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Defense Secretary Mattis Visits The Pentagon; Massive Women's Rallies On Trump's First Full Day; Hundreds of Thousands Gathered For D.C. March; Women's Marches In U.S. Around The World; Massive Women's Rallies On Trump's First Full Day; Defense Secretary Mattis Visits The Pentagon. Aired Noon-1p ET
Aired January 21, 2017 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to INSIDE POLITICS. I'm John King. We'll take you straight out to a demonstration here in Washington, D.C. Van Jones, a Democratic activist and also, of course, as many of you know, a CNN contributor, speaking to a big rally on the National Mall today. Day two of the Trump administration, day one of the opposition. Let's listen.
VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: -- get off tinder and get off grinder and get some real love because real love is the strongest stuff in the universe, am I right? Real love is the strongest stuff in the universe. The love army in this movement is built on that mama bear love.
That mama bear loves those cubs and that mama bear not going to let you mess with those cubs. And this movement won't let you mess with the Muslims, this movement's not going to let you mess with the dreamers, President Trump.
We're not going to let you mess with women. We're not going to let you mess with the earth. We're not going to let you mess with black arrives matter. This movement is based on that kind of love.
And let me say something, when you have a movement based on that kind of love, you can talk to people on both sides of the aisle. We love the conservatives enough to tell them that they have to be better conservatives than this.
You have to be conservatives than this. Real conservatives love the Constitution. We have a president who seems to be an authoritarian. Real conservatives stand up for and believe in clean government.
We have a president who seems to be committed to a kleptocracy. Real conservatives are patriotic. We have a president who isn't seem strong to America, he seems weak for Russia. Conservatives, you have to do better than this.
Stand up to Trump as conservatives and be better conservatives than this. We love you enough to tell that you. And we also love you enough to say liberals and progressives, we have to be better liberals and better progressives. We do.
I'm tired of hearing us say love Trumps hate but sometimes sound more hateful than Trump. I'm tired of us, and I've been guilty of it, putting down all the red state voters and saying they're all stupid and uneducated. We have to stop that.
Just because somebody made a bad vote doesn't make them a bad person and it won't make us into bad people either. I'm not going let a bad vote makes become bad people. We'll fight for their dignity anyhow. We'll fight begins them on the bigotry, but we will fight no for their justice and their dignity, as well.
This movement has the opportunity to stand up for the underdogs in red states and blue states, to stand up for the Muslims and the dreamers and black folks, but also to stand up for coalminers who will be thrown under the bus by Donald Trump. We'll stand up for them.
All those rust belt workers who he's not messing with, he's about to mess over, we'll stand up for them and we have to have a position that's clear. When it gets harder to love, let's love harder. When it gets harder to love, let's love harder.
I saw that movement that came into this town yesterday. They had red hats on. They were proud of their accomplishment and they thought that they had taken America back. What they never counted on was a million women in pink hats that will take America forward. Thank you very much. Thank you very much.
KING: You've been listening to Van Jones, a longtime Democratic activist, a contributor here on CNN, one of our political commentators. We have conservatives as well speaking at a big protest march here in Washington, a women's march here in Washington.
Although men are speaking also to this rally. One of many marches around the country and around the world on the first full day of the Trump presidency, a protest, a protest against what they perceived will be the actions of the incoming administration.
I'm John King in Washington. Welcome to INSIDE POLITICS. Let me introduce my panelists. A lot of breaking news this hour. Rock and roll with us, the new defense secretary is taking office at the Pentagon. We'll take you there.
There are rallies as I said all around the country and all around the world. We will take you to those.
[12:05:10]The new president of the United States also due to make his first official visit to a cabinet agency, to the CIA, an agency he has criticized as president-elect. Now he will make a visit there even though the Congress has not yet confirmed his new CIA director.
Let me introduce my panel, Maggie Haberman of the "New York Times," Dan Balz of the "Washington Post," Maeve Reston of CNN, and CNN's Manu Raju as well.
This morning the president of the United States began at this prayer breakfast. Part of the message of the prayer breakfast is to show unity. You have a Muslim imam. You have a Jewish rabbi. You have all other denominations who speak. The president and the vice president did not speak, but they were there.
But Maggie, on the first full day of the Trump presidency where there was some call for unity in his speech, it was a remarkable speech, what message does this send what we're seeing right here in Washington?
