Transcript for WH says Trump tweet is 'not an order, it's the president's opinion'

Happy Wednesday welcome to the briefing room coming here in the Washington bureau BBC news I'm John San QG alongside Serena Marshall and recline. Lot of opinion thing Hindu briefing room the first time we've seen Serra Sanders. At the podium for the month of August since the first day but in several weeks Schilling did three on camera briefings for the month of July. And she was back for longer than we all thought we all lost the price is right back on this one but but requirements start with you on this because a lot of conversation already about the president's tweets. He's weighing in heavily on the Muller investigation Taylor put the first one up on screen guys. Where he sort of this is a terrible situation attorney general Jeff Sessions should stop this rigged witch hunt right now before continues. To stain our country any further Bob Mueller is totally conflicted. And he's seventeen angry Democrats are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to the US. So this is the president's up. King Rick that's as our Sanders says doesn't seem like an opinion so wiggles and or. An opinion on a directive are not obstructing because he is fighting back those it's hootie. Key takeaways from tariffs and is a few moments ago but this crosses a line that he hadn't been. Across before he he is now saying explicitly publicly Jeff Sessions you should end this and the attorney general's recuse himself from the Russian probe but. He could at least obliquely recently directly impact this and I talked to a trump advisor earlier today for our podcast Charles politics match slap who said. But this the president trying to get control again of this investigation he has set for a long time. I am hands off I'm I meaty hands off for some time but this is him now putting his finger very directly on the scales at just. And this is where also we see the president's legal team have to jump in Rudy Giuliani issued a statement earlier believe we have that also he said the president was giving his opinion he fig should. Interest him Serena only have to sit here and cycle analyze his tweet. Pursing words there really more than anything to try and justify this tweet a legal stats you. I mean I heard Josh Holmes is a Republican strategist or from a nine earlier today. That if this tweet came out and any other fashion on any other medium on a White House. Press release or it was found as a presidential mantle of some way. Or was reported heat Horne Jeff Sessions of behind closed doors. That we'd be reporting on this very different but because Ariel on the public it's on Twitter at we kind of look at it and maybe brush it off a little bit. But this the president saying that he wants this. Investigations and whether should. Or must he is making his opinion. As Sarah scanners and Giuliani said known to everyone and to that question here is it really. When it comes to a his opinion it. Kicked will Jeff Sessions looks. Alert will he just kind of ignore this as another treat from the world and. The most interesting thing here recline is that you know us Harris hander said in their opinion this is not obstruction and this is just fighting back. Now that's right and in that is gonna have to be key to any defense that the White House mounts of everything that he's been saying is that. He is doing its job as the other people who were reflected as the other people that are going too far. So there argument all along is that he can't obstruct justice because he runs the Justice Department that is part and parcel with the with the art you're hearing today. And what they have to argue about anything in an apartment turn yeah. And we're running its man important second but I wanted to ABC senior White House correspondent Cecilia Vega who is in the room for us today Cecilia I we're gonna start on this there's a whole other topic wanna get you with is why aren't with us. But my youngest starting with this those Cecilia I mean how many times have you heard they did the White House seat to watch what the president is tweeting our official statements but on this one which certainly is we've all been talking about. Feels like it's a directive feels like it's an official statement a way it's just his opinion. Well there was a really good question asked a leader in the briefing at that I don't we got a clear answer on whether. Rudy Giuliani was oak is as legal counsel to the president or part of the team anyway. Overseeing. And giving legal advice to the president before he issues these tweets. You gotta wonder if that's the case I I can't imagine that it is we all know this is a president who doesn't like to necessarily take advice when it comes to Twitter because it. He were to have taken added racy Hollywood beach reading is much on his staff has tried to get him to stop treating. They want it both ways on this one and I don't think they can have it they wanna be able to say as you just said everything the president says on Twitter is official policy is the word of this White House and now they want to reverse course. And say actually this isn't an order this is the president. Fighting back this is not obstruction this is this is an angry president. Expressing his outrage on in his most favored format so. So they want it both ways I don't think they're gonna be able to get it and you gotta wonder to meet today's question is what is Robert Mueller gonna do. With these tweets now is this evidence is this being collected as evidence there have been reports. That that special counsel is looking at the president's tweets as evidence in you gotta wondered out they've gone up to print this wanna put it in the. I'll yeah and an of course all the different times the president has talked about firing Bob all we know they've been looking into those conversations he's had with his attorney is with White House counsel