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New Day

Benghazi Suspect Arrested; Cheney Rips Obama on Iraq; Clinton Speaking Out for Gun Control; Woman Films Herself Having A Stroke; Consumer Prices on the Rise

Aired June 18, 2014 - 07:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: When Americans are attacked, no matter how long it takes, we will find those responsible and we will bring them to justice. And that's a message I sent the day after it happened, and regardless of how long it takes, we will find you. And I want to make sure that everybody around the world hears that message very clearly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KING, CNN HOST, "INSIDE POLITICS": The president speaking yesterday, I should note the raid was over the weekend. Peter, on Capitol Hill you would expect people to say maybe it's about time, but say good for you. They are congratulating the Special Forces and the FBI, but a lot of Republicans are saying don't bring him here and put him in the federal courts. Send him to Gitmo and try him as an enemy combatant. Are we going to re-live this debate again?

PETER HAMBY, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER: Yes, that's the answer. The Republicans will not give the president credit on anything on foreign policy at this point. I think Lindsey Graham, all his hawks, Rubio, John McCain in the Senate, are just going to be openly critical of him from now until the end of his presidency. But this a very good story for Obama right now. We'll see how long the story line lasts.

But at a moment when there's so many foreign policy flash points and troubles for him overseas, Ukraine, Russia, but especially in Syria and Iraq, you know, a rare bit of good foreign policy news in a moment where he really needs one.

KING: Peter makes an interesting point about the other foreign policy. Remember, this is the president, you know, who launched the raid. It was a risk. It's a tough call by the commander-in-chief. They got Bin Laden. Now you see Republicans saying since then has it gotten a little bit soft on terror. Dick Cheney and Lynne Cheney, an op-ed piece in the "Wall Street Journal" today blaming the president.

Liz Cheney.

KING: Liz Cheney, sorry, blaming the president for what's happening in Iraq right now, saying sure, Malaki might not have wanted more U.S. forces to say but that President Obama should have pushed for it, should have demanded it. They are saying all this is happening now because of him. There's a line in that article I want to read to you from Dick and Liz Cheney.

"Rarely has a U.S. president been so wrong about so much at the expense of so many. Instead, he abandoned Iraq and we're watching American defeat snatched from the jaws of victory." This one is a tough one when you read it because it is fair game and legitimate subject for public discussion. Did the president push hard enough? Did he make a stand? Did he fight with Malaki and say we need to leave U.S. troops here in Iraq?

But do Republicans real want the Bush team, the Iraq team, the people, you know, no weapons of mass destruction, no Iraqi oil to pay for it, no greetings for U.S. liberators, $2 trillion, 4,500 American service men and women killed in Iraq. Do the Republicans really want the Bush team out there leading this charge right now?

JONATHAN MARTIN, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": The jaws of victory construct is open for question, and I think to your broader point, no, of course not. The party wants to look to the future. However, the Cheney family wants to look to the future, too, which is the point of that op-ed. It's about helping Liz Cheney get more of a platform so she can start a political comeback of her own.

This is less about Barack Obama or Dick Cheney. It's about Liz Cheney and the next generation. It's also about Rand Paul, by the way. Criticizing Obama. This is about asserting the role of the hawks in their coalition, in their party and making sure 2016 they nominate a hawk.

HAMBY: To your point, some of the rhetoric this this op-ed is a little over the top, that President Obama is indifferent to al Qaeda's threat to the United States. I think that's pretty tough.

MARTIN: Provocative indeed.

HAMBY: And tough to swallow, I think, and that's sort of why maybe some Republicans might be, you know, bristling at the fact that you see a lot of Paul Bremers and Wolfowitzes and Cheneys talking about this at the moment. They like talking about foreign policy, but are these the people you want doing it?

KING: Let's move on to our big event last night with the former secretary of state, most likely future presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton here on CNN. A number of interesting statements in the town hall. I find this one perhaps most interesting. Not a surprise what she said, she was asked by a woman, does she support more gun control, more background checks, and assault weapons ban? She says yes but listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you think that reinstating the ban on assault weapons and banning high capacity magazines would do any good?

HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: Yes, I do. We cannot let a minority of people, and that's what it is, a minority of people, hold a viewpoint that terrorizes the majority of people. (END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: That, Jonathan and Peter, what's so fascinating. Not a surprise she's for gun control and Democrats think that's a winning argument especially when you look at a presidential map and need to win in the suburbs. She is picking a direct fight with the NRA right there, a minority that terrorizes the majority, risky.