We're seeing it all around the country and the world as well. What message does it send to the new president as he tries at a very difficult environment to begin governing?
MAGGIE HABERMAN, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": At a minimum we know that there will be no honeymoon period for this president. We have seen that with Democrats in Congress, as well. A bunch of them skipped the inauguration. What it tells us is that President Trump -- I started to say President Obama out of habit.
KING: First day, it's OK. It's going to take a while.
HABERMAN: President Trump is going into office with historically low approval rating. Somewhere between 37 percent and 40 percent depending on which poll you look at. It's very hard to get that number up.
And I think that his folks know that and they are basically focused on preserving his movement. And this thing where he keeps reliving the primaries and campaign at these events last night that are open, that is about staying connected to his supporters.
Governing is different than campaigning and he is going to discover this, that there is going to be an ongoing source of disruption to him. I don't know how it will play out.
MAEVE RESTON, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER: At the same time I was out this morning talking to a lot of the protesters here at the women's march in Washington. And there are so many disparate agendas out there, so many women talking about different reasons why they're here at this march protesting away the around the world.
Multigenerational, it's anger at Donald Trump, but it's also, you know, their unique issues whether it's veterans issues or Planned Parenthood. In some ways that means that the Democrats are not necessarily speaking with one voice today, which has been really interesting.
MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: And I think these protests too also puts the Democratic leadership in a difficult position if they want to cut deals with Donald Trump. A lot of folks are saying we don't want to normalize Donald Trump even though he's the president of the United States.
But the leadership in Washington realizes that they have to do some things with him and the question is to what extent and will they decide to become the opposition party in a pretty aggressive and relentless way.
KING: And as we watch this play out, Dan, here in Washington and around the country and to some degree around the world, as well, to that point, it's complicated. It's easy to say it's anti-Trump because it is anti-Trump.
Some of these women originally envisioned this to protest that "Access Hollywood" tape and the other things Donald Trump said about women during the campaign or recordings of him earlier in his life saying things that were beyond offensive about women in the campaign.
Other people as you know are out there now, you saw Elizabeth Warren in Massachusetts, the senator wearing a Planned Parenthood scarf because they believe the Republican budget will cut funding for Planned Parenthood and perhaps do other things to take back from their perspective freedoms for women's reproductive rights.
Other people are labor activists out there. So there are a lot of different pieces to this. I guess, my big question --
RESTON: And priorities.
KING: And priorities. My big question, is this venting or is in the beginning of organizing?
DAN BALZ, "WASHINGTON POST": It is the beginning of organizing, but as Maeve said there is not yet a clear structure or sense of priorities of what that anti-Trump movement is going to look like. And that is in part because Trump doesn't fit any kind of a conventional model as we think of in terms of a Republican leader.
I mean, he's got an agenda that is cross cutting. We heard it yesterday. That speech did not echo traditional conservative themes. And so the opposition to him will be scattered for a while, but as Maggie, it's very solid in the opposition.
Through the campaign, he was never able to convince enough people that he was even qualified to be president. Now, he won the election, but even after the election, there is half the country that still says he's not qualified. So it's so much focused on Donald Trump the person as opposed to this piece of his agenda or this part of his priorities.
KING: Very important part because we're on day one and the Trump presidency will evolve in different ways. Boston, trust me, that is unusual. Chicago large crowds there, as well. Let's go down on to the ground here in Washington. Our national correspondent, Kyung Lah, is down there with them.
Just tell us what is the flavor of what you're hearing and to the conversation we're just having here, is this about all just about Donald Trump personally, do you hear different priorities coming up?
[12:10:11]KYUNG LAH, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's a combination of both. It's exactly the conversation that you're having, John. And some of these signs are going to answer those very questions. You're absolutely right. There are many issues that are being represented here by these different women.
You see signs about peace, you see signs about reproductive rights, about climate change. Even a sign saying that they are afraid. The unifying factor, though, the absolute unifying factor here in Washington, D.C. is that they have come here so that they can be seen by Donald Trump.
They may have their different agendas, but they believe that that is what is going to keep the opposition together. You see all the pink hats. That again, what is that? What is the pink hat? For them, it is a sign of solidarity.
