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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees
Trump Unveils Agenda for First Days; Arrest in Fatal Shooting of San Antonio Detective; At Least 6 Children Dead After School Bus Slams Into Tree; Trump Statement after Alt-Right Celebration; Talkin' Trump's "Hamilton" And "SNL" Twitter Tirade. Aired 8-9p ET
Aired November 21, 2016 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[20:00:00] JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening. John Berman here in for Anderson.
Tonight, Donald Trump's to-do list. After days of waiting to learn more about the who question, who will be in the new Trump cabinet, instead we heard late today about what, as in what he wants to do in his first day in office. We also learned a little bit about the how, as in how he intends to talk to us.
This is the first time he's addressed the nation since we saw him on the stage in the early-morning hours after his upset victory. But instead of a press conference, or a live statement, he dropped a video this evening on social media. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT-ELECT: Today, I would like to provide the American people with an update on the White House transition and our policy plans for the first 100 days. Our transition team is working smoothly, efficiently and effectively. Truly great and talented men and women, patriots, indeed, are being brought in and many will soon be a part of our government, helping us to make America great begin.
My agenda will be based on a simple core principle, putting America first. Whether it's producing steel, building cars or curing disease, I want the next generation of production and innovation to happen right here on our great homeland, America, creating wealth and jobs for American workers. As part of this plan, I've asked my transition team to develop a list of executive actions we can take on day one to restore our laws and bring back our jobs. It's about time.
These include the following. On trade, I'm going to issue a notification of intent to withdraw from the Trans Pacific Partnership, a potential disaster for our country. Instead, we will negotiate fair, bilateral trade deals that bring jobs and industry back onto American shores.
On energy, I will cancel job-killing restriction on the production of American energy, including shale energy and clean coal, creating many millions of high-paying jobs. That's what we want. That's what we've been waiting for.
On regulation, I will formulate a rule which says for every one new regulation, two old regulations must be eliminated. So important.
On national security, I will ask the Department of Defense and the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff to develop a comprehensive plan to protect America's vital infrastructure from cyber attacks and all other form of attacks.
On immigration, I will direct the Department of Labor to investigate all abuses of visa programs that undercut the American worker.
On ethics reform, as part of our plan to drain the swamp, we will impose a five-year ban on executive officials becoming lobbyists after they leave the administration and a lifetime ban on executive officials lobbying on behalf of a foreign government.
These are just a few of the steps we will take to reform Washington and rebuild our middle class. I will provide more updates in the coming days as we work together to make America great again for everyone. And I mean everyone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: With Donald Trump on video, which he released, put out, made public tonight.
Joining us now from Trump Tower here in New York City, CNN's Sara Murray.
Sara, is this how we can expect Donald Trump to deal with us and deal with the American public going forward instead of news conferences, public on-camera statements, these video releases?
SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Well, John, I certainly do think you're going to see more of this from Donald Trump even when he does go to the White House. He has made it clear that he believes social media and has a huge following on social media, whether it is Facebook, whether it is Twitter, is a powerful tool to take his message directly to the people.
And we've seen from his adviser when he strays off course, decides to tweet about things like "Hamilton," tweet about things like "SNL," they're inclined to let him do it because they also believe it's a powerful tool.
Now, does this mean press conferences are going to go away entirely? We think, no. We hope, no. Kellyanne Conway, who's one of his senior advisers, told the press today that he would take questions from the press in due time. Obviously, we're hoping that's soon, but is a valuable medium as far as Donald Trump is concerned to be able to just get his message out there without having to answer the thorny questions journalists might pose to him.
BERMAN: Or any questions journalists might pose to him.
All right. There are a lot of questions, a lot of comings and goings I should say today at Trump Tower. What's the latest on that? MURRAY: That's absolutely right. And one of the interesting ones is
Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. She was here and under consideration for a number of national security posts. I'm told from a source that she was very impressive in the meeting, that they are seriously considering her, which would obviously be sort of an eyebrow raiser to see Donald Trump put a Democrat in a high cabinet position. We will see if that come to fruition.
The other thing we're looking out for is commerce secretary. Multiple sources say billionaire investor Wilbur Ross is the leading candidate for this.
[20:05:04] They're saying it is all but a done deal, but not fully a done deal. And it's Donald Trump, so, you know, he could always change his mind at the last minute. But they seem to be on the cusp of potential announcements and we'll see if he get any of those tomorrow or if Donald Trump decides to hold off until after Thanksgiving.
BERMAN: All right. We're waiting to see.
Sara Murray outside Trump Tower, thanks so much.
Joining us now, our very own cabinet, Matt Lewis, a conservative columnist, joins us, "The Atlantic's" Peter Beinart, New York One anchor Errol Louis, Trump supporter Kayleigh McEnany, Democratic strategist Symone Sanders and Carlos Watson, editor in chief of OZY.com.
Do we have David Gergen with us as well? Okay. We do not have David Gergen with us. I thought we might.
But, Matt Lewis, I want to go to you first. In terms of the scope of this plan to begin with on day one, how ambitious is this?
