Americans protesting the president of turkey and his visit to the white house. Men in suits moving in. The bloody clash. Good evening. And its great to have you with us here on a wednesday night. And we begin with that breaking headline the white house blindsided tonight as the Department Of Justice reveals that they will appoint a Special Counsel to now oversee the fbi investigation into russian meddling and any possible collusion. Former fbi director Robert Mueller will now lead the investigation. Democrats and some republicans had been calling for this move, the news coming just 24 hours after we learned that former fbi director james comey, who was fired by President Trump, kept notes about his meetings with the president. The Department Of Justice saying just moments ago, a Special Counsel is necessary for the American People to have full confidence in the outcome. Abcs Senior Justice correspondent Pierre Thomas leading us off. Reporter tonight, a Bombshell Announcement theDepartment Of Justice appointing a Special Counsel to take over the investigation into russias interference with the 2016 election, including possible collusion with the trump campaign. The man now leading the investigation, former fbi director Robert Mueller. Saying in a statement tonight, i accept this responsibility and will discharge it to the best of my ability. Hell have all the authorities of a u. S. Attorney, including the ability to take the matter before a grand jury and the ability to issue subpoenas. Also tonight, the president responding quote, a thorough investigation will confirm what we already know there was no xlugs between my campaign and any foreign entity. I look forward to this matter concluding quickly. Torrent reaction from capitol hill pouring in. I think this a positive decision. Very solid and significant step. Reporter the announcement of a Special Counsel comes after Attorney GeneralJeff Sessions recused himself. Therefore, i have recused myself in the matters that deal with the trump campaign. Reporter President Trump has called the investigation into possible collusion with members of his campaign a charade. Former fbi director james comey was in charge of the investigation until he was fired last week. Tonights dramatic announcement coming after that other bombshell, 24 hours ago, the memo coming to light about President Trumps meeting in the oval office in february raising concerns mr. Trump allegedly wanted the fbi to go easy on former National Security adviser michael flynn. President trump allegedly asking Vice President and Attorney GeneralJeff Sessions to leave a briefing. Leaving the president alone with the fbi director. According the nowinfamous memo described by a source close to comey, who read it, trump allegedly said i hope you can see your way of letting this go, hes a good guy. The white house denying it. The president has been very clear that the account was published is not an accurate description of how the event occurred. Reporter james comey had a doumtded history of keeping notes especially when it came to controversial matters. Now we learned there could be more memos, more documentation of his interaction with the president. Sources close to comey expect that comey will testify before congress and the American People and this his memos will be made available. Lets get to Pierre Thomas live in our washington bureau. Pierre, back to this notion of a Special Counsel now, the fbi director james comey who was fired just last week, he had been leading this investigation. This now means former fbi director Robert Mueller steps in, and people for watching at
home, this question tonight, what does it mean . Does he start from scratch here . Reporter david, its totally at the discretion of mueller. He can replace all the agents currently working the case. He has 60 days to put together a team of lawyers to work with him on the case. A reminder about mueller, after serving ten years as fbi director he was asked by president obama to reup for an additional two years. He was reconfirmed 1000. Pierre thomas leading us off. Pierre, thank you. I want to get to Jonathan Karl tonight, you were telling me that the white house was blindsided. What have you learned tonight . Reporter they were completely taken offguard by this, david. As a matter of fact, im told that the senior staff of the white house didnt get word of this until about 30 minutes before the news was shared with the news media. Completely taken offguard. But it really shouldnt have taken them all that much by surprise, given the developments of the last few days. Im starting to hear even from some republicans on capitol hill, welcoming this news, including jason chaffetz, the Top Republican on the Oversight Committee in the house, he said
