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Rudy Giuliani Acknowledges Strategy to Undermine Mueller Probe; Trump administration Loses Track of Nearly 1500 Migrant Children; Honoring the Fallen on Memorial Day; Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired May 28, 2018 - 10:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


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[10:30:00] REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D), RANKING MEMBER, INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: -- the bully pulpit of the presidency to do it and has allies in Congress who are willing to support that? And Martha, at the end of the day, there is one remedy for that. And that is you need to throw the bums out.

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POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: He went on to say, Patti, Congress is complicit in this, but as a Democrat, and as a Democratic strategist, there have been so many Democrats who have warned against running in the midterms and in 2020 on just impeachment, impeachment, impeachment talk. Adam Schiff says, you know, vote them out, vote members of Congress out. How do you walk the line as a Democrat in this?

PATTI SOLIS DOYLE, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Right. Look, using impeachment as a political tool is absolutely the wrong way to go. First of all, it is not fair to our Constitution, it's not fair to the American people. Impeachment is a bad thing. It is a bad thing for our country. However, having said that, if the president has done something that warrants impeachment, high crimes and misdemeanors, which we don't know yet frankly, we're waiting for Mueller, then I think it is incumbent upon Congress to draw up the papers for impeachment.

But the bottom line is we're not there yet. And when Rudy Giuliani yesterday admitted that this is no longer so much a legal battle, but a political PR battle, you know --

HARLOW: He said -- he made the case --

SOLIS DOYLE: They're the ones who are politicizing this.

HARLOW: All right. He made the case on both fronts. Do you think, Alice, that Marco Rubio, you know, Seminar Marco Rubio, sitting Republican who over the weekend basically said in so many words in his CBS interview, look, it seems like the FBI was just doing what the FBI does, in putting in a confidential source in the early stages of the Russia probe to figure out if the Russians were up to anything nefarious here.

Does having a Republican senator as prominent as Rubio saying that and countering the president's spygate claims, does that change anything from the president or no?

ALICE STEWART, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Not from the president's perspective or Rudy Giuliani's perspective and many in the base for that matter. I agree with what Senator Rubio said, which is in essence what the FBI was doing was investigating people that had close ties with the Russians and some of them just happened to be either on the Trump campaign or talking with people from the Trump campaign.

HARLOW: Right.

STEWART: And every presidential campaign I would be involved in, if we had someone that was communicating with Russia, we would roll out the red carpet for the FBI to come in and investigate that. Senator Rubio was correct. But the reality is, most Republicans and in this administration, many in the base take issue with this and view that any type of investigation into the Russia matter is a way to undermine the president's victory in this campaign and that's the main message that they're trying to do, undermine the investigation which they see undermines the president's victory.

HARLOW: Patti, before you go, let me get your take on this as someone who not only ran Hillary Clinton's campaign, but also has worked closely with the Clinton family. Chelsea Clinton came out over the weekend and used probably the starkest language she's used yet to criticize President Trump. She writes in part, or said in part, let me read it to you, "I think the way that our president, and many people around him have not only mainstream hate but mainlined is deeply dangerous. Freedom of speech doesn't mean there is freedom of consequences."

She went on to say, "Sure, you should not be in prison because you say something racist, but you also shouldn't be able to run for president and yet here we are." Given that she's the daughter of Trump's opponent, does this resonate more with people or does it just say, yes, yes, yes, but her mother didn't win?

SOLIS DOYLE: I think Chelsea is her own person. She's an adult now. And she certainly has opinions of her own. I think when she speaks these truths, it speaks to many Americans. Particularly Democrats and progressives. But also, you know, moderates, Republicans who feel that this president has just taken the divisiveness, the hatred just too far. And, you know, I don't think she asked permission of her mother to give this interview, I think she just did it. I mean, she -- and, you know, God bless her.

HARLOW: Patti Solis Doyle, Alice Stewart, thank you, both.

STEWART: Thank you, Poppy.

HARLOW: All right. Ahead for us, almost 1500 children, their whereabouts unknown, where are all of these young unaccompanied migrants who were supposed to be in a safe home. The government admits it does not know but now also says it's not responsible for them.

Plus, minutes from now, President Trump will mark Memorial Day with a visit to Arlington National Cemetery. He will lay a wreath right there at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. You'll see it live.

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[10:38:54] HARLOW: Welcome back. I'm Poppy Harlow in New York and we are keeping a close eye on this story because the U.S. government says it has lost track of nearly 1500 migrant children. And these are children picked up at the border as unaccompanied minors, placed in homes of what were said to be vetted sponsors, but now the location, the safety, the security of these 1500 is unknown.

