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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Trump Pushed to Have Clinton Prosecuted; CNN Exclusive: Zuckerberg Not Going Anywhere; E. Coli Concerns for Romaine Lettuce; Cold Turkey; Judge Blocks Mississippi Abortion Law. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired November 21, 2018 - 04:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:30:21] KAYLEE HARTUNG, CNN ANCHOR: The clearest case yet of the president misusing the Justice Department. He tried to get DOJ officials to prosecute Hillary Clinton.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAURIE SEGALL, CNN BUSINESS SENIOR TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: Can you state for the record, did you know anything about this?

MARK ZUCKERBERG, CEO, FACEBOOK: Well, I -- like I said on the call, you know, I learned about this when I read the report.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAVE BRIGGS, CNN ANCHOR: CNN exclusive. Mark Zuckerberg fends off criticism after a report Facebook hired a PR hit firm.

HARTUNG: Keep romaine lettuce off your Thanksgiving table. An e. Coli scare forcing a warning from health officials.

BRIGGS: And temperatures taking an epically cold turn. Wind chills in the single digits in New York for Thanksgiving Day, putting the balloons in the parade in jeopardy.

Welcome back, everybody. I'm Dave Briggs.

HARTUNG: And I'm Kaylee Hartung. It's 31 minutes past the hour.

It turns out the president's calls to "lock her up" weren't reserved for campaign rallies. They were also heard inside the White House, where President Trump was taking steps to have the Justice Department actually prosecute Hillary Clinton. A source telling CNN president pressed then-White House counsel Don McGahn to make it happen.

BRIGGS: The president had been attacking Clinton for years by that point over her emails, the Clinton Foundation, and other matters. "The New York Times" first reported on the president's push to have Clinton and former FBI Director James Comey prosecuted.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN CHIEF LEGAL ANALYST: Well, this is what happens in authoritarian countries. The president orders, the president, the leader, orders the investigation and prosecution of his political enemies. Fortunately, there are people in the White House here who understood the traditions and the rules of the American legal system and said you can't do that, and it didn't happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARTUNG: McGahn fended off the president's repeated requests to have his rivals prosecuted. "The Times" reports McGahn had White House lawyers write a memo warning the president about all the consequences including possible impeachment.

McGahn has since left the White House after extensive cooperation with the Mueller investigation, including 30 hours of interviews that unnerved this president.

BRIGGS: A CNN source says the president also spoke repeatedly with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Matt Whitaker, now the acting attorney general, then chief of staff to Jeff Sessions. Mr. Trump asked them about Justice Department progress investigating Hillary Clinton. He'd been clear he intended to go after her including this remark at a presidential debate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If I win, I am going to instruct my attorney general to get a special prosecutor to look into your situation.

HILLARY CLINTON (D), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's just awfully good that someone with the temperament of Donald Trump is not in charge of the law in our country.

TRUMP: Because you'd be in jail.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARTUNG: He tried. Whitaker came to the meetings prepared to tell the president what justice was doing on Clinton-related matters, although our source said Whitaker did not seem to cross any line. More broadly, the president pressing Whitaker at the time seems to prove he was lying this month when he said this --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I don't know Matt Whitaker. Matt Whitaker works for Jeff Sessions, and he was always extremely highly thought of. And he still is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARTUNG: So far no comment from the Justice Department on all of this.

BRIGGS: Top Senate Republicans slamming President Trump for standing behind Saudi Arabia and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the wake of the murder of "Washington Post" journalist, U.S. resident Jamal Khashoggi.

In an official statement peppered with exclamation points, the president wrote, it could very well be that the crown prince had knowledge of this tragic event. Maybe he did, and maybe he didn't, exclamation. That being said, we may never know all the facts surrounding the murder of Mr. Jamal Khashoggi. In any case, our relationship is with the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

HARTUNG: That stand contradicts a CIA assessment that the crown prince did order the killing, a finding of which officials are highly confident. The president stood by his statement speaking to reporters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: Why are you siding with the Saudis over your own intelligence?

TRUMP: Because it's America first to me. It's all about America first. Saudi Arabia, if we broke with them, I think your oil prices would go through the roof. I've kept them down. They've helped me keep them down.

We'll see how that works out. It's a very complex situation. It's a sham, but it is what it is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARTUNG: That drew swift, sharp rebukes from leading Republicans. Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker tweeted, I never thought I'd see the day the White House would moonlight as a public relations firm for the crown prince of Saudi Arabia.

[04:35:04] BRIGGS: Wow.

