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Trump Edges out Clinton on Economy; Ark Encounter; Britain Votes on E.U. Exit; Wildfires in Los Angeles Area. Aired 9:30-10a ET
Aired June 21, 2016 - 09:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[09:30:56] CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me.
A British man could face up to 10 years behind bars for plotting to kill Donald Trump. On Monday, 19-year-old Michael Sandford appeared before a federal judge. Sandford was arrested and charged after he tried to grab an officer's gun at a Trump rally in Las Vegas Saturday. According to court documents, the suspect told authorities he drove from California so he could, quote, "kill Trump." Sandford, who was in the country illegally with an expired visa, says his plot was in the works for a year. The incident is still under investigation.
Hillary Clinton on an all-out assault against Donald Trump and his economic policies. Clinton's camp now rolling out a new website and this new web ad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ON SCREEN TEXT: He's gotten rich driving companies into the ground.
SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R), FLORIDA: Have you ever heard of Trump Steaks? Have you ever heard of Trump Vodka?
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: And you know what? You know what?
RUBIO: All of these companies that he's ruined!
TRUMP: Take a look at Trump Steaks.
MITT ROMNEY (R), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: What ever happened to Trump Airlines?
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D), MASSACHUSETTS: Trump Games, Trump Travel, Trump Ice.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trump Magazine, which folded. Trump World Magazine, which also folded.
ROMNEY: And Trump Mortgage.
TRUMP: It's a great time to start a mortgage company.
ON SCREEN TEXT: Failed in less than two years.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trump corporations have declared bankruptcy four times. Lenders to your companies lost billions of dollars.
ON SCREEN TEXT: I am the king of debt. I do love debt. I love playing with it.
Now he wants to do the same to the whole U.S. economy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: OK, so you get the gist of that. But according to a new CNN/ORC poll, voters appear to be siding with Trump on the economy. He leads Clinton by nearly 10 points on that issue. Let's bring in Clinton supporter and former communications for the DNC, Brad Woodhouse. I'm also joined by Trump supporter and CNN political commentator Jeffrey Lord.
Welcome to both of you.
JEFFREY LORD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Happy Tuesday, Carol.
BRAD WOODHOUSE, FORMER COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, DNC: Good morning!
COSTELLO: Happy morning.
Jeffrey, Clinton is launching this three-pronged attack against Trump on the economy, a speech, a website and a YouTube video. How might Mr. Trump fight back?
LORD: Well, with his -- with his record. I find the ad very amusing. I mean this is the Hillary Clinton of Whitewater fame, which was a pretty failed and I think the FBI wound up investigating it. That's about her extent of business knowledge. I mean here's a guy -- the reason Donald Trump gets these high numbers in these polls with the economy, and this was true in the Republican primaries as well, is that people understand his record as a job creators. He's created tens and tens of thousands of jobs for people. He understands the economy. Secretary Clinton, with all due respect, she spends a great deal of her time in the primaries, as a matter of fact, bemoaning the state of the American economy and how bad things are. Well, it's bad because they've been following Obama-nomics here, which she apparently totally supports. So I think that's why people give Donald Trump such high marks on the economy.
COSTELLO: Brad?
WOODHOUSE: Well -- well, Carol, I don't know even know how to unpack all that.
LORD: Yes, Brad.
WOODHOUSE: I mean -- I mean, look, you know, first of all, let's look at yesterday. Moody's came out with an analysis of Donald Trump's economic proposals. They said he would cost 3.5 million jobs, that there'd be a recession and we'd go to 7 percent unemployment. I mean if you look at his proposals, he's saying, you know, we can default on the debt. He's saying, if we have real economic problems, we can just print money. I mean, Jeffrey, this isn't a person who is fit to lead this economy.
And let's talk about his business record. Four bankruptcies of casinos in Atlantic City, 3,500 lawsuits against him, most of -- many of those involving people who said he did not pay them. I guess you can be a successful businessman if you don't pay your bills. And Trump University, the fraud that that is.
So, look, Carol, to these polls, Hillary Clinton is literally giving her first speech contrasting her views on the economy with Donald Trump's today. So I don't think you'll see those polls to his advantage for very long.
COSTELLO: Well, Jeffrey, there is this, that there's chaos in Mr. Trump's campaign, right? And as far as raising money, he's like $40 million behind Clinton. He's five points behind Clinton in this latest poll. So might those numbers on the economy change in light of, you know, when you look at Trump's campaign, it's really not in a good state right now?
[09:35:05] LORD: Actually, I think they're going to do very well here. I mean they've made the changes they feel they need to make for the fall. You knew this was coming. Presidential campaigns evolve. As a matter of fact, I recall that eight years ago Hillary Clinton fired her campaign manager. And certainly as somebody who worked for Ronald Reagan, I knew that on the day of the New Hampshire primary in 1980 he fired his campaign manager, press secretary and political director and went on to win the presidency.
So these things happen. Campaigns evolved. I'm not the least worried about that. They're going to change direction and I think you'll see some of these things change and pick up steam.
COSTELLO: OK.
