[Camerota:] President Trump facing questions about his son-in-law amid reports that Jared Kushner tried to set up a back channel communication with Russia. The president trying to deflect on Twitter saying, quote, "It is my opinion that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies made up by the fake news media." Joining us now is CNN political commentators, Nina Turner and Jeffery Lord. Nice to see both of you this morning.
[Jeffrey Lord, Cnn Political Commentator:] Hello on this Memorial Day.
[Camerota:] You, too, Jeffery. How concerned should the president and the White House be of these reports, first that Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law is being investigated by the FBI?
[Lord:] Well, I just think frankly this whole thing is ridiculous. Let me bring up two incidents from history. [Inaudible] who was a midlevel diplomat at the Soviet embassy was contacted back channel by Robert F. Kennedy's attorney general and set up what was called in the day a back channel, an un-sharable piece of information known only to the Kennedy brothers that had nothing to do with State Department or anyone else. They were unaware of it. It certainly has been done. And secondly, Jimmy Carter sent [inaudible] when Jimmy Carter was president-elect, tot president, to visit with the U.S. Russian ambassador to open a back channel when President Ford was the president. So this has been done. I'm sure there are other examples.
[Camerota:] OK, so just to be clear, Jeffrey, if Hillary Clinton had won and her son-in-law had tried to set up a back channel with the Russians, you would have been completely comfortable with that?
[Lord:] Look, I believe that presidents get to make these decisions. If President Hillary Clinton wanted to choose Mark [inaudible], if John F. Kennedy wanted to send his brother, Robert. That's the president's choice.
[Camerota:] Back channels outside of the typical line of communication even with adversaries like Russia, fine.
[Lord:] It's normal. It's been done and nobody complained. Everybody thinks it is great. The Justice Department is now named after Robert F. Kennedy. If it is such a terrible thing, maybe they'll take the name off. I hope not.
[Camerota:] I don't know. I mean, as you know Michael Hayden, a former CIA director said he had never seen anything like it. He said it was off the map. He knows of no other experience like this in our history. Nina, your thoughts?
[Nina Turner, Cnn Political Commentator:] I mean, even the former CIA director said the same thing. Listen, let the investigations take place. I'm not sure if Jared Kushner is naive or arrogant or both. I will say about this Russia thing is that we have an independent prosecutor. We have intelligence and judiciary committees within both the Senate and the House doing investigations. This pre-occupation with Russia, this mess that the Trump administration has created is really harming the American people to such an extent that we cannot really focus in on the domestic needs of the people from Flint, Michigan to places like my hometown where there is an opioid epidemic in the state of Ohio. So this is problematic. Let the investigations go forward. Let the chips fall where they may. I'm hoping that people will be able to both let the folks who are dealing with Russia deal with Russia and also be able to handle some of the domestic concerns that we have. But this is something the American people do deserve answers.
[Camerota:] How about that, Jeffery? All of this Russia cloud is getting in the way of the president's agenda.
[Lord:] Well, I partially agree with her in the sense that I think that this is ridiculous stuff and we shouldn't be wasting a second on it because Nina is correct. There are plenty of other problems whether it's Flint, Michigan or health care or tax reform or opioid addictions, I mean, you name it. There are a whole host of things that I'm sure the president really would prefer to focus his attention on. This is being done by political adversaries who practically don't even know their own history, which I find somewhat appalling.
[Camerota:] Hold on second. It is not just political, it's the FBI. I mean, it's not just political adversaries that have brought up the Russia cloud. The FBI, there are intelligence agencies are looking into this. If there was collusion, we know that Russia interfered in the election. That is not a big deal?
[Lord:] Well, they've interfered in a lot of elections. Well, I mean, where were the investigations to the FBI in years past?
[Camerota:] I mean, now, modern day, now. Do you think this is worth investigating?
[Lord:] I, Ali, this just goes to having a single standard, a single standard for President Trump and President Kennedy and President Franklin Roosevelt, et cetera. Same standard. That is all we're asking and I think that's pretty fair.
[Camerota:] Nina, last word.
[Turner:] I mean, the American people are being left behind in this and we really do need to focus. So let the investigations go on. Let the chips fall where they may. People in power need to stop playing Russian roulette with these issues. The Republicans need to act swiftly. For Democrats, this is not necessarily the ticket to win the midterms. The American people need folks who are going to govern. Alisyn, I will say this. Really this weight and cloud should concern the president of the United States of America. He should be concerned about his legacy for this country is going to be. Is it going to be just about Russia or is it really going to be standing up for the American people? The trust is his. Instead of a war room, they need a confessional.
[Camerota:] Nina, Jeffery, thank you very much. Talk to you soon.
[Lord:] Thanks, Ali. Thanks, Nina.
[Gregory:] We'll come back to politics. When we come back, something wild over the weekend. One of the Indy 500 favorites involved in one of the most terrifying crashes you will ever see. How was the driver able to walk away from the wreck uninjured? We will get details in the "Bleacher Report" coming up next.