MARTIN: I was struck by the use of that phrase to terrorize, I think that's pretty hot rhetoric, and I'm not sure that would have been in the focus group, but, look, it does play well with the kind of voters that are going to be crucial in 2016. The fact is there are two different sets of politics when it comes to guns, John.

There are congressional rules and presidential rules, and the fact is under this national construct it is a much better issue for Democrats than it is than in the congressional elections.

HAMBY: Having spent some time in Kentucky and Arkansas, this might be far-fetched, but some Democrats in the south think that Clinton could possibly put somewhere like Kentucky in play on a national presidential map again, probably pretty far-fetched and saying something like this complicates that.

KING: That is something, that strong position and taking directly on the NRA will help her with the liberal base of the Democratic Party. On immigration interesting, a little bit of both. Listen first when she talks -- a woman said -- a gentleman said President Obama is the deporter in chief. Would you stop that policy?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: I mean, the horror of a father or a mother going to work and being picked up and immediately whisked away and children coming home from school to an empty house and nobody can say where their mother or their father is that is just not who we are as American.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: There she is saying she thinks fewer people already here who are working and not doing anything wrong, obviously they broke the law to get here, that they should be able to stay. But listen to this, we've had this crisis in the recent days of all the children stacking up in detention centers at the border. On that one, Hillary Clinton took a much tougher line saying, no, they can't stay.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: They should be sent back as soon as they can be determined who the responsible adults in their families are because there are concerns about whether all of them can be sent back, but I think all of them who can be should be reunited with their families.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: That one there I think liberals are going to say, wait a minute, right?

HAMBY: I think so. One example from this town hall of her either taking both sides of many different controversial issues or being extremely cautious. I think you're right. After saying in one breath that the president should have more leeway on this issue and should be more sensitive to families and then taking sort of like a harder line that you might hear from a House Republican in the next breath was actually pretty striking.

MARTIN: She doesn't want to be seen as somehow enabling this sort of surge of illegal immigration across the border, but I think broadly watching that interview, John, I'm struck by the fact that she's running to be the nominee of Barack Obama's party in 2016, not Bill Clinton's party in '92. This is a much more offensive, unapologetic brand of liberalism than I think her husband practiced and it reflects how the country has changed and how her party has changed.

KING: She's wrapping up all these interviews with the book tour. Interesting, Peter and John. Interesting to see -- let's look a month from now to see if these numbers change. I want to give you as we get back to you guys, these numbers from the NBC/"Wall Street Journal" poll. Is Hillary Clinton knowledgeable and experienced, 55 percent say yes. One of the reasons she's out there trying to change this number. Honest and straightforward, only 38 percent of Americans say that. Going to run for president got to boost that number up.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Got a long time and she keeps trying and reminding all of us she's not yet a candidate -- John.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: I wonder how high a politician can go on their honest and straightforward, like what do you think the top number would be?

BOLDUAN: They had a good question. Thanks, John.

Coming up next on NEW DAY, what would you do if you thought you were having a stroke? One woman decided to pull over and film this terrifying episode as it happens to her. Wanted to show doctors what was happening. Want to talk to a doctor about how that decision may have saved her life.

CUOMO: Wallet is feeling a little lighter these days, isn't it? You know what? There is a reason. Consumer prices, energy, food, clothes. They are spiking out of nowhere. We'll tell you what's behind it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's all tingling on the left side. On the left side, and my hand is hard to lift up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Just amazing. That's happening as she's sitting in her car. That scary moment caught on camera by a woman who filmed herself while she was having a stroke. She later found out. She was driving home. She lost feeling on her left side, decided to film the episode to show doctors her symptoms, she's had these in the past, and she wanted to show them the video that then helped her diagnose as having a mini stroke after they earlier told her she was experiencing symptoms of stress.

Joining us to discuss really this amazing episode and what you can take from it, Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, the director of Women's Heart Health at Lennox Hill Hospital. Doctor, it's great to see you again.

This woman had gone to the hospital complaining of these symptoms and they had given -- kind of discussed with her ways of dealing with her stress, breathing in and out. The symptoms weren't clearly happening when she was at the hospital at the time. She leaves and films this. It was clearly a missed diagnosis but how dangerous was this?