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul wrote a series of tweets including this -- I'm pretty sure the statement is Saudi Arabia first, not America first. I'm also pretty sure national security adviser John Bolton wrote it.

Then there was this -- frank comment on the crown prince known as MBS from Senator Lindsey Graham.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: Saudi Arabia needs us more than we need them. It's not too much to ask an ally not to butcher a guy in a consulate. This is not World War II. So I'm not going to look away at what MBS did. I think he did it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: The Saudis have first denied any knowledge of Khashoggi's death, then later pinned the murder on a group of rogue operatives.

HARTUNG: New financial disclosures filed by Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker reveal more than $900,000 in payments from a conservative group he founded in 2014. The group known as FACT received almost all of its funding from a dark money organization which got at least some of its funding from major Republican donor Charles Koch.

BRIGGS: Most of Whitaker's income in the past few years came from FACT, although CNN paid him $15,000 as a legal commentator in 2017. The disclosures magnify concerns over whether the Senate would confirm Whitaker if the president nominated him as a permanent attorney general. Until yesterday, government watchdog groups had repeatedly raised concern about why the requests for the public documents had gone unfulfilled.

HARTUNG: President Trump ad mid his daughter and senior adviser Ivanka Trump did use private e-mail to conduct White House business during the start of his administration. But after years of criticizing Hillary Clinton for doing something quite similar, the president is denying any hypocrisy and drawing this distinction between the actions of his daughter and his political rival --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: There was no hiding. There was no deleting like Hillary Clinton did. There was no server in the basement like Hillary Clinton had.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARTUNG: Ivanka Trump's private e-mail use will face new scrutiny soon from Democratic and Republican leaders. They want to determine whether the president's daughter broke the law.

BRIGGS: Nancy Pelosi's bid to reclaim the speaker's gavel just got a big boost. Congresswoman Marcia Fudge, an Ohio Democrat who was weighing a potential challenge, announcing she will instead endorse Pelosi. Fudge says she made her decision after being assured black women will have a seat at the party's decision-making table.

Pelosi also announced plans to revive a subcommittee on election integrity and make Fudge the chairwoman in the new Congress. At this point, Pelosi has not faced a formal challenge in the speaker's race. She's encountered opposition from a small but vocal group of House Democrats who want new leadership.

HARTUNG: Now to the CNN exclusive we told you about. After a year of apologizing for Facebook's missteps, CEO Mark Zuckerberg is sounding a lot more defiant. Last week a "New York Times" report claimed the company wasn't transparent about Russia's interference in the 2016 election. The report also said Facebook hired a PR firm to dig up dirt on its competitors and encourage reporters to examine the links between liberal billionaire George Soros and activists protecting Facebook.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEGALL: Can you state for the record, did you know anything about this?

ZUCKERBERG: Well, I -- like I said on the call, you know, I learned about this when I read the report, as well. I'm not sure that's the most important point. I think your question is right that this is -- I do run the company. I am responsible for everything that happens here. I don't think that this point was about a specific PR firm. It was about how we act.

SEGALL: You know, the PR firm was founded by Republican political strategists. It launched a campaign linking Facebook critics to George Soros. This is a common tactic used by anti-Semitic and alt- right groups. That's why I think people were so shocked when they found out about this. I think that was part of the report that folks had real questions about.

Does that strike you as stooping low?

ZUCKERBERG: Yes. I wasn't particularly happy about that piece of it. And that's certainly a big part of what -- when I read about this what made me want to look into this more deeply. The intention was never to attack an individual. But there are these lobbying groups and folks out there whose primary purpose is to attack the company. And I do think it's fine to push back on them.

SEGALL: It's not common for tech companies to necessarily hire these types of firms. Many would argue it's a way of spreading the same type of conspiracy theories that Facebook has worked hard on the last couple of years to get on top of.

ZUCKERBERG: Yes. Look, from the review that I've done so far, it doesn't appear that anything that the group said was untrue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARTUNG: Well, Zuckerberg went on to say we have a different world view than some of the folks covering us.

BRIGGS: Terrific job there by Laurie Segall.

Global markets and U.S. futures down sharply today one day after the Dow last more than 500 points, wiping out all gains for the year.

[04:40:05] It's not alone. The S&P 500 also down for the year. Investors are worried the days of record profits are near an end with tech stocks taking the biggest hit here.

Tech companies have long been the darlings of Wall Street sending stocks to record highs. But now, Apple faces a slowing demand for iPhones, Facebook under scrutiny over data and privacy issues, as those stocks fall, so, too, does the market. In fact, these five big- tech names have lost more than $800 billion in combined market value since August.

