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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Trump: "I'm Not Flip-Flopping" On Immigration; Donald Trump Going After Hillary, Her Emails, And The Clinton Foundation; Investors Focused On Janet Yellen's Speech Friday; Obama To Visit Flood-Ravaged Baton Rouge Today; Outrage Over EpiPen Price Hike. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired August 23, 2016 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:30:00] CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: What's Clinton saying to Jimmy Kimmel about it and what does a pickle jar have to do with anything?
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: And President Obama heads to Louisiana today to survey the damage from devastating floods. We have a preview of the president's trip from Baton Rouge.
Welcome back to EARLY START this Tuesday morning, I'm Boris Sanchez.
ROMANS: Nice to have you on board today and all this week, really. I'm Christine Romans. Thirty minutes past the hour. Not just today, it was nice to have you here yesterday, too.
SANCHEZ: I hope so.
ROMANS: Let's start with politics here. 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, under her leadership, and the Clinton Foundation. This just hours before Trump demanded again that the Foundation be shut down.
In a speech last night in Akron, Ohio, Trump also targeted Clinton on immigration, hours after his own planned speech on the subject was abruptly postponed. CNN's Sara Murray has more from Ohio.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
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's 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 the Clinton Foundation and the State Department.
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've 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. 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.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: All right, Sara, thank you. As for Trump's planned immigration speech which had been set for Thursday, 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 "to be determined" -- TBD -- if Trump will stick with his call for a deportation force. For now, Trump saying only that he will come up with a firm, but fair, process for deportation.
ROMANS: All right, joining us now to talk about all of the political action this morning and on late night last night, senior media correspondent Brian Stelter, host of CNN's "RELIABLE SOURCES". And from Washington, our friend and colleague, CNN politics reporter Eugene Scott. Good morning, you guys.
BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT, HOST, "RELIABLE SOURCES": Good morning.
EUGENE SCOTT, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: Good morning.
ROMANS: I guess let's start -- you had Hillary Clinton on Jimmy Kimmel last night, Brian Stelter, and trying to -- she spent a couple of days fundraising out on the West Coast -- trying to sit down, trying to seem comfortable, trying to seem healthy in light of all of these health conspiracies. And I guess the pickle jar moment is sort of the marquee moment of the interview so let's play the pickle jar moment.
STELTER: Yes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, ABC "JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE": Are you in good health? HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, this has become one of their themes. You take my -- 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 should I pick? Back in October, the "National Enquirer" said I would be dead in six months.
KIMMEL: Oh, wow. Oh, boy.
CLINTON: So with every breath I take I feel like it's a new lease --
KIMMEL: You have a new lease on life.
CLINTON: Yes, a new lease on life. I don't know -- I don't know why they are saying this. I think, on the one hand, it's part of the wacky strategy.
KIMMEL: Yes.
CLINTON: Just say all these crazy things and maybe you can get some people to believe you.
KIMMEL: Well, his doctor said he had the best health -- best medical examination he's ever seen in a human being. (Laughter)
CLINTON: Yes, I saw that.
KIMMEL: Can you open this jar of pickles. (Laughter) This has not been tampered with. This is --
CLINTON: (Opening jar of pickles). (Cheers, applause).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Brian Stelter, I don't know if opening a pickle jar makes you qualified to be President of the United States but it does have a funny kind of -- I don't know -- put a funny moment on what has been a serious and widespread conspiracy theories about her health.
[05:35:00] STELTER: Yes, and I'll try not to be cynical about the staging of this but, obviously, they thought ahead to this. This was a real opportune moment for her to dismiss and refute these lies that are all over the Internet about her health. It goes like this. Because she had a health scare in 2012 there are conspiracy theories that say she's secretly ill, some people even suggesting she's near death and it's being covered up.
This stuff is crazy. And yet, because there's a grain of truth to it and because, frankly, she hadn't addressed it -- she's been mostly off and not in the public light. She's been out fundraising privately. You know, this was an important moment for her to address it and address it with humor. Makes a lot of sense to do it on Kimmel. Even as a lot of reporters would like to be able to interview her, Kimmel's the one, the comedian, who had the chance last night.
ROMANS: I mean, you say it's crazy. I mean, the kernel of truth is this. She had a health scare a couple of years ago --
STELTER: Right.
ROMANS: -- where she was dehydrated, suffered from the flu, I think. She fell, had a concussion. Then when she was being treated for the concussion they found a blood clot. They put her on blood thinners. She wore these glasses when she was testifying. The Benghazi committee had to be delayed a couple of days. That's what is the core of it, but they've taken this into crazy land.
