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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Trump's First 100 Days; Six Children Killed In TN School Bus Crash; San Antonio Police Shooting Suspect Arrested; Trump: We'll Immediately Withdraw From TPP; CNN Poll: Nation Split On Trump Presidency. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired November 22, 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: Really, a situation we have never seen before, folks.
Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Always a good morning when I'm here with you, Christine. I'm Boris Sanchez. We're half past the hour and we start today with -- what did you think we were going to start with -- Donald Trump. He's leading a series of new transition meetings in New York today, then he's going to pack up and fly down to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida for Thanksgiving.
So will there be new cabinet announcements today? The transition team has hinted as much. Monday, though, passed without any new announcements. Instead, the transition's public focus was on policy, posting a web video with an early look at plans for Trump's first 100 days in office. Politics reporter Sara Murray has the latest from Trump Tower.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: Good morning, Boris and Christine. The revolving door at Trump Tower continued to churn in potential candidates for a Donald Trump cabinet on Monday. Among the interesting meetings was his with Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. I'm told the meeting went very well and she's under serious consideration for a national security post.
Now, the other potential announcement we're looking out for is commerce secretary today. Multiple sources say that Donald Trump has all but settled on billionaire investor Wilbur Ross but it's unclear if we will actually get that announcement.
Meanwhile, while Donald Trump is still mostly avoiding the press he is laying out his strategy, at least when it comes to executive actions, through a video he shared on social media.
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: On regulation, I will formulate a rule which says that for every one new regulation, two old regulations must be eliminated. It's 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 cyberattacks 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.
MURRAY: Now, one thread the initiatives in the video had in common, they did not necessarily require Congress to participate. These are all executive actions that Donald Trump could do on day one and that's the reason you're not seeing some of his bigger priorities, like repealing Obamacare or building the wall along the southern border. Back to you guys.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: All right, very good points. Sara Murray, thank you for that.
One photo op between Trump and a possible cabinet pick has proved especially revealing. Trump posed Sunday with Kris Kobach. He is under consideration to head the Department of Homeland Security. How do we know this for sure? Because photos of the document Kobach is holding say so.
The papers headline "Kobach Strategic Plan" detail his proposals to bar the entry of potential terrorists. Among them are extreme vetting for high-risk aliens, asking them about support for Jihad and Sharia law, and ending all -- ending all immigration of Syrian refugees.
SANCHEZ: The Trump transition team is responding to a disturbing celebration of the President-elect's victory by some of the so-called alt-right. Members of the white supremacist National Policy Institute gathered last weekend in Washington for a hate-filled tribute to Trump. Now listen to this. It's the leader of the group using Nazi- type language to rev up the crowd.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD SPENCER, PRESIDENT, ALT-RIGHT NATIONAL POLICY INSTITUTE: Hail Trump, hail our people, hail victory. (Cheers)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Several Nazi salutes from the crowd there. Here's the Trump team's response this morning. "President-elect Trump has continued to denounce racism of any kind and he was elected because he will be a leader for every American. To think otherwise is a complete misrepresentation of the movement that united Americans from all backgrounds."
ROMANS: New details this morning on Donald Trump's huge web of international companies. A CNN analysis of his financial disclosures shows that Trump has 150 companies worldwide. Those have business deals in 25 countries. Overall, holdings in the United States, Trump has a position in or ownership of 564 companies. Among the countries he's involved with, the UAE, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, India.
Trump scrutinized for meeting with three Indian real estate developers last week. Now some of these companies overseas, including one in India, involve licensing deals. Someone else owns the property and licenses the Trump brand.
Trump downplaying the news on Twitter last night. "Prior to the election it was well known that I have interests in properties all over the world. Only the crooked media makes this a big deal." But what's so interesting though about this is different, it's not as if he owns a factory that produces something and that he can sell the factory. The entire business model is around the Trump name.
SANCHEZ: Right.
ROMANS: The Trump brand.
SANCHEZ: So much licensing around the world.
ROMANS: Right, so it's a -- it's a different kind -- it is Trump and his family are the product and now it's going to the White House.
[05:35:00] SANCHEZ: Yes. Joining us to talk about the latest twists and turns in the Trump transition, political analyst and best-selling author Ellis Henican.
