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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

President Trump's Shutdown Proposal Rejected; Rudy Giuliani: Trump May Have Talked To Cohen About Testimony; Prime Minister Theresa May To Return To Parliament Today To Present Revised Brexit Plan; Rams Versus Patriots In Super Bowl LIII. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired January 21, 2019 - 05:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:32:20] LAURA JARRETT, CNN ANCHOR: The president's compromise to end the government shutdown a non-starter for Democrats. Is there anything that can break the month's long impasse at this point?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, CNN HOST, "STATE OF THE UNION WITH JAKE TAPPER": You just acknowledged that it's possible that President Trump talked to Michael Cohen about his testimony.

RUDY GIULIANI, ATTORNEY TO PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Which would be perfectly normal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAVE BRIGGS, CNN ANCHOR: Perfectly normal for the subject of an investigation to talk to a key witness about his testimony.

JARRETT: The snow is gone but some of the coldest weather in a year is greeting the northeast this holiday morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NFL ANNOUNCER: Second and goal, to Butker.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: The Super Bowl set after arguably the craziest championship Sunday in league history. Super Bowl number nine for Brady and Belichick. And did a missed penalty cost the Saints a trip to that Super Bowl?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES CORDEN, HOST, CBS "THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH JAMES CORDEN": Congratulations to New England. Your 11-month Super Bowl drought is over.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: Long-suffering Patriots fans finally get to a Super Bowl. John Berman must be ecstatic this morning.

JARRETT: Oh, you know he's hyped.

BRIGGS: Just back in the game. A lot of controversy, which we just showed you. An interesting game.

Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Dave Briggs on a Monday.

JARRETT: And I'm Laura Jarrett in for Christine Romans.

Well, President Trump trying to find political middle ground to end the government shutdown. Instead, he got hammered by the left and the right. It was the president's most significant move yet in the stalemate, offering temporary protections for some undocumented immigrants in exchange for $5.7 billion in border wall funding.

And that offer triggered action by Mitch McConnell. The Senate majority leader vowing to bring the president's plan to a vote as soon as this week, even though the odds of getting 60 votes to pass are very slim.

BRIGGS: McConnell's proposal is expected to include measures to entice Democrats. So, if they vote no on the entire package they will also be turning down add-ons they favor, like an extension of the Violence Against Women Act.

We get more now from CNN's Sarah Westwood on the shutdown state of play.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Laura and Dave, President Trump and senior administration officials defending the president's immigration proposal against almost unanimous Democratic opposition this weekend.

Now, the president, on Saturday, rolled out this deal that would involve him getting $5.7 billion for the construction of his border wall and in exchange, the president said that he would agree to a 3- year renewal of DACA protections for those young undocumented immigrants known as Dreamers, as well as a 3-year extension of temporary protected status for the roughly 300,000 immigrants who are, right now, facing the prospect of the expiration of their TPS.

[05:35:01] House Democrats, though, says that's dead on arrival. They do not want to negotiate on any kind of deal until the government is reopened.

TEXT (PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, TWITTER): "No, amnesty is not a part of my offer. It is a 3-year extension of DACA. Amnesty will be used only on a much bigger deal, whether on immigration or something else. Likewise, there will be no big push to remove the 11,000,000-plus people who are here illegally. But, be careful, Nancy!"

WESTWOOD: Now, President Trump has been lashing out at Speaker Pelosi for opposing his plan, claiming that Pelosi is beholden to the left wing or her party, while also defending his proposal from the right wing of his own party with conservatives accusing the president of extending an offer of amnesty to the nearly one million immigrants who would benefit from this plan if it were put into law.

TEXT: (ANN COULTER, POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, TWITTER): "Trump proposes amnesty. We voted for Trump and got Jeb.!"

WESTWOOD: But the bottom line is that this is not a new idea. Trading DACA for wall money is a -- is an idea that has been tried and has failed on Capitol Hill several times, although this is a White House attempt to try to peel some moderate Democrats off and build a bipartisan coalition of support. At the moment, it appears Democrats are united in their opposition to the president's immigration agenda -- Laura and Dave.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JARRETT: United in their opposition with no end in sight. Thanks so much, Sarah.