STELTER: To an extreme place. You have to wonder if Clinton's going to start to bring up Trump's health because there with Kimmel she was careful to say hey, I don't talk about Trump's health. As far as I'm concerned he's as healthy as a horse.
However, all we've heard about Trump's health is a one-page letter from a physician. It did seem riddled with, if not errors, then at least with omissions or mistakes. It was a strange letter that claimed he was the healthiest individual ever to be running for president.
Clinton's campaign has not really pointed to that but on Kimmel there was an opportunity to point to it. And for this morning's "New York Times" Trump's spokeswoman says if Clinton wants to give up her health records, Trump will give up his health records. So it's almost like a standoff situation that's developing. We'll see if either side blinks.
SANCHEZ: Something else that was brought up during the Kimmel interview, the subject of these emails. The report yesterday coming out that more than 15 -- or about 15,000 emails and documents from her time at the State Department are set to be released. That ensures that we're going to be talking about this at least until Election Day. She did poke fun at it, though. Here's a clip, again, from Jimmy Kimmel.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIMMEL: I would be terrified if my emails were released.
CLINTON: No, no. But, Jimmy, my emails are so boring.
KIMMEL: Yes, mine aren't.
CLINTON: I mean, I'membarrassed about that. They're so boring. And so, we've already released, I don't know, 30,000 plus, so what's a few more?
KIMMEL: So at the end, you're not concerned that there's going to be something that -- CLINTON: No.
KIMMEL: -- that Donald Trump is able to use against you -- that the Republicans -- that comes in at the last second?
CLINTON: But he makes up stuff to use against me so if he would stick with reality I wouldn't have a worry in the world.
KIMMEL: Have you ever sent him an email?
CLINTON: No.
KIMMEL: You have not, OK. Well, that would be some plot twist. (Laughter)
CLINTON: No, I think I -- I think -- I think I have missed that opportunity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: So, Eugene, again, as she did with questions about her health, she's downplaying some accusations here using humor to try to suggest that there really isn't something to the story. But we've been talking about her emails for months. There have been a lot of inconsistencies that have come from her camp about why she had a private server. How do you see this playing out? Do you think this is going to continue to dog her until Election Day?
SCOTT: I think it could very well dog her past Election Day. As much as she tried to joke about it this is not a laughing matter to many voters who have real concerns about Hillary Clinton's honesty and transparency. She seems to be confident that there's absolutely nothing in those emails, but we will see. Time will tell. And I'm sure her critics will hound her for more investigations and more questions, trying to see what she did that the Trump campaign is suggesting was just illegal and compromises integrity.
ROMANS: You know, Eugene, I wanted to ask you about something that Donald Trump talked about the stump last night, as well -- or yesterday in Akron, Ohio. He's sort of making this pitch again for African-American voters, saying look, under Democratic presidents you get nothing, you get nothing, and that I am your better bet. Listen to what he said to voters last night and give me your thoughts on the other side.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Our government has totally failed our African-American friends, our Hispanic friends, and the people of our country, period. The Democrats have failed completely in the inner cities. You can go to war zones in countries that we're fighting and it's safer than living in some of our inner cities that are run by the Democrats. What the hell do you have to lose? Give me a chance, I'll straighten it out. I'll straighten it out.
(END VIDEO CLIP) ROMANS: So that's, I think, the second time on the stump we've heard him make this direct appeal to African-American voters with whom he's polling at like one percent.
[05:40:00] SCOTT: Right. Yes, very much so and there's some truth to what he just said. Many black and Hispanic voters have been disappointed with the Democratic Party. Many black and brown voters experience poverty rates and live in communities that are above the national average.
But what Donald Trump hasn't done is shown how being under Republican leadership has improved the quality of life for black and brown voters. It's not like the Democrats have only been in charge of the country since blacks were given the right to vote in the late 60's.
What Donald Trump needs to do if he really wants to win the black and brown vote, assuming he actually does want to win the black and brown vote, is give some details and address the issues that black and brown voters --
ROMANS: Right.
SCOTT: -- have communicated and said these are what concern us most.
STELTER: There are real issues in inner cities but the picture that Trump paints is so dark it's almost void of any light at all, and we see that when he talks about immigration and other topics, as well. You've got to wonder if it comports to the reality that people -- that Americans face all over the country. What they see in cities, what they see in suburban areas. Is the country as badly off as he portends it is? You know, maybe that's one of the ultimate issues of this election.
