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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Bush Lying in State; What Does Michael Flynn Know?; Haspel to Brief Senators on Khashoggi; Another Kareem Hunt Accusation. Aired 4- 4:30a ET

Aired December 04, 2018 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:20] CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: George Herbert Walker Bush lying in state at this hour. President Trump paying respects as funeral details are revealed.

DAVE BRIGGS, CNN ANCHOR: After a year of silence, we're about to hear how much Michael Flynn knows about the president's ties to Russia. Critical details expected today from the special counsel.

ROMANS: The CIA director briefing select senators on the Jamal Khashoggi case. Her absence last week drew scorn from lawmakers.

BRIGGS: And another assault allegation against former NFL Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt. One NFL announcer is saying enough is enough with the second chances, although the Washington Redskins are in need of a quarterback. Colin Kaepernick remains on the sideline. They put a waiver claim on the domestic abuser a week ago.

Good evening, everyone. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm Dave Briggs.

ROMANS: And I'm Christine Romans. It is Tuesday, December 4th. It is 4:00 a.m. in the East.

Exactly at this hour, George H.W. Bush is lying in state in the Capitol rotunda. His body will remain there until tomorrow morning for public viewing.

Mr. Trump and the first lady among the visitors paying respects last night. After a moment of silent, Mr. Trump saluted America's 41st president while Mrs. Trump held her hand over her heart.

BRIGGS: Today, the president will visit the Bush family at Blair House. That's across the street from the White House. Lines to view President Bush stretched into the early morning hours.

We get more now from CNN's Sunlen Serfaty on Capitol Hill.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Dave and Christine.

Well, there's certainly been so many moving moments as a nation honors the life and the legacy of former President George H.W. Bush. Up here on Capitol Hill, there was so much emotion on Monday especially from his family as they watched his casket slowly being carried step by step into the U.S. Capitol where he once served, of course, as a congressman from Texas.

His body right now lies in state at the rotunda. It was opened all night for the members of the public to come in and pay their respects. Now, earlier in the day, there was a ceremony here on Capitol Hill where the common theme was not only speaking about the achievements of the former president, but mostly about who he was as a man. That he was humble, that he was kind and that he was someone who established deep relationships here in Washington.

REP. PAUL RYAN (R), WISCONSIN: He showed us that how we live is as important as what we achieve. His life was a hymn of honor. His legacy is grace perfected. His memory will belong to glory.

SERFATY: And the former president's body will continue to lie in state overnight tonight until Wednesday where it will be brought to the National Cathedral for his memorial service, where there, he will be eulogized by his son, former President George W. Bush -- Christine and Dave.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: All right, Sunlen. Thank you for that.

In addition to Bush 43, President Bush will be eulogized by former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, former Senator Allan Simpson, and presidential historian Jon Meacham.

President Trump will attend the funeral Wednesday in Washington's National Cathedral. He will not speak. Presidents are traditionally asked to give a eulogy, but plans for the Bush funeral were in place before Trump was elected and there is another president in the Bush family to speak anyway.

BRIGGS: There is after all.

All of the living presidents are expected to attend Wednesday's funeral which should make for some very interesting political theater, putting the president side by side with predecessors he harshly and personally criticized. Bush 41 will be buried wearing socks that featured jets flying in formation, in homage to his life of service which started as an 18-year-old naval aviator in World War II.

The U.S. Postal Service will suspend regular mail deliveries tomorrow for the national day of mourning George H.W. Bush.

ROMANS: Special counsel Robert Mueller is expected to file a sentencing memo for Michael Flynn today. The document could provide details about what Mueller knows and where his investigation is headed. Flynn was forced to resign as national security director in February of 2017. The White House says he was let go for misleading Vice President Pence about conversations with a Russian diplomat. In December of 2017, Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and he agreed to cooperate with Mueller. BRIGGS: The special counsel also expected to file a sentencing memo

for former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort by Friday. At least some of the memo will be made public.

[04:05:02] Mueller promised to lay out specifics of the Manafort alleged lies which led to the termination of his plea deal.

ROMANS: President Trump's contempt for the special counsel appears to be boiling over, and according to some legal experts, his latest Twitter feed to amount to obstruction of justice or witness tampering. The president urging the maximum sentence for his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, who flipped on him with two guilty pleas.

BRIGGS: Mr. Trump tweeted Cohen is making up stories to get a deal for himself, his wife, his father-in-law so they can get off, here's the great part, scot-free. Notice the president's spelling of scot- free?

Well, Miriam Webster Dictionary certainly did. Scot with one "T" means free of penalty. Scott with two T's is some guy named Scott.