So when you ask them a little further what will happen from this point, they say that they're going to take these pink hat, they will take the knowledge of this sea of pink that you're seeing, and all their different agendas, they will take to the grass roots level and they are going to become the Tea Party of the left.
I have heard that that rallying cry throughout the day, that they understand that they may be different than the way the Tea Party was in 2009, but that they are going to take some of those lessons and they are going to become the opposition at the grass roots level and this is just the beginning.
So John, as you look at the sea of pink, it is here in the backyard, the Donald Trump's first day as -- first full day as president, that they are hoping that he is going to look out his window and he will see all of these people -- John.
KING: Kyung Lah for us down on the National Mall there. The crowds mounting. We'll get the perspective from the new president of the United States in a moment.
A quick break here. When we come back, protests in Washington, Chicago, Boston. They're spreading west as the time zones change, protests around the world as well. The first full day of the Trump administration and you see the reaction. We'll be right back.
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[12:15:00]
KING: Welcome back to INSIDE POLITICS. You see there's Cecile Richards. She is the president of Planned Parenthood, speaking at the rally before a big women's march here in Washington. Let's listen in.
CECILE RICHARDS, PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA: -- never giving up. Reproductive rights are human rights. You need to know that starting this week, Congress is going to be moving quickly to try to pass restrictions on reproductive access and we cannot let them. You need to call your member of Congress, call your senator and say we will not go back.
One of us can be dismissed, two of us can be ignored, but together we are a movement and we are unstoppable. It is an honor to do this work long side inspiring leaders like the woman standing next to me. Please welcome my friend, Kyra Johnson, executive director of URGE, Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I see some nasty women out there. So nasty. I see some nasty boys out there, too. Janet would be so proud before.
KING: You're watching the rally before a woman's march here in Washington. As company back in the studio here, essentially using Donald Trump's language from the campaign against him. Cecile Richards say that the Republicans are preparing to pass a budget and they want to strip the funding to Planned Parenthood.
And they're trying to fight it. And nasty woman was a term Donald Trump used in a debate against Hillary Clinton. If you were traveling the city today, you see a lot of signs or t-shirts with nasty women. It's political activism.
This is one of the gifts of America. I guess the question is, we did see a reaction to the Obama presidency that gave us the Tea Party that ended up giving their own party more fits than anybody probably. What are we do make of this not just the timing of it, but the message?
RAJU: The Tea Party analogy is really interesting because that's the same one that actually President Obama made in a closed door meeting with Democrats right after the election saying if they try to appeal Obamacare, we should organize the way that they did during the Tea Party movement.
And go to town halls, storm these members particularly ones who are in difficult re-election races, put them on the spot if they try to -- as they try to move down the process of repealing Obamacare. We'll see if they are successful in that approach.
And on the Planned Parenthood front, while there will be a big push in the House to get rid of funding for Planned Parenthood, there are moderate Senate Republicans who are opposed to that idea including Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.
So it shows two things. One, you will see massive Democratic opposition to some of these efforts, but two, it will be difficult to get a lot of things that Donald Trump and conservatives want because of divisions within the party.
KING: And moving west here, you see Denver now as the time zones change, huge crowds in Denver, as well. They're this Boston, New York, Chicago. That's a very impressive crowd in Denver.
My question is this, if you look at the history of the eight years of the Obama presidency, these crowds are great, but you have to win at the ballot box and the Democrats did not.
In the eight years of the Obama presidency, whether we're talking about the House, Senate, governors races or state legislatures where Democrats lost 1,000 seats during the Obama presidency.
RESTON: What is so fascinating about these marches today is that it's very multigenerational. And what is a really interesting question here is whether Donald Trump does cause this sort of resurgence in feminism.
There were a lot of women out there who are talking about the idea of passing on the torch to their daughters who are not at all involved in political activism.
If you do have multiple generations getting more focused on some of these Planned Parenthood and abortion issues on the way that they weren't before, that would be really interesting during Donald Trump's presidency.
BALZ: The irony of that also would be that Hillary Clinton was not able to kind of stoke that enthusiasm across the generations on feminist issues. And if it now happens post-reaction as opposed to pre-election, that would be a remarkable thing.
[12:20:11]HABERMAN: I think the rallies will be potentially persuasive on the White House. I'm less clear how it will play in Congress just given how incredibly gerrymandered a lot of these House districts are now. I do think that Ivanka Trump will see this. Her personal brand and her interests are all about women's issues.