MATT LEWIS, CONSERVATIVE COLUMNIST: Well, I thought it was somewhat reserved. I mean, obviously, it hits his core messaging around nationalism, make America great again, get manufacturing going here again. Part of that is rolling back, you know, onerous regulations.
You know, there's a book by Robert Heinlein, "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress", where there's a whole House of Congress devoted to canceling bad laws and there's a regulation that Donald -- there's something Donald Trump is actually proposing that every new regulation they will roll back two previous regulations.
So, this is something that could spur the economy. I don't think it was the most charismatic video I've ever seen, but, you know, this is a guy who's telling the American people basically what's consistent with what he ran on, what he was elected on.
BERMAN: But, Errol, you know, it's not tax cuts. It's not rolling back Obamacare. It's not building a wall. It's not deportation force. A lot of stuff he ran on was not part of this video -- maybe intentionally so. ERROL LOUIS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, that's right. I mean,
my understanding from prior reporting, he's going to spend hours on day one issuing executive orders that repeal prior executive orders. I think that's where he's going to do at least symbolically a lot of the rollback of Obama priorities he campaigned against.
Some of what he talked about today, TPP was kind of dead on arrival in the first place. So, that's an easy one to talk about. Some of these other things like the regulatory promise I think are going to be in some ways harder to enact than he might think. I mean, it's a great sound bite. It sounds great you can just repeal some of these regulations.
But they don't come out of nowhere. There's this myth that, you know, bureaucrats are sitting around mindlessly coming up with regulations for no reason. They're intended to clarify laws that have been passed. Court orders that have been issued. You know, technical problems that are in the implementation of law.
We'll see how it works out. I mean, I could easily see, for example, somebody saying I'm going to get rid of two old ones, write one new one that has sub-clauses that are basically the two old regulations. It's a problem that's been tackled before.
BERMAN: Symone, it's interesting, as Errol was saying, you know, TPP is dead already. Although he did say he's going to formally withdraw from it. I guess that's a step beyond letting it wither on the vine like this. The framing of this is interesting, this whole thing, this whole day one moment for Donald Trump, he says is about jobs. Creating jobs, Symone.
And that's something that a lot of people in this country, particularly in the states that swung from President Obama to Donald Trump care about.
SYMONE SANDERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: People do care about jobs. I do think that we're going to see more from President-elect Trump that is more in line with extreme rhetoric. But folks who care about jobs, we haven't heard anything about infrastructure just yet. And I think that's key.
The TPP point, again, it was dead on arrival. We do still have to formally withdraw from the deal. But the TPP wasn't creating any new jobs and it's not going to create any jobs by saying we're out of the deal. So, I don't know where the jobs, concrete jobs are coming from. I hope to see so soon.
BERMAN: But if you're looking to make yourself popular with the American people on your way in, including people who may not have voted for you, including Democrats, Bernie Sanders supporters like yourself, speaking out against TPP may not be a dumb thing, even though he was clearly against it already.
SANDERS: He was clearly against it already. But, I mean, I don't think TPP is going to win him any new folks. I think TPP is something that Donald Trump ran on, that was one of the places where he and Senator Sanders actually aligned. At the top line point where he said TPP was not a trade deal we should be participating in, we need to rethink the way we engage in America's trade policy, but we want to look at the weeds.
I mean, let's be frank, out of the 29 chapters of the TPP, only three actually had to do with trade. The other things had to do with biomedicals and environmental applications, things that Donald Trump doesn't really believe in climate change. So, yes, I think that TPP is a nod to those folks who voted for him. But there are some other things that Donald Trump has promised that we haven't seen just yet. So, I am waiting with bated breath.
BERMAN: Kayleigh, why no wall, why no wall, why no Obamacare in this -- you know this is the first time we've heard from Donald Trump, a lot of people were wait to see what his priorities would be on day one. And we did not hear Obamacare. We did not hear the wall.
KAYLEIGH MCENANY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, those are certainly priorities but every president has a list of things that they unilaterally as an executive can do on day one. He can't unilaterally repeal Obamacare, for instance. He can make that a priority going forward when he works with Congress.
But I think what we saw from him was very important, because the first two provisions he listed actually will create new jobs.
[20:10:00] In addition to rolling back or not signing to TPP, he mentioned renegotiating trade deals, that includes NAFTA.
Moreover, the energy -- lifting the energy restrictions, that would create half a million jobs just next year. I mean, these are real revolutionary policies that he unilaterally can do as an executive, and for whatever reason President Obama hasn't chosen to do them.
BERMAN: So, that's the what. You know, Carlos, what about the how here? Deciding to release, I should say, we don't use dropped here, release this video, instead of holding a press conference, instead of making a statement. What's the advantage for Donald Trump?
CARLOS WATSON, EDITOR IN CHIEF, OZY.COM: Why play by the rules when you won doing it your own way? I think, there's no doubt about it the first week and a half has been good for Donald Trump. His poll numbers are up. You see his popularity growing nine or ten points, even folks who voted for him but had unfavorable views, you see that going up.
It's been interesting while his cabinet has been very monolithic, it's been almost all white males we've seen appointed so far. The fact you're beginning to hear about Tulsi Gabbard, beginning to hear about other people, be interesting to see if he takes that forward.
