Breaking news. Backing moore. President trump breaks his silence and all but endorses the candidate and accused child mow lester roy moore. Will the President Campaign with him . Putin on the phone. President trump reveals details of a lengthy conversation with putin. They discuss syria, ukraine and north korea. Will the president and putin Work Together to reign in kim jongun . Accusations and denials. Capitol hill is rocked by sexual allegations against the longest serving of the house. He denies wrongdoing but tonight the House Ethics Committee is beginning an investigation. And pardon meat. Two turkeys compete for the president ial pardon with the birds face decided with an
online poll. We want to welcome our viewers in the United States and around the world. Wolf blitzer is off. Im jim acosta. Youre in the situation room. Announcer this is cnn Breaking News. Breaking news tonight. President trump defending republican candidate roy moore and offering all but an endorsement. That puts mr. Trump at odds with many in his own party who called on moore to step aside after allegations he sexually abused one teenage girl and improperly pursued others. The president noted that moore denies the allegations and he said of the senate seat, moore is running for, quote, we dont need a liberal person in there. Also breaking, the House Ethics CommitteeJust Announced its investigating allegations of Sexual Harassment by democratic congressman john conyers the longest Serving Member of the house. Conyers denies doing anything wrong but does admit to paying a
settlement to one accuser. The federal Communications Commission chairman appointed by President Trump this year says hes going to repeal socalled Neutrality Regulations designed to keep the internet open and fair. Without them, Internet Providers will be able to deliberately speed up or slow down traffic from specific websites and apps. Were covering all of that this more this hour with our guest congressman mike quigley, our correspondents and specialists, theyre also standing bilets get straight to the Breaking News. Jeff zeleny is in florida where President Trump has just arrived to spend thanksgiving. Jeff, pretty stunning here today. The president not only backed moore, he also left the door open to campaigning with him. That was stunning, jeff. Reporter President Trump has just landed here in palm beach, florida. Hell beginning week long vacation. Its important to note its been nearly two weeks since those
explicit allegations first came out about the republican candidate for senate in alabama, the white house has walked a fine line up until this afternoon. The president made clear he supports roy moore. I asked one Top Republican close to the white house why. All of these allegations that have come out since, have made it quote easier and easier to back moore. President trump made clear today he would rather have an accused child mow lester in the senate than a democrat. We dont need a liberal person in there, a democrat, jones. Reporter the president weighing in publicly for the first time in alabamas explosive senate race, saying he accepts roy moores denials over the stories of eight women who have come forward with allegations of Sexual Misconduct. Let me just tell you, roy moore denies it. Thats all i can say. He denies it and, by the way, he totally denies it. Reporter for days the white house has said the race should be left to the voters of alabama. Republican leaders have distanced themselves from moore but today mr. Trump offered a
full president ial embrace. He says it didnt happen and, you know, you have to listen to him also. Youre talking about he said 40 years ago this did not happen. Reporter he even said he may go campaign for moore all in hopes of keeping the seat in republican hands. He went on to openly disparage doug jones the democratic candidate with a history of fighting the clue cluchl clan. I can tell you for a fact, we do not need somebody thats going to be bad on crime, bad with borders and military, bad for the second amendment. Reporter the president s words put him at odds with his daughter. There was a special place in hell for people who mow left children. That sharp criticism is the campaign ad from jones. Conservative voices, putting children and women over party. Doing whats right. Reporter before leaving the white house today for vacation in florida, mr. Trump talking by phone to russian president Vladimir Putin. The call lasted more than an hour aids said with syria,
afghanistan, ukraine and north korea all discussed. The call was initiated by putin, a day after he embraced syrian president Bashar Al Assad during a summit where the u. S. Is not at the table for critical talks over isis and syria. Its another sign russias in the driver seat on syria. John mccain seized on to President Trump. Mccain saying the president mistakenly believes the u. S. And russia share interests. He added, its further evidence we desperately need a strategy for syria. Todays conversation between trump and putin comes after their brief facetoface meeting at the summit earlier this month in vietnam where talk of russians interference overshadowed other topics. As the president spends the rest of the week at maralago the Russian Investigation is still hanging over the investigation. You are hereby pardoned. Reporter Talk Of Pardonens today at the white house as the president took part in the ritual of