Return to Transcripts main page
Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
NFL Show OF Unity; Republican Revise Health Care Bill; White House Rolls Out New Travel Ban; GOP Tax Plan Unveils This Week; North Korea Added To Travel Ban; T-Mobile, Sprint Close To Deal; Global Stocks Lower. Aired 4:30-5a ET
Aired September 25, 2017 - 04:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:30:06] RYAN NOBLES, EARLY START SHOW CO-HOST: The NFL fighting back in a show of unity after President Trump called on team owners to fire players who kneel during the national anthem.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, EARLY START SHOW CO-HOST: Time is running short for the Republican health care bill, an opposition to the bill growing by the day, as a new version of the bill attempts to target.
NOBLES: Breaking overnight. The White House rolling out the new travel ban and expanding it to eight countries including North Korea and Venezuela. Good morning. Welcome to "Early start." I'm Ryan Nobles in for Dave Briggs.
ROMANS: Nice to have you today, Dave deserves a day-off.
NOBLES: Maybe one day.
ROMANS: Maybe on day. Nice to see you. I am Christine Romans it is 30 minutes past the hour. A league wide show of solidarity. NFL players and owners united in protest against President Trump after a weekend of relentless attacks, the President condemning players who choose not to stand for the National Anthem. Stadiums across the country in Sunday, even in London, Rudy London where NFL game was being played (inaudible) Stadium, players locked arms or they kneeled or raised their firsts during the national anthem. Some teams skipped it entirely and stayed in the locker room.
NOBLES: Even the National Anthem singers where bending a knee in the game in Detroit, joining the protest kneeling along with the players on the side lines. Of course this all began when the President made these remarks at a rally in Alabama Friday night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners when someone disrespects our flag, to say get that son of a-off the field right now. Out. He is fired. He is fired.
(END VIDEO CLIP) ROMANS: That was just the beginning. President tweeting nearly a
dozen times about protests -- by pro-athletes including this. If NFL fans refuse to go to games until players stop disrespecting our flag and country, you will see change take place fast. Fire or suspend. In response, the President tweeted great solidarity for our national anthem and our country. Standing with locked arms is good. Kneeling is not acceptable, bad ratings. Those locked arms? Those were teams and owners together showing solidarity against the comments of the president.
NOBLES: Definitely. Mike Tomlin who's the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the three teams that remained in the locker room during the National Anthem, said his players acted in unison.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE TOMLIN, HEAD COACH, PITTSBURGH STEELERS: We didn't ask for this. This was placed upon us by circumstance. I heard rumblings of guys talking yesterday. My contention was that we will not allow politics to divide us. Many of them felt like something need to be done. I asked those guys to discuss it and whatever they discussed that we have 100 percent anticipation or do nothing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBLES: These were all conversations happening within 24 to 48 hours after the president making his comments. Many say President Trump is capitalizing on the politics of racial division. Here's what the president says.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: This has nothing to do with race. I've never said anything about race. This has nothing to do with race or anything else. This has to do with respect for our country and respect for our flag.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBLES: Let's get more now on this controversy from CNN's Boris Sanchez, he is at the White House.
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ryan and Christine, the President choosing to make this issue of players kneeling during the national anthem at NFL games a focus of his on Sunday tweeting out multiple times that they should not be kneeling during the national anthem. He actually wrote on Sunday night "sports fans should never condone players that do not stand, proud for their national anthem or their country. NFL should change policy. The President digging in his heels after first calling for NFL owners to fire players who wouldn't stand during the national anthem at a rally in Alabama on Friday night. He is repeated the refrain multiple times, including once when he arrived here at the White House after spending several days at his resort in New Jersey saying that most people agree with him. Listen to what the president said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I think that the flag has to be respected and our country has to be respected. There's plenty of room to do other things, but our country has to be respected, and I've always felt very strongly about that. By the way, most people agree with me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: We've seen an outpouring of anger from not only NBA and NFL players but also coaches and owners including Robert Kraft, the owner of the Patriots, who said that he was disappointed in the tone of the President Trump speech on Friday night. The President did respond on Sunday saying that Robert Kraft is a friend though he disagrees with him and does believe that owners should do something about these players, in his eyes, disrespecting the American flag. Ryan and Christine?
