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President Obama and Vladimir Putin to Address U.N.; Donald Trump Releases Tax Plan; Dr. Ben Carson and Carly Fiorina Surge in Recent Polls; 14-Year-Old Stuns in Last-Minute Performance for Pope. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired September 28, 2015 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:00] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Pope Francis told survivors of clerical sex abuse that he was profoundly sorry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is NEW DAY with Chris Cuomo, Alisyn Camerota, and Michaela Pereira.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome back to your NEW DAY. It is Monday, September 28th, 8:00 in the east. The president and Putin face-to-face in two hours. President Obama will address the opening session of the U.N. General Assembly. He's going to be followed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. This will be a taste of where the men stand ahead of their big meeting today.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Russia's military buildup in Syria expected to be at the top of the agenda, especially following an announcement that Russia will share intelligence with Iraq, Syria, and Iran about ISIS. CNN's Michelle Kosinski is following developments live for us at the U.N. What else is expected, Michelle?

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. So today President Obama is going to be speaking to the world on diplomacy, trying to work together to find solutions against Syria and ISIS. However, stealing all of the oxygen out of the room, here comes Russian President Vladimir Putin with his own plan, his own new deal, his dueling speech where he's expecting countries to back Syrian President Bashar al Assad. He thinks that that is the legitimate way to defeat ISIS, but the White House sees his plan as completely backwards.

For the first time in nearly two years, these two afterwards are going to sit down and talk about it. The White House wants clarity on what his intentions are exactly. The last couple of days we've heard the White House say that he is desperate to speak to President Obama. They've criticized his tough guy stance, even his posture when he sits and speaks to world leaders.

But last night in an interview, given the chance, even given leading questions to criticize President Obama, Putin wouldn't do it. The White House says that Obama is going to be extremely direct with Putin on Syria and on Ukraine. They say at this point it would be irresponsible not to sit down and try to find at least some cooperation, if that's possible. But I'll tell you, privately, the White House is spectacle. Back to you.

CAMEROTA: It will be very interesting to watch what happens there at the U.N. today. Michelle, thanks for that.

Donald Trump laying today out a detailed tax plan. This as a new poll shows Trump and rival Ben Carson neck and neck. CNN's political reporter Sara Murray is live with the latest. Tell us what you are seeing today.

SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Sure. Well, the Trump tax plan, the whole goal here is to make the code simpler. It's to reduce taxes on middle class families and cut taxes on business.

Now, "The Wall Street Journal" got an early look at the plan, and the first indications are it does a lot of that. So if you look at families earning $50,000 a year or less, they will no longer have to pay any federal income tax. A number of these families already are not on the hook for federal income tax. We'll have to see how much this expands the pool.

The next step, when you look at the top tax rate, that comes down to 25 percent from almost 40 percent now. That definitely could help middle class families but it's also a big tax cut for those Americans at the top of the pay scale that earn something like the top one percent of income.

The last one, there is a big tax cut for businesses, bringing down to the tax rate on businesses to 15 percent.

And Alisyn, as you mentioned, all of this happens as Donald Trump is facing his first real competition in the race. If you look at this latest "Wall Street Journal"-NBC News poll, we see Ben Carson and Trump locked in almost a dead heat there. Trump is at 21 percent, Carson behind him at 20 percent. But look at these other Republicans rivals who are also on the rise. Rubio at 11 percent up from five percent in July. Carly Fiorina also at 11 percent. She was at just hash marks in July. So we're seeing a lot of big moves from a lot of Republican rivals. And that could be what's pushing Donald Trump to delve into more specifics. That's been one big criticism in his campaign, that he makes a lot of promises but does not explain how he is going to accomplish those things.

CUOMO: Yes, yes, a very provocative question. Let's see if gets answered at the big news press conference coming later this morning.

All right, let's discuss. We have Dr. Ben Carson's business manager and close friend Armstrong Williams, and Jeffrey Lord, CNN political commentator and former Reagan White House political director who seems to have a positive perspective when it comes to Donald Trump. So we have good balance here. I'll start with you, Mr. Lord. How do you explain Dr. Ben Carson's meteoric rise, now neck and neck with Trump? Donald Trump flat or negative in every poll since the debate.

JEFFREY LORD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. I would suggest it's the rise of the outsiders. And this is directly related to what's going on with Speaker Boehner in Congress. The American people have had it. And they look at Donald Trump, they look at Ben Carson, to some degree they're looking at Carly Fiorina, and they want somebody outside of Washington and they want them there pronto.