mueller is a great selection, impeccable credentials. Should be widely accepted. We dont know if thats a view shared here at the white house yet. All right, 30 minutes warning as you point out, jon. As you could imagine, this news traveling quickly to capitol hill, where some republicans began joining some democrats calling for this move. This Special Counsel. But tonight, they also something else. Both sides now want james comey on the hill testifying before the American People about what he wrote about his meetings with the president. Abcs mary bruce tonight on the hill. Reporter with his white house consumed by crises, President Trump today venting to the coast guard graduation class. Look at the way ive been treated lately. Especially by the media. No politician in history and i say this with great assurity has been treated worse or more unfairly. Reporter but back in washington, even members of the president s own party say we may be at a tipping point. I think its reaching the
point where its of Watergate Size and scale. Reporter the latest allegations rippling through the republican party. That news the president may have asked thenfbi director james comey to shut down his investigation into fired National Security adviser michael flynn. Do you want comey to testify . I want facts reporter tonight, both parties are now clamoring for comey to testify. Senate republican leader Mitch Mcconnell telling the Wall Street Journal i think we need to hear for him as soon as possible in public. And leaders of three congressional committees say they want to see the memo comey wrote documenting his conversations with the president. On the surface, that seems like an extraordinary use of influence to try to shut down an investigation being done by the fbi. Do you want comey to testify . On the hill a dizzying day of
dodges, with some republicans making their discomfort clear. Republicans cant be okay with this. Reporter tonight, one republican, congressman justin amash, even reportedly saying if the allegations in the comey memo are true it could be an impeachable offense. The speaker of the house is still backing the president , but not without hesitation. Mr. Speaker, do you still have full confidence in the president . I do. Reporter 118 days into the new administration, republicans had hoped to be plowing ahead with their Agenda Health care, tax reform, deregulation. But instead theyre careening from crisis to crisis. On the campaign trail, trump i want to get to mary bruce on capitol hill tonight. We could see former fbi director james comey on the hill as soon as next week, still. The house Oversight Committee want him to testify at a hearing here next wednesday. The Senate Intelligence committee is also eager to hear from comey. The top democrat on that committee telling me hes as confident as anything that comey
will be testifying soon. David. Mary bruce live on the hill, tonight, thank you. I want to bring in dan abrams, we heard from Pierre Thomas off the top there. It was quite striking. He said mr. Mueller can step in here, and months after this fbi investigation, even before the election, and he could start over. Thats what an independent prosecutor means, its called a Special Counsel. It means he can now decide what he wants to do with all that information. And i think its really important that he brings in some of his own people. He doesnt want to be seen as just using the fbi people who are already there. Expect him to put together his own team to draw his own conclusion. Meantime, dan, you heard from lawmakers on the hill. Many are beginning to use the term obstruction of justice. Pointing to the memo that james comey allegedly wrote. Saying that the president told him, i hope you can let this go, talking about the investigation into michael flynn. Many legal experts say this memo in and of itself doesnt mean obstruction of justice. The memo itself doesnt. You need the context. And some of the other things that mueller will be looking at, are the reports, the demand of loyalty at a dinner, the fact that the president admitted that russia was on his mind when he fired comey. The fact that he was alone in the white house, asked Jeff Sessions and Vice President pence to leave the room when he made these comments that were in the memo. Take all of that together and, most importantly, with james comeys account and then you assess is this obstruction or is not . A long summer ahead. Dan, as always, thank you. I do want to bring in abcs senior White House Correspondent cecilia vega tonight. Shes set to travel with President Trump on his first foreign trip. This white house was hoping this trip would help them turn the page or reset. But World Leaders are watching these headlines, too. They certainly are. I was just speaking with a Senior Administration official. They were touting how well this white house feels the president has been doing with foreign leaders ahead of this visit, especially heading into the muslim world. This will undoubtedly hang over President Trumps head, as will that conversation in the oval office, where hes accused of giving highly classified intelligence to the russians. The white house was hoping to turn a page going in this trip. They start in saudi arabia, they go to israel. He heads to the vatican where he will meet with pope. David, this is a white house now that heads into a foreign trip with a major crisis. Not only World Leaders are watching this, but wall