"The Washington Post" editorial board says it's time for Democrats to consider the president's offer. In a piece entitled "Make A Deal, Save the Dreamers," the board writes, quote, "To refuse to even to talk until the government reopens does no favors to sidelined federal workers and contractors. Unquestionably, a deal would contain galling elements for both sides. That's the nature of compromise."

BRIGGS: All right, let's talk about this with CNN political analyst Julian Zelizer, a professor and historian at Princeton and the author of "Fault Lines: A History of the United States Since 1974".

Good to see you, sir.

JULIAN ZELIZER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST, PROFESSOR AND HISTORIAN, PRINCETON UNIVERSITY, AUTHOR, "FAULT LINES: A HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES SINCE 1974": Good morning.

BRIGGS: Let's talk about that "Washington Post" piece there. They say that is the nature of compromise.

Is this offer from the president compromise? After all, it angered Ann Coulter and the immigration right and it angered the far left. Is this what compromise looks like?

ZELIZER: It's not a good compromise, it's not a deal that anyone really likes, and it's not a substantive deal. And it also is a deal that still depends on the government being shut down, which is what Democrats are opposing.

But, Democrats need to respond. I do think they're going to need to show the public what they want as an alternative.

JARRETT: Take a listen to what Kirsten Gillibrand said on our air yesterday Julian, and how she's sort of toeing the line here for Democrats.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND (D), NEW YORK: My counteroffer would be what we put on the table a year ago and voted for, which was protect all Dreamers -- protect TPS status. And for him to say three years? Again, he has no compassion.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: So, in your view, do Democrats run a risk if they don't come to the negotiating table with something at all here -- if they just throw up their hands and say we're not going to even talk to the president? Do they bear some political burden there?

ZELIZER: Well, the public's still against the president. It's very clear he's fighting against bad press at this point.

But, yes, the Democrats, I think as "The Washington Post" op-ed shows, have to offer something as an alternative. They could either say reopen the government and here's higher border funding without a wall or they can try to cut a deal on a permanent Dreamers.

I don't know if he'll go for it. It's unclear House Republicans will accept anything on a Dreamers Act at this point --

BRIGGS: Yes.

ZELIZER: -- but I think at least negotiations are starting and that means Democrats have to put something on the table.

BRIGGS: Yes. Regarding the DACA and TPS, now clearly, that's just an attempt to clean up a mess the president made --

ZELIZER: The president.

BRIGGS: -- but why not counter with permanent protections for DACA recipients and TPS? That would seem to be now it might get rejected out of hand --

ZELIZER: Right.

BRIGGS: -- but at least you would seem to be in the game.

You wrote a piece, though, about an interesting comment the vice president made on CBS on Sunday regarding the shutdown and the seeking of a border wall -- listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: One of my favorite quotes from Dr. King was, "Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy." You think of how he changed America. He inspired us to change through the legislative process to become a more perfect union.

That's exactly what President Trump is calling on the Congress to do. Come to the table in a spirit of good faith. We'll secure our border, we'll reopen the government.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: You call this in your piece "Perversion of the work of one of the greatest social activists of modern times." Why?

ZELIZER: Look, the policies of this administration from the border wall to voting rights restrictions are antithetical to absolutely everything Martin Luther King fought for. So, having Vice President Pence invoke Martin Luther King for this deal or for anything else really flies in the face of his memory.

And there's no way to look at that history and align it with anything this administration is doing. It's just the opposite.

JARRETT: It was pretty amazing to watch considering he was reading, obviously, from something.

ZELIZER: Yes.

JARRETT: It wasn't like an off-the-cuff remark. He had clearly planned to invoke MLK there.

BRIGGS: Interesting thought.

JARRETT: Turning to the BuzzFeed report --

ZELIZER: Yes.

JARRETT: -- that really kind of took us all by storm --

BRIGGS: It did.

