[Fredricka Whitfield, Cnn Anchor:] CNN special report, "A ROYAL MATCH, HARRY AND MEGHAN," airs tonight 8:00 p.m. Eastern followed by another special, "DIANA, CHASING A FAIRY TAIL," at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. Thank you for being with me today. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. NEWSROOM with Ana Cabrera starts right now.
[Ana Cabrera, Cnn Anchor:] It's 3:00 eastern. I'm Ana Cabrera, in New York. You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. Glad to have you with us on this Saturday afternoon. The news this hour, more words, more problems and more confusion about what the president did or did not do. Today, the president's lead lawyer outside the White House, Rudy Giuliani, tried to correct the record and undo his own mistake. In an interview last night, Rudy Giuliani tried to defend the president for suggestion companies paid off his long-time attorney and fixer, Michael Cohen in exchange for influence and assets. One of the companies in question, AT&T, paid $600,000 to Cohen's consulting firm. Rudy Giuliani said the president had no knowledge of the payments and AT&T wasted its money. He told the "Huffington Post," "Look at this for evidence no further than the drama playing out in court. He did drain the swamp." The president denied the merger, Giuliani said. They didn't get the result they wanted. That would be a remarkable contradiction of the official White House line that the president had no role in the decision to try and block the deal between AT&T and Time Warner, CNN's corporate parents. Today, Rudy Giuliani walked back what he told the "Huffington Post," now telling Dana Bash he got a different story from his boss, the president. Quote, "He told me directly he didn't interfere." Boris Sanchez is live at the White House. Boris, where is the White House on this ongoing back and forth between Rudy Giuliani and Rudy Giuliani?
[Boris Sanchez, Cnn Correspondent:] Hey, Ana. Yes, the White House has maintained their position that the president did in the interfere in this decision by the Department of Justice to try to block the merger between AT&T and Time Warner. Sarah Sanders said earlier today it was the Department of Justice's decision, not President Trump's. This leads to a series of questions. First, just how much influence does this president have over the Department of Justice? We know he sees it as an extension of his political power, the way that he's suggested that they should carry out investigations into some of his political opponents, and he's very publicly opposed this deal between Time Warner and AT&T. The question of influence lingers. It also beckons a question about Rudy Giuliani's role with the legal team. He was brought onto help defend the president into the Special Counsel's probe into alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. He's waded into waters he certainly perhaps should not have waded into, whether it was announcing that North Korea would be releasing prisoners or, as you noted, this merger situation, or his comments on the Stormy Daniels saga, contradicting some of what the president previously said and having to walk his comments back. You'll recall the president initially said about that that Rudy Giuliani didn't have all his facts straight. No indication about what the president thinks about the latest walk-back. It's another unforced error from the president's new attorney Ana?
[Cabrera:] Meantime, Boris, new reporting on a White House meeting about the wildly inappropriate joke made by an aide at John McCain's expense. What can you tell us?
[Sanchez:] Publicly, Sarah Sanders, the press secretary, would not weigh in on that comment by a communications staffer, Kelly Sadler, when she said that McCain's opinion on Gina Haspel's nomination wouldn't matter because he would be dead soon anyway. We understand that privately during a meeting yesterday with some of her communications staff, Sanders did call it an inappropriate joke. But apparently, according to at least one source, she took exception to the fact that this was a leak that she believed was designed to hurt Sadler in public. Sanders, from the podium, refused to even apologize for the comment, seeming to focus on the idea that this was a leak, and that it should not have been something that was put out there in the press. We should note that sources have told us that Sadler is still safe in her job. There's no indication that this controversy or her comment will affect her role within the administration Ana?
[Cabrera:] All right. Boris Sanchez, at the White House. Thank you. Let's bring in our panel, reporter and co-author of "Politico's" "Playbook," Dan Lippman, and CNN legal analyst, Paul Callan, a former New York City prosecutor. Dan, what do you make of Sarah Sanders being more upset about the leaks than the comments? And the White House is still not condemning what Kelly Sadler said about John McCain, quote, "dying anyway."
[Daniel Lippman, Reporter, Politico & Co-author, Politico's Playbook:] I saw Sarah Sanders last night at a performance by Rob Lowe. Clearly, she is not letting this get to her. She's still having fun. But I think it speaks to an indication at the White House that Sanders wanted to protect Sadler from getting fired. There's been so much turnover in the communications shop at the White House. And if Sadler did this every day, then she would clearly get fired, but I think they think one error by her is not enough to get canned. But in most White Houses, this would be a firing offense.
[Cabrera:] Paul, on the controversial Rudy Giuliani comments, the president, if he personally denied the AT&TTime Warner merger, as Rudy Giuliani initially said was the case, what would be the legal implications of that?
