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Trump and Pakistan's Prime Minister; Protests Again in Charlotte; Aleppo Situation Worsens; Big Mac Inventor Dies. Aired 9:30-10a ET
Aired December 01, 2016 - 09:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[09:31:09] CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me.
President-elect Trump is a tough talker, but Pakistan's prime minister experienced a kinder, gentler Mr. Trump, although critics call Mr. Trump's tone reckless. During a phone call with Pakistan's prime minister, Mr. Trump reportedly said to Mr. Sharif, quote, "you have a very good reputation. You are a terrific guy. You are doing amazing work which is visible in every way and I'm ready and willing to play any role that you want me to play. Feel free to call me any time, even before the 20th of January. That is before I assume my office," end quote. And this wording comes from the Pakistani prime minister's office.
Trump's team will not confirm those comments, but described the conversation as, quote, "productive." But here's the thing. As you know, words matter. And the U.S. relationship with Pakistan is crucial. It is one of the most sensitive in the world. It's also quite complicated. In recent years, Pakistan has come under fire for not doing enough to fight terrorism within its borders. After the U.S. Navy SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden inside Pakistan, then-CIA Director Leon Panetta slammed Pakistani officials and their possible knowledge about bin Laden's whereabouts. He said, quote, "either they were involved or incompetent. Neither place is a good place to be."
So let's talk about Pakistan and the United States and Mr. Trump. With me now is David Rohde. He's a CNN global affairs analyst and a national security investigations editor for Reuters.
Welcome.
So, first of all, is it strange that Pakistan would leak this phone call between Mr. Trump and its prime minister?
DAVID ROHDE, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: It is very strange. But I think it's an effort by Pakistan to sort of curry favor with Donald Trump, and to be blunt, sort of play to his ego. And you're going to see a lot of countries doing this. A lot of them are going to think the more they interact with him, the more they praise him, the better for relations.
COSTELLO: From what I understand, the Pakistan prime minister called Mr. Trump and here's some more of the conversation. This is what the Pakistani information services said was said on the phone by Mr. Trump. Trump, "as I'm talking to you, prime minister, I feel I'm talking to a person I have known for a long time. Your country is amazing with tremendous opportunities. Pakistanis are one of the most intelligent people. I am ready and willing to play any role that you want me to play to address and find solutions to the outstanding problems."
The thing is, is this is quite different from what Mr. Trump has said in the past about Pakistan. It's not been very flattering.
ROHDE: No, he's criticized him in tweets in the past. I mean Pakistan is one of the most vexing countries that the U.S. has faced over the last decade. But to be fair to Trump, maybe this dealmaker business experience -- and you hear that, you know, if the transcript's correct, in what he's saying to the leader of Pakistan. The problem is, what is he going to do? Is it a fantastic place? Are we going to open up with the Pakistanis --
COSTELLO: Or is it -- or is it what he says it was in 2011, 2012 and 2015. I'm going to read the tweets because in 2011 Mr. Trump tweeted this, "get it straight, Pakistan is not our friend." In 2012 he tweeted this, "when will Pakistan apologize to us for providing safe sanctuary to Osama bin Laden for six years? Some ally." And in 2015, Mr. Trump said this --
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DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT-ELECT: It is probably the most dangerous because of the fact it has the nukes. And, you know, you might add North Korea to that group because they have a total mad man. At least in Pakistan, you have some semblance of sanity at this moment. But it could go rogue. You have to get India involved. India's the check to Pakistan. And you have to get India involved.
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COSTELLO: So, maybe when you become president of the United States, you have to say really nice things to these leaders and -- and they'll kind of understand the terrible things you've said about them in the past?
ROHDE: Well, it's -- it's what policy is he going to adopt? So one of his main platforms is to stop issuing visas to immigrants from countries that back terrorism. Almost all of them are Muslims, you know, Muslim countries. He, you know, talked already about a ban on Muslims before. So are we going to now not issue visas to Pakistan? Does he keep that promise to his voter base? What is the message to Pakistan?
[09:35:12] It's a very dangerous country. It does have nuclear weapons. And the real, immediate issue he'll face is Afghanistan. Pakistan has sheltered the Taliban. Not just al Qaeda. The Taliban are making huge gains in Afghanistan. We still have thousands of troops there. Within weeks of him being in office, he's going to have to make decisions about, do we keep U.S. troops in Afghanistan and, frankly, those troops are on a fool's mission as long as Pakistan keeps backing and sheltering the Taliban.
COSTELLO: Well, and then there's India. India is a great American ally. India's kind of mad at Pakistan right now --
ROHDE: Yes.
COSTELLO: Because it says Pakistan allows terrorism to flood into its borders.
ROHDE: So if he invokes India and uses India to threaten Pakistan, that will play to the Pakistani right. That will make them hostile to the U.S. That will make Pakistan even more aggressive in Afghanistan. It's a real crisis there. Things are not going well in Afghanistan, and this will be one of his immediate challenges. A consistent message to Pakistan, ally or enemy.
COSTELLO: OK. So make us -- make us feel like the glass is half full. Like, put this in perspective for us.
