CNN’s Zakaria Warns of Trump: We Have a ‘Slow Degradation’ of Norms, We May Become Turkey in 20 Years

RUSH TRANSCRIPT LEMON This ░░░░░░░░ CNN tonight I m ░░░░░░░░ Lemon 11 00 P ░░░░░░░░ here on the East ░░░░░░░░ live with all the ░░░░░░░░ developments for you The ░░░░░░░░ Administration again today stomping ░░░░░░░░ over the norms that ░░░░░░░░ kept our government running ░░░░░░░░ centuries The President s ░░░░░░░░ Emmet Flood the man ░░░░░░░░ represents him in the ░░░░░░░░ investigation unexpectedly showing up ░░░░░░░░ the start of two ░░░░░░░░ Justice Department briefings with ░░░░░░░░ on a confidential intelligence ░░░░░░░░ used in wait for ░░░░░░░░ the Russia investigation Emmet ░░░░░░░░ was not on the ░░░░░░░░ of those invited He ░░░░░░░░ no oversight role So ░░░░░░░░ was he doing there ░░░░░░░░ these comments from Rudy ░░░░░░░░ can she some light ░░░░░░░░ it for you The ░░░░░░░░ s newest attorney telling ░░░░░░░░ there will be no ░░░░░░░░ with President Trump unless ░░░░░░░░ legal team gets more ░░░░░░░░ about the confidential source ░░░░░░░░ I said stomping all ░░░░░░░░ the norms that have ░░░░░░░░ the government running for ░░░░░░░░ Let s bring in ░░░░░░░░ Fareed Zakaria host of ░░░░░░░░ zakaria GPS to talk ░░░░░░░░ all of this I ░░░░░░░░ got a list in ░░░░░░░░ of me What a ░░░░░░░░ it s been for ░░░░░░░░ President Good evening by ░░░░░░░░ way Deliberately lied to ░░░░░░░░ American people pushing a ░░░░░░░░ theory demanding an investigation ░░░░░░░░ an investigation of his ░░░░░░░░ campaign he praises suppression ░░░░░░░░ the dissent at the ░░░░░░░░ telling players to get ░░░░░░░░ of the country And ░░░░░░░░ s only Thursday What ░░░░░░░░ this doing to our ░░░░░░░░ ZAKARIA What we re ░░░░░░░░ is actually something very ░░░░░░░░ which is the president ░░░░░░░░ the United States has ░░░░░░░░ been a somewhat special ░░░░░░░░ in the American system ░░░░░░░░ s always been this ░░░░░░░░ saying Who will guard ░░░░░░░░ guardians Who will watch ░░░░░░░░ who will put checks ░░░░░░░░ balances on the person ░░░░░░░░ ultimate power That s ░░░░░░░░ that Madison and Benjamin ░░░░░░░░ worried a great deal ░░░░░░░░ the president And part ░░░░░░░░ the solution was provided ░░░░░░░░ George Washington which was ░░░░░░░░ had a man of ░░░░░░░░ character who demonstrated that ░░░░░░░░ restrain yourself The President ░░░░░░░░ always had these kinds ░░░░░░░░ powers that you can ░░░░░░░░ people in you can ░░░░░░░░ what you want the ░░░░░░░░ branch you know ultimately ░░░░░░░░ to you you can ░░░░░░░░ everyone But those powers ░░░░░░░░ never been used And ░░░░░░░░ we re witnessing now ░░░░░░░░ the President doing things ░░░░░░░░ as you say violate ░░░░░░░░ these norms that have ░░░░░░░░ accumulated and unfortunately one ░░░░░░░░ to say it much ░░░░░░░░ this is legal It ░░░░░░░░ unethical it s unprecedented ░░░░░░░░ jars with the way ░░░░░░░░ democracy works It is ░░░░░░░░ use of power that ░░░░░░░░ no president has done ░░░░░░░░ LEMON I m wondering ░░░░░░░░ we ll consider some ░░░░░░░░ or if we can ░░░░░░░░ change after this presidency ░░░░░░░░ what you re saying ░░░░░░░░ the system relies on ░░░░░░░░ integrity of the person ░░░░░░░░ office But what if ░░░░░░░░ person has no integrity ░░░░░░░░ This was exactly the ░░░░░░░░ that took place during ░░░░░░░░ founding and this is ░░░░░░░░ the impeachment process was ░░░░░░░░ in place Because the ░░░░░░░░ was I think Franklin ░░░░░░░░ this point says The ░░░░░░░░ do it the old ░░░░░░░░ way they assassinate the ░░░░░░░░ they don t like ░░░░░░░░ re not going to ░░░░░░░░ that We re going ░░░░░░░░ try to come up ░░░░░░░░ some other way But ░░░░░░░░ that doesn t address ░░░░░░░░ larger issue of the ░░░░░░░░ of norms My big ░░░░░░░░ is forget about what ░░░░░░░░ in the next few ░░░░░░░░ Will the next person ░░░░░░░░ becomes president say I ░░░░░░░░ t have to release ░░░░░░░░ tax returns Trump did ░░░░░░░░ don t have to ░░░░░░░░ from my business practices ░░░░░░░░ didn t I don ░░░░░░░░ have to tell my ░░░░░░░░ to recuse themselves at ░░░░░░░░ points and exactly the ░░░░░░░░ you were saying with ░░░░░░░░ Trump did it If ░░░░░░░░ becomes true then what ░░░░░░░░ have is not a ░░░░░░░░ time blip but we ░░░░░░░░ a slow degradation of ░░░░░░░░ norms and all of ░░░░░░░░ sudden we re not ░░░░░░░░ different from Turkey 20 ░░░░░░░░ down the road LEMON ░░░░░░░░ said that s why ░░░░░░░░ came up with impeachment ░░░░░░░░ That relies on the ░░░░░░░░ of the Congress And ░░░░░░░░ Congress has no integrity ░░░░░░░░ least some members ZAKARIA ░░░░░░░░ the bizarre thing so ░░░░░░░░ president is now using ░░░░░░░░ branch of the government ░░░░░░░░ was meant to check ░░░░░░░░ power the Congress to ░░░░░░░░ attack the sections within ░░░░░░░░ executive branch that are ░░░░░░░░ up to the president ░░░░░░░░ Justice Department the FBI ░░░░░░░░ he s enlisting Republicans ░░░░░░░░ Congress to attack the ░░░░░░░░ bureaucrats within the intelligence ░░░░░░░░ the FBI the Justice ░░░░░░░░ whether it s Rod ░░░░░░░░ or whoever I ve ░░░░░░░░ seen anything like it ░░░░░░░░ Few things surprise me ░░░░░░░░ Now when we talk ░░░░░░░░ these I m like ░░░░░░░░ are you surprised But ░░░░░░░░ one thing that did ░░░░░░░░ me was this investigation ░░░░░░░░ the investigation And I ░░░░░░░░ just how far the ░░░░░░░░ and the people who ░░░░░░░░ supposed to check and ░░░░░░░░ allow this to go ░░░░░░░░ his own justice Department ░░░░░░░░ s supposed to be ░░░░░░░░ of the executive branch ░░░░░░░░ You know the sad ░░░░░░░░ about it I think ░░░░░░░░ is we can get ░░░░░░░░ the details of it ░░░░░░░░ what I think Donald ░░░░░░░░ has realized is this ░░░░░░░░ very well Which is ░░░░░░░░ you throw so much ░░░░░░░░ into the system and ░░░░░░░░ much accusations and counter ░░░░░░░░ that people just lose ░░░░░░░░ They don t even ░░░░░░░░ what s being discussed ░░░░░░░░ just know vaguely that ░░░░░░░░ says everyone s attacking ░░░░░░░░ there s some problem ░░░░░░░░ we have to investigate ░░░░░░░░ This is what he ░░░░░░░░ done There s so ░░░░░░░░ scandal that there s ░░░░░░░░ fatigue Someone once said ░░░░░░░░ me the other day ░░░░░░░░ the one thing imagine ░░░░░░░░ President Obama had raided ░░░░░░░░ doctor s office That ░░░░░░░░ have been a four ░░░░░░░░ congressional investigation right there ░░░░░░░░ mean think about Benghazi ░░░░░░░░ ve forgotten I mean ░░░░░░░░ remembers that Donald Trump ░░░░░░░░ his doctor s office ░░░░░░░░ I always say if ░░░░░░░░ black man did it ░░░░░░░░ s the truth But ░░░░░░░░ standards are different And ░░░░░░░░ think that one the ░░░░░░░░ this has nothing to ░░░░░░░░ with his policies or ░░░░░░░░ but on a personal ░░░░░░░░ he s a man ░░░░░░░░ integrity he s a ░░░░░░░░ classy man a classy ░░░░░░░░ This is completely different ░░░░░░░░ objectively if you look ░░░░░░░░ this president and this ░░░░░░░░ it seems to be ░░░░░░░░ family of drifters who ░░░░░░░░ gotten ahold of the ░░░░░░░░ offices and using it ░░░░░░░░ their own purposes ZAKARIA ░░░░░░░░ s a whole different ░░░░░░░░ that we still don ░░░░░░░░ have an adequate way ░░░░░░░░ again because it s ░░░░░░░░ of legal I suppose ░░░░░░░░ of the status of ░░░░░░░░ president The Chinese are ░░░░░░░░ a 500 million investment ░░░░░░░░ the trump organization in ░░░░░░░░ The qatari s are ░░░░░░░░ a donation to