But investors have a flurry of concerns -- higher interest rates, crashing oil prices, now at a 13-month low, a U.S.-China trade war. The bottom line after years of big profit growth, investors do expect a slowdown in 2019.

HARTUNG: Well, the numbers of people unaccounted for in the Camp Fire is taking another big jump overnight. Now potentially damaging rain is moving in for thousands without a home for the holiday. We'll have more when EARLY START returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:45:10] HARTUNG: The number of people unaccounted for in California's Camp Fire jumping back up to 870. An increase of 171 from Monday, according to Butte County officials. That number rising sharply as officials warned us they would because detectives were finally able to get to a backlog of voice mails. The death toll stands at 81 as the remains of two more victims were discovered on Tuesday. The Camp Fire now 75 percent contained.

Rain could become heavy over northern California, lasting into Saturday. This could present some challenges, though it could help with the air quality, we are talking about, triggering mudslides and debris flows. The estimated cost of fighting the Camp Fire and the Woolsey Fire, which has claimed three lives, now stands at $130 million. Losses are still being tabulated, but for comparison's sake, last year's smaller Napa fire resulted in more than $13 billion in claims.

You are looking at new video from a fire department helicopter flying through thick smoke from the Woolsey Fire to rescue three people and two dogs in the hills above Malibu. The Woolsey Fire is nearly 100 percent contained after charring close to 97,000 acres.

BRIGGS: A major health warning that could affect millions of Thanksgiving menus. The Centers for Disease Control warning consumers not to eat romaine lettuce due to a possibly E. coli contamination. Thirty-two people in 11 states have been infected with the outbreak strain. In addition, 18 people in Canada have become sickened.

Officials say consumers should not eat any romaine lettuce product. That includes whole heads of romaine, hearts of romaine, and bags and boxes of precut lettuce and salad mixes. So far, the FDA has not been able to tie the outbreak to a specific grower.

HARTUNG: I don't know about you, but lettuce wasn't on my Thanksgiving menu.

BRIGGS: Rarely on my Thanksgiving menu. Yes, nothing healthy allowed.

HARTUNG: On the East Coast for the holiday, one suggestion -- bundle up, it's going to be the coldest thanksgiving in New York in more than a century which could spell trouble for the Thanksgiving parade.

Meteorologist Ivan Cabrera has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN CABRERA, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Guys, it's a combination, good morning, of not just the arctic air but the winds as well, and that will make it feel like it's in the single digits.

Not today, balmy compared to what's coming. But the arctic air mass will be on top of us, will be easily the coldest spot in the nation. We could have the coldest Thanksgiving since we've been keeping records.

As far as the temperatures for today, 30s and 40s. But then Arctic Air will make its way in along with the wind. And look what happens here in New York, 26 for the wind chill through the early part of the morning, and then single-digit numbers for Thursday and Friday. Likewise in Boston, Philly, Syracuse won't get above zero as far as the wind chill. This is incredible stuff.

And, of course, we're going to have record lows here. Upwards of 16 record lows potentially through the early part of Thursday. And then for the big parade, bundle up if you're going to be out there. Look at these temperatures staying at the lower 20s. But with the wind at 15 to 20 miles an hour, that's going to make it feel like the upper single digits.

And if that wind gets steadily above 20 miles an hour, we'll have to cancel the balloons. We'll have to watch this closely. But either way, just pack accordingly. It is going to be a frigid Thanksgiving morning -- guys.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARTUNG: Thanks for the good news, Ivan.

BRIGGS: The first time I was go to go to the parade.

HARTUNG: 1971 was the last time the balloons were grounded.

BRIGGS: Hopefully, they say up this year.

HARTUNG: Hopefully.

Men making choices about women's rights. A sad irony, that's what a Mississippi judge said, as he ruled against a ban on abortion at 15 weeks. More ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:53:22] HARTUNG: A surprise overnight as a South Korean official has been elected the new president of Interpol. Members of the international policing agency passing on a Russian official who was expected to get the job.

CNN's Matthew Chance is live in Moscow with more.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kaylee, thanks very much.

It was a surprise announcement, you're right, because it's the Russian candidate Alexander Prokopchuk who'd been widely tipped to be elected as the next president of Interpol in the event the candidate, the delegates at the general assembly in Dubai that voted, they voted for the South Korean candidate, Kim Jong-yang. So, that averted further controversy for that international policing organization.

