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Tougher Sanctions on Russia Approved; Trump Embracing New Immigration Legislation; Science Breakthrough Discovery; Prince Philip Retires from Public Duty; President Trump Signs a 'Flawed Bill;' Disease-free Generation; Outrage on New Immigration Proposal; Inch Away from Danger; Venezuela Under a Dictator. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired August 03, 2017 - 03:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[03:00:00] ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN: -- grudgingly signs bill imposing sanctions on three countries. He says it's flawed. And Russia, Iran, and North Korea all agree. But Mr. Trump is fully supportive of a new plan to slash legal immigration into the U.S. He says it will help the economy. Others disagree.

And a medical breakthrough. Scientists alter human embryos to remove a genetic disease. The study's co-author will join us live.

Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States, and of course all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church, and this is CNN Newsroom.

U.S President Donald Trump is lashing out at Congress after reluctantly signing their bill laying new sanctions on Russia. It had almost unanimously support on Capitol Hill. But Mr. Trump took issue with one thing above all. The bill prevents him from undoing sanctions against Moscow without congressional approval. He says that's a mistake because it limits his ability to strike good deals for the American people.

The sanctions target Russian energy and defense sectors. There are also penalties for banks and foreign government working with North Korea. And Iran gets punished as well for allege human rights violations and its weapons programs.

Mr. Trump elaborated on his objections saying this. "Since this bill was first introduced I have expressed my concerns to Congress about the many ways it improperly encroaches on executive power, disadvantages American companies and hurts the interests of our European allies. The bill remains seriously flawed, particularly because it encroaches on the executive branch's authority to negotiate. Yet, despite its problems I am signing this bill for the sake of national unity."

Our Oren Liebermann joins us now from Moscow with more on this. So, Oren, despite President Trump reluctantly signing this bill, Russia's prime minister has gone on the attack calling the new sanctions against his country a full-fledged trade war. What else did he have to say about this and how is this all playing out all across Russia?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Well, it wasn't just what he said. It was the timing of what the Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said that was interesting. Because the first reaction came from Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov who said there will be no more retaliations from Russia against the U.S., essentially saying that the closing of two U.S. diplomatic compounds here in Russia and the cutting of U.S. staff here was enough.

Then just a few hours later, a few hours after President Trump signed the sanctions bill we got this statement from Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. He said "The Trump administration demonstrated complete impotence, in the most humiliating manner, transferring executive powers to Congress."

A very different tone, and yet still the prevailing message from Russia is that there will be no more retaliations diplomatically against the U.S. for now, though they have left the option open.

CHURCH: Yes. And I wanted to talk about that because of course, Russia's President Vladimir Putin, as you point out, has already cut U.S. diplomatic staff or ordered for it to be cut in response to the imminent sanctions. What more retaliation might we see, maybe not now, but later further down the track?

LIEBERMANN: Well, Putin certainly left open the possibility. And in his most recent statement about the sanctions bill and at that point was just a bill, he talked about all of the areas that Russia and the U.S. cooperate. Perhaps that was a veiled threat into all the other options he has for retaliation. He talked about cooperation on Syria, on North Korea, as well as in the space agencies, in the space administrations.

Here is what the foreign ministry said their most recent statement that came out after Trump signed the sanctions bill. They say, "We reserve the right to other countermeasures. It's about time for American, amateurs of sanctions that plunge the U.S. into Russophobic hysteria to get rid of illusions and to understand that no threats and attempts to exert pressure will force Russia to change its course or sacrifice national interest."

So, a bit of a mixed message, or perhaps a strategic messaging there, whereas the foreign ministry taking a very hard line in U.S., whereas Putin has seemed to take a softer tone.

Now, it is worth pointing out that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will meet this weekend in the Philippines, even if they exchange a few nice statements and talk about sanctions there isn't any hope it seems, or much hope I should say on the U.S. side or the Russian side that they can do anything to change the relations right now, which are in a word, poor.

CHURCH: Yes, indeed. Not high expectations coming out for that meeting, indeed.

[03:05:01] Oren Liebermann joining us there from Moscow, just after 10 in the morning there. Many thanks.

As we mentioned the new sanctions also target North Korea and Iran. The U.S. is taking action against Pyongyang for its repeated missile tests and nuclear ambitions. We will have more about that ahead this hour.

