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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Trump Rules Out Third Party Presidential Run; Biden Talks 2016 Presidential Race; Clerk Jailed for Refusing Gay Marriages. Aired 4- 4:30a ET

Aired September 04, 2015 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:12] ALISON KOSIK, CNN ANCHOR: Donald Trump pledging his loyalty to the Republican Party, promising not to run as an independent if he loses the nomination. He tells CNN what changed his mind, ahead.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Joe Biden candid and emotional about the possibility of running for president. What he says needs to happen, first.

KOSIK: A Kentucky clerk behind bars for refusing gay couples the right to marry. The presidential candidates rallying behind her cause, ahead.

Good morning and welcome to EARLY START. I'm Alison Kosik.

ROMANS: So nice to see you this morning, Alison.

I'm Christine Romans. It is Friday, September 4th. It is 4:00 a.m. in the East.

Good morning, everyone.

Up first, Donald Trump declaring his allegiance to the Republican Party and pulling further ahead in the polls after declaring he would not sign a GOP loyalty pledge. Remember that?

The front running Trump did exactly that. So, why the sudden about face?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), 2016 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The best way forward for the Republicans to win is if I win the nomination and go directly against whoever they happen to put up. And for that reason, I have signed the pledge.

(CHEERS)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Take a look at the latest Monmouth University poll, 30 percent is a new high for Trump.

For more on his decision to embrace the Republican Party, we turn to CNN's chief congressional correspondent Dana Bash.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I covered politics for some time. And I've never quite seen an event like what happened at Trump Tower, and that is the chairman of the party flying from Washington to go to the home turf of a candidate for president to convince him to sign a pledge to be a member of that party.

But this is the world of Donald Trump. And, of course, all of this is happening because Trump is relatively new to the GOP. He is doing extremely well. He's got his highest poll ratings nationally so far. And Republicans have been very worried that if he doesn't get the nomination that he could take the supporters he has, bolt the GOP, run as an independent and hand the White House to the Democrats.

So, the Republicans have been quietly trying to talk to Trump and try to convince him, to cajole him to get him to stay in the GOP, different from last month where he would not make that pledge. So, I asked, what changed? What makes him sign it now, when he didn't do it just a few weeks ago? Listen.

What changed over the last several weeks since you didn't want to raise your hand?

TRUMP: Well, I think the big thing, Dana, that's changed -- and it's been obvious to all. Number one, after I announced, we went up like a rocket ship. I think the thing that changed is the thing I went to the number one place quickly after I signed.

So, I think the biggest thing is that I went early to number one and the RNC has treated me with great respect.

BASH: Just to be clear, this pledge is not legally binding at all. He doesn't have to stick to it. But still, he said, he doesn't see a circumstance where he would tear up the pledge.

But Donald Trump, of all people, knows how unpredictable politics is and we know how unpredictable Donald Trump is.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOSIK: And Trump got testy on Thursday after being tripped up by radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt. Foreign policy was the topic. Trump refusing the Iranian Quds military force with the Middle Eastern Kurds, and also admitting he did not know the difference between Hamas and Hezbollah.

Listen to some of the exchange.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

HUGH HEWITT, RADIO HOST: On the front of the Islamist terrorism, I'm looking for the next commander-in-chief to know who Hasan Nasrallah is, and Zawahiri, and al-Julani and al-Baghdadi. Do you know the players with that scorecard, yet, Donald Trump?

TRUMP: No, you know, I'll tell you, honestly, by the time we get to office, they will all change. They'll be all gone. I knew you were going to ask me things like this and there's no reason because I'll find -- I will hopefully find General Douglas McArthur in the pack. I will find whoever it is that I find. And we'll -- but they're all, Hugh. You know, those are history questions. Do you know this one, do you know that one?

HEWITT: I don't believe in gotcha questions. I'm not trying to quiz you on who the worse guy in the world is?

TRUMP: Well, that is a gotcha question. First day in office, or before then, right at the day after the election, I'll know more about it than you will ever know. That I can tell you.

HEWITT: I hope so. Last question, so the difference between Hezbollah and Hamas does not matter to you yet, but it will.

TRUMP: It will when it is appropriate. I will know more about it than you know, and believe me, it won't take me long.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

ROMANS: Jeb Bush talking tough.

