there would be nothing wrong if i did do it. i was running my business while i was campaigning and there's a good chance i would not have one in which i would have gone back into the business and why should i lose opportunity? so, here is the story. and look at the papers that michael cohen wrote before he

testified in the house and or senate. they talk about his position and what he's trying to do because he's a weak person, not a very smart person. [inaudible converstations] he's trying to do is it is very simple -- he got himself a big prison sentence and trying to get a much lesser prison sentence by making up a story. here's the thing. even if he was right it does not matter because i was allowed to do whatever i wanted to do. i was running my business a lot of different things during the campaign so very simply michael cohen is trying to get a reduced sentence for things that have nothing to do with me. let me go a step further. i think it was january it was just reported by catherine harris, terrific reporter on fox. she talks about a letter he signed and i don't even remember it and it specifically talks

about this deal. it was a public deal and everyone knows about this deal. i was not trying to hide anything. okay. i cannot understand -- >> [inaudible] >> we will talk about it but we have a lot of things. >> what is your sense about a trade deal with china and what you expect with president xi? >> i think were close to doing some they would sign up but i don't know if i want to do it because what we have right now is billions and billions of dollars coming into the united states in the form of tariffs and taxes. i don't really know but i will tell you i think china is open to make a deal and i am but frankly, i like video we have

right now. >> i will probably meet with president putin. we're not determined that meeting and i was thinking about it but we'd like to have it. it's a good time to have the meeting and i'm getting a full report as to what happened with respect to the plane that will determine. >> [inaudible] >> i have a couple reports and were getting a finalize report. we are getting a finalize report now have it on the plane sometime soon. >> [inaudible] why are you meeting with the crown prince? >> i would have met with them but we did not set that one up and i have a meeting with president sheet which is a president -- important meeting having to do a trade and i'm

making about three or four meetings with just enough time. >> [inaudible] >> i will bring it up. yes. >> [inaudible] >> i don't hear you. there's a helicopter. >> [inaudible] >> the question was asked about the apartment with respect to paul manafort who is very sad what has happened to paul, the way he's been tweeted. i've never seen anyone tweeted so poorly. question was asked by the new york post and i said i have not offered any pardons and i think they asked for whatever with you and i said i'm not taking anything off the table. that was done is a question from the new york post. >> [inaudible] >> if cohen is such a bum why

did you hire him, have them on your payroll for 12 years and have them do so much of your dirty work -- >> because a long time ago he did me a favor. a long time ago he did me a favor. >> [inaudible] >> not at all. i'm not worried at all about him. take a look at his written document, go back, take a look at what he wrote and i think in january he is a written statement and that is the fax. yeah. >> [inaudible] >> you can't with the helicopter. >> [inaudible]

>> we are in negotiation and we don't get border security possible shutdown. >> [inaudible] [background noises] >> president speaking before he left for argentina. senate family back in now. they took a short recess. my coverage here on. >> president speaking before he left for argentina. senate family back in now. they took a short recess. my coverage here on