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Senator Cory Booker Joins 2020 Presidential Race; Virginia GOP Calls on Governor to Resign If He Is in Yearbook Photo Showing People in Blackface, KKK Robe; U.S. Suspending Landmark Nuclear Arms Treaty With Russia; President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un's Second Summit Planned For Coastal City of Da Nang; Judge Threatens Roger Stone with Gag Order; Trump May Declare Emergency for a Wall. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired February 01, 2019 - 17:00   ET

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

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Happening now breaking news, silencing stone. A federal judge says she may issue a gag order against the Trump ally, Roger Stone and warns him not to contact witnesses or treat the buildup to his trial like a public relations campaign. Will the man that can't shut up be shut up?

Getting nowhere President Trump calls Congressional talks a waste of time and says he is getting nowhere with democrats. He says there's a good chance he will have to declare a national emergency to build his wall even though he says he's already building it.

Packing up as the president suspends a nuclear treaty with Russia, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says he is risking a new arms race. The president fires right back saying, quote, "I don't think Nancy has a clue."

And meeting in Vietnam the president all but confirms that he will meet again with the North Korean Dictator, Kim Jung-un in Da Nang, Vietnam. Can America' foreign enemy serve as a model for its current foe?

I'm Wolf Blitzer and you're in the "Situation Room".

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

BLITZER: Breaking news, a federal judge considers imposing a gag order in the case against long time Trump ally Roger Stone saying this is a criminal preceding not a public relations campaign. The judge is warning Stone not to treat the run up to a trial like a book tour. Stone has already been camera shy since his arrest on charges stemming from the Mueller investigation. I should say hasn't been camera shy but tonight there may be new developments.

Also, President Trump says there's a good chance he will declare a national emergency to build a border wall land drops a big hint about an announcement tied to his State of the Union address. I'll speak with Republican Congressman, Chris Stewart of the Intelligence Committee and our correspondents and analysts are standing by with full coverage. Let's begin with the breaking news out of today's court hearing for long-time Trump associate Roger Stone facing multiple charges arising from the Mueller investigation. The federal judge overseeing the case had a very tough warning for Stone. Let's bring in our Senior White House Correspondent Pamela Brown and our Senior Justice Correspondent Evan Perez. Evan, what was the warning to Stone from this judge?

EVAN PEREZ, SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well there was a stern warning Wolf. It went something like this. This is a criminal proceeding, not a public relations campaign. And that was the warning from Amy Berman Jackson, the judge who is going to be overseeing Roger Stone's trial on these seven counts that includes obstruction of justice and witness tampering. As you know, Roger Stone has been on something of a publicity tour, doing a lot of public interviews and also reaching out to friends and family who are there to support him.

We know that more than a dozen of Roger Stone's friends have come in for interviews with - as part of this investigation with the Robert Mueller investigation and so one of the warnings - one of the warnings that the judge gave to Roger Stone today, Wolf, was to make sure he would avoid any contact with people who might be called as witnesses in this case.

That includes no e-mails, no text messages, Instagram posts, What's Up messages, and even using intermediaries trying to contact people who might become witnesses in this trial. The judge made sure that she asked Roger Stone if he understood that and he says, "Yes, your Honor."

Now Wolf, you know this judge has -- has a history of being very stern with people in her courtroom. And I think certainly Roger Stone's publicity tour, his - his -- his media interviews was certainly something she was going - was going to take notice of.

BLITZER: Yes, she is a very tough judge. We all know that. So Pamela, could Roger Stone actually be barred from speaking about the case as he awaits trial?

PAMELA BROWN, SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. This is something Roger Stone will likely not like given how much he is out there in the public view talking to the media since the indictment. Just about a week ago, in fact the judge in this case, Judge Amy Jackson, talked about he has been out there publically and his public statements could taint a jury pool.

And so she said during today's hearing that she is considering a gag order and she used some very tough language, very stern, when she said this during the hearing. She warned him not to argue his case on quote, "The talk show circuit or treat this case like a book tour." Also she said, "This is a criminal proceeding and not a public relations campaign."

Now we know from the Paul Manafort case she was the same judge and she ordered a gag order in that case so it will not be a surprise at all if she decides to do the same with Roger Stone.

BLITZER: She's clearly concerned about witness tampering as well. That's why she's saying you can't speak to any other potential witnesses in this case.

