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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Latest on Khashoggi Investigation; Afghanistan Attack Details; Sports Highlights. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired October 19, 2018 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:00:00]
DAVE BRIGGS, CNN CO-HOST: We start with the latest on that missing journalist. The body of Jamal Khashoggi allegedly tortured and dismembered has yet to be found.
With that story topping headlines around the world, the president decided last night to praise Montana Congressman Greg Gianforte for assaulting a reporter from the guardian in 2017.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRES.: Greg is smart. And by the way, never wrestle him. Do you understand that -- never. Any guy that can do a body slam is my kind of guy. I had heard that he body slammed a reporter.
And I said oh, this is terrible, he's going to lose the election. Then I said, well wait a minute, I know Montana pretty well, I think it might help him, and it did. No, he's a great guy, tough cookie.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: The editor of the Guardian, not amused. John Mulholland had quote; it runs the risk of inviting other assaults on journalist both here and across the world. Here's a reminder of what Gianforte did to the Guardian's Ben Jacobs.
BEN JACOBS, AMERICAN REPORTER: Yes, but there's not going to be time. I'm just curious-
GREG GIANFORTE, U.S. REP.: OK, speak with Shane, please-
I'm sick and tired of you guys. The last time you came in here, you did the same thing. Get the hell out of here.
JACOBS: Jesus-
GIANFORTE: Get the hell out of here. The last guy did that same thing. Are you with the Guardian?
JACOBS: Yes, and you just broke my glasses.
ROMANS: Gianforte pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault. The president standing by him, capping off a week where he refused to criticize another ally accused of attacking a journalist, the Saudis. In a slight hedge, the president tells the New York Times he is confident that the Intel reports suggesting a Saudi role, but he said he's waiting of the results of the investigations by Saudi Arabia and Turkey following the lead of two key advisors.
BRIGGS: Jared Kushner who has close ties with the Saudis urging the president to move slowly. Two sources telling CNN, Kushner is warning his father in law against being pressured in to a quick decision on Khashoggi.
Another voice in that camp, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. He briefed the president on his trip to Ankara and (inauidble), then said this.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
MIKE POMPEO, SECRETARY OF STATE: I told President Trump this morning that we aught to give them a few more days to complete that, so that we too have a complete understanding of the facts surrounding that.
ROMANS: The Washington Post reporting that hard-line republicans lawmakers and commentators are mounting a whisper campaign against Khashoggi, aimed at protecting the president from criticism.
The post says conservatives have privately exchanged rightwing articles that highlight decade old assertions about his connections to the Muslim brotherhood and raised conspiracy theories about his work as a reporter covering Osama bin Laden.
BRIGGS: A former Saudi diplomat emerging as a key figure in the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi. According to a source familiar with the Turkish investigation, Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb, now, a Saudi intelligence officer was fully aware of the operation.
Mutreb is described as kernel in Saudi intelligence with close connections to crowned prince Bin Salman. CNN has learned Turkish officials suspected Khashoggi had been killed within hours of his disappearance.
Turkish intelligence officials even raced to the (inaudible) airport where a private Suadi plane was waiting to take off in attempt to find out whether the journalist had been abducted.
ROMANS: Overnight, Secretary of State Pompeo denied an ABC News report that Turkish officials played him in audio recording and showed him a transcript of Khashoggi's apparent murder.
Amid to growing controversy of the treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin has now decided not to participate in that high profile investor conference in Saudi Arabia.
That in fact and we're told was the withdrawal of several of Mnuchin's European counterparts. (Inaudible) the lone remaining media partner in the conference also dropped out on Thursday.
BRIGGS: Last night at that Montana rally, the president framed the midterm elections this way. Democrats create jobs, republicans create - excuse me, let me get that right. Democrats create mobs, republicans create jobs.
He also took a shot at Senator Elizabeth Warren, blasting his potential 2020 rival for the DNA test that she recently made public.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
TRUMP: The only good thing she did, I think she probably disqualified because she made a fool out of herself. But I think the only good thing she did; I can't call her Pocahontas anymore.