sparing a thanksgiving turkey but it was his comments about the Alabama Senate race that overshadowed it all as allegations of Sexual Harassment and misconduct against women Takes Center Stage in a Remarkable National debate thats toppled figures in hollywood, media and politics. His words struck an odd tone considering his embrace of moore. Women are very special. I think its a very special time because a lot of things are coming out and i think thats good for our society and i think its very, very good for women and im very happy a lot of these things are coming out and im very happy im very happy its being exposed. Reporter so those words from the president right there, certainly at odds with his decision to accept roy moores denials. The president made clear he did not say he didnt believe the women, he just pointed out
again and again that roy moore has denied this saying that many times. Jim weve been talking to the republicans close to the white house and inside the white house trying to get a sense of how this aboutface happened. I am told by one person close to the white house that all of the events over the last two weeks, from al franken to charlie rose to others simply confused the situation and this is the words of one person. Since then its become harder and harder to tell who the bad guy is so in that respect that was behind the thinking of the president to support roy moore. Well see if he campaigns with him in the coming two weeks before that special election in alabama. And that is something well all be watching for. Jeff zeleny in florida for us tonight. Thank you very much. Veteran Television Host charlie rose has been fired by both cbs and pbs after eight women accused him of Sexual Harassment. Rose admits to what he calls inappropriate behavior and hes apologizing for it and tonight one of the most senior lawmakers on capitol hill is also facing
harassment allegations but representative john conyers denies them. Cnn Congressional Correspondent is working on that story for us. The Ethics CommitteeJust Announced its investigation against conyers so this is getting more serious for the longest Serving Member of the house. It certainly is. Launching an investigation just hours after the congressman today strongly denied the allegations of Sexual Misconduct. In a statement he does admit that his office made settlements in a payment to the accuser out of his own offices budget. This is a significance because that was done outside of the typical process where a settlement would be paid out of a fund thats set up bill the Treasury Department for these sorts of cases. And certainly gives us some new insight into how Sexual Harassment allegations are handled and kept secret on capitol hill. Top of the morning. Reporter explosive new allegations against congressman john conyers, the longestServing Member of the house. Confidential documents obtained by Buzzfeed Show a series of accusations and complaints filed in 2014 against the michigan democrat by former unnamed women on his staff alleging the congressman repeatedly asked for sexual favors and once asked her to work from his hotel room one evening where she alleges he told her she need today touch his private parts. In another incident she alleges the congressman asked her to stay in his hotel room to just cuddle up with me and caress me before you go. The complaint leading to a wrongful Firing Settlement in 2015 to one woman who alleges she was fired for refusing the congressmans advances, a 27,000 settlement paid out directly to her from the congressmans office. Still using Taxpayer Money but not from the fund set up to handle settlements within the u. S. Treasury. Cnn has not independently confirmed the allegations or seen the documents involved. Connie conyers today denied the allegations but acknowledged a payment was made by his office to the accuser, quote my office resolved the allegations within an expressed denial of liability he says in order to save all involved from the riggers of protected litigation. Calls on capitol hill today from members of his own party including House Minority leader nancy pelosi for an ethics investigation. I just heard about congressman conniers. These allegations are extremely serious and must be dealt with in a very serious manner. Reporter this as pressure continues to mount on senator al franken who has been laying low since his own allegations have surfaced while democrats are struggling to answer questions if he should resign. These allegations are serious and women have a right to be heard, and listened to on this. Al is going to be subjected to a hearing in the United States senate and an investigation. Reporter and back on the conyers allegations, for the calls ethics investigation, there was Quick Movement here. The House Ethics Committee late today did announce that they have launched an investigation into the allegations into congressman, but jim as you know these things on capitol hill take a lot of time. They certainly do and well be watching that. Thank you very much. Lets get more on all of this with congressman mike quigley of illinois. I guess first of all, congressman, we have to focus first on what the president of the United States did earlier this afternoon on the south lawn of the white house before he was heading down to maralago for thanksgiving. He essentially endorsed a man who is accused of molesting a 14yearold and preying on teenagers, these are accusations and allegations. Theyve been jected by the roy moore campaign, but what did you make of the president s comments . Im sure you saw them or had a chance to read them, whats your reaction . To paraphrase his own