SANCHEZ: A lot of people saying that those comments seem to look down upon people in minority communities.
SCOTT: Right.
SANCHEZ: Brian Stelter, Eugene Scott, thank you so much for the time, especially at such an early hour.
ROMANS: I know. I love that you guys get up early for us. Let's talk money now, folks. From politics to money. Eerily quiet in stock markets this morning. Futures slightly higher. You know, all the major averages hanging near record highs here.
The true test comes later this week when Federal Reserve chairwoman Janet Yellen speaks at a conference of central bankers. The jobs market is humming, so will the Fed raise rates soon? Stay tuned. Stock markets in Europe and Asia are mixed. Oil is down.
Wells Fargo fined millions of dollars for charging student loan borrowers illegal fees. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau slapped the big bank with a $3.6 million penalty. It will also set aside $410,000 to refund customers who were hit with these illegal fees. The fees were between 2010 and 2013. The charges hit borrowers who
paid on the last day of their grace period. Wells Fargo, one of the biggest private student loan lenders in the country. It currently has about 1.3 million student loan customers.
SANCHEZ: In just a few hours, President Obama is set to head south to survey the damage from deadly flooding in Louisiana, but is this trip coming too late? We have a preview next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:45:30] ROMANS: Welcome back to EARLY START, I'm Christine Romans. President Obama will get a close-up look at the devastation when he visits flood-ravaged Baton Rouge this morning. The president has taken some criticism for not cutting his summer vacation short to go there sooner. More than 3,000 people remain in shelters in Baton Rouge, alone. More than 25,000 flood insurance claims have been filed. Fifty-five million dollars in homeowner's assistance funds already approved.
CNN's Polo Sandoval is there for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, 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. Plus, not to mention, some of the construction material that actually made up the interior of their homes.
The president's visit, obviously, going to be highly-watched here. The president, himself, had been criticized by a local newspaper 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 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 the rebuilding efforts that 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 new light on the situation on the ground here. It is far from over. People still on that very long journey to recovery.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: All right, Polo, thanks for that.
SANCHEZ: Yes, let's take a look at what's coming up on "NEW DAY" now. Chris Cuomo joining us.
ROMANS: Hey, Chris.
SANCHEZ: What's up, Chris?
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR, "NEW DAY": Good morning, my friends. Donald Trump saying that he wants a special prosecutor to take a look at the Clinton Foundation. Of course, it's not his place to ask but at least it is a return to the main strategy for the Trump campaign of attacking Clinton. This comes after one of the oddest Twitter spasms we have seen, with Trump cursing and threatening to expose the personal lives of cable news hosts.
Fifteen thousand -- that's going to be the day's buzz phrase for Clinton critics. That's how many documents the State Department is going through. The FBI says it found the documents investigating Clinton's server.
Also, what makes Trump tick? That's a question on the minds of many. Two "Washington Post" journalists taking it on with a deep examination of his past and what may influence him today. That's what we've got.
ROMANS: Twitter spasm.
SANCHEZ: Yes, I like that. I like that.
ROMANS: That's good, Chris.
CUOMO: Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.
ROMANS: He wrote that, himself. All right, 49 minutes past the hour. A huge drug merger getting former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders all fired up. Why he says the companies must act when we get an EARLY START on your money, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:53:50] ROMANS: Welcome back. Dramatic new video shows Iraqi police stripping an explosive belt off the waist of a would-be child bomber for ISIS. (Video playing) This video aired by Kurdish T.V. shows officers in Kirkuk. You can see them carefully cutting the belt off of this boy. He is believed to be 15 years old. A child warped into a terror weapon. 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 between 12 and 14 years old. Other Turkish officials are now backing off the claim the attacker was a young boy. SANCHEZ: North Korea threatening to launch a nuclear attack now that the U.S. and South Korea are conducting joint military exercises off the Korean Peninsula. Officials in Pyongyang warning the slightest sign of aggression will be meet with "a preemptive strike". The annual drill involves 25,000 U.S. troops and it comes amid growing concerns at the Pentagon about North Korea's nuclear readiness.
[05:55:00] ROMANS: A new Stanford University policy bans hard liquor and shots from all campus parties open to undergrads. The new rules coming months after former university swimmer Brock Turner was convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman outside a fraternity. Turner blamed his actions on Stanford's party culture. Critics say the new policy is a public relations stunt in a tone-deaf response to growing concerns about sexual assaults.