She has been interested in Planned Parenthood before. You did hear Trump while he did not favor funding abortions, he did defend the work of Planned Parenthood beyond that from a Republican debate stage, pretty unusual. I do think that she will see this and see potential danger for her father, for her own self, and possibly lean on him.
KING: And so you raise one of the great defining capital cue questions of the Trump presidency. Who has his ear? Because as you well know, I thought you were going to him, an excellent point about Ivanka Trump, who will be hugely influential in the Trump White House.
But you know if the past is prologue, when President Donald Trump sees this, his tendency is to hit back. He's going to take this is my first full day and you're doing this.
HABERMAN: You know, I think it might be true and I think it might not be true. I think that he has actually internalized that a fair amount of this is going to be criticism. If you've listened to him, he does not -- it has clearly been impressed upon him by his aides that he should not expect that he will get some kind of a galvanizing welcome from people who did not vote for him.
I think a lot of that is baked in. I think he may hit back for a while, but when he sees his approval ratings flashed on the screens amid these rallies over several weeks, that will impact him, too.
RAJU: It will be interesting if he goes on a tweet storm against these protesters the way he did right after the election or maybe he takes a step back and recognize that there is this significant opposition to him and try to do something in a more unifying way to try at least not provoke them.
KING: We'll talk more about the president's second day in office. The protests actually capturing our attention. I believe we have it. We're watching a lot of rank and file people. You were talking about mothers and daughters. The question is, do these people organize in their communities when they go home? Do they vote?
Michael Moore was telling them earlier run for precinct captain, run for city council, run for something, get involved. Don't just show up in a rally, but among the people helping guide the protests are some people who might be ambition of their own.
The Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren spoke at the big rally in Boston a few moments ago. Hopefully we can listen to her a little bit. Sorry, we don't have that sound. She was talking about fighting. Don't just march, but fight, stay in the fight.
Is there a chance that out of these rallies -- we knew Elizabeth Warren would be one of them, but who are the leading voices of the Democrats at this moment and is there a risk -- you could make the argument whether you're a political science professor or the new president of the United States, hey, give me a chance.
HABERMAN: I think that is a legitimate point. There have been honeymoons before. He is not getting any benefit of the doubt. I think you could make the argument that the way he conducted himself during his transition is part of why he continued his slash and burn style. But I think that that will be his push back to essentially say I just want to get to work and you guys aren't doing all of this instruction --
RAJU: And that is the real risk for the Democrats and the activists members, I mean, the Democrats talking point for the first four years when Mitch McConnell made those comments that he wanted to make President Obama a first team president. They said he never gave us a chance and that is the challenge now. You will hear that talking point be repeated over and over again from people in the Trump world.
BALZ: But don't you think that is simply the nature of politics today? Sort of give no quarter on either side. And I think that both sides have come to almost accept that that is the way they have to operate. And if he pushes back, they will push back more. So I don't see a likelihood of some way in which one side or the other will embarrass the opponent into operating in a different way.
RESTON: And it's also such a huge question, who will be the leading lights of the Democratic Party going forward. You have Harris who will speak at this march in Washington if she hasn't already, Elizabeth Warren. Does it go from one generation to another? I mean, that is still all very unclear at this moment.
KING: And if you're surprised by the polarization, you've been asleep for the last 15 -- we're taking a quick break. We're keeping an eye on these rallies across the country and indeed across the world.
We'll also take you to the president's first full day in office. A prayer service this morning. He's visiting the CIA later today and his team is starting to take place including over at the Pentagon. Stay with INSIDE POLITICS. We'll be right back.
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[11:28:04]
KING: Welcome back to INSIDE POLITICS. We continue to keep our eye on protests here in Washington and across the country and indeed across the world. But also it is a very important full first day for the new president of the United States.
President Trump woke up in the White House this morning for the first time, attended a traditional prayer service at the National Cathedral here in Washington, D.C.
Our senior White House correspondent, Jeff Zeleny, was there this morning. And Jeff, for the president, these rallies across Washington and across the country, a very different mood at the cathedral, right?
JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: It was indeed, John. There was a mood of a prayer here and of course, it was one of those rare moments where a president and the vice president were sitting in solitude not talking but listening. And there were a lot of messages throughout this hour long or so service this morning.