DR. SUZANNE STEINBAUM, DIRECTOR, WOMEN'S HEART DISEASE, LENOX HILL HOSPITAL: Really unbelievable. Watching this all of us feel the same way, like, my goodness, how could they say that this is stress? It's a scary thing. Cardiovascular disease is the number one in three killers of all people and the reality is it's happening in younger and younger women.

Eighty seven percent of the time it's due to the same risk factors, heart disease, diabetes and high cholesterol and high blood pressure, smoking, lifestyle, stress, obesity, and really we are seeing these risk factors in younger and younger people, in younger and younger women.

I hear very, very often that women were told it was stress. It's in your head because it's almost hard to believe that the reality is she said this is not stress and I really have to show what's going on with me.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: You can sense her frustration because we know when there's something not right in our bodies, but I think sometimes we're reluctant or maybe there's a miscommunication with the doctor. Do you see that happening from time to time? And do you think that this is a good way to do it is take it into your own hands and say I've got to show you?

STEINBAUM: I hear this often, unfortunately, and I think that women, especially this younger than 55-year-old woman. This population is really developing strokes and heart disease at an increased rate. This is something that we're seeing that's new.

CUOMO: Is there a gender issue here? I mean, do women suffer from miscommunication with doctors more than men do?

STEINBAUM: I would like to believe it's two folds. That it's a miscommunication issue that really delivering the message. I hear a lot of women saying it might be in my head, but they tend to try and dismiss it, you know, work through it. Power through it. Be a mom through it, and the reality is they have to go in and say this is what's happening to me. CUOMO: What do men tend to do, say I'm really sick and go to the doctor?

STEINBAUM: I'm really sick. I'm having chest pain and we've always thought of cardiovascular disease as a man's disease so it's communication from the women's side of things and then the doctors have to really listen in another way and really have to think that heart disease and stroke is the number one problem that these women might be coming in with because it -- if the doctor doesn't think this way, then these are how things get missed.

BOLDUAN: She ended -- they ended up taking this video and diagnosing her of having mini strokes and they traced it back to the buildup of plaque in her arteries, which led to blockage, which led to the mini stroke. She's in the process of working through that with changing her diet and medications and all that sort of thing. What is the big take away? Is it that this is the kind of the ultimate example of the presence of mind of taking your medical care and being your own best patient advocate, and do you think that people need to do this more and more?

STEINBAUM: My whole thing right now is really about patient empowerment, and in this day and age with how health care is going, we all need to understand exactly who we are, exactly what our medical conditions are. What our risk factors are and we have to really take control over getting the medical care that we need. I think that this is so sad that she had to do this. Quite frankly it's unbelievable to watch, but the fact that she had presence of mind to do this is really something that we should all pay attention to.

PEREIRA: Thank God for that cell phone camera, there's evidence, irrefutable.

STEINBAUM: There's one thing that is fascinating. There's an app called FAST through the American Heart Association, FAST, F, facial droop, A, arm weakness, S, slurring of speech and T, time to call 911 and that's mnemonic through the American Heart Association, for stroke. It's a downloadable app, you can put on your phone that sends you directly to 911 so takeaway message, empower yourself. Get the information. You know what? If it's an app, get the app, but this is really about taking control, and she showed us how to do that.

BOLDUAN: Perfect example that shouldn't have had to happen, but thank God it looks like she will be OK.

STEINBAUM: Aspirin. Take an aspirin.

BOLDUAN: Thanks so much, Doctor. It's great to see you. Great advice as always.

CUOMO: Coming up on NEW DAY, explaining the obvious, gas, groceries, even clothes. Prices are popping all of a sudden, right? We'll tell you why.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PEREIRA: Is that wallet feeling a little lighter these days? Feel like you've been paying more for things than earlier this year even? You are not imagining it. No, the new consumer price index for May shows almost across the board, the costs have risen, a direct impact on that wallet of yours.

Christine here with us to talk about at the magic wall. I thought it was in my head. Glad to know it's not just me.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Plenty of things in your head, Michaela.

PEREIRA: Some voices, too. Food, off the bat, it seems though those prices are on the rise.

