President Trumps White House whose title sums up the white house reactions. And is it political payback, or simply the authorities doing their job . The fbi reopens the investigation into the Clinton Foundation. Live to our viewers here in atlanta and around the world, im george howell. Hello. Im lynda kincade. Cnn newsroom starts right now. 5 01 on the u. S. East coast. Were getting new insight into the Trump White House. The question, how willing officials willing to go to keep attorney general Jeff Sessions on the case. Theres a lot on the scene. Three white house officials were involved in an effort to persuade attorney general Jeff Sessions to remain in control of the probe into russias election interference. Express secretary, sean spicer, the former chief of staff, Reince Priebus and don mcgahn all worked to get sessions not to recruits himself from the probe. This according to the sources. Our jim acosta has details for us. I talked to a source familiar to these conversations just a short while ago. That Senior Administration official told me, quote, i think it is fair to call it pressure. That is a quote from this official, describing these conversations that went on between Top White House officials and staff members. In the attorney generals office, including the attorney general Jeff Sessions. I should also point out according to the Senior Administration official, this person described what was going on and the conversations regarding Jeff Sessions decision to recuse himself or not recuse himself as, quote, chaos. Jim acosta speaking. And then he called sessions office but it was about a news conference. Cnns Jessica Schneider has been following don mcgahns role and has more from white house. Reporter a source close to attorney general Jeff Sessions tells cnn White House Council don mcgahn personally reached out to sessions in early 2017 to try to dissuade the attorney general from recusing himself from that probe. They learned about the outreach and it was a direct order by President Trump who reportedly erupted in front of several white house officials when sessions announced he recused himself. Therefore, i recuse myself. Reporter saying mr. Trump said he had expected his top Law Enforcement official to safe guard himself the way robert f. Kennedy as attorney general had done for his brother john f. Kennedy and eric holder for barack obama. Walter shaub said at the time he recommended recusal and expressed outrage upon learning mcgann was personally lobbying sessions against it. While i was on the phone caulking to department of justice officials telling them that jeff session has no choice but to recuse, in order to resolve a criminal conflict of interest. We now learn that don mcgahn was pressuring Jeff Sessions on behalf of the president to do just thes on. I think that we are in a neighborhood where i hope mueller is looking at this very seriously for obstruction of justice because it could be. Reporter obstruction is part of muellers probe prompted in part by the firing of jace comey in may. In this letter to the president by rod rosenstein, the reported Removal Centers on handling of the recusal. But shortly after firing comey, the president admitted he had russia on his mind. When i decided to just do it. I said to myself, i said, you know, this russia thing with trump and russia is a madeup story. Reporter the president spent the weekend before his firing at his club in bed minute sister, new jersey. Where sessions said he drafted a letter he intended to send comey but never did it. The New York Times reports mueller nose about this letter. A source tells cnn the special counsel has also obtained handwrittens notes from Reince Priebus. They document telling priebus telling the president he was not under investigation. The New York Times also reports that days before james comey was fired one of Jeff Sessions aides asked a congressional staffer whether there was any damaging information on comey in an effort to undermine the deputy director. The doj has denied this. And the new account also raises new questions about Jeff Sessions future as attorney general. Hes offered his resignation before, but the white house suggests hes still safe. Right now, hes focused on doing his job. Were focused on doing ours. We dont have any reason to see that theres anything different today than there was yesterday. We feel like were in a great place and were moving forward. And the attorney general is going to continue showing up to work this week and next week, just like he has every day since we started. And keep doing good work and moving the president s agenda forward. Reporter the white house had even started calling out the press amid Jeff Sessions future. Sessions was not invited to camp david this weekend, despite the fact that eight other cabinet members will be joining the president for meetings on the 2018 legislative agenda. When cnn asked why sessions wasnt invited a white house official issued a stinging replay saying this, the press should stop using a longplanned meeting with congressional leaders to take cheap shots at the attorney general. So, now, it seems the white house is defending the attorney general, despite the fact that the president has often taken shots at him, even calling him beleaguered months ago on twitter. Jessica schneider, cnn, washington. The tellall book about the white house hit