down again. Eight it is certainly a growing pile of things that they are looking at we are gonna talk about the poll manna for trial and a second control room don't kill me but we have Cecilia. Don't wanna waste her time so I do you wanna jump around a little bit here and I want to talk about the president last night he was down in Tampa. Covered a whole range of topics but these particular. Comment and Cecilia you asked about it. Groceries take a lesson from last night. Some states Democrats are even trying to give. Illegal immigrants. The right about. Yeah you can have the right. And I believe god and you want to buy groceries you need a picture on a card any guy. You go out and you want to buy any thing you need. She and you need to pick here. In this country. The only time you don't need. Heated in many cases is what you want to vote for a president what you want to vote offers senator what you wanna vote for a governor current congress. Raise its nature of the earth is. I'm not sure I'm not sure why that matters either major like. He's a war crime numbers and perhaps show right now I finally actually. I never had a striking and I think it's certainly if you if you go to the grocery store any buy beer line you're certainly gonna show your idea don't think that. Yeah I he's not saying every time he went and he said when you go to the grocery store. I'm pretty sure that everybody in here who's been to a grocery store this purchase beer wine is probably had to show their ID if they didn't. And that's probably a problem with the grocery stores Major Garrett. Truthful ones case so beer and wine like voting within ninety. I don't necessary I'm pretty good at connecting the dots but I can't figure this one out how about you well. Why I never thought I would ever my career asked quest about grocery shopping in the white house press briefing that happened today check that off my list of goals. You know look at what we're sort of laughing this went off at the end of the day this gets on to a very serious thing. And it seems to be that the president still peddling this idea this false claim that millions of people. Have voted illegally in this country that is not true that has not happened there is no evidence of that let me just make this clear. Sarah Sander said today I asked I push cirrus manners on when the president still believes this notion. She would really answers is that if ten people are voting illegally in this country that's ten to Mattie. You know that that the issue is they hit that they that he sort of in a little bit hole here they again and they want it both ways he said they've created a voter commission that didn't really go anywhere. He campaigned on this issue that millions of people were voting illegally he has raised its sense the election. As reasons for not having one. Popular vote you know so it's not going away. I don't know that we will see any kind of push to require voters to have to carry. I. And aideed a bikers trees now may be combined airline perhaps but. I didn't get my question answers when asked the president what traders started fed up in up quite a lap. I would bet it's a couple decades but if and that February 8 ever that is true to Cecilia Vega at the White House thank you is always appreciated by as. Let's come back though into the bureau with this conversation history a Marshal ye. On the immigration debate around this country. Voter identification. Showing your ID when you go to vote a true controversial topic and the president knows on this one in particular hitting right called into his base hitting right home with the idea that there are illegal votes happening around this country. Really stirring up. Catlett stirs up as basic gets that that foundation for him but he wants and it brings it back to immigration which is what he wants to campaign on could be thinks it will. Motivate those people to go to the polls and he also set it during that rally yesterday. That today party started filling the wall that's just factually incorrect they haven't started building the law if started replacement fencing in San Diego that was actually approved and funded. Under President Obama how are nothing to do with this administration. When we asked them about that in the past they said well the building started under this administration. But it is so he wants to go into these rallies he wants to hit the points he knows we'll get people excite and and hopefully get them to the polls to vote for the candidates that will help the maintained house and the senate. And is skipping around will be here reclining heading over to the mid term conversation I mean. Where from what you in the team on the political unit you're finding what is this ranking are people still honed in on immigration is that really mean he's driving folks out. About also you Republicans like where they stand and immigration be hated where they stood on and the separation issue but you saw that more pretty quickly we yourself coverage in to a question about the law on border security and they love the abolish ice issue. She's been in the news a lot lately out as they collect that makes the case about Democrats are open borders of they feel like immigration is a net positive for them they're talking about right even talking about border security they're jetting up their base that making this grand battle and even when the president. But it sounds as anyone a government shuts out all his Republicans cranes we don't wanna shut and we don't wanna talk on what they do want though he's a showdown over the border wall showdown. On immigration on the terms of Republicans including president toppling. And if you were a local candidate this year class they on this topic you know. What are we seeing and we sort of Florida the Florida race now run Desantis playing writing on the president's hands with that political ad. How is he different from what we're seeing around