Meanwhile, Iran says the U.S. sanctions violate the spirit, if not the letter of the 2015 nuclear deal. The country's deputy foreign minister is vowing a very clever response.

Now President Trump is backing a plan to slash legal immigration to the United States by 50 percent. The proposal would award visas using a points system based on age, education and income potential. But the plan is already meeting with stiff resistance.

CNN's Jim Acosta has the details.

JIM ACOSTA, SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, CNN: As the president rolled out a new immigration plan that prioritizes English-speaking people coming into the U.S. the White House sent one of its top policy advisor Stephen Miller to defend the proposal as All-American.

But Miller bristled when reminded of what the Statue of Liberty has said to generations of immigrants. "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: Are you trying to change what it means to be an immigrant coming into to this country if you're telling you have to speak English. Can't people learn how to speak when they get here?

STEPHEN MILLER, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF POLICY ADVISOR: Well, first of all, right now it's a requirement that to be naturalized you have to speak English. So the notion that speaking English wouldn't be part of the immigration system would be actually very ahistorical.

Secondly, I don't want to get off into a whole thing about history here but the Statue of Liberty is a symbol of liberty enlightening the world. It's a symbol of American liberty enlightening the world.

The poem that you're referring to was added later is not actually part of the original Statue of Liberty. But more fundamentally, the history...

(CROSSTALK)

ACOSTA: You're saying...

MILLER: But more fundamentally, the history...

ACOSTA: You're saying that that does not represent what the country is always thought of as immigration coming into this country?

MILLER: I'm saying that the notion of...

(CROSSTALK)

ACOSTA: Stephen, I'm sorry. MILLER: No. May I ask you a question?

ACOSTA: That sounds like -- that sounds like some national park revisionism. Are we're just going to bring in people from Great Britain and Australia?

MILLER: Jim, I can honestly say I am shocked at your statement that you think that only people from Great Britain and Australia would know English. It's actually -- it reveals your cosmopolitan bias to a shocking degree, that in your mind -- no, this is an amazing -- this is an amazing moment. This is an amazing moment. I just want to say...

(CROSSTALK)

ACOSTA: It sounds like you're trying to engineer the racial and ethnic flow of people into this country.

MILLER: Jim, that is one of the most outrageous, insulting, ignorant and foolish things you ever said and for you that still a really -- that the notion that you think that this is a racist bill is so wrong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: The president unveils his bill immigration plan in front of the cameras. But when it came to one of the biggest pieces of legislation of his administration, a Russia sanctions bill, Mr. Trump chose to remain behind closed doors.

The president signed the measure passed overwhelmingly in Congress than protested in a statement that this legislation is significantly flawed. Labeling portions that limit his ability to lift sanctions on Russia as clearly unconstitutional provisions.

The president's response one day after the White House conceded he weighed on a misleading statement for his son about a meeting with the Russian attorney through some Republicans as over-the-top.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL CASSIDY, (R) UNITED STATES SENATOR: I'm kind of chuckling, that's such a Trumpian statement. The fact is though is that the legislative branch has a role on this, we're exhorting that role.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: The president was forced to swallow the sanctions bill as do questions are being raised about his credibility that boil down to his overall trustworthiness. Take what happened on Monday when he bragged that even the president of Mexico was praising his success in slowing unauthorized border crossing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: As you know, the border was a tremendous problem and now close to 80 percent stoppage, and even the president of Mexico called me. (END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: The problem is the Mexican government says that call didn't happen. Adding in a statement, "President Enrique Pena Nieto has not been in a recent communication via telephone with President Donald Trump."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Who the hell wants to speak about politics when I'm in front of the Boy Scouts, right?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Then there's the president's recent controversial speech to the Boy Scouts. That he turned into a political rally. The president told the Wall Street Journal "I got a call from the head of the Boy Scouts saying it was the greatest speech that was ever made to them and they were very thankful." But a Boy Scouts official told CNN there was no such call.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH HUCKABEE-SANDERS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: On Mexico he was referencing the conversation that they had had at the G20 summit where they specifically talked about the issues that he referenced.