JARRETT: -- on Friday, and it was sort of like whiplash where everyone had sort of an immediate reaction to it. Stunning report talking about the president directing Michael Cohen to lie about that Trump Tower deal.

[05:40:01] And then, the special counsel's office who never opens their mouths about anything, much less to knock down a story, comes out with a statement essentially saying this is an inaccurate report.

And take a listen to BuzzFeed's team that came on with our Brian Stelter and how they sort of have now doubled down --

BRIGGS: Yes.

ZELIZER: Yes.

JARRETT: -- on their reporting, Julian.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEN SMITH, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, BUZZFEED NEWS: We are eager to understand which characterizations Mueller is talking about there and, obviously, we take that incredibly seriously. ANTHONY CORMIER, REPORTER, BUZZFEED NEWS: If further confirmation that this is right, we're being told to stand our ground. This is -- this is -- our reporting is going to be borne out to be accurate and we're 100 percent behind it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: Where does this leave us? Is this a win for the president? You know, every time some of these things happen he immediately calls it fake news even though BuzzFeed is standing by their reporting and saying we still believe it's right.

ZELIZER: Obviously, he's able to use a story like this to try to discredit everything that has been found. A) we don't actually know what Mueller is disputing. It was very precise language. It might be about the detail rather than the substance. BuzzFeed is standing behind it so let's wait and see what's there.

Just as important, this is one story out of a huge investigation -- many stories which have actually borne out to be true. So it's not as if everything hinges on this.

And as Giuliani showed on Sunday morning, within hours, the administration itself is likely to provide more smoking guns regardless of what the press does.

So, I think we need to also check how much rests on the BuzzFeed. But obviously, accuracy is really important in this environment.

BRIGGS: Extremely, and it comes down to have they seen these texts --

ZELIZER: Right.

BRIGGS: -- or e-mails referenced in the BuzzFeed reporting. We'll all learn with the Mueller report.

But in the short term, I think Laura is right. Probably a win for the president, but we'll see how it all shakes out.

Julian, good to see you. We'll talk Super Bowl, hopefully, next time you're here, all right?

ZELIZER: Yes, maybe. Thank you.

JARRETT: Thanks so much, Julian.

Well, Rudy Giuliani admitting President Trump might have talked to Michael Cohen about his congressional testimony ahead of time. The president's lawyer telling CNN he doesn't know for sure but says if Mr. Trump did, so what?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GIULIANI: As far as I know, President Trump did not have discussions with him. Certainly, had no discussions with him in which he told him or counseled him to lie. If he had any discussions with him they'd be about the version of the events that Michael Cohen gave them, which they all believe was true.

TAPPER: But you just acknowledged that it's possible that President Trump talked to Michael Cohen about his testimony.

GIULIANI: Which would be perfectly normal --

TAPPER: So, it's possible --

GIULIANI: -- which the president believed was true.

TAPPER: So, it's possible that that happened -- that President Trump talked to Michael Cohen about his testimony?

GIULIANI: I don't know if it happened or didn't happen, and it might be attorney-client privilege if it happened, where I can't acknowledge it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: Giuliani also told "MEET THE PRESS" that plans to build a Trump Tower in Moscow were discussed as late as November 2016. Michael Cohen only said they went as far as June 2016 when he pleaded guilty to lying to Congress. And so we go --

JARRETT: Yes, that's not how privilege works, also.

BRIGGS: Not exactly. You do have the degree. You could tell us more on that.

JARRETT: You know, let's not get into a tit for tat about that, but just saying.

BRIGGS: OK, we can agree on that.

JARRETT: Theresa May presents a revised Brexit plan to Parliament today, but other lawmakers are trying to derail her plans. We're live in the U.K., up next.

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[05:47:27] BRIGGS: British Prime Minister Theresa May expected to return to Parliament today to present a revised Brexit plan. That follows a crushing defeat of her initial deal last week. Now, May's appearance comes as an influential group of Parliament members plan to introduce legislation that could block a no-deal Brexit.

CNN's Nic Robertson live in Northern Ireland with more. Nic, good morning.