ELLIS HENICAN, POLITICAL ANALYST & BEST-SELLING AUTHOR: There are many. There are many.
SANCHEZ: Good morning to you, sir.
HENICAN: Good morning, guys.
SANCHEZ: So many things to talk about.
HENICAN: Yes.
SANCHEZ: Obviously, that video of the white nationalists meeting in Washington getting a lot of play this morning and especially -- partly, I think, in light of the announcement of Steve Bannon having a high position in the Trump White House. He has been accused of being anti-Semitic. Here is a response that he had for "The Wall Street Journal" and a question about being a white nationalist.
He writes -- or rather, he said, "I'm an economic nationalist. I am an America-first guy and I have admired nationalist movements throughout the world. I've said repeatedly that strong nations make good neighbors. I've also said repeatedly that the ethno-nationalist movement, prominent in Europe, will change over time. I've never been a supporter of ethno-nationalism." You just told me a few moments ago the word nationalism, in general, gives you the heebie-jeebies.
HENICAN: It does. I mean, first, it's -- those nationalist movements in Europe that Steve Bannon --
SANCHEZ: Right.
HENICAN: -- is admiring so much, I mean, those are some ugly groups over there. They have some views about stuff that I think we could charitably call highly un-American.
ROMANS: Well, the things that -- the rejection of this election was a rejection of the status quo, which was sort of this global -- globalization agenda, right, and the idea was always that if you had free trade agreements and you were lifting other classes out of -- other countries out of poverty into a middle class, that provides markets for American company's goods.
HENICAN: Sure, I want to sell your products.
ROMANS: So, I want to sell your product but also it provides cheaper goods to the United States. That makes the middle class feel richer than it really is. Also provides --
SANCHEZ: Opportunities for diplomacy.
ROMANS: Opportunities for democracy.
HENICAN: Sure.
ROMANS: You've got your voices heard around the world if you believe in the -- that has been completely rejected here and I think that what we'll see when you look at his first 100-day plan -- I mean, you're going to see Donald Trump remaking America's role in the rest of the world.
HENICAN: What you've just described, Christine, is the guiding principle of the last half century --
ROMANS: Yes, yes.
HENICAN: -- of the American role in the world.
ROMANS: Yes.
HENICAN: And the truth of the matter is we do not know what's going to happen if we pull that thing apart brick by brick. You guys just, off the top of your heads, mentioned half a dozen potential results of that but there could be -- there could be dozens of others. I just don't think we know.
ROMANS: You know, I talked recently to someone who has been intimately involved in trade policy for the past 30 years in different administrations, and he said we never got the public piece of this right. We never got the part where there were going to be losers in the United States to globalization and free trade and those losers would likely be in Ohio and Pennsylvania. People who --
SANCHEZ: The Rust Belt. ROMANS: The Rust Belt. So as we've risen up -- we've stood up these other middle classes around the world, we were going to hurt our own. And they -- he admitted that they -- that government got that wrong and this is the response.
SANCHEZ: Right.
HENICAN: And that part of the pain is real. I mean, I think sometimes liberal --
ROMANS: It absolutely is real, yes.
HENICAN: They say that liberals make a mistake wanting to gloss over that. But you know what? Those things were not caused primarily by government, they were caused by technological change, right? I mean, factories changed. You didn't need the number of workers. Cheaper wages in other places.
SANCHEZ: A lot of the mining jobs that he's talking about bringing back to America simply don't exist anymore because robots do them now.
HENICAN: That's right, but it's going to be so interesting. I mean, honestly -- particularly in the next couple of months as this Trump plan comes together. As we go from campaign rhetoric to actual policies, whether they be executive orders or things we need to do with Congress. How is that stuff going to work in real --
ROMANS: Right.
HENICAN: -- life?
ROMANS: We're all --
HENICAN: I don't think we know.
ROMANS: I showed you we've got markets that are up all around the world today. All four stock indices smashing records from -- you know, banner headlines on the major papers and that's because small -- people believe -- investors believe he's going to cut regulations.
HENICAN: Regulations.
ROMANS: He's going to cut taxes. He may do a big infrastructure. We don't know exactly what the contours of that are going to be but he may do a big infrastructure build. Maybe you heard him talking about protecting our infrastructure from cyberattacks. Maybe that's one way we spend money to try to modernize the United States.
