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Malaysia: Debris "Very Likely" from Boeing 777; Trump Lacks GOP Female Support. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired July 30, 2015 - 10:30   ET

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


[10:29:50] CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Malaysia's prime minister says it's very likely the object is from the same model as Flight 370.

Let's bring in CNN aviation correspondent Rene Marsh. She has been talking to Boeing. What can you tell us -- Rene?

RENE MARSH, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Well, I can tell you, Carol, at this hour the critical point that they really want to get to is to be able to say either A, this is from Boeing 777 Flight MH-370 or it's not. That's where they want to get to. They're not there just yet.

We do know the next step here is really scrutinizing this piece of this wing that's clearly from an aircraft. The fact that they do have a number on that portion of the wing, that is crucial, that is critical, because they will be able to make a determination once they match up those numbers whether it's a maintenance number or a serial number, they will be able to either, A, rule in or out that this is part of MH-370.

Once that is done the next step is taking a really close look at that piece of wing. They're going to be looking at -- you see that growth at the edge of that, the barnacles, they're going to be looking at that trying to make an assessment as to how long this piece was under water, does that match up with the time line of MH-370.

I also spoke with some experts today who they themselves are already taking a look at the pictures and they're starting to look at the tear points, the sort of damage that is obvious from the photos that we have available to us, and perhaps investigators will do the same thing.

They'll want to look at, you know, the tear points, the damage to the piece, does it suggest that perhaps this portion of the wing was in a certain position. If it does, indeed, suggest that, perhaps it may tell whether the aircraft was slowing down at the point when things went terribly wrong.

But these are all really small pieces of the puzzle, so while they may be able to learn something from this piece here, it may not answer all of our questions -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Rene Marsh reporting live for us this morning. Thanks so much. I appreciate it I want to bring in Sarah Bajc now. Her partner, Phillip Wood,

was one of the Americans on board the missing flight. She's become an advocate for the families of those missing.

Thank you so much for being with me this morning. I appreciate it.

SARAH BAJC, PARTNER WAS PASSENGER ON FLIGHT 370: Good morning -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Good morning. Just tell me what you're feeling right now because I can't even imagine.

BAJC: Well, on the one hand, I don't want it to be part of the plane because I don't want to give up that thread of hope that we've been holding onto. But on the other hand I want the mystery to be solved, and up to now we've had absolutely no facts so this would at least be a small step in the right direction.

COSTELLO: Some of the families in China and Beijing said don't give us any information at all, investigators, governments of Malaysia and China, unless you're 100 percent sure that this part of the plane is from Flight 370. Do you feel the same way?

BAJC: Well, we've never received any valid information from the officials, so that's kind of a needless request, but it is disconcerting when the media blows it all up and out of proportion before we really know anything. And I understand why that happens, but it is very, very difficult for the families. And, you know, we want the truth to come forward, and we're glad that you're bringing light to the story, but it's also a really difficult time, and we need some proof.

COSTELLO: I can totally understand that and I can't say that I disagree with you at all.

As far as the investigation, have you heard anything new at all from investigators from either country?

BAJC: We never have heard anything from the Malaysian side. The Australian GACC has given an e-mail update of the ship movements about once a week but it's often just a cut and paste from the prior week so it doesn't really say anything.

To the best of my knowledge there hasn't been any ongoing investigation in Malaysia and it's in Malaysia that the crime was committed. So, you know, one of the things I really hope the world will do is pay attention to the fact that Malaysia has still not come clean with what they know, and they've also never been held accountable for any of the wrongdoing.

COSTELLO: It's just incredible to think that they've stopped investigating because you'd think they'd want to know what happened.

BAJC: Well, except if they know that they're guilty of something. You know, it might just be pure incompetence and sleeping on the job, but it's a very corrupt country, and the ruling party has been in power for a very long time. So they have totalitarian rule, and they will save face at any cost. Even if that means covering up what might have actually just been one or two people sleeping on the job.

Why couldn't they at least come forward and say, oops, somebody was sleeping on the job and here is what happened and we admit to it and move forward? So far there's been no admission of any wrongdoing by the Malaysian government.

COSTELLO: Do you have your own theory?

[10:35:01] BAJC: I don't know. There's so many theories that they crowd each other out, and I have maintained from the beginning that until there is some sort of fact, I will not go with one theory over another.

COSTELLO: Sarah Bajc -- thank you so much for being with me. I appreciate it.

BAJC: You're welcome. Thank you.

COSTELLO: I'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: This just in to CNN, the legal fight over Tom Brady's suspension will play out in Manhattan. The NFL Players Association is suing on behalf of the Patriots' quarterback to lift his four-game suspension. The union filed a petition in Minnesota where it had some success, most recently winning the Adrian Peterson case, but a district judge in Minnesota transferred the case to New York. The union claims the punishment is absurd and unprecedented. Of course, we'll keep you posted.

All right. Let's talk about the new poll numbers that are out. And, yes, Donald Trump is still a Republican star, but there are signs Mr. Trump might have a woman problem.