[04:05:00] He claims Trump is, quote, "too pessimistic" to lead this country. Jeb Bush insisting Republicans will lose the election if Donald Trump wins the nomination. And Bush says he is not going to stand idly by when Trump attacks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEB BUSH (R), 2016 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm going to push back when he says things that are ugly that I think will damage our brand, damage our ability to be successful. I'm sure he's going to when he attacks me personally or disparages my family, damn right, I want to fight back. I'm not going to participate in some reality TV show. I'm going to stay true to my beliefs.

(APPLAUSE)

Look, just -- I'm not personalizing this. I'm not personalizing. It doesn't have anything to do with him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Bush claims Trump is trying to insult his way into the White House and is preying on people's angst and fears.

KOSIK: Vice President Joe Biden says he will not hesitate to run for president, but there are two factors that could stop him. Biden speaking at a synagogue in Atlanta says he has to be confident to build a strong campaign to raise enough money. He has to be sure he and his family are up to the challenge.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSEPH BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The most relevant factor in my decision is whether my family and I have the emotional energy to run. But unless I can go to my party and the American people and say that I am able to devote my whole heart and my whole soul to this endeavor, it would not be appropriate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Hillary Clinton's former deputy chief of staff at the State Department is set to face the House Select Committee on Benghazi today. Jake Sullivan is now the foreign policy adviser for Clinton's campaign. He is expected to be questioned behind closed doors about the 2012 attack in U.S. mission in Libya and Clinton's use of a private e-mail server.

On Thursday, Cheryl Mills appeared before that committee. The former State Department chief of staff reportedly told lawmakers no work related e-mails have been withheld or destroyed to keep them from the public eye. Clinton and Republican Marco Rubio will both be campaigning in Puerto Rico today. Puerto Rico does not vote for president, but whoever wins primaries is likely to gain support among Puerto Rican voters in places like New York and Florida.

KOSIK: Several candidates are rallying behind embattled Kentucky clerk Kim Davis. Davis was ordered to jail on Thursday for failing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Presidential candidates Rand Paul and Ted Cruz calling her imprisonment criminal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX), 2016 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I stand with her and anyone else that the government is trying to persecute for standing up for their faith. This is fundamentally wrong and inconsistent with the First Amendment of the Constitution.

SEN. RAND PAUL (R-KY), 2016 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think what's going to happen as a result of this is states and locations will opt out of the marriage business completely. Her heartfelt religious conviction is that this isn't kind of marriage that she approves of.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: Look at this tweet from Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor, asking voters to sign a free Kim Davis petition, insisting religious liberty should never be a crime in America.

And this from Rick Santorum, the former Pennsylvania senator, tweeting, "We should not have to choose between keeping our job and practicing our faith. Congress and states must pass First Amendment defense act now."

At least three GOP candidates, Chris Christie, Lindsey Graham, Carly Fiorina, say Davis is obligated to carry out the law as a government employee despite her personal religious convictions.

ROMANS: Kim Davis could have stayed out of jail. The judge in her case told her she could go free if she gave her deputy clerks permission to issue same sex wedding licenses. Davis consulted with her attorneys and refused.

We get more from CNN's Alexandra Field this morning in Ashland, Kentucky.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kim Davis has been refusing to issue marriage licenses ever since the Supreme Court of the United States made a ruling earlier this summer, making same sex marriage part of the law of the land. Davis was forced to appear in a federal court here in Kentucky earlier this summer where she was ordered by a judge to issue those marriage licenses. But she has not complied. She is appealing the case.

In the meantime, she continued to refuse the issue licenses. Brought back to the same federal courthouse in Kentucky, a judge ruled she was in contempt of court. And then he remanded to the custody of the U.S. marshal. That decision surprising many in the courtroom who expected that Davis would simply be fined.

But the judge said that would not be enough to compel her to follow his orders which are to issue marriage licenses. While Davis is now in jail, the judge called six of her deputies to the stand. Five of them have now agreed to issue marriage licenses for Rowan County. An attorney representing Kim Davis was also brought back into the courtroom. However, he said that Davis would not authorize the clerks to do that.

[04:10:01] Given that, the judge said the Kim Davis will have to remain in jail, but those deputy clerks can begin to issue those licenses to all couples, same sex and different sex couples as early as this morning.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right. Alexandra Field, thank you.