A lot of messages about the divide in this country. I was struck in particular from Cardinal Weurl, who is the cardinal of the archdiocese of Washington here.
John, he said this, he said save us from violence, discord and confusion, from pride and arrogance, and from evil in every way. That word arrogance was used by my count three times by different members of the clergy here.
And there have been some protests here in the days before about even having this event which happens every day after the inaugural. But the dean of this cathedral, the reverend, said that it was important to pray for the country and to show civility going forward here.
So certainly struck by that moment, John, and Donald Trump also in his first full day of his presidency is watching his administration in some forms take shape. We saw the new Defense Secretary James Mattis, the retired general, entering the Pentagon, taking his position there.
And this afternoon we are going to see the president visit the CIA. He's expected to make remarks this afternoon there, certainly his divide with intelligence officials and intelligence agencies have been front and center through his transition here.
[12:30:07] So as the protests are going on in Washington, now Donald Trump is at the White House, he is likely watching these. He did not see them earlier when he was here at the Cathedral, but that could also impact his day and how he views what is going on here in Washington and indeed John around the world.
KING: Jeff Zeleny for us outside the Cathedral. Jeff, thank you very much. Let's come back into the studio here. First full day for the administration. We saw General Mattis going through work at the Pentagon. General Kelly is going to work with the Department of Homeland Security. But Democrats are slowing done on some of the other nominees. Part of their argument is they say the Trump team wasn't ready, not all ethics paper work has been process but part of it is disagreements. The CIA Director Mike Pompeo. Deal, correct me if I'm wrong. Manu the deal now is they will have six hours of debate on Monday and then vote on Monday night.
Mitch McConnell the Senate Republican Leader says, "Hey, the CIA, Donald Trump is going to visit the CIA today, he will not have his new director there. But this is about policy differences. They say in the paper work to the committee, publically they had said, we will break no lows, but they say Pompeo has said I won't break the law, but I might test the law. I might ask my lawyers to look at, can we waterboard or something close.
What can we do to expand the surveillance program? President Obama I think had seven at this point on day one confirmation. Two for Donald Trump. What's the impact?
MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: Well, this is the fewest is actually amount of nominees that any president has had on the first day in office since George H.W. Bush in 1989. The impact being that it could slow down elements of Donald Trump's agenda.
Again, not having his team in place, people who can put issue executive orders, put their own people underneath them and begin to drive a policy agenda and it could slow down action in the Senate. You know, you can only do one thing at a time on the floor of the Senate. So you bring up a nomination that's going to takes days and days, that pushes back other aspects of what Donald Trump want's to do.
So we're going to see this play out for sometime. Democrats do not want to give quick approval on eight nominees ranging from the justice department to health and human services to treasury. And if they drag the process out, it could impact that. But they will -- Trump will eventually get his team. Democrats don't have the votes to stop them. So they do they have the votes to frustrate the process.
MAEVE RESTON, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER: And also remember that second tier below the cabinet level. We know from Trump officials that many of those positions, the second, third assistant secretaries, people who do the managing of these departments are also not in place yet. And so, that's a huge simultaneous challenge that the Trump administration has as it's hiring, you know, droves the people to fill those job.
KING: In some ways more important than the cabinet secretaries in terms of the day to day management of the government. One of the things the president-elect did do last night was he issued his first executive order about policy. And it was instructing federal agencies that you now have my permission if you want to sort of change Obamacare.
But it says within the law, but if you want to give new wavers to the states, give new waivers to the insurance industry, maybe even give new waivers to individual. Democrats are saying here he goes immediately. He's going to create chaos in the marketplace. Why this? Why first?
MAGGIE HABERMAN, THE NEW YORK TIMES: Because this is the issue that is -- as I understand it and Manu, would know better than me. But I think most important to congressional Republicans. I think Paul Ryan has made pretty clear this is where they want to start. This is what they have campaigned on for a very long time.
And I think that it's not exactly clear what is going to come of this executive order. We just know that this begins the process. There is still a lot of runway for this to move. But this was basically about a keeping a pledge to the base.
The Trump badly, badly needs with those approval ratings and to keep congressional Republicans happy for when he goes against him. I want to make one other point by the way about Pompeo and what happened with that vote being delayed.
