Trump Didn't Know of Meeting
CAMEROTA: OK, so a lots happened already during just our program. President Trump is now slamming his long-time confidant, fixer and personal attorney Michael Cohen. He's just done it this morning. And this is in response to sources telling CNN that Michael Cohen says the president knew about that meeting in Trump Tower with the four Russians. He knew about it in advance and he approved it. Here's what the president says in response. I did not know of the meeting with my son, Don Junior. Sounds to me like someone is trying to make up stories in order to get himself out of an unrelated jam, taxicabs, maybe. He even retained Bill and crooked Hillary's lawyer. Gee, I wonder if they helped him make the choice. Let's get "The Bottom Line" with CNN political analyst Carl Bernstein, who broke this story, along with CNN's Jim Sciutto. And we also have standing by CNN chief legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin.</s>JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN CHIEF LEGAL ANALYST: Who did not break this story.</s>CAMEROTA: But is offering valuable context.</s>TOOBIN: I didn't -- I didn't break the story. Carl Bernstein broke this story.</s>CAMEROTA: Carl Bernstein has broken so many stories. Carl, tell us the significance of this one today.</s>CARL BERNSTEIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, the significance is that the lawyer to the president of the United States, or the former lawyer to the president, is alleging and has told a fair number of people that the president knew in advance of this meeting to take place at which Russian operatives were to deliver dirt on Hillary Clinton for use in his campaign. It would be a stunning development if indeed the president of the United States, then about to become the nominee of his party, knew of that meeting in advance because the meeting itself that did take place suggests a kind of collusion in the sense that those present expected to receive information from the Russian participants. If the president himself knew of it in advance, it is a very, very damaging piece of information, especially while he and his campaign are under investigation by the special prosecutor.</s>BERMAN: It is interesting because this morning the president has flat out denied it. Again, he has done it on Twitter. So someone is lying here. Either the president lying on Twitter, or Michael Cohen is lying as he is telling people that he will testify to this -- to the special counsel. Now, I will note, Carl, that neither the president, nor Michael Cohen, has said these exact words under oath yet in any way as far as we know.</s>BERNSTEIN: Well, not only has neither said it under oath, as we have seen the president of the United States, aside from lying, and sometimes he's been truthful about some matters, but he also sometimes finds some wiggle room. Whether any wiggle room is possible here in the two versions, I have no idea. We're talking about two people here, Mr. Cohen and the president of the United States, who have not the most sterling credibility, especially in the kinds of matters that we're discussing here. And, once again, the president has chosen to try to make the issue here Hillary Clinton rather than his own actions. But if indeed this is a real denial, I'm going to presume that the special prosecutor is going to try and find out what version of events is true.</s>CAMEROTA: Jeffrey, if Michael Cohen, the person who was beside Donald Trump for years, his confidant, his fixer, if he is willing to talk to Robert Mueller, which sources say that he is, is that a game changer?</s>TOOBIN: Well, you know, I think the key question here is what is Michael Cohen's corroboration? What is his proof that he is telling the truth? I think one of the most interesting things in Carl's story about Michael Cohen's version of these events is Cohen says other people were president when Donald Trump Senior knew -- was informed of this meeting. What do they have to say? Is there any contemporaneous record? Are their tapes? Are their e-mails? Are there texts that discuss Donald Trump Senior's knowledge or lack thereof of this Trump Tower meeting? You know, that is always what these contests come down to when two people tell conflicting versions of a story is --</s>CAMEROTA: Yes, but I'm even beyond the Trump Tower meeting. I mean Michael Cohen talking to Robert Mueller, isn't that -- isn't he a gold mine?</s>TOOBIN: You would think. I mean he is the person who has dealt with all of Donald Trump's most embarrassing problems with these women, negotiating these payments to these women. All of that will presumably be spelled out. You know, we now know -- we found out this week -- I mean the Trump developments happen so fast. Remember way, way back, two days ago, when we first heard the tape of Donald Trump and Michael Cohen.</s>CAMEROTA: Vaguely, yes.</s>TOOBIN: That -- you know, does he have other tapes? What do they say? What is the corroboration? I mean all of that needs to be spelled out. And Cohen, if he's willing to cooperate and if they can get around the issues of attorney-client privilege, which are considerable, a very important witness.</s>BERMAN: You know, Carl, it's so interesting, and I heard you talking about this last night, there have been so many questions about why. Why Michael Cohen is coming forward now. How do you explain the change in psyche of someone like Michael Cohen? And you brought up another historical example. Obviously one with which you had deep personal knowledge in history with, and it's John Dean.</s>BERNSTEIN: Well, let's first say that it's very clear that Mr. Cohen is looking for a get out of jail card from the special prosecutor in exchange for information that he says is truthful. And in the past, of course, there have been witnesses who, in all kinds of criminal cases, who have a record of not being truthful, who turn around and become prosecution witnesses and become truthful. Whether or not this is the case right now, we don't know. In the case of John Dean 45 years ago in which Mr. Dean and his attorney, before he testified before the Senate Watergate committee, they went around putting out a version of events that said that Mr. Dean would indeed turn on the president of the United States and disclose what he knew about the Watergate cover up. And in that instance, I was in touch with Mr. Dean's lawyers who were indeed telling me that Dean was about to do what we saw him do before the Senate Watergate committee in that historic testimony. And the story that we wrote, Bob Woodward and myself, was, of course, correct in what he was going to say. We do not know if the facts that Mr. Cohen is alleging here are correct or if the facts, as told by Donald Trump in this latest tweet, except that Hillary Clinton is not the real issue here. The issue is the conduct of Mr. -- of the president of the United States and those around him in the campaign. But we do not know yet whether or not Mr. Cohen is being truthful, what he will elaborate. He also, we have to be very clear, in saying he has a trove of other information to disclose. So let's wait and see how the facts develop.</s>CAMEROTA: Yes. Carl Bernstein, thank you very much for sharing your reporting with us. That is really helpful. Jeffrey, thank you for all that. We should also mention that it's just been announced --</s>BERMAN: Yes.</s>CAMEROTA: That President Trump says he will be speaking about the economy in the next hour. We've just got the new economic numbers. They're great. They're going gangbusters for this quarter, 4.1 percent. So that's happening at 9:30 Eastern.</s>BERMAN: He's making a 9:30 statement on the South Lawn of the White House. We do not know if he will take questions. We also don't know if reporters will shout questions. That's become something of an issue at the White House of late.</s>CAMEROTA: Indeed it has. I know what you're referring to.</s>BERMAN: All right, there's been so much breaking news this morning. We're staying all over it at CNN. The special coverage continues with Poppy Harlow and CNN "NEWSROOM" very shortly.</s>CAMEROTA: Have a great weekend.