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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Trump Renews Attack on Media amid Bomb Scare; Saudis Now Says Khashoggi's Killing was Premeditated. Aired 4-4:30a ET
Aired October 26, 2018 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:00:12] DAVE BRIGGS, CNN ANCHOR: Investigators focusing on Florida as they look for the bomber who tried to wipe out a legion of political leaders. All have been attacked by the president.
And the White House reportedly considering a travel ban of sorts to stop migrants from crossing the southern border just 11 days to the midterms.
Drowning in student loans? Well, one state is willing to help you pay them off. Just move there.
And a special birthday treat for a school custodian who is hearing impaired. Perhaps the story we all need this Friday morning.
Good morning, everyone. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm Dave Briggs. Christine Romans will be along shortly. Happy Friday. It's October 26th, 4:00 a.m. in the East.
The president of the United States up tweeting, watching cable news. We'll get to that shortly. That's all amidst the manhunt for whomever is behind one of the most sweeping assassination attempts in generations, now focused on the state of Florida.
Authorities believe several of the pipe bombs mailed to prominent critics of the president and to CNN went through the Postal Service processing center at Opa-locka, Florida, north of Miami. A Miami-Dade bomb squad and K-9 unit called in to help track the packages.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAM SWEENEY, FBI ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: We continue to advise the American public to remain vigilant as it does remain possible further packages have been or could be mailed. These devices should be considered dangerous.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: CNN has learned all 10 packages went through the U.S. mail system even though those handed off to private couriers like the one that came to CNN in New York.
Another new twist. Some of the packages as you may have noticed appeared to be missing postmarks that would help investigators focus their search. In several photos, no postmark is visible which could indicate a sender or senders working in different geographical areas. Thursday more packages tracked down, two on their way to former vice president Joe Biden and another to actor Robert De Niro. That makes 10 pipe bombs in total sent to figures loathed by the political right.
We heard more of them yesterday and from the Florida lawmaker whose address was used on the return labels.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT: We've got to turn off this hate machine. We've got to come together. The American public and all over the nation. People want us to be more civil. People want us to choose hope over hate. They want us to choose -- for real. I mean, it's guttural. People understand and words matter. Words matter.
REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (D), FLORIDA: We will never been cowed into submission by people who hate. Never. Never.
REP. MAXINE WATERS (D), CALIFORNIA: We should not crawl under the bed, close the doors, not go out, be afraid to go to rallies, whatever. We have to keep doing what we're doing in order to make this country right. That's what I intend to do. And as the young people said, I ain't scared.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: All the bombs is being transported to the FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia, for analysis.
President Trump hits the road again tonight. This time for a rally in Charlotte, his 39th since taking office. Not clear whether the president will bring up the mail bomb attacks or renew his assault on the media. Remember this from Wednesday night in Wisconsin.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Do 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, right?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: Didn't quite happen. Even at 3:14 a.m. Eastern Time, the president needed to remind everyone he's not responsible. We at CNN are. Yes, your president up watching cable news at 3:14. Quite an image.
Here's Kaitlan Collins from the White House.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Christine and Dave, it wasn't that long ago that President Trump called on the country to come together and make decisions about their political life peacefully but now that seems to be a thing of the past, even for this president just so shortly after he said that.
The president now abandoning those calls for unity and turning his focus once again on attacking the media, saying that they are the ones to blame for the division in the country, writing on Twitter that they are the ones who are responsible for this and they are the ones who need to change their tone.
He made similar remarks at that rally in Wisconsin on Wednesday night when after he called for a unity, he then turned to criticize the media, saying they are the ones who have false reporting out there that is contributing to the division that we have seen sweep our country.
[04:05:02] Now President Trump held two events at the White House yesterday. He made no remarks about the attacks. But in the meanwhile, he was telling his confidante and his allies that he believes he was in the right by attacking the media because he did not want to be linked to any of these bombings and he felt that the media was unfairly doing that.
And White House aides say they are taking their cues for him and they believe he is right that it is the media to blame for all the activity that's happening in the nation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARAH SANDERS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Day in, day out, there is a negative tone. Ninety percent of the media attention around this president is negative despite historic job creation, despite the fact that our economy is booming, despite the fact that trade deals that everybody said couldn't be made have been made.
You guys continue to focus only on the negative. And that is -- there is a role to play.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: President Trump has yet to call anyone who was targeted as a part of these attacks. Not President Barack Obama, not Hilary Clinton, not Joe Bidden. No one who has been targeted has gotten a call from the president just checking in or updating them on the investigation. A senior White House official who said right now there are no plans to do so -- Christine, Dave.
BRIGGS: All right. Kaitlan Collins, thank you.