BROWN: Right. Exactly, as Evan just said.

PEREZ: Right and I think one of the things that happens Wolf in these cases is that the prosecutor view any public statements you make as not only usable for them to try to use against you in court, but also as an attempt perhaps to get other witnesses to line up their stories with yours.

[17:05:00]

That is something that prosecutors will be very concerned about and certainly this judge was calling attention to that.

BLITZER: Yes, go ahead.

BROWN: I was going to say she made very clear that any inconsistencies with what he has said publically would be entered in as evidence in this case.

PEREZ: Right, exactly.

BLITZER: It's a very serious situation. The president - President Trump, he's denying the one Roger Stone - that Mueller was talking about in the Roger Stone indictment. The president is speaking out about all of this.

PEREZ: That's right. He told "The New York Times" something that we heard before which is that he has never spoken to Roger Stone about WikiLeaks. It was not him that was being referred to in the indictment. If you remember, there was a mention that there was a senior -- it was somebody in the campaign who had been directed to reach out to Roger Stone about the trove of e-mails that WikiLeaks was in possession of. Donald Trump, the president, last night telling "The New York Times" that it is not him, adamantly saying that is definitely not him. We don't know who it is. We still have not been able to identify that person. If it is not the president, then who is it?

BLITZER: Yes, the president does say he's a good guy. Kept saying about Roger Stone, he's a good guy. I've known him for a long time.

PEREZ: Yes, they have a long history.

BLITZER: Evan, Pamela, thank you very much.

We're following more news right now including the president tonight heading to his Florida resort for the weekend after giving every indication that he plans to go ahead with a border wall by declaring a national emergency calling Congressional negotiations a waste of time. Let's go to our White House Correspondent Abby Phillip. Abby, update our viewers on the very latest.

ABBY PHILLIP, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well Wolf, President Trump did leave the White House just a few minutes ago after days of undermining bipartisan negotiators who've been working to advert yet another government shutdown. But increasingly, the president seems to be acknowledging that he is not going to get his border wall, at least not from Congress.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

TRUMP: We're going to strengthen up our ...

PHILLIP: (Voiceover) Tonight President Trump venting his frustrations as democrats stonewall his border wall. Trump once again dangling the prospect that he will go around Congress and build it anyway even if a bipartisan group of lawmakers don't fund it.

TRUMP: We will be looking at a national emergency because I don't think anything is going to happen. I think the democrats don't want border security.

PHILLIP: (voiceover) And teasing a potential announcement during the State of the Union address next week.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're already saying now you expect to declare a national ....

TRUMP: I don't want to say but you'll hear the State of the Union and then you'll see what happens right after the State of the Union. OK?

PHILLIP: As democratic candidates jump into the 2020 presidential race to defeat him, Trump is accusing the party of playing politics.

TRUMP: They're only doing it for one very simple reason, there's one simple reason. Couldn't be simpler because they think it's good politics for 2020, because they say maybe we can beat Trump because this is a big issue.

PHILLIP: Trump also slamming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's criticism of the administration's decision to suspend an arms control deal they claim Russia has been violating for years.

TRUMP: Honestly, I don't think she has a clue. I really don't. I don't think Nancy has a clue.

PHILLIP: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, announcing the suspension today.

MIKE POMPEO, SECRETARY OF STATE: Russia has jeopardized the United States' security interest and we can no longer be restricted by the treaty while Russia shamelessly violates it.

PHILLIP: Though Trump, keeping the door open for negotiations on a new pact with Putin.

TRUMP: I hope that we're able to get everybody in a very big and beautiful room and do a new treaty that would be much better. But - because certainly I would like to see that.

PHILLIP: All of this after the president sat down with "The New York Times" for a wide-ranging interview where he downplayed any potential risk in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe claiming he got private assurances from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

TRUMP: He told the attorneys that I'm not a subjet - not a target... Yes, oh yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did he say anything about the SDNY investigation too. There's two, there's Mueller and there's Cohens.

TRUMP: I don't k now. I don't know about that. That I don't know about.

(END VIDEO)

PHILLIP: The president also explicitly denying he talked to his long- time advisor Roger Stone about stolen information that WikiLeaks released during the campaign.

