Transcript for Trump strikes back, postpones Speaker Pelosi's overseas trip due to shutdown

Everybody welcome to the briefing provided he sees that and wire Washington great to have you with us on this Thursday drummer just official ahead of our. Pennsylvania Avenue unit Jordan Phelps or White House reporter. A lot to unpack today developments on the shot down fright day 27 now. It's sort of stealing guys like a little bit of a petty tit for tat. Shut down and totally dysfunctional. Dysfunctional there's many there are no talks there're have been any treating a letters between the speaker of the house Nancy Pelosi and Donald Trump. Yesterday we reported here that the speaker had suggested yeah president trump perhaps reschedule that State of the Union Address for the government shut down what today. The president almost 24 hours later responded he sent her this letter just a few minutes ago take a look the president has called off. A an official visit by speaker Pelosi in a number of members of congress to head overseas and what's known as a code now. He writes are due to the shutdowns are in for your trip to Brussels Egypt and Afghanistan has been postponed we'll reschedule this seven day excursion. When the shutdown is over Justin. Opt pretty interest in that direction on the bus yet to go on this and this wasn't. Vacation we wondered we are all wondering why it was taking time so long to respond to this huge development yesterday about effectively. Canceling the season as we know it which is part of it's because. He was waiting to blast this out and cause maximum disruption which is what happened. They were on the bus way to go and what the president basically says I'm the commander in chief and my move is I'm an Intel. The united states air force not to fly you on your congressional delegation because I have that power as commander in chief. And that's why are soft so you can Icaza said union may cancel your overseas trip. Now listen I gotta say that tiny why is a little suspicious but the White House insists that. The president took this action as soon as he learned about an hour I had yeah entertainment it's news just coincidence and there are sank that this isn't a response to the state of the union but of course. The president has now directly responded in the campaign email saying that he was disingenuous plea to send Friday it's true. 01 inching thing about that letters he does not mention the state of the union or what his plans. To perhaps deliver his own say the union somewhere else might be it's all about Orson has and they canceled the enemy to be fair this anything. Let's try to find a different date maybe you need to. Maybe the government will be open by Tuesday to Tony hidden message ass in there is that concern by the way speaker Pelosi has the ability. Two. Tend to make it not happen are like high school doesn't and it's like. Pelosi told a crane on trump and now he's not getting her back him. Does in the speaker did defend her position on this they're sort of cloaking themselves. In the fact that the security forces Richard have to protect. The state of the union and perhaps protect her trip. Are largely furloughed or working without pay here's what she had to say little bit earlier today about the state of affairs. With the president. Sent to the president lets it that's if it was if you don't open up government. If that doesn't happen let's discuss and mutually agreeable date. September jet January try this the date of the listed the union is not sacred date it's not constitutionally required it's naive. President's birthday and it's not anything it is a date that we agreed to a could've been a week later. And it could be weeks later if government is okay. So it is in his if that date is sacred for any reason it was one that was negotiated with what works for you what works for her. Schedule on both sides. The he's. You know I'm not deny him cut from Roberts and let's get a date when government is open let's paving employees may be he thinks it's okay not to pay people who do work. I don't and not my caucus doesn't either. Right tit for tat aside the big picture here is there's actually no movement. Still they 27 B 728. In your upper right hand corner of the trump administration on the president's border walls Jordan and both sides are dug in. No movement at all DeVon and today on day 27 the president made. About his eighth trip out of the White House and the shutdown began to go over the panic on and they are remarkably at the Pentagon where he was. Announcing policy related to you our missile defense system the president took that opportunity to have the last Nancy Pelosi tickle us. The federal government remained shut down because. Congressional Democrats. Refused to approve border security. We're going to have border security while many Democrats in the house and senate would like to. Make a deal. Speaker Pelosi will not let them negotiate. The party has been hijacked. By the open borders fringe within the party. The radical left to becoming the radical Democrats hopefully. Democrat from Mecca is will step forward to do what is right for our country. And what's right for our country is border security at the strongest level. Let's bring Katherine callers are hill reporter Catherine I've been struck by way you know eyes we've now approaching four reeks here. How the moderates have failed to gain any traction there have been Republican and democratic moderates in the senate and the house trying to come up with some proposals trying to meet. Those are so quickly shut down both sides in the rank and file dug in this isn't just the leadership. And no it's not and we were just talking about this here it's a completely at a standstill and I you've had. Senator Graham for example one of the president's closest allies saying you know let's talk about border security once the government is open while Mac got no traction we've had. A week of bipartisan. And meetings and Democrats going over to the White House to trying negotiate them into the bottom line is that nobody wants to budge the White House isn't moving in. Democrats on a Capitol Hill they're not budging either so it's it's interesting