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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Trump Calls for Special Prosecutor to Investigate Clinton Foundation; Obama to Visit Flood-Ravaged Baton Rouge; Iraqi Military Storms Town of Qayyara. Aired 4-4:30a ET
Aired August 23, 2016 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:00:00] BORIS SANCHEZ ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Donald Trump stepping up his attacks against Hillary Clinton. He's calling for a special prosecutor to investigate ties between her time at the State Department and her charitable foundation. The Republican nominee not holding back.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Hillary Clinton facing the release of thousands more documents uncovered during her time as secretary of state. How is Clinton responding? Well, with a stop by Jimmy Kimmel's show. We'll tell you what she said.
SANCHEZ: And President Obama getting set to head to Louisiana where he's going to survey damage from devastating flooding. We're going to tell you what else to expect from the president's trip.
Good morning and welcome to EARLY START. I'm Boris Sanchez.
ROMANS: Nice to see you again this morning, Boris. I'm Christine Romans. It is Tuesday, August 23rd. It's 4:00 a.m. in the East.
Donald Trump turning up the rhetorical heat on Hillary Clinton calling the Democratic nominee corrupt, slamming what he described as Hillary Clinton's criminality, calling for a special prosecutor to probe links between the State Department and her leadership and the Clinton Foundation. This just hours before Trump demanded again that the foundation be shutdown.
In a speech last night in Akron, Trump also targeted Clinton on immigration hours after his own planned speech on that subject was postponed.
CNN's Sara Murray has more from Ohio.
SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: Good morning, Boris and Christine. This was supposed to be the week Donald Trump was talking about immigration. But instead he is on the trail using his time to hammer Hillary Clinton. He accused her in Akron, Ohio, of pay-for- play and called up for a special prosecutor to look at the ties between with the Clinton Foundation and the State Department.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Pay the Clinton Foundation huge sums of money and throw in some big speaking fees for Bill Clinton, and you got to play. The amounts involved, the favors done, and the significant number of times it was done require an expedited investigation by a special prosecutor immediately, immediately, immediately.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MURRAY: Now not only was this red meat to his Republican base, but it's of course an overture to independent voters who might wonder whether Hillary Clinton really is trustworthy.
Now of course all of this comes as there is a fervor around Donald Trump about whether he might be moderating his stance on immigration. He met with his Hispanic advisory council and his campaign manager suggested that the deportation force he once called for may not come to fruition.
But in Akron, Ohio, there was no sign of moderation. He vowed to build that wall along the southern border with Mexico and called for extreme vetting for immigrants coming to the country.
As for the immigration speech he was planning on giving later this week in Colorado, the campaign has scrapped that. He'll be back on the trail today but in the very red state of Texas.
Back to you guys.
SANCHEZ: Thanks, Sara.
As she mentioned, Trump's planned immigration speech have been set for Thursday but a campaign source now tells CNN it is off the schedule. At least for this week. The source says the campaign wants more time to fine-tune Trump's immigration policy and the language of the speech.
On Monday, Trump defended himself saying that he is not flip-flopping on immigration. Keep in mind, though, his campaign manager suggested a day earlier that it's, quote, "to be determined," if Trump is going to stick with his call for a deportation force. For now Trump says he will only come up -- he will only come up with a firm and fair process for deportation.
ROMANS: Donald Trump's wife Melania is threatening to sue for the "Daily Mail," "Politico" and at least eight other news outlets for defamation. Trump's lawyers says the publications are being put on notice for stories about Melania, quote, "supposedly having been an escort in the 1990s." The stories quote a Slovenian magazine's claim that Melania had been represented by a New York modeling agency that also operated as an escort agency for wealthy clients. Two of the smaller publications swiftly published retractions. But the "Daily Mail" and "Politico" among others have not yet commented.
SANCHEZ: Hillary Clinton facing the possibility that the controversy over her e-mails could produce a damaging October surprise right before Election Day. A federal judge on Monday ordered the State Department to speed up the release of nearly 15,000 documents including e-mails and attachments obtained in that FBI investigation of Clinton's private server. The Clinton campaign saying she's also turned over all the work-related e-mails she had in her possession. But the campaign says that if there is anything new and work-related in this batch, Clinton supports its public release.
Separately the conservative group Judicial Watch released 725 pages of documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. The group says the documents showed donors buying access to Secretary of State Clinton by giving money to her foundation. A Clinton spokesman called the Judicial Watch attacks utterly false, saying that Hillary Clinton never took action as secretary of state because of donations to the Clinton Foundation.
[04:05:06] Meantime, House Republicans also took a crack at the e-mail issue on Monday issuing subpoenas to three tech companies involved with her home server. GOP leaders said the companies have not cooperated with the House Committee's probe of that e-mail issue.
ROMANS: Hillary Clinton laughing off reports about her supposedly failing health. Reports or conspiracy theories depending how you look at it. She is in Southern California raising money and stopping by for an appearance on the Jimmy Kimmel show. Listen to this exchange with the late-night host.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, "JIMMY KIMMEL SHOW": Are you in good health?
HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, this has become one of their themes. You know, you take my pulse while I'm talking to you.
KIMMEL: OK.
CLINTON: So make sure I'm alive.
KIMMEL: Oh, my God. There's nothing there.
CLINTON: There's nothing there. What did I say? Back in October, the "National Enquirer" said I would be dead in six months.
KIMMEL: Oh, wow, oh.
CLINTON: So with every breath I take, I feel like it's a --
KIMMEL: You have a new lease on life.
CLINTON: Yes, a new lease on life. I don't know why they are saying this. I think on the one hand it's part of the wacky strategy. Just say all these crazy things and maybe you can get some people to believe you. On the other hand, it just absolutely makes no sense. And I don't go around questioning Donald Trump's health. I mean, as far as I can tell, he is as healthy as a horse. You know.
KIMMEL: Well, his doctor said he had the best health examination he's ever seen in a human being.
CLINTON: Yes. Yes, I saw that.
KIMMEL: Can you open this jar of pickles? This has not been tampered with. This is --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Opening a jar of pickles is hard.
SANCHEZ: It's quite a feat. It's quite a feat.
ROMANS: Clinton told Kimmel she is preparing for a lot of whacky stuff when she debates Donald Trump next month.
All right. Economists say Hillary Clinton would be best for U.S. business. Donald Trump isn't even the second best choice. A new survey of more than 400 economists shows 55 percent pick Clinton as their top choice for economic policy. Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson is second with 15 percent. Donald Trump follows him with 14 percent. And another 15 percent say they don't know.
The results are another sign of how Trump is struggling to connect with the business community despite touting his own record as a business titan. Trump's push to restrict trade and immigration are the opposite of what most economists say the U.S. should be doing to boost growth. 61 percent of those economists say the U.S. needs to allow more immigration. That was also the top issue among respondents. 65 percent say the U.S. has to be more open to free trade.
Another interesting development from the survey, most of the economists say overall uncertainty during this election cycle is holding back U.S. growth.
SANCHEZ: Not exactly a surprise. You oppose NAFTA, you oppose the TPP.
ROMANS: It's just so interesting to me that the Republican candidate -- usually the Republican candidate gets the support of big business and business lobby groups.
SANCHEZ: Right. Right.
ROMANS: And this time they're lining up behind Hillary Clinton.
SANCHEZ: And Mike Pence has been so outspoken for the free market saying that Donald Trump is right about it. It's interesting.
ROMANS: Yes.
SANCHEZ: President Obama just hours away from a trip down to flood- ravaged Louisiana, but is his trip coming too late? We have a preview from Baton Rouge, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:12:23] SANCHEZ: President Obama will get a close-up look at the devastation caused by flooding when he visits Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this morning. The President is taking a lot of criticism for not cutting his summer vacation short to go there sooner. The situation in Louisiana is still dire. More than 3,000 people remain in shelters in Baton Rouge alone. Over 25,000 flood insurance claims have now been filed with about $55 million in homeowner's assistance funds already approved.
We get more now from CNN's Polo Sandoval.
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And Boris and Christine, these are the scenes that await President Obama as he prepares to tour the devastation for himself in southern Louisiana. You are able to see these piles of debris that continue to grow at this hour. Residents have been gutting the inside of their homes, getting rid of any and all furniture and appliances that were damaged. Of course not to mention some of the construction material would actually made up the interior of their homes.
The president's visit obviously going to be highly watched here. The president himself have been criticized by local newspapers and some residents for not having cut his vacation short last week to actually visit the flooding as it was happening. Of course local governor here did actually throw the president a lifeline saying that it would have taken tremendous amounts of resources to be able to prepare for a presidential visit when rescues were actually happening.
However, we did see a visit from GOP candidate Donald Trump on the ground not too long ago when he actually toured some of the devastation for himself and even left behind a donation there, both material and monetary.
In the meantime, though, the Hillary Clinton campaign also weighing in saying that the former secretary of state will actually visit Louisiana when that time comes when this campaign is no longer a hindrance for these relief efforts and these rebuilding efforts to continue at this hour.
I can tell you after speaking to people here, they certainly have high hopes that the president's visit will cast a new light on the situation on the ground here. It is far from over. People still on that very long journey to recovery.
ROMANS: All right, Polo, thank you for that.
Another legal setback for the White House and transgender rights advocates. A federal judge in Texas issuing a nationwide injunction blocking the Obama administration's school bathroom guidelines. The order was requested by 13 states and comes just days before classes are scheduled to begin. The Supreme Court is widely expected to have the final say in the matter.
Iraqi forces launching an operation overnight to recapture a key town from ISIS. It's just miles from the ISIS stronghold of Mosul. We've got a live status report on the ground next.
[04:14:55] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: Welcome back. Breaking overnight. Iraqi forces storming the town of Qayyara trying liberate the area from ISIS control. Coalition planes are helping as troops tried to force terrorists from the town where some 10,000 families remain.
CNN's senior international correspondent Arwa Damon, she is there. She is live for us with more on the operation. Good morning.