I think December is a warm up. I think January is where it gets interesting. You talk about the wall, you talk about Obamacare, but the real fight starts with the Supreme Court, right? We got a nomination waiting there. I think it will be interest to see when he decides to fire that bullet, does he wait for his State of the Union Address, his very first or does he do it even sooner?
BERMAN: He can do it as soon as now if he wanted to tell us where he's leaning.
Peter Beinart, again, why the video, why not the press conference? And, in general, how do you think Trump is handling his image right now?
PETER BEINART, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: You know, it's effective, right? Why hold a press conference and get asked tough questions when you can just put this out there. And he's been very effective at this.
I do think that the substance is one thing we need to mention. You know, it's nice to talk about getting rid of energy regulations. Let's be honest here, we have a climate denier in the White House. Get rid of the regulations on coal plants.
And according to the journal "Nature", if carbon emissions continue to rise throughout the century as they will if Donald Trump gets rid of these regulations, 13 million Americans they estimate in coastal areas will be forced to relocate. So, it's nice to talk about creating jobs, maybe there will be some jobs created in coal country. But the consequences of a wholesale repudiation of President Obama and indeed the entire world agenda on climate change will have very devastating consequences in this country.
BERMAN: All right, guys. I know you want to respond. But hold that thought. We have a lot more to talk about tonight.
We're going to focus on the cabinet question coming up on two big names being floated for secretary of state, Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney, and a third big-name candidate just had to say about both of them.
Later, more breaking news. New video not far from the White House. People raising their right arms in the Nazi salute to cries of hail victory, hail Trump. Their leader, and there is a German word for that, you know, spewing a message of anti-Semitism and white supremacy.
Just ahead, what Trump team just had to say about all that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:16:32] BERMAN: So, we might not have learned any new cabinet appointees today, not yet, at least. However, we do know more tonight about who will not be going to Washington and who is touting whom for a big job.
Florida Governor Rick Scott today said he will not take a cabinet post, and Newt Gingrich who has been mentioned in connection with several spots put in the good word for a different big name for the secretary of state gig. He was asked about Mitt Romney, but he plugged someone else.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEWT GINGRICH, TRUMP SUPPORTER: I think there are huge advantages to Rudy Giuliani, frankly. I mean, I think he -- he wants somebody who's going to go out and be a very tough negotiator for America and represent American interests in the way the Trump campaign, I think probably Rudy is the better pick, and has the right temperament, because we're going to need somebody who's a fighter. We're going to need -- the world is not going to change just because we show up and say, please. If that was going to work, Secretary Kerry would be successful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: All right. Back now with the panel.
Peter Beinart, first off, look, it's flat-out interesting that there's this campaign now for people to get these cabinet appointments. This is not something we normally see. Newt Gingrich is now campaigning for Rudy Giuliani to get it. Interesting period. Also interesting, that he's pushing him as a fighter.
What do you make of that?
BEINART: I think this is going to be a very, very big pick for Donald Trump. First of all, if he chooses Romney, he sends a sign he hasn't sent yet which is magnanimity, right? He's reaching out to someone who attacked him pretty harshly during the campaign and I think that would send a signal to Republicans and in general that Donald Trump's number-one priority is not just loyalty.
I think the other thing about choosing Mitt Romney is that Mitt Romney has been much more hawkish on Russia than, say, General Flynn, his national security adviser. It would set up a conflict inside the administration.
I personally, I didn't vote for Mitt Romney, I would breathe easier if Mitt Romney were secretary of state for this reason. Mitt Romney I believe, I believe it has a lot to do with him being a Mormon. You saw a lot of other Mormons during the campaign, were very, very concerned about the anti-Muslim bigotry coming out of the Trump campaign.
Mitt Romney has a very good record on the Republican Party's Islamophobia going back to 2012 and I think he would be a voice of conscience inside the Trump administration when you have people like General Flynn who have condemned Islam. I would breathe easier with Mitt Romney.
BERMAN: I think the headline is Peter Beinart comes out for Mitt Romney here.
(LAUGHTER)
BEINART: Strange bedfellows.
BERMAN: I just want a moment to recognize the difference in the two people that we're talking about potentially up for the secretary of state gig, right? Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts and Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York City, who have had diametrically opposed views of Donald Trump during this campaign.
Let's just take a walk down memory lane here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
MITT ROMNEY (R), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Donald Trump is a phony. A fraud.
RUDY GIULIANI (R), FORMER NYC MAYOR: I am sick and tired of the defamation of Donald Trump.
ROMNEY: Donald Trump lacks the temperament to be president.
GIULIANI: He has the temperament to win.
ROMNEY: Mr. Trump's bombast is already alarming our allies.
GIULIANI: He is a man who's not afraid to say radical Islamic terrorism.
ROMNEY: Let ISIS take out Assad, he said. This recklessness is recklessness in the extreme.
GIULIANI: Donald Trump has the intellect, the stamina and the strength to confront our enemies.