Remember that Trump's folks put out word that he was going to the CIA today and go to attend that swearing in. He is still going there with Pompeo. I think that is going to basically end up become a rallying cry. The Manu's point earlier about how Democrats have to be careful with this. He's going to basically say, "I want to work, I can't believe they're holding up my CIA director. This is, you know, the presidential nominee. They have no real reason to be doing this. We are already starting off on that foot. It's quite something.
KING: Well, the flip side of the recent debate we've had about should the CIA be involved in political debates. So, I think they will be today. (inaudible) one second done, because I want to take you back down to the rally here in Washington, D.C. We may mention her a few moments ago. The freshman senator just elected, former Attorney General the State of California Kamala Harris, a rising star in the National Democratic Party.
Let's listen.
SENATOR KAMALA HARRIS, (D) CALIFORNIA: -- treated as equals. Founded on the ideals that guarantee every person's right to worship freely without intrusion, founded on ideals where our immigrant communities represent the heart and soul what have it means to be an American.
[12:35:01] And when I look out at this incredible crowd today, I know one thing. Even if you're not sitting in the White House, even if you are not a member of the United States Congress, even if you don't run a big corporate super PAC, you have the power.
And we the people have the power. And there is nothing more powerful than a group of determined sisters marching alongside with their partners and their determined sons and brothers and fathers standing up for what we know is right.
And here's the thing, we know that it is right for this nation to prioritize women's issues. And here's what I'm talking about in terms of women's issues. So when I was first elected district attorney in San Francisco or attorney general of California or United States senator from the State of California, in each of those positions, I was elected as the first woman or the first woman of color. And folks would come up to me and say Kamala, talk to us about women's issues. And I'd look at them and I would say I'm so glad you want to talk about the economy.
I'd say great, let's talk about the economy because that's a woman's issue. I'd say you want to talk about women's issues? Let's talk about National Security. You want to talk about women's issues? That's fantastic. Let's talk about health care, let's talk about education, let's talk about criminal justice reform. Let's talk about climate change.
Because we all know the truth. If you are a woman trying to raise a family you know that a good paying job is a woman's issue. If you're a woman who is an immigrant who does not want her family torn apart, you know that immigration reform is a woman's issue. If you are a woman working off student loans, you know the crushing burden of student debt is a woman's issue. If you are a black mother trying to raise a son, you know Black Lives is a woman's issue.
KING: Listening to Democratic Senator Kamala Harris (inaudible) Senator from California speaking at a march here, a rally before a march here in Washington. The Pre-game program under way now. And then there will be a march to see the pictures from Washington here
There are sister demonstration. You might call them all across the country in Boston, in Chicago and Denver and elsewhere. We'll keep an eye on those. We're also keeping an eye on the President of the United States about to make trip across the river to CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia.
[12:38:38] Stay with Inside Politics. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: Welcome back. Elections are always about change, but not always of the magnitude we experienced yesterday. The 44th president was the nation's first African-American leader, a left to center Democrat just 55 years old after eight years in the White House. The 45th president is of a different party, a different generation, and very different view of the country and America's place in the world.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: From this day forward, it's going to be only America first. America first. Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs will be made to benefit American workers and American families. I will fight for you with every breath in my body. And I will never ever let you down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: That's President Donald Trump during his inauguration address yesterday, and Republican president but hardly a Republican speech. We'll get to more of it in a moment but it was rebuke of all politicians in Washington. And the America first part has its own party a little nervous because the Republican is supposed to be a free market party or free trade and the more muscular project the American strength around the world. It didn't sound like it yesterday, did it.
HABERMAN: No, it did not and actually Dan was the first person to write several months ago that he essentially was our first independent president I think that was never more clear than it was in this inaugural speech. There was nothing actually surprising if you have been covering Donald Trump throughout this campaign. And yet once it is said from the mouth of a president, it is very different.
We don't quite now what America first is going to look like under this president. I was very struck by his line and it really is in line with his view he has of the world in a clash of civilizations right now, where he talked about the civilized world joining to fight "radical Islamic terrorism." He is clearly looking toward an alliance that he has -- that talked about having with Russia particularly in the Middle East on ISIS. This makes a lot of people very, very, very nervous. And I don't know what it's going to look like. It is at minimum for Trump a very clear opening extreme shot. He usually tends to do that and work a little bit of the way back. But he also does have a pretty dark view of where things are globally now.