to see you here and in from the White House perspective as while. That nobody really seems now anxious. Two opened back up the government now they're saying that they are use the president you here at. Nancy Pelosi but in terms of actual negotiations in talks on the hill from the White House alleged affairs team for example. That just isn't happening DeVon. Now and we caught up a little bit earlier today Catherine with. One of the freshman members of congress that's generational I generate a lot of buzz Alexandria cost you Cortez of New York she's been. One that's been agitating for some sort of action at least on the democratic side and a house. We caught up weather and asked her what she thinks about president president trump and Nancy Pelosi is no compromise to. Positions here's what she had to say. Let's he's doing now with the shut down you happy with were positioning Grady I ain't as acts heat it is just this Rong. Woman that we eat right now and act you know I'm glad that she's holding the line to get people to think it's time for compromised. I think that it's time for the president compromise I really do that the Republican Party shut down the government while they were in control and now. And force it's time for them. Out thank you. And all those thousands of workers we've been hearing from poor working without pay or furloughed without pay. Are simply sick of hearing no compromise they want to compromise figure it out open the government announced more workers. It's more workers that they've brought back. That they dean now essential at FAA FDA IRS to conduct and workers went without pay so it's it's. They're trying to have about the ways of trying to keep the leverage on in and keep the government shut down to what they want but at the same time. They they are making more people come back to work without pay. And we just learned just a few minutes ago just in used to cover the State Department the State Department is a huge force 75000. Employees. They'd been furloughed without pay they have somehow found some money. In their budget to bring all those workers back for two weeks starting next week try to get the wheels turning a little bit. That's it Austin all manner how I was like I mean is it it'll work for two weeks it's. They scrounge up some money elsewhere in the budget to pay them their first go around and then the second go around that and have nice it's not sustainable approach by any means. And is this is really grating on a lot of Americans particularly today we'd like to take a focus on those with a disability forced. To work without pay force to be home and really have to bid through grapple with some tough choices and tradeoffs in their finances. Whether to pay for that personal care assistance. Or pay those electric bills we caught up with king's Floyd was muscular dystrophy here in the district. That's when he for a government worker a little bit earlier today she told us about her state of affairs right now pickles. Now IBM's. Scrambling gullible when you know beyond knowing that. Half of my salary goes to my rent parcel out then came from a string need for PCA's how much threat toward prevents how much Stratford for medications. What if I run out early campaign co pay. RIA. You don't have to reschedule my kids CA it's. This or five women and good things like community who are relying on me as a part time income. An I'm saying I'm sorry I can't pay you because. And the whole government has decided shot down so if he wants. People to lose their independence congress if you want. People to. Keep suffering from. Vince. Stale meat. And that's then that's fine but realize you are having a slow but steady and to wrap stick crippling effect on the community. And one little earthquake could. Completely shaken up. Yet another heart wrenching personal story from the shut down our thanks to Matt Siler for going in shooting that K Fallon on the edit. Again another reminder these are very personal frustrations right now. As the pettiness that we talked about at the beginning is in full in its. Something something to watch. Shifting gears a woman now there's a big headline that popped overnight I'm hoping you guys can help me understand it because I was scratching my head watching after the president's attorney Rudy Giuliani last night on CNN. That's a pretty stunning things about the Russian this. You sure did he said that they campaign. It didn't necessary he said he didn't know about whether it was campaign collusion or if it was trump clothes and other words. He said I never said it wasn't the campaign that include eight he's saying he's just isolated to trying to trump does someone who is shifting goalposts a little bit let's actually listen to what he said. So you can hear too here's Rudy Giuliani last night on CNN team and make some news. I never said there was no collusion between the campaign. Or between people on the campaign yes and I like they are I have not I took your present United States there is not a single bit of evidence the president and I states. Committed the only crime it could admit here conspired with the Russians to hack the DNC. You know is how botanist George. Not turning not I was such a heads fracturing you could even see eating Chris Carlin space. Where is reaction just changed. Because it of course have been arguing over the past here that there was no collusion puree it and so now this is a big shift and it's. What to a more speculation. Here in Washington about what that means is he pretty meaty soften the blow for some bombshell that's to come. An announcement and we saw him do that before that's why this regulation when he did this with stormy Daniels when he told. He said was TV interview that trump actually repay and Michael Cohen to keep her quiet. That had not been known before and and sure enough that came out later in court documents he was sort of getting everybody ready for that. And let's bring our justice reporter checked octane who's been covering this story from the beginning Jack what do you make of his comments and I send degree Giuliani's try to walk than Bakalar that is well. A little bit but. What he told Chris Cuomo intends to validate the