daughter, theres a special place in hell for those who back a child abuser for the United States senate. Absolutely no worse place we can go from here. Its just unimaginable. And so youre stunned that the president did not withdraw the white house support for roy moore . He left the door open to campaigning with roy moore down in alabama. I suppose what would your reaction be to that that happening . I wouldnt be surprised. Lets just remember this is a Candidate Trump who has a lot of women alleging the same sorts of thing about him, so i think in his own mind this is okay especially if time has passed. Above all, the only thing worse than any of this is that we have a democrat in that senate seat. We talk about a cultural reckoning taking place here. I think all this calls for the structural change that a bill like Jackie Speier has which
creates far more transparency and protects those who make these allegations from being abused a second time, and i think really its a cultural change that that men need to lead besides having a Zero Tolerance policy and an internal look at ourselves, we have to call out anyone else who does anything like this. There has to be a Zero Tolerance policy by all men and i think we have to Work Together to lead that effort. As you know, this problem crosses party lines. Weve seen the accusations facing senator franken over in the senate and now we have these allegations against democratic congressman john conyers. Do you believe he should resign . Heres how i look at it. If these allegations are true, they should both go. They get their due process, but its a deeply disturbing that my
colleague, mr. Conyers used his own resources within his office to make this some sort of settlement instead of going through the official process. This concerns me greatly. I think the congressman needs to look at himself and frankly, if i was in his place, i would leave. Okay. I just want to make sure we have this right. You are saying if these allegations are proven to be true in both of these cases for Congressman Conyers and franken that they should both go. Absolutely. And what is your sense of the accusations thus far . Senator franken you have a photograph of him apparently groping a woman and in the case of john conyers you have a payment made in that investigation. How much more evidence do you need . Right. They get their due process. As disturbing as that is particularly in a system that hasnt created the same due
process for the victims. I think whats most disturbing again about mr. Conyers allegations is the fact that he must have structured internally in his own office some sort of settlement. To me this is greater sense of Cul Baability on behalf of his office and himself. I think mr. Conyers has to think about this very hard. My suggestion is that he leave. And weve heard members of congress say in recent days, congressman, that they know of other lawmakers up there on capitol hill who have engaged in this kind of behavior. Just to be sure we do our Due Diligence here, are you aware of who these harassers might be, who these lawmakers might be who might be engaging in this kind of conduct . Have you heard these rumors yourself . Is it something thats spoken about among lawmakers and staffers and so on . What do you know about that . Clearly, its not spoken about enough in the last few
weeks since these allegations have come forward across our country, across all the sectors, members have started to talk about that. Ive heard discussions about two or three or more and frankly what i hear from most of the members are they think theres a lot more out there. Thats why the culture has to change, the structure has to change. It has to happen immediately. And what do you make of the process thats in place up on capitol hill for victims to report abuse . Put this up on screen. Its pretty stunning. Theres a lot of hurdles here for people who have been victimized. The victim must report the incident within 180 days. 30 days of mandatory counseling they have to go through, not the person who is accused of all this, the victim. 30 days of mediation, 30 to 90 days of mandatory waiting period, they have to sign a confidentiality agreement. Wheres the incentive here for
people to come forward . These are the opiate, these are disincentives. This is a structure thats broken. Its designed to protect members and theyre insidious attacks on women. It has to change. It has to change now. Its a system designed to protect members thats what youre saying . Absolutely. All right. Congressman, thats very disturbing but stand by. We have more Breaking News we want to talk about. We have a break here but in a few moments well talk about this and some of the other issues of the day. Stay with us. Severe Rheumatoid Arthritis . Do what i did. Ask your doctor about humira. Its proven to help relieve pain and protect joints from further irreversible damage in many adults. Humira works by targeting and helping to block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to ra symptoms. Humira has been clinically studied for over 20 years. Humira can lower your ability to fight infections,
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