(BEGIN AUDIO)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you ever talk to him about WikiLeaks because that seemed to be what Mueller...

TRUMP: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... was - you never had a conversation with him?

TRUMP: No.

(END AUDIO)

PHILLIP: And contradicting his attorney, Rudy Giuliani who said negotiations with Russia about a Trump tower in Moscow, Trump telling "The New York Times" he was wrong. Rudy has been wrong a little bit.

President trump who normally denounces the media as fake news is also citing CNN's exclusive reporting that three phone calls his son, Donald Trump, Jr., after the 2016 Trump Tower with Russians promising dirt on Hillary Clinton were not made to him.

Trump tweeting. The big deal, very mysterious Don, Jr., telephone calls after the innocent Trump Tower meeting that the media and dems said were made to his father, me, were just conclusively found not to be made to me. They were made to friends and business associates of Don, really sad.

Meantime the economy continuing to give Trump a boost. A new Jobs Report on Friday showing a blockbuster 304,000 jobs were created in January despite the 35-day government shutdown. Trump also dodging what might have been a major embarrassment.

TRUMP: As Foxcom(ph) has discovered there is no better place to build, higher in growth than right here in the United States.

PHILLIP: Just days after electronics manufacture, Foxcom said it was reconsidering plans to build a factory in Wisconsin. The company apparently changing course after the CEO received a phone call from the president himself. Officials won't get into much detail about what President Trump is going to say at a State of the Union address but they have said that he's going to call for a break in the stalemate. He's going to strike an optimistic tone and ask for that announcement that the president seemed to tease today relating to the government shutdown, the official would only say that the president is going to offer a way forward.

That - what a way forward will be it's not clear but he seems to be downplaying the possibility that it might come from that bipartisan group of negotiators that are working and they have been working for many days to come up with a resolution to the stalemate.

BLITZER: Well the president clearly dismissing the chances of their success. Coming up with something he could support. All right, Abby, thank you very much. Abby Phillip at the White House.

Joining us now, Republican Congressman Chris Stewart of Utah. He's a key member of the House Intelligence Committee. Congressman, thanks so much for joining us.

REP. CHRIS STEWART, (R) UTAH: Good to with you. A lot to talk about.

BLITZER: Let's begin quickly on this Roger Stone case. A federal judge as you just heard warning Stone this afternoon that he was prohibited from contacting potential witnesses. Given that Stone has already been indicted for witness tampering, do you worry he might try to do that again?

STEWART: Look I'm not here to be a (inaudible) for Roger Stone. He's a bit of a character and I think it would shock a lot of people if he were talking to people because he does a lot of talking. I think he enjoys the limelight. He's certainly not shy in front of the camera. But it would just be common sense for anyone to say under these circumstances I shouldn't talk to these individuals. Probably not a bad idea for the judge to remind him of that.

BLITZER: I think she's likely going to issue some sort of gag order and we'll see if he complies. Congressman, after the president's top intelligence chiefs publically, before the Senate, contradicted him during testimony earlier this week. The president attacked them on Twitter and in front of reporters. Now the president claims those are intelligence chiefs told him that the coverage of their testimony was fake news and that they were misquoted even though all of it was on camera. There were cameras there; there was videotape.

Are you worried that this public feud is damaging national security.

STEWART: Well it's not helpful. I mean in a sense that it's just not helpful for the dialogue. Look Wolf, it's not I think a big surprise to anyone to find out the intelligence community or some of our intelligence officials and the White House may have disagreements from time to time. I mean my heavens, that's happened in probably every previous administration. It's certainly happening now and it will probably happen in subsequent ones. But it's better if those disagreements are aired and talked out privately than in such a public manner. I do think that one thing that you said is absolutely true and that is when you take the entirety of their comments - the entirety of their testimony before the senate committee, it didn't appear to be nearly as contradictory to what the president and the White House's goals and what they stated previously.

And I think it's fair to say that there were one or two sentences that were taken and highlighted that appeared to be - give it much more weight than in its entirety they had but once again I think we're better if these disagreements are played out in a private manner than maybe so much public.

BLITZER: But when the president - when the president saw the clips, the actual video of what these intelligence chiefs said, whether about Russia, whether about North Korea, whether about ISIS, when he heard precisely what they said in front of these U.S. senators, he then went ahead and ridiculed them and said maybe they should go back to school that they were naive. Is that appropriate?