She has so little Indian, but she has none that I cannot call her Pocahontas anymore. But if you don't mind, I'll continue. Do you mind? Because it'll show everybody what a phony she is.
BRIGGS: Senator Warren's DNA test reveled she is between 1/64th and 1/1000th Native American.
ROMANS: Right. Two key democrats who are running for Senate are trying to distance themselves from their own party with 18 days to go before the midterms. Listen to this campaign ad for Indiana incumbent Joe Donnelly. He sounds like he's checking off the republican party's talking points.
SEN. JOE DONNELLY, D-IN: I split with my own party to support funding for Trump's border wall. The liberal (inaudible) wants to chop the defense spending. No way.
BRIGGS: Wow.
[05:05:00]
And Arizona Senate candidate, Kyrsten Sinema, admits it. She doesn't like to mention her party affiliation in her ads.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
UNIDENTIFED MALE: Are you a Democrat?
KYRSTEN SINEMA, SENATE CANDIDATE, D-AZ: I am.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Proud Democrat?
SINEMA: Gosh, it's hard to say proud. I don't know that - I'm not sure that people are even proud of parties anymore because I feel like the parties are not doing a good job.
(END VIDEOCLIP)
BRIGGS: The latest forecast from CNN's Harry Enten has Donnelly defeating Mike Braun by five points. And Sinema flipping Jeff Flake's seat, beating Martha McSally by one on a very tight race.
ROMANS: All right, an internal watchdog report finds Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and his wife, Lola, violated the department's government travel policy. Accroding to the Interior Inspector General, Zinke allowed his wife to travel with him in federal vehicles and tried to sidestep rules by making her at a volunteer at the agency. Volunteers travel free on the taxpayer's dime.
Some Interior employees say they felt pressured to designate Mrs. Zinke as a volunteer. They raised concerns. Secretary Zinke denies trying to skirt government regulations, but he has reimbursed the government for his wife's travel.
BRIGGS: Drain that swamp. Democrats accusing Presidnt Trump of a clear conflict of interest with respect to the location of FBI headquarters. Internal government emails show the president was more involved than had been known scraping plans to move the FBI out of the decaying Hoover building to the Washington suburbs.
The decision may benefit the president financially. You see, his hotel is a block away and could have ended up in competition with any hotel built on that current FBI site. Now, the Hoover will replace with the same site the more expensive option according to the GSA Inspector General.
Documents released by House Democrats cite emails from the General Services Administration. In one, a top GSA official describes the headquarters decision as, quote, "what the POTUS - president - directed everyone to do." The GSA said in a statement that the emails were taken out of context.
ROMANS: A heated argument in the west wing between two of the presidents' top aids. Sources telling CNN Chief of Staff, John Kelly, and National Security Advisor, John Bolton, got into a loud shouting match over a recent surge in border crossings. The president is irritated by the increase and is threatening to shut down the southern border. Both in favors of more hard line approach to immigration and is criticized Homeland Security Secretary, Kirstejen Nielsen, who used to serve as Kelly's deputy when he ran the department. We're told the president took Bolton's side in the argument.
BRIGGS: Outgoing U.N. Ambassador, Nikki Haley, drawing the biggest laugh of the night at the annual Alfred E. Smith Dinner in New York. Haley was the featured speaker at the fundraiser for Catholic charities, and boy was she a hit.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLEIP)
NIKKI HALEY, U.N. AMBASSADOR: Two years ago, President Trump was here and he made some waves with his remarks. Apparently no one here could have predicted that. So last year you went with Paul Ryan, who's a boy scout, and that's fine, but a little boring. So this year, you wanted to spice things up again, right? I get it. You wanted an Indian women, but Elizabeth Warren failed her DNA test.
(END VIDEOCLIP)
BRIGGS: Haley ended her remarks, though, on a more serious note.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP) HALEY: In our toxic political environment, I've heard some people in both parties describe their opponents as enemies or evil. In America, our political opponents are not evil.