ROMNEY: Now, Donald Trump tells us that he is very, very smart. I'm afraid that when it comes to foreign policy, he is very, very not smart.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
BERMAN: So, Kayleigh McEnany, you have one guy essentially saying that Donald Trump is the best thing ever.
[20:20:01] And then you have another guy pretty clearly saying that Donald Trump may be one of the worst things ever, at least one of the worst things running. And these are two guys up for secretary of state as far as we know right now. That's interesting.
MCENANY: It's extremely interesting.
BERMAN: How do you explain it?
MCENANY: It's hard to explain. But I think it speaks to Donald Trump's magnanimity in bringing Mitt Romney in to begin with to even speak with him about his position. He is reaching out to the other side.
But if Peter is putting himself firmly in the Mitt Romney column, let me firmly put myself in the Rudy Giuliani column. I want someone who doesn't underestimate the threat of ISIS, that, to me, the biggest problem over the last eight years, last four years certainly. I want someone who has seen terrorism up close, seen the pain a city has gone through. We'll never forget those images. And is ready to combat it and exhibit strength on the world stage.
And that person is Rudy Giuliani. I agree with Newt Gingrich.
And I also think that you want someone in there who believes in your vision of the world. Donald Trump had Rudy Giuliani in his column. He believes in the way Donald Trump views the world, believes in his vision. Mitt Romney clearly does not. So, I want to put myself firmly in the Rudy column.
BERMAN: Matt Lewis, you know, people are wondering is Donald Trump messing with these guys? I mean, seriously, Rudy Giuliani, no one spoke out more strongly for Donald Trump during the campaign. If he rewards loyalty like people say he does, why isn't it Rudy? And, again, no one spoke out more forcefully against him during the campaign than Mitt Romney. Is this just Donald Trump stringing him along so he can ultimately reject him.
LEWIS: Well, that's one theory, he brings people to sort of bow to him at Trump Tower, and he's toying with them. I hope that's not what's happening.
But I really think that Peter and Kayleigh both were hitting on interesting and plausible theory, and I think it's a microcosm of a really interesting idea, which is to say, should a president surround himself with people who have a consistent and coherent sort of world view and vision in terms of foreign policy and national security? Or should a president have a team of rivals, people who disagree fundamentally about big things and challenge them to sort of debate each other and make their case? And that really is what this question is.
BERMAN: So, are you team Beinart or team McEnany here?
LEWIS: Well, I think -- I think that I would be more comfortable with a Mitt Romney. I do.
I think that -- I would fall in -- it's nothing against Rudy, per se, but if you look at the context of the people that Donald Trump has already including the national security adviser Flynn, I would like to have somebody in the room who has a different world view, who's going to calm things down and say, okay, guys, what about this? I like to challenge Donald Trump's sort of, you know, disposition.
BERMAN: Carlos, one thing that the five people who've already been appointed or nominated to have in common, one thing Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney have in common, all white men. I mean, so far, we have not seen a heck of a lot of diversity. By a heck of a lot, I mean any.
WATSON: Right, right. First of all, let me jump in on this, Kayleigh's got it not just because she's from Florida as I am. There's zero percent chance that he didn't reward his most loyal lieutenant who is Rudy Giuliani. Rudy Giuliani was the only one who would come on screen when he was at his lowest point. I think this is all for show.
BERMAN: Why hasn't he done it yet, though? He's stringing him on.
WATSON: Well, exactly what's happening here, which is we're talking about magnanimity which is not just a long word that Peter introduced but --
BEINART: I didn't make it up.
WATSON: A real olive branch. He wouldn't be the first to do it. I think he yearly is siding on side of Ronald Reagan the way Ronald Reagan approached it when he came in in 1980, '81, and clearly appointed his loyal lieutenant versus where Barack Obama was. Barack Obama clearly reached out more. You remember at one point, he was going to appoint Senator Judd Gregg, Republican of New Hampshire. He reached out to Hillary Clinton. That's not what's going to happen here. I think that's going to end up being a problem.
Now, the other pieces, John, we haven't gotten to yet, what are the Democrats going to do? Are they going to stand and fight? Or are they going to be cowed? So far, they're quiet, they're cowed. Maybe that's respectful and the right thing to do. It will be very interesting to see when they ultimately join the fight.
BERMAN: We'll talk about that going forward, guys. Stick around.
Coming up next for us, a suspect has been arrested in the fatal shooting of a San Antonio police detective who was one of four officer shootings that happened just yesterday around the country. We'll have the latest ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:28:12] BERMAN: A tragic weekend for police departments around the country after four officers were shot in four separate incidents. An officer in Florida was shot in a drive-by during a traffic stop, another in Gladstone, Missouri. And in two shootings that authorities call ambushes, an officer in St. Louis was wounded and a San Antonio police detective was killed outside police headquarters.
A suspect has been arrested in that shooting. I'm going to speak with the San Antonio police chief in just moment.
First, here's what the chief said just a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF WILLIAM MCMANUS, SAN ANTONIO POLICE: We made an arrest in the capital murder of Detective Benjamin Marconi. We arrested 31-year-old Otis Tyrone McCain. This is the person whose image we saw on surveillance. This is also the person we believe is responsible for the cold and calculated murder of Detective Marconi.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: All right. Dan Simon joins me now from San Antonio. Dan, as we just heard, there has been an arrest in the killing of
Detective Benjamin Marconi. Fill us in, how did we get here?