KING: American carnage he talked about. He talked about ISIS and he promise to completely eradicate that's something that --
HAMBERMAN: It's a big goal.
KING: In 2020 that will up in an odd against him every time they make the case. Let's listen before we continue the conversation. Now I just want to a little bit more of this. A lot of you probably at home probably saw it yesterday, but here is Donald Trump. Again this is his first act as president. He's standing on the steps of the Capitol surrounded by the former presidents, surrounded by the members of Congress, he's here in Washington. And he essentially told them all it's your fault.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[12:45:04] TRUMP: For too long, a small group in our nation's Capitol has reaped the rewards of government while the people have born the cost. Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered, but the jobs left and the factories closed. The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories. Their triumphs have not been your triumphs. That all changes starting right here and right now because this moment is your moment. It belongs to you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: So that's what I call the outside game. The only thing he didn't do was turn around and say I mean you. And start pointing at the people and saying, you know, I mean you. That's -- you did this and you did this.
HABERMAN: He needs second act.
KING: You're the problem. But then just minutes later, minutes after he finishes the speech. So let's look at the scene inside. He's signing the documents. He said he can't official nominate his cabinet members until he's president. So he's signing the documents inside and he's yanking it up with Chuck Schumer the Democratic Senate leader with Nancy Pelosi he House Democratic leader with the members of the Republican leadership, as well.
Essentially they were trading pens. Chuck Schumer initially got the Ben Carson pen and he said can I trade it in for the Veteran Affairs secretary because I like him more. And this is went on and on and on. This is the art of the deal Donald Trump.
HABERMAN: Yes.
KING: So which Donald Trump is it? The outsider saying you're part of the problem or how much is this skill set going to be more important to getting anything done on top issues because, yes, the Republicans run everything, but just barely in terms of the numbers in the majority.
ZELENY: I think --
RAJU: -- right after, go ahead Dan.
DAN BALZ, WASHINGTON POST: I think Maggie's point is right. He lays down markers and then he, you know, he walks them back a bit and then he lays them down again. That worked very well in the campaign. It will be much more difficult for him to do that as president. And because as president, he is going to have to begin to deliver, I mean this was an extraordinary expression of ambition and of self- confidence that we heard yesterday in addition to everything else that has been said about this remarkable speech.
And the extravagance of the language is going to hit the reality of governing pretty soon. And at that point then, can he still continue to hold that core support that he was speaking to yesterday. He wasn't speaking really to the whole country. He was speaking to the core Trump supporter. He needs to hold on to them, but he's going to have to govern and govern a much messier process.
RAJU: And the question is whether people in that building tune out the rhetoric that his speeches and I guess his tweet storms. Right after he was signing those papers, he went across the capitol and to statutory hall where they had the bipartisan lunch and I was watching part of that and they were yanking it up in there. He was in a very intense conversation with Chuck Schumer about which we learned later was about nominees. And there was obviously some dispute there.
He wasn't able to resolve any sort of stalemate there, Schumer coming out to the floor just hours later railing on Donald Trump's first moves, regulatory moves on a hud regulation as well as not relinquishing the opposition to some key nominees. So, the question is does this make a difference as the fact that Democrats or even his own party when he starts saying these things, attacking both sides in his campaign speeches.
RESTON: But that's so -- the rhetoric was so appealing not just to his supporters because this -- some of those lines were the same kind of message we might have heard from Bernie Sanders or, you know, the Democratic side. And it was just such a stunning rebuke of the people sitting behind him. And not just President Obama, but you know, George W. Bush and talking about shrinking America's role around the world. Building up infrastructure that really appeals to a lot of people out there and that's going to be his sweet spot if he can pull it off.
HABERMAN: One thing we should add, too about yesterday. Schumer's speech before Trump spoke at the inaugural was not exactly sort of a come together role in this together. It was essentially a party doctrine. And so much --
BALZ: It was a free bubble.
HABERMAN: It was exactly. And it was much more so than we have heard in a while. And so I understand what Schumer is doing. But if you are Trump, you hear that and then you say you're only yelling at me about why we're not doing things together. That is an understandable point.