Rosa Flores is on this story for us, and, Rosa, is it the case that the government is saying this is fact and we are not responsible for the whereabouts of these children?

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You're absolutely right, Poppy. As shocking as that is. Now we continue to ask more questions because as we looked at the report closer, we learned that in fiscal year 2017, which is where they get this 1500 number, they actually DHS referred 40,000 children to Health and Human Services. And it happens to be that in December they checked on 7600 of those children. And they couldn't account for 1500.

So we're asking more questions, Poppy, because so did they check on the other children, the other tens of houses of children?

[10:40:07] Have they checked? Are those children accounted for or not? We're still asking all of those questions. What HHS did tell us, though, is that once the child is placed in a home with the sponsor, so this is a parent or a relative, then they say, quote, "He or she seizes to be in the custody of the United States government and all HHS provided subsistence ends at that point and the child becomes the responsibility of his or her parent, guardian or sponsor" -- Poppy.

HARLOW: Now, Rosa, this is gaining more attention because of recent comments that Attorney General Jeff Session and Kirstjen Nielsen, who heads the DHS, have said about U.S. policy about how immigrants that cross into the United States illegally will be apprehended, even if they have children with them. Right? And this goes back to this critical testimony that the man that runs this part of the program gave.

FLORES: It really does. And it begs the question, if the United States plans to separate parents from their children, will they be able to take care of them and will they be able to track them and during this testimony, when that question was asked, will they do anything to track these children, the answer was no. Take a listen.

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SEN. JAMES LANKFORD (R), OKLAHOMA: Is there a pursuit to try to figure out where they are or what happens next?

STEVEN WAGNER, ACTING ASSISTANCE SECRETARY OF HHS: There is not a pursuit. We give DHS visibility on where the child has been placed, but once we provide that information, then we don't have a mechanism for tracking down the kids.

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FLORES: Now those senators then followed up, Poppy, and asked if the United States doesn't have a legal responsibility, does it have a moral responsibility to make sure that these children are safe?

HARLOW: Rosa Flores, critical question, stay on it for us, thank you for all of the reporting there.

All right. We are learning more now about the man that went missing in this flood in -- right outside of Baltimore. We told you his name earlier in the show, his name is Eddison Hermond, and friends say he's an Air Force veteran. There you see him, 39 years old. And witnesses say he was a restaurant when the water just suddenly began to rise. We're told he left the restaurant to help a woman nearby, rescue her pet. That's when he was swept away in the current. Facebook friends say he was in the Air Force and currently serves as a member of the National Guard. Of course, we are hoping they're able to locate him.

President Trump is set to arrive at Arlington National Cemetery any moment. He will honor the fallen service members on this Memorial Day as he lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. You'll see it here live. Stay with us.

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[10:47:19] HARLOW: All right, you're looking at live pictures from Arlington National Cemetery, on this Memorial Day, as those are arriving to honor the fallen men and women at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. In a little while, the president will arrive and he will lay a wreath there as well. And you're looking at the procession right now.

Let's go to our Barbara Starr, there you have the president's chief of staff John Kelly, we just saw him walking.

Barbara Starr is with us. And Barbara, you're in Section 60 of Arlington. What is the significance of it?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: It is, Poppy, good morning. It is a significant place because it is here where many of those who fell on the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq are laid to rest. There are other veterans who are buried here from wars long ago, and thankfully veterans who died peacefully in their sleep at a good old age surrounded by their families. This is a true cross section of U.S. military life and U.S. military history.

I want to show you, though, just one remembrance here today. This is a young private first class who was killed in 2006, and you see some of the drawings that a young child, we don't know if it is his child or a family relative, left here in memory of this private first class.

This is what we see here at Arlington today. People come, they leave flowers, they leave mementos, battle buddies leave, shall we say, a cool frosty adult beverage at the gravesite of their friends. This is a place that is just full of people, spending their Memorial

Day paying their respects to the fallen, their respects to America's military veterans. It is a scene I'm sure is repeated around the country, around towns and cities at so many cemeteries and remembrances on this day. But this, here, at Arlington, always, Poppy, this is always a very special place on Memorial Day -- Poppy.

HARLOW: As it should be. Barbara Starr, thank you for being there for us today.

With me now, CNN military analyst, retired major general, Spider Marks, he's a combat veteran, served more than 30 years around the world, including in South Korea, Kuwait and Iraq.

Thank you for being here, Spider.

And also with me is Yasin Wade --

MAJ. GEN. JAMES "SPIDER" MARKS, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Sure, Poppy.

HARLOW: A military widow who lost her husband three years ago when he was deployed overseas, she is the mother of three children.