SANCHEZ: In Florida, Gov. 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, Wynwood and a half-mile -- mile and one- half section, I should say, of Miami Beach. The governor visited a Miami middle school Monday as students returned to class. He's appealing for more help from Washington in the fight against Zika.
And everyone's favorite Olympian, Ryan Lochte. His days as a commercial pitchman appear to be over. Speedo, Ralph Lauren, and two other major companies announcing that they are ending or not renewing their relationships with the disgraced American Olympic swimmer. It comes after Lochte's bogus claim about being robbed at gunpoint in Rio. Lochte's now admitting that he over-exaggerated that story.
ROMANS: All right, let's get an EARLY START on your money this morning. Dow futures edging higher. The trust test is Janet Yellen's speech in Wyoming on Friday. The jobs market humming again and several Fed members warned the U.S. economy is almost ready for a rate hike. The key data to round out the view this week includes the numbers on economic growth and housing. Stock markets in Europe and Asia are trading mixed right now. Oil below $47 a barrel.
It's the morning after a blockbuster drug deal. Shares of Pfizer fell slightly yesterday after announcing at $14 billion purchase of Medivation. It makes a popular drug to treat prostate cancer. It's a big oncology play for Pfizer.
It got the attention of Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, who warned the company "my message to Pfizer and the entire pharmaceutical industry is clear. The era of charging unconscionable prices must end."
He has a history with Medivation. In March, Sanders joined other lawmakers to force Medivation to lower the price of the prostate cancer drug which they say was developed using government funds. It is four times more expensive in the U.S. than in other countries. They're trying to do that, at least. The two drug companies did not respond to Sanders' challenge nor to our request for how much Pfizer now will charge for that drug when it buys that company.
Also this morning, new scrutiny over the price of EpiPens. The company that makes this device, Mylan, hiked prices more than 400 percent for EpiPens since it bought the drug back in 2007. Yesterday, Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley sent a letter to Mylan's CEO asking for an explanation of the increase. He cites concerns about the cost for schools and for first responders.
Millions of adults and children use EpiPens to treat allergic reactions to things like bee stings, food allergies, and drug interactions. Consumers have been screaming about the price increases. They say back-to-school time, you know. You buy them for your car and you buy them -- keep them for the kid at school.
SANCHEZ: It couldn't happen at a worse time.
ROMANS: It couldn't happen at a worse time. So there are concerns about drug pricing in general and I think you're going to see closer scrutiny from Congress.
SANCHEZ: Donald Trump wants a special prosecutor to look into ties between Hillary Clinton's State Department and the Clinton Foundation. "NEW DAY" has the latest on Trump's latest attacks right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: The favors done. Require an expedited investigation by a special prosecutor immediately, immediately, immediately.
CLINTON: I do feel, sometimes, like this campaign has entered into an alternative universe.
TRUMP: You'll be able to walk down the street without getting shot. What do you have to lose? I'll do a great job.
SEN. TIM KAINE (D-VA), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He must think we are pretty darn gullible.
TRUMP: We're going to get rid of all of the bad ones.
TRUMP RALLYGOERS: Build that wall, build that wall.
TRUMP: That wall will go up so fast your head will spin.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The very crucial battle that we have unfolding as forces move toward that final battle for Mosul.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If ISIL turns out not to be invincible they are, inevitably, going to be defeated.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They are losing key ground. This is not an enemy that anyone is going to be underestimating.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Chris Cuomo and Alisyn Camerota.
CUOMO: Good morning, welcome to your NEW DAY. It is Tuesday, August 23rd, 6:00 in the East. And up first, Donald Trump is adding to his list of what is rigged, saying the FBI and the Justice Department can no longer be trusted. He says there should be a special prosecutor to investigate the Clinton Foundation.
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: That is not the only headache for Hillary Clinton this morning. A federal judge ordering the State Department to review another 15,000 emails and documents for public release as soon as possible. So there are a lot of new developments to get to in the race for the White House. We have every angle covered, starting with CNN's Jessica Schneider. What's the latest, Jessica?
JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Alisyn, Donald Trump hitting Hillary Clinton on multiple fronts and escalating his attacks on her email scandal. Trump now saying he wants an expedited investigation independent of the Justice Department.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TRUMP RALLYGOERS: Lock her up, lock her up, lock her up.
SCHNEIDER: Donald Trump, once again, attempting to capitalize on ongoing scrutiny of Hillary Clinton's emails and the Clinton Foundation in his strongest language yet, accusing his opponent of fostering a pay for play culture when she served as Secretary of State.