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, first of all, as you can imagine, there's unbearable grief in San Antonio, but there's also relief that the suspect has been caught. He's been identified at 31-year-old Otis Tyrone McCain.
Now, police say they were able to quickly develop some leads and did surveillance on McCain. He was arrested during a traffic stop inside the vehicle. There was an adult female, as well as a child, just 2 years old. He was arrested without incident. This all began yesterday morning when McCain allegedly comes to the front of the police department, he speaks into the intercom for a few seconds and inside.
He's inside for about 30 seconds, has a brief conversation with the clerk behind the desk then he leaves and then four hours later, he's in his vehicle and pulls behind detective Marconi who was issuing a traffic ticket to somebody else.
[20:30:02] The suspect then gets out of his car, fires a shot in the passenger window and then reaches inside and fires a second shot. Just absolutely horrific -- John.
BERMAN: It is awful. And Dan, there were other shootings around the country this weekend. Tell us in what happened there.
SIMON: Yeah, fortunately none of those other officers were killed. One seriously injured in St. Louis, Missouri, who was shot in the face, but yeah I mean kind of a crazy situation all across the country. Two shootings in Missouri, one in Gladstone, Missouri, a suburb of Kansas city, then that one in St. Louis. And then another one in Sanibel Island, Florida. In that situation, the suspect was captured after a shootout with police officers. Both of the suspects in Missouri were shot and killed, John.
BERMAN: All right. Dan Simon reporting for us. Thanks so much. Joining me now, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus. Chief McManus, what can you tell us about the suspect and what led to his arrest?
WILLIAM MCMANUS, SAN ANTONIO POLICE CHIEF: The suspect is a resident of San Antonio. Through a variety of videos, videotapes, information that we got through investigation with the assistance of the FBI, Texas Rangers, Texas DPS, the United States marshals, we were able to locate the car, locate the suspect and then earlier this afternoon, he entered a vehicle that we had surveilled and drove to a location in the far northeast part of the city. Our SWAT team made the traffic stop and made the arrest without incident.
BERMAN: Was this an individual who had been known to you prior to this?
MCMANUS: No, he does have a record, but no, we did not really know of him prior to this incident. BERMAN: You said earlier you believe that the uniform was the target. Now that you have this man in custody, is that still the case?
MCMANUS: I absolutely do based on the actions of this individual prior to the shooting, we have a fairly good video documentation of what he was doing and I am still convinced that he was targeting blue, targeting an SAPD police officer. Didn't matter who it was, it was just any officer that he came across.
BERMAN: Can you give us any sense of why that is, what you've seen in the evidence that leads you to that conclusion?
MCMANUS: Well, I don't want to get too much into the facts of the investigation, to the evidence, but, again, just a variety of his -- a variety of actions that he demonstrated prior to the shooting.
BERMAN: So, I do know this has been a challenging day for you and for the entire department, in particular the family of Detective Benjamin Marconi. What can you tell us about the detective?
MCMANUS: He was a good guy, to sum it up in two words, he was well respected, a great investigator. He worked in our sex crimes investigation unit. Actually worked in a unit inside the sex crime investigation unit for high profile and the more difficult crimes to solve. So he was a great investigator, a great individual and well respected by everyone.
BERMAN: How's his family doing tonight, Chief?
MCMANUS: I spoke with his sister just a little while ago and as you might expect, they are grieving for the loss of their -- her brother and their family member.
BERMAN: Well our heart goes out to them and to you. We appreciate the work that you do and we know it can't be easy tonight. Chief McManus, thanks so much for being with us.
MCMANUS: Appreciate it. Thank you.
BERMAN: All right, a tragic scene tonight in Chattanooga where at least six children have died in a school bus crash. Horrible pictures here. The bus was carrying 35 students, kindergarten to 5tth grade went slammed into a tree and broke apart. At least 23 people were take in local hospitals. Police say the bus driver is speaking with investigators. A spokeswoman says at least five children died at the scene and one at the hospital.
Up next, breaking news. The president-elect's team issues a statement after a self-described Alt-Right group gathers to celebrate his victory. A celebration complete with racist language and Nazi imagery. How a Trump spokesman is responding. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:38:34] BERMAN: They call themselves the Alt-Right National Policy Institute. Over the weekend they gathered in Washington to celebrate Donald Trump's victory. Here's how celebrated using Nazi propaganda terms, bashing Hillary Clinton's minority support and saying America belongs to white people. Also this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD SPENCER, WHITE NATIONALIST: Hail Trump. Hail our people. Hail victory.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: That video comes from the "Atlantic," in that same speech, apparently he also questioned whether Jews are actually people. The Trump team has responded, in statement this is from spokesman Bryan Lanza, "President-elect Trump has continued to denounce racism in any kind, he was elective, because he will be leader for every American. To think otherwise is a complete misrepresentation of the movement that united Americans from all backgrounds."