CUOMO: Why less Trump and more Carson in the polls, Mr. Williams?

ARMSTRONG WILLIAMS, BEN CARSON'S BUSINESS MANAGER: Good morning, Chris. You know, listen, while it is critical that we talk about the issues of foreign policy and business and all those kind of issues, Dr. Carson's favorability ratings continue to soar.

[08:05:04] Dr. Carson does not get in the -- in your face during the debates. He's a gentleman, noble. Some people criticize that, but the American people want someone that has the temperament, someone who has the judgment that can move this country forward. They realize that Dr. Carson is an outsider and continues to grow in learning the political speak in terms of the issues and the policies that he surrounded himself with.

But the bottom line Dr. Carson has the most stable of all the candidates throughout this entire process since he entered the race in May. His favorability ratings stand still. Mr. Trump's favorability rates compared to Dr. Carson is a source of concern that his camp should be concerned about. But I do believe that as Mr. Trump becomes more substantive and less combative, not only just during the debates but on the campaign, that he shows that he can be a diplomat and that he can be a gentleman and that he doesn't fly off the handle, I think there's a lot of uptick for him. But until he gets that under control and shows that he has the discipline and that he can respect others and respect women and not make the comments he's made in the past, I think that he could do well. But those things that he must work up there for us, that is the considerable difference between Trump and Carson.

CUOMO: OK, and Jeffrey, when you hear that, set it against the context of Ben Carson just getting into that situation with Jake Tapper where he basically, as a minority himself, blames all minorities as Muslims for believing something about the faith that is not true and pushing the country to believe all Muslims want to put their faith before the constitution. Is that being a gentleman and the kind of leadership that would make a president of the United States?

LORD: I think Dr. Carson has to be careful about this kind of thing. Initially when I first heard these reports, it seemed that he was saying that no Muslim could be president. What he seems to be saying now is that he would not support a Muslim for president if, in fact, the Muslim in question -- and this is all hypothetical at this point -- were into Sharia law. That is a valid concern. There's no question about that.

CUOMO: Do you think that's what he was saying or do you think he's backpedaling on that?

(CROSSTALK)

CUOMO: When Armstrong was on the show last time, he didn't quality it that way either. He was talking about all Muslims.

LORD: Yes, I think he has backpedaled a little bit here. You have to be careful about this. We are a country of religious freedom and religious liberty, and we want to make sure that applies to everyone. On the other hand we do not want to get into a situation when Sharia law is overriding the American constitution. And certainly Donald Trump wouldn't be supporting that, either.

CUOMO: I don't know who would support that, which makes it somewhat of an absurd premise from what the original statement was.

Armstrong Williams, we just had Michael Cohen, the Trump team person, come on and say Carson is a nice guy but he's a doctor. He can't run a business, let alone the U.S. government. Do you accept that?

WILLIAMS: You actually think I'm going to let you take an unfair shot at Dr. Carson about what he said and not respond and your pettiness and you just throw on the airwaves when we have millions of people watching? No.

CUOMO: You tell me when you were on this show -- I read the transcript, Armstrong. If you want to take personal shot, you go ahead. I read the transcript. You talked about all Muslims. You didn't say only those who put Sharia before the constitution. You talked about all of them. Own your words. Don't make them about me. Make them about what you said. And go ahead.

WILLIAMS: Dr. Carson was very clear that there is no litmus test on faith. It's a fact the matter is that unless someone rejects Sharia law and the tenants of Islam which is in direct contradiction with the constitution, he cannot find himself in preference of choice supporting the Muslim for president of the United States.

CUOMO: Jeffrey Lord, help me, maybe I'm not hearing right. Did he just say those Muslims who put Sharia as the center of their life before the constitution, or did he say Muslims who don't reject the tenet of their faith?

LORD: I do think he's saying Muslims who put Sharia law over the constitution. That's what I am hearing here.

CUOMO: But I just heard --

LORD: And that's correct. If we're going to go down that road, we have a problem. Remember --

CUOMO: Nobody is disagreeing with you. Hold on, Jeffrey. Hold on a second. Armstrong, you just said Muslims who don't reject the tenants of their faith. Is that what you said or am I tired from the Pope coverage?

WILLIAMS: No, you're a little emotional and need to calm down so you can hear what everybody is saying.

