this is "cnn tonight." i'm don lemon. and it is the eve of cnn big democratic presidential debate in ohio. we'll talk about it. we're going to focus on five big developments in the next hour including the result of a new poll which shows who is leading the democratic race hours before the candidates face off. also tonight president trump former top adviser on russia testifies in congress for ten hours. about the ukrainian scandal. and breaking news the "wall street journal" reporting that nvlgt tors are examining rudy giuliani financial dealings with ukraine and looking at bank records. trump ramping up attacks on joe bidens son and his business ties while the president's children are reaping financial benefits while their father sits in the oval office. the president imposing sanctions on turkey due it military in

syria to battle curdish forces who are american allies. >> reached out and requested the call. and president trump communicated to him very clearly that the united states of america wants turkey to stop the invasion. to implement an immediate cease fire. and to begin to negotiate a with curdish forces in syria to bring an end to the violence the the united states of america it not give a green light to turkey to invade syria. >> breaking news about the ukraine scandal. joining me now frank bruni. i appreciate all of you joining us. i have to start with you. this is "new york times" reporting it is explosive and pulls former national security adviser john bolton into this mess. >> essentially what this story says is that hill who testified

this today all day. ten hours of testimony. just coming out that she bolton expressed concern over what he called what the story calls a rogue operation and that lawyers on the national security counsel bolton adviser to note lawyers on the national security counsel that giuliani rudy giuliani was working with mick mulvaney who is the white house chief of staff. on what the story says was a rogue operation with legal implication. >> let's start from the beginning. "new york times" is tarting off saying that the effort to pressure ukraine for political help provoked a heated confrontation inside the white house. that so alarmed john bolton that he told an aid to alert white house lawyers. house investigators were told. they're saying that he this

alarmed him so much he started sounding the alarm about a rogue operation between giuliani and others. >> according to her testimony. he said i am not part of whatever drug deal rudy and mulvaney are cooking up. he told miss hill to tell white house lawyers. that is devastating. this entire story really putting things in perspective. certainly her testimony today according to the story in the "new york times" is going to raise a lot of eyebrows. this is this quote from her. drug deal. i'm not going to be part of whatever drug dreel rudy and mulvaney are cooking up. this brings boaten into the center. we have to hear from him. >> they are reporting he called rudy giuliani a hand grenade who would blow everything up. this was -- frank, i want to

bring this in. he's quoting what they said. he told hill to report to giuliani oes rogue operation to the white house. to lawyers. saying i'm not part of whatever drug deal rudy and mulvaney are cooking up. a yale trained lawyer told miss hill to tell lawyers according to the testimony. >> the language is extraordinary. this drug deal. rudy giuliani is a hand grenade. bolton isn't just say i have concerns about what's going on. he's gaping at what he is seeing. and now, there's a lot of -- even more interesting in hearing from him. and one has to note that donald trump had such bitter break ups with senior aids who have no great investment in trying to protect this president at this point. i'm really curious to hear what bolton has to say. if we hear from him. and i don't think trump can trust he'll bite his tongue.

>> sondland also. >> bolton another quote. he got swoo a sharp exchange on july 10 with sondland. the donor turned ambassador working with rudy giuliani. the president's personal lawyer. to press ukraine to investigate democrats. sondland is going to testify. they want to know about that. >> that's exactly right. sondland already started to put distance between himself and the president. you remember the text messages that came out saying that the people that were working on this ukraine scandal wanted a deliverable. in order to get a meeting between the white house and the ukrainian president. that deliverable included trying to get the ukrainians to announce investigation into trumps political rivals. one other thing that is important with the latest bomb shell reporting is that mulvaney not just the chief of staff of the white house. he was the office of management and budget director for the better part of two years within

the white house. that was the agency that stopped the money from going forward to ukraine. this was a mysterious halt on this funds. and the fact mulvaney is integrally involved in this scheme. which bolton called a drug deal. makes it look like a quid pro quo. bolton saying he was worried giuliani and mulvaney were trying to pressure the ukrainians to deliver something for the president political aspirations in exchange for funding or white house visit. that's what the democrats are trying to put those dots together and make sure they have a complete case on what happened. and looked like hill just gave them bomb shell information they can use to continue the investigation. >> congress will want to hear from bolton? >> i think so. the fact he's not on good terms with the president now, he was reportedly writing a book. he can expect he will be called by congress to testify.