The reason the Russian candidate was so controversial, first of all, Russia has been accused repeatedly of having a flagrant disregard for international law. So, it was a feeling internationally that it would have been inappropriate for a Russian national to take over the reins of the international policing body. But also because Russia has been one of the worst offenders of abusing the Interpol system by issuing so-called red notices, the closest thing to international arrest warrants, against dissidents, critics of the Kremlin, and Russia's perceived opponents.

It's done that repeatedly around the world, and to figures including Bill Browder, U.S.-born businessman who gave a news conference yesterday, criticizing the possibility of a Russian national being made the president of Interpol.

[04:55:03] He issued this statement on Twitter earlier saying that after the South Korean was elected, reason prevails in this dark world. And so, a lot of people very satisfied at this election result.

HARTUNG: Reason prevailing, a novel concept sometimes. Matthew, thanks for the perspective.

BRIGGS: All right. Some strong words from a federal judge in Mississippi who blocked a state law that outlaws most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The only facility in the state that provides abortion services sued after the governor signed the measure in March. Judge Carlton Reeves calling it a sad irony that men are making decisions about a woman's reproductive rights.

HARTUNG: In his ruling, he writes, the state chose to pass a law it knew was unconstitutional to endorse a decades' long campaign fueled by national interest groups to ask the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade.

The judge also called the Mississippi legislature's professed concerns about women's health pure gaslighting.

BRIGGS: Former Michigan State University President Lou Anna Simon has been charged with lying to police in the Larry Nasser case. She is accused of misleading investigators about how much she knew about sex abuse allegations against Nassar, the doctor convicted of abusing young women while employed by the university and USA Gymnastics.

Simon resigned in January after 13 years but has still been on the university's payroll. Simon faces up to 12 years in prison. Her lawyer calls the charges political and untrue.

HARTUNG: Well, the Peas beat out the Carrots in a White House tradition, the annual turkey pardon at the White House. The president did the honors before jetting off to Mar-a-Lago for thanksgiving break. He said the vote was decided by a, quote, fair and open election, and Carrots refused to concede. He added this -- (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Even though Peas and Carrots have received a presidential pardon, I have warned them that House Democrats are likely to issue them both subpoenas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARTUNG: Both Peas and Carrots will live out the rest of their turkey lives at Virginia Tech's gobblers rest exhibit.

BRIGGS: That was funny.

While you were sleeping, Stephen Colbert had a field day with the turkey pardon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHEN COLBERT, COMEDIAN: The turkeys disguised themselves as vegetables so Trump would not be tempted to eat them. In the Twitter poll, the results came in at 11:00 a.m. today, it was a dead heat at 50/50. Even our turkey voting is just hopelessly divided in America.

These turkeys' remove might be short lived because the turkeys Trump spared last Thanksgiving are already dead. Man -- sad, they were put to rest according to their wishes, in individually labeled Tupperware.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: Brutal.

A check on CNN business this morning. Global markets and U.S. futures are down sharply. The Dow lost more than 500 points Tuesday, wiping out all gains for the year. It's not alone. The S&P 500 also down for the year. Tech stocks taking the biggest hit.

Tech companies helped send stocks to record highs but now, Apple faces slowing demand for iPhones, Facebook under scrutiny for data and privacy issues. And as those stocks fall, so, too, does the market. In fact, these five big-tech names have lost more than $800 billion in combined value since August.

Target's sales are hot but Wall Street is worried about the holidays. Target's stock fell more than 10 percent after reporting so-so earning. Same-store sales grew a robust 5.1 percent and online sales grew 49 percent. But costs are rising as target spends big to become a holiday heavy hitter. Target will roll out free two-day shipping and same-day delivery to compete with Amazon. It's also bolstering its toy offerings and expanding customer service.

Speaking of toys, this will be the first holiday season without giant Toys 'R' Us, but thousands of former workers will receive severance from a new $20 million fund. Toys 'R' Us went out of business in March, 31,000 jobs were lost. Two of its former owners, Bain Capital and KKR set up the fund to help laid-off employees. The move is considered rare among private equity-backed companies that

file for bankruptcy. Even so, the amount falls well short of the $75 million workers rights groups say employees are owed.

So, a tough holiday for thousands of workers across the country. Fortunately there's a tight labor market in this country.

HARTUNG: You know, I was just covering the wildfires. An abandoned and empty Toys 'R' Us became the site for a donation distribution center. Good to see that space being used for something positive.

EARLY START continues right now.

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HARTUNG: The clearest case yet of the president misusing the Justice Department. He tried to get the DOJ officials to prosecute Hillary Clinton.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEGALL: So, you are not stepping down as chairman?

ZUCKERBERG: That's not the plan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)