In terms of the Boy Scouts, multiple members of the Boy Scout leadership following his speech there that day congratulated him, praise him and offered a quite -- I'm looking lower, quite powerful compliments following his speech.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: As of the president's immigration proposal top Republicans are already questioning whether we were going anywhere up on Capitol Hill. South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham complained the White House plan could harm the state's agricultural and tourism industries.

[03:10:04] Jim Acosta, CNN, the White House.

CHURCH: Inderjeet Parmar is a professor of international politics at City University. And he joins me now from our London studios.

INDERJEET PARMAR PROFESSOR OF INTERNATIONAL POLITICS, CITY UNIVERSITY OF LONDON: Good morning.

CHURCH: Thanks so much for being with us.

PARMAR: You're welcome.

CHURCH: Let's start with immigration. I would like to ask you this. How did legal immigration suddenly takes center stage when Donald Trump can on the issue of illegal immigration and how does cutting back on legal immigrants benefit the United States? PARMAR: Well, I think the whole immigration issue whether it's legal or illegal is probably the most the best issue for President Trump. He's got something like a 44 percent approval for his immigration stance. And as your pocket showed I think this administration is in a fairly deep hole on a whole number of fronts which are mentioned in your report as well, and I think very often that the immigration card or the race card whether it's illegal or legal often it's played when there is a crisis in terms of the credibility of the administration.

And we know from approval numbers that is going down. The key issue is that immigration, legal immigration has a kind of mixed record in some respects, most people do believe that legal immigration has major social and economic benefits, and but the bill as outlined yesterday by President Trump is really focused on stoking people's fears. Its fears about national security, fears about threats to their jobs.

And it's pretty part of that America first Americans needing protection from the rest of the world kind of rhetoric, which was the hallmark of his campaign. So the impact of legal immigration economically speaking is generally considered to be very positive, but I think this is seeking to regain the agenda, if you like, the public narrative in favor of an area which President actually generally is much more popular in.

CHURCH: Yes. You mentioned his approval ratings, let's go to those because President Trump is now down to 33 percent. That's according to the Quinnipiac University poll, 61 percent disapprove of the job he's doing. It's a new low for the U.S. president. Can it go any lower, and how does this compared to other U.S. presidents just six months into their administration?

PARMAR: Right. That's very, very important. I think the clear impact poll generally tends to be on the low side. The poll that President Trump says it is his favorite poll the Rasmussen, I see even that is showing that something like 38 percent approval only and 61 percent disapproval.

So the one he likes to quote the most is also showing him below 40 percent for the first time. This is an historic low. And I think from what I've looked at President Gerald Ford had the lowest approval rating at this point in his administration that came off that he declared that he is going to pardon President Richard Nixon for the various mysteries and the crimes, et cetera related to Watergate.

So President Trump is on a generally downward slide. And I think when you look at those numbers and you try to break them down a bit more his strongly disapprove number has gone up. That is about 50 percent, and his strongly approved numbers going down to about 25 percent.

So, what we're seeing is underneath the kind of bold approved/disapproved figures is actually those people who are strongly disapproving is going up. And I think he's probably hitting close to the bedrock of his support within the United States overall.

And I think this is probably quite dangerous too, and I think that is a real clue as to why the immigration issue, which is also linked with Attorney General Jeff Sessions announcing that they're going to have a look at the so-called racial quotas in universities.

The whole call for deep mass deportations and so on, as well. So I think it's the whole package of things which are going on and all of this really in the end comes down to the use of nativism to really divert attention from a whole series of failures of this administration up to this point.

CHURCH: Now it's worth noting too the Quinnipiac poll also looked at Mr. Trump's honesty and found only 34 percent of those people polled thought he was on a 62 percent found him dishonest.

PARMAR: Yes.

CHURCH: This coming of course on the heels of President Trump making false claims he received those two phone calls offering glowing praise from Mexico's president and from the head of the Boy Scout and the day before that, we learned Mr. Trump weighed in on a misleading statement for son in relation to that meeting with a Russian lawyer. New lows in credibility and in approval, what impact could this all have on his presidency do you think going forward?

[03:15:01] PARMAR: Very important question. I think we are only just over six months into this presidency but one key number, which I think is very important and instructive at this point is straight after his inauguration something like 55 to 57 percent of people polled in the United States, said that the United States was heading in the right direction.

