Trump's NK Answer: "Not What I Meant, It's What I Said".
BURNETT: Tonight, Trump says what he means and he means what he says, except when he does not. Today, the president was asked about comments he made yesterday, suggesting he would not have used the best possible asset to spy on North Korea, Kim Jong-un's half brother. Here's what he said.</s>TRUMP: No, it's not what I meant. It's what I said. And that's -- I think it's different than maybe your interpretation.</s>BURNETT: So Trump said he didn't mean what he said. So, let's be clear on what he said. Trump was asked about North Korea. And he brought up a "Wall Street Journal" report that said Kim Jong-un killed his half brother after finding out he was a CIA asset. So, here is how Trump put it.</s>TRUMP: I saw the information about the CIA with respect to his brother or half brother. And I would tell him that would not happen under my -- under my auspices. That's for sure. I wouldn't let that happen under my auspices.</s>BURNETT: Kim Jong Nam would have been one of the most valuable assets with inside knowledge about the rogue hermit regime or anyone in the Kim family, a regime where any intelligence is important for the world and the United States. I mean, Kim Jong-un, remember, has put out videos showing the White House in flames. He's tested nuclear missiles which can strike the continental United States and strike as far east as Chicago. So, when President Trump brought up the report saying Kim Jong Nam was a CIA asset and said that wouldn't happen under his watch, the world took notice, including the former head of the CIA.</s>JOHN BRENNAN, FORMER CIA DIRECTOR: Well, he has no appreciation for the importance of the intelligence profession and the work that intelligence professionals do around the globe to include going out and trying to recruit individuals to provide us the insights we need to keep our country strong and safe.</s>BURNETT: Words matter. When it comes to North Korea, Trump means what he says, as he said himself. Of course he did. Back in 2017 when he was threatening Kim's regime.</s>TRUMP: I hope that they are going to fully understand the gravity of what I said and what I said is what I mean. So, hopefully, they'll understand, Peter, exactly what I said and the meaning of those words. Those words are very, very easy to understand.</s>BURNETT: Except for when they're not. So, if Trump says he said what he said but it wasn't what he meant this time, then what did he mean? OUTFRONT now, Anna Fifield, Beijing bureau chief on "The Washington Post" and the author of the new book "The Great Successor", where she broke the news about Kim Jong Nam being a CIA informant. And Bob Baer, former CIA operative. So, Bob, OK, I mean, it's pretty amazing, talking about North Korea. I say what I say, I mean what I mean. I mean what I say, I say what I mean. OK, you get it. But today, no. He doesn't. He said what he said but doesn't mean it. He was given the opportunity to clarify, so then OK, what did you mean? But he didn't. What do you make of this?</s>ROBERT BAER, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, I look at it from the perspective of the Central Intelligence Agency. And this president is so volatile and it's unclear whose side he is on, whether North Korea or Washington's side. You know, it's like don't spy on North Korea. It's sort of like Roosevelt handing an order down don't spy on Japan before Pearl Harbor. I mean, it's fantastic. It's -- you know, he is clearly siding with the adversary and that's a message that's going down the ranks just as it's gone down the ranks of the FBI, don't spy on the Russians because you'll end up losing your job and your pension.</s>BURNETT: Anna, I mean, when Kim Jong-un hears this, what does he think?</s>ANNA FIFIELD, THE WASHINGTON POST: I mean, this has to be a gift to him. I mean, there is so little human intelligence about North Korea. The CIA calls it the hardest of all the hard targets. If it's true as are the reported that Kim Jong Nam was in fact an informant for the CIA there would be a huge boon for the intelligence community in America. But I think what Kim Jong Un has been very assiduously doing is he has been studying Donald Trump very carefully. You know, the North Koreans have read "The Art of the Deal". They had read "Fire and Fury", and they read Trump's tweets. They are very adept at reading him and knowing what he wants to hear. So, we have seen this repeatedly with the kinds of words that Kim Jong-un has been saying to President Trump and now, President Trump's returning the favor.</s>BURNETT: I mean, it's incredible when you say there is confusion about what side the president of the United States is on. We are talking about North Korea. I mean, Bob, this -- you know, there is a letter. Anna has insight on this as well because she knows so much about Kim has been studying Trump. But there was a new letter, right, that Trump brought up in all of this, you know, when he said he wouldn't do this CIA asset thing. He said it was a beautiful letter. And he got a letter on the one year anniversary of their first summit. Here is what Trump said.</s>TRUMP: He just wrote me a very nice letter. Unexpected. And some day you'll see what was in that letter. Some day you'll be reading about it, maybe a hundred years from now, maybe in two weeks. Who knows? But it was a very nice letter. It was a very warm, very nice letter. I appreciated it. OK?</s>BURNETT: A hundred year or two weeks like the taxes, Bob. Let me ask you one thing that we are reporting now we do know when he says the letter was so important, we have a source familiar with the contents of the letter which said that the letter did not include anything of substance. No details on the deal, no details on ideas for a deal. No details on anything. Just platitudes and warmth. What does that tell you?</s>BAER: You know what it reminds me, Erin, I hate to bring up history, it reminds me of Chamberlain in Munich when he made a so-called agreement with Adolf Hitler who then invaded Poland. This is just incredible. Erin, I've got to say, this is -- we are bordering on treason with Russia and North Korea. And, you know, this guy really has got to be impeached and out of office now, because I'm not sure whose side he is on.