to say exactly what happened behind closed doors. and the fact he doesn't seem to be loyal to the president may make him a kind of whistleblower on his own. to be able to say what was happening in the meetings and why he was concerned. >> we were talking about that before the show. >> when you have this kind of turn over in an administration. this many people leaving on bad terms. you are as a president exposed in a special way. the other thing that's extraordinary every day that goes pi we learn it's not just a few people who had eyes on what was going on. pressure op ukraine. it's a lot of people in the administration. i'm shocked it took this long to come out. now that it's out the president has a big problem. this is not just a few people that knew about the phone call. it was a sustained effort. a lot of people had eyes on it. people were sounding alarms. >> mick mulvaney that is significant. this is the first time we're

hearing the allegation he was so involved in it. this is the first time we're hearing mulvaney was part of this. he and rudy working together in some way. on this operation. i think that is going to change everything significantly. this goes deeper in the white house. than i think -- this is the white house chief of staff now involved. >> beyond the whistleblower. >> this is you have the national security head of the national security counsel raising concern. no control over what's going on here. >> a certain point donald trump can't keep saying this a partisan whistleblower. this is just two. maybe three. we have more and more people coming forward and it will be harder to discredit this. >> it's impossible already. >> national security adviser involved in this. gordon sondland a trump donor turned ambassador to the european union. and the acting white house chief of staff involved. and you have the president

personal attorney reportedly involved in this. i mean. okay. >> layers and layers. >> we have more breaking news i want to talk about. the "wall street journal" is reporting that rudy giuliani bank records are being examined and witnesses have been questioned about his role in ukraine since at least august. how much trouble is he in? >> potentially in a lot of trouble. the conversations i keep having with people in washington at what point will we see him arrested. that's a serious question. the arrest we saw last week was that an end game? i think it was part of effort to turn people and get big fish. it might be rudy giuliani. if they get him, what does he say about trump? >> we're learning that the hill raised concerns about yovanovitch removal. that was the ambassador to ukraine trump fired. that she told lawmakers today

about her concerns about giuliani's shadow foreign policy. "wall street journal" reporting that she and other white house officials were so concerned about efforts to push ukraine to open certain investigations, they raised concerns with the white house lawyer. all of that now combined with this bomb shell. what's next? >> it does all seem to be coming together. if democrats want to make a case there was a conspiracy to get ukrainians to dig up dirt on biden to help reelection. democrats have evidence. the ambassador to youk who wasn't on board with the scheme was fired. abruptly. and everyone else saying she was doing a good job. but giuliani didn't like her so the president got rid of her. and the president yanked pence from going to the ukrainian president inauguration last minute. that was another pressure tactic. you have this phone call.

with president trump and president zelensky saying i want you to do me a favor. the democrats have a will the of information coming out. including this latest bomb shell about john bolton concerned about a drug deal. in his words. saying there was something untorrid going on. the democrats are likely to put this together and once they're able to connect the missing pieces and really put together a case to the american people. it will make it harder for president trump to say it's just one whistleblower who is being partisan. it's more sp more people within the inner circle of the white house were concerned and had an issue with what what was happening and giuliani now in legal trouble. it will make it hard to counter what is a growing threat of impeachment. >> stick around we'll have more on the breaking news. former national security adviser concerned about whatever it was that he believed that rudy

giuliani was cooking up with mick mulvaney. the acting white house chief of staff. as it involved ukraine. "new york times" is reporting that. back in a moment. ♪ head in now for applebee's new pasta & grill combos starting at $9.99.