Today or yesterday, rather, when I look on the figures I think lost where on the 33 percent of Americans think this administration that America is headed in the right direction. A very large proportion of the electorate also believes that President Trump with all his the kind of things that he's saying which you mentioned just now is probably his own worst enemy. That's his entire presidential style, which is kind of centered around him. Him and his particular, kind of small coterie and nothing else really matters.

This is a kind of patrimonial politics and I think the American electorate overall, we're only six months in, overall, from going from 55 percent Americans going in the right direction to 33 percent, it suggests that there is a kind of long phone slide which is going on. And I suspect that that is going to deepen.

But I think this raising of the legal immigration question on which I think there's something like 55 to 66 percent sort of support in the American publication. I think that may well stabilize him for a little while. Unfortunately, there's not much likelihood of this law that he's proposing being discussed anytime soon. Given that there is a backlog of other unpassed legislation particularly on healthcare, for example.

CHURCH: All right. Inderjeet Parmar, so much to discuss. And as you point out only six months in. Many thanks.

PARMAR: Thank you very much. CHURCH: We'll take a short break here, but still to come, the dangers posed by North Korea's latest missile launch a major airline says one of its planes was very close to Friday's test.

Plus, Venezuela's president postpones the first day of work for his new assembly as some question the election he called a sweeping victory.

And researchers have found a way to edit diseases out of genes but some critics worry could lead to genetically edited children.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PATRICK SNELL, SPORTS REPORTER, CNN: Hi, there. I'm Patrick Snell with your CNN world sport headline.

Brazilian super star football Neymar appears to be on the brink of an eye watering $262 million world record move reportedly to Qatari on French League and giants Paris St.-Germain. The $260 million is actually the amount stipulated in Neymar's buyout clause, if the deal goes through, it will shatter the previous world record transfer of around 150 million.

Man United continuing that pre-assessment reparations on Wednesday. They took on the Italian side Sampdoria. The Serbian international Nemanja Matic getting his first game under his belt, then for his new club, Armenia international Henrikh Mkhitaryan would put United ahead in Dublin.

[03:20:05] The Italians would level before Spanish international Joshua Mata would strike later on. United gone to win the game by two goals to one in the Irish capital.

Over in Germany, meantime, Liverpool in action against Spanish John (Inaudible) to go Madrid and the Spanish would take the lead in a (Inaudible) to strike from Katie Balle (Ph). Liverpool would kept plugging away, though and will get the reward near the end when Roberto Firmino convert the penalty the one with score line meaning more penalties and the penalty shootout Filipe Luis going the winner for the Spanish. Atletico win the card.

That's a look at your world sport headlines. Thanks for joining us. I'm Patrick Snell.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, let's take a closer look now the U.S. sanctions bill. It targets Russia for supposedly interfering in the U.S. election, the 2014 annexation of Crimea and its ministry activity in eastern Ukraine and Syria.

The bill punishes Iran and North Korea for their ballistic missile programs, and it gives Congress veto power if President Trump tries to ease or change the sanctions.

All right. To the Korean peninsula now. North Korea's latest missile test posed a serious threat to aircraft. An Air France spokesman says one of their planes flew just east of the ICBM splash downside last Friday, just minutes before the missile hit the water. There were 332 people on board.

And our Alexandra Field joins us now from Seoul, South Korea with more on this. So, Alexandra, the real concern of course for any airline operating in the region, what can be done about this given North Korea have absolutely no intention of sending out any warning before launching any future missiles.

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Right. Rosemary, it's worth probably pointing out from the background on this for our viewers which is that we've seen situations like this before. Even as far back as 2014.

There was a North Korean rocket launch and there's a similar situation that unfolded with a Chinese airliner that was in the areas. So, this is a concern that has percolated in the minds of many for some time in an event like what you saw happen this weekend certainly underscores the need to consider.

But as you point out, North Korea has no intention of notifying the world when they conduct these kinds of test that simply not going to happen. It doesn't matter that that's in violation of international agreements, especially when you consider the fact that the test themselves flout with impunity.