STEWART: Well one thing I don't know and maybe you know this and I don't. But I don't know at what point or how much of this the president saw, if he saw one or two clips that were on the news that day which were very short and didn't give full context or if he saw more broadly their testimony and made those comments. I think he made them early on based on some reporting...

BLITZER: But I got to tell you Congressman, and you and I know each other. I watched that entire two or three hour hearing and those clips were not taken out of context. They said whether Dan Coats, the Director of National Intelligence, or Gina Haspel, the CIA Director or the FBI Director, Christopher Wray, what they said was very precise and we made sure it was all in full context.

STEWART: Yes and I wasn't Wolf that they were taken out of context. I'm just saying that they were highlighted and I don't at what point the president responded to that.

[17:15:00]

But once again, I'll say it, if he has disagreement with his intelligence chief, I think it's better for all of us that those conversations take place privately.

BLITZER: I agree. I think they should take place privately. He shouldn't humiliate and embarrass the intelligence chiefs after they go ahead and testify, knowing that what they say it is the best assessment that the U.S. intelligence community has.

And remember, if they lie to the Senate, if they lie Congress, that's a crime, perjury. That's something that they don't want to commit.

STEWART: Well, I would add one other thing and, look, I supported this president. I think he's been -- and I know some might not agree with this -- but his policies have, I think, helped tens of millions of American people, whether they are talking regulatory reform or tax reform or the defeat of ISIS, et cetera, et cetera.

But as I have said to you and to others, there are -- there have been times when he has been critical of the international community, which, as a former Air Force pilot and someone who sits on the Intelligence Committee now, is where I spend an awful lot of my time. And when he's been critical of them in a way that I don't -- I think is not just unfair but actually in some cases not entirely accurate, I haven't hesitated to challenge the president on that.

BLITZER: All right.

STEWART: I haven't hesitated to say, Mr. President, I don't think that is helpful. I don't think it's helpful for you nor do I think it is helpful for those who are trying to do a very difficult --

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Yes. I think you're right. When the president has a disagreement with his intelligence chiefs, he should bring them in and privately they should have a conversation instead of immediately going out and complaining that maybe they should apply to graduate school and get a better education.

That's inappropriate, I think; you and I agree on that.

Let's get to another important subject, Congressman, while I have you. The president says there's a good chance he'll declare a national emergency in order to fund -- to find the money necessary for his border wall.

Would you support that move?

STEWART: Well, I hope it doesn't happen. And let me answer your question in just a moment but set the table a little bit, if I could, and that is to say the Democrats promised us that if we opened up the government, they would negotiate.

And the president has shown a remarkable degree of compromise on this. Sitting on the Appropriations Committee as well last spring, we were marking up legislation to ask for $25 billion for the wall. We went to $20 billion to $15 billion to $10 billion to $5.7 billion, as you know. And in every case, Ms. Pelosi said, no, not one dime, not one penny, actually would not $1, not one penny.

The president provided protections for DACA for the DREAMers, something that many of us have been trying to fix for a couple of years and again they said no.

So the president I think in a very sincere way has said, what will it take to work for us to work together if, at the end of the day they are unable to find that compromise and shame on them if they are not, if this group can't give us a little bit of funding for some border security. Then the president has that decision make.

I hope he doesn't do that. And my fear is if we declare a national emergency to build a few hundred miles of fence, my fear is what is the next Democrat president going to do when he or she thinks that climate change is a national emergency?

And therefore we're going to waive all sorts of will of Congress and the will of the people. Or if they say income equality is a national emergency. I think it opens up a Pandora's box that I sincerely hope we don't open. I think we'll regret it if we do. I think both sides will regret it if we do. I hope it doesn't come to that. And I don't think it will. Talking to members and friends of mine who are working on that small group, they're becoming a little more optimistic over the last few days.

BLITZER: Well, that's good to hear that. let's hope in the next two weeks they can figure out no more government shutdowns.

All right, Congressman Chris Stewart of Utah, thanks so much for joining us.

STEWART: Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: Up next, the breaking news, a federal judge considers slapping a gag order on Trump ally Roger Stone, warning him not to contact witnesses or treat the run-up to his trial like a book tour.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:20:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

BLITZER: Our breaking news: a federal judge warning President Trump's ally, Roger Stone, that he may issue a gag order as she cautioned Stone, saying, quote, "This is a criminal proceeding and not a public relations campaign."