Back now with our panel. Kayleigh McEnany, this was not a Donald Trump event. This is people who were there who say they also support Donald Trump. But the statement from the Trump transition team tonight, which said, you know, we continue or always have denounced racism of very any kind, why not be specific? Why not just say that this event was awful? When they are questioning whether Jews are people, when they're talking about minorities in the way they were. When they are saying, you know, clearly using Nazi salutes, you know, a Nazi representations. Why not just say that's wrong?
[20:40:06] MCENANY: Well I don't think he wants to highlight a certain event. I don't think he wants to give these people a platform that they absolutely do not deserve, by saying we repeatedly denounce racism, that it's un-called for, that has no place in this administration, he's calling them out without naming them, and without elevating them, and giving them prominence on the national stage. Donald Trump repeatedly denounced this. He looked into the camera on the "60 Minutes" interview when he was asked about, you know, French people committing violence, and he said there's no place for this, cut it out. He called for unity on day one when he became president- elect, it was one of the first, you know, 100 words out of his mouth in the speech. He's repeatedly denounce racism and repeatedly called for unity, he's doing exactly what he should.
BERMAN: He did do that on "60 Minutes." But people are making know, in fact over the weekend, he came out more harshly against the cast of "Hamilton," than he did people, you know, call it an Alt-Right group, these were Nazis -- Neo Nazis with Nazi salutes denouncing he's a minority there. It came out more harshly against "Hamilton".
MCENANY: Well I don't think, he wants to name them, I don't think he wants anyone to go on and watch that horrific video. There's no place in society for the words we just saw and I don't think he wants people racing to go, look this people up. He gave "Hamilton" more of a callout or name than outright, because "Hamilton" is an innocuous play who makes very bad political speeches. But they're an innocuous play. He's not going to highlight a fringe group that doesn't deserve that.
BERMAN: So Symone, is this enough from the Trump transition today?
SANDERS: No, it's not enough, and I think my issue with Mr. Trump, and I think a lot of folks' issue, is that he has not been as specific on the issues of racism, and xenophobia, as he has been on things like "Hamilton" or the "New York Times" or CNN for that matter. So I really do believe that this is not enough, again we saw Donald Trump today, he just released his video about his transition, and what he's going to do in his first day, in first 100 days. I'd love to see him use a social media to denounce hate, to denounce the white nationalist group specifically. Because that is what they need to hear, because by not calling them by name specifically, it means, in some way, shape or form, it's OK for it to continue.
BERMAN: Let's play a little bit more sound from this event, because it's really awful stuff. Let's listen in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SPENCER: America was until this past generation a while country designed for ourselves and our posterity. It is our creation. It is our inheritance and it belongs to us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: Errol Louis, your reaction of what we seen there and again the transition response?
LOUIS: Well I mean it startling ignorance, right. Apparently, he doesn't know who designed Washington, D.C., where he is having this event. Apparently he doesn't know much about the history of the United States. And so, he tells these lies and this distortion to his group and so forth. But I think the point really can't be set off enough, there are what 238 something, you know, people, places and things that Donald Trump insulted on Twitter. Not one of them involved the Alt-Right and until and unless he really sort of comes clean about that and sort of owns up to the fact that he has encouraged in subtle and not so subtle ways, the growth of these people and has refused to make part of his politics pushing them back to the margins where they belong, he's going to have to own this.
BERMAN: And Peter, I think he keep calling them the Alt-Right in this case as may sanitize it. I mean and again you saw the Nazi salutes, you heard the comments well they made comments about you as questioning whether Jews are in fact people. That's not all right. That's, you know, that's just flat-out anti-Semitic and Nazi propaganda.
BEINART: Right. And let's be clear. If Mitt Romney were the president-elect, this event would not be happening in the Ronald Reagan building in Washington, D.C. These people are emboldened because we have a president-elect who called for a ban on Muslims, who repeatedly called Elizabeth Warren, Pocahontas, who called Mexican immigrants rapists, right, down the line, whose very slogan today, America first, echoes the isolationist anti-Semitic slogan of Charles Lindbergh. So, the -- and who run -- who got -- who run a racist birther campaign against Barack Obama. So it's not -- yes, he should denounce these things. But we should also be honest about the fact that these things, these people existed before but they're enormously emboldened but they feel like they have a friend in the White House and they are not entirely wrong in that feeling.
BERMAN: Wait, you're saying they have in the White House?
BEINART: They believe -- they have watched what Donald Trump has done, they have watched that he go again and again after vulnerable religious and racial minorities, and they have taken aid and comfort from that and that's also part of the reason we now see this kind of wave of hate crimes across the country. I'm not saying that Donald Trump agrees with these people. I am saying that he has done specific things that it made it much easier for them to operate.
BERMAN: Matt Lewis, is it Donald Trump's fault? Is Donald Trump a friend of the Alt-Right?
LEWIS: Well, I think that Peter is right that Donald Trump's candidacy has given them energy and by the way, they're not conservative. I mean, they're -- you know, they're isolationists. They're not for free trade and they're not pro-life. They actually have this nichial world view that is the opposite of my view of conservatism. But I also agree with Peter that you can't exactly blame Donald Trump.
