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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Investigators Follow Mail Bomb Leads; Trump Points a Finger at the Media Amid Pipe Bomb Scares; Turkish Investigators Call on Saudis for Full Cooperation; North and South Korean Agree to Remove Weapons at the Border; Aired 4-4:30a ET
Aired October 25, 2018 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[04:00:14] DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The media also has a responsibility to set a civil tone and to stop the endless hostility.
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DAVE BRIGGS, CNN ANCHOR: President Trump pointing fingers hours after assassination attempts on several of his favorite political targets and us here at CNN. It's being treated as domestic terror. A manhunt is underway.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Trouble in the markets. The Dow and the S&P 500 erasing all gains for the year. The Nasdaq in official correction.
BRIGGS: And here we go again. No Powerball winner overnight sending Friday's jackpot to $750 million.
Good morning, everyone, and welcome to EARLY START. I'm Dave Briggs.
ROMANS: And I'm Christine Romans. It is Thursday, October 25th. It is 4:00 a.m. exactly in the East.
The big question this morning, is it over? A series of mail bombs sent to prominent Democrats and to the CNN newsroom here in New York. None exploded. But a source tells CNN the FBI is handling the investigation as domestic terrorism. The bureau itself warns more devices may have been mailed to other locations. The New York police commissioner echoing that concern.
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JAMES P. O'NEILL, NEW YORK POLICE COMMISSIONER: This is open-ended. All right. Last night we have one and then we have six so we have to operate under the assumption that there are more out there.
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BRIGGS: Law enforcement trying to track down a package addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden. It was misaddressed and sent back to the same bogus address printed on other packages, the office of Congressman Debbie Wasserman Schultz in Florida. The first package was hand-delivered Monday to the New York estate of liberal philanthropist George Soros.
ROMANS: Late Tuesday another pipe bomb was intercepted by the Secret Service. It was addressed to the Clintons' Chappaqua home. Wednesday explosives were intercepted on the way to the Obamas' D.C. home. A device intended for Representative Maxine Waters was found at a congressional mail facility. A package for former Attorney General Eric Holder was misaddressed and sent to Wasserman Schultz's Florida office, where -- was I guess the return address on that package.
And a package intended for former CIA chief John Brennan arrived at CNN. For the record he works for NBC as a national security analyst. He does not work for CNN.
BRIGGS: A source says the Brennan's package contained a white substance that may be pyrotechnic powder from the bomb itself.
For the latest on what officials are looking for, here's Miguel Marquez.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Christine, Dave, now the biggest concern is, are there any more devices either out there or being delivered? A national hunt now on the way for whoever is responsible for sending these bombs.
Investigators now looking into several things, both looking at videotape here in the New York area and others, the packaging of the bomb to see what they can glean from that, any DNA left, any fingerprints on that bomb, and then the bomb itself, the pipe, the trigger, the glue, the tape, the explosive itself, to see if there are signatures that will help them understand who did this.
Several of the bombs had also had stamps placed on them, but then had been hand-delivered. And that maybe something that also plays into this investigation. But right now a national hunt on for whoever is responsible. And the hope is -- in releasing that picture is that no one will be injured by similar packages that are out there and it may jar someone's memory or give them information on leads that officials are now desperate for -- Christine, Dave.
ROMANS: All right, Miguel, thank you for that report.
The terror threat did not change the president's schedule. He showed up for a political rally in Wisconsin last night. Clearly had the failed pipe bombings on his mind.
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TRUMP: And by the way, did you see how nice I'm behaving tonight? This is like -- have you ever seen this? We're all behaving very well. And hopefully we can keep it that way.
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ROMANS: But after an earlier call for unity, the president did not acknowledge his own role in this heated political environment.
Kaitlan Collins was at the rally.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Christine and Dave, President Trump brought up those attacks as soon as he got on stage here in Wisconsin. He denounced the attacks. He called for unity. But one thing we did not hear from President Trump were the names of the people that those packages were addressed to. Former President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Maxine Waters.