Let's bring in our legal and political experts to talk about today's hearing.

Laura Jarrett, you cover the Justice Department for us. You have a legal background.

What do you make of this warning to Stone?

LAURA JARRETT, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: It was really for his own good. I'm not sure if he received it that way as much as he loves the spotlight. But Judge Jackson tried to explain to him what he said outside of court can be used inside of court.

And so she's trying to make sure that he doesn't get himself caught up in a situation where those two things conflict; tried to explain it to him. Obviously, he has First Amendment rights.

According to someone who was in court for us, you know, he sort of frowned skeptically and made a face when she talked about it. So he obviously wants to be heard. So they will let a week go by and let the parties brief and then she'll rule. BLITZER: He is -- she said to him, don't treat this case like a book tour. You're not on a talk show circuit.

Why didn't she issue a gag order right away?

JARRETT: Well, she could have. This is the same judge who is overseeing the case of Paul Manafort, Trump former campaign chairman. And in that case, she did issue a gag order. He violated that gag order and that's why he is in jail. And so she takes this very seriously.

And so if she does issue one, expect to see her enforce it.

BLITZER: The president today issued another warning that, if he doesn't get the money for his border wall, Gloria, he will go ahead and simply declare a national emergency and build a wall with other funds that he already has.

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, it is as if he is skipping over the conference committee and says it's useless. Nancy Pelosi doesn't know what she is talking about. They're never going to get it done.

[17:25:00]

BORGER: So my question is, why doesn't he just do it if he knows nothing is going to occur?

That is his only way out of it. But there is a note of caution here which is that lots of Republicans oppose it. They think it is too much executive authority. They think it sets a very bad precedent. But this is a short-term solution here for a longer-term problem.

And by the way, as we all know, it will wind up in court. But it does allow him to save face, which is very important to Donald Trump, and to say I didn't cave. In the end, I will get what I wanted.

BLITZER: We just heard Republican congressman Chris Stewart say he doesn't want him to declare a national emergency.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Because a Democratic president could do the same thing on issues that they --

(CROSSTALK)

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST: He had the opportunity to do this before the last shutdown and chose not to take that off. He was talked out of it from all of these critics and he decided instead to move forward with the shutdown.

BLITZER: Do Democrats have an incentive right now to go ahead and give him some funds for a border wall?

TOOBIN: I don't see an incentive for them for a border -- for the border wall he envisions. I think there's great incentive for Democrats to show that they want to put some border security money into this budget.

But to put an appropriation for the border wall that Nancy Pelosi has called immoral, no. I don't see any incentive for them to do so, especially when he is floating the idea that he is going to do this other offramp, legal or not, and doesn't seem at all inclined to shut down the government again. I think that even emboldens Democrats.

BLITZER: How were the hardliners on his right, Ann Coulter, among others, going to react, Jackie, if he goes ahead and declares a national emergency? JACKIE ALEMANY, ANCHOR, "POWER UP": Well, herein lies the biggest problem with Trump's push for the border wall, that people like Ann Coulter, who will not settle for anything less than a wall. She said today that if he doesn't get the wall she will help a far-right candidate try to primary Trump in the primary.

But then there are these Republicans that agree with Ann Coulter that also want the wall but as y'all were saying, don't want this abuse of executive power.

But I think this is the president's best out here, because when has the president cared if lawmakers on the Hill were kicking and screaming for him not to do something?

So he calls a national emergency. It gets caught up in the courts right away and then he's able to say, hey, look, Nancy Pelosi and her liberal judges are holding this up. I did all that I could. Let's move on.

BORGER: And that's why the Democrats put out a list yesterday of all the border security money that they want to put in, which, you know, which includes more judges, a port of entry --

TOOBIN: Technology.

BORGER: -- technology, all kinds of stuff. And it adds up to an awful lot of money. I don't know if it is exactly $5.7 billion but it adds up to a lot of money because they want to show that they are for border security.

