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New Day Sunday
More Deaths Amid Middle East Violence; Bush Ad Ridicules Trump's Fitness to Lead; V.P. Talks Potential Bid with Top Labor Leader; "SOTU" Talks to Clinton, Bush and Romney; Larry David Impersonates Bernie Sanders. Aired 8-8:30a ET
Aired October 18, 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]
COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS: That is tough to beat.
Remember that missed field goal that they took to the house to win?
And Ain't That America said "Boise State Statue of Liberty play against Oklahoma."
And that was a good one, too.
Thank you so much, guys.
CHRISTI PAUL, CNN HOST: That's awesome. So are you. Coy, thank you so much.
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: Thanks, Coy.
PAUL: We appreciate it.
Hey, we're starting NEW DAY. Here's your next hour, right now.
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PAUL: So grateful to have you with us as always. I'm Christi Paul.
BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking foreign language).
BLACK (voice-over): We're beginning this hour with the breaking news, the tension between Israelis and Palestinians that has gripped Israel in recent weeks. Secretary of State John Kerry in Paris this morning.
And just moments ago he spoke about the attacks and also the situation in Syria. Listen to part of it.
JOHN KERRY, SECRETARY OF STATE: Later this week I'll meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu, because he will be in Germany and I'm coming through at that moment. We will meet there.
And then I will go to the region and I will meet with President Abbas; I will meet with King Abdullah and others. And in between, I'll have some key meetings on the subject of Syria with critical players, with respect to that.
So we are as deeply engaged as I can ever remember in trying to help resolve some of these very complicated explosions of sectarianism and violent extremism.
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BLACKWELL: All right. Let's go to Phil Black there in Jerusalem, who has been covering this story.
Phil, after listening to the secretary's words and talking about these upcoming discussions and meetings, how influential can he be?
And what can he offer to try to quell some of the violence here?
PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I guess what he'll be hoping to do, Victor, is to lower the tensions here, to get the sides to step back a little.
On the subject of the tensions, I just want to show you first of all what is going on behind us, give you a sense of why things here are as tense and strained as they are at the moment.
We're at the outskirts of a Palestinian community in East Jerusalem called Issawiya. What you see there is a fortified Israeli checkpoint. And you see a line of young Palestinian men, who want to leave that community to enter Jerusalem proper.
And from there what they're being -- what's happening here is they're being searched, basically. Each one at a time is made to stand at a distance, lift his shirt, turn around, show that he's not armed also expose his ankles, show that there's no weaponry there as well.
And this is what all the residents, the male residents of this community have to do in order to leave this community on foot. They find -- they're pretty angry about it. They find it humiliating. That's what they've been telling us this morning.
This security measure is in place because of the knife attacks that have been taking place in Jerusalem and elsewhere in recent weeks. It is one of the Israeli responses.
Now where as Palestinians see it as collective punishment, an entire community locked down, its rights restricted because of these attacks, the Israeli government believes that it is necessary, hopefully short- term step to deter and prevent but also punish further attacks from taking place.
That's what the Israelis are trying to do. What the Israelis want the Palestinians to -- they say, the Palestinian leadership, to call for these attacks, to call for this violence to end. So if Secretary Kerry gets here, what he will be seeking from both
sides is, I think, is for both sides to take a step back. And certainly what the Israelis would like the Palestinian leadership to do is to hear from them stronger language condemning these attacks and really trying to bring an end to the violence and the tension that we've seen here in recent weeks -- Victor.
BLACKWELL: All right. Phil Black in Jerusalem for us, with a look at one of those checkpoints as well.
Phil, thanks so much.
PAUL: Let's talk about this with Daniel Levy. He's an expert in Middle East relations and head of the Middle East and North Africa program at the European Council.
So good to have you with us.
I want to kind of piggyback off something that Phil Black was just saying.
They want to hear Mahmoud Abbas condemn these attacks.
Do you think that will ever happen?
DANIEL LEVY, EUROPEAN COUNCIL: Well, it's happened on many occasions. Mahmoud Abbas continues on a daily basis to instruct his security forces, to cooperate with the Israelis. He continues to be recognized globally as a man committed to nonviolence.