The international sanctions that have been levied against North Korea. Now Air France quickly came out after it was revealed that their airplane was about seven minutes away in terms of flying time from the splashdown site. They said that North Korea's missile test don't interfere with their flight paths. They also said that they closely analyzed potentially dangerous areas and that they adapt their flight plans accordingly.

Certainly that's something that all airlines do and that all airlines are used to doing. But a spokesperson from the Pentagon has some out twice now to condemn North Korea after this latest ICBM launches speaking to the potential threat that this poses not just for the airplanes in the sky but also any vessels that are at sea. We're talking about a very large area where North Korea is conducting these tests.

That said and given the large area where these tests are conducted this Pentagon spokesperson and other experts agree that the likelihood of an actual problem is extremely low. The issue here really is that North Korea continues to insist on doing this without any notification. Rosemary?

CHURCH: Indeed. And I do just want to pivot back to the new U.S. sanctions about to be applied to North Korea. What impact will they likely have on the nation and of course on its nuclear program?

FIELD: Right. It's the stated goal for all these sanctions is to work to achieve the denuclearization of the Peninsula that's a very high hope and the raft of sanctions that you've seen leveled against North Korea have not accomplished by any means that objective. You've only seen the acceleration and an advancement of the missile and nuclear programs.

So the skeptics have been saying certainly that these sanctions would have no impact on the program. Look, these are sanctions that expand the expense sanctions essentially against financial institutions and entities that are doing illegal business with North Korea. It's another effort to cut off a flow of resources. But you got to look at the regime's priorities. That's what the analyst and the experts do.

And the number one goal for Kim Jong-un is to develop this nuclear program to how the nuclear weapon that he feels would be a deterrent. Something that he believes will ensure the longevity of his regime.

[03:25:03] So, there's no reason, according to some analysts who believe that these sanctions would have the kind of impact that so many sanctions have now failed to have, Rosemary.

CHURCH: That is a problem in itself. All right. Alexandra Field, joining us there live from Seoul in South Korea, where it is nearly 4.30 in the afternoon. Many thanks.

The organization of American states is calling for an emergency council meeting to address Venezuela's political crisis. Now this comes hours after President Nicolas Maduro swore in the newly elected constituent assembly, despite claims of voter fraud.

The attorney general now says those claims are under investigation.

CNN's Leyla Santiago has more now from Caracas.

LEYLA SANTIAGO, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: In a national televised address President Nicolas Maduro has announced that he is pushing back the installation of his constituent assembly. And this comes on a day that the numbers behind the election of the members of the constituent assembly are being questioned.

The president has said that he believed more than 10 million people showed up to vote in this election, essentially saying that's what he believes is the support for his government in Venezuela right now.

But the election technology company that is behind the machines used during the elections believed and they say without a doubt that there is some tampering with the election. And keep in mind that is a company that has been since 2004 and has never taken issue with any of the elections despite who the winners may be.

Now the government have said that those are irresponsible statement, they even come out to say that they could possibly take legal actions against them. And this is at a time when international pressure is mounting. The United States has already places sanctions on individuals associated with President Maduro, they place sanctions on him as well.

What they have not done is that targeted the oil industry. So as Venezuela and the world waits to see when this constituent assembly will go to work because it could possibly re-write the Constitution and it could replace the national assembly in place right now that is controlled by the opposition.

Maduro seems to be moving forward, the international community is watching calling this the road to dictatorship.

Leyla Santiago, CNN, Caracas.

CHURCH: Now we'll take a short break here, still to come, a proposed overhaul of U.S. immigration that would favor English speakers. But critics say it could ultimately hurt the U.S. agriculture industry.

And scientists have found a way to prevent genetic diseases. Still to come, why they say their methods still needs some more work.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:30:00] CHURCH: And a very warm welcome back to our viewers joining us here in the United States, and of course all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.

Let's update you now on the main stories we've been following his hour.

President Trump has signed legislation that push new sanctions on Russia. The bill also gives Congress veto power to stop him from undoing those sanctions. Mr. Trump express his reluctance in a signing statement, pulling the bill seriously flawed and saying it has clearly unconstitutional provisions.

Air France said one of its planes, which flew close to the path of the North Korean missile on Friday had 332 people on board. The airline says Japan did send a warning about the missile test even though at that point it was already over.