HENICAN: Listen, we all believe in the power and the wisdom of the markets, Christine, but it may be that the markets don't know either, right? I mean, do you think all those people know what's going to happen?
ROMANS: Heck no.
SANCHEZ: The invisible hand may be going crazy a little bit, right? HENICAN: It's a little shivery right now, I'm afraid.
SANCHEZ: So one more question for you --
HENICAN: Sure.
SANCHEZ: -- and it has to do with the conflicts of interest -- potential conflicts of interest in a Trump administration.
ROMANS: Oh, yes.
SANCHEZ: We've seen him take photos with Indian businessmen, meeting with Shinzo Abe with his daughter in the room. Here's a sound bite from Kellyanne Conway saying that she doesn't believe that Trump is breaking any laws.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KELLYANNE CONWAY, FORMER TRUMP CAMPAIGN MANAGER: I'm very confident he's not breaking any laws. He has many lawyers, accountants, and advisers who tell him what he must do and what he can't do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Maybe he's not breaking any laws but ethically it has to be questionable and maybe it gets into a gray area that needs to be looked at further. How do you go about doing that?
HENICAN: You know what the toughest job in the incoming Trump administration's going to be? Not secretary of state, not homeland security, general counsel. Someone is going to have the job, right, of working through all of that. Where is the blind trust, how blind is the blind trust, what is the role of the kids? What was that, 25 separate countries, 150 different companies that have the Trump name?
[05:40:05] ROMANS: It's just so hard and it's a kind of business, too -- I mean, it's a kind of business where -- for example, when he licenses his name to three properties he's helping them buy or whatever--
HENICAN: That someone else runs.
ROMANS: -- that goes with that, though, is the advice of counsel of the Trump team because what makes a Trump property Trump and allows them to ask for 30 percent more than the going rate of rents around there is because of the Trump -- Trumpiness, you know? I mean, this is -- this is the product. Honestly, this is the product --
HENICAN: Yes.
ROMANS: -- so how do you -- how do you separate yourself from that? I just don't know.
HENICAN: You know, I don't know an answer other than having a tough lawyer in there and listening to him or her. We need that. I don't know who it's going to be but someone in there has got to guide that thing with a very firm hand.
SANCHEZ: One of a series of endless questions. Ellis Henican, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us.
HENICAN: Great being with you guys over here.
ROMANS: Thanks, Ellis. Nice to see you.
SANCHEZ: New developments overnight in a deadly school bus crash in Tennessee. An arrest in this case. We have details next on EARLY START.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:45:10] ROMANS: A Chattanooga bus driver arrested and charged overnight for a deadly school bus crash that killed at least six children. The bus was carrying 35 kids, all in kindergarten through fifth grade, when it flipped over, slammed into a tree, and tore in half Monday afternoon. Twenty-three of the kids had to be transported to the hospital. The tragic accident leaving this community stunned.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIRK KELLY, INTERIM SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT: This has been a great tragedy for us. We have suffered a great loss today. Everyone in our community -- this has been one of the worst days that we've had in Hamilton County.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: (Audio gap) identified as 24-year-old Johnthony Walker. He has been charged with five counts of vehicular homicide, reckless endangerment, and reckless driving. Federal agents from the NTSB will arrive on the scene later this morning to investigate.
SANCHEZ: A manhunt for the killer of a 20-year-veteran of the San Antonio Police Department ended with the capture of a suspect on Monday. The motive for the fatal shooting is still not known but the city's police chief believes it was a targeted, intentional killing. We get more from CNN's Dan Simon in San Antonio.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Boris and Christine, as you can imagine, there is unbearable sadness here in San Antonio but there is also relief that the suspect has been captured. He has been identified as 31-year-old Otis Tyrone McKane. Police tell us they were able to quickly develop some leads and had the suspect under surveillance. He was pulled over. This was a traffic stop. Inside the vehicle, you had the suspect along with an adult female, as well as a child just two years old. The suspect was taken into custody without incident.
CHIEF WILLIAM MCMANUS, SAN ANTONIO POLICE DPEARTMENT: 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 Det. Marconi. There are many facets of the case which still need to be investigated. This investigation is by no means over.