CUOMO: Tell me what you're saying. WILLIAMS: OK, good. Dr. Carson, again, does not support anyone who

embraces the tenants of Islam that embraces sharia, that disrespects women, who will kill gays, who kills their own people, their own faith Muslims who don't adhere to that faith because there is a contradiction between Sharia law. It is not compatible to the constitution of the United States.

CUOMO: That is different. That is different. If what your point is that Dr. Carson said -- and, again, maybe Jake Tapper and I suffer from the same hearing abnormality, maybe we'll get checked out together -- but if you're saying it's Muslims who preference Sharia over the Constitution, then yes, obviously that would be a good thing.

[08:10:03] But Armstrong, you don't find it a little curious that so many people didn't think Dr. Ben Carson was saying that? You don't think it's curious that Jake Tapper felt the need to ask a series of follow ups if it was such a simple and obvious statement?

WILLIAMS: You know what, the media has its own rules and games, and they --

CUOMO: Oh, the media.

WILLIAMS: Let me finish. I didn't interrupt you, thank you very much. Listen, the bottom line is Dr. Carson was very clear in what he's said. Obviously he's clarified it because obviously there were misunderstandings. And that's why we're willing to come back on these shows, because we think CNN is a very important format that millions of people watch and we respect it. And so, yes, things can be misconstrued. But how many times do you want me to clarify it? I think it's pretty simple what I said, which you finally embraced and understood. So we can move on because we're finally on the same page.

CUOMO: And the question is, why did it take that long to get there, Armstrong? You seem to be blaming me personally for it, which is absurd. We've had Dr. Carson on a number of times to give him a chance to clarify his positions. Go ahead, Jeffrey.

LORD: Chris, as you would remember, in 1960, President Kennedy, then Senator Kennedy, gave a speech to the Houston Ministerial Association of Baptists, I believe it was, and said, "I'm not the Catholic candidate for president. I'm the Democratic Party's candidate for president." What we don't want in America is somebody who says, I am the Muslim, the Sharia candidate for president. I am not the Republican or Democratic nominee. We want somebody who is going to say very strongly, as Senator Kennedy said, that it's not about their faith. It's about their constitution and their political views, period.

CUOMO: Jeffrey, are you surprised that people were taken aback by what Dr. Ben Carson said originally? Do you believe the follow ups and requests for clarification were media motivated?

LORD: Frankly, Chris, I think you were right to ask the question. I, myself, thought I was hearing Dr. Carson say that there should be a religious test applied to Muslims running for president. I thought that and immediately thought, you know, article six of the constitution, we can't be going there. But he's clarified it a bit, and I'm willing to accept it. But you have got to ask the question, Chris. That's why I'm here. That's why Armstrong is here. That's your job, and you do it, I might add.

CUOMO: Oh, thank you very much, Jeffrey.

(LAUGHTER)

CUOMO: Look, Armstrong, it's not the first time, right? Dr. Carson came on here and said being gay is a choice. He used the proof the fact that when people go to prison, they're not gay, they come out and they are gay. It demanded clarification. He needed clarified it. We chased him on it. He clarified. This happens in politics. You have to own what you say. It's not about personal animus. I hope you understand that.

WILLIAMS: Well, the good news is Dr. Carson and Donald Trump is in a dead heat and they're outsiders and that speaks well for the American people and where we're going in this country.

LORD: Work on your ground game there, Armstrong.

WILLIAMS: Jeffrey, you're a gentleman and scholar. I appreciate the respect you show Dr. Carson, the same we show to Mr. Trump.

LORD: He's a great guy.

WILLIAMS: We're fighting for the American people. They want change. They want courage, they want leadership. And that's what Mr. Trump and Dr. Carson both bring.

CUOMO: And we saw something else that we just say they wanted in the form of Pope Francis, which is positivity, which is inclusiveness, which is tolerance. Armstrong Williams, thank you very much. Jeffrey Lord, as always, I look forward to having you both back on the show.

WILLIAMS: Thank you.

CUOMO: Make sure to tune in tonight, CNN, 7:00 Eastern, Erin Burnett sits down with Donald Trump on "ERIN BURNETT OUT FRONT."

Michaela?

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: I had to take a sip of water after all that. That was something, Chris. Well done.

All right, breaking news coming from Pope Francis as he returns home to Rome after his whirlwind tour. On his flight home the pontiff spoke out about religious freedom, the sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Church among other things. CNN's Rosa Flores traveled with the Pope to Rome where she joins us now with more. He was making news even on the flight, Rosa.