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it's all the ones after that. back now with the breaking news "new york times" report lg former national security adviser john bolton called rudy giuliani a hand grenade who would blow everything up. back with me now. we're joined by -- listen. that's colorful. what's interesting is the national security adviser john bolton at the time was so concerned about rudy giuliani dealings whatever he was doing with ukraine, that he sent it up the chain to saying you should contact white house lawyers. >> we're seeing sides choosing up. on the one hand the career people the professional diplomats and state department

people, hill. yovanovitch. bolton for better or worse. on the one side and the trump loyalists on the other. rudy, sondland. mulvaney. if i'm sizing up this case from an investigationive perspective i'm looking a the career people. building this case around the non-partisan career state department diplomatic people. they are credible. they are backed up by the texts and calls. that's why i'm focusing the investigation. >> what do we know? >> national security adviser the man who is supposed to be running this entire security apparatus of the country. the international relations is saying this are rogue operations going on behind my back. things i don't know -- i don't want to be partd of this. raising issues about this. that is the most significant part of this. there's colorful language in this. the fact that someone inside the white house is calling what mick

mulvaney and rudy giuliani, the president here in some ways. other people gordon sondland running a rogue operation. i mean, that's to me the most stunning -- that language. rogue operation. with legal implications. >> when you think about all the players in this. you have john bolton. national security adviser. sondland the trump donor. ambassador to european union. who is going to testify on thursday in congress. then you have hill. today. right? and then you have mick mulvaney the chief of staff. and rudy giuliani the president's personal attorney. i just want to read this. tell me what you think of this graph. mr. bolton because he was so concerned about what they were doing. instructed hill who is testified today. the senior trekt tor of russian

and affairs to notify the chief lawyer for the national security counsel that mr. giuliani was working with mick mulvaney the acting white house chief of staff on a rogue operation with legal implications. miss hill told investigators with her closed door testimony. that's a big statement. >> it's huge. it means inside the white house the very inner circle of the oval office there was deep concern not just about impropriety. but potentially legally implicating action by the president closest adviser including white house acting chief of staff. that's really taking the scandal right into the mart of the oval office. saying the president's personal lawyer and president's basically his top aid cloetsest to him within the white house. working on a rogue operation and the timing is important. a time when very mysteriously

the white house pulled back almost $400 million in aid supposed to go to ukraine. no one knew why. the state department couldn't say why. the defense department couldn't say what was going on. it was a personal decision within the white house. and accusations by president trump which came out later saying he was worried about corruption and wanted countries to pitch in. it seems like there are people within the white house that can tell a different story about why the money was held up. what was happening with this quote unquote drug deal with giuliani trying to get dirt and ukrainians to put negative information out about the political opponent. if that story gets fully flushed out it could be damaging for the white house. and already starting to look bad for the president and his top advisers. >> you have more breaking news? >> this comes from our gloria borger. confirming this reporting.

saying that hill testified that bolton was angry. upset about what was going on and said to her rudy giuliani is a hand grenade that is going to blow us all up. sources go onto say she told members on the hill testifying that you go apparently bolton told her go and tell i am not part of whatever drug deal rudy and mulvaney are cooking up. what was going on there? what exactly bolton is referring to. >> a drug deal -- that was a metaphor. >> the point is. what else was going on. what was he seeing? we have in the "new york times" story it says it's not the first time the bolton expressed concerns over rudy giuliani. and giuliani being part of this.

>> obviously he thought something nefarious was going on. something unusual. >> he means what's going on is so ridiculous. so beyond. he's comparing it to a drug deal. i wonder what administration did bolton think he was joining? his shock here is well earned shock and we should be shocked. we should be appalled. td idea he didn't want expect to see this he must have been sleeping prior to his appointment. >> the interview with george steph op louse. it was okay to dig up political dirt on his opponent. that anybody would do it. the state of mind. >> he believes that. part of the reason he gets into the jams. because he doesn't have principles or respect norms.

it's cool and provocative and naughty and bold to junk ethics and norms. he sees the world as place that rewards the shameless and ruthless and he's doing what everybody else does. >> he's admitting he did it and it's okay. we need more evidence. whatever. >> bolton has been around the block a couple times. he's been in the game decades. >> he's not a dove. >> he's not naive. for this to go so far for him to say enough and storm out. and compare it to a hand grenade and drug deal. it's telling. he has been through it. the rogue operation is it's not like they had broad political theory they wanted to impart. they wanted one thing. they wanted dirt. they wanted this investigation at whatever cost and whatever arms they had to twist. and norms ethics and laws they had to break. to get it. >> more reporting. >> all this started to come out.