Venezuela's newly elected constituent assembly will meet for the first time Friday amid allegations of voter fraud. A voting technology firm says the government inflated turnout figures by at least a million votes. President Nicolas Maduro denies the claim. Venezuela's attorney general said the allegations will be investigated.

U.S. President Donald Trump is embracing new legislation aimed at overhauling the U.S. immigration system. The proposed policy change would use a point system to evaluate visa applications. The president says it would help the U.S. economy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This competitive application process will favor applicants who can speak English, financially support themselves and their families and demonstrate skills that will contribute to our economy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Critics say such a policy would have negative consequences across the United States, especially in agriculture. Senator Dianne Feinstein of California told CNN's Wolf Blitzer the impact on her state would be devastating.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: We're the largest agricultural producer in America. It's a $50 billion industry. We employ tens of thousands of agricultural workers. They are among the class that this would be prohibited. It would cripple agriculture.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Now senior Trump adviser Stephen Miller was tasked with explaining and defending the new immigration proposal to reporters but when CNN's Jim Acosta challenge the philosophy behind the legislation they got into a heated exchange.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: What you're proposing or what the president is proposing here does not sound like it's in keeping with American tradition when it comes to immigration. The Statue of Liberty says "Give me your tired, poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free."

It doesn't say anything about speaking English or being able to -- be a computer programmer. Aren't you trying to change what it means to be an immigrant coming into this country if you're telling them that you have to speak English? Can't people learn how to speak English when they get here?

STEPHEN MILLER, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF POLICY ADVISOR: Well, first of all, right now it's a requirement that to be naturalized you have to speak English. So the notion that speaking English wouldn't be part of the immigration system would be actually very ahistorical.

Secondly, I don't want to get off into a whole thing about history here but the Statue of Liberty is a symbol of liberty enlightening the world. It's a symbol of American liberty enlightening the world. The poem that you're referring to was added later is not actually part of the original Statue of Liberty. But more fundamentally, the history...

(CROSSTALK)

ACOSTA: You're saying...

MILLER: But more fundamentally, the history...

ACOSTA: You're saying that does not represent what the country is always thought of as immigration coming into this country?

[03:35:00] MILLER: I'm saying that the notion of...

(CROSSTALK)

ACOSTA: Stephen, I'm sorry. MILLER: No.

ACOSTA: That sounds like -- that sounds like some national park revisionism.

MILLER: No, what I'm asking you is...

ACOSTA: The Statue of Liberty has always...

MILLER: Jim, let me ask you a question.

ACOSTA: ... give hope to the world for the people to come into this country and they're not always going to speak English.

MILLER: Jim, do you believe...

ACOSTA: And they are not always going to be highly skilled.

MILLER: Jim, I appreciate your speech. Jim, I appreciate your speech. So let's talk about this.

ACOSTA: It was a modest...

MILLER: Jim, let's talk about this. In 1970, when we let in 300,000 people a year, was that violating or not violating the Statue of Liberty law of the land? In 1990s, when it was half a million a year, was it violating or not violating the Statue of Liberty law of the land.

ACOSTA: Was it violating...

(CROSSTALK)

MILLER: When it was 700,000 a year -- no, tell me what year -- tell me what years -- tell me what years meet -- tell me what years meet Jim Acosta's definition of the Statue of Liberty poem law of the land. So you're saying a million a year is the Statue of Liberty number. Nine hundred thousand violates it, 800,000 violates it.

ACOSTA: You're sort of doing a plus one philosophy for English here in immigration and that's what the United States we've been about.

MILLER: Jim, but you're also -- your statements also shockingly ahistorical in another respect, too. Which is if you look at the history of immigration, it's actually ebbed and flowed. We've had periods of very large waves followed by periods of less immigration and more immigration and during the -- we've had...

(CROSSTALK)

ACOSTA: We're in a period of immigration right now that wants to build a wall...

MILLER: Yes. It's actually...

ACOSTA: ... you want to bring about a sweeping change... MILLER: Surely, Jim, you don't actually think that a wall affects green card policy. You couldn't possibly believe that, do you? Actually the notion that you actually think immigration is at a historic low the foreign-born population in United States today -- Jim, Jim...