And, Brad, I have to ask you about this. I'm going through these numbers in this CNN/ORC poll and some of the numbers are quite devastating for Mr. Trump, right? For example, 81 percent of voters think Trump's comments on Judge Curiel were inappropriate, 56 percent would be embarrassed if Mr. Trump became president, yet Hillary Clinton is only leading by five points. Shouldn't she be shellacking him?
WOODHOUSE: Well, look, Carol, look, this country is evenly divided virtually politically, so I don't think you're ever going to see a shellacking on either side. But I think what's important about those numbers is that this race is really going to be about Donald Trump and his fitness for office. So, you know, we can look at individual numbers on, you know, who do you support on the economy, who do you support on foreign policy? But in the end, this is going to be about who is more fit to lead.
And, look, I think you can look at someone' campaign, you can look at their business record as how they would perform in office. This is a disaster of a campaign. It's a dumpster fire. I mean $1 million in the bank? There are 50 congressional candidates with more money in the bank right now than Donald Trump. If he can't run a campaign, he certainly can't run the economy or the country.
COSTELLO: OK. And the last question out of this poll, because these numbers are disturbing if you live in the United States of America and you want to vote for president of the United States. Only 27 percent would be excited if Trump became president. Only 29 percent would be excited if Clinton became president. Jeffrey, don't you find that kind of depressing?
LORD: Well, you know, Carol, American history being what it is, I've looked back and, you know, to be perfectly candid, in just about every presidential election we've ever had, the people in the day were not thrilled with the candidates. Good old Abe Lincoln, who sits there in marble on the mall, only got 43 percent of the vote in 1860. So, you know, you see this little thing happen over and over again --
COSTELLO: But there was a civil war going to happen.
LORD: What -- what did you say? I'm sorry, Carol.
COSTELLO: Well -- well, he had big problems with the country. The country was really divided then over the issue of slavery and --
LORD: Exactly. But I'm just saying that the media glare of the day, candidates in the moment tend never to look very favorable.
COSTELLO: All right, I have to leave it there. Brad Woodhouse, Jeffrey Lord, thanks so much.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM, I go inside Kentucky's controversial Noah's Ark theme park. Putting the finishing touches on the ark. This is a massive structure. It's 510 feet long and eight stories high. Amazing, right? But why some say this new park violates the separation of church and state.
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[09:42:24] COSTELLO: It is a theme park like no other. Instead of roller coasters and Mickey Mouse, it features a massive Noah's Ark, camel rides, zip lines and the book of Genesis. It's the brainchild of creationist Ken Ham, who raised $100 million for what he calls an evangelical tool. As you can see, the ark is pretty awesome, but it's also controversial because the state of Kentucky and local taxpayers partly bank rolled Ham's project. Clearly, some say, that is a violation of church and state.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KEN HAM: It is much more than you could ever imagine.
COSTELLO (voice-over): A Noah's Ark smack in the middle of rural Williamstown, Kentucky.
COSTELLO (on camera): The ark is biblical in size. And I mean that literally.
COSTELLO (voice-over): Five hundred and ten feet long, 85 feet wide, eight stories high. Inside, seriously, it is awe-inspiring.
COSTELLO (on camera): Tell me where we're sitting.
HAM: Actually we're sitting in the roof deck of Noah's Ark. This is the most authentic recreation of Noah's Ark in the world.
COSTELLO: Ken Ham runs a Christian minister dedicated to spreading creationism, a literal interpretation of the book of Genesis. He believes God created the earth in six days and six nights, and rejects scientific evidence that the earth is 4.5 billion years old.
HAM: So taking God at his word in Genesis, dinosaurs lived beside people about 6,000 years ago.
COSTELLO: Is it an evangelical tool, the ark?
HAM: Oh, yes, it's definitely an evangelical tool.
COSTELLO (voice-over): Like Disneyworld, Ark Encounter is a for profit park, except for its religious purpose.
HAM: We didn't build this to be just entertainment like Disney. We built it for a religious purpose, otherwise we wouldn't have built it.
COSTELLO: The state of Kentucky is on board, ready to fork over $18 million in sales tax incentives for a little economic salvation.
JOYCE ROBBINS, WEBSTER'S WOODWORKING: I think it's going to bring business into the town. How could that not be the perfect solution for rebuilding our community?
COSTELLO: Kentuckians eager for work have applied to work at Ark Encounter, but there's a catch. Ark employees must sign a statement of faith, disavowing same sex marriage, premarital sex and adultery. They must also believe in Genesis and Jesus Christ.
COSTELLO (on camera): So Jewish people, no?
HAM: If people have put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ they --
COSTELLO: Muslim people?
HAM: Well, if they're -- if they're Muslims, they certainly don't believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
BOB FOX, PASTOR OF FAITH BAPTIST CHURCH: We have about 600 members.
COSTELLO: So you're a pastor and you're a taxpayer.
FOX: Yes, on both counts.
COSTELLO: What do you think of Ken Ham's ark project? FOX: I believe, as a Baptist, in the separation of church and state.