we have more. she according to a source who is familiar with hill's testimony. she told members on the hill today she saw wrong doing and on related to the ukraine policy and she reported it. obviously this woman was there. >> she tried to report it. >> she tried to report it to the national security adviser. to the team there. and again, she was she saw a lot. and she's really laying out. she spent ten hours on the hill today. this is only a part of what we know right now. it is devastating. >> it's short. a source familiar with hill's testimony says russia the former russia add virz said she saw wrong doing in the ukraine policy. and tried to report it to officials including the counsel. and this is a quote. the she saw wrong doing related

to the ukraine policy and reported it. the source said hill also drew a link between sondland and trump in her testimony. sondland and trump were in direct contact. hill told the lawmakers according to the source. hill said the contacts between trump and sondland went beyond the discussions about the text. but didn't want to elaborate further than that. and that's from others. >> i want to know what they are. as a prosecutor. a target to shoot at. what were the other contacts? there's more than texts. >> i have to take a break. i'm sure there will be more breaking news. sam will weigh in after this. ♪ we would walk on the sidewalk ♪ dwill weigh in after this. owill. . this. lwill weigh in after this. dwill weigh in after this. sowill weigh in after this. nwill weigh in after this. will weigh in after this. ♪ blow a kiss into the sun ♪ we need someone to lean on

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we're back now with the breaking news a cnn source saying that the effort to pressure ukraine for political help alarmed bolton so much that the told an aid to alert white house lawyers that giuliani was a hand grenade who will blow everyone up. and a source familiar with hill's testimony says the former russia adviser told lawmakers she was she saw wrong doing in the ukraine policy and reported it. joining me now. sam donaldson. sam, i appreciate you joining us. what do you think of the "new york times" reporting? >> it's a bomb shell. poor donald trump has the version of the chinese water torture. drop, drop, drop and a final drop breaks his skull. we're watching this develop. it's amazing. i saw the nixon plumbers

operation. that was in the white house. they were the rogue operation they broke into the water gate and elsewhere looking for dirt on president nixons opponent. this according to the times is a rogue operation involving the highest officials in the land. the chief of staff of the white house the president himself of course. and bolton wanted to alert the lawyers. what did he expect white house lawyers to do? call the cops? read the president his rights. you have a right -- that may happen some day. not yet. it's amazing. i believe that this conventional wisdom we thought was right. the house would impeach but the senate would never convict with the republicans. it maybe wrong. the senate can convict if this keeps going. >> interesting. the new reporting says that according to today's testimony. bolton told hill to tell the white house lawyers that i am not part of whatever drug deal rudy and mulvaney are cooking

up. and we're also learning more about mick mulvaney involvement and working with giuliani. what do you make of that? >> again, it's high officials. going against government policy. they are the government. they're supposed to set the policy and carry out the president's wishes. of course that's where it stops. at the top. it's the president's wishes. quite clearly according to the smoking transcript. it's not the tape. but it was leased by the white house and we read the president says do us a favor. it's quite clear he tried to put the arm on the ukrainians to dig up dirt on the bidens. to use against biden in an election in the united states. if people out in the country begin it think that's not right. that's wrong. he's cooked. >> the sondland part of it to me is maybe the most interesting. sondland will testify. he's the one on the transcript the texts saying it's not quid

pro quo. and reporting saying that came directly from the president. that maybe the one of the most interesting parts of this report. obviously giuliani is the common denominator and the president. more bad news for giuliani. key witnesses are testifying in the impeachment inquiry. this week. how much worse could this get? >> i don't know. it's going -- sondland for instance is not a career diplomat. he's an ambassador because he gave a lot of money. he has to save himself. when we see a report he'll testify is what he told the ambassador to ukraine there was no quid pro quo. it was because the phone call donald trump had told him to say that. he is saying it's not my idea. i'm clean. gambling i know nothing about it. really. let's see about that.

his testimony will be important. i think what we heard today the report of what we heard today, what was said today. is perhaps more damaging than sondland testimony will be. >> you have covered politics in the world for decade. you would know better thaen anyone else. >> i'm an old guy. >> public support. >> happy to be one. >> public support is key to impeachment. >> vital. >> that you say it could spark the house majority leader and the gop to turn on the president. you talked about it earlier. let me put up this poll. and discuss it. this new poll puts support for impeachment and removal at 46 with 48 against it. how much public support is needed for republicans to flip? >> much more support than that. the fox poll says 51%.