ROHDE: He may -- he has these tremendous communication skills. He may have surprised the Pakistani prime minister and he may be able to use that effectively in diplomacy around the world. But the key things again is the policy. Keep U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Bock all visas to all Pakistanis. What decision is he going to make?
COSTELLO: I guess we'll have to see. David Rohde, thank you so much.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM, no charges, new protests, clashes with police after a police shooting death is called justified.
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[09:40:53] COSTELLO: A tense standoff in Washington state ends with a suspected cop killer dead. Police in Tacoma ending the standoff just two hours ago. Officials say a man barricaded himself inside this home yesterday afternoon| after fatally shooting that officer. The officer was responding to a domestic dispute. Two children were found inside the home, but they were unhurt.
The decision not to charge the officer who fatally shot Keith Lamont Scott sparking protests in North Carolina overnight.
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CROWD: Who do you protect? Who do you serve? Who do you protect?
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COSTELLO: The crowd of about 100 remaining mostly peaceful, chanting through the streets. But at times tensions did escalate. Police arresting four people in all. This morning, an attorney for the Scott family vowing their work isn't over.
CNN's Nick Valencia live in Charlotte.
Good morning. NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
This is a decision that Keith Lamont Scott's family dreaded, but it is a decision that many people in the Charlotte community anticipated. The Scott family says that they are continuing to process this news, sort of caught off guard by it. But as you mentioned, the family attorney saying they're leaving all avenues open to pursue justice for Keith Lamont Scott.
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CROWD: Whose streets? Our streets! Whose streets? Our streets!
VALENCIA: Protesters taking to the streets of Charlotte. Some clashing with police during demonstrations that remained mostly peaceful. Authorities confirming that four arrests were made. The protests in response to a district attorney's decision not to charge Officer Brentley Vinson in the September shooting death of Keith Lamont Scott.
ANDREW MURRAY, D.A., CHARLOTTE-MECKLENBURG: It's a justified shooting based on the totality of the circumstances.
VALENCIA: The D.A. confirming that Scott did have a loaded weapon in his hand.
MURRAY: Mr. Scott's gun, a Colt 380 semiautomatic, was recovered at the scene. It had one round in the chamber, the safety was off, and the gun was cocked.
VALENCIA: This contradicts what Scott's family says happened, that he was holding a book inside the car. A claim now proven untrue.
POLICE OFFICER: Drop the gun!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He doesn't have a gun.
Keith -- Keith, don't you do it!
Did you shoot him?
VALENCIA: Scott's wife, also heard on video, telling officers that her husband has a traumatic brain injury after police confronted him while searching for another person wanted on an outstanding warrant.
MURRAY: When officers come, he draws the gun. He doesn't keep it in his holster. He doesn't put it on the floor. He draws the gun. He's told numerous times to drop the gun. He then gets out and doesn't turn to run away from officers. He turns towards them.
VALENCIA: Scott's family attorney reacting to the D.A.'s decision.
CHARLES MONNETT, SCOTT FAMILY ATTORNEY: We still have real questions about the decisions that were made that day in terms of how they confronted Keith.
VALENCIA: The shooting and this video of Keith's daughter that went viral shortly after his death --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The police just shot my daddy four times for being black.
VALENCIA: Set off several days of violent protests that destroyed several downtown businesses. A stark contrast to last night. Protesters peacefully demanding answers. Police on the streets meeting and talking with those marching, hoping to build trust in the community.
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VALENCIA: The district attorney went to great lengths yesterday to show that Keith Lamont Scott was armed at the time of the shooting. They talked about physical DNA evidence being on the gun, as well as eyewitness testimony. They also showed some surveillance video that showed Scott showing up to a convenience store wearing an ankle holster. The family attorney for the Scott family finally acknowledged yesterday that a gun was on Scott, but he says none of the video shows that it was distinctively in his hand at the time of the shooting.
Carol.
COSTELLO: Nick Valencia reporting live from Charlotte, North Carolina. Thanks so much.
In Tennessee, search and rescue teams are working right now, trying to find several people who are still missing after wildfires raced across the Great Smoky Mountains. Seven people now confirmed dead, including Alice Hagler, a grandmother last heard from on Monday. Her son talked with NEW DAY earlier.
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LYLE WOOD, SON OF GATLINBURG WILDFIRE VICTIM: She had a lot of love in her heart. She loved those kids. She loved my brother very much. My brother lived with my mom in the house that's now gone. Everything my brother has is gone, as well. And so, you know, to lose someone like that who loved us and loved our family very much and then to have to go through something like this as well. You know, we ask for prayers for him. We ask for prayers for the people that are still trying to figure out how to put this thing all back together.
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[09:45:21] COSTELLO: Officials say the fires have burned roughly 15,000 acres and was likely caused by humans.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM, intense fighting and food shortages in eastern Aleppo as thousands flee. Why the situation on the ground is described as a descent into hell.
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[09:50:04] COSTELLO: Mourners are gathering in Brazil as more than 20,000 soccer fans come together to remember the players killed in a plane crash. An emotional scene as the teammates who were not aboard Monday's doomed flight walked on to the field. Fans holding up signs with the names of those killed. The memorial coming as audio from moments before the crash surfaces. Investigators say crew members sent an urgent message to air traffic control before the crash saying they were in total electrical and fuel failure. Seventy-one people died.