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Michaela. You're absolutely right. And Pope Francis is known for his mercy. But will he exercise mercy for priests who abuse children and the bishops who knew about it?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FLORES (voice-over): Pope Francis back at the Vatican this morning after holding a press conference on the plane following his historic U.S. visit, speaking in Italian and Spanish about sexual abuse within the catholic church.

The Pope calling his visit to Philadelphia, quote, "very demonstrative," after meeting with five victims of sexual abuse. He expanded those who could be held accountable saying, quote, "We know the abuses are everywhere in families, in the neighborhoods, in schools, in the gyms, but when a priest abuses, it is very serious. Those who cover this up are guilty, even some bishops who covered this up."

"God weeps for the victims," he said in a chapel full of bishops Sunday. On the plane, he said he forgives the priests that have committed sexual abuse because, quote, "We must forgive because we were all forgiven. It is another thing to receive that forgiveness."

[08:15:08] The pope also says about the sex abuse victims who can't forgive their abusers and have lost their faith, quote, "I don't judge someone who can't forgive."

The pope also saying conscientiousness objections like not issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples citing religious liberty is a, quote, "human right." Pope Francis says he does not know all of the cases on this issue, which may include Kentucky clerk Kim Davis, but the pontiff saying, quote, "If a government official is a human person, he has that right."

About his whirlwind five-day U.S. tour, he says, quote, "What surprised me was the warmth, the warmth of the people, so lovable." He said, Washington was "warm but more formal" and New York was a "bit exuberant."

POPE FRANCIS: I ask you, please, to pray for me. God bless America.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FLORES: Now Pope Francis was asked about the power that comes with his stardom, and he said it's not about the power. He's not a star. He says stars fall all the time. The Pope, he says, is a servant of the servants of God.

Chris?

CUOMO: All right, Rosie. You've done great work on this. Thank you for being with us this morning and every morning through the trip.

Breaking overnight, an explosion on board a speedboat carrying the President of the Maldives. Government officials tell CNN he was not hurt but his wife suffered back fractures. And aide and body guard also injured. Right now it is not clear what caused the blast, but there is an investigation underway. When we learn more, we'll tell you.

CAMEROTA: Spain gearing up for a major constitutional fight after pro- independence parties win a majority of seats in the Spanish region of Catalonia, one of them threatening to break away from Spain. Spain's Prime Minister says the region's succession would be unconstitutional.

PEREIRA: A frantic scene we have to show you in Australia. A massive sink hole opens up at a popular tourist campsite on the beach. The 30-foot deep hole opened suddenly over night over the weekend at Inksip Point in Queensland. Scientists are using ground penetrating radar technology to try and determine what caused it. This happened at midnight. A bunch of people that were camping in the area are so lucky to be alive. They were evacuated, some 300 people. Nobody was hurt, which is amazing.

CAMEROTA: I feel they're getting too close to the edge.

PEREIRA: I agree. I agree. But that is quite a sight to behold. My goodness.

CAMEROTA: All right. Meanwhile, Senator Rand Paul is struggling in the polls. Well now, a new report says his presidential campaign is in trouble and may end soon. Senator Rand Paul joins us next with his response.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(VIDEO CLIP OF BOBBY HILL SINGING TO POPE FRANCIS)

[08:21:43] PEREIRA: Brings tears to your eyes almost. The voice of an angel. It's hard to steal the spotlight from the Pope, but that young man did just that. With his stirring performance of "Pie Jesu," aspiring opera singer, Bobby Hill, he is 14 years old, this man blew away a crowd of thousands Saturday evening at the Festival of Families.

He joins us now this morning, as well as Steven Fisher, the associate music director for the Keystone State Boy Choir.

I get goose bumps even just hearing you, and then seeing that smile on your face this morning. How are you feeling, young man?

BOBBY HILL, SANG FOR POPE FRANCIS: Um, I feel -- I'm just -- I've been singing ever since I can remember and I've been with the choir for about seven years, the Keystone State Boy Choir, and I never thought in a thousand years that this would ever happen.

PEREIRA: Well, and we should point that out. Give us an idea -- This was not scheduled. You found -- When did he find out that this was happening, Steven?

STEVEN M. FISHER, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, KEYSTONE STATE BOY CHOIR: So the Keystone State Boy Choir and the Pennsylvania Girl Choir were invited to send 60 singers to sing in the final number with (INAUDIBLE). We have over 600 singers but we could only pick 60 and so that's what we planned to do.

PEREIRA: Right.