And I don't think that the state ought to be involved in promoting any particular religious views. There are kinds of laws called sharia, where people have used legislation and the government to promote a religious faith. And I think we, as Christians, need to be careful that we continue to be Christian, and to be Christian in the context of the United States.
[09:45:22] COSTELLO (voice-over): That doesn't bother Kentucky's new Republican governor, Matt Bevin, who says his administration doesn't discrimination against any worthy economic project. Ham is predicting up to 2 million visitors a year. And that would certainly answer some of Williamstown's prayers.
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COSTELLO: A single day ticket to Ark Encounter costs $40 for adults, $31 for seniors, and $28 for children. Parking is $10. The park opens on July 7th. If you want to read more about Ham's project, check out my op-ed on cnn.com/opinions. And let me know what you think on FaceBook. You can also tweet me @carolcnn.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM, to stay or go. The U.K. days away of a major decision that could impact the world.
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[09:50:39] COSTELLO: All right, let's head straight to the big board, shall we? The Dow up just about -- just over 29 points after fears of the so-called "Brexit" vote eases up. The voters there decide on Thursday whether or not to stay in the European Union. The decision could have a worldwide impact and we could eventually feel it here in the United States. The prime minister, David Cameron, speaking just minutes ago pleading against the vote. CNN's Phil Black in London with more.
Hi, Phil.
PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.
Just two days of campaigning left and the race is still so very close. The level of political feeling here, the emotion, it is incredibly high, but polls consistently show that the country is almost evenly split. So it is really coming down to the wire. Both sides are doubling down on their key messages. From those in favor of "Brexit," Britain leaving the E.U., they say that if you care about Britain's sovereignty, about controlling immigration, then you've got to vote for Britain to leave. Those in favor of remain, well, they are stressing that this is irreversible, that "Brexit" is for life and the consequences on the economy, they say, could be severe and negative.
This was the prime minister, David Cameron, just a short time ago. He's very much in favor of Britain sticking with the E. U. He gave a pretty passionate speech outside 10 Downing Street earlier today. Take a look.
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DAVID CAMERON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: We get involved, we take a lead, we make a difference, we get things done. If we left, if we left our neighbors would go on meeting and making decisions that profoundly affect us, affect our country, affect our jobs, but we wouldn't be there. They would be making decisions about us but without us.
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BLACK: Now, why this matters it the rest of the world? Well, for the U.S., we often hear about the special relationship between Britain and the United States. They work together, they stand together on security, diplomacy, intelligence sharing, all of these things, and that is likely to continue. But what matters to America is Britain's influence. It is useful to the U.S. to have Britain as an influential, powerful player within the European Union guiding its policy. It's why President Obama has said that he is in favor of a strong U.K. in a strong E.U. And, of course, there is also the issue of the financial markets. Experts warn of a potential shock should Britain vote to leave that could be felt on markets around the world, Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Phil Black reporting live from London. Thank you.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM, two fires have forced hundreds of people from their homes in the Los Angeles area. Soon those two huge fires could merge.
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[09:57:28] COSTELLO: More than 100,000 acres of burning in three western states as wildfires are fueled by shifting winds and triple digit temperatures. In the Los Angeles area, two separate fires are burning 3,500 acres. Soon those two fires could merge, forming an even bigger, stronger fire. You can see the smoke from the fire 25 miles away in Dodgers Stadium. Two hundred homes have already been evacuated. CNN's Chad Myers is live to tell us more.
Good morning, Chad.
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.
Certainly it's not a case of the west is on fire, like some fire seasons that we've seen. Give you an idea, Central Park is about 1,000 acres. So the one fire you talked about, 3,500 acres, is about three and a half Central Parks. Even the Sherpa Fire, the one that's getting all the attention, is about seven Central Parks.
The problem here is the heat. It's the temperatures that the firefighters are feeling on the ground and the containment is still low in some of these spots. The smoke is still evident on the satellite. And you have a firefighter out there and it's 115 degrees fighting a fire that's even hotter than that, that's when you have your problems. That's when you need the air support to really see and get these things sealed up.
It's going to take a long time for that to happen in some spots. It's not a windy Santa Ana type of wind, it's just a hot type of air out there. Even Vegas today is going to get to 115. Phoenix yesterday was 116. Palm Springs, California, was 122.
Carol.
COSTELLO: It's just unbelievable.
MYERS: It is.
COSTELLO: Chad Myers, thanks so much.
MYERS: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: Two-year-old Lane Graves will be buried today in Nebraska. The toddler died last week after being grabbed by an alligator in a lagoon near Disneyworld where his family was vacationing. After his death, Disney started putting up fences to keep guests out of the water.
And you have to see this. An inflatable bounce house goes on a wild ride, lifted about 40 feet into the air by heavy winds.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God, the bounce house. Is everybody accounted for?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's going to hit the power lines.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Why do people use these bouncy housing? I just don't get it. This is what -- this is what could happen, people. This happened Saturday in upstate New York. The inflatable house eventually landed on some high voltage wires. You see it there. Luckily, thankfully, no one was inside the bounce house at the time.
The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts now.
[10:00:09] And good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me.