The Trump administration considering a new travel ban of sorts along the U.S.-Mexico border. The "San Francisco Chronicle" reporting the president would use executive action to block certain asylum seekers. It's the same legal authority the president evoked last year when he imposed a ban on people from Muslim majority countries. After several revisions, the Supreme Court panel ultimately upheld that ban.
This new executive order would bring a dramatic escalation in enforcement at the same time a caravan of migrants from Central America is heading slowly toward the United States more than a month out. The proposal is not finalized and could still be scrapped according to the report.
Here is what Homeland Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen told FOX. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIRSTJEN NIELSEN, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: Everything is on the table. I mean, I just can't be clear, everything is on the table. Every measure we've tried, every measure we haven't tried, everything is on the table to make it very clear that we have the sovereign right to protect our system.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: The migrant advocacy group Families Belong Together says the plan is, quote, "straight up a Latino ban." The group calls for, quote, "common sense immigration laws that make our country strong by respecting people's rights and honoring our shared values."
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich appears to be suggesting the motivation to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court was to keep the president's tax returns under wraps. During a live interview hosted by the "Washington Post" last night Gingrich was asked what to expect if Democrats win the House and subpoena Mr. Trump's returns.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEWT GINGRICH (R), FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER: This is a billionaire who has fought lawsuits his entire career. And he's never noticed them. He doesn't care. That's why he has lawyers.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What about if they subpoena his tax returns?
GINGRICH: Then they'll be trapped into appealing to the Supreme Court. And we'll see whether or not the Kavanaugh fight was worth it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: When asked why the president seemed to be raising that fear of being investigated by Democrats, Gingrich said it's, quote, "because he wants everyone to go vote."
A federal judge says Georgia voters cannot have their ballots thrown out on a technicality. A judge ordered election officials to stop rejecting absentee ballots with voter signatures that do not appear to match those on record. Two federal lawsuits have charged election officials in Gwinnett County violated voters' rights. The judge has proposed order requires county officials to sent voters pre-rejection notices and resolve issues within three days after election day. A spokesperson for Gwinnett County said it is reviewing the order.
Democrat Stacey Abrams has made voter suppression a key campaign issue. Her Republican opponent Brian Kemp oversees elections as Georgia's secretary of state. Kemp's campaign referred CNN to the attorney general's office which refused to comment.
President Trump outlining a plan to revamp the way Medicare pays for certain pricey drugs. The proposal would base its reimbursement levels on drug costs in other countries which is typically far less. A government report says drug makers charge 80 percent more in the U.S. than in other countries for medications under Medicare Part B.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: The Americans pay more so that other countries can pay less. Very simple. That's exactly what it is. It's wrong. It's unfair.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: The proposal likely to run on a major resistance from interest groups which has doomed prior administrations' attempts to control Medicare payments. The announcement comes as Republicans try to bolster their standing with voters on health care ahead of the midterm elections.
Reality star and transgender activist Kaitlyn Jenner now turning her back on President Trump.
[04:10:03] The self-identified conservative Republican saying she was wrong about the president's commitment to lesbian, gay and transgender rights. Many in the LGBT community were upset by Jenner's vocal support for the president. But in a "Washington Post" op-ed Jenner says she thought she could work within the administration to support her community. She now says that was a mistake.
She says, "The reality is that the trans community is being relentlessly attacked by this president. He's ignored our humanity, he has insulted our dignity, he has made trans people a new political pawn and it's unacceptable, it is upsetting, and it has deeply personally hurt me."
This week "The New York Times" reporting the administration is looking at narrowing the definition of gender or person's biological sex at birth. In effect erasing transgender people.
Coming up after all the changing and shifting explanations, a whopper from the Saudis. The murder of Jamal Khashoggi was premeditated.
What it means for the crown prince? We're live in Istanbul.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:15:13] BRIGGS: 4:15 Eastern Time. Another big shift in Saudi Arabia's explanation for the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The Saudis now admit "The Washington Post" columnist murder was premeditated.
International diplomatic editor Nic Robertson live for us in Istanbul with the latest.
Nic, good morning to you. So now a stunning admission?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, no, Dave, sort of the fifth iteration that we've heard from the Saudis so far. They have said variously that -- you know, that there was a standing order that dissidents should be rendered back to Saudi Arabia, going back to the previous king. This premeditation doesn't imply that the crown prince was responsible. Seems to be far from it. That his own officials close to him could have acted off their own initiative and then bungled it in a way that president who -- President Trump has described and described a cover-up as the worst cover-up ever.
So it seems at the moment it still begs that very strong question. And what did Gina Haspel, the CIA chief here, from Turkish authorities when she came here, did she hear more than just the tape that we understand Turkish authorities have that very clearly we're told or led to understand shows the brutal murder of Jamal Khashoggi or was there more information? The sort of smoking gun of some kind that implicates Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman?
But what we have been seeing from the Saudis so far is that each iteration seems to be designed to get around evidence or information that they think may upset their previous narrative. So there seems to be an effort to change it here.
