[Camerota:] We do have some breaking news for you right now because President Donald trump has just arrived at the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture. It, of course, is Black History Month. Joe Johns is live at the White House to walk us through what we're seeing here. Joe, tell us about this visit.
[Joe Johns, Cnn Senior White House Correspondent:] Well, we have been told this morning that the president was to be accompanied at the museum with, among others, HUD secretary nominee Ben Carson, and his wife, Candy Carson, and we were given some other names, including Alveda King, who is the niece of the slain civil right leader Dr. Martin Luther King, as well as Senator Tim Scott. So a whole list of people there. We're told Ben Carson's family, including his grandkids, expected to be there also. This was a visit to the museum that was apparently set up by presidential aide, Omarosa Manigault, and apparently the second time trying. We're told it was penciled in on Donald Trump's schedule before he was inaugurated mid-January-ish and it was nixed, we're told, according to a source, by the Secret Service citing security concerns. So this is an opportunity for the president to get to this very popular attraction in Washington, D.C., that only opened back in September of last year to some fanfare. And since then it's taken in about a million visitors. And very hard to get a ticket. So the president and a group of African-American folks from here in Washington, D.C., all going to the museum. And don't know if we're going to hear from the president, but he's there. Back to you.
[Cuomo:] All right, Joe. Let's bring in CNN political director David Chalian. Politically, what does the trip mean? What issues are supposed to be raised? Do we have any indication of how the White House wants to use this?
[David Chalian, Cnn Political Director:] I you know, I don't think the White House is going to use this more than for the optics of the trip. As Joe mentioned, this was something, though, not fully confirmed on the schedule, was planned for mid-January pre- inauguration. So that did not happen. And getting this trip done during Black History Month, after his wife was there with Bibi Netanyahu's wife, is a good time for him to go and make this trip. Also to, as you know, he made comments last week in his press conference about his performance with the African-American community in the election, and pushing back on any charges that he is racist. He was pushing back against that accusation in the press conference last week. So having this trip here of the president going to this very popular new attraction in Washington during Black History Month to me seems they're just sort of optically moving through it. I don't think that we're going to necessarily hear from the president.
[Camerota:] We just saw some video of when the first lady, Melania, visited there with Prime Minister Netanyahu's wife. And, again, as you say, I mean this museum, it took 13 years to build and create. So these are some of the first visitors. Well, it opened in September, but, still, first, obviously, high-profile visitors. It's always interesting, David, to hear how decisions are made at the White House and who has the president's ear, and this one was Omarosa.
[Chalian:] Yes, who we know has been advising him throughout the campaign and now into the administration on outreach to the African- American community and others. She's a part of the communications and press staff now at the White House. You see her sometimes sitting along that side row of staffers when Sean Spicer gives his briefings in the press briefing room. And, listen, you guys know, nothing ends up on the president of the United States' schedule haphazardly or that isn't deemed important enough to be there. There are tons of request for the president's time. The fact that he's giving his time to make this trip and to obviously then bring all the accompaniments of the office along with him
[Cuomo:] Right.
[Chalian:] To see the trip, that's no small thing.
[Cuomo:] Well, absolutely it is not small thing. And I hope that it's not just about the optics. There's so many issues that came up during the campaign, Joe, that still demands voice. You know, Chicago is not the sum total of all things that matter to African- Americans. And it is an opportunity for the president to use the trip to then make some statements about what he wants to see in his own agenda, and what he wants people to focus on in terms of priorities. I mean it could be used for a lot of different reasons, couldn't it?
[Johns:] Absolutely that's true. And the president has talked a number of times about rebuilding the inner cities, which he has describes in some terms that some African-American leaders disagree with. So I think it's significant to see Ben Carson traveling over to the museum with him, even though Carson has yet to be confirmed by the Senate. He is one of the people who would lead the charge on some of the president's issues, including rebuilding the inner cities when he gets around to that.
