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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Wildfires in California Kills At Least 31 with 200-Plus Still Missing; Firefighters Slam Trump for Tweets on California Wildfires; Florida Governor Rick Scott Accuses Opponent of Election Fraud; Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams Sue to Include Rejected Votes; Sinema Widens Lead in Arizona Senate Race; Trump Back in White House After Paris Visit; Democrats Vow to Keep Whitaker from Hampering Russia Probe; L.A. Rams Put Emotions Aside to Beat Seahawks; Lakers Wear "Enough" Shirts to Honor Shooting Victims as They Edge Out Hawks at the Buzzer; Titans Blow Out Patriots 34-10. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired November 12, 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, HOST, EARLY START: And deadliest wildfires in the state's history.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR ANDREW GILLUM, TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA: What we are here to do today is to say count everything.

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BRIGGS: At this hour, Florida election officials recounting ballots for three state-wide races, one official in Palm Beach claiming it's impossible to finish the recount by the Thursday deadline.

Nationalism is a betrayal of patriotism. Some stinging words delivered by French President Emmanuel Macron as President Trump calls himself a nationalist. Live report from Paris on the president's visit.

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SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY), MINORITY LEADER, SENATE: If he stays there, he will create a constitutional crisis by inhibiting Mueller.

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BRIGGS: Democrats vowing to protect special counsel Robert Mueller from acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker; a vocal critic of the Russian investigation. Now, the president is distancing himself from Whitaker. Good morning everyone and welcome to EARLY START, I'm Dave Briggs, it's Monday, November 12th, it is 5:00 a.m. in the East, 2:00 a.m. in California and that's where we begin.

Thirty one people now dead in the California wildfires raging this morning with at least 200 people still missing, 29 killed in the Camp Fire in Northern California, two killed by the Woolsey Fire in Southern California. Found in their car, apparently trying to flee the flames. At least, six firefighters injured state-wide.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've never been so scared in my life.

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BRIGGS: In Northern California, terrifying drive through flames and heavy smoke as the entire town of paradise, almost 30,000 people was forced to evacuate at a moment's notice. That fire now the most destructive in California history, destroying nearly 6,700 buildings since it started Thursday.

High winds and tinder dry weather in the state, putting 25 million people, that's nearly 1 in 13 Americans under a red-flag warning at this hour. Cnn's Scott McLean in Los Angeles where 170,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes.

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Dave, Christine, the Woolsey Fire certainly has lost the strength and intensity that it once had. But that does not mean that the danger is over by any stretch. Even in this part of Malibu where it seems that the worst has come and gone, there are still hot spots, there are still smoldering areas.

Obviously, in this home, there's not really anything left to burn. But in other cases, there is. If you look through the other side of that canyon, you see the fire got to the bottom of it and then raced up to the other side. Somehow it managed to stop before it burned through those condos.

I know from talking to people on the other side though, there is concern that as the winds pick up right through to the Tuesday, that some of those fires could reignite and burn through some of the fuel that hasn't already burned. In this part of Malibu, well, there's some pretty stunning views and pretty amazing properties here.

If you look down here, well, you can see that there's a tree down, it seemed to have been burned at the bottom and then collapsed under its own weight, one of the many hazards in this area along with downed power lines, burned through power poles, things like that.

And check out this view right here. Well, someone had a view right out to the Pacific Ocean, would have been absolutely stunning, well, there's nothing left of this house right now except for a pretty view and some charred remains. This area is under a mandatory evacuation order, but even once people have started to get back in, well, it will be a long time before Malibu really looks like Malibu again -- Dave, Christine.

BRIGGS: Well, sure, well, Scott, thanks. Those strong winds and dry conditions expected to fuel the wildfires in the days ahead, here is Pedram Javaheri; our meteorologist with the latest.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Dave and Christine, yes, weather certainly not helping out the last couple of weeks, and frankly, the last couple of months. You take a look at the drought monitor, extreme droughts across the widespread areas of the western United States and in fact, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Sacramento, the last time these areas saw rainfall, that was more than a half an inch, was some seven to eight months ago.