Time for an early start on your money this Friday morning. Looks like a tough end to the week for stocks so far, I'm sorry to report. European stocks are much lower right now. U.S. stock futures are down as well.

You know, this could all change. I want to caution it is early, because we have an August jobs report due out later this morning. That could influence the direction of markets. Economists surveyed by CNN Money predict 207,000 jobs added last month. That would be down just slightly from July, but will continue the solid gains we have seen this year.

The unemployment rate is expected to tick down to 5.2 percent. If that happens, it will be the lowest unemployment rate since the crash in 2008. Now, this jobs report could, of course, sway the Fed's decision on interest rates. Just weeks ago, it seemed the first rate hike in almost a decade would come September 17th, the next week.

But a volatile august for stocks made that decision more complicated. This jobs report could be, many people say, the deciding factor for the Fed.

KOSIK: It's going to be interesting to see Wall Street's reaction to this report. What I'm hearing is a good report which could cause a selloff because there is a worry off of rate hike.

ROMANS: A rate hike, that's right.

KOSIK: A California college lockdown. One dead and two other shot. And police right now looking for the killer. Details next.

ROMANS: Plus, a judge clearing Tom Brady in deflategate. The drama, though, of course, isn't over yet.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOSIK: Sacramento police searching for a gunman who opened fire at Sacramento City College killing one person and badly wounding another and grazing a third person, all three students at the college. Gunman fleeing on foot. Police say they believe the attack was an isolated incident.

[04:15:02] Not a campus shooting spree.

ROMANS: Three suspected killers still on the loose. Authorities in Illinois say they are making significant progress in their hunt for those three suspected cop killers. They are now looking at footage from a nearby home security system. They are hoping for fresh leads in this case.

We get the latest from CNN's Ryan Young in Chicago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN YOUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The outpouring of emotion is still going on here in Fox Lake, but investigators are working around the clock. In fact, the commander tells us he has to tell the investigators to go home. One woman has been charged with the idea that she falsified a police report saying that she saw two suspects.

Now, police cleared that up, they did get a piece of solid information. They do believe there is home surveillance that may have cause three suspects running nearby. That video has been turned over to homeland security. More than 100 tips have come in to tip line, and two investigators are working just on emails and tip line phone calls. All this they believe will help them maybe catch the people involved in the vicious killing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOSIK: In Abilene, Texas, two people now under arrest in connection with the killing of a police officer at his home. Phillip and Violetta Walter charged with first-degree felony murder. Bond set at $500,000 each. Police say they've linked the duo from stolen items from Officer Don Allen's home. Allen's body was found Monday. Several reports he was bound, beaten and tortured.

Meantime, the funeral is set for today for Darren Goforth. Goforth was shot and killed last Friday, ambushed as he was pumping gas into his patrol car.

For the first time, a prosecutor is publicly saying she will seek the death penalty for Dylann Roof, charged in the Charleston church massacre. She made the decision after what she described as intense and emotional discussion with family members and survivors. Police say Roof sat at the bible study for almost an hour at the historic Emanuel AME Church back in June, sat there for an hour before opening fire.

KOSIK: The Justice Department is changing its policy when it comes to using technology to track cell phones. The new rules include adding more judicial and internal supervisions. Right now, cell sites simulators are used to mimic cell towers and scan all cell phones within range. The new rules do not apply to local and state police departments, since they set their own rules and answer to local damages.

ROMANS: All right. Summer-like temperatures sticking around for the holiday weekend in the Northeast and the Midwest. Let's get the forecast for your holiday weekend from meteorologist Derek Van Dam.

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Alison and Christine.

I think most people could get behind me on this being a pretty decent Labor Day weekend forecast. It will be warm. We still have the surface level high pressure system rotating in lots of heat across the central U.S. It will feel like 97 in Nashville today, 100 near St. Louis.

But look at the cooler weather settling in to the Big Apple. A weak cold front sliding across the New England coast that is "cooling our temperatures", quote/unquote, by a couple of degrees. But it won't take long for warmer weather to build back up across the central U.S. and sliding east through the course of the holiday weekend.