Any of the President's, usually, favorite political targets at rallies like this, he did not mention them when he got on stage nor did he mention CNN, another favorite target of his while he was discussing these attacks today and calling for unity.
[04:05:05] However, he did point to the media at one point saying that they need to be the ones who make sure they are setting a civil tone. Here's what he said.
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TRUMP: Any acts or threats of political violence are an attack on our democracy itself. Those engaged in the political arena must stop treating political opponents as being morally defective. As part of a larger national effort to bridge our divides and bring people together, the media also has a responsibility to set a civil tone and to stop the endless hostility and constant negative and oftentimes false attacks and stories. Have to do it. Have to do it.
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COLLINS: For the rest of the night we did see a slightly more subdued tone from President Trump. Now whether or not the president moves forward with this subdued tone, stops calling out Hillary Clinton at the few rallies that he does have before those voters go to the polls in less than two weeks for the midterms, that's an open question. But what we did see tonight was President Trump call for civility, but made no points about anything he said the critics have said was uncivil -- Christine and Dave.
BRIGGS: Kaitlan Collins there in Wisconsin.
White House officials rejecting calls for President Trump to tone down the rhetoric insisting he should not be blamed for the crazy things that violent people want to do. If there is any doubt the president's words might have contributed to the failed pipe bombings, consider this.
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TRUMP: Fake as hell CNN. The worst. Don't worry. I don't like him either. Hillary is a very dishonest person. If you look at the things she
says, I mean, they're so dishonest. I think Brennan is a very bad guy and if you look at it a lot of things happened under his watch. I think he is a very bad person.
And of course, the legendary low IQ Maxine Watters. Low IQ person.
It was very polarized under President Obama. Unbelievably polarized under President Obama.
They'll go to a person holding a sign, who gets paid by Soros or somebody.
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ROMANS: You heard the president referring to John Brennan, the former CIA director, as a, quote, "very bad person." Last night Brennan said this about the pipe bomb addressed to him that was sent to CNN.
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JOHN BRENNAN, FORMER CIA DIRECTOR: Donald Trump has not helped to encourage the type of civil discourse and public engagement, and his redirect, too frequently I think, fuels these feelings and sentiments that now are bleeding over into potentially acts of violence.
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ROMANS: The White House did not reach out to President Obama, the Clintons or any of the other officials who received those pipe bombs.
BRIGGS: Now in fairness, the president is not the only politician using overheated rhetoric these days. Conservatives are quick to point to comments like this one from California Congressman Maxine Waters.
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REP. MAXINE WATERS (D), CALIFORNIA: If you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd. And you push back on them. And you tell them they're not welcome.
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BRIGGS: And there's also when they go low, we kick them from Eric Holder. In the wake of the pipe bomb attacks, you might have expected a softer tone from the right-wing talk show circuit. Instead you got conspiracy theories and fear mongering.
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RUSH LIMBAUGH, CONSERVATIVE RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Not one of these bomb went off. And if a Democrat operative's purpose here is to make it look like, hey, you know, there are mobs everywhere. The mobs are not just Democrat mobs. MICHAEL SAVAGE, CONSERVATIVE RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: It's a high
probability that the whole thing is set up as a false flag to gain sympathy for the Democrats, number one, and number two, to get our minds off the hordes of illegal aliens approaching our southern border.
SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Democrats, after weeks of literally calling for incivility and kicking, and, you know, getting in people's faces and following them, telling them you're not wanted anywhere anymore, all of a sudden are pretending to be the party of peace. This is hypocrisy at its worst.
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ROMANS: Two hours after the news of the pipe bombings broke, the president's re-election team sent out an e-mail signed by Mr. Trump's daughter-in-law Laura, it says, "I have some breaking news for CNN. That is, the real America that exists outside of the liberal bubble." The president's campaign manager apologized later claiming the e-mail was a pre-programmed automated message that was not caught before the news broke.