street as well. The turmoil in white house blamed for the Stock Market Suffering its worst losses this year. The dow falling more than 372 points today, to close at 20,606. In the meantime, were following other news at this hour. The deadly Tornado Outbreak in the heartland. New alerts have been posted at this hour. Another difficult night ahead and a State Of Emergency now declared in wisconsin. More than two dozen tornadoes reported. One tornado damaging homes in kansas. And these pictures coming in to us, just stunning out of wisconsin. Severe storms moving east. A brandnew system building strength. Abcs alex perez tonight from the storm zone. Tornado warning. Take shelter reporter tonight, a dangerous system on the move. The tornado completely all the way on the ground. Reporter the Tornado Outbreak beginning in texas tuesday afternoon. Twisters reported in six states. Our Clayton Sandell is in hardhit elk city, oklahoma. The twister tore through here through dinnertime. Some 100 families homes are severely damaged or destroyed. One person was killed but Officials Say early warnings helped save many lives. Reporter driving dangerous, too this Pickup Hydroplaning on i40. North of eau claire, wisconsin, another twister making a direct hit. The trailer park looks like it mightve been leveled. Reporter one killed and dozens injured. First responders hearing their cries for help. They were pulling walls off of people and getting them out of their trailers. Reporter Darla Rutledge was standing in her home when the walls collapsed on her. Didnt have a chance to do nothing. Reporter and david, hard to
believe, but there were ten homes on this block, this is all thats left. This area is now bracing for another storms tonight. David . Bracing for another round, alex, thanks. Lets get right to rob marciano with the track. Four reported tornadoes tonight. We got watches up. Look at the radar, all of iowa, part of wisconsin, storms rotating through. Chicago, the Western Suburbs you may get a rumble of thunder or strong storms tonight. As this rotates off toward the great lakes. But the big show back in the plains, again, western kansas, oklahoma and texas, could see longtrack damaging tornadoes again tomorrow. Rob, thank you. In the last 24 hours, there have been some new and startling images emerging from washington, d. C. , not far from the white house in fact. It all happened as the highly controversial president of turkey was visiting here to meet President Trump at the white house. Protesters in the Nations Capital allegedly attacked by president erdogans own security. Some of the people attacked in
this video were americans who were protesting. Heres Martha Raddatz tonight. Reporter tonight, Washington Police are analyzing this video, to identify the men who started this violent melee. Peaceful protesters, some americans, attacked, allegedly by progovernment supporters and Turkish Security personnel guarding the visiting turkish president erdogan. Watch those men in dark suits and ties, and brown shirts who are armed, charging the protesters, kicking them to the ground men and women again and again. Police trying to pull them off. The Security Guards racing to the next protester while others walked around dazed and bloodied. 11 people injured. Police making two arrests. It appears to be unprovoked and it appears to be very brutal. Reporter the violence coming just hours after President Trump welcomed erdogan at the white
house, calling it an honor. The crowd there to protest a man who has tightened his grip on Power By Jailing Thousands of political opponents at home. Tonight, the State Department saying, we support the rights of people everywhere to Free Expression and peaceful protest. So, lets get to martha live with us in d. C. Tonight. Martha, these guards are tied to the turkish embassy. Could they get Diplomatic Immunity . They sure could. In fact, most of the Security Guards are back in turkey tonight. Theyre still pursuing this case in case anybody lives here. That was a stunning scene. Theres still much more ahead on World News Tonight this wednesday the alarming Video Raising questions tonight. High School StudentsPepper Sprayed for extra credit. Apparently they volunteered, their parents gave the okay, but did The School Go too far here . Tonight, parents who are defending the move. Also, the violent hit and run crash involving a school bus. The Bus Overturning on an american highway, one student ejected and the search for the
driver who caused the crash. And the alarming scene off the east coast. Summer season is almost here. Memorial day approaching and where the sharks have been spotted now. Ople when they thought they should start saving for retirement. Then we asked some older people when they actually did start saving. This gap between when we should start saving and when we actually do is one of the reasons why too many of us arent prepared for retirement. Just start as early as you can. Its going to pay off in the future. If we all start saving a little more today, well all be better prepared tomorrow. Prudential. Bring your challenges.