(CROSSTALK)

ACOSTA: On Monday, talking about how border crossings...

MILLER: Do you really, I want to be really serious, Jim. Do you really at CNN not know the difference between green card policy and the legal immigration?

ACOSTA: So why...

(CROSSTALK)

MILLER: I mean, you really don't know that.

ACOSTA: He came to this country in 1962 right before the Cuban missile crisis and obtained a green card. Yes. People who immigrate to this country can eventually...

(CROSSTALK)

MILLER: OK. So, Jim, as a factual question...

ACOSTA: People who came to this country through, not through outside...

MILLER: Jim, as a factual question...

ACOSTA: Do you obtain a green card at some point, they do it through a lot of hard work and, yes, they may learn English as a second language later on in life. But this whole notion of well they could learn, you know, they have to learn English before they get to the United States, are we just going to bring in people from Great Britain and Australia?

MILLER: Jim, I can honestly say I am shocked at your statement that you think that only people from Great Britain and Australia would know English. It's actually -- it reveals your cosmopolitan bias to a shocking degree that, in your mind -- no, this is an amazing moment.

This is an amazing moment. That you think only people from Great Britain or Australia would speak English is so insulting to millions of hardworking immigrants who do speak English from all over the world.

Jim, have you honestly -- Jim, have you honestly never met an immigrant from another country who speaks English outside of Great Britain and Australia?

(END VIDEO CLIP) CHURCH: All right. Quite an exchange there. And we should note fluency in English is not a requirement for naturalization currently. In fact, the civics test is administered in multiple languages for qualified applicants but they are expected to demonstrate an ability to read, write, speak and understand English in ordinary usage.

Well, a first of its kind experiment gives researchers a way to erase harmful genes from human DNA. You will hear from one of the people who made that happen. That is coming up next.

[03:40:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, scientists have successfully edited a genetic mutation from a human embryo in a groundbreaking first. They say in a study published in the journal Nature a technique to remove the disease causing genes. Now the embryo's DNA repair mechanism, then replace the missing genes with a copy from the parent without the mutation, researchers found that the harmful gene was corrected in more than 70 percent of the embryos.

Now scientist hope their work would one day help them remove genetic diseases from children before they born, but critics worry the technique could be used to create babies with specific traits.

Now Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte joins us now from Alicante in Spain. He is a professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, the co-author of this study. Thank you so much, sir, for joining us.

JUAN CARLOS IZPISUA BELMONTE, PROFESSOR, SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES: Thank you.

CHURCH: So, this is really significant. Of course that the first time scientists have successfully removed this faulty gene that carries a deadly heart disease and embryos. Clearly a significant breakthrough but by doing this, it raises moral and ethical questions. How do you balance those concerns with the obvious benefits that come from this type of research?

BELMONTE: Well, I think you have touched a very important point. But I have to mention that we scientists as many other people have been thinking about this for a long time. And in fact, the National Academy of Sciences has issued a report a committee in which I am a member with guidelines of how we should approach this development.

And for the time being this is something that should just remain in the laboratory because we need to learn much more before we can even think to bring this into the clinic.

CHURCH: Interesting. If gene editing can be used to eliminate this particular deadly heart condition, how long before most other inherited diseases can be removed from embryos and how close are scientists to trying this out on a real pregnancy. You say you're going to take some time over this.

BELMONTE: Yes. We have demonstrated that seems to be quite a few (Inaudible) in these particular cities, which is a disease of the heart. But we need before we can expand these toward diseases we need to demonstrate that these experiments are also safe for these diseases.

So my feeling, again, I repeat myself, why, why very promising. We need much more time, much more research to make sure that if we ever do this technology in the clinic and trying to treat and prevent a disease that we are doing it in a safe and responsible way.

[03:45:02] CHURCH: Yes. You mention the safety aspect there and I wanted ask you, how can you be sure using this technique, that scientist don't accidentally damage or affect other perfectly normal genes during the course of this procedure.

BELMONTE: That's a very good question. I may say that we realize that this is not the template that we provide to them we have to do the correction, in fact, is the mother right gene that fix the correction so that's wonderful. Nature has device procedures by which they can fix themselves.

That's why I'm confident that this aspect will help to minimize these possible unintended effects on other parts of the genome.