BRIGGS: While you were sleeping, late-night hosts did address the pipe bombs but they didn't exactly take it too seriously.
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SETH MEYERS, HOST, "LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS": The White House issued a statement today condemning the suspicious packages sent to the homes of the Clintons, former President Obama, and CNN's New York City headquarters.
[04:10:08] Trump has ordered the FBI to look at several suspects including the Clintons, Obama, and CNN.
STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, "THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT": CNN evacuated everybody from their offices. I assume Wolf Blitzer did his show from the situation bodega.
TRUMP: We have to unify. We have to come together.
COLBERT: Both sides must come together with respect. Be they Republicans or crooked lying Soros bought Dems, working for the enemy of the people, CNN, the "Caravan News Network." And body slam.
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ROMANS: All right. Stephen Colbert, thank you for that.
Chances are if you bought blue chip stocks this year, you are now losing money. The stock market plunged yesterday wiping out all of its gains for 2018 after the markets closed. The S&P 500, the Dow both negative for the year. The Nasdaq is in what we call a correction, meaning it's 10 percent below the all-time high hit in August. Blue chips are now down six days in a row. The Dow down 2.4 percent. Nasdaq down 4.4 percent and the S&P 500 down 3.1 percent in just one day.
Look, there's a lot of movement in the stock market but a one-day move above 2 percent gets your attention. This month the Nasdaq is down 11.7 percent. The Dow is down 7 percent. And S&P 500 down 9 percent.
The big question is why. A major adjustment underway in the stock environment. Investors are coming to grips with something being called peak earnings. But the golden days of a booming economy and rich tax cuts for companies and very low interest rates are now and will likely begin to fade. Those golden days will begin to fade next year.
As big companies report their big profits, they're beginning to note higher costs from trade disputes and higher wages. Higher wages, by the way, good for employees, bad for profits. And of course the stock market reflects profitability of companies, not necessarily workers conditions.
Tech stocks also suffered after yesterday's close. Netflix plummeted 9 percent. Facebook dropped 5 percent and Amazon lost 6 person. U.S. futures up a little bit here right now.
BRIGGS: The "New York Times" reporting China and Russia are listening in on the president's private cell phone conversations raising security concerns. "The Times" says the president's phone is not secure, but he refuses to stop using the device. Government officials cited in a report say China is attempting to use findings from the president's calls to develop a winning strategy with its trade dispute with the U.S.
China is also trying to use its own business leaders to influence people with connections to the president's inner circle. Mr. Trump told the "Wall Street Journal" this week he uses, quote, "discretion" when talking on his cell phone.
ROMANS: Wait a minute. All that cry over Hillary Clinton with an unsecured e-mail server. And the president --
BRIGGS: Cry, chants of lock her up for that.
ROMANS: And the president is on the phone and we know the Russians and the Chinese are listening?
BRIGGS: We know they are intercepting on this third cell phone. Apparently he has two that are secure and a third that is not.
ROMANS: It's interesting because in that article it also talked about how the Chinese now have been lobbying the people who are friends of the people that Trump is talking to.
BRIGGS: Yes. Notably Steve Wynn.
ROMANS: Unbelievable.
BRIGGS: Retired casino magnate.
ROMANS: All right. It looks like the latest Megyn Kelly controversy may be the last straw for NBC.
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[04:17:23] BRIGGS: President Trump will be briefed today by CIA director Gina Haspel on her trip to Turkey. The "Washington Post" reporting Haspel listened to the audio of Jamal Khashoggi's murder during her trip. Today we could learn more about what happened to the slain U.S.-based journalist.
CNN's Nic Robertson is live in Istanbul with the very latest. Nic, good morning.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, good morning, Dave. Key would be getting into the consul-general's residence here. Of course Turkish investigators got in a week ago, but we've now found out that Saudi officials wouldn't allow them to get inside the well that's in the basement of the building there.
Why wouldn't they be allowed there? No one is clear on that. There's certainly speculation here amongst Turkish journalists today those Turkish investigators will get a second shot, will work out some kind of deal with the Saudi officials to get inside the consul-general's residence.