So really puts it in perspective of what we're dealing with here, and high pressure in place, it's not going to change much. In fact, look at the long range forecast models, the next best bet for rainfall is around Thanksgiving. Still about 10 days out, so this is the trend where really stuck in, and you take a look at the pattern, the extreme situation for the fire concerns remain in place across Southern California while critical concern in place across the northern portion of the state.

Humidity in spots down to 3 percent to 4 percent, even into the early morning hours when you expect some recovery. And unfortunately, those mountainous winds in the valleys as well could see gusts as much as 70 miles per hour through much of this afternoon. And in fact, that's really played a significant role where the smoke has been going.

By Saturday, it was pushing well in-land, by Sunday, we saw some of that push away from land, unfortunately, we think this pattern is going to repeat itself the next couple of days with the next best window for weather improving potentially been as early as Wednesday -- guys.

[05:05:00] BRIGGS: All right, Pedram, thanks. President Trump's tweets on the California wildfires drawing some backlash from firefighters on Saturday. The president tweeted "there is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor. Billions of dollars given each year with so many lives lost all because of gross mismanagement of the forests.

Remedy now or no more Fed payments." Well, the head of the California Professional Firefighters Union Brian Rice shot back in a statement, calling the president's comments ill-informed, demeaning and dangerously wrong. "Wildfires are sparked and spread not only in forested areas, but in populated areas in open fields fueled by parched vegetation, high winds, low humidity and geography.

In my view, this shameful attack on California is an attack on all our courageous men and women on the front lines." It is worth noting, at least 60 percent of California forests are federally managed. That's according to the U.S. Forest Service report. For ways you can help those affected by the California wildfires, go to cnn.com-slash- impact.

Opposite coasts now, recounts are under way this morning in three Florida races including governor and U.S. Senate. Florida Governor Rick Scott; who is also the Republican Senate candidate claiming without evidence that his Democratic opponent and incumbent Senate Bill Nelson is committing election fraud.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GOV. RICK SCOTT (R), FLORIDA: Senator Nelson is clearly trying to

find -- trying to commit fraud to try to win this election. That's all this is.

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BRIGGS: The Florida Secretary of State who Scott himself appointed says there has been no allegation of criminal activity. The recount is scheduled to go on around the clock until it's complete recount, deadline been Thursday, but as Cnn's Ryan Nobles tells us, the process may last well into next month.

RYAN NOBLES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Dave and Christine, good morning from Tallahassee where this recount in Florida is under way. A massive effort where 8.5 million votes cast in these big elections are going to be recounted by machines in the 67 counties across the Sunshine State.

And over the weekend, we had several important developments in this recount process. The first was a trio of lawsuits that were filed by Rick Scott, the current governor and candidate for U.S. Senate. One of those lawsuits accuses the Broward County supervisor of election of counting ballots after the Saturday deadline.

Scott is also asking for the sheriffs in both of those counties to be responsible for the machines and ballots in both of those counties to impound them when there isn't counting taking place and after the recount is over. Now, in addition to those lawsuits, we learned that in Palm Beach County, the supervisor of elections there says that she thinks it is impossible for her county to complete their count on time, and that is significant.

Because that is a Democratic stronghold and it could potentially be a spot where in this recount, Democrats could regain some ground. Now, if they don't get their vote count on time in the recount, it will reverse back to the initial count that they delivered on Saturday at noon.

Now, this all has to be done by Thursday, that could trigger then a hand recount of the over votes and under votes. This is supposed to be certified by the 20th of November, that is of course Thanksgiving week. But there is always a possibility that lawsuits could creep into this process and it could take even longer. Dave and Christine --

BRIGGS: Oh, boy, Ryan Nobles, thank you. In Georgia, the State Democratic Party and its candidate for Governor Stacey Abrams are suing to halt the rejection of absentee and provisional ballots in the governor's race. Right now, Republican candidate Brian Kemp leads Abrams with 50.3 percent of the vote.

If that drops below 50 percent, that race automatically goes to a run- off in December. The Kemp campaign argues there aren't enough outstanding ballots to force a run-off though. Cnn has not projected a winner in the race. The Democrats lawsuit claims more than a 1,000 absentee ballots were wrongly rejected and asked the federal judge to order election officials to recount them.