[Paul Callan, Cnn Legal Analyst:] Well, you know, the Justice Department faced wrong arguments during the trial, the antitrust trial going on, that this was done because the president ordered it and not because there were the merits to the opposition to the merger.
[Cabrera:] Right, but AT&T also dropped that argument as part of its case.
[Callan:] Well, they absolutely well, they absolutely took the position, by the way, that on the merits they had a very, very good case, and yes, there was an issue about whether the president should be deposed. This was a big court battle going on about this. And for Rudy Giuliani to stick his nose into it and say the president was opposed to the merger and, therefore, the investment that AT&T made in Cohen was a bad investment. So, I mean, why is he sticking his nose into litigation where the lawyers have a carefully planned defense? It makes no sense. Giuliani is like a freight train that's ran off the rails.
[Cabrera:] And he was supposed to be focused on the Russia investigation. He keeps on talking about Cohen or Korea. It seems, Dan, every time Giuliani speaks, he gets his client into more trouble. How much rope does Trump have when it comes to letting Rudy Giuliani be his mouthpiece?
[Lippman:] It's remarkable for someone who worked at the Department of Justice, he was the number three official a couple decades ago, for him to make these types of statements, he knows the president should not get involved in this. And as to whether Trump will ever get rid of him, I feel like if you have a couple more weeks of this, then clearly Trump will try to get someone else on his team. But the problem is there aren't that many high-powered lawyers willing to work for this president, and so you're kind of are stuck with Rudy for now.
[Cabrera:] And Rudy Giuliani's biographer has called him, a, quote, "drama machine." James Comey has written about Giuliani in his book saying he always has to be the center of attention. Paul, you worked in the same circles as him in New York. What do you know about his style as a lawyer?
[Callan:] I've been watching him as lawyer, and he was the United States attorney. He's always been a flamboyant attorney looking for a headline, but he has never been as undisciplined and off the tracks as I've seen him lately. There's something going on with Giuliani. I don't know what it is. Whether it's personal. He just filed for divorce with a wife of 15 years. That's always a high-pressure situation. And representing the president. Rudy Giuliani is being criticized for some of the things he's saying, but everything he says is something the president himself said at one time. It's just hard for a lawyer to keep up with the ever-changing positions of the president. The president was against the Time Warner merger. Then he had no comment. The president said he never knew about the Stormy Daniels' payoff. Then he apparently is now taking the position through Cohen that not only did he know about it, but he approved it. So Rudy Giuliani, it's tough to figure out which of the many positions Rudy Giuliani should adopt.
[Cabrera:] Rudy Giuliani's not the only one changing his story or changing his position. We saw the chief of staff, John Kelly, putting his foot in his mouth when he talked about the Russia investigation. He told NPR this. Quote, "It may not be a cloud, but certainly the president is somewhat embarrassed, frankly." He's now backtracking on that statement saying, "I actually corrected it to say distracted. It's untrue. It's a witch hunt. Right? It distracts him. Not too much, but it's unfair." So from embarrassing to distracting. I'm curious, Dan, you think Trump, what he thinks about this comment?
[Lippman:] I don't think Trump actually listens to NPR. Because most liberals are big fans of that radio station. I'm sure Trump saw the comments. I think sometimes he's happy to see his aides get put into the fire instead of him when here walking about Rudy Giuliani. I think the heat is on Rudy instead of Trump, and I think Trump is willing to let John Kelly kind of wave in the winds as long as he doesn't make these types of comments more often. Because Trump does not like to be a person who is embarrassed. Kelly was a little too truthful here.
[Cabrera:] Isn't that still embarrassing his administration? These are people who work for him and are supposed to be his right hand, left hand men.
[Callan:] If I can jump in for a second.
[Cabrera:] Go ahead.
[Callan:] I also think that you have a flamboyant, undisciplined president of the United States. And, of course, he got elected, maybe because he was flamboyant and undisciplined. What he needs is a careful, tempered, discipline spokesperson, and attorney representing him. Instead, he goes out and hires a former politician, Rudy Giuliani, who's crazier than he is in terms of making wild headline- grabbing statements. Doesn't strike me as a good press or defense strategy. It's going to blow up on the president. I'd be surprised if Rudy Giuliani lasts more than another three weeks.
[Cabrera:] You heard it here first. We'll see. Thank you, Paul Callan and Dan Lippman. I appreciate it. Thank you. Ahead this hour, tensions rising, U.S. flags on fire, signs mocking President Trump as anti-American protests fill the streets in Iran. What this means for stability in the region. Plus, hostage plea. He was last seen more than a decade ago, and now the family of Robert Levinson, a retired FBI agent, who vanished in Iran, is growing increasingly worried. His son, Dan, joins us live. And later, acting fast. A Florida deputy is being hailed a hero for saving a three-month old baby boy. We'll show you the remarkable dash cam video. More of this live in the CNN NEWSROOM. Don't go anywhere.