it's just starting. but it's moving so fast. and we'll see whether there's enough time for americans out there who are busy with their lives doing other things. not watching your show. to get interested in it. to think it's not just a bunch of politicians squabbling. there's something going on here. if enough americans -- remember, trump has 31% of hard core. they'll follow him to hell. they don't care about the facts or know about the facts. okay. fine people. except they're ignorant about these things that we're talking about and will not budge. they're 70% of us. if enough of those people decide there's something important and think the president ought to be removed he will be. i think it shouldn't happen and the poll you cited is not near enough support to sustain conviction in the senate.

and won't happen. a little story about robert bird. senior democrat from west virginia. clinton is being impeached and being tried in the senate and two weeks they'll vote. my dear professional come pan yan asks the question how will you vote on article 1? on perjury. it's a felony. they say he lied to the federal judge under oath. and bird said and aquote directly. it's in my mind. who is kidding whom? of course he committed perjury. but the people seem to like him. they don't want him removed and i don't know how i'll vote. and of course in two weeks he voted no. which probably was the right vote. it's up to the american people. guys out there skb gals, if you want the president removed he will be. if you don't, i don't care what the evidence shows. i don't care what anybody says. he won't be.

>> we'll leave it there. thank you, sir. >> okay, don. >> breaking news night. we'll be right back. it only happens once a year, when the bucks start chasing does. and it's time for you to start chasing the bucks. for the next two weeks, this is where you'll be because this is what you live for. it's your season. so hurry to bass pro shops and cabela's for huge savings on the gear you need from top brands like redhead, cabela's, and blackout. the go hunt sale is going on now.

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president trump faces an impeachment inquiry partly related to interactions with ukraine. he and his sons are taking vice president biden's son. claiming he used his family name

for profit when he served in obama administration. biden stepping down from the board of chinese backed company and promises fo forego foreign work if his father is elected president. there's no evidence he was involved in any wrong doing. it's ironic given trumps children and business activities. ivanka retains a stake in the trump family business. while serving as white house adviser. so, here she is with billionaire developer. building of the trump international goff in dubai. which oafed after trumps inauguration. his company says they have had an up tick in interest since trump took office. here's don jr. in india. which feature the prime minister there. he was there to promote condos. at planned trump branded towers. here's the president golfing with his son. in scotland. that resort is under

investigation from congress. and the air force after an up tick of military personnel bookings since trump took office. there you go. william is here. the author of promising lives cut short. michael d'antonio, truth about trump. good evening. a lot of hypocrisy to go around on this story. what do you make of the president's sons attacking biden with no evidence in and you have them. >> don jr. just got back from speaking at the university of florida where he took $50,000 in student money. to give an address. prior to that in india the the trip there, it cost taxpayers $32,000. if you can consider the trump kids almost every day they probably make more money than hunter biden make in all of his years. in serving investors in companies abroad. so the hypocrisy is astounding.

they know it. they told me personally all the beneficiaries of nepotism. this is just the same trump play book of casting on others your own sins. >> mr. cohen. when my father became president our family stopped doing international business deals. is that accurate? >> obviously not even remotely close to a factual statement. eric is in charge of the golf courses. in charge of the winery. president trump is talked about having the g7 meeting next year at the country club in florida. that he owns. and deutsche bank is lent money to. so it's all one big head fake. nothing to do with what president trump did with the ukrainian prime minister. he's trying to deflect attention

to hunter biden when it has nothing to do with the real story. >> is your police chibelief the profiting off the presidency? >> of course they are. they haven't sold businesses or put nem a blind trust. the only poeblt interesting aspect is nobody wants to live in tlump buildings anymore. they are taking the names off of buildings here. the obviously a lot of the golf courses are struggling and condo projects have been pulled or struggling. to some extent it's been a negative. not ivanka. who does business and her husband makes money every year and was able to refinance his huge troubled real estate investment at 666, 5th avenue. as a result of being the president's son-in-law. >> do you think with this going on with the investigation, will we ever see the tax returns with the courts in new york? >> i think we will. i think it will be a huge

scandal. when we discover the ownership stakes they have. and the charity they have given over the years. >> and interest payments who they're making them to. >> thank you. the count down is onto cnn big democratic presidential debate live from ohio tomorrow at 8:00 here on cnn. we'll be right back. because to be the best, is to never ever stop making it better. the 2020 c-class family. lease the c 300 sedan for just $419 a month at your local mercedes-benz dealer. that's what happens in golf nothiand in life.ily. i'm very fortunate i can lean on people, and that for me is what teamwork is all about. you can't do everything yourself.