The Abrams campaign says 5,000 votes were counted this weekend, most of them absentee or mail ballots, nearly all of those were for her. In the Arizona Senate race, Democrat Kyrsten Sinema's lead over Republican Martha McSally is widening. As of 1 O'clock, Sunday afternoon, Sinema held a 30,310 vote advantage, that puts her 1.4 percent ahead.

And Sinema's campaign manager believes there are more Democratic votes left to be counted than Republican. President Trump casting doubt on the election's legitimacy despite again no evidence of fraud.

Ahead, President Trump receiving some backlash after his visit to Paris to commemorate 100 years since the end of World War I. How the trip exposed increasing tensions with our European allies.

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BRIGGS: President Trump is back in Washington this morning after a brief weekend in Paris, commemorating the end of World War I. The White House revealing the president had lunch on Sunday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

According to Russia's state news agency, Putin felt the conversation, quote, "went well". President Trump facing backlash for canceling his visit to an American burial ground because it was raining. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders explained Marine 1 was unable to fly and driving by motorcade would disrupt traffic.

But the optics were undeniably awful as other world leaders were able to pay their respects. The president's visit also exposing cracks in the relationship between Mr. Trump and Macron. The French president offering up a sharp warning against the dangers of nationalism. A label President Trump has embraced.

Let's go live to Paris and bring in Melissa Bell. Melissa, is the bromance over?

[05:15:00] MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, most definitely, Dave. It had soured already you'll remember with the announcement by Donald Trump that trade tariffs would be reimposed on Europe. Emmanuel Macron, and he had a fairly testy phone call at the time, as you'll remember.

And ever since, there's probably been much more tension between the two men than there had before. That attempt of Emmanuel Macron; the French President to really reach out to his American counterpart really seemed to have failed on the substantive issues that Europe was looking for movement on.

But as you say, the trouble with this weekend, Dave, wasn't just that they seemed unable to get past those cracks in terms of the issues that failed the world -- that face the world at the moment. But in terms of the forum that the weekend took, this is a weekend about commemoration. This is somber mood. It is not the sort of military parade that

Donald Trump had enjoyed so much in the 14th of July, not last year. That is a national holiday. This one is a European worldwide occasion to look back and reflect and mourn the dead and remember what their sacrifices were for.

So for Donald Trump, the fact that the optics played so poorly was particularly unfortunate. And he also found himself, let's face it, Dave, facing a bit of a lesson, a drubbing from the French President back there at the Arc de Triomphe yesterday when he attacked him on that question of nationalism.

It was clearly seen as a rebuke of Donald Trump's political platform.

BRIGGS: Yes, and for good measure, Macron said "I don't make diplomacy through tweets." Melissa Bell live for us in Paris this morning, thank you. Democratic leaders in Congress vowing to block the new acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker from interfering with the special counsel's Russia investigation.

New York Congressman Jerry Nadler is set to chair the Judiciary Committee when Democrats take charge of the House. He tells Cnn if Whitaker doesn't recuse himself from overseeing the Mueller probe, he can expect to be at center stage at a hearing in January.

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REP. JERRY NADLER (D), NEW YORK: The questions we will ask him will be about his expressed hostility to the investigation, and how he can possibly supervise it when he's expressed the -- when he's come out and said that the investigation is invalid. That there was -- that it's contrary to the findings of every intelligence agency and there was no Russian interference in our election.

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BRIGGS: Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer warns if Whitaker doesn't step aside, they plan to attach legislation, protecting the special counsel to a must-pass spending bill. In the face of Democrats concerns that Whitaker was put in place to stop the Russia investigation. President Trump appears to be distancing himself from the acting AG.

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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't know Matt Whitaker. Matt Whitaker worked for Jeff Sessions and he was always extremely highly thought of, and he still is. But I didn't know Matt Whitaker.

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BRIGGS: "I didn't know Matt Whitaker". That of course flies in the face of what the president told "Fox News" just last month.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP) TRUMP: I never talk about that, but I can tell you Matt Whitaker is a

great guy. I mean, I know Matt Whitaker --

(END AUDIO CLIP)

BRIGGS: So which is it? White House counselor Kellyanne Conway tries to explain the discrepancy.