SIMON: So while this active manhunt is over we still don't know the motive behind this. Why this suspect fired on this particular police officer. Was there some kind of personal grievance against this officer or was there a grievance against the police department as a whole? That, we don't know, but as the mayor of San Antonio said, at least the city can breathe a little easier that the suspect has been captured -- Boris and Christine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: Our hearts go out to this family. All right, let's take a look at what's coming up on "NEW DAY". Alisyn Camerota joins us now. Good morning, Alisyn.
SANCHEZ: Morning.
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR, "NEW DAY": Hi, everybody. Thanks so much. So we have some new polls that will be out at 6:00 a.m. Eastern that we will share with you that show how Americans are feeling today about President-elect Trump and whether or not they think he will be able to achieve all the things that he promised, so we'll bring you those hot off the presses.
Also, perhaps you've heard about this meeting yesterday that took place between Donald Trump and all of the news media's top executives and some of the anchors. Some of the reporting says it was a highly- contentious meeting. It was a shoutfest. And other reporting says that it was quite cordial. So we will bring you our reporting from inside the room about what was said and what was decided in there.
ROMANS: I heard they played --
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: Yes, a cordial shoutfest, perhaps.
ROMANS: I heard it was full game of Monopoly, some ice cream, Domino's pizza, you know. I have no idea what went on in there but it's interesting, all the reporting. Thank you so much, Alisyn. Talk to you soon.
SANCHEZ: We'll see you then.
ROMANS: All right. Well, stock prices -- record highs. I'm going to tell you, it's been an amazing two-week rally -- a Trump rally. I'm going to tell you what's behind it. And while your 401(k) is making money, you will be saving this year at the dinner table on Thursday. Details when we get a check on CNN Money Stream, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:52:55] SANCHEZ: Among the plans that Donald Trump offered up in his new web video released yesterday outlining his first 100 days in office -- the one thing he most frequently mentioned on the campaign trail that was mentioned in that video, his promise to pull the U.S. out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. That's the 12-nation trade deal lowering trade barriers among Pacific Rim countries, notably, excepting China. But Trump is vowing to tear up that deal, saying that it will cost Americans their jobs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: 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.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Donald Trump's determination to abandon the TPP has other nations that have signed onto the pact worried, to say the least. Joining us now with the latest, CNN's Andrew Stevens, live this morning in Hong Kong. Andrew, this was going to be the biggest regional trade deal in history and now it's almost as good as dead, and I'm sure that people in China are relishing what this means for their dominance in that region of the world.
ANDREW STEVENS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Idon't know if relishing is the right word, Boris. The Chinese have put out a statement saying that they believe in these big multi-lateral trade deals and they worry about the fragmentation, as they call it, of trade deals which is basically what Donald Trump is proposing. One- on-one trade pacts between the U.S. and other countries. The Chinese want to see a much bigger overarching trade deal.
But you're right inasmuch as China will have much more influence now in creating the next big deal, if there is one, in this region because the TPP, as you point out, did exclude China. It was very clearly put to President Obama to do this deal so that the U.S. could writethe rules, as he said, of the 21st century trade. Maybe now China can do that with this rollback from the U.S.
[05:55:00] Now, what we don't know is what China will want to achieve but certainly there are already a couple of big trade deals on the table. They're not nearly as advanced as the TPP so it's going to take years for those to unwind and get to a place where we can actually see what they are. But certainly things like environmental protection, labor protection, things like that which were in the TPP, we don't whether that will be included in any new deals.
So it is worrying for those 11 other countries. Not only do they not know what the next deal is but they've lost this massive U.S. market opening which they thought they had, so that's difficult for them, Boris.
SANCHEZ: So many question marks around this Trump administration. Andrew Stevens reporting live from Hong Kong. Thank you.
President Obama's final Medal of Freedom ceremony today is heaving on star power. It's the nation's highest civilian honor recognizing significant contributions to the national interests of the U.S. or to world peace. Among the 21 recipients, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jordan, Bill and Melinda Gates, and Tom Hanks.