BLITZER: They've got two weeks to figure this out. Let's hope they get --

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Everybody stand by. There is more breaking news right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:32:27] WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: We're back with our and legal experts. We've got lots to discuss. There's some breaking news we're following. I want to get to that in just a moment, but I always want to bring in our CNN Political Reporter Rebecca Buck. She's in Newark, New Jersey for us, where Senator and former Newark Mayor Cory Booker met with reporters this afternoon to take questions about his brand- new campaign for president of the United States. Rebecca, tell us about his announcement.

REBECCA BUCK, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: That's right, Wolf. Well, the Democratic primary field already crowded, got a little more crowded today with Senator Cory Booker announcing that he chooses running for president -- where some other candidates ease into it with an exploratory committee. Cory Booker jumped right in, feet first, going straight to the candidate process. And he's started his campaign today with a rollout that tells us a lot about the groups that he is going to be trying to speak to in these first weeks and months. He spoke on a couple of African-American oriented radio stations.

He spoke to Eurovision in Spanish; he also did an interview with The View today. Obviously, a show that draws a lot of women to the audience. And later today he met with reporters here on the street just behind me, in the front yard of his house, here in the inner city of Newark, the city of horse, where he started his political career as mayor. And in that press conference, he talked about his core message of love and unity. One reporter asked him: if Democrats in this primary, it is a very angry moment for Democrats with President Trump in office would accept such a message. Listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CORY BOOKER (D), NEW JERSEY: Love isn't easy. And our history in this country, to some of the toughest, most heroic people that I admire, whose pictures hang in my office, whose statues are in the capitol -- they are folks that took on armed hate. (INAUDIBLE) and fire hose with unarmed loft and they took down Jim Crow. The people I admire are the people that lead by calling out the best of who we are and not the worst. So, I'm running for president because I believe in us, I believe in these values. I'm going to put them before the American people. Hey, and if that's not what they want, then I won't be the next president of the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BUCK: So, Booker obviously taking a very unifying approach in the early stages, not wanting to go after Trump. We'll see if the that changes. Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Rebecca. Rebecca Buck, thanks very much. All right, some breaking news coming into THE SITUATION ROOM right now. A scandal erupting over the Democratic governor of Virginia. Virginia's Republican Party says, he should resign "if" he's one of the people shown in the page from his 1984 medical school yearbook. The picture shows two people -- you can see it right there. One in Blackface and another in a Ku Klux Klan robe and hood. Bring back our legal and political analyst -- you know, Laura, what do you think of this? This is -- if it's him, it's a pretty big scandal out there.

[17:35:29] LAURA JARRETT, CNN JUSTICE REPORTER: If it's him in Blackface, it's a problem. If it's him in the Klan, it's a problem. If it's him just pictures with his friends, it's a problem. And it's a particularly bad problem because we haven't a word from him. I don't know how long this has been up yet, but at least since it's afternoon, and it's been radio silent from his camp and he's going to need to say something pretty soon. But there's probably not that much he can say to explain this. It's his medical school yearbook. He was an adult. There's not really much he can do here. And he's going to be on a really tough spot.

BLITZER: You know, David, and take a look at the page. It's got his name on the top of that year book page from Eastern Virginia Medical School, back in 1984. So, and as Laura says, we haven't -- don't have a statement from him yet.

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Not yet, which is really surprising. I mean, this has been several hours now that a Virginia political block first put this up, that we haven't heard from him. In fact, we also haven't heard from some other big Virginia Democratic players, because they're waiting to what Ralph Northam has to say. So, there's just been this radio silence kind of thing going on right now. 1984, 25 years old -- as you were saying, Laura, I have been spending the last several hours while we haven't heard from him yet thinking what could he possibly say if in this scenario if he is one of those two people depicted in that photo that is in anyway going to be acceptable to people in Virginia? I think you can't just -- it's going to be very hard to dismiss this. This is just a youthful medical school (INAUDIBLE). This is going to be a real problem.

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: And the state Republican Party has already called for him to step down. And we haven't anything from the official Democratic Party at this point. Again, as you're pointing out, everybody wants to hear what Northam says. But you know, Kellyanne Conway has a very interesting tweet, which I think plays into this, and she says: this should be easier work than parsing every word and semi-colon in the Kavanaugh yearbook. So, remember that. Remember the Kavanaugh yearbook and which we did parse everything. This is a picture. The it's not so difficult to parse. You just have to figure out who was under those costumes. And I don't see how Northam says, it wasn't me, given that fact that the whole page's pictures, is pictures of him.