ROMANS: When you look within these number, you can see exactly where. We've been talking about meat and poultry and eggs and fish, all of these going up. In part, because the feed costs for some of these animals is going up so the herds have been thinned a little bit. You look at fruits and vegetable, you have got all of this drought out west, so that's -- you know, the breadbasket is the middle of the country but the fruit --

PEREIRA: We saw some severe weather over the winter, too, that probably had an impact.

ROMANS: So that's a big part of that story there.

PEREIRA: OK, I have recently been trying to buy some plane tickets, seems like we have never seen prices go up at the rate that they've been going up. Is that my imagination?

ROMANS: The add-ones are going up, you look at base fares, something so interesting, airfare up 5.8 percent. You look at base fares. Those are going up specifically on direct flights. If you look around today for your summer flights or fall travel, you will notice the convenience of going from one place to another, you're going to pay a little more for that, continue to watch the add-ons.

PEREIRA: Baggage fees, seat selection, that kind of stuff?

ROMANS: What is not going away is change fees except for Southwest and some of the low cost carriers.

PEREIRA: Those can be a lot.

ROMANS: It's $200. The way it is built in now, it's basically you have to buy a new ticket if you don't take your ticket, that's going to be the way of the future.

PEREIRA: The other one that matters to us is energy. We are talking about the prices to heat and cool your home, also gas prices.

ROMANS: Yes.

PEREIRA: I can almost predict, gas prices are going up, right? ROMANS: Going up. It's already been going up. Gas prices up about 7/10ths of a percent, electricity prices also going up so that means if you're powering the window air conditioner this summer, you're certainly going to feel it. We look at the gas price trend, I think what's so interesting about this is that we have seen the trend pull back a little bit in 2012. Average gas prices for the year up a little bit last year. This year, like right now, I think we are at 3.66, AAA number, I think you can add another 20 cents on top of that because of the unrest in Iraq.

PEREIRA: Is the unrest in Iraq? I was going to ask, we are going into the summer driving season, vacations, et cetera, we always see gas prices rise. But you're saying on top of that?

ROMANS: Iraq is going to be on top of that long-term, Iraq is going to be a challenge. We were looking for Iraq to start producing more over the next few years and that's built into everyone's expectations about energy. If you have Iraq defending the 3.3 million barrels a day it is putting out now that is going to be a longer term story for gasoline.

PEREIRA: We won't see it dip down after the summer?

ROMANS: I don't think we will see it dip down, most of the people I'm talking to don't think you will hit $4 a gallon, hurricane season comes up at the end of the winter, I never like to make predictions what is going to happen.

PEREIRA: What is upsetting about this, Chris and Kate, says it with a smile on her face. Gave us some bad news about our wallets.

ROMANS: Fill up all the way today. Half a tank.

BOLDUAN: Christiane is tasked with an impossible job, often having to deliver the bad news of the economy. Thanks, Christine.

CUOMO: You called her Christiane.

BOLDUAN: Maybe I did. Did I call you Christiane?

ROMANS: It's all right. I'll take that as a compliment.

BOLDUAN: I was thinking I'm going to be speaking with Christiane later.

CUOMO: Christine Romans enjoys giving you bad news about your home finance. It's what it is at the end to of the day. Few work as hard to give you the information you need as Christine Romans. I have to say that. She doesn't even like me.

Coming up on NEW DAY, the suspected leader of the Benghazi terror attack is now on a U.S. Navy ship. What are they doing to him there and what happens if he asks for a lawyer? The rules that apply, ahead.

BOLDUAN: Plus, Hillary Clinton gives her CNN -- gives CNN her first reaction to the capture of that man. Will it help her get beyond the Benghazi controversy if she runs in 2016? Christiane Amanpour, who moderated that town hall is joining us live. See, you see where I was going.

CUOMO: Sure.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: Our special forces were able to capture an individual, Abu Khatalla.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: Big catch, the man behind the Benghazi attack captured, now in U.S. custody and on the slow boat to America. New details on the raid that snagged him and Hillary Clinton weighs in. What does she say she wants to know from him?

BOLDUAN: Happening today, President Obama set to meet with congressional leaders as calls for him to order air strikes on Iraq grow. And overnight, former Vice President Dick Cheney comes out with his most stinging criticism of the president yet.

Pint-sized phenom, she's the nine-year-old who not only plays on the high school basketball team, but she's being recruited by colleges. Again, she's nine. The future star will take some shots with us live in the studio.

CUOMO: Your NEW DAY continues, right now.