ROMANS: All right, let's get a check on CNN Money Stream. Records all around in the stock market. The Dow, the Nasdaq, the S&P 500 have never been higher. The Russell 2000 -- that's a gauge of small cap stocks -- hit a record. The first time all four averages have done that on the same day since 1999. That means companies of all sizes are getting a boost from this Trump rally.
Against virtually every forecast that stocks would crumble if Donald Trump were elected, the opposite. Almost two straight weeks of gains. The bet here is, as president, Trump will slash regulations, he will boost spending on infrastructure, he will cut taxes, he will usher in an era of tax cuts and spending.
That's making the U.S. stock market the most attractive bet right now as for today futures are pointing solidly higher. We'll likely see new records at the open. Stock markets in Europe and Asia are rising as well. The Dow very close to, guys, to 19,000.
All right, my daily venti black iced tea just got more pricey. Starbucks is hiking prices for the second time this year. The company says the cost of cold drinks and baked goods is going up to 10 to 30 cents per item. No explanation why Starbucks is raising prices. Hot coffee and tea prices -- hot tea prices -- will not change. In July, Starbucks raised prices on its espresso and latte beverages.
So as long as you're not serving Starbucks at Thanksgiving you're going to get a break this year at your Thanksgiving table. The average cost of a Thanksgiving dinner for 10 people dropping below $50 this year, a 24 cent savings adjusted for inflation. This is the cheapest Thanksgiving meal since 2010. Turkey prices a big reason. They dropped after historical highs the past two years.
Pumpkin pie mix is cheaper, as well. A global milk production is also up so lots of dairy products are cheaper. And miscellaneous items used for preparing the meal like butter, evaporated milk, eggs, and flour, those will cost a lot less this year.You are a pie man?
SANCHEZ: Cheesecake, cheesecake.
ROMANS: Cheesecake.
SANCHEZ: I do have a bone to pick with you.
ROMANS: What?
SANCHEZ: Miscellaneous item -- butter? No, butter is fundamental --
ROMANS: I know, I know.
SANCHEZ: -- for the Thanksgiving dinner.
ROMANS: I was going say Zinfandel is also not a miscellaneous item on the list but that goes -- that's not included in the $50. All right, check out the new CNN Money Stream app. It's business news personalized. All the latest from "CNN MONEY" and other leading sources. Download it right now on the App Store or Google Play. That's EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.
SANCHEZ: And I'm Boris Sanchez. CNN about to release a brand new national poll on the president-elect. "NEW DAY" starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I will cancel job-killing restrictions on the production of American energy.
CONWAY: Trump proved that he understood America.
NEWT GINGRICH (R), FORMER SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: I am for whoever the president-elect picks.
TRUMP: Truly great and talented men and women will soon be a part of our government.
HOWARD DEAN(D), FORMER GOVERNOR OF VERMONT: His senior adviser is a Nazi.
SPENCER: Hail Trump, hail our people, hail victory.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Donald Trump repeatedly denounced racism and repeatedly call for unity.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Multiple children lost their lives today in this tragic incident.
ROMANS: A Chattanooga bus driver arrested and charged overnight.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Speed is being investigated very, very strongly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE CHILD RIDING SCHOOL BUS: He wasn't paying attention.
KELLY: This has been one of the worst days that we've had in Hamilton County.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Chris Cuomo and Alisyn Camerota.
CAMEROTA: Good morning, everyone. Welcome to your NEW DAY. It is Tuesday, November 22nd, 6:00 in the East.
Up first, President-elect Trump using -- taking to YouTube to outline a series of executive actions he plans to take on his first day in office. This, as speculation continues about who will fill the remaining cabinet positions.
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Now, there is no cause to speculate about how the country is feeling after this election. A new CNN/ORC poll confirms we are divided. There is good news. A narrow majority of Americans are hopeful. Fifty-three percent believe Trump will do a good job as commander-in-chief. Forty-four percent disagree. CAMEROTA: Americans are also split on Donald Trump's handling of the presidential transition so far. Forty-six percent say they approve, 45 percent disapprove. About one-third of Americans have a lot of confidence in Donald Trump's picks for his top appointments which, thus far, have been lacking some diversity.
CUOMO: Only 33 percent of Americans have a lot of confidence in the President-elect's ability to provide leadership. This is a historically low number compared with other modern day presidents before they took office. It's also not a surprise.