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KELLYANNE CONWAY, COUNSELOR TO DONALD TRUMP: What the president means is he's not sliding in somebody that's an old friend or somebody he thinks that he's discussed the Mueller investigation with at length.

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BRIGGS: OK, I think we got it. Ahead, we'll talk a little sports, a bulletin, Tom Brady is human. The Patriots quarterback had a chance to make a big play Sunday against the Titans, but that happened. Andy Scholes with the highlights and low-lights in New England next.

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BRIGGS: Well, after a rough week in Southern California, the Rams delivering a big win to give the community something to cheer about. Andy Scholes here this morning with the "BLEACHER REPORT", hey, buddy.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS REPORTER: Hey, good morning, Dave. You know, the Thousand Oaks shooting took place less than five miles from the Rams practice facility. And many of the teams players and coaches had to evacuate their homes because of all the wildfires. So it's been a rough week for the Rams.

And the team holding a moment of silence before the game for those who lost their lives in the shooting. And then the Rams, well, they did give their fans plenty to cheer about. Fourth quarter, Brandon Cook is going to take this hand-off in for the touchdown. He then finds Floyd Mayweather to give him the ball.

Now, it's actually the second touchdown ball given to Mayweather in the game. L.A., they beat Seattle 36-31, and afterwards, the team talked getting the win for So. Cal.

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JARED GOFF, QUARTERBACK, LOS ANGELES RAMS: It's been a tough week for the whole city, the whole area, up there in the northern L.A. area and I'm hoping today provided a little bit of joy and regularity for those people.

AARON DONALD, DEFENSIVE END, LOS ANGELES RAMS: There's been a lot of tragedy that has been going on, you know, we've all been affected by it, we had to move ourselves. So you know, to win a game like this, a divisional game and you know, trying to, you know, give people, you know, something to smile about.

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SCHOLES: Now, LeBron James, his Lakers teammates and the Atlanta Hawks meanwhile all wearing shirts with the word "enough" on them before their game last night to honor those who lost their lives in the Thousand Oaks shooting. The Clippers and Bucks wore those same shirts the night before.

After the game, LeBron said these mass shootings are becoming way too common.

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LEBRON JAMES, BASKETBALL PLAYER: It's just very troubling times for everyone. You know, and for parents, they are just -- you know, how do you -- how can you be comfortable with sending your kids to school or sending them to church or sending them to the movies or sending them to the mall.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[05:25:00] SCHOLES: As for the game, after missing two free throws down the stretch, LeBron had a big put-back dunk to put the Lakers up by one with five seconds left. Tyson Chandler will then come through with a big game-winning block right here as time expired. The Lakers beat the Hawks 107-106.

Sorry, finally, the Patriots once again trying the old trick play with Tom Brady as a receiver. Now unlike the Super Bowl, this time, Brady makes the catch, but then the turf monster got him or even stumbled to the ground, actually take a pretty hard hit right there.

And again, just like the Super Bowl, the Patriots opponents showing that they are better at this play. Marcus Mariota making a catch himself, he would get a first down on a big run. And the Titans surprisingly blowout the Patriots 34-10. And Dave, I'm wondering how many more times the Patriots are going to try that play because like it seems like it never goes right.

BRIGGS: Yes, there's a lot of things Tom Brady does well, running is just not one of them. But it's interesting, Scholes, Matt Patricia who has had a great year with the Lions thrashed he Patriots. Now Mike Vrabel who played for the Patriots thrashed them. What is it about --

SCHOLES: Yes --

BRIGGS: These guys that know the Belichick system that know exactly how to beat them. Do you have any theories?

SCHOLES: You know, maybe it's just that extra motivation and you know that they do know the insides and outs of what Belichick is thinking. So maybe that definitely helps when it comes to making that game plan.

BRIGGS: That was a butt-kicking on Sunday. Andy, thank you my friend --

SCHOLES: Yes, it was, all right.

BRIGGS: All right, more than 200 people still missing in California as firefighters work around the clock to get ahead of these wildfires. A report from the ground next.

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