But Mahmoud Abbas' condemnations and calls for quiet are not going to be enough if, unfortunately, the Israeli side continues, as we heard in the report, to humiliate Palestinians collectively on a daily basis, now not only in the West Bank but also in Palestinian neighborhoods of East Jerusalem that Israel has actually annexed illegally to Israel.
[08:05:00]
LEVY: So I think it's going require actions from both sides and it's going to require Israel not exacerbating a situation in which Palestinians already feel they have no rights and no dignity. Both peoples feel insecure now but both leaderships are going to have to step up and the Israeli leadership cannot simply pass the buck over to Abu Mazen.
PAUL: So, Daniel, when we talk about these discussions that are being orchestrated by Secretary Kerry that are coming up, what do you envision the content, the verbiage of those discussions to be that might actually do some good here?
LEVY: Well, here's the thing, Christi. Right now we're talking about how to deescalate an immediate crisis and an immediate crisis that is driven in the moment by mostly what are called lone wolf Palestinian individuals, not guided by movements but venting their frustration in violent ways. That is a very difficult thing to get a grip on. But beyond the
immediate moment, if one wants to really see some kind of stability and security, you're going to have to address the root causes because we see these waves of violence every 10 or 15 years.
And until not only Israelis feel they have security but Palestinians also feel they have security, a state, no settlements, an end of occupation, all these things that (INAUDIBLE) talks about as a wish list, talk about them for a reason.
Because in the absence of both sides having their dignity, something that united the Palestinians, in the absence of that, people are going to do something about their predicament. And inevitably some of that doing will spill over into violence.
That's why what's so painful and what I'm sure the secretary is well aware of, and what he tried to do painstakingly for month after month was to say we're in a period of security quiet; let's use the period to make peace rather than to build more settlements.
PAUL: Yes. Except now it's not so quiet and, you're right; diplomacy won't necessarily work with these young people who are showing their frustrations. We so appreciate it, Daniel Levy. Thank you for your time.
LEVY: Thanks.
BLACKWELL: Let's talk about this Jeb Bush-Donald Trump feud that is now becoming even more contentious, reaching new heights.
The former Florida governor has now unleashed a new two-minute ad mocking Trump.
Plus "Run, Joe run," that was a New York crowd's chant in support of the vice president's run for the White House for presidency. Next, we'll show you how he reacted as we await his answer on a potential 2016 bid.
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BLACKWELL: All right. Let's talk about the 2016 race for the White House. Jeb Bush has thrown a new hard-hitting jab at his opponent, Donald Trump, with this ongoing feud, the former Florida governor mocking the billionaire's fitness to be commander in chief, writing in an overnight tweet, "Our national security isn't a reality TV show."
Attached to that tweet, this ad. Here is part of it.
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CHUCK TODD, NBC NEWS HOST: What do you talk to for military plans right now?
TRUMP: Well, I watch the shows. I mean, I really see a lot of great -- you know, when you watch your show and all of the other shows --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And he has said publicly that he watches cable news and that is one of the ways that he bones up on our national security.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Trump says, he, quote, "always felt that I was in the military," despite never serving in the military and draft deferments during Vietnam.
TRUMP: There is nobody bigger or better at the military than I am.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Donald Trump said Senator John McCain is not a war hero.
TRUMP: He is not a war hero. I like people that weren't captured. OK?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Donald Trump doesn't like to be questioned on the issues.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trump is weak on policy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you are running for the presidency of the United States of America, the most important title is commander in chief. They should have a working knowledge.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's no excuse for him not to be prepared for these questions. Donald Trump was not able to do that, so that should be concerning to voters.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Donald Trump is causing a race toward the bottom.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's delusional. Mr. Trump did not have a firm grasp of what was really going on.
TRUMP: I will be so good at the military, your head will spin.
Let me tell you, I'm a really smart guy.
BLACKWELL (voice-over): All right. So we see this in this back-and- forth after Trump suggested Bush's brother, President George W. Bush, shared in the blame for the 9/11 attacks.