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. And just take a look at these dramatic skies. The shouting that you hear is one of the commanders here trying to give orders to his troops further forward. They have been encountering quite a few roadside bombs.
[04:20:01] But that black smoke, that is ISIS burning crude oil. There are quite a few oilfields in this area and ISIS used to move around 100 oil tankers of crude a day out of here. And now they are using it to create this smoke screen. A fairly common tactic to impede visibility from above.
The Iraqi Security Forces have come across quite a few booby-trapped roads, booby-trapped buildings. And for the civilians stuck inside, you can just imagine how horrendous this entire experience must be.
Now this is crucial for a number of reasons. It obviously was significant to ISIS because of the oil revenue that it generated from it. But then you have the location. We're about 40 miles to the south of Mosul. And this is one of the key main areas that the Iraqi Security Forces need to get under their control not just to try to prevent ISIS capitalizing on the natural resources there, the oil, and not to just block ISIS from using it as a route to move its own resources back and forth to Mosul, but also because we are not far away from the Qayyara air base.
It's the third largest air base in Iraq. And the Iraqi Security Forces do not have it under control, but they still need to clear the runways from IEDs, clean them up. And then at that point, the Iraqis will have a significant air base where they can position the bulk of their forces for that final assault on Mosul and also in securing the air base and potentially the terrain around can still become an area where U.S. troops could be positioned as well.
But this really just gives you the slightest bit of a sense of the challenges that are facing the Iraqi Security Forces as they move forward. The horrors that families have to endure when they cannot escape the fighting. And potentially just a fraction of what it is that we are going to actually end up witnessing, Christine, as forces move toward in that final battle for Mosul actually unfolds.
ROMANS: Fascinating. Arwa Damon, and that's just important part of the strategy actually. Retaking these towns even as there are so many other areas of cooperation where people are trying to halt the advance of ISIS both on the ground and ideologically. Thank you so much for that. And keep us posted if anything new develops there. Dramatic new video shows Iraqi police stripping an explosive belt off
the waist of a would-be child bomber for ISIS. The video aired by Kurdish TV shows officers in Kirkuk carefully cutting the belt off of this boy. He is believed to be 15 years old. Authorities think he came to Kirkuk from the ISIS stronghold in Mosul.
The boy's arrest comes one day after a deadly suicide bombing at a wedding in Turkey. The president of Turkey claimed that attacker was also a boy under the influence of ISIS.
SANCHEZ: North Korea threatening to launch nuclear attack now that the US and South Korea are conducting joint military exercises off the Korean peninsula. Officials in Pyongyang warned the slightest sign of aggression will be met with a preemptive strike. The annual drill involves 25,000 U.S. troops and comes amid growing concerns of the Pentagon about North Korea's nuclear readiness.
ROMANS: Wisconsin's attorney general says two body cam videos of the fatal police shooting of a black man in Milwaukee will not be released until the investigation is complete. Twenty-three year-old Sylville Smith's death earlier this month sparked violent protest leading Milwaukee's mayor to impose a curfew for teenagers. The city is now lifting the emergency curfew saying they are no longer needed.
SANCHEZ: A new Stanford University policy bans hard liquor and shots from all campus parties opened to undergrads. The new rules come months after former university swimmer, Brock Turner, was convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman outside the fraternity. Turner blamed his actions on Stanford's party culture. Critics say the new policy is a public relation stunt and a tone-deaf response to growing concerns about sexual assault.
ROMANS: A federal judge has denied a request by three University of Texas professors for a preliminary injunction blocking the state's controversial campus carried gun law. The ruling comes just two days before classes begin at Texas State University. The new law took effect at the beginning of the month. It allows license holders to carry a concealed handgun on public college campuses.
SANCHEZ: And Florida Governor Rick Scott pledging $5 million in additional funding to fight the spread of the Zika virus in Miami-Dade County. So far 37 cases of local Zika transmissions are linked to two areas in south Florida. The Wynnewood neighborhood and a mile and a half section of Miami Beach. The governor visited a Miami middle school Monday as students returned to class appealing for more help from Washington in the fight against Zika.
ROMANS: All right. Ryan Lochte's days as a commercial pitchman appear to be over. Speedo, Ralph Lauren and two other major companies announcing they are ending or not renewing relationships with the disgraced American Olympic swimmer.
[04:25:06] It comes after Lochte's bogus claim about being robbed at gunpoint in Rio. Lochte now admitting that he over exaggerated that story.
SANCHEZ: And say it ain't so.
Well, it's been a pretty warm streak of days but we are seeing a cool down.
ROMANS: Yes.
SANCHEZ: A respite from the heat here in the northeast. Let's bring in meteorologist Karen Maginnis -- Karen.
(WEATHER REPORT)
ROMANS: Thanks, Karen.
No, and political season is not over yet either. Summer is still here so is the election. Donald Trump laying into Hillary Clinton. He is demanding a special prosecutor to examine her foundation. He's calling Clinton out on immigration and treatment of African-Americans. More on all that next.
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