Dow Opens Down After Cohn's Resignation; Mueller Explores UAE Ties; Russian Cyber Meddling; Trump Denies Chaos
BERMAN: A new figure emerging in the Russia investigation. And it may be an important figure. The special counsel now getting cooperation from a diplomat with ties to the United Arab Emirates after stopping him at Dulles Airport outside Washington in January. CNN's Shimon Prokupecz in Washington has this story. Lay this out for us, Shimon.</s>SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: Yes, John. So, you know, this -- this George Nader is this guy who basically has connections to political circles here. He's been doing some work for the UAE. He's done some other political work sort of as a foreign policy adviser with ties to Washington, D.C. He has an apartment here in Washington, D.C. But he's been this mystery figure that sort of fell off -- fell off the face of the planet. No one knew that he was even involved in any of this. And then, just in January, he was stopped at Dulles Airport by the FBI, where he was questioned for several hours, handed a search warrant for his electronic devices, and then he was given a grand jury subpoena to appear before this grand jury that's been investigating the Trump campaign and Russian influence. And we've learned that he's been cooperating with the special counsel investigation, providing information to the grand jury on his ties to the UAE and two meetings that investigators have long had questions about that occurred during the Trump transition. Now, one of them occurred in New York City in December 2016 and involved key Trump aides, Steve Bannon, Jared Kushner and Michael Flynn and the crowned prince, who flew in secretly without notifying U.S. officials. And then there was a second meeting that investigators have also been looking at, which occurred in the Seychelles, where Nader again was with the crowned prince, Trump supporter Eric Prince and a Russian with ties to Vladimir Putin. Now, the nature of these meetings have long been a concern to the FBI and intelligence officials. And Nader's cooperation certainly a significant step in this investigation, especially with the fact that he's providing information to the grand jury as Mueller continues to investigate foreign influence on the Trump transition and campaign, John.</s>BERMAN: Again, this investigation doesn't appear to be getting smaller or it doesn't appear to be getting any closer to finish, at least as we can see right now. Shimon Prokupecz, thanks so much for being with us. I appreciate it. New this morning, a senior White House official tells CNN that sanctions against Russia for cyber meddling could come as early as next week. This after President Trump claimed yesterday that Russian meddling had no impact on the vote in the last election. Joining me now is Republican Congressman Tom Marino of Pennsylvania. Congressman, thanks so much for being with us.</s>REP. TOM MARINO (R), PENNSYLVANIA: My pleasure.</s>BERMAN: YOU know, CNN reporting -- CNN reporting that the White House could ask for these new sanctions as soon as next week. What's the rush? I mean it's been, what, it's been nearly two years now since we first got news that Russia meddled in the election. Should they speed this up?</s>MARINO: Well, we certainly need sanctions against Russia, China, North Korea, Iran. And I don't think that we should wait any longer for these. As far as what's being reported, you know, I take it with a pound of salt what's being reported as far as sources. I'm a former prosecutor and there's been a lot of talk about what Mueller is doing, what he's not doing, and sanctions. Listen, Mueller is not letting anyone know what he knows, and that's the way it should be, and we should enforce these sanctions. And with -- and tougher sanctions as well.</s>BERMAN: Tougher sanctions on Russia for election meddling, independent of what Robert Mueller is doing, except, I guess, suppose he indicted 13 Russians, you know, for Russian election meddling last year. Just specifically on the Mueller investigation, because it's interesting, you say as a former federal prosecutor it's good we don't know exactly what he's doing. If -- and you're not going to mind this hypothetical because I'm not asking you to comment on the hypothetical itself. But if he is asking about the United Arab Emirates, if he is asking questions, you know, about maybe Jared Kushner's business meetings, if he's asking questions about the president's business meetings, does that go beyond where you are comfortable with the Russia investigation?</s>MARINO: Again, as a former prosecutor, the public does not know, the media does not know the plan that Special Counsel Mueller has going. You turn over one rock and it leads you to a couple of other rocks. So, as I did, I did the same thing in investigations, linking the one issue.</s>BERMAN: So -- yes.</s>MARINO: And it may be good. It may not be good.