entire purpose of the special counsel in the first place when you look at that the order to have here's that rob roses that side. To basically take off this whole Muller probe that the core mission of it is to investigate any links and or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign. President Donald Trott and so. It you know by sort of putting on the table that you collision that could have occurred in the campaign but it just didn't affect it that the president wasn't involved and it. Seems to sort of except that general premise which the president has railed against. You know since its inception. Jack do you think he's foreshadowing. Something that could be coming from Bob Mueller in other words maybe he knows that Mueller is about to indict. Someone up for collusion are taught him issue a report on collusion and trying to simply make clear the president didn't do it mean it might he have some inside information. It's hard to know certainly you know. Bob Mueller will have the last word on that and perhaps even the attorney general in the form feel what he. Choose to put forward in a final Mo report. So it's it's really hard to know but you know as you guys said it moves the goal posts so. If the initial defense was there was no collusion and that's been the position you know since the beginning there was no collusion and we see it in tweet after tweet from the president himself. You know now sort of accepting the possibility that there may have been inclusion. You don't changes it to you know. Well maybe there was collusion but did you know. If there was at my guided noise about it by guiding the president United States. He had checked out to think so much it's Iraq's capital fall there's whose. Also doubles as one of our investigative reporters Catherine with a view from the white house on this no doubt the president is closely following what his attorney was saying. He's denied any collusion of any kind from the beginning to hear again. As you go insane seems to be opening the door that perhaps some did occur just not involving him. Eighty exactly where we haven't heard directly am from the white house on. But Giuliani's comments but wanted a think we're gonna hear exactly. I'm what you guys were just talking about the president says and there was no collusion. I'm involving him directly of course Giuliani is now opening up a whole other can of worms which I think is you know potentially. A foreshadowing some of the president's some former top aides that are caught up in this promise former campaign chairman. Paul manna for there's definitely. Some worry they're so it'll be interesting and secede. How the president responsive as how much from campaign response in this that we can be sure that he will continue to say there was no collision. Involving him seven. OK Kevin published thank you so much for that report inning guys have before we move on I was struck today by. Another headline in the Wall Street Journal this one involving the president's former personal attorney. Michael Cohen who's gonna report to prison. Next month. He was apparently pain to have the polls online polls read for Donald Trump. Rate environment our weakness I mean he can't make this stuff bag have apparently reports of bags of cash. And boxing gloves being it delivered in exchange for. Favorable poll how I mean it's just. ED campaign. Reports that he paid a firm Q reach weak positive things about him in his image it's just. Really remarks are pulling back the current year of course Michael Cohen I think we have between didn't deny that he did this is simply sedatives again at the direction and the president. President hasn't weighed in on this yet there's 50000 dollars to rig the polls and they Donald Trump's book more favorable. It's quite an allegation. And the footnotes in the Michael Cohen story. Movie nine other perhaps more serious matters this one going back to story talked about here in the briefing room quite a bit few months ago with would that trump administration's zero tolerance policy at the southern border that was the one. That required the separation of children from families coming across the border they ended that policy by executive order. You guys but we're learning today just in this new HHS inspector general report found that the numbers were actually probably much higher than we officially. Were higher mandate. And they were doing it sooner apparently than we originally thought so. Sooner than when Jeff Sessions and eventually announce a policy. Very disturbing report this before and not good dove for the president this is this is an issue and that is certain to come up. There are not a handful of things how come up for the president when he runs for reelection. This one is critical. It if it is even that one of his. Most seriously criticized move policy decisions of his presidency so far. And two to have a internal report come out to say that it's worse than originally thought. Is not a good thing for him politically going forward it will it he will have to explain work. And future and now let's bring in now Mark Greenberg who started sending Arab briefing room before mark great to see your the former deputy. Assistant secretary at HHS during the Obama administration overs oversaw a lot of the issues involving children and families immigrants. Being cared for by HHS. It's some many of them coming across that border. What what was your take on this headline today that the numbers were much higher and that didn't and that the administration simply lost track of all these children. Well it's another deeply disturbing report and really the two things that are I think most striking out of that. Want me is that. The family separations had begun well before. The attention to them last spring and summer. Lot of attention in the spring and summer this report. Indicates that there had been. Thousands. Of children. That separated from parents and released from that DOR that the Office of Refugee Resettlement shelters. Before. Wolf but. Before the court. Got involved and issued and an order about other thing that's really striking of the report. It is even after the president's executive order and even after