[04:35:10] ROMANS: The latest Republican attempt to repeal and replace Obama care appears to be on its last legs. The senate finance committee holds a hearing on the Graham/Cassidy bill today. Senators John McCain and Rand Paul already in the no column and Senator Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa of Murkowski Alaska and Ted Cruz of Texas all voicing concerns. Republicans cannot afford to lose any of those three Senators.
NOBLES: And they are not giving up yet, in an attempt to win them over. Party leaders revised the Graham-Cassidy bill and circulating yet a new measure on Sunday. It is a clear nod to Senator Murkowski. It allows Native Americans and Alaskans natives enrolled in Medicaid expansion prior 2020 to continue their eligibility after that. CNN's Athena Jones has more.
ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Christine and Ryan. A lot of eyes are going to be on GOP Senator Susan Collins early this week. She has expressed some serious doubts about this latest effort to repeal Obamacare. Here's what she had to say to CNN's Jake Tapper on State of the Union, watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN SUSAN COLLINS, (D) MAINE: It's very difficult for me to envision a scenario where I would end up voting for this bill. I have a number of serious reservations about it. I'm concerned about the impact on the Medicaid program, which has been on the books for more than 50 years and provides health care to our most vulnerable citizens, including disabled children, and low income seniors.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: One more thing she said is she is concerned about the impact of this bill on costs and coverage. That is why she is awaiting to see how the congressional budget office scored this bill, what sort of sense they can get about the number of people who will still have coverage under this new legislation. I should mention we also heard over the weekend from Texas Senator Ted Cruz saying right now they don't have my vote. He would like to see more choices in terms of coverage that people can purchase. This is by no means a done deal. We're going to be closely watching what is certain to be a pivotal week. Christine, Ryan?
ROMANS: All right Athena thank you for that. Tonight CNN presents a town call debate with our Republican senators Lindsey Graham and Bill Cassidy, they will face off on healthcare against Democrats Senators Bernie Sanders and . Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will moderate. That is tonight at 9:00 Eastern right here on CNN.
NOBLES: See how much Senator Sanders a talks about single payer healthcare in that debate tonight.
Breaking overnight, the Trump administration is rolling out a new travel ban. The measure imposes restrictions on certain individuals from eight foreign country, Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen. The U.S. targets several non-Muslim nations including North Korea and Venezuela. In most cases travel will be broadly suspended. In others passengers will have to undergo enhanced screening. We get more from CNN Laura Jarret she is in Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAURA JARRETT, JUSTICE REPORTER, CNN: The Trump administration has unveiled travel ban 3.0. New travel restrictions on certain foreign nationals from eight countries. Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen, as a replacement to the central portion of that controversial travel ban which expired on Sunday morning. The new restrictions vary by country and they include a phased in approach. Most of the limitations you won't see go into effect until mid-next month on October 18th. For the last three months the Trump administration had used an executive order to ban foreign nationals from six Muslim majority country. Unless they have a so called bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the country. Now, individuals with that bona fide exception, like a grandparent, can still apply for visas to come to the U.S. until October 18. But after that date, these new restrictions will begin. The on a call with reporters, a senior administration adviser called the new restrictions tough, but tailored and quote vital national security. The Supreme Court is also set to hear arguments on this next month and the Justice Department will be filing an update with the Supreme Court soon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: All right Valerie, thanks so much for that, ow Laura, rather thank you. An attorney for Jared Kushner confirming to CNN that the President's son-in-law and Senior Adviser used a private e-mail account to correspond with Trump administration officials. Kushner's lawyer, saying fewer than 100 e-mails from January through August were either sent to or returned. Mr. Kushner to colleagues in the White House from his personal e-mail account. Political first reported Kushner first use of a private account saying it was set up during the transition in December and use to the trade e-mails with senior White House officials and others about media coverage during the campaign as you all can recall then candidate Trump repeatedly attack Hillary Clinton for her use of a private e-mail server during her tenure as Secretary of State.