Stuck between a rock and a hard place doesn't even get to the truth. She has no good options at this point. Where are we headed?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: You know, I think people have run out of trying to count the number of rocks that she's actually stuck between right now, Dave. The reality is her plan B is expected to look very similar to her plan

A. Frankly, she hasn't had enough time to do what she said she wanted to do, which was reach out across party divides and get consensus. That doesn't seem to be happening.

What will those details be, it's not clear. But it is clear she's lost her confidence in Parliament.

There's expected to be a move by MPs through block -- basically, one of her big negotiating tactics which is a no-deal Brexit. They want to block that offer and then they want to try to find a way to find consensus by some indicative votes in Parliament.

Meanwhile, over here in Northern Ireland -- very close to the border with Ireland -- people here have been concerned about the lack of progress in Brexit. They've been afraid about a possibility of a return to violence.

And over the weekend in this city, just a few miles from the border there was a car bomb -- the biggest act of violence by a terror group here in many, many years. The police are saying a group called the "New IRA" was responsible. No one was injured but innocent civilians were walking by the car just before it exploded.

Police are saying this was an intent to kill. They've arrested four people so far -- still questioning them -- Dave.

BRIGGS: Geez, all right. Sixty-seven days until Brexit.

Nic Robertson live for us this morning -- thanks.

JARRETT: Well, that winter storm that slammed the Midwest and the Northeast this weekend left at least six people dead. Among them, a 9-year-old girl in Illinois who was playing in a snowbank when a makeshift fort collapsed on top of her.

More than 3,800 flights were also canceled this weekend, many at O'Hare in Chicago and Logan Airport in Boston.

But the snow is not gone. Millions in the Northeast facing the coldest temperatures in a year.

Here's our meteorologist Pedram Javaheri with the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Dave and Laura, good morning, guys.

Yes, the cold air the big picture, impacting not only parts of the Midwest but much of the Northeast. And we're talking about one in every four people across the country dealing with these wind chills that are, in some cases, as cold as 40 below zero across portions of interior New England. [05:50:00] But, New York City, minus seven -- what it feels like this morning. In Chicago, minus six. In Detroit, minus 20. Minneapolis, 11 below zero.

And, climatologically, this is the time of year North America sees its coldest temperatures -- the third week of January into the first couple of weeks of February. So certainly, not unusual.

In that system, nothing unusual as well, but it did leave behind quite a bit of snowfall as it skirts offshore now. And some areas across New York -- Rochester in particular -- over a foot and a half coming down. And even interior portions of New York there, as much as 26 inches was observed across parts of the country.

But again, notice by this afternoon the best we can do with wind chill forecasts still going to be below zero across the northeast here. And the colder air does want to break up a little bit come the middle of the week here where 44 is expected in New York City. But only cooler weather still going into this weekend -- guys.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRIGGS: OK, Pedram, thanks.

Super Bowl LIII all set after two epic conference title games decided in overtime. That's the first time in NFL history.

Let's pick it up late in the fourth quarter. Patriots going for their ninth Super Bowl in the Brady-Belichick era. Rex Burkhead, the go- ahead touchdown with 39 seconds remaining. After Brady engineered his drive, Patrick Mahomes right down the field.

The game-tying field goal with eight seconds left capped a 24-point fourth quarter for Kansas City and sent us to overtime. And that's when Tom Brady does what Tom Brady does -- leads another drive 75 yards down the field and the game-winning touchdown.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What it means to go back to the Super Bowl.

TOM BRADY, QUARTERBACK, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: I can't believe it. I never -- I mean, this is crazy. What a game.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: That's a t-shirt for you.

In the NFC title game, the Rams beat the Saints in overtime in New Orleans, 26-23. The big play, though, a non-call late fourth quarter. And this obvious pass interference would have given the Saints a first down -- perhaps a touchdown -- and certainly would have led to a victory. Instead, the Rams punched their ticket to the Super Bowl with that 57-yard bomb from Greg Zuerlein in overtime.