[10:40:03] The Quinnipiac University poll shows 37 percent of Republican women would never vote for Mr. Trump.

Perhaps his visit to Scotland will help. Trump arrived at his Trump Turnbury Golf Course earlier today. He's there for opening day of the women's British Open. That's right. The women's Open. Of course, it's the British Women's Open. And in usual Trump fashion he offered his opinion on how he's doing in the polls. He says very well, at least with one group of voters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I did well. In fact, the Hispanics poll came out two days ago where I'm number one with the Hispanics. I know you're surprised to hear that but I'm number with the Hispanics. And I said if I get the nomination, I will win with the

Hispanics. So it's been a great thing. But you probably saw the polls. It just came out. I'm number one in Nevada, number one in North Carolina, and number one nationally, but very importantly I'm number one with the Hispanics.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: He's got a red version of his now famous hat on, "Make America Great Again".

Let's get back to the numbers on the Quinnipiac poll. Mr. Trump leads the pack at 20 percent. But critics say he's gathering support based on bluster, not so much on substance.

Dana Bash though pushed him on the issues like immigration.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: You're supposed to come in legally. I will get people out and I would have an expedited way of getting them back into the country so they can be legal. I want to move them out and we're going to move them back in and let them be legal but they have to be in here legally.

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Legally, like --

TRUMP: Otherwise, excuse me, otherwise you don't have a country. You don't have a country. If people can just pour into the country illegally, you don't have a country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Dana Bash joins me now to talk about her interview and more. So the most interesting number to me in that poll is the number of Republican women who say they will never vote for Donald Trump. Is he aware of that?

BASH: You know, possibly, you might have noticed that he doesn't like to talk about the polls where he's not doing as well or at least when you dive inside the polls. Look, the fact that a third of Republican women, you see it there on the screen, more than a third, they say no way, no how. That's a problem for him.

In a very large field though like this is, it doesn't matter as much right now. If he continues to go along and the field gets smaller and smaller and smaller, that's going to matter more and more. The fact that he has such a ceiling with a key part of the electoral, particularly the Republican electorate, is not good news for him if he wants to go the long way.

COSTELLO: So back to substantive issues. You pressed him on health care and immigration. It doesn't seem to me that he really has like a plan that he wants to lay out for the American people to tell us how he's really going to deal with these issues. BASH: Well, immigration obviously was front and center and is

front and center in his campaign. It's what propelled him initially because he was talking about illegal immigration and dealing with that at a time when most of the Republican candidates kind of wanted to move on because the party itself, many of them thought that the rhetoric that they had used really hurt them in the last couple of election cycles. So the question was, you know, how are you going to deal, never blind the wall which we have heard a lot about, with the undocumented immigrants here.

And what he said actually surprised me a little bit because, you know, the idea is to give legal status, OK. That's something that actually Jeb Bush wants to do which would be an anathema to many of the conservatives who support him. But he first wants them to leave the country.

So what I was trying to press him on and I didn't -- I wasn't really clear how he would do this. How do you gather up 11 million -- let's just say he's right -- 34 million illegal people in this country and get them out? It's just now --

COSTELLO: And then grant them some --

BASH: It would be a very, very large task and his answer is, well, the politicians can't do it, I can do it.

COSTELLO: Final question, he's in Scotland. The debate is a couple days away. Clearly he doesn't have all of his policy laid out so shouldn't he be studying for the debate?

BASH: I asked him that question. I said are you going to be doing some debate prep on the plane going over there. Are you going to be thinking about it? He insists that he's not. He actually said something to the effect of I'm going to just be Donald Trump. But I asked about the policy. You can be yourself personality wise but then it's a whole different issue when you're not prepared on policy and he claims that he's been looking and reading and studying.

Obviously he's not going to do what most of the other candidates have been doing, Carol, which is really intense debate prep, mock debates, practicing what it's like to be on a stage with all of these people. He's not doing that, but it's hard to believe he's not at least thinking through and bouncing off some ideas with his aides.

COSTELLO: With his people. Dana Bash -- thank so much. I appreciate it.

BASH: Thank you.

[10:44:58] COSTELLO: Still to come in the NEWSROOM, after more than a year, could debris found on an island beach be from MH Flight 370? We'll talk about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTTY MCCREERY, SINGER: Hey, you all. It's Scotty McCreery here in my city, Raleigh, north Carolina.

Let's start off here, Pullen Park.

One ticket for the carousel please.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Coming right up.

MCCREERY: This carousel dates back to 1911. The carousel has 52 animals. They're all hand carved.

I'm a little big for this I think. Beautiful.

In North Carolina we have a very rich sports history, so what better place to go in downtown Raleigh than the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some of the biggest displays we have, Michael Jordan, Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Valvano and David Cox.

MCCREERY: North Carolina is actually home to Nascar. Here we have two of the greatest drivers ever in Nascar: "The Intimidator", Dale Earnhardt. One is his driver's uniforms. And to my right Richard Petty, one of the cars he actually raced in back in the day.

And if you want a great bite to eat, you have to come to the Angus Barn. We're going to take you down to the wine cellar. They have wine in this room from all over the world and wines that range from $50 or this one at $16,000.