[04:40:17] NOBLES: The Justice Department and the FBI has opened a federal civil rights investigation into a deadly shooting at a Tennessee church on Sunday. One person was killed, seven others injured, when a mask gunman, identified as 25 year old Emmanuel Samson opened fire at the Burnette chapel church. According to sources he used to attend the church. A 22 year old usher, who witnessed the shooting confronted Samson and during the struggle, the alleged gunman accidentally shot himself. He was hospitalized then released to police who are still investigating a possible motive. Samson is due in court on Wednesday.
ROMANS: The Trump administration planning to close the Obamacare site. Critics say is an attempt to undermine Obamacare. Open enrollment begins November 1st. Site Officials say Friday it will close health care for 12 hours almost every Sunday for maintenance. They weren't a frequent and weekends when many working Americans might be shopping for insurance. The White House disagrees saying system down time is planned for the lowest traffic time periods including Sundays. As I could say this is another example of the administration using regulations to cripple Obamacare, for example by cutting the enrollment period in half and slashing the advertising budget by 90 percent. Still the law of the land. And pretty soon, here it will be open enrollment time.
NOBLES: That enrollment is necessary to keep the program solvent.
President Trump igniting another war of words with North Korea as Pyongyang is added to the travel ban list from the Trump administration. Reaction from the region when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:46:12] NOBLES: No let-up in seems in the war of words between the United States and North Korea. President tweeting over the weekend, just heard Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at U.N if he echoes thoughts of little rocket man they won't be around much longer. The president latest as the U.S. Military flew bombers in the international airspace near North Korea and the Trump administration adding North Korea to the list of Nations on the new travel ban. Let us bring in CNN Ben Wedeman. He is live in Tokyo. Ben what is the reaction in the regions in this rhetoric between the U.S. and North Korea?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, the situation are already sensitive enough, but I think what has jarred many allies of the United States such as Japan and Korea, as well as others like China is for the first time in history as far as anyone here can remember you have an American President who seems to be speaking with the same sort of rhetoric as the leader of North Korea, and as a result, we are hearing concern from for instance, we heard from a spokesman from the ruling Party in South Korea, very important American ally, saying that heated rhetoric is raising anxiety in the region in a time of course when it's already high enough. We saw for instance, in editorial in the "People's Daily" one of the main organs of communist party in China, saying that Trump's chest-thumping isn't helpful. Certainly the countries in the region are having to become accustomed to an American President who is not just carrying a big stick as the form of those b-1 bombers that had costed along the Eastern Coast on North Korea over the weekend, but is also speaking not softly, but very loudly in a way that certainly, as diplomats cringing in the region.
NOBLES: All right. Ben Wedeman live in Tokyo, Ben thank you.
ROMANS: Germany's Angela Merkel winning a fourth term as Chancellor but saw her Party's team slashed in a surge of support for the far right in Sunday's election. Merkel's conservatives one 32 percent of the vote, while the country's far right party had a surprise showing finishing third and winning seats in the German parliament. For the first time in more than half a century. Merkel now faces the task of forming a coalition government that it would begin today.
NOBLES: For the first former President Barack Obama reportedly warned Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg about the threat of fake news, two weeks after Donald Trump won the election. According to "The Washington Post," Obama pulled the young tech billionaire aside during a meeting of world leaders in Peru last November. Zuckerberg had dismissed the idea of fake news in fact in the U.S. election as crazy. Mr. Obama urging Zuckerberg to do more to combat the problem warning him it will only get worse. Of course Zuckerberg taking some action this week.
ROMANS: New protocols and new guidelines. They are scouring through the ads that were placed and trying to find all traces of Russian involvement on line.
President Trump is with the sports world. Under armor drawing criticism for its response.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:54:00] ROMANS: The death toll in Mexico rising to 319 following last week's 7.1 magnitude earthquake. A new challenge for search and rescue efforts over the weekend as two powerful aftershocks hit southern Mexico. CNN's Ivan Watson is on Mexico City for us this morning.
