We begin tonight with new CNN exclusive reporting on the classified document the former president claimed to have. Prosecutors issued a subpoena related to it, but his lawyers told authorities they were unable to find the actual documents. Evan Perez joins us now with the latest. So what's going on here? They can't be. They literally cannot find this thing. They literally cannot find this thing, Anderson. And the question is, does the president have the documents somewhere? Did he lose it? Didn't even have it during that July 2021 meeting that CNN reported earlier this week where he was waving it around. This was in a meeting where he was meeting. He was having a meeting with some biographers working on a book for Mark Meadows. And he was said to be talking about this, a battle plan, this plan to attack Iran and what the issue is that the prosecutors that are handling this investigation, Jack Smith, prosecutors had sent a subpoena asking for any and all documents related to Iran related to this possible meeting from July of 2021. They, of course, did this after bringing in one of his closest aides, a communications aide, Margaux Margaux Martin, who was inside that meeting. She was brought before the grand jury. She was played a recording from that meeting. And that's when prosecutors then issued a subpoena to the Trump team asking for all of these documents, any of these documents to be brought in, according to the trunk legal team, they don't know whether this document exists. And they also don't know whether during that July meeting, Anderson, whether the president was just making it up or whether it's somewhere else. Right now. And is that the Trump legal team, its position right now, that they still don't know where they have they? What's been the response to? Well, you know, they respond as you've seen a variety of their responses over the course of this investigation, including calling this, obviously a political witch hunt. The former president in a town hall with Fox News said that he has no knowledge of this July meeting. And they say that they still don't know, obviously, where this document is that prosecutors are so interested in. The thing is, Anderson, the bottom line here is that prosecutors throughout months have insisted that they believe Trump has continued to possess classified documents that must be returned. And so they've gone to court trying to force the president to be found in contempt. And so far, they still believe documents are have led to have yet to be returned. The former president says that he doesn't have anything, anything left in his possession Anderson. Evan Perez, appreciate it. Conservative lawyer George Conway joins us now. He's also contributing columnist The Washington Post and joining us, as well as former Maine Republican Senator William Cohen, who served as defense secretary during the Clinton administration. So, George, we're talking about a document containing information about a potential attack on Iran. We obviously have not seen this document. We don't know exactly the nature of it. How concerning is it, though, that these attorneys say they're unable to find it? Well, it is concerning that the document was apparently flying around from Washington to Mar a Lago, perhaps, and then to Bedminster. But I think at the end of the day, in terms of a potential prosecution, it's not going to matter. What matters is the fact that he is said to have acknowledged President Trump on this tape, that he possessed classified documents and that he knew he possessed classified documents and the fact he that that was his state of mind when he was requested to have the documents back later in the next year and then refused to give them back and then gave some of them back and then lied about giving them all back and so on and so forth. I mean, it's just another smoking gun in a smoking arsenal. Secretary Cohen, again, we don't know what this exact document was. Would there be other copies of it that prosecutors would have access to or would they be able to reach out to somebody in the Pentagon to find out exactly what this document may have been? Well, if the document did exist and certainly the Pentagon would have access to it, if the former president is quoting something about Chairman Milley, then Chairman Milley obviously would be a source to go to to say what was it, what was involved? But rather than look at the legal side of it, George can certainly do that. I'd like to talk a little bit about the implications for our national security. We spend billions, tens of billions of dollars collecting intelligence in order to protect the American people. The notion that we are so cavalier, our elected leaders, the president of United States, is so cavalier about those documents puts our men and women in grave danger. And just today in The Washington Post, there's an article, lead article talking about Iran planning to help kill American soldiers in Syria at the behest of the Russians. So this is what's involved to say, why are we making a big deal about this? Because lives really are at stake. Our men and women are serving as are at stake, and the American people's security is compromised when this kind of information gets out. George, the former president was asked about the document and this recording of him acknowledging he had classified documents. Here's what he told Fox. I don't know anything about it. All I know is, is everything I did was right. We have the Presidential Records Act, which I abided by 100%. I mean, obviously, it's a ludicrous answer. I'm just saying he doesn't know anything about it. There's allegedly a recording of his voice on this. He could easily look at his or ask somebody about it if you wanted to answer that question. How does all of this complicate the former president's defense as it relates to the special counsel's investigation? Well, he doesn't have a defense, so I guess he can say whatever he wants. I mean, all everything he does say, though, will be used against him. But the fact of the matter is, there's just no dispute. I mean, even at the time of the search warrant execution back last August, I mean, we saw the search warrant affidavit, the affidavit used by the FBI to get the search warrant. I mean, there was just a it was virtually an open and shut case then. I mean, he had the documents. He refused to give them back. He lied about giving them back. And then they went and they executed a search warrant and they found all these documents. So I don't know that it makes his statements like that make it any worse for him. They don't certainly don't make it better. Secretary Cohen, I mean, obviously, the U.S. works with relies on allies in its intelligence gathering. How does not being able to locate a document like this or even the notion that a former president would be waving around a document like this, how does that impact other nations willingness to work with and share intelligence with the U.S.? Well, it it really erodes and corrodes our credibility. For example, the former president fell following the firing of the FBI director the very next day, released information to the Russian foreign minister and Russian ambassador that may have compromised the intelligence from Israel, compromising one of their assets. So every time one of these take place, the other countries have to say, is the information we're giving to the United States going to be protected? Because we have people at risk on the front lines, our ambassadors, our military, they're all at risk. And so when we turn information over to the United States, we expect it to be really handled with the greatest of care. And that clearly is not the case here. The president has demonstrated time and time again. George, what does this signal to you about the timeline? Or does it I mean, I don't know if it signals anything, but what do you think about the timeline in the special counsel's office? Well, I think the timeline generally I think, is just suggested by the fact that we know so much now about the investigation, because what happens in these in these investigations is that there are lots of witnesses and the witnesses, one by one, go in and they're interviewed by the Justice Department or the FBI, and and they're sending to the grand jury. And now you're getting to the point where there are so many people who know and the lawyers all share information to make sure that, you know, their their client is not saying anything that's being conducted, contradicted by some other lawyers client. They're sharing all this information. That means lots and lots of people know a lot about this investigation, which is why we're seeing this flood of information interesting. Which tells me that this investigation is nearly done. And when you think about it, you look at the calendar. I mean, you want to get I mean, if you were Jack Smith, I mean, you're not rushing it for political purposes, but you're rushing to avoid the political implications of having this having an indictment issued during an election season and of having a trial to late next year. If you want to have a trial next summer or earlier, earlier next year, you got to bring this case sooner. Rather than later. And you want to bring you want to bring these charges before the campaign really gets underway, because that way you insulate yourself from the charge that you're doing it for political purposes. But I think when when this indictment comes out, it's going to be a blockbuster because given that what we know, it's an open and shut case many times over, and I'm sure it's going to be a very, very interesting indictment of George Conway. William Cohen, I appreciate it. Thank you both for.