JARRETT: And he presumably chose it. It's his yearbook. It's not a surprise what's in your year,

BORGER: And you kind of wonder why this didn't come out during the campaign and Ed Gillespie didn't have it.

BLITZER: Jackie, underneath the picture, it's an awful picture. There's a quote that's on that yearbook page. It says, there are more old drugs than old doctors in this world. So, I think I'll have another beer.

JACKIE KUCINICH, CNN COMMENTATOR: Yes. I mean, regardless of this situation here, not to be trite, but I just think there's no gray area. And if you're a Democrat, I don't think you can come forward and defend this. It's not a good look to defending Blackface or the KKK in anyway. You know, it's not just that this story came out this afternoon. I'm sure, per normal journalistic practices, they went to Northam's camp this morning, maybe even yesterday to say: what is this picture? Is this you? Do you have a comment? And we have -- it's been radio silence. So, I don't know. I haven't touched base with the Northam camp yet, but I just -- there's -- it's inexcusable.

BORGER: You know, and the irony here, the Democratic Party, you know, Rebecca, was just talking about the diversity in the field and the party has been celebrating women candidates, African-American candidates, candidates from all parts of the country. And look at us, we're great diverse party. And then, this happens in Virginia. And it's like a human speed bump here. And so, the party has to speak out about this. I know they're waiting for Northam, but as you say, it's not a good look. It's worse than that. Where are you?

BLITZER: Let's not forget he beat Ed Gillespie, the Republican, for the gubernatorial contest in Virginia, 54 percent to 45 percent in the 2017 election. And a lot of people are already wondering didn't anybody from the Republican side look at his year book?

BORGER: I'd demand my money back.

JARRETT: Right.

BORGER: Right.

[17:39:37] BLITZER: All right, guys. Stick around. There's more breaking news. We're following new hints about where President Trump will hold his second summit with North Korea's Kim Jong-un.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: (INAUDIBLE) and a landmark nuclear arms control treaty with Russia, saying Moscow has violated the intermediate range nuclear forces pact by developing a new missile system. Our National Security Reporter Kylie Atwood is with us here in The SITUATION ROOM. So, Kylie, what's behind this move?

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Well, this was a largely expected move for the Trump Administration. We have heard President Trump and National Security Advisor John Bolton, both say that if Russia doesn't come back into compliance with this treaty, that they're going to get out. Well, today that became official. Secretary Pompeo announced that the U.S. had responsibility essentially to get out. And the fear here is that, the U.S. is opening the door to an arms race, right?

One with the U.S. and China potentially, because China is also a part of this. Obviously, you know, Russia is the trigger here. This is a treaty that was between the U.S. and Russia. But National Security Advisor John Bolton has mentioned China the new strategic threat that they present to the U.S. And we know that there are a thousand missiles that China has that are part of this treaty that the U.S. hasn't been able to have, so they want to compete with them in that realm.

The other thing to consider however is that, you know, the U.S. could create a new treaty, a new agreement that is going to be a very challenging thing for this administration to do. They aren't a fan of treaties generally speaking of course. So, then the question beacons how much would they put into that? How much negotiating effort would they put into that?

A senior administration official told today that they didn't think that was very likely because, you know, China already has these missiles. Russia is already a threat to the U.S., but President Trump did mention it as a possibility when he spoke to reporters in the oval office.

[17:45:08] BLITZER: So, there are some possibilities out there because their withdrawal doesn't take effect until six months from now. So, what happens during those six months?

ATWOOD: Exactly. So, we have a period now where the U.S. can work on research and development of these missiles that they have been prevented from working on while they've been there this treaty. And then, comes the time when a senior administration official tells me that they would want to launch these weapons and they would also want to deploy these weapons to places in Europe to defend against the threat that Russia presents with these missiles because they can only really reach countries that are in Europe right now. But the other thing to consider is what is the Trump Administration going to do about the new start treaty? That's a nuclear arms control treaty that is going to be coming up. The U.S. has to consider what do with it. So, that is a major question.

BLITZER: All right. Kylie Atwood, our new National Security Reporter, the first time here in THE SITUATION ROOM. Welcome to CNN.

ATWOOD: Thanks.

