[A.b. Stoddard, Associate Editor, "realclearpolitics":] Just naturally something that John Kelly would know would make the would really enrage President Trump.
[Alisyn Camerota, Cnn Anchor:] So why is he doing it? I mean so it's the suggestion
[Stoddard:] Right. I actually believe that he's doing it to push back because internally his pushback wasn't working and then that and they he has been really entangled to this and a great debate on immigration. And I think that it is a known fact that when people cannot convince President Trump behind closed doors, they take their argument to television to try to convince him that way.
[John Berman, Cnn Anchor:] Well, but who took this story that there's a rift that the president's unhappy with John Kelly to division, right? Because CNN is reporting this in the last 24 hours, on the front page of "The New York Times" and "The Washington Post." Someone wants to get this story out there, John Avlon, that there's a problem here.
[John Avlon, Cnn Political Analyst:] Yes. Yes. And the chronology of it, the who benefits from it, you know, let's put that aside for this reason. If there's a rift between the president and Kelly, that's primarily for the president, because Kelly's actually been one of the best things to happen to this White House in terms of instilling a degree of discipline on a president who is doesn't like being constrained, but desperately needs some discipline and structure around him just for the country, just for the operation of the government. And does that frustrate him? Does he want to free Donald and just be able to free wheel all the time? I'm sure he does. And you'll have some outside advisers saying, let Trump be Trump. But there's also the just progress of the government that requires a degree of discipline and information the president doesn't have. And if the standard for spokesmen and advisers is that I'll be your best Baghdad bob, I'll tell you the sky is purple. If you tell me the sky is purple, and then I'll communicate that to the American people, that doesn't actually serve the president well at the end of the day. Is the relationship complicated? Yes. Is it frustrating? Yes. But I think Kelly and McMaster have tried to impose a structure of decision making on the president that is constitutional, that respects the fact he won the election, but also says he needs to be presented with accurate information and then the decision he makes, we will do our best to execute.
[Camerota:] OK, A.B., let's move from entry to policy. Let's talk about the immigration plan that the White House has now, it seems, gotten behind. And it's so interesting. I mean there's lots of developments in there that people didn't see coming. Number one, yes, protection for the dreamers, a pathway to citizenship for not just 700,000, which is the number that we've all been using for the past weeks, but more than that, from people who hadn't even registered as dreamers yet. The 1.8 million people in that category. Now, in exchange, they want $25 billion for to build the wall and other border security enhancements, infrastructure technology. Eliminate the visa lottery. We know the president is determined to do that. And eliminate the, you know, chain migration so-called and, meaning, nobody beyond the nuclear family, the spouse and children get to come. So, why are some Democrats, like Dick Durbin, not happy with this outcome?
[Stoddard:] Well, it's interesting. I'm fascinating by this because this is absolutely a true compromise. If both sides are furious, you have absolutely split this in half.
[Avlon:] That's right.
[Stoddard:] The Democrats do not like the concessions that were given to immigration hawks, these changes to family reunification, constraining that, ending the visa lottery system. They don't like that much money on a wall. And in exchange for a fix to the dreamers that they hoped Republican colleagues would join them in sort of, you know, getting rid of and resolving as soon as possible. It's very interesting on the Republican side. Senator Cotton, Senator Perdue, those hawks that were pushing the president, along with his aide, Steven Miller, to the right to this issue are are approving of this compromise and saying it's the right path forward, while groups on the outside, your Breitbart crowd and your pro border security immigration groups
[Avlon:] Right.
[Stoddard:] Are absolutely livid. Ann Coulter is on fire over this. And this is going to get a lot of pushback from that wing.
[Avlon:] Yes.
[Stoddard:] Look, if Senator Dick Durbin, the Democratic whip, says that this is not credible and it can't move forward, we're not at a compromise. But the definition of compromise would be something that makes both parties mad.
[Avlon:] The broad outlines are impressive. It is definitely Tom Cotton supporting it is fascinating and obviously reflects his own interests to remain in Trump's good graces. But this is how a large deal is supposed to be done. I'll say, they've come this far. One of the open questions then is comprehensive immigration reform. What happens to the 11 million in this country? And that's larger can he pull a Nixon in China. This is signature.
[Berman:] And it will be interesting to see if any of the Democratic senators, those moderates come forward and support this soon. They have not as of yet. All right, John, A.B., thanks so much. A reminder, we will carry the president's address at the World Economic Forum live. That's at 8:00 Eastern Time. And, remember, it's in the midst of the breaking news overnight about the fact the president wanted to fire Robert Mueller.
[Camerota:] And another quick programing note. Be sure to watch "Cuomo" primetime, tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.
[Berman:] All right, the mother of one of the teenagers killed in a shooting at a Kentucky high school speaking out about her own daughter's final moments. Her heartbreaking words, next.