IVAN WATSON, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: The death toll did rise in part because the body of one female victim, an adult woman, unidentified so far, was found at another location. This was on Sunday at a school that CNN reported on extensively, which collapsed. Her body recovered there, bringing the death toll at that location, the Enrique school, to 19 school kids who were victims as well as seven adults. The authorities say that all the children that were there have been completely accounted for. There was a ceremony, a mass, at a church here in Mexico City for some of those tragic child victims of that just horrible tragedy.
[04:55:12] And there is another one here at this location, six-story office building, get out of the way so you can see the operations taking place here under a bit of a rainfall right now, before 4:00 a.m., where the rescue teams are digging through the rubble of a six- story office building that collapsed, and they say they believe they're more than 40 missing people inside. All throughout this area here, there are many families that are here under the rain sleeping on the ground at this pre-dawn hour. People helped by the many volunteers here that are trying to support victims and families of the victims but just an agonizing vigil they're conducting here. There's a sign very close to where I'm standing here that says quote, Adrian, you are a warrior, your family friends are waiting for you. We love you very much. That said, Mexico City authorities, Christine they say that more than 100 schools are reopening later today. A sign of some small progress in this natural disaster. Christine.
ROMANS: With those pile of rubbles must be just so nerve wracking to have aftershocks. Thank you so much for that, Ivan Watson in Mexico City.
NOBLES: Aid is beginning to arrive in Puerto Rico, officials there describing desperate conditions in the wake of hurricane Maria. A major dam now at risk of collapsing. Millions of people without power cut off from the world since Wednesday. And the threat for Maria is not over yet. A tropical storm watch now in effect for parts of the North Carolina coast all the way to the Virginia border for a mandatory evacuation for visitor in the Island.
CHARLIE ROSE: Let's get to meteorologist Derek Van Dam.
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN'S METEOROLOGIST: Good Monday morning, Ryan and Christine. Can you believe it's been almost two weeks and we're still talking about hurricane Maria? Believe it or not this system has a potential to impact the East coast of the U.S. this week. Here's the latest from the national hurricane center. Category one. 85 miles per hour sustained winds near the center of the storm. The national hurricane center has hoisted tropical storm warnings for the potential of tropical storm force winds. It appears the hurricane force winds will stay well off shore. Keep in mind tropical storm force winds extend at least 100 miles from the center of the storm. It is an expansive area of plowed, rain and wind that is associated with hurricane Maria. The other troubling factor here is the potential for dangerous rip currents that will continue across major beaches over the east coast. Heaviest rain stays offshore but perhaps in or two along the cape hatter region. Check this record temperatures today, lower 90s. Is it really fall.
ROMANS: Thanks for that Derek. Let's get a check on CNN money stream. Global stock markets are lower after Wall Street finish mixed. Dow is down. But the Dow still headed second consecutive week of gains. That is still a concern will but they rebounded in the afternoon Friday driven by health care stocks. Those jumped after Senator John McCain withdrew support for GOP health care bill. T- Mobile and sprint are close to a deal that will consolidate the wireless market. Reuters reporting a possible merger between the two combined. They would have 130 million subscribers. They first attempted to merge three years ago but abandoned the plan. The business friendly Trump administration may approve the merger.
President Trump picking fights with the sports world including Under Armor endorser Steph Curry now Under Armor is being criticized from its response to the President's comments. It stands by the free speech, expressions and a unified America. At the company later deleted that tweet replacing with one that adds the word flag. That tweak made many people on social media unhappy. Accusing the company of riding the fence and not picking sides. Even your reaction can be criticized, right?
NOBLES: "Early start" continues right now.
The NFL fighting back in a show of unity after President Trump called on team owners to fire players who kneel during the national anthem.
ROMANS: Time running short for the Republican health care bill and opposition to the bill growing by the day as a new version of the bill attempts to target key voters.
NOBLES: Breaking overnight, the White House rolling out a new travel ban and expand it to eight countries. Including North Korea, and Venezuela. Good morning and welcome to "Early Start." I am Ryan Nobles in this morning for David Briggs.
ROMANS: Good to see you this Monday morning, I am Christine Romans. It is Monday of September 25th.