bookstores friday as an instant bestseller. That book called fire and fury it is extremely unflatter to get u. S. President portraying him as selfish and incompetent. Earlier, he tweeted Michael Wolff is a total loser who made up stories in order to sell his really boring and untruthful book. He used sloppy steve bannon who cried when he got fired and begged for his job. Now sloppy steve has been dumped like a dog by almost everyone, too bad. As we mentioned, the president is at the president ial retreat at camp david this weekend. Hes meeting with some of the members of congressional cabinet. For helping to boost interest on the book. And more on is that, heres cnns jeff zeleny. Reporter President Trump heading offer for a weekend retreat with republican leaders. Were going to camp david with a lot of the Great American senators and making America Great again. Reporter as fire and fury inside the Trump White House was released four days early, the president took his contempt to twitter. I authorized zero access to the white house actually turned him down many times for author of phony book. I never spoke to him for book. Fuel of lies, misrepresentati misrepresentations. A not so flattering nickname coined for steve bannon. Now in a feud with the trump family over blistering comments in the book. Michael wolff speaking out for the first time about his weathering picture for president and fitness for office. I will tell you the one description that everyone gave, everyone has in common, they all say he is like a child. And what they mean like that is, he has a need for immediate gratification. Its all about him. Reporter appearing on nbcs the today show wolff defended his portrayal of a deeply dysfunctional west wing. My window into donald trump is pretty significant. But even more to the point, i spent this i spent, and this was really sort of the point of the book, i spoke to people who spoke to the president on a daily, sometimes minutebyminute basis. Reporter secretary of state Rex Tillerson told cnns elise labott, he did not agree with those who question the president s ability to serve. Ive never questioned his mental fitness. I have no reason to question his mental fitness. Reporter for a second straight day, allies of the president also defended his capacity for oval office. This is just an absurd allegations by someone who has talked to a lot of disgruntled people at the white house. Reporter meanwhile, the president mocked the russian investigation. Saying, it continues to be a hoax. A source close to attorney general Jeff Sessions confirmed to cnn that White House Council down mcga don mcgahn tried to dissuade that. Now as for attorney general Jeff Sessions he was not on the invitation list to appear at camp david for that weekend treat. The defense secretary, the secretary of state and several other members of the cabinet are. Mr. Sessions is not. The white house says dont read anything into that. They are still fully behind him. Jeff zeleny, cnn, the white house. The Clinton Foundation back in the spotlight. U. S. Authorities are once again investigating allegations of corruption which is bill and Hillary Clintons charity. The fbi and prosecutors are looking into whether donors for the foundation were promised political favors or special access to Hillary Clinton while secretary of state. You may recall, an initial inquiry stalled prior to the 2016 election. A representative for the foundation is dismissing the allegations. Calls them unfounded. Lets talk through the days political headlines this hour with scott lucas. Scott is a professor of International Politics at the university of birmingham. Typically via satellite in the United Kingdom but this day here on set with us here in atlanta. Great to have you, scott. Lets talk about attorney general Jeff Sessions from recusing himself. And we now know more officials were involved, don mcgahn, and Reince Priebus and exsecretary sean spicer. They were involved in phone calls we understand with the Justice Department. The white house is not commenting does this add another brick to the question of obstruction of justice . It depends on the circumstances around those phone calls. Now, weve known for months that donald trump did not want Jeff Sessions to recuse himself. And in fact was quite angry about it. But the question is, did those phone calls come after legal guidance had come, for example from the Justice Department, that sessions had to step aside because of the russia investigation. Did they come before that . See, if before that, wed like you to stay, jeff, wed like you to investigate this, no problem. But the Legal Process is the attorney general has to step aside and white house officials keep pushing for him to stay on, them youve got possible obstruction of justice. Lets move on to the book fire and fury it paints a picture of the white house. Lets hear what Michael Wolff had to say about this book fire and fury well talk about it on the other side. Would you say hes a moron, an idiot, id say theres a competition of trying to get to the bottom line of who this man is. This man does not read, does not listen. So, hes like hes like a pinball. Just shooting off the side. In the book there, scott, Michael Wolff describes the president as childlike. Says that many people around him have the same feeling about him. What does this book do for the white