CHURCH: All right. Professor, a pleasure and an honor to speak with you. Good luck with all your research in this. It's quite incredible. We appreciate it.

BELMONTE: Thank you very much.

CHURCH: Well, now to a spa experience that was far from relaxing. A four-year-old boy in China had to be rescued by firefighters after getting his head stuck inside the face hole of a massage table. He was probably hoping his mother who was getting a message treatment at the time how to believe but he stayed clam throughout the whole time. And finally, they got him out. What a relief. Right away his mom grabbed him with that big bear. Of course.

Children getting themselves into trouble. All right, let's take a short break here, but still to come, NASA has just posted a new job and it includes saving humans from aliens. It pays well and it has one of the greatest titles ever. More on that when we come back.

Plus, Britain's Prince Philip retired from public life. We're going to look on his remarkable time in the royal spotlight.

Back in a moment.

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CHURCH: OK. So there's a job option for you. What about this. What you get if you take tens of thousands of public appearances and spread them over six and a half decades while a measure of just one man, Prince Philip. He retired from public duty on Wednesday. Nick Glass reports.

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NICK GLASS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ram road straight, a man in a raincoat in the traditional bowler hat. From behind it would been hard-pressed to get his age 96. Well, that this after 70 years was his final engagement. As parades go, this was informal Prince Philip just doing his thing raising a smile and the laugh among young and though, is an ex-Navy man it seem entirely that the parade at Buckingham Palace by the Royal Marines.

Prince Philip is still affable still inquisitive ever more hawk like can look. But at his great age his energy is deeming and he is finally retiring who also aside from the Queen has done more for the monarchy over such a long time.

HUGO VICKERS, ROYAL BIOGRAPHER: I think in a way it's just a transitional amendments. The Queen has been a little bit worried about him at certain times over the last couple of years. I have heard people say that. And I think that, you know, she doesn't want him to get overly tired.

And so I'm sure there is an element that this is a sensible thing to do.

GLASS: Here he was at lords cricket ground in London earlier the summer wearing the famous egg and bacon tie of the MCC and doing what he's done on countless occasions chatting. It's time about old cricket bats and cutting the ribbon. Are you ready, he ask the photographers.

Prince Philip has been around so long, we need to remind ourselves of his glamorous arrival in 1947, a handsome groom of 26 lieutenant Philip Mountbatten of the Royal Navy.

QUEEN ELIZABETH II, GREAT BRITAIN: And I think (Inaudible) always been a rock.

GLASS: Prince Philip has always been his own man, a thoughtful man, a family man.

PRINCE PHILIP, DUKE OF EDINBURGH: Like all families we went through the full range of pleasures and tribulations of bringing up children and actually somewhat biased, but I think all children have done all the way and they're going to difficult and demanding circumstances.

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GLASS: He could also be combative, livid, in fact, especially with photographers, but more often than not he saw the funny side.

By his own admission, Prince Philip has never been a man to look back much but this afternoon he did seem to just for a moment. In the 70 years there have been a lot of parades a lot of young men marching past some of them have to walk. [03:54:59] As he left the parade ground the band struck up for he's a jolly good fellow. The palace has issued a retirement photo taken in the garden of Buckingham Palace. Although there will be no more efficient engagements Prince Philip is still expected to appear at the queen side from time to time.

Nick Glass, CNN in Central London.

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CHURCH: And finally, who could argue Tom Brady has it all the star NFL quarterback has five Super Bowl rings, he is very handsome, but some say his new wax figure is hot mess. It's now on display at the dreamland wax museum in Boston. Fans, though, think the artists fumbled this one.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I like the place. Brady doesn't really look like Brady though.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It doesn't look like him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: he looks like he hasn't slept in like, I don't know, 2001.

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CHURCH: Well, some say the wax figure isn't nearly as bad as those court sketches of Brady from the infamous deflategate case. So apparently he can't have it all.

Thanks for watching CNN NEWSROOM this hour. I'm Rosemary Church. Remember to connect with me anytime on Twitter @rosemarycnn. I love to hear from you. Early Start is next for our viewers here in the United States. And for everyone else stay tuned for more news with Isa Soares in London.

Have yourself a wonderful day.

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