Thank you, Yasin, for your commitment, your service and sacrifice to this country and for your husband's. And let me begin with you, your husband is buried at Arlington. You went yesterday with your three little kids.

[10:50:03] We have some photos to pull up here and so people can see your family. What do you want people to remember about your husband today?

YASIN WADE, WIDOW OF LT. DANIEL WADE: I just want them to remember, actually all of the people that have died and sacrificed for our country. It is not just about the pool openings or barbecues, just taking a moment to just think about who has, you know, given the ultimate sacrifice. For us, we like to go and we'll -- which is our game we played as a family, and eat Oreos, which is their dad's favorite treat. So we try to make it fun and the kids look forward to it and we go every year and this year we actually bumped into another family that we see every Memorial Day, that's kind of special. That's probably some of the photos that were taken today, that you see today.

HARLOW: Yes. They're wonderful photos. I don't think you can see them, but what a beautiful family and what a remarkable man he sounds like he was.

Spider, to you there, well, first before we get to the Go Silent Campaign, what does today mean for you as someone who served so many decades?

MARKS: Well, Poppy, thanks for having me. And I need to tell you that Yasin said it exceptionally well. It is a day to remember, it is a day of reflection. We all have different ways that we do that. And I think it is important that we all kind of put that first and foremost. Look, America has always been great. We don't need to make America

great again. We need to recognize that all of the sacrifices that have been made by soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marine, Coast Guardsmen, like Yasin's husband, made America great. So it's an opportunity for us to honor them and it's an opportunity for us to smile and to remember.

You know, when you look at the headstone you've got the date they were born, you got the date they were killed and they left us. It's the dash in between that we want to recognize.

HARLOW: Yes.

MARKS: It's those sacrifices, those contributions, the smiles of those beautiful kids. It's an opportunity to do that.

HARLOW: The lives they live. And today at 3:00 p.m. the IAVA, which honors the veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, has asked for everyone to take a moment of silence, 3:00 p.m. Eastern for the Go Silent Campaign for Memorial Day, Spider. How important is that?

MARKS: I think it's really important. You know, it's very accretive to the day. Look, Memorial Day and this entire weekend is an opportunity for us as we have described to be -- to remember and to reflect on the many, many sacrifices that have really built this nation.

The Go Silent Campaign is wonderful because it really is a -- it's kind of a benchmark within this day.

HARLOW: Yes.

MARKS: For us to really get serious about what we have been able to achieve as a nation. If we don't do this, we become rudderless, we become aimless as a nation. That's what concerns me. We have to routinely reach up and grab each other by the sleeve and say, hey, look, there's a reason why we're here, there is an opportunity for us to thank those that have made these sacrifices. It's an opportunity for us to realize it's not about us, it's about everybody else and these great young men and women who have made these incredible sacrifices to create this nation.

HARLOW: Yasin, as we look at these live images at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier where the president will arrive in just moments, you got that dreaded knock on the door. Your husband died of a heart attack suddenly while he was deployed overseas and what happened to you is what so many of us only ever see in movies, right? And we have no idea what it is like to live as a military spouse, let alone lose our spouse while they are serving.

What is your message to Americans who feel very disconnected from those currently serving or from veterans because they haven't lived it?

WADE: I'm going to just say that I think the root of everything is family. And those people are part of someone's family. They were loved by someone fiercely. They have children of their own. I think that Tragedy Assistance Group for Survivors, TAPS, has been an excellent program for us. They have offered so many resources and we've actually found a new family, a bigger family. Sadly it is all other service members, families who lost a loved one, but there's a bond and a relationship that we've been able to establish with so many of these other parents, wives, children.

So I think the kids and I kind of found our new kind of tribe within the military, where we can go and just have comfort mothers knowing how we feel about even saying anything. So I think that that is one of the best things we've gotten out of this whole situation.

HARLOW: I'm so glad. And guys in the control room, if we could pull up the photo again of Yasin's family, her husband, Lieutenant Daniel Wade and their children. We honor him, we honor all who have served today. Lieutenant Daniel Wade was just 38 years old.

Thank you, Major General. Thank you, Yasin, we appreciate it.

We'll be right back.

[10:55:00]

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HARLOW: All right, on this Memorial Day, live pictures on a somber morning at Arlington National Cemetery. Today is the day to honor the men and women who have given the ultimate sacrifice, their lives, so that we can all live and stay protected on this Memorial Day as you barbecue, as you go to the pool, as you go to the mall, just remember, this and those men and women are what today is all about.

Thank you for being with me today. I'm Poppy Harlow. "AT THIS HOUR" starts right now.

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Erica Hill, in today for Kate Bolduan. At any moment, president Trump will mark this Memorial Day with a somber and time-honored tradition at Arlington --