Im wolf blitzer, youre in the situation room. The president s soninlaw Jared Kushner has been stripped of his topsecret security clearance and access to the most important u. S. Intelligence report, the president s daily briefing. Hes still failed to qualify for security clearances. Kushners troubles mounting as the Washington Post reports officials in at least four countries have been privately discussing ways to manipulate kushner. Ill get reaction from senator chris coons, a democrat, on the judiciary and Foreign Relations committees. And our correspondents and analysts are standing by first. Lets go to jim acosta. Jim, this is a significant loss for kushner. It is, wolf. The president we should point out ignored questions about his soninlaw Jared Kushner losing his top secret security clearance at the white house earlier today. The questions are coming in response to a change made here at the white house by chief of staff john kelly that will affect white house staffers who are operating on interim top secret security clearances. As a result, those employees, including kushner, will have their access to sensitive materials limited. Earlier this month we first reported that more than 100 white house staffers were working with interim security clearances. Last friday the president said he would leave it up to the chief of staff john kelly to clean up that security clearance process in the wake of the rob porter scandal. Heres what the president had to say last friday. General kelly respects jared a lot and general kelly make l make that call. I wont make that call. Ill let the general make that call. I will let general kelly make that decision and hes going to do whats right for the country and i have no doubt hell make the right decision. As for Jared Kushners security clearance being reduced, white house sources are saying that john kellys move undercuts the president s soninlaw in his role as an envoy to the middle east peace process. One source telling us, wolf, this keeps kushner out of key meetings at the white house and as you know, wolf, at the white house access equals influence and power, even if you are the president s soninlaw we should also point out kushners attorney released a statement on the president s soninlaw in a security clearance issue. We can put this up on screen, just a portion of this from abby lowell, who is kushners security clearance. As to his security clearance, mr. Kushner has done more than what is expected of him in this process. We should point out, wolf, that the Washington Post report says foreign governments, including israel, were looking at ways to manipulate kushner by taking advantage of his business dealings, a spokesperson for kushners lawyer put out a statement saying theyre not going to respond to that but as you can see, wolf, just an avalanche of negative information coming out about the president s soninlaw and his security clearance issue at the white house this evening. The Washington Post citing four countries that supposedly had ways they thought they could influence kushner israel, united arab emirates, china and mexico. Well stay on top of this and work our sources. Jim acosta at the white house, thanks very much. Now to the russia investigation. Were waiting to hear from members of the House Intelligence Committee. Theyve been behind closed doors now for hours trying and sometimes failing to get answers from the White House Communications director hope hicks. Lets go to manu raju up mono manu, were told hicks has refused to answer some questions. Whats going on . She first came to the House Intelligence Committee at 10 00 and there was a backandforth after she initially refused to answer questions about her time during the transition and her time at the white house under the direction of the white house, that generated significant pushback from members of both sides of the aisle, particularly after she answered questions about the transition period in a separate meeting with the Senate Intelligence committee. So late in the day wolf we are told she started to answer some questions about topics in the transition but she still is not answering questions but a time at the white house. Tonight white house communication Communications Director hope hicks refused to answer question, frustrating democrats. I have less hope we will get to the answers. Reporter was there a subpoena issued for her . No. Reporter should there beb . Yes, i why . Anyone who doesnt answer questions, they ought to be subpoenaed. Reporter but late in the day a shift as hicks began to answer questions about the transition period after she did before the Senate Intelligence committee. Shes answering questions for the transition, too. Reporter she is starting to answer questions . Yes. Reporter but she was unwilling to answer questions about her time at the white house and that follows former white house chief strategist steve bannon who previously told the committee he was instructed by the white house to invoke executive privilege on behalf of President Trump over matters that occurred after the campaign. And former Trump Campaign manager Corey Lewandowski who also wouldnt discuss topics after he left the campaign in june, 2016. In the case of bannon it was an insupportable and overbroad claim and he needs to be held in contempt and were still pushing and were committed to doing that. With Corey Lewandowski, we need to subpoena him to bring him back because