The Trump campaign hasn't responded yet to this latest attack. But watch Twitter, because that's likely where it's going to come.
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BLACKWELL: Let's talk more about this with CNN political commentator Ben Ferguson and Democratic strategist Maria Cardona.
And, Ben, I want to start with you. Polls show that Republican primary voters choose Donald Trump over the rest of the field by a considerable margin to handle the military.
Does this play into Jeb Bush's hand?
Does this work for him?
BEN FERGUSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, if you're Jeb Bush you have got to do something different because right now you are stagnated in the polls. And people are starting to worry that maybe they shouldn't be writing you the next big checks to keep your campaign going with the war chest he currently has.
So I don't think it's a bad play.
Will it affect those that already support Donald Trump?
Realistically, probably not at all, if any because they don't care what you put out about Donald Trump. If you are on his bandwagon, you say go ahead, rip on him, attack him, mock him but guess what, we like him, we trust him, we think he's the best guy for the job.
And we don't really care what you say about him. So we'll see if it has an impact on maybe stealing votes from another candidate.
But stealing from Trump, I don't think that it's going to accomplish that.
BLACKWELL: Maria, purely as a strategist, I mean, keep the strategist's hat on but take the Democratic feather out, I guess I could say.
Is this the time that Jeb Bush should start to be a little more critical of the campaign or the super PAC, Right to Rise, should now go negative? You have got about 100 days until Iowa, about 113 until New Hampshire.
MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: So I agree with Ben that certainly Jeb Bush needs to do something because he absolutely is stagnating. The problem with this ad, it's sort of clever --
[08:15:00]
CARDONA: -- but it makes them both look sophomoric and immature because of the back-and-forth. The problem with that is that caricature has actually worked for Donald Trump. It doesn't work for Jeb Bush.
And to your point, I actually think this would be a better role for the super PAC to take on because that way they can be a lot more hard- hitting. They can be silly, they can be immature without it tainting the candidate.
I think this taints the candidate in a way that Jeb Bush has been trying to paint himself, as much more mature, as above the fray. And as soon as he engages in this what I call the tween Twitter tantrum with Donald Trump. This is Donald Trump's turf. It doesn't work for Jeb Bush. And I don't think this is the right thing for him. (CROSSTALK)
FERGUSON: Trump is the best trash talker, period, that I've seen in politics in the last 20 years.
And do you really want to go there with him?
I would tell any candidate, before you make that decision, can you -- is there any possibility you can actually beat Donald Trump up on Twitter or in trash talking? I'm not sure there's anybody on stage that is a better trash talker than Donald Trump.
BLACKWELL: Yes. And a lot of people have tried.
Maria, let me come to you with Joe Biden. Getting crowds, potentially key endorsements. We saw the reporting about the International Association of Firefighters and the leadership saying that they would likely support him. His family is reportedly all in.
What else does he need to make the decision at this point?
CARDONA: I think there are two things that are going to matter in terms of coming down to a decision for Joe Biden.
Yes, it's late. Yes, we're coming upon critical deadlines for filing in key states. There is no outcry from the Democratic grassroots for Joe Biden to run even though he's an absolutely beloved figure within Democratic party politics.
But at the end of the day, I don't think none of that is really going to matter for Joe Biden's decision. I think two things will matter for Joe Biden's decision.
Does he believe he fundamentally offers something that no other Democratic candidate is offering right now to the American people and to the country, number one?
Number two, will he be able to give it his whole heart, his whole soul, his whole mind and his whole body?
That's something that he has actually said in the past. A couple of weeks ago, several weeks ago, he wasn't there yet.
So is he there now?
I think those are the two things that fundamentally will come down to whether Joe Biden decides to do this or not. I don't think anything else will really matter.
BLACKWELL: Ben, quickly, does this change the calculus for the GOP primary at all if he gets in or does it?