The situation in east Aleppo getting worse by the day. One U.N. official calling it quote, "a descent into hell." More than 27,000 people have been displaced as Syrian forces continue bombing rebel strongholds. Many of the refugees now hunkered down in an old factory for shelter. This as food shortages continue to grip the area with only small amounts of rice, beans and grain left to feed thousands of people.
CNN's senior international correspondent Frederik Pleitgen is following the story. He's live in Beirut.
Hi, Fred.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.
Yes, certainly it is a devastating situation there in Aleppo, which really seems to be getting worse by the day. The U.N. also saying that they believe that the people who are internally displaced, the ones that you were talking about in Aleppo, are among the most vulnerable people in the world. And that is indeed a quote.
Now, you mentioned that they say that it's around 27,000 people that they believe are internally (ph) displaced, and that's just inside those besieged rebel-held areas. And that means those people have virtually no electricity. They have no food or water. Their supplies, really running short.
You know, one of the things that the United Nations has been saying is they haven't been able to run any sort of aid convoys into the eastern part of Aleppo for months. So there's barely any food left. There's also no way for them to try to grow food or anything because, of course, on the one hand, it's an urban area. But on the other hand, also those regime air strikes make it all but impossible.
Meanwhile, the Syrian government forces say that they are continuing to advance on that enclave there in the eastern part of Aleppo. There have been some really heavy air strikes that took place today after yesterday was more of a lull because of bad weather that was going on over Aleppo, which kind of hampered the air operations by the Syrian military. But dozens of people killed and, of course, many, many more people wounded, in bad need of any sort of aid.
One of the things that the United Nations has told me is they say it's not only about getting people food, it's first and foremost also about getting people medical attention because, of course, there's so many people, many of them children, who are wounded and many people who just simply have medical conditions who now are going to have a very, very hard time as this offensive rolls on.
Carol. COSTELLO: All right, Frederik Pleitgen reporting live for us this
morning, thank you.
Coming up in the next hour of NEWSROOM, I'll talk to a Syrian family who fled war-torn Syria and are now living in Georgia. What life is like and what they want you to know about refugees moving to the United States.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We love the American people. We want them to reciprocate our feeling. We came to them for help. We want them to love us. We will love them back.
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[09:57:25] COSTELLO: He wasn't a celebrity chef, but chances are you sank your teeth into one of his most prized inventions, the Big Mac. The man who created McDonald's iconic burger has died, but his legacy lives on, much like that catchy jingle that immortalized his creation. Here's Jeanne Moos.
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JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The creator of the Big Mac did not die from a Big Mac attack.
JIM DELLIGATTI: Well, it's not really that unhealthy.
MOOS: Big Mac's maker --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Jim Delligatti.
MOOS: Lived to the age of 98. It was nearly 50 years ago that he first served a Big Mac at his McDonald's franchise near Pittsburgh. It was an instant success, went national, immortalized by the jingle --
SINGING: Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce cheese --
Pickles, onions, (INAUDIBLE) special sauce.
MOOS (on camera): Where is the special sauce? There's the special sauce.
MOOS (voice-over): The original Big Mac sold for --
DELLIGATTI: Forty-nine cents at the time.
MOOS: Now it's as much as $5 and sold worldwide, though in Paris --
SAMUEL L. JACKSON, ACTOR, "PULP FICTION": What do they call the Big Mac?
JOHN TRAVOLTA, ACTOR, "PULP FICTION": A Big Mac's a Big Mac, but they call it La (ph) Big Mac.
MOOS (on camera): You know they say that only one out of five millennials has even ever tasted a Big Mac.
MOOS (voice-over): McDonald's didn't lower its flag to half-staff, but it did tweet, "Jim, we thank and will forever remember you." Fans posted Big Mac tribute photos. One suggested, "to honor his legacy, why not return the Big Mac to its former size? It's become so small it's pathetic." Not true, says McDonald's. It's been the same size since inception.
Another fan suggested, "if they cremate him, they should put him in a Big Mac box. I love Big Macs."
But even the guy who invented it in 1967 jumbled the jingle.
DELLIGATTI: Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, onions, pickles on a sesame seed bun.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I always thought it was pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.
DELLIGATTI: It could be. But I say on a toasted sesame seed bun.
MOOS: Jim Delligatti's family still owns and operates 21 McDonald's in Pennsylvania. But Jim's business, the Big Mac itself was --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our own secret sauce.
MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN --
DELLIGATTI: Onions, pickles on a sesame seed bun.
SINGING: Pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.
MOOS: New York.
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COSTELLO: It's amazing how that jingle never leaves your head. Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun. I've known that for a long time. That was for you, Mike.
The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts now.
And good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me.
[10:00:00] President-elect Donald Trump hits the road for a victory lap today. He's thanking voters for his stunning upset and celebrating a campaign promise that he's already delivered. Mr. Trump will travel to Indianapolis, where he has brokered a deal that will keep about ,000 factory jobs from moving to Mexico.