</s>BERMAN: Yes, the only reason I was asking is because there are people, Republicans, who say that if two or three or four more rocks are turned over, that is going too far. They just want to see the one rock. But I'm not going to press more on that because I do want to ask you about what's been going on in the White House. The Gary Cohn departure, the week after Hope Hicks announced she was leaving. You know, there's questions about General Kelly and how he's run the security clearance operation inside the White House. The president said yesterday there's no chaos inside the White House. Is that how you see it?</s>MARINO: Look, I trust General Kelly implicitly. He knows what he's doing. He's getting control the way it should be. Everyone should not have access to the president unless they go through the chief of staff. I do not -- I did not want to see Cohn go. But as my father always told me, there's always some just as good to replace you. Cohn's done a great job on the tax issue. And the president is -- is a smart businessman. That's why I supported him in the beginning.</s>BERMAN: So --</s>MARINO: The one thing that's smart about the president, he leads out with his toughest punch like he did talking about NAFTA, and then now you have people saying, well, let's negotiate this a little bit better instead of eliminating completely, and the president has everyone right where he wants them.</s>BERMAN: Let me -- let me go back to Gary Cohn, and then we'll come back to trade and tariffs in a second. What will you miss? Why do you think Gary Cohn will be missed? What does his loss represent to you?</s>MARINO: He's just one of the most brilliant economic advisers that I've seen in a long time. It doesn't mean that we will not have another. I'm sure we will have another brilliant adviser. But I think Mr. Cohn will be around for advice if the president wants it. But we will get someone that's</s>BERMAN: His advice --</s>MARINO: Cohn's attitude.</s>BERMAN: His advice was to not issue these tariffs on steel and aluminum. Do you think the president should listen to that advice?</s>MARINO: Well, the president is a pretty sharp businessman. And you know something, from the beginning people, first of all, said he wasn't going to be elected, and he was. But look what --</s>BERMAN: I'm asking what you think, though, congressman. I'm asking what you think about this, congressman. Do you think that the president should issue tariffs on steel and aluminum?</s>MARINO: I think -- I think he should issue tariffs on specific countries and for specific issues. Look, we're -- we've an $800 billion deficit coming up and it's not changing. So what is wrong with trying to resolve this through tariffs on countries like China and Russia that do not care about the deficit that we have. We need to be put on a lower -- excuse me -- on a playing field, a level playing field. I have union members coming to me all the time saying, you've got to do something about NAFTA because we're losing our jobs.</s>BERMAN: Yes. And I hear that, too. You just said specific countries, though, and you noted China and Russia.</s>MARINO: Yes.</s>BERMAN: Well, what about Canada, which is the largest exporter of steel to the United States? What about the EU, which, I think, exports more steel to the United States than China does?</s>MARINO: There's where the president and his team need to negotiate a revision of the NAFTA agreement to make sure that we are not at the deficit end of things. He -- again, he leads out with his hardest punch and now people are talking about saying, let's renegotiate this.</s>BERMAN: But, again -- but, again, I'm asking you -- I'm just -- I'm just asking, do you think that Canada should be punished on steel and aluminum?</s>MARINO: No, I'm not saying they should be punished. I said we should go back to the table and make it a level playing field.</s>BERMAN: And on -- when you bring up NAFTA, the clause that the president wants to use to issue these tariffs is Article 232 of a trade legislation, you know, written in the 1960s, which said it's a matter of national security. NAFTA's a separate issue here. You've got to choose one or the other.</s>MARINO: I -- no, I don't think you have to choose. As you said, look how long ago that was written. Look what NAFTA has done to manufacturing in the United States. Look what it's done to our deficit. You know, we can, and the administration does, they should --</s>BERMAN: Trade deficit.</s>MARINO: The trade deficit. And we should be able to multitask on these issues.</s>BERMAN: Congressman Tom Marino of Pennsylvania, always great to have you with us. Thanks so much for the discussion, sir.</s>MARINO: My pleasure. You bet.</s>BERMAN: All right, one week after White House Adviser Jared Kushner had his security clearance downgraded, he is set to meet with the president of Mexico today. What they plan to talk about, next.