We get more from some girl, a terrific reporter, Kaitlan Collins, at the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Dave and Christine, it seems that President Trump bottled his anger toward the special counsel Robert Mueller and then unleashed all of it in a series of tweets going after the special counsel, but also after his former attorney Michael Cohen who recently pleaded guilty to lying to Congress.

President Trump is not only saying he lied under oath, but also calling for the maximum prison sentence for Michael Cohen, saying that he should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for the crimes he committed that he says were not related to him. Of course, two high profile guilty pleas from Michael Cohen have had to do directly with President Trump. One admitting that he violated campaign finance laws which he said he did at the direction of President Trump, and two, lying to Congress, which he said he did out of loyalty to President Trump.

Now, this seems to have unnerved President Trump because, of course, we have reported Michael Cohen sat down with the special counsel's team for at least 70 hours over the last several weeks which is certainly something that is clearly giving the president a cause for concern -- Dave and Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: President Trump also showering praise on Roger Stone for standing up to special counsel Robert Mueller and refusing to testify against him in the Russian investigation. The president tweeting Monday: Nice to know some people still have guts. Stone is under Mueller's microscope over Mueller's microscope over possible contacts with WikiLeaks during the 2016 campaign and whether he knew ahead of time about the release of Democratic e-mails hacked by the Russians.

BRIGGS: The president's tweet spawning a Twitter fight between his son Eric and the husband of presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway. George Conway is a prominent conservative lawyer in D.C. who has been highly critical of the president in the last few months, beginning Monday morning when Conway suggested Mr. Trump's tweets on the Russian probe amounted to witness tampering.

Eric Trump responded with this: Of all the ugliness in politics, the utter disrespect for George Conway shows toward his wife, her career, place of work and everything she has fought so hard for to achieve, might top them all. Kellyanne is a great person and, frankly, his actions are horrible.

George Conway responded with the series of retweets. One of them referencing the Stormy Daniels saga.

ROMANS: A temporary trade truce between U.S. and China. The G20 tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods will stay at 10 percent, they will not rise as scheduled to 25 percent come January 1st. That's the truce.

The Dow rose 288 points, all three major averages rose more than 1 percent. Big moves for China focused stocks as well. Apple, Boeing, Caterpillar, Deere, all of them closing strongly higher. In addition to president agreeing not to raise the 10 percent, tariffs on those $250 billion worth of goods. China said it would be willing to purchase, quote, a very substantial amount of agriculture, energy and other U.S. products.

The president tweeted about the success of his meeting with President Xi Jinping Monday, saying, quote: relations with China have taken a big leap forward. Very good things will happen.

President Trump added farmers would benefit most from the agreement, saying this: We make the finest and cleanest product in the world and that is what China wants. Farmers, I love you.

Analysts are little worried the celebration of Wall Street could be short lived. The two countries now have 90 days to resolve these trade issues. Trade issues that have been in contention for years, if not decades. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer will be the lead negotiator.

BRIGGS: Later today, CIA Director Gina Haspel is expected to brief a small group of lawmakers on the murder of "Washington Post" journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Some senators slammed the Trump administration last week when they were denied a CIA briefing on the case. Haspel may be able to provide details about an audio tape of the murder. The briefing last week without Haspel triggered a backlash with senators voting to advance a resolution that would cut U.S. military support to the Saudis for the war in Yemen.

And editorial for "The Wall Street Journal", Senator Lindsey Graham says, quote, the recent vote should show Saudi Arabia and the Trump administration that Congress isn't mugging for the cameras. We are a co-equal branch of government exercising leadership to safeguard the country's long term interests, values and reputation.

[04:10:07] After all, someone's got to do it.

ROMANS: I think I'm the most qualified person to be president. The words of former Vice President Joe Biden during a book tour stop in Missoula, Montana. Biden says his family must decide as a unit whether they are prepared for a White House bid. He says a decision will be made in the next six-to-eight weeks.

Biden sounds like he's already in campaign.

BRIGGS: He does.

ROMANS: He told the moderator: I am a gaffe machine, but my God, what a wonderful thing compared to the guy who can't tell the truth. The question is, what kind of nation are we becoming?

BRIGGS: It is interesting. In another era, his willingness to say anything would have been disqualifying. Now it is almost refreshing. It would be interesting if he gets in. It looks like he wants in.

ROMANS: Ahead, the names of 11 priests suspected of abusing children will remain private. Why the Pennsylvania Supreme Court won't release those names, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:15:08] ROMANS: A voter fraud scandal in North Carolina may ultimately lead to a new election. Officials in the state's ninth district investigating allegations that absentee ballots were tampered with in the tight congressional race between Republican Mark Harris and Democrat Dan McCready. A review of some ballots revealed many were signed by the same small group of people, some connected to a long time operative working for Harris' campaign.