Why is this important? Because this is the place where the cars from the consulate came to shortly after Jamal Khashoggi was killed. So the speculation is could his body be hidden in here? Could it be in that well? Investigators didn't find anything before. They are waiting to get back in.
And of course, this lack of cooperation apparently from Saudi Arabia to allow Turkish investigators back in flies in the face of what the crown prince in Saudi Arabia said yesterday about full cooperation with Turkish authorities. He also had a rather, it seemed at the moment, a lackluster, if you will, joke about the Lebanese prime minister who was on stage with him joking that he wasn't taking him hostage. Of course last year the Lebanese prime minister was held apparently against his will in Saudi Arabia for nine days -- Dave.
BRIGGS: Nic Robertson live for us in Istanbul. Thank you.
Back here, Megyn Kelly will not be live on her NBC program this morning and there are doubts she'll ever be back. Kelly in hot water, you might remember, with the network for her controversial comments about blackface costumes in Halloween. A source familiar with the situation telling CNN her show will be ending and confirmed she is in talks about a new role at NBC.
Kelly started her show Wednesday by apologizing for her remarks. NBC News chairman Andy Lack condemned her comments during a previously scheduled town hall meeting.
No winner in Wednesday night's $602.5 million Powerball jackpot. The estimated jackpot for Saturday's drawings is now $750 million. Last night's winning numbers 3, 21, 45, 53, 56 and the Powerball was 22. [04:20:00] So far no sign of the $1.6 billion Mega Millions Jackpot
winner. That ticket was sold at the KC Martin Simpsonville, South Carolina. The store owner gets a $50,000 payoff when the winner collects. Doesn't seem like much, right?
The Boston Red Sox two wins away from the World Series title. A two- run single by J.D. Martinez highlights a three-run fifth inning, leads the Sox to a 4-2 victory over the Dodgers and 2-0 series lead.
David Price winning his second straight post-season start. He was winless in his first 10 appearances. Game three in Los Angeles tomorrow night.
Coming up, North and South Korea taking a major step toward deconfliction along the DMZ. We're live in Seoul with the very latest.
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[04:25:17] ROMANS: New this morning, in another sign of warming relations, the two Koreas have agreed to remove weapons from a key border village.
CNN's Paula Hancocks live in Seoul with more. What does this mean, Paula?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Christine, this is really a very symbolic move. This part of the DMZ is where North and South Korean soldiers have been facing off against each other for decades. It's where we have seen pockets of violence broke out in the past as well. So this is now a part of the Pyongyang agreement that the North and South Korean leaders agreed to last month in the North Korean capital.
This military agreement to try and reduce tensions so they are taking out all the firearms. There will be guards on both sides of the border still but they won't be armed. They won't be wearing vests.
They are also saying that they are continuing to get rid of the landmines in the region that they say that's been estimated 800,000 within the DMZ and just recently the South Korean Defense Ministry found remains of a South Korean soldier from the Korean War as they were carrying out this de-mining. They believe that at least 200 more in that area. Potentially 100 U.S. and French remains from the Korean War as well and countless North Korean and Chinese soldiers could have their remains there.
So this is really just another sign of the cooperation between the two Koreas -- Christine.
ROMANS: And Paula, this is a place where not very long ago, you had a North Korean soldier, right, who came running across the border, was shot five times trying to seek, you know, refuge in the South. This is what we're talking about.
HANCOCKS: Exactly. That was this time last year, which shows just how quickly things have changed. Now the North Korean soldiers that were firing were actually firing across the border into South Korea, the South Korean side of the DMZ, which shows it is significant that those firearms will be got rid of.
ROMANS: All right. Paula, thank you so much for that.
BRIGGS: All right. Ahead, a manhunt under way for a domestic terrorist after assassination attempts against two former presidents, the vice president, the secretary of state and attorney general, a CIA director and us here at CNN.
Now the president says it's on the media to change.
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