The non-call, though, late in the fourth quarter not easy to stomach for Saints coach Sean Payton.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN PAYTON, HEAD COACH, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS: It's a disappointing way to lose a game. It's frustrating, you know, just getting off the phone with the league office. They blew the call and -- there were a lot of opportunities though, but that call puts it first and 10 and we only need three plays, and it's a game-changing call.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: To say the least.

Congrats to Sean McVay and Goff and a terrific Rams team. But that non-call, really the play everyone's talking about this morning.

Patriots and Rams square off in the Super Bowl in Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta, February third. That's on CBS.

Right now, the Rams, a 1-point favorite. I, frankly, expect that to change and shift towards New England's way, but it's going to be great Super Bowl. But the discussion is all on the bad call.

JARRETT: I love how you -- watching the replay clips give you so much exhilaration --

BRIGGS: Oh, man.

JARRETT: -- and excitement.

BRIGGS: Look, when you sleep three hours, you need that to wake you up. It was a terrific Sunday.

JARRETT: Well, this will wake you up, too. Your morning cup of coffee --

BRIGGS: Yes.

JARRETT: -- could get more expensive and taste worse or even go extinct. Important news for coffee drinkers, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:57:38] JARRETT: All right, coffee drinkers, wake up.

Sixty percent of coffee species found in the wild could soon go extinct. Researchers at the Kew Royal Botanic Gardens in the U.K. warn climate change, deforestation, droughts, and plant diseases are putting the future of coffee at risk. Fewer coffee crops mean your cup of joe could get more expensive and start tasting worse.

BRIGGS: Not the news you needed at 5:57.

All right, "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE" back from its holiday break, taking on the government shutdown.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KENAN THOMPSON, CAST MEMBER, NBC "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE", PORTRAYING STEVE HARVEY, "DEAL OR NO DEAL": You went on T.V. and you told the American people that you want to make a deal.

ALEC BALDWIN, ACTOR, PORTRAYING PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: That's right, Steve.

THOMPSON: All right, so we decided to do this in the only format that you can understand -- a T.V. game show with women holding briefcases.

All right, what do you say, Mr. President?

BALDWIN: Five.

THOMPSON: You want to open briefcase number five?

BALDWIN: No, I'm saying a lot of these women are fives.

Who's on case eight? Is that Cardi B?

THOMPSON: No, player. That's Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

MELISSA VILLASENOR, CAST MEMBER, NBC "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE", PORTRAYING REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ, "DEAL OR NO DEAL": That's OK, Steve. Trump and the GOP are just terrified of me because I'm under 100 and I know how to use Instagram.

I mean, just look at Mitch McConnell. He's already bird-boxing.

BECK BENNETT CAST MEMBER, NBC "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE", PORTRAYING SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL, "DEAL OR NO DEAL": I can hear the girl.

BALDWIN: I want to open that case from the Clemson football player.

THOMPSON: OK, that's not a briefcase. That is a Crave Case from White Castle.

BALDWIN: Well, I'd still like to have him open it, Steve.

THOMPSON: Oh, my God. OK, fine -- open the case, please.

PETE DAVIDSON, NBC "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE": Hamberders.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: That's hamberders with a "d", hence the typo that Trump made on Twitter. And he took the deal.

Nice to see Pete Davidson back --

JARRETT: Absolutely.

BRIGGS: -- and contributing to "SNL."

JARRETT: But the "Bird Box" part, that was my favorite. BRIGGS: McConnell.

JARRETT: Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Laura Jarrett in for Christine Romans.

BRIGGS: Good to have you here. I'm Dave Briggs. "NEW DAY" starts right now. We'll see you tomorrow.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARK WARNER (D), VIRGINIA: The starting point of this negotiation ought to be reopening the government.

PENCE: And what the president articulated was a good faith, common sense compromise.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are compromising our own security. I worry that there will be a breaking point.

GIULIANI: As far as I know, President Trump did not have discussions with him and certainly had no discussions with him in which he told him or counseled him to lie.

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA), CHAIRMAN, HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: If the president knew that a witness was going to lie before Congress but played no role in urging him, it certainly would be unethical.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we're going to call in these witnesses and get to the bottom of --