KING: It was interesting from the platform when Schumer was speaking, you could hear boos back here. The ticketing people upfront where the VIPs the way you had the Trump people had traveled across the country. They're booing. But hey just one tight, one quick there, we're going to take a quick break here.
[12:49:38] You're watching the rallies in Chicago, in Washington, there in Boston, there in Denver. There are elsewhere as well. We'll continue to keep an eye on these protests on first full day on the Trump administration, much more on "Inside Politics" when we continue in just a moment.
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KING: Welcome back to "Inside Politics." It's the first day of the Trump administration. Look here, these are crowds in Washington, D.C., similar crowds around the country. But this crowd in Washington, D.C. on the national law, this is a protest, the women's march protesting the things Donald Trump said during the campaign and perceptions of what is about to come in the Donald Trump presidential administration.
I want to -- if I'd bring up the point of the crowd because there'll be a debate about the size of the crowd. These protesters are saying that there going to have a bigger crowd here today than Donald Trump had of his supporters in the inaugural yesterday. We'll let that debate play out. See if we get any official crowd estimates.
But one of the interesting things that happened yesterday, Maggie Haberman, one of your colleagues, Binyamin Appelbaum tweeted pictures. The 2009 inauguration of then senator then became President Obama and the crowds yesterday to make the point that the crowds in 2009 were unmistakably bigger. Well, we are learning this morning that the Trump administration sent a message, it was re-tweeted -- the New York Times reporter's tweet was re-tweeted by the National Park Service and the Trump administration sent word to the Interior Department, stop that. Tell them to stay off Twitter until they got further guidance from the new administration.
We know Donald Trump is sensitive about crowd sizes. What does that tell you about the -- what does that tell you about the new administration?
HABERMAN: I have to be candid. I can't imagine that Obama would have enjoyed it if the park service official Twitter feed had done something similar around his inauguration and compared him to Bush. So I don't -- I'm not surprised that there was a react of upset. They did another tweet this morning that I think said, you know, we regret the tweets yesterday. We're trying to just be about the park service.
I think that the problem with Trump often is that, he often has a point when he's reacting to something, it's just the scale of the reaction is outsized. So the message that went out reportedly was, you know shut all the Twitter feeds down that are associated with the Park Association. However, this is not -- I think that if everything gets a shock reaction, it's going to make the legitimate shocks seem less serious.
[12:55:15] KING: And he is the boss. He is the boss. He is the new president of the United States.
(CROSSTALK)
HABERMAN: I just don't think any -- I don't think any other president would be OK with that. That's all I'm saying.
RAJU: I think, one of the things that would be interesting to see if the extent to which there is a push back from people within the Federal Government, the Federal Agencies. A lot of them are not Donald Trump supporters who are believed in the mission of the Federal Government and are many are more Democratic leaning.
HABERMAN: Absolutely:
RAJU: How many whistle blowers there are? How many leaks there are to the press? That could be an interesting dynamic between the White House and the Donald Federal Agencies.
BALZ: There are lots -- There are a lot of ways for the bureaucracy to undermine the leadership of the country beyond tweets.
KING: Donald Trump, I was that one of the balls last night when Donald Trump said he would continue or asked the question. But rhetorically if he should continue it on Twitter I want to show you the tweet this morning from the son of his National Security Adviser, this Michael Flynn Jr., tweeting as we watch these rallies unfold across the country. "What victory? Women already have equal rights, and yes equal pay in this country. What more do you want? Free mani/pedis?" That's from Michael Flynn Jr., the son of Trump's already controversial National Security Adviser.
We're about out of time if anyone to say something quickly. Go ahead. I would just say this, General Flynn you might want to ask your son of this.
RESTON: It's never a good idea to bring up mani/pedis.
KING: Delete that account, never a good idea.
HABERMAN: Dan's colleague here and Timothy tweet that Ivanka Trump call your office --
(CROSSTALK)
HABERMAN: -- about the right statement.
KING: We'll close on that note. I'm the one who -- yeah, I will just leave there, I'm the guy in this conversation. I'm going to stay out of it.
Thanks for joining us for this Special Saturday Edition of "Inside Politics", a lot to cover on this first full day of the Trump administration, my colleague Wolf Blitzer, right here after a quick break.
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[13:00:07] WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: President Donald Trump's first day in office marked by massive protest across the country and around the world. More that 600 rallies planned --