[Camerota:] As you guys are speaking, Chris and I are monitoring this feed from inside the museum. And it doesn't look like our camera is completely set up and ready to go. But we did just see Sean Spicer scurry by obviously on the way to either find the president or get into the right position. Yes. So, you know, we've been talking this morning about how the president decides what he's going to speak out about most vociferously, David. Obviously this past weekend there was bad news for Jewish community centers around the country. There was a spate of bomb scares, hoaxes called in there. And then Ivanka Trump, President Trump's daughter, who herself converted to Judaism, tweeted out just how important religious tolerance is and our faith centers. Do you think that we'll hear from the president responding to what we're seeing about the anti-Semitism across the country?
[Chalian:] We may. I mean we did get a very strongly statement worded statement from his press secretary last night. We haven't heard the president himself in his own words quite that way. But Sean Spicer put out a statement last night that indicated where the president's thinking is on this. So it would not surprise me terribly if we do eventually hear from the president on this himself because what we have heard from him when he was questioned about it twice, two days in a row last week, he strangely did not issue a statement that was as forceful as his press secretary or his daughter issued last night. Instead, he sort of took at as personal umbrage, a personal upfront that he was being asked about this. in some ways suggesting that he was responsible sort of what his response was
[Cuomo:] Right.
[Chalian:] And talked about his election victory. But we may hear from him. And now, you know, Hillary Clinton tweeted, you guys put it up a little earlier. This is the first tweet since President Trump's been president that she has directly, specifically referenced the president and gone to the president with a suggestions. She's been supportive of the women's march, against the travel ban, but this is the first tweet since he's taken office where she basically says, step up, Mr. President.
[Cuomo:] The president's walking in right now. We just saw his advance team. We're waiting for him to come into focus here. Let's see what we see.
[Camerota:] We just saw here we go, photographers. We saw some of his Secret Service detail. But, again, everybody seems to be OK, so people are and there he is. There is the president now, along with Dr. Ben Carson behind him and
[Cuomo:] His daughter, Ivanka, joins him here. As we
[Camerota:] Omarosa.
[Cuomo:] As we heard, the first lady was there with Bibi Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel's wife. She's not making this trip again. Omarosa is there. And they are getting a tour of the exhibits. Let's see if we can hear anything.
[Unidentified Male:] Because I wanted people to realize that we can't understand Jefferson without understanding slavery. But even more importantly, we talk about slaves. I wanted to talk about Peter, Lucy, William, try to humanize everything. And so, for us, this whole museum is about humanizing stories of people that have been left out of history, and making sure that you don't think about migration, slavery. You think about the individual who lived their lives. And so, for us, this was an opportunity to tell these stories. And we have wonderful material from Jefferson, but also Right. You know Benjamin Bennett from this area. Absolutely. You know Some of the land that we live These are actual shackles.
[Unidentified Female:] He made the conference, too. He made the conference.
[Unidentified Male:] We also wanted to say, here are the
[Donald Trump, President Of The United States:] Fantastic, right?
[Unidentified Male:] You know, I come down here sometimes and just say their names, I was telling Mr. Trump
[Cuomo:] All right, so we were listening to Lonnie Bunch. He's the director of the National Museum of African-American History and Culture. And then the man you just saw discussing the entire exhibit with the president is David Skorton, he's the secretary of the Smithsonian. Joe, it was interesting the way Lonnie was explaining what he wanted to communicate with these stories of slaves. He said he didn't want people to just think about the slave migration as numbers but individual people and their stories and their journey.
[Johns:] Right. And just talking over the weekend with so many people who have been to the museum. I, in fact, tried to get passes just yet with my kids. It is a real experience that's described by many as sort of exhilaration going in, and a real sense of depth and almost sadness in places coming out.
[Cuomo:] Joe Johns, appreciate it. David Chalian, thank you very much.
[Camerota:] Yes.
[Cuomo:] It will be interesting to see what the president takes away from this, and what he talks to the rest of us about, and the world. CNN "NEWSROOM" with Poppy Harlow is going to pick up right after the break. Thank you for spending your morning with us.
[Camerota:] See you tomorrow.