We're here in the Wild Turkey Lounge. Can you tell us about the lounge and the turkeys?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These turkeys all used to hold wild turkey bourbon in them and we actually have the largest collection in the world. We have over 600.

MCCREERY: Goodness gracious.

Thank you all so much for joining me and I'm getting kind of hungry here so I'm going to grab a bite.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:51:19] COSTELLO: As that plane debris heads to France for its initial processing, investigators are likely tasked with two key questions: is this piece of debris from Flight 370? And if so, how did it end more than 2,000 miles away from the search zone.

Let's talk about this. I want to bring in meteorologist Chad Myers and CNN safety analyst and author of "Malaysia Airlines Flight 370" David Soucie. Welcome to both of you.

Chad, give us a scenario where this is possible. CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: We have circulations across the

world, across the globe. The southern Atlantic, the north Atlantic. And the reason why the Fukushima debris ended up on the West Coast of America is because of the north Pacific Gyre.

Now, we're talking about this one here. We're talking about the Indian Ocean Gyre. This is the issue with this, and this is what I have done now. I have pushed this forward and I have said, ok, if a piece of something floated on land, floated on the water and landed here at Reunion Island, where did it come from? How did this possibly happen?

I backed this up on this adrift.org.au 14 to 16 months. Where could this stuff have come from? There's a number of places that this could have actually come from. It could have come from Africa. It could have come here from the Maldives. It could have come here from Indonesia. But also could have come from the area right down here that they have been searching for, for so long.

So it doesn't say that it's only here, but it doesn't exclude the area either. So it's not a plus or a minus. It just says it could have come from here.

How does that happen? Let's move here. It's the gyre. It is the motion of the ocean. As it comes in from the search area and brings it to a different area -- brings it back to Reunion Island. I showed those circulations as round and they are not round. Nothing in the earth is a perfect because the land isn't a perfect circle, these things wobble back and forth, they wiggle back and forth.

So how does it get here from here? There is a current. There is a current that travels just to the south of India and it would push it right here. In about 14 to 16 months it would be right here where it is.

Now, there may be much more still in the current. This may be the very first piece of debris we find. We just know that this would be the first piece that we've seen so far and there could be some into Madagascar. It could have missed these islands. And it could actually get around the southern Cape of Africa and eventually years from now if still floating, Carol it could get all the way to South America.

COSTELLO: Unbelievable.

OK. So David Soucie, tell us how this complicates the search for the missing airplane, if this debris is from Flight 370 that is.

DAVID SOUCIE, CNN SAFETY ANALYST: Yes. And that's still an if -- we need to make clear that is still an if. But how it complicates is the fact that -- it doesn't really complicate but what it doesn't do is complement the way -- the assumptions as to where the aircraft might be.

Remember, there are two different searches going on. The surface search has been given up months and months -- maybe more than a year ago. It's the underwater search that's going on right now -- actually because of the winter months and the rough seas it's been postponed. But the search they've been doing has nothing to do with the surface search and there's also been a lot of weather between -- during this last 16 or 17 months that could have drifted these parts and pieces and who knows where.

So there's a lot of things, a lot of questions still, but this doesn't really provided us with a lot of answers right now.

COSTELLO: Hopefully we'll know very soon because that piece of debris is on its way to France. Investigators are going to look at it and hopefully we'll know in a couple hours whether indeed it's from Flight 370.

[10:54:54] Chad Myers, David Soucie -- thanks to both of you. I'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Checking some top stories for you at 58 minutes past. "Rolling Stone's" managing editor is resigning. Will Dana is not saying if his departure is linked to a lawsuit that's just been filed against the magazine. Three members of the University of Virginia fraternity are suing Rolling Stone for defamation over a now discredited article that alleged frat members gang raped a female student.

Closing arguments expected today in the sentencing of James Holmes murder trial. The jury will decide whether he should get life in prison or death. His parents took to the stand this week to plea for his life. His mother broke down as she said her son's psychiatrist never warned her that Holmes was having homicidal thoughts. Holmes shot 12 people to death and wounded 70 at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado.

Where is the Minnesota dentist who killed Zimbabwe's Cecil the lion. Walter Palmer has apparently gone underground as news of his African hunt stokes worldwide outrage and the outcry against him keeps growing. Protesters gathered outside Palmer's office yesterday demanding he be prosecuted.

All right. Breaking news to pass along. It's about that piece of debris. Boeing investigators have a high level of confidence that the debris found on Reunion Island does indeed come from the 777, not just comes from a 777, not just because of the photos that have been analyzed, but because there is a partial number that corresponds to a 777 part.

[11:00:07] According to -- that's according to a source close to the investigation. Despite the confidence in the statement, investigators from the U.S. want to see the part, they want to see if the part is believed to be this flapper on a part on the wing that opens and closes before they make a final determination. Of course, we'll keep you posted.

I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me today. Berman and Bolduan starts now.

[10:29:50] CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Malaysia's prime minister says it's very likely the objec