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turning a blind eye as turkey invades northern syria, president trump appears to be having second thoughts. he's imposing economic sanctions on turkey and sending vice president mike pence, treasury secretary steve mnuchin, to lead negotiations between ankara and the syrian defense forces. >> the united states of america wants turkey to stop the invasion, to implement an immediate cease-fire, and to begin to negotiate with kurdish forces in syria to bring an end to the violence. >> so joining me now to discuss is ambassador nicholas burns, the former u.s. ambassador to nato and the former ambassador to greece. thank you so much for joining us. so what have i gotten wrong here? had the president not pulled the troops out, would we even be in this situation right now? >> we wouldn't, don. if the president had just stayed with a very successful american policy in northern syria, you wouldn't have the refugees, the

thousands of them, the people killed, isis reawoken, the russians and syrians taking our position, and frankly i think one of the biggest casualties of all, the credibility of the united states. we abandoned our friends. that credibility is being questioned all over the world. >> so what about these sanctions now? he's imposing sanctions. i mean is that -- will that make a difference? is it too little too late? what? >> i think it's too little, too late. the president was the one who caused all this. don, i think as americans, we have to see this as a significant defeat for the united states, not for our soldiers, who did everything right, but for the commander in chief who has done everything wrong in this colossal bad judgment. and sending the vice president to ankara to recommenden straight with president erdogan. the turks have gone well beyond 30 kilometers deep into syria, 400 kilometers wide. i don't think they're going to stop and pull back.

the president could have avoided all this, but now he's in a really tough position. harry truman used to say the buck stops here. great presidents, strong presidents take responsibility for their misfortunes, for their errors. the president is not doing that. he's pointing the finger at everybody but himself. >> let me tell you, this is the former command of u.s. forces in afghanistan, general john allen. this is what he's telling cnn. he said that trump has blood on his hands, and i quote here, there was no chance erdogan would keep his promise, a full-blown ethnic cleansing is under way by turkish supported militias. this is what happens when trump follows his instincts and because of his alignment with autocrats. do you agree with the general? >> i agree with general allen who knows what he's talking about. you know, the president has this really appalling insecurity. he doesn't listen to his generals or his ambassadors. the state department, the defense department counseled against what the president did. you see the furious reaction

even from the republican leadership in the senate. the president's made a very, very big mistake here, and the consequences are severe, and they're worldwide. i'm in melbourne in australia. we have about as strong a military relationship as we could have with them, and yet i've been asked repeatedly today, what does this mean for us? would you back us in a conflict? i think that's what general allen is referring to, and he's right. >> ambassador, can we even calculate in this moment how much ground we've lost when it comes to syria? >> the united states has lost, in one week, our entire position in syria that our troops had held courageously for the past five or six years. the president just gave it away. the troops have been withdrawn. the russians are coming in, and the syrian army behind us. and we've also lost something else, our credibility as a country that can be relied upon. the word of the united states, that's a big loss in one week. >> we always appreciate your

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good evening from otterbein university in westerville, ohio, site of tomorrow's democratic presidential debate. there's new polling on the democratic race. we'll have that as well as a preview of tomorrow's debate coming up. but we begin tonight with president trump trying to spin a win out of what people on both sides of the aisle are calling a colossal foreign policy mistake in turkey and syria, a mistake which he is the sole author. the president appears to be scrambling to fix things after the major political backlash he's experienced from both democrats and republicans alike. president trump spoke to turkey's president erdogan again today about de-escalating the fight. he also announced new sanctions against turkey in response, raising steel tariffs by 50% and halting a proposed $100 billion trade deal. president trump also now says a, quote, small foot print of soldiers will remain in southern syria. and one more thing, vice president pence is now being sent to turkey to try to broker