</s>BURNETT: Which I mean -- I think it's an incredible thing to say that somebody would not be sure of that. Anna, when it comes to the letter, he says, oh, it's beautiful and so important as I said. The reporting we have shows that's not the case. It may be beautiful but there's nothing of substance in it. You write in your book, the Korean language has complex levels of politeness. And Kim Jong-un made sure to use the most honorific terms when speaking to Trump, something he knew would be appreciated by the American president. You're referring to their first summit. This is what you're talking about, a letter like this.</s>FIFIELD: Exactly. They -- I mean, this is all very calculated. And Kim Jong-un has shown himself to be skillful and savvy and knowing which buttons to push when it comes to President Trump. So, he was very flattering, using very formal and deferential language during the summit, making sure to play the junior partner there because he knows Trump responds well to this. And it can lead to a situation where Trump is declaring a major victory, you know, we won't have to worry about nuclear weapons anymore when Kim Jong-un has not agreed to anything. It's all style and doesn't have to give up any substance.</s>BURNETT: Any substance at all. And yet here we are. Thank you both very much. And I want to get back to our breaking news tonight. The president of the United States telling George Stephanopoulos this.</s>STEPHANOPOULOS: Your campaign this time around, if foreigners, if Russia, if China, if someone else offers you information on opponents, should they accept it or should they call the FBI?</s>TRUMP: I think maybe do both. I think you might want to listen. I don't -- there is nothing wrong with listening. If somebody called from a country, Norway, we have information on your opponent, oh, I think I'd want to hear it.</s>STEPHANOPOULOS: You want that kind of interference in our election?</s>TRUMP: It's not an interference. They have information. I think I'd take it. If I thought there was something wrong, I'd go maybe to the FBI, if I thought there was something wrong.</s>BURNETT: He continues to say he's never called the FBI. Give me a break. And Trump's 2020 rivals are weighing in. Elizabeth Warren: The Mueller report made it clear a foreign government attacked our 2016 elections to support Trump. Trump welcomed that help, and Trump obstructed the investigation. Now he says he'd do it all over again. It's time to impeach Donald Trump. Governor Steve Bullock tweeting: 1-800-CALL-FBI. I want to bring in the former FBI supervisory special agent Josh Campbell. He's worked for two FBI directors, James Comey and Bob Mueller. Now, Josh, I want to be clear here, one of the most important moments, right, was when George Stephanopoulos and Christopher Wray, your FBI director, your FBI director said this is -- would be wrong, that you should call the FBI and Trump tersely, curtly said, well, he's wrong. So far, Director Wray has not responded. Can he stay quiet on this?</s>JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: I don't think so, because what we've seen here is the president of the United States just completely undercut the director of the FBI. I would disagree with the characterization that he's president's FBI. It's actually the country's FBI, although he's appointed by the president. That's an important data point.</s>BURNETT: Yes.</s>CAMPBELL: But, again, what the president is essentially saying to the American people and to the men and women of the FBI is that I don't believe you. I don't trust you, and when you come out and say something through your leadership, I'm going to go in a different direction. So, if you're the director of the FBI right now, you have a couple of different options and you can speak out and ensure that you'll take the issues seriously, that you're going to investigate any malfeasance or lawbreaking that may happen in the past or that may happen in horizon, or you can resign. And there always two different elements that you want to reach there. The first is the Allen principle. If there's something that you see that's so egregious than you disagree with, you have to have that honest conversation and can I stay in this position. And second one is if you no longer think that you're effective. Have I lost effectiveness as it relates to this job and this administration?</s>BURNETT: Sure.</s>CAMPBELL: This sure seems like one of those issues that checks both of those boxes. So, if you're the director of the FBI, you have to have that conversation with yourself and try to figure out what are you going to do. Are you going to speak out or what's next for you?</s>BURNETT: Right. There is a crucial question for Christopher Wray, right, because his boss has undercut him and said he's wrong about something that Christopher Wray says is a black and white simple issue. They don't agree on perhaps one of the most important things. And yet, what would be the implication if Christopher Wray would stand up to say, I won't take this anymore and leave even if he did it Jim Mattis style, would that be more disruptive than not?</s>CAMPBELL: Well, perhaps, but sometimes, you have to be a disruptor. I think, again, it comes down to public confidence in the FBI, in these institutions. If they stay quiet when the president of the United States says, I'm going to continue to accept information from a foreign government, even if it goes against state law, I don't know they would stay quiet, again, when their key constituents is the American people, you have to trust and confidence with them. I think, Erin, as I heard this today, I think this is one of the most troubling things we've heard from the president because it's not just about things talking about the things from the past in defending himself from actions and allegations and it's looking forward, and him telling the American people what he's going to do if faced with another situation, possible lawbreaking accepting information from a foreign government.</s>BURNETT: He's trying to change the form, right? To say, oh, it's normal and people do it, it's OK, right? He's trying to change the norm and make people think that something that is not OK, is OK.</s>CAMPBELL: That's right. He's a norm buster, we know that. Again, he came to town when he was elected, essentially on that platform, that he was going to do things differently. But at some point, that clashes with the law. The law is the law. You can't accept a thing of value from a foreign government. That is illegal. The president was sitting in the Oval Office saying, yes, I'll do it.</s>BURNETT: Thank you very much. And Jeanne is next.