(END VIDEOCLIP)
BRIGGS: But the president called Democrats evil during the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation.
ROMANS: All right, a very close call in America's longest war. Top U.S. commander in Afghanistan narrowly escapes injury in an insider attack that killed a powerful police chief. More from the Pentagon next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:13:00]
ROMANS: Volatility is back on Wall Street. Concerns about Saudi Arabia and global growth dragging down stocks around the world. It's been a rough October for stock investors. The Dow lost another 300 points yesterday, now down about 4 percent this month. The NASDAQ fell another 2 percent brining its October losses to 7 percent.
High-value tech stocks like Netflix, Facebook and Amazon have been hit particularly hard. Selling yesterday accelerated just after the Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin, announced he was backing out of a conference in Saudi Arabia. No other U.S. officials will attend.
Global investors have a long list of worries like rising interest rates. That hurts corporate profits but also raises mortgage rates. Home building stocks took a dive yesterday and, of course, there's the U.S.-China trade war to watch. In fact, China's economy is growing at the slowest pace since the financial crisis, 6.5 percent in the third quarter.
The Chinese economy faces loads of debt and pressure from U.S. tariffs. So far the U.S. has targeted $250 billion in Chinese goods but threatens all Chinese exports. That's worth more than $500 billion. Right now, global stocks are mostly higher.
BRIGGS: A stunning breach of security in Afghanistan. The top commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan narrowly escapes injury in an insider attack on local police. A powerful Afghan police chief was killed in the attack. Ryan Browne with the latest from the Pentagon.
RYAN BROWNE, CNN REPORTER: Good morning, Christine and Dave. A senior Afghan police chief and critical U.S. ally was killed in an insider attack in a government compound in Kanadahar yesterday. Now, this attack took place while just after the senior Afghan officials was meeting with the top U.S. general in Afghanistan, General Scott Miller, who was not injured in the attack, but two Americans were wounded - a U.S. service member and a U.S. civilian, government employee.
[05:15:00]
A coalition contractor was also wounded in the attack.
Now, U.S. troops were able to kill the assailant, but the Taliban claimed responsibility for the assassination attempt. And the assassination of a key U.S. ally as Afghanistan readies for elections this month raises questions about the country's ability to ensure security and stability as the U.S. seeks to transfer full security responsibility to the Afghanistan government. Back to you guys.
ROMANS: All right, Ryan. Thanks for that. We have breaking news this morning. Several military personnel injured when a Navy helicopter crashed on the aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan in the Philippine Sea. The cause of the accident, which happened shortly after takeoff overnight, is under investigation. None of the injuries are life threatening.
BRIGGS: The Justice Department issuing subpoenas to at least seven of the eight Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania. It's part of an ongoing investigation into priest sex abuse. Advocates for survivors say this is the first federal probe of this size and scope into sex abuse by the American Catholic clergy.
A Pennsylvania grand jury report found credible evidence that 301 predator priests abused more than 1,000 children in six dioceses since 1947. The Justice Department also subpoenaed a Buffalo diocese seeking information about pornography, taking victims across state lines, and inappropriate use of cell phones and social media.
ROMANS: All right, 16 minutes past the hour. Who has it tougher, a congressman or a prison inmate? One congressman's remarks might surprise you.
(SPORTS)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:20:00]
ROMANS: A curious comment from Republican Congressman Dave Brat. He stopped by a Virginia jail Wednesday to speak with inmates there about addiction. In audio obtained by the Washington Post, Brat drew parallels between the campaign ads against him, the attack ads against him, and the challenges the inmates there face. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVE BRAT, R-VA: You think you're having a hard time, I got $5 million worth of negative ads going at me. How do you think I'm feeling? Nothing's easy. You think I'm a congressman - "Oh, life's easy. This guy's off having steaks." Baloney, I have a daughter. She's got to deal with that crap on TV everyday. So it's tough.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: And moments later, he told the inmates that he his not dismissing the fact they do have it tougher. His democratic opponent, Abigail Spanberger, called Brats (audio gap).