BLITZER: Much more news coming up, new indications about where President Trump will be getting together with North Korea's Leader Kim Jong-un. Is the choice of a location intended to send a message?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:51:00] BLITZER: Plans are now underway for another summit between President Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong-un, this time in Vietnam. The communist nation which has thrived since normalizing relations with the United States more than two decades ago. Our Brian Todd has been looking into this for us. So, Brian, what are you learning?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, analysts telling us tonight, the final details of this summit are being hammered out and that the coastal city of Da Nang, Vietnam, is going to be the location. Analyst saying, this makes sense of the symbolism it can carry for the American side and the fact that Kim Jong-un might feel right at home there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: Tonight, the president is all but confirming that Vietnam will be the location of his next face-to-face meeting with North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-un. DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm over in certain

location. I'll be over in a certain location there, as you know. That will be announced officially, probably next week.

TODD: The U.S. views a second sit down with the 35-year-old leader as critical with pressure on both leaders to come up with real, measurable steps to set Kim on the path through dismantling his nuclear arsenal. Tonight, there are fresh indications that the site of their second summit, has been carefully chosen to show the young North Korean dictator what's possible if he makes a nuclear deal with American.

Two knowledgeable sources telling CNN: the current plan is for the City of Da Nang, Vietnam, to host the summit near the end of February.

KRISTIE LEE, CENTER FOR A NEW AMERICAN SECURITY: For both the United States and North Korea, it's a natural choice.

TODD: Natural experts say, for several reasons, it's close enough for Kim to get there without having to borrow a Chinese plane -- like he had to do when he went to Singapore. And Vietnam is in Kim's comfort zone because of his regime's ideological ties that hearken back to the cold war.

BALBINA HWANG, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: They are still communist allies. And in fact, the Korean foreign minister recently visited Vietnam.

TODD: Da Nang carries historical significance, sometimes haunting memories for a certain generation of Americans. The Bustling Port was a major base for U.S. and South Vietnamese forces during the Vietnam War, a hub for air and naval operations. Trump has repeatedly used that history as an insult, including today, calling Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, Da Nang dick, because he once told a veteran's group he served in Vietnam. Blumenthal served in the reserves during the war but in the U.S.

TRUMP: Da Nang. Who does Da Nang remind me of? Certain senator -- it's a certain senator that said he was a war hero when he wasn't. He never saw Da Nang.

TODD: These days, Da Nang is trying to shed its war time reputation. It is a tourist magnate know for its attractive features, luxury hotels and gold courses. The very symbol of what can happen when a small communist nation, decimated and impoverished by conflict, transitions from an enemy of the United States to an ally.

HWANG: What the United States wants to do is send a signal to North Korea that if you, North Korea, hold a summit with us, and you are willing to give up your nuclear weapons, you, too, can open up like Vietnam.

TODD: It's a message Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sent to Kim Jong- un back in July when Pompeo visited Vietnam.

MIKE POMPEO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: In light of the once unimaginable prosperity and partnership with have with Vietnam today, I have a message for Chairman Kim Jong-un: President Trump believes your country can replicate this path. It's yours if you'll seize the moment. The miracle could be yours.

TODD: But analysts are concerned the Vietnam model could send a different signal to Kim Jong-un -- one the American side won't be crazy about.

LEE: There has been crackdowns on journalists and the media, university professors are restricted in what they say. So, it's not the most politically open environment. And in some ways, this could be reassuring to Kim Jong-un as, you know, he is able to make economic development reforms without having to open up politically.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: Analyst say, no matter how useful and moving the symbolism is for both Kim and President Trump in Vietnam, none of that is going to matter if the two leaders do not come up with a more concrete deal than the one they got in Singapore, and really move tangibly toward getting Kim to give up his nuclear weapons. The location, Wolf, isn't going to mean much if these two don't do more than they did in Singapore.

[17:55:11] BLITZER: Yes, they got a lot of work to do. All right. Brian, thanks very, very much. Coming up, a federal judge says she may issue a gag order against Trump ally, Roger Stone, and warns him not to contact witnesses or to treat the run-up to his trial like a public relations campaign.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Happening now, breaking news. Gagging Roger Stone. A federal judge weighs issuing a gag order on Roger Stone's case and orders him not to be in contact with witnesses. Will the longtime Trump adviser heed her warning?

[18:00:08] Declaring an emergency.