[20:45:04] I think what he should do is say what Ronald Reagan said in 1984, many people are welcome in our house but not the bigots. I think he needs to call them out.
BERMAN: He needs to do more in this transition ...
(CROSSTALK)
LEWIS: But wait -- but I would say one -- I'm sorry I would say one more quick thing. There were 200 people in that room maybe 300. So it's horrible. I denounce them, but a couple hundred people, you know, this isn't exactly ...
BERMAN: 300 people in the Reagan building which is a few blocks from the White House.
LEWIS: Right.
BERMAN: To some people that might seem like a lot.
SANDERS: And the KKK was seems celebrating on the bridge in North Carolina the day after Election Day.
BERMAN: Carlos?
WATSON: I think we're just sanitizing -- it's all fine to say that Donald Trump is a president-elect, but let's not sanitize what he did. As Peter said very clearly, he used dog whistles, he used clear provocations and called that. I think until Donald Trump, president- elect or president, clearly and unequivocally says this is wrong, I think we're just playing with fire. And you can say what you want, in my mind this is not a partisan point.
LEWIS: No, it's not.
(CROSSTALK)
WATSON: And he hasn't come strongly on that, and we know he's a guy who can come strongly.
MCENANY: President-elect Trump has repeatedly denounced racists more than any candidate in this race and it's the Alt-Right thinks that they have a friend in the White House, it's not because of Donald Trump who's repeatedly denounced racism, it's because a liberal commentators who completely taken him out of context, who gloss over the fact that he have called out racism. And mischaracterizes statements like you just did when he said he called Mexicans immigrants rapists. That is not what he said ...
SANDERS: He did, he said Mexico ...
(CROSSTALK)
MCENANY: .. he said they're rapists, they're taking our jobs, not sending their best people.
SANDERS: That is not true.
MCENANY: But not taking out the nuance of a statement and engaging in categorical fraud sweat inaccurate statements, the reason these people think they have a friend in the White House is because of liberal commentators like you and not ...
(CROSSTALK)
BEINART: No -- with all due respect, Kayleigh, I really don't think that's why they think they have a friend. I did not imagine that Donald Trump spent years claiming that Barack Obama was not born in the United States. I didn't make that up, I didn't make up the fact that Donald Trump responders to the San Bernardino attack by calling for a halt of Muslim immigration into United States, I didn't make up that ...
MCENANY: Again ...
BEINART: Sorry, no, no let me finish, let me finish, no, no excuse me ...
MCENANY: ... again, you eliminate -- physical you figure out what was going on.
BEINART: There was no other Republican candidate who came anywhere close to suggesting this. These were not made, these are positions that Donald Trump fully embraced, himself. You are the one who at every turn has tried to defend the indefensible about this man. MCENANY: You are doing what liberals did 36 years ago to Ronald Reagan when Carter came out and said he's engaging in stirrings ...
BEINART: Ronald Reagan never did this, Kayleigh.
MCENANY: ... said if you elect Ronald Reagan, you're engaging in a specter of white sheep, he tried this 36 years ago. It didn't work.
(CROSSTALK)
BEINART: Let's look at what he does.
SANDERS: 2016, we have put a white nationalist in the White House with Steve Bannon. Steve Bannon who calls Spencer, who would add this Alt-Right, this white supremacist meeting who said that he was an intellectual leader of the Alt-Right. Steve Bannon who wowed just, I think it was in August that said his platform, Breitbart, was the platform of the Alt-Right. So I think it's really important to note that Donald Trump's chief adviser, the man that he as picked himself, to put next to him in the White House to be his counsel has endorsed this.
BERMAN: All right, guys. Hang on.
SANDERS: Well this is questionable.
BERMAN: All right.
SANDERS: To say the at least.
BERMAN: We have more time to talk about all this. And I know everyone has an opinion here, so we will get to that.
Up next, though, we're going get to this, President-elect Donald Trump name checking "Hamilton" as Kayleigh said and perhaps body slamming it, and, again, lashing out at "Saturday Night Live." See how it's playing a world away from the great white way.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:52:27] BERMAN: Apparently being elected president is not going to stop the Trump Twitter finger from tapping. This time, target, as we mentioned before the break was "Hamilton." It all started over the weekend when the Vice President-elect Mike Pence went to see the hit Broadway show. When it was over, the cast had a message for him, a call for unity.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRANDON DIXON, ACTOR "HAMILTON": Vice President-elect pence, we welcome you and we truly thank you for joining us here at "Hamilton: An American musical", we really do. We, sir, we are the diverse America who are alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us, our families, our children, our parents, or defend us and uphold our inalienable rights, sir. But we truly hope this show has inspired you to uphold our American values and to work on behalf of all of us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: Donald Trump wasn't pleased and wrote a series of tweets saying that Pence was harassed, the cast was very rude and quote, "The cast and producers of "Hamilton," which I hear is highly overrated should immediately apologize to Mike Pence for their terrible behavior." Now, Mike Pence was not bothered by the cast statement, he said the show was great and that went some of the audience booed or cheered, he niches kid said, that's what freedom sounds like.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT OF UNITED STATES: I wasn't offended by what was said, I'll leave it to others whether it was the appropriate venue to say it. But I want to assure if people who were disappointed in the election results, people are feeling anxious about this time in the life of our nation and President-elect Donald Trump meant exactly what he said on election night, that he is going to be the president of all of the people of the United States of America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: As for the president-elect's demand for an apology, the "Hamilton" actor who delivered the message said, Brandon Dixon said, there's nothing to apologize for.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DIXON: We are here together and we need to listen to one another and speak with one another, and those of us who feel like maybe their voice had been marginalized or might become marginalize, mean is important that they recognize that there are allies all over the place.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: You know, this could be just the kind of publicity this little show needs to get off the ground. Ever since Election Day, we've been reaching out to voters across the country getting their take on Donald Trump, his plan and the daily controversy surrounding him as president-elect. Tonight the "Hamilton" fracas as seen just south of Atlanta. Our Gary Tuchman reports.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: In places like Coweta County, Georgia, where Donald Trump did very well on Election Day, there is great awareness of Trump, his Twitter account, and the Broadway musical, "Hamilton."