If you are in to tennis, the U.S. open forecast for New York, 80 on Saturday. Look at rebound, all the way to 90 degrees by Tuesday afternoon. Many people hitting the beaches. Water temperatures in the upper 60s for the New England Coast across the Carolinas. But be careful, there is a rip current risk right along the long island coast, 3 to 4 feet breakers for the beaches there. Temperatures across the rest of the U.S., comfortable across Seattle, but warm and humid for the Southeast.

Back to you.

ROMANS: All right. Thanks for that, Derek.

All right. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell would normally attend the Super Bowl champ's first game of the season, but he won't be at the New England Patriots season opener next week in Foxborough. Quarterback Tom Brady scored a huge win over the league after the federal judge vacated the four-game suspension for the Deflategate scandal. The judge took issues with several ways Goodell handled the investigation.

And this morning, Patriot Nation is celebrating.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I said from the beginning it was a witch hunt against Brady. And I think the outcome is more than fair. I'm happy and I'm glad the judge put Goodell in his place.

UNIDENTIFIED BOY: So happy that Brady's free.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: The NFL will have the judge's decision overturn, but it will not keep Brady off the field during the appeals process.

All right. European leaders failing to find a solution to this exploding migrant crisis. Thousands of people trying to escape war, trying to escape poverty. They are flooding Europe's borders with no place to go. We are live after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:23:21] ROMANS: A migrant crisis is overwhelming Europe and the images tell a story of desperation and disappointment. You can see them here, thousands of men, women and children pouring into Hungary from places like Syria and Iraq. After a long standoff with authorities in Budapest, they were finally allowed to board trains on Thursday. They were hoping to make it to Germany or Austria. Instead, they were herded into refugee camps.

And I can tell you, there is international outrage now as people around the world, Alison, are watching these images. And specifically this image we saw this week of a little boy, now we know he is 2 years old, a boy whose body was on a beach in Turkey who died trying to flee civil war and destruction.

You know, usually we don't know pictures like this. Usually media does not show pictures like this.

KOSIK: This one picture telling the story. Interestingly enough, you are hearing the European countries kind of blame one another. Hungary's prime minister saying, it's not our fault. They are following Germany's rules to go ahead and process these people.

But it's hard to feel empathy to Hungary officially saying this when you look at the pictures.

ROMANS: The red tape is frustrating for people. They have fled just horrific conditions in the hopes that Europe will be a better place for their families. Imagine trying to raise your children in the kind of civil war and chaos or assault from is if you live in parts of Syria and parts of Iraq.

[04:25:01] You know, Fred -- Frederik Pleitgen is someone who's been following this, of course, from Munich. Now, we got -- I think Fred is in Budapest, is that right? Fred is in Budapest.

Fred, bring us up to speed. I mean, you are there on the train tracks with migrants right now who are just desperate, Fred, to get to Germany. Are they having any better luck today?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They are certainly not, Christine. On the tracks here in front of the train. Many chanting Germany and Germany. And no Hungary, no camp. Many of them have been refusing to take on food and water. They say they have been treated very badly so far by the authorities. They keep breaking out the chants they want to go to Germany, want to go to Germany.

But, right now, quite frankly, this is a standoff going on with several hundred Hungarian security forces. And these migrants are refusing to leave the train. The Hungarians want to bring them to makeshift camps. They say they're refusing to do that. They're not going to do that.

So, this train is stationary right now. There's a lot of children on board. They say there are some pregnant women on board. They say the conditions on board this train are deteriorating by the minute because the train has been here and stationary on the tracks for almost 24 hours now.

So, it really is a dire situation and tense one as well. You can tell how the people who are on the train are getting frustrated and more angry. They say they bought tickets to Germany and the train is not allowed to move forward.

ROMANS: The officials there saying it is the custom or it is law that the country you enter the E.U., you have to apply for asylum paper work there. These folks want to go on to Germany because the Chancellor Angela Merkel has said, come here, come here. We will help you apply for asylum and refugee status in Germany, just kind of a red tape mess. But for these people, they are desperate to move on. They don't want to stay in Hungary. They want to get to Germany. But just a horrible standoff.

OK, thanks so much for that, Fred Pleitgen, in Budapest.

KOSIK: All right. Donald Trump agreeing to drop out of the presidential race if he doesn't win the Republican nomination, a pledge he previously refused. So what changed? Trump tells CNN, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)