the country as far as different states different dynamics. I mean it's not the scene of your Kennedy in Texas vs the Kennedy in Florida vs Washington State where marry else. Marks was what was interesting is statewide races almost uniformly like the San at this and like anyone that was close the camp of the present there's almost no daylight when your running statewide between these receipts but even in some lower states are purple states. Pollack a Pennsylvania elected Ohio there trump for trump like candidates in those races as well. The house races where it's different and that's why we have all this talk about the Democrats may be taking the hospital certainly not the senate much harder in the senate. That's where Trump's name is a lot more complicated so that battle in the in the excerpt even some rural areas we're Trump's name doesn't carry this team wait. But he's striking he's in have three rallies and in five they're so span this weekend everyone of them more calm more accomplished saying B six a week out every one of them you've got statewide candidates that are clamoring to get by his side there is endorsed by him or want that endorsement and they're not endorsed that thing he's speaking a mistake has actually like him more than other. 97 decent mid terms cut helped push home let's switch gears of there is one place that Trump's name is not coming up and that's appalled that affords criminal trial over an Alexandria Virginia Catherine falters. Has been out there watching this one for us and Catherine if you and I were talking earlier so we know from all reporting that the word trump is not coming up. In this case we also heard seen or the judge does not want the work all of car to come up. Which is fascinating and the star witness Catherine repeats. Is he going to be a star witness. So that's the question just an hour ago exotica inside this courtroom. Behind me at the FBI agent who executed that search warrant on Paul. And affords home in July he was questioned and this came up in response to him being questioned about documents. That's had a licking its name on the judge asked while credit Rick gates come and talk about this himself to whisk. The prosecution said he might or he might not testify now back. Is set off alarm bells you can see everybody flooding out of this courtroom. On the out the door to hand these notes off and Kennedy the prosecution saw that they were asked about their reasoning that doesn't that was a surprise to him. To which the prosecution said well it you know we're still we reevaluate the evidence as it comes and so. He was the star witness as you know he's he pleaded guilty in February to two felony counts conspiracy against the US and lying. To federal authorities now it would by far be the biggest day. In court John if he didn't show up. And if he doesn't have time this really goes into what we've been hearing it this could be more. Other paper trial it's easy to. Go after Paul man a Ford here because this is really going down to these tax returns his filings abroad we did work on behalf Ukrainian government. You really don't need much because it's in plain paper. Exactly it's totally favorite Trout I just got off the bat let our ABC contributor John Carlin. Who used to work it is just we're talking through you know why he when it when and appear he predicted that it could be if the prosecution doesn't. Want to comment because. The defense could go after ending the prosecution is avoiding but putting him on the stand as you mentioned this is this is a paper. Paper trial here I'm and that you know we spoke to and other criminal defense attorney who. Is predicting you know faces court I wonder if they caught him and outlying that affects credibility so we just don't know but at least in my conversation. With John Koh and it's not surprising. That the prosecution would try to avoid. Get having him question heavily by the defense. Cap revolvers or was she can send your wind machine over here and we'll muggy in DC we could use a little better. When you look for that doesn't care pared down I thought I guess I. Very out here. They'd get baseball capital do better caliber revolvers over at the court thank you very much we appreciate it. It's time now for your ABC sports report here with that our sports reporter Rick Klein what happened last client Mancini exactly refuting. I like that I enjoy as much as watching a team full grown men beat up on the New York Mets. And I got to witness it less that it Nationals Park 25 to four dropping and it's a three touchdown margin for the Washington apples of over the Mets. Look we've got a little rivalry close we are about that city Watson vs your elliptical that this isn't actually an important moment. In Washington DC because just a couple of weeks ago at the all star game here Bryce Harper was the home run derby flying high. As of this time yesterday a lot of people are price harbors him traded devastating to the franchise and that team went out last night and made its statement against the wall full awful terrible he. Yeah wow. Why. I'll do. You know I'm I'm the Yankees fan you know does that as a nice little angry New Yorkers I don't know my husband Matt Stairs OK and I saw. When I saw that it's to meet a treat today with the breakdown of the score. Actually asked him in the mentoring is crying whose little sympathy. I love that picture that is only my new. And then let every. Room reinforce it actually got it today. I don't want a lot of the bands are our guards are down in the dumps and we're looking in the team history until I had once yet there has gone again always in New York correct but. There against time. Medically mother after the thanks so much for luck watching the briefing room for Rick Klein Serena Marshall I'm John San Suu Kyi may actually download BBC news that. Have a great day here watching ABC news.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.