FISHER: Earlier in the day, during the rehearsal, we passed Mr. Bocelli, I knew that Bobby wanted to be an opera singer, introduced him, Bobby just broke out in "Pie Jesu." Now "Pie Jesu" is -

(LAUGHTER)

(CROSSTALK)

FISHER: You don't have to ask Bobby twice. And, you know Bocelli, who I probably thought, oh, another singer - but he stepped back, oh. What did he say, Bobby?

HILL: Bravo, bravo, bellissimo.

FISHER: So two hours later, close to show time, producers say to me, you've got to help. We got 60 seconds to

cover. We can't have the Holy Father sitting there watching a set change. What can you give us? I said, I can give you Bobby. So they looked at me, I said - and they said we can't do a (INAUDIBLE) we're good. Now, I didn't tell him right away because I didn't want them --

PEREIRA: They might cancel. That's a good point. Get his hopes up.

FISHER: Right. And I also didn't want Bobby to be nervous. So about five minutes ahead, I said, Bobby, you're going to sing "Pie Jesu." Awesome. And no piano. Cool.

CUOMO: So no music accompaniment which makes it even more difficult, no time to prepare.

FISHER: So off he went, I went out in front of the stage and thought, oh my. Seemed like a good idea at the time.

CAMEROTA: What have I done?

FISHER: No, I - because, you know, it's the stars align, it's the opportunity, it's the right young singer and it's also the composure.

PEREIRA: Well wait, OK, so here's what's amazing. So you heard him sing, the voice of an angel, but listen to what happened when Mark Wahlberg, who was there, was emceeing, sort of, you had a little moment with him. Let's play that sound.

HILL: Yeah.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK WAHLBERG, ACTOR: That right there was truly the voice of an angel.

(APPLAUSE)

WAHLBERG: But then he whispered in my ear that he loved the movie "Ted."

(LAUGHTER)

WAHLBERG: And I told him, that was not appropriate for a boy of his age. Holy Father, please, forgive me.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PEREIRA: You did a face-palm right there.

CUOMO: That was after meeting Pope Francis, who gave you this, right?

FISHER: So - then here was the other part of the story. So the Keystone State Boy Choir made history in 2009 by being the first choir ever to go to Antarctica and perform. We brought back two rocks. Now President Obama had just been elected and we thought, wow, we go to Antarctica, the president is going to have us at the White House.

[08:25:05] Well, we're still trying, but then when you meet the Pope - and this whole theme was the World Meeting of Families and they had six families representing six continents talking to the Pope that night but the seventh continent was missing.

CUOMO: Antarctica wasn't there.

FISHER: So Bobby basically (INAUDIBLE) to the Pope that the Keystone State Boy Choir and the Pennsylvania Girl Choir family represented the seventh continent, gave him the rock, and in return he gave the choir blessed rosaries.

CAMEROTA: Look at this. It has all come together. So Bobby, what was that moment? When you heard, I'm going to be singing in five minutes. Tell us what went through your head.

HILL: At first, everybody was like, you must have been so nervous. But I was a little nervous, but more excited. I was just more excited than nervous. You know?

CAMEROTA: I do know.

PEREIRA: And now what? What's next? Because this seems like it was probably a life-changing moment for you.

HILL: Right now, I'm excited for whatever would happen next.

PEREIRA: That's wonderful.

HILL: I hope that I'd be able to sing for the president, though. I mean, singing for the Pope was like the best thing that could happen, but the only thing that could become a close second is singing for the president.

FISHER: The girl choir, some sang for Malala and the boy choir sang for Aung San Suu Kyi in Norway. We've sung for presidents and heads of state. But I have to say, singing for the Pope - and I think that's what was incredible in being in Philadelphia -- Chris, you were there -- that it transcended religions. I mean, we have children who are Jewish, who are Christian, who are Muslim, who are nothing, whp are everything and somehow it was larger than all of us.

PEREIRA: So incredibly powerful.

CAMEROTA: Well, paging President Obama. Your move, sir.

FISHER: And there's one (INAUDIBLE) left, president.

CAMEROTA: There is.

PEREIRA: Bobby, Steven, thank you. Bobby, you are really something else.

HILL: Thank you so much.

CAMEROTA: Thanks so much for being here.

CUOMO: All right. Coming up, presidential candidate Senator Rand Paul will join us live on NEW DAY. We're going to talk about all the big issues of the day from a new poll and Donald Trump's new tax plan. Does the senator like it?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)