it ░░░░░░░░ properties in New York ░░░░░░░░ Unbelievable ZAKARIA And what ░░░░░░░░ one do You watch ░░░░░░░░ say to yourself let ░░░░░░░░ hope this LEMON People ░░░░░░░░ the thing is as ░░░░░░░░ journalist you guys have ░░░░░░░░ derangement syndrome but when ░░░░░░░░ norms are being trampled ░░░░░░░░ when our institutions are ░░░░░░░░ degraded we can t ░░░░░░░░ sit around and let ░░░░░░░░ normalize and happen We ░░░░░░░░ to inform the American ░░░░░░░░ about it ZAKARIA If ░░░░░░░░ look at what is ░░░░░░░░ in America like from ░░░░░░░░ where the country has ░░░░░░░░ pretty different the difference ░░░░░░░░ in country you ve ░░░░░░░░ real push back from ░░░░░░░░ courts certain levels of ░░░░░░░░ If not for those ░░░░░░░░ elements America would look ░░░░░░░░ a banana republic LEMON ░░░░░░░░ want to get your ░░░░░░░░ on North Korea because ░░░░░░░░ know the president called ░░░░░░░░ this summit But I ░░░░░░░░ that Kim had already ░░░░░░░░ it wasn t going ░░░░░░░░ happen But he dictated ░░░░░░░░ letter of this letter ░░░░░░░░ Kim Jong un ZAKARIA ░░░░░░░░ break up letter LEMON ░░░░░░░░ you talk about your ░░░░░░░░ capabilities but ours are ░░░░░░░░ massive and powerful I ░░░░░░░░ to god they ll ░░░░░░░░ have to Ebe used ░░░░░░░░ then he says I ░░░░░░░░ a dialogue ozbuilding up ░░░░░░░░ you and me and ░░░░░░░░ platly it is only ░░░░░░░░ dialogue that matters Someday ░░░░░░░░ look very much forward ░░░░░░░░ meeting you Mixed messages ░░░░░░░░ It s the jilted ░░░░░░░░ that says wait a ░░░░░░░░ I thought you loved ░░░░░░░░ and we re not ░░░░░░░░ to get back to ░░░░░░░░ But here s my ░░░░░░░░ in case you want ░░░░░░░░ call There should never ░░░░░░░░ been a head of ░░░░░░░░ summit between two countries ░░░░░░░░ opposed this is why ░░░░░░░░ matters and preparation matters ░░░░░░░░ need to understand what ░░░░░░░░ history and the north ░░░░░░░░ negotiation strategy has been ░░░░░░░░ got all caught up ░░░░░░░░ the idea he was ░░░░░░░░ to win the Nobel ░░░░░░░░ prize and make this ░░░░░░░░ You have to understand ░░░░░░░░ don t let your ░░░░░░░░ get ahead of you ░░░░░░░░ was gushing about Kim ░░░░░░░░ un about this honorable ░░░░░░░░ he was going to ░░░░░░░░ world peace And elements ░░░░░░░░ his administration and this ░░░░░░░░ happens started doing the ░░░░░░░░ Saying he s going ░░░░░░░░ be like gaddafi we ░░░░░░░░ going to run him ░░░░░░░░ of town How much ░░░░░░░░ it was sure incompetence ░░░░░░░░ much of it was ░░░░░░░░ had second thoughts I ░░░░░░░░ at this point it ░░░░░░░░ a very useful breather ░░░░░░░░ s pause Let s ░░░░░░░░ to figure out whether ░░░░░░░░ are intersecting interests Let ░░░░░░░░ slowly try to build ░░░░░░░░ them and let s ░░░░░░░░ to make the head ░░░░░░░░ state summit the end ░░░░░░░░ the process rather than ░░░░░░░░ start Unfortunaty it s ░░░░░░░░ going to be the ░░░░░░░░ per view summit that ░░░░░░░░ Trump wanted It s ░░░░░░░░ to be the slow ░░░░░░░░ that s the actual ░░░░░░░░ of diplomacy is actually ░░░░░░░░ of boring LEMON You ░░░░░░░░ it much more eloquently ░░░░░░░░ I did earlier I ░░░░░░░░ they would meet but ░░░░░░░░ will be much more ░░░░░░░░ to traditionally diplomacy ZAKARIA ░░░░░░░░ s hope Because you ░░░░░░░░ have two very bizarre ░░░░░░░░ at the heart of ░░░░░░░░ And Kim may decide ░░░░░░░░ that break up that ░░░░░░░░ does have the phone ░░░░░░░░ LEMON A north Korean ░░░░░░░░ expressed a willingness to ░░░░░░░░ quote time to the ░░░░░░░░ S Always with a ░░░░░░░░ and open mind So ░░░░░░░░ re saying there s ░░░░░░░░ a chance Call me ░░░░░░░░ I understand you re ░░░░░░░░ years old ZAKARIA The ░░░░░░░░ is 10 years old ░░░░░░░░ m a little bit ░░░░░░░░