Donald Trump spent so much time campaigning and talking about being tough, being tough on tyrants, tough on terrorism. Does it strike you as unusual that he's so offended by theater people?
[20:55:08] TAMMY PROSSER, TRUMP SUPPORTER: I just think that's Trump. TUCHMAN: Here in the county seat of Noonan, many Trump voters sound as angry as he does about what happened to Mike Pence during his night in the theater.
Had you heard of the play "Hamilton" before?
JAY BOREN, TRUMP SUPPORTER: I have.
TUCHMAN: OK, have you -- did you have seen it?
BOREN: No, I haven't.
TUCHMAN: Would you want to see it?
BOREN: Probably not.
TUCHMAN: I mean after this incident?
BOREN: Not after this incident.
TUCHMAN: So you don't feel good about it?
BOREN: No, not at all.
TUCHMAN: Donald Trump says, the theater must always be a safe and special place. The cast of "Hamilton" was very rude last might to a very good man, Mike Pence. Apologize.
Do you think that was a good thing for him to tweet?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely. I love it. Yeah, he should, he has the right to do that. Yeah, and I thought Pence acted with a lot of class.
TUCHMAN: But I think Pence didn't say anything, its Donald Trump speaking out about it. But do you think Donald Trump should be using Twitter to complain about theater people?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's good media. You know, I don't tweet. I just don't take a time to do that.
TUCHMAN: But you don't think it's perhaps a little childish to be doing that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no, not all why would I think that?
MORGAN PROSSER, TRUMP SUPPORTER: I mean that's Trump, that's what he's known for. I mean he's a vocal person. It's not changed and see this campaigning and it's not change for now, I mean he won based on being different from other politicians.
TUCHMAN: And then there's Trump's tweet about being made fun of on "Saturday Night Live," the president-elect calling the show totally one-sided and biased.
BOBBIE CARR, TRUMP SUPPORTER: Every time I turn it on, they're making fun of him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Google, what is ISIS?
TUCHMAN: That is "SNL" has been joking at the expense of every president since it went on the air in the days of Gerald Ford's presidency.
Why is a bias show, but it's not a news show, its comedy. Comedies suppose to be a -- they made fun of presidents all the way back to Gerald Ford.
CARR: Yeah, well, I don't watch it, you know.
TUCHMAN: But it's not OK ...
CARR: It's not fine.
TUCHMAN: But do you think it's OK that Trump tweets that?
CARR: Yeah, yeah, I think it's all right, he wants to tweet that.
TUCHMAN: It doesn't seem unpresidential?
CARR: No, not this day in time.
TUCHMAN: But not all who voted for Trump here support all his Twitter battles.
STEPHANIE CARNEY, TRUMP SUPPORTER: He's not the president-elect. He needs to start treating that position with the respect that comes with it. He's no longer a free agent to go out and spew what he wants to -- on Twitter, and I was hoping that when he was elected, that he would take that to heart.
TUCHMAN: As a businessman, as a presidential candidate, Donald Trump's Twitter feed served to inform, enthrall, entertain, and infuriate. And as president-elect, it continues to do so.
Speaking his mind has served him well, say so many here.
BOREN: I agree with what he's saying, and now he, you know, I think that the vice president and the president-elect should better respect that they're getting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: Gary joins us now from Atlanta. So Gary, did any of the people you spoke would think it was notable that the man who, this was all directed at Mike Pence didn't really complain about it?
TUCHMAN: And most of the Trump voters we talk to John, do think it's notable and think it's admirable. They like the fact that Mike Pence is diplomatic, they like that he is the yin to Donald Trump's yang. And I asked people, if they think though it's strange that, you know, this happening to Mike Pence's who say nothing about it, he just saying good things, and Donald Trump is all upset about it, and they're saying, no maybe a little strange, but that's Donald Trump, that's the guy we're used to. That's the guy we've voted for. John.
BERMAN: Gary Tuchman, thanks so much. There's a lot more ahead on our next hour of "360," including Donald Trump unveiling his agenda for the first days in office and what he's planning to focus on and not do in their days. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