What does seem to be the situation here at least is that the drip feed of details from the government and Turkey has slowed up, perhaps waiting to see what President Trump's decision will be now he's heard -- now he's heard from Gina Haspel -- Dave.
BRIGGS: Boy, it is getting difficult to track. Nic Robertson live for us in Istanbul. Thank you.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Happy Friday. It's 17 minutes after the hour.
The reason you don't panic when stocks tank one day, you might miss the bounce back. The Dow closed up 401 points. That's 1.6 percent Thursday. The broader S&P 500 gained about 1.9 percent and the Nasdaq surged 3 percent. That's the best day for tech stocks since March. Stocks bounced back after a sharp drop Wednesday that sent the Nasdaq into a correction.
Stocks have had a nerve-wracking swing this month. We're coming to grips with concerns about rising rates and a trade war holding back what is a booming economy. The S&P 500 has fallen now 7 percent in October and the Nasdaq is down 9 percent. That would be its worst month since November 2008. Remember that?
Now looking ahead to the GDP, a favorite economic statistic of the president who has promised 4 percent plus annual growth. Last quarter, he got 4.2 percent fueled by consumer spending from the tax cuts and corporate investments. Will it last?
This forecast for the quarter is 3.3 percent. Here is what the trend looks like. The spike in economic growth is exactly why this president has complained about his Fed chief Jerome Powell and the Fed slowly raising interest rates. The Fed hiking rates to prevent the economy from overheating. But Trump's top trade adviser Peter Navarro is on his side.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETER NAVARRO, WHITE HOUSE TRADE ADVISER: I agree with the president that the Fed, even though has its independence, I agree with the president's sentiment that they started to raise rates too fast.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: The Fed will release that GDP figure at 8:30 a.m. today.
BRIGGS: A preview? The president will turn his anger towards the Fed chief.
ROMANS: I don't know.
BRIGGS: When he sees the number he doesn't like.
ROMANS: Maybe. Maybe. And there's also the risk this could be a stronger than expected number. I mean, the economy has done very, very well this summer.
BRIGGS: Yes.
ROMANS: And consumer spending was something that was really driving numbers earlier in the year in part because of the tax cuts, the president's tax cuts.
BRIGGS: Sure.
ROMANS: Which are temporary for --
BRIGGS: Sugar boost.
ROMANS: Yes.
BRIGGS: Anything in the mid threes? Jerome Powell, be ready for a tweet.
ROMANS: All right. Remember the real estate tycoon who said this on an open microphone?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT DURST, REAL ESTATE TYCOON: What the hell did I do? Kill them all, of course.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Now Robert Durst will face murder charges.
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[04:23:57] BRIGGS: You got student loan debt? Well, the state of Maine may be willing to help you pay it all off but there's a big catch. You have to move there. Maine draws $36 million tourists each year, but can't get young people to live there.
The state has the oldest population in the nation with the median age of 44. So officials are expanding a program they started 10 years ago to attract young professionals. It allows them to subtract their total student loan payments for the year from their state income taxes.
By the way, the beaches are beautiful and the skiing is world class. I do highly recommend it.
ROMANS: The lobster. The lobster.
BRIGGS: It's lovely.
ROMANS: Skiing and beaches, lobster.
BRIGGS: It's a lovely town. Yes.
ROMANS: Yes, it is.
All right. The real estate tycoon who was subject of an HBO true crime miniseries has been ordered to stand trial for murder. The Los Angeles County prosecutor says Robert Durst shot and killed his close friend and confidant Susan Berman in 2000. That was just hours before Berman was to speak with investigators about the disappearance of Durst's first wife Kathleen.
Durst's interview for the 2015 HBO documentary series "The Jinx" provided a major break in the case.
[04:25:03] He took a bathroom break apparently forgetting he was wearing a live microphone.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DURST: What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Durst is set for arraignment on November 8th.
BRIGGS: Here is the story we need this morning. America and proof a picture is worth 1,000 words even if you can't hear it.
That's James Anthony moved to tears on his 60th birthday. James is the custodian at Hickerson Elementary School in Tennessee. He happens to be hearing impaired so the kids learned how to sign "Happy Birthday" while they were singing it. The gesture moved James to tears. He's been part of the Hickerson Elementary family for the first 15 years.
That moved us to tears as well this morning.
ROMANS: I know. There are good people in the world.
BRIGGS: There are. There are good things happening in America.
ROMANS: And there are children. Yes, the children and teachers.
BRIGGS: Yes.
ROMANS: Happy birthday, James. BRIGGS: Children teaching adults.
ROMANS: Yes.
BRIGGS: How to act.
ROMANS: Happy birthday, James.
BRIGGS: All right. Ahead, a nationwide manhunt moves south. Investigators focusing on Florida as they look for the bomber who targeted the president's political opponents.
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