hes refusing to cooperate further. Reporter the House Intelligence Committee has been fighting over the fbis surveillance of former Trump CampaignForeign Policy adviser carter page leading to a war of memos over why he was targeted. The memo from the committees ranking democrat adam schiff released over the weekend states the fbi was concerned page was being recruited by the russians. A claim page denied in an interview with cnns chris cuomo. No one in russia has ever tried to work me. All the evidence ive seen so far, chris, indicates that the there is much more interference by the u. S. Government compared to the russian government. Reporter the president this morning tweeting again, calling the Russian Investigation a witchhunt. But on capitol hill today, National SecurityAgency Director mike rogers warned congress he has not been granted the authority by President Trump to disrupt Russian Election hacking operations where they originate. We have not taken on the russians yet. Were were watching them intrude in our elections, spread misinformation, become more sophisticat sophisticated, try to achieve strategic views and were sitting back and waiting. I dont know if i would characterize it as were sitting back and waiting. Its probably fair to say that we have not opted to engage in some of the same behaviors that we are seeing, if i could just keep it like that. Reporter the white house is pushing back on rogers claim. Nobody is denying him the authority. Were looking at a number of different ways that we can put pressure. Look, this president , as i told you last week, has been much tougher on russia than his predecessor. Reporter yet a new cnn poll say six in ten americans is not taking the investigation into russian efforts to influence the u. S. Elections seriously enough and they also lack confidence the president is doing enough to prevent foreign interference in future elections. So, wolf, as hope hicks is not answering questions before the House Intelligence Committee, there are questions about what the committee will do to enforce a subpoena over steve bannon and his refusal to answer questions about the transition period and during the Campaign Season and about whether the time in his white house when whether he will be held in contempt. The republicans are not committing to that. Several republican members on the committee today saying they dont know yet whether or not bannon will be held in contempt. Mike conway who is the republican leading the russia investigation says he needs to speak to Speaker Paul Ryan first before making a decision about whether or not to hold bannon in contempt as democrats in particular are pushing and questions, too, about Corey Lewandowski. Democrats have demanded a subpoena for him to reappear before the committee and answer those questions. He refused to answer them before but he has refused to come back and the republicans are not willing to subpoena him. Uncertain what they will do about hope hicks now that she is not answering questions about her time in the white house even though shes answering some questions. Manu raju, thank you very much. Lets turn back to the news on Jared Kushners security clearance downgraded were joined by senator chris coons. Hes a democrat on the judiciary and Foreign Relations committee. Thank you very much for joining us. Whats your reaction to this Washington Post report and the headline was kushners overseas context raised concerns and foreign officials seek leverage. He had on an interim bases top secret security clearances now just secret security clearances and as you know theres a significant difference. There is. This is a striking development and long overdue. Ive just returned from a bipartisan trip to the middle east. One of the issues raised in a number of meetings we attended was expectations, hopes and concerns about the administrations longawaited peace plan for the middle east, something Jared Kushner has had a central role in crafting. The fact that hes been deprived of his top secret clearance, hes been downgraded because of his failure to be fully forthcoming about his entanglements in his business side and previous contacts suggests he is not in a position to continue to Carry Forward the significant role in this white house that hes been entrusted with. For him to be the person carrying forward, an important peace plan in the middle east that he lacks a top security clearance, i dont think thats workable going forward. Hes dealing with mexico, china, a bunch of countries is what do you want the president to do . I think the president should approach someone else with relevant senior experience with diplomacy and International Affairs and i think he should find another opportunity for Jared Kushner to serve either in the administration or to pursue his private business interests. The president does have the authority if hie wants to on hi own to say he does have access to top secret information. The president could do that if he wanted to but the other day he said hed leave it up to general kelly to decide. He made the right choice in having his chief of staff having made the right decision rather than clouding his judgment about whether his soninlaw should have access. What if the president were to overturn this decision . That would be a bad step by the president. I think it would show continued conflation of personal and family interests with national interests. So youre deeply