FERGUSON: Well, not really. I don't think so. I think if you're Joe Biden, the real question you have to ask yourself is, am I willing to go toe-to-toe and take on Hillary Clinton, which means attack Hillary Clinton. If you're not willing to do that like all other candidates on the
stage for the Democratic debate, there's no reason for you to get in this race. You are going to have to attack her for you to be able to have a chance to win this.
And I think that's his thing, is does he have that fight in his belly to really want to do it?
BLACKWELL: Yes.
Ben Ferguson and Maria Cardona, always good to have you.
CARDONA: Thank you, Victor.
BLACKWELL: All right -- Christi.
PAUL: And you know with Hillary Clinton fresh off the first Democratic debate just days before she's scheduled to testify in front of Congress, by the way, about Benghazi, she spoke exclusively to CNN's Jake Tapper. Jake is with us next. Stay close
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[08:20:00]
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PAUL: Next hour, I know you're waiting for it, "STATE OF THE UNION" with Jake Tapper. He has not one, not two but three exclusive interviews on his show: Hillary Clinton, Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney. It's essentially the hat trick of Sunday shows.
Jake is with us now with a preview.
All right, Jake.
What stood out to you in some of these interviews?
What can we expect?
JAKE TAPPER, CNN CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're getting Jeb Bush at a time when he's really, really fired up about comments made by Donald Trump, talking about how George W. Bush was president during 9/11. And Jeb Bush very offended. So we'll talk to him about that.
He also put out, as you've been covering, this pretty arch video, suggesting that Donald Trump isn't ready to be commander in chief.
We have Mitt Romney at a time when his close friend, Paul Ryan, is being discussed a lot and also it's always good to get the views of the Republican field and views on foreign policy and of Hillary Clinton from the 2012 nominee. And then Hillary Clinton we have after her big performance at the
Democratic debate and a few days before her testimony before the House Committee on Benghazi.
I asked her what she expects from the testimony, from that committee. Take a listen.
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HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: I've already testified about Benghazi. I testified to the best of my ability before the Senate and the House. I don't know that I have very much to add. This is, after all, the eighth investigation.
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TAPPER: And she'll weigh in not only on the House Benghazi committee but on some of my questions about what happened in Benghazi, about her e-mail server, about her 40 years of weddings. She just celebrated her -- marriage, rather -- she just celebrated her wedding anniversary with Bill Clinton; about Bernie Sanders, about Joe Biden. Much, much to discuss.
PAUL: All right. Looking forward to it, Jake. Thank you so much.
TAPPER: Thank you.
PAUL: Be sure to check out "STATE OF THE UNION" with Jake Tapper. As he said, big show today with Jeb Bush, Hillary Clinton, Mitt Romney, all-stars later this morning at 9:00 am Eastern right here on CNN.
BLACKWELL: Before we leave you this morning, a few laughs at our own expense, thanks to "SNL." Next, their version of the CNN Democratic debate.
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[08:25:00]
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PAUL: If you missed it, check out "Saturday Night Live" last night. The Democratic debate, well, we can laugh at ourselves.
BLACKWELL: A few laughs. Watch.
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JON RUDNITSKY, COMEDIAN, "ANDERSON COOPER": What does the e-mail scandal say about your ability to handle other crisis as president?
KATE MCKINNON, COMEDIAN, "HILLARY CLINTON": Well, Coop, I welcome this question because I rehearsed this one the longest. LARRY DAVID, COMEDIAN, "BERNIE SANDERS": You know what? Can I jump in here. This may not be great politics but I think the American people are sick and tired about hearing about your damn e-mails.
"CLINTON": Thank you, oh, thank you, Bernie. God, it must be fun to scream and cuss in public. I have to do all mine in this tiny little jar.
"SANDERS": What is the deal with the e-mails anyway? I forgot my password the other day so they say we'll e-mail you a new one. And I can't get into my e-mail to get the password!
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(CROSSTALK)
BLACKWELL: Larry David as Bernie Sanders, OK.
Also, you had Alec Baldwin as Jim Webb.
PAUL: Yes.
Very good.
Thank you so much. Let's make great memories today. We're glad you started your morning with us.
BLACKWELL: "INSIDE POLITICS" with John King starts right now.
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