BRIGGS: A new study, car crashes are up as much as 6 percent in some of the first states to legalize the sale recreational marijuana. Data reveals accidents are up in Colorado, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, compared to the neighboring states that haven't legalized recreational pot.
Campaigns to decriminalize marijuana are gaining traction in the U.S. Weed was legalized in Canada on Wednesday. It took just one hour for Winnipeg police to issue a ticket for driving and toking.
ROMANS: Right. Throw some more money into that office pool, the Mega Millions jackpot is up to $970 million, cash option, $549 million. That's the largest Mega Millions pot ever. The jackpot has been building since July 24; the drawing is at 11:00 pm eastern, tonight.
BRIGGS: Who wants to be a billionaire? Let's ask Lindsay Czarniak that question. The Red Sox heading back to the World Series, though, after pulling off an impressive five-game series win over the defending champs.
ROMANS: Lindsay Czarniak is here with the Bleacher Report. Hey, there.
LINDSAY CZARNIAK, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Four words. Happy Birthday, Alex Cora, the Red Sox manager, right.
BRIGGS: (inaudible) the rookie (ph).
CZARNIAK: A rookie manager.
BRIGGS: He was in the World Series last year, as bench coach.
CZARNIAK: Amazing guy, amazing manager. The truth though was that so much was expected of the Red Sox, after thisteam won 108 regular season wins, of course. But post-season success never guaranteed, Boston got a dominant performance from a pitcher who really felt he something to prove.
And the Red Sox clinched their first AL pennant since 2013. You have to be happy for pitcher David Price. His post-season struggles, they have been well documented. No wins in his first 11 post-season starts, then he steps up when it counted, pitching on three days rest, giving up just three hits, striking out nine in six innings.
He got the offensive support he needed. Yes, the three-run home run here to left center put the game on Ice, and Craig Kimbrel, who was in under the gun himself of late, gets the final out. And that was when the celebration truly began. 4-1 was the final in this one, Boston wrapping up the series in five games. As I said, a special moment for the Red Sox and their manager, Alex Cora, celebrating a birthday.
(CHANTING)
(CROSSTALK) It sounds so much better when you're celebrating like that, correct? Something tells me that might be better than a cake. It's pretty awesome. Yes, the Red Sox, but huge expectations, moving forward, too, because this team has a ton of confidence and obviously, they were really the best in the league in the regular season.
Finally, it was night Lakers fans had been waiting all summer long for. Yes, that would be LeBron James making his first regular season start in the purple and gold. He made his presence felt for the Lakers right away, against the Blazers. Watch this. Yes, out the inbound pass (ph). All alone, about that. Yes, highlight reel. The emphatic slam. A little bit like the first career dunk 15 years ago.
About 20 seconds later, he drives the lane again for another power slam.
[05:25:00]
Twenty-six points on the night for LeBron.
It wasn't enough. Damien Miller had 28 for the Blazers in a 128-119 win. Portland has won 16 straight now against the Lakers.
But to Briggs' point, this is a narrative I think we may hear a lot.
BRIGGS: We're going to see that show a few times.
CZARNIAK: Right.
BRIGGS: Who you got, Dodgers or Brewers to play the Sox Tuesday at Fenway?
CZARNIAK: I think we know who baseball wants - the Dodgers.
CZARNIAK: I think the Dodgers are going to be hard to overcome. Clayton Kershaw --
BRIGGS: Playing to games. I agree with you.
CZARNIAK: I agree with you.
BRIGGS: Good to see you, Lindsay.
ROMANS: Happy weekend. While the world waits for answers on a journalist presumed murdered by the Saudis, the president praises a congressman for assaulting a reporter.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Any guy that can do a body slam, he's my kind of guy (ph).
(END VIDEOCLIP) BRIGGS: Dramatic reenactment.
[05:30:00]