worried about this right now . Im concerned this shows an ongoing pattern of failure to take seriously the protection of National Security concerns by the very inner circle in the Trump Administration be because there are overlapping personal and professional and national concerns. Let me get your thoughts on hope hicks, white house top adviser, aide to the president , close to the president. Hope hicks appearing for more than seven or eight hours behind closed doors before the House Intelligence Committee answering questions about the campaign and answering questions about the transition but refusing to answer questions what about has gone in the white house over the past 13 months of the Trump Administration, whats your reaction . Previously both steve bannon and Corey Lewandowski refused to answer questions claiming executive privilege and was seen in a clip from adam schiff on this show, thats an executive privilege thats not there to exert. Hope hicks may also find yourself in some trouble with the committee about why shes refusing to answer questions about her role in the trump white house. If the white house were to announce they were exerting executive privilege right now they havent done that but if they were to do that, then what . That might shield her from questions from congress about activities within the white house but it depends what exact matter theyre going after. I do think you cant shield illegal action behind executive privilege. Thats an arguable proposition and Robert Muellers investigation, which is looking into potential obstruction of justice may also have questions for ms. Hicks, depending on how this goes in frosnt of the hous intelligence committee. Does it bother you that hope hicks is the White House Communications director but she doesnt communicate publicly with the American Public . She doesnt answer questions publicly, most people wouldnt recognize her voice. Youre smiling. Its funny because earlier today as i was getting some briefings from my own Communications People they said hope hicks has been testifying for hours and i said whats her role . And they said shes the Communications Director. I was unclear she was the White House Communications director for that reason. Shes not frequently seen publicly commenting on behalf of the white house. In fact, i dont think ive ever seen her play the role that is typical for a White House Communications director. A big picture, what are these latebreaking developments . Hope hicks refusing to testify, refusing to answer questions behind closed doors from members of the House Intelligence Committee about her time in the white house. Shes answering questions about the campaign and transition and this Jared Kushner development. What does it tell you about accountability or developments at the white house right now . What im more broadly concerned about is that the president continues to tweet that the investigation by Robert Mueller is a witch hunt. We had testimony by admiral rogers in front of the Senate Armed Services committee that the president is failing to take seriously the threat from russian interference in our last election and most likely our next election. Theres a broader theme about lack of action on our national interests, our National Security interests, interests in protecting our next election and to have people in the highest levels in the white house who are transparent and accountable. Senator coons, thank you for joining us. Thank you, wolf. We have an update on the story that is happening on a military base just outside of washington, d. C. Were told 11 people are being treated after falling ill after a suspicious letter came to a military base in arlington, virginia. Lets go to barbara starr, shes been working her sources. What are you hearing now . Wolf, we are hearing 11 people felt in after some type of letter was opened at an administrative base. At this hour, the local Fire Department is saying all three of those people are in stable condition even as you can see there, Emergency Personnel continue to remain on the scene, trying to determine exactly what happened at joint base fort Meyer Henderson hall. This is a local military installation in washington, d. C. This is a major location here in the area. There are a number of military units and personnel that serve there for local reasons in the area. These are not combat forces in washington, d. C. They perform local functions in the area and some type of letter was opened and people began to feel ill. What we dont know is exactly what transpired here. Theyll have to test it, see what substance may have been involved and what is causing the symptoms, the initial information we had was that three people had symptoms, including burning hands and one bloody nose so taken to the hospital for medical attention. Local fire is on the scene. We were told fbi personnel also monitoring it because of course as they would in any case but this is happening tonight in the metropolitan washington, d. C. Area so obviously a lot of concern. People go in and out of this military base all day long. Theyll have to figure out exactly what transpired here. Normally at a base like this wouldnt letters go through some sort of security before theyre disseminat disseminated. Thats right. We see so Many Companies these days at military installations and especially here in washington, d. C. , mail is screened and treated if you will, before it is delivere