house and this president , turning the corner into this next year . Well, the book just make headlines and it shines a spotlight. But lets be clear here, for all of the attention on wolff, weve been hearing this from inside sources for months. And sometimes probably more. Many people people have said donald trump really isnt interested in the details, he simply watches television. But weve had numerous officials quietly or publicly question him. Rex tillerson called him a mo moron. And what happens, of course, two things, one is wolff just gives unwanted shine on to this story, which is why trump is so angry. But, two, more importantly, its in the detail. When steve bannon comes out and says that that meeting in trump tower in june 2016 was treasonous and we know it involved donald trump jr. , soninlaw jared kushner, Campaign ManagerPaul Manafort that is as damaging as any information alleged of collusion and Trump Officials. Lets talk about the chief strategist again, steve bannon quoted throughout the book. You mentioned the quote about the meeting being treasonous. That infamous meeting between Trump Officials and the russian attorney at trump tower. Also quoting bannon, about the president in that book saying hes lost his stuff. Bannon has not walked away from any of this. Hes not refuted any of this. How does this play out, this rift between the president of the United States and steve bannon . Its not just a twoway rift, george. The significant thing is weve got a threeway rift. Remember, when steve bannon left or was forced out of the white house in august, he declared war on the republican establishment. Leaders like Mitch Mcconnell in the senate. When bannon did that, he said, oh, im doing it for donald trump. Im doing it for his policies. Fair enough, thats bannon and trump versus the gop. Now, bannon is turning on trump. Something thats been forgotten, george, remember, before this book came out, bannon had talked to vanity fair and said, i may run for president in 2020 if donald trump chooses not to run. What you have as a prospect is youve got more than one, quote, conservative republican party. You got the gop, youve got bannon and his insurgents and trump and whoever is around. And the question really, the people who follow steve bannon will they likely follow the president of the United States if he turns the corner to run again. That will be the question well see. Scott lucas, appreciate having you. See you again back in the united kin kingdom. Thank you. Still to come on cnn newsroom, an exquisite interview with u. S. Secretary of state Rex Tillerson, how he says iran can stop all sanctions and how north korea can earn a place at the negotiating table. Plus, a north korean official says his country is ready to send athletes to next months olympics. What theyre doing to prepare. As cnn newsroom pushes on. With hyaluronic acid it plumps skin cells with intense hydration and locks it in. For supple, hydrated skin. Hydro boost. From neutrogena you wof your daily routine, so why treat your mouth any differently . Complete the job with listerine® help prevent plaque, early gum disease, bad breath and kill up to 99. 9 of germs. Listerine® bring out the bold™ japans news reports that north koreas representative to the International OlympicCommittee Says his country is likely to participate in the Winter Olympics. A representative says he expects to send two figure skaters to compete in next months games being held in south korea. It, of course, comes a day after north korea announced it would hold talks with the south for the first time in more than two years. On tuesday, enjoys for both countries will meet in this room near the Demilitarized Zone to discuss the olympics and work on the relationship. Meantime, the United States is reaffirming its commitments to defend south korea against any threat from north korea. Thats the word from defense secretary james matstis who spoe with his south korean counterpart on friday. As that facetoface meeting between north korea and south korea looms, cnns elise labott spoke exclusively with u. S. Secretary of state Rex Tillerson. She asked whether or not north korea would be paving the way for talks with the us. Well, some are speculating this may be their first effort to open a channel. But as you know, weve had channels open to north korea for some time. So, they do know how to reach us, if and when theyre ready to engage with us as well. If you could, explain a little bit about what the u. S. Policy is on north korea. I think americans are a little bit confused. Dot North Koreans have to give up their Nuclear Program before committing to talks . Our policy is the complete deniable unrefutable elimination of nuclear proliferation. The chinese have it as a stated policy. Russia has it as a stated policy. Recently, all of the countries in the neighboring area as well as the International Community are well relying on the policy. How we chief the ultimate end point, the final, full denuclearization, the verification of that and irreversibility of it, clearly, thats going to take some time. Rex tillerson there. Well, lets get more with all thats going on in the korean peninsula. Will ripley is live for us in seoul. To see you, will. Weve heard that south korea was informed of north koreas willingness to open these discussions via a fax message. Certainly an oldfashioned way to g