BRIGGS: The set up of 161 absentee ballots obtained by CNN showed the same nine people signed at least ten absentee ballots each, and that many of those nine people who signed the ballots seemed to know each other. North Carolina election law states only the voter or near relative can hand in an absentee ballot. The Republican operative denied any wrongdoing to the "Charlotte Observer". McCready conceded last month after results showed Harris won by just 905 votes.

ROMANS: The police chief in Springfield, Missouri, is promising to do better with the city's respond to sex crime case. Following a CNN investigation, Paul Williams is apologizing to the sex assault victims after the investigation revealed rape kit destruction was a regular agency practice. Williams invited victims to contact him if they felt their cases were not investigated appropriately.

BRIGGS: He says, going forward, the department will no longer give sex crimes victims a 10-day deadline to respond to investigators or face closure of their cases. CNN discovered this practice is by no means limited to just Springfield. More than two dozen law enforcement agencies in 14 states destroyed at least 400 rape kits tied to cases that could still be prosecuted. The number is likely much higher.

ROMANS: A new assault allegation against former Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt. He reportedly kicked a man at a Kansas City nightclub in January of this year. According to the police report, Hunt and several others hit the victim, breaking his rib and nose. The 37-year-old unidentified male did not pursue charges.

The Chiefs released Hunt on Friday after video surfaced showing him assaulting a woman in February. He has apologized publicly. Says he deserves another chance.

BRIGGS: Another NFL domestic abuse case came up on Monday night football. Washington recently claimed Reuben Foster, after he was cut by the 49ers following allegations of domestic battery. Monday night football announcer Jason Witten, a former NFL tight end, says it sends the wrong message.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Redskins taking a chance on Reuben Foster. Should they?

JASON WITTEN, FORMER NFL TIGHT END: A hundred percent no. I believe the Redskins used horrendous judgment in claiming this guy. And I understand it is an ongoing investigation. But my family has been affected by domestic violence. I understand the anguish that it causes. You know, young players just have to understand that there is no tolerance for putting your hands on a woman, period.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: I should note, Jason Witten played alongside convicted domestic abuser Greg Hardy in Dallas. Redskins president Bruce Allen said the team did its own investigating and felt comfortable they heard the Foster story that was different.

ROMANS: All right. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has rejected a request to release the names of 11 unidentified priests in the clergy abuse grand jury report. The court says keeping identities under wraps is the only way to protect their right to reputation under the state constitution. The state attorney general says while his office can't release the names, the state's Catholic bishops can and should. An August grand jury report detailed decades of sexual abuse of children by hundreds of priests. The names of more than 270 priests were released in that report.

BRIGGS: Coming up, cyber bullying and thoughts of suicide. "SNL's" Pete Davidson opens up about why he won't let the haters win.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:23:23] BRIGGS: It's 4:23 Eastern Time.

Hate crime investigation under way in California after a swastika was spray painted on the side of a home Sunday night just as Hanukkah started. The homeowner says she believes the crime happened in response to the Hanukkah themed lights she had just put up. A car was also vandalized. Two people in dark clothing were seen leaving the area. The family says it won't stop them from celebrating, adding the lights will stay up.

ROMAN: Comedian and "SNL" star Pete Davidson opening up about being cyber bullied and considering suicide. In a remarkably candid Instagram post, he has had some well-publicized troubles lately, including a controversial joke about a Republican candidate who lost an eye in combat and his break up with singer Ariana Grande. In the post, the 25-year-old Davidson talks about battling bipolar disorder, and hopes that what he has to say can help others cope with tough situations.

BRIGGS: Despite the online bullying, Davidson refuses to give in, writing, quote, no matter how hard the Internet tries to make me kill myself, I won't. I'm upset I even have to say this. To all those holding me down and seeing this for what it is, I see you and I love you. Davidson also criticized the cultural and media environment for the tendency to be offended by things, echoing the sentiments of the Republican he joked about, Dan Crenshaw.

ROMANS: A record breaking mission for SpaceX. Elon Musk's company delivering 64 satellites into orbit in a single launch. Monday's mission described as one of the largest satellite ride sharing projects in U.S. history. Right now, there is growing demand to launch small satellite that some companies hope will empower new business from Internet service, supply chain monitoring.

[04:25:05] SpaceX tries to reduce the cost of a launch by reusing the hardware. The latest version of the Falcon 9 rocket is designed to fly as many as 100 times.

BRIGGS: Very cool. Our 41st president, a war hero and lifetime of public servant to this country lies in state. Showing people into the morning to pay tribute here to the late George Herbert Walker Bush.

ROMANS: And a day after rage tweeting about Michael Cohen, could Michael Flynn be next in line for the president? It depends on what Robert Mueller shares today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRIGGS: Live pictures now. George Herbert Walker Bush lying in state at this hour.