the courts or. There's family separations have continued at a much lower level but. Did the report indicates a 118. Additional separations. Occurred between July and beginning in November. MM marked the last time you're here you've expressed. Some astonishment really at the administration's lack. Of systems in place to track the placement of some of these children. Did to make it even possible the reunited him at the with their families what what's your sense of where things stand now they the administration has since November its February. We've been led to believe that they've did that they've taken some new steps to improve the processes. And the separations is a you do do you have a a Pall son how things are going now what's your take on unsavory affairs. Well I'm still astonished. Me and the report makes clear. Again that. Part of the reason for the lack of coordination and it is that. Other parts of the federal government weren't telling health and human services what the policy it's so they were apparently trying to figure it out. Themselves by looking at the numbers for children being referred to what the report also tells us now. Is that for a good separations that are occurring now. That there is coding so there at least counting. But when the children are sent over. And department of Homeland Security. Is seemingly not telling HHS why the child was sexually so they just had these theory. Broad. Categories that don't tell us much about why he separations a recurring gets something about criminal history. Or safety or punitive concerns as to whether the individual is the parent. But the child but. Lived at the detail is not there to understand what the current policy is and why he separations are still have to. And we know that the new house democratic majority Marcus already vowing to investigate this hold hearings on it. And we'll likely is Jordan the scenery become a campaign issue. And it's 1 each morning Mark Greenberg with the Migration Policy Institute former HHS official during the Obama administration thanks for coming back. To brief remark or to see you. I'm moving on today. Finally a little and a lighter note we've been following this social media habits of members of congress presidential candidates. You pretty good instinct grammar and said yeah. Hey yeah that's a pretty good Tweeter concerns weigh batter and how well you know a number of members of congress looking to brush up on the skills and Alexandria a posse of Cortez AOC she's she's down 2.4 million followers Asomugha and in congress she held a boot camp this morning we were there. Four and you knew and all members of congress how to tweet Twitter 101. Here's a little bit about her or what she had to say about her tips and how members reacted to Nicholas. What what was your top tip or. I think is said be yourself and she. Really write your own two so people now that gets you talking what you learn Denard you know about quarter. To Twitter is. Communicating yourself and and and what you're doing and that no one should ever tweet for you but yourself do you treat yourself yes I do I write regulations. They're urging members of congress to do their own tweeting Dijjer on treating I not much I'm not total neophyte. In Lansing state suggested she got it acknowledge what you can and can't do it NF I'm pretty low. And the learning curve I do tweet a lot but. I thought that it was really interesting to hear the perspectives and I think it's true that the best tweets are authentic. And I want to I thought was a good reminder not be afraid to use humor people want to see. That members of congress are real people as what you learned that didn't go forward were. I disagree to will be used. To know that before. Few you Barbara Roberts it's really hard jittery. Took a lot. I think it's important to use that as to communicate to miss getting crusty constituents and give them just understand the importance about. Engaging in big government this is the egg them. Would you learn today you know before. She's really good tutor and teach me between John dingle an ALC I'm gonna get that. She's a gay can. They're all takes a tip it's Comcast C. In fact we were sort of eavesdropping on the meeting there weren't allowed and that they have the door open so we we took took some notes ourselves here. Some of the tips that we heard. O'Costa Cortez giving out to fellow Democrats on the merits it kind of funny. Here's her tweet from from inside the room but I think we have a graphic with with some of the tweets shoes she was telling me. She was my favorite one it was sesame is that just for young people faction said it if you're an old lady tweet like an old lady. And this is my favorite if you don't know what I mean is don't post. Yourself what's your point mommy every call just all inside baseball. After DeVon caught up with. OK OC there on the hill. And he treated out a little bit of what he'd been doing she retreated him and DeVon now that was his blustery tweeted to it because she's such as social influences. She really is in and she's got these he's old foe he's a man known that the matter heels trying to learn the differences in. But first the danger with this isn't it goes really awkward moments it to see inside batter or works mouth yeah see. The door and I want you there was some sort of implicit message and what she was in fact one of the things imparted up but she said you know. When you're in the kitchen cooking and doing a live instrument video people don't really care about the kitchen I don't care what which are cooking the turtle what you're saying they think it's kind of cool that you do tough talking when you do wonder involves you shouting at Elizabeth Warren there yanks can. She wasn't there and take notes. She can read our story abcnews.com impact the fall a list of AOC's tips up right now of course download the ABC news after. Offer much more on that all the stories you've been talking about today great to have just an official with this torn Phelps has always had. A treat and great to have you